By Erin Bishop  May 30 2011

Rakaia schoolchildren have a new bus shelter thanks to a local man's wrongdoing, and it is something a community leader would like to see happen more.

Rakaia Community Associaton (RCA) chairperson Neil Pluck said the bus shelter, built by local builder Neil Tozer, was an example of how someone's skills could be used for good when they found themselves in front of the courts.
Mr Tozer was apprehended and charged with being in possession of rock lobster for the purpose to sell, which was a breach of the Fisheries Act, 1996.
He had purchased crayfish in Kaikoura and on-sold them.
He pleaded guilty in the Ashburton District Court a fortnight ago and through his lawyer he asked if he could do his own form of community work and build a bus shelter for the children he passed every day, in all weather, waiting for the school bus outside the Rakaia Domain.
The judge agreed and remanded the case for four weeks to give Mr Tozer time to build the shelter.
He will appear for sentencing on June 13, but Judge Gary MacAskill made no promises on how he would be sentenced.
Mr Tozer did not need four weeks to build it; he had it finished within one. He supplied all of the material and labour.
And it has already had a good test.
Thursday morning's rain provided the 30-odd students who wait for the bus to Mt Hutt College there a chance to try it out.
Mr Pluck said in cases like Mr Tozer's, the crime was not "heinous" and building the bus shelter was a way of making good and giving back to the community.
He said there had been the occassional tradesperson from Rakaia appear in court in recent years and he hated seeing them doing community work like weeding gardens in the town.
Instead of doing that or paying a fine, their skills could be utilised.
"The best thing they could do is for a judge to get them to do something like this," Mr Pluck said.
He said the need for a bus shelter had been identified some time ago by the RCA but for them to do it they had to beg and borrow; getting wood from one place, iron from another and nails from another.
In doing it this way, Mr Tozer and Mr Pluck met on the Wednesday and the shed was completed by the Saturday. Mr Pluck couldn't believe it happened so quickly.
The new shelter is five metres long and 1.2 metres deep and contains a varnished seat.
It is fully lined and painted and it is hoped it will be respected.

Pictured: Neil Pluck checks out a new bus shelter that has been built for Rakaia children attending Mt Hutt College, by a local builder who got in trouble with the law.