Podcasts about opotiki

The leader of the country's largest iwi is calling for the police to crackdown on drug dealers and methamphetamine use in Northland. Ngāpuhi leader, Mane Tahere says he saw a group of youngsters smoking a meth pipe in daylight on the main street of Kaikohe - just down the road from the police station. He's met with Police Minister Mark Mitchell - asking authorities to use tactics similar to the drug raids carried out in Opotiki last year. Police Minister Mark Mitchell talks to Kerre Woodham about the issue. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A conservation initiative focused on protecting the endangered whio - or Blue Duck - says the aggressive trapping of rats and stoats has helped to successfully fledge over 120 chicks in the Waioeka Gorge between Opotiki and Gisborne. Sam Gibson, also known as Sam the Trap Man, founded EWL in 2020, and he spoke to Alexa Cook.

Submissions have opened for a 500-kilometre walking trail that would stretch along the east coast from Gisborne to Opotiki. The trail is inspired by the internationally renowned Camino de Santiago walkway in Spain Project Lead Hekia Parata spoke to Morning report.

The Mighty Matua, the Prince of the Provinces, says he's not to blame for the blight on our landscape that is carbon farming. He also defends his decision to pour more money into a failed mussel farm in Opotiki.  Plus, we discuss NZ First's succession plan (or lack of one), his war with Te Pāti Māori and when we are going to see changes to the ETS surrounding 100% offsets for planting pine trees. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell has rejected claims that police left young children to fend for themselves after their parents had been arrested during an operation in Opotiki. Te Whakatohea kaikorero spoke to Paora Brosnan Maori news journalist Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira.

Gravity Credit Management proudly sponsors the Working Group. For more information on Gravity click the link.  Kia Ora Aotearoa! Welcome to The Working Group, New Zealand's top political podcast not funded by NZ on Air. I'm your host, Martyn Bradbury, editor of The Daily Blog. Joining me tonight: Damien Grant - libertarian liquidator and Cthulhu of Capitalism. Ani O'Brien - Queen of the Terfs and Political Commentator Simon Wilson - Militant cyclist, Recreational Jedi and NZ Herald Columnist Tonight's Issues: US Election - who will win and why? ACT Libertarians vs Banning Nazi Salute Police action in Opotiki against da gangs Is Mike King a drink too far? Welcome to The Working Group, jump on in. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------TEXT: Working to 3598  Check out the Social Media - https://bento.me/theworkinggroup

Back to the review of the last election result we mentioned this week from the political brains trust at Victoria University. Just to remind you, they analysed our votes, our issues, and our voting intentions and, and as a result, what sort of mandate they thought the current Government has. My point was they overthought the whole thing, given we only have one vote and it doesn't specifically buy a lot, or guarantee any sort of outcome, or even influence. So it is on that note I pose this very simple premise - if and when Labour get back to power, they are going to need most likely not just the Greens, but the Māori Party too. It's the Māori Party that will potentially lead to a flurry of analysis and a lot of hard questions that I'm not sure anyone has even thought about yet. The Māori Party are radicals. When the police raided the Mongrel Mob the other day in Opotiki, Rawiri Waititi called it "state sponsored terrorism" driven by a race agenda. How do the Labour Party live with that? How do they explain it? How do they justify being in Government with that? To their credit, the Māori Party I think are long-termers, given Waititi seems to have a lock on his seat and that is far more reliable than 5%, which they will never get because they are radicals. They are single issue zealots. But democracy allows this if you can find 5% to agree with you, or a seat where that sort of rhetoric sells. Waititi has that seat. So when you vote for Labour or for the Greens do you think about a Government grouping that has the Māori Party radical element in it and, if you do, what do you think that will lead to? What if the Māori Party have the NZ First card, i.e. the balance of power where you can't form a Government without them? What do you think their price for that will be? How radical do you think that will be? When the political wonks at Victoria University get to analyse that, their heads will explode. What you thought you were voting for and what you got, will be unrecognisable. And yet in 2026 it's possible. In 2029 it might even be likely. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions to Ministers DAN BIDOIS to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has she seen on Government finances? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in all his Ministers? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? TANYA UNKOVICH to the Associate Minister of Health: What recent announcement has she made regarding funding for Hato Hone St John? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by her statement that "Parties on this side of the House are backing the workers"; if so, how does the growing number of unemployed people reflect this? GRANT McCALLUM to the Minister of Immigration: What recent announcement has she made about supporting high-skilled migrants and their families? Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by his statement that there is a "workforce crisis" in the health sector; if so, what is he doing to stop doctors being tied up in paperwork as Health NZ cuts administration and advisory staff? DANA KIRKPATRICK to the Minister of Police: Does he agree with the Bay of Plenty district commander's message to gangs yesterday that police "will find you and you will be held accountable for your destructive behaviour"; if so, why? CAMILLA BELICH to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Does she agree with the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions that "This is the most anti-worker government that we've seen in decades"; if not, why not? RAWIRI WAITITI to the Minister of Police: Is he confident that bias and structural racism in the police force, as was found in the Understanding Policing Delivery report, has no influence on the conduct of police during raids in Maori communities, such as the raids in Opotiki yesterday? ARENA WILLIAMS to the Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing: Does he stand by his answer to oral question No. 6 yesterday? LAN PHAM to the Minister for the Environment: Does she stand by her comment in the committee of the whole House yesterday that "I made it very explicit that this Government wants to see improvements in freshwater over time and that our Resource Management Act work will be towards that"?

