Warkworth RegionFriday 27th October - Rain easing to scattered showers this afternoon, then clearing to partly cloudy skies. Fresh southwesterlies.Saturday 28th October - Partly cloudy, chance of a shower in the morning and evening. Southerlies, turning easterly in the morning.Sunday 29th October - Cloudy, with rain developing in the evening. Easterlies, becoming strong in the morning.Mangawhai RegionFriday 27th October - Rain developing this morning, clearing this afternoon. Northwesterlies turning fresh southwesterly around midday.Saturday 28th October - Partly cloudy. Southerlies, turning to fresh easterlies in the afternoon.Sunday 29th October - Rain developing in the morning. Easterlies, rising to gale in the afternoon.

Total sales of veterinary and horticultural antibiotics in New Zealand have decreased for a fifth year in a row, dropping by 23% in 2022.The drop was a key finding of the 2022 Antibiotic agricultural compound sales analysis released today by New Zealand Food Safety. The report summarises the trends in the annual sales of veterinary and horticultural antibiotics as part of a national action plan to reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR)."The World Health Organization has identified AMR as one of the top 10 global health threats facing humanity, so seeing a 23% drop in the sale of antibiotics for plants and animals is good news,” says New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle."Antibiotics are antimicrobial medicines essential to the health of humans, animals, and plants, but using them excessively can lead to the emergence of resistant bacteria that don’t respond to antibiotic treatment."With AMR increasing around the world, and few new antibiotics being developed, careful use of the antibiotics we have will help to keep them effective."Of the 16 classes of antibiotics New Zealand Food Safety monitors, 5 are critically important for human health, meaning they should be considered the last line of defence in animal infections."We found that the total sales of antibiotics critical for human health decreased by 8% in 2022 to 6,285kg. This is the lowest they’ve been since 2017, when 8,952kg of antibiotics critically important to human health were sold," Mr Arbuckle said."Overall, the sale of antibiotics has dropped from 71,361kg in 2017 to 41,033kg in 2022. That’s a drop of 42%."The ongoing decrease in the use of antibiotics can be put down to a concerted effort from industry and New Zealand Food Safety to ensure these important medicines are used appropriately."The continued vigilance of veterinarians, farmers and other industry stakeholders, as well as our ongoing monitoring and support, are an effective way to minimise the incidence of AMR."We are also reviewing our regulatory oversight of antibiotics used in plants and animals, which could lead to a further reduction in antibiotic use as controls for some antibiotics might be tightened. This extensive piece of work has a five-year timeframe as it involves reviewing hundreds of antibiotic products."In 2017, the New Zealand Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan was jointly developed by the Ministry of Health, New Zealand Food Safety and representatives from across the human health, animal health and agriculture sectors.Its vision is for New Zealand to manage antimicrobials as a valuable shared resource and to maintain their efficacy so they can be used to treat infections in humans, as well as to manage diseases in animals and plants. An update to the action plan is due to be released next year.You can read the 2022 Antibiotic agricultural compound sales analysis report here:2022 Antibiotic agricultural compound sales analysis [PDF, 719 KB]Combined veterinary and horticultural antibiotic sales in kgVeterinary antibiotic sales by species/sector57% sold for use in dairy cattle16% sold for use in pigs9% sold for use in horses4% sold for use in beef cattle4% sold for use in meat poultry4% sold for use in sheep4% sold for use in companion and non-production animals1% sold for use in layer poultry<1% sold for use in deerFor further information and general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 008 333 or email [email protected] media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328

Farmers Community Connect – Kaipara & RodneyRapid Relief Team is heading north to support flood affected farmers in Kaipara, Rodney, and Northland by donating fencing packs which include posts, battens, and wire.After the catastrophe of Cyclone Gabrielle and the rippling effect it’s caused, RRT is hosting a further Farmers Community Connect event in Wellsford to connect farmers on New Zealand’s North Island over a fun day out, while donating fencing wire and posts. Farmers will also be able to access local support services on the day, including health services, rural financial counselling and veterinary support.Register for donations of fencing materials here!Registrations close on Thursday 23rd November.WELLSFORD, NEW ZEALANDWhen:Thursday 30 November 2023Where:Centennial Park, WellsfordTime:8:00AM to 12:00PM

