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Matthew Martin
Senior reporter, Rotorua Daily Post
Rotorua

Matthew Martin is a senior reporter for the Rotorua Daily Post

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 Matthew’s latest content
Council staff move to Sportsdrome as $3.9m upgrade continues
Rotorua Daily Post

Council staff move to Sportsdrome as $3.9m upgrade continues

21 Aug 01:25 AM
'Make your own coffin' musical
Rotorua Daily Post

'Make your own coffin' musical

10 Aug 08:00 PM

Rotorua's Coffin Club features in a new short documentary - with a musical twist.

Co-governance of popular forest gets the go-ahead
Rotorua Daily Post

Co-governance of popular forest gets the go-ahead

10 Aug 04:32 AM

Council has agreed to a co-governance model for parts of the popular Whakarewarewa Forest.

Councillors keep first past the post voting
Rotorua Daily Post

Councillors keep first past the post voting

10 Aug 03:40 AM

The next two local government elections will keep the first past the post voting system.

Local Maori Party candidate joins race
Rotorua Daily Post

Local Maori Party candidate joins race

09 Aug 04:39 AM

The Maori Party plans to contest the Rotorua electorate and has named its candidate.

Road repair months from completion
Rotorua Daily Post

Road repair months from completion

08 Aug 07:00 PM

Paradise Valley Rd is still in a poor state of repair after floods in March and April.

Tarawera 'Great Walk' has potential
Rotorua Daily Post

Tarawera 'Great Walk' has potential

07 Aug 06:39 PM

A study to see if Tarawera could cope with a new "great walk" has been commissioned.

Council cancels  Korean mud purchase
Rotorua Daily Post

Council cancels Korean mud purchase

07 Aug 02:54 AM

The Rotorua Lakes Council has cancelled plans to import South Korean mud for Mudtopia.

Te Arawa hapu buy volcanic valley
Rotorua Daily Post

Te Arawa hapu buy volcanic valley

07 Aug 02:41 AM

A popular Rotorua tourism attraction has been returned to iwi hands.

Feasibility study for Tarawera 'Great Walk'
Rotorua Daily Post

Feasibility study for Tarawera 'Great Walk'

06 Aug 06:00 PM

New "Great Walk" at Lake Tarawera could be jewel in Rotorua's tourism crown, says MP.

Ministry to look closely at Korean mud
Rotorua Daily Post

Ministry to look closely at Korean mud

06 Aug 05:30 PM

The budget for Mudtopia is revealed while close checks will be made on imported mud.

Wartime memories needed for new Rotorua book
Rotorua Daily Post

Wartime memories needed for new Rotorua book

04 Aug 08:01 AM

Rotorua's RSA has embarked on a project to record some of the district's wartime memories.

Return of Te Puia to local iwi reaches final steps
Rotorua Daily Post

Return of Te Puia to local iwi reaches final steps

04 Aug 03:07 AM

The final steps in the process of returning Te Puia to local iwi is under way.

Councillor: Mud purchase a PR nightmare
Rotorua Daily Post

Councillor: Mud purchase a PR nightmare

02 Aug 08:01 PM

The saga of South Korean mud coming to Rotorua continues.

Council committee meeting mostly confidential
Rotorua Daily Post

Council committee meeting mostly confidential

02 Aug 04:31 AM

Rotorua Lakes Council's Operations and Monitoring Committee meets on Thursday.

New Labour  leader: Our politicians react
Rotorua Daily Post

New Labour leader: Our politicians react

01 Aug 04:10 AM

Rotorua politicians react to news Jacinda Ardern has taken over as Labour Party leader.

Rotorua council given dubious award for muddy spending
Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua council given dubious award for muddy spending

31 Jul 01:15 AM

Rotorua's council has received an award, of sorts, for its purchase of Korean mud.

Chilly start to the week gets warmer and wet
Rotorua Daily Post

Chilly start to the week gets warmer and wet

30 Jul 01:10 AM

Rotorua recorded its coldest overnight temperature yesterday, it will warm up this week.

McClay high up National Party list
Rotorua Daily Post

McClay high up National Party list

29 Jul 11:06 PM

The National Party released its election candidates list this morning.

