An enzyme variant created by engineers and scientists at The University of Texas at Austin can break down environment-throttling plastics that typically take centuries to degrade in just a matter of hours to days.This discovery, published in Nature, could help solve one of the world’s most pressing environmental problems: what to do with the billions of tons of plastic waste piling up in landfills and polluting our natural lands and water.The enzyme has the potential to supercharge recycling on a large scale that would allow major industries to reduce their environmental impact by recovering and reusing plastics at the molecular level."The possibilities are endless across industries to leverage this leading-edge recycling process," said Hal Alper, professor in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at UT Austin."Beyond the obvious waste management industry, this also provides corporations from every sector the opportunity to take a lead in recycling their products. Through these more sustainable enzyme approaches, we can begin to envision a true circular plastics economy."

Weekend Weather ForecastSaturday - fine with light winds. High of 21 and low of 13 degrees.Sunday - Fine with light winds. High of 21 and low of 13 degrees.Set to be a lovely weekend. A perfect chance to enjoy our many markets!

Auckland Transport (AT) will be undertaking road resurfacing along Glenmore Drive, Warkworth.Work is scheduled to take place over two nights (from 8pm – 5am) on Tuesday 10 May and Wednesday 11 May 2022. In the event weather disrupts our schedule work will be move to the next available shift. We will not work Friday or Saturday nights or public holidays.Road closure will be in place on Glenmore Drive.Between 7pm and 5am, parking restrictions will be enforced near the work site to allow for the traffic management set up. Outside of these hours, parking will be available as normal.Driveway access will be maintained, traffic controllers will guide vehicles across the work site as required.During work hours large machinery will be operating in the area, please expect an increase in noise, dust and/or vibration. Every effort will be taken to keep construction impacts to a minimum.For more information and a MAPhttps://mcusercontent.com/36ae5475dc1256b998966f800/files/879fa7eb-20e1-31db-d4b9-1d3f93a49f58/Morrison_Dr_Warkworth.pdf Auckland Transport (AT) will also be undertaking road resurfacing along Morrison Drive, Warkworth.Work is scheduled to take place over three nights (8pm – 5am) on Thursday 12 May, Sunday 15 May and Monday 16 May 2022.There will be three different stages that will include – 1) Road closure on Morrison Drive 2) Stop/Go operation on Woodcocks Road 3) No on-street parking.Between 7pm and 5am, parking restrictions will be enforced near the work site to allow for the traffic management set up. Outside of these hours, parking will be available as normal.Driveway access will be maintained, traffic controllers will guide vehicles across the work site as required.During work hours large machinery will be operating in the area, please expect an increase in noise, dust and/or vibration. Every effort will be taken to keep construction impacts to a minimum.For more information and a MAPhttps://mcusercontent.com/36ae5475dc1256b998966f800/files/879fa7eb-20e1-31db-d4b9-1d3f93a49f58/Morrison_Dr_Warkworth.pdf

A happy Mother’s Day to all our mums, mums to be, grandmas, or guardians for this Sunday! We want to spoil a family, so we are giving away a dinner voucher worth $200 for a family dinner at either The Stables, Smith’s Bar, Warkworth Hotel or Bam Boo. If you WIN then you choose!To enter the draw head over to our WIN STUFF! button on the main page in the App and enter your details. Good luck!

