An Abbott St house fire on Tuesday morning started in the area of the front porch Firefighters got there in time to stop it spreading further after 111 calls from neighbours It was the second fire at the house in three days A second fire at an Abbott St house in the space of three days appears to have been deliberately lit Emergency services were called to the Kāinga Ora house in Te Hapara, Gisborne at around 11am on Saturday after a fire started in the lounge Firefighters put it out and damage was limited to that room and smoke damage to an adjoining kitchen Fire and Emergency New Zealand received 111 calls from neighbours about another fire in the front of the same home “It was set from the outside near the front door,” a senior firefighter said “There was not a lot of new damage caused but it has been treated as suspicious.” The second fire was extinguished before it took hold The family living in the home had been relocated after the Saturday fire Police were called in following the second fire and mounted a scene guard until fire investigators arrived later in the morning Firefighters attended a garden shed fire on a property in Edison St “The shed was pretty much destroyed,” the senior firefighter said Kelsey Teneti helped the Black Ferns 7s win the world title in Los Angeles Hat-tricks to Leach-Waihi and McKay in 10-try blitz He piko he tuna is about resilience and love the despite challenges of life including 340 travel buyers from 26 countries Long-distance W1 national crowns went to Horouta's Hine Brooking and Akayshia Williams Four people have been arrested and charged after a police pursuit The seismic strengthening of Gisborne's West Lake Hotel is complete GGisborne Boys' High First XI chasing first points in away clash McMurray/Jackson top 69 in Wednesday competition OPINION: Gisborne Council challenged on meeting attendance and state of Waimata Valley Rd Sky TV outlines what customers need to do ahead of satellite switchover in mid-April Settled weather boosts Gisborne's 2025 wine vintage 'Real celebration': Mini fans' charity drive raises thousands for KidsCan What remains of iconic Waipaoa Station is to go into pinus radiata trees Closing lap fills 'whole 400 metres' of track as fundraiser exceeds expectations BIZminton 2025 starts this week for social and competitive badminton players Westpac Gisborne aims to beat last year's $15,000 local fundraising total Gisborne's Pardoe and Smith make age group finals as next-gen showcase their potential Improvement at the breakdown key to victory Gisborne Engineering and their general manager named finalists in new national awards Century of participation ends after YMP women fail to get numbers Both sides go into Barry Park clash unbeaten so far this season Northerlies developing for a time in the afternoon and evening 'The team have nailed it – it’s a strategy that everyone can understand.' a new industry touted as a potential saviour has run into roadblocks Mercedes-AMG has released a limited run with the livery of a fictional team from the movie The Rolls-Royce Phantom has turned 100 years old although passenger/SUV models are holding up REVIEW: Kim Mitchell 'owns the stage' as a small-time singer with big-time dreams Principal Mark Harris said the win builds real pride in being part of Te Wharau Waihape perfection highest start of night in TAK darts Clear division between top four and the rest after four rounds enthusiasm and passion in tournament for Zimbabwean expatriates Māori health provider gave 560 flu vaccines as part of a winter preparedness campaign What's on in Tairāwhiti Gisborne this weekend; junior surf comp The consent conditions balance enabling forestry with protection of the environment 'We need more doctors; we need more nurses.' The council consulted on excluding 'sensitive site provisions' in the CBD Huge boost for London-based Gisborne judoka as she eyes LA 2028 Specialist fire investigators have an inquiry under way into a fire on Saturday afternoon that swept through two sheds a caravan and the rear of a house in Ngaio St in Te Hapara Fire devastated a Ngaio St property in Te Hapara on Saturday afternoon and strong southerly winds fanned the flames to burn a shed next door It was one of two major fires in Tairāwhiti on Saturday after flames consumed a woolshed in Muriwai Fire and Emergency New Zealand received the first 111 calls about the blaze about 5pm “It started in a shed on the main property spread to a caravan alongside that shed and from there the flames spread to the rear of the house,” a senior firefighter said “The fire also spread into a shed on the boundary of the property alongside it “A resident tried to tackle the fire with a garden hose – tried to slow it down – but it was beyond his capability.” The fire destroyed the two sheds and the caravan and caused extensive damage to the rear of the house “The house sustained 50% fire damage and 100% smoke damage,” the senior firefighter said “The fire crews did an amazing job in stopping the fire from spreading further into the house and also from stopping it reaching the house next door.” The owner of the home where the fire started said she and her family were “pretty devastated” We were so lucky the fire happened in the afternoon and not in the dead of night.” The family were alerted when they saw flames in the shed but it got too much for me,” said Gaine Carrington “I think if the wind had not got up I might have been able to contain it Because of the wind the fire spread so fast.” irreplaceable family photographs on a back wall destroyed in the fire it could have been a lot worse,” Danielle Carrington said Her father said the firefighters did a top job and saved a lot of the house and contents Neighbour Samuel Moeke lost nearly everything in his shed “We heard a loud noise and went outside to see smoke pouring across towards our house,” he said “Then we saw the fire starting in our shed I was pretty calm but I felt urgency to get stuff out of the way of the flames Without their work our house would have gone up Fire crews spent several hours dampening down after it took them about an hour to put out the fire Specialist fire investigators were called in firefighters were called to a woolshed fire at Muriwai’s Wairakaia Station “We saw the smoke from the fire as we were leaving the city,” a senior firefighter said “The woolshed was fully involved when we got there and the roof had caved in.” It took multiple crews several hours to extinguish it Rob Faulkner said it could not have happened at a worse time “It was started by some sort of electrical fault We smelt