It’s great to hear locals are shaking out their aprons as they get busy baking for the ‘Aroha Tairawhiti’ Gisborne baking appeal, says Wairoa Mayor Craig Little.

The baking campaign was launched last week to support our Gisborne/Tairawhiti neighbours after the region declared a local state of emergency on Wednesday, January 21, following the East Coast area being once again battered by extreme weather.

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little has been humbled by the response from people offering to bake for the cause. “I have even got into the kitchen myself and whipped up a few treats.

“The drop-off point for baking is the Age Concern building on the main street. We will be taking the baking to Gisborne this Friday morning (February 13th), so we need all baking delivered by this Thursday, February 12. Age Concern’s opening hours are 9am to 3pm.

A reminder, all baking will need a bit of a shelf life, we won't be able to take any products that need refrigeration, and sorry, no baking containers will be able to be returned.

Mayor Little described the baking campaign as an opportunity for Wairoa people to share their aroha with our neighbours, in a similar way to when Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz and Chief Executive Nedine Thatcher-Swann visited Wairoa, laden with baked goods and other donations, after our June 2024 flood. “That visit made us feel like people outside our district cared about us, and it was such a thoughtful gesture. It is great that we can now show our manaakitanga.

“Thank you to all those people and food businesses who have pledged to bake. There is still plenty of time; please drop off your baking donation at the Age Concern building before 3pm on Thursday. If you need baking collected from within town, or any other information, please text or call me on 027 475 7278.”

11 February 2026

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