Rotorua Daily Post
K¯ainga Ora’s new homes ready
Amajor Kā inga Ora housing project in Rotorua’s CBD for 36 households is finished, with new tenants expected to move in next week. The three-level apartment block on Victoria St, on the corners of Ruihi and Herewini Sts, is directly opposite Rotorua...
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‘Just not a good look’
Adaily stroll along the Rotorua Lakefront has been a form of physical and emotional rehab for local Ian Wadsley after a heart scare last year. He even carries a bag of feed to greet his favourite duck on his outings. But he says his walks have...
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Early test may have spared major surgery
Aveterinarian who had a cancerous tumour removed says she could have avoided the surgery if the bowel screening age was lower. Dr Sally Aitken was 50 when she was diagnosed with Stage 1 adenocarcinoma bowel cancer in 2023 after she experienced “one...
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Rotorua rental price growth slowing
Rotorua rental price growth has slowed as rising supply and shifting tenant expectations reshape the market. Property managers say tenants have become increasingly “price sensitive”, with clearer expectations around quality and value. Sought-after...
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The chronicles of a Rotorua aid worker
Stephen Court describes himself as having a “very high tolerance for risk”. He’s not kidding. His CV reads like something out of a Boy’s Own manual — from living in a remote, water-based jungle infested with crocodiles in Papua New Guinea, where a pig...
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Significantly deteriorated geothermal bores a safety risk, says council
Two geothermal bores that heated an apartment block and three neighbouring businesses in Rotorua’s inner city have been closed because of safety concerns. The closure means those impacted must find alternative heating, with one business spending...
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CBD hospo owners hopeful
Scope Cafe owner Dave Fabling is confident his business will not “join the queue” of failing eateries. Hospitality liquidations surged nearly 50% in the year to March, the latest Centrix Credit Indicator shows, with more than 400 businesses closing...
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‘We ... create value’
The Government’s plan to prevent unelected people voting on council committees has reignited a debate over who influences decision-making at Rotorua Lakes Council. Local Government Minister Simon Watts last week announced plans to amend the Local...
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‘Voice of calm’ Te Arawa mourns ‘a mighty man’
Ken Raureti was a humble, gentle giant who brought people together in an often divided world. Now the man who never sought the spotlight is the centre of tributes, following his death at the weekend. The iwi leader, mediator and environmental worker...
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1100 attacks in 5 years and just 14 prosecutions
Rotorua Lakes Council has recorded more than 1100 dog attacks in five years – but only 14 resulted in a prosecution, prompting a local victim whose sheep have been attacked to call for tougher enforcement. Data obtained by the Rotorua Daily Post shows...
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What drove pro rugby star to legal profession
Ngarimu Simpkins was a professional rugby player and coach as well as a teacher. Now he’s tackling a new field — as a lawyer. His career is glittering. But he’s upfront. He could have done things a bit better. He’s referring to his 2016 convictions...
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‘Crossed the line’: Signature exposed in tenancy case
Arenter embroiled in a tenancy dispute with controversial Rotorua landlord Stephen Bhana used a handwriting expert to successfully challenge claims he had signed a document accepting responsibility for property damage. The expert said the signature...
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Police ‘got it wrong’ in high-speed pursuit
Police “got it wrong” and were operating on “incorrect assumptions” when they continued a high-risk pursuit of two teenagers in Rotorua who they wrongly thought could have had a gun, the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) has found. The chase...
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Court frustration
Acrowd of more than 50 people were forced to wait outside the Rotorua Courthouse, some in the rain, for about an hour as court queues caused delays. Potential jurors, defendants, supporters and court workers were among those mingling as they waited to...
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Hotel deal step closer for prime Lakefront site
Anew landmark hotel on Rotorua’s Lakefront is a significant step closer to reality with iwi landowners signing a deal with a developer. Pukeroa Lakefront Holdings Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with New Zealand developer Templeton...