smoke from our home 600 metres away then heard a loud explosion and saw a mushroom cloud of smoke in the sky It was a community facility that hosted all sorts of get-togethers.” The woolshed was built 40 years ago by Rob’s father Rodney from timber planted by their forebears Firefighters responded to a third call on Saturday at 8pm A small fire had started in the wall of a house at Te Karaka “The residents tackled it with a hose and had it out by the time a fire crew from the Te Karaka volunteer brigade arrived,” a senior firefighter said 'This is not something we’ve seen before.' Co-founders Erana Ngakuru and Amy Wray have announced the closure of Gisborne eatery and school lunch provider An award-winning Gisborne business that supplied thousands of lunches daily to local schools is closing its doors after the Government’s new school lunches programme more than halved its contract The founders of Puku Ora say changes with the national school lunch funding model meant they lost a core part of their business Companies Register records show Puku Ora had liquidators appointed via a special resolution of the company shareholders on January 29 licensed insolvency practitioners from McDonald Vague Insolvency The company is fully owned by co-founders Erana Ngakuru and Amy Wray in a 50-50 partnership the local eatery provided lunches to 10 schools – serving 2800 meals daily - but that dropped to four schools this year as a result of the coalition Government’s new school lunches programme The programme was delivered through the national business model The School Lunch Collective Wray and Ngakura won the Pakihi Whai Ora and Supreme Overall awards at the Māori Women’s Development Inc Māori Businesswomen Awards in 2024 They officially announced Puku Ora’s closure together through a social media video posted last week with the Ministry of Education’s decision to go with the national provider for school lunches .. we have lost a core part of our business which has made it extremely difficult to continue operating,” Wray said “We’re a bit heartbroken to have to say goodbye and over the years we’ve poured our hearts into this place Ngakuru said the decision to close was not easy “But as hard as it is to close this chapter we believe that new beginnings will come of it we hope that the vision and journey will.” Ngakura said they were choosing to step back and focus on their families and children “and most importantly our own hauora [health]” “We’ve always believed in the kaupapa of living in the highest form of wellness and now it’s time for us to walk that path ourselves.” Associate Minister of Education David Seymour said the priority of the school lunches programme was delivering lunches to students at an affordable cost to the taxpayer “It was impossible to justify the old model when it’s possible to deliver the programme at half the cost,” he said We now have a programme that costs the taxpayer $170 million per year Should we almost double that and spend an additional $130 million to get the same result for the children?” Seymour said they had embraced commercial expertise used government buying power and generated supply chain efficiencies to realise cost savings Nearly 20 businesses and their supplier partners make up The School Lunch Collective and have been contracted for the new programme The Gisborne Herald reported on the concerns of local school principals last week who shared concerns about packaging and nutrition of the new meals and has picked up Puku Ora’s previous customers – Riverdale Website intended for a New Zealand health professional readership zshahtahmasebi@nzdoctor.co.nz Gisborne’s The Doctors Te Whare Hapara prides itself on its legacy of family-oriented general practice Kia ora and welcome to New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa Not a subscriber? Unlock this article by subscribing here. Hall discusses the evaluation of thyroid nodules which primarily aims to determine the likelihood of malignancy He then reviews the treatment of thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa Online is intended for a New Zealand health professional readership. Use of this site implies acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Statement New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa Online is not a consumer medical advice service Consumers should seek advice from a health professional and not act in reliance on any statement contained in the information provided Residents have gathered at Gisborne's Tatapouri fishing club to raise a glass to the three men they call "good buggers" who died at sea The names of the three fishermen whose bodies were found on the Māhia coastline on Wednesday morning have been formally released and 38-year-old Damien Macpherson of Te Karaka failed to return from a fishing trip on Monday Police say their deaths will be referred to the coroner Tatapouri fishing club members have described the loss of their friends as tragic It was Damien's twin brother who found the men this morning When two men were spotted alive by a container ship on Tuesday everyone was holding out for a miracle - but hopes were soon dashed when the Coastguard could not reach them and the search was paused With atrocious conditions preventing a sea search on Tuesday "Every boat in this harbour would have gone out if they could .. wanting to go out in the IRBs [inflatable rescue boats] They would have done anything to bring those boys home." But Aitken and other locals told RNZ they were grateful the sea returned the men to their whānau had taken the day off work and headed to the club instead having "ummed and ahhed" after seeing Higgins' Facebook post asking if any friends wanted to head out fishing But he decided against it as he had too much work to do "Especially to hear that they'd been spotted alive and they had their chance with that ship going past." It was horrible to think what must have been going through his friends' minds as they saw the ship Everyone now wanted to support the men's whānau Meanwhile, Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell - who headed to Tai Rāwhiti today amid wild weather - praised the efforts of search crews "There was obviously a serious attempt to try and rescue them for our Coastguard crew that did a valiant effort to try and get through what was atrocious weather conditions to try and get to them It would have been a tough call to pause the search effort last night Friends of one of the three fishers set up a fundraising page to help his family pay for an unexpected funeral The three missing fishermen face second