Henderson-Massey locals have more than 230 parks and reserves in their area and their views are needed to help shape how they are managed for the next decade The feedback will help to develop the draft Henderson-Massey Local Parks Management Plan which will guide the management of all parks and reserves Henderson-Massey Local Board chair Chris Carter encourages residents to give feedback on what you value about our parks the key issues you believe the local board should focus on and how you’d like to use your parks now and into the future “The plan describes how people use and value our parks and things to consider before upgrading or developing a park The plan aims to guide day-to-day management in local parks in a way that reflects the values of mana whenua and the community Chair Carter says it will be an important document that will guide decisions on local parks for the next decade “We will refer to the plan in many instances such as when we approve events or grant leases to groups using parks.”   The consultation period runs from 1 May to 1 June 2025 About 20 per cent of local parks in the Henderson-Massey Local Board area are not covered by an existing management plan Management of the remaining 80 per cent of local parks falls under 14 separate plans which are 15 years old or more The new plan covering all local parks will provide a consistent approach to park management Have your say online collect a physical form from your local library and return it using one of these options:  the submissions will be analysed and a summary of feedback will be available by late 2025 Submissions from the consultation period will help to form the draft plan which is expected to be completed and available for feedback in early 2027 This will be followed by a hearing in mid-2027 where any submitter can speak to their submission in person Want to stay up to date with all the latest news from Henderson-Massey Sign up for the Henderson-Massey Local Board E-News and get the latest direct to your inbox each month. You can also connect with us on Facebook © Auckland Council 2025 All rights reserved For more information on what data is contained in the cookies please click the 'Find out more on the Auckland Council website' button Sign up for our e-newsletter and be the first to know about exciting events and news We're improving Henderson Station as part of our City Rail Link project Accessibility during the lifts and escalator replacement From 28 April there will be no lift access to trains from this station. We've organised accessible transport to Sturges Road Station if you can't take the stairs.To find out how check the lifts and escalators information on this page We're building a third platform and additional tracks at Henderson Station This will enable more frequent and reliable train services as part of City Rail Link (CRL) Construction started in October 2024 and will continue to early 2026 Works will mostly take place on weekends and holiday periods during scheduled rail network closures We're upgrading train infrastructure to increase the frequency and reliability of services The new third platform will allow us to turn some trains around at the end of service We'll keep 2 through-tracks available for trains travelling to and from Swanson It will also enable new train connections to more places Henderson Station’s lifts and escalators are being replaced from mid-November 2024 to August 2025 you'll be directed to use the stairs if possible 3 lifts and 2 pairs of escalators are being replaced They provide access the platforms through an overpass  above the station the platform lift is out of service and there's no lift access to the platform There's a dedicated Henderson Station mobility taxi to transfer passengers who need the lift You can check if the taxi is waiting in the allocated space near the station (on Te Ara Puheke Road at Henderson Station or in the mobility parking bay in the Park & Ride off Swanson Road at Sturges Rd Station) If it's not there, call the taxi operator on 0800 025 999 They'll tell you where the taxi is and how long your wait might be The lifts are critical for customers with accessibility needs or pushchairs The escalators and lifts at the station have reached the end of their life They'll be much more reliable after the replacement The set-up phase started during Labour Weekend in October 2024 and utility and cable ducting installed and relocated We'll then start track removal and piling works We started replacing Henderson Station’s lifts and escalators from mid-November 2024 and will finish in August 2025 We'll minimise disruption for you while we replace the lifts and escalators Wayfinding will be in place to help guide you to and from the platforms More construction will take place during weekends and holidays in 2025 Work will continue uninterrupted through late October 2025 and early 2026 AT and KiwiRail are working through potential impacts on train customers Buses will replace trains whenever upgrade works disrupt services We'll work with local businesses to stage the work so that it considers other projects that are: The Henderson Station third platform project is part of a complete rail network upgrade programme CRL and the network upgrades will give Aucklanders a better-connected public transport network Henderson Station's major upgrades are a part of this transformation There will also be new underground stations at Te Waihorotiu and Karanga-a-Hape 471 residents were interviewed aged from 15 – 74 years and 51 per cent of residents feel that technology is leaving them behind the Digital and Financial Literacy Index Scores show that residents have a fair level of digital and financial know-how but there is still plenty of room to improve—especially when it comes to using digital financial services (DFS) Te Tango Akatereanga Moni O Te Ipukarea/MFEM (Ministry of Finance and Economic Management) in partnership with UNCDF (United Nations Capital Development Fund) presented the report which aims to advance financial inclusion and digital empowerment in the Cook Islands “This is a significant milestone in our national journey toward a more inclusive and financially empowered Cook Islands,” said MFEM secretary Garth Henderson in his opening address Henderson said that in the face of global uncertainty it’s becoming clear that knowing how to manage money and use digital tools is key to helping everyone take part in the economy MFEM sees this survey as “a strategic tool that will inform policy and guide our public and private sector institutions in delivering more accessible The Cook Islands National Digital Strategy 2024–2030 has laid a clear roadmap for building digital infrastructure and skills Insights from the DFL Survey validate the ministry’s current direction and identify where more must be done - particularly in supporting those in the Pa Enua Henderson said this shows that digital access is widespread but confidence and skills lag behind - especially in navigating digital financial tools safely The detailed findings from the 471 individuals surveyed include: Digital Access Participation in digital and online activities: social media 92% searched online for information about Goods and Services 84% completed or submitted a government form on line 47% The report notes that as a high-income country the Cook Islands has seen strong mobile phone usage—especially since the COVID-19 pandemic—with mobile saturation reaching about 110% in 2024 and expected to rise further It also highlights that smartphones are far more common than basic mobile phones with access rates of 93% compared to just 39% Also read: Digital and Financial Literacy:  Keeping every Cook Islander empowered and connected Barriers to internet usage include: costs 71% In the Financial Inclusion and Literacy report nearly all Cook Islands residents (93%) have a local bank account and about 35% also have access to an overseas account 72% have a debit card and 37% own a credit card Sixteen percent have lost money because of online scams phishing attacks or similar since using DFS and only over half of Cook Islands  residents use a banking app “digital and financial literacy is a cornerstone of economic resilience strengthen our public financial management and expand access to climate finance and sustainable investments we need a population that is digitally aware and economically included,” said Henderson through the Pacific Digital Economy Programme (PDEP) the private sector and development partners to enhance digital financial literacy in the Cook Islands PDEP is supported by the Governments of New Zealand and Australia and the European Union Country Coordinator Cook Islands said the study shines a light on both the opportunities and challenges in building an inclusive digital economy we’re committed to empowering individuals and businesses with the skills and tools they need to thrive This launch is just the beginning of a collaborative effort to foster financial futures that leave no one behind.”  You must be logged in to post a comment A hat-trick from Henderson Eels’ Madeline Arukau has led her side to an impressive opening match victory over Tupapa Maraerenga at the OFC Women’s Champions League in Papeete Arukau was the hero for the Solomon Islanders with two clinical first-half strikes after talismanic skipper Ileen Pegi had slotted home the first goal of the tournament Aarakau added her hat-trick goal soon after the break to seal a dominant win for Priscilla Tariga’s side The Cook Islands side had started the match well and created the opening goal-scoring chance with Te Upoko Tuariki testing the goal with Mii Savage driving the play from midfield But playing into the wind proved difficult for Tupapa to retain possession and Henderson Eels were able to control the ball and threaten regularly down the left with Pegi a constant threat on goal After continued pressure and a standout save from Tupapa’s keeper Rianna Pepe Pegi finally broke through in the 26th minute putting her side deservedly in front Henderson Eel’s speed in the midfield was epitomised by Lorina Solosaia and Pegi and the team was rewarded with two rapid goals from Arukau in the 36th and 40th minute respectively the Eels were lightning quick on the counter led by Te Upoko Tuariki and Victoria Fatiaki the Eels finished the game with a comfortable win in the opening match Arukau turned provider deep in stoppage time her excellent cross from the left-hand side finished from close range by Agnes Gitoli to complete a fine opening day for the Solomon Islanders Henderson Eels will face Ba Women (Fiji) in their second match on Thursday (NZT) while Tupapa Maraerenga will meet Ba on Sunday (NZT) representing New Zealand at the tournament will start their defence of the OFC title on Tuesday (NZT) with their first group game READ MORE: Auckland United chase back-to-back titles at OFC Women’s Champions League >>>> We thank OFC Media for providing information for this story Main photo: Madeline Arukau … first day hat-trick. Photo credit: OFC Media / Phototek Here are the fixtures for the 2025 OFC Women’s Champions League: The New Zealand men’s U-20 team will play a two-match series against Chile in June.. Football Ferns midfielder Katie Kitching has been named Player of the Year for her English.. Which teams will go into the men’s A-League finals play-offs with the strongest form Auckland FC have confirmed their home leg of the men’s A-League semi-finals will be played.. A 22-player squad has been named to represent New Zealand at the six-nation FIFA Youth.. Defending champions Auckland United are ready for strong competition at the OFC Women’s Champions League.. Tahiti have suffered their second straight Group C defeat at the FIFA Beach Soccer World.. The final round of the men’s A-League regular season produced 23 goals and settled which.. May 3-9: OFC U-16 Men’s Championship – qualifying, Tonga (click here for details) May 5-18 (NZT): Auckland United at OFC Women’s Champions League, Tahiti (click here for details) May 16-18: Grand final, women’s A-League (click here for details) Monday May 19 (2.30am NZT): New Zealand U-16 men v Switzerland, FIFA Youth Series, Zurich (click here for details) Tuesday May 20 (2.30am NZT): New Zealand U-16 men v Guatemala, FIFA Youth Series, Zurich (click here for details) May 26-June 3: FIFA international window (women) May 30-June 1: Grand final, men’s A-League (click here for details) May 31-June 1: Second rounds of Chatham Cup June 2-10: FIFA international window (men) Thursday June 5 (7.30am NZT): Chile U-20 v New Zealand U-20, men’s international, Complejo Deportivo Quilín, Santiago (click here for details) Sunday June 8 (7.30am NZT): Chile U-20 v New Zealand U-20, men’s international, Complejo Deportivo Quilín, Santiago (click here for details) Sunday June 8 (11am NZT): All Whites v Côte d’Ivoire, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada (click here for details) Wednesday June 11 (9am NZT): All Whites v Ukraine, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada (click here for details) June 15-July 13: FIFA Club World Cup, United States (click here for details) Monday June 16 (6am NZT): Auckland City v Bayern Munich, FIFA Club World Cup, TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio (click here for details) Saturday June 20 (6am NZT): Auckland City v Benfica, FIFA Club World Cup, Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, Florida (click here for details) Wednesday June 24 (7am NZT): Auckland City v Boca Juniors, FIFA Club World Cup, Geodis Park, Nashville, Tennessee (click here for details) June 23-July 1: FIFA international window (women) July 5-6: Quarter-finals of Kate Sheppard Cup August 1-14: OFC U-16 Women’s Championship, Samoa (click here for details) August 15-30: OFC U-16 Men’s Championship, Solomon Islands (click here for details) August 16-17: Semi-finals of Kate Sheppard Cup September 2-9: FIFA international window (men) September 17-24: University of Auckland at FISU Men’s Football World Cup September 20-24: OFC Futsal Men’s Cup September 21-October 4: OFC U-19 Women’s Championship September 27-October 19: FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup September 27-28: Season starts for men’s and women’s National Leagues October 7-15: FIFA international window (men) Wednesday October 15 (k/o TBC): Norway v All Whites, international friendly, Ullevaal Stadium, Oslo, Norway (click here for details) October 17-November 8: FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, Morocco (click here for details) October 20-28: FIFA international window (women) November 4-28 (NZT): FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup, Qatar (click here for details) November 10-18: FIFA international window (men) November 17-22: OFC Futsal Men’s Champions League November 21-December 7: FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup, Philippines (click here for details) 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Oceania qualifiers December 13-14: Grand finals of men’s and women’s National Leagues June 12-July 20 (NZT): FIFA Men’s World Cup © 2025 Friends of Football Site designed by Hurricane Press Ltd using - WordPress Theme by Kadence WP A man has been taken to hospital in a critical condition early today suffering what are believed to be stab wounds in West Auckland and specialist search group members are in Coburg St in Henderson Valley after the 2.15am incident The cul-de-sac was still cordoned off early this afternoon after specialist staff from ESR and police photography documented evidence and blood trails this morning Trails of blood were spread throughout the scene leading from one address across the road to a nearby footbridge at Murillo Reserve with some forensics staff focusing attention there A St John spokesperson said staff took one person to Auckland Hospital police said they were called to the street early this morning after a report of disorder “A man was located with what are believed to be stab wounds “He has been transported to hospital in critical condition “Inquiries into the full circumstances of the incident are ongoing.” - RNZ The trial system sits 10-15 metres below the surface, and moves with the tide. Waitakere CityPrice By Negotiation324160m²677m²Deceased Estate: Bang for Buck in the Heights!If you thought a desirable Henderson Heights lifestyle was out of reach - think again Nestled amidst other quality homes and tucked away from the world for the ultimate in tranquillity and privacy First