Wairoa Mayor: Road upgrades between Napier and Wairoa will boost safety and accessibility
The road between Napier and Wairoa is on the mend.
The small east coast township of Wairoa is still waiting for an apology from the Hawke's Bay Regional Council (HBRC) following the devastating floods which hit the town in June and damaged hundreds of houses.
While the damage was mainly in the town, the floods also affected services to the large farming hinterland.
The people of Wairoa have blamed inaction by HBRC for the disaster and feelings against the regional council are still running high in the township.
Wairoa Mayor Craig Little told Rural News that people in the town still don't feel the council is listening to them.
He says HBRC haven't admitted they have done anything wrong and therein lies the problem.
"When you have done something wrong you have to acknowledge that and then talk to the people you have really hurt and who are suffering - and they haven't done that yet.
"So, they must start looking at themselves and start dealing fairly and honestly with the people in our community and they haven't done that," he says.
Little's comments follow the release of an independent report by former Police Commissioner Mike Bush about what happened during the floods.
He says the town was already grieving the damage wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle and adds that the somewhat sinister river mouth looms over the town.
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.
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