Latest fromBOPT Opinion

Dawn Picken: Eight things that could make life better
Aspirations for a better Bay of Plenty in 2020

Jo Raphael: Former water baby grateful for lifeguards
Between the Flags campaign highlights work our surf lifesavers do.

Zizi Sparks: Christmas appeals making all the difference
The past six weeks have seen donations for food banks flow in.

Bryan Gould: Parting company with the voters is never a good idea
The lesson is not so much about how to win an election as about how to lose one.

What is New Zealand society doing to men?
"Many New Zealand men have developed a fear of being alone with small kids."

Letters: Westpac bank closure in Greerton will impact elderly
A bank closure and a good move by the council are topics for letter writers today.

Dawn Picken: More solutions needed for recycling
Consumers have been asked to shoulder the recycling burden for too long.

Letters: Tauranga needs better access to public transport
Bay of Plenty readers have their say.

Kiri Gillespie: Okere Falls red tape sad and short-sighted
Letting red tape stymie the future of a successful festival is sad.

Jane Trask: Moving house is an emotional time
Moving house can be an emotional time for some and straightforward for others.

Buddy Mikaere: There is a real joy in sharing life with chickens
One of the little-known joys in life is quietly sitting in the middle of your hen pen.

Kiri Gillespie: Courthouse $100k revamp needed but why just Tauranga?
Courthouse revamp is great but why now? And why just Tauranga?

Letters: Move the port but don't forget the environment
Bay of Plenty readers have their say.

Bryan Gould: We could do with more kindness in politics
Humanity means seeing the other person's point of view.

Dawn Picken: Marijuana referendum misses the mark
Focusing on marijuana referendum is short-sighted; we must fix root causes of addiction.

Letters: Tragedy shouldn't mean people should lose fascination
Bay of Plenty readers have their say.

Jane Trask: Christmas magic a parenting delight
What little white lies do you tell your children to keep the magic of Christmas alive?

Kiri Gillespie: White Island eruption a tragedy on many levels
COMMENT: It's not as if White Island volcanic activity was a secret. We all knew it.

Buddy Mikaere: White Island a reminder nature is a monstrous, unfeeling force
Nature is not always a giver of the ineffable sweetness, according to Buddy Mikaere.

Bryan Gould: The Government has to do better
Ministers give the impression they think talking about something is as good as doing it.

Opinion: Rob Rattenbury - Te reo Māori needs nurturing
Unless you are immersed in the language daily it is hard to maintain any fluency.

Dawn Picken: Moving sparks existential crisis
Shifting house triggers existential crises, begging the question: "Why do we have stuff?"

Dawn Picken: Free speech isn't always free - and it comes at a price
Saying whatever we want can have consequences.

Letters: Is new lane expensive joke or misunderstanding?
Bay of Plenty readers have their say.

Bryan Gould: A catalogue of American cultural takeover
New Zealand might as well have been transplanted to the American Mid-West.