Peter de GraafAn invasive seaweed described as the world's worst marine pest has been found at Leigh, a short distance from the famous Goat Island Marine Reserve.The roughly one-square-metre clump of exotic caulerpa was found in Omaha Cove by divers working for Auckland Council on Friday.Biosecurity New Zealand said the find had not yet been positively identified - but it was highly likely to be the fast-growing pest.Its readiness and response director John Walsh said if confirmed, the patch would be treated as soon as possible by council and mana whenua.Until more was known he could not speculate on where the caulerpa came from or what action would be taken next, he said.The seaweed pest was found in shallow water during routine surveillance of high-risk areas.Walsh said since exotic caulerpa was first found in New Zealand, at Aotea Great Barrier Island in 2021, $11 million had been allocated to a coordinated response with partners such as mana whenua, regional councils and the Department of Conservation.That response sought to understand the pest and its distribution, prevent its spread, and explore ways of removing it, where that was possible.A $5 million programme was currently underway at Rāwhiti, in the Bay of Islands, to fast-track the development of technology to find and remove exotic Caulerpa, he said.RNZ understands the suspected caulerpa was found near boat moorings - but Omaha Cove also has a wharf used by commercial fishing boats, including those permitted to work in the controlled areas around Aotea Great Barrier where the pest is rife.There was as yet, however, no way of knowing how the seaweed pest reached the cove.Omaha Cove, at Leigh, was a short distance south of Te Hawere-a-Maki/Goat Island Marine Reserve, one of New Zealand's oldest and best known marine protected areas.Leigh was also the location of Auckland University's marine laboratory.The beachside destination of Omaha, known for its top-end holiday homes, was a short distance further south.Since its discovery at Aotea Great Barrier Island, exotic caulerpa has been identified in Te Rāwhiti Inlet in the Bay of Islands, Ahuahu Great Mercury Island, Kawau Island, Waiheke Island, Mokohinau Islands, Rakino Island and Fantail Bay on the Coromandel Peninsula.Exotic caulerpa was regarded as a serious threat to biodiversity, kai moana, and recreational and commercial fishing, due to its ability to spread rapidly over large areas of seabed and smother other species.This story was orginally published by RNZ

Mahvash Ikram, First Up senior producerHouseholds regularly putting general rubbish into their recycling bins will have them taken away, Auckland Council warns.New recycling rules came into play in February and the council said it had been monitoring bins since then.Parul Sood, the council's general manager waste solutions, said it was not unusual to find loads contaminated with rubbish."We are actually monitoring bins at the moment to see whether people are misusing them and the main concern is gross contamination."Several items such as aerosol cans, lids and aluminium trays that could previously be recycled were no longer allowed.But the recycling loads being processed at Auckland Council's recovery facility in Onehunga showed the region's bins were contaminated with a lot more than that.Dirty nappies, old shoes and even a wire dish rack were just some of the items that were being removed from recycling at the facility.Sood said repeat offenders would be educated, then given three warnings.The final step would be to take the bin away and replace it with a clear bag for recycling."The last load, a truck that actually caught fire had a lot of electronics in it. And you think, 'well, what's that to do with recycling?' So we just need to remember it's for packaging type only, that comes out of your kitchen, laundry or your bathroom."(The recycling bin) is not meant for anything else."At the recovery facility, workers wearing gloves and masks manually sorted the recycling before it went into a large machine.Workers sort the recycling at the Onehunga recovery facility. Photo: Mahvash Ikram/RNZ"When the material comes in, it gets onto a massive conveyor belt and there are people standing there that pull out gross contamination and it's quite disgusting for them to pull it out, but it does get pulled out and it goes into the rubbish pile," Sood said.Most milk bottles passing through on the conveyor belt still had their lids attached.Under the council's new recycling rules, all items less than 50mm - such as bottle caps - must be removed before going into the recycling bin.Sood said there were multiple reasons for that decision."One is because what people were doing was leaving liquid in the bottle and then putting it the lid back on."She said lids sometimes also fell into the machinery.Sood said it was best not to flatten milk bottles completely "like a piece of paper" because that caused problems in the sorting equipment.Huge conveyer belts carry the recycling through the facility. Photo: Mahvash Ikram/RNZIt was also fine to put the bottles into the bin without squashing them,"When it goes in the truck, it compacts it a little bit in any case. But if you are making it absolutely flat, then there's a problem to actually sort it."Machines at the facility were equipped with technology to detect and remove items that were not allowed.But Sood said people must be careful about what they put in their recycling bins because contamination comes at a cost."The machine is not there to pick your rubbish out," she said."If (rubbish) does make into the pile you are actually getting the pile's value down ... and that will cost you and me more."She said while people were still getting used to new recycling guidelines, plenty of items that should never never be put into recycling bins still showed up."If it's a soft plastic, which means you can squish it, you can make it into a ball, that also does not go in your recycling bin because it can get entangled in the machinery."Sood said people often put their recyclables in a bag, which was also incorrect."It has to be loose."This story was first published by RNZ

