Unless otherwise stated, closures start at 9pm and finish at 5am.  NORTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Southbound lanes between Warkworth Roundabout and Silverdale on-ramp, 20 September (approx. 9:00pm to 05:00am)Puhoi southbound on-ramp, 20 SeptemberOrewa southbound on-ramp, 20 SeptemberMillwater southbound on-ramp, 20 SeptemberNorthbound lanes between Silverdale off-ramp and Warkworth Roundabout on-ramp, 19 September (approx. 9:00pm to 05:00am)Orewa northbound on-ramp, 19 SeptemberSilverdale northbound on-ramp, 19 SeptemberSouthbound lanes between Silverdale off-ramp and Oteha Valley Road on-ramp, 21 September (approx. 9:00pm to 05:00am)Silverdale southbound on-ramp, 21 SeptemberSouthbound lanes between Oteha Valley Road off-ramp and Constellation Drive on-ramp, 18 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Oteha Valley Road southbound on-ramp, 18 SeptemberGreville Road southbound on-ramp, 18 SeptemberSH1 southbound to SH18 westbound link, 18 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Southbound lanes between Constellation Drive off-ramp and Northcote Road on-ramp, 17 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Constellation Drive southbound on-ramp, 17 & 20 SeptemberTristram Avenue southbound on-ramp, 17 SeptemberSouthbound lanes between Esmonde Road off-ramp and Onewa Road on-ramp, 21 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Esmonde Road southbound on-ramp, 21 September CENTRAL MOTORWAY JUNCTION (CMJ)None planned SOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Southbound lanes between Redoubt Road off-ramp and Papakura on-ramp, 18-21 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Redoubt Road southbound on-ramp, 18-21 SeptemberSH1 southbound to SH20 northbound link, 18-21 SeptemberSouthbound lanes between Takanini off-ramp and Papakura on-ramp, 17 September (approx. 9:30pm to 5:30am)Takanini southbound on-ramp, 17-21 September (approx. 9:30pm to 5:30am)Northbound lanes between Takanini off-ramp and Redoubt Road on-ramp, 19-21 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Northbound lanes between Drury/ SH22 off-ramp and Takanini on-ramp, 17-18 SeptemberPapakura (Diamond) northbound on-ramp, 17-18 SeptemberPapakura (Loop) northbound on-ramp, 17-18 SeptemberDrury/SH22 northbound on-ramp, 17-21 SeptemberNorthbound lanes between Ramarama off-ramp and Papakura on-ramp, 19-21 SeptemberRamarama northbound on-ramp, 19-21 SeptemberNorthbound lanes between Bombay off-ramp and Drury/ SH22 on-ramp, 21 SeptemberSeptemberBombay northbound on-ramp, 21 SeptemberSouthbound lanes between Ramarama off-ramp and Bombay on-ramp, 19-21 SeptemberRamarama southbound on-ramp, 19-21 SeptemberMercer northbound on-ramp, 17 SeptemberSouthbound lanes between Mercer off-ramp and Mercer on-ramp, 21 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Northbound lanes between Mercer off-ramp and Mercer on-ramp, 21 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am) NORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)Northbound lanes between Te Atatu Road off-ramp and Lincoln Road on-ramp, 18-19 September (approx. 10:30pm to 5:00am)Te Atatu Road northbound on-ramp, 18-19 September UPPER HARBOUR MOTORWAY (SH18)None planned SOUTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH20)Southbound lanes between Mahunga Drive off-ramp and Massey Road on-ramp, 18 SeptemberWalmsley Road southbound on-ramp, 17 SeptemberSH20 southbound to SH20A southbound linkSouthbound lanes between Lambie Drive off-ramp and SH1 links, 18-21 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Lambie Drive southbound on-ramp, 18-21 SeptemberSH20 southbound to SH1 northbound link, 18-21 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH20 southbound to SH1 southbound link, 18-21 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)

