Manawatu Standard
Mobility funds a game changer
A pilot programme providing powered wheelchairs to people with disabilities should lead to greater independence and a better quality of life for users. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston announced a $3.5 million Government project aimed at...
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Charities launch urgent drive
Kaimanawa wild horse charities are raising money for an unprecedented fourth muster of the year to avert the need to cull a small group of the animals. The group of 15 horses is in an ecologically sensitive area of Defence Force land near Waiouru, on...
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Kia Toa celebrate huge win
Not even the most dyed-in-the-wool double blue from Bill Brown Park saw such a lopsided Hankins Shield final coming. Kia Toa brought their power tackling game to trounce Varsity 59-27 at the Arena on Saturday, even though they’d had a win and a loss...
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Bodybuilder’s dedication pays off
Since Manawatū bodybuilder Shaun Ruddle first stepped on stage, he’s been captivated by the sport. Ruddle is an I Compete Natural New Zealand bodybuilder, a federation for athletes who are drug tested. In the past six years he has dedicated his life...
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Tararua mayor cautiously optimistic’
Tararua’s mayor is “cautiously optimistic” changes to local government and opportunities presented through current reforms may truly improve local decision-making after a “softening of language” from the Government. Mayor Scott Gilmore had written...
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Mother dies after leaving ED
The grieving family of a Feilding woman who died hours after leaving a hospital’s emergency department say she chose not to stay as she was told there would be a “25-hour wait”. Briar Vicky Parfitt, 40, died on Saturday as she headed to Hawke’s Bay...
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School to get new classrooms
Funding for two new classrooms is being well received at a Manawatū high school dealing with a booming roll. Education Minister Erica Stanford recently announced the Government was spending $10 million to build 14 new classrooms at schools across the...
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Life in jail for fatal attack
A Horowhenua man will spend at least the next decade in jail for the unprovoked murder of his housemate, with psychiatric reports finding he is likely suffering from schizophrenia. Dylan Neil Jensen, 32, was sentenced in the High Court at Palmerston...
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School’s call for SH1 crossing
The thought of children dodging through a flow of heavy traffic outside the school gate gives Foxton principal Phil Gunn the creeps. More than 10,000 vehicles rumble past State Highway 1 outside St Mary’s School each day and it was one of many schools...
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Old ways meet the new waves
Students have examined how generations of Pacific people have adapted over time and inspired generations of the future in their performances at this year’s Pasifika Fusion festival. The cultural festival wrapped up at the Regent on Broadway on...
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‘Opportunity of a lifetime’
Whakarongo School principal Jaco Broodryk is calling it a day, having been at the helm through probably the biggest period of change in the school’s history. Broodryk has been at the school on the edge of Palmerston North for 23 years and is retiring...
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In it for the long haul
Since starting as a one-truck operation 50 years ago, Palmerston North company PTS Logistics has grown to one of the biggest transport businesses in the country. PTS Logistics, which ships cars, tractors and other goods around New Zealand, is...
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‘Haphazard’ response for chronic gastro patients
The really “tricky” part of keeping the lights on at Palmerston North Hospital’s gastroenterology department is managing patients with chronic, lifelong intestinal and liver conditions. That was one of the messages from Health NZ Chief Medical Officer...
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Rad Hobbies taps into ‘old school’ passions
There is a good chance a rush of nostalgia will greet any 80s kid who walks in the door of Levin’s new hobby shop. The only thing missing among the radio control (RC) cars, models, skateboards, trading cards and comic books is a diligent parent close...
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Thousands brave rain for lights festival
More than 2000 people turned out to celebrate the launch of Feilding in Lights – Manawatū’s Matariki Winter Festival. Despite the rain, Saturday’s inaugural event transformed the town centre into a vibrant hub of celebration, marked by a parade of 25...
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Massey finding its groove again
Campus spirit and student numbers are up, but new Massey University vice-chancellor Pierre Venter still has a strong focus on making sure the university continues to be an attractive place to study. Professor Venter started as vicechancellor in...
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New spaces, bright future
A Horowhenua school that has dealt with leaky roofs for years will soon have dry classrooms, with a long-term redevelopment about to begin. The Government last week announced $10 million of funding for classrooms at a number of schools in the lower...
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Logistics plan gets $22.4m
Manawatū’s plans for the lower North Island freight and distribution cluster have received a $22.4 million boost. Rail Minister Winston Peters and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones announced yesterday that a Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF)...
