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.

You can find the first article on this story here Elderly woman living in car for months found deadAn Auckland woman who was found dead in her car last week lost her home in a legal battle with her brother.The police named the woman as 72-year-old Helena Pauleen Wakefield.She was found dead in her Suzuki Swift on St Vincent Avenue in Remuera on 7 July, by Auckland City Mission workers. They had been contacted by residents who were worried she had been living in her car.Two judgments from the Auckland High Court last year reveal a rift between Dr Larry Lionel Wakefield and his sister, Ms Wakefield.The dispute was over their mother's will. She was also called Helena Wakefield and died in May 2019.Both mother and daughter had been living together at a house on Dempsey Street in Remuera since December 2011. After the mother's death the daughter continued to live there alone.Her brother Dr Wakefield, a retired geologist, was living in Victoria, Australia.The documents show Mrs Wakefield wrote a will in 2008, leaving her property to both children and appointing them co-executors.But Dr Wakefield filed proceedings against his sister, asking to be sole executor of their mother's estate. As well as possession of the property, he sought damages for unlawful occupation of the property and some money held by Ms Wakefield as trustee for their late mother.The documents reveal that after Mrs Wakefield's death, the defendant refused to cooperate with her brother to enact the will.In February 2021, Justice Powell granted probate of the estate to Dr Wakefield meaning he had the authority to take action over the property. His sister was ordered to pay costs of $21,842.55.Ms Wakefield was given three months' notice to vacate the house by June and was offered $600 a week for up to six months to pay for alternate accommodation. This was to be paid from her share of the estate.She was still living at the property by July.In a judgment from that month, Justice Woolford said there was no dispute about Dr Wakefield's entitlement to the property."The defendant has had sufficient opportunity (since 26 March 2021) to arrange her affairs and to move out of the property, but refuses to do so. Without access to the property, the plaintiff is unable to administer Mrs Wakefield's estate and carry out his duties as executor. There is no arguable defence to the claim by the plaintiff for possession of the property."The plaintiff seeks profits at a rate of $575 per week for the defendant's unlawful occupation of the property since July 2020, being the date by which absent neglect and/or refusal by the defendant, probate of Mrs Wakefield's will have been granted to the plaintiff and the defendant jointly."Public records show the house was last sold at auction in February this year for $1.2 million, after 36 days on the market.Dempsey Street is a few minutes drive from St Vincent Avenue.The police say Ms Wakefield's death has been referred to the coroner and their thoughts are with her family at this time.They say they received two calls reporting a person living in their car, on 15 May and 8 June."On at least one occasion the informant was advised that the council should be contacted to report the situation," a spokesperson said."Any calls to report homelessness and concerns in regard to this are best directed to the appropriate social agency or their local council."Auckland Council earlier told RNZ it was contacted by a resident in May about a woman living in her car - but the call was miscategorised as a complaint about freedom camping.A council official, manager of compliance response and investigations Kerri Fergusson, said it was "a tragic situation".Last week a Remuera resident who tried to help Ms Wakefield said she was well kept, quiet and refused her offers of assistance.The resident said her family became worried a couple of months ago when they noticed leaves building up around the red Suzuki Swift's wheels, and realised someone was living inside."It was still fairly warm 'cause we were all outside on the deck, and my family were over, and my dad said 'I think someone's living in that car'."With time, the resident said she saw the woman in the car, noticed her age - and became concerned.However, the woman would not talk to her, or open her door, she said."When we did get a response out of her it was always a nod or a shake of the head ... she gave pretty good indication that she wanted to be left alone."The woman never appeared to walk very far, she said - only ever up to the street corner."She was always quite well kept, her hair was pulled back and, [she had] good warm adequate clothing. She obviously cared about her space - she would clear the condensation off her windows each day," she said."That's really only when I'd see her ... the rest of the time she was just in the back seat and she had things covering the windows. We couldn't actually really see her in there."Dr Wakefield's statementIn a statement sent via his lawyers, Dr Wakefield said he was distressed by the death of his sister.The Dempsey Street house had to be sold with the proceeds split between the two children, he said."Mum passed away in May 2019 and Helena left the property in December 2021. Helena was offered six months rent, and when she left the property offered hotel accommodation, until she got her half share. She did not take up these offers."His sister could not be contacted after she left the house, Dr Wakefield said."I became more concerned about her welfare and hired a private investigator to find her. I was unsure whether she was still in New Zealand or had returned to Australia where she has lived in the past," he said."Despite every effort the private investigator was unable to find Helena before she passed away last week. I cannot understand why no action was taken until now after local residents expressed concerns and alerted authorities."Dr Wakefield's lawyers, Auckland-based firm Glaister Ennor, also referred RNZ to the July judgement, saying "regretfully it was necessary to get an order for possession of the property for Larry as executor to discharge his duties to sell it".

