Mount Maunganui is the jewel in the Western Bay's crown and three stories have added some extra sparkle this week.

Network meetings and real recommendations from people who know what you can do are the best way to connect in business, there's no denying that.

Developer Bain McDonald's recommendation that a Mount Maunganui carpark be transformed into an open space for the public ticks a number of boxes.

Tougher penalties are needed to curb the rising number of protection orders being breached across the country.

The day one's child is born is a precious memory however they come into the world, but the place of birth is paramount for mums to be, particularly first-time mums.

And now White Island is getting restless. It's all a bit disconcerting, isn't it? It's as though the whole country is having a wee stretch.