Deliveries in the lead-up to Christmas could be delayed after NZ Post pulls its fleet of electric vehicles.Chief operating officer Brendon Main said an issue was discovered in the rear suspension of three of its delivery vehicles.The fleet has been stood down while an investigation into the issue is carried out.The issue would not have an impact on courier items or rural delivery, Main said.It would only impact items delivered by posties using Paxsters.Instead, posties would use bicycles, e-bikes or walk where possible to deliver mail.Normal mail services would resume as each Paxster passes its check or was repaired, Main said.

The Kaipara District Council's first meeting since the local election has kicked off with a bit of verbal biffo between the mayor and a Māori ward councillor.Just minutes into the council's first meeting, councillor Pera Paniora, of Te Moanaui o Kaipara Māori Ward, wanted to begin the meeting with a karakia."Excuse me, just before we start, through the chair may I say the karakia?"Newly elected Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson was quick to shut down Paniora's request, arguing she "cannot interrupt, I'm sorry".But Paniora hit back, telling the mayor "it is tikanga to start a meeting with a karakia".Mayor Jepson then gave an explanation as to why he wouldn't allow the karakia to go ahead."This is a council that's full of people who are non-religious, religious, of different ethnicities and I intend to run a secular council here which respects everybody and I will not be veering from that. Thank you."But Paniora countered Jepson's explanation saying: "I don't agree with that.""Sorry you cannot interject," Jepson struck back.Jepson made an effort to move on to the next matter on the council's agenda: "can I have apologies please".But councillor Paniora tried to explain her request to mayor Jepson."Excuse me for those who do practice..."Before Paniora could finish her sentence Jepson shut the councillor down again."Councillor Paniora, you are not allowed to speak in this manner and we will continue with our meeting.""It doesn't really feel like a meeting," said another councillor.Twenty minutes later Paniora gave her maiden speech to the council where she said the karakia and sang Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi."Seen as I wasn't able to do the karakia this morning, it's better late than never."

The contentious Three Waters legislation just got messier.Already under intense scrutiny, a controversial change made during urgency last week has done nothing to consolidate public trust around the significant, but politically troublesome, policy.Apparently without the knowledge of the prime minister, or the man who runs the business of the House, Chris Hipkins, a 60 percent entrenchment clause preventing the privatisation of water assets was voted into the legislation - with Labour's support.Many New Zealanders would applaud the move to avoid privatisation, but the policy intent is not the issue.The constitutional crux of the problem is the use of entrenchment for anything other than electoral law; the idea being that for something so substantial a super majority of Parliament would be needed to make any changes. According to public law experts and the government's own legal advice, Three Waters by no means fits the bill.It was an amendment put up by the Greens' Eugenie Sage, supported by Labour, and one that went unnoticed by the opposition MPs in the chamber at the time.Greens' Eugenie Sage Photo: VNP / Phil SmithIt's been kicked back to Parliament's Business Committee to "resolve the issue" - the prime minister's words - with Jacinda Ardern agreeing politicians need to be "cautious" around the use of entrenchment and how "we make sure we preserve that".At no point did Ardern say she knew that provision was being put up - in a way that would enable it to pass - and when questioned, talked about "everyone in Labour" being aware of the 75 percent proposal, but "what would have been happening in real time is you had both an entrenchment position and a different threshold".In other words - the amendment was changed on the floor of the House by the Greens and Labour didn't quite realise what it was voting on. But that was not the case.Leader of the House Chris Hipkins Photo: RNZ / Samuel RillstoneHipkins was more blunt saying the "last he heard" the proposal was for 75 percent, "which would have failed with only Labour and the Greens supporting it"."I wasn't aware until after the fact that that had been lowered to 60 percent; I wasn't in the House at the time that it happened."Nanaia Mahuta as the responsible minister, however, knew exactly what was going on.Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone"We know that while this particular SOP [supplementary order paper] may not pass the constitutional threshold, there is a moral obligation of people who believe that privatisation should not occur to support that particular SOP," she told the House at the time.The Attorney-General and Crown Law had advised the government there is a "high constitutional threshold to be reached in order to put such a threshold within legislation, and often it's on constitutional matters - of which this bill is not - and it would be a novel approach to include an entrenchment clause".Public law academics went further, describing it as a potentially "dangerous precedent", which "extends the use of entrenchment protection from a very limited range of matters fundamental to our constitutional system to a matter of contested social policy".The political conversation around protecting water assets against privatisation and using entrenchment is not new, and had been tested with various parties earlier this year. Labour approached them earlier in the year, seeking support for a 75 percent entrenchment provision, which National and ACT refused to sign up to.At some point after that, the discussion between the Greens and Labour turned to a 60 percent threshold instead, something they could get over the line without needing any others.Sage told RNZ there had been "negotiations" with the minister, but wouldn't put a date on it. She defended putting up the amendment without proactively flagging it publicly, saying anyone who had read the select committee report would know the Greens' position.The problem sits with Labour: why did the most senior ministers in the government not know this particular provision was going to be put to the House (and pass), but also why was the case not made to the public before steaming ahead, and the rationale laid out?The precedent it sets is any government that can muster 60 percent on any given policy could entrench it - and that cuts both ways, a fact not lost on Labour.The dilemma it now faces is trying to undo a pending law change it wholly believes in, guarding against privatisation, and having to seek the co-operation of National and ACT in the process.Three Waters has attracted a storm of controversy, in part because of the rhetoric being whipped up around co-governance, but also a failure on the part of the government to get the messaging right and sell its merits.This latest blunder plays straight into the hands of the policy's staunchest opponents, handing them yet more ammunition in their claims of secret agendas and political mismanagement.

