This post, like all our work, is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew and made possible by generous donations from our readers and fans. If you’d like to support our work, you can join our circle of supporters here, or support us on Substack In exciting news the CRL ran the first test train through the 3.45km tunnel between Waitematā (Britomart) Station and Maungawhau Station Hopefully the rest of the testing goes well, and we see CRL open next year. We can all thank former Mayor of Auckland Len Brown for getting this across the line through his tireless effort We’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel now A great piece of local research on what people want from our cities Urban planning has a long history of promoting visionary ideas that advocate for particular futures The most recent is the concept of the 15-minute city But empirical evidence on public preference for what people want is surprisingly thin on the ground we conducted a national survey (1,491 responses) in Aotearoa New Zealand to find out what amenities people want to have easy access to how much time they prefer to spend getting there and how this differs between different groups in the population when we asked what amenities people prefer the most two things came out far above others: local nature and local shops This finding is important as it allows cash-strapped local authorities to prioritise and sequence spending It also supports the agenda of those who are advocating for an increase in urban green space or local living Planning for and encouraging amenities like local shops and services seem to be something almost completely forgotten about by our planners resulting where you need to drive just to get to get a bottle of milk We also asked people for their preferred maximum travel time to their most preferred amenity for a one-way trip identifying around 20 minutes as a good rule of thumb for maximum preferred travel time this time was broadly similar regardless of the transport mode chosen cycling or travelling by micro-mobility modes such as e-scooters people wanted to spend no more than 20  minutes doing so – even though the distances vary it strongly reinforces the 15-minute city or 20-minute neighbourhood as accurately reflecting public preferences for travel time to reach destinations especially as this figure was consistent regardless of the travel mode people are willing to walk further than we typically plan for planners may typically apply a walkable catchment of an 800-metre radius around the central business district or transit nodes to allow for higher-density zoning This distance is a walk of about ten minutes Our data suggest this area could be expanded and more opportunities created to increase housing volume and diversity Is this the first sign of a more sensible transport minister? The new Minister of Transport has opened the door for public consultation on at least some of the speed limit changes the government said would be automatic Announcing the changes to speed limits last week Transport Minister Chris Bishop issued two lists – one containing 49 stretches of state highway where there would be public consultation on whether to up the limits and one of 38 areas that would automatically return to higher speed limits “To ensure this process happens efficiently over the next few months NZTA will incorporate the automatic speed reversal work alongside planned maintenance and project works.” Among those on the latter list were two stretches of SH6 – a 1.8km section through Marybank which is set to rise from 60kmh to 80kmh and a section of 800m of Whitby Road in Wakefield that will rise to 70kmh sustainable transport advocates and opposition MP Rachel Boyack all expressed outrage and concern about the move But at a press conference in Nelson on Friday Bishop appeared to walk back the government’s stance on the automatic reversals telling reporters there would now be public consultation on the Marybank and Wakefield changes “NZTA’s always had the discretion to engage with local communities and they’ll be doing that in relation to those two areas and there’s a couple of other examples around the country where there is local support for the speed limits to stay lower.” Bishop wouldn’t be drawn on precisely which of the other automatic reversals will no longer be automatic but did name check mid-Canterbury town Rakaia the council and even the new Minister for the South Island and I’ve had correspondence about another couple of areas up North.” Bishop said the issue was a “complicated” one and he had asked NZTA to add those “particular areas” to the consultation process He doubled down on comments the increased speed limits will improve the nation’s productivity It’s not (just) simple maths: productivity will only improve if it means commercial vehicles But that’s unlikely to be the case on most of these roads where the impacts of higher posted speeds might only be a few minutes at best It gets even more complicated when you factor in the delays caused after a crash occurs That the minister is showing himself to be more open to these changes highlights how communities up and down the country need to keep advocating for better safety outcomes The Spinoff looks at the EcoMatters bike hubs which play a highly productive role in many communities EcoMatters Bike Hub has helped 30,000 Aucklanders start cycling Shanti Mathias rides over to understand the impact of these community bike workshops is one of a network of community bike workshops across Tāmaki Makaurau Many hubs receive funding from their area’s local board This funding helps each hub to open four days a week with paid mechanics and volunteers always on site have tools and space available to help people fix their bikes Anything else they can build A colony of beavers has saved the Czech government around NZ$2.2 million after completing a stalled dam project themselves Despite a seven-year planning process and successfully securing the funding the Czech Republic’s plans to build a new dam in the Brdy region came to a standstill as authorities struggled to acquire building permits it was the arrival of eight hard-working beavers that finally got the job done “They built the dams without any project documentation and for free.” The Northern Advocate reports: Bus route changes affecting at least seven Northland schools could mean students may have to navigate long The