Bay of Plenty Times reporter Dawn Picken, pictured in 2019/ Photo / Andrew Warner
Bay of Plenty Times reporter Dawn Picken, pictured in 2019/ Photo / Andrew Warner
Bay of Plenty Times is looking back at the stories of 2022. Here’s what made headlines in December:
December 1:
A review of Malachi Subecz’s care before his death shows a “long list of fatal errors” and confirms that his death was preventable, his family says.
“There is no doubt that Malachi would still be alive if Oranga Tamariki had acted appropriately,” said the uncle and maternal cousin of the 5-year-old, who was murdered by his carer last November.
The damning review of six government agencies found “critical gaps” in New Zealand’s child protection system, which allowed vulnerable children to “become invisible” to them.
Its author, Dame Karen Poutasi, recommended sweeping changes to the child protection, education, welfare and health sectors to create a “hard-wired safety net” and prevent further tragedies.
Malachi Subecz's death has led to several reviews, including one released on Thursday identifying multiple failings in the system. Photo / NZ Police
Dawn Picken welcomes us into her room at Waipuna Hospice dressed in a lavender shirt, with matching lipstick.
She looks utterly beautiful - as Dawn always does.
But it’s obvious something’s wrong.
A nasogastric tube trails from her nose and there is tiredness hanging over her which is so out of character.
Dawn always knew this day could come.
Picken, a 52-year-old author, marathon runner, Bay of Plenty Times Weekendwriter and columnist, Toi Ohomai tutor, and former television journalist, lost her battle with a rare liver disease at 8.12pm on Boxing Day.
Journalist and former Bay of Plenty Times feature writer Dawn Picken is now in Palliative Care. Photo / Andrew Warner
December 5:
Bay of Plenty’s residential and lifestyle property sales have dropped by 41.6 per cent in one year and some real estate agents have exited the industry off the back of the “tough” market.
A rapid rise in interest rates is believed to have had a big impact and the boss of the Bay’s biggest agency said properties were taking longer to sell and pricing was down about 10 per cent. Another likened it to the “bubble bursting” but said it could benefit first-home buyers, who would need less money for a deposit.
A OneRoof-Valocity Year in Review report published today reveals that to the year ending in October, Bay of Plenty residential and lifestyle properties sales fell by 41.6 per cent to 4130. Included in those figures were 1173 first-home buyers and 1182 investors, with those categories buying 32.2 per cent and 49.6 per cent fewer properties respectively over the same timeframes.
A snapshot of Tauranga showed the average median house price fell $135,100 from a peak of $1.25 million in April to $1.23m now. The biggest sale was a house on Oceanbeach Rd in Mount Maunganui in May which fetched $11m, while the lowest was an apartment in Durham St that sold for $316,500 in July.
Aerial view of Mount Maunganui. 30 June 2022 Bay of Plenty Times Photograph by Mead Norton
December 6:
Hugs, smiles, cake and getting “the best Christmas present ever”.
Cystic fibrosis sufferers in the Bay of Plenty are celebrating after Pharmac announced funding of the “miracle drug” Trikafta is proposed to start on April 1.
Cystic fibrosis is an ultimately terminal condition that produces thick and sticky mucus and mainly affects a person’s lungs and digestive system. Trikafta treats its underlying cause but at $330,000 per year, the drug was out of reach for many families as it had not been publicly funded in New Zealand.
Cystic fibrosis sufferer Jessie McKay celebrates the news Trikafta will be funded in New Zealand. Photo / Supplied
December 7:
General practices could collapse under “relentless” pressure, Bay of Plenty GPs say.
The comments come as an association representing about 400 general practices launches a nationwide campaign to “save your family doctor service”.
General Practice Owners Association of Aotearoa New Zealand (GenPro) launched a #saveyourfamilydoctorservice campaign last month.
The campaign comes after the publication of Te Whatu Ora’s annual New Zealand Health survey results revealed 11.7 per cent of adults in New Zealand - or an estimated 478,000 people - reported not seeing their GP due to wait times in the past 12 months.
