In a major first for Tāwharanui, a pair of Cook’s petrels successfully raised a chick at the open sanctuary during the 2020-21 summer.It is thought that this success is the first on the mainland of Aotearoa in a long time, maybe more than 150 years.In 2019, the mainland burrow was discovered by Auckland Council ranger Amy Waldmann and German intern Juliane Mommert while checking for stoats.They found an egg abandoned outside the burrow and subsequent investigation by seabird scientist Edin Whitehead and Tāwharanui Open Sanctuary Society Inc. (TOSSI) volunteer James Ross revealed a dead Cook’s petrel inside.Trail camera pictures showed a pair of Cook’s petrels had adopted the burrow to lay their own egg and hopes were high for the 2020-21 season. The camera and a dog trained to find petrels confirmed the burrow was in use and was being visited in a routine that strongly suggested an egg had been laid. However, getting the final proof was tricky.Cook’s petrels are small grey-and-white petrels. Their goat-like calls (kek-kek-kek) are often heard at night north of Auckland as they return from feeding in the Tasman Sea to their burrows on Hauturu (Little Barrier Island).Cook’s petrels formerly bred throughout both the North and South Islands, on mountain tops and ranges. After hundreds of years of predation by introduced mammals, they became confined to just three islands. In the north, the largest colony, more than a million birds, is on Hauturu and there are a small number on Aotea/Great Barrier Island. Control of cats and kiore on Hauturu has led to a significant increase in seabird numbers in the past 15 years.In southern New Zealand, several thousand Cook’s petrels breed on Codfish Island.The chick that successfully fledged at Tāwharanui is the first known Cook’s petrel chick on the mainland of New Zealand for more than a century.After a week of exercising its wings, the chick left its burrow for the last time on 9th March. It will now fly across the Pacific to feed off the coast of California before returning to New Zealand in September.

On Monday evening, it was announced that the proposed landfill in the Dome Valley had got approval after a split decision by independent commissioners.The resource consent gives permission for Waste Management New Zealand to construct and operate a 60ha landfill on its 1,000ha Wayby site.The project has drawn strong opposition from locals and iwi leaders who believe that the landfill will pollute the surrounding environment and increase traffic congestion on the already busy roads. After looking at several sites over several years, Waste Management said it chose the site at Wayby Valley in the wider Dome Valley area because of its proximity to SH1, appropriate geology and ability to maintain separation from sensitive receivers.The decision to grant consent was supported by four out of five independent commissioners. The chair of the panel, Sheena Tepania, believed the consent should be refused.The resource consent includes about 400 conditions, which are the direct result of hearing the valid concerns put forward.As a result of the amendments made to the original conditions, 20 experts from Auckland Council covering a wide range of specialist topics, including ecology, land stability, landfill engineering, human health risk, transport, erosion and sediment control, stormwater, and air quality, amongst others, all agreed that the proposal should be granted.There is an appeal period of 15 working days.Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua released a statement, saying that they “are disappointed yet unsurprised by the ruling.“We will do a fuller analysis of the decision and reconvene our team as soon as possible to discuss next steps. We will share these once the team have agreed the next steps.  “Rest assured, the fight is not over, and we will continue to advocate for the mana of our whānau, hapū and iwi in the protection of our whenua, waterways and Kaipara Harbour.”Local group Fight the Tip, Save the Dome are also extremely disappointed in the decision.“Our resource consent system is broken if it is approved when 1,000 people are in opposition including Iwi, Dept of Conservation, Forest & Bird, Kaipara Council, community and more. The only loser is the environment. This is so wrong on so many levels. We will continue this fight”, said Michelle Carmichael in a post to the group’s Facebook page.

