An Auckland company is to appeal a council decision to refuse resource consent for sand extraction off shore from Pakiri Beach, north of the city.McCallum Brothers Limited applied to take up to two-million cubic metres of sand over the next 35-years from between 25 to 40-metres from the beach.The dredging company was turned down by the council earlier this month.The company said because the case was complex an appeal to the Environment Court will allow experts to be called to closely analyse the evidence.It said without the Pakiri sand the construction market would suffer, affecting housing and infrastructure projects.McCallum Bros managing director Callum McCallum said the sand needed must come from somewhere."Without this sand, the construction market could be hit with a major supply shock, seriously impacting housing, transport and other infrastructure developments. Sustainable extraction at Pakiri is the best solution not only because of the quality of the sand, but also due to its ability to be delivered into the centre of Auckland in bulk by shipping. Up to half of the city's construction sand requirements come from Pakiri."I understand many Kiwis naturally have questions about sand extraction. Anything to do with New Zealand's natural resources should be carefully considered. This is exactly why we want to progress the case to the Environment Court where experts can analyse all the evidence, including our research that indicates our sand extraction at Pakiri is sustainable and has minimal impact on the local environment."The company said it has been extracting sand sustainably from Pakiri for more than 75-years.Environmental groups opposed the resource consent arguing sand mining is wrecking the dunes, destroying the seabed and putting a wide variety of wildlife, including the rare fairy terns that nest on the beach, at risk.There is no indication yet of a date when the Environment Court will review the case.

An innovative trial offering courier pick-up of soft plastics for recycling into fence posts is now offered by NZ Post.They have teamed up with The Packaging Forum and a new business called Future Post which will turn the plastics into fence posts.Future Post was founded in the time-honoured Kiwi way of looking for an ingenious solution to a challenging problem.While attempting to build a fence on a former rubbish dump site, farmer Jerome Wenzlick of Waiuku (near Auckland) found his wooden fenceposts were breaking as he tried ramming them through all the waste plastic in the ground.With a passion for the environment, Jerome had the revelation that if he could build a stronger fencepost from waste plastic, he’d also help solve a bigger environmental problem, leading to a commitment to produce premium products that perform better and for longer. The resulting product is designed, re-recycled and made in New Zealand.A cooking recipeJerome, who is the managing director of Future Post, says the process of turning soft plastics (including bread bags, courier bags and bubble wrap) into fence posts is like “cooking”.“There’s definitely a bit of a recipe to it and we did a lot of homework to make sure we got the recipe right,” Jerome says.Using processing machinery specifically designed and made in New Zealand, Jerome says the soft plastic packaging is granulated into small chips and put through an extruder before being moulded into fence posts."It takes approximately 1500 bags to make one standard fence post.” He says the factory can turn out about 800 posts a day. They are suitable for use in farms, gardens, parks and vineyards.“Purchase one of NZ Post’s latest pre-paid Soft Plastic Recycle Courier bags, fill it with your clean, soft plastics, book a courier for pick-up and we will take care of the rest,” NZ Post Group Sustainability Manager Dawn Baggaley says.“Supporting this project and making it easier for Kiwis to recycle their soft plastics aligns perfectly with NZ Post’s own sustainable packaging goals,” Dawn says.Working with key partnersNZ Post will be working with key partners including The Warehouse Group and Foodstuffs to make the pre-paid Soft Plastic Recycle Courier bags widely available.The Warehouse Group’s Chief Sustainability Officer, David Benattar, says the new soft plastics recycling service is a step towards giving all Kiwis access to convenient recycling solutions.“We’re focused on making it as easy as possible for our customers to recycle, and through this new initiative, anyone can pick up a pre-paid courier bag at any one of The Warehouse and Warehouse Stationery stores nationwide or online, as well as on TheMarket.com, take them back home or to the office and fill with their soft plastics and NZ Post will do the rest,” David says.Foodstuffs New Zealand’s Head of Sustainability, Mike Sammons, says this pilot is another way the business is encouraging customers to reduce their packaging waste.“We want to do all we can to help our customers reduce their packaging waste and providing this recycling service to our customers based in more remote locations and our online shoppers is another important piece of the jigsaw,” Mike says.Helping those without access to recyclingSoft Plastic Recycling Scheme Manager Lyn Mayes says the partnership is a way to open the soft plastic recycling scheme to communities who do not have access to a soft plastic recycling bin, or those who are unable to get to their local store to drop off their soft plastics.“People have been asking us (The Packaging Forum) about whether they can post their soft plastics, so we are delighted to launch this service,” Lyn says.The soft plastics will be collected from NZ Post and baled by Abilities Group and then dropped off at Future Post for recycling.The pre-paid recycle courier bags went on sale on April 22 at selected NZ Post stores and online and selected New World supermarkets, The Warehouse and The Warehouse Stationery stores and cost $7 each.For more information:NZ Post soft plastic recycling

