AgResearch is teaming up with regional councils and Rural Contractors New Zealand to collate information on alligator weed in a bid to better understand its spread.The plant often dubbed 'the worst weed in the world' has been in New Zealand for more than a 100 years but was contained to Northland.But in recent years it began spreading and has since been found in Waikato, Manawatū, Auckland, Tauranga and now Hawke's Bay.The AgResearch programme was being funded by The Ministry for Primary Industries Sustainable Food and Fibres Fund, with $270,000 over three years.AgResearch scientist Trevor James said there was a lot of anecdotal evidence about alligator weed, which is native to South America, and the damage it can do - so it would be good to have hard and fast data."What we do know is that it's causing big problems for farmers and growers, so it will be good to get out and chat to them about it."It's a semi-tropical weed and for a long time it was confined to waterways but it can also invade the riparian areas."So it gets into a riparian strip then a fragment is broken off and dragged by a cultivator or something into the middle of the paddock then it grows there."Pest plant alligator weed in a kumara crop Photo: Supplied/ Rural Contractors NZJames said the weed had caused huge issues for kumara growers and happily grew under kiwifruit vines as well."It's incredibly difficult to kill it because it has huge roots, people often spot spray it with a herbicide which controls it to an extent but doesn't get rid of the problem."Any impacts on stock remain unclear, but the weed can certainly take over pasture and is spread by tiny plant fragments, which may survive for years."James said a beetle was introduced to control alligator weed in Northland and Auckland in the 1980s, but this might be proving less effective as the weed spreads to regions with cooler temperatures."We don't know why it's spreading and we may never know, but if have a better understanding of how it behaves in certain areas it will help in the fight of getting rid of it."He said one of the first pieces of research was to test whether alligator weed could survive in baleage, which was often exported to other regions by rural contractors and farmers."Human-aided dispersal is still our biggest issue with noxious weeds."James said it was vital if people thought they had spotted the weed that they report it to their regional council.Alligator weed is at home growing in riparian strips, but can spread from there into paddocks Photo: Supplied / Waikato Regional CouncilRural Contractors president Helen Slattery said rural contractors had a major role to play in helping curb the spread of all noxious weeds."Our members take machinery from farm to farm and we also often send baleage and hay to other regions. So, we want to do all we can to make our members aware of the risks of spreading anything that can cause harm to our nation's biosecurity."She said that included rural contractors carrying out machinery hygiene practices, especially in areas where there were any alerts about the presence of biosecurity risks such as alligator weed or any other noxious weeds.

Waitematā Harbour Connections will change the way we cross Te Waitematā and access the wider transport system—whether walking, cycling, taking the bus, travelling by light rail, driving or transporting freight—connecting people to transport options across the region and beyond. To check out the 5 proposed scenarios https://nzta.mysocialpinpoint.com/awhcTo complete the survey to have your say https://nzta.mysocialpinpoint.com/awhc/have-your-sayDeadline for the survey is the 1st May.