home buyers and investors will truly appreciate the huge value on offer here with huge potential to add a 4th bedroom and other value in the future A home with great bones and an inviting feeling of SPACE - and so much LIGHT easy care lush lawns - you'll love the fantastic spacious living both inside and out Discover a warm inviting home with heart to grow a family and create a lifetime of memories Offering flexible open plan living that provides two great living areas easy outdoor flow to an utterly sun drenched north-west facing deck Relax and sip on a sundowner cocktail to sunsets; prepared in the more-than-generous kitchen with ample bench space Downstairs there's two good sized bedrooms (plus master bathroom which also adjoins as a master ensuite and walk in robe) Venture upstairs for another very generously sized master bedroom complete with walk-in robe and its own ensuite - all on it's own level teens and guests is easily catered for with a separate double garage and loads of off-street parking securely away from the street - without compromising the usable grounds In-zone and only minutes walk to nearby Summerland School and Semillon Reserve and also 17 mins walk to the train station for easy commuting potential and peace of mind without the hefty price tag has never looked so - don't wait to hear that someone else has already snapped up this beauty Deceased Estate and immediate possession available means motivated seller demands ALL offers be presented based on a borrower’s individual credit assessment.Canstar's Most Awarded Personal LoanGet a renovation loan up to $70K and bring your vision to life we can approve your home improvement loan quickly and get your renovation started My Vaccine Pass requirements have not been set for this event A night of wild sound splatter'n'shake!Black Licorice - producer Ryan Bennett has recorded under the name of Wywy Brix on his influential avant-dance 2015 album Clear Licorice (1080p) and previously graced New Zealand stages as drums/electronics dynamo Cartoon.Anthony Pateras / Jeff Henderson - Australian electronics artist/composer/pianist Pateras is joined by his long time friend and collaborator Jeff Henderson on saxophonesTaekyung Seo / Rui Inaba / Finn McNeill - Since relocating to Auckland from Seoul Taekyung & Rui have performed some blisteringly great sets of voice & bass duos.. here they are joined by the extraordinary drummer Finn McNeill.Members free$20 on door$15 presales from UTR Henderson: Alexander-Arnold's Liverpool legacy will 'live forever'Trent Alexander-Arnold confirmed he would be leaving Liverpool on Monday with former team-mate Jordan Henderson wishing the full-back well.Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson sent his best wishes to Trent Alexander-Arnold ahead of the defender's impending exit from the club Liverpool confirmed on Monday that Alexander-Arnold would be leaving the club upon the expiration of his contract The England international made 352 appearances for Liverpool in competitions with his trophy collection including two Premier League titles and the 2018-19 Champions League.  Alexander-Arnold leaves Anfield having registered more assists (64) than any other defender in Premier League history Henderson played alongside Alexander-Arnold for seven seasons with the pair playing a crucial role in the Reds' success under Jurgen Klopp.  and your legacy will live forever," Henderson commented on Alexander-Arnold's social media post confirming the news of his departure Alexander-Arnold is expected to complete a free transfer to Real Madrid with speculation surrounding a move to the Spanish capital intensifying over recent months The 26-year-old has received some criticism from some Liverpool fans as the situation has dragged on former Liverpool stalwart Jamie Carragher wrote in The Telegraph: "By leaving Liverpool Alexander-Arnold is making it harder for his own club to win its 21st league title and seventh European Cup "The unconditional support Alexander-Arnold enjoyed from the Kop when he was fully committed to Liverpool has gone." Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Fire crews are racing to battle a fire ripping through an apartment building in Henderson Fire crews are racing to battle a fire ripping through an apartment building in West Auckland Roads are blocked off and residents have poured onto the street as emergency services respond A Fire and Emergency spokesperson told the Herald they were called about 8.24pm to reports of a fire in Henderson near Stephen Ave “The brigade arrived to find a three-storey residential block of apartments with a well-involved fire on the second and third floor,” they said “The brigade is working to protect surrounding properties and extinguish the fire “There have been no reports of anyone injured and we have 10 fire trucks and two ladder trucks in attendance.” Michelle Luo of local restaurant Shanghai Street told the Herald there was a “very strong” fire at a three-storey building and the “whole roof [is] gone” She described heavy smoke and said the whole building had “disappeared” Emergency sirens could be heard in the background as Luo spoke One resident on social media said they heard “what I thought was gunfire” followed by sirens and horns before seeing fire trucks attend the scene Another described seeing smoke drift across more than 600 metres to nearby Swanson Rd A neighbour said she had heard police and fire trucks for at least 30 minutes Police said they were at the scene to control traffic Sign up to The Daily H a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday The trial system sits 10-15 metres below the surface we’re thrilled to launch the Stamp The Streets: Henderson Art Quest – your invitation to explore Henderson in a new way pop into the gallery at Corban Estate Arts Centre or Waitākere Central Library to pick up your very own Art Stamp Passport Then set off on a creative journey through Henderson learning about exciting changes in the neighbourhood and visiting places you might never have stumbled upon otherwise you’ll collect a bespoke stamp designed by the artists of Corban Estate based Sur Collective – gather them all and claim a special prize at the end of your quest Inspired by Japan’s iconic Eki stamp tradition – where travellers collect stamps at train stations – our Henderson version invites you to celebrate the local scene while building a beautiful keepsake of your journey we're co-hosting a fun morning of activities at Corban Estate with two awesome experiences: Morning People – Kick off bright and early with a dance party at The Barrel Store from 7am–8:30amThen grab a coffee from Coffee Studio cafe and head over to Opanuku Studio for the Queers and Wares Art Market – running from 10am–2pm – complete with brilliant local makers Pick up your passport book at either event and cruise your way along the Henderson Art Quest Launch day details:Morning People: 7am–8:30am at The Barrel Store Queers and Wares Market: 10am–2pm at Opanuku Studio Stamp the Streets: Henderson Art Quest: Self-guided from 17 May This event is proudly presented by Eke Panuku Development Auckland in collaboration with Corban Estate Arts Centre A West Auckland family are reeling after a fire tore through their Henderson home on Sunday night They say it was only afterwards that they realised their home insurance had been cancelled due to missed payments - leaving them with no home and a $750,000 mortgage and two other family members were living at 5 Nephrite Lane until the blaze erupted around 8.30pm Shah said he was in Hamilton for work at the time of the fire while his wife and children were at a friend’s home for dinner with his father He was eating dinner and came downstairs to do the dishes when the smoke alarm went off He ran upstairs and saw the mattress had caught fire but the foam caught quickly and the fire spread rapidly “We still don’t know exactly how it started “It was so heavy a fire,” Shah told the Herald Fire and Emergency New Zealand confirmed multiple units responded to the scene and the cause of the fire is still under investigation The fire destroyed almost everything the family owned Shah said the extensive loss has taken a toll on the entire family They keep asking where their things are .. “They don’t fully understand what happened When are we going back to our house?’ But we have no answer for them the family now face the prospect of having to rebuild from scratch the family recently discovered their home insurance policy had been cancelled after they missed several payments – a fact Shah says he didn’t realise until it was too late “We had insurance when we first took it out last year It’s our fault we didn’t check the messages the insurer said it was cancelled months ago and we still have a $750,000 mortgage on the property “I know it’s the biggest mistake of my life that I didn’t check the email that my policy got cancelled.” The family are now relying on community support as they try to recover from the loss Patel has launched a Givealittle fundraising page to seek help from the public. “I request you all that please help me as much as possible, as your little help can change my life,” she wrote. The family are currently staying with relatives while they figure out their next steps. Patel said she’s overwhelmed by the kindness of those who have already donated or reached out with offers of help. “I never imagined this would happen to us. Everything was fine – and then, in a few minutes, everything was gone. We are so grateful to the firemen who tried so hard to stop it, but the damage was just too much.” Shah said he hopes others can learn from what happened to their family. “Please check your insurance. Don’t make the mistake I made. It only takes a moment to lose everything. “We’ve been in New Zealand for 11 years. We’ve worked so hard and built so many memories. Everything we had is gone in a matter of seconds.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Martin Henderson (@martinhendersonofficial) Hollywood star Martin Henderson has spoken out over what he says was a “sad and horrific” romance scam which saw a woman lose $375,000 American woman “Lea” devoted two years to a fake relationship with someone she thought was Henderson taking out bank loans and maxing out credit cards Lea had believed she was in a long-term romantic relationship with the Kiwi actor after receiving a message on a fan page The 47-year-old moved to Auckland last December to be with the man she thought was Henderson Henderson told the Herald he was upset to hear the woman had been tricked and said she wasn’t the first “A friend read the article in the paper out to me and I thought it was a joke and then I was dumbfounded “It’s awful to have your name and likeness associated with something that has caused such harm to someone.” in Auckland filming season 5 of the hit TV series My Life is Murder said his heart went out to Lea and he wanted her to cease all contact with the scammer “It’s not a nice feeling to know someone has used your face and image and goodwill with fans and manipulated that relationship for something so sinister,” Henderson said “You know you are in the public eye and there are ramifications that you have to consider and you have to be okay with that but I never thought someone else could be wronged or harmed because of it.” The scammer first contacted Lea through a fan page for the Netflix drama series Virgin River Lea shared personal messages over WeChat and Telegram Lea transferred money from bank loans and credit cards to the scammer who said cash was needed for private jets Lea only realised it was a scam when a friend sent her a Herald article about the former Shortland Street star “I thought ‘what is Martin doing in New Zealand in Matakana on a bike rally when he told me he was lying in a hospital bed in Johannesburg after a mild heart attack’,” she said Even after the fraud was exposed the scammer insisted he was Henderson and asked for more money Lea said: “I then received an email from a Noah Thompson who claimed to be a private investigator working for Martin Henderson He said Martin had asked him to help me recover some of the money I had lost.” Henderson said he had not employed a private investigator and the new email was another layer of the scam Henderson took aim at scammers and issued a fresh warning to fans “I’m hoping this story can help get the message out there that I don’t message people I don’t have another account,” Henderson said “These scammers are very clever and mean and play on people’s emotions by getting their hooks in.” He said at one stage it felt like “a fulltime job” warning people not to be fooled by scammers “I have spent hours going through messages with people who say they have been scammed or wondering if something was true,” he said “I feel a responsibility to let people know the lengths these scammers go to.” Henderson warned fans not to engage with anyone claiming to be him Lea saw the messages but was too far invested and was assured by the scammer the warnings were for others Henderson said he was working with IT specialists to clean up fake accounts on social media but said “they keep coming” He was concerned that advances in AI and more realistic deep fakes would leave even more people vulnerable to scams “We are just at the beginning of what AI can do - both good and bad.” Kirsty Wynn is an Auckland-based journalist with more than 20 years of experience in New Zealand newsrooms She has covered everything from crime and social issues to the property market and consumer affairs Sign up to The Daily H A Māori name has been gifted to Henderson-Massey with the dual naming of Te Poi / Starling Park with a ceremony to share the story and celebrate with the community Te Poi was named by local iwi Te Kawerau ā Maki As part of Auckland Council’s commitment for te reo Māori to be seen a full suite of bilingual signage has been installed throughout this park this ceremony was a great chance to share the name with more people and celebrate the rich Māori history and culture More park name signs in the other sites selected for dual naming in Henderson-Massey are being updated over time The meaning behind the name Te Poi connects with Starling Park in a number of ways The modern whakaaro (understanding) of poi conjures up visions of waiata (songs) kapa haka and the action of swinging a white ball in a range of rhythmic and geometric patterns This movement is similar to the twisting and turning of the Tāringi Historically poi were used by both men and women The whakapapa (lineage) of poi dates back to Tāne Mahuta produced Repo (bullrush) and his relationship with Pakoti produced harakeke (flax) Poi toa of various lengths and weights helped develop strength hand-eye co-ordination and flexibility of the wrist A poi āwhiowhio is quite different from the poi toa and is made from the hue (gourd) plant Hue are significant to Te Kawerau ā Maki and were cultivated for use as food containers The poi āwhiowhio (whistling gourd) was made by hollowing out the hue and then drilling holes on either side A cord was attached so that it could be swung around creating a whistling sound used to attract birds Modern day whistles are commonly heard around this park on sports days The Māori names for the sports regularly played and practiced here also include poi baseball (poipapa) and poiwhana (soccer) both being competitive sports that link well to the whakatauki (proverb): sleep with your taiaha” Which means be ready for any challenge and expect the unexpected In 2017 Auckland Council launched the Te Kete Rukuruku (TKR) project a culture and identity programme to collect and share the stories unique to Māori in Auckland in partnership with the council and its local boards One component of this is a naming project which will see iwi and hapu names restored these names existed prior to the current names In other cases they may be more contemporary names that reflect an historical activity of the area prior to European settlement or sometimes have an environmental connection Short narratives explaining the significance of the names are also provided by mana whenua that explain the meaning and show the connection to the place being named This is one way for local communities to learn about their Māori history It provides a way of protecting and returning the names and the rich mana whenua stories of Auckland – some of which have been lost over many years Other local boards currently participating in te Kete Rukuruku are: Want to stay up to date with all the latest news from your area? Sign up for Henderson-Massey Local Board's E-News and get the latest direct to your inbox each month From November 2024 to August 2025 lift and escalator replacement works will happen at Henderson Station The escalators and lifts at Henderson Station are being upgraded and Auckland Transport (AT) are replacing them in stages We understand that the lifts are critical for customers with accessibility needs or pushchairs and this work will ensure more reliability once the lifts and escalators are renewed Customers with accessibility needs can arrange assistance and book a free mobility van to and from Te Ara Puheke Road Henderson or from the station car park at Sturges Road station Monday-Friday: 7:00am-6:00pm | 0800 025 999 or 0800 026 999 Christmas is coming and the Henderson Christmas Festival is back in 2024 there is just four weeks to go until the biggest Christmas event in the West on Saturday 7 December The free family festivities will kick off with the parade at 11am to Ratanui Street and then Great North Road we are delighted to have the addition of the Waipareira Trust Christmas Parade taking this event to another level of festive fun.”  spark Christmas magic for the kids with free entertainment including cupcake decorating See local celebrities like Harold the Giraffe and Steve the Goat top up your Christmas gift shopping with local market stalls selling jewellery come all to enjoy the Henderson Christmas Festival and celebrate the festive season with us,” Chris says Sign up for the Henderson-Massey Local Board e-news to get the latest news and events direct to your inbox each month, and follow them on Facebook. 