Businesses all around New Zealand are struggling to find workers in the wake of Covid-19, and the Matakana coast is not immune to the issue.Businesses in all sectors are having a hard time finding workers, and industries that have previously relied on immigrant workers, like the hospitality industry, are finding it particularly difficult.Online employment websites report it's a "job-seekers market" with Trade Me data showing over 80,000 job vacancies from April to June and job ads up 25 per cent.Woody and Kim Richards, owners of The Stables, Smith Bar, and The Warkworth Hotel have felt the fallout from this firsthand.“A lot of hospitality professionals have left the industry because of Covid, so it's hard to employ skilled talent.“We have had to spend a lot more time and money in training and had to offer better pay rates across the venues.“We are also much more willing to employ people from overseas and spend the money on immigration”.The country has gone from allowing 90,000 migrant workers into the country to just a few thousand. Pre-Covid, New Zealand's hospitality industry was made up of between 25-30 per cent of migrant workers. Now, this sits around 15 per cent.Staff have gone from working minimum hours (as a result of lockdowns) to being overworked and stressed. In the meantime, Woody and Kim have been working hard to create a great working environment so that personnel stay for long periods and get the skills they deserve. “We are offering apprenticeship programs for New Zealanders and immigration assistance for skilled migrants.”The trade sector is also struggling to fill roles, seeing a 37 per cent increase in job listings between 2021 and 2019.Local builder Graeme Garner has noticed a lack of skilled tradesmen in the industry, and people wanting a specific builder or a refurbishment to their home are having to push back project timelines due to a lack of skilled tradies.Some local trades companies have taken to recruiting workers from outside of the Auckland region, as it is simply too hard to find tradesmen already in the area. “Businesses are still finding it quite difficult to find workers, businesses themselves reporting the most difficult period in fact to find both skilled and unskilled workers on record since at least the 70s," Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen said in an interview last month.“What that's highlighting is it's not only difficult for businesses to find a new worker but they're having to hold on really tight to their current workers and that's means wages are becoming a much more important issue.”

Locals are invited to put forward their views on the licensing for the proposed Matakana Super Liquor store at a hearing on the 17th of August.The store is set to be at 1A/44 Matakana Valley Road, in the premises that used to be Summer Sessions.Matakana Community Group has organised a bus to transport interested parties to the hearing, which will be held at the Council Chambers in Orewa 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday the 17th of August.On April 8th of this year, the following licensing notice appeared in the Rodney Times:“G1 and Co. Ltd has made an application to the district licensing committee at Auckland for the issue of an off-licence in respect to the premises situated at 1A/44 Matakana Valley Road. “The general nature of the business to be conducted under the licence is a Super Liquor Matakana. “The days on which and the hours during which alcohol is intended to be sold under the licence are Monday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.”The consensus seemed to be that Matakana was only a small town and the already available options to buy liquor were more than enough“Horrendous. Gosh, we don't need another liquor store”, said one Matakana resident, whose sentiments were supported by many others. If you give voice to your views along with the Matakana Community Group at the hearing, RSVP using this form.

The Warkworth RSA is holding a bike ride fundraiser for the installation of an elevator to help members gain easy access to the club. To provide members and their partners, many of whom are elderly, or wheelchair bound, easy access from the car park to the club without having to climb the stairs, the RSA in Warkworth is in dire need of an elevator. 88-year-old club veteran member Jim Sonerson will be riding his static bike nonstop for 6 hours at a time, outside of New World Warkworth on September 10th and 11th. Each day, he will be attempting to cover 200kms, and is hoping to better a total of 400kms over the two-day period. To reach this goal he will need to keep up a speed of 33.3kph nonstop for two days running. At 88 years old this will be no easy task. This isn't Jim’s first foray into fundraising for local causes. In 2019, at 86 years old, he cycled 1,000kms (on rollers) over 25 hours across four locations around Warkworth and asked friends and family to support his efforts by donating to Harbour Hospice.  If you would like to support Jim and all his efforts for the Warkworth RSA, you can donate to his Givealittle page, which can be found here.