Eight cafe workers awarded nearly $150,000 after they were abruptly sacked just ahead of the first nationwide Covid-19 lockdown are yet to see the money.In January last year, the ERA found in favour of the former employees' personal grievance claim, ruling they were unjustifiably dismissed from a Snells Beach café.However, that cafe, Bayside Fine Foods (BFFL), is now insolvent and the ERA has ruled in a new decision that its wealthy American owners, Deanna and James Dehlsen, are not personally liable to pay the outstanding money.James Dehlsen made his money in America, where he is known as a pioneering figure in wind power and renewable energy. He's founded several companies, including one called Zond which reportedly sold for $100 million in 1997.In the original decision, ERA member Marija Urlich ruled BFFL had wrongly invoked a newly added business interruption clause in the workers' contracts and failed to consult them about redundancy.As a result, the cafe workers - who were blameless - were left without income on the eve of a national lockdown and deprived of access to the government's Covid-19 wage subsidy, Urlich said.She ordered Bayside to pay the workers $83,817 for three months' lost wages and $63,000 for compensatory damages.However, the Dehlsens, who are the sole directors and shareholders of the business, put it into liquidation and the payments were never made.The employees went back to the ERA earlier this year in the hope of getting an order to force payment from either the company or the Dehlsens. The authority had since ruled the couple should be added as a respondent to the claim.The employees' lawyers, Simon Mitchell and Jeremy Lynch, argued the compliance order sought was just and reasonable.There was no question the Dehlsens were able to take steps to ensure BFFL met the awards, Mitchell and Lynch said. They were critical of the way the couple had structured their affairs and had responded to the applicants' personal grievances.But Urlich refused to grant the application.She accepted the Dehlsens had already advanced funds to the failed business to pay the workers' final wages and holiday pay when their employment was terminated, to pay off all the business's creditors, including the IRD, and to liquidate the company.But she said the Dehlsens should not be expected to personally meet the penalties she previously imposed on the company, which was effectively what was being sought.There was no scope within the relevant part of the Employment Relations Act for the authority to order it, Urlich said."The terms of any such compliance orders would usually be to ensure that the original party complies with the orders being enforced, not that the joined parties should themselves comply by, for example, personally paying sums of money ordered," she said.It was also clear from the evidence, that the Dehlsens were not hiding behind the company entity to purposely avoid the workers' claim and it was unlikely they would recover a substantial sum they had already personally put into the failing company, Urlich said.Her decision has left the workers wondering if they will ever see their money.Mitchell and Lynch told Open Justice that the group could challenge the authority's decision in the Employment Court but nothing had been decided yet.The Dehlsens' lawyer, Sam Houliston, said the ex-employees were aware when they first "threatened" claims that Bayside was insolvent and had no assets to meet any claims."Shareholders are not automatically required to meet any judgment debts of a failed company. That approach is consistent with the well-established principle of limited liability," Houliston said.He emphasised the authority's finding the Dehlsens were not hiding behind the company entity to purposely avoid the ex-employees claims and that they were unlikely to recover the personal funds they had put into the failed business.The couple is currently listed as owning a property at Tawharanui Peninsula, Rodney, that has a rateable value of $6.3m.

