Come along to one of our scheduled kids’ activities or visit Warkworth Library for free and fun in-library activities anytime Enter Warkworth Library’s Supa Buddy Competition or try a Dog Man Scavenger Hunt for a chance to win prizes thanks to Matakana Cinemas and Scholastic Contribute to our interactive board and make a poppy for ANZAC Day 10:30-11:30am Monday 14 April – Emergency IMPACT Challenge Join Auckland Emergency Management for an action-packed 10:30-11:30am Tuesday 15 April – Dog Man Supa Extravaganza Celebrate the new Dog Man movie at Warkworth Library with supa activities There are lots of prizes to be won thanks to Scholastic and Matakana Cinemas Feel free to bring along a tin of cat or kitten food to be donated to Julie’s Animal Refuge if you wish 10:30-11:30am Wednesday 16 April – Wonderful World of Tiger Worms Get a look at these wriggly creatures and learn how they can contribute to our waste-free future This event is brought to you by Compost Collective 10:30am-12:00pm Thursday 17 April – DIY T-Shirt Bag play some games and then create a meaningful Learn how to transform an old t-shirt into a reusable bag Bring along a t-shirt you no longer use to create your masterpiece Booking essential- contact the library to reserve a spot 2:00-3:00pm Thursday 17 April – Easter crafts Come along and make some fun crafts for Easter 10:30-11:30am Tuesday 22 April – Earth Day craft Get crafty this Earth Day at the library and make some collage art 10:30-11:30am Wednesday 23 April – Bin-Tastic School Holiday Session Come along for a fun-filled school holiday session with games and activities Discover how Auckland Council rubbish bins work and learn about our rubbish service 10:30-11:30am Thursday 24 April – LEGO Time Bring your imagination along to this LEGO building session Get creative with piles of LEGO and heaps of fun © 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 Police are speaking with two people following a callout to a rural property near Warkworth Officers were called to Goatley Road around 11:30am to reports a firearm was discharged There were road closures on State Highway 1 earlier this afternoon as a result of the incident The Armed Offenders Squad and police dog units attended the property as a precaution Two people were taken into custody without incident around 2pm Police said it was thought to be an isolated incident involving parties known to each other and there is not believed to be any wider risk to the public As of 2.30pm the road is now open and congestion has eased FINAL UPDATE 2:20PMSH1 is now clear and congestion has eased. ^EH https://t.co/MYmKE14GIo New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News We have confirmed a solution for the planned growth pipeline through Warkworth’s town centre that keeps disruption to the community to a minimum and has the support of local business association One Mahurangi Our Board of Directors today accepted a recommendation from management to move forward with its preferred route using mostly microtunnelling technology Two short sections will still need to be open-trenched Our chief strategy and planning officer Priyan Perera is happy to share the news with the community “We’re really pleased to have closely collaborated with stakeholders to identify a route and construction methodology that keeps disruption to the community – particularly to local businesses – to a minimum “This pipeline is an incredibly important piece of infrastructure that not only supports new housing north of the Mahurangi River but will also significantly reduce the number of overflows to the river that occur in wet weather.” Our staff have worked closely with mana whenua Ngāti Manuhiri local politicians and business association One Mahurangi to explore all of the available options over the past few years “Local business owners had expressed serious concern over the potential impact a fully open-trenched pipeline could have on their shops and services We listened to their viewpoints and worked with One Mahurangi to look at what we could do differently to achieve better outcomes for the community,” Perera says “The option we’re now pursuing meets our needs in terms of our ability to maintain and operate the pipe in the long term as well as the cost and consenting considerations.” One Mahurangi worked closely with our team and representatives to advocate for an approach that minimises disruption while meeting project requirements and co-chairs Dave Stott and Bevan Morrison emphasise this outcome is the result of partnership and persistence One Mahurangi manager Murray Chapman says: “This decision shows what can be achieved when everyone works together towards a common goal,” said Mr “We’re grateful for Watercare’s openness and the support of their senior leaders and board chair in working with us to achieve the best outcome for Warkworth we could not have had a better Christmas present." One Mahurangi would like to thank the engineering team for ensuring practical options were put forward as well as the thousands of Warkworth residents who supported us by signing our petition We’d like to acknowledge the ongoing advocacy of Councillor Greg Sayers and MP Chris Penk whose support was vital to the project’s success “At the heart of this success is the collective effort of a community that cared deeply about getting the right outcome,” Mr Chapman added showing how collaboration and determination can create a better future for our town.” Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown says: “I’m pleased a solution has been found that will support and enable this critical project and ensure the impact on local businesses and the community is reduced the new pipeline considers the environmental benefits will strengthen the infrastructure to provide for long-term growth in the region and will deliver a good outcome for the Warkworth community within the project’s budget.” The Warkworth growth servicing pipeline is a critical piece of our $450m Warkworth wastewater scheme that completely overhauls how the community’s wastewater is transported and treated The Warkworth growth servicing pipeline is a large-diameter pipe that will run from the Warkworth Showgrounds in the north to the recently completed Lucy Moore Pump Station Our recently-completed Lucy Moore Pump Station The growth pipeline will connect to the pump station Perera says: “A fully trenchless option was not physically possible so we will still need to install some of the pipeline with open-trenching along Elizabeth Street and through the Lucy Moore Memorial Reserve to get to the new pump station.” Several launch and reception shafts will need to be built in the town centre to enable microtunnelling The locations for these will be confirmed next year as detailed design progresses • Trenchless from the Warkworth Showgrounds to south side of Hill Street intersection • Open trench along Elizabeth Street to the Mahurangi River Bridge • Pipe crossing along bridge over Mahurangi River • Trenchless installation along Queen Street/Baxter Street to the Lucy Moore Memorial Park • Open trench installation from the Lucy Moore Memorial Park to the new Lucy Moore Pump Station “We will be micro-tunnelling the entire northern section of the pipeline including through the Hill Street intersection – and it will be deep enough that it won’t be compromised by any future intersection upgrades.” Perera says design and consenting is expected to take about a year “We know the community will have lots of questions and we look forward to sharing more information as soon as we have it There are still key details to be ironed out – including the locations of the shafts we’ll need to build and the traffic management that might be needed We’ll be organising drop-in sessions for the community next year as soon as we have more information to share We’ll also work directly with impacted businesses.” The pipeline is expected to be in service in 2028 “It’s important to understand that this pipeline is about more than enabling growth It will address a bottleneck that exists in the wastewater network right now and causes overflows to the Mahurangi River when it rains This pipeline means we’ll have far fewer overflows when it’s in service so it delivers huge environmental benefits.” As part of the Warkworth wastewater scheme our team has already built the Lucy Moore Pump Station Work continues on the Snells Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant and Warkworth to Snells transfer pipeline These components of the scheme are expected to be in service by the end of next year While design is underway for the town centre pipeline our team will also deliver improvements to the local wastewater network that will reduce the number of overflows to the Mahurangi River in wet weather Three sections of pipes in Elizabeth Street – including the pipe bridge attached to the pedestrian bridge This work will reduce the need for ongoing maintenance and flushing and reduce the frequency of wet weather overflows from the Elizabeth Street engineered overflow point we’ll be carrying out topographical surveys to guide the project’s design In February/March potholing investigations will take place These pipe upgrades are expected to be completed by the end of 2025 Our team has been inspecting the wastewater network and private properties to identify places where excess stormwater is getting into the wastewater network Additional manhole sensors that will track inflow and infiltration of stormwater will be installed by Christmas These will help to identify areas that need to be investigated further “Residents can also do their bit to prevent overflows by ensuring their roof downpipes are not connected to their gully traps and that gully traps are sufficiently raised off the ground This helps to keep stormwater out of the wastewater network.” This post, like all our work, is made possible by generous donations from our readers and fans. If you’d like to support our work, you can join our circle of supporters here, or support us on Substack. and the infamous Hill Street intersection has been an issue not just my whole life he’d set up seats overlooking the intersection and sit watching the chaos of people trying to navigate it I’ve seen frustrated people stuck in traffic pull off dangerous maneuvers to try and get through I’ve seen near misses and collisions And I’ve walked the footpaths (or lack thereof) As a local you end up learning how to navigate that intersection I was taught the specific ways to get through that are easier and less dangerous which I still remember even now I’ve moved away to the city centre of Auckland It’s been called the ‘worst intersection’ in the country’, and it very much deserves that reputation. As One Mahurangi Business Association manager Murray Chapman describes it: “If you can imagine an intersection designed by somebody going through emotional turmoil Some people will sit at the give-way signs for what seems like hours because they’re too scared to go anywhere.” Despite the completion of the Matakana Link Road and the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway in June 2023 (which has reportedly reduced traffic through here by half) this complicated intersection is still a huge problem for everyone who uses it And it will only get worse as the local population grows Thankfully, a solution was found, led by and with the community (at great effort and time), and this is what is (or was) about to be implemented at last by Auckland Transport So when news broke that, after decades of going in circles (as we wrote over 10 years ago on this very blog), this construction-ready community-led design has had its funding pulled by NZTA, meaning the project is effectively cancelled – it’s safe to say the local community is furious This is a direct result of the Minister of Transport Simeon Brown’s crusade against safe streets and cycleways. His Government Policy Statement on transport essentially forbids NZTA from co-funding any multi-modal designs especially if they include safety elements for walking the minister’s response was flippant: Transport Minister Simeon Brown said Auckland Transport’s design for upgrades of the Hill Street intersection included at least five new speed bumps and three sections of cycleway That did not align with the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport or his expectation that investment in transport infrastructure would get back to basics “If Auckland Transport wish to advance this project they will need to rework the design for the intersection to better align with the GPS and then re-submit it to NZTA for consideration of co-funding.” Brown said the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway extension and the new Matakana Link Road had also significantly reduced pressure on the Hill Street intersection This high-handed rebuff of community aspiration has left many in Warkworth fuming: who co-chairs the One Mahurangi Transport and Infrastructure Forum with MP Chris Penk said he was “extremely disappointed” “We were appalled by the minister’s comments about having to redesign the intersection with particular reference to cycling and pedestrian access given that we’ve had a process of design engagement with Auckland Transport and NZTA … In fact You have to wonder: will the local MP go into bat on behalf of the community But I want to be clear for everyone. This cancellation is a direct result of the Minister’s overreaching agenda, as enabled by this coalition government It was cancelled because, under the Minister’s policy, it’s too safe. Because it includes what he calls “speed bumps” – in fact, raised crossings, an internationally accepted design for safe and equitable access. It was cancelled because this Minister doesn’t care about the safety of people walking and cycling, and has detailed as much in his GPS in direct contravention of what communities want It was cancelled even though Warkworth expects thousands of new residents in coming years This Minister apparently