Hawke's Bay Today

We brace again

For the first time since Gabrielle, the region is facing the potential eye of an extra-tropical cyclone. cyclone For those who we were in its path, it’s a complicated and eerie feeling, as events are cancelled and authorities work to prevent a repeat....

Green light given to sink trawler for reef

The sinking of a decommissioned 60-yearold fishing trawler to help establish an artificial reef off the coast near Napier could take place within the next three months. Hawke’s Bay Regional Council granted a resource consent last week for the project,...

Councils on alert as cyclone tracks south

Hawke’s Bay is forecast to be in the firing line of severe weekend weather as Cyclone Vaianu moves south from Fiji. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says people should prepare by stocking up on supplies. Vaianu could bring heavy rain, strong winds,...

Govt backs new dam

The Government is giving an $18 million loan to the backers of a massive and once-controversial dam in Central Hawke’s Bay to test if it truly is viable. Associate Minister for Regional Development Mark Patterson announced the loan to the Tukituki...

Insurer flags high risk of flooding at Parklands

One of the country’s leading insurers is refusing to provide insurance to some homes in a modern Napier City Council-owned residential development because of what it perceives to be a “high risk of flooding from sea surge”. Parklands Residential...

Cocaine use doubles

Cocaine use in Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne has more than doubled, with the region also recording the second-highest methamphetamine consumption in the country. Nationwide, cocaine consumption has reached record levels, overtaking MDMA for the first...

Mission denied funding

The future of Napier’s Mission Estate Concert remains unsure after the Government’s Events Boost Fund rejected a funding request. It’s now two years and four months since the last concerts at the Taradale vineyards, when British pop star Robbie...

Bay nang supply halted by police crackdown

Police believe they have stopped some of Hawke’s Bay’s illicit nitrous oxide “nang” canister sales by stepping up a campaign with retailers. Inspector Andy Sloan said 26 retailers had been visited and delivered letters, reminding them that sales to...

Gas costs up 300%

The head of Wattie’s New Zealand has pointed to a broad range of factors behind its decision to close several factories across the country, “dominated” by the rising cost to manufacture in New Zealand. Wattie’s New Zealand confirmed on Friday it would...

Chef on losing his sight

A former Hawke’s Bay chef has written a book about going blind in the hope that it will help others. “They say the blind can’t lead the blind. I disagree,” reads the opening line of Earl Zapf’s book Blindfulness. Zapf, from Central Hawke’s Bay, was a...

Fuel hero helps drivers

AHawke’s Bay man giving fuel vouchers to unsuspecting drivers at petrol stations estimates he has gifted $600 worth since prices at the pump began soaring. David Schuster, a TikTok live streamer who plays car games, uses donations from followers to buy...

Family marks 30-year cold case

It’s a mystery that has haunted a Napier family and their community for three decades. Richard Woods had recently turned 50 when he was last seen leaving his lodgings in the narrow lanes of the Napier hills on a Saturday afternoon walk on March 23,...

Fears of mass rehoming as greyhound ban looms

The co-founder of a Central Hawke’s Bay greyhound rehoming service says she and her 12 employees are “living in hell” at the impending shutdown of greyhound racing. Fatima Avdic, who operates Nightrave Greyhounds near Waipukurau, was in tears as she...

McCain closure

AHawke’s Bay crop grower says McCain’s Hastings plant closure could be a chance to overhaul a food processing industry in “crisis”. McCain New Zealand announced on Tuesday that it would be closing its Hastings vegetable processing plant by January 31...

McCain’s Hastings factory to close

A McCain vegetable processing plant in Hastings will close in 2027. The Omahu Rd, Twyford, factory processed more than 50,000 tonnes of vegetables annually, including peas, beans, sweetcorn and carrots. A source told Hawke’s Bay Today that staff were...

Local EV sales surge

Hawke’s Bay car dealers say people are flocking to buy electric and hybrid vehicles amid soaring fuel prices, and some are now worried about their stock levels. Several car yards around the region said they’d seen an increase in sales of EVs and...

Push grows for action on Cape Coast erosion

More than $250 million is being spent in Hawke’s Bay to stop rivers from flooding homes in the way they did during Cyclone Gabrielle. But it’s causing a divide in one of the region’s coastal communities, where residents say they want the same respect...

