She ploughed through the gates of a business in a stolen vehicle, drove dangerously, taunted and assaulted police, threw rocks and threatened to blow up Gisborne police station. Marie Eileen Brown, 47, might normally have been jailed for all that...
The new Government wants to crack on with important work but it will find itself dealing with distractions if third-time deputy prime minister Winston Peters keeps grouching at the media and entertaining conspiracy theories. The sooner he jets off...
Clive Bibby It may seem somewhat ironic suggesting that we are are still in charge of our own destiny, given the challenges that have emerged during this last year — Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle with their unprecedented damaging effect on the...
Re: No reason to fiddle with major city road, November 28 column. Roger, my word, you seem to have a bee in your bonnet around change. If you haven’t noticed (but you more than likely have, apparently) our city is in dire need of some aroha. This...
I note with interest that the speed restriction signs, that were never legally compliant, have been removed on Wharekopae Road. Should we assume that the huge potholes that remain on the road are no longer dangerous enough to warrant restrictions...
I want to thank the general public of Gisborne for supporting our peaceful gatherings to show solidarity with the marginalised people of Palestine. As we stand in absolute grief and distress for the loss of 14,000 Palestinian lives, over 6000 of...
Te Hapara School students have been exploring the wonder of energy this term as part of Engineering New Zealand’s Wonder Project. The free nationwide programme for schools is designed to get young Kiwis excited about science, technology...
Official figures for the week up to midnight, Sunday, show 69 Tairāwhiti residents have Covid-19. The country recorded 41 deaths from Covid in that week, but none from this district as the “fifth wave” of Covid-19 continues to strike New...
A control plan for asbestos at the Olympic Pool complex is under review ahead of demolition works beginning next year. Both the 50 metre lap pool and administration building are set to be levelled at the complex following the September opening of...
Residents in the inner city area around Aberdeen Road and Cobden Street who experienced discoloured water coming out of their taps last Tuesday have had an explanation from the council. The issue was contained to that area. Council water manager Leo...
A Hawke’s Bay police sergeant has received national honours for his efforts in rescuing a man at risk of drowning in the Wairoa River on New Year’s Eve two years ago. Sergeant Willie Tran was presented with a Royal Humane Society Bravery Award...
A man accused of burgling Gisborne’s Zambrero Restaurant twice in one night and twice burgling a beauty business a few days earlier, is on bail again. After being arrested for the alleged offences in October, Aidan Wesches, 40, was initially...
Gisborne District Council has confirmed the last emergency sewer valve was closed at 5.30pm on Monday and all sewage discharge into the city rivers has stopped. “For the next five days we advise no swimming, fishing or gathering shellfish in...
A new initiative to help restore, enhance and plant 2.1 million hectares of diverse indigenous forest across New Zealand over the next decade has been announced by Pure Advantage. Called Recloaking Papatūānuku, it is guided by the wisdom of...
The cruise ship Noordam made an impressive sight out on Turanganui-a-Kiwa/Poverty Bay yesterday and the city centre was busy with passengers who came ashore for the afternoon and evening. Noordam became the third cruise ship to visit Gisborne so far...
Getting outside to teach is a vital part of education and the most important thing we can do for humanity and our planet, says outdoor education expert and naturalist Ruud Kleinpaste. Ruud and fellow nature expert John Lawry ran workshops in...
21-year-old battled terrifying five-metre swells and 50-60km/h winds.
In the latest setback in what seems to be an endless winter, the Gisborne and Wairoa districts have yet again been pummelled by more severe weather. We entered the weekend faced once again with what seems like a never-ending series of rain warnings...
Roger Handford So a behind-the-scenes alliance of council, the NZTA and a skateboard group is to take over and “remake” Grey Street. I don’t know about other ratepayers, but I am sick and tired of interest groups and the council creating...
Mātai is shaping the future of medical research and innovation. What an incredibly informative and inspirational symposium they held at the War Memorial Theatre last week, with so many distinguished speakers. Mātai Medical Research Institute has...
Re: “Play Streets”. I’m confused. Are roads/streets for vehicular travel or children’s playgrounds? Are we now teaching our children that it’s a good idea to play on the road? Perhaps Health and Safety might have an opinion about this...
Bob Hughes New Zealand has a new Government with a new leadership team. Sadly, Simon Watts will be Climate Minister outside the Cabinet. Unlike the previous Labour government with the Green Party’s James Shaw as its representative, climate change...
Re: Adversity and recovery themes, November 25 story in Focus on the Land. Page 16 in The Herald on Saturday was such a positive read. I am so negative about our next three years, so this article gave me the warm fuzzies! Congratulations Dr...
The Labour Party lost the election decisively. I want to congratulate the three winning parties and the tobacco industry, and commiserate with the losers: child poverty and climate change advocates and our kids who will once again be denied the...
October brought 50 pēpi/babies into the world in Tairāwhiti at Gisborne Hospital. The busiest day of the month was Thursday, October 12, with 5 bubbas now sharing a birthday. Hauora Tairāwhiti gave a “big thank you to our maternity team and...
Police claim a man given permission to leave his electronically-monitored bail address in Waihi and return to Gisborne for a relative’s birthday, took that opportunity to commit further serious offences here. Raniera Tekooti Reuben, 31, was...
Roading crews will be resurfacing a stretch of State Highway 2 along the Wharerātās south of Gisborne next month. The highway between Maraetaha and Wharekakaho roads will close most nights from December 7-19 to allow crews to safely resurface the...
A drink-driver awaiting sentence after seriously injuring a woman when he ploughed into her house while trying to evade police, has been charged with further drink-driving. Alec Thoreson Thomson, 37, made a brief appearance during a registrar’s...
The need for the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter to upgrade to an Instrument Flight Rules-capable aircraft became even more clear after the team’s work was hampered by a week of low-lying cloud. The upgrade from Visual Flight Rules...
State Highway 2 south of Wairoa opened to one lane yesterday as work continues to clear a slip that was brought down by heavy rain over the weekend. One person died and another was seriously injured after crashing into the slip on Sunday. The deluge...
The Gisborne District Council has again pointed to the need for residents to watch out for land instability, in the wake of the latest heavy rain. “Tairāwhiti is fragile,” the council said at the weekend. “There is risk of land movement as...
Quick action by a resident nipped a potential house fire in the bud on Sunday afternoon at a home in Glenroy Road at Whangara. Fire and Emergency NZ sent crews from Gisborne and Tolaga Bay to the property at 3.35pm. “A small electrical fire had...
More than 180 former workers at the Gisborne Refrigerating Company took a walk down memory lane on Saturday in the freezing workers reunion. “It was a fantastic afternoon at the Cosmopolitan Club,” co-organiser Robbie Blair said, It was the...
The southerly that dumped large quantities of rain on the region at the weekend sparked evacuation alerts at Te Karaka and caused a considerable flow of debris down city rivers which has again covered beaches in wood.