Waimea Weekly Locally Owned and Operated
Wednesday 7 December 2022
NELSON SPORTS AWARD WINNERS REVEALED PAGE 26 - 27
Waka Kotahi ‘sorry’ for chaotic SH6 closure
Shop n Win winner Marina Bukovcak with her $5000 cash. With her is from left; Waimea Weekly publisher Andrew Board, Raeward Fresh owners Lou and Mark Paton. Photo: Sara Hollyman.
MAX FRETHEY
Local Democracy Reporter
Nelson mayor Nick Smith grilled Waka Kotahi’s Emma Speight on the chaotic closure of State Highway 6/Whakatu Drive with Tasman’s deputy mayor agreeing an apology was warranted. The stretch of highway was closed for resealing last month, and during the first meeting of the joint regional transport committee on Friday it, at times, felt like a trial by fire for the transport agency’s representative. Emma, Waka Kotahi’s director for regional relationships for Wellington and the Top of the South, says the closure of the main link between Richmond and Nelson on 5-6 November was a frustrating and difficult time for drivers. “What we discovered in the weekend was that the delays were absolutely beyond… what was acceptable for the community.” She added that while a full closure of the highway over the weekend was the right decision when compared to three to four weeks of stop/go traffic management, it was clear the communication regarding the road’s closure was insufficient and coordination with local organisations during the closure needed to be stepped up. However, the admission didn’t seem to entirely satisfy Nelson’s mayor.
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Mum’s last gift Local shopper wins $5000 cash
SARA HOLLYMAN Marina Bukovcak couldn’t quite believe it when she got the phone call on Thursday to say she had won $5000 as the
LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED
winner of Shop Richmond n Win. The 22-year-old third-year medical student, whose lucky entry was from shopping at Raeward Fresh, says she’s nev-
er won anything in her life. With the passing of her mother just days before, the news came as welcome respite. “Mum passed a week ago, this is her last gift for us. I’ve never
won anything in my life, we think it was mum’s doing.” Marina and her father left for Slovakia on Monday to spend
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