Mahurangi Matters_Issue 448_13 February 2023

As work continues to clear the debris and fix the roads from last month’s floods, calls are being made for urgent changes to Auckland’s emergency management system after a lack of official information and guidance as the crisis unfolded. Elected members, community response volunteers and even the Mayor said they struggled to find out what was going on from Council officials late on January 27,

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relying instead on local social media pages and radio phone-ins to find out the extent of the problem.

Rodney Councillor Greg Sayers said he only realised something was “terribly wrong” when his stepson called him after being stuck on SH1 at Puhoi for several hours before being turned back to Warkworth.

“He, along with hundreds of other travellers, was stranded in Warkworth with

no information about where to go, or about any alternative routes. Any communications from Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) were completely absent,” he said.

“I called them and told them the townships of Warkworth, Puhoi, Wellsford and Kumeu needed immediate emergency assistance. Rural areas were also flooding and had roadside slips blocking roads.

FEBRUARY 4, 2023

“I didn’t receive any of this information from AEM – I was getting notified through phone calls, texts and community Facebook pages.”

Meanwhile, recently elected Rodney Local Board member Ivan Wagstaff was unsure what he could or should be doing officially, but knew something needed to happen, so went into Warkworth from his Matakana

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home and, with Neighbourhood Support Rodney coordinator Sue Robinson, got the town hall opened to take in the stranded.

He is now calling for information on community resilience and response information to be part of the Rodney Local Board plan process, so Board members and staff know how well communities are equipped to deal with emergencies.

Both he and Sayers are supporting Wayne Brown’s call for an independent review of Council failings during the emergency event.

“The Council emergency response failed to get the communications needed to the people who needed them. Entire communities and their families felt totally isolated, not just for hours but for days, without any way of being told what was going on,” Sayers said.

“It was only through the rallying of neighbours, volunteers and local contractors living in different areas that people got the help they desperately needed.

“The community has selflessly rallied together and they’ve been remarkable. But there is also a lot of anger towards the Auckland Council.”

He said that the storm had compounded and highlighted ongoing problems with rural roads that have been neglected and not properly maintained.

“Many of the rural road slips could have been prevented if the culverts and drains had been properly maintained,” he said. “Even prior to the storm, people were furious that Auckland Transport took so long to respond to road maintenance requests.”

Sayers said the Mayor was aware of the problems, especially since visiting Rodney to see storm damage for himself on January 31 (see story this page). He has since written to Council chief executive Jim Stabback and Wayne Brown, pointing out that the storms have highlighted failures in local road and drainage maintenance, and again calling for better budget provision for Rodney’s unsealed road network.

Sayers also wants to see the appointment of an independent clerk of works responsible for scrutinising and signing off on contractors’ maintenance work before they are paid.

Mayor fires salvos and promises improvements after Puhoi visit

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown called for emergency management to be decentralised after visiting flood-ravaged Puhoi to see slips and storm damage for himself. Accompanied by Rodney Councillor Greg Sayers, Brown spoke to a number of people involved on the front line in Puhoi, including fire chief Russell Green and contractors from Hodz Drainage. Speaking exclusively to Mahurangi Matters after the early morning visit on Tuesday, January 31, the Mayor praised local residents, businesses and contractors for how they had tackled the massive clean-up over the weekend.

“The community has really got stuck in and they’ve been amazing,” he said. However, Brown said communication during Friday’s floods had been dreadful and even he had struggled to find out what was going on.

“We’ve learned that a lot of central management that I’ve inherited is not such a good idea,” he said. “Communication has been dreadful and I’ve been accused of being the worst possible person, because I couldn’t find out what was happening either. I think we have to get decentralising.”

Brown was critical of both Council and Auckland Transport (AT) for being urbanfocused.

“Everyone at AT and Auckland Council has been so centralised in the city they forget that 60% of the area is rural, but I’m a town and country boy so we’ll redress that. I want to put some rural people on the board.

“It takes a bit of reminding to them that we’re a council for rural areas,” he said.

“I’m accused of being an angry person –well, I’m an angry person because they’re not looking after people properly.”

The Mayor said more people doing practical things more regularly was what

was required, rather than lots of people writing reports.

“There’s too much money spent on management and not enough on doing things,” he said.

“I’m quite happy to upset those people and say go and find something else to do. I want stuff done, not reports written –people with practical experience doing things on the ground.”

However, he also said people needed to take a degree of responsibility for their own property and where it was situated.

“People do have to do some things themselves,” he said. “If someone rings and says the drain is blocked outside my house, I’d say get a shovel and go and do it, if you can. We don’t pay rates for someone to be standing outside your house 24/7.

“And if you’ve chosen to live in a low-lying area, or live above cliffs, you’ve got to take even more of an interest.”

Brown warned Rodney residents not to hold out hope for lots of road sealing under current budget restraints, but he maintained that better construction and regular maintenance was the way forward.

“If people had unsealed roads that actually worked, they would be okay,” he said. “I’ve lived on these roads for years and know how to build them properly.

“The way they handle loose metal roads is so stupid it’s hard to believe, because the AT board doesn’t have one transport expert, one engineer or anyone who lives rurally and that’s going to change, and I’m going to piss some people off to make that change.

“I don’t care about that – if you’re going to make an omelette, you’ve got to break some eggs.

“We need proper roads that are maintained. I’m going to have to fight to get what are practical, sensible solutions that work.”

Highly visible, in Puhoi at least – Mayor Wayne Brown and Cr Greg Sayers hear about the floods from Deon Samson and Sean ‘Hodz’ Hoddle of Hodz Drainage.

Road crews double down to bail out community

Whether it was clearing blocked roads, rescuing stranded people or even towing a bogged fire engine, local roading, drainage and construction companies led the charge to get the Mahurangi community back on its feet after the floods.

Crews abandoned any plans they’d had for the Auckland Anniversary weekend and took to their diggers, trucks and excavators to help wherever they were needed around the clock.

Wharehine had one of the biggest tasks, clearing a 100-metre long slip on State Highway 1 between Puhoi and the old Hungry Creek art school, as well as flooding and slips in the Dome Valley and along much of SH16.

Managing director Rob Gibson said there were more than 50 staff working 12-hour shifts day and night over the weekend, clearing mud and fallen trees, directing traffic and ferrying people through floodwaters.

He said although it was hard work for everybody, he was impressed at how everyone reacted and pulled together.

“Yes, it was a disaster, but it actually brought people together,” he said. “The general community were awesome. People brought food out for us and they even put meals on for our guys in Wellsford – I can’t say enough for them.

“And all our guys, they came in from their families and homes to work, and some of them were flooded as well. I’m really proud of everyone.”

He said it may have been a different story if the community had needed to wait for outside contractors.

“We’re lucky we’ve got big gear and it’s all based locally. We can respond really quickly,” Gibson said.

While Wharehine worked on state highways, Rhodes for Roads was dealing with blocked roads at Tauhoa, Kaipara Hills, Ahuroa, Puhoi and down to Werenui, including a slew of slips affecting West Coast Road.

Contracts manager Phil Mason said he had nine gangs working non-stop from January 27 until Waitangi Day.

“I’ve been here 30 years and this is definitely one of the worst ones I’ve seen,” he said. “Usually you get little areas affected, but not such a big area where so many roads go at once.”

Mason Contractors was also clearing rural roads for Downers and they also had extra crews working throughout.

Managing director Lance O’Callaghan said there were slips and blockages everywhere, with Matakana Valley Road, Pakiri Road and Ahuroa Road among the worst affected.

“We opened up Pakiri Hill, but it’s still

Haulage heroes

rough,” he said. “Ahuroa is the worst – that was a huge great slip.

“We had about half our guys out working through the long weekend,” he said. “We just like to do what we can to look after locals.”

Masons also hauled out a large shipping container that floated out from beside Puhoi’s General Store during the worst floods in living memory and ended up wedged in the railings on a pedestrian bridge.

Exaro Contracting director and operations manager Ivan King found himself stranded on the wrong side of the Puhoi floodwaters from his home in Saleyards Road, but was soon in amongst it and helping people.

“We have a subdivision in Orewa we’re working on, so about 4 o’clock I thought I’d go to have a look at that and make sure everything was okay. The water was just

coming up over the road as I left and when I came back 45 minutes later, I couldn’t get home.”

King had an excavator at home, so asked a mate to drive it down to him, then they spent the next several hours ferrying people backwards and forwards and retrieving stranded cars, until the water got too deep for even the excavator.

“It was unbelievable, I’ve never witnessed that amount of water, and for it to come up so quickly … you couldn’t believe your eyes,” he said.

“We had to wait for about three hours for the waters to subside a bit then we carried on ferrying people from about 10 o’clock.” King was back again the next morning, together with another Puhoi contractor, Sean Hoddle of Hodz Drainage, who brought staff, trucks and diggers in from

Helensville. Jethro Drum from DrumEx Earthmoving also got stuck in to help those in and around the community.

“We worked all along the main road through Puhoi, clearing slips along there, pulled out trees and started moving things out of people’s driveways, then went up Fiddlers Hill,” Hoddle said.

“After that, we started helping at the store. We brought in a six-wheeler to help get rid of all their rubbish. They lost pretty much everything. You just do what you can; it’s what it’s all about.”

King agreed.

“We were just trying to help the community. It’s nice to be able to help with something. There are not many places where everyone would pull together like Puhoi did.”

Local contractors came into their own after the flood, working for free or giving up their weekend to get the community going again.

Stranded travellers find warm welcome in Warkworth

The Mahurangi community was quick to step up to help stranded travellers on the night of the big flood on January 27.

The state highway both north and south of the town was blocked by flooding and slips, and alternative routes such as State Highway 16 were also closed. This left hundreds of people with nowhere to stay or get a meal because by the time many arrived, supermarkets and other food outlets had closed.

The Warkworth Community Response Group were only alerted to the situation when group coordinator Sue Robertson happened to hear a caller on radio station 1ZB say her family was stuck at the BP in Warkworth.

Group chair Jim Flewitt says Robertson went to the Grange, while other members began the process of trying to open known evacuation centres such as Mahurangi College and the Warkworth Town Hall. Unfortunately, their calls all went to answer phones.

“We have a base under the Warkworth RSA, so we opened that up instead and directed people from the BP there,” he says. “I guess we took in about 50 people including passengers off a coach.”

Meanwhile, on his own initiative, Rodney Local Board member Ivan Wagstaff opened the Warkworth Town Hall, providing shelter for at least another 40 people overnight. The Mobil Service Station did its bit to help travellers and Educare at the Grange also offered people a place to sleep. As word spread through social media channels, the Warkworth Lions clubs and individuals started to respond by

organising food and offering people beds, blankets and a place to shower.

The owner of Green Bay Fruit & Vegies at the Grange, Frank Lu, was among those who found themselves unable to travel to Auckland.

He returned to his shop, resigned to the fact that he would have to spend the night there. His shop door was open when a woman approached him and asked to use the toilet, because both McDonald’s and the BP station had closed.

What started as a trickle, soon became a flood of people through the doors and by morning it looked like a plaque of locusts had been through the shop. The shelves were almost bare.

Lu estimates that hundreds of people used the toilet and he also let people use his staff room to cook food.

“I was able to help people who really needed it. I was happy to help.”

Jim Flewitt says there are lessons to be learned and the East Rodney Community Group Cluster would meet on February 16 for a debrief.

“It was interesting that up until now, we have always thought we would be helping locals in a disaster. But on this occasion, it was a transit community. We hadn’t considered that scenario.

“We can see we need to re-look at our contact lists, and it was disappointing not to have better communication from central Auckland.

“At a time like this though, when everyone is scrambling to respond, it’s only natural that someone will miss a pass.”

Stephanie Barclay and her family were one of the hundreds people stranded in Warkworth after floods and slips blocked the highway north and south of the town. She was en route from Whangārei to Auckland when she was stopped on Schedewys Hill. “We sat in the car for three or four hours before eventually being turned around and sent back to Warkworth,” she said. The family used the facilities at the BP station and slept the night in their truck. She said it had been hard to make decisions because of the lack of any reliable information.

The owner of Green Bay Fruit & Vegies at the Grange Frank Lu was lauded as a hero after opening his doors and all his facilities to stranded motorists. He is pictured with his father Haiping Lu.

Warkworth RSA volunteers Kathy Harrison, and Ryna and Eddie Watts helped feed weary travellers.

Lou Perkins, of Snells Beach, was one of many volunteers who turned up at the hall to offer help where she could.

Volunteers produced an amazing selection of food for the stranded travellers at the Warkworth Town Hall.

Wellsford rallies in flood response

Once again, it was local residents and volunteers who took it upon themselves to help the hundreds of motorists stranded in Wellsford when all roads were blocked by flooding and slips.

With no civil defence team in place or advice forthcoming, businesses and residents in the town opened their doors to help, providing food, drink and a place to stay.

Former Wellsford resident Riana Waenga saw what was happening on local social media pages and, with friend Shar Mihinnick, got the wheels in motion to open up Wellsford Community Centre.

As organisers of the town’s Friday night markets, they called hall coordinator Lisa Hampe to get the venue opened for those in need.

“I couldn’t get through myself but I had all my crew who knew the codes and PINs to get in, and Lisa said of course, go ahead,” Waenga said.

Mihinnick was soon on the scene, where cars were already camped in the carpark, welcoming dozens of families and individuals who were stuck. Meanwhile, a steady stream of locals turned up, offering mattresses, meals, equipment and practical help.

“There were around 250 people in that night. I was making phone calls while Shar was on the ground organising people,” Waenga said.

Other Wellsford venues staying open and giving the stranded a place to sleep included Wellsford RSA and Junction – Mr Chef bar and restaurant, and many people also parked up and stayed in their cars.

After staying awake all night, the community centre crew were on deck all day Saturday as well, cooking breakfast for people, providing food and support for anyone who needed it, and then laying on a dinner that night for local volunteers, first responders and road workers.

The core team of Mihinnick, Jolene Mckewen, Justine and Lee Peters, Joseph Kapea, Deejay Korewha, Lisa Te Haara and Ant Searle was backed up by a roster of locals dropping in to help out, including MP Marja Lubeck and her team, who helped with breakfast.

“The last family came in at 4.30am and we worked 27 hours straight,” Mihinnick said.

“It was pretty hectic.”

Local businesses chipped in to donate food and equipment, including Four Square, Gold Coin and New World Mangawhai, and the Red Cross came in to keep the centre open when more bad weather was forecast the following Monday.

Waenga said afterwards while she was stoked at the response and how the community had handled the sudden influx, there was a need for better emergency coordination and communication in future.

“We know our community and our community knows us – we don’t mind not having strangers around,” she said. “But we could have training in what we’re doing and when we’re doing it, and making sure everyone is safe.

“It was a massive wake-up call and a kick in the backside – we learned so much as people and as a community, and most of that was positive.”

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On the road to completion –What’s coming up

In the recent weeks we have seen unprecedented rainfall affecting the whole of the Auckland Region. The Warkworth area was hard hit and roads in and out of the town were inaccessible at various times.

We are assessing the effects of the weather event and we continue to work hard to have the road open as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience as we work to complete the new motorway.

The planned overnight closures are underway to complete the final road surfacing, chip sealing, barrier installation, line marking and signage. As a reminder there will be extended road closures at the Johnstone Hill Tunnels over the coming weeks, as well as the likelihood of additional road layout changes.

Northbound SH1 closures between Silverdale to Johnstones Hill Tunnels (JHT). Detours will be in place via Hibiscus Coast Highway, from 9pm to 5am.

• Sunday 12 to Thursday 16 February

• Sunday 19 to Thursday 23 February

• Sunday 26 February to Thursday 2 March

• Sunday 5 to Thursday 9 March

While the northbound closure is in place, traffic will detour along Hibiscus Coast Highway (HCH). A stop/go operation will be in place on HCH to manage traffic safely.

Southbound SH1 closure between Pūhoi to the JHT. Detours will be in place via Hibiscus Coast Highway, from 9pm to 5am

• Wednesday 15 February and Thursday 16 February

• Sunday 19 to Thursday 23 February

• Sunday 26 February to Thursday 2 March

• Sunday 5 to Thursday 9 March

• Sunday 12 to Thursday 16 March

Over Dimension vehicles will be assisted through the site via our traffic management team. Heavy vehicles are advised to take State Highway 16. These works are coordinated alongside closures at Dome Valley for maintenance as both teams are again working together to ensure that we capitalise on these closures and get as much work done with the least possible disruption.