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View this post on Instagram A post shared by Martin Henderson (@martinhendersonofficial) Martin Henderson has shared a Herald article about a romance scam with his 1.2 million followers on Instagram Kiwi actor Martin Henderson has sent another heartfelt plea to his 1.2 million followers on Instagram urging them to ignore anyone claiming to be him on other accounts Henderson’s post linked to a recent Herald article about “Lea” a woman who was scammed out of $375,000 in a romance scam with someone pretending to be the Virgin River star Henderson stressed to fans he was physically well and not in any financial need “There are a lot of people out there pretending to be me and trying to get people to believe I am in need that I need financial help or medical help and that they’re essentially fleecing people out of a lot of money,” he said “I am linking an article here from the NZ Herald about something that has been going on for the last couple of years.” Henderson said “a whole bunch of other victims have since come forward who have fallen prey to similar scams” I promise you I do not have another account.” believing she was going to marry and start a family with Henderson she was sent a Herald article about Henderson’s attendance at a cycling rally in Matakana Since then, six other victims have contacted the Herald saying they too thought they were in a relationship with Henderson and had lost thousands of dollars The women said the scammers are relentless Even when the romance scam was foiled, the scammers persevered with other scams and contacted the women saying they were private investigators keen to help recover money lost Henderson told the Herald he had done everything he could to shut down fake profiles and warn people never to engage with anyone claiming to be him on social media “Apart from my one official Instagram page I do not have a Telegram account and I don’t message people who follow me,” he said “For a while there it was like a fulltime job trying to reply to people telling them it was a scam.” A quick search of social media shows dozens of fake Martin Henderson profiles Fan page chat rooms show similar results with “Martin Henderson” telling fans he loves them and would like to chat privately The former Shortland Street star said he felt he had a responsibility to inform people the lengths scammers would go to A recent Brad Pitt romance scam saw a French woman lose $1.5 million believing she was in a relationship with the Hollywood actor There are reported scams including Johnny Depp and George Clooney and closer to home, there have been fake celebrity endorsements and cryptocurrency scams using deepfakes “I’m worried there will be deepfakes of me sending personal messages with my voice,” he said “They just take a snippet from TV with my voice and throw it into a software programme and create whatever narrative they want.” “It’s not a nice feeling to know someone has used your face and image and goodwill with fans and manipulated that relationship for something so sinister.” Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday. Waitakere CityPrice By Negotiation424201m²559m²Spacious Modern Living - Summerland School ZoneThis beautiful home has been cherished by its owner for the past 22 years the time has come as they move forward into retirement It now boasts brand-new carpets and fresh coats of paint including the roof - all the hard work has been done ready for a new family to make it their own Featuring two living areas with high ceilings in the front lounge two bathrooms (including master with ensuite) an internal access double garage and loads of storage space there is more than enough room for you and the family to spread out and enjoy The spacious layout extends outdoors to a private garden and covered patio-ideal for entertaining or peaceful relaxation the amazing backyard is perfect for children and pets to safely play the property offers convenient walkability to quality schools at all levels and all the amenities at Lincoln Rd you have all you need within easy reach This delightful home offers both comfort and community connection Call Team Fiona Li now and arrange a time to view or come along to our open homes *Property particulars have been obtained by a third party More women have fallen victim to a Martin Henderson romance scam leaving them heartbroken and out of pocket by tens of thousands of dollars after watching a video of Henderson last week warning people not to believe the scammers saying they too had fallen victim to someone pretending to be the well-known Kiwi actor One says her friend is a victim but still believes she is in a relationship with Henderson The Herald recently revealed an American fan of Henderson’s hit Netflix drama Virgin River had lost $375,000 thinking she was in a relationship with Henderson Lea had been in daily contact with the person for two years and recently moved to New Zealand to start a life with the former Shortland Street star. Henderson, in New Zealand filming season 5 of My Life is Murder hit out at scammers and urged fans to cease all contact with anyone saying they were him has told the Herald she was also in daily contact with the scammer and had been in a relationship with him for a year She said the scammer was “the first man I had talked to” after the death of her boyfriend who was the “love of my life” years earlier She transferred more than $120,000 through Venmo and Zelle over the year The scammer told her he needed to buy tickets and make arrangements to be with her without his management knowing “I feel like an absolute idiot and can’t believe I have done this,” Ally said “My sister would freak out if she knew when I have done.” Ally said the scammer would message her each morning with promises they would be together soon “He was a lovely boyfriend – very attentive – but now I know it was all fake The messages started on Telegram where the scammer had an account using Henderson’s name – complete with the authentic blue tick She has since learned the blue ticks can be doctored She only realised the relationship was fake when she watched Henderson’s message in the Herald “He also told me he couldn’t be with me in the States because he had an angioplasty surgery booked in New Zealand.” Fellow American woman Nelly was told Martin couldn’t be with her because he was in hospital after his legs were injured in a “freak accident” when filming in Morocco “I am speechlessly heartbroken and just need to find out the truth,” the woman said in an email Lea was told “Martin” couldn’t be with her because he had a heart attack and was in hospital in Johannesburg The scam is similar to one where AI-doctored images of Hollywood actor Brad Pitt in hospital were used to trick a French woman out of $1.5 million Another woman based in Britain revealed her friend had also been scammed but still believes she is speaking to the real Henderson “I have shown her the articles and tried to convince her but she just gets angry and said she is speaking to the real Martin Henderson – she won’t hear any different.” Another from Scotland emailed the Herald after realising she had been scammed She had been sending her ‘Martin’ Apple gift cards In return she received poetry and photos of Martin’s family in New Zealand “I bought Christmas presents and even made artwork for him after the passing of his dog,” the woman said “He said to me that he was going to come over to Scotland to buy a house for us both.” In an interview with the Herald last week Henderson described the scams as “sad and horrific” and said his heart went out to the women scammed Anthony Watson of Visa said fraud was one of the most prevalent and fastest-growing crimes scammers are using increasingly sophisticated methods to try to play on people’s emotions and fool you into sending them money “It only takes three seconds of audio to clone a voice using AI technology and create deepfake impersonations.” Watson warned against trusting messages from unknown sources clicking links in emails or over social media messages and said personal information should never be shared online “Information can unfortunately be used to create convincing strategies by threat actors like what we have seen happen in this case.” Kirsty Wynn is a senior journalist with more than 20 years of experience in Auckland newsrooms She has covered everything from crime and social issues to property and consumer affairs Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox and more info about our products and services © 2025 CNBC LLC. All Rights Reserved. A Division of NBCUniversal Data also provided by Northland shearer Toa Henderson has become the first debut finalist to win the Golden Shears Open in 15 years The Kaiwaka-based 34-year-old won Saturday night's competition "with remarkable comfort" Shearing Sports New Zealand spokesperson Doug Laing said Henderson defeated defending champion Leon Samuels four-times winner John Kirkpatrick and 2015 victor Gavin Mutch beating Wairarapa hope David Buick by eight seconds "I've been dreaming of this since I was this high," Henderson said To come off first and hold the trophy means more to me than anything." Joel Henare claimed his 11th consecutive Golden Shears Open woolhandling title an Australian team beat the New Zealand team in a trans-Tasman showdown Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Golden Shears President Trish Stevens shares her love of the wool industry and which heats the one to watch at this year's shearing and woolhandling championship event in Masterton "It was just an extra big day at work really." Thousands are flocking to Wairarapa this week as Masterton gears up for the 63rd Golden Shears Golden Shears President Trish Stevens spoke to Alexa Cook Country RSS Follow RNZ News improved pedestrian access and better cycling infrastructure is on the way after Henderson-Massey Local Board approved a $1million investment in five transport projects to enhance safety and sustainability in key areas of the community The upgrades focus on creating a safer and more accessible urban environment the projects aim to enhance daily commutes and encourage sustainable transport options Board Chair Chris Carter emphasised the importance of the projects The board allocated $1,008,841 to the following projects: Tui Glen Henderson Creek Shared Path – Sections B & C: $10,000 to complete the ongoing path upgrade and lighting work at Tui Glen/Chilcott Brae Peninsula Primary School Pedestrian Crossing Upgrade: $160,000 for a raised zebra crossing on Waipani Road ensuring safer routes for students and families Tui Glen Henderson Creek Shared Path Lighting – Section A: $445,000 to improve lighting along Toi-Coletta Esplanade enhancing safety for pedestrians and cyclists Keeling Road Cycling Path: $230,000 to create a dedicated cycling route Awaroa Road Pedestrian Improvements: $163,841 to upgrade crossings and footpaths the board also agreed where to prioritise funding should more funding or cost savings become available The first priority is ensuring any existing projects receive additional funding if needed to complete them on time The second priority would be to apply any extra funds to: Henderson-Massey Bus Stop Upgrades ($60,000) Great North Road Slip Lane Crossing Improvements ($375,000) This is a prudent measure that will mean any and all leftover money is spent wisely Fifty cyclists – including a Kiwi star of a global Netflix hit series – took to the roads of Matakana on Saturday morning to stage a protest; against themselves. Dubbed The Cycle Against Cyclists, the event saw riders intentionally blocking traffic to send a message to motorists: “Donate to the Coastal Trail and get us off the road.” Protesters were joined by Kiwi actor Martin Henderson, who is known for his roles in Shortland Street Grey’s Anatomy and Netflix drama Virgin River Starting at Wrights Rd and ending at Matakana Wharf Reserve the demonstration drew large crowds and elicited honks of support from drivers – an outcome organisers had hoped for To turn road rage into positive change by encouraging motorists to contribute to the completion of the Coastal Trail a dedicated off-road cycling path designed to separate cyclists from motorists and improve safety for all road users Fundraising manager for the Coastal Trail Meg Eriksen highlighted the growing tensions between cyclists and motorists in the Matakana region “Matakana has long been a favourite destination for both cyclists and motorists renowned for its stunning countryside and vibrant village and market,“ she said the shared use of narrow roads has fuelled rising tensions with increasing road-rage incidents and dangerous driving threatening the community’s tranquillity “The roads around Matakana have become unsafe for cyclists and stressful for motorists It’s time for a solution that works for everyone.” additional funding is needed to complete the project “Today’s protest wasn’t just about frustration; it was about finding common ground,” Eriksen said “Cyclists and motorists alike want safer roads But we need the community’s support to make it happen.” Supporters of the project point to the success of similar trails across New Zealand such as the Otago Central Rail Trail and the Hauraki Rail Trail “Getting cyclists off the road is something both cyclists and motorists can finally agree on Armstrong Williams takes on the news of the week and asks the questions you want answered. Don’t miss our weekly town hall. 'He isn't alone': Deputy Larry Henderson remembered as hero after tragic incidentby James Pilcher CINCINNATI (WKRC) — Retired Hamilton County Deputy Larry Henderson was remembered as being calm and a true warrior in the aftermath of his death Henderson was struck and killed by a car while directing traffic at the University of Cincinnati's graduation ceremony on Friday The vehicle was driven by Rodney Hinton Jr. was killed by Cincinnati police the day before Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey expressed deep sorrow over Henderson's death tremendous person he is and what a tremendous loss we have all suffered," McGuffey said "Our deputy had just retired just a few months ago and continued on in service as a special deputy we were incredibly glad to have him." who served the sheriff's office for 33 years the sheriff's office honored his extensive service and dedication A makeshift memorial has been set up at the site of the incident Sheriff's cruisers adorned with blue ribbons and cards were seen at several precinct offices on Monday calling him "the very best human ever." Newtown Police Chief Tom Synan posted that he was the first to have your back and the first to check on you and help said it didn't matter who you were; Henderson would take a bullet for you if needed Sheriff McGuffey assured that Henderson will be accompanied by someone from her office until he is laid to rest "I can tell the public and all of law enforcement out there that our deputy will not be alone There will be someone with him until the day that he transitions to higher ground," said McGuffey Funeral and memorial arrangements for Deputy Henderson are still being finalized and will be shared on Local 12's website and app as soon as they are available The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office on May 4 identified the veteran deputy who was struck and killed near the University of Cincinnati campus two days earlier as Larry Henderson Henderson retired in December after working 33 years with the Hamilton County Sheriff's office, according to a Facebook post on Dec. 20 from the department He worked as a bomb technician and was a member of the dive team that performed water rescues and searches He still worked traffic details like the one outside a May 2 commencement ceremony at the University of Cincinnati Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey described him as a “tremendous person.”  “He was so well-liked and well-known,” McGuffey said “In Deputy Henderson’s early tenure as a Sheriff’s Deputy I recognized his talent for teaching and presentation," she said in a release "Larry began his journey as a Sheriff’s Office trainer early in his career He developed an expertise and became an excellent trainer he trained divisions of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office that included hundreds of deputy sheriffs His ability to relate to and touch officers’ lives was extraordinary We will continue to honor Larry’s life of service.” Even before Henderson's name was released to the public praise for him and his work spread among friends and colleagues "This is devastating. I had worked with him since we were young cops,” Newtown Police Chief Tom Synan said in a Facebook post “Always one of the first to check on and help you Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine expressed their sympathies in a statement Friday night "Fran and I are saddened to learn about the Hamilton County deputy hit by a vehicle and killed in the line of duty today," DeWine said in the statement "I have been briefed on the ongoing investigation and am sickened by what appears to be an intentional act of violence We offer our sincere condolences to the deputy’s family Henderson had been hit by a car beforeHenderson had been struck by an automobile before in the line of duty. In 2015, Henderson and another deputy were hit by a car that lost control and spun out as they investigated a crash on the ramp "We want to thank our fellow law enforcement officers and everyone who has offered condolences and support during this incredibly difficult time," McGuffy said "Please keep the Henderson family as well as our department in your thoughts and prayers We will share funeral arrangements in the near future." Police are investigating a violent incident outside a West Auckland shopping mall where a group of youths was filmed attacking a man Footage of a man being kicked while he lay on the ground was captured on camera and shared on social media Waitematā West Police Inspector Kelly Farrant said about 8pm on March 7 a group of men approached a group of young people smashing bottles on Railside Ave “One of the males was assaulted and this was witnessed by members of the public,” she said “Police arrived on scene and spoke with the victim who declined to make a statement to police or be treated further.” Farrant said police carried out patrols around West City and found five youths aged between 8 and 13 and a 19-year-old male believed to be involved “The 19-year-old was arrested on an unrelated warrant to arrest,” she said the other young persons were transported home A witness said the “little s***s” were ”attacking two old men” Pretty sure the men they attacked are homeless,” they said Toa Henderson didn’t get much sleep in the two weeks leading up to the Golden Shears finals in Masterton at the weekend Each night he would sit up to 1am watching footage of previous Open Finals “I didn’t want to get into the grand final and not know what to do,” he said relaxing at his Kaiwaka home in Northland with wife Phoebe and children Te Aketa On Saturday night Henderson became the first first-time Golden Shears Open finalist to win shearing’s top prize in 15 years. The achievement had been a goal since he was a youngster. “It’s a dream come true,” the 34-year-old said. “I had watched Rowland Smith, John Kirkpatrick and David Fagan all holding the trophy and I told my wife ‘I’m going to do that one day.’” Henderson’s family were involved in the shearing industry and aged 17 he headed to Western Australia, where for the next eight years he worked in shearing sheds. On returning home, he refined his craft and at the 2023 Golden Shears thought he may have been ready to push some of the guns, but that was not the case. With a new focus, Henderson developed a reputation for the hours spent travelling throughout the country to contest shearing competitions. On occasion he would drive six or seven hours from Kaiwaka to Hawke’s Bay to compete and then drive home, often with his father, Mike, alongside. It paid off. Last season he was the No 1 ranked Open shearer with 11 wins in 16 finals. In February he won both the Otago Shears and Southern Shears, to give him 37 Open final wins in New Zealand. Henderson said he was very relaxed going into the final. “I went into a mindset, I was relaxed, I had a V (drink) and some water and away I went.”  The final went as he hoped and his 2.13 point win surprisingly comfortable. He dispatched his 20 sheep in 16min 15.779sec, eight seconds quicker than eight-time finalist and local Wairarapa hope David Buick. Third was Riverton shearer Casey Bailey, a runner-up last year with Marlborough shearer Angus Moore fourth, Southlander Nathan Stratford fifth in the final for a 12th time, and Mataura shearer Brett Roberts sixth, also in his first final. Two-times world individual woolhandling champion Joel Henare claimed his 11th consecutive Golden Shears Open woolhandling title, beating 2023-2024 New Zealand representative Tia Potae, 2019 World Championships representative Pagan Rimene and 2024 senior winner and now first-year open woolhandler Vinniye Phillips. The Australian shearing team of Daniel McIntyre, Nathan Meaney and Jamie Boothman beat the New Zealand team of Leon Samuels, Jack Fagan and Chris Vickers in the Transtasman shearing test, repeating their victory from Katanning, West Australia, last October. A New Zealand team of Rimene and Ngaio Hanson won the woolhandling test on Friday night. 8 Weld Street,P.O Box 529,Feilding, New Zealand0800 85 25 80 Waitakere CityAsking Price $1,299,000427610m²When only the best will do!Nestled on a generous 610sqm freehold section this solid brick and tile home offers the perfect blend of comfort this standout property boasts ample off-street parking for your boat in addition to a large internal access double garage All of this is securely tucked behind a fully fenced section with an electric gate providing ultimate security and privacy for your family and your assets including master suite with walk-in robe and renovated ensuite • Renovated family bathroom with separate shower and bathtub • Two generous living areas plus a separate dining room perfect for both everyday living and entertaining • A well-appointed kitchen with appliances and gas hob • Double glazing and central heating throughout for year-round comfort Enjoy indoor-outdoor flow with both dining and living areas opening onto a sun-drenched deck covered by an Archgola with café curtains - ideal for relaxing or entertaining no matter the season • Dual school zoning for Western Heights Primary and Summerland Primary • A short stroll to Henderson Heights shops or searching for the perfect home to retire this well-maintained and versatile property ticks all the boxes Don't miss your chance to secure a home that offers so much more than just great looks - it's a lifestyle upgrade waiting to be enjoyed Contact us today to arrange a viewing - your next chapter starts here By RNZ A pedestrian has been left in a critical condition in Auckland after being hit by a vehicle on Lincoln Road in Henderson Emergency services were called to the scene - which closed Lincoln Road - at 10.20am Hato Hone St John said the person was taken to Auckland City Hospital in a critical condition The area was cordoned off but has since reopened additional reporting by the New Zealand Herald A man has been charged with assaulting a female at a West Auckland train station amid a flurry of reports of “creepy behaviour” on social media Police are urging others in the community who have witnessed suspicious activity to call 111 after residents reported people attempting to chase or grab their children before running off A 40-year-old man was arrested over the assault that occurred near Sturges Rd Train Station in Henderson before 10am on Monday with police saying they could not rule out further charges “The victim is understandably shaken by what occurred and we are ensuring there is support available for her,” Waitematā West area prevention manager Inspector Kelly Farrant said “The community can be reassured of police patrols in the vicinity of Sturges Rd over the next few days.” The arrest came after a woman posted on a community Facebook page about an incident yesterday morning involving her teenage daughter She claimed a man in a black car tried to pull her 16-year-old daughter into his vehicle at the Sturges Rd train station The post was one of several social media reports of suspicious behaviour in recent weeks across western suburbs which police are looking into It included a Massey mum who said a man was scared off their property after he reached through a ranch slider door and tried to grab the arm of her 10-year-old daughter at the weekend Police said they were aware of a report of suspicious activity in Massey regarding a curtain over an open door being disturbed before 5am Sunday “Our staff cleared the property and nearby Triangle Park After seeing posts about “dangerous and creepy behaviour”, another person said her daughter and two friends, aged 10 and 11, were chased through Pooks Reserve in Rānui by three masked men with toy guns two weeks ago saw the youngsters followed by the group of masked men in a Toyota Funcargo Police said they were looking into an incident on January 18 near Pooks Reserve involving water guns Another Rānui resident said their son alerted them to someone in a black mask through trees at the back of their Hetherington Rd property He said the person ran towards the exit of their driveway and noted a car had driven down their road just before the sighting Farrant said police were aware of social media posts regarding suspicious behaviour in West Auckland in recent weeks and appreciated they would be “concerning” for the community “While a lot of information is rightly shared on community Facebook pages we would like to take this opportunity to stress the importance of firstly reporting any suspicious activity to Police directly.” The idea of standing up and audibly ‘crying out’ to God through fervent praise and worship—or simply allowing her tears to flow—once made Leah Gavin nervous at her first Cry Out Conference Gavin, a devoted member of The Lighthouse Church and Ministries, has deeply valued the fellowship and networking opportunities provided by the faith conference hosted by Pastor Keion Henderson — founder and senior pastor of TLHC — and his wife knowing that Pastor Henderson’s steps are divinely ordered and that everything he and Lady Shaunie do reflects excellence “Last year I got my ticket before I knew who was going to be here because I knew the Lord was going to be here the Holy Spirit was going to be here because he dwells in that church,” she said “Now it doesn’t matter who else is in the room I’m in the room and I know God is in the room and that’s what matters,” Gavin said “They [the Hendersons] made it definitely comfortable You see all the people around you who are comfortable with praising It’s part of the holistic experience that the Hendersons aim to curate for attendees — a safe place where they can heal be vulnerable and authentic to themselves in their worship and “cry out” without faking or caring who’s watching they succeeded in creating an atmosphere filled with tears and powerful expressions of faith as the third-floor general assembly room resonated with heartfelt praise and singers alike released moments of worship some overcome by the spirit—falling to the floor in reverence as they were gently covered with a cloth “It’s just liberating,” said Evangelist LaTrice Ryan who attended Cry Out Con for the first time this year and preached a passionate evening keynote on Day two of the conference There are thousands and legions of angels crying We don’t come to a Cry Out conference to be quiet.” The multi-day event showcased powerful keynote addresses from renowned preachers across the country, including Pastor John Hannah of New Life Covenant Church Southeast in Chicago and Pastor Eric Thomas, widely recognized as “ET, The Hip Hop Preacher.” Attendees engaged in thought-provoking breakout sessions tailored for men and women the conference fostered meaningful fellowship and connections with lively dance breaks by Houston DJ Kiotti also known as ‘Hardbody Kiotti,’ who played popular hits like “Boots on the Ground.” The event also featured electrifying musical performances from Todd Dulaney This year’s conference theme, “A.I. All In,” builds upon the transformative foundation at the genesis of Cry Out Con, but also serves as a metaphor to today’s growing presence of artificial intelligence in everyday life. Henderson recently shared that he has used ChatGPT “That same eagerness that you have to go all in on this technology you should have that same devotion to go all in to your relationship with God for everything that you do,” said Brian Smith chief of communications at The Lighthouse Church and Ministries Organizers reported that more than 3,000 attendees traveled both locally and from out of state The conference also drew participants from five different countries—Australia and England—underscoring its global impact he said it challenged him to be more open-minded he noticed a greater number of men in attendance and felt that the event was more in-depth and intentional including powerful female preachers like Ryan Thomas echoed that message that it’s not a conference during his morning keynote on the second day of the conference He also emphasized that he rarely participates in events or shows choosing only to be where the spirit of the Lord is truly present.  “I knew that this wasn’t a show or an event that they are literally trying to help people transform,” Thomas said to ESSENCE “They’re giving them the tools that they need to transform.” providing a safe space for popular comedians Simone and Pretty Vee to own the stage.  Best friends and fellow preacher’s kids, B. Simone and Pretty Vee shared their gratitude to Pastor Keion and Lady Shaunie Henderson for the invitation God had to rest on Pastor Keion and Lady Shaunie’s hearts for us to bring us here.” it doesn’t always signify pain—it can be something good “I’ve had moments in my prayer corner where I’m just like ‘This is crazy what you’ve brought me through,’ I’m just grateful And sometimes you have to cry out to let go,” she said He can’t heal something you’re not acknowledging Simone shared that she has realized her calling—to serve as a bridge between culture and the kingdom She expressed gratitude for the opportunity to embody that purpose at the conference the person that made me ‘famous,’ or that B you can still walk and be yourself and be crazy and fun and outgoing and a little ghetto the conference is taking its mission on the road to Jackson Mississippi—a city where Henderson believes the conference is sorely needed Taking Cry Out Con to Jackson makes it closer to other cities like Nashville where many attendees typically travel from.  “They’ve been crying out and Houston is going to answer.” Toa Henderson is crowned Ford Ranger New Zealand Rural Games speed shear champion in Palmerston North Only a week after the biggest success of his career in Masterton Kaiwaka’s favourite gun shore the six-man 20-sheep final in Kumeū on Saturday in 16m 2.09s pipping Te Kūiti gun Jack Fagan by just 1.63s Henderson also posted the second-best quality points His winning margin of 2.881 points enabled him to retain the title a week after missing out on a place in the 2024 Golden Shears final but on his way to becoming the No 1-ranked open shearer for the season and fourth was Te Kūiti shearer Mark Grainger who was last to finish but had the best board and pen quality points Two other titles also went to Northland shearers who graced the stage on the big finals day at the Golden Shears seven days earlier Ruawai shearer Tommy Stevenson won a senior final that included four of the Golden Shears senior finalists who had to settle for fifth place on Saturday followed up a fifth placing at Masterton by winning Saturday’s intermediate final in the Palmerston North Square 24 hours later Henderson pipped Fagan again as he beat the reigning Rural Games speed shear champion in the event’s 2025 two-sheep head-to-head final Henderson shore the two in 42.86s, with Fagan shearing 43.6s, having a few minutes earlier top-qualified with a 17.4s single-sheep shear, as the pair faced each other in the semifinals, eliminating Brett Roberts, of Mataura, and Paerata Abraham, of Masterton. A rare absentee from the invited field was Marton shearer Jimmy Samuels, who in 2023 won the event for a second time. On Saturday, he won a speed shear at Wongarbon near Dubbo, New South Wales. Open final (20 sheep): Toa Henderson (Kaiwaka) 16m 2.09s, 53.955pts, 1; Jack Fagan (Te Kūiti) 16m 3.72s, 56.836pts, 2; Simon Goss (Whanganui) 16m 39.86s, 56.943pts, 3; Mark Grainger (Te Kūiti) 18m 1.78s, 54.089pts, 4; Digger Balme (Ōtorohanga) 17m 43.78s, 60.039pts, 5; Dane Phillips (Kaiwaka) 19m 1.91s, 64.196pts, 6. Senior final (10 sheep): Tommy Stevenson (Ruawai) 11m 3.91s, 37.896pts, 1; Gabriel Winders (Kakanui) 11m 5.75s, 38.488pts, 2; Laura Bradley (Papatawa) 11m 10.44s, 39.022pts, 3; John Cherrington (Ōamaru) 10m 52.02s, 39.201pts, 4; Bruce Grace (Wairoa) 10m 57.38s, 39.269pts, 5; Callum Bosley (England/Ōtorohanga) 11m 30.94s, 41.427pts, 6. Intermediate final (4 sheep): Hamuera Henderson (Kaiwaka) 5m 49.41s, 25.971pts, 1; Sarah Bryant (Arohena) 6m 17.25s, 27.363pts, 2; Matthew Smith (Ōtorohanga) 6m 38.64s, 28.932pts, 3; Rex Finlayson (Kai Iwi Lakes) 7m 16.42s, 35.571pts, 4; Shanelle Kemp (Maungatūroto) 6m 54.33s, 38.217pts, 5; Paul Finlayson (Kai Iwi Lakes) 7m 9.91s, 41.746pts, 6. Junior final (3 sheep): Jodiesha Kirkpatrick (Gisborne) 5m 50.5s, 24.525pts, 1; Tessa Berger (Ahuroa) 6m 32.53s, 29.96pts, 2; Cam Henson (Woodville) 6m 13.73s, 33.687pts, 3; Jordan Hildreth (Woodhill) 5m 30.45s, 52.19pts, 4; Nicklin Connor (Dairy Flats) 6m 39.14s, 53.29pts, 5. Novice final (1 sheep): Joshua White (Parakai) 3m 24s, 33.2pts, 1; Hamish Twaddle (Whangārei) 3m 18.22s, 36.911pts, 2; Dave Twaddle (Whangārei) 2m 45.84s, 37.292pts, 3. Waitakere CityAsking Price $1,975,00043103.21haESTATE SALE - Live in ParadiseSet amidst the breathtaking Waitakere Ranges this rare property offers a unique home-and-income lifestyle Tee off in your backyard on over 7.9 acres (more or less) of undulating park-like land-this is not just a home; it's a lifestyle The main residence is a blend of modern elegance fully renovated with high stud cathedral ceilings in the spacious lounge The modern kitchen is designed for entertaining seamlessly flowing into an open-plan living space with stunning Native Tawa Timber flooring throughout which includes a below deck spa and pool offering panoramic views of the city the main home features two double bedrooms and a single with the master boasting an ensuite and sweeping views of the city This property also offers not one but two home and income opportunities with a 1- bedroom minor dwelling complete with its own bathroom provides additional versatility and more income potential this property is a sanctuary with a majestic 400-year-old kauri tree at the entrance and is a haven for native birds it offers serene privacy and a modest commute to the CBD Join us for our open homes this weekend or schedule a private viewing Let's turn your dream lifestyle into reality **Important Note: Original 1950s main dwelling permitted as a 2 bedroom home Get a renovation loan up to $70K and bring your vision to life New Zealand Shears Open champion Toa Henderson will be joined by Te Kuiti’s Jack Fagan for the Wools of New Zealand Shearing tour which will comprise at least six shearing test matches across four countries in the United Kingdom and France this year who earned his place with his win in Te Kuiti on March 29 will be donning the black singlet and silver fern for the first time but this will be the third test series in a row for Te Kuiti shearer Fagan after a UK tour last year and a trans-Tasman series in the summer Fagan makes the trip as third placegetter in the New Zealand Shears Circuit final Winner and New Zealand-based Scots international Gavin Mutch is ineligible for New Zealand team selection is unable to spare the six weeks away from his King Country farm with drought ravaging the region The team will be managed by shearing judge Neil Fagan who had several seasons shearing in the UK They will open the tour with tests against Scotland at the Lochearnhead Shears on June 28 and England at the Great Yorkshire Show at Harrogate on July 9 They will then cross the English Channel to face France at the French Shears in Boussac on July 13 and return to the UK for a three-match series against Wales with tests at Cothi on July 19 the Royal Welsh Show on July 23 and the Corwen Shears on July 26.  New Zealand teams have shorn shearing tests in the UK almost annually for more than 30 years with reciprocal series against Wales in New Zealand now held each year A Northland father-of-two has become only the fifth person ever to win the Golden Shears and Open Shear Championship in the same year Toa Henderson took out the open shear title in Te Kūiti on Saturday and earlier this month became the first debut finalist to win the Golden Shears Open in 15 years in Masterton The 34-year-old also became the first person in more than three decades to shear 25 sheep in less than 20 minutes ticking it off in 19 minutes and 57 seconds "They used to shear 25 sheep back in the day Sir David Fagan wanted to bring it back this year to try it out and see what it's like It was hard work but it was a good final." Henderson said he'd been travelling every weekend for shearing competitions so he was looking forward to some time off Later this year he would travel to Europe to compete Henderson said he has been shearing since he was a teenager "I grew up at school at the shearing sheds and when I was 15 I left school The princpal let me go because he knew it was what I wanted to do and I was wasting time at school did 10 years over there and came back to New Zealand in 2017 and got back into the show shearing circuit." Henderson said his two boys aged 5 and 4 loved seeing the media coverage their dad had been getting this year He said they also loved travelling around to the competitions to watch him The Northland shearer has become the first debut finalist to win the Golden Shears Open in 15 years The Golden Shears is underway in Masterton and from early Thursday the War Memorial Stadium has been buzzing to the sound of shears woolhandlers' brooms and the cranking of wool presses Shearing is in the blood for the Wairarapa-based Gordon family who have been competing in the Golden Shears international shearing and woolhandling contest for decades This year's competition features 22 categories across the shearing sports as the event bounces back after Covid-related cancellations Over the long weekend rail shutdown a new project got underway, an upgrade to Henderson station but the plans highlight that improving the customer experience by making it easier to use public transport is not a part of Auckland Transport’s agenda Work begins later this Labour Weekend on a third platform and additional tracks at Henderson Station which will enable more frequent and reliable train services as part of the City Rail Link (CRL) programme The Auckland Transport (AT) and KiwiRail project is expected to be completed in early 2026 AT’s Director of Public Transport and Active Modes Stacey van der Putten says weekday train services will typically run as normal while Henderson Station is being upgraded “Major construction works are planned to take place while the rail network is closed during the Christmas period and long weekends in 2025 There’ll be replacement buses running during these times so Aucklanders still have reliable public transport options the third platform and major track infrastructure upgrades at Henderson mean more frequent trains that can connect them to more places across Auckland.” other modifications to Henderson Station include the construction of a new emergency exit bridge at the southern end of the station Having staff based in Henderson will allow faster responses to any issues on the Western Line The third platform allows some trains to be turned around at end of service (operational improvement) while keeping two tracks available for trains travelling to Swanson all of the lifts and escalators at Henderson Station will be replaced as they have reached the end of their serviceable life This portion of the project will start from mid-November 2024 The replacements have been sequenced to minimise disruption felt by passengers meaning that no additional timetable changes or station closures will be required There are a few different things in there so let’s break it down First the good, that AT will be replacing the lifts and escalators at the station. As I highlighted back in March the lifts at Henderson have been incredibly unreliable of late with outages on at least one of the lifts on a combined 167 days over the course of a year This made the station unusable for many people including those with disabilities or or parents with prams There will obviously be more disruption to access as these are replaced over the coming eight months but at least there is an end in sight Less good is the additional platform to turn trains around. As I’ve argued before this will become much faster and more reliable that driving All up there is a huge potential for growth in usage from this area but that will be limited if AT don’t extend the additional services the CRL enables west of Henderson To me this feels like it’s all about a focus on moving trains rather than moving people AT provided me this image of what is planned for the station and it is quite different to earlier plans (shown later in the post) this will involve extending the existing platform by around 120m to the south and turning the existing Platform 2 into a dock platform A new Platform 3 will then be created by widening and extending the northern end of the platform with a new track squeezed west of the existing track The previous plan for additional platforms are shown below and shows new platforms in the carpark beside the existing station New access would also have been needed though the former council building and I wonder if that was impacted by the sale of the building of if they were just trying to avoid the need for additional lifts and escalators etc if you happen to be at the back of a train that terminates here you’ll have around a 300m walk just to get out of the station My biggest concerns related to the new southern bridge and the lack of station/platform amenities The first of these is the question of why the new southern bridge is only going to be used for emergencies rather than for the public which could help make the station easier to access The Southern Access Bridge is being provided as a secondary egress route due to the length of platform and need to maintain diverse egress routes It also functions as an access to the train drivers break facility As for why it is not being proposed as a public entrance the point of entry to the wider station precinct would be at the Smythe Road / Henderson Valley Road intersection which is served by the current access bridge for passengers coming from the Western side of the Rail Corridor For passengers coming from the Eastern Side of the corridor the main destinations or passenger catchment areas are the Henderson Mall all of which are optimally served by the current entry The area that would be served by the Southern Access if it was made public would be largely industrial areas at the Southern End of Railside Avenue which are not a source of significant demand maybe adding a new bridge wouldn’t be a justified if it was just for improving access – though I feel we should be making all stations as easy to access as possible To get to the exit of that bridge via the current access is about a 300m walk so opening this up to the public is a 300m extension to the walking catchment To me this feels like AT falling into the trap of thinking that the current land use and travel patterns are permanent and can’t be changed In reality most of the land around and just southeast of the station has metropolitan centre zoning which means it could quite easily be redeveloped with more intense uses and that’s far more likely to happen after the CRL when Henderson could be just 30 minutes from the city The other amenities I’m concerned about is the shelter AT are adding a few bus shelters to the platform rather than proper shelter It would also be good if AT could put some passenger displays on the existing bridge used to access the station At the moment you have to tag on to get through the gates and then go down to the platform to find out if/when a train is due There are plenty of often small improvements at many of our stations that could make them much easier and more comfortable to use Upgrades like this one at Henderson are the perfect time to make those So they are building a second bridge…but people can’t use it Also peak AT: let’s build a new platform that isn’t future proofed so in future it will cause huge disruption and cost to rip it out and build the 3rd proper platform that we should’ve built in the first place They’re build an extra long train platform extension where the last carriage will be 300m south of the station entrance Then they’re building a new footbridge right at the new platform extension But they’re not going to open the footbridge to the public so you’ll have to walk 300m up then 300m back to get to the other side of the footbridge Thats further than walking from the current station escalators to Lincoln Road Don’t AT measure the catchment of stations at 500m So literally the other side of the new gated off station footbridge isn’t within the catchment of the station “Don’t AT measure the catchment of stations at 500m?” Generally station catchment is considered as 800m for trains and busways But in principle your comment holds up – lots of extra walking The more reasonable answer is what AT provided – there’s little current catchment that way I guess the good thing is that the bridge should easily be able to be opened to the public as some people will undoubtedly choose to use a train carriage that ends up at the furthest end “keep it cheap” is a clear priority Some questions to be asked of the design are: How may demand change in the future (covered at the end of the post) and how may the facilities be upgraded in the future (gated access at the southern stairs and shelter) I don’t understand why this station needs 3 platforms or why a dead end track needs to be created If bypass tracks are needed for freight or express services I also agree that terminating services at Henderson feels odd The idea here is that the Onehunga line will go from Henderson to Onehunga the less frequently the trains end up running Unless they’re going to invest in more rolling stock and drivers (which I think they should actually) the only other option to ensure reasonable frequency is to have the trains turn round at Henderson Its so they can cut peak trains short running then straight to and from the stabling yard at Henderson rather than going to the end of the line at Swanson Don’t worry about that Onehunga line there’s no way they’re actually going to run it out to Henderson They don’t have the trains and drivers to be running empty crosstown lines between suburbs The communication on this leaves a lot to be desired The replacement of lifts and escalators is scheduled for AT say during this time ” you will be able to use alternate transport.” What does this actually mean for those in