Here is the latest drone footage of the new Puhoi to Warkworth motorway, which will open sometime this year.

A former councillor has told Whangārei District Council that Kensington residents have had enough of the rescue helicopter nightmare in their suburb.On Wednesday Cherry Hermon said the community was disappointed to discover the rescue helicopter would be staying on in Western Hills Drive after its 10-year lease expired on 31 July.Hermon said she and her husband Joe had lived near the helicopter base for 35 years, the number of helicopters and daily flights increasing hugely during that time."It's become a nightmare," Hermon said.She was among a small number of attendees at the first of three Whangārei District Council (WDC) drop-in sessions in Kensington stadium over the next three weeks, held in the wake of the council extending the lease for Northland Emergency Services Trust (NEST) so it can continue from where it is for up to another three years."The Kensington community has been very quiet because it assumed the shift was happening," Hermon told WDC district development manager Tony Collins at the meeting." I hope you do know that it's completely inappropriate here in 2023," Hermon said.She said the community had put up with the helicopter base, knowing it was an essential emergency service and health contributor, and that it was going to be leaving this year.Collins said the lease was being continued, probably on an annual basis.He said if the objecting Onerahi residents' case in the High Court against WDC and NEST was successful, it would be up to NEST to decide what to do next.Onerahi airport helicopter shift opponents have filed judicial review proceedings against the two organisations. The hearing is set down for August.Whangārei District Council district development manager Tony Collins at Wednesday's meeting. Photo: Northern Advocate / Michael CunninghamCollins said if the council successfully defended its High Court case and all went according to plan, NEST would then need about another year to build a hangar at the airport and shift."We expect wherever the helicopter goes in the community there will be a level of resistance from the community," Collins said.The second WDC Kensington stadium drop-in session is on 4 May from 1.30pm to about 3.30pm, the third on 9 May from noon to about 2pm. Both will be in an upstairs meeting room alongside Replete cafe.NEST was not at Wednesday's first community meeting.Collins said he would be asking for the trust's attendance at the next two meetings.Kensington resident and former Whangārei District councillor Cherry Hermon at the meeting to discuss the helicopter base lease extension. Photo: Northern Advocate / Michael CunninghamHermon asked why WDC hadn't refused to renew the Kensington lease."If you cancel the lease, would that mean they would be operating out of Auckland," Hermon said.Deputy Mayor and Council airport noise management committee chair Phil Halse attended the meeting.He was also on the Kensington Management Plan committee which drew up how the sports park would be used.Halse said the emergency rescue helicopter operation was allowed under that Plan.However resident Joe Hermon said that allowance had been for when there was only a single helicopter operating out of the base with one flight a day or fewer.Halse said it had to be remembered that the population had increased by 35,000 people over that time.Halse said the helicopter base and where it was located was a sensitive issue.Cherry Hermon said NEST should be getting itself organised for an alternative site, should Onerahi fail as a shift option.Onerahi resident John Nicole said NEST needed a Whangārei base, with a second in Kaitāia.The need for the latter had been clearly demonstrated during the Enchanter boat tragedy in the Far North where lives were lost.Nicole said that helicopter rescue had been held up due to the "ridiculous" situation of there being no helicopter fuel base close at hand in the Far North.Cr Marie Olsen said NEST would have to spend "tens of millions" to build a new helicopter base.This figure was much reduced for Onerahi airport where much of the necessary infrastructure was in place.Olsen asked what would happen if the Onerahi base did not come to pass.NEST would have to move out of Whangārei to Auckland."We'd be absolutely jiggered," Olsen said.