Warkworth RegionMonday 10th June - Cloudy periods. Isolated showers, widespread for a time this afternoon before clearing. Northwesterlies, strong in exposed places at first, turning southwesterly late afternoon.Tuesday 11th June - Partly cloudy, chance of a shower from afternoon. Southerlies.Wednesday 12th June - Fine, but becoming cloudy in the evening. Southerlies, easing in the afternoon.Thursday 13th June - Cloudy, with rain developing. Northeasterlies, becoming fresh.Friday 14th June - Showers with northwesterlies.Saturday 15th June - Fine, then showers developing. Northwesterlies.Sunday 16th June - A few showers with northerlies.Mangawhai RegionMonday 10th June - Cloudy periods. A few showers clearing this morning. Chance of an afternoon shower. Northerlies turning westerly around midday.Tuesday 11th June - Partly cloudy, chance of a shower from afternoon. Southerlies.Wednesday 12th June - Partly cloudy. Southerlies, easing in the afternoon.Thursday 13th June - Cloudy, with rain developing. Northeasterlies, becoming fresh.Friday 14th June - A few showers with northwesterlies.Saturday 15th June - Fine, then showers developing. Northerlies.Sunday 16th June - A few showers with northerlies.

In April and May, as we move into the cooler weather, our Korora Little Penguins spend long periods out at sea where they feed in preparation for the upcoming nesting season. In doing this they swim up to twenty-five kilometres offshore, and up to seventy kilometres away from their nesting place, reaching speeds of up to six kilometres an hour. Quite impressive for such a small seabird. They mainly feed on small fish, plankton, squid and shrimp like crustaceans.The Korora commonly return to burrows, caves, rocky crevices, under tree roots, and of course to nesting boxes every year. It’s not uncommon to see them residing under holiday homes and houses near the sea. Despite being small in stature they can nest in dunes, coastal forests, farmland and rocky areas, up to two hundred metres inland. The Little Penguins often mate for life and return to the same place to lay their eggs and to raise their chicks every year.Our team of local volunteers still monitor the coast at this time of the year, intermittently seeing evidence of the Korora Little Penguin on footage in the nesting sites monitored by cameras, but also spot guano, and sometimes if the tide is right, footprints. During May’s Leigh Community Day, our volunteers were busy talking about our Korora Little Penguins, answering lots of interesting questions. There was a heart-warming response and a lot of interest in the wellbeing of these precious seabirds. Popular questions are below.What is the size of our local Korora Little Penguin population? The Leigh coast, Ti Point and Goat Island populations are very small, compared to the rest of the country, but especially the ones in South Island.What’s the biggest threat to the survival of these birds? According to recent studies, sadly 73% of deaths are due to starvation. This is particularly worrying in the Hauraki Gulf. 8% are made up by dog attacks, an additional 8% are struck by boats, and 3% of deaths are caused by fishing equipment. The remaining 8% are undetermined.What can people do to help protect our local Korora Little Penguins? An important and hugely positive step that anyone can take is to set up pest control. Catch those pesky vermin. But more importantly, keep your dog on a lead when walking along the coast where the birds nest. The Korora are incredibly vulnerable, especially so when they’ve laid eggs, looking after their young and when the chicks fledge, but also when the adult birds moult. We appreciate any reports of penguin sightings on land.Madeleine Roberts -The Leigh Penguin [email protected] with permission from Leigh Rag

Seven first-division winners of last night's $50 million Powerball draw will be $7.18 million richer today, whether they know it yet or not.The MyLotto app will open later than usual this morning, at 10am, to handle the huge volume of people checking to see if they have become an overnight multimillionaire.The regions and stores where the winning tickets were purchased will not be released until midday.Just under 2 million tickets were sold for the much anticipated, must-be-won draw - far more than usual, Lotto NZ says.Head of communications Lucy Fullarton said big winners often share the wealth with family, friends, charities and their communities, and their lives will be changed."It means something different for everyone, and I think all of our winners have their things they come into our winners' room talking about."But what we see more than ever is that they want to use it to support their whanau and their friends and their communities, and I expect that will be exactly the same for these seven winners."The numbers drawn were 22, 35, 10, 30, 21, 37, bonus ball 5 and Powerball, 2.Once again, no one got the first division plus Powerball, so the record-equalling jackpot was shared amongst division two."It's amazing that Powerball rolled down to second division and was shared between seven players - it's fantastic to see more of our lucky players get to experience what it's like to win," Lotto NZ chief executive Jason Delamore said.Fourteen other players won $71,429 through Lotto First Division and one person took home $600,000 through Strike Four.Delamere said the big winners should phone Lotto NZ's Customer Services team on 0800 695 6886 "to ensure they receive the support they'll need throughout this life-changing experience".The biggest single winner in Lotto's history took home $44m in 2016.This story was first published by RNZ