Additional to these night-time road closures, there may be additional road layout changes needed in the south to complete the final tie-in works around the JHT. We will update you once we have more information.

While all efforts have been made to limit disruption to traffic flows, we encourage you to plan your journey over this time and check the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner before heading out https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/

While this will impact travel, completion of these works takes us closer to opening the new motorway as soon as possible and we are all looking forward to enjoying a safer, more resilient and reliable road with more consistent travel times.

For more information and regular updates, please visit our website nx2group.com or follow our Facebook page @aratuhonopuhoitowarkworth.

Nga mihi

Robert Jones –Project Director

For more information, call the NX2 team on: 24/7 Freephone: 0508 P2WK INFO (0508 7295 4636) Email: info@nx2group.com

Facebook: Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Warkworth Web: nx2group.com

The core crew at Wellsford Community Centre helped hundreds of people. Back from left, Justine Peters, Jolene Mckewen and Shar Mihinnick; front, Lisa Te Haara, Joseph Kapea and Deejay Korewha.

Puhoi bears brunt of storm with worst floods in living memory

The name Puhoi translates as ‘slow water’. However, there was nothing remotely slow about how quickly the river rose and inundated the heart of the historic community that bore the brunt of the floods on Friday, January 27. Heavy rain throughout the day meant that locals were keeping a close eye on the river, as it does tend to breach its banks every few years, but the pace and extent of the floodwaters this time took everyone by surprise.

When Ivan King of Saleyards Road left town for Orewa at around 4pm, the waters were approaching the road through town. By the time he came back 45 minutes later, he was stranded near the Centennial Hall by a lagoon of muddy water too deep to drive through and still rising fast. For more than 350 metres, from the hall through to beyond the rotunda, silty water swamped the main road, the town library, the general store and Puhoi River Motors, and filled the Puhoi Pub garden almost up to the doors. At its peak, the waters were over the library door and halfway up the windows and doors of the shop, ruining everything in its path, not least the home and livelihood of Puhoi General Store owners Nic Lodewyks and Jo Lloyd. Across the river, the carpark, tennis courts and playing fields resembled an inland sea, with coffee-coloured water submerging the sports and community club halfway up to the veranda, and ruining everything on the ground floor. And right up the Puhoi Valley, the river became a torrent, with trees, garden furniture, forestry slash and even show jumps getting swept up, snagged in trees or carried way out to sea at Wenderholm.

Local fire chief Russell Green pretty much lost his whole business, as Puhoi River Motors went underwater for the first time in its history.

“I’ve been here 25 years and seen plenty of floods, but this was the worst,” he said. “I had an engineer tell me when we put the building in it was high enough to cope with a 100-year flood, but it went over that.

“It’s a total loss. The building’s still okay, but everything inside is damaged and probably written off.”

It was a similar story at the General Store, where thigh-high water wrecked stock, equipment, fixtures and fittings in the shop, as well as the adjoining family home. The flood filled mailboxes with mud and uprooted a large shipping container used for storage – only the metal railings on a pedestrian bridge opposite Krippner Road stopped it from disappearing entirely down-river.

In the library, everything was destroyed except for items on the very top shelf – the worst flood by far since a similar onslaught almost a century earlier, which caused it to close its doors in 2024.

However, the community has rallied magnificently since, with local residents and contractors rescuing people and vehicles, clearing slips and hauling away debris from deluged buildings.

“We were extremely lucky, I don’t think I’ve seen the community rally round like they did on the Saturday morning after,” Green said afterwards. “Every community has it, people get together to help, but I’d have to say it was pretty impressive here.”

The community was also quick to help those worst affected, Nic and Jo at the General Store, who lost virtually everything. Friend Sarita McLean set up a Givealittle page that, as Mahurangi Matters went to press last week had raised more than $22,000. Anyone wishing to donate should go to https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/help-puhoistore

Les Miller & Jackie Woolerton - Webster Malcolm Law

Ahuroa Road under water ... Photo, Ivan King.

... and after the floods.

St John thanks caring Warkworth community

Te Whatu Ora has praised the kindness of the Warkworth community for coming to the aid of a patient transport shuttle stranded between floodwaters and landslips on January 27.

The shuttle’s driver, Jeanette Schurgers, and nine passengers, who had attended specialist healthcare appointments in Auckland, were returning to Whangārei in the late afternoon when the roads to the north and south became blocked by floodwaters, landslips and fallen trees. They found themselves stranded in Warkworth, where the community came to their aid.

Hato Hone St John welcomed them into their station, offered hot drinks and then phoned around their networks to find somewhere for Schurgers and the passengers to stay.

They were offered stretchers and mattresses from the local scout den and other people offered blankets but, in the end, they didn’t need to use them because Warkworth Hospital, an aged care facility, invited them in for the night as they had some spare beds and reclining La-Z-Boy chairs.

Transport and accommodation manager Calvin de Boer praised the Warkworth community for their assistance and hospitality “for which we are

extremely grateful”.

“And, our driver Jeanette also went above and beyond the call of duty, even staying up overnight to ensure our shuttle’s passengers were okay.”

On the Saturday morning, de Boer travelled to Warkworth with another shuttle driver so that Jeannette did not need to drive back up to Whangārei Hospital having had only a couple of hours of sleep.

“Once Dome Valley reopened after the slips had been cleared, we were able to get through. We arrived around 10am and the passengers were very quick to share their praise for Jeanette. As her manager, it certainly makes me proud.”

Calvin said that in the 19 years that the patient transport shuttle had run, an event like this had never happened – “99.99 percent of the time, the trips go really smoothly.”

The service operates every weekday, departing from Whangārei Hospital at 7am and leaving Auckland at 3pm for the return home. The service is available free of charge to anyone needing to attend a healthcare appointment in Auckland.

Most passengers are people travelling for radiotherapy sessions and other specialist hospital and health care appointments that are not available in Whangārei.

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Te Whatu Ora patient transport shuttle driver Jeanette Schurgers.

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Buildings assessed

Auckland Council is continuing to carry out building assessments across Tāmaki Makaurau to determine whether a building is safe to occupy and whether it poses a safety risk to others. As Mahurangi Matters went to press, there were four buildings red-stickered in Puhoi and six buildings yellow-stickered in Puhoi and Upper Waiwera. A red sticker indicates a building cannot be used and entry is prohibited because

it has sustained moderate or heavy damage and poses a significant risk to health or life. This could be from the building itself, from external factors such as adjacent buildings, or from ground failure. A yellow indicates a building may have sustained moderate damage and access is restricted. This generally means either some identified areas of the building pose a significant hazard and cannot be used, or that the public

cannot enter except under supervision for a limited time on essential business. This could include emergency or assessment purposes, for example, or removing critical business records, valuables and property.

More information is available here: https:// www.building.govt.nz/managing-buildings/ managing-buildings-in-an-emergency/aucklandfloods-2023/

Photo, Sarah Churchouse.

State Highway 1 at the Brynderwyns was closed for several days due to several slips and unstable banks.

View from Puhoi Hotel veranda. Photo, Isla Lodewyks.

Flood victims say thanks

The Warkworth Community Response Group received social media posts from two people who were caught up in the January floods, which they have passed on so all the volunteers can see their efforts were appreciated:

“As a commuter travelling to Auckland to attend the Elton John concert, who got waylaid at Puhoi for four hours and then diverted back to Warkworth to spend the night unable to move forward or back home to Whangarei … I want to say a very big thank you to the community of Warkworth for your kindness, your generosity, your donations of foods, toiletries, places to stay for families, showers etc, your time and effort to keep myself and the other displaced people safe, fed and warm.

YouSay

Manuhiri deal stinks

I, like a lot of Rodney people, are absolutely gutted by Mook Hohneck and his Ngati Manuhiri Settlement Trust’s actions, in changing their mind in supporting Waste Management in their bid to build this giant toxic landfill in the Dome Valley. One has to ask, what has made this ‘trust’ do a complete reversal after all he has said against this tip and that it would never go ahead so long as he was alive.

In reading local news and hearing a few opinions, none of the local Manuhiri iwi want this landfill to go ahead and none of them apparently have ever been consulted on this.

Apparently Mr Hohneck lives in Rotorua and all their trust’s meetings are held in Rotorua. Is this so locals can’t attend the trust meetings and vote?

What use is $10 million when this landfill starts to leak, which it will do according to a lot of experts, should it go ahead?

Worse still, who will own this landfill and be responsible for any leaks and the consequences?

How much training in “cultural induction” does a workforce require to build this landfill and maintain it? Will the trust be fair and disclose how much money they will make from all of this or will they keep it secret from local iwi?

Surely Judge Smith, who is overseeing this case in the Environmental Court, will see this move for what it is – purely commercial – and deal with it accordingly. I believe that Settlement Trust’s decision is

“Special thank you to the organisers and leaders of Warkworth CRG (Community Resilience Group) and Helping Hands, who I know didn’t get much, if any, sleep all night because they were organising, rallying, making phone calls to civil defence and Red Cross, making sure that when we woke up in the morning we had food, toiletries, and a plan of action.

“You guys were absolutely incredible, and I am indeed in awe of you!

“…and to the Warkworth RSA and to the Warkworth community hall – thank you, thank you thank you so much for opening up your premises for us and to the volunteers who made tea and coffee, who made sure we had food, who offered to take us home for a shower. Your kindness, and your dedication to making our visit to

your beautiful town as painless as possible has blown us away! Warkworth Rocks!”

“Hats off, high 5’s to tireless workers who took care of those us who were caught in this weekend’s deluge. We were in the traffic between Whangarei/Auckland that came to a grinding halt. Thank you, of course, to road workers clearing debris, police and emergency services. A personal acknowledgement and thanks to the two women at BP Warkworth, who were literally running serving the influx of so many people with food and drink until the pies ran out. Thank you to the Asian food store vendors who opened up late, found goji berries there and allowed people the use of their toilet. The local lady who kept us informed of road closures as news

came to hand and was still on the job when we woke in the morning, directed us to safe places to park up for the night and, in conjunction, with the Warkworth RSA, provided those stranded with breakfast and hot tea/coffee, water and for those who needed it, a dry warm room, pillows, blankets to sleep the night, a toilet and power to recharge mobile phones. Saturday morning the Warkworth RSA bar opened up and bar and kitchen staff provided biscuits, hot drinks throughout the day, bacon, sausages, bread for brunch, power points also, toilets and a book too, while we waited for news of roads opening. The NZ Army based at RSA had disposable nappies for the wee ones. ‘Lest We Forget’. We were so well taken care of. Thank you so much.”

We welcome your feedback but letters under 250 words are preferred. We reserve the right to abridge them as necessary. Unabridged versions can be read at www.localmatters.co.nz/opinion

0910

a black mark against all Maori and all other Kiwis who pride themselves on living in an honest, open and caring society. They need to look at themselves and see what the rest of us see and feel about their deal. It stinks!

Maury Purdy, Warkworth

This letter was referred to the Ngati Manuhiri Settlement Trust, but it did not wish to comment at this time.

Dollars talk

So a massive backflip for the almighty silver dollar (MM Jan 30). The Ngati Manuhiri Settlement Trust board, who over the past years have all been against the [Dome] landfill, but now have been given a bribe of $10 million. When it comes to money they have no friends just the almighty silver dollar … I hope this backfires big time on the lot of them who opted to do this.

Brian Henman, Algies Bay

Goatley complaint

In the weeks prior to Christmas, I emailed Auckland Council’s AT section regarding the poor state of repair of Goatley Road, just north of Warkworth, off SH1. The reply email was headed ‘We’ve started working on your case”. Wrong.

Absolutely nothing has been done and since the recent heavy rains, we now have to drive on the wrong side of the road at blind hills/bends to avoid massive potholes and gullies gouged out of the road. Because of the numerous resource consents granted by Auckland Council, and the subsequent new builds, traffic has

Above, coincidentally, Mahurangi Matters found a grader working on the Goatley Road when we went to inspect the road after receiving this correspondence. increased dramatically, with absolutely nothing being done about the road. At the one lane bridge near No.123, there is no tarseal as there is at almost every other one-lane bridge in Rodney. A local farmer is filling the potholes on either side. There have been accidents, and there will be more accidents. Council needs to do something before someone is killed or severely injured.

David Inglis, Goatley Road

UV Filtration Systems, Water Pumps

AT enemies

Now I understand who the four enemies of Auckland Transport are: Spring, summer, autumn, winter.

K H Peter Kammler, Matakana

Book winners

Congratulations to the following winners of our summer book competition – Julia Paddison, Jaclyn Chetty, Ruth Mills, Trisha Quinn, Wendy Hooper and Caroline Hawes.

Viewpoint

Craig Jepson, Mayor of Kaipara mayor@kaipara.govt.nz

Ideology at your peril

“We don’t talk anymore” was a huge hit for Cliff Richard in 1979. When it played on the radio the other day, I wondered if he was referring to the current political environment! Nowadays, it seems we must put more effort into agonising about who may be offended by saying what we think, instead of thinking about what should be said. It’s time to step out and talk about the issues that really matter to our future prosperity, even when it’s not PC to do so. What should drive our discussions is what is right for the community as a whole. We should not remain mute because the comments may ‘offend’ a vested interest group pursuing a particular ideology. That is the duty of elected representatives. Take an issue like energy. It makes no sense to import dirty coal from Malaysia when we have our own clean product sitting in the ground. It makes no sense to lock up our valuable oil and gas reserves in the name of the green Gaia that demands we rush into building solar farms, windmills and storage batteries at great expense. In California, South Australia and the United Kingdom, the push for renewables at the exclusion of reliable cheap energy has been a road to rocketing energy prices, blackouts, businesses shutting down or exiting to an affordable location. Electricity prices in the UK are so high it is termed heat or eat!

It makes no sense to build another mega

dump in the Dome Valley, when dumping waste in the ground is no longer accepted in many of our trading nations. Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Belgium and Sweden have achieved almost zero waste to landfill. This by a combination of energy-from-waste and recycling. No new landfills can be consented in Europe. On average, a New Zealand tonne of garbage produces about the same energy as half a tonne of Huntly coal and can be burned cleaner. The (renewable) energy recovered from the high temperature process can power thousands of homes. In addition, metal and construction aggregates are recovered for reuse. It’s time we talked about building such plants to give New Zealand a cleaner image.

If New Zealand is to work its way out of its economic decline, cheap power is essential. Without it, we cannot lift GDP. Our farmers, growers, manufacturers, exporters and innovators will not flourish without this basic necessity and we, as a nation, will be starved of the funds needed to provide the things that matter like quality healthcare.

The recent goings-on in Wellington should send a clear message to government that they put ideology ahead of practicality at their own peril. It’s a lesson equally as relevant at a local level.

Bowlers chase Council support

Auckland Council is expected to give Warkworth Bowls some clear direction on its plan to move from Mill Lane to Glenmore Drive next month.

Late last year, the club commissioned a consultant to investigate and prepare a comprehensive report on the proposal, which was submitted to Council prior to Christmas. The report was accompanied by application forms to develop the twohectare Campbell Reserve into a world class bowls facility.

Council is currently workshopping the report and application, and the outcome will be presented to the Rodney Local Board before its March 9 meeting.

Club vice-president John Hurdley says there are two likely outcomes.

Central’s Tips

February 2023

The winterless north has now become the summerless north and so gardeners have a few hurdles to overcome in the aftermath of Auckland January floods. We offer some advice here -

The fruit and vegetable garden

• Splitting tomatoes – this is usually a symptom of lack of water, but also occurs when there is too much rain. Remove the split ones as soon as they occur and cook into a delicious pasta sauce. Leave healthy tomatoes on the vines a few days to soak up the sun and increase flavour

• Rotten strawberries? Time to send them to the compost heap! This year strawberry plants have put on lots of leafy growth because of the rain, and that is hiding the strawberries that need to ripen. Gently lift the stems of unripe strawberries to lie on top of the foliage to get exposure to the sun turning them red and juicy

• Leaving vegetables and fruit on the plants a little longer when there’s sunshine will improve fruit flavours and make them less ‘watery’.

