Two Auckland butcheries have taken out the top spots in this year's 100% New Zealand Bacon & Ham Awards.Returning after a three-year hiatus, the awards saw almost 200 entries from about 40 retailers.Warkworth Butchery was named the Supreme Winner in the bacon category in Auckland last night.Owner Rob Lees said he was stoked."I didn't expect that," he said."I mean, we picked up two golds last night, but a lot of people got a lot of other awards and bronze and silvers, and so I wasn't sure how it was all judged, but it was purely on that cut."Lees took over Warkworth Butchery eight years ago, but the butchery has long been part of the local landscape - it first opened in 1905.The awards will add to Lees' collection - he was awarded the Pure South Master Butcher of the Year Award in 2020."We're just a very traditional butcher," he said."We don't get carried away with trends and whatnot. I mean, our bacon is predominantly still sugar, salt, and smoke, just tried and true."He said anyone wanting top-notch bacon should head to their local butcher instead of the supermarket, for a cleaner cut.Westmere Butchery was awarded the second Supreme Award of the night for their bone-in leg ham.Glenn McKeendry said the award was a credit to the team's hard work.Westmere Butchery's bone in leg ham, which won the supreme award in the ham category of this year's 100% New Zealand Bacon & Ham Awards. Photo: NZ Pork"It was a team effort to produce an award-winning ham - time, patience and the right amount of cure are the key ingredients, and that effort has paid off," he said.Competition judge Hannah Miller Childs said when choosing the winning ham it was largely about finding something with great smoky characteristics as well as good texture."You want it to be nice and meaty, but still be moist and have enough fat content," she said.Childs said Westmere Butchery's entry was a clear winner, as it was "insanely delicious".

The first clinical trial into the use of kānuka oil has found it's an effective cream treatment for moderate-to-severe eczema in adults.The trial led by the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand involved 80 participants across Aotearoa and a quarter of them were Māori.Out of that 80, 41 were randomised to use a treatment cream with 3 percent of kānuka oil while 39 other participants used a treatment cream without the oil.Lead study author, Nick Shortt said the 3 percent of kānuka oil used in the treatment cream showed to be more effective at improving eczema."We assessed participant reported frequency of eczema symptoms at the start of the study and then after six weeks of treatment and we found that while both groups improved, the kānuka oil group to a greater extent than the vehicle control."He said the research was an example of an evidence-based alternative to standard treatment creams."There's a benefit in having different options out there for people, one of the things we did find was that a lot of people wanting to take part had tried many other different things and hadn't seen any effect."Eczema is a chronic condition that damages the skin barrier function which makes skin more sensitive and prone to infection and dryness.Eczema affects one in three New Zealanders at some stage throughout their lives.It occurs in 15 percent of children and 9 percent of adolescents and is particularly common among young Māori and Pacifica.Hikurangi Bioactives Limited Partnership Co-Founder Manu Caddie said the trial was very promising."The success of this trial using kānuka oil to treat eczema is hugely exciting and could now lead to a sustainable and profitable industry for the Tairāwhiti region, providing new jobs for local people."Kānuka, often mistaken for mānuka, is native to Aotearoa and grows abundantly throughout the Tairāwhiti region.The kānuka tree has traditionally been a part of Rongoā Māori treatments.Shortt said kānuka was proven to be beneficial in many ways."Based on some lab research that's out there, it looks like kānuka oil has primarily antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties."So it looks like it's really effective at dampening down the inflammatory symptoms you'd see with eczema. And then also potentially limiting the amount of secondary infections you get of eczema lesions."

Friday 29th JulyResponse to our World | Group Show OpeningTruffle Celebration Degustation Dinner, Rothko@SculptureumThe Keepers at RSA WarkworthLive Comedy in MatakanaMick Fleetwood and the early years of Fleetwood Mac - MovieSaturday 30thBarfoot & Thompson - Charity Sausage SizzleMangawhai Tavern MarketMatakana Village Farmers MarketKaimoana – Seafood FestivalSunday 31stWarkworth Country MarketThe Shoe Science TrailNav Challenge (Rogaine) - Event 3MATAKANA WINE GROWERS PRESENTS: FROM THE VINEEnjoy your weekend!

