Secondary school principals have told the secondary teachers union they are facing a staffing crisis due to a lack of New Zealand teachers.The Post Primary Teachers' Association said secondary principals responding to its annual staffing survey reported unprecedented shortages.It said one in four of the 127 respondents said they had cancelled classes because they could not find a specialist teacher.They also reported that from mid-October last year to late March this year vacancies attracted an average of 1.6 New Zealand applicants - less than half the pre-Covid figure of 3.4, and much lower than 10 years ago when schools received an average 9.9 New Zealand applicants for every position advertised."The normal experience of principals was not having a choice in selecting applicants from New Zealand because there were either none (33 percent for classroom jobs) or only one (31 percent)," the survey report said.The report said one-third of positions the principals had advertised could not be filled and 5 percent were filled by getting a Limited Authority to Teach for a person who was not a registered teacher.It said 48 percent of the principals said they were employing untrained or unqualified teachers because they could not find trained and qualified staff.Principals told the survey "staffing is at crisis point", "the situation is dire" and "I think we are in a crisis"."Advertisements for jobs are having to be re-advertised multiple times before we get a worthwhile candidate," a principal told the survey."We have hired three times from overseas in the last year and each time had problems, one did two weeks and then resigned calling in sick for all of their notice period, one declined the job two days before they were due to start, and the other one we are still awaiting the visa to be approved."Another wrote: "It is so stressful, much more stress than Covid as I cannot see a way I can staff my school. I have three teachers going on maternity leave and do not have much hope of finding a replacement. It keeps me awake at night."PPTA acting president Chris Abercrombie said the results showed the secondary teacher shortage was beginning to have a serious impact on secondary education."Every student deserves to have a specialist teacher, someone who knows the subject inside out, can stretch students and enable them to grow their knowledge and skills in that subject."The fact that the teacher shortage has got this serious is an indictment on governments present and past. It must and can be reversed."Abercrombie said secondary teachers should have much better pay and conditions.Need something engraved? Check out Warkworth Engraving

Heavy rain warnings extended for both Auckland and NorthlandWhangarei regionHeavy Rain Warning - OrangePeriod: 24hrs from 9am Thu, 4 May - 9am Fri, 5 MayArea: NorthlandForecast: Expect 80 to 130 mm of rain on top of what has already fallen, mainly in the north and west. Peak rates of 10 to 20 mm/h but up to 35 mm/h possible in localised places. Note, there's a possibility that the warning period could be extended again. Also, MetService Meteorologists along with the Northland Regional Council are closely monitoring the situation as this warning could be upgraded from orange to red today.Impact: Heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. Surface flooding and slips are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous.Warkworth regionPeriod: 12hrs from 9am - 9pm Thu, 4 MayArea: Western parts of Auckland and WaikatoForecast: Periods of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria.(After a good hairdresser in Mangawhai? Check out Heads of Hair )

