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Samantha Motion
Regional Content Leader
Tauranga

Samantha Motion is a regional content leader for NZME. She has reported in the Bay of Plenty region for more than a decade.

We are your advocate, Aotearoa. Uncovering stories that matter, asking hard-hitting questions of those in power, live-blogging sport events, monitoring the highs and lows of the NZX and providing Premium expert opinion and analysis. Bringing you distinctive, quality journalism and breaking news from across New Zealand and around the world. With specialists working together to create indepth reads, engaging video, and unmissable podcasts.

Check out Samantha’s latest content
Premium
Editorial: Christmas donations show community spirit still shining through
Opinion

Editorial: Christmas donations show community spirit still shining through

20 Dec 03:45 PM
'Urban sprawl': Ex-MP's greenbelt subdivision plan hits opposition
Bay of Plenty Times

'Urban sprawl': Ex-MP's greenbelt subdivision plan hits opposition

16 Dec 07:02 PM

He says it's 'no wonder' city has a housing crisis if it's this hard to build three homes.

Remembering Rod Vaughan: Reporter on life after TV and his plane crash
Bay of Plenty Times

Remembering Rod Vaughan: Reporter on life after TV and his plane crash

29 Aug 04:45 PM

Former television journalist bares his scars of a career on camera.

Premium
'Discriminatory': Sports rules causing 'frustration' for home-schooled students
Bay of Plenty Times

'Discriminatory': Sports rules causing 'frustration' for home-schooled students

20 Apr 10:48 PM

But officials say regulations aim to create a level playing field.

'Rare human': Tributes flow for tireless 'community champion'
Bay of Plenty Times

'Rare human': Tributes flow for tireless 'community champion'

01 Apr 12:57 AM

His death on Sunday after a heart attack in Rotorua on Saturday was a 'huge shock'.

Colleagues 'shattered' as 'incredible' local leader dies
Bay of Plenty Times

Colleagues 'shattered' as 'incredible' local leader dies

31 Mar 12:20 AM

'Huge shock - He will be sorely missed.'

Lifeguards save beached dolphin at Mount, swimmer airlifted off Waihī beach
Bay of Plenty Times

Lifeguards save beached dolphin at Mount, swimmer airlifted off Waihī beach

03 Jan 06:58 AM

Plus, 'tonnes of shark sightings' in busy day for Bay of Plenty and Coromandel lifeguards.

Flying furniture: Family faces up to $100k in damage after tornado
Bay of Plenty Times

Flying furniture: Family faces up to $100k in damage after tornado

12 Apr 07:22 PM

A neighbour also described lying in her caravan, fearful a tree would fall on her.

Premium
Opinion: Let's not forget the lives on the line in road cone debate
Opinion

Opinion: Let's not forget the lives on the line in road cone debate

28 Mar 06:00 PM

Opinion: Road workers are at the coalface of public roadworks rage.

Premium
Opinion: The big question the census didn't ask but will still answer
Bay of Plenty Times

Opinion: The big question the census didn't ask but will still answer

07 Mar 08:00 PM

Kiwis may be losing their religion but need reasons to keep the faith in big public data.

Premium
Tracking Miss Daisy: Was life better when we didn't know where the sharks are?
Bay of Plenty Times

Tracking Miss Daisy: Was life better when we didn't know where the sharks are?

13 Jan 05:50 PM

Bay beachgoers can't stop talking about a great white shark tracking app.

Samantha Motion: The raw, burning regret of slacking off in the sun
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: The raw, burning regret of slacking off in the sun

04 Jan 09:00 PM

OPINION: The blistering was so extensive and painful I couldn’t leave the house for days.

Premium
Another holly, jolly Bay of Plenty news parody
Bay of Plenty Times

Another holly, jolly Bay of Plenty news parody

23 Dec 10:00 PM

OPINION: Samantha Motion returns with another musical take on the year in news

Premium
Ho ho hold up: More ratepayer dosh without consultation?
Bay of Plenty Times

Ho ho hold up: More ratepayer dosh without consultation?

16 Dec 08:00 PM

OPINION: Commissioners' decision to skip consultation indicates they've stopped listening.

