Inorganic rubbish collection is coming in the next few months for Auckland region. Bookings slot schedule are open and you can book now for your property.Inorganic collections are one of the waste and recycling services funded by the Waste Management Targeted Rate.Each property in Auckland that pays the rate is able to book (without any additional charge) one inorganic collection per year.Collections are scheduled for certain areas at different times of the year. Once the schedule is released, you can find the collection period for your area by looking up your property in the online booking tool.After you've found the collection dates, you can make a booking any time up to eight days before the start of the collection period.To find out more info https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/rubbish-recycling/inorganic-collections/Pages/book-inorganic-collection.aspxTo book your slot for collection: https://inorganiccollections.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Inorganic/Accepted items for inorganic collectionsOur inorganic collection service is now focused on reuse, recycling and diverting waste from landfills.We can't provide an exhaustive list, but examples of items that are acceptable are:large appliances – empty fridges, freezers, washing machines and ovenssmall appliances – kettles, irons and vacuum cleanersfurniture – beds, couches, chairs, kitchen items and ornamentssporting items – gym equipment, bicycles and toysoutdoor equipment – unassembled trampolines and basketball hoopsoutdoor items – barbecues, garden tools and outdoor furniturerenovation items – carpet, fixtures and fittings, tools, baths and sinks (metal and plastic only)timber – must be less than two metres long and free of exposed nailslawnmowers – with petrol and oil removedelectronics – TVs, computers, phones and DVD players

Miss Candy is a beautiful sweet girl, with gorgeous green eyes. She has a happy spirit and loves gentle pats, cuddles and chats with her humans. If you are a fun loving soul just like Candy, you will adore her inside and out. She loves to play, give cuddles and the best big kisses with a wiggly tail. Candy is a mixed breed with a gorgeous soft coat, long snout and body, her approx date of birth is 15/9/23 so she is 5 months old at the moment. Come meet this playful happy girl for the best puppy cuddles and kisses, she is fostered in Massey. To apply to adopt Candy or if you’d like to help foster a puppy, please head over to http://www.savinghope.co.nz for more information.Miss Cookie is a heart meltingly sweet girl, if you are a gentle soul just like Cookie you will fall in love with her as soon as you meet her. Endearingly shy, Cookie is so gentle, so loving and so soft - in nature and to the touch, with her beautiful coat. Cookie is a mixed breed with a gorgeous long snout and body, her approx date of birth is 15/9/23 so she is 5 months old at the moment. If you’re looking for a gentle pup that will form a beautiful bond with you, Cookie is the one for you. Come meet her for the best of cuddles, she is fostered in Massey. To apply to adopt Cookie or if you’d like to help foster a puppy, please head over to http://www.savinghope.co.nz for more information.

ChargeNet, a prominent player in the electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, has recently acquired several free charging stations scattered across Auckland. This transition marks a shift from complimentary services to a paid model for users accessing these stations.Formerly under Vector's ownership, eight sites are set to transition to ChargeNet's control on February 19, 2024. Among these, half offer Direct Current (DC) charging, while the remainder provide Alternating Current (AC) options.With this change in ownership comes a new requirement for users: they must register for a ChargeNet account either through the company's website or its smartphone application to initiate charging sessions, if they haven't already done so.The affected charging stations, along with their pricing structure, are listed as follows:Constellation Drive McDonalds, 14-16 Constellation Drive, Rosedale – DC – $0.80/kWhGreenlane McDonalds, 320/356 Great South Road, Greenlane – DC – $0.80/kWhHobson Street Substation, 13 Hobson Street – DC – $0.80/kWhNewmarket Substation, 1 Seccombes Road – DC – $0.80/kWhAuckland Hospital, 2 Park Road, Grafton – AC – $0.40/kWhAryeh (Piha Cafe), 20 Seaview Road, Piha – AC – $0.40/kWhMOTAT, Stadium Road, Western Springs – AC – $0.40/kWhVodafone Events Centre, 770 Great South Road, Wiri – AC – $0.40/kWhThe origin of these charging stations dates back to a trial initiated by Vector in 2015, nearly a decade ago, aimed at understanding EV usage patterns. Over the years, New Zealand's EV fleet has grown significantly, with over 60,000 units added to the roads last year alone. Consequently, Vector deemed it appropriate to transfer ownership of the chargers to ChargeNet, the country's largest charging network.Some EV owners already have ChargeNet accounts linked to their electricity providers through partnerships with Genesis Energy, Electric Kiwi, and Octopus Energy.

The history of Valentine's Day is shrouded in legend and folklore, with multiple stories contributing to its origins. It's roots can be traced back to ancient Roman and Christian traditions.Roman Origins: One popular theory is that Valentine's Day originated from the ancient Roman festival Lupercalia, which was celebrated in mid-February. Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, and also involved the pairing of women with men through a lottery system. However, this celebration was somewhat chaotic and involved animal sacrifices, and it eventually fell out of favor as Christianity spread.Christian Martyrs: The most widely accepted legend associated with Valentine's Day involves the actions of a Christian saint named Valentinus during the Roman Empire. According to various accounts, there were multiple Christian martyrs named Valentine who lived around the same time. One particular story suggests that a priest named Valentine defied Emperor Claudius II's ban on marriages for young men, as the emperor believed that single men made better soldiers. Valentine continued to perform marriages in secret, but he was eventually caught, imprisoned, and sentenced to death.While in prison, Valentine allegedly sent a letter to a young girl, possibly the jailer's daughter, whom he had befriended. The letter is said to have been signed "from your Valentine," a phrase that is still commonly used in modern Valentine's Day greetings.Establishment of the Feast Day: The Catholic Church recognises at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, and all of them are associated with acts of kindness, love, and sacrifice. Pope Gelasius I officially declared February 14 as St. Valentine's Day around 496 AD to honor these saints. The day was then associated with love and devotion.Chaucer's Influence: The romantic association of Valentine's Day gained further popularity during the Middle Ages. In the 14th century, English poet Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a poem called "Parliament of Fowls," in which he linked the tradition of courtly love with the celebration of St. Valentine's Day. This helped solidify the connection between love and the holiday.Commercialisation and Modern Celebration: Over the centuries, Valentine's Day evolved, and by the 18th century, exchanging handwritten notes, cards, and small gifts became common expressions of affection. The commercialisation of the holiday increased in the 19th century, with the mass production of Valentine's Day cards.Today, Valentine's Day is celebrated worldwide as a day to express love and affection for romantic partners, family, and friends. The traditions vary across cultures, but the common theme remains the celebration of love and connection. 

