Auckland Council will continue to service your roadside collections during the holiday season, but with some changes to collection dates. All collections return to normal 8 Jan 2024. For private rubbish collections, don't forget to contact your provider to ask about their holiday schedules.Exceptions to day later rulePrivate rubbish collectionsContact your provider to ask about their holiday schedules.Aotea / Great Barrier IslandAll council roadside collections will be collected one day later.Former Rodney DistrictContact your rubbish collection provider to ask about their holiday schedules.Warkworth and Wellsford businessesThere are no changes to business recycling collections.Ōrewa and SilverdaleBusiness recycling collections are one day later.North Shore and Waitākere businessesThere are no changes to evening roadside rubbish bin collections. Business recycling collections are one day later.City centreThere are no changes to roadside collections for rubbish bags, recycling bags, and paper and cardboard.

Rubbish collection and recycling servicesKerbside collectionsKerbside collections due on Christmas Day (Monday 25 December) will occur on Friday 22 December for both the West run (Poutō, Te Kopuru, Glinks Gully and Baylys Beach) and East run in Mangawhai.The following services will run from Friday 22 December 2023 through to Thursday 01 February 2024:EastMonday/Tuesday/Wednesday - no change except Christmas DayThursday - extra collection in MangawhaiFriday - extra collection for Tinopai and Pahi.Where a statutory holiday falls on a collection day, normal rubbish collection will occur, except for Christmas Day.Hakaru Re:sort CentreMonday 25 December - closedTuesday 26 December - closedMonday 01 January - closedAll other days open from 8am to 4pmLibrariesMangawhai Library is closed Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 December 2023 and Monday 01 and Tuesday 02 January 2024.Kaiwaka Library closes at 2pm Saturday 23 December 2023 and reopens 4pm Monday 08 January 2024.

Plans for a vibrant riverfront, better connections to Warkworth town centre and river, and a new green network are set to delight the community.Rodney Local Board has adopted the Puhinui / Warkworth Town Centre Plan which Chair Brent Bailey says guides future development and provides for a well-designed and attractive town centre with the river at its heart.“The Warkworth community are very clear about what they want to see in the future. Over time, the town should develop as a vibrant centre full of energy and life that is accessible to everyone.“They want the town’s character and heritage maintained and enhanced with a new entertainment and arts focus.”Bailey says for locals the river is intertwined with the town and other comments were about accessibility, pedestrian safety, cycling and car parking.“We heard about the river’s health and revitalising the riverfront. People want better connections to the river, like at the Elizabeth Street Bridge, and with parts of Lucy Moore Park.“The town centre really comes to life during celebrations like the Kowhai Festival, Mahurangi Winter Festival of Lights and Christmas events. People enjoy being able to move around and experience everything as it happens. We hope this plan reflects that aim and the desire for attractive public spaces that everyone can enjoy.”Key action areas from the plan are:Mahurangi River – improving the river and town interface along both sides of the river. Providing more opportunities for interaction with the river including walkways, environmental restoration, and heritage exploration. Improving the health of the river, acknowledging the mana of Ngāti Manuhiri and their relationship with the river.Neville, Elizabeth and Queen streets – improving accessibility and pedestrian safety in the town centre, supporting cycling, improving street character, preserving heritage buildings and better management of car parking.Laneways and walkways – developing a co-ordinated strategy to transform laneways into safe, fun, accessible spaces. Providing artwork, lighting, seating and planting that will create a new entertainment and arts focus for the town.Green network – supporting the ecology of the natural environment in the face of anticipated intensification through good access to green spaces, creating walks and trails, tree planting and protection, provision for outdoor events and community gardens.A vibrant riverfront – revitalise the waterfront along Wharf Street, create a new community plaza and riverfront play space next to the old Warehouse Stationery building, create a market space and village green area between the Masonic Hall and Lucy Moore Park, and improve the accessibility and usability of Lucy Moore Park.The Puhinui / Warkworth Town Centre Plan can be found on the Rodney Local Board business meeting agenda, item 13.