Noel Leem­­­ing in Warkworth was once again broken into last night. With unconfirmed murmurings of it being the third burglary in a month. There was also a previous burglary in August 2015. There have been a run of burglaries and ram raids on Noel Leeming stores around the country this year.Ormiston in April.Silverdale in May.Mount Albert had an attempted burglary in June.Royal Oak in June.Cambridge in October. Noel Leeming Warkworth store will relocate into the new shopping centre complex to be called Kowhai Falls along with The Warehouse and Warehouse Stationary in the next few years. Site is on Woodcocks Road, under construction and located next to Mitre 10. This will mean the closure of The Warehouse at Snells Beach.

NEW TO THE MATAKANA APPWe have some new business listings for you to check out and support.Under the SHOP LOCAL button / Mangawhai tabBrooke Lane Vineyard – A destination and location; with its meandering brook, native trees overhanging an ever-changing pond and a vista of established grape vines in the Mangawhai Valley. They stock Pinot Gris, Chardonnay & Rosé. Proudly... As Organic as possible. Also check out their LAST SATURDAY CLUB event on the last Saturday of the month, make sure to book!Intech Designer Kitchens – Offering a wide variety of professional cabinetry design and supply services. Including, kitchens, wardrobes, laundry's, bench tops, splashbacks, shop fitting, custom made cabinets, installation and more.Heads of Hair – Providing edgy, yet feminine surroundings of a top city hair salon. With exceptional service through our love of hair. Specialising in hair colour, cutting, and styling.Mangawhai Books & Gifts - Local bookstore that stocks a huge variety of books for all ages, magazines, postage, puzzles, toys, gifts, clothing, stationery, and art supplies.Funky Chic – High Quality, Recycled Clothing, Great Prices. To suit every taste, for lovers of fashion and the planet The Beauty Shop – A beauty salon offering beauty services & treatments to suit you. Target skin concerns, unwanted hair, lash lifts, nails, facials, brow shape or even treat yourself to a foot spa. World Travellers Mangawhai / Milford – Local Mangawhai travel agency, with access to the most up-to-date travel discounts and vacation packages from all over the world.

A new entity established to promote the strong wool sector is working to change how overseas customers view the product.Strong wool prices have been subdued in recent years, with the price often not enough to cover the cost of shearing the sheep.With support from the government, Wool Impact NZ was launched in July with the aim of working with brands to get strong wool products into markets quickly and speed up returns to farmers.Chief executive Andy Caughey said their work was being helped by the fact that consumers were moving away from fast fashion and synthetic fibres."New Zealand has traditionally had a great reputation for our strong wool, but that's been challenged over recent years," Caughey said."We need to revisit how we present our wool to the market and address issues like contamination, and ensure that grading and classing is meeting the standards that the markets are looking for."Caughey said wool had the potential to be a "game changer" and the group had been exploring alternative uses for wool."We're familiar with using wool for home insulation, but there are a number of companies in New Zealand who have been very innovative around acoustic panels and this is a new application which has worldwide opportunities," he said."As people have moved away to hard floorings, they're having to deal with the challenge of acoustics and so we can see providing wool into both residential and commercial facilities or schools that wool acoustic panels can be a great solution for that."