More helipads have been approved for Aotea Great Barrier and Waiheke islands in the face of community opposition.Locals are expressing frustration at the rate consents are being granted and aim to pick up their lobbying of Auckland Council next week.In March, when locals met with councillors to appeal for tougher rules, Waiheke had 49 sites approved for helipads - now it has 51, plus six new applications in the works.The much more remote Aotea has four approved and three more in front of council planners, up from zero a year ago.The planners are restricted to weighing up mostly just the noise impacts.Waiheke local board chairperson Cath Handley said since March they had put a lot of work in to emphasising the wider impacts of some of the latest applications to planners - including those of two helipads approved last month beside Te Matuku Marine Reserve."It's so deeply disturbing," she said."Nobody can knowingly disturb a marine reserve, so I would have thought landing with full force right adjacent to the shore of a marine reserve would, at the very least, disturb marine life to a point where you'd need to understand its impacts before you consent it."Handley was among islanders who had hoped that when they appealed to the council, they were buying time - but they also feared the opposite."There is a flurry of people seeking consents, and we did warn council of this when we spoke to them, and the rate is actually higher now than it was when we spoke to council, of consents being applied for and approved."Aotea local board chairperson, Izzy Fordham, said it felt like they were losing a war of attrition."There is one, two, at least three pending applications at the moment."Given the three granted consents all in the same street, Greenside Rd, in February, April and June - as well as a fourth back in December a few kilometres away - Fordham expected these new ones would also go through.The site of one of the approved helipads on Aotea, and the flight path (in blue) a helicopter must follow. Photo: Supplied"That's the bit I don't really understand."I mean, if you've got a short road with six properties in it, and five of them are wanting helipad, why couldn't they just go for one and share? It's kind of a little absurd."The last thing we need is another flurry of consent applications to go through before anything can be done," Fordham said."As we heard ... any possible plan change is a long way away. But we're doing our best to keep lobbying for them to relook at that."The approval documents all set caps on flight numbers per helipad - most commonly two a day - and an overall cap."An annual cap has also been set across the other helipads on Greenside Road to ensure collectively, that cumulative effects upon the wider surrounds is being appropriately managed," said one.The two island local board reps, along with those from Waitematā, meet the council's planners next week to continue lobbying.In Waitematā, the opponents are counting a win over a helipad resource consent application that will now be publicly notified so locals get more say on it.The lobbyists succeeded in March in getting councillors to tell the planners to update the guidelines they apply to helipads, to ensure consistency - except the update has not come out yet.Planning committee chair Councillor Chris Darby is asking why not."I have been assured that verbally all the reporting planners have been called into sessions and been reminded of what they are supposed to be doing in assessing helipad applications."Read the council's practice and guidance note in fullHe was reasonably confident the applications till now would have been assessed correctly.Council's planners are also halfway through a study of chopper flight movements in the Hauraki Gulf, after claims by the Waiheke local board and community group Quiet Sky Waiheke they are uncontrolled and unsafe.The results won't be out until after the local body elections in October.Council planning's chief of strategy Megan Tyler put out an online opinion about helipads on Monday, saying they are working on finding a balance between competing interests.They could not publicly notify helipad applications in general, but only "under special circumstances", case-by-case.One option depending on the study, was to change the Auckland Council District Plan to make it tougher on helipads, she said.The latest five-year consent approvals for Aotea impose a one-off $1026 monitoring fee on the applicant.They also state that all incoming choppers must have GPS tracking turned on, and their flight path logged."Overall, it is considered that the use of a helipad within the rural-residential environment will continue to protect the rural-residential style of living without compromising the amenity and landscape values of this area," the approval document for a helipad on Gray Rd said.

Mahurangi Wastebusters is excited to announce that Phase 2 of the redevelopment of the Lawrie Road Community Recycling Centre is ready to start.This stage includes:Building an education centre, reuse shop, staff facilities and will be an asset for the community for years to come.As with Phase 1, the site will again be closed to the public to allow these works to be undertaken effective immediately. During this time, the Mahurangi Wastebusters team is looking forward to getting out and about in the community with a number of new initiatives and the Rustybrook Road Community Recycling Centre in Wellsford will remain open, as will the Rusty Station shop at 47 Station Road, Wellsford.

