Hamish Bidwell
Multimedia Journalist, Hawke's Bay Today
Hamish Bidwell is a Multimedia Journalist with the Hawke's Bay Today.
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 Hamish’s latest content
First in the sky over 'a war zone': How an orchardist rescued 150 people with a chopper
Cam Taylor had no search and rescue expertise, but his community needed saving.
Cyclone rebuild of Hawke’s Bay will be a decade in the making
Projects are lined up in order of priority and will start as, and when, the funds arrive.
Hawke’s Bay growers say looks can be deceiving as devastated industry attempts to build back
Much of the post-cyclone cleanup is done, but horticulture still faces a long recovery.
Journey of grief: Woman who lost 11 horses in cyclone on why she's leaving Hawke's Bay
Flooding dealt Michelle Skafer a blow that Stable Hearts in Pākōwhai can't recover from.
'Educated and cunning': Small town cop's unusual find inside hidden compartments of car
'It’s not somewhere generally that we would look for something like seafood.'
Bay's head firefighter says weather patterns now ripe for wildfires
It remains open fire season in Hawke's Bay, but probably won't be for long.
Havelock North flooding: $10m of Government funding to upgrade dams and streams sought
Work on the Mangarau Dam and stream would allow smashed properties to become Category 1.
Shellfish ban to last for weeks or months, flooding mooted as toxin cause
NZ Food Safety says flooding could have added nutrients that are causing the toxin.
Resilience work or relocation?
Floodwater swamped the substation, knocking out to power to Napier for several days.
'We get put through hoop after hoop': The wait to return home in Whirinaki
Potential resilience plans include a stopbank and the raising of State Highway 2.
'It was luck, really': The emergency resilience pods that aided Wairoa in hour of need
Twenty one emergency resilience pods arrived in Wairoa just days before Cyclone Gabrielle.
HBRC trying to find ways to reduce cost for landowners hydroseeding silt
Recent rain has settled much silt debris across Hawke’s Bay but it might not last.
‘It’s gone’: Forester paints grim picture of planting industry under new fees regime
The Ministry for Primary Industries will soon charge ETS participants a perpetual fee.
Cyclone Gabrielle: Hastings gets funding for community approach to emergencies
Up to 15 civil defence community hubs are to be established in the wake of the cyclone.
Have rod, will travel: Puketapu 20-year-old shines at world fly fishing champs
Hugo Pearce finished eighth at the world champs in Slovakia.
Esk Valley resident predicts worst is yet to come
Esk Valley is a dust bowl, as winds whip up debris left by Gabrielle.
‘You can’t just give up’: Life goes on slowly for Dartmoor grower
Stu Kilmister says orchards might look better, but the people are still recovering.
Industry recovery a 'marathon and not a sprint'
NZ Apples and Pears says growers have replanting costs in excess of $100 million.
Three years to resolve? Nats say demand on assessors dragging out cyclone insurance claims
Just 399 of 3075 claims have been settled, with National saying Australian help is needed.
'You can’t stuff the genie back in': Will the fight against genetic modification be renewed?
An organic blueberry grower says allowing GMOs in will affect farmers' bottom lines.
Government walks back suggestion of 7% interest on loans for cyclone-hit growers
A Government official provided a meeting of growers with incorrect information.
Government's cyclone horticulture relief package relies on generosity of banks
Cyclone-hit growers fear the Government's loan scheme will put them further into debt.
Growers still waiting on Government assistance
The Government had promised an announcement for Hawke's Bay growers by early June.
King's Birthday Honours: Steve Wyn-Harris recognised for services to farming, rural communities
The Waipukurau dry-stock farmer and media identity receives an ONZM.
'Confiscated': Hawke’s Bay flood victims fear they'll be forced off their land
'All it does is throw up more questions - it feels like we're having land confiscated.'
Human touch still matters at T&G
To meet demand for apples, T&G have built a packhouse twice the size of their last one.
'Uncharted territory': Why Cyclone Gabrielle will kill fruit trees for years to come
“There’s not a lot of information about what to do - it's uncharted territory."
‘More people will die’: Slash findings 'don't solve' land-use problem
James Treadwell is tired of the forestry industry’s head being on the chopping block.
'Waiting and not knowing': Future still uncertain for fruit growers
Horticultural sector unhappy at being excluded from Government relief package.
Cyclone Gabrielle: Communities’ futures may not be decided until September
Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the rebuild would be dictated by who's paying.
Should I stay or should I go?
All the Browns wants to do - whether in Pakowhai or not - is get on with their lives.
Cyclone-hit Hawke's Bay growers ask Government for $750m
Growers say their request is modest, and would save $3.5 billion in long-term losses.
Hawke's Bay still little the wiser on cyclone response and recovery
Flood-affected Hawke's Bay families continue to wait for assistance and decisions.
A review of the Esk Valley evacuation is likely. What will it find?
"Evacuate", read the text to Chris Barber's phone. He was already huddled in the rafters.
No, you can’t breach the RMA for essential flood recovery in Hawke’s Bay, not yet
'Someone has come along with a clipboard and said ‘oh no [you can’t do that]'
Cyclone Gabrielle: National candidates fight to widen slash inquiry
The party is ramping up efforts to get Hawke's Bay into the forestry slash inquiry.
Nash defends scope of slash inquiry
Napier MP says he hasn't sold constituents down the river.
An industry on its knees: Hawke’s Bay horticulture wiped out
It will take years and hundreds of millions to rebuild Hawke's Bay horticulture.
What does the end of battery hens mean for you?
As a Hawke's Bay farm tries to rehome 3000 hens, eggs are about to become scarce.