Two people have been killed in a shooting in Auckland CBD this morning. Multiple people are also injured. Police say the situation is now contained and the shooter is dead.They were alerted to the incident when someone discharged a firearm inside a construction site at about 7.20am.The gunman moved through the construction site discharging his firearm, police say.When he reached the upper levels he hid inside an elevator shaft.Police attempted to engage with him, but the gunman fired further shots, before he was found dead a short time later, they say.

Kaipara Libraries go fees freeKaipara District Council have removed all fees on items borrowed through its libraries.From 1 July 2023, approximately 200 popular and new fiction books can be borrowed rent free. Previously, borrowers were charged a rental fee of between one to three dollars per item.Removing the fees was an ambition for Library Manager Lisa Salter.“Our libraries are a space for everyone” says Lisa. “Removing fees takes away a barrier for some of our community and makes our newest and most popular books accessible to anyone” says Lisa.In 2022, Kaipara District Council removed fines on late returns and fees on DVD rentals. Lisa and her team are proud to be one of a few councils nationwide leading the charge on fine and fee-free borrowing. “Literacy is so important in Aotearoa. As public libraries, we are doing what we can to promote literacy in homes and communities in our district. Being fine and fee free supports our library staff to do this”.There are five libraries in the Kaipara District: Dargaville Library, which is run by paid staff, and four community libraries run by volunteers at Paparoa, Kaiwaka, Maungaturoto, and Mangawhai.

From early next year, Countdown supermarkets will be rebranded as Woolworths.It comes as Countdown announces its long-term plan to deliver the "best supermarket experiences" for Kiwis.An investment of more than $400 million over the next three years would see the brand change, a focus on older stores across Aotearoa, and a new loyalty programme called Everyday Rewards.Security and upskilling staff will also be invested in, costing $45m.A new distribution centre for fruit and vegetables will also open in Christchurch, akin to the one in Auckland which opened last year.Managing director of Countdown and Woolworths Group New Zealand Spencer Sonn said the supermarket chain had been working hard to become a better business and do more for its customers."Having had the privilege of leading the New Zealand team for over two years now, I know there's a lot that people love about what we do, and none of that will be going away. But our ambition is to be the best and to do this we know we need to be a better place to shop, better to work for and all-round better for Aotearoa's tomorrow."We are proud to be part of New Zealand communities and with this transformation our customers can expect to see more value, better ways to shop in-store and online, sustained investment in our charity partnerships and for us to lead in sustainability."Sonn said it was changing for the better - and changing its name to Woolworths was part of that."In the coming months and years, you're going to see us bringing the best of the Woolworths brand across the Tasman and equally sharing the best of what we have here with the broader Woolworths Group."Woolworths' Panmure store opening in 1958. Photo: SuppliedWoolworths Group chief executive Brad Banducci said Woolworths had a "long history" in New Zealand with its first store opening in Wellington in 1929.There is now 194 Countdown stores across the country with 22,000 employees."I'm excited by today's announcement and what it means for our continued commitment to New Zealand and its ongoing importance to Woolworths Group," Banducci said."The next stage of our transformation and the rebranding of our stores to Woolworths Supermarkets New Zealand, means we're doubling down on our trans-Tasman connection to bring the very best to our Kiwi customers. That includes a refreshed loyalty programme focused on providing more value and a materially improved fresh offer."Woolworths signage will start popping up at Countdown stores in the coming months, with the "entire network" planed for the next couple of years.This story was originally published by RNZ

18 July 2023: Countdown is recalling specific batches of its Woolworths brand Pickled Onions as the product may contain foreign matter (glass).Point of sale notice for retailersIf you are a retailer of the product in this recall notice, you need to download a copy of the below Point of sale notice and display it in your store for one month.Point of sale – Countdown (Woolworths) [PDF, 46 KB]Consumer adviceCustomers are asked to check the date mark on the jar.Affected product should not be consumed. There have been no reports of associated injury, however if you have consumed this product and have any concerns about your health, seek medical advice.Customers should return the product to their retailer for a full refund.Who to contactIf you have questions, contact Countdown:Phone: 0800 40 40 40Address: 80 Favona Rd, Mangere, Manukau.

Warkworth RegionHeavy Rain WatchPeriod: 9hrs from 9pm Thursday, 20 July - 6am Friday, 21 JulyArea: Auckland and Great Barrier IslandForecast: A period of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria.Mangawhai RegionHeavy Rain WatchPeriod: 9hrs from 2pm - 11pm Thu, 20 JulArea: NorthlandForecast: A period of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria.Strong Wind WatchPeriod: 9hrs from 2pm - 11pm Thu, 20 JulArea: NorthlandForecast: Northeast winds may approach severe gale in exposed places.