Peter de GraafThe Northland coast has been transformed into a sea of red in what a leading conservationist is calling the most spectacular flowering of pōhutukawa he has seen in 20 years.Dean Baigent-Mercer, Northland conservation manager for Forest and Bird, said the explosion of colour was not confined just to the region's most-loved coastal trees."This summer is a particularly spectacular year for pōhutukawa flowering, but it's not only them. It's also kānuka, porokaiwhiri or pigeonwood, taraire, tawa, karaka and other native trees. They're all just having the most stupendous flowering season, which will also be a massive fruiting season come autumn."Baigent-Mercer put the remarkable display down to the "ridiculous" amount of rain across Northland during the past year."And of course there was Cyclone Gabrielle and other heavy rain events during that time, so there is a lot of water in the system, including the aquifers," he said."Back in 2020 we had a really severe drought in Northland. Now it has switched and that is fuelling a very heavy flowering season. This is one of the consequences of climate change - as the climate heats there is more energy in our weather systems, things became more unpredictable and we get more extreme weather. And so all these different forest plants are reacting to the extremes that are happening around them."The term used to describe a sudden heavy flowering or fruiting was a "mast event".Pōhutukawa in bloom at Paihia's Horotutu Park. Photo: RNZ / Peter de GraafBaigent-Mercer said Northlanders were now witnessing a multi-mast event because many different species were involved.Pōhutukawa did not flower consistently every year, he said."But it seems they've all flicked their on-switch and they're going to maximum in this particular summer season. It's a very rare occurrence that it happens all at once. This is the most impressive flowering of pōhutukawa I have seen in 20 years, and if you look up valleys you will see they are white with kānuka flowers as well."There was, however, a potential downside for Northland's native species once autumn came."It's wonderful that there's all this nectar there for birds, bats and lizards, and there's going to be all this fruit production with all these big fats seeds coming in autumn," he said."In that natural scheme of things that would feed the birds and lizards whose populations have been depleted, so they can build up and have an extra next for that year. But, unfortunately, if there's no pest control going on, or very little, the food that is suddenly produced in abundance ends up in the mouths of rats and possums, and they have a surge in their population."In areas where pest control was in place, wildlife would benefit from the extra food.In areas without pest control, rat plagues could decimate native species as the weather cooled.That was particularly true in Northland, which had no rapid response plan for major mast events.Baigent-Mercer's message for anyone carrying out pest control was to be ready to ramp up in autumn - and for those who were not yet catching pests, now was a good time to start."There's not a moment to lose. Fill up your bait stations, set your traps, go hard out, because the benefits will be reaped in autumn as that fruit falls," he said.This story was orginally published by RNZ

An update on us closing State Highway 1 over the Brynderwyns next year: We’ll be closing SH1 from 26 February for a total of approximately nine weeks. We’ll open SH1 from 28 March 2024 until 2 April 2024 to allow for Easter holiday travel—then we’ll close SH1 again from 3 April 2024 to complete the closure works.We really appreciate people taking the time to share with us their feedback on the closure—almost 200 people attended our webinars, and we received over 2500 survey submissions. This feedback, along with input from the Northland Inc steering group, helped ensure we reached the right result for you.Closing the road allows us to complete essential recovery and enabling works before next winter, maintaining this vital connection for the short to medium term.This hybrid approach of closing before and after Easter but reopening the road for Easter travel lets us balance as many factors as possible, including the needs of your communities, freight operators, tourism businesses, and the effect of weather over that period of time.Sign up for further updates and find out more information on our website: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/sh1-brynderwyn-hills/

The UNPLANNED power outgages that affected a massive area from coast to coast has now been restored.The power outage also affected some Fibre networks for internet and voice access for customers in the Mangawhai area.There are PLANNED outages still to come so please check the Northpower website to determine if your property will be affected today and in the next few days.

