/news/auckland/rss 九一星空无限 Keep up with the latest news from around the Auckland region with 九一星空无限talk ZB. Sat, 23 Aug 2025 14:18:52 Z en /news/auckland/road-wrecked-by-cyclone-gabrielle-reopened-after-25-years/ /news/auckland/road-wrecked-by-cyclone-gabrielle-reopened-after-25-years/ The popular West Auckland Road that was severely damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle and other extreme weather more than two years ago has finally reopened to the public. Scenic Drive, the road between Titirangi and Piha, took millions of dollars and many workers to fully repair. An Auckland Transport (AT) spokesperson said the road officially reopened at 12pm today. “Traffic has been flowing freely across Scenic Drive since. I spoke with some very happy and relieved locals this afternoon,” the spokesperson said. Two and a half years ago, a wall of water, mud, trees and rocks smashed its way down onto the roadway, demolishing the road and carving a path 60m down the hill. Before the road reopened, anyone wanting to get to Piha, Karekare and other small communities was forced to take long detours. AT said there were nearly 800 land slips to fix in West Auckland alone. AT director of infrastructure, Murray Burt, told RNZ that after the 2023 storms, more than 2,000 slips on local roads were reported. Parts of Scenic Drive had to be built back up again by several metres after the slips. Photo / Auckland Transport “We’ve only got about 70 left to fix,” Burt told RNZ. “Given the scale of the event, the complexity of some of the work, I think the team’s done amazingly - and if you look across the country, Auckland is well ahead of many parts of the country that were impacted by the storms at this time.” West Auckland was hit particularly hard due to the steep topography of the area. According to RNZ and Auckland Transport, the section of road between the Titirangi roundabout and Woodlands Park Drive was initially restricted to stop-go traffic before being fully closed. Retaining walls were constructed to restore parts of the road that had slipped. Seen from above, one of the slips on Scenic Drive before a repair. Photo / Auckland Transport AT said the goal now is to have the very last of the Auckland cyclone repairs done by April 2026. Documents AT provided to RNZ show the Scenic Drive repairs at eight sites have cost $15.8 million. Some drainage work still remains. The AT Flood Recovery Programme is estimated to cost $390 million, jointly funded by the Crown and Auckland Council: NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi ($199m), Auckland Council ($81m) and Crown Infrastructure Partners, now National Infrastructure Funding and Financing ($110m), RNZ reported. Giant metal piles - some up to 20m long - are inserted into the ground to stabilise a slip on Scenic Drive. Photo / Auckland Transport In 2023, owners of a badly slip-damaged property on Scenic Drive watched as their family home was violently pulled to the ground by a digger. Tonnes of earth and foliage had pushed the house off its foundations, and it had been at risk of collapse for months before it was destroyed in a dramatic controlled demolition. Fri, 22 Aug 2025 05:09:44 Z /news/auckland/jailed-tax-evader-s-leaky-st-lukes-apartment-for-sale-at-huge-discount-but-there-s-a-catch/ /news/auckland/jailed-tax-evader-s-leaky-st-lukes-apartment-for-sale-at-huge-discount-but-there-s-a-catch/ An Auckland apartment owned by a jailed tax evader has been listed for sale by the High Court at a huge discount – but it comes with a major catch. Paul Harding said he paid about $400,000 for the inner city unit more than a decade ago, but lost his home in 2023 after being tipped into bankruptcy over a tax debt of nearly half a million dollars. Now, a real estate agent said the three-bedroom apartment, located a short stroll from Westfield St Lukes mall, could sell for as little as $50,000. However, potential buyers will need to fork out at least $600,000 for leaky building repairs – and possibly more. That’s because the home is part of the St Lukes Garden Apartments development, the country’s largest leaky building repair project that is now under court-ordered administration because of delays and rising costs. “Nobody is willing to buy,” Barfoot & Thompson agent Peter Wu said of the 102sq m unit. “We are marketing the property at $50,000 to $100,000 but nobody is interested. “The reality is the purchaser needs to pay a $600,000-$700,000 renovation fee to the body corporate.” The St Lukes apartment is awaiting remedial work and currently can't be accessed by the real estate agent or potential buyers. Photo / Supplied Harding was found guilty of evading core tax of $385,872 in 2022 after failing to provide income tax and GST returns for 10 years. He served 10 months in prison – rubbing shoulders with Grace Millane’s killer Jesse Kempson and disgraced real estate agent and fraudster Aaron Drever – before being released in January 2023. In May that year police and debt collectors seized the St Lukes unit owned by Harding and his wife Julie, booting them out of the property they had called home since 2014. As a bankrupt, Harding’s home was ordered to be sold, with half the proceeds going to the IRD and half going to his wife. St Lukes Garden Apartments is a 17-building, 285-unit project undergoing a $240m repair project. Photo / Mike Scott However, more than two years on, the vacant property remains on the market and Julie is yet to receive a cent. The couple are now living with Julie’s mother in West Auckland and are both receiving benefits, with Paul telling the Herald they barely have enough to put food on the table. Though the forced sale was supposed to recoup his tax debt, any proceeds were now unlikely to cover litigation costs and the couple feared they would get nothing back on their investment. “Julie was paying the mortgage and the body corp fees while I was in prison, then they just came along and chucked us out,” Paul said. “We haven’t received a dime. They haven’t sold the property. It’s been shelved, it’s empty, it’s just madness.” Paul said the pair felt they had been “shafted” by authorities. “I owed the Government some tax money but it wasn’t f***in’ millions.” Paul Harding's St Lukes Garden Apartments unit needs extensive repair work, which the new buyer will have to fund. Photo / Supplied He said they only discovered the apartment was defective after the 2014 purchase. And when the scale of the St Lukes disaster began to emerge, the repair invoices rolled in, with the body corporate “asking for chunks and chunks of money”. Paul estimated they paid about $30,000-$40,000 in remediation levies before losing the apartment, but work on their unit has yet to begin. The unit is in block 20, whose owners have just received invoices of up to $195,000 each for the next stage of repairs, with further invoices to come. Documents obtained by the Herald show total repair costs for some apartments are expected to top $800,000 and the overall remediation project is set to surpass $240 million. Paul said the development was a great place to live 10 years ago but had become a “ghost town”. He felt for those owners still trapped in unsaleable apartments as repair costs continued to mount. Asked about his time in prison, Paul said “you make your own luck”. “I got a job in the kitchen and managed to keep my nose clean.” In his unit was Grace Millane’s killer Jesse Kempson, who Paul described as “a bit of a quiet fella”. “We didn’t really cross paths.” Convicted fraudster Aaron Drever worked alongside Paul in the prison kitchen, where Drever was attacked by another inmate with a metal hook in November 2022. Paul described Drever as “a bit of a shifty fella” but said the pair got on well. Now out of prison and trying to rebuild his life, Paul said he and his wife were only “one step away from being on the street”. They hoped the apartment would be sold and half of the proceeds handed over so they could move on. Paul and Julie Harding's apartment is one of about 280 in the St Lukes