Mahurangi Matters_Issue 451_27 March 2023

Walkway blocked in escalating council row

A Ti Point landholder has taken matters into his own hands after seven frustrating years trying to negotiate a title swap with Auckland Council.

Shane Anderson, who owns 12 hectares at the end of Ti Point Road, this month built a fence across the popular Ti Point Coastal Walkway, effectively blocking public access.

“I didn’t want it to come to this; the last

thing I need is a scrap with my neighbours,” he says. “But I’ve had enough of council ignoring me.”

However, within days, a section of the new fence had disappeared. Anderson believes it was the work of a professional who clearly knew what they were doing.

“They used a Skilsaw and nothing was left at the site. They did a beautiful job.”

Anderson suspects it was the work of a council contractor, but says council has denied this.

When the issue of the fence made its way onto the Love Leigh Facebook page, several residents were critical of Anderson. They believed he was overstating how much public infrastructure was on his land and he was only interested in getting his

subdivision plans approved.

Years of negotiations

Anderson bought the property in 2007. Up until the sale, it had been in the hands of one family for more than 100 years and some uses on its fringes had occurred organically, rather than officially.

continued page 2

A section of the fence over the walkway was covertly removed within days of being erected.

If Anderson goes ahead with his threat, the end of Ti Point Road could be reduced to one lane.

More than 12,000 native trees are irrigated by a three kilometre watering system.

Rocks on the property have been given special protection.

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Walkway blocked in escalating council row from page 1

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He says a survey revealed that the property included a portion of the public road, land where infrastructure for the toilets was located, four carparks and parts of the walkway around the coast. As well as its recreational uses, the walkway also provides access for Pest Free Leigh and the Leigh Penguin Project habitat protection work. With a background in development, Anderson saw the opportunity to swap the land where the public facilities were located for a rural title and initiated discussions with council. The amount of land involved was around 2500sqm.

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He maintains he was never interested in subdividing the land per se.

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“Council was interested and started to look at what it wanted to achieve at the site including additional carparks, a safe turn around area and a picnic area. We were required to do some preliminary work such as an archaeological survey and we had to map the trees.

“As time went on, council kept changing its mind about what it wanted and we ended up doing three separate surveys for them. The information they wanted got more and more technical, and it was becoming an increasingly expensive exercise.

“However, we finally got to the stage where council’s legal services division wrote us a letter confirming that they were supporting the swap, once the final survey was completed.

“But, in 2017, a new head of planning was appointed and she completely reversed council’s position, despite the fact that the Local Board, Ngāti Manuhiri, Parks and Community Services had all signed off on it.

“She pulled the rug from under all of us and I was $120,000 out of pocket.”

From then on, it just got harder, he says. Under the Unitary Plan, the property has both a Significant Ecological Area overlay and a Significant Natural Landscape

Anderson claims there are bridges on his property built by Auckland Council that do not meet NZ Standards.

overlay, and the rocks on the property have also been given special protection.

“This was all done without any consultation and the effect is to significantly limit what I can now do on the property.”

In 2021, Anderson’s marriage had broken down and in order to settle his matrimonial responsibilities, he put the property on the market.

“It’s not what I wanted. I thought the only way I’d leave this place was in a box.” But a sale never eventuated with the encumbrances on the property being a deterrent. Then Auckland Transport decided to seal the road.

Anderson took out a trespass order to stop them crossing his land and, as a result, the end of the road remains unsealed.

“If I hadn’t taken out the order, the land would have automatically ceded to council. I really had no choice.

“Council has also invested around $800,000 on a new wharf where it has no

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legal access.”

Last year, Anderson again tried to get around the table with council to resolve the land use issues. Letters have been exchanged, but still council is dragging its heels.

“Not once in the past seven years has anyone from council met us on site to try to resolve this.”

Anderson says he is now considering his next move, which could include a permanent closure of the walkway using rocks and soil, putting a fence up along his boundary on the road, which would reduce the road to one lane, and removing access to the four carparks that are on his property.

“Maybe then council will take these matters seriously,” he says.

Auckland Council was given the opportunity to comment but declined. “Negotiations between the landowner at Ti Point and the Council are ongoing, and we cannot comment publicly on the matter while we are still working to find a resolution,” a spokesperson said.

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Puhoi – after the floods

It’s been two months since the first of three exceptional storms struck Puhoi on January 27, when the river rose faster and higher than anyone could remember. Massive trees, branches and debris, including sofas, show jumps and picnic tables, were swept down the swollen river, the store, library and sportsfields were swamped, and countless slips closed roads. As if that wasn’t enough, there were repeat performances from Cyclone Gabrielle on February 13 and the heavy rains of February 27. Mahurangi Matters spoke to some of the people affected to see what’s happened since.

Driving through Puhoi on a warm autumn day, it scarcely seems possible this is the same place that saw floodwater so deep a shipping container floated down the main street.

At the community’s heart, the Puhoi General Store bore the brunt of the floods and lost almost everything, but it was still where everyone gathered the next day. Dozens of local businesses and residents turned up to help owners Nic Lodewyks and Jo Lloyd with the water, mud and stinking mess left behind.

Everything inside needed to be stripped out, from stock, furniture and fittings to the plaster on the walls; even the community postboxes were chock-full of mud.

Eight weeks on, the shop doors are tentatively open again, supplying coffee and a select range of items to locals, visitors and a steady stream of workers from the nearby motorway.

Lodewyks said it was good to see that there were still people coming through.

“It doesn’t look too bad when the sun’s out and it’s good to get a bit of money going through the till again,” he said.

He said the shop and house had been stripped, cleaned and were now ready to be rebuilt, though like many other people, he was waiting for the go-ahead from insurers. Lodewyks added that things might have been different without all the help he had received, and he said they were all incredibly grateful to the community. As well as physical assistance, a community Givealittle appeal has raised more than $28,000 for the family.

Over the road at the Puhoi Library, the volunteer committee was still waiting to

Puhoi Sportsground

Work was due to get underway last week and Council thanked Puhoi for its patience.

“The initial stages of the process will involve rubbish removal and the waterblasting of furniture and the wharves. This will be followed by the removal of silt from the carpark and tennis courts, and the reopening of the toilets, which we expect to be completed in the coming weeks.

“Unfortunately, the under-surface of the playground will need to be fully removed and replaced, which will take a little longer, and the final step of the process will be the

hear when it could get into the building to clear out the layers of silt and start planning for the future.

The flood water went over the library door and destroyed everything inside except for items on the very top shelf – more than 6000 books, documents and photographs were ruined and sent to the tip.

Committee chair Sandra Beagley said there were locals keen to get in and clear up the mess, but they had been told to wait as it was yellow-stickered.

Puhoi Sports & Community Club president Troy Connolly was also waiting to hear from Auckland Council over what was going to happen with the siltcovered carpark, tennis courts, playground, sportsfield and taped-off public toilets. He said while he understood Council was under a lot of pressure, it was frustrating that nothing had yet happened.

“They say it’s a work in progress, but nobody does anything. We need some action,” he said. “There was a massive crew of council people in here yesterday, but they stood around then went away without doing anything.

“I saw one guy last week and asked if he was here to clean the playground, but he was just there to put the signs up.”

The thick layer of silt over everything means the Puhoi markets still can’t be held and the football field is unplayable this season, meaning the club misses out on another season of matches and social gatherings.

Many locals are concerned over the amount of debris still blocking the Puhoi River upstream leading to worse than usual flooding. Places that had never

removal of the 60mm of silt that has been deposited on the sportsfields.”

Puhoi River

Council’s Healthy Waters has completed a drone survey of the Puhoi River to check for critical blockages and is preparing a recommendation report.

“Once the report is finalised, we will be able to action the removal of further stream blockages. However, this work will first be assessed and prioritised based on factors including the severity of the blockage, the health and safety risks, and in the context

flooded until January 27 have already been inundated twice since then.

Ahuroa Road residents Liz and Doug McLaren are having to deal with the extent of river debris first-hand. They had huge quantities of trees, branches and slash pile through the river running alongside their property, carving a swathe of destruction.

“When you look at the river, there are such big jams and such a lot of silt, willows, logs, slash, you name it – until that’s cleared, we’re just going to continue to have floods,” Liz said.

She said a huge number of trunks, stumps and debris from nearby pine harvesting had been washed down a waterfall that drops through native bush at the edge of their property

“It built up and built up and it’s let go, taken out everything in its path, dropped tonnes and tonnes of slash and wiped out the waterfall. Tonnes fell into the river and jammed up 20 to 30 metres from our bridge.”

While Council cleared a major logjam near a bridge linking the McLarens’ home to Ahuroa Road, Liz is concerned that there are still countless fallen trees, logs and branches still causing blockages all along the river, and suggested it would make sense for Council and forestry companies to pool their resources and work together to clear blockages.

of the hundreds of stream blockages also identified by surveys across the entire Auckland region.

Council said it did not currently have a timeline and work could take several months. Council added streams running through private property were the responsibility of landowners and said is wasn’t intending to approach forestry operators to help with clearance.

Puhoi Library

Council was due to assess the library last week and said it would be made a priority.

Lawrie Road reopening

Auckland Council expects to reopen the Lawrie Road waste facility in Snells Beach in July. The facility was closed last July for a $2.4 million government-funded redevelopment, which includes a new shop, education centre and better access onto Lawrie Road. Meanwhile, Council received four expressions of interest from entities interested in running the transitional waste and resource recovery services at Lawrie Road, and will announce the successful operator next month. Since July 2019, the site, along with a recycling facility in Rustybrook Road in Wellsford, has been run by community enterprise Mahurangi Wastebusters.

Pipeline route

Watercare is investigating a less disruptive route to connect the northern growth areas of Warkworth to the pump station at Lucy Moore Memorial Park, just south of the township. Watercare says it has taken on board feedback from the community and local businesses, and is now assessing the feasibility of a number of options that won’t require trenching or tunnelling in either Queen or Neville Streets. The new pipeline will start near the showgrounds. Watercare says it will have further updates in May.

Dates set

A confirmed date has been set for the Kowhai Festival Big Day Out. It will be held on the Saturday of Labour Weekend, October 21. The festival organising committee will hold its annual meeting in the downstairs meeting room at Warkworth RSA this Thursday, March 30, at 7pm. Anyone interested in helping is warmly invited to attend. Meanwhile, dates have also been set for the Winter Festival (July 1), the Great Debate (October 28) and the Heritage Festival (November 11-19).

Fire season change

Kawau Island has been moved from a prohibited fire season to a restricted season. This means outdoor fires are now permitted under restrictions. All fires lit in the open will need to get permits from Fire and Emergency first, and comply with safety conditions. Info: www.checkitsalright.nz

Bowls auction fundraiser

Bowls Warkworth, in Mill Lane, is holding a fundraising auction on Friday, April 21. Money raised will go towards the costs of celebrating the club’s centenary over Labour Weekend in October. Club vice-president John Hurdley says the club has reached this milestone due to its strong membership and the incredible effort made by volunteers. The event is being organised and run by RE/MAX Warkworth, and will include both silent and live auctions. There will be a $10 cover charge, and the programme will include a live band and nibbles. The evening auction starts at 6pm. All welcome.

Auckland Council’s response:

Liz McLaren fears blockages like this will lead to more flooding.

Court bench flies in to revisit landfill site and harbour

Judges and commissioners from the Environment Court paid two more visits to Waste Management NZ’s (WM) proposed mega-landfill site last month, by helicopter and by road.

Judge Jeff Smith summarised the visits when the appeals case resumed online on Monday, March 20.

The trips were made after recent heavy rain events and the bench was able to see for themselves the effects on the landscape, from the source of the Hoteo River in the east right out to the Kaipara Harbour.

“We saw very fresh scarring, a great deal of slipping, including serious slumping on low-sloped areas you wouldn’t expect,” Smith said.

He said the worst slips were on farmland, followed by pine forests, but there was little evidence of slips in native bush. As

for the landfill site itself, he said there was evidence of “general instability”.

“We flew through the footprint of the site and saw a number of slips, some of which were quite large,” he said.

The judge said of most concern was a very large slip near the bottom of the landfill site, where huge boulders had crashed down a steep drop, taking lots of soil with it.

“It blocked the stream at the bottom and there were a number of trees down.”

The judges and court officials then flew down the Hoteo to the Kaipara Harbour, where Smith said there had clearly been major flooding, slips and sedimentation.

He added that the flight and a subsequent road trip had been extremely helpful in giving them all a better understanding, not only of the site itself, but the whole area and the “incredibly diverse and folded

nature of the land” that affected where and how water flowed.

“The largest area of unified coverage of native bush was between the Dome and Wayby Valleys,” he observed.

The bench also visited a number of WM’s other potential sites for the landfill, including west of SH1 and the Wayby Valley site and Pebblebrook Quarry, near Wainui.

The court heard that because of damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle, the Puatahi Marae at Glorit was no longer able to host the cultural evidence, which is due to be heard over three days from April 3 to 5.

Counsel for Ngati Whatua Rob Enwright said the marae’s roof had been substantially damaged in the storm and the decision had been made to move the court sessions to Te Ao Marama Maori Cultural Centre at Te Hana.