The housing market continues to improve, but recovery next year is expected to be gradual and muted.The November Quotable Value (QV) housing market report shows the value of the average home increased 0.7 percent on October, the fourth consecutive monthly rise, for a quarterly gain of 2.3 percent.The national average value was $914,017, a gain of $6630 on October, but overall the market was still down 3.3 percent since the start of the year.QV operations manager James Wilson said the market this year had fallen, stabilised, and was now recovering."But rather than the start of another major uplift in values, I expect we'll see a return to a more typical sort of housing market in the year ahead, with slow growth, and days to sell and listing numbers eventually returning to historic norms."He said high interest rates and issues of affordability would put a "damper" on recovery.Values rose in 14 of the 16 main urban centres over the past quarter, with Tauranga and Marlborough posting marginal declines.Among the stronger gains for the period were Rotorua (9.5 percent), Hastings (3.5 percent), and Wellington (3.2 percent).Only three centres recorded price rises this year - Rotorua (3.2 percent), Queenstown (2.1 percent) and Invercargill (1.5 percent), with Whangārei and Tauranga values still markedly lower.Wilson said first home buyers remained the driver of the improvement, and increased migration was also underpinning demand, but he doubted the recovery would be strong."It's really tough out there and it could get tougher. It's just a slow but steady recovery at this stage," he said."But it will be interesting to see if significant numbers of investors do return to the market in the first half of 2024, given the new government's policy settings. They'll be hamstrung by affordability constraints just like everyone else, as the mortgage pain looks set to continue in 2024."This story was originally published by RNZ

The closing of the Sawmill’s doors earlier this month signaled the abrupt end of years of mismanagement at the hands of Auckland businessman Craig Anderson. He operated the facility during a tumultuous period, particularly post Covid when the Café’s quality and reputation suffered. The Guinness family own the property and are now in full control of operations. The Sawmill will reopen on December 28th. They are determined to honor their late patriarch Grattan Guinness’ memory by returning the renowned music venue to its former glory, announced his granddaughter Ella Guinness when we met on site.The Sawmill was Ella’s playground, her little hand and foot forever cast in the beer garden’s concrete steps. Her enthusiasm is infectious and I can’t help but wonder if the life size chess set is coming back too (pretty please). “Right now the place just needs some love, it doesn’t need change, it’s famous for what it’s always been.” Agreed. Grattan and his family put the Sawmill on the map decades ago by keeping it simple. The combination of great food, local brews, chilled vibes and edgy gigs appealed to locals and visitors alike. Eventually bands from all over the world graced its stage. Local legends like Fat Freddy’s Drop and Tiki Taane cut their teeth here.“We’re holding onto our roots. It’s very important (to my family). We’re all together on this.” The place was buzzing with energy, laptops open, tables stacked up, construction projects all go. Ella tells me I must meet her Uncle Ed (Grattan’s son), who’s beavering away somewhere by the accommodation wing which is also getting a makeover. A quick poke into a cavernous shed full of flotsam and jetsam, but no Uncle Ed. So we wander back to the beer garden to check out a newly built deck.Ella beams saying “This is dad’s project (Ben Guinness), he’s so creative. He just wants to do it all and has the vision.” Ben’s deck will house a pizza oven serving up pies the Sawmill became celebrated for, like the Ella Hart (my tour guide’s namesake as well as a delicious local favourite). It’s an impressive addition that will brilliantly connect the restaurant and music hall to the outdoor spaces. More by-gone treasures like ‘Leigh’s Got Talent’ (my neighbour and I are currently working on a harmonica medley), bingo and half price pizza night are also in the cards. “These are the events that brings the community together, it’s what the Sawmill has always done.” says Ella, and may it long continue.A new website is in the works (the Leigh Rag Facebook page will also provide updates on Sawmill events). New opening hours begin Dec 28th from noon to late, Thursday to Sunday.Mark your calendars for upcoming gigs:Connected NYE Party – Drum & Bass | doors open 8PMSummer Thieves – 4th Jan (ticket details soon)Coterie – 11th Jan (tickets available on www.ticketmaster.co.nz)No Cigar – 13th Jan (check the band’s website)Written by Lee Parker. Reposted with permission from Leigh Rag.

Unconfirmed reports of separate police chases / car accidents and possible explosion in the Brynderwyns, Topuni and Kaiwaka.A few sightings of smoke coming from Dome Valley. Another report of an explosion from Port Albert Road.Sightings of police helicopters.No traffic updates on main traffic websites as yet, but there maybe delays travelling.Power outages in parts of Mangawhai, Wellsford, Te Arai, Port Albert and Whangaripo valley. To check for updates please go to the Vector website.