Thousands of people turned out for the Gull Laser Light show at the Mahurangi Winter Festival of Lights, Baxter Street in Warkworth on Saturday. The weather was a bit iffy but for the most part we got away with it! Families thoroughly enjoyed the laser light show. We had some new attractions this year, including glow in the dark mini golf, the virtual reality experience; both kids and parents showed their dance moves on the disco floor in the Disco Den. The teacup rides were a hit and many enjoyed the fun of the mini V-W Kombi train.  A team of volunteers work for months putting the festival together and event organiser Murray Chapman says the smiles on the faces of children and their families makes it all worth it! The festival receives an annual grant of $5000 from the Rodney Local Board, and wonderful local businesses step up every year for the remainder of the $50,000 tab, to which the festival organisers are extremely grateful. We look forward to doing it all again next year!

Area Warning: Auckland from Whangaparaoa northwards, also Great Barrier IslandHeavy Rain Warning - OrangePeriod: 24hrs from 2am Mon, 25 Jul - 2am Tue, 26 JulForecast: Expect 80 to 100 mm of rain to accumulate. Peak intensities of 15 to 20 mm per hour from Monday afternoon.Impact: Heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. Surface flooding and slips are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous.--------Area Warning - NorthlandHeavy Rain Warning - OrangePeriod: 27hrs from 8pm Sun, 24 Jul - 11pm Mon, 25 JulForecast: Expect 120 to 160 mm of rain to accumulate about northeastern areas from Whangarei to Kaitaia, and 60 to 90 mm of rain elsewhere. Peak intensities of 15 to 20 mm per hour Monday afternoon and evening.Impact: Heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. Surface flooding and slips are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous.-----Area: NorthlandStrong Wind Warning - OrangePeriod: 21hrs from 9pm Sun, 24 Jul - 6pm Mon, 25 JulForecast: Severe northeast gales gusting 120 km/h in exposed places.Impact: Strong wind gusts could damage trees, powerlines and unsecured structures. Driving may be hazardous, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.

Anti-government protesters have walked out onto an Auckland motorway as police look on, causing traffic to back up for kilometres.Several hundred people gathered at the Auckland Domain this morning, before leaving in a march led by Brian Tamaki.They walked out onto the southern motorway at about 11.30am, as police blocked off all traffic heading south.Southbound lanes on the motorway were closed as the protesters made their way from the Khyber Pass on-ramp to Market Road.The leaders of the march reached the Market Road off-ramp and turned around to get back on the motorway in the other direction. All northbound lanes are now closed. The southbound lanes have reopened.Anti-government protests have also been planned for other centres.In Wellington, organisers told police a march was planned to travel between between Frank Kitts Park and the Railway Station, from 11am.Police asked for drivers to avoid the area, if possible. They said officers would be present to ensure the safety of all.

Get Ready have updated their Tsunami Evacuation Zones.The tool allows you to enter your address e.g. home, work, school etc. to determine what zone you are in for the likelihood of if you need to evacuate in the event of an Earthquake or a Tsunami warning is issued.You can search for your address herehttps://getready.govt.nz/en/emergency/tsunami/tsunami-evacuation-zones/

Auckland Transport will be in Leigh on Thursday this coming week to meet with residents to present a revised proposal for their blanket 30km/h speed limit for the small town. Many residents have been perplexed and up in arms re the proposed changes.Tony Enderby who has been spearheading the talks is pleased AT have agreed to talk directly to the community and is hopeful common sense will prevail.If you would like to attend it will be held at Leigh Community Hall this Thursday 28th July 4pm-5.30pm.

Friday 22nd JulyWine Blending workshop @ Matakana Estate‘It Takes A Village’ TourKerry Adams with Mattie at RSA WarkworthSaturday 23rd JulyMangawhai Tavern MarketMangawhai Community MarketThe Matakana MarketMatakana Village Farmers MarketOyster & Wine Pop-upMahurangi Winter Festival - Laser ShowSunday 24th JulyLeigh Clothing Swap

Weather ok today but starting to deteriorate over the weekend with winds picking up on Sunday.Friday 22nd - Fine. Southerlies. High of 14 and low of 8 degrees.Saturday 23rd - Partly cloudy and a few showers north of the city. Easterlies. High of 14 and low of 10.Sunday 24th - A few showers developing. Northeasterlies becoming strong.Head along to the Mahurangi Winter Festival of Lights Mahurangi Winter Festival - Laser Show