Opinion: What happened on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey 108 years ago has shocked and shaped Aotearoa New Zealand ever since. The challenge in the 21st century, then, is how best to give contemporary relevance to such an epochal event.The essence of the Anzac story is well known. As part of the First World War British Imperial Forces, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzacs) landed at Gallipoli on 25 April, 1915. For eight months they endured the constant threat of death or maiming in terrible living conditions.Ultimately, their occupation of that narrow and rugged piece of Turkish coast failed. The 30,000 Anzacs were evacuated after eight months. More than 2700 New Zealand and 8700 Australian soldiers died, with many more wounded.The first anniversary of the landing was a day of mourning, with Anzac Day becoming a public holiday in 1922. A remembrance day of sorrow mixed with pride, it has grown over the years to include all those who served and died in later international conflicts.Over time, various narratives and themes have emerged from that Gallipoli "origin story": of Aotearoa New Zealand's emergence as a nation, proving itself to Britain and Empire; of the brave, fit, loyal soldier-mates who emblemised the Kiwi spirit of egalitarianism, fairness and duty. All this mingled with the lasting shock and underlying anger at class hierarchy and the British leadership's incompetence.But historians know well that the "Anzac spirit" is a complex and ever-evolving idea. In 2023, what do we teach school-aged children about its meaning and significance? One way forward is to rethink those Anzac narratives and tropes in a more complex way.The cemetery at Lone Pine on the Gallipoli peninsula commemorates the more than 4900 Anzac servicemen who died in the area. Photo: Creative Commons image by Gary BlakeleyColonialism and classThe Anzac story is tied up in the nation's history as part of the British Empire. The Anzac toll was just part of a staggering 46,000 "Britons" - including many from India and Ireland - who died at Gallipoli.Some 86,000 Turks also died defending their peninsula. We need to teach about the Anzac sacrifice in the context of a global conflict where the magnitude of loss was horrific.Importantly, Anzac themes are bound up in early forms of colonial nationalism: New Zealand proving itself to Britain and developing its own fighting mentality on battlefields far from home. Part of this involves the notion of incompetent British commanders who let down the Anzac troops - but this is part of a bigger story.Focusing on imperial and class hierarchies of the time can place what happened in that broader context. The legendary story of Chunuk Bair, taken on 8 August by Colonel William Malone's Wellington Regiment, but where most of the soldiers were killed when they weren't relieved in time, is particularly evocative.Māori and the imperial projectFrom our vantage point in the present, of course, we cannot ignore the Māori experience of war and colonialism. As the historian Vincent O'Malley has suggested, New Zealand's "great war" of nation-making was actually Ngā pakanga o Aotearoa - the New Zealand Wars.It's time to teach the complexity of this past and the multiple perspectives on it. For example, Waikato leader Te Puea Hērangi led opposition to WWI conscription and spoke against Māori participation on the side of a power that had only recently invaded her people's land.Conversely, Māori seeking inclusion in the settler nation did participate. On 3 July, 1915, the 1st Māori Contingent landed at Anzac Cove. Te Rangi Hiroa (Sir Peter Buck) (Ngāti Mutunga) was to say:Our feet were set on a distant land where our blood was to be shed in the cause of the Empire to which we belonged.These words echo the familiar Anzac trope of the New Zealand nation being born at Gallipoli. Such sentiments led to post-war pilgrimages to retrace the steps of ancestors and claim the site as part of an Anzac heritage - a corner of New Zealand even.For many young New Zealanders it has become a rite of passage, part of the big OE. That a visit to Anzac Cove is still more popular than visiting the sites of Ngā pakanga o Aotearoa is something our teaching can investigate.Making the pilgrimage to Gallipoli is still more popular than visiting sites from the New Zealand Wars. Photo: AAPMateship and conformityThe notion of the Anzac soldier as courageous and beyond reproach, willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for nation and empire, is also overdue for revision. The "glue" of mateship - a potent combination of masculine bravery and strength with extreme loyalty to fellow soldiers - is again a contested narrative.By the 1970s, as historian Rowan Light's work shows, there was a significant challenge to such perceptions from the counterculture, peace protesters and feminists. And by the 1980s, veterans were sharing their stories more candidly with writer Maurice Shadbolt and war historian Chris Pugsley.Teaching about the meaning of mateship might examine the history of those peer-pressured into participating in war, those who were conscripted and had no choice, and more on the fate of conscientious objectors like Archibald Baxter. At its worst, the idea of mateship was window dressing for uniformity and parochialism.New Zealanders today have complex multicultural and global roots. We have ancestors who were co-opted to fight on different sides in 20th-century wars, including those who fought anti-colonial wars in India, Ireland and Samoa. Some came here as refugees escaping conflict. Jingoism and what it really represents deserves critical analysis.Poppies and peaceThe ubiquitous poppy, an icon much reproduced in classrooms, is also ripe for contextualisation and debate over its meaning. In the age of global environmental crisis, it can be seen as more than a symbol of sacrifice immortalised in verse and iconography.The poppy also reminds us of the landscapes devastated by the machinery of war that killed and maimed people, plants and animals. It contains within it myriad lessons about the threats science and technology can pose to a vulnerable planet.Anzac Day rose from the shock, loss and grief felt by those on the home front. And beyond the familiar tropes of nationalism, mateship and egalitarianism, this remains its overriding mood.Remembering and learning about the terrible physical and mental cost of war is the real point of those familiar phrases "lest we forget" and "never again". That spirit of humanitarianism chimes with Aotearoa New Zealand's modern role and evolving self-image as a peacekeeping, nuclear-free nation.Anzac Day also speaks to the need for global peace and arbitration, and how war is no viable solution to conflict. Those are surely lessons worth teaching.*Katie Pickles is a professor of history at the University of Canterbury.

UPDATE 6.30pm - Leigh Road is now open both directions, tree has been cleared and power is back on to Leigh.A large tree has come down on top of a car on Leigh Road between Ashton Rd and Omaha Valley Rd this afternoon causing the road to be blocked in both directions.The occupants of the car were freed from the car and no injuries have been reported in relation to this incident,However, it is expected the road will be blocked for some time.Detour is possible via Matakana Hill and Pakiri Hill but as the Pakiri Hill road is in bad condition, extreme caution is advised.Power has also been affected by vegetation/debris on power lines with power outages reported in Tawharanui Peninsula, Big Omaha, Whangateau, and LeighVector's estimated restoration is 6.00pm - 7.00pm this evening.