Summer has started to heat up, with several places reaching the 30s on Sunday, and many others sitting high in the 20s.Kaikōura airport topped the day's highs, reaching 32 degrees Celsius at 3pm on Sunday, while Timaru reached 31C and Napier edged in at 30C.Places that reached the upper 20s included: Kaikōura's other weather station spots as well as Ashburton and Hastings which all hit 29C; Kawerau which reached 28C; and Gisborne, Whanganui, Hanmer Springs, Christchurch and Alexandra, which all recorded a 27C high.Meanwhile, Waka Kotahi has placed speed restrictions on some parts of State Highway 67 on the West Coast due to flooding on Sunday, and MetService issued orange warnings for Sunday afternoon and evening, till 4pm and 6pm for Westland and Buller.And severe thunderstorms were detected in the Christchurch area on Sunday evening.What to expect from the weather on the week before ChristmasOn Monday, cloudy or partly cloudy weather was expected to dominate the North Island down to the Wairarapa and Manawatū, with showers in some places, while drizzle in Wellington and Horowhenua would be clearing. The South Island was expected to be fine.High pressure was expected to begin building across the country next week, setting the scene for a nice run of weather before Christmas Day for many areas.Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were forecast to be mostly fine for much of the country, with rain starting in the south of the South Island from Wednesday and the east of the North Island on Friday.It was still early to say what Christmas Day might bring."From Tuesday next week we can expect some more settled weather for most parts of the country," MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris said.This story was originally published by RNZ

Warkworth RegionMonday 18th December - Cloud increasing this morning. Isolated showers developing this afternoon, then areas of low cloud from evening. Westerlies developing this morning.Tuesday 19th - Partly cloudy, with isolated showers developing in the morning. Light winds.Wednesday 20th - Fine. Northerlies developing in the morning.Thursday 21st - Mainly fine, isolated showers developing. Northerlies developing.Friday 22nd - Cloudy, clearing and becoming fine later. Northeasterlies.Saturday 23rd - Partly cloudy, with a few showers developing. Northeasterlies, becoming fresh.Sunday 24th - Rain. Northerlies.Mangawhai RegionMonday 18th December - Partly cloudy. The odd shower this afternoon and evening. Light winds.Tuesday 19th - A few showers, clearing to fine in the evening. Light winds.Wednesday 20th - Mainly fine, chance of a shower until evening. Northeasterlies developing in the morning.Thursday 21st - Partly cloudy. Northeasterlies developing.Friday 22nd - Rain, clearing but remaining cloudy. Northeasterlies.Saturday 23rd - Showers with northeasterlies.Sunday 24th - Rain. Northerlies.

Parliament has repealed the Clean Car Discount, labelled by National the "ute tax", as it continues to sit in urgency in the lead-up to the Christmas break.The law was brought in as a way of encouraging the uptake of lower-emissions vehicles like electrics and hybrids, by reducing their cost by up to $7015 when imported from overseas.This was paid for by adding additional costs of up to $6900 on high-emissions vehicle imports, such as utility vehicles.The National and ACT parties had campaigned on repealing the programme, saying it was unfair on some groups like farmers who had no viable low-emission alternative to utes, and was therefore adding to their costs.The Land Transport (Clean Vehicle Discount Scheme Repeal) Amendment Bill was voted through its third reading with support from National, ACT, and NZ First. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori were opposed.The scheme is now due to end from 31 December, after receiving Royal Assent.It was the third piece of legislation passed by the new government, all under urgency this week, starting with the repeals of the Reserve Bank's dual mandate and Fair Pay Agreements.Parliament now rises until next week, when it will continue sitting under urgency to return to the Resource Management Act instead of Labour's replacements, bring back 90-day trials for all businesses, and confirm new regulations and orders in council.This will be accompanied by more maiden speeches from new MPs and the adjournment debate.This story was originally published by RNZ