Ministry of Education announced revised routes after a regular nationwide audit of school bus services identified routes with low use In the review some schools had their services cancelled while others were shortened or extended leaving 24 students having to find alternate ways to get to school Anderson said some students were now relying on parents and other family to get to school especially about those walking as they have to walk along the main highway It gets really hot in summer and in winter you can guarantee there will be flooding “Most parents travel about 30km to work and have to be there early The post reports: Yellow and green may not be the colours of love but it was the colours of Anya and Mika Hervel’s wedding chariot as they opted for a Wellington bus as their wedding vehicle After the ceremony at St Mary’s Chapel in Karori the Hervels and 10 members of their bridal party to the Botanic Garden for photos then to All Saints Church for their reception “We kind of planned out the wedding with public transport in mind,” Mika Hervel said with the bus making it easy to get to each venue “We wanted to start our marriage how we mean to continue living our lives together The Whanganui Chronicle reports: The Wakefield Street Bridge in Whanganui East will be closed to vehicles for at least 18 months It will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists but a safety review has determined the bridge is no longer safe for vehicles of any weight The council closed the bridge on January 15 to allow for a safety inspection due to damage observed in the timber bracing “We know this bridge is really important to our community and we will be preparing a business case for Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency [NZTA] to advocate strongly for its replacement,” Whanganui District Council transportation manager Mark Allingham said funding from the council’s application to the National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) was “unexpectedly turned down along with funding for numerous other Whanganui infrastructure projects including completion of the Mountains to Sea pathway” Because the bridge is no longer fit for vehicles the council can now apply to an NZTA fund specifically for structures that have reached the end of their life The Press reports that some councillors are seeking to reopen the debate on housing thanks to the efforts of the advocates at Greater Ōtautahi A block of prime industrial land on the edge of central Christchurch might be opened up for residential development City councillor and mayoral hopeful Sara Templeton will ask her colleagues to recast their votes on whether to rezone an area of Sydenham between Moorhouse Ave and Brougham St – also known as SoMo The initial vote on December 2 resulted in a tie Cr Celeste Donovan – who says incomplete legal advice over a conflict of interest stopped her from participating – might have broken that tie She could have decided to participate regardless But there are rules against councillors voting on things which could benefit them financially – they could be personally taken to court and lose their elected position – and only the office of the Auditor General (OAG) can grant an exemption agreeing her participation was in the public interest Donovan said she only learnt of that decision around the beginning of February because of an official information act request by urbanist group Greater Ōtautahi A cool story from Mangere about the upgrade of an alleyway to make it safer plagued with decades of antisocial behaviour at a “dark which runs between McKinstry Ave and Cottingham Cres in Māngere East the elderly and students from three nearby schools who use it as a short cut AT’s senior project manger Ryan Clarke stumbled on the residents’ plight through Stuff’s 2013 article He was undergoing a leadership programme and together with his group pitched the project to upgrade the alleyway he explored possible funding and secured $80,000 for the project under their responsibility to keep footpaths safe artwork from local street artist Eva Fuemana and engagement workshops with the local school Interesting podcast from the US on a few other ways of getting around and might be the tool you didn’t know you needed to get a big haul home from the grocery store two miles away in the pouring rain The answer is actually an entire category of vehicles that aren’t common on U.S We know that bus priority helps make buses better and more reliable a report out of Boston highlights some of the benefits from a project to give buses more priority at intersections The City of Boston and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) have announced the expansion of a project that gives buses priority at intersections in a bid to improve reliability The move follows a trial on two MBTA bus routes along Brighton Avenue which saw a 21 percent drop in delays caused by red lights – resulting in eight percent faster travel times “The MBTA has great municipal partners who continue to collaborate with us on improving bus services and we’re grateful to the City of Boston for building on the success of the 2019 Brighton Avenue bus lane project to add Transit Signal Priority to the bus lane corridor,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng The three-intersection transit signal priority (TSP) test along Brighton Avenue was deployed in July 2024 buses travelling through the corridor spent 21 percent less time waiting at red lights on average and arrived at a green light five percent more often This resulted in eight percent faster travel times with each bus saving an average of 16 seconds for a combined total of 110 minutes saved each weekday Travel time savings were even greater during peak hours as each inbound Route 57 trip through the corridor was over 60 seconds faster Has there been any serious discussion about scrapping our stupid helmet laws Or making them for under16s or something only No compulsory helmets would make having an actual bike hire scheme viable which is surely one of the first important steps in growing a proper cycling culture ACT would probably come out in support of keeping it Because that’s the timeline we are in I think sadly we have more urgent fish to fry than the helmet law (which Oh I’m sorry Damian do you follow best practice or only when it suits It’s the EXACT same argument you use to push your lower speeds agenda IF you