Bay of Plenty Times

‘Game-changer’

After four years of construction, the $90 million Pāpāmoa East Interchange is set to open soon, with travellers eagerly anticipating shortened commutes. Less eagerly anticipated is the prospect of a new tolling point, which the Government confirmed...

Te Puke house destroyed by fire

‘Get out!” Christian Grey yelled at his “in shock” neighbours as flames rapidly “engulfed” their home in Te Puke. Fire crews battled the house fire on Boucher Ave in Te Puke for five hours from 5pm on Tuesday. A Fire and Emergency New Zealand...

‘A lot of fun with words’

Dame Lynley Dodd is a staple of Kiwi childhoods. The beloved children’s author is best known for her series, the first of which was released more than 40 years ago. She’s sold millions of books worldwide, and just this week she was honoured at the...

Rural retreats riding wellness boom

Rural Bay of Plenty boutique accommodation owners are angling for a slice of the billion-dollar wellness tourism pie by marketing their properties as unplugged nature retreats. Tourism Industry Aotearoa says wellness tourism business is forecast to...

Barber turning cuts into change

Fresh from winning business and community awards, a young Tauranga barbershop owner is being recognised for the impact he is having far beyond cutting hair. Spencer McNeil’s real influence is measured in the lives he’s helped change. For 21-year-old...

DOUBLE VISION

If you think you’re seeing double at Otūmoetai Primary School, you’re probably right. The Tauranga school has 13 sets of twins on the roll and a 14th pair starting next term. Principal Zara McIndoe said she started counting when a teacher realised...

‘It breaks your heart’

Verron Tarawa faces losing his wife and son. Melissa Tarawa has metastatic breast cancer, and their 10-year-old Grayson has “incurable and progressive” kidney disease. The couple have had to come to terms with the fact that “one day we will bury our...

Government sets terms for inquiry into deadly landslides

The Government has agreed on the scope and membership for its inquiry into the deadly landslides in Tauranga, with a report expected by December. Eight people died in two landslides on January 22 following extreme weather. A grandmother and grandson...

Aollege team headed for world robotics champs Mum’s tragedy exposes critical hospital delays HDC finds five-hour wait for caesarean likely contributed to newborn’s death

Afirst-time mother whose newborn died after a delayed delivery wants a “safer Aotearoa for future mothers and pēpi”. The woman, who was 29 at the time and pregnant for the first time through in vitro fertilisation, twice visited Tauranga Hospital in...

Bay’s deadly waters

The coastlines and waterways that define Bay of Plenty summers have been revealed as some of the nation’s most hazardous drowning areas. Water Safety New Zealand’s 2025 Drowning Report identifies Mount Maunganui and Pāpāmoa as a single high-risk...

19,000 jobs

‘When the kiwifruit sector wins, the entire Bay of Plenty wins.” That is according to Tauranga Business Chamber chief executive Matt Cowley as this year’s record-breaking kiwifruit harvest begins. The kiwifruit season spans March to June. It begins...

Victim fears for community safety as privacy rules block answers on dog investigation

AMount Maunganui woman hospitalised after a violent dog attack says she is “disgusted” and “traumatised” after learning Tauranga City Council will not prosecute the dog’s owner. The victim, who works in the education sector and asked not to be named,...

Find out what’s on in the region

MARCH Wednesday, February 11 to Wednesday, March 25: ° OBOP Rotorua Summer Nav Series runs every Wednesday with 60-minute rogaines at different Rotorua parks and neighbourhoods. Start anytime between 4.15pm and 7pm; suitable for individuals, families...

NOT HERE

Amedical centre in a beach town is going back to the drawing board after withdrawing its proposal to build an expanded facility on a public reserve in the face of public opposition. Primary Health Care Limited (PHCL) submitted a proposal to the...

‘I just want people not to forget him’

Heartbroken and exhausted by years of uncertainty, Karen Holland is issuing a desperate plea for answers on the fourth anniversary of her son’s disappearance. David Phillip Holland, a Tauranga Hospital anaesthetist registrar, was last seen at his...

