Whangārei Hospital nurses asked bosses to bring in the army to help with extreme understaffing at the height of the flu season last year.Emergency department (ED) nurses issued a formal health and safety complaint to the hospital in September that has just been released under the Official Information Act.The complaint said urgent help was needed because the department was so understaffed it was "extremely unsafe".It asked the hospital to employ army medics to cover shifts - one of a series of measures suggested to help.There were 240 roster gaps in a four-week period, not counting sick leave."The physical and mental load on the staff trying to cover the roster gaps is immense," the complaint report said.The department was made more dangerous because the fill-in nurses were often inexperienced and untrained in emergency work, it said.Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Sarah Dalton said the complaint showed the depth of stress staff were working under."What do you do when there is a crisis? You call in the army," Dalton said.The nurses also asked for elective surgery to be stopped for three weeks and for outpatient clinics to be called off if needed so staff could be redeployed to help in the ED.It asked bosses to lobby to sort the visa status of existing staff, fearing they might have to leave, and to start a worldwide recruitment drive.Te Whatu Ora did not treat the formal complaint as valid, because the person who issued it did not have the full health and safety training required and did not consult with management first, as required.Despite that, the hospital said it was taking the concerns raised seriously.The interim district director, Tracey Schiebli, said they were working with the team to improve recruitment, and to move staff to the ED when there were spikes in demand."However, overall progress is slower than we would have liked as we grapple with continued attrition of senior experienced nursing staff and gaps resulting from long-term leave," Schiebli said in a statement.Any decision to deploy army medics would be made at a national level and would have a high threshold as a national emergency response, she said.Dalton said doctors on the ground told her the pressures now were just as bad as in September.There were still huge nursing shortages, there were not enough junior doctors on at night, and there was a paper-based system for some services like radiology, she said."Every day is a difficult day at Whangārei Hospital," she said.RNZ understands the nurse who issued the notice has since undertaken the required health and safety training.

A message from NorthpowerPower will be out in the Mangawhai heads, Cove Road, King Road and Molesworth Drive area from 10am to 3 pm today Tuesday 28th February.Following Friday's torrential rain, one of our high voltage poles was undermined by a land slip near the corner of Cove Road and King Road, we have been busy building a new line to ensure we can keep the power going in the Mangawhai area.Over the weekend, we have installed new poles along Cove Road. This will allow us to move the poles and lines away from land that is on the move.We are now ready to liven this new line. This requires a shut down in power while we switch over from the current line to connect up the new one.Power will be out in the Mangawhai heads, Cove Road, King Road and Molesworth Drive area (see below map) from 10am to 3 pm tomorrow Tuesday 28th February.We apologise for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding and patience while we complete this work.

Mangawhai spent the weekend cleaning up flooding damage from an enormous downpour on Friday night.A regional council rain gauge recorded 250mm of rainfall in just three hours - on ground that was already saturated from Cyclone Gabrielle.Cars were submerged and stuck, others temporarily stranded between slips, and some homes were flooded and their occupants evacuated.The bill for roading repairs from Cyclone Gabrielle was already estimated at $120m in Northland alone, before Friday's storm.Damien Hochberg had lived in his new house by the estuary for six months.It is insured, but he estimates there is close to $500,000 worth of damage to his property and possessions, submerged in a metre of water on Friday.Walls are soaked through, electrics ruined, furniture and appliances are unsalvagable, and he knows it will be months before he will live there again."The beds are buggered, there's no bed for me to sleep on, I've got no power, no nothing. So basically I just take out what's salvageable and just air the house out for the next couple of days."Damien Hochberg's back yard and pool post-flood. Photo: RNZ / Samantha OlleyHe said tradespeople will "have to take off all the walls - so every single wall will have the Gib taken off to assess how bad it is"."It depends on how bad the wiring is if things have to be rewired, so it will be a long, long process".On Friday night, the mangroves over the fence were rapidly submerged.The water level on Damien Hochberg's fence. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Olley"I jumped on the tanks and looked over. And next door was a stream, basically a river coming down with logs and all that floating through. So at that stage there, between that and our house fully flooding, it was probably the best part of 10 minutes."He quickly put some valuables up high in his home, and evacuated in a dinghy."[We] took a boat, along the road, to get down the far end, because the was up to ... my chest."A few houses down, Aidan Hand's place was just spared - the water reached a centimetre below the top of his deck.He also hurriedly evacuated for the night - the only escape was climbing a back fence with his child.Upon returning home on Saturday - there was a footbridge outside - the flood waters had carried down the street and dumped."It literally flowed from half a kilometre away and floated down in front of our house. Crazy."Jenny Bateman lives in a house raised on piles, closer to the beach.It was an island surrounded by flood water over the weekend, with no garden in sight."Just water, and just the one tree basically and that's it. That's normally just all lawn ... It is [the water is] up to my knees," she said on Saturday."When I'm walking along to the front door, up to the stairs, it's to my knees."The view from the Campbell Park Christian Camp on Saturday. Photo: RNZ / Samantha OlleySome evacuees went to family and friends' homes. Others - as well as travellers who were stranded by roads cut off - stayed at the Campbell Park Christian Camp.There were 55 people in total there on Friday night and all had departed by lunchtime on Saturday.Community members rushed to bring blankets, pillows and towels so the evacuees could make beds for the night.Camp manager Julie Scott said: "There were people here who were flooded in their own properties and they're pumping out water today [Saturday] from their places but they still dropped off supplies to help other people."Bedding and towels donated for evacuees on Friday night to the Campbell Park Christian Camp where 55 people stayed. Photo: RNZ / Samantha OlleyRoading workers and engineers have spent the weekend working to reopen key routes out of Mangawhai.The Kaipara District Council expects Kaiwaka-Mangawhai Road may reopen midweek - and the road north to Waipū is expected to reopen tonight.Traffic heading north is being diverted via Paparoa in the meantime - and trucks have to go even further through Dargaville.On Friday night nearly every route in and out of Mangawhai was closed.Harry Smithson's 15-minute drive south from Waipū became a 5.5 hour zig-zag of impassable road after impassable road."We weren't sure that we'd even get home," he told RNZ."We were like 'oh well, we will just see how close we can get and try to walk'. We were clueless."My family was ringing up and my phone was dead. So we had to try navigate all these back roads at night while it was pissing down."Another resident, Sophia Smith, also tried to drive back from work to Kaiwaka on Friday and said: "It was torrential rain and I couldn't see more than a couple meters ahead of my windscreen."She stayed in Mangawhai instead with her father."We watched over Mangawhai Central where we could see police cars and fire engines with their flashing lights on most of the evening."We watched over King Rd as the flooding got worse and worse. We saw a few cars driving through the floods with water up to their car windows."

