Tauranga Harbour tragedy: Family pay tribute to 'amazing' mum and partner

It was meant to be a five-minute trip, but Maree Geary and Shane Carnell's car plunged into the Tauranga harbour killing Maree, an expectant grandmother and recent retiree. Cira Oliver speaks to Carnell and Maree's son Josh Geary who pay tribute to a 'one-of-a-kind' woman.

Gulping three water-filled half-breaths is all Shane Carnell has time for.

He's in the passenger seat next to the love of his life, his partner Maree Geary, as water pours in through an open window of their 2018 Hyundai Kona.

The car is sinking after plunging into Tauranga Harbour off Chapel St. A flood of water is now squeezing out the last pockets of air.

Shane's eyes search for Maree, but the airbag system has activated, dropping a curtain between them.

He tries the windows and doors but the electrics aren't working. The pressure of the water is building, stopping him from opening the door

He is sure he will die.

A sense of calm comes over him. He accepts there is nothing more he can do.

But, out of nowhere - bang - the window smashes.

Confused, Shane is dragged out of the car and up to the surface by a local builder who used a hammer to break the window.

Shane has survived.

But Maree's last breath was drawn in the car.

The last breath, stopping her from living the beautiful retirement she'd set up, meeting her newest grandchild, Shane's daily kiss before work, and the projects she always had on the go.

The last breath of the "amazing" and "perfect" woman who made countless lives better.

It happened about 1km from home, a drive they had done thousands of times.

"We were basically just going to duck out for five minutes," Shane Carnell says.

The back door of their house was open and dinner was nearly ready.

What was meant to be a quick trip last Wednesday to post a parcel, pick up Christmas fairy lights and fishing bait turned into a "nightmare".

Speaking to the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend for the first time since the crash, Shane says it unfolded quickly.

Before they knew it, they were hurtling down a rock wall and into the water.

"She [Maree] must have had her window open because the car just filled up with water in about 10 seconds," he says.

"I was gulping for air.

"I sort of took in three half-breaths of water from that last bit of air that was in there and just thought that was it."

He believes he must have undone his seatbelt before Daniel Lamberth, the builder who smashed the window, rescued him.

"He was just incredible. To have the foresight to grab a hammer, and he got there just in the nick of time," he says.

Shane wanted to go back to get Maree but another man, who dragged him to shore, told him to stay put.

"There's nothing I could've done. There were that many people in the water all trying as hard as they could."

As he sat on the rocks, he saw everyone who had dived into the sun-soaked water to come to their aid.

"Everyone that went into the water is a hero as far as I'm concerned. Everybody put themselves at risk. It's just amazing."

He can't remember how long he was in the car or on the rocks but he does recall seeing the rescuers bring Maree to the surface.

"It was just a nightmare. An absolute nightmare."

Through sobs, he says someone told him he was so lucky to which he replied, "Am I?"

Shane was still working through the shock of how fast it happened and how so many people disregarded their own safety to attempt the rescue.

The tragedy follows a series of devastating losses the family is still coming to terms with.

Three years ago, Shane lost his mother in a car crash and two and a half months later, Maree's eldest son, Brad, 37, lost his battle with cancer.

"It doesn't feel right at all," Shane said.

The couple had been together for nearly nine years, first meeting when Shane walked into the bank she was working in on a Saturday morning, picked up a real estate magazine and got talking to Maree.

"She has a lovely soft, gentle voice, and that was the first thing I was drawn to," he remembered.

"I asked her out for a coffee and never looked back."

They quickly found their interests aligned perfectly and they spent their time on projects and adventures.

They travelled abroad and around New Zealand, and loved watching Maree's son Josh Geary, a professional golfer, compete around the country.

Doing up classic caravans was a mutual joy of theirs, sprucing up a couple a year to take to Beach Hop and sell them on.

They'd pop into garage sale after garage sale, looking for things that would complement the caravans.

She retired earlier this year after 28 years at Westpac and, with Shane semi-retired, the couple had recently bought a motorhome and were planning where they'd go next year.

"We were a team ... it was just such a magic relationship."

Every day was kick-started with a kiss before work and would end with her bubbly energy.

Now, Shane's lost track of what day it is.

"Her children and grandchildren were just the apples of her eyes."

She was excited to meet her third grandchild, who will be born early next year.

It didn't matter who you were, you would get on with Maree, he said.

Maree was a one-of-a-kind, he said.

"I love you."

Her son, Josh, struggled to describe his mum in words that seemed too simple for the "amazing" woman, mum and grandmother she was.

