Latest Bay of Plenty news

Years of friendship: Trio celebrates milestone birthday together
Thelma Gough, aka Speedy Gonzalez, and friends Bob Gudex and Eunice Barnes all turned 100.

Dad raises thousands in 24-hour golf marathon for daughter with rare disorder
The event aimed to fund Rett syndrome therapy for Matt Henderson's daughter, Remi.

'Basketball-sized rocks': SH25 reopens after slips cleared in Coromandel
A detour via the peninsula's east coast was the only route option for most of today.

'Huge impact': Subdivision residents concerned about traffic from development
About 200 homes are planned, with access through Rowesdale Drive in Ōhauiti.

Birdies for Remi
Dad thanks people for helping raise money to help treat his daughter's condition. Video / Jack Bouvier

Whakatāne homicide: Women accused of killing 8-year-old boy face additional charges
Rickah'Shae Keefe-Haerewa died after an alleged assault in Te Teko in 2024.

'Struggling to keep up': Support for banning under-16s from social media
Parents struggle with children’s social media use, fearing harmful content exposure.

Motorcycle enthusiast turns 100
Thelma Gough, known as 'Speedy Gonzalez', celebrated her 100th birthday in Tauranga. Video / NZ Herald

Hard work pays off: Six young BoP squash players prepare for worlds in Egypt
The young players will be representing New Zealand at the Junior World Championships.

Heavy rain advisories for BoP, thunderstorms possible
Periods of heavy rain could approach warning criteria, says MetService

Regional ratepayers to fund $3.58m loan for Tarawera Sewerage Scheme
Debate on the final split of the controversial scheme's $32.3m cost begins today.

From music to markets: Top events in the Bay of Plenty this season
From Tauranga to Rotorua, discover upcoming events in the Bay of Plenty region.

'Crude attempt': Sister caught trying to use gran's death to get gangster brother out of prison
Natalia Merrin, 28, even catfished another dead person's Facebook page.

Customs seizes 130kg of cocaine from shipping container at Port of Tauranga
The Class A drug was worth up to $50.44 million.

Iwi driver licencing scheme sees 178 people licensed
“It was a bit scary, but being on the marae was amazing," one driver said.

'Putting lives at risk': The barriers facing Māori from getting immunised
Māori vaccination rates lag behind European children in Bay of Plenty and Lakes.

'Woefully inadequate': Sportsground has six toilets for 4000 people
A request for funding to ease toilet troubles at netball courts prompts debate.

Region's top school rockers crowned
Pocket Watchers won the Rotorua Smokefree Rockquest final.

He thought his back pain was just him 'getting old'. Instead, he had cancer
Pāpāmoa father Blair Harrison now has a curve in his spine and is 5cm shorter.

What two household budgeting experts think of Budget 2025
One says it will do 'little' to help clients, the other says it's too soon to tell.

'Active weather coming': Heavy rain, wind forecast to sweep back across NZ
Today will offer a brief sunny and calm respite in a wild few days of weather.

Radio star sells family home to overseas buyers after they write heartfelt letter
Hits host Hayley Bath and her family are moving to Tauranga.

Culmination of St Patrick's Day drunken flirting, or opportunistic rape while woman slept?
Jurors were unable to reach a verdict in a Tauranga District Court rape trial.

North Island Golden Gloves to draw boxing elite to Tauranga
The tournament is one of the biggest boxing events in New Zealand.

'Lifting a dark cloud': Bar thrives after ditching pokies
Owners report no financial loss; dining space and food sales have improved.

An epic, wild 218 days: Meet the family of six who walked the length of NZ
An inspiring, astonishing adventure, including being mistaken for missing Marokopa family.

New sanctions drive benefit accountability
From today, two new sanctions apply to encourage people off welfare and into work.

Slam dunk! New sport centre to host first national event
The tournament is free for the public at the Haumaru Sport and Recreation Centre.