Auckland News – Developers Urged to Act Swiftly as Auckland Council Plans Major Development Fee Increases

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Source: WarkWorth Web 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 … Read more

Swimwerks Launches Sponsorship for Lifeguard Training Initiative in Singapore

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Source: Media Outreach Through this program, Swimwerks not only promotes water safety but also creates meaningful training opportunities for deserving individuals. SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 28 January 2025 – Swimwerks, a leading authority in swimming education and water safety, has announced the launch of its Lifeguard Sponsorship Initiative, a social responsibility program designed … Read more

Chipsealing works on SH1 Te Kamo Bypass Sunday, Monday

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Source: New Zealand Transport Agency 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 … Read more

Major negotiations with iwi of Taranaki conclude

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Source: New Zealand Government 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 … Read more

Firearms, cash and drugs seized in Hawke’s Bay search warrant

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Source: New Zealand Police (National News) 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 … Read more

Time to pull plug on banking wokery

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Source: ACT Party “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 … Read more

Four-year term: New poll bodes well for better law making

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Source: ACT Party 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 … Read more

Release: Frontline providers deserve certainty, not name-calling

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Source: New Zealand Labour Party 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 … Read more

First Responders – Tiwai Peninsula vegetation fire update

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Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand 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 … Read more

Farmers welcome Kāinga Ora back-track on wool carpets – Federated Farmers

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Source: Federated Farmers 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 … Read more

First Responders – Vegetation fire along Bay of Plenty train track now contained

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Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand 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 … Read more

Minister must reverse all Oranga Tamariki cuts after Barnardos u-turn

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Source: PSA 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 … Read more

Living on orchard and enjoying outdoors fostered love for environment in EIT student | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

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Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti 37 seconds ago 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 … Read more

A triumph over anti-car ideology

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Source: ACT Party 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 … Read more

Release: Seymour’s school lunch cuts already failing kids

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Source: New Zealand Labour Party 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 … Read more

Open season on renters begins with no-cause evictions

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Source: Green Party 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 … Read more

Art making out west

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Source: Auckland Council 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 … Read more

SH15 expected to reopen shortly

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Source: New Zealand Transport Agency 30 January 2025 1:28 pm | NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi 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 … Read more

Native species compromised by trap vandals

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Source: Department of Conservation Date:  30 January 2025 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 … Read more

Ministers welcome Kāinga Ora’s revised approach to wool carpets

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Source: New Zealand Government 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 … Read more

More extreme weather predicted for subants

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Source: Department of Conservation Date:  30 January 2025 “Up until now, we’ve lacked information on the climate change impact on subantarctic islands,” Drew Bingham, DOC Principal Science Advisor says. “We knew we had to take a deeper look and identify actions needed to ensure the survival of the taonga species that depend on the islands for … Read more

100s of NZ species highly vulnerable to climate change

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Source: Department of Conservation Date:  30 January 2025 The assessment looked at 1145 species of birds, bats, lizards, and frogs, as well as land-based invertebrates and plants, to identify the most vulnerable which can then be prioritised for conservation action to help protect them from climate change impacts. Of the species assessed, 351 or 31% were … Read more

Cops catch up with speeding drivers

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Source: New Zealand Police (National News) Police in Avondale caught up with two speeding vehicles within minutes of each other during the early hours of this morning. Just after 2am, officers observed a Toyota Aqua driving at speed along Blockhouse Bay Road. Auckland City West’s Area Commander, Inspector Alisse Robertson, says Police signalled for the … Read more

Relentless focus on literacy & numeracy at school

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Source: New Zealand Government As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key driver … Read more

Homicide investigation in Otaika

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Source: New Zealand Police (National News) Police are treating the death of a motorcyclist in Otaika as suspicious, and a homicide investigation is now underway. A man’s body was discovered in a creek adjacent to Otaika Valley Road, State Highway 15, after 5am on 29 January. Whangārei CIB is launching an appeal for any witnesses … Read more

Weather News – A mix of weather for Aotearoa but eyes are on the tropics – MetService

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Source: MetService Covering period of Thu 30 Jan – Mon 3 Feb – Parts of New Zealand are in for a smattering of rain this weekend, this isn’t to be expected everywhere but cloud will be more widespread. However, MetService will be keeping a close eye on tropical developments around the Coral Sea. MetService meteorologist Lewis … Read more

Hawke’s Bay patients to benefit from new and improved radiology and cancer treatment services

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Source: New Zealand Government Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the Hawke’s Bay … Read more