Fire and Emergency New Zealand has revoked the restrictions on lighting outdoor fires in the lower-lying areas of Mid-South Canterbury from 8am on Friday 31 January.
Mid-South Canterbury District Manager Rob Hands says that as fire danger has eased in these areas after recent rainfall, they are now back in an open fire season until further notice.
In a restricted fire season, people need a permit from Fire and Emergency to light an outdoor fire.
In an open season, permits are not needed, but people are asked to take reasonable precautions when lighting fires.
“As well as the rain we’ve now had, the outlook for the next few weeks is cooler and damper, which means there’s less chance of a wildfire starting and spreading through vegetation,” Rob Hands says.
The areas in Mid-South Canterbury which have moved to an open fire season include Cattle Creek, Waihaorunga, Waimate Coastal, Waimate, Timaru Coastal, Albury, Cannington, Clayton, Geraldine Plains, Mt Somers, Ashburton Plains, and Ashburton Coastal.
The Mackenzie Basin and high country – including Rangitata and Rakaia Gorges, and Ashburton Lakes – remain in a restricted fire season, as those areas continue to be affected by hot, dry conditions.
Rob Hands says people should not become careless with fires, just because the season has changed.
“While rain has reduced the fire risk in the low-lying areas, people must take care to prevent unwanted fires getting started,” he says.
“Even if you are in an open season, you should go towww.checkitsalright.nzto see if it’s safe to have an outdoor fire at your location.”
The dynamic new digital platform Buzzly, created to engage youth in civics and developed by Auckland Council just four months ago, has won at the World Summit Awards 2024 for Digital Innovation with Social Impact.
Buzzly was recognised as one of the best digital impact solutions in the Government & Citizen Engagement category. Chosen from more than 400 solutions worldwide, Buzzly wowed judges by demonstrating how innovation can tackle societal challenges and contribute to achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The platform was developed to bridge a gap in civic engagement and policy-making involving young people, particularly Māori and Pasifika. It targets the voice of youth and establishes an inclusive space for rangatahi to share ideas using creative challenges, rewarding participation and ensuring youth insights are heard and valued by decision-makers.
World Summit Awards’ national expert for New Zealand, Frances Valintine is thrilled for Buzzly.
“This recognition is a testament to your vision and determination, and we are so pleased you are representing Aotearoa New Zealand on the global stage,” says Ms Valintine.
“Your hard work and dedication to empowering youth voices is truly inspiring, and we’re confident that you will make a significant impact for youth involvement in important matters.”
Auckland Council’s Governance and Engagement General Manager, Lou-Ann Ballantyne says, “Gaining youth engagement is no easy feat and this achievement so far demonstrates how the Buzzly platform is really able to move and shake things up in this space.”
And General Manager Group Strategy, Transformation and Partnerships, Anna Bray is proud of the team.
“Thanks to funding from council’s The Southern Initiative, Buzzly has come a long way since upgrading from ‘Up South’, a platform initially designed to engage Māori and Pasifika rangatahi of South Auckland. I look forward to seeing what else it can do,” says Ms Bray.
The Buzzly team is now getting ready to take on a major mission – improving youth participation in Auckland’s Elections 2025.
With Auckland’s elections planning well underway, it is hoped Buzzly will be the “cavalry” to ramp up youth participation in this year’s elections. In 2022, of the 1.1 million Aucklanders registered to vote, only 26 per cent of those aged 18-25 voted.
The platform’s first ever elections challenge asks participants to consider, “What’s the council done for me?”, and encourages potential entrants to do their homework by asking, “What do you love about Auckland, and how’s the council involved?” as well as “How could the council make Auckland a city that slays?”
Platform users can respond to the challenge by producing content with a call to action for their peers in whatever medium they choose, and the best outputs are awarded prizes.
The purpose of the challenge is to show rangatahi, who are among Tāmaki Makaurau’s harder-to-reach audiences, how the decisions made by local government impact their daily lives – giving them reason to engage.
The What does Auckland Council do for you? challenge is live 3 February – 9 March 2025 with $200 prizes up for grabs – get all the buzz here.
The good news comes just ahead of World Wetlands Day, which celebrates and raises awareness of the significant role wetlands play for the planet and people. This year’s theme is protecting wetlands for our common future.
Aotearoa has seven Ramsar-listed wetlands, recognised as internationally significant sites, including Whangamarino Wetland in Waikato.
The October fire burned through about 1000 hectares of the peatland, one of the few remaining raised peatlands in the southern hemisphere. It stores a significant amount of carbon in its soils, and is home to rare native plants and threatened species like the matuku-hūrepo/Australasian bittern and pūweto/spotless crake.
DOC Whangamarino Ranger Lizzie Sharp says thanks to relatively high water levels in the peatland before the fire, only a shallow layer of the peat soils was burned.
“The wetland is showing signs of hope. The peatland areas of Whangamarino were healthy before the fire as it wasn’t being actively drained and had good vegetation cover dominated by native plants, so we’re more confident about its recovery.”
“Although this is great news, the fire has still caused significant damage to the vegetation and upper layers of the wetland, resulting in loss of 1000ha of critical habitat for threatened species. The loss of biodiversity caused by the fire will likely take decades to recover.
It’s like the peat bog has lost its skin. It is still vulnerable and losing water more easily than it should. The new conditions are inviting for weeds like willow, royal fern, and pampas.”
Lizzie says the recovery plan will focus on controlling invasive weeds which will give the native peat vegetation time to recover from their seed sources which survived the fire.
“Peat bog wetlands are normally low-nutrient environments and the plants living there have adapted to those conditions. The firefighting effort used water from nearby waterways which had much higher nutrient levels, so we want to understand how the wetland responds to this.”
