Latest from Gisborne

Golfers chipped in for rescue chopper

In a time of rising costs golfers rose to the occasion to make last week’s Eastland Helicopter Rescue Trust Charity Golf Tournament a winning fundraising event. The annual tournament has traditionally raised around $10,000 to help EHRT support the...

Housing market in ‘steady as she goes’ state: Searle

House prices seem to have found a new normal after recent big drops, Gisborne realtors say. Latest data from the Real Estate Institute (REINZ) shows the region’s median house price is now $650,000, down 5.1 percent on the same time last year...

‘I want to unlock the kupu from my throat’: Witi Ihimaera

Ihimaera says the time has come to learn te reo fluently as he prepares to write new book.

Govt help for rural sector could be too late for some: Nats

Government help for the rural sector could be too late to save some rural businesses, National Party politicians say. The party’s cyclone recovery spokesperson Chris Penk said recent announcements from the Beehive provided “belated assistance”...

Deluge due but expected to pass through quickly

A rapidly developing sub-tropic low in the Tasman threatens to deliver another deluge to the Gisborne-East Cape district at the end of the week. Meanwhile climatologists believe a “significant” El Nino could be brewing. For this week, several...

Disagreement about land occupied by sports club

Arguments for and against the renewal of the lease for the Tokomaru Bay United Sports Club were aired at a Gisborne District Council hearing at Tuatini Marae in Tokomaru Bay. The hearings committee was chaired by councillor Tony Robinson and...

Cyclone recovery funding welcome, but $1bn more sought

A $1 billion North island cyclone recovery fund has been welcomed by Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz as the region waits to hear if its request for an additional $1bn will be approved. The package, split across affected North Island regions, includes...

Access granted to rural community isolated since cyclone hit

The road to recovery is well under way with another connection established for a rural community isolated since Cyclone Gabrielle’s destructive path. Residents of Te Kowhai Road in Whatatutu now cross the river by car after a temporary causeway...

Field day a chance for Wi Pere Trust to shine

The field day run by the Wi Pere Trust at Waipaoa on Thursday drew a crowd of around 250 as they showcased themselves as finalists in the Ahuwhenua Trophy for excellence in Māori Horticulture award. The trust is one of three finalists in the...

Nurses to go on strike

Nurses on Gisborne Hospital’s Ward 5 will strike for one hour next Wednesday. The industrial action comes after a series of appeals for staff and patient safety have been ignored by the employer, says the New Zealand Nurses Organisation. NZNO...

Help for Wairoa voters, chance of jobs

The Electoral Commission will visit Wairoa on Thursday to talk about the Māori Electoral Option and jobs that will be available during this year’s election. Electoral Commission adviser, community engagement, Michelle Jaggard says Wairoa had been...

New Te Whatu Ora Tairāwhiti staff welcomed

New staff members at Te Whata Ora-Tairāwhiti have been welcomed this week with a pōwhiri. The ceremony provided an opportunity to hear from the new colleagues, hear about their wide array of skills and backgrounds, and to connect with each other...

Slash Panel surfing a rainbow

The report Outrage to Optimism by the Slash Panel is obviously written by riders who surf on the crest of a rainbow, ride unicorns at sunset and live in a land of make believe. The slash panel have waved their magical wand and New Zealand and the...

Unrealistic expectations alongside good recommendations

The Slash Inquiry report has a lot of good recommendations. However, it also has some unrealistic expectations. An unsupported GDC has been expected to hold back a wave of logging and planting that has largely been generated by central government...

Resign, call in a cavalry of commissioners

The failure of governance by Gisborne District Council as identified in the findings of Ms Parata’s report leaves Madam Mayor with no alternative but to tender her immediate resignation, stand down the current councillor incompetents and call in...

GDC did exact opposite of capitulating

Manu Caddie I couldn’t believe the line in the report that says Council “capitulated to central government regulations”. That’s one of the most ridiculous statements in the report (that also has some good suggestions) and I can see why the...