Rotorua Daily Post
Dad alarmed by leaky baby unit
The father of a premature baby staying in Rotorua Hospital’s Special Care Baby Unit has raised the alarm over rainwater leaks, a broken security door and what he described as “rotten floors” in the facility. Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora said safety...
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‘I try to say it how it is’
Superintendent Tim Anderson stands in front of a media conference near the scene of the Mauao slip that claimed six lives and answers questions calmly and genuinely. He’s not speaking like a cop, who are often drilled to choose their words...
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Rest home on trial
ARotorua rest home will go on trial in October after Worksafe brought a charge alleging failings with its smoking policy, following the death of a resident after a fire. Heritage Lifecare (trading as Cantabria Lifecare & Village) has denied the charge...
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Rotorua Museum exhibition funding
A breakdown of the external funders for this project: • $450,000 — Baytrust • $200,000 — Joe and Jo-anne La Grouw (via Rotorua Museum Centennial Trust) • $181,700 — Rotorua Trust • $100,000 — Phillip Verry Foundation (via Rotorua Museum Centennial...
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Teen driver dies fleeing forest security guards
Ateen driver was on his learner’s licence, driving late at night while on an illegal hunting trip, when he decided to flee a security team. It was a decision that cost him his life. As he continued to drive at a speed above what was safe for the road,...
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‘Entirely flawed’
Several Bay of Plenty regional councillors have expressed dismay at a local government overhaul proposed by central government, labelling it “fundamentally” flawed, potentially expensive and lacking Māori representation. Councillors gave feedback on a...
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Frantic dash to save Malakai
Rotorua parents Tearren Nanjan and Wiremu Tango thought their 3-month-old son Malakai had the flu when he had a runny nose, a cough and wasn’t eating. A week later, the family were being airlifted to Auckland’s Starship children’s hospital for a...
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‘Appalling waste’
After pouring more than $11 million into a Rotorua motel complex for the homeless, Kāinga Ora has decided to tear it down and put the Fenton St site on the market. While the purchase and subsequent renovating of the former Boulevard Motel has been...
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Rotorua weighs move to phase out parking coins
Using coins to pay for parking in Rotorua could be phased out as the council seeks public feedback on a potential city parking shake-up. Coin payments are one part of a wider review also looking at parking fees, time limits, payment technology, worker...
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‘Truly beautiful woman with a heart of gold’
Family and friends say Sharlene Smith was a beautiful woman with a heart of gold who opened her heart and home to children. Now those who loved her are grappling with the shock that her death is the centre of a Hawke’s Bay homicide investigation. The...
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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...
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Council warns motels
two Rotorua motels have been operating as Ministry of Social Development emergency housing without proper resource consent, the local council says. Rotorua Lakes Council has confirmed it will approach the motels to become compliant, something the...
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STILL TICKING
Time has been influential for Rotorua local Bill Groves since 1926. For nearly 80 years, the former watchmaker helped keep other people on schedule, repairing watches and clocks until three years ago. His work ranged from delicate wristwatches to...
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Rafting merger faces scrutiny
Aproposal to merge all of Rotorua’s commercial rafting operators is before the Commerce Commission. The application has the backing of Rotorua Lakes Council’s tourism arm, Rotoruanz, but the commission is examining whether the deal could reduce...
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Maketū death: Trio lied
Three Mongrel Mob members were driving a badly injured associate to Rotorua Hospital when they pulled over and made a plan. They decided to tell the police Zain Taikato Fox had been hit by a car. The patched gang members now admit they lied to police...
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Civil Defence defends Rotorua emergency call
Civil Defence has defended its decision to include Rotorua in last month’s state of emergency after the district was left largely unscathed by the deadly storm that struck the wider region. Rotorua, along with the entire Bay of Plenty region, was...
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Post shop cuts hit locals
NZ Post’s decision to close two Rotorua post shops is expected to heavily impact older residents, local business owners and community advocates say. The company announced last week it would close more than 140 post shops nationwide, including those...
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Rotorua pair are final slip victims identified
Two Rotorua friends were the final victims formally identified from the Mount Maunganui landslide, as recovery operations wrap up at the site. The emergency operation ended 11 days after the January 22 landslide from Mauao into the Mount Maunganui...
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Big step forward for Ari
Lucy and Dane Higgison first thought something was wrong when newborn Ari had trouble breastfeeding and was “uncoordinated” when using a bottle. By age 6 months, Ari had not reached the age-appropriate development milestones such as sitting...
