Nelson news in brief: whale out of jail

Whale free

The concrete whale at the Tāhunanui Reserve Playground has a get of jail free card. Structural engineers have given the whale the all-clear after it was fenced off during a review of all playground equipment after the old concrete train was found to be structurally unsafe and removed. The Nelson City Council said some cracking on the whale’s back would be repaired to prevent water damage, but it was otherwise constructed differently to the train. The council said more was known about the demise of the train. When its windows were cut into the train carriages, they exposed the internal steel reinforcing to salt water, causing it to rust over time. The rust expanded, weakening the train’s structure and causing it to crack, which eventually led to its collapse. The whale contains concrete plaster and a mesh frame.

Highway repairs

More than one and a half kilometres of State Highway 6 at Foxhill, south-west of Nelson, will be reconstructed this month. Contractors will be on the job at Foxhill, between Wakefield and Belgrove, for just over two months beginning Monday, October 9. The work will continue through to Friday, December 15. The work will be carried out during the day from Monday to Friday under stop/go traffic controls and drivers will need to factor in around 15-minute delays through the area. Rob Service, Waka Kotahi’s system manager top of the south, said over winter a number of temporary patches were carried out on the section of the highway, but the pavement had reached the end of its life.

Rider hospitalised

A person was flown to hospital after a motorbike crash in Tākaka on Saturday afternoon. A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said they received a report of a motorbike crash on Tākaka Valley Highway about 4pm on Saturday afternoon, and they assisted until a helicopter arrived at the scene. A Hato Hone St John spokesperson said they responded with one ambulance and one helicopter and transported one patient in a moderate condition to Nelson Hospital.