Attribute to Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Allan, Auckland City District Financial Crime Unit:Millions of dollars a year are being swiped by scammers taking advantage of those looking for love online.NZ Police are receiving a consistent stream of reports from people who have been scammed by a ‘person’ they have met online via either a dating website or a dating app.Those who carry out romance scams are experts at what they do and will seem genuine, caring, and believable. Unfortunately, they are present on most dating platforms.We’re aware of a repeat pattern of events across all reports, where the scammer typically moves the conversation from a reputable dating site to WhatsApp and quickly professes their love and admiration for the victim, before revealing they are a wealthy businessman or military staff who are based overseas. Once trust has been gained they request financial assistance from the target.The method of payment request depends on the proficiency of the victim.If the victim is able to open a cryptocurrency account, then buying and sending cryptocurrency preferred method of transmission.However, sending cash or making a bank transfer offshore via a money remitter, transferring funds to a bank account of someone else that is being scammed, or handing cash to a money laundering cryptocurrency trader, are other potential ways a scammer will ask the victim to provide them with funds.Our investigations indicate that those who perpetrate these romance scams are predominantly based offshore.They are typically organised criminal networks who are scamming multiple victims at once.To keep their story on-track when engaging with multiple people, they use the same profile. Police often see the same photo used over and over again, with a different generic name, pedalling a similar story about their fraudulent background.We have repeatedly seen the same stolen image used on doctored New Zealand Drivers Licences, such as the one attached.We are advising everyone to be wary of any online approaches where something might seem amiss.Some red flags to be aware of:- People who always have excuses about why they can’t meet you in person or even video call.- Those who are often in a hard to reach place (e.g. working on oil rigs, in the military, working overseas).- People who seem to always have a sob story (e.g. a child or family member is sick), and there's always a degree of urgency.We advise those looking for love online to be wary of who you are speaking to:- Be careful what you post and make public on the internet. Scammers can use details shared on social media and dating sites to better understand and target you.- Research the person’s photo and profile using online searches to see if the image, name, or details have been used elsewhere.- Beware if the individual seems too perfect or quickly asks you to leave a dating service or social media site to communicate directly.- Note if the individual attempts to isolate you from friends and family or requests inappropriate photos or financial information that could later be used to extort you.If you believe you are the victim of a scam you can contact Police and report the matter via 105.Visit consumerprotection.govt.nz/general-help/scamwatch/(link is external) for more information on how you can prevent yourself, family and friends from being scammed.

The iconic Fiordland track was the first of the Great Walks to open for bookings with the rest opening over the next few days.The Great Walks season runs between late October and the end of April.DOC bookings service manager Ross Shearer said it had predicted a high level of demand and initial observations showed it."The track was close to fully booked, aside from some ongoing cancellations and bookings changes, well within the first 30 minutes of opening."DOC's booking service coped well with the high volume of bookings over a short period of time."Nearly two hours after opening, there were only sporadic bookings left with no huts dates recording more than eight available spaces on any given day.Last year, it took just 15 minutes for accommodation on the Milford Track to fill up for the entire season."We'll have a full breakdown of how Milford bookings went once the data has been compiled - around midday tomorrow," Shearer said.Last year, DOC created a myth-busting blog post about how the Great Walks bookings work.

Te Tohu o Matariki - the new logo for Matariki - has been unveiled as the historic first matauranga Māori public holiday is soon to be observed.Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, several other ministers and the chair of the Matariki advisory board, Professor Rangi Matamua, gathered at the Carter Observatory in Wellington today to learn about the tohu and its relevance.The tohu illustrates each star in the cluster as a tukutuku design and each has a different colour associated with it and is depicted by nine woven stitches to symbolise Māori culture intertwining with the rest of the country.One of the creators of the new logo, Tyrone Ohia, said the design represents Aotearoa uniting as one."They cross in and out of each other and hold each other together.... we're hoping it's a metaphor for us as a nation coming together under this Māori kaupapa to celebrate in a distinctively Aotearoa way that's inclusive of all of us".The government first announced in 2020 it would make Matariki a public holiday if it was re-elected later that year.Jacinda Ardern speaks at the logo launch at the Carter Observatory in Wellington. Photo: RNZ / Ashleigh McCaulRecently law to set up Matariki as a public holiday passed in Parliament, making it the 12th public holiday in Aotearoa.Speaking at the gifting, Ardern said introducing Matariki as a public holiday will help shape Aotearoa's future identity."In the many many things that we will do as a government this, alongside our children learning New Zealand's history in schools, I think will lay a foundation for New Zealand's future that means that we better recognise and understand who we are; what makes us unique and we celebrate that together."She expected the holiday to change over time with more people learning about what Matariki meant to the country.Professor Matamua spoke about the design, saying there was an undeniable connection between the tukutuku panels inside the wharenui and the stars at night."This logo represents something that can embed and reaffirm our national identity, and those really crucial elements that make us who we are and where we are."Professor Matamua expected there to be numerous events to celebrate the Māori New Year across the motu including from whānau waking up early to stargaze, to arts events and concerts.Matariki will be celebrated for the first time as a public holiday on 24 June.Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Kiritapu Allan acknowledged the tamariki of Te Kōhanga Reo o Ngā Mokopuna and sang a waiata about Matariki with them.Allan has a daughter named after one of the stars of Matariki, Hiwa-i-te-rangi.She said her daughter was growing up in a world where Matariki had been normalised."She's growing up in a world where mātauranga is something that's inherently built into our culture and characteristics and fibres. So she won't know any different."It's estimated Matariki will benefit domestic tourism industry between $110 million to $160m.