The Covid-19 vaccines are being rolled out across the country, but in Rodney there has been some confusion about where to get vaccinated, and who can get it done.Currently, we have the Coast to Coast Medical Centre (72, School Road, Wellsford) providing vaccinations to all New Zealanders in vaccination groups one, two, and three. This vaccination site is open to all in these groups, and you don't have to be registered with Coast to Coast. Everyone in New Zealand aged 16 and over will be in one of four vaccine rollout groups. People at greater risk will get vaccinated first. Those in groups one, two, and three are currently being vaccinated.Group one includes border and managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) workers.Group two are high-risk frontline workers and people living in high-risk places. This group includes frontline healthcare workers (public or private), those who work or live in a long-term residential environment, older Māori or Pacific people, or those who live with or care for an older Māori or Pacific person.Group three is made up of people who are at risk of getting very sick from COVID-19. This includes anyone aged 65 or over, anyone who has a relevant underlying health condition, any disabled person or anyone caring for a person with a disability, pregnant women at any trimester, and adults in a custodial setting.Over the next few weeks, the following facilities will begin opening up for vaccinations:• Hibiscus Coast Medical Centre• Weiti Creek Medical Centre• Orewa Medical Centre• Windsor Medical Centre (Albany)Other practices are also likely to be providing services, but this is being worked through with the primary health organisations. In Warkworth, Kowhai Clinic will be the next GP practice in line to go live and will be vaccinating from both Warkworth and Snells Beach.The pharmacies who have submitted an application are listed below and will be part of the next tranche of site implementations.• Life Pharmacy Orewa• Life Pharmacy Franklin’s – Warkworth• Unichem Manly Pharmacy - WhangaparaoaIf you are in group three and you haven't had an invitation yet, you should ring either the Covid booking number (0800282926) or Coast to Coast Healthcare (094238086) for an appointment.

Takatu LandCare is a volunteer organisation with a vision of making Takatu Peninsula a pest and weed free buffer zone for the stunning Tawharanui Open Sanctuary. Over the last few months, the team has been busy setting new traps, checking traplines, and adding an exciting new addition to their website. Takatu LandCare has now got an interactive map on their website which shows what has been caught and where. It is oddly fascinating seeing what pests have been lurking in your locality, and you can check it out here:http://www.takatulandcare.com/Catch-Map/This month, they hit the milestone of over 5,000 pests caught. It took from 2017 until February 2021 to get to 4,000, and just 3 months to get from 4,000 to 5,000. New traps were set at a brand-new site at Wilson's Reserve, under DOC ownership. The reserve provides an important island of bush for birds moving around the area. It has not been trapped for pest animals in recent times, if at all. They also set 54 new traps at Matakana Country Park.If you are interested in helping to eradicate pests on the Takatu Peninsula, Takatu LandCare is hosting a coffee meeting on Saturday 3rd July, at Bramble Cafe, Matakana Country Park. Head along and meet with others who trap and kill pest animals, or target invasive weeds, or just find out what type of people do these things and ponder on whether you might want to join them. Alternatively, if you would like some traps, and you live or own property in the Takatu area, get in touch via [email protected], or via their website www.takatulandcare.com

This month, Auckland Council's Natural Environment Delivery Team will be undertaking aerial survey work for wallaby using a helicopter equipped with thermal imaging capability in an area from North Orewa to Cowan Bay Road and inland to Puhoi.This work will take place on days with suitable fine weather between the 7th and 30th of June 2021. This aerial survey will not involve any control work such as shooting from the helicopter. The helicopter will also not operate below 300 metres, and to minimise disturbance it will avoid dwellings and livestock.Within the last five years there have been four reported sightings of wallabies by members of the public in this area. All were investigated, including with the use of a certified wallaby detection dog. Two of these were ruled out as definitely not wallaby, but two had a lower level of confidence of wallaby absence indicated by the dog.This survey will help confirm or otherwise any individual wallaby or low-level wallaby population in the area as we do not want this pest animal establishing on the Auckland’s mainland. These objectives are outlined in Auckland’s Regional Pest Management Plan.Introduced from Australia in the 1870s, wallabies are common in parts of South Canterbury, Otago and Bay of Plenty but their reach is growing. They have been seen in fresh territories in Auckland, Northland, Hawke's Bay, Waikato, Gisborne, Wellington, Marlborough, Southland, and the West Coast. According to the Ministry of Primary Industries, left unchecked, wallabies could spread across one third of New Zealand over the next 50 years.Wallabies can:damage native forests and tussockscompete for feed with sheep, cattle, and other livestockdamage crops, young trees, and fencesincrease the risk of erosion.The cost of this operation is $17,000, covering 9000 hectares, so that works out to be just under $1.90 per hectare. To put this in perspective, in 2016, Otago Regional Council were spending $100,000 annually on wallaby control trying to prevent them moving across the ranges from Canterbury into Otago and are losing the battle. Investing early in the infestation curve of a species like wallaby is futureproofing costly spend on control in later years.

