Monday marks the opening day of stage one of New Zealand's border re-opening where Kiwis can return from Australia.The difference is now they can now skip managed isolation and quarantine in favour of self-isolating for seven days.It comes after the Ministry of Health announced another record day of cases with 14,941 new infections and 305 people in hospital on Sunday while a patient also died with COVID.Kiwis will be able to purchase Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) from the supermarket from next week. Aqua WorksFoodstuffs North Island chief executive Chris Quin told Newstalk ZB on Monday that there were several hundred thousand RATs on their way and he expects them to be on the shelves next week. He said they would cost shoppers $32.99 for a five-pack, which equals out to $6.60 per test. "We made a commitment at the beginning to sell these at our cost," Quin told Newstalk ZB."We think our customers would really appreciate having them available."He said supply chain and warehouse teams were feeling quite a bit of pressure, especially in Auckland."The guys are working miracles every day to keep up and to keep delivering."COVID cases in hospital on Sunday: total number 305 - 110 are in Middlemore, 100 in Auckland, 45 in North Shore, 34 in Waikato, five in Tauranga, three in Taranaki, three in Canterbury, three in Southern and two in Northland. Five cases hospitalised were in ICU on Sunday.There was a record day of cases in New Zealand on Sunday with 14,941 infections. Location of new community cases on Sunday (PCR & RAT test): 9046 are in Auckland, 1519 in Waikato, 981 in Canterbury, 812 in Bay of Plenty, 532 in Southern, 516 Capital and Coast, 373 in Hutt Valley, 208 in Lakes, 158 in Nelson Marlborough, 142 in MidCentral, 136 in Hawke's Bay, 100 in Taranaki, 69 in Tairāwhiti, 45 in Wairarapa, 44 in South Canterbury, nine in West Coast and five unknown.New Zealand is in Omicron phase 3 where only positive cases and household contacts are considered close contacts. Anti-mandate protests outside Parliament have entered day 21.There were "at least" seven positive COVID-19 cases among the Wellington protesters, the Ministry of Health said on Sunday.

43 minutes ago.Police at both ends Bad accident avoid the area - it was reported the car was on fire! Avoid the area