DOC Principal Science Advisor Freshwater Hugh Robertson says other peatland fires in New Zealand have emitted more than 200 tonnes of carbon per hectare, but the loss of carbon at Whangamarino is likely to be only about 50-80 tonnes per hectare because the wet peat soils did not burn. However, further research is needed to confirm the carbon emissions.
“Peatlands are great carbon stores because the vegetation in them, which holds the carbon, decomposes very slowly, trapping it. It’s like the vegetation freezes in time.
“However, peat soils are highly flammable, particularly when they’re dried out. Re-wetting our wetlands will make them less susceptible to the impacts of fires which in turn will reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Hugh says.
World Wetlands Day, celebrated annually on 2 February, dates back to 1971 when environmentalists gathered in the city of Ramsar, Iran, to reaffirm protection for our world’s wetlands.
The day highlights the influence and positive production wetlands have on the world and brings communities together for the benefit of wetlands. It also raises global awareness of the significant role wetland’s play for the planet and people.
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security.
“This new NDC is the closest thing the Government could do to breaking the Paris Agreement and walking away from our international climate commitments without actually doing it,” says the Green Party Co-Leader and Climate Change spokesperson, Chlöe Swarbrick.
“The expert, independent Climate Change Commission demonstrated how reductions of over 70 per cent are completely achievable, making it completely ridiculous for the Government to suggest that 51 per cent is the best we can do.
“Where’s Christopher Luxon’s much-talked-about ambition and ‘culture of yes’ when it comes to protecting the climate necessary for life as we know it?
“We have the plan, we have the tools, and we have the vision – it’s been laid out for everyone by the Climate Change Commission. All that’s missing is the political willpower.
“This Government loves to compare our ambition to other countries – but only when it suits them. The UK has just set a target of reducing their emissions 81 per cent by 2035. We can do the same, or even better.
“Christopher Luxon has consistently told us all he’s committed to our climate targets and goals. The Paris Agreement requires all signatories to consistently ratchet up ambition. The rhetoric isn’t matching reality.
“That reality of climate change is now impossible to ignore. Every decision this Government makes to keep fossil fuels on life support and delay the transition contributes to the growing frequency and intensity of climate change charged extreme weather, ultimately costing us all the more dearly.
“This ‘culture of yes’ should be about saying ‘yes’ to a thriving future. ‘Yes’ to a liveable planet. ‘Yes’ to the kind of ambition that once upon a time made us world-leaders,” says Chlöe Swarbrick.
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says.
“The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.”
The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 in January, while expected own activity eased four points to +46.
ANZ summarises the business confidence change between months as “easing, but still extremely high”.
“This is another sign that the business outlook is on the right track. I’m pleased to see businesses feel more confident about the economy,” Nicola Willis says.
“I know New Zealanders have been doing it tough. Many have suffered through a high cost of living and sky-high interest rates.
“This survey result, along with NZIER’s this month, shows things are set to get better.
“New Zealanders are impatient for that change, and so am I. That’s why I am focused on driving economic growth to go further and faster.
“We’ve already had positive progress with inflation under control and interest rates finally coming down. The fact that firms expect an increase in their own activity is a sign of future economic growth.
“Economic growth means more and better-paying jobs for Kiwis and creates community wealth, bringing in the revenue we need to pay for the world-class infrastructure, health and education services New Zealanders deserve.
Palestinian politician, MP and activist Khalida Jarrar . . . AFTER being jailed by the Israeli military and released last Sunday as part of the ceasefire deal. Image: www.solidarity.co.nz
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle
Watching footage of Palestinian parliamentarian and hostage Khalida Jarrar emerge from Israeli captivity was jarring — a far, muffled cry from the sense of happiness and relief most of us felt seeing the young female Israeli soldiers released by Hamas around the same time.
What a study in contrast.
Khalida was clearly emaciated, traumatised and had turned, in the same period of time, from a powerful dynamic woman into a fragile, elderly human being who moved with difficulty.
What a difference it makes who holds you captive. It goes without saying I didn’t see this on any mainstream news outlet.
In a previous period of imprisonment — for being a member of the PFLP, a proscribed organisation — the Israelis wouldn’t even allow Khalida Jarrar to attend the funeral of her own daughter.
Instead she sent a message that was read at Suha’s funeral in 2021:
I am in so much pain, my child, only because I miss you. I am in so much pain, my child, only because I miss you.
From the depths of my agony, I reached out and embraced the sky of our homeland through the window of my prison cell in Damon Prison, Haifa. Worry not, my child. I stand tall, and steadfast, despite the shackles and the jailer. I am a mother in sorrow, from yearning to see you one last time.
Suha, my precious.
They have stripped me from bidding you a final goodbye kiss. I bid you farewell with a flower. Your absence is searingly painful, excruciatingly painful. But I remain steadfast and strong, Like the mountains of beloved Palestine.
No mainstream coverage I searched online and found no mainstream outlet had covered Khalida’s release amid the flood of stories about the Israeli hostages. A search to see if Australian or New Zealand MPs had called for the release of their fellow legislator netted zero results.
To them, she is no doubt a non-person. Yet, Khalida Jarrar is a leading political activist and one of dozens of legislators imprisoned by the Israelis. She endured. She remained steadfast.
“The entire system of political imprisonment is based on suppressing Palestinian organising,” said Charlotte Kates, coordinator of Samidoun, the Palestinian Prisoner Support Network.
The four female Israeli “Offence” Force (IDF) soldiers, according to all the many images and reports, were fit, happy and well-fed after their 15 months in Hamas captivity.
The four female IDF soldiers, according to all the many images and reports, were fit, happy and well-fed after their 15 months in Hamas captivity. Images: Al Jazeera/www.solidarity.co.nz
In contrast Palestinian prisoners typically had lost 16kg by the time they were freed. The Israelis with all the food and resources in the world made a policy — an actual policy — of mistreating prisoners, reducing food to a minimum, often beating them, finding perverse ways to humiliate them and on many occasions sexually assaulting men, women, boys and girls who had been dragged into their custody without charge.
