Auckland transport/Waka Kotahi has advised the following regarding a serious crash that has occured in the Dome Valley near Wilson Road.The road is currently blocked and will likely be closed to allow for a clean up of an oil spill.Expect delays in both directions and consider using SH16 as an alternative route.Roads

Severe disruption to coastal livelihoods is inevitableA large proportion of the world's population and critical infrastructure is already concentrated along shorelines. Nearly 11 percent of the global population, about 896 million people, live on low-elevation coasts directly exposed to climate and non-climate coastal hazards. These cities and settlements are growing rapidly as people move to the coast.Prospects for climate-resilient development are dismal because of accelerating sea-level rise and rapidly worsening climate-driven risks in a warming world. But coastal settlements nonetheless play a key role in advancing climate-resilient development because they are critical for national economies and global maritime trade.The IPCC's earlier report showed that global mean sea level has risen faster since 1900 than during any preceding century in at least the past 3000 years. This latest report reiterates that unavoidable sea-level rise will cause cascading and compounding impacts. This includes the loss of coastal ecosystems and their services, groundwater salinisation, flooding and damage to coastal infrastructure.Globally, we expect about a billion people will be at risk from coast-specific climate hazards under all emissions scenarios. In coming decades, the risk of coastal flooding will increase rapidly. It could be two to three orders of magnitude greater by 2100, without effective adaptation and mitigation.Historically rare extreme sea-level events (that occurred once in 100 years in the past) will happen annually by 2100. Some atolls will become uninhabitable by 2050. If global mean sea level rises by 0.15m relative to current levels, the population at risk of a 100-year coastal flood increases by about 20 percent. This number doubles at 0.75m and triples at 1.4m, assuming present-day population and protection.Sea-level rise as existential threatBy 2100, the value of global assets within one-in-100-year coastal floodplains is projected to reach $US7.9 to $US12.7 trillion under a mid-range emissions scenario. In a high-emissions world, it could rise up to $US14.2 trillion.These impacts will be felt well beyond coastal cities. Damage to ports could severely compromise global supply chains and maritime trade, with potentially major geo-political and economic ramifications.Sea-level rise constitutes a chronic adaptation challenge. It requires dealing with slow-onset changes in parallel with increasing frequency and magnitude of extreme events that will escalate in coming decades. At centennial timescales, projected sea-level rise constitutes an existential threat for many island nations, low-lying coastal zones and their communities, infrastructure and cultural heritage.Even if we stabilise global warming at 2-2.5C above pre-industrial levels, coastlines will continue to reshape over millennia. This will affect at least 25 megacities and, by 2100, inundate low-lying areas currently home to 600,000 to 1.3 billion people.Global aspirations for climate-resilient developmentExtensive adaptation planning has taken place since the IPCC's previous assessment. But widespread implementation is lacking and this has created a pronounced "coastal adaptation gap".We need to close this gap quickly. The report finds we already have effective ways to prepare for impacts and to cut emissions, but they must be embedded in development planning to reduce vulnerability and restore ecosystems.This depends on governments, civil society and the private sector making inclusive choices that prioritise risk reduction, equity and justice. We will also need to integrate decision-making processes, finance and actions across all governance levels and timeframes.International cooperation will be crucial. We will need to strengthen partnerships with traditionally marginalised groups, including youth, Indigenous peoples, local communities and ethnic minorities.This will require us to reconcile divergent interests, values and worldviews. We need to reduce structural vulnerabilities to climate change through carefully designed and implemented legal and policy interventions, from the local to global level, that take into account prevailing inequities.Rights-based approaches that focus on capacity building, meaningful participation of the most vulnerable groups and their access to key resources, including finance, play a crucial role in reducing climate risk and enabling transformative adaptation.Planning and decision-making processes should identify "low regrets" options that allow us to reduce emissions and prepare for impacts in the face of deep uncertainty and contestation. Governance for climate-resilient development is most effective when supported by formal and informal institutions and practices that remain flexible enough to respond to emergent risks.As sentinels on the climate change frontline, coastal cities and settlements play a pivotal role in global efforts to adapt to unfolding climate change impacts and to navigate perilous times ahead.This report deepens the findings of the IPCC's earlier report about the world's oceans and icescapes. It identifies five core conditions for coastal cities and settlements to fulfil their role in climate-resilient development.Take a long-term perspective when making short-term decisions by keeping options open to adjust as sea-level rises and avoiding new development in high-risk locationsenable more effective coordination by establishing networks across different governance levels and policy domains to build trust and legitimise decisionsreduce social and climate injustice by taking historical conditions, including past emissions, and prevailing political realities into account and proactively reducing vulnerability and inequitystrengthen local democracy by facilitating participation, involving stakeholders early and consistently through to implementation, with particular attention to engaging Indigenous people and marginalised and vulnerable groupsdevelop governance capabilities to tackle complex problems by drawing on multiple knowledge systems, including Indigenous, local and scientific knowledge to co-design more acceptable and effective responses.*Bruce Glavovic is a Professor at Massey University and receives funding from a variety of bodies that provide academics with research funding usually through contested grant processes.By Bruce Glavovic* of