Lucy CorryNearly 10 years ago, annoyed that luxury Christmas recipe spreads in magazines were making me feel inadequate, I set out to prove that it was possible to whip up a festive meal for six people for under $100.All the ingredients came from my local supermarket and cost $92.20, including a bottle of wine. The menu - a marinated and barbecued leg of lamb, roast potatoes, a big, fresh salad and a dessert of berries with chocolate sauce - was simple enough not to cause the cook any undue stress, but fancy enough to feel like a treat.Doing the maths on that same meal now makes me lose my appetite. It's not news that everything is more expensive than it used to be. Unless you can get it on special, the lamb chews through nearly half the budget (and that's buying the cheapest available).The fizzy wine will have to drop off the list to keep things on budget and the salad will be basic at best. Is that ok, for a festive celebration?Yes, says New Zealand culinary icon Peter Gordon.Peter Gordon says it's not worth spending what you can't afford on festive food. Photo: Supplied"Christmas doesn't need to be expensive," he says."The last thing anyone needs is pressure to turn out some amazing meal they can't afford."Gordon, a chef and restaurateur best known for pioneering 'fusion' cuisine, is often thought of in terms of high-end cooking. But through community cooking days at Homeland, his Auckland café, restaurant and cook school, Gordon has seen a very different side of life."We work with lots of wonderful people on Homeland community days, people helping those in need - and they tell us how tough it is out there for so many families."Gordon says freeing yourself from traditions is a good way to save money (and energy) in the festive season."Don't set your heart on a specific menu. If you go to the supermarket with an open mind, you can buy whatever protein and veggies are the cheapest at the time and find a recipe that works with those."No one says Christmas needs to be all about turkey and ham. It can even be about burgers on the barbecue - make them Christmassy by using cranberry relish and red onions in vinegar, and maybe a slightly fancier cheese than usual."He's got lots of good, common sense advice that's worth re-upping for anyone caught in a festive head-spin.Using locally grown, seasonal fruit and vegetables will save money - cucumbers and tomatoes are coming into their best (the 'Minister of Fruit and Veges', Glenn Forsyth, also says that sweetcorn is on the way next week."Even a good old grated carrot salad," Gordon says.Like my whānau (my mother-in-law once cooked 50 potatoes for five people), he's also a big fan of using potatoes to bulk things out. If potatoes aren't your idea of a Christmas treat, other bring other carbs to the party.Macaroni cheese is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, Gordon says. Photo: Â© Manja Wachsmuth Photography"A big potato bake or a good mac n cheese is a great way to feed a lot of people," Gordon says."Who doesn't like those? Or a huge rice dish like risotto or biriyani. A good risotto can even be your main dish, which means you don't need to spend lots of money on big chunks of meat."When it comes to meat, Gordon says it's better to keep it simple.Say no to multiple protein combos and yes to a roast chook or two. Photo: 123rf"You don't need multiple proteins - even just a roast chicken or two will be delicious. Sometimes if you buy those frozen, they are even cheaper. If you are cooking roast chicken, roast it breast side down for 30 minutes on 180 degrees Celsius and then turn it over for the rest of the time. Don't truss it, loosen the legs for a moister chicken.And I think stuffing is much better if you cook it separately and make it all crispy."If you're worried that your feast might look a bit plain, Gordon says sauces and dressings are a great way to make things look fancier."You can buy something pre-made or do something like take a cup of yoghurt, add the juice and zest of a lemon and then add lots of fresh chopped herbs like parsley, mint, basil. Mustard or horseradish will add a little zing too if you have it around. Just use what you have, or what you can afford."What about pudding? Fruit and ice cream, with crumbled biscuits or toasted coconut on top, will do the trick, Gordon says.Ice cream and fruit is fancy enough for Christmas, chef Peter Gordon says. Photo: 123rf"Or use a store-bought sponge and make trifle with whatever fruit and custard you can afford. Sprinkle toasted coconut or nuts on the top to make it look special or use those crushed biscuits again."His very best tip is especially for all the Christmas martyrs out there, who are preparing themselves for financial and physical exhaustion in pursuit of a memorable meal."Let people bring things. You don't have to make everything yourself. Make it fun by choosing a theme - something like Vietnamese or Chinese where you can use inexpensive ingredients and make them really tasty. Everyone can bring a dish that relates to that theme, and it won't cost anyone the earth."This story was originally published by RNZ