Tirelessly caring, fun, kind, loving and cheerful were a few words that came to mind.

"She was the rock of the family, the one keeping things ticking over."

Josh had been playing professional golf overseas since May and got out of managed isolation a month ago.

"I'm so glad I wasn't stuck overseas and got to spend some time with her."

Josh and his partner, Hannah, are also expecting their first child in April next year.

"She was pretty excited to meet them," he said through tears.

She had an endless supply of love for her family, and Josh explained she was his biggest fan, going to hundreds of his golf tournaments over the years. Once a week, the family would get together for dinner where his mum would whip up a feed for everyone.

She was an "amazing" mum to Josh and his late brother as well as a grandmother to two grandkids.

Maree was supportive of anything her sons did and got behind it either through coaching in their younger years or cheering from the sideline.

"Clever" and "creative" were other words that came to mind, able to fix "just about anything with a sewing machine" or the hours spent fixing up her finds from garage sales.

Working hard her whole life, Josh said she had recently put things in place to set up for a good retirement.

"She was looking forward to a nice, long summer at the beach with Shane and the kids and would've been heading there now."

But it wasn't just family that thought the world of her, being "well-liked by almost everyone".

She was selfless, he said, with her heart always putting others first.

"She was just an amazing person. She was perfect."

All the good she brought to the world made the tragic news that much more painful with the question of "how did this happen?" filling his head.

"Complete disbelief" overtook Josh when he heard what had happened, and he said he "couldn't get my head around it".

"It's hard to believe that it could happen where it did and how it did ... just a kilometre from the house on a route she's done thousands of times."

Westpac New Zealand regional manager Bay of Plenty-Coromandel Susan Grey said the team were "in disbelief" when they heard about the crash.

"We were all so shocked and saddened. It was so final."

Maree had devoted 28 years to the business before retiring earlier this year.

She was "knowledgeable, reliable and had a fantastic rapport with the customers".

"She was a much-loved and respected member of the Westpac team."

Maree was also well-known to customers, with her friendly nature recognisable to people across the different branches she worked at.

A service to celebrate Maree's life was held yesterday at Charlemagne Function Centre.

Police are investigating and would not comment further.

Rotorua ultramarathon runner Kerry Suter breaks neck in 'horrific' mountain bike accident

In a moment, the two-time ultramarathon winner couldn't move. His partner is by his side in ICU holding a hand that can't feel hers. Cira Olivier reports.

"My body just melted over my head as I hit the ground."

This is the moment two-time ultramarathon winner and renowned running coach Kerry Suter's life changed forever.

"It felt like all of the bones had been taken out of my body and I just completely flopped onto the ground."

Just a week earlier, he was running across all three volcanoes in Tongariro National Park - and doing it in 18 hours.

Now, he can't move his legs or arms, he says through shallow breaths from his ICU bed in Auckland's Middlemore Hospital.

On Saturday, Suter and two friends were mountain biking in Rotorua's Whakarewarewa Forest on a trail he hadn't done before but had walked through, cleared and sized up days earlier.

He couldn't get enough speed coming up to the jump, he said.

He went over his handlebars and landed on his full-face helmet, breaking and dislocating his neck and compacting his spinal cord.

"It keeps me awake at night knowing there was a bailout to the side and I was quite happy not doing the jump, but here I am," he said through paced speech.

One friend held his hand and squeezed it, but he couldn't feel it. The other called the Rotorua Mountain Bike Club First Response Unit who were there almost instantly.

"I asked where my legs were and he said they were bent out sideways. They straightened them and I felt nothing.

"It was in those moments that I realised how serious it was."

Suter says the medic "knew it was bad but he did everything right, and I'm really grateful".

The team's "invaluable" knowledge of the trails meant he quickly got to the ambulance, then to the helicopter, bound for the hospital.

Suter says the swift response of his friends and the forest medics are the reason he survived.

He's in the intensive care unit to get him through the nights with his breathing shallow, creating a risk of infection, but he hopes to be out later this week.

His body has an unfamiliar stillness, his neck in a brace, and medical apparatus surround him.

"It's quite scary."

Once his blood pressure stabilises, he will begin months of rehab in another ward.

"I'll never be running again which is hard... running has been my life."

Suter's been running for 15 years and the couple owned Squadrun, an online tailored running coaching programme in Australasia.

He suspects he isn't going to be a hands-on coach "any time soon", which is really getting to him.

"It's my job to help people, and now I can't, and I need help," he says, holding back the tears.

He does not like to feel like a burden on others but says he needs to get through this for his daughters.

Suter says he's been MC for major running events and hopes he will still be able to see people achieving amazing things.

