From more candidate forums, to Frimley Pool decommissioning, to meatball victory, to Unison sports awards for kids, to holiday programme for autistic children, to newsletters from HB Knowledge Bank and MTG, to dismal waiting time scores for HB Hospital’s emergency department, here’s some news you might have missed.
More candidate forums
NZ Taxpayers Union is hosting a debate for Hastings mayoral candidates on Monday 8 Sep at 7pm at the Havelock North Community Centre.
Hear from candidates for the Hastings/Havelock North ward council seats at the Common Room Bar, Heretaunga St West on Tuesday 9 Sep at 6pm.
A forum for Napier mayoral candidates will be held Wed 10 Sep, 5pm at the Taradale Club, 55 Wharerangi Road, Greenmeadows.
And learn about Māori wards at this forum on Thu 11 Sep, 7pm at St Columba’s Church, 176 Gloucester St, Taradale. Speakers include Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst, Hastings Councillor Heather Te Au-Skipworth and HBRC Councillor Neil Kirton.
Frimley Pool to be decommissioned
The Frimley Pool complex is to be decommissioned, with the pool infrastructure removed following an extensive review of the facility’s ongoing viability.
The grandstand, main pool buildings, including the changing rooms, plant room, office space and fencing, would be retained for potential future recreational use.
In September 2024, a condition assessment found up to $110,000 of urgent repairs would be required to reopen, and more than $750,000 in maintenance costs to keep the facility operating for a further five years.
In reviewing the future of the complex, Council called for Registrations of Interest from sporting and recreation groups, however the process yielded no viable external partners to repurpose the complex.
Funding for the decommissioning work has been identified within the 2025/26 and 2026/27 operational budgets.
Meatballs a smash
The Hastings Meatball Festival, first held in March this year, was awarded the Best Food, Beverage or Lifestyle Event 2025 gong at the NZ Events Association Awards. The festival was one of six finalists from around the country.
Drawing on Hastings’ long-standing and unique relationship with the humble meatball, introduced nearly 50 years ago through the Dutch ‘bitterballen’, which first appeared at the Lilac Bakery, the festival was designed to honour this local legacy, while showcasing the creativity of Hastings’ hospitality scene and raising the profile of Heretaunga Hastings as a culinary destination.
In total, 22 food vendors took part, serving 30 unique meatball creations, ranging from porky, saucy and spicy as well as gluten-free, vegetarian, and even a vegan “neatball”.
With sponsorship support from TW Group and Progressive Meats, it attracted 5,000 people from Hastings, the wider Hawke’s Bay and New Zealand, and 15,000 meatballs were sold in just three hours.
Another Meatball Festival is in the planning … start dieting.
This is the second consecutive year a Hastings event has won this category, following on from Taste Hastings, which picked up the same title in 2024.
Unison Medal Ceremonies
Local power lines company, Unison Networks has celebrated the close of the junior winter sports season across its regions, recognising young players who consistently demonstrate discipline, fair play and great work ethic both on and off the turf, court, and field.
This month, more than 640 young hockey, netball, football and rugby players were recognised at the 2025 Unison Medal Ceremonies held at the Napier Municipal Theatre, marking the 17th year of the Unison Medal initiative, part of its Greatest Supporter Programme. A further 26 Unison Medals were awarded to junior hockey players in Taupō this season, reflecting the programme’s reach across Unison’s regions.
Unison Group General Manager Customer, Commercial and Regulatory, Jason Larkin said the ceremonies continue to be one of the highlights of the year for the consumer-owned company.
“The Unison Medal is about recognising the players who might not always be the fastest or the highest scorers, but who set the standard through their attitude and the way they support their teammates. Those values are not only important in sport, they’re vital in powering thriving communities.”
“Our Greatest Supporter Programme is an important way we can help educate children and their families about staying safe around electricity,” Mr Larkin said.
School holiday programme for autistic children
Three years ago, mother Miriam Brady and teacher Anne-Marie Perry Smith created the Autism Respite Community (A.R.C.). The main goal of A.R.C. is for parents and caregivers of autistic children to meet and relax for a short time during the school holidays while their children can also meet and be meaningfully engaged.
As Anne-Marie writes: “For parents of autistic children, school holidays present a unique set of challenges. While many families might enjoy trips to the park or casual outings, families with autistic children face far more complex needs, from managing sensory sensitivities to ensuring safety in unfamiliar environments. Typical social interactions that many take for granted — like chatting with other parents while children play — are often out of reach.”
Today, A.R.C. provides structured, meaningful holiday programs, offering children the opportunity to explore their interests in safe, sensory-friendly environments. Activities range from sessions at Omni Gym to art programs with MIChalk at Napier Family Centre, visits to the Hau Moana petting zoo, rock-pooling at Westshore Beach, and even music therapy sessions. And now a session at The Sensory Hub in Taradale. Each of these experiences is carefully designed to meet the diverse needs of autistic children, allowing them to engage, learn, and play at their own pace.
More importantly, A.R.C. offers respite for parents and caregivers, giving them a chance to connect, relax, and recharge—something that is often rare in their day-to-day lives.
Newsletter news
This week from …
And MTG
Targets missed for ED wait times
HB Hospital’s emergency department is one of NZ’s better performers on terms of waiting times, but even so met the Government’s target only one day in the measured period, according to data leaked to the Labour Party.
The Government has set targets of 77% of patients being seen within six hours in EDs for 2025/26 … and ultimately 95% by 2030.
Over a one-week window in August, HB Hospital ranged from 60.4% to 81.3% being seen within the six-hour target … so one day above target, the rest below.
Major city hospitals are far off the target – Auckand City Hospital at worst, just 34.4%; Middlemore worst at 44.6%, Wellington worst at 39%, Dunedin worst at 35.9%. Only two hospitals regularly met or exceeded the 77% target for 2025/26 — Whangārei and Timaru.
National claims more ‘validated’ data indicates the national average was 74.2%.
No to Mayor Wise.
No to Maori Wards.
No to corruption and undemocratic practices.
The council got no responce from people to help the frimley pools necause the council has madr up its mind to rubbish the pools ftom years of council neglect.uoung drownings mean nothing .this council has to go . The young of hastings should not hsve to travel to clive havelock nth or flaxmere.This is a slap around the head of all rate payers who helped suport the frimley pools over the last 3 generations.Hope you enjpy your opera hose and old miniciple buildings that only the wealthy can a
fford to use.
I needed to usr a toilet at 11am on a thursday waiting fot the social club to open and not one of the 6 or 8 toilets in the municiple building was unlocked.What the business staff use in the complex beggers belief.maybe the council has supplied a potty. We ended up having to walk around the corner to warren st. Which have not been able to use recently as one was blocked and tjos ead only 10 min after the council staff were seen playing with their phones in the play area with their truck parked on the footpath outside the toilets..The council staff are telling the councillors what to do instead of the other way round. Givr us councillors who are in charge and transparent not hiding behind the phone system.