Auckland’s bi-annual tsunami siren test will take place at the beginning of daylight saving on Sunday 24 September at 12pm (midday). “It’s important to test the sirens to make sure they’re working as expected. There’s no cause for alarm during the testing and no action is required by the public,” Auckland Emergency Management General Manager Paul Amaral says. Located at a number of coastal sites, sirens give a combination of alert sounds and voice instructions advising what actions residents should take in a real emergency. You can check and listen to the siren sound sample on the Auckland Emergency Management website [.WAV]. We would also appreciate if you could fill out the tsunami siren testing reporting form to let us know if you heard the sirens during the test and what it sounded like.  Where are tsunami warning sirens located in Auckland? Rodney: Point Wells, Whangateau, Omaha Albany Ward: Waiwera, Ōrewa, Hobsonville, Herald Island Waitākere: Bethells / Te Henga, Piha North, Piha South, Karekare, Whatipu, Little Huia, Te Atatū South, Te Atatū Peninsula North Please note that tsunami sirens at some of these locations have been vandalised or stolen. This means the audible warnings for a tsunami threat at those locations will not be functioning or functioning below full capacity. Changes to our tsunami risk and alerting The Auckland Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee has voted to decommission the aging and compromised Meerkat tsunami siren network.  AEM General Manager Paul Amaral acknowledges the decision may concern some communities. “We want to assure our communities that there will be timely communication in the event of a potential tsunami.”  “If there is a tsunami threat, an Emergency Mobile Alert will be broadcast to all capable mobile phones. As well as this, news media and social media channels will be used to alert Aucklanders.” Councillor Sharon Stewart, Auckland Council’s Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee chairperson says tsunami siren testing is a good prompt for Aucklanders to familiarise themselves about what to do in an emergency. “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. The Emergency Mobile Alert will be used to alert Aucklanders to a potential tsunami. “The siren testing day is a good prompt for Aucklanders to talk with their whānau about planning for emergencies and importantly organising a getaway bag and meeting place.” Visit getready.govt.nz for great tips on making a plan for an emergency.  This decommissioning decision only relates to the older siren network, and not to the two new sirens installed in 2020 in Ōrewa, which are working as expected and have not experienced any vandalism or thefts.  New computer modelling of Auckland’s tsunami risk has led to the development of new tsunami evacuation maps. When the new evacuation maps are released, residents might notice a change in how they look.  The traditional 3-colour maps will be replaced by a simpler version which shows the area at risk when a land-based warning is issued, and when a marine-based warning is issued. Keep an eye on Auckland’s Hazards Viewer on the Auckland Emergency Management website for the changes later in the year. What are the official tsunami alert channels in the event of a tsunami emergency? In the event of a tsunami emergency, an Emergency Mobile Alert (EMA) will be triggered. Your mobile phone will receive a message which will tell you what the emergency is and what to do. Besides Emergency Mobile Alerts, we will also get the messages out on radio, television, news media and social media platforms. However, if you see the natural warning signs, evacuate immediately to higher ground without waiting for an official alert. Follow AEM’s official Facebook and X (Formerly Twitter) channels to stay updated. For more information on tsunami warnings, visit Auckland Emergency Management website. What are the natural warning signs for tsunami? Remember LONG or STRONG, GET GONE. If you feel a strong earthquake that makes it hard to stand up or a weak rolling earthquake that lasts a minute or more, see a sudden rise or fall in sea level, hear loud or unusual noises from the sea, don’t wait for an official warning. Go immediately to the nearest high ground or as far inland as you can, taking the route quickest for you. Be prepared Tsunami siren testing time is a great reminder to check out whether you live, work, or play in one of Auckland’s three tsunami evacuation zones. 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 from the previous year. 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 tsunami preparedness tips and what to do before, during and after a tsunami. 

