Nelson Mail

Mayors to push for continued bypass backing

The mayors of Nelson and Tasman say the Hope Bypass must go ahead, even as a National Infrastructure Plan casts doubt on major roading projects. On Tuesday, the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission released the 30-year plan looking at priorities for...

Spotlight on river catchments

Restoring native habitats in New Zealand’s river catchments would help protect communities from increasing climate change-related threats like flooding and drought. That’s according to organisations investigating the best way to re-establish native...

Mother denies inducing illnesses in her young child

A mother accused of fabricating her young child’s illness and tampering with medical lines to cause infections has denied the charges at the opening of her jury trial. In the High Court at Nelson yesterday, the Crown case hinged on what it alleged was...

Meth offences see big drop

Methamphetamine offending in the Nelson Tasman police district has fallen by more than half in five years, official data shows. The figures come even as wastewater testing suggests the drug remains deeply embedded in the region. Police say the...

Fashion label Robyn Reynolds to close after 25 years in Nelson

After 25 years dressing women in handmade boutique clothing, Nelson designer Robyn Reynolds is closing her store, and stepping into an entirely new creative life. At 67, and about to become a grandmother, Reynolds says the timing feels right. Her...

Outfield fix may delay towers

Repairs to the outfield at Saxton Oval could force plans to build new media towers at the cricket ground to take a back seat. Building new media towers at the Nelson cricket ground has long been touted as a necessity if the region wants to secure...

Liquor laws ‘out of step’

Liquor licensing across Nelson and Tasman is facing growing criticism, with community and business leaders saying strict and unclear conditions are hurting low-risk community events. Italian Festival organiser Flavia Spena said licence restrictions...

Finding “THE ONE” for your skin

Meet the suitors The Palmer’s body oil trio Each Palmer’s body oil brings its own unique personality, charm and skin-loving strengths: the key is finding ‘the one’ that feels right for you and your skin’s needs. • Cocoa Butter Body Oil – the...

A Waitangi welcome

Visitors to Whakatū Marae were greeted with a hongi after the pōwhiri during the commemorations for Waitangi Day in Nelson yesterday. Te Rā o Waitangi ki Whakatū 2026 was held at the marae with a strong crowd in attendance.

Waitangi, cohesion and the challenge to our major parties,

Last year, Ngāi Tahu hosted Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and other senior National Party ministers at our annual Waitangi Day commemoration event in Te Waipounamu. Much was made of the prime minister supposedly “running away” from Waitangi to hide...

Companies avoid conviction

A group of development and construction companies have avoided conviction after building dozens of retaining walls without having obtained authorisation first. Nelson City Council regulatory services head Mandy Bishop said the council discovered...

A long road to recovery

Unnati Patel’s life was changed in a split second at a highway intersection with a history of serious crashes. On January 23, the Nelson woman was a passenger in a crash at the intersection of State Highway 60, Appleby, and McShane Rd, just before...

New high school principal focused on student wellbeing

Being Māori, having a disability and being part of the LGBTQIA+ community meant school wasn’t always easy for Lex Davis. But, thanks to his teachers, he loved his school years, which set him on a path into the profession – and now a school’s top...

$12.89m boost for marina

The Government is injecting $12.89 million into Nelson’s planned marina expansion, which is expected to generate over 100 local jobs. The loan to the Nelson City Councilowned Nelson Marina Management Ltd is a boost for the project that includes a...

Five NZ Post retail locations to close in Nelson-Tasman

New Zealand Post has confirmed the closure of five of its retail locations across Nelson and Tasman as part of a nationwide overhaul of its store network. Yesterday, the state-owned enterprise announced it will remove services from 142 urban retail...

Tasman third in MDMA use

Tasman’s consumption of MDMA is the third-highest in the country, surpassing that of both Auckland and Wellington, according to the police’s latest wastewater testing results. Released in December 2025, Tasman’s MDMA consumption was detected at an...

Family co-housing community grows with new tiny home-dwelling residents

Three-year-old Olivia How loves to pack baking into a basket and walk it down to her substitute grandparents who live just a few houses along. “They’re like her own grandparents,” Olivia’s mother Tomomi says, “She loves hanging out with them.” The...

Schools avoid teacher gaps

While some New Zealand regions are starting the year scores of teachers short, Nelson and Tasman District appears less badly hit. But local school principals warned they were not “out of the woods” regarding the teacher shortage, with few suitable...