Foodstuffs has admitted it uses facial recognition in some North Island stores and says it is undertaking a trial of the technology at further stores to test its effectiveness in crime reduction.The expansion of the use of facial recognition comes as the supermarket chain faces criticism for using the technology.Consumer NZ discovered 29 North Island Foodstuffs supermarkets were using facial recognition technology (FRT) to scan shoppers' faces.Consumer said Foodstuffs, which owns the supermarkets Pak'nSave, New World and Four Square, was the only major retailer in the country using this.FRT involves the identification of a person based on an analysis of their facial features. Artificial intelligence programs identify and map facial features to create a faceprint, which is compared to those on a database to find a match.Foodstuffs said the information was only used for crime prevention, and the images collected were stored no longer than five days.Consumer chief executive Jon Duffy said Consumer questioned whether collecting customers' data was proportionate to the risk Foodstuffs was trying to address."If you imagine every single person going into a supermarket that has this technology operating is having their biometric data recorded by Foodstuff North Island and stored, is that smashing a nut with a sledgehammer?"He questioned how effective keeping data for five days was preventing crime.The Office of the Privacy Commissioner expressed its concerns about the use of FRT in a supermarket."The idea behind FRT is that everybody in the store gets screened, and then if somebody is seen as being high risk they go onto a risk register. Our concern is about how people get onto the register, how long is that information stored for, and how do you come off," Deputy Privacy Commissioner Liz MacPherson said.MacPherson said there was currently limited evidence of FRT's effectiveness in keeping people safe.Foodstuffs have announced a FRT trial would be starting soon in about 30 North Island stores, to run for an initial six months.Foodstuffs North Island chief executive Chris Quin said the business' data showed repeat offenders were responsible for a high proportion of serious offending in the storesQuin said nearly 2500 out of around 9700 offenders were likely to be repeat offenders this year."We have a responsibility to protect the safety and security of our teams and customers," he said.MacPherson said unless there was evidence facial recognition technology worked in supermarkets, she was not in favour of a wider roll-out.

Warkworth RegionMonday 28th November - Cloudy periods, with isolated morning showers. Southwesterlies, dying out this evening.Tuesday 29th - Cloud increasing. A few showers developing in the evening. Northerlies.Wednesday 30th - Showers with westerlies.Thursday 1st December - Cloudy. Southwesterlies.Friday 2nd December - Partly cloudy, with isolated showers developing. Fresh southwesterlies.Mangawhai RegionMonday 28th November - Cloudy periods, and a possible morning shower. Southwesterlies, dying out this evening.Tuesday 29th - Cloud increasing. A possible evening shower. Northerlies.Wednesday 30th - A few showers with westerlies.Thursday 1st - Cloudy. Southwesterlies.Friday 2nd December - Partly cloudy with southwesterlies.

The Salvation Army has launched its 2022 'Gifts of Hope' Christmas appeal so 'no kid misses out' this Christmas.Salvation Army spokesperson Alister Irwin said Christmas can "present a real challenge for individuals and families who are facing increased living costs and unaffordable housing.""They may not be in a position to take part in traditional Christmas festivities like giving gifts and shared meals as they struggle with tightened budgets," he said.Gifts of Hope allows the public to donate Christmas presents to their local Salvation Army or provide a financial donation that can provide both a gift and practical support for food and accommodation.Irwin hopes people give generously.For those wanting to donate a gift in person Irwin asks they leave it upwrapped, as parents then choose the gift that best suits their child from the donations.Gift ideas he suggests include outdoor sports equipment or puzzles and games that families can do together.For people wanting to receive a gift, Irwin recommends they contact their local Salvation Army branch "the sooner the better" as they've usually given out most of the gifts they can by the second week of December.Irwin said the cost of living is really affecting families.He said charity appeals like theirs presented an opportunity for the community to support each other so nobody missed out when it comes to finding a gift under the tree this Christmas.

One person has died and a number of others were injured following a crash which involved a bus, a police vehicle and another vehicle on State Highway 1 at Warkworth, north of Auckland.Police said shortly before the crash which happened about 6.30pm staff in the patrol vehicle saw a vehicle travelling at speed on State Highway 1."Our initial information is that they signalled for it to stop, at which point it has veered suddenly and collided with the bus," Waitematā District Commander Superintendent Naila Hassan said in a statement.The driver of the vehicle died, an officer and a person in the bus sustained moderate injuries, she said.A number of other people in the bus which was carrying about 40 passengers are reported to have minor injuries.The Serious Crash Unit is examining the scene to establish what happened and the Independent Police Conduct Authority has been informed.Waka Kotahi said State Highway 1 remains closed between Woodcocks and McKinney roads due to the crash and is likely to remain so for most of the night but a detour is in place.