A small section of the new Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway opened to traffic for the first time, with people travelling across Arawhiti ki Ōkahu (the viaduct over the Ōkahu Inlet) northbound from Hibiscus Coast Highway. This is an exciting stage in our work to connect the new motorway to the existing State Highway 1 and is one of a series of significant road layout changes scheduled to take place in 2022.On Friday 20 May, project partners Hōkai Nuku hosted a dawn blessing to make the pathway safe for road users and to honour the Iwi artwork that has been installed around the southern end of the project. The artworks are a visible reminder of the cultural footprint on a road of significance which reflect the history and values of mana whenua in this area.With the new road layout change we ask that drivers keep to the temporary speed limit for the safety of our work crews and road users, drive to the conditions and do not be distracted by work activity.

New Zealand will stay in the orange traffic light setting ahead of the Omicron winter spike, the government has announced.The country has been at the orange alert level since 11.59pm at 13 April.In a statement, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said the next review would be in late June but for now, the Orange setting remained appropriate."While daily cases numbers have flattened nationally, they are again beginning to increase in the Northern region and hospitalisation rates have also increased slightly over the past month," he said.He said modelling showed there was also likely to be a second wave appearing, and warned that while case numbers for now remained fairly steady the arrival of new strains of cold and flu as winter was nearing were adding to the workloads of already busy hospitals."I urge everyone to continue to be cautious and think about the health of others, especially those who are immunocompromised or at higher risk of long-term health impacts from infection. Please also get boosted, if you haven't already."He said public health measures like isolation, vaccination and mask wearing continued to be the main defences against Covid-19 and masks would continue to be required in many indoor settings.At Orange, masks are required on flights, ferries and passenger terminals, public transport and taxis, in retail settings including supermarkets, public venues, healthcare and vet clinics, courts and tribunals, and government-run buildings.Masks are otherwise encouraged indoors, although they may be removed at eating and drinking venues. Businesses may also require them as a condition of entry.

From today, across three Auckland locations, Auckland Transport is trialing safety cameras to get a better understanding of how many people drive while using their mobile phones, and how many people don’t wear their seatbelts. This trial is the first of its kind in Aotearoa New Zealand.While these are well-known issues, we don’t currently have accurate information about the scale of them. The six-month trial will provide useful insight as well as test the technology itself.A key part of Road to Zero, New Zealand’s road safety strategy, involves supporting people to make good choices on our roads, which includes encouraging people to not use their phones while driving, and making sure everyone is wearing a seatbelt.No enforcement action will be taken during the trial. No drivers will receive infringement notices, warnings, or any other communication from Waka Kotahi as a result of the trial. All images taken will be deleted within 48 hours, with a small number of anonymised images kept for reporting purposes. For more on the trial, visit https://www.nzta.govt.nz/safety-cameras.