The rest of last week’s proceedings were taken up with some intense cross-examination of planning witnesses, including whether the landfill would meet statutory criteria laid down in the Resource Management Act and the Auckland Unitary Plan, and proposed conditions.

Judge Smith also raised the question of how, and if, Overseas Investment Office conditions had changed when the OIO approved the sale of WM from Beijing Capital Group NZ Investment Holdings to multinational investment group Tui BidCo in August last year.

“We have found the public version of that consent and those conditions,” he said. “Compared to the current one, it is somewhat different, which raises questions for the court. This has caused mental frustration for me, so it would be useful to know.”

Non-profits groups could face new council charges

Local boards will be able to charge nonprofit community groups, that lease Auckland Council facilities, a maintenance charge of up to $10,000 a year if a proposal in the 2023/24 Budget is approved. Council wants to amend its Community Occupancy Guidelines to give local boards more discretion in recovering maintenance and administration costs, and the chance to supplement their funding.

At present, maintenance fee guidelines are $250 for a building of less than 100 square metres, $500 for buildings between 100 and 500 square metres and $1000 for those larger than 500 square metres. Those figures would rise to $2500, $5000 and $10,000 respectively if the Budget

proposals go through.

In addition, the current administration fee guideline of $1 per year for any sized building and ground leases would rise to $1300.

The budget supporting information document says the increased revenue could provide an alternative source of funding for maintenance and administration costs that are currently funded by general rates.

“The freed-up general rates funding would be available to those local boards who had raised their fees. This would provide them with additional revenue to supplement their local funding and manage any impact on their budgets resulting from

the proposed reductions to local funding being considered as part of this budget,” the document says.

“If the local boards were to seek to recover the maintenance and administration costs to the level proposed, they could generate up to a maximum of $3.5 million additional revenue. If all fees were set at this level, they would recover 74% of building maintenance and repairs and 95% of administration costs.” However, the document stresses that all of this would still be down to each local board and that any or all increases would be determined by them on a case-by-case basis. There will also be no penalty if they decide not to impose the increased charges.

Historic libraries facing budget threats

Two historic community libraries run by volunteers have made pleas to be spared from spending cuts and new charges being proposed in the draft Auckland Council budget.

Leigh Library currently relies on annual funding of $2000 from Council’s Libraries department and $1250 from Rodney Local Board – money which is potentially under threat in the budget – while Puhoi Library receives no funding, but is alarmed by a proposal to introduce a new $2500 maintenance fee on Council buildings that would wipe out the little fundraising income it makes.

Volunteers from both libraries spoke at last month’s Rodney Local Board meeting, saying they would simply not be able to continue operating if such changes went through.

Leigh librarian Tracey Lawton said the Council and Local Board money was vital to keep the library, an important community and social hub, going.

“We don’t qualify for grants or other community funding as those require a finite project – something with a beginning and an end – and book buying is a continuous project,” she said.

“In essence, we’re 99.9% reliant on yours and Council’s funding. For this funding, we provide an excellent service to our community. We hear time and time again how amazing our book selection is, sometimes our volunteers are the only people some of our members talk to in their day, and we care for the cottage and gardens.”

Puhoi Library’s Sandra Mohl-de-Vallejo and Dell Peacock said proposed budget changes that would allow local boards to charge higher maintenance fees on Council land and buildings leased to community organisations would cripple the tiny oneroom library.

“The proposed charge of $2500 per annum would close the library,” Mohl-de-Vallejo said. “We don’t get any funding, and that is three times the profit we make in a year.”

She added that the library was already having to cope with the catastrophic flooding that hit Puhoi on January 27, when floodwaters rose 30cm above the top of the library door and destroyed more than 6000 books, documents and photographs. The building remains yellow-stickered and full of mud. (see story p3)

However, she said even that was manageable and the library team could cope, compared to the threat of a new maintenance charge. “That is the big issue. Everything else we can cope with – we don’t mind the floods, we don’t mind the work, but we’re asking you to waive this charge.”

Board chair Brent Bailey said members felt for anyone who had been through flooding and he urged library committees to make a submission on the budget proposals. “These things are important,” he said.

The Auckland Council Budget 2023/24 is open for feedback until 11pm on Tuesday, March 28.

“Local boards will continue to have full discretion when charging fees set out in the amended Community Occupancy Guidelines.

“If a local board decides not to raise the fees from the current baseline amount charged, there will be no requirement to top up community lease revenue budgets for charging below the proposed fees.” The document adds that maintenance and administration costs are only part of the cost Council incurs to support community leases and a separate review is presently underway into how community leases should be managed, “including the appropriate recovery of costs”.

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Puhoi Library is currently yellow-stickered and full of mud, but faces a worse threat than flooding.

Anti-landfill group still fighting

Unity and determination were the order of the day when Fight the Tip held a public meeting on March 19 to update followers on the ongoing Environment Court case against Waste Management NZ’s (WM) plans for a new regional landfill.

Around 60 people were at Wellsford Community Centre to hear the latest on the appeals, including a statement from Fight the Tip’s counsel Andrew Braggins. He said the court was taking the case extremely seriously, with a full bench of two respected judges and three commissioners, instead of the usual solo judge and two commissioners.

He said although the court had been careful not to give any indication of whether consent might be granted, the case had overall been going as well or better than originally anticipated.

“Presently, the case stands in the balance and there is a reasonable chance of success,” Braggins said. “In particular, the cultural and ecological effects of the landfill clearly have been weighing on the court’s mind.” The recent about-turn by the Ngati Manuhiri Settlement Trust to support WM came in for criticism by several speakers, including Fight the Tip deputy chair Michelle Carmichael.

“This has stirred up a lot of emotions with people and I get it,” she said. “I was absolutely devastated to hear it, along with

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the rest of our executive. To be honest, I felt completely betrayed.” However, she said it was clearly a corporate decision, not a cultural one, and one where the environment was not the leading motivation. She said all the other appellants, plus local iwi and hapu, remained united in their opposition to the tip and fighting its consent.

Her sentiments were echoed and amplified by several other speakers including Ngāti Wai raukura chief executive Hūhana Lyndon, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua chief executive Alan Riwaka and Omaha Marae chair Annie Baines.

Fight the Tip’s Mikaera Miru also stressed how interwoven and connected all the region’s mana whenua were and the importance to everyone, whether Maori or pakeha, of their “most precious jewel”, the Kaipara Harbour.

And he reminded the meeting of the importance of the rahui tapu placed on the landfill site in 2019, which had been ignored by Auckland Council and WM.

“We put a rahui on that land and that is a challenge to the Crown,” he said. “If they do come to that land, then there will be a war on this land, and it won’t just be Māori, it will be Māori and pakeha together.

“If they break that tapu on that land, look out. There will be environmental war.”

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From left, Michelle Carmichael, Sue Crockett, Mikaera Miru and Alan Riwaka.

YouSay

Lack of trees

I am not known for letters to the editor, but I do wish to comment on a recent article headlined ‘Weather inflicts horrendous damage on Kaipara Hills farms’ (MM Feb 27).

Now, I certainly do not wish to denigrate our farmers, as I have the utmost respect for the agricultural community as a whole. I do, however, lament the lack of trees or ground cover shown in the photos of the worst slips. Is this the result of five or six generations of over-farming on vulnerable land, when all the signals over at least the past 30 years have strongly suggested that these delicate areas demand stronger erosion control management? Would the damage have been less catastrophic if better land management had been practiced, replacing trees and ground cover that has been removed by previous generations?

Please do not take this as ‘farmer bashing’, as particularly at the moment they need all the moral support they can get, but I guess you get my drift.

When I travel around rural and urban New Zealand, I am really troubled by generations of irresponsible denuding of what seems to be very vulnerable land.

To me, the headline totally misleads, and removes human responsibility. ‘Weather inflicts horrendous damage on denuded Kaipara Hills farms’ would have been more accurate.

Mark Newcomb, Sandspit

Shrinking habitats

Thanks, John Richards, for questioning the effectiveness of dog management at Snells Beach (MM Mar 13).

At first we thought about responding with all the facts, but then wondered what is the real issue for guardians of dogs who deliberately take their pets into the small sections of protected coastline. There’s plenty of information about dogs

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 Letters can

and their impact on endangered wildlife of Aotearoa, and we’re unsure bombarding people with more facts is of much value. The point made in the article ‘Stop pussyfooting around’ (MM Feb 27) was that there are no controls for companion cats that predate wildlife on public land. However, most other threats can be addressed.

Snells’ small protected northern shoreline accounts for only 28 per cent of the complete beach. To the south, where dogs have more freedom, few shorebirds roost, and to our knowledge none nest within the less protected area.

We’re sure John knows that more than 20 species of endemic and native birds, and occasionally marine mammals, find refuge at the northern end of Snells Beach where dog restrictions change with the seasons. Where New Zealand’s dog owners can go with their pets changes and shifts as much as the sands on the shoreline. It’s not easy to keep up with what’s what, but council websites are a great place to start. Understandably, John and many others are confused about rules and they could end up in deep guano should they walk a pooch in the various no dog zones at heaps of popular beaches. Was he being disingenuous, perhaps stirring up a cat vs dog vs mustelids vs rodents debate? All these introduced critters are predators, and all threaten New Zealand’s biodiversity.

Since 2021, Boathouse Bay and Snells Shoreline Conservation Community trapping volunteers have eradicated nearly 900 predatory rodents and mustelids. Most dog owners respect the protected but shrinking habitats of wildlife and a few let the masses down.

We invite people to ask us questions faceto-face in respectful conversations. We’re online or chat to us at Snells Beach during our monthly volunteer mornings, our community events, or our first planting day on Sunday, July 9.

Jackie Russell, Snells Shoreline Conservation

Regarding cats and dogs

Decision time for Snells Beach and Omaha – birds or dogs running free? Birds or cats roaming around at night? Cat management legislation will only get passed into law if there is a change to what is acceptable to the majority of society.

Once a law is enacted, enforcement becomes the next issue, as is clear with existing dog legislation.

Ruud Kleinpaste, in his recent presentation at Mahurangi College, proposed that education is the answer. He now chooses to work with children. Our environment will be in their hands very soon. Perhaps they are less likely to take extreme positions in the birds vs cats/dogs situation, and see that we can have native birds and domestic pets, provided each ‘side’ respects the values held so dearly by the other side, and takes steps to act accordingly.

The standards of cat management need to be clearly communicated – keep it inside at night, get it neutered, have it microchipped and registered, feed it a high-protein diet, don’t leave it home alone for long periods of time. This creates the space to deal with feral or stray cats, because all those with a loving home are safely tucked up inside.

The cat issue is a national debate long overdue for sensible discussion based on facts, not emotion. It is not up to “the Council” or “the Government” – it is up to us. Friends, neighbours, family – voicing concern. While the wheels of democracy grind on, this problem could easily be solved.

Ngaire Wallen, Campbells Beach

Sleight of hand

As the financial year draws to its close, we can all look forward to one certainty – our (sic) banks will have made record profits. How many of us realise that a considerable proportion of these profits are accrued

Golf balls

Who’d have thought you needed your swimming togs when playing a round at the Warkworth Golf Course.

Mayoral bon mots

Mayor Wayne Brown is nothing if not a straight shooter. On hearing one of the presenters at a recent event in Warkworth bemoan the way council wastes money, his reply was simple and to the point, “Yeah, we [council] do dumb shit everywhere.”

Calf comforter

Warkworth A&P Show volunteers were amused when one young visitor got so engrossed with the calves that after he had bottle fed one, he lay down with his head on the calf and they both went off to sleep. The young boy’s mum had to wait until he woke up before they could visit the rest of the show.

through the use of cards, as opposed to cash? As an oft-quoted example, a $50 bill spent at the beginning of the day will be worth the same at the end. A dozen or so card transactions, over the same day, will have had a fee or percentage clipped each time, ensuring the bank has made money at each point of sale.

Cards may be convenient – but at what

continued next page

Community, a Forest & Bird Warkworth project

Viewpoint

Greg Sayers, Rodney Councillor greg.sayers@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Council costs blowout

Auckland Council is facing unexpected additional costs as a result of January’s weather bomb, followed by Cyclone Gabrielle. The cost to repair all of the damage is estimated to be $1.2 billion. Capital costs form the largest part of the bill and is based on a like-for-like replacement of damaged assets, along with operational costs such as the immediate clean-up. The estimate does not include any provision for enhanced infrastructure resilience or any acquisition of private properties impacted by these weather events.

Council was already grappling with how to plug a $295 million budget shortfall. Just a few months into his new job, Mayor Wayne Brown had put out for public consultation options on how he thought that budget shortfall might be filled by making internal savings and a 4.6% rate increase.

However, things have got considerably worse since then. Add into the storm damage costs, the announcement that the City Rail Link (CRL) now requires an additional $1 billion to complete it and Council’s share of that 50/50 partnership with the Crown is $500 million. When all added up, Council was having to find $295 million in budget shortfall, but this has now skyrocketed to a staggering $2.5 billion.