END OF WEEKEND ROADING UPDATE - 6PM SUNDAY 26 FEBRUARYThanks everyone for your patience - as the weekend draws to a close, time frames for restoration are now clearer. Despite everyone's best efforts, we will be going into the working week with effectively the same set of options that we have now.The detail is below - and because these roads affect so many people, it has ended up being detailed. If you're planning to travel between Northland and Auckland, you'll probably find what you need in the first half. If you want the full detail on local roads around Mangawhai, that's in there too but further down.For those most affected, it's going to continue to be a bit challenging. We appreciate everyone's support to date - as a region, as communities, as networks of agencies working together on restoration, we're doing pretty well.__________Authorities in Northland are advising travellers to stay up-to-date and amend their plans if necessary as key local roads damaged in Friday’s heavy rain around Mangawhai and surrounding areas will remain closed until midweek and in some cases, longer.Key among the closed roads is the Cove Rd detour route (Waipu to Mangawhai and onwards to Kaiwaka) which has been used by many travellers since SH1 through the Brynderwyns has been closed by slips.Repairs to the bridge at Langs Beach will not be completed before the end of tomorrow (Monday) at the earliest. Further south on this route, there is still a slip to be cleared from Cove Rd on the Mangawhai side and in turn, work cannot start on this until power company Northpower has been able to complete the relocation of a high-voltage power line around a landslip.“Friday’s downpours over Mangawhai and the surrounding area have caused significant damage and despite the contractors giving it their all over the weekend, the options are still quite limited,” said Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Controller Graeme MacDonald. “We know there are many people who live and work around the Mangawhai and surrounding area whose normal routes will not be available, as well as the freight industry and visitors to our region.“By midweek, we expect to have a better set of options around this area; however it will be Friday before the full reopening of the official SH1 Brynderwyn detour route for light vehicles through Mangawhai and Waipu. Until then, unfortunately all parties are going to have to continue to compromise. The damage to those roads has been significant and we appreciate all the work that's been put in over the weekend, including the restoration of SH1 at Topuni by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency - Northland overnight by Saturday morning.”State Highway access in and out of NorthlandWhile SH1 Brynderwyns remains closed to all traffic, the detour routes for all traffic between Auckland and Northland are:• SH12/14 via Dargaville. This is the recommended route for all heavy traffic• Paparoa/Oakleigh Road. A temporary 70km/h speed limit is in placeAccess in and out of Mangawhai for local residents/workers and local freight deliveries only• Mangawhai Rd off SH1 near Te Hana is the only access point into Mangawhai tomorrow. There is still one single-lane section of this road past an underslip and there are concerns about further deterioration of this. Kaipara District Council and roading partner the Northland Transportation Alliance is asking that only local traffic (people who live or work in Mangawhai) and local freight deliveries use this route to get in and out of Mangawhai. Other through-routes (unsealed local roads) between Kaipara and Whangarei districts are also restricted or closed.• Waipu Gorge Road is closed due to a slip during Cyclone Gabrielle• Finlayson Brook Road is closed by a dropout/underslip.Cove Road between Mangawhai and Waipu• Cove Road from Mangawhai to Waipu is not currently available as a detour route due to the Lang’s Beach bridge being closed. It remains open at either end but cannot be used as a through road. The Lang’s Beach bridge has been assessed by a structural engineer and while there is no damage to the bridge structure, the abutments have been washed out and contractors are working on backfilling these. Pedestrians also advised to not use due to risk of pavement collapse.• A slip near King Rd on the Mangawhai side will be cleared once Northpower has completed relocation of a high-voltage power line. Access between Waipu and Mangawhai is expected to re-open from tomorrow (Monday) evening with the completion of partial restoration works on the bridge at Lang’s Beach.• However, at this stage, the likely date for full reopening of the official SH1 Brynderwyn detour route for light vehicles through Mangawhai and Waipu is Friday 3 March. • When it does reopen, the restriction to prevent use by truck and trailer units, as directed by the Northland CDEM Group Controller, will remain and will continue to be supported by Police patrols.Other key roads between Mangawhai and Kaiwaka:• Kaiwaka-Mangawhai Road remains closed near Hilltop Road intersection due to a major underslip. Excavation works are continuing there today, with the current expectation this may open midweek, with two lanes unsealed• Devich Road remains closed at the bridge due to safety risk. Access is available out both ends.Mangawhai area roads down to single lane in places due to slips or drop-outs:• Mangawhai Road (as noted above)• Baldrock Road• Garbolino Road• Tara Road • Lawrence Road• Pebblebrooke Road• Lawrence Road• Sailrock Drive is open, but water is still being pumped from properties there.Mangawhai area roads recently closed and now open:• Tara Road is now open to local traffic only• Valley Road• Settlement Road.