A person has died and a homicide investigation has been launched following an incident in Albany on Monday afternoon.Detective Inspector Callum McNeill, Waitematā CIB, says one person was transported to Auckland Hospital in a critical condition.“They have since died as a result of their injuries and a homicide investigation was subsequently launched.“Police are currently following positive lines of enquiry to identify the person responsible and hold them to account.”While enquiries are still in the early stages, Detective Inspector McNeill says this appears to be an isolated incident. “We know the community will be understandably alarmed by what has occurred today.“The public can expect to see an increased Police presence in the area while further enquiries are carried out.Detective Inspector McNeill says Police are continuing to speak to a number of witnesses who were in the area at the time.“We also want to hear from anyone who saw the incident and has not yet spoken to Police.“You can contact us via our 105 phone service or online at https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105, using Update My Report.“Please reference file number 230918/6677.“Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.”Police will provide further information when are in a position to do so.

Severe gales have caused flight cancellations, road closures and power outages throughout much of the country on Sunday and into Monday morning.Much of the South Island, and the lower North Island were put under strong wind warnings or alerts.The storm has forced ferry sailings to be cancelled and strong winds in Wellington prevented planes from being able to land at the airport from about 5.30pm on Sunday, causing a number of cancellations and delays.MetService data showed a gust of 246.3kmh recorded just before 9pm on Sunday at Cape Turnagain, south of Pōrangahau on the east of the North Island, where sustained winds of 192.6kmh were measured.In Wellington, winds gusted up to 130-140kph and at the Remutaka Hill gusts were measured at 185kph.Emergency services had multiple call-outs today related to trees and vehicles being knocked over due to the wind, with fire station alarms sounding repeatedly through the afternoon and evening in some areas.MetService warned people to stay up to date with the forecast (MetService warnings can be found here).Air New Zealand has cancelled all flights into Wellington for the rest of Sunday, according to their website.In the North Island, Wellington, the Tararua District, and parts of Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay are under an orange wind warning until Monday morning.In the South Island, an orange wind warning is in place for Marlborough until 10pm, and the Marlborough Sounds, Clutha, Southland, Stewart Island, and Fiordland south of Milford Sound, until Monday.State Highway 2 is closed over the Remutaka Hill between Featherston and Kaitoke due to strong winds, Waka Kotahi said.A large macrocarpa tree came down onto Manly Street in Paraparaumu Beach during the storm. Photo: RNZ/ Michael CroppAratere Interislander ferry sailings for Sunday were cancelled due to the rough conditions.But Bluebridge Ferries sailings in the early hours of Monday morning were scheduled to go ahead after earlier weather-related cancellations, but it warned they would be rough and may take longer.In Mt Cook National Park at Mueller Hut, a gust of 199 kmh was reported, the strongest in three years, NIWA said.There had also been reports of vehicles affected by strong winds.Police responded to reports of a crash on Mount Cook Road, where a campervan rolled over into a ditch about 1:50pm and another crash where a caravan went down a bank on the Tekapo-Twizel Road about 1:45pm. There were no reported major injuries.Severe gales in Wellington were preventing planes from landing at the airport.Aircraft had not been able to land since about 5.30pm on Sunday, due to the strong wind, a Wellington Airport spokesperson said.They said passengers should check the status of their flights with their airline.A number of flights in and out of Wellington had been delayed or cancelled.Christchurch was under a strong wind watch until 8pm Sunday.And a number of flights into Christchurch were also listed as delayed or cancelled on Christchurch Airport's website.Power outagesThe strong winds knocked out the power supply to many households across a handful of regions as strong winds pummelled parts of the country.In Wellington, power was cut to thousands of properties on Sunday, Wellington Electricity said.By 10pm on Sunday, the largest of those faults had been fixed, with power back for about 6000 properties in the Hutt Valley, leaving about 1000 properties still