Peter de GraafThe Far North District Council has slashed its expected rates increase for the upcoming 2024-25 year from almost 17 percent to just over 5 percent.Kahika (Mayor) Moko Tepania said the reduction was achieved by councillors and staff trawling through budgets line-by-line to find $8.5 million in savings - and demanding a one-off, $5m dividend from the council's commercial arm, Far North Holdings.He said the cost savings came from pushing capital projects out to future years, and cutting day-to-day operating expenses ranging from consultants' fees to councillors' lunches.The revised, back-to-basics Long-Term Plan, with a focus on core infrastructure and a 5.1 percent overall rates increase instead of the previously mooted 16.5 percent, was debated at an extraordinary council meeting in Kaikohe on Thursday.It still needed councillors' final approval on 26 June.Tepania said feedback from residents about the original proposal was that the almost 17 percent increase was far too high."I know that in this economic climate no increase is welcome, but I'm happy that the cost savings we have found mean our total rates increase will be less than the rate of inflation."He cautioned however, that 5.1 percent was an average figure, and the increase for individual ratepayers would vary according to property type and connection to council services such as water and wastewater.The projected rates increases for 2025-26 and 2026-27 were 11.4 percent and 7.2 percent, respectively.Tepania said his council was one of eight around the country allowed to produce a Long-Term Plan covering just three years instead of the usual 10, due to the extra burden of repairing damage caused by major storms in 2022 and early 2023.He said the initial proposal for a 16.5 percent total rates increase was on par with those planned by other councils around Aotearoa.All councils were grappling with spiralling inflation, increased insurance and contractor costs, and soaring infrastructure bills.Regarding the $5m special dividend request put to Far North Holdings, Tepania said the council had created the company to make money and offset rates."I'm very excited to make this request. This will hugely alleviate the rates increase and burden for our ratepayers for the upcoming financial year. A dividend of that size is only possible because our commercial arm has proved it can make savvy investment decisions that benefit the local economy and ratepayers."Far North Holdings has been contacted for comment.The agenda for Thursday's meeting stated the dividend payment would require a capital restructure of the council's commercial arm, but it was not clear what that entailed.Another significant decision made at Thursday's meeting was around a proposal to switch to a district-wide rating system for wastewater costs.Currently ratepayers in each town across the Far North pay for their own sewage plants through targeted rates.That means property owners in small towns with few ratepayers to share the cost (such as Hihi or Rāwene) or towns that have recently spent large sums upgrading their wastewater plants (such as Kerikeri) pay significantly higher rates than towns with bigger populations or long-established sewage plants (such as Kaikohe and Kaitāia).District-wide rating would have seen all ratepayers connected to council wastewater systems pay the same amount, protecting residents of the smallest towns from shock increases when infrastructure needs to be renewed - but leading to rates increases in other areas.That proposal was lost so the town-by-town wastewater funding model will continue.Northland's other district councils, Whangārei and Kaipara, are proposing overall rates increases for 2024-25 of 17.2 and 18.3 percent, respectively.Far North property owners who want to know how much they will pay under the revised plan can enter their address into the council's online rating information database after 14 June.This story was originally published by RNZ