• Potting and Garden mixes will have depleted nutrient after the recent deluges. Topdress with controlled release fertilisers or take an organic approach by liquid feeding with Aquaticus Garden Booster

• What’s bugging the plants after the rain? Larger colonies of snails than usual, so go to war on them. Plenty of whitefly in sheltered humid areas. Use an organic pesticide such as Bugtrol for broad spectrum control, but it will need to be repeated weekly. Spray very early before bees are active

The ornamental garden

• Plants that cope with intense water, but can be just as happy in dry periods are the old reliables such as daylilies, Peruvian lilies (alstroemeria), large shrubby salvias and some grasses – NZ Oi oi, NZ Carex virgata and Carex secta, ornamental miscanthus

“Either the Board will accept our application without the need to publicly call for expressions of interest from other parties for the reserve, or it will approve the application subject to possible interests from other groups,” Hurdley says.

Once the club has final Council approval, it will call a special meeting of all members to discuss and vote on the planned move.

In 2021, the club unveiled plans to build a $7.5 million bowls facility, which would include a social club, three fully covered greens, parking and a sky bar – a raised viewing platform with a bar area running between the two playing areas.

The club has been on its current site for 100 years and hopes the sale of the land will finance the new build.

• Dahlias are the modern craze – these plants will go on flowering right through autumn if kept watered, staked and deadheaded

• Softwood cuttings of camellias, fuchsias, eriostemons, and lavenders can be struck now. There’s nothing more satisfying than free plants. YouTube offers great ‘how to’s’ on propagation by cuttings

• Hand weeding is easier than it’s ever been at this time of the year because the soil is so soft. Do it now so the desirable plants fill the spaces

Beef Hotpot

2 onions

300g carrots

1kg potatoes

450g minced beef

2 beef stock cubes

400g can baked beans splash of Worcestershire sauce

handful of roughly chopped parsley

Cut each onion into eight wedges. Roughly chop the carrots and cut the potatoes into large chunks. Put the kettle on.

Heat a large non-stick pan, add the mince and fry quickly, stirring all the time, until evenly browned. Crumble in the stock cubes and mix well. Add the prepared vegetables, stir them around, then pour in 900ml/1½ pints of hot water from the kettle. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until the veg are tender. Stir in the baked beans and a generous splash of Worcestershire sauce and heat through.

Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Scatter over the parsley, I love my Herb Scissors for this cuts it up nice and fine, then ladle the hotpot into bowls. Put the Worcestershire sauce bottle on the table in case anyone fancies a bit more spice

Great to freeze.

Parties urged to find way forward after Manuhiri trust flip

The legal and procedural fallout from the Ngati Manuhiri Settlement Trust flipping from its long-term opposition to a massive new tip to supporting Waste Management NZ’s (WM) plans took up most of the Environment Court’s time and energy when the case resumed on February 1.

Judge Jeff Smith said the court had been deluged with paperwork from multiple parties since the hearing was adjourned in December, including the trust and WM’s joint statement, late documents, numerous memoranda, updates and other legal submissions.

“We have something of a smorgasbord of emails, which is increasing in complexity at each iteration,” he said. “It’s impossible to follow who’s responding to what.

“We have received so much documentation – we received another little tsunami only yesterday – but we can only do our best.”

Smith pointed out that the court only had so much time left to conclude the case before he had to head up the Pakiri sand mining appeals in the court in May. He emphasised there was little if any time spare for any new evidence prompted by the Ngati Manuhiri Settlement Trust opting to support WM, instead of standing united with other tangata whenua appellants Ngati Whatua and Te Uri o Hau. There were also new contested claims before the Maori Land Court from the Ngati Manuhiri Settlement Trust and Ngati Whatua over the ownership of the Hoteo River bed, which the judge said may or may not have implications for the case. He said the parties’ current fractured relationship could take years to repair and he urged everyone concerned to make every effort to find a way forward.

“All I can say is “pull up, pull up!” before this goes down the road that makes it very awkward to maintain relationships,” Judge Smith said.

He said the court had already bent over

backwards to accommodate all parties.

“The difficulty the court finds itself in with such a serious breakdown in relationships is not about matters of the case, but whether we can get the parties talking to each other and able to maintain a relationship.

“Now we have one party that has found a way forward, this has created other issues. We are very keen to see tangata whenua have a proper discussion and come to an enduring solution.”

Ngati Manuhiri Settlement Trust lawyer

Jason Pou said attempts had been made to meet with Ngati Whatua and others, but these had not been taken up. Counsel for Ngati Whatua and Te Uri of Hau said they were willing to meet, but only under tikanga – Maori practices – conditions.

After further lengthy debate, consultation and consideration, one of the case

commissioners, Kevin Prime, said he was willing to act as facilitator if a meeting could be convened between key people during Waitangi Day celebrations at the treaty grounds.

After hearing from two further witnesses (see story p20), the case was adjourned until March 20, after which planning and cultural evidence will be heard, together with all parties’ summing up.

The court also heard that the judges and commissioners were keen to have another site visit before the case reconvened, preferably by helicopter, so they could get a better idea of the topography of the potential landfill site, parts of which were extremely difficult to reach on foot or in a vehicle, and its relationship with the Hoteo River.

After hearing that the Ministry of Justice

Court commissioner and

at Waitangi.

was not able to fund this, WM counsel Bal Matheson said the company would be willing to provide a trip.

Judges and commissioners are hoping to take a helicopter trip to view the landfill site and the Hoteo River from the air. Photo, Auckland Council.

kaumatua Kevin Prime offered to act as a facilitator for meetings between iwi and hapu appellants

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2022

Education year starts with new

There are many new faces in classrooms in Mahurangi schools this year, as well as some new principals.

At Tomarata Primary School, Chris King has replaced Cherylene Neels. King has been teaching for 14 years, mostly in Auckland, but more recently he spent twoand-a-half years as a deputy principal in Invercargill.

King also spent two years working for Massey University as a teacher mentor, travelling across the country to work alongside teachers in their classrooms

faces at the blackboards

to help develop child-centred classroom practice.

At Horizon School, at Snells Beach, Tina Utting-Johnson has replaced Helen Pearson. Utting-Johnson has moved north from Christchurch. She was formerly a health and information technology coordinator at a school in Wales before moving to NZ, where her first job was teaching IT at Macleans College.

The following is a look at the year ahead for some of the area’s

Mahurangi College

Principal Tony Giles says the roll of 1500 is broadly similar to last year.

“We have had a flurry of late enrolments in the last week, which may push us a little over this to possibly around 1530,” Giles says.

After the covid years, international students have returned in healthy numbers. There are 38 Korean students here for a short study tour and a large contingent of Argentinian students is due to arrive soon. Their arrival was delayed by the Auckland floods, when some were turned around mid-air. These students will be at the school for the term. Giles says there is also a good number of long-term students from Asia.

Six new staff have joined the school. Caroline Armstrong steps into the deputy principal role, following Christina Merrick’s appointment as principal of Taupaki School. Armstrong was previously the juniors’ Head of Faculty.

“Our focus this year will include literacy, addressing the post-covid slump, with a focus on structured literacy and science of reading approaches. We will be strengthening ties with Ngati Manuhiri,

schools:

preparing for our new build of 16 classrooms to cater for roll growth, and building on our sporting successes of last year, including the fit out of a fitness studio for students.”

Otamatea High School

Otamatea High School will start the year with 680 students, compared to 570 last year.

There will also be10 new teachers. Principal Dirk Smythe says most of these positions have been in response to roll growth.

Adrian Cooling is a new deputy principal, joining the senior leadership team from Taipa Area School, and Chris Townshend has been promoted internally as the new Head of Science.

Smythe says the school is looking forward to a busy year, starting with the Year 7 and 8 camps at the Otamatea Marae.

“There will also be an athletics day and swimming gala this term, but the very successful Toi Māori festival at the end of the year is perhaps our biggest event,” he says.

The school roll is expected to reach 800 next year.

Snells Beach Primary

Four new classrooms will be built at Snells Beach School later this year, followed by a major hall extension. A further 18 classrooms are planned over the next few years to provide capacity for growth in the area.

Principal Kathryn Ramel says the plans are in the final stages, and the Board of Trustees is pleased that they are in keeping with the current design.

The school is expected to have around 380 students by the end of this year.

“We started with 27 new entrant five year olds, and expect to start another new entrant class by next term,” Ramel says.

“Our junior area is by far the biggest area of our school, with six classes already in Years 1 and 2, and at least one more still to come. A few years ago, one new entrant class would last all year – the growth of young continued page 17

The days of learning within four walls have long gone, with many schools involved in outdoor classrooms and the Garden to Table programme.

Funded by the Parliamentary Service. Authorised by Chris Penk, 134 Main Road, Kumeu 0810.

You can be heard on Auckland Council’s annual budget

Aucklanders can make submissions on Auckland Council’s proposed Annual Budget when public consultation opens later this month.

The proposal includes consulting on reduced council spending and a range of other measures, such as increasing rates and the sale of Auckland International Airport Limited shares.

Rodney Local Board Chair Brent Bailey says its important local residents give their opinions, because they help shape the budget, and the board’s response to it.

“It’s common for people to complain about Auckland Council, it’s less common for them to do anything about it. People are never shy to voice their opinions to friends and neighbours on how poor the Council or Board is, but few ever take the chance to make an official submission.

“It seems it’s one thing to tell your colleagues that Council should be investing more in fixing roads or looking after parks, but quite another to actually tell the people who get to decide those things.”

He says its important residents have their say, especially at a time of budget constraint, because without feedback, decision-makers are not as wellinformed as they could be on what residents actually think.

“Budgets are always a balancing act. For every person who says stop spending on this or that, there’s someone else who thinks those areas should be the priority.”

Local boards – there are 21 across the city – have also been asked to find savings.

“We can’t stick our head in the sand and expect everyone else to tighten their belts, yet not be prepared to do the same in Rodney. But we need to know what residents see as the priority and what services they want, or we risk making decisions that don’t align with that.”

Council is facing increased inflation and interest costs. “We need to close a huge budget gap. There are only so many options we can use, and all of them have consequences.”

Some topics have already been agreed for consultation, so that Aucklanders will be able to have their say on a range of options.

The most significant is Mayor Wayne Brown’s call for operational savings, stop some services altogether and reduce local board budgets by 5 percent. The mayor’s proposal outlines changes that would increase rates for the average household by around 4.6 per cent or about $150 a year - $3 a week. It includes a 7 per cent rates increase that is lowered by reducing targeted rates for the environment and water quality.

Consultation will include selling the airport shares for around $1.9billion to repay debt, keeping the shares, or retaining a smaller holding.

Keep an eye on akhaveyoursay.nz/budget for the latest consultation information.

Warkworth Students’ ideas welcomed

Students from Te Kura o Puhinui / Warkworth School helped design a new playground at Shoesmith Reserve.

Concerned about the state of the old playground next to the school, students carried out a school-wide survey about the types of play everyone wanted.

That feedback, along with that of Ngati Manuhiri, was captured in the design brief for a new playground, developed by the Rodney Local Board, that opened last year. A nature theme carries through the playground, with artwork illustrating a story of significance provided by Ngati Manuhiri.

Tāne battles te aitanga pepeke (the insect world) to retrieve three baskets of whatukura (sacred knowledge) from the heavens.

Features include: a wide concrete path for pedestrians, bikes and scooters, a play tower with slides and see-saw, swings, a spinner and rocker, a picnic area with tables, a training circuit with trampolines, a tightrope, a rotating beam, ninja wall, posts and climbing nets.

Rodney Local Board members. Clockwise from left, Tim Holdgate, Colin Smith, Brent Bailey (Chair), Ivan Wagstaff, Guy Wishart, Louise Johnston (Deputy Chair), Geoff Upson, Mark Dennis and Michelle Carmichael.

Shoesmith Reserve playground

Locals are being asked to give their feedback on the council’s annual budget – what they see as the priority and what services they want.

Council is facing increased inflation and interest costs and needs to close a huge budget gap. Local boards have also been asked to find savings.

from page 15

families in the area has been significant and exciting.”

Kyle Port has moved into the second associate principal role, and Sally Jack has taken a role growth position in Year 1. Laura Morley has also moved into a fulltime teaching role.

A Year 5 camp will be held later this term and Year 6 students will head to Tongariro in Term 2.

“We are looking forward to a return to the days when our school community can get involved, such as the student organised mini-gala, our Matariki celebration and Christmas carols at the end of the year.”

Warkworth Primary

Warkworth Primary has started the year with 503 students, compared to 468 last February and a finishing roll of 544 in December. This includes 86 new entrant enrolments this year, compared to 74 last year.

Principal Cynthia Holden says there has been little change in staff.

“We have two new teachers starting this year on account of previous teachers taking up leadership opportunities at other schools,” Holden says.

Some of the highlights in the year ahead include regular excursions locally and further afield in support of curriculum studies, school camps, school productions, interschool sports competitions and many and varied additional events, such as book week and fundraising activities.

Holden says the school has three projects currently in progress, which are due for completion by the end of this term – an outdoor amphitheatre with bleachers and shade canopies, toilet upgrade in the senior hall and the installation of the Learning Support Coordinator (LSC) office.

Matakana School

The starting role at Matakana School was 301, slightly down on last year’s 308. There were 12 new entrants compared to 18 last year.

Principal Darrel Goosen says four new teachers have joined the staff this year following the retirement of one teacher, the decision by two teachers to leave fulltime teaching and one teacher who has taken long service leave for the year.

Goosen says Matakana will have a major focus on structured literacy across the school this year.

“Our teachers have already started undertaking Ministry of Education-funded professional learning and development with Writers Toolbox,” he says.

“We also have an exciting Te Ao Māori programme to look forward to, together with our awesome kapa haka. Our sport specialist classes will again complement the various school and inter-school sports events in 2023. All in all we have a busy but tremendously exciting local curriculum delivery plan.”

Goosen says that about 75 per cent of the school buildings are not weathertight so are undergoing recladding and some structural repairs. The repairs are being funded by the Ministry of Education and will most likely take 18 months to complete.

Tapora

Tapora will start the year with 11 students, slightly down on the 14 students who were at the school at the end of last year.

Principal, teacher and office administrator

Keryl Lee says the roll is expected to return to 14 with the arrival of a new family in Term 2. She says Year 7 and 8 students are involved with the Virtual Learning Network Primary Rural group, which will include meeting the students from other rural remote schools during a week-long camp in Wellington in May.

THE GARDENS APARTMENTS

“These students are also participating in the William Pike Challenge Award,” she says. “This requires them to do 20 hours volunteering, 20 hours on a new hobby, sport or other activity, and five physical challenges, such as a high ropes course, sailing, kayaking or tramping.

“Our curriculum focus this year is our local community so there will be a lot of visits to look at our area’s environment and learn its history. We will also do our annual Trees for Survival planting by Manukapua Island.

“The big event of the year is our Ag Day, which will be held on election day, October 14.”

Kaipara Flats

Kaipara Flats is starting the year with 111 children, a slight increase on last year. There are 12 new entrants, an increase in four from last year.

Kendall Archer is joining the staff covering a maternity leave.

Principal Debbie Hamer says the traditional school picnic will be held at Martins Bay on March 3, the senior camp at Tawharanui during term 1, Ruud Kleinpaste (The Bugman) will visit for two days next month and the school is hosting the interschool swimming event at Mahurangi College on March 14.

The school is about to undertake a major refurbishment of the junior classrooms, the second phase of the main block refurbishment. The Board of Trustees is also funding a refurbishment of the kitchen and bathrooms in the old school house. The house is used for the Garden to Table programme, developing the children’s knowledge and skills around growing, harvesting, cooking and composting their own food.

Tomarata

The students enrolled at Tomarata School will have a continued focus on the outdoors, and the local environment this year.

The school has an orchard, productive vegetable garden (Garden to Table programme), chickens, Trees for Survival programme and a bush classroom, where one class goes each week to experience learning in the natural environment.

One of the first events on the calendar is a whanau pizza night on Thursday, February 16. Principal Chris King says this is a chance for the whole school community to come together and share food, fun and conversation.

Another major Board project is the development of an outside learning space in the old pony paddock. This is a long term project. Senior students are also building an ANZAC commemoration garden.

Leigh

Leigh School has 57 students on its roll, down slightly from 65 who were at the school at the end of last year. This includes four new entrants.

Highlights of the coming year will be the continuation of the Enviro School goals and the Garden to Table Programme. The school went through a significant upgrade last year, but a new bike track is under consideration for work this year.

Rodney College, Wellsford, Mangawhai Beach, Pakiri and Ahuroa schools did not respond.

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Tomarata principal Chris King.