night at sea as the Gisborne community continues to wait anxiously for news It's unknown if fishermen spotted in the water made it to a life raft dropped in the area Those missing are members of the Tatapouri fishing club and "very experienced" fishermen New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News Mangapapa students give it their all at the Turanganui Schools Māori Festival this week Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air Thousands of tamariki from across Tairāwhiti took the stage this week at the Tūranganui Schools Māori Cultural Festival This year is the 39th year of the annual event which brings together local schools to perform kapa haka waiata and kanikani (dance) they have been practising throughout the year Tūranganui Schools Māori Cultural Festival chairwoman Roschelle Koia said it had been an amazing week “Every year each school increases their skills and step it up to the next level The festival was an opportunity for tauira (students) to connect with their heritage build confidence and develop performance skills in a supportive environment “It fosters cultural pride and understanding encouraging students to embrace te reo Māori and Māori tikanga while strengthening community ties.” friends and other students enjoyed watching the different performances at the Showgrounds Events Centre About 90 schools took part this year - some performances featuring the entire school Koia said Thursday was a big day with Kaiti School bringing their whole kura onstage and many of their whānau turning up to watch them Koia sent a big mihi to kapa haka tutors Tahua Pihema and Pura Kerekere-Tangira who help teach about 30 different kura across Gisborne which is allowing our kids to be who they are and be proud to be Māori.” Koia and others working at TSMF are volunteers and take time off from their usual mahi to support the kaupapa “We take the week off from our regular duties to ensure we honour ngā tumanako [hopes] and aspirations of those who have paved the way before us and to uphold the legacy for those who will come after.” Koia thanked all those who volunteered to help with the festival including included Te Whare Tūranga and Rick Paenga A big celebration is planned for the 40th anniversary of the festival next year “We hope to keep this kaupapa going for another 40 more.” Matai O’Connor has been a journalist for five years and Kaupapa Māori reporter at the Gisborne Herald for two years this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read at the Turanganui Schools Cultural Festival yesterday were Manutu - one of three groups from Te Hapara School taking part with schools allotted 15 minute spots to present their bracket of items Nearly 90 groups have been scheduled to perform over the five-day festival at the Farmers Air Showgrounds Event Centre The Turanganui Schools Cultural Festival yesterday was in its second day This map shows the blocks where Kāinga Ora is proposing to build 24 new homes on the corners of Endeavour Street and Centennial Crescent in Te Hapara People will have the chance to find out more about the housing agency’s plans for 100 new homes in Gisborne Plans have been announced to build 100 new state homes across Gisborne Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities will be sharing its plans at a drop-in session on Tuesday at the Kāinga Ora offices in Peel Street (next to the old Post office Building) between 4pm and 6pm “We are interested in feedback from our communities on these plans before they progress further,”  she said “The areas where we are proposing to build are on our existing land that we need to make better use of This may be because the land is vacant due to a house fire or a demolition It may also be where we can replace our much older houses on large sections with more modern Nineteen of the proposed new homes would be accessible to people with mobility challenges They would be built to Full Universal Design standards In Te Hapara 13 homes between Childers Road and Totara Street are planned Another 24 homes are planned for two sites across the road from each other on the corner of Endeavour Street and Centennial Crescent “In Elgin our plans are for 13 homes on the corner of Queens Road and Karaka Street plus a further three new homes in Manuka Street “In Mangapapa six homes across two sites are proposed for Valley Road and another three homes in Winter Street.” over two sites in Tyndall Road and six homes on the corner of Glasgow Crescent and Ranfurly Street Another 16 homes would be built on eight sites throughout Kaiti “These are either one or two homes on each site “Neighbours to all the sites where we are proposing to develop new housing have received an invitation to the drop-in session anyone with an interest in public housing is welcome to come along and find out about our plans “We will also have information available about the recent changes to our financial products that will help people into first home ownership “I must emphasise that the plans we are presenting are early plans that are subject to design and refinement No plans for these homes have been lodged for resource consent and they are all subject to Gisborne District Council’s infrastructure capacity “In Gisborne we have 28 new homes in progress This includes homes that are in construction or in procurement There are also 137 new homes in progress that Kāinga Ora is contracted to purchase from a developer once they are completed.” says she is "excited and relieved" to finally have a permanent home after more than three years in emergency and transitional housing Nine Gisborne families in need of a stable home have celebrated moving into a new Kāinga Ora housing development Many of them did not have the words to describe their relief of leaving emergency housing One mother said she had to move every six months for three years to be in a position where they could finally have a permanent home Children from Te Hapara School - across the road from the development which is situated near the intersection of Gladstone Rd and Mill Rd - performed at the opening ceremony and a blessing was done by kaikarakia Morehu Pewhairangi Single mother-of-six Charmaine Apanui said she felt finally at peace knowing she had found a permanent home for herself and her tamariki after spending three-and-a-half years living in emergency and transitional housing She was only supposed to be in transitional housing for 12 weeks She felt “excited and relieved” to finally have privacy and a place “people can’t just walk into” she was not allowed visitors and constantly had to prove