Police investigating the whereabouts of missing man Ronny Okeke are turning attention to the southern Auckland and Waikato regions.It has been 40 days since the 60-year-old Sandringham man was last seen or heard from.The investigation team continues to try and piece together the circumstances surrounding Ronny’s disappearance.Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin says Police are continuing to keep an open mind surrounding the circumstances in this case.“This is still a missing person’s enquiry, but naturally we have serious concerns for Ronny given the length of time since he was last heard from,” Detective Inspector Baldwin says.Police are now appealing for dashcam footage captured between the Kaimai Ranges and Ramarama, in the southern Auckland region.The investigation team would like to hear from anyone who has footage, and was travelling in the areas between the Kaimai Summit Loop Track and Ramarama.Specifically, Police want to hear anyone that was travelling between these areas from 10pm on 27 April 2024 and 7pm on 28 April 2024.“We would also ask anyone who stopped at a lay-by between these locations with footage to contact us,” Detective Inspector Baldwin says. “We understand that this is a broad request, but we are appealing to anyone with footage to make contact with us, so that we can establish whether it may be relevant to the enquiry.”Please contact Police by calling 105 or going online to https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105.Please quote the file number 240501/3879.Anyone with further information that may also assist the investigation is asked to contact Police through 105 or calling Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.Ronny’s last known movements:• 27 April 2024, 11am: Ronny attempts to call his wife overseas, call is unanswered.• 27 April 2024, 4.42pm: Ronny is seen on CCTV leaving New World Mt Roskill on Stoddard Road.• 3 May 2024: Ronny is reported missing to Police.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi advises of the following closures for motorway improvements. Work delayed by bad weather will be completed at the next available date, prior to Friday, 14 June 2024.  Unless otherwise stated, closures start at 9pm and finish at 5am.         NORTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1) Northbound lanes between Silverdale off-ramp and Orewa on-ramp, 11 JuneOrewa northbound on-ramp, 11 JuneSilverdale northbound on-ramp, 11 JuneNorthbound lanes between Oteha Valley Road off-ramp and Silverdale on-ramp, 12 JuneOteha Valley Road northbound on-ramp, 9-14 JuneOteha Valley Road southbound off-ramp, 9-14 JuneTristram Avenue southbound on-ramp, 11 JuneOnewa Road southbound on-ramp, 9-13 June CENTRAL MOTORWAY JUNCTION (CMJ) Northbound lanes between Symonds Street off-ramp and Fanshawe Street on-ramp, 10 June (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Northbound lanes between Symonds Street off-ramp and Wellington Street on-ramp, 9 & 11 June (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Wellington Street northbound on-ramp, 10 JuneSH1 northbound to SH16 westbound link, 9-11 June (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH16 eastbound to SH1 northbound link, 10 June (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Westbound lanes between Stanley Street off-ramp and Newton Road on-ramp, 10 June (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH16 (Port) westbound to SH1 northbound link, 10 June (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH16 (Port) westbound to SH1 southbound link, 10 June (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Wellesley Street East westbound on-ramp, 10 June SOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1) South Eastern Highway (SEART) southbound off-ramp, 9-13 JuneSouthbound lanes between East Tamaki Road off-ramp and Redoubt Road on-ramp, 10 June (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)East Tamaki Road southbound on-ramp, 10 JuneRedoubt Road northbound on-ramp, 11-12 JuneSouthbound lanes between Manukau off-ramp and Drury/SH22 on-ramp, 9 June (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH1 southbound to SH20 northbound link, 9-10 June (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Redoubt Road southbound on-ramp, 9 JuneSouthbound lanes between Takanini off-ramp and Drury/SH22 on-ramp, 11-13 JuneTakanini southbound on-ramp, 11-13 JuneSouthbound lanes between Papakura off-ramp and Drury/SH22 on-ramp, 10 JunePapakura (Loop) southbound on-ramp, 9-13 JunePapakura (Diamond) southbound on-ramp, 9-13 JuneNorthbound lanes between Papakura off-ramp and Takanini on-ramp, 9-10 JunePapakura (Diamond) northbound on-ramp, 9-13 JunePapakura (Loop) northbound on-ramp, 9-13 JuneNorthbound lanes between Drury/SH22 off-ramp and Takanini on-ramp, 11-13 JuneDrury/SH22 northbound on-ramp, 11-13 JuneNorthbound lanes between Ridge Road off-ramp and Nikau Road on-ramp, 10-12 JuneSouthbound lanes between Nikau Road off-ramp and Nikau Road on-ramp, 13 June (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Northbound lanes between Nikau Road off-ramp and Nikau Road on-ramp, 13 June (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Razorback Road northbound on-ramp, 13 June (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)SH1 northbound to SH2 eastbound link, 13 June (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Pokeno northbound on-ramp, 13 June (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)Pioneer Road northbound off-ramp, 7-15 June (24/7)Dragway Road northbound off-ramp, 10 JuneSouthbound lanes between Hampton Downs off-ramp and Hampton Downs on-ramp, 10-11 JuneNorthbound lanes between Hampton Downs off-ramp and Hampton Downs on-ramp, 10-11 JuneHampton Downs southbound on-ramp, 12 June (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)Northbound lanes between Rangiriri off-ramp and Hampton Downs on-ramp, 10 June (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)Te Kauwhata northbound on-ramp, 10 June (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)NORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16) Southbound lanes between Waimauku Roundabout and Trigg Road, 9-13 JuneNorthbound lanes between Trigg Rd and Waimauku Roundabout, 9-13 JuneNorthbound lanes between Royal Road off-ramp and Brigham Creek Road Roundabout, 13 JuneSH16 northbound to SH18 eastbound link, 13 JuneTe Atatu Road (Loop) southbound on-ramp, 10-11 June UPPER HARBOUR MOTORWAY (SH18) Eastbound lanes between Brigham Creek Road off-ramp and Squadron Drive on-ramp, 9-13 JuneBrigham Creek Road eastbound on-ramp, 9-13 June SOUTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH20) Northbound lanes between Maioro Street off-ramp and SH16 links (Waterview northbound tunnel closed), 10 JuneMaioro Street northbound on-ramp, (Waterview northbound tunnel closed) 9-13 JuneMaioro Street southbound on-ramp, 9-10 JuneSouthbound lanes between Lambie Drive off-ramp and SH1 Links, 9 June (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Lambie Drive southbound on-ramp, 9 JuneSH20 southbound to SH1 northbound link, 9 June (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH20 southbound to SH1 southbound link, 9 June (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)

Warkworth RegionFriday 7th June - Mostly cloudy. Chance of a shower this morning or afternoon. Light winds and afternoon northeasterlies.Saturday 8th - Fine, but becoming cloudy in the evening. Easterlies.Sunday 9th - A few showers, turning to rain in the evening. Easterlies, turning northerly in the morning.Mangawhai RegionFriday 7th June - Cloudy. Chance of a shower. Light winds and afternoon northeasterlies.Saturday 8th - Cloudy. Easterlies developing in the morning.Sunday 9th - Cloudy, with rain developing in the evening. Northerlies, becoming fresh in the evening.