Phil Pennington, ReporterWaka Kotahi insists the country's newest road is built to last despite a major slip, but a geotechnical engineer warns the gullies in the area all look unstable and landslides are a normal occurrence.Engineers are working to stabilise the slow slide of a slope at the north end of the Pūhoi-to-Warkworth motorway, hailed by the prime minister at its opening last month as the "more resilient and more reliable" way north.Reports released to RNZ show many landslides and many repairs of them - adequate ones, a 300-page geotechnical report said - along the entire length of the 18.5km motorway.Those occurred during the building of a road, at a time when Waka Kotahi admits that resilience was "not yet factored into decision-making" despite growing threats from climate change.Yet it was "absolutely confident" in the motorway's resilience, the agency said on Checkpoint on Tuesday.The repair job underway now was so low risk and so safe, they had started it even while opening the road, group general manager of transport services Brett Gliddon said.Asked if they would never have to patch the landslip site again, Gliddon said "correct, that's the purpose of the fix".However, NZTA has a track record of talking up new roads, then having to go back and fix them, expensively, such as on the Waikato and Kāpiti expressways, or arguing with contractors over extra costs and overruns such as at Transmission Gully which, like Pūhoi, was a public-private partnership (PPP).So far the extra cost at Pūhoi looks limited to a few million. The next storm might change that.Read the document: Pūhoi to Warkworth N1A Remediation Options Technical Memo (6MB)The motorway is designed to last 100 years but reports obtained through an Official Information Act request revealed that heavy rains in July 2022 and January and February this year set off new slips.The repairs themselves came with a caveat in the report: "It is therefore considered that the risk of future landslides at the locations of the existing landslides is lower due to the peer review and completed remedial works. Nevertheless, at some cut locations further landslides occurred despite a remedial work design [that] was in place."A warning of what was to come was sounded by a local geotechnical engineer."The gullies in this area all look unstable," David Buxton of Whangārei's Northland Geotechnical Specialists said.A terrain shaded GIS model picture showing the slip location near Warkworth. Engineer David Buxton said the gullies all looked unstable. Photo: SuppliedThe slip site was "readily identifiable as suspicious" from contour maps."There are weak layers lurking in the underlying rock that are very low strength and ... landslides are a normal occurrence," he said.As for pushing the highway on to Wellsford in the next phase, it "doesn't get any easier when you head north - indeed if they do the next section there will be many areas that are much worse".Gliddon defended their pre-build investigations.A half dozen engineers and project managers told RNZ the number of landslides during the project - at least 30 - was not necessarily unusual, and what mattered was their scale and nature.The 300-page report goes into a lot of detail about that, eventually rating just 15 percent of cut slopes at between moderate risk and low-to-moderate, and the rest lower.However, construction was not up to scratch on some of the slopes to start with, it said. Engineers looked at cut slopes and found cases of:slope stability at 1.3, instead of the required 1.5.soil slopes above rock cuts constructed steeper than required.bench widths above rock cuts narrower than the 4m required.drains not built to design.The slope sliding near Warkworth moved up to 40cm in six months last year, then sped up. Another slope further south near Moir Hill Bridge moved up to 1.9m in a few months.Read an excerpt from the 300-page geotechnical review here (687KB)The road had "robust quality controls" and would be durable, Gliddon said in a statement to RNZ.The project director for the NX2 consortium at Pūhoi, Robert Jones, said they knew about the slip near Warkworth for some time, and dealing with landslides was just a fact of life."It isn't something that surprised or particularly concerned us," said Jones, who retired last month.Gliddon said the landscape had a history of slips and the road was designed and built to cope.It "demonstrated its resilience in contrast to existing roads in the region" during Cyclone Gabrielle, he said.The long geotechnical report last updated in April this year, had let them identify risks and fix them.NX2 was responsible to meet quality standards and maintain the road under the PPP for the next 25 years, and it, not taxpayers, would pay to fix the landslide. The repair job was using engineered buttress fill and drainage to alleviate water pressures under the slope, Gliddon said.This story was originally published by RNZ

New, permanent light and sound art installation by artist Hokimai-anahera Rosieur (Ngāti Manuhiri, Ngāpuhi, and Te Aupōuri).It features 35 programmable led lights and 8 speakers and tells the genesis story of Mahurangi and the enduring presence of Ngāti Manuhiri, mana whenua of Mahurangi. On every night from 7pm to 10pm over winter. Why not grab some local takeaways and sit by the river to enjoy the experience.

