Latest news with #Wairarapa
RNZ News
a day ago
- General
- RNZ News
Wellington trains running again after delays, disruptions
Metlink says buses were replacing trains for the majority of the network on Tuesday morning. Photo: RNZ / Krystal Gibbens Wellington region rail commuters have been welcomed back from the long weekend with a raft of disruptions. Metlink said buses were replacing trains for the majority of the network on Tuesday morning because of a points fault affecting signal lights. It said this was not linked to the track network upgrade work over the weekend. Wairarapa commuters were being delayed on Tuesday morning because of rust that built up while the tracks were closed for the upgrade. Trains must slow to 10 km/h on affected level crossings until the rust has been worn off by several trains. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
a day ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Engineering firm strips doors off Pūkaha aviary after $245,000 bill unpaid for months
BK Engineering was contracted to build the shore plover aviary at Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre. Photo: Supplied / BK Engineering An aviary at a wildlife sanctuary in financial strife has had its doors stripped in a stoush over an unpaid bill for almost a quarter of a million dollars. Pūkaha Mt Bruce National Wildlife Centre on the border of Tararua and Wairarapa districts has issued an urgent plea for financial help , without which it faced imminent closure. At the heart of the plea was an invoice for an under-construction aviary for the endangered shore plover bird. Board co-chair Mavis Mullins said the breeding sanctuary needed to find $600,000 by the end of the week to avoid shutting its doors, after it was unable to secure funding from major partners the Department of Conservation and Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā . Brent Reid, co-director of local Masterton firm BK Engineering, hoped some of that money would be going to him and an outstanding invoice for more than $245,000. He said Pūkaha commissioned the firm in May 2024, to "construct, repair and refurbish" shore plover aviaries. Everything was smooth sailing, he said, until the payments stopped in November. Assurances that payment was imminent kept the construction work going "in good faith" until February this year, he said, but to date no further payments had been made. In a letter sent on 29 May to the Pūkaha board seen by RNZ, he said the company had taken out loans to keep afloat. "We are in serious financial difficulties because of Pūkaha. We don't deserve this." Reid said at the end of last week he cleared the worksite and took the doors off the aviary. "We loaded all the gear in our vehicles ... and we also removed as many doors as we could off the aviary so that it can't be used. "We're beyond caring about what anyone thinks and just need our gear back." The endangered shore plover bird. Photo: Supplied / Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre/ Tara Swan Ultimately, Reid said he wanted to receive the money that was owed and finish the job, and thought the Department of Conservation (DoC) needed to step in. "The government spends money on all sorts of wacky things, but this is something that you can go and see. "You can touch it, you can feel it, you can see the aviary, you can see it built. It's not good money after bad, it's a real thing, and it will save these birds." DoC's operations director for the lower North Island, Alice Heather said the department was aware of Pūkaha's financial difficulties. "We have been working with the Pūkaha board, alongside Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā, since we were made aware of the situation, and continue to explore options." She said Pūkaha was an independent charitable trust that for many years had delivered great conservation work. "DoC has not contracted work on the aviaries at Pūkaha. Any queries relating to non-payment of bills or contracts between contractors and Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre should be directed to the Pūkaha Mount Bruce Board." Pūkaha board co-chair Mavis Mullins said Pūkaha staff and BK Engineering were the top priority for the immediate $600,000 fundraising effort. "Our priority is our staff and those creditors because they are people that are known to us. We are working so hard and they are the priority." She said for several months the board had been working with potential investors. But last week, it "received new information" that left them with "no choice" but to engage Grant Thornton financial advisors. "We've also been in discussion with the Department of Conservation about the payment of outstanding invoices for shore plover aviaries, a nearly completed construction project urgently needed to continue the national programme of protection of this endangered species," she said. Mullins denied any