Manawatu Standard
Cafe fights to keep its Kiwi vibe
A business on the side of State Highway 1 is aiming to keep the spirit of the classic Kiwi cafe and campground alive. Flat Hills Cafe and Tourist Park is just south of Mangaweka in Rangitīkei where you can find farm animals for petting, a camping...
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Schoolkids planting for a greener future
Manawatū schoolchildren are getting behind efforts to plant thousands of native trees to improve waterways and protect the environment. Trees for Survival promotes environmental education and helps schools to grow and plant native trees. It has...
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A vibrant vision for Levin
The Horowhenua District Council is being bold as it imagines what central Levin could look like in the future. The council is working on the Levin Town Centre Transformation project as it prepares for major changes when the Ōtaki to North of Levin...
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A ‘jewel in Taihape’s crown’
The rebuild of Taihape Area School is starting to take shape and is signalling an optimistic new chapter of education in the Rangitīkei town. The school, which caters for primary and secondary children, has long had problems with leaks, heating and...
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FROM 8-hour results TO 3-hour patches
STEP 3 : Target individual breakouts We all know the urge to pick at a sudden, angry spot. The final step in the Effaclar routine is designed to stop that habit in its tracks. The Effaclar Duo+M Pimple Patches are small, discreet hydrocolloid patches...
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Charity funds ‘really helped’
For more than a decade, Sarah Wilson has been a volunteer for a growing list of cancer charities. Then came the results of her first mammogram in March 2023 and the irony of a cancer diagnosis of her own. Just weeks after completing the Tongariro...
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Blind woman fears for safety
The blind victim of an alleged home invasion is sharing her story in the hope it will prevent others in the disabled community from suffering the same harm she has. The woman, who wished to remain anonymous out of fear, said she was at home on the...
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Speed limits to boost safety
Principals hope the introduction of variable speed limits outside some kura in the region will make it safer for children and whānau getting to school. The New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is installing the limits on state highways...
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Ex seeking new home
Ashhurst Domain’s old jockey clubrooms that have housed several attempted cafes are being offered another chance at life. The last remnant of the domain’s history as a racecourse has been empty since 2017, and the Palmerston North City Council is...
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Staff failures linked to death
The death of Palmerston North Hospital mental health ward patient Erica Hume 12 years ago was preventable, Coroner Matthew Bates has found. The 21-year-old Massey University student died by suicide after an incident in Ward 21 in May 2014. Her death...
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Bridge closure cuts off rural community
The closure of a damaged bridge has cut off a critical route for a rural Tararua community and fixing the problem could come with an expensive price tag. A single-lane bridge on Alfredton Rd over the Ihuraua River at Alfredton, east of Eketāhuna, was...
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Tiny beats, big celebrations
A bilingual Palmerston North early childhood education centre has launched four new children’s music videos to mark Samoa Language Week. Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata has created the videos alongside children’s music duo The KaRs, Kane Parsons and Regan...
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Savings soften rates blow
Palmerston North’s total rates are going up 3.9% in July, but for about 11,000 homeowners their bill will stay the same or go down by as much as $250. Yesterday, the city council formally adopted its annual budget that requires a rates rise below the...
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Thirty years of innovation in Māori art
Three decades of Māori art and expression through Massey University’s Toioho ki Āpiti programme is being celebrated this month. The bachelor of Māori visual arts programme is marking 30 years since it began and Massey’s school of Māori knowledge, Te...
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Royal salute for champion of city’s military heritage
Whenever there is a poppy or a war memorial on show or a military parade or commemoration happening in Palmerston North, Joe Hollander will be there. Active in a range of community work after a career in Defence and construction, the fount of...
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Knight’s quest for literacy
Persistence and a desire to see children’s reading improve has kept James Chapman motivated through decades of working in education. The Massey University Emeritus Professor has made a significant contribution to literacy teaching and learning in New...
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‘Cool’ air dome for arena
The next part of CET Arena’s development will be a state-of-the-art air dome construction housing four indoor sports courts on the corner of Cuba St and Pascal St. The decision to go ahead with the $13.5 million complex was signed off in a 10-4 vote...
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Govt reforms loom over council matters in Tararua
Navigating the “abolition” of local government is a key focus for council, with many reports and portfolio updates reflecting the undeniable prevalence of recent government reforms. Scott Gilmore used his mayoral update at the recent Tararua District...
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Schools at breaking point
Educators hope to see greater resource put into the sector when the Government unveils the Budget today, to help in areas such as stability and learning support. Ahead of the Budget, education think tank Aotearoa Educators Collective has released the...
