Bay of Plenty Times

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...

Retailers brace for a bustling summer

The Bay of Plenty is gearing up for the busy summer shopping period and a local retailer says they’re ready for a “very active” season ahead. Retailers across New Zealand were entering the peak Christmas and summer trading period with a steady sense of...

From pantry staples to festive treats

ABay of Plenty real estate company has rallied together to support the annual Bay of Plenty Times Christmas Appeal. EVES Bay of Plenty staff, clients and residents came together to help restock the Tauranga Community Foodbank ahead of the busy holiday...

Will the weather play ball for Christmas?

‘We know insurance doesn’t cover everything’

ATauranga house fire has prompted an act of compassion from a neighbour who knows the agony of losing a home all too well. Charles Harrison has set up a Givealittle page for a family whose home was gutted by fire on Monday. Firefighters were called to...

Foodbank appeal tops $145k as demand surges in countdown to Christmas

More than $145,000 in cash and food donations has been raised for the Bay of Plenty Times Christmas appeal in just four weeks. As of 8am on Friday, $90,336 in cash and 18,367 food items valued at $3 each have been donated to the Tauranga Community...

‘We don’t do Christmas any more’

Tauranga high school student Keanan Coetzee was driving to work experience when he died in a head-on collision. A coroner has found the 18-year-old likely fell asleep at the wheel. As the holiday season nears, the coroner has stressed the “critical”...

Tenants moved out as mould probe widens

Tenants of nine Kāinga Ora homes in Tauranga have been moved out as the agency investigates “weathertightness issues”. The Government housing provider owns nine properties on Jacaranda Close in Brookfield. Kāinga Ora central region deputy chief...

Beat the heat

Fan sales are going “ballistic” as the Bay of Plenty enjoys — or endures — a sizzling start to summer. Tauranga recorded a new December record high (since 1941) of 31.2C on Sunday, according to MetService, with Rotorua hitting 28C — its fourth-hottest...

Super Support: Group steps up for pensioners

Asupport service in the Bay of Plenty has helped more than 1300 fixed-income pensioners who are missing meals in the face of rising food costs. Super Support is a community-led initiative between Tauranga City Council, Good Neighbour, Tauranga...

MPI verdict on BOP hornet scare

The Ministry for Primary Industries has refuted concerns of yellowlegged hornets reaching the Bay of Plenty. This follows a social media post of a suspected nest in Paengaroa this week. People are asked to report suspected yellow-legged hornet nests...

SEEING DOUBLE

Spectators at the National Summer Games this week might be seeing double with two sets of Tauranga twins competing at the Special Olympics New Zealand event in Christchurch. Both pairs are stepping into their first games, bringing enthusiasm,...

‘Too scared to go to sleep’

Tauranga father Connah Boyd had reached the sweet spot in his life — a wife, son and their first home. Then he snapped his spine. The 38-year-old diabetic now uses a life-changing monitoring device, which he says will prevent the traumatic incident...

Retiree fears $26k gold bar lost as firm collapses

Acustomer of a former Tauranga City councillor’s failed gold-trading company is “outraged” he has started two new businesses while creditors are still owed hundreds of thousands of dollars. The retiree says she agreed to sell a gold bullion bar to...

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Check out our Christmas events guide

Rate cuts fuel lift in property values

Bay of Plenty suburbs have increased in value in the past three months and some real estate agents are optimistic for home buyers and sellers. First-home buyers were “back in force” as the leading buyer group, with easing interest rates contributing to...

‘No-fuss’ farewell Photo / Supplied

Rising costs are driving more families to opt for low-key rituals, a shift that is sparking concern about unresolved grief One in five funerals at a large Tauranga funeral home is being conducted without a service or ceremony, prompting concerns of...

Netball NZ under fire

Aotearoa’s netball zones are mobilising action to revolt against Netball New Zealand’s leadership. The Waikato Bay of Plenty Zone has declared its intention to see Netball New Zealand (NNZ) chief executive Jennie Wyllie and the board replaced. The NZ...

Gang killing: Victim’s sister told off by judge

Awoman whose brother was killed by a group of Mongrel Mob members says she feels revictimised after a judge stopped her from reading out all of her pre-approved victim impact statement. Paula Beilby was not only stopped but was also chided by Justice...

Chip in for roading

Tauranga residents who want to keep their streets sealed in asphalt should pay for it themselves. That’s the message from Tauranga City Council to those opposed to chipseal resurfacing of their developer-made asphalt or hotmix suburban streets. In a...

Retirement village opens $40m community centre

Find out what’s on in the region

NOVEMBER Thursday, November 27 to Sunday, November 30: ● International Surf Rescue Challenge, Mount Maunganui Main Beach, 9am-5pm daily. Free entry. Friday, November 28 to Sunday, November 30: ● NZ Blues & BBQ Festival, Rotorua Village Green....

Whakaari ash disrupts Tauranga flights

ATauranga man who was assaulted by a woman he confronted over “dangerous” parking says he can’t sleep on his left side, due to pain in his face, and has ongoing nerve damage to his left hand. Russell Watts told the court this causes a struggle in his...

‘ETHEREAL’ SPECTACLE

Structural and seismic investigations on the Hairini Bridge are under way to determine the expected remaining useful life of the bridge and the seismic capacity of the bridge and piers. The investigations, expected to be completed by mid-2026, were...

‘Sheer manpower’

Rescuers hacked through dense bush to reach an injured teen kayaker in the Bay of Plenty last week, carrying him to safety up a steep track through “sheer manpower”. Maritime New Zealand’s Rescue Coordination Centre has described last Wednesday’s...

Residents warming to city leadership

Tauranga City Council’s latest residents’ survey results reveal a mixed but improving picture of public sentiment. The council hit its highest overall level of public satisfaction in five years, but other data suggest it has a way to go to match...

‘Don't put it off’

Bay of Plenty mother Beccy Ganley says she was “relatively young” when diagnosed with breast cancer. At 47, she had just had her second routine mammogram under the national breast screening programme. Ganley was diagnosed in May last year after a 7mm...

Childhood mates buy Mount Maunganui motel

Two young Kiwis have returned from pursuing careers overseas to take the plunge into motel ownership in their hometown, Mount Maunganui. And childhood friends Paddy Low and Cayne Dew, both aged 27, are not letting a lack of motel industry experience...

Luxury apartments back on the market

Apartments and villas in Tauranga CBD’s luxurious $200 million-plus Elizabeth Towers are back on the market after a six-month pause. The Thirty Eight Elizabeth development was hailed last year as the “first of its kind” in New Zealand with thousands of...

Outrage after fireworks set off on sacred Mauao