Celebrating books in style
Nelson Intermediate spent last week celebrating Library Week with a range of activities designed to encourage a love of books and reading. Students took part in a whānau book quiz, scavenger hunt, poster competition and golden ticket hunt, with prizes up for grabs throughout the week. Teachers also handed out ‘Caught Reading’ tokens to students spotted reading outside class time, while a ‘Guess the Shelfie’ challenge asked students to match staff members with photos of their bookshelves at home. The week finished with a book character dress-up day, with students and staff invited to come dressed as their favourite book character. Riley Stamper, who dressed as Papa Smurf, won first prize for the Year 7 group, While Evie Dallas won the Year 8 prize for her Fiona from Shrek costume.
Former Honda site hits market
The former Honda New Zealand distribution centre in Stoke is up for sale for the first time in more than two decades. The 2.95ha industrial property at 8 and 10 Elms St is being offered with vacant possession and includes about 3,740sqm of warehouse, workshop, showroom and office space across two freehold titles. Located in the Wakatu Industrial Estate, the site has frontage to Main Rd Stoke and is close to Nelson Airport, Port Nelson and State Highway 6. The property is being marketed by Colliers through an expression of interest process closing on 27 August, unless sold prior.
The Bike Station calls time
The Bike Station has closed after nearly a decade in business. The Vanguard St store, which opened in November 2016, announced its closure last week, thanking customers, staff, friends and family for their support over the years. Owners said the business had faced a difficult year, and the decision had been made to close and “hang up the tools”. The Bike Station had served the local cycling community through bike sales, servicing and repairs since opening.
Upgrade for Nelson Hospital X-ray rooms
Three X-ray rooms at Nelson Hospital have been given a brighter new look as part of ongoing efforts to modernise the hospital’s facilities. The refurbished rooms in the radiology department feature new equipment and colourful wall decals showcasing natural scenes. Feedback from both patients and staff has been positive since the upgraded rooms opened. The project is part of a wider programme of improvements at Nelson Hospital. An upgrade of the cardiac catheterisation laboratory, commonly known as the cath lab, is also under way and is expected to be completed later this year.
Youth council applications open
Young people keen to make a difference in their community are being encouraged to apply for the 2027 Nelson Youth Council. Applications are open to those aged 13 to 19. Members meet monthly at Civic House to discuss youth issues, lead community projects and provide advice to Nelson City Council on matters affecting young people. Youth councillors also help organise youth events, sponsor youth awards and attend council meetings to ensure young voices are represented. Successful applicants will need to attend regular meetings and commit between seven and 13 hours a month. Applications close on 14 September 2026.
September arrival for Richmond’s paid parking
Paid parking for Richmond’s all-day off-street car parks is slated to be implemented next month. The changes apply to the Harkness-Petrie, Papps, and Warring car parks, where the current 165 free all-day parking spaces will move to a user-pays system. The change will not affect on-street or timed car parking. The change is intended to create greater turnover of parks, making it easier for people to visit CBD businesses, while covering Tasman District Council’s annual $150,000 maintaining off-street car parks across the district. The new charge will only apply on weekdays, at a rate of $1 per hour, capped at $4, with the first hour free.
Origin of woody fibres found
Following complaints from some residents, Tasman District Council’s compliance staff have investigated small woody fibres that have appeared on and around Berryfields and other Waimea Plains properties. It appears the fibres originated from MDF production facility on Lower Queen St operated by Nelson Pine Industries (NPI). The fibres are typically 1–5mm long and 20–60 microns in diameter and were not thought to present a wider health risk. NPI’s initial checks of their fibre cyclones have found no obvious issues and the company continues to operate within its resource consent limits. NPI continues to actively monitor and review its systems, which includes regular investigations and exploring ways to limit measure fibre emissions at source.
G.O.A.T reaches new heights
Sprig & Fern Brewing Co’s aptly-named The G.O.A.T Doppelbock has reached new heights on the international stage by winning gold in its category at the World Beer Awards. It was also named New Zealand Country Winner at the awards in the United Kingdom, which celebrate the best beers from around the globe.
Sustainable office for recycling centre
A new office building at Richmond’s Resource Recovery Centre has been completed on time and within budget. The outdated staff offices have been replaced with a modern, energy-efficient workplace with a professional front desk. Sustainability was at the fore, with an 11kW solar installation, energy-efficient LED lighting, and efficient heating and ventilation systems. Sitting on reclaimed land made up of old refuse, and needing to be built will the refuse and recycling facilities remained fully operational, posed unique construction challenges for Tasman District Council’s contractors and project managers at BPM Limited. The next project was for another new building that will include a classroom for visiting school students learning more about waste and recycling.