Road closures in downtown Warkworth this Fri. pm - Sat. pm for the grand finale of the Mahurangi Winter Festival of Lights - the Gull Laser Light Show. Please plan in advance, and be kind to our volunteers who will be helping manage traffic and keep everyone safe. Any concerns contact Murray Chapman or email [email protected] more info on the festival this Saturday https://www.facebook.com/mahulightfestival/

**SH1 Warkworth, Road Closure Update**Due to the recent wet weather and with more on the way, we have postponed the SH1 road closure from Hudson Road to Kiapara Flats Road, Warkworth. The overnight closure will now start on Sunday 24 July and we will need five nights to complete the pavement works (ending 29th if no delays).When the full closure is in place, there will be a detour around Warkworth (via Woodcocks Road and Kaipara Flats Road). The detour will add up to 10 minutes travel time for some road users, so we advise planning ahead for travel over this time.Pavement work is very weather dependent, and the team need five full nights to complete this work, so timings may change at short notice. Work that is unable to be completed during wet or very cold (<5C) weather, will roll over to the next available fine night. If you want to keep up to date, you can follow us here, website: www.nx2group.com or check out the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner - www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic before you travel.

The cost of building a new home is increasing at its fastest rate on record, due to persistent labour and material shortages.Property research firm Core Logic's Cordell Construction Cost Index (CCCI), which measures the cost of building a 'standard' three-bedroom brick and tile house, rose by a record 2.6 percent in the three months ended June, compared with a 2.4 percent increase in the prior quarter.The annual growth rate also hit an all-time high of 7.7 percent, eclipsing the previous record set in the first three months of the year."This is the swiftest rise in the NZ CCCI we've seen in a decade, and I don't expect these price pressures to ease for at least another couple of quarters, given ongoing materials shortages and labour pressures," CoreLogic chief property economist Kelvin Davidson said.Signs of strong underlying demand for new houses was reflecting in the number of new dwelling consents, which continue to hover around 50,000 on an annualised basis.Just over half of these were for smaller dwellings such as townhouses.Davidson said while smaller dwellings required fewer materials, the volume of these properties in the construction pipeline suggests the demand for materials and labour would continue to be high.CoreLogic construction cost estimation manager John Bennett said rapid cost growth was seen across a range of different trade categories and components.The effects of high metal and timber prices were flowing through the rest of the market, he said, as it drove up the price of everything from garage doors to kitchen cabinetry."Imported products, particularly metal based items and tiles are rising, as well as cost hikes from consultancies, affecting preliminary costs."It is important to note that other pressures are at play on the industry, with labour availability and overheads impacting costs."It was a perfect storm, he said.He said it was also important to note that 40 percent of the CCCI represented labour costs, which had been rising but not at the same rate as some materials."This is one reason why the CCCI is showing slower overall building cost inflation than might be the popular perception."Looking ahead, Davidson said it would not be a surprise if the CCCI recorded double-digit growth before the cost pressures began to ease in line with builders' workloads in 2023."But we'd also be a bit more confident than in the past that the wider construction industry won't go from boom to bust."After all, the loan-to-value ratio rules and tax system now favour new-build property, both for owner-occupiers and investors."He said a higher "normal" level of demand for new property should give developers confidence about future market conditions.The CCCI is based on the comprehensive collection of labour, material, plant hire and subcontract costs covering all major trades.

Kākāpō conservation efforts are paying dividends with the population reaching its highest level since records began in the 1970s.Science adviser at the kākāpō recovery programme Dr Andrew Digby said it had been the second biggest breeding season on record with 60 chicks hatched, although five did not survive to become juveniles. The population has now reached 216 birds.He said it was especially impressive given the restrictions they were working under during the pandemic and there might be a few more chicks still to come.A major obstacle was trying to find predator-free places for all of them with sites in the North Island and islands in Fiordland being looked at.Photo: Andrew Digby / DOCGenetic diversity was an issue also and the genome of all the kākāpō has been sequenced since 2015.The fatherhood of each chick was a focus of the programme, Dr Digby said."That work is ongoing so we've got this amazing resource that's all the genetic information for all of the kākāpō and we're working with a lot of geneticists on that to try and understand just what the genetics means for the species - how does it affect their fertility, disease, that sort of thing."A juvenile kākāpō. Photo: RNZ / Alison BallanceIt was a problem that a few of the males dominated the mating and sometimes a successful male would be shipped off an island to another location if he had fathered too many chicks.The ultimate goal was to leave kākāpō to fend for themselves and a successful breeding season has meant they could step back from intensive management on some breeding islands."It's worked very well, we were able to produce three chicks from there and they're still alive. So that's the way we're going; we need to let them do their own thing a bit more."For full audio article head here https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018849972

