A person has been seriously injured after what police are describing as a firearms incident. A Police spokesperson said they received a report of a firearms incident near Rimu Crescent, Minginui, around 6.30 pm One person was seriously injured and they were transported to Rotorua Hospital. It doesn’t appear to […]
Murupara Police seek vehicle involved in ATM heist.
Murupara Police would like to hear from anyone who has seen a black 2019 Ford Everest SUV in Murupara or the surrounding area. The vehicle was involved in the burglary of the Murupara New Zealand Credit Union Central on Pine Drive, Murupara at about 3am on Monday 3 June. It […]
Major upgrade for District streetlights
Streetlights throughout the Whakatāne District are to be converted to LED (light emitting diode) technology during the next 12 months, thanks to substantial funding from the NZ Transport Agency. LED lighting units provide a brighter, better-focused light; are more resilient; use less energy; need less maintenance; and last up to […]
CCTV policy adopted
Whakatāne District Council has adopted an Electronic Surveillance (CCTV) Policy that will enable greater use of CCTV cameras for crime prevention and identification of offenders, as well as for the ongoing monitoring of Council assets. The Policy was adopted by the Council’s Policy Committee on 29 June and followed the […]
Tourism facilities funding welcomed
The announcement of Government funding for gateway tourist facilities has been welcomed by Whakatāne District Mayor Tony Bonne. Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Paula Bennett, today confirmed that $100,000 will be provided to co-fund upgraded toilet facilities in Te Teko and a new facility in Murupara, as part of this […]
Storm and flood damage force 3.9% average rates increase
Additional costs relating to flooding and storm damage caused by cyclones Debbie and Cook last month will add close to 1% to rates costs across the Whakatāne District for the 2017/18 year, taking the average increase to 3.9%. Previous draft budgets had indicated an average rates increase of 2.96% for […]
Increase in ‘entire’ dog registration
The Whakatāne District Council has agreed to raise the annual registration fee for ‘entire’ dogs by $15 per dog for the 2017/18 year, to cover an expected increase in the cost of dog control activities. Projected expenditure for dog control across the District is expected to total close to $655,000 […]
Rates increase for some
Last year’s District revaluation will have widely varying effects on rates bills across the Whakatāne District in the 2017/18 year. QV’s revaluation saw the average capital value (CV – the value of land and improvements) of all properties increase by 14.7 percent from the previous valuation in 2013, but values […]