suggestion of financial mismanagement and said while negotiations were ongoing to secure funding, every effort was being made to raise capital elsewhere. She said the community had supported Pūkaha since it was established in 1962 to breed and release endangered native birds, with the takahē - a Fiordland bird once thought extinct - its first species. "But the current operating model, which includes only part funding of conservation work by the Department of Conservation, with the rest from community funding, is no longer sustainable." It had been humbled, she said, by the global response to its plea for financial help. "Vistors, ex-kaimahi that have worked with us, this weekend the centre has been chocka with whānau coming, wanting to pay full rate rather than their half rate that they're entitled to, making donations ... It's been very, very humbling the response from the community." She said the board and management had been communicating to lenders, creditors and staff about the potential closure of Pūkaha, and acknowledged the stress and hurt they were feeling. She said former board chair Bob Francis and local businessman Shane McManaway had been brought in to oversee a complete overhaul of the organisation. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Justice, food and a CatWalk: King's Birthday Honours in Wairarapa and Wellington
Dame Catriona Williams. Photo: Supplied A new dame and knight in Wairarapa have met their titles with surprise and humour, while over the hill in Wellington, a renowned food critic is chuffed to be honoured for doing what he loves. Dame Catriona Williams has been honoured for her services to spinal cord injury and equestrian sport. A former Olympic equestrian rider, Dame Catriona founded the CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust in 2005 - a few years after a catastrophic fall during competition left her with a broken neck. Since then, CatWalk - which marks its 20th anniversary this year - has raised more than $10 million towards research for a spinal cord injury cure through various fundraising events and challenges, such as climbing to Everest Base Camp on a hand cycle and completing the New York City Marathon. Most recently, she cycled 1100km over 11 days from Scotland to London to raise funds for the cause - an intense, but fun feat which followed a second spinal cord injury in 2021. Speaking to RNZ, Dame Catriona said she felt honoured to have been considered for a damehood, but was quick to point out that CatWalk's work to promote a cure for spinal cord injuries was a team effort. "What we do at CatWalk has taken legs - if you can take the pun out of that - we're really excited about where things are heading at the moment and I'm excited about what my body is doing - and that is 20 years post-injury. "I feel we're at a critical stage in the research - getting legs and bodies moving - if this [damehood] can help expediate the process, I'm all for it." However, she said the ultimate goal was to make CatWalk obsolete and believed a cure for spinal injuries wouldn't come from a single pill or operation, but a combination of factors. Until that time, Dame Catriona said she would continue to encourage those in a wheelchair to keep going - as the late American actor who played Superman Christopher Reeve once did for her. Reeve suffered a spinal cord injury after being thrown from a horse in a competition in 1995. "He sent me a letter wishing me all the best and said, 'You'll find new ways to do the same old things,' and he's right. "But I guess what gets me out of bed every morning these days is the young ones. Seeing what they go through daily and knowing what's ahead of them ... "Don't give up on that dream of walking or dancing or doing what you did on your feet before - because I absolutely believe we're going to see some massive changes over the next five to 10 years." Regarding her new title, she said it would take some getting used to. "I can't wait to tell my husband - he's going to laugh at that one for sure." Meanwhile, former judge Sir Mark Cooper (Ngāti Mahanga, Waikato-Tainui) has received a knighthood for his services to the judiciary. While pleased and concious of the honour, he said he would not be printing new stationery. "It's a nice thing to happen at the end of a long career." Sir Mark Cooper. Photo: Supplied After graduating in the 1970s and spending some time as a lawyer, Sir Mark rose through the ranks of the judiciary, becoming a Kings Counsel in 2000, before being appointed to the High Court bench in 2004. Ten years later he was elevated to the Court of Appeal. He said one of the most memorable years during that time was leading the the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Building Failure caused by the Canterbury earthquakes. From 2011-2012 he chaired 33 public hearings and led the commission to deliver four reports under intense time pressure