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 28 April 2023. Please note this Traffic Bulletin is updated every Friday. Unless otherwise stated, closures start at 9pm and finish at 5am. NORTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Southbound lanes between Waiwera off-ramp and Silverdale on-ramp, 23 AprilOrewa southbound on-ramp, 23 AprilMillwater southbound on-ramp, 23 AprilOteha Valley Road southbound on-ramp, 26-27 AprilNorthbound lanes between Greville Road off-ramp and Oteha Valley Road on-ramp, 26 April (approx. 09:30pm to 5:00am)Greville Road northbound on-ramp, 26 AprilSouthbound lanes between Greville Road off-ramp and Constellation Drive on-ramp, 27 AprilGreville Road southbound on-ramp, 27 AprilNorthbound lanes between Constellation Drive off-ramp and Greville Road on-ramp, 25 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Constellation Drive northbound on-ramp, 23 & 25 AprilConstellation Drive southbound off-ramp, 25 AprilConstellation Drive northbound off-ramp, 26 AprilEsmonde Road (Diamond) northbound on-ramp, 23-27 AprilSOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Te Irirangi Drive southbound off-ramp, 26 AprilManukau northbound off-ramp, 23-24 AprilNorthbound lanes between Ramarama off-ramp and Takanini on-ramp, 23 AprilPapakura (Diamond) northbound on-ramp, 23 AprilPapakura (loop) northbound on-ramp, 23 AprilDrury/SH22 northbound on-ramp, 23 AprilNorthbound lanes between Ramarama off-ramp and Drury/SH22 on-ramp, 26-27 AprilRamarama northbound on-ramp, 23 & 26-27 AprilNorthbound lanes between Ramarama off-ramp and Drury/SH22 on-ramp, 25 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Ramarama northbound on-ramp, 25 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Northbound lanes between Ridge Road off-ramp and Ridge Road on-ramp, 25 April (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)Ridge Road northbound off-ramp, 27 April (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Razorback Road northbound on-ramp, 27 April (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)SH1 northbound to SH2 eastbound link, 27 April (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Pokeno northbound on-ramp, 27 April (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Mercer southbound on-ramp, 26 AprilHampton Downs southbound off-ramp, 26 April (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)Hampton Downs northbound off-ramp, 26 April (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)NORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)Hobsonville Road southbound on-ramp, 26 AprilLincoln Road southbound off-ramp, 25 AprilSouthbound lanes between Lincoln Road off-ramp and Great North Road on-ramp, 23 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Lincoln Road southbound on-ramp, 23 AprilTe Atatu Road (Loop) southbound on-ramp, 23 AprilTe Atatu Road (Diamond) southbound on-ramp, 23 AprilRosebank Road southbound on-ramp, 23 & 27 AprilSH16 eastbound to SH20 southbound link, 23 AprilLincoln Road northbound on-ramp, 25-27 AprilLincoln Road northbound off-ramp, 26-27 AprilWestbound lanes between Great North Road off-ramp and Patiki Road on-ramp, 27 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Rosebank Road northbound off-ramp, 27 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Great North Road westbound on-ramp, 27 AprilSH16 westbound to SH20 southbound link, 27 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Eastbound lanes between St Lukes Road off-ramp and St Lukes Road on-ramp, 25-26 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00pm)Newton Road westbound on-ramp, 23 & 26 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00pm)SOUTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH20)Southbound lanes between Maioro Street off-ramp and Hillsborough Road on-ramp, 27 AprilMaioro Street southbound on-ramp, 27 AprilDominion Road southbound on-ramp, 27 AprilNeilson Street northbound off-ramp, 23 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Rimu Road northbound on-ramp, 23 AprilSouthbound lanes between Mahunga Drive off-ramp and Massey Road on-ramp, 26 AprilSH20 southbound to SH20A southbound link, 26 AprilWalmsley Road southbound on-ramp, 26 AprilSouthbound lanes between Massey Road off-ramp and Puhinui Road on-ramp, 25 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Massey Road southbound on-ramp, 25 April

Warkworth RegionMonday 24th April - Partly cloudy with showers, becoming mainly fine this morning. Southwesterlies becoming strong this morning, easing by evening.Tuesday 25th April - Fine, but becoming cloudy for a time in the afternoon and evening. Southwesterlies, becoming fresh in the afternoon.Wednesday 26th April - Mainly fine, isolated showers in the afternoon and evening. Fresh southwesterlies, easing in the evening.Thursday 27th April - Fine at first, then showers developing later. Southerlies, turning easterly.Friday 28th April - Isolated showers, clearing to partly cloudy. Fresh easterlies, easing.Mangawhai RegionMonday 24th April - Partly cloudy. The chance of a morning shower. Southwesterlies, becoming strong this morning, easing this evening.Tuesday 25th April - Cloudy with southwesterlies.Wednesday 26th April - Fine with southwesterlies.Thursday 27th April - Partly cloudy, chance shower. Southeasterlies.Friday 28th April - A few showers. Easterlies.

