Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the entrenchment clause in the government's Three Waters legislation was a mistake which the government is fixing.The government has made a U-turn on the entrenchment rule which would have required 60 percent of votes in the House to overturn the legislation.Last week, Ardern described the amendment to the bill as "quirky".Yesterday, leader of the House Chris Hipkins announced it would remove the clause saying it was "not typical", and was not something the government was comfortable with doing.Ardern told Morning Report the entrenchment provision was very narrow and only applied to the act of selling water assets.The principle was supported by both the Green Party, which put the provision forward, and by Labour, she said.The issue was the level of entrenchment put forward, she said."Entrenchment is commonly understood to be a super majority or 75 percent, here we had a novel approach which came before the House at 60, so you had a principle at issue here," she said.Asked whether she was aware the entrenchment clause would go to the House at 60 percent, Ardern said caucus discussions were not shared but entrenchment was commonly understood to be 75 percent."The important thing is it was a mistake, we're fixing it."Even though Labour supported ensuring that water assets were not privatised, the way this had been done by using the entrenchment clause had wider ramifications, she said.Ardern refused to point the finger at Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta over the issue, repeating that the entrenchment clause was a mistake."We are taking this as a team"," she said."There's actually in my view not a role for any one individual in this issue, this was a mistake, we as a team are fixing it, which will take probably about an hour of our time in Parliament."Ardern said she had confidence in Mahuta's handling of Three Waters. It had been a hard issue but the government could not ignore what it had been told about the poor state of the country's water infrastructure, she said.Ardern said the entrenchment clause pointed to a wider issue that Parliament needed to address."The fact that you can put in an entrenchment provision with a lower threshold of this nature and there aren't limitations on where it can apply, this has been a relatively untested area."A range of politicians now believed some "guard rails" needed to be put around entrenchment provisions, Ardern said.This needed to come before all parties via the Standing Orders Committee to make sure there were checks to prevent such things happening in the future, she said.Meanwhile, National Party leader Christopher Luxon agreed the clause should be removed, but said the prime minister needed to front on how it was allowed to happen in the first place.Greens to keep pushing to protect public ownership of waterThe Green Party is disappointed the government is now rejecting the decision to entrench an anti-privatisation clause.Its local government spokesperson, Eugenie Sage, said the party called on National and Labour a year ago to back its plans to strengthen protections against privatisation of water."We flagged in our report from the select committee that we supported 60 percent entrenchment and we didn't agree with officials' advice."The Greens put forward the amendment to be voted on, she said."We were using the parliamentary process and standing orders specifically provides that if you have an entrenchment provision, it's got to be voted on by the same majority that is in that clause - so we followed the whole parliamentary process, we flagged it in the select committee report."Sage said the bill was complex and Parliament was in urgency, which they opposed given it provided less opportunity to debate in the committee stages.

Warkworth RegionMonday 5th December - Cloudy periods. Patches of light drizzle this morning. Southwesterlies.Tuesday 6th December - Partly cloudy with the odd shower. Light winds.Wednesday 7th - Occasional rain, becoming persistent in the morning with heavy falls. Easterlies, becoming fresh in the morning.Thursday 8th - Rain with heavy falls, easing to isolated showers later. Fresh southeasterlies, easing.Friday 9th - Cloudy, with occasional rain developing later. Northerlies, becoming fresh.Mangawhai RegionMonday 5th December - Fine, then partly cloudy from afternoon. Light winds.Tuesday 6th December - Cloudy periods and the odd shower. Northeasterlies.Wednesday 7th - Rain. Easterlies.Thursday 8th - Rain turning to showers. Southeasterlies.Friday 9th - Partly cloudy, with rain developing. Northerlies.