Pic’s crunches competition

Pic’s Peanut Butter is gearing up for another chunky year. The Nelson-based spread manufacturer saw sales reach $40 million and revenue grow by 20% in the 2025 financial year, and it anticipates another 20% increase in sales in the current year. Most...

Into the wild

Paddlers, boarders at risk

Stand-up paddleboard ( SUP) and other small-vessel users are getting caught out in dicey situations without lifejackets, while those who are buying inflatable boards online may be missing out on the safety advice they need to keep them out of...

Access dispute heats up

Iwi members blocking access to an “illegal” boat launching area just out of Nelson say they are acting as guardians of the estuary. For several days over the past week, Andrew Stephens, from the Wakapuaka 1B Trust, together with whānau member Helen...

Monkey bars’ reign of pain

Bumps, scrapes, and breaks happen every day in the playground, but it’s the monkey bars that are head and shoulders above the rest for causing injuries. Data from ACC shows the number of injuries relating to playgrounds across New Zealand has been...

Extreme heat could be new norm by 2050s

A record-shattering heatwave akin to unprecedented events in other parts of the world is possible in our current climate, scientists have found, and New Zealand needs to do more to get prepared. Universityof Waikato researchers Hamish Lewis and Dr...

Deck to be chopped back

A non-compliant deck at the holiday house of Gun City owner David Tipple and his sons will have to be reduced in size, and steps to Kaiteriteri Beach removed as part of a retrospective consent. A hearing for the controversial 80m² deck overlooking the...

Casual market not working

Students returning home to Nelson for the summer holidays are struggling to find jobs with enough hours. Data from Student Job Search shows that while there were lots of jobs available in Nelson, there was high competition for roles, and most...

Couple’s ‘impossible’ burger truck dream becomes a booming eatery

When Marty and Clare Soulek first floated the idea of running a burger truck, they were repeatedly told it would never work. Site after site across Nelson and Tasman turned them away, warning the business wouldn’t last through winter. Instead, the...

Officer’s legacy lives on

There were a few tears at the briefing for Nelson police officers ahead of their New Year’s Eve patrols in the city. But there was also a determination to do their job in memory of their colleague, Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming. A year ago Fleming, 62,...

Running legend honoured

Rod Dixon tells a story of misbehaving in class so he would get the “punishment” of doing three laps around the football field. When his teacher at Nelson’s Tāhunanui School cottoned on, the penalty was changed to writing lines, and young Dixon’s...

Resource consent lodged

The resource consent application has officially been lodged for a planned new surf lifesaving club at Nelson’s Tāhunanui Beach. But, while the club is excited to see progress on the project, a Nelson City Councillor has questioned why the application...

Flood victims face uncertain future

Heavy rain hit Tasman District on June 27, sparking the worst flood there in almost 150 years. The region went into a state of emergency again two weeks later, as another ‘atmospheric river’ struck the already sodden land. Katy Jones spoke to property...

What’s on in Nelson Tasman

Tomorrow Golden Bear Brewing 11th Summer Music Festival: Over the next 15 days, musicians and their bands will be banging out the sounds across all genres at the Golden Bear Brewing Company in Māpua. Starting with the Brazilian Social Club, this...

Shake-up in city’s hospo scene

A shake-up is under way in Nelson’s hospitality scene, with new venues opening and several established spots changing hands, as operators expand and invest. But it’s not all bright news with Two Thumb Brewing Co. Nelson going into liquidation on...

Whooping cough cases spike

Whānau are being urged to make a bubble around vulnerable family members this Christmas as Nelson-Marlborough experiences a surge in whooping cough cases. The latest data from the New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science shows...

World’s ‘fastest-growing sport’ hits the Nelson region

Motueka real estate business directors Roar and Rebecca Kristoffersen discovered the sport of padel while visiting friends on a recent trip to Roar’s native Denmark. “In the past we would always say, oh let's go and have a drink and a meal or...

Historic land dispute settled

Ownership of more than 3000 hectares of land in Te Tauihu will be returned to descendants of its original Māori owners, including the Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve and the Abel Tasman Coast Track Great Walk, under a historic agreement signed on...

Demand up but course to go

A school in Nelson has experienced its highest demand in years for an outdoor education programme, set to disappear under Government reform. Nayland College has created a waiting list for its year 11 outdoor education (OED) course next year, after...

Solve scalp issues

An itchy-feeling, flaky scalp can be a real confidence killer. It’s the kind of persistent annoyance that makes you think twice about wearing your favourite black top, or might even hold you back from hitting the gym. More than 50 per cent of the...