The daily limits on recreationally caught hāpuku (also known as groper) and bass will be lowered to a total of two per person in some areas, with a new accumulation limit of three per person on multi-day trips.Oceans and Fisheries Minister, David Parker said the rule changes would take effect from November 28 and would aid the recovery of stocks in some areas.The changes apply to the North Island and the west coast of the South Island, in the Auckland East and Auckland West, Central and Challenger recreational fishing areas.“Hāpuku is a highly-valued fish for recreational, customary and commercial fishers alike,” David Parker said.“These changes follow significant cuts to commercial catch allowances and will further support the sustainability of these fish.“There are fishing spots around the country that unofficially or officially bear the same name – Groper Rock, or Hāpuku River - because they were once common there.“Sadly, it’s very unlikely people will be able to find hāpuku in those places now.“Feedback from fishers across the North Island and upper South Island signalled widespread concern for hāpuku and bass fisheries in these areas.“Information from commercial catch reporting has also shown a downward trend in these fish in those areas, supporting those concerns.”Summary of the changes:Recreationally caught hāpuku and bass will no longer have a combined daily bag limit with kingfish of five in these areas.Recreational daily limit of two hāpuku and/or bass per person per day.A new accumulation limit (for a multi-day fishing trip) of a maximum of three hāpuku and/or bass.Kingfish will continue to have a daily limit of three kingfish per person per day.Public consultation on the changes was part of Fisheries New Zealand’s regular reviews in October 2021 and April 2022.More information can be found on MPI’s website at https://www.mpi.govt.nz/consultations/review-of-sustainability-measures-2022-april-round/

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 2 December 2022. Check daily updated closure information(external link)Unless otherwise stated, closures start at 9pm and finish at 5am.NORTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Northbound lanes between Silverdale off-ramp and Waiwera on-ramp, 27 November-1 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Orewa northbound on-ramp, 27 November-1 DecemberSilverdale northbound on-ramp, 27 November-1 DecemberSouthbound lanes between Waiwera Off-Ramp and Silverdale on-ramp, 27 November-1 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Orewa southbound on-ramp, 27 November-1 DecemberMillwater southbound on-ramp, 27 November -1 DecemberNorthbound lanes between Greville Road off-ramp and Oteha Valley Road on-ramp, 27-30 November (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Greville Road northbound on-ramp, 27-30 NovemberSouthbound lanes between Oteha Valley Road off-ramp and Greville Road on-ramp, 29 November-1 DecemberOteha Valley Road southbound on-ramp, 29 November-1 DecemberNorthbound lanes between Upper Harbour Highway off-ramp and Greville Road on-ramp, 1 December (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Upper Harbour Highway northbound on-ramp, 27 November-1 DecemberUpper Harbour Highway southbound off-ramp, 27-28 NovemberTristram Avenue southbound on-ramp, 28 November CENTRAL MOTORWAY JUNCTION (CMJ)Grafton Road eastbound on-ramp, 26–27 November (approx. 7:00am to 10:00pm)SOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)South Eastern Highway (SEART) northbound on-ramp, 27-28 NovemberHill Road southbound off-ramp, 30 NovemberNorthbound lanes between Takanini off-ramp and Takanini on-ramp, 27-28 November (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Northbound lanes between Ramarama off-ramp and Drury/SH22 on-ramp, 27 November-1 DecemberRamarama northbound on-ramp, 27 November-1 DecemberNorthbound lanes between Hampton Downs off-ramp and Hampton Downs on-ramp, 1 DecemberSouthbound lanes between Hampton Downs off-ramp and Hampton Downs on-ramp, 1 DecemberSouthbound lanes between Hampton Downs off-ramp and Te Kauwhata on-ramp, 29 NovemberHampton Downs southbound off-ramp, 27-28 & 30-1 December November (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)Hampton Downs southbound off-ramp, 25 November & 2 DecemberHampton Downs southbound on-ramp, 27-30 November (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)Hampton Downs southbound on-ramp, 25 November & 2 DecemberNorthbound lanes between Te Kauwhata off-ramp and Hampton Downs on-ramp, 27-28 November (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)Te Kauwhata northbound on-ramp, 27-28 November (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)NORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)Northbound lanes between Hobsonville Road off-ramp and Brigham Creek Roundabout, 27 November-1 DecemberSouthbound lanes between Brigham Creek Roundabout and Hobsonville Road on-ramp, 27 November-1 DecemberTe Atatu northbound on-ramp, 27-29 NovemberTe Atatu northbound off-ramp, 29 November- 1 DecemberPatiki Road southbound off-ramp, 27 November-1 DecemberRosebank Road southbound on-ramp, 29 November-1 DecemberSt Lukes Road westbound on-ramp, 30 NovemberSt Lukes Road eastbound off-ramp, 28-29 NovemberSt Lukes Road eastbound on-ramp, 27-28 NovemberUPPER HARBOUR MOTORWAY (SH18)Westbound lanes between Trig Road off-ramp and Hobsonville Road southbound on-ramp, 27 November-1 DecemberSOUTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH20)Neilson Street southbound on-ramp, 1 DecemberMahunga Drive southbound off-ramp, 1 DecemberSouthbound lanes between Mahunga Drive off-ramp and Massey Road on-ramp, 30 NovemberWalmsley Road southbound on-ramp, 30 NovemberSH20 southbound to SH20A southbound link, 30 NovemberNorthbound lanes between Coronation Road off-ramp and Rimu Road on-ramp, 27 November (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Coronation Road northbound on-ramp, 27-28 NovemberSouthbound lanes between Massey Road off-ramp and Puhinui Road on-ramp, 29 November (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Massey Road southbound on-ramp, 29 NovemberSouthbound lanes between Puhinui Road off-ramp and SH1 link, 27 November (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Puhinui Road southbound on-ramp, 27 NovemberCavendish Drive southbound on-ramp, 27 NovemberLambie Drive southbound on-ramp, 27 NovemberSH20 southbound to SH1 northbound link, 27 November (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)SH20 southbound to SH1 southbound link, 27 November (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)