NEW NEW NEW Local Businesses added to the App. You can click on their names to take you to their directory listing or head to the Health / Beauty button.🏋🏻‍♂️ Creo Fitness Warkworth is a cutting edge 24-hour gym in the heart of Warkworth. The perfect place to achieve your fitness goals. They have everything you need to help you succeed, including an exciting range of group fitness classes, top-of-the-line weights, and the latest cardio equipment. Gym Hours: M to Th 9am to 12pm then 3pm to 6.30pm. Fri 9am to 1pm. Sunday/Public Holidays: Unstaffed. 👃🏻 Sarah Dwyer Perfume is for ethical, natural and clean beauty. Sarah Dwyer is a creator of handcrafted perfumes, blended and bottled by hand in Matakana. She makes small batches to ensure sustainability and treasures NZ made products. All perfumes Sarah creates are inspired by a memory, person, sensory experience or a story she wishes to portray. Sarah also runs perfume workshops once a month in Matakana.💋 Needle & Rose Cosmetic Tattooing based in Matakana offers a wide range of services:For Brows: Feathertouch/ Microblading/ Ombré/ Powder-combo brows.For Lips: Lip blush, Lip liner or Lipstick.For Eyes: Winged eyeliner or Lash enhancement.For Hair: Scalp micro pigmentation.Tahnee of Needle & Rose is the place to go for cosmetic tattoos and fine line tattoos. ✂ Smith Hairdressing is a country-coastal salon privately located on the Matakana Coast.Their talented hairstylists Shanelle Fraser-Smith (owner and creative director) and Amber Shirley have both had extensive careers in New Zealand and abroad.They are an appointment-only salon, specialising in cutting and advanced colour techniques, making each client’s hair individual and beautiful. 🦷 Warkworth Dental Practice was established in 1980 and has grown to be one of the prominent providers of dental services in North Auckland. The current principal within this practice is John Boesley BDS & BSc. He is further assisted by the associates: Fahd Huda BDS, Mohan Udyawer BDS, Grace Kim BDS, Zhongjin Huang BDS (Hons) and two Oral Health Therapists. They are also ACC and Work and Income Providers. 📱 If you want your business to be on the App get in Contact or [email protected]

Shared path works between Wood and Findlay streetsWork has startedon the northern end of the 3rd phase fo the shared path, between Wood St and Findlay St. There is traffic management in this section including stop/go on Molesworth Dr and potential road closure on Findlay St.At the other end of work site, just north of Old Waipu Rd a stop/go will be in place the morning of the 7th June to finish a concrete pour. Downer is working hard to complete construction through the quietest season. Thanks for your patience while we complete the work.Phase Three is planned to be complete before the end of this year. For more information on this project head to https://www.mangawhaicommunityplan.co.nz/projects/transport

Phil Pennington, ReporterAmbulances were called to a fatal fire by phone last month after a 111-link between police, fire and ambulance failed.And it's far from the only time.Figures show the 111 emergency call system has been frequently breaking down between police, fire and ambulance.111 calls straight to ambulance were not the problem - though ambulances' own Card systems were outdated too, a police report said - but where multiple services might be needed, those calls went to police, then were shared.The problems were mostly with the link - called intercad - used to raise the alarm with the two ambulance services, St John and Wellington Free.A police spreadsheet had recent entries saying the ambulance link was "failing every 2 minutes" and that there were weeks of problems early this year.Police said they made a repair in March which reduced problems.Ambulance had to be alerted by phone about a fatal fire in Auckland last month. Photo: RNZ / Marika KhabaziHowever, just last month another communications breakdown delayed an ambulance getting to a fatal house fire in Auckland.FENZ said when there was an intercad outage its system highlighted the failure and prompted comms centre staff "to phone ambulance if that's required".At the Hillpark fire in May, firefighters got there within minutes, but when intercad failed the ambulance had to be alerted by phone.This caused a delay in advising ambulance staff of any injuries. Two men died in the fire, while a third was seriously injured.The police called these "momentary lapses" and said when they occurred "direct dial phone calls between the emergency centres are made instead"."Every effort is made for these communications to be timely, to help ensure no increased risk to victims."'The seconds count'Wellington union president and FENZ communications centre shift manager Carlos Dempsey said it was common to not realise the ambulance link was down."Either one of my colleagues from another service [or within FENZ] lets me know... or we're in the middle of trying to complete our task and it's not working."The longstanding and recurring tech problems were delaying responses, he said."The seconds count and we're finding we're adding a few too many seconds together sometimes. It's not ideal and we're constantly having to rely on the back-up means."A common thing you'll hear is, say: 'I've gone down, I've lost part of my system', and someone else will have to take that... maybe radios, or maybe phones."Dempsey said he was not personally aware of any deaths or injuries as a direct result of the intercad failings.But he said it put extra stress on the emergency comms teams.He hoped a recent move to make a warning about intercad problems stand out more on computer screens would help.No replacement in sightAn in-depth police report released to RNZ earlier detailed how the inadequacies had jeopardised people's lives and safety.Staff said police and fire's system, also called Card, and the ambulance link kept being patched up to keep them going.And there was no replacement in sight.Police got as far as making a Budget bid last year after spending $1.3m on a business case for replacing the whole system. This would have integrated ambulance for the first time.The business case charted a host of shortcomings, including: "There is also a lack of sufficient interoperability between the current Ambulance CAD solution and the differing Police/FENZ solution."The 2023 Budget bid failed.Working togetherThe Police Association said the major concern was the different systems."Obviously, it would be ideal to share the same system which would make everything more streamlined and a better outcome for the communities where all services know and can see what is happening in the area," it said."We have got to the point that the cost to maintain our current Card system will grow."FENZ said it was pursuing options to improve interoperability between agencies "which will result in sharing intelligence more quickly"."Fire and Emergency New Zealand is always concerned about responder and public safety," it said.Wellington Free Ambulance said it acknowledged the importance of having a "reliable and fit-for-purpose multi-agency 111 emergency system to ensure the safety of New Zealanders".When there were connection issues, "a range of solutions and fixes have been used to ensure patient safety is not compromised".It backed the development of any new tech or infrastructure to improve agencies' response.This story was first published by RNZ

