Tom Belford

New Zealand

Editor and Publisher at Bay Buzz

What's happening in Hawke's Bay NZ

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Articles

Sandra Hazlehurst looks ahead

1 week ago | baybuzz.co.nz | Tom Belford

Thursday night BayBuzz reported Sandra Hazlehurst’s announcement that she would not be standing for re-election as Hastings mayor. Friday we caught up with the Mayor for a chat about her decision and what next. It’s four months too soon for a valedictory, but here are some initial observations.
NCC to cut staff … enough?

2 weeks ago | baybuzz.co.nz | Tom Belford

In today’s stressed economic climate, for the most part the only people who oppose cutting our councils’ staffs are the employees who might lose their jobs. But to those looking on from the outside, it seems the cuts cannot be draconian enough. Take the current Napier City Council staff ‘restructuring’ as an example of the challenge faced by all councils.
A development strategy with no teeth?

2 weeks ago | baybuzz.co.nz | Tom Belford

After very extensive background work that began in early 2023, on 19 May the Napier-Hastings Future Development Strategy Joint Committee adopted its Strategy for how residential, commercial and industrial land development (i.e., growth) should occur on the Heretaunga region over the next ten years. At which point the plan must be reviewed. Note the italics on ‘should ’ … I’ll come back to that.
Good Port results, but cruises down

2 weeks ago | baybuzz.co.nz | Tom Belford

Napier Port released its half year FY25 results this past week. Virtually all good news:Operating income of $78.1m represented a 10.6% gain over first-half last year. Net profit after tax up 40.8% to $20.2mHalf year dividend of $12m was announced, with 55% of that going to HBRC/HBRIC. Will spend $25-$29m in FY25 on capital improvements, from dredging to breakwater repair to asset replacement. Or $40m p.a over next three yearsHere are some graphs telling the story.
Heading to amalgamation?

2 weeks ago | baybuzz.co.nz | Tom Belford

[As published in May/June BayBuzz magazine.]Within Hawke’s Bay’s five councils, the dirtiest word one can utter is ‘amalgamation’. That’s particularly true of elected councillors; rumour has it that at least some council senior staff, operating in the trenches, feel otherwise. In any event, a number of forces are at work that might put amalgamation back into play for Hawke’s Bay, whose voters roundly defeated the proposition ten years ago.
Climate crisis update

2 weeks ago | baybuzz.co.nz | Tom Belford

[As published in May/June BayBuzz magazine.]In looking at New Zealand’s response to climate change, it’s instructive to compare the actions of the Government to some of our biggest corporate players. Alongside all other nations, the NZ Government is responsible for setting the country’s official emissions reduction target – the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) – a procedure established under the original Paris Agreement.
Who to blame … who could do better?

3 weeks ago | baybuzz.co.nz | Tom Belford

And how? As I scan comments on BayBuzz and other media, there is no shortage of outraged ratepayers sounding off these days …“It’s disgusting.”“Time for heads to roll.”“Another one bites the dust. October, not long now.
Shame on MPs Wedd and Nimon

3 weeks ago | baybuzz.co.nz | Tom Belford

They owe every Hawke’s Bay woman in the following professions an apology, although that would not remotely qualify as fair compensation for the injustice they have endorsed: The entire teaching workforce, in which women are by the most prevalent (early childhood – 97%, primary – 85%, high schools – 63%) Education support workers, education advisers and educational psychologists Social workers Youth workers Probation officers (68% women) Corrections psychologists Hospice workers Plunket nurses...
Heretaunga growers mobilise

1 month ago | baybuzz.co.nz | Tom Belford

Some 300 Heretaunga growers packed the Havelock North Community Centre to the gills last Thursday to hear a call to action by fledging advocacy group, Heretaunga Sustainable Water (HSW). The rally was triggered by the ongoing battle between the HB Regional Council (HBRC) and growers over the pending claw back of water abstraction consents across the Heretaunga Plains, as required by the lumbering TANK process.
Dr Doom earns his title!

1 month ago | baybuzz.co.nz | Tom Belford

Dr Mike Joy, widely known as NZ’s foremost freshwater ecology expert and advocate, wears the title of ‘Dr Doom’ defiantly. He’s earned it, as evidenced by the presentation he made last week on the dire planetary state of affairs to a gathering hosted by local Forest & Bird, setting aside his normal focus on freshwater. My impression was that even this audience of environmental ‘true believers’ was a bit shellshocked by the ‘big picture’ message he delivered.