Gull Matakana have generously set up a Fuel Account for the McLean Family who were recently involved in a tragic quad bike accident. John McLean and other family are having to make regular journeys down to hosptial for his family.You can find our previous article on the subject and how you can help here (HELP REQUIRED for Whangateau family affected by tragic accident - here's how to help). Gull Matakana have donated $500 to open the Fuel Account. The Account is only for fuel. NB: John has been asked by Gull if this ok and he is very grateful for this account as he will need it. Donations are welcomePeople buying fuel can add to it at Gull Matakana, ask instore.People can donate through the following bank account: Gull Matakana 03 0481 0045903 00 Reference # McLean Code: 472Thank you for your generosity 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

The Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway, will not be open in time for the upcoming King's Birthday weekend.Travelers heading north on State Highway 1 can anticipate significant delays and congestion, escpiecially around not only the usual hot spots like Johnstones Hill Tunnel and Hill Street at Warkworth, but also where the diversion is in place at Puhoi. Northbound travelers will still have to exit at the Pūhoi off-ramp, briefly follow a section of Pūhoi Rd, and then rejoin SH1, this diversion causes delays under normal circumstances.Holiday makers expect heavy traffic. Alternatively, consider taking an alternate route such as SH16 for northbound travel.Rumorville whisperers say the new motorway will open next month! Fingers crossed this turns out to be true! The new motorway will reduce northbound travel time by 11 minutes.We will keep you updated with any road or traffic delays over the long weekend. Drive safe!

Countdown is freezing prices on a revised list of basic food items again this winter.Basics are now more expensive than what they were last year - rising by 12.5 percent compared to last April.Last year Countdown froze prices on more than 500 products as a measure to curb the cost of living crisis, that had since, steadily worsened.Now it was back, but had been revised to just over 300 products - including double ups like blue and green top milk - which would stay the same price they are now until the end of winter.Countdown brand milk would stay at $5.69, a kilogram of beef mince at $16.90, and a kilo of chicken breasts for $12.90.Just two vegetables were on the list - a pack of mushrooms remained at $4 and 4kg of potatoes at $10.Countdown packaged goods commercial director Steve Mills said they could not control all the causes contributing to inflation, but hoped holding prices would help.Last year's price freeze garnered criticism for not necessarily including the basics included this year, but instead plenty of herbs and more higher priced items like salmon.Foodtsuffs, who last year followed suit with a roll back on some of its essential items, was tight lipped on whether it will bring back the same scheme.The company owns New World and Pak n Save supermarkets.Foodstuffs spokesperson Emma Wooster said the supermarket was focusing on the things it could control."This includes buying well, running our stores and supply chain as efficiently as possible, and keeping costs down. We'll be keeping this focus on throughout 2023," she said.--- Check out Rodney Honda for all your Honda needs - parts, service, new products ---Prices of items that were discounted last year, have since risen.In 2022, a loaf of value bread was rolled back from $1.40 to $1.19, today in North Island stores it was at $1.49.A 1 kg block cheese went from $11.55 to $9.99, but now it was at $11.99. And 1 kg of frozen mixed vegetables, which last year dropped from $2.59 to $2.19, today cost $3.39.Foodstuffs referred RNZ to its Infometrics reporting which showed its prices had stayed below the national food price index for a year now.Food price inflation was at its highest level in 36 year and the national index showed there had been a 12 percent increase in groceries in the last year.Supermarkets still winning - Consumer NZConsumer NZ head of research and advocacy Gemma Rasmussen said because supermarkets put their own brands on the freezing line, they were still winning."In these instances the supermarket is both the supplier and the retailer, so they can retain higher profit, and it also means that increases their market power over other suppliers."Lincoln University Agribusiness' Hamish Gow said the country's expensive grocery bill was symptomatic of the entire industry model needing change."Our food industry is still based around this middle, department-store, traditional supermarket with this large mixed offering - but we haven't seen the differentiation of it in New Zealand like we have elsewhere in the world," he said.Gow said it was not something that could be changed tomorrow - but more hard discounters like Aldi could add some much-needed pressure.This story was first published by RNZ.