With more and shoppers discovering businesses through online research, there’s simply no good reason not to have a presence on the web or a better time to invest in a website. Research shows that more than a third of people are unlikely to do business with companies that don’t have a website, so it is increasingly important that your business can be found.For a new website or an existing site revamp, contact the Woodswork Web & Graphic Design team of experienced web specialists. Woodswork have been in business since 1999, providing web and graphic services to many Rodney businesses and they have worked with a diverse range of industries from food suppliers like Black Earth Preserves, Matakana Chilli & Watercress to organisations like Kowhai Surgery and the Mahurangi West Hall.For many years, Clare Woods and Rachel Ellis have also provided freelance services to other web design companies in the area and built hundreds of sites for local trades, construction companies, wineries, accommodation providers and online stores: you name it, they’ve been involved. So, their work might already be familiar to you.Being active in the community and giving back is important to the Woodswork team. They have happily gifted their graphic services to Matakana School and lots of other organisations. Because they like to make a difference, especially where kids can benefit, they even built a free web site for the Matakana Pony Club. Clare's own boys were born or raised in Matakana, and the Woods family has had their family home at the end of Green Road since 1995. Not only do they work for clients in Matakana, Woodswork extend their business to Auckland, around New Zealand and even around the world.Working closely with you, they can turn your ideas into responsive, smart, business-generating websites. The team can even write all your content for you and will cut through the jargon to keep the process simple so you can get on with running your business.Give yourself an advantage by getting online with a good-looking website. This local, professional web design company with a proven track record, can make it happen. Call Clare on 021 1581400.

Over the next few weeks, various roads in the area will be closed overnight to enable construction on the Ara Tūhono Pūhoi to Warkworth project.Beginning on June 13th, Carran Road will be closed so the NX2 group can install culverts across the road.For safety reasons and to minimise the disruption to the travelling public, the work will be carried out at night. A small section of Carran Road will be closed between 13 and 22 June 2021, from 8.00 p.m. to 5.00 a.m. (No work will take place on Friday and Saturday nights). There will be an overnight closure of the northbound Hibiscus Coast Highway off-ramp near the Johnstones Hill Tunnels on Monday 14 June, 2021. This closure will allow workers to safely replace the temporary barriers on the Hibiscus Coast Highway northbound on-ramp.The night works are scheduled for between the hours of 900 p.m. .and 4.00 a.m. when traffic volumes are lower. There may be a small delay while works are happening,Starting June 23rd, NX2 will be installing large panels and undertaking bridge deck works on the Woodcocks Road Bridge across Woodcocks Road. A small section of Woodcocks Road will be closed for four weeks starting 23 June 2021, between 8.00 p.m. to 5.00 a.m. (No work will take place on Friday and Saturday nights).The dates are all weather dependent and the roads will remain open if works cannot be undertaken. Signposted detours and traffic management will be in place. As the detours may add extra time to journeys, people are encouraged to plan their travel outside the closure hours, where possible.

The stormy weather of Queen’s Birthday Weekend is expected to continue through today, before easing off for the end of the week.Auckland has had a soggy few days, with the north of the city being impacted most. A total of 46mm of rain was recorded on Monday at Warkworth’s Mahurangi River and 41mm at Omaha.A complex low-pressure system affecting northern New Zealand is expected to slowly move northwards this evening.A strong wind warning is in place for Northland and strong wind watches continue for northern Auckland, including Great Barrier Island, and the Coromandel Peninsula. Coastal inundation is possible about east coastal parts of Northland, Great Barrier Island and Coromandel Peninsula, through a combination of heavy easterly swell and high tides.MetService forecaster Gerard Bellam said the bad weather offered some good news for Auckland’s dam levels, which are at about 49 per cent, compared with 77 per cent which is the level usually expected at this time of year.