"Even if I can't."

He said it is "highly unlikely" he will be able to do what he once could, and now he needs to find gratitude in what he could achieve.

He would be taking each day at a time and says there are "very tough times ahead".

"I've done a lot in my life, so I guess I'm happy for what I have achieved. I guess I have to look at what the next phase will be for me."

His partner, Ali Pottinger, says they still do not know to what extent he'll improve.

"You don't have a lot if you don't have hope, so we're going to hope for the best.

Pottinger says Suter feels like he will not be able to help others anymore but she believes he has more to give, regardless of what happens.

"You're reminding them that we need to live our lives, appreciate those small things like holding your partner's hand or going for a walk. To be positive, to have a sense of humour."

"Kerry is the most determined person I know," she says through tears.

"I know he's going to show up every day. He's got all the right traits to come through this in the best possible way.

"We know the power of a really strong mindset and giving it your best every day, and that's what we're going to do."

She is grateful he is still here, able to talk, laugh, smile and make his usual jokes.

The pandemic added a layer of fear to the "horrific and complicated" situation — she is scared of getting Covid and not being able to see him or giving it to him.

"It makes you realise how much we need to protect our health system - for when things go sideways as it has for us - that the hospital is able to take you."

She says everyone needs to get vaccinated, boosted and value the health system.

Everyone who has worked with Kerry has been "amazing, helpful, and professional".

As of yesterday afternoon, two fundraising pages set up by running communities the couple are part of in New Zealand and Australia had raised NZ$78,151 since Sunday.

All money raised will go directly to the couple to support rehab and other costs.

Both page descriptions wrote that the couple were "two of the most generous and inspiring people we know".

"Two people who literally get us to the start line, share our journey training, racing and through life," it read.

Pottinger is speechless about the love and support, both through words and finances, that have been flowing in.

She says she wants to give Suter the best possible care and support, and anything he needs along the way.

Through tears, she said she wants people to know how vital first response staff are, and has encouraged friends to donate to organisations that provide those services.

She says they are lucky to have loved ones willing and able to support, and it plays on her mind that others were not in the position they were.

Rotorua Mountain Bike Club's first response co-ordinator Barbara Jenks says there have been "overwhelming" and "generous" donations from the couples' friends since Suter's accident.

She says the medics are "essential" to the forest, equipped for any injury of any forest user.

A Givealittle and Go Fund Me page has been set up for the family's road ahead.

'That boy was our world': 23-year-old Rotorua St John ambulance officer dies on job in Whakatāne

Unknown to him, sitting on the couch and sharing a glass of port before bed was the last time Garry Harpur would see his son. A moment he would not change even if he could, and one he would cherish forever. The next night, a knock on the door from police tore family's heart open with the news the 23-year-old St John ambulance officer died on the job.

Wearing his St John uniform was a badge of honour for the passion he had to help others, a badge he wore when he died and one he will wear when he is laid to rest.

Liam Harpur, 23, was a Rotorua-based emergency medical assistant working fulltime for St John who died of what police believe was a medical event in the Whakatāne Ambulance Station on Monday.

He was only meant to be in Whakatāne for a week-and-a-half, doing office work while the territory manager was on leave, and Monday was his first day.

His father, Garry Harpur said his son had gone to the bathroom at the Whakatāne St John on Monday afternoon and was later found unresponsive.

"It's all wrong, he's supposed to be standing over me, not the other way around."

His love for St John began while he worked at the Millenium Hotel. He volunteered at St John for 12 hours on Wednesdays: his day off.

"That's just Liam," his father remembered.

He was awarded his three-year service medal this year.

It had been less than 24 hours between when he saw his son last and his death, and he said Liam was "good as gold".

Harpur said he and his wife had been in shock since the knock on the door from the police.

"We've been pretty numb ever since, that boy was our world.

"It's just left a big hole in our hearts. I suppose time heals all wounds, but this is going to take a long time."

A job which required compassion was perfect for Liam, his father said - he was a listener who people felt they could share their anything with.

"He can't solve everyone's problems but he'll listen to you ... to anyone who had a problem," he said.

The former John Paul College student was also a "well-respected" member of the 29 Squadron Air Training Corps, which he climbed the ranks of for five years.

He had close friends he met in childhood, high school and in the workplace, and his parents were blown away by the messages of love being sent to him and posted on social media.

"And that all came down to him always being there for everyone," his father said.

Tyneil Norton and Louise Coleman worked with Liam at Millennium Hotel Rotorua and said he was a "beautiful soul with a heart of gold".