The majority of Auckland’s tsunami warning sirens will be deactivated from 1 December 2023 and decommissioned, with the Emergency Mobile Alert the preferred method of notifying the public about dangerous tsunami threats. Auckland Emergency Management General Manager Paul Amaral is reassuring communities that the Emergency Mobile Alert is an effective and reliable way to alert the public to a tsunami threat.  “In the event of a potential tsunami that could cause damaging waves or flood the land, an Emergency Mobile Alert will be broadcasted to all capable mobile phones. This is an effective means of alerting people to danger. “The Meerkat sirens at many sites across Tāmaki Makarau have been prone to vandalism and theft and therefore ultimately couldn’t be relied on as part of our tsunami alerting system.” Councillor Sharon Stewart, Auckland Council’s Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee chairperson has reiterated the effectiveness of the Emergency Mobile Alert. “Aucklanders have become increasingly familiar with the Emergency Mobile Alert as an effective way to alert them to danger, having experienced this through the pandemic and during this year’s extreme weather events.” On 5 September Auckland Council’s Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee voted to decommission the aging and compromised Meerkat tsunami siren network. The decommissioning relates to the older siren network, and not the two sirens installed in Ōrewa at in 2020, which will remain. The tsunami sirens that will be deactivated from 1 December are located in: Rodney Ward: Point Wells (3), Whangateau (1), Omaha (6) Albany Ward: Hobsonville (1), Waiwera (1), Herald Island (3) Waitākere Ward: Bethells / Te Henga (3), Piha (9), Karekare (3), Whatipū (1), Huia (6), Te Atatū (5) Many of these sites have older sirens installed which have been stolen or vandalised and use older, outdated technology.  What are the official tsunami alert channels in the event of a tsunami emergency?  Tsunami warnings are published on the National Emergency Management Agency’s website and social media pages. Tsunami warnings will also be broadcast on radio, television and news media, as well as on the Auckland Emergency Management website and social media pages. What are the natural warning signs for tsunami?  If you are near a shore and experience any of the following, take action. Do not wait for official warnings. Feel a strong earthquake that makes it hard to stand or a long earthquake that lasts more than a minute See a sudden rise or fall in sea level Hear loud or unusual noises from the sea Remember! If an earthquake is LONG or STRONG, GET GONE and move to higher ground. Be prepared  Prepare your household emergency plan and practice it so everyone knows what to do in an emergency and what you need to take if you are evacuating.  Check the Auckland hazard viewer map. We are updating the tsunami evacuation maps this year so remember to check back regularly to see if your zone has changed.  Check the tsunami preparedness tips and what to do before, during and after a tsunami.  

Exhausted front-line staff at Auckland City Hospital have taken the unusual step of writing directly to management to warn of the danger posed by chronic staff shortages in the emergency department.A formal document earlier this month signed by 150 staff, including doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants, said "safe staffing levels" were "consistently breached", exposing staff and patients to unacceptable risk.Health New Zealand Te Toka Tumai Auckland told RNZ it has successfully recruited staff for all vacant positions in the emergency department and was working on other strategies to relieve the pressure.However, staff nurse Nico Woodward - a Nurses Organisation delegate - said even when the emergency department (ED) and neighbouring clinical decision unit (CDU) were fully staffed, there were still too many patients for them to treat properly."We'll go almost weeks without dipping below 100 percent capacity, which even when we're fully staffed, the pressure is immense."ED staff decided to escalate their concerns in a formal way after repeatedly filing "incident reports" with no tangible result."Submitting incident reports don't seem to be doing much other than creating paperwork for us," Woodward said."People are missing breaks, they're not able to take leave, we've got higher number of patients we're looking after, multiple sick calls, those sick calls aren't being covered, leaving staff having to pick up the pieces of what's left behind."The problem had become especially acute in the last six months, with the emergency department hitting "nearly 200 percent occupancy" in May and continuing at a high level throughout winter, he said.In a written statement, Dr Mike Shepherd, the group director of operations for Te Toka Tumai Auckland, acknowledged "that at times staffing in our ED/CDU has been very challenging, especially over the past six months"."A number of factors have impacted on the daily running of the unit, and these include high demand, staff vacancies, staff turnover and sick leave."We have been providing staff from across the hospital to support, and have either implemented or are working towards implementing, a range of short and longer term solutions to help alleviate the challenges."Those included having "successfully recruited" to fill all vacant positions in ED/CDU as well as recruiting for positions across the hospital, increasing nursing staffing in areas of pressure and putting other measures in place to ensure appropriate staffing levels for each shift."We would also like to assure the public that we are here for them and if they or their loved ones need urgent hospital-level care, they will receive it."However, Woodward said front-line staff wanted management to commit to the agreed acute care ratio of one nurse to four patients."We're not being unreasonable, that's just sticking to the agreed model of care."They want clinical staff redeployed from other roles in the hospital when the ED gets too busy, or for the hospital to close beds.This story was originally published by RNZ.

The Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Marathon takes place this weekend and will involve citybound lane and ramp closures on the Northern Mwy and Auckland Harbour Bridge between 4:00am and 12.00 midday on Sunday morning, 29 October 2023.Please note that the Harbour Bridge will be OPEN at all times during this period, however some delays may be experienced by motorists with fewer lanes available than usual (three lanes in each direction will be open). A detour is not required.CLOSURE DETAILS: The Northern Busway Bus Only lanes will be closed from Constellation Dr to Onewa Rd interchange, with runners entering the Busway at Smales Farm. One lane of the Northern Motorway will be closed southbound after Esmonde Rd interchange, with the Onewa Rd southbound on-ramp to the motorway (including the bus-only lane) closed. Esmonde Rd on-ramp will remain open.South of Onewa Rd, the two left southbound motorway lanes will be closed while runners use the two southbound clip-on lanes over the Harbour Bridge, leaving the motorway at Shelly Beach Rd off-ramp (which will be closed to all traffic) and then looping around to use Curran St to run beneath the bridge (the Curran St on-ramp will be closed to all traffic) and along Westhaven Dr into the city. In addition, the Fanshawe St motorway off-ramp (citybound) will be closed from 2am until 3pm for the duration of the event.Other road closures, and parking restrictions, will be in place, with detail available on Auckland Transport's website: http://spr.ly/6181MoJBLRunners and supporters should check the Auckland Marathon website: http://spr.ly/6186uZwOA for information about travelling to/from the event.Please share Auckland's roads with extra care this weekend.

