Trafalgar St reopens as Bridge St works continue
Trafalgar St reopened on Friday, 1 August after new sealing and line marking at the Trafalgar St/Bridge St intersection were completed. Work on the Bridge to Better project continues in Bridge St East, which remains closed until 18 December while contractors replace a sewer pipe running beneath the street. The project requires trenches up to four metres deep, making a full road closure necessary for safety. Footpaths and businesses will remain open throughout the works, with access to Buxton Square car park available via Collingwood St only.
NIS chess master
Cory Trusler is becoming somewhat of a chess master. After picking up the game a couple of years ago, he began competing in tournaments as a Hira School student. Now at Nelson Intermediate, his team qualified for the national chess tournament at the Chess Power Intermediate/Senior Regionals on Monday. Cory and his team team will now fundraise to get to Hamilton for nationals in October. Cory also qualified for the solo national champs, earning two badge’s, a medal and an excellence award for Monday’s efforts.
Students tackle Clue mystery
Nelson College for Girls will present its senior drama production, Clue, at The Suter Theatre this week. Based on the 1985 film inspired by the board game Cluedo, the comedy murder mystery follows a cast of familiar characters including Colonel Mustard, Professor Plum, Mrs White and Miss Scarlet as they try to solve the murder of Mr Boddy. Shows are at 7pm on Thursday, 6 August, Friday, 7 August, and Saturday, 8 August, with a 1pm matinee on Sunday, 9 August. Tickets are available through Humanitix.
Paru Paru wastewater main to be replaced
A major wastewater pipe beneath Paru Paru Rd will be replaced from Monday, 10 August, with traffic changes in place until about mid-October. Nelson City Council says the ageing wastewater main has been showing signs of failure and requires replacement to help prevent future disruptions. The project will also increase the pipe's capacity. The work will require a lane closure and changes to access in the area. During construction, Paru Paru Lane will become a one-way exit only. A temporary entrance will be created alongside Saltwater Creek, on the road leading to the tennis and squash courts. The temporary access will connect Halifax St with the Trafalgar Centre car park. A 30kmh speed limit will be in place while work is under way.
Bike rave
Families for Safe Cycling held a second ‘bike rave’ on Saturday to demonstrate support Nelson City Council’s planned East-West Cycleway. Dozens gathered together in brightly-coloured clothes to travel a potential route of the cycleway, beginning at Hampden Street School, down Van Diemen St, Trafalgar St South, and Nile St to end at the Prince Albert. After being presented with a route that was revised following public consultation, the council’s elected members were due to meet again on Wednesday to further discuss the project.
Kaikōura crayfish fishery closed
The crayfish fishery in the Kaikōura Marine Area has closed for three months to keep the fishery sustainable and prepared for the peak fishing season. The closure began on 1 July and had been requested by the Kaikōura Marine Guardians and Te Rūnanga o Kaikoūra because of their concerns about the number of large rock lobster in the area. “The closure includes both recreational and commercial fishing, and the rūnanga is putting a rāhui on customary take,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones said. By stopping fishing for the pre-summer period, the disruption to egg-carrying female rock lobster will be reduced, allowing smaller rock lobster to grow. The closure comes after Fisheries New Zealand’s public consultation in April this year, giving them a “good response with strong support for the closure,” and will be in place until 30 September.
Airport records strong survey results
Nelson Airport has maintained an “excellent” customer satisfaction rating in its 2026 customer survey, which also found strong support for the airport’s runway extension planning. The survey showed 67 percent of respondents supported the project, while just 3.8 percent expressed negative sentiment. Chief executive Brendan Cook says years of work had gone into progressing the proposal. “While an extension won’t be physically built for many years, it’s vital the airport’s planning framework protects the ability to carry out this upgrade when it’s needed.” He also acknowledged airport staff and neighbours who had contributed to the process. The planning changes came into effect on 14 July and are now reflected in Nelson City Council’s online maps and the Nelson Resource Management Plan.
eBus feedback sought
Nelson City Council is asking residents for feedback on the eBus service as it prepares the next Regional Public Transport Plan. The electric bus service has been operating for three years, and the council wants to hear from regular users, occasional passengers and those who do not use public transport. Feedback will help shape public transport services across the region for the next three years. The council says it is exploring ways to improve the service, but budget constraints mean some improvements may involve trade-offs. Residents are encouraged to give their feedback at www.ebus.nz
Charity drive funds Life Flight
Locals have helped raise $670,000 for Life Flight, funding about 167 life-saving air ambulance missions through Chemist Warehouse’s fifth annual Charity Drive. The money was raised nationwide through in-store and online donations during June and July, along with sports memorabilia auctions and the Tries for Good campaign run with New Zealand’s five Super Rugby clubs. Life Flight operates a flying intensive care unit 24 hours a day, with someone needing an air ambulance mission every five hours on average. With each mission costing about $4,000, community support plays a vital role in ensuring the service can respond to critically ill and injured patients, including premature babies and people suffering strokes or cardiac emergencies.
New milk pilot backs Salvation Army services
People buying milk in Nelson and Stoke can now help support local families facing hardship through a new South Island-based initiative. Just Milk, a locally produced milk from Goodman Fielder, is now on sale at selected Woolworths stores, including Nelson and Stoke. For every 2L bottle purchased, 10 cents will be donated to The Salvation Army to help fund its wraparound support services.
