Latest news with #Hawke'sBayToday
NZ Herald
12 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Armed police arrest man outside Napier's Bollywood restaurant
Police say the arrest of a man by armed officers outside a Napier eatery and gaming machines venue on Monday night was because he was wanted for a breach of bail. Witnesses told Hawke's Bay Today of seeing a man being taken to the ground about 9.30pm outside the Bollywood
NZ Herald
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
On the Up: Napier influencer Gzilla turns pain into purpose with gospel rap
He told Hawke's Bay Today he was always angry and started to become violent. 'Within three years, I got kicked out of six schools.' He got into a cycle of crime, addiction, and gang life in his teens. 'I had all this anger built up in me since a kid, and I just felt like hurting people was the only way to get rid of my pain, so I ended up in prison.' Gzilla was jailed from 2017 to 2018 for violence, including assaulting people. 'When I got out of jail, I had a lot of conflict still to deal with the gangs around here ... in 2019, I ended up getting my house invaded by a whole bunch of my own gang,' he said. 'I got tortured, a ring split my eyebrow, some teeth missing ... dumbbells, machete, I got beaten up, bloody bashed, broken bones, bruised.' The gang demanded $50,000 if he wanted to stay alive. 'They had a bullet with my name carved into it.' Fearing for his life, he turned to a friend – a local pastor – and asked for prayer. 'I thought, 'I'm going to die, I want to make sure I'm right with God. I ask for forgiveness before I die for all the wrongs I've done.'' That moment marked the beginning of a radical shift. The pastor not only prayed with him, but also spoke privately with the gang members. Whatever was said remains a mystery, but Gzilla was then free to go, and decided to restart. On Christmas Eve 2019, he was baptised at Potter's House Church in Napier. During the Covid lockdowns, Gzilla began sharing videos of his diving and fishing missions, something he always loved to do. Now he keeps sharing his new life on social media, and six months ago, he started working fulltime as a gospel rapper under the label Chosen Records. His debut track, centred around kina diving, dropped earlier this month and is the first song of two full albums set to release in the coming weeks. In June, he will kick off a tour, performing in Christchurch, Auckland, Fiji, and Australia. Looking at his past life now, Gzilla says he is grateful he is still alive to live his dreams. 'Life is worth living ... I do a lot of community work, I got to become a father, a husband, and my ultimate dream is to be a pastor one day.' He now has two children, Rico, 8, and Miracle, 1, with a third baby girl on the way, likely to be named Hope. 'I'm able to raise my kids in this safe environment. Now, I'm able to trust that if they follow me, they're going to be okay.' Gzilla says gang members are still in his life, but in a different way now. 'I still talk to them. I pray for them and with them ... Our church is full of them,' he says. 'Nobody's too far gone ... If God can save me, he can save anyone.'
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Napier Council Staff Bristle At Restructure Of More Than 100 Jobs
Article – Linda Hall – Local Democracy Reporter Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise said the process was part of a wider effort to deliver $3 million in labour savings for the 2025/26 financial year. A Napier City Council staff member not caught up in a planned restructure of more than 100 jobs says staff morale is now so low that he's looking for a way out. 'This no longer feels like the organisation I loved,' he told Local Democracy Reporting [Hawke's Bay Today] on Wednesday. The council confirmed on Tuesday it was reviewing its organisational structure and consulting with staff on a proposal to reshape its four directorates. Staff were told not to talk to the media, but Local Democracy Reporting [Hawke's Bay Today] has since been sent some of the proposal documents, dated May 15, 2025. They say the vision is to create a structure that will 'foster innovation, improve operational efficiency and be more agile and responsive to change'. Over the past two months each of the four executive directors at Napier City Council had reviewed their team structures, looking at role duplication, vacancies, and projects that might be put on hold, the document said. The document said in phase one of consultation related to the restructure, 100% of staff who gave feedback on the proposal agreed on the need for change. The restructure plan is now in phase two, with a decision set to be made in June. Phase three would see positions disestablished – many of them frontline workers – with reporting lines shifted and new positions introduced as business functions move into their new directorates. Proposed job losses include parking officers, Napier Assist Officers, project managers and services development and design engineers. The restructure reportedly cites the commercialisation of key community facilities, including Ocean Spa, Par 2 Mini Golf, Kennedy Park Resort and the Napier Conference Centre as a key driver. A staff member told Local Democracy Reporting [Hawke's Bay Today]: 'NCC used to be very proud – telling people and staff that it takes care of its employees, regardless of their income, because the work done by people like gardeners is important to our community. 'We were told we're a family, and we look after our own. 