Government help is what is needed to bridge these massive numbers. But will it come?

To date, the recovery package for Auckland’s storm damage remains unclear. The Mayor accepts Auckland Council will have to pick up a share of the CRL project budget blowout, but says he will hold “tough” talks

from previous page cost is this convenience to the users and the retailers, many of whom seem to have overlooked this voracious sleight of hand? One retailer I know states that it costs him around $2000 a month in these “transaction fees”. From the bank’s perspective, it is a genuine case of “money for old rope”… people are actually paying, every time to make a purchase.

Technically, the card owner does not pay, but every recipient does, and the banks must love it. Given our storm-ravaged state, I suggest our political servants at least discuss this clever extortion.

Crispin Caldicott, Makarau

with the government, requesting it to pay for more than its 50 per cent share because of Council’s mounting financial pressures.

The need for the extra money for the CRL is said to be the result of covid. That is, time away from the CRL worksite due to the lockdown rules, delays in materials due to international shipping supply chain slowdowns, inflation and increasing labour costs are all said to have escalated the project’s costs.

The builders of the CRL say they have had to endure two Level 4 lockdowns, 280 days of restricted working conditions – the covid traffic light system. They also say they lost 3.2 million building hours through illness among staff as over 800 workers on the project caught covid.

In total, due to Covid-19 lockdowns and lost time, the project’s new cost has increased to $5.493 billion. However, Transport Minister Michael Wood appeared to sink any hope that the government would, in fact, help with the costs, announcing he wanted the payment arrangements to remain evenly split. The revised completion date for the project’s stations and the supporting rail infrastructure is now November 2025.

The CRL should always have been a fully funded Central Government project. It also should have been a fixed cost contract, rather than an open-ended cheque book. It is the only major rail project not to be centrally funded. It is the country’s largest infrastructure project ever undertaken. However, it will be very difficult for Mayor Brown to renegotiate any new terms.

FOOD RESCUE

Cyclone Gabrielle

As the weather has shown us during the month of March you never know what might happen to change your personal circumstances. That change in personal circumstances may be due to a force of nature or ill health.

We have all seen the huge effort our communities have made to step up and assist with the recent weather events. Those changes in circumstances however often impact people for longer than emergency relief is able to be provided for.

Every week you, our local community provides us at Food Rescue with good food rescued from a possible trip to a landfill. That good food is instead supplied to our local food bank to meet our community needs for food from Puhoi to Te Hana coast to coast.

Those donations not only feed the hungry, but they reduce the adverse impacts to our environment of food waste at a landfill.

We encourage you to keep sending your surplus/ rescued food through to us at Food Rescue so we can continue to supply the food banks and ultimately members of our community.

Our thanks go to those that have donated in the past and our major donors New World Warkworth and Countdown Warkworth.

• You might volunteer to become involved.

Parked up

Another frantic Friday afternoon at the Warkworth Community Transport Hub. I took this picture about 2pm on Friday, March 10, while out walking my dog. Worth every one of our rates surcharge dollars ... not!

Ray Eder, Warkworth

• Do you have an orchard or back yard with fruit or vegetables going spare? We have on occasions received trailer loads of pumpkins shipped up from a Hawkes Bay producer.

• Perhaps a farm or lifestyle block owner could provide an animal for slaughter with meat going to the food banks.

• Donations are always gratefully received as well and enable us to meet the occasional desperate need.

Community leaders were given a rare opportunity to talk to the Mayor informally about the issues affecting their communities.

Rural issues put before Auckland Mayor

There was a cathartic air in Warkworth’s old Masonic Hall on March 13 when Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown came to town.

Representatives from 22 community groups took the opportunity, arranged by Councillor Greg Sayers, to raise their issues and give their opinions on Auckland Council’s performance.

Seven hours later, the Mayor joked, “Is there anyone left in Rodney that I haven’t met today?”

The presenters were well prepared, well informed, passionate and funny. And incredibly polite.

The Mayor treated them with the same courtesy.

Rural people are more resilient than they think they are. In the city, people get upset if someone doesn’t send them a text to tell them it’s raining! Mayor

They talked about the need for council to reduce its spending to match its income, to better maintain the roads and the stormwater systems, and to build Council infrastructure in advance of new subdivisions.

Although the session ran an hour over time, and only wrapped up when a group of feisty Scottish dancers informed everyone that they had “booked the hall and were about to start their class”, the Mayor looked neither weary or bored.

In fact, he looked like he was enjoying himself. Seven straight hours of listening to concerns about roads, bridges, culverts,

libraries, leases, landfills, CABs and footpaths would do most people’s head in, but the Mayor genuinely appeared to enjoy engaging with the presenters.

If you think Wellsford’s got an elderly population, you should visit Manly [Hibiscus Coast]. It’s one of the few places where people call me “sonny”. Mayor

The forum was unusual to say the least. The two previous incumbents, Len Brown and Phil Goff, seldom visited the north and never made themselves available for a session of such length.

It may be optimistic, but you get a sense Brown is much more at home around people wearing Red Band gumboots and Swanndris rather than suits and stilettos. When the Wellsford delegation took their seats, he shared a memory of playing rugby at Port Albert when they had to clear the field of sheep before the game could start. He also claimed Albertland heritage and when he was presented with an Albertland Museum calendar, he took the time to turn the pages and share personal memories stirred by the photographs.

CAB? I thought you were saying that the TAB was very important! Mayor

Refreshingly, he wasn’t following some predrafted public relations script. Where he could see solutions, he said so. Where more information was needed, the issue was recorded. No promises were made, but the people were listened to and

the Mayor was not backward in challenging the requests, either.

He said Local Boards didn’t have to put up hall charges, they just needed to learn to be more efficient and stop wasting money.

He said the proposed $16 million cut in Local Board budgets across Auckland was to try to get Local Boards to realise that there were other ways of doing things.

“I don’t want anyone to have to cut their budget, but I inherited such a huge debt that we have to do something, and everyone’s got to take a little haircut,” he said.

“Until you put people under pressure, they sometimes don’t realise where money is being wasted.”

As an example, Brown cited the recent opening of a Rodney Local Board office in Elizabeth Street, Warkworth, which cost $1.5 million to refit.

“What are we doing refurbishing and renting a building when there is already an under-utilised council office at the other end of town [Baxter Street]? It’s crazy.

“There are savings they [Local Boards] haven’t even looked for.

“They just think that they will have less money to shell out, but what they should be doing is looking for areas of spending where they can be more efficient.

“For a start, they’ve got too many staff helping them – so they could start there.”

Brown said when his term as Mayor ended, Auckland rural roads would be better, the port would be heading out of town, and

there would be more goods on rail and less trucks on the road.

“Council will be leaner at the top, and the Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs) – Auckland Transport, Watercare, Tataki Auckland Unlimited and Eke Panuku Development – will definitely be very different. They will be more commercially focused, with a lot less management, reduced staff numbers and much more customer-focused.

“They will be more about doing what people want and less about getting people to do what some zealot in the city wants.”

Local Board members Michelle Carmichael, Colin Smith, Ivan Wagstaff, Geoff Upson and Tim Holdgate also sat in on some or all of the sessions.

Cr Sayers said after the meeting that the groups shared not only issues their individual communities faced, but also the associated solutions with the Mayor.

They say don’t put up rates, don’t cut services and don’t sell the airport shares, but come up with $750 million in savings. Mayor

“The discussions constantly reinforced we have the local knowledge to solve many of the council-related challenges. What is needed is the opportunity for local volunteer groups, and local contractors, to be better utilised to deliver council-related services. The current heavily decentralised council control systems need to be decentralised to allow more local input and greater community self-determination.”

David Stone, from the Omaha Shorebird Protection Society, raised a smile when he described Omaha as the best flocking site in Auckland.

Marie Ashton and Hugh McKergow after their presentation.

Plan to close Falls Road river crossing and form new park

Ambitious proposals for a new urban park that would include diverting Woodcocks Road, and closing Warkworth’s Falls Road ford to traffic, were unveiled at Rodney Local Board’s meeting last month.

Members heard from Forest & Bird Warkworth that there was an opportunity to link up two existing reserves with several pieces of Department of Conservation land in and around Falls and Woodcocks Roads and the left branch of the Mahurangi River. Long-term member and volunteer Roger Williams said the one-way bridge on Woodcocks Road, near the junction with Falls Road, needed replacing, so it made sense to relocate the road to the south and keep the bridge for walking and cycling through a new urban park.

He also said the Falls Road river crossing should be closed to traffic completely, not only because it was in the heart of the reserve area, but because of the danger it posed to traffic and the fact that there was a safer alternative route.

Williams said there had been two fatal accidents on the ford in the past and vehicles still regularly got stuck or into trouble, whether it was cars and trucks trying to cross when the river was high or

large trucks getting stuck at all times.

“Forest & Bird wants to close Falls Road and make it a proper reserve,” he said.

“This is potentially the most exciting opportunity for an urban park within the rural urban boundary.”

Williams also presented a second park proposal, called Rotary Grove, which would be an extension of the Sesquicentennial Walkway with a new area for dog exercise and a loop track to Shoesmith Street, as well as links further north along the Mahurangi River to land due to be developed with a new subdivision in future.

He said after the meeting that the presentation was a starting point to get Local Board members up to speed with the ideas and to seek their endorsement. Forest & Bird is also seeking up to $10,000 for works beyond the group’s usual weeding and planting activities, and wants the board to commit to working with DOC to integrate reserves and parks.

“We need to follow it up with a more specific request,” he said. “I’ll formally ask Rodney Local Board to pick it up with Auckland Transport, and hopefully get them to pass a resolution.”

Forest & Bird would like to close Falls Road to traffic and prevent scenes like this.

Teachers take to Warkworth streets

About 250 teachers, principals and supporters from across the Mahurangi district gathered at the Warkworth Town Hall on March 16 to show their support for a national campaign for better pay rates and working conditions.

The day-long strike action was organised by the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) and New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI). It involved primary and secondary school teachers and principals, as well as early childhood educators. The strike followed failed negotiations between the government and the unions to get agreement on the teachers’ respective collective agreements.

Speakers at the Warkworth rally, who were constantly interrupted by motorists blasting

are exhausted and feel undervalued,” he said.

The common themes raised at the rally included the pressures brought on by ever increasing class sizes and the challenges of teaching students with learning and behavioural needs.

The teachers said they wanted a deal

It’s undermined by the excessive demands on our time and lack

societal issues.

“It’s undermined by the excessive demands on our time and lack of controls on our workloads,” she said.

“Our collective agreement claims are based on our vision for education. Teaching must be seen as a first choice career that can last a lifetime.”

She criticised the government for its lack of urgency in resolving the teachers’ dispute.

controls

our workloads Isabel Rangiwananga

that would provide better pay rates and conditions to help schools hang on to skilled and experienced teachers, entice ex-teachers back into the classroom and inspire the next generation to join the profession.

“In four months’ time, every member will revert to an individual agreement, with the risks that entails.

“Our wages, which have not increased since July 2021, continue to decline both in real value and relative to many alternative occupations.”

One of the march organisers, Russell

Warkworth Primary School principal Cynthia Holden.

Isabel Rangiwananga told the rally that between 2021 and 2022, secondary teacher retention fell by 3%, new secondary vacancy advertisements increased by 27%

Michelle Fogarty, from Mahurangi Kindergarten, gave an Early Childhood Education perspective on the issues teachers want addressed.

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Board members’ idea stymied by bureaucracy

A second attempt to reallocate funds from the Rodney Local Board transport targeted rate to fix rural roads damaged in recent storms has failed, for now at least.

Warkworth member Ivan Wagstaff, seconded by Michelle Carmichael, submitted a Notice of Motion to discuss pausing a three-year $2.5 million shuttle bus trial in the Warkworth area and using the money to provide high quality unsealed roads instead.

However, like a similar notice of motion by Geoff Upson last month (MM, Mar 13), the motion was turned down by the board’s local area manager Lesley Jenkins because it didn’t meet the statutory requirements of Auckland Council’s standing orders. This failure and the whole issue of how board members could instigate change came under scrutiny at the Local Board’s latest monthly meeting on March 15. Several members voiced frustration at the difficulty in bringing matters for discussion to board meeting agenda.

Carmichael said she didn’t believe the motion should have been stopped in the way it was.

“Due to recent storm issues, we need to rethink our priorities, and our communities probably think the same, and we need to find that out. Our communities are facing an ongoing risk of isolation,” she said. “We’re asking to pause that on-demand bus service at the moment so that we can discuss if we need to reprioritise that money.

“There’s a lot of talk about what’s needed to stop a motion, but not much as to how to get it on the table so we can discuss it. It would be good to get support to help us with these motions so that we can enable a discussion that needs to be had in a democratic way.”

Jenkins said her hands were tied by the board’s decision making obligations under the Local Government Act.

“When you’re putting something forward, whether it’s Geoff’s notice of motion

or Ivan’s, if you move and recommend something that is outside your powers, then it’s ultra vires, it has no effect,” she said.

“Notices of motion are a political tool, they’re a very blunt tool and the problem that is quite often the case is that they don’t fully address the decison-making obligations under the Local Government Act.”