It has been a while since we updated you on Tyler King’s journey. You can catchup on his road to Grand Prix articles here: Tyler King's road to Grandprix - Update Jan 23and here: Tyler King’s journey to Grand Prix - Updateand here: LOCAL BOY - Tyler King’s need for speed – his journey to Grand PrixIn April 2023 Tyler attended round 3 of the Victoria Motorcycle Club champs. He broke a chain on his first qualifying lap, meaning he had to start at the back of the pack at every race. But still managed to win all 3 races on the day, making it 6 from 6! In September last year Tyler headed to the UK to ride as a wildcard entry for the Microlise Cresswell Racing team in the last 2 rounds of the R&G British Talent Cup.He had an awesome time racing at Oulton Park and learnt so much. Having never ridden a NSF 250 and trying to learn a track that is nothing like New Zealand, he absorbed as much as he could to try and get better each time he goes out on the track. Tyler had an awesome time racing at Donnington where it was another weekend full of learning. He managed to shave five seconds off his lap times and had a good wet race 2 where he was able to stick with a group and make his way to the front of the group finishing P18. Tyler was also selected to represent NZ at the Red Bull Rookies try out in Spain on the 3rd of October - a dream of Tyler’s since the beginning. Unfortunately for the Kiwi boys none of them progressed into day 3. However Tyler had an awesome time and was super grateful to even be selected to be a part of the experience.In November Tyler attended Sam Smith Clay Classic in Waihi. Although there were some mishaps with dirt bikes not wanting to perform, Tyler was lent a bike so he could still race on the day. He was super stoked to come away with 2nd overall in his class and even qualify and finish 3rd in the memorial race. In January this year Tyler attended the NZSBK 3rd round in Ruapuna, Christchurch. He had a tough weekend with many things not going his way – he got a grid penalty, a disqualification and a broken collarbone! He remained positive and trying to look at the things he can improve on such as using his back brake more and trying different braking and style techniques to help him become better on track.In March he was back racing at Hampton Downs for the final round of NZSBK after his collarbone break. Overall Tyler was happy with his results apart from crashing out of qualifying in the 300s starting him from 26th on the grid. In the 300 class he placed 8th in race one, and 2nd and 3rd in the last two races. In the Ninja Cup he crashed out of the first race but took the win in the 2nd race whilst having some mean battles.In May, Tyler had a good time racing at Navarra for the first round of the R&G British Talent Cup. He made some good steps forward but feels he still has a few things to work on.Then at Donnington Park for round 2 of British Talent Cup, while Tyler didn’t quite get the results he was looking for, he was happy with his progress throughout the weekend. He managed to drop his time by over 2 seconds and had some pretty good race battles.Finally Tyler has made the Microlise Cresswell Racing team as a full member for this season in the UK! Tyler and his team are hoping he'll come back with a whole heap of new skills and extra speed for the upcoming NZSBK and NZ Suzuki series.Congratulations Tyler, we wish you all the best and will follow your highlights and lowlights as you journey through to the Grand Prix!To follow Tylerhttps://www.facebook.com/TylerKing128https://www.instagram.com/mxtyler128/ Tyler’s team are always on the lookout for sponsorship to help with the many costs associated with racing. If you would like to sponsor Tyler please contact his team on his social media accounts.Tyler would like to thank his supportive sponsors:Titus Transport Ltd NZTree kingMad Mike WhiddettAVA NZRuck ConstructMurdoch ContractingN&J Wood Earth WorksGVR

Dargaville will have its own dentist after more than a two-year wait.The growing demand had some resorting to DIY or being forced to travel to Whangārei for treatment.However, media coverage of the town needing a dentist connected the doctor with the clinic, owner Rodney Cotton said."This dentist, through friends, heard about our needs from people watching TV, and he actually contacted TV1, and that was how he got hold of us," Cotton told Checkpoint."He's a senior dentist from Auckland and he's had his own practice. So I'm pretty confident, but my wife, who's got a chipped tooth, she's going in there shortly."LISTEN ▶ Dargaville bares teeth for first local dentist in yearsThere was pent-up demand for a dentist in Dargaville, he said."At times there's been three dentists operating full-time in Dargaville. We've only got one guy doing four days."While some people would have formed relationships with Whangārei dentists, "I imagine majority will will want to just do it locally," he said."So I'm very confident if I could get a second guy which will make my business model a whole heap stronger, we'll easily have enough work for two dentists."Cotton said WINZ had stepped in to help."There's $1000 every person on the WINZ benefit can access per year for dentistry, so we've actually been ticked off to do that work immediately."So anyone on a WINZ benefit straight away can utilise that $1000."For others, he said his clinic's rates were cheaper than others in Northland much cheaper than Auckland.About half of New Zealanders are now avoiding seeing the dentist due to cost barriers, a national health survey has revealed.Figures from the New Zealand Dental Association showed the price of a typical appointment - including an exam, clean, x-ray and composite fillings - had gone up $98 between 2020 and 2023.And for the community on Great Barrier Island its last resident dentist retired in 2016, leaving all of his dental equipment to the community.Since then, visiting dentists have operated out of the clinic when possible, but it has been nearly a year since the last visit, and demand for dental services on the island is growing.This story was first published by RNZ

