Opinion: How local government works and what is about to change
■ A guide for communities ahead of the biggest local government reforms since 1989 ■ Most New Zeala
Letter: Whakatāne’s housing crisis
Dr Victor Luca It will not be news to anyone that Whakatāne has a serious housing shortage, and esp
Letter: Amalgamating small councils makes pragmatic sense
Malcolm Whitaker However, only if existing and future ratepayers benefit by having their rates lowe
Opinion: Of forests and fishers
Great forest trees do not live just for themselves. That is true of all species actually. Every liv
Letter: Crematorium upgrade
Elaine McGlinchey While I appreciate the need for this, couldn’t Whakatāne District Council have ti
Opinion: Council amalgamation — The case for a greater Bay of Plenty Council
■ “Our message to councils is simple: lead your own reform, or we will do it for you. Either way, ch
Opinion: Who pays for Wellington’s savings?
■ We can’t hollow out public services and expect regional New Zealand to thrive, writes Jo Luxton, E
Opinion: Dream bigger, Ōpōtiki
Alex le Long As a professional daydreamer, I spend a lot of time imagining what Ōpōtiki could be.
Letter: Is solar any better for environment in the long run?
Paul Jamieson Luca’s articles on energy, and having been learning lots, so thank you for getting th
Letter: Somewhat of a disservice?
Suzanne Williams Thank you, Beacon, for a most interesting issue last Wednesday – what a varied and
Opinion: A network of communities, not a single new suburb
■ By promoting Awakeri as a future “suburb/town”, is the Whakatāne District Council abandoning the e
Opinion: Calling it democracy does not make it so
■ On June 2, the Government announced it would change the law so that only elected councillors could
Letters: We are not Coastlands
N Thompson There was an article printed in the Beacon (Friday, May 22), “We are not Coastlands” say
Letter: Punching well above their weight
Kerren Foreman I refer to Suzanne Williams letter Beacon, June 3. Prior to shifting to Whakatāne,
Opinion: Council kicking debt down the road
John Howard So, with our next long-term plan on the radar, how will Whakatāne District Council plan
Letter: Prioritising essential infrastructure
Luke Ruiterman It is difficult to justify charging ratepayers the level of funding being requested.
Letter: Don't give up on pay equity
Sue Whale The Zonta Club of Whakatāne recently invited distinguished former Minister for Women’s Af
Letter: We loved Matilda
Sandra James I am a regular Beacon reader, and Wednesday, June 3, was no different. As I get to the
Letter: Healthcare concerns deserve answers
Alexander (Sandy) Milne I am part-way composing a plea to our mayor and councillors re our frontlin
Letter: Science funding should focus on practical issues
Keith Melville One of the last acts of Judith Collins as Science Minister and as MP was to change t
Letter: Wake-up call on fuel
Suzanne Williams What an interesting and all-encompassing article ran in Friday’s Beacon centrefold
Opinion: The case for an EBOP Council
■ Like it or not, the status quo is dead. The pressure for local government reform is mounting natio
Letter: Thought-provoking reading on oil and life
Catrina Jones Thank you Beacon for your wonderful tribute to Malcolm Campbell by LDR reporter Diane