Warkworth RegionFriday 7th April - Partly cloudy. The odd morning shower, particularly about Great Barrier Island. Southeasterlies, becoming fresh this afternoon.Saturday 8th April - Rain, easing to isolated showers and fine breaks in the afternoon. Fresh southeasterlies, turning lighter southwesterly in the afternoon.Sunday 9th April - Cloud increasing, with occasional rain developing in the afternoon. Westerlies, turning to fresh northwesterlies.Monday 10th - Cloudy periods with occasional showers. Fresh northwesterlies.Mangawhai RegionFriday 7th April - A few showers, with fine spells in between. Fresh southeasterlies.Saturday 8th April - Rain, easing to a few showers in the afternoon. Southwesterlies.Sunday 9th April - A few showers developing. Northwesterlies.Monday 10th - A few showers. Northwesterlies.

TRAFFIC UPDATESBrynderwyns are open temporarily during Easter weekend in both directions. Drive with care.Wellsford Town - Traffic is backed up for miles on state highway 1 and 16, expect delays.Glorit - State Highway 16 will have a reseal and a Stop/Go, expect delays.Kaipara Flats Road and Hudson Roads on State Highway 1 Kerbing and Channelling/paving will be done on a Stop Go and this will be night work.Puhoi Northern Bound offramp and State Highway 1 will have onsite traffic management for traffic flow northern traffic. So a stop /go will be on for 24/7 traffic lights. Major delays hours ago, but seems to have eased somewhat, still expect delays.WEATHER UPDATEWhangarei Region has a Heavy Rain WatchPeriod: 48hrs from noon Thursday, 6 Apr - noon Saturday, 8 AprArea: NorthlandForecast: Periods of heavy rain with a risk of localised downpours. Amounts may approach warning criteria.

Rising costs mean families on low incomes are struggling to farewell loved ones with dignity and respect, the Funeral Directors Association says.This month the Work and Income funeral grant increased by seven percent to $2445.Association chief executive Gillian Boyes said Work and Income often paid out 80 to 90 percent of the grant.The grant was last reviewed in 2003 and went up with inflation, she said.But just like everything else, funeral costs had increased too, Boyes said.She told Checkpoint some funeral directors were accepting drip payments for services that could take years to pay off."It's getting pretty hard for them to cover the costs with the increasing costs that they've got as well."The big costs involved in a funeral were the plot, casket and funeral director's fee, she said.People in Gisborne and Bay of Plenty, on a per capita basis, tend to be the highest users of the funeral grant, according to figures obtained from the Ministry of Social Development by the Funeral Directors Association."They just haven't got the money for a funeral and so they just have to rely on government support."How much does a basic funeral cost?"Something really basic, perhaps with a cremation would be about $6500 on average," Boyes said."Something with a burial might be upwards of $8500 - a long way away from that $2400 figure."When funeral directors charge their fee, they're consolidating all of their costs into one invoice for the convenience of the family."Even the most simple funerals still require embalming, body transfer and casket costs, which were still likely to exceed $5000, she said."There's not a lot to cut out from there, there's things you can do as a family - do your own flowers, do you're own catering etc - but those are not the big costs."

With nesting over and moulting probably over, we can now get some feeling for how the 22/23 season has gone.It must have been a horrible one for the poor little kororā as they’ve battled floods through their nests and high seas blocking access totheir shore sites. Half of our LPP penguin boxes were smashed in the cyclone.They were in positions that have never been near storm surges in the past, so if the meteorologists’ prediction that this is the new normal is correct, we need toreview where we put them! For all the Kororā who chose natural sites rather than boxes, it has been tough. Storm after storm, their nest tunnels have beenblocked by debris, opened again, only to be blocked once more.We have an important request to make. Please, if you see a Kororā anywhere, do not touch it. Lifting them can easily cause harm to the bird. While they mightlook distressed, they probably aren’t. They might be disheveled because they are moulting! (Rod Stewart’s hair can look ragged but he’s just fine!) However, ifthere are obvious injuries, or if you feel they are vulnerable to dog disturbance, please ring us and let us know. Madeleine 027 565 8817; Jenny 021 167 1524;Tony 021 0251 9299.My learning for this month came from a Kororā/Little Blue Penguin that was reported in Matheson Bay. When I saw it, it wasn’t blue. Not even a hint of blue.It was a definite brown colour. After consulting an expert from the NZ Penguin Initiative I now know that as they approach moulting season their gorgeousblue plumage fades to gorgeous grey brown. It almost looked like a different bird!Neil Sutherland. For the LPP team. Reposted with permission from Leigh Rag - [email protected]

