From the Editor

It was good to see Tauranga economic development agency Priority One offer a congratulatory boost in March to the newly appointed commissioners who are currently leading the city. "The newly appointed Tauranga City Council Commission has made a number of key decisions for the city,” said Priority One in a recent statement. “These decisions include a $20 million investment to overhaul...

Tauranga is about to enter one of the most interesting phases of local governance for the city. As we are all aware, late last year the Tauranga City Council and mayor Tenby Powell were essentially dissolved. Despite protestations from some councillors, the central government was happy to begin again. By the end of February the new look council has been...

As I have remarked often in recent months, these are very strange times, especially in politics. Summer holiday makers may be leaving the beaches across the Bay but behind the scenes big development continues, for example the Luxridge project we have featured on our cover this month, as well as a swathe of other construction projects throughout the region. This positive...

I have been obsessed by the surreal saga of Donald Trump’s ongoing meltdown as he attempts to shut out the reality that he will soon be prised from the White House. In doing so, he will lose his presidential immunity from some – but not all – potential threats for criminal prosecution. As we went to print to meet our...

It is with great pleasure and pride in the Bay that we bring you our annual Westpac Business Awards coverage for both Tauranga and Rotorua. We truly occupy an enviable position in New Zealand. We have mostly decent weather, the best port in New Zealand and a supportive and collaborative business community that produces a wide range of products and...

For a long-time political junkie like myself, October 2020 is about as good as it gets. We have the astonishing spectacle taking place in the US as the battle between Donald Trump and Joe Biden nears a climax. And we have our own – less insane, but still vitally important decision coming up after New Zealanders conclude voting on...

As I have commented before in this space, the next election may be much closer than the Labour landslide that many commentators have been predicting. We should remember that this election is not just a judgement on the next government’s ability to help us survive a pandemic. As examples around the world have demonstrated, relatively few governments worldwide would claim that...

Election Uncertainties What Bay business is seeking from a new government When the Bay of Plenty Business News went to print with this issue at the end of July, there were roughly two months and counting to go for what may be the most important election in New Zealand’s history. Because of our publishing schedules, we opted to outline in this issue...

In this month’s cover story of the Bay of Plenty Business News, we’re pleased to be able to report on a good news story about the Eastern Bay region’s fightback from natural disaster and the pandemic. There are great lessons here for all of us on the need for collaboration, strategic thinking, and the astute use of government and other...

I was fortunate to have once had the pleasure of working for the late Mike Moore in the latter period of his term as director general of the World Trade Organisation. Mike was old-school Labour. He left school young, took up an apprenticeship, became involved in union politics, and by 23 was the youngest MP ever elected to Parliament. He...

We are fortunate to be living in a fertile, temperate land, in moated isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. But we have been reminded that when a global crisis strikes, we can be as vulnerable as anyone in the world. Kiwis are unlikely to experience the plague of locusts in which swarms of insects the size of cities continue to ravish...

The Bay of Plenty Business News was founded to provide unique, supportive coverage on what has consistently been one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing regions.

This month’s cover story takes an in-depth look at major Bay of Plenty company Ballance Agri-Nutrients, which contributes millions to the Bay’s GDP and has 260 of its 800 New Zealand staff based in the Mount.