Latest news with #Hewitson
Otago Daily Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Farmer to have case considered
Invercargill city councillors will next week consider whether a Tisbury poultry farmer will be compensated for the loss of income and distress caused by a nearby housing development. In May, during the public forum of the council's community wellbeing and regulatory committee McNeill's Poultry Farm owner Nigel Hewitson outlined his troubles with a new housing development near his farm. He said since September last year the vibrations and noise from the housing development had stressed the 5000 hens on his Tisbury poultry farm. The hens lost their appetite, their condition, became more aggressive towards each other and egg production dropped. Mr Hewitson said he did not know how the development had gained planning consent without him being identified as an affected party and thought the council was at fault. Council consenting and environment general manager Jonathan Shaw was asked to prepare a report. In his report tabled at Tuesday's community wellbeing and regulatory committee meeting, Mr Shaw said while Mr Hewitson believed he should have been identified as an affected party, the application did not breach the district plan and therefore he was not an affected party. While it was obvious Mr Hewitson had been affected by the development, for the purpose of the consent he was not. Mr Hewitson sought a High Court injunction against the developer to mitigate the impacts to his operation which was issued in January. In his findings High Court Justice Jonathan Eaton noted the council consents and the work was being carried out according to the consent conditions. The council was not a party to the injunction and no concerns were raised by Justice Eaton about the actions of the council, the report said. The High Court ruling imposed stricter limits on noise and vibration than those set in the District Plan and the council had no authority to monitor or enforce the injunction. Mr Shaw had reviewed the conversations Mr Hewitson had with staff and concluded record keeping could be improved. There was also a delay in Mr Shaw being updated by staff about the situation. There were now protocols in place to ensure interactions with the public are recorded and matters are brought before senior management as required. Cr Ian Pottinger said it was clear that Mr Hewitson was an affected party and asked what staff had done to help when he approached them. Mr Shaw said the district plan did not not have any provisions to deal with the issues. Mr Pottinger said section 17 of the Resource Management Act (RMA) stated there was a duty to avoid, remedy, or mitigate any adverse effect on the environment arising from an activity and asked who in this case was responsible to do this. Mr Shaw said his understanding was the applicant and the local authority was responsible. However, at the time the resource consent was approved, those effects were seen to be less than minor. Mr Hewitson attended the meeting and afterwards said he thought the system was "unjust". It seemed getting the consent conditions right on paper was more important than the real impact it had on people, he said. Legislation was there to protect people and their properties. "Where's my protection?" After the meeting, council chief executive Michael Day said the question of compensation was discussed in committee, behind closed doors.
NZ Herald
15-07-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Toi Ohomai restructure proposal cuts jobs, threatens closure of Tokoroa, Taupō campuses
Toi Ohomai said the proposal was in response to a Government expectation to become 'financially viable'. With declining student numbers in Tokoroa and Taupō, the cost to run multiple campuses, and a drop in income, 'it is just no longer viable to operate in this way'. Toi Ohomai was yesterday among 10 training institutions to be re-established under regional governance next year, as the Government disestablishes national network Te Pūkenga. Union branch kaiarataki takirua (co-leaders) for Toi Ohomai Rotorua Santana Ammunson and Ashton Ledger are learning facilitators at Mokoia campus and learned on July 4 their roles were impacted by the proposed restructure. Ammunson said their team could reapply for comparable proposed new roles. Toi Ohomai Rotorua branch kaiarataki takirua (co-leaders) Ashton Ledger and Santana Ammunson are concerned about the proposed job cuts, particularly as it threatens the closure of Taupō and Tokoroa campuses. Photo / Supplied 'Whereas the rest of our support services teams, they have just been disestablished.' She said morale on campus was 'very grim', with concerns the loss of 'frontline support systems' would impact student success. Ammunson said losing the Tokoroa and Taupō campuses would limit access to 'a local place of study' for those communities. Ledger said the scale of the cuts was 'shocking'. 'I feel for Tokoroa because they've just had Kinleith Mill close … so many people are unemployed and there's an opportunity to get those people upskilling or back into education to help them with a new pathway. Kinleith Mill in Tokoroa has closed. Photo / Mike Scott 'They're pulling out the one, perhaps saving grace, from that region … ' His main concern was potential learners being at risk of losing 'everything'. Ledger called the situation 'kind of ironic'. He said Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds had said the Government wanted to ensure learners had access to regional vocational education training. 