ANALYSIS: Royal recommendations for quiche, roast lamb and strawberry and ginger trifle taste a little bitter when UK's rate of food poverty is among the worst in Europe, writes Lucy Corry.Forget 'let them eat cake'. 'Let them eat quiche' is the 2023 update, at least if you're a subject of soon-to-be-crowned King Charles III.Buckingham Palace has kindly shared a recipe for a Coronation Quiche to mark the big day on 6 May - with the idea that people will make one to share with friends and neighbours. Judging from the feedback, most people wouldn't thank for you for turning up with a quiche featuring polarising broad beans and spinach (and that's before they find out that the pastry recipe contains lard - otherwise known as rendered pig fat).Quiche - widely agreed to be an open pastry shell with an egg custard filling seasoned with a variety of other ingredients - is commonly associated with French cuisine but it in fact originated in medieval Germany. The word itself comes from the German kuchen (a nice tie-in with the King-in-waiting's German ancestry, as long as you Don't Mention The WarQuiches have been part of English cuisine since the 14th Century, but it's a bit of a stretch to consider them part of the current culinary landscape. There was no sign of a quiche of any kind in a 2019 YouGov poll looking for the most popular British foods of all time.Instead, Yorkshire pudding, Sunday roast, fish and chips, crumpets, a full English breakfast and bacon sandwiches made the top tier.Coronation chicken, a dish of cooked chicken in a creamy Indian-inspired sauce that was invented for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, didn't appear anywhere on the list either, even though it still appears as a filling option in most British sandwich shops.While making a Coronation Quiche might seem like a lot more hassle than calling in some takeaways, it's a more economical option than some of the other recipes that Buckingham Palace have kindly shared with the hoi polloi.A delicious-sounding Coronation roast rack of lamb with Asian-style marinade by chef Ken Hom requires two 750g racks of British lamb at a cost of about GBP55, or $110, to feed four to six. A recipe for prawn tacos with pineapple salsa by celebrity chef Gregg Wallace requires GBP5 ($10) of king prawn meat - for just three tacos.Even if money was no object, you'd need the best part of a day (and 10 eggs) to prepare Adam Handling's strawberry and ginger trifle.The coronation may be a rare celebration, but these recipes leave a bitter taste in the mouth when set against reports that the UK's rate of food poverty is among the worst in Europe. Millions of people struggle to access the food they need or lack the facilities to cook or store food safely. In February, a poll found that 14 percent of Britons had to skip meals in the last 12 months because they couldn't afford to eat.There are other problems, too. During a national shortage of fruit and vegetables due to climate-disrupted harvests in Europe and Africa earlier this year, British supermarkets restricted what people could buy. At the time, environment secretary Therese Coffey sparked an uproar when she suggested that Britons 'cherish' and eat homegrown produce like turnips instead.Perhaps the future king, who is well-known for his interest in farming and the environment, might do well to learn from lessons of the past. In 1381, major socio-economic problems saw major uprisings across England and several nobles lost their heads.A bit less of 'let them eat quiche' and a bit more 'let's help them eat better' might help Charles III enjoy a more positive relationship with his people.