The election of Australia's new prime minister means there's an opportunity for changes in the trans-Tasman relationship.It's already got off to a good start. Anthony Albanese kept the Labor faithful waiting on Saturday night, because he was taking a phone call from Jacinda Ardern.The prime minister says she called Australia's new prime minister-elect as he was preparing to address his supporters."It was a warm conversation and I'm really looking forward to formally meeting with him soon," she said in a statement."Australia is our most important partner, our only official ally and single economic market relationship, and I believe our countries will work even more closely together in these tumultuous times."New Zealand and Australia might be mates but the relationship has taken a frosty turn of late, over Australia's501 deportation policy."I've been absolutely clear, this is corrosive to our relationship," said Ardern in 2020.She was standing right next to a grinning Scott Morrison, and taking him to task over the policy."We have a simple request: send back Kiwis, genuine Kiwis. Do not deport your people, and your problems," she said.501 advocate Filipa Payne said the Morrison government used deportees as a political football."Any time they want to get any community support, they'd amend the legislation."I pray Labor comes in and amends it so that it can now be implemented with fairness, with humanity, and with respect and dignity for people that it's impacting on."Photo: AFP / Wendell TeodoroPayne said Australia was not our closest ally at all."No, I think they were our closest enemy. Australia is damaging our country daily, we just have to look at the lack of support that deportees are getting in New Zealand, what it's doing on our society, but also the brutality that Australia implements in those detention centres is causing global damage."Morrison was preparing to introduce new legislation to strengthen the so-called 'character test,' making it harder for deportees to appeal.The bill was passed in Australia's lower house, with Labor's support. But the Australian Senate didn't have a chance to debate it before the election was called, and now Morrison is out.Payne believes Albanese's win is promising, and has high hopes and expectations.But there is little sign yet that he will end the policy, or relist the bill."Section 501 applies for breaches of people who are on visas, and if people commit serious offences then action should be taken in Australia's national interests," Albanese said earlier this month.And then there's AUKUS. New Zealand was left out of the new security partnership between Australia, the UK, and the US last year.ACT's foreign policy spokesperson Brooke van Velden said a new leader is an opportunity to strengthen our ties when it comes to defence."New Zealand needs to play its part in the Pacific too. Our hope as the ACT party is that this new government in Australia will be a reset for our relationship."We really need to work together to show we are committed to peace and security in the Pacific."It's not just Australian Labor toasting success.The Australian Greens had their best-ever election result, and could hold the balance of power in the Senate.Greens co-leader James Shaw said his Aussie counterparts finally have a chance to use their voice."It's absolutely critical. The Australian Green Party has been very, very strong in leading on climate change, they just haven't been in a position to be able to exert influence over a government until now."How much influence they will have is unclear. Albanese has pledged to make Australia a renewable energy superpower, but also supports new coal mines.Last week the New Zealand government revealed its Emissions Reduction Plan. Shaw said there is an opportunity for us to share our experience."I think what we can do is work with the Australians and say 'look, here's been our recent experience and that seems to be gaining some momentum and some traction now, are there things we might be able to share that get us both on the same page?'"A wishlist for Australia's new leader, from its neighbour.

Monday - Partly cloudy with morning showers, then fine apart from evening high cloud. Fresh southwesterlies dying out this evening. High of 17 and low of 9 degrees.Tuesday - Partly cloudy. Isolated showers developing in the afternoon. Southwesterlies.High of 18 and low of 11 degrees.Wednesday - Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Southwesterlies.High of 18 and low of 11 degrees.Thursday - Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Southerlies. High of 18 and low of 11 degrees.Friday - Showers, turning to rain. Northeasterlies. High of 17 and low of 12 degrees.Saturday - Showers, clearing to partly cloudy weather. Northeasterlies. High of 18 and low of 12 degrees.Sunday - Rain. Strong northeasterlies.High of 19 and low of 12 degrees.Have a great week!

The next nationwide test of the Emergency Mobile Alert system is happening today, Sunday 22 May 2022, between 6-7pm.The nationwide test is a necessary part of making sure the Emergency Mobile Alert system works well.You can find more info including a fact sheet, capable phones and a list of FAQ's here - https://getready.govt.nz/emergency-mobile-alert/

