Re: ‘Something is out of whack here’, The Weekend Sun, January 4, 2019. Well, I totally agree with A Bourne of Bethlehem. Yes I certainly remember the days – late-1960s and 1970s when rents were cheap – at $4 to $6 per week! Mothers...... Read More

Re: ‘Something is out of whack here’, The Weekend Sun, January 4, 2019. Many of us here in the Bay of Plenty have long suspected that Wellington is a different country and they do things differently there –even in 1967. In the Sun’s...... Read More

It was my privilege to receive a ticket to the first One Day International between the Black Caps and Sri Lanka at the Bay Oval. It is only time before this cricket ground becomes the test venue of choice developed on a foundation of quick-draining sand,...... Read More

Once again the media is awash with claims of the hottest temperatures ever in the country and yet in November and December – when Russia, much of Europe and the United States suffered extremely cold conditions that caused some scientists to suggest...... Read More

The movement that emerged in 2018 to ban plastic bags and got some traction on reducing plastic bag usage, particularly supermarkets, is perhaps a milestone in history. Supermarkets have stopped giving away the plastic bags, they sell them instead. Paper...... Read More

The Labour Government of 2000 was spot on with the abolition of knighthoods and damehoods normally dished out to the rich and famous. Inexplicably and foolishly, these honours were reinstated by John Key’s National Government of 2009. People can...... Read More

On Saturday I encountered a cyclist riding on Matapihi Rd and asked the question: ‘Why don’t you use the cycle track?’ His reply was: ‘It’s not mandatory’. Really, then my question is to them, why did we spend half...... Read More

Recent news has Tauranga City Council CEO Marty Grenfell proposing $70,000 in the council’s 2019-2020 draft Annual Plan be spent to bring stakeholders together to continue the debate of a possible museum for Tauranga. The new CEO started his the...... Read More

There will be much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth over the minimum wage increase coming in this year. The Government has announced it will increase the minimum wage from the current  $16.50 per hour to $17.70 per hour hour on April 1,...... Read More

Re: Forest & Bird is calling for the wider Hauraki Gulf to Bay of Plenty crayfishing area (known as CRA2) to be closed for three years to allow the species to start recovering. Forest & Bird tell us the crayfish stocks in CRA2 are in danger of collapse....... Read More