Stuff Travel can reveal almost 150,000 passengers will have their flights impacted after Air New Zealand was forced to ground two planes amid a global engine shortage.Most of the affected passengers will have their flights moved within 90 minutes of their original departure, although around 4000 people will have their flights moved "a day either side."The problem has come from a worldwide shortage of Pratt and Whitney engines which power the airline's fleet of A320neo and A321neo planes. These aircraft are used on short-haul routes to Australia, throughout the Pacific and domestically.NEO stands for Next Engine Option, and is the newer more fuel-efficient jets the airline has been receiving in recent years.Despite having 32 of the engines on its planes, four spares, and three lease options - the airline is still facing a choke point."Essentially, we don't have enough engines," the Group General Manager of Engineering and Maintenance at Air NZ, Brett Daley explained to Stuff Travel."The scheduled removal of engines and usual non-scheduled removals are all coming together at the same time for every operator around the world."That's led to an "escalation" of demand for spare engines, which Pratt and Whitney can't keep up with."What we thought would be a problem with us until June, July is probably going to be with us to the end of the year," Daley said.Air NZ has therefore made the decision to ground two of its newest planes, including a brand new domestically configured A321neo. It is taking engines off the grounded planes - which fly domestically - and putting them on internationally configured aircraft, which gives them more options on where they can be deployed."We're really fortunate that because we've proactively managed this, that we're only seeing two airframes impacted," Daly said.Other airlines are facing larger groundings, with around 100 planes impacted around the world across 28 airlines.The changes mean around 4000 people won't be able to fly on their planned day, and of them, around 300 people flying to places like Niue or Noumea - with limited frequency - will be impacted by having their flights changed by two days.The airline's General Manager of Shorthaul, Jeremy O'Brien, says there is a "really good discussion around a potential refund" for customers who have their plans disrupted by a day or two and miss time-bound events like a wedding. O'Brien said it will be working with the most impacted customers closely.However, of the 147,000 people impacted, 143,000 are within the same day and a majority of those are within 60 to 90 minutes, he explained. Customers will be alerted via email and the Air NZ app, and be able to accept or make changes there.The reason for the schedule changes is so that planners can "juggle aircraft type and the routes that they're flying in order to backfill as much of the capacity that was impacted by having these two aircraft on the ground" said O'Brien."Although there will be some inconvenience for customers, and we apologise upfront for that, the majority [of passengers impacted] will still get to fly within 60 to 90 minutes or on the same day. And that's because we've been able to juggle those aircraft with the other capacity.The airline started letting customers know about the schedule changes on Monday, and will continue alerting customers over the next 10 days.The airline is looking at all options to minimise any further description."We're also in active discussions with short-term lessors around potential other aircraft," O'Brien said.Daley explained this issue is very different from the turbulent time Air NZ faced with Rolls-Royce engines from 2017 to 2019, which grounded some of its larger 787 fleet.The big difference, he said, is Rolls-Royce was a "technical" issue, whereas this is now an "availability issue"."I guess in terms of severity and complexity, it's relatively minor compared to the Rolls-Royce at this point - we don't want to jump ahead to say that it's going to be like that for the remainder of the year."Aside from looking into leasing extra engines and planes, the airline is also considering whether it can use the Wamos Air plane its currently using to fly its Auckland to Perth route for other services, which might free up some of its fleet."We're looking at basically pulling all the levers we possibly can to get engines back in service."Advice for customersA spokesperson for the airline said passengers with flights booked this year do not need to proactively get in touch."There is no need for customers to contact Air New Zealand to check their booking. Affected customers will be contacted directly by Air New Zealand either by email or through the Air New Zealand app. If passengers have booked through a travel agent, their agent will contact them directly," the spokesperson said.* This story originally appeared on Stuff.

If you would like to attend a dawn service or civic service later in the day here is a listDawn ServicesWarkworthService time: 6.00amWar Memorial, Church Hill (opposite Fire Station) with a Parade back down to RSA (all welcome).WellsfordService time: 6.05amWellsford Memorial LibraryCivic Services LeighAssembly time: 10.50amParade time: 10.50amService time: 11.00amFinish time: 12.00pmAddress: Leigh Cemetery MatakanaAssembly time: 9.45amParade time: 9.50amService time: 10.00amFinish time: 11.00pmAddress: Matakana War Memorial WarkworthStarts at 10.30 up at Church Hill with a Parade back down to RSA.Address: War Memorial, Church Hill, Warkworth 

The Australian government has announced a direct pathway to citizenship for New Zealanders, ending a tension between the two countries that has lasted for more than 20 years.Since 2001, New Zealanders in Australia have been able to reside there on a Special Category Visa. While it has allowed them to remain in Australia indefinitely, getting permanent residency and citizenship has been much more difficult.It has meant New Zealanders have been unable to access benefits such as student loans, join the Defence Force, or even vote.In contrast, Australians in New Zealand have had a clear pathway to citizenship after five years.But from 1 July, New Zealanders who have been on the Special Category Visa and lived in Australia for four years will be able to get citizenship.They will still need to meet standard criteria (such as pass a character check, a language test, and intend to stay in Australia), and attend a citizenship ceremony.The pathway is retrospective, meaning those in Australia since 2001, when the SCV came into effect, will be able to apply for citizenship without gaining permanent residence first.Kiwi children born in Australia will become citizens at birth, rather than waiting until they are 10 years old."This is a fair change for New Zealanders living in Australia, and brings their rights more in line with Australians living in New Zealand. This is consistent with our ambition to build a fairer, better managed and more inclusive migration system," the Australian government said in a statement.Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the announcement has brought the nations closer together."This is the biggest improvement in the rights of New Zealanders living in Australia in a generation," he said."Most of us know someone who's moved across the Tasman. They work hard, pay taxes and deserve a fair go. These changes deliver that and reverse erosions that have taken place over 20 years."The announcement has been deliberately timed to be close to Anzac Day, with Hipkins flying to Brisbane to mark the occasion.This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Closer Economic Relations agreement between the two countries, as well as the 50th anniversary of the Trans-Tasman travel arrangement, which allowed each country's people to live and work in the other country."Australia and New Zealand have a deep friendship, which has been forged through our history, shared values and common outlook."As we mark the 50th anniversary of the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement, I look forward to strengthening our relationship," said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.The two prime ministers will celebrate the announcement with a community barbecue and citizenship ceremony in Brisbane on Sunday.They will also visit a cemetery to attend the unveiling of plaques for previously unmarked graves of soldiers who served during World War I and World War II.