'Our gardeners still do an awesome job, the best in the country, I'd say. But what happened to the organisation that once had such a strong sense of civic spirit and pride?' The worker said they were astonished by an internal email sent out on Tuesday noting that only six pieces of feedback had been received on the proposal. Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise said the process was part of a wider effort to deliver $3 million in labour savings for the 2025/26 financial year. 'A key driver of this change is the community's clear call to reduce labour costs, as voiced during last year's Three-Year Plan consultation,' Wise said. 'The council has reviewed all directorates and functions to identify efficiencies, such as addressing role duplication and unfilled vacancies, and has proposed changes where there are opportunities to build a leaner, more agile structure. 'The goal is to ensure we're better positioned to respond to the specific challenges facing Napier, as well as the broader pressures on local government across New Zealand. 'This is a genuine consultation process. Our priority now is to work through it in partnership with staff, ensuring they understand what's being proposed, have the opportunity to provide feedback, and are fully supported before any final decisions are made.' Another staff member told Local Democracy Reporting [Hawke's Bay Today] the savings demanded by the mayor and some councillors was being used to rationalise the job losses, following two 'poorly justified and hugely expensive capital projects', the proposed new library building and new council office. A third staff member said if elected representatives claimed the matters were purely operational and outside their involvement, they would be misleading the public. 'They have been consistently briefed on the development, including a closed-door discussion between councillors and executive directors as recently as 11am yesterday (Tuesday, May 20). 'There is no question elected members are fully involved in the proposed restructure.' Mayoral candidate Richard McGrath said he believed it was an appropriate time to reassess if NCC was meeting its expectations of delivering the right levels of service to its community and also meeting the expectations of the local Government act. 'I acknowledge it's a difficult time for all involved, and I have faith in CEO Louise Miller as she leads through this process.'
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Napier Council Staff Bristle At Restructure Of More Than 100 Jobs
A Napier City Council staff member not caught up in a planned restructure of more than 100 jobs says staff morale is now so low that he's looking for a way out. 'This no longer feels like the organisation I loved,' he told Local Democracy Reporting [Hawke's Bay Today] on Wednesday. The council confirmed on Tuesday it was reviewing its organisational structure and consulting with staff on a proposal to reshape its four directorates. Staff were told not to talk to the media, but Local Democracy Reporting [Hawke's Bay Today] has since been sent some of the proposal documents, dated May 15, 2025. They say the vision is to create a structure that will 'foster innovation, improve operational efficiency and be more agile and responsive to change'. Over the past two months each of the four executive directors at Napier City Council had reviewed their team structures, looking at role duplication, vacancies, and projects that might be put on hold, the document said. The document said in phase one of consultation related to the restructure, 100% of staff who gave feedback on the proposal agreed on the need for change. The restructure plan is now in phase two, with a decision set to be made in June. Phase three would see positions disestablished - many of them frontline workers - with reporting lines shifted and new positions introduced as business functions move into their new directorates. Proposed job losses include parking officers, Napier Assist Officers, project managers and services development and design engineers. The restructure reportedly cites the commercialisation of key community facilities, including Ocean Spa, Par 2 Mini Golf, Kennedy Park Resort and the Napier Conference Centre as a key driver. A staff member told Local Democracy Reporting [Hawke's Bay Today]: 'NCC used to be very proud – telling people and staff that it takes care of its employees, regardless of their income, because the work done by people like gardeners is important to our community. 'We were told we're a family, and we look after our own. 'Our gardeners still do an awesome job, the best in the country, I'd say. But what happened to the organisation that once had such a strong sense of civic spirit and pride?' The worker said they were astonished by an internal email sent out on Tuesday noting that only six pieces of feedback had been received on the proposal. Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise said the process was part of a wider effort to deliver $3 million in labour savings for the 2025/26 financial year. 'A key driver of this change is the community's clear call to reduce labour costs, as voiced during last year's Three-Year Plan consultation,' Wise said. 'The council has reviewed all directorates and functions to identify efficiencies, such as addressing role duplication and unfilled vacancies, and has proposed changes where there are opportunities to build a leaner, more agile structure. 