wheelchairs It means “Your baby in the pushchair will be old enough to walk when it’s finished.” And of course today the lift isn’t working so those in wheelchairs etc are being advised to get off at Sturgess Rd or Sunnyvale then bus to Hendo On the topic of AT’s disinterest in passengers’ travel experiences the weirdest thing that I have noticed was when I was last on an AT train platform (Newmarket) was the lack of transport network maps all they had was a poster of a barcode that prompted your phone to open (or download) their app Not much good if your phone is dead (and it would be a trifling matter to include such a barcode on a network app) There are also more and more barcode scams so I’m cautious to use them in environments where someone could replace them without it being picked up The lack of printed network maps is a result of ATs belief that everyone should be forced to download and use the AT Mobile app ( assuming that customers have data on their phones ) This is part of an ongoing strategy to reduce the cost of updating printing and installing network maps that has been underway for 5 years It is being led by a group of “digital natives” within AT Those Shenzhen maps are very similar to ones we saw in Tokyo They also serve a purpose of highlighting local amenities – showing you places of interest in the local area so again showing how PT can be a great way to visit and learn AT did try to include this with a few half hearted signs at Avondale train station but not sure if that was rolled out beyond Putting lifts on the southern access would give redundancy for people in wheelchairs in case the other lifts go out but would add considerable capital and operational expense I would make it mandatory that all AT plans needed the sign off of greater Auckland.org I’m sure the folk at AT have the best of intentions but boy they miss the mark on most occasions in terms of customer experience and that at the end of the day is what we’ll drive passenger numbers which in turn will provide the revenue to fund and expand the network All their designs should be subject to peer review from “stakeholders” which should include disabled persons organisations often long before plans get public – and in my personal experience that very much includes groups like Bike Auckland But not all those comments are listened to (which to be fair they can’t – because different stakeholder groups have different opinions and because money is never not a concern to some level) Requiring “peer review” in some formal way wouldn’t change that There’s already much more of that going on than you might imagine which is one of the reasons it takes Council so long to do anything (I don’t want to bash that too much though – after all many of the comments of “Look at X-Country – they just go and do things!” ignores the fact that those countries simply override any local protest Pushing for more input is usually the right instinct but at some point the decisionmakers just have to… make the decision They can then get judged at the next election [They main problem with some of our key agencies is that even their top decisionmakers aren’t elected and our politicians have limited oversight – or choose not to exercise their oversight because “those bloody bureaucrats never listen” also makes such a lovely scapegoat the countries doing things well aren’t overriding public opinion They’re following the public’s informed decisions on city-wide direction knowing which part of a project is likely to gather complaints They also understand that giving up on delivering safety and improvements on the basis of a few naysayers The staff at AT have often managed design and consultation well only to have management overreact (fearfully or willingly) to minority vocal views change-averse people (who have generally never even experienced the changes proposed) have grown in their mistaken belief that consultation equips them with the right to prevent delivery of a safe and accessible environment Had AT been consistent that safety and equitable access was not negotiable there wouldn’t now be such unrealistic expectations I was mainly about countries doing things FAST… Most new designs and network maps are already reviewed by stakeholder groups including Blind and Low Vision plus a panel of regular PT users The head of AT Research was made redundant by an incoming AT leadership team member Following his departure key members of the insights team also quit One issue with that is we’re all unpaid volunteers We currently get invited to stakeholder meetings for some projects but it’s always a trade off of whether we take time off from our day jobs or if in the evening our families map makers and savvy marketing people at AT have been made redundant during several restructures Henderson is an extremely important station there is so much NOT IN SERVICE movements in our public transport fleet which is what the CRL will finally provide for us Clearly AT does not prioritise public transport even though it heavily advertises everything about it but this is clearly one of the problems with its mandate (the other We suffer incredible inefficiency as a city due to a motor normation and although it seems our council is defending us against those wallies in welly for us devotees of the publicly transported life we may have decades before the we can claim any minor victory against the car addicts that dominate our lands Why can a train station upgrade not be planned like Otahuhu Why are Westies not treated equally to Easties stakeholder and leadership team at AT are women The ideal would be to build sufficient flexibility into the system so that any number of train running patterns could be used in the future subject to passenger demand Whether that is what the have done well I don’t know I think that is behind the absolute monostrocity that has being built at Pukekohe I suppose build it once and build it right We can only watch and see what happens when everything hopefully falls into place or doesn’t when it’s all finished including the CRL My feelings is we are seeing fewer passengers blame the economic downturn Also it’s probably what’s behind the zero road toll over labour weekend A similar thing happened in the mid seventies with the oil crisis In my view the single most important improvement required at Henderson would be a pedestrian overbridge from the upper concourse directly into the shopping mall I don’t understand why planners think it’s acceptable for shoppers to have to go down to street level cross a road out in the open then access the shops through a car park What’s wrong with crossing a road (if it’s safe and doesn’t make you wait forever) Overpasses aren’t the end all and be-all (and how the mall welcomes people – through the car park or a nice ped entry) isn’t really the Council’s job to fix… convenience and shelter from the elements for rail users and pedestrians And if it isn’t the council’s job to provide facilities and services for the community then what’s the point of it Your not advocating for any of that; your advocating for a hermetically sealed bubble Should the council also pay for an escalator the whole way as well Sure it would be nice if you were visiting the mall but the mall should be paying for it They could vastly improve the experience for people arriving by public transport without a bridge and they choose not to If the mall owners want that they should pay for it Just like how the developer of Sylvia Park paid for the train station there Double track to Helensville and that will move quantum passengers relieving the gridlock on SH 16 and the northwest motorway Shane Jones supposedly had it funded in the previous government’s wish list Is there enough patronage to justify the expense of double tracking and 6 trains per hour to Helensville I can see an hourly shuttle service making sense and I’d rather not advocate for suburban sprawl all the way up the Kaipara Northwestern busway’s going to be far quicker for Kumeu-Huapai trips even after the CRL opens and even presuming AT get up to running the trains as fast as CAF said they could go As far as I know the sprawl is already happening from Brigham Creek to Huapai This would also enable better PT access to Muriwai if done well NORs on busway 20 years so unlikely to happen soon and ridiculous ajs rcpensive idea for an area that has had 3+ enormous floods in last 4 years. unless you are a benefactor on gravy train that cones up with these impractical ideas. kumeu huapai community and beyond has been lobbying for train service for over a decade how is it different to run a train and a busway to the same flood prone township Or is this just a convenient argument of “train good anything else bad” bias Rapid transit down the SH16 route would take less than 40 minutes to get to the city AND enable transfers at Westgate to get to the North Shore which per the 2018 census is a bigger employment destination for Kumeu-Huapai residents than Henderson Not to mention there’s a lot of suburbs along the way that would get true rapid transit service – Royal Park and a much smaller investment to extend said busway from Brigham Creek to Huapai and unlock buses every 5 minutes or better at peak than to completely reconstruct double track and electrify a rail line for an hour+ long trip into the city safer to ride & can take bikes etc easier could be a factor for the bias those arguing for trains over “loser cruisers” (buses) aren’t usually standing up for cycleways But I am sure that some fall into that category I think once we get true rapid transit down SH16 efficiency and wider flexibility (transfers) will see the arguments for the train falling away a fair bit and instead further extension of the busway out west being demanded many can’t comprehend just how good a proper NW busway will be “….aren’t usually standing up for cycleways” they aren’t likely to be cyclists… Just to be clear I’m in favour of all three Agree the busway properly done would be great Trains to Huapai could work as a shuttle if the balance of spend and service is just right the bus way will take decades and wipe out peoples homes currently buses sit in the same traffic on mostly a single lane road trains are easier to access by mobility impaired and are a far more enjoyable form of public transport How much does rolling stock to buy or upgrade run the shuttles (assuming that model of operation) track leasing off Kiwirail and all the planning costs etc to work around their freight schedules It’s a single track line as well isn’t it work around Freight schedules … 1 freight train a day going North (if that) if you go to kumeu you will see the railway sits much higher than the road 2 more lanes of tarseal= removal of even more permeable ground Kumeu is linear with a railway on one side and river on the other this plan will destroy Kumeu and Huapai as it will mostly be tarseal if the busway goes through not very environmental all that run off going into the Kumeu river there has already been enough bad planning inflicted on the area Isn’t there a bunch of Kumeu-Huapai residents championing an alternate proposal for growth and transport corridors – including proper Northwestern RTN – away from the flood-prone river areas you can get to the north shore from Kumeu-Huapai-Riverhead already there is a bus service that goes along Riverhead-Coastville highway then right at top of Albany hill *sigh*… but the 126 is not rapid or frequent transit Thomas or does your generation have no understanding of the convenience and capacity of 10-15 minute turn-up-and-go no-timetable-needed frequencies yes there is a group trying to get the main centre area of development moved to higher ground their main focus is getting by pass in that goes via this area it really makes no sense focusig on the area they want to put the double bus lanes through at Kumeu-Huapai it has become even more flood prone with all the development incl SHA storm water going into the river loss of huge amounts of permeable ground near the river the filling in of 7 hec of flood plain next to the river with intensive housing has already caused major issues when the river is in flood putting a bus corridor here will just encourage more filling in of flood plain next to river this river is catchment for the Waitakeri ranges unless they plan on building dykes and windmills unsure why land was not put aside in the Huapai triangle (a recent development on the other side of the railway line) if they wanted a bus lanes have a good understanding of how real rapid infrastructure works its normally trains (incl underground) that are the back bone with trams and buses connecting to these networks the trains we use probably dont quite cut it yet much quicker boarding/exiting with trains and their multitude of doors easier for mobility impaired to board (normally level with platform) does your generation not think about the elderly bike users who might want to on travel and mums;) Rem the elderly lady that died falling down the stairs of a bus enjoy waiting an hour for a rattly half-century old diesel railcar if that’s what you really want or open your mind and come have a go on the northern busway never said the northern busway isnt effective for the North Shore just not convinced it is the solution for the north west Get frequency is impt but this is subsidized by rate payers We see a lot of buses with only 2-3 people wouldnt it be better using a mini bus for these services that have very little patronage 126 would not have patronage to be too frequent atm Trains have much quicker boarding/exiting with trains and their multitude of doors bike users who might want to on travel and mums with prams 😉 Rem the elderly lady that died falling down the stairs of a bus also what is the obsession with frequency? isnt it better to have a nearly full vehicle than something running every 10-15 mins with a handful of people which is what we are seeing with some of these bus services not really cost effective use of rate payer funds i can see you’re stuck in the dogged old mentality of “why can’t they follow the timetable” to not be stuck if you miss your bus/train/tram to make on-the-fly choices and modify your journey to do other things It elevates public transport to be more comparable to the oft-touted freedoms of driving a private vehicle As well as visiting the Northern Busway i might recommend catching the 120 as well even with double deckers at peak times and good loadings even offpeak and naturally AT are slacking off at upgradin git to a frequent route It proves that the Westgate to Constellation corridor is perfect for a crosstown rapid transit corridor and as much as you deny or cherrypick it Thomas it’s another argument that Huapai mass transit SHOULD connect to Westgate “also what is the obsession with frequency?” Frequency is everything, man. “Frequency is freedom”: https://humantransit.org/2011/12/how-frequent-is-freedom.html Most of us can’t precisely time an arrival at a PT stop so on average the waiting time for a ride is half the frequency That wait time you can effectively add to your journey time get waiting time/travelling time around use of p.t but there are aps that help both with calculating how long to get to p.t stop and movements of p.t Shouldnt it be up to the individual to work this out rather than run services that are not cost effective to rate payers there are plenty of services that dont pay their way (ie very low patronage) thomas i would worry more about the economic losses of traffic congestion and this government subsidising parasites – i mean landlords- to the tune of billions that’s far more wasteful than running public transport conveniently frequent enough to attract people out of cars so if it’s low patronage out there then it maybe too much for rail OR bus at a HIGHER frequency Grant..could low patronage per bus be due to frequency atm being too high for the population to full these buses Years back before the super city the buses used to be full but there were less of them Maybe Public transport needs to be bought back to being publicly owned so there is more flexibility around not running buses when no one is using Most rate payers are not happy about funding buses with no customers One of the best things about Ellerslie station is the continuous cover from platform up the stairs and over the motorway footbridge to the village shops This is the kind of thing that encourages public transport – you stay drier on rainy days on your way to drinks/dinner