Gumboots 4WDs

Paparoa was pumping when the North Kaipara Agricultural Association held the 146th annual Paparoa A&P Show on Saturday, February 4.

Overcast skies and the occasional rain shower failed to deter showgoers, with thousands turning out to enjoy all the regular show events, from sheep shearing, cattle and equestrian to western riding, indoor exhibits, fire service demonstrations and trade stalls.

Association president Janine Hames says putting on the show had been tricky with the weather, but the community had rallied to make it happen.

&

“The grounds were looking amazing up until Friday night, when we got 30mm of rain,” Hames says.

“Cattle had already arrived from the Waikato and horses from Pukekohe, so we really had to go ahead. Luckily, we had a tractor on standby to pull out anyone who got stuck.”

Hames says a few stallholders and trade exhibitors had bailed due to the weather, but those who attended were very positive about the day.

The Paparoa show is one of NZ’s longest running A&P events.

in Paparoa Show

The Barbarians were, from left, Peter Sturgess, of Maungatapere, Nellie Naiker, of Hikurangi, Mickey Renton, of Kaiwaka and Nigel Bernie, of Tinopai.

Alexia Thomas, 11, from Pukekohe, on Merivale Park Opening Night.

Madeleine Luff, of Langs Beach. Karen Woolley with Cookie.

Kassidy Tylor with Faith,

five-week-old kunekune.

Finn Gamst shows Dad Soren how to nail it.

Tessa Berge

Molly Fletcher with winning milking goat Ascona Shulina.

Airify

Keeping everyone’s indoor air clean and healthy is the main aim of a new mobile heat pump cleaning business based in Wellsford.

Airify Rodney owner Tom Watson says most people don’t realise that their heat pump units need to be cleaned and serviced once a year, not only to keep them running efficiently, but to prevent people breathing in contaminated air in their home or business.

“A lot of people don’t realise that mould can grow in heat pumps, and it could be making them sick,” he says. “Heat pump filters are designed to protect the machines, not people.”

Watson says an unmaintained heat pump can cause respiratory and other health issues, as well as causing the unit to work harder to maintain its temperature, using more electricity and pushing up

power bills.

Airify will inspect, clean and sanitise every part of both indoor and outdoor heat pump units, using a flush system to get rid of dust, dirt, mould and any other contaminants.

Tom has lived in the Wellsford, Warkworth and Kaipara area all his life and, after 15 years as a builder, was looking for a career change. He says making sure heat pumps are kept clean and healthy, as well as compliant with the latest healthy homes standards, fitted the bill.

“I wanted to do something that would still help the community, but that maybe wasn’t quite so labour intensive as building,” he says. “A lot of people still don’t seem to know how important it is to keep their heat pumps clean and serviced, and the air they’re breathing healthy.”

Tom Watson

Why were southern standards not applied here?

Environment Court Judge Jeff Smith has questioned why Waste Management NZ (WM) hasn’t followed the same rigorous process for site selection and consultation for its proposed new tip that was carried out for a successful South Island landfill 17 years ago.

The court heard from WM consultant Gareth James that there was a long and public process for the Kate Valley landfill near Christchurch, including extensive consultation and engagement with local iwi and hapu for several years before the site was chosen.

“It was very clear that they were all agreed on the mana whenua, that was never in contention,” he said.

Judge Smith, who was involved in the Kate Valley hearing, said he recalled there was a very robust process around consultation and parties had the agreement of all local authorities, council and tangata whenua long before the case got to court.

“You can’t tell us why witnesses for WM would say they didn’t consider it was appropriate to consult with tangata whenua before site selection?” he asked.

James said that no, he could not assist with that.

The court also heard that the Kate Valley site was chosen using best practice standards from around the world.

“One of reasons Transwaste Canterbury took a very robust approach to site selection by using not only the American but the European and NZ landfill guidelines was that there were no NZ standards for landfill site selection and there still aren’t, so we took the best of what was available throughout the world at the time,” he said.

James added that there were ‘multiple redundancies’ built into Kate Valley, meaning if one area was flooded with leachate, for example, there were several more safeguards in place to catch it before it could escape the site and harm the local

environment.

He said the site had since been tested several times with the Christchurch earthquakes and major storms and floods, and each time the landfill had performed better than it was designed for and was coping with anything the weather could throw at it.

Judge Smith said he found it heartening that what was viewed by some at the time as an over-cautious approach was paying off.

“I suppose what I’m asking is why wasn’t the process used in Kate Valley used for this site – you’re not able to help us with that at all, are you?” he asked.

James said he hadn’t been involved with the Wayby project, other than observing it from a distance.

“So you can’t comment either on the catchment, how it deals with rain, or how the geology of the site might work with rain or other factors?” Smith asked.

“No, your honour, I haven’t even been to the site,” James replied.

WM stats outdated, witness warns

Fight the Tip’s final witness in the Environment Court was Leane Barry, the landfill site’s nearest neighbour, living just one kilometre south of the proposed dump. She was also the first person to learn about the new tip, when WM executives visited her unannounced in late September 2018 – the only contact she’d ever had from WM, she told the court.

Barry told of the stress the announcement had caused her family, who bought their property on State Highway 1 as an oasis surrounded by native bush.

“One of the reasons we moved there was we wanted something that wouldn’t change over time and that we could hopefully enhance,” she said. “We did due diligence and there was nothing, absolutely nothing that suggested this would happen, or we wouldn’t have touched it with a bargepole.”

The Barry property is right next to the forestry road that would be used as the construction access for the two years it would take to build the tip.

“The noise, vibration, the dust, odour –there’s nothing to stop that getting through to us at any time,” she said.

Barry pointed out that both traffic volumes and weather patterns had changed significantly in recent years, which made WM data from 2014 to 2017 out of date and no longer relevant. She also said the recent long-term road improvements through the Dome had altered the highway layout dramatically.

“There’s no side of the road anymore,” she said. “I don’t think that [WM traffic/road plan] information is accurate and it never can be with the road as it is now.

“All the statistics that I’ve seen in the evidence, they’re talking about weather patterns from five years ago. We’ve seen weather patterns this year that have never been seen before in NZ.

“Putting a dump in the middle of the Dome is just the craziest idea … the craziest idea,” Barry said.

NEW PATIENTS WELCOME

WARKWORTH

SNELLS BEACH

WE PROVIDE

Covid and Flu vaccinations available

Surgery at 11 Alnwick Street

Surgery at Unit 2/347 Mahurangi East Road

• Wide range of doctor and nurse led services including accident and medical services, immunisation, minor surgery, vasectomies, immigration, dive and insurance medicals.

• Wide range of visiting specialists.

• Warkworth is open Monday to Friday 8am-5pm and Saturday 8am-12 noon.

• Snells Beach is open Monday to Friday 8am-5pm.

• Low Cost access for enrolled patients under 14 free, young people $13, adults $19.50 (ACC costs differ).

• Pharmacy, Labtest, Physio on site.

• Free Covid-19 testing available.

Doctors • Kate Baddock • Stephen Barker • Bruce Sutherland • Amy MacBeth • Clinton Anderson • Andrew Du n • Jing He • Mette Johannesen • Ed McDonald • Simon Tricker

There was lengthy public and iwi consultation before the Kate Valley site was decided.

Homebuilders

Gareth Pring, Family Support Worker www.homebuildersfs.org

Teen brains

Our teenagers, with their rapidly developing brains, are particularly susceptible to addiction, and addiction can quickly lead to anxiety and depression. The typical addictions and problematic teen behaviours that most people will immediately think of are smoking, drinking, drug taking and sex leading to teenage pregnancy. But it will not be news to most that those behaviours among teens are in decline. The disconcerting news is that a whole raft of addictions have taken their place.

Once upon a time, the dopamine hit craved by teenagers came from smoking a joint or sculling their favourite alcopop. The pleasure jolt is now provided by electronic devices that typically come from playing games online (if you’re a boy) and engaging with social media (if you’re a girl). It is quite easy to pinpoint in history where such an abrupt change in teen behaviour took place ... 2007, the introduction of the iPhone and the ability to access the internet and everything on it from a device that could fit in your pocket.

Unlike drugs, alcohol and cigarettes, electronic devices are not illicit. In fact, they are quite the opposite. They are distributed by schools (iPads) and parents (iPhones), with few restrictions placed on their use.

Every parent who has raised a teenager from 2010 onwards has faced challenges that the many generations before them didn’t have to. The adage, raise your kids the way you were raised is not so easy to adhere to anymore. New addictions are just a tap of a button away. Dopamine hits are being administered by highly addictive gambling, gaming, porn or social media applications designed explicitly to excite them.

As is often the case with addictions, the

Creativity funded

desire for that hit can often overwhelm the person’s better judgement. When we see this behaviour demonstrated by adults it becomes apparent how much of a challenge it is for a not yet fully developed teen brain to not do the same. The importance of recognising the challenges that developing teen brains face and the support that must be provided to them is crucial in enabling them to get through these tough years without suffering too much angst as the pitfalls can often be devastating for families.

All is not lost. Experts in teen behaviour have set out clear, reasonable and effective rules, to help you confidently manage your kids use of screen times at this critical point in their lives. They are:

• Parents make the rules and kids follow them.

• Those rules should severely restrict access to personal electronic devices.

• The rules should be clear and unequivocal.

• Breaches of rules should be punished –consistently.

• All teens need eight hours sleep a night. While all of the above may sound like common sense, and apply to many areas of parenting, enforcing them is often the challenge.

During Term 1 at Homebuilders, we will be delivering a free programme for parents of teens where we discuss these issues. The programme will cover teenage behaviour and how it is at the mercy of biological changes. This will include addictive behaviour, depression and anxiety, impulse control and approval, as well as sharing thoughts on being the parent of a teen. For further details about this free programme, contact Homebuilders at homebuildersfs@gmail.com or 0800 100 037 to register your interest.

Clubs or individuals in Kaipara who have a project with an arts or events focus are encouraged to apply for funding under the Creative Communities Scheme, which is accepting applications until March 1. The scheme is administered by Kaipara District Council and projects must create opportunities for local communities to engage with and participate in local arts activities, or support the diverse artistic, cultural traditions of local communities. Projects that support young people under 18 years are also eligible. Info: grants@kaipara.govt.nz

is our Sunday kids program. It runs on alternate weeks at the Warkworth Anglican Church during our 10am Sunday family service or at the Matakana Anglican Church at our 9:30am service. In Term 1 Explorer Kids will be running in Warkworth on Sundays 19 February, 5 & 19 March and 2 April. In Matakana the program will be running on Sundays 26 February and 12 & 26 March.

Whether you’re new to church or just haven’t been for a while, you’re very welcome to come for a visit and check us out. Email children@warkworthanglican.nz for more info or check us out: www.warkworthanglican.nz

This month we start a series called ‘Tales from Warkworth’s past’ to mark the town’s 170th anniversary this year. Snells Beach author Bryan Jackson has put together a string of stories about the town’s famous, and sometimes infamous, characters, beginning this month with Doctor Ick. We hope you enjoy them.

The doctor’s story

By Bryan Jackson

The residents of Warkworth must have been elated in 1909 when they were informed that a new doctor was to arrive in the town. Australian-born Dr Edwin Ick married in Victoria in 1899 and had three children. However, while in Perth in Western Australia, he became involved with Laura Hewins, with whom he had a son. A court case and demands for child support from his wife Mary, led Edwin, Laura and baby Stanley to move to Warkworth.

In May of 1911, Edwin, who was now using the surname of Ick-Hewins, appeared in court seeking payment for medical assistance services provided and not paid for. The defendant’s counsel pointed out that there was no record of Ick-Hewins as a surname. The Magistrate Mr Smith told Edwin to change his surname officially. Friday June 2 saw a startling event occur in the town when Dr Ick became aware of statements being made by local chemist, Mr Cadman, about his de facto wife Laura. Edwin told Laura, who decided, with Edwin’s agreement, that Mr Cadman should be horsewhipped. Next morning they bought a horsewhip from Mr Guest’s

store. Edwin and George Guest then went to Mr Cadman’s shop and asked if he had made statements concerning Laura. Mr Cadman stated that he had. The men returned to Mr Guest’s shop and, after rounding up some local residents, they went back to Mr Cadman’s shop. It is reported that Laura attacked Mr Cadman using the whip with “considerable vigour”. The allegations around Edwin and Laura were about whether they were married or not. In the June 5 issue of the Rodney Times, the editor called upon the doctor to produce a marriage certificate. It was never produced. In September 1911 Edwin legally changed his surname to IckHewins.

In 1914, the Ick-Hewins family left Warkworth and worked throughout NZ for a few years before settling in Christchurch in 1921. Six years later, Laura returned to Australia and lived in hospital care in Canberra for 20 years. In 1956, she moved to Sydney to be near her son Stanley. She died in 1960, aged 85 years. Edwin also returned to Australia in 1927 and practiced medicine.

In Hobart, in 1936, he was reunited with his wife Mary and changed his surname again, removing Hewins from it. Mary died in 1942. Four years later, Edwin married Victoria Butler, a widow, whom he had known when he lived in Tasmania in the 1880’s. Victoria died in 1959.

At the age of 87, Dr Edwin Theophilus Ick died on June 7, 1963, and was buried in the same plot as his wife Mary at Carr Villa Memorial Park, Launceston. His gravestone bears the inscription: AMCI. HUMANI. GENERIS (A friend of the human race). So came to an end the life of a man who provided some entertainment to the people of Warkworth while living here.

Teacher aides reviewed

The Ministry of Education is currently consulting on how teacher aides are resourced in schools.

There are two main sources of government funding for teacher aides – learning support and operational grant funding.

The majority of schools spend more than the learning support teacher aide funding allocated to them on teacher aides, topping up with a portion of their operational grant funding and locally raised funds.

Primary schools employ the most teacher aides and fund the most hours of support from teacher aides for learners. This is in part because there are more students in Years 1-8 than Years 9-15, but also because many of the learning support interventions are aimed at primary school year levels. Key issues identified in work on the project so far has identified that the current application process for funding is time consuming and administrative and funding is unpredictable, contestable and time-limited (often short term.

The group overseeing the review is expected to submit their final recommendations to the Minister of Education by the middle of this year.

New Board office build

Building work is continuing on the new Rodney Local Board office in Elizabeth Street, Warkworth, with no opening date yet confirmed. The new premises will be used for board business meetings and other public engagements, as well as office space for staff and elected members. Auckland Council local area manager Lesley Jenkins said it would not replace or duplicate services provided at the existing Council Service Centre at 1 Baxter Street. She added that information on the cost of the new office could not be provided while the project was still under construction and subject to commercially sensitive construction contracts.

For a full range of family medical care, including A&M services in an integrated system 24 hours a day, across our region, including public holidays

Dr Edwin Theophilus Ick

Sheepworld goes national

Sheepworld in Warkworth is the first business to be featured in a Business Heroes campaign being organised by Go with Tourism.

Go with Tourism is a not-for-profit initiative aimed at building New Zealand’s tourism and hospitality workforce.

It launched the Business Heroes campaign last month to showcase great tourism employers across New Zealand. A different business will be showcased every month.

As the first cab off the rank, Sheepworld will discuss how it prioritises its people on a budget.

The government-funded initiative – whose goal is to build back the tourism and hospitality workforce – believes that good employers are key to winning people back to the industry, which lost 90,000 people during covid-19 and is currently facing a significant worker shortage.

Programme director Heidi Gillingham says good employers and positive working environments are what people want.

“These are key themes to come out of global post-covid employee research, the 2021 Workforce Wānanga and its subsequent action plan, as well as the draft Better Work Action Plan, currently in development by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and

Employment and the Tourism Industry Transformation Plan.”

She says that the industry does not need to reinvent the wheel to attract new talent.

“Workers are telling us exactly what they want and it’s something businesses can easily deliver,” Gillingham says.

“Public stigma surrounding careers in our industry is the main challenge we need to overcome to ensure a sustainable future workforce. If individuals and businesses always strive to be good employers and make great workplaces the norm, we will change the negative narrative.”

Sheepworld is an agri-tourism business owned by Springboard. It is also a youth development centre for training and supporting young people into brighter futures. All profits go towards this cause. Through a case study, video profile and free-to-attend webinar, Sheepworld will share its story and advice on how to prioritise people on a budget.