Police investigations are underway following three aggravated robberies across Auckland City in the past 48 hours.At around 12.57am, Police were called to a bar on Great North Road, Point Chevalier after multiple offenders, armed with hammers and a firearm, entered the premises.Detective Senior Sergeant Ash Matthews, Auckland City CIB says there were a number of staff and patrons inside when the offenders entered.“One person has fired a shot inside the premises, which has struck a TV on a wall behind the bar.“The offenders have taken money from the tills and gaming machines before fleeing,” he says.“It’s incredibly lucky no was physically injured during this incident.”Detective Senior Sergeant Matthews says Police believe the same group of offenders are responsible for an aggravated robbery at a commercial property in Mount Albert on Wednesday night.He says four masked offenders armed with weapons, including a firearm, entered the building on New North Road just before midnight and stole the contents of the cash register before leaving.“A staff member inside the premises was uninjured but understandably shaken by the incident.He has been provided with support by Police.“We believe these two incidents are linked and are following positive lines of enquiry.”Police are also investigating a separate aggravated robbery at a commercial premises in Mount Albert at around 2.20am this morning.“Up to seven offenders armed with hammers have entered the building on New North Road, which at the time had a staff member and four customers inside.“Two offenders have threatened the victims inside the store while the other offenders have taken a number of items before fleeing.“The victims have been left shaken by the incident, but otherwise uninjured.”Detective Senior Sergeant Matthews says the group of offenders left in a stolen vehicle which Police recovered a short distance away on Holbrook Street, Blockhouse Bay.The vehicle will now undergone a forensic examination.“This type of violent behaviour is unacceptable.We are now working hard to identify and locate those involved so we can hold them accountable.“While we want to remind people never to put themselves in harm's way, we always encourage witnesses to come forward.”Anyone who witnessed any of these incidents and who has not yet spoken with us is encouraged to do so.You can get in touch by calling 105 or if you wish to give information anonymously, please call Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Warkworth RegionFriday 15th September - Showers, easing this afternoon, then clearing to fine this evening. Fresh westerlies, turning lighter southerly this evening.Saturday 16th September - Fine. Westerlies developing for a time in the afternoon and evening.Sunday 17th September - Fine. Westerlies, becoming fresh in the morning.Mangawhai RegionFriday 15th September - Partly cloudy. A period of showers this afternoon, then becoming fine. Fresh westerlies, turning lighter southerly this afternoon.Saturday 16th September - Fine. Westerlies developing for a time in the afternoon and evening.Sunday 17th September - Fine, with cloud increasing. Northwesterlies, becoming fresh in the morning.

Watercare has started a $3.6m project that will help reduce wastewater overflows and improve water quality in Warkworth.The Warkworth Wastewater Rehabilitation Project, which Watercare and construction partner March Cato kicked off in August, will see more than 75 manholes rehabilitated and 3.5km of wastewater pipelines relined.Work will take place on public reserves, roadways, berms and some residential properties on and to the north of Hill St, including Victoria Street, Belmont Place, Wainoni Place, Lyttle Lane and Albert Road. Watercare aims to have these works completed by early December. These works follow on from the wastewater rehabilitation works carried out over the past year on Woodcock Road and its surrounding streets.    Watercare project manager Johan Gerritsen says the wastewater rehabilitation project will play a significant role in helping to reduce the risk of overflows, contamination of local waterways and network failures.“The project will ensure that the existing wastewater pipes can continue to transfer wastewater safely and consistently through our network to our treatment plants for many more years.”Gerritsen says to help meet the end-of-year deadline and minimise disruptions, the project team conducted investigations earlier this year to determine what work was needed.“Like many of the wastewater network rehabilitation projects we have completed this year in Takapuna and Newmarket, the pipeline relining work will be carried out using trenchless technology.“Using this technology, we can complete the relining work and rehabilitate the manholes and pipeline with minimal impact on the community and without taking the pipe out of service.  “Relining the pipeline instead of replacing it is not only less costly and more time efficient but also a lot better for the environment and is much less carbon intensive. “Plus it will allow us to get the job done much faster than if we had to dig a trench and install a replacement pipeline.”

Kaipara’s Proposed District Plan is on track to be notified in 2024.  A District Plan Working Party, comprised of Councillors Gordon Lambeth, Jonathan Larsen (Chairperson), Ron Manderson and Mark Vincent, and an external Resource Management Act expert (Mark Farnsworth), has been working alongside staff since June this year to finalise development of the Proposed District Plan. This approach provides more flexibility than a full Council briefing and can dive deeper into areas of the District Plan where further work and refinement of the new Plan is required. All Elected Members will have an opportunity to provide feedback on the recommendations of the working party once this process has concluded. Once the Proposed District Plan is notified, it will go out for public consultation so the community will be able to provide feedback before the Plan is operative. In the meantime, the current Operative Kaipara District Plan remains in place and should be used to guide land use and subdivision across the district.  More information A District Plan is the Council’s rule book that determines the land use and subdivision activities people can carry out in the district.  It is important to note that the Exposure Draft District Plan, released in August 2022, has no ‘legal weight’ and people need to continue to refer to the Operative District Plan with regards to whether a resource consent is required to undertake activities on their land. Councils are required to review their District Plans every ten years. Kaipara’s Operative District Plan came into effect in 2013 and is due for review now. You can read The Exposure Draft District Plan here including the Summary of feedback received