A private plan change has been proposed for the southern area of Warkworth including the former Ransom Wines property in order to develop the land for residential and recreational use. The project, titled the Warkworth South Concept, would involve up to 1,400 new housing units, large lots, open spaces, a sportsground, a local shopping centre, parks and reserves, along with walking and cycling networks.Garth Falconer, the urban designer on the project working alongside planners David Hay and John Duthie, has been a local resident for 25 years. His main focus on the Warkworth South Concept was to create a new, quality community complete with a full range of facilities and which sits sensitively with what has to be one of the nicest river valleys in Auckland.The base of the large valley will be reserved for wetlands and playing fields and connected with walking and cycling lanes. A range of sections will offer living options for families, couples and singles, and a local retail centre is planned to serve the local population - but not to compete with the Warkworth town centre.“With the vision of landowners led by Bill and Christine Endean and Cindy Hao, our multi-disciplinary team is bringing a wealth of professional experience of similar developments to make South Warkworth a proud addition to the Warkworth township.” says Mr. Falconer.In addition to the new homes and retail centre, the development is being considered by the Ministry of Education as the site of a new primary school.In the most recent Rodney Local Board meeting, the chair of the board, Phelan Pirrie, suggested the development of Warkworth South should not proceed until the Southern Interchange is opened. However, with the new motorway opening next year and the development of Warkworth South still being a few years off, those behind the Waimanawa concept plans don't share this opinion. “With the new motorway opening, traffic volumes along the current State Highway One and Hill Street will have decreased significantly by this time next year, and we don’t have the same concerns as those raised by the chair of the Local Board.  “It is also important to recognise that it is expected that the council will upgrade the current State Highway One when the new motorway is opened. This upgrading should include new pedestrian and cycle paths, which will greatly increase pedestrian and cycle connections through Warkworth, including those from Waimanawa in the future.  “The number of new homes in this South Warkworth area is around 1,400, a comparatively minor number in terms of vehicle movements but a sizable contribution to providing homes for people wanting to live in the area in the future.” At this stage, the project is at the visioning stage and the team is to confirm if it is viable before proceeding with preparing planning documentation. The aim is to lodge the private plan change by the end of this year when it will be assessed by council officers, notified for submissions and then considered at a hearing by a panel of independent commissioners. “Given the continuing housing crisis in Auckland and the very strong direction by the Government for further and quicker urban development in Auckland, it would be extremely disappointing if council officers recommended the panel declined the plan change.“Our team is in discussions with various arms of council and council-controlled organisations to ensure we meet their requirements and address any significant concerns they may have. “The vision statement and the potential plan change is a direct result of the increasing housing demand in Warkworth and the need to coordinate the various ideas of Council, AT and the Ministry of Education for their future requirement in this area. “Feedback from landowners and mana whenua has been positive to date, and we will continue to work with these parties as the development of the plan change progresses.”

On Wednesday 9th June, acclaimed Auckland crime writers Rose Carlyle, Madeleine Eskedahl, and Nalini Singh will discuss the thrills and spills of writing and reading crime, from high-stakes suspense to the darker sides of human nature.The Coastal Crime author panel is being held at the Warkworth Town hall at 7:00 p.m, Wednesday, June 9th. If you are unable to make the event in person, it will also be live streamed online. Matakana’s very own Kathy Hunter will be acting as panel facilitator. Kathy Hunter is a writer and book reviewer, was a founding member of the first New Zealand book blog, of New Zealand Book Month and has also worked as a bookseller. She currently writes for a variety of publications and is involved in the Creative Matakana project.New Zealand and international best-selling author of the edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller, The Girl in the Mirror Rose Carlyle will be on the panel, along with Nalini Singh, New York Times best-selling author of gripping thrillers Quiet in her Bones (2020) and A Madness of Sunshine (2019).Madeleine Eskedahl, local author of the page-turning debut novel, Blood on the Vines, set right here in Matakana will also be in attendance. Matakana was chosen as the setting for Blood on Vines as it is such an incredible area, one that no author has yet been utilised as a setting. The landscape itself is rich, with the rolling hills, stunning vineyards and quaint little village, and the diverse mix of people who call the area home all come together to make for the perfect setting. The seemingly perfect exterior also makes the darkness under the surface that we see in Blood On Vines that much more shocking, drawing the reader in. The event is part of the We Read Auckland Programme run by Auckland Council.We Read Auckland / Ka Pānui Tātau i Tāmaki Makaurau celebrates Auckland’s readers and writers and the stories that bring us together.This free programme of exciting live and online events has something for every reader, featuring your favourite authors, reading champions and family fun at community places and libraries across Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.Booking information: Register to attend in person: Here Register to attend via live stream: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/.../coastal-crime-auckland...