doesn’t think their kids should have safe connected routes from home to school This is what happens when your politicians are more concerned about ideological purity than actual people: they make up issues that are divorced from reality Keep in mind that Warkworth is traditionally a National stronghold – having a solution snatched away after decades of delay and failed attempts because one Minister personally doesn’t care about safety and is somehow triggered by cycleways How many more millions will be spent redesigning this project to suit this one Minister’s conceit What does that mean for safety in the meantime And how lethal will the redesign need to be before this Minister will approve it What if he’s not even the Minister any more after Warkworth has been put through a whole stupid process all over again As well as delaying safety for drivers at this notoriously crash-ridden intersection, the Minister’s footpath fatwa is damaging for anyone in Warkworth who was looking forward to being able to walk or bike into the township as well as simplifying driving movements and reducing crash risks would have created a continuous connection of four kilometres of safe walking and biking path all the way from all the new developments in the north and as far as Mahurangi College (the local high school Up to 10,000 more people are expected to move into the area north of the intersection Because of Simeon Brown’s cancellation of children and parents will be prevented from being able to walk and bike safely to the local primary and high schools when all these people are forced to drive back and forth twice a day to and from school And it’s not just about children’s access and safety. Co-chair of the One Mahurangi Transport and Infrastructure Forum Dave Stott sums up how frustrating this abrupt cancellation is “This process has been going on now for about six years We’ve had a number of our own engineers working side by side with the engineers at Auckland Transport to come up with what we believe to be the most economic and most effective design for that intersection.” said a raft of groups and government agencies had been involved in coming up with an integrated transport plan for the town that took into account the needs of motorists The cycleways had been designed to link up with cycleways planned by three new housing developments in the Hill Street area – Arvida the Kilns project and Templeton – as well as with the Matakana Coastal Trail “So what we are doing is tying in to a network proposed by a number of other parties but also taking account of the fact that there’s probably going to be up to 10,000 people living in the northeast of Warkworth in future are going to have to come through that intersection because all the schools are to the west or the south “So we’re looking at huge safety issues for schoolchildren and cyclists to get in to Warkworth,” Stott said While it was true the number of vehicles using the intersection had fallen since the motorway extension had been completed Stott said projections showed that once the three housing developments had been built traffic volumes would be even higher than they had been pre-motorway This intersection has been a problem my entire life It has been a problem all of Simeon Brown’s life It has been the all-encompassing transport mess in Warkworth for decades Just when it finally felt there was a solution in sight it was snatched away by a Minister of Transport who seems to care more about his own personal crusade against safety and people on bikes than he does about building a transport system that works for everyone and which the minister summarily cancelled in his first few months on the job Hill Street just puts a very human face on the scale of these losses around the country. We’ll continue to see sensible projects delayed and cancelled until we get a more sensible and less ideological Minister. In the meantime, we’ll continue to spend millions more dollars, and waste precious years of our lives, redesigning and re-consenting all manner of local projects that happen to include raised tables and cycleways. (Meanwhile, billion dollar mega-projects like RoNs will escape any kind of meaningful scrutiny.) while communities wait for the politics to play out the issues that trouble them won’t go away and kids will be buckled into cars for short trips in their neighbourhoods – and anyone who might prefer the option of walking or biking now and then is out of luck All to satisfy one out-of-touch minister’s notions of what matters it’s really important to take notice of why and to put the focus on who has made this call One thing I do know is that the community in Warkworth is certainly taking notice of what’s happening This post, like all our work, is made possible by generous donations from our readers and fans. If you’d like to support our work, you can join our circle of supporters here, or support us on Substack I think Luxon needs to reign in his transport minister People didn’t necessarily vote based off transport policy Yet he seems to think he has a mandate to turn everything into a mad max dystopia One didn’t need to consider transportation when voting to know that this was going to happen Welcome to the find out stage of elections Elections have consequences and when politicians show you who they are (National were both very clear and very vocal about their plans and their values) you should believe them and vote accordingly Anyone who thought that this government would have any concern for local needs and wants or care in the least about everyday people going about their lives there is also nothing more “basic” than walking and cycling Well said Susan many people voted National knowing they were going to middle finger walking and cycling The consultation on the speed limits shows people want to ignore evidence as quickly as possible stop blaming National they are simply delivering what the general public wants If the public really wanted speed bumps and lower speed limits they would’ve voted for that The evidence is clear as crystal a majority of NZers don’t care for others not in a car Change the public’s perception and you’ll get real change blaming politicians for doing what the public asked for is not going to get you anywhere …and yet all drivers become pedestrians once they arrive at their destination Yeah it’s a bit ironic but the evidence shows they just do not care about lives they want flow over lives They have voted very clearly on this issue and submitted clearly (65% for faster) once again all this change you want depends on public vibes not evidence Whoever writes these articles never mentions the public likes this stuff and is only willing to blame politicians yet multiple articles have been written and if anything the progress to speed up and flatten speed bumps has only gotten harder and faster It’s usually known as ‘The intersection from hell’ Simeon Brown is the transport minister from hell Simeon Brown definitely has something on Luxon Whether he’s seen some things at their weird church or whatever I’m not sure but he has been given so many important roles and such a high standing in cabinet for someone so inept A key benefit of the expensive business of bypassing urban areas and towns with major roads is that it enables removing highway-like qualities to roads with schools and businesses and homes along them making places places again and not just traffic sewers See the narrowing and planting and paving on the old SH1 in Taupo for example done after Waka Kotahi built the bypass of the town not least of which if these rural towns are to have a viable future once bypassed it is in attracting visitors and businesses based on the quality of life there not on the speed it is possible to drive through it This benefit will be in the business case for the highway I have long argued that the cost of these upgrades to the bypassed centres should be intr=ernal to the highway budget and can’t be fully realised without investment to fix the old terrible pseudo-highways It is economically criminal to delay improving the old route to best practice standards Travel Time Savings are the key metric for the highway I’ll give another not so tourist orientated example In the late 90s State Highway 26 through Morrinsville was moved from the main shopping street one block over to a more industrial area (it has the dairy factory) And went from empty to full of public art (60 life sized statues donated by local businesses and families) “It is economically criminal to delay improving the old route to best practice standard” I seem to remember a lot of talk about how the Waterview tunnel would allow various Isthmus arterials to have reduced traffic volumes thus allowing more space for non-car modes especially with traffic modellers who claim (yes they still do so – even in a recent hearing) that traffic is a liquid “Keep in mind that Warkworth is traditionally a National stronghold”” Rare Misstep knows that he can do whatever he wants to the people in Warkworth and they’ll blame Labour Party socialists or illegal migrants or whoever And the fun thing in MMP is that they don’t need to “lose the seat” or anything dramatic like that If Simeon’s shenanigans makes 1-2% of National vote at election time angry enough to stay home or vote differently that can lose the elections (if other things go against them) that Simeon Brown is working hard to ensure that our current coalition of clowns get only one term of government After every fatality at the intersection from now on Simeon should be named as a defendant in a civil suit and Workplace investigation Thanks for putting this all down on record Hopefully it gets wide circulation in Warkworth and the pressure goes on Penk at the very least Someone local should be organising a protest march aka Dunedin National have ignored Dunedin because it’s a Labour stronghold They can’t ignore a march in Warkworth Being polite and constructive has not been enough Not a resident but familiar enough with that intersection How thoroughly disheartening and frustrating for a community led design be wiped by one seemingly ignorant Transport minister call NationalZB and get this rubbish decision the negative attention it deserves That 5 road roundabout reminds me of the Royal Oak roundabout I’d prefer traffic lights at Royal Oak any day Royal Oak is multi-lane – multiple approaches That’s a massive safety difference… The question was: How is the Warkworth design better than Royal Oak Meaning that crossing distances are much shorter drivers are much less likely to miss other road users when checking was reasonably safe and useful for people on bikes and on foot (and also safer for drivers but they need the improvement a bit less deperately) The cyclist dies on Royal Oak roundabout a long distance from the roundabout due to someone opening a car door on them – nothing to do with the roundabout entrances right next to each other makes it very hard to judge who goes next “One thing I do know is that the community in Warkworth is certainly taking notice of what’s happening and will not be taking this lying down.” They’ll re-elect National and a National MP When was the last competent Transport Minister Whatever the answer Simeon has to be the worst of the bad bunch Was Simon Bridges the best in the last 20 years but had he spent $60 billion on two projects (LR and Harbour) that would have been such a bad outcome it may make him the worst Money is funny..because IF Wood had built LR and a harbour crossing 5 years after it was built people would have forgotten the price and would be calling him the greatest Transport Minister to walk the face of the earth What was the last competent transport decision and funding for hundred kms of median barrier (undelivered) Both green party policies weren’t they Here’s the thing though – Brown and Penk are safe as houses in their respective seats – the people of Warkworth aren’t going to end a habit of a lifetime and suddenly not overwhelmingly vote National because of this intersection Carlos Cheung and Paulo Garcia might end up as collateral damage they are both in safe seats but that doesn’t give them carte blanche to ignore their electorate Under MMP they face three elections; seat selection party list selection (ranking) and the general election They have to win two out of the three and their electorate can make both of the first two problematic for them without National losing the seat or the election The party would also be pretty pissed at having to put too many resources into winning a seat like Penk’s Under MMP pork barrel politics is not as simple as it was under FPP Erica Stanford supporting her community in wanting safe speeds in their streets (but presumably wanting to drive at unsafe speeds through everyone elses…) On a lighter note. https://www.flickr.com/photos/bpfallon/9353516745 A really good post that explains the situation very well This reveals a subtle aspect of the GPS that makes any improvement that is wanted locally for walking or biking for all the economic benefits of taking some of the cars off the road making those improvements a burden on Council to fund through rates Since the rates burden is not likely to be welcome the ability of Council to fund the large number of projects excluded from NLTF means that safety and accessibility projects become harder to achieve I want to see at least some Councils front up with the missing national budget to keep faith with their communities and show up the Minister’s nonsensical weirdness I agree that this probably was the worst intersection in NZ but now there is half the traffic There are a lot of other things competing for funding and times are tough with the recession probably not ending for many months $18M for two 50km/h zone roundabouts isn’t particularly cheap A picture showing backed up traffic in 2020 isn’t relevant we all agree that there are competing demands for government funding between education transport etc and politicians are the ones we elect to steer