A poll of the Northland electorate predicts a clear win for National's Grant McCallum, who is 25 points ahead of Labour incumbent Willow-Jean Prime.NZ First's Shane Jones looked to be coming in third, and only about 11 percent said they were undecided.The Taxpayers' Union-Curia poll had a sample size of just 400 due to the lower voting population when polling for an electorate compared to the whole country.It was the same methodology the outfit has used for its other electorate polls, like in Ilam, but means there is a higher margin of error, of +/- 4.9 percent at the 95 percent confidence interval. This - and the fact it is a single poll, rather than a trend - makes it less reliable than the nationwide polling.Voters were asked which candidate they would vote for if the election had been held the previous day:Grant McCallum (National): 43 percentWillow-Jean Prime (Labour): 18 percentShane Jones (NZ First): 13 percentReina Penney (Greens): 4 percentMatt King (Democracy NZ): 4 percentMark Cameron (ACT): 2 percentUndecided: 11 percentA further 2 percent said they would vote for a Te Pāti Māori candidate although none has been announced, 2 percent would vote for others, and 1 percent refused to answer.The result suggests a clear defeat for Prime, who won the seat in 2020 on a slim margin of 38.1 percent of the vote compared to the 37.7 percent of King, who was at the time standing for National.King had held the seat in 2017 with 38.3 percent, defeating Prime (21.6) and Winston Peters (34.8).The poll was taken on Sunday, 10 September. Results were weighted for demographics.This story was originally published by RNZ

The Northland peanut trials are back on track after a wash-out of last year's crops.The three-year project is to see if Northland could be the new home to commercially-grown peanuts.Greg Hall from the Whangārei development agency Northland Inc. Photo: RNZ/Carol StilesThe trials cover five hectares over five planting sites across Kaipara and the Far North.Northland Inc project manager Greg Hall said results from the first year looked promising, so they hope to continue after last year's hiatus.He said new seed has just landed in New Zealand and would be planted out now."They've just come out from Georgia in the United States, so they're still Spanish variety short season cultivars which are similar to what we imported from the first year out of India," he said."The very first season, there was even a very small trial, but that was indicating around somewhere between three and six tonnes per hectare, which is on average to what Australia produces.He said they would do the business case and financial models for the project this season."That'll either prove one way or another, whether it's actually viable for an industry to pick up and then that will require investment to set up processing to stand the industry up," Hall said.He said Pic Picot of Pic's Peanut Butter in Nelson was still backing the project."Pic was the project founder, he's a great champion and it's great to have him on board with this project."They hoped for a hot summer which the peanuts like, he said.This story was originally published by RNZ

Pets are now paw-manently welcome onboard Auckland’s buses, Auckland Transport says.Does this news sound fur-miliar? It follows on from the success of two previous pets on buses trials – small domestic pets in carriers and large dogs with muzzles and leads.This announcement means that household pets can now travel on buses, trains, and ferries in Auckland.Councillor Josephine Bartley is looking forward to seeing more pets on public transport across the city.“My dog Milo and I love travelling on public transport together. This news is really positive and I’m excited to see Aucklanders making the most of it,” says Councillor Bartley.“I’m passionate about reducing barriers to access, so making public transport pet-friendly means more people will be able to live their best lives with their furry friends.“Up until now the rules around pets on public transport have forced many pet owners to rely on cars for essential trips to the vet or the groomers, but now they can use buses, trains and ferries throughout Auckland.”Auckland Transport’s Improvement Delivery Lead Luke Clarke says AT received valuable feedback during the two pets on buses trials.“We’ve used this feedback from our customers, bus operators, and accessibility groups to make this final decision and set the terms and conditions for pets onboard our services."Those of us with pets know how important our animals are as part of the family, and now the whole family are welcome to travel on Auckland’s buses, trains and ferries.“It seems that many of our customers also view this announcement as Auckland catching up with other pet-friendly cities around the world, where pets are a regular sight onboard the tube, subway or metro."And no matter how old your pets are in dog years or cat years, they’ll all be able to travel for free onboard our services, with no need to apply for a Su-paw Gold Card.”There are a few rules for taking pets onboard, including that they must travel outside of peak hours and bigger dogs must wear a cage-type muzzle and a lead if they do not fit into an approved carrier.Service and assistance dogs are allowed on all services at all times and do not ever require a muzzle.With pets now able to travel on Auckland’s public transport, the paw-sibilities of where to take your furry friend are endless!Explainer video here: https://youtu.be/xO0uEfRXIdgFor further information, including terms and conditions, please head to at.govt.nz/pets.