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Ultimate ride for hospice
Levin man Chris Grant expects his mental resilience to be tested to its limit when he does a 24-hour cycle ride for charity. Grant is attempting the feat on the velodrome at Levin Domain this Friday, starting at 9am and going until 9am Saturday to...
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From grassroots to AB HQ
The new era for the All Blacks got under way at grassroots level in Manawatū, with New Zealand Rugby bringing all its pomp and ceremony to a provincial rugby club. New All Blacks coach Dave Rennie unveiled his first squad of the year at the Feilding...
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Freyberg clinch first title
Freyberg have claimed their first women’s club title, enduring a tense final few minutes with 13 players. Freyberg beat Taihape 31-24 in the combined Manawatū-Whanganui final at the Arena on Friday night to win the Canterbury-McKay Cup. Freys led...
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Cafe fights to keep its Kiwi vibe
A business on the side of State Highway 1 is aiming to keep the spirit of the classic Kiwi cafe and campground alive. Flat Hills Cafe and Tourist Park is just south of Mangaweka in Rangitīkei where you can find farm animals for petting, a camping...
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Schoolkids planting for a greener future
Manawatū schoolchildren are getting behind efforts to plant thousands of native trees to improve waterways and protect the environment. Trees for Survival promotes environmental education and helps schools to grow and plant native trees. It has...
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A vibrant vision for Levin
The Horowhenua District Council is being bold as it imagines what central Levin could look like in the future. The council is working on the Levin Town Centre Transformation project as it prepares for major changes when the Ōtaki to North of Levin...
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A ‘jewel in Taihape’s crown’
The rebuild of Taihape Area School is starting to take shape and is signalling an optimistic new chapter of education in the Rangitīkei town. The school, which caters for primary and secondary children, has long had problems with leaks, heating and...
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FROM 8-hour results TO 3-hour patches
STEP 3 : Target individual breakouts We all know the urge to pick at a sudden, angry spot. The final step in the Effaclar routine is designed to stop that habit in its tracks. The Effaclar Duo+M Pimple Patches are small, discreet hydrocolloid patches...
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Charity funds ‘really helped’
For more than a decade, Sarah Wilson has been a volunteer for a growing list of cancer charities. Then came the results of her first mammogram in March 2023 and the irony of a cancer diagnosis of her own. Just weeks after completing the Tongariro...
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Blind woman fears for safety
The blind victim of an alleged home invasion is sharing her story in the hope it will prevent others in the disabled community from suffering the same harm she has. The woman, who wished to remain anonymous out of fear, said she was at home on the...
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Speed limits to boost safety
Principals hope the introduction of variable speed limits outside some kura in the region will make it safer for children and whānau getting to school. The New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is installing the limits on state highways...
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Ex seeking new home
Ashhurst Domain’s old jockey clubrooms that have housed several attempted cafes are being offered another chance at life. The last remnant of the domain’s history as a racecourse has been empty since 2017, and the Palmerston North City Council is...
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Staff failures linked to death
The death of Palmerston North Hospital mental health ward patient Erica Hume 12 years ago was preventable, Coroner Matthew Bates has found. The 21-year-old Massey University student died by suicide after an incident in Ward 21 in May 2014. Her death...
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Bridge closure cuts off rural community
The closure of a damaged bridge has cut off a critical route for a rural Tararua community and fixing the problem could come with an expensive price tag. A single-lane bridge on Alfredton Rd over the Ihuraua River at Alfredton, east of Eketāhuna, was...
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Tiny beats, big celebrations
A bilingual Palmerston North early childhood education centre has launched four new children’s music videos to mark Samoa Language Week. Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata has created the videos alongside children’s music duo The KaRs, Kane Parsons and Regan...
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Savings soften rates blow
Palmerston North’s total rates are going up 3.9% in July, but for about 11,000 homeowners their bill will stay the same or go down by as much as $250. Yesterday, the city council formally adopted its annual budget that requires a rates rise below the...
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Thirty years of innovation in Māori art
Three decades of Māori art and expression through Massey University’s Toioho ki Āpiti programme is being celebrated this month. The bachelor of Māori visual arts programme is marking 30 years since it began and Massey’s school of Māori knowledge, Te...
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Royal salute for champion of city’s military heritage
Whenever there is a poppy or a war memorial on show or a military parade or commemoration happening in Palmerston North, Joe Hollander will be there. Active in a range of community work after a career in Defence and construction, the fount of...
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Knight’s quest for literacy
Persistence and a desire to see children’s reading improve has kept James Chapman motivated through decades of working in education. The Massey University Emeritus Professor has made a significant contribution to literacy teaching and learning in New...
