Taranaki Daily News

Local National MPS back Luxon after leadership vote

Taranaki’s three National MPS have expressed confidence in Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and say they don’t expect any further leadership questions in the run up to November’s election. Taranaki-king Country MP Barbara Kuriger, New Plymouth MP...

Holding report ‘untenable’

Puketapu hapū kaumātua Peter Moeahu has been refused a copy of a report commissioned by the New Plymouth District Council into his complaint about how details surrounding a confidential agreement were leaked to media. The decision to deny Moeahu...

Data centre ‘a catalyst’

A proposal to build a large-scale data centre at Stratford has been described as “game changing” by the district’s mayor, Neil Volzke. Contact Energy and Australian firm CDC Data Centres announced yesterday that they were exploring plans for a 250...

The man with a bold plan

In a re-purposed New Plymouth condom factory biotechnology entrepreneur Iain Hosie is championing an ambitious vision for Taranaki as a thriving innovation hub that has reclaimed its “energy centre of New Zealand” crown. But instead of relying on oil...

The farm succession crunch

Belinda Price isn’t afraid of the topics most people spend a lifetime avoiding. As an end-of-life doula, she has built a career around a simple, uncomfortable truth: The conversations people run from are usually the ones most needed. Through her...

Govt urged to honour Ara Ake commitment

A Christchurch-based energy company says the Government has undermined trust in its support for emerging energy businesses after the decision to scrap funding for New Plymouth energy innovation centre Aka Ake left his company waiting on...

Coroner finds boat’s skipper not to blame

A coroner has found a 6-year-old-boy was not wearing the correct-sized lifejacket when he drowned along with his stepmother after their boat capsized on the Pātea River bar in June 2025. Coroner Rachael Schmidt-mccleave released her findings on...

Society’s issues highlighted

A New Plymouth judge has told a defendant he feels embarrassed by the way homeless and mentally ill patients are sometimes treated in New Zealand. Judge Tony Greig’s comments came during the sentencing of a young woman who was convicted of seriously...

Small-screen highlights

Make a date with Colin, Ted Lasso and Reacher

Callout changes spur warning

New Plymouth’s firefighters have slammed a cost-cutting proposal that could see volunteers called in for emergency cover instead of off-duty professionals. Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) has proposed changing its Management to Callouts Policy...

Pilot lands his last plane

When Brent Hancock was a child, he spent countless hours flying kites and model aircraft. Nearly five decades later, after logging almost 24,000 flying hours and 36 years with Air New Zealand, the New Plymouthbased pilot and captain has landed his...

No comment on Hāwera course

The president of the Egmont Racing Club has shed no light on how it would tackle the prospect of the Hāwera racecourse being closed under the national body’s future venues plan. Dennis Hurcomb gave a quick “no comment” to any questions about the plan...

COMMONWEALTH GAMES

Record-breaking Commonwealth Games gold medallist Zoe Hobbs’ achievement on the track at Glasgow was celebrated up and down the country yesterday as the Taranaki sprinter broke new ground for a New Zealand athlete. Hobbs won New Zealand’s first-ever...

Mead in Eltham in a kitchen

A Taranaki couple discovered they had set the launch day for their bespoke mead-brewing business on day one of Dry July. Viv Neilson and Kylie Fletcher of Eltham were excited to launch their new Neilson Meadery website after spending 18 months doing...

Clear skies, cold temps, sparse slopes

The sky was clear, the air crisp, and the snow relatively thick – and yet those who made it to the Manganui Ski Area on Taranaki Maunga had the slopes largely to themselves. Taranaki was treated to frigidly crisp, stunning winter morning yesterday,...

Dispute costs near $300k

A long-running dispute between the New Plymouth Pistol Club and its neighbour has left ratepayers picking up costs edging towards $300,000. Devon Rd resident Bryan Phillips has been battling the club for the best part of five years over excessive...

Unicyclist’s 8000km odyssey

After spending five-and-a-half months pedalling around New Zealand on one wheel, New Plymouth’s George Harrison could not stop smiling when the Wind Wand finally came into view. His father and sister joined him for his final leg along the Coastal...

Leaders give voters opportunity to act

You know it’s election time when the politicians start dropping into town midweek. First it was The Opportunity Party spreading the word in New Plymouth, then Act leader David Seymour rallied the party faithful at the New Plymouth Club.

Youth programme robbed

A family-run New Plymouth carving business that supports vulnerable young people has been forced to cancel a much-loved course after thousands of dollars’ worth of specialist tools were stolen. Melody and Darrin Vedder, owners of 10 Hearts 1 Soul in...

