Featured
- Amalgamation options floated
HB’s councils have retained two politically astute facilitators to help sort their reorganisation options in response to the Government’s Head Start ‘invitation’ –… Read more: Amalgamation options floated
Environment
- Political Update:
[As published in July/August 2026 BayBuzz magazine] Beyond the business-as-usual matters of finalising budgets and rates and delivering basic services, the chief areas of focus are council reorganisation, consolidation of water services, and water security. In each of these areas, most of the current activity is out of public view. Amalgamation Yes, it’s time to… Read more: Political Update: - Home solar – a cross-party chip shot?
Who has the hottest home solar plan? The National Party (with its Home Energy Fund) and Labour (with Solar Saver) have gone to battle over home solar, each offering similar plans that would incentivise home solar installation through low-interest loans, secured by property, repayable via homeowners’ rates. Labour’s proposed policy added some flourishes – making… Read more: Home solar – a cross-party chip shot? - Wastewater upgrade requires Texas drillers
An international drilling company will carry out specialist work as part of a major upgrade of the East Clive Wastewater Treatment Plant, near Hastings. Team Inc, whose headquarters are in Texas, will work alongside New Zealand’s Seipp Construction, which was awarded the $23 million contract to deliver the upgrade by Hastings District Council. The upgrade… Read more: Wastewater upgrade requires Texas drillers - All-electric bus fleet for HB
Napier and Hastings will have an all-electric urban bus fleet starting in 2027. Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has awarded New Zealand family-owned Tranzit Group a new nine-year contract to deliver the urban bus services that will support the 2027 Public Transport Network. Replacing Go Bus, the contract is expected to start on 1 August 2027,… Read more: All-electric bus fleet for HB
Culture
- The BUZZ:
Collaborators, Winter exhibition highlights, Italian Film Festival [As published in July/August 2026 Baybuzz magazine] Collaborators What’s more of a collaboration in our region than this: the hard-working, hearty people our local wine industry, a community-spirited bunch of voluntary committee members, a line-up of generous and committed sponsors, an audience of supportive, wine-loving bidders and buyers,… Read more: The BUZZ: - A Matariki feast
[As published in July/August 2026 BayBuzz magazine.] I first met Te Rangi Huata in 2001 when I was a stall-holder and manager of the Farmers’ Market. Te Rangi was instrumental in the national rekindling of the neglected flame of Matariki. He suggested that the Farmers’ Market was a good place to celebrate the event. So… Read more: A Matariki feast - Italian Film Festival returns to HB
Tickets are on sale for the popular Italian Film Festival as it returns to Hawke’s Bay in July with a carefully curated season of 27 films for those craving a tour of Italy without having to leave the country this winter. In its eleventh year, the nation-wide festival is owned and organised by local film… Read more: Italian Film Festival returns to HB - Craggy Range wines earn global recognition
Three Craggy Range wines have earned top accolades at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), the world’s largest and most rigorously judged wine competition. Now in its 23rd year, DWWA 2026 saw close to 17,000 wines from 57 countries blind-tasted by 245 of the world’s leading wine judges. The 2025 Te Muna, Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc… Read more: Craggy Range wines earn global recognition