blacked out late into the night.But by 11pm, the number without power was back up to 3000 properties.Powerco said the areas most affected included New Plymouth, Wairarapa and Mt Maunganui.By 10pm Sunday their outage map showed just over 3800 outages, but by 11pm the number in the dark had dipped below 3000.Storm disrupts ferries and roads, strong winds expected into MondayInterislander operations general manager Duncan Roy said Kaiarahi had stayed put at Cook Strait, rather than anchor in Wellington harbour overnight from Saturday night into Sunday, due to the high winds in the area.Since then, the Kaiarahi had returned, and the Kaitaki ferry, which was in Wellington, departed at 8.45am on Sunday.MetService also had a heavy swell warning for Kāpiti-Porirua Coast - Otaki to Cape Terawhiti.Police warned drivers travelling on motorbikes or in vehicles with a high point of gravity to take care with the strong winds, in particular for Manawatū, Whanganui-Ruapehu, and Taranaki roads."Drive to the conditions, and stop and wait if you feel unsafe."People reported trees down across SH1 at Himatangi, north of Foxton, on Manly Street in Paraparaumu Beach and across the entrance to Wellington's Northland Tunnel, in Raroa Road. And election hoardings were reportedly being ripped up by the wind and thrown about in many places.Wind gusts of up to 130kph had been expected for Wellington, and by Sunday evening, MetService meteorologist Alec Holden said they were being recorded at 130-140kph."Having walked in it myself, I can confirm that I've had a few of those typical Wellington pauses as the winds pick up."Forecasters did not expect much of the wind to die down until at least the early hours of Monday morning, and a cold front was moving slowly across the country, Holden said.Heavy rain warnings were in place on Sunday for Canterbury, Westland, and Fiordland, with heavy rain watches issued for much of Otago."A series of fast moving fronts affects much of the country during the outlook period, bringing rain to western parts of central and southern New Zealand and west to northwest gales to many places - severe weather warnings and watches are in force for a number of regions," MetService said.Fire in CanterburyEarlier, strong winds were hampering efforts to put out a vegetation fire in Culverden, North Canterbury.Fire and Emergency was called to the scene at Pahau Downs just 5am on Sunday.The blaze was about 150 metres long in a gully and took out an old shed, but was contained.Hurunui Mayor Marie Black said crews were working hard."We are still experiencing high winds, however we have had a little bit of ... nor'west rain which may well be easing the situation, but it's been fairly intense thought the night."Crews from surrounding areas, including Hurunui, also arrived to help. It was not known how the fire started.Meanwhile, Fire and Emergency warned people to be vigilant when doing burn offs in paddocks and vegetation given the high winds.On Thursday, a helicopter was needed to fight a burn that got out of control near Cheviot in Canterbury, and in Clutha in Otago, a vegetation fire was started when a burn-off reignited.A restricted fire season had already been declared for the Upper Waitaki and Central fire zones of Otago.Fire permits had been suspended in those areas until Monday, because of the current very high fire danger.This story was first published by RNZ

Phil Pennington, ReporterWaka Kotahi has paid road builders millions more on top of the billion-dollar cost of the Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway.Official information suggests $77 million has been paid to a Fletcher construction alliance with Spanish giant Acciona, and there may be more to come.Last year the claims, mostly over extra costs due to Covid disruptions in 2021-22, were put at $280m.This week, they were put at $203m in the pre-election fiscal update.Waka Kotahi told RNZ it had paid part of the claims, though did not say how much.The rest - which it did not give a figure for - would be tested through a binding dispute process, it said.The fiscal update said the agency "has not been presented with any evidence to indicate that a claim of that size would be supported by an independent reviewer".Fletcher's annual report also shows it was working out the impact on its margin of 18 landslides and damage to the new motorway.The public-private partnership (PPP) road north of Auckland opened in June, while still dealing with a slow-moving landslide pressing up against it, thought to have been triggered by the storms in February and March."Landslides do not give the contractor a right to additional compensation under the Project Agreement," Waka Kotahi said.Earlier, construction costs