get in an accident you are less likely to die or be seriously injured wearing a helmet that’s just a fact You just outed yourself as a big hypocrite who only wants speed limits to be lowered to push their anti car agenda (which btw is absolutely fine) but just come out and say “I want speeds lowered purely to drive mode shift” Stop trying to desperately lower them under the guise of safety to rush your agenda in I knew you were just wanting them because you’re anti car and you’ve just confirmed it thank you very much I don’t want to hear anymore complaints about best practice or evidence from you because clearly you will do away with it when it suits just like many other NZers decided to do with demanding higher speeds IF you get in an accident you are less likely to die or be seriously injured at lower speed that’s just a fact Yeah Wilbert I know that slower speeds are safer But Damian keeps going on about how important it is to have lower speeds then goes ahead and says we should scrap the helmet law He’s a hypocrite and deserves to be called out for it You can’t say IF you get in an accident slower speeds are better as your argument then go ahead and throw caution into the wind surrounding helmets Simply put Damian has been exposed as anti car plain and simple High speeds are one (of several) cause for crashes Not wearing helmets are not causing crashes Cars traveling at high speeds are significantly more dangerous for other road users than slower cars People biking without a helmet are not more dangerous than people that bike wearing a helmet So there is quite a big difference between the two Besides you lot always say “it’s not so much about the cause” “it’s about what happens IF there is a crash” which the evidence tells us helmets make that safer HELMETS LIKE SPEED AFFECT THE CONSEQUENCES OF EVERY CRASH Sorry John if you don’t support compulsory helmets you are not evidence based and are choosing to introduce more RISK to cycling and other activities like scooters etc Weather you like to admit it or not this is the same thing as arguing for higher speeds it makes the activity more fun but introduces risk Now at least many who advocate for higher speeds just say they don’t care about evidence etc but you’re trying to push it through under the guise of safety hypocrite you are Colah when you kick up a tantrum over safer speeds the evidence tells us that if you hit a pedestrian at 30kph they have a 90% survival chance crashes are less dangerous at lower speeds not that you care because your head is so far up your rear bumper you can’t stand not getting to your destination a microsecond slower Maybe do what I’ve done for years; a 2 hour round trip on foot to and from the supermarket for groceries Then you can come back to me and cry about the oppression of losing a few minutes travel time because of a 30kph speed limit past a school or whatever your cager victim complex tells you to say If you want to discuss the psychological impact of poor road design or car culture but your broken record “muh democracy” and “me want go fast” is tiresome and at this point trolling Where did I once say I didn’t support optional helmets I’m indifferent on the issue and would be happy to have a referendum and let the people decide If they want to get rid of helmets that’s ok Burrower I’m not trying to be offensive or rude but question why don’t you just get your groceries delivered Maybe one of the main reasons I’m pro speed because I’ve seen the many benefits of higher speeds particularly higher urban speeds There is no road in AKL that compares to some of the pro car roads in SYD/BNE Many of the roads in Mount Colah have a 60K urban speed limit Based on the logic higher speeds are less safe they should have more road deaths Except inconveniently both states have a LOWER road toll This is despite the majority of travel in Brisbane not done on safer motorways and instead on 70-80k urban roads with barely any pedestrian/cycle infrastructure Now I’m not going to make a comment like “be grateful” I know it sucks having to live without a car in a car dependant city but it’s our reality and the number of vehicles on Auckland roads no matter how good we make our PT is only going to grow so yes I actually would like to see seperated cycleways btw but again I’ve got the issue of the majority not on my side and that’s ok I will live with it “Yeah Wilbert I know that slower speeds are safer.” That now means you are no longer in favour of “but 65% of us wants the blanket removal of speed limits” and “the people have chosen for this” This coincides with the fact that the National party has changed its stance on this as well I firmly believe that they noticed they were losing too many votes from their base voters so they swapped around some ministers and immediately backtracked from the blanket removal I don’t see anything hypocritical in Damian’s opinion Laws can be outdated and might need to be reviewed from time to time What I object to is that the helmet law takes away personal responsibility That doesn’t necessarily mean people won’t wear a helmet and a lot of younger and older people still wear a helmet But it’s their personal choice and that’s how it should be Removing it from law will also free up police time so they can focus more on stopping drivers under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs I know you’re in big favour of that Personal responsibility could also be an argument around speed of course If someone wants to wrap themselves around a tree doing 150 kph But if someone goes 150 and crashes into my car head-on or takes me out doing 50 in a suburban street that has parked cars on both sides I would strongly disagree with that argument Thank you for voicing your opinion Wilbert I believe the helmet law should go to a referendum then that solves it once and for all Give people the data about the safety difference between crashing with/without and just like the speeds the NZ public will probably ignore it lol But I just want to make it clear that’s ok as long as the majority are getting what they want As for the speeds I actually agree it might be some of the base being brassed off however I do believe by not pushing through with reversing them all they will lose a lot of swing voters as it’s one of those policy’s that many Labour and Green voters probably actually like (well the ones that drive a car anyway) But yep I don’t care about