Mahurangi Matters_Issue 488_16 September 2024

www.localmatters.co.nz

Bid to film blockbuster in tunnels thwarted

Hopes that action scenes for a multimillion dollar Hollywood blockbuster starring Jason Momoa could be filmed in the Johnstones Hill Tunnels have been dashed by Waka Kotahi NZTA.

Regional film office Screen Auckland wanted to close State Highway 1 between Orewa and Puhoi for 12 hours, sometime between October 14 and 17, so Amazon MGM could film in and around the tunnels.

Support locations for vehicles, production

and unit bases would also have been needed in the Orewa and Puhoi area.

Stunts, car chases and even explosions were potentially on the cards for the motorway as part of a two-month shoot for The Wrecking Crew, the biggest production to be filmed in New Zealand since Amazon Prime’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power in 2020-21.

However, as around 20,000 vehicles a day use the motorway, all of which would have had to have been diverted via SH16 and/ or the old SH1, NZTA eventually decided closure for filming was not something that

could be permitted.

“NZTA has declined requests for a closure of the Johnstones Hill Tunnels for filming,” a spokesperson said last Friday, September 13.

“This is due to the significant disruption to the northern network already this year, and we are also about to undertake our summer road renewal season.”

The tunnels were one of several locations in Auckland lined up for The Wrecking Crew, a star-studded action comedy starring Momoa, Dave Bautista, Temuera Morrison and Jacob Batalon, and directed

by Angel Manuel Soto.

Screen Auckland production attraction specialist Kirsty Donoghue told a Rodney Local Board workshop before NZTA’s decision that everyone knew it was a big ask, as it would cause major disruption to drivers and local communities, but she said it would also bring great benefits, not least a chunk of filming permit fees to Rodney Local Board.

“It’s a massive ask, it’s a massive disruption and we’re not taking that lightly,” she said on September 4.

Momoa. Photo, GageSkid

Dave Bautista

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Bid to film blockbuster in SH1 tunnels

“It’s quite a different project for Auckland, but it’s also a massive opportunity … we feel it’s worth it for a day of interruption.”

Donoghue said the shoot as a whole would bring in tens of millions of dollars to Auckland, providing 1400 jobs as well as an economic shot in the arm for local shops, services and suppliers.

Other than the Johnstones Hill tunnels, shooting is set to take place between October and December in Auckland city, Piha and parts of Northland – but the movie itself will be set in Jason Momoa’s home of Hawaii.

“It’s Auckland as Hawaii,” Donoghue said.

“This is an action film with lots of stunts, explosions, it’s mainly urban and very transport-heavy – and you just can’t film this kind of stuff in Hawaii.”

She added that Auckland had been chosen not only because the locations would work, but also because “Jason Momoa loves it here and this film has been written specifically for him and Dave Bautista”.

“It will make a lot of money for Auckland, and there will be real economic, social and cultural benefits. It also presents a real opportunity for us to leverage our local position in the film world.”

Local board members acknowledged the major impact closing the tunnels would have, but said it generally supported the local movie industry (which includes a large studio lot at Kumeu) and the overall benefits it brought New Zealand.

Geoff Upson, who campaigned principally on speed and traffic issues, said after the NZTA decision he believed the closure

could have gone ahead.

“Yes, it’s a major pain and disruptive, but it’s not the worst,” he said. “It’s a one-day closure. They used to have the tunnel closed multiple times a week during the motorway construction. I know it was mostly night works, but that still impacted me and many others.”

He said there was a perfectly good heavy haulage route on SH16 and an alternative highway along Hibiscus Coast Highway through Orewa.

“They estimated a maximum delay of 20 minutes. I was also looking forward to seeing how the alternative routes coped and to see if there were improvements that needed to be done for when unplanned closures happen in the future.”

Infrastructure shortfall stymies Wellsford growth

Wellsford is the latest township to have the handbrake put on development to allow water and wastewater infrastructure to catch up to growth.

Watercare has announced that there will be no new connections to the water and wastewater network in Wellsford until upgrades to both the water treatment plant and the wastewater treatment plant are finished. This is not expected to happen until at least 2028.

Watercare chief strategy and planning officer Priyan Perera says the pause on development is to ensure Watercare can meet the community’s water demand, and protect the environment by meeting the conditions of its wastewater discharge consent.

“We will be honouring our commitments made through approved resource consents,” Perera says. “This means anyone who had an approved resource consent and/or building consent as of September 10 will still be able to connect when they’re ready, provided all relevant consent conditions have been met.

“We’re working closely with developers to set clear expectations about our infrastructure programme and anticipated time frames.”

Wellsford currently has a population of around 2000, but several large developments are on the drawing board, including Wellsford North, a massive private plan change covering more than 72 hectares, which could double the town’s size.

“There are several small infill developments currently underway, and already one private plan change [Wellsford North] has been lodged. Wellsford’s existing water and wastewater treatment plants have reached the end of their operational lives and are at their design capacities,” Perera says.

Watercare is about to start work on a major upgrade of the town’s wastewater treatment plant, behind the golf course off Rustybrook Road, as well as a new water treatment plant.

The water treatment project will cost around $23 million and the first stage will serve a population of 6500.

When the plant is up and running, the Wellsford and Te Hana communities will be supplied from an underground aquifer, instead of the Hōteo River, making the town’s water supply much more resilient to drought.

The water treatment plant already has a water take consent and is expected to be completed in late 2028.

“We’re in the feasibility and planning stage for the new plant, which we expect to build on Wayby Valley Road,” Perera says.

Construction of the new wastewater treatment plant is expected to start before Christmas and is will cost just over $38 million. The first stage will serve a population of 3200.

Watercare anticipates the project will take two years and the plant will be operating around the end of 2026.

Concerns on social media that the truck that ran off the bridge on Whangaripo Valley Road on September 6 was leaking diesel into the Hoteo River and possibly contaminating drinking water were unfounded, according to Watercare’s head of water, Sharon Danks. She says the Wellsford water treatment plant is continuously monitored via online instrumentation and there were no changes to the quality of the treated drinking water.

“It meets New Zealand Drinking Water Standards and is safe to drink,” she said. “As a precaution, some raw water samples were collected and tested.” Police were unable to provide any details about the crash, but it’s understood the driver, who was the sole occupant, was unhurt. Photos, Alex Curtis.

Perera says it will feature sophisticated treatment technology, which will improve the quality of the treated wastewater discharged and allow Watercare to meet new and more stringent resource consent requirements.

Auckland Council is not able to grant a building consent until it has confirmation that a water and wastewater connection is available to either reticulated services or on-site alternatives. Council may still grant

A hub of planning excellence

resource consents, but with conditions that no connection to the water supply or wastewater network can be made until both the new water treatment plant and upgraded wastewater treatment plant are operational.

“We urge anyone seeking to develop in Wellsford or Te Hana to come and talk to us, if you haven’t already done so.”

Info: connections@water.co.nz

Machinery theft warning

Police are urging machinery operators to be vigilant about securing their vehicles and heavy machinery.

The message comes after four tractors were stolen from the Wellsford area over the past two months. There have also been three commercial burglaries targeting heavy vehicles and machinery in Warkworth. Enquiries are ongoing, but police say that in many cases, the keys to these tractors and vehicles were left inside.

“We are finding thieves are breaking into property or premises and simply driving away with stolen property,” a police spokesperson says.

Police are urging owners not to leave keys inside their tractors or heavy vehicles, lock or secure all access doors, windows and gates, and install tracking devices on their vehicles if possible.

“Everyone can take small steps to make life difficult for thieves and help prevent equipment being stolen.”

Storm deadline

Time is running out for storm-affected Auckland homeowners to register to find out about any future risk to life at their home, and if they qualify for construction funding or a council buy-out. Following major storms early last year, Auckland Council has been assessing and categorising affected properties based on whether there is an ‘intolerable risk to life’ from future storms, and whether there is anything that can be done to reduce the risk. With a September 30 deadline to register for the categorisation programme looming, just over 40 per cent of more than 7000 properties impacted across Auckland have signed up. To find out more and register, visit ourauckland.nz/storms or call council’s recovery office team on 09 884 2070.

One of the tractors stolen from the Wellsford area.

Stinky toilets set for second major makeover

Warkworth’s town centre toilets are due to get a second major refurbishment just seven years after a $275,000 makeover was carried out, mainly due to them being smelly.

Rodney Local Board member Tim Holdgate raised the issue at a workshop on September 4, saying they were a health hazard that attracted a stream of complaints.

“I wouldn’t put a dog in there,” he said. “When is something going to be done?”

Rodney area manager for parks and community facilities Geoff Pitman admitted the Baxter Street toilet block next to the information centre was dated and said a revamp was on the list of jobs for this year.

“I know it’s been a long time coming and they’re probably the worst in Rodney at the moment, but investigation and design on what works will be done are underway,” he said.

“Physical works are intended to be done this financial year.”

The toilets were last revamped in 2017, when all internal fittings and fixtures were replaced, the interior re-clad and repainted, new drainage installed and a new coating applied to the floor.

Pitman said after the workshop that normally council would expect to get a lifecycle of around 15 years after such a refurbishment.

“However, this varies site by site and is impacted by factors including the amount of use and whether there has been any vandalism,” he said.

“For these toilets, there is a very heavy odour, which possibly means there is an issue with the sealant on the floor.”

He added that the building itself was in good order, so any work would be renovation, rather than a complete replacement.

“The intent is to bring the toilet up to today’s standard and make it fit for purpose,” he said.

“The cost for this specific toilet is yet to be determined and, once we have completed the investigation and design phase, we will have an estimated cost for the intended works.”

The work will be funded from Rodney Local Board’s Local Renewal budget, which has $710,000 allocated for toilet renewal and refurbishment across the district over the next three years.

Warkworth member Michelle Carmichael asked at the workshop if quotes from local contractors could be put through the council procurement system when the time came to carry out the work.

Pitman said while it might be possible, it wouldn’t be easy.

“Potentially, yes, but it would be a difficult journey,” he said. “But nothing’s impossible.”

Construction crew dive to the rescue

Five ducklings have been reunited with their parents and six siblings after falling down a three-metre-deep manhole at the launch site of Watercare’s tunnel boring machine, nicknamed Piper.

The McConnell Dowell crew, who are building the Warkworth to Snells Beach wastewater transfer pipeline, discovered five ducklings were missing after one of the parents returned with only six of their 11 offspring. The crew went into Search and Rescue mode to find the missing ducklings.

At the scruffy dome – a large steel grille placed over the inlet to allow for stormwater run-off on site – they heard a faint chorus of quacks and were able to safely rescue the two-week-old ducklings, which were later reunited with the their family.

Watercare project manager Dirk Du Plessis says this isn’t the first time a flock of birds has decided to make the Piper’s launch site their temporary home.

In late December 2022, a dotterel family halted the Warkworth to Snells Beach wastewater project when it chose to build a nest over the Christmas break. A protective fence was put around it and the area avoided until the family moved on.

Du Plessis says the construction of the Warkworth to Snells transfer pipeline is running smoothly, and Piper is expected to finish tunnelling in early November.

“Piper is moving at a good pace, averaging 25mm a minute, and has so far drilled 350 metres of the final 1.5km leg of the five kilometre pipeline.”

The toilets are “probably the worst in Rodney” and have a “very heavy odour”, according to an Auckland Council manager.

Crew from McConnell Dowell with the rescued ducklings.

Board needs to look beyond boundaries, hearing told

Concerns that Rodney Local Board elected members were only interested in their own subdivisions rather than the region as a whole were voiced at an Auckland Council hearing on September 6.

Members of the representation review Joint Governance Working Party raised the issue after reading submissions that opposed proposed boundary changes in Rodney because of fears that it would mean Warkworth having less of a voice (MM, Sep 2).

Kaipātiki Local Board chair John Gillan said he was surprised at the angst expressed that if Warkworth went from three to two elected members, it would lose representation.

“I find it astounding what was coming through in these submissions,” he said.

“I’m really concerned that the public and community groups are feeling like they are pigeonholed with one or two or three local board members.”

Gillan said people needed to realise that that was not how subdivisions and local boards worked.

“Subdivisions are an electoral mechanism and the day after an election, they’re supposed to effectively disappear, so you’ve got nine local board members operating over the whole area,” he said.

Warkworth member Michelle Carmichael, who was presenting the board’s latest submission on proposed boundary changes to increase rural representation, said there had been a historic political imbalance in Rodney.