Missing boy finds way back

When a 10-year-old boy vanished outside New Plymouth’s Len Lye Centre, his parents feared the worst. One moment, their son was pulling faces in the shiny mirrors of the Len Lye Centre, and the next, he was gone. Three hours, a police search, and an...

Housing future eyed for empty city offices

The downturn in Taranaki’s oil and gas sector is reshaping New Plymouth’s commercial property market, with real estate agents reporting record levels of vacant office and industrial space. As more “for lease” signs appear across the city, particularly...

Biggest beach cleanup yet

Sam Judd is from Wellington but he is doing everything he can to make sure Taranaki goes as big as it can on International Coastal Cleanup Day in September. The keen surfer, who is co-founder and chief executive of Sustainable Coastlines, has been...

Toi Foundation faces legal battle

A protracted legal battle is looming large for the Toi Foundation as it continues to progress its proposed $620 million sale and merger of TSB to Heartland Bank. The threat of legal action, including the prospect of an injunction to stop the...

Region vigilant as bird flu hits

A Taranaki poultry breeder and a conservation manager say New Zealand’s first case of bird flu should serve as a reminder for bird owners to strengthen biosecurity, with both saying the arrival of the virus had been expected. The case, confirmed in...

Farmers eye weather as El Niño confirmed

Coastal Taranaki farmer Bryan Roach’s wet weather gear has mostly stayed on the hook this winter. Although it has made the start of calving across the region much more pleasant, the dry days could be a harbinger of coming drought. Earth Sciences New...

Pie sale surge a gift from the Kosmos

A New Plymouth bakery is working overtime to keep up with a massive surge in demand for its mince and double-cheese pies after a social media influencer rated them 10 out of 10. The rating came from pie-sampling sensation Petrie Apostolakis, known as...

Multiple maunga rescues prompt police warning

If you’re not an “extremely experienced” climber, stay off Taranaki Maunga in winter conditions, police have warned after multiple mountain rescues at the weekend. Three people were rescued from the mountain on Sunday, while on Saturday another...

Trolley bus going free for a restoration destination

Wanted: A new home for a 76-year-old New Plymouth relic. Must have plenty of space, a passion for history, and a knack for restoration. After spending more than half a century in retirement on the Kāpiti Coast, New Plymouth’s first trolley bus is...

Amalgamation not as easy as it looks

When Neil Volzke became mayor of Stratford in 2009, he could not have foreseen having to shepherd his community into an amalgamation that will probably end his role. “I never thought in my time I’d end up being the last mayor of Stratford. It seems...

Mānawatia a Matariki mā Puanga

A Matariki festival celebrating stars, stories and connection has illuminated central Christchurch, with new projections and artworks bringing Māori narratives and southern journeys to life. Tātai Whetū, Tātai Tangata – meaning “a gathering of stars,...

Kāinga Ora selling city site

A multimillion-dollar plot of land in central New Plymouth is back on the market after the Government abandoned plans to build social housing on the site. Kāinga Ora confirmed that it was selling three neighbouring inner-city properties, 86 Lemon St...

‘Inexperience’ killed climber

An “inexperienced” climber’s decision to take on Taranaki Maunga in winter with inadequate equipment was a “reckless act” which ended in his death, a coroner has found. Vladimir Levchenko, a 69-year-old retiree from Whangaparāoa, Auckland, died after...

Whiten

Every solid routine needs a strong foundation. Swap your standard paste for Colgate Optic White Pro Series Stain Prevention Toothpaste. Formulated with a potent concentration of hydrogen peroxide, this daily essential removes 15 years of stains* when...

The $15k race to help Jesse

After a long battle, some people see light at the end of the tunnel; Jackie Hereora sees a roast dinner. She can’t wait for the day her teenage son eats her out of house and home. And she longs to look in the fridge and wonder where all the food went,...

TSB Showplace celebrates 100 years

Vivienne Baty can still picture the room clearly: the clatter of the sewing machines, the half-built stage sets, and the heavy silence that fell over the committee table. It was 1969, and the New Plymouth Operatic Society (NPOS) had just been handed a...

PROPERTY Home for sale after 68 years

For almost seven decades Deirdre Brockhill has opened her doors to one of the best views New Plymouth has to offer. Now the sprightly 89-year-old is preparing to say goodbye to her Fitzroy bungalow and retire to a villa in one of the city’s rest...