The Auckland Anniversary floods have reactivated a landslide that now threatens a new $880m motorway north of the city.Open just a month, cracks have now appeared in concrete barriers, and an entire section may be moving under the Pūhoi-to-Warkworth highway.Waka Kotahi has known for years the land in the area is unstable but thought the motorway would bypass it.Instead, till-now undisclosed reports reveal the entire 18.5km-long project was beset by landslides for years, and the recent storms have made it worse, especially at one spot - an unstable slope above a stretch of about 200m of motorway by Mahurangi Bridge, near Warkworth.It appeared "a pre-historical and deep-seated landslide has been reactivated" by January's massive rainfall, said a report released to RNZ on Monday under the Official Information Act (OIA).The "slope has experienced another landslide and is moving towards the carriageway" at a stop-start rate of sometimes more than 30cm a week, the 20-page external engineer's report to the agency said."Cracks have been reported in concrete barriers in two separate places on the western side of the carriageway."There is the potential that some landslide movement is occurring across the full width of the carriageway."The landslide area shown in a Waka Kotahi report, marked onto drone image of the Pūhoi to Warkworth highway, which was captured in January by the highway builders NX2. Photo: Supplied/ Waka Kotahi/ NX2This - and a second, 300-page report that revealed a risk from rockfalls - had forced emergency repairs at a road touted at its June opening by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins (from under a large umbrella) as a key to unlock the north, and by Waka Kotahi as a "safer, more resilient and reliable route".Hipkins did not know at the time, but Waka Kotahi did, that already a large slope had begun sliding down toward the motorway at an average 5 to 11cm a week.A noticeable bulge had developed at the toe of the slip at Mahurangi Bridge and the road's shoulder had been damaged, in just the few weeks between the floods and the 4 April report. The road surface might be forced upward, it said.The report suggested the motorway's design was not up to scratch, as it was meant to last 100 years."It would be unreasonable for [builders] NX2 and the Independent Reviewer to state that the ... cut slope and associated geotechnical elements have satisfied the design life requirements."The second, 300 page investigation in April, also newly released under the OIA, said the motorway construction project had been dealing with 19 landslides by late 2019."Slope failures continued to occur into late 2022, some of which are either under repair, or remedial work designs are yet to be confirmed," it said.RNZ earlier reported that a 2020 resilience assessment for Waka Kotahi had said the land in the vicinity was "constantly moving but P2W [Pūhoi to Warkworth] will bypass".Read the document: Waka Kotahi 2020 National Resilience Programme (21MB)The assessment criticised the agency for "disjointed and reactive decision-making" that did not do enough to factor in climate change and resilience at many transport projects. This had led to "suboptimal and inefficient investment choicesThe 20-page report on the slip near Mahurangi Bridge identified "moderate risk" to the motorway width, and "high risk" to the cut slope and motorway shoulder that "is unacceptable without treatment"."A quantitative risk assessment of the risk to persons (loss of life) has not been carried out," it said.It was unlikely to fail rapidly, but "slow-moving landslides can cause high levels of financial loss, reputational damage and, in some cases, loss of life if not monitored closely"."Unless stabilised, there remains uncertainty and a risk of the landslide movement accelerating or becoming more significant, especially if more extreme rainfall events are experienced," said the report by authors, GHD and Jacobs.They told Waka Kotahi it needed to find out a lot more about the landslide from the construction consortium, NX2.The agency told RNZ on Monday it had taken measures to "ensure the landslide poses no risk to the public travelling on the motorway" by putting concrete barriers in place.NX2 had come up with a solution and begun stabilising work that would run until October.A second slope, 30m long by 4m wide, had also been cut too steep, and landslips hit this section during heavy rain in July 2022 and January 2023. The cut had had to be flattened out, the transport agency said.The Pūhoi landslide reveal came at the same time the National Party was pledging to spend $500m over three years fixing potholes, by taking money away from speed-reduction initiatives, like median barriers.Along the motorway, independent risk assessments done for NX2 of 98 cuts through slopes scored them all at moderate risk or lower; most were at very low risk (51 of them).But some were getting worse as water built up, and it was not certain the fixes would work, said the report."There could be a perceived optimistic assurance that these cut slopes have no future risk of landslides."Geology and ground conditions are not fully understood and the design solution may not be suitable at the cut slope" at some cuts, it said.It identified four "high-risk" locations for rockfall, and these were fixed.Waka Kotahi told RNZ the landslide remedial work would undergo independent review, certification and testing.A few other localised cuts were marginally steeper than they should be, such as where natural features were incorporated, but they had all been assessed as OK, it said.After RNZ reported in May about the 2020 resilience report that found more than 350 risks to the national roading network, the Minister of Transport Michael Wood said some roads may need to be abandoned as a result of climate change.RNZ aims to report further on the Pūhoi-to-Warkworth motorway landslide risks later this week.