“In the past, we did have an alliance group that was very much weighted in the Kumeu and Warkworth subdivisions and, because of their balance of power that they had across the board, you either chose to join the alliance or you missed out on things,” she said. She said that had left a lasting impression in Rodney, adding that the situation had recently been exacerbated by “very direct”

social media posts by one member, Ivan Wagstaff, that said if Warkworth were to lose one elected member, facilities would be lost.

“I’ve seen the politics at play and it’s not pretty. It was why I’ve been very clear that we need to look at this on a Rodney-wide basis. It was not about our individual subdivisions and should never be,” she said.

“It should be about what’s good for all of Rodney and all the communities we have. It should not be about our own political views and what we think might be a good protection for our own political position going forward.”

Councillor Daniel Newman sought further reassurance from Carmichael.

“Can I just get an assurance from you that all members of the Rodney board are actively engaged in, and contributing to the stewardship of services and the governance of the whole Rodney Local Board?” he asked.

“Everyone is collectively responsible for everybody else. I want to walk away from this discussion comforted that the Rodney Local Board isn’t just a collection of individuals looking after their subdivisions, that you are looking after everybody in Rodney and that your constituents can take some comfort from that?”

Carmichael said the current board was the most collaborative and socially conscious board for a while and members did work collectively well.

“The problem is, it should never be about the personalities of who is on the board,” she said. “We need to protect democracy for whoever is elected, and if that means we put a different structure in place, then this is a way we can do that democratically, so it doesn’t matter who is elected.”

Council’s governing body will make its final decision on any changes later this month, which will then be publicly notified for any objections or appeals.

Homebuilders must stay

Where is our local Minister Chris Penk when you need him – busy trying to fix Penlink? The decision to cut government funding to local mental health support provider Homebuilders needs to be reviewed (MM Aug 19).

We used Homebuilders when, at our wit’s end, we were totally stressed out with mental health issues, and they were awesome. Moreover, the experience opened my eyes to the huge number of people in our community who need the sort of support that Homebuilders provides. Mr Penk, this is your electorate. I didn’t vote for this government given the philosophy it has, but I suspect you personally have a decent character and legally-trained brain that sees the outright senselessness of this funding cut.

Mr Doocey, Minister for Mental Health, you have been conspicuously silent as mental health services are decimated by the austerity programme Nicola Willis is leading. How are you advocating for your mental health providers? I can’t recall

a single media interview with you in the past six months. Perhaps you could get some positive PR by reviewing this cut and reversing it.

Homebuilders Family Services is a small, grassroots, local frontline provider to which this government is cutting funding. There is no fat to trim and minimal back room costs. These are the counsellors at the top of the cliff doing a great job preventing mental health issues spiralling into bigger, costlier and deadlier issues. Basically, they run on the smell of an oily rag, operate out of a small, old converted bungalow in Warkworth and provide free counselling services. There are no other local providers that I know of, you have to drive to Marinoto in Orewa and then only if you have a referral and can get an appointment because they’re understaffed. Homebuilders is non-referral, local and appointments are usually available at short notice – I bet their funding has excellent return on investment, because their work is so preventative and keeps people out of the mainstream health system. I cannot see the sense in cutting their

government funding, which is 70 per cent of their total budget. They will probably close, the counsellors will take this opportunity to retire or relocate, their expertise will be lost to the Warkworth area and it’ll be incredibly difficult to reanimate a service like this. Just keep it open, review their funding forensically if you have to, but don’t cut them off at the knees.

Neil McGarvey, Sandspit

CORRECTION

Māori Ward

In our story on the disestablishment of Kaipara’s Māori Ward (MM, Sep 2), we reported that Councillor Ash Nayyer voted against the motion. In fact, Nayyer was one of the six councillors who voted for the disestablishment of the ward, along with councillors Mike Howard, Gordon Lambeth, Jonathan Larsen, Ron Manderson and Mayor Craig Jepson. The three councillors who voted against were Pera Paniora, Mark Vincent and Eryn Wilson-Collins. Cr Rachael Williams abstained.

One good turn deserves another

Snells Beach leatherworker Bob Simpson is thanking his lucky stars there are still honest people in the world. After spending five months meticulously designing and hand crafting a leather music stool cover for his brother in Wellington, he accidentally left it on the roof of his car and drove off. “I was leaving the Kowhai Art and Craft building at the showgrounds and must have been distracted,” he says. “It wasn’t until I got to The Grange that I realised what had happened.” After searching unsuccessfully along the roadsides, he decided it was lost forever and set about the task of trying to make another one in time for a special celebration next month. But three weeks later, one of Warkworth’s itinerant residents, Paul, walked into the clubrooms with the leatherwork in hand. “He had found it in a flax bush along State Highway 1, not far from the clubhouse, and had put two-and-two together. We’d actually met on a couple of occasions as he’d brought his dog Mr Nibbles in and asked if I could do some minor repairs to Mr Nibbles’ collar. I guess when he saw the leather work, he perhaps remembered I was the guy.” Bob says he can’t thank Paul enough. “A lot of time and thought went into the work and I am just so very grateful to have it back.”

Mind-blowing

We understand it must be hard for citydwelling Auckland Council staff, constantly copping flak for failing to understand our peculiar rural needs and juggling falling budgets, but sometimes they really don’t help themselves. If any proof were needed, it was to be found at the top of the cycle track from Matakana to Takatu Road last week, where a maintenance truck was parked next to the farm paddocks early one morning. What was the operative up to, we wondered – replacing a missing sign? Fixing a fence or gate? Nothing so practical, alas. He was diligently leaf-blowing the gravel pathway.

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Posts like this remind us that we do still live in the country. We hope this particular little piggy made his way home.

Viewpoint

Brent Bailey, Chair, Rodney Local Board brent.bailey@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Rodney issues identified

It is quite liberating to have announced that I will be retiring from the Local Board at the end of this term. Trying to find a way to navigate the disparate interests and concerns of the present groups of elected representatives has been a real challenge. Especially so when members are off on personal campaigns that focus on matters outside the sphere of Local Board decisionmaking. That, and the ongoing harassment and social media bullying by unelected groups, which appears to be the norm these days.

So, with the clarity that my impending retirement provides, what are the big issues that the Local Board will face in coming terms?

Managed retreat

Following the effects of Cyclone Gabrielle, council has updated flooding and coastal inundation models. These updated models have been applied to hazard mapping and are now viewable on council GeoMaps and will appear on property files. Research of this information will become a part of any property purchase and likely be a consideration for property insurance. Following the flooding and slips associated with the recent extreme weather, central government and council (taxpayers and ratepayers) implemented a voluntary property buyout programme where intolerable risk to life exists. However, this buyout applies solely to residential properties and there are no plans to extend this programme to commercial properties. Stormwater management projects to reduce risks to townships, commercial property and infrastructure are being modelled and costed, but no funding has been earmarked for implementing any of these options and, in fact, the business case for these potential interventions appears embryonic. Given the potential benefit from any intervention will accrue to a small number of properties, there will be resistance by general ratepayers to undertaking many of these potential

Springboard grant

mitigation projects.

Nationally, the recommended response to these sorts of hazards has been managed retreat. This will be especially true where the most significant hazard is coastal inundation, as sea level rise is predicted to impact vast areas of the coastline over the next century.

Productivity

The impact of decades of underinvestment in transport infrastructure and mass transit provision has impacted productivity and this has been particularly so in northwest Auckland. We urgently need a rapid transit network that supports a mode shift to public transport. This is the most cost-effective way to increase network capacity and improve productivity. For too long this has been an ideological debate between single interest groups, but we need investment in the network itself and in a mode shift to public transport.

Quality of life

Rodney has always offered an enviable lifestyle with our regional and local parks, beaches and range of small communities distributed over a vast and interesting geography. Urban sprawl has and continues to erode this as development encroaches on our communities. Typically, these developments have exacerbated the infrastructure and community facilities deficits in Kumeu, Dairy Flat and Warkworth. A firm line needs to be taken, and feedback provided to central government and Auckland planners, ensuring that where we face these assaults on our quality of life, we are supported with appropriate investment in infrastructure, transport and community facilities. If these are things you care about, then please consider running for the Local Board in the next election. Talk with existing board members if you want to learn more. The next Local Government elections will be held in October next year.

Springboard Community Works in Warkworth has received $1168 from the NZ Community Trust to assist in events costs. Netball Waitakere was the largest recipient in the current community grants round, receiving $70,000 for salaries. In total, just under $300,000 was disbursed to sports and recreational groups across the region, representing proceeds from gaming machines.

500g block shortcrust pastry Plain Flour for dusting

25g tasty cheese finely grated

200g Asparagus spears trimmed

100g fresh or frozen peas 2 eggs

100g crème fraiche

150g double cream nutmeg for grating

100g spinach

300g rindless goat’s cheese

Roll out pastry into a rectangle on a pastry mat lightly dusted with flour. Scatter over the cheese, fold the pastry in half and roll out again into a circle that fits a 25cm tart tin

with an overhang. Chill for 20 mins. Meanwhile, cook the asparagus in boiling water for 3 mins, then drain and refresh under cold water. Cook the fresh peas the same way for a minute, or simply defrost the frozen peas.

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan. Prick the base of the tart well, line with baking parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake the tart for 30 mins, remove the parchment and pie weights, prick again if it has puffed up, then bake for another 10-15 mins until biscuit brown.

Beat the eggs in a bowl, add the crème fraiche and cream, season and add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Scatter the peas and most of the spinach over the tart and crumble over half the goat’s cheese. Pour over the creamy egg mixture, then lay the asparagus spears on top. Finally, slice the remaining goat’s cheese and arrange on top, then bake for 25-30 mins until the custard is just set and

Organisers hope the hui will provide a forum to discuss the many challenges that face the Whangateau Harbour, from water quality and contaminant runoff to pest control.

Whangateau Harbour hui invitation

Anyone with an interest in the future of Whangateau Harbour is invited to a community hui at the Whangateau Hall on Saturday, October 5, from 11am to 2pm.

The event is being organised by the Whangateau HarbourCare Group, in partnership with Manuhiri Kaitiaki Charitable Trust and the Leigh Marine Laboratory.

Guest speakers will cover the cultural and ecological importance of the harbour, and what science research and mātauranga

Māori can tell about its health and how it is changing.

Organisers says there will be opportunities to meet passionate community groups working in the harbour catchment, hear about the work they are doing and ask questions.

Whangateau catchment facilitator Alicia Bullock says there will also be time set aside to share local knowledge, where the community can share observations, insights and aspirations, which are all vital

Marae funding boosted

Marae at Te Hana, Omaha and Orewa are among seven marae that will receive a share of more than half a million dollars from Auckland Council for marae development projects.

The Te Hana Community Development Trust, which runs the Te Hana Te Ao Marama cultural centre, will receive $80,000, while Te Herenga Waka o Orewa will receive $33,000 and Omaha Marae at Leigh will receive $20,000.

Te Hana will use the money for muchneeded repairs to the roof over its entry way and into its traditional village. Trust chair Dr Virginia Warriner says the roof was damaged in last year’s cyclone. Planning, Environment and Parks

Committee chair Richard Hills says marae are a critical cultural connection hub, not only for mana whenua and mataawaka, but also increasingly for wider communities throughout the region.

“The support and guidance provided by marae and their tight-knit networks throughout the covid pandemic and last year’s weather events often made the difference for communities’ resilience and their ability to find ways to thrive in the face of adversity,” he says.

With this in mind, council has an increasing focus to ensure that marae infrastructure, capability and support systems are robust, efficient and resilient.

Cr Hills says the funding will help with a

Semester 1 Starts 19th February.

to this kaupapa.

“This hui is intended to start an important conversation – kicking off the development of a community-led action plan for the Whangateau Harbour and its catchment,”

Bullock says.

“We hope as many interested people as possible will join us.”

To help with planning and catering, participants are asked to register here: https://events.humanitix.com/the-state-ofthe-whangateau-harbour-a-community-hui

range of projects, from technical feasibility and design planning for Otakanini Haranui Marae in the Kaipara to supporting Ngāti Ōtara Marae in South Auckland with remedial repairs and project management costs.

Houkura/Independent Māori Statutory Board member Glenn Wilcox emphasises the value of the Cultural Initiatives Fund for communities.

“It’s great to see council addressing a previously forgotten group of buildings and institutions that are particularly Aotearoa New Zealand and unique to our landscapes and communities. Marae are not just buildings – they’re about people and our relationships with those people.”

