by Roger Handford A huge rates increase? On top of the toughest times for many people? Mayor Stoltz — your council is robbing the poor to pay for rich dreams. I don’t know why the district’s residents put up with it. And thanks for the message...
I cannot believe that this consistently inept council are going to hit us with another rates rise. I understand that rates are a must but try as I might, I can’t see where they are being spent where they are needed. Gisborne looks like a town...
Can someone from NZTA or the roading industry explain why it is that as soon as there is more than one day of warm — not hot, but warm — weather our roads turn into rivers of melting tar? State Highway 2 at Morere is a prime example where the...
Re: Signs should be te reo first, December 9. Normally I do not get upset reading opinion letters, but this time I feel a writer has lost her marbles. Why make te reo Maori words dominant on street signs? Tourists need to know very easily where they...
Three of the MetService’s top meteorologists have been in the city to better understand the region’s needs in adverse weather events. The meteorological scientists ran a two-day workshop with the Tairāwhiti Emergency Management Office team...
The benefits of a 24/7 service were clear last week when six out of the eight missions flown by the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter were outside of normal business hours. It was an early start to the seven days starting on Monday...
A judge has dismissed as nonsense an “ageing” Mongrel Mob leader’s claim of having had a Zoom meeting with rivals to discuss Gisborne’s problem of increasing intergang violence involving firearms. Desi Lee Jury aka Hamill, 47, made the claim...
A woman who left her dog to die in a shed after he suffered serious wounds following a suspected dog attack, has been prosecuted for her neglect by SPCA. The animal had to be euthanised. The woman pleaded guilty in Wairoa District Court to a charge...
Too much water — thanks, Cyclone Gabrielle — and then the detection of myrtle rust forced the Gisborne Wainui Lions Club to pull out of selling Christmas trees this year. The pine trees on the club’s plantation on reserve land off Aberdeen...
Niwa may be coming to a boat ramps across the region to learn more about the recreational fishing catch in New Zealand. The National Institute of Weather and Atmosphere gathers information about fishing practices and the catch of the estimated...
Many years of leadership in Scouting were marked with the presentation of service awards at the Tainui Sea Scouts and Mangapapa Land Scouts end-of- year event. In true Scout style, a group of Venturers (14-18 years) took to the Waimata River and...
After a challenging year, Gisborne residents have gone all-out to get into the festive spirit. Dozens of houses have this year have upped the ante in the Christmas lights stakes. A full list of participating houses can be found on the...
Funding to instal a dual-lane cycleway, along with speed chicanes on Grey Street, is unaffected by Government moves to halt a range of cycle projects. Last week Transport Minister Simeon Brown wrote to local councils urging an end to projects...
The region’s highways are being closely monitored after a spike in temperatures saw a host of areas experience melting roads. Late last week motorists took to social media to express concerns. One person who drove their van around Manutuke said...
Report highlights need to tackle future freshwater supply issues in Tairāwhiti.
Debra Leach Here is BDO’s annual reminder for employers around how, which and when to pay those problematic public holidays, plus a tip on how to pay employees’ final pay. CLOSEDOWN PERIODS If you are lucky enough to have a complete shutdown of...
A post-election survey by Grant Thornton New Zealand has revealed more than 330 business owners and leaders across the country are very much in the “wait and see” camp when it comes to the new Government. Asked how optimistic they are about the...
Self Storage Gisborne’s newest facility at 74 Main Road, Makaraka, has won an award in the annual Self Storage Australasia Association awards presented at the SSAA convention in Melbourne earlier this month. The local company won the award for the...
Tim Tietjen Tairāwhiti is a fruit bowl region and while the total volume of all food grown here is huge, we are not the biggest producer of many horticultural crops. Our apple crops are a fraction of that produced in Hawke’s Bay; vineyards are...
After 20 days of closed-door talks, the details of the two coalition agreements were revealed on November 25, 2023. The National Party, Act and New Zealand First have formed the new coalition Government and confirmed their 100-day action plan...
Column by Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing In a new era of government, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) find themselves at the forefront of our policy priorities. Over 97 percent of businesses in our economy are...
Gisborne is now part of the Uber Eats empire, following the app’s expansion into new markets across regional New Zealand. “New Zealanders have embraced the convenience of accessing an incredible selection of restaurants at their fingertips in...
ANZ Bank’s new branch in Tūrangānui-a-Kiwa Gisborne represents a move to incorporate te ao Māori into its everyday operation, the bank says. While ANZ has been operating in Gisborne for the past 150 years, the branch has been relocated to a new...
From being a beautician for 14 years to running a logging company, Chrystal Edmonds never thought she would end up a winner at the Māori Businesswomen’s Awards. Mrs Edmonds, 39, won the Te Tai Rāwhiti regional award at the Māori Women’s...
The young Midway lifeguards involved in the tough Mount Monster endurance surf lifesaving event at Mt Maunganui on Saturday scored podium finishes, and their coach was rapt with their performance. It involved a 12-kilometre ski leg, 5km run, 1.5km...
Members of the Gisborne Bowling Club and others paid tribute to bowler Bruce Smart in a special tournament on Wednesday to mark the approach of his 100th birthday. The 99-year-old was made a life member of the Gisborne Bowling Club this year. Bruce...
New Zealand’s Parliamentarians will be looking forward to their Christmas break after the rigours and ruction of the election, and an intensive start by the new Government. In something of a grand reveal and scene-setter for the year ahead...
Is the Grey Street remodelling project now on a road to nowhere following the Transport Minister’s weekend statements? Minister Simeon Brown has instructed NZTA/Waka Kotahi to immediately stop work on all such cycling and walking projects, and to...
All individuals committed to justice, human rights, and peace should consider taking a stand against injustice everywhere, regardless of the religion or ethnicity of those being oppressed. Decades of territorial disputes have led to a situation...
Although I hesitate to reopen old wounds, you will remember that last year I took exception to the actions of a police NCO at the protest outside Parliament. Having previously served in the police for 25 years, I recognised that his actions amounted...
Re: Town upgrades or city cycle and walkway, December 16 story. Many GDC ratepayers must be asking the question of councillors, “why is priority not being given to fixing the sewage overflows into the rivers/sea that occur far too often?” Surely...
A new guide featuring five short walks close to Gisborne aims at getting people out in the natural environment to improve wellbeing. The free guide,called Ways to Wellness: He Ara Taiao ki te Ora Tairāwhiti, is a collaborative effort between the...
A car with four people in it rolled on State Highway 2 north of Te Karaka yesterday morning. The occupants, two adults and two children, were all transported to Gisborne Hospital by St John ambulance. The crash happened at around 7am about...
Suddenly it’s summer! Three days in a row with official temperatures in the high 20s, and the first tar-melting of the season. But looking at all the computer models in the run-up to Christmas, a scorcher for the big day might be off the barbecue...