Yesterday afternoon, a woman was taken to hospital in a critical condition after being seriously injured in an assault on board a bus broad daylight. Shortly before 6pm, police confirmed the person had died in the hospital – they said the victim was a passenger on the bus. They say nobody else is at risk at the moment, they know who the alleged offender is, but it's unsettling. This is not the norm, this is not what should be happening. You should be able to board a bus on a quiet Wednesday and get to your destination safely without being abused, without being spat at, without being assaulted, and without being stabbed until you die. There's something horribly aberrant about this. We've had a lot of good news recently, the Coalition Government has been talking tough on crime since they were campaigning to be elected, and then we've had the good news announcements of major criminal organisations being busted - Comanchero's down south, Mongrel Mob in Opotiki. We've had the announcement of more cops on the beat, a visible sign of the police being around, which does so much to make people feel safe and does a lot to prevent crime. There are already about 30 officers working the beat in Auckland City. The total police force on the beat in Auckland will exceed 50, it's expected to have exceeded 50 by the end of last month. Seventeen officers deployed in Wellington, in Christchurch an extra 10 tramping the footpaths, and by the end of the two-year roll out Coster said there would be 21 officers deployed in each of Auckland's three policing districts, making up 63 additional officers on the beat across the region. So that is great, these are good news stories that do make you feel better, but you cannot have a police officer on every bloody bus or every train. You can't even have a security guard on every bus or every train. Incidents like this happen, and then you get the New Zealand Crime and Victim Survey coming along, asking questions, do you feel safe? And you say no, I bloody don't. I don't feel safe when a person can be stabbed on a bus in broad daylight on a Wednesday. The sixth New Zealand Crime and Victim Survey that was released in June interviewed thousands of New Zealanders about their experience of crime, whether they reported it or did not report it. Although it should be noted they didn't talk to businesses, and a hell of a lot of crime affected business over the last few years. People said they felt unsafe, despite the fact that crime rates have remained steady over the last three or four years. All of the good news can be forgotten when something as random and as savage as this incident occurs. I think the idea of addressing the situations where crime occurs is a good one. If we're looking at families that are at risk, we need to focus on them. So, the Social Investment Agency, that is a good move. Investing in community programs that work is good. Investing in more rehab centres, drug and rehabilitation centres would be excellent. I still don't believe there are nearly enough facilities available for people who want to get help, for families who want loved ones to get help. The promised care in the community for those who are severely disordered, not there, and hasn't been there for a very, very long time. So you've got to look at the drivers of crime as well as crime itself. Great, we've got the Coalition Government talking tough on crime, actually making a difference when it comes to getting police on the beat, actually making a difference when it gets more police officers policing, rather than acting as social workers. When you've got drug rings being disrupted, all of this is good. This is feel good stuff, but it only takes one random incident and people are unsettled. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Submissions to Whakatane District Council's long-term plan have councillors worried that residents do not know where to head in a tsunami alert. Diane says another submitter to the long term plan is so concerned about Whakatane's total lack of preparedness for major civil defence emergency, she has organised for a team of scientists from GNS to hold a workshop and is inviting our community leaders to attend. And the town wharf in Opotiki is undergoing a major upgrade at the moment to accommodate commercial boats from local iwi Whakatohea's mussel farm to berth there.