PLAN AHEAD FOR HOLIDAY WEEKEND TRAFFICOver the Easter weekend holiday period, subject to weather activity, we expect to see large numbers of people leaving their homes and heading for popular holiday destinations. We are anticipating some traffic delays during this period, especially for those heading to the Bay of Islands or other beach destinations, or down to Auckland, so please plan ahead if you will be travelling on any state highway routes across the Northland region.To help plan your journey, check out our predictive Holiday Journeys information on our Highway Conditions map here: https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/regions/northland (white icons with 2 blue cars). These contain traffic flow forecasts across popular holiday routes, based on previous years travel patterns.Consider leaving when traffic is lighter, either early in the morning or later in the evening, or consider traveling on a different day (if possible) and always remember to drive to the conditions.

The free Mangawhai village to beach loop bus is back on the road for Easter weekend 7-10 April.The bus loops from the Domain in the village to the surf beach between 10am and 5.30pm.Schedule below.

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT by Mangawhai local artist Shann Whitaker.This Wednesday 5th April 3.30pm = 5.30pm.We are starting a mural on the two water tanks behind the Mangawhai Artists Gallery.We are looking for some kids/adults to come and grab a paint brush and get involved for a couple of hours.There is a design to follow and I will be on hand to oversee and help. So put on your paint clothes and come on down to be part of this community project.

NIWA has been called in to investigate evidence of snapper in the Hauraki Gulf suffering from milky white flesh syndrome.The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) said the syndrome had been affecting snapper in the Hauraki Gulf and East Northland areas, and were reports of it in other finfish species, such as trevally. The condition can cause nutrient deficiencies.A report from Biosecurity New Zealand, obtained by Newshub, said some snapper were showing signs of prolonged starvation.MPI has contracted NIWA to investigate commercial catch samples, and recreational catch is also being monitored.NIWA fisheries scientist Dr Darren Parsons said there had been reports of the syndrome in halibut in Alaska, but it was relatively new in New Zealand.In August 2022 fishers began reporting the flesh of snapper was white, opaque and in some cases mushy and even slimy, he said."We can see externally, when looking at extreme cases of these fish, they're visibly skinny, the tissue has sunken away."Though some have suggested trawling or sediment runoff was to blame, Parsons said the cause wasn't yet known."I don't see fishing having changed in a way that would contribute to this, but it's speculation at this stage."There was less commercial fishing in the Hauraki Gulf than five years ago, while the syndrome had been reported recently, he said.One possibility was that it was the result of El Nino and La Nina climate cycles, which change the water mixing and availability of nutrients.Food safety tests had not shown up any reason why the fish would be unsafe to eat, he said."From what I'm hearing from fishers, though, they're not as palatable ... and as a result the commercial fishery has moved away from the areas where these fish have been most commonly caught, which at this stage is the Hauraki Gulf, especially the inner Hauraki Gulf."The East Northland coast and a little of the Bay of Plenty were also affected, but snapper stocks on the west coast of the North Island and Nelson were not.