'The goal is to ensure we're better positioned to respond to the specific challenges facing Napier, as well as the broader pressures on local government across New Zealand. 'This is a genuine consultation process. Our priority now is to work through it in partnership with staff, ensuring they understand what's being proposed, have the opportunity to provide feedback, and are fully supported before any final decisions are made.' Another staff member told Local Democracy Reporting [Hawke's Bay Today] the savings demanded by the mayor and some councillors was being used to rationalise the job losses, following two 'poorly justified and hugely expensive capital projects', the proposed new library building and new council office. A third staff member said if elected representatives claimed the matters were purely operational and outside their involvement, they would be misleading the public. 'They have been consistently briefed on the development, including a closed-door discussion between councillors and executive directors as recently as 11am yesterday (Tuesday, May 20). 'There is no question elected members are fully involved in the proposed restructure.' Mayoral candidate Richard McGrath said he believed it was an appropriate time to reassess if NCC was meeting its expectations of delivering the right levels of service to its community and also meeting the expectations of the local Government act. 'I acknowledge it's a difficult time for all involved, and I have faith in CEO Louise Miller as she leads through this process.' LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
NZ Herald
21-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Napier City Council restructure: Staff bristle at potential loss of more than 100 jobs: ‘No longer feels like the organisation I loved'
They say the vision is to create a structure that will 'foster innovation, improve operational efficiency and be more agile and responsive to change'. Over the past two months, each of the four executive directors at Napier City Council had reviewed their team structures, looking at role duplication, vacancies and projects that might be put on hold, the document said. The document said in phase one of consultation related to the restructure, 100% of staff who gave feedback on the proposal agreed on the need for change. The restructure plan is now in phase two, with a decision set to be made in June. Phase three would see positions disestablished – many of them frontline workers – with reporting lines shifted and new positions introduced as business functions move into their new directorates. Proposed job losses include parking officers, Napier Assist Officers, project managers and services development and design engineers. The restructure reportedly cites the commercialisation of key community facilities, including Ocean Spa, Par 2 Mini Golf, Kennedy Park Resort and the Napier Conference Centre as a key driver. A staff member told Hawke's Bay Today: 'NCC used to be very proud – telling people and staff that it takes care of its employees, regardless of their income, because the work done by people like gardeners is important to our community. 'We were told we're a family and we look after our own. 'Our gardeners still do an awesome job, the best in the country, I'd say. But what happened to the organisation that once had such a strong sense of civic spirit and pride?' They said they were astonished by an internal email sent out on Tuesday noting that only six pieces of feedback had been received on the proposal. Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise said the process was part of a wider effort to deliver $3 million in labour savings for the 2025/26 financial year. 'A key driver of this change is the community's clear call to reduce labour costs, as voiced during last year's Three-Year Plan consultation,' Wise said. 'The council has reviewed all directorates and functions to identify efficiencies, such as addressing role duplication and unfilled vacancies, and has proposed changes where there are opportunities to build a leaner, more agile structure. 'The goal is to ensure we're better positioned to respond to the specific challenges facing Napier, as well as the broader pressures on local government across New Zealand. 'This is a genuine consultation process. Our priority now is to work through it in partnership with staff, ensuring they understand what's being proposed, have the opportunity to provide feedback, and are fully supported before any final decisions are made.' Another staff member told Hawke's Bay Today the savings demanded by the mayor and some councillors was being used to rationalise the job losses, following two 'poorly justified and hugely expensive capital projects', the proposed new library building and the new council office. A third staff member said if elected representatives claimed the matters were purely operational and outside their involvement, they would be misleading the public. 'They have been consistently briefed on the development, including a closed-door discussion between councillors and executive directors as recently as 11am yesterday [Tuesday, May 20]. 'There is no question elected members are fully involved in the proposed restructure.' Mayoral candidate Richard McGrath said he believed it was an appropriate time to reassess if the council was meeting its expectations of delivering the right levels of service to its community and also meeting the expectations of the Local Government Act. 'I acknowledge it's a difficult time for all involved, and I have faith in CEO Louise Miller as she leads through this process.'