Skyline Rotorua's new general manager
Rotorua Daily Post

Skyline Rotorua's new general manager

28 Jul 07:55 PM

Skyline Rotorua keeps it local with the company's new general manager.

Last minute changes to pokie rules for Rotorua
Rotorua Daily Post

Last minute changes to pokie rules for Rotorua

28 Jul 04:13 AM

A last minute change to rules covering pokie machines will see their numbers cut.

Byelection to go ahead - if needed
Rotorua Daily Post

Byelection to go ahead - if needed

27 Jul 05:23 PM

A byelection for a vacant spot on the council's Rural Community Board will go ahead.

Tabuteau defends Peters over te reo Maori row
Rotorua Daily Post

Tabuteau defends Peters over te reo Maori row

27 Jul 09:14 AM

NZ First list MP Fletcher Tabuteau has defended his leader over te reo Maori call.

Rotorua step closer to a 'bilingual city'
Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua step closer to a 'bilingual city'

27 Jul 04:59 AM

Rotorua could become the first official bilingual city in Aotearoa.

Councillor backs Korean mud deal
Rotorua Daily Post

Councillor backs Korean mud deal

27 Jul 03:41 AM

A long-serving Rotorua councillor is backing the purchase of mud for a new festival.

Byelection on the cards after board member resigns
Rotorua Daily Post

Byelection on the cards after board member resigns

25 Jul 08:00 PM

Resigning Rural Community Board member Euan McLachlan says job offer was too good to miss.

Call to spend more on infrastructure
Rotorua Daily Post

Call to spend more on infrastructure

25 Jul 07:10 PM

The deputy Auditor-General wants more council money spent on infrastructure.

Mystery painting a step closer to coming home
Rotorua Daily Post

Mystery painting a step closer to coming home

25 Jul 07:00 PM

A painting on a wall in North Carolina has been reunited with its painter's family.

TOP leader Gareth Morgan draws large crowd in Rotorua
Rotorua Daily Post

TOP leader Gareth Morgan draws large crowd in Rotorua

24 Jul 11:31 PM

The Opportunities Party leader Gareth Morgan spoke to hundreds in Rotorua last night.

Changes expected to noise control rules
Rotorua Daily Post

Changes expected to noise control rules

21 Jul 08:20 PM

It may not sound sexy, but noise control affects everyone when it gets out of hand.

Survey shows what we want from local govt
Rotorua Daily Post

Survey shows what we want from local govt

20 Jul 06:00 PM

A local government survey finds many people want better value for money from councils.

Dumped cars and  reserve damage rile DoC
Rotorua Daily Post

Dumped cars and reserve damage rile DoC

19 Jul 08:00 PM

Rotorua's conservation department is not pleased people have used a reserve to dump cars.

Mobile library bus to be replaced by van
Rotorua Daily Post

Mobile library bus to be replaced by van

19 Jul 07:00 PM

The council's mobile library service is off the road. A new service will soon replace it.

Yellow sightseeing balloon grounded
Rotorua Daily Post

Yellow sightseeing balloon grounded

19 Jul 05:00 PM

Rotorua's newest tourism attraction, the Orbserver, is out of action for at least a month.

Waiariki candidates go head to head on TV
Rotorua Daily Post

Waiariki candidates go head to head on TV

16 Jul 04:23 AM

Waiariki candidates Tamati Coffey and Te Ururoa Flavell went head to head on TV yesterday.

Council satisfaction survey release imminent
Rotorua Daily Post

Council satisfaction survey release imminent

13 Jul 08:14 PM

The council's annual satisfaction survey should soon be available to the public.

Pokie machine changes on  council agenda
Rotorua Daily Post

Pokie machine changes on council agenda

11 Jul 05:00 PM

A ban could be placed on any new pokie machines being set up in the city's suburbs.

Rates increase on the cards
Rotorua Daily Post

Rates increase on the cards

07 Jun 05:00 AM

Ratepayers to get the same rates increase as signalled by council in its draft annual plan

Honour leaves sports guru 'humbled and surprised'
Rotorua Daily Post

Honour leaves sports guru 'humbled and surprised'

04 Jun 05:00 PM

A self-trained volunteer coach has been honoured with a Queen's Service Medal.

Educator Pem Bird humbled to be considered worthy
Rotorua Daily Post

Educator Pem Bird humbled to be considered worthy

04 Jun 05:00 PM

Murupara's Pem Bird has been honoured for the second time with a MNZM.