Unable to buy their first home alone, some New Zealanders are teaming up with family and friends to enter the property market.Homeowners share their experiences of co-ownership, while experts advise what to watch out for in this sort of arrangement.Chris, 25, works in customer service and lives in Tauranga. A good saver, he had enough for a deposit but didn't earn enough to service a loan by himself. As a single man, he didn't have a partner to team up with so thought: why not go in with a friend?"My friend and I found ourselves being stuck in Tauranga, job-wise, so I just said to him 'why don't we do it, if we pull together what we have we can probably just do it - it's the first time, not forever, and if either of us want to leave we can'," Chris said."It felt very much like a now-or-never situation really."Within weeks they were talking to a broker, and after a few months - and dozens of open homes - they bought a house. They moved in mid-2021."It's more about the person you join with. So far things are great, and I can trust my co-owner and he can trust me, but you really need to make sure they're the right person," Chris said.Chris had met his co-owner at university seven years earlier and they had become close friends. Before buying a house together, they had several meetings to discuss their financial history, how each other lived and what they wanted in a property.They got a property sharing agreement written up, which covered multiple scenarios."We tried to cross all the hard things off so if any of these things happen, we've got a document we can refer to."Clearstone Legal principal Debra Barron said agreements covered how the loan or loans would be repaid, who would pay for maintenance, what happened if renovations were needed, what would happen if one party died, and what happened if one party wanted to sell."It can't cover every scenario, but it can provide a mechanism so that if someone is not happy with the sharing of the property, they can say 'well, I'm giving notice to sell'," Barron said.Typically, if one party wanted to sell and the other did not want to, then the other co-owner or co-owners would have the opportunity to buy the person's share, Barron said.If they could not buy them out, then the person who wanted to sell then had an opportunity to buy the other co-owner or co-owners out. If they could not or did not want to, the house went on the market.It is up to the buyers how they service the loan - perhaps they all have their own loans or contribute to one loan. Some may be able to pay off their loans faster than others, while some may have bigger loans depending how much they contributed to the deposit.That was the case for Auckland woman Tamara, who bought her first home with her partner and her partner's brother in 2012.The brother was 20 at the time and had been working full-time so had a deposit but couldn't service a loan by himself. Tamara and her partner were fresh out of university and didn't have savings but had good jobs and could help service a loan.The three of them bought a place with two properties on it - one to live in, and the other a source of income, and they've never looked back. Buying before the property boom, they were able to capitalise on their equity growth and within years purchased two more properties together.Tamara and her partner have since been able to buy the brother out of the three homes, and he is now looking to purchase a house by himself.Knowing what a difference it made for them, Tamara encouraged her own three brothers to do similar - she even made a PowerPoint presentation."They were all in their early 20's, renting at the time and had no means to buy individually," she said.The three of them and one of their partners purchased their first home together three years ago."They owned it for two years then were approached by a developer who wanted to develop the site, so they sold it for a good profit, and each walked away with enough to buy their own houses individually, which they've done."Both Tamara and Chris are clear that if they didn't purchase with friends and family, it would have been years before they were able to buy their own place, if at all. For Tamara, buying early with family has meant she has been able to go on and buy more properties, and plans to retire early.For Chris, it's meant his dreams of home-ownership came true."I think I'd have to be quite comfortably earning six figures to be able to own even a basic property on my own. I don't think I could do it on my own - that's just the reality."The experts' adviceWhile there are many success stories, not all co-ownership arrangements end well.Sometimes one party wanted to sell, and the other did not, or there were misunderstandings, Clearstone Legal principal Barron said.For example, Barron has seen several cases where a couple has bought with one of their parents, who provided the "lion's share" of the costs but end up with the smallest room in the house."When it gets fractured it's really awful, it breaks apart families if it doesn't go very well."Barron also warned people to be aware of capital gains tax should one co-owner want to move out while the other remained living in the house.Let's Talk! mortgage advisor Sarah Bloxham advises her clients to commit to living together for at least three years. That way, they can settle in and have a clear idea of the minimum time their arrangement will last.She said purchasing with friends and family was becoming increasingly popular, and often recommended it to clients who could not get a loan by themselves.Bloxham talks to her clients about all the what-ifs - what if you get a partner and they want to move in, how will you split bills, what if renovations are needed, what if you get a flatmate - how will that money be split? She recommends they hold monthly meetings to discuss any concerns.Sometimes she is approached by people who want to buy their own home but their partner doesn't want to."And I always go back saying 'you've got to be on the same page, otherwise you need to look for a friend to buy with and then have a relationship agreement, because you're getting on with doing it. You never want to look back and go 'I wish I had', because what happens in five years the partner goes 'I'm ready now', obviously lending changes so much, the house prices change so much and it's very hard."

