Central Hawke’s Bay’s Will Foley has been elected deputy chair of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.
The new Council met for the first time yesterday, with Mr Foley being elected unopposed after being nominated by councillor Charles Lambert.
Meanwhile second-term councillor, Hinewai Ormsby, was elected as Regional Council chair.
Five new councillors were also sworn in yesterday.
Horizons Regional Council also held its first meeting of the new triennium yesterday, with Rachel Keedwell elected chair, and Jono Naylor deputy chair.
-----------------
The Takapau Health Centre will be closed from 9am until 2pm today as its nurses join strike action for better pay and conditions.
Primary health care and Plunket nurses are walking off the job for four hours today, following more than a year of failed pay negotiations with their employers.
The nurses want to be paid the same as those employed by Te Whatu Ora.
College of Primary Health Care Nurses chairperson Tracey Morgan said they currently earn up to 20 percent less, and Māori and iwi provider nurses are up to 25 percent worse off.
Following the strike action, the Takapau Health Centre will open from 2pm to 6pm.
-------------------
Erana Peeti-Webber has once again been elected Deputy Mayor for the Tararua District Council.
The Council’s inaugural meeting was held on Tuesday night, where all councillors made their declarations and took their oaths.
A council spokesperson said the event, held at The Hub in Dannevirke, was extremely well attended.
----------------------
There was a further increase in COVID-19 cases in the MidCentral Health Region last week.
Figures released on Tuesday by Te Whatu Ora showed 748 total active cases in the region, a 49.3% increase on the previous seven days.
The Tararua District had 75 active cases at the start of this week.
In Central Hawke’s Bay at the end of last week, there were 32 active cases of COVID-19.
