For the first time in 25 years, qualified butchers have graduated from Ōpōtiki through a nationally recognised apprenticeship programme, marking a significant milestone for the Eastern Bay of Plenty town. New World Ōpōtiki employees Te Awaitaia Rolls (Ngā... See more
For the first time in generations, descendants of Ngāi Taiwhakaea, a hapū of Ngāti Awa, walked freely through Awakeri Hot Springs, an iconic hot pools facility and motor camp near Whakatāne that forms part of their ancestral lands known as Pukaahu. As the... See more
When Kim Rameka was told she may never compete again, she refused to accept it. The 48-year-old Ngāti Awa and Te Rarawa powerlifter spent nearly three years rebuilding from a torn rotator cuff and bursitis injury before returning to competition at this ye... See more
Smokefree advocates in the Bay of Plenty say black-market tobacco products are becoming increasingly common within Māori communities, warning the combination of cheap illicit cigarettes and the rollback of smokefree protections risks reigniting smoking ha... See more
The whānau of missing Ōmāio man Jason Rangirerehau Butler has formally challenged a provisional decision by the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) to close a complaint into his care at Whakatāne Hospital without findings of breach. In a submission l... See more