This weekend's weather is looking pretty windy and wet unfortunately! Today - A few showers, frequent and possibly heavy with squally thunderstorms and hail late morning. Westerlies becoming strong this morning, gusting 90 km/h. High of 18 and low of 11 degrees.Saturday - Cloudy periods. A few showers, especially from afternoon. Strong southwesterlies. High of 17 and low of 12 degrees.Sunday - Occasional showers. Strong southwesterlies easing late. High of 19 and low of 12 degrees.Have a great weekend everyone!

New Northern Motorway - Road works and road layout changes - 22nd MaySH1 northbound will be closed overnight between Silverdale and Pūhoi on Sunday 22 May from 9pm - 5am to allow for the layout change to take place. Detours via Hibiscus Coast Highway will be in placeRoad works are then further scheduled from Monday 23rd May on the Hibiscus Coast Highway linking north of Johnstones Tunnel.There will be a new road layout for traffic north of the Johnstones Hill Tunnels. Northbound traffic from Hibiscus Coast Highway will seamlessly merge onto the new motorway, travel across Arawhiti ki Ōkahu viaduct (part of new motorway) and exit at the new Pūhoi off-ramp onto Pūhoi Road.Here they will be able to turn left towards Pūhoi or right to re-join SH1 at the Pūhoi Road intersection.These road layout changes are part of a staged sequence of work to connect State Highway 1 (SH1) to the new four lane motorway currently under construction.For more information: https://nx2group.com/attachments/nx2-construction-update-april-2022.pdfFor a detailed video https://fb.watch/d6rurM4giD/

Fluoride will likely soon be added to thousands of Northlanders' drinking water - as the government moves to impose the controversial additive's inclusion in council water supplies.Compulsory fluoridation - at a cost of more than $3 million - for Whangārei, Bream Bay, Kaitāia and Kerikeri council drinking water supplies is moving closer.Ministry of Health Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield late last year wrote to Whangārei District Council (WDC) and Far North District Council (FNDC), ahead of likely issuing a "direction to fluoridate".WDC acting infrastructure manager Andrew Venmore said that letter indicated Bloomfield would consider issuing the direction to fluoridate from the middle of this year.Bloomfield wrote to WDC again on 3 May, asking how the council could speed up its efforts to fluoridate, after it initially told Bloomfield that would take three years to achieve. His correspondence also included reasons why fluoridation was to be introduced locally.The Ministry of Health move applies to all Northland council reticulated community water systems supplying 500 or more people. There are six schemes that fit that size in the North.None of Northland's 17 reticulated council water supplies are fluoridated.Councils directed to fluoridate must do so and do not need to carry out any public consultation.Fluoridating Whangārei and Bream Bay drinking water will cost WDC $2.9m. This figure was in a public WDC council briefing meeting agenda last week which included Bloomfield's 3 May letter, with attachment.Local Democracy Reporting Northland asked for FNDC's implementation cost figures. The council did not provide these.Local Democracy Reporting Northland also asked FNDC for its letter from Bloomfield, equivalent to WDC's 3 May correspondence. FNDC refused to provide this, saying it would be necessary to request this under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA) which allows up to 20 working days to respond.An official information request for the FNDC information was lodged on 18 May.Councils have 40 working days, until June 29, to respond to Bloomfield's latest request for strengthened cost and timeline information.Government funding towards council fluoridation implementation is potentially available to local authorities that commence fluoridation this year.Kaipara District Council (KDC) received its late-last-year fluoridation letter from Blomfield on 16 December.Anin Nama, KDC acting general manager infrastructure services, said it had not received follow-up May correspondence. His council would seek to comply if the fluoridation directive was mandatory.KDC's Dargaville and Maungaturoto schemes both supply more than 500 people.The government brought in the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 in November. It gives the Director General of Health the power to direct a local authority to add fluoride to its drinking water supply.Bloomfield said data showed about 57 percent of Whangārei adults had one or more teeth removed in their lifetime - due to decay, an abscess, infection or gum disease - compared with the 46 percent national average."Overall, a person living in the Whangārei District Council area is likely to have significantly poorer oral health outcomes than the average person in New Zealand," Bloomfield said."The data shows there are significant opportunities for improvement. There are inequitable oral health outcomes between Māori and non-Māori," he said.Bloomfield said fluoridating Whangārei and Bream Bay drinking water - at a rate of .7-1mg/litre - would significantly reduce the prevalence and severity of dental decay. Fluoridation at these levels was considered safe and effective.Local Democracy Reporting Northland has been unable to get the equivalent information for FNDC.Bloomfield's move comes as decision-making on whether fluoride is added to drinking water shifts away from councils to district health boards, which from 1 July will disappear as two new national health authorities come into being.That has long been expected to centralise further with the Ministry of Health likely to take over local fluoridation decisions and a clear intention to add fluoride to councils' drinking water.Northland has one of New Zealand's lowest rates of council reticulated drinking water.Just three per cent of its about 180 marae get their drinking water in this way.Only 27 percent of Kaipara's people get their drinking water via reticulation, this figure lifting to 50 percent when combined across WDC and FNDC.These figures compare with 85 percent of people nationally.