Boaties asked to be alert for new seaweed

A red seaweed (Asparagopsis taxiformis) that is new to mainland NZ has been found at Iris Shoal on Kawau Island and Tamaterau in Whangārei Harbour. Officials suspect it has been at these locations for some time, likely finding its way there on a vessel either associated with biofouling, on an anchor, anchor chain or dirty equipment. A native of the Kermedec Islands, it is unknown how the red seaweed will react in the mainland NZ marine environment and, at this stage, there is no evidence to suggest that the seaweed is affecting biodiversity in these areas. However, internationally it has been shown to out-compete and displace native species. Biosecurity is currently completing a risk assessment but, in the meantime, all vessel owners are asked to be extra vigilant and ensure hulls are clean before moving as officials suspect that it will be in other locations.

Anyone who finds the seaweed outside Kawau Island or Whangarei Harbour is asked to call the MPI exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66, or use the online report form http://report.mpi. govt.nz/pest

Police

A quick disclaimer before I get started, I am not an expert on traffic enforcement.

I’m certain that an examination of my work history within the police would reflect that I have very little natural ability for this aspect of police work. To be honest, I never thought I’d ever be writing about road policing, but recently folk have been coming up to me and remarking on seeing increased police activity on our local roads. They have told me that they think “something’s up”.

Allow me to explain and to do so requires a quick economics lesson, as explained to me by Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming during his recent visit to our station. It goes like this: The government collects taxes from most of us and uses it to provide various services for all of us. One of those is road safety enforcement. In this country, the only entity providing enforcement activity on all of New Zealand’s roads is the police. Now, does the government give the police the money and tell them to get on with it? That answer is “no”. The money intended for road safety is firstly given to the New Zealand Land Transport Safety Authority (LTSA), which then negotiates an agreement with police for the provision of enforcement activity on all roads. Put as simply as possible, the LTSA gives police $420 million and police use it to fund 1348 coppers, cars, fuel and donuts. …you were thinking it, so I said it!. We also undertake to breath test 3.3 million drivers and keep driver speed down

by writing 430,000 infringements. If police can deliver those outputs, then there is an additional $24 million coming our way. I think it’s fair to say that police bosses not only want everyone safe on our roads, they also want that money!

And that leads me neatly to why there is increased police activity locally. Last Friday and Saturday nights, police checkpoints were placed on local roads including State Highway 1. Thousands of drivers were screened for alcohol and, unfortunately, 15 of those drivers made the poorest of choices. They will now make appearances in court after testing over the legal limit. And, the police operation on the weekend is not going to be an isolated occurrence.

I can say with complete certainty that similar work will be ongoing for the remainder of this year and into next (3.3 million breath tests is a lot). Please accept my warning, folks. In the immediate future, expect to see police breath-screening checkpoints as a matter of routine police business. If you are stopped by police, day or night, you are getting breath-tested for alcohol. So, before you set off to your mate’s party, bottle of Matakana’s Oleanz Estate Big Cock Red in your hand, have a plan for a safe trip home. When you have a concrete plan, you are way less likely to make a terrible decision, affected by drink, on the spur of the moment.

Safe travels everyone!

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Kowhai House (Entrance via 7 Alnwick Street, Warkworth) above the Kowhai Medical Surgery. Plenty of parking. Easy lift access. reception@kowhaicoastdental.co.nz

Preserving precious family memories since 1990

Senior Constable Katie Hawkins,

Yogi Singh

Kim Denston Les Chan

Love life on your terms.

At Summerset there are fewer chores and more choice. So if you’re done with gardening, you can hang up your gloves. But if you’re a big fan of getting amongst the flowerbeds, there’s a community of green-thumbs just waiting to meet you.

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# Sign a sales application for a selected home between 01 July 2024 and 30 September

For terms, conditions, exclusions visit summerset.co.nz/warkworth-offer All Summerset homes are sold under a licence to occupy and are subject to

New pest clam prompts possible boat ban

The possibility of banning wakeboarding boats and jetskis from Tomarata Lake at Te Arai is about to be raised again as part of a new regional pest management review.

Auckland Council will be looking for local residents’ views on the issue from late next month as a potential tool to prevent the spread of a new, highly invasive freshwater gold clam to the 13.9 hectare lake. Although the clam, which is native to east Asia, was only discovered in the Waikato last year, principal biosecurity advisor Dr Imogen Bassett told Rodney Local Board members last month that, realistically, it would spread and should be included in the 2030 Regional Pest Management Plan. She said Tomarata Lake was already the fastest declining lake in the region and it was important to manage all risks, such as boats coming in from other areas and bringing the clam with it. The workshop heard that gear needed to be disinfected and throughly dried for 48 hours between

different lakes or rivers to guarantee against gold clam spreading.

Once established, gold clams can clog water pipes and other infrastructure, potentially compete with native species for food and are difficult to control.

Board member Ivan Wagstaff stressed the importance of engaging with people who actually lived near or visited the lake, as the use of motorised boats was an important local recreational activity.

“If we consulted across the whole of Auckland, people would say ‘that makes sense, let’s do it’, but the actual impact to a smaller group of people in regards to consultation is really important,” he said.

“It’s a hyper-local situation – please don’t just stand outside Matakana markets on a Saturday asking for feedback, because council keeps doing that, or you won’t get any boat-users from Tomarata.”

Colin Smith agreed, and pointed out

that the whole catchment area was now managed by a local incorporated society that should definitely be included in any public engagement.

Bassett “absolutely” acknowledged that it was important in any consultation process for council to be clear on what local people thought, as opposed to Aucklanders as a whole.

“We’re really keen to hear from you, because you know your communities a lot better than we do,” she said. “We’re very happy to hear from you what you think the best avenues are for us to specifically reach the people affected by this. We really want to make sure they do know and they do have their say.”

Early public engagement on the possibility of banning wakeboats and other motorised craft from Tomarata Lake and investing in managing pests at 12 additional lakes will take place between late October and December.

Tomarata Lake is a popular recreational spot for watersports.

Freshwater gold clam

Dog rule change protects shorebirds at Snells Beach

A temporary change to Auckland Council’s dog walking rules will help endangered shorebirds breed and rest safely at the northern end of Snells Beach.

With Snells Beach a hotspot for threatened and at-risk shorebirds, a temporary rule change will protect them, and applies from 13 September to 24 March.

During this time dogs are:

• Prohibited from all beach and intertidal areas, north of the Sunburst Avenue boat ramp

• On leash at all times on all reserves, north of the Sunburst Avenue boat ramp.

Rodney Local Board Chair Brent Bailey says the beach’s northern end is a breeding site for the New Zealand dotterel which has a threatened and nationally increasing conservation status.

“It’s encouraging that dotterel pairs are increasing and protecting nesting birds is important. And equally exciting is the fact that several juvenile New Zealand fairy terns, have visited the area over the past six years, as they are our rarest bird species.

“It’s down to the volunteer groups who spend many hours getting ready for the birds’ arrival, planting the wetland and dune areas, and safeguarding the birds’ habitat.”

Other shorebird species present in the area include bar-tailed godwits, variable oystercatchers, South Island pied oystercatchers and red-billed gulls. Signs advising people of the temporary rule change are being installed.

Bailey says that for the most part, the need for this temporary change to the dog rules is respected by the community. People walk their dogs elsewhere, so they don’t disturb the shorebirds, and that supports locals’ conservation efforts.

Dog access rules for all other beach and reserve areas south of the Sunburst Avenue Boat ramp are unchanged. These rules can be found in the Auckland Council Policy on Dogs 2019 document available on the council website at aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.

Nearby places for dog walking include:

• South of the Sunburst Reserve boat ramp until 30 November, and from 1 December to 1 March before 10am or after 5pm

• Goodall Reserve (behind Mahurangi East Library)

• Te Whau Esplanade Reserve (Dawson Road end)

• Dawson Road Reserve.

For enquiries about the temporary change to dog access rules, email biodiversity@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Targeted rate funds Rodney transport projects

Expanding Rodney’s footpath network and improving public transport and unsealed roads are making steady progress with almost $32 million invested through the Rodney Local Board Transport Targeted Rate programme, now in its seventh year.

Each of Rodney’s four subdivisions benefits from the targeted rate allocated according to the revenue collected from each over the 10-year period of the rate, and that ranges from $4.57 million for Wellsford to $18.71 million for Warkworth.

Local Board chair Brent Bailey says the programme is picking up pace and delivering many benefits for Rodney residents.

“The footpath programme has extended our pedestrian network further making it easier and safer to get around. The programme began in 2020, and it’s made a huge difference to our communities by delivering 22 footpaths so far with more in the pipeline.

“Our communities now have access to new footpaths on busy school routes, on well-used pedestrian routes, and have links to existing and new residential developments.”

Set up in July 2018, with the aim of delivering transport projects in the local board area excluded from the Regional Land Transport Plan 2021-2031.

Sign up for your Rodney Local Board E-news and stay up to date with all the latest news from your area.

Bailey says the Rodney community had long requested bus services and that came with targeted rate funding which launched three new bus services in 2019 that are still operating today.

“Rodney is experiencing the challenge of providing transport choices for a growing community, and without the targeted rate, several bus routes would simply not exist.

“Saying that our bus patronage speaks for itself, and several bus routes are now funded as part of the Auckland Transport network. That’s good news as it frees up our targeted rate funding for other transport projects.

“The launch of the new loop bus is an exciting new development for Warkworth residents who have a regular service that connects them to town centre and the wider bus network.”

Unsealed roads in the Warkworth subdivision have also got a boost from targeted rate and NZ Transport Agency funding. So far, about 9km of the worst sections on six roads have been fixed and another road is still to come next year.

Bailey says the local board is yet to decide the final projects to be delivered through the targeted rate which will be at a business meeting.

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

Route 999 is a new bus service that loops around Warkworth every 30 minutes.

The northern end of Snells Beach is an important breeding site for endangered shorebirds

Rodney student eyes director’s chair

Rodney College Year 13 student Michael Lynch had a brush with fame earlier this month when he sat in on a weekend rehearsal for the play Taking Off, written by Sir Roger Hall.

Michael hopes to take a step into professional drama next year, through an apprenticeship with a theatre company.

Knowing of his plans, college drama teacher Lucy Duffield leaned on a friend, who is the production and stage manager for Tadpole Productions, to give Michael a chance to observe a real-life rehearsal.

This led to a hall in Mt Roskill, where director Simon Prast and the cast of Taking Off were busy preparing for the show that ran at The Pumphouse from September 5 to 15.

Unbeknown to Michael, Hall, one of NZ’s most successful playwrights, dropped in on the rehearsal.

“I watched him making notes about the play and it was amazing to think that this was the man who actually wrote the play, sitting there watching it,” Michael said.

“It was a really valuable experience to see how a director works, the decisions he makes and how his confidence reflects on the cast. You can see him cutting everything into his vision of how he wants the play to be performed.

“It was also a much calmer experience than anything I’ve been involved in here at the college.”

Megan Williams Director

P 09 361 5563

M 027 291 3695

E megan@swlegal.co.nz www.swlegal.co.nz

brief

During his years at Rodney, Michael has performed in Devil in Drag, Dracula and took the lead role of Jack in this year’s production, Jack Absolute Flies Again. He says directing appeals to him because he loves the idea of storytelling and putting all the pieces together.

“In the case of a stage production, it’s not just the play itself, but the lighting, sound, props and so on. It’s a bit like Lego – you put all the blocks together to make something great.”

Two other Year 13 students – Ethan Skelling and Benny Manson – were also given the opportunity to visit the set during production rehearsals at The Pumphouse in the week before the show opened.

Digital devices and kids

Parents in Mahurangi are invited to attend a free talk on parenting in the digital age, which will be held at Matakana School on Thursday, September 19, starting at 7pm. The guest speaker will be Rory Birkbeck, from Safe Surfer NZ. Birkbeck is a tech specialist who has been tackling these issues for years and has recently worked with Samsung to release the first “kid safe” phone. The event is designed to help parents understand online threats and risks, and consider options with devices, technology and social media. It is aimed at parents with intermediate aged children. The evening will cover digital safety with devices and how to put the right protections in place, as well as the option of delaying children’s access to social media. The event is for adults only.

