Matt CowleyTauranga City Councillor Tauranga's CBD has faced a barrage of issues during the last few years, including earthquake strengthening of buildings, growth of suburban malls, the global financial crisis, and growth of online shopping. It... Read More

Scott SimpsonCoromandel MP The Coromandel electorate has the second highest percentage of 64-plus year olds in the country. We also have the highest percentage of residents in the 50-64 years age bracket, which means during the next few decades,... Read More

Brian AndersonThe Western Frontwww.sunlive.co.nz Councils are just starting to emerge from behind the amalgamation and unitary authority shelter sheds. Western Bay of Plenty District councillor Don Thwaites, during the October local body elections,... Read More

Ian McLeanGreen SceneSpokesperson for the Green Party Congratulations to Tauranga's five new regional councillors and the new chairman Doug Leeder. Management of the wonderfully-diverse Bay of Plenty is an awesome and challenging responsibility. Introducing... Read More

Independent viewsBy Brendan Horan It will come as little surprise to drivers who've been pulled over by traffic police that they recall these events with greater clarity than when they've received a speeding ticket from covert roadside cameras. For... Read More

Catherine StewartTauranga City Councillor Briefings and workshops continue Elected members met with the Board of Directors of Bay Leisure and Events Limited this week to hear their vision and strategic plan. In January, as part of the annual... Read More

Sideline SidSports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz Sideline Sid can't wait for the two Northern Knights HRV Cup T20 games to hit the Bay Oval on January 2 and 4, 2014. On January 2, our Bay team squares off against the Canterbury Wizards,... Read More

Catherine McCullochHealth Team LeaderSport Bay of Plenty Unfortunately, current health statistics of New Zealanders make for grim reading. The modern busy lifestyle lends itself to inactivity and poor eating habits; people reach for convenience... Read More

Weather Eyewith John Maunder The graph shows the range of November rainfalls from 1898 to 2013 in Tauranga, from an extreme high of 285 mm in 1916 to a low of only 12 mm in 2009. The second wettest November was 1967, when 240 mm was recorded;... Read More

NewshoundAdy & Flo www.sunlive.co.nz It was a humid, steamy early summer night. Rain clouds were brooding in the Kaimais.Good word that, brooding. Reminds me of…rain clouds. The boss and I had some time to kill in town, so we grabbed the... Read More

Brian RogersRogers Rabbits www.sunlive.co.nz Spring has fully sprung; summer is sneaking in early and apart from the odd storm, the warm weather is reminding everyone of that special time of the year: Strange-shaped vegetable season.Forget all... Read More

Matt CowleyTauranga City Councillor During the local body elections, you would have heard a lot of people talking about creating a vibrant city. But what does it mean? This week, the new council started to translate what we consider a vibrant city... Read More