Last weekend in Whangateau the quad bike the McLean family was travelling on (while the slips on their road were being fixed) slid off the road and went down a steep ravine.John, Jasmine and Delilah sustained moderate injuries but Paula remains in hospital in a stable but serious condition.At present, the future remains uncertain but any donations will assist this community-driven family to rebuild and recover from this traumatic and horrific accident.A Give A Little page has been set up to help with ongoing costs. You can donate hereUse of funds - The goal is to relieve the financial pressure for the McLean family while they work their way through the coming weeks and months of rehabilitation and recovery. Any donation, small or big, will be used to pay bills and associated costs.$25,000 has currently been donated and more will be needed.There is also a meal train set up where people can make food for the family to help if you prefer . Drop off is in Whangateau.Amazing to see the daily slots are already full until the end of July! You can find news articles about the family accident herehttps://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/490770/woman-and-three-children-injured-in-quad-bike-accidenthttps://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/490803/whangateau-quad-bike-accident-steep-road-narrows-after-heavy-rain-resident-sayshttps://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018892199/safety-fears-after-accident-on-damaged-whangateau-road

A small West Coast community says fully reopening the Heaphy Track will breathe fresh life back into their town.Last February, storms destroyed three bridges and damaged the track, reducing trips to in and out only without a helicopter transfer.Karamea businesses say it has caused a significant drop in visitors, but they're hopeful that will soon change.There's only one road in to Karamea, and at the end of it lies an entrance to the Heaphy Track which winds close to 80km towards Golden Bay.Karamea Village Hotel manager Rochelle Crossman said the Great Walk was a huge drawcard for the town."Through the summer months, we'd get a lot of the walkers coming through. Even though they may not stay in the village, they'll come in and have a beer and some lunch or something before they head out of town."In the winter, she said, mountain bikers would usually stop by and it had been tough seeing fewer people coming through.Hopes were high for the upcoming Great Walk season.The Department of Conservation had confirmed it was on track to fully reopen in October, and it would announce booking dates on Wednesday along with most other Great Walks.It was exciting news for Crossman."Just the amount of people that it should bring back through the district. Good for the local Four Square, the cafes, and all of our businesses really."She was hopeful more promotion of the different activities in the area could encourage more people to stay longer.Helicopter Charter Karamea has been choppering trampers over the impassable part of the track along with a scenic flight.Vanessa Kingan said communities at both ends of the Heaphy had suffered."At the time when the flooding happened, it was really important to us as members of our community to look at what we can do to help drive more people right through the track."While uptake had been positive, she couldn't wait for the Heaphy to fully open again."You talk about the track opening again and you see a great sense of relief and joy on people's faces, locally business-wise and speaking to people in the Golden Bay community because they've equally been impacted.Engineers had found a 147-metre long flood-damaged Heaphy Bridge on the Heaphy Track. Photo: Supplied / Department of ConservationDevelopment West Coast tourism and destination manager Patrick Dault said there had been a big drop in visitor spend with some tourism operators recording an occupancy drop of up to 70 percent"We've seen visitor numbers drop from 500 monthly visitors to the i-Site to less than 65 in the month of July only, and in April, from a peak of 1200, almost 1300 to about 300."Fully reopening the track would be a significant milestone, he said."It says that this hopefully is the final chapter in to what was an incredible journey of, not only of Covid, but of climate change and resilience, and this means that it sets 2023, 2024 for success."--- Moving house and need some help? CanDo Movers have got you covered ---DOC Buller operations manager Suvi Van Smit said it was exciting to see the progress being made after the Great Walk was extensively damaged."The scale of the damage meant major repair work was required to be able to reinstate the track as a through walk as the damage included three bridges destroyed or washed away," she said.The final stage involved building two bridges including one further downstream of previous one across the Heaphy River and the other across the Lewis River."These bridges will replace the Heaphy Bridge which was destroyed by ex-cyclone Dovey."The two-bridge solution was decided on after a hydrology report found that current erosion patterns and predicted flood levels and flows meant a new bridge at the old site would soon be threatened."The booking dates for the next Great Walks season, including the Heaphy Track, will be announced on Wednesday.Last month, the Department of Conservation's booking website crashed for several hours when 10,000 people tried to book the Milford Track at once.A week later, bookings for other Great Walks were postponed due to ongoing technical issues with plans to open for booking in mid June.In a response to an Official Information Act request, DOC's Heritage and Visitors director Catherine Wilson said it was extremely disappointed to have experienced these issues, but it was happy with the IT provider's response so far and impressed with the effort put in to resolve the problems."The Department is currently undertaking commercial negotiations with our booking system provider."These negotiations were scheduled under our existing contract with the provider and are not a result of the issues we experienced with the Great Walks booking system in April 2023."However, the issues have given extra importance and a higher level of sensitivity to the process."