You would have passed the Matakana War Memorial statue of King George V numerous times, who stands at the the entrance to our beautiful Matakana Village.The Matakana War Memorial is a dedication to the 13 men from our village, who lost their lives in the First World War. In 2012 another plaque was added, listing six local men who died in World War Two. This statue, our symbol of remembrance has been continually vandalised since the 1980’s and sadly has met the hands of vandals once again, as last Saturday night the Matakana War Memorial was desecrated again with another beheading of the George V statue.Previously in the years 1999, 2006 and 2011 the statues head was severed and on 2 occasions not recovered.The cost in 2012 to sculpt and attach a new head for the statue was roughly $20,000+. Fortunately after some negotiations by Adrienne Miller the Auckland Council have again agreed to fix and pay for the repairs.You may now notice that the War Memorial New Zealand flag is now hanging upside down on the monument, a navy signal that represents one being in trouble and needing help."This will be a reminder to all that past - that the Matakana War Memorial is in trouble and needs your help. I will return the flag upright when the head has been reinstalled” said Adrienne Miller.We are thankful for the dedication to our War Memorial by passionate locals, as we want to remember those who lost their lives in conflict. 

Omicron-generated disruptions and nervousness along with rising prices and interest rates are taking a bigger toll on consumers, but there signs of an improvement for business.The latest data from credit reporting firm Centrix shows consumer credit demand fell 6 percent in the year ended April, and mortgage applications were down 12 percent.The firm's monthly credit report showed the number of consumers missing payments for unsecured credit such as Buy Now Pay Later and telecommunications contracts was close to a two-year high, while creditworthiness also eased."Arrears are also increasing across the board, as Kiwis begin to struggle with making repayments in the face of the rising cost of living," Centrix managing director Keith McLaughlin said.He said mortgage demand had fallen 12 percent over the past year and the value of mortgage lending was down nearly a third, as the housing market slowed, mortgage rates increased, and getting credit became more difficult."Borrowers are being pushed into longer term mortgages to keep payments as low as they can, with 57 percent of new mortgages in 2022 issued with 30-year loan terms."McLaughlin said mortgage arrears remained low but have been rising, which he saw as "an early signal of increasing financial hardship and a potential sign of future trouble".However, he said there were some signs of a turnaround in business credit demand, with fewer credit defaults and improved creditworthiness."[This] could indicate signs of recovery across the country, or businesses managing their cashflows and making some tough calls before getting into financial distress," he said adding that the retail and hospitality sectors were showing signs of recovery.McLaughlin said he expected tougher financial times and demand for credit to remain through the year.

Expect a few days of full sun this week! Today - Fine. Easterlies.Tuesday - Fine. Easterlies.Wednesday - Partly cloudy. Chance of a shower. Easterlies.Thursday - Partly cloudy. Chance of a shower. Easterlies.Friday - Fine with southeasterlies.Saturday - Fine. Easterlies.Sunday - A few showers. Northerlies.