Garden Apartment complex undergoing extensive remedial works for major defects. Photo / Supplied Barfoot marketing material describes the apartment as “very affordable”. Property agent Wu said the Auckland apartment market was stagnant. The St Lukes apartment had been on the market for about six months. But access was restricted because of construction work and he could not take potential buyers inside. While the apartment would be valued at about $700,000 once fully renovated, the upfront repair costs put most buyers off, Wu said. “Nobody is interested.” Lane Nichols is Auckland desk editor for the New Zealand Herald with more than 20 years’ experience in the industry. Sat, 16 Aug 2025 21:50:30 Z /news/auckland/south-auckland-s-aorere-college-locked-down-after-adults-enter-school-grounds-parents-told-to-stay-away/ /news/auckland/south-auckland-s-aorere-college-locked-down-after-adults-enter-school-grounds-parents-told-to-stay-away/ A South Auckland secondary school was locked down after a number of adults who “presented as aggressive” entered the college grounds this morning. Aorere College in Papatoetoe said the adults have now been removed from the school grounds “without incident”. “We will follow up with more information shortly,” the school posted on Facebook. “Please do not come to the school. All students are safe.” Principal Leanna Webb said the police attended the incident, and all students have been sent back to class. She said the matter has been “resolved”. A police spokesperson said officers were called to Aorere College on Portage Rd, Papatoetoe, after reports an unknown group were attempting to enter the school grounds. “This group has presented as aggressive, and the school has gone into a self-initiated lockdown. “Members of staff have escorted the group away and prevented them from re-entering,” said the spokesperson. Police remained at the school while the lockdown was lifted. However, they had left soon after and pupils and staff continued with their day as scheduled. A spokesperson for the principal said they had “sorted the matter internally”. The incident comes just two months after the school was locked down after an altercation erupted between two family groups on the school grounds. The school said on June 23 that the lockdown was a “precautionary measure”. In that incident, police told the Herald there had been a report of disorder between a group of people. On August 5, Kia Aroha Campus in South Auckland also went into lockdown after an unknown group attempted to enter the grounds. Police said officers were called to the school on Othello Drive, Clover Park, about 3pm after reports of the incident. “This group has presented as aggressive and the school has gone into a self-initiated lockdown,” a spokesperson said at the time. “One person received a minor injury during a scuffle with this group.” Police said officers escorted the group away from the grounds and the school then came out of lockdown. Mon, 11 Aug 2025 01:06:39 Z /news/auckland/police-probe-brawl-at-auckland-girls-grammar-school-after-video-emerges/ /news/auckland/police-probe-brawl-at-auckland-girls-grammar-school-after-video-emerges/ A video of a vicious mass brawl at an Auckland girls’ school has emerged, showing large groups of students and staff rushing to the violent scene. The video starts with loud yelling and shouting as students in Auckland Girls’ Grammar School uniform run towards a fight at the side of a covered outdoor court. Moments later, the camera pans up and shows a group of about seven girls standing around another person on the ground, throwing punches and kicking them. Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Friend told the Herald Auckland Police were investigating an incident at Auckland Girls’ Grammar. “CCTV footage has been obtained and [is] under revision by the inquiry team,” Friend said. Police are engaging with the complainant and the school, and inquiries are ongoing. Police told RNZ the fight happened last Friday. The Herald has chosen not to share the video to protect the identities of those involved. A video of a vicious mass brawl at an Auckland girls’ school has been released. Photo / Supplied There are no distinguishable words in the video, only the yelling and screaming coming from the crowd. Young witnesses of the fight make gestures mimicking choking to the camera as they watch the incident, crowding around and pulling out their own phones to record. Halfway through the video, a student breaks free of the crowd and lunges at another, pulling them to the ground in another dramatic tussle. Adults are seen in the footage trying to break the two students apart, before the video ends. Photo / Supplied Adults are then seen in the footage trying to break the two students apart before the video ends. Auckland Girls’ Grammar School has been approached for comment. Footage of a previous fight at Auckland Girls’ Grammar School in 2021, showed students punching each other in the face and tackling others to the ground. Up to 10 girls appeared to take part in the scuffle in a school carpark. In 2021, the school’s principal Ngaire Ashmore said fighting “is not a common occurrence” at the school. “I’m shocked with the level of violence these kids have,” a mother, who didn’t wish to be named, said in relation to the 2021 incident. Auckland Girls’ Grammar School is a secondary school for girls located in Freemans Bay. Thu, 07 Aug 2025 03:25:23 Z /news/auckland/illegal-dumping-near-new-lynn-wetland-under-investigation-by-auckland-council/ /news/auckland/illegal-dumping-near-new-lynn-wetland-under-investigation-by-auckland-council/ A huge pile of tyres, leaking paint tubs and household items dumped down a bank next to a wetland in New Lynn is being investigated by Auckland Council. Last week, a volunteer stumbled upon the illegal dumping while taking a boat down to the Whau River, and led efforts to remove about 10cu m of discarded rubbish, but noted a lot of the trash could not be reached. In a post on a New Lynn Facebook page, the volunteer said it was not the first time rubbish had been dumped at the spot. The bulk of the rubbish was discarded car tyres, tonnes of household rubbish, large pieces of painted timber, around 30 dumped paint tubs with paint still in them that was leaking out and a huge beanbag that had been spilling beans everywhere and that were almost impossible to collect. Volunteers have removed about 10cu m of rubbish from the site. The volunteer said most of the rubbish would have flowed into the Whau River and out to sea, “which is why we do what we do”. The volunteer did not place the blame on anyone, but hoped people seeing photographs of the illegal dumping might think twice about discarding things like used tyres, paint tubs and household rubbish. Justine Haves, the council’s general manager of waste solutions, was unaware of the illegal dumping until contacted by the Herald, but said the matter would be investigated. Council staff were due to visit the site this morning. Rubbish dumped near a wetland in New Lynn. A volunteer removing rubbish from the site. Haves said if anyone saw rubbish being dumped on public land, a private site or on an existing pile and reported it, it would be investigated. Incidents can be reported by calling 0800 NO DUMP (0800 663 867), which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In May, it was reported that illegal dumping was plaguing the city at a cost of millions of dollars to the council. Cars, fridges, toxic waste and up to 500 mattresses per month are among the items being cleaned up across the city. Thu, 07 Aug 2025 01:13:45 Z /news/auckland/auckland-council-investigating-rupa-s-cafe-in-freemans-bay-after-apparent-closure/ /news/auckland/auckland-council-investigating-rupa-s-cafe-in-freemans-bay-after-apparent-closure/ An Auckland cafe threatened with closure by Auckland Council over an unpaid rates bill of nearly $1 million is being investigated for potentially trading without a licence. Rupa’s Cafe, located on Wellington St in Freemans