 Amy Williams, JournalistThe day a construction site worker gunned down two people in Auckland's city centre police also responded to a dozen other callouts across the region that resulted in firearms charges.On 20 July, many in Auckland were on edge when 24-year-old Matu Reid opened fire at a central city building site, and later died at the scene from what police described as a self-inflicted injury.The horror unfolded on the opening day of the FIFA Women's World Cup in Auckland after then-Minister of Police Ginny Andersen assured the public the central city was safe.Police figures provided to RNZ showed the number of firearms callouts that day was triple the number compared to the same day last year, when there had been just four callouts and eight offences.On the same day of the central Auckland shooting, there were 13 callouts and 17 firearms offences, including a callout to an armed robbery of a van transporting cash in Mt Wellington, which police said is still under investigation.Within days, there were another two fatal shootings - one in the city centre, the other in nearby Point England.Police association president Chris Cahill said he was concerned about increasing gun violence.Chris Cahill (file photo) Photo: RNZ / Jacob West"These were all within a few days of each other. We monitor what our members are telling us, sending us through information around firearms incidents. We also monitor what the press are reporting and they've gone through the roof in the last few years," Cahill said.Police figures showed there were an average of six firearms callouts a day across the country, he said.Central Auckland business association Heart of the City chief executive Viv Beck said the number of shootings in the city centre was alarming.Viv Beck Photo: Supplied / HOTC"The weapons and the violence has just taken things to a level that we haven't seen before and I think people really are concerned. We're concerned and I think actually, people have had enough."Police figures also showed the number of frontline officers in Auckland Central had dropped slightly since 2019, when there were 126 first and second responders - to 123 now.Beck said that brought home the need for more police on the beat in the city centre."It's incredibly disappointing to see those numbers have gone down, but I'm not surprised, because whilst the police continue to tell us that they're putting more police on the beat, and I think they are ... it was off a very low base," Beck said."We are not seeing the sort of levels of resourcing on the street that people expect."Cahill said the number of frontline police in Auckland central did not match the increase in crime during the past four years."I certainly share the concerns of the public that there needs to be a higher visibility of policing. It's not just about being safe, it's about feeling safe," Cahill said."While that number drop [of central Auckland frontline officers] might seem small, when you consider the extra demand that increased in that four years, it means that there really isn't enough staff on the frontline in Auckland."He said officers were also spending crucial patrol time responding to people in mental distress, a job Cahill said was better suited to health organisations."For every time an officer is tied up dealing with someone who's in mental distress that means they're not available to be out there on the beat giving reassurance to dairy owners and other retailers."Beck wanted to see quick action from the National-led government."What I want to know is how quickly are we going to see change?"Are we going to see a downtown police station? - And I know that's an operational matter, but the politicians do set the tone and I think it's very important that we see quick action on this, because we've got to a level that it is disturbing people," Beck said.Central city residents group spokesperson Antony Phillips was closing in on 20 years of living in Auckland's city centre. The group was also calling for more police on the beat and a bricks and mortar station.Phillips said he was aware people felt unsafe, although was pragmatic about rising crime."I don't feel any less safe than I did five years ago, or 10 years ago. Probably that's because I've always been witness or privy to incidents of violence in the city."Meanwhile, there were plans to set up safety hubs on Queen Street, High Street and Karangahape Road.Community Patrols New Zealand chief executive Chris Lawton said they would have 12 volunteers in the city centre from next week, with the aim to have a hundred by the middle of next year.Chris Lawton from Community Patrols New Zealand with Heart of the City chief executive Viv Beck at the opening of a safety hub on Queen's Wharf on 20 July this year. Photo: Supplied/ Heart of the City"It's concerning that there are weapons ... being carried in the inner city area where there's a high population and density of people," Lawton said."The patrols are out there for crime prevention. They get some training in what to look out for and then to report things that might be suspicious. They have the ability to directly contact the police and pass that information on, that way we get information from a patroller who's had some training to the police."Months on, police are still investigating what led Matu Reid to open fire on construction workers that day in July.This story was originally published by RNZ

Warkworth RegionTuesday 24th October - Mostly cloudy with isolated showers becoming more widespread this afternoon. Northerlies, fresh for a time this afternoon and evening.Wednesday 25th October - A few showers, clearing to fine in the afternoon. Fresh northerlies, turning westerly in the morning.Thursday 26th October - Cloud increasing with the chance of a shower from early. Fresh westerlies.Friday 27th October - Occasional rain, clearing but remaining cloudy. Fresh southwesterlies, easing.Saturday 28th - Partly cloudy. Southeasterlies.Sunday 29th - Cloudy. Strong easterlies.Mangawhai RegionTuesday 24th October - Partly cloudy, with the chance of an afternoon or evening shower. Northerlies.Wednesday 25th October - Partly cloudy, chance of a shower until afternoon. Fresh westerlies, easing in the afternoon.Thursday 26th October - Mostly cloudy with the chance of a shower, becoming fine in the afternoon. Fresh westerlies, easing in the afternoon.Friday 27th October - Cloudy. Westerlies, turning to fresh southerlies.Saturday 28th - Cloudy with southeasterlies.Sunday 29th - Cloudy, with rain developing. Strong easterlies.

Kaiwaka - north of Kaiwaka heading Southbound has some congestion, expect delays.Te Hana - traffic crawling southbound from Te Hana to Wellsford due to apparent accident and holiday traffic. Expect delays. Use SH16 if possible.Traffic congestion in Wellsord.Traffic congestion heading Southbound through Dome valley from Wellsford to Warkworth.Road Hazard: SH 1 Millwater to Silverdale, Southbound - Crash - An earlier crash just after the Silverdale off-ramp has been cleared. Expect delays.