the country’s budget through these competing demands Within each spend area there are also competing demands for limited funding; Dunedin’s hospital versus Nelson’s hospital and in all cases we expect our elected representatives to consider fairly the needs and interests of all citizens What this article is highlighting is that the current Minister with his directives on how the transport budget is to be spent is unilaterally disenfranchising the legitimate interests of a significant portion of the population and at the same time yanking decision making away from communities This form of dictum pandering to the interests of only a portion of the population is a slippery slope and I suggest you keep an eye on the US over the next little while to see how it plays out once things get a bit further down that slope there would be criticism but it would be more understandable But what we have here is a layout that the community has been consulted on and the criticism from the minister is that it provides too many safety features for people not in a car may have noted that some 10,000 new residents are expected to move in in the next few years and that this intersection is a critical point to go town centre and multiple schools everyone to seek alternative modes of transport Sounds like a Tui add “The government thinks it knows best” Yeah right It’s time that Penk fronted up to the people of Warkworth rather than hiding out in the West especially given his comments when in opposition Too busy rolling back insulation standards because of some “too expensive to build houses” reckons from developer mates Nor has he done anything to forward heavy rail to Huapai aside from a quip on his blog-website about the “bureaucracy” that prevents it Dont moan you voted these two in so suck it up .Next time put your predudice aside and vote on policy not race Would be very curious to see what Simeon actually wants the intersection to look like Like does he have a vision of cars hurtling through urban roundabouts at speed It’s not like going a bit faster there adds value as there are further light-controlled intersections just up the road and messianic in his view of his own role in driving policy Worse than anything we’ve seen in a generation Thank you Connor for an excellent article in its summing up of our frustrations and anger resulting from Simeon Browns comments We have not given up though and continue to work in the background to see if the Minister’s decision can be reversed We have had meetings with the Chair of the Infrastructure Select Committee and with the help of our Councillor Greg Sayers seeking a meeting in the New Year with the Mayor To date the Mayor has been supportive although in the end this may not count for much given the past attitude of the Minister Chris Penk through the co-chairing of the One Mahurangi Infrastructure and Transport Forum with me is aware of the towns position on Hill St so we hope that he will also advocate for us I will keep everyone up to date if there is any progress Sounds a lot like no adaptability and the enemy of good is perfect Remove those and it meets the requirements for funding (especially if council funds the off-road portion – cycle lanes itself) The pedestrian crossing should be ok still (and that’s what’s needed not a raised table if the council really wants to waste money on unnecessary and pointless things then it can always add them later once the project is finished “The pedestrian crossing should be ok still (and that’s what’s needed not a raised table.” that’s not what actual traffic engineering experts say including the ones involved in this project before it reached Simeon’s attention Raised crossings add hundreds of thousands to the cost of these projects and on top of that they slow responses by emergency vehicles and make it harder for cyclists Traffic engineers do whatever to justify their jobs be that adding on useless things or adding on costs for extra work They don’t cost “hundreds of thousands” That’s stuff the transport minister says holding a Herald article that later had to be retracted for blatant lies A single death costs MORE than “hundreds of thousands” The added vehicle fuel consumption claim is somewhere between nonsense and trivial You are braking and accelerating thousands of times during any normal trip you are causing extra emissions and fuel costs Raised tables are shown to be one of the BEST safety features ever They are “controversial” only in the same way that anything is that changes what a majority status quo population got used to as a fact of life – that drivers will always get their way Ahh yes the old they got the wrong figures… Which is true if you’re only counting one small raised table not several large ones on very busy roads that involve a lot more engineering and longer STMS The whole intersection won’t be a speed zone as it’s too busy and complicated Yes they do increase emissions as well as wear and tear and noise pollution Not having a raised table isn’t going to stop people from using it when there’s a perfectly suitable marked pedestrian crossing that is used the world over Those hundreds of thousands could be better put to use building more footpaths/cycle infrastructure – it all adds up (some that is often lost on people in lalaland) because screw parents with prams and people in wheelchairs They’re so privileged to have pedestrian crossings at pavement level that oppress the poor ute drivers If pedestrians only get the bare minimum provision of infrastructure then it’s only fair that drivers must also get minimum infrastructure too “Emissions” from speeding up and slowing down is nothing but skill issue. Research has shown that the optimum speed for low emissions in urban driving is a consistent 28.2km/h. https://futuretransport.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Urban-Transport-Modelling-2022-05-16.pdf Realist is very skilled at ignoring the reality of evidence when it comes to these things …and those emergency vehicles will not be going out as much to attend to car accidents at those said intersections/roundabouts A marked pedestrian crossing is just as easy to use as a raised one… just a heck of a lot quieter for those sleeping babies You love to point out research and facts yet completely ignore the physics of it smh For a mass like a vehicle to slow down and then accelerate (even if it is only from 30 down to 20) has nothing to do with “skill” as you put it it simply is a matter of applying resistance of some type (typically brakes as downshifting which most cars no longer have isn’t sufficient) then accelerating again (wasting inertia in the process then using energy ie emissions to regain it) Sure they capture some of the wasted energy while braking but not all and there is still energy lost in the conversion to battery storage then discharge as it is used But hey don’t let the “facts” and “research” bite you on the way out did that take you long to come up with that one Because they must have a dedicated fleet of emergency vehicles just for this intersection /s oh and no other emergency vehicle ever passes through what is effectively a choke point in this rapidly growing town “A marked pedestrian crossing is just as easy to use as a raised one” Do you really think they go to the trouble of building them for fun If a raised table robs emergency vehicles of crucial time (its estimated to be 15secs) then you must be first in line to get rid of parking on major thoroughfares for 24/7 transit lanes to be used by said responders when required there is also that extreme congestion that they sometimes have to just turn off the sirens and chill until it moves Dunno why people think speed tables are a problem something that is going to encourage people to actually walk cycle or catch PT as its actually habitable in their neighbourhood to out from behind a windscreen once calmed Having less cars and congestion will make first responders lives a lot easier where it count stupid simpleton takes are what earn large swaths votes See the embedded 1 minute clip in this story about our favourite intersection today: https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360517325/dashcam-video-shows-near-miss-involving-police-car-nzs-worst-intersection “f Auckland Transport wish to advance this project, they will need to rework the design for the intersection to better align with the GPS and then re-submit it to NZTA for consideration of co-funding.” SOLUTION: Remove the numerous speed humps, then resubmit the plan. This new plan should take no more than an hour to prepare. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Greater Auckland is an independent volunteer-run analysis and advocacy platform for improving the quality of our cities. Formerly transportblog, we provide evidence based debate on urban form, transport, housing, design, and public space. 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, and how you can be part of it. 07 May 2025 10:00422150m²797m²Final weekend - Elevated charming family retreatThis delightful family home offers the perfect blend of comfort this elevated sanctuary provides a peaceful retreat while remaining close to all the conveniences of Warkworth town this home is ideal for young families seeking a safe and spacious environment where kids can play freely Perhaps downsizers looking for a quiet North Auckland retreat and landscaped outdoor spaces create a haven for both relaxation and adventure the thoughtfully designed layout caters to all ages and stages with its master suite away from the other three bedrooms is the heart of the home—a perfect spot for morning coffee or supervising homework A separate dining area encourages family connection while the cosy lounge with a wood-burning fire is perfect for winter nights Step outside to the expansive covered deck an entertainer’s dream where gatherings can be enjoyed year-round As the sun sets and the children are tucked up in bed With easy access to pristine beaches and just a 40-minute commute to Auckland via the new motorway this home offers the best of both worlds—peaceful countryside living with city convenience 796m2 elevated fully fenced section - private home Master suite plus three other bedrooms and bathroom Spacious living areas with a cosy wood-burning fire Expansive covered deck for year-round entertaining Under deck wellness room sauna optional ice bath Thriving vegetable garden space for kids and pets Easy 40-minute straight commute to Auckland 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 The official start to construction is now underway on the Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway the first stage of the Ara Tūhono -- Puhoi to Wellsford Road of National Significance The first sod has been turned today on the road which will provide more reliable travel times a better freight connection between Northland and the rest of the Upper North Island freight triangle of Auckland and support inter-regional and national economic growth The Pūhoi to Warkworth project is a PPP (Private Public Partnership) which The Northern Express Group (NX2) will deliver on behalf of the NZ Transport Agency for the New Zealand Government which is one of the Government’s Roads of National Significance will be open for traffic by late 2021 The $709.5 million project will extend the four-lane Northern Motorway (SH1) 18.5km from the northern end of the Northern Gateway Toll Road (NGTR) at the Johnstone’s Hill Tunnels to State Highway 1 (SH1) south of the Kaipara Flats Road intersection The motorway will traverse land to the west of SH1 and bypass Warkworth on the western side It will comprise a four-lane dual carriageway (two lanes on each side) divided by a central median with a safety barrier Ray Wilson says they are excited to be underway on construction of the the motorway which will be one of the safest in New Zealand with lower grades that will lead to a safer drive for motorists and will be more resilient to natural disasters and closures “Time savings are expected to be greater for freight due to the reductions in grades and a better road layout which helps heavy vehicles maintain a higher average speed along the route.” It will also improve connectivity between the growth areas in the northern Rodney area and alleviate congestion in Warkworth by providing a bypass for through traffic “Drivers will experience a truly scenic trip Driving between majestic cut slopes of Pakiri sedimentary rock which towers up to 50 metres high will give a sense of penetrating through the rock face,” says Mr Wilson The road will be curvilinear (following a curved pathway) without long straights It will follow the natural contours of the land as much as possible This will add to the scenic drive with views over the landscape in places and in other sections the road will go through forested areas Low plantings on the sides of the roads will enhance the scenic view The NX2 Consortium brings together companies with considerable experience in the design maintenance and management of key infrastructure projects in New Zealand and overseas NX2’s equity investors are the Accident Compensation Corporation and Public Infrastructure Partners II LP (managed by Morrison & Co PIP Limited) NX2’s design and construction joint venture involves ACCIONA Infrastructure and Fletcher Construction and the asset management and maintenance joint venture will involve ACCIONA Concesiones and Higgins +64 9 525 9000 Over the next 20 to 30 years urban growth will mean that North Auckland will need a range of new and improved transport choices to help new communities move around   We’re planning future transport connections and several upgrades to arterial roads in the urban growth areas of Dairy Flat Use the links below to find out more about the projects happening in North Auckland (Silverdale Use the links below to find out more about the projects happening in Warkworth Download key documents relating to North Auckland and Warkworth A fight is brewing in the pretty