Housefire
averted
A housefire was contained to minor damage thanks to smoke alarms and a quick response from local fire brigades. The fire started about 5am in Waihakeke, outside of Carterton. Four trucks, a tanker, and four support vehicles attended. Carterton station officer Brendon Allen said the fire appeared to have started because of an electrical issue in the roof space. He said the occupant was alerted to fire by the activation of multiple smoke alarms.
140 covid cases
Wairarapa recorded 140 new covid-19 cases last week, 17 more than the previous week. There was one person in Wairarapa Hospital with the virus, and no further deaths. The weekly case total included the positive cases which closed Hadlow Preparatory School last week. Wairarapa-based epidemiologist Roger Morris said while the cases appeared to be trending down, an outbreak at a school was unsurprising. “Schools are places where viruses spread. It’s just a consequence of one kid at the school who happened to have covid, and the virus spread from there. It doesn’t matter if cases are declining nationally.”
House
prices drop
Wairarapa districts recorded the second and third biggest drops in housing prices in provincial New Zealand. South Wairarapa had a 12 per cent drop in home values on average in the last six months and Masterton had a 10.9 per cent drop.
The Rangitikei district saw the biggest drop in the provinces by 13.7 per cent on average, while the Wellington region saw a 20.4 per cent drop. Wellington’s home value was $870,216, which Quotable Value said was likely to drop further in the coming months, before flattening out later in the year.
Notice of motion
Masterton councillor Brent Goodwin will raise a motion at tomorrow’s council meeting to improve Queen St’s vegetation cover. In his notice of motion, Goodwin asks that officers report to the Infrastructure and Services Committee on March 15 on a proposed project scope with timelines to spend $5000.