Auckland Council has released a new report and digital map easily visible via the council's online mapping service that shows the areas that are likely to be affected by coastal erosion. The report has predicted that by 2050, the sea level at Omaha Beach will be up to the beach front properties. Check out the map here.A study undertaken in 2006 is the basis for the current coastal erosion rules within the Auckland Unitary Plan. No more up-to-date information related to the potential exposure of Auckland’s coastline to erosion was available. To fill this knowledge gap, a programme of research has been undertaken to identify, at a regional level, the area susceptible to coastal instability and/or erosion. The study forecasts the areas of Auckland’s coastline that could be affected by coastal erosion and instability under a range of climate change (sea-level rise) scenarios and timeframes.Stats NZ data shows Auckland has averaged 1.67mm of sea level rise each year since 1899, but the Ministry for the Environment predicts this rate will accelerate if little action is taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Coastal instability and erosion can present a safety risk, adversely affect property and infrastructure, and damage or destroy cultural and environmental sites. 

Today bidding opens for Matakana Schools fundraising silent auction. Matakana School’s annual auction event is one of their main fundraisers for the year. The silent auction will run for two weeks prior to the Bayleys Op Shop Ball & Auction evening, which will be held on Friday the 18th of June. There will also be live auction items on the night.The funds raised from this auction will be going towards programmes, such as their amazing Garden to Table programme and digital technology via robotics through Lego Education, to name just a couple. It will also go towards student enrichment through activities, such as the kapa haka group, school choir, school pool and library, along with additional learning support; and new school resources, such as technology, sports equipment, music, and art supplies.This year, the school is using online auction site 32 Auctions for the silent auction items. Please follow the steps below to ensure you have a successful bidding experience.Before the auction opens on Friday...1. Go HERE 2. Create an account.You will only have to enter your first and last name, your email address and create a password.3. Go to your email and verify your account through the email sent to you by 32 Auctions.Check out the amazing items and get ready to bid. The auction will run for two weeks closing at 3.00 p.m. on the 18th JunePlease feel free to share the link to the silent auction with friends, family and the community. Thank you for supporting Matakana School. 

Every holiday period and long weekend, we see large numbers of people heading out of the city to the Matakana Coast, and this can cause queues and delays.To help alleviate these problems, we recommend planning your travel well in advance and travelling outside the busiest periods. To make this easier for you, Auckland Transport have created an interactive traffic prediction map for holiday periods. The map shows when we expect traffic to be heavy based on travel patterns from previous years.Queen's Birthday weekend traffic predictionsBecause predicted peak times can change based on incidents, weather and even driver behaviour, we suggest that you also check the real-time Journey Planner before you leave for the latest information on road works, traffic, road closures and delays.Journey PlannerThe weather for Saturday isn't looking too bad, with some clouds, a chance of showers, and strengthening northerlies. Unfortunately things take a turn for the worse on Sunday, with northeasterlies and a few showers, then rain from evening which will carry on through Monday. Whats OnFridayLong Weekend Super Bash, Leigh Sawmill Cafe, 8:00 p.m.Three epic bands hit Leigh Sawmill to rock the stage and make you dance all night! For only $15.00 on the door, you can be a part of the best party the long weekend has to offer! Doors open at 8.00 p.m., so don't miss out.Big Tasty is a nine-piece funk party ready to shake your socks off! Led by diminutive powerhouse front woman Manuela Ovalle Herrera and backed by a full horn section, Big Tasty lays down some hard-hitting dance music and will make you groove!The Rvmes is one of Auckland’s most eclectic bands on the current music scene. Taking every genre into their consideration, they have based the essence of their band on the interesting, worldly and diverse, pulling inspiration from soul/blues, rock n roll right through to Middle Eastern European inspired melodies.Bruci Jordan is a rock/reggae fusion Brazilian artist based in Auckland. Mixing rock, reggae, blues and funk, Bruci Jordan brings some groovy vibes through his tunes making people show their moves on the dance floor!SaturdayEighties Forever, The Leigh Sawmill Cafe, 8:00 p.m.12XU presents Eighties Forever: 1980s Dance Party. It if came out in the 80s and you can dance to it, they might play it! Cheesy pop, synth pop hits, goth, indie, hair rock, hip hop +More!!!To make this an extra *special* night, costumes, leather, vinyl, lace, masks wigs, giant hats, overly hair-sprayed 80s hair, Bowie channeling face makeup and the weird are encouraged. But so you feel (somewhat) comfortable, you are also encouraged to dress however you want! Advance tickets available on Undertheradar.comSundayTawharanui Planting Day, Tawharanui Regional Park, 9:00 a.m.Join with TOSSI on this planting day. Parking is in the main car park, then follow signs to the meeting place. BYO spade, covered shoes / gumboots, gloves, hat, drink in a re-useable bottle. Food will be provided following the planting. Please register via the ticket link here: www.trybooking.co.nz/GGZ.A Clear Dawn Meets Robin Hyde, Art Matakana Gallery, 2:30 p.m.Celebrate our New Zealand writers among like-minded individuals, within the ambient surrounds of Art Matakana - Fine Art Gallery.Dr Paula Morris, professor of creative writing at Auckland University, becomes the subject of inquiry for ex-BBC journalist Juliet Robieson. Paula talks about her new illustrated book tracing the footsteps of NZ author adventuress, Robin Hyde titled Shining Land. This talented Auckland author descends from our own local Iwi, Ngāti Manuhiri, Ngāti Waiand Ngāti Whatua.Why not spend the day, or even the weekend? Enjoy your Queens Birthday Monday with an extra special discounted entry to Sculptureum as an added gift on entry.