In today's episode, we're looking at issues that come up in Indigenous communities, and one initiative to respond to the limitations of the law and to reassert cultural authority in one's own heritage, culture and data. Episode notes In this season of the podcast we're working with the Engelberg Center for Innovation Policy at NYU Law. In this episode, Dr. Jane Anderson talks about how she found “the law doesn't do a very good job in protecting collective knowledge.” One of the big challenges in the area that I work in is the language of ownership to start with, and the framework of property itself conditions what's possible to think about and what's possible to talk about. Jane co-founded Local Contexts, “a global initiative that supports Indigenous communities with tools that can reassert cultural authority in heritage collections and data. By focusing on Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property and Indigenous Data Sovereignty, Local Contexts helps Indigenous communities repatriate knowledge and gain control over how data is collected, managed, displayed, accessed, and used in the future.” We also speak with Courtney Papuni of Te Whakatohea iwi in Opotiki. Courtney speaks on her community's work with Local Contexts labels and the limitations of western notions of copyright on cultural heritage and knowledge. Full transcript, notes, links and contact can be found on the episode website.

A dental charity working in some of the motu's poorest communities desperately needs more volunteer dentists to keep up with demand. It's a nationwide problem, but its being acutely felt on the east cape where there's no dentist from Gisborne to Opotiki. Some people haven't had their teeth checked for years and years. But the mobile Trinity Koha Dental Clinic has delivered over $2 million worth of treatment to over 3500 people, who otherwise have little or no access to dental services. Retired dentist Sue Cole speaks to Lisa Owen.

A $90 million housing fund promises to tackle the Bay of Plenty's housing crisis  

National's promised to crack down on gangs in its first hundred days in government. So what is that actually going to look like in a town like Opotiki where gang tensions are simmering to boiling point? On Saturday a 20 year old woman was shot in the arm after her car was fired at in the town. Police are saying it appears to be linked to ongoing tension between Black Power and the Mongrel Mob. And they turned to the courts to use a new law that gives them special search powers during a gang conflict. Two people have been arrested on drugs and offensive weapons charges following searches of two properties and several cars. National's police spokesperson Mark Mitchell speaks to Lisa Owen. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6339824115112

Police have been granted special powers to crack down on gangs in Ōpōtiki. They say recent shootings throughout the town are related to rising tensions between the Black Power and Mongrel Mob gangs. Felix Walton has more.