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‘Cool’ air dome for arena
The next part of CET Arena’s development will be a state-of-the-art air dome construction housing four indoor sports courts on the corner of Cuba St and Pascal St. The decision to go ahead with the $13.5 million complex was signed off in a 10-4 vote...
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Govt reforms loom over council matters in Tararua
Navigating the “abolition” of local government is a key focus for council, with many reports and portfolio updates reflecting the undeniable prevalence of recent government reforms. Scott Gilmore used his mayoral update at the recent Tararua District...
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Schools at breaking point
Educators hope to see greater resource put into the sector when the Government unveils the Budget today, to help in areas such as stability and learning support. Ahead of the Budget, education think tank Aotearoa Educators Collective has released the...
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Merger challenge mulled over
Doing nothing is one of the options the Palmerston North City Council is contemplating in response to the Government’s Head Start amalgamation prompt. Councils have been challenged to come up with amalgamation plans by August, with those who do not...
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Fuel prices fail to brake skids
Rising fuel prices and police efforts are failing to deter street racers, who continue to tear up Manawatū roads. Despite the enforcement of bylaws in Palmerston North to prevent antisocial road use at seven key hotspots, police inspector and Manawatū...
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Filipino pride in Manawatū
A former Feilding woman is telling the stories of Manawatū’s Filipino community through a visual display capturing some of their most deeply ingrained cultural traditions. Abigail Legg’s first solo exhibition, Kababayan, which presented her take on...
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Teens take their kōrero to the national stage
Four Manawatū teens will look to deliver a stirring kōrero on the national stage at the final of the Ngā Manu Kōrero speech competition. The regional competition was held in Palmerston North this month, with the winners of the four categories...
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Butterfly Compassion group needs home help
A Palmerston North charity giving away personalised essentials to 412 people a month who have virtually nothing is having a spot of trouble with the landlord. Butterfly Compassion Community entered a commercial lease a year ago for a 300m² warehouse...
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Weighing up merger options
The Tararua District Council is considering options for potential amalgamations with neighbouring councils, including the district being broken up, and one thing that has been agreed on is there is not enough time. The Government announced this month...
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Lotto lady’s possible deal with Pak’nSave kept secret
Pak’nSave’s redundant Lotto lady and her former Palmerston North bosses might have met, but the outcome of their discussion is under wraps. Katie Tippler was given two weeks’ notice and sent home two weeks ago without any compensation after nearly 30...
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Army unveils new homes
The importance of secure and stable housing for military families has been brought home at a ceremony marking the completion of eight new homes at Linton Military Camp. The Defence Force officially opened the doors to the three and four-bedroom homes...
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Meridian to build solar farm
Bunnythorpe’s sunshine will be captured by Meridian’s next solar energy park and battery energy storage system. The company plans to build a 250,000 solar panel farm on the edge of the village that will be big enough to power about 30,000...
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Medic’s 190km goal to give back
Hato Hone St John paramedic Chuck Williams knows what it’s like to reach your limit in a job supporting New Zealanders in their worst hour. Williams started with the national ambulance service when he was 18, having previously been a youth volunteer...
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Health centre build begins
Work has just started on Palmerston North’s Milson Line to build a new $30 million Central Healthcare complex. The private healthcare centre due to open in April 2028 has been in the planning since 2020 when the company bought the site alongside the...
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Te Hā open for business
Palmerston North’s newest general practice clinic is attracting about 50 enrolments a week as the fully renovated facility builds capacity to triple its staff and patient numbers. Te Hā Health Care in Victoria Ave near the corner of Main St opened its...
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Is Ashhurst Domain done for?
The Manawatū and Pohangina rivers have long collided through the corridor bordering Ashhurst Domain, but as unforgiving storms become more frequent, the domain is at risk of being washed away in the next weather event. It wouldn’t just be land lost to...
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Long-serving Lotto lady axed
Pak’nSave Lotto lady Katie Tippler is heartbroken to have been made redundant, a casualty of the physical redevelopment of the Palmerston North store’s entrance. After working at the Ferguson St supermarket for nearly 30 years, she had been forced to...
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Man seriously injured in scaffolding truck incident
A family of four was ready to travel around the country in their caravan when a horrific crash on State Highway 1 shattered that dream. Isaiah Eagar was a jack of all trades, his wife Rebecca Eagar said, and there was nothing he couldn’t do, until he...