The government says it is unlikely to follow Australia's vaping crackdown - at least this term.The Australian federal government has announced tough new measures in an effort to stop young people vaping.Health Minister Mark Butler said the bright colours, range of flavours, and accessibility had turned a generation of young people into nicotine addicts."Vaping was sold to governments and to communities all around the world as a therapeutic product to help long term smokers quit. It was not sold as a recreational product, and in particular, not one for our kids. But that is what it's become: the biggest loophole, I think, in Australian healthcare history," Butler told the National Press Club.The Australian government will restrict flavours and colours, bring in "pharmaceutical-style" packaging, reduce the nicotine content, and halve the importation of non-prescription vapes.It was also banning single-use, disposable vapes, which Butler said were clogging landfill and had become toxic to the environment."These are supposed to be pharmaceutical products so they will have to present that way. No more bubblegum flavors, no more pink unicorns. No more vapes deliberately disguised as highlighter pens for kids to be able to hide them in their pencil cases," he said.General Practice New Zealand chair Dr Bryan Betty has long called for vapes to be pharmacy-only products in New Zealand.He said there needed to be an urgent debate over what New Zealand could do next."Now is the time to really start to think about this. Maybe the Australian experience or what's happening there at this point, will give an impetus for those discussions and real thinking about what is done in the New Zealand context."New Zealand already has some vaping restrictions.Flavours in anything other than tobacco, mint, and menthol can only be bought at specialist shops.New Zealand also has something Australia was not considering: restricting the availability of tobacco so nobody born after 2009 will be able to buy it.Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall has sought consultation on regulatory measures to make vaping less attractive to young people. Photo: RNZ / Samuel RillstoneHealth Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall said the steps New Zealand has taken to restrict tobacco availability were exactly why vapes needed to be available to smokers trying to quit.But she admitted the right balance has not been struck between what vaping was intended for, and what was actually happening."It is not good that young people are addicted, and vaping does cause addiction. So that's why we do want to move in terms of making them less attractive, less available, and also making sure that the law is enforced and there isn't sales to young people."Verrall has recently sought consultation on regulatory measures to make vaping less attractive to young people, such as changing the names of flavours, and ensuring vape shops cannot set up near schools.She expects to introduce some changes to the Smoked Tobacco Regulatory Regime soon, but something on the scale of Australia's crackdown will take much longer."I think in terms of moving to that step that Australia has done, that would require a legislative change."Verrall said there was no time to make such a legislative change this term.(Due for a holiday? Talk to World Travellers Mangawhai / Milford)National Party leader Christopher Luxon is open to a ban on vaping. Photo: RNZ / Samuel RillstoneBut changes would find favour with National, which supported toughening up the legislation."Originally they were introduced so they could help people come off smoking, but it's actually created a whole class and a new sector of addiction for young people. So I think that it is time that we actually stop and take a look at what's actually going on and what rules are needed," National leader Christopher Luxon said.He said he was open to any steps, including a ban.But ACT leader David Seymour disagreed."I understand people will want to have a moral panic and ban them and so on. But I just point to the fact that every generation does something crazy. This generation wants to inhale nicotine-laced water vapour, and compared with things previous generations have done, it's not so bad," he said.Bryan Betty said the long-term consequences of vaping were still unclear, but some problems were already emerging."I think we need to start to have a coherent debate about this, a transparent debate about what we need to do. So we're not in a situation in twenty years time looking back and saying we missed the opportunity."

Heavy Rain Warning - OrangePeriod: 27hrs from noon Wednesday, 3 May - 3pm Thuursday, 4 MayArea: NorthlandForecast: Expect 100 to 130 mm of rain. Peak rates of 10 to 20 mm/h but up to 40 mm/h possible in thunderstorms.Impact: Heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. Surface flooding and slips are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous.Forecast for Whangarei / Mangawhai region today (Wed):Low cloud and the odd shower, then periods of rain arriving this morning, possibly heavy and thundery. Northeasterlies.Forecast for Auckland / Warkworth region today (Wed):Periods of rain, some heavy, with a risk of thunderstorms. Fresh Northeasterlies.Need some reading, puzzles or games for these rainy days? Check out Mangawhai Books & Gifts

The government is adjusting the Clean Car Discount scheme, after finding its success was potentially set to put a strain on its self-funded model.The 'feebate' scheme gives rebates to those buying low-emissions vehicles, and was funded by fees charged to those buying high-emissions vehicles like utes.More than 100,000 Clean Car Discount rebates had been paid out since its introduction in 2021.Because of the strong uptake, the scheme was set to reduce 230 percent more emissions than originally estimated by 2025, which Transport Minister Michael Wood said had exceeded industry and government projections."The scheme is facilitating an increase in the number of EVs entering the fleet we did not expect until 2027."As planned we are further targeting the scheme to maintain its success, and ensure it will be self-funding until its next review," Wood said.The cap for eligible vehicle's emissions would change from 146g of CO2 per kilometre to 100g from 1 July.This covered battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, but it meant hybrid-petrol cars would no longer be eligible for the discount.The rebate paid out on new EVs would reduce from $8625 to $7015, while it would increase from $3450 to $3507 for used imports.Wood said the increase to used vehicle rebates would encourage more lower and middle income New Zealanders to buy a lower emission car.The rebate paid out for plug-in hybrids would be reduced.And a special discount would be introduced for low emission disability vehicles.Fees charged to buyers of high emissions vehicles would increase, and the threshold for what qualified as a high emissions vehicle would reduce from 192g of CO2 per kilometre to 150g."To fund the changes to make it easier for New Zealanders to purchase cleaner imports, we're adjusting charges on high emissions vehicles," Wood said."This includes vehicles like utes which are amongst the highest emitting vehicles within our fleet."The maximum fee imposed would rise from $5175 to $6900 for new vehicles, and from $2875 to $3450 for used imports.As part of this month's budget, the discount's repayable crown grant would also increase by $100 million.