The number of dog attacks in Kaipara has increased from 39 to 69 over the last year, according to Kaipara District Council’s newly released Annual Animal Management Report 2022-2023.The council report tracks animal management activities over the last year and is a requirement under the Dog control Act 1996.Hayley Worthington, General Manager for Customer Experience says the Council takes any dog attack seriously."The highest priorities for the team is to keep Kaipara residents and visitors to the district safe from harm caused by dogs,” says Hayley.Hayley says the council has focussed on decreasing the number of unregistered dogs in the district.“Around 40% of dogs that carry out attacks are unregistered and poorly managed.”The 2022-2023 year saw 110 more dogs registered in Kaipara than in the previous year.Hayley believes some of this may be attributed to the increasing number of dogs adopted during the COVID pandemic, and the work the Animal Management Team has been emailing, phoning, door knocking, patrolling and following up on complaints to encourage people to register their dogs. The council has also more than doubled the number of beach controls carried out over the last year to educate people in what it means to be a responsible dog owner.The number of infringement notices issued to dog owners has increased over the last year with almost twice as many issued to people who haven’t registered their dogs than in the previous year.Of note is the increased number of complaints for wandering dogs, which has more than doubled over the last year. The team attributes this, and the complaints about dog barking to owners returning to work following the COVID confinement.“It’s good that people are reporting wandering dogs. If they can identify the dog, take a photo, or know where it comes from, we can have a conversation with the owner.”The Council is asking people to remember to close their gates to keep their dog contained. When in public, dogs are required to be under control at all times.The council provides areas where people can exercise their dogs off lead. In other areas people should have their dogs on lead and under control to prevent incidents.“Some people are afraid of being approached by a dog, even if the dog is an old softie. Dog owners need to respect that.”“Another tip is to respect other dogs. Not all dogs are overly keen or eager to meet you or your pet. Please if you see another dog approaching, try and give it space or ask the owner if its ok to approach.”A total of 34 dogs were impounded through the year. Of these 17 were returned to owners, 9 were euthanised and 6 were rehomed.View the presentation at the Council Meeting on the Kaipara District Council YouTube channel (3:50 minutes in).The Kaipara District Council Annual Management Report 2022-2023 and statistics are available online.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency advises of the following closures for motorway improvements. Work delayed by bad weather will be completed at the next available date, prior to Friday, 22 December 2023.Unless otherwise stated, closures start at 9pm and finish at 5am.NORTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Southbound lanes between Silverdale off-ramp and Oteha Valley Road on-ramp, 17 DecemberSilverdale southbound on-ramp, 17 DecemberOnewa Road southbound on-ramp, 17 DecemberShelly Beach Road southbound off-ramp, 17-19 DecemberCENTRAL MOTORWAY JUNCTION (CMJ)Fanshawe Street southbound off-ramp, 17 DecemberWellington Street northbound on-ramp, 18 DecemberSOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Ellerslie-Panmure Highway northbound on-ramp, 17-19 DecemberEast Tamaki Road northbound off-ramp, 20-21 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Papakura (Loop) northbound on-ramp, 17 DecemberPapakura northbound off-ramp, 18-19 DecemberDragway Road northbound off-ramp, 17 December (approx. 12 midnight to 5:00am)Hampton Downs northbound on-ramp, 17 December Hampton Downs northbound off-ramp, 17 December (approx. 9:00pm to 12 midnight)Southbound lanes between Hampton Downs off-ramp and Hampton Downs on-ramp, 18-19 DecemberNorthbound lanes between Hampton Downs off-ramp and Hampton Downs on-ramp, 18-19 DecemberNORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)Southbound lanes between Brigham Creek Road Roundabout and Hobsonville Road on-ramp, 19 DecemberUPPER HARBOUR MOTORWAY (SH18)Westbound lanes between Squadron Drive off-ramp and Hobsonville Road on-ramp, 19 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Brigham Creek Road westbound on-ramp, 19 DecemberSH18 westbound to SH16 southbound link, 19 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SOUTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH20)Northbound lanes between Neilson Street off-ramp and Neilson Street on-ramp, 17 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Mahunga Drive southbound off-ramp, 18-19 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Northbound lanes between Coronation Road off-ramp and Rimu Road on-ramp, 17 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Coronation Road northbound on-ramp, 17 December

