Celebrating local flavours savoured by community boards

The future of Savour Northland, the annual food and wine festival, was backed by two Far North community boards at their meetings in March. Board members recognised the festival’s importance in supporting the regional economy, attracting visitors, and creating opportunities for communities to come together.

The Northland food and wine festival celebrates the unique flavours, people and places of Te Tai Tokerau by showcasing local producers, hospitality businesses and the rich culture of the region.

Te Hiku Community Board granted $4000 to Savour Northland for its 2026 festival, and Bay of Islands–Whangaroa Community Board granted $15,379 for each of its next two annual festivals (2026 and 2027).

The March funding decisions highlight the community boards’ commitment to backing initiatives that reflect the identity of the rohe and create positive outcomes for residents.

Community board decisions at their April meetings created more positive outcomes for residents and visitors.

In April, the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board granted $3560 to this year’s Bay of Islands Country Rock Festival while the Kaikohe-Hokianga board approved $3000 for a sports-orientated Youth Day event for rangatahi. Te Hiku’s board awarded $5000 to Ahipara Coastal Patrol for their kaitiaki summer programme which promotes safe driving, cultural respect and environmental care in the area. The board also awarded $13,413 to the Muriwhenua Education and Sports Hub for upgrades to their carpark and mezzanine.

A full rundown of community board decisions made at their March and April meetings can be found here.