She said that was why a workshop on the background of the transport targeted rate had been organised for Wednesday, March 22, just before Mahurangi Matters went to press.

Wagstaff said the process seemed to be back to front.

“Organising workshops and mobilising staff before we and the board have had the chance to agree on whether we even want to do the thing we’re proposing seems a waste,” he said. “We might not even agree to do the thing being put forward, so to get staff to waste their time having workshops seems like the wrong thing to do. The right thing to do, when our communities are in need, is to look at things before we decide to have workshops.”

Chair Brent Bailey said the board was supposed to be an effective team, and he thought individual members putting forward their own Notices of Motion suggested they were acting as a “committee of one”.

Board pursues final targeted rate project

If the on-demand shuttle bus service for Warkworth, Leigh and Sandspit does go ahead later this year, it will absorb the final $3 million remaining in the Rodney Local Board targeted rate budget.

Carmichael said that was far from the case.

“No, it’s the whole democratic thing where we bring an idea forward, then we talk about it and then we vote on it, and so it’s from that point forward we need more information and then invest some money in looking at it in more detail,” she said.

Wagstaff said after the meeting that he was simply saying let’s have a look and see if the board could help communities.

“I’ve visited a lot of people over the last couple of months and they’re not getting good news,” he said. “The simple message is we should all be looking at things we can do to help with the current situation.

“If it needs consultation, we can do that. But my premise was to give people fit-forpurpose roads and saying pause it [the bus trial] for a while, so we can do some good.

“If we were to give $800,000 a year for three years to a local contractor and have them proactively go out to these places and provide a better road surface and clear some of the drains, perhaps they could make better roads.”

Wagstaff added that there weren’t many opportunities as a Local Board member to make a big difference, but when there was an opportunity to respond to a community need, that should not be missed.

The $150 per annum rateable property charge was introduced in 2018 and to date, has been allocated to mainly footpaths $21,824,000 (35 projects), community transport hubs (Warkworth and Huapai) $10,500,000, and bus services $10,059,539. The launch of the bus services was funded from the targeted rate, but the services are now being managed and funded by Auckland Transport.

A Local Board meeting was told this month that public consultation would be held ahead of the launch of the new ondemand and fixed-route shuttle services in the Warkworth area.

Consultation will ensure the public is happy with the suggested zone for the Warkworth on-demand service and the timetables for the Leigh and Sandspit services.

Consultation would also provide an opportunity to gather feedback on these services to determine details such as where the Leigh and Sandspit services might stop en-route.

The on demand bus services are expected to be operating from the second half of this year.

It’s time to turn the clocks back an hour this Sunday, April 2. Daylight saving officially ends at 3am and won’t return until September 24.

Bus stop? A call was made to switch shuttle bus funds to road repairs.

A&P Show returns with gusto

Thousands flocked to the Warkworth Showgrounds on March 18 to welcome back the annual A&P Lifestyle Show. After the disruptions caused by covid and cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis, show secretary Karen Black said it was “great” to have everyone back, especially the cattle, and the weather could not have been better.

“The calf feeding was a big hit and all the competitions had good entries, both down in the miniature horses, donkey and mule area, the cattle area and also the woodchopping, mounted games and shearing.”

About 50 market stalls offered everything from jewellery and plants to political viewpoints and environmental information. Black says the trade and food sites were well supported, and the entertainers were well received. The Warkworth Volunteer Fire Brigade set up a mini-firefighter challenge and dogs of all shapes and sizes showed off their tricks in the agility arena.

“The turnout was amazing and we will definitely be back next year,” Black said. Show organisers thanked principal sponsor Wharehine, and general manager Andy Booth, in particular, for their continued support.

Major sponsors Northland Waste, Mason Contractors, Absolute Scaffolding, Carter’s Tyres, Mason Containers and Auckland Council were also thanked, along with Coresteel and Hutchinson Consulting Engineers for their sponsorship of the shearing, and all the volunteers.

Young firefighters in the making, Torbay visitors, Marlon and Aven Thomas.

Bella Holden, of Kaiwaka, with miniature horse Echo.

Andrea Scott, of Waitoki (left), and Sarah Thomas, of Wellsford, preparing to show Willow Creek and Glen Anthony Jasmine.

Wellsford CAB under threat

The Wellsford Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) says its services are being threatened by cuts proposed in Auckland Council’s budget for the next financial year.

As part of plans to lower debt and reduce rate rises, Council plans to cut up to $2 million in funding to the city’s 32 Citizens Advice Bureaux.

In Warkworth earlier this month, Mayor Wayne Brown said that while he was sure CABs did a very good job, ratepayers should not be funding them.

“The issues they’re dealing with –immigration, welfare and so on – are Central Government issues. Ratepayers should not be picking up the bill,” Brown said.

Wellsford CAB chairperson Brian Wright says if the Mayor feels it is not a Council responsibility, then he should negotiate that with Central Government.

“But maintain our services in the interim,” he says.

The Wellsford CAB has been operating since 1986 and meets the needs of nearly 900 clients a year, from an area covering from Puhoi to the Brynderwyns. Wellsford receives just under $40,000 in

Council funding, which helps meet the salary of a part-time manager and minor running costs.

Everything else the bureau does is contributed by volunteers.

“We are a one-stop shop for free and confidential advice on a range of issues from legal services, consumer, tenancy, employment and relationships to budgeting and neighbourhood disputes,” Wright says.

“Our interviewers are well-trained volunteers. We have qualified budget advisors and Justices of the Peace, and language services in Mandarin, Indonesian and Hokkien. We also have a CAB Clinic on the first and third Tuesday of every month at the Te Whai Community Trust in Mangawhai.”

The Wellsford service is based at the Wellsford Community Centre, and operates from Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 2pm. Wright says people can help save the CABs by having their say at: akhaveyoursay. aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/ways-have-yoursay-annual-budget- 2023-2024

A petition has also been started. It can be found at: https://www.cab.org.nz or phone the Wellsford CAB on 423 7333.

Flood danger from fallen trees

Puhoi isn’t the only place facing increased flood threats due to post-storm logjams and river debris, Rodney Local Board heard at its monthly meeting on March 15. A Sandspit-based environmental group told members that Matakana also had numerous obstructions upstream from the village centre in the wake of recent storms, putting the community at potential risk. Friends of Awa Matakanakana (FOAM) vice chair Martin Evans said in a deputation that access to the Matakana River from the reserve behind Awanui Crescent should be blocked as it was so dangerous.

“There are 11 logjams in the Awanui reserve,” he said. “The banks are vertical now, and they’re like quicksand, it’s

incredibly dangerous for kids.

“We had someone in there recently and a tree fell down right in front of them.”

Evans said a workshop was needed with Auckland Council staff to walk the rivers and find where all the obstructions were, as well as a catchment management plan.

Warkworth member Ivan Wagstaff, who lives in Matakana, said it was important that the risks to the local community were communicated and acted upon.

Board chair Brent Bailey suggested that FOAM made a submission on the proposed Auckland Budget, since there was important work not currently being done, and added that the board needed a report before it could make a resolution on the matter.

Warkworth 170th Anniversary

200

will celebrate these historic events as part of the Heritage festival, 11 to 19 November 2023 and throughout the year Kowhai Festival 1970 Warkworth Lions Club 1966 Kowhai Singers Opening of Puhoi to Warkworth Motorway Project 2023 Lions 202K District Convention Warkworth 27-29 October 2023 1984

170 years 165 years 160 years 160 years 160 years 160 years 150 years 145 years 140 years 115 years 100 years 100 years 51 years 50 years 40 years

57 years Supported by Mahurangi Matters

WARKWORTH SHOWROOM OPEN

37 Glenmore Drive, Warkworth (09) 777 4004 chesters.co.nz

SHOWROOM TRADING HOURS:

Mon-Fri 8.30am-5.00pm Saturday 8.00am-12 noon

Marine

Sam Woolford, LegaSea Project Lead sam@legasea.co.nz

Gulf future in our hands

With the last of the scallop beds now shut, Mahurangi locals need to invest more than ever in restoring the Hauraki Gulf. (see story below) The Rodney community has a track record of prioritising the health of the Hauraki Gulf. Two years ago, it was the community who united in support of Ngāti Manuhiri to lay a rāhui and protect the last scallop beds. Late last year, after a lack of action by Fisheries New Zealand (FNZ), the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries David Parker was forced to issue an emergency closure to protect the few remaining scallop beds. Today, there is no commercial scallop fishing left in New Zealand. With local scallop populations at an all-time low, all commercial scalloping has been closed due to over-harvest and environmental degradation. In March, FNZ proposed a progressive fisheries plan which would deliver a healthier marine environment. We were hopeful that this would be a step in the right direction. However, part of their proposal is to allow bottom trawling, scallop dredging and Danish seining to continue in the Marine Park.

One of the plan’s objectives is to remove recreational scallop dredging in order to ‘protect benthic habitats from adverse effects of bottom contact fishing methods’ yet commercial dredging can continue if

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the scallop fishery reopens. This decision doesn’t make sense. In fact, it’s dripping with hypocrisy.

There is nothing progressive about a plan that advocates for a healthier marine environment while allowing archaic and destructive fishing techniques to continue. The good news is that by March, over 30,000 people had already united and signed the Hauraki Gulf Alliance petition calling for a ban on destructive fishing methods, and a further 7000 New Zealanders put in personal submissions supporting this.

With an overwhelming public desire to prioritise the health of the Hauraki Gulf, and a general disregard by ministry officials, we have to question what ulterior motives are at play here? Clearly, there is increasing pressure on the government to get trawling and dredging out of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. Now it’s up to the Oceans and Fisheries Minister to decide on the fate of the draft plan.

We know Rodney locals want to see a thriving Hauraki Gulf. We just need to show the government there is a growing public appetite for banning bottom trawling and scallop dredging from Gulf waters. If you haven’t already, please sign the petition using the link below.

https://haurakigulfalliance.nz/petition/

Scallop fishery stays closed

A temporary closure of two areas of the Coromandel scallop fishery to both commercial and recreational fishing has been extended indefinitely.

Most of the Coromandel scallop fishery and all of the Northland scallop fishery were closed in 2021 due to sustainability concerns. In December last year, new information led to a temporary emergency closure of the two remaining open areas, one around Little Barrier Island and the other in the Colville Channel.

Fisheries New Zealand management director Emma Taylor says those areas will remain closed.

Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Stuart Nash made the decision based on new survey information, which showed the two open areas in the fishery could no longer sustain harvesting.

“In light of this evidence, feedback received

during public consultation supported a full and ongoing closure of the fishery.”

The Minister has set the commercial and recreational allowances at zero, reflecting that no fishing will take place while the closure is in effect. The closure will not affect the customary allowance of 10 tonnes.

“We note iwi in the region strongly support the recovery of the fishery and issuing of customary fishing permits has been limited if not completely ceased.”

More information, including the Minister’s decision letter, can be found here: Review of sustainability measures for fisheries –April 2023 round | NZ Government (mpi. govt.nz) Decisions for the Northland rock lobster fishery (CRA 1), also included in the April sustainability review, will be announced in the coming weeks.

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Allergy or intolerance?

Am I intolerant, or is it an allergy? I often hear these terms used interchangeably when it comes to the reactions that people may experience when eating certain foods. However, there is an important difference between them. The most important difference is that one can be lifethreatening, whereas the other just makes life uncomfortable.

A food allergy is caused by an exaggerated immune response to a food. When you eat the particular food, your body responds as if it is a pathogen that needs destroying. Our bodies destroy pathogens by producing antibodies, and with an allergy we produce an excessive amount of immunoglobulin E (IgE), which can cause a range of symptoms including hives, itching, swelling, vomiting, diarrhoea and nausea; and in some cases anaphylaxis, which is life-threatening.

An allergy reaction occurs very quickly – within seconds or minutes, and often dramatically. Allergies can be tested for, either by a skin prick or a blood test. If IgE antibodies are found, in response to coming into contact with a food, or any other compound, then we can be pretty confident that you are allergic to that food/compound. In contrast, a food intolerance doesn’t involve your immune system. There are no antibodies produced, and reactions can occur within a few minutes or after several hours. Thankfully, the symptoms are not life-threatening, but they can be unpleasant and painful. The most common symptoms are usually gut-related, such as bloating, flatulence, diarrhoea, indigestion and

In brief

Speaking with confidence

nausea, although sometimes an intolerance may aggravate eczema or asthma. Unfortunately, diagnosing food intolerances is not as easy as diagnosing a food allergy. There is no easy blood test and the symptoms are often the same as other health conditions. The standard method to diagnose food intolerances is through a detailed food diary and symptom diary, and elimination-reintroduction food challenges. These are difficult to do alone, so it’s best to find a dietitian or registered nutritionist to help navigate this. You can find food intolerances tests online. They usually test for an antibody called immunoglobulin G (IgG). IgG antibodies are found in our blood because you have eaten a particular food, not because you have an intolerance, although an IgG test can inadvertently identify a food intolerance. For example, the test says you are intolerant to 15 foods, so you cut them all out and ‘hey presto’ the food intolerance symptoms you were struggling with go away. The problem is that you don’t know which of those 15 foods was causing the symptoms, so now you’re eating a restrictive diet that’s impacting on your nutrient intake as well as your social life. If you suspect that you have a food allergy or intolerance, your first stop should be your GP to work out which it is, and to rule out any other health conditions. Then, find a dietitian or registered nutritionist who can help you to work around the allergy or manage the intolerance, so that you can continue to have a well-balanced and diverse diet.