Many, an unknown number, died at their hands.
Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, called months ago for legislation to allow the execution of Palestinian prisoners “with a shot in the head” and said he would provide minimal food to them until the law was enacted. I couldn’t find a single Western leader who called for him to be arrested.
Our media has a lot to answer for — for what was done to the thousands of Palestinian hostages because of its starring role in silencing Palestinian voices and hiding from view the realities of the Israeli prison system. Thousands were never charged with any crime — other than being Palestinian.
Entire congregations in mosques, groups of people in refugee centres, were indiscriminately swept up and tossed into Israeli concentration camps.
Were future historians to look back on these times and only have the mainstream media to go by, they would have lots of wonderful photos of the Israeli hostages, know them by name, see family hugs, biographical details, and listen to interviews with friends and relatives. In contrast, the Palestinians would turn towards History and we would see blank faces, erased of personality, all the detail of their stories rubbed out.
That’s why it is imperative to find better sources of news and information, like Middle East Eye, Palestine Chronicle, Electronic Intifada and Pearls & Irritations, that can enrich our understanding of our times and the experience of the victims of Western genocidal violence.
In his excellent article “The Other Hostages”, human rights lawyer Jonathan Kuttab says: “From the Palestinian perspective: there are about 13,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli jails who are just as worthy of our concern and also merit our sympathy, and whose families will rejoice at their long-awaited release.”
Turning a blind eye to Israeli mistreatment of prisoners — and the mainstream media bias in favour of all things Israeli — goes back decades. But let’s look at the months since October 7th.
No fact-checking All the mainstream media and servile politicians raced to report without fact-checking the lies the Israelis and Americans, including President Biden, told about beheaded babies and mass rapes. Few had the decency to walk back the calumnies even after official retractions and international investigations disproved them.
Within a month of October 7, eight BBC journalists wrote to Al Jazeera saying “the corporation is failing to humanise Palestinians . . . investing greater effort in humanising Israeli victims compared with Palestinians, and omitting key historical context in coverage.”
CNN staff told British colleagues last year that their network’s pro-Israel slant amounts to “journalistic malpractice”.
Hats off to Novara Media, one of the larger alternative news and analysis platforms for its exposure of bias. What they found was that Palestinians are “killed” whereas Israelis are “massacred” or “slaughtered”.
Checking over 1000 articles by the UK’s supposedly progressive, left-leaning outlets — The Guardian, The Independent, Daily Mirror – Novara found that “all three publications favoured Israeli lives, narratives and voices.”
Taking a list of emotive words they cross-checked and found that 77 percent were about violence against Israelis and only 23 percent about Palestinians. Well over 95 percent of victims of violence are Palestinians, 100 percent of land thefts are by Israelis. Facts matter.
Journalism ‘used’ for racist war crimes This is journalism being used in the service of racist war crimes, used to normalise the mistreatment of prisoners and other Palestinian untermenschen.
In the case of The Independent, it ran 70 stories on Israeli hostages (who at peak numbered about 250) and just one story on a Palestinian hostage (they number over 10,000).
British journalist Owen Jones deserves a medal for reports like: “BBC in Civil War over Gaza.” The report details the efforts of journalists within the organisation to deliver more balanced coverage but the extent to which those efforts are thwarted by powerful pro-Israel operatives within the corporation who ensure “systematic pro-Israel propaganda at the corporation.”
Palestinian lawmaker Khalida Jarrar (centre) with her daughter Suha. This story appeared in Electronic Intifada. Its author Ali Abunimah was arrested in Switzerland this week to prevent him giving a speech. Image: www.solidarity.co.nz
“This unprecedented slaughter could not have happened without powerful cheerleaders,” Jones said in a recent piece about media co-conspirators with Israel in the genocide. “Hold them to account.”
Damn right. I pray to whatever gods may be that justice will one day be served on all those who by their actions or by their “journalism” allowed these crimes to be committed.
I’ll give the last word to Khalida Jarrar as I wish her a full and speedy recovery:
“All I wanted was to bid my daughter a final farewell – with a kiss on her forehead and to tell her I love her as much as I love Palestine.”
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament.
“Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. Its mana and mauri will forever be protected”, said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.
“For over 150 years, the grief of the Maunga’s confiscation in 1865 has carried through our whānau and iwi.
“This harm was not only an injustice but a deliberate act by the Crown to strip us of our connection, our taonga, and our mana. The impact of this muru raupatu has been felt across generations, and its mamae remain with us today.
“This Bill is a step towards restoring the balance that was lost. It reaffirms the enduring relationship between Ngā Iwi o Taranaki and our whenua, ensuring our culture, sovereignty, and identity are honoured in perpetuity.
“The Crown must now acknowledge the living, ongoing relationship we have with our whenua, with our Maunga. This is not just about the past- it is about the present and the future.
“While we celebrate this significant victory, we must not overlook the continued threats to undermine Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the ongoing attacks on te iwi Māori.
“We will not be passive in the face of these threats. Just as we have fought for the recognition of our Maunga, we will stand firm and defend our rights, our whenua, and our people with unwavering strength and conviction.
“This victory is for our tūpuna who have watched over us, for our whānau who have carried the pain, and for our mokopuna who will continue this legacy and walk in the light of our restored identity. While there is much restoration to happen, our journey of healing begins.
“Kua hoki mai te mouri o tō tātou tūpuna a Taranaki. Hoki mai e Koro, hoki mai rā e”, concluded Ngarewa-Packer.
The Government’s announcement today of a 2035 climate target of a 51-55% emissions reduction has signed New Zealand up for a decade more of planting pine on productive land, Federated Farmers meat and wool chair Toby Williams says.