Kiwi musos and RNZ's resident music experts share their favourite heartbreak tunes and love songs for Valentine's Day.Aaradhna: 'This song knows exactly what a broken heart feels like'Aaradhna is an Indian-Samoan singer, songwriter and producer. Her favourite heartbreak tune is 'How Can you Mend A Broken Heart', sung by Al Green."I chose this song because while there are those that are happy in love, there are also those that are going through heartbreak. This song in particular knows exactly what a broken heart feels like and knows how to bring out my raw emotions every time it's played. From the guitar to the lyrics and especially Al Green's soulful vocals, it's all real and human."Zen Yates-Fill: 'This slice of 70s lowdown soul will seduce even the most cynical'.RNZ Music Programmer Zen Yates-Fill has a soft spot for 'Sweet Thing' by Rufus, featuring Chaka Khan."Turn the lights down low because this slice of 70s lowdown soul will seduce even the most cynical of hearts. A song of unrequited love, Khan endures the emotional spectrum of happiness, pleasure, sadness and pain as her heartfelt plea to her elusive lover goes unanswered."Co-written with Rufus guitarist Tony Maiden, Sweet Thing's distinctive opening riff would later inspire David Bowie's cover of Iggy Pop's China Girl."Ewan Collins: 'This song retains an inescapable sadness'Composer, sound designer and music producer Ewan Collins created the soundtrack to new documentary Red Mole: A Romance, directed by Annie Goldson. Their favourite love song is 'Lionsong' by Björk."To me, this song's strength is that it balances between love and heartbreak, longing for a love that is falling away. The production from Björk and Arca is some of the most emotive electronic writing and sound design I've heard in anything. Despite being energetic and majestic, it retains an inescapable sadness."Claire Cowan: 'I think this is the best love song of all time'There was no equivocating for composer Claire Cowan, who has an impressive range of scoring and composing credits for stage and screen. 'Girl', by The Internet easily topped her list of best love songs."It took 33 years until I heard a song sung by a woman about falling for another woman, and so 'Girl' by The Internet was quite incredible on first listen."In the age-old tradition of mixtapes conveying the things we want to say to the people we're dating, it was the first song on the first mixtape that my then girlfriend (now wife) gave me."I love the gentle swooping synth lines and the 80s bouncy bass, but most of all, the lyrics are SO direct and there's absolutely no second guessing what it's about. I think this is the best love song of all time!"Tony Stamp: 'Buzz Moller's lyrics and lovelorn howl speak for several generations of heartbroken indie music fans''Beth' by Auckland band Voom helped RNZ music producer Tony Stamp get through the unhappy ending of a relationship many years ago - and it still resonates."I was barely out of my teens when I fled Aotearoa for Europe, following a particularly bad breakup. I remember wandering around Florence, Italy, listening to 'Beth' by Voom, thinking, "he really gets it, man", and "New Zealand music is really good"."I recently saw the band perform the song live, some 30 years since its release, and boy does it hold up, the gutting specificity of Buzz Moller's lyrics and lovelorn howl speaking for several generations of heartbroken indie music fans."Muroki: 'This is currently my favourite break-up song'.Kenyan-New Zealand singer/songwriter/musician and producer Muroki chose 'Let Me Go' by Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Caesar."This is currently my favourite break-up song. I picked it because most songs are written from the perspective of being left, but I like the way Daniel puts you into the other pair of shoes."Whero: 'I'm a sucker for a broken-hearted gal waiata'Whero (Tainui, Ngati Maniapoto, Ngati Raukawa) is an R&B fusion singer/songwriter from Hamilton. She says 'i'm Not The Same' by Aaradhna packs a double punch."I love this song because the simplicity allows the beautifully honest lyrics to just hit you deep in the chest. I'm a sucker for a broken-hearted gal waiata and this one hits all the right spots, especially with the unmatchable quality of Aaradhna's vocals. Even if you've never been heartbroken, you'll know the feeling after listening to this track."Theia / Te Kaahu: 'This is a beautiful song that expresses love from one woman to another'Ōtautahi-born alternative pop musician Em-Haley Walker (Waikato-Tainui, Ngaati Tiipa) chose 'E Hine Ē', which she performs as TE KAAHU, as her special tune."E Hine Ē, which was on TE KAAHU's debut album, is a beautiful song that expresses love from one woman to another. What's special is that whenever I play this waiata live, I like to explain the meaning/sentiment of the lyrics to the audience (particularly those who are non-Māori speaking) and there's always a collective sigh of 'awwwwww' that resonates throughout the room."The first verse essentially says, 'Oh girl, how beautiful you are. With hair like a river that swiftly flows, when you cry, and tears like dew rest on your chest, I will take care of you'.Charlotte Ryan: 'I love this song on so many levels'Music 101 presenter Charlotte Ryan picked an oldie but a goodie - 'I'd Rather Go Blind' by Etta James."I love this song on so many levels; the electric guitar, the old school organ, the backing vocalists. But mostly I love the power of Etta James' voice - and the way she can sing with the pain of a broken heart, "I would rather go blind, than to see you walk away from me"."This story was originally published by RNZ

Update on Footpath Construction and Improvements Kia ora, In December 2023, we informed you of our plans to improve pedestrian safety in Old Woodcocks Road, Kaipara Flats Road and School Road in Warkworth, as part of the wider Rodney Local Board Transport Targeted Rate (RLBTTR).The Old Woodcocks Road works will begin in February 2024 as previously informed.We are writing again to update you about Kaipara Flats Road and School Road due to a change to the construction date and essential additional works like new berm and broken yellow lines as highlighted below.School Road• Extend the existing footpath at the corner of School Road and Kaipara Flats Road by 90 metres.• Install a raised zebra crossing outside 12 School Road to improve the safety of children crossing the road especially during busy hours• Install tactile pavers at the approaches to the crossing. Tactile pavers are yellow guidance paving markers that help the visually impaired find their way to the crossing.• Install signs to inform pedestrians and drivers of the new raised crossing.• Paint broken yellow lines (no stopping at all times) at the Kaipara Flats Road and School Road intersection.• Install a new berm on the stretch of the new footpath at the corner of School Road and Kaipara Flats Road. Kaipara Flats Road• Construct a footpath between 966 Kaipara Flats Road and 988 Kaipara Flats Road.• Install pram crossings with tactile pavers outside 966 and 1 Kaipara Flats Road.• Paint broken yellow lines from 980 to 952 Kaipara Flats Road and 963 to 957 Kaipara Flats Road.Please refer to the plans enclosed for further details on the changes to kerbs and driveways. If our work alters the gradient of a driveway and presents access issues for homeowners, we will carry out any works required at our cost.These works are now scheduled for March 2024 Before construction starts, AT’s contractor will work with each property owner on the construction plan and maintain access requirements.Contact us If you have questions or any information that we need to know, please contact us here: Email: [email protected]