Update on tropical cyclone potential in the South Pacific.A tropical low is moving westwards towards Vanuatu and is likely to develop into a tropical cyclone early this week. It should then curve southeast and move out of the tropics later in the week. At this stage, the risk of it directly impacting New Zealand after it leaves the tropics is relatively low as it should track to the northeast of us in about a weeks’ time. However, indirect impacts such as rain and large swells for eastern areas are more likely. There is still a lot to happen before the track becomes more certain so things could change. There is also another low in the Coral Sea that has an increased risk of developing into a tropical cyclone later in the week and could follow a similar path. We are near the historical peak of the cyclone season, so it is not unusual for tropical cyclones to develop this time of year.Our tropical cyclone activity page http://bit.ly/TropicalCycloneActivity is updated daily and we will signal any threats in the Severe Weather Outlook http://bit.ly/SWOutlook if necessary.FORCASTWarkworth RegionMonday 27th February - Showers, mostly in the east at first, becoming widespread and heavy at times from late morning until evening. Thunderstorms possible this afternoon and evening with a risk of downpours. Southerlies.Severe Thunderstorm WatchPeriod: 8hrs from 1pm - 9pm Mon, 27 FebArea: Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Taupo, Hawkes Bay, Taihape, Wanganui, ManawatuForecast: There is a moderate risk of thunderstorms for many parts of the North Island this afternoon and evening. These thunderstorms will bring localised heavy rain and hail. In addition, these thunderstorms are expected to be slow-moving, and consequently there is a moderate risk that these storms could become severe, generating localised downpours of 25 to 40 mm per hour, or possibly more. The affected areas are Northland, Auckland, Waikato, the Kaimai Range, inland Waitomo, Taumarunui, southern Rotorua, Taupo, Taihape, northern Manawatu and inland Hawke's Bay. Rainfall of this intensity can cause surface and/or flash flooding, especially about low-lying areas such as streams, rivers or narrow valleys, and may also lead to slips. Driving conditions will also be hazardous with surface flooding and poor visibility in heavy rain.Tuesday 28th February - Partly cloudy, with isolated showers clearing by evening. Southwesterlies developing in the morning.Wednesday 1st March - Mainly fine, some afternoon cloud. Light winds.Thursday 2nd March - Fine. Light winds.Friday 3rd March - Partly cloudy. Light winds.Mangawhai RegionMonday 27th February - Mostly cloudy with a few showers, some heavy with possible thunderstorms and downpours this afternoon and evening. Southerly breezes.Severe Thunderstorm WatchPeriod: 8hrs from 1pm - 9pm Mon, 27 FebArea: Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Taupo, Hawkes Bay, Taihape, Wanganui, ManawatuForecast: There is a moderate risk of thunderstorms for many parts of the North Island this afternoon and evening. These thunderstorms will bring localised heavy rain and hail. In addition, these thunderstorms are expected to be slow-moving, and consequently there is a moderate risk that these storms could become severe, generating localised downpours of 25 to 40 mm per hour, or possibly more. The affected areas are Northland, Auckland, Waikato, the Kaimai Range, inland Waitomo, Taumarunui, southern Rotorua, Taupo, Taihape, northern Manawatu and inland Hawke's Bay. Rainfall of this intensity can cause surface and/or flash flooding, especially about low-lying areas such as streams, rivers or narrow valleys, and may also lead to slips. Driving conditions will also be hazardous with surface flooding and poor visibility in heavy rain.Tuesday 28th February - Partly cloudy with a few showers clearing in the afternoon. Southwesterlies.Wednesday 1st March - Mainly fine, some afternoon cloud. Light winds.Thursday 2nd March - Fine. Light winds.Friday 3rd March - Fine. Easterlies.

CLOSEDSH1 at Brynderwyns – CLOSED until further notice. Previous light vehicle detour via Mangawhai is also CLOSED. Waipu / Langs detour for Brynderwyn is CLOSED - Cove road detour has slips and is closed. Detour routes northbound:- Light vehicles: use SH12 and Paparoa-Oakleigh Rd to Whangarei.- Heavy vehicles, excluding HPMV (unless permitted) use SH12 / SH14 via Dargaville to Whangarei.Ahuroa Valley Road.Devich Road is closed from the bridge due to safety risk.Kaiwaka Mangawhai Road is closed from Settlement Road due to slips at Hill Top Road.Wayby Valley - Flooded.OPEN WITH CAUTIONSH1 is open. In Dome Valley - Stop/go in place, cautionWoodcocks there is roadworks which could delay your journey.Matakana Valley RoadMartins Bay - slip across the road.ROADS NOW OPENBrown Road - caution flooding in areas.Settlement RoadValley RoadTara Road - local traffic onlyLawrence Road - down to one lane accessBaldrock RoadCove road near Kind road intersectionPebblebrooke Road- down to one lane accessGarbolino Road- down to one lane accessMangawhai Road - open for residents and people leaving MangawhaiPakiri Hill Road