Guyon Espiner, Investigative reporter, In DepthInternal police documents say alcohol creates 20 times the harm of meth but police deploy less than one percent of their staff on reducing its harm.Documents obtained by RNZ under the Official Information Act (OIA) show police estimate the harm from alcohol to be about $7.8 billion a year, compared to $1.8 billion for illegal drugs.In an interview with RNZ, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster defended police resourcing of alcohol harm reduction, saying police had limited influence over much of the damage being done.Coster told RNZ that new measures should be considered, including allowing bottle stores to only open during day time hours and raising the price of alcohol.One document, a presentation to the Southern Police District Leadership Team, says the social cost of amphetamines is $365m and so "alcohol causes 21.5 times the harm of meth".But of New Zealand's 10,000 police officers just 84 are Alcohol Harm Prevention Officers (AHPO) - or 0.84 percent of the workforce.Of those 84, just 37 are full-time, and the other 47 do alcohol harm prevention work alongside other duties, such as community or rural policing.Police National Headquarters employs 4000 staff but has only three full-time positions in alcohol harm prevention, one of which is vacant.Coster said alcohol was a key contributing factor in crimes of violence, homicide and family abuse."It's a very significant driver of harm," he said.The estimates in the police documents obtained by RNZ that alcohol caused about $8 billion of social harm a year "feels about right in terms of the level of harm we see out there as a result of alcohol".While most pubs and on-licensed venues were "relatively well controlled" about 85 percent of alcohol was sold from bottle stores, supermarkets and other off-licensed premises."The biggest difficulty we have is that you can go to an off-licence premise, which in some areas are more prevalent than corner dairies, and buy a large quantity of very cheap alcohol. There's no offence in that."Coster said it wasn't his job to be advocating for law changes but the country needed to consider what sacrifices it was prepared to make to reduce alcohol harm."I enjoy a beer as much as the next person. I would be prepared to have some trade offs there in order to see less alcohol related harm."Police Commissioner Andrew Coster suggests reducing the hours alcohol is available to buy could reduce some of the harm it causes. Photo: 123RFThose trade offs could include alcohol availability and pricing."Do we need to be able to go to an off-licence late into the evening to be able to secure more alcohol or would it be okay if we had to buy alcohol during daytime hours? Because we know that restocking is one of the features of harmful drinking," Coster said."Are we prepared to have any limits on the price of alcohol, that would make it less accessible for excessive drinking? That's a similar methodology that's been applied with smoking and has had a positive effect in terms of reducing harm."No budget for alcohol harm preventionDespite the billions of dollars in harm, and its huge contribution to crime, there is not even a police budget for alcohol harm prevention.RNZ asked for police expenditure on alcohol harm prevention for the last two years. In its response, police listed just $66,155 in spending - mostly on attending conferences in 2022 and 2023.Documents released to RNZ show police had to apply to the Ministry of Health for money to train their staff on reducing alcohol harm because there was no budget for them to fund it themselves.In a 2022 application to the Ministry of Health, the head of the police alcohol harm reduction unit says the total police budget is $2.5 billion but "no operating budget is available to me for my workgroup".The police documents describe the extent of alcohol-related harm and the lack of expertise to address it."The more deprived areas are particularly over-represented with licensed premises providing cheap and easy access to alcohol with significant levels of alcohol related harm occurring," the documents say. "Those communities lack an effective voice in licensing decisions."Police say their own staff have a "lack of knowledge about [alcohol licensing] hearing preparation and management" and require training so police can provide "better advocacy for the community's benefit overall."The documents lay out the caseload for Alcohol Harm Prevention Officers (AHPOs) using the Coastal Otago region as an example.They show the region's single AHPO deals with an annual workload of 1210 liquor licensing applications - all of which must be replied to within 15 working days."AHPOs do the vetting of licence and managers' applications, they oppose and take enforcement applications against those in the industry causing harm to our communities," the police documents say. "They drive alcohol harm reducing initiatives in our communities, working with schools, universities and the alcohol industry."In some communities, locals have taken to protesting against having more bottle stores open up. Photo: LDR / Justin LatifAlcohol Healthwatch executive director Andrew Galloway said the documents made it clear police were not putting enough resources into reducing alcohol harm.The absence of a specific police budget for alcohol harm reduction was "alarming".Police could significantly reduce harm by targeting bottle stores that supply to problem drinkers or sell single serve cans of high strength alcohol."Traffic offences, property offences, sexual offending, violence: these are massive problems which will have an impact on social and health services as well," Galloway said.The figures obtained by RNZ showed police were not taking alcohol harm seriously enough."I think this will call out the big issue of the lack of resources so I really do hope that they respond."