Changes to New Zealand's surrogacy laws are set to be fast-tracked, with the government deciding to adopt a member's bill.A bill to change and streamline the law from Labour MP Tamati Coffey has been going through Parliament, and is currently before select committee.New Zealand's surrogacy laws do not currently recognise the intended parents of a child as the legal parents, meaning they must adopt the baby."This process is discriminatory, causes unnecessary harm and stress and reflects how outdated the system is," Justice Minister Kiri Allan said.By adopting Coffey's bill as a government bill, the government can speed the process up and put more weight behind any reforms. Last year, the Law Commission proposed changes to the laws, which the select committee will now consider.They include removing the need for parents to adopt their child born by surrogacy, establishing a register for babies so they can access more information about their birth origins later on in life, and clarity over payments surrogates can receive from parents.The member's bill was drawn from the ballot in September 2021, and its first reading received unanimous support in May 2022.-- Looking for a chartered accountant? Altitude Advisors are Wellsford based and got you covered ---Even with the government's adoption of the bill, given the amount of time left this parliamentary term, it is unlikely it would pass before the election, but Tamati Coffey said he hoped all political parties would continue to support it through the House.Coffey, himself a parent of children born through surrogacy, is set to retire from politics at the election."Given I am signing out of politics at this election, it's a relief that I can hand this baby over to minister Allan, who will make surrogacy the equitable and mana-enhancing process it needs to be," Coffey said.Fertility New Zealand board member Juanita Copeland said she was heartened the legislation would be escalated."There has long been a need for greater clarity and protection for everyone involved in surrogacy and this bill will provide that. It will make it easier for people to build the family they have always dreamed of while honouring the tremendous gift that surrogacy is," she said.

The multimillion-dollar Bay of Islands tourism and recreation industry is facing potential economic and environmental ruin, a Northland biosecurity leader is warning.This is as the new invasive superspreader caulerpa seaweed is discovered in more than a dozen locations in the tourist mecca.Exotic caulerpa has been identified by Northland Regional Council (NRC) divers making emergency checks in Bay of Islands in the last week, since the discovery of the 'foot and mouth' of the sea at Te Rāwhiti in the eastern Bay of Islands on 3 May.The find is a first for the New Zealand mainland, outside the pest's Great Barrier Island stronghold.NRC biodiversity and biosecurity working party chair Geoff Crawford said the devastating find in a number of Bay of Islands locations should be a huge wakeup call for the government and all New Zealanders who live, work or play in the Bay of Islands.Caulerpa has been found in more than 45 percent of the roughly 25 mainland spots investigated including at Omakiwi Cove and Shag Rock off the cove's nearby Okuia Point. It has also been found off Parorenui Bay.Crawford said it would be reasonable to expect the seaweed would be found beyond the week's checked locations.More than 1000 yachts and launches head to the Bay of Islands annually with recreational fishing potentially facing huge impacts as well. Many of the boats head to the Bay of Islands from Auckland via Great Barrier Island. Omakiwi is a hugely popular boat anchorage.Anchors, rather than boat hulls, are thought to be the main spreading method.Crawford said people going boating in the Bay of Islands needed to be particularly careful about checking their anchors when anchoring in affected areas around Omakiwi.He said eradication was the only option, even if it took 10 years. Management and control was not.About 30 eastern Bay of Islands locations have so far been checked by NRC divers with NIWA dive specialists also involved, including Urupukapuka Island.Te Rāwhiti Marae would host a hui about tackling the caulerpa on Wednesday. Photo: Northern AdvocateTe Rāwhiti environmental restoration and pest control specialist Rana Rewha (Patukeha) found 10-20cm clumps of caulerpa on the beach at Omakiwi Cove on 3 May.Rewha said he felt lost about "where to from here", upon finding the pest on the coast that provided essential kaimoana."It's devastating for the whole Bay of Islands," Rewha said.He said caulerpa had the potential to impact cultural, social, environmental, economic and spiritual aspects of life for mana whenua and everybody in the Bay of Islands.Wellington-based Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director readiness and response services John Walsh, who is leading the government's caulerpa response, will be among about 150 people expected at a Te Rāwhiti Marae caulerpa hui on Wednesday. It was being held to hear more about the spread and to put action in place towards getting the pest sorted.NRC and NIWA will also be present.Rewha said the hui was for all those in the Bay of Islands because the problem affected everybody. Boating clubs, marinas and others were expected to be at the hui.--- For right the first time, on time car repairs call Calibre Collision ---Business Paihia chair Charles Parker said finding caulerpa at Te Rāwhiti and now beyond was of significant concern."Anything that threatens the natural environment is of concern because we rely so heavily on it to attract visitors."The natural environment was used in marketing the Bay of Islands, which now included a new marine mammal sanctuary.Parker said it was important to build a better picture of where caulerpa was in the Bay of Islands. More information would assist decision-making on the best way to eradicate it, if that was possible."We eradicate pests on the [Ipiriri] islands, we eradicate pests on the mainland. If we have to fight an invasive seaweed I am sure people would get in behind that," Parker said.Far North District Council Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board member Jane Hindle from Russell said finding caulerpa was of concern for the many people who used the Bay of Islands for kaimoana gathering, fishing and recreation.Caulerpa can grow from a piece the size of a freckle to cover an area the size of a rugby field in just a few weeks. It carpets the sea floor like a horizontal trifid and smothers traditional kaimoana sources such as cockles.