Meteorologists are warning that the weather will take a dramatic turn in the next couple of weeks, as an El Niño is likely to be declared.El Niño is a weather pattern that occurs when the ocean surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean rise above normal levels.It brings with it more frequent, dry westerly winds which heightens the risk of drought.NIWA meteorologist Ben Noll expected one to be declared in the next couple of weeks.He said the climate would change significantly."New Zealand is going to have more westerly winds than normal and westerly winds, they come from Australia, which can be a dry wind," Noll said.''It means the eastern part of both islands, with the likes of Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa, eastern Marlborough, Canterbury and parts of eastern Otago, these areas could start to dry out and maybe dry out quite quickly with rainfall looking considerably less than normal for this time of year in those regions."He said while drought was not imminent, it was likely.''When you start to build or string together many weeks or months with reduced rainfall, that's when you can start to have those concerns about drought."At this point it is more about thinking ahead, if we do get many weeks or months of below normal rainfall, what that might mean for summer and of course that has implications on the agricultural sector, farmers, growers," he said.Ths El Niño would be one of the strongest Aotearoa had experienced in 80 years.There had been five or six strong El Niño in that time, he said."The last one we had was in 2015/2016, before that you have to go back to about 1997 or 1998, there [were] a couple in the 80s and then one in 1972 and 1973."Noll said the one that was building now is among those very strong El Niño episodes New Zealand had seen in the past."Some of those, such as the 1997, 1998 events, 1982, 1983, 1972, 1973 were associated with some of New Zealand's most significant drought events," he saidFruit growers in Hawke's Bay had mixed feelings about the incoming weather.Hawke's Bay Fruitgrowers' Association president Brydon Nisbet said the industry had been doing it tough over the past 18 months due to severe storms like Cyclone Gabrielle.''The ground has been waterlogged and they haven't been able to operate properly. And in the last few weeks, a lot of that has dried out and it does look like we are coming into a dry spell. I think for growers, they're probably looking forward to something that's not so wet, but of course, with that dry, it will bring other problems and issues for us."Nisbet said the industry needed to start getting ready for the potential impacts."What growers need to do to prepare for this and it's what I am doing right now ... we've got to make sure our irrigation systems are running and are operational. A lot of our systems and dumps were damaged in the floods," he saidNoll said people should consider starting to conserve water.this story was originally posted by RNZ News And written by Delphine Herbert, senior reporter

Warkworth RegionMonday 11th September - Mostly cloudy with isolated showers, turning to rain, possibly heavy, for a time this afternoon and evening. Fresh northerlies, turning lighter westerly this afternoon.Tuesday 12th September - Fine. Southwesterlies developing in the morning.Wednesday 13th September - Cloudy periods. Southwesterlies.Thursday 14th September - Partly cloudy. Westerlies.Friday 15th September - Showers becoming widespread, some heavy. Fresh westerlies, turning lighter southerly.Saturday 16th September - Fine. Southerlies, easing.Sunday 17th September -Fine. Southwesterlies.Mangawhai RegionMonday 11th September - A few showers becoming more frequent this morning, turning to rain, possibly heavy, for a time this afternoon and evening, then easing to isolated showers. Fresh northerlies, turning lighter westerly this afternoon..Tuesday 12th September - Mainly fine, but chance shower in the west. Southwesterlies.Wednesday 13th September - Partly cloudy with southwesterlies.Thursday 14th September - Cloudy periods. Southwesterlies, turning northwesterly.Friday 15th September - Showers becoming widespread, some heavy. Fresh westerlies, turning lighter southerly.Saturday 16th September -Fine. Fresh southerlies, easing.Sunday 17th September - Fine. Southwesterlies.