Labour's self aggrandising press release on police came through late in the show yesterday, so we didn't really get a chance to get our teeth into it.   The press release came from Chris Hipkins, well his office. A Labour Government will deliver a further increase of 300 additional frontline police officers, new ways to crack down on gangs, and strengthen legal protections against stalking and harassment, we will also continue to crack down on gangs.   Recently, we've seen communities disrupted and intimidated by dangerous gang convoys. “This is intolerable,” said the press release. Labour will introduce laws to punish this behaviour and develop new ways to target gang leaders and break their international links.   Seriously?   How can their speech writers deliver this stuff? How? Given the attitude that this administration has shown towards the gang since they first arrived, thanks to Winston Peters on the scene. How can Chris Hipkins, in all honesty, face New Zealanders and say, “Labour's been tough on gangs”?   This government's attitude towards gangs, towards working with gangs, towards giving gangs a seat at the table without them earning one, has resulted in the gang members and the gang leaders thinking they can have it both ways. That many of their members can grow fat off criminal activity and they get to be treated with respect, as respected members of the community.   Remember Paul? You might remember Paul from the show, hard working Paul, who rang me as he was heading off for a day's work on the farm in Opotiki. He rang because the topic was home detention and he said he himself had a bracelet, he was articulate, he was clearly hard working. Halfway through the conversation, he reveals he's a mobster for life and he had an extraordinary attitude about where gangs sit in the pantheon of New Zealanders.  So here you've got somebody who is who is articulate, hardworkin,  mobster for life and truly believes that because prime ministers have roads closed for them, a long standing member of the mob in Opotiki should have the same respect accorded to him.   Where did that sense of entitlement come from? Do you and I expect roads to close, towns to shut down, and people to be inconvenienced because one of our family members died? It's happened all over the country. It's not just Opotiki. The gangs do, They truly think that when one of their members, who they respect and they think is the man, when one of their members dies, everybody has to down tools. Everybody has to be inconvenienced. Everybody has to wait while they do what they need to do to show their respect.   Where has that attitude come from? It has come from Government contracts being awarded to gangs and gang sympathisers. From police, turning a blind eye to gang convoys. All the way through Covid we saw the gangsters hanging out of cars, gathering in far more numbers than rules allowed. I mean the rules were stupid, they were dumb, but the only way we were going to get through it is if we obeyed them.   To gangs, appointing PR personnel to argue their case on mainstream media. Good morning Louise Hutchinson. To orthodox members of the community turning up to Waikato Kingdom Mob hui, giving the event the sheen of respectability. While members of that same gang, senior members, the 2IC for God's sake, were still dealing drugs on an industrial level. Don Brash, Madama Davidson, respected academics all turning up saying, “oh yes, let's help give mob members a steer on alternative ways of being.”   I'm all for that, you know, giving people another chance. If people truly want to commit to being productive, hardworking members of the community and not make their living out of crime, afford them every possibility. But how can you stand there and say, oh, you know we're anti-drugs while your 2IC's being sent away for 10 years for dealing meth and GHB.   Seriously, you've got management issue problems if your 2IC thinks it's okay to be dealing drugs on that level. Enough, enough, enough. If gangs want to keep what they're doing, raking in millions while peddling misery. Can we at least make it hard for them? I mean, at the moment we're closing roads to allow them to do what they do. Can we make it clear that most of us would rather work honestly than live the BS, chrome- flashy, “I've got my bitches at home working for me” kind of thing that these gangsters just seem to be so proud of. They do not deserve a seat at the table until they have earned it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the last three years Rawiri Waititi has been a relentless force in parliament advocating for Māori. He won back Te Waiariki for Te Pati Māori in 2020, becoming co-leader of the party upon entering parliament and has built a strong profile with his colourful korero in the house. He was born in Opotiki and moved to Tāmaki Makaurau, for his secondary schooling staying with his aunty, Dame June Mariu. Coincidentally he went to Rutherford at the same time as former National Party leader Simon Bridges. Rawiri Waititi joined us for Six and a Song - The Election Edition. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Locals call it a forgotten highway, and last night they got a reminder why. Fallen trees and debris came washing down in a raging torrent on State Highway 35, around the Raukumara peninsula, just east of Opotiki. Crews have spent the hours since trying to clear the road and re-open it, so people can access main centres for the doctor and supermarket. This afternoon they were able to re-open one lane, and traffic control is in place. Finn Blackwell has more

Diane McCarthy, Local Democracy Reporter with The Whakatane Beacon speaks to Kathryn about the latest news from the Eastern Bay of Plenty. In Whakatane, much loved pohutukawa trees at one of the town's most scenic locations are dead or dying, district councils in both Opotiki and Whakatane are consulting on changing speed limits from 50kmh to 30kmh, and the Trust Horizon Light Up festival is drawing good crowds.

Damaged highways are stopping produce getting to market, and forcing at least one freight company to add a surcharge to account for the major detours they have to take. State Highway Two between Gisborne and Opotiki will be closed until at least the end of the week, because of a drop out from more wild weather. Countdown has already told customers to be prepared for shortages of some vegetables. Further north in the Coromandel, another lifeline highway is out of action because of persistent slips. With the school holidays around the corner, they're already counting their losses. Krystal Gibbens has more.

A huge Mongrel Mob tangi in Ōpōtiki has thrown up some stark contrasts in the way different towns deal with gangs.

