Digger rolls on man

A man is in a critical condition after he was trapped underneath a digger which rolled in Helensville, northwest Auckland. Emergency services were called to a private construction site about 9.30am yesterday. Firefighters managed to extricate the man, who had life-threatening injuries. A St John Ambulance spokeswoman said the man, in his 20s, was taken to Auckland City Hospital by helicopter.

Survivor stable

The wife of a man who drowned at Waimarama Beach, near Hastings, on Sunday remains in a stable condition. Yesterday, a Hawke’s Bay Hospital spokeswoman confirmed the woman remained in a stable condition, in the wake of her husband Hemin Limbachiya’s death. She was flown to the hospital on Sunday in a serious condition. Limbachiya, 26, got into trouble in the water with his wife and a male relative about 6.50pm at the beach on Sunday. The three swimmers were all believed to have migrated recently to New Zealand from India.

Christchurch shake

A 4.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of New Brighton, Christchurch, at a depth of 24 kilometres, at 1.22pm yesterday, Geonet reported. A second earthquake was felt in Christchurch at 3.36pm. Geonet said the magnitude 3.8 shake was also centred near New Brighton and happened at a depth of 22km.

Council payout grows

A former Napier City Council manager who won a $50,000 payout after raising a personal grievance has been awarded a further $4500 for costs. Scott Estcourt was one of a number of employees who raised a personal grievance against the council following a restructure in 2016. The council’s former stormwater asset manager took the council to the Employment Relations Authority in March last year. During the restructure he was offered a replacement job that he considered to be of less status and responsibility. The council had refused to pay him redundancy. Authority member Michael Loftus concluded the alternative position offered by the council was not suitable for Estcourt, and ordered he receive $50,433 as redundancy compensation. Loftus reserved costs. Estcourt and the council were unable to resolve the issue of costs so Estcourt returned to the authority for a ruling. Last month Loftus agreed with Estcourt that the key issue had been the council’s refusal to pay redundancy. He concluded the $4500 sought was appropriate and ordered the council pay Estcourt the sum.

Truck driver dies

A truck driver has died after his truckand-trailer unit rolled at Beaumont, in the Clutha District. Emergency services were called to the accident about 6.30am yesterday. The driver of the truck was trapped in the cab and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.