Motorists from outside Northland are being asked not to travel to the region today, as crews work to repair flood-damaged roads.Thunderstorms swept through Mangawhai at the border with Auckland on Friday, with floodwaters stranding hundreds of people.They were escorted to State Highway One yesterday because of damage on many local roads between Kaiwaka, Mangawhai and Waipu.Cove Road is open to residents from Waipu only in the north, with the Lang's Beach bridge being assessed by a structural engineer.The Kaiwaka to Mangawhai Road is closed near the Hilltop Road intersection and Devich Road is closed at the bridge.Waka Kotahi says light vehicles can use SH12 and the Paparoa-Oakleigh Road to get to Whangārei but heavy vehicles must use SH12 and SH14 between Brynderwyn and Whangārei (via Dargaville) only.Road crews are trying to make as much progress as possible in the area before the working week begins, with some local roads expected to reopen later today.SH1 at the Brynderwyn Hills and Waipu remains closed due to large slips, and motorists from outside the region are being asked not to travel to Northland, unless it is necessary.Mayor pleads for help from central governmentWhangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo said the damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle to roads in Northland was significant and would cost at least $120 million to fix."We would just love central government to come to the party and actually get the Brynderwyns back open or even to - what we would really love - is a four-laning between Whangārei and Auckland."The additional rain on Friday night meant costs would continue to rise, he said."We are also realistic that there may be some more damage happening to the roading network; we have got the contractors out there at the moment, the team's out there keeping a close eye on the roading," he said."But it is a major issue when you constantly have more and more rain."Cocurullo said road crews were working around the clock to restore access.

SH 16 Kaukapakapa to Wellsford - Due to a slip SH16 is closed north of Cleasby Hill Lookout.SH1 Brynderwyn to Waipu – CLOSED until further notice. Previous light vehicle detour via Mangawhai is also CLOSED due to severe weather. Northbound light vehicles detour via SH12, Paparoa Oakleigh Rd, Mangapai Rd and back onto SH1. Reverse for southbound. HPMV’s continue to detour via SH12 and SH14.Waipu / Langs - Cove road detour has slips and is closed. Detour routes northbound:- Light vehicles: use SH12 and Paparoa-Oakleigh Rd to Whangarei.- Heavy vehicles, excluding HPMV (unless permitted) use SH12 / SH14 via Dargaville to Whangarei.Ahuroa Valley Road is closedPakiri Road is closed after Pakiri River Road to Goat Island Road.Devich Road is closed from Wallbank Way to Kopara Lane.Kaiwaka Mangawhai Road is closed from Settlement RoadKiawaka Mangawhai Road is closed from Stewart Road to Lawrence Road.Kaiwaka Mangawhai Road has flooding and slips and not passable at Hill Top Road.Te Arai Downs bridge is underwater.Devich Road is closed at the bridge due to safety risk.Atiu Creek - Slip- road is blocked.Wayby Valley - Flooded.An alternative route between Matakana and Mangawahi is open via Whangaripo Valley, up Waitetei Road, and then Mangawhai Road.( Drive with caution as there are small passable slips)CAUTIONMatakana Valley Road has slipsWarkworth to Puhoi - Due to a slip between Mahurangi West Rd and Schollum Access Rd, temporary traffic management is in place.Mangawhai Road and Coal Hill Road to Te Airi Point Road.Grader on Millbrook Road - Heavy trafficSH16 Waimauku to Helensville, between Hutchison Rd and Bradley Rd, low clearance vehicles should use an alternate route. High clearance vehicles should drive with caution.SH1 between Kaiwaka and Mangawhai Road is under caution due to flooding and multiple slips.SH16 Waimauku to Helensville is under caution due to flooding and multiple slips.SH16 Helensville to Kaukapakapa is under caution due to flooding and multiple slips.SH1 between Kaiwaka and Mangawhai Rd is now OPEN under cautionROADS NOW OPENBrown RoadSH 16 Glorit to WellsfordSettlement RoadValley RoadDome Valley is open but at a reduced speed, drive with caution.Tara Road - down to one lane access and open to local traffic onlyLawrence Roadown - down to one lane accessBaldrock Road - down to one lane accessPebblebrooke Road- down to one lane accessGarbolino Road- down to one lane accessMangawhai Road - open for residents and people leaving MangawhaiS1 Southbound just before Oteha Valley Road - Slips cleared

