These days it is innovation and not intimidation that is making headlines for a community that in the past has had violence and gang problems.
Wairoa, in northern Hawke's Bay, has serious change happening with Rocket Lab at Mahia and Starkraving Limited in the process of developing a film and music school in the town itself.
Zach Stark, with parents Eric and Lindsay Stark (who live in Auckland) run Starkraving Limited, a company that designs studios and post-production facilities. They also kit out theatres with sound systems and offer music production and training.
Stark has trodden a wide and varied path on his way to Wairoa. Born in New Jersey, raised in South Africa, England and Morocco, he spent most of his life living in Hong Kong.
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For Stark, Wairoa is a place of interesting possibilities. A place where he has seen the famous New Zealand "No 8 wire mentality".
"It's creativity and resourcefulness, it's a New Zealand thing. I fell in love with NZ when we came here a few years ago to install a new sound system at a theatre in Hawke's Bay.
"That led to us putting a new sound system in the Gaiety Theatre in Wairoa and then setting up in Wairoa. We had a plan to do a large scale voiceover project out of the Clyde Hotel in 2016 but unfortunately things didn't pan out.
"But it has led to us staying here longer and things are slowly taking shape in terms of our newer projects."
Stark is excited about the things Starkraving have on the go in Wairoa. Their next step is a digital archiving project running out of the Clyde Hotel.
"We did archiving while still based in Hong Kong. One job for a Chinese firm involved transferring 95 petabytes of data. A petabyte is a thousand terabytes, so it is a big chunk of data.
"We should be able to create around 20 jobs in Wairoa once up and running. The archiving will end up funding the development of the school.
"We really like the community here and there is a lot of interest in what we do. We ran a video effects course in Gisborne in 2016 that was so packed people were holding their laptops up against the wall."
Outside of managing the Gaiety Theatre, the local cinema and the refurbishment, he has teamed up with local rapper, Ratima Hauraki.
They have a group called Rugged and Wylde which he produces in a studio he built in the Clyde. They have an EP out, with another one on the way.
Stark believes once Wairoa has more options the town will really start to show the talent it can produce. Becoming involved with the local music scene has opened his eyes to that already.
"I've made new friends and I have been producing local music, and more from around the eastern region, something they couldn't really easily do in the past. I love it here, this is real New Zealand.
"I loved Hong Kong and miss things about it, but at the same time, sometimes over there you get the feeling someone has an angle on you. Here you see people at a slower pace, there is realness to interactions.
"It makes a difference. We want to stay here for a while and put something into this community that lasts. That is what this is all about."
Waiora District Council economic development manager Kitea Tipuna said traditionally Wairoa relied on primary industry but now it is embracing innovation.
"We have Starkraving and Rocket Lab and they have bought into how we do business here, which is community conscious social connection.
"It is really cool for our young to see these innovators here who want to offer them opportunities and not just take from the area and leave. Ultra-fast broadband is being installed this year.
"It is a new age for Wairoa, an exciting time."