Weather Eyewith John Maunder If you are feeling the cold this winter, you might be thankful that you were not around in England in 1565, when the Thames was frozen solid between Christmas Day and January 13 and Queen Elizabeth I enjoyed daily trips... Read More

Jane NeesBOP Regional Councillorwww.janenees.co.nz At least once every six years, councils are required to undertake a representation review - on what their electoral constituencies should be and how many elected representatives each should have. Since... Read More

Ian McLeanSpokesperson for the Green Party When cheap housing is disguised as affordable housing, the real costs are spread across more time than the original build. That means higher running costs for maintenance, energy (including that long commute... Read More

Andrew von DadelszenFormer Regional Councillor For my mind it is a good thing that the water ownership issue has finally surfaced. This insistence on ownership by iwi is the tipping point where mainstream New Zealanders will draw a line in the... Read More

Brian AndersonThe Western Frontwww.sunlive.co.nz First, the bad news. You have been done. Forget about the council boast of a 'real rate rise' of only 1%. The Long Term Plan, just released, has set the average rate rise at 9.5%. With the fiddle... Read More

Daz SwitallaFlavour SecretsNo.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz Winter is a good time to do some baking and often we tend to eat all manner of steamed puddings and crumbles. Seasonal winter vegetables provide us with great bases for soups... Read More

On sitewith Certified Builders PresidentJason McClintock The advent of the Licensed Building Practitioner scheme has many building practitioners questioning themselves what additional liabilities the new scheme now imposes on them. Litigation brought... Read More

AMPAULwith Paul KendonArts and entertainment blogger She Jus Greedy played at the Welcome Bay Sports Club at the weekend and it was a real treat. Hitting the stage a little after the Chiefs game against the Hurricanes on Friday night half time... Read More

Sideline SidSports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz Sideline Sid was at Blake Park on Saturday and a passing conversation with a fellow rugby fan made him realise the uniqueness of Bay of Plenty rugby. The former Wellington rugby man,... Read More

Renting Rightwith Dan Lusyof Tauranga Rentals Ltd These are some of the rights Owners have as outlined by The Residential Tenancies Act 1986 which was revised in 2010. Clause 48: Landlords right of entry - If an Owner or their Agent needs to inspect... Read More

Clever dogs and crazy peoplewith Wendy Graydon The Dog Trainer There has been a little bit of a 'ruckus' out there in the dog world lately about the programme 'Last Chance Dogs'. The contention lies in the methods used by the television's trainer... Read More

Health Basicswith Diana Bomfordof Active Nutrition High blood pressure (hypertension) has few obvious symptoms and unless you have regular check-ups, it is hard to know that you may have it and this is the reason it is known as the 'silent killer'. Hypertension... Read More