Warkworth RegionFriday 29th December - Showers, some heavy, becoming persistent this evening. Possible thunderstorms from afternoon. Northwesterlies, strong in exposed places, easing evening.Saturday 30th December - Rain, with thunderstorms possible before dawn, clearing in the morning with fine breaks developing. Cloud increasing late evening. Westerlies, easing evening.Sunday 31st December - Rain developing in the morning, heavy at times, with thunderstorms possible in the afternoon, easing late. Fresh northwesterlies, turning lighter southwesterly in the evening.Monday 1st January - Partly cloudy, with remaining showers clearing in the morning. Fresh southwesterlies, easing in the evening.Mangawhai RegionFriday 29th December - A few showers, increasing and becoming heavier this afternoon, then becoming persistent this evening. Possible thunderstorms from afternoon. Northwesterlies. Warm and humid overnight.Saturday 30th December - Rain, possibly thundery before dawn, clearing to mainly fine in the morning, but chance shower lingering. Cloud increasing evening. Northwesterlies. Hot.Sunday 31st December - A few showers, turning to rain in the evening. Fresh northwesterlies, easing in the evening.Monday 1st January - Rain, clearing in the morning but remaining partly cloudy. Southwesterlies.

We all need good life hacks from time to time, so we've rounded up ten stories from RNZ that have proved popular this year.From cheese storage, to sleeps, to charging the cell phone, here's to making your 2024 that little bit better. 1 Keep cheeses in the vege drawerPieces of cheese are best stored in baking paper and in your fridge's vegetable compartment, say brother and sister cheesemongers Sam and Ellie Studd.Photo: Supplied2 Yes, you still have to separate whites and brightsDon't take the risk of putting coloured clothes and light-coloured clothes together in the washing machine, says AUT chemistry lecturer Jack Chen.Photo: BJARTE RETTEDAL 3 When you're calling someone for work, don't ask if it's "a good time"Most people feel overwhelmed a lot of the time so they're likely to answer 'no' to this question, says Mary Jane Copps (aka The Phone Lady).Photo: Victoria Romulo / Unsplash4 Don't charge your phone overnightWhen you leave battery-powered devices plugged in and unattended for long periods, "things can go wrong", says battery expert Peter Simpson.Photo: 123rf 5 Hot showers aren't good for your skinWhile it can feel good to stand under hot water, it does strip your skin's oils and natural barriers, says dermatologist Dr Mark Abdelmalek.Photo: Hannah Xu for Unsplash 6 Have a hug and debrief with someone at the end of your dayThere's great healing power in simple human connection, says trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk.Photo: Public domain 7 Embrace tofuSoy protein is nutritionally so good and much cheaper than meat, says nutritionist Claire Turnbull.Photo: Sherman Kwan for Unsplash 8 Get outside for 30 minutes in the morning - no matter what weatherOne of the best things we can do for our sleep cycle - and therefore mental health - is head outside for 30 minutes of daily daylight, says neurobiology researcher Anna Wirz-Justice.Anna Wirz-Justice. Photo: 9 Can't sleep? Do something boringIf you've been lying in bed for 20 minutes, get up and do something boring like folding laundry until you feel sleep pressure return. says sleep expert Dr Roxanne Prichard.Photo: Public domain10 Pre-chill your chilly binThe night before you go camping, pre-cool your chilly bin with ice or a frozen milk bottle full of water, says camping expert Jono Collins.Photo: Public domainThis story was originally published by RNZ