Explosive new data shows the sea level is rising twice as fast as previously thought in some parts of Aotearoa, massively reducing the amount of time authorities have to respond.The major new projections show infrastructure and homes in Auckland and Wellington - as well as many other places - risk inundation decades earlier than expected.For example, in just 18 years parts of the capital will see 30cm of sea level rise, causing once-in-a-century flood damage every year.Previously, councils and other authorities had not expected to reach this threshold until 2060 - halving the time to plan for mitigation or retreat.The new information comes from a programme comprising dozens of local and international scientists called NZ SeaRise, which also includes GNS Science and Niwa.It combines data about where land is sinking with the latest international sea-level rise projections.The new information is a game changer, and will likely have serious consequences for climate adaptation planning, and could impact property prices.Globally the sea level is expected to rise about half a metre by 2100 - but for large parts of New Zealand it could more than double that because of land subsidence.Victoria University of Wellington Professor and SeaRise programme co-leader Tim Naish said: "We have less time to act than we thought."Photo: 123RFWellington: Just 18 years or less before serious effectsNaish said he was surprised how soon impacts would be felt in parts of Auckland and Wellington.Some areas are sinking 3mm or 4mm a year - about the annual rate at which the sea is rising."[This] doubles the amount of sea level rise and it halves the time ... you thought you had to deal with the sea-level rise that was in the original guidance documents that councils were using."Naish described a case study of the road connecting Petone and Eastbourne in Lower Hutt, which would see 30cm of sea level rise by 2040.This threshold is important because at that level a one-in-100 year storm which closes the roads and damages infrastructure could happen every year.He said local and regional councils have been making plans for this threshold to be reached in 2060, giving 20 fewer years to plan and adapt accordingly.Other places on Wellington's south coast such as Ōwhiro Bay, Lyall Bay, Seatoun among others are also subsiding."You are going to see the impacts of quite damaging sea level rise much sooner than we thought .... roads and properties inundated."He said road and rail infrastructure on State Highway 2 at the Korokoro interchange in Petone is another highly vulnerable area.The largest overall increases in the whole country are on the southeast North Island along the Wairarapa Coast.Here, the sea level could be be up well over one and a half metres by 2100.About 30cm of sea level rise is unavoidable because of the amount of climate gases already in the atmosphere.Homes and crucial infrastructure in Auckland in the firing lineNaish said vulnerable places in Auckland included the waterfront around the bays, Tamaki Drive, the Viaduct, areas around the Northwestern Motorway at Point Chevalier, St Heliers and Mission Bay.He said many of these places already have issues during king tides, are close to sea level, and are sinking.At the Viaduct the land is sinking about about 2.5mm a year."That almost doubles the rate of expected sea-level rise and halves the time you have."The city council, [and] the port authority are all going to have to start looking closely in terms of their future activities at this new information."He said in many parts of Auckland the sea-level would rise 30 to 50 percent faster than what was previously thought.Meanwhile, he said parts of Thames township is also very vulnerable, and the sinking happening in the Hauraki plains means the stopbanks there have a shorter lifespan than previously thought.Photo: RNZ / Tracy NealRichmond in Nelson a hotspotA major worry is the suburb of Richmond and nearby parts in the Nelson area which is subsiding at about 5mm a year."That whole area there has been a lot of development, new subdivisions, housing ... the airport is very exposed, and that road around [the coast to Richmond] is vulnerable," Naish said.He said local and regional councils in the region have known for a long time there could be issues there with sea-level rise."There is going to be some really big challenges for that region."Online tool lets residents, authorities checkNew Zealanders will soon be able to see for the first time how much and how fast sea-level will rise along their own stretch of coast.NZ SeaRise's online tool showing how your home could be affected will be available here from 5am, Monday 2 May.The entire coastline has been mapped down to a 2km spacing.The new advice combines data about where land is sinking with the latest international sea-level rise projections.It will be an major new tool for councils, businesses and homeowners to assess risk from erosion and floods.'Information is power'Naish said the new data was important information and people should try not to be too overwhelmed."Information is power, so don't be afraid of it."We still have time ... but we don't have time to sit on our hands anymore."If you're a [council representative] or you're a developer, or you're a decisions maker in the coastal areas of New Zealand you need to start thinking right now what the plan is for adapting to that sea-level rise."Yes, it is a bit terrifying but there is still time and I think that is the way to look at it."The information is timely, coming hot on the heels of the climate change draft adaptation plan released last week.It asks for public input on the plans, and on so-called ''managed retreat'" - abandoning areas where it is not possible or financially viable to live any longer.Naish said uncertainty about the predictions were clearly laid out in the tool - but he said there was no question that there would be a response from property owners, the insurance and banking sectors to the new information.GNS Science Environment and Climate Theme Leader Dr Richard Levy said until now, the risk from sea-level rise has been quite poorly defined for New Zealand."Current sea-level projections in the Ministry for the Environment coastal hazards guidance do not take into account local vertical land movements."Most of the information about sea-level rise was more or less extrapolated out from the global average.NZ SeaRise is a five-year research programme comprising local and international experts from Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington, GNS Science, NIWA, University of Otago and the Antarctic Science Platform.It is funded by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment.Climate change and warming temperatures are causing sea levels to rise, on average, by 3.5 mm per year.This sea level rise is caused by thermal expansion of the ocean, by melting land based glaciers, and by melting of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.

