As a Hastings CBD business owner and former district councillor, I am calling on Hastings District Council to make the best possible decision it can within a flawed process, and to be under no illusion about what is at stake if it gets this wrong. I am co-owner of O-Studio
Rare, not risky: why this journey matters By Jo Dowley, ReFrame Lab When Damon first suggested we document his journey openly, honestly, fly on the wall style, my first thought was simple: why? Why would he want to be that transparent? And almost immediately after, why would I say yes
Construction is set to begin on Hawke’s Bay’s first utility-scale solar farm this spring, with joint venture partners Centralines and Lodestone Energy confirming the $50 million project is moving into delivery. Located on the Ruataniwha Plains of Central Hawke’s Bay, the solar farm will be a 31.5-megawatt peak (MWdc) development,
Movember is drawing to a close and two Hastings men with powerful personal reasons for supporting men’s health, former Flaxmere councillor and legendary barber Peleti Oli and Hastings District Council chief executive Nigel Bickle, are inviting others to finish the month strong. All men taking part in Movember, along with
What if the next Rocket Lab, Fingermark, or Xero was already here in Hawke’s Bay, but we missed it?While other regions have been building angel investor networks and early-stage capital ecosystems to back bold ideas, Hawke’s Bay has been sitting on the sidelines. We’ve got talented founders, emerging innovators and
When the rain stopped, what remained was not just wreckage – but a reckoning. Over February 13 and 14 Cyclone Gabrielle didn’t just wreck homes and roads. It ripped the lid off Hawke’s Bay’s vulnerability. In a region where our prosperity depends on what we grow, process and export, losing
Taurus Taurima stepped under the Atrium lights in Hastings and paused, just long enough for the weight of his words to land. “I had to put my children and my family first and leave the old life behind so people could trust me.” You could have heard a pin drop.
Economic development in Hawke’s Bay is once again in disarray. It feels like only yesterday I was writing about the demise of Business Hawke’s Bay, followed not long after by the creation of the new council- led Regional Economic Development Agency, REDA. Since I’ve been in business, I’ve seen at
Hastings’ place-based housing strategy is delivering tangible outcomes for local families, as shown in the latest economic report for the district. The March 2025 Infometrics Quarterly Economic Monitor, received at the end of May, revealed a strong lift in housing activity and some easing of housing stress across the region.
A landmark event for Hawke’s Bay, called CREATE 2025, is set to bring businesses and creatives together. Under its umbrella theme, The Power of Storytelling, the one-day symposium will feature keynote talks, place-based storytelling, masterclasses and facilitated dialogue to engage the region’s diverse arts, culture and creative sectors, and the