Holiday hotspot eyes its future after flood

Bethany Park manager Roger Armstrong exudes positive expectation. “Perfect” spring conditions have left a soft bed of newly-sown grass for the hundreds of campers due to start descending on the holiday park in Kaiteriteri next week. Permanent...

‘Fastest planning in the west’

Resources will be stretched as councils face an “incredibly constrained” timeframe to come up with their first regional spatial plan that will shape the future of Nelson and Tasman. Under the Government’s reforms released yesterday, the Resource...

Spectacle has global potential

The organiser of an increasingly popular sports festival in Nelson is already seeing the potential to put it on the international running map. The Spectacle running festival was held on Friday and Saturday, and featured just under 600 more...

Quiet Nelson corner becomes a street food destination

Tucked into a tired-looking suburban road, Street Food on Washington is easy to miss – and that, owner Ben Smith says, is both “a blessing and a curse”. The small family-run eatery has quietly built a loyal following in a low-decile neighbourhood that...

Tasman workers stay home

Tasman workers are choosing the kitchen table over the car commute, topping the country as the region with the highest percentage of people working from home. According to the 2023 census, 20.8% of employed adults in Tasman mostly work from home, up...

New lens on spending eyed

A “value-for-money lens” will need to be cast over all council funding decisions to meet a new 4% rates cap proposed by the Government, Nelson mayor Nick Smith has warned. Meanwhile, Tasman mayor Tim King says the cap could be achievable, but it would...

Business leaders push back

Nelson business leaders say the region is seeing far more economic activity and investment across multiple sectors than national coverage suggests. Speaking at a Chamber of Commerce event at Tides Hotel on Thursday, regional developer Andrew Spittal...

Visa declined for autistic boy

When Nithin Mankeel and Aparna Jayandhan Geetha met in nursing school in India, they shared a dream of moving to New Zealand and starting a family. For 15 years they worked towards it - including living apart for eight years while Mankeel worked in...

Region facing food crisis

Charities supporting families in a “burgeoning food crisis” are struggling to keep up with demand as donations dwindle. High rents, “unsustainable” food prices and unemployment are fuelling demand for food bank services in the Nelson region, while...

New housing development

A new housing development for a former Nelson motel site plans to build 27 oneand two-bedroom units. Milton Street Development Limited Partnership has put in a resource consent application for the former Milton Chalet Motel site to build a...

Chicks would be Xmas gift

Staff at the South Island’s largest fenced sanctuary are confident at least five kiwi pukupuku chicks are likely to hatch before Christmas, just months after 40 birds were translocated to Nelson. The kiwi pukupuku (little spotted kiwi) were introduced...

Franschhoek a feast for the senses

Call to get out of rivers’ way

“Mismanagement” ofrivers in NewZealand has put communities at risk of flooding, and people need to move out of high risk floodplains, an expert says. The warning – from environmental scientist Tom Kay – comes as the Tasman District Council prepares to...

‘Horror movie’ millipedes may be in the South Island

A millipede that has invaded Wellington homes in large numbers like “a horror movie” may have reached the South Island. The Ministry for Primary Industries said it was awaiting samples of a specimen in Nelson that, if confirmed, would represent the...

New ED wing a boost

Faster and safer care, including dedicated isolation rooms for infection control, are among benefits expected from Nelson Hospital’s expanded emergency department. The department’s new wing, the centrepiece of the expansion project, was opened by...

Tiny home battle costs big

An Upper Moutere couple who appealed an Environment Court decision that a tiny home on their property needed a resource consent have been ordered to pay $58,000 to cover a council’s legal costs. Mathias and Christin Schaeffner, who do not own the tiny...

Mining CEO puts private waterfront golf course on market

A privately built coastal golf course in Golden Bay – developed by mining CEO Chris Castle – has been listed for sale by tender. The Onekakā Links property, a rare 18-hole course spanning 4.62 hectares of beachfront headland at the northwest tip of...

Park residents’ future secure

After more than a year of uncertainty, longterm residents at Nelson’s Tāhuna Beach Holiday Park can rest easy, knowing their homes are secure. Last year, camp management warned the camp’s permanent residents that they could be forced to leave. That...

Pub turfs out Hooligans

Members of a car enthusiasts group, the Nelson Hooligans, have been banned from wearing their branded clothing at a popular suburban pub. Stan Holland, owner and publican of The Turf Hotel in Stoke, said he made the decision following several...