The wahine setting an equal standard

Elaine Aorangi lives in New Plymouth in a beautifully restored, sun-bathed, colonialera home with her husband and daughter. She has a favourite window seat where she can sit and read and relax. At work, the health, safety, and wellbeing manager for...

Region’s tourism positive

One of the most significant surveys conducted through the region’s main gateway has found more than half the passengers travelling through New Plymouth Airport are visitors to the region. However, the results showed there was not enough demand to...

Crown drops acquisition notice for earmarked land

After years of legal action, the Government has withdrawn the notice allowing it to compulsorily acquire a Taranaki couple’s land for the Mt Messenger bypass. A High Court minute, released on June 19, confirmed Minister for Land Information Mike...

Push for Taranaki grand final

Sarah Avery knows the Young Farmer of the Year grand final is where the country’s best young farmers are pushed to their limits. But before any finalist picks up a tool, tackles a practical challenge or faces the pressure of the buzzer during a quiz,...

Hospital wing officially open

Picture an indoor space so vast its fire sprinklers cover the equivalent of 15 rugby fields, illuminated by enough lightbulbs to power 180 homes. To understand the sheer scale of Taranaki Base Hospital’s new east wing, look past the modern wards, the...

Views mixed on mayor’s proposal

New Plymouth mayor Max Brough has been given the go-ahead to advocate to the Toi Foundation on behalf of the district on the proposed $620 million sale of TSB to Heartland Bank. The backing, which came with mixed views from elected members, followed a...

Mayor publicly apologises for name-calling

New Plymouth mayor Max Brough has made a public apology to two of his district councillors for calling them “f .... n critters” in their absence during a private workshop. The first-term mayor opened yesterday’s New Plymouth District Council meeting...

Accepting incurable MND

Living with an incurable disease, Lynnie Phillips is choosing acceptance and joy over despair. Phillips was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) a little more than two years ago, but thinks she had it for about six months before that. MND is a...

Slide spoiled in saboteur spree

A significant spike in vandalism and graffiti is costing New Plymouth district ratepayers tens of thousands of dollars in repairs and clean-up. The latest incident occurred during the weekend, when an unknown arsonist torched a popular slide at...

Coffee business’ perfect blend

A long black and a savoury muffin at a small Westown café sparked more than a coffee order for Adrianna Greenhill. It was at Caffe Blues where she first met barista Tane Morgan, who was working alongside his father Wayne. Nearly two decades later,...

Mission to ‘change hearts and minds’

Under an overcast New Plymouth sky, Andrew Judd stood out in his royal blue waterproof parka, a somewhat unusual pairing with the showy, silver mayoral chains he won the right to wear in 2013. Three years later, the businessman-turned-civic leader was...

Major upgrades for school

Millions of dollars in desperately needed funding has finally been made available to Hāwera’s Te Paepae O Aotea school to upgrade classrooms and build new learning facilities. Education Minister Erica Stanford made the announcement yesterday as the...

Call to pause bid for bank

New Plymouth mayor Max Brough has called on the trustees of the Toi Foundation to hit pause on a proposed merger and sale of TSB to Heartland Bank. Brough hand-delivered a letter to the trustees at last night’s public meeting at New Plymouth’s Novotel...

Father of coward punch victim frustrated at laws

The father of a coward punch victim has described the potential weakening of tougher sentencing legislation for the violent crime as feeling like a betrayal. Teuraura Nganeko had been campaigning the Government to fast-track legislation for tougher...

The Agency Michael Fassbender on the return of his spy series

NEW PLYMOUTH Police lock in CBD patrols

What began as a trial to tackle disorder and improve safety in New Plymouth’s CBD has become a permanent part of the city’s landscape. New Plymouth’s police beat team has been operating permanently since late March after police decided to make the...

Secrets of a Taranaki centenarian

When you visit Ernie Andreoli, prepare to stay for a cuppa and a few ripping yarns. Many of them were collected in a book printed in 2019 titled Bella Italia Luck o’ the Irish, about Andreoli and his late wife Joan, and their families, after their...

Petition launched to save TSB

A petition to stop the sale and merger of TSB to Heartland Group attracted hundreds of signatures just hours after it went live online yesterday. Launched by veteran New Plymouth district councillor Gordon Brown, the petition aims to show Heartland...

City worker awarded $30k

A New Plymouth tattoo shop employee has been awarded more than $30,000 after her abrupt sacking left her so fearful of her former boss she relocated twice. Devon Whitham was awarded $30,591.47 after successfully bringing a case to the Employment...

