A significant upgrade of the main Whakatāne District Council office is set to begin this year and staff will soon be relocating to temporary office locations ahead of work commencing. The building upgrade was approved through Council’s Long Term Plan 2021-31 earlier this year. It was agreed necessary to address […]
Public help sought over aggravated robbery in Whakatane
Whakatane Police investigating an aggravated robbery at a service station are seeking help from the public. Around 1am on Saturday 20 November, a person entered Caltex Whakatane on Commerce Street holding a knife. The person jumped over the counter and demanded cigarettes and cash, threatening the sole attendant working. At […]
Firearms, methamphetamine and cannabis seized in Kawerau search warrants
Police targeting the sale and supply of methamphetamine in Kawerau have made four arrests. The Whakatāne Precision Targeting Team, assisted by officers from Whakatāne, Kawerau and Edgecumbe, conducted search warrants at two Kawerau properties on Thursday and Friday last week. In addition to the four arrests, Police seized two firearms, […]
Book sale success
Ōpōtiki library’s Container Book Sale last week was a great success with many locals and visitors walking away with a bargain and more than $1000 raised to help expand the library’s large-print and dementia collection. Library Manager, Jo Hunt, said that it was such a success that they were keen […]
Ōpōtiki’s vaccination rollout
Many organisations in Opotiki have been doing an incredible job as part of the national vaccination rollout and now health providers, Opotiki District Council, Whakatohea and several other key agencies are coming together to boost the profile around vaccinations and the benefits for the Opotiki community. One of the local […]
Sea fog and volcanic gases create phenomena
Sea fog and volcanic gases from Whakaari / White Island have created a volcanic fog phenomena, along the eastern Bay of Plenty coast today. Whakatāne residents reported they could smell sulphur and there was low visibility of the island, prompting concerns of an eruption. GNS says there has not been […]
Council seeks views on ‘innovating streets’
Planter boxes, speed humps, street art, chicanes and painted kerb buildouts. These recent additions to streets on the western side of Whakatāne aim to make our town safer, more attractive and more liveable – especially for pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable users like people on mobility scooters. The project, called […]
Brighter future for Whakatane whitebait
The shaded area on this photo indicates where the riverbank will be gently sloped to enable inanga spawning to occur.