Tauranga police are hunting for a man they have described as “violent and unpredictable”. He is 32 year old Tristram Jarred Taka, who is believed to be travelling between Tauranga and Hamilton. Tristram Jarred Taka. Taka is wanted for breach of community work and is also being sought in connection with a domestic violence and intentional damage offending. Police are warning that if Taka is seen, he should not be approached. Anyone with information relating to Taka’s More...

The seven month investigation into the cause of the rockslide in the Mangorewa Gorge on August 6 last year is complete, but investigators were reluctant to attribute blame. Department of Labour Bay of Plenty service manager, Murray Thompson says it appears the parties involved at the time had taken all practicable steps to ensure the safety of their employees, contractors and sub contractors and other people in a place of work. “Our investigation found that there is no indication a More...

Petrol thieves are being accused of accidentally setting a $50,000 piece of orchard equipment on fire after they tried to siphon petrol from it on Wednesday night. Katikati fire fighters were called to the fire at Kauri Pak on Kauri Point Road, just north of Katikati, at about 10pm. Kauri Pak owner Hugh Moore next to his $50,000 hydraladder, which was destroyed after petrol thieves accidentally set it on fire. Kauri Pak owner Hugh Moore says it appears the thieves were siphoning petrol More...

A 37 year old Gate Pa man has been charged with a raft of sexual offences, including rape of a female under the age of 12. He has also been charged with two counts of indecent assault of a female under 12 and unlawful sexual connection with a female under 12. Detective sergeant Zane Smith says the incident occurred outside Tauranga but is now being controlled by Tauranga police because the alleged offender lives in the city. The man is due to appear in Tauranga District Court on More...

A 60 year old Bellevue man was arrested on Wednesday and charged with burglary. He was arrested at the Tauranga Police Station and is due to appear in court next Wednesday. File picture. • At 10.13pm on Wednesday, a 17 year old student from Fraser Street in Tauranga South was arrested and charged with drink driving and driving while disqualified. He was caught on the corner of Cameron Road and 2nd Avenue and will appear in the Tauranga District Court next Wednesday. • More...

Tauranga motorists spent Wednesday afternoon rushing to a select group of petrol stations, which had not yet raised fuel prices. Staff at the Gull service station on Hewletts Road in Mount Maunganui say they were inundated with motorists fuelling up from about midday. Gull Hewletts Road at 4pm on Wednesday. A litre of 91 unleaded has increased to $1.83 a litre and to $1.16 for diesel, the largest increase in 18 months. The Automobile Association has described the hike as an More...

Western Bay of Plenty marae are being earmarked as possible emergency centres during major disasters. Civil Defence operations manager for Tauranga and the Western Bay, Alan Pearce, says informal discussions with a number of marae in the region have taken place. “If there is a major disaster and people can’t return to their homes, we have the responsibility to provide them with accommodation.” Whareroa Marae. He says marae are already well set up, have the capacity to More...

A 39 year old woman from the Avenues in Tauranga was arrested a midnight and charged with intentional damage and endangering transport. The incident occurred at Papamoa Grove Caravan Park on Papamoa Beach Road. Police say the woman damaged her boyfriend's caravan and vehicle. She will appear in Tauranga District Court next Wednesday. • At 2.50am on Wednesday morning, a 21 year old man from 15th Avenue was arrested at the Tauranga Police Station and charged with driving with an More...

Young people who have taken to assembling and drinking in Papamoa Domain are likely to be locked out at nights. Tauranga City Council is asking staff to do this after hearing from Papamoa police about what goes on there. Police are concerned that unless something is done about the alcohol, broken glass and fighting which happens there, there is a high possibility someone will be seriously injured or killed in the domain, says Councillor Wayne Moultrie. Papamoa Domain may be locked up at More...

Initial investigations have found a toaster was the cause of a fire that gutted a Papamoa Beach Road home at about 5.45pm on Monday night. Papamoa deputy fire chief Brent Sanford says when his team of eight fire fighters arrived at the house a large part of it was engulfed in flames. The fire which burned in Papamoa on Monday night. He says they received reports from neighbours that a person was trapped inside the house and they spent about five minutes searching it for her. The woman was More...