Emma Stanford, senior reporterIt will be a summer of babies at Auckland Zoo, with giraffe Kiraka and tiger Zayana expected to give birth.Head of animal care and conservation Richard Gibson said Kiraka might be off-show while she gives birth and for the first few days with her calf."But we anticipate that she's a good mum and she'll be back on-show pretty quickly... we hope with her calf, and integrating that calf into the herd."He said Zayana is also expected to do better this time, after giving birth to two cubs in September - but when one was stillborn, she chose to kill the other one."This birth might go really well, but what we do know with tigers is the normal behaviour is they keep their cubs tucked away in a quiet place in a den. Or it might be under a dense tree or wherever they choose to give birth, and they'll have two or three places where they hide their cubs."Showing off the cubs will be up to Zayana, he said, which could take two to three weeks.Sumatran tiger Zayana at Auckland Zoo. Photo: Supplied via Auckland Zoo / Kathleen OttoGibson said they were also excited to have some fairy terns/tara iti hatch - New Zealand's rarest breeding bird. There were only around 40 individual birds left and a handful of breeding pairs."For the last few years we've been working with [the Department of Conservation] to provide an intensive management component to the recovery programme, whereby eggs from the wild come into the zoo and we incubate them and hand rear them. That part of the project is just kicking off now. We have eggs incubating right now, and so we'd anticipate eggs hatching."The zoo was working with the Department of Conservation on a release strategy to get the fledglings back into the wild and integrated with the flock.The last financial year, April 2022 to March 2023, was the zoo's busiest yet with 816,000 visitors through its gates.The zoo was run by the council agency Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, which had its funding cut in 2023.Baby giraffe Kabili at 1.5 years old with her mother Kiraka. Head of brand experience and development Jooles Clements said operationally it costs about $19 million a year to run the zoo."And that's running it pretty lean. We make savings everywhere we possibly can and with the well-publicised circumstances that Auckland Council finds itself in, our funding envelope is about 5.7 million, less than a third of our operational costs. The rest we generate through people's support - whether that is a visit to the zoo or buying something in our cafe or retail shop or contributing to our conservation work through donation."All of those things and the money that we receive from our partners and things like that help us reach our targets."Clements said visitors were encouraged to take their time through the zoo, as there was always something new to look at, whatever the weather."If we happen to have a new giraffe baby and perhaps some tiger cubs that people can get a glimpse of, then all the more reason to come."This story as orginally published by RNZ

If you haven’t visited theTi Point Reptile Park in a while, or ever, now is the time.After visiting for the first time about 2 years ago and being super impressed, we were equally enthralled today.Set on very expansive grounds there is such a diverse range of reptiles to experience. For adults and kids alike, we were just as impressed as my 5-year-old was.Did you know it is the ONLY Reptile Park in New Zealand?Tortoises and Turtles (yes, they are different), Tuataras (yes, you can actually see them) and other native skinks and geckos. Iguanas, Alligators, Eastern Water Dragons, and Monitor lizards.There is plenty to see. We even enjoyed the resident hen and rosters and wander through the bush overlooking the ocean.Ti Point Reptile Park is totally underrated and even if the idea doesn’t sound appealing, you may be pleasantly surprised.Tickets are reasonably priced, with kids under 5 getting in free. During summer holidays they are open daily from 10am until 5pm, with last admission at 4pm. From January 7th they are closed Monday and Tuesday.So be like a turtle and poke your nose out for a look. Cowabunga dudes!

Swimmers are being urged to follow the advice of lifeguards at the beach, after lifeguards performed 13 rescues and 10 assists on Christmas Day alone.These included a person being rescued at Piha after not listening to advice on where a safe place to swim was at the popular Auckland beach.Surf Life Saving NZ CEO Steve Fisher said the Piha rescue could have become a fatal incident, so it was frustrating when the public did not listen to their guidance."We're not actually police on the beach, so we're there to help people make good decisions and although it's disappointing when people don't take our advice, we're lucky that lifeguards were there to rescue people."Four people were also rescued at Wainui Beach near Gisborne yesterday after getting stuck in a rip."It wasn't big surf at Wainui yesterday but that kind of lures people into a false sense of security and I know they had pretty tricky conditions with some quite obvious rips so our big message there is people should be swimming in between the flags," said Fisher.Other rescues included a multi-service search and rescue operation - involving Coastguard NZ and police - for a missing kite surfer at Raglan, multiple rescues at Waipātiki, and the treatment and helicopter transfer of a suspected spinal injury at Whangamatā, involving surf lifeguards, Hato Hone St John, and a Westpac Rescue Helicopter.Two people were also hospitalised after a water incident at Ōtaki Beach in Kāpiti Coast on Monday evening.Meanwhile police were also warning the public to stay safe around water, whether that was diving, swimming or boating.They said Water Safety New Zealand found there were 94 drownings last year - the worst year since 2011.So far this year, 86 people have died due to drowning, with 85 percent being male.This story was originally published by RNZ

Recently we have had a few unrelated faults on our network that have affected the Mangawhai, Kaiwaka and Langs Beach areas.Thank you for your patience during this time, we realise these outages are an inconvenience and our teams have worked hard to fix them as quickly as possible.These unrelated faults have occurred at different locations on the high voltage lines that feed the area.The Mangawhai substation, which supplies the wider Mangawhai area is supplied by one high voltage line from Maungaturoto.When there is an outage on this line, there are not the same back up lines available like those you may find in a larger city.This means that we cannot always switch things around to supply all customers when there is a fault.There are also times when we need to turn the power off to some customers so we can safely make repairs.We know Mangawhai is a growing town, which is why we are currently constructing a new substation due to be commissioned in March next year.We are also working on a project to build, new lines to provide an alternative supply route to the area, which will increase the reliability of supply for the town.