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‘Seems immoral’
Rotorua Lakes Council has finalised its transfer of pensioner housing management to a private provider, five months after announcing the move. The agreement, signed on January 15, opens the door to potential redevelopment of ageing units and confirms...
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Mayor Tapsell tops election spending
Returning mayor Tania Tapsell raised the most money and spent the most in her bid to get re-elected. Candidates for Rotorua Lakes Council had until December 10 to return their donations and expenses declarations. Tapsell’s campaign received $26,000 in...
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Council to weed out eyesore, safety risk
Ajungle of weeds and overgrown plants on the centre and side verge gardens along Rotorua’s Te Ngae Rd are to get tidied up after years of neglect. The state of the gardens prompted Eastside retiree Brian Pickering to complain, which raised questions...
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Landslide victims remembered
ARotorua property manager who died in the Mount Maunganui landslide has been remembered for the lives she touched and the “the aroha she gave so generously”. Susan Doreen Knowles, from Ngongotahā, was one of two Rotorua women who were victims of the...
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7 candidates enter board race
Seven candidates will contest the Rotorua Lakes Community Board byelection, with voting to open next week. The byelection is being held to fill two empty seats on the fourperson board after too few candidates were nominated during last year’s local...
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High-end homes add heat to market
The Rotorua housing market is heating up as more properties change hands at the “higher end” of the market. The latest QV House Price Index showed Rotorua recorded a 2.6% increase in the average house price for the three months to December, reaching...
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Red rain warning
Alocal state of emergency was declared in Rotorua yesterday, with a red warning for heavy rain remaining this morning. Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Management made the declaration for the wider region just before 2.30pm, saying it had received...
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$50m mental health unit to open mid-year
The construction of Rotorua’s new mental health and addictions inpatient facility is in the “final stages” and will open to patients by mid-year. The project at Rotorua Hospital has been beset by delays and cost increases since it was announced six...
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Summer hits the sweet spot
Anew dessert shop in the CBD has served “thousands” of customers in its first days of opening amid a busy summer holiday season in Rotorua. Juice Up Rotorua franchise coowner Vrushank Shah said it opened on January 7 on Tūtānekai St and had been “very...
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3 dead in 48 hours
Police are calling for people to stay safe on the roads after two separate crashes near Rotorua have left three people dead and several others injured in the space of 48 hours. Two people were killed and another person was injured in a collision...
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Night market up for grabs
Rotorua Lakes Council has opened the door to transferring management of the city’s night market — the latest potential shift for the longrunning Thursday event. There is no guarantee the market will remain at the traditional Tūtānekai St site, where...
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Body found after man goes missing at lake
Aman has died at Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake) near Rotorua, in the second water death in the Bay of Plenty over the weekend. Police were called about 10.30pm on Friday to a report of a man who had not returned from a swim. The man’s body was found...
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‘I don’t feel safe’
Aneighbour of a live-in parolee rehabilitation facility in Rotorua says she feels so unsafe in her generational family home that she avoids spending time there. The Pūwhakamua programme, which supports paroled exprisoners reintegrating into the...
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Singer with cancer swaps mic for bike
When cancer forced Rotorua entertainment legend John Macrae to stop singing, he thought he’d never find another passion. But he swapped the mic for a bike and kept making records — this time on wheels. He’s beaten cancer three times and has another...
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The story of a Rotorua business icon
Jeremy Wells thought he’d closed the book on business eight years ago. In October the retired Kilwell Group director was back in the spotlight, named Business Person of the Year at the Tompkins Wake Rotorua Business Awards. He “did not have a...
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‘It’s just hopeless ...’
Pressure is mounting on the Government to put Rotorua’s new courthouse build back on its urgent “to-do” list. The city’s lawyers say people accused of murder are being granted bail while they wait three years for their trials, while other defendants...
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Rotorua’s pipe dream
In the 1990s, Rotorua was the place families flocked to for hours of hydroslide fun. Leisure World, with its towering cascades – including the terrifying “Black Hole” – attracted locals and visitors from around the Bay of Plenty. But after a steady...
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Nurses shouted and sworn at
ARotorua Hospital nurse who has been verbally abused at work says frontline staff are “often” shouted and sworn at during long wait times in the Emergency Department. New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) delegate and Rotorua Hospital Emergency...
