Sonya is a regional content leader for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post
Sonya Bateson is a writer, reader, and crafter raising her family in Tauranga. She is a millennial who enjoys eating avocado on toast, drinking lattes and defying stereotypes. As a sceptic, she reserves the right to change her mind when presented with new evidence.
'Like coming home': Summer holidaymakers set to pack out campgrounds
'We are preparing for the busiest summer we have seen.'
Report reveals the sectors driving rise in Bay's economic ranking
There's evidence some are bucking national trends.
Taking truants' parents to court will 'punish' poor families, iwi leader says
The minister says only adults being genuinely obstructive or neglectful risk being fined.
Niwa climate outlook: What the Bay can expect for summer
Predictions for temperatures, rainfall and soil moisture levels.
Who is Waipuna Hospice’s new chief executive?
The new CEO says he's 'passionate about the hospice cause'.
Jason Momoa’s special gift from Rotorua and what it means
Momoa's Rotorua show was opened by Mayor Tania Tapsell, who presented him with a gift.
Jason Momoa made honorary citizen of Rotorua
Mayor Tania Tapsell described the moment as 'really special'.
'More strategic' hiring: Talented jobseekers struggling to find work
There is still some pain to come but the mood is lifting, a recruiter says.
'Massive': Why Jetstar flights are good news for Tauranga and Rotorua
Flights to two Australian cities will soon be available closer to home.
Revealed: The Bay of Plenty's favourite illicit drugs - and the harm they do
Wastewater testing reveals the amount of drugs Bay people are consuming.
'A baby rave': The Wiggles headline new music festival for children
'It’s more than a concert. It’s sort of like a ... baby rave.'
Counting cranes: How Tauranga's CBD plans to survive - and thrive
'There’s so much new stuff going in and the older sort transitioning out.'
Main street meltdown: How NZ’s high streets are changing
We take a walk down some of New Zealand's high streets.
Court orders waste management company to pay $835k for breach of contract
Green waste composting firm awarded damages by High Court after negotiations break down.
First look at Tauranga’s new waterfront playground
The $5m design was created with the help of Tauranga children.
'I couldn’t jog 400m': How this middle-aged recruit lost 40kg to join the police
'It can be done. Age can make it harder but not impossible.'
‘It messed me up a little’: Adoptee’s heartbreaking hunt for birth family
'It’s almost like I was reborn again, like I discovered who I was all over again.'
‘I would go home and not sleep’: How police cope with crash trauma
Once they were expected to 'harden', or have a beer - now there are better ways.
‘I try not to look at their face’: How firefighters cope with the trauma of car crashes
'Even if we forget the faces, we remember when we drive by'
'Time the city progressed': Ten projects set to transform Tauranga's waterfront
How they will help rejuvenate the city centre.
12-year high: The region catching 50+ drink drivers a week
Police are shocked by how severely intoxicated some drivers are.
Growth, age, diversity: 5 Census takeaways for Tauranga and Western Bay
How our demographic makeup is changing.
Boatie plucked from dinghy after abandoning burning boat
A man was found in a rubber dinghy after abandoning a burning boat.
Fines and debt collectors: Car parkers stung at shopping centres
'I fought for two weeks to get it sorted and kept getting the run-around.'
'Unmanageable': Principal blasts Govt 'overstepping' with phone ban
He describes the blanket ban as 'another step into central government control'.
Rest home owner and staff told to apologise to family of man who died after a fall
The man had a fall inside the rest home and died two weeks later.
Why Tauranga could see a 'significant drop' in cruise visits next season
Increased operating costs in New Zealand among reasons for predicted drop in bookings.
Memorial Park fountain gets $100k upgrade
The fountain is undergoing work to make it safer.
First look: Inside the luxury new Tauranga apartments luring Aucklanders
The scale of the mixed-use development is likened to Singapore or Melbourne offerings.
Boarding house ordered to pay $37k for removing hot water taps, lack of heating
Edgecumbe House did not comply with healthy homes rules and a range of other regulations.
Marriage is on a downward trend and here’s why
Opinion: Who wants to be resentful and unhappy?
Sonya Bateson: Now's the perfect time to start building good habits
OPINION: New Year’s resolutions aren’t for everyone.
It's okay to say 'no' this Christmas
OPINION: Putting on a happy face for family and friends can feel like a mammoth task.
How the Mount's wild New Year's Eves were tamed — and what was learned
OPINION: Teens and young adults used to come from all over to get drunk.
Why being poor costs more - foodbanks need our support
OPINION: The cost-of-living crisis has turned a hard situation into an impossible one.
Opinion: I might complain a lot but I wouldn’t live anywhere else
Opinion: I may rag on this place from time to time, but I truly love it here.
'Once it’s gone, it’s gone': The risks of cities sprawling into farmland
OPINION: Yes, we need houses, but productive land is a precious and finite resource.
Why saying ‘I saw it on TikTok’ just doesn’t cut it
OPINION: It's the internet-age equivalent of 'Aunty Margaret’s sister-in-law ... said'.
Sonya Bateson: Labour’s downfall was not rocking the boat
OPINION: It felt more like the Labour government took a “hold on and wait” approach.