Warkworth RegionTuesday 26th December - Very humid. Rain, possibly heavy and thundery this morning. Fine spells from afternoon as rain eases to isolated showers. Westerlies. Very hot.Heavy Rain WatchPeriod: 11hrs from 4am - 3pm Tue, 26 DecArea: Northland, Auckland north of Orewa, Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula north of WhitiangaForecast: Periods of heavy rain with thunderstorms possible and rainfall accumulations may approach warning amounts over the area and possibly exceed warning amounts in localised areas. Rainfall rates may reach 20 to 40 mm per hour in one or two places, regardless of whether thunderstorms occur or not.Wednesday 27th December - Fine. Southwesterlies, easing in the evening.Thursday 28th December - Partly cloudy. Northeasterlies, becoming fresh in the morning.Friday 29th December - Cloudy, with occasional rain developing. Northerlies, becoming freshSaturday 30th - Showers, becoming isolated with longer fine breaks. Westerlies.Sunday 31st - Showers, becoming widespread and heavier later. Northwesterlies, turning to fresh southwesterlies.Monday 1st January - Partly cloudy. Southwesterlies.Mangawhai RegionTuesday 26th December - Rain, possibly heavy and thundery, easing this afternoon. Northwesterlies easing this evening. Hot and muggy.Heavy Rain WatchPeriod: 11hrs from 4am - 3pm Tue, 26 DecArea: Northland, Auckland north of Orewa, Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula north of WhitiangaForecast: Periods of heavy rain with thunderstorms possible and rainfall accumulations may approach warning amounts over the area and possibly exceed warning amounts in localised areas. Rainfall rates may reach 20 to 40 mm per hour in one or two places, regardless of whether thunderstorms occur or not.Severe Thunderstorm WatchPeriod: 6hrs from 11am - 5pm Tue, 26 DecArea: NorthlandForecast: A moist northwesterly flow is expected to bring frequent showers to Northland today. Thunderstorms are likely and there is a risk of severe thunderstorms bringing localised downpours, 25 to 40 mm per hour late morning and during the afternoon. Rainfall of this intensity can cause surface and/or flash flooding, especially about low-lying areas such as streams, rivers or narrow valleys, and may also lead to slips.Issued: 8:21am Tue 26 DecWednesday 27th December - Fine. Southwesterlies, easing in the evening.Thursday 28th December - Partly cloudy, chance of a shower. Northeasterlies developing in the morning.Friday 29th December - Cloudy, with occasional rain developing. Northerlies.Saturday 30th - Showers, clearing and becoming fine. Westerlies.Sunday 31st - Partly cloudy, with showers developing. Northwesterlies.Monday 1st January - Partly cloudy. Southwesterlies.

All aboard the free summer busStarting on 27 December, the bus loops from the Domain in the village to the surf beach between 10am and 5.30pm. The bus runs daily until 14 January, then on weekends including Waitangi Day on 6 February with an extra weekend added on for Easter (29 March – 1 April).Leave the car at home and catch the bus to key locations including the Mangawhai Artist Gallery, Mangawhai Central, the Museum, MAZ and the Wood Street shops. Plus a new stop on North Ave, walking distance from the estuary. Check the timetable and route online.Climb aboard the free summer bus and avoid the parking hassles this summer.Daily service27 Dec to 14 Jan 2024Weekend and public holiday service20-21 Jan27-29 Jan (Anniversary Day weekend)3-6 Feb (Waitangi Day weekend)29 Mar-1 Apr (Easter weekend)

Unfortunately, it wasn't Santa paying a visit to Goodyear Autocare Warkworth last night around 9.25 pmIf you have any information on who this individual might be,Or if you were in the area and saw anything around that time, please contact the police and use Event number P057191185.This serves as an unfortunate reminder that during this time of year, there tends to be an increase in criminal activity around theft so,Keep vehicles locked and take valuables out of the vehicle when it is left unattended.If you are heading out even for a short time don't leave doors and windows openBe vigilant about protecting property, including locking sheds, trailers, cars and homes, keeping valuables out of sight, and reporting any suspicious behaviour to police by ringing the Crimestoppers number 105, or if it is happening immediately ring 111.

Have a safe and merry Christmas!From the Matakana Coast App team.