Rotorua's rocket man part of history
Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua's rocket man part of history

02 Jun 04:01 AM

Rotorua's Ben Malcolm has been part of a team responsible for the Rocket Lab space craft.

Deputy mayor hits out at 'breath-taking act of bullying'
Rotorua Daily Post

Deputy mayor hits out at 'breath-taking act of bullying'

01 Jun 08:00 PM

Rotorua's acting mayor and a senior councillor have hit back at the RDRR's submission.

Mayor takes time off to refocus
Rotorua Daily Post

Mayor takes time off to refocus

01 Jun 06:00 PM

Rotorua's mayor will take another fortnight off after the sudden death of her husband.

Rotorua Airport on target for budget surplus
Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Airport on target for budget surplus

01 Jun 04:58 AM

Council-controlled organisations in a cosy financial position, councillors have been told.

Play tells story of actor's brush with death
Rotorua Daily Post

Play tells story of actor's brush with death

31 May 07:44 PM

Rob Mokaraka provoked police to shoot him while suffering a mental breakdown.

Ratepayer group offers alternative plan
Rotorua Daily Post

Ratepayer group offers alternative plan

31 May 06:57 PM

Rotorua's largest ratepayer group has released its own Spatial Plan for the district.

Mixed results for council-controlled organisations
Rotorua Daily Post

Mixed results for council-controlled organisations

31 May 04:21 AM

The Rotorua Lakes Council's Operations and Monitoring Committee meets tomorrow.

Laughter, love at John Chadwick funeral
Rotorua Daily Post

Laughter, love at John Chadwick funeral

30 May 03:26 AM

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick talks about "her rock", the man who helped her soar.

Hospo award finalists announced
Rotorua Daily Post

Hospo award finalists announced

29 May 08:07 AM

The finalists for this year's annual Rotorua Hospitality Awards have been announced.

Te Arawa honour adopted son John Chadwick
Rotorua Daily Post

Te Arawa honour adopted son John Chadwick

29 May 06:52 AM

The body of Rotorua lawyer John Chadwick has been brought on to Te Papaiouru Marae.

City Focus - Manawa - work on schedule
Rotorua Daily Post

City Focus - Manawa - work on schedule

29 May 04:05 AM

Work is progressing well on the final stages of the Manawa - the old City Focus - upgrade.

Rotorua economy performs well - new report
Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua economy performs well - new report

26 May 09:00 PM

The latest Infometrics report for Rotorua sees the local economy's continual improvement.

Green candidate to canvass views
Rotorua Daily Post

Green candidate to canvass views

26 May 07:06 PM

Rotorua has its first Green candidate since 2008, so what is Richard Gillies all about?

Flavell outlines budget benefits to Maori
Rotorua Daily Post

Flavell outlines budget benefits to Maori

26 May 06:45 PM

Maori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell explains how Budget 2017 will benefit all Maori.

Review of rules on noise control
Rotorua Daily Post

Review of rules on noise control

25 May 05:22 AM

The Rotorua Lakes Council is set to review its Air Quality Bylaw.

Rotorua's political figures on the Budget
Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua's political figures on the Budget

25 May 04:37 AM

Rotorua and Waiariki electorate candidates and MPs respond to budget announcement.

Bond oldest on luge at almost 101
Rotorua Daily Post

Bond oldest on luge at almost 101

24 May 07:35 PM

John Bond - almost 101 - has become the oldest person to ride the luge at Skyline Rotorua.

New rentals for Ngati Whakaue
Rotorua Daily Post

New rentals for Ngati Whakaue

24 May 07:00 PM

Pukeroa Oruawhata are adding to its rental portfolio on land it owns around Sala St.

Debate over short-term rentals at submission hearings
Rotorua Daily Post

Debate over short-term rentals at submission hearings

24 May 05:57 AM

Councillors have heard views about locals renting their homes out for short term stays.

Five-star Pullman hotel for Rotorua
Rotorua Daily Post

Five-star Pullman hotel for Rotorua

23 May 02:40 AM

AccorHotels will set up a top quality Pullman brand five-star hotel in Rotorua.