Sonya Bateson: Life is about to get harder for low-wage workers
OPINION: Paid parking zones are going to cover an extended area.
Opinion: Why paying for parking won't kill this popular Bay spot
OPINION: I don’t think the Mount is going to face a shortage of visitors.
Sonya Bateson: Fresh trauma deserves the most recognition in our justice system
Opinion: The sentence discounts for cultural reports should be far smaller.
Opinion: Deliberately misnaming, misgendering people is cruel and inhumane
OPINION: Identity change has always been a thing - even in the good old days.
Opinion: Why evicting unruly state tenants is not the answer
OPINION: Kicking unruly tenants out is going to have its own implications for society.
Opinion: Supermarket body cameras must not be misused
Opinion: I believe there’s a line to be drawn here.
Sonya Bateson: Bilingual signs issue an opportunity to recalibrate on racism
Opinion: Each of us will have our own thresholds for perceiving what is offensive.
Opinion: Poverty is a circumstance - not a character flaw
Opinion: "It’s a cycle. A trap. And one that is incredibly difficult to escape."
Opinion: Why I'm only slightly surprised by this Budget
OPINION: The announcement I'm most interested in - for selfish reasons.
Opinion: Why the toll road price hikes really grind my gears
OPINION: If I’m paying to drive on a road, I want the option of being able to safely pass.
Sonya Bateson: My view on whether we should build the controversial stadium
Opinion: I like the idea - but I also cherish our parks and green spaces.
Joy, fear and long hours: Why the people in this job are some of the hardest workers
Opinion: Midwifery is a hard job - I couldn't do it.
Sonya Bateson: Anything on our phones can be used against us
OPINION: It’s not fair to shame people that fall victim to scam artists and predators.
Sonya Bateson: How dare I suggest introducing a fee for a public space, right?
OPINION: I can feel the anger of some letter writers and social media commenters already.
Opinion: 'I felt like dirt. Low. Worthless.' Why horrid customers are the memorable ones
OPINION: Make low-wage jobs more attractive by being nicer.
Sonya Bateson: My tips to save money during the cost of living crisis
OPINION: Hands up if you’re feeling the pinch of the cost of living.
Sonya Bateson: Park punt on racecourse worth taking
OPINION: Green spaces are good for our city's health.
Sonya Bateson: Drag performance for children just cute, wholesome fun
OPINION: Dressing up can be magical.
Opinion: Our already anxious country is about to come under a lot more pressure
OPINION: We will do what we can to get through this hard time together.
Sonya Bateson: Why is tipping rearing its ugly head in our society?
OPINION: 'Now I fear that tipping is creeping more and more into everyday life.'
Sonya Bateson: Your son wants to play with dolls? Let him
OPINION: My boy can play with whatever (age-appropriate) toys he wants.
Opinion: Reasons why 16-year-olds should be allowed to vote
OPINION: There is nothing dangerous about the act of voting, at least not in New Zealand.
Sonya Bateson: We don't want our children becoming rapists through ignorance
OPINION: Parents should be teaching young adults about healthy sexual relationships.
Opinion: Survivors should not be made to feel attackers' lives are worth more
Opinion: It is easy to get away with rape and sexual assault in our beautiful country.
Sonya Bateson: Easier for young minds to absorb new languages
OPINION: Te reo is everywhere. And in a few more years it'll be more common still.
Sonya Bateson: There's a reason abortion is referred to as healthcare
OPINION: It may sound like an oxymoron but, in my opinion, abortion saves lives.
Sonya Bateson: Rainbow Youth centre fire: Hate brings out the love in others
OPINION: Fire is a dark cloud over the LGBTQ+ community's continuing fight for acceptance.
Sonya Bateson: Same-sex marriage is real, it exists - and it's a right
OPINION: Marriage isn't a solely Christian concept nor is it just between a man and woman.
Sonya Bateson: I was utterly terrified. How do we combat this anti-social behaviour?
OPINION: Reports of harassment and intimidation in public spaces appear to be on the rise.
Sonya Bateson: Thanks for the $27 a week, but I was actually hoping for real change
Opinion: The politics of stability are comfortable, but won't get us out of this mess.
Opinion: Supermarket profits a slap in the face to hardworking Kiwis
OPINION: A slap in the face is a good way to describe how these profits make me feel.
Opinion: Should we have a national day to commemorate the New Zealand Wars?
OPINION: Our history isn't black and white. It's that and everything in between.
Opinion: Algorithms are expert at grabbing your attention
OPINION: Every second you're on that screen, Facebook is making money. Algorithms, baby.
Comment: When cooking a barbecue makes you the neighbour from hell
How do you know if someone's a vegan? Don't worry, they'll tell you.
Opinion: Our country is supposed to be safe
No longer can we look down our noses at gun crime in America.
Trapped bird freed but euthanased
A bird was left hanging from a tree after getting its foot caught.
Doctor fined for prescribing himself opiates
A doctor has been fined for prescribing himself opiates morphine, pethidine and fentanyl.
Tauranga company fined $30,000 for black market shellfish
A Tauranga company has been fined $30,000 for receiving black market shellfish.
Rent rises add $6000 to annual rent bills
Average weekly rents in the Western Bay of Plenty have increased 37.5 per cent in 2 years.