Phil Pennington, ReporterThe government was warned a year ago that the 111 emergency call system is so old, slow and fragmented that it is causing deaths and injuries, police documents show.But the Labour government dropped a project last August to replace the system, which is shared between police and Fire and Emergency.The shortcomings of the 25-year-old system have been revealed in papers newly released under the Official Information Act, which show both agencies made the plea that there was an "urgent" and "pressing" need to replace it.In a statement, Police Minister Mark Mitchell said: "I have been made aware of the issue, it has become obvious to us as the incoming government the police have not had core functions funded properly and I am working with the police executive on solutions to that."A major flaw in the system is that it can only take phone calls, not text or video. It is also unable to liaise with social media platforms, and has poor integration between apps.In one example, a woman was stabbed to death by a partner who overheard her making a 111 call."A modern [111] solution could have enabled [the woman] to notify police by a method other than a voice call which [the man] would not have detected."In other examples:A man drowned at a beach in the time it took an ambulance and paramedic to get there after a 111 call to them - when police and Surf Rescue at the same beach were not alerted by the fragmented system.Firefighters were called out by 111 to help a woman tend a man who had collapsed when confronted by a shooter. But the system did not let police who were hunting the shooter know they were there. "The frontline FENZ responders and [the woman] are unaware of the danger they are in," a business case said.These were outlined briefly in an initial business case to replace the old system called Card, accepted by the Cabinet a year ago and endorsed by half a dozen police executives.The police on Tuesday morning told RNZ the system continued to work "despite the current challenges" and they had improved parts of the Computer Aided Dispatch or CAD component, around security and patching."We acknowledge where manual processes are used there is some risk of human error; we are focused on improving processes within the confines of our current systems," deputy commissioner of operational services and road policing Jevon McSkimming said in a statement.The initial business case said restriction to phone-only requests and poor integration between apps and agencies was "risking lives, health and wellbeing.""There is no margin for error in this service: failure to receive a call for help, or to send appropriate help to the right location, can literally be a matter of life and death."There was evidence of an increase in calls "resulting in 'serious incidents' (avoidable death or injury)"."The public may not receive timely help when they need it, and frontline responders could find themselves attending dangerous incidents without pertinent situational information and without adequate support."Police Minister Mark Mitchell said he was working with police on solutions. Photo: RNZ / Angus DreaverThe system broke down 59 times in the year 2021-22.A fault in mid-2022 could not be found for 20 days, while calltakers deployed work-arounds that put them under "significant" pressure.The system's inability to receive texts, video or social media communications led to poor assessment of how bad an emergency was - "eg finger injury vs severed hand, small fire vs major scrub fire".Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the government was asking police to find efficiencies to make savings to put into the likes of the 111 system."We know there are challenges to that triple-one system, I know the Minister's all over it," Luxon told Morning Report.Making savings, and making new investments, were not mutually exclusive, he said."What we're asking the police to do is to go back through their back-office functions, look at their use of contractors and consultants, see whether there are inefficiencies, programmes that are not working, recycle those funds to put it back into the front line again."Essentially, we're asking every government department to generate savings."In some cases we are actually wanting to make sure those savings are then recycled into frontline services for key portfolios, and in other cases those savings need to be generated."Briefing to minister calls system 'cumbersome'Mitchell was told by police in a briefing to the incoming minister in November that police "have critical back-end ICT applications" like the 111 system "that require significant modernisation".The system was increasingly not getting locations right."It is cumbersome and often inconsistent between agencies ... Mapping information is disparate, unintegrated, and inconsistent."The agencies said they needed to reduce lost or abandoned 111 calls, as the number of 111 calls doubled over the past two decades.Card was "already experiencing failures with some taking extended periods of time to trace and resolve ... Less secure old technologies and a patchwork of disparate systems risks privacy and security breaches and unplanned outages."The risk was not just to 111 callers, but to the officers and other responders."For example, identifying the right location to deploy resources is the most important piece of information, and it is often inconsistent between agencies due to incompatible solutions and the inability to consume or share multi-source situational awareness information."Unplanned outages due to the complex platform created "risk to the safety and wellbeing of New Zealanders and frontline responders," said the papers."Planned outages are lengthy and error prone, which affect operations."The last time Card was upgraded in 2018/19, it forced the police's mobile responder app offline for an extended period, even though frontline officers relied on it.Card did not work well across police and FENZ, while the two ambulance services, St John and Wellington Free, were even further removed with a separate callout system.The Communications and Resource Deployment (Card) system is not a computer application. It is a physical system of multiple different items made up of software and hardware (including CAD, radio/voice console, telephony, standard operating procedures (SOPS), PCs/laptops, screens, radio equipment etc.) that make up a system for the deployment of resources in response to emergency incidents.The papers date to around the time Cyclone Gabrielle was hammering the North Island."A modern replaced Card solution would significantly enhance the ability of the emergency service agencies to collaborate and coordinate their response to an event such as Cyclone Gabrielle," said a briefing to the Police Minister.Detailed costings spanning 13 years from 2023 to buy and implement a whole new high-tech system across police and fire by 2027, and then the ambulance services by 2029, are laid out in the reports.However, all the costings have been blanked out by police in the OIA response.Ministers approved the initial business case, and ordered a more detailed one.The project made it as far as the 'Significant Investments Track' for the 2023 Budget - but by August had been derailed by "tight fiscal constraints and competing pressures", the previous government told RNZ.But an allied $1.4 billion upgrade of the Public Safety Network is going ahead.This rolls out digital radios, so power cuts and cellphone outages do not cut off responders.A replacement Card system was meant to fit in with this."The replacement Card solution will leverage the new infrastructure platform the PSN will provide to deliver more effective emergency services."A question from the Prime Minister's office expressed puzzlement as to why the two emergency comms projects were not being done together, but the agencies said they offered separate benefits.They told the lawmakers that if the Card budget bid failed, it would likely scupper any sector-wide solution and expose individual agencies to a lot of financial burden.Police do have a 111 text system for the deaf or hearing-or-speech impaired that must first be registered online.Police did not respond on Monday to RNZ's request to outline in what ways, if any, they have improved Card or reduced the risks of badly handled calls, since these reports came out.Earlier they said they were looking at replacing a part of Card that would talk to the police radio network within the PSN, once it is ready.They also said the agencies and ambulance services were working on ways to share information about incidents where more than one emergency service was required. It is not clear where that has got up to.FENZ takes 350,000 calls a year, and uses Card to despatch crews to 85,000 emergencies; police handle 1.4 million 111 calls a year and 1.8 million '105' calls , a quarter of which are upgraded to an emergency.In the police statement, McSkimming said they had business continuity plans to cope during Card outages.The systems were still supported and maintained.But it was "highly customised, and ensuring it's future-proofed and able to properly integrate across other emergency services is important. This is why potential investment remains under active consideration", he said.This story was originally published by RNZ