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, 21 July 2023. Please note this Traffic Bulletin is updated every Friday. Unless otherwise stated, closures start at 9pm and finish at 5am. NORTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Northbound lanes between Northcote Road off-ramp and Tristram Avenue on-ramp, 16 July (approx. 10:30pm to 5:00am)Northcote Road northbound on-ramp, 16 July (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Esmonde Road southbound on-ramp, 19-20 JulyOnewa Road northbound off-ramp, 17 July (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Stafford Road northbound off-ramp, 17 July (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Curran Street northbound on-ramp, 17 July (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)SOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Southbound lanes between Greenlane off-ramp and Mt Wellington Highway on-ramp, 16-17 July (approx. 11:00pm to 5:00am)Greenlane southbound on-ramp, 16-17 July (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Tecoma Street southbound on-ramp, 16-17 July (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Ellerslie-Panmure Highway southbound on-ramp, 16-17 July (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Northbound lanes between Mt Wellington Highway off-ramp and Ellerslie-Panmure Highway on-ramp, 18 July (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)South Eastern Highway (SEART) northbound on-ramp, 18 JulyMt Wellington Highway northbound on-ramp, 18 JulyNorthbound lanes between Princes Street off-ramp and Mt Wellington Highway on-ramp, 19-20 July (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Princes Street northbound on-ramp, 19-20 JulyPapakura southbound off-ramp, 16 JulyPapakura southbound on-ramp, 13 – 22 July (24/7)Southbound lanes between Mercer off-ramp and Mercer on-ramp, 18-20 July (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Northbound lanes between Mercer off-ramp and Mercer on-ramp, 18-20 July (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Southbound lanes between Hampton Downs off-ramp and Te Kauwhata on-ramp, 16 JulyHampton Downs southbound on-ramp, 16-20 July (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)NORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)Northbound lanes between Hobsonville Road off-ramp and Brigham Creek Road Roundabout, 16 July (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Southbound lanes between Brigham Creek Roundabout and Lincoln Road on-ramp, 16 JulySouthbound lanes between Hobsonville Road off-ramp and Lincoln Road on-ramp, 16 JulySH18 westbound to SH16 southbound link, 16 JulyHobsonville Road southbound on-ramp, 16 JulyRoyal Road southbound on-ramp, 16 JulyLincoln Road northbound off-ramp, 18-20 JulyLincoln Road northbound on-ramp, 16-18 JulyNorthbound lanes between Great North Road off-ramp and Patiki Road on-ramp, 18-19 July (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Rosebank Road northbound off-ramp, 18-19 July (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Great North Road northbound on-ramp, 18-19 JulySH16 westbound to SH20 southbound link, 18-19 July (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)UPPER HARBOUR MOTORWAY (SH18)Westbound lanes between Albany Highway off-ramp and Tauhinu Road on-ramp, 17-19 July (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Albany Highway westbound on-ramp, 17-19 JulyEastbound lanes between Tauhinu Road off-ramp and Albany Highway on-ramp, 17-19 July (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Greenhithe Road eastbound on-ramp, 17-19 JulyTauhinu Road westbound on-ramp, 20 JulyEastbound lanes between Brigham Creek Road off-ramp and Squadron Drive on-ramp, 20 JulyBrigham Creek Road eastbound on-ramp, 20 JulySOUTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH20)Northbound lanes between Hillsborough Road off-ramp and Maioro Street on-ramp, 17 July (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Dominion Road northbound on-ramp, 17 JulyHillsborough Road northbound on-ramp, 17 JulyNorthbound lanes between Neilson Street off-ramp and Hillsborough Road on-ramp, 16 July (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Neilson Street northbound on-ramp, 16 JulyNorthbound lanes between Massey Road off-ramp and Rimu Road on-ramp, 18 JulyCoronation Road northbound on-ramp, 18 JulySH20 northbound to SH20A southbound link, 18 JulyMassey Road northbound on-ramp, 16 & 18 JulyMassey Road northbound off-ramp, 17 & 20 JulyMassey Road southbound on-ramp, 17 & 20 JulyNorthbound lanes between Cavendish Drive off-ramp and Massey Road on-ramp, 19 JulyPuhinui Road northbound on-ramp, 19 JulyCavendish Drive northbound on-ramp, 19 JulyGEORGE BOLT MEMORIAL DRIVE (SH20A)Northbound lanes between Kirkbride Road off-ramp and SH20 link, 18 JulySH20A northbound to SH20 northbound link, 18 JulyKirkbride Road northbound on-ramp, 18 July