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‘Losing Sakura has shattered our family’
Christmas was cancelled for one Bay of Plenty family who couldn’t face celebrating without their cherished little girl. Sakura Hall, 2, died on May 22 after the car she was in collided with a parked rubbish truck on Dansey Rd, near Ngongotahā. Her...
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‘We need to back ourselves’
ROTORUA MAYOR TANIA TAPSELL As mayor and a mum to a 2-year-old, Tania Tapsell said it came naturally to want a better Rotorua for everyone. Tapsell said she wanted to honour the city’s past by reopening the Rotorua Museum, while also protecting its...
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Lifetime of service
Rotorua’s Leith Comer lives by the philosophy that he’d rather be on the field playing than watching — or worse, standing on the sidelines criticising. That mindset stuck after reading a book called Being by Vikram Murthy, which Comer said encouraged...
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‘Monopoly bullying’ complaint rejected
The Commerce Commission has declined to investigate a “monopoly bullying” complaint made by liquidated health and wellness centre QE Health in Rotorua. QE Health’s former interim chief executive Craig Wilson submitted a complaint against Health New...
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Author's debut thriller parallels Phillips case
Three months after Zoe Rankin’s debut novel shot to New Zealand’s No 1 spot, reporter Annabel Reid revisits the whirlwind launch where fact and fiction collided for the Rotorua author. Rotorua author Zoe Rankin “never intended” her debut thriller to...
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Warriors return?
Rotorua hopes to be involved in conversations about hosting a New Zealand Warriors game as early as 2027, with a fixture potentially earning the city up to $5.5 million. The Warriors visited Rotorua as part of a Warriors Community Foundation roadshow...
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What people tried to take to court — guns, meth, tasers
Keys, wallet, phone . . . a gun, a taser, some methamphetamine, cannabis and a bong, a round of ammunition and a can of beer. Sadly for some people, these are potentially the must-haves when walking out the door to go to court. The items are among...
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‘EXTRAORDINARY’
Kindness has come in many forms this Christmas and it has added up to almost $90,000 raised by Rotorua locals for struggling families. The Rotorua Daily Post Christmas Appeal kicked off on November 15, teaming up again with The Hits Rotorua 97.5FM to...
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‘Miracle’: Gran saved
ARotorua family is rejoicing in a “miracle” after the chance arrival of council workers saved the life of 78-year-old Sandra Bristowe. Bristowe reunited with her saviours last week, when they recounted the dramatic day. About 2.45pm on Friday,...
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Dementia care village hailed for innovation
On a sunny December morning, residents of Rotorua’s CARE Village sit outside under gazebos and shade sails, listening to live musicians perform. They have gathered for a preChristmas barbecue, enjoying sausages, salads and cake. Overlooking Lake...
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QE Health ‘unsaleable’
The potential sale of Rotorua’s QE Health collapsed because Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora refused to transfer its contracts, rendering the business “unsaleable”, the business’s former chief executive says. The government agency disputes this, saying...
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Major league tournaments leave Rotorua
Rotorua’s events calendar has suffered a blow after the Aotearoa New Zealand Māori Rugby League pulled five of its six major tournaments from the city. Organisers have said they hope to return the events to Rotorua but would like to see the Rotorua...
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‘Stoked’: Cyclist blasts
021 362 019 07 348 6199 ARotorua cyclist has set the fastest known time for a bike ride from Auckland to Wellington. Sam Shaw, 33, cycled 638km on Monday and completed the trip in 17h 21m 34s with an average speed of 36.8km/h. A time of 23 hours was...
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‘Take a mask’
A toilet block at one of Rotorua’s most popular tourist spots has been labelled an “embarrassment”, while Rotorua Lakes Council admits the facilities fall below standard. “Take a mask” was the advice from tour bus operator Murray Guy regarding a visit...
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Golden Mile returns
• Contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua have officially ended. • Rotorua police and leaders say the city is reclaiming its reputation and improving safety.
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Weed cost battle brews
Afunding battle is brewing over lake weed control in Rotorua as the three-week, 780-tonne clean-up of the latest stinky stranding in Lake Rotorua wraps up. Local environmental leaders argue there is a disparity in Crown funding compared with Otago and...
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Night Market to return home
Rotorua’s Night Market will return to the inner city after Rotorua Lakes Council voted to end a trial move to Kuirau Park, two months after it began. Elected members voted eight-tothree to return the market to its previous Tūtānekai St location “as...
