Whanganui Chronicle
Biocoal bid hinges on river consent
Aresource consent process for Winstone Pulp International’s Karioi Pulpmill site is progressing, with biocoal manufacturer Te Ara Hiko a potential buyer. Winstone Pulp International (WPI) lodged a revised resource consent application with Horizons...
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What local leaders want from next Government
■ Linda Ireton, Keith St School principal and former Whanganui Principals Association president The pace of curriculum change has been far too rapid, “without genuine consultation at the coal face”. “There is not enough time to look for localised...
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Castlecliff pipes flushed as sand saga drags on
Aspecialist filtration system will be used to remove sand from the Castlecliff water network, one area at a time. The equipment was trialled on Tuesday and set up in Castlecliff on Wednesday to remove sand while maintaining a safe water supply to...
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‘Unforgettable’ experience
Sola Pelenato Aki was gifted an “icing on the cake” 100th birthday present with an unforgettable All Blacks experience. Pelenato Aki met the entire team and shared an interaction with his favourite player, Rieko Ioane, before the All Blacks-Australia...
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Hospital upgrades face fresh delays
Three upgrades to Whanganui Hospital have been further delayed but Health New Zealand says they are progressing and have not been deprioritised. The $1.5 million upgrades are part of $100m Government funding for 22 (previously 21) small-scale hospital...
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RunnEr tACklEs 500km in gumBoots
Areport on the fatal landslide at Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park has prompted a “gap analysis” at Whanganui District Council. On January 22, six people were killed after a slip crashed into the Tauranga District Council-owned campground after...
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‘Still not enough’
Whanganui will get two more fulltime staff in a push by Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora to hire 380 additional nurses, healthcare assistants and midwifery workers over the next year. It comes after the country’s biggest employer released its annual...
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Council may expand kerbside services
Whanganui District Council is considering expanding kerbside waste collection, 18 months after a food scraps service was canned at the last minute. Public consultation on the council’s draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP) runs for a...
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Pathway for generations
Anew 120m suspension bridge over the Whangaehu River has “opened up the coastline”. Abseil Access began building the $700,000 structure in May and it officially opened on Tuesday. It is part of the 3000km Te Araroa Trail from Cape Rēinga to...
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Long-term fix planned for Castlecliff water
Whanganui District Council is attempting to stabilise Castlecliff’s water mains as it prepares a “longer-term plan” to fix the sand issue in household taps. Since early September, some Castlecliff households have reported sand, sediment,...
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Whanganui weighs its data centre future
Whanganui’s mayor says no decisions have been made on data centre initiatives in the district but he is open to exploring “all options”. Data centres are cooled buildings housing racks of servers and other IT hardware, with hyperscale centres having...
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‘We remain committed’
Whanganui District Council remains committed to forming an official partnership with iwi, after “a long and, at times, arduous journey” towards Treaty settlement. Councillors last year voted to adopt a relationship agreement with iwi and hapū, coming...
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ED upgrade to cut waits
Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora is preparing a “package of improvements” for Whanganui Hospital’s emergency department as demand grows. Treatment spaces will increase from 20 to 22, a second ED staff meal room will be built, and a mental health...
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‘Respected in every circle’
Tributes are being paid to former Speaker of the House and Te Tai Hauāuru MP Adrian Rurawhe, who “was respected in every circle he met with”. His family announced yesterday Rurawhe had died that morning at Rā tana Pā and would lie in state at Whangaehu...
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Water woes continue
Whanganui District Council has brought in national and international specialists to help resolve the sand issue in Castlecliff properties’ taps. Residents of the seaside Whanganui suburb continue to voice concerns about damage to household...
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Emissions plan avoids ‘giant footprint on rates’
The Whanganui District Council could invest around $2.2 million in cutting greenhouse gas emissions over the next 10 years. The council approved its 2026-2036 operational emissions reduction plan at a strategy and policy committee meeting on September...
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Council launches parking review
Whanganui District Council is launching a longawaited parking review, but some elected members say it is too late and does not go far enough. A report from council policy adviser Kristy Palleson said the review would cover seven areas, including...
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Rugby fun never ends
Agroup of Whanganui men are reliving rugby glory days in the Wanganui Bohemians golden oldies rugby team. The Bohemians were formed by the Whanganui Rugby Football Union in the early 1970s. The team initially consisted of former Whanganui...