Bay, announced in June it was closing after more than 70 years, with its last day of trading to be July 4. A poster in the cafe’s window had invited customers to come enjoy their “favourite samosa, chai or curry with us one more time” during its final two weeks. “We are so grateful for your love, your laughs, your stories, and your presence in our little corner of Freemans Bay,” the poster - signed off by owner Dilip Kumar Rupa and staff - said. “Let’s share one last smile, a warm hug, and say not goodbye - but see you again.” A poster confirming the closure of Rupa's Cafe seen on June 19. However, a food safety officer from Auckland Council visited the cafe today after suggestions it may still be operating without a valid food licence. On Friday, the cafe appeared to be trading again, with an “Open” sign on display and freshly baked food in the cabinet. A Herald worker who called in for a coffee said there were about six other customers in the cafe. Fresh food was displayed in a cabinet when a Herald worker visited Rupa's Cafe on Friday. However, no one answered when the Herald called the cafe today. The council confirmed an inspector was dispatched to the business this morning but it appeared to be shut. “Since the food registration for Rupa’s Café at 103 Wellington St, Freemans Bay was cancelled in June 2025, the council has received no subsequent application for a new food registration for a café or other food business at that address,” the council’s team leader for Environmental Health Response, Alan Ahmu, said. “We were unaware of the alleged reopening of a café at the address. “A council food service officer visited the Wellington St site, formerly Rupa’s Café, this morning at around 10am and found the property to be closed with no one on site and a closed sign posted at the front door. A further site investigation will be made within two days.” Rupa's Cafe owner, Dilip Rupa. Photo / Dean Purcell Rupa, a controversial figure in Auckland’s hospitality scene, has had run-ins with Auckland Council and WorkSafe over unpaid property taxes and compliance violations. Rupa was the first person to be prosecuted by WorkSafe for failing to display Covid-19 QR codes during the pandemic. “My main objection to the QR code is no one knows what the coding is … there’s no security and there’s no knowledge of where this QR coding is going," Rupa told the Herald at the time. He was ultimately fined $1500 after a 2022 trial was held in his absence, with Judge Stephen Bonnar, KC, ruling Rupa “held strong views” about the legality of the provisions and made an intentional choice not to comply. Rupa's Cafe started out as a general store, 72 years ago. Photo / Michael Craig The Rupa family also defied paying the rates on their Freemans Bay cafe and two Grey Lynn private homes over several years in a bitter stand-off with the council. With the combined unpaid rates bill on their properties growing to $350,000 by 2021, the council began court proceedings to try to recoup the missed payments. In September last year, the Herald revealed the outstanding rates and associated penalties had ballooned to a record $876,623.65 - $662,179.06 for the cafe and $214,444.59 for the family home - leading the council to pursue a forced sale of the Rupa family’s properties. The council struck a last-minute deal with the Rupa family over the bill in April, although the details of it remain protected under confidentiality obligations. Opened 72 years ago by Rupa’s parents as a general store, Rupa’s Cafe built a loyal base of customers over the years as a Freemans Bay institution. The neighbourhood cafe was known for its coffee and chai, serving up a mix of Indian dishes - including what Cuisine‘s Ginny Grant called “some of the best samosas in Auckland”. Tue, 05 Aug 2025 01:52:06 Z /news/auckland/pedestrian-critically-injured-after-being-struck-by-bus-in-auckland/ /news/auckland/pedestrian-critically-injured-after-being-struck-by-bus-in-auckland/ A person has been critically injured after being hit by a bus in the Auckland suburb of Onehunga. Emergency services received reports of an incident involving a bus and a pedestrian shortly before 11.30am. Police said the victim has been taken to hospital with critical injuries. Church St was closed between Selwyn Ave and Upper Municipal Place, while emergency services attended. The Serious Crash Unit was also due to examine the scene. “Police advise the public to expect delays in the area and take an alternative route, if possible.” Police remained on site just after 1pm. Mon, 04 Aug 2025 02:01:02 Z /news/auckland/auckland-museum-asbestos-issue-impacts-tourism-25m-revenue-drop/ /news/auckland/auckland-museum-asbestos-issue-impacts-tourism-25m-revenue-drop/ The discovery of asbestos at Auckland Museum is driving away tourists and causing a $2.5 million fall in income, Auckland councillors heard today. The tourist hotspot was forced to close from May 10 after asbestos dust was detected in the museum’s original 1929 building and Grand Foyer. More asbestos was later identified in “additional areas of the building”. The museum reopened in stages, 24 days after receiving clearance from a licensed asbestos assessor; however, the two most popular attractions, Te Marae Atea Māori Court and the Pacific galleries, remain closed. Asked about revenue losses by councillor Richard Hill at today’s governing body meeting, the museum chief executive, David Reeves, said the 24-day closure led to a loss of about $500,000, and a further $2m drop in tourism income was budgeted in the current financial year. The pataka (raised storehouse) in the Te Marae Atea Māori Court at Auckland Museum. The financial hit was attributed to the loss of the Māori Court, leading to offering half-price entrance fees for international tourists, he said. “When we briefly had it at full price, the push back was so enormous that we took the prudent decision to offer it at half price. Even so, we are seeing tourists walk away, which is incredibly sad. “It’s a serious dent in our revenue,” Reeves said. Last financial year, the museum earned about $3.3m from admission charges. Reeves told councillors the source of the asbestos is in the Māori Court, where there are remnants of asbestos dust in the ceiling from a job in the late 1980s/early 1990s, which is being distributed around the building from a century-old ventilation system. He said the asbestos is extraordinarily hard to reach because there is a curved roof on top of a curved ceiling, and it is too small for a person to get into. When fire alarms go off, it is believed that the massive smoke extraction fans are disturbing the asbestos dust and causing the problems, Reeves said. Costumes in the Diva exhibition at Auckland Museum. He said closing the gallery was affecting the museum’s tourism offer, but the southern two-thirds of the museum remained open, including the Diva exhibition from London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, featuring gowns by the likes of Rihanna and Lady Gaga. The methodology for removing the asbestos, time and cost were still being worked out, said Reeves, who hoped the museum would have six galleries in the old building reopened by October. Asked by councillor Chris Darby about the asbestos risk, Reeves said there had been nearly 2000 air tests for asbestos at the museum since May, and not one had shown a result above the WorkSafe limit for safe occupation. “We are as confident as we can be, for our staff, our volunteers, our visitors, that in the areas of the building that are open, we have not presented an undue risk,” he said. Thu, 31 Jul 2025 04:09:39 Z /news/auckland/bakery-boom-gourmet-k-rd-pie-shop-due-to-expand-to-three-more-auckland-locations/ /news/auckland/bakery-boom-gourmet-k-rd-pie-shop-due-to-expand-to-three-more-auckland-locations/ When gourmet baker Lewis Mazza-Carson opened his pie shop in Auckland’s Karangahape Rd last year he made 50 pies. They sold out in an hour. Soon punters were regularly queuing round the corner and down the hill at Pie Rolla, on