A blaze destroyed eight classrooms and a staff room, now the community is giving back.

The fight to prevent a water bottling plant expansion near Whakatāne is far from over.

The fire early on Saturday destroyed eight classrooms and a nearly completed admin block.

A Grey Power newsletter labelled a councillor's use of te reo Māori an "insult".

Christmas party raises $4500 for charity.

It was a busy night on the roads.

The crash was reported to police at 7.09am.

Local businesses give Kiwis a glimpse of Ōhope and why it's the best beach in Aotearoa.

He was remanded in custody until February 24.

Access to the fire had been difficult for firefighters.

A councillor says he will withdraw his complaint to the Race Relations Commissioner.

A Grey Power member called the councillor's use of te reo at meeting an "insult".

'We have been well behind for some years.'

More extreme weather events, sea level rise and drought will increasingly pose challenges.

Whakatāne council has apologised to iwi after 'appropriating' a te reo slogan.

Monster fatbergs discovered in a Whakatāne sewer will take days to remove.

The disasters revealed a health system unable to deal with mass casualty events, she said.

Bay of Plenty's waterways have been "very busy" so far.

A woman has been charged with assaulting with a weapon.

15-year-old relied on strength of his legs to bring in big fish.

The man was found injured at the intersection of Newall and Whittaker Sts.

The shark had been taking the advice of lifeguards and swimming in between the flags.

Emergency services were called to a property following a disorder incident on December 24.

The annual Summercross event was held near Matata on Sunday.

"Nothing good happens after midnight."

Salt Air Surf owners awoke to a nasty surprise this morning.

The crash in Ngaio Place was reported about 7.15am today.