than parking on side streets And no being stabbed in the eye by passing umbrellas on the stairs in the rain Am hoping but doubting the massive new stairs at Middlemore will eventually be sheltered Seems it’s gone into the budget mode & issue with the building sale Other stations lack displays further out too Are they still using the same size tiny elevators My mobility device is too long so I have to use neighboring stations So I guess using Henderson remains forbidden for me I’ve never walked from Henderson High School to the train but it appears to me that Matt’s suggestions could serve them better especially if AT was to focus on safe crossings where required Has anyone at AT done any work around improving the approaches to the school The platform should have been built this long in first place but a.t did not predict patronage just like they tell kumeu huapai we won’t have patronage citing their set up to fail unreliable ^trial^ with trains breaking down prior to all the development as an excuse and jacked out studies to suit their agenda Too many snouts pushing what keeps them on the gravy train but a.t didn’t anticipate popularity of train service just like they tell kumeu huapai not enough people to use service even though huge developments all around the un used huapai station How about listening to rate payers for a change From what I’ve seen KiwiRail are quite keen and have done quite a bit of research on it But others just keep recycling the same debunked arguments against it It’s quite disingenuous because the same people you prove their arguments wrong with still continue to go back and rehash them as if you had said nothing They also often paint it as doing either that or the NW RTN nobody loses so I don’t get why some PT advocates advocate against PT options it’s like there is something strange at play there I don’t get why some PT advocates for the NW want to prioritise an inferior solution If the goal of rapid transit to/from the NW is speed/directness and frequency then you would build the Busway first and then see what was needed after that The NAL is just inferior to a SH16 RTN aligned corridor and should not be the primary mass transit connection for Kumeu-Huapai I don’t know what copium Paul’s smoking but a 27km mostly straight route to downtown is factually shorter and quicker than a 40km winding route I hope that whoever was behind Commuter Waka is able to do an update from latest census Understanding people’s travel patterns has to be a useful planning tool “I hope that whoever was behind Commuter Waka” AFAIK that was a Waka Kotahi website (Sorry so it will probably not be called “Waka” anymore…) Ah just discovered it was someone called Jono Cooper https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/winner-announced-for-2018-census-commuter-data-visualisation-competition/ What would train access be like for say more like Swanson & Henderson though the busway advocates seem to think everyone wants to head to the CDB it will take decades to implement and goodness know what the cost blow out will be is the other issue we want rail because there is already a railway line there it will take decades and be costly for a busway like a train service will cause urban sprawl but a busway wont? as per the 2018 census more kumeu-huapai residents commuted to the central city Lincoln Rd and Rosebank areas – places better accessed by a Northwestern Busway or by a transfer at Westgate Also need I point out that heavy rail cultists never acknowledge the impractical lack of readily available rolling stock and talk like the old DMUs can just be put back in service tomorrow or battery trains conjured out of thin air at no cost You say Northwestern RTN advocates never address criticisms Your lot project so blatantly it’s laughable They really should be advancing both rail and busway options if they keep building stupid single house stuff out this far PS We seriously considered living out at Kumeu/Huapai a some stage a couple & a half decades back Had a temp job there so got to know it a bit and actually looked at a house to buy Just didn’t all work out that way in the end KLK because its about a lot more than providing public transport the busway ‘ solution’ wipes out half the towns businesses on one side of the road and our green space its a narrow strip which is currently greenspace and businesses more businesses that are now flood prone except the 7hec the council allowed to be filled in next to river with intensive housing (which displaces water to everywhere else) & river it will just encourage more infill in the floodplain further degrade the water quality in the river already all the storm water from all the new development goes into the river this water has to go somewhere when it rains a lot this is catchment for the waitakeri ranges and a river valley this water affects further along the river at Waimauku all the way to the Kaipara with only 1 m fall per km we really dont want our community & township to be turned into bus lanes because thats what someone sitting at a desk who doesnt live here thinks should happen more buy outs as the new housing would end up under water with more infilled flood plain there is a good reason this area has not had intensive development in the past Where does the traffic currently back up from in the morning commute these days (and evening other way?) As a more budget and alternative version I wonder if the 4 lanes (2 lanes general bus lane each direction) section of “busway” could end at around Riverhead Rd or perhaps even on higher ground opposite the Kumeu Village Rest Home & Baptist Church Not ideal but they could run more frequent buses past here without a major “station” So just keep the single lane roads by and large through the two towns The big more southern bypass (I think is roughly planned) from Brigham Creek Rd could be built at a later date or as needed all things been equal That’s another part of why a SH16 busway/brt is the better primary rapid transit corridor option The full corridor doesn’t need to be a busway from the get go – hell bring back the interim safety and widening improvements NZTA had promised they’d finish in 2021 back in 2018 or something and extend the WX1 services from Westgate to Huapai as-is Hibiscus Coast NX1 & NX2 services seem to be doing okay patronage-wise despite the lack of a busway north of Albany Dont consider myself a heavy rail cultist,like both heavy and light rail & think cycleways & buses have there place Have seen how efficiently trains and light rail work overseas even in cities with similar populations to Auckland it is frustrating that people who have lived here their whole lives and know the lay of the land and issues are not listened to we are entitled to not want our town to be sacrificed and turned into bus lanes esp when it its so close to the Kumeu river which is already suffering increased pollution and destruction from all the development run off Coxs creek is proof planting trees does not make up for lack of infrastructure we dont want our river ending up like that We cant even get Water Care to move the over burdened retro fitted pump station next to the river out of the flood plain Its not just about bus lanes its about other neglected infrastructure that is already struggling and wont cope with more intensive development & the potential for even more infilling of flood plain/wetland next to river if these bus lanes are forced on us its only 1m fall from Kumeu to the Kaipara and there is a tidal influence on the river up this far even though AC deny it So basically you don’t want Kumeu to grow If so then with it’s current population it is unlikely to get either trains or a busway Here in Buckinghamshire buses go everywhere as well as being quicker and significantly cheaper then trains BUT everyone prefers rail as it is always on time water catchment for the waitakeri ranges with 1 m fall per km to the Kaipara (with tidal influence on the river) all the storm water from development in the area goes into the kumeu river and we have lost a lot of permeable ground including huge amounts of flood plain being allowed to be filled in by council based on fake flood modelling,a lot more people will lose their homes potential for this to include some of the new development this isnt about forcing growth on an area that can not cope and isnt really suitable for intensive development thats why utilizing the existing train track to alleviate some of the current congestion makes sense the area does not even have a structure plan there is no reason why interim BRT service couldn’t provide a more frequent and faster transit service with better interconnectivity at Westgate than a rail service and without having to wait years for new or refurbished rolling stock to be ready to use boost the frequencies of the existing bus routes or extend the WX1 via SH16 get interim upgrades & widening to SH16 done so the buses aren’t caught in traffic that can all be done for low infrastructure capex without being dependant on the town centre being moved or the Kumeu main drag being widened and demolished SH16 should at least be widened to the Taupaki round about all the design work for it has already been done.It would be a good start in reality it should have been done years ago… Its the all or nothing mentality where they want to bulldoze Kumeu thats not acceptable could it be a busway from end of northwest mway to kumeu will allow sprawl all along that route due to ‘ proximity to public transport’ The train solution could be implemented a lot quicker It took 2-3 years for the ex-BR carriages stored in Taumaranui to be refurbished for Te Huia and the Capital Connection all i’m saying is for the same money as rebuilding 50-year old trains you could run the existing Huapai bus routes 122/123/125 at higher frequencies for a more convenient transport service West Auckland being neglected again even when they try and make improvements on the cheap What has happened to the northern expressway Rosedale Station the signs on the expressway advise you are approaching the station 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 Northland shearer Toa Henderson won the Golden Shears open title in Masterton on Saturday four-times winner John Kirkpatrick and 2015 victor Gavin Mutch in the quarter-finals and semifinals Henderson is notorious for his trips from tiny Kaiwaka to shearing competitions around the country including one-day lower North Island excursions of six or seven hours each way He was the fastest on the night, shearing the 20 sheep in 16m 15.779s on Stand 1, 8s quicker than eight-time finalist and local Wairarapa hope David Buick at the other end of the board ultimately the runner-up as Henderson won by 2.13pts runner-up in his first Golden Shears open final last year and on Saturday scoring the best quality points in finishing the best of the four southern hopes who filled the remaining stands the 2007 senior champion and since three times the winner of the National Shearing Circuit was fourth in what was his second Golden Shears open final and Southland veteran Nathan Stratford was fifth in the final for a 12th time Mataura shearer Brett Roberts was sixth in his first time in the final 11 years after graduating to open class following his 2014 senior win in Masterton While those awaiting the final result were still conjecturing about any finalists claiming the title after the sheep were away on the truck Henderson was sure of such a triumph one day “I’ve been dreaming of this since I was this high,” he said He said he had had visions of “holding this trophy” and of the moment the whanau and other supporters from the North belted into Ngāti Whātua haka Ko te Puru “To come off first and hold the trophy means more to me than anything,” he said and everyone back in Kaiwaka knows what it means.” Henderson had gone close to winning a Golden Shears title before when beaten only by brother Tane Henderson He shore for several years in Australia before returning to start the campaign with a win at the Warkworth A&P Show in March 2019 Read more shearing and woolhandling stories here including venturing south to win at Āpiti seven days before the 2020 Golden Shears before starting to venture further afield with three wins in 11 finals in the 2020-21 season He was the No 1-ranked open shearer last season He also won the Otago Shears and Southern Shears finals in February and has now had 37 open final wins in New Zealand and 2024 senior winner and now first-year open woolhandler Vinniye Phillips Circuit winner Keryn Hebert is ineligible, now representing the Cook Islands on the international scene. The Australian shearing team of Daniel McIntyre, Nathan Meaney and Jamie Boohman beat the New Zealand team of Leon Samuels, Jack Fagan and Chris Vickers in the transtasman shearing test, having also won by a big margin at Katanning, Western Australia, in October. A New Zealand team of Rimene and Hanson had won the woolhandling test on Friday night. Young Wairoa shearers Bruce Grace and Ryka Swann saved some face for Hawke’s Bay after the region’s rare absence from the open final, by winning the senior and intermediate shearing finals respectively. Grace, 21, works for four-times open champion John Kirkpatrick and had all season challenged for senior honours with Laura Bradley, of Papatawa between Dannevirke and Woodville, and Ōamaru shearer John Cherrington, the trio having collectively won 21 of the finals throughout the country. Bradley had won 10, Cherrington six, and Grace five, but in the 12-sheep final Grace finished first, in 12m 36.551s, carded the best quality points, and beat runner-up Cherrington by more than four points overall, while Bradley was fourth. Ryka Swann’s win in the intermediate shearing final secured him his second Golden Shears Championship, at the age of just 19. He won the novice title at 14 in 2020, and his sister Ashlin won last year, aged 15. Despite being more than two years into a building career Swann continues to do the shearing shows with Ashlin, her twin sister, Shawna, and dad Paul, all travelling from the family farm west of Wairoa. Swann shore the eight sheep in 9m 58.567s, the only finalist to cut under 10 minutes. However, it was close in the final count, with victory coming by just 0.458pts from runner-up and 2024 junior winner Kaivah Cooper, a Napier workmate of senior winner Bruce Grace. The junior shearing final came down to a two-man South Island head to head, between 16-year-old Ōamaru shearer Tye Meikle, whose 12 wins throughout the season is the most by any shearer or woolhandler in any grade in 2024-25, and Paddy Hudson, of Hokonui, who had to be talked into entering a competition for the first time seven weeks ago. After beating Meikle in his two outings, Hudson still had to be talked into going to Masterton for the Shears. Both were beaten to the finish by Irish shearer Joseph Scahill, of County Mayo, who shore the five sheep in 7m 4.961s, but who had to settle for third place as the young southern guns came through with the quality. Hudson claimed the vaunted red ribbon by just 0.435pts, thwarting Meikle’s bid to win the event his father won in 1993. The 19-year-old Hudson, who works for Gore contractor Jamie McConnachie, has the distinction of already having won on three classes of wool in national title events – full wool at Lumsden on January 19, lambs 24 hours later at the Winton A&P Show’s national crossbred lambshearing championships, and the second-shear ewes of the Golden Shears. He also won on second-shear ewes at Āpiti near Feilding, seven days before the Golden Shears. The senior and junior woolhandling titles went to Southland-based competitors, headed by the senior win to Mataura teenager Lucy Elers, 12 months after she won the junior title. Elfers won from three North Island opponents to record her second senior win, having won at Lumsden in January, but it was a close call with victory coming by less than two points from Tatijana Keefe, of Raupunga. The junior final provided the first career win for Gore-based Jasmine Emery, of Ōamaru, with a comfortable margin from runner-up Grace Croasdale, of Eketāhuna. Transtasman Shearing Test (12 sheep - 6 merino, 3 long wool, 3 second-shear): Australia (Daniel McIntyre 16m 36.191s, 67.98pts; Jamie Boothman 16m 57.688s, 70.464pts; Nathan Meaney 15m 55.936s, 72.547pts) 210.991pts beat New Zealand (Leon Samuels 15m 29.921s, 70.246pts; Jack Fagan 16m 57.368s, 79.668pts; Chris Vickers 19m 0.76s, 83.288pts) 