The Dargaville Town Hall will be closed from Monday 24 April in the interest of public safety following damage sustained during Cyclone Gabrielle.The Council’s Chief Executive, Jason Marris, made the call after two independent reports highlighted the poor state of parts of the building.A building surveyor found the entrance, kitchen and hall had suffered weathertightness failure, causing damage to the interior linings, windows and electrics. They highlighted multiple significant risks with the building. A second report, on the air quality, found very high levels of fungal spores in parts of the complex that poses a risk to public health.“This has been a tough call. The entrance to the ANZAC Theatre is through the town hall foyer, which means it will have to close in the short term. We know how important this business is to the Dargaville community,” says Jason.The theatre will operate over the weekend and be closed from Monday.The Council has been discussing the state of the building with occupants for some time and earlier this week Council executives met with the Dargaville Community Cinema Charitable Trust to explore ways for them to continue to operate their business in the short to medium term and is still working through options with them.The Citizen’s Advice Bureau, also has its office in the building but has access through a separate entrance. They will operate temporarily from the new Council office at 32 Hokianga Road while the entrance is strengthened, then return to the Town Hall location until the building can be demolished. This will give them more time to arrange alternative premises.The foyer area has been deteriorating for some time and the Council had looked at the option of remediating it. However, the level of redesign and rebuild required made it uneconomic.The Council was planning to demolish the poorly designed and constructed 1990’s additions as part of the Long Term Plan 2021-2031 and restore the Northern Wairoa Memorial Hall and Municipal Chambers as stand-alone buildings. They are now proposing to bring the demolition forward so they can reopen the hall for use as soon as possible.The closure relates only to the Town Hall complex and does not affect the Municipal Chambers building that houses the Muddy Waters Art Gallery.

Friday 21st AprilLeigh Sawmill - Friday Happy HourWarkworth Theatre's Plethora of Plays Live Music - Friday nights @ Matakana Village PubFiji Fridays @ SmithsSaturday 22nd AprilMangawhai Community MarketMangawhai Tavern MarketMatakana Village Farmers MarketSmoke on the Coast 2023Leigh Hall Market DayThai Yoga Massage Weekend CourseCellar Door Live SessionsPerfume Workshop with Sarah Dwyer PerfumeMixed Messages Saturday @ SmithsWhite Chapel Jak Endless Summer Tour - WarkworthSunday 23rd AprilMatakana Country Park MarketThai Yoga Massage Weekend CourseSunday Service @ Smiths

Warkworth RegionFriday 21st April - Cloudy with isolated showers, then rain developing late afternoon. Northeasterlies, becoming strong this evening.Saturday 22nd April - Rain, easing to isolated showers late afternoon. Fresh northerlies, turning lighter westerly in the afternoon.Sunday 23rd April - Partly cloudy. Fresh southeasterlies, easing for a time.Mangawhai RegionFriday 21st April - Cloudy with the chance of a shower, then rain developing this afternoon. Northeasterlies, becoming strong this evening.Saturday 22nd April - Rain, clearing to partly cloudy weather late afternoon. Northerlies changing westerlies.Sunday 23rd April - Partly cloudy. Southerlies.

Big changes are planned for Auckland's Karangahape Road precinct as Auckland Transport prepares for City Rail Link, but some residents aren't yet on board.Once completed, up to 40,000 people are expected to pour through the Karangahape Road rail link station every day.Auckland Transport's programme director for the city centre Graeme Gunthorp told Morning Report the changes were to compliment CRL."We're looking to really compliment the world-class underground train station that we're building with some world-class streetscape."Making sure that the environment is suitable for those thousands of people who will pour out every day."Gunthorp said improvements were planned right across the city, including at Aotea Square and Mount Eden station, but Karangahape Road was the "major nexus for transport modes".Proposed changes around Karangahape Road included "significant improvements" to Pitt Street and Mercury Lane.Auckland Transport was proposing a pedestrian mall on Mercury Lane. Photo: Auckland Transport / SuppliedAT was proposing a pedestrian mall on Mercury Lane, and more safe areas to cross roads, link cycleways, reallocate parking, create new sections of bus lanes and extend the hours of bus lanes already in place.Gunthorpe said AT wanted to make people's use of public transport seamless and as quick as possible.Very few journeys start and stop at train stations, Gunthorp said, so it was important buses moved "quickly and efficiently" to and from stations.Have bus stops right outside stations, for example, would mean people can just jump on and off and continue with their journey."What we are also focusing on is enabling the businesses and residents in the area to really thrive. It's not just about transport, it's about community building."Pitt Street, off Karangahape Road, was in for some improvements. Photo: Auckland Transport / SuppliedBut Gunthorpe acknowledged the projects had not been met with complete positivity and some public trasnport users and local resident would have to make some changes."The Karangahape Business Association has been extremely supportive of this project, we thank them for that."Some residents still need to work through their issues with us and we are looking forward to meeting with some of them this afternoon actually."Gunthorpe said the consultation process for these projects was open and he encouraged everyone to give their views and have their say.