'She screamed out for help': Shop worker pinned as car smashes through store's doors
Bay of Plenty Times

'She screamed out for help': Shop worker pinned as car smashes through store's doors

05 Dec 05:09 PM

'This is a reoccurring problem in the area.'

Premium
Opinion: Stuck in limbo on the elective surgery waiting list
Bay of Plenty Times

Opinion: Stuck in limbo on the elective surgery waiting list

18 Nov 10:00 PM

OPINION: What it's like to be one of the thousands waiting to go under the knife.

Premium
Samantha Motion: Protests trump apathy as climate disaster looms
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: Protests trump apathy as climate disaster looms

21 Oct 11:00 PM

Opinion: Perhaps 'extreme' protests are needed to snap us out of our cognitive dissonance.

Premium
Samantha Motion: It's time to address the orange envelope in the room
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: It's time to address the orange envelope in the room

01 Oct 07:31 AM

OPINION: What do we want from the people we vote for, anyway?

'Significant taonga': Pounamu unearthed in CBD dig a 'rare' find
Bay of Plenty Times

'Significant taonga': Pounamu unearthed in CBD dig a 'rare' find

18 Sep 12:00 AM

The adze was found on the site of a multi million dollar development.

Premium
Samantha Motion: There will never be another like Queen Elizabeth II
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: There will never be another like Queen Elizabeth II

09 Sep 11:00 PM

OPINION: The Queen used her celebrity with an amazing grace that befitted her position.

Premium
Opinion: Is climate change to blame for prevalence of potholes?
Bay of Plenty Times

Opinion: Is climate change to blame for prevalence of potholes?

02 Sep 10:00 PM

OPINION: Local roads, state highways, rural roads; none are spared the scouring forces.

'Pirate life': Why this couple quit their office jobs and sailed to Fiji to live
Bay of Plenty Times

'Pirate life': Why this couple quit their office jobs and sailed to Fiji to live

29 Aug 08:30 PM

'We meet so many people, who ... say 'oh I wish I'd done something like that.'

Premium
Opinion: How Tauranga's faring under commission rule
Bay of Plenty Times

Opinion: How Tauranga's faring under commission rule

18 Aug 08:00 PM

Opinion: Decisions, decisions - but what comes next?

Seally season: Seal chases cat into marine biologist's lounge
Bay of Plenty Times

Seally season: Seal chases cat into marine biologist's lounge

18 Aug 06:18 AM

'The one kind of family emergency where a marine biologist would have been useful.'

Premium
Opinion: Should parents be held responsible for their kids' crimes?
Bay of Plenty Times

Opinion: Should parents be held responsible for their kids' crimes?

05 Aug 09:00 PM

Opinion: Parents should be held responsible when their kids act up and harm others.

Premium
Samantha Motion: Pokies plague creates ethical dilemma for communities
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: Pokies plague creates ethical dilemma for communities

13 Jul 09:00 PM

OPINION: There's no shortage of shocking statistics when it comes to pokies in NZ.

Premium
Samantha Motion: US opioid crisis is lapping at our shores - is NZ ready?
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: US opioid crisis is lapping at our shores - is NZ ready?

29 Jun 09:00 PM

Many who die from the drug do not know they have taken it.

Premium
Opinion: New Year in summer is terrible - Matariki makes it right
Bay of Plenty Times

Opinion: New Year in summer is terrible - Matariki makes it right

23 Jun 09:00 PM

Opinion: It's good to set goals - but summer's a sucky time to start.

Premium
Do local politicians really need to live locally?
Bay of Plenty Times

Do local politicians really need to live locally?

03 Jun 10:00 PM

Giving up on local candidates being local would be another nail in the coffin.

Premium
Opinion: 'Fat girl!' The story of (another) verbal hit-and-run
Opinion

Opinion: 'Fat girl!' The story of (another) verbal hit-and-run

27 May 08:00 PM

OPINION: Why is it always a loser in a crappy car?

