Feedback Wanted - Please take our short survey.

Click here to take survey

Local News

TAGS

Local News

A man will face drink driving related charges following a single vehicle accident on Tuesday night.

Senior Constable Andy Walker said emergency services were called around midnight after a vehicle crashed through a fence on a property on State Highway 2 just north of the Waipukurau bridge.

He said the driver returned a breath alcohol reading of 770 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath.

The legal limit is 250 mcgs. Mr Walker said the man’s vehicle was a total write-off.

He is expected to appear in Court tomorrow.

-------------------

Three people were arrested after a house and vehicles were allegedly smashed up at an address in Waipawa last Saturday.

Police were called to a Great North Road property after residents at the address was confronted, initially by two males.

Senior Constable Andy Walker said the pair left and came back with reinforcements and weapons.

Mr Walker said they went around and smashed windows around the house, along with vehicles at the property, and also made threats.

He said the incident was gang related.

Mr Walker said two people were arrested during an armed Police stop in Waipukurau on Saturday afternoon, with another male arrested the day after.

The alleged offenders will appear in Court tomorrow.

---------------------

The Waipukurau Jockey Club’s annual Fashion in the Field is moving to an online event this year.

Coinciding with the Jockey Club’s race meet on Sunday in Hastings, those wanting to take part are asked to upload three photos or a 30 second video of themselves, meaning participants don’t have to be at the races in order to enter.

There are four categories – Female 12+; Male 12+; Kids 5-11; and Kids 4yrs and under.

Judging will take place at 5pm next Monday.

Full details are available on the Waipukurau Leopard Hotel Race Day – Fashion in the Field Facebook page.

-----------------------

The Metservice has extended a Heavy Rain Warning, initially issued for areas north of Napier, to a region-wide one.

In the 27 hour period from 8 o’clock last night to 11 o’clock tonight, 80 to 130mm of rain is expected to accumulate on top of what has already fallen.

Peak rates of 10 to 15mm per hour of rain are expected over the Warning period.

-------------------------

Dairy sector partners are calling on the Government to allow 1500 international dairy workers into New Zealand in 2022 to help meet the sector’s workforce shortfall, if borders continue to remain closed.

DairyNZ, Federated Farmers and Dairy Women’s Network have asked for changes to be made to class exceptions by Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor.

 

The organisations also support international farm workers being able to quarantine in separate housing on-farm, if fully vaccinated and following Covid-19 safety requirements while in quarantine.

DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle says difficulty in obtaining MIQ space has been a key frustration, and severely limiting the dairy sector’s access to international labour is creating unacceptable levels of stress for farmers and their teams.

In a recent joint DairyNZ and Federated Farmers survey half of dairy farmers reported they were short-staffed.