The Korora/Little Blue Penguin is the smallest penguin in the world and our coastal community are fortunate to have these wonderful flightless birds nesting around our shorelines,preferring rocky outcrops where they live in natural burrows or in the nesting boxes that The Leigh Penguin Project have made.The colour of Korora are medium blue to nearly black, while the chin and belly is white. The little feet are pink on top and blue on the bottom, which makes it perfect for them to blend in. For prey in the water, they appear toblend in with the sky, and from the sky they have the same colour as the water. These flightless birds have up to 100,000 waterproof feathers, compared to birds that fly, that have between 2,500 and 3,500. This smallpenguin weighs around 1 kg and stands just over 25cm tall. The Korora have an average life span in the wild of 6 years and are social and normally mate for life. A bonded pair can raise multiple sets of young andshare the parenting duties equally.From late October to December last year, we did weekly monitoring in Ti Point and logged visual data, for example, if the nesting boxes had been visited, as well as viewed and recorded activity from the cameras inselected sites. One of the natural sites provided a lot of footage, where we had a bonded pair of Korora, arriving and leaving, preening, resting, and sleeping. But the most exciting moment was when we saw the new chick emerge for the first time.We’re so looking forward to the 2023-2024 season.Author: Madeleine Roberts, the LPP team. Reposted with permission from Leigh Rag - [email protected]

The Warkworth Satellite Earth Station helped New Zealand enter the space age in 1971. But a recent bid to close it up has shown this old piece of infrastructure isn't redundant yet. New Zealand's only radio observatory is a familiar site for many travelling north of Auckland.But when its future was threatened, there were fears its demise would affect some critical scientific data.At the heart of the issue is scientific funding - not just the lack of it, but the lack of coordination throughout the country. The Detail looks at the issues New Zealand faces with science funding and asks if it can become more sustainable.The observatory's satellite dishes are an iconic sight just off State Highway 1 in Warkworth, and have been on postage stamps.They used to be long-range communications dishes, built to broadcast the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, but have since been repurposed by Auckland University of Technology (AUT) into a radio astronomy observatory. As a radio telescope, it makes observations based on radio waves, rather than optical light like a standard telescope, to learn new things about the universe. It also communicates with spacecraft and collects data for the accuracy of GPS navigation. Some of its functions are almost unique in the Southern Hemisphere.AUT proposed closing it due to a restructure last year. But concerns were raised about that with the highest levels of government officials, as New Zealand Herald science reporter Jamie Morton discovered."There was a large degree of concern, especially from the international geodetic community," Morton says. "They were basically looking at the loss of this key source of data and thinking 'ok, how is this going to make our measurements less accurate?''The site has now been saved and, while negotiations are still underway, Southland-based company SpaceOps NZ is due to take it over in June."It's a complex issue, universities have overheads and they need to basically be looking at what value those universities are reaping from what they offer," Morton says."That can come into conflict with critical science, as we saw here, we saw a critical function provided by this observatory but which was nonetheless, seen as not aligned with AUT's direction or that it just didn't see enough value in the observatory to keep it running."It's a pretty common and familiar story throughout New Zealand science to be honest. There's been a few instances in the last few years in particular, where we've seen conflicts of important science versus science that is valued by universities - and in some cases, these lessons have been learned far too late."One classic example is the fact that when Covid-19 first broke out, New Zealand essentially didn't have a dedicated infectious disease modelling unit that could give the Government the data it needed, so therefore we saw Professor Shaun Hendy and his colleagues at Te Pūnaha Matatini stand up a team at pretty short notice."Richard Easther is a professor of physics at the University of Auckland. He specialises in astrophysics and cosmology - everything from the big bang to how galaxies form.He's concerned about the lack of a funding plan for astronomy in Aotearoa."In New Zealand, we've never really had a national strategy for figuring out what it is that we need as a community and so there has been a problem that to do something at scale, you need to do something that's larger than the resources of a single institution."Other countries see value in pursuing programmes in fundamental science and so have a national strategy that is hammered out in a conversation between scientists and funders. We've never really had that conversation in New Zealand."He's calling for a 10-year strategic plan for these kinds of scientific disciplines."It's a plan that the field buys into that it essentially pitches to funders ... and then that provides some stability for the development of the assets and the development of the field that then contributes to the overall good of the country through inspiring science."If there was a cohesive plan, then AUT would've been able to make better investment decisions about the development of Warkworth and probably wouldn't be in the position that it finds itself now."