township of Warkworth, 45 minutes’ drive north of central Auckland, over the future of a large block of farmland just outside the urban part of town The dispute encompasses not just the future use of the land the extent of urban sprawl and the legality of Auckland Council’s planning process between Sandspit Rd and the Warkworth Golf Club Last month it applied to the governing body of the council for a private plan change that would rezone the entire block as Residential: Mixed Housing Urban which has 7000 residents living in 35 villages around the country wants to build a “retirement community” on 22ha and sell its remaining 33ha to developers The zone change would also allow the owners of the other 85ha to develop their land this would roughly double the size of the existing Warkworth township east of the old state highway Led by Mayor Wayne Brown, the council voted 17-3 to reject Arvida’s plan with Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson abstaining The mayor and councillors were not opposed to the retirement village But they objected to rezoning the whole block Not a single councillor spoke in favour of the plan and Simpson did not explain why she abstained Brown summed up the views of many when he said “If they [Arvida] want to build a retirement village This [application] isn’t about town planning He was referring to a process known as “land banking” property on the fringes of the city is bought cheaply in the expectation it can be sold for a much higher price when urban sprawl reaches the area Arvida announced today that it will appeal the decision to the Environment Court told the Herald he had received legal advice the council had “exceeded the requirements of the Resource Management Act” and its process was “unsound as planning practice” The Herald asked him why Arvida didn’t do as the mayor suggested and limit its application for a zone change to the land on which it wanted to build a retirement village “There are pieces we won’t use and we will sell them “The reason we’re seeking a rezoning of the wider area around our retirement community is to allow a more comprehensive “Best practice is to get it all zoned and then everyone can benefit.” Last month Brown said he was “firmly opposed” to this line of thinking Most of the 140ha block is zoned Future Urban but 29ha is outside the Rural-Urban Boundary (RUB) and zoned Mixed Rural The Arvida proposal would effectively move the RUB north officials presented the council with four options: adopt the proposal outright put it through a complex resource-consent process “Adopt” means approve: the council would change the zoning in the Auckland Unitary Plan (AUP) and development would proceed But “accept” does not imply a point of view It means Arvida’s submission would be publicly notified and presented to independent hearing commissioners They would hear from interested parties and make a decision This is the normal process for a proposal like this and it was recommended by council officials one reason officials favoured “accepting” the proposal was that straight-out rejection would probably trigger expensive court action the Herald asked the mayor why he rejected officials’ advice to put the proposal through due process but later supplied a statement in which Brown said he would follow the court process “closely” he said the council “should not be put off doing what we think is right by a fear of legal action” Brown contacted the Herald directly to say that because of the “stupid decision” in another recent hearing he had “lost faith in independent commissioners” which they expect to be more profitable than what they say they are there for He did not think the housing development was needed in Warkworth and repeated he was open to talking with Arvida about a proposal limited to an “elderly care facility” One reason the officials did not recommend Arvida’s plan be adopted was that it compromised the council’s own plans Warkworth’s population is expected to double over the next 20 years which is why some of its rural land is zoned Future Urban But in the Future Development Strategy 2023-2053 “Warkworth North” is not supposed to grow yet The area “is identified to be ready for urban development from 2035+” water and wastewater infrastructure will all need to be upgraded but Arvida’s proposal requires the timetable for this to be sped up and funding to be found “We’ll put the wastewater and stormwater into our own site.” He said his company expects to pay approximately $2.6 million in council development contributions and Watercare growth charges $4.4m to upgrade Matakana Rd and $1.3m for a new road on its own land Officials noted this in their report: “The Applicant has also made commitments to upgrade public infrastructure to support the development.” “at this stage these commitments are not contractually/legally binding and there is no current funding available for all the necessary infrastructure (in particular transport infrastructure) to support the plan change.” Councillor Chris Darby was blunt about what this means “There’s no public transport and there won’t be,” he said the money to pay for it will come from Māngere and Manurewa.” The officials said the lack of sufficient infrastructure was grounds to reject the application But in line with their overall recommendation they thought the better course of action was to test that conclusion with “a detailed merits assessment .. Watercare and the council’s Healthy Waters unit The extra 29ha also exercised several councillors’ minds The first was that the extra land includes some that has been identified as “prime soil” under the AUP and “highly productive” under the National Policy Statement on Highly Productive Land “Our analysis shows we are talking about only 0.8ha,” he said But the council does not have its own analysis and relies instead on the NZ Land Resource Inventory (NZLRI) That inventory says the 29ha “includes” prime soils and a recent decision of the Environment Court made it clear NZLRI maps “must be relied on” in the absence of anything more detailed The second concern about including the extra 29ha relates to sprawl Warkworth has nearly 840ha of land zoned Future Urban and officials said it may not need anymore Councillor Shane Henderson said last month “We should send a strong message: the city cannot sprawl showing where the infrastructure is and where it isn’t Every time we have this conversation we should look at that map.” Councillors Andy Baker and Greg Sayers did not agree they did vote against the mayor’s motion to reject the company’s plan Rodney in the north and northwest and Franklin in the far south and east of the city Those two wards include almost all the highly productive land and the RUB and most of the areas into which new housing is now sprawling Meanwhile, change is on the way from the Government anyway. Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop may be a fan of density but he also likes Auckland’s growing sprawl and has called it a valuable part of the “going for growth” strategy And the rules for elite soils are “transitional” because they were developed by the previous Government What’s best practice for decisions like this say the best approach is to give everyone the chance to have their say in front of independent commissioners The mayor and council say that sometimes elected officials have to draw a line in the sand This story has been updated to include comments from Mayor Wayne Brown Simon Wilson is a senior writer covering politics The only high-reach ladder truck in Auckland broke down last night Scam alerts: we’ve seen an increase in scam texts and emails claiming to be from us, asking for payments.Check our example scams or report a scam to us NZTA App: our mobile app provides a simple and secure way to access your driver licence and vehicle information.Learn more and download the NZTA app the road will be closed 24/7 between the Hill Street and Hudson Road intersections Work will take place between 7.30am and 6.30pm Some overnight work may be required and will be communicated to nearby residents in advance with contractors working hard to minimise noise and disruption as much as possible Northbound traffic will be detoured via Matakana Road and Te Honohono Ki Tai Road Southbound traffic will take the same detour The detour route is expected to add approximate 4 minutes to people’s journeys Please be patient and treat our crews with kindness and respect adhere to the temporary speed limits and follow the traffic management directions at our work sites and 999 bus will be detoured via Hudson Road during the closure The park-and-ride will remain open with a temporary bus stop inside This work is weather dependent and there may be changes to the planned works in the case of unsuitable weather Access for emergency services and local residents will be maintained throughout the closure.  This project is part of works to return the old State Highway 1 to AT following the opening of the Ara Tūhono - Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway People should visit the NZTA Journey Planner website (journeys.nzta.govt.nz(external link)) for up-to-date information on the works NZTA and AT thank everyone for their patience while this important work is completed NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi works to create transport solutions for all New Zealanders – from helping new drivers earn their licences to leading safety campaigns to investing in public transport Construction on a new walkway and footbridge that will provide safe pedestrian and cycle access to key Warkworth destinations began in January Rodney Local Board chair Brent Bailey says that walkways and cycleways are a priority for the local board and community especially in towns like Warkworth where rapid population growth is taking place Specialist track and bridge contractors are working on the project which consists of a 380-metre-long walkway that includes a 300-metre concrete footpath and an 80-metre elevated timber boardwalk and bridge which crosses a steep gully – and is budgeted to cost $1.1 million The bridge and boardwalk span floodplain areas along the path Up to six metres above ground at its highest point the boardwalk will offer stunning views of the surrounding bush and of birds flying above and between the canopy trees Construction is expected to take about four months and be completed in May Sign up for your Local Board E-news and get the latest news and events direct to your inbox each month. 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Photo / Supplied- Art and Matilda Green are selling their Warkworth home to move to the countryside - They bought the four-bedroom villa for $750,000 in 2018 and renovated it extensively - The couple wants more space for their family of five The Bachelor NZ’s Art and Matilda Green are selling their family home after deciding to trade town life for a slice of the countryside The reality TV stars and social media influencers bought their four-bedroom villa on Lilburn Street They told OneRoof it had been the perfect spot for them and their growing family but they now hankered for the challenge of a lifestyle property Matilda told OneRoof that buying a home together was the first big test of their relationship They were mid-air when the villa went to auction The couple’s four-bedroom villa on Lilburn Street My mum was the only one there,” Matilda told OneRoof The villa has been a backdrop to many of the couple’s social media posts and promotions and will no doubt look familiar to their hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers who over the years will have marvelled at the smoothies whisked up in the kitchen or Art’s topless workouts on the deck “Both of us pretty much work from home 90% of the time,” Matilda said who is filling in for PJ Harding on Matty McLean’s afternoon show on The Hits said the couple had put a lot of effort into making the house their own - TV star Jeremy Corbett gets $4.5m for his forever home - Marvel film-maker selling his super Queenstown home - Sione’s Wedding villa for sale - call Bolo and the boys “I wish I’d taken a ‘before’ photo of the laundry because it was a mess “I have a love-hate relationship [with Pinterest] I see all these amazing [renovations] and think How do I recreate it for a fraction of the price?’