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, 5 May 2023.Please note this Traffic Bulletin is updated every Friday. Unless otherwise stated, closures start at 9pm and finish at 5am.NORTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Oteha Valley Road southbound on-ramp, 3 MaySouthbound lanes between Greville Road off-ramp and Constellation Drive on-ramp, 30 AprilGreville Road southbound on-ramp, 30 AprilSH1 southbound to SH18 westbound link, 1 MayConstellation Drive southbound on-ramp, 3 MayNorthbound lanes between Greville Road off-ramp and Oteha Valley Road on-ramp, 2 - 4 May (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Greville Road northbound on-ramp, 2 - 4 MayOnewa Road southbound on-ramp, 2 - 4 MayOnewa Road northbound off-ramp, 1 May (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Constellation Drive northbound on-ramp, 30 AprilEsmonde Road (Diamond) northbound on-ramp, 30 April - 1 MayStafford Road northbound off-ramp, 1 May (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Shelly Beach Road southbound off-ramp, 2 - 4 MayCurran Street northbound on-ramp, 1 MayFanshawe Street southbound off-ramp, 4 MayCENTRAL MOTORWAY JUNCTION (CMJ)Northbound lanes between Symonds Street off-ramp and Fanshawe Street on-ramp, 1 May (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Wellington Street northbound on-ramp, 1 MaySH16 eastbound to SH1 northbound link, 1 MaySH1 northbound to SH16 westbound link, 1 May (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Westbound lanes between Stanley Street off-ramp and Grafton Road on-ramp, 1 May (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH16 (Port) westbound to SH1 northbound link, 1 May (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Wellesley Street East westbound on-ramp, 1 MaySOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Te Irirangi Drive southbound off-ramp, 30 April & 2 MayHill Road northbound on-ramp, 3 MaySouthbound lanes between Drury/SH22 off-ramp and Bombay on-ramp, 2 MayDrury/SH22 southbound on-ramp, 2 MayRamarama southbound on-ramp, 2 MayNorthbound lanes between Ramarama off-ramp and Drury/SH22 on-ramp, 30 April - 1 May & 3 - 4 MayNorthbound lanes between Bombay off-ramp and Ramarama on-ramp, 2 MayRamarama northbound on-ramp, 30 April - 4 MayBombay northbound on-ramp, 2 MayBombay southbound on-ramp, 3 MayBeaver Road southbound off-ramp, 3 MayBeaver Road southbound on-ramp, 3 MayNikau Road southbound off-ramp, 3 MayBombay southbound on-ramp, 3 MaySouthbound lanes between Mercer off-ramp and Mercer on-ramp, 30 AprilNorthbound lanes between Mercer off-ramp and Mercer on-ramp, 30 AprilNORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)Hobsonville Road southbound on-ramp, 30 April & 2 MayLincoln Road southbound off-ramp, 30 AprilLincoln Road northbound on-ramp, 30 April - 4 MayLincoln Road northbound off-ramp, 4 MayNorthbound lanes between Great North Road off-ramp and Patiki Road on-ramp, 1 May (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Rosebank Road northbound off-ramp, 1 May (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Great North Road northbound on-ramp, 1 MaySt Lukes Road eastbound off-ramp, 1 May (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)

We're reopening State Highway 1 over the Brynderwyns to all vehicles in both directions at 6am on Monday next week, 1 May.Roadworkers have made great progress during the closure. They've worked across all three overslips in the slip area, including work like cutting back the hillside to move it further from the road, and removing loose material to make the road safe.We're looking forward to reopening the road on Monday. We'll still be onsite removing material from the southern slip sites. Until Monday morning, keep an eye on this post for updates, including detour information: https://www.facebook.com/nztanorthland/posts/pfbid02C8a8cRuWfD5tDbyGsUWXWQrJvdmYjpziunE4zYRXZpaL4rdwGwzN4PUDGC3st64olA big thank you for your patience, understanding, and support as we've worked through this.