The country's payments system takes a significant step forward with the processing of transactions being extended to seven days a week.Previously, payments done on a weekend would not go through until Monday, but now they will be done on the same day, every day of the year.Payments NZ chief executive Steve Wiggins said the change was a major modernisation of a key piece of financial infrastructure."Previously, banks could only send and settle payment transactions on business days. But from this weekend, consumers and businesses will be able to transact every day of the year and no longer need to wait for a traditional business day."--- Need help with your debit? Contact Debtfix - NZ's first debt charity dedicated to reducing debt in New Zealand---Ten banks - ANZ, ASB, Bank of China, BNZ, Citi, HSBC, ICBC, Kiwibank, TSB and Westpac - had signed up, and the change would affect all direct credit, debit, automatic and bill payments.Wiggins said that would help the cashflow of small businesses allowing them to pay and be paid, especially over long weekends such as Easter, and buying and selling on online trading sites such as TradeMe would be easier.He said people needed to be aware of how the change might affect them."Electronic bank payments like automatic payments and direct debit payments may come out on their actual due date, which could be a weekend or public holiday.... and people should check their automatic payments, and make sure they have funds to cover those payments."Wiggins said more than $1.5 trillion was transacted a year, and the next development being worked on was real time payments.

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, 2 June 2023.Please note this Traffic Bulletin is updated every Friday.Unless otherwise stated, closures start at 9pm and finish at 5am.NORTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Esmonde Road northbound off-ramp, 1 JuneCENTRAL MOTORWAY JUNCTION (CMJ)Wellington Street northbound on-ramp, 1 JuneEastbound lanes between Wellesley Street East off-ramp and Tamaki Drive, 30-31 MayGrafton Road eastbound on-ramp, 30-31 MayStanley Street westbound off-ramp, 1 June--- Is your vechicle broken down? Contact Warkworth Towing & Salvage ---SOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Gillies Avenue northbound on-ramp, 30 MayNorthbound lanes between Mt Wellington Highway off-ramp and Greenlane on-ramp, 29 May (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Ellerslie-Panmure Highway northbound on-ramp, 29 MaySouth Eastern Highway (SEART) northbound on-ramp, 29 MayMt Wellington Highway northbound on-ramp, 29 MayNorthbound lanes between East Tamaki Road off-ramp and Mt Wellington Highway on-ramp, 30 MayPrinces Street northbound on-ramp, 30 MayHighbrook Drive northbound on-ramp, 30 MayEast Tamaki Road northbound on-ramp, 30 MayNorthbound lanes between Manukau off-ramp and East Tamaki Road on-ramp, 31 May (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Te Irirangi Drive northbound on-ramp, 31 MayRedoubt Road northbound on-ramp, 31 MayRedoubt Road southbound on-ramp, 29-30 MayNorthbound lanes between Papakura off-ramp and Redoubt Road on-ramp, 1 JuneSH1 northbound to SH20 northbound link, 1 JuneHill Road northbound on-ramp, 1 JuneTakanini northbound on-ramp, 1 JunePapakura (Diamond) northbound on-ramp, 1 JunePapakura (Loop) northbound on-ramp, 1 JuneNorthbound lanes between Bombay off-ramp and Drury/SH22 on-ramp, 29 MayRamarama northbound on-ramp, 29 MayBombay northbound on-ramp, 29 MaySouthbound lanes between Nikau Road off-ramp and Nikau Road on-ramp, 28 May (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Northbound lanes between Nikau Road off-ramp and Nikau Road on-ramp, 28 May (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Razorback Road southbound off-ramp, 28 May (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)SH1 southbound to SH2 eastbound link, 28 May (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Southbound lanes between Pokeno off-ramp and Pokeno On-ramp, 28 May (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Northbound lanes between Pokeno off-ramp and Pokeno on-ramp, 28 May (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Hampton Downs southbound off-ramp, 28-30 May (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)Hampton Downs southbound on-ramp, 28-31 may & 1 June (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)Hampton Downs northbound on-ramp, 31 may & 1 June (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)NORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)Southbound lanes between Brigham Creek Road Roundabout and Lincoln Road on-ramp, 29 MayHobsonville Road southbound on-ramp, 29 MayRoyal Road southbound on-ramp, 29 MayNorthbound lanes between Lincoln Road off-ramp and Brigham Creek Road Roundabout, 28 May (approx. 