Warkworth RegionMonday 3rd April - Fine spells and a few showers, becoming mainly fine this afternoon as showers retreat to the west. Southwesterlies.Tuesday 4th April - Fine. Fresh southerlies, easing early.Wednesday 5th April - Fine. Southerlies, easing early.Thursday 6th April - Partly cloudy, with isolated showers developing later. Light winds.Friday 7th April - Cloudy. Southeasterlies, becoming fresh.Saturday 8th April - Occasional rain, becoming persistent. Easterlies, becoming strong.Sunday 8th April - Partly cloudy with easterlies.Mangawhai RegionMonday 3rd April - Partly cloudy with the odd morning shower, then fine. Southwesterlies.Tuesday 4th April - Fine. Southerlies.Wednesday 5th April - Fine with light winds.Thursday 6th April - Partly cloudy a few showers developing. Easterlies.Friday 7th April - Rain. Southeasterlies.Saturday 8th April - Rain with strong easterlies.Sunday 8th April - A few showers with easterlies.

The living wage is being increased to $26 per hour from 1 September.The Living Wage Movement said the wage has undergone a full recalculation, resulting in thousands of workers receiving a pay increase.It is an increase of $2.35 or 9.9 percent on the 2022/23 rate.Employers who take part in the Living Wage Movement agree to pay their employees the set amount per hour.According to their website, it is set apart from the minimum wage, and worker and whānau focused to ensure workers can live with dignity and participate in society.A full recalculation of the living wage happens every five years.In other years, the living wage is linked to movement in New Zealand's average hourly wages.Chairperson of the Living Wage Movement Rev Stephen King said "the full recalculation ensures the living wage will continue to address in-work poverty, and offer working people greater security and wellbeing."He said "with rising costs and pressures on low waged workers, we are seeing increased hardship in the community".King said the recalculation quantified how much costs had gone up.Rose Kavapalu, a cleaner who is paid the living wage, said the increase of $2.35 an hour would make a huge impact in covering costs such as food and petrol."Since petrol prices have gone up, we've cut down on visits to extended family."Now, I'll be able to take the grandkids to visit their cousins. We would feel like a family again."Kavapalu would like to see more employers pay the living wage.She said with many employers short staffed, acknowledging the value of their employees could make a difference to retention."The living wage might feel like five cents to some people, but to me and my family, it means finally living a life."Ria Lingad, owner of Your Local Coffee Roasters in Pukekohe, is an accredited living wage employer.She said retention of staff was a big focus for her business.Lingad said they had already started incrementally increasing staff wages ahead of the September deadline.She said it wasn't just the commitment to the living wage that enticed employees, but also the company's culture.

Public hospitals are poised to start paying back tens of thousands of staff for breaches of the Holidays Act.They have been working for years with expensive consultants trying to unpick the tangle and bring in new payroll systems.Te Whatu Ora Health NZ said it now expected payments to current staff to begin in July.An estimated 270,000 current and former staff are owed money stretching back to 2010.Health NZ did not provide an update of its liability which last November was put at almost two billion dollars, double the estimate of 2021.Interim chief people officer Jim Green said teams across New Zealand were working to recalculate former and current staff holiday pay "as efficiently as possible, without compromising the process and outcomes"."It is anticipated that we will be on a pathway to making payments to current staff, district by district, starting from July 2023."You will understand that we cannot be more specific than this at the moment, given the processes that need to be worked through prior to any payments being made."Reform of the complicated Holidays Act itself has been delayed yet again, to after the election.

We are still receiving reports of text messages claiming to be from NZTA, various NZ banks and IRD asking recipients to pay a small sum or ‘toll’. This is a phishing campaign. If you receive an unexpected text message, follow these 5 steps:1. Check it’s legit - contact the organisation directly to check the message is real.2. Do not click on any suspicious hyperlinks.3. Never provide any personal details – including bank or payment card details.4. Keep an eye on the spelling – spelling and grammar mistakes are a common feature of scams and spam.5. Forward the message directly to us at 7726 for free.