Premium
'Optimal fan experience': $170m 'people's stadium' pitched
Bay of Plenty Times

'Optimal fan experience': $170m 'people's stadium' pitched

27 May 06:00 PM

But local sports clubs that may be displaced by the stadium wait nervously for options

'What a farce': Links Ave petition presentation called to abrupt halt
Bay of Plenty Times

'What a farce': Links Ave petition presentation called to abrupt halt

22 May 09:08 PM

'We understand it is causing significant disruption to people's lives.'

Premium
Opinion: As New Zealand reopens, tourism shouldn't forget Kiwis
Bay of Plenty Times

Opinion: As New Zealand reopens, tourism shouldn't forget Kiwis

11 May 09:00 PM

OPINION: Tourism's adaptations for NZ travellers should last beyond the pandemic.

Premium
Opinion | Gib board shortage: Taking advantage of home builders is despicable
Bay of Plenty Times

Opinion | Gib board shortage: Taking advantage of home builders is despicable

05 Apr 05:00 AM

OPINION: Stockpiling, price inflation is a ruthless way to make a quick buck.

Premium
'We're all in shock': Friends of missing doctor say he is caring, generous
Bay of Plenty Times

'We're all in shock': Friends of missing doctor say he is caring, generous

14 Mar 04:00 PM

Police and friends want to hear from witnesses who were on Pāpāmoa Beach on Friday night.

Premium
Samantha Motion: We need an exit plan for vaccine mandates
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: We need an exit plan for vaccine mandates

11 Mar 10:00 PM

OPINION: Public support for the mandates is demonstrably waning.

Premium
New Tauranga valuations: How much each suburb is up
Bay of Plenty Times

New Tauranga valuations: How much each suburb is up

09 Feb 05:00 PM

A 50pc average rise across the city does not mean a 50pc rates rise will follow.

Premium
Samantha Motion: After the year of the vax, these people deserve our thanks
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: After the year of the vax, these people deserve our thanks

09 Feb 02:07 AM

OPINION: Next week marks a year since New Zealand began rolling out the Covid-19 vaccine.

Premium
Samantha Motion: MIQ's short hello and long goodbye
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: MIQ's short hello and long goodbye

03 Feb 07:01 PM

OPINION: MIQ came to - or rather, was dropped on - Rotorua one weekend in June 2020.

Premium
'Poor fishing practice': Shark found in net there for 'at least' two days
Bay of Plenty Times

'Poor fishing practice': Shark found in net there for 'at least' two days

29 Dec 08:00 PM

The set net had caught a lot of fish and crabs which were also killed, DoC says.

Premium
Samantha Motion: The case for restricting dogs on beaches - to benefit dogs
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: The case for restricting dogs on beaches - to benefit dogs

17 Dec 09:36 PM

OPINION: The Bay of Plenty is a great place to live or holiday with a pooch.

Premium
Samantha Motion: The biggest losers of the vaccine pass era aren't the unvaccinated
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: The biggest losers of the vaccine pass era aren't the unvaccinated

03 Dec 11:04 PM

Councils can choose whether they require vaccine passes at public facilities.

Premium
Plan change 27: Flood modelling maps 'inaccurate', submitters claim
Bay of Plenty Times

Plan change 27: Flood modelling maps 'inaccurate', submitters claim

01 Dec 06:45 PM

'Us ratepayers are going to have to fix this problem.'

Western Bay council says unvaccinated people can use pools, libraries at orange - Tauranga undecided
Bay of Plenty Times

Western Bay council says unvaccinated people can use pools, libraries at orange - Tauranga undecided

30 Nov 09:54 PM

Tauranga, Rotorua, Taupō councils still deciding facilities approach.

Premium
'Sledgehammer approach': Developers slam Plan Change 27 as hearing begins
Bay of Plenty Times

'Sledgehammer approach': Developers slam Plan Change 27 as hearing begins

30 Nov 06:30 PM

'Time, dollars, frustration, resources – not what's needed or required.'

Premium
Samantha Motion: Dear Auckland, you are all we want for Christmas
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: Dear Auckland, you are all we want for Christmas

21 Oct 05:19 PM

OPINION: Today, the Government is set to give more detail about the path out of lockdown.

Katikati Covid case: Locations of interest, testing, jabs - what you need to know
Bay of Plenty Times

Katikati Covid case: Locations of interest, testing, jabs - what you need to know

09 Oct 08:19 PM

Locations of interest, testing sites, vaccination sites, what we know about the case.