"He always knew how to put a smile on someone's face. We have treasured our friendship since day one and it's something we'll always hold close to our heart."

St John central-east district operations manager Jeremy Gooders said the loss of Harpur was tragic and not related to work.

"It is a tragic loss of one of our valued ambulance officers and colleagues who has served the community with commitment and he will be greatly missed."

He said St John would provide support to Harpur's colleagues, friends and family.

Police said they attended a sudden death in Whakatāne on Monday and confirmed it was a medical event.

Liam died in his uniform and he will be buried in it at St Michaels Catholic Church in Ōhinemutu at 11am on Saturday.

The family has an open invitation to all who would like to attend.

Tauranga Harbour crash: Builder uses hammer to smash window and drag man from sinking car

A builder labelled a hero after freeing a man from a submerged car in Tauranga Harbour was in tears after learning the desperate rescue attempt wasn't enough to save a woman also trapped in the vehicle.

Daniel Lamberth didn't hesitate when he saw the 2018 Hyundai Kona plunge into the harbour.

He grabbed a hammer from his work van and leapt into the water after the sinking vehicle.

Two days later, he was in a car crash himself which left him with cuts, grazes and a concussion - "nothing at all compared" to the crash that took the life of Maree Geary.

Lamberth's quick thinking last Wednesday saved the life of a man who was trapped inside and thought he was going to die in the submerged car.

The rescued man, Shane Carnell, described Lamberth's actions that day as "incredible" and heroic, and the rescue came just in time to save his life.

Carnell's partner, Geary, was also in the car but rescuers were unable to save her.

Lamberth worked near the fatal crash site on Chapel St and watched the car enter the water. He described witnessing the car plummet into the harbour as a scene "not like real life".

He ran towards the crash along with several other strangers.

"I just asked if there were people in the car. My van was parked close so I grabbed a hammer and just went into the water with some others."

Initially, he had no concerns for his safety. "I don't think anyone really thought about it".

Lamberth smashed the window and pulled Carnell out of the vehicle to safety, and another man swam him back to shore.

"It was definitely a relief, but when we managed to sit him up and talk to him, we heard there was still someone in the car."

He said it was an "awful" feeling to hear that not everyone was out.

"We were trying to swim to get to the car but none of us could really swim against the current."

He said a few of them stuck their feet under either the roof racks or in the open window to hold them in place.

Someone had a surfboard that was put into the water for the rescuers to take turns to rest.

When firefighters arrived, the rescuers tied a rope to the car and used this to pull themselves closer to the car.

Some people had gone to a store nearby to get goggles.

"No one could really see, even the people with goggles, it was too murky."

Lamberth said pulling Maree from the car was "the scariest part".

He held the surfboard in place as her body was placed on it and taken towards the rocks.

They all continued to go back and forth to the car for "quite a while" as they were unsure if anyone else was still in there.

"I had a bit of a cry afterwards, I was pretty upset," he said.

"We didn't have long enough to get her out ... we all tried our best."

He said he wasn't a hero, and anyone who was in his shoes would have done the same thing.

A St John ambulance spokeswoman said three others were injured as a result of the crash and were treated at the scene.

Rotorua fatal mobility scooter crash victim Edward Duffy remembered as dedicated gardener, dad, husband

Edward Duffy bought a batch of new plants the day he died.

They were to be the latest additions to a garden he dedicated to his late wife Sally, who died of cancer 10 years ago.

He called it Sally’s Garden and it stretched from his letterbox to the front door of his unit at Bupa Redwood Retirement Village and Care Home in Rotorua.

Known to family and friends as Eddie, the 88-year-old former Tauranga man would spend hours making sure the flowerbeds – filled with lilies, asters, dahlias and other colourful blooms – looked beautiful, relatives say.

Tragically, he never got to plant his latest purchases.

On Tuesday about 10.20am, Eddie’s mobility scooter and a motorcycle collided in Rotorua’s CBD near the intersection of Tutanekai and Amohau Sts.

Witnesses reported a “bang” and passersby rushing to help an elderly man, with emergency services soon taking over CPR efforts, but police later confirmed the mobility scooter rider had died at the scene.

Son’s message for motorbike rider

Eddie’s son Tom Duffy told the Rotorua Daily Post his dad had fallen off his mobility scooter before and had been “lucky to escape death on a few occasions”.

But news of his sudden passing on Tuesday came as “a shock”.

It was also “a relief, in a way” for his dad, whose health had been failing.

”Because it was quick and sudden, and he’s got no more pain”.