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Merger challenge mulled over
Doing nothing is one of the options the Palmerston North City Council is contemplating in response to the Government’s Head Start amalgamation prompt. Councils have been challenged to come up with amalgamation plans by August, with those who do not...
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Fuel prices fail to brake skids
Rising fuel prices and police efforts are failing to deter street racers, who continue to tear up Manawatū roads. Despite the enforcement of bylaws in Palmerston North to prevent antisocial road use at seven key hotspots, police inspector and Manawatū...
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Filipino pride in Manawatū
A former Feilding woman is telling the stories of Manawatū’s Filipino community through a visual display capturing some of their most deeply ingrained cultural traditions. Abigail Legg’s first solo exhibition, Kababayan, which presented her take on...
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Teens take their kōrero to the national stage
Four Manawatū teens will look to deliver a stirring kōrero on the national stage at the final of the Ngā Manu Kōrero speech competition. The regional competition was held in Palmerston North this month, with the winners of the four categories...
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Butterfly Compassion group needs home help
A Palmerston North charity giving away personalised essentials to 412 people a month who have virtually nothing is having a spot of trouble with the landlord. Butterfly Compassion Community entered a commercial lease a year ago for a 300m² warehouse...
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Weighing up merger options
The Tararua District Council is considering options for potential amalgamations with neighbouring councils, including the district being broken up, and one thing that has been agreed on is there is not enough time. The Government announced this month...
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Lotto lady’s possible deal with Pak’nSave kept secret
Pak’nSave’s redundant Lotto lady and her former Palmerston North bosses might have met, but the outcome of their discussion is under wraps. Katie Tippler was given two weeks’ notice and sent home two weeks ago without any compensation after nearly 30...
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Army unveils new homes
The importance of secure and stable housing for military families has been brought home at a ceremony marking the completion of eight new homes at Linton Military Camp. The Defence Force officially opened the doors to the three and four-bedroom homes...
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Meridian to build solar farm
Bunnythorpe’s sunshine will be captured by Meridian’s next solar energy park and battery energy storage system. The company plans to build a 250,000 solar panel farm on the edge of the village that will be big enough to power about 30,000...
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Medic’s 190km goal to give back
Hato Hone St John paramedic Chuck Williams knows what it’s like to reach your limit in a job supporting New Zealanders in their worst hour. Williams started with the national ambulance service when he was 18, having previously been a youth volunteer...
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Health centre build begins
Work has just started on Palmerston North’s Milson Line to build a new $30 million Central Healthcare complex. The private healthcare centre due to open in April 2028 has been in the planning since 2020 when the company bought the site alongside the...
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Te Hā open for business
Palmerston North’s newest general practice clinic is attracting about 50 enrolments a week as the fully renovated facility builds capacity to triple its staff and patient numbers. Te Hā Health Care in Victoria Ave near the corner of Main St opened its...
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Is Ashhurst Domain done for?
The Manawatū and Pohangina rivers have long collided through the corridor bordering Ashhurst Domain, but as unforgiving storms become more frequent, the domain is at risk of being washed away in the next weather event. It wouldn’t just be land lost to...
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Long-serving Lotto lady axed
Pak’nSave Lotto lady Katie Tippler is heartbroken to have been made redundant, a casualty of the physical redevelopment of the Palmerston North store’s entrance. After working at the Ferguson St supermarket for nearly 30 years, she had been forced to...
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Man seriously injured in scaffolding truck incident
A family of four was ready to travel around the country in their caravan when a horrific crash on State Highway 1 shattered that dream. Isaiah Eagar was a jack of all trades, his wife Rebecca Eagar said, and there was nothing he couldn’t do, until he...
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A granddad’s unfinished fight
Against all odds, Taana GageMorgan survived his birth. Delivered at Thames Hospital in the early hours of February 25, 2010, Taana was floppy and unresponsive. He had meconium- a newborn’s first stool - covering his face and coming out of his...
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Budget winners and losers
The proposed rates increase for Palmerston North was sitting just over 4.2% at the end of a day and a half of city council debate this week. Councillors went into the meeting looking at a 4.4% total rates rise for 2026/27, and after adding some items...
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Couple see red over trees
Living beneath redwood trees comes with its perks, but a Marton couple struggling with the burden and cost of their cleanup is calling on the owner for help. Heather and Gary Philip said they loved the council-owned redwoods that hung over their...