An Auckland butchery has snagged the top spot at The Great New Zealand Sausage Competition with its 'lamb delight' creation.Judges had to taste a record 646 entries but Sam's Butchery in Silverdale was crowned the overall winner at a gala dinner in Auckland last night.Owner Sam Nadason said the secret to the winning entry was taking the time to get the basics right, concentrating on perfecting the flavours and years of experience."My grandson was born last week too, and I think he's brought me good luck!"Judge and food writer Kathy Paterson said there was quite a buzz around the judging table this year with some innovative flavour combinations, but it was a pure lamb sausage that took out the top spot.Sam's Butchery was the supreme winner for its 'Lamb Delight'. Photo: Supplied / Great NZ Sausage Competition"It can be quite tricky creating a single meat sausage, but this was an incredibly well-made sausage with a good balance of meat and fat."The flavour of the lamb really shone through with just a hint of mint to add freshness - it was sensational."The judges were able to savour the entries with judging taking place in two stages.The first round of category judging was done across six days with 17 panels of judges, each panel was made up of a technical judge and two aesthetic judges.Entries were judged on their technical composition, aroma, appearance, texture and most importantly - the taste.This story was originally posted by RNZ News

A class action lawsuit has been filed alleging thousands of Toyota cars sold in New Zealand since 2015 are faulty.Shine Lawyers filed the lawsuit at Palmerston North High Court last month, which estimated 35,000 Hilux, Fortuner and Prado models had been fitted with a defective diesel particulate filter.The models were manufactured from 1 October 2015 and fitted with a 1GD-FTV engine or 2GD-FTV engine.The filter was required for the cars to meet Euro 5 emission standards.The fault meant it produced foul-smelling white smoke and was believed to negatively affect performance and efficiency, Senior Associate Hamish Davies said."The proceedings allege that this would likely reduce the value of the vehicles and the lawsuit is seeking compensation for affected owners."Owners could have incurred repair costs, excess GST and finance costs paid when purchasing their vehicle, inspection fees, service costs, and loss of income connected to owning a defective vehicle, he said.The Australian Federal Court ruled in favour of 250,000 owners in a similar case in 2019, finding the value of the vehicles was reduced by 10 percent."Even if your vehicle was repaired or sold on, you could still be entitled to compensation," Davies said.The class action was being funded by Court House Capital, an Australian-based litigation funder.Meanwhile, Toyota New Zealand said it would defend the class action lawsuit."Toyota has been and remains committed to assisting any customer whose vehicle experiences a [filter] issue and will continue to provide any related repairs free of charge. This has been our position to date, and we will defend the class action announced today," a company spokesperson said."As this matter is now before the courts, we have no further comment."Toyota New Zealand provided RNZ with a standard filter guide for Toyota vehicles, but it made no mention of the faulty filters.This story was originally published by RNZ