the corner of K’ Rd and Howe St in what used to be the old Thirsty Dog pub. All were fearful of missing out. “Quite terrifying. But good for business,” Mazza-Carson recalls. Within weeks the number had increased fivefold. He aims to be selling 1000 pies a day by the end of the year and has plans to expand. The 20-year-old has recently opened a second pie shop in Newmarket and plans to open a third in Auckland’s Britomart in early August and one in Ponsonby Central in late August or early September. Chef Lewis Mazza-Carson at his Pie Rolla bakery in K' Rd. He plans to have three more outlets open in Auckland by September. Photo / Corey Fleming In an era when it’s more common to read about a hospitality business closing, Mazza-Carson puts his success down to affordability. “Stuff is expensive. Many people are not going out to eat at all. We’re in that well-priced range where you can enjoy this food, but it’s affordable.” Pie Rolla’s most popular and priciest pie - brisket, jalapeño and American cheese - is $14. Mince and cheese or “bacon and egg brekkie” are $11.50. Spicy buffalo chicken and cheese, and “nacho libre” (a chilli bean pie with sour cream, salsa and coriander) are also firm favourites. Mazza-Carson plans to expand the current list of seven options with choices like a lasagne pie, a bolognaise pie and maybe a sweet one too. One of Pie Rolla's specialities: A nacho libre chilli bean pie with sour cream, salsa and coriander. Photo / Corey Fleming It’s a simple recipe: home-made pastry made with butter, flour, free-range eggs, water and salt, and fillings all made on site, including smoking the fish. Less than a year after opening his business Mazza-Carson won the Best Emerging Talent category in the peer-reviewed Lewisham Awards, which celebrate the hospitality sector, in June. His reaction was one of disbelief when his name was called out. “I really didn’t believe it at first. [It was] a definite rush of relief.” Lewis Mazza-Carson won the Best Emerging Talent category in the Lewisham Awards 2025. Mazza-Carson’s road to success hasn’t been straight-forward. Not long after Pie Rolla opened, he and his business partner parted ways. That left him without a trained pastry chef. Overnight, he went from being front-of-house to sole chef, with no kitchen experience. His mother Fran Mazza who, with his father Aaron Carson, runs Ada Restaurant at The Convent Hotel in Grey Lynn, helped teach him pastry skills. “I had to learn how to cook within a week. It was a very steep learning curve.” The burn scars on his arms attest to his early kitchen attempts with regular 4.30am starts in the bakery. Soon Pie Rolla was doing so well Mazza-Carson took over an adjacent restaurant space to convert it into a kitchen. Mazza-Carson admits he was somewhat naive about how business worked in the early days. “The challenges that came with it - I hadn’t foreseen that. I soon realised that nobody else is coming to save you. If you don’t do it, it won’t get done.” Chef and owner of Pie Rolla, Lewis Mazza-Carson, aims to be selling 1000 pies a day by the end of the year. Photo / Corey Fleming Although his parents have a two-thirds shareholding in the business, they leave the running of the pie shop to their son. However, his father was put to work on Waitangi Day this year at the Laneway Festival at Western Springs Stadium, attended by 30,000 people. While Mazza-Carson and a mate were frantically baking pies at the bakery, his father was acting as delivery driver, taking the pies to a drop-off point at the stadium ready to be transferred to a food stall. “We ended up selling 1000 in four hours, the first time we’d done that number in a day,” he says. “That was the stuff of nightmares but a good day financially. In any aspect of life, quality hard work yields results and rewards - no matter what.” Mon, 28 Jul 2025 01:08:15 Z /news/auckland/fire-hit-new-world-victoria-park-foodstuffs-north-island-reveals-plans-for-repair-reopening/ /news/auckland/fire-hit-new-world-victoria-park-foodstuffs-north-island-reveals-plans-for-repair-reopening/ Auckland’s fire-damaged New World Victoria Park will be repaired and rebuilt but will not reopen for about two years, a supermarket boss says. Lindsay Rowles, Foodstuffs North Island retail and property general manager, said complete demolition of the central Auckland store was not envisaged. Instead, the existing three-level store at 2 College Hill, Freemans Bay could possibly be repaired. But Rowles said it would not reopen until 2027. “We’ve made the decision that we will be replacing the Vic Park store with a supermarket. It will be two years. We have already put our design teams together to start thinking about how it might all work and fit together.” A fire broke out at the store on June 17. The fire-damaged store has been shut since the fire on June 17. Photo / 九一星空无限 Foodstuffs’ social media today said: “We’re 100% committed to rebuilding a new supermarket on the same site. Our focus is on getting back up and running as quickly as we can, but safety comes first.” Meanwhile, Fire and Emergency New Zealand is due soon to release the findings of its investigations after the fire, which shut one of New Zealand’s most profitable New World supermarkets. All Victoria Park staff were made redundant after the fire. Rowles said of the 189 staff who worked at the store, more than 100 had met with owner/operators of 23 other stores and had been offered new jobs. “Over 100 of those have already engaged in employment in our stores. It’s been great to see how the co-op pulls together and looks after its own,” Rowles said. Foodstuffs North Island general manager Lindsay Rowles. On the fire cause, he said: “The investigation process is complex in a fire of this nature and we’re working with the investigators to make sure that we get those causes clear.” Heavy air conditioning equipment on the roof has been craned off to ease the load in the most damaged part of the building. But any hopes of apartments above the repaired store have been dashed. Rowles said no residential component was planned. The building would be solely a supermarket, he stressed. Fire and Emergency Incident Controller Phil Larcombe gives information on the New World fire. Photo / Carson Bluck “The community had and loved a fantastic supermarket. That’s what we’re going to put back in place.” In the next six weeks, Foodstuffs hopes to have completed the removal of all equipment from the site. “Thereafter, what happens next will start to get into full swing,” Rowles said of the rebuild. Even reopening by 2027 would mean a “tight” programme. Rowles said the business would be relying on the goodwill and support of the surrounding community and infrastructure to undertake a complicated job. Opening the new $73 million New World Pt Chevalier has been brought forward from September 9 to August 19 in an attempt to meet demand from Victoria Park customers. Steve Purton owns New World Victoria Park. Photo / 九一星空无限 Rowles said he was one of those shoppers affected, living in the city area and buying locally. Large building business Savory Construction had the contract to upgrade New World Victoria Park, the business owned by Steve Purton, but the building is owned by Foodstuffs. New World Pt Chevalier is four levels: Basement carparking off Great North Rd. Most of the 105 shopper carparks are undercover; Main 2700sq m supermarket on Great North Rd level, shopper carparks also at the storefront; A mezzanine floor for supermarket staff and offices; Separate offices the same size as the new supermarket, with a balcony opening to the motorway side. Anne Gibson has been the Herald‘s property editor for 25 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas. Tue, 22 Jul 2025 04:06:27 Z /news/auckland/ali-williams-and-anna-mowbray-s-helicopter-flights-face-court-appeal-by-opponents-quiet-sky/ /news/auckland/ali-williams-and-anna-mowbray-s-helicopter-flights-face-court-appeal-by-opponents-quiet-sky/ The decision to allow rich-listers Ali Williams and Anna Mowbray to fly