The insurance watchdog says problems with car insurance are the number one complaint received in the past year.Vehicle complaints make up 23 percent of all complaints received by the Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman's Scheme.One of the main issues was the reduction of the car's value at the time of policy renewal.Auckland-based Rawiri* had his car damaged in the Auckland Anniversary floods earlier this year.He thought he would be fully covered, as he had arranged car insurance with an agreed value of $19,000 just a year earlier.However, when Rawiri made his insurance claim, the insurer offered him only $14,000, after deduction of a $400 policy excess.The reduction was because his latest policy renewal documents, sent to him a month before the flood, had listed his car's agreed value as $14,400 - a decrease of 24 percent on the year before.As the amount was below the market value of the car, Rawiri complained to the IFSO Scheme, saying the decreased agreed value had not been properly communicated to him.After an investigation, the Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman found that price reduction was unusual."When consumers take out comprehensive vehicle insurance, if their car is written off, the insurer will pay the agreed or market value of the car, depending on the type of policy," Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Karen Stevens said."As vehicles get older and depreciate, insurers normally reduce their agreed value at the time of policy renewal, however not usually as much as 24 percent."She said the law requires unusual clauses to be brought fairly to the notice of the insured."Where something like the agreed value is reduced as substantially as 24 percent, we would expect an insurer to discuss this with their customer and make sure they're aware of the change."In Rawiri's case, the insurer hadn't included any warning in its cover letter or email alerting to the decrease, and the agreed value was not highlighted in any way."After the IFSO Scheme's investigation, the insurer offered to settle the claim by paying Rawiri $17,500.'Don't sit and forget' - Insurance CouncilStevens said that, generally, it was up to the insured person to read and understand the terms and conditions of any policy."What we advise all consumers to do is to look at their renewal documentation every year and to make sure that they're happy with whatever reduction has been made."People have to keep an eye on what that devaluation value is, because if they're not happy, the time to say it is before an accident happens, not after."She said insurers should clearly notify their customers if there was an unusual reduction in the agreed value of a vehicle."The obligation is on the insurer to make sure that they communicate that really clearly with the customer."But equally the customer really should be reading that renewal document. Then they can raise it if there is an issue."Insurance Council of New Zealand (ICNZ) chief executive Tim Grafton said customers should get a notice from their insurer at least a month before the renewal policy came into effect."And that's the time for someone to look at the terms and conditions and, for example, the value of the motor vehicle that they have insured, and to decide how much they want to insure it for."People should take their time to read through the documentation, he said."It is important for people, whether it's their house insurance or their motor vehicle insurance or their contents insurance, that they just set time aside to really think whether [the insurance policy] is up to date."Do not sit and forget. We don't want to get into situations where people are not aware of significant changes in their policy and the insurer should advise them if that is proposed."Customers with a problem with an insurer can make a complaint to the IFSO Scheme at www.ifso.nz or by calling 0800 888 202.* name changed to protect privacyThis story was originally posted on RNZ News

Police are aware of a Facebook scam circulating where a person is messaging people and posing to be New Zealand Police.The message advises victims that their computer has been hacked.Then, phone contact is made and the victim is sent an email claiming to be from “New Zealand Police, Cyber Crime Unit.”The victim is requested to cooperate in a supposed Police investigation.The scammers then gets the victim to grant them remote access to their computer and subsequently accesses their online banking.From here, the scammers attempt to withdraw money from the victim’s bank account.Police want to urge a warning to the public that this is a scam and should not be engaged with.We have received several reports of this scam and an investigation is underway.𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗺𝘀:Please remember that Police or other government agencies will never contact you out of the blue and ask for your password, credit card or bank details, or ask you to give them remote access to your computer. Police’s message on scams like this is simple – do not engage with anyone online or on the phone if you think you are being scammed – block them or hang up immediately and report the incident.We urge people to have conversations with vulnerable or elderly family members, to help ensure they are aware of the tactics often used by scammers and don't become victims.If you believe you are the victim of a scam you can contact Police and report the matter via 105 either by phone or online at www.police.govt.nz/use-105. For scams involving your bank or other organisation, please report it to them too.Visit www.scamwatch.govt.nz for more information on how you can prevent yourself, family and friends from being scammed.