DESPERATELY SEEKING VOLUNTEERS IN MANGAWHAIHelping Paws urgently needs volunteers to help out at our Rescue Centre in Mangawhai. We are looking for people who have time to help out either in the morning, or in the afternoon.The Morning ShiftThe morning shift requires you to be available for several hours, either weekly, fortnightly, monthly or on an ad-hoc basis. You will be changing litter trays, food and water bowls and undertaking light cleaning of our cages and our open catio area.The Afternoon ShiftThe afternoon shift requires you to be available for at least one hour, also on a weekly, fortnightly, monthly or an ad-hoc basis. You will be scooping litter trays, topping up food and water bowls, and giving our non-cat areas a bit of a spruce up. This will include tidying away things that are somewhere they shouldn't be, wiping down cabinet fronts and benchtops, and sweeping and mopping floors.This is a lovely way to give back to your community, to boost your community service hours for awards you may be working towards, and to spend time with our rescued cats and kittens who may otherwise have been put to sleep.Sound like you? Please message our Volunteer Co-Ordinators and let us know:https://www.facebook.com/helpingpawsvolunteers

Krystal Gibbens, ReporterAdvocates say police's intentions to withdraw from family harm callouts will only cause more harm.In a recent briefing to incoming Police Minister Mark Mitchell, the police department proposed a managed withdrawal from what it considered non-crime social problems.Police said it had been forced to step in when it came to family harm, mental health, and child protection calls due to a lack of other social services.But it said more than half of its family harm investigations did not involve an offence being recorded.It proposed a change that would involve withdrawal from some of those callouts over time and advocating for that role to be filled by others.But it was a proposal that has shocked those who advocate for victims.Women's Refuge chief executive Ang Jury. Photo:"People don't invite police around just because they feel like a visit. They invite them around because they're scared," Women's Refuge chief executive Ang Jury said.She could not see any other agency that could step in and take the role of police."Police is the only agency in this country that actually has the power and the authority to deal with potentially dangerous situations."And if offences were not being recorded at family callouts, Jury said that was not necessarily because they did not exist.She said a prime example was breaches of protection orders."Breaches of protection order are an offence. Yet the vast majority of them are never result in a charge. That doesn't mean to say they shouldn't."Family lawyer Vicki Currie said she was concerned that cases of family violence would be missed if police did not attend callouts anymore.She said when they attended a callout, a family violence incident was recorded and then shared with other agencies such as Women's Refugee and Oranga Tamariki."If the police aren't attending callouts then it's not coming to the attention of [those] agencies," she said."The reality is there is no other agency with the power to arrest and detain people at family harm incidents. There is no other agency that has the necessary tools to deal with mental health crisis and child protection and, in my view, it is the responsibility of the New Zealand Police to be at the frontline and dealing with these issues," Currie said.Police 'going to triage differentlyPolice Commissioner Andrew Coster said its attendance to family harm callouts had increased 80 percent in 10 years.That meant police time was being consumed in homes and away from the public places where people wanted to see them, he said.Coster said family harm callouts could involve a complex mix of social problems including, drugs, financial issues and mental health."Part of the challenge is that there is no one agency that obviously deals with that, and by default police becomes the one that they call."We're signalling that we are going to triage differently on these events and we do need to prioritise our response to the things that only police can do," Coster said."Which for a time potentially will create a gap in terms of who is ... available to respond to some of these situations."Police Commissioner Andrew Coster. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-FarrellyHe said there were some community initiatives to help respond to these social issues, and the government had signalled that it would put more funding into those types of responses."I'm confident that where a police response is required people are increasingly willing to contact us and they will continue to get a response," Coster said."What we're signalling here is that our policy of mandatory attendance at every family harm event, regardless of whether any violence or criminal activity has been signalled is not sustainable for us."In its briefing, police also said that to improve the response rates for non-urgent (priority two and below) family harm events and reduce demand on its frontline, Police had conducted a six-month Proof of Concept (POC)."Ending in June 2023 that trialled a phoned-based triage service to provide timely risk assessment of further harm and help identify the appropriate support required," the briefing said."The POC identified benefits in relieving frontline pressure and increasing victim trust in the police response."Coster said an expansion of that pilot was being considered.But Jury was sceptical.She said over the phone, the caller may not provide all the relevant information."Family violence victims, will often underplay what it is that's happening for a variety of reasons and they may not necessarily be providing enough information for that call taker to triage effectively," she said.She also remained worried about the wider ramifications of police withdrawing."We simply cannot go back to the days of someone at the police station picking up a phone and saying 'oh well you know it's just a bit of a domestic, don't really need anyone to come out for it'."This story was originally published by RNZ

Warkworth RegionMonday 12th February - Fine. Light winds, but afternoon sea breezes.Tuesday 13th - Fine. Southwesterlies developing for a time in the afternoon and evening.Wednesday 14th - Fine. Northeasterlies developing in the morning.Thursday 15th - Fine. Northeasterlies.Friday 16th - Fine. Northeasterlies.Saturday 17th - Showers with light winds.Sunday 18th - A few showers with light winds.Mangawhai RegionMonday 12th February - Mainly fine. Chance of a shower. Light winds, but afternoon sea breezes.Tuesday 13th - Fine. Easterlies developing for a time in the afternoon and evening.Wednesday 14th - Fine. Easterlies developing in the morning.Thursday 15th - Fine, then a few showers developing. Northeasterlies.Friday 16th - A few showers. Northeasterlies.Saturday 17th - Fine. Easterlies.Sunday 18th - Showers with light winds.