A new national Civil Defence tsunami alert category is being worked up following the huge impact of the Tongan volcano eruption on Northland's coastline.No lives were lost when the tsunami hit Tūtūkākā marina after the 15 January eruption, but a woman was rescued in the dark from the sea after falling overboard into powerful swirling currents - while trying to get off her damaged boat, into her dinghy and onto terra firma.Millions of dollars of damage ensued with boats wrecked and sunk. Meanwhile Whangaroa Harbour boaties feared they would be cast adrift after the sea's violent tsunami swirling almost forced loose their anchors.The new notification would add specific references for boaties into tsunami notification messaging. It would take New Zealand's official tsunami advisory choices to three.New Zealand has among the world's highest boat ownership rate, but there is currently no tsunami alerting option specifically targetting the sector.Northland Civil Defence will be working with New Zealand's national tsunami working group to potentially develop the new option.The Tongan tsunami hit Tūtūkākā marina hard, wrecking parts of the facility and sinking or damaging boats, causing more than $5 million in damage.BeeTopia Investigating a potential new advisory has emerged in a new 15-page Northland Civil Defence post-event Tūtūkākā marina tsunami report.Graeme MacDonald, Northland CDEM group manager, presented the report to a Whangārei District Council (WDC) community development committee meeting recently. It was written by Northland Civil Defence emergency management specialists Tegan Capp and Evania Arani."An option is to seek the creation of a new advisory of 'strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges which may in some locations be enough to present a risk of injury to those on boats'," the report said.Local Democracy Reporting has underlined the suggested additional words that could be added onto existing alerting wording."Neither of the present options for expected tsunami effects … are a particularly good fit for the risk to those living either permanently or on shorter overnight/holiday cruises on the water," the report said.The report warned a residual risk of further Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruptions and landslides remained.It said the effects on Whangaroa Harbour boaties were broadly covered under the 'strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges' alert messaging, but the Tongan tsunami's risk of injury exceeded previous effects associated with such an advisory."People on board boats in Whangaroa Harbour in particular, … experienced violent swirling and surges to an extent that caused them to be concerned whether their anchor gear would fail under the load," the report said.Lot9 New Zealand's two current notification categories are an advisory and the other more seriously, a warning. The advisory talks of strong and usual currents and unpredictable surges and is used when the tsunami is not forecast to spread onto land. The warning indicates a tsunami will spread onto the land and can include evacuation messaging.The January 15 tsunami hit Tūtūkākā marina with an absence of highly visible formal public warning systems such as tsunami siren sounding, emergency mobile alerts (EMA) or Red Cross Hazard app notification.Greg Martin, Tūtūkākā marina management trust trustee and Whangārei District Councillor, said both the sound and flashing light functions of the breakwater tsunami siren needed to be able to be individually activated to warn of pending tsunami danger. Its flashing light can be individually activated by marina management, its siren cannot.He said the flashing light alone was not a tool that worked to wake people sleeping inside their boats in the dark.Capp said Northland's tsunami siren network currently did not allow for sirens to be individually activated. The network was however being upgraded with individually-activated sirens, an option that could possibly be considered.Martin said a short-term resolution was needed, ahead of any bureaucratic process that might be used that would take much longer to bring in.There are three Tūtūkākā village tsunami sirens - on the marina breakwater, at local café Schnappa Rock and another near the village store.The report said a pre-emptive local evacuation of Tūtūkākā's marina and surrounding buildings would have mitigated the risk to people.This option should be worked through directly with the community - which also potentially included businesses and accommodation providers immediately surrounding the marina. It would recognise Tūtūkākā marina was more vulnerable to potentially damaging surges that other locations.The marina community had a desire to evacuate at lower thresholds, the report said.Any changes proposed by the marina management trust would be part of this.Northland has six marinas and is a mecca for boaties recreationally and commercially.Meanwhile, people fishing for flounder on foot along the tide's edge on the night as the tsunami arrived on the stormy Saturday night had to run for their lives when it hit their remote west coast fishing spot on the northern shores of Hokianga Harbour.The Northland Civil Defence report said work was being done to establish better communication with Far North campgrounds evacuated as the Tongan tsunami arrived but outside mobile phone coverage and the existing tsunami siren network.Cleaning up after the tsunamiMore needs to be done about being able to shut the Tūtūkākā marina and surrounds during emergency tsunami cleanups, Martin said.Hundreds of sightseers drove out from Whangārei to check out Tūtūkākā marina on Sunday, 16 January starting from early morning the day after the tsunami hit."We were unable to shift people out the following day. We had cranes coming in and an emergency situation," Martin said.The villages at sea-level Marina Road (which leads into the facility) and surrounding area were crowded with people and their cars. People sat at the adjacent Schnappa Rock cafe over coffee, watching what was happening.A single emergency services member at the eastern end of the marina carpark was inundated by pedestrians walking the length of the facility after it was closed off to vehicles. All this happened as tsunami surges continued, boat owners raced to sort sunken and damaged vessels.Martin said the area was not cleared until the Ngunguru Volunteer Fire Brigade truck arrived, saving the day with its siren.Sandra Boardman WDC general manager community - and a Northland CDEM group controller - said Martin's traffic management representations would be taken on board.

The Matakana Country Park Market embraces a European styled setting along with live music adding to the Vibrant atmosphere . All outside in the heart of nature. Stay for coffee a bite to eat , fresh flowers and produce while browsing the unique handmade items on sale.Plus, plenty of Children's entertainment. There are amazing food vendors coming tomorrow from healthy Vegan options to naughty treats. We have got all Sunday cravings covered + frozen take home options.  Plus, Talented author Firefighter Matt Owens join us tomorrow. He will be selling copies of his book The Story of Swoop Additionally, you can enjoy the Country Park Express Miniature Train Rides, Coffee at Brambles and Pony rides  Where: Matakana Country Park1151 Leigh Road, Matakana8:30am to 1pm

Puhoi Village Pub Market Located in the Heart of Historic Puhoi Village hosted at the Puhoi Pub. Come & enjoy the beautiful arts and crafts in a relaxed and friendly setting. While you sit and listen to the live music and enjoy the laid back Puhoi atmosphere, afterwards the kids can burn off some energy in the safe play area at the sports club opposite.We have a great variety of stalls ranging from our vibrant community stall, which offers local seasonal produce, to fresh roasted coffee from the Puhoi Pub, freshly baked bread tasties, local honey, handmade candles, soaps balms and oils, jewellery, native plants, preserves, sausage sizzle and much more.Why not make a day of it and enjoy a cold drink and delicious lunch at the Puhoi Pub then hire a canoe from Puhoi River Canoes and explore the Puhoi River down to Wenderholm Regional Park.Where: Puhoi Village5 Salesyard RoadPuhoi9am - 1pm

