From ice skating, to honoured youth artists, to HB solar award, to participation in flood resilience planning, to local iwi health agency, to waste minimization grants, to Sustainable HB news, to welcome Napier-Wairoa bridge upgrade, here are some notable items you might have missed.
Ice skating anyone?
As winter supposedly ends, here’s your last chance … 5 October
At the Tōmoana Showgrounds Ice Rink. Whether you’re a skilled skater or a first-timer, the rink welcomes all. No time limits, No bookings required, just all out icy fun.
Skate Helpers are available for an additional charge & subject to availability. 12yrs & under it is compulsory to wear a helmet, there are some available to use free of charge but it is recommended you take your own.
Tickets available from https://chilledevents.flicket.co.nz/
Exhibition Hall – Tōmoana Showgrounds, Kenilworth Rd, Hastings
10.00am to 10.00pm
$25.00 per adult, $20.00 per child, $15.00 per 3-5yrs + bf, family passes available.
HB young artists to exhibit at Te Papa
The artwork of eight Hawke’s Bay students from four schools has been selected for a national showcase – the 2025 National Ringa Toi Student Exhibition of Excellence in Māori art. The exhibition is held at Te Papa in Cliff Whiting’s spectacular wharenui.
Our student artists:
- Illusion Nuku-Keefe, Manea Tamaiva-Eria, Keiisha Rima-Ngamotu from William Colenso College
- Kaya Te Whaiti-Keefe from Tamatea High School
- Charlii Potts and Madi Foote from Taradale High School
- Wyntah Green-Thom from Havelock North High School
The artworks will be on display at Te Papa from Monday, September 15 to September 28. If you happen to be in Wellington. Otherwise, these youth artworks and others will be exhibited 14-27 November at CAN gallery, Napier.
HB solar winner
The Sustainable Energy Association NZ has honoured HB’s Freenergy Solar Solutions with its 2025 Best Small Business Award. Congrats to Aaron Duncan and his team.
The award recognises Freenergy’s contribution to building energy resilience across Hawke’s Bay, with over 1MW of solar installed in the last 12 months across schools, businesses, community facilities and homes.
More info here, including a nifty video.
Help shape HB’s flood resilience future
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is asking residents to help decide the next steps to shape the future of flood resilience across the region. Following Cyclone Gabrielle and the Hawke’s Bay Independent Flood Review findings, the Council is asking for community guidance on reducing flood risk for current and future generations.
The Reimagining Flood Resilience project focuses on Heretaunga Plains and Upper Tukituki flood control schemes, which together help safeguard the majority of the region’s population.
How to get involved?
Join a Stakeholder Reference Group:Anyone can sign up, with participants randomly selected to reflect community diversity. These groups will put forward ideas, review options and guide priorities for flood mitigation. Sign up is open 8 – 30 September 2025.
Complete the community survey: available from 3 November 2025.
The region already has $450 million in flood resilience infrastructure, with around another $250 million spend planned by 2027. Climate change is increasing severe weather frequency and intensity, requiring additional investment. Implementing all potential engineering solutions could cost $600million – potentially doubling rates if fully funded by ratepayers.
NKII to establish its own Iwi Health Authority
Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated (NKII) plans to establish the Te Toka Tū Moana o Ngāti Kahungunu (Kahungunu Health Authority).
The Authority will begin by integrating existing health programmes and expanding its reach through strategic partnerships with local providers, national agencies, and Māori health experts. It will also invest in workforce development, data sovereignty, and innovative models of care that honour mātauranga Māori. Key priorities for the first year include, strengthening access to primary and mental health services across the rohe, supporting rangatahi wellbeing through targeted initiatives, building a whānau-first workforce pipeline rooted in Kahungunu values and establishing robust systems for measuring impact and accountability.
Te Toka Tū Moana o Ngāti Kahungunu will be launched at the inaugural Ngāti Kahungunu Health Symposium on 22 October at Toitoi, Hastings.
CEO of Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi and former Chair of Health Hawke’s Bay, Chrissie Hape says, “Many of our whānau are suffering in silence. We have an estimated 9,000 whānau Māori not enrolled in a General Practice in Hawke’s Bay alone with most GP Practices registers not taking on new patients. It is unacceptable that whānau are not able to access affordable basic primary care services in 2025. The high number of whānau showing up at emergency departments across our rohe is testament to that. We must do better.”
Waste minimisation grants on offer
Hastings District Council’s Large Waste Minimisation Fund has helped many big waste reduction projects to come to life, and applications are now open for the next funding round.
Offering between $10,000 and $50,000, the fund is available to Hastings individuals, community groups, businesses, mana whenua and schools. This funding comes from the national waste disposal levy which is collected on every tonne of waste sent to landfills across Aotearoa.
For anyone keen to apply, Council’s waste team will be on hand to help at the Hastings Library on 25 September and 16 October from 4pm to 7pm.
Applications for the large fund close 27 October 2025. Find out more and apply at hastingsdc.govt.nz/waste
Past examples include:
- Nourished for Nil, who expanded their food rescue warehouse, preventing more kai from going to landfill.
- Progressive Leathers, trialling innovative ways to turn waste pelts into protein for pet food.
- Tumu Timbers, who installed a commercial composting system to process staff food scraps.
- Waiohiki Marae, who set up bilingual waste stations to reduce landfill rubbish.
- Be a Waste Warrior School, a schools programme encouraging tamariki to lead the way in waste reduction.
Small grants up to $10,000 are also available and applications are considered each month from February to November.
Sustainable Hawke’s Bay on the move
Sustainable HB is indeed moving … in location and with a raft of projects. Also seeking your feedback on a survey.
All in their latest e-newsletter.
Great news for Wairoa-Napier travellers
Larger, wider, heavier vehicles can now travel through Waikare Gorge, following the installation of the new ‘Acrow’ bridge on State Highway 2.
The work, which has been months in the making, means HPMV permitted vehicles, and more over-dimensional vehicles can now use the bridge, opening up SH2 between Napier and Gisborne as a full HPMV route.
The Acrow bridge is 1 metre wider than the Bailey bridge and it has a chipseal surface already applied to the decking.
With the permanent two lane Waikare Gorge realignment project progressing, the Acrow bridge will serve as an interim upgrade to maintain access, support heavier, wider traffic until the realignment is complete. The project team expects to start construction on the 4km realignment of SH2 and new permanent two-lane bridge next year.
Oh dear lord, Bayden wants to segregate further. The surprise! Keep people off the beaches, takes money from the taxpayer to benefit himself and his ‘tribe’ and now wants to sponsor his own health authority. Actually do it if you want but expect NO MORE $ FROM THE TAXPAYER! No more handouts.