Tonight with the deputy leader of the National Party, Nicola Willis, the deputy leader of the ACT Party Brooke van Velden and the Deputy of Leader of Nothing  Stuff columnist Damien Grant. Issue 1 – Opotiki vs National Gang Policy vs Subhuman vs Mogadishu Issue 2 – Race in Surgery – end of western civilization or duh you pearl clutching Muppets Issue 3 – Meng Foon vs Stuart Nash – who had a bigger conflict of interest? and Issue 4 – What should PM say to Xi in China next week?     The podcast broadcasts live 7.30pm Tuesdays from our purpose built studio bunker ADJACENT to Mediaworks studios on Facebook, YouTube & JuiceTV.live, The Daily Blog and replayed on Channel 200 Freeview and posted up afterwards on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Rova & YouTube See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police say Bay of Plenty Mongrel Mob boss Steven Taiatini died after being hit by a ute. Investigators believe a Holden Colorado 4 wheel drive found gutted by a fire on the outskirts of town at the weekend was the vehicle involved. Hundreds of gang members attended the 45 year old's nehu in Whakatane yesterday, with police maintaining a large presence in the area today. Finn Blackwell reports. 

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all.   Recession: 3/10 Welcome to it. This is the tangible outworking of a Government that printed, and spent, and wasted money they never had.   The Auditor General's report into the Provincial Growth Fund reset: 8/10 A valuable piece of work that laid bare the fundamental incompetence, mixed with dishonesty, that in it's own way explains why we are in recession.   The Police: 4/10 Their display and their defence of their actions in Opotiki this week shows you all that is wrong with the social fabric and moral compass of this country.   Josh Emmett: 6/10 Hanging out with and being spruiked by Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop is not a bad life.   Housing: 6/10 The general consensus is we have reached the bottom and in some parts of the country we are on the way back up.   Food: 2/10 It's over 12% more expensive. You've got to ask those who think inflation has peaked, just what is it they are seeing that we aren't.   The Warriors: 8/10 Another superb win, if not the win of the season. Man this is enjoyable. It's so enjoyable, I reckon this could be our year.   IAG: 3/10 20-30% increases in insurance will turn into one of the major social talking points going forward. You have to be able to afford to insure yourself, otherwise you look like America.   1800 frontline police: 2/10 What a con. "1800 front line, 1800 on the beat". Until, of course, it turned out not to be true   LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEWSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hundreds of gang members, and 100 extra police, have been in the area after the killing of Mongrel Mob Barbarians boss Steven Taiatini last Friday. A homicide investigation has been launched into Mr Taiatini's death. His body was taken from Opotiki to a crematorium in Whakatane yesterday and there were reports of shots being fired at a vehicle in the town. Mr Taiatini's family say they are willing to talk to rival gang members such as Black Power about tensions.

Bay of Plenty police have been on alert overnight in Opotiki and Whakatane after reports of shots being fired at a vehicle in Whakatane yesterday. Hundreds of patched gang members who had been in Opotiki for the tangi of Mongrel Mob Barbarians boss Steven Taiatini yesterday travelled to Whakatane on motorbikes and in cars and utes for the gang bosses' cremation. The 45-year old gang president was killed on Friday night and a homicide investigation is underway. RNZ reporter Finn Blackwell is in Whakatane.

On today's First Up pod - we ask deputy prime minister Carmel Sepuloni about gang tensions in Opotiki and the ongoing secondary school teacher's strike and we hit the road to find out why there is a 61 cent price difference per litre for 91 fuel across our biggest city. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

Police are warning of travel disruption in eastern Bay of Plenty as hundreds of gang members follow the hearse carrying the body of Mongrel Mob President Steven Taiatini from Opotiki to the Hillcrest Crematorium in Whakatane.

