A Dannevirke man who walked from Dannevirke to Wellington to raise money for the Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter service has handed over a cheque for $30,000.
Trevor Moore was flown by the rescue helicopter following an accident on a remote Tararua property in May last year, spending two weeks in intensive care.
He credits the helicopter for saving his life.
Moore walked the 265km from Dannevirke to Wellington Hospital in December, with the journey taking him five days.
He aimed to raise $15,000 for the helicopter service, but when donations were counted, raised twice that amount.
Mr Moore presented Grassroots staff with the money last week.
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Central Hawke’s Bay District Council has confirmed a repair for the Makaramu Bridge at Porangahau will be underway in the next four weeks with the current weight and speed restrictions on the bridge lifted within the next 12 weeks.
The restrictions were put in place a month ago after an inspection identified structural deterioration.
Council Chief Executive Doug Tate says the much-anticipated fix will enable heavy traffic to once again use the bridge.
He says the works will involve constructing a steel frame that will be anchored from the base of the pier up to the bridge beam.
Last week concerns were aired on social media regarding a crack in the bridge structure, but Mr Tate is reassuring users that the structural integrity of the bridge is not being compromised.
Engineers are assessing the bridge every two days or after an earthquake, heavy rain, or flooding.