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 Thursday, 6 April 2023.Unless otherwise stated, closures start at 9pm and finish at 5am.NORTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Southbound lanes between Waiwera off-ramp and Silverdale on-ramp, 2-5 AprilOrewa southbound on-ramp, 2-6 AprilMillwater southbound on-ramp, 2-6 AprilSouthbound lanes between Waiwera off-ramp and Silverdale on-ramp, 6 April (approx. 11:00pm to 5:00am)Orewa southbound on-ramp, 6 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Millwater southbound on-ramp, 6 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Northbound lanes between Silverdale off-ramp and Waiwera on-ramp, 2-5 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Orewa northbound on-ramp, 2-5 AprilSilverdale northbound on-ramp, 2-5 AprilNorthbound lanes between Silverdale off-ramp and Waiwera on-ramp, 6 April (approx. 11:00pm to 5:00am)Orewa northbound on-ramp, 6 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Silverdale northbound on-ramp, 6 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Southbound lanes between Oteha Valley Road off-ramp and Greville Road on-ramp, 4 AprilOteha Valley Road southbound on-ramp, 4 AprilSouthbound lanes between Greville Road off-ramp and Tristram Avenue on-ramp, 3 AprilGreville Road southbound on-ramp, 3 AprilConstellation Drive southbound on-ramp, 2-3 AprilNorthbound lanes between Greville Road off-ramp and Oteha Valley Road on-ramp, 5 April (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Greville Road northbound on-ramp, 5 AprilConstellation Drive southbound off-ramp, 2 & 5 AprilConstellation Drive southbound on-ramp, 5 AprilConstellation Drive northbound on-ramp, 4 AprilSouthbound lanes between Esmonde Road off-ramp and Onewa Road on-ramp, 3-4 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Esmonde Road southbound on-ramp, 3-4 AprilEsmonde Road northbound on-ramp, 2-5 AprilEsmonde Road (loop) northbound on-ramp, 2-5 AprilCurran Street northbound on-ramp, 2 AprilStafford Road northbound off-ramp, 2 AprilCENTRAL MOTORWAY JUNCTION (CMJ)SH1 northbound to SH16 westbound link, 2 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Hobson Street southbound on-ramp, 2 AprilHobson Street westbound on-ramp, 2 AprilWestbound lanes between Stanley Street off-ramp and Grafton Road on-ramp, 2 AprilWellesley Street East westbound on-ramp, 2 AprilSH16 (Port) westbound to SH1 northbound link, 2 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH16 westbound (Port) to SH16 westbound link, 2 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Southbound lanes between Greenlane off-ramp and Ellerslie on-ramp, 5 April (approx. 11:00pm to 5:00am)Greenlane southbound on-ramp, 5 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)South Eastern Highway (SEART) southbound off-ramp, 4 AprilSouthbound lanes between Manukau off-ramp and Takanini on-ramp, 4 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH1 southbound to SH20 northbound link, 4 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Manukau southbound on-ramp, 4 AprilNorthbound lanes between Takanini off-ramp and Takanini on-ramp, 2 & 5 AprilPapakura southbound off-ramp, 2 AprilNorthbound lanes between Ramarama off-ramp and Papakura on-ramp, 2-5 AprilPapakura northbound loop on ramp, 2-5 AprilDrury/SH22 northbound on-ramp, 2-5 AprilRamarama northbound on-ramp, 2-5 AprilPokeno southbound off-ramp, 2-3 AprilNORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)Lincoln Road northbound on-ramp, 2-5 AprilNorthbound lanes between Rosebank Road off-ramp and Te Atatu on-ramp, 2 AprilPatiki Road northbound on-ramp, 2 AprilEastbound lanes between St Lukes Road off-ramp and SH1/SH16 links, 2-5 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Newton Road westbound on-ramp, 2 & 4-5 AprilUPPER HARBOUR MOTORWAY (SH18)SH18 eastbound to SH1 northbound link, 4 AprilEastbound lanes between Tauhinu Road off-ramp and Greenhithe Road on-ramp, 3 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Westbound lanes between Greenhithe Road off-ramp and Tauhinu Road on-ramp, 3 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Squadron Drive eastbound on-ramp, 3 AprilSOUTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH20)Hillsborough Road northbound on-ramp, 2-5 AprilNeilson Street northbound off-ramp, 2-4 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Rimu Road northbound on-ramp, 2-4 AprilSouthbound lanes between Lambie Drive off-ramp and SH1 links, 4 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Lambie Drive southbound on-ramp, 4 AprilSH20 southbound to SH1 northbound link, 4 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH20 southbound to SH1 southbound link, 4 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)