Out with a bang?

Fireworks could be banned on Tauranga beaches, along with other public city spaces such as roads and reserves. But a woman whose horse had to be put down after a fireworks incident believes the move would not significantly reduce fireworks harm, and...

Fewer empty stores in Tauranga CBD, more Mount vacancies

Tauranga’s CBD is showing signs of recovery, with fewer empty shops and rising retailer optimism. The number of vacant retail spaces has increased across Tauranga and Mount Maunganui, with the exception of the CBD, according to Colliers Tauranga’s...

Dog attack probe delay deepens grief for family

As the anniversary of Timothy Tu’uaki RollestonBryan’s death approaches, his grieving grandparents say they are feeling “angry and upset” that the police investigation into the fatal dog attack remains open. Four-year-old Timothy, also known as...

$400m Tauranga housing project to include 200-unit retirement village

Plans for a 200-unit retirement village have been announced as part of a $400 million housing development in Tauranga. Earthworks began last year for Classic Developments’ Riverside development at its Tauriko West site, comprising 1200 lots. Classic...

Dangerous moves

Cars are stopping in passing lanes to turn right on a major highway and causing crashes due to a lack of turning bays, locals and MPs say. A 100km/h passing lane ending just past a primary school is another safety concern on State Highway 29 near...

What next for Mauao

Tauranga Mayor Mahe´ Drysdale says he remains confident Mauao will reopen despite the extensive damage to the landmark in January’s deadly storm. Tauranga City Council has concluded its assessment of the damage and Drysdale said now they know what...

Find out What’s On in the region

Friday, February 27: ● Blindspott return to Mercury Baypark, Mount Maunganui from 7.30pm to 11.30pm with classic anthems and new hits from Volumes, joined by I Am Giant. Tickets $87.04-$97.29, R18. ● Avis Magic vs Stars pre-season game at the Energy...

Mount beach estate linked to Miss NZ contest under offer

Lifeguards wait on slip risk call to reopen club

Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service will continue operations without its clubhouse as the building remains red-placarded a month on from the fatal landslide on Mauao. The club says it is in a “holding pattern” waiting for further information before any...

Western Bay councillors top NZ pay rise table

western Bay of Plenty District councillors have topped a national pay rise table with a jump of almost 57% in a year. The Taxpayers’ Union described the increase as “so far out of touch”, but the district’s mayor says the factors the change reflects...

Back to sports hub plan for Parau Farms

Tauranga City Council is abandoning plans for housing on land it bought in Bethlehem 25 years ago. The council has instead gone “full circle” to again wanting to use the 22ha Parau Farms — Pō teriwhi — site for the original purpose it was purchased...

Memorials held for the ‘big guardian of downtown’

Memorials have been held for a well-known Tauranga homeless man found dead on Saturday. Dax Rodney Holland’s body was discovered in a secluded area of Wharepai Domain. Police yesterday said they had arrested a man and charged him with...

‘I try to say it how it is’

Newly appointed Assistant Commissioner Tim Anderson should have been cleaning out his desk and preparing for his next big career move in his final two weeks of working as Bay of Plenty’s police district commander. Instead, he found himself fronting a...

Runs in the family

University city vision

The University of Waikato has made significant property deals in Tauranga as it progresses “ambitious plans” to grow its Durham St campus. The university has bought the nearby Bongard Centre and soon-tobe-former Craigs Investment Partners building on...

Arrest in Bay of Plenty kiwifruit tax scam

Police have charged a Bay of Plenty man for allegedly kidnapping a “money mule” who threatened to expose a multimillion-dollar tax fraud scheme in the kiwifruit industry. A Herald investigation previously revealed that more than $3 million went...

‘Painful recovery’

Mount business owners directly impacted by the deadly Mauao landslide want the council and Government to do more to help keep their businesses afloat in the coming months. Adams Ave businesses told the Bay of Plenty Times that Tauranga’s Mayoral...

