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From reporter Joanne Naish:
A rest home on the West Coast will remain closed while a nursing shortage grips the aged care sector.
Reefton’s Ziman House closed in February due to staffing shortages and a concern about levels of care during the oncoming Omicron peak. Ten residents were moved to … View moreFrom reporter Joanne Naish:
A rest home on the West Coast will remain closed while a nursing shortage grips the aged care sector.
Reefton’s Ziman House closed in February due to staffing shortages and a concern about levels of care during the oncoming Omicron peak. Ten residents were moved to Christchurch, Hokitika and Greymouth, with the West Coast District Health Board (DHB) saying it would reopen in June.
This week, DHB general manager Philip Wheble said Ziman House could not reopen until more staff were recruited.
The home, which offered hospital-level care, employed two full-time equivalent nurses, but needed 5.6 to provide hospital-level care.
Wheble said if it could not recruit enough staff, the DHB might consider reopening with rest home-leve care, which had a lower requirement for staffing levels.
Between six and seven residents had indicated they wanted to return.
“The reality is that recruiting into health care roles across New Zealand is challenging and more so for rural locations like the West Coast,” Wheble said. Continue reading A rest home on the West Coast will remain closed while a nursing shortage grips the aged care sector.
Continue reading here.
We are incredibly proud to launch Short Notice is a new initiative designed to connect neighbours with a little spare time on their hands with local businesses that need a bit of extra help!
It's very simple; using the new Short Notice community hub, share a little about yourself, your … View moreWe are incredibly proud to launch Short Notice is a new initiative designed to connect neighbours with a little spare time on their hands with local businesses that need a bit of extra help!
It's very simple; using the new Short Notice community hub, share a little about yourself, your availability and how you'd like to help.
If you're a business owner sign up for a FREE Premium Business listing to get access to Short Notice and let your community know what help you need.
Together, let's help keep small businesses busy!
Grab yourself a delicious Barista Made Coffee for only $4 at McCafé.
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Congratulations to Robert Fenwick, owner of Fenwicks Pharmacy in Canterbury, the 2022 Prospa Local Business Hero.
Robert has been recognised for his ongoing service and support for the community through tough times. Fenwicks pharmacy remained open throughout the lockdown with friendly greetings,… View moreCongratulations to Robert Fenwick, owner of Fenwicks Pharmacy in Canterbury, the 2022 Prospa Local Business Hero.
Robert has been recognised for his ongoing service and support for the community through tough times. Fenwicks pharmacy remained open throughout the lockdown with friendly greetings, conversations and smiles!
Congratulations to all the finalists and thank you for nominating your favourite local business. We'd like to acknowledge the official winner of the public voting poll, Josh Coe, owner of Page 42 cafe. Unfortunately, Josh has decided to close his business after 3.5 years and we wish him all the best.
The weather is getting chilly, ya power is going to rise! So why are you sticking with the same plan and provider if it might be costing you MORE money?!
53.9% of Neighbours said they switched over 6 months ago and 33.6% said you have no idea when you last switched! We want to know why … View moreThe weather is getting chilly, ya power is going to rise! So why are you sticking with the same plan and provider if it might be costing you MORE money?!
53.9% of Neighbours said they switched over 6 months ago and 33.6% said you have no idea when you last switched! We want to know why you're not switching power providers?
Our winning Nice Neighbours have been featured across NZ in the local papers, maybe you've spotted these smiling faces...
If you have a nice neighbour who needs recognised for the little (or big!) things they do, nominate them on our Nice Neighbour page and you could each get a $25 Prezzy® … View moreOur winning Nice Neighbours have been featured across NZ in the local papers, maybe you've spotted these smiling faces...
If you have a nice neighbour who needs recognised for the little (or big!) things they do, nominate them on our Nice Neighbour page and you could each get a $25 Prezzy® card - that sounds like morning tea to me!
Hi neighbours,
It's time to sow your seeds and cut those flowers because NZ Gardener's new special edition is on-sale now!
The NZ Gardener team takes you through the seasons with advice on cutting fresh flowers 365 days of the year. Flick through the pages and find stunning … View moreHi neighbours,
It's time to sow your seeds and cut those flowers because NZ Gardener's new special edition is on-sale now!
The NZ Gardener team takes you through the seasons with advice on cutting fresh flowers 365 days of the year. Flick through the pages and find stunning photographs, step-by-step instructions on how to arrange bouquets and what to plant and when.
Get your copy where any good magazines are sold or buy online at Mags4Gifts.co.nz
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Landslides high above State Highway 67 north of Westport in a stream catchment straddling an active fault-line is worrying the West Coast Regional Council.
An internal engineering staff report has highlighted the deterioration of vegetation on slopes… View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Landslides high above State Highway 67 north of Westport in a stream catchment straddling an active fault-line is worrying the West Coast Regional Council.
An internal engineering staff report has highlighted the deterioration of vegetation on slopes at Barrytown and parts of Buller from Cyclone Ita in 2014, and delves into the progressive erosion in the Lake Stream catchment, 10km northeast of Westport township.
The cyclone caused massive damage throughout the entire West Coast, flattening swathes of native forest and vegetation, particularly in river valleys.
In Buller, the Lake Stream catchment on Mt Rochfort had already split into three channels by the time of the heavy storm this February, but the erosion has now escalated, regional council engineer Paulette Birchfield said.
"Multiple landslides" had left a huge volume of slip material sitting high up in the catchment, about 1 kilometres above the highway.