Toastmasters is inviting anyone who has a fear of public speaking or who would like to develop their public speaking skills to join them on the first and third Tuesday of the month. The group meets at the Warkworth Bowls Club in Mill Lane, starting at 7.30pm. Member Murray Chapman says everyone knows the fear of standing up at a public event such as a wedding, funeral or work situation, but there are ways to overcome the nerves. There is a structured programme that helps members develop their confidence. Info: Murray on 027 496 6550

Coffee group

Plunket has started a new drop-in coffee group for families. It is a chance to chat and connect with other parents, and babies are welcome. The group meets at the at the Women’s Centre Rodney, in Morpeth Street, every Wednesday from 10am to 11.30am. Everyone welcome. Info: Sandra.paton@plunket.org.nz

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Environment

Christine Rose christine.rose25@gmail.com

Over the line

Marine reserves can be so successful that fish life increases outside them as well as in. It may be that the abundant fish in the reserves don’t know where we humans draw the line, and spill over it. Or maybe the spawn and eggs cross over and grow outside the boundaries. Either way, fisherpeople across the world benefit from ‘fishing the line’. Woe betide (literally) the fish who gets caught (literally) on the wrong side. The same goes for the kiwi whose adventurous spirit takes him (or perhaps his parents), outside the boundaries of a mainland island, like the little fellow who made his way to Omaha last year from the Tawharanui Open Sanctuary. Within the sanctuary, life is easy. Across the predator proof fence, many hazards await – dogs, cars, cats, mustelids, even perhaps the traps and poisons that are meant to keep him safe. The Omaha kiwi was found on an urban street in poor body condition with a fairly recent injury to his bill. Despite his rescue and treatment in Auckland Zoo, he succumbed to his injuries and died. Sometimes being on the wrong side of other types of lines can be risky too. As sea temperatures rise with climate change, fish and other marine species move, and so do their predators. On the Eastern US coast, that means critically endangered Northern Right whales follow their food beyond shipping zones where voluntary speed restrictions apply. That puts them at extra risk of ship strike, an already serious concern for the fewer than 350 whales left.

Another animal on the wrong side of safety was the Californian mountain lion P-22. He was displaced from the western Santa Monica mountains after territorial disputes with his father, and wandered, looking for a mate in an area with few other cougars. He crossed two freeways to find his new home in the suburbs and parklands of Hollywood Hills, the famous Hollywood sign, Ventura Boulevard and the Sunset Strip. P-22 lived to 11 years old but was eventually found injured in a backyard after being hit by a car, and euthanised. More cougars are killed by cars than are born, as freeways cut through the big cat habitat in one of the most car-centric cities in the world. City officials are developing multi-million dollar wildlife corridors to help cougars cross hostile transport routes including a 10-lane freeway. But some Angelenos (such as Gwyneth Paltrow) oppose wildlife corridors and think trying to accommodate wildlife in urbanised areas is dangerous for both the humans and animals.

People’s fates can be arbitrary, too – you may be born in the wrong place, at the wrong time or on the wrong side of the tracks. You may be driven from refuge by conflict, hunger or poverty. Or pulled by love, or the need for space or a sense of adventure. It just goes to show we’re all animals after all, with a random given set of genes and life experience, trying to navigate unseen boundaries and threats, and live a safe, good life if we can.

Closing hardstands cause concern

By Laura Kvigstad, Auckland Council reporter. Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.

The Howick Local Board fears marine pest species could reach the Tāmaki Estuary as boat cleaning capacity shrinks in Auckland. Hardstands allow boats to be taken out of the water and cleaned, removing unwanted pests such as the invasive seaweed species caulerpa from the hull.

In the last year, six hardstands have reduced their hull cleaning capacity with three closing their doors entirely.

The Auckland Yachting and Boating Association says the reduction means only 33 per cent of Auckland’s recreational boats can be cleaned annually when they are meant to be cleaned every six months.

Local boards oversee facilities in their area including some marinas and, in February, the Ōrākei Local Board ultimately decided to put their marina, the Landing, up for sale. At the Planning, Environment and Parks committee this month, the Howick board called on Auckland Council to take a regional approach to the issue as local boards look to sell their assets.

Howick Local Board chair Damien Light said Auckland needs hardstands and haul out facilities around the region so boat owners can access local facilities.

Light said if boats could not be cleaned locally they could be dragging pests across the Hauraki Gulf in order to get to another cleaning facility. The committee was told there were neglected boats across Auckland that were growing their own ecosystems.

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Learning how to reduce waste

A Zero Waste Living Workshop will be held at the Wellsford Community Centre on March 30 to help people learn new ways of reducing waste.

The event is being organised by Mahurangi Wastebusters. Trustee Trish Allen says although Kiwis are recycling more than ever, they are also creating more rubbish than ever before.

“From 2010 to 2019, the amount of waste we sent to landfill has increased by 47% per annum,” Allen says. “Per capita, we’ve gone from 580kg per person to 740kg pp. We did a bit better during covid, but the expectation is that we’ve now reverted to our wasteful ways.”

The workshop in Wellsford will cover a range of topics from how to how to reduce waste by shopping smarter to composting food so less goes to landfill. There will also be a session on how to make your own cleaning products and participants are asked to take along their own container or spray bottle to the workshop.

The evening will finish with a general discussion. The workshop is free and starts at 7pm. No bookings necessary.

Throwing out the throw away mentality

The materials economy – extraction, manufacture, distribution, consumption and disposal of goods and materials – is estimated to be responsible for 70% of global carbon emissions.

Most environmental damage happens at the point that resources are extracted from the earth.

Mahurangi Wastebuster Trish Allen says there are many reasons why people need to learn to use resources wisely.

“If people don’t separate and recycle properly but dump their waste in a landfill, that causes carbon dioxide and methane to be released into the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change,” she says.

“But, more importantly, it is a waste of resources, some of which are finite.”

Allen says we all need to value these resources, separate them and send them to be recycled into another product –keep them in the system.

In other words, a circular economy.

“As an example, we can now separate and save clean plastic bags and drop at participating supermarkets and Warehouse stores to be sent on to Future Post in Waiuku where they are re-manufactured into fence posts that are not only a great product, but last for many years.

“It is an example of valuing and re-using a resource.

“Apparently, studies show that the world’s economy is currently only 7.8% circular, but, if we can get to 18% circular, we can hold global warming to two degrees.”

Allen says the key messages that will be delivered at the Zero Waste Living Workshop in Wellsford, on March 30 (see story left), will be that each of us can make a difference and there is hope.

“Small changes in our everyday lives that are totally achievable do add up.

“It’s not hard – we just need to make a bit of an effort.”

Baled soft plastics from nationwide domestic store collections.

The final product (top), and its uses in aquaculture and equestrian fencing.

Fruit and vegetable scraps, including peelings, cores, stalks and skin

Bread, pasta and rice

Dairy products

Meat bones and scraps, including fat trimmings

Fish bones and scraps, including shellfish shells

Egg shells

Coffee grounds and tea bags

Indoor cut flowers

Paper towels and tissues

Garden waste like weeds, lawn clippings or hedge trimmings

Plastic bags

Disposable food containers (including compostable items)

Cigarette butts

Soil or rocks

Cloth and clothing

Food wrapping, including cling film, waxed paper or aluminium foil Nappies and sanitary products

Pet waste Liquids or chemicals

Limited food waste service coming

A food waste collection service is on track to start in Warkworth in October.

Council has determined that the collection will only operate in areas that fall within a rural urban boundary, as determined by the Unitary Plan. Therefore, Snells Beach, Matakana, Leigh, Wellsford and all other parts of Mahurangi will not receive the service.

An Auckland Council spokesperson says

that in feedback to the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2018, rural Aucklanders indicated that they did not require the service, as they could compost or feed to chickens/livestock.

The Warkworth households that receive the service will pay a pro rata charge that will be included in their 2023 rates bill. This is likely to be $51.47 for eight months.

The cost for a full financial year will

be $77.20, as proposed in the 2023/24 budget.

Restaurants and commercial properties will not receive the service.

“Council is focused on residential households which already receive a recycling and rubbish service,” a spokesperson said.

Food scraps are collected weekly from households in small 23-litre bins. The

Scooting to cut down on emissions

Commuters from Mahurangi will be able to hop onto a scooter to get them to and from their bus from next week onwards.

The Mahu City Express, which provides the only direct transport link between the Mahurangi region and the Auckland CBD, is introducing e-scooters to fill the ‘first and last mile’ gap.

Passengers will be able to book scooters with their bus ride, store and charge them on the bus, and ride them at both ends of the journey.

Mahu Express founder Julian Ostling says many passengers have to switch to other modes of transport when they reach the CBD. This includes connecting buses, walking, biking, scooters or other modes of transport.

“So, we know there is an existing demand for this enhancement. Ultimately, we are looking to remove any barriers to adoption, encouraging commuters to leave the car at home, and we’re confident that this will make the

service more appealing to many,” Ostling says. Ostling says passengers are also welcome to bring their own bikes.

“People who currently use their cars to drive to our service can replace that car journey with a zero-emissions scooter journey, and not have to find all day parking, freeing up that space for other members of the community,” Ostling says.

“We expect the success of the pilot will be repeated on all our future commuter coach services and we hope it will also trigger similar schemes elsewhere.”

The initiative is being made with support from the Waka Kotahi Innovation Fund - Hoe ki angitū.

Mahu Express was the first in New Zealand to launch fully electric e-coaches in 2021. Ostling says just one conventional coach can remove up to 85% of commuting emissions from the equivalent 40 cars, while a zeroemissions e-coach removes 100%.

scraps are consolidated in Papakura and then transported to Reporoa in trucks that are already coming from Taupo to Auckland and returning empty. It is estimated Aucklanders send 100,000 tonnes of food scraps to landfill each year. Council predicts the service will divert 40,000 tonnes in the first full year of the service and expects that amount to continue to grow as more residents use the service.

Samuel McIndoe (left) and Lee Buhagiar-Doyle try out the new Mahu City Express e-scooters.

Council has used the rural urban boundary to determine where the food waste service will be available in Warkworth.

Youth dive into plastic crisis

A movie by young people for young people will screen in Matakana on April 5.

For The Blue is a documentary by Project Blue, a group of ocean enthusiasts from Aotearoa, who travelled the globe to investigate the world’s plastic waste crisis. Surprisingly to them, they found themselves back in clean, green New Zealand experiencing the effects of the global plastic epidemic in their own backyard.

During their visit to a once pristine area in the South Island, they found plastic trash strewn across the land after the Fox River, on the West Coast, breached a closed landfill on its banks.

The plastic trash had spread across otherwise untouched landscapes including a marine reserve and unmodified wetlands.

A spokesperson for the film says that when Kiwis throw something ‘away’ or put it in the recycling bin, their minds do not think about where that ‘away’ is.

“More often than not our ‘away’ is either to a landfill or to another country, with inadequate infrastructure to manage domestic waste – let alone our nation’s waste as well,” they say.

“As a result, plastic materials are dumped, burned, or buried – each with their own devastating consequences. If we can educate both producers and consumers to rely less on plastic in the first place, the flow on effects for a sustainable future will be invaluable.”

A Project Blue representative will facilitate a discussion and answer questions at the conclusion of the film in Matakana. There will also be an opportunity sign up for a ‘call to action’ promise in the foyer – choose either a town or beach to clean up, stop using single-use coffee cups, stop buying plastic bottled water, or all three.

The screening is being organised by Mahurangi Wastebusters and the film starts at 6pm.

Stones, Rocks, Pebbles, Scoria, Shell, Spawls, White Chip, Pavers, Rock Walls (huge variety)

Sand, Asphalt

Mulch (great selection)

Bark, Ponga Logs

Top Soil, Potting Mix, Garden Mix, Compost Concrete, Mortar

Fertilisers, Weed

Grass Seeds

Sleepers

all & we just love to

Science

Emeritus Professor Ralph Cooney ONZM, FRSNZ r.cooney@auckland.ac.nz

Flooding, cyclones and climate

As the country struggles to recover from the extraordinary flooding and rain destruction of Cyclone Gabrielle and the earlier exceptional rain events, the community will be reflecting on the role of climate change in these natural disasters. To understand this situation, it is important to understand the difference between the concepts of climate and weather. Weather is a local and short-term event, while climate is a long-term, large-scale and even global process.

A 2022 research study in the journal Scientific Advances from Vrije University in the Netherlands concludes that humancaused climate change will make cyclones more intense and twice as frequent by 2050. This will put large parts of the world at risk. The local and regional flooding on the East Cape and other regions is linked to elevated ocean temperatures, increased evaporation into the atmosphere and, hence, increased risk of exceptional damaging rain events such as those we have experienced recently.

