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A final meet the candidates evening is being held in Tararua tonight. Two such events have been held so far – the first in Dannevirke last week, and the other in Pongaroa on Monday night. The third and final is at the Bush Community Centre in Pahiatua at 7 o’clock tonight. Issues raised at the meetings so far include Three Waters reform, water quality, and roading. ------------------- Meanwhile voting papers are due to arrive in letterboxes from the end of this week. Papers will begin being ...

Local News

Both the Central Hawke’s Bay and Tararua District Councils have opened condolence books for Queen Elizabeth II. Central Hawke’s Bay Mayor Alex Walker, who personally lowered the Councils flag to half-mast on Friday, said condolence books would be opened for locals to sign at the Council offices and libraries. Tararua District Mayor Tracey Collis said there would be condolence books at all Council offices, and at libraries as well. ---------------- Fire and Emergency New Zealand is highlighti...

Local News

Local company Isaacs Plumbing, Pumping and Electrical has donated a set of Te Mata Estate Coleraine vintage wines for the upcoming Hawke’s Bay Wine Auction. Te Mata Coleraine is regarded as one of the best red wines in New Zealand, and a 26-vintage vertical set, which covers the period from 1994 to 2020, has been donated by Isaacs for the September 17 auction. 2022 is the 30th year the Hawke’s Bay Wine Auction will be held. ----------------- The Central Hawke’s Bay District Council is remi...

Local News

The three nominees for the Wackrow Memorial Youth Award have been named joint winners after the judging panel couldn’t pick a single winner. Dannevirke High School’s Toby Walker, and Charlotte Patu and Josiah Max, who attend Totara College, were named winners at a ceremony this week. The judging panel felt each nominee was outstanding in their own way. The award is presented annually in memory of the late Constable Graeme Wackrow, who died in 1984 while serving with the NZ Police in Dannevir...

Local News

The Napier-Taupo Highway is closed this morning due to overnight snowfall. Waka Kotahi says north and south detours are available via Palmerston North or Gisborne, and will add at least four hours to journey times. ---------------- Overnight temperatures in Hawke’s Bay and Tararua District will drop below zero tonight. The Metservice is forecasting showers to clear this afternoon to fine weather, with strong winds also expected to die away. Central Hawke’s Bay will drop to minus two degrees ...

Local News

Central Hawke’s Bay Police are investigating further burglaries around the district. Senior Constable Andy Walker said among the items taken include a four-wheeler bike stolen from a shed on a property on Ashcott Road. Two weeks ago, Police remined owners of beach houses to check them following break-ins at Pourerere and Blackhead. Andy Walker said property owners should make sure everything is locked away. ----------------- A Dannevirke Lotto Strike player has won $700,000. The lucky ticket w...

Local News

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Chair, Rick Barker, says the deferral of science fees owed by Water Holdings Hawke’s Bay will afford the entity sufficient time to resolve its outstanding issues. This week the Council voted 5-4 to defer $260,000 already owed, as well as nearly $158,000 yet to be invoiced for the 2022-2023 year. Rick Barker says the consents are unusual and this is a unique issue which the Council debated thoroughly. He says Water Holdings Hawke’s Bay have more time now to ens...

Local News

The Central Hawke’s Bay District Council is to carry out an investigation into options for repairing Cooks Tooth Road. In an update yesterday, the Council said a slip is affecting the road at approximately 7.4 kilometres. Traffic management and signage is currently in place, and Council is asking motorists to exercise caution when driving through the area. Meanwhile Downer is repairing a long stretch of Elsthorpe Road. The Council said the road will remain unsealed until next week, and ask dri...

Hawke's Bay Whitebait Season opens on the 1st September

In Hawke's Bay you can fish for whitebait between 1 September to 30 October.  The Regional Council issues resource consents for whitebait stands. Each stand owner must comply with all conditions of their resource consent. Whitebaiting stands can be erected 7 days prior to the start of the season and must be removed within 14 days of the season ending.  Whitebaiting is only allowed during the season and from: 5 am to 8 pm, or6 am to 9 pm when New Zealand Dayligh...

Local News

A loss yesterday for the CHB College 1st XI Mixed Hockey team in Whangarei. The College played Whangarei’s Pompallier Catholic College, going down 4-1. Central Team Manager, Glen Millar, said comments from around the turf were that the game was a lot closer than the scoreboard showed. The playoffs in the North Island Mixed Secondary School Tournament begin today, with CHB expected to play Huanui College. ------------------ Hawke’s Bay Regional Councillors will today decide whether $260,000 i...

Local News

There has been a change of venue for the CHB Rippa Rugby tournament tomorrow. Originally teams were set to play on Central Park in Waipukurau, however the tournament will now be played at Coronation Park in Waipawa. Primary schools from across CHB have entered teams for tomorrow, with the tournament starting at 9.30am, running until 2pm. Spectators are welcome. ----------------- Emergency services attended a minor motor vehicle accident on State Highway 2 near Takapau yesterday. The accident hap...

Local News

Police are reminding drivers to slow down and follow the conditions after a crash between a vehicle and a large cattle beast on Friday morning. Much of Central Hawke’s Bay was covered in fog, making visibility poor. Emergency services were called to the accident on Middle Road, north of Patangata just after 6am. Senior Constable John Flack said a man on his way to work hit the cattle beast, which was standing in the centre of the road. He said the conditions at the time were “terrible due to...