.” Art told OneRoof his first DIY job was rebuilding the deck “I’ve been slowly acquiring more and more tools since we started living here I started not knowing how to use any of them He would come around and do bits and bobs around the house.” The house also holds special meaning for the couple The couple’s favourite retreat is the sauna Matilda said the big living room was the family hub “Whether it’s colouring or reading or doing crafts though it was probably once the ‘good’ room.” The couple’s favourite “grown-up” feature is beneath the house The couple said they were heading to the edge of town for a larger property “We’re not ready for the full lifestyle block with animals but we want a little more room for riding bikes and all that,” Matilda said I started to go to wriggle and rhyme classes with Milo as a baby and there are so many families around here She added: “It feels bittersweet to be selling all three of my children were born here - it has such special memories “It’s so gorgeous to see the real side of Art and Matilda Walton declined to give a price indication for the property but said she was expecting buyer interest in the “early to mid-$1ms” - Lilburn Street, in Warkworth, Auckland, goes to auction on May 7 A steamboat has caught fire on Wharf St in Warkworth Police stepped in to control a huge crowd after a steamboat caught fire next to Warkworth Wharf in North Auckland this evening A Fire and Emergency spokesman said firefighters were called to a blaze at 8.27pm on a steamboat at Warkworth Wharf “The boat was well involved upon arrival .. and part of the wharf was on fire,” he said “The owner is now arranging for a tugboat to tug it to a boat ramp where we will be able to fully extinguish the fire and the owner will attempt to refloat it.” Police said they responded to a request to assist Fire and Emergency with crowd control at a fire incident on Wharf St about 8.30pm everyone on board is reported to have gotten off and no injuries are reported,” a spokesperson said Black smoke could be seen billowing across the skyline in the suburb Sign up to The Daily H a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Warkworth residents are frustrated and disappointed after long-promised improvements to a notorious intersection have been shelved once again is often described as the worst intersection in New Zealand It is a clogged tangle of roads where traffic is funnelled between the old State Highway 1 One Mahurangi Business Association manager Murray Chapman described it as particularly dangerous "If you can imagine an intersection designed by somebody going through emotional turmoil Some people will sit at the give-way signs for what seems like hours because they're too scared to go anywhere," he said Warkworth Lodge owner Liz Bays said the intersection actually had traffic coming from seven directions and was especially intimidating for out-of-towners are not quite aware of the complication of it until they're in amongst it And that's when you get people screeching on brakes," she said Warkworth residents have been lobbying roading authorities to fix the intersection for decades and plans have been floated since at least 2010 Auckland Transport announced a solution involving two roundabouts had finally been found and construction would start within 12 months a rejig of priorities meant the project no longer makes the cut in the government's 2024-27 roading funding plan and it is not clear when it could be built after that We'd worked with the Auckland Transport design team to make sure the community's voice was heard and Auckland Transport told us that they had their share of the money ready to go and we were under the impression that the NZTA also had their share of the money … and then to be told that the minister had kiboshed it just gave us a real sinking feeling in the stomach that once again While traffic volumes had dropped since the Northern Motorway was extended to a point just north of Warkworth Chapman said that had not necessarily made the intersection safer because cars were now travelling through it at greater speed Bays said news the project had again been shelved came out of the blue The upgrade would have complemented other new infrastructure around Warkworth and the twin-roundabout design would have future-proofed the town because it would be able to handle the area's fast growing population Everything had been going very nicely with the new highway and the link roads This was definitely part of the solution." Residents forced to run the Hill Street gauntlet most frequently includes those who live in Snell's Beach Parker said he was "totally disappointed" and urged roading authorities to reconsider their decision from the time I went to school and biked through it so I've got to know the intersection pretty well And with the huge increase in population that's occurring in the town we're looking at perhaps another 30,000 people here in the next 10 to 15 years that intersection's going to be under real pressure." Chapman agreed the time to fix the intersection was now and while the government's share of the cost was a relatively modest $9 million it's going to be at a time when the intersection is a lot busier and there'll be more and more traffic disruption but also the cost is going to be a lot greater It's never going to be cheaper than doing it now." NZTA said the Hill Street intersection improvements were no longer included in the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme because they did not meet the priorities set by the new Government Policy Statement on Land Transport Transport Minister Simeon Brown said Auckland Transport's design for upgrades of the Hill Street intersection included at least five new speed bumps and three sections of cycleway "If Auckland Transport wish to advance this project they will need to rework the design for the intersection to better align with the GPS and then re-submit it to NZTA for consideration of co-funding." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday An infamously-confusing intersection north of Auckland with 55 turning combinations is again riling locals who are unimpressed with two proposed solutions to fix it The north Auckland town of Warkworth wants a roundabout to help its traffic woes Fix Hill Street Now spokesperson Grant McLachlan describes the intersection that stops traffic for hours The new stretch of motorway north of Auckland's CBD opened quietly in the early hours of Monday morning after a seven-year build that cost $880 million 10 May 2025 12:00324602m²Modern and Vibrant - With a Pool!Auction this Saturday Nestled in a small subdivision of quality homes this stylish residence offers an exceptional living experience Designed with a seamless blend of indoor and outdoor spaces it caters perfectly to the needs of families ready to move in and enjoy - beautifully landscaped by vendors who are reluctantly called south Enjoy the benefit of exceptional outdoor features From the pristine saltwater pool (heated) and spa Step inside a home that just feels good from the moment you arrive every inch of this Stonewood residence has been crafted with comfort Sunlight spills across polished concrete floors open plan flows seamlessly from indoors to out This heart buy home is made for connection - whether it's quiet mornings at the kitchen island or weekends entertaining by the pool Separate media room and office nook provide retreat space a clarity - the kind that comes from considered design and quality presentation Sustainable and energy efficient with HRV system solar panels and battery plus cosy wood burner for winter close to schools and an easy walk to town amenities Located in desirable cul-de-sac street in a welcoming community This is more than a home - it's a sanctuary offering comfort or simply seeking the kind of home that gives you room to breathe 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 Read more shearing and woolhandling stories here 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 Ballance Agri-Nutrients worker says there a lot of anxiety over potential loss of jobs A Warkworth transport group working to improve an intersection described as the worst in New Zealand says it's "appalled and insulted" by the reasons given for shelving the long-promised upgrade Warkworth's notoriously complicated Hill Street intersection was to have been replaced with two roundabouts in a project starting this year and jointly funded by Auckland Transport and NZTA However, it was revealed this week that NZTA had removed the project from its 2024-27 road funding plan because it did not meet the priorities set by the new Government Policy Statement on Land Transport Transport Minister Simeon Brown said that was because the Northern Motorway extension and the new Matakana link road had reduced traffic through the intersection but also because the design included at least five new speed bumps and three sections of cycleway Brown said that did not align with government policy or his expectation that investment in transport infrastructure would get back to basics If Auckland Transport wanted to advance the project then re-submit it to NZTA to apply for co-funding "We were appalled by the minister's comments about having to redesign the intersection with particular reference to cycling and pedestrian access given that we've had a process of design engagement with Auckland Transport and NZTA … In fact "This process has been going on now for about six years We've had a number of our own engineers working side by side with the engineers at Auckland Transport to come up with what we believe to be the most economic and most effective design for that intersection." The cycleways had been designed to link up with cycleways planned by three new housing developments in the Hill Street area - Arvida the Kilns project and Templeton - as well as with the Matakana Coastal Trail "So what we are doing is tying in to a network proposed by a number of other parties but also taking account of the fact that there's probably going to be up to 10,000 people living in the northeast of Warkworth in future "So we're looking at huge safety issues for schoolchildren and cyclists to get in to Warkworth," Stott said The Hill Street intersection funnels traffic from seven directions between the old State Highway 1 the boomtown of Matakana and coastal settlements such as Snell's Beach It is particularly unusual in that vehicles heading towards the town centre from the north have to pass through a queue of traffic at the traffic lights on Sandspit Road The Hill Street junction is often described as the worst intersection in New Zealand SH1 Auckland to Whangārei will be four-lanes the whole way This week's announcement has given one business leader hope it will be completed during his lifetime RodneyBy negotiation621haExciting Opportunity in Warkworth!I'm excited to present a unique property in Warkworth that offers endless possibilities This single-level home includes a full wrap-around covered verandah perfect for sheltered outdoor living and entertainment Enjoy breathtaking views of the Warkworth Golf Club and Little Barrier Island right from your doorstep The easily managed 2.5-acre property features a vegetable garden you'll find a recently upgraded kitchen and a bathroom with double vanities and stylish mirrors plus two lounges that could easily serve as a sixth bedroom or a home office the property features a separate one-bedroom cottage A collection of tiny homes is not included however they may be available for purchase separately with plenty of space for multiple vehicles There's also ample grazing land suitable for ponies or sheep Located just minutes from Warkworth shops and the new Matakana Link road and with the golf course just across the road The property is also close to Matakana Village This property is perfect as a private retreat or boutique accommodation for golf enthusiasts See this listing on Barfoot & Thompson The government is opening procurement for a public private partnership to build and run the new Northland Expressway The Transport and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop said registrations of interest would open this week for the four-lane Road of National Significance between Warkworth and Whangārei The first stage of the project - from Warkworth to Te Hana - will include an 850m tunnel bored through the Dome Valley Shortlisted bidders will be invited to submit formal expressions of interest in the middle of the year The winner should be revealed early next year with a contract finalised mid-2026 and construction starting later that year "There has been extensive market engagement by NZTA over the last few months and big international interest in the Warkworth to Te Hana project Cabinet has now approved NZTA to move to the next stage of procurement and agreed that the project will be delivered as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP)," Bishop said "NZTA is progressing planning and design for the remaining sections of the corridor Decisions on the emerging preferred corridor for Sections 2 and 3 including an alternative to the Brynderwyn Hills He said the Registrations of Interest would be formally opened at the NZ Investment Summit starting on Thursday "The Northland Expressway is expected to make use of the Fast-track Approvals Act as well as the Public Works Act changes for critical infrastructure announced yesterday "Today is a great milestone for going for growth in Northland This investment will not only unlock Northland's economic potential but also provide long-term opportunities for the infrastructure sector more resilient supply chain for New Zealand." Northland leaders are welcoming government plans to speed up the construction of an expressway from Warkworth to Whangārei A new public-private partnerships framework has been released by the government Politics RSS architecturally designed homes with amazing amenities premium development only 30 minutes north of Auckland in Warkworth Hudson Grounds spearheads a development offering early movers the exclusive opportunity to create architecturally designed homes within a beautiful As the opening phase of the broader Hudson Warkworth development Hudson Grounds is set to become a sanctuary for those seeking an escape from the hustle and bustle of Auckland city Strategically situated with easy access to major transport links and those seeking an active lifestyle with hotel-style amenities on their doorstep stage one of Hudson Grounds has seen the release of 12 parcels of freehold land sized from 600 to 780sq m the initial parcels are part of a manicured 19ha site offering stunning views of mature native bush across emerald lawns For the design and delivery of their homes new residents can engage their own architects and builders or choose from trusted Build Partners ensuring the creation of a consistent quality and character for Hudson Grounds and the forthcoming Hudson Warkworth development as a whole says the community is built from the ground up to be something a little different “We’re bringing together those looking for a sanctuary to return to at the end of the day who also want to make a financially savvy property investment We’re confident they will enjoy the safety and convenience of onsite security and a fulltime grounds team and easy access to the incredible planned amenities that will add a resort-style comfort to home ownership.” At the heart of the community hub in Hudson Warkworth will be the planned Clubhouse There the aim is to provide chef-prepared dishes featuring ingredients from the region’s local suppliers and artisan food-makers catering and home delivery is all expected to be ‘on the