“In the past, New Zealand has signed up to Paris Agreement targets that are achievable only by either paying billions of dollars for international units or planting large areas of New Zealand in carbon forestry.
“The 2030 target of a 50% reduction in all greenhouse gas emissions in just the next five years is already completely beyond reach.
“Even by 2035, as half of New Zealand’s emissions are from agriculture, a target of 51-55% is still not feasible.
“All the target does is commit us to 10 more years of planting pines, because that’s the only way for our country to achieve such a steep reduction.”
Williams says New Zealand’s options for achieving the climate targets are simple.
“We can’t reduce our emissions to the extent required without trade-offs that would see New Zealand worse off.
“Treasury has estimated that the 2030 target, if we were to meet it, would cost up to $24 billion. The Prime Minister, when interviewed on Q+A with Jack Tame late last year, couldn’t commit to hitting the target, as he said it was very challenging.
“So, our only other options are to send billions of dollars overseas to buy offshore credits, or plant pine trees, destroying our iconic and world-famous landscapes.”
Last year, the Climate Commission suggested keeping an all-gases target and at least a 50% reduction, which would mean another 850,000 hectares of land converted to forestry.
“To paint a clear picture: that’s an area five times the size of our country’s treasured Molesworth Station,” Williams says.
“That would be devastating, forever changing the face of New Zealand.
“There is a very real risk that we could become the great pine plantation of the South Pacific – hardly something to be proud of.”
Williams says the Government needs to be setting climate targets that are realistic and achievable.
“Mr Luxon is right now facing an unachievable target for 2030 left to him by the previous Government.
“Signing up to an even more ambitious target for 2035 has simply created the same headache for a future Prime Minister.”
Parliament agreed in 2019 to set ‘split-gas’ targets for greenhouse gas reductions domestically. This means short-lived methane is treated differently to long-lived carbon dioxide.
Taking this split-gas approach to our international targets would see New Zealand in a position to set more achievable targets.
“Federated Farmers wrote to Climate Change Minister Simon Watts in October last year asking for a meeting to discuss a split-gas approach to an emissions target, but we didn’t get a reply,” Williams says.
“That’s extremely disappointing. It seems he doesn’t even want to hear our concerns for rural New Zealand, let alone understand them. It’s wilful blindness.
“We really need the Government to start setting achievable targets that don’t require huge levels of forestry, and we need the Government to use the most up-to-date science on the warming impact of methane.”
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.
New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035.
“We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious and achievable, reinforcing our commitment to the Paris Agreement and global climate action,” Mr Watts says.
“Meeting this target will mean we are doing our fair share towards reducing the impact of climate change, while enabling New Zealand to be stronger and thrive in the face of a changing climate.
“This target also brings our international and domestic climate change commitments into line, so we can focus our efforts on the actions that will make the biggest difference towards reaching our net zero 2050 target.” “We are already laying the foundation for meaningful emissions reductions, with the potential to meet our net zero target as early as 2044. Our climate strategy focuses on strengthening New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme, supporting innovative technologies to reduce agricultural emissions, and accelerating the transition to a cleaner, electrified economy – ensuring we meet our climate targets while driving economic growth.”
“This will mean greater innovation originating here in New Zealand to advance low-emission technologies that grow our economy. It will also mean industries are powered by abundant and affordable clean energy, attracting investment and boosting productivity across the country.”
The Paris Agreement is the global climate treaty which seeks to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Under the Agreement, each country sets targets for reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, known as Nationally Determined Contributions.
“New Zealand is committed to achieving its first and second Nationally Determined Contributions and is serious about playing our part to reduce the impact of climate change,” Mr Watts says.
Police are continuing the search for 24-year-old Travis, who has been missing since 17 January.
Travis travelled from Wellington to the Waikato region, where his vehicle was located burnt out on a Tolley Road farm in Ngaroma on 18 January.
Police coordinated a search of the area where his vehicle was located, utilising SAR staff. Private searches have also been carried out by family and friends.
Some personal items belonging to Travis were found during the search of the area, but there has been no sightings of Travis since 17 January.
Police would like to hear from anyone who has seen or heard from Travis since 17 January. We are also asking anyone in the wider Ngaroma area to check farm buildings, huts and any CCTV footage.
If anyone has any information that could help our enquiries, please update us online now or call 105.
The Auckland Council is planning a considerable hike in development contributions, which are the monetary fees residential property developers pay to fund local infrastructure projects. These contributions, currently calculated over a 10-year timeframe, are proposed to be spread over 30 years, leading to significant cost increases for developers.
The average development contribution in Auckland is projected to increase from $21,000 per lot to around $50,000 per lot. In some areas, such as Tamaki, the rise is even steeper, jumping from $31,157 to $119,000 per lot. The Inner Northwest region is set to see contributions soar from $25,167 to between $89,000 and $101,000 per lot.
Troy Patchett, Director of Auckland residential development company Subdivide Simplified, expressed concern over these proposed changes. “This increase could halt housing developments. Many developers may struggle to pass these costs on to consumers, making some projects unfeasible. This could further restrict future development and worsen the housing shortage in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest and fastest-growing city,” Patchett stated.
Patchett also warned that the increased contributions could lead to fewer housing developments and place upward pressure on the value of existing properties.
He strongly advises developers to submit their council applications as soon as possible. “If you can get your applications in before March, you should only need to pay the current development contributions and avoid this increase. Don’t delay starting your development projects,” he urged.
The calculation of development contributions takes place when development applications are lodged, with this window expected to close around April.
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.
“This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi of Taranaki, and the longstanding association Ngā Iwi o Taranaki have with their ancestral mountains.