Analysis - Documents show multiple government ministries and agencies have been batting about the idea of using controversial facial recognition technology. Here's what you need to know.The basic facts (what we know):In 2019, Internal Affairs started developing a facial recognition system called One Time Identity (OTI).The tech can confirm the identity of a person using pictures - for example, from passport or drivers' licence photos.It has been shopping the tech around other government ministries and agencies.Read the original story hereDocuments show that in February of this year the Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said there had been collaboration with the Health and Internal Affairs ministries on the issue.It said the tech was "was successfully delivered to enable access to drivers' images for identity verification as part of the vaccine passport initiative".The Social Development and Health ministries deny having access to photos, or using the tech.Read responses from the agencies hereBut we know the Ministry of Health looked at using the tech as part of introducing personal Covid-19 records.And we know from the internal documents that the Social Development Ministry spent two years considering whether to use it to check the identity of beneficiaries.These government entities, that can have considerable impact on people's lives, actively considered using facial recognition technology, or getting another agency to use it on their behalf.The public did not know this.The internal documents show MSD officials, including its senior privacy advisers and lawyers, took a long hard look at the technology.The Office of the Privacy Commissioner also weighed in.Multiple government entities investigated and invested resources, talking at length, about potentially using the facial recognition system.But they all say in the end they didn't - except for Internal Affairs (see below) - and stress if they do end up using it, it would only be after getting each person's consent.Meanwhile, the pool of photos expandsInternal Affairs is part of an all-of-government programme to build a digital identity system, and to build public confidence in its use.It has been using OTI to search through the passport photo database.Waka Kotahi "was tasked" - the agency does not say by who - to develop tech to let Internal Affairs also search through drivers' licence photos.Waka Kotahi said in a statement to RNZ more agencies would use the system if was expanded this way.This expansion was not canvassed with the public, despite it meaning more peoples' information would be pulled into the system.Why it mattersThe expanded use of facial recognition technology is already changing the way the state interacts with you and your information.Biometric information is becoming increasingly common for accessing the online world.And access to public services is more and more available only online (just try to engage with IRD now without using MyIRD).The rules and laws are changing, too via the Digital Identity Services Trust Framework Bill.The select committee is a formal channel to hear people's ideas and concerns about the new data framework bill, via the select committee - the debate about sharing biometrics (faces, fingerprints, irises) has not made it to the street or water cooler.The payoff from building trust in the tech has been put at $1.5b in efficiency savings for New Zealand by the Minister for the Digital Economy.