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‘Bullying and confrontational’
An inspection of Whanganui Prison found concerns about senior management, although it was operating well overall. The inspection took place from October to November last year. The Office of the Inspectorate report was released on September 15. It was...
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Ruapehu council in hot water with Horizons Regional authority acts over ‘significant non-compliance’
Ruapehu District Council has been issued abatement and infringement notices for overdue Raetihi water plans, one required almost six years ago. In the abatement notice sent to the council on September 3, Horizons Regional Council consents monitoring...
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Mayor: Visitor levy ‘nowhere near’ enough
Ruapehu’s mayor says the proposed visitor levy sharing scheme might put some money back into tourism destinations, but it will not fund the infrastructure needed to accommodate the district’s 1.5 million annual visitors. Mayor Weston Kirton said...
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‘Sobering reminder’
Deaths on Whanganui roads are rising for a fifth year, while neighbouring districts decrease or fluctuate. The national road toll continues to decline. Horizons Regional Council road safety co-ordinator Val Overweel said crash vehicles carrying more...
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‘Absolutely not what I expected’
Councillor Julie Herewini said the start of her term was “absolutely not what I expected”. “When we ran [for council] last year, I don’t think anyone could have anticipated the amount of reform in the local government space,” she said. “It does take...
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Tap woes hit homes
Some Castlecliff residents have been dealing with water issues for several days, with tankers brought in to provide an alternative supply. Whanganui District Council was notified on Monday that tap water was discoloured, had low pressure and, in some...
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‘Investors with heart’ sought for housing
Whanganui District Council is to set up an independent housing entity, with elected members urged to “be thoroughly familiar” with work to date. At a meeting this week, the council’s strategy and policy committee voted for councillors Glenda Brown,...
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Club eyes March start
Construction of a new surf lifesaving headquarters at Castlecliff Beach could begin in March, “but there is still a lot to be done”. Wanganui Surf Lifeguard Service new build lead Dan Brown said the project currently had a cost of $4 million. About a...
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Asbestos, hydrocarbons found during port work
Whanganui Port found “several areas of significant contamination” after tests across its redevelopment site. Port chairman Mark Petersen told the Chronicle contaminants included asbestos and hydrocarbons, which were factors in similar projects across...
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‘Ball is in their court’
Atransfer of Whanganui Regional Museum operations to the district council remains a work in progress. The Chronicle reported in April negotiations between the two parties were about to begin. Museum joint council chairman Dr John Smart said the...
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‘Generations of hurt’
the Crown has acknowledged the “profound impact” of historical injustices on generations of Whanganui Māori. Nine years of negotiations between Ngā Hapū o Te Iwi o Whanganui and the Crown came to a close as settlement legislation passed its final...
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Windy spring on way
Whanganui can expect a windier-than-usual spring caused by the strongest El Nino to hit New Zealand in recent history. Earth Sciences New Zealand (ESNZ) says this year’s El Nino is on track to be the warmest on record, making windy, variable...
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‘We are resilient’
Ruapehu tourism took hits from multiple angles in 2025-26, but collaboration with North Island partners could speed the sector’s recovery. An annual report from regional tourism organisation Visit Ruapehu said cost-of-living pressures, a shorter and...
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Family’s tiny heart hero
Esther and Simon Manville’s son Asher was born at Whanganui Hospital in April 2024. As their seventh child, Esther Manville, a practising midwife, thought she was well prepared for her new baby, but something was different. Asher was born prematurely...
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Dog owner fights off savage street mauling
Whanganui man Russell Thomson fought off a wandering dog to save his 4-year-old Jack Russell terrier Chiko in an attack that left both with multiple dog bite injuries. Thomson and a friend were walking Chiko in Gonville when a pitbullcross went...
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Merger memo signed before council voted
Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton signed a memorandum of understanding to explore merger options before councillors had seen it. Ruapehu district councillors have now adopted the MoU weeks after it was signed by Kirton. In July councillors voted unanimously...
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Late flu surge enters spring
Whanganui health workers say a “late surge” in flu-like illnesses has swelled appointments, acute prescriptions, and sales of a 4-in-1 rapid antigen test. Whanganui Regional Health Network operations manager Janine Rider said flu “always feels heavy...