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from Tuesday on Newstalk ZB) Wonder if They're Listening?/A Point Well Made/Nationoal's Image Problem is In Their Heads/Tennis Ain't What it Used to Be/Keep the Wallabies Out at All CostsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's First Up pod - Donald Trump is due to appear in court facing criminal charges; an auction for a ceramic pot, glazed with silt sourced from the aftermath of cyclone Gabrielle; Opotiki effectively shuts down for a gang funeral, we ask Greens co-leader James Shaw if the government is too soft on crime and as the cost of living impacts our pantries, we hear about some families' reliance on the Fruit In Schools programme. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

In Opotiki, a tangihanga is under way for Steven Taiatini, the president of the Mongrel Mob Barbarians. The 45-year-old was killed on Friday night on St John Street and there is now a heavy gang presence in the town. Police say they will be providing 24/7 coverage over the coming days to offer reassurance to the wider community that may be feeling unsafe. Opotiki Mayor David Moore has been working closely with leaders from local iwi Whakatohea and Police over the past few days. He spoke to Corin Dann.

In a bid to make the most of Whakatane's high sunshine hours, the Whakatane District Council is considering investing almost $16 million on solar energy generation discussing the possibility of establishing a 7.2-megawatt solar farm at Whakatane Airport and installing solar panels on the rooftops of eight council-owned buildings. Meanwhile Diane talks to Kathryn about Whakatane and Opotiki townships facing future inundation and flooding, while Kawerau is looking at increased fire risk according to a climate change risk assessment commissioned by Bay of Plenty Regional Council. The Opotiki district will find out next week how its council plans to meet a 15 percent increase in costs in its annual plan. And Ohope the bronze kiwi has disappeared from his perch on the Whakatane riverfront - only his foot has been left behind. Eastern Bay of Plenty Local Democracy Reporter, Diane McCarthy is with the Whakatane Beacon

Up to 500 houses were evacuated in Opotiki ahead of the high tide at 1.30am on Tuesday. Jimmy Ellingham spoke to Corin Dann.

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown says 2am will be a "tricky point" as Cyclone Gabrielle leaves her mark on the city. Heavy rain and severe winds are ramping back up in Auckland after a brief lull, returning with a southwesterly direction, with high tide at 2am. Mayor Brown says people should evacuate immediately immediately if their home floods, as there are 26 shelter locations across Auckland   A State of Emergency is in place in eight regions - Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Waikato, Hauraki, Tairawhiti, Whakatane and Opotiki. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The severe weather that's been battering the country could be a sign of what's to come. It could take days to get flights back to normal, after about 130 flights and most Cook Strait ferry sailings were cancelled yesterday due to heavy gales in Wellington. Lake Ohau Road Bridge is due to reopen today, but State Highway 6 west of Murchison, Ruapehu's Bruce Road and State Highway 35 east of Opotiki all remain closed. Insurance Council Chief Executive Tim Grafton told Tim Dower these kinds of severe weather events are going to become more common, and we need to adapt. He says moving houses higher up from sea level will progressively reduce the risk. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The wild weather is over, but the travel chaos could continue well into next week. More than 180 flights and most Cook Strait ferry sailings were cancelled during yesterday's stormy weather. Air New Zealand is asking people to delay their flights if possible. But Chief Executive Greg Foran told Tim Dower the airline is trying to make arrangements for people who need to travel. “Got 126,000 people to move over the next three days, so not a lot of space on some of the flights.” State Highway 6 west of Murchison, Ruapehu's Bruce Road and State Highway 35 east of Opotiki all remain closed. LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The wild weather is over, but the travel chaos could continue well into next week.More than 180 flights and most Cook Strait ferry sailings were cancelled during yesterday's stormy weather.Air New Zealand is asking people to delay their flights if possible.But Chief Executive Greg Foran told Tim Dower the airline is trying to make arrangements for people who need to travel.“Got 126,000 people to move over the next three days, so not a lot of space on some of the flights.”State Highway 6 west of Murchison, Ruapehu's Bruce Road and State Highway 35 east of Opotiki all remain closed.LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The area between Tolaga Bay and Tokomaru Bay has been particularly hard hit, closing the highway around East Cape to Opotiki, David Wilson is Tairawhiti's Civil Defence Group controller.

Civil Defence teams went door to door through a Tairawhiti settlement last night asking residents to leave as flood waters threatened the area. Mangatuna,a small settlement an hour north of Gisborne was ordered to evacuate at about 2am as the Hikuwai River, which runs along side the settlement was at a very high level, and more rain was expected. Flooding has closed State Highway 35 from Gisborne to Opotiki. There are also multiple slips in Tolaga Bay Gorge and surface flooding throughout the region. People are being asked to stay off the Coast road and some parts are limited to four wheel drive only. There is localised flooding on Arthur Street in Tokomaru Bay and one household evacuated from Anaura Bay. Gisborne Civil Defence manager Ben Green spoke to Susie Ferguson.