Need an idea for a short walk between the showers this weekend? The Farm Forestry Trail located on Sandspit Road has had an upgrade.The Farm Forestry Trail connects the Parsley Pot Cafe to the Hamilton Road bridge. It was inspired by the need to protect the Duck Creek catchment and to provide access to regenerating totara.The trail is on private land and borders a working farm. Dogs are permitted on the trail but must remain under control at all times.The new upgrades are part of a wider plan for ensuring the trail has enduring public access. When the Mahurangi Trail Trust spoke with Auckland Council about access, council was very keen. However, it became obvious quite quickly that the ‘farm race’ standard bridges would not be adequate. The Matakana Coast Trail Trust is proud to be funding the work to bring this private trail to public walkway standard and to set in place easements to ensure that this access remains in perpetuity. The project involved remediating and bringing four existing wooden bridges to the standard agreed with Auckland Council.Hutchinson Consulting provided a significant amount of professional help. The project team has also received guidance and project support from the Auckland Council Community Facilities and the Walking Access Commission.All of the timber components have been cut and fitted off site to eliminate the possibility of treated timber sawdust entering Duck Creek.All of the labour, except for the scaffolding, has been by volunteers and more than 220 hours of work has been gifted.

Works have commenced for the upgrade of the treatment of the bore water for the public toilets at William Fraser Reserve, Omaha Beach. The upgrade of the water bore is part of the larger William Fraser Reserve Toilet Renewal project.This upgrade involves the construction of a new shed on a concrete pad for the plant room and installing treatment equipment to address the high alkaline, iron and salts content in the bore water. Equipment to be installed includes• a backwash pre-filter for iron and sediment reduction• ion exchange softening system• new booster pump and backwash pump and controller• UV disinfection unit.The plant room shed will be big enough to allow Healthy Water to install an additional plant to treat the bore water to a potable standard at a later stage. The bore has been identified for a ‘New Welfare Water Site’ for the supply of potable water during severe drought conditions for the Omaha area. The existing water tank is being cleaned out as part of the works and a more secure locking system fitted.Work began on the bore upgrade on18th May 2021 and will be completed by the end of June 2021.The preliminary construction estimate for the William Fraser Reserve Toilet Renewal is $730,000, including a provisional sum allowance of $50,000 for improving the quality of the existing bore water supply. A project contingency of around $100,000 has been allowed for.The tentative completion of the new toilet facility is October 2022, but this is subject to the local board approving the inclusion of the project in the 2021/2022 Risk Adjusted Programme which will be sought as part of the Community Facilities Work Programme.

The resource consent application by Kaipara Limited to extract sand off Pakiri Beach has been postponed. The purpose of the adjournment was primarily to enable the council’s reporting team and the applicant, Kaipara Limited, time to consider how long they would need prepare their written response and subsequent right of reply.A response from the applicant, submitters and council is expected by no later than Friday, June 4th.Kaipara Limited have released a memo outlining two potential pathways to conclude the hearing.The shorter pathway follows the usual hearing process. When all submitters have been heard, only the council reporting team and the applicant would have the opportunity to respond and reply to the submissions and the evidence that has been presented by submitters.The longer approach suggests Kaipara Limited and council working together and that it would therefore be appropriate for council to oversee a further bathymetric survey of the two extraction areas approved under the existing consent. This would leave no part of the area un-surveyed. Upon completion of that survey, it would be appropriate for the council to have “...an opportunity to independently comment on the results of the survey as part of its reply”.The advantage of a further bathymetric survey and analysis is that it may provide the commissioners with better information for assessing the relevance of allegations of past conduct under Kaipara’s existing consent. A disadvantage is that in order to undertake the survey itself, there would need to be additional delays before the hearing can be reconvened. The exact time frames are difficult to establish at this stage but are likely to be in the vicinity of at least two months. Based on the current information, the hearing panel supports the longer pathway approach to enable them to be best informed before they deliberate on the merits of the application.Kaipara proposes that this would also be an appropriate date for the Department of Conservation to file any response it wishes to make.

