[As published in March/April BayBuzz magazine.] As I indicated in my comprehensive climate review in our last edition, it’s impossible to find much to celebrate on the climate action front […]
NCC rates, Waimarama access, HDC Youth Council
Napier rates increases floated Napier ratepayers are potentially looking at rates increases of 23.7%, 10.5% and 8% over the next three-year period (2024-27). Council will put these increases out for […]
“War on nature goes nuclear”
The Government’s ‘Fast Track Approvals Bill’, intended to speed up regulatory approval of major development and infrastructure projects, has sparked enormous controversy, which I’ll discuss in a moment. But first, […]
Our councils lawyer up
HB’s three largest councils – Hastings, Napier, Regional – together have spent $6.9 million on legal advice over the past three financial years (2021-23). At each council, the top five […]
Bostock Brothers chicken sale
Bostock Brothers, owned 50% by brothers Ben and George and 50% by father John, has been sold to Australian-owned Inghams, the biggest chicken merchant in Australia and #2 in New […]
The only good possum …
Is a dead one, as they threaten animal health and biodiversity. Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is giving a friendly reminder to landowners to continue to undertake possum control as it […]
NIWA analysis of cyclone flooding released
As documented with our own eyes at the time, hours and hours of video and thousands of photos, we all know a helluva lot of water fell and flooded across […]
HB Emergency Relief Fund grants $8.8m
The HB Emergency Relief Fund was designed to help Hawke’s Bay communities, individuals, families, community organisations and marae get immediate access to funds to assist with recovery. Its one-off payments […]
What’s ahead for our councils?
[As published in March/April BayBuzz magazine.] After a holiday pause to catch their breath (thankfully, heaps of recovery repair didn’t cease), our councils returned to full steam by mid-January, with […]
Six years later, flying high!
Back in June 2018 I began approaching various NZ government officials to become involved in a project aiming to launch the most advanced methane-detecting satellite into space. We all know […]
No ‘local’ in HB’s local health service planning
Health Minister Shane Reti has successfully scrapped the Māori Health Authority and next on his hit list is ceasing work on health ‘localities’, one of which is in Wairoa. In […]
Silt damages freshwater food chain
The visible impact of Cyclone Gabrielle’s devastating silt has been on the land. But the silt has also been deadly to our river and stream ecosystems. Destroying the habitat of […]
Youth drive Māori wellbeing campaign
A 20-week social media campaign driven by rangatahi (youth) Māori aims to spread crucial messages about nutrition and well-being across New Zealand. The Manaora Rangatahi Guidelines is part of Nourishing […]
Westshore land awaits displaced whānau
It’s been a more than a year since Cyclone Gabrielle’s devastation, and nearly three months since Maungaharuru-Tangitū Charitable Trust secured vacant land in Westshore from Napier City Council to house displaced […]
How was new Dartmoor bridge damaged?
Could be logging trucks. But possibly not. Presumably the Hastings and/or Regional Council will investigate. The temporary Dartmoor bridge was closed last Thursday when damage was discovered. BayBuzz received this […]
On smoking, councils No! Government Yes
Hastings District and Napier City Councils are taking up arms and joining the cause of a smokefree Hawke’s Bay, whilst the Coalition Government annihilates the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products […]
Homes for Napier seniors important
The Napier City Council has had to go back to the drawing board on our community housing, even though we only made a decision on its future two years ago. […]
Mayor Craig Little looks ahead
Top of mind for Mayor Craig Little when I interviewed him last week was getting people back in permanent housing, with hundreds of displaced whānau unable to live in their homes. “It’s so […]
Regional Council re-slices its rates pie
HBRC on Wednesday approved a new apportionment of its rates structure. The overall effect is to tilt more of the Council’s rate burden – whatever that is at any point […]
Dogs, halls, Unison substation on rural agenda
An increase in dog control fees, rural halls maintenance funding, and a proposal from Unison to rebuild a replacement substation at the rear of the Tutira Hall Reserve were all […]