what a few base National voters think as long as the majority is getting their way I’m happy The majority should always decide we should be allowed to give them evidence and explain the consequences of what might happen but if they still chose to ignore it that’s ok One thing though Damians opinion is 1000% hypocritical he directly referred to things like “speed affects the consequences of virtually every crash” as his main arguments for lowering them See how that’s hypocritical helmets are the same they affect the consequences of virtually every crash involving a bike but he is happy to do away with it even though it would affect safety Damian is just anti car though so it’s no surprise there is nothing wrong with that of course but chooses to omit that fact and pretends to care about safety which I believe is deliberately deceitful You’ve actually bought up a great point about the speeds Maybe we could keep the lowered limits but have a much larger tolerance say 20kmh then quadruple the fines The 30k limits with zero tolerance don’t work as even most bikes and police cars exceed the limit Therefore AT could actually make a valid case for reducing mean operating speeds as having a majority of cars over the 30k operating speed is stupid as it traps 80% of road users into breaking the law not wanting to be the one person to actually do 30 It would also just make travelling on the Waikato expressway better as most cars would just cruise at 120 But what am I saying the govt loves the revenue too much or they would’ve already speed limited new cars and bikes especially now with NZTA operating all our Redflex NK-7 cameras expect tickets issued to skyrocket Why on earth would you waste money on a referendum on cycle helmets What matters is whether the benefits to the health system from a healthier population if more people cycle outweighs the costs of more injuries An expensive poll of a whole lot of people that never ride a bike would add no value to the decision I’ve cycled close to daily for 25 years and had collisions or near collisions with other vehicles 5 times 3 of these resulted In my helmet hitting the road Good on you for cycling for so long and wearing a helmet being such an experienced cyclist and aware of all the dangers you still need a law to make you wear a helmet there are no or only limited laws (usually for children) for wearing a helmet In a lot of those countries without or with limited laws you will still see a large percentage of people wearing a helmet You would hardly ever see amateur racing cyclists or mountain bikers not wearing a helmet why do you need a law if you already know it’s better and safer to wear one In 2001 I was doored by an elderly gentlemen opening his car door which impacted my left hand breaking several bones in my hand I somersaulted over the car door and landed on the tarseal A dent in the helmet showed where it hit the tarseal I am sure that I would have been worse off if I had NOT been wearing a helmet This means less people cycle and ultimately having a bigger slice of the population cycling is what keeps cyclists safe The countries that mandate helmets have some of the lowest rates of cycling globally while the places with the highest rate of cycling dont even wear helmets let alone try to force everyone to wear them It’s not a “massive” barrier to entry Jesus Christ like $60 at most for one Why don’t we just start repealing a whole lot of safety things because it’s a “barrier to entry” Safety requirements for flying is that too much of a barrier to entry? Listen to yourself do you realise you sound like the crowd who wants to raise speeds because “it takes the joy out of motoring” Only difference is those people have the balls to admit they don’t care about safety You could just look at the evidence from here when helmet law passed and overseas with or without the law and see the massive difference in bike usage There seems to be a fair bit of anger here from Mount COlah or whoever that is I cannot see but isn’t the main point around helmets not being mandatory is that it actually reduces crashes Because drivers see people just cycling along normally and adjust their behaviour At least that is what i thought the research had shown from Netherlands We have low cycling numbers and countries that have high cycling numbers don’t have helmet laws ergo it must be the helmets that are causing the issue Of course it can’t be that our roading infrastructure has been biased towards the motor vehicle for ages and therefore cycling has actually become dangerous on some roads but it’s “what the majority” wants Colah would endorse the destruction of the planet if they thought it was what more people wanted You seem to want to erode it at every opportunity Your opinions although I agree you’re allowed to express them are dangerous I’m all for evidence but also all for ignoring it if that is what the democratic process chooses AT and NZTA put out plenty of press releases with links to evidence that safer speeds are good etc However the public chose to raise speeds after weighing up the precious minutes of time saving against the chance of harm I would still vote against complete destruction of the environment as that’s what the democratic process allows which I see you’re against By not being 100% for democracy you risk everything Evidence can be written to suit just about any narrative All it would take is for someone to show some evidence that didn’t use the dodgy abley factoring calculations and it would show the roads actually overall got more dangerous after AT implemented the phase 1 reductions What do you want next a report written by Geoff Upson Again if the evidence found not spending a single cent on cycleways would help the govt meet its budget should we just “go with the evidence” and not even question it Burrower listen very clearly to this you should treasure democracy for all it’s worth because it lets everyone challenge all decisions fairly and just Automatically going with the evidence is dangerous and divisive Be careful what you wish for I’ll tell you now just back off and let democracy decide these speed limits through the NZTA consultations If you don’t and you interfere you might piss the public off enough to elect someone like Geoff Upson into transport minister then you’ll really be sorry you ever complained although we won’t be able to hear you over all the cars going 130+ on motorways