21-year-old Leon Henson from Heron’s Flight Vineyard will be competing for the title of 2021 Young Viticulturist of the Year.An annual award, this is very first time we have a contestant entering from Matakana into the Auckland/Northern competition, which is very exciting. There are six regional competitions held in Auckland/Northern region, Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa, Marlborough, South Island Regional and Central Otago. There are some amazing prizes to be won at both the regional and national competition.The winners go through to the national final which is held in a different region each year. 2021 will be in Marlborough.Leon will compete against 7 other Young Vits on Waiheke at Goldie Estate on Thursday 3rd June. The other contestants are from Soljan’s in West Auckland and five from various Waiheke Island vineyards. Viticulturists plan, supervise and coordinate the growing of grapes for the production of wine. The Young Viticulturist of the Year is a tough competition, and the winners very much earn their titles. The contestants undergo both practical and theoretical challenges, covering all aspects of viticulture which include pruning, netting, machinery, pests and diseases, budgeting, nutrition, wine knowledge, trellising, as well as leadership skills. They go head-to-head in the BioStart Hortisports race, a quickfire buzzer round and also give a speech at the awards dinner. It is a tough but rewarding experience and the winner certainly earns the prestigious title of Corteva Young Viticulturist of the Year. The NZ Young Viticulturist of the Year programme was established in 2006 with the aim of discovering and growing future viticultural leaders. It helps promote viticulture as an exciting career path and attract and retain talented young people to the industry. By running competitions as well as offering support, training and education we will have confident, professional and pioneering young viticulturists to lead the industry in years to come.If you would like to go along and support Leon at the awards dinner, tickets are $95.00, and include a welcome drink and delicious Wild Estate buffet accompanied by fine, local wines.Tickets are available HERE or for more information please contact Adam Yukich at [email protected] or phone 021 569 610.

Large swells and king tides impacted the Matakana Coast on Thursday morning, with no sand visible for morning walkers along Omaha Beach. Seaweed and driftwood from the high tide has been pushed all the way to the dunes on Omaha Beach.At high tide on Thursday morning, the water was rushing over the grass and into the carpark at Mathesons Bay, causing extensive flooding, and a digger had to be brought in to direct the water back into the ocean. MetService had issued a warning for possibly hazardous coastal conditions saying, "heavy easterly swell continues to impact the coastline until Thursday".According to NIWA's alerts, the king tides peaked yesterday. There are strong king tides for the next three days and then easing from the weekend.Experts say the term ‘king tide’ is used to describe the highest seasonal tides that occur each year in connection to the moon alignment.They say sometimes impact is minimal, but other times a king tide may cause coastal erosion, flooding of low-lying areas, and disruption to normal daily routines.

On Tuesday, Auckland councillors voted in a recovery budget that will increase rates by five per cent.The five per cent rate rise is a one-off increase that will be in place from July, followed by nine years of 3.5 per cent increases.This will lift the average household rates bill from $2810.00 to $4018.00, a jump of 43 per cent over the decade.Earlier in the year, 1,784 Rodney residents submitted their feedback on the rate increase, with 70 per cent saying that they were against it.Auckland councillors have argued the city needs to keep investing in infrastructure, even when revenue has taken a hit from Covid-19.Five councillors voted against stepping up from the initially planned 3.5 per cent rise, including Rodney councillor Greg Sayers.15 councilors voted for the increase. As well as increased rates, household water bills will rise by 7 per cent over the next two years followed by 9.5 per cent over the following six years and 3.5 per cent in the remaining two years, which will take the average water bill from $1,069.00 to $2,261.00.That's an overall average increase of 62 per cent in council costs for a typical Auckland household.