helicopters from their $26 million Westmere home is being challenged in the courts. Quiet Sky Waitematā, a group set up to oppose private helicopters in residential Auckland, said it had filed an appeal to the Environment Court today. In a statement, Quiet Sky said it disagreed with the June decision of an independent hearings panel approving private helicopter operations in Westmere. “Their radical ruling reflects an unanticipated interpretation of the Auckland Unitary Plan (AUP) and goes against overwhelming public sentiment to oppose private helicopters in residential areas,” said secretary Elena Keith. Quiet Sky secretary Elena Keith. She said the legal action was not just for Westmere, but for Auckland. “If this decision isn’t challenged, the floodgates for helicopters in backyards will open. We simply can’t let this terrible decision stand.” Keith said the commissioners decided that helicopters were “inherently residential”. “Therefore, they say that using a helicopter is a permitted activity, like using a bike or a car. In our opinion, that is absurd.” Keith said the decision could open the door for private helicopter operations in residential Auckland without the need for resource consent, putting the burden on neighbours to prove noise limit breaches. “How is that fair?” What’s more, Keith said, the Government’s latest proposal to stop plan changes until the Resource Management Act was sorted out reinforced the need for an appeal to ensure that helicopter applications were not processed as permitted activities in the interim. The Herald is seeking comment from Mowbray. After six days of public hearings in May, the three commissioners concluded that operating a helicopter in residential zones was a “permitted activity”, and inherently associated with residential land use. In their decision, the commissioners dismissed concerns about helicopter noise, including concerns about privately operated helicopters coming and going in nearby Herne Bay. The decision could open the door for more private helicopter operations in residential Auckland, says Quiet Sky. They said there was nothing untoward, unacceptable, or significantly out of character with helicopter noise in an urban residential environment per se. The panel acknowledged numerous submitters would be disappointed with the decision, but said their interpretation of the council’s Unitary Plan and legal precedents led to the application’s approval. The application drew 1400 submissions, of which more than 1300 were opposed. 九一星空无限 of the appeal comes days before Auckland councillors could get the ball rolling to prohibit private helipads in residential areas. Waitematā and Gulf councillor Mike Lee is seeking to have two notices of motions under his name on Thursday’s policy and planning committee agenda. They request staff to begin work to make private helipads a prohibited activity in residential areas under the Unitary Plan, and a prohibited activity in residential areas on Waiheke and Aotea/Greater Barrier Islands under the Hauraki Gulf Island section of the district plan. The agenda is still being worked on and is due to be published shortly. Lee said considering helicopters the same as cars and bikes under the Unitary Plan was “clearly a damaging, socially destabilising outcome for the community” and increasing reputational damage to the council. Waitemata and Gulf ward councillor Mike Lee. Photo / Alex Burton The three local boards in his ward - Waitematā, Waiheke and Aotea Great Barrier - were calling for helipads to be prohibited in residential areas, he said, saying there were 60 helipads on Waiheke, 11 on Aotea Great Barrier and four in the city’s western bays. Quiet Sky plans to present a petition with about 4000 signatures to the policy and planning committee in support of Lee’s notices of motion. City Vision, the ticket of Labour, Green and community independents on the council, has issued a media release opposing the consent for the new helipad in Westmere, saying it is focused on working towards an enduring solution on helipads in residential areas. A council spokesperson said it currently had three resource consent applications for helipads on Waiheke Island, and one on Rakino Island. Mon, 21 Jul 2025 03:29:04 Z /news/auckland/auckland-man-made-covert-intimate-recordings-of-64-women-just-three-victims-identified-by-police/ /news/auckland/auckland-man-made-covert-intimate-recordings-of-64-women-just-three-victims-identified-by-police/ An Auckland man faces up to three years in jail after he admitted making covert intimate video recordings of 64 women, including some inside a Newmarket clothing store. Although evidence of the man’s offending was discovered on his devices after investigators searched his house and a business, just three of the victims have been identified so far by police. Police confirmed some of the women were filmed getting undressed in the clothing store changing room. Newmarket Business Association chief executive Mark Knoff-Thomas was shocked to learn this week of the man’s offending. People deserved to feel safe, but there were “bad humans” in all communities, he said. “It’s incredibly disappointing and very alarming. I hope he gets the full extent of what the law is capable of doing in terms of sentencing.” Auckland City East area investigations manager Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Greaves said officers were tipped off after a woman reported “a man’s concerning actions” in an Auckland supermarket on October 7 last year. “Inquiries were made into this man’s actions, which resulted in further search warrants being carried out on his devices and the Newmarket business. “An examination of his devices identified 64 victims, of which only three have been identified.” Greaves said most of the locations where women had been filmed were in the broader Auckland region. The videos were captured on a “mobile device”. The two other identified victims were workers at the Newmarket store. The man, in his 30s, was originally charged with 64 counts of making an intimate visual recording and first appeared in Auckland District Court a week after the supermarket incident was reported in October. At the time, he pleaded not guilty and elected trial by jury. However, the charges were later amended to two representative counts of making an intimate visual recording, and he has since pleaded guilty. The man is on bail. He was granted interim name suppression until his sentencing later this year, when he could be sent to prison. Court documents show his offending spanned from June 2023 to October 2024, with 64 separate victims. All the women were filmed without their knowledge. His lawyer, Daniel Schellenberg, directed Herald inquiries to police and said his client did not wish to comment. Newmarket Business Association chief executive Mark Knoff-Thomas was shocked to learn of the man’s offending. Knoff-Thomas said he had never heard of such offending in the area before. The Newmarket Business Association took security extremely seriously. It had invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in its security organisation to keep shoppers and staff safe. “So it’s incredibly disappointing and very alarming, and I hope it’s just a completely isolated incident. “There are bad people in our communities all across the world and, sadly, this stuff does happen from time to time. We just want to make sure that everybody does feel safe in Newmarket, as they should. “If this is what’s happened, he needs to receive what the law is fully capable of, the full extent, because it’s awful.” In a separate incident earlier this year, Auckland man Micah Fala (right) admitted dozens of charges relating to the covert filming of 22 women and girls. Photo / Dean Purcell In April, supply chain manager Micah Fala was jailed for four years for secretly filming 22 women and children showering or getting undressed. He used spy cameras bought on Trade Me and eBay to carry out his offending, admitting to 42 charges. Before the sentencing, Trade Me told