“Arrangements include the National Park being renamed Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki, and the highest peak having its name changed to Taranaki Maunga.
“They also include the recognition of a legal person, repealing the Mount Egmont Vesting Act 1978, the vesting of the National Park land in Te Kāhui Tupua, recognition of a set of values to guide decision-making within the national park, and the establishment of a statutory body to act as the human face and voice of the legal personality.
“A firm condition for the Crown, is that all New Zealanders will be able to continue to visit and enjoy this most magnificent place for generations to come. It has been agreed that access to the mountain will not change.
“The Crown formally and publicly recognises the hardship and heartache it has caused whānau and hapū, and recognises the resilience of Ngā Iwi o Taranaki in the face of such adversity.
“We must acknowledge the hurt that has been caused by past wrongs, so we can look to the future to support iwi to realise their own aspirations and opportunities.
“I want to acknowledge the hard work of the iwi and Crown negotiators to reach this momentous day. It has been a long journey, since Ngā Iwi o Taranaki signed the Terms of Negotiation in 2016.”
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) spokesperson advises chipsealing work will take place on State Highway 1 Kamo Bypass overnight on Sunday 2 February, with temporary traffic management remaining in place until contractors return to sweep and line mark overnight on Monday 3 February.
This work had been scheduled to happen earlier this month, following resurfacing works, but was delayed due to poor weather.
Between 8pm Sunday night and 5am Monday morning, the road will operate under stop/go with a 30km/h temporary speed limit in place. Between 5am and 8pm on Monday, the road will operate with a lane shift and 50km/h temporary speed limit in place to help bed in the new seal.
It’s important to slow down through newly sealed sections of road because small chips can be flicked up from the road surface and damage vehicles – especially windscreens. That’s why we often keep temporary speed limits in place even after it looks like the work has been completed. As well as safety, the temporary speed limit also helps ensure the quality of the reseal. Travelling at the posted temporary speed limit allows for the chips to be embedded into the road surface and for them to remain in place as the seal cures.
Contractors will then return to undertake sweeping and line marking between 8pm Monday night and 5am Tuesday morning under stop/go and a 30km/h temporary speed limit.
Chipsealing helps ensure a smooth, skid-resistant surface, free of potholes and slippery sections to reduce the risk of crashes and help keep everyone traveling on our roads safe.
Travel delays during these works are expected to be between 5-10 minutes.
We appreciate there may be more traffic on the roads on Monday morning as people travel to work and some schools returning for the year, and ask that people plan ahead and expect delays.
Please be patient and treat our crews with kindness and respect. Reduce your speed, adhere to the temporary speed limits and follow the traffic management directions at our work sites.
Work is weather dependent and there may be changes to the planned works in the case of unsuitable weather. Please visit the NZTA Journey Planner website (journeys.nzta.govt.nz) for up-to-date information on these works, including any changes due to weather.
This work is part of Northland’s significant summer maintenance programme, which will see approximately 203 lane kilometres of state highway renewed across the region by the end of May.
Attribute to Acting Detective Sergeant Steve Leonard
Police have arrested one person and seized firearms, drugs and cash from the central Hawke’s Bay property of an Outlaws gang member.
Three firearms, methamphetamine and cash were seized after Police executed a warrant at the address, this included a fully loaded Beretta pistol that was found in a bag alongside a quantity of methamphetamine.
A 46-year-old man appeared in the Hastings District Court today and has been remanded in custody until his next appearance.
Police will continue to work to disrupt organised crime and ensure the profits of such activity does not land in the hands of those at the forefront of the offending.
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily.
“In August last year, Karen Chhour was calling frontline service providers “disgruntled” and accusing them of using Oranga Tamariki as a “cash cow,” Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime said.
“I hope that she has taken the summer break to reflect on those comments. Frontline service providers have some of the hardest jobs, and they deserve certainty, not name-calling.
“Many vulnerable children and whānau have relationships with these providers and they do the kind of work that can be incredibly difficult, but can change lives.
“It is a relief to see some contracts have been extended out to the end of the year. While this provides immediate relief, it does not fix the uncertainty that many children and whānau face if providers’ funding is not continued.
“It appears Karen Chhour has woken up to the absolutely vital services that are provided on the frontline. Now she must ensure that support continues beyond the end of the year,” Willow-Jean Prime said.
ACT Leader David Seymour is welcoming a new Horizon Research poll showing strong support for a four-year Parliamentary term. ACT’s coalition commitment includes introducing Seymour’s four-year term Bill in the first half of this term.
“Better law making is the number one thing that New Zealand can change about itself to get more economic growth, better social services, better regulation, and ultimately give the next generation more reason to stay here,” says Seymour.
“The poll shows more Kiwis support the four-year term than oppose it, by 40-30 per cent. Another 30 per cent remain unsure, and the debate has not been opened yet.
“A four-year term gives Kiwis more time to see whether political promises translate into results, so they can vote accordingly. This will lead to more accountability and better law making.
“Crucially, ACT’s proposal to extend the term comes with a balancing step to turn control of Select Committees over to the Opposition. This gives the Opposition more power to scrutinise legislation and grill Ministers and officials.
“ACT’s proposal is a constitutional change, so we won’t do it without the consent of the voters. The legislation we’ve proposed culminates in a public referendum at the end of a full Parliamentary process.
“ACT will continue to make the case for a four-year term. If New Zealanders agree at a referendum, it will vindicate the risk we took in starting a tough conversation. More importantly, we’ll have better laws and a more mature democracy.”
“So far, the inquiry into rural banking has not changed my suspicion that a cabal of woke banks is neglecting rural communities in the name of climate action,” says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron.
“Banks are starving rural New Zealand of capital. Farmers have long complained they’re getting a raw deal on loans compared to their urban cousins. BNZ won’t even lend for people to set up or expand rural petrol stations.