This morning there are reports of slow-moving traffic from the stretch of highway from Warkworth to Wellsford. Especially around the Kaipara Flats intersection.There is stop and go in place, due to road works. Expect delays from today until the 7th May when it is completed.For more information on the project: https://nx2group.com/pukerito

Work is underway on Wellsford’s brand-new toilet facility located in the heart of the town ideally situated for locals or visitors travelling north. While at Omaha Beach, a new toilet and changing facility will replace the toilets underneath the surf lifesaving clubhouse.Rodney Local Board Chair Phelan Pirrie says the new modern facility, designed in response to Wellsford community feedback, will replace the old brick toilet block which is in poor condition.“In 2019 we sought feedback from the community before approving the design for a new facility, so I am sure everyone is excited to see it underway.“Positioning the new facility at the back of the site really opens up the site and creates a green space that connects very well with the town centre.”Omaha’s new facility at William Fraser Reserve is scheduled to get underway in May.Deputy Chair Beth Houlbrooke says there are changing rooms, toilets, outdoor showers, and an Omaha Beach scene will decorate the side of the building.“The surf club toilets are showing their age, requiring increasing maintenance, and cleaning, and wind-borne sand frequently blocks the drains due to the proximity to the beach.“The new facility’s location, across from the playground and next to the lower car park, is easy for beachgoers and park users to access.“While the impact of extreme weather events and potential flooding on the facility has been considered, it is still the best site available.”Materials used in the lower portion of the Omaha Beach building will be durable to withstand periodic exposure to flood waters with all power outlets placed higher up than usual.Wellsford facility’s design follows best practice guidelines as outlined in the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design and will have:five unisex toilets which includes two accessible toiletsbaby change facilitymen’s urinalslighting for the car park.Both prefab buildings will be constructed off-site. The Wellsford building will be transported in two parts to the site at the end of April. Utilities and fit-out are expected to take about a month provided there are no COVID-19 or supply chain delays.Board member and Wellsford subdivision representative Colin Smith says the old brick building served Wellsford community for a long time but has reached the end of its life and is being demolished in June.“Our town is ideally placed as a rest stop for people travelling north. But the old town centre toilets are well past their use-by date.“The new facility and parking are well-located for locals and visitors to the town centre.The Wellsford facility's construction cost is $979,600 and it's expected to open in late May while the Omaha construction is $995,500 and it's expected to open in August, provided there are no delays caused by COVID-19.

For the first time in more than two years, New Zealand's border will reopen to international visitors at midnight tonight.On 19 March 2020 New Zealand snapped its border shut to anyone without citizenship or residency, before any Covid-19-related deaths were recorded.It was the first time in our history such a move was made, with the ban also including those from the Pacific.Today, the countdown is on to welcome back vaccinated visitors from visa waiver countries.New Zealand's already reopened the border to vaccinated Australians and some international students.Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran said almost 1000 people will arrive on the first three flights, which will come from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Fiji.The airline has been struggling to prepare for the influx in international visitors due to staff recruitment issue.