Friday 31st MarchLeigh Sawmill - Friday Happy Hour Matakana Village Pub MEAT PACK RAFFLE Every FRI @ 4pmLive Music - Friday nights @ Matakana Village PubFiji Fridays @ SmithsMexican Community Dinner Gin Wigmore Leigh Sawmill Beatroots: Dave Ti (DiCE) + Matt SawyerSaturday 1st AprilMangawhai Community MarketMangawhai Tavern MarketMatakana Village Farmers MarketDonkey DayMixed Messages Saturday @ SmithsGin Wigmore Leigh SawmillSunday 2nd AprilSunday Service @ SmithsSunday Sessions @ Leigh Sawmill CafeMatakana Country Park MarketNZ String QuartetSunday Sessions With Ezysol @ Mangawhai Tavern

Warkworth RegionFriday 31st March - Fine, then high cloud increasing this afternoon, and a few spots of rain at night. Northerlies developing this afternoon.Saturday 1st April - Mostly cloudy with isolated showers, turning to rain from late morning to early afternoon, then easing to a few showers in the evening. Fresh northerlies easing in the evening.Sunday 2nd April - Partly cloudy, with isolated showers clearing in the evening. Westerlies, turning southerly in the afternoon.Mangawhai RegionFriday 31st March - Fine at first, then increasing high cloud. Northerlies developing late morning.Saturday 1st April - Rain, easing in the evening. Northwesterlies.Sunday 2nd April - Partly cloudy, with a few showers possible. Southwesterlies.

The government has announced a new recycling project that will prevent the equivalent of approximately 45,000 tonnes of carbon emissions by 2035.The initiative aimed to have a standardised recycling service by 2027 and food scraps collection by 2030.Environment Minister David Parker said the strategy represented a new era for New Zealand's waste system."New Zealand is one of the highest generators of waste per person in the world, every year producing about 750kg per person. At home, we only recycle and compost about one-third of household waste."Waste issues were one of the top 10 concerns for New Zealanders, Parker said."The strategy - which received strong public support during consultation - commits us to becoming a low-emissions, low-waste circular economy by 2050."A circular economy means we keep resources in use for as long as possible and there is a shift away from the wasteful 'take - make - dispose' system."The initiative involved a new waste strategy to set New Zealand's direction on waste for the next three decades, and a new and more comprehensive waste legislation."The way we create and manage waste is way behind many other developed countries, but with these improvements, we're putting the right foundations in place to bring our waste and recycling systems up to global standards," Parker said.With the new project - named 'Getting Rid of Waste for a Circular Aotearoa New Zealand' - households in urban areas would have a standardised recycling service and a household food scraps collection.It would be made clear what could or could not be recycled from home.From February next year, all district and city councils would only accept glass bottles and jars; paper and cardboard; plastic bottles and containers from plastic types 1, 2, and 5; and aluminium and steel tins and cans in their recycling collections.By 2030, the new strategy aimed to have all district and city councils providing food scraps (or food and garden waste) collections to households in urban areas.Parker said kerbside food scrap collections would be a new service for many households."In 2019, waste was responsible for 4 percent of our total gross emissions, most of which was methane from decomposing of organic material in landfills."By 2035, kerbside food scrap collections will be preventing approximately 45,000 tonnes of CO2-equivalent of methane emissions."The measures would support social and economic changes to address waste problems, Parker said.The strategy had three phases, with plans to guide the immediate priorities for the next five years."Our focus in the first phase is reducing waste emissions and improve recycling and recovery, as well as reducing how much is created in the first place."The new waste legislation, to be progressed during the next Parliamentary term, will provide clear roles and responsibilities for central and local government, and the legal framework needed to achieve the government's goals."Auckland Council waste solutions general manager Parul Sood welcomed the government's new strategy.It was important for all councils to be on the same page when it came to waste, Sood said.But she said the council would be recycling less products in the future under the new guidelines."We currently accept all types of plastics it's not just the ones, twos and fives and we also accept Tetra Pak's in the mix."About 16 percent of materials in recycling bins can not be recycled, which contaminates a bin and makes it unrecyclable.Sood was hoping the new standardised recycling would make that clearer.In Auckland there were many repeat offender items that turned up in the recycling like bagged rubbish, clothing, bread or chip bags.The new legislation will replace both the Litter Act 1979 and the Waste Minimisation Act 2008, and the government intends to introduce the legislation to the House before this year's election.

