Latest fromWhakatane

Upgrade plans: Tauranga toll road cameras to get major tech boost
Camera upgrades on SH2 start on June 9, taking four nights to complete.

Bay of Plenty All Black, Olympian, philanthropist and master fly-tier make honours list
The King's Birthday honours include famous names and community heroes.

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.

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

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.

'Symbol of hope': Winning photo 'reclaims Māori narrative' amid cultural unrest
The "powerful" photo allowed people to see their tūpuna in the face of a child.

St Patrick's Day rape-accused claims woman flirted, talked 'dirty' with him
He claims they had consensual sex while the Crown says the woman was asleep.

$20k triumph: How Taniwha Chasers captivated judges at portrait awards
An Ōpōtiki local's photograph Taniwha Chasers was chosen from 41 finalists.

'Fragmentation': 140,000-patient GP network to leave regional funders
'We think that is the best way to be able to rapidly increase funding for the front line.'

Salvage divers face wind, waves and sharks - sunken launch recovered
Salvage divers used air lift bags to raise the vessel, working in choppy conditions.

Man says he walked into a room to see his fiancee being raped
'It's not what it looks like,' the man accused of rape allegedly told her fiance.

'Cap in hand': Mayor pushes for second bridge for town
The proposal highlights strain on the 1962 Landing Rd Bridge.

Teen campaigner to deliver letters to Luxon by bike
Fifteen-year-old Jack plans to bike to Wellington for Māori wards awareness.

Private launch sinks near Mōtītī Island
The launch passengers were rescued on May 16 near Mōtītī Island after the boat hit rocks.

SH2 bridge replacement scrapped despite road damaging new tyres
The Pekatahi Bridge's surface chews up brand new tyres, causing frustration.

'This is for Willy': Partner honours fisherman who died at sea
Her team has raised over $3700 for Coastguard, surpassing their $2000 goal.

Police station axe attack-accused denies charges
The attack incident sparked an armed police response.

Concern 'patients will suffer' as practices with 46,000 enrolled switch funder
The centres say changing their primary health organisation will help avoid fee increases.

Ash cloud from Whakaari/White Island cancels flights
Flights from Auckland and Wellington were among those cancelled.

'We are not an airline': Council waives airport fees, denies loan request
The council rejected Air Chathams' request to write off a $350,000 loan.

Police name man who died in Bay of Plenty crash
The crash happened on January 23 at Coastlands.