Warkworth RegionMonday 17th July - Mainly fine, but the odd shower from afternoon. Fresh southwesterlies, easing this evening.Tuesday 18th - Mainly fine, chance of a shower until evening. Southwesterlies.Wednesday 19th - Fine. Westerlies, turning northerly late.Thursday 20th - Partly cloudy. Northerlies, turning easterly.Friday 21st - Rain, clearing but remaining cloudy. Strong easterlies.Saturday 22nd - Partly cloudy with easterlies.Sunday 23rd - Partly cloudy with southeasterlies.Mangawhai RegionMonday 17th July - Mainly fine, but the odd shower from afternoon. Southwesterlies.Tuesday 18th - Fine. Southwesterlies, easing late at night.Wednesday 19th - Cloud clearing and becoming fine in the morning. Northwesterlies developing in the morning.Thursday 20th - Fine, then a few showers developing. Northeasterlies, becoming fresh.Friday 21st - Rain with easterlies.Saturday 22nd - A few showers, turning to rain. Easterlies.Sunday 23rd - Showers with southeasterlies.

It’s more important than ever that residents speak up and let Rodney Local Board members know if the three-year plan, just released for consultation, is right for their community.The board has prepared a draft plan that will guide local board decision-making in Rodney over the next three years on things like parks and playgrounds, community funding and group support, as well as events and programmes.Now board members want to hear from residents and are asking them to fill out the simple online form at akhaveyoursay.govt.nz/localboardplans by 14 August.Chair Brent Bailey says this consultation becomes even more important as communities and the council grapple with the aftermath of extreme weather events, council’s financial pressures and an economic recession.“We face many challenges, including the devastating impact of this year’s extreme weather events, as we enter some of the most difficult financial years we have ever experienced.“Everyone knows that council budgets are tight, and about the impact of council’s tough financial situation on local board budgets.“Some of our communities are really struggling, and we know that conditions have changed a lot since our last plan was developed.“We hope that through the proposals in this plan, we can support residents to recover, adapt and grow stronger together.”The plan reflects community aspirations and needs which are included in five key areas – people, community, environment, places and transport. Key objectives and the initiatives that the board wants to see delivered are listed under each area.Bailey says the plan also guides local investment and advocacy for what local communities need.“We know about the priorities that residents have raised with board members which are important for community life but are not decisions for the local board to make.“Our commitment to you is to advocate on your behalf for these important outcomes which are outlined throughout the plan.“We hope this plan will be your plan as much as ours and that you will talk to your local board members and tell us if we have got it right.”Ways to have your sayThere are a range of ways that Rodney residents can have their say, whether it’s submitting a form online or attending an event.For those who value in-person events and want to present to board members, there are hearing style events taking place in Kumeū and Warkworth. Each submitter has 10 minutes to present and board members may ask questions for clarification. To book your slot, please email [email protected] Kumeū event takes place on Wednesday 26 July, 4pm-6pm at the Kumeū meeting room, Kumeū Library and Council Services, 296 Main Road, Huapai.The Warkworth event takes place on Wednesday 9 August, 4pm- 6pm at the Rodney Local Board Office, 3 Elizabeth Street, Warkworth.Another way to give feedback and view the plan, is online at akhaveyoursay.co.nz/localboardplans website. Here people can download and read a copy of the 2023 Draft Upper Rodney Local Board Plan and fill out a simple online form.The plan can also be viewed at a local library, and people can pick up a submission form.Feedback must be received before consultation closes at 4pm on Monday 14 August.