she was searching for a home all the calls you’ve made to check you’re looking for a home and you have to continuously do that over and over every week until you find something “If they spot anybody at your house that’s not you you get a warning and get in trouble,” she said Apanui said she was blessed to have amazing social workers who pushed her to keep trying “They’re the reason I am here moving in today.” According to statistics released by the Ministry of Social Development Gisborne had 57 households (including 75 children) in emergency housing at the end of June - one-third less than it did in March Apanui’s is one of three six-children families moving into the development The Kāinga Ora development was completed last week four three-bedroom homes and one two-bedroom home East North Island regional director Naomi Whitewood said Kāinga Ora was privileged to be able to provide warm comfortable long-term homes for nine whānau “Gisborne is a priority location in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development’s Public Housing Plan and we are committed to meeting our housing targets in the area “These are larger homes and are just across the road from Te Hapara School which was an important consideration when placing people,” she said The new homes have been built on the back of a 5118sq m site that previously held three state homes and vacant land “By increasing the number of homes on this site more whānau will enjoy living in an area that is close to a school and other services.” was the regional manager for the development and said the homes were not intended to be completed until June 25 next year They and Kāinga Ora got together and “worked out a plan to get these nine homes done” Buscke told Local Democracy Reporting the Government’s requirement for Kāinga Ora to reassess its finances caused building to pause momentarily Whitewood said a further four homes were expected to be completed at the development in November “We have resource consent for another eight homes in a three-storey block This stage of the development is currently being assessed as we work through decisions about our future social housing pipeline to ensure the best value for money and alignment with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development priority locations.” 550 people were on the waitlist for social housing in Gisborne according to the Ministry of Housing and Early Development Kāinga Ora has 60 Gisborne homes due to be built by the end of June 2025 and a further 52 homes contracted to be delivered before July Cyclone Gabrielle put pressure on Gisborne’s housing stock in 2023 as hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz said the district was in dire need of more homes The Tairāwhiti region is expected to require an extra 5000 homes by 2050 Gisborne District Council’s Future Development Strategy aims to deliver an additional 5400 new homes to the city and 2235 new homes to already zoned land across the region’s settlements and villages Te Hapara School students have been exploring the wonder of energy this term as part of Engineering New Zealand’s Wonder Project The free nationwide programme for schools is designed to get young Kiwis excited about science and to open their eyes to the possibilities of a future STEM career an electrical engineer from Firstlight Network was a Tairāwhiti ambassador for this year’s Wonder Project He worked with around 80 Year 6 students at Te Hapara School in a number of sessions spread throughout the term “The Wonder Project involves a range of different challenges which poses the question: ‘I wonder how to power a brighter future?’” Mr Whakatope said “Students designed and built blades for a wind turbine to power up an LED city we generated discussions about electricity A key learning was how teamwork can keep the lights on “My role was to guide them through the activities facilitate their learning and answer questions I also gave a presentation about myself and my journey to getting a job as an engineer in the energy sector with students sharing innovative ideas and showing impressive construction skills Hopefully some of the tamariki will go on to become engineers here in Tairāwhiti in the future.” Te Hapara School assistant principal Gabe Perano said the students had benefited from all the Wonder Project challenges they had been involved with this year “The programme is an amazing opportunity for our tamariki to explore topics that are hands-on and use materials not normally available to us “It was fantastic to have our tamariki involved with energetic and enthusiastic role models that they wouldn’t normally connect with Tamariki were inquisitive and engaged in their mahi.” STEM professionals and businesses interested in being part of the Wonder Project can find more information here: www.wonderproject.nz Police say it is "too early to speculate about what has happened and why" Photo / Rebecca Grunwell of The Gisborne Herald A homicide investigation has been launched in Gisborne after a woman died in Te Hapara early this morning Police were called to the Centennial Crescent residential property about 3.45am after reports a woman had a gunshot injury the woman was found deceased at the property "We are in the very early stages of this investigation and we're focused on piecing together the events leading up to the death of our victim," Eastern district crime services manager Detective Inspector Dave de Lange said "It is too early to speculate about what has happened and why and we will share information with the public as we are able "There will be a considerable police presence in the area in coming days as we complete a forensic examination of the property and speak with people in the area." Cordons are in place on Centennial Crescent while police carry out a scene examination Anyone with information is asked to contact police via 105 quoting event number P051111343 Information can also be provide anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 or online via www.crimestoppers-nz.org The Church of the Resurrection and its hall in Childers Rd were deconsecrated and demolished near the end of last year A 107-year-old Anglican church in Gisborne is gone but plans for what will happen in the space left behind have not yet been decided The church’s deconsecration service was held on October 10 and Diocesan Registrar Colleen Kaye said demolition work was done at the end of November and early December of last year An update published by Bishop Andrew Hedge on the Anglican Diocese of Waiapu website explained that the church and hall had come to the