New shop for old building

A chef, a baker and former mayor walked into a building and instead of a punchline they created a speciality food store that looks like a step back in time. Last month, chef Jo Blanche and her baker husband Andrew Blanche opened the Good Score General...

Public opinions on potential sale of TSB heard at meetings

The first and potentially only public meetings to gauge reaction to the sale of TSB after the shock announcement of a conditional merger with Heartland Bank drew out decidedly mixed messages across Taranaki yesterday. They included fears Toi...

Subsidy changes trigger concerns

Changes to a transport subsidy scheme for the disabled community will make it more expensive to get around. Some fear it will be too expensive.

Halamoana sculpture lifted off CBD corner

It has stood on one of New Plymouth’s most prominent corners for more than two decades, but the towering sculpture Halamoana is preparing to begin a new chapter elsewhere in the city. The 14-metre-tall artwork, which had occupied the corner of...

TSB merger news shocks

Taranaki residents have less than a month to provide feedback on the sale of TSB after a shock announcement of a conditional merger with Heartland Bank was made yesterday. Toi Foundation, which wholly owns the former Taranaki Savings Bank, announced...

Bagels a reminder of home

When Brian Dolenti is homesick, he goes to the same place – the kitchen. That yearning to recreate the foods of his American childhood led to a business in bagels, which has just turned a year old. He and his Kiwi wife Ashlee run The Cheeky Bagel,...

Community leader is made an MNZM

He has helped organise a homeless shelter and run local boards, but New Plymouth’s John Flowers has a new challenge: convincing his daughter on a new tattoo. Flowers has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the King’s...

When love goes wrong

The lime tree lives but it has reason to be furious with me. It started off with such good intention, a wellmeaning attempt to save it from an invasion of bugs. Except my spray job somehow went awry and killed a year’s worth of new growth at the same...

▮

READ MORE INSIDE

Councils: No, yes, no, maybe

Taranaki’s four elected councils have signalled their collective willingness to get on board with the Government’s local body reforms. However, they appear divided on how they would approach it. Each council – New Plymouth, Stratford, South Taranaki...

Red sky in mourning for departing fine spell

It has been an autumn to remember in Taranaki but the clear, sunny days look to be giving way to less settled weather as winter approaches. The red sky across the region yesterday morning may have given weather watchers a hint things are about to...

Motorsport project sunk by compliance

A key component of the ambitious Stratford Park project has collapsed after the Taranaki Motorsport Facility Charitable Trust announced it was stopping all attempts to develop its proposed facility. The decision follows multi-year compliance battles...

‘Miracle’ drug changes boy’s life

April Peterson was driving from New Plymouth to Auckland when she received a life-changing phone call. Trikafta, a medication for cystic fibrosis (CF) that costs $1000 a day, was finally going to be funded for children aged 2 and over. Her husband,...

NP mayor skirted rules to get CE

New Plymouth mayor Max Brough worked behind the backs of councillors and alongside outgoing boss Gareth Green to make sure Steve Ruru was appointed interim chief executive at council. Documents released under the Local Government Official Information...

Work starts on sports hub

Athletes and sports clubs will wait another two years before the Tūparikino Hub opens as foundational work ramps up on the major indoor sports facility next to the New Plymouth racecourse. Taranaki construction company Clelands took over the site...

Licence used in fraud spree

Waitara teacher Rob Wheatley got a big shock when his One NZ bill for November arrived, showing expensive top-of-therange items had been added to his account on credit. This included an iphone 17 Pro for $2576, a UE Hyperboom party speaker for $623,...

School chemical blown up

A loud boom put an end to a near sevenhour emergency situation following the discovery of an “unstable” chemical at New Plymouth Boys’ High School yesterday. Students were evacuated to school fields just after 9am, when a science teacher discovered...

Crunch on to keep costs down

Though many Taranaki food businesses have so far kept a lid on prices through the fuel crisis, many say the pressure from extra fuel and delivery costs is a challenge. The Baking Company in Stratford had been absorbing the increases, manager Lynn...

The chronicles of farming

When accountant Leanne Blakelock started rearing calves as a new-to-farming wife, she never expected it to become her passion. But an online blog she began, to keep her townie friends abreast of farm life, grew into the Calf Chronicles, where she...

Jury finds pair guilty of murder

Friends and family of a man known as Yip Yip erupted with applause and cheers as a jury found two men guilty of his murder after two days of deliberations. Stefan Hannon-McGinn, 28, of Hamilton, and his best mate, Ethan Howe, 28, of Huntly, had denied...