Felix Walton, reporterNew Zealanders are bananas for bananas, but the country relies on imports from Mexico, Ecuador and the Philippines for its supply.Some fruit growers hope to change that by sowing the seeds for a homegrown industry.Aotearoa imports roughly 85,000 tonnes of bananas each and every year, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization.That supply is mostly stable, but changes in the weather make it hard for exporters to keep up with the enormous demand.Dole New Zealand, the country's biggest supplier, gets its bananas from Ecuador and the Philippines.Tropical Fruit Growers of New Zealand chair Hugh Rose's banana harvest. Photo: Supplied / Hugh RoseGeneral manager Stephen Barton said it had been a challenging season for growers in both countries."Some importers are only getting 70 to 80 percent of what they need," he said."Ecuador, for instance, was very wet and flooding, and the Philippines has had the opposite, it's been a little dry."Dole had largely kept up with the demand, but banana lovers were particularly hungry at this time of year, Barton said."What we're seeing is a shortage based on seasonal demand," he said."The weather is excellent and people are starting to eat a lot more bananas."Dole sold 50,000 boxes a week, Barton said."We have containers arriving from Ecuador every week and we have a charter vessel from the Philippines every second week."Does New Zealand rely on imports too much?Tropical Fruit Growers of New Zealand chair Hugh Rose says banana stems make great cattle feed. Photo: RNZ/Carol StilesTropical Fruit Growers of New Zealand chair Hugh Rose wondered if New Zealand relied too much on imports."My biggest concern is getting sufficient bananas to meet demand, particularly as overseas productivity starts to wane and the shipping costs [get higher]," he said."All of these things lead us to say if you want to eat bananas, particularly good ones, plant your own."Bananas had some a-peeling qualities for New Zealand farmers, Rose said."Bananas aren't just grown for their fruit, they make awesome cattle feed."Every part of the banana is edible, so if you want winter feed, you can harvest the stems and chuck them over the fence to the cows and they'll be very grateful."While bananas are typically grown in tropical areas, NIWA climate, atmosphere and hazards manager Nava Fedaeff said New Zealand's climate is warmer than it used to be."Bananas are certainly looking more and more viable if we look at our future warmer climate," she said."They are a tropical species so they like warmth, sunlight and higher humidity, and bananas are already grown in places like Northland, Waikato, Gisborne and Hawke's Bay."Twice as long to grow in NZ, but better quality, says growers' group chairTropical Fruit Growers of New Zealand chair Hugh Rose's banana harvest. Photo: Supplied / Hugh RoseSelf-described "banana enthusiast" Geoff Mansell already had 200 trees on his plantation.He believed New Zealand should grow its own banana industry."Food security is definitely a benefit," he said."If we get a disruption in supply, we'll be able to keep eating bananas because we would have an industry growing them locally."Rose said it took a bit longer to grow bananas in New Zealand but the pros outweighed the cons."They generally take twice as long to grow as they do in the tropics, but the freshness and density of the sugar content... we can grow far better quality than what you'd find in the average import," he said."I cannot understand why we're importing fruit from around the world when we can grow it locally."Some trees were surprisingly hardy and easy to grow in the right conditions, Rose said."Some varieties are much tougher, I mean we've got bananas growing down in Invercargill, with a bit of protection," he said."The main thing is a frost-free environment and don't expect miracles over winter, you've got to protect them over winter.He hoped bananas could become a staple in gardens across the country."If places like Idaho can grow bananas, I'm sure New Zealand can."This story was originally published 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 Friday, 27 October 2023.Unless otherwise stated, closures start at 9pm and finish at 5am.NORTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Northbound lanes between Oteha Valley Road off-ramp and Silverdale on-ramp, 24-26 October (approx. 9:00pm to 05:00am)Oteha Valley Road northbound on-ramp, 24-26 OctoberNorthbound lanes between Greville Road off-ramp and Oteha Valley Road on-ramp, 23 October (approx. 9:30pm to 7:00am)Greville Road northbound on-ramp, 23 October (approx. 9:00pm to 7:00am)Southbound lanes between Oteha Valley Road off-ramp and Greville Road on-ramp, 23 October (approx. 9:00pm to 5:30am)Southbound lanes between Oteha Valley Road off-ramp and Upper Harbour Highway on-ramp, 24-26 October (approx. 9:00pm to 5:30am)Oteha Valley Road southbound on-ramp, 23-26 October (approx. 8:00pm to 5:30am)Greville Road southbound on-ramp, 24-26 October (approx. 8:00pm to 5:30am)Esmonde Road southbound on-ramp, 26 OctoberCENTRAL MOTORWAY JUNCTION (CMJ)Eastbound lanes between Wellesley Street East off-ramp and Tamaki Drive, 26 October (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH16 eastbound to SH16 (Port) link, 26 October (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH1 northbound to SH16 eastbound (Port) link, 26 October (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH16 Grafton Road eastbound on-ramp, 26 OctoberSOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Khyber Pass Road southbound on-ramp, 24 OctoberSouthbound lanes between Greenlane off-ramp and Mt Wellington Highway on-ramp, 26 October (approx. 10:30pm to 5:00am)Greenlane southbound on-ramp, 26 October (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Tecoma Street southbound on-ramp, 26 October (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Ellerslie-Panmure Highway southbound on-ramp, 26 October (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Redoubt Road southbound off-ramp, 24 OctoberSH1 southbound to SH20 northbound link, 23 October (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Redoubt Road southbound on-ramp, 23 OctoberNorthbound lanes between Manukau off-ramp and Puhinui Road on-ramp, 23 October (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH1 northbound to SH20 northbound link, 23 October (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Southbound lanes between Takanini off-ramp and Takanini on-ramp, 23 & 25-26 October (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Northbound lanes between Takanini off-ramp and Takanini on-ramp, 24-26 October (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Southbound lanes between Takanini off-ramp and Drury/SH22 on-ramp, 24 October (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Takanini southbound on-ramp, 24 October (approx. 9:00pm to 05:00am)Papakura southbound on-ramp, 24-25 OctoberNorthbound lanes between Ramarama off-ramp and Drury/SH22 on-ramp, 25-26 October (approx. 9:00pm to 5:00am)Ramarama northbound on-ramp, 24-26 OctoberNorthbound lanes between Bombay off-ramp and Drury/SH22 on-ramp, 24 October (approx. 9:00pm to 5:00am)Bombay northbound on-ramp, 24 OctoberSouthbound lanes between Ramarama off-ramp and Bombay on-ramp, 24 OctoberRamarama southbound on-ramp, 24 OctoberSouthbound lanes between Mercer off-ramp and Mercer on-ramp, 26 October (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Northbound lanes between Mercer off-ramp and Mercer on-ramp, 26 October (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Te Kauwhata northbound on-ramp, 24-27 October (24/7)Te Kauwhata Northbound off-ramp, 24-27 October (24/7)NORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)Southbound lanes between Foster Road and Trigg Road, 23 October (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Southbound lanes between Foster Road and Trigg Road, 24-26 October (approx. 9:00pm to 5:00am)Southbound lanes between Brigham Creek Road Roundabout and Royal Road on-ramp, 25 October (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Hobsonville Road southbound on-ramp, 25 OctoberUPPER HARBOUR MOTORWAY (SH18)SH18 westbound to SH16 southbound link, 25 October (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SOUTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH20)Southbound lanes between Massey Road off-ramp and Puhinui Road on-ramp, 25 October (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Massey Road southbound on-ramp, 25 OctoberSouthbound lanes between Puhinui Road off-ramp and SH1 links, 24 October (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Puhinui Road southbound on-ramp, 24 OctoberCavendish Drive southbound on-ramp, 24 OctoberCavendish Drive northbound on-ramp, 23 OctoberLambie Drive northbound on-ramp, 23 OctoberLambie Drive southbound on-ramp, 24 OctoberLambie Drive northbound off-ramp, 26 October (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH20 southbound to SH1 northbound link, 24 October (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH20 southbound to SH1 southbound link, 24 October (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)