The 30-minute webinar, will be held at midday on Thursday, February 23 and is free for anyone to attend. To register, go to: https://form.asana. com/?k=CRnc3HHgpPhOX0a2wB8eMA&d

=69847608264490

Resene supports foodbank campaign

Resene stores nationwide are accepting donations of cans of food in exchange for paint test pots this month.

The Resene Hunger for Colour food fundraiser gives people a chance to donate food and help vulnerable families by swapping two cans of food for a 60 to 80ml test pot. Resene will accept up to 14 cans of food for seven test pots, with all cans given to Salvation Army foodbanks.

Over the past nine years, this annual fundraiser has helped put more than 300,000 cans on foodbank shelves and seen Resene donate more than $1 million worth of paint. Salvation Army territorial director of community ministries Jono Bell says this time of year is a challenge for Salvation Army foodbanks, with increased demand when shelves are low in stock postChristmas.

Learn to Play

“Many of our foodbanks find themselves with bare shelves at this time of year and need to re-stock to provide families with food parcels,” he says.

Last year, the Salvation Army provided more than 90,000 food parcels to New Zealanders struggling to put food on the table.

“We are so grateful for the ongoing generosity of ordinary Kiwis shown through Resene Hunger for Colour.”

A Resene spokesperson says the Hunger for Colour campaign is a yearly highlight for craft and community groups, especially the popular rock painting groups, who eagerly anticipate the chance to restock and choose new colours.

“It’s also very popular with renovators as it provides the chance to try out multiple decorating colours for the cost of two food cans. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.”

Aria Tobin and Ox Wightman feature in the Sheepworld video aimed at raising the profile of the tourism and hospitality sector.

History

Nathaniel Wilson

Nathaniel Wilson, founder of the Warkworth Cement Works and thus a major employer in the district for some 40 years, was my great-great grandfather. While we have heard much about the cement works, I thought it would be interesting to hear about the man himself.

Nathaniel arrived in New Zealand as a six-year-old, with his Scottish parents, William and Isabella, on the vessel Duchess of Argyle, in 1842. A gruelling voyage of almost four months on which his younger brother William died and brother James was born. The family originally settled in Auckland, with his father working as a blacksmith for the Permanent Forces. Moving within a few years to work at the copper mine on Kawau Island, here brother John was born. Then back to Auckland again, where Nathaniel became apprenticed to a shoemaker.

Between this time, and the time the family moved to Warkworth in 1858, Nathaniel spent two years on the Ballarat gold fields. The family bought 130 acres, just to the south of Warkworth, on what was then the main road north (now Wilson Road), building two houses with businesses attached – William and son, James, with a blacksmith business and Nathaniel with a shoemaker’s business. Nathaniel would tramp the district doing shoe repairs – crossing the Mahurangi River at the bottom of Wilson Road and tramping the 15 miles to the Mahurangi Heads settlement, visiting families on the way. The Snell family at Long Bay (now Snells Beach) was one of these and here he met

Florence Snell, whom he married in 1863 – they had 10 children over the next 20 years, one of whom was my grandmother, Isabella.

Nathaniel was a red head with blue eyes, always a gentleman. He liked things fair and above board. My father remembered him as treating all ages and people as equals. In the 1860s, his health deteriorated, and

Enrol now to broaden your future in

the doctor recommended outdoor work, this ended up being a bit of farming and hop growing before 1866, when he started creating hydraulic lime from a lime deposit on the property. This was used as a mortar in the building industry at that time. By 1878, his two brothers had joined him, and by 1885 they were producing saleable quantities of Portland cement – the first commercial quantities of Portland cement produced in the Southern Hemisphere. Workers cottages were built along Pulham Road and a manager’s house, now beautifully restored, down by the works. Around 1900, Nathaniel and Florence moved into their new home, Riverina, on Wilson Road. Nathaniel died in 1919, six years after his wife. The cement works operated in Warkworth until 1929. By then an amalgamation of three cement

companies had been set up at Portland, in Whangarei – Wilson’s (NZ) Portland Cement Co. Here there was good quality lime and access for ships.

In 1990, the NZ Institute of Professional Engineers recognised the cement ruins in Warkworth as a unique and important part of NZ’s industrial history. Heritage NZ and Auckland Council also both recognise the ruins as an exceptional heritage site. At present, however, these once proud ruins stand derelict being vandalised with graffiti, with wilding trees upsetting some structures and little signage to celebrate their amazing story.

The Warkworth Museum would be interested to hear from anyone who had relatives who worked for the Wilson Cement Works. They can be contacted at: warkworthmuseum@xtra.co.nz

Nathaniel Wilson

The cement works was a major employer in its day.

Lyn Wade, Warkworth & District Museum www.warkworthmuseum.co.nz

Spectacular sections. Selling now!

An enviable location to live, perched elegantly above the northern edge of Warkworth and just 45 minutes from the Auckland CBD, you’ll find Warkworth Ridge.

These 53 hectares of rolling hills and stunning views will be home to a collection of carefully considered sections that combine the things that matter most — connection, nature, and wellbeing.

Warkworth Ridge is created with harmony in mind, expect greenery and open spaces, attractive street appeal and house sites positioned for sunshine and rural views. Leading edge urban design will complete the picture of a neighbourhood with its own parks, cycleways, footpaths, community centre, café, and playground.

Living a life of plenty, surrounded by nature.

Sandspit

7 Creek Street

Coastal haven location!

Looking for privacy, views and unique location? Sandspit Marina just down the road, this freehold property is the gateway to Auckland's newest coastal hot spot. Stunning westerly sunsets from expansive decking, easy outdoor flow. fresh refurb in and out. Open plan entertainers' kitchen. Sandspit Yacht Club and marina just down the road, and the magic of Matakana Coast! Flexible settlement available, owners off closer to family and early offers invited.

Vendors relocate, flexi settlement-be in for summer! bayleys.co.nz/1203319

NEW LISTING

8,001sqm 3 1

Auction (unless sold prior) 10am, Thu 9 Mar 2023

41 Queen Street, Warkworth View Sun 12-12.30pm

Avalon Sanders 021 230 9515 avalon.sanders@bayleys.co.nz

James Sanders 021 135 0740 james.sanders@bayleys.co.nz

NEW LISTING

Warkworth

Easy, breezy family classic

Set in popular Woodcocks Estate, this single level near-new family home is cleverly designed with four generous bedrooms, easy open living with a bright, sunny vibe. Sleek kitchen leads to open plan dining and lounge with ducted heat pump and indooroutdoor flow to private North facing outdoor living.

Bonus second lounge highlighted with on-trend barn door feature. Lux features, and additional storage in attic both tucked away in double garage.

Current owners are relocating. Flexi settlement. bayleys.co.nz/1203359

581sqm 4 2 2

Auction (unless sold prior)

10am, Thu 23 Feb 2023

41 Queen Street, Warkworth View Sun 11-11.30am

Avalon Sanders 021 230 9515 avalon.sanders@bayleys.co.nz

James Sanders 021 135 0740 james.sanders@bayleys.co.nz

MACKYS REAL ESTATE LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED REAA 2008

Warkworth 27 Northwood Close

Stunning Home

This stunning sun drenched executive three bedroom home has been designed and built with the discerning in mind. With a masterchef kitchen including scullery and quality Bosch appliances through to the beautifully tiled bathrooms, separate laundry and easy care landscaped grounds. Outside, the manicured grounds and established plantings will give you shelter to entertain. The owners are moving closer to family and require their home sold. bayleys.co.nz/1203375

3 2 2 2

Auction (unless sold prior) 2pm, Thu 2 Mar 2023

14 Florence Avenue, Orewa View Sun 11.30am-12pm

Fin Higgins 021 660 558 fin.higgins@bayleys.co.nz

MACKYS REAL ESTATE LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED REAA 2008

bayleys.co.nz

19 Oliver Street

Lifestyle living with harbour views

In an elevated position with a north facing aspect, this stylish coastal home on 2.549 hectares (more or less) offers magnificent views. The single level home offers four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a spacious open plan kitchen and dining/family area and separate living room. An expansive deck wraps around to provide a fabulous outdoor entertaining area to be enjoyed all day and night. There is a cabin that provides a separate office or guest room, with plenty of parking available. This property offers a large shed with an existing kitchen and bathroom, this is the perfect space for hobbies and/or storage. Mahurangi West is an area of outstanding natural beauty with beautiful beaches and walks nearby and the boat ramp at Opahi Bay just a few minutes’ drive. Our vendors are moving north, and they are motivated to sell.

Waimanawa unveils Warkworth south plan

The developers of a large swathe of land south of Warkworth have submitted a private plan change to Auckland Council, which will pave the way for 1600 new residential lots, parks, a retail/business centre, public transport hub and possibly a school.

The residential housing mix will include large lots, single house blocks and terrace and apartment zones.

The plan change seeks to rezone 165 hectares through the introduction of two new precincts – Waimanawa and Morrison Heritage Orchard.

The land, in the vicinity of Valerie Close, is currently split by State Highway 1. When the new Puhoi to Warkworth motorway opens, the existing state highway will become an arterial road and the development will become the gateway to Warkworth.

The application was submitted by KA Waimanawa Limited Partnership and Stepping Towards Far Limited, supported by nine adjoining landowners.

If approved, the plan change will move development three years ahead of the timeframe set out in the Future Urban Land Supply Strategy of 2017.

The developers envisage the first houses being occupied by 2025. However, they have given an undertaking that no new dwellings will be connected to the wastewater network until the Snells Beach wastewater treatment plant upgrades and Warkworth to Snells Beach transfer pipeline are completed. The treatment plant is due to open in early 2025.

The plan change lists 15 key elements, which include protecting key watercourses that traverse the land and feed the upper reaches of the Mahurangi River, and recognising the Avice Miller Reserve and protecting it by limiting the density of residential development alongside it.

The plan also recognises an opportunity for a future public transport interchange and the wider western link road, although the plan proposes a modified alignment for the road.

Significant residential and employment growth is expected over the next 30 years in Warkworth with around 1100 hectares earmarked as future urban land. This can accommodate about 7500 additional dwellings, which equates to an additional 20,000 people.

ValerieClose

Infrastructure will include construction of a water reservoir, wastewater pump station, the upgrade of a section of the current SH1 through the plan change area, cycle paths to McKinney Road and Morrison Orchard, and the provision of land for the Waimanawa Wetland Reserve and the Endeans Farm Recreational Park.

Land will be put aside adjacent to a new local centre for a future public transport and bus layover. The developers say Auckland Transport has confirmed that it will not be a park and ride.

The applicants say they are in discussions with the Ministry of Education regarding the provision of land for a new school within the development.

The land is currently zoned future urban, open space – conservation and rural – rural production land and the developers are seeking to change the zoning to a mix of residential, business, open space and rural zones. If the private plan change is accepted by Council, public notification and a call for submissions will follow in due course.

StateHighway1

River protection

The plan change area encompasses the two upper reaches of the Mahurangi River. There is currently no public access in these areas of the river. The developers say the re-zoning, then development, of the adjoining land will provide public access to these scenic sections of the river while also protecting the extensive riparian vegetation. The plan promises that the quality of water entering the Mahurangi River will be protected by: The retirement of farmland and a former vineyard, which will reduce nutrients and sedimentation entering the local stream network. A treatment train approach for stormwater entering the streams and river. This includes the potential for on-site retention and detention, and the creation of wetlands to treat stormwater.

• The creation of esplanade reserves and the protection of the existing vegetation within the reserves at the time of subdivision.

Who are the developers?

KA Waimanawa Limited Partnership

Classic Group has partnered with the New Zealand Super Fund to form the KA Waimanawa Limited Partnership to develop the land on the western side of SH1 owned by KA Waimanawa Limited Partnership. KA Waimanawa Limited Partnership purchased this land in 2021 from Endean Farms and has agreements in place for the future purchase of additional land owned by Endeans Farms. The Classic Group undertakes both land development and construction.

Stepping Towards Far Limited

Stepping Towards Far has signed the sale and purchase agreement with the current owner of the land, Thriving Development Ltd. Stepping Towards Far has the right to develop the land, which is about 46.5h on the eastern side of SH1. In addition, it has partnered with adjoining landowners to incorporate an additional 15ha into the plan change area.

The supporting landowners are the Morrison family, Endeans Farms Ltd, C and W Endean, D and D Morgan Ltd, L and R Crosswell, J and L Gowing, A and H Miles, K and S Richardson and F and K Hames.

The Waimanawa private plan change is now before Council.

Economist predicts uncertain future for property investment

By Kelvin Davidson CoreLogic NZ chief property economist

There’s been an increasing number of hurdles placed in front of property investors in the past couple of years. With weaker market conditions, it is a good time to check in on the fundamentals to see whether it will be enough for property investors to jump back into action.

It’s tough to get the sums to stack up at present.

Given 40% deposits (unless buying a new-build), low gross rental yields, higher mortgage rates (not to mention tough serviceability tests), increased compliance costs, removal of interest deductibility, and flattening rents, there are several key challenges for a would-be new investor. With these challenges, it’s little wonder the CoreLogic Buyer Classification data shows that mortgaged multiple property owners (MPOs, including investors) are currently running at about a 21% share of purchases, close to all-time lows.

That being said, the situation is not a total disaster. Those figures still mean that one in every five deals is going to a mortgaged MPO. Kept in context, it is within a low overall number of transactions. But clearly some investors are still finding value and new-builds are no doubt one of these opportunities.

Anecdotally, there are relative bargains to be picked up, with some developers looking to shift stock so they can crack on with their next project. In the weak market, others will simply be doing deals on existing properties at discounted prices.

Cash remains king

Meanwhile, cash MPOs – yes they do survive in any economic storm – are enjoying the weak market conditions, too. Their share of purchases has risen to a record high from around 10% in late 2021 to closer to 15% now. In a market where

finance is restricted and costly, it stands to reason that ‘cash is king’.

Volume matters

When we look at investor activity by size of portfolio, the decline in market share has tended to be a bit bigger for those with fewer properties – in other words, the ‘Mums and Dads’ have found the going a bit tougher than bigger landlords. Again, that makes sense in the current market conditions – having the resources or banking relationships for a deposit to keep buying is challenging.

Investor crystal balling

If we put ourselves in the shoes of an investor, what would be worth considering over the coming months and is it a time to buy? The first question, for investors and buyers more broadly, is to ask when property values might bottom out? No one knows exactly, but my working assumption is that as mortgage rates finally peak in the next few months (if they haven’t already), we may see sales activity pick up a little in the second half of the year and property values in many parts of the country find a floor.

• Will National win the election and reinstate interest deductibility? This scenario does seem to be getting more likely as the days go by, but it is probably still prudent to work the numbers on what we know now, and if the rules change, that’s a bonus for investors. How will lending rules evolve? I’m not anticipating any changes to the loan to value ratio rules (LVRs) this year, although November’s Financial Stability Report might signal a loosening in 2024, which would be when the formal caps on debt-to-income ratios are likely to be introduced. The cap could be set at seven for all borrowers, with a speed limit system and new-build exemption. You can find a handy RBNZ LVR explainer on the Reserve Bank website. Ultimately, I suspect many would-be investors are currently weighing up the need to top-up a property investment’s cashflow from other income sources over a three-to-five year horizon versus the scope for renewed capital gains over that period, which are uncertain and only ‘on paper’ until realised.

It’s by no means an easy balancing act, but one factor that will work in favour of investors are signs that net migration is back in the black – a boost for tenant demand and rents this year.

Kelvin Davidson

Land next to golf club looks set for senior living village

A retirement village operator has bought the 55-hectare Paddison Farm block on Matakana Road, just outside Warkworth. The land is next to Warkworth Golf Club and sits opposite Te Honohono ki Tai Matakana link road and the new 600-home Warkworth Ridge development. It also borders land around Red Barn Antiques and stretches back to the Rodney Co-op Lime quarry, off Sandspit Road. The commercial director for selling agent Bayleys, Chris Blair, said it was too early to name the company behind the recent purchase, which went out to tender in November and attracted multiple offers. “They’re working through due diligence around finding the best location for the village,” he said.

“They’ve got to do a lot of feasibility studies to find the location that works best for them.”

Blair said that even a large retirement village would not take up the whole site, but he was unsure what the purchaser

might do with the remaining land it did not need.

One possibility is that it could be sold on to housing developers, but whatever happens, current zoning for the land will need to change.

At present, around 45% of the land is designated as Future Urban, with the rest zoned Mixed Rural, but a private plan change to live zoning could potentially unlock the land for significant residential development, whether for a retirement village or otherwise.