An Automobile Association advisor says the end of fuel tax relief will see chaos at the pumps.The government cut petrol taxes by 25 cents per litre in March as prices spiked.Initially, it was a three-month measure, but was extended another two months in Budget 2022, and is due to end on 15 August.Pump prices were averaging just over $3 per litre for Unleaded 91 today, according to price tracking website Gaspy.Automobile Association principal policy advisor Terry Collins said there would be an "unavoidable rush" when the 25 cents extra tax came back."This has got to be a difficult one for the government - if it goes on in one lump then we can expect to have queues at the service stations, and we expect that some of them may run dry," he said."It's difficult for those oil companies to fill them [pumps] up quickly, because they've only got a limited amount of trucks and tankers to do that, and if it happened nationwide, that would put a strain on their logistics."Energy Minister Megan Woods' office said she had not decided on a tax cut extension, but was monitoring petrol costs.Brent crude oil prices settled below US$100 a barrel yesterday for the first time in three months, and two days in a row today, for the first time in four months.Collins said the market was currently "very volatile"."Oil is a market where it has a lot of investors and basically gamblers who bet that the price of oil will be at a particular price sometime in the future," he said."A lot of those people have started selling very quickly, because they're worried that there will be a recession and that the price of oil will drop. However, the demand has still been fairly consistent, and rather high, and supply is still tight."Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment data shows the lowest petrol prices so far this year were in the first week of January when the average was $2.61 per litre for Unleaded 91 at pumps.Collins doubted the average price of 91 petrol would fall below $2.90 per litre in Aotearoa, for the rest of this year."There are still very high refining costs, very high shipping costs, it's very difficult to get tankers to move the product, and the exchange rate is rather low."University of Auckland Business School emeritus professor Basil Sharp said it could take weeks for Brent crude prices to affect what New Zealand consumers paid."The supply chain is just a cascading series of contracts, going right back to the producers of oil coming out of the ground, and so it takes time for that to work its way out."The average New Zealand household spends 4.5 percent of income on petrol, according to Stats NZ.Tough for motoristsGull general manager Dave Bodger said his company's petrol stations would be moving prices down as soon as they can, depending on where international refined oil prices go."I know what it feels like to be sitting there balancing your budget... and all of a sudden you're spending $30 a week more on petrol and diesel just to get yourself to work. It's tough. We will do what we can."He told Checkpoint that in general the New Zealand market responds two days to a week after the Singapore market - the refined oil market out of Singapore.He appreciated that it was expensive for the government to keep the fuel tax cut going, but it was well received by motorists, he said

14th July In central Auckland the centre lanes on the Auckland Harbour Bridge will be closed while essential maintenance is carried out.Traffic will still be able to travel in both directions across the bridge. Lane closures and reduced speeds will be displayed on the bridge’s electronic message boards.17th - 19th July (10pm - 5am) a full closure of the southbound lanes of the motorway going over the Harbour Bridge from Fanshawe Street right through to the Greenlane interchange will be in place.A signposted detour will direct traffic via Fanshawe Street, Beach Road, Grafton Road, Khyber Pass Road, Broadway, Great South Road and Greenlane East.  The closure is required to carry out a range of maintenance activities including inspections, stormwater work, line marking and vegetation control.To avoid congestion please use alternative routes where possible. Both closures could be rescheduled due to weather or COVID-19 compliance requirements. Please check Journey Planner for updates before starting your journey. https://www.nzta.govt.nz/media-releases/motorway-closures-in-central-auckland/

Thursday 14th JulyComedy Pub Quiz in 8 Wired MatakanaWine Blending workshop @ Matakana EstateFriday 15th JulyBarfoot & Thompson - Tradies BreakfastRPM at Warkworth RSASaturday 16th JulyMangawhai Tavern MarketMatakana Village Farmers MarketSunday 17th July‘It Takes A Village’ TourBreathwork Ceremony MangawhaiENJOY YOUR WEEKEND!