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‘A recipe for disaster’
The principal of a Rotorua primary school has called on Rotorua Lakes Council and the New Zealand Transport Agency to address safety concerns around a nearby pedestrian crossing he describes as an “accident waiting to happen”. But the council says...
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Champion of Mā ori voices gains award
The true value of Dr Reuben Collier’s work will be in years to come, when the precious stories he’s documented can still be told. The Rotorua-based television producer, business owner and academic has been appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order...
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‘Absolute horror story’
Rotorua parents Michael and Frances Naera had a dream of renovating their family home so more whānau could live with them. They borrowed $792,000 from the bank and paid Tauranga building company CB Built the majority of that for what was meant to be a...
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‘Give this a chance’
Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell is defending upcoming parking changes after a backlash against a reduction in free parking spaces. From July 1, control of Rotorua’s parking services will return to council hands, bringing a sweeping overhaul of inner-city...
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$100m game changer
Several buildings between Pukuatua and Hinemoa Sts will be knocked down later this year as Rotorua makes way for its new courthouse development. The Government yesterday announced $100 million towards the Rotorua Law Courts on Pukuatua St. The...
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‘He never stopped hurrying and challenging life’
Ryan James Richmond had a “generous heart”. So for his family, workmates and tight-knit group of friends, it was said to be “particularly unfair” that a suspected sudden heart incident caused the 26-year-old to crash while riding a quad bike. Ryan...
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Mum’s heartbreak: ‘She deserved to grow older’
Almira Pasaol came to New Zealand from the Philippines for work to provide a better life for her family, but was killed by a drug driver. The 28-year-old’s life was cut short when Mark Antony Quinn crashed into her car near Kinleith, south of Rotorua,...
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Zero-emission fleet dreams delayed
Rotorua is stuck with its diesel-powered public buses after a funding snag played a part in setting back plans for zero-emission buses by years. The Bay of Plenty Regional Council, which runs the city’s urban bus network, had aimed to introduce...
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Black mould causes courthouse chaos
Judges have been forced to move out of the Rotorua Courthouse after black mould was found. Four sentencings have had to be adjourned as a result of the disruption, and a local lawyer says he suspects the problem could be more widespread. It’s the...
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City parking overhaul
Inner-city workers in Rotorua may find themselves paying up to $12 for a day’s parking from July 1 after a major overhaul of the city’s parking system was endorsed by councillors at a meeting on Wednesday. The council said the changes have the backing...
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Man avoids jail for crash that killed his friend
Ayoung man who drove at high speeds and crashed — killing his best mate — has avoided a prison sentence. Johdeci Te Kani was 17 when, while driving in convoy with friends after they’d all been drinking, he reached speeds of up to 130km/h before losing...
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‘Incredibly unlikely’
Afuture Bay of Plenty super council dominated by Tauranga is “incredibly unlikely”, Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell says. It comes as rural leaders are concerned major local government reform could dilute smaller communities’ voices. Western Bay of Plenty...
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‘I couldn’t even make my bed’
Rotorua mother Kimy Clendon thought Christmas in 2025 would be her last. The 44-year-old had been experiencing shortness of breath, chest pain, “major fatigue”, body aches, swollen legs, and an irregular heartbeat for two years. Her symptoms became so...
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Options explored after Iran war hits bin rollout
Alternative suppliers are being considered for Rotorua’s new organic waste bins after issues linked to the Iran war meant they could not be supplied as planned. Rotorua Lakes Council’s new waste collection system was due to start on July 1, but has...
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HE HAD A HEART OF GOLD
He was a young man with a heart of gold, a kind and caring manner like no other, an adored friend and a son who was his parents’ world. But at just 21, Rotorua’s Jacob Snyman has lost his life to a rare form of cancer. After what has been described...
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More than 8700 staff ‘still waiting’ for holiday pay
More than 8700 current and former healthcare workers in the Lakes district are “still waiting” for their Holidays Act remediation payments after a decade, leaving them angry and frustrated, a Rotorua Hospital union delegate says. The New Zealand...