and 60+ in urban areas Research in the Netherlands has shown that a large percentage of people would simply stop cycling has a negative effect on health and will lead to less investment in cycling infrastructure And you’re right: people should wear a helmet and a lot of them do – they don’t need a law for that As for some of the replies: apples and oranges WoF: if someone wants to drive in a car with no or failing brakes you drive into me because you have no brakes It’s not there to protect the idiot but to protect the innocent bystander being part of civil society and stuff like that we fine people $150 for not wearing a seat belt most adults know it’s safer for them to wear a seat belt why are we fining them if they don’t And Wilbert you are conveniently omitting the fact that protecting yourself wearing a helmet reduces the burden on society if you were to (heaven forbid) be in an accident You know being part of civil society and all that It’s the same reason seatbelts are mandatory It’s probably just too dangerous now with the speeds E Bikes get up to to even consider removing the law Although if it’s what the majority want I guess we will have to comply Except… I haven’t heard calls from a large part of society that we should remove said law So how about you just suck it up be a good human and wear your helmet and seatbelt At least we know from this debate Damian simply wants lower speeds because it annoys drivers that’s a positive finally some honesty Did you really think researchers didn’t compare the costs of less cycling on the one hand and increased accidents on the other it is well known that the number of cycle accidents in the Netherlands has increased in the last few years None of that has led to anyone saying that helmets should become compulsory it should be a personal choice and responsibility not something that should be controlled by law a large percentage of cyclists do wear a helmet – they don’t need a law telling them they should like Damain Grant you’re writing from libertarian perceptive Oh Wilbert I appreciate the honesty that you don’t care about safety but we are not the Netherlands and we don’t have to copy everything that happens overseas We should increase the fines for not wearing helmets and seatbelts and start registering bikes with licence plates so they can also be booked for speeding Cyclists are some of the most common speeders now I also think doing this will relive some of the pressure from woke people to lower speed limits so aggressively Reminder it takes everyone to get to no one And also we do need laws for this stuff given how many drivers have gone straight through windshields over the years Give police ANPR let’s really start getting tough on drivers AND cyclists Or allow them to not wear helmets but I will refuse to pay a cent into any hospital bills from these people and o reckon I have the numbers to win a referendum on this basis you’re pulling out all the stops now aren’t you It’s good to hear what type of country you prefer to live in though Nowhere have I ever mentioned I don’t care about safety All I’ve ever said is that it should be every person’s own choice and responsibility to wear a helmet or a seatbelt for that matter most people would still wear a helmet or a seatbelt Mexico as a few other countries without a helmet law Given that public hospitals are funded through public money I’d like to see how you can stop paying a cent towards that and assuming you are a New Zealand citizen I look forward to seeing a citizens initiated referendum raised by you in 2026 I’m sure you’re aware that you would need 10% of the registered voters to support your petition so that’s roughly 300,000 to 350,000 people Details can be found here: https://elections.nz/democracy-in-nz/about-elections/what-is-a-referendum/ The “consultation process” will inevitably water down the “blanket” speed reduction reversal While it may have gained a few votes,the reality of faster speeds clearly does not sit well with the locals ,who have to deal with the consequences The Southern Motorway is currently closed,due to an accident,how much productivity is being lost,because of it Southern motorway crash was nothing to do with the speed limit though there was three bikes were weaving in and out of traffic recklessly and one of them unfortunately found out what happens Proof once again that it’s “idiots” not the speed limit that has anything to do with most accidents We actually need to ask ourselves how many of these “accidents” are just reckless drivers that will ignore the new speed limits anyway Anecdotal evidence (a Reddit post posting screenshots from a Facebook group) suggest that landlords are feeling the pinch and having to drop rents. Inject it straight into my veins. https://www.reddit.com/r/newzealand/comments/1ioedbf/more_property_speculators_struggling_to_find/ Luxon: “See downward presure on rents interest deduction working as intended” The ongoing lack of action on any sort of bus priority in the city surely has to be the number one way to improve PT with limited resources Coordinated bus corridors in all major north I mean we built a dedicated bus interchange at Lower Albert yet buses still have to compete with huge number of vehicle crossings etc – the Quay st area outside HSBC tower is a cluster of single vehicle movements (including M Social taxis/buses constantly parking on the actual footpath) making walking along what is probably now meant to be our premier walking area a bit of a minefield – how we do not have a full 24/7 bus lane from Lower Albert to the North Shore is beyond me Councillors and Local Board Members in their promotion of bus priority measures – bus boost signals bus and transit lanes – so that AT can plan as many as possible without endless public engagement and push-back The Whangaroa College story is achingly sad That is a very deprived region of the country where many students will not live close to the school so nearly 20% of the roll may not have a way to get to school That’s the sort of thing that can devastate a school and be yet another barrier to the region overcoming poverty I can’t see how the Ministry could find that is a low usage bus worthy of cutting unless someone simply looked at numbers on a spreadsheet in Wellington that Paris rate of change is great for cycling I saw a group on Waiheke a few years ago who were going to some kind of function all get on a bus