Top swim performances In

Mahurangi swimmer Sienna Morrison, 14, turned in some top performances at the recent NZ Secondary School Swimming Championships held at the Sir Owen Glenn Aquatic Centre in Auckland. Morrison placed 6th in the 100m breaststroke, 8th in the 50m breaststroke and 13th in the 100m individual medley. Around 730 swimmers competed in the championships including swimmers from Australia, New Caledonia and Tahiti. Other Mahurangi swimmers in the top 20 rankings were Ryan Hewertson, 15, who was 12th in the 200m backstroke, 13th in the 50m fly, 17th in the 50m backstroke and 19th in the 100m backstroke; Fergus Charlton 17, finished 15th in the 200m breaststroke, 16th in the 100m breaststroke and 20th in the 50m breaststroke; and Toby Hewertson, 17, was 18th in the 50m backstroke, and 20th in the 50m fly. Joe Kuwano, 17, turned in his best performance placing 24th in the 50m breaststroke.

Our team of experienced lawyers and legal executives is run by Megan Williams, David Hoskin and James Stewart. Megan has over 30 years experience and specialises in property, trusts and asset planning.

Other practice areas are Civil and Criminal Litigation, Dispute Resolution, Construction, Commercial Leasing, Relationship Property, Insolvency and more.

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Michael Lynch (top left) with the cast of Taking Off, including director Simon Prast (standing) and playwright Roger Hall (seated).

FREE VILLAGE FEES FOR A WHOLE YEAR!*

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OPEN DAY

Saturday 19 October From 10am - 2pm 14 Tiromoana Drive Red Beach

Repair café for clothes and more

Anyone who has clothes that need mending or altering should head to the Less Waste recycling centre near Snells Beach this Saturday, September 21, where a Textile Repair Café is being held.

A team of volunteer sewers will be in the Mahurangi Wastebusters learning hub at the back of the Lawrie Road site, ready to take on fabric fixes to keep clothes, bedding and other material items out of landfill.

The event is a collaboration between the local Fabric Rescue group and Mahurangi Wastebusters as part of the first national Aotearoa New Zealand festival, which runs until September 22.

Fabric Rescue member Angie Gibbons says the repair café is a local bid to make a dent in the 180,000 tonnes of textile waste that are thrown away in New Zealand every year.

“We can mend rips, tidy up school

or shirt fit a little better, offer ideas and inspiration for updating an item or hiding a stain, replace elastic, fix stitching, add patches, and reinforce areas of high wear,” she says.

The team will also show visitors how they can repair items themselves to give them a new lease of life.

Anyone bringing an item to be repaired is encouraged to bring in the right buttons, colour-matched thread, elastic and so on, though there will be a selection of such items on hand to use as well.

The team is also looking for denim donations for future upcycling projects, so feel free to take along any old jeans or jackets that have rips, broken zips, stains or are just out of fashion.

The textile repair café will be open from 10am to 1pm. Entry is free, repairs by koha.

Info: Fabric Rescue on Facebook or email

Sweetappreciation with chocolate brown

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, 17 Neville Street, Warkworth. Kindly refrain from nominating members of your own family.

Mediation is a proven form of alternative dispute resolution where your input determines the result. It can be quick and it is a relatively inexpensive, private and confidential process. The honest open airing of feelings in a controlled confidential setting can reveal the true issues, and can assist with reaching an agreed outcome. Importantly, relationships can be preserved, even enhanced, by mediation.

Carol has been an amazing volunteer within our community, not only supporting her husband Peter in all the fundraising efforts associated with Lions, both locally, regionally and internationally, but also with many local organisations including Warkworth Wellsford Hospice and Heritage Mahurangi. Carol gives of her precious time and love freely, and there are many who would support this nomination.

Congratulations to Carol Henderson who is this week’s recipient of a gift basket from Chocolate Brown. Carol was nominated by Dave Parker, who wrote … “ ”

Fabric fixes will be on the menu at Less Waste.

Teams line-up for comedy debate

The Great Comedy Debate has become a calendar highlight in Warkworth and it’s back for its 15th year on October 12 at the Town Hall.

The event raises essential funds for Harbour Hospice, the region’s only specialist palliative care provider, but organiser Murray Chapman promises that’s the only serious thing about this event.

“It’s all about fun,” he says. “A noholds-barred battle of wits between two Warkworth Toastmasters teams and two invitation teams of Lions and celebrities.”

This year’s moots are ‘Experience is better than enthusiasm’ and ‘Men are the superior beings’.

Local celebrities Matilda Green and Hayley Holt are arguing the affirmative alongside award-winning international speaker, author and Professional Speakers Association president Monica Moore. They say they have sorted their game plan.

“We can have a lot of fun with this. We’ll probably go with extreme sarcasm,” Matilda says.

This is Matilda’s second year with The Great Debate, after she and husband Art Green formed part of the celebrity team last year.

It was her first time debating, and Matilda says she was surprised by how much she enjoyed it. Art adds, “Matilda was very good at thinking on her feet.”

Matilda and Art, who met on the first season of The Bachelor NZ, moved to Warkworth six years ago and have grown to adore the town and its people.

“The community is honestly second-tonone,” Matilda says. “When we lived in the city we didn’t really know our neighbours.

“But as soon as we moved to Warkworth, I was blown away by the warm welcome we got. And I just love the fact that everyone knows each other. I can head into town

“When I had my first child, Milo, I had people that I didn’t even know come and drop off a little something. And I thought, ‘How kind. It’s people just looking after each other and expecting nothing in return’.”

Matilda has a friend who is a hospice nurse.

“And Hospice is such a big part of the Warkworth community. If I can do something to give back then I want to do that.”

For Hayley, who moved to Warkworth

with her partner Josh Tito three-and-ahalf years ago because they wanted to start a family and live close to her parents, this will also be her second time in The Great Debate.

Hayley was part of the celebrity team in 2017 and relished the experience, made sweeter by the fact her team won. Now a mum to Raven, two, and Kingston, three months, she’ll be preparing for the debate

in between feeds and nap times.

Hayley discovered the joys of debating in high school, saying, “I took it seriously. I relished rebutting the other team’s arguments, and I was very competitive!”

Tickets to The Great Debate, sponsored by Barfoot & Thompson, are $35 and are available from Tui House, Harts Pharmacy, Mahurangi Matters and the Warkworth Info Centre.

Happiness is near Leigh next month

Reflections on the state of the world and what can be done about it form the nub of Happiness is Near, the new album from Delaney Davidson and Barry Saunders, who return to Leigh Sawmill Café on Saturday, October 12.

Songwriter Davidson and former Warratahs frontman Saunders say the title comes from a slogan spotted on Russian TV that was written on a wall behind a reporter in Odessa, which became a thread running through their latest collection of songs.

Rather than dwelling on any fears, doubts and stagnation that living through uncertain times can foster, the pair says Happiness is Near is a reminder to move, to think and to act, and that good times are still around the corner.

“I can’t work out if the world is changing or I am just standing still,” Saunders says. “In

some ways, the more things change, the more they stay the same. I think people’s needs are the same – you can have the world you want. You don’t have to join anyone’s circus.”

Davidson says their love for, and view of, the world makes its way into their music, which he says for the new album is looser than usual – “less band, more reflective, more folky”.

“This was a quieter collection,” he says. “It

was made in the living room. Just two guys with their guitars and their songs.”

A new single, Man of Few Words, was released last month and the full album will drop on vinyl, CD and digital on September 27.

Davidson and Saunders’ Sawmill appearance is just one of a handful of North Island shows supporting the album launch. It starts at 8pm and tickets cost $50 from https://www.undertheradar.co.nz/

SCHOOL HOLIDAY FUN!

Explore Matakana Village these school holidays: family movies at the cinema, fun at the playground, unique shops, and delicious eats for the perfect family day out!

Open 7 days

The part-time duo promise “looser, more folky songs” on their new album.

Celebrity team members Hayley Holt and Matilda Green will be arguing that men are the superior beings.

The third member of the affirmative team is Monica Moore.

Book Reviews

Our Holiday

By Louise Candlish

The backdrop for this psychological thriller is the growing divide between ‘the haves’ and ‘the have-nots’. Pine Ridge is an idyllic coastal retreat for London’s affluent class, where they idle away the summer drinking and partying. Their stunning clifftop beach houses that pulse with life when the sun’s shining, then sit locked and desolate for the rest of the year.

This is the place that London neighbours, Charlotte and Amy, consider their holiday oasis, despite the rivalry between their husbands, the stress of renovation work and concerns for Amy’s teenage daughter, Beattie, a girl addicted to instant gratification, no matter the casualties or consequences.

But Pine Ridge is also a place rife with poverty and,in the midst of a housing crisis, the caravan park is the only accommodation option. The bitterness of homelessness creates the rebel crew Not Just For August. Robbie, the charismatic leader, and his handsome best mate Tate, spearhead the campaign. Through small acts of vandalism directed at the “second home” owners, the group attracts media attention and the tension grows. The town is split as the vandalism intensifies. Candlish creates a rich tapestry of secrets, jealousy, adultery, crime, social justice and unexpected alliances. It’s not just the second home owners flocking to Pine Ridge this August. Death is also paying a visit.

Reviewed by Abby Soffe

The Cryptic Clue, A Tea

Ladies Mystery by Amanda Hampson

This is Hampson’s second foray into the lives and intrigues of a group of older tea ladies.

Set in mid-sixties Sydney, the main protagonists are Hazel, Betty and Irene who have very different personalities, backgrounds and life skills. However, together they form a formidable team. We learn about their work lives, and their family circumstances, but little prepares the reader for just how determined, brave, maybe even foolhardy, and certainly courageous these ladies and their friends can be. With humour, aplomb and tenacity the ladies manage to solve mysteries, help their co-workers, fight for their own jobs, and even stop an act of terrorism. The characters are genuine to themselves, but not always adverse to bending the law, to achieve what they and many others would consider for the right reason.

An engaging, evocative trip down memory lane, with just the right amount of action, with these remarkable women. It’s not hard to imagine their lives, which are explained so exquisitely – a credit to New Zealand-born Hampson.

Reviewed by Barbara Leslie

NZ Dolphins turn 70

The country’s oldest diving club is casting its nets wide to find current and former members for its 70th anniversary celebrations next month. The NZ Dolphin Underwater & Adventure Club is based in Takapuna, but members come from far and wide to join in its organised dive, underwater photography and environmental clean-up activities, as well as mountain biking, tramping and travel. The 70th anniversary party is on Saturday, October 19 at Milford Cruising Club, with drinks from 5.30pm, dinner at 7pm and guest speakers Dave Moran, Keith Gordon and Fiona Tarlton. Tickets cost $45. Info and bookings: www.dolphinunderwater.co.nz

TI POINT

alligators • tuatuara • lizards • turtles • tortoises • tarantulas • iguanas • monitors

ALERT

Don’t miss out!

Limited-time funding available now

Attention rural landowners and groups in the Mahurangi catchment! Time is running out to apply for funding that covers up to 60 percent of costs for activities that help reduce sediment run-off to the harbour

Funding is available for: buying native plants & labour fencing materials & labour site preparation & maintenance alternative water supply stream bank erosion mitigation fish passage improvements (fully funded) Mahurangi Land Restoration Programme

An applicant's contribution can include in-kind / voluntary labour, cash, or funding acquired from another source.

Winter 2025 will be the last planting season for the Mahurangi Land Restoration Programme (MLRP).

Please contact Holly Fleming as soon as possible to secure funding through our programme! Mob: 021 548 818 Email: hollyfleming@terrapura co nz

She will arrange to meet you on-site, help you scope the project, and compile the information you'll need for your funding application See our funding guide at www ngatimanuhiri iwi nz/mlrp

Environment

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Professional

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Scott a’Beckett 021 027 95745 scott@dynamicpipeworks.co.nz www.dynamicpipeworks.co.nz

Scott a’Beckett 021 027 95745 scott@dynamicpipeworks.co.nz www.dynamicpipeworks.co.nz

Scott a’Beckett 021 027 95745 scott@dynamicpipeworks.co.nz www.dynamicpipeworks.co.nz

The best and worst of us

The Klamath River runs through Northern Oregon into California and the Pacific Ocean. But for over 100 years it didn’t. Four massive hydroelectric dams used land and water stolen from the first peoples, the Yurok tribe, and choked the 644km river. Not only did the dams stop the flow of water, they prevented salmon and other fish passage. The water in the dams and outflow got warmer, algae grew and the river became hyper-trophic, to the point that human contact with the water was dangerous. Once the third largest salmonproducing river in the US, 90 to 98 per cent of salmon were lost, depending on the species. In 2002, an estimated 70,000 salmon died from the warm and toxic water. Fish as big as children were killed and lay rotting. The loss of the salmon meant a loss of fertility in the catchment, the starvation of bears and the starvation of orca in the sea. Nearby wetlands were drained for agriculture.