The pressure is on for the government to ease the 'cost of living crisis' for struggling New Zealanders in today's Budget.It has already signalled climate change and the health reforms as the two big-ticket and time-sensitive items.However, budget services have told RNZ a financial hardship emergency is brewing as the winter months close in.Lee-Anne Michelle has been working at the Clutha Budget Advisory Service for more than a decade.Budgets are her bread and butter and she is used to helping those living on the margins manage their money better.But recently, she has seen a change in clientele: more households from the 'squeezed middle' seeking financial support."A new trend we've noticed is that we're seeing a lot of two-income families coming to us now who never used too."They're finding what used to work for them just isn't working anymore."Michelle said these families are not laden with debt; the basics are just taking a bigger bite out of their incomes."After they've paid their essential costs, especially with things like childcare as well, there's just nothing left."And they're trying to find ways to make their dollar stretch further."Kathryn (name changed) is among those who have sought help after high food and fuel prices put pressure on her family's weekly budget."We've basically just had to completely relook at our spending and just look at where we can save money."Just finding we're just getting to the end of every week and not having a lot of money leftover for anything."Michelle said rising financial pressure on the squeezed middle is a growing problem that will only get worse this winter."We're always approached over winter by families who fall behind with their power and get into arrears."We are worried about how these people will cope with winter with the fallout of the increased cost of living."They're already living week-to-week and have no spare money so buying or budgeting for firewood and power over winter is next to impossible."Cara Keane is seeing the same cost of living crisis working as a financial mentor at the Central Hawke's Bay Budget Service in Waipukurau."We're seeing more families than we ever would have seen before where both couples are employed and before they felt like they had everything under control."Now, there's been a flow-on effect where there's more debt and they find that they're drowning in that debt and with the cost of food going up they're having to choose what gets paid."She said some people were having to draw on their KiwiSaver funds for financial hardship reasons to keep up with debt payments."They're struggling, even just being able to manage to try to catch up with $10 or $20 a week, so the next best option is to get some of the money out of their KiwiSaver just to clear the debt and get them back on track."Statistics New Zealand reports food price inflation was 6.4 percent higher in April 2022 compared to April 2021 while petrol is now well over $3 a litre in Auckland.The government has signalled big spending on climate change and the health reforms and already boosted benefits, superannuation payments and family tax credits.However, people like Kathryn say they need more support and she is not sure it will be delivered in today's Budget."I don't really know if it will [help]. I guess we'll just have to wait and see whether it makes a difference for us or not."Budget 2022 will be released at 2pm today.