‘GOD OPENED THE DOORS FOR THIS’

For much of Daniela Brown’s life, her birth family has been a “mystery”. The 38-year-old Tauranga woman was adopted from a Romanian orphanage at age 3 and grew up in Whangaparāoa, Auckland. Her efforts to track down her birth mother and siblings have...

‘Learning lessons’

Mount businesses fight for survival

‘It’s the peak of summer, but it feels like winter has started early.” That’s how Hot Spot Superette owner Saedanwar Rajput describes the impact on his business after his store reopened on Waitangi Day, 15 days after the deadly January 22 Mauao...

Family welcomes Trikafta plan

It has been an “emotional couple of weeks” for the Hamilton family as they think about Riaan living a longer, healthier life. Riaan Hamilton, 4, has cystic fibrosis — a condition that produces thick and sticky mucus and mainly affects the lungs and...

Instructors welcome shake-up to licences

Three Bay of Plenty driving school owners say they endorse the change to the driving licence system that will extend the period for learner drivers and restricted drivers under 25 by six months. Transport Minister Chris Bishop has announced major...

Bijou Johnson

This weekend marks Elizabeth (Betty) Gilgen’s first 100th birthday — her son Phil Gilgen says she has another 100 years to go. Betty’s family will mark the first occasion with style — she’ll take a birthday drive in her favourite classic car, the 1934...

Landslide cordon lifted

Cordons surrounding the Mount Maunganui campsite where six people were killed by a landslide were lifted yesterday morning, but Mauao remains closed for the foreseeable future. Part of the cordon around the site was supposed to be lifted earlier...

Bay looks to recovery,

The state of emergency for the Bay of Plenty after last month’s storm has now been lifted. The regional declaration was made at 12.42pm on Wednesday, January 21, when a MetService red weather warning was followed by intense rainfall causing widespread...

New Zealand Media Council

The Bay of Plenty Times is subject to NZ Media Council procedures. A complaint must first be directed in writing, within one month of publication, to [email protected]. nz email address. If not satisfied with the response, the complaint...

Mount lifeguard base red-stickered after deadly landslip

Mount Maunganui’s lifeguard clubhouse at the base of Mauao has been “declared unsafe to occupy” following last Thursday’s landslide. The multimillion-dollar building is one of four sites on Adams Ave issued with a red placard under the Civil Defence...

Fresh slip threat to property

[email protected] Afresh slip near a resevoir water main pipe that threatened homes and lives forced 150 people to evacuate near Baypark in Tauranga yesterday. Tauranga City Council said it has evacuated residents from 30 properties...

‘We feel for you'

Fundraisers and memorial services are being run across New Zealand for victims of Mount Maunganui’s fatal landslide. The cordon at Mount Maunganui has been visited by a constant stream of mourners, some of whom pause for a moment of reflection and...

Council backtracks on CEO’s claim about 111 call

Susan Knowles Lisa Maclennan Max Furse-Kee Sharon Maccanico Jacqualine Wheeler Måns Bernhardsson

“With this tragedy, those who have passed now become part of the sacred fabric of our maunga. Their wairua will forever rest beneath the mantle of Mauao, protected and embraced for all time.” Ngāti Ranginui iwi

SOLEMN SEARCH Rescuers work to find six missing people after Mauao landslide

Rescuers have been working round the clock to find people missing in the Mauao landslide, the youngest of whom is a 15-year-old. But a Pauanui man whose whose family member is among the missing says his family was told yesterday the disaster response...

Campers flee as slip

Rescue efforts were last night continuing in Mount Maunganui and Welcome Bay Rd as people remain unaccounted for after “one in 100-years” landslides came down on homes and holidaymakers. Several people, including children, are feared buried in Mount...

Red rain warning

Alocal state of emergency was declared for the Bay of Plenty yesterday, with a red warning for severe heavy rain in force until 9am. Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Management made the declaration just before 2.30pm, saying it had received...

Paddleboarders pinged

Dozens of stand-up paddleboarders have been pinged for not wearing a lifejacket in the Bay of Plenty region, with many thought to be unaware of the requirement. The offence can attract a $200 fine under the region’s Navigational Safety Bylaw. The...