10:30pm to 5:00am)SH16 northbound to SH18 eastbound link, 28 May (approx. 10:30pm to 5:00am)Lincoln Road northbound on-ramp, 28 & 30 May - 1 JuneLincoln Road southbound off-ramp, 30–31 May & 1 JuneNorthbound lanes between Rosebank Road off-ramp and Te Atatu Road on-ramp, 29-30 May (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Patiki Road northbound on-ramp, 29-30 MayPatiki Road southbound off-ramp, 31 May (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Rosebank Road southbound on-ramp, 28 & 31 MayEastbound lanes between St Lukes Road off-ramp and SH1/SH16 links, 30 May (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)St Lukes Road eastbound on-ramp, 30 MaySH16 eastbound to SH1 northbound link, 30 May (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH16 eastbound to SH1 southbound link, 30 May(approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH16 eastbound to SH16 eastbound (Port) link, 30 May (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)UPPER HARBOUR MOTORWAY (SH18)Westbound lanes between Albany Highway off-ramp and Tauhinu Road on-ramp, 1 JuneAlbany Highway westbound on-ramp, 1 JuneSH18 westbound to SH16 southbound link, 29 MaySOUTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH20)Queenstown Road northbound off-ramp, 28 MaySouthbound lanes between Massey Road off-ramp and Puhinui Road on-ramp, 30 May (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Massey Road southbound on-ramp, 30 MaySouthbound lanes between Lambie Drive off-ramp and SH1 links, 31 May (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Lambie Drive southbound on-ramp, 31 MaySH20 southbound to SH1 northbound link, 31 May (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH20 southbound to SH1 northbound link, 1 JuneSH20 southbound to SH1 southbound link, 31 May (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)GEORGE BOLT MEMORIAL DRIVE (SH20A)Northbound lanes between Kirkbride Road off-ramp and SH20 northbound link, 29-31 May & 1 JuneNorthbound lanes between Landing Drive and SH20 northbound link, 28 MaySH20A northbound to SH20 northbound link, 28-31 May & 1 JuneKirkbride Road northbound on-ramp, 28-31 May & 1 June

Warkworth RegionMonday 29th May - Heavy rain, easing to a few showers this morning. Some heavy with possible thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. Strong northerlies, gusting 90 km/h in exposed places, easing this morning.Heavy Rain WatchPeriod: 13hrs from 11pm Sun, 28 May - noon Mon, 29 MayArea: Auckland including Great Barrier IslandForecast: Periods of heavy rain, with thunderstorms possible. Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria.Tuesday 30th May - Partly cloudy, with isolated showers developing in the afternoon. Northwesterlies.Wednesday 31st May - Mainly fine, isolated showers developing in the morning. Westerlies, becoming fresh for a time in the afternoon and evening.Thursday 1st June - Fine apart from isolated showers. Fresh westerlies, easing.Friday 2nd June - Mostly cloudy, with showers developing. Fresh westerlies, easing.Saturday 3rd June - Fine. Fresh southwesterlies, easing.Sunday 4th June - Showers with westerlies.--- Visit Heads of Hair in Mangawhai for your cut and colour needs ---Mangawhai RegionMonday 29th May - A few showers and fine breaks. Northerlies.Tuesday 30th May - Mostly cloudy, with showers in the afternoon and evening. Northwesterlies, easing in the afternoon.Wednesday 31st May - Cloud clearing and becoming fine in the morning. Westerlies.Thursday 1st June - Fine. Westerlies.Friday 2nd June - Showers, clearing and becoming fine. Southwesterlies.Saturday 3rd June - Fine. Southwesterlies.Sunday 4th June - Showers with westerlies.