The recent extreme rain and flooding events are not unique to New Zealand. Similar exceptional flooding events have been experienced in Australia, Germany, Pakistan and other countries. This suggests the global climate warming is highly likely to have a role in all cases.

In Australia, the past year is being referred to as the year of the Great Deluge. Large parts of Eastern Australia experienced recordbreaking rainfall and floods, and saddled the country with billions of dollars of debt. Many communities were affected by not

Dome closures

Overnight closures are planned through the Dome Valley this week to complete line marking and maintenance works.

There will be a full road closure for five nights (weather dependent) between Sunday, March 26 and Thursday, March 30, from 9pm to 5am.

These are works rescheduled due to unfavourable weather last month.

Road resurfacing took place on the southbound lane of State Highway 1 at the Top of the Dome last week.

one but multiple consecutive floods with no time to recover after each one. For families in the NSW Hawkesbury region, last year was the fourth such event in 18 months. In Germany, during 2021, two western states were particularly heavily hit by rain and flooding, as were the bordering countries of the Netherlands and Belgium. More than 180 people lost their lives and 17,000 lost all their possessions. About 60,000 houses and 28,000 businesses were destroyed, causing damages of NZ$53 billion. Experts say there is a need for a fundamental change in how these flood prone areas are rebuilt.

According to the lead USA agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the rate of global increase in the ocean and land temperatures since 1981 has been twice as fast per decade as for the preceding decades over the past century.

The cost of doing nothing about carbon emissions and accepting atmospheric warming as an inevitability will lead to a massive loss of life within the next three or four generations. Heatstroke deaths alone will lead to 93 million deaths globally, according to a study in the science journal Nature. The loss of natural food sources from heat, drought and flooding will certainly multiply this global fatality figure, especially among the 4000 million humans currently living in poverty. The prospect of climate change becoming a sixth global extinction event (more than 75% loss of biological life) may seem remote at present, but the window for avoiding such an event is closing fast.

Resurfacing of the northbound lane will be done at this site while the Dome Valley closure is in place.

Those travelling between Auckland and Wellsford are advised to use SH16.

During the closure, State Highway 1 will be closed to all traffic between Wellsford and Warkworth.

A detour will be in place between Woodcocks Road, West Coast Road, Kaipara Coast Highway and Port Albert Road.

More in the glass than just beer

Taking an innovative approach to the brewing process is paying dividends for the Sawmill Brewery at Matakana.

The business re-certified as a B Corp business last month, the only brewery in New Zealand to achieve the certification and one of 6000 businesses globally.

B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability and transparency on everything from charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials.

Sawmill boss Mike Sutherland says B Corp means they are on a measurable path of improvement.

“It is challenging to get certified and you do have to be operating at the very top of your industry, but the critical part for us and for consumers is the continuous improvement and the measuring of this,” Sutherland says.

“As a manufacturer, we use a lot of resources, especially water and power, so we have to constantly be doing better.

“There are things we do really well – our waste to landfill is averaging less than 11kgs per week, which would be one of the lowest rates in the world for a brewery, and we are really efficient in our use of water.

“We also source almost all our grain, hops and yeast from New Zealand businesses. This makes our beer offering quite different to other breweries, but we know a lot of New Zealanders care about these things and it’s important to us to spend our money here.”

The 2022 Kantar Better Futures report showed that commitment to sustainable behaviours in New Zealand continues to grow, with 43% of Kiwis saying they are committed to living a more sustainable life, the third year in a row this has continued on an upward trend.

“In other areas we want to do better – packaging, for example. A lot of our beer is sold in kegs which are reusable, and we offer flagon fills at the brewery, but it would be great to see a scheme introduced to reuse glass bottles, rather than use new ones every time – other countries do it well and the ABC crate system already exists.” Sawmill has recently installed a carbon recapture system in the brewery.

“Our expectation is that we will no longer have to purchase CO2, whereas last year we bought nearly 40 tonnes.”

The system works by capturing the CO2 otherwise lost to the atmosphere during fermentation and reusing it in the brewery for packaging and carbonation.

The Sawmill has also been the pilot brewery for EECA – a government agency who support energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy in New Zealand – for a project to investigate decarbonising in the brewing industry.

“We want to lead change in our industry and push boundaries. The beer has to always be great, and we want the business to aim for the same high standards,” Sutherland says.

THE SMOKO ROOM - OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

We are open 7 days a week for lunch, dinner and drinks from 12pm until late.

Happiest of Hours

Every weekday from 3pm to 6pm.

Sawmill beer $8 / $35 jug + fried chicken.

Te Kano wine $8 / $40 bottle

Live Music - every 3rd Friday of the month

Friday 21 April from 4.30pm - Stephen Fulford

Friday 19 May from 4.30pm - Lou Lou

Dinner bookings

Email smokoroom@sawmillbrewery.co.nz for dinner bookings.

Brewery + Smoko Room

1004 Leigh Rd, Matakana

Rafael, from Austin Texas, installing the carbon re-capture system.

The waste to landfill from the brewery has been reduced to an average of 11kgs a week.

Easter car

hop

bounc i ng back to Ma ngawhai hop

Thirst time lucky for food and beer fest?

Local ale fans are hoping it will be third time lucky for the Matakana Food & Beer Festival, which after being postponed at least twice, is now due to take place over Easter. The day-long celebration of street food and craft beer was first stymied by covid last year and then again in January by the Auckland Anniversary weekend floods. Now, hopes are pinned and fingers firmly crossed that all will be well on Saturday, April 8, when Matakana Country Park will provide a temporary home to around a dozen breweries and a fleet of food trucks. There will be brews from near and far, from local brewer 8 Wired just over the hill in Matakana Valley Road, to a couple from the South Island. Brewers due to make the trek to the festival include Behemoth and Black Sands Brewing from Auckland, Silverdale’s Deep Creek Brewing and Laughing Bones, Duncan’s Brewing Co from Paraparaumu,

Fortune Favours Beer and Parrotdog from Wellington, and Renaissance and Funk Estate all the way from Christchurch.

For non-beer lovers, there will also be wine from The Hunting Lodge in Waimauku and alcohol-free options.

Kai is being provided by a range of traders, many of which are from Auckland’s Food Truck Collective, including local favourites Viet Q, Bramble Café, Wendy’s Catering, Paella Pan, Cream, Double Dutch Fries, Karaage Boy, Loco Bros, The Corner, K

Pork, Brooklyn Dogs, Manila Eats and Northern Waters Oysters.

There will be live entertainment and music from a number of well-known DJs all day as well, including Bavhu, Nigel Love, Murry Sweetpants and headliners Nice ’n’ Urlich.

The R18 festival opens at 2pm and runs until 9pm, with tickets costing around $55 each if bought in a group of four, or $65 individually, from https://www.eventbrite. co.nz/e/matakana-food-beer-festival-2023tickets-378924973797

Fans of motors, music and family fun should head to Mangawhai Domain on Easter Sunday, April 9 for the third annual Mainstream Mangawhai Easter Hop car show.

Dozens of pristine classic cars, hot rods and vintage vehicles will be on display at the sportsfield, as well as utes and trucks, and there will be prizes for the most impressive. There’s plenty going on for nonpetrolheads too, with stalls, food trucks, soft drinks, children’s entertainment and a live band. And, as in previous years, participants and their passengers are encouraged to dress in retro fashion for the Miss Easter Hop competition

Organiser Mangawhai Muscle and Classic Car Club will open the gates at 8.30am for anyone wanting to participate, and the show itself will start at 10am. There’s no registration required, just turn up and pay $20 per car and occupants, or $5 per person on foot and kids get in for free. All the proceeds will go to Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service and the Mangawhai Domain Society. Eftpos will be available, but the Easter Hop is an alcohol, dog and gang patch-free event.

Info: Mangawhai Muscle and Classic Car Club on Facebook.

Music vibes will be provided by DJs including, left, Nice ’n’ Urlich and, centre, Bavhu.

The annual car show is fast becoming an Easter tradition.

Whangarei Arts trail returns

One of the north’s most popular art trails will happen again over Easter.

The Whangarei Heads Arts Trail will feature the work of 28 artists this year, spread over 30 kilometres of coastline –many old favourites returning but also nine new faces wanting to show their work.

“We have the usual mix of amazing creative media embracing crochet to concrete and garden art to artistic gems,” an organiser Sheila Blackburn says. “Ceramics, painting and photography are also well represented. “The emphasis is on bringing artist and buyer together to give a more personal shared experience of buying and selling art work. Buyers learn about how the work was produced, where the work was produced

and about the person who produced it.” The trail was first held in 2012 and was a huge success, revealing a wealth of local talent working in a wide range of artistic media.

“Every year it has just got bigger and better.”

Blackburn says the aim is to help all artists to bring their work into the public domain and to work together to raise the profile of Whangarei Heads as a centre of artistic excellence and an arts tourism destination. The trail will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 8 and 9, from 10am to 5pm. Entry is free.

Info: whangareiheadsartstrail.org.nz

WHANGAREI HEADS

Then look no further than Pakiri Beach Holiday Park. One of New Zealand’s best beaches right in your backyard. Superbly located, overlooking the stunning white dunes of Pakiri Beach, there are plenty of activities to keep you and children occupied or you can just relax and enjoy the peace and quiet of our location only 15 minutes from Matakana or 90 minutes from the heart of Auckland.

You will find accommodation to suit everyone’s style and budget. If you want stunning views and the ultimate relaxation, book the lodge or a beachfront cottage and watch the sunrise over Hauturu (Little Barrier Island) from the comfort of your bed.

If you’re looking for a fun adventure, book the riverside glamping tent, life long memories will be created in this beautifully appointed safari tent, complete with a wood fire, ensuite, and kitchen, the kids will love it.

If you want a cheap and cheerful option there are basic cabins with enough beds for a family of five or you can bring your tent, caravan or motorhome for a relaxing stay.

It’s the perfect time to reconnect with nature, and our family-friendly park has many great activities to enjoy. The jumping pillow, playground, outdoor chess set, petanque pitch and outdoor ping pong table will keep the kids entertained. If the weather turns the indoor games and theatre rooms provide a lovely space for more family fun.

09 422 6199 | 261 Pakiri River Road, Pakiri info@pakiriholidaypark.co.nz | www.pakiriholidaypark.co.nz

8 & 9 april

10 am - 5 pm

Private Studios Community Halls

When you’re looking for a relaxing holiday, not far from home

Amie Redpath in her stone carving workshop.

A visitor admiring Stacy Morrison’s ceramic work.

Cuisine

Lauraine Jacobs www.laurainejacobs.co.nz/blog/

Autumn apples

Delicious food has been my life. But as food prices soar, feeding the family well and providing regular healthy meals has become a major concern for most households. ‘The land of milk and honey’ is not quite the dream we all grew up with. Nasty weather events have kicked this year off to a faltering start, impacting almost everyone.

As a food writer who has been intricately involved with the food our nation consumes for many years, I am very worried. There’s never been a time when prolonged supply has been a threat to so many of the basic foods we buy, and the sky-high pricing has made so much out of reach for so many. I am worried about the future of our food and we all should be as, fresh food, not industrially produced, is at the heart of our nation’s economy.

Following the floods in our region and the disastrous Cyclone Gabrielle experience, we hear pleas and cries from our farmers and growers to support local producers where we can. That is something that we can all do. Whether we shop in the

at all imports, unless there’s no nutritional value in the shopping basket. But any household should feel guilty if food is consistently wasted. Luckily, there’s much discussion and some great information on how to avoid or deal with waste in our communities. Websites giving advice on this are plentiful and some good folks are investing much of their lives to help repurpose unwanted food.

We all deserve a treat occasionally and fruit and vegetables all have a prime season. Feijoas, guavas, kiwifruit and tamarillos are ripening. Right now, the late summer fruits like apples and pears are plentiful and it’s good to see that despite the havoc experienced in our closest major fruit producing area, Hawke’s Bay is still supplying us and exporting wonderfully juicy crisp apples.

Homemade puddings are a great way to fill hungry bellies. Apples any way at all are perfect for this. Choose Braeburn apples if you can as they cook up to a lovely texture. An old-fashioned apple pie is easy to whip up, and apple crumble is probably one of

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Prepare the apples and rhubarb and place in a heavy saucepan with the water, butter, lemon zest and brown sugar. Heat the pan and allow the apples to cook very gently until almost soft, stirring gently occasionally.

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Golden apple and rhubarb pudding

4 large cooking apples, peeled and sliced thickly 2 sticks rhubarb, washed and sliced 2 tbsp water

Seventies smash hits set to rock retirees

Disco and pop hits are replacing arias and show tunes at the next Operatunity daytime concert to come to Warkworth next month. The Ultimate 70s Show will feature favourites from ABBA, Elton John and the Bee Gees instead of the more traditional musical offerings that the concert troupe usually presents.

The reason for the switch up in tempo is easy – Operatunity’s main target audience is getting younger, or at least their musical taste is. After all, someone who was 20 in 1973 will be 70 this year.