All southbound traffic lanes on State Highway One over the Auckland Harbour Bridge has been closed as anti-mandate protesters march across the bridge.State Highway 1 on the Northern Motorway is now closed to southbound traffic between Esmonde Rd and Fanshawe St.Hundreds of people gathered at Onepoto Domain at the northern end of the bridge and have now set out towards the bridge.Māori Wardens told RNZ they are escorting the protesters for safety reasons.The march has been organised by Destiny Church's Freedoms and Rights Coalition.In a statement, police said the safety of staff, road users and protesters was the priority.They will be actively engaging with the protesters to prevent them crossing the bridge due to the significant safety risks posed.Auckland motorists are being told to avoid the harbour bridge and have been advised to use the alternative State Highway 16 to get around the harbour from late morning.Despite the safety concerns, protest organisers say they have worked with the police on traffic management.

Anti-mandate protesters are gathering on Auckland's North Shore and at Victoria Park in the city ahead of a protest event which will see them attempt to march across the Harbour Bridge – potentially causing traffic chaos for motorists.The protest – organised by Destiny Church's Freedom and Rights Coalition – starts at Onepoto Domain at 11am.From there, protesters plan to cross the Auckland Harbour Bridge. That includes many people saying they will march across the bridge, while others are posting on social media saying they will drive over it.The protest event is set to end at Victoria Park, where organisers will outline what is next planned."Police are on high alert ahead of the event. They warn they will "engage" with anyone who tries to cross it on foot."The safety of all road users, our police staff and the protesters is our priority and our focus will be around public safety and ensuring that the disruption to the public is kept to a minimum."There will be a significant police presence around this protest, and we will be actively engaging with those present to prevent them crossing the harbour bridge due to the significant safety risks posed for those involved and the wider public."Yesterday, Waka Kotahi NZTA said there were no plans to close the Auckland Harbour Bridge, despite anti-mandate demonstrators flagging they planned to traverse the landmark structure on foot.A spokesperson said the road agency had not been contacted by organisers of the demonstration and there were no plans to close the bridge to traffic.The bridge spanning Auckland's central CBD and the North Shore was one of the busiest stretches of motorway in New Zealand and it would be hugely dangerous if people attempted to walk over it without proper precautions having been set up to keep vehicles and marchers separated, he said.

Delays: Road Hazard - We are checking to see if we have an updateSH 1 Puhoi to Warkworth, NorthboundOtherDetour routeConsider delaying your journey.Start25 Feb 2022 3:06pmExpected resolutionUntil further noticeLast updated25 Feb 2022 3:10pm

A new date for the opening of the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway is under discussion.Waka Kotahi – NZ transport Agency National Manager Commercial Andrew Thackwray says that under the terms of the Public Private Partnership (PPP), the road opening is determined by contractual agreements and obligations.“The impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic response on these contractual matters and, in turn, the programme of works is currently being worked through with our partners,” he says. “Waka Kotahi will provide an update on the expected opening date as soon this work is finished.”Thackwray says last year’s lengthy lockdown periods in Auckland, for example, required works on site to stop altogether, which naturally caused delays to the programme of works. In the meantime, the project continues to progress with recent milestones and highlights below:• Both the Arawhiti ki Ōkahu and Arawhiti ki Pūhoi viaducts, at the southern end of the project, are finished. The widening of Hibiscus Coast Road is also complete.• In the northern area, the maintenance buildings have been completed. Under the PPP, NX2 will maintain the motorway for 25 years following its opening. The new motorway will be operated and maintained from these buildings.• More than 500,000 or half the plants destined for the site have planted across the project. NX2 has also completed five stormwater treatment wetlands.• Along the motorway the team has been working on finishing the subgrades, ready for asphalt paving. A total of32 per cent of the total road pavement has been placed so far which is 69,000 tonnes of a total of 165,000.

Traffic between Warkworth and Matakana is being diverted via Sandspit and Sharp Roads, after a vehicle hit a power pole and brought cables down onto Matakana Road, between Ascension Winery and Warkworth Golf Club, late this morning.Emergency services are attending and the road will remain closed until contractors can remove the cables and make the area safe. Police said there were no serious injuries as a result of the crash.UPDATE TUE 22ND FEB 4:52PM:Road is now open, debris has been cleared. No one has been injured.