the Herald the auction site’s rules “strictly forbid” advertising the cameras in any way that implied they could be used illegally, “such as making an intimate digital recording”. However, the Herald later found nine listings marketed as spy cameras, showing the tiny digital devices juxtaposed with images of people being sexually intimate. After being alerted to the ads by the Herald, Trade Me said the listings were in breach of standards and had been deleted. Lane Nichols is a senior journalist and Auckland desk editor for the New Zealand Herald with more than 20 years’ experience in the industry. Sun, 20 Jul 2025 01:35:32 Z /news/auckland/decapitated-seals-found-at-muriwai-beach-department-of-conservation-investigating/ /news/auckland/decapitated-seals-found-at-muriwai-beach-department-of-conservation-investigating/ The discovery of butchered seals at a popular West Auckland beach has triggered a Department of Conservation investigation. Members of the public discovered two dead kekeno/New Zealand fur seals with their heads removed at Muriwai Beach early last month. DoC staff said the decapitations were the result of human actions, and not predation by another species. It is an offence under the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978 to disturb, harass, harm, injure or kill a seal. Photo / Paul Rickard Eva Obushenkova of DoC’s national compliance team said the department received a call about a dead seal, still with its head, in early June. “DoC staff decided the animal didn’t need burial and didn’t respond. It’s important to note DoC doesn’t necessarily attend all dead seals,” she said. “On 5 June, Auckland Council called advising an NZ fur seal was found dead, missing its head. Images showed this was the same NZ fur seal called in a couple of days prior. “Two DoC rangers, with the help of an Auckland Council ranger, responded and attended. While attending this seal, they found another NZ fur seal with a missing head. One of the seals was quite decomposed, while the other was fresh, “It appeared the seals’ heads were removed illegally using a sharp blade.” The Marine Mammals Protection Act states it is illegal to take any part of a marine mammal. “It’s not acceptable for people to tamper with protected wildlife, and it’s illegal to remove a protected species’ head,” Obushenkova said. The seals have been buried. DoC said its investigation is ongoing. “We are asking for anyone who might have information about this incident to contact DoC,” Obushenkova said. Anyone with information on the seals’ beheading – whether it’s eye-witness reports of incidents, or other potentially valuable evidence – should contact the 0800 DOC HOT hotline and quote case 9390. Any information offered by members of the public is kept confidential by DoC. Kekeno spend considerable time on land, typically resting but occasionally exploring. DoC advised that from July to September each year there’s an influx in adolescent seals appearing on New Zealand shores and further inland. This is because seal pups begin to wean as their mothers prepare for new pups. Although they are usually found on rocky shores, their natural curiosity sometimes leads them inland, as far as 15km, often by following rivers and streams. They can appear in unusual places, such as a paddock, roadside or an inner-city street. This is a normal occurrence from exploratory behaviour. Should you encounter a dead seal, DoC says, it is best to leave the animal where it is. Report it to the conservation hotline if it is tagged, an unusual species, looks like a suspicious death, is in a public place or on public property and is a potential health risk. “Ask us to remove it, don’t try to do this yourself.” In May, a boat skipper was seen steering his vessel through a pod of bottlenose dolphins off Waiake Bay. Image / Google Maps DoC is also investigating another incident, on May 21, when a recreational boat skipper was seen steering his vessel through a pod of bottlenose dolphins between 11.20am and noon on Auckland’s North Shore. “One witness has seen the vessel launched at Waiake Beach,” said Obushenkova. “They reported seeing the boat head straight toward the dolphins, which were clearly visible, and get very close to them.” The witness says the boatie later changed direction and began following the pod, steering his vessel among the dolphins and eventually stopping the engine to take photographs. Under the Marine Mammals Protection Regulations, vessels cannot travel through a pod of dolphins. Obushenkova said the boat involved in the incident was a Haynes Hunter named Plaisir. “We’d like to talk to the owner or skipper of Plaisir and encourage them to come forward,” she said. Anyone who saw the incident, or can share information on the Plaisir, can contact DoC on 0800 DOC HOT and quote case number 9189. Thu, 17 Jul 2025 03:58:40 Z /news/auckland/one-person-dies-after-concrete-truck-falls-on-remuera-house/ /news/auckland/one-person-dies-after-concrete-truck-falls-on-remuera-house/ One person has died after a concrete truck fell on a house in the Auckland suburb of Remuera this morning. Police were called to a residential property on Rangitoto Ave just after 9am following an emergency call. Police initially reported the person had suffered critical injuries, but shortly after 1pm confirmed the person had died. Police confirmed an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident is underway. WorkSafe inspectors are on the scene gathering evidence. Images from the scene show an Atlas Concrete truck leaning slightly on its side crushing one side of the house. The crash occurred off a narrow shared driveway that runs along the side of the house that the concrete truck slid into. The owner of that house told the Herald she was not at home when the accident occurred as it was being renovated. A person has been critically injured after an accident with a concrete truck on Rangitoto Ave, Remuera. NZ Herald photographs by Dean Purcell She said painters were set to arrive that morning and paint the side of the house that the truck fell into. The owner said the painter was “extremely lucky” to have avoided the accident as he arrived after it occured. He was dropping his child at school at the time, she said. The head contractor of the painting business said his employee was in a “really bad state” and “felt sick to his stomach just thinking about” how close he came to being involved in the accident. It’s understood there is no connection between the painting business and Atlas Concrete, and there was work being done independently on the two neighbouring houses. A neighbouring resident on Rangitoto Ave told the Herald concrete was being poured at the house behind the one that the truck fell into. Another neighbour said she saw about seven police cars on scene this morning. Police have been seen leaving the property with evidence bags. Atlas Concrete declined to comment when approached by the Herald. Fire & Emergency NZ sent two fire trucks to assist a Hato Hone St John ambulance at a motor vehicle accident. A person has been critically injured after an accident with a concrete truck on Rangitoto Ave, Remuera. NZ Herald photographs by Dean Purcell Hato Hone St John confirmed it had attended an incident on Rangitoto Ave around 9am this morning. One ambulance and one rapid response unit were sent, and one operations manager attended the scene. The top of Rangitoto Ave was cordoned off while the concrete truck was towed from the property about 1.30pm. At 2.30pm, WorkSafe issued a statement on the accident, extending its sympathy to the whānau, friends, and colleagues of the worker who died. “Initial information indicates the incident was construction related, but our inspectors are attending the scene today to gather evidence and understand the circumstances,” WorkSafe said. “Construction has among the highest rates of acute and chronic harm. It accounts for around 15% of work-related fatalities and serious injuries. Vehicles, moving machinery, heavy objects, and earthworks pose