Another urgent message from Watercare10am update: Our crews have isolated the watermain. We have six tankers topping up one of the reservoirs to help levels recover more quickly. As far as we know, all of our customers now have water, with the exception of the tennis club which is in the zone that has been isolated for repairs to be carried out. Our contractor is arranging traffic management so that excavation and pipe repair can be carried out. Thank you for your patience. Please continue to reduce unnecessary water use.Urgent message for Warkworth customers, (5.30am, Friday 28 April) We need everyone to reduce unnecessary water use immediately. There has been another significant watermain break and your local reservoir levels are dropping to critically low levels. Please do not use dishwashers or washing machines until further notice. Keep all showers short – four minutes or less. Do not use hoses, sprinklers or irrigation systems. Our crew is heading to the site of the burst on Shoesmith Street and Brown Road. Please share this post to help us get the message out to everyone in Warkworth. Thank you for doing your bit to conserve water

Friday 28th AprilLeigh Sawmill - Friday Happy HourLive Music - Friday nights @ Matakana Village PubFiji Fridays @ SmithsBeatroots: Dave Ti (DiCE) + Matt SawyerMini Simmons Make Up Album TourWhat's on this month at the Warkworth RSASaturday 29th AprilMangawhai Community MarketMangawhai Tavern MarketMatakana Village Farmers MarketLeigh Community Patrol - Open DayThe Marine Corps Forces Band of the PacificLES VOISINS (Warkworth Music)Mixed Messages Saturdays @ SmithsSunday 30th AprilMatakana Country Park MarketPuhoi Village MarketMotuora Snorkel Day

Warkworth RegionFriday 28th April - Partly cloudy. A few morning and evening showers north of the Harbour Bridge. Easterlies.Saturday 29th April - Cloudy periods with isolated showers, clearing in the morning. Showers developing in the evening. Easterlies, becoming fresh in the morning.Sunday 30th April - Occasional rain, becoming persistent in the afternoon, some possibly heavy. Strong easterlies.Heavy Rain WatchPeriod: 15hrs from 3am - 6pm Sun, 30 AprArea: Auckland north of Harbour Bridge including the Great Barrier IslandForecast: Periods of heavy rain. Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria. Note, validity period may be extended into Monday.Strong Wind WatchPeriod: 33hrs from 6am Sun, 30 Apr - 3pm Mon, 1 MayArea: Auckland about and north of Whangapararoa including the Great Barrier IslandForecast: Easterly winds may approach severe gale in exposed places.Mangawhai RegionFriday 28th April - Partly cloudy morning and evening showers. Easterlies.Saturday 29th April - Cloudy, with rain developing in the afternoon. Easterlies, becoming strong in the afternoon.Heavy Rain WatchPeriod: 42hrs from 9pm Sat, 29 Apr - 3pm Mon, 1 MayArea: NorthlandForecast: Periods of heavy rain. Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria. Note, heavy rain may ease for a time during Sunday afternoon and evening.Sunday 30th April - Rain with strong easterlies.Heavy Rain WatchPeriod: 42hrs from 9pm Sat, 29 Apr - 3pm Mon, 1 MayArea: NorthlandForecast: Periods of heavy rain. Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria. Note, heavy rain may ease for a time during Sunday afternoon and evening.Strong Wind WatchPeriod: 36hrs from midnight Sat, 29 Apr - noon Mon, 1 MayArea: NorthlandForecast: Easterly winds may approach severe gale at times.

A urgent message from Watercare:Urgent message for Warkworth customers, (7.15am Thursday 27 April) We need you and your whānau to reduce any unnecessary water use immediately. Please keep your showers short, turn off any irrigation systems and it would be a good idea to hold off doing that load of laundry. There has been a significant watermain break that has caused local reservoir levels to drop. Our crew is on-site on Elizabeth Street working to fix the fault, but we need your help until a repair is in place. Please share this post to help us get the message out to everyone in your community. 8.40am update: For customers without water, a water tanker is on its way and will be located outside 6 Falls Street. Please fill up containers and bottles with water as you need.