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From dairy farm to a filter
The first stage of a $12.5 million wetlands project at Lake Horowhenua designed to improve the health of the polluted waterway should be completed in June. Work began in March on the Arawhata wetland complex on the edge of Punahau (Lake Horowhenua)...
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The science to stronger hair
Jenny-May’s reinvention Why she’s focused on physical transformation and mental wellbeing. Hair damage is a common struggle. For those of us who love to colour, style, or use heat tools, the battle against split ends, breakage, and dullness can feel...
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Band enlists heavyweight
An unlikely shared passion for the All Blacks and heavy metal has led to a highly-regarded music producer working in Palmerston North. Waldemar Sorychta has travelled from Germany to record the third album from Manawatū band Imperial Slave at The...
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It started with a sketch
Even when he was drawing on his mates’ gumboots at school, Manawatū entrepreneur Malachi Kurei had a vision for what he wanted to achieve. Kurei, 21, is the founder of the gumboot company MokoBandz, which are emblazoned with Māori art, and the boots...
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Mayor slams credit card probe
Palmerston North’s newest city councillor Hayden Fitzgerald has forced the release of details of credit card spending by the city’s mayor Grant Smith over the past three years. He said there were items on the list he thought would surprise ratepayers,...
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Director to start paying up
The director a window installation company that went bust owing hundreds of thousands of dollars will start paying reparations – but some victims are disappointed not to see all the money. Michael James Wright was the director of now-liquidated...
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Battle continues for workers
Workplace fatalities are just the headline of New Zealand’s health and safety record, with hundreds of other workers hurt or made ill at work, says Council of Trade Unions (CTU) president Sandra Grey. Speaking at the annual Workers’ Memorial Day event...
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Pukepuke Lagoon in peril
Passion and mana for Pukepuke Lagoon continues to grow while water levels remain low and the cause of what has been described as an “ecological disaster” remains unknown. Pukepuke was found dry with eel carcasses strewn across the lake bed recently,...
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Retailers: Clear The Square
A group of central Palmerston North property owners, landlords and businesses want to get buses off the streets around The Square. They say buses moving around Main St and along The Square to Church St are causing congestion and conflicts with...
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Views vary on rates spending
Defenders of Palmerston North’s arts, culture and sports facilities and services have come out in force to tell city councillors to maintain their investment in the things that make the city a great place to live. During two days of hearing...
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Rector drives school run
Palmerston North Boys’ High School has resorted to using its own vans, sometimes driven by the rector, to pick up children in Shannon and Tokomaru who need a replacement for their cancelled high school bus service. Shannon was one of the areas...
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Horizons region bracing
The entire Horizons region is yet again battling wild weather, with residents from Manawatū, Tararua, Whanganui to Ruapehu navigating another “volatile” day of rain and wind. An orange heavy rain warning remained in place for the Tararua District...
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$20m price tag to fix water
A $20 million price tag to install a new nanofiltration system to improve Marton’s drinking water has been deemed too high, but the Rangitīkei District Council hopes to have short-term improvements done by summer. The council has for years been...
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Nailed it: City tradie claims top regional spot
The region’s best tradies in training showcased their carpentry skills at the 16th annual New Zealand Certified Builders’ Apprentice Challenge regional heats in Palmerston North on Saturday. Kalym Smith, 28, secured victory as the top Manawatū...
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Manukura girls back on the world rugby stage in Japan
The Manukura girls’ rugby team is making a habit of attending big tournaments. The Palmerston North school won the national Condor sevens title at the end of last year to qualify for the Sanix World Rugby Youth Tournament in Japan. They leave...
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Horizons workshop infuriates
“Damning”, “self-indulgent” and likely to trigger immediate sackings; these were among the warnings from three Horizons Regional councillors opposed to spending more than $40,000 on a workshop in February. The council hired writer, speaker, and...
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Ol’ razzle dazzle for Chicago
A Palmerston North theatre company has finally reached the end of months of preparations and rehearsals to bring a flashy show about the American justice system to life. Act Three Productions’ staging of Chicago opens at The Regent on Broadway...
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Artefacts need a home, stat
A medical museum without a home is still finding ways to showcase its historical treasures. The exhibition, Remarkable Remedies: A Journey Through Medical History, has just ended its run at Palmerston North Library as part of the city’s heritage...
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Mountainbiker gears up for second cup series
A young Palmerston North mountainbiker is well on his way to making his dream of becoming a professional rider come true. Jonty Williamson, 17, is just weeks away from heading to South Korea with the Yeti Fox Factory Race Team for his second UCI World...