menu’ Already apparent with the release of Hudson Grounds stage one the development stands out for their close attention to detail and thoughtfully designed landscaping with views of the Dome Valley and rural countryside Something few private homes boast is a world-class Wellness Centre A concierge service will also be available to ease daily life handling everything from booking exercise classes organising transport and making travel arrangements to putting out bins while you’re away While these facilities are planned rather than delivered Clementson says completion of the clubhouse is scheduled for the beginning of 2026 – coinciding with the release of Hudson Grounds stage three – before the wellness centre opens in late 2026 so it is relatively early days for Hudson Village with Hudson Grounds being the first component of the development,” she explains Clementson says there is something of a first mover advantage for those seeking a better way of life removed from the hubbub of the city building a new home typically takes a little over a year; so for those starting now completion is likely to coincide with when the clubhouse is ready I’d advise interested parties to take a drive to Warkworth and see for yourself what we’re creating; there’s a lot of appeal for the site as a whole Hudson Grounds is already impressive – and it’s just going to get better.” To learn more about this development or book an appointment, visit hudsonvillages.nz or view the development at 223 Falls Road Warkworth is subject registration under the Retirement Villages Act Auckland District Court judge Belinda Sellars also ordered Mahurangi East resident Blake James Lambert to give an emotional harm payment of $15,000 While it wasn’t in her power to make the defendant give the victim his “precious” Holden Commodore the judge strongly suggested Lambert sell the vehicle - as a symbolic gesture of his remorse - to fund the payment who still can’t work full-time and has a speech impediment after spending over two weeks in a coma wept as the non-custodial sentence was announced last week They filed out of the courtroom in disappointment shortly thereafter a sentence of imprisonment seems entirely appropriate,” the judge had said moments earlier The first of the two confrontations started around 10.30 on a Friday night in December 2022 after “a large group of car enthusiasts” drove past Maclean’s home near the northern edge of the Auckland region according to the agreed summary of facts for the case being frustrated with the ‘boy racer’ activity around his home confronted and threw stones at the passing vehicles,” court documents state “Mr Lambert’s vehicle was struck by the stones.” A fight broke out between Maclean, then 47, and a 19-year-old who was later charged with assault with intent to injure That charge was later withdrawn by the Crown and the teen was granted name suppression Mr Lambert retrieved a gas-powered BB-pistol from his vehicle and fired several shots at Mr Maclean from his vehicle,” the summary of facts states “At least one of these pellets struck Mr Maclean in the head Lambert and others then left the area and regrouped in the car park of a nearby Mitre 10 to assess the damage to their vehicles He and two others decided to return to the neighbourhood and confront Maclean again but this time Lambert opted to arm himself with a tyre iron from his boot before walking down Maclean’s driveway When Maclean “walked aggressively” towards him Lambert stepped back and swung the tyre iron at his head Maclean required immediate surgery for an “indented head fracture to his skull” Parts of the skull had to be removed to alleviate stress on his brain and he now has a metal plate in his head which he described as the size of his palm and causing continued numbness down to his jaw He was placed in an induced coma that lasted 17 days “He could walk afterwards but he couldn’t talk he was just moaning and holding his head and side,” his wife told the Herald several days later while he was still in a coma had not been identified by police as the culprit Authorities were seeking tips from the public to identify anyone who had been involved in the car group “I honestly feel like I am in a nightmare that I just can’t wake up out of,” Lipsey-Maclean added You’ve just destroyed a family’s Christmas.” Maclean has been described by his wife as a keen surfer and DJ, as well as a devoted family man whose children ranged in age at the time from 6 to 17. A Givealittle fundraiser that has since ended raised almost $47,000 for the family as they reeled from the incident physically and mentally - has been lasting Maclean said in a written victim impact statement that was read aloud in court last week by the prosecutor Not only has his life been disrupted but so has his entire family’s explaining that his sister even flew over from Australia to say goodbye because he wasn’t initially expected to live Although Maclean was successfully taken out of the coma he spent three months in hospital learning how to speak again and “coming to terms with my disability” followed by continuing therapist appointments for another six months He has been determined to return to the workforce fulltime but isn’t there yet explaining that he at first was able to put in one part-day per week and now works four part-days per week “I sometimes feel anger at myself for no longer being able to provide for my family,” he said adding that his wife also lost income while having to deal with the immediate aftermath of the attack and he continues to have a speech impediment that frustrates him when others can’t understand what he’s saying adding that he can no longer feel the texture of the food he eats His youngest two children have ongoing anxiety and need counselling “My life has changed immeasurably,” he concluded “I now realise my life will never be the same as it was before.” Lambert faced up to five years’ imprisonment for assault with the BB gun and up to 14 years’ imprisonment for purposely inflicting grievous bodily harm with the tyre iron Crown prosecutor Aoife Crumley sought a starting point of seven-and-a-half to eight years’ imprisonment taking into account aggravating factors such as the focus of the attack on Maclean’s head and pre-meditation “Mr Lambert had the duration of the drive away from the address and back to the address to consider his actions,” she explained Crumley suggested the sentence be increased to eight-and-a-half years due to the severity of the injuries and 10 months added for the BB gun assault But she acknowledged that sentence should then be reduced due to Lambert’s guilty plea his efforts at rehabilitation and his seemingly genuine remorse When asked by the judge if the Maclean family would accept emotional harm reparation Crumley said it would be appreciated but insinuated such a payment wouldn’t be a suitable substitute for prison “It doesn’t quite balance out or go near the harm that occurred,” she said of the family’s sentiments But defence lawyer Harrison Smith argued that home detention would be the right choice when considering what’s best for society as a whole “This is an occasion where a good person has done a bad thing,” he said “A sentence of imprisonment here will only ruin a second life.” If there is any silver lining at all to the incident it’s that Lambert has since been diagnosed with severe and enduring PTSD due to trauma during his childhood that lawyers declined to discuss in open court “Mr Lambert has taken steps to address what triggered his response,” the lawyer said would allow Lambert to continue working on his family’s farm and to continue counselling for his PTSD would have the opposite effect on his efforts at rehabilitation Smith said his client still had the Holden and that it was worth an estimated $7000 to $8000 Although the vehicle was in his mother’s name Lambert said he was prepared to sell it if it would carry weight for the outcome of the sentence Judge Sellars started her sentencing remarks by acknowledging the presence of the Maclean family in the courtroom and noting that no sentence could “change anything that happened” She also acknowledged Lambert’s family and the letters that were submitted in support of him adding that there has been “much trauma and tragedy” for everyone She rejected the defence’s suggested starting point of five-and-a-half years instead settling on seven-and-a-half years for the grievous bodily harm charge uplifted to eight years when taking into account the BB gun assault But she then allowed the sentence to be reduced by 65% 15% for rehabilitation efforts including his intensive therapy and voluntary taking of a stopping violence course 10% for his remorse as demonstrated by the $15,000 emotional harm payment and 15% for personal factors from his childhood outlined in a psychological report Lambert wiped away tears as the judge referred to childhood abuse his provisional sentence still wasn’t under two years - the point at which a judge can consider swapping out a custodial sentence for home detention But the judge then gave him a final credit of 10 months for time he spent on electronically monitored bail awaiting trial bringing the final figure to one year and 11 months because it offered deterrence and denunciation but also left room for rehabilitation While Lambert is currently assessed as being a low risk of reoffending that could change if he was sent to prison include continuing to attend counselling as deemed necessary by his probation officer and 300 hours of community work That applies to all his family,” the judge said of the victim I suspect your life will never be the same again either Lambert’s only words during the hearing were at the conclusion after learning he wouldn’t be going to prison “Thank you for your time,” he told the judge before opening the dock door and walking outside the courtroom to share hugs with supporters the Maclean family had already left the courthouse Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday. No one knew he'd fallen after a guard rail gave way while he was loading containers. RodneyAsking Price $1,790,000422240m²8,001m²Striking lifestyle - edge of townEscape the everyday and discover a sanctuary of space This stunning architectural home sits on an 8,001sqm lifestyle section offering an array of fruit trees and the perfect balance of privacy and convenience and the historic Wilson’s Cement Works swimming spot this is a home designed for relaxed living and effortless entertaining and you'll be greeted by light-filled interiors and living area create a spacious heart of the home complemented by a separate media room for cosy nights in The generous family bedrooms ensure comfort for everyone while the master suite enjoys its own peaceful retreat A true standout feature is the private elevator currently not operational could provide effortless access between levels - perfect for added convenience the owners have meticulously renovated this home presenting a rare opportunity for you to make this stunning retreat your own yet leaves just enough scope for you to add your own finishing touches Spend warm summer afternoons on the expansive deck soaking up the tranquility of your own private oasis—this is lifestyle living at its finest Unfortunately you are viewing this website on an outdated browser which does not support the necessary features for us to provide an adequate experience Please switch to a modern browser such as latest version of Google Chrome Warkworth’s Mia O’Sullivan may be shorter than her New Zealand Army Reserve Force colleagues passion and playing to individual strengths has helped her conquer the recruit course at Waiouru Military Camp navigating unknown territory and making a bunch of new mates as part of that recruit training.  says she was keen to join the Reserve Force.  It was a good learning environment and the training will cross over into her volunteer Operational Support Firefighter role at Warkworth Fire Station where she is hopeful to soon be training as a fully-fledged fire fighter “My grandad was a combat medic for the Australian Defence Force and has inspired me to become a combat medic too.” Private O’Sullivan said she enjoyed the camaraderie of recruit training and that everyone recognised early on that each person would have strengths that needed to be drawn on to help another who may be struggling.  “I found learning the weapons systems challenging and while we were in the field my section helped me go over the drills whenever we had a spare moment “They’re really supportive and have helped me work on my mindset so I can develop confidence when using my weapon.” Private O’Sullivan with her section on graduation day Private O’Sullivan said she enjoyed living in the field and built a solid friendship with her “battle buddy”.  Soldiers are paired together to mutually support each other within a section They look out for each other and work together as one unit “I was the cover scout and my battle buddy was the lead scout.  He would always go my pace and had a calm temperament “I’m five foot four and the tallest person in our section was six foot four so there’s quite a height difference her competitive rock climbing and hockey background helped Private O’Sullivan with her fitness and strength for the field “Physical fitness is important but you need to be prepared to have the mental endurance as well,” she said Left: Private O’Sullivan digs her shell scrape When soldiers are living in areas of open country they ‘dig in’ for protection Right: The early morning view of Mt Ruapehu that Private O’Sullivan had while she was on sentry duty Each Reserve Force infantry company has its own training programme in line with its battalion’s training focus Company level training typically occurs one weekend a month with platoon level training occurring every two weeks on average Each year Reserve Forces from around New Zealand take part in Exercise Tauwharenikau which is supported by Regular Force elements This exercise is in addition to regular training activities on weekends and at night parades Reserve Force soldiers can also take part in all New Zealand Defence Force exercises based on time availability and skills required.  