Ben R-S, do the only honourable thing left and check your self in at The Circle. Allah bless the souls taken by this Crusader. Harawira Craig Pearless Qandahar 2008-2010

I can’t believe that the Comet Swimming Club has missed out on the learn-to-swim contract. The Australian-based company Belgravia Leisure has over $2 billion in assets, therefore they are not in it for the love of swimming but want to see profit...

Manu Caddie The new NZ Space Policy released last week is quite a contrast with another space policy document released on the same day: “For All Humanity — the Future of Outer Space Governance: Our Common Agenda Policy Brief” released by the...

Twenty-four newly-official New Zealanders took part in a citizenship ceremony at Gisborne Council Chambers last week. They were then sworn in by Mayor Rehette Stoltz and joined her for a photograph. They are Ann Margaret Bjerring and Jane Margaret...

Bad news for East Coast residents who are fearful of the weather — this week’s outlook is for rain every day until the following Wednesday. The latest rain is being delivered by a low which is expected to pass slowly from the west of the North...

Saturated ground after months of wet weather meant the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter had to set down in a rocky riverbed. Just before 10am on the first day of winter, the team was called to a property just south-west of Tikitiki where...

Tauawhi Men’s Centre is transferring to local governance as an independent entity at the end of this month. Tauawhi has been a service of Presbyterian Support East Coast (PSEC) since it opened in July 2010 to provide a “one-stop shop”...

LeaderBrand founder Murray McPhail was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (NZOM) in the King’s Birthday Honours List for his services to horticulture. Mr McPhail founded the diverse horticulture business in 1975, introducing...

A life of service to Māori has earned Ngāti Porou leader Selwyn Tanetoa Parata a knighthood in this year’s King’s Honours List. Sir Selwyn (Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tahu) was named a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his...

A smaller yarding of 1548 sheep was sent to the weekly Matawhero Saleyards yesterday, prices paid being similar to those at recent sales. The bulk of the numbers consisted of 1295 store male lambs. The best price paid for these was $144 for 237...

Pauline E Tangiora What has happened to the reform of our health system? Getting this right should have been the priority leading up to July last year when the district health boards were disestablished. So many people are falling by the wayside. It...

Sheldon Drummond spoke to U3A this week and last month about “Slash and Forestry — A Way Forward”. What an inspirational man with a long practical and academic career in the forestry industry both in NZ and overseas. I am concerned that the...

Re: “Forgotten road”, June 1 story. The GDC refer to the road leading into a property, Number 37 Branson Rd, as being on private property. My husband and I bought half an acre there in 1999, built a home and lived there until 15th May 2015. Our...

When decisions are made there will always be questions raised. The GDC staff and an outside consultant made the call to appoint an Australian-based operation to deliver learn-to-swim lessons at the new Kiwa Pools. Perhaps their tender was more...

A training day on how to respond to an oil spill will be held at the inner harbour boat ramp on Wednesday. The exercise will be headed by Tairāwhiti regional on-scene commander Phil Nickerson and will include staff from Gisborne District Council...

Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz says the region needs “significant help” as it recovers from eight severe weather events across a 20-month period. Her comments follow the Thursday announcement that the Government would stump up cash to help...

The mahi for Tangatarite to beome a service as part of the Te Ao Mārama vision for the Gisborne District Court was celebrated and acknowledged yesterday by those working to see change in the justice system. Tangatarite is the name for the...

Heartfelt thanks from family after two spend hours searching for grandfather A Ruatoria grandfather had a lucky escape from floodwaters on Monday night thanks to the rescue efforts of his neighbour and local police. Albert “Bubs” Woodford, aged...

Emergency services were called out yesterday to a crash on Waingake Road at Manutuke. A vehicle left the road and hit a bank. Fire crews from Gisborne and Manutuke were mobilised, but the Gisborne crew was recalled. A senior firefighter said it was...

Another dose of wet weather and a switch to cooler conditions appears to be on the way for the Gisborne-East Coast region next week. Weather modelling indicates rain and wind from the north on Monday, sweeping into the wider Bay of Plenty region and...

Rocket Lab this week announced it has signed a deal to launch the LEO 3 satellite for global satellite operator Telesat from its Mahia space port. The satellite has been built and manifested to Electron by mission management provider and satellite...

Club's dreams dashed as GDC decides to give tender for swim school to Australian company, in a “fair and robust process”

The man spearheading a Gisborne initiative to house those displaced by Cyclone Gabrielle has departed the region. But Willie Te Aho is assuring affected parties the show will go on. Following February’s weather events, Te Aho mobilised and...

Tairāwhiti has been named as a key priority region in a Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) scheme aimed at supporting residential housing developments. The second round of applications for the Build Ready Development pathway is now...