An upmarket Balinese-style spa and wellness resort with a pool complex, a health club and 30 luxury villas is being planned for Omaha Flats on land just north of Matakana Country Park.NoMA Luxury Villas and Spa Estate is being built by Auckland-based property development firm Matakana Tourism Group, with construction due to start by the end of the year and completion slated for early 2024.Options to buy the $1.5million 104 square metre two-bed villas have already been snapped up, and a professional resort operator is being sought to run the accommodation and spa complex.Owners of the two-storey furnished villas will get the right to stay at the resort for up to 180 days a year, with the units available as accommodation for paying guests at all other times.There will also be a yoga studio, health club and gym with its own swimming pool, private massage suites, a communal swimming and spa pool complex, as well as outdoor communal entertaining and barbecue facilities.Aqua WorksMatakana Tourism Group director Greg Robbins said NoMA would be an exciting project for the area, and stressed that the facilities would not just be for those staying in the villas.“The spa complex will be open, it will be a public facility,” he said. “We’re currently in the process of looking for an international operator to run everything.”He added that NoMA’s name came from its position – North of Matakana – and its ethos would be very much environmentally focused. As an example, the land has its own water bore and will have its own on-site water purification and wastewater treatment plants.Bayleys Real Estate broker John Greenwood, who was responsible for selling the 30 furnished villas, said NoMA would be one of the biggest commercial accommodation providers in the region and would provide a fantastic addition to the tourism, spa and retreat industry.“There is a huge gap for this style of operation in the greater Auckland area – an opportunity which Matakana Tourism Group clearly identified, and is now pursuing,” he said.

The way rubbish is collected in Auckland is set to change under a Council proposal in the 2022/23 budget. In future, householders will pay a rates charge regardless of whether or not they use the service or how often they put their rubbish out.In rural areas such as Mahurangi, people who prefer bags instead of a bin will get a supply of bags for the year included in their waste charge. Rubbish & Recycling calendar Council could not say what the charge would be, but this figure will be in the budget consultation documents. Mayor Phil Goff says the budget puts a strong focus on tackling climate change, while responding to the immediate financial pressures faced by Council and continuing critical investment in strengthening Auckland’s infrastructure.“We are already experiencing the impacts of climate change – 2021 was the hottest year in New Zealand since records began 110 years ago and we are seeing increasingly frequent extreme weather such as droughts and flooding,” he says.Lite Injectables“Funding raised by the proposed Climate Action Targeted Rate will lay the foundation for the urgent action we need to take to avoid our children and grandchildren becoming the victims of a climate disaster. At a cost of around $1.10 a week for the median-value residential property, it will attract co-funding from government and is a critical investment in our kids’ futures.”The rate will help fund low emission public transport and increase safe walking and cycling options to address transport emissions. Tree planting will also be funded to reduce the city’s vulnerability to extreme heat. Council estimates the rate will raise $1.045 billion over 10 years.

All lanes north are now open again on the Northern Motorway, just after Upper Harbour Highway off-ramp, Following an earlier serious crash. Expect delays in the area to ease quickly

A person has died after an accident involving a vehicle and a truck on Auckland's Northern Motorway on Monday morning.Police say the fatal crash happened at 6am in the northbound lanes just past Constellation Drive.The driver of the vehicle died at the scene.No other injuries were reported, police say.Motorists can expect delays as the motorway has been closed northbound, with diversions in place at Constellation Drive.The serious crash unit will be investigating.

Hospitality New Zealand says domestic travel is at a standstill with forward bookings pointing to accommodation occupancy rates as low as 20 percent for the next three monthsThe industry organisation said Auckland locations were operating on an average occupancy of less than 20 percent in January, when MIQ accommodation was excluded, with Wellington averaging less than 30 percent."Every cancelled event causes hundreds of cancelled bookings for rooms, dinners and drinks," Hospitality NZ chief executive Julie White said."The government has over-cooked the fear and the health rules. People are fearful to go to their local shops, let alone go to another city. Whatever we try to do - no bookings means no business."She said the accommodation sector needed a reinstatement of the wage subsidy and resurgence payments.Cordis Auckland managing director Franz Mascarenhas said the hotel was making losses in the millions."We have held on to our work force with the hope things might improve, but the elongated time period is getting us to a position when some tough decisions will have to be made," he said."What we want from the government is an indicator of the criteria being used to move us back to Orange (settings) and a targeted time frame by when isolation requirements will be removed, so that the industry can start to trade again. And in the interim, some financial support to get us through."TOP 10 Holiday Parks group chief executive David Ovendale said bookings after the traditional Christmas holiday period "fell off a cliff". "There is no long summer tail this year," he said."If it takes six more months to work through this next phase of the pandemic in New Zealand, the effect on holiday parks and the wider accommodation sector will be terminal for some, perhaps for many - we've got to learn to live with this virus," Ovendale said.Wellington-based Bolton Hotel operator Hannah Chinnery said trading conditions were "terrible"."This is the worst we have experienced in 18 years," she said."With no government financial support, we are burning cash and making unsustainable losses."The owner of Riverstone Motel in Rangiora, Mike Dougan, said the industry needed some financial support now."The phone has almost stopped ringing. If it does, it's someone cancelling," he said.