"Witnesses sought to fatal crash in Matauri Bay, the Far North"Police are seeking information in relation to a fatal crash where a car collided with a pedestrian this week in Matauri Bay, the Far North.The crash occurred sometime between midnight on Waitangi Day, Tuesday 6 February, and 4.00am on Wednesday 7 February.The crash occurred on Matauri Bay Road, approximately 350 metres west of Tepene Tablelands Road in Matauri Bay.Sadly, a 35-year-old man died at the scene.Police are seeking any witnesses to the crash, or driving prior to the crash, or any person with any information relating to the crash, to call the 105-reporting line quoting the file number 240207/0471 and provide details about what they have seen.People can also contact Police online at https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105 clicking ‘Update Report’ and reference file number: 240207/0471.In particular, Police are seeking sightings of a silver-coloured Nissan Maxima sedan, registration number BRZ652, that was in the Matauri Bay area around the time of the crash.Police are also seeking persons who have CCTV cameras on their property covering Matauri Bay Road, Matauri Beach Road, Wainui Road and Te Ngaire Bay.We also ask anyone who might have recorded dash camera footage from the area to also come forward and assist the ongoing investigation.Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Overnight motorway closures10 February – 17 February 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, 16 February 2024. Unless otherwise stated, closures start at 9pm and finish at 5am. NORTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Shelly Beach Road southbound off-ramp, 11-15 FebruaryShelly Beach Road southbound off-ramp, 10 & 17 February (approx. 8:30pm to 10:00am) CENTRAL MOTORWAY JUNCTION (CMJ)SH1 southbound to SH16 eastbound (Port) link, 14 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Wellington Street northbound on-ramp, 12-15 FebruaryNorthbound lanes between Nelson Street off-ramp and Fanshawe Street on-ramp, 14-15 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Northbound lanes between Symonds Street off-ramp and Fanshawe Street on-ramp, 12-13 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH1 northbound to SH16 westbound link, 12-15 FebruarySH1 northbound to SH16 eastbound (Port) link, 14 February (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)SH16 eastbound to SH1 northbound link, 12-13 FebruaryGrafton Road eastbound on-ramp, 14 FebruaryWestbound lanes between Stanley Street off-ramp and Hobson Street on-ramp (SH16), 12-15 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH16 (Port) westbound to SH1 northbound link, 12-15 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH16 (Port) westbound to SH1 northbound link, 12-15 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH16 (Port) westbound to SH1 southbound link, 12-13 FebruaryWellesley Street East westbound on-ramp, 12-15 FebruaryGrafton Road southbound on-ramp, 12-13 FebruarySOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Market Road northbound off-ramp, 13-14 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Southbound lanes between Papakura off-ramp and Drury/SH22 on-ramp, 13-14 FebruaryPapakura southbound on-ramp, 13-14 FebruaryPapakura (Loop) northbound on-ramp, 15 FebruaryNorthbound lanes between Drury/SH22 off-ramp and Papakura on-ramp, 11-15 FebruaryDrury/SH22 northbound on-ramp, 11-15 FebruaryBeaver Road East southbound off-ramp, 10 -11 February (approx. 5:00am to 4:00pm)Southbound lanes between Bombay off-ramp and Bombay on-ramp, 11 FebruaryNorthbound lanes between Bombay off-ramp and Bombay on-ramp, 11 FebruaryBeaver Road northbound on-ramp, 11 FebruaryBeaver Road northbound off-ramp, 11 FebruaryNikau Road northbound on-ramp, 11 FebruarySouthbound lanes between Hampton Downs off-ramp and Te Kauwhata on-ramp, 14-15 FebruaryHampton Downs southbound on-ramp, 14-15 February NORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)Southbound lanes between Waimauku Roundabout and Foster Road, 11-15 FebruaryNorthbound lanes between Foster Road and Waimauku Roundabout, 11-15 FebruaryTe Atatu Road northbound on-ramp, 15 FebruaryPatiki Road northbound on-ramp, 15 FebruaryRosebank Road northbound off-ramp, 14 FebruaryGreat North Road northbound on-ramp, 15 FebruaryNorthbound lanes between Great North Road off-ramp and Lincoln Road on-ramp, 15 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00amGreat North Road eastbound off ramp, 12-13 FebruarySH16 eastbound to SH20 southbound link (Waterview southbound tunnel closed), 12-13 FebruarySH16 westbound to SH20 southbound link (Waterview southbound tunnel closed), 12-13 FebruarySH16 westbound to SH20 southbound link, 15 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Eastbound lanes between Great North Road off-ramp and Alten Road (SH16 Port), 14 February (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Great North Road eastbound on-ramp, 14 FebruarySt Lukes Road eastbound on-ramp, 14 FebruarySOUTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH20)Northbound lanes between Maioro Street off-ramp and SH16 (Waterview northbound tunnel closed), 14-15 FebruaryMaioro Street northbound on-ramp, 14-15 FebruaryNeilson Street southbound on-ramp, 13 FebruaryMahunga Drive southbound off-ramp, 13&15 FebruaryMahunga Drive southbound off-ramp, 15 FebruaryPlease follow the signposted detours. Waka Kotahi thanks you for your co-operation during these essential improvements and maintenance.