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‘He just wanted to live . . . and we did’
Shane Luke’s “dream” was to run a drainlaying, plumbing and gas-fitting company. Four years ago, his dream was realised when he and his wife, Sara Luke, bought a Rotorua business. “Work was his hobby. He loved his work,” Sara told the Rotorua Daily...
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‘We’re losing too many men’
ARotorua widow whose husband died from prostate cancer in 2024 says a screening programme will save lives, memories and futures. Meanwhile, a Tauranga prostate cancer survivor says “too many men” are dying from the disease, amid calls for a national...
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‘An amazing iwi leader’
Behind Dr Ken Kennedy’s kind eyes and warm smile was a man with a gifted memory, a broad knowledge of iwi ancestry and a staunch passion for Māori language. Ken (Keneti) Cameron Kennedy, or Dr Ken as he was affectionately known, quietly went about...
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CASH GRAB
ARotorua drug dealer who had wads of cash totalling more than $25,000 stashed in different spots has been forced to forfeit the funds. Joseph Jacobs is serving a sixand-a-half-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to two charges of possession of...
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‘CONSTANT’ TURNOVER
Fatal car crashes are heartbreaking for the families involved — and they also impact emergency services personnel who respond. One Rotorua survivor praised responders for their compassion at the devastating scene of an Anzac Day crash, while police...
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Proposed rafting merger may be sunk
Akey player in the proposed merger of Rotorua’s commercial rafting companies is frustrated by new signs the Commerce Commission may block the deal despite support from the city’s tourism industry. Rotorua Rafting’s Sam Sutton says businesses will...
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‘A LEGACY’
Rotorua Boys’ High have captured the Sanix World Youth Rugby Championship for the third time, after an emphatic 46-19 victory over Feilding High School in the 2026 final in Fukuoka, Japan. Life cannot get any better for Rotorua, who now hold the...
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Fatberg causes sewage overflow into stream
Afatberg has been blamed for causing a sewer leak that contaminated a Rotorua waterhole last week, forcing it to close for two days. Residents are being asked to use the incident as a reminder of what not to flush down the loo. Redwoods Forest dog...
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Why the Bay is more ‘sceptical’ of migrants
The Bay of Plenty is the most “sceptical” region in the country towards migrants, a new report says. The new Helen Clark Foundation Social Cohesion report, which surveyed 2882 people last year, showed 45% of Bay residents believed immigration levels...
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Millions to undo damage from emergency housing
millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent fixing up damaged and rundown Rotorua motels after they were used for emergency housing. One ministry has spent about $3.6 million on jobs such as repainting rooms; replacing beds, mattresses, carpet,...
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‘I wish I could swap places with my brother’
‘Iwish I could swap places with my brother.” Those were the words of Kaci Tauroa, a young woman who drove dangerously and crashed, killing her 10-year-old brother Jax Tauroa-Wall. Tauroa’s letter was provided to Judge Greg Hollister-Jones and referred...
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Olympian takes on Rotorua Marathon
Olympic medallist Brooke Francis will ditch her oars for sneakers as she laces up for her first Rotorua Marathon. Rotorua resident Francis will join the start line of the 42.2km Red Stag Rotorua Marathon tomorrow. This event marks 62 years for the...
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Son jailed after neglect caused mum’s death
For 10 years, Stephen Bourke took good care of his mother. But now he’s been jailed after his neglect caused her death. The case has been described as one of a young man struggling and overwhelmed, rather than one of malicious intent. Gloria Bourke,...
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Rugby great dies in crash on way to dawn parade
He was a star representative rugby and tennis player, a husband, father, kaumātua and friend. Dinny Mohi was a legend. The 85-year-old’s remarkable life was cut short on Saturday morning in a crash near Ngongotahā on his way to the Ō hinemutu dawn...