Kaipara District Council is seeking support for a national crackdown on vape sales - with some Dargaville locals aghast at having 13 vape retailers within one kilometre in their town. Other councils will be asked this month if they think vape retailers should all be R18, and if there should be national 'proximity limits' to prevent the clustering of such stores.A 150-metre stretch of Dargaville's main shopping street Victoria Street features three different speciality vape retailers.Within a kilometre radius, another 10 stores identified by the local health agencies - and verified by RNZ - sell plainer mint, menthol and tobacco flavoured vapes, alongside other goods.They include dairies, petrol stations and two-dollar-stores. The town is home to fewer than 5000 people.Locals told RNZ they were surprised and disappointed that vapes were so readily available. "I didn't realise we had that [many] shops here for vaping... I think we only need one. One shop," one resident said."The young ones are smoking more and more and it's bad for them, but it's actually becoming normal for them," another said. Some residents who noticed the increasing prevalence of vape sellers last year - and became concerned - contacted three local health organisations. Those organisations, Te Hā Oranga, Public Health Northland, and the Cancer Society, then petitioned Kaipara District Council for an intervention.However, they hit a roadblock when Kaipara District Council responded.It said it couldn't block any more vape stores because that would be beyond it's "existing policy frameworks"."The product and the registrations and of those products is very much in an unregulated space. So they're just shops. Anyone can put up any shop anywhere," Kaipara District Mayor Jason Smith said.Instead, the council had escalated the issue by creating a remit for the AGM of Local Government New Zealand, later this month, Smith said. It asked Local Government New Zealand's members if they thuoght vape stores should all be R18, and if there should be 'proximity limits' to prevent clusters of vape retailers.Already, the Far North District Council, Whangārei District Council and Northern Regional Council have given their nods of approval. If enough other councils agree, Local Government New Zealand will lodge a request with the government for tighter legislation - likely as part of a planned vaping amendment bill. Smith said he was keen for change."Kaipara District Council is concerned about vaping and it is very concerned about the absence of national laws and guidelines to help us control this, which we see as an epidemic."  Photo: RNZ / Katie ToddDargaville vape seller: Customers just want to quit smokingAt Dargaville vape retailer B'arch Wear, the owner Jonette Bartlett explained vaping products could be helpful in the short-term for people wanting to wean off cigarettes."And a lot of customers have done that," she said.She could provide special products and advice that general stores could not, she said. "You start on a high strength nicotine and then work all your way down, say like 18mgs nicotine down to 11, eight, six, three, one-point-five and then zero. So there's no addiction there - they're slowly doing that transition and then next minute, they're not vaping," she said. "Yeah, we're losing customers but it's not about money. Its about helping people out in the long run." However, some recent studies have indicated the reverse can happen: vaping can be a gateway to smoking.A team from Australian National University reviewed the results of nearly 200 studies and found non-smokers who vape are three times more likely to take up regular smokes, than non-vapers. Another study in New Zealand found young vapers were consuming the equivalent nicotine to a pack, or a pack and a half of cigarettes each day. The Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) has also warned they might be unwittingly sucking upharmful bacteria and chemicals.Concern over youth vaping ratesIt's these kinds of studies, and these young people that are a key concern in Dargaville.Bridget Rowse, who is the Northern Region's Smokefree and community development advisor for the National Public Health Service, was particularly worried about how easy it was for young people to stroll into a dairy or store in town and be enticed to buy a vape. "We're seeing lots and lots of youth vaping. It's unusual, because the people that you do see people vaping, you actually think 'did you smoke? I can't remember you smoking'," she said. "Within our schools, there's all sorts of schools complaining, throughout Northland as well as in Dargaville. They're always messaging saying 'can you come and present to our schools - we've got kids who are vaping', or 'we're standing kids down for vaping, how do we deal with it?'  Northern Region's Smokefree and community development advisor for the National Public Health Service, Bridget Rowse. Photo: RNZ / Katie ToddBridget Rowse said the ideal outcome was no more vape stores in Dargaville, and also no more vape products for sale at dairies, petrol stations and two-dollar-stores.She said it was important to move swiftly. "New Zealand currently has almost 800 vape retailers. When we did this petition and this remit we only had 713. So there is a huge amount of growth in the vaping industry," she said. Local Government New Zealand will put the remit to its members at its AGM on 28 July.

Police is launching its Lumi drug scanning tool to frontline Police nationwide, following a six-month Pilot which enabled more informed Police discretion and significant time and resource savings when carrying out warrantless searches for harmful drugs.The Lumi drug scan device can immediately identify with 95% accuracy if an unknown substance in clear plastic packaging is methamphetamine, cocaine or MDMA, providing better information to an officer about the most appropriate course of action to take with the drug holder.Lumi has been co-designed by Police and Environmental Science and Research (ESR), following a Police need to more effectively test unknown substances in the field, and reduce the risk for officers handling them.The hand-held devices have been built to detect methamphetamine, cocaine or MDMA – the three most prominent illicit substances affecting community drug harm.150 Lumi devices will be rolled out to all Police districts over the next two months, where the devices can best respond to the harm and drug profiles of each area.Read more here http://www.police.govt.nz/.../police-rolls-out-lumi-drug...