A lack of GP availability is a big part of the reason, health experts say. Photo / Matthew Kay
The number of people in need of public housing in Tauranga has nearly quadrupled in the past four years, newly-released data reveals.
The figures show 5128 people were on lists for public housing and transfer registers as of March this year. This was a 360 per cent increase compared to June 2018, when 1114 people were on the registers.
The demand for Emergency Housing Special Needs Grants and accommodation supplements also saw record increases.
In June 2018, $1 million was distributed locally to people who needed emergency housing funding. This grew to $23.6m in December 2021 before dipping slightly to $22.6m in March of this year.
With youth homelessness in Whangārei rising, multiple agencies have got together to come up with a housing plan for youths. Photo / NZME
December 13:
A Bay of Plenty school is subsidising the cost of uniforms, school trips and sports fees for students.
One school bought about 50 pairs of shoes for students to get them through the winter, and another delivers meals to families in need.
These are just some of the ways schools are helping struggling families hit hard by the soaring cost of living.
The latest Stats NZ figures revealed the annual food price increase reached a 14-year high of 10.1 per cent.
Tauranga Intermediate principal Cameron Mitchell. Photo / George Novak
December 20:
Some retailers say they are taking a massive financial hit from constant roadworks on Cameron Rd - with one saying the project is “killing” businesses in the area.
One Cameron Rd retailer is set to close his doors next month as a result of the financial impact on his business, while another is claiming a financial loss of 70 per cent arising from the continuous disruption.
But city authorities say they are doing as much as possible to mitigate the impact on businesses.
The Cameron Rd upgrades - part of the $45 million infrastructure upgrade project - have been turning sections of the busy arterial route into construction zones since September 2021.
Katie Morris, the owner florist store Blooms on Cameron, says the Cameron Rd upgrade works has had a drastic impact on her walk-in sales. Photo / Mead Norton
December 21:
A devastated Tauranga business owner says she’s been the victim of three break-ins in as many weeks, leaving her “exhausted” and “on edge”.
Sandra Phillips, the owner and manager of the iconic Phillips Garage in Fraser St, said she believed thousands of dollars worth of items had been stolen in the burglaries between November 22 and December 14, including the business’ safe and its contents - but the exact cost was still being counted.
“It’s devastating. These break-ins have taken a toll on me and my staff. We feel violated, and everyone feels quite on edge,” she said.
A tearful Phillips said she was “exhausted and rattled”.
Phillips Garage, in Tauranga, has been burgled 3 times in three weeks. 19 December, 2022. Bay of Plenty Times photograph by Mead Norton
December 24:
Nearly $250,000 has been raised for Tauranga’s foodbank over the past six weeks - and its manager cannot put into words how grateful she is.
Despite many people struggling amid a cost-of-living crisis, more than $248,000 in food and money has been donated to the Tauranga Community Foodbank — the second-highest amount in the annual appeal’s history.
The Bay of Plenty Times Christmas Appeal launched on November 12 and officially came to an end on Friday.
A total of $248,645 was donated, made up of $162,08 in cash donations and $86,562 in food donations. In 2020, $254,416 was raised. In previous appeals, individual food items had been priced at $2 each, but soaring costs have meant each item was this year valued at $2.50.
Tauranga Community Foodbank manager Nicki Goodwin. Photo / Mead Norton
December 30:
Beachgoers are being urged to swim between the flags after 130 people were rescued or assisted to safety by lifeguards on the east coast on Wednesday.
Surf Life Saving NZ’s Eastern Region lifesaving manager Chaz Gibbons-Campbell told the Bay of Plenty Times he had to “triple-check” the number of rescues and assists carried out by the Mount Maunganui lifeguards alone.
“It’s a ridiculously high number, with 39 people rescued and 44 people assisted from the surf by Mount Maunganui lifeguards.”
Chaz Gibbons-Campbell, Surf Lifesaving NZ's Eastern Region's lifesaving manager on patrol at Mount Maunganui beach near the Leisure Island. Photo / Mead Norton
December 31:
Four Tauranga residents have been acknowledged in the New Year Honours for their service in areas ranging from business and the environment to art crime research and language education.