Premium
Samantha Motion: Delta is at the gates, time to suit up
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: Delta is at the gates, time to suit up

08 Oct 09:00 PM

OPINION: Unvaccinated people have decisions to make as Covid spreads further.

Premium
Samantha Motion: Masks seem here to stay, but we can learn to live with them
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: Masks seem here to stay, but we can learn to live with them

10 Sep 11:03 PM

OPINION: Masks are part of life in New Zealand now and probably will be for some time.

Burglars raid Tauranga Crossing jewellery stores
Bay of Plenty Times

Burglars raid Tauranga Crossing jewellery stores

09 Aug 10:56 PM

A vehicle was left at the scene and items stolen.

Premium
Samantha Motion: It's time for a real debate on arming police
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: It's time for a real debate on arming police

24 Jul 12:04 AM

Gun crime hit a new high in New Zealand last year - but is the answer more guns?

Premium
Holocaust survivor turns 100: How he defied Nazi invaders and escaped
Bay of Plenty Times

Holocaust survivor turns 100: How he defied Nazi invaders and escaped

21 Jul 06:20 PM

'My life is in the Lord's hands. I have no say in it.'

Premium
Samantha Motion: How Dry July gives more than it gets
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: How Dry July gives more than it gets

11 Jul 09:00 PM

OPINION: There is evidence drinkers can really stand to gain if they stick it out.

Premium
Samantha Motion: The ocean was on fire but there's a bigger problem in the water
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: The ocean was on fire but there's a bigger problem in the water

09 Jul 11:11 PM

New Zealand's phasing out of single-use plastics is a great start, but it's a slow burn.

Premium
Samantha Motion: Bring back the biff in rugby league? Yeah, nah
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: Bring back the biff in rugby league? Yeah, nah

18 Jun 10:40 PM

OPINION: If a bloke wants to punch his mate, he can take up boxing or MMA.

Hospital not aware of 'gang fight' but Bridges sticking to his story
Bay of Plenty Times

Hospital not aware of 'gang fight' but Bridges sticking to his story

13 Jun 04:02 AM

Bridges claimed "patched gang members had taken over the entrance" to hospital.

Premium
Opinion: Time will tell if Kawerau can survive mill closure as a single entity
Bay of Plenty Times

Opinion: Time will tell if Kawerau can survive mill closure as a single entity

12 Jun 01:01 AM

OPINION: Time will tell if whether the town can remain a district in its own right.

Premium
Samantha Motion: Marriage is so last century, but we can still learn from it
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: Marriage is so last century, but we can still learn from it

01 Jun 10:08 PM

OPINION: The qualities that make a good marriage apply to any sort of long-term union.

Premium
High Court quashes 'super pole' decision on appeal
Bay of Plenty Times

High Court quashes 'super pole' decision on appeal

29 May 12:00 AM

The Environment Court made 'material errors', the High Court has ruled.

Premium
Samantha Motion: Our housing response is broken if it harms one to help another
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: Our housing response is broken if it harms one to help another

21 May 10:06 PM

OPINION: There is good intention in the housing market, but the system is broken.

Premium
Samantha Motion: Back from the brink - Maketu Pies' extraordinary survival
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: Back from the brink - Maketu Pies' extraordinary survival

14 May 10:14 PM

Opinion: There are fringe and rural towns around New Zealand teetering on the edge.

Premium
Samantha Motion: We're open to Aussies on planes, why not cruise ships?
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: We're open to Aussies on planes, why not cruise ships?

11 May 10:07 PM

If the Government doesn't find some urgency, another summer season may sail by.

Premium
Samantha Motion: We need a living wage to ease impact of rising rents
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: We need a living wage to ease impact of rising rents

29 Apr 11:13 PM

Opinion: Shocking accommodation supplement stats show full-time workers are struggling.

Premium
Samantha Motion: How to spot lifestyle creep before it's too late
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: How to spot lifestyle creep before it's too late

24 Apr 02:00 AM

My goal is a balance between future-focused frugality and enjoying my money.