“Banks should be supporting Kiwi farmers. If they are concerned about emissions globally, they should be falling over themselves to lend to the most efficient dairy producers in the world, lest production shift offshore where farming activity creates more emissions.
“The problem is that here we have banks acting in concert to virtue signal with anti-rural lending practices. This is in part thanks to their association with overseas umbrella organisations and the way banks are regulated.
“Through the banks’ parent companies they are part of the UN’s Net Zero Banking Alliance, which was set up to change lending practices for the sake of climate goals. The six largest banks in the United States have all left the Net Zero alliance in the last few months. It’s time for banks in New Zealand to do the same. There’s been a political sea-change and there’s no longer an appetite for corporate virtue-signalling.
“Meanwhile, the Financial Markets Authority imposes emissions reduction reporting on banks. In 2021, ACT was the only party to vote against the legislation that introduced these reporting requirements, warning that they could affect loans to farmers. We continue to support the repeal of these requirements.”
Fire and Emergency New Zealand crews have been working hard to contain a large vegetation fire in mixed scrub and wetland on Tiwai Peninsula in Invercargill today.
The fire has grown to 1,200 hectares across the centre of the peninsula, with an 18 kilometre perimeter, due to higher temperatures and wind speed this afternoon.
There are currently eight trucks in attendance, with ten helicopters in support.
Firefighters will work until 6pm tonight, then two crews will monitor the fire overnight. All crews will return at 7am tomorrow to continue battling the fire.
Incident Controller Hamish Angus says the fire is not an immediate threat to people, homes, the smelter, or the Tiwai Bridge.
“The Tiwai Bridge is closed to all traffic except our crews and the smelter staff, and we’re asking people to keep away from Tiwai Road so we can continue to work safely,” he says.
“We are working closely with mana whenua and the Department of Conservation, to ensure culturally and ecologically sensitive areas still threatened by the fire are prioritised for protection.”
Awarua Rūnaka Manager Gail Thompson says she is deeply saddened at the damage caused in such a short time.
“This peninsula is a precious taonga, with a history going back a long way, which is important to Ngai Tahu,” she says.
She’s happy to see the newly-established Mana Whenua Emergency Facilitator for Murihiku, Angie Hopkinson, at the site to support Fire and Emergency and the Department of Conservation with the response.
Department of Conservation’s Operation Manager for Murihiku, John McCarroll, says Awarua Peninsula has considerable environmental value, and today’s fire is a huge blow.
“Awarua has a significant number of biodiversity values and is used by a lot of wading birds for flocking and feeding, including the endangered Southern New Zealand Dotterel/Pukunui,” he says.
“As well as the loss of wildlife, we’ve also lost assets such as predator-trapping infrastructure.
“We will assess the losses once the fire is under control and we can return there safely. We may never know the full impact on biodiversity, but it is likely significant.”
The nearby Awarua wetland is also a Department of Conservation area of environmental significance, which was devastated in April 2022 when wildfire burnt through 1,330 hectares.
Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
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Growing up on a Twyford orchard and living an outdoor life fostered a love for the environment which led Jordyn Campbell to study Environmental Management at EIT.
This has proved to be a good move with Jordyn, who finished the NZ Diploma in Environmental Management (Level 6) last year, currently doing conservation surveying and monitoring work. She is working for SPS Biota| Biosecurity & Environmental Services, collecting data about the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug and Spongy Moth – both serious pests and risks to NZ fruit and vegetable industries. This project started in October and runs until April 2025.
Jordyn, 20, attended Iona College in Havelock North and won a Year 13 scholarship in 2022 to study at EIT. A Year 13 Scholarship, which is offered annually by EIT, covers one year of tuition fees. The Scholarship supports school leavers across the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti regions to study any one of EIT’s degrees or selected level 5 diploma programmes that lead into a degree by providing one year FREE study.
Jordyn Campbell completed the NZ Diploma in Environmental Management (Level 6) at EIT last year and is looking forward to completing her Bachelor of Applied Science (Biodiversity Management).
Jordyn entered the Environmental Management programme in 2023, completing her level 5 NZ Diploma in Environmental Management, and has loved every moment.
“I live on an orchard, too, so I decided to study more about the environment around me, because I’ve been growing up in a rural area.” She says choosing EIT to study at was an easy decision, especially when she won the Year 13 scholarship.
“It was close to home and easier to study there, especially since I liked the sound of the programme. The scholarship also helped me make the decision.”
Jordyn says that her new job is working on behalf of the Ministry for Primary Industries and involves searching for evasive species of Spongy Moths and Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs in Napier, Hastings and Havelock North.
“We have an app called Field Maps and it has all the locations on it, which are indicated by dots on the map. You complete forms depending on if you get a sample or you’re just doing a trap clearance, and then it will change the colour of the dots on the map. There are 63 traps for the Spongy Moth and six traps for the Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs across Hawke’s Bay.”
This year Jordyn will be completing her final year of study to achieve the Bachelor of Applied Science (Biodiversity Management). As for the future, Jordyn is leaning towards working in biosecurity, but she does not rule out studying further.
She says that wherever she winds up, she will not forget what she has learned from EIT. She has no hesitation in recommending the institute to others.
“I like EIT because you get to know everyone on a very personal level, including the lecturers. You are not just a number to them, you’re an actual person and you get one-on-one help from them.”
Environmental Management Lecturer Dr Glen Robertshaw says: “I think this is a fantastic opportunity for Jordyn, who I know really enjoyed our level 6 Biosecurity course”.
“It is also a real validation of the value of our programme and demonstrates that what we are teaching can lead to employment locally. It’s great to think that one of our students is helping to protect the local horticulture industry from invasive species that could potentially devastate it.”