BeeTopia People are being asked to keep isolating at home while they wait, and not call Healthline or the laboratories to check the status of their test.Laboratories have come under pressure from continued high demand at the region's testing centres.Some results are coming back within 48 hours, but an increasing number are taking up to five days.The Northern Region Health Co-ordination Centre says large numbers of people have been turning up at testing sites across Auckland.That is despite officials' pleas for people without symptoms, or a valid reason for a test, to stay away.The Ministry of Health this week said unnecessary testing could delay results for those who urgently need them."People should only get tested if they have a cold or flu symptoms, are a close contact, or if they have been asked to get tested by a health official," the ministry said.Earlier in the week 70% of those turning up at Covid-19 testing centres had no symptoms

Written by Local MattersArt lovers, rejoice – the Mangawhai Art Trail is back this year and will be held as usual throughout the last weekend in February.More than 30 artists working in a diverse range of media will be setting up shop and opening their doors at 19 different home studio, gallery and other venues to show off their works, methods and inspiration.The 2022 weekend includes two new venues in Waipu and Waipu Cove, as well as three different sculpture sites. It will also incorporate ‘Finding Joy’, an exhibition at the Mangawhai Artists Gallery in Moir Street by Wendy Leach, Ian McGowan and Cliff McPherson. The three painters employ quite different artistic approaches, but were united in a common goal.“Our original idea of finding joy assumed that much of 2021 might be Covid-free, which of course wasn’t the case,” they say. “So how to try to find joy in a Covid world? Each artist, nudged along by our chosen theme, has been able to find some joy in the studio in 2021.”Other artists include first-time exhibitor Lisa Wintle, who will be displaying her detailed oil landscapes in a spot overlooking the estuary at the Pearson Street reserve.There are free Art Trail maps and brochures available at many Mangawhai venues, or find them at www.mangawhaiartists.co.nz or www.facebook.com/MangawhaiArtTrail

Thousands of public health staff, including contact tracers and those processing Covid-19 tests, have voted to strike as the Government prepares for the rising wave of Omicron cases.About 10,000 district health board staff including 600 people who work in labs and about 100 who work as contact tracers, will strike for 24-hour strikes on March 4 and 18, PSA organiser Will Matthews said.“There are over 70 groups of workers who will take strike action: from laboratory workers, who are responsible for the swift testing and return of Covid-19 tests, and Covid-19 contact tracers, to sterile supplies technicians who clean and sterilise all surgical equipment prior to procedures,” he said.Staff will strike over low pay, and poor working conditions. Many departments have vacancies of up to 66 per cent and had exceptionally high workloads.“Almost all the workers, you take them out and the health sector falls apart.”The strike comes after 15 months of failed negotiations. Staff would organise to ensure life-preserving services would still be available on the days of the strike.“Health workers striking is always a last option,” he said.It showed the “depth of frustration at the Government which has been trading on goodwill for too long”.

An update sent out from the Save our Sands team...After a long wait, on Monday the 28th February the conclusion to the RMA Hearing for the first of the three mining applications by McCallum Bros Ltd will commence. The hearing for this ‘Far Shore consent’ was delayed last year after we provided evidence that revealed deep sea trenches in the sea floor where the sand mining company has been operating. Due to this the commissioners requested that a more extensive sea bed survey be commissioned.The results of this were released last week and are damning - the damage is even worse than we suspected. But not all is lost, because of this science the commissioners now finally have in their hands on the data to enable the correct decisions on the future of mining on the Mangawhai - Pakiri coast.Operational breaches, both on water and off water, environmental destruction, sea bed and sea life impacts, sea bird habitat being destroyed are just some of the allegations that McCallum Bros Ltd will be required to front up to.It’s hard to comprehend that granting continuance of these mining practices for the next 35 years, should ever be considered let alone approved. It is also a lasting insult to the community and local iwi that such damage should be allowed, and attempted to be covered up. As you know, we’re a group of volunteers, but we’re working with top legal and scientific experts to ensure we present the best evidence we can at the upcoming hearing. Keep an eye out on the news as more details of this story comes out, also please remember to share the petition with friends and whānau!