Tom said one of Eddie’s legs was amputated about 15 years ago due to poor circulation, but he was left with a lot of pain and his other leg was also set to be removed.

He said his dad had been resigned to this and had been making plans about how to continue working in his beloved garden.

“He certainly wouldn’t have wanted to decline and suffer over a prolonged period.”

Tom said he hoped the motorbike rider also involved in the crash would be able to move past it.

”I would never wish ill on them.”

Next Saturday, the family will put Eddie’s ashes next to Sally’s at Centennial Park.

Eddie met Sally 46 years ago. They had no shared children but had seven between them from previous marriages, Eddie’s four and Sally’s three.

He said the garden at their retirement home filled with lilies was the couple’s “pride and joy” and Eddie dedicated it to Sally after she died.

Tom said as well as international travels, the couple had loved campervan trips to local campsites and beaches, where Duffy would catch fish for their dinners.

They travelled the country playing mixed indoor bowls, something Sally – who represented New Zealand in the sport – got Eddie into after they met.

Tom said his father was a “keen sportsman”, playing tennis in his younger years and representing Wellington and Rotorua. He also played rugby.

He was born in Wellington to an Irish father who had migrated to New Zealand. Eddie went to a Catholic boarding school after losing his mother at a young age, Tom said.

Eddie was a builder and Tom said he would work alongside him during university holidays.

He said his dad built their family home when they were kids, as well as his and Sally’s when they moved to Tauranga for six years.

Tom said his dad loved a chat, talking about “the good old days”, and a bit of banter.

He said his dad had “a lot of mates” back in the day, and they would spend a lot of time at the Citizen’s Club, and, more recently, he became a member of the Rotorua RSA.

Vera Ibbetson, 87, said the news of her brother-in-law’s “tragic” passing on Tuesday was “absolutely shocking”.

“I couldn’t believe it.”

However, the thought of him being “at peace and back with Sally” brought some comfort.

“He will be pleased because he really missed Sally.”

She said the couple had moved into the unit at the Redwood Retirement Village with their fox terrier, Jenny, just a few weeks before Sally died.

Ibbetson said her death impacted Duffy “very much” and he dedicated to her their “special garden”, which also contained the ashes of their fox terrier.

Eddie would make the “awful long” 15km return trip from the village to Bunnings on his mobility scooter to buy “trays and trays” of plants.

“He kept the garden absolutely beautiful to this day.”

She said he would drop down “on his backside to tend the garden … and pull himself along with his hands”.

Ibbetson said Duffy had been in a lot of pain but “he was happy when he was out in his garden”.

People would often stop outside his unit to admire his work, she said.

She said he had bought new plants on Tuesday morning. Gardening staff at the village planted them after his death.

Bay of Plenty road workers fear rise in abuse from drivers this summer

Bashed with a baseball bat, told to kill themselves, weapons pointed at them.

These are examples of the kinds of abuse Bay of Plenty roadworkers say they experience daily.

They say verbal and physical attacks have become so prolific it feels like it’s just part of the job.

The NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) says serious abusive and threatening behaviour towards roadworkers is up 20 per cent in a year nationwide, and is one reason roughly half of workers quit within a year.

Now, with the Bay’s biggest summer roadworks programme expected to cause “a lot” of disruption –outside the December 22 to January 7 pause for peak holiday traffic – workers are worried the abuse will get worse.

They say they are just trying to fix the roads as safely as possible and go home to their families – just like drivers.

Shot at, threatened: ‘You don’t really ever get used to it’

On his first day on a roading crew in Taupō, Warren Epapara was given the fingers twice, copped abuse from a truck driver, and had a driver revving her vehicle beside him while honking and yelling at him.

Four years on, his vehicle was shot on a worksite in Te Ngae Rd, Rotorua. He pulled over and was shot at again, only then realising it was with a BB gun.

“It’s not the first time, it seems to be becoming a trend where people think it’s great to take a shot.”

The Road Safe site traffic management supervisor said it was fair to say the abuse had worsened, even though 90 per cent of motorists were great.

“We get abused, we get the finger, a lot of horns.

“They tell us to get f***ed, to f*** off, they call us d***heads … along those lines,” he said.

“It is hurtful. We’re just doing our jobs.”

Gang members would pull up to sites and threaten workers.

“I like to say I’m used to it, but you don’t really ever get used to it.”

Epapara said it was “scary” for staff when the drivers sped through the sites.. He had seen two crashes on sites but, luckily, no staff were injured.

Teams talked about the issues and tried to ignore the abuse, but younger staff struggled and some wanted to respond.

He said the abuse, up to 70-hour work weeks, and being away from family were factors in the high turnover rate.