Fire and Emergency New Zealand received multiple calls to a large vegetation fire burning along the railway line by Wainui South Road, Whakamarama in Western Bay of Plenty at 12.40 today.
Incident Commander Bill Pike says the fire is now contained and six fire trucks from Greerton, Omokoroa, KatiKati and Tauranga are dampening down hotspots. No evacuations were required.
“The fire is in bush and scrub and is approximately 700 metres on either side of the train track,” Bill Pike says.
“There are road closures in the immediate area, but State Highway 2 remains open.
“We ask people to stay away from the area so emergency services can carry out their job safely.”
Bill Pike says Fire and Emergency is working with Kiwirail to establish a cause for the fire.
The PSA urges Children’s Minister Karen Chhour to reverse all the damaging cuts to community service contracts, and to Oranga Tamariki, in the wake of her u-turn today on funding Barnardos.
The backflip follows revelations that Barnardos’ youth telehealth counselling service was at risk of closing in July along with other services supporting vulnerable families. This followed funding cuts by Oranga Tamariki under the Government’s austerity drive.
“This backflip shows how rushed and reckless her original decision was to order Oranga Tamariki to cut contracts for dozens of community service providers across Aotearoa,” said Duane Leo, National Secretary for the Public Service Association for Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“The PSA calls on the Minister to urgently reverse all the cuts – reinstate the contracts that have been axed and restore the funding to existing contacts that were cut – before lasting damage is done to families.
“She must also reverse the cuts to Oranga Tamariki which has seen 419 jobs axed, nearly 10% of the workforce.
“Last year the Minister accused charities of abusing their contracts with Oranga Tamariki, claiming they had become ‘cash cows’ through the contracts – this was offensive, disrespecting the vital work they do.
“The Minister has tried to wash her hands of these cuts, calling them ‘operational matters’ for Oranga Tamariki, but now that the reality is hitting home, the Minister needs to do the right thing.
“She knows New Zealanders are increasingly alarmed by the cuts.
“The Government promised its cuts would not impact frontline services. The Minister’s u-turn over the Barnardos’ contract shows the Government slowly realising it can no longer get away with this spin.”
Federated Farmers is welcoming today’s decision by Kāinga Ora to give wool carpet providers the chance to tender for supply of carpet and underlay in its homes.
A previous request for proposals (RFP) confined bids to synthetic carpets, not even allowing wool to compete.
“This decision is cause for celebration for all strong-wool farmers,” Federated Farmers meat and wool chair Toby Williams says.
“The change of stance by Kāinga Ora has come about because of relentless pressure from the sheep and wool sector, with Federated Farmers and Campaign for Wool leading the charge.
“Kāinga Ora’s previous tender process pulled the rug out from under the nation’s farmers and didn’t even give the sector a chance to put its best foot forward.
“Now it’s up to wool carpet providers to make sure their proposals are competitive, and highlight all the factors that make the natural product superior to synthetics.”
Wool provides better insulation and warmth, it’s moisture wicking, and it’s a natural fire retardant, Williams says.
“It’s also hypoallergenic, and better for those with asthma.”
Kāinga Ora says the new RFP is for supplying floor coverings for 2,650 new homes and 3000 renovations between now and June 2026.
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging.
“This Government slashed school lunch funding and handed the job to a global corporation instead of supporting local suppliers—now kids are stuck with worse meals,” Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said.
“Their choice to prioritise cuts over proper nutrition for our kids is a disgrace.”
Parents and teachers have been sharing stories of inferior meals that kids could not eat, meals arriving hours after they were needed, and mislabelled packaging.
A Cabinet Paper in March 2024 informed the Government that changes to the school lunch programme would risk achievement, attendance, nutrition, and wellbeing of children, as well as having wider impacts on reducing child poverty. They made these changes anyway.
“Sadly, this was entirely predictable. Instead of investing in children’s nutrition and supporting local food suppliers, this government chose cost-cutting ahead of quality,” Jan Tinetti said.
“Proper nutrition is essential for kids to focus and learn. Rather than showing leadership and prioritising our kids’ wellbeing, Christopher Luxon followed David Seymour’s reckless advice and chose cuts over quality. As an educator, I have heard similar horror stories from my former colleagues, and I am deeply concerned that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
“Children should not have to suffer because of the Government’s poor choices,” Jan Tinetti said.
Welcoming the delivery from tonight of increased speed limits – an ACT coalition commitment – ACT Leader David Seymour says:
“Sensible speed limits are a triumph for common sense and democracy. Instead of being dictated to by a faceless bureaucratic minority, the people are in charge again.
“People often asked me where blanket speed limit reductions came from. Who asked for this, whose idea was it, why don’t my views count? The previous Government’s traffic engineering was thinly disguised social engineering that just made people mad.
“The government’s job is to make life easier, if a road is safe to drive 100, 110, or 120 km/h, people should be allowed to drive that fast. It sounds simple, and it is, but the last Government’s ideological anti-car project made life harder than it needed to be.
“The last government had an anti-car, anti-speed ideology. They didn’t care if they made life less convenient for the vast majority who drive to get around, in fact they seemed to relish slowing people down.
“Driving is important for New Zealanders. It liberates us from our homes and opens up the country for ordinary people to explore and do business. If we want productivity, we should be able to use roads we’ve paid for to their maximum safe capacity.”
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) advises State Highway 15 is expected to reopen between Maungatapere and Otaika around 2pm this afternoon.
The road has been closed since yesterday morning (Wednesday 29 January) to allow NZ Police to investigate following the unexplained death of a motorcyclist.
NZTA thanks everyone for their patience during the closure.
We seek applications now, from experienced and adventurous artists for our 2025 park based artist’s residency. The selected artist will live by the sea, in Barr Cottage, Little Huia – an ideal base for exploring the surrounding Waitākere parkland.