Police can confirm one person has died following a serious crash in Waipu yesterday.Emergency services responded to the crash involving multiple vehicles, at the intersection of State Highway 1 and Shoemaker Road, around 1.55pm.Sadly one person received critical injuries and has since died at the scene.Police extend their condolences to their family at this difficult time.Four other people have received injuries ranging from serious to minor and have been transported to hospital.A scene examination has been completed.

THE LEIGH PENGUIN PROJECT - Mr. Lonely and Mrs. DopeyLast season a volunteer found penguin poo at the entrance of a nesting box where no signs of penguins were seen before. It was exciting that penguins had explored the box and began nesting. But onshoreeasterly storms caused many boxes to wash away, including this one. Later, a local found the box washed up on a beach and returned it.Tony and I placed it back in the same location but a little further up the hill where it would be safer from stormy weather.In early August a volunteer saw penguin poo at the box entrance. A motion camera confirmed the presence of one penguin. Over the next five weeks the camera recorded Mr. Lonely Penguin carrying nesting material into the box. I wondered how long before he found a mate? Then on September 15th two penguins arrived at the nesting box! Lonely had finally found his girl. However, she seemed to have a lot of trouble finding her way into the box, (so I called her Mrs. Dopey). She would go right past the doorway to the back of the box, jump on top and look around. When Mr. Lonely poked his head out to see where she was, she would follow him inside. The camera recorded a huge amount of noise as they greeted each other. After a few days Mrs. Dopey got the hang of getting inside without his help.The pair were frequently recorded moving in and out of the box at night. Then on September 24th one penguin emerged while the other stayed inside. I guessed that an egg was laid and hoped a second egg would come soon. Unfortunately, a downpour mud-splattered the camera, requiring a day’s maintenance. That night a large dog pushed the box downhill in an attempt to get the penguins. The dog succeeded in killing at least one.Some remains were found nearby and dog footprints around the box. Hopefully the story doesn’t end here and the other penguin escaped!DOG OWNERS! KEEP YOUR DOG LEASHED ON COASTLINE TRAILS.Many thanks to those who already do this!Author: Jenny Enderby [email protected] 0275-658-817Reposted with permission.