‘They will lose money'

A developer expects Kāinga Ora will lose money selling the 95-hectare site in Tauranga it bought for $70.4 million in 2021. Kāinga Ora is making arrangements to sell the former Ferncliffe Farm in Tauriko West after scrapping its plan to build 1000...

Neighbourhood Support’s plea for new members

Pāpāmoa Neighbourhood Support co-ordinator Bruce Banks is making a plea for more people to get involved in helping make their neighbourhoods safer. Banks said Neighbourhood Support’s role was to “build strong, caring and connected communities” and to...

NCEA results

This week, secondary school students around New Zealand will be able to access their 2025 NCEA results across all three levels. Having completed my final year of high school last year, I’ve taken this time to reflect on my experience under this system...

Te Puna nursery counts heavy losses from fire

ATe Puna couple say they are “so grateful to God” that their son and a staff member survived thick smoke as a fast-moving fire tore through their citrus tree nursery in late 2024. Fire and Emergency New Zealand said the November 20 non-suspicious...

Bay swimming spots to cool off at this weekend

As temperatures rise across the Bay of Plenty, many locals will be looking for the perfect place to cool off this weekend — but not all swimming spots are safe. A MetService heat alert has been issued for Tauranga and Whakatāne, but the heat is not...

‘It’s never too late’

Holly Pass will never forget the moment she was told she had multiple sclerosis (MS). It was May 2013, and Pass was getting an MRI scan at Tauranga Hospital. “I remember the lady said: ‘Oh, your Mum has MS, right?’. And I remember just tears rolling...

‘It’s a dream’

When Juliana Carvalho first moved to Tauranga, she had to shower on her back porch because of a lack of accessible housing. Now she has bought and moved into her first accessible “dream” home. Megan Wilson reports Juliana Carvalho is calling on the...

We’re world-class

Tauranga is developing a growing appetite for highprofile events, with an increasing number of international sporting fixtures and headline acts arriving in the region. Thousands are expected to pour into the Bay of Plenty this year as event...

Then he got cancer

Pa¯pa¯moa man Ray Le Prou has twice been diagnosed with skin cancer. The 72-year-old said he had worked outside “all my life” and had been getting yearly skin checks for the past 30 years. In November 2024, a biopsy confirmed that a mole under his...

Police crack down on electric dirt bikes

Police are warning riders about the consequences of unlawfully riding electric dirt bikes on roads, footpaths and cycle lanes, after a spike in crashes involving the increasingly popular vehicles. One recent incident involved a rider performing¯...

Grieving mum calls for tougher drug-driving laws

It has been two and a half years since Bay of Plenty teenager Vaishali McNeill died after a head-on crash as she drove home. But the grief does not ease with time for the 15-year-old’s Pukehina parents, Sarb Mann and David McNeill. “Losing a child is...

Our new officers

Netball and artistic swimming trailblazer Shirley Hooper has been made an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2026 New Year’s Honours for her services to both sports. For more than 50 years, Hooper, who lives in Pa¯pa¯moa, has been a...

The Mount

Homeowners across the Bay of Plenty are letting their beachfront properties to holidaymakers in search of the “nostalgic” Kiwi summer experience. Mount Maunganui draws big crowds year after year and was hailed this year as the best city beach in New...

‘It’s just running’

He is the youngest person in the world to break the fourminute mile at just 15 years old but, to Sam Ruthe, “it’s just running”. He was described by the NZ Herald in March as New Zealand’s middledistance running prodigy, and the now 16-year-old has...

SUMMER OF EVENTS

School’s out, temperatures are rising and the days are longer. Summer is heating up in the Bay of Plenty, and there are plenty of events to make sure it’s one for the books. From international sport to concerts — you name it, the Bay of Plenty Times...

FOUR PAGES OF HOLIDAY FUN

‘YOU ARE LEGENDS’

Awhopping $247,071.62 worth of food and cash donations has been raised for the Tauranga Community Foodbank in this year’s Bay of Plenty Times Christmas Appeal. Some major business donations capped off the last fortnight of the appeal, and came as the...