Bringing New Zealand's State Highway 1 fully back to life in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle will take years, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told Northland local government leaders in Whangārei on Friday."We are talking years. If we are wanting to build a new highway, that's years," Hipkins said.His comments come as SH1 over Northland's Brynderwyns heads is into its third week of closure after several huge Cyclone Gabrielle slips. These slips scuppered a brief opening of this essential stretch of SH1 immediately prior to the cyclone, after it had also been similarly shut due to previous slips for some time because of earlier bad weather.The Brynderwyns closure comes as further north, closure of SH1 over the Mangamukas, near Kaitāia, is now in its seventh month as the result of huge August rains.Hipkins said SH1 repairs would not happen overnight, and if it came to instead building a new route for parts of the highway, that would take years.The prime minister was visiting Northland to check out Cyclone Gabrielle damage, visiting the Northland Civil Defence emergency coordination centre along with meeting the region's local government mayors and chairs, hard-hit Kaipara and a marae-based Cyclone Gabrielle food distribution centre in Whangārei.Northland local government leaders on Friday gave Hipkins the message loud and clear that the government needed to get the region's SH1 sorted.Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo said the SH1 Brynderwyn failure was putting pressure on the diversions along local ratepayer-funded district roads now being used by thousands of vehicles each week.Cocurullo said the government should be stumping up the $118.8 million needed to repair these alternate routes and get them up to scratch so they offered future sustainability. This was for the under-pressure Cove Road and Oakleigh-Paparoa Road. It was also to bring a third option into the mix - Waipū Gorge Road, currently closed due to cyclone slips.Cove Road's 37km would cost $47m to bring up to speed, Oakleigh-Paparoa Road 40km $52.6m and Waipū Gorge Road's 12.5km $18.8m.Cocurullo said every Auckland to Whangārei truck journey over the Oakleigh-Paparoa Road diversion cost truckers an extra $400.'Not a holiday highway'Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson said diverting people along Cove Road was sending extra traffic into Mangawhai village and Mangawhai Heads.Jepson said Northland was trapped in the mantra of being the 'holiday highway' for much of its network."It's not a holiday highway, it's a vital link to feed us and fuel us," he said."The whole of the North is very vulnerable. We don't want politics, we want action," Jepson said.Northland's SH1 needed to be sorted, even if it came to tolls being part of getting that done, on a new route.Far North Deputy Mayor Kelly Stratford said roads were still the biggest issue in her district in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle."It's not about gold plated, it's about meeting expected needs," Stratford said.Roading had been challenged, she said. Other infrastructure was majorly impacted. There were still places in the Far North without electricity, a dozen days down the track from losing power as the cyclone hit.Northland Regional Council chair Tui Shortland said Cyclone Gabrielle had exposed deep vulnerabilities in the North.The most impacted were those who were also most vulnerable.Shortland said there were issues across multiple areas including for businesses, roading and marae and the impacts of multiple slips around the region.All resilience options needed to be considered.Long road to recoveryThe prime minister said recovery would have different phases. New Zealand was just coming out of the emergency response phase getting power on, cellphone towers up and roads open.The big conversations would be happening next, over the next few years and longer.Newly-appointed Northland extreme weather recovery committee lead and Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis said he would be having a Cyclone Gabrielle cloud-based video conferencing meeting with Northland local government, business leaders, iwi and others in the next couple of days.His focus would be Northlanders at the end of the road in places like Pouto, Mitimiti, Te Hāpua and Rāwhiti.Davis said it made sense that if these communities had electricity, supplies, water and other necessities, everyone in between would also be resilient.Davis told Northland leaders calling for the region's infrastructure to be sorted that there were serious conversations to be had."It's a matter of how courageous you want to be," Davis said.It was not just a matter of looking to the government for everything.Council rates were something to consider too when it came to funding.

SH 16 Kaukapakapa to Wellsford - Due to a slip SH16 is closed north of Cleasby Hill Lookout.SH 16 Glorit to Wellsford - Due to multiple slips and flooding, SH16 is now closed between Glorit and Tauhoa.SH1 between Kaiwaka and Mangawhai Road is under caution due to flooding and multiple slips.SH 1 Waipu to Brynderwyn - Due to large slips on the Brynderwyn Hills, SH1 is closed between Brynderwyn and Waipu until further notice.Warkworth to Puhoi - Due to a slip between Mahurangi West Rd and Schollum Access Rd, temporary traffic management is in place.Waipu / Langs - Cove road detour has slips and is closed. Detour routes northbound:- Light vehicles: use SH12 and Paparoa-Oakleigh Rd to Whangarei.- Heavy vehicles, excluding HPMV (unless permitted) use SH12 / SH14 via Dargaville to Whangarei.Pakiri Road is closed after Pakiri River Road to Goat Island Road.Devich Road is closed from Wallbank Way to Kopara Lane.Kiawaka Mangawhai Road is closed from Stewart Road to Lawrence Road.Kaiwaka Mangawhai Road has flooding and slips and not passable at Hill Top Road.Te Arai Downs bridge is underwater.Atiu Creek - Slip road is blocked.Wayby Valley - Flooded.Valley Road - closed due to surface flooding - receding.Settlement Road - closed due to surface flooding - receding.An alternative route between Matakana and Mangawahi is open via Whangaripo Valley, up Waitetei Road, and then Mangawhai Road.( Drive with caution as there are small passable slips)CAUTIONMatakana Valley Road has slips and a tree down.Mangawhai Road and Coal Hill Road to Te Airi Point Road.Grader on Millbrook Road - Heavy trafficROADS NOW OPENBrown RoadDome Valley is open but at a reduced speed, drive with caution.Tara Road - down to one lane accessLawrence Roadown - down to one lane accessBaldrock Road - down to one lane accessPebblebrooke Road- down to one lane accessGarbolino Road- down to one lane accessMangawhai Road - open for residents and people leaving MangawhaiSH1 between Kaiwaka and Mangawhai Rd is now OPEN under cautionSH1 Southbound just before Oteha Valley Road - Slips cleared drive with caution