Aotea Great Barrier islanders fear they will go the same way as Waiheke Island with lots of helicopters buzzing their skies.The isolated island has had five applications for helipads in five months.The local board chair Izzy Fordham said she did not know what was behind the "flurry" but they needed to find out."We're just feeling we need to look at this issue more deeply than what we ever have had to before, and if possible, try to remedy it before it blows the beautiful serenity of Aotea," Fordham said.She wonders why four of the five resource consent applications are for helipads along a short stretch of Greensides Rd, east of Medlands Beach and just 6km from Claris airport.Auckland Council has so far granted one of the five.That's the same as at Waiheke to the south, where one of the five applications that have been made in the last year has been approved, while one has been withdrawn, by the new owner of Obsidian Vineyards, Charlotte Lockhart. "It was like, clearly this is something that the community don't want," said Lockhart, who dropped the bid after she bought the business in November.Three other bids are still in the works, to add to the almost 50 helipads already consented on Waiheke since 2012, mostly from 2013-15.The new applications have galvanised opposition - a local councillor Pippa Coom says she's had "hundreds of emails" - all the way to Parliament.The Waiheke local board chair Cath Handley told MPs at a select committee hearing on the Civil Aviation Bill this week: "Our airspace is not uncontrolled, it's out of control."It's extremely dangerous."Her board, and a lobby group Quiet Sky Waiheke, have been pushing on many fronts for months: Seeking tighter council planning rules, more monitoring of flights, for the Civil Aviation Authority to declare 'special use airspace' over the island, for intervention by the Environment Court - and now for legislative change.CAA said the airspace application was being looked at.The islanders have so far failed to plug the many regulatory gaps, and even attempting to was really too big a job for a mere local board, Handley told the MPs.Helipads have proliferated on Waiheke for use by vineyards, tourism operators and wealthy holiday home owners."Most of my neighbours have helipads - only one of them really uses it," Lockhart said.She said she could see why someone who lives on the North Shore or in Coromandel might want one, but added: "There is no denying that a large noisy machine flying overhead and landing relatively near you has an impact."They had only just bought the vineyard, when the council told them that while helipad applications were not usually notified to the public, the growing opposition meant their bid lodged by the former owner, would have to be.This made abandoning the bid easier, and not being able to fly in a few wealthy customers should not impact Obsidian, the vintner said.The council has till now, considered applications case-by-case - and the threshold to put a helipad on a front lawn has not been high, with little if any building involved."There's probably consultants advising, you know, 'get in there while you can' while it's kind of quite easy to get a consent for a helicopter pad," Pippa Coom, a councillor for the Waitematā and Gulf ward, said.But perhaps not for much longer."It's at tipping point," Coom said.In Auckland city, the Waitematā local board has now asked council planners to ban all recreational helicopter landings and take-offs in urban and suburban residential areas.This was in part spurred by two high-profile bids to put in helipads at glamorous homes in Herne Bay and Westmere, Waitematā local board member Graeme Gunthorp told RNZ.The planners have so far been resistant.They told Waiheke locals last December: "Based on existing consents, complaints and conditions, a review of consents is not warranted at this time."They said their resources were under pressure from central government demands, so islanders should wait for choppers to be looked at as part of a review of the Auckland Unitary Plan in 2026.That is not an option, according to Quiet Sky Waiheke's Kim Whitaker."Within five years there could be over 100 helipads-stroke-heliports on the island," he warned MPs on Tuesday."Even more concerning is there's no official monitoring, regulation or control of any of them."Izzy Fordham has been "keeping a watchful eye" on this, thinking Aotea may need to unite with Waiheke. She had already asked the council to reverse its position on not notifying helipad applications to the public, but did not get a response, she said."Not even in the applications have I been able to find [out] why" people want the helipads, though she suspects they are for the convenience of wealthy holidaying mainlanders.But the pressure appears to be paying off, with council planners recently agreeing to take a fresh look at the controls and report back at the end of March.Councillor Coom expects them to move to make helipad consent applications notifiable, and begin giving more weight to concerns about the cumulative impact of so many choppers.Next, Civil Aviation needed to step up to regulate, and not leave it up to the council, she said.Handley and Whitaker claim the council does little to check on operators, citing a case where one was flying in three times more a month than allowed (30, instead of 10 flights) as one of the few times the council has intervened.The council told RNZ that each consent has conditions for recording, monitoring, and reviewing helipad use.

