Coalgate Motors Ltd

05/08/2026

🔧 Coalgate Motors Notice: A Quick Sign-Off from the Front Desk! 🚗💨

From Shelley: Just a quick update for all our wonderful customers!

Today (Wednesday) is my last official day at the front desk for a few weeks. Tomorrow, I start the next phase of my treatment—Day 1 of Chemo—so I am taking some well-deserved time off to rest up and see how my body handles the new routine. 🏥💊

Don't worry, the shop is in exceptional hands! The fantastic Sharron will be holding down the fort, keeping the phones answered, and making sure the paperwork doesn't run wild. I’ll still be lurking quietly in the background if she ever needs to pull me out of retirement for a quick question! 🕵️‍♀️📋

Preston and the team in the workshop are fully operational and ready for all your vehicle servicing and repair needs while I’m on "sabbatical."

Thank you all again for the unbelievable warmth, kindness, and support over these past few weeks. I’m off to go kick some Crabby butt—see you all back at the desk very soon! 💪✨

12/07/2026

🔧 Coalgate Motors Notice: Office Update 🔧

From Shelley: Some of you may know, I’m currently dealing with an uninvited, freeriding stowaway named Crabby (Breast Cancer), which means things around the office are likely to be a bit out of routine and up in the air for a while.

Going forward, I'll be a bit "in and out" of the office while I navigate appointments and treatments. We obviously couldn't leave the front desk running on empty—so we’ve brought in some serious reinforcement!

The brilliant Sharron is stepping in when she can to keep the paperwork straight and the phones answered. She is being incredibly flexible and accommodating, so if you pop in or call while she's covering, give her a massive Coalgate Motors welcome!

Please be extra kind to our boss and owner-operator, Preston. Not only is he keeping the workshop running smoothly as always, but he’s also navigating his way through this difficult time of the unknown alongside me. If you see him looking a little dazed or trying to file a spark plug under "accounts payable," just give him a reassuring smile and a biscuit. 🍪

We are still fully armed, dangerous, and open for all your vehicle repairs and servicing. Thank you all for the incredible support—we’ve got a great team here, and we aren't letting Crabby throw a spanner in our works! 🛠️💪

P.S. For those who would like to follow the more personal, behind-the-scenes details of my journey so far & the battle ahead, I’m posting regular updates over on my personal page (viewable to public audience no need to friend request). Feel free to follow along there to see mine and Crabby's fallout so far! 🦀🍿

https://www.facebook.com/slk1976

10/06/2026

🤸‍♂️Hey everyone! 📣Preston’s granddaughter, Josie, has been training incredibly hard at her gymnastics. All that dedication is paying off—she is traveling to the North Island this year to compete in major competitions, including the Tristar, North Harbour, and Wellington Championships!

To help cover the costs of flights, accommodation, transport, and competition entries, we are running a "We've Got Your Back" T-Shirt Sponsorship Fundraiser.

How it works:👕 For just $20, you can sponsor a line on the back of Josie's official competition t-shirt! ✍️ Your name, family name, or business name will be professionally printed on the shirt and will travel with her everywhere she competes around New Zealand. 🤝

It’s a fantastic, affordable way for local businesses or proud friends and family to show their support. Every single line sponsored helps get this hardworking athlete onto the floor to compete against the best in the country.

How to secure your spot:
Send a direct message to mum Johanna Opsomer with the name you want printed on the shirt. Transfer your $20 contribution to the fundraiser account:

Account: 03-0830-0428751-026

You can also call or text Johanna on 021 943 113 for more info.

Please take a look at the flyer below to see what the shirt will look like!

Thank you all so much for supporting Josie and helping her chase her goals! 🥇✨

20/05/2026

16/04/2026

We’re making changes to the warrant of fitness system. On 1 November 2026, these things will change:

• people who buy a new car will need to get their next WoF when the car is 4 years old (it’s currently when the car is 3 years old)
• people with cars between 4–14 years old* will need a WoF every 2 years (it’s currently yearly)
• people with motorcycles registered before 1 January 2000 will need a WoF every year (it’s currently every 6 months).

For a long time we’ve had very frequent vehicle inspections compared to countries overseas. Modern vehicles are significantly safer and more reliable. It’s safer to have less frequent inspections, and this’ll save you time and money.

Cars over 14 years old, and motorcycles registered before 1 January 2000, will move to an annual WoF (up from every 6 months for some vehicles).

If your car has Automatic Emergency Braking or Lane Keep Assist, WoF inspections will now check for warning lights (or malfunction indicators) for these systems.

It’s still your responsibility to maintain your vehicle to the WoF standard between inspections. To reinforce this we’re increasing fines if your vehicle isn’t compliant. From 1 November:

• If you’re driving a vehicle with a WoF that’s expired by more than 2 months, you may be fined $350 (up from $200).
• If you’re driving a vehicle with a wheel or tyre that wouldn’t pass an inspection, you may be fined $350 (up from $150) and up to $1000 (the maximum court-ordered fine).

We’ve made these change following us consulting you for feedback about this towards the end of 2025. Thanks to everyone who shared their feedback with us – we received over 5000 formal submissions, and overall people supported these changes.

Our website has more information about the changes, including a summary and analysis of your feedback to us about these changes: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/changes-to-light-vehicle-inspections

* We’ll be introducing the change for cars between 4–14 years old in phases. From 1 November 2026, cars first registered on or after 1 November 2019 become eligible for WoFs every 2 years. From 1 November 2027, cars first registered from 1 November 2013 to 31 October 2019 become eligible.

05/03/2026

We have many truely lovely & loyal customers here. Preston & I were presented with this amazing gift for the team yesterday from a very appreciative customer. Thank you so much, it made our day! Shelley :-)

15/01/2026

***EDIT: Thank you to all who expressed an interest in this temporary role. We have filled this position now.***

Hi All

I am off on an extended holiday soon for 8 weeks from Wednesday 11th March and unfortunately the cover we had planned for the office has fallen through. We are now hoping to find someone who would like a temporary reception/admin position for the time I'm away to look after the office & our customers. If you have any interest in this in the first instance come in & see Preston.

Thanks Shelley

29/10/2025

We want your feedback on changes we’re proposing to the current WoF system. Here are the changes:

We’re proposing changing the system so that:

• warrants of fitness will be issued for 4 years for new vehicles
• vehicles between 4–10 years old will need a WoF only every two years (it’s currently yearly)
• vehicles older than 10 years will need a WoF yearly.

These changes would apply to private light vehicles (cars, motorcycles, vans, people-movers, and trailers).

We’re proposing these changes because we check vehicles more often than most countries, but we know more frequent checks don’t necessarily lead to better safety. These changes aim to reduce costs for people using low-risk vehicles while maintaining safety for higher-risk vehicles.

We’re also proposing changes to certificates of fitness for light rental vehicles, checking fault lights of driver assistance systems such as automatic emergency braking and lane keep assist in inspections, and an increase to fines or an introduction of demerit points for offences such as not having a valid WoF or CoF A and having bald or damaged tyres.

Provide your feedback to us using the consultation form on our website: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/considering-changes-to-light-vehicle-inspections

The consultation is open from 29 October 2025 to 17 December 2025. We can’t include comments on this post or messages to us here as submissions – you need to complete the form linked above if you want to officially send your feedback to us.

After we receive your feedback we’ll analyse it and then report on it to the Associate Minister of Transport, who’ll then decide on changing the law.

22/10/2025

Sorry everyone we've closed for the day. Power now not due until 5.02pm. Stay safe out there!