MondayMatakana Community Group Monthly Meeting, Matakana Hall, 7:30 p.m.Monthly Meetings are now on the first Monday of each Month at 7:30 p.m. in the Small Meeting Room behind the Matakana Community Hall. The change is for those who wish to regularly attend both the hall meetings and the MCG.FridayOpen Mic Night, The Leigh Sawmill Cafe, 8:00 p.m. Presented by the one and only Lindsay D. Come and experience an evening of highly talented local musos. Koha is always appreciated!SundayTroy Kingi with Delaney Davidson, The Leigh Sawmill Cafe, 7:00 p.m.Troy Kingi‘s fifth installment 'Black Sea Golden Ladder’ in his 1O 1O 1O Series (10 albums in 10 years in 10 genres) is due for release June 18th. A collaboration with award winning artist and producer Delaney Davidson, this album was written and recorded as part of the Matairangi Mahi Toi Artist Residency in Wellington, a partnership between the Governor General and Massey University that was established in 2016 to encourage and promote the development of Māori and Pasifika visual arts and creative practices.  The 6:30 Sparkling, The Vintry, 6:30 p.m.Enjoy a glass of Matakana Methode Traditionelle, a film and wine tastings with 11 local winemakers at Matakana Cinemas. At 8:00 p.m., Sparkling: The Story of Champagne starring Stephen Fry and leading champagne producers will be screened. $40.00 per ticket.

Matakana Four Square will be changing hands, with new owners David and Helen Whyman set to take over in the coming weeks.David and Helen have owned the Waipapa Four Square, just north of Keri Keri, for the last five years, and now they are making the move to Matakana.Years ago, when driving through Matakana, they made a stop at the local Four Square, and after having a conversation with the owner at the time, decided that they wanted to own it.They ended up buying a store near Kerikeri, which they set up from scratch, with all the usual supermarket fare along with takeaway food, and anything and everything you could need from morning to night.Eventually Four Square Matakana came up for sale, and David and Helen applied along with many others and were chosen to take over the store. There will be significant changes made to the store. “We want to bring more heart and soul, and our goal is to bring a flagship small supermarket experience to Matakana”, says David. The interior of the store will be completely renovated and will eventually expand into the building next door, which used to house the Black Dog Cafe. “We want to provide the community with not just a shop, but a community hub.“The goal is for people to think ‘this is the best supermarket I've ever been in’, not just a Four Square, but a supermarket.“We want people to feel like they are being welcomed into our home when they walk through the doors.”Another change will be a stronger focus on environmentally friendly practices and sustainability.“Sustainability is just part of what me and my family find important,’’ says David. “We have never used plastic bags in our stores, and we never will.“All deli packaging will be recyclable; the whole store will have minimal waste and any waste that is produced will be dealt with appropriately.’’ David and Helen will be joined by their two daughters Eva and Bella, who you may see lending a helping hand on the weekends. 

Julie’s Animal Refuge in conjunction with the Majorie Gray Animal Protection Trust are urging people in the area to de-sex their cats and kittens ahead of the upcoming kitten season.Their campaign will run from the throughout August and will allow people to have their cats de-sexed for only $20.00.This offer helps to prevent the dumping of unwanted kittens, and free kitten advertisements, which just perpetuate the problem.To take them up on this offer, call Julie's Animal Refuge on 09 422 3322 from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, and you will receive a voucher number that can be redeemed at a number of vet clinics in the area.Julie’s Animal Refuge are able to do this thanks to the Marjorie Gray Trust. The trust has given a lot of assistance to the community by de-sexing many animals over the years and providing help and support to Julie’s Animal Refuge. A well-fed kitten in a domestic setting can mature and fall pregnant as young as 6 months’ old and can have up to 12 kittens in a litter. A cat to have up to five litters in a year, which can result in huge populations of abandoned and feral cats roaming the country.Desexing and responsible pet ownership are the only ways to address the cause of unwanted animals being born, of being neglected and the continued cycle of unwanted litters.Each year, New Zealand shelters receive about 9,000 cats and 11,000 kittens, who have no other place to go. Help keep this number under control, and get your cat fixed.