Auckland Transport is proposing to lower the speed limit on Woodcocks Road from Falls Road to Old Kaipara Road, from 100 kph to 60 kph.This is being publicly consulted upon until April 3rd 2022. Have your say here on the project webpage: https://at.govt.nz/.../proposed-speed-limit-changes...Reasons for proposed speed limit changesUnsafe rural roads. Many of the rural roads in this proposal are twisting, have sharp bends and are hilly with narrow unforgiving lanes that pose challenges to even the most experienced drivers. The consequences of small driver errors on such roads can be fatal.Self-explaining roads. Over 90% of the roads we propose changing the speed limits of are ‘self-explaining roads’ where drivers travel at a lower speed due to the road conditions. In rural areas, this could be due to the road being narrow, windy or hilly. And, in urban areas it could be due to the residential environment and things like speed bumps.Unsealed roads. Narrow roads with no road markings and poor surface conditions can cause loss of control and leads to crashes on bends and head-on collisions. Roads without a centreline. Road markings can significantly improve the safety of roads by giving drivers a better understanding of the road alignment. 

Message from NZTA Waka Kotahi NZTA says the Auckland Harbour Bridge barrier laneswill remain at their standard configuration because staff who operate machineryto move it are impacted by Covid-19. The machinery moves the barrier ensuring morning and afternoonpeak to allow for a better flow of traffic, this machinery won't be inoperation for the rest of the week. This means right lanes, which are usually reconfigured toaccommodate peak traffic times will remain evenly split - four northbound andfour southbound. Lower traffic volumes due to people working from home or at homeisolating, will minimise the impact on people travelling over the bridge. NZTA ask for motorist patience while they support their staffgetting well and returning to work when they can safely do so.They will advise as soon as the machinery is back in operation.

Despite a low barrier to entry and pay rates between $26 and $40 an hour, there is a serious shortage of truck drivers in New Zealand. NZ Trucking Association chief executive David Boyce says theindustry is short of about 4000 drivers. There is also an ageing workforce,with the average driver being 54 years old.He said the industry offered a great opportunity forschool-leavers. They could theoretically get their class two licence at 18 andprogress to be earning around $80,000 by age 19. Warkworth trucking firm Transcon has addressed this by offeringan “all-expenses paid” cadetship programme.Managing director Blake Noble said the only way to hire skilledstaff amid the shortage was to invest in training them himself. The cadetship is a paid six-month training programme to assistnew drivers to get their class two licence. Noblesaid truck driving “isn't for everyone” but it could be a rewarding career. “The bulk of the guy’s love driving, and it is genuinely howthey want to spend their week.“They take satisfaction in delivering product from growers,brewers and manufacturers to market. It's an essential service and peoplereally appreciate it.”The hours are long at about 50 hours a week, but the pay ratesare also favourable. Noble said rates begin at $23 an hour for drivers starting outon a class two licence, but within a year to 18 months they could progress to aclass five licence and earn $30 an hour driving a truck and trailer. Drivers over the age of 25 can theoretically progress evenfaster by taking an accredited driver training course.The courses permit drivers to skip the waiting periods betweenlicence classes, meaning they could obtain a class five licence in a matter ofmonths.“However, most employers would want to work with you for a bitbefore they let you lose in a truck and trailer,” Boyce said. “It is an industry that will give you an opportunity regardlessof background or what qualifications you got at school.”Transcon’s Blake Noble said the supply shortages caused by thepandemic had awakened New Zealand society to how important truck freight is. However, he said he was still trying to counteract the stigma that society had placed on career truck driving.“School Counsellors would warn children that if they don’t dowell at school, they will have to be a truck driver. Now I’m having to combatthat attitude.”

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