HON DR MEGAN WOODSNew Zealand is on track to have greener steel as soon as 2026 with New Zealand Steel’s electric arc furnace project reaching a major milestone today.  The Government announced a conditional partnership with New Zealand Steel in May to deliver the country’s largest emissions reduction project to date. Half of the coal being used at Glenbrook steel mill is being replaced with electricity to recycle and reuse scrap steel.A feasibility study has been completed on the viability, risk, expected costs and other outcomes and the project now has the full green light from New Zealand Steel.“It’s an exciting step – this project will eliminate one per cent of the country’s total annual emissions and deliver huge benefits for our environment, our industry and to New Zealanders,” said Minister of Energy and Resources Megan Woods. “There has been rigorous due diligence on the project, which has been a critical process before New Zealand Steel fully embarks on its journey to decarbonise its activities while maintaining onshore steel production.”Production using the new furnace is expected to start as early as mid-2026, in line with agreed commissioning milestones.The Climate Change Minister James Shaw says the installation of an electric arc furnace at Glenbrook means New Zealand Steel will cut its emissions by more than 45 per cent.The emissions reductions will be equivalent to keeping approximately 300,000 cars off the road.“Once commissioned, the completed project will reduce Glenbrook’s carbon footprint by 800,000 tonnes per annum. That means 100% of its annual steel production will be lower carbon from day one,” said James Shaw.“This project will mean the production of very low carbon steel by world standards – that’s a win for New Zealand,” James Shaw said.The deal is being part funded with up to $140 million from the $650 million Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry (GIDI) Fund, which enables businesses of all sizes to reduce their emissions. The balance of the $300 million project will be funded directly by New Zealand Steel.“The project getting off the ground adds real momentum in pushing fossil fuels out of the energy system and lowering emissions through renewables and energy efficiency,” Megan Woods said.“We’ve come a long way in the last three years GIDI has been operating with 30 of the 81 process heat focused projects complete or in commissioning.“This deal was the first in a number of bespoke opportunities that the government has been exploring, to deliberately target appropriate support for New Zealand’s largest emitters where the greatest emissions reductions can occur quickly,” Megan Woods said.A second large partnership deal was announced in July with Fonterra to cut coal use at its dairy factories and support a 50% reduction in the company’s manufacturing emissions by 2030 – increasing the existing target of 30%.

A trio’s time was up in Tutukaka following a string of offending against Northland businesses.Police have charged the group following a series of aggravated robberies and burglaries in recent weeks.Whangārei Area Commander, Inspector Maria Nordstrom says on Thursday afternoon a convoy of vehicles came to Police attention.“Two stolen vehicles were travelling through Ngunguru and our staff attempted to signal these vehicles to stop, one vehicle stopped with the other attempting to evade police.“Unfortunately for the offenders, they didn’t get too far.“I would like to acknowledge the Tutukaka locals for their assistance as they were quick to point out where they had gone,” Inspector Nordstrom says.The three are all males, aged 16 and 19, were all taken into custody. Police have now laid a range of charges against the trio.“Police have been investigating a range of dishonesty and violent offences that have taken place in our district in recent weeks,” Inspector Nordstrom says.“We have now reached a point in this investigation where we have charged them for 18 separate offences.”Those charges include aggravated robbery for incidents at a Paihia tavern on 27 August and a Tikipunga dairy on 3 September.Burglary charges have been laid for offences at two retail stores in Whangārei on 20 August and Kerikeri on 5 September.They are now before the Whangārei District and Youth Courts. Further charges cannot be ruled out.“Police continue to take a dim view on this brazen and often violent offending being inflicted on our community,” Inspector Nordstrom says.“We will continue to utilise all tools available to us to hold offenders to account.”