'All these change proposals … undermine that vision.' Toi Ohomai's Mokoia campus. Photo / Andrew Warner Toi Ohomai executive director Kieran Hewitson said the 'significant driver' for change was a government expectation of being 'sustainable and financially viable'. The proposal included ceasing delivery of campus-based programmes in Taupō and Tokoroa from 2026. Hewitson said courses with the highest number of ākonga (students) in Taupō and Tokoroa were the New Zealand Certificate in Automotive Engineering (level 3) and the New Zealand Certificate in Te Reo (Reo Rua) (level 2). The proposal retained the latter in Taupō. All other campus-based programmes would no longer be offered, Hewitson said. 'Where we can identify partnerships with employers, hapū and iwi and other groups to deliver programmes, we will.' All ākonga could complete the programme they were enrolled in, he said. Hewitson said the changes reflected where it must focus its 'limited resources'. It did not reflect staff and communities' 'great mahi' or there no longer being a need. It would still work with Taupō and Tokoroa communities, 'but in a different way'. He acknowledged kaimahi (staff) had been through many changes. The latest was 'necessary to prepare us to thrive in a world post-Te Pūkenga'. Hewitson said it was committed to delivering excellent vocational education and training within its 'funding envelope'. 'This requires us to think, and do, things differently to ensure a sustainable, responsive organisation fit for the future.' Consultation with staff would close on August 3. Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds. Photo / Phil Smith Responding to criticism of the cuts, Simmonds said the Government was committed to delivering a vocational education and training system that was 'stable, responsive to industry needs, and financially sustainable for the future'. The Government started disestablishing Te Pūkenga in 2023 as it worked towards a new structure. 'I acknowledge that this involves some difficult decisions, but they are necessary to fix a system that has been disrupted for too long by the failed centralisation experiment.' Simmonds said the Government had asked the Tertiary Education Commission to work with Te Pūkenga to support polytechnics to review their operations to ensure the sector's viability. She was not privy to information regarding polytechnics' operational decisions but it was important they ensured 'overall viability and maintain their relationships'. Simmonds acknowledged staff who had endured uncertainty 'for many years' and thanked them for their commitment to the sector. On Monday she said re-establishing the 10 polytechnics was a 'major milestone in building a vocational education system that's locally led, regionally responsive, and future-focused'. These changes were part of legislation before Parliament, expected to pass in October. The legislation also allowed mergers or closures if any polytechnic could not achieve viability. Labour tertiary education spokesman Shanan Halbert said the changes returned the sector to 'a model that was never financially viable'. 'The result will be major job losses in local areas.' Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.
Daily Mirror
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Three jockeys sent to hospital and one horse fatally injured in horror incident
Three jockeys were rushed to hospital after an horrific incident in which a horse suffered a fatal injury. Lyle Hewitson, Jerry Chau and Karis Teetan were riding in race 5 at Happy Valley, in Hong Kong, on Wednesday, a 5f race handicap. South African Hewitson was riding the 2-1 favourite Seasons Wit, trained by Jamie Richards, when tragedy struck. The horse was being ridden to make a challenge from over a furlong out when he fell 75 yards from the line. Eternal Fortune, ridden by Chau, and Teetan's mount Watch This One were right behind Seasons Wit and were brought down, unable to avoid the stricken favourite. Medics rushed to the aid of the riders who were all transferred to hospital for further assessment. A Hong Kong Jockey Club statement said: 'Lyle Hewitson and Jerry C L Chau are both conscious following the incident. Karis Teetan, who was also dislodged and is conscious, subsequently stood down from his remaining riding engagements. 'The Club's Veterinary Officer reported that Seasons Wit suffered a catastrophic fracture of the left forefetlock and could not be saved following the incident, while Eternal Fortunre and Watch This One were sent to the equine hospital for further examination.' In a further announcement the HKJC said x-rays had revealed that Hewitson had 'fractures of his wrist and suspected ankle, with no other identities injuries and he remains under observation'. The imaging revealed no injuries to Chau who also remained under observation. Teetan was undergoing precautionary imaging.' Mauritian Teetan has become one of the top riders in Hong Kong and was called up to ride the world's top sprinter Ka Ying Rising to win a Group 1 in February when regular partner Zac Purton was sidelined. The rider, who is due to compete in Ascot's Shergar Cup in August, is sixth in the standings with 38 wins. Hewitson, who has ridden 28 winners ,and Chau, 21. had both ridden winners earlier on the card.