Any Defence Recruiting enquiries can be made by phoning 0800 1 FORCE or visit www.defencecareers.mil.nz(external link) has changed from a state highway to a local road With the Ara Tūhono - Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway now open we worked with the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) to change the main road from Pūhoi to Warkworth transferred the responsibility for maintaining Old State Highway 1 and managing its assets to Auckland Transport from the NZTA The handover of the road and all its assets to Auckland Transport was officially completed on 1 July 2024 These parts of the road have new road names: These parts of the road have existing local road names that have not changed: The road name changes (except for the section under NZTA control) also went into effect on 1 July 2024 The stretch of Old State Highway 1 from Hibiscus Coast Highway (near Billing Road) travelling north to McKinney Road was renamed Pōhuehue Road by Rodney Local Board in May 2024 The name comes from the Pōhuehue rural locality on which much of the stretch of road sits European settlers who came to the area in the 1860s called it Little Scotland NZ Post and other mail companies will continue delivering your mail as normal Address name databases and mapping services (i.e. Google Maps) have all been updated with the road name changes The Warkworth man was on holiday in Queenstown when the accident happened A young man is in critical condition after falling from a Queenstown balcony in a “freak accident” where the glass railing he was leaning on collapsed Two ambulances and two helicopters responded to the incident at a holiday home on Frankton Rd The Warkworth man was airlifted to Christchurch Hospital A Givealittle page for the man and his family described the incident as a “freak accident” while on holiday A glass balustrade he was leaning on “gave out” A relative wrote that the man fell from a “significant height and has suffered horrific and life-changing injuries” He suffered a “major brain injury” and was put in an induced coma and has multiple broken bones in his back and neck Police were called to a property about 6.30pm on the day of the accident “Initial enquiries have established that a portion of the balcony gave way “Police inquiries into the incident are ongoing Sergeant Simon Matheson told Lakes Weekly there was no evidence that any person had caused the incident The Queenstown Lakes District Council said it extended its sympathy to the injured person “Council is liaising with police to support its investigation into the cause of the incident,” a council spokesperson said “Council is addressing its own inquiries under the Building Act 2004 to assess building safety and will undertake any action it considers appropriate in the circumstances to ensure this.” WorkSafe confirmed it was notified of the incident and made initial inquiries A spokesperson said it had not opened an investigation “as the local council and New Zealand Police are best placed to respond” Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday. The only high-reach ladder truck in Auckland broke down last night. Rodney$989,000322444m²Dovetailing comfort with convenience.Whether you are looking to rental home "invest" first home buyer "nest" or downsize retirement "rest"; this property is guaranteed to tick most (if not all) of your wish list Ideal for those searching for low maintenance and easy-care living Under 10 years young and built to healthy homes specifications this modern home is located in the Grange complex of Warkworth schools and an early childhood centre all a short walk from your doorstep coming home to this this property paves a way to an ease of day-to-day North facing on its slightly elevated site 2-bathroom brick and tile home is bathed in all day sun before its sets in blooms of colour towards the Kaipara Flats area You will delight in sitting on your entertainer's deck on a Friday evening after work with the delicious aromas wafting from the BBQ or enjoying tasty takeaways from the plethora of choices just down the road Emersed in the brilliance of another eye watering Warkworth sunset you'll look around at what you need to do over the weekend and remind yourself this place looks after itself you'll pour another drink and start planning for a fun filled weekend enjoying the playground that surrounds living just north of Auckland and wish Monday would never roll around Rodney$2,650,0005310257m²8.03ha"Motivated to Sell"Vendors have purchased and it is time for them to say good-bye to their family home of 27 years This is a lifestyle like no other on 8.0341 hectares of prime grazing land perfectly positioned between Warkworth and Matakana This northeast-facing retreat is a peaceful or anyone seeking a multi-generational living space the five spacious bedrooms provide comfort for the whole family while three modern bathrooms ensure convenience for all Located at the far end of the home is a large bedroom and ensuite which is currently used as a home business the vibrant kitchen hub is an entertainer's delight Designed for effortless indoor-outdoor living the home flows beautifully onto expansive entertaining decks Well designed landscaped gardens offer a variety of plantings which have supplied foliage for a local florist the land is fully fenced into paddocks for grazing stock with water for troughs via a dam A half-round barn and calf-raising shed add practicality while the established home orchard overflows with fruit trees and a thriving vegetable garden There is plenty of parking and space for extra guests or family this property is zoned for Matakana School and conveniently close to the new Warkworth motorway extension you’ll enjoy effortless access to Auckland’s CBD and North Shore and stunning beaches are just minutes away ensuring a lifestyle of both tranquility and convenience RodneyAsking Price $995,0003221,170m²Modern living elevated viewsNestled in an elevated position this home strikes the perfect balance between contemporary style and low maintenance living open spaces and stunning views create a welcoming atmosphere making it an ideal place to relax and enjoy the surroundings Sliding doors open onto the sun-drenched deck bringing the outdoors in and allowing you to enjoy the views over the Waiwhiu Ranges The primary bedroom includes a walk-in wardrobe the home is surrounded by mature plantings that create a low-maintenance landscape The spacious deck is perfect for entertaining and offers the perfect vantage point to enjoy sunsets vegetable gardens and fruit trees provide the opportunity to grow your own produce Warkworth is a town that offers accessibility and lifestyle you can easily walk to Warkworth Primary School or Mahurangi College including the new Kowhai Falls Shopping Centre Warkworth is ideally positioned to take advantage of nearby beaches It also offers a seamless connection to Auckland making it an excellent location for both work and leisure Don’t miss the opportunity to secure this modern Contact us today to arrange a viewing and see firsthand how this home can meet your needs and exceed your expectations RodneyAsking Price $1130000325159m²633m²Contemporary Comfort in Cul-de-SacNestled on a north-facing this impressive modern contemporary home is a masterpiece of design Elevated for stunning views including glimpses of Little Barrier on clear days this home maximizes sunlight where seamless indoor-outdoor flow leads to a covered entertainment area perfect for morning sunrises The beautifully maintained garden features raised planter beds and a large water tank complementing the town water supply for sustainable living well-appointed kitchen with a generous breakfast bar sits at the heart of the home effortlessly connecting to the living and dining spaces Three large double bedrooms include a master suite with ensuite and private patio access while a separate home office near the entrance adds versatility with a smart vent system and sophisticated security cameras enhancing peace of mind Designed with care and built for longevity by GJ Gardner RodneyPRICE BY NEGOTIATION532295m²968m²ALL OFFERS WILL BE PRESENTEDOur vendors are serious about selling and ready to meet the market this is your chance to secure a fantastic family home in one of Warkworth's most sought-after neighbourhoods Nestled in a peaceful cul-de-sac and backing onto a beautiful reserve with a bush track leading straight into town The section is partially fenced and features new retaining walls and raised veggie gardens already thriving you'll find an updated kitchen with walk in pantry and breakfast bar flowing into a spacious lounge and sunny conservatory with white washed Sark ceilings including a downstairs room with semi ensuite and an upstairs master with two walk in wardrobes and a private ensuite Comfort is covered with three heat pumps and two hot water cylinders (gas and electric) and the large garage includes an indoor clothesline for rainy day drying Commuting is easy with the new motorway extension and the weekends are sorted with Matakana Markets The outdoor fireplace sets the scene for relaxed entertaining and direct access to the reserve makes this feel like your own private escape Piper – a tunnel-boring machine – completed the final leg of her journey to install a five-kilometre-long pipeline to transport wastewater from Warkworth to the Snells Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant The new pipeline is part of a broader programme of work to improve the performance of the local wastewater network and support growth in Warkworth which includes building a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant at Snells Beach Photo: The Snells Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant is on track to come into service mid to late 2025 Project manager Dirk Du Plessis says the pipeline was tunnelled in three stages with the last stage being the shortest and easiest for Piper to complete to tunnel through consistent but hard ground her third leg had no curves on it – making things a bit easier and faster Piper used her face to devour a smorgasbord of various soft and hard ground that were transported out of the tunnel and separated from the water at a dedicated separation plant at the launchpad the ground material is separated and water is pumped back to Piper to transport much-needed bentonite for lubrication and for pumping tailings back to the surface Piper has been installing the pipeline at a rate of about 36 meters per day.” Senior project engineer AJ Jaafar says despite Piper breaking down twice on her 14-month journey the installation of the pipeline has gone rather smoothly a dedicated McConnell Dowell crew would spend two to three months getting her ready to go the crew would give her a good pampering: washing and checking her hydraulics as well as replacing worn-out seals and mechanical parts or broken equipment damaged from her last leg it also gave the crew time to set up the equipment at each new launch site and do final checks and balances before starting each leg “Once she’s tunnelling up to 50 metres underground it’s almost impossible to get her out for repairs without causing damage and delays to the project Jaafar says once Piper completes this final leg she will move onto her next job with her own dedicated drive crew Our next major milestone for the project is to backfill the drive sites and to connect the pipeline into the Lucy Moore Wastewater Pump Station and Snells Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant this pipeline will be brought into service at the same time as the pump station and treatment plant which is scheduled to be in service by mid to late 2025.” A 110kmh speed limit has been proposed for State Highway 1 Consultation on raising the speed limits from 100kph for the Northern Gateway Toll Road and Pūhoi to Warkworth Road of National Significance will last four weeks beginning on 3 September and closing on 1 October The Transport Agency will then consider all feedback received during the consultation process and review it alongside technical and safety assessments The government is currently finalising a new Speed Limit Rule that will enable 110kmh speed limits on Roads of National Significance that are built to a high safety standard Transport Minister Simeon Brown said the two sections of State Highway 1 were both built to a high safety standard and have delivered strong safety benefits for those travelling between Auckland and Northland "Since the Northern Gateway Toll Road opened in 2009 and the Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway opened in 2023 under National's Roads of National Significance programme no one has died in a crash on these roads," Brown said safer and more resilient connection between Auckland and Northland helping to unlock economic growth and productivity by moving people and freight quickly and safely between regions "Delivering 110kmh speed limits on Roads of National Significance where it's safe to do so is another part of our government's Accelerate NZ plan to grow the economy reduce travel times and increase productivity on our transport network." Roughly half of survey respondents supported a 30km/h maximum school speed limit in urban areas A former top science adviser for the ministry has criticised the proposal but the Simeon Brown says there's strong evidence NZ doesn't need a blanket approach The government's proposal to increase speed limits will lead to more deaths and serious injuries on our roads according to a new report from the Public Health Communication Centre The Coalition has removed the mandatory requirement and deadline for authorities to submit and then implement speed management plans National wants to scrap lower speed limits on highways saying economic impacts should be considered