A group of locals are taking on an epic challenge to raise funds and awareness for those struggling with mental health.Hamish Barton, Hamish Blampied, Luke Davids, Tom Searle, Greg McDowell and David Hassan plan to walk the local Warkworth DOC track up Mount Tamahunga 16 times (and a bit more) to climb the equivalent height of the highest mountains in both the North and South Islands of New Zealand, (Mt Ruapehu- 2797m and Mt Cook- 3724m) a combined height of 6521 metres. The Mount Tamahunga track is a five-kilometre round trip with an elevation of approximately 400 metres. It's a fairly rough track, steep in sections, and is surrounded by beautiful plants, trees and bird life. The Tamahunga16 Challenge will take over 21 hours and will happen on Friday, October 1st and October 2nd.“We all have friends, family, work colleagues, teammates and community members who struggle with mental health challenges,” the group’s Givealittle page explains. “There aren't many people who don't experience some kind of mental health challenge at some stage of their life, but sadly some suffer more than others. “We want to do this challenge to raise money and awareness for mental health and do our bit to support the amazing work of the Mental Health Foundation in NZ. “We'll be dedicating each summit to people who are sadly no longer with us and doing a little ceremony at the summit to remember them.”Nearly 50% of New Zealanders will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime, and no one should have to face it on their own. The goal is to raise $16,000 to help the Mental Health Foundation of Aotearoa provide people, workplaces, schools and communities with the tools they need to build positive mental health and well-being, and every little bit counts. If you would like to donate to this awesome cause click here

A section of the Omaha Beach shorebird sanctuary fence will have to be moved to prevent damage from the shifting sand below it.“You will no doubt be aware of the ongoing erosion eating away at the dunes in front of the eastern end of the sanctuary predator fence”, said Aaron Pickering from the Auckland Council.“The erosion and dune removal is now compromising the integrity of the fence in this area. “We have been working closely with the Omaha Shorebird Protection Trust but wanted to inform the resident body of the project. “The necessary consents and approvals are now in place to enable a small retreat to be undertaken.”The works are scheduled to start during the first week of August and involve fence realignment, the removal of the older section of the fence, and follow up planting and infilling of the dunes.The work is expected to take one to two weeks to complete but may be extended slightly depending on the trapping requirements the trust wants to undertake.

Wild weather on Sunday night and into Monday morning was a concern for many locals, especially those living in Pakiri. The area saw heavy rain overnight as an active front moved up the country from the South Island, bringing wet weather and strong winds.People awoke to find driveways flooded, the Whangateau field was underwater, and stray canoes and dinghies were turning up in strange locations. At 10:00 a.m. on Monday morning the bridge on Pakiri Road was still submerged and people were unable to get out of the area. Multiple businesses such as Smith Hairdressing and The Omaha Beach Golf Club Cafe had to close due to flooding.Pakiri's Flooding - Image Tine Meharry RolandResidents reported around 68mm of rain overnight, and one local reported 120mm overnight on Pakiri hill. In the six hours leading up to 8.00 a.m. this morning, weather stations around Auckland recorded 40-45mm of rain, but 20mm of this fell in a burst of very heavy rain around 6.00 a.m. MetService is forecasting an easing trend as the week goes on. The rest of the week is looking mainly fine, but a southwesterly change brings a few showers up the east coast tomorrow afternoon. 