Opotiki business owners are getting behind an iwi request to discourage visitors this summer.District Council and Te Whanau-a-Apanui are jointly asking would-be holidaymakers to stay away.The iwi says it's to stop Covid spreading into tribal territories with many vulnerable Maori.Councillor and iwi leader Louis Rapihana told Heather du Plessis-Allan a number of campgrounds are proactively shutting.“Te Kaha Holiday Park has been closed, Hawai Bay Park has been closed, Maraehako Bay Park has been closed by the individual owners.”LISTEN ABOVE

Our Maori News team looks at how the vaccination drive is going in Opotiki, it looks at kura kaupapa and kohanga impacted by government vaccine mandates and the Maori Council go to the Waitangi Tribunal claiming the covid response has left Maori behind.

Damaging winds around Opotiki in the Bay of Plenty have blown over shelter trees in kiwifruit orchards and whipped flowers off the vines. On the West Coast of the South Island mating is going well on dairy farms and contractors are finishing making baleage on run-off farms.

It's been a wild weekend of weather for many parts of the country and warnings are still in place for some areas including the Bay of Plenty east of Opotiki and Gisborne. Metservice meteorologist Jared Barrow spoke to Susie Ferguson.

It's been a wild weekend of weather for many parts of the country and warnings are still in place for some areas including the Bay of Plenty east of Opotiki and Gisborne. Metservice meteorologist Jared Barrow spoke to Susie Ferguson.

Kaitaia's working hard to make job opportunities, to help tackle its methamphetamine crisis.Herald analysis shows the weekly per capita meth consumption is more than double the national average in smaller towns with high deprivation - like Kaitaia, Opotiki and Wairoa.Kaitaia Mayor John Carter told Heather du Plessis-Allan they care about their young people and are working hard to make advances."While it's challenging and it's not going to be fixed tomorrow, and it will be a long time before we get there, we've got to start changing our attitude and say, rather than shut these people out and create a sub-culture, how can we bring them into our society, what can we do that's positive for them and positive for us?".LISTEN ABOVE

A snapshot of the scale, lays bare the geographic spread of New Zealand's meth problem.The New Zealand Herald's obtained two years of wastewater test results that police have used to monitor consumption of illegal drugs around the country since late 2018.Analysis shows small towns with high levels of deprivation - including Kaitaia, Opotiki and Wairoa - have been saturated - recording weekly per capita consumption more than double the national average.Herald reporter Jared Savage says police are using the data to provide funding for community groups tackling the issue."For example, provide extra social workers or other support and funding for resources that they can have this wrap-around holistic approach to families that might be struggling."Savage says rehab centres, counselling services and other resources across the country are already very low, but almost non-existent in smaller towns.LISTEN ABOVE

A proposal to rein in horses roaming a small eastern Bay of Plenty town has some residents gee'd up. Hoiho have been wandering freely in Ōpōtiki for years, but the council recently proposed stamping down on unwanted horseplay with a new bylaw. Aside from posing a safety risk to motorists, the animals damage fences, stopbanks and gardens. Reporter Jean Bell trotted into town to talk to locals.

Midwives in the Bay of Plenty hope the introduction of free ultrasound scans for pregnant women in their district will pave the way for the rest of the country. The region's DHB has been partially funding the scans but will now also pay for the $45 which has been charged by privately run maternity providers. It's estimated about 40 percent of pregnant women in the region chose to skip ultrasound scans last year. Opotiki midwife Lisa Kelly spoke to Philippa Tolley.