The Chinese Lunar New Year (Xīn Nián, 新年), also known as the Spring Festival (Chūn Jié, 春节), is one of China's most important festivals, falling on 10 February this year.Dating back thousands of years, Lunar New Year celebrations vary from region to region in mainland China and beyond.Many traditions associated with new year celebrations focus on bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new, family reunions, ancestral worship and prayers in search of good luck and prosperity.While the festive period's duration is likely to differ depending on each region, the Laba Festival typically marks the beginning of celebrations. The season typically ends with celebrations for the Lantern Festival about a month later.New year celebrations typically feature dedicated culinary dishes and decorations, red packets of lucky money, fireworks, cultural performances and endless gatherings with family, relatives and friends.Laba Festival According to an old proverb, "after Laba, it's the New Year"."La" is the name given to the 12th and final month in the Chinese lunar calendar, while "ba" means number eight.Many families start preparing for new year celebrations from the eighth day of the last month of the lunar calendar. This year, it fell on 18 January.Many households in China traditionally enjoy a bowl of Laba congee on this day. The dish consists of rice, dates, peanuts, longan, lotus seeds and beans to celebrate the harvest as well as express wishes for good luck in the coming year.Deep CleanAs New Year's Day draws nearer, households will give their house a thorough clean.As the words "dust" (chén, 尘) and "old" (chén, 陈) are homophonous in Chinese, sweeping away the dust symbolises removing the old and replacing it with the new.According to Chinese folklore, cleaning should be completed on the 24th day of the 12th lunar month of the year. In modern times, however, people are more flexible about this date.Paper-cuttings featuring characters that represent "spring" and "fortune". Photo: SuppliedDecorationsSpring couplets, new year paintings, red paper-cuttings and the character "fú" ("fortune", 福) are commonplace decorations for households as well as businesses over the festive season.Spring couplets are a pair of poetry lines that adhere to certain rules, expressing people's hope for happiness, luck and good fortune. They are often placed on the frame of a door.New year paintings and paper-cuttings feature a variety of content, but all possess a common thread of keeping evil spirits away and praying for good fortune.New Year's Eve dinnerFor many families, dinner on New Year's Eve is often regarded as the most important meal of the year. No matter how far away people are, they often travel back to their hometown for a much-cherished family reunion.The meal is often a home-cooked feast containing a spectacular array of dishes. Some of these servings - for example, cured meat - are often prepared weeks before the actual dinner.Although different regions might celebrate new year by enjoying different cuisine, all locations will be sure to cook dishes that people believe will bring good luck in the year ahead, including fish (abundance), dumplings (wealth) or sticky rice cake (progress).A household in China's Hunan province enjoys dinner on New Year's Eve that includes a whole fish. Photo: SuppliedLimin Bai, a senior lecturer in Chinese studies at Victoria University in Wellington, says many families have tended to opt for dinner in a restaurant on New Year's Eve in recent years.Travelling overseas has also become popular, Bai says. "Urban dwellers have witnessed a transformation in these customs."Watching the New Year Gala TV show produced by China Central Television had also become a tradition for families since the 1980s, but interest has faded in recent decades, most likely due to increased options that many households have.Fireworks Fireworks are a traditional part of celebrations for the new year, and it's almost a necessity for nearly every household on New Year's Eve."As the clock strikes midnight, the noise of fireworks builds to a climax, bidding farewell to the old year and ushering in a new one," Bai says.Liu ChenAccording to a Chinese folktale, a sea monster called Nian comes ashore on New Year's Eve each year to hunt people and livestock.Villagers discovered that the crackle of burning bamboo (an early form of fireworks), the colour red and bright lights helped to scare the monster away, so they have set off fireworks and decorated their houses with red ornaments ever since.Many places in China now have restrictions in place that control when and where people can light fireworks.All-night vigilShǒu suì (守岁) refers to the act of staying up on New Year's Eve until dawn the following day. These days, however, many people only stay awake until midnight.After dinner on New Year's Eve, families will sit down together, light a candle or an oil lamp, and catch up over casual conversation, with many playing games or watching television.People traditionally believe the all-night vigil can eliminate evil spirits and plagues and bring good fortune to the family over the coming 12 months.It's also believed that children who stay up all night have the added benefit of increasing the longevity of their parents.New year greetingsOn the first day of the new year, people typically wake up early, dress in new clothes and head out to visit relatives and friends - a custom called bài nián (拜年). The visitors bring gifts, share a meal and wish each other good fortune for the coming year.During the visits, older and senior members of the family typically give red envelopes containing lucky money to children. The money is called yā suì qián (压岁钱), which many believe keeps evil spirits away from children, enabling them to have a safe year ahead.In recent times, people also send New Year's greetings through mobile phone calls and social media, with red packets being exchanged via a digital transfer.Many believe that yā suì qián keeps evil spirits away from children. Photo: 123RFOther activitiesLion and dragon dances are popular during the Lunar New Year, which people use to pray for protection, a bountiful harvest and good luck.Families also visit markets around temples - miào huì (庙会) - to enjoy cultural performances, art and street food. Religious performances are sometimes held as well.Households generally believe that it's important to worship their ancestors during the Lunar New Year. Although different areas worship in different ways at different times and on different days, many rituals involve giving an offering, burning incense and kowtowing.People gather beneath Auckland Sky Tower in January 2023 to watch a lion dance and other cultural performances. Photo: RNZ / Lucy XiaTaboosMany Chinese people believe the actions one takes at the start of the year will affect their luck over the subsequent 12 months, so certain things are avoided during the first few days of the year.One is not advised to clean their house or put out rubbish on the first day of the year, as they might as well be throwing away any wealth or good fortune they might receive in the year.It's also better to avoid breaking a bowl, mirror or glass item as it would be akin to breaking one's good luck for the year. If an item is broken, you might be able to protect yourself from ill fortune by wrapping the fragments in red paper and saying "suì suì píng'ān" (岁岁平安), which roughly means "peace all year round".It's also considered bad luck to wash one's hair or get a haircut on New Year's Day, as well as wash clothes on either the first or second day of the year.Using knives or killing animals over the festive season is generally considered to be ominous.In some parts of China, people believe that it's best to avoid cooking on the first day of the new year. Instead, they eat leftovers as it symbolises an abundance of food.If a person is handing out lucky money, avoid odd amounts because many Chinese people believe good things always come in pairs.This story was written by Liu Chen, [email protected] and was originally posted on RNZ News

Plans for maintenance works on the Auckland Harbour Bridge will involve weekend shifts starting Saturday 10 February and continue for the next three Saturdays until 2 March.There will be southbound lane restrictions including the southbound clip-on lanes which will have an extended working window on weekends between 8:30pm and 10am. At least two lanes in each direction will be available during this time.Ramp closures and lane restrictions may be in place before the advertised closure times for the mainline. Please plan your journey accordingly.ScheduleActivityRecoating bridge overarch and maintenance (southbound)Dates and timesSun 11 to Thu 15 FebruarySun 25 to Thu 29 FebruarySun 3 to Thu 7 MarchSun 10 to Thu 14 MarchSun 17 to Thu 21 MarchAll work is scheduled between 10pm and 5am.ImpactSouthbound lanes 1, 2 & 3 will be closed while work is being carried out. Traffic will still be able to travel in both directions.Ramp closures:Shelly Beach Road southbound off-ramp will be closed.Please follow signposted detour via Fanshawe Street, Beaumont Street and Westhaven Drive.ActivityRecoating bridge overarch and maintenance (northbound)Dates and timesSun 18 to Thu 22 FebruarySun 24 to Thu 28 MarchAll work is scheduled between 10pm and 5am.ImpactNorthbound lanes 1, 2 & 3 will be closed while work is being carried out. Traffic will still be able to travel in both directions.Ramp closures:Curran Street northbound on-rampStafford Road northbound off-rampActivityWeekend shifts to install scaffoldingDates and timesSaturday 10 FebruarySaturday 17 FebruarySaturday 24 FebruarySaturday 2 MarchAll work is scheduled between 8.30pm and 10am.ImpactTraffic management will start reducing lanes from approx. 7pm. All lane closures will be in place from 8.30pm.Southbound lanes 1, 2 & 3 will be closed while work is being carried out. Traffic will still be able to travel in both directions.Ramp closures:Shelly Beach Road southbound off-ramp will be closed.Please follow signposted detour via Fanshawe Street, Beaumont Street and Westhaven Drive.