More than 200 people from the Chinese community gathered for a vigil at Auckland's Aotea Square last night to mourn the lives lost under China's stringent Covid-19 lockdowns and to call for an end to the country's Zero Covid policy.The unprecedented display of defiance, by a crowd mainly made up of Chinese Kiwis from the mainland, comes after a building fire in Western China last week that killed 10 people.The Urumqi fire has sparked nationwide protests across China and among overseas Chinese, with vigils and protests building up in major cities including New York, Melbourne, Sydney, Hong Kong and Tokyo.More than a hundred people at the event held up blank pieces of A4 as a symbol of defiance against China's censorship of dissent, and chanted in Mandarin: "We don't want leaders, we want votes, we don't want dictatorship, we want citizens"."Without freedom, I'd rather die."Xi Jin Ping, step down, CCP step down."A similar vigil for the Urumqi fire victims was also held in Wellington last night.In an emotional speech, one of the organisers of the Auckland vigil said despite having no previous experience participating in social movements, she had decided to step up after seeing the recent tragedies of Chinese people suffering under the lockdowns."There were a series of suicides in Hohhot where I come from, I felt at that time that I can no longer say everything is fine - we can say that for New Zealand, but my family and friends are in China, so I can no longer be silent," she said.Members of the Uyghur Muslim community from Xinjiang - where the Urumqi fire happened - also attended, showing solidarity and protesting against human rights violations against Uyghurs.Protesters in Aotea Square. Photo: RNZ / Lucy XiaThe protesters also called for the release of protesters arrested in China.The organiser paid tribute to a list of Chinese citizens who had stood up against authority during the pandemic, including jailed citizen journalist Zhang Zhan and the lone protester on Beijing's Sitong bridge who displayed banners calling for people to strike and for the removal of Xi Jinping.Like her, many at the gathering were first-time protesters emboldened by the recent protests in China.Another protester said he was also inspired by the man on Sitong bridge."He gave us a lot of courage. He was a person at the bottom of society, who did what he knew was forbidden, he sacrificed himself to awaken the Chinese people's desire for a democratic society," he said."I feel like he's planted a fire in all our hearts, he's like the prometheus of our times."An international student who had just graduated from high school said she wanted to contribute to ending China's lockdowns."If the protests could work and make all the cities stop the lockdown, I was so happy to come to come here today, hear everyone share their stories and using the A4 paper to show our anger"Another said he hoped the protests in China and abroad instilled a sense of what it meant to be a responsible citizen for Chinese people."If people want to live with dignity in a fair society, there needs to be a civil society," he said.Meanwhile, some at the gathering chose a softer way of showing solidarity with the victims of the Urumqi fire.Some at the gathering chose a softer way of showing solidarity with the victims of the Urumqi fire. Photo: RNZ / Lucy XiaChrysanthemums were laid and candles were lit, and a school aged child accompanied by his parents played "Do you hear the people sing" on his flute.One attendee told RNZ he was glad that the people who gathered could find something in common regardless of where they were on the political spectrum."Some people want to see a revolution in China, others just want something small like for their residential area to come out of lockdown earlier, so that people can freely buy groceries."But people can easily find a common denominator, and that's hoping things will move forward a little bit, and let friends and family living in China be safer and freer"At least two major cities in China - Guangzhou and Chongqing - have eased Covid-19 restrictions following a clash between protesters and police in Guangzhou this week.The writing reads: 'I am the person who died in the bus that flipped, I am the sick person denied treatment, I am the person who walked a hundred miles, I am the person who jumped from a building out of desperation, I am the person trapped in the building fire, if these people are not me, then the next victim will be me.' Photo: RNZ / Lucy Xia

Auckland Zoo is thrilled to be welcoming visitors to their groundbreaking new South East Asia Jungle Track. Five years in the making, this incredible project has transformed one-fifth of the Zoo’s generous grounds to create several interconnecting animal habitats.There’s a high canopy where the orangutans and siamangs feel right at home, a lowlands habitat for Sumatran tigers and Asian small-clawed otters, and an Indonesian swamp forest for Sunda gharial crocodiles and a rich diversity of South East Asian fish species – there’s even a lake.This immersive attraction is a world first, providing visitors with a deeper sense of connection with nature and insight into the wildlife of one of the most diverse and threatened places on Earth.But how exactly do animals from other countries make their way to Aotearoa? To learn about the challenges of bringing wild creatures halfway across the world, we spoke to some of Auckland Zoo’s most experienced keepers.Crocs on a planeIn October this year, a pair of Sunda gharial crocodiles moved into the Zoo’s new swamp forest habitat – a journey that started in late August when ectotherm keeper Julie Underwood went to Krokodille Zoo in Denmark.“I went to meet 12-year-old sisters Malu (Indonesian for ‘shy’) and Sumpit (Indonesian for ‘chopsticks’), who are both over 3m long and weigh 70-85kg,” she says. “Then I oversaw them being caught up and placed in their high-spec crates.”Julie explains that because crocodiles breathe air and are very energy efficient unless actively hunting, they don’t need to be transported in water, which makes moving them more straightforward than transporting primates or mammals.“The crocodiles were perfectly comfortable inside their padded crates, which were designed so they don’t turn and get stuck or damage themselves. It’s also crucial that they don’t turn in transit, because we need to know which end is the head and which is the tail when we open the crates.”Another reason transporting ectotherms is relatively simple is that they can go long periods without food. “This meant we could stop feeding them 10 days ahead of their flight, to avoid them regurgitating and possibly choking, although they were well hydrated before they set off.”When the crocodile duo arrived on 7 September, they were quarantined for a month in the swamp forest’s climate-controlled back-of-house pool. Now happily ensconced in their new home, Julie says the sisters are settling in well.“It’s fantastic to now see visitors enjoying experiencing them, both underwater and on the banks of this stunning new river habitat we’ve created, which is unlike any zoo crocodile habitat in the world,” adds Richard Gibson, head of animal care and conservationTiger takeoverMoving big cats also takes a lot of planning, and the first Sumatran tiger to move into the Zoo’s new lowlands habitat was 14-year-old Sali from Hamilton Zoo in April 2022.In November 2022, the Zoo also welcomed two young Sumatran tigers from zoos in the United States. Five-year-old male Ramah from Oklahoma City Zoo and four-year-old female Zayana from Topeka Zoo & Conservation Center in Kansas arrived at the start of the month, and are now settling into the South East Asia Jungle Track lowlands habitat.“As keepers we’re absolutely fizzing to have Sumatran tigers back at Auckland Zoo after a more than three-year absence,” says carnivore keeper Nick Parashchak, who spent time at Hamilton Zoo ahead of Sali’s move. “They’re an extraordinary species and will be fantastic advocates for their critically endangered cousins in the wild.”Carnivore team leader Lauren Booth describes the tigers’ new home as an incredibly dynamic and enriching space for these primarily solitary big cats.“A real highlight as they settle in will be seeing how they explore and use the three different spaces within our amazing new tiger habitat."They’ve got such a diversity of terrains and habitat features – with the ability to be up high on the bridges and high ridges, cool off in the pool and waterfall and beach areas, or rest and shelter in outdoor dens or in the shade of bamboo stands.”“This habitat’s design, which provides us keepers with such great flexibility in the way we can care for and manage these cats, enables Ramah and Zayana to be able to patrol the different areas of their territory – just as these solitary cats would do in the wild. They’ll come across each other’s smells and scents, scat (faeces) and footprints, as well as tiger Sali’s.“When up high, as well as being above visitors, they’ll also have the enriching experience of spotting other wildlife – like the otters in their adjoining lowlands habitat, and the orangutans and siamangs when they’re up on their aerial pathways over the lake,” explains Lauren.