Food prices have spiked back to 36-year highs, driven by surging vegetable costs.Prices rose 1.6 percent in June on the month before, the biggest monthly rise since the start of the year.Fruit and vegetables rose 8.1 percent for June, though after seasonal adjustment the rise was 2 percent, Stats NZ said."Prices for fruit and vegetables such as tomatoes, capsicums, and lettuce contributed the most to the overall monthly rise," consumer prices manager James Mitchell said.There were small rises for meat, groceries, and restaurant and takeaway meals.Annual food inflation picked up to 12.5 percent, equalling April's rate and the highest since 1987 when GST was brought in.For the year ended June fruit and vegetable prices were up 22 percent, notably kūmara and potatoes which were affected by bad weather, while eggs and some dairy products helped push grocery prices 12.8 percent higher."Increasing prices for fresh eggs, six-pack yoghurt, and cheddar cheese were the largest drivers within grocery food," Mitchell said.Restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food prices increased 9.2 percent, meat, poultry, and fish prices were up 11 percent and non-alcoholic beverage prices rose 9.7 percent.This story was originally posted by Radio New Zealand Food prices spike to 36-year highs, up 1.6% percent in June on month before | RNZ News

Drivers for NZ Bus in Auckland will today find out what their employer's newest offer looks like, after six hours of emergency talks on Friday.The First Union's bus driver members have rejected a pay offer of $31 an hour, rising to $33.20 from next April.Bus drivers belonging to First Union had earlier said they would start giving passengers fare-free travel, and would do so for a whole week, after refusing the company's latest pay offer.On Thursday night, NZ Bus responded by announcing all its services in Tāmaki Makaurau would instead be cancelled.After that it was announced that the strike notice had been withdrawn and emergency talks scheduled. Auckland Transport later confirmed that all bus services would run as normal on Friday.Union delegates and the company held emergency talks for about six hours on Friday.Further industrial action by drivers has been withdrawn for now and the union says it has a new offer for drivers to consider.First Union organiser Hayley Courtney said NZ Bus was more willing to co-operate with drivers at the emergency meeting."We felt happy that it was more productive than what it has been in past negotiations, they engaged with us more and we had AT sitting at the table as well and helping facilitate it."So I think all in all it was a more positive day and we have come out with a better outcome."Courtney said members would be able to voice their thoughts on the new offer at a union meeting next week."We will be going for an all-up meeting with the union members on Wednesday, after Wednesday we will know more on how the members, the wider membership are feeling with the offer the company has made."On 10 and 11 July, NZ Bus drivers in Auckland went on strike from 4am until 8am leading to hundreds of bus trips being cancelled.NZ Bus operates around 35 percent of Auckland's bus routes.This story was originally posted on Radio New Zealand Union says latest meeting with NZ Bus over Auckland drivers' pay had 'better outcome' | RNZ News

Matariki Friday 14th JulySchool Holidays at Sculptureum Elevate your yoga practice this Matariki season!Hangi For MatarikiMatariki Yoga Kirtan Weekend RetreatWinter Wine Show at Matakana EstateLeigh Sawmill Happy HourLive Music Friday Nights @ Matakana Village PubFiji Fridays at SmithsTIKI TANNE - ONE MAN BAND SHOWMatariki Saturday 15th JulyMatariki Matakana Village Farmers’ MarketMangawhai Community MarketMangawhai Tavern MarketResilient Living - Fermentation WorkshopTakatu Landcare Planting DayJuly Mandarin Wine BlendingMahurangi Winter Festival of LightsLive Music with Caroline LekstromMatariki Yoga Kirtan Weekend RetreatAll Blacks versus South AfricaMixed Messages Saturdays at SmithsTIKI TANNE - ONE MAN BAND SHOWSplintA - Live Music Matariki Sunday 16th JulyMatariki Yoga Kirtan Weekend RetreatSunday Service at Smiths