Extreme weather event Mangawhai area l Places of shelterUPDATED: 6.35pm 24 Feb to include St John's Hall, KaiwakaWe are still experiencing extreme weather in the Mangawhai area. MetService has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Kaipara, Whangarei and Rodney area. https://www.metservice.com/warnings/home#upper-northThese severe thunderstorms are moving towards the south southwest, and are expected to lie near WELLSFORD, KAIWAKA, MANGAWHAI, BRYNDERWYN, TE ARAI and WAIPU COVE at 06:00 pm and near WELLSFORD, KAIWAKA, MANGAWHAI, BRYNDERWYN, TE ARAI and WAIPU COVE at 06:30 pm. These thunderstorms are expected to be accompanied by torrential rain.Please stay where you are and do not travel. The roads are extremely treacherous and you should not drive anywhere unless it's an emergency.If you need to leave your current place because you are concerned about water levels, you can go and shelter at: Mangawhai Kaipara District Council office, 6 Molesworth Drive (The Hub)Mangawhai Golf Club, 221 Molesworth DriveMangawhai Library Hall, 45 Moir Street St John's Hall in Kaiwaka (opp the 4square) is also open for stranded driversIf your life is at risk please dial 111 immediately.

CLOSEDWaipu / Langs - Cove road detour has slips and is closed. Detour routes northbound:- Light vehicles: use SH12 and Paparoa-Oakleigh Rd to Whangarei.- Heavy vehicles, excluding HPMV (unless permitted) use SH12 / SH14 via Dargaville to Whangarei.Mangawhai - Brown road floodingKaiwaka Mangawhai Roads has flooding and slips and not passable at Hill Top RoadKaiwaka - Settlement road and Valley road intersection where the bridge is is underwater.Te Arai Downs bridge is underwater.Mangawhai road has flooding near Te Arai.Hakaru - Brown road is floodedMangawhai - Pebblebrooke bridge is under waterMangawhai - 75 Garbolino - Big slip covering entire roadCAUTIONPakiri road has flooding and slipsMatakana Valley Road has slips and a tree down, may become impassable soon.Mangawhai- Tara road has flooding

Auckland's light rail project is "absolutely" going ahead, according to the minister in charge of both Auckland and transport.Michael Wood's resolute commitment comes at a time when many state highways across the country are in dire need of repair in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle.But the minister says, now more than ever, it is important to invest in climate-friendly infrastructure."I am absolutely committed to this city and making these investments," he said on Thursday. "We cannot continue to kick the can down the road."That would mean Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's pledge ahead of the 2017 general election would appear to be coming to fruition."I am utterly determined about this," Wood said. "If there was such a thing as a spirit animal then mine is a donkey. I just keep going with these things, and I'll keep going with this one until we get it done."Much of the North Island was still grappling with the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, communities cut-off and state highways wiped out. But Wood said the massive repair jobs around the country could go hand-in-hand with Auckland's light rail network."Just this week we've invested an additional $250 million to make sure that we can get those roads fixed for people who need them in the regions. So, we're keeping an eye on that job."But if we just do that and don't fix the hole in the roof - which is climate change - by giving people more climate-friendly choices, we're only doing half the job." The Treasury had given a wide range in its budget estimates for the light rail project - between $7.3 billion and $29.2 billion. However, Wood doubted the project would reach the upper limit of this range."The project in 2021 dollars, when the indicative business case was set, is approximately $11 billion. In inflated terms, over the delivery timeframe of the project, it's approximately $14 billion."The light rail corridor was expected to link up with Auckland's other rail project: the City Rail Link. But there was still no firm timeline or budget for that project.And although the chief executive of City Rail Link (CRL) said there would be a new timeline in place by the end of last year, that can was now being kicked down the road further."Obviously, with a huge project like that, you have a little bit of uncertainty; you can't give an exact date or an exact week," Wood said."I think we'll have much more clarity by about the middle of the year."City Rail Link work on Lower Queen Street, early 2022. Photo: City Rail LinkCRL construction led to severe disruption and hardship for many businesses around Auckland's Albert Street. Auckland Light Rail chief executive Tommy Parker said he would bear these lessons in mind."We know that there's a lot of concern out there around disruption, around the challenge of building these big projects in an urban area."We know we can learn a lot from CRL and from other projects and do things better."Parker also said Auckland's flooding and cyclone damage of the last month would have a big bearing on the project going forward."It's definitely brought to the top of mind resilience planning, making sure that we're getting a resilient route, and considering the effects of climate change."Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham was one of 30 sites along the indicative route of the Auckland Light Rail project.Engineers were boring holes 10-80m deep at the sites to test soil samples, which would help them create a 3D picture of the conditions below ground along the proposed corridor.The initial stage of light rail would extend 24km from the city centre to Māngere. After that, the plan was to extend light rail west to Kumeū and north to Orewa.North Shore Ward councillor Chris Darby said, despite Mayor Wayne Brown's scepticism, there was widespread support for the project around the council table.But as for who was going to pay for all these tracks, he said it would absolutely not be the council."Let's be clear about that. It is a project of national significance taking place in Auckland, being funded directly from government."Auckland Light Rail said further ground investigations would take place over the next six months, confined mainly to parks and reserves to minimise disruption to residents.