Original article from Sunny SkyzBorn on Jan. 9, 2001, TobyKeith was 21 years and 66 days old on March 16 when Guinness World Records (GWR) confirmed he was the oldest dog alive."People can't believe how good he looks for his age," the dog's owner, Gisela Shore, told GWR.Shore adopted him from an animal shelter when he was just a few months old."I was a volunteer at Peggy Adams Animal Rescue and one of the employees told me about an elderly couple trying to surrender a puppy because they could not take care of him any longer," said Gisela."I met with the elderly couple and I was introduced to a tiny tan Chihuahua. They had named him Peanut Butter. I later changed his name to TobyKeith."TobyKeith's day consists of a morning walk, then his favorite snack: a slice of turkey. He goes on a few more short walks and lies next to Shore while she is working.To view the video https://www.instagram.com/reel/CcWLR-wDtD4

Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnonThe independent review was announced today, three years after a damning report by retired judge Coral Shaw found harassment and bullying were rife at all levels and across all regions.Complainants RNZ spoke to today believed abusers and supporters remained at the organisation and said they didn't think anything would change until they were gone.The Public Service Commission (PSC) announced the independent review today which, formally, was requested by new FENZ board chair Rebecca Keoghan, but which follows dozens of media stories and complaints to the Minister of Internal Affairs about bullying, abuse and failures with how the matters were investigated and dealt with.Complainants cautiously welcomed the new review, but expressed concerns it would be a box-ticking exercise and there would be no lasting change at the beleaguered organisation.They said nothing had changed since the Shaw report and in some cases things had become worse.One former firefighter who said she was sexually assaulted believed culture change would be achieved quickly if FENZ got rid of abusers and their supporters, who she said remained among its 14,000 volunteer and full-time staff."Reviews are often used to look at culture but this isn't what this is about," she said."It's about accountability, so it has to be sheeted home to the people that do the wrongdoing so you can hold them to account, so they're not there anymore. And that's how you get a new organisation. All the victims need to be heard."Another former firefighter, Tristan Roberts, said he was hopeful but dubious anyone will be held to account.Roberts was a 2017 Kiwibank Local Hero for a decade spent serving in the fire service, St John and as an honorary fishery officer.He left the fire service after saying he witnessed bullying and abuse go unpunished, and didn't mince his words as he shared his views."I have no faith, trust or confidence in anything that the fire service touches, the board touches, because historically they have always protected the organisation. They're not looking for the truth. They're looking to protect their status in the community which is one of the most trusted professions. They're protecting the brand."In a memo to all FENZ staff, leaked to RNZ, new FENZ board chair Rebecca Keoghan said she requested that the PSC conduct the investigation as a follow-up to the Shaw Report.The email said although FENZ has made progress and she was proud of what it had achieved as an organisation, the cultural change it needed to make would take FENZ many years.She added the work was challenging, and it would take time to achieve the "lasting and meaningful change" it was seeking, and that the FENZ board was united in its desire to continue its progress towards a "truly positive and inclusive workplace culture".In a public statement, she said, "I look forward to the findings of this independent review, and the reviewer's recommendations on how we can continue to improve things for our people".Meanwhile, New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union national secretary Wattie Watson said the coming review was a vindication for all the victims who had been forced to go to the media over their unhappiness with how FENZ handled complaints.She also told RNZ she believed FENZ still needed to properly resolve allegations of bullying and harassment levelled at United Fire Brigades' Association chief executive Bill Butzbach, which FENZ funds.An inquiry was dropped after terms of reference could not be agreed with the complainants."Those matters are still outstanding and I think for everybody involved there needs to be a proper investigation into what has actually been alleged and how it has been dealt with in order to make some findings and find a resolution," Watson said.RNZ has contacted Butzbach for a response.The PSC review is due to be completed in November.