What is Matariki?Matariki is a time for remembrance, celebrating the present and looking to the future. Matariki Hunga NuiRemembranceHonouring those we have lost since the last rising of Matariki. Matariki Ahunga NuiCelebrating the PresentGathering together to give thanks for what we have. Matariki Manako NuiLooking to the FutureLooking forward to the promise of a new year. Matariki is a small cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. In Aotearoa New Zealand it comes into view low on the north-eastern horizon, in the tail of the Milky Way, just before midwinter. This heralds the Māori New Year and the changing of the seasons. The appearance of Matariki brings a time of remembrance, joy and peace. It’s a time for  communities to come together and celebrate.Iwi celebrate Matariki at different times, some when the cluster is first seen in the dawn sky, others after the full moon rises or at the beginning of the next new moon.For some iwi, the star cluster includes seven stars, while for others it has nine. For all iwi, the importance of Matariki is expressed through proverbs and songs linking it with the bright star Whanui (Vega). Ka puta Matariki. Ka rere Whanui. Ko te tohu o te tau e!Matariki reappears. Whanui starts it flight. Begin the sign of the (new) year! What does Matariki mean for Māori?Traditionally, Matariki was seen as a time to honour the dead, show respect to the land and cultivate the ground for growing crops in the coming year. Early Māori relied on Matariki to predict the success of the next harvest - the brighter the star cluster seemed, the better the growing season was predicted to be.However, today Matariki has been revived as a celebration of people, culture, language, spirituality and history. It is a time for whanau and friends to come together and reflect on the past year and look towards the year ahead.Translated, Matariki means the ‘eyes of god’ or ‘little eyes’. According to one Māori legend, when Ranginui, the sky father, and Papatūānuku the earth mother were separated by their children the god of the winds,Tāwhirimātea, became angry and tore out his eyes and threw them into the heavens.One story goes that Matariki (the mother) and her six daughters journey across the sky each year to visit their great grandmother, Papatūānuku, to share knowledge and learn new skills to prepare for the year to come.Nga Whetū o MatarikiEach star holds a certain significance over our wellbeing and environment as seen from the Maori view of the world. Matariki is the star that signifies reflection, hope or connection to the environment, our health and wellbeing, and the gathering of people.Pōhutukawa is the star connected to those that have passed on.Tupu-ā-rangi is connected with everything that grows up in the trees: fruits, berries and birdsTupu-ā-nuku is the star connected with everything that grows within the soil to be harvested or gathered for food.Waitī is connected with all freshwater bodies and the food sources that are sustained by those waters.Waitā is associated with the ocean and food sources within it.Waipuna-ā-Rangi is connected with the rain.Ururangi is the star connected with the winds.Hiwa-i-te-rangi is the star connected with granting our wishes and realising our aspirations for the coming year.Waiata o MatarikiThere are many waiata (songs) that acknowledge and honour Matariki but this song is a beautiful song that encompasses the purpose of Matariki and a Ngāti Manuhiri kaumatua once said that he thinks of all his old people, all of those that shared mātauranga (indigenous knowledge) with him over his time.This version only acknowledges the 7 stars but there is an updated version that has all 9.How to spot MatarikiTo spot Matariki when its visible, look low on the horizon in the northeast of the sky; it's easier to spot pre-dawn, between 5:30am and 6:30am.Look for what you probably know as Orion's Belt or the bottom of 'the pot' and follow the three stars across the sky to the left until you find Matariki.It's a small and tight cluster, not as big and showy as you might be expecting, but once you know what you're looking for you will see it more easily and grow to appreciate its charms.References:Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement TrustProfessor Rangi MatamuaRereata Makiha

Warkworth RegionFriday 14th Matariki - Partly cloudy. A few showers, frequent for a time this afternoon. Fresh southwesterlies.Saturday 15th - Partly cloudy, with isolated showers clearing in the evening. Fresh southwesterlies, easing in the evening.Sunday 16th - Mainly fine, isolated showers developing early. Fresh westerlies.Mangawhai RegionFriday 14th Matariki - Partly cloudy with the odd shower. Westerlies.Saturday 15th - Fine. Fresh southwesterlies, easing in the afternoon.Sunday 16th - Partly cloudy, chance of a shower in the afternoon and evening. Westerlies, becoming fresh for a time in the afternoon and evening.

For details on the Mahurangi Winter Festival of Lights eventsPress Release from Murray Chapman for the Mahurangi Winter Festival of Lights Artwork LaunchMahurangi Winter Festival of Lights launches a new public artwork for Warkworth.This year the Mahurangi Winter Festival of Lights opening night will be extra special. The Saturday 15th July event will combine the exciting lighting and family friendly activities the festival is renowned for with the launch of a new, permanent public artwork by Ngāti Manuhiri artist Hokimai-anahera Rosieur (Ngāti Manuhiri, Ngāpuhi and Te Aupōuri)The Mahurangi Winter Festival of Lights and Auckland Council Public Art Team have been working together since 2019 to develop a large-scale artwork in the Warkworth Wharf area. The site is a popular daytime attraction and was chosen as an opportunity to activate Warkworth for businesses and the community for up to 3 hours each night.Located in a thin strip of native bush (ngahere) opposite the town wharf, the artwork uses 35 programmable led lights and 8 speakers to express the genesis story of Mahurangi and the enduring presence of Ngāti Manuhiri, mana whenua of Mahurangi.The new artwork is the first to be delivered in the Rodney region under the Auckland Council public artwork programme, which creates public art across the Auckland Region.The permanent, lighting artwork along the river is being installed by Davco Electrical, a well-known Warkworth business with legacy support from the Mahurangi Winter Festival of Lights.This year, the festival will run between 11am and 9pm on Sat 15th July and will include food trucks, live music, rides and amusements for the whole family. One of the highlights of the event is the annual Parade of Lights which will start at 6pm, beginning from the Paperplus carpark, travelling along Queen St, and down through the wharf area. At the parade’s conclusion the first public activation of the amazing new artwork will take place along the river.Q&AWhat is the artwork? A large-scale light and sound-based artwork telling the story of Mahurangi through the eyes of mana whenua (Ngāti Manuhiri).Where is it located?Wharf St, Warkworth, best viewed from the boardwalk/ wharf.When can I see it?At the Mahurangi Winter Festival of Lights, 15 July and from sunset every night afterwards (playing 3hrs winter and 2 hrs summer).  Who is the artist?Hokimai-anahera Rosieur (Ngāti Manuhiri, Ngāpuhi & Te Aupōuri).How is the project funded?The artwork was funded from Auckland Council Public Art Regional budget. Any further questions contact the organisers: [email protected] https://www.mahulightfestival.nz/