end of their usable life “The young people at the service rang the bell 107 times to mark the 107 years of the church’s consecration,” he wrote “There will be time for consultation and conversation so no plans in the immediate future,” Kaye said The original church building was built in 1917 by W Sutherland and consecrated by the Bishop of Waiapu at the time The church was presented a bell from the wreck of SS Star of Canada for use as the church bell in 1920 The St Mark’s church hall was built on Childers Rd in 1960 and the Church of the Resurrection was moved from Cook St in Te Hapara to Elgin to sit on the Childers Rd site at the end of 1972 according to a history compiled by Reverend Stephen Donald vicar of the Te Hapara Anglican Parish from 1994 to 2004 Gisborne couple Joe and Robin Hogan have run the Fish and Chip Club They also used to run a family service once a month on a Saturday morning “Even after this church wasn’t used any longer by the Anglican community we were still able to have Fish and Chip club in that space,” Robin Hogan said “It was a low-key group of about 20 people playing outside then coming inside and having a few songs around the piano then we would have a Bible story and then we would do a craft and then we would have fish and chips afterwards.” They often met people who had been married in the church or were connected in some other way “There are a lot of people who have been connected with that place because it has been there a long She spoke with a woman who used to worship at the church who told her she was sad to see it gone “I said the life of the church is not the building Joe Hogan said the church was host to a wide range of activities which brought people together besides just worship Joe Hogan said the Anglican Whānau Aroha movement was started in Gisborne by two members of the parish – Frances White and Joan Radcliffe He donated the church bell – which came from the wreck of the Star of Canada, which ran aground off Kaiti Beach in 1912 – to Tairāwhiti Museum The captain’s cabin and bridge of the ship are on the banks of the Taruheru River beside Tairāwhiti Museum Some of the church pews went to families with connections to the church Gisborne resident Alison Crosswell said she was shocked to see the church being demolished late last year “My grandfather George Daniel Wallace Sutherland [built] this church in Cook St [and] also [helped] in its shift to Childers Rd,” Crosswell wrote on social media Her mum was baptised in the church in 1917 her oldest brother was christened there and her mum’s funeral service took place there in 2008 Fire and Emergency New Zealand specialist fire investigators went to a Gisborne home in Abbott St on Wednesday to commence an inquiry into how a fire started Two Gisborne men at a house on Abbott St have their dog to thank for waking them as a fire started in their home early on Wednesday morning Fire and Emergency NZ sent crews to the house just before 4.30am “The two adult males in the house were woken by their dog,” a senior firefighter said “One of them told us he wasn’t sure what was happening initially but then he smelt smoke and saw the fire starting “They attempted to hold it with a garden hose but it was beyond them.” The men had been carrying out renovations on the property “It was lucky for them the dog’s barking woke them “The fire appeared to have started on the floor around some electrical components and spread up into the ceiling void.” “It caused substantial damage to the ceiling area Police maintained a scene guard at the property until a specialist fire investigator was called in on Wednesday Investigators found the cause of the fire was accidental “We believe it was the result of some sort of electrical fault,” a fire investigator said The two men living in the home have had to seek accommodation elsewhere It was the third fire incident in Abbott St in less than two weeks. The first two were at one property. The second fire is being treated as arson and remains under police investigation. LeaderBrand has teed up a novel method to help Poverty Bay Golf Club irrigate its course by recycling water used to wash salad greens A 600-metre water pipeline runs from LeaderBrand’s Gisborne salad house under Lytton Rd and along the length of the ninth hole to a lined irrigation pond It helps recycle wash water that would otherwise go to the municipal wastewater treatment system making more irrigation water available for the course and potentially reducing the pressure on the local aquifer Gisborne District Council recently granted a resource consent for LeaderBrand to discharge 675cu m of treated wash water to the pond which is used to irrigate about 13.5ha of tees The wash water was deemed to be of high enough quality to irrigate the course and after trials over the last few months the pipeline has been fully operational since September 19 Poverty Bay Golf Club greenkeeper Rowan Clark said the golf course previously used water from the Te Hapara Sands aquifer “Reductions in the allocation of water from the aquifer have meant that the golf course was facing a water shortfall as it sought to renew its resource consent in 2022,” Clark said “The golf course is situated on light soils and our region can experience dry periods so a reliable supply of irrigation water is critical to keeping our greens tees and fairways in good playing condition This will be an increasing concern with dry weather events occurring more frequently in this region.” LeaderBrand chief executive Richard McPhail said the business as a significant user of water for farm irrigation and processing was conscious of the need for the region to make the most of its water resources we have been looking at new ways we could reuse our processed water from our salad house Over the summer we use the wash water to transport our squash from the fields into our packhouse “This has enabled us to reduce our site’s water use during the squash season and another bonus is that there is sufficient residual sanitiser to allow us to stop using chlorine in the squash packhouse as well,” McPhail said The arrangement required some investment from all parties to introduce monitoring and control equipment “We are extremely grateful to everyone involved in making this project a huge success Everyone has invested a considerable amount of time We’d like to also extend thanks to the Gisborne District Council and Poverty Bay Golf Club personnel for producing a great working system that has found benefits for all parties.” Tui Keenan reclaimed her identity and found her own “food sovereignty” while