Road work delays cause anger among motorists
Rotorua Daily Post

Road work delays cause anger among motorists

23 May 02:32 AM

Drivers had to wait more than an hour in the cold due to mechanical issue at road works.

Green Party candidate for Rotorua announced
Rotorua Daily Post

Green Party candidate for Rotorua announced

21 May 01:39 AM

The Green Party have put forward its first Rotorua electorate candidate since 2008.

Winter comes early in Rotorua
Rotorua Daily Post

Winter comes early in Rotorua

21 May 01:04 AM

You think it was cold on the weekend? Then you'd be right with temperatures below zero.

Minister marks progress on Rotorua cycleways
Rotorua Daily Post

Minister marks progress on Rotorua cycleways

19 May 06:37 AM

Minister of Transport Simon Bridges was in town to open two new city cycleways.

Hundreds of submissions made on Annual Plan
Rotorua Daily Post

Hundreds of submissions made on Annual Plan

19 May 04:06 AM

The Rotorua Lakes Council's annual plan submission process has closed, so what's next?

$6.1m auction gives buyers chance to build
Rotorua Daily Post

$6.1m auction gives buyers chance to build

18 May 04:25 AM

Local families were among those to snap up 24 sections at the Baxendale auction.

AccorHotels to manage Rotorua's first five-star hotel
Rotorua Daily Post

AccorHotels to manage Rotorua's first five-star hotel

16 May 10:49 PM

A new five-star hotel in Rotorua will be managed by AccorHotels.

Great week for Rotorua tourism operators at Trenz
Rotorua Daily Post

Great week for Rotorua tourism operators at Trenz

12 May 05:02 PM

Rotorua tourism operators are looking forward to a busy year after a successful Trenz.

Rotorua tourism operators happy to head to Dunedin
Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua tourism operators happy to head to Dunedin

12 May 07:34 AM

Rotorua mayor and tourism operators support announcement Trenz 2018 will be in Dunedin.

Journey to environmental tourism success not an easy road
Rotorua Daily Post

Journey to environmental tourism success not an easy road

12 May 01:38 AM

Rotorua Canopy Tours is clearing a 500ha area of pristine native bush of predators.

Rotorua tourism operators on funding
Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua tourism operators on funding

11 May 07:13 PM

Rotorua tourism operators on tourism infrastructure funding announcement.

Rotorua mayor: Tourism funding won't last long
Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua mayor: Tourism funding won't last long

11 May 06:00 PM

Election year promises have been made to tourism operators by the government.

Skyline Rotorua chief steps down
Rotorua Daily Post

Skyline Rotorua chief steps down

10 May 06:00 PM

Rotorua tourism identity Bruce Thomasen will leave Skyline Rotorua at the end of June.

Trenz gets under way in Auckland
Rotorua Daily Post

Trenz gets under way in Auckland

09 May 05:00 PM

The largest tourism business expo in New Zealand got underway in Auckland last night.

Barter Barber in town to help men talk about mental health
Rotorua Daily Post

Barter Barber in town to help men talk about mental health

08 May 06:23 PM

He plans to visit every town and city in New Zealand to bring attention to male suicide.

Duck shooting season gets under way
Rotorua Daily Post

Duck shooting season gets under way

06 May 10:53 PM

Duck and game bird hunting season began on Saturday, with no reports of any accidents.

Lakes trust appoints new chief executive
Rotorua Daily Post

Lakes trust appoints new chief executive

06 May 09:19 PM

Te Arawa Lakes Trust appoints a new chief executive, while another manager moves on.

Local tourism businesses hope to cash in at Trenz
Rotorua Daily Post

Local tourism businesses hope to cash in at Trenz

05 May 10:01 PM

New Zealand's largest tourism business event kicks off in Auckland next week.

Rotorua storm clean-up to cost millions
Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua storm clean-up to cost millions

05 May 08:00 PM

Costs to repair recent storm damage will run into the millions of dollars.

City's average hotel prices up 7.4pc
Rotorua Daily Post

City's average hotel prices up 7.4pc

05 May 07:24 PM

Hotel room rates in Rotorua are rising steadily on the back of the tourism boom.

Precious patu returned to council
Rotorua Daily Post

Precious patu returned to council

05 May 02:24 AM

The short-handled patu paraoa stolen from the council chamber has been returned.

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