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Teen’s 13 years of perfect attendance
Every morning for 13 years when the alarm clock went off, Casey Paul sprang out of bed and got to school. She didn’t miss a single day during her entire primary, intermediate and secondary school years. Now her incredible record has been recognised...
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‘It’s been a beautiful ride’
It’s school assembly. The Madagascar movie’s hit song I Like to Move It blares from the speakers. In bursts Westbrook School principal Colin Watkins, dancing like the ultimate embarrassing father. The kids roar with laughter at his cringey dance moves...
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New whare joy for essential workers
Rotorua parents Hori and Pep Mana will be celebrating Christmas in “a new whare”, thanks to a rental development designed to be affordable for essential workers. The couple stepped into their new three-bedroom, two-bathroom home on Bennetts Rd in...
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Broken bore forces families to move
Transitional housing residents are being forced to move out of a Governmentowned former motel in Rotorua because a broken geothermal bore caused heating and water issues. About 16 households were living at 2six5 on Fenton – the former Boulevard Motel...
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Veteran Rotorua car dealer calls it a day
If the perimeters of Barry Grouby’s Rotorua car yard could talk, the long-standing Rotorua businessman reckons he’d have enough for a book. There have been loads of happy customers, beaming first-car owners and repeat customers. But there’s also been...
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Notorious landlord’s home up for sale
The family home of a controversial Rotorua landlord has been put up for sale in a mortgagee auction. The Glenholme house, owned by Stephen Chiman Bhana and his sister, Jasu Mati Bhana, is listed to be sold later this month. The 814sq m site has a...
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You filled the bus!
Sally Hoskins wasted no time when she spotted the familiar green bus at Rotorua’s Redwoods Centre, darting into the nearby fruit and vegetable shop to grab a donation before the Fill the Bus appeal moved on. Hoskins led the way as the first donor...
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QE Health: What the liquidator has to say
Beleaguered company QE Health owes at least $13 million to 132 known creditors, the first liquidator’s report has revealed. Eleven parties have expressed interest in buying the Rotorua icon after it went into voluntary liquidation last month, according...
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‘An exciting future’
Rotorua’s business community has signalled rising confidence in the city’s economic direction according to the latest Rotorua Business Pulse Survey. Local leaders are increasingly shifting attention from safety and social concerns to economic...
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‘Death was preventable’
Asolo diver who surfaced without his mask on was distressed and struggling to breathe when he called to his friend on the beach for help. The friend threw a rope to Aaron Richard Michael Matthews, who then said words to the effect of “it got me” before...
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Debate flares over Te Arawa 2050 role
Rotorua Lakes Council has agreed on salaries for councillors, but a discussion about its committees and standing orders led to disagreement in the chamber. The council met on Wednesday for the first time since being sworn in last month. Remuneration,...
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Mayors embrace Government’s reforms to regional councils
The Government’s sweeping overhaul of local government has been welcomed by the mayors of the Bay of Plenty’s two biggest councils as a long-awaited chance to “fix a broken system”. But questions remain about environmental work and Māori...
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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....
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Safety fears prompted removal of city trees
The removal of four large trees in central Rotorua has been welcomed by neighbouring businesses. Four sweet gum trees were felled last week, with a section of Amohia St closed from Monday until Wednesday to allow for their removal. Despite social...
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‘Sorry would have gone a long way’
‘The word ‘sorry’ would have gone a long way,” a judge has told a woman whose driving on the way home from Rhythm and Vines caused a crash that killed her friend. On New Year’s Day last year, Jasmine May Donaldson and Jade Nicole Richards were...
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QE Health: Hopes for a positive solution
The liquidation of Rotorua wellness icon QE Health has been described as “deeply saddening”, as financial records point to the strain it was under. The charity-owned business ended the 2023-24 financial year with a $1.345m deficit, according to the...
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‘Only a matter of time’
Rotorua sexual violence survivor and advocate Louise Nicholas says she’s “disgusted and saddened”, but not surprised over the actions of some police bosses — including the country’s then-top cop Andrew Coster — after sex complaints were made about one...
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‘Don't put it off’
Rotorua 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...
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‘Prowler’ and isolation leave pensioners fearful
Awoman was left “shaken” after a prowler tried to enter her Rotorua pensioner flat amid reports of homeless people sleeping around empty council-owned units. The incident happened early last Saturday on Kahikatea St and has sparked security...
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