Carrie and Laura Kunicich are grateful for community support which helped them get to Melbourne for Carrie's specialist treatment NZME is running On The Up – a national campaign showcasing amazing stories of inspiration, success, courage and possibilities. Reporter Denise Piper finds out more about Whangārei teenager Carrie Kunicich who is thriving despite having a rare genetic condition thanks to a community-funded visit to specialists A treatment for muscle spasms has been like a miracle cure for 13-year-old Carrie Kunicich The bubbly and intelligent teen has atypical Friedreich ataxia, a degenerative condition that leaves her with muscle spasms low iron and vision limited to about 1m with glasses on Just three people in New Zealand have atypical Friedreich ataxia and Carrie’s type is so rare there is only one other family in the world The condition used to be so painful and leave Carrie so tired she would often fall asleep in class led by professor Martin Delatycki of the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute spent two days testing and questioning Carrie The specialists recommended Carrie take baclofen a medicine which helps relax muscles and can reduce muscle spasms reducing Carrie’s spasms which made her limbs jump around – often waking her at night – and reducing muscle tightness But the Melbourne visit would not have gone ahead without community support often had to take time off from her part-time job at an accounting firm to look after Carrie The family started a fundraiser by selling kindling but found so many people in Whangārei wanted to help that Kunicich started a Givealittle page for donations further help came from an anonymous donor who paid for the flights to Melbourne were able to make the most of the Melbourne trip Kunicich said she was blown away by the generosity of all those who donated “It really surprised me – you think you’re just one person in this town but there was a lot of support.” She is again running a Givealittle fundraiser to return to Melbourne later this month so Carrie can have a check-up with the specialists Despite the cost and effort of having to go to Melbourne the input from the specialists has been invaluable Carrie is now thriving at Whangārei Girls’ High School where she uses a motorised wheelchair to get around the campus she was recognised for academically excelling in 12 different subjects In her spare time, Carrie likes listening and dancing to K-Pop – Stray Kids is her favourite band – and she enjoys swimming She also gets relief from going to a chiropractor Kunicich said the change in Carrie’s energy levels has been so dramatic she now even offers to help with housework “It sounds simple but baclofen has been a game-changer.” Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference Visitors are encouraged to help identify people in the photographs By Shannon Pitman, Open Justice reporter of WARNING: This article discusses allegations of sexual abuse and may be upsetting to some readers A woman who moved to New Zealand for love allegedly found herself in an abusive relationship with a man who threatened to cut her throat and throw her into a river "He said he had police friends so they would be happy to cover it up and no one would even care anyway," the complainant said in evidence at the trial of her ex-boyfriend has been defending 33 charges of sexual and physical violence relating to five female complainants in the High Court at Whangārei since last week the man had consecutive relationships and fathered children with each woman Four of the women alleged they were repeatedly raped while in a relationship with him and some have reported physical abuse Two of the women gave similar evidence last week both alleging abusive incidents with the man which they claimed were around his need for sex a third complainant gave evidence about her brief but allegedly torturous relationship with the 43-year-old man She said she met him in an overseas pub while he was on a business trip and kept in touch with him after he returned to New Zealand But she alleged that within three weeks of arriving it was more about appeasing him," she said and the woman alleged he did not care if their bedroom door was open while they had sex they were staying at a friend's house and the woman refused to have sex with him while his daughter was seated between them The woman accepted she had choices when the man allegedly demanded sex "I could either do what he wanted or be threatened and abused verbally so that was my choice," she said in evidence "The easier choice was to just give him what he wanted." The woman claimed she was only allowed to talk to two of her friends and she felt helpless and alone in New Zealand "Four months felt like a year; that was the longest four months of my life," she said The woman said she was clear with the man that she did not want to have children and was upset when she quickly fell pregnant I was scared and did not want this," she told the court They later argued because she refused to have sex and she told him again that she did not want to have the children she was carrying This happened on numerous occasions," she alleged The woman told the court the threats to kill were numerous and often made in front of his daughter and he allegedly kept a knife under one of their bed pillows Defence lawyer Martin Hislop put to the woman that the defendant had threatened to cut his own throat and that the knife was used to fix his Xbox the woman discovered that the man had moved on with another woman "He forced me to carry these babies to term My whole life had changed trajectory and he was happy to move on," she said The judge-alone trial before Justice Rebecca Edwards continues *This story was first published on The New Zealand Herald