“This is the first time Operatunity has ever presented a show of music from this era, reflecting the increasingly modern tastes of their audiences, who are primarily retirees,” organisers say. “The show will be filled with fabulous costumes, good vibes and great music, with seniors set to boogie along to all their favourite 70s hits.”

Singers will include Operatunity resident artists Bonaventure Allan-Moetaua, Karl Perigo and Kelly Lim Harris, plus special guest Rebecca Wright, who has starred in Chess and Les Miserables at Auckland’s

Donkey day family fun

The Highfield donkeys at Algies Bay will be coming out to play on Saturday, April 1 for one of the park’s regular family fun days. There will be donkey rides, games and a free BBQ, from 11am to 2pm. The day is organised by the Highfield Donkey Society with the support of the Rodney Local Board. The society provides care for the eight donkeys at the park and welcomes new members. Info: www.facebook.com/ donkeyshighfield

S

Brunch

Kids'

Garden

Civic Theatre, as well as Christmas in The Park and Symphony Under the Stars. She was also a finalist in NZ Idol in 2006. The vocalists will be accompanied by guitarist Chet O’Connell, bassist Neil Hannan and pianist Grant Winterburn.

The Ultimate 70s Show takes place at Warkworth Town Hall on Thursday, April 13. Ticket prices start at $39 and include the chance to meet the stars over morning tea before the show. Doors open at 10am and the show is at 11am.

Info and tickets: Visit  www.operatunity. co.nz or call 0508 266237.

Tickets from $15pp Book now: Sculptureum nz/easter

What the funk – 70s pop hits are being added to the Operatunity repertoire.

Mirjana Arlov, Senior Consultant 09 422 2096 | 021 981 089 mirjana.arlov@gmail.com www.bioptron.com

Sweetappreciation with chocolatebrown

Wellsford Golf Club offers a scenic 18-hole golf course in a rural setting and it might surprise you just how good it is. The clubhouse, which includes a fully stocked bar and on-site caterer, is available for hire. A great place for your next corporate event with use of both the golf course and squash courts. We have the cheapest green fees in the region. 18 Holes green fees $30.00 7 days; 9 Holes $25. Become a member; first year membership $395 (Conditions Apply). Come and join us today.

Congratulations to Edwina Came, who is this week’s recipient of a gift basket from Chocolate Brown. Edwina was nominated by Tricia and Peter Cox, of Wellsford, who wrote …

Edwina is a true all-round amazing local woman in the Wellsford community. She is actively involved in the development programme at the Wellsford Squash Club, works with the Wellsford School Student Study Team (SST) and volunteers in the community wherever she is needed. Edwina, you are a superstar!

Send your nominations to editor@localmatters.co.nz

Know someone who deserves a big “thank you” for their community spirit? Tell us and they will receive acknowledgement in Mahurangi Matters and an amazing hamper from Chocolate Brown, 6 Mill Lane, Warkworth. Send your nominations to editor@ localmatters.co.nz (subject line: Sweet Appreciation) or post to: Sweet Appreciation, Mahurangi Matters, PO Box 701, Warkworth. Kindly refrain from nominating members of your own family.

Cafe, Gifts, Chocolaterie Ph 422 2677 6 Mill Lane, Warkworth

Wealth of artisan wool back for northern yarn festival

Calling all knitters and crafters – the second annual Kaipara Wool & Fibre Festival is being held at the Maungaturoto Country Club next month.

The Bickerstaffe Road venue will be filled with hundreds of skeins of wool of every colour and weight, most of them produced and hand-dyed by independent artisan makers. As well as fibre from sheep, alpacas, goats and more, there will also be all sorts of accessories for sale, as well as hand and arm massages, an introduction to weaving and a craft posture workshop.

Organiser Val Faulkner says there will also be plenty of space to “sit, knit and natter” and take in the spectacle of so many exhibitors under one roof.

“This is what yarn heaven looks like. The minute you step through the door you are greeted by a stunning sea of colour and texture,” she says.

“We will have some of the best brands out there. For people who usually only have the opportunity to buy commercial yarn, this indie stuff is the holy grail.

“This is a product you want to see, feel and squish it on your face; you don’t want to buy wool online if you haven’t touched it. It’s a very tactile experience.”

Faulkner, a self-confessed “crazy knitter” herself, says she decided to organise the first wool and fibre festival last year to fill a festival gap north of Auckland.

“I used to work at a couple of festivals and always knew we were missing a decent one in our northern districts,” she says.

“It’s an opportunity for local people to sell and present their goods, because there aren’t many options and it’s so far to travel to other yarn festivals, and knitters and crafters get the chance to see indie brands they wouldn’t normally see.”

Faulkner originally looked at staging the festival in Whangarei, but decided it needed to be a bit closer to Auckland and within easy reach of Mangawhai, Wellsford and Warkworth.

“When we found the Maungaturoto Country Club, it was ideal,” she says.

“There’s plenty of parking and really good natural light all round. Plus, we’re only 45 minutes from Dargaville, an hour from Whangarei and it’s on the right side of the Brynderwyns.”

Her hunch certainly paid off, with more than 1000 fibre fans attending the first festival from as far away as Papakura. This year, exhibitors include Wool on Wheels, Happy-go-Knitty, Miro Yarns, Silverhill Alpacas, Gumtree Gully Alpacas, Stoney Creek Farm, Kerdon Alpaca, Dye Happy Yarn, Te Harinui Wool, Fantail Farm Mohair, Twisted Zisters, Briar Patch, Fibre2go, Harnie Hoolie’s Designs, Yarnfloozy and Jumbuck Carding.

The 2023 Kaipara Wool & Fibre Festival at Maungaturoto Country Club will be held on Sunday, April 16 from 10am to 3pm. Entry free, gold coin donation for parking and café on site.

Info: Kaipara Wool & Fibre Festival on Facebook

TI POINT

A rainbow of yarns in every spectrum of colour will be on display at the festival.

Friday 14th April

Easter Carnival returns to Waipu

Friday 21st April Open Mic

Friday 28th April

Waipu is the place to go for some good old-fashioned family fun and games over the long weekend, when the annual Easter Carnival returns to Caledonian Park on Saturday, April 8.

The event is organised by Waipu Primary School as its main fundraiser for the year, and organisers promise something fun for everyone, from rides and races to food and face painting.

Animal lovers will be well catered for, with a petting zoo and pony rides, and there will be live entertainment all day. There will also be tractor rides, bouncy castles, sideshows and games, plus market stalls, auctions and quick fire raffles. Gaming fans can get involved in some interactive virtual reality activity, frustrated parents or teachers can vent a few feelings at the Smash Alley crockery stall, or for something a little more cultured, try the Art Zone. There will be a wide range of food on offer to suit all tastes and budgets, including spit-roast lamb sandwiches, pitta breads, a sausage sizzle, fried bread, burgers, hot dogs and chips, plus morning tea treats, ice cream, candy floss and baking. All proceeds will be going to the primary school, which has a roll of around

240 students.

“Proceeds from past carnivals have helped fund the school multipurpose hall, scooter and bike track, bike shed, adventure playground, the new sandpit area and surrounds, new computers for the computer room, plants and trees for the school property, sports equipment, iPads and other resources for all the classrooms, swimming pool upgrades, and literacy programmes,” an organiser said.

“In 2023, we will be fundraising for additions to our school hall, including seating and staging.”

The Easter Carnival has been running since 2010, when the school decided to replace a number of small fundraisers throughout the year with one major event. It proved a success from the start and is now a major event for the Waipu community, as well as the school. Organisers are hoping for a big turnout this year, after the event was forced to take a break due to covid in 2022.

The Easter Carnival runs from 9am to 2pm at Waipu’s Caledonian Park. Entry by koha, bring cash and no dogs allowed.

Info: Visit www.facebook.com/ WaipuCarnival or www.waipucarnival.com

Kawau Bay art exhibited

Four local artists will present a selection of their work at the old Masonic Hall in Baxter Street, Warkworth, next month.

The Kawau Bay Artists are Lilliam Fromont, Jenny Arnerich, Sue Williams and Colleen Kangwai.

They have been exhibiting successfully together for a decade and this year will be joined by special guests Alexis Waterhouse and Sue McFadden, who will be presenting various glass and jewellery items. Smaller items such as paintings, books, jewellery, photos and cards will be on sale, and there will also be an art demonstration at various times during the two days. The exhibition will be open on Saturday and Sunday, April 15 and 16, from 10am. Artwork

The last Easter Carnival was held in 2021. Photo, Jessy O’Connor

by Colleen Kangwai.

directors and actors, as well as welcome back some familiar faces.

Theatre serves up pick ’n’ mix

There will be something for everyone in the latest offering from the Warkworth Theatre Company.

From April 13 to 21, the group will present Plethora, featuring 11 short plays or skits.

Executive director Lee-Ann Scarth’s vision for the show was to support new members in either directing or being on stage for the first time, without the responsibility of taking on a full-length play.

This has seen seven new directors and four new actors join the fray, as well as a number of actors who have not been on stage for a while stepping back into the limelight. The 11 “shows” are each about 10 minutes long and each one has its own tale to tell with a little twist at the end.

“We will take you on a journey from the travel agency to the pet shop, to airport

security and off to a reunion as just a few of our settings,” Scarth says.

She says the plays come from a variety of playwrights, mostly from New Zealand, and two are from within the theatre group – Susan Howard and James Addis.

“We appreciate the support of Playmarket and Lazy Bee Scripts for providing the licensing to produce these shows.”

Plethora will play at the Warkworth Town Hall from April 13 to 21, with evening performances starting at 7pm, and two matinees on April 15 and 16, starting at 2pm.

There will be a cash only bar available for soft drinks, wine and beer, and snacks and ice-creams.

Tickets are on sale online at wwtheatre. co.nz or from Mahurangi Matters

Paranormal star visits Paparoa

Star of Wellington Paranormal Karen O’Leary will be in Northland on April 1, bringing a bit of celebrity stardust to the second Paparoa Pride parade.

The actress, comedian and teacher, who has also starred in What We See in the Shadows and Celebrity Treasure Island, will be MC at the rainbow celebration and picnic, which takes place at the Paparoa Showgrounds at 2062 Paparoa Valley Road from 3pm to 7.30pm.

Parade organiser Jay Clothier-Simmonds said local connections had led to getting ‘Officer O’Leary’ to lead the pride event, and she added that she may not be coming alone.

“It was through a few contacts in the neighbourhood,” Clothier-Simmonds said. “Some of her whanau live in the community. She’ll be coming along and possibly bringing along other famous friends.”

This will be the second Paparoa Pride event – it started successfully in 2021, though covid put paid to a repeat performance last year. This year, there will be a parade around the showgrounds, food stalls, children’s entertainment and live performances from local musicians, Dargaville’s Circus Kuramani and other artists.

Paparoa Primary School will have a stall and high school teacher Clothier-Simmonds said she would love to see other schools at this and future pride events.

“We were the first in Northland region to do

something like this because there are quite a few people in the Paparoa community who are LGBTQ+ or allies,” she said. “It’s really important for affirming diversity, not just in Northland, but wherever you go, and creating a safe environment for our young people coming through, and what it looks like in our community and local schools.

“Paparoa Pride is for everyone across the Kaipara and beyond.”

All welcome, free entry, koha welcome. If the weather is bad, the event will be held in the Paparoa Hall.

Info: Email paparoapride@gmail.com or see Paparoa Pride on Facebook

The latest show from the Warkworth Theatre Company will introduce new

Karen O’Leary

Wellsford CLINIC VET

Animals

Celine Lye, Wellsford Vet Clinic https://wellsfordvet.com/

Regular blood work

The job of a veterinarian is in a way much harder when our patients cannot talk. Animals can compensate for many illnesses or conditions, making it difficult to pick up early stages of certain diseases even with a physical exam. When your pet is sick, often we will offer blood testing to investigate the source of the illness. However, if your pet is outwardly healthy, you may question why we still recommend blood testing on routine visits.

Blood testing is usually recommended on outwardly healthy animals that are either geriatric (over 10 years old) or if they are undergoing an anaesthetic. This allows us to gain a more in-depth picture of your pet’s health, but also doing it regularly on elderly patients allows us to establish a baseline, so we know what values your pet is normally sitting at and can track changes with time or disease.

Running blood work allows us to catch early stages of diseases and, hence, start treatments earlier rather than later when they start decompensating. In geriatric patients, it is especially challenging to diagnose illnesses early because certain changes in an animal’s behaviour or signs such as drinking more or gradually slowing down, can either be normal old age degenerative changes, or they could be signs of an underlying chronic disease. Running blood work before an anaesthetic procedure can also give you peace of mind that your pet is free from underlying sickness before going through a procedure, allowing us to make changes to

our anaesthetic protocols tailored to your pet’s needs and risks.

All animals undergoing an anaesthetic can get dehydrated during lengthy surgical procedures, and most anaesthetic drugs can cause temporary changes in the heart, vessels and blood pressure. Knowing their health status fully before then allows us to make decisions to delay a procedure, change the drug cocktails we use or whether they should be placed on a drip, which helps support the patient’s heart function, maintain blood pressure and their hydration throughout the surgery.