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, 15 September 2023.Please note this Traffic Bulletin is updated every Friday.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, 10 & 12 & 14 September Silverdale southbound on-ramp, 10 & 12 & 14 SeptemberNorthbound lanes between Oteha Valley Road off-ramp and Silverdale on-ramp, 11 & 13 SeptemberOteha Valley Road northbound on-ramp, 11 & 13 SeptemberSouthbound lanes between Northcote Road off-ramp and Esmonde Road on-ramp, 11 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Northcote Road southbound on-ramp, 10-11 SeptemberSouthbound lanes between Northcote Road off-ramp and Onewa Road on-ramp, 10 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Esmonde Road southbound on-ramp, 10 SeptemberNorthbound lanes between Onewa Road off-ramp and Esmonde Road on-ramp, 11 & 13 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Onewa Road northbound on-ramp, 11 & 13 SeptemberCENTRAL MOTORWAY JUNCTION (CMJ)Northbound lanes between Symonds Street off-ramp and Wellesley Street East on-ramp, 12-14 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH1 northbound to SH16 westbound link, 12-14 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Eastbound lanes between Wellesley Street East (SH16) off-ramp and Tamaki Drive, 10-12 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Eastbound lanes between Wellesley Street East (SH1) off-ramp and Tamaki Drive, 10-12 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Grafton Road eastbound on-ramp, 10-12 SeptemberSOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Tecoma Street southbound on-ramp, 14 SeptemberSouthbound lanes between Takanini off-ramp and Drury/SH22 on-ramp, 10 September (approx. 9:00pm to 5:30am)Takanini southbound on-ramp, 10 September (approx. 9:00pm to 5:30am)Southbound lanes between Papakura off-ramp and Drury/SH22 on-ramp, 11 SeptemberPapakura southbound on-ramp, 8-11 September (24/7Northbound lanes between Drury/SH22 off-ramp and Takanini on-ramp, 10-14 SeptemberPapakura (Diamond) northbound on-ramp, 10-14 SeptemberPapakura (Loop) northbound on-ramp, 10-14 SeptemberDrury/SH22 northbound on-ramp, 10-14 SeptemberDrury/SH22 northbound off-ramp, 10 September (approx. 5:00am to 6:00pm)Southbound lanes between Mercer off-ramp and Mercer on-ramp, 12 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Northbound lanes between Mercer off-ramp and Mercer on-ramp, 12 September (approx 10:00pm to 5:00am)Southbound lanes between Hampton Downs off-ramp and Hampton Downs on-ramp, 11 & 13 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Northbound lanes between Hampton Downs off-ramp and Hampton Downs on-ramp, 11 & 13 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Dragway Road northbound off-ramp, 11 & 13 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)NORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)Newton Road westbound on-ramp, 11-12 SeptemberUPPER HARBOUR MOTORWAY (SH18)Brigham Creek Road eastbound on-ramp, 10-14 September (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)SOUTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH20)Northbound lanes between Maioro Street off-ramp to SH16 links (Waterview tunnel closed), 11 SeptemberMaioro Street northbound on-ramp (Waterview tunnel closed), 11 SeptemberSouthbound lanes between Hillsborough Road off-ramp and Neilson Street on-ramp, 11 September (approx 10:00pm to 5:00am)Hillsborough Road southbound on-ramp, 11 SeptemberQueenstown Road southbound on-ramp, 11 SeptemberWalmsley Road southbound on-ramp, 13 SeptemberGEORGE BOLT MEMORIAL DRIVE (SH20A)None plannedPUHINUI ROAD (SH20B)None plannedSTATE HIGHWAY 22 (SH22)None plannedSTATE HIGHWAY 2 (SH2)Eastbound lanes between Mangatawhiri off-ramp and Rawiri Road, 12 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Westbound lanes between Rawiri Road and Mangatawhiri Road, 12 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Koheroa westbound on-ramp, 12 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Mangatangi westbound off-ramp, 12 September (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)

Warkworth RegionFriday 8th Sept - Areas of low cloud or fog clearing to fine this morning. Light winds.Saturday 9th Sept - Mainly fine, chance of a shower. EasterliesSunday 10th Sept - Mainly fine, chance of a shower. Northeasterlies, becoming fresh.Mangawhai RegionFriday 8th Sept - Low cloud or fog clearing to fine this morning. Some evening cloud with a light shower possible. Light winds.Saturday 9th Sept - Mainly fine, a few showers. Easterlies.Sunday 10th Sept - Mainly fine, chance of a shower in the morning and evening. Northeasterlies.

Two people will face court after a car chase in Whangārei in which the driver is accused of ramming into police vehicles.Officers say they approached a car at a petrol station in Raumanga about 10.30pm on Wednesday because the owner had a warrant out for his arrest.They say the car sped away, almost hitting an officer.Police chased the car down State Highway 1, where they say it swerved onto the wrong side of the road as it drove west on Loop Road towards Otaika Valley Road.While trying to escape, the driver is accused of ramming into pursuing police cars multiple times.A 31-year-old male driver was facing charges relating to failing to stop, assault, and resisting police and was due to appear in the Whangārei District Court on Thursday.A 29-year-old woman was due to appear at a later date. Two other passengers were arrested and released.This Story was originally posted on RNZ News