A 65-year-old man has been arrested and charged with murder after a body was located in an area of the Waipoua Forest, near State Highway 12, Waimamaku, this afternoon.The body is believed to be that of Northland woman, Gaelene Bright, who was last spoken to at her home address in the early hours of 1 May.“A scene guard is currently in place in the area and Police will not be in a position to release any further details of the victim until formal identification takes place,” says Acting Detective Inspector Kevan Verry.Over the last five days, a large search operation has been conducted in the Waimamaku Region and Waipoua Forest, which has involved Police investigators, Police dogs, and civilian search and rescue teams.“The scene examination is continuing and is expected to take some time.We appreciate the patience of all those in the area.”Police are also currently conducting a scene examination at the victim’s home.This afternoon, Police have located and interviewed a 65-year-old man, who has been charged with murder.He will be appearing the Hastings District Court on May 19.Police are not seeking anyone else in relation to this matter.Acting Detective Inspector Kevan Verry says this is a tragic situation. “Our thoughts and condolences are with Ms Bright’s family during this extremely difficult time.”Police are still making enquiries into the movements of Gaelene’s vehicle, a white 2000 Holden Rodeo 4x4 with the registration number YW7634, between Northland and Te Kuiti on 3 and 4 May.Anyone who has seen this vehicle or has any information regarding it is asked to call Police on 105 quoting file number 220511/2799 or Operation Bright.Information can also be passed on anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.Police are unable to provide further information at this time as the matter is before the courts.

Kaipara District Council has voted unanimously to adopt a ten year library strategy, paving the way forward for an equitable, modern library service.  The decision to adopt the strategy was made in a Council meeting at the end of last month. The strategy provides a clear, future-focused plan to guide delivery of library services, and recognises the changing role of public libraries from its previous incarnations.Libraries are no longer just a place for books and research, but are also community hubs where people can gather for social or educational reasons, and learn about, access and/or use technology. The library strategy was made possible with support from the New Zealand Library Partnership fund.There are currently five libraries in the Kaipara District: Dargaville Library, the only library service run by paid staff, and four community libraries at Paparoa, Kaiwaka, Maungaturoto, and Mangawhai, all run by volunteers. Under the Kaipara District Council Long Term Plan Growing a better Kaipara 2021-2031, new library facilities for Mangawhai and Dargaville are planned. Council is currently in the process of determining the best location and securing land for a new, larger Council-owned and operated library in Mangawhai.As well as the new facilities in the two main centres, the adopted strategy also includes a new mobile library service to complement the physical libraries, an increased budget for library resources and additional staff, and installing publicly accessible internet and equipment for internet access across all the community libraries.The strategy was created by Sue Sutherland Consulting, experienced library professionals with a record in local and central government and libraries both in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia, as well as digital learning knowledge across a number of industries. To formulate the strategy they worked closely alongside elected members, Council staff, iwi, and the wider community. Earlier versions had been presented at two previous Council briefings, where further direction was given by Council ensuring its fit for the Kaipara District.At the meeting Kaipara District Council Chief Executive Louise Miller spoke to the work staff and Sue Sutherland Consulting had done to complete the strategy – pulling together information from previous consultations and strategic documents such as the Long Term Plan Growing a Better Kaipara 2021-2031, while recognising the need for a plan that was future forward.“What we don’t want to do is build something that is answering issues of the past, we need to answer the current issues, but also forward thinking in terms of how libraries can actually build communities and bring people together, which is really key with the environment we find ourselves in currently.”Mayor Dr Jason Smith heralded the strategy, calling it “smart and clever” and “done the Kaipara way”.“Kaipara people have needed this strategy for a very, very long time.I celebrate that we are getting on with the job adopting a Kaipara District Library Strategy fit for a new digitally-savvy era. With this we can now move forward with delivering better library services across Kaipara.”Staff will now begin work on options for budgets, implementation plans and detailed timeframes for achieving the work.Read a summary of the strategy, or read the strategy in full on the Council April meeting agenda.      

Track upgrades, hygiene stations and fences are helping in Rodney’s battle against kauri dieback.Several park tracks have re-opened, upgrade work on others is underway, with still more scheduled for next year.Eleven parks have had work carried out, Currys Bush Reserve reopening last year, Kowhai Park and Omeru Scenic Reserve upgraded, and fences protecting vulnerable kauri added at Lucy Moore Park, Mahurangi Esplanade, Martins Bay Recreation Reserve and Sesquicentennial Walkway.Rodney Local Board Deputy Chair Beth Houlbrooke hopes people see steady progress being made.“We know how important access to these tracks is, and we appreciate people’s patience as supply chain and resourcing issues hit our upgrades.“Having access to safe tracks reduces the risk of spreading kauri dieback, which is critical to protecting kauri ecosystems for future generations.”Mitigation work schedule for 2022/23Omeru Scenic Reserve hygiene stations - MayGreen Road, Dairy Flat stock-proof fencing around kauri - SeptemberParry Kauri Park western loop track upgrade - DecemberKowhai Park upper track upgrade and boardwalks - early 2023Matheson Bay Reserve track upgrade and boardwalks - early 2023Morison Scenic Reserve track closed, fencing and signage - early 2023Sesquicentennial Walkway upgrade - early 2023.The works are funded from the Natural Environment Targeted Rate, which ringfences money over 10 years to combat kauri dieback. Rodney tracks are among dozens across Auckland undergoing improvements.Find out more about what we are doing to protect our kauri trees.