The artist in residence will create site-specific art about a habitat, creature, character or feature of the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park. The artist’s residency work will be shared with our park visitors in some way – usually through a performance, event, workshop, exhibition, recording, publication or on-park storyboard.
Artists living within parks 24/7, witness things our visitors often miss. For eight weeks they delve into the nature of a place and get a sense of sites or species of significance. Embedded within a park, they serve as our ears and eyes and draw on what they see and hear to create art which reflects these immersive experiences.
This regional park residency offers a two month stay on the shores of the Manukau Harbour from November-December 2005 and is open to innovative, experienced and professional artists. We welcome proposals from writers, filmmakers, composers, choreographers, sculptors, painters, printmakers and other creatives.
View towards Manakau heads.
Applications close 21 February 2025. More information and documents to guide your application are available here.
Moon and sun prints
Kate van der Drift our 2024 artist enabled us to see ‘her park’, Waitawa, in a new light – with her suite of photos taken by the light of the moon. Some of Kate’s ethereal moonlit photos now grace the gritty façade of Magazine 4 (an old industrial explosives warehouse) at Waitawa Regional Park.
Kate van der Drift our 2024 artist in Residence.
Another tranche of Kate’s residency work, camera-less prints of plants, which harnessed the sun and water as ‘developers’ will be exhibited as part of the Festival of Photography in May 2025. One of Kate’s plant-based prints and interpretation of her experimental process to make it, will stay permanently where it was created – at the bach at Waitawa, for future users of the bach to enjoy.
Over three nights, Kate explored the park in this ethereal moonlight, and some of these photographs are presented here.
To see the range of projects artists have produced and the benefits to both artist and park visitor please visit here.
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress.
“Open season on renters has begun, as this Government for landlords creates more insecurity and pain for renters,” says the Green Party’s Housing spokesperson Tamatha Paul.
“No-cause evictions mean that renters can be removed from their homes without reason, undermining housing stability and perpetuating insecurity. It’s another cruel step which favours landlords and erodes renters’ rights in Aotearoa. There will be many families who will suffer acutely as a result of the uncertainty this creates.
“No-cause evictions have flow-on impacts for children of families who are plunged into housing instability – it undermines their health and education, and compounds mental health problems linked to inadequate housing and unhealthy homes.
“Landlords will be able to kick out renters on a whim – it may be because of the renter’s disability or even the way they dress – but the landlord doesn’t have to provide a reason, it’s open season.
“Housing is a human right, but this Government is treating it like a business. Housing forms the foundation for our communities to thrive, it is something we can afford to provide to everyone.
“The Government has ignored the overwhelming public opposition to this Bill. A massive 97 per cent of submitters on the no clause termination provision opposed it, including 53 per cent of landlords themselves.
“Everyone deserves a safe and secure place to call home. The Green Party will continue to fight for stronger renters rights, and that includes removing no-cause evictions,” says Tamatha Paul.
In early January, high trapping lines between Dart Valley and the west Matukituki Valley were checked by Matukituki Charitable Trust volunteers and Southern Lakes Sanctuary staff, who found the entrances to all 45 traps blocked off by strategically placed rocks.
Staff have since found all the traps from Shelter Rock hut to Dart hut and down the Rees valley have also been triggered or had rocks placed in front of their doors.
“This means someone has made the effort to disarm more than 150 remote traps in total across two locations,” says DOC Operations manager Whakatipu David Butt.
“At this time of the year this line of traps catches numerous predators, including stoats.
“This is a critical time to have protection for native species through trapping. The people who have done this to the traps will be responsible for an increase in the death of many individuals from our taonga species.”
“We have a team of hardworking DOC rangers, Southern Lakes Sanctuary staff and volunteers who put in a lot of hard graft to ensure our trapping network is effective,” says David.
“It is very concerning someone – or potentially several people – covered challenging terrain and clambered through bush to find these traps and block them off so predators cannot enter. It means we will see an increase in predators.”
DOC’s Takahē Recovery Group is working to establish a new population of the birds on and around Mt Aspiring. There are concerns those birds will be at risk if traps in the area are found to be compromised as well.
Trapping is considered a humane method of removing introduced predators from our National Parks to protect native birds, lizards, and invertebrates.
Nature in New Zealand is unique and special. Most of it is only found here, and evolved without the introduced predators DOC and other conservation organisations strive to control. Once our species are gone from here, they’re gone from everywhere.
If anyone has any information about the traps that have been targeted, we urge them to call call 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid.
“In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says.
“As part of this process, Kāinga Ora specifically excluded woollen carpets from the tender’s scope. While they did so in an effort to be fiscally responsible, unfortunately this meant that suppliers of carpets using New Zealand wool did not have the opportunity to put their best foot forward as a cost-effective option.
“Although flooring choices for Kāinga Ora properties are operational decisions for the agency, I was disappointed to see woollen carpets ruled out unequivocally. The coalition Government is proudly pro-wool. It’s a fantastic fibre, and we support our wool farmers.
“I welcome Kāinga Ora’s decision to go back out to market to seek bids from all carpet suppliers, including woollen carpets. While it remains essential that Kāinga Ora delivers homes as cost-effectively as possible, it’s only fair that wool products are given the chance to compete for government contracts on an equal footing with nylon carpet suppliers.
“There is a commitment under the National-New Zealand First coalition agreement to direct government agencies to prefer wool where practical and appropriate. The Government is currently working through the finer details of this and once decisions have been made there will be more to say.”
“I welcome Kāinga Ora’s decision to change its tender approach. This is a great step toward ensuring wool, a sustainable and high-quality product, is given the fair consideration it deserves. It creates a level playing field, supports the wool industry and honours the coalition agreement,” Mr Patterson says.
“We encourage suppliers of wool carpets to consider participating in Kāinga Ora’s tender process.”