When the slip material did eventually move it could radically change the stream's direction, with significant potential to spill on to the road at the bottom of the slope, Birchfield said in her report.
The majority of the slips in Lake Stream were in the upper catchment, diverting the flow across a fan. In future heavy rain events the high slip material was likely to mean the stream would "take any number of other flow paths".
Birchfield said the possibility of mechanically diverting the flow and excavating the original Lake Stream channel would be difficult. Steep topography and thick vegetation made both foot and access for machinery challenging.
A large-scale landslide did occur in the catchment in at least 2015, a year after Cyclone Ita, and this had been supplying increased sediment and debris to the Lake Stream channel.
In normal conditions the stream flow would not have sufficient energy to transport additional slip material and the channel would slowly evolve in response.
However, an earlier heavy rainfall event in early May 2020 was probably large enough to move significant volumes of sediment and debris, causing Lake Stream to tear away from its original channel, breaking out in several places.
A 1997 thesis noted that until the downstream channel width and depth was increased to the new flow regime, floodwaters would continue to break out of the channels and drains, causing flooding and sedimentation of farmland and damage to property.
PICTURES: West Coast Regional Council
1: Lake Stream catchment, north-east of Westport.
2: Approximate location of the diversion site in Lake Stream.
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Building work on a single new health facility to replace Westport’s old hospital complex is beginning to make tangible progress, as seen in this view of the site taken last week.
The framework for Buller Health Centre, on the flood-prone … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Building work on a single new health facility to replace Westport’s old hospital complex is beginning to make tangible progress, as seen in this view of the site taken last week.
The framework for Buller Health Centre, on the flood-prone north-western side of the town, is now standing.
The size and extent of the building’s footprint can now be seen - taking up much of the block bounded by Cobden, Derby and Pakington streets.
It is also being built on a raised foundation of about 1 metre to future-proof the facility from flooding.
The new $20 million-plus facility has had a checkered history since the rebuild was first mooted back in 2011.
Work on the new hospital building, just south of the current main Westport Hospital block, was initially announced as a $30m rebuild in 2011 before being downgraded to a $12m ‘integrated family health centre’.
It was then re-announced as a $20m build by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in a 2017 election pledge.
The project started to sputter into life at the end of 2019 when demolition of some buildings got under way.
The West Coast DHB recently said the rebuild was on schedule and the expected completion time frame should be by mid-2023.
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Sometimes having NO plan is a great plan! But if you feel the need to do something this long weekend then take a look at our top ideas.
From the team at NZ Compare - be safe and smile with your loved ones. Lest we forget. ❤️
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The Government says West Coast residents will have "a real voice" in the planned health reforms after the District Health Board structure is dismantled from June.
The elected and appointed West Coast District Health Board will be replaced … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The Government says West Coast residents will have "a real voice" in the planned health reforms after the District Health Board structure is dismantled from June.
The elected and appointed West Coast District Health Board will be replaced by a new centralised body mid-year.
Health Minister Andrew Little announced on Thursday the West Coast and eight other regions will be part of a new locality approach pilot with "targeted engagement" to determine the shape of future health services as the health reforms are rolled out over the next two years.
Little said the structure to be piloted would ensure a more direct voice and be better than relying "on a small number of elected reps under the DHBs".
"People living in these nine areas will start to see changes over the next six months. Organisations responsible for providing care will start to work more closely together."
The reforms would ensure a local say and "a real voice" in determining the health services provided in the community, he said.
The pilots would improve how health care was delivered in local communities.
The West Coast is among a mix of nine rural and urban health areas included: Ōtara/Papatoetoe, Hauraki, Taupō/Tūrangi, Wairoa, Whanganui, Porirua, West Coast, Eastern Bay of Plenty and Horowhenua.
"The new locality approach will be a collective of networks that will provide advice to Health New Zealand and the Māori Health Authority on the health services needs identified by their communities," Little said.
Local communities and iwi would determine their geographic area to become the 'locality', so the area served made sense to the people who lived and worked there.
The area for each locality network would be determined by criteria including priority population groups, iwi boundaries and local government boundaries.
"The areas will be small enough to still feel local and everyone ... will fit into a locality that reflects their community."
A locality commissioner would be appointed for each locality once the localities had been identified and work with the community and service providers on their priorities for local care.
* Public interest journalism funded through NZ On Air
Dear neighbours,
Every month, NZ Gardener runs a series of tested reader recipes using a seasonal crop. We are now on the hunt for persimmon recipes, so send your best ones to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz before April 29, 2022.
Every published recipe wins a copy of our special edition Homegrown … View moreDear neighbours,
Every month, NZ Gardener runs a series of tested reader recipes using a seasonal crop. We are now on the hunt for persimmon recipes, so send your best ones to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz before April 29, 2022.
Every published recipe wins a copy of our special edition Homegrown Recipes.
If you’ve ever felt a decent earthquake, your first thought was probably the safety of your loved ones. This long weekend is the perfect time to think about protecting them by making your home quake safe.
The good news is there’s a lot you can do right now, like securing tall and heavy … View moreIf you’ve ever felt a decent earthquake, your first thought was probably the safety of your loved ones. This long weekend is the perfect time to think about protecting them by making your home quake safe.
The good news is there’s a lot you can do right now, like securing tall and heavy furniture, and finding a builder to look at your chimney.
Everything you need to know is at EQC’s site. Don’t wait for the next earthquake to shake you into action, get started this long weekend.
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