Friday 25th NovemberMatakana NIGHT MarketWarkworth Theatre's Ali Baba & Forty Thieves pantomimeMatakantata Choir presents - Faces of ChristmasSaturday 26th Mangawhai Community MarketMangawhai Tavern MarketMatakana Village Farmers MarketWellsford Santa ParadeMatakana Cemetery tidy-upBarfoot & Thompson - Charity Sausage SizzleCellar Door Live SessionsBrooke Lane Vineyard’s Last Saturday Club Warkworth Theatre's Ali Baba & Forty Thieves pantomimeBorn on the Bayou - Creedence Clearwater Revival Tribute ShowWBB Live at The Tahi Bar + KitchenFrisky Business 80's NightSunday 27thMatakana Country Park MarketPuhoi Village MarketWarkworth Country MarketPumporama @ Leigh pump trackChristmas Craft MarketMatakantata Choir presents - Faces of ChristmasWarkworth Theatre's Ali Baba & Forty Thieves pantomimeSunday Sessions & Leigh Sawmill Cafe

Warkworth RegionFriday 25th November - Partly cloudy. A few showers, possibly heavy this morning, becoming isolated this afternoon. Fresh westerlies, easing this afternoon.Saturday 26th - Partly cloudy. Isolated showers from afternoon. Westerlies, turning northerly in the afternoon.Sunday 27th - Rain developing in the morning, easing to a few showers and fine breaks in the afternoon. Northerlies, turning westerly in the afternoon.Mangawhai RegionFriday 25th November - Partly cloudy with a few showers, becoming more frequent for a time this afternoon and evening. WesterliesSaturday 26th November - Cloudy periods and light winds. A few showers and northerlies from afternoon.Sunday 27th - Rain developing in the morning, easing to a few showers and fine breaks in the afternoon. Northwesterlies, turning southwesterly in the evening.