hunting Now she has dedicated herself to helping whānau and rangatahi at a Gisborne school learn key skills to provide food and connect with their taiao Eventually she hopes this kaupapa can spread to whānau throughout Tairāwhiti schools Keenan, a former police officer known for the Hunting with Tui programme on Whakaata Māori “I’m half Pākehā [and I was] very disconnected from te ao Māori and very ashamed to be Māori due to growing up in Christchurch in the late 70s 13 and 10) began hunting seven years ago to try one of her husband Comrie’s hobbies “I liked to walk in the ngahere (forest/bush) but I didn’t like to kill the animal,” she said I wouldn’t touch the animal but then we made a new year’s resolution that we would fill our freezer with meat and not buy it “I shot my first deer and how I would describe it when you give birth you have these endorphins and hormones go through your body It is my drug of choice to give birth and when I shot my first deer those same chemicals within my body were released and there was this connection being created.” She made a Facebook post about that first hunting experience and not long afterwards a television producer approached her with the pitch that became Hunting with Tui I knew something special would happen going up my mountain the first time “When I let go of my thoughts and really connected with what was happening with my wairua the lies that I had been believing my whole life – about me being inferior as Māori it all exploded and I felt like I was receiving the truth.” Keenan said all her girls were into hunting “My kids are all into it because of what they have been living with for the last seven years They are better shots than me and they really respect the animal watching my girls embrace food sovereignty.” Working for Te Kura Reo Rua o Waikirikiri as a counsellor and in a team called Kaiwhakangau Kai Connect Keenan helps organise trips into the bush for school rangatahi and parents fortnightly meat nights and a Kete Kai (food basket) subscription service Part of the curriculum for Te Kura Reo Rua o Waikirikiri students is learning food preparation skills such as skinning Keenan brings deer meat to the school’s hākari chiller and a qualified butcher takes the dads and kids through cutting up meat once a fortnight “They are taking it home for their families and you can just see this real mana-enhancing connection take place,” Keenan said It is this hand-up approach where you are providing a facility to allow them to connect with food sovereignty.” She saw that fathers were uplifted when they could take the meat home to whānau It is taking the meat home to Mum [and saying] Keenan said it was rewarding seeing the mindset change among the younger students ‘ewww’ if they saw a deer hanging in a tree Keenan and her whānau live in a relatively remote part of the rural East Coast and every two weeks they have either parents staff or students of Te Kura Reo Rua o Waikirikiri visit and stay to connect with the taiao (environment) Visitors join Keenan and her whānau eeling looking for watercress and tending to the maara kai “Everything they eat on their plate is what they have sourced that day from the land “We don’t go hunting as such but there is always meat hanging in the chiller and they’re processing that and cutting it up.” The therapy some students got from being in nature over the two-day experience was powerful she said “When we spend four hours in the bush looking for bush vegetables The bush has taken over and given them the therapy they need “I see myself as a facilitator of the taiao and it is actually the environment that is doing the counselling on my behalf.” Keenan said her “amazing boss” Yolanda Julies, tumuaki of Te Kura Reo Rua o Waikirikiri had allowed her to “reinvent what therapy looks like for our rangatahi” “She created a wellbeing model for her students that is not your regular systemic model A lot of that is around food sovereignty and what that looks like due to the poverty in our community.” Julies said the motivating factor behind the school’s approach to wellbeing was whānau because they were aware of the financial and food scarcity stresses people were under “We also wanted to include whānau in all of our wellbeing practices and we realised that for our kids to be healthy The school’s wellbeing programme developed in 2020 after the first Covid lockdowns Keenan joined the school in 2021 as a whānau facilitator “We kind of modified our model as we went along and discovered all the needs our whānau have," Julies said “We had humble beginnings just looking at an internal lunch model and then we looked at how could we support the internal lunch model and make it more cost-effective Therefore we looked at growing our own maara kai and then the meat was integrated into our model.” Kete Kai is a food basket subscription service run as a trust rolled out to three local schools - Te Kura Reo Rua o Waikirikiri Te Hapara School and Ilminster Intermediate The weekly food baskets comprise locally sourced food and come with printed recipes The children at the schools pack the insulated kete bags and taken them home to their whānau “We are proud to be able to offer our Kete Kai subscription service to the community and we want to roll it out into every Tairāwhiti school," Keenan said it is connecting these whānau to their maunga - to the local land we live on Our food is being sustained by our whenua and it is coming to sustain our people.” James Pocock joined the Gisborne Herald as chief reporter in 2024 after covering environmental local government and post-cyclone issues in Hawke’s Bay He has a keen interest in finding the bigger picture in research and making it more accessible to audiences The right’s eternal hope and belief is that tax cuts will unlock vast amounts of entrepreneurial energy and eventually create a world of plenty in which tax revenues overall will rise This gospel is the very definition of voodoo economics and went out of fashion back when Ronald Reagan was still in the White House New Zealand still seems to be hellbent on cutting its way to prosperity The right to vote is the basis of democratic government Legitimate governments cannot arbitrarily remove people from the pool that elects them If the Government strips New Zealanders of the right to vote it is attacking the democratic principles it claims to be founded on Led by the seven-metre-long Taxpayers' Union Karaka Nama (Debt Clock) the hīkoi highlights the Government's borrowing from our tamariki and mokopuna It calls for the Govt to balance the books & stop borrowing