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Turning tragedy into hope
Rotorua mother Elizabeth Pilaar faced the ‘unthinkable’ when her 19-year-old son, Michael Pilaar, died from melanoma. In a self-published memoir, Pilaar has written about the unexpected diagnosis and how the family brought ‘the best out of an awful...
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Big pay day for farmers
A“once in a lifetime” payout has landed in the bank accounts of Rotorua and Taupō dairy farmers following Fonterra’s $4.2 billion sale of its dairy brands. A farming leader predicts the payout will boost the local economy, with farmers buying more...
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In the footsteps of ‘a M¯aori boy so far from his home’
Standing in the rain at a war grave in France, Eremia Tapsell came face to face with a family story that began centuries earlier – and ended, for some, on the Western Front. With Anzac Day nearing, that moment has taken on deeper meaning, linking...
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Isolated residents soldier on after washout
Awoman swept away in floodwaters after plunging into a chasm on the washed-out Ngapouri Rd south of Rotorua now counts every day as a bonus. “Today is bonus day 13,” her husband said on Tuesday. That’s how the couple view life after her miraculous...
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Council writes off $12.4m
rotorua Lakes Council is writing off $12.4 million tied to its OneCouncil IT system after moving from a locally hosted version of its core business software to a cloud-based set-up. Council staff say the adjustment will not directly impact rates,...
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COLD CASE
Afaulty air conditioning system at Rotorua’s Courthouse saw the room temperature plummet, forcing a delay in a sexual assault jury trial involving a young complainant. Rotorua lawyers say it’s another disappointing episode involving the shocking...
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Major hotel hits market as tourism rebounds
Rotorua’s rebounding tourism market is being used to lure investors as a major hotel and a motel on Fenton St go on the market. The Copthorne Hotel, between Ward Ave and Maida Vale St, is for sale. It will soon be joined by the former Boulevard Motel,...
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Businesses battle fuel crisis
Rotorua businesses say they are cutting costs as fuel prices climb and supply fears grow. They are carpooling, reducing idle time and ramping up security to stop diesel theft. Rotorua Business Chamber chief executive Melanie Short said some businesses...
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Town mourns loss of two ‘great boys’
A resident says Kawerau is “silent” as locals mourn after a fatal incident at the Tarawera River. The community has been left reeling after two children were killed in a riverbank slip at Boyce Park on Thursday. The two boys have been named as Pauly...
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RIVER TRAGEDY
Two people have died after a water-related incident in the Tarawera River near Kawerau’s Boyce Park. Emergency services were called to the scene about 11.30am yesterday after a report of a party becoming “stuck under a bank”. Eastern Bay of Plenty...
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Tribunal tells council to cut pensioner’s rent
The Tenancy Tribunal has ordered a rent reduction of more than 40% for a tenant soon to be impacted by changes to Rotorua’s pensioner housing portfolio, raising fresh questions about Rotorua Lakes Council’s wider housing overhaul. The decision, which...
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‘No wriggle room’
Liquidated health and wellness centre QE Health asked for “critical” funding increases from Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora to keep its Rotorua business afloat after it “narrowly avoided” insolvency in August, documents show. Health NZ told QE Health...
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Parolees moved from whata site
The founder of a parolee reintegration programme says he will continue working with people on bail as he fights serious personal allegations and a council consent battle over his controversial site. The Department of Corrections has confirmed parolees...
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Vaianu brings plenty of wind and rain
Cyclone Vaianu has caused chaos across the Bay of Plenty and forced people to flee their homes. Two key routes into Rotorua were closed — including one where a “massive” tree came down on SH33 between Te Puke and Rotorua. Rotorua Lakes Council said...
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‘I just saw the car disappear’
Awoman prayed and sang hymns to keep herself calm as she sat trapped inside an upturned car for about 15 minutes as floodwaters slowly filled her vehicle. She had just plunged about 20m into a chasm on the washed-out Ngapouri Rd in Waiotapu, south of...