they had chartered to get from the ferry to the venue There were more people than seats on the bus too so some of the group were standing and the bus was full Helmet Referendum..are you like ok Mount Colah Me thinks the only helmet you might wear is made out of tin foil Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Greater Auckland is an independent volunteer-run analysis and advocacy platform for improving the quality of our cities we provide evidence based debate on urban form Our aim is to foster a greater Auckland for all Thanks for signing up for news from Greater Auckland Keep an eye on your inbox for regular updates We love being able to keep you in the loop - it means we know theres a community of like-minded people who are keen on making Auckland better on bikes Sign up for updates about what's happening Former Socceroo Robbie Hooker had listed a Mount Colah investment property Former Socceroos defender Robbie Hooker and his wife have listed their Mount Colah investment property It is a three-bedroom, one-bathroom weatherboard house set on a 1136sq m Ku-Ring-Gai Chase Rd holding It is scheduled for a February 18 auction with a $1.4m guide from McGrath Hornsby agent Nick Berman It was bought in 2006 for $460,000 and has been a $495 a week rental in recent times The property is a 1136 sqm holding on Ku-Ring-Gai Chase Rd MORE: Cosmetic surgery king secretly sells $35m home Latrell Mitchell’s new record-breaking home NRL legend ‘Fatty’ Vautin’s scores epic new beachside pad The family lives nearby in Mount Colah with Hooker having attended Asquith Boys High then selected for the 1985 FIFA World Youth Championships and for the Socceroos in 1990 He has been an assistant coach for the Socceroos and the Matildas and is now technical director of Mount Colah Football Club where he coached the under-12 team (including his two sons) to win the statewide Champion of Champions competition last year It also won it when he competed in the early 1980s It has plenty of potential and a $1.4m guide Robbie Hooker in action for Australia in a 1997 international v New Zealand Mount Colah’s median house price sits at $1,592,500 up 6.1 per cent annually from 84 sales over the past year Mount Colah has seen a compound growth rate of a similar 6.1 per cent And its houses typically rent out for $675 per week reflecting an annual rental yield of 2.4 per cent MORE: ‘Troubled’ ex-TV star offloads rural retreat Sunrise’s Mark Beretta lists $15.5m dream home Chili Peppers’ Flea selling $3m Aussie beach home third parties have written and supplied the content and we are not responsible for it completeness or reliability of the information nor do we accept any liability or responsibility arising in any way from omissions or errors contained in the content We do not recommend sponsored lenders or loan products and we cannot introduce you to sponsored lenders We strongly recommend that you obtain independent advice before you act on the content realestate.com.au is owned and operated by ASX-listed REA Group Ltd (REA:ASX) © REA Group Ltd. By accessing or using our platform, you agree to our Terms of Use. For information directly relating to bushfires please call the Bush Fire Information Line on 1800 679 737 or visit the NSW Rural Fire Service Website here. [external link] We responded to over 150,000 incidents in 2023-24 The incidents displayed below are note-worthy incidents that have been published as media releases or tweets Details about incidents may change and should not be used as emergency information and/or advice North Parramatta | The fire at Dunlop Street, North Parramatta has been contained but is expected to smoulder through the morning. Because there may be smoke in the area, residents and businesses in the vicinity are advised to keep doors, windows, and vents closed. View on X [external link] Fire and Rescue NSW acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past, present and emerging. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time Life was looking pretty good for Mount Colah resident Wade Habkouk He was the CEO and director of his own construction firm a married father of an 18-month-old daughter living with his in-laws on Sydney’s rural northern fringe and a masters graduate of prestigious Sydney University But police allege that beyond his legitimate business interests Wade and his brother Guy Habkouk were in cahoots to import 347 kilograms of heroin into Australia Wade Habkouk Habkouk has pleaded not guilty to attempting to import a commercial quantity of heroin Wade Habkouk was allegedly responsible for importing about 175 kilograms but the enterprise fell apart when authorities became suspicious of two vertical construction mixers imported from Kuala Lumpur and launched Sydney’s biggest heroin bust in decades An X-ray when the machines arrived in Sydney two days before Christmas 2020 allegedly revealed two metal cases inside each containing more than 100 kilograms of heroin The drug was removed by authorities and the mixers were then delivered to Habkouk’s Hornsby business in February 2021 Habkouk allegedly visited the unit with a suitcase full of counter-surveillance devices in an attempt to determine if authorities had been investigating the shipment Police allegedly observed Habkouk alone inside the unit twice “It is the Crown contention that the only reasonable inference available would prove the applicant cut open a valuable piece of machinery is that he was expecting to find what had originally been contained the heroin,” said Justice Hament Dhanji SC in the Supreme Court in February this year Six months after the heroin was allegedly detected Habkouk was arrested and charged with one count of attempting to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug Habkouk has pleaded not guilty to attempting to import a commercial quantity of heroin He remained inside Silverwater Prison until February this year when his in-laws stumped up a $1 million surety on their Mount Colah home to ensure his release Other conditions of his bail included daily reporting to a police station only leaving the home in the company of his wife not using encrypted communications and not communicating with a number of different witnesses Guy Habkouk is “at the centre of arrangements with respect to that importation,” Justice Dhanji and police have yet to be able to interview him over his alleged role in the heroin ring AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Morgen Blunden said this was the largest seizure of heroin in Australia in almost two decades and if these drugs had not been intercepted the impact on the community would have been devastating “Illicit drug use causes a significant burden to the Australian economy emergency treatment and increased health care costs,” Blunden said “Sadly heroin causes many deaths and this seizure has protected our community from harm We will continue to work closely with our partners to prevent this harm from occurring “This is why our partnerships with state and Commonwealth agencies are so important to staying on the front foot when it comes to targeting transnational criminal syndicates and preventing illicit drugs from harming more Australians.” The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here. Life was looking pretty good for Mount Colah resident Wade Habkouk. He was the CEO and director of his own construction firm, a married father of an 18-month-old daughter living with his in-laws on Sydney\\u2019s rural northern fringe and a masters graduate of prestigious Sydney University. But police allege that beyond his legitimate business interests, Wade and his brother Guy Habkouk were in cahoots to import 347 kilograms of heroin into Australia. Wade Habkouk was allegedly responsible for importing about 175 kilograms, but the enterprise fell apart when authorities became suspicious of two vertical construction mixers imported from Kuala Lumpur and launched Sydney\\u2019s biggest heroin bust in decades. An X-ray when the machines arrived in Sydney two days before Christmas 2020 allegedly revealed two metal cases inside, each containing more than 100 kilograms of heroin. The drug was removed by authorities and the mixers were then delivered to Habkouk\\u2019s Hornsby business in February 2021. That day, Habkouk allegedly visited the unit with a suitcase full of counter-surveillance devices in an attempt to determine if authorities had been investigating the shipment. Police allegedly observed Habkouk alone inside the unit twice, hearing the sounds of metal being cut. \\u201CIt is the Crown contention that the only reasonable inference available, in circumstances where the evidence, it says, would prove the applicant cut open a valuable piece of machinery, is that he was expecting to find what had originally been contained, that is, the heroin,\\u201D said Justice Hament Dhanji SC in the Supreme Court in February this year. Six months after the heroin was allegedly detected, Habkouk was arrested and charged with one count of attempting to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug. Habkouk has pleaded not guilty to attempting to import a commercial quantity of heroin, and remains before the courts. He remained inside Silverwater Prison until February this year, when his in-laws stumped up a $1 million surety on their Mount Colah home to ensure his release. Other conditions of his bail included daily reporting to a police station, only leaving the home in the company of his wife, surrendering his passport, not using encrypted communications and not communicating with a number of different witnesses, including his brother Guy. Guy Habkouk is \\u201Cat the centre of arrangements with respect to that importation,\\u201D Justice Dhanji, SC, said. Guy Habkouk is overseas, and police have yet to be able to interview him over his alleged role in the heroin ring. AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Morgen Blunden said this was the largest seizure of heroin in Australia in almost two decades and if these drugs had not been intercepted, the impact on the community would have been devastating. \\u201CIllicit drug use causes a significant burden to the Australian economy, through crime, loss of productivity, emergency treatment and increased health care costs,\\u201D Blunden said. \\u201CSadly heroin causes many deaths and this seizure has protected our community from harm. We will continue to work closely with our partners to prevent this harm from occurring. \\u201CThis is why our partnerships with state and Commonwealth agencies are so important to staying on the front foot when it comes to targeting transnational criminal syndicates and preventing illicit drugs from harming more Australians.\\u201D The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day\\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. . ABC News News HomePerson dies in house fire at Mt Colah in Sydney's northShare Person dies in house fire at Mt Colah in Sydney's northTopic:Fires The fire took hold of the home on Lancelot St at Mt Colah. Link copiedShareShare articleA person has died in a house fire at Mount Colah in Sydney's north. Police have confirmed that the body was found by firefighters searching through a house destroyed by fire on Lancelot St. The body was found in a rear room of the house. Police have not confirmed whether it was a man or a woman. A woman and her son were taken to Hornsby Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation as fire took hold of their home just before 3:30pm (AEST) this afternoon. Homes in neighbouring Excelsior Rd were evacuated as a precaution as firefighters tried to extinguish the blaze. Investigators say they believe the fire started in an upstairs room. Inspector Kim Simpson from New South Wales Fire and Rescue says the house was ablaze when they arrived. "Crews did everything they could to get in," he said. "They were driven back by intense heat. "They managed to stop the flames spreading to nearby buildings." Emergency crews arrived to find the house engulfed in flames. CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) When police asked a 14-year-old north shore boy why he broke into the home of a pregnant neighbour and repeatedly stabbed her "[It was] just a random pick," he said the victim of a home invasion and stabbing attack in Mount Colah.Credit: Facebook The details of the boy's "random" attack on Pei-Jiun Cheah can be revealed after the teen pleaded guilty to specially aggravated break and enter committing a serious indictable offence under circumstances of aggravation and wounding with intent of grievous bodily harm was 20 weeks pregnant when she arrived at her Mount Colah home on July 26 last year heating up a frozen pie for dinner and doing her washing before going upstairs to the bedroom she shared with her husband her 14-year-old neighbour