and public scrutiny - a task he admitted was daunting at times, but ultimately a privilege. The inquiry was conducted at a time when Canterbury was still being rocked by aftershocks, he said, and the devastation was in your face, not just in the ruined buildings, but in the community's shared grief and anxiety. "I felt the need to try and reach people who had suffered through the earthquake, who'd lost loved ones and also people who had been maimed ... sometimes I think we perhaps didn't do enough [for them]." He said it was a moving experience listening to people's stories and was determined to be as empathetic as possible. "In a situation like that, that affected so many... I don't think you can afford to be aloof and hold people at arms length." Reflecting on his career, Sir Mark said his cases had run the gamut, with some easier to talk about than others, such as 153-day hearing concerning a malfunctioning boiler that ended up settling. "The other end of the scale are the cases involving horrific murders, which stick in the mind. "In the criminal jurisdiction there's a constant parade of things like that - terrible things that people have done to their fellow citizens." He said classical music and his dogs were a lifeline throughout - "You never return from a walk with a dog without feeling better than when you set out." Of his time on the bench, Sir Mark said he'd tried to be "user-friendly," respectful, and in contrast to his own experience with judges as a young lawyer - unintimidating. "You know most people in court would rather be somewhere else, and you've got to bear that in mind. "You're usually dealing with something which has had a serious impact on the people who are there." He admitted he probably didn't always succeed, but noted that a well-timed joke could make the experience more enjoyable. "I have on occasions tried to be funny, a bit of light-hearted humour on the bench ... can help to lighten the atmosphere and you can be self-deprecating as well. "That's all part of making it all a bit more human." Renowned Wellington food critic David Burton was happy to admit that getting "bling" from King Charles now ranked as one of his proudest moments. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The critic and author of several books on food history has been appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to food writing. "As a writer I'm delighted to be honoured simply for doing what I enjoy best. I realise the etiquette requires me to say I feel humbled but, if I'm being honest this is the proudest moment of my life - apart from my wedding day, of course." Burton has been contributing to the field since 1982, first as a food columnist and restaurant critic for The Evening Post newspaper (later The Dominion Post ) and continues to write reviews for Cuisine magazine - a relationship that has lasted more than 30 years. Although perhaps best known for his critiques, he said he primarily saw himself as a food writer, with the coffee-table edition of French Colonial Cookery a favourite. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone While some of his reviews still featured on local restaurant walls, he said ultimately the power of the critic's pen had waned over the 40-odd-years he'd been reviewing. He cited a changing media landscape where "everybody is a critic, everybody has an opinion" as the root cause, but wasn't fazed by it. On balance, there were overwhelmingly more good meals than bad over the years, he said - a few brilliant, some terrible, and the rest just middling, which proved to be the hardest reviews to write. He knew the skewerings were typically the most memorable, but defended them as the right of a critic to express an honest opinion, as long as it was done without malice. "[The restaurants] think that we're writing for them, but no, we're writing for the reader, we're writing for the customer - a very important distinction." Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone On his Order of Merit, Burton said he had many people to thank, not least those in hospitality who had entertained and "suffered" him over the decades. And despite the recent tough years for the industry, he was still excited by what chefs were doing - highlighting Rosella's on Wellington's Majorbanks St as delivering some of the most surprising dishes of late, and the recently opened Supra on Eva St as one to watch. Burton said he'd be enjoying the capital's culinary scene in celebration of his honour on Monday night, but was determined to leave his critic's hat at the door.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre calls for financial help