billions from future generations should be able to drink the water from their kitchen tap without getting sick But this basic right is under threat by an already oversized intensive dairy industry that’s set to expand further." “We have lived through the cost of building failures before We must not repeat the mistakes of the leaky homes era by lowering standards in the name of speed,' Labour Local Government spokesperson Tangi Utikere said We have fewer public chargers per EV than many other countries in the OECD and we know that this is a barrier to Kiwis purchasing EVs,” Mr Bishop says “We disagree with the Council’s decision to demolish this iconic bridge because we believe it was made in haste and the people of Wellington were not properly consulted,” says Stuart Niven Spokesperson for the Save the City-to-Sea Bridge group Armed police at the scene of a homicide on Centennial Cres A woman died from gunshot wounds early that Sunday morning Police have released fresh information about the man they believe murdered a young mum in Gisborne four months ago was shot dead when she and a friend opened the door at a Centennial Cres property on the morning of July 3 Police called the death an “absolute tragedy” and a “senseless killing” On TVNZ’s Police Ten Seven programme tonight police released details of the suspected killer’s description so the public can help to identify him The suspect is described as a Māori male with black curly hair Police said he was wearing a green long-sleeve top with white stripes on the sleeves They also described a .17 HMR calibre round found at the scene which they believe will lead to Hollis-Brown’s killer Detective Sergeant Stephen Smith told the TVNZ programme that “not a lot of people own those types of firearms or use that type of ammunition” He also talked viewers through the final moments before Hollis-Brown’s death “Chephar was visiting an address that’s on Centennial Cres,” Smith said and another one of the occupants has gone to answer it “There’s a bloke outside and they have a discussion Smith then described how the man ran back to a car parked outside Two shots were fired from outside the house before a man fled in the vehicle Police were called to the house in Te Hapara at 3.45am to reports of a woman being shot “Chephar had not realised she had been shot immediately but she’s gone back inside with the householder and she collapsed,” Smith told the programme The mother of one was dead when police arrived Plans show Gisborne could be in for thousands of new homes It is part of a plan by the Gisborne District Council which provides guidance on where the region's housing and business growth happens over the next three decades Council papers show the region has a predicted future population increase of about 8700 people and affordability of homes is flagged as a key concern for many whānau The council's plan would make capacity for 5650 new houses in Gisborne City - more than the projected demand - over the next 30 years and an additional 2235 new houses outside the city would be possible on existing zoned land The plan estimates 4300 homes will result from intensification in the "existing urban environment" - that is the city - as well as 780 to be built on previously undeveloped land outside the city and 570 by increasing the number of homes in existing rural residential or lifestyle areas Intensification means building more homes within existing urban areas saving the areas which aren't already developed for farming and meaning people have shorter distances to travel in their day-to-day life Growth areas include the city centre and its immediate surrounds with a predicted capacity of 1200 more homes Elgin with the potential for another 660 homes Three Māori-led developments are recognised in the plan - one at the former rifle range site in Sponge Bay and a papakāinga and health precinct planned for a block of land next to Gisborne Hospital which council papers say has the potential for housing opportunities The council said there were multiple benefits to densifying cities rather than sprawling outwards -- build costs were lower per dwelling meaning new homes would be more affordable for buyers and with more potential public transport passengers in one place buses would become more frequent and affordable and the closeness of homes to each other and to workplaces and shops promoted walking and cycling over car-use as well as making neighbourhoods feel more social The council is asking for public feedback on its plan and submissions close at the end of January More than 1000 Gisborne properties have been removed from the list of flood risks Planned social housing developments in Rotorua have two school principals concerned they won't be able to accommodate increasing student numbers Hundreds of new homes are being built in the suburbs… Audio The residential housing market is continuing to show signs of improvement despite a slower month of activity in October Bill McKay looks at an interesting new fellowship from The NZ Institute of Architects: $20,000 for someone to research "public housing challenges in Aotearoa" and "explore solutions" A Gisborne man rescued from his property in dramatic fashion during Cyclone Gabrielle is finally back on his land Horouta Wananga’s Charlee Mackey gets racquet on shuttlecock at the primary interschool badminton tournament yesterday.Pictures by Liam Clayton There was no shortage of enthusiasm from the youngsters who took part yesterday in the first primary interschool badminton tournament since 2019 Covid had put paid to the annual event at the association hall  in recent years but it was back in full swing yesterday Te Hapara and Horouta Wananga competed for the Dunstan & Kinge (boys) and White Family (girls) shields The action started from 9.30am as students began their fixtures on the three courts and by the end of the day Te Wharau had claimed the overall honours in both competitions Chephar Hollis-Brown was fatally shot on July 3 outside a property in Te Hapara The mother of a 25-year-old Gisborne woman who was shot dead four months ago says the loss of her young caring and outspoken daughter has left the whānau “broken-hearted” Forli Hollis-Brown is treasuring the final moments spent with her daughter just a week before she died Chephar Hollis-Brown and her friend answered a knock at the door of a house she was visiting on Centennial Cres a man ran to a dark-coloured sedan parked in the middle of the road and two shots were fired from a .17 calibre rifle – one of them hitting Chephar who died at the scene Her baby misses her - we