Households on tight budgets could come under even more pressure if the official cash rate rises again tomorrow.The Reserve Bank is widely expected to raise the OCR by half a percent to 2.5 percent - that would make it the third 50-point rise in a row.Any raise will be factored in to banks' interest rates, at a time when close to half of existing home loans are due to be refixed in the next 12 months.Mortgage advisor Bruce Patten expected to see home loan interest rates rise, putting more pressure on households."People's general affordability as their mortgage continues to go up coupled with the cost of living which is just out of control, every time I get a bill it seems to be 5, 10, 20, 30 percent higher than it was five months ago, that's really the thing that's biting people."People were spending less and reviewing their fixed costs to see where their budget could be trimmed, he said.Some were breaking mortgages now to lock in a rate they knew they can afford."We're talking to people every single day that are ringing in worried [saying] 'should I break now or should I wait you know my rate's not due till May next year should I break it now so I know what I'm paying?'."There's a lot of that investigative work going on trying to understand where this might head."Close to half of existing home loans are due for repricing in the next 12 months.KPMG head of banking John Kensington said these borrowers could find the higher rates a struggle, given rising fuel and food costs."They might be on a fixed rate now that is coming off in a period of time and they're looking to renegotiate it and I think they possibly would struggle if they've had some tightness come into their family budget."Among them will be those who bought their first home in the past two years, whose rates will double.The Reserve Bank is hiking the OCR in a bid to put a lid on inflation which hit 7 percent in the March quarter - there'll be an update on Monday.Council of Trade Unions economist Craig Renney said wages had not kept up with the spiralling cost of living."The wage spiral seems to be a little bit missing in action. The last labour cost index series, more than a third of workers didn't get a pay rise last year, so for many people they're not benefiting from the growth that we're seeing in the economy, in inflation."There were more people across different sectors struggling to make ends meet because of this, he said.The Reserve Bank has indicated it might have to hike the OCR to 4 percent but Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr hoped it would top out before then."We think they're getting plenty of traction with their rate rises already and will continue to get traction so we're hoping that they stop at around 3.5 percent and don't have to continue to 4 percent."Forecasts aside, Patten said borrowers were in for a bumpy ride."It's anybody's guess as to how high it could go. We're hoping that we should theoretically be near the peak for the fixed rates, at least the longer fixed rate terms, but we're still going to see further movement in the short term and the floating rates for a little bit of time to come."Economists expect the food price index, which measures changes in the prices households pay for food and is out tomorrow, to give a steer as to how inflation is tracking.

How to Get the Best from The Matakana App (TMA) The Matakana App is a community app built and designed for our community. One button, one push away from everything you need or want to know from Puhoi to Mangawhai region. It is our mission and vision to have 85% of our content from the local area - for locals and visitors to access instantly. The Matakana App is the place locals can:Read local and national newsRead stories about our local peopleFind local events and things to doCheck road and weather reportsFind help and supportLook for a jobWin stuff through our competitions winSupport local businesses and much more. Utilising the ubiquity of mobile devices, the Matakana App is now the go to destination for residents for breaking news and updates. This is because the app has no delays and outputs more content than anyone else. The App is smart, functional and 100% focused on building App Users, Members and Advertisers. We want to ensure our App is the place locals go to first to access information on the area. We want our users to know how it works and how to get the best from it… Our top suggestions when using The Matakana App (TMA) 1)   Download it! We do have a desktop version, but apps are designed for smart phones/tablets. TMA is like a business, event, job, news, weather, traffic, tourist, entertainment directory all rolled into one handy app, that won’t get left at home. But also, it can do so much more!2)   Look around TMA, check out all the buttons, see what it can do.3)   Notifications: Enable push notifications in your app settings, so that we can send you news, weather, or traffic warnings that you need to know now!4)   If you miss a notification from us and don’t know where to find it, just click on the Notification button at the bottom of the home page and it takes you to them all.5)   Share: Spread the word far and wide to your friends, family, work colleagues, visitors, and tourists. It is the perfect way to introduce people to the area! Invite them to download the app (it’s free!). We want and need people to come back again and again.6)   Jobs: List or check for jobs. Job listings are found under the Community button. 7)   Podcasts: Tune into podcasts that are specifically LOCAL based. Find the Local Podcast button at the bottom of the home page.8)   Community: Check out the Community button; know where to find local emergency numbers, the nearest defibrillators (anywhere in the country), schools, churches, and community groups. If your community group or school isn’t there, let us know and we’ll get it listed.9)   Feedback: Tell us what is missing, what do you want to see on the App. It is your App so let us know what is important to you!10) Enjoy it! 