Transport Minister Michael Wood has unveiled five options for an additional Auckland Harbour crossing for Tāmaki Makaurau.Construction of the long-awaited second Waitemata crossing is expected to begin before the end of the decade.A final decision is scheduled for June, with construction to begin in 2029.Wood said Auckland businesses had made it clear that persistent congestion was one of the biggest barriers to the success of Auckland."We want an unclogged, connected, and futureproofed transport network so Aucklanders can get to work on time, and don't need to wake up earlier just to get their kids to school - it's vital that we have a harbour crossing that works for the city," he said in a statement.Construction for the additional Waitematā Harbour connections would begin in 2029 and would provide a future-proofed solution for people wanting to get across Te Waitematā as fast as possible."After considering feedback from Aucklanders, we've developed five scenarios for future transport connections across Te Waitematā including both bridge and tunnel options. The scenarios also include ways to connect to growing residential and business hubs on the North Shore," Wood said.A new walking and cycling link across the harbour is considered in each scenario, as well as a new light rail link to connect Auckland Light Rail in the city centre, he said.Light rail is the key to building a linked up rapid transit network across the city and to providing "faster, safer, low-carbon travel", he said."A new rapid transit connection from the city centre to the North Shore will fully integrate with other projects including Auckland Light Rail and rapid transit to the Northwest to allow people to travel seamlessly across Auckland," Wood said.Feedback provided would help shape the final decision on the preferred option which would be confirmed in June 2023, he said.