Bargain hunting shoppers are being warned to do their research before hitting the malls for Boxing Day sales.New research from price comparison website PriceSpy shows in 2022, 17 percent of products on its website increased in price on Boxing Day.Ten percent were subjected to a fake sale, a strategy where retailers incrementally increase a product's price and then abruptly lower it, promoting a discount based on that inflated price. For instance, it might advertise a 50 percent discount from the previous day's price, but compared to the price from 30 days prior, the discount might only be 20 percent.Massey University marketing professor Bodo Lang said taking 15 minutes to look at previous prices could save hundreds of dollars."That's a really important step to do before you go shopping and before you're in what's called 'the web of marketing,' when you're in the store and you're committed and a salesperson is talking to you. It's very important to do your research before so you know what is actually a good price and what is not a good price."Lang said checking price comparison websites is always his first step."What these websites do is they show the cost for that particular model at a variety of retailers, which is really helpful. They also show a price history, so you know whether the price it is available for at that point in time is actually cheaper than the historical average, or whether it's been bumped up."He said retailers adopt a range of sales techniques to lure in shoppers, some legitimate and some not."It might be 'up to 50 percent off' and so shoppers think, 'oh, this is great, there's a bargain to be had' and they go into the store and once they're in the store they discover that very few items, and maybe only very inexpensive items to begin with, have that large percentage off and really everything else is either full price or only has a very modest discount applied to it."In PriceSpy's consumer survey, 54 percent of respondents said they intended to shop on 26 December.The average amount New Zealanders plan to spend on the day this year is $840.40, down from $1203.30 in 2022 and $954.80 in 2021.PriceSpy's analysis of last year's pricing patterns revealed 44 percent of the products experienced a price drop on Boxing Day.Almost one in five products listed on the website were reduced by 10 percent or more, with the average discount being 21.33 percent.New Zealand country manager Liisa Matinvesi-Bassett said it was evident that Boxing Day presented significant discount opportunities for consumers, so long as they conducted important pricing research to be sure that the item they were looking to buy was being sold at a worthwhile price.This story was originally reported by Emma Stanford, senior reporter on RNZ News

It's a busy time on our roads and at petrol stations.AA Fuel spokesperson Terry Collins told Checkpoint petrol stations hiking prices in the holidays was a "myth".Unlike self-service stations, those that had full-service models had overheads of bathrooms and magazine racks, and that's why prices varied."Last Christmas we had our 25 cents reduction, which with GST came to nearly $0.29 off our fuel. That was the measure that the government put in for the cost-of-living crisis to reduce the fuel excise duty and the price of petrol."In July that came back on. But if we look at what was the price last year add that fuel duty bill, it's within about $0.03. So within background noise of the costing."Without the discount, New Zealanders would be paying the same price at the pump last year, as this year.He said there was worry that prices would go up to $3 a litre, but "fortunately, at the end of September, lack of international demand and other factors came to play and the price has been dropping every week since about the second week in September and long may that continue".Using apps like Gaspy was one way to keep costs down, Collins said."But if you go to the cheapest place in your region on a regular basis, that's the best way. Often those savings will be better than any discount scheme."Another tip he shared was accumulating the discounts and not long before "you've got $1 a litre saving for 50 litres, and because I can accumulate all my scheme for about two months, I'm hoping when I go to redeem it, I will be paying something like $0.40 or $0.50 a litre for my petrol, for 50 litres".Waikato had the most competitive prices, he said.As for planning for long-distance drives, Collins said foresight would help, especially if the destination was a remote area where petrol could be expensive.There was no particular time of day when prices were cheaper."Usually at the beginning of the week often they'll put their pricing models out."He said the price of fuel was affected by domestic and international factors.This story was originally posted by RNZ