“They will need a plan change or a consent,” Blair said. “And I would think it would probably be a plan change, as neither of the current zonings allow them what they require to put in a retirement village.”

In promoting the site, Bayleys said any homes built there would benefit from direct access onto the link road and SH 1 and would be suitable for subdivision as medium density housing.

Paddison Farm could provide Warkworth’s next retirement village.

Compromised estuary ecology spurs Council response

Recognising that one of the consequences of development is sedimentation, Auckland Council is developing a long-term regional monitoring programme starting in the Whangateau and Mahurangi Harbours.

Council says the most impacted estuaries are those close to urban centres where there has been the longest history of land use change and intense development, such as the sub-estuaries of the Manukau and Waitematā Harbours.

Nonetheless, the southern Kaipara and Mahurangi Harbours are also ecologically degraded in some locations due to excess sediment from rural land uses, and most smaller east coast estuaries are exhibiting trends of increasing fine sediments and mud, especially Okura, Ōrewa, Tūranga and Waikopua.

Over time, sedimentation leads to increasingly muddy sandflats and a decrease in ecological health as fewer species can tolerate the muddier conditions.

Council has been monitoring mud content and the composition of invertebrate

communities in estuary sandflats for several decades. The findings from this monitoring are summarised in a report titled The Health of Tāmaki Makaurau/ Auckland’s Natural Environment in 2020.*

The monitoring shows that sedimentation is currently the biggest problem faced by Auckland’s estuaries and harbours. Every monitored estuary and harbour has been affected to some extent by increases in sedimentation, as indicated by the amount of mud present in the sandflats and/or changes in the invertebrate community. However, Council believes more targeted monitoring is needed to understand the current rates of sedimentation and to set appropriate reduction targets.

The establishment of monitoring sites in Whangateau was due to start this month and would be followed by the establishment of sites in the Mahurangi.

Roughly 12 sediment plates will be installed across six monitoring locations at Whangateau, aligned initially to sites where Council currently conducts

ecological monitoring, which takes place every six months in April and October. These locations span the entire harbour, covering the main body, the Omaha River arm, and adjacent to Tramcar Bay.

Council hopes the Whangateau monitoring will provide it with an understanding of the sedimentation dynamics in medium sized estuaries that receive relatively small sediment loads from their catchment and have high tidal flushing. Plates will be left to settle for six months, and then the first sediment depth measurements will be taken. Measurements will be taken roughly every four months for the initial two years of the programme and will then be reduced to annually in October, to align with ecological monitoring.

As this programme aims to track long-term changes in sediment accretion, there is no date for completion and plates will remain in place until it is decided monitoring is no longer required.

It is expected the first full analysis of sediment accretion rates will be published

in 2027.

By then, Council will have five years’ worth of data and will be in a position to present a robust assessment of the state of sedimentation, along with some trends, having reviewed the performance of the plates in the first few years of monitoring. The programme will complement information Council already has on sediment muddiness derived from sediment grain size analysis, which already shows where sediment is affecting ecological health.

The project could lead to increased regulatory compliance activities in the short term, better land use planning mainly in the medium term, and advocacy to central government for better legislative tools to prevent adverse environmental outcomes.

*The Health of Tāmaki Makaurau/ Auckland’s Natural Environment in 2020 report is available to read with this story online.

The project will try to quantify the amount of sediment being deposited in Auckland’s estuaries and harbours.

Twelve sediment plates will be installed across six locations in the harbour.

Mangawhai Park view sought

Mangawhai residents and visitors are being asked what they want from the town’s community park to help Kaipara District Council (KDC) draw up a new plan to guide its future use.

It’s almost 10 years since the original masterplan for the park was created and Council thinks it’s high time it was updated.

The 34-hectare park on Molesworth Drive stretches from the Mangawhai Museum and historic village up to the bowling club and golf course, and is home to the Mangawhai Activity Zone, St John Ambulance, the fire station and a network of paths and tracks.

Council says the park, its facilities and wider community have changed significantly since the masterplan was created and adopted in 2014, so public feedback is being sought for a review.

“We want to know what people value most about the park, what they want to protect and what new facilities they would like to see,” a spokesperson said.

Once the community’s suggestions have been considered, Council will put together a new draft masterplan that the public will be able to review and submit feedback on.

“This will be a chance for the community to tell us if we have got it right or if amendments are needed,” the spokesperson said.

“After amendments have been made, the new masterplan can be adopted and used to guide decision making for the park.”

The deadline for all feedback is 5pm, on Tuesday, February 21.

The current Mangawhai Community Park masterplan can be read on the KDC website at www.kaipara.govt.nz/ mangawhaicommunitypark, where feedback can also be submitted via an online survey. The website also has details of community drop-in sessions being planned.

Suggestions can also be emailed to rmp@ kaipara.govt.nz, posted to Kaipara District Council, Private Bag 1001, Dargaville 0340, or discussed with Mark Schreurs on 0800 727 059.

Aerial map from the 2014 masterplan showing proposed and finished projects at the time.

innovative + creative design solutions for your grand ideas

Silverdale’s Southern Cross hospital starts with carpark

A year has passed since Southern Cross Healthcare announced it would be gearing up to offer its hospital services at its Silverdale facility.

It is now a decade since Southern Cross built the $8.8m hospital on the corner of Hibiscus Coast Highway and Millwater Parkway.

The first floor is occupied by GPs Silverdale Medical and other health professionals, but the top floor has been empty since the facility was built. Covid-19, of course, has intervened. But things appear to be on the move, starting with a new carpark.

Last week, Southern Cross Healthcare chief of property and development, Courtney Bennett, told the paper that the first stage of the development is to add a level to the existing carpark on Polarity Rise.

“We need to have this completed before fitting out the hospital can start,” he says. “We hope to have resource consent through for the carpark extension next month, and then award the contract for the project, which we expect to take around three months to complete. Following this, we can get underway with construction of the hospital, which is currently in the design phase.” The completed facility is expected to include three operating theatres and a 10bed ward. It is to feature state-of-the-art green technology.

Last year, chief executive Chris White said that growth in the region is the key driver for getting the hospital up and running. Southern Cross is the largest independent private healthcare network in the country. It extends its services to insurance funded, ACC, DHB and self-paying patients.

House price fall stalls

While Barfoot & Thompson experienced its slowest month of trading in a December for five years, and the median price for the month was 16% below peak, prices on a month-by-month basis have remained static for four months.

“Contrary to the expectations of economists and commentators, the median price paid for property in December has barely moved from where it was in September,” Barfoot & Thompson managing director Peter Thompson says.

“In December, the median price paid was $1,067,500, the second highest median price in the past four months,” he says.

“In the first eight months of the year, the median price declined gradually, but then stopped falling and has remained static since.

“A similar pattern can be seen in the average sales price, which at $1,155,131

for December, was the highest average price in three months.”

Thompson says while all the drivers putting pressure on prices such as rising interest rates and inflation, concerns over future economic activity and more properties for sale than there have been for a decade remain, vendors have become cautious about accepting what they consider to be too low an offer.

“The effect of this reluctance was particularly felt in the under $750,000 price category in December, and we sold only 90 homes in this price segment. At the same time, we sold 37 homes for more than $2 million, 12 of them for more than $3 million.

“In Northland buyer interest continued to be shown in beef breeding and finishing units with larger units being sought for forestry, which remains a big player in bare land sales.”

From left, Southern Cross Healthcare chief executive Chris White and chief of property and development Courtney Bennett pictured last year with plans to fit out the hospital in Silverdale.

Industrial hub for Mangawhai

Mangawhai’s first new specialist industrial and commercial premises hub in decades is currently being offered for sale as part of the Mangawhai Central development.

Northbase will feature 16 high stud industrial warehouses, 26 two-storey commercial and office units and car parking towards the rear of the development, behind the new Bunnings store.

Bayleys commercial broker Ben Clare says the new architecturally designed precinct will be the first purpose-built commercial facility of its kind in Mangawhai and units would be a freehold unit title development, meaning there would be no ground rent to pay.

The industrial units will range in size from around 117 to 220 square metres in size, offering warehousing, light manufacturing and storage options.

“The scope is pretty broad, with just a few covenants from Bunnings around things like home improvement, so they could be used by pretty much any trade or industrial business, or just for storage,” Clare says. “We’ve had people enquire about storage for campers or boats.”

There will also be three blocks of two-storey

commercial service buildings comprising 26 units of at least 50 square metres.

These are targeted at businesses looking for commercial service or office space, with direct access from a vested footpath surrounding the buildings and carparking. There will also be a corner café servicing the new premises.

Clare says construction is due to start in the first half of this year with completion, titles and occupation expected by the end of next year.

He says although Northbase has only recently been put on the market, with the emphasis on selling the industrial units before the commercial units are sold or leased, interest has already been “pretty good”.

“There’s not a lot of this sort of thing in Mangawhai, so it should work well,” he says.

Clare says that delays in mains power connection experienced by other Mangawhai Central businesses in the past were expected to be dealt with by the time Northbase is finished, with no problems anticipated.

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Northbase will feature a mix of purpose-built industrial and commercial units.

Mahurangi East Road refusal going to Environment Court

A developer is not giving up on hopes to build 25 homes on rural paddocks on the approach into Snells Beach.

Remuera-based Silver Hill Ltd has lodged an appeal with the Environment Court against the decision in December by independent commissioners to refuse resource consent for the development at 124 Mahurangi East Road.

The panel found that environmental effects generally and on neighbouring houses would be more than minor and turned the plans down.

The proposal was non-compliant with the land’s zoning as Residential – Large Lot in the Auckland Unitary Plan (AUP), and a hearing was held at Warkworth Town Hall in November.

Silver Hill wanted to develop a 25-lot subdivision, as well as vesting, widening and sealing Lett Road, together with associated site clearance, tree removal, earthworks, servicing and access.

There were 28 submissions made to the hearing panel opposing the plans and only one in support. Auckland Council’s

planner, Claire Phillips, also recommended that the plan be turned down at the time, telling commissioners that amendments to the proposal made by the applicants and hearing evidence had not changed her view. Hearings chair Dr Lee Beattie said as a non-complying activity, he and fellow commissioners Gavin Lister and Vaughan Smith could only have granted resource consent if they were satisfied that adverse effects on the environment would be minor, or if the activity wouldn’t be contrary to the objectives and policies of the AUP. However, he said the effects on neighbours and the landscape character would be such that, even with new mitigation measures put forward by the applicant, consent should not be granted.

“We find that that the proposed number of lots and potential proximity of buildings cannot be mitigated by the landscape measures and conditions proposed, the plan fails to provide a sufficient setback and would not be in character with the spacious landscape character,” he said in his decision report.

Paddocks and poplar trees – the proposed development site.

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World-class flamenco guitarist plays at Warkworth Town Hall

Spanish flamenco guitarist Paul Bosauder will join international guest artists for Tierra y Mar ’23 at the Warkworth Town Hall on Saturday, February 25, at 7pm. South Auckland-born Bosauder spent 15 years in Spain mastering the art of flamenco guitar. He studied at one of Spain’s top flamenco conservatories, the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya, where he graduated with honours, before going on to build an international career. He returned to NZ in 2020, basing himself in Napier where he gets to enjoy his other love, surfing.

Promoter Chris Hegan says Tierra y Mar unifies Andalusian flamenco guitar and dance in a powerful and unique performance that explores the limits of improvisation and Spanish tradition.

“Full blackout curtains and the exceptional acoustic qualities of the town hall make the venue a perfect fit for this exciting onenight only concert,” Hegan says.

“Always true to the authentic flamenco pulse, Bosauder’s unique style evokes the land and sea of his Aotearoa homeland, enchanting audiences and drawing international flamenco talent to his side,” Hegan says.

Bosauder will be joined on stage by awardwinning flamenco dancer Roshanne da Silva Wijeyeratne, flamenco singer Zoe Velez and multi-percussionist Phill Jones. Wijeyeratne is the artistic director of multiple award-winning flamenco ensemble Compañía Alma Flamenca and director of Alma Flamenca Dance School.

Velez has had a prolific career as a flamenco dancer/singer, performing extensively with top flamenco artists and ensembles at festivals, in stage shows and tablaos throughout Australia and is one of only a handful of the country’s flamenco singers. Lastly, Jones, on percussion, is a multiinstrumentalist who has contributed to many live performances and studio album recordings for award-winning artists.

Active approach to bird conservation

Lee Fish takes a hands-on approach to making sure its staff understand the company’s commitment to being ‘seabird smart’ when fishing – as well as practical training, it regularly sends them off to Aotea Great Barrier to spend a night monitoring black petrels.

The most recent visitors from Leigh to scale Mount Hirakimata were operations manager Chase Hann and business manager for compliance and processing Jake Dikstaal, who helped seabird ecologist Biz Bell find and check black petrels as part of a population study that’s been running for more than 20 years.

Factory manager Tom Searle said Lee Fish had always worked with environmental groups and strived to keep seabirds safe when fishing from its long-line fleet.

“Over the years, we’ve built up a lot of trust and we’re always looking to do better,” he said. “Part of this is having our people involved in caring for the environment we live and work in, so we encourage our guys to get over there, spend the night up Mount Hirakimata and get hands on with the black petrels.”

The birds only nest and fledge on Hauturu

Little Barrier and Aotea Great Barrier Islands in New Zealand, before spending several years off the coast of Peru and then returning to NZ later in life to breed.

“We can only look after them for part of their life, but the industry has funded radio trackers and there are lots of good initiatives to help keep them and other seabirds safe, and keep bird by-catch to a minimum.”

Paul Bosauder, a Kiwi and world-class Andalusian flamenco musician, will perform in Warkworth later this month.

Chase Hann getting to grips with checking the bands on a black petrel on Aotea Great Barrier.

Top o’ the mornin’ show comes to Warkworth Town Hall

There’ll be more than a touch of the Irish at Warkworth Town Hall next month, when concert tour company Operatunity brings a new show packed with songs, music and dancing from the Emerald Isle. When Irish Eyes are Smiling features a high-energy cast of singers and musicians performing all the classics, from Danny Boy and Galway Bay to Whiskey in the Jar and Fairytale of New York. There will also be Irish jigs, Riverdancing, duelling fiddle and accordion players, and plenty of Irish humour thrown in.

Taking the stage and singing their hearts out will be Russell Dixon, star of awardwinning West End musicals in London, the Variety Artists Club of NZ’s 2022 top male artist, Karl Perigo, and accomplished operatic soprano Kelly Lim Harris.

Joining them will be some of New Zealand’s finest instrumentalists, not least duelling fiddle and accordion players Marian Burns and Tracey Collins.

Virtuoso fiddler Burns is known for her unstoppable energy and has won a raft of awards, including a Benny Award from the Variety Artists Club, Lifetime Achievement and Best Solo Fiddler awards at the Golden Fiddle Awards, and she was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to music in 2018.

Collins is acknowledged as NZ’s premier professional piano accordion player and is highly sought-after throughout Australasia. She has performed with some of New Zealand’s best known artists, including Hello Sailor, The Feelers’

James Reid, Jan Hellriegel, Bic Runga, Peta Mathias, Jackie Clark and Andrew McLennan/Snoid.

They will all be accompanied by wellknown Hawkes’s Bay concert pianist and accompanist Paul Carnegie-Jones.

Established 23 years ago, Operatunity stages regular daytime variety concerts throughout New Zealand and organises international music travel aimed primarily at seniors.

One of the organisers of the Warkworth show said that after a tumultuous few years, When Irish Eyes are Smiling would be just what was needed by many.

“What better way to celebrate seniors being out and about and living again than with a feel-good show, filled with fabulous music, love, care and flair – just what the doctor ordered!

“The tour is sure to bring much-needed fun and laughter to communities across New Zealand through our special brand of music, care and camaraderie.”

When Irish Eyes are Smiling will take place at Warkworth Town Hall on Thursday, March 9. Doors open at 10am for a complimentary morning tea with stars of the show, before they take to the stage at 11am. Tickets cost $39, with discounts for subscribers or groups of 10 or more.

For more information, visit  www. operatunity.co.nz or call 0508 266 237.

To book tickets online, go to https:// nz.patronbase.com/_Operatunity/ Productions/6178/Performances

Eire we go – the craic should be grand, to be sure, when Russell Dixon, Tracey Collins and friends take to the stage.