Warkworth RegionMonday 1st May - Periods of rain, with heavy falls, easing to isolated showers this afternoon. Strong northeasterlies, gusting 90 km/h in exposed places, easing this afternoon.Tuesday 2nd May - Partly cloudy, with isolated showers developing in the morning. Northerlies.Wednesday 3rd May - Occasional rain, becoming persistent later. Northerlies, becoming fresh.Thursday 4th May - Rain with heavy falls, easing later. Fresh northeasterlies.Friday 5th May - Rain. Strong northeasterlies, easing.Saturday 6th May - Occasional rain, turning to showers later. Fresh northeasterlies.Sunday 7th May - Rain with northeasterlies.Mangawhai RegionMonday 1st May - Cloudy periods. A few showers, mainly this morning. Northeasterlies.Tuesday 2nd May - Fine, then drizzle developing in the evening. Northerlies.Wednesday 3rd May - Rain. Northerlies.Thursday 4th May - Rain with heavy falls, easing later. Northerlies.Friday 5th May - Rain with northeasterlies.Saturday 6th May - Rain with northeasterlies.Sunday 7th May - Rain with northeasterlies.

Harbour Bridge - A strong winds warning is currently in place. Please take extra care especially if you are in a lighter or high-sided vehicle or riding a motorcycle.SH1 Warkworth to Wellsford - Dome Valley is NOW OPEN BOTH DIRECTIONSSH1 Brynderwyns reopening in BOTH directions has gone ahead this morning and it open to traffic. The road is a bit slippery so take extra care.Pakiri Hill Road - there was a slip yesterday, the road was just passable. It may not be now so caution is advised.Whangaripo Valley is open.Matakana Valley Hill Road is open at this point.If you have anymore updates please let us know via email [email protected] broken down and need help? Call Warkworth Towing & Salvage

If an emergency happened today, do you have a plan in place to save yourself, your family, and your animals? Learn how to prepare to ensure the welfare of your animals during a disaster, such as an earthquake or flood.Protecting animals in emergenciesYour animals are your responsibility. You need to include them in your emergency planning and preparation. Prepare an emergency plan that covers the major disasters that could affect animals in your family, farm, or workplace.Discuss your plan, record it, and practice it with your family and co-workers. Keep your plan somewhere it can be easily seen. In your household, this could be on the fridge or by the front door. In a farm or animal facility, this could be kept in a dairy shed, stable, or shearing shed.Use our checklists for different types of animals and emergenciesWe recommend you download copies of these checklists and include them as part of your emergency kit.Planning for pets  [PDF, 279 KB]Planning for livestock and horses [PDF, 315 KB]Planning for an assistance or guide dog [PDF, 191 KB]Planning for lifestyle block animals [PDF, 331 KB] Checklists for specific emergencies such as fires, earthquakes, or floods are also available.Animals affected by fire [PDF, 171 KB]Animals affected by earthquake [PDF, 181 KB]Animals affected by flood [PDF, 175 KB]Animals affected by a snowstorm [PDF, 183 KB]Animals affected by a heat wave [PDF, 184 KB]Animals affected by a volcanic eruption [PDF, 178 KB]Animals affected by dry or drought conditions [PDF, 188 KB]MPI emergency preparation guides for your animalsAnimals in emergencies – Lifestyle blocks [PDF, 508 KB]Animals in emergencies – Horses [PDF, 449 KB]Animals in emergencies – Pets [PDF, 537 KB]Animals in emergencies – Livestock  [PDF, 640 KB]You can also order free emergency plans online and have them sent to you.Order brochures from our animal welfare catalogue Other resources for animals in emergenciesPlan for your pets and other animals – Get Ready Wallet card: My animals are home alone [PDF, 156 KB]Prepare a first aid kit for animalsIt's good to have a suitable first aid kit handy in case animals are injured during an emergency. Your household first aid kit may contain supplies that can be used for animals. Use our first aid kit for animals checklist to make sure you have everything you need.Download the first aid kit for animals checklist [PDF, 283 KB]Who to contactIf you have questions about animals in emergencies:phone 0800 00 83 33email [email protected]

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.