Tourism outlook uncertain

Tourism operators in Nelson and Tasman District hope the summer season will deliver a much-needed boost to the region, hit by recent factory closures and floods. But longer-term prospects for the sector remained uncertain, with “no real upturn” in...

Pensioner pens reply to ‘gutless’ critic of her house

When Margaret Wilde opened her letterbox she was met with an unpleasant surprise. An anonymous message written in blue marker pen on a piece of cardboard read: “This house looks like a shit hole. Clean it up and move that junk off the street.” Wilde...

Concern after hospital left in dark after power cut

Nelson Hospital was left in the dark for at least an hour when a generator failed to kick in during a major power cut. The top of the South Island lost power from 7.45am yesterday as wild weather hit, causing a major Transpower network outage. Power...

Plan for Hope Bypass revealed

A new investment case for the Hope Bypass will see the project built in two stages, and supports tolling the road once the project is complete. On Monday, Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced that the NZ...

Low vax rate risks outbreak

The number of people declining vaccinations in the top of the south is growing, leaving the region vulnerable to an outbreak of disease. And, with falling vaccination rates and more parents declining altogether, Nelson Bays Primary Health is on track...

Over 53,000 sign outdoor ed petition

More than 50,000 people from New Zealand and beyond are urging the Government to reverse outdoor education changes that the sector fears could strip thousands of school students of life-changing learning. The subject association and industry groups...

Hospitality lift surprises

Nelson’s hospitality sector has surged ahead of the rest of the country, recording sales growth more than 10 times that of Auckland. According to the Restaurant Association’s latest Hospitality Report, the region posted standout sales growth of 15.1%...

Tasman voters have ‘done themselves a disservice’

Tasman’s first Māori ward councillor Paul Te Poa Karoro Morgan says he is disappointed that the region has opted to remove the ward after 2028. According to Tasman District Council’s preliminary results, 8049 (43%) voted to retain the ward, while...

Say goodbye to dark spots with Mela B3

It’s no secret that hyperpigmentation is an all-too-common skin concern that is incredibly frustrating to tackle, and there are a plethora of reasons why dark spots can appear, often seemingly out of nowhere. Regardless of how you get it, treating and...

Publican revives historic building

When Nick Inkster first set eyes on Nelson’s old Public Trust Office building, he knew it had the right bones for his next venture. The 1938 art deco beauty has seen better days but, to the Christchurch publican, it has all the ingredients – a...

New precinct to boost city

When Justin Candish looked at plans to demolish the Morrison Square complex in the heart of Nelson “all I could see was six months of traffic management, a year’s worth of demolition and a gravel car park at the end of it”. It was not the vision the...

Cheat sheets

Dish FAST Two is the follow-up cookbook to the best-selling original by Dish editor Sarah Tuck and the magazine’s food editor, Claire Aldous. It’s brimming with more than 100 simple, seasonal and flavour-packed recipes – perfect for a throw-together...

City alcohol ban extended

Increasing disorderly behaviour by a group drinking at Trafalgar Park – including an assault, spitting at an elderly woman and performing a haka on the field as the Tasman Mako trained – has seen the city’s alcohol ban extended. At the final meeting...

Pākawau campground sale ends years of uncertainty

A much-loved Golden Bay campground finally has new owners after nearly 10 years sitting on the market. Pakawau Beach Camp, near Farewell Spit, sold in August for $2.1 million to Nadia and James Bowen, a Marlborough couple who say they are “determined...

Weather radar due next year

The region’s long-awaited new weather radar is expected to be running in the summer of 2026, and is likely to be located in Nelson. At a Tasman District Council committee meeting on Wednesday, environmental manager data and monitoring Mike Ede said it...

Hope for Stoke Memorial Hall

Hopes are rising that the Stoke Memorial Hall could be reopened following newly announced changes to earthquake-prone building rules. On Monday, the Government announced it was ditching the earthquake-prone building standards system, and replacing it...

Govt ‘talking the wrong science’

Primary school principals say there are cases of classrooms being “flipped” twice a day, with children upending chairs and tables, throwing books off bookshelves and tossing maths equipment on the floor. “Just anything that’s in their way ... it looks...

Proper Crisps proposes closing Nelson factory

Proper Crisps is proposing to close its Nelson factory and shift its production to South Auckland. The potato chip company, which is owned by Griffin’s, yesterday signalled the proposed closure of its Nelson factory in Stoke in late 2027. “Recently...