Kaipara District Council is asking residents to mow their own roadside berms to keep Kaipara neighbourhoods tidy. The service change, consulted and agreed as part of the Long Term Plan 2021-2031, means Council no longer mows residential berms.  Kaipara District Council Mayor Craig Jepson says the change in service applies across the entire Kaipara district and is one of a number of things they were doing to help keep costs down and avoid rates increases that might be required were Council to continue cutting berms. “We were one of the last councils in New Zealand collecting rates to mow residential berms,” says Mayor Jepson. “We’ve cut it from our service contract to save ratepayers money. Council contractors will continue to mow our public reserves.” The service change came into effect when the mowing contract was renewed in November last year.  Because some residents were not aware that residential berms were no longer being cut by Council, some grass has grown too long to be safely mown using a domestic lawnmower. For those properties, Council contractors have scheduled a one-off tidy up.  “After we’ve tidied up these berms we’re asking residents to maintain them.” “Most Kaipara residents are already mowing their berms, and we want to say a big thank you to those people who are doing a great job of keeping them tidy.” “We’re also hoping people will look out for family or neighbours and give them a helping hand if they are struggling to manage their berms.”  If berms are unkept, Council will mow them up to four times a year to prevent them from becoming a fire hazard. The Council may continue to mow residential berms that are larger than 400 square metres, or on a steep slope. Where this applies, residents can apply to Council to have their berms assessed for Council mowing. You can read more about berm maintenance in Kaipara District at kaipara.govt.nz/berm-maintenance What is a berm? Berms are used to separate people’s houses from the roads and manage stormwater.    Caring for your berm provides added street appeal to your property and neighbourhood. Mowing your berm regularly is also important to reduce the risk of fire, provide safe access by reducing the chances of concealed safety hazards and/or vermin.

An Inland Revenue investigation has found New Zealand's wealthiest families pay less than half the amount of tax, across all forms of income, than most other New Zealanders.A 2020 law change gave IRD new powers to require the wealthiest families to provide their earnings information. After a two-year investigation, the High Wealth Individuals Research Projects found untaxed capital gains from businesses, property and other investments skew the tax system in favour of the country's most wealthy.Revenue Minister David Parker said this "internationally ground-breaking research" revealed a "large differential between the tax rates ordinary New Zealanders pay on their full income compared with the super-wealthy".Parker said: "We have known that some of the wealthiest New Zealanders don't pay tax on some of their income, but we have not known how much, nor their effective tax rate overall."Our citizens like tradies, nurses, school teachers, hospitality workers, hairdressers, cleaners, engineers and small business owners all pay a much higher effective tax rate than their wealthier fellow Kiwis."The project gathered information from 311 families, who generally have a net worth of more than $50 million, looking at the period from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2021.Once ownership of businesses, properties and other investments were taken into account, alongside wages and salaries, their median effective tax rate is 9.4 per cent, compared with 20.2 per cent for other "middle wealth New Zealanders". Both figures include payments like benefits and superannuation, as well as GST paid.Photo: RNZ / Richard TindillerInland Revenue said a major difference was people on low to middle incomes tended to make most of their money through income that is taxed directly - that rate depended on the amount individuals earned.It said personal taxable income was only a "small part of the economic income of the wealthiest New Zealand families", with most coming from "increases in the value of businesses, property and financial portfolios they own or control", and the picture changes when that was all taken into account, referred to as "economic income".That was the sum total of all of the different ways "people gain the ability to spend money… and also comes from the things you buy or own increasing in value, these things can be sold to gain the cash needed to buy goods and services" - otherwise known as capital gain.These wealthiest families tend to earn more from investments, but do pay a higher rate of tax when their income does come from salaries, wages, interest and dividends.That median was around 30 per cent tax paid on $268,000 of personal income, compared with someone on the median wage - with no other taxable income - who pays around 21 per cent.For this group, 67 per cent of their economic income was made in trusts.Photo: RNZ / Richard TindillerParker said this report was not about chasing tax avoiders, or "attacking the rich"."Wealthy New Zealanders are usually hard-working and creative people who comply with current rules. They have assisted IRD with this inquiry, and I am grateful for that."The excellent work in this survey will enable future discussions on tax policy to be based on solid evidence," he said."Later this year, we intend to introduce a Tax Principles Bill to ensure that information like this continues to be transparently collected and reported on."There was a 90 per cent response rate to the legal notices issued by IRD to 383 individuals.It was still deciding whether to take any further action against those who failed to respond.

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