Warkworth RegionFriday 24th February - Periods of rain, heavy at times. Thunderstorms and localised downpours possible from afternoon. Southeasterlies, dying out this evening.Heavy Rain Watch Period: 21hrs from 9am Fri, 24 Feb - 6am Sat, 25 FebArea: Auckland including Great Barrier IslandForecast: Periods of heavy rain, with thunderstorms and downpours possible, especially from afternoon. Rainfall amounts may reach warning criteria. Note, a Severe Thunderstorm Watch is also in force for this area.Severe Thunderstorm WatchPeriod: 13hrs from 9am - 10pm Fri, 24 FebArea: Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier IslandForecast: Scattered thunderstorms are expected about parts of the northern North Island today, with localised heavy rain and possible downpours. For southern Northland, Auckland north of Orewa and near the west coast about and west of the Waitakere ranges, and Great Barrier Island, a few of the thunderstorms could be severe with localised downpours of 25-50mm/h. The main risk is between about midday and 10pm today (Friday), but the risk could start on Great Barrier Island this morning (from 9am). Rainfall of this intensity can cause surface and/or flash flooding, especially about low-lying areas such as streams, rivers or narrow valleys, and may also lead to slips. Driving conditions will also be hazardous with surface flooding and poor visibility in heavy rain. The thunderstorms activity should ease late evening.Severe Thunderstorm WatchPeriod: 7hrs from 5pm Fri, 24 Feb - midnight Fri, 24 FebArea: Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of PlentyForecast: Scattered thunderstorms are expected about parts of the northern North Island today, with localised heavy rain and possible downpours. For parts of Auckland south of Orewa and east of the Waitakere ranges, Coromandel Peninsula and western Bay of Plenty from about Tauranga northwards, a few of the thunderstorms could be severe with localised downpours of 25-40mm/h. The main risk of severe thunderstorms in this area is between about 5pm and midnight tonight (Friday). Rainfall of this intensity can cause surface and/or flash flooding, especially about low-lying areas such as streams, rivers or narrow valleys, and may also lead to slips. Driving conditions will also be hazardous with surface flooding and poor visibility in heavy rain. The thunderstorms activity should ease overnight.Saturday 25th February - Rain clearing in the morning to partly cloudy skies. Isolated showers in the afternoon. Light winds and afternoon sea breezes.Heavy Rain WatchPeriod: 21hrs from 9am Fri, 24 Feb - 6am Sat, 25 FebArea: Auckland including Great Barrier IslandForecast: Periods of heavy rain, with thunderstorms and downpours possible, especially from afternoon. Rainfall amounts may reach warning criteria. Note, a Severe Thunderstorm Watch is also in force for this area.Sunday 26th February - Mainly fine, isolated showers in the afternoon and evening. Light winds and afternoon sea breezes.Mangawhai RegionFriday 24th February - Partly cloudy. A few showers, some heavy, with a risk of thunderstorms and downpours from afternoon. Westerly breezes.Severe Thunderstorm WatchPeriod: 13hrs from 9am - 10pm Fri, 24 FebArea: Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier IslandForecast: Scattered thunderstorms are expected about parts of the northern North Island today, with localised heavy rain and possible downpours. For southern Northland, Auckland north of Orewa and near the west coast about and west of the Waitakere ranges, and Great Barrier Island, a few of the thunderstorms could be severe with localised downpours of 25-50mm/h. The main risk is between about midday and 10pm today (Friday), but the risk could start on Great Barrier Island this morning (from 9am). Rainfall of this intensity can cause surface and/or flash flooding, especially about low-lying areas such as streams, rivers or narrow valleys, and may also lead to slips. Driving conditions will also be hazardous with surface flooding and poor visibility in heavy rain. The thunderstorms activity should ease late evening.Saturday 25th February - Fine breaks. Light winds.Sunday 26th February - Mainly fine. Light winds.

Hundreds of cut-off residents in a West Auckland settlement are still without power or road access, 10 days after the cyclone.Karekare locals are relying on helicopter deliveries for long-life food and fuel for generators.With 16 slips in the area, only emergency services and Karekare's 300 residents are allowed to access the roads.Multiple houses were lost, and harrowing stories are emerging of narrow escapes.But despite testing times, locals said they were just grateful no lives were lost.RNZ rode with Karekare volunteer Fire Brigade chief officer Toby Hyman for a tour of Lone Kauri Road.'There's been such a catastrophe'Fire Brigade chief officer Toby Hyman says many have not heard just how badly Cyclone Gabrielle had hit West Auckland's Karekare. Photo: RNZ / Leonard PowellHyman, a marine engineer by profession, worked 37km away in Hobsonville and was getting to Karekare on a motorbike he had borrowed from his neighbour."Pretty much everybody I've spoken to that doesn't know someone out here, it's news to them that there's been such a catastrophe in Karekare."Food and fuel were being delivered at a make-shift community hub, run out of Sarah Cannon's home.Up to 80 locals stopped by each day to collect long-life food and bottled water, Cannon said.People were grateful for all of the donated food, but were holding out for some fresh produce, expected in the next delivery, she said.Sarah Cannon's property is being used as a make-shift community hub for Karekare locals to grab food and fuel supplies after Cyclone Gabrielle left the community isolated. Photo: RNZ / Leonard PowellHyman said locals, with help from emergency management, had been able to do some work on the road."Our locals got into their own diggers and and carved out the road wider so that cars could pass, but as you can see, it's pretty hairy. About three-quarters of the road has slipped down a bank ... It's not my favourite part of the road to drive over."Down at sea level in an area known as 'The Valley', Hyman navigated past some houses that had slipped away from the hill."[The Valley] took the worst hit, really. This is where the majority of the red stickers and yellow stickers happened. You can see the houses that came down the bank there."Karekare locals with the aid of officials started clearing blocked roads after Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo: RNZ / Leonard PowellAnother house had completely slipped across the road and had been bulldozed into a pile in order to open the road - the rubble full of personal possessions.Up on the hill and above the mess on the road were parked cars, never to be driven again.Rescuers evacuating family got trapped by landslidesHyman described the harrowing scenes from about 9.30pm on the Monday when the cyclone hit, when a family escaped just minutes before their house slipped 20 metres."We loaded them into personal vehicles to try and evacuate them up the hill, and as we were going up the hill, a landslide appeared in front of the utes," Hyman said."It was how I imagine the old kauri diggers, when they'd blocked up their dams and then let them go. A sea of huge logs and rocks and boulders, and just the roar of the water coming down in front of us and a brand new waterfall that never existed before," he said.Houses came toppling down in Karekare after 16 slips in the area due to Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo: RNZ / Leonard Powell"So we're attempting to turn the vehicles around and it [a landslide] happened behind us as well, so we were trapped on quite a small section of Karekare Road, which is a pretty steep gradient."It was still raining horrendously and we had some little kids and members of the public in the back of cars. We had to make a split second decision really to put the vehicles in four-wheel-drive and drive through the moving slip to get them out."Despite the devastation, Hyman realised how lucky his community had been."I certainly don't want 'woe is me, our communities so damaged, poor us'."There's so many worse off communities right now. In a way, we're really lucky that nobody's died out here. Some people have lost their houses and that's horrific and horrible, but you know we can fix it, we can rebuild it. You can't get people back that you've lost."Obviously some communities like Napier and what not have been hit so much harder than us, but it's still important to talk about our stories out here and and what's going on."Only emergency services and Karekare's 300 residents have been allowed to access the roads in the area due to the damage from Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo: RNZ / Leonard Powell

