Stories by Chloe Ranford
News
Crayfish company suspends bid to launch boats post-quake
A crayfishing company is trying to make peace with iwi leaders and conservationists who oppose its bid to get its boats back in the waters off Marlborough's east coast.
Marlborough to form emergency committee due to Covid-19
The Marlborough District Council is joining others in putting plans in place in case councillor numbers are crippled by the coronavirus outbreak.
Covid-19: Lockdown not the best time for a spring clean
Give spring cleaning a miss if it'll create piles of rubbish for under-pressure staff, a recycling boss says.
Quad bike ban in Marlborough divides stakeholders
More opinions are needed on a proposed beach quad bike ban as early chats reveal a division between stakeholders.
Planter boxes uprooted after one crash too many in Picton
Brick planter boxes will be removed from a town centre in Marlborough after thousands of dollars were spent fixing damage caused from people driving into them.
Councillors roast developer's 'poor' street names for subdivision
Proposed road names at Blenheim's newest subdivision have been criticised for reeking of "colonial cringe".
Ransomware attack behind offline parking app
A parking app used by several New Zealand councils has gone offline, with councils scrambling for a quick fix amid social media backlash.
Marlborough exceeds 'self-imposed' rates cap
Keeping up with environmental rules from the government has forced Marlborough's council to go over its "self-imposed" rates limit - again.
'Shut down the quarry': Emotions run high at hearing
Tearful residents have begged a quarry company looking to increase its operations to let them keep their "peaceful and safe valley".
Climate change chapter moves up in Marlborough environment plan
Climate change is "so important" in Marlborough that it has been bumped up the list on the contents page in the region's new environment plan - a "blueprint" for sustainability.
Marlborough quarry seeks to ring-fence road funding
A quarry company wants its road levies to be spent on roads leading to and from its Marlborough quarry, rather than some of the funding going on other roads in the district.
Chorus wins court costs after ‘grossly misleading flattery’ case
A telecommunication giant that used "grossly misleading flattery" in a bid to secure a broadband contract with a council has won back court costs.
‘Lifestyle choice’ or ‘unsanitary living’: Policing the unhealthy hoarders
A woman who turned herself in and a couple living a "lifestyle choice" are among five Marlborough properties checked for hoarding last year.
Blenheim business hub concerns raised in new report
Business leaders in Marlborough fear "competition" and looking like a "council puppet organisation" if they worked together under one roof.
Bacteria DNA could police fish farms
Policing environmental compliance at salmon farms could become cheaper and faster thanks to a new test using bacterial DNA.
'Ground-breaking' Marlborough Environment Plan ready for release
Four years, 1300 submissions and almost $3 million later, Marlborough's environment plan is finally complete.
Quarry quarrel: Double rubble would cause trucking trouble - residents
Mining nearly twice as much rubble from a Marlborough quarry would be a safety risk, generate unbearable noise and "severely deteriorate" lifestyles, residents say.
Restrictions ‘inevitable’ for river irrigators in Marlborough
Several rivers in Marlborough are days away from being "shut off" from irrigators, worrying grape growers and farmers who just got through the region's second driest month in 90 years.
Council wants stream's gravel used as backfill in $20m Waikawa marina extension
Gravel could be dug up from a clogged stream mouth and used to help sculpt a new Marlborough marina.
Council spends fraction of infrastructure budget due to 'lack of resources'
Money set aside for infrastructure projects in Marlborough is not being spent as the council struggles with a shortage of "council staffing, professional services and contractors".
Illegal dumping prompts talk of kerbside collection in Renwick
Kerbside collection will be considered for the rural Marlborough town this year, after a spate of illegal dumping forced its recycling container to close.
Three ‘wonderful’ new bus services hit Marlborough’s roads
An advocate for Marlborough's silver-haired population has voiced support for three new extensions to Blenheim's bus service.
Beach used like a ‘racetrack’ needs vehicle ban, say conservationists
Conservationists behind a proposed quad bike ban in Marlborough say fossil-covered beaches are being used like a "racetrack".
Crayfish company can’t find ‘permanent solution’ to launch boats post-quake
A crayfishing company has reignited an "emotional" battle to get its boats back in the water on Marlborough's east coast after the 2016 earthquake.
Marlborough district councillors' wages jump $16k within decade
Wages for Marlborough's civic leaders have climbed $16,000 over the past decade, but payments made to their appointed peers have not kept pace.