Teachers and principals are warning they cannot cope with the pace and scale of changes to the school system.Groups including secondary school English teachers and Northland principals have told RNZ they have written to the Education Ministry and to Education Minister Jan Tinetti, calling for a slow-down.They said the workload created by the changes was so great principals would quit or refuse to implement some of the changes.They said the list included an overhaul of the curriculum, new rules for physically restraining children, changes to planning and reporting, a review of teacher aide funding, a review of assistance for children with high needs, a national push to improve attendance, new NCEA standards and new NCEA literacy and numeracy tests.Principals Federation president Leanne Otene said principals had "a myriad" of consultation documents on their desks that they were expected to read and respond to within the next month.People did not necessarily disagree with the changes, but there were too many and principals were not coping, Otene said."We're getting calls on a daily basis from principals who are feeling overwhelmed with the amount of consultation documents, with the curriculum refresh and the work in and around that. It's just become a bit too much, in fact a lot, for principals to deal with," she said.The ministry had promised to make the workload more manageable, Otene said, but that would not be enough and the pressure was likely to drive people out of the job."If you continue to keep pushing out documents throughout the year we're going to see an exit in the profession," she said."The second thing that's going to happen which is really concerning is that teachers are going to take their eye off the ball, which means teaching and learning, because they're going to need to get their heads into these documents to understand them."Urgent need for information - English teachersThis week the Association of Teachers of English wrote to Education Minister Jan Tinetti warning that its members did not have enough information about NCEA changes that start next year.Association vice-president Pip Tinning said teachers were expected to work with new NCEA level 1 English standards from 2024, but they still had not seen those standards."We need the information urgently, we need a timeline that's really definitive urgently, or do we look at a postponement or a transition year," she said.Tinning said teachers of English were also trying to understand other changes to the school system and many were finding the amount of work overwhelming.Balancing prioritiesPat Newman Photo: RNZ / Sam OlleyTe Tai Tokerau Principals Association president Pat Newman said by his count schools were getting to grips with 25 major changes."That's absolutely cuckoo," he said.Newman said the government should reprioritise so schools could focus on just three or four major projects.If it did not do that, there would be three likely reactions, he said."You'll find a heck of a lot more principals going and saying that we've had enough. It's already happening. Secondly, you'll have schools that will try and bring the whole damn lot in and destroy their staff and destroy themselves, and thirdly people just saying 'no, we're not doing it'," he said.Secondary Principals Association president Vaughan Couillault said schools could not do all that was being asked of them on top of staff shortages, recent flooding, and the effects of the pandemic."We'll prioritise one over the other. It's just not tenable to do all of the things that are being asked of us at the moment. So I don't think just blindly carrying on at the same pace and scale is something that the sector can actually do," he said.Couillault said the association's members were telling him that their staff did not have the capacity or capability in terms of energy and resilience to keep up with the pace of change.Nobody was suggesting a complete halt to the work, he said."What we need to implement change with fidelity is high quality staff in every position that we've got and at the moment there are many of us that have done Band-aid fixes, collapsing this class or putting a non-specialist over there to make sure our students are safe because we've got a significant workforce issue," he said."When we've got a workforce issue we put strain on the existing workforce which have been working at capacity just to deliver what's normal. You try and throw other change management over the top of that and something's got to give."Tinetti said the past three years had put an enormous amount of pressure on teachers and students."I am mindful that there needs to be balance between the changes needed to ensure our kids are getting the world class education they deserve, and putting too much on teachers' and school leaders' plates. I am committed to supporting changes, if and when, needed," she said.Secondary school students are due to miss another day of lessons today as thousands of secondary teachers take a second day of strike action.The union, the Post Primary Teachers Association says they want better pay and better work conditions.They will be joined by some staff from area schools which are rural schools that cover all year groups.The strike does not include primary school teachers, who joined natiowide strikes two weeks ago.

LATEST BRYNDERWYN'S UPDATE FROM FULTON HOGAN - 4.17PM TUESDAY 28 MARCH 2023SH1 Brynderwyn Hills to open in both directions in time for EasterWaka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is reminding motorists that this Friday 31 March from 12pm (midday) State Highway 1 over the Brynderwyn Hills will open in both directions for the first time since Cyclone Gabrielle hit last month. Traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place so that northbound and southbound traffic can travel in time for Easter, which will see an increase in vehicles travelling to and from Northland. The road will then need to close in both directions from 17 April for two weeks to complete major earth works and drainage installation before permanently opening the road in May. Jacqui Hori-Hoult, Regional Manager Maintenance and Operations says that teams on the ground have been working extremely hard in tricky conditions to re-open the road so that local road detours aren’t impacted by high volumes of holiday traffic. “The team has put in a huge amount of mahi to get the road open in both directions and I am immensely proud of our people, contractors and consultants who have worked tirelessly over the past two months. We know however that we still have a lot of work to do to provide access as usual to Northland road-users. “To date we have cleared approximately three Olympic sized swimming pools of material from the Brynderwyn Hills, but there is still the equivalent of another twenty to go. “There are up to seven teams working through the site at any given time, clearing multiple over slips and cutting tracks to access the top of the major slip. At the major underslip they have installed 48 reinforcing bars and concreted so that the road can open this Friday” says Ms Hori-Hoult. Teams will also be installing anchors in a retaining wall and configuring barriers ready for Friday.While the road will be open, we’ll be closely monitoring it along with the weather. We won’t hesitate to close the road at short notice should conditions become unsafe for road users. We know that this route is a crucial connection to and from Northland for both people and freight, so getting it fully reopened is a priority. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this. We ask drivers to drive to the conditions and be patient with other drivers and our crews. Note for freight: Over dimension vehicles can be accommodated through SH1 Brynderwyn, subject to a route check by the transport operator and movement in accordance with an approved permit.