Removing the Auckland Regional Fuel Tax is for no purpose other than "political populism", a public transport advocate says.On Thursday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced the tax would be scrapped by the end of June.The tax - of 11.5 cents per litre of fuel including GST - was something National campaigned on and promised to get rid of in its first 100 days in power.Luxon and Brown said it was supposed to pay for important projects but had instead gone towards more cycleways, speedbumps, and red light cameras.Removing it would lower the cost of filling a Toyota Hilux's tank by $9.20, or by $5.75 for a Toyota Corolla.Auckland mayor Wayne Brown. Photo: RNZ / Finn BlackwellBut Auckland mayor Wayne Brown said scrapping the tax would leave a shortfall in transport funding of $1.2 billion over the next four years."It's an announcement that was made by the government that promised to make it but it will have unintended consequences unless the government is prepared to foot the bill for upcoming transport projects."Brown said he was not prepared to pass the cost of the projects on to Auckland households via rates increases.He told Checkpoint: "So we'll just have to cut things and we'll have to find some other ways of funding the things we're not going to be doing or we won't be doing them."▶ LISTEN Listen to Wayne Among projects now under threat without replacement revenue were: The final stages of the Eastern Busway, the Lake Road project and the proposed Airport to Botany Busway, he said.He predicted "quite a lot of debate" between himself and the government before the fuel tax decision took effect.Responding to the government's accusation that half of the fuel tax money ($780 million) was unspent he disagreed, citing the Eastern Busway.He said contracts had been signed, however, because it had not been built yet the money remained in the bank.He accused the government of "selective use of data".He said a recent poll showed 44 percent of Auckland respondents favoured keeping the regional fuel tax whereas 22 percent opted for rates increases.If the council went ahead with introducing congestion charges it would not be a revenue generator, instead it would act as "a demand management tool" that would encourage people to use the roads in off-peak times.Simeon Brown said there was $340m of unspent revenue at 30 September last year and with more money to come before 1 July, it would cover the Eastern Busway, the electric trains for the City Rail Link and some local road improvements and they were the projects Wayne Brown had agreed "should be prioritised as part of our discussions".New government legislation would ensure the remaining fuel tax funding was only spent on those projects, he told Checkpoint.The minister repeated his criticisms of fuel tax revenue being diverted onto for example, red light cameras and speed bumps, instead of major roads such as Mill Road which will now have to be fully funded by the Crown.The mayor could have changed the priorities for transport spending that were being promoted by the previous Labour government, Brown said.Responding to the mayor's claim that the final stage of the Eastern Busway might have to be axed, he said it had not had approval for funding from the NZTA board, however, the government would be paying via the National Land Transport Fund to help complete it.The minister said the government policy statement on transport was being rewritten.It was not just about taxing people more to pay for new public transport infrastructure, a range of other funding and financing tools needed to be considered, he said."We are progressing work at pace on that."LISTEN ▶ Transport Minister responds to axing Auckland fuel tax durationPublic Transport Users Association chairperson Niall Robertson said the tax being scrapped would create more problems than it would solve."The bottom line is, this money should have been allocated to public transport initiatives and perhaps to a certain extent, some cycling, but that's where it should have gone."Robertson said New Zealand - and Auckland in particular - was far behind in its infrastructure development that was required for a modern city.Public transport was "way behind the eight-ball" and there were no great infrastructure development plans for public transport despite growing numbers coming to Auckland.Public Transport Users Association chairman Niall Robertson. Photo: RNZ / Jordan Dunn"When you take away the funding for that, it means what little there is planned is actually going to be under the hammer as well."This really doesn't seem to serve any purpose at all, except political populism really."Robertson said the original fuel tax was designed to provide more revenue for public transport alternatives in Auckland and to reduce congestion in the city."At the moment, the scrapping of that actually just takes it back to the original problem of just more congestion and more problems."The Employers and Manufacturers Association said it was a double-edged-sword for businesses.While it would be a welcome change to many businesses, head of advocacy and strategy Alan McDonald said some negative impacts could come with it too."One of the biggest issues for fleet managers at the moment is their maintenance bills for their fleet and already I know Auckland Transport is unable to fund all of its replacement programmes, so yeah, it's kind of giving with one hand and maybe taking away a bit with the other."McDonald said the scrap would leave a hole in the city's infrastructure, which was already lacking.A survey of more than 3000 New Zealanders by the Infrastructure Commission, released this month, found only 34 percent of respondents thought paying by usage was a fair way to fund roads - though this was still higher than the other ways of paying for roads presented in the survey.This compared to much higher rates of responses who thought it was fair to pay for electricity (74 percent) and water (72 percent) based on household usage.Aucklanders, at 31 percent, were also more likely to think congestion charging was a fair way of charging for road use at peak times than respondents from elsewhere, at 22 percent.This story was originally published by RNZ

Warkworth RegionFriday 9th February - Cloudy periods, chance of morning and afternoon shower. Southerlies turning easterly this afternoon.Saturday 10th February - Partly cloudy, isolated showers, possibly heavy afternoon and evening. Fresh southwesterlies developing in the afternoon.Sunday 11th February - Fine. Fresh southerlies, easing in the evening.Mangawhai RegionFriday 9th February - Cloudy periods with chance of a shower from this afternoon. Easterlies developing for a time this afternoon and evening.Saturday 10th February - Partly cloudy, with showers, possibly heavy in the afternoon and evening. Southwesterlies developing in the afternoon.Sunday 11th February - Partly cloudy, chance of an evening shower. Fresh southerlies, easing in the evening.

