Stories by Alisha Evans

Two Tauranga hapū will be able to reconnect with their whenua with reserve land likely to be returned to them.

The commission that administers the city has reconsidered after submissions from a business owner.

Plans to set up a ferry service in the Western Bay of Plenty have been canned because of the "eye watering" cost.

The proposal suggests converting freehold properties in areas that may become unliveable in the future into long-term leasehold properties.

Bars in Tauranga's CBD are worried an earlier closing time will be tough on businesses that are already quiet.

Mount Maunganui's unique beach vibe could be ruined by more housing, residents and businesses say.

A Tauranga teenager with a bleeding tumour on his lip is facing up to eight months wait for treatment through the health system.

Increasing numbers of children need extra help in the classroom, but an "outdated" system could see a drop in specialist teachers to support them.

Cries of "no way" rang out through a courtroom as a judge ordered the destruction of a Tauranga rottweiler that bit a vet.

Murray Guy was ejected from a tumultuous Tauranga City Council meeting because he refused to stop speaking from the public gallery.

Garth Mathieson is one of 11 people who have had their request to speak in public forum at a Tauranga City Council meeting turned down by commission chairperson Anne Tolley.

Applause then waiata rang out from the packed public gallery as the councillors voted nine to three in favour of Māori wards.

The Western Bay of Plenty District Council says it did not have warnings it needed to deuce the impact of flooding in Waihī Beach - but MetService and locals say it did.

Waihī Beach residents attended a community meeting last week to vent their concerns after flash floods ripped through the seaside town just under a month ago.

Tauranga residents are facing a rates rise of 9.4 percent from July, but the council was still "losing ground", as this was lower than the costs it was facing.

"Utterly devastated" and "horrified" is how people have reacted to fee hikes for Tauranga community facilities.

Parking in Tauranga's city centre will be free on Saturdays and after 5pm on weekdays after it was found charging affected the number of visitors.

There has been a 47 percent increase in sewer overflows in the Bay of Plenty between 2020 and 2022.

Whareroa Marae took its concerns about pollutants affecting its people to the city and regional councils, calling for the managed retreat of heavy industry from their whenua.

The cost of storm damage to the Western Bay of Plenty district will be between $15 million and $20m after Cyclone Gabrielle and severe weather in January swept through the region.

Trees are down and people were evacuated from their homes, but the damage isn't "huge" for the Western Bay of Plenty after cyclone Gabrielle swept across Aotearoa.

A family whose dog spent nine months in the pound is calling for the council to reinstate visitation for owners.

Residents of a rural road in Te Puke have been struggling for 10 years to get safety improvements to their road.

Guests at a Tauranga hotel are being welcomed to the city with the threat of a parking fine.

Bay of Plenty principals have spoken out about a "rapidly declining interest" in principalship as pay negotiations halt for the holidays.