Hidden Valley, one of the most anticipated local summer events, has just dropped this year's lineup, and it's a banger.Crowd favorite Wilkinson will be back, along with Dom Dolla, Kanine, Skream, Partiboi69, Prospa, Nina Las Vegas, Late Nite Tuff Guy, Aroha ft. Tali, Sin, K2K, T1R Otosan, TwentyTwo and many more. That's not all though, with Red Rum Touring promising another special international guest to be announced in September. Tickets on sale to those who pre-register at 7pm Thursday 29th of July. Sign up at - https://arep.co/p/hv-festival-2021Public Tickets on sale 12pm Friday 30th of July

House price rises have continued to defy expectations with every region in the country seeing an uplift in median house prices from the same time last year. Five regions set outright records in June. Our area is no exception.  Median prices for residential properties across New Zealand increased by 28.7% from $637,000 in June 2020 to $820,000 in June 2021, according to the latest data from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ). Auckland’s median house price increased by 25.0% from $920,000 in June 2020 to $1,150,000 in June 2021.  The median house price in the Rodney District is now sitting at $1,194,000: a new record for the region.Jen Baird, Chief Executive at REINZ said she expected the market would hold strong for a few more months yet. “We’ve talked about FONFA (the fear of not finding anything) before, but with less than 14,000properties available for sale, this is becoming a real issue across parts of the country, especially when houses are selling as quickly as they are at the moment,” points out Baird.“Looking at the Auckland picture, we’ve seen another record median price and three districts reach new record medians showing how strong the Auckland market is,” she continues. Eight regions across the country had a median number of days to sell a property of 30 or less – the first time in a June month since records began. Auckland saw the median number of days dropby 22 days from 54 to 32, the lowest for June in 5 years. 

Northern Bass is preparing to party into 2022, releasing a line-up stacked with international and Kiwi artists for the New Year’s festival just over an hour north of Auckland in the summer hotspot of Mangawhai. British drum and bass heavy weights Andy C, Chase & Statusand Kanine will be joined by the likes of Kiwi favourites Ladi6, Montell2099, Salmonella Dub, Tiki Taane, JessB, Kings, Melodownz.  Northern Bass is three days and nights of world-class musicians, DJs and producers, providing the perfect soundtrack for bringing in the New Year.

Matakana Markets has taken out first place in their category at Life and Leisure’s Outstanding New Zealand Food Producer Awards.The awards were decided by popular public vote; Coast people’s choice for outstanding farmers’ market was the Matakana Village Farmers’ Market. The zero-waste market celebrates the Matakana region’s natural bounty and creative, entrepreneurial spirit every Saturday.The awards that celebrate Kiwis who harvest, grow and make food and drinks were first held in 2017. Each year a team of specialist judges assess around 200 products, awarding the best products with an outstanding food producer gold, silver or bronze medal. Products can then wear their medal sticker as an independent endorsement of quality.“We are absolutely delighted to win this award, but a lot of thanks goes out to all our amazing local makers and producers who work so hard to deliver the goods every Saturday. Thank you to everyone who voted and who visit our market”, says market manager, Fiona McGeough.

Local group Fight The Tip Save The Dome are refusing to roll over in the wake of news that the Dome Valley Landfill had been granted approval to go ahead.They have enlisted the help of Lawyer Andrew Braggins to appeal the Environment Court’s decision.The group has asked that anyone who wishes to help them in their appeal against the Resource Consent approval for the Dome Valley landfill to please consider becoming a witness or filing as a S274 interested party. As a witness, your thoughts on the matter of the tip will be shared with the legal teams representing Fight the Tip, Ngati Whatua and Ngati Manuhiri so they can decide which appeal you would best be a witness for. Or you can select from any number of those 3 options if there is an appeal you think you would best be a witness for.Becoming a section 274 interested party has a deadline of 26th July. Interested parties are those who are either submitters or those with an interest in the proceedings greater than the public, such as neighbours, downstream resource users, iwi authorities and environmental interest groups. If a party does not fall into the second category of having an interest in the proceedings greater than the public generally, they may be able to support the party by giving evidence, including potentially expert evidence so long as they meet the criteria.Andrew Braggins advises that being a witness to an appeal is the better option. However, you can do both if you wish.