serious risks on building construction sites.” Mon, 14 Jul 2025 00:49:57 Z /news/auckland/parnell-rd-closed-after-fire-in-commercial-premises-motorists-asked-to-avoid-area/ /news/auckland/parnell-rd-closed-after-fire-in-commercial-premises-motorists-asked-to-avoid-area/ A major road in the inner city Auckland suburb of Parnell has been closed this morning after a fire in a commercial premises drew a large response from firefighters and police. Emergency services were called to a three-story commercial building on Parnell Rd around 6:45am, where a fire had broken out on the ground floor. Delays are being reported in the area after a section of Parnell Road, between Garfield Street and St Stephens Avenue, has been fully cordoned off. A police spokesperson said motorists are advised to seek an alternative route. Fire & Emergency NZ confirmed the fire has now been extinguished. Seven fire trucks and one ladder truck were called to the scene at just as traffic was beginning to build around the city. The Parnell crews were the first to arrive from their new station. Police were organising traffic control around the busy thoroughfare. Earlier, fire crew could be seen outside the building wearing breathing apparatus and using multiple hoses to contain the fire. It was not exactly clear which shop the fire began in, but fire crews were surrounding the Paper Plus NZ Post store. There were also broken windows in the adjacent store. A fire engulfed a building on Parnell Rd at 6:45am on July 14, 2025, causing traffic delays. Photo / Michael Craig A fire engulfed a building on Parnell Rd at 6:45am on July 14, 2025, causing traffic delays. Photo / Michael Craig Sun, 13 Jul 2025 21:06:07 Z /news/auckland/new-zealander-killed-by-shark-in-australia-was-not-wearing-shark-deterrent-device-he-owned/ /news/auckland/new-zealander-killed-by-shark-in-australia-was-not-wearing-shark-deterrent-device-he-owned/ A New Zealander who was killed by a shark while surfing in Australia owned a shark deterrent device but decided not to use it on the day he was killed, a coroner has heard. Steven Payne, 37, died after being attacked by a great white shark at Wharton Beach in Western Australia in March. His body has not been recovered. His partner Catherine Birch witnessed the incident from the shore and his final moments were captured in drone footage which helped police conclude he could not have survived the attack. A coronial inquest in Western Australia was told Payne went into the water with two other surfers around 10.15am on March 10 while Birch relaxed on the shore with their dog Poppy, the Daily Mail reported. After about 90 minutes, she saw a commotion and walked to the water’s edge. “Catherine then realised that the commotion was where she had last seen Steven and the victim of the attack was wearing the same distinctive sun hat that he wore,” Acting Sergeant Craig Robertson said. “From what she witnessed, Catherine immediately knew that Steven was dead.” His fellow surfers were unable to help him because they were on nearby rocks and the shore. Payne was pulled down into the water and never resurfaced. He was in chest-deep water around 50 metres from shore when the shark attacked. The Daily Mail reported that investigators who assessed the drone footage said: “the images show Steven sustaining injuries and blood loss which are incompatible with life”. DNA testing of his surfboard, which had bite marks, found a match with a great white. It was estimated to be between 3.2 and 3.5 metres long. The coroner heard that Payne owned a shark deterrent device but did not wear it as he thought it would not be needed once he left South Australia. Some surfers or divers use the wearable devices, which usually emit an electrical pulse, to drive sharks away. Payne had decided against surfing at a South Australia beach in January after being told of a fatal attack at the beach, Australian media reported. Australian media also reported that Payne had decided against surfing at a South Australian beach two months earlier after locals had mentioned a fatal shark attack at the site. Payne was born in New Zealand but lived in Geelong, Victoria, with Birch, his partner of 12 years. They were five weeks into a six-month caravan holiday when he died, his family said in a statement in March. “Steven Payne was a beloved partner, son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend. “Just a week ago Steve surfed one of the best waves of his life, sharing the wave with a dolphin. He was stoked.” They added: ““He and his partner spent a lot of time in the ocean together, had enjoyed many dives with sharks, and knew the risks. “Steve was one of the best. A gentle giant … he was smart, kind, funny, laid back and very practical." His family said he knew the risks of being in the ocean and would not have supported a shark cull. Sat, 12 Jul 2025 22:44:19 Z /news/auckland/auckland-volcanic-risk-deadly-base-surges-may-reach-twice-the-expected-distance/ /news/auckland/auckland-volcanic-risk-deadly-base-surges-may-reach-twice-the-expected-distance/ Deathly clouds of hot, fast-moving gas and debris could travel much farther than previously thought in a volcanic eruption in Auckland, according to new research. The current estimate of how far deathly clouds, known as base surges, can travel is far too conservative, based on international research, says Gemechu Teferi, who is researching volcanic risk in Auckland. Base surges are one of Auckland’s most deadly volcanic hazards. They form when magma mixes with groundwater, creating a low-lying cloud of volcanic gas, ash, and rock that can move at tens of metres per second. Scientists are working to revise estimates of base surges to better plan for future events as part of a programme funded by the National Hazards Commission Toka Tu Ake, and Auckland Council. Mt Ngauruhoe erupting in 1974 and showing the base surge. Research into Ubehebe Craters in California’s Death Valley, a volcanic zone similar to the one found beneath Auckland, has found evidence of base surges 10 to 15 km from volcanic vents. “This is at least two times farther than previous estimates of how far surges can travel, and we want to know if such distances are also possible in the Auckland Volcanic Field,” said Teferi, who is leading the research with the programme as part of his PhD. The arid environment in Death Valley is excellent at preserving geological evidence that would otherwise be eroded by weather, vegetation, and urban development in places like Auckland. Auckland Emergency Management’s response plan for a future eruption in the Auckland Volcanic Field has been updated to include the longer surge run-out distances. Still, studies are needed to test whether these can be realistically expected in Auckland. Natural Hazards Commission resilience officer Dr Jo Horricks said the research has implications for planning for future eruptions. Volcanologist Dr Jo Horrocks. “If confirmed, it means the impacts of a volcanic eruption in Auckland would be potentially far greater than we previously thought,” the volcanologist said. At least 42 of Auckland’s 53 volcanoes show evidence of phreatomagmatic eruptions, which are known to involve base surges. Teferi has visited over 30 of these sites and selected nine which showed the best geologic evidence of base surges for further investigation. In the coming months, Teferi’s team will analyse rocks from the selected sites using a technique known as AMS (Anisotropy Magnetic Susceptibility), which can pick up microscopic evidence of the flow behaviour of past base surges. Auckland has 53 volcanoes, of which 42 show evidence of base surges. Photo / Martin Sykes Teferi will feed the geological evidence and AMS analysis into a computer model that will estimate the true distance the base surge travelled. He will then simulate possible future base surge scenarios. The information will support councils, emergency responders, and loss modellers with planning for the impact of future eruptions. Said Horrocks: “Although unlikely, the impact