Silt Recovery Taskforce wins national award
Hawke’s Bay’s Silt Recovery Taskforce has received the Collaboration Excellence Award at the Association of Local Government Information Management (ALGIM) Awards.
The old Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Co-op Association garage in Hastings has become home to a new mural celebrating the activities that happened in the building.
The artwork, painted by Brandon Blair of Crimson Flower Ltd., is part of Hastings District Council’s central city vibrancy enhancements.
Located at 206 Queen St West, the artwork tells the story of the Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Co-op Association garage, and some of the people who worked there.
The Association started selling cars in 1912 from their Napier garage and at A&P shows. They were agents for Overaland and Hupmobile, then added Buicks to the range in 1914.
Records from 1925 showed the Association had a building on the corner of Market and Queen Streets – a retail store, offices and machinery story (which burned down in 1929) and was replaced by the building that sits on the corner today.
Next door was a large warehouse, which no longer stands today, the back of which was occupied by the Co-p for implement storage and a workshop. In 1925, the Association revealed plans to build a garage on this site to sell and service Buicks.
By 1929, the Hawke’s Bay Farmers Co-op Association garage was advertising its General Motors dealership connection with new Buicks and Chevrolets for sale. These American cars were shipped to New Zealand as parts, and assembled in Petone, Wellington.
The Hawke’s Bay Farmers Association ceased to exist by the 1990s and the former garage building went into various private ownerships.
Hastings District Council public spaces planning manager Rachel Stuart says the mural is an exciting addition to the enhancements that are being carried out to revitalise the city centre.
“It’s a wonderful snapshot of a piece of our history as a city, which honours our rural contribution, that has also added some colour and interest to this part of Queen Street,” Stuart says.
Hastings District Council took ownership of the building in 2019 and will soon be consulting with the community on the future uses of the site that will contribute to the vibrancy of the city.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
OPINION: ACT MP Mark Cameron isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but he certainly calls it how he sees it, holding…
OPINION: Did former PM Jacinda Ardern get fawning reviews for her book?