Looking back at a century of oyster farming

By Allan Barber allen@barberstrategic.co.nz

Oyster farming in the Mahurangi dates back nearly 100 years.

The first New Zealand trials of rock oyster cultivation were done in 1927 in the Mahurangi Harbour, Kawau Island and the Bay of Islands, when indigenous rock oysters attached to mangroves were transferred to galvanised wire trays. These were placed on wooden frames attached to wooden piles driven into intertidal mud. But it took nearly 40 years for these trials to progress to commercially viable oyster farming.

The first commercial farmers were a syndicate that operated in the Pukapuka inlet, off Mahurangi West Road. The son of a syndicate member, Wilf Berger, remembers it as being very hard work rather than particularly profitable. Berger still farms deer on 70 hectares in Kaipara Flats, but sold all his oyster farming interests to local company Biomarine in 2010. He set up an oyster farm at Huawai (food from the water) Bay in the late 1960s, which just preceded the arrival in the Mahurangi of the faster growing Pacific oyster. He recalls being told by Australian farmers to kill any Pacific interlopers, but after killing three the first year and 30 the next, he had to bow to the inevitable when they numbered over a thousand.

The other early pioneer was Les Curtin, an Australian oyster farmer, who came to New Zealand in the late 1960s on behalf of the

old Marine Department to investigate the best areas to establish oyster farming as a commercial operation.

He immediately decided the logical areas to set up spat collection operations to supply the nascent industry were indeed the Pukapuka inlet of the Mahurangi Harbour, Bon Accord Harbour on Kawau and Orongo Bay near Russell, as well as the Coromandel Peninsula and the Pahi arm of the Kaipara.

However, despite its history, oyster cultivation is still very small in comparison to mussel and salmon farming, and unlikely to grow dramatically. It is managed through a consenting process which grants renewable 25 to 35 year leases subject to zoning conditions, although Wilf Berger says the main problem standing in the way of expansion is public (mainly boaties’) resistance to the establishment of any new farming areas. The Coromandel and Kaipara probably offer the largest potential for expansion.

Exports have formed an important part of oyster farming since the early days and Berger remembers selling most of his production to Kia Ora Seafoods, which secured good markets in New Caledonia and Tahiti for oysters as natural as possible, including the mud! The total Pacific oyster sales value now comes to $24 million, of which two-thirds is exported frozen, live or chilled to eight main destinations, with Australia, China, Hong Kong, French Polynesia and New Caledonia being the largest. About one-third of oysters are cultivated in the Auckland region, which includes the Mahurangi.

There is a relatively small number of oyster farming operations in the Mahurangi including Moana Fisheries and several local operators.

Biomarine, started in the 1970s by marine biologist Jim Dollimore and John Nicholson, has 40 hectares under lease in the Mahurangi, as well as 75 hectares at the mouth of the Kaipara, and access to other leases in the Bay of Islands. It produces about six million oysters annually – four million from the Mahurangi – of which 90 per cent are exported. The company employs up to 50 staff based at the packhouse in Woodcocks Road. Orata, started by Wilf Berger and Trevor Smith, is now wholly owned by Smith and his partner Lynette Dunne and can be found at Matakana Farmers Market, as well as many of Auckland’s top restaurants. Mahurangi Oysters, originally established by Andrew and Lisa Hay, is an important part of the Aitken family’s farming operation, which also comprises a 316 hectare deer farm in Central Hawkes Bay, winners of Champion of Champions in the Marks & Spencer Farming for the Future award.

Matakana Oysters started operating from the Green Shed on Leigh Road in 2006 without Council consent. It can still be found there, just over the hill from Matakana, fully consented and open to the public every day except when bad weather prevents collection.

If you want to find out more about oyster farming in the Mahurangi, Heritage Tours run trips on the harbour between

two and four days a week throughout the year when your knowledgeable guide and instructor is Andrew Hay, previous owner of Mahurangi Oysters. On the tour, which operates from Scott’s Landing, you can spend an enjoyable and informative couple of hours learning how oysters are grown and how to shuck them before they slip deliciously down your throat.

Wilf Berger

The Biomarine processing plant in Woodcocks Road.

Tough growing conditions

Well, what can we say about this summer that hasn’t already been said? It has truly been a shocker and the garden is showing the effects. Subtropical and tropical plants are generally loving it, with lots of warmth and lots of moisture no doubt making them feel right at home. My lotus plants are flowering most gorgeously, as if they are still in Bali or Vietnam. The sunshine hours deficit is having an impact though, as both the lotus and the frangipani are flowering about a month later than usual. The monsoon-like conditions are particularly hellish for temperate climate or root-rot sensitive plants though – my plum crop was minuscule, peaches were non-existent, the grapes are a soggy rotten mess, tomatoes are fast disintegrating into a blight-stricken disaster, the passionfruit have withered away and even my tough old fig tree appears to be suffering from root rot! The fig tree I’ll spray with a fungus spray based on Fosetyl-aluminium (there are several brands on the market). I’ll use this spray on the tomatoes also, in a vain attempt to save them as it has some effect on late blight and on anything else that suffers from the root disease Phytophthora, such as the avocado trees and the cherimoya which, despite being a tropical, is not liking its position right next to the perpetually full drain this year.

A lot of nutrients in the soil will have leached away in the heavy rains and most of the mulch has probably also washed downstream. To get the plants back on their feet, I’m planning to sprinkle some blood and bone, plus sulphate of potash, to replenish lost nutrients. If I do it just before

the next rain I won’t even need to hose it off the plants. I can’t imagine there won’t be more rain! Replacing the lost mulch is vital, as root systems are struggling, and the mulch will help rebalance the root zone for them.

Although we are getting quite late to be planting summer crops, we gardeners are a hopeful bunch and I, for one, am counting on the warmer oceans this year prolonging our summer conditions (hopefully without so much rain) into the autumn. It’s probably too late to start melons, climbing beans, capsicum, eggplant, corn, and pumpkin, as these have quite lengthy growing seasons. But I’m putting in another batch of tomato, cucumber, zucchini and possibly some dwarf beans. Fingers crossed, the gamble will pay off and make up the shortfall from summer. Of course, there are plenty of other crops that are traditionally sown or transplanted now, such as leeks, beetroot, cabbage, broccoli, plus salad vegetables like lettuce, arugula (rocket), radish, mizuna, fennel and cress. With lettuce, it may pay to choose the more open varieties that don’t form a head, as the head forming types such as iceberg will be prone to rotting out if the rains keep coming.

Another crop of spuds can also go in, if they are protected from potato psyllid with either an insect-proof mesh or a regular insecticide spray programme. Speaking of psyllid, I have not seen much evidence of them this season and pest numbers, in general, seem to be lower than last year. I expect this is due to the weather conditions also, so I’m counting the small blessings!

Amazing Grace Adams by Fran Littlewood

Grace Adams is desperate. She’s trying to pick up a cake to take to her daughter’s birthday party. She’s also desperate because the traffic is grid-locked and time is slipping away. She’s desperate because she’s estranged from her daughter who is now living with her father, Grace’s ex-husband. Grace is desperate because she appears to be losing control of her once successful life. And so Grace has to make some decisions and they are pretty wild but to be honest, who hasn’t felt like walking away from a baking hot car surrounded by fumes and stressed drivers? As Grace unravels, we get snippets of her back story and we come to understand how she has been driven to this desperate state. The story is set in London and we are given a wee glimpse of inner city living and also the trials of parenting in this modern social media-driven age. At times sad, at times hilarious, and mostly deeply relatable.

No Less The Devil by Stuart MacBride

This latest Stuart MacBride novel doesn’t disappoint. Darkness abounds and Detective Sergeant Lucy McVeigh is trying to catch the ‘Bloodsmith’ while battling her own demons. The ‘Bloodsmith’ has been operating for over a year-and-a-half and yet no-one can seem to find the important leads that might lead to an arrest. Meanwhile, a convicted killer has been released from jail and he’s trying to tell DS McVeigh that ‘they’ are out to get him. Is he linked to the ‘Bloodsmith’ or is there something more sinister going on? DS McVeigh is the classic lead … she’s taciturn, has a very dark personal history, and is the classic lone wolf detective. This novel has quite a few twists and turns, and has a quite unexpected ending. Twisted and fabulous!

Tracey Lawton

TOSSI

Lyn Hamilton-Hunter www.tossi.org.nz

People in the park

Just recently, I was in a meeting, surrounded by lots of hardworking staff and volunteers at Tawharanui, and our senior ranger stated with some passion, “the park is for people”, as are all Auckland regional parks. They are an outdoor resource for everyone to enjoy for free. This resource means different things to different people, this is especially evident in the summer months, as I found out by manning the TOSSI information trailer on a few occasions.

TOSSI volunteers have been out every weekend over the summer (storms excluded) to share with the public the joys of a visit to Tawharanui. The trailer is an education resource for people. It depicts the various habitats on Tawharanui and what wildlife you can expect to see, from sea birds, shorebirds, wetland birds and bush birds, reptiles and bugs. It’s fascinating for children and adults alike. So even if you only hang out on the beach, there’s still wildlife to appreciate! If you do stop for a chat, you will be amazed at what’s out there. So, the people: those that get there early with chilly bins on wheels, gazebos, BBQs, blankets, toys, furniture and so on, and all the whanau and friends arrive, and they spend the day together enjoying the beach, surf and sun. Then there’s a family with a trolley full of a toddler, picnic and togs. There was a moment when we did have a good reminisce of days gone by, when we rocked up with only togs, towel and sandwiches, not a wheel in sight! Then the young friends in togs, ready to soak up the sun and surfers running to sit out there and catch a wave. All these peeps are only there for a day at the beach. Generally, these are the groups that passed us by. Aside from

Some visitors stopped to chat, while others headed straight for the beach.

the odd person who thought we were a coffee cart!

So, who did we chat with? Those going for a walk, those going to spot some native wildlife in the ecology bush and those with kids that really wanted to check out the predator stand. Who can resist a life size stoat! Where were they from? Many from the Auckland region, some regulars to Tawharanui, some first timers, some from other parts of NZ on holiday and quite an interesting mix of overseas visiting grandparents – Russian, South African, Chinese, Korean, English, German and French, to name a few.

So, the park attracts a diversity of people, but the people need a diverse ecosystem, so let’s also appreciate the incredible biodiversity of our parks as they are essential for long term human wellbeing.

If you wish to contribute to the efforts of TOSSI in any way please get in touch with me at news@tossi.org,nz and next summer please stop for chat!

WARKWORTH LIONS CLUB PRESENTS THE ANNUAL TAKE A KID FISHING DAY

Sunday, 26th March 2023

10am to 1pm

For kids 5 - 12 years old. Kids must be accompanied by an adult. From Sandspit Wharf, Warkworth. Limited numbers.

Registrations are compulsory and close Thursday 23rd March 2023 at 5 pm. NO LATE ENTRIES will be accepted.

Registration forms available from Monday 27th February 2023 at takeakid shingwarkworth@gmail.com and Hunting & Fishing, Warkworth.

Rules and information on Registration forms. Alternative weather date is the 9th April 2023.

Prizes & Sausage Sizzles!

Thanks for the main sponsors

Pet of the Month

& Little Hiccup

Pets Vets Corner

Teenagers are well known for their youthful exhuberance and experimentation. Unfortunately these ‘experiments’ are also known to occasionally go a little too far… This was certainly the case for little Hiccup, the teenage amputee duckling who has been hand raised from when he was only one day old.

This particular morning Hiccup had eyed up a very large snail and without knowing that he needed to break the shell first, he attempted to swallow the entire snail in one gulp.

With the snail being about four times the size of the duck’s throat, there was no way that this was ever going to be a good idea. Predictably the snail got stuck.

Poor Hiccup was in distress when he was presented to our Wellsford branch. He could breathe but he was very uncomfortable, shaking his head and attempting to quack but no sound was coming out!

Quick action was required and with a small amount of pressure applied in the right places the snail popped up into Hiccups mouth and was extracted. Afterwards Hiccup seemed nonplussed about the whole event and was ready and eager to eat the snail all over again!

Hiccup will be released into a safe environment soon and hopefully the other ducks will take him under their wings and teach him how to eat snails safely. Monday

Vets: Roger Dunn BVSc, Jon Makin BVSc, Danny Cash BVSc, Justine Miller BVSc, Chelsea Gill BVSc, Sam Eaton BVSc, Jackie Nicholls BVSc, Neil Warnock BVM&S

SUPPORTED BY MAHURANGI MATTERS

their stripes Juniors show

By Ian Bradnam

The Leigh Bowling Club completed several events and tournaments last month.

The junior singles was taken out by Willie Sellars after a tight final against Shaun Popham. Popham also featured in the firstyear singles champs, but this time ran out the winner against Symon Morrice.

It is great to see the number of younger players competing enthusiastically and successfully in our club events.

Unfortunately, the weather again had an impact with the 1-8 year 2x2 pairs having to be postponed until later in the season.

The Wally Yovich Tournament that was postponed from earlier in the season was completed successfully with one of the Mangawhai teams finishing the winners. Coming up, we have the Leigh invitational fours on Saturday, February 18. On the

Auditions for historical comedy

Shaun Popham

won the first year singles tournament beating Symon Morrice.

following Monday, February 20, the Kitty Hawkes Club will play with the locals for the Rod Seymour Trophy. The Kitty Hawkes travel around to play tournaments at a number of bowling clubs, with the profits raised donated to a local charity. Last year, we raised $2000 from this tournament, which was donated to the local St John.

On Sunday, February 26, the handicapped

Summer Time Fun

Across: 1. Among, 4. Fantasia, 9. Orange, 14. Chase, 15. An Angel at My Table, 17. Ditto, 18. Ill, 19. Abstain, 20. Leisurely, 21. Talent, 24. Orchestra, 25. Raptor, 26. Meteor, 29. Occupation, 31. Tom, 32. Slalom, 33. Lies, 35. Ash, 37. Core, 39. Treasurer, 40. Guinevere, 41. Kauri, 42. Instinct, 47. Teetotal, 51. Dogma, 55. Tall order, 56. Bob Geldof, 58. Dusk, 59. Les, 60. Reek, 61. Refuge, 62. Ode, 63. Shamefaced, 66. Gossip, 67. Cherub, 69. Tit for tat, 72. Pickle, 73. Murchison, 75. Awkward, 77. Nil, 80. Rupee, 81. David Copperfield, 82. Raise, 83. Heaped, 84. Ned Kelly, 85. Alley.

pairs will be played, followed by the drawn pairs on March 4. The Cameron/Penney Tournament will be played on March 18, after having been twice postponed due to the weather.

Business house is planned to start later this month, possibly on Friday evenings. Details still to be confirmed. New members, playing or social, are always welcome. Info: 021 423 144.

Calling all budding actors or funny folk – Wellsford Drama Club needs you for its next performance! The group is staging auditions on Saturday, February 25 for Keep to Thy First Wife, a historical comedy with local connections that will be performed at the end of May. All are welcome, with or without acting experience, and full coaching will be provided for each role in the one-act play, which was written by Jane Wilson after visiting Wellsford’s Albertland Heritage Museum with her husband Bob, an Albertlander descendant. Auditions will take place from 2pm to 5pm at Wellsford Drama Club at the town’s community centre (entrance down the side, not through main entrance).

Info: Contact Carolynne on 021 144 6779 or email wellsfordframa@gmail.com

Crossword page 41

Crossword SOLUTION

Down: 2. Mont Blanc, 3. Nonet, 5. Adam, 6. Tempest, 7. Satisfactory, 8. Amber, 9. Overlap, 10. Aids, 11. Gotham, 12. Habit, 13. Realtor, 14. Covered, 16. Eric Clapton, 22. Recite, 23. Aorangi, 24. Opulent, 25. Remark, 27. Evident, 28. Polite, 30. Nest, 32. Shout, 34. Shell, 36. Bent, 38. Own, 42. Inter, 43. Sellers, 44. Iron, 45. Cudgel, 46. Agile, 48. Eiffel Tower, 49. Old salt, 50. Ass, 51. Drought, 52. Absorb, 53. Absentminded, 54. Less, 57. Dragon, 64. Ellerslie, 65. Sincere, 66. Gurnard, 68. Rounded, 70. Twosome, 71. Elapse, 72. Plait, 74. Coven, 76. Whirl, 78. Keep, 79. Opel.

