Wednesday 2 June 2021
Victory welcomes new principal
Hale delivers again
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Tāhunanui rejects clearways Erin Bradnock and Kate Russell Tāhunanui community members and business owners claim Waka Kotahi’s plans to reinstall clearways through the town is “dangerous” and “not acceptable”. Waka Kotahi, formerly known as NZTA, recommended earlier this month that priority lanes be installed along Waimea Rd and Tāhunanui Dr to alleviate the city's long-term transport woes. Clearways had briefly been installed along Tahunanui Dr in 2013 but were removed after community protest. Tāhunanui Business Association chair Paul Matheson describes the plan to install priority lanes as “dangerous”. “We’ve held a couple of public
meetings with over 80 people each time. Most, if not all, are strongly opposed to the clearways. It’s not acceptable,” he says. Paul believes the extra lanes and loss of car parking will negatively impact roadside businesses.
After a protest in 2013, the community won the battle to have the clearway outside four businesses removed. The New Zealand Transport Agency and Nelson City Council agreed to a moratorium of four years on the use of the southbound clearway. NZTA’s announcement to install clearways is the result of a longawaited Nelson Future Access report that looked at three options
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“They tried this a few years ago and it never worked. It was dangerous and people parked there regardless.”
Tāhunanui School principal Barbara Bowen with student Saul Cooper on Tāhunanui Dr. Photo: Erin Bradnock.
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Nick Smith resigns Staff Reporter Longstanding National MP Nick Smith has announced his retirement after 30 years in Parliament. Nick will officially retire next week, on June 10. Parliamentary Services have been conducting a confidential inquiry into a verbal altercation in his Wellington office last July that has not concluded, he confirmed in a statement on Monday. “I have decided to retire for personal and professional reasons, including a current Parliamentary Services inquiry into an employment issue.” Nick says he was advised on Friday that the inquiry and its details have been leaked to media for release this week. “It is inappropriate for employment disputes to be litigated in public. I will put on the record that I regret the incident, I apologised at the time and I apologise again today. I have decided the best course of action for the parties involved, the National Party, my family and myself is to retire now. This is an opportunity for National to renew. The leader, party, and caucus will continue to have my full support.” Nick says he was disappointed to lose the Nelson seat at the 2020 election after 30 years representing the region.
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