as well as road safety RodneyAsking Price $1,489,000411139m²1.08ha"Our Little Ranch"Fresh this 1.0795ha property offers all the perks of a boutique lifestyle block - without the hard work Fully fenced with a striking post-and-rail entrance The beautifully renovated home is light-filled and welcoming with seamless indoor-outdoor flow from two sun-soaked living areas A top-to-bottom upgrade ensures peace of mind it’s a move-in-ready retreat in a sought-after Warkworth location Affectionately named 'Our Little Ranch' by its owners this property captures the essence of boutique country living with far-reaching rural views and its own 20m x 40m arena Well-equipped for equestrians with three covered yards and seven paddocks connected by a lime race But it’s not just for horse lovers - this versatile land is perfect for hobby farming or simply enjoying open space without the upkeep A separate studio provides the perfect space for creative hobbies This is your chance to embrace country living without compromise Rodney$899,000314113m²811m²Don't Miss This One!!!OPEN HOME CANCELLED Set in a very quiet popular location on a large North facing section sits this sunny well maintained home that is just waiting for you to move in A large kitchen with open plan dining/ living area for great indoor/outdoor flow The covered deck and sunroom are spaces to enjoy all year round BBQ's This property would suit someone downsizing • Carport and garden shed plus extra off-street parking • Large private backyard with mature gardens and fruit and native trees beaches and all our wonderful area has to offer Would you like to be first to know about new listings and what's happening in the market Send me an e-mail with "Add me to your e-mail newsletter" in the subject line to receive my free weekly property update RodneyAsking Price $1,420,000432790m²Two homes one incredible opportunityDiscover your perfect home with this bespoke property that combines the best of family living and investment potential it offers a spacious main residence alongside a fully self-contained minor dwelling an ideal solution for multigenerational living • Stylish family bathroom with a versatile layout • Open plan living and dining area with wood burner (and heat transfer system) and a partially covered deck with views towards the Mahurangi River Reserve • Beautiful Totara floor and window features • Large carpeted double garage with a dedicated workshop/hobby area • Additional outdoor entertainment area off the lounge • Plenty of additional storage space under the house and sheds • Rental appraisal of $660 - $700 per week (approx) and a nature-inspired garden buzzing with bees and birdlife • Polished concrete floor in the open-plan kitchen and lounge area • Rental appraisal of $380 - $420 per week (approx) Whether you're looking for a forever home or a savvy investment this versatile property in a sought-after Warkworth location RodneyPrice on Application433181m²286m²Brand New - Great Design & Elevated Outlook !!Step into luxury with this brand new home that offers unbeatable value This stunning property boasts 4 spacious bedrooms and 3 elegantly designed bathrooms • Prime Location: Close to a vibrant shopping area for ultimate convenience • Quality Appliances & Fixtures: Enjoy underfloor heating in bathrooms • Upmarket Kitchen: Features a stylish design with a walk-in pantry • Indoor-Outdoor Flow: Seamlessly transition from the indoors to the expansive Kwila decking • Ample Outdoor Space: Plenty of grass for kids Don't miss out on the opportunity to own this incredible brand new home in an ideal location The quality craftsmanship and thoughtful design make it a standout in the market Call Shaun on 021 871 252 to arrange a private viewing or hope to see you at one of our open homes A small town north of Auckland is divided after a local primary school switched from the usual bell to a loudspeaker system playing AC/DC and other music Te Kura O Puhinui Warkworth School introduced the new system four years ago when its old bells needed replacing Principal Karney Dawson said despite backlash from some neighbours “We found the kids started looking forward to the start of class even the parents skip in and out of school grounds,” he said The bells, which play anything from Thunderstruck by AC/DC to the theme from The Muppets mark the beginning and end of class periods neighbours of the school have started a petition to get rid of the bells - which they claim “disturb the peace” and cause “noise pollution” in the area has been signed by 39 neighbours of Warkworth Primary School including some members of the local Bowls Club It requests the “school replace the current loud bursts of music played through loudspeakers to mark the beginning and end of the school time periods They’ve also requested a reduction of the bell rings to “less than 5 seconds” In response, another petition was created to retain the musical bells “Music has been proven to have a positive impact on students’ mental health Dawson said the board reviewed the initial petition and has opted to keep the music-based system “The overwhelming feedback from both staff and students was in favour of retaining the music system,” he said more neighbours have taken to Facebook to voice their concerns “We have a large amount of speakers facing our home which five times a day blare out music “If you lived next door you would [understand] it’s over the top loud,” said another Dawson said a noise specialist from Auckland Council confirmed the music volume is not excessive or disruptive to immediate neighbours The school has since adjusted the volume and length of the music to address the concerns of the petitioners “The final stage of our changes will involve adjusting the speakers on the roof of our junior campus to angle them away from our closer neighbours to further minimise potential disruption this work will be completed during the summer break “While we understand the concerns raised by the petitioners we are committed to balancing the needs of our school community with all of the neighbours we have in the surrounding area,” said Dawson The school said it has received overwhelming support from parents at the school “It gives the kids a bit of joy in the world - in a world that can be tough on us all,” said Dawson Bus route 999 will run one way around Warkworth every 30 minutes enhancing local access to public transport Project status: ConstructionProject zone: North in partnership with the Rodney Local Board is implementing a new a one-way bus service will run one way around Warkworth in a clockwise direction approximately every 30 minutes Route 999 will enhance access to public transport for local commuters along Percy Street These bus stops aim to provide residents with convenient access to the bus route improving public transport connectivity within the community and safety for buses To allow buses to pull into and out of the proposed bus stops safely some parking will be removed as part of this proposal We understand that the removal of parking can be inconvenient This project includes the installation of 6 new bus stops along the new route Install new bus stop with road marking and signage 15 Woodcocks Road (outside Mahurangi College) Opposite 20 Mansel Drive (outside Summerset Falls Retirement Village) Download project drawings (PDF 8.6MB) We will begin installing bus stop road markings and signage from 1 July 2024 We expect the work at each location to be completed by 21 July 2024 If you have enquiries or concerns about bus stop installation or construction please contact the project team on the details below: If you have enquiries or concerns about the bus service, please contact AT The Northland Corridor is a 100 km stretch of highway connecting Auckland to Northland Made up of 3 Roads of National Significance (RoNS) it will support economic growth and productivity and provide a more resilient roading network You must enable JavaScript to submit this form Connecting to Ara Tūhono - Pūhoi to Warkworth in the south the Northland Corridor is made up of 3 sections: Warkworth to Te Hana Te Hana to Port Marsden Highway and Port Marsden Highway to Whangārei the road will address the critical resilience and safety issues facing the current road Northland has one of the worst safety records in the country and SH1 over the Brynderwyn Hills was closed in both directions last year for 36 days and closed southbound only for 37 days – totalling 73 days The new road will unlock economic growth and productivity by moving people and freight efficiently support housing development and provide more resilience during extreme weather events Ara Tūhono - Warkworth to Te Hana is designated and consented with property purchases underway and we’re planning to commence construction of this section by the end of 2026 We’re also assessing previous work North of Te Hana to determine the best route to take forward The Government has agreed in principle to an accelerated delivery strategy and we’re considering a wide range of funding and delivery tools to deliver this project quickly and cost effectively An emerging preferred corridor has been announced for the Northland Corridor for Section 2 Te Hana to Port Marsden Highway and Section 3 Port Marsden Highway to Whangārei An emerging preferred corridor is a larger area than the final route will be Within the emerging preferred corridor there are still several different places the final road may go The width of the area varies across the emerging preferred corridor due to geology and other constraints The next step we do will be to refine this route further so we understand more about where the final road will go View larger project map [PDF, 746 KB] We will start to reach out to potentially impacted landowners who are within the emerging preferred corridor to let them know the next steps This will take some time due to the size of the project but we are working hard to contact people as quickly as we can SH1 Northland Corridor information sheet for landowners [PDF, 302 KB] View larger timeline [PDF, 56 KB] The project team is looking at opportunities to connect with the community and provide more information over the coming months we encourage you to subscribe to our e-newsletter to receive updates on the project and details on community information events We will also update this website with event details so please check back regularly Find out more about our recent community engagement from October 2024 – March 2025 [PDF, 2.2 MB] RodneyBy negotiation5214.32haWelcome to your dream rural retreat!This magnificent property offers the perfect blend of luxury and functionality A solid one level brick and tile home situated on a fantastic 14.3244 hectares The home comprises of 5 spacious bedrooms an open-plan family room with a cozy woodburner and a separate TV media room this home is designed for modern living and entertaining The stunning rural vista from the outdoor covered living area and patio will take your breath away providing the perfect backdrop for relaxing or hosting gatherings The stand-alone swimming pool offers a refreshing escape on warm summer days The large paddocks on the property are ideal for your own hay production This is a fabulous property to ride your horses or bikes on Located close to the School Bus route to Mahurangi College you'll enjoy the perfect balance of rural tranquillity and urban convenience Parking is a breeze with a huge shed with separate accommodation for extended family or guests along with a lean-to for covered parking for your horse truck There's ample off-street parking available not to mention a separate calf rearing/dairy shed with room for two tractors Don't miss this opportunity to own a piece of paradise Experience the best of rural living with all the modern comforts you desire Make this stunning property yours and start living the life you've always dreamed of Schedule a viewing today and let your new chapter begin the floor and section sizes) has been sourced from organisations such as REINZ are guides for general information only intended to provide a general understanding of the subject matter to help you assess whether you need more detailed information See this listing on Barfoot & Thompson Get a renovation loan up to $70K and bring your vision to life. With no need for quotes from tradies, we can approve your home improvement loan quickly and get your renovation started. RodneyPrice by Negotiation422220m²291m²THE PULHAM VILLASHeritage-Inspired Living with a Modern Touch Welcome to a boutique enclave of ten bespoke homes where timeless architectural elegance meets contemporary comfort Thoughtfully designed to honour the historic Seven Sisters workers' cottages this exclusive development seamlessly blends character The second completed home is now ready for you to move in and enjoy low-maintenance retreat or a secure lock-and-leave lifestyle this residence offers the perfect balance of charm and practicality this development provides easy access to the stunning Matakana Coast you're just 25 minutes from Silverdale and 50 minutes from Auckland's CBD • Two and a half beautifully appointed bathrooms • Light-filled open-plan living and dining areas • Separate TV lounge for added versatility this lifestyle opportunity is waiting to be embraced Contact us today to arrange a private tour RodneyPrice by Negotiation322393m²Brand New & Sun-Filled High-Quality HomeExperience effortless living in this stunning single-level home in sought-after Warkworth Ridge 2-bathroom residence offers sun-drenched spaces and seamless indoor-outdoor flow • Bright & Inviting: Designed for maximum natural light • Indoor-Outdoor Flow: Large deck for relaxing and entertaining • Low-Maintenance Garden: Beautifully landscaped with local views • Prime Location: Minutes from shopping and amenities Please feel free to download the property files via this link: https://www.harcourtsfiles.co.nz/listings/F6AU we can approve your home improvement loan quickly and get your renovation started.