Epapara, who has a 21-month-old daughter, said he was worried about what drivers might do this summer.

“We’re family people just like you. We understand that what we’re doing is causing a lot of disruption, but at the same time, we’re trying to help repair our roads and make things safer for everyone.”

He said it “really affects” younger staff and some wanted to respond or retaliate out of frustration.

“We’ve got to remind them we’re here to do a job ... that’s just going to make the situation worse.”

Road workers told to ‘commit suicide’

Josh Coombes has been in the industry about 17 years and says abuse by motorists is on the rise.

The Higgins regional traffic manager has seen a staff member’s arm broken by a driver with a baseball bat, and guns pointed at roading staff.

He knew of “intentional drive-ats” where drivers rammed through worksites.

Stop/go operators bore the brunt of abuse yelled from cars by delayed and frustrated motorists.

“They get told how useless they are and that they should commit suicide.”

He said the verbal abuse was under-reported.

“It might be happening more frequently but it tends to become a day-to-day thing.”

Coombes said high staff anxiety levels worsened on busy roads where queues would form, so they did more work at night – but the dark could bring out more “extreme” driver behaviour.

He said staff learned about de-escalation and not engaging, but it was hard for those who wore “their hearts on their sleeves” and wanted to “say something back”.

This had led to the odd altercation, with police called a few times.

Coombes said he felt disappointed he could not do more to protect his staff.

He wanted the public to understand their sacrifices, which included working nights, weekends, up to 14-hour shifts and some six-day weeks.

“They don’t get to see their family as often as someone who might be doing a 9-to-5.”

Coombes said he tried to make sure everyone felt safe and went home to their loved ones; for him, a partner and two young kids.

“We are trying to get the job done and get home just like you are.”

Half of road workers leave job within a year

NZTA Bay of Plenty and Waikato acting regional manager Roger Brady said he was “hugely concerned” about the industry’s future as the abuse had “almost become business as usual”.

It was hard to see “good people” walk away.

“A lot of people leave … about half the people leave within a year. They’ve just had enough of it.

“How many people want a job where there’s a high chance of getting abused … for no fault of their own?”

The scale of the issue was “probably way worse” than the 20 per cent year-on-year increase, as incidents were under-reported.

Brady said there had been “huge” changes in driver behaviour post-Covid lockdowns. People’s resistance and patience were worn out, but heightened stress was “not an excuse”.

Ironically, abuse also slowed the progress of roadworks as incidents were investigated and people removed for support.

Unmanned lights or signals on timed cycles had become more common to reduce the risk to staff, further slowing traffic.

“The very thing that’s causing people to [be abusive] is made worse when people are abused.”

He said the riskiest situations included drivers ignoring warnings and ploughing through sites where heavy machinery was used, or ignoring the stop/go signs and crashing into oncoming traffic.

More roadworks than ‘ever before’ this summer

Brady warned of “a lot” of traffic disruption this summer with a bigger roadworks programme “than ever before” to get through while roads were drier.

“It’s a paradox. We’re doing the right thing, we’re caring for the roads, we want to get the community moving, but in the short term, it’s going to slow people down.”

He said the transport agency used multiple platforms to inform motorists about delays and he asked drivers to leave earlier, be patient and respect workers.

Roading staff were “wonderfully warm, good people … here to fix the problem, not cause the problem”.

“Everyone comes to work to do a good job and they’re doing the best they can.”

‘You get used to it’

“Get off the road”, “do some work” and “you don’t know how to do your job” were the common insults Downer engineer Josh Fraser heard – though usually with “more colourful language”.

Workers did get “down about it” but he said they also “get used to it”.

“When you’re working, you’re concentrating and try not to think about it.”

He said drivers had pulled over to yell and swear at him, and workers had also been threatened and shot at with pellets.

Motorists seeing workers use phones for legitimate tasks such as taking photos and making records triggered more public outrage, he said.

Fraser said it would be a big help if drivers obeyed temporary speed limits as it could be “unnerving” and “hard to concentrate” with little protection between workers and vehicles speeding past.

It was “frustrating” to hear people complain about roadworks and complain about work not being done on roads.

There were no “five-minute” fixes and people should remember roads were being improved while thousands of vehicles used them daily.

He had been in the industry about 15 years and said people now were “a lot more aggressive”, roads were busier, and there were more worksite safety regulations which all slowed things down.

The Rotorua man said local roading contractors were as impacted by the work as everyone else.

“We’re trying to make it better for the community. We just want everyone to go home safely to their families.”

Why does it look like some road workers are doing nothing?