of a volcanic eruption on Auckland is huge and base surges will be one of the biggest hazards. A more accurate estimate of how far these deadly clouds will travel can help councils with evacuation planning and insurers with estimating potential losses.” Sat, 12 Jul 2025 22:34:28 Z /news/auckland/takapuna-golf-course-auckland-council-confirms-controversial-flood-prevention-proposal/ /news/auckland/takapuna-golf-course-auckland-council-confirms-controversial-flood-prevention-proposal/ Auckland Council has today confirmed it will proceed with a controversial “flood-detention sink” for the Milford-Wairau Valley, with implications for the future of Takapuna Golf Club. The area suffered two deaths and the worst damage of any part of the city, during the Auckland Anniversary weekend floods of 2023. The land is currently used by the Takapuna Golf Club and the council has been working with the club to create a design it hopes everyone will be happy with. Officials reported to the council in April on more than 100 flood-mitigation options, recommending a scheme that would convert half the park to a wetland for general recreation, with the capacity to store 550 million litres of floodwater. The remainder of the land would be large enough for a nine-hole course. The golf club and its supporters opposed that plan and presented that April meeting with their own proposal. The council responded by asking officials to consider the golf club option alongside their own plan. That work is now complete. “The council has worked closely with Takapuna Golf Course to complete a feasibility assessment of the two proposals,“ the council’s head of sustainable partnerships in the Healthy Waters & Flood Resilience division, Tom Mansell, said today. “An eight-step technical review ensured both options were evaluated fairly for feasibility, cost-effectiveness as well as addressing environmental considerations.” When the floods come: Artist's impression of the new wetland proposed by Healthy Waters on the land currently occupied by the Takapuna Golf Course, showing it in a flooded state. Officials say the golf club’s initial proposal, which would have created a large number of smaller stormwater storage ponds throughout the park, was “soon found to be unfeasible due to cost and maintenance requirements”. The golf club was granted a time extension to provide an alternate option, which it has now done. “Both the council proposal and the golf course’s revised proposal have similarities in terms of placement and the method of storing stormwater on the site,” said Mansell. “We’re confident in the single design concept that’s come out of the feasibility assessment and are ready to move this project forward for our communities.” The council’s general manager of Healthy Waters and Flood Resilience, Craig Mcilroy, said the confirmed design concept allowed for both flood resilience and recreation to “coexist in one blue-green space, including potentially golf”, if that’s what the community and local board decided. “It’s great to reach this milestone so we can move forward as quickly as possible to address flooding in the Wairau catchment and the protection of lives and properties,” Mcilroy said. “We heard from the community that they wanted us to move swiftly and decisively while protecting the recreational greenspace they love. This design concept achieves both and we can now progress this important work.” Takapuna Golf Course would be impacted under a proposal to use AF Thomas Park as wetland and flood storage. The Wairau flood resilience project is part of the council’s Making Space for Water programme, which has allocated $760 million to building infrastructure that manages floodwater in temporary reservoirs or “detention sinks”, usually on parkland. “It aims to build smarter, more resilient infrastructure to help protect homes, schools, businesses and infrastructure from future flooding while enhancing green spaces for community use,” the council said. The Government is co-funding Making Space for Water, in this case by providing 62% of the costs of creating the wetland area. The officials’ proposal will now proceed to detailed planning, with a view to work starting this year. The future recreational use of the whole park will be a matter for the Kaipātiki Local Board, which is expected to consult widely before making a decision next year. Comment from the golf club and local community groups has been sought. More to come Simon Wilson is a senior writer covering politics, the climate crisis, transport, housing, urban design and social issues, with a focus on Auckland. He joined the Herald in 2018. Sun, 06 Jul 2025 23:56:59 Z /news/auckland/auckland-zoo-s-dinosaur-lights-show-captivates-visitors-at-night/ /news/auckland/auckland-zoo-s-dinosaur-lights-show-captivates-visitors-at-night/ Kevin Buley, the director of Auckland Zoo and a self-confessed dinosaur nut, is just a little bit excited about his latest attraction. “It’s dinosaur nights and lights. We’re in a place that is simultaneously incredibly exciting, a lot mysterious and quite a bit spooky,” he said. The Dinosaur Discovery Track has been a roaring success since opening just over two months ago, with visitor numbers for April and May breaking all attendance records in the zoo’s 100-year history. As part of the normal admission price, guests can get up close and learn about these amazing beasts that once ruled the world. And now, for the next month, it’s opening at night too. “What you get is the zoo at night,” Buley said. “It’s not often that visitors can experience the zoo in the dark and it’s pretty spectacular. “Everything takes on a different atmosphere ... it’s a little bit disconcerting, actually.” The dinosaurs are animatronic life-size, uber-realistic models that move, roar and even spit, bringing a whole new meaning to the word petrified. “The eyes follow you around,” Buley said. “I swear, in this light, they’re actually looking at you!” With the zoo in complete darkness, a service path is illuminated to guide visitors the “back way” to an entranceway straight out of Jurassic Park. Clouds of mist glow with the ever-changing lights and the sounds of screeches, howls and roars emanate from within the old elephant enclosure. “The primeval mist that we’ve got, the roaring, the movement under the lights, the way the reflections in their teeth work it’s properly, properly cool,” Buley said. There is a serious motive behind the exhibition, though. Buley said we can still learn a lot from these animals despite the fact they have been extinct for millions of years. “One of the real fascinations for me about dinosaurs is that we are still learning so much about them. “The last ones went extinct about 65 million years ago but palaeontologists, scientists are still uncovering secrets about how they lived, how they looked, how they behaved.” He says these discoveries have enormous relevance to the issues facing wildlife today. “What we’re facing today with our biodiversity crisis is the world’s sixth mass extinction [and it’s] entirely caused by human beings – whether it’s the climate crisis, whether it’s the loss of habitat, whether it’s species being captured and consumed as part of the bush meat trade, whether it’s our burgeoning population as a species, wildlife is under threat in a way that it hasn’t faced since the extinction of the dinosaurs. “What we can learn from them that is yes we’re the problem but we’re also the only answer to the extinction crisis today. We’ve got to do our bit to help turn things around.” Buey is passionate about wildlife, as you’d expect from the director of a zoo, but he’s also passionate about dinosaurs, referring to them as a “gateway drug” to his lifelong commitment to animals. But does he have a favourite? “That’s a bit like asking what’s your favourite child?” he retorts. “I don’t have a favourite dinosaur. I love ’em all.” Dinosaur Nights and Lights is open at the Auckland Zoo until July 13, 5pm-8.30pm. Prebook tickets at www.aucklandzoo.co.nz Mon, 23 Jun 2025 02:46:01 Z