Otago Daily Times
11-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Farmer fed up with council ‘dragging' out investigation
Nigel Hewitson says a housing development has affected his poultry farm. PHOTO: NINA TAPU Tisbury poultry farmer Nigel Hewitson is calling for faster action on a council investigation into the impact of a nearby housing development, which he says has caused significant distress to his 5000 hens and harmed his farm's income. Mr Hewitson, who first raised his concerns in November, expressed frustration the issue had not been resolved, and suggested the delay might be a tactic to avoid action. The hens lost their appetite and their condition, egg production dropped and his income was down. When he talked to a council staff member in November he was told the project complied with the Resource Management Act (RMA). "It is quite ratshit how they're just dragging it all out," Mr Hewitson said. He was disappointed the construction was not suspended immediately after he reported the problem. If human remains or buried petrol tanks were found, the work would have stopped immediately, he said. His situation should be a warning to other farmers about what could happen if changes proposed to the RMA that were fast-tracked went through. "There are going to be other people who have the same issues." The Invercargill City Council is investigating the matter. Council consenting and environment group manager Jonathan Shaw is leading the investigation but has said it was too early to comment on the findings. He promised to report back to Mr Hewitson in two weeks and prepare an update for the next community wellbeing and regulatory committee meeting. At a meeting on Tuesday, committee chairman Darren Ludlow confirmed councillors received a verbal update on the investigation's progress. However, he did not provide specifics, saying only that a full report would be made public at next month's meeting. In his presentation to the council last month, Mr Hewitson said the noise from the development had disturbed his hens since September, and he was perplexed about how the consent could have been approved without considering the impact on his farm.
Otago Daily Times
13-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
‘A nightmare every damn day': farmer
Poultry farmer Nigel Hewitson at his Tisbury poultry farm last week. PHOTO: NINA TAPU Invercargill poultry farmer Nigel Hewitson is living a "nightmare every damn day". Mr Hewitson spoke at the public forum of the Invercargill City Council's community wellbeing and regulatory committee meeting last week . Mr Hewitson said since September last year the noise from a nearby housing development had disturbed the 5000 hens on his Tisbury poultry farm, causing him and his employees distress. "The noise and vibration of the development stressed the hens out," he said. "They were attacking each other." The hens lost their appetite and their condition, and egg production dropped. In particular, the machine used to compact the construction site was "like earthquakes" to the hens. Hens had no muscles in their feet and felt the vibration throughout their bodies, he said. It was very upsetting for staff members to pick up the dead bodies of the chickens, he said. "I'm living this nightmare every damn day and it plays on you." When he talked to a council staff member in November he was told the project complied with the Resource Management Act (RMA), he said. "I'm tired of fighting people because all I ever get out of the city council office is 'there's nothing we can do ... oh, this is a unique situation'." He could not understand why the RMA part of the consent had been signed off as not affecting anyone else, he said. He believed the council was remiss because the welfare of animals had not been considered when the consent was approved. The poultry farm was established on the property in 1938 and was one of the oldest businesses in the region, he said. He was also concerned where the stormwater from the 40-plus houses in the development would go. Mr Hewitson said the birds were now so affected by noise even a cough or sneeze caused them to panic and run to the end of the shed, where they piled up. Some had died of smothering as a result of the pile-up. Mr Hewitson said he had been advised by a council staff member to contact the Ministry for Primary Industries as the noise was an animal welfare issue. After an MPI staff member visited they issued a compliance order to the developer giving it 14 days to work with him to resolve the issue, Mr Hewitson said. When the company failed to do so, he appealed to the High Court as his "only option", he said. "I was picking up deceased animals all the time and I had to do that because nobody had my back." The emotional and financial toll of the situation was high. He was still feeding the hens the same amount of food, but production was halved and there were lawyer's fees as well. Cr Grant Dermody asked how Mr Hewitson would like to see the situation resolved. Mr Hewitson said the only way he could make a living from the land was through poultry farming and he did not want to give up his business. Cr Dermody then asked if Mr Hewitson could co-exist with the development until it was finished. Mr Hewitson said it was possible. However, there would need to be give and take and at present it seemed like he was the only one giving, he said. After Mr Hewitson's presentation, committee chairman Darren Ludlow said it was important to acknowledge the distress Mr Hewitson was experiencing. Council consenting and environment group manager Jonathan Shaw was investigating the matter. Mr Shaw spoke to the meeting and said while he had met Mr Hewitson it was too soon for him to report what he had found out. Cr Ludlow asked for a timeline of when Mr Shaw would make his report. It was agreed Mr Shaw would share his findings with Mr Hewitson within 14 days and report back to the committee when it met next month.