In the early hours of this morning just before 2 am three firetrucks responded to a large housefire of a three-storey villa in St Mary's Bay, right beside Auckland’s Harbour Bridge.At its peak, six crews were fighting the blaze as it sent clouds of smoke over the nearby motorway,Police said the fire had been extinguished at 6 am. No injuries have been reported and some crews are still at the scene working to cool hotspots.The Harbour Bridge's Shelley Beach Road off-ramp is still closed and traffic is being redirected to the Fanshawe Street off-ramp near Victoria Park.Photo / Kyarne Williams

An Auckland man, who lives near the spot where a quad bike carrying four people slipped down a muddy bank yesterday, says the road should have been fixed a long time ago.A woman, aged in her 40s, suffered serious injuries and was winched out after the 50m fall before being flown to Auckland City Hospital.Two children had moderate injuries and were taken by ambulance to Starship Hospital, while a third child had minor injuries.Rodney District resident Hugh McKergow said over the past year, heavy rains had narrowed Ashton Road at Whangateau by a few metres in some places."All the cars are parked down ... at the bottom [of the road] where it starts to get steep, for quite a long time now," McKergow said."People have been either walking or driving in quad bikes or similar things [to go] up the hill."Six houses at the top of the road were inaccessible by car, he said.McKergow hoped the crash would encourage authorities to prioritise a fix."The work that should have been ages ago just hasn't been done. I hope this will trigger something to happen pretty quickly. They are working on it but it's not passable by ordinary vehicles."Residents were deeply shocked by what happened, he said.

The Labour Party has confirmed it won't change the superannuation age, if re-elected in October.Former party leader Jacinda Ardern made the same promise when she was Prime Minister, but her successor Chris Hipkins had not made the same commitment - until now.Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni said a re-elected Labour government, led by Hipkins, would not raise the pension age from 65."New Zealand has one of the simplest superannuation schemes in the world. It is universal and generous," Sepuloni said.Labour would also continue making contributions to the NZ Super Fund and dishing out the winter energy payment.Treasury had warned the cost of the ageing population was on an "unsustainable" track but Sepuloni stressed not changing the age was affordable "as long as we keep paying into the Super Fund".Labour was not kicking the can down the road, Sepuloni said."There's reasons why we are doing this. As I said, we are making decisions based on the evidence that we've got and what we believe is right."She pointed to research by the Retirement Commission, which suggested the pension "remains of significant value to most New Zealanders aged over 65."The commitment, Labour's first 2023 election policy, was made by Sepuloni at Labour's election year congress in Wellington.Speaking to about 400 party faithful, Sepuloni attacked National and ACT's intentions to raise the superannuation age, claiming a 30-year-old earning an average fulltime wage would lose out on more than 51,000 by the time they turned 67.Sepuloni confirmed Labour hadn't factored in how much people would save through National and ACT's promised tax cuts when calculating those numbers."In this election New Zealanders have a clear choice when it comes to support and security in retirement," Sepuloni said.Earlier in the morning, Labour's Deputy Leader Kelvin Davis warned party members "everything is at stake" come October's election.He described National and ACT as parties that are "disingenuous" and lack "authenticity.""We know their world view is dominated by the cost of everything and the value of nothing."We know, whenever they are in government, the interests of those in real need go backwards, while the interests of their mates, the entitled, always improve."Davis listed policies National and/or ACT had promised to scrap if elected, including free prescriptions and the clean car discount.That would be the reality of Labour losing the upcoming election, Davis told party members.Labour MP Grant Robertson continued to attack the Opposition.Speaking at the congress, he took a dig at National's use of AI in its social media posts and suggested it was using the technology to create policy."A lot of us have felt that there was something just a bit off with Chris Luxon and his National Party. A bit out of touch, something not quite ringing true. Well at least now we know why."Every bad idea the National Party has ever had has been fed into Chat GPT, and it has spat out their leader, Captain Cliche himself. I haven't checked to see if he has six fingers on one hand, but I know he only has one policy on the other."Like Davis, Robertson warned it would be a tight election and there was a lot on the line."Ultimately it will be a choice between carrying on the job we have started of giving every Kiwi opportunity and hope, or government by the Coalition of Cuts."They are like the most rubbish Marvel comic ever - Chris Luxon as Captain Cliche and his sidekick David Seymour as Reverse Robin Hood. Stealing from the poor to give to the rich."Robertson stressed that was what Labour must "protect New Zealanders from."When asked why Labour was spending so much of its election year congress talking about Opposition parties, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said they wanted to make clear the differences between the parties."New Zealanders deserve to know the choice they have at the election. It's an election year and it's going to be a contest of ideas, that means parties will challenge each other," Hipkins said.Hipkins will deliver the keynote address to the Labour Party congress tomorrow.National responds"New Zealanders can't trust Labour to keep their retirement nest egg safe," National's Finance spokesperson Nicola Willis responded in a statement."Labour's lack of responsible financial planning to safeguard sustainable Super will leave a massive hole in the government's books."They will no doubt fill that hole by imposing large new taxes on working people and by loading even more debt on young New Zealanders. It's reckless, fiscally irresponsible, and simply dishonest."Willis said that National "are committed to ensuring universal access to superannuation is protected and financially sustainable into the future, so the next generation of Kiwis can reap the same rewards"."Our plan will gradually increase the age of eligibility to 67, with adjustments not beginning until 2044 - 20 years after the legislation has passed. This change wouldn't affect anyone born before 1979."Our plan to phase these changes in over time gives people time to plan and is the responsible thing to do."National is committed to ensuring universal access to superannuation is protected and financially sustainable into the future."