Stats NZ says it will not prosecute people for failing to fill out this year's census.Census and collections operations deputy chief executive Simon Mason said it had not met the full requirements of the Act, so it felt it was unable to prosecute."Generally, we seek to prosecute only a small number of people - between 30 and 60 people - for refusing to take part in the census," Mason said."In the past, prosecutions focused on those who were threatening to census staff and those who actively encouraged others not to complete the census. Prosecutions can lead to a fine of up to $2000."But the agency found an error in its processes; it had been too vague in its census wording.By law, a data request must specify:the section of the Act the request is being made underthe date people must respond bythe consequence of non-compliance, for example, facing a fine or prosecution.Mason said they accepted they needed to be more specific with respondents."We did not meet all the requirements of the Act in detail, and as a result have decided not to proceed with prosecutions for the 2023 Census," he said."We are undertaking an internal review to understand how we fell short of meeting all aspects of the legislative requirements of our new Act, to learn from it and take action to ensure it does not happen again."StatsNZ said it had considered issuing an additional mandatory request for data, but found it was not in the public interest nor was it necessary because 89 to 91 percent of eligible people had responded on Census Day.The decision had no impact on the quality of the 2023 Census, Mason said.This story was originally published by RNZ

Warkworth RegionFriday 20th October - Partly cloudy, with isolated morning showers. Cloud increasing this evening with scattered rain at night. Easterlies.Saturday 21st October - Scattered rain clearing in the afternoon then becoming fine. Southerlies, becoming fresh for a time in the afternoon and evening.Sunday 22nd October - Mainly fine, chance of a shower late. Southerlies, becoming fresh for a time in the afternoon and evening.Monday 23rd - Partly cloudy with isolated showers, clearing late. Northeasterlies.Mangawhai RegionFriday 20th October - Occasional rain. Easterlies becoming fresh this morning.Saturday 21st October - Occasional rain clearing in the afternoon then becoming fine. Southerlies, fresh for a time in the afternoon and evening.Sunday 22nd October - Mainly fine. Fresh southwesterlies, easing.Monday 23rd - Mainly fine. Northeasterlies developing.

Attributable to Detective Inspector Al Symonds, Whangārei CIBNorthland Police investigating the homicide of Ruakākā man Teina Pickering are continuing to appeal for information to assist them in their enquiries.Mr Pickering, 24, was found deceased in the middle of Peter Snell Road in the early hours of Thursday 12 October.Two men, aged 28 and 29, were arrested over the weekend in connection with the case, and Police are not seeking anyone else at this time.However, we continue to ask anyone with information who has not yet spoken to us to please get in touch.Police are also launching an online portal for any witnesses to upload relevant photos or video they might have of suspicious activity around Ruakākā leading up to, and after, the homicide occurring early on 12 October.If you have anything that will assist our investigation, the portal can be accessed by going to https://misty-river.nc3.govt.nz/Additionally, we continue to ask anyone with general information that will assist the investigation to contact Police on 105, or by going online to https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105.Please reference file number 231012/4721.Reports can also be made anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Wellsford CRC on Rustybrook Road is CLOSING 25th of October. Our Wellsford Reuse Store on Station Rd is getting a facelift and will be offering further recycling services for our Wellsford community when it reopens on the 24th of October. Thank you for your understanding!Mahurangi Wastebuster’s digger had its window smashed by a vandal just last week.