SH1 remains closed northbound from Orewa to Warkworth and southbound from Warkworth to Puhoi as arborists work to open the road as soon as possible.The road is unlikely to be clear until this evening.Continue to delay your journey or use SH16 as an alternative route

Tree Down Outside 656 State Highway 1 just south of old Hungry Creek art school

The MetService has issued a strong wind warning for Auckland from 2am until 9am today, with gusts of up to 110 km/h forecast to strike during the morning rush hour.Waka Kotahi is warning Auckland motorists to avoid using the Harbour Bridge over this time as wind speeds may surpass the threshold for safe use of the bridge, and could result in multiple closures over a one to two-hour time period.

"The long tail of Covid" and engineering issues are continuing to disrupt flights across the country, while airlines and airports face high demand as the school holidays begin.Air New Zealand has brought back its flexibility policy to ease some of the pressure, with more than 2500 people swapping their tickets for credit already.Six of the airline's flights into Auckland and four flights out have been cancelled this morning.Last week the airline warned of three-hour waits to get through to its call centre.While there have been long queues in Auckland, operations have been running more smoothly at Wellington and Christchurch airports.Christchurch Airport's chief aeronautical and commercial officer Justin Watson said there had been a few cancellations, caused by weather, engineering issues and "the long tail of Covid-19" which was affecting crews and pilots.So far two flights from 80 flying in or out of Christchurch Airport today had been cancelled which was not huge "but still disruptive".Watson said once flights were cancelled, passengers might have to wait a day or so to get another seat because most flights were full."It's an unfortunate situation brought about by Covid and there's not a lot we can do about it when people are getting sick and having to isolate."Wellington Airport's head of operations Matt Palliser said it had been a busy start to the school holidays with an average of 25,000 travellers per day, the highest numbers since the Covid-19 pandemic began."It's great to see everyone travelling again."Palliser said travellers were being advised to check flight schedules online, check-in online if possible and arrive at the airport early for bag dropoff and to get through security.Both men said the Ministry of Health has mandated mask use and there was high compliance within the airports and on flights."A lot better than you see out in the general public," Watson said.

Monday - Scattered rain developing in the morning, becoming widespread from afternoon and heavy at times in the evening. Northeasterlies, gale in exposed places from evening, gusting 90 km/h.STRONG WIND WATCH9hr from 11pm Mon - 8am Tuesday for Auckland and Great Barrier IslandNortheast winds may approach severe gale in exposed places.Tuesday - Heavy rain, easing to showers in the morning with gale northeasterlies changing strong westerly.STRONG WIND WATCH9hr from 11pm Mon - 8am Tuesday for Auckland and Great Barrier IslandNortheast winds may approach severe gale in exposed places.Wednesday - A few showers. Northwesterlies easing.Thursday - A few showers. Late rain. Northwesterlies dying out.Friday - Rain, clearing and becoming fine. Northerlies easing.