For native tribes, the dams and surrounding land use were synonymous with colonisation and defeat, mismanagement and injustice. Communities were wrecked with suicide, addiction and diabetes. Campaigns to un-dam the Klamoth were about saving nature and all its icons, and saving the relationship people have had through time immemorial with river and land and animals of that place. Campaigners were told un-damming the river was never going to happen. But after campaigns spanning generations and a cost of US$450 million, at the end of last month,

the last of the four dams on the Klamath River was decommissioned. Finally, the water flows free. Community restoration of the newly-exposed catchment includes the collection and distribution of 18 billion seeds to regrow the riparian forest. It’s believed that by 2061, the Chinook salmon population will recover to 81 per cent of its original status. Other massive rivers remain dammed.

Meanwhile, in Britain, there’s good news about some other builders of dams, the success of beavers. They were hunted to extinction in the UK over 400 years ago, but successful reintroductions mean multiple populations of these little engineers are helping to prevent flooding, restore biodiversity, improve water quality and connect people with nature.

Also in the news this week was a report about Hvaldimir, the friendly beluga. The white whale was thought to be a trained ‘Russian spy’, because when he first approached people in Norway, in 2019, he was wearing a camera harness apparently from St Petersburg. In the years since he has charmed locals, and the world. The lone little whale loved human company, and would chase a ball and retrieve items dropped.

He won people’s hearts far and wide. But animal welfare groups rightly fretted for his safety. Earlier this month, Hvaldimir was reported dead. As I write, stories emerge that he was shot. In the gains and losses of human interactions with nature, we see hope and damnation, the best and worst of us.

Homebuilders

Stephne Carstens, Family Support Worker www.homebuildersfs.org

Developing resilience in children

Our world is full of uncertainty and inevitable change. It’s crucial to develop our resilience and help our children build their own to ensure their wellbeing and future success. Resilience enables us to handle challenges, adapt to new situations and thrive despite difficulties. As parents and caregivers, there are several effective strategies you can employ to support your children in building resilience during uncertain times.

• Maintaining open communication is one of the most important ways to support your child. Creating a safe space where they feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and feelings, and encouraging them to talk about their concerns while actively listening validates their emotions. This helps them feel understood and supported.

• By modelling resilient behaviours, we teach children how to handle uncertainty and stress with a positive and constructive attitude. When we share our experiences and the strategies we use to cope with challenges, it shows them that it’s okay to face difficulties and that we have the tools to manage them. This inspires them to develop similar skills.

• Instead of giving quick answers, help your children work through problems by asking them questions that encourage critical thinking about solutions and their consequences. This approach boosts their confidence in dealing with issues on their own.

• By promoting a growth mindset, we inspire our children to see challenges as chances for growth, rather than as impossible hurdles. Emphasising effort and perseverance over innate talent allows us to acknowledge and celebrate their development and learning, irrespective of the results.

• During uncertain times, having a structured routine can bring stability and a sense of normality for both adults and children. Establishing a

Crowdfunding class

consistent schedule for activities like meals, homework and bedtime can help children feel more secure and grounded.

• Practical coping mechanisms such as deep breathing, mindfulness and relaxation exercises can help us stay calm and focused. Observing others using coping tools that have been developed, tested and reinforced through practice provides the opportunity to see these techniques in action.

• Encourage children to maintain and cultivate positive relationships with family, friends and mentors. Building strong connections and establishing social support systems provides a crucial safety net during challenging times.

• Setting realistic goals helps children achieve desired outcomes by working in manageable steps and celebrating accomplishments, fostering a sense of achievement and reinforcing ability to overcome obstacles.

• Unconditional and unwavering support and encouragement lets your children know that you are there for them, regardless of the circumstances. Your positive reinforcement and emotional support help in building their confidence and resilience.

By utilising these strategies, you can play a crucial role in assisting your children to develop the resilience they need to navigate uncertainty and thrive. Your support and guidance are important in nurturing their ability to adapt, grow and succeed in our ever-changing world.

At Homebuilders Family Services, we provide support to families as they work towards making positive changes in their lives. We offer free courses including the Mindfulness course, the Bag of Tricks parenting course, The Dads Group, and Eco-budget Cleans and Budget Bite$. For more details, visit https://www.homebuildersfs.org/ or call 09 425 7048.

Online donation platform Givealittle has launched a free online short course that teaches the fundamentals of crowdfunding. A spokesperson says that while it is designed primarily for Kiwi charities, schools and community groups could benefit from it as well. Givealittle general manager Mel Steel says the Generosity Generator Masterclass enables charities to grow their crowdfunding skills, so they can fundraise more effectively and develop a new income stream to increase their financial sustainability. The Masterclass covers how to plan, create and promote a successful crowdfunding campaign. It takes about 2.5 hours to complete. Other than a reliable internet connection, no other materials are required. Info: https://ggm.givealittle.co.nz/courses/GGM

SPRING CLEAN UP

New youth programme gives teenagers something to do

Kickboxing, karaoke, DIY dumplings and art are among a range of free activities aimed at teenagers now being offered in Warkworth, Snells Beach and Wellsford, thanks to a new Rodney Local Board initiative.

The Rodney Youth Project is a twopronged programme aimed at giving youth something to do outside of school and sports, comprising regular free activities across the region and a new dedicated drop-in youth space in Warkworth.

Youth development coordinator Priscilla McClintock Ngawaka says the project is very much youth-led and focused on tailoring activities to different areas to suit the diversity of needs across the region.

“We hope to provide something new and innovative for teens who want to make more friends, try something other than sport and/or those who just need something to do,” she says.

“We really want this initiative to support youth-led ideas and projects, so we would like to encourage young people to come forward and tell us what they think is missing in Rodney for them.”

She says results from early drop-in sessions and an online survey have shown that teens are keen for new and innovative activities that are not readily available to them

currently, such as art workshops and food prep tutorials or team challenges.

“We have had a wide range of feedback and what is not surprising is that youth in different areas have different needs. For example, we had a very strong response from Wellsford youth, but a main concern of theirs was transport and the ability to access Warkworth easily for events, so we are planning on bringing workshops and events to them in local venues.”

One of the first of these could be free kickboxing classes next term, which are already being run every Friday afternoon in Snells Beach (see panel), or art sessions for teens.

Meanwhile, the new Rodney Youth Space for 14 to 18 year olds opened last month at Shoesmith Hall in Warkworth, and is held every Friday afternoon from 3.30pm to 6pm.

McClintock Ngawaka says the aim is for the space to be somewhere teens can drop in to try new activities or just be with people their own age – this month, activities include making sushi, soup and dumplings, as well as painting, upcycling and baking.

“We plan to always have one activity available and one cooking-based activity every session, along with sports equipment,

Warkworth Phone: 09 425 1199

board games and free wifi for those who just want to hang out,” she says.

There are plans to start a second session for 12 to 14-year-olds later this year, as well as special events in the school holidays.

At this stage, the Rodney Youth Project is a one-year trial funded by the local board combining its $60,000 youth budget with a one-off regional crime prevention fund of $67,591.

McClintock Ngawaka says an important aim of the initiative is to build youth activity provision in Rodney by developing a strong network of facilitators, programmes and venues that can support the project into the future.

“We have started by funding a couple of existing activities to remove financial barriers and allow youth to give them a go, such as free kickboxing in Snells and teen art classes in Kumeu,” she says.

“We are very keen to involve local facilitators to run workshops across Rodney. Some ideas from our youth survey include local artists or musicians who have experience working with youth, in areas such as Maori art, performance, lighting and audio workshops; local chefs who are interested in teaching cooking classes; and also local role models who could be guest speakers.”

Teens are also being encouraged to take leadership roles by helping to run events and activities.

The fledgling youth space at Shoesmith is also looking for good quality sports equipment, such as a foldable table tennis table, volley ball net and balls, and the team is keen to host student bands, too. Info and survey: visit www.rodneyyouth. co.nz or email priscilla@rodneyyouth.co.nz

Warkworth

What: Rodney Youth drop-in space for youth aged 14 to18. Activities, food, games, free wifi

Where: Shoesmith Hall, Shoesmith Reserve

When: 3.30-6pm every Friday

Snells Beach

What: Free Muay Thai kickboxing classes for youth aged 14 to 18

Where: Connect Striking, Mahurangi Shopping Centre, 280 Mahurangi East Road

When: 4.30-6pm every Friday

Wellsford

What: Free kickboxing classes

Where: Wellsford Community Centre

When: Starting Term 4, details tbc

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

• Wide range of visiting specialists.

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

or

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

• Low Cost access for enrolled patients under 14 free, young people $13, adults from $19.50.

Snells Beach

Phone: 09 425 5055 PHONE 24HRS

• Pharmacy, Labtest, Physio on site.

• Flu and Covid -19 vaccinations available.

Destinee Macleod

Free kickboxing at Snells.

The Shoesmiths drop-in space.

Two more scoops for Charlies

Hot on the heels of winning six gold medals at the 2024 NZ Ice Cream & Gelato Awards (MM, Aug 19), Charlies Gelato of Matakana has won two trophies in the championship taste-off.

As well as taking out the newcomers’ category for its Passionfruit Sorbetto, business owners Andrew Cole and Tania Nevill were also named as the NZ Ice Cream Association’s first Sustainability Champions.

Judge from the Sustainable Business Network Fiona Stephenson said Charlies Gelato was leading the way with impressive environmental initiatives.

“They’ve installed 48 solar panels to harness renewable energy and use filtered rainwater in their gelato and sorbetto production,” she said.

“They grow spray-free fruit on site, reducing the need for transport. Charlies also places a strong emphasis on supporting the local Matakana community by

Cone of fame – Tania Nevill and Andrew Cole with their two trophies.

contributing to local sports teams, schools and organisations like the Lions, paying above the minimum wage and employing local residents.”

The NZ Ice Cream & Gelato Awards assessed more than 230 entries from national commercial brands to artisan ices, awarding 169 gold, silver and bronze medals and 19 trophies.

Forum calls for better bird flu info

By Laura Kvigstad, Auckland Council reporter.

Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.

The Hauraki Gulf Forum wants the government to share more information about the threat of bird flu this summer.

Last year, the highly transmissible variant H5N1 was identified in the southern hemisphere. Cr Wayne Walker asked how prepared the gulf was if bird flu arrived in New Zealand. He was particularly concerned for seabirds.

Biosecurity readiness and response services director John Walsh said avian bird flu was expected to turn up this summer.

“We have a vaccination strategy for our high-risk native populations if it gets here,” Walsh said, but noted it would not be effective for wild birds.

Waiheke Local Board member Bianca Ranson said the issue around vaccination was that two shots were required, making it particularly difficult for wild birds.

“There is about an 80 per cent death rate for bird colonies,” Ranson said.

Department of Conservation’s regional director of operations Alex Rogers said if members of the public found three or more birds that were sick or dead, they shouldn’t touch them.

He said there were beaches full of dead seals in South America after they contracted avian flu.

The public can contact Biosecurity New Zealand’s 24/7 hotline 0800 80 99 66 to report dead or sick birds. Callers will be asked to provide as much detail as possible, including the precise location, pictures, species and number of birds impacted.

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Motorway speed change proposed

Travellers are being asked for feedback on a proposal to increase the speed limit on two sections of State Highway 1, between Orewa and Warkworth, from 100km/h to 110 km/h.

NZ Transport Agency director for regional relationships Steve Mutton says sections of motorway were designed and constructed to a high safety standard, which meant they could be considered for increased speed limits.

“Safety features include two-lanes in each direction to provide safe passing opportunities, physical separation between opposing lanes to prevent head-on crashes, and a mostly straight, wide alignment,” Mutton says.

The two sections being considered are from the start of the toll road to the Johnstones Hill tunnels and from the tunnels north to Warkworth.

Mutton said the sections of the motorway where the speed won’t change include:

• Johnstones Hill Tunnels, where the enclosed environment of tunnels creates a different safety risk to that of the surrounding motorway. The speed limit on SH1 through the Johnstones Hill Tunnels is 80km/h and there are no plans to review and/or change this speed limit.

• SH1, south of the Northern Gateway Toll Road, currently operates with a permanent speed limit of 100km/h through to the Auckland Harbour Bridge and there are no plans to review that speed limit, either.

The current 90km/h speed limit for heavy vehicles and towing vehicles will still apply on any road with a 110km/h speed limit.

This means journey times for vehicles carrying freight will remain unchanged.

A spokesperson says some heavy vehicles can weigh up to 60 tonne and take a lot longer to slow down and stop.