for the 18km motorway were put at $709m plus two earlier settlement payouts - one for Covid, one for "historic" claims - together totalling $165m.At its June opening, the cost was widely reported as $877m, and this is still how the estimated project cost appears on the official website."The more recent government reported value of $1.05 billion for the project road also includes additional costs such as property purchased," the agency told RNZ."Final costs will not be known until all claims for additional cost entitlement from the contractor have been resolved."Finishing-off work had still to be done, as of last month, including completing earthworks at the northern end where the biggest slip is, and finalising work on local roads nearby.The PPP gives an alliance of Acciona and Higgins 25 years to manage and maintain the road.The next stage through to Wellsford also faces slip-prone terrain. It is still caught up at the Environment Court.Waka Kotahi said it was making good progress with one submitter who had appealed after the resource consents and Notice of Requirement processes began in 2020."No decision has been made on the contract model for the project."It did not expect any work to begin this decade.At least two of the following triggers must occur for the Wellsford stage to get the go-ahead:Death and serious injury savings forecast from Dome Valley safety improvements not achieved within three yearsA 30 percent increase in total number of SH1 closure hours per year from 2018 levelsA forecast of traffic volumes exceeding 25,000 per dayOther roading claims not related to PPPs total about $114m, up from $100m last year, the fiscal update said.It showed a contingent liability for Waka Kotahi over contractual disputes totalling $317m in June, down from $431m in March.This story was originally published by RNZ

Warkworth RegionMonday 18th September - Mostly cloudy with isolated showers, clearing this evening but remaining partly cloudy. Fresh westerlies, easing by evening.Tuesday 19th - Fine. Westerlies, easing late at night.Wednesday 20th - Partly cloudy. Light winds.Thursday 21st - Cloud clearing and becoming fine. Northerlies, becoming fresh.Friday 22nd - Showers with northerlies.Saturday 23rd - Heavy rain, clearing but remaining cloudy. Southwesterlies.Sunday 24th - Showers with southwesterlies.Mangawhai RegionMonday 18th September - Cloudy periods. Westerlies.Tuesday 19th - Fine. Southwesterlies, easing in the afternoon.Wednesday 20th - Cloud clearing and becoming fine in the morning. Northerlies developing late.Thursday 21st - Cloud clearing and becoming fine. Northerlies.Friday 22nd - Showers with northerlies.Saturday 23rd - Rain with southwesterlies.Sunday 24th - Showers with southwesterlies.

Anusha Bradley, Investigative ReporterNearly 5000 birth injury claims have been accepted by the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) since cover was expanded nearly a year ago.It's a huge leap from just 295 accepted claims in the 12 months before the changes came into force on 1 October 2022. But it's a far cry from the 28,000 birthing parents the new scheme was estimated to help each year.The move to expand ACC cover for birth injuries was sparked by an RNZ investigation highlighting the difficulties women had in getting treatment.At the time, birth injuries were only covered by ACC if they were a result of a treatment injury, leaving thousands facing long waits in the public system to get help.The ACC Amendment Bill (Maternal Birth Injury and Other Matters) changed the criteria so nearly all birth injuries are now covered. Initially, the change was expected to help up to 18,000 birthing parents a year. The estimate was later increased to between 27,000 and 28,000.But nearly 11 months into the new regime, just 4906 claims have been accepted. Almost all claims (96 percent) were accepted, well up on the 30 percent acceptance rate prior to October 2022.Source: ACCWhy was the estimate so wrong?ACC said it was not sure why there was such a big gap between actual and estimated claims."The demand for maternal birthing injuries cover was modelled using estimates based on a breadth of research from New Zealand and overseas," ACC acting chief clinical officer Dr Dilky Rasiah said in a statement."Our estimates were based on literature review rates and, particularly for the injuries that were not tears, these were often highly uncertain in terms of percentages. For example, the literature review gave a range of 0.01 to 9% for a ruptured uterus. We used rates that tried to balance the uncertainty."ACC was developing a digital platform to make it easier for midwives working outside of hospital settings to lodge claims, which should be up and running next