Waimea Weekly Locally Owned and Operated
Building sites targeted Sara hOLLyMaN
sara@topsouthmedia.co.nz
Local builders have been left thousands of dollars out of pocket after a flurry of thefts which have been labelled a sustained attack on people’s livelihoods by those in the industry. Local Master Builders approached Waimea Weekly after a spate of thefts, fearing that the prevalence of site thefts could become the new norm. Stonewood Homes managing director Brent Stewart, known by many as Stu, says after a few weeks of increased thefts, tradies are rallying together to increase security in new subdivisions. He says Berryfields in particular has been hit hard by theft over the past few weeks with some tradespeople seeing thousands of dollars of tools and materials taken from construction sites. Inhaus managing director Russell Campbell echoes Stu’s concerns saying a recent theft from a site of his resulted in around $45,000 worth of products being cut from a steel
container. “I know one company had six sites stolen from, another had four, another got hit a number of times over a period of time,” Russell says. He says the industry in under immense pressure with delays in consents, struggles to get materials in a timely manner, and increasing costs since Covid arrived in the country. Products such as plasterboard are becoming an item that is impossible to replace quickly and as such has become a target for thieves. They say they have heard of an instance where someone in high vis clothing, like a tradesperson wears, arrived on a site during the day claiming that they were swapping out an incorrect plasterboard order. Nothing seemed untoward to other tradespeople on site, so the thief was able to make off with an entire load of plasterboard. “The likes of gib [plaster-
see page 2
Wednesday 27 April 2022
Bob Bryan served as a fighter bomber pilot in the second World War. Photo: Evan Barnes.
Remembering the war 77 years on Max Frethey
max@topsouthmedia.co.nz
Bob Bryan doesn’t have a special reason as to why he signed up to the air force during World War II. “Everybody did it,” he says. “The war was on, and it was just a way of life.” The year was 1941 and Bob had just turned 20. Bob was initially trained in Levin before he was deployed to Canada where he earned his wings in 1941. “I was away for three and a half years.” Serving in the air force was a nobrainer for Bob. “I love flying.” But that love got Bob in trouble. “I had a chequered career actually,”
he says. “I got court martialled for low flying.” He served two months in prison and was then later posted to India where he would eventually see combat. Bob flew Hurricane fighter planes as a fighter bomber pilot in 1943 and 1944. “We carried bombs,” he says. “We bombed and strafed Japanese positions in Burma.” Serving in the air force was an enjoyable experience for Bob. “I enjoyed squadron life,” he says. “It was a very close bond with all your other pilots. It had its moments, good and bad. It was an exciting life. Something you’ll always remember.” But despite the comradery, Bob says
his time at war was a sobering experience. “I suppose you matured pretty quickly. People accepted the responsibility at that age, and that’s what you did. It was a way of life.” Bob says he lost a lot of colleagues and friends during the war. “A lot of the people I trained with got killed,” he says. “If you got killed, you got killed. That was the way we lived in those days.” Having Anzac Day and being able to commemorate the efforts of his peers is a special experience for Bob. “It’s quite moving,” he says. “It’s your chance to remember your old mates who were killed.” “It’s nice that it’s recognised.”
30 McPherson Street, Richmond Phone I (03) 543 8222 Web I actioncentre.co.nz Email I info@actioncentre.co.nz
www.actioncentre.co.nz
TENPIN BOWLING ALL AMERICAN DINER MINIGOLF INFLATABLE WORLD VIRTUAL GOLF INDOOR SPORT SPACEWALK PLAYGROUND ARCADE
LOcaLLy OwNed aNd Operated
waimeaweekly.co.nz