Health services across the country will be reduced today as 10,000 allied healthcare workers strike for increased pay.The workers, from 70 different professions, are picketing and marching in an effort organised by the Public Service Association.Oral therapists working for community clinics, which provide free dental care for under-18-year-olds are among them.One industry trainer said he regularly warned graduates they would still have to live like poor students when they started working.New Zealand Oral Health Association executive member Sam Carrington said starting wages for graduates were often just 80 cents above minimum wage, causing most to favour the private sector."It's a no-brainer really what they decide to choose, and so this is why the service itself is under constraint at the moment," he said."It's been going on like this as long as I can remember."He said children were frequently being sent to hospital in significant pain from dental issues due to the overwhelming demand on the service.District health boards have been negotiating with the PSA for 18 months on allied health worker pay.An offer to the health workers was made last Friday following recommendations made by the Employment Relations Authority, but the PSA quickly rejected it, saying it was below their bottom line.PSA campaign organiser Will Matthews said it had been a number of years since this group of health workers took action, and it represented frustration felt across the professions."The DHBs have failed to produce a fair offer," he said."Health workers do not want to strike, it is our last resort.""After two years of shepherding this country through the Covid-19 pandemic and receiving nothing for it, these workers have had enough."DHB spokesperson and Hawke's Bay DHB chief executive spokesperson Keriana Brooking said the DHBs respected worker's right to protest, but thought the offer made on Friday was "decent.""We understand that the PSA negotiators have not put that out to their members - we would like them to do so," she said.Brooking said they were working constructively with the PSA, and looked forward to settling the dispute.But the squeeze would be felt across health services today. Brooking said a number of appointments had been rescheduled, and some services would be reduced to their 'life-preserving' minimum.She said it was difficult to predict the full effect of the strike because of the range of services performed by allied health workers.

This week's weather is not looking super hot!Monday - Mostly cloudy with a few showers, turning to rain south of Auckland City this morning. Fresh westerlies, easing this evening. High of 22 and low of 16 degrees.Tuesday - Occasional rain, mainly in the evening. Northwesterlies. High of 23 and low of 16 degrees.Wednesday - Occasional rain, becoming persistent in the evening. Northwesterlies. High of 22 and low of 16 degrees.Thursday - Showers, easing later. Fresh Northwesterlies. High of 21 and low of 14 degrees.Friday - Partly cloudy, with showers developing. Westerlies. High of 19 and low of 11 degrees.Saturday - Fine, then showers developing. Westerlies. High of 17 and low of 11 degrees.Sunday - A few showers. Southwesterlies. High of 17 and low of 11 degrees.FULL MOON is TONIGHT!We will have an updated weekend weather forecast on Friday.

Police are appealing for sightings of missing Northland woman Gaelene Bright.Gaelene, 69, was last seen in the early hours of 1 May leaving a friend’s house in Waimamaku.Police were first notified that Gaelene was missing earlier this week and we have since established that her vehicle was in the Te Kuiti area on May 4th.The vehicle is a white 2000 Holden Rodeo 4x4 with the registration number YW7634.The vehicle is a double cab well side with a black tonneau cover has since been located by Police just south of Te Kuiti yesterday.We would like to hear from anyone who may have seen this vehicle (photo of vehicle attached) between May 1st and May 5th.Police have serious concerns for Gaelene’s safety and are urging anyone with information on her whereabouts to come forward and contact Police.Anyone who has seen her vehicle or has any information on her whereabouts is asked to call Police on 105 quoting file number 220511/2799.Information can also be passed on anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.