Pūkaha board co-chair Mavis Mullins says without an immediate and significant cash injection the sanctuary will be forced to shut its doors. Photo: Supplied/ Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre A former board chair of a wildlife sanctuary in financial strife says he is working overtime to get a handle on the situation. The not-for-profit Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre, which boarders the Tararua and Wairarapa districts, is a breeding sanctuary for native birds including kiwi. It has, in recent days, put out an urgent plea for financial help. In a statement Pūkaha board co-chair Mavis Mullins said without an immediate and significant cash injection the board would be forced to shut its doors. The Post has reported that the centre needed to find $600,000. Former board chair Bob Francis and local businessman Shane McManaway had recently been brought in to oversee a complete overhaul of the organisation, she said. Francis said he and McManaway were in the process of figuring out the centre's finances. "We're working over time to sort it out." Former Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre board chair Bob Francis. Photo: Supplied / Bob Francis Mullins said for several months the sanctuary had been working with potential investors, and had brought in independent financial advice. "We've also been in discussion with the Department of Conservation about the payment of outstanding invoices for Shore Plover Aviaries, a nearly completed construction project urgently needed to continue the national programme of protection of this endangered species." The centre was now asking for the community to step in, she said. "Pūkaha has been one of the New Zealand trail blazers in saving native wildlife like our national icon the kiwi, and takahē, kōkako, tūturuatu and kākā. "But the current operating model, which includes only part funding of conservation work by the Department of Conservation, with the rest from community funding, is no longer sustainable." She said the centre had not given up hope - "but the doors will shut soon unless immediate additional funding is forthcoming". The board and management were communicating to lenders, creditors and staff about the potential closure, Mullins said. "This is a very difficult time for all our staff, stakeholders and communities as we work through the next steps and urgently raise capital so we can avoid the painful decision to close," she said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Gender euphoria and jazz with Elliot Lamb and entering the forest house with Jenny Mitchell
Jenny Mitchell recorded her fourth and latest album at a sprawling rural property in Wairarapa, a town in Aotearoa's North Island. Forest House captures the sounds (figurative and literal) of the landscape, along with the playfulness and musicality of her band. Jenny is currently on tour with Kasey Chambers, before launching her own album in July. She joins Andy to reflect on a decade in music (she released her first album at 15) and how she builds her lush songs that meander from folk to country and beyond. Trombonist, composer and bandleader Elliot Lamb's new album In My Own Little World captures small and joyful moments of gender euphoria—tracks like 5 O'Clock Shadow describe shaving for the first time, and Alone... is about finding their trans and non-binary community. Elliot is on The Music Show to talk about the palette available to them when writing for an octet, and how their other musical projects - a trio and a big orchestra - stretch their musical chops in different ways. Gigs: Elliot Lamb plays with The JazzLab Orchestra the last Tuesday of each month (next one on 24th June). They've also got gigs at Brunswick Green on June 17th and will be guest artist at Space Jam at Cross St on June 29th. Jenny Mitchell is currently on tour with Kasey Chambers (until June 15) before commencing her own album tour on July 12. Music in this program: Title: Object In Mirror Artist: Elliot Lamb, Niran Dasika, Shaun Rammers, Flora Carbo, Rowan Pattison, Selene Messinis, Oscar Neyland, Maddison Carter Composer: Elliot Lamb Album: In My Own Little World Label: ABC Jazz Titles: Little Less Lonely; The Curse Artist: Jenny Mitchell Composer: Jenny Mitchell Album: Forest House Label: Civilians Title: Daffodils (feat. Ron Mitchell) Artist: Jenny Mitchell Composer: Jenny Mitchell, Ron Mitchell Album: Forest House Label: Civilians Title: Heart Like A House Artist: Jenny Mitchell Composer: Jenny Mitchell, Tami Neilson Album: Forest House Label: Civilians Title: Sinathavar Mudikkum Artist: ganavya Composer: Ganavya Doraiswamy Album: Nilam Label: LEITER Titles: Alone...; Between The Cracks; 5 O'Clock Shadow; Donuts and Coffee Cups Artist: Elliot Lamb, Niran Dasika, Shaun Rammers, Flora Carbo, Rowan Pattison, Selene Messinis, Oscar Neyland, Maddison Carter Composer: Elliot Lamb Album: In My Own Little World Label: ABC Jazz Title: Murray Road Shuffle Artist: Trip! Composer: Elliot Lamb Album: Inter Dimensionality Label: Cross Street Recordings Title: Cloudgazing Artist: The JazzLab Orchestra Composer: Elliot Lamb Album: Cloudgazing Label: Independent