There has been a serious accident involving a quad bike on Ashton Rd in Whangateau this morning,we have received reports that a quad bike has come off the road, this area of the road Has a very steep drop and it is understood that access has been very difficult.Ashton Rd suffered badly from the storms and has had slips that have made it difficult even for locals to use the road.Emergency sirens have been heard going past from all around the area.Multiple ambulances, police, fire, and a Westpac Rescue Helicopter are believed to be on the scene.We can now confirm a family of four people has been assessed and treated, the mother is in critical condition and has been airlifted to Auckland Hospital and the three children are in moderate condition and were transported to Starship by ambulance.

A baby narrowly avoided being born on the side of a gridlocked Auckland motorway on Thursday, with his panicked parents getting a surprise police escort to hospital.Constable Shaw (no first name provided) was driving on the Northern Motorway on Thursday afternoon, heading back to Orewa station after finishing his shift, when he saw a vehicle parked in the emergency stopping lane."I went and spoke to the driver to make sure everything was okay," he said in a statement released by police today. "There was a woman in the backseat, clearly in labour."The distressed first-time parents, Shradda and Gaurav Patil, had missed the turnoff to North Shore Hospital."Unfortunately the motorway was just jam-packed," said Gaurav. "I started sweating and I called 111. The next minute, Constable Shaw stopped for us."After escorting their vehicle a couple of kilometres, Shaw realised the "ridiculous" traffic meant there was a good chance the baby would arrive before they could get to the birthing unit - so he pulled them over and told them to hop in, turning on the lights and siren."I walked them up to the suite and left. It was quite cool - a once in a career opportunity," said Shaw.Baby Aarav, completely unaware of the commotion he had created, did not end up arriving until 7.30am Friday.Gaurav said he did not get much time to thank Shaw for his efforts."I cannot express how relieved we were to see him. The way Constable Shaw helped us, it was just amazing."

Kia ora Warkworth customers, we have some night works in your area coming up this weekend.Our working hours will be 7pm – 5am Sunday 28th May – Tuesday 30th May and we'll be working around the section of Great North Rd/ SH1, just past Shoesmith Reserve. You can click this link https://tinyurl.com/yw93j38w to bring up a map which highlights where the works will be located.The night works will be contraflow so there will be stop/go traffic management in place. We thank you in advance for your patience.

Friday 26th MayWOW - Move Up Programme - with Jo and BridgetAlbertland Heritage Museum celebrates 161 yearsLeigh Sawmill Happy Hour FridayLive Music @ Matakana Village PubFiji Fridays @ SmithsSaturday 27th MayMangawhai Community MarketMangawhai Tavern MarketMatakana Village Farmers MarketAlbertland Heritage Museum celebrates 161 yearsBrooke Lane Vineyard’s Last Saturday ClubMixed Messages Saturdays @ SmithsHELLO SAILOR @ Leigh Sawmill CafeThe Legacy Band Live at The Mangawhai Tavern.--- Need your nails done or your brows shaped? Head to The Beauty Shop in Mangawhai ---Sunday 28th MayMatakana Country Park Market CAR BOOT SALEFabric Rescue Market - MatakanaAlbertland Heritage Museum celebrates 161 yearsKaylee Bell @ Leigh SawmillSunday Service @ Smiths