Beehive.govt.nz press release by Hon David ParkerRules for daily limits on recreationally caught finfish will change to include species that previously had no limit, Oceans and Fisheries Minister, David Parker announced today.There are over 1,000 finfish species found in New Zealand waters, and of those only 43 species have been subject to a daily recreational fishing limit leaving the rest open to overfishing.“I instructed my officials to review the daily bag limits for recreationally caught finfish following reports of people taking hundreds of pink maomao on one day last year,” David Parker said.“Some of these species outside of bag limits weren’t previously targeted by recreational fishers. But there has been a change in what people now catch and eat and the rules need to be updated to reflect this.”The changes mean that all finfish species will now be included in the combined daily bag limit for finfish. Finfish species with individual bag limits will also be included in the daily total. “This puts an end to excessive take which could affect the sustainability of a species and also makes the rules more consistent across the country and easier to follow.”Public consultation on the changes ran from 6 October to 18 November 2021 and Fisheries New Zealand received 1,467 submissions from across a wide range of interests.Specified baitfish and freshwater eels are not included, and have their own separate limits additional to the combined daily bag limit.An example of a species with an individual daily limit is kingfish, which has a daily limit of three per angler. These individual limits will be retained but are now included within the combined daily bag limit.For example, a fisher in the Auckland/Kermadec, Central or Challenger areas can take three kingfish and up to 17 other finfish to make up their daily limit of 20.Southern bluefin tuna, which has a daily limit of one per person per day, will now be included in the amateur regulations.Previously, anyone taking excess southern bluefin tuna was issued with a warning or faced prosecution, but now Fisheries Officers will be able to issue infringement notices.Changes to the recreational daily bag limits take effect on 5 May 2022. Updates and information about these changes, including the specified baitfish species, can be found on MPI’s website at: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/recfishing-consultation.Editors’ note:Summary of the recreational combined daily bag limits:For the North Island and west coast of the South Island (Auckland/Kermadec, and the Central and Challenger Fisheries Management Areas) all finfish species, including those with individual species limit, are now part of a combined daily bag limit of 20 finfish per person, per day.For the east and south of the South Island (South east Southland and sub–Antarctic Fisheries Management Areas) all finfish species, including those with individual species limit, are now part of the combined daily bag limit of 30 finfish per person, per day.In addition to the combined daily bag limit for finfish, fishers may take:Six freshwater eel per person, per day, as part of the eel daily bag limit, and50 specified baitfish per person per day as part of the baitfish daily bag limit.To keep up to date with the recreational fishing rules download the free NZ Fishing Rules App www.mpi.govt.nz/rules.

A Rodney Local Board fund has allocated $232,000 to 23 projects helping clean up local rivers and harbours.Since 2017, the Rodney Local Board Healthy Harbours Waterways Fund has allocated $650,000 to assist 112 applicants to protect 95 hectares of riparian habitat and erect 62,531 metres of fencing.Now in its fourth year, the fund supports community-led initiatives that restore waterways and wetlands on private and Māori land, with this year’s focus on the high sediment run-off catchment areas of Cape Rodney, Te Arai, Matakana and Tāwharanui. The remaining 11 projects will be delivered in the Makarau, Whangaripo, Upper Kaipara, Lower Kaipara and Paremoremo catchments.Local Board Chair Phelan Pirrie says the fund will be used to erect 9270 metres of stock-proof fencing and to plant 182,350 square metres of riparian habitat over the next 18 months.“We are partnering with our rural community and those who are willing to work on their properties to safeguard waterways and native bush, and the wildlife in it.“Fencing waterways to keep out stock and riparian planting will over time improve water quality in the rivers and harbours where we like to boat, fish and swim.”Fonterra, Beef and Lamb, Dairy NZ, the Forest Bridge Trust and Te Uri o Hau are partnering with the local board on this initiative.Funding agreements have been sent out to the successful applicants who have 18 months to deliver the approved fencing and planting projects.Auckland Council staff monitor the projects to ensure they are delivered on time and according to the funding agreement. Grant recipients are then reimbursed for up to 50 per cent of the project cost as per the agreement.A healthy and protected natural environment is an outcome in the Rodney Local Board Plan 2020 [PDF] which has details of the board’s activities, funding and investment decisions.

Saturday's forecast is a bit patchy, with a few showers and partly cloudy. Easterlies. High of 19 degrees 🌡Sunday looks to be partly cloudy and isolated showers. Northeasterlies. High of 21 degrees🌡Have a great weekend everyone!