Higgins Bay of Plenty East operations network outcomes contracts manager Nick Vigor-Brown said staff were abused for having breaks, even though they were onsite all day and rotated breaks so work could continue.

“We never stop completely.”

There were many safety regulations and every worker had a “critical” role, even if some might not look like much to a layperson – for example, spotters, surveyors, or people checking pegs. Some work happened below the road surface level.

Sites needed a 1m buffer zone for crew safety, which was difficult on tight roads so it was sometimes quicker to get the job done through full closures rather than using traffic management which could add up to hour-long delays.

Scale of abuse hard to measure

An NZTA spokeswoman said since May last year, it had recorded 12 incidents of workers being threatened with a weapon, including a BB gun, rubber bullets, gel pellets, and a knife.

Nine were at temporary traffic management sites and one involved a car-jacking.

There were “many more” incidents such as threats of an unseen weapon or attempts to drive into workers.

The formal data was not a full representation of what happened as incidents were under-reported, but from talking with contractors NZTA knew anecdotally general abusive behaviour had increased.

This included abusive language, violent threats, items being thrown and drivers ignoring traffic management, she said.

She said abuse was “unfortunately” so common it was often seen as “part of the job”.

Rotorua student covered in blood after being beaten at bus stop

A school student was left bloodied after she was repeatedly punched in the face by a stranger while waiting for a bus outside Rotorua Library.

She is now recovering with a concussion, split lip, swollen nose, a tender jawline, and bumps over her head.

Her mum, Tashita Morey, “just broke down” when she saw her daughter, 13, soon after the attack.

She is speaking out to raise awareness for other parents about the bus stop on Arawa St.

Her daughter went to town with her friends on Tuesday after school before catching the bus home.

But the girl called her mother at 4.16pm, crying and saying: “Mum, someone’s beat me up”.

Morey said her daughter was dazed during the call and didn’t know where she was. Her friends walked her away from the scene.

They got to Fenton St, just past the police station, and sat and waited for Morey to arrive after she made a U-turn on her way home.

She said she was unaware of the extent of the situation.

While the girls were sitting and waiting, an off-duty police officer saw the girls and told Morey over the phone that he would take her daughter to the station to take photos for evidence and get her settled.

Soon after, Morey arrived and was shocked by what she saw as she did not realise the extent of the attack.

“She was covered in blood. Her face was covered in blood ... You just don’t picture your baby like that,” she said.

“I just broke down. I was trying to be the strongest mum, and I usually am ... it was really hard to see her like that. I just had to grab her and pulled her close.”

Morey said it was difficult for her daughter to talk to her and the police straight away as “she was not fully coherent”.

Morey said her daughter came to about an hour later and recounted what she could.

“A girl just started walking up to [her daughter] and she said she could just feel that something wasn’t right by the way that she made eye contact with her,” Morey said.

Morey said her daughter recalled about 15 other students with the girl that was approaching her and some had their phones up already, “like it was kind of pre-planned”.

“The girl came over and just started punching her in the face.”

She said her daughter did not know the girl.

After the first punch, she said her daughter felt “really dazed” and could not recall how long the attack lasted or how it stopped.

“It was such a shock, you just don’t expect that to happen, especially when they’re surrounded by their friends in a public area.

“My baby is such a good girl, she doesn’t hang out with people like this, she’s still a child.”

Morey said her daughter recalled adults being there who “did nothing”.

“That’s what broke my daughter’s heart the most ... that was the biggest thing for her.”

Morey said she went to the library to see where it happened and there was blood on the ground.

She had been looked over by the doctor and had a concussion, split lip, swollen nose, a tender jawline and bumps around her head.

Morey said her daughter would heal physically but would need emotional and psychological support.

“She’s scared, you can see the fear ... she wouldn’t leave my side when we went to the pharmacy.”

Morey said her daughter’s school had already arranged for a counsellor for her daughter.

She would bring up the lack of adult response during the attack during counselling.

Morey said her daughter “feels sorry for the girl that’s done it to her” despite her fear. Morey said her daughter was aware of how someone’s background “can affect their behaviour”.

“I probably won’t ever let her catch the bus ... I don’t think she wants to either, she doesn’t feel comfortable doing that anymore.”

She said she would be making arrangements at work so she could do drop-offs and pick-ups.

Morey has lived in Rotorua all her life and said she used to catch the bus as well as her eldest son, who is 18 years old.

In her view: “Rotorua’s not safe ... times have changed.”

“People need to speak up when things happen”.

She said she had “no idea” how dangerous the bus stop was until this happened and she had several other parents reach out saying a similar thing happened to their child.