Northland Police are aware of discussions in the community earlier this year where concerns were raised about dogs going missing in the area. We have been committed to making further enquiries into these incidents and we understand a missing pet is extremely distressing for their owners. We continue to urge the public to report any suspicious behaviour to us.Here are some steps to keep your beloved furry family members safe: Don’t leave your dog alone in public – treat them as you would your child. Don’t leave them un-attended while shopping – in your car or tied up. Keep an eye on your dog at all times – dog parks, beaches – and as far as possible, keep them on a lead. Secure you yard to keep thieves out and dogs in. Ensure the yards are well-secured, lock any gates, and keep your pets in an area not easily visible from the road. Mix up walking times – walking patterns are prime opportunities for thieves to take a dog. They can cut the lead, scoop them up and just like that, your dog will be gone. Don’t overshare information. Try especially to not reveal too much about your animal to people you don't know, or on social media. Ensure dogs are chipped, tattooed and registered - and make sure their ID/chip is up to date.Police welcome information from anyone who sees any suspicious behaviour in their communities, particularly if someone you know has recently acquired a dog and isn't forthcoming with information on where they got the dog from.You can contact us on 105, or anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Hearing bursts of gunfire on a quiet suburban street was terrifying for residents, a Grey Lynn man says.Auckland police will be making inquiries in Grey Lynn today to make sense of how a man came to be shooting at his own house which was empty.Armed police swarmed Wallingford Street shortly after 5pm yesterday after being told a man in an agitated state was standing on the street with a gun.They shot and critically injured the man, who they say pointed his gun at officers when they arrived.Superintendent Karyn Malthus said the man ignored the police's instructions."Police went forward towards the man and called upon him several times to put down his firearm, however, he raised it towards police staff and was shot at that time. He was shot once."We understand that this will be an incredible shock to the community and residents of the Grey Lynn community on what would have seemed like an ordinary Monday night."We also want to reassure them that there is no ongoing risk."The 32-year-old man is now in hospital.The man's neighbour, Graeme Gunthorp, said he and his family huddled in the basement until the shooting stopped.Gunthorp, who is on the Waitematā Local Board, lives next door to the man who was shot by police and called them after hearing some gun shots.Once he realised that there were gun shots they bundled their children up and did not want to be anywhere near what was happening outside, he told Morning Report.His children are aged one and three and the first 10 minutes of being in hiding were shocking, he said, with the children just wanting to be hugged but he needed to stay on the phone to the police.He heard two clusters of gunshots - an initial burst of six shots and about 10 minutes later, the police warned him there might be further shots and he heard another two."I've been to a shooting range, I've fired guns on a farm but to hear it on a quiet suburban street was pretty shocking."Early on in the incident he could hear yelling from the assailant and he was worried abuse was being directed at the neighbour on the other side. He managed to ring all the nearby residents and ensure they were OK.There have been incidents with the person before but none involving gunfire. He was well known to neighbours and the police, Gunthorp said."We're happy that the police have resolved this, we feel a lot better about the situation and we've got to recognise that Auckland is still incredibly safe and Grey Lynn is a fantastic place to live."Police intend on talking to locals about what happened.The scene has been guarded overnight.An officer at a cordon in Grey Lynn, near where a man was shot and injured by police. Photo: RNZ / Felix Walton