Tuesday Harry Potter Time, Warkworth Library, 10:30 a.m.If the kids are getting a bit bored during the school holidays, head along to Harry Potter Time at Warkworth Library to bring back a little bit of magic. There will be Harry Potter crafts, wand making, letters and more. Dress up is optional. Wednesday Courtney Barnett, The Leigh Sawmill Cafe, 7:00 p.m.Having been grounded in 2020 care of the global pandemic, Barnett made the best of a bad situation and wrote and recorded a new record. That drops later this year, but before it does the witty maestro is touring her solo show to all corners of Aotearoa – a country she's adored touring in the past and a place she considers herself lucky to have the opportunity to return to.With nine dates at some of New Zealand's favourite venues, local audiences are in for a treat as Barnett dials things right down and prepares to deliver gems from her catalogue in an intimate setting. SaturdayGluten Free Basics Cooking Class, Nicole's Nutrition Kitchen Warkworth, 1:30 p.m.This class is all about the basics of gluten-free baking, so it is ideal for those new to a gluten-free diet. However, it is also a great class for anyone who has been following a gluten-free diet for a while and wants some new recipes, or anyone trying to cook for someone else who is gluten-free.You will learn lots of interesting facts and tips and tricks to get your gluten-free loaves of bread, scones, wraps and other baked gems looking and tasting delicious. There will be lots of tasty samples to try during the evening and a recipe booklet to take home. If you are looking for a fun and informative cooking class sign up at http://www.nutritionkitchen.co.nz/.../107-cooking-classes.The class runs for 2 hours, costs $60 per person and is limited to 6 people, so bookings are essential. The workshop will be held in Warkworth in the Nicole's Nutrition Kitchen demo kitchen. SundayWonderland Glow Show, Warkworth Town Hall, 1:30 p.m.The third and final event of the Mahurangi Winter Festival of Lights will be the Wonderland Glow Show, an upbeat, engaging ‘Kiwified’ interpretation of the classic ‘Alice in Wonderland' tale for tamariki, educators and whanau that dives headlong into a weird and wonderful world of dancing flamingos, shuffling cards, an 8-metre caterpillar and giant flowers. Let your imagination soar as you're transported by the magic of giant scale glow-in-the-dark puppetry. The mega edu-taining Wonderland Glow Show promotes literacy and Te Reo Mãori, celebrates the exquisite art of ultraviolet puppetry, and demonstrates “Being your most creative self! Hei tino auaha koe! Shows are created specifically for each group:·        1:30pm session for 0 - 5-year-olds – suits ECEs and Year 1 - Puppetry-music-dancing-moving! Meet puppets! 40 minutes!·        3pm session for 6 - 12-year-olds – suits Years 2-8 - Puppetry-story-music! Meet actors with patai (Q and A) 55 minutes.

The property housing the Warehine yard in Matakana has been bought by investors only days after it went on the market.The property is currently home to the Wharahine and Tumbleweed, both of which have leases until 2029, so development of the full site would only happen if these two businesses were willing to vacate the space early. However, there is also space at the back of the property that could be utilised immediately. The site is in a prime location, opposite Matakana Primary School and next to the new development where 33 new homes are being built. Bayleys Warkworth sales agents Henry Napier and Chris Blair said the property was the last remaining undeveloped address in Matakana’s rural-urban boundary.

The Mahurangi Winter Festival of Lights is in full swing, with plenty more to look forward to this weekend.The first event of the festival, the parade, was fantastic. Thousands of locals packed into Warkworth’s Queen Street and Wharf Street as the parade led by the pipe band and the Warkworth police did a couple of loops. Boost Chiropractic had a huge spine built full of lights, Jason Morrison Funeral Services had their white hearse lit up, Harold the Giraffe from the Life Education Trust was covered in lights, and the Warkworth Volunteer Fire Brigade joined in the fun alongside other local businesses.Brent Burridge from One Mahurangi Business Association said that the highlight so far has been the smiles and families having fun.“It's been so positive, the food trucks were very busy, people dancing in the lasers on the wharf, using our selfie cameras, kids getting their faces painted for free then seeing their designs lit up in our glow in the dark tunnel.“The businesses in town have lit up their stores and it's great to see businesses in the industrial area with lights as well, we have had great support.”This Saturday, the streets of Warkworth will again be filled with families, to watch the impressive Gull laser light show.Gull Matakana & Snells Beach have sponsored the laser light show which is designed by Flying Pictures International, an Auckland and Sydney based company. The show created speciallyfor Warworth is synchronised to music and plays for 15 minutes. It kicks off at 6:00 p.m., and plays every half hour after that.The ice-skating rink is also expected to be hugely popular. It is only a gold coin donation to get skating and all that money goes to Springboard in Snells Beach – an organisation that does great work in the community. From 1:00 p.m -9:00 p.m on Baxter Street in Warkworth, there will be a foam cannon, disco floor for the kids in the Masonic Hall, more amusement rides, food trucks and so much more for the family.All this information and more is available on the Facebook page, Mahurangi Winter Festival of Lights.