A major company has been fined for letting banned and harmful 'forever' chemicals get into Whangārei Harbour in what a judge calls an "extraordinary" act.The former Marsden Pt refinery, now called Channel Infrastructure, pleaded guilty to 14 charges.It used up to 60,000 litres of foam made with longlasting PFAS chemicals for firefighter training seven times last year.How much got into the harbour is not known.The Whangārei District Court fined Channel $169,000.A court summary of facts shows a whistleblower within the company raised the alarm in June 2021."In accordance with the defendant's whistleblowing policy, the board and senior management were alerted that a banned substance may have been used in the training exercises. All remaining training exercises were halted," the summary said.The company then alerted the regional council.The summary said it had already looked at getting rid of all its stocks of PFAS foam, in 2017, but chose not to.Storing foam and its use as a "last resort" on fires is allowed, but training with it is banned."Legacy PFAS fire fighting foam remained available so it could be accessed and used if required in the case of an emergency as the law contemplates."It was labelled PFAS, but got used anyway, the summary said.A consultant's report in late 2021 concluded "there was a low risk to people and ecological receptors caused by PFAS discharges from the refinery into surface water and groundwater" and that it was not in the shellfish.Long-term effects are unknown.Judge J Smith said systems were set up to prevent this, but failed."Its use on seven occasions for training can only be described as extraordinary," the Environmental Protection Authority quoted the judge saying in a statement today.RNZ last August revealed the investigation into the illegal discharges, after obtaining a report for the company carried out by a private investigator.Channel Infrastructure said it accepted the sentence and had taken the matter seriously."With the PFAS firefighting foam now being permanently removed from site, this will not happen again," it said."We are disappointed our onsite standing instructions as to the use of the PFAS firefighting foam were not followed, and have since strengthened the monitoring and our on-site enforcement."Tests showed there were no concentrations of the chemicals in the environment afterwards."We have also undertaken prompt actions to improve the environment in the area, beyond remedying the discharge of the PFAS foam, and have been working on this with our Iwi partners, Patuharakeke.It no longer has an on-site fire-fighting training facility.Firefighter training is proven as one of the leading causes of PFAS pollution worldwide.Human-made per-and-polyfluoroalkyl substances pose a threat at the level of a drop in an Olympic-sized pool, last for centuries at least, and are linked to various cancers and health conditions, though local authorities say the health research remains inconclusive.The EPA said the old, banned firefighting foams can cause serious land and water contamination."That's why there is international agreement on the need to address these 'forever chemicals'."These substances don't break down - they build up and bioaccumulate over time in living organisms, including in terrestrial and marine mammals."PFAS foams - typically containing PFOA or PFOS - are banned from use in training, but can still be used on fires.New Zealand public agencies and companies have breached the rules for years, till a crackdown sparked by belated Defence Force investigations in 2017-19.Further restrictions on PFAS kick in next month: After that, use of firefighting foams (without damming and collecting it) containing PFOA, for example at the scene of a plane or truck crash, will be banned.A complete phase-out is from 2025, when no PFAS firefighting foams will be able to be used at all.

A mortgage advisor says small business owners are particularly nervous about the impact of the increasing mortgage rates, while homeowners face a precarious battle to afford repayments.The Reserve Bank raised the Official Cash Rate today by a record 75 basis points, and warned of a coming recession next year.Squirrel Mortgages founder John Bolton said many people were already fearful of where the mortgage rates would end up, with small business owners particularly worried.Small business owners were having to deal with higher mortgage rates on their own properties while their customers had their discretionary spending cut, he said."Not only do they have mortgages are have to pay more for their mortgages, they're having to deal with inflation running through their businesses at the same time as discretionary spending is getting absolutely hammered through these higher interest rates, which is obviously going to hit their businesses as well."Bolton said most New Zealanders fixed their mortgages for only one or two years, so many would had to refix soon at a higher rate.Mortgage broker Malcolm Knight from Advice Knight told Checkpoint there were strong economic headwinds hitting New Zealand shores a lot faster and harder than some people had been anticipating.People had been contacting him asking advice on refixing their mortgages now rather than later, foregoing the cheaper mortgage rates they had now to fix more expensive rates for certainty going forward, he said."It's a really bitter pill to swallow when you're suddenly on a nice 2.99 percent fixed rate."The bank doesn't mind you're getting out of it, and they'll only charge you say, a $10 admin fee. But then you're thrust straight into a 6 percent rate, which can have a fairly profound impact on your repayments."And if you're looking at a paying an $800,000 mortgage, which is not untypical in an Auckland context, breaking that from 2.99 percent, to say a 6.1 percent rate today, you're looking at $1500 a month extra cost and with with the price of groceries, cost of fuel... an extra $350 a week can be quite hard to find for your average couple."People were avoiding big-ticket items at the supermarket like cheese and steak, he said. With discretionary expenditure contracting rapidly, cafes and restaurants were again likely to suffer.The falling amounts banks were willing to allow customers to borrow is impacting on falling house prices, but that's not making it any easier for those looking to buy a house. Rising interest rates and a cost-of-living crisis were proving prohibitive to borrowers."If I think about a customer a year ago, I may have been able to get them a million dollar loan," Knight said."Today I might be able to give them an $800,000 loan, but what interests me is the whole behaviour and sentiments change - that this million dollar-loan client would have been thinking 'oh, is that enough money, I might need to borrow another $100,000 to really get that house I want."At the moment you're sitting down with them and saying 'we can borrow $800,000, here's what your repayments are going to be and they kind of suck in, going 'oh, I don't know if we can afford those repayments'."Photo: RNZ / DOM THOMASHuman pain for inflationary target gainANZ chief economist Sharon Zollner told Checkpoint the Reserve Bank's basis point raise was a blunt instrument in tackling inflation and that there would be a pain down the line for those with mortgages and others who had taken on debt over the past couple of years.However, she pointed out not everyone had a mortgage and those with savings would be happy with interest rate hikes. Only 2 percent of households were in negative equity so far, she added.The NZRB tool to reduce spending is set to increase the unemployment rate, with basis points reaching 5.5, and a recession expected to hit by the middle of next year.So far the bank had not put enough pressure on households to "slow down spending", so now the public faced an even more brutal stick to encourage them to, Zollner said."I think the Reserve Bank doesn't want anyone to borrow with confidence at the moment, I think that's kind of the idea."They really want to slow the economy down, it's very clear that they feel a real sense of urgency. Even though they're a year into hiking, they have to some extent been running to stand still in so far as the whole economy is hiking, wage growth has been very strong."Households have been remarkably resilient to the pressure that's been put on them so far, including not just interest rate hikes, but the cost of living as well."So while that's good news, and one thing, it's not helpful if you're actually trying to slow spending down."The bank was now forecasting unemployment to reach 5.7 percent instead of 5 percent and Zollner suggested this was a target figure to get inflation down."Clearly raising rates this aggressively and carrying on with it does mean downside risks for the housing market. And and a risk that that could become less orderly than it has been so far.'I mean, I think that is actually quite reasonable to interpret that as the Reserve Bank's current best guess of how high unemployment needs to go to nip this wage-price spiral now looking well underway, to be honest, to nip that in the bud and ensure price stability in the medium term."