Today on the show you're going to hear the a couple of great prizes we have to give away, and visit Opotiki as we go there for Poo Towns. Plus your Betoota News for a Friday, and we get all wound up for the weekend - IT'S FRIDAY! F**K YEAH!!! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's calling for an inquiry to make sure that vulnerable people haven't been left behind when it comes to banking.Shadow Treasurer Andrew Bayly says losing cheque facilities, and not to being able to visit branches, is causing distress to many Kiwis.This comes after several mayors signed a letter to the government to intervene on rural bank closures.The loss of bank branches and the phasing out of cheques is causing concern to some sectors of the community.Opotiki is one of a number of towns that are seeing banks shut up shop. Mayor Lyn Riesterer told Kate Hawkesby that only about 50-60 percent of people in Opotiki have internet access."If people in certain rural areas want to do internet banking, that's not going to happen."She says that phone banking is also a problem, particularly for elderly people dealing with that "non-service". LISTEN ABOVE

Artist Fiona Kerr-Gedson in Opotiki joins Samuel Mann in Dunedin and Mawera Karetai in Whakatane. With contributions from Tahu Mackenzie, Andy Thompson and Liesel Mitchell. This show was broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin - oar.org.nz

Cabin Brewing co-founder and New Zealand transplant Haydon Dewes is this week's guest on the podcast. We chat about how the connections he made through the Cowtown Yeast Wranglers led to Cabin's super-group founding team and the 32 unique beers that followed.Haydon got accustomed to moving around long before making Calgary home. Born in Opotiki, growing up in Hastings, attending university in Wellington, and spending a short time living in Ireland before coming all the way back to Wellington left more miles behind him than most ever experience. He and his wife would find themselves looking at a move across the globe to Canada, and after his wife got accepted for a job in Calgary they would make the journey here without having ever visited the city. Like many who come to Calgary they'd planned to be here for a short time, just a single year, but a decade later they've cemented themselves in the city.Haydon had been an avid home brewer for more than 25 years and joined Calgary's home-brew club The Calgary Yeast Wranglers where he met his business partners Jonas and Darren. The three of them had all landed in the top 12 in Canada's national home-brew competition, and along with Jonas' history working with Wild Rose Brewery the trio began formulating a plan to create their own brewery. They originally envisioned a massive 20 barrel system but couldn't quite raise all the capital they needed, so the determined brewers locked themselves in a room for 6 hours to figure out what to do and came back out with a scaled-down brewery plan that they thought just might work, and Cabin's doors opened in December of 2018.Now over a year and dozens of unique beers later their scaled down plan is a clear success as Haydon sums up perfectly: “At the time it was heartbreaking and we thought we were going to fail … but now we're better for it."Let's Meet For A Beer!Alberta Beer Festivals: website | twitter | instagramCabin Brewing: website | twitter | instagramHaydon Dewes: twitter | instagram

http://bloggingfromparadise.com This 1 minute long, super short podcast episode shares a super potent email marketing technique you are likely overlooking. After I stopped actively building my list last month I cam across an incredibly powerful email marketing strategy. Well I didn't come across it; I felt an intuitive nudge to take this route. Night-day difference with my blog and brand. Everything seemed to pop when I used this approach. Most bloggers go ga-ga over email list size, boasting of big numbers, but numbers never grew a blogging business. Numbers or inanimate objects. Human beings on the other hand are the cornerstone of every successful blog....and blogger....and this is how you reach them. Listen to this episode of the Blogging From Paradise Podcast in stunning Opotiki, New Zealand.

It was in the early 1960's that Māori came together to celebrate performing arts, the venue was held at the Tauranga Queens Elizabeth Memorial Hall. In 1970, Wiremu Parker (1914 - 1986) attended the event and talks about the various waiata sung by Waioeka of Opotiki, Ngāti Rangiwewehi and Ngāti Poneke. Turirangi Te Kani (1915 - 1990) addresses the crowd, and the then Minster of Māori Affairs Duncan Mcintyre talks about the importance of Māori Culture groups.

It was in the early 1960's that Māori came together to celebrate performing arts, the venue was held at the Tauranga Queens Elizabeth Memorial Hall. In 1970, Wiremu Parker (1914 - 1986) attended the event and talks about the various waiata sung by Waioeka of Opotiki, Ngāti Rangiwewehi and Ngāti Poneke. Turirangi Te Kani (1915 - 1990) addresses the crowd, and the then Minster of Māori Affairs Duncan Mcintyre talks about the importance of Māori Culture groups.