Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller says the last thing our Kiwifruit growers want is an infestation of the Queensland fruit fly. A male Queensland fruit fly has been discovered in the Auckland suburb of Devonport. Biosecurity teams are setting more traps...

Three students have landed the opportunity to further develop their knowledge and skills with the assistance of a scholarship. The Omokoroa Lions Club recently awarded their annual tertiary scholarships to students from the Omokoroa area who have had...

UPDATE 2.45pm: Police haven’t found the man they were looking for in an armed operation in Cheyne Road in Pyes Pa. A warrant has been issued for his arrest, but there are no details as to why the man is wanted by police. Police blocked off the...

Reports are coming in of an armed police operation in Cheyne Road in Pyes Pa. One caller to Sunlive says he saw armed police wearing masks go past him along the road. There are reports the road is blocked and police are turning away cars. We’ll...

We don’t hesitate to get a can out to zap the buggers, or pour pesticides all over our precious plants. But they’re little things that make a big impact, and a large part of why the world’s insects are hurtling down the path to extinction. The...

Additional school buses will be introduced in Tauranga from Monday following complaints from parent about the bus service. The complaints ranged from students having to catch multiple buses to get to school, buses running late and kids being stranded...

The Fire Service has confirmed it was children playing with fire works that started a fire in Gate Pa overnight. Police says it had reports that adults were around as well but the Fire Service could not confirm that. Shift manager Paul Radden says...

  Make sure you put on a hat and keep sunscreen handy today. It will be another scorcher of a day in Tauranga. The forecast is for a high of 31 degrees and 15 degrees overnight. But if you are out and about check out the The Extravaganza Fair. It’s...

For just a $15 entry fee, the PlaceMakers Kids Fishing Contest offers an enormous range of prizes to young anglers Aimed at those aged 16 and under and of all fishing abilities, youngsters will also receive a free drink, a sausage and a goodie bag....

The train driver calls it the “long loud” – a sustained and desperate blast of the locomotive horn. It’s not just that perfunctory honk indicating the train is approaching a level crossing, but the sound of danger, the sound...

UPDATE 10.30am: A police dog was used to track down a driver who abandoned a Ute after a police pursuit in Tauranga last night. Police pursued the Ute along SH29 between Maungatapu and Oropi. A police spokesperson says the vehicle went on to Oropi...

Children with fireworks are suspected of starting a scrub fire in Gate Pa overnight. The blaze in Humber Crescent was reported just after 9pm and was under control by around 10pm. A resident claims youngsters with fireworks started the fire, officials...

The Ministry for Primary Industries says New Zealand's primary products are continuing to clear the border in China as usual. This follows recent reports suggesting delays. There is scrutiny on China for signs of retaliation against exporters...

A Tauranga organisation looking after the homeless says if they had 36 houses they would end homelessness for every one of their clients. The People’s Project spokesperson Simone Cuers has told the council’s Community and Culture Committee...

Tauranga City Council is hoping to phase out gambling in the city by halting the opening of new gaming venues and ruling out any additional slot machines. The new measures, which will come into force from March 14, has been adopted by the Community...

As temperatures in the Bay of Plenty continue to rise, the Ministry of Health has issued some tips to help to keeping cool in summer. As the temperatures for this weekend are getting hotter, the want to make sure that you drink plenty of water. “Stay...

Police are concerned for the safety of 77-year-old John Mohi, of Maketu. John, who suffers from dementia, has not been seen since the afternoon of Monday 11 February. Police, Land SAR Volunteers and members of the community have continued to scour...

Georgia Bavington’s goal to swim the Cook Strait could be achieved earlier than planned. Currently fifth on the list of potentials, the 15-year-old could get called up any day to tackle the challenge.  Georgia started planning the Cook...

A car rolled on its roof in Te Puke this afternoon. Emergency services were called to the scene of the crash on Raymond Ave at 2.35pm. A caller to the 0800 SUNLIVE news hotline says a car is on its roof and is blocking the southbound lane of the road. "The...

Water conservation message is not getting through to the people in the Thames/Coromandel area. Water supply situation there has become urgent as the reservoir levels decline. Infrastructure Manager Mohamed Imtiaz says despite having maximum restriction...

Tauranga is where it all began for early childhood centre operator BestStart’s. Now 22-years-later it’s opened another one centre, this time in Papamoa. BestStart Coast Boulevard Early Childhood Centre will be licensed for 100 children. That...

Motorists are being advised to expect delays if they are travelling over the Kaimai Range this afternoon. A caller to the 0800 SUNLIVE news hotline says two trucks have broken down on State Highway 29, near the summit. "One truck is on the Matamata...

  Tauranga City Council has approved funding for the city’s new centre for homeless women, Awhina House.   Forty thousand dollars will go to the center being set up by He Kaupapa Kotahitanga Trust Tauranga. Councillors say establishing...

People are being warned to be prepared for some changeable forecasts over the next 10 days if you live in the North Island of New Zealand, as Cyclone Oma continues to churn away. The very slow moving Category 2 Tropical Cyclone remains west of Vanuatu...

Bureta Residents are upset they haven’t been given a chance to have a say on the development of Kulim Park. The Tauranga City Council consulted on the development, but residents say they weren’t consulted on the final design for the park. The...

Don’t kill the turtle! Spare the turtle, bring the turtle home. It’s loved and missed in Katikati, some half-an-hour and 36 kilometres up State Highway 2 from Carmichael Reserve where it’s holed up - ponded up - at the moment. This...

  A crucial trial for Tauranga City Basketball Association’s best young talent will be held this Sunday at Mount Maunganui’s Trustpower Arena.   The under-11 and under-13 boys’ and girls’ age group trials begin at...

Bay of Plenty Regional Council is exploring alternative school bus options to help make the Tauranga Urban bus service more reliable. Contractor NZ Bus needs 150 drivers to fully operate the current Tauranga Bayhopper network, but since it began on...

A full field of New Zealand’s top surfers will be greeted by a fresh swell at Papamoa Beach this weekend, as summer continues to produce a tropical surfing playground in the Bay of Plenty. The Barrett Homes Surf Open takes place on Saturday and...