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 Saturday 13 January 2024.Unless otherwise stated, closures start at 9pm and finish at 5am.NORTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Upper Harbour Highway southbound on-ramp, 8-9 JanuaryStafford Road northbound off-ramp, 1-7 January (24 hour closure)Shelly Beach Road southbound off-ramp, 25 December- 1 January (24 hour closure)Curran Street northbound on-ramp, 1-7 January (24 hour closure)CENTRAL MOTORWAY JUNCTION (CMJ)Nelson Street (SH16) eastbound off-ramp, 7-8 January (approx. 7:00pm to 5:00pm)SOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Southbound lanes between Mt Wellington Highway off-ramp and East Tamaki Road on-ramp, 10-11 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Mt Wellington Highway southbound on-ramp, 10-11 JanuaryPrinces Street southbound on-ramp, 10-11 JanuaryHighbrook Drive southbound on-ramp, 10-11 JanuaryPapakura (Diamond) northbound on-ramp, 9 & 11 JanuaryPapakura (Loop) northbound on-ramp, 9-11 JanuaryPapakura northbound off-ramp, 11 JanuarySouthbound lanes between Drury/SH22 off-ramp and Bombay on-ramp, 10 January Drury/SH22 southbound on-ramp, 10 JanuaryRamarama southbound on-ramp, 10 JanuaryBombay northbound on-ramp, 10 JanuaryNorthbound lanes between Bombay off-ramp and Ramarama on-ramp, 10 JanuaryRazorback Road northbound on-ramp, 11 JanuaryRidge Road northbound off-ramp, 11 JanuaryPokeno northbound on-ramp, 11 JanuarySH1 northbound to SH2 eastbound link, 11 JanuaryNORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)Southbound lanes between Brigham Creek Road roundabout and Hobsonville Road on-ramp, 9 JanuaryHobsonville Road northbound on-ramp, 9 JanuaryNorthbound lanes between Hobsonville Road off-ramp and Brigham Creek Road roundabout, 9 JanuarySH16 northbound to SH18 eastbound link, 9 JanuaryUPPER HARBOUR MOTORWAY (SH18)Westbound lanes between Greenhithe Road off-ramp and Tauhinu Road on-ramp, 8 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Greenhithe Road eastbound on-ramp, 8 & 11 JanuaryEastbound lanes between Tauhinu Road off-ramp and Greenhithe Road on-ramp, 10 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Eastbound lanes between Tauhinu Road off-ramp and Albany Highway on-ramp, 8 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Tauhinu Road eastbound off-ramp, 8 JanuarySquadron Drive eastbound on-ramp, 8 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Eastbound lanes between Hobsonville eastbound on-ramp (SH16) and Squadron Drive on-ramp, 9 JanuaryTrigg Road eastbound on-ramp, 9 JanuaryBrigham Creek Road eastbound on-ramp, 9 JanuarySOUTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH20)Mahunga Drive southbound off-ramp, 7-8 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Walmsley Road southbound off-ramp, 9-10 January (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)STATE HIGHWAY 2 (SH2)SH2 westbound to SH1 northbound, 11 January (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)

Mission achieved - the safety fencing is coming down! A BIG effort from the team at Mason Contractors to get the Snells Beach retaining wall built by Christmas following storm damage earlier in the year. At 125m long with each pole embedded at least 1m into bedrock, it was no small task to complete in 4 weeks. Mason Contractors want to thank the Snells Beach Community for your support on this project, the daily chats and delicious treat deliveries were much appreciated. In the new year they will be installing the capping beam and reinstate the footpath.

Woolworths New Zealand Ltd are recalling specific batches of its Woolworths brand Shortcrust Summer Berry Mince Pies as the product may contain foreign matter (metal).Point of sale notice for retailersIf you are a retailer of the product in this recall, download a copy of the point of sale notice. You need to display it in your store for one month.Point of sale notice – Woolworths brand Shortcrust Summer Berry Mince Pies [PDF, 105KB]Consumer adviceCustomers are asked to check the best before date on the product packaging.Affected product should not be consumed. There have been no reports of associated injury, however if you have consumed any of this product and have any concerns about your health, seek medical advice.Customers should return the product to their retailer for a full refund.Who to contactIf you have questions, contact Woolworths New Zealand Ltd:Phone: 0800 40 40 40Address: 80 Favona Road, Mangere, Manukau.

Warkworth RegionFriday 22nd December - Cloudy periods. Northeasterlies.Saturday 23rd December - Partly cloudy, with isolated showers developing in the morning. Northerlies, becoming fresh in the morning.Sunday 24th December - A few showers, becoming widespread for a time in the afternoon and evening. Fresh northerlies, easing in the afternoon.Christmas Day - Rain, easing. Northwesterlies.Mangawhai RegionFriday 22nd December - Cloudy. Isolated showers north of Kaikohe spreading south this afternoon. Easterlies, fresh this afternoon..Saturday 23rd December - Mostly cloudy, with isolated showers becoming widespread in the morning. Fresh northerlies, easing late.Sunday 24th December - A few showers, clearing in the evening but remaining cloudy. Fresh northerlies, easing in the evening.Christmas Day - Mostly cloudy, with isolated showers becoming widespread. Northwesterlies, becoming fresh.

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.