John Gerritsen, ReporterSchools have been open for just a few days, but many have already adopted the government's ban on mobile phones before it comes into force at the start of term two.From term two schools must ensure students do not use a phone at school, including during lunch-time and breaks, although there are exemptions.Wellington teenager Nina told RNZ the phone ban did not go down well when her school announced students must keep their phones switched off and in their bags all day."I think most people were pretty disappointed when they announced in assembly, you could just feel the energy going," she said."Kids are going to start using their computers as they would their phones. You can access a lot of Snapchat, everything... I think it's a bit pointless."Wellington East Girls College student Semhar Girmay and principal Gael Ashworth. Photo: John GerritsenWellington East Girls College student Semhar Girmay was more positive about her school's policy, which also required students to store their turned-off phones in their bags."When we first got the email I ran to my parents and was like 'what am I going to do, I can't do this'," she said.However she said she was already paying more attention to school notices and concentrating better in lessons without her phone distracting her."I'm not fully used to it, I still catch myself walking into school with it in my pocket, but I think with time it's actually fine."Fellow Wellington East student Seralina Seumanufagai said she initially thought the ban was a bit extreme and she found the first few days difficult."Usually the first thing I do when I get to school is text my friends 'where are you, what time are you coming', so now it's been kind of hard, we've been trying to memorise each other's timetables, walking around the whole school trying to look for each other. But I think as time goes on and by next term everyone will get used to it and all the upset students will calm down."Wellington East student Seralina Seumanufagai Photo: John GerritsenThe school's Year 9 Dean Shelley Vail said she had already noticed positive changes."I have seen no cellphones in class at all or walking around school on duty. A couple of behaviours I have seen that have changed is I've seen more students engaged in game-playing, things like playing cards, and we cycled all the Year 9s through the library as part of their orientation programme and the librarians have been thrilled with the number of books students are taking out and have noticed students are reading in the library much more than they noticed last year," she said.Wellington East Girls College Year 9 dean Shelley Vail Photo: RNZSchool principal Gael Ashworth said previously the school expected students to keep their phones turned off in their bags "but that wasn't the reality"."We've only had two days where we've had the whole school back and the numbers of cellphones that we've had surrendered to staff have been quite low," she said."Students seem to be okay with it. Anecdotally, my take on wandering around the school is there is a lot more face-to-face engagement between the students. Young people playing cards and chatting."Nearby, Wellington High School is still figuring how it will implement the government's policy and students are considering what it will mean.Some told RNZ the ban would reduce distractions in the classroom and encourage socialising during breaks though one student said they wanted to play games on their phone at lunchtime.Wellington High School principal Dominic Killalea. Photo: John GerritsenPrincipal Dominic Killalea said the school already expected students to keep phones away during lessons.He said it would not stop young people misusing social media in their spare time and it might make it tricker to use phones for learning."I've had a number of teachers come to me and talk about the particular applications that they use with mobile technology," he said, such as students using their phones to photograph plants on the school grounds for a biology lesson."The policy isn't saying that you can't do that. However it is just a little more difficult when that teacher says 'okay, you all have to bring your phones in tomorrow'," he said.Killalea said the school would consult with students and their families and was likely to suggest a policy that allowed students to keep their phones in their bags, but switched off.South Wellington Intermediate School principal Toby Stokes said it banned mobile phones four years ago, so the government's policy was nothing new for his school."The students walk in the door. They're allowed their phones at school until the bell goes. Then they need to be locked up for safe-keeping and then they get given the phones back at the end of the day. If they are needed for classwork then they're monitored but then put away again," he said.Stokes said a ban on phones was not hard to enforce and the school only encountered one or two students who desperately tried to hang on to their phones."We wanted our students to be active participants in their learning and active in the playground as well," he said.Secondary Principals Association president Vaughan Couillault said he expected most schools had started the year with policies that met the government's requirements rather than trying to change their rules part-way through the year.He said it might be difficult to enforce the policy during breaks and it could lead to problems if expensive phones were confiscated and subsequently lost or damaged.This story was originally published by RNZ

The Privacy Commissioner is keeping a close eye on the facial recognition technology trial starting at Foodstuffs North Island stores today.Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster is keeping a close eye on the facial recognition technology (FRT) trial starting at Foodstuffs North Island stores.The trial is happening because the commissioner asked Foodstuffs North Island to show evidence facial recognition technology was a justified way to lower retail crime.Foodstuffs is proposing to use FRT to scan and make a biometric template of each shopper as they enter the premises to see if they match a watchlist of people identified with repeated harmful behaviours.It follows 4719 incidents of retail crime reported across Foodstuffs stores in the last quarter of 2023, including 513 trespass breaches - up 52 percent on the previous quarter.Foodstuffs North Island chief executive Chris Quin said the trial was important because the company hoped to establish whether facial recognition would keep staff and customers safe without compromising their privacy."Shockingly, one of our security team was stabbed recently and our people are being punched, kicked, bitten and spat at. We're seeing over 14 serious incidents a week, including an average of two assaults," Quin said."All too often it's the same people, coming back to our stores despite having already been trespassed, committing more crime, and often putting our team members and customers at risk of abuse and violence."Facial recognition had the potential to help by identifying repeat offenders when they tried to come back into stores, he said.All images in the facial recognition would be instantly deleted unless a person had committed a crime, been aggressive, violent or threatening towards workers or customers or had actively assisted in such harmful behaviour. "This is a high threshold."The trial starts on Thursday across 25 stores over six months and the data will be used to decide whether or not to roll-out the technology further.Webster thinks the technology is something all New Zealanders should be concerned about because of its privacy implications and he fears it is not a proven tool to reduce harmful behaviour including violence in supermarkets."New Zealanders deserve to shop for their milk and bread without having their faces scanned unless it's really justified."We wouldn't accept being fingerprinted and checked at the door before shopping for groceries - that sounds ludicrous - but FRT is a similar biometric process that is faster, machine-run, happens in a nanosecond, and creates a template to compare your face to, now and in the future," he said.He is also worried about what it means for Māori, Pasifika, Indian and Asian shoppers since the software is not trained on the New Zealand population."I don't want to see people incorrectly banned from their local supermarket and falsely accused," Webster said.The commissioner will consider if any further action is needed to protect New Zealanders' privacy during the progression of the trial."The trial itself is not without risk given the effectiveness of the technology and the operational protocols are untested in a supermarket setting. The franchised nature of the Foodstuffs North Island operation also means that individual owner-operated stores who participate in the trial are responsible for decisions about what they do and how they use the data they collect. This is another reason for keeping a close eye.Unmatched people's images would be promptly deleted following feedback from the Privacy Commissioner's office while matched people would be banned or removed from stores.In some cases the police would be involved.When Foodstuffs announced the trial in December 2022, it said existing FRT would be turned off awaiting its outcome.This story was originally published by RNZ

HON BROOKE VAN VELDENThe Government is delivering on its commitment to enable public input into expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, says Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden.“As committed to in both the ACT-National and NZ First-National coalition agreements, the public will be given the opportunity to have their say on a broadened terms of reference that addresses the handling of the response and many complex impacts of the COVID-19 response.“The current terms of reference were decided by the same Government responsible for the COVID-19 response and they place significant limits on what the inquiry can consider. New Zealanders deserve a frank assessment of what occurred and how we can learn from it.“The Government is seeking feedback on the inclusion of the following topics, as part of its commitment to expanding the scope of the inquiry:Use of multiple lockdownsVaccine procurement and efficacyThe social and economic impacts on both regional and national levelsWhether the decisions made, and steps taken, were justifiedThe cost-effectiveness of the Government’s policies, and whether the rules set by the Government appropriately balanced COVID-19 elimination with other goalsThe Government’s utilisation of partnerships with business and professional groupsThe extent of disruption to New Zealanders’ health, education, and business as a result of the Government’s policiesIf the Government’s response was consistent with the rule of lawHow New Zealand’s pandemic preparedness compared to other countries“The engagement will begin in February, and details about the opportunity to have your say on the terms of reference and how people can share their experiences of the pandemic will be announced soon by the Royal Commission.“This is a forward-thinking piece of work. It is not simply about learning what went wrong, but working out what we need to do right in the future.“This Government is ensuring all New Zealanders’ concerns are heard.”