Mayor Yule, meet Mayor Arnott. As much as you claim you and other local elected leaders have linked arms to put amalgamation on the agenda, consider this … You indeed put it on the agenda. And it was considered perfunctorily, then declared dead on arrival (unless you’re talking Hastings and, maybe, CHB). Evidence? Read this […]
Posted inEnvironment
Want to save on electricity?
Consumer NZ just sent out its winter reminder that many consumers would save money by comparison shopping for their electricity. The headline on their release claimed: NZ households could save $388 on average by switching energy plans. But the release noted, “Annually, only 20% of households switch. The majority of those are people moving homes, with […]
Posted inEnvironment
Wairoa not a sacrificial lamb
I am very concerned that our Wairoa District Council and community aspirations for the future of Wairoa, as demonstrated through our Long Term Plan, do not align with the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s Long Term Plan vision. Central Government isn’t helping us to stop our Wairoa farms being blanket planted into trees and we are […]
Posted inCulture
Kudos to Megan Peacock-Coyle
Megan Peacock-Coyle, manager of Toitoi Arts and Events Centre (HB Opera House) has recently been recognised by two new appointments. The first is onto Creative New Zealand’s advisory board (Te Rōpū Mana Toi) alongside other arts leaders at the top of their fields in Aotearoa. Te Rōpū Mana Toi was created to inform and advance […]
Posted inCommunity
Loosen your belts… FAWC’s back
Now in its eighth year, Winter FAWC (Food and Wine Classic) is about to hit our tastebuds, our wallets and our waistlines when it kicks off in June. Hosted over the four weekends in June and featuring over 40 events, there’s something to satiate every foodie or drink aficionado. Highlights of this winter’s offering include […]
Posted inEnvironment
Māori marine programme will rock boats
Last Wednesday (14 April) saw a major milestone achieved for Hawke’s Bay and New Zealand. A Marine Cultural Health Programme developed over the last year and a half in partnership between mana whenua hapū of Ahuriri and Napier Port was launched. Tangaroa Tohu Mana, Tangaroa Tohu Mauri. The programme promises real-time monitoring of the Ahuriri marine […]
Posted inEnvironment
Get your wood … dry!
Cold weather is creeping in, and heaps of BayBuzz readers stay warm via wood burners. But make sure you use dry wood, otherwise you’re creating an air quality (i.e., health) hazard. Regional Council Procurement Lead Mark Heaney says it’s important for people to check the wood they buy is fit for purpose. “Buying wood this […]
Posted inBusiness/Economy
Livestock exports banned
After a two-year review, the Government has decided to ban the export by sea of all livestock. The independent National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC), which advises ministers on animal welfare issues, advised that the practice should stop. Exporters say 110,000 cattle were exported for breeding over the last calendar year, representing more than $300 […]
Posted inCommunity
Raukatauri : music changing lives
Three years ago, the Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre extended its presence into Hawke’s Bay from Auckland, its services set up here by Registered Music Therapist, Australian Will Darbyshire. Music therapy is relatively new in this country compared with elsewhere, however in Auckland the not-for-profit serves the needs of 500+ people. It was founded in 2004 […]
Posted inPolitics
Councils release draft Long Term Plans
Our region’s five Councils* have now released their Long Term Plans (LTPs) for the coming decade, and along with the plans is an opportunity for ratepayers to have their say. CHB Council’s LTP consultation was held from 1st to 31st March so submissions are now closed, but the other councils are calling for feedback and submissions […]
Posted inCulture
NSO + Prima Volta collaborate
Kay Bazzard In an exciting opportunity for the thirty or so teenagers of Project Prima Volta, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra is presenting ‘Broadway Matinee’ – a concert for the whole family to be performed on 18 April, 2pm at the Municipal Theatre, Napier. The best and brightest young singers from across Hawke’s Bay are joining the […]
Posted inCulture
Name your Foodie Legend!
Here at BayBuzz, we’ve been celebrating the heroes and stalwarts of our flourishing food scene for years. Characters, pioneers, risk takers and taste makers – these people are the backbone of Hawke’s Bay Food and Wine Country. Now’s your chance to shed a little more light on individual stars, with Cuisine Magazine and F.A.W.C! (the delicious Food […]
Posted inCommunity
Tennis tourney serves up smash donation
Anna Jepson and Sue Lock are legends. Each year the duo put on a tennis event to raise funds for Hastings Women’s Refuge, this year raising $12,000. Held last week, the Hastings Women’s Refuge Charity Tennis Tournament saw 64 players across eight courts slug it out, with the semifinals and finals held at Anna’s home […]
Posted inEnvironment
Marine species coming our way?
Examining data on nearly 50,000 species, a NZ/Australia research team has found that marine species are fleeing north and south from the Equator to escape globally warming waters. Tropical waters have typically held the richest species populations, with numbers tapering off as you head toward the poles. Their study was published this month by the […]
Posted inEnvironment
Karamū Stream Rescue
The Karamū stream, our Karamū, is one of the most polluted waterways in Hawke’s Bay. That is an absolute shocker. That is simply not acceptable. Will you help us Rescue the Karamū? With your help it can once again be a stream for kids to play in and on. A couple of months ago, about […]
Posted inEnvironment
Kudos to Fonterra
BayBuzz is generally wary of dairying, because of its dismal environmental track record. So we were pleasantly surprised to see an account of steps Fonterra is taking to reduce its GHG footprint. The dairy business accounts for 20% of NZ’s entire greenhouse gas emissions – of that 90% comes from on-farm emissions (i.e., mainly the […]
Posted inBusiness/Economy
Which industries drive HB?
In two encounters this week, BayBuzz got two pictures of who’s ‘big man/woman on campus’ here in Hawke’s Bay, economically speaking. In one case, it appeared the health industry was the big kahuna, with the claim that health employed 5,000-6,000 of Hawke’s Bay workers. At another event, the familiar refrain was that agriculture ran the […]
Posted inCulture
Cherry on Top
Cherry on Top – an exhibition by Bernard Winkels Local artist Bernie Winkels has a new show opening soon at Boyd Dunlop Gallery. ‘Cherry on Top’ had the working title ‘rants and raves’. That says a lot about how Winkles sees the world; his work is full of references to things he cares passionately about. […]
Posted inBusiness/Economy
Labour Govt caps fruit industry
“We have made it clear to sector representatives that under current Covid constraints … it is still unlikely that we will be able to bring in the sort of RSE worker numbers next season that were able to come here pre-Covid,” says Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi. If these words stand, the Labour Government will have […]
Posted inEnvironment
Win/win water proposal
In recent days, the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council announced a new chunk of money to finally determine the feasibility of expanding an existing private lake to provide greater water security for depleted streams in the Bridge Pa area, ultimately feeding into the Karamu Stream. The first beneficiary of such a scheme would be the environment […]
Posted inCommunity
The Buzz turns 1
This e-newsletter – The Buzz – was born of necessity in the first week of April a year ago. The Government had banned magazine publishing as a health hazard. And the ban itself turned out to be a health hazard … for magazines! A number of venerated magazines died; some are reviving in altered ownership and form. […]
