Summer with the Mayors: Victor Luca

The Bay of Plenty holds several small towns worth exploring - Whakatane, Ohope, Matata, and many more. 

With plenty of beautiful beaches, it's a great place to take the surf board or kayak to enjoy a day out on the water. 

Whakatane District mayor, Victor Lucas, joins to wrap the year for the district. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from news Talk zed B.
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What's happening in your neck of the woods summer?

Speaker 2 (00:21):
We're the mares Yes, quarter past six, heading to the
east coast of the North Island now for summer with
the mayors. Lots of small towns to explore on the
Bay of Plenty Fakatane or jape Matatar and many more,
with plenty of beaches, great place to take the surfboarder,
kayak and enjoy a day out on the water. The
district even claimed the title of New Zealand's sunniest region

(00:43):
back in twenty twenty and Fakatani District Mayor Victor Luca
is with me. Now, good morning, good morning, good good.
So how is twenty twenty four for you?

Speaker 3 (00:56):
You know, a new government though has come in and
everything is being turned upside down again. So as far
as councils would concerned, things have been pretty hectic. I mean, right,
you know, cost of living crises and you know sitting
long term plans I think which is the big one,
and this years being fairly unprecedented I think for most

(01:18):
councils around New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
So we'll looking ahead to enjoying summer. What's the big
drawcard that you would highlight for people who want to visit.

Speaker 3 (01:29):
Yeah, well, people keep asking me what you're doing for summer.
I say, I'm going to a holiday resort, and they say, oh, where,
don't say, because you know, count myself pretty lucky to
be living in the place. Is actually a holiday resort.
So lots of things to do here, no shortage. If
you go north, you're at it on the Pacific Ocean,

(01:49):
and so it's a pretty renowned boating destination. So especially
offshore is good. We've got wonderful beaches. You know, a
happy beach is pretty good. It's one of the often
an award winning beach, I'd say. But if you want
lakes or men antons, or or you want to be bushwalking,

(02:11):
we got all that stuff here.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
For How busy do you guys get over the summer
with visitors?

Speaker 3 (02:16):
Oh? No, it gets pretty busy. I'm not sure if
it was the same as back in the day when
I was a youngster, but a hoppy beach back in
the day was you know, wild. These days, a lot
of the camping grounds have been converted over to residences.
But you know, I would say the population would more
than double.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
Wow, that's quite something.

Speaker 3 (02:35):
A hoppy beach there is at least.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
Yeah, you're talking to a guy who grew up in So.
I visited a Hope Beach and a whole bunch of
beaches around there so and has been a great hunting
ground for for me. So you're preaching the converted on there.
On that one.

Speaker 3 (02:53):
Was that what were you hunting when you came here?

Speaker 2 (02:58):
Just leisure.

Speaker 3 (03:00):
Drink winks no more?

Speaker 1 (03:02):
Okay, right?

Speaker 2 (03:04):
Hey, what are your go to local spots?

Speaker 1 (03:08):
Ah?

Speaker 3 (03:09):
Okay, I think my go to local spot is going
to be my home. I've got a lot of maintenance
to do, weeding, garden, gardening, painting, and then of course
often we you know, I'm a bit of a fisherman,
so we'll be doing a bit of fishing as well.
Not so much of a beach goer these days now
that I'm I've turned into more of a blob. Hey,

(03:34):
we we'll be doing some bushwalking, that's for sure. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
What so, I mean, if you're going to highlight one
or two things in particular, would it be your hoppy
beach as you were talking about, for visitors coming over.
Are there any sort of hidden spots that are not
necessarily obvious straight away to people coming.

Speaker 3 (03:49):
To Well, there is to the west of a Happy
Beach itself, so Happy Beach is very long. It's it's
a broad, sandy beach with a shallow drop off. But
if you go a little bit west, there's a place
called Little Tara at every Bay, which involves like a
twenty minute walk to get down the bay from a

(04:10):
suburb which is perched up on the hill, and it's
a lovely spot for let's say you don't have a
boat and you can't get out to Montahora Island or know,
and also the whale line you can't get out there
well or tell. Any bay is actually pretty nice. It's
a technic and there's rocks there you can do some

(04:30):
snorkeling and all that sort of stuff, So it's actually
pretty handy in town. And then there's the heads area
with a lot of people go fishing at the heads
of the Fakatani River as well. So I would recommend
or to any bay if you're new to the to
the area place walk. It's a bit of a it's
a bit of a you know, it's a bit of

(04:52):
a hike. Gradient Oh, well, that's good.

Speaker 2 (04:55):
Get the blood pumping. Then, you know, you can't just
can't be swinding around on a beach tail all summery.
About a year ago, the headlines were around gangs and
things in fuck a tiny but it doesn't seem you've
had so many dramatic headlines in the last yea twenty
twenty four. So how's how's everything playing out in law
and order for you guys.

Speaker 3 (05:14):
No, it's pretty good around here. I don't think we've
had any hugely notable events in the last year. I mean,
there's obviously gang activity. It'll be honest, I never see it. Yeah,
if I walk down the strand, there's no evidence of gangs.
I mean back in the day on talking the seventies, okay,

(05:35):
there were gang members that would walk up and down
the strand. But that's fine, behave themselves. It's all good. Yeah,
no problems, No, I don't. I don't think we've had
too many major issues.

Speaker 2 (05:45):
Actually, yeah, yeah, well good stuff. Hey, I really appreciate
your time this morning, and good luck for twenty twenty five. Victor.

Speaker 3 (05:51):
Thanks very much, Thanks very much. There you go.

Speaker 2 (05:54):
Fakatani District Mayor Victor Luka Great spot for Katana actually
got some very fond memories of time spent over there.

Speaker 1 (06:00):
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