Emma Stanford, senior reporterAnother bout of sewage spilling into popular beaches on Auckland's North Shore has the community concerned.Castor Bay, Wairau Outlet and Milford Beach are under a 'do not swim' notice until 5pm Friday because of wastewater contamination.As at 5.26pm on Wednesday, the wastewater overflow sensor reading showed a very high risk.When RNZ visited each site, there were no physical signs telling people of the risk, just black markers on the Safeswim website.Castor Bay Ratepayers and Residents Association president Hamish Anderson said it was frustrating and happening too often, through dry and wet weather."It's inconvenient for locals and visitors to our beautiful beach. It's resulting in further degradation of the Hauraki Gulf and it's just not a good look for our clean, green brand."He wanted better communication from Watercare, after only hearing about it through the media on Thursday morning."It's kind of crazy that they seem to rely on people checking the Safeswim website to see if it's safe to enter the water at our beaches," Anderson said."When, in the case of contamination, they should be putting signage up so people go to the beach and clearly see it is unsafe. Most people don't check Safeswim before they go to the beach."Castor Bay on Auckland's North Shore. Photo: RNZ / Emma StanfordAndy Parker from the Castor Bay Swim Rise group said they still went for their daily dip on Thursday morning after checking Safeswim."Everyone discussed it and we looked at the water and there was certainly no sign of anything untoward. I actually don't stick my head under, a lot of people don't, just because it's become too unreliable, I think."Parker said when the water looked dodgy, the group usually moved up to Campbells Bay.North Shore ward councillor Richard Hills said signs were normally put up if the issue was expected to last a few days."Because there are so many beaches and often issues pop up randomly in dry weather, but usually in wet weather, it's far easier for everyone if it's about checking the website."Obviously signage would be, in my opinion, appropriate if it is something that's going to last longer than 24 hours, so I'll be asking those questions once I know exactly what the issue is."Castor Bay on Auckland's North Shore. Photo: RNZ / Emma StanfordWatercare said the overflow was caused by a blockage and crews were flushing the pipe and investigating.It said blockages could often be caused by 'fatbergs' - a combination of fats, oils and grease mixed with things like wipes and rags.Wet wipes made up 70 percent of overflows across Auckland, Hills said."Often it's about all of us trying to prevent sticking wet wipes and fats and other greases down the pipes."Watercare said there was nothing to suggest there was an ongoing issue in the area, but it encouraged beachgoers to check the Safeswim website before heading out this summer.Te Whatu Ora medical officer of health Dr David Sinclair said if there was a red or black pin showing over a beach on the website, people should stay out of the water to avoid gastroenteritis or skin, ear or eye infections.If you get sick after swimming, you can call Healthline on 0800 611 116 for advice, or contact your doctor.Sinclair also advised people not to collect shellfish from anywhere within the Waitematā Harbour.Any fish taken from there should be properly cleaned, gutted and cooked.This story was originally published by RNZ

Warkworth RegionFriday 15th December - Cloudy periods. Isolated light showers developing this morning, clearing early afternoon. Southwesterlies, fresh this afternoon and evening.Saturday 16th December - Partly cloudy. Westerlies, easing in the evening.Sunday 17th December - Fine. Northwesterlies developing in the morning.Mangawhai RegionFriday 15th December - Cloud clearing and becoming fine around midday. Southwesterlies.Saturday 16th December - Partly cloudy. Light winds.Sunday 17th December - Fine. Northwesterlies developing in the morning.