NZTA will consider all feedback received during the consultation process before

recommending a new speed limit, which will be reviewed alongside technical and safety assessments. It will then provide a recommendation to the Director of Land Transport and this process could take six to 12 months.

Road and transport campaigner and Rodney Local Board member Geoff Upson says the motorway should have been 110km/h when it opened.

“I am disappointed in how hard the police have been working to make revenue from people who already drive 110km/h on the new motorway,” he says.

“The road is suitable for a speed limit of 130km/h one day. Internationally, lots of similar motorways are 130km/h and Germany has the safest motorways with no speed limits at all.

“Hopefully, increasing the speed to 110km/h will encourage police to go and do something else with their day, like catch speeders outside schools.”

Upson says he is disappointed that the tunnels will remain 80km/h.

“I reckon we could at least raise it to 90km/h so it’s only a difference of 20km/h, but I think there are some rules about tunnel speed limits.”

Consultation on the proposed speed change closes on October 1.

To find out more and provide feedback, head to: nzta.govt.nz/sh1-northakl-110

Speed limits

Proposed area to increase to 110km/h

No change to existing speed limit

Ara Tuhono – Puhoi

Variable speed limits (VSL) VSL signs used for smart traffic management of northbound traffic to roundabout. No change to current VSL speeds of 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 100. Proposed increase of underlying speed limit to 110km/h.

Pūhoi

Orewa

Johnstones Hill Tunnels

Warkworth

PūhoiRoad

PōhuehueRoad

The map shows the two sections being considered for speed increases. Travel through the Johnstones Hill tunnels will remain at 80km/h.

Transport minister Simeon Brown made the speed limit announcement on Moirs Hill.

Pūhoi

Orewa

Johnstones Hill Tunnels

PūhoiRoad

Seniors in the bus use loop

Seven weeks in, Warkworth’s new regular loop bus service is proving most popular with seniors and schoolchildren, according to data from Auckland Transport (AT).

Figures show that 45 per cent of passengers were SuperGold cardholders and 26 per cent children aged up to 16. A further 20 per cent were adults and seven per cent young people aged 16 to 24.

The main Warkworth stop in Percy Street, next to Warkworth Medical Centre, sees the most passenger traffic, but Summerset Falls is also popular, accounting for nearly half of all trips into Warkworth.

From its launch on July 21 until September 7, a total of 2094 passengers used the 999 service, which runs every half hour from 6am to 7.20pm – or 28 buses a day carrying an average of 299 passengers every week. The most popular day of the week so far is Wednesday, with an average of almost 400 passengers, while Saturday and Sunday are the least popular at less than half that amount.

The most popular buses run between 8am and 9am, followed by the 2-3pm period and late morning services.

The two year bus trial is funded by the Rodney Local Board targeted transport rate, costing just over $800,000.

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New scheme aims to put

brakes on tyre dumping

What to do with old tyres has long been one of biggest headaches when it comes to waste disposal, but a new national initiative aims to end the problem once and for all with a network of free collection and dropoff points.

Under the Tyrewise scheme, drivers can leave worn-out tyres with registered fitters when new ones are bought, or take up to five old tyres to public collection sites free of charge.

In Auckland, the first free drop-off point is the Waitākere Refuse & Recycling Transfer Station in Henderson, with more being planned for the future.

In addition, tyre retailers and businesses across the region can register to have worn out tyres picked up by Tyrewise for free.

At the moment, around 40 per cent of the 6.5 million tyres Kiwis use every year are recycled, repurposed or used as tyre-derived fuel, but the majority end up stockpiled, dumped or in landfill.

Council’s general manager for waste solutions, Justine Haves, said she hoped the Tyrewise scheme would prevent the dumping of thousands of tyres illegally across Tāmaki Makaurau every year.

and take advantage of the free disposal service themselves.

Tyrewise is funded by the Ministry of Environment collecting stewardship fees on all new tyres entering New Zealand, whether they are loose or on vehicles, and anyone who imports or sells tyres must be registered.

The project, which launched in March, aims to have 80 per cent of old tyres collected and processed after four years, and 90 per cent by year six.

Worn out tyres in Auckland will be used as a substitute for coal in cement making, used to fire production kilns.

Chair of council’s planning, environment and parks committee, Councillor Richard Hills, applauded the launch of Tyrewise as an important step towards zero waste.

“Well-regulated and mandated national product stewardship schemes have the potential to divert many tonnes of waste from landfill, protect our environment and support economic growth and opportunities,” he said.

“We hope to see more product stewardship schemes like Tyrewise applied to other products and sectors, creating a truly circular economy.”

“Between July 2022 and July this year, more than 32,000 tyres of all shapes and sizes were dumped illegally on public land across the Auckland region,” she said.

“Now that people can drop off their tyres for free, there should be no temptation to dump tyres illegally, or pay someone else to dump them.”

Haves added that council hoped the scheme would also encourage commercial businesses to register as collection points

Local registered tyre suppliers include Auto Super Shoppe, Bridgestone, Duffs, Goodyear, Warkworth Auto Wreckers and Warkworth Motorcycles in Warkworth; Bridgestone and Doidges in Wellsford; and Autohaus European in Snells Beach.

Disposal costs at local refuse, recycling and transfer stations currently cost between $5 and $15 per car tyre.

Info: https://www.tyrewise.co.nz/

Auckland Council hopes that free tyre drop-offs at Henderson will gain traction.

EVs putting pressure on peak power periods

Off-peak vehicle charging is the way to go, not only because it saves EV drivers money, but also to make sure New Zealand’s electricity supply can cope with ever-increasing demand.

That was the message from Vector at a Rodney Local Board workshop last week during an update on regional infrastructure and supply.

Communications manager Matt Britton said that while there was no problem at the moment, the increase in EVs was something Vector needed to keep a close eye on, as the power used to charge two vehicles was around the same used by an average house.

“Not only is it more demand, but it’s at the wrong time,” he said. “If you’re out during the day and you come home in the evening and turn on the heating, start cooking dinner and plug in your EV, then that’s just adding to peak demand.”

He said Vector was monitoring the growth of EV use and its impact on the power network across Auckland and beyond, using EV tracker equipment to analyse where charging was taking place and to help it avoid “clustering impacts”.

Members heard that uptake varied dramatically by suburb and according to socio-economic levels – as an example, although both have similar population levels, Remuera had 1187 EVs and Otara just 45.

Vector wants to use technology to shift the system load around by staggering charging times.

“So if 100 people plugged in their cars at six o’clock, only one of them would actually start charging then, they would just be staggered over time,” he said.

The government’s Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority agreed that managing demand for charging was key to ensuring the electricity network could cope, using off-peak charging at home or dynamically managed public chargers that could adjust power to distribute electricity more evenly.

Vector operations and engineering manager Marko Simunac added that if drivers charged their vehicles outside peak hours, say at 9pm instead of 7pm, it would also be cheaper for them, as well as taking load off.

Vector has already achieved something similar with Auckland Transport (AT) and its burgeoning electric bus fleet.

AT has doubled the number of its zero emission electric buses to 180 in the past year and has been working with Vector to make sure the considerable charging load for them – and the cost – is spread.

“We’ve worked with AT over the past couple of years to provide infrastructure for its electric buses and we’ve worked out a contract backed up by technology so they get cheaper rates to charge in off-peak,” Britton said.

“So they’re incentivised and enabled through technology to make sure the buses are charged when they need to be, but at off-peak times. That works out for us and for them.”

Board member Guy Wishart said it should be more of a two-way street for car drivers, by using EVs as mobile battery storage to power homes, something that can now be

done with many EV batteries.

“It would make enormous sense for Rodney – you could go off-site, get powered up, come back and power your whole home with this massive battery you’re carting around in a car,” he said.

Community engagement manager Teina, Teariki Mana said that had already been trialled in Piha, but it wasn’t feasible because of the distance from other charging points.

“So during any outages, you had to drive your vehicle out to charge at a different point, and it wasn’t sustainable,” she said. “But there was lots of learning in terms of what can happen.”

Vector is tracking where EVs are being used and charged throughout Auckland.

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Bill to disestablish Auckland Transport blindsides council

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

A move by NZ First to disestablish Auckland Transport (AT) has caught both Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown and councillors by surprise.

At a Governing Body meeting on August 29, councillors approved AT’s statement of intent, which sets out its strategic approach and priorities for the next three years. But on the same day, New Zealand First introduced in Parliament, a Members’ Bill to restore democratic control over transport management in Auckland by disestablishing AT and returning control to council.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the Local Government (Auckland Council) (Disestablishment of Auckland Transport) Amendment Bill was intended to restore democratic oversight, control and accountability to Auckland’s transport decisions, ensuring that decision making resides with elected representatives.

“This bill is about bringing democratic accountability back to Auckland’s transport system,” Peters said. “Auckland’s transport system is in disarray with very little input or influence by the sitting council. AT has been a failed experiment from the start.

“It has held too much power, with insufficient accountability to council and to the people of Auckland.”

Cr Mike Lee said Peters was working on the assumption that transferring AT directly back to Auckland Council meant that council had a better way and a clearer idea on how transport should be administered. He said it was the council’s responsibility to figure out a better way and more costeffective way, with better public outcomes.

Mayor Brown was surprised by the news and said it was the first he had heard about it.

“It’s just a response from the general uprising of people and grumpiness about

Fee increases

AT. It is not something that I have pushed for,” Brown said.

“It was a huge error in judgement that the biggest council in New Zealand is the only one that doesn’t set its own Regional Land Transport Plan. That was a mistake, and I have yet to hear anyone who says that we are wrong for trying to take back control of the policies and directions.”

Cr Alf Filipaina said he was surprised that Peters had not consulted with the mayor or AT about the bill.

“To the Deputy Prime Minister, [I say] stay out of our business. I am going to defend Auckland Transport with the work that they have done since I’ve been around this table because I don’t think it is that dire,” Filipaina said.

Cr Maurice Williamson said it would take a minimum of two years for the bill to be drawn, heard and passed.

“Members’ bills go into a biscuit tin draw and there are currently 64 bills in there. There’s only a couple draws on every second Wednesday, and others will be added. It has a very low risk of being drawn,” Williamson said.

Brown said he would meet with the deputy prime minister to discuss the development in the coming days and would keep councillors updated.

The Government is cracking down on people who misuse car parks for disabled people, ensuring towing fees do not leave tow-truck operators out of pocket, and adjusting parking fines for inflation. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says that parking in an area reserved for disabled people is the epitome of arrogance. “We need to get tough on this selfish behaviour. The current $150 penalty will increase to $750, reflecting the seriousness of this offence. This will send a very clear message that we are serious about addressing accessibility issues. The penalty for abusing mobility parking is far too low compared to other countries such as Australia.” Upston says regulated fees for towing and impoundment have not been updated since at least 2004 and are no longer covering operators’ costs. Transport Minister Simeon Brown says parking infringement fees have also not been updated in two decades. In Auckland, this means that paying a parking ticket is sometimes cheaper than paying for parking. The new fees will be implemented from October 1.

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Grant funds re-green for B Green

Work started last week on laying a new synthetic green at Mahurangi East Bowling Club, following receipt of a $70,000 grant from Auckland Council’s Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund.

Club captain Gary Gibson said the grant was the final chunk of money required to fund the $300,000-plus renewal at the Hamatana Road HQ, which would give the club two international class surfaces to play on.

The rest of the cost has come from club funds and a number of other sporting and recreation grants obtained by club treasurer Mike Day, who recently won Club Administrator of the Year at the Bowls North Harbour Annual Awards.

“New greens are not cheap,” Gibson said. “Mike has worked tirelessly in getting these grants and needs to be congratulated.”

With luck, Mahu East members will get to play on the new carpet on B Green by the end of the month.

A Green was re-laid five years ago, though that was a much longer process, as it involved converting natural lawn to a synthetic surface.

“We replaced the grass with synthetic in 2019, but unfortunately had a weather bomb come through and made a mess of that, so that had to be redone,” Gibson said. He said replacing an existing carpet was much quicker and easier.

“The old surface is removed and they take out about 90mm of soil, restack and repack it up before laying the new surface,” he said.

“It’s very timely, because we start our twilight social bowls on Wednesday evenings in November and we have 32 teams of four come in for that, so it will be good to have two really good greens.”

Council’s Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund for 2024/2025 was approved last month, granting $13.6 million to 18 sports organisations across the Auckland region. There were 55 applications requesting a total of $40.7 million. Of the successful applicants, Mahurangi East Bowling Club was the only one based in north Rodney.

