GONVILLE PETITION DEMANDS LEAF BLOWER CEASEFIRE UNTIL 10AM — ORGANISER HAS 34 SIGNATURES AND ONE ENEMY

A Gonville woman has drafted a petition to ban leaf blowers before 10am on Sundays. She has delivered it door-to-door with the energy of someone who has not slept past 7.15 since March.

Organiser Delwyn Fraser, 58, said the final straw came last Sunday, when a neighbour started blowing leaves at 6.48am. "Six forty-eight. On a Sunday. In Gonville. I timed it because I was already awake, because of the blower."

The neighbour, who lives at number 42 and gave his name only as "Rex", said the petition was "a load of shit". He blows his drive early, he said, "to get it done before the wind picks up off the river". Asked whether he could use a rake, Rex said he could, and would not.

Thirty-four residents have signed. Two have signed twice. One signature reads "Gerald, deceased, would've signed", which Delwyn has counted.

Whanganui District Council confirmed it had received the petition and was "reviewing it in line with existing noise provisions". A spokesperson admitted this meant "putting it in the tray with the fireworks one and the roosters one".

As of Wednesday, Rex has moved his blowing to 6.32am. Delwyn is drafting a second petition.