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City rallies for World Parkinson’s Day
Palmerston North’s Red Tulip Walk drew a sizeable crowd on Saturday, with organisers declaring it a success. Between 150 and 200 people turned out for the World Parkinson’s Day event held in Te Marae o Hine/The Square. There was no fee and no...
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Copper thieves target floodlights
Two Palmerston North sports clubs are warning the community to be extra vigilant if they see any unusual activity at training grounds, after someone tampered with their light poles in a bid to steal the copper wiring. Red Sox Sports club and College...
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Businesses seeking support
A “degree of uncertainty” is starting to emerge among Manawatū business owners as they grapple with the rising costs of fuel and how to cover the additional expenses. The Manawatū Business Chamber has initiated talks with the Horizons Regional Council...
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‘Mrs Doolittle’ had a dream
A Horowhenua woman’s dream of teaching neurodivergent people how to speak to animals and experience the “pure joy” they can bring is making a profound difference to the lives of those who volunteer on her farm. Amanda Blair was sitting around a...
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Beyond planes, passengers
Palmerston North Airport is making progress to develop into a business that is about more than just providing a facility for planes and passengers. Its statement of intent for the next three years revealed plans to diversify and sell off land it does...
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ONE STEP, FIVE BENEFITS: Why this new SPF issa busy peron’s best friend
If you’ve ever looked at a 10-step skincare routine and thought, love the idea, simply don’t have the time, you’re not alone. Between work, school drop-offs, getting to the gym or just getting out the door, the ‘perfect’ morning routine can feel like...
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Bump in rates not enough to cover fuel
An immediate increase to reimbursement rates for home support workers has been implemented in a bid to provide relief to some of the country’s lowest paid workers who are suffering from rising fuel prices. Minister of Health Simeon Brown said a 30%...
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Iconic Pork Chop Hill on the move
A clothing store celebrating Palmerston North and some of its well-known locations has become woven into the fabric of the city’s identity. Catherine Russ and Simon Francis opened Pork Chop Hill on Cuba St 12 years ago and its T-shirts emblazoned with...
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Council forking out an extra $2500 daily for fuel
Palmerston North’s council is facing “the same upward pressure on prices that households and business are”, as it spends an extra $2500 a day on fuel costs, the city’s mayor says. With little relief in the Middle East in sight, and a growing cost of...
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Camp not out of the woods
The “jewel in the crown for Pohangina” will not shut down, but who will carry the torch forward as a trustee for Camp Rangi Woods remains uncertain. “We’re quite disappointed. I’ve always seen Camp Rangi as a community facility,” said Camp Rangi Woods...
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Dancers step up on international stage
A group of young Palmerston North dancers will get to show their talents internationally in the hope it can further their careers. Maximum Dance Zone is sending two groups overseas this month, one to the She Shines On tour in the United States and...
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Trainer wants compensation
A Manawatū greyhound trainer who runs a multimillion-dollar operation wants to be compensated when the industry is shut down. Brendon Cole and his family run Bigtime Racing Kennels just outside Palmerston North. Before the Government announced in...
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Builder uses ‘nuclear’ option with Powerco
A Palmerston North building company has taken up an offer to talk to Powerco staff about customer experience, after it had to wait six months for a new power connection quote. On September 30, 2025, Homebuild Homes director Victoria Jakobs put in a...
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Land waste disposal out
Discharging some of Palmerston North’s treated wastewater to land has been wiped from the city council’s list of options for its Nature Calls project. The council on Wednesday discarded the last remaining option that included any land discharge,...
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Iwi housing input rejected
The Government has approved a district plan change to allow a large new housing development in Levin, but aspects relating to iwi involvement have been rejected. The Horowhenua District Council proposed to rezone 22 hectares of land on the northwest...
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Wedge the big cheese in burgeoning suburb
Forsaking the foot traffic and traditions of farmers’ markets in favour of a fledging suburb, a Feilding fromagerie is betting on its own neighbourhood. Alana Hiddink and Chris Perry opened Wedge.eatery in a modified shipping container yesterday, a...
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Borer scare at Te Manawa
The discovery of borer chewing holes in an old wooden high chair has triggered a comprehensive stocktake of 300,000 taonga held at Te Manawa. The museum’s lead collections manager Talei Langley said none of the art collection nor items on public...
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Critical failings found in mental health case probe
Health NZ is pushing ahead with improvements to its Whanganui mental health services after finding the care of an insane man who killed his mother while on a community treatment order lacked clinical oversight and whānau engagement. Leslie Raymond...
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