In Hawke's Bay, food trading platform Magic Beans is doing its best to combat the rising cost of food and interpersonal disconnection in some communities.It has been going strong on social media for the past seven years, providing a space for people to swap or donate their homegrown fruit and veggies, or even trade a wheelbarrow of compost for some gardening advice.Magic Beans has 5000 local members and its co-founders hope a new app will take it nationwide.Clare Plug has lived in her house in Maraenui for more than 40 years and her garden is teaming with life - from a huge fejoa tree, to salad greens, chillies, apples and mandarins, and plenty of birds.At times she said she found herself with more fruit and vegetables than she knew what to do with, and thinks she has harvested 100 kilograms from one mandarin tree.Meanwhile on supermarket shelves, food prices were on the rise."I saw a man in the supermarket the other day," Plug said. "He had a little tray of chillies and a bunch of coriander and some greens, and I felt like saying, 'Do you want to come to my place'?"Until now, Magic Beans members have been able to connect on Facebook and on the website.Sarah Grant is the co-founder of Magic Beans. Photo: RNZ / Kate GreenBusiness co-founder Sarah Grant said the new app would open up the platform to communities all around the country, and eventually, the globe.It was free to join and use but a subscription version would also give access to a resource library with location-based planting guides and tips, Grant said.She stressed people did not need have a huge garden or be an expert gardener to join - in fact, many beginners found the community to be a huge help getting their gardens thriving.It helped people to build a community, share and find information about what grew best in their area, while reducing the distance food travelled from garden to plate, she said."One of the things that quite often happens when you do a swap with Magic Beans is that you'll get a spontaneous garden tour, which is fantastic - us gardeners love to look at each others' gardens and get some tips and tricks, and it's quite common that you'll get a cutting or some seeds, as well as what you intended to swap for."Inside, Clare Plug and her husband are propagating chili plants. Photo: RNZ / Kate GreenDuring Cyclone Gabrielle, Grant said her community in Dartmoor received food drops from civil defence but most of it was non-perishable."We were all very quickly starting to miss our fresh fruits and veggies, so we started raiding each other's gardens to get that - so there's a big element of food security."Grant said she and co-founder Anneliese Hough were motivated by the idea that around the world people were starving, and the global population was set to increase by another 2 billion by 2050.The goal eventually, with the help of the app, was to make Magic Beans available worldwide, she said."There's a big challenge ahead of us in terms of making sure there's enough food globally to feed everyone good, healthy, nutritious food that they can access and afford."The chilli plants are in neat rows unlike the rest of her thriving garden, Clare Plug says. Photo: RNZ / Kate GreenThe story was originally published by RNZ

ROAD CLOSURE NOTICE SATURDAY JULY 14th & 15th Kapanui and Wharf Streetfrom Friday 14th 9pm until Saturday 15th 11pm Baxter Street between Neville and Percy streetsfrom Friday 14th 9pm until Saturday 15th 11pm Queen StreetFrom Saturday 15th 5pm until Saturday 15th 7pm for the ITM Parade of Lights.Come along to the Mahurangi Winter Festival of Lights GULL Family Fun Day next Saturday 11am - 9pmGet yourself covered in lights and join in the ITM Parade of Lights 6pm from the Paper Plus carparkFollowed by the Artwork of Lights unveiling at 7pm down at Wharf Streetwww.mahulightfestival.nz