Our cheapest & most expensive homes

A 116-year-old Hawke’s Bay cottage and an Ahuriri waterfront luxury apartment were the bottom and top of the price bracket for properties sold in 2025.

Decade-long push restores Tapairu sign

Tomoana White says he nearly went to jail over his fight to get a Central Hawke’s Bay road’s name correct on the sign. Now, after more than a decade of battling, he’s won. Central Hawke’s Bay District Council has reinstalled the historical road sign...

‘I hope you feel our family’s pain every day’

The grandmothers of a “bubbly, vibrant” 23-year-old woman say they will never forgive the teenage driver who killed her in a crash on Mother’s Day last year. Lyric Divshon Tibor Kalmancsi, when just two months past his 18th birthday, crashed into two...

Hero saves family trapped in surf

Ahero who helped rescue a family of four from a notorious Napier beach says more needs to be done to prevent a future tragedy along the shoreline. The ordeal happened off Marine Parade on Friday evening. Four people – a young child, a man, and two...

‘When will this stop?’

Hawke’s Bay drivers say they are rethinking the extent of their social lives and daily spending as fuel soars towards $3 a litre. Some are cutting back on drinking and restaurant visits, while others are hunting for discounts and filling up more, with...

Councillors get pay rise

Napier’s squabbling councillors were given the biggest pay bump of all councillors in the region when they came into office, an average increase almost six times the rate of inflation. The four mayors’ average increase was 8.50%, Remuneration...

Veteran’s stolen medals returned

Stolen war medals dropped by burglars in Napier have been returned to the recipient’s family thanks to police and the voluntary organisation Medals Reunited New Zealand (MRNZ). The World War II and Korean War medals belonged to Gunner Alfred Henry...

‘Sense of disbelief’

For more than eight decades, broken fragments of a wristwatch belonging to a 19-yearold Norsewood pilot killed during World War II lay hidden beneath the trees in a German forest. About nine years ago, an elderly German woman contacted crash-site...

‘Gutted’ for workmates

Food manufacturer Heinz Wattie’s plans to shut three New Zealand factories, affecting about 350 jobs nationwide. Packing would also stop at its frozen lines in King St, Hastings. The changes were part of the company’s shift to focus on its long-term...

Tsunami escape plan

When the offshore fault that is one day expected to generate a massive tsunami off the coast of Napier ruptures, 77-year-old Valerie Norton won’t panic. She’ll pick up the easy-grab supplies she has stored by the garage door of her beach-adjacent...

Mercia’s charity plea

The floodwaters of Cyclone Gabrielle are long gone — but the importance of charity doesn’t fade. Neither do memories. It makes The New Zealand Red Cross’ annual appeal a tricky line for it to walk in Hawke’s Bay. Red Cross faced criticism in some...

Overnight health service shuts 13 times this year

Napier’s overnight urgent health service has been shut 13 times this year due to staffing issues. The ongoing overnight closures at Napier Health on Wellesley Rd, including two over the weekend, have been labelled “simply not good enough” by a local...

‘Heartbreaking’ limbo for bach owner

Aresident of a councilowned camp closed at short notice due to landslide risk says he can’t afford to remove the dream bach he curated for himself at the site. It’s been two weeks since residents were given 24 hours to leave the Clifton Motor Camp in...

Napier to get third Woolworths in large development

Anew Woolworths supermarket has been announced for Napier on a prime development site, which will also include a retirement village, shops and 140 new homes. Te Roropipi, a major new precinct, is being developed on a large paddock in Greenmeadows. Te...

Siblings to sail Pacific using only stars

Two Napier siblings are preparing to navigate a waka and crew thousands of kilometres across the Pacific Ocean. And, remarkably, they must do it in the same way as their ancestors — without any navigational instruments. Ngāti Kahungunu iwi’s...

WHO WANTS TO BE NAPIER’S DEPUTY MAYOR?

Only one of Napier’s eligible 10 councillors is definitely interested in becoming the mayor’s deputy, and half of them definitely aren’t interested, after Sally Crown was sacked this week. Crown was dumped on Tuesday after refusing Mayor Richard...