Operation Cobalt has reached a milestone of 50,000 charges laid against gang members and associates, just over a year after it was launched. In the process, Police have removed more than 500 firearms out of the wrong hands as part of ongoing disruption of unlawful activity. Alongside enforcement, there continues to be a focus on prevention opportunities through various initiatives and inter-agency collaboration to reduce harm and address wider issues surrounding organised crime in communities.Detective Superintendent Uraia Vakaruru, the National Controller for Operation Cobalt, says Police have continued to keep pressure on gangs, reinforcing that unlawful behaviour is not acceptable. “Any violence or other unlawful gang activity has no place in our communities, and we have no tolerance for the harm that this inflicts on the public. “Police have run large and visible operations keeping the movements and actions of gang members in check. We have deployed staff across the country and also had checkpoints in operation. We have used disruption and targeting tactics with search warrants, arrests and seizures being made.” The results speak for themselves. Since the end of August, 50,396 charges have been laid against gang members and associates for a offences which include violence, dishonesty, drugs and firearms offending.Police have seized 501 firearms and issued 64,524 Infringement Offence Notices (IONs).“We have seen results from right around the country since Operation Cobalt began,” Detective Superintendent Vakaruru says. “Whether that has been arrests and vehicles seized in the Far North, firearms seized in central Auckland suburbs, or gang members arrested moving through the South Island; Police have continued to target illegal behaviour being employed by gangs.”The milestone is also testament to the work of dedicated Operation Cobalt staff targeting serious offending, as well as work being carried out every day by staff in a range of workgroups.“Alongside Operation Cobalt, each policing district run their own operations and these fall within the priorities as part of our national unlawful gang activity focus,” Detective Superintendent Vakaruru says.“I acknowledge the various teams that have had a part of play with this result, for their tenacity and professionalism in getting the job done.“Police are continuously improving our processes and we continue to see enhanced information and intelligence sharing right across the country which assists with enforcement opportunities.” By the numbers – as of 31 August 2023: Search warrants – 1,369Warrantless searches – 781 Charges laid – 50,396 Infringements – 64,524 Firearms seized – 501

Medicinal cannabis producers are looking at growing more plants and exploring different product options as regulations are being relaxed.The government has approved changes to New Zealand's medicinal cannabis scheme, expected to make it cheaper for patients getting a prescription.Currently, the average cost for patients' prescriptions from a pharmacy is several hundred dollars for up to a couple of months' supply.Cabinet released the changes in July and Medsafe, which regulated medicines and medical devices, said broadening the medicinal cannabis categories meant a wider range of plants could be grown locally, and more cannabis products exported.Acting group manager Derek Fitzgerald said changing the quality labelling requirements for exports of medicinal cannabis meant New Zealand companies could access markets more readily.He said because New Zealand had a small population, our medicinal cannabis market was also small."We recognise that access to export markets is necessary to help ensure our local industry can continue to be commercially viable."The changes are designed to streamline and update the scheme's compliance requirements without compromising the overall quality of cannabis-based ingredients and medicinal cannabis products supplied to New Zealand patients. This will help ensure a sustainable medicinal cannabis industry in New Zealand."He said these changes would support the medicinal cannabis industry, which was important for ensuring that medicinal cannabis products which meet the minimum quality standards could continue to be supplied to local patients.Helius Therapeutics had a medicinal cannabis growing facility in Auckland. Spokesman Bruce Wallace said having fewer restrictions to send their products to offshore markets was a relief, as until now it had been a struggle as the local market was not big enough to be financially sustainable.Wallace believed the pending improvements to the scheme would lead to more plants being grown and new companies getting licences to produce or develop products.The Helius Cannabis factory in Auckland Photo: RNZ / Teresa CowieHe said having easier access to international markets would mean the price patients pay for a cannabis product should drop, as it was expensive to produce and until now only being allowed to sell solely on the local market meant charging higher prices.'We would expect it to drop over time. A stronger industry means more competition, more players and a wider variety of products. We would also encourage patients to shop around, as some pharmacies charge more than others for medicinal cannabis products."Wallace said the majority of products sold here were oral liquids, or whole flowers that patients vaporised using an approved medical device.Cannabis products were predominately prescribed for anxiety, pain and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.He said Helius Therapeutics' large facility in Auckland had room to grow and expand."Currently the challenge is to make sure we get the exports away that will fund and drive that growth."Wallace said their products would also be sold to researchers, who could start doing local trials with cannabis under the scheme's changes.Medsafe said the changes to the medicinal cannabis scheme would come into effect by the end of this year.This story was originally published by RNZ