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‘Miraculous’ survival
Awoman barely had space to breathe as floodwaters rushed through her upturned car when rescuers arrived, one of the first neighbours on the scene says. Local farmers rushed to the driver’s aid on Wednesday night after the vehicle plunged about 20m...
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Council’s Easter blunder
Rotorua Lakes Council has apologised after staff told central city retailers to shut on Easter Sunday when they didn’t have to. Retailers told the Rotorua Daily Post they were “not happy” at having to close on one of their busiest weekends, especially...
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‘IT’S BONKERS’
more than a dozen Rotorua businesses operating on some of the district’s most iconic lakes have been told they may be in breach of planning rules after a little-known, decade-old provision resurfaced. The cost and time involved in meeting the...
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Laundry, shower service to close
Afree laundry, showering and second-hand clothing service for homeless people in Rotorua is set to close in two months because of funding problems. Some homeless people say they are worried about what will happen when the Pukuatua St site shuts. They...
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‘Extraordinary people’
Rotorua couple Lena and Phil Stirrup have raised their 13-year-old granddaughter Keira since she was a baby, becoming leading supporters for other local caregivers in the process. Their efforts have been recognised with New Zealand’s highest accolade...
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Top-up blow for pensioners
Agovernment ministry has challenged the Rotorua Lakes Council’s promise that some pensioner housing tenants would be “no worse off financially” when rents rise under new management. The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) says it would not have...
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‘End of a chapter’
Skyline Rotorua is to close its mountain bike park to focus on new developments at its Mt Ngongotahā site. Mountain bikers will have a year to make the most of the park, which hosts international mountain biking event Crankworx, with closure of the...
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New scheme helps firms cut through CV deluge
Hundreds of job applications were “overwhelming” a Rotorua businesswoman looking for a few casual staff. Postie store manager Tracey Dunbar said she would only read the first 10 applications and choose from those because it was “too much”. Dunbar...
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New houses planned for iwi land
Ngāti Whakaue says it is looking to ease Rotorua’s housing shortage and create a brighter path for its people by building a new “community” on iwi land at Ngongotahā. Details of a 38-home project were revealed to just under 40 locals at a public...
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Dutch and Māori family united over WWII bravery medal
Residents of the wider Bay of Plenty will no longer be guaranteed free entry into the Rotorua Museum once it reopens after agreement to remove this condition from a $4.1 million grant. The Bay of Plenty Regional Council agreed last week to remove the...
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Kapa haka results under fire
Organisers of Te Arawa’s regional kapa haka event are being asked to rethink the results of its kaumātua section, days after they apologised for making an error in announcing the overall winners. Ngāti Rangiwewehi Pakeke say they were disqualified for...
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Bay’s baby bump
Birth rates in the Bay of Plenty have risen in the past decade, but experts say rising living costs are “without a doubt” reshaping residents’ family plans. According to the latest data from Stats NZ, 57,705 live births were registered in New Zealand...
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Te Arawa trust buys Rotorua Duck Tours
Aleading Rotorua iwi entity has made an “exciting” move to buy one of the city’s most iconic tourism businesses. Te Arawa Management Ltd, the commercial arm of Te Arawa Lakes Trust, has bought Rotorua Duck Tours –a 23-year-old business involving...
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Cemetery a ‘mess'
Weeds growing “higher than headstones” and other recent maintenance issues at Rotorua cemeteries have left mourners disappointed. Rotorua Lakes Council says the issue is good growing conditions, rather than any cutbacks, and issues are addressed...
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Sister heartbroken after memorial disappears
Amemorial tribute to a deaf and blind man killed after a hit-and-run in Rotorua last year has been stripped less than a year after his death. The entirety of the memorial, including hand-crafted items left at the Edmund Rd pedestrian crossing in...
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‘Red flags’: The search for Jayleb
Aaron Dean and his sister knocked on the door of the man who was last with their brother, Jayleb-che Dean. They were calm, Aaron said, but desperate for answers. Jayleb had connected with the man on a dating app and arranged to meet on Tuesday,...
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