Residential property managers will soon need to be registered, trained, and licensed under new rules unveiled this morning.Landlords will now have another year to get their rentals up to healthy home standards - including Kāinga Ora and community housing providers.Housing Minister Megan Woods said Covid-19 supply chain issues had stunted compliance.But a renters' advocacy group said that was not good enough and meant more people would end up in hospital.The National Party has also criticised the move while the Greens have called for a warrant of fitness for homes, saying the government has no idea how many rentals are compliant with the healthy home standards.Under today's announcement the public would also be consulted on new rules on methamphetamine residue levels and how tenancies can be terminated if the property was unsafe."Nearly 600,000 households rent in New Zealand and these measures will result in regulated oversight of residential property managers, science-based rules on meth residue testing and a reprieve for landlords in meeting a compliance deadline," Woods said in a statement."The government aims to ensure every New Zealander has a warm, dry, and safe place to call home, regardless of whether they own or rent. These initiatives build on the important work we've already done in the rental sector which all ultimately serve to improve the lives and outcomes of renting New Zealanders and their whānau."Housing Minister Megan Woods. Photo: RNZ / Samuel RillstoneWoods said complaints about property managers would be dealt with through a new regulatory framework.Given 42 percent of rentals were looked after by property managers, it was important to have regulations in place given the access they have to homes."Sometimes tenants are vulnerable to poor behaviour from residential property managers, especially in a tight rental market. Following our moves to give tenants more protection through the Residential Tenancies Act, we made a manifesto commitment in 2020 to regulate residential property managers.""This means that like many other professions such as real estate agents, builders and lawyers, they will have conduct and competency standards to abide by and if they don't, they can be held to account."Woods said Cabinet had agreed that the Real Estate Authority would be the regulator. The Real Estate Agents Disciplinary Tribunal would have a role expanded to include property management-related issues.Renters United spokesperson Geordie Rogers told Midday Report the extension meant more renters would end up in hospital with "totally preventable" illnesses."It means more children with rheumatic fever, it means more people becoming susceptible to illnesses like asthma. Generally, it means things are going to be worse for renters by pushing out this deadline."Rogers said a study done by Otago University found tens of thousands of hospitalisations could be prevented every year through appropriate healthy homes legislation - one that went further than the current legislation.Woods saying Covid-19 was the reason for the extension was not a good enough excuse, Rogers said.The standards came out in 2019 and every landlord had the opportunity to improve their home straight away or wait, he said.Those that chose to wait "chose to keep their renters in damp, cold housing", chose to "prioritise profit" and would have soon been facing consequences."At least they were because the government has now decided they need an extension, not enforcement."Government hypocritical, National saysNational Party housing spokesperson Chris Bishop criticised the move as hypocritical."The vast majority of private sector landlords have done the right thing - they've complied with the rules. Now it turns out the government can't actually comply with their own rules so they've given themselves a leave pass and pushed that deadline back."So it's one rule for the government and another rule for private sector landlords and I think it will be regarded as a real slap in the face by the private sector."Chloe Swarbrick Photo: RNZ / Samuel RillstoneThe Green Party said a warrant of fitness for houses could stop tenants from getting sick.MP Chloe Swarbrick said some renters were too scared to take their landlords to the Tenancy Tribunal, even when their homes were clearly unhealthy.A warrant of fitness would help the government enforce healthy home standards and it had no idea at present how many rentals complied, she said.Swarbrick said under the current system, renters were forced to advocate for themselves.With regard to new meth testing rules, Woods said the public would be consulted on what an acceptable level of meth residue was, at what levels homes needed to be decontaminated, and when tenancies can be ended due to high levels."Currently there are two levels used - neither of which are legally binding - which create uncertainty for landlords and tenants," Woods said."We have proposals that are informed by science, on screening, testing, and decontamination, with clear obligations for landlords."Woods said the government recognised Covid-19 had caused global supply issues, meaning some private landlords hadn't managed to get their homes up to the healthy homes standard."It makes sense to be pragmatic as most landlords are genuinely trying to comply with their obligations but are at risk of breaching them because of issues outside of their control.""The change means private landlords have one more year to comply, so all private rentals must comply by 1 July 2025, instead of 1 July 2024."For Kāinga Ora and community housing providers, the timeframe for compliance shifts from 1 July 2023 to a new date of 1 July 2024."