A message from Waka Kotahi:Our teams are working as fast and safely as they can to get State Highway 1 over the Brynderwyns reopened. We know that this route is a crucial connection to and from Northland for both freight and people, so getting it reopened is a priority. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this.You can see the scale of the damage our crews are facing, and why work is so challenging. There are multiple slips to clear, including two large overslips (above the road) and another two underslips (beneath it). We're still experiencing ongoing hill movement, and there's a lot of material to clear, including a lot of loose material above the largest slip where we need to work from the top down.Our roads remain vulnerable due to the amount of rainfall we’ve had, and there's still a risk of slips or trees falling on the road throughout Northland.For the video footage https://fb.watch/iSfu_4jdbB/

CLOSED ROADSWaipu Gorge RdSH1 Brynderwyns - see SH1 Whangarei to Brynderwyn for detoursOPEN ROADSWarkworth to Matakana (Matakana Road)Pakiri Hill RoadMatakana Valley RoadSH16SH1 Auckland Harbour BridgeSH1 Auckland to PuhoiSH1 Warkworth to Wellsford inc Dome ValleySH1 Wellsford to Kaiwaka** For further info about roadworks etc please head to Roads / Traffic page, where individual roads are listed.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency - Northland and partners Northland Transportation Alliance, along with Northland Police and Northland CDEM Group, have met today with transport industry representatives and have released the below guidance for alternate routes until access can be restored on SH1 through the Brynderwyns.Northland CDEM Group Controller Graeme MacDonald yesterday used the powers available under the current state of emergency to direct that all truck and trailer units are restricted from using Cove Road between Mangawhai and Waipu, and this remains in effect.“All parties recognise that traffic volumes on the alternate routes – which were also damaged in Cyclone Gabrielle - are a concern. This also needs to be balanced with the necessity to get freight through to Northland while minimising the additional costs and time that are unfortunately inevitable until our roading network is fully operational again. What has been worked out is a compromise solution and we’re asking all parties to show co-operation and understanding and do their utmost to protect our vital but currently-vulnerable routes."He said the arrangements would remain under review and further measures were under consideration. While SH1 Brynderwyns remains closed to all traffic, the approved detour route for ALL Heavy Vehicle traffic between Auckland and Northland remains SH12/14 via Dargaville.Cove Road Waipu/KaiwakaThe restriction to prevent use by truck and trailer units remains, as directed by the Northland CDEM Group Controller, and will be supported by Police patrolsThis is also the designated route for light vehiclesHeavy vehicle traffic should be limited to vehicles only servicing the local areas. Paparoa/Oakleigh RoadThere are multiple slips on this road which are a risk to High Productivity Vehicles (50 tonnes and over).This route should only be used for Heavy Vehicles (below 50 tonnes) with destinations south of Whangarei.Waipu Gorge RoadThis is currently closed due to multiple slips, with clearance work to take up to another week, and Google Maps has been contacted to record it as closed.Once open, it will remain unsuitable to Heavy vehicles and detour traffic for some time.All link roads between SH1 and Paparoa-Oakleigh remain vulnerable and unsuitable for heavy vehicles.

Following a truck blocking the road between Mangawhai and Waipu yesterday, Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Controller Graeme MacDonald has used the powers available under the current state of emergency to direct that all truck and trailer units are restricted from using the Waipu Cove Road between Mangawhai and Waipu. This gives Northland Police additional powers to enforce the use of this route.The Northern Transportation Alliance and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency - Northland are working together to implement traffic management.Freight companies are being contacted directly.Currently Brynderwyns are closed due to severe slips. Light vehicles can use the Waipu/Langs beach route to bypass Brynderwyns to get further north. Trucks and trailers need to use the alternative route through Dargaville as the Waipu route is too narrow and winding for larger vehicles. Heavy vehicles must use SH12 and SH14 via Dargaville with caution.Please note Waipu Gorge road is closed.