Nelson Weekly
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Wednesday 13 March 2024
Bawi Lian Thang, Felix Laird, Mason Kerdemelidis, Cesar Mosquera Bellaizac, Brigham Samuela, Bawi Tha Thawng Zaathang, Jose Mosquera Bellaizac, Te Amorangi RewhaKokiri-Dunn, and Keeley Redwood. Photo: Kate Russell.
Basketball team looking for a funding assist KATE RUSSELL While they may be pretty new to the game, ten basketball players from Nelson Intermediate School are shooting for success - but they need some help from the
community. The school’s boy’s team has been selected to compete in the South Island Primary Tournament in Rangiora next month, but at a cost of $300 per player, they are looking for sponsorship to get
there. “For many of our students and their families, this poses a financial challenge, and we are reaching out to local businesses seeking sponsorship to help cover these expenses,” says coach and
teacher, Tony Jenkins. The total $3000 needed for the team will cover the cost of travel, accommodation, registration, and food for the four-day tournament. “It’s an exciting opportunity for
our students to showcase their talents and represent our school on a broader stage,” he says. Around half of the team are new to basketball this year, and the
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Nelson-Richmond gridlock, yet again MAX FRETHEY
Local Democracy Reporter
Nelson’s poor transport resilience has been demonstrated once again after roadworks brought the city into gridlock during peak hours for a week. A stretch of Main Rd Stoke was closed to southbound traffic for resealing works from Wednesday last week, except on the weekend,
and was completed a day early on Monday. Southbound traffic was then diverted via Saxton Rd West onto State Highway 6/Whakatū Drive – the only other road linking Richmond with Nelson. The works not only brought traffic to a standstill but also sparked intense criticism from many residents. Nelson Mayor Nick Smith says the council was “stuck between a
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rock and a hard place” in having to do essential road maintenance on an arterial route even if it disrupted traffic. “The real problem is the lack of resilience in our transport network,” he says. “There’s just no room in the network for any sort of disruption without causing gridlock.” While the road through the Saxton Field complex was used by
commuters to avoid congestion, the council urged people not to because the road was not built to handle high volumes of traffic. Nick proposed including a plan to build a “vital” third road between Richmond and Nelson (linking Suffolk Rd and Hill St North) in Nelson City Council’s draft Long Term Plan 2024-34. However, councillors ultimately voted down the proposal, citing
several concerns about the road, including its estimated $37 million cost as well as the lack of data supporting the project. “Some have said there isn’t the evidence of the need for the Suffolk Rd-Hill St link. All the evidence was provided by the gridlock [last] week,” Nick says. Nick adds that while the road isn’t included in the draft Long
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