Editing Hastings, New Zealand (section)

===2000 to today===
At 11.25&nbsp;pm on 25 August 2008, the city was hit by an earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geonet.org.nz/quakes/region/newzealand/2958743 |title=Quakes |publisher=[[GeoNet (New Zealand)|GeoNet]] |date=25 August 2008 |access-date=29 January 2016}}</ref> The epicentre was based only 10&nbsp;km south of the city, near Mt Erin, at a depth of 32&nbsp;km. The earthquake caused minor damage to shops, where stock was shaken off shelves. Power outages were also reported. This was the most powerful earthquake to hit the region since the 5.8 Hastings earthquake in October 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geonet.org.nz/quakes/region/newzealand/1803016 |title=Quakes |publisher=[[GeoNet (New Zealand)|GeoNet]] |date=15 October 2001 |access-date=29 January 2016}}</ref>

In 2010, the city, together with [[New Plymouth]] became one of the two walking and cycling "model communities", qualifying for further co-funding by the national government to improve its walking paths and cycleways, and encourage people to use active forms of transport.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bay cycling's 'without equal'|url=http://www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/local/news/bay-cyclings-without-equal/3929420/|access-date=12 November 2010|work=[[Hawke's Bay Today]] |date=10 November 2010}}</ref>

In August–September 2016, 5,200 people after the local water supply in Havelock North tested positive for the pathogen ''[[Campylobacter]] jejeuni''.<ref name="nzherald1">{{cite web|title=Something in the water - How the Havelock gastro outbreak began|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=11697426|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] | date=19 August 2016 |access-date=4 February 2019}}</ref><ref name="council1">{{cite web|title=A cautionary tale of untreated groundwater, Campylobacter, and New Zealand's largest drinking water outbreak|url=https://waterandhealth.org/safe-drinking-water/drinking-water/cautionary-tale-untreated-groundwater-campylobacter-zealands-largest-drinking-water-outbreak/|publisher=Water Quality and Health Council|access-date=4 February 2019|archive-date=7 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207015541/https://waterandhealth.org/safe-drinking-water/drinking-water/cautionary-tale-untreated-groundwater-campylobacter-zealands-largest-drinking-water-outbreak/|url-status=dead}}</ref> One death in a nursing home was suspected to be due to the outbreak.<ref name="nzherald1" /><ref name="council1" /> It is suspected that after heavy rain fell on 5–6 August, water contamination from flooding caused the outbreak, although this is the subject of a government Inquiry.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dia.govt.nz/Government-Inquiry-into-Havelock-North-Drinking-Water|title=Government Inquiry into Havelock North Drinking-Water - dia.govt.nz|website=www.dia.govt.nz|access-date=1 April 2018}}</ref> It is the largest outbreak of waterborne disease ever to occur in New Zealand. All schools in Havelock North closed for two weeks, with the Hastings District Council advising an urgent notice to boil water for at least one minute before consumption. This notice was lifted on September the 3rd, with the outbreak officially under control.

Chlorination of the Havelock North water supply started on Friday the 12th, and 9 water tankers were brought in containing water from the Hastings water supply. One of these trucks again tested positive for E-Coli contamination, prompting the Hastings District Council to chlorinate the water supply of both Hastings and Flaxmere as a precautionary measure.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nz.news.yahoo.com/top-stories/a/32367075/secondary-schools-reopen-in-havelock-north/#page1 |title=Secondary schools reopen in Havelock North - Yahoo New Zealand |website=nz.news.yahoo.com  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919005235/https://nz.news.yahoo.com/top-stories/a/32367075/secondary-schools-reopen-in-havelock-north/ |archive-date=2016-09-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11694777|title=Gastro outbreak: Havelock North illness NZ's largest|first=Victoria|last=White|date=15 August 2016|access-date=1 April 2018|via=www.nzherald.co.nz}}</ref>

In November 2017, Sandra Hazlehurst, formerly Councilor for Hastings-Havelock North Ward, became the first woman Mayor of Hastings.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/hawkes-bay/99267756/hazlehurst-incredibly-proud-to-be-districts-first-female-mayor | title=Hazlehurst 'incredibly proud' to be district's first female Mayor | date=27 November 2017 }}</ref> Hazlehurst was elected as a result of a by-election triggered by the formal resignation of Mayor Lawrence Yule in June.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/92258997/hastings-mayor-lawrence-yule-confirms-departure-as-parliament-beckons | title=Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule confirms departure as Parliament beckons | date=5 May 2017 }}</ref>