For parents, she said: “Just love your babies, you never know what’s going to happen”.

“That was unexpected, things could’ve gone a whole different way. Someone punching someone’s head in can get really serious.’'

Rotorua police prevention manager Inspector Phil Gillbanks said an assault involving two young people on Haupapa St on Tuesday had been reported.

”We are supporting the victim and their whānau, and the other person has been referred to the youth services process.”

Police were aware of “infrequent incidents” in the busy bus stop area.

”We are actively working with our community partners to ensure the area remains safe and any anti-social behaviour avoided.”

He encouraged people to report incidents and concerns — call 111 if it is happening now or 105 after the fact.

Tauranga widower says Jehovah’s Witness volunteer used funeral notice to send letter to him weeks after wife’s death

A Tauranga widower is “totally gobsmacked” after receiving a two-page letter “full” of religious references from a Jehovah’s Witness volunteer soon after his wife died.

The 87-year-old believes they contacted him through a funeral notice and describes this as a “major invasion of privacy” – advising the author to “leave alone grieving families”.

A Jehovah’s Witness spokesman says how members speak about their faith is “personal” and the religion does not target any one group or have a policy of contacting people through funeral notices, and had no intent to cause distress.

Ian Gunn said he and his wife, Lexie, 84, were each other’s first loves. They met while studying in Christchurch and went on to travel the world together in motorhomes.

Lexie had been in hospital battling delirium for 14 months. She died on October 10, two weeks after their 60th wedding anniversary.

A funeral notice described her as his “soulmate”.

On Saturday, Gunn received a package of four letters forwarded by the funeral home, which was the address given in a public notice for communications to Lexie’s family.

Three letters were from people Gunn knew well.

The fourth was handwritten on A5 paper with a border of flowers and no name or sender address.

He found it was from a Jehovah’s Witness “volunteer, preaching God’s Kingdom”, which included bringing “comfort from the Scriptures, to those who have lost a loved one”.

“Please accept my condolences”, it said, before asking: “Perhaps, like me, you may have wondered why we die?”

Gunn said he was not sure what was going on as he read the letter “full” of biblical quotes, discussion and references to biblical verses.

It talked about people dying because of Adam and Eve’s sin and said it was possible to reunite with lost loved ones.

The letter concluded: “Every day, I am greatly comforted by these biblical promises, so am hoping that they bring you some comforting thoughts too!”

The letter was signed from “one of Jehovah’s witnesses” and provided a website address for more information.

Gunn said the letter also included a leaflet but no contact details for the writer.

“I was totally gobsmacked. I thought they had a jolly cheek … This, to me, is a major invasion of privacy.”

In his view, those having no relationship with a bereaved family had “no right to intrude on their grieving with an anonymous religious discourse”.

“Are these people going through the newspaper every day, isolating people and writing to them through the contact numbers given on the bereavement notice?”

If this was the case, he believed there “must be quite a team of them”.

Gunn was “concerned” that a Jehovah’s Witness would be “trying to do their missionary work by contacting the relatives of deceased people”. He said he worried about those whose grief and healing would be impacted by receiving such a letter.

His message for the writer was to “go back to door-knocking, and leave alone grieving families”.

He believed Lexie would have been “appalled” by the letter.

Gunn said he had recently received Lexie’s ashes and had “tremendous” support from loved ones after her passing.

Several Tauranga funeral homes contacted by the Bay of Plenty Times said the situation was not one they had heard of before.

Jehovah’s Witness responds

Jehovah’s Witness spokesman Tom Pecipajkovski said the religion “does not have a policy of contacting loved ones through funeral notices online and in the paper”.

“Jehovah’s Witnesses do not target any one group in the community.”

He was asked about the group’s stance on how Gunn was contacted, and whether it condoned members contacting people through funeral notices or expressing their faith to grieving families in this way.

“How a person chooses to speak about their faith to others is entirely a personal matter,” Pecipajkovski said.

“As you are no doubt aware, Jehovah’s Witnesses enjoy discussing the Bible with others. This can be done in many ways, such as by going from door to door, by telephone and by letter.”

It was “up to each individual Jehovah’s Witness to personally decide whether or not they will speak to others about the Bible, and how they will do so”.

Pecipajkovski said the church did not monitor how each member expressed their faith.

“Regardless of how a Witness personally chooses to express their faith, we respect a person’s right to hold a belief different from ours. We don’t force our message on others and our intent is not to cause concern or distress.

“Our religious services often include training on how to show respect and kindness when speaking with others about the Bible.”