300m-tall metal landmark

Club used as weapon (6)

(4)

projectile

(4)

24. Plush (7) 25. Comment (6) 27. Obvious (7) 28. Well-mannered (6)

23. Maori name for Mt Cook (7)

22. Repeat from memory (6)

16. Guitarist with The Yardbirds and Creme (4,7)

14. Overlaid (7)

13. Real estate agent (US) (7)

12. Custom (5)

11. Batman’s city (6)

10. Assists (4)

9. Partially cover (7)

8. Fossil resin used to make jewellery (5)

7. Acceptable (12)

6. Storm (7)

5. The first man (4)

3. Music for nine (5)

2. Highest mountain in the Alps (4,5)

85. Narrow lane (5) Down

83. Piled (6) 84. Australia’s bestknown criminal (3,5)

© The Puzzle Company

67. Angel portrayed as

56. Co-organiser of Band Aid in 1984 (3,6) 58. Evening (4) 59. __ Miserables (3) 60. Stink (4) 61. Place of safety (6) 62. Poem (3) 63. Embarrassed (10) 66. Idle talk (6)

Willie Sellars (right) won the junior singles beating Shaun Popham in the final.

(left)

Puzzles copyright © The Puzzle Company

Bowlers get down to business

The weather has disrupted the business house bowls at Warkworth Bowls, but the club still hopes to wrap up the competition this week as scheduled.

An organiser Cathy Parsons says there has been a good response from local businesses, with 19 teams competing.

“For some players, this is their first experience of bowls, while others return on a regular basis to enjoy the camaraderie and opportunity to make contact with other local business people,” she says.

“Two games of one hour each are played each night with a continuous sausage sizzle

and piping hot chips available on demand.”

The final night will be held on February 21, where teams will play one extra game to make up for the weather-related cancellation. The evening will finish with dinner and prizegiving.

“Barfoot & Thompson are the main sponsors this year and the club is very appreciative of their generosity. Mason Containers sponsor a team spot prize each week and individual companies sponsor a weekly team prize for the first two players in each game to get a ‘toucher’.

“This provides an incentive to play well.”

Basketball 2023 Kotiro Skills (girls only), 7-week programme held at Kaiwaka Sports gym, from February 21 to April 4, 4-5pm. A skilled focus programme aimed at getting the basics right and learning how to play the game, focusing on dribbling, shooting, lay ups, defence and game knowledge. Info: basketball.kaipara@gmail.com

Warkworth Hockey Second trials will be held on Sunday, Feb 19. Men 7-8pm; women 6-7pm. Register online or just show up on the day. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScZt2SWniIx tKvGEHz6sdt24Yoyli7eZdNBp0PgYHgFr3CvhQ/viewform?fbclid=IwAR0-QVtJQ-AVNgg5Dkk0-tUC44GH naa4cgBXdUMenlV8pjCrSfCVmXN-Q2w

Warkworth Football Women-only free refereeing course. Keep fit, get paid, have fun. All welcome, minimum age is 14. Register: https://mycomet-oceania.analyticom.de/.../ item.../2601963208 or email Beth.Rattray@nrf.org.nz

Sport Northland Are you a sports coach at any level? Complete the Te Tai Tokerau Voice of the Coach Survey so Sport Northland can get a better understanding of the coaching landscape and what’s needed for the region going forward https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SJ5FRLV

Puhoi Sports and Community Club Fields closed. Unfortunately, the annual cricket match Club vs Pub scheduled for Feb 19 will be postponed until further notice due to the field being unsuitable for any play due to extensive floodwater damage.

Sports funding Are you aged between 13 and 25 and doing something amazing? Or, are you a parent/teacher/trainer that knows someone who could do with financial support to support their journey? Apply for an AIMES Awards grant of up to $30,000. Applications close on January 20 at 5pm. Open to youth living north of the Harbour Bridge, including Warkworth. For more information about the Devonport Peninsula Trust go to www.aimesawards.co.nz to apply.

Warkworth Gamefish tournament Tickets are available now for the Warkworth Gamefish tournament, March 2-4. Tickets are on sale at Hunting & Fishing Warkworth, Tackle & Outdoor Warkworth, Mahurangi Marine and Matakana Marine. Tickets are $100 and include a great buffet meal at prizegiving.

Weather has disrupted play in the Tuesday evening business house bowls at Warkworth, but there have been so near-perfect weather nights as well.

Rob Lees’ team Numbskills was in winning form.

SUPPLYING QUALITY HOUSEHOLD WATER IN THE LOCAL AREA FOR OVER 37 YEARS

Pumps & Filters

Water Treatment Spa & Pool Shop

Water Testing Valet Service

Water Blasters Tanks & Sprayers

0800 747 928 or 027 556 6111

APPLIANCE REPAIRS

425 8454 www.rhodesforroads.co.nz

24 Hour Mobile & Workshop Service

31 Woodcocks Rd, Warkworth

Shop hours

Mon - Fri 8am-5pm Sat 9am-12pm

Classifieds

A SMART REPAIR Service for F&P smartdrive washers, F&P/ Simpson dryers. Prompt service 021 168 7349.

BUSINESS FOR SALE

COTTAGE INDUSTRY GOING CONCERN, LIGHT MANUFACTURING.

Building experience an advantage. Premises required approx 40sqm. Suit male or female. Stock and plant part of sale. Turnover $30K-$40K per annum.

Ph 425 7627 or 0274 790 720

CAR FOR SALE

MITSUBISHI PAJERO

3.2 Diesel, 5 speed automatic, 2008, NZ New, tinted windows, tows 3300 kgs, red. 2 owners. Approx 134,000kms. $65,000.

Phone 021 0235 8140

HAIR & NAILS

MOBILE HAIR & NAILS

Working around the greater Warkworth Region. Offering hairdressing, manicure and pedicure services, in your home. Call Rebecca 021 0825 8242

HOME & MAINTENANCE

Blue Skies Cleaning Window Cleaning, Soft Bio House Wash, Gutter Clean, All Exterior Cleaning, Water Blasting, Roof Treatment, Local Professional service.

Ph Pat 022-646-5849

COLLINS ELECTRONICS HAVE YOU LOST PRIME?

Or need your Freeview box tuned for the new channels? TV repairs, microwave oven repairs, Freeview installations.

Ph Paul 09 422 0500 or 027 29 222 04

WINDOW CLEANING/ HOUSEWASH/GUTTER CLEANING Local professional service. Ph Pat 022-646-5849.

PLUME VILLAS at 37 Sharp Road, Warkworth, are looking for

Flexible hours with a minimum of 10-12 hours a week.

We are looking for

Job Vacancy: Predator Control Volunteer Coordinator

Based at Omaha Flats, 32- 40 hours a week.

Te kaupapa

Our Vision at The Forest Bridge Trust is to create a connected landscape with healthy forest and flourishing indigenous wildlife from the Kaipara Harbour to the Pacific Coast.

Tēnei tūranga /About the role

This new (paid) role at TFBT combines working within our predator control team to extend and maintain our traplines, with the coordination and support our growing number of local volunteers taking on traplines in their area.

Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako/Skills and experience

Alcoholics Anonymous

Warkworth meetings: Warkworth Fellowship and Snells Beach Big Book Meeting Phone/text 0275 773 689 www.aa.org.nz | www.12steps.nz

Supported by Mahurangi Matters

WARKWORTH & DISTRICTS RSA (INC)

Notice of

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

• Experience in trapping / predator controlvolunteer or professional

• A good level of computer and administration skills Experience or ability to train volunteers joining our traplines.

• A good level of physical fitness

He Kōrero Mō / What We Are Looking For

• Someone who can be our bridge between the TFBT predator control team, our community volunteers, and our Volunteer Programme Coordinator.

• Excellent personal communication skills, with a friendly and helpful approach.

• Ability to be flexible with work hours and work occasional evenings or during weekends to meet and train volunteers.

DRIVEWAYS

MAINTENANCE Grading, rolling & metalling for rural Driveways. No job too BIG or small. Ph Trevor 021 0225 5606

DVD

SITUATIONS VACANT

Please take note that the Annual General Meeting of the Association will be held at the Clubrooms, 28 Neville Street, Warkworth, at 10am Sunday 26th March 2023.

BUSINESS:

1. Receive Apologies

DVDS & VIDEOS VIDEOS TRANSFERRED to

DVD/hard drive. Phone or txt

Tetotara Video 021 777 385

www.localmatters.co.nz

2. Confirm Minutes of AGM 27th March 2022

3. Presentation of Annual Reports and Accounts

4. Election of Officers

5. Election of Executive Committee

6. Notices of Motion Nominations for Officers and Committee as well as written Notices of Motion, are to be lodged with the Secretary no later than 9am Friday 3rd March 2023.

Bob Harrison. President Warkworth & Districts RSA (INC)

Please contact Anne for a Job Description/ Application Form on admin@theforestbridgetrust. org.nz. Applications close 3rd March 2023.

CHURCH NOTICES

CATHOLIC CHURCH

www.holyname.org.nz

Holy Mass Timetable:

WARKWORTH

Holy Name Church, 6 Alnwick Street

Saturday Vigil: 6.00pm

Sunday: 10.30am

Phone 425 8545 PUHOI SS. Peter & Paul Church

Sunday: 8.30am

5 Pulham Road, Warkworth Phone 425 8861 www.mahu.org.nz

Sunday Services 9am & 10.35am

www.localmatters.co.nz

Kaiwaka included in Art Trail

A Kaiwaka artists’ hub is a new feature in this year’s Mangawhai Art Trail, which takes place over the weekend of February 25 and 26.

The trail includes 32 artists exhibiting in 17 different venues in and around Kaiwaka, Mangawhai Village and Mangawhai Heads. The trail starts with with nine artists in Kaiwaka, then there are seven in Mangawhai Village and 16 around Mangawhai Heads. Artworks will include ceramics, photography, painting in oils, watercolour and acrylics, and all forms of sculpture, including the use of lead drippings, rusty

steel and sand cement. Trail venues include the Mangawhai Artists’ Gallery, where a new exhibition of large paintings by Roland Seibert, ‘Where do we put it all?’, will be on display from February 16 to March 1.

Copies of the trail are also available from Mangawhai Artists Gallery and selected locations in Mangawhai and Kaiwaka. The Trail is open from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, February 26 and 10am to 3pm on Sunday, February 26.

To find out more about the Mangawhai Art Trail, visit www.mangawhaiartists.co.nz, where a list of venues, artists and maps can be found and downloaded.

The trail includes large works by Roland Seibert at Mangawhai Artists’ Gallery.

February

15 The Frank Burkitt Band, Whangateau Hall, 7.30pm

16 Matakantata Choir rehearsals, Matakana Hall, Thursdays, 7pm, all February. Contact Jenny at musicaldirector@matakantata.org.nz to register

17 Vineyards in the Village, Matakana Farmers Market, 4.30-7.30pm.

18 Youth Clubs and Groups Day, Old Masonic Hall, Warkworth, 10am-2pm

18 Matakana Opera Picnic, Ward Rd, Matakana, 5.30pm. Tickets $60 adults, under 16s free. Info: www.aucklandoperastudio.co.nz

19 Andy Buchinger, The Tahi Bar Warkworth, 4-6pm

20

Men’s Rebus meeting Shoesmith Hall, Warkworth, 10am. Info: Ron 422 3111

25 Wellsford Warkworth Vintage Car Club Swap Meet, Satellite Station Road, Warkworth, 7am-12 noon. Info: Contact 027 423 8122

25 Ahuroa Hall & School fundraiser trek 2023, Ahuroa Road, 9am. Info: christine_a_bullock@notmail.com or phone 027 514 9696

25 Wellsford Drama Club auditions, Wellsford Community Centre, 2-5pm. Auditions for historical comedy Keep to Thy First Wife (see brief p 48)

25 International Flamenco Concert, Warkworth Town Hall, 7pm (see story p 42)

25 Diane Ponzio, accompanied by musicians

Helene Piper and Hank Trenton, Mahurangi West Hall, 7pm. Entry by donation.

25&26 Mangawhai Art Trail

Info: www.mangawhaiartists.co.nz

28 An Evening with Ruud Kleinpaste - The Bug Man, Mahurangi College, 6-8.30pm. Koha at the door. Hosted by The Forest Bridge Trust.

28 Warkworth Ladies Rebus club meeting at Besoul, 3/12 Gumfield Drive, 10am

28 Warkworth Music AGM, Mezzanine room of Warkworth Town Hall, 7pm

1 Warkworth Liaison Group meeting, Warkworth RSA downstairs meeting room, 7.30pm. All welcome

3 World Day of Prayer Service Holy Name Catholic Church, Alnwick Street Warkworth at 1.30pm Service prepared by the Women of Taiwan. All welcome.

4 Summer Serenade - Jazz in the Garden, Couldrey House, Wenderholm Regional Park. Gates open 4pm, concert starts 6pm. Info and tickets: www.eventfinda.co.nz

4 Warkworth annual Cosplay Picnic, Cement Works, Warkworth, 10.30am

4 Warkworth RSA fishing competition, tickets $30 adults, under 16 $10. Weighin 2-4pm. Info: warkworthrsa.co.nz/fishingclub

9 Operatunity Daytime Concerts presents When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, Warkworth Town Hall, 11am (see story p43)

10-12 Women on Water Weekend, Gulf Harbour Yacht Club (entries close February 23). A chance for women, regardless of their sailing ability, to experience the fun of sailing. Info: admin@ghyc.co.nz

11 Warkworth & District RSA market, 8am-1pm

12 Barfoot and Thompson Annual Raft Race, Mahurangi River.

15  A Night in the Gardens of Spain, Miles Jackson, classical guitar and flamenco, Whangateau Hall, 7.30pm

18 Harvest Festival, Sculptureum, Matakana (see ad p42)

18 Warkworth A&P Show, Warkworth Showgrounds

18&19 Mangawhai Walking Weekend. Info & bookings www.mangawhaiwalking.co.nz

26 Take a Kid Fishing (see ad p47)

CHARITY SAUSAGE SIZZLE

IF YOU WANT TO SUPPORT MORE LOCAL, THEN WHY NOT JOIN US!

OMAHA

BEACH SURF

In the last year, generous Aucklanders like you have helped Aucklanders in need ...

The club's primary purpose is to prevent drowning and injury through lifeguard services and education. The club is comprised of highly trained volunteers and supporters who are passionate about water safety, the beach environment and are willing to contribute their time and skills to the local community.

Saturday 11th February, 10am-2pm next to Matakana Church

Rotary Speaker Series

Thursday 16th February, 5.30 - 8pm

Treat yourself to an evening full of local information and good company • Everyday Self - Designer Sculptured Candles, Jess Silk

• Mr Soft Top - Luxury Dogs Clothes, Rachael Staples • Village Picnic - Matakana, Philippa Potaka

> Spaces Limited > Reserve Your Seat > Refreshments Provided

Venue: The Warkworth Hotel Dining Room Contact: rotarywarkworth2223@gmail.com

Kindly Sponsored by:

COME

Skaters rip into new bash format in Mangawhai

NZ Park Skate Champion Shaun Boucher was in top form when he competed in the Mangawhai Bowl Bash on Waitangi Weekend.

Boucher, 29, won the open men’s event. Originally from Mount Maunganui, he now skates semiprofessionally in Australia.

Other winners on the day were Billie Morrison, from Auckland, in the women’s; Ramon Whackwell, from Auckland, in the masters; and Felix Griffin, from Palmerston North, in the under 16s.

About 50 skaters, ranging from seven to 54 years old, competed in the four divisions. The total prize pool was $5000.

This is the first year the Bowl Bash has been held, replacing the Bowl Jam which was organised by Jesse Peters for a decade.

This year’s event was organised by Andrew (Morri)

and Shiree Morrison, and Evan and Nicole, from No Limits Surf & Skate Mangawhai.

“Mangawhai has the best bowl in the country and this is the best event,” Morri says.

“We changed the way we judged the event this year. Instead of judging skaters on their best one run, they were judged on their total heat score, which is the jam format.

“It brought out better skateboarding overall and we’ll stick with it for future events.

“It’s harder to judge, but rewards those who rip the session the hardest.”

Morri says the event will definitely be held again next year, again on Waitangi Weekend.

He thanked major sponsors Vans, Backdoor Surf Shop and Pacific Coast Brewing, as well as the Northland Events fund.

NZ Park Skate Champion Shaun Boucher. Photos, Harrison Photography