The government has announced a $2 million injection into redeveloping the Ōtorohanga Kiwi House as part of its Covid-19 response and recovery fund. A welcome surprise to locals, the funding will allow Kiwi House to build a large visitor and conservation centre and a large nocturnal house experience. Kiwi House manager, Jo Russell, said the […]

As the Government’s Covid-19 wage subsidy comes to an end this month, regional New Zealand is looking to combat a spike in youth unemployment. The Government is investing $11.5 million into rural New Zealand with the aim to to connect young people with jobs. The Mayoral Taskforce for Jobs and the Ministry of Social Development […]

OceanaGold is proposing a mine expansion in small mining town, Waihi. However, not all Waihi residents are in favour of the expansion. Local, Reg Turner, is against the proposal for a number of reasons. “I know underneath the pit is real hard rock, so there’s going to be heavy ground shaking going on,” he says. […]

Small New Zealand towns are welcoming new businesses seeking cheaper rent, more space and the support of a local community. As ‘working from home’ evolves into a normal part of business operations, people are now looking to shift out of the main cities, in search of better work-life balance and lower costs. Shared office spaces […]

A million dollar project to connect Paeroa to the popular Hauraki Rail Trail is now in its first stages, after receiving $730,000 in Provincial Growth Funding. The Paeroa Historical Maritime Park’s development will include a community jetty, floating wharf and a new riverboat to ferry people and their bikes between the museum and the centre […]

The Aratiatia Rapids in Taupo is one of the most popular natural attractions in the area for tourists and locals with the dam opening for 15 minutes three-to-four times a day. However, it was a place of mourning when Rachel de Jong, who was swimming in the rapids, drowned after she was caught out when […]

From next September, the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board will take over all water quality monitoring in the Lake Taupo catchment from the Waikato Regional Council. This decision follows two years of discussions between the council and iwi and will make the work more efficient, carried out by local people. The council’s community and services director, […]

Ongoing loneliness in New Zealand has increased, particularly for our youth, as the country continues to battle Covid-19. A report from the Loneliness New Zealand charitable trust found loneliness in youth increased from 5.8 percent before Covid-19 struck to 20.8 percent during the lockdown and currently remains at high at 17 percent. “It is disheartening […]

New Zealand has had two new cases of Covid-19 confirmed this week, both in managed isolation. It has been 100 days since the last Covid-19 case was acquired locally from an unknown source. The first confirmed case was a man in his 20s who traveled to New Zealand from the Philippines via Hong Kong on […]

There is growing uncertainty surrounding the scheme which provides vital labour to the wine industry. With the ongoing tightened border controls, wine industry contractors are concerned they may not have enough overseas workers. The Recognised Seasonal Worker (RSE) scheme allows workers from the Pacific to come to New Zealand and work in the viticulture and […]