185 days ago

Report on fatal 2020 glider crash released

Libby Totton Reporter from Taupō Times

A report has found a gliding club had limited systems in place to ensure pilots were capable of soaring on a mountain following a crash near Taupō which killed two people.

The pilot, Taupō man Anthony Frederick Hector Budd, 78, and his passenger Kusum Pasha, 41, of Wellington, were killed when their glider crashed into Mt Tauhara on May 31, 2020.

Budd was an instructor at Taupō Gliding Club, while Pasha was a short-term member on a trial flight.

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More messages from your neighbours
4 days ago

Poll: Have you ever been bullied?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

People associate bullying with children in schools, but it can actually stretch beyond childhood to workplaces or neighbourhoods.

This Friday is Pink Shirt Day, which began in Canada in 2007 when two students took a stand against homophobic bullying after a new student was harassed for wearing pink. People across the globe are now encouraged to wear pink on this day to take a stand against bullying and promote inclusivity.

Have you or your whānau ever experienced bullying? Share your thoughts on Pink Shirt Day below.

Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.

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Have you ever been bullied?
  • 81% Yes
    81% Complete
  • 18.7% No
    18.7% Complete
  • 0.3% Other - I'll share below
    0.3% Complete
1189 votes
9 hours ago

School lockdown due to firearms incident

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Taupō Police are responding to a report of a person with a firearm on Acacia Bay Road, Nukuhau.

What you need to know:
- Police first responded to an address on Maunsell Road shortly before 9am on Thursday. Police are understood to be engaged in a stand-off after a "family-harm related incident". A Police spokesperson said there are "concerns for a person's wellbeing".
- A nearby school has been asked to lockdown as a precaution.
- Cordons are in place blocking the road at Acacia Bay Road and Norman Smith Street and the public is asked to avoid the area while police work to resolve the situation safely.

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9 hours ago

State Highway 39 closed due to crash

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

A crash between three trucks has closed a state highway in Waikato.

What you need to know:
- Police said they were responding to the three vehicle crash involving two trucks and a tanker truck on Kakaramea Rd (SH39) near Finlayson Road, at Ngāhinapōuri in Waipa. The crash was reported about 9.45am on Thursday and a police spokesperson said there didn’t appear to be any serious injuries.
- A section of State Highway 39 in Waikato is closed after a crash between three trucks.
- Police said there didn’t appear to be any serious injuries.
- NZTA said the highway at Ngāhinapōuri in Waipa would be closed for some time: State Highway 39 was closed between Ngāhinapōuri and Tuhikaramea roads.

People are advised to delay their trips or expect delays as the road is expected to be closed for some time. Diversions are in place.

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