King’s Birthday weekend is upon us. Although the name of the day has changed the rules are the same. The official day still falls on the first Monday of June. This year it falls on the third.Just like the Queen's Birthday, the public holiday is a non-working day. If you're working on the day (as usually rostered), you're entitled to time-and-a-half pay and an alternative day off.What's Open?Many businesses will still be open on Monday 3rd. Trading restrictions don't apply to King's Birthday in the way they would for Easter, Christmas, or the first half of Anzac Day.Shops, restaurants, cafes and other hospitality and retail venues will be open as usual, but they can choose to close if they wish - so it pays to check opening hours beforehand. Supermarkets and malls will be open too but check their open hours as they may be modified. Surcharges may apply depending on the business. Some may add a 15% surcharge to cover their additional labour costs.Here at Matakana Coast App (MCA) we love to support local. We want to highlight one special local business that will be operating over King's birthday weekend - AQUA WORKS.Aqua Works will be available for those that require help with water pumps or have plumbing issues.After Hours / On-Call Emergency Help 24/7Open at 2 Mill Lane during normal business hoursEmergency Onsite Call out service over King’s Birthday weekend - Water Pumps, Filtration, PlumbingNo Water? Call us 0800 278 288 https://www.aquaworks.co.nz/water-pump-repair-and-service-emergency-callout/Aqua Works are your Water Purity Partners in Warkworth & surrounding areasWelcome to Aqua Works, nestled at 2 Mill Lane, Warkworth, where they turn water purity from a concept into your reality. Specialising in advanced water filtration, efficient water pumps, and expert plumbing services, they're dedicated to enhancing the quality of your water. Their expertise in tackling Warkworths unique water challenges ensures that you're equipped with the best solutions. Why choose them? Their tailored, sustainable solutions are designed with your specific needs in mind, ensuring unmatched water quality and efficiency. They focus on innovation, reliability, and customer satisfaction; they offer comprehensive services that cover every aspect of water use and management. Their friendly team at Aqua Works is committed to providing you with a seamless, transparent service experience. Unrivalled Expertise in Water FiltrationAdvanced Water Pump SolutionsPlumbing Mastery That Speaks Volumes

Melanie Earley, Senior journalistOne of New Zealand's oldest department stores, Smith & Caughey's, has reopened to customers two days after announcing a proposal to close in 2025.It was announced on Wednesday the 144-year-old store would start consulting with staff about the potential closure of its retail operations on Auckland's Queen Street, Newmarket, and online.A cyber attack following the news saw the store remain closed an extra day.Smith & Caughey's chairperson Tony Caughey said over the last five years there had been a 40 percent decline in revenue in the physical stores, due to increasing competition from malls, more luxury brand stores, and roadworks in the CBD.The Queen Street store appeared quiet on Friday morning, with a few passerbys querying if it was open at all.Dunedin's Marelda O'Rourke-Gallaher was heading into the store and said she always visited when in Auckland."It's one of the last stalwarts of luxury department stores in New Zealand, it's tragic that it's going, but it's a sign of the times," she said."Young ones just buy online now."Smith and Caughey's on Queen St, Auckland. Photo: Supplied / Smith and Caughey'sO'Rourke-Gallaher said when she heard the news about the closure, she knew she wanted to go and take a look."It's going to be quite sad when it is closed - I like the variety of what they have here, there's a lot of really good labels and a wide range of different clothing sizes."The staff are lovely too, and I feel for them. I can see why it's closing but it is really sad."It was expected more than 200 workers will be impacted if the two stores do close.For Keith, who did not want his last name used, going to Smith & Caughey's for his morning coffee was a daily ritual."It's very sad to see all the department stores closing up shop because they can't compete in the modern environment."It's difficult for them, but I was still surprised to hear of the closure, they always seemed to be doing quite well and had their online sales too and are a trusted name."Smith and Caughey's in Newmarket, Auckland. Photo: Supplied / Smith and Caughey'sAnother shopper, who had been keenly waiting at the doors for the 10am opening, said Smith & Caughey's had always been "her happy place"."It was the main reason I moved back into town and got a central apartment. So for me, hearing it's closing is quite devastating."She said the city had changed a lot in recent years and she could understand why the store would close but hoped things in the city would start to improve soon."It's a beautiful old building too, so I really hope it's replaced with something else."

Warkworth RegionMonday 3rd June - Partly cloudy with patchy light rain and areas of fog, clearing this morning. Cloud returning this evening. Southwesterlies.Tuesday 4th June - Partly cloudy. Easterlies developing in the morning.Wednesday 5th June - Partly cloudy, chance of an evening shower. Northeasterlies, becoming fresh for a time in the afternoon and evening.Thursday 6th June - Occasional rain, clearing to partly cloudy late. Fresh northeasterlies, easing.Friday 7th June - Partly cloudy. Southerlies.Mangawhai RegionMonday 3rd June - Mainly fine with high cloud. Morning fog. Light winds.Tuesday 4th June - Cloudy. Easterlies developing in the morning.Wednesday 5th June - A few showers. Fresh northeasterlies.Thursday 6th June - Rain, some heavy, clearing. Northerlies, easing.Friday 7th June - Fine. Light winds.

Public Holiday Collections ReminderAuckland AreaRubbish, recycling and food scraps collections will be one day later than usual after a public holiday, with some exceptions.You can use our collection day search to check the collection date for a specific address.Remember all rubbish, recycling bins and bags and food scraps bins (if applicable) are to be placed out before 7am on your collection day.Kaipara AreaALL collections day remain the same.A reminder of what can we recycle at the kerbside?The only materials now accepted in kerbside recycling bins are: Plastic bottles, trays and containers marked with recycling symbols 1, 2 or 5 ONLYGlass bottles and jarsPaper and cardboard (including pizza boxes with food scraps removed)Aluminium and steel tins and cansAs previously, the following rules apply:Recycling must be clean.No lids, caps or bottle tops can be placed in a yellow recycling bag for kerbside collection.