‘Blindsided’

Napier Mayor Richard McGrath has stood down his Deputy Mayor Sally Crown after she refused to resign and instead requested he undergo leadership training for what she called “ad-hoc”, “reckless” and “chaotic” decision-making. The unprecedented...

‘TOP HEAVY’

For the first time in almost 50 years, fewer than 2000 babies have been born in Hawke’s Bay during a calendar year. Stats NZ released data last week showing there were 1983 live births for the region in 2025. That was the lowest figure since 1979,...

Farmers fear erosion will worsen if subsidies cut

Asuccessful erosion scheme subsidised by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council since the early 1980s is in the spotlight as the council looks to reduce rates pressure. The council is reviewing its Erosion Control Scheme (ECS), including its nurseries. Poles,...

‘Turned our world upside down’

Grayson Jane has good and bad days. The Waipawa toddler’s good days are filled with trucks, trikes and happiness. On his bad days, he bites his hands to a bloody mess. Grayson, 3, was diagnosed with Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome (LNS) in November 2025. It’s...

Whanawhana dam feasibility study begins

Machinery is in place as a feasibility study begins to decide the future of a dam for the Heretaunga Plains at Whanawhana. The site for the proposed 27 million cubic metre water storage reservoir on private land is on a tributary of the Ngāruroro...

Groyne a ‘no-brainer’ for flood-hit town

Anew groyne has been proposed for the Wairoa River mouth to protect the northern Hawke’s Bay township from future floods. The project is estimated to cost between $12 million and $20 million, if it goes ahead. A groyne, similar to a seawall, would...

Sunshine lined-up for Art Deco festival

Timely burst of sun to boost Hawke’s Bay’s packed events calendar Fine weather is being forecast for all four days of this week’s Napier Art Deco Festival, and more summery relief is on the way for Wairoa and its big events after heavy rain at the...

‘We dodged a bullet’

Acoastal campground in Hawke’s Bay has suffered flooding damage during wild weather, which also uprooted trees and knocked out power to thousands of properties across the region. Despite the damage, outages and even some evacuations, vulnerable areas...

Group for widows aims to ease isolation burden

It’s the company of others that gets you through it. After nearly seven years of learning how to live with the isolation of losing her husband, Napier woman Shelley Gilmartin is bringing widows in the region together to ensure no one walks that same...

‘Credible threat to life’

Devastated residents of a much-loved Hawke’s Bay campground put their belongings into vehicles or their cabins on to the back of trucks after they were given 24 hours to vacate because of landslide risk. The Hastings District Council’s call at Clifton...

‘It consumes me’

Hastings District Council has agreed to stop phoning a homeowner every time there is another complaint about her dogs barking. Sam Hall is the second person in less than a month to speak out about the stress of a council system that advises dog owners...

Fatal car v school bus crash rocks small town

The mayor of the small Hawke’s Bay town of Wairoa says a fatal school bus crash into a car has devastated the community. Police were called to a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Black St and Achilles St/State Highway 2 in Wairoa about 3pm on...

Two with nerve damage following ‘nang’ use

At least two cases of nerve injury from chronic nitrous oxide use have been seen at Hawke’s Bay Hospital’s emergency department. The cases were revealed by Hawke’s Bay medical officer of health Dr Nicholas Jones, who attended a community leaders...

HB’s first Winter Olympian

Residents adapt as water runs low

Kairakau residents have now spent nearly two months under Level 4 water restrictions, with strict limits still in place as the small coastal settlement waits for its spring and bore to fully recover. The restrictions mean two-minute showers, reduced...

Foal that swam for life in Cyclone Gabrielle wins $175k race

Ultimate Habit, a horse that was swimming for her life three years ago, ran the race of her life at Trentham last Saturday to win the Group 2 $175,000 Jennian Homes Lowland Stakes. The three-year-old filly was bred by Hawke’s Bay couple Graham and...

Patients now eligible for 12-month prescriptions

A Hawke’s Bay medical centre is welcoming a nationwide rule change which allows patients to receive up to 12 months of medication on a single prescription, which it says will result in less stress and lower costs for patients. The change kicked in...