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A granddad’s unfinished fight
Against all odds, Taana GageMorgan survived his birth. Delivered at Thames Hospital in the early hours of February 25, 2010, Taana was floppy and unresponsive. He had meconium- a newborn’s first stool - covering his face and coming out of his...
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Budget winners and losers
The proposed rates increase for Palmerston North was sitting just over 4.2% at the end of a day and a half of city council debate this week. Councillors went into the meeting looking at a 4.4% total rates rise for 2026/27, and after adding some items...
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Couple see red over trees
Living beneath redwood trees comes with its perks, but a Marton couple struggling with the burden and cost of their cleanup is calling on the owner for help. Heather and Gary Philip said they loved the council-owned redwoods that hung over their...
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From dairy farm to a filter
The first stage of a $12.5 million wetlands project at Lake Horowhenua designed to improve the health of the polluted waterway should be completed in June. Work began in March on the Arawhata wetland complex on the edge of Punahau (Lake Horowhenua)...
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The science to stronger hair
Jenny-May’s reinvention Why she’s focused on physical transformation and mental wellbeing. Hair damage is a common struggle. For those of us who love to colour, style, or use heat tools, the battle against split ends, breakage, and dullness can feel...
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Band enlists heavyweight
An unlikely shared passion for the All Blacks and heavy metal has led to a highly-regarded music producer working in Palmerston North. Waldemar Sorychta has travelled from Germany to record the third album from Manawatū band Imperial Slave at The...
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It started with a sketch
Even when he was drawing on his mates’ gumboots at school, Manawatū entrepreneur Malachi Kurei had a vision for what he wanted to achieve. Kurei, 21, is the founder of the gumboot company MokoBandz, which are emblazoned with Māori art, and the boots...
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Mayor slams credit card probe
Palmerston North’s newest city councillor Hayden Fitzgerald has forced the release of details of credit card spending by the city’s mayor Grant Smith over the past three years. He said there were items on the list he thought would surprise ratepayers,...
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Director to start paying up
The director a window installation company that went bust owing hundreds of thousands of dollars will start paying reparations – but some victims are disappointed not to see all the money. Michael James Wright was the director of now-liquidated...
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Battle continues for workers
Workplace fatalities are just the headline of New Zealand’s health and safety record, with hundreds of other workers hurt or made ill at work, says Council of Trade Unions (CTU) president Sandra Grey. Speaking at the annual Workers’ Memorial Day event...
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Pukepuke Lagoon in peril
Passion and mana for Pukepuke Lagoon continues to grow while water levels remain low and the cause of what has been described as an “ecological disaster” remains unknown. Pukepuke was found dry with eel carcasses strewn across the lake bed recently,...
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Retailers: Clear The Square
A group of central Palmerston North property owners, landlords and businesses want to get buses off the streets around The Square. They say buses moving around Main St and along The Square to Church St are causing congestion and conflicts with...
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Views vary on rates spending
Defenders of Palmerston North’s arts, culture and sports facilities and services have come out in force to tell city councillors to maintain their investment in the things that make the city a great place to live. During two days of hearing...
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Rector drives school run
Palmerston North Boys’ High School has resorted to using its own vans, sometimes driven by the rector, to pick up children in Shannon and Tokomaru who need a replacement for their cancelled high school bus service. Shannon was one of the areas...
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Horizons region bracing
The entire Horizons region is yet again battling wild weather, with residents from Manawatū, Tararua, Whanganui to Ruapehu navigating another “volatile” day of rain and wind. An orange heavy rain warning remained in place for the Tararua District...
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$20m price tag to fix water
A $20 million price tag to install a new nanofiltration system to improve Marton’s drinking water has been deemed too high, but the Rangitīkei District Council hopes to have short-term improvements done by summer. The council has for years been...
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Nailed it: City tradie claims top regional spot
The region’s best tradies in training showcased their carpentry skills at the 16th annual New Zealand Certified Builders’ Apprentice Challenge regional heats in Palmerston North on Saturday. Kalym Smith, 28, secured victory as the top Manawatū...
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Manukura girls back on the world rugby stage in Japan
The Manukura girls’ rugby team is making a habit of attending big tournaments. The Palmerston North school won the national Condor sevens title at the end of last year to qualify for the Sanix World Rugby Youth Tournament in Japan. They leave...
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Horizons workshop infuriates
“Damning”, “self-indulgent” and likely to trigger immediate sackings; these were among the warnings from three Horizons Regional councillors opposed to spending more than $40,000 on a workshop in February. The council hired writer, speaker, and...
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