Premium
Samantha Motion: Land use changes par for course in housing crisis
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: Land use changes par for course in housing crisis

23 Apr 10:31 PM

Opinion: Golf courses are not exactly multifunctional spaces open to the community.

Premium
Samantha Motion: Bay Patrol is the sun-soaked summer of dreams and nightmares
Opinion

Samantha Motion: Bay Patrol is the sun-soaked summer of dreams and nightmares

15 Apr 09:53 PM

Opinion: Summer rewind on Bay Patrol - but it's not all fun and games for the lifeguards

Premium
Hosting an Aussie? Do tourism a solid and get out and about
Bay of Plenty Times

Hosting an Aussie? Do tourism a solid and get out and about

08 Apr 09:00 PM

Opinion: Get out and make some memories in the new New Zealand.

Premium
Samantha Motion: Good neighbours must do travel bubbles right
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: Good neighbours must do travel bubbles right

05 Apr 10:00 PM

Opinion: High fences don't necessarily mean we have walls up.

Premium
Samantha Motion: Not in my backyard: Scourge of suburban moaners
Opinion

Samantha Motion: Not in my backyard: Scourge of suburban moaners

25 Mar 09:00 PM

Opinion: There's a difference between dobbing in a party and a popular community event.

Premium
Samantha Motion: How lockdown changed my life
Opinion

Samantha Motion: How lockdown changed my life

24 Mar 06:00 PM

Opinion: The lockdown experience flicked a switch and there was no going back.

Premium
Samantha Motion: You don't have to buy a house before you're 30
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: You don't have to buy a house before you're 30

16 Mar 09:05 PM

OPINION: The goalposts keep moving for first-home buyers.

Premium
Samantha Motion: In politics, talking about people is not small-minded
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: In politics, talking about people is not small-minded

13 Mar 11:18 PM

'Great minds discuss ideas, small minds discuss people' - discuss.

Premium
Samantha Motion: Up to us to listen in and speak out on local affairs
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: Up to us to listen in and speak out on local affairs

23 Feb 09:00 PM

Opinion: Participation in a democracy is a two-way street.

Premium
Letters: Why not wind up TECT and pay everyone out?
Bay of Plenty Times

Letters: Why not wind up TECT and pay everyone out?

22 Feb 09:00 PM

A reader says a payout would give 49,000 people enough to install solar.

The pākeha mana wahine who stood for the injustices of Māori
Bay of Plenty Times

The pākeha mana wahine who stood for the injustices of Māori

17 Feb 06:00 PM

'You'd have to think twice if you chose to take a stand against her ... she'd smoke you.'

Premium
'There are hard decisions to make': Q+A with commission chairwoman Anne Tolley
Bay of Plenty Times

'There are hard decisions to make': Q+A with commission chairwoman Anne Tolley

15 Feb 05:00 PM

Anne Tolley on how only the fourth council commission in New Zealand history will work.

Premium
Boldly selecting the Best Dog at the Doggy Day Out
Bay of Plenty Times

Boldly selecting the Best Dog at the Doggy Day Out

13 Feb 11:00 PM

Making the tough calls, in the name of bold and unflinching journalism.

Premium
Samantha Motion: The superhuman strength of sick kids and their families
Bay of Plenty Times

Samantha Motion: The superhuman strength of sick kids and their families

13 Feb 01:26 AM

OPINION: No amount of sympathy can put us in their shoes.

Tauranga commission welcomed in pōwhiri
Bay of Plenty Times

Tauranga commission welcomed in pōwhiri

11 Feb 10:20 PM

Commissioners for Tauranga City Council have been welcomed to their roles by iwi.

Premium
Tie debate: Why some men still wear them, and others don't miss them
Bay of Plenty Times

Tie debate: Why some men still wear them, and others don't miss them

10 Feb 05:00 AM

'In today's liberal society, relaxed as we are, what is the big deal about a tie?'

Premium
Transfer of power at Tauranga City Council complete: What happens now?
Bay of Plenty Times

Transfer of power at Tauranga City Council complete: What happens now?

08 Feb 05:17 PM

What about the by-election? Will they hold meetings? Who pays them?

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