Latest news with #DriversChallenge
Otago Daily Times
07-08-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Lucy takes charge of Canterbury fire station
Lucy Turnbull tried her hand at many things before discovering firefighting. Now, nine years later, she's the new station officer at the Amberley Volunteer Fire Brigade. ''I had always wanted to do it, but life got in the way and I never got around to it,'' she says. Then in 2017, she took the first step, attending an open day at the Amberley brigade. Introducing herself to those in charge there, they asked her to come along to their next Monday night training session, and she was hooked. She worked as a recruit at the brigade for a year, then completed her qualification training at the Woolston Fire Training Centre in Christchurch. Now a firefighter, she then went on to gain her qualified firefighter status at a five-day course held at the national training centre in Rotorua. She then took a year off to join the New Zealand Army as a firefighter based in Burnham. ''When I finished all their courses, I served there for six and a half years while commuting to and from Amberley and also turning out when I could for the Amberley brigade.'' Recently, the station officer's position came up at Amberley, and Lucy was asked to apply by many of her friends at the brigade. Her colleagues say Lucy does it all, from driving the fire truck and battling fires to responding to medical calls, running training sessions, and mentoring recruits. They say Lucy also does it all with a smile and an unmatched drive. ''Everyone has been very supportive of me. ''As the first female station officer they have had in their long history, it is a special position, but the response by all the 26 members of the brigade has been amazing,'' she says. In her new role in the brigade, she leads crews on call-outs, supports the chief fire officer and his deputy, and helps run the Monday night training sessions. She continues to volunteer with Taskforce Kiwi, aiding communities all over the country, when she can, while she is developing an animal and pet wellness business, High Spurs Animal Aid, in North Canterbury. Originally from a farming background, Lucy gained her qualifications in veterinary nursing, agribusiness management, canine behaviour and training and Emmett equine muscle release therapy, and is now studying to become a qualified canine and equine osteopath, all while pursuing a degree in psychology and emergency management. Lucy is a true animal lover as she cares for five horses, nine dogs, two alpacas, two leopard geckos, seven lovebirds, one cat and a skateboarding turtle named Evelyn. This weekend, she's off to race a fire engine around a race track in the UFBA Drivers Challenge alongside firefighters from all over the country, in order to improve her skills handling a fire engine on the road.
NZ Herald
23-05-2025
- Health
- NZ Herald
Northland news in brief: Police name victim in fatal State Highway 12 crash near Matakohe
Paihia firefighters on top The Paihia Fire Fighters team took part in the Northland Fire Brigades Sub Association Drivers Challenge and achieved a clean sweep of awards. Heath Taylor secured first place, Kaine Joyce was runner-up and Paihia Fire Brigade won the team competition. Dietitian boosts healthcare Health NZ's first dietitian permanently based in the mid-North is offering dietetic care for acute patients at Bay of Islands Hospital, as well as support for outpatients and those in the community. Rachel Keane started her role in January, which involves providing specialised nutritional support for patients with serious or complex health conditions. These plans help manage these conditions, promote recovery and improve overall health outcomes. Recycling bags out, bins in Kerikeri residents will soon need to adapt to a new way of recycling, as local waste operators transition away from taking bagged recycling in favour of bin-only collections. Far North District Council says the change was part of a move to improve efficiency and reduce contamination in the recycling stream. This means branded recycling bags are no longer available for purchase in Kerikeri stores. Kerikeri residents can still recycle a broad range of items at the Waipapa Re:Sort Station. Northland food to the fore Savour Northland will take place in October. Developed in collaboration with the local hospitality and producer industry, Savour Northland 2025 will again showcase the region's food, drink and manaakitanga through a calendar of events. Last year 126 events were featured. There were also 49 entries in the Savour Northland Challenge, which encouraged restaurants, cafes and food trucks to present the ultimate expression of Northland on a plate or in a glass. Farmer withdraws appeals Dairy farmer Phillip Bayly has withdrawn two appeals he filed against abatement notices issued by the Northland Regional Council (NRC) after NRC agreed to cancel the notices as part of a wider enforcement resolution. Bayly had appealed two separate abatement notices – one concerning wastewater management at his Hūkerenui Rd farm and another prohibiting silage discharge at his Inksters Rd property in Towai. The notices required immediate environmental compliance actions, including the preparation of a wastewater management plan and the prevention of contaminant discharges to land and water. The council had sought enforcement orders against Bayly and three others in relation to dairy operations across five farms in the region. However, a joint memorandum submitted to the Environment Court on May 1 proposed a resolution that if enforcement orders were granted by consent, the abatement notices would be cancelled. The court accepted the agreement and issued the enforcement orders.