233.402pts. Transtasman Woolhandling Test (8 fleeces – 4 long wool, 4 merino): New Zealand (Pagain Rimene/Ngaio Hanson) 348.24pts beat Australia (Tiffany Collins/Alexander Schoff) 352.72pts. PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit final (15 sheep – 3 merino, 3 long strongwool, 3 Corriedale, 3 lambs, 3 second-shear): Paerata Abraham (Masterton) 17m 7.809s, 64.46pts, 1; Angus Moore (Ward) 17m 51.273s, 67 764pts, 2; Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Dannevirke) 17m 36.893s, 70.645pts, 3; Justin Meikle (Ōamaru) 18m 18.946s, 70.677pts, 4; Axle Reid (Taihape/Waipawa) 18m 21.249s, 70.722pts, 5; Casey Bailey (Riverton) 19m 45.122s,72.186pts, 6. Golden Shears open final (20 sheep): Toa Henderson (Kaiwaka) 16m 15.779s, 55.389pts, 1; David Buick (Pongaroa) 16m 23.437s, 57.522pts, 2; Casey Bailey (Riverton) 17m 55.916s, 58.896pts, 3; Angus Moore (Ward) 16m 55.644s, 58.982pts, 4; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 17m 56.574s, 60.929pts, 5; Brett Roberts (Mataura) 17m 49.587s, 61.529pts, 6. Golden Shears senior final (12 sheep): Bruce Grace (Wairoa/Napier) 12m 36.551pts, 45.078pts, 1; John Cherrington (Ōamaru) 12m 48.356s, 49.168pts, 3; Tommy Stevenson (Ruawai) 13m 6.949s, 49.677pts, 3; Laura Bradley (Papatawa) 14m 1.22s, 50.891pts, 4; Aiden Tarrant (Mapiu) 13m 10.968s, 52.718pts, 5; Cody Waihape (Gore) 14m 49.638s, 56.732pts, 6. Golden Shears intermediate final (8 sheep): Ryka Swan (Wairoa) 9m 58.67s, 38.428pts, 1; Kaivah Cooper ( Napier) 10m 42.722s, 38.886pts, 2; Lachie Cameron (Pohangina) 11m 40.881s, 41.914pts, 3; Sarah Bryant (Arohena) 12m 10.051s, 44.253pts, 4; Hamuera Henderson (Kaiwaka) 10m 19.061s, 50.333pts, 5; Tomos Jones (Dolwyddelan, Wales) 13m 10.461pts, 51.903pts, 6. Golden Shears junior final (5 sheep): Paddy Hudson (Hokonui) 7m 20.526s, 28.426pts, 1; Tye Meikle (Ōamaru) 7m 29.213s, 28.861pts, 2; Joseph Scahill (Mayo, Ireland) 7m 4.961s, 37.048pts, 3; Tamati Dennison (Kurow) 8m 55.466s, 37.173pts, 4; Tom Clarkson (Martinborough) 8m 3.643s, 37.782pts, 5; Trent Alabaster (Taihape) 8m 22.34s, 38.517pts, 6. Golden Shears novice final (2 sheep): Hunter Wigglesworth (Marton) 5m 28.593s, 23.43pts, 1; Ben Solomann (Taupō) 6m 8.43s, 25.422pts, 2; Angus Monk (Masterton) 4m 48.388s, 26.419pts, 3; Jess Gooding (Featherston) 7m 25.279s, 27.264pts, 5; Charlie Kjestrup (Weber) 5m 54.984s, 27.749pts, 5; Cody Hall (Hāwera) 6m 59.451s, 30.473pts, 6. Women’s Invitation (6 sheep): Laura Bradley (Paparawa) 8m 8.402s, 31.92pts, 1; Lydia Thomson (Rangiora) 10m 10.193s, 37.01pts, 2; Kate Donald (Scotland) 8m 48.319s, 38.416pts, 3; Pagan Rimene (Alexandra) 8m 57.365s, 40.868pts, 4.; Emma Kendrick (Feilding) 10m 50.298s, 48.685pts, 5; Cushla Abraham (Masterton) 10m 52.844s, 57.982pts, 6. Māori Pākehā Teams Event (12 sheep): Hemi Braddick/Justin Meikle 10m 43.005s, 42.99pts, 1; Chris Dickson/Digger Balme 11m 11.139s, 43.477pts, 2; David Gordon/Ant Frew 12m 14.221s, 44.461pts, 3; Simon Goss/Clay Harris 11m 11.481s, 44.654pts, 4; Lionel Taumata/Aaron Haynes 11m 59.881s, 45.324pts, 5; Shane Ratima/Peter Clendon 14m 5.866s, 54.293pts, 6. Open final: Chris Dickson (Masterton) 14.726s, 1; Llyr Jones (Wales) 14.91s, 2; Brett Roberts (Mataura) 16.804s, 3. Senior final: Brodie Horrell (Gore) 20.079s, 1; Jack Hutchinson (England) 20.611s, 2; Callum Bosley (England) 20.635s, 3. Golden Shears open final (10 fleeces – 6 longwool, 4 second-shear): Joel Henare (Gisborne/Motueka) 187.514pts, 1; Tia Potae (Harataunga) 198.89pts, 2; Pagan Rimene (Alexandra) 200.372pts, 3; Vinniye Phillips (Taumarunui) 294.35pts, 4. North Island Woolhandling Circuit final (6 fleeces -3 long wool, 3 second-shear): Keryn Herbert (Te Kūiiti) 87.286pts, 1; Ngaio Hanson (Eketāhuna) 126.678pts, 2; Marika Braddick (Eketāhuna) 138.34pts, 3; Jasmin Tipoke (Martinborough/Napier) 146.792pts, 4. Golden Shears senior final (5 longwool fleeces): Lucy Elers (Mataura) 145.41pts, 1; Tatijana Keefe (Raupunga) 147.294pts, 2; Chloe Henderson (Hunterville) 172.41pts, 3; Tre Ratana Sciascia (Taihape) 180.88pts, 4. Golden Shears junior final (4 long wool fleeces): Jasmine Emery (Ōamaru) 133.016pts, 1; Grace Croasdale (Eketāhuna) 148.634pts, 2; Capree Wallace (Taihape) 168.314pts, 3; Marilyn Harris (Ohai) 151.948pts, 4. Golden Shears novice final (2 fleeces): Char Taylor (Masterton/Cheviot) 101.858pts, 1; Riria Moanaroa (Eketāhuna) 114.362pts, 2; Autumn Amoroa (Whakatāne) 131.258pts, 3; Piata Eruera (Eketāhuna) 148.67pts, 4. Men’s final: Ricci Stevens (Napier) 67.6pts 1; Jeremy Goodger (Masterton) 129.35pts, 2. Women’s final: Savannah King (Masterton) 108.8pts, 1; Mollie Moffett (Hastings) 108.85pts, 2 Pairs final: Jeremy Goodger/James Goodger (Masterton) 32.45pts, 1; Shyla Gordon/Joseph Gordon (Masterton) 40.85pts, 2. Triathlon (shearing, woolhandling, woolpressing): Jeremy Goodger (Masterton) 160.556pts, 1; Ricci Stevens (Napier) 162.868pts, 2; Joseph Gordon (Masterton) 199.224pts, 3; Cushla Graham (Masterton) 207.802pts, 4. FMG Best Quality in hearing heats: Junior – Tom Clarkson (Martinborough) 3pts; Intermediate – Owen Martin Jones (Llangollen, Wales) 3.34pts; Senior – John Cherrington (Ōamaru) 3.5pts; Open – Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 2.8pts. Local: Junior Tom Clarkson (Martinborough) 3pts; Intermediate – Cushla Abraham (Masterton) 7.66pts; Senior – Daniel Seed (Pahiatua) 5.25pts; Open – Hemi Braddick (Eketāhuna) 4.2pts. Best quality points in shearing finals: Junior – Paddy Hudson (Hokonui) 6.4pts; Intermediate – Kaivah Cooper (Napier) 6.75pts; Senior – Bruce Grace (Wairoa/Napier) 7.24pts; Open – Casey Bailey (Rivertonn) 5.1pts. R.E.O’Hara Memorial Trophy (best quality points all shearing finals): Casey Bailey. Les Field Memorial Trophy Best Quality points in woolhandling heats: Junior – Ashley McConnon (Tasmania) 39pts, 1; Senior – Kelly Barrett (Kawhia) 72pts; Open – Monica Potae (Kennedy Bay) 52pts, 3. seen here winning the Golden Shears open title also took out the open shearing title at the Warkworth A & P Show on Saturday It was his fifth consecutive win at the show and his 39th in open finals dating back to 2019 when he scored his first open win in New Zealand after several years in Australia Played to the arena commentary provided by his father, Mike Henderson, it was also his ninth in 12 finals this season and his sixth consecutive Saturday triumph since the Otago Shears on February 8 Less than 40km from his home base at Kaiwaka Henderson kept the faith with the locals in preference to the bigger competition of the Waimarino Shears in the central North Island He shore the 15 sheep at Warkworth in 13m 59s finishing 65 seconds quicker and ultimately more than 12 points clear of runner-up Dargaville shearer Neville Osborne Osborne won the Warkworth final four times in a row from 2013 to 2016 At the last of the six A&P Show shearing competitions north of Auckland this season won the senior final by less than a point from Alan Boler stepped up from a series of second placings to beat Danielle Boyd in the intermediate final New Mahurangi College head girl Tessa Berger won the junior event and the Neil Sidwell Memorial Trophy Good numbers were a feature of the Methven Lambshears attracting 52 shearers across four grades to the Methven A&P Show on Saturday where Rangiora shearer Hugh De Lacy had his first Methven win denying Pleasant Point shearer Ant Frew a fourth win in the event Scoring his third win in successive Saturdays after victory at the Amuri A&P Show on March 1 and at Cheviot a week earlier De Lacy won the race by less than two seconds and with the best points in the pens beat Frew by 1.58 points with third place in the final of 10 lambs each going to Alex Smith of Rakaia Ōamaru shearer and New Zealand senior crossbred lambs champion John Cherrington claimed his seventh win of the season a fortnight after finishing second in the Golden Shears senior final in Masterton broke through for his first intermediate final win of the season a fortnight after just missing out on the big one when second at the Golden Shears All the action from the Warkworth A&P Show Shears and the Methven A&P Show Lambshears Results from the Waimarino Shears at Raetihi on Saturday, March 15, can be found here Open final (15 sheep): Toa Henderson (Kaiwaka) 13m 59s Senior final (7 sheep): Michael Boyd (Dargaville) 10m 47s Intermediate final (4 sheep): Liam Smedley (Whangaroa) 6m 55s Junior final (2 sheep): Tessa Berger (Ahuroa) 5m 49s Open final (10 lambs): Hugh De Lacy (Rangiora) 10m 14.14s Senior final (5 lambs): John Cherrington (Ōamaru) 5m 43.87s Intermediate final (4 lambs): Caleb Brooking (Mataura) 6m 6.51s Junior final (3 lambs): Tye Meikle (Ōamaru) 4m 52.6s Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts. HENDERSON, Ky. — Henderson County residents are getting much-needed support after recent flooding left dozens of homes severely damaged.  The American Red Cross has opened a disaster resource center to help survivors navigate recovery at 1213 Washington St., operating Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  “We wanted to be able to provide a resource center for those families who have major damage or destroyed homes,” said Beth Sweeney, executive director of the American Red Cross Southwest chapter. The center offers in-person support for survivors with representatives explaining assistance programs, helping to apply for financial aid and connecting people to other resources. Approximately 43 homes in Henderson County have major damage or are destroyed, and that number could grow as assessment continues. Sweeney said most of those people have been texted or called, letting them know they’re eligible for assistance. “If it is a need that maybe the Red Cross doesn’t provide, we are working to connect them with other resources in the community," she said. "And there are lots of them."  Among those seeking help was Tonya Wells, a Hebbardsville resident who lives along the Green River. Floodwaters damaged three structures on her property, including her home. “It came so quick; we tried to move as much as we could out," Wells said. "We had raised two of the four structures on the property up a couple blocks, but it just wasn’t enough. In our home, it got underneath the bottom of the house and damaged the structure pretty bad. The insulation, now we’ve got a lot that we’re cleaning up.” Wells visited the center to explore available programs, especially after losing about $800 worth of propane when her tank flipped over.  She’s registered for assistance and is waiting to see if Henderson County is declared a federal disaster area, which could unlock more aid.  While the shelter that was initially set up in Henderson during the flooding is no longer open, the Red Cross will continue to provide support with volunteers from across the country ready to lend a helping hand. For those needing help, the Red Cross encourages visiting the resource center through Thursday or calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.  Disaster assistance will be a rollout process for other counties. As the Red Cross finishes damage assessments in those counties, information will go out to households that have major damage or destroyed homes Kiwi actor Martin Henderson fears catfish-style scams using his likeness will become more elaborate with advances in deepfake technology Henderson has reissued a warning to fans stating he does not message people he doesn’t know after a Herald article revealed a woman lost $375,000 in a romance scam using the actor’s likeness The former Shortland Street star spoke on Radio New Zealand show Sunday Morning telling host Jim Mora he was worried the scams would get worse “I’m worried there will be deepfakes of me sending personal messages with my voice they just take a snippet from TV with my voice and throw it into a software programme and create whatever narrative they want,” Henderson said “You combine that with video and I worry how vulnerable many people will be “My fear is that it will only get easier for these criminals.” The warning comes after a Herald article revealed more women have fallen victim to a romance scam using the Kiwi actor’s image and voice This weekend, four additional women revealed they too had been scammed after the victims saw an article about an American fan of Virgin River who lost $375,000 thinking she was in a relationship with Henderson was in contact with the person she thought was Henderson for more than two years and moved to New Zealand to be with him – only to find the relationship was fake The article prompted Henderson to post a video through the Herald asking fans to cease all contact with anyone claiming to be him who admitted they too had fallen victim to someone pretending to be the actor One said her friend is a victim but still believes she is in a relationship with Henderson “I feel like such an idiot that I fell for this so it has been reassuring to know I am not the only one,” one of the victims said Two women are now in contact and supporting each other as the scammers continue to contact them with more lies both women were contacted by someone claiming to be a private investigator working for Henderson who wanted to help them recover their lost money with Henderson confirming he had not asked any private investigators to contact the women Henderson said he had “done what he could” in the past to tell fans he would never contact anyone through WhatsApp He had posted two videos to his official Instagram page last year warning fans about the scams “I hate to think about how many hours I have spent fielding messages from people saying they’ve been approached,” he said “It was like a fulltime job but I do tell people I’m not involved with social media – partly because of these types of things “I took it upon myself to try and make it clear Henderson told the Herald he was especially concerned for his fans after watching a documentary about elaborate celebrity scams “The way they operated was almost like a call centre where they find a personality they think will work and there is a whole bunch of scammers rotating on shifts and getting $10,000 here and there - it adds up “It makes me very concerned with what will happen in the future so I hope people cease all contact with these people.” Kirsty Wynn is a senior journalist with more than 20 years of experience in Auckland newsrooms covering everything from crime and social issues to property and consumer affairs Waitakere City$1,235,000424580m²Something special in the Heights!Built in everlasting brick and tile this highly impressive 4 bedroom home captures the essence of family living at its best Perfectly oriented to capture light and sun the living spaces both formal and informal flow easily through to a gorgeous outdoor entertaining area inclusive of a covered "Sunvue pergola" Additional features include a highly functional kitchen Our sellers have enjoyed immensely the luxurious lifestyle this great home has afforded them and it is with mixed emotions they are leaving their exciting future plans are now firmly in place and they are resolute and determined to sell on or before our close-off date A new plan is set to empower the Henderson-Massey community to better prepare for and respond to emergencies The Henderson-Massey Local Board Emergency Readiness and Response Plan created with Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) offers practical guidance to help residents and businesses stay safe before The plan responds to lessons learned from the devastating Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 which caused widespread damage in West Auckland and highlighted the importance of local preparedness and community support during emergency events Henderson-Massey Local Board Chair Chris Carter says the plan is designed specifically with local communities in mind “The devastating events of 2023 showed that unfortunately we don’t know what is just around the corner “Our communities demonstrated an amazing resilience and ability to help one another during these events The plan identifies the area’s top hazards and provides tips on reducing risk Developed through consultation with mana whenua the plan is designed to reflect the unique needs of the Henderson-Massey area Printed copies will be available in libraries and community centres while a digital version will soon be accessible on the council website Sign up for the Henderson-Massey Local Board e-news to get the latest news and events direct to your inbox each month, and follow them on Facebook