‘It’s been one hell of a year’

Twelve months have passed since Hawke’s Bay schoolgirl Emma-Jane Sylvia Kupa was killed while riding her bike. The 11-year-old’s family say it has been a ‘hell of a year’ marked by grief and anger. Rafaella Melo reports. On January 30, 2025, EmmaJane...

Hammer to come down on Napier wool auctions

Wool auctions have been held in Napier since the 1800s, a legacy that is highly likely to come to an end in April. Napier boasts the last remaining wool auction centre in the North Island. It has moved venues over the years and is currently located in...

‘A little bit overwhelming’

For dentist Isha Woodmans, two weeks is only scratching the surface of the volunteer time she wishes she could spend in Wairoa offering free dental care. The initiative Tō Waha is a collaboration with Golden Apple Dental, Kahungunu Executive, Health...

‘I miss meat’

With red meat now out of reach for many Hawke’s Bay households, longheld Kiwi traditions like the Sunday roast are quietly disappearing from family tables. Meat prices have climbed sharply over the past year, with lamb sitting at about $25 a kilo and...

‘I can’t go back’ Mum faces visa deadline after husband dies of heart attack

Afamily moved across the world to Hawke’s Bay for a better life, but fate had other ideas. Now, a single mother is trying to keep her young family in New Zealand after her husband suddenly died. Indika Wadu Gedara and her husband Indika Lokuappu...

New school bus routes frustrate parents

Bus route changes in Hawke’s Bay have frustrated some parents, who say their children now face longer walks or multiple buses to get to school. The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s (HBRC) new goBay bus network launched yesterday, and replaces services...

‘For me it’s not even a second thought’

A Kiwi nurse working in war- torn Sudan says death i s a reality every minute at a hospital in Khartoum, as the threat of drone attacks and bombing looms over the city. The chaos, desperation and stifling heat of Bashair Teaching Hospital has not...

Loved dad lost at sea

The Hawke’s Bay father who died while diving near his home was a humble and caring man, says his daughter. Peter Walker, 69, was found in the water off Wainuiorangi Rd on the Mahia Peninsula late on January 11. He was an experienced swimmer and diver,...

Huge retirement project

Plans have been lodged for one of Hawke’s Bay’s biggest retirement villages. Summerset, which owns retirement villages across the country, has lodged a resource consent application for its planned retirement village in Napier’s sprawling new...

Napier CBD slump

Foot traffic in Napier’s city centre has declined, with the number of people visiting the CBD dipping in 2025 compared to the previous year. Retailers say factors such as people generally having less money to spend, fewer cruise ships, changes to...

TikTok video tips off search for boat

Word of a TikTok livestream being filmed by a group of washedup boaties miraculously made its way to Hawke’s Bay Coastguard, sparking a search mission. Coastguard skipper Henry van Tuel was told about the video on Sunday about 3.51pm. This was the...

Ticket sales booming for Warriors game in Napier

The Warriors’ NRL preseason match in Napier is on track for a potential sellout, with more than 8000 tickets sold a month out from the fixture. The Warriors are hosting the Manly Sea Eagles during the afternoon game on Saturday, February 14...

‘He understands dad’s gone’

More than 7000 melanomas are diagnosed in New Zealand every year, and about 300 people die from this type of skin cancer annually. This summer, as Hawke’s Bay residents face some of the region’s highest temperatures, one Eskdale family became part of...

Eels die in stream

Hundreds of tuna (eels), including breeding stock thought to be 40 to 50 years old, have been found dead in the Waiatai Stream near Wairoa. Darren Hill, whose family has farmed the land in the Waiatai Valley for generations, noticed something wasn’t...

Too hot for hops

hawke’s Bay’s sizzling weekend weather that peaked at 37C was hot enough to close walking tracks and even shut a brewery. According to MetService, the region baked through one of its hottest days of the season, with Hastings reaching 36.5C and Napier...

Historic Criterion Hotel restored to old glory

restoring boutique accommodation to Napier’s Criterion Hotel like that which was vogue almost a century ago has been a journey of discovery for the owners. Amid a new-year season of full bookings for the first time since the refurbishment of the “Cri”...