Warkworth RegionFriday 26th May - A fine day, apart from patches of morning fog. Some evening cloud. Northeasterlies developing this morning.Saturday 27th May - Partly cloudy, with isolated showers clearing in the afternoon. Northeasterlies, becoming fresh for a time in the evening.SUnday 28th May - Mostly cloudy with isolated showers, turning to rain in the afternoon. Northeasterlies, becoming strong in the morning.Mangawhai RegionFriday 26th May - Often fine, but the chance of a shower. Northeasterlies developing this morning.Saturday 27th May - Partly cloudy. A shower or two in the evening. Northeasterlies, becoming fresh for a time in the afternoon and evening.Sunday 28th May - Showers, turning to rain in the morning. Strong northeasterlies, easing in the evening.

Support for community groups engaged in conservation projects in eastern Rodney has gone from strength to strength with the establishment of Restore Rodney East.Set up during COVID-19 lockdowns, the group became operational 18 months ago, and now with incorporated society status; Restore Rodney East assists volunteer groups across the rohe from Puhoi to Te Arai realise their full potential when delivering environmental projects.Rodney Local Board Chair Brent Bailey says Rodney is fortunate to have many hardworking volunteer groups who deliver a huge range of environmental restoration projects, and the local board is very keen to support their tremendous efforts.“The challenge is huge; how to help each group achieve their conservation goals, provide the resources they need, and match that to the budgets we have available.“We hear a lot from conservation groups and there is common ground between them, but how can they collaborate and support each other?“Simultaneously, we needed to identify opportunities to improve the health of ecosystems in the Rodney East area.”Funding from the board has been essential to develop the community restoration strategy [PDF], the ecological connectivity roadmap [PDF] and to establish the facilitator role at Restore Rodney East.The roadmap gave conservation groups and stakeholders access to a technical guide that enables landscape-scale conservation outcomes.Through the community restoration strategy, environmental groups could share their aspirations and challenges, and then create a plan to support volunteers and their project outcomes. As community members, groups and organisations worked together on the strategy, it led to setting up Restore Rodney East in 2021.Achievements include:Engaged with over 30 community groups within the Rodney East roheCreated a pool of shareable resources for groups to use. Resources include a projector and screen, trail cameras for monitoring biodiversity or animal pests, a gazebo for events, planting tools and pest plant control toolsHelped groups share their projects with the community and recruit new volunteers through sponsored advertorials in a local newspaper and displays at the local agricultural showIncreased local board support and understanding of environmental volunteers and projectsEncouraged groups and communities to submit on Local Government plans including the draft annual budget 2023/2024Worked with the Department of Conservation to improve outcomes for volunteers working on DOC landCollaborated with significant conservation entities such as The Forest Bridge Trust and Forest & Bird Warkworth Area BranchGrew volunteer groups technical knowledge with a series of events and guest speakers presenting on a range of topics including the recent Connect & Inspire event which featured an impressive lineup of speakers from all over New Zealand.---Warkworth Menswear located in Queen Street, Warkworth provides a great range of clothing, shoes and accessories for men --- Restore Rodney East facilitator Sarah Churchouse says that many opportunities are created for the groups to network, collaborate, share and celebrate their successes."The Connect & Inspire event hit all the right notes, reinforcing connections and making lifelong relationships. Restore Rodney East provided to the community groups, the promises made in our constitution, and we gained respect from our peers, and guests.”Next stepsRestore Rodney East has many activities planned for the next 12 months.Chairman Tim Armitage believes it’s an exciting time for environmental restoration projects right across the region.“We’re working hard to frame up and launch a Pest Free Mahurangi East Peninsula project. In response to concerns raised by multiple local groups we have established a working party to support initiatives related to the management of cats and their impacts on the environment.“We are seeking funds to support groups to undertake a comprehensive survey of some of the endangered species we have within the district.“In parallel; we are continuing to help promote the work of many of the local groups to help attract more volunteers to support their efforts. Our shared library of equipment and tools that groups can borrow is expanding. We will be running and supporting more events by bringing in outstanding speakers and educators who can help us all to achieve better our goals.”How to get involvedPeople wanting to get involved can find more information at the website restorerodneyeast.org.nz, email [email protected] or follow the Restore Rodney East Facebook page.