Auckland Council is carrying out pest fish control at Lake Tomarata. Please keep out of the lake from 17-21 April. No swimming or boating because of the nets in the lake. All nets will be gone by next weekend. The reserve is open throughout this time. Controlling pest fish, protects native biodiversity and water quality.

Cyclone Gabrielle has almost been the final nail in the coffin for New Zealand's colourful $33 million Hundertwasser Art Centre.Until Thursday, the iconic national tourist attraction in Whangārei's Town Basin faced closure - barely a year after opening to much fanfare - because of Covid-19 wiping international visitors, the recent Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle's State Highway 1 Brynderwyns closure.However Whangārei District Council (WDC) on Thursday handed the Art Centre, which is a council-controlled organisation (CCO), an $800,000 lifeline, averting its closure before the end of June.The money is made up of $500,000 of previously unbudgeted spending and another $300,000 from the Whangārei Art Trust capital reserve.WDC general manager corporate Alan Adcock said without the money the centre faced insolvency before the end of the financial year.Whangārei Art Trust trustee and volunteer chair Dr Jill McPherson said she was relieved the money had been made available following what had been a perfect storm of events since the facility opened in February last year.She said the closure of SH1 over the Brynderwyns had been the last in a sequence of many issues in what was a perfect storm.Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo said the council was duty-bound to support the facility, which was a major Whangārei attraction and key part of the Town Basin artistic loop.Whangārei's Hundertwasser Art Centre with Wairau Māori Art Gallery. Photo: File photo / LDRMcPherson said firstly Covid-19 had put paid to the 50,000 international visitors forecast to have been visiting the centre in the last year, with instead only 3000 turning up.There had however been slightly more domestic tourists than expected with 87,000 until the end of February.Included in this number were 27,000 Northlanders who also visited the facility during this time.McPherson said the number of domestic tourists visiting the site had been strong over December and January, but had suddenly plummeted to hardly anything with the Auckland floods and the closure of SH1 over the Brynderwyns.She said 12,000 visitors (international and domestic) had been forecast to visit the facility in February, but only 3000 turned up.The council on Thursday also approved an extra $100,000 operating funding annually from the 1 July start of the 2023/2024 financial year.Councillor Paul Yovich said issues with the trust's governing of the facility were more the cause of its current position.The trust has been plagued with resignations in recent months including of its chair and the centre's chief executive.McPherson took issue with these comments."The trust hasn't been perfect, but I take issue with claims of mismanagement." she said.She said the trust accounts had been given a clean audit at their last audit and there had been money in the bank. That situation had changed over August and September when visitor numbers plummeted meaning major income loss.She said the trust would be looking at other options going forward including cutting staff numbers, shifting more functions online, a new online shop and setting up a new friends programme with its annual paid fee allowing year-round access.Whangārei's Hundertwasser Art Centre with Wairau Māori Art Gallery. Photo: Michael CunninghamCouncillor Scott McKenzie said it was unfortunate there had had to be a call on the facility's guaranteed backup funds so soon after it had opened."However, the alternative of not choosing to go ahead with the funding injection was even more undesirable," McKenzie said."As people have mentioned, these have been turbulent times we have been going through in the last few years."Councillor Simon Reid said WDC's financial topup decision was setting the council up to become the provider of handouts into the future. Such a decision was a chocolate covered stone.Councillor Patrick Holmes said the facility was a positive for Whangārei and Northland and had to succeed."We are in a position where we have to support it. The guarantee is okay, it's the unbudgeted $500,000 I have concerns about," Holmes said.Deputy Mayor Phil Halse praised the facility as a positive influence for the growth of the city.The financial issues for the Hundertwasser Art Centre refer only to this part of the more completely-named Hundertwasser Art Centre and Wairau Māori Art Gallery. The latter is run by a separate trust. Both facilities are housed in the same building at the Town Basin.

Warkworth RegionMonday 17th April - Cloudy periods. A few showers, mainly north of the Harbour Bridge. Strong easterlies, gale in exposed places gusting 80 km/h, easing this afternoon.Tuesday 18th April - Mostly cloudy, with isolated showers. Fresh northeasterlies.Wednesday 19th - Mostly cloudy, with a few showers. Fresh northeasterlies, easing in the afternoon.Thursday 20th - Partly cloudy, with isolated showers developing. Northeasterlies, becoming fresh.Friday 21st April - Isolated showers, clearing to partly cloudy. Fresh northeasterlies.Mangawhai RegionMonday 17th April - Mostly cloudy with a few showers. Strong easterlies, easing this afternoon.Tuesday 18th April - A few showers, clearing in the evening and becoming fine. Northeasterlies.Wednesday 19th - Cloudy periods and a few showers. Northeasterlies.Thursday 20th - Cloudy periods. Chance shower. Northeasterlies.Friday 21st April - A few showers. Northerlies.