Local News

Iconic Hawke’s Bay company, Te Mata Mushrooms, has announced the closure of its Havelock North operations, along with plans to build a new facility in Central Hawke’s Bay. Yesterday the company said it would close its site in Havelock North with chairman John Seton saying it was no longer fit for purpose, and cited pressures caused by urban crawl. The company plans to build a new facility near Takapau, with a resource consent currently being processed and designs finalised. -----------------...

Local News

A Strong Wind Watch issued for the Tararua District yesterday was lifted late last night. When issuing the watch, Metservice said winds could reach severe gale at times. ----------------- Work has begun on the first stage of a major water pipeline upgrade on Pōrangahau Road in Waipukurau. With a planned completion date of May 2023, the work will see upgrades to water mains, as well as new pipes, fire hydrants, isolation valves, and replacements of water service connections to private properties...

Local News

Fire appliances were called to an address on Nicholls Road yesterday following an electrical short in the mains power supply to the property. Waipukurau Deputy Fire Chief Glen Millar said an electrical flash created a strong smell of burning plastic, with the flash blowing a power pole fuse, which it is designed to do. He said fire crews checked the property using a thermal imaging camera. The call came in just before 3pm yesterday. ----------------- Hiranui Road remains closed to traffic follow...

Local News

The New Zealand Air Ambulance Service and Skyline Aviation have  re-launched their King Air B200C air ambulance that services Hawke’s Bay hospital following an extensive five-month upgrade programme. Alongside avionic enhancements, the upgrade included an interior retrofit and new livery reflecting the aircraft’s Māori name Te Manu Atawhai, bird of care. A dedicated dual ICU “Lifeport” aeromedical interior has been fitted, enabling delivery of intensive care in the air with the ab...

Local News

Two Lotto players from the region won just over $23,000 following Saturday nights Lotto draw. A MyLotto player from the region joined a ticket sold in Napier, along with eight others from around the country, in winning Lotto Second Division. ------------------ Precautionary boil water notices for two Tararua towns were lifted on Friday. The Tararua District Council removed the notices for Eketāhuna and Pongaroa water supplies late Friday afternoon. The Eketāhuna precautionary boil water notice...

Local News

The pipeline to take wastewater from Otane to Waipawa was switched on yesterday. The Central Hawke’s Bay District Council began construction of the nine-kilometre-long pipeline two years ago. Council Chief Executive Doug Tate said the changes will stop discharges into the Papanui Stream and is a significant milestone in reducing Councils’ environmental impact. He said the project has come in on budget, with about 50% of the cost coming from the Government. Mayor Alex Walker said the new pipe...

Local News

Changes are ahead for Central Hawke’s Bay Technology Centre, based at Waipawa School. Ministry of Education spokesperson, Jocelyn Mikaere, said with Waipawa School experiencing forecast roll growth and demand, it is anticipated that additional teaching spaces will be required at the school by 2024. A decision on whether the Technology Centre will be relocated, or whether individual schools will handle their own technology is yet to be decided. Ms Mikaere said the Ministry has been consulting w...

Local News

There are 750 active cases of COVID-19 in Hawke’s Bay at present. Yesterday 118 new cases were reported in the region, including seven in Central Hawke’s Bay. CHB currently has 50 active cases. There are 38 people in Hawke’s Bay Hospital with COVID. Tararua District had 67 active cases at the start of this week. -------------------- Te Aute College has received a $5 million boost from the Government. Minister of Maori Development, Willie Jackson, recently announced an allocation of $14.9 m...

Local News

The Dannevirke Community Board has announced the finalists for the 2022 Wackrow Memorial Youth Award. Josiah Max, Charlotte Patu and Toby Walker are in the running for the award, presented in memory of the late Constable Graeme Wackrow, who died while serving with the NZ Police in Dannevirke. The presentation ceremony will be held in the Tararua District Council Chamber on Monday the 5th of September. ------------------- Top New Zealand singer Hollie Smith will play two concerts in Central Hawke...

Local News

An extra ambulance and new frontline ambulance staff are to be based at the St John Waipukurau station from next month. In a statement, St John spokesperson Dave Richards, said the organisation is pleased to confirm that from the 1st of September, the Waipukurau station will welcome a new ambulance and six new frontline ambulance staff, bringing the vehicle fleet to two ambulances and one First Response Unit. Mr Richards said the new ambulance will be rostered on from 6am till midnight, seven d...

Mayor and four Councillors return, Ruataniwha ward to be contested

Central Hawke’s Bay District Council is welcoming back their Mayor and four sitting Councillors, while a contest is on for the remaining four seats on Council. When local government nominations closed at noon today, Alex Walker was re-elected unopposed as Central Hawke’s Bay Mayor for a third term. Four sitting Councillors - Kate Taylor, Tim Aitken, Jerry Greer, and Brent Muggeridge – were also re-elected unopposed in the Aramoana / Ruahine ward. Meanwhile, five candidates have p...

Local News

Emergency services were called after a truck and trailer left the road and took out a power pole on Wednesday night. The incident happened on State Highway 2 between Fraser Road and Taniwha Daffodils about 8.30pm. A police spokesperson said the trailer drifted off the edge of the road, with the truck forced to go with it to avoid a rollover. Traffic management was put in place while the scene was cleared. Power was cut to more than 100 Centralines customers for nearly four hours. It is understoo...

Local News

Police have seized firearms, drugs, and cash after executing warrants in Hawke’s Bay and Taupō yesterday. The search warrants resulted from a two-month investigation focusing on the recruitment of legitimate firearms licence holders to purchase firearms on behalf of known criminal entities. Detective Inspector Albie Alexander said seven people were arrested and will face charges of unlawfully supplying firearms, participating in an organised criminal group, attempting to pervert the course of...