Fisheries New Zealand is asking for feedback on proposed changes to catch limits and other settings across a range of Aotearoa New Zealand’s fisheries as part of its twice-yearly sustainability review.Every 6 months Fisheries New Zealand reviews a range of fish stocks and develop proposals focussed on their long-term sustainability."When the information suggests more fish can be harvested sustainably, we look to increase catch limits. On the other hand, if the information suggests a stock isn’t as healthy, we propose reducing the catch limits or other changes to help the fishery recover, says Marianne Lukkien, acting director of fisheries management."In this review, options include increases to catch allowances for 6 fish stocks where information suggests more fish can be sustainably harvested. We’ve proposed to reduce catch limits for one spiny rock lobster stock near Gisborne as a precautionary measure recognising the impacts of recent extreme weather on coastal marine habitat."We also want to hear peoples' views on how long the next recreational pāua season for the wider Kaikōura area should be."Proposals are based on the best available information about the fishery, including scientific surveys, feedback from local fishers, and potential environmental impacts from events like cyclones or marine heatwaves.Stocks for this review are:Spiny rock lobster (CRA 3) – GisborneSpiny rock lobster (CRA 7 & 8) – Otago, Southland, Stewart Island, and FiordlandSilver warehou (SWA 4) – Southland, Sub-Antarctic, and the Chatham RiseGemfish (SKI 3 & 7) – South Island and the Chatham RiseSouthern bluefin tuna (STN 1) – all of New ZealandPāua – recreational fishing season for the wider Kaikōura areaOnce consultation closes, Fisheries New Zealand will analyse the submissions and provide advice to the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries for consideration. Any changes will be announced by the start of the April fishing year on 1 April 2024."Consultation begins today, and we encourage everyone who has an interest in these fisheries to have their say", says Marianne Lukkien.Submissions can be made online until 5pm on 2 February 2024.More information including how to make a submissionFor further information and general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 00 83 33 or email [email protected] media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328.

Auckland Airport is preparing to open the first stage of its new $300 million transport hub at the international terminal early next year.The old main carpark has been transformed into an undercover pick-up and drop-off area, with dedicated transport lanes for buses and taxis and public pick-up and drop-off zones through the base of a four-storey car parking facility."Auckland Airport is our busiest gateway. On any given day there are well over 50,000 travellers coming in and out of the precinct, and 25,000 of those are at the international terminal," chief executive Carrie Hurihanganui said."Auckland Airport is a fast-growing precinct not only for travel but also as a centre for business."Public transport will be prioritised in the development with the zones for buses, taxis and rideshares featuring closest to the international terminal."Of the more than five lanes that will be running through at ground floor level, the one closest to the terminal will be for public transport," she said."Quarter one will be the opening of the ground floor which includes the pick up and drop off and the P60 parking. That enables us to then close the inner terminal forecourt which allows the building of the integrated terminal, so that's really important."The four-storey car parking building will be opened later next year with a mix of 60-minute zones and longer options."The rest of the building and the other three floors and a three-storey office building on one end will open in quarter four next year."Carrie Hurihanganui. Photo: SuppliedLand has also been protected next to the development for a future mass rapid transit station to be added directly alongside when required."We know that mass rapid transit is really important, and so immediately behind the transport hub there is a land corridor that we have set aside," Hurihanganui said."That means whatever future form mass rapid transit takes we have already built that into the design and planning, so that we could build that in a future state."Rooftop solar power, charging technology and tree plantingAt 200 metres long, each floor of the four-storey structure is the size of two rugby fields with a double-height open ground floor.Its roof will carry a 1.2-megawatt rooftop solar array, which will help to power 33 public electric vehicle charging stations when the carpark opens, along with a new office building taking shape at the end of the development."We wanted to make that area between the hotels, the Novotel and the Pullman, and the transport hub and then the terminal, is a much improved streetscape," Hurihanganui said."You've got a landscaped pedestrian plaza, you've got canopies, and there are 20 pohutukawa trees that were relocated from other parts of the precinct."And we're working through exactly how do we make that an area that travellers, customers and workers want to enjoy as they are walking through, or stop and have a break?"We are working through how we bring to life New Zealand, and capturing a piece of New Zealand."The new planting reduces the amount of concrete and asphalt in the area by 20 percent, assisting with the way we manage stormwater on precinct."Set to open in stages over 2024, Hurihanganui said there were currently more than 350 people on site each day getting the pick-up/drop-off zone ready to open, with the upper storeys of the building to open later in 2024.Integrated domestic and international terminal on the wayEarlier this year, Auckland Airport announced long-term plans to replace the domestic terminal with an integrated domestic and international terminal."Like many other airports they have it under one roof and that is in our plan," she said."To build that and have that completed would be a five-year build. We've begun the enabling works, but we've got a number of years ahead of us before that will be open for the public."We know that things have recovered quickly out of Covid, not only for travellers but for business as well. Ensuring that we're match-fit is something that we are focused on."This story was originally published by RNZ