SH1 WARKWORTH-WELLSFORD - OVERNIGHT CLOSURES - NOV/DECState Highway 1 between Warkworth and Wellsford will be closed to all traffic for 10 nights while further resurfacing is undertaken in the Dome Valley area and NX2 Northern Connection work continues (SH1 closed between Hudson Rd and Wayby Valley Rd). Closures will be in place from 8pm to 5am each night for an initial 5 nights, Sun 27 November – Thu 01 December, then followed by 5 further nights, Sun 04 December – Thu 08 December, with no closures occurring on Friday or Saturday nights. During closures a detour will be in place using Woodcocks Rd, West Coast Rd, and SH16 (Kaipara Coast Hwy and Port Albert Rd) between Warkworth and Wellsford. Please plan ahead as this detour may add up to 40 minutes travel time to your journey. In addition NX2 work at the Southern Connection in the Puhoi area will require closures on the Northern Mwy (northbound between Silverdale and Puhoi, southbound between Puhoi and Orewa) on all of the same 10 nights above, between 10pm and 5am each night. Travel between Silverdale and Warkworth will be possible with a local detour via Hibiscus Coast Hwy and SH1 between Puhoi and Warkworth.Through traffic (especially heavy vehicles) should use SH16 entirely between Auckland Central and Wellsford, or exit the Northern Mwy at Silverdale and use Kahikatea Flats Rd to SH16 to continue north. Traffic Map info: http://spr.ly/6180MNkBCFull Warkworth-Wellsford resurfacing media release here: http://spr.ly/6181MNkBhFull NX2 Project media release here: http://spr.ly/6182MNk86

Weather Warning for Auckland and Warkworth regionSevere Thunderstorm WatchPeriod: 8hrs from 2pm - 10pm Tue, 22 NovArea: Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Taupo, Taranaki, Taihape, WanganuiForecast: An active band of thunderstorms is expected to move eastwards across the North Island this afternoon and evening. Some of these thunderstorms may be SEVERE producing damaging wind gusts in excess of 110 km/h and a few small tornadoes, and in addition for regions from Waikato and Bay of Plenty southwards localised downpours of 25 to 40 mm/hr are possible. These squally winds and possible small tornadoes may cause some structural damage, including damage to trees and power lines, and make driving hazardous. If any tornadoes occur, they will only affect very localised areas. 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.Strong Wind WatchPeriod: 13hrs from 5pm Tue, 22 Nov - 6am Wed, 23 NovArea: Auckland, Great Barrier Island and Coromandel PeninsulaForecast: Northerly winds changing westerly around midnight. Winds may approach severe gale in exposed places.Weather Warning for NorthlandHeavy Rain WatchPeriod: 17hrs from 9am Tue, 22 Nov - 2am Wed, 23 NovArea: Northland, especially in the north and eastForecast: Periods of heavy rain and thunderstorms, with downpours possible. Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria.Severe Thunderstorm WatchPeriod: 8hrs from 2pm - 10pm Tue, 22 NovArea: Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Taupo, Taranaki, Taihape, WanganuiForecast: An active band of thunderstorms is expected to move eastwards across the North Island this afternoon and evening. Some of these thunderstorms may be SEVERE producing damaging wind gusts in excess of 110 km/h and a few small tornadoes, and in addition for regions from Waikato and Bay of Plenty southwards localised downpours of 25 to 40 mm/hr are possible. These squally winds and possible small tornadoes may cause some structural damage, including damage to trees and power lines, and make driving hazardous. If any tornadoes occur, they will only affect very localised areas. 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.Strong Wind WatchPeriod: 11hrs from 3pm Tue, 22 Nov - 2am Wed, 23 NovArea: NorthlandForecast: Northerly winds may approach severe gale in exposed places.