had come in via the side gate and accessed the house by removing the sliding door at the back Armed with a serrated steak knife he had taken from his home the St Ives High School student took her phone and wallet outside leaving them under a tree 100 metres from the house whom Ms Cheah described in court documents seen by the Herald returned and confronted Ms Cheah inside her bedroom where she was listening to music and checking emails he leapt at the bed she was lying on and began striking her face and body Court documents say she initially believed the teen was punching her until she saw the brown-handled knife he was brandishing "Why don't you just stay down?" he demanded as Ms Cheah began to fight back the teenager shoved her against the dressing table and fled as Ms Cheah managed to prise the knife from him Ms Cheah ran out outside seeking help and collapsed at her neighbour's front door still clutching the weapon As emergency personnel converged on the quiet cul-de-sac the teenager's father approached police to tell investigators his son had just arrived home covered in blood with wounds on his hands Police then found forensic evidence linking him to the crime fingerprints and a single Nike sneaker - the twin of which was found in the boy's room Ms Cheah was taken to Royal North Shore for emergency treatment while the boy was taken there with nine stab wounds then transferred to Hornsby Hospital where he spoke to police who had moved into the neighbourhood with her husband just weeks before the teen said he didn't have a reason for choosing that property "It was just a random pick," he said Ms Cheah's family released a statement confirming she and her unborn child were in a stable condition \\\"[It was] just a random pick,\\\" he said The details of can be revealed after the teen pleaded guilty to specially aggravated break and enter \\\"Why don't you just stay down?\\\" he demanded as Ms Cheah began to fight back Ms Cheah ran out outside seeking help and collapsed at her neighbour's front door still clutching the weapon the teenager's father approached police to tell investigators his son had just arrived home covered in blood with wounds on his hands fingerprints and a single Nike sneaker - the twin of which was found in the boy's room the teen said he didn't have a reason for choosing that property \\\"It was just a random pick,\\\" he said Ms Cheah's family released a statement confirming she and her unborn child were in a stable condition A senior policeman has been fined $200 for not wearing a face mask inside a McDonald's restaurant The New South Wales police officer was fined for flouting public health orders and not wearing a face mask inside one of the fast food chain's restaurant in Sydney's far north had breached the public health order on Wednesday at Mount Colah McDonald's The officer was issued with a $200 penalty infringement notice on Thursday NSW Police said there were 65 penalty infringement notices issued on Wednesday 52 of which were for failing to wear a fitted face covering Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce was fined $200 for not wearing a mask while paying for petrol at a service station in his hometown of Armidale on Monday after he was dobbed in to Crime Stoppers by a member of the public Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan then burned Mr Joyce for his coronavirus breach as he defended AFL players' inept mask wearing West Coast and Fremantle stars shared a plane from Perth to Melbourne on Tuesday, with several players slammed for not correctly wearing their masks. 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Cop fined $200 after being busted not wearing a mask at McDonald'sCommenting on this article has endedNewest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}} Sydney has seen the median house price in another 15 suburbs surpass $1 million Fifteen suburbs across Sydney have crossed the $1 million median price barrier for the first time saw their median house price surge in the 12 months to June thanks to record-low interest rates fuelling the market It brings the number of suburbs in Sydney with home values above $1 million to 209 following house prices growing by 13.3 per cent over the corresponding period 17 Westbourne St sold last month in Bexley for $1.96 million Realestate.com.au data showed Bexley in the city’s south had the strongest growth of the new entrants with prices growing $266,000 to $1.251 million Neighbouring Bayside suburb Arncliffe also surpassed $1 million Raine and Horne Bexley director Sam Epsimos said buyers from the inner west and eastern suburbs have been the driving force behind the 21.26 per cent annual price growth seen in Bexley as they are finding the suburb offers far better value than what they would get in their area,” he said “Bexley is also in a great location with not only the city on its doorstep but the M5 and the new M8 pretty much connects this area to the rest of Sydney.” Hornsby Shire had three suburbs surpass $1 million with Asquith while Wamberal on the Central Coast saw home values increase 7.89 per cent to $1.01 million Northmead was the sole Parramatta suburb to break $1 million with the median house price now $1.01 million Menai and Yarrawarrah from Sutherland Shire along with Belmore and Picnic Point from the Canterbury-Bankstown area also saw house values surpass $1 million Strong demand from buyers has propelled the market in the past year REA chief economist Nerida Conisbee said suburbs with prices over $1 million have remained stable during the coronavirus pandemic due to the strong momentum of the past year “The property market is currently being supported by high levels of stimulus mortgage payment freezes and relative confidence among buyers,” she said Ms Conisbee said 15 new entrants in the million-dollar club highlighted how extreme some of Sydney’s house prices were “With 15 new suburbs bringing the million-dollar club total to 209 million-dollar suburbs it is becoming more difficult to find an inner or middle ring suburb for under $1 million,” she said Despite Sydney experiencing some of the best market conditions since the prolonged housing boom of 2014 to 2017 four suburbs were booted out of the million-dollar club Campsie in the inner west suffered the biggest fall with its median price dropping from $1.19 million to $985,000 North Avoca and Sutherland also saw prices dip below $1 million