year.Educating midwives about birth injury claims was also a "priority", Rasiah said."We had always anticipated that it would take some time for claims numbers to grow. We didn't set firm expectations for how many claims we would receive in the first year."New Zealand College of Midwives chief executive Allison Eddy said ACC's estimates may have been too high."We have approximately 60,000 women giving birth each year, so ACC is predicting that almost half of births would have an injury that needed treatment. That did seem quite a generous estimate as most birth injuries are mild or moderate and heal spontaneously without additional treatment."While the expanded coverage was a fantastic step, the system still needed "bedding in". Inconsistency in lodging claims may explain lower than expected numbers, she said.Some hospitals had automatic systems for filing claims, while midwives working in the community had to file paper claims, Eddy said.ACC was developing a digital platform to make it easier for midwives working outside of hospital settings to lodge claims, which should be up and running next year, Rasiah said.Educating midwives about birth injury claims was also a "priority"."We had always anticipated that it would take some time for claims numbers to grow. We didn't set firm expectations for how many claims we would receive in the first year."Source: ACCBirth injuries could take months or years to show up, said Birth Trauma Aotearoa founder Kate Hicks."Sadly, women and birthing parents often still come across dismissal, gaslighting and misdiagnosis of the pain or discomfort," Hicks said."So we really need to ensure that all healthcare practitioners are adequately informed regarding birth injury, and so understand the pathways towards diagnosis and treatment."Pelvic physiotherapyWhile it was good news to see the acceptance rate of claims was "very, very high", Eddy said one of the predominant treatments that women would benefit from was pelvic health physiotherapy. It was not clear the sector would be able to meet that need.The co-payment ACC physios were entitled to charge could also be a barrier for parents needing help, she said.Dr Gillian Gibson. Photo: RANZCOGThe Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said pelvic physio should be fully funded for birth injuries.There was a shortage of pelvic physio specialists in the public system and it could cost $50 to $60 dollars to go private, even with an ACC claim, president-elect Gillian Gibson said."For some birthing parents that's going to be unaffordable, that may be enough of a barrier," Gibson said."RANZCOG would like to see pelvic floor physiotherapy fully funded, so that all women and birthing parents have access to that."Just over half of accepted claims between October 1, 2022 and August 23, 2023 received medical or hospital treatment at a cost of $1.6m. A further $796,905 had been paid in weekly compensation to parents who were unable to work due to their injuries.This story was first published by RNZ

Patrick Fontein of Mangawhai Hills development is looking to rezone and modify planning provisions on 218.3 hectares of land in Mangawhai.The purpose of the plan change is to rezone the location to a Residential Zone. According to Kaipara District Council, the key features of the plan change are:- Rezone 218.3 hectares of land between Tara Road, Cove Road, Moir Road, and Old Waipu Road in Mangawhai.- The creation of a Mangawhai Development Area with core provisions, that to protect ecological features, promote high-quality urban design, provide open space and connectivity; and- Any necessary consequential amendments to the Kaipara District Plan Maps.To access council information go hereIf you would like to object or have something to say regarding the proposal then you can make a submission.Submissions can be made via the online form or by completing the PPC84 Submission Form 5. Submissions are to be made in writing and must be received by 5.00pm Tuesday 26 September 2023.PPC84 Online SubmissionPPC84 Form 5 Submission form (downloadable)For information about the project you can head to Mangawhai Hills websiteFor their info sheetTo find out more about the project:1. MH has set up a public Information Centre at 104 Moir St (next to Walters Law).2. Mangawhai local Steve Brebner has been engaged to work full time on the project, initially in a community engagement role. Steve is available to discuss the project with any of the nearby property owners and the wider community on 021 0853 5471 and [email protected]. The MH concepts can be viewed at www.mangawhaihills.co.nz 4. MH will host information evenings for the community.The SiteThe Land

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.