all miss her badly,” the mother of the 25-year-old told the Herald popular in the community and valued speaking up when things did not look right.” Hollis-Brown said her daughter was the most caring māmā to her young son Hollis-Brown spoke to Chephar she was happy Hollis-Brown said she wanted those responsible for her death Gisborne Detective Sergeant Stephen Smith told the Herald that police received a good response to the Ten 7 programme when they called Chephar’s death an “absolute tragedy” and a “senseless killing” “We are still seeking the firearm and are following good lines of inquiry.” Smith emphasised the need for people to come forward with correct information we want a resolution and the family want a resolution “We want to know what has actually happened at the address “We would also like to know about the origin of the cartridge found at the scene and anything that could help us identify who fired the shots.” Police this month released fresh information on TVNZ’s Police Ten 7 programme about the man they believed murdered the young mum The suspect was described as a Māori male with black curly hair which they believe will lead to Chephar’s killer Smith told the TVNZ programme that “not a lot of people own those types of firearms or use that type of ammunition” He also talked viewers through the final moments before Chephar’s death Police were called to a house in Te Hapara at 3.45am on June 3 to reports of a woman being shot Police say a 25-year-old Gisborne woman was gunned down in a "senseless shooting" and officers have hit the streets to reassure the public was killed at a Centennial Crescent property earlier this month and a homicide investigation has been launched Police have launched community reassurance patrols as a result of the shooting "The investigation into her death is ongoing with the investigation team working through a number of lines of inquiry," Detective Inspector David de Lange said "Police are still keen to hear from anyone who can provide information to assist the investigation team regarding this senseless shooting "We are committed to holding those responsible to account and the public can expect us to remain highly visible in the area." A Police recruitment event will be held from 6 - 8pm on Wednesday July 27 New Zealand Police's campaign Puhikura is being used to attract more Māori women to join police The candid documentary series shows wāhine Māori police applicants telling their honest stories of what has held them back from being recruited into Police and what has called them forward "The documentary/short films will be used as a focal point for community and marae-based recruiting seminars and events hosted by New Zealand Police targeting Māori – wāhine "Our aim is to invite kōrero with us about individuals' barriers or concerns," says a Police spokesperson "We want other wāhine Māori to be able to identify with those profiled in the documentaries and hope the campaign helps us to better understand and be able to answer barriers for Māori from a Te Ao Māori perspective." A recruitment event will be held from 5.30pm at Gisborne Girls High School There is also a recruitment event from 6 - 8pm on Wednesday July 27 at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Other events will be held across the country over the course of the next few months New wāhine Māori Police graduates graduated with 24 of the recruits identifying as wāhine Māori Police were achieving less than that number across the entire year We are excited that we will have a future constabulary workforce that will match or be very close to matching our population demographics But we are not there yet – and that's why this campaign is needed as although the numbers of Māori being recruited have increased substantially over the past four years this is still a group that is under-represented Diversity in Police is important for all New Zealanders and we are absolutely committed to delivering the best possible policing service for New Zealanders whānau and friends to attend these community events to find out more information and talk to recruiting staff Media are also invited to attend any of the events in their districts but will need to leave before the Question-and-Answer sessions To find out more about the Puhikura campaign and check for other community events near you check them out here: www.newcops.govt.nz/puhikura A:Police recruitment event will be held from 5.30pm at Gisborne Girls High School, 555 Gladstone Road, Te Hapara on Wednesday July 27. Contact/RSVP: Jamie Hutana - Jamie.Hutana@police.govt.nz A:Police recruitment event will be held from 6 - 8pm on Wednesday July 27 at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, 510 Te Rapa Road, Hamilton. Contact: Kimiora Corness – kimiora.corness@police.govt.nz How do you feel about Tauranga’s rapid population growth Back to top .prefix__st0{fill:#333}AccessAccount Maori traditions and values are woven into the fabric of each blanket. Words by Chynna Santos· Updated on 31 Jul 2024· Published on 23 Jul 2024 Each handmade blanket is woven in Auckland and takes between two and three weeks to make from dyeing the yarn to adding labels and finishing touches Wool is sourced exclusively in New Zealand and takes about a month to mill in Wellington Four previous limited-edition collections have sold out within 24 hours and now there’s a new one – Te Ata Hapara (The Dawn of a New Day) – available from Thursday July 25 Te Ata Hapara includes two new blanket designs The Whakapono design is made up of triangle and diamond motifs It’s named for the Maori value of faith and trust interpreted here as steadfast devotion to one’s beliefs is inspired by hope and the idea that grounded aspirations can lead to a better future white and red colours reflect three stages of the creation story: going from a void of limitless potential (te kore) and steady formation (te po) to the emergence of life (te ao marama) The colour red is cherished in Maori culture tying the brand’s values back to sacred and revered practices while also being inspired by the red light of dawn and whether you are of Maori descent or not there is something in every story that will speak to you,” the pair said in a statement “Our aim has always been to create something universal Our aim is to share our stories with the world.” The Te Ata Hapara collection launches at 9am on Thursday July 25 noablanketco.nz Chynna Santos is Broadsheet’s deputy branded content editor 31 of the Best Gift Ideas for the Aesthete Homecook and Bon Vivant Women in Your Life What’s Trending in Interior Design Right Now