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 9 December 2022.Unless otherwise stated, closures start at 9pm and finish at 5am.NORTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)Northbound lanes between Silverdale off-ramp and Waiwera on-ramp, 4-8 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Orewa northbound on-ramp, 4-8 DecemberSilverdale northbound on-ramp, 4-8 DecemberSouthbound lanes between Waiwera Off-Ramp and Silverdale on-ramp, 4-8 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Orewa southbound on-ramp, 4-8 DecemberMillwater southbound on-ramp, 4-8 DecemberNorthbound lanes between Greville Road off-ramp and Oteha Valley Road on-ramp, 4-8 December (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)Greville Road northbound on-ramp, 4-8 DecemberSouthbound lanes between Oteha Valley Road off-ramp and Greville Road on-ramp, 4-8 DecemberOteha Valley Road southbound on-ramp, 4-8 DecemberUpper Harbour Highway southbound off-ramp, 4-8 DecemberUpper Harbour Highway northbound on-ramp, 4-5 DecemberUpper Harbour Highway southbound on-ramp, 7-8 DecemberSOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)South Eastern Highway (SEART) southbound off-ramp, 5 DecemberMt Wellington Highway southbound on-ramp, 6-7 DecemberPrinces Street southbound on-ramp, 5 DecemberTe Irirangi Drive northbound on-ramp, 6 DecemberNorthbound lanes between Ramarama off-ramp and Drury/SH22 on-ramp, 4-8 DecemberRamarama northbound on-ramp, 4-8 DecemberPokeno southbound off-ramp, 7 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Pokeno southbound on-ramp, 7 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Pioneer Road southbound off-ramp, 7 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Northbound lanes between Mercer off-ramp and Mercer on-ramp, 5-7 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Southbound lanes between Mercer off-ramp and Mercer on-ramp, 5-7 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)Mercer northbound on-ramp, 8 DecemberNorthbound lanes between Hampton Downs off-ramp and Hampton Downs on-ramp, 4 DecemberSouthbound lanes between Hampton Downs off-ramp and Hampton Downs on-ramp, 4 DecemberHampton Downs southbound off-ramp, 4-8 December (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)Hampton Downs southbound off-ramp, 2 & 9 DecemberHampton Downs southbound on-ramp, 5-8 December (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)Hampton Downs southbound on-ramp, 2 & 9 December Te Kauwhata northbound off-ramp, 5 December (approx. 12 midnight to 05:00am)NORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)Te Atatu northbound off-ramp, 4-8 DecemberPatiki Road southbound off-ramp, 4-8 DecemberRosebank Road southbound on-ramp, 4-5 DecemberSt Lukes Road westbound on-ramp, 7 DecemberUPPER HARBOUR MOTORWAY (SH18)Albany Highway eastbound on-ramp, 6-7 December

