Bay of Plenty Times

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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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

Push for year-round dog ban at beach

Tauranga wildlife experts are urging the city council to extend a Mount Maunganui beach’s dog ban to protect native birds. A year-round ban on dogs at Mount Maunganui’s Shark Alley, prohibiting pooches in cemeteries, and requiring leashes in several...

Firefighter to run City to Surf in uniform

Rotorua volunteer firefighter Chris Reid can’t get enough of the heat. This weekend, the builder will do Tauranga’s annual City to Surf halfmarathon wearing his 25kg firefighting kit — again. The Ngongotahā Volunteer Fire Brigade member wore his...

Heartbroken horse owners back ban

Tonight’s Guy Fawkes celebrations have not started yet, but fireworks complaints and damage reports are already rolling in. As authorities plead for caution in dry, windy conditions, two Bay of Plenty women who lost horses in Guy Fawkes-related...

‘The light went on for me’

Newly elected Bay of Plenty Regional Council chairwoman Matemoana McDonald has always had “visions” of what should happen to the Mauao constituency. Born and raised in Tauranga Moana, she has seen pollution, degradation to the environment, the...

Young hero honoured

The 10-year-old who saved a toddler from drowning at Baywave has been recognised by Hato Hone St John for her act of heroism. Tauranga St John staff presented the Courage in Action bravery award to Welcome Bay’s Kalia Saia on Thursday in front of her...

EASY FIT

How to shape up without breaking into a sweat

Lost ‘our happy place’

Open Justice — Te Pātītī An NZME initiative partially funded with help from NZ On Air ATauranga father says his family lost their “happy place” after a beautiful Sunday afternoon on their boat turned into a traumatic memory that continues to haunt...

‘IT DOESN’T JUST BLOW OVER’

An avocado grower who lost 60% of his crop in September’s devastating windstorm is considering replanting with kiwifruit. Katikati grower Eddie Biesiek said that, in his view, most growers would “take all the financial hit themselves” from the...

‘Harsh critic of myself'

Tauranga Mayor Mahe´ Drysdale scores his leadership lower than most of his team members score him. Councils around the country are regrouping after the October 11 election, but the Tauranga councillors are a year into their special four-year term and...

Heartbreak for family after dementia diagnosis

When Pāpāmoa man Kevin Sawford began showing subtle behavioural changes, his family never imagined dementia could be the cause. “He’s just 55 years old, and a few short months ago was diagnosed with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia,” said...

Virus outbreak escalates

Low measles vaccination rates in the Bay of Plenty and Lakes should be a concern after six confirmed cases in the country, an immunology lecturer says. Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora is responding to an “escalating national measles outbreak” after...

‘I’m genuinely sorry’

In July 2022, Filthy Few life member Mark Kimber was speeding on his Harley Davidson through Bethlehem, near Tauranga. At the same time, Karen and Geoffrey Boucher were walking home from dinner when Kimber hit them on a pedestrian crossing. Kimber says...

‘We are not the problem’

Masses of public sector workers gathered in Tauranga’s Memorial Park yesterday for the nationwide multi-union mega-strike. Strikers lined 11th Ave waving signs and enjoying toots from passing cars, forming a human wall along the side of the park. Most...

‘No one wants to strike’

Most Bay of Plenty schools are closed today as primary and secondary teachers and support staff join the nationwide multi-union mega-strike. Nurses, midwives, allied health staff and other healthcare workers, along with about 50 ACC workers, will also...

Coroner ‘troubled’ no one pulled child from fountain

Four people were captured on CCTV near a Tauranga fountain where a 4-year-old girl lay “face down” in the water, but no one pulled her out. Nia Lohchab accidentally drowned in the fountain on May 21, 2023, in Memorial Park, Coroner Matthew Bates has...

Govt pledges 300 new social homes for Bay

The Government says more than 300 new social homes will be delivered in the Bay of Plenty by 2027. They would be delivered by two community housing providers (CHPs) – Accessible Properties and Emerge Aotearoa – in Rotorua’s Ngongotahā and Lynmore, and...

Guilty: Offender named

Jayden Meyer assaulted the girl hours after being bailed on earlier charges Teen rapist Jayden Meyer has been found guilty of sexually violating another teenage girl. The latest violation occurred when he was 16, and hours after he’d been bailed on...

Safety upgrade for Harbour Drive

Firefighters’ strike may delay 111 call response

Fire and Emergency has warned there may be delays in responding to 111 calls during today’s strike action by firefighters and support staff. Nationwide strike action by members of the NZ Professional Firefighters Union (PFU) for better pay, more staff,...

Cruise ship season starts

More than 4300 passengers and crew will sail into the Port of Tauranga today as the cruise season opens with the first ship visit. Celebrity Edge arrives at 9am with 2934 passengers and 1377 crew. It will be followed tomorrow at 6am by Celebrity...

The big walk-off

Nurses, midwives, other healthcare workers and primary and senior teachers are among more than 8000 Bay of Plenty workers planning to join a mega strike. October 23 is shaping up to be New Zealand’s largest strike in decades, says NZ Council of Trade...

Chip seal ordeal

Residents of a busy suburban Pāpāmoa street are fed up with “unbearable” road noise that forces one family to shout inside their home just to hear each other. Neighbours Jan Neale and Mariette Coetzee live on the stretch of Pāpāmoa Beach Rd between...

SECOND TERM

● Western Bay elects its first Māori ward councillor ● But they could be the last as district votes on future of ward ● Changes for regional council

‘This can’t be happening’

Pyes Pā woman Stephanie Samuelson’s life flashed before her eyes when she was diagnosed with breast cancer last January. “I was so scared that I was going to die,” she said. The 34-year-old went from being “super bubbly, outgoing,...

‘This is ridiculous’: Pool cost a wake-up call

Tauranga’s mayor is “disappointed” $4.7m was spent on “ridiculous” plans to overhaul the Memorial Park aquatic centre, which his council has abandoned. Mahe´ Drysdale said the majority of the money was “wrapped up” before the new council arrived. “We...

‘It’s the business end’

$7.3m cocaine bust

Aduffle bag containing 21 bricks of cocaine, worth an estimated $7.3 million, has been seized from a shipping container at the Port of Tauranga. A Customs statement said the container arrived from Balboa, Panama on Friday and was riskassessed as part...

Elective surgery wait times improve

An increase in Bay of Plenty and Lakes patients having elective surgeries sooner is “not sustainable” amid staffing shortages, the senior doctors’ union says. The nurse’s union also says there are still not enough doctors and resources “to meet the...

‘Daily struggle’

As career firefighters prepare to strike this month, a union has revealed staff shortages in Tauranga have led to stations being unable to muster full crews. Nationwide strike action by unionised firefighters for better pay, staffing, operational...

Stripped to the bone

In 2023, singer Hollie Smith set off on a planned two-week touring stint to get her voice back in shape post-Covid. It turned into an extended nationwide tour — The Bones Tour. After two years, she will perform the intimate set live for the final time...

‘All we could see was flames’

A Mount Maunganui resident says “all we could see was flames” when a three-vehicle fire threatened her home. A Fire and Emergency NZ spokesman said firefighters were called to the address just after 1am Thurday. Three vehicles, including two utes,...