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Ruapehu mayor warns bed tax U-turn will hurt
Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton says National’s decision to rule out a bed tax leaves tourism-heavy districts without a fair way to pay for the costs created by visitors. On Sunday, National ruled out an accommodation levy if re-elected, abandoning its...
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‘The timing was perfect’
Air Chathams has marked a decade of flying in and out of Whanganui. Chief executive Duane Emeny was in the city this week to celebrate the milestone, addressing guests at the airport terminal. He told the Chronicle Whanganui and Air Chathams “took a...
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Sisters follow mum into fire service
Waimarino chief fire officer Marilla Pettman is raising a family of firefighters. Her two teenage daughters have just completed their recruit course and are now fully fledged firefighters. Hannah Pettman-Swift, 17, and Bekah Pettman-Swift, 16, join...
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Food aid demand soars across Whanganui
Eryn Gribble says the demand for food aid in Whanganui “has just skyrocketed”. She’s the lead co-ordinator of Whanganui Kai Hub, which distributes rescued and donated food to many food aid and other community support groups across the city. Since the...
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$4.4 million boost for Waimarino health
The long-anticipated refurbishment of Waimarino Health Centre has started, with $4.4 million in overall investment from the Government. A sod-turning on the site in Raetihi on Friday morning was attended by leaders from Ruapehu, Whanganui and...
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First-home buyers turn tables on investors
Whanganui property agents say the scales are falling in favour of firsthome buyers as activity from investors and bigger-city buyers drops. It comes as the rise in average weekly rent in Whanganui continues to outpace the rise in renters’ average...
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‘Turning into a joke’
Regular users of a rural bridge in Rangitīkei District are frustrated after structural damage forced temporary restrictions. The restrictions were placed on the Otara suspension bridge, east of State Highway 1 near Ō hingaiti, after Rangitīkei District...
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‘Embarrassment’
Council-owned buildings in central Marton are back on the market and could face demolition by neglect if unsold. Rangitīkei District Council bought four heritage buildings on the corner of Broadway and High St in 2016 for $170,000. A report from...
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Ruapehu mill given possible lifeline
An application has been lodged for the future use of one of Winstone Pulp International’s Ruapehu mills, which closed two years ago. Winstone Pulp International (WPI) lodged a revised resource consent application with Horizons Regional Council for a...
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Average local rent more than doubles in 10 years
whanganui’s average weekly rent has more than doubled in the past decade and is now on average less affordable, relative to income, than in Auckland and Wellington. From 2015 to 2025, the average weekly rent in Whanganui rose from $203 to $490, an...
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‘Excited’: Health hub rises on old school site
Stages one and two of a health and wellness hub on Whanganui’s former St George’s School site will be finished by next November. The project at 125 Grey St, by health provider Te Oranganui, required the school’s heritage buildings to be deconstructed...
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PS Waimarie overhaul
The country’s only authentic operating coal-fired paddle steamer is getting a “big overhaul” to set it up for another 25 years of service. The PS Waimarie was towed by Johnson Brothers, the company dredging in the Whanganui River, to Q-west Boat...
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‘Accelerating progress’
Construction of the longawaited Rapanui Road Trail near Whanganui is underway, with almost $200,000 raised for the project. When completed, the shell rock pathway will stretch more than 8km from State Highway 3 at Ō tamatea to Mowhanau Beach. Rapanui...
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Criticism over lack of independent review
Areview of Whanganui District Council’s economic development priorities, due in October, has drawn criticism for being carried out without independent reviewers. In a written statement, chief executive Doug Tate said the review would give the...
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Ohakune faces another day without tap water
ohakune faced another night without water with efforts to restore the supply continuing today. Ruapehu District Council brought in extra support from surrounding districts and had hoped to restore supply by 5pm yesterday. However, the council said it...
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‘A wonderful moment’
The first kiwi has been sighted at Rangatauanui Lake south of Ohakune. The juvenile western brown kiwi of about 8 months old recently ran across the Ngā Roto-a-Rangataua Scenic Reserve track (formerly Ohakune Lakes Reserve). Ngā ti Rangi pou ā rahi...
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Slip repair to fit wider ‘enhancement picture’
Repairs to a slip on Somme Parade are expected to cost $220,000, with work to begin next month. The slip, near the Collegiate School rowing sheds, occurred during February’s storm. Part of the road has been cordoned off since. On July 27, the...