CBC – haematology testing

A complete blood count (CBC) test on your pet’s blood gives information about what their red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets are doing at that time. This gives us information on whether your pet may be fighting an underlying infection, is chronically or suddenly anaemic, or dehydrated.

Blood chemistry testing

Blood chemistry testing usually assesses for liver function, kidney function, proteins and enzymes produced by the gut, blood sugar levels and important electrolytes for dehydration, letting us know if there are any underlying conditions going on with these organ systems.

The next time you book your pet in for a routine visit or surgery, you may want to consider the value of getting their blood work done. Give your friendly local vets a ring to have more of a chat.

We

Grant

Craig

Young Farmers schedule change

The Northern district and regional finals of the FMG Young Farmer of the Year competition have been postponed for two months, following the disastrous heavy rain events in January and February. They will now take place in Whangarei on April 28 and 29 with the finalists going through to the regional final decided on the first day.

The northern finals are the only ones to have been delayed, as the East Coast Regional final went ahead this month as planned at the Dannevirke A&P Showgrounds. Three finalists have been confirmed with a further four, including the Northern region’s representative, still to be decided to take part in the Grand Final

at Timaru in late July. For the local competitors, the postponement has its advantages such as more time to study and practice, as well as being able to compete in local Young Farmers’ fencing, clay target shooting and stock judging tournaments.

Warkworth competitor Kate Hawkings and her teammate took part in the fencing competition at the Northern Fieldays on March 4, where they finished third.

NZ Young Farmer Board chair Jessie Waite says this year’s Grand Final is shaping up to be one of the best yet, judging by the array of skills and talent coming through with the next generation of farmers.

Matakana junior football

Registrations are open until April 6 for mixed teams aged 6-14. First game Saturday, May 6, then every Saturday morning at Port Albert Soccer Fields, Wellsford Valley Road. Register by emailing matakanasoccer@gmail.com or visit https://forms.gle/z4pytDq4nBBvtxXk6

Mahurangi junior hockey

Registrations for junior hockey (age 7-11) and funsticks (age 5-7) close this Friday, March 31. Junior teams from Warkworth, Wellsford, Kaipara Flats, Snells Beach, Horizon, Matakana and Leigh play weekly games from May to September. Club coordinators, coaches and managers also wanted. Info and registration: Go to https://mahujuniorhockey.co.nz/register

Indoor bowls

Snells Beach Indoor Bowls meet at the Mahurangi East Community Centre, Hamatana Rd, on Mondays at 12.30pm; beginners welcome. Info: Pam 425 6405

Players needed

The Warkworth Football Club men’s team has started its pre-season training and is searching for new players to help form a second team. Training is held at Shoesmith Domain on Wednesdays, starting at 6.30pm. Anyone interested in playing this season is invited to come along.

Mahurangi Rugby Club

Are you thinking of playing U85’s this year? Come on down to the club at the Warkworth Showgrounds on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 6.30pm, and join in with this year’s U85 squad trainings, which started last week. Without you, we don’t have a team, so get along before it’s too late.

Tennis

Social tennis is played at the Matakana Tennis Club on Thursdays, starting at 6pm. All welcome.

Kate Hawkings will be competing in clay target shooting and stock judging on April 15 in the run-up to the regional competition.

Sport takes centre court

After their arrival in 1862, the Albertland settlers formed a Mutual Improvement Society to look after the health and betterment of the district. Their ideology was that “recreation for mind and body would do much to reduce the doctor’s labour”. Everyone in the district was encouraged to participate in sports or attend socials and meetings to eliminate what was described as the “sameness of country life”.

In the early days, sport was not just for the men and in 1897, only four years after women won the right to vote in New Zealand, there were several young ladies holding key positions on the committee of the Port Albert Tennis Club. This was a game for both young men and women, and several grass courts could be found around the district. However, the earliest communityowned court was at the ‘crossways’ near the site of the original public hall that was destroyed by fire in 1912. When the recreation grounds were built in Wellsford Valley Road, a new grass court was added, closely followed by a second court to host matches against neighbouring districts. The grass courts were very difficult to maintain. Frequently, new topsoil had to be added and more grass seed sown to keep the courts in good playing order. A roller was often borrowed from the nearby cricket club and before the start of each new season, the lines would have to be marked with whiting bought from the local store, Shepherd & Co. Just prior to World War I, the committee began fundraising, holding a social at the nearby Druid’s Hall, and enough money was raised to lay asphalt on the courts in 1914. The war had quite an impact on the club and reading an entry in the Minute Book from 1914, the secretary wrote, “We earnestly hope for a speedy conclusion of the war, the safe return in perfect health of our brave absent members, and a revival of enthusiasm of our sport.”

It is very likely in the early 1900s that the young women of Port Albert aspired to be like the great tennis player Kate Nunneley, the first female sports star in New Zealand. Kate, originally from Leicestershire, immigrated with her family in 1895 after the death of her father. Having already won several junior titles in England, she went on to win 32 national titles in New Zealand, a record that remains unchallenged today by any player in the history of New Zealand tennis. During her successful career, she would play in very restrictive clothing, a full-length skirt, a blouse with ‘leg of mutton’ sleeves, a cinch waistband, a tie, and a straw boater hat. After her tennis career ended, she returned to England as a guest at Wimbledon in 1949 and gave her unreserved support of the ‘sensationally’ brief attire worn by player ‘Gorgeous Gussie’ Moran.

Members of the Port Albert Tennis Club.

Moran’s outfit (above) at Wimbledon in 1949 was quite a departure from what Nunneley (right) had to play in, in 1899. Alexander Turnbull Library, Ref: MNZ-0947-1/4-F.

Rose Reid, Albertland Museum

Port Albert in the late 1800s.

What’s on

March

27 Hoteo River change of ownership public meeting, Wellsford RSA, 7pm. All welcome. Notice of Intention to Appear close on March 31. Info: mictaitokerau@ justice.govt.nz

31 Gin Wigmore at Leigh Sawmill, 8.30pm

31 World of Cultures, Warkworth Town Hall, 4-8pm. Rodney’s Pasifika community presents a performance focused on Pacific Navigation – voyages past, present and future. Free

April

1 Matakana Wellness Hub Connections Day, Matakana small Hall, 1pm. Meet your local therapists and try some free mini sessions

1 Seasons for Growth Parent Programme, supporting your child following separation or divorce, Warkworth, 9am-4pm, $20. Info and bookings: Email Heather seasonswarkworthwellsford@gmail.com

1 Family Fun Day, Highfield Donkey Reserve, Algies Bay, 11am-2pm. Donkey rides, games and BBQ (see brief p27)

1 Paparoa Pride parade and picnic, Paparoa Showgrounds, 3-7.30pm. Comedian and actor Karen O’Leary will MC. All welcome. Info: Paparoa Pride on Facebook (see story p31)

2 Tawharanui Open Sanctuary, Sunday in the Park, 9am-12.30pm. Monthly volunteer session. Wear boots and sun protection. Gloves, equipment and lunch provided.

2 NZ String Quartet, Warkworth Town Hall, 4-6pm, presented by Warkworth Music

5 Warkworth Liaison Group meeting, downstairs meeting room at Warkworth RSA, Mill Lane, 7.30pm

5 Men’s Rebus coffee and chat meet, Sheepworld, 11am. Info: Ron on 422 3111

3 Caring for people with chronic conditions - the impact on the carer, Warkworth Library, 10.30am-noon. Presented by Paddy Sullivan, Age Concern Rodney.

8 Easter Carnival, Caledonian Park, Waipu, 9am-2pm. Waipu Primary School fundraiser (see story p30)

8 Matakana Food & Beer Festival, Matakana Country Park, 2-9pm. Info: Matakana Food & Beer Festival on Facebook (see story p24)

8&9 Whangarei Heads Arts Trail, 10am-5pm. Info: whangareiheadsartstrail.org.nz (see story p25)

9 Mainstream Mangawhai Easter Hop, Mangawhai Domain, 10am. Cclassic and and truck show. Info: Mangawhai Muscle and Classic Car Club on Facebook (see story p24)

9 Waipu Street Market, 9am. Info: waipumarket.co.nz

13 Ultimate 70s Show, Warkworth Town Hall, 10am. Operatunity concert. Info and tickets: www.operatunity.co.nz (see story p27)

13-16, 19-21 Warkworth Theatre presents a Plethora of Plays, Warkworth Town Hall, 2pm and 7pm shows. Info: wwtheatre.co.nz (see story p31)

15&16 Kawau Bay Art Exhibition, old Masonic Hall, Baxter Street, Warkworth, 10am (see story p30)

16 Kaipara Wool & Fibre Festival, Maungaturoto Country Club, 85 Bickerstaffe Road, 10am-3pm. Yarn from independent growers and dyers. Free entry (see story p29)

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

17 Low Vision Support Group, Summerset Falls Village, Warkworth, 1.30pm. All welcome. Info: enquiries@mcdonaldadams.co.nz

20-29 Penalties, Pints and Pirouettes, Coronation Hall, Waipu. Play by Neil Troost, directed by Blair Strang. Tickets from www.trybooking.com

21 Bowls Warkworth fundraising auction, Mill Lane, from 6pm. $10 includes live music and nibbles (see brief p3)

21 Open Mic Night, Warkworth RSA

22 Smoke on the Coast Barbecue Festival, Whangateau Holiday Park, 10am-4pm

22 White Chapel Jak Endless Summer Tour @ Warkworth Town Hall, 4-7pm

24 Advanced care planning, Warkworth Library, 10.30am-12 noon. Presented by Paddy Sullivan, Age Concern Rodney.

27 Auditions for Warkworth Theatre’s production, The Ghost Train, Warkworth Town Hall, 7-9pm

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Saturday 22nd April, 10am-2pm next to Warkworth Butchery

Tomarata struggles to field senior side

For the second year in a row, the Tomarata Rugby Football Club won’t be fielding a senior team in this year’s Northland competition.

Club president Ryan Allen says the club tried to muster a side, but could only interest about 10 players.

Last year, it went in with Wharehine Wellsford, but this year Wellsford has been able to make up two teams on its own.

“It’s disappointing that our club couldn’t find the players, but we’ve struggled ever since covid,” Allen says.

“I thought we might be in a better position this year with all the new growth in Mangawhai, but a lot of the people who have moved up from Auckland continue to play with their city clubs.”

Allen felt that the risk of injury and the fact that the competition started when a lot of people were still playing summer sports were all contributing factors. He says the club hopes to host a couple of Golden Oldies games this year and the tag rugby on Thursday nights was “booming”, with about 500 players involved. The family night includes games for three year olds upwards.

Meanwhile, Tomarata’s junior competition starts on April 29.

Coordinator Michelle Keast says the club will have four teams – under seven, under nine, under 11 and under 13 – who will play in the Rodney/Otamatea competition. She says the junior club is in a rebuilding phase after numbers fell as a result of covid. It is not too late to register players; boys and girls all welcome.

Info: Michelle on 027 244 1753, email tomaratarugby@gmail.com or just turn up at the club, 710 Mangawhai Road, on a Thursday night from 5.30pm onwards.

Easter pop-up to help pups in need

Wellsford will have a pop-up op shop over Easter weekend, when Longacres Animal Haven holds a three-day “garage sale” in the main street.

The former Frogpool Farm store at 231 Rodney Street will be open from 9am on Friday, April 7, Saturday, April 8 and Monday, April 10, selling a wide range of preloved and donated goods to raise muchneeded funds for the animal rescue run by

Karen Gibbons.

Items for sale will include clothes, bric a brac, homewares, collectibles and garden tools.

Gibbons says Longacres and all animal rescues are doing it hard at the moment, with costs such as vets fees and food increasing sharply and more pets than ever being abandoned by owners whose budgets are stretched.

She says she is enormously grateful to all her supporters, especially Liz Brewis for

collecting many of the items that will be sold at the pop-up sale, John Bass and Jo Wilson, of Warkworth op shop Generosity Corner, for organising a sausage sizzle fundraiser and having a donation box, and other Longacres donation box holders – Hammer Hardware, Rusty Station and Wellsford Vets in Wellsford, Te Hana Café and Pets North in Warkworth.

Info: Longacres Animal Haven on Facebook

Engaging teens

One of the reasons senior teams in the district are struggling to find players could be that rugby is losing players in the teenage years, according to Tomarata coach Lane Nepia. With this in mind, Nepia has put together two composite teams from clubs in the Rodney/Otametea region – Otamatea, Maungaturoto, Kaiwaka, Wellsford and Tomarata. They will play in the wider Northland competition this year under the name Central Kaipara Whai. Nepia says all being well, he hopes to field a composite girls team and an under 19 team next year. “The comp doesn’t start until April 29, but we’ve been working with the players now for several weeks and will run a camp at Mangawhai on April 1. They’re an awesome group who are really starting to bond.” Nepia is coaching the under 16s, while Arapeta Waata is coaching the under 14s.

Generosity Corner owner John Bass had his hands full when he presented Longacres’ Karen Gibbons with more than $500 recently, proceeds from a sausage sizzle and a donation box in the Warkworth op shop.