Info: https://www.sporty.co.nz/ mahurangieastbowls or Mahurangi East Bowls Club on Facebook

FieldturfNZ began work on replacing B Green, shown here in the foreground, last week.

The new green will be ready in time for the club’s popular twilight social bowls in November.

The Warkworth Museum recently received a donation of material from the Broomfield family, descendants of A.G.L. Broomfield who was for many years a solicitor in Warkworth. For some time, his offices were in the two-storey house in Neville Street, Broomfield House. He was Chairman of the Town Board in the 1950s and also a keen amateur photographer, and it is his photographs that have been offered to the museum, some donated in digital form and some still to come as glass plates.

I thought it might be interesting to look at the process involved when items are offered, remembering that the museum’s manager is the only permanent paid staff member, so everything else is done by volunteers.

There are three categories under which items can be offered to the museum:

• Permanent collection – these are historic items, relevant to the area to be preserved.

• Secondary collection – these items can be handled/used by the public, for instance during school visits.

• Items loaned short-term for exhibition purposes only.

donor then signs this form and is given a copy as a receipt.

•

•

•

Items are reviewed for their relevance to the district, their rarity and condition, and to identify which category they fall under. Consideration must be given of such things as Treaty obligations, copyright or laws relating to endangered or native species. Then a full record or accession form is completed with a list of all items to be donated, relevant history noted and condition of the items recorded. The

A record is then made on the museum’s database. This may well include a photo of the item, as well as its provenance and its new storage location. This may be textiles, artefacts, archives or the shed. If necessary, some care may be required to aid in the preservation of the item. Conservators from other museums may offer assistance with the best ways to treat or store unusual items. If we look at Mr Broomfield’s collection, the museum already has the window from his solicitor’s office in its collection, so his relevance to the district is known. The digital photos will be individually recorded so that they can be accessed, and the glass plates will be housed in archives. Each plate will be individually recorded and placed in an acid free envelope and grouped in as many acid free boxes as needed and their location recorded. Most items in archives require similar care. Many of them are now digitised so they are more accessible, but also to avoid handling of old and fragile items. Each area of the museum has a heat pump/dehumidifier to ensure that temperature and humidity remain constant to aid in the preservation of items. If people wish to access an item for research or copying, you can see from the time and costs involved in accessing and storing items that it is necessary for the museum to charge a small fee and expect some acknowledgement of the museum’s role in preserving it.

Watch out for museum fundraising raffles coming up and also our stall at the Kowhai Festival Market Day on October 19.

Broomfield House, in Neville Street, circa1950s. Warkworth Museum Collection: Uncatalogued. Plates Box-B Row-3 2168-02. Photographer, A G Broomfield.

Gardening

Andrew Steens

Spring has sprung, so hop to it!

Spring is officially upon us, and although it’s not my favourite season, being characterised by blustery conditions alternating between warm and freezing, it does herald the start of planting, and for that I’m grateful. This week I’ve been busy sowing seed, starting with cooler climate crops – carrots, peas, snow peas, lettuce, spring onions, bok choy, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, radishes, coriander, dill, parsley and spinach. I’ll keep sowing all these at three to four week intervals to get a continuous harvest. These have gone into the greenhouse on a heat pad to get the best germination, but really, they only need a little extra warmth at this time of year, so a sunny windowsill would be fine. I’ve also sown several varieties of beans. These definitely need the greenhouse and heat pad at this time of year. I like to get them away early, then hold them in the greenhouse till the soil warms more outside. If I’ve timed it well, the first flowers will be popping out when they go in the ground, ready for the bees to work them. Other subtropical crops such as zucchini, corn, tomatoes, chillies, basil and capsicums will get sown in a couple of weeks, again on the heat pad.

The key to getting good early crops is to keep potting them up as they grow in the greenhouse, then planting them out no earlier than Labour Weekend. By that stage they will be decent sized plants, with

In brief

Decarbonisation funding

flowers not far off and the soil should have warmed enough to not shock them too much. The melons, squash, eggplants and pumpkins are the last to be sown near the end of September, as these are the most cold sensitive. Planting out in November is the best time for these.

Potatoes can be planted now. Indeed, early potato crops tend to be the best in our area, as they can be harvested before Christmas and before the dreaded tomato/potato psyllid gets active. Any old kumara tubers that are lying around are ideal to place in a warm area with damp conditions to get the slips (new shoots) started. These can be removed off the tuber and are planted out ideally in November.

In the flower garden, summer bulbs such as dahlia, gladioli, lilies and callas can all be planted out. More cold sensitive bulbs such as tuberose and gloriosa are best planted around Labour Weekend. Most of the annual flowering plants can be sown from now on, too.

In the veggie garden, go through and clean out any weeds, old plants from last season and prepare the soil for the new plants by adding fertiliser (now is a good time to add lime or gypsum) and compost. Spring is also a good time to sow new lawns, spread fertiliser around the ornamental garden and refresh the soil in any potted plants. There’s a lot to do, so spring into action and hop to it!

Meridian Energy is looking for community groups to support through its 2024 Decarbonisation Fund. Chief customer officer Lisa Hannifin says that while more organisations are thinking about sustainability, it is often hard for community groups to juggle priorities. Over the past two years, the Community Decarbonisation Fund has distributed $1.5 million to 22 projects across the country. This year, it has $1.2m available for community electrification and decarbonisation efforts. Projects can range from providing funding for a new EV, converting to electric heating or installing solar power. The Decarbonisation Fund uses the net proceeds from the company’s Certified Renewable Energy product. Through Certified, businesses match their electricity-usage with an equivalent amount of renewable electricity into the national grid from one of Meridian’s hydro stations or wind farms. Applications close on September 30. For more information, and to apply for funding: https://www.meridianenergy.co.nz/communitysupport/decarbonisation

Arts celebrated

Auckland’s city centre will radiate hues of happiness next month, with the return of Art Week, featuring a programme packed with more than 70 events, exhibitions, installations and activations. The festival will run from October 4 to 13.

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WINDOW CLEANING/ HOUSEWASH/GUTTER

CLEANING Local professional service. Ph Pat 022-646-5849.

PEST CONTROL Eradication of rats & mice. Competitive Rates. Ph 426 2253 Ph 027 286 7321, www.noratsandmice.nz

PUBLIC NOTICES

CREATIVE

MATAKANA (INC)

AGM

Monday October 14, 5pm, Matakana Hall, Matakana Valley Road. Contact: creativematakana@gmail.com www.creativematakana.nz

KAIPARA FLATS SPORTS CLUB

AGM

The Annual General Meeting of the Kaipara Flats Sports Club (Incorporated) will be held in Kaipara Flats on Monday 30 September, 7.30pm at Kaipara Flats Sports Club, 903 Kaipara Flats Road. All members and interested individuals are welcome to attend.

MANGAKURA BOAT CLUB

AGM

October 20, 3pm at clubrooms. All welcome.

Have you been affected by someone's drinking?

Al-Anon Family Groups can help. We welcome you to the Warkworth Family Recovery group confidential meeting. We meet at Vineyard Church Hall, 5 Pulham Road, Warkworth, every Wednesday from 7pm to 8pm. This meeting can also be attended on Zoom. Please contact warkworthafg@gmail.com for more details or visit Al-anon.org.nz

Supported by Mahurangi Matters

Classifieds

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR AN ON-LICENCE

Under Section 127(3), Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012

Full name of the licence holder (e.g. name of individual or organisation): Te Hana Te Ao Marama, Rangiwhapapa Lane, 311 State Highway 1, Te Hana, Wellsford 0974.

The Bar Manager has made an application to the District Licensing Committee at Auckland for the renewal of an on-licence in respect of the premises situated at: Rangiwhapapa Lane, 311 State Highway 1, Te Hana, Wellsford 0974.

The general nature of the business to be conducted under the licence (type of business, e.g. cafe), and its trading name is: Te Hana Te Ao Marama

The days on which and the hours during which alcohol is intended to be sold under the licence are (specify days and hours): The operation of the bar is only during a booked function.

A copy of the application can be requested by emailing alcohollicensing@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Any person who is entitled to object, and wishes to object to the issue of the licence, may file a notice in writing of their objection. The objection notice must be filed no later than 25 working days after this notice has first been published online.

Any objections must be in relation to matters specified in section 131(1) of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.

Address your objection to: The Secretary of the District Licensing Committee.

Mail to: Private Bag 92300, Victoria Street West, Auckland 1142. Email to: alcoholobjections@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

This application has been/will be published online on the following date: 9.9.2024

OUT-OF-ZONE PLACES FOR 2025

The Board has determined that there will be up to 10 places, for out-of-zone students in each of the following year groups, 7, 9, 11, 12 &13. There will be no places for year's 8 & 10. The exact number of places will depend on the number of applications received from students who live within the school’s home zone. Out-of-zone applications closed 30th August. If the number of out-of-zone applications exceeds the number of places available, students will be selected by ballot. If a ballot is required it will be held on 25th October 2024. Parents will be informed of the outcome of the ballot within three school days of the ballot being held.

HAVING TROUBLE MAKING ENDS MEET? Free confidential budget and debt management advice is available from trained financial

CATHOLIC CHURCH

Phone 425 8545

PUBLIC MEETING

Warkworth Town Hall, 16th September 7pm. All Welcome PROPOSED GROWTH FOR WARKWORTH DISTRICT WILL BE 5 TIMES CURRENT POPULATION – IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT FOR WARKWORTH?

Growth areas at high density with significant change of character.

Private pressure to get growth now. Infrastructure not available for such growth.

Warkworth Liaison Group (WALG) is working for the community. Come along to this meeting to learn and tell us your concerns.

CLEANING ASSISTANCE

A disabled person is seeking assistance with light house cleaning at a house in the Whangaripo Valley. Need is for a once-over spring clean and then regular once-amonth cleaning. Contact gwytherstick@gmail.com

Holy Mass Timetable:

WARKWORTH

PUHOI SS. Peter & Paul Church Sunday: 8.30am www.holyname.org.nz

Holy Name Church, 6 Alnwick Street Saturday Vigil: 6.00pm Sunday: 10.30am

TAROT WITH CLAIRE 15 years experience. Readings for Love/ Money/Career, $70. 020 4017 4255 TAROT

GARDENING ASSISTANCE

A disabled person is seeking assistance with light gardening (weeding, feeding, and some planting) at a property in the Whangaripo Valley. Looking for four hours per month. Contact gwytherstick@gmail.com

As always, the second half of Term 3 sees the culmination of the winter sports season, with finals and tournaments at the forefront. Our students have achieved amazing results across a number of sports, testament to their dedication and hard work. Many thanks also to all our sponsors, supporters, coaches and parent helpers.

The North Island Secondary Schools Equestrian Champs took place in TaupŌ over 2-5 September. Our team, Ashley, Alice, Alex, Eva, Zailie and Abi, won the Overall Year 7 & 8 prize, which is an accumulation of all four days and includes CTR, Dressage, Arena Eventing, Show Jumping and Show Hunter.

Our Senior Mixed Touch team placed 3rd at the NZSS Touch Nationals. Congratulations also to Max, Niva and Sophie who have been recently selected to trial for the NZ U18 team.

Our UWH teams have been competing at the Nationals in Tauranga this week. Our Junior Open A team won gold in their age group and Ben, Heath and Finn were named in the tournament team. Our Junior Girls won silver with Zara, Clementine and Kate named in the tournament team. Our Senior Girls placed third, winning bronze. Thea and Charlie were named in the tournament team. Mahu were also named top school, alongside Glendowie College.

Girls Football finished 4th out of 32 teams in TaupŌ, our highest finish in over a decade. In Whangārei, our boys finished 12th out of 32 teams.

In Rugby, our 1st XV finished a very credible 5th in their first year back in 1A, winning the plate competition. They also enjoyed a very successful week at the Rugby by the Beach Tournament in Papamoa, winning the tournament and conceding only one try over the entire week. Congratulations to Max, Daniel, Tommy and Lucas for being named in the 2024 Rugby by the Beach tournament team.

There were jubilant scenes at Mahu on 1 September as the 2024 official rugby season wrapped up with a win against Orewa in the North Harbour Youth 16 championship final. Congratulations also to our Mahurangi players selected for representative honours this season; our U18 Girls - Bella, Lottie and Tessa and our U18 Boys - Daniel, Marco, Ioue, Thomas and Tom.