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‘Unaffordable’ for ratepayers
Visitors are flocking to Whanganui’s Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery, but the council is still working out how to get the most money out of it. The Pukenamu Queen’s Park facility, which reopened to the public in November 2024 after major...
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‘Worst process I’ve witnessed’
Whanganui District Council will not enter the Government’s amalgamation pathway, one elected member saying “it is worst process I’ve witnessed” in 20 years. Councils have until August 9 to submit Head Start proposals, with a focus on unitary...
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Riverbank project aims to fix erosion and access
Whanganui District Council has secured $46,500 to investigate river erosion at Aramoho, part of a plan for improved access to “some of the best training water” in the country. The funding comes from Horizons Regional Council’s Lower Whanganui Scheme...
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Firefighters back cancer cover bill
Whanganui firefighters are backing a Member’s Bill that proposes to recognise occupational cancer in their profession and provide ACC cover. The bill, developed by Green Party MP Mike Davidson, would grant eligible professional and volunteer Fire and...
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Funding for landfill study
Nikki Verbeet 027 712 1413 06 349 0711 0800 001 099 0800 001 099 and technical advisers, is overseeing a project to expand and restore the Titoki and Kokohuia wetlands, next to the landfill site. The cap of the former landfill site could become a...
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‘I want there to be accountability’
Another year, another reset for Whanganui District Council’s economic development agency. Whanganui & Partners has ditched its “scattergun” approach, but questions remain about its results over the past 12 years. Launched as a council-controlled...
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‘Phew . . . safe for now’
Areport on the horse racing industry has proposed the closure of Hāwera’s racecourse, while Whanganui’s is set to remain for now. Commissioned by the TAB, the Project Stamina review found that the industry’s spending was spread too thin across the...
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Iwi propose councils shaped by landscape
Agroup of central North Island iwi has unveiled a proposal to reorganise local government around the region’s mountains, river catchments and the communities connected to them. Discussions between Ruapehu District Council, iwi partners and local...
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Port still working on Anatoki replacement
Cargo ships remain absent from Whanganui Port, but discussions are being held with two potential operators. The Chronicle reported in April that the Anatoki, operating in and out of Whanganui since 2008, had been pulled from service by Coastal Bulk...
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AI overhaul sparks fears for key services
The Government’s plan to cut one in seven public servants nationwide will put about 330 workers in the Manawatū -Whanganui region at risk, the Public Service Association says. Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced a public service overhaul in her...
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Plea to feed ducks away from traffic
Reports of ducks with broken legs near Rotokawau Virginia Lake’s carpark have prompted calls for people to stop feeding birds close to traffic. Bird Rescue Whanganui Manawatū made the plea after receiving calls about injured ducks, mostly found between...
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‘He had a heart of gold’
Whanganui rugby referee Oliver Holst was a “genuine, good guy” who “lived and breathed” rugby, his family say. “I know that sounds really cliche, but he just was, he had a heart of gold,” older sister Sophie said. The 27-year-old, known as Ollie,...
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City still left holding 18 unsold academy planes
Whanganui’s commercial pilot academy will close within the next month, but 18 aircraft still need to be sold. The council-owned Whanganui District Holdings says it will only sell if the price is right, otherwise, the planes could be held until market...
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Council eyes solar farm for part of airport land
Solar panels could spring up at Whanganui Airport as the district council looks for ways to reduce energy costs. Gasnet’s July report said five hectares of council-owned land at the southern end of the runway had been identified as a potential solar...
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Malt plant to close
Malteurop will halt production at its Marton malt plant at the end of September, with growers saying the decision has caught many people off-guard. Rangitīkei Mayor Andy Watson said it was sad news for the district. “[The plant] has been in Marton...
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Region ‘a shining light’
Air Chathams has reinstated some flights between Whanganui and Auckland, but business remains “bloody tough”. Chief executive Duane Emeny said three return flights had been reinstated over Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. “It’s not huge, but it’s not...
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‘Bemused by process’
Whanganui District Council is now unlikely to submit an amalgamation plan next month, with one elected member calling Government requirements “absolutely bizarre”. Councils have until August 9 to finish joint proposals for the Head Start pathway, with...
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