The 25-cent cut in petrol excise duty and half-price public transport fares will be extended into next year, but one economist warns it's a costly move that is not targeted at those who need cost reductions the most.The cut in petrol excise duty, the equivalent reduction in road user charges and the half price public transport fares were due to end next month, but yesterday all were extended until the end of January.Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the excise cut would reduce the cost of filling a 40-litre tank of petrol by more than $11, while half-price public transport saved the average user $25 a week."We are doing this because we want Kiwis to have some certainty for the rest of the year in the face of volatile fuel prices and ongoing cost of living pressure," he said.Gull general manager Dave Bodger said consumers can have faith Gull would continue passing on the discount on in full to consumers, as it has been since March."It's a huge help for mum and dad motorists."Bodger said the company itself would not be impacted by the extension because the petrol excise duty has been a cost passed on to consumers."For us it is business as usual," he said.The decision will benefit trucking businesses, according to Transporting New Zealand, which represents road freight transport companies."Trucking companies around the country told us that over 40 percent of them would benefit from such an extension and it would ease their business costs," Transporting New Zealand chief executive Nick Leggett said."We have seen massive jumps in fuel, just like everyday consumers elsewhere, but obviously with trucks being on the road all the time that's eaten into profits."Half-price public transport fares will be extended into next year.There have been calls to make public transport free for many groups to reduce traffic and road costs. Photo: 123RFThe government said the discount has already seen public transport use increase in our main centres.But Hana Pilkinton-Ching, a co-ordinator of the Free Fares Campaign, said while the extension was a good start, it did not go far enough."We'd like to see the government go further and make fares completely free for disadvantaged groups and young people," she said.Treasury estimates it will reduce headline inflation by 0.5 percentage points in the June quarter, with petrol being a significant contributor to inflation growth.The latest inflation numbers come out today and are predicted to be around the 7 percent mark.Principal Economist at Infometrics Brad Olsen agreed the move will help control inflation and aid those doing it tough."It is going to make a real difference. A few extra dollars a week for those that are already struggling to make ends meet is a huge difference," he said.The price tag for extending cuts to the fuel tax and Road User Charges is estimated to be $589 million, money that would otherwise fund the improvement of road infrastructure as part of the National Land Transport Fund.Compare that to the $63.1m being spent to extend half-price public transport.Olsen pointed out the fuel tax discount is an expensive policy, which lacks measures that target those struggling the most with the cost of living."Those who need it the most and those who don't need it all are both getting the same benefit," he said.Pilkinton-Ching shared that concern."We are seeing a lot of money going towards fuel tax discounts but not towards public transport discounts so in that sense it is not targeted enough because it is still prioritising private transport which is not only worse for the environment but also benefits those who tend to be already more well off."Asked if the extension would be extended again, Robertson said cuts could not last forever.There has been a warning from AA of an "unavoidable rush" when the 25 cents extra tax came back."We are doing some work on the exit strategy," Robertson said.Gull's Bodger wants to be involved in a discussion with the government about the reinstatement of the petrol excise duty."It just does need a lot of thought and a lot of planning to go into it," he said.Govt buying time - AAThe Automobile Association is welcoming the decision which it says will give the government some time to see how the international situation plays out.Terry Collins who is a principal policy adviser with the AA said the government's move benefited everyone by removing some of the inflationary pressure that high fuel prices have been adding to everything in the supply chain.Fuel was needed in production, factories, retail and for workers to get to their jobs."Anything that reduces those costs is good for us ... what the government has done with this policy is bought itself a bit of time, to see what is going to happen in the international markets, particularly with the Ukraine-Russia situation."Another cause for the rise in energy prices was the need to invest in the infrastructure for renewable energy, Collins said.Last year the fewest number of oil fields were discovered in 75 years.Overall, governments worldwide had hoped to gradually increase fuel prices to help mitigate climate change but the rapid rise this year had led to high inflation."It's caught everyone out."Regarding Energy Minister Megan Woods writing to fuel companies asking for the cause of recent price increases, Collins said data he had seen suggested there was "a big spike" in their revenue a week ago."It was well above their normal range of profit."Collins said with international prices moving around a lot at present, companies may have bought fuel at a favourable price and were taking advantage to recoup some of the money they lost when the prices were not so much in their favour.He said the fuel companies were not price gouging and he expected prices to fall a bit in the coming weeks.The AA had been concerned about the supply chain pressures if motorists all tried to fill up a day or two before 15 August when the 30c price rise would have taken effect before the government's latest decision to extend it until January."Our supply chain just can't handle that sudden demand over a day or two for all that fuel."Collins said the price rise for the fuel excise duty may need to be done gradually."They could do it incrementally looking at what the market prices are so they don't give a shock to the market."However, the road user charges and the public transport subsidy required law changes and the government would not want to be constantly revising legislation.