Netball finished 5th in their UNISS tournament and have been promoted to A grade for the first time ever. They also convincingly won their North Harbour competition. Our Hockey boys finished 9th out of 14 teams in North Harbour. Although unbeaten all week, our Hockey girls finished 17th out of 32 teams (three draws in pool play knocked the girls into the bottom half).

Cultural activities have also been a huge highlight of this term. Our annual Dance Showcase, under the direction of Emily Woodfield, was once again simply outstanding, with a spellbinding production over two nights.

Our Momentum Dance Company again competed at the DanceNZMade Interschool competition and came away with some incredible results; Evangeline placed 2nd for Year 8 Solo; Isabelle and Charlie placed 2nd for Year 9 & 10 Duo. Kaylin and Mia won the Open Duo and finished with the 3rd overall highest score. Evangeline and Mia placed 2nd in the Open Duo. “Come Together” placed 3rd equal in Open Teams and finished with the 5th overall highest team score. Mia, Kaylin and Evangeline also received special nominations from the judges to attend the “Gold Awards”, a national solo competition offering a chance to win $1000 towards dance training.

Our junior rock band ‘Ricochet’ won the Best Original Songwriter award at the greater Auckland region of Bandquest. Well done Daniel, Brody, Isaac and Jake. Congratulations also to Sam who won a placing in the national Play it Strange peace song competition. Our annual Cultural Week also showcased some of our incredibly talented students. Well done to all involved.

Tony Giles, Principal

Proudly Supporting Mahurangi College

Pictured with Dylan James Trade Manager

than its monthly average in August. Rainfall for the year so far varies from 816.5mm in Warkworth to 1145.5mm in the Dome. Temperatures were higher than last

and an average low of 10.6C compared to 9.9C.

ToTalspan Rodney pRoud sponsoRs of

Summer hockey Registrations are open now for 7-a-side and 9-a-side hockey at Warkworth Showgrounds. Summer 7s, for ages 12+, will be held on Tuesday evenings from 6.30-7.30pm beginning October 15. Summer 9s, for ages 14+, will be held on Thursday evenings from 6.30-8.45pm beginning October 17. Registrations close on Monday, September 30. Info: warkworthhockey@gmail. com Register at https://sites.google.com/site/warkworthsocialhockey/summer-hockey

Badminton club The Snells Beach/Warkworth Badminton Club plays every Tuesday and Friday from 9-11am at Mahurangi Hope Church. All abilities welcome. Info: Lynne 021 735 767

Athletics Warkworth Athletics Club registrations are open until October 4. The season runs from October 23 to December 11 and then again from February 12 to April 2. Athletics takes place at Shoesmith Domain on Wednesday evenings from 5.30-6.35pm for Juniors (ages 3-6) and 5.30-7pm for Seniors (ages 7-14). To register, visit https://www.warkworthathletics.co.nz/

Volunteer of the Year Nominations for the Netball NZ Cadbury Volunteer of the Year Awards are open. Nominate someone in your netball community who is doing an amazing job. There are five volunteer award categories: coach, official, administrator, youth and community volunteer champion of the year. Details here: bit.ly/4gcBVBl Nominate your volunteers before Sunday, September 22 here: bit.ly/3Tf905Z

Frisbee golf tournament Kaipara Flats Frisbee Golf Club will host a Frisbee Golf Ambrose Tournament at Kaipara Flats Sports Club on Saturday, September 21. The tournament will raise funds for Kaipara Flats School and is open to 20 teams of four aged 18+. Entry is $100 per team. The tournament will be followed by a BBQ and prizegiving. Register: kaiparaflats@gmail.com

Pony club Hakaru Pony Club’s enrolment evening will take place at the Hakaru Hall at 5.30pm on Wednesday, September 18. This is a chance to meet the coaches and other members and learn what Pony Club is all about. Bring a plate to share.

ToTalspan Rodney 229 sTaTe HigHway 1 waRkwoRTH pHone 09 422 3149

Social tennis Social tennis is played at Matakana Tennis Club every Wednesday evening from 6pm.

List sports news FREE by emailing online@localmatters.co.nz

WARKWORTH PHONE 09 422 3149 0800 TOTALSPAN (0800 868

Auckland Area Sea Watch

1:02pm3.1 7:13pm0.9 1:30am2.9 7:31am0.8 2:05pm2.9 8:18pm1.0 2:31am2.8 8:36am0.9 3:09pm2.9 9:23pm1.0 3:35am2.7 9:43am1.0 4:11pm2.8 10:23pm1.0 5:37am2.7 11:44am1.0 6:06pm2.9 12:16am1.0 6:34am2.8 12:36pm0.9 6:55pm2.9 1:03am0.9 7:24am2.9 1:21pm0.8 7:39pm3.0 1:46am0.8 8:08am2.9 2:01pm0.8 8:19pm3.0 2:25am0.8 8:47am3.0 2:38pm0.7 8:57pm3.0 3:01am0.7 9:24am3.1 3:13pm0.7 9:33pm3.0 3:36am0.7 9:59am3.1 3:49pm0.7 10:08pm3.0 4:11am0.7 10:34am3.1 4:25pm0.8 10:45pm3.0

7:29pm3.1 1:29am0.9 7:51am3.0 1:47pm0.6 8:11pm3.2 2:12am0.8 8:35am3.1 2:29pm0.6 8:53pm3.3 2:56am0.7 9:18am3.2 3:11pm0.5 9:36pm3.3 3:40am0.6 10:02am3.2 3:54pm0.5 10:21pm3.3 4:26am0.6 10:47am3.2 4:40pm0.5 11:07pm3.3 5:12am0.6 11:34am3.2 5:29pm0.6 11:56pm3.3 6:01am0.6 12:24pm3.1 6:22pm0.7 12:47am3.2 6:53am0.6 1:20pm3.1 7:21pm0.8 1:42am3.1 7:50am0.7 2:22pm3.0 8:25pm0.8 2:41am3.0 8:53am0.7 3:28pm3.0 9:30pm0.9 3:45am3.0 9:58am0.7 4:33pm3.1 10:33pm0.8 4:50am3.0 11:02am0.7 5:34pm3.2 11:32pm0.7

16 Managing Warkworth’s growth public meeting, Warkworth Town Hall, 7pm. All welcome.

16 Matakana Hall AGM, Matakana Hall, 6pm. All welcome.

17 Warkworth Quilt Club Meeting, Shoesmith Hall, 10am-2pm, with guest speaker. Guests and new members welcome. Info: Jenny Warren 422 4046

18 America’s Cup Toyota Kiwi Cup Tour, Toyota Warkworth (3-5pm) and Sandspit Yacht Club (6-8pm)

19 Parenting in the Digital Age, Matakana School, 7pm (see brief p13)

20 Rotary on the Runway, Warkworth Town Hall, 5.30pm-7.30pm. Fundraiser for Rodney Women’s Centre. Tickets $30 from Warkworth Women’s Centre or The Coconut Gallery. Info: Cindy Bakewell 021 024 70005

21 Textile Repair Cafe, Mahurangi Wastebusters Learning Hub, Less Waste, 55 Lawrie Road, Snells Beach, 10am-1pm. Repair café to mend or alter clothes and other fabric items. Free entry, koha for repairs (see story p15)

24 Warkworth Ladies Rebus Club Meeting, Besoul, 3/12 Gumfield Drive, Warkworth, 10am. 4th Tuesday of each month. Club and guest speakers. New members most welcome. Info: Pam Chapman 09 945 3316.

25 One Mahurangi annual general meeting, Bridgehouse back bar, 5.30pm

28 Kurfew band, Waipu Hotel, 8pm. Tickets $10 presale from Waipu Hotel, or $15 at the door.

29 Puhoi Village Market, Puhoi Sports Club, 9am-1pm

30 Mollymawks concert as part of the Whangateau Folk Club night, Whangateau Hall, from 7pm. Entry at the door $15

2 Wellsford Knitting Group, 1 Worker Road, 10am-12pm. First Wednesday of every month. Meet like-minded people who enjoy to knit and chat. Tea & coffee available. Info: Anne 021 252 1819

2 Retired Men’s Coffee Morning, Coffee Club The Grange Warkworth, 10.30am. Camaraderie and chat with Men’s REBUS. All welcome, you don’t have to be a member. Info: Ron 422 3111

3 Back Bar Jazz, The Bridgehouse, Warkworth, 6-9pm. Free, all welcome

4-6 Creative Fibre Northland ‘Transformations’ Exhibition & Education Event, Matakana School, 9am-4pm (10am-3pm Sunday). Displays, demos, traders and raffles, plus workshops on weaving, spinning, felting and knitting. Info: Linda McDonald on 027 482 9725 or creativefibrenorthland@gmail.com

5 Whangateau Harbour community hui, Whangateau Hall, 11am-2pm (see story p8)

6 Felicity Goodyear-Smith talk about Captain Ranulph Dacre and the DacreBrowne partnership that established Auckland’s first European settlement in the Mahurangi Harbour, Mahurangi West Hall, 4.30pm. All welcome.

11&12 Marsden Lions Book Fair, One Tree Point School, 10am-3pm

12 The Great Comedy Debate, Warkworth Town Hall, doors open 6pm, show begins 7pm. Two moots - Experience is better than enthusiasm, and, Men are the superior beings. Celebrity guests. Fundraiser for Harbour Hospice. Tickets $35 from Harts Pharmacy, Warkworth Information Centre, Mahurangi Matters Office, or Hospice’s Tui House. Info: murray@onemahurangi.co.nz (see story p16)

13 Wellsford Variety Music Club Day, Wellsford Community Centre, 1-4pm. Light afternoon tea. Bring a plate if you wish. $5pp or $15 for two adults and two children. Performers encouraged. Info: Andrew 422 3424.

13 Northern Trappers BBQ, Tomarata Public Hall, 11am-1pm. Catch up with fellow trappers, improve trapping techniques, record your successes, explore funding opportunities and more. All welcome. Info: The Forest Bridge Trust

16-19 Captured: A Photographic Time Capsule of Warkworth, Southgate Room at The Oaks

18 Tomarata School Show Day, 9am. Lamb & calf judging, student-created gardens, guest speaker, Pony Poo Bingo, art exhibition, shared lunch, activities & more

19 Kowhai Festival, 9am onwards

20 NZTrio, Warkworth Town Hall, 4pm; presented by Warkworth Music. Members $30, non-members $40. Info: www.warkworthmusic.org.nz

20 Wetlands Workshop, Whangaripo Hall, 10am-3pm. Free workshop to discover the vital role wetlands play in our environment and how you can contribute to their preservation and restoration. BYO lunch. RSVP: https://www.eventbrite. co.nz/e/wetlands-workshop-tickets-998087726257

Mahurangi turns in winning equestrian

Young riders from Mahurangi College enjoyed remarkable success at the North Island Secondary Schools Equestrian Championships held over four days in Taupō earlier this month.

The event was held in chilly but sunny conditions at the National Equestrian Centre.

Competing against more than 80 teams from across the North Island, the Mahurangi riders achieved standout performances in several events, with the Year 7 and 8 team securing the top overall spot in their division.

A spokesperson for the team said the riders, comprising Alex Gray, Alice Greenwood, Ashley Russell, Eva Morrison, Abi Cooper, and Zallie Rawlings, competed against riders from both their own and higher age groups, displaying impressive skills and confidence.

The championships, which feature a wide range of disciplines including competitive trail riding, dressage, jumping, arena eventing and show hunter, saw fierce competition with some classes hosting more than 60 riders.

Despite this, Mahurangi’s riders demonstrated outstanding skill and

determination throughout the event.

“The riders don’t practise as a team and are coached individually through pony clubs at Warkworth, Matakana and Hakaru so for them to come together under the school banner is unique,” the spokesperson said.

Special recognition went to Ashley Russell, who finished second overall as the bestperforming rider in her division, and Zallie Rawlings, who came 10th overall in her age group.

Team manager Charlotte Walker and coach Jo Bullock were thanked for their support during the event.

“A special thanks also to all the parents who

took time out of their week to sleep in floats and brave the cold Taupo temperatures.”

The competition was equally intense for the Year 9 to 13 team, with individual riders achieving personal success in their respective events.

With such a strong performance, the Mahurangi College equestrian team has set the bar high for future events, continuing to build on their reputation for excellence in school equestrian sport.

“The team’s achievements in Taupō demonstrate not only their skill but also the determination and sportsmanship that will carry them far in future competitions.”

Mahurangi College riders took out the winning ribbons at the recent championships in Taupo.

Ashley Russell on My Buffalo Soldier.

Abi Cooper on Brahan Jungle King.