Auckland Transport (AT) is responsible for all of the region’s transport services (excluding state highways) – from roads and footpaths, to cycling, parking and public transport. Auckland Transport (AT) will be undertaking road resurfacing and maintenance patches along Mansell Dr, Warkworth as shown on the map over page. This work is necessary to maintain the quality of the road. Resident access will be restricted between 7pm and 6am to lay new asphalt along the carriageway. Please plan ahead and limit movements as delays may occur. AT’s contractor, Downer NZ will be undertaking this work. Road resurfacing work involves removing the existing surface layer, applying structural asphalt in some areas, a sealing membrane, a new asphalt surface layer and new line marking to the finished road surface. Please note that the line marking operation takes place at the end of the project subject to dry weather. During work hours large machinery will be operating in the area, please expect an increase in noise, dust and/or vibration. Every effort will be taken to keep construction impacts to a minimum. Dates Work is scheduled to take place on 9 th December 2022 .In the event weather disrupts our schedule work will be moved to the next available shift. We will not work Friday or Saturday nights or public holidays Work hours 7pm to 6amTraffic Management During work hours, the following traffic management will be in place. Please see map over page for shift layout. • Resident access will be restricted between 7pm and 6am to lay new asphalt. • Road closure will be in place between Woodcocks Rd & Falls Rd. Detours will be in place, please follow signage carefully • Expect delays. • Reduced speed limits. Parking restrictions will be in place during work hours. Please follow all posted traffic management signs to travel safely around the worksite.Street Parking One day prior to work starting, cones and no parking signs will be placed on site and remain in place until work is complete. Between 7pm and 7am, parking restrictions will be enforced near the work site to allow for the traffic management set up. Outside of these hours, parking will be available as normal. Driveway Access Access will be maintained; traffic controllers will guide vehicles across the work site as required. Please expect short delays when machinery is working near your driveway.

Friday 2nd DecemberHorizon School Arts FestivalDaddy Long LegsSaturday 3rd DecemberMangawhai Community MarketMangawhai Tavern MarketMatakana Village Farmers MarketPoint Wells famous book saleThe Great Kaiwaka Community Christmas EventBowie Bowie!Sunday 4th DecemberMatakana Country Park MarketOmaha Half MarathonWarkworth Santa ParadeWarkworth Roller Skating ClassSunday Sessions & Leigh Sawmill Cafe

Warkworth RegionFriday 2nd December - Partly cloudy, with isolated showers. Fresh southwesterlies.Saturday 3rd - Fine, some afternoon cloud. Southwesterlies, afternoon sea breezes.Sunday 4th - Partly cloudy. Southwesterlies.Mangawhai RegionFriday 2nd December - Mainly fine. Possible shower this morning. Light winds, afternoon southwesterlies.Saturday 3rd - Partly cloudy. A possible shower. Winds turning southeasterly.Sunday 4th - Partly cloudy. Southwesterlies.

Auckland Transport (AT) is responsible for all of the region’s transport services (excluding state highways) – from roads and footpaths, to cycling, parking and public transport. Auckland Transport (AT) will be undertaking road resurfacing and maintenance patches along Sandspit Road/This work is necessary to maintain the quality of the road. Resident access will be restricted between 7pm and 6am to lay new asphalt along the carriageway. Please plan ahead and limit movements as delays may occur. AT’s contractor, Downer NZ will be undertaking this work. Road resurfacing work involves removing the existing surface layer, applying structural asphalt in some areas, a sealing membrane, a new asphalt surface layer and new line marking to the finished road surface. Please note that the line marking operation takes place at the end of the project subject to dry weather.During work hours large machinery will be operating in the area, please expect an increase in noise, dust and/or vibration. Every effort will be taken to keep construction impacts to a minimum. Work is scheduled to take place on 6 th, 7th & 8th December 2022In the event weather disrupts our schedule work will be moved to the next available shift. We will not work Friday or Saturday nights or public holidays Work hours 7pm to 6am Traffic Management - During work hours, the following traffic management will be in place. Please see map over page for shift layout. • Resident access will be restricted between 7pm and 6am to lay new asphalt. • Detours will be in place, please follow signage carefully • Expect delays • Reduced speed limits. Parking restrictions will be in place during work hours. Please follow all posted traffic management signs to travel safely around the worksite. Street Parking - One day prior to work starting, cones and no parking signs will be placed on site and remain in place until work is complete. Between 7pm and 7am, parking restrictions will be enforced near the work site to allow for the traffic management set upOutside of these hours, parking will be available as normal. Driveway Access - Access will be maintained; traffic controllers will guide vehicles across the work site as required. Please expect short delays when machinery is working near your driveway.

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.