Two locals, Christie Peacocke and Tayla Canter have started up a small business that reminds people to take time for themselves, and of the importance of self-care.New Moon Silk is a thoughtfully curated range of mulberry silk products using premium materials, practical designs, and gorgeous colours to bring a little bit of luxe to customers. So far, they have sleep masks and pillowcases available. The premium mulberry silk helps prevent wrinkles, and also absorbs much less moisture than traditional pillowcases, keeping your face hydrated and helping your skincare routine to work at its full potential while you sleep.“We created New Moon to provide products for self-care, while bringing luxury and comfort to the homes of customers”, says Christie.“We both lead busy lives and discovered silk as an efficient and effective tool for self-care. New Moon products help to look after our sleep quality, skin and hair during the hours we spend recharging.”Mulberry silk has the longest and finest fibres in the silk family. These incredibly fine fibres are the reason behind New Moon Silk product’s anti-ageing properties and hair smoothing and strengthening benefits.As mulberry silk does not hold moisture, it has an antibacterial element.This year, new colours and products will be added to the range. “We have a new colour launching this winter in our pillowcase and sleep mask range, as well as some exciting new products coming this summer. We are really looking forward to expanding our range based on valuable feedback from our stockists and customers.New Moon Silk is stocked in retailers and specialists local to Matakana such as The Bach, Smith Hairdressing, Lite Injectables, Little Takatu Studio and Nomad & Home. For further information about other stockists and product benefits, visit their online store newmoonsilk.com.

Whangateau residents have been left shaken after a recent spate of vandalism on the Big Omaha Wharf building.The building was built in 1924 and is a listed heritage building. Image Jillian TaylorIn June, vandals set the portaloo and toilets alight.The Leigh Fire Brigade responded quickly, however there wasn't much left of the toilets and the culprits had managed to disappear before anyone caught sight of them.Images - Marie Ashton JonesOn July 4th, locals woke up to find extensive tagging on the inside of the building, including atrociously spelt taunts such as “You ant gonna cach me”.There have also been reports of boats on the moorings at Ti Point being broken into, with fishing rods, batteries and other items taken. The historic wharf building was saved, restored and is maintained by the community, making it heartbreaking for those locals having to constantly clean up and repaint.The community are voicing their concerns and looking for ways to prevent further mindless damage. Leigh Chief Fire Officer Kevin has suggested a community patrol, an idea which has had a lot of support on the Love Leigh Facebook page where it was posted.“It happens my brother is founder and trust chairperson for 'Community Patrols of New Zealand', he is ex police, has his own security training company and deals with issues from small community patrols, security firms, civil defence, right up to international terrorism.“He started NZ community patrols for communities like us, to work in with local police and be the eyes and ears on the ground for local issues like we are dealing with. “Chris is personally very happy to come help organise something here for and with us. It would be done properly, formally and in coordination with local police who are all supportive of these patrols”.A locals meeting will be held in the Leigh Hall, Sunday 25th July at 11.00am.Anyone who lives, or has an interest, in the area between Birdsall Road through to Leigh, through to Pakiri, to the corner of Rahuikiri Road and Pakiri Road is welcome to attend this meeting.The proposal is to set up a group and affiliate with 'Community Patrols of New Zealand'. CPNZ.The meeting will be led by this small steering group and will be supported by a representative of CPNZ, Chris Lawton and a representative of the local Warkworth Police.