New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News Kerikeri and Whangārei have set new records for the wettest April ever recorded with both centres soaked by about four times their average rainfall for the month MetService meteorologist Devlin Lynden said Kerikeri received a massive 593 millimetres of rain in the month just ended far higher than the April average of 151 millimetres and significantly more than the previous record of 429mm set in 1999 more than four times the city's April average of 97mm Lynden said Auckland came within millimetres of a new record with its April total of 218mm Rainfall records in Whangārei go back to 1967 and in Kerikeri to 1978 you guys have had some pretty wet conditions over the last month," Lynden said The cause was a series of weather systems drawing moisture-laden air from the tropics "We had ex-tropical Cyclone Tam earlier in the month warm air from the tropics directly down into Northland," he said "We also had some cooler temperatures moving up from the south which resulted in really good conditions for thunderstorms and downpours So it was a combination of those two squeezing features." NZTA is warning motorists there are no alternative routes for the two road closures Warnings are covering huge parts of the country Selwyn Huts residents have been asked to evacuate as rivers rise and rain lashes already sodden ground after her breast cancer was found to have spread to her brain admits she is still in disbelief over her diagnosis after doctors told her she has just months to live She hopes to defy them and live to see all her children’s milestones Paniora was a healthy fulltime mum to her four girls But in July, she started experiencing severe back pain which was initially diagnosed as muscular pain It took three visits to Whangārei Hospital ED plus a biopsy of a swollen lymph node under her arm before Paniora was diagnosed in September with stage four breast cancer which had spread to her spine and lower legs Paniora had chemotherapy to help fight the cancer but suffered severe reactions blood clots in her lungs and throat swelling The hospital almost became her second home and her girls had to stay with their father more often while she battled the reactions her best friend Brooke Hay took her to hospital where an anti-nausea medication delivered by drip helped to relieve the pain the severe headaches kept coming and repeat hospital visits failed to pinpoint the source Hay said she stepped in again last weekend after finding Paniora crying in pain and just about passing out She called an ambulance and demanded Whangārei Hospital did a CT scan which North Haven Hospice had suggested was necessary The CT scan revealed the cancer had spread to Paniora’s brain and she was rushed to Auckland Hospital for specialist treatment She is now being treated there with steroids to reduce the swelling in her brain and has started on urgent radiation Paniora may also need surgery to insert a shunt in her brain to help drain the fluids She said the most shocking thing was when the doctor came into her room and told her she had only months to live Hay has now started a Givealittle page to help cover Paniora’s everyday living expenses so she can focus on her health and spending time with her children Hay describes her friend as caring and selfless kindness and her ability to connect people .. generosity and love for those around her are just a few of the reasons why she means so much to so many.” Paniora said she had been blown away by the donations, of more than $4000 in three days, as well as the kind messages of support and people sharing the page link around (tinyurl.com/paniora25) this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read are developing the Springs Flat supermarket site and roundabout connecting with State Highway 1 as part of the development north of central Whangārei A development site at Springs Flat self-service petrol station and fast-food chains The multi-part project includes a potential shopping centre at the end of Springs Flat Rd and the development of up to 3000 homes north of Waitaua Stream in Te Kamo East Whangārei District Council has agreed to part-fund the infrastructure to enable these developments including a roundabout at Springs Flat connecting to State Highway 1 and a replacement of an old wooden bridge on Gillingham Rd The $27 million infrastructure projects will also be funded with a central government grant of $10.3m Tony Davies-Colley, who is developing Springs Flat with wife Clare said there was interest in the site from several companies Potential tenants could include a self-service petrol station offering lower fuel prices He described Springs Flat as desirable because it connected with SH1 but was also accessible to the suburbs of Tikipunga and Te Kamo “It is both a service centre and a neighbourhood centre it will add value to the north end of town.” Of particular concern was the intense housing development of the land north of Gillingham Rd which was sloping and susceptible to erosion “It’s greenfields development on highly erodible soils We already have a massive sediment and water quality issue in the upper harbour - we’re talking about some of the last non-urban areas of the catchment being extensively dug over The hapū raised its cultural concerns when the development was first announced in 2023 but the council had not yet flagged this in its District Plan “The zoning process didn’t engage the hapū It leaves us all at risk because now we’ve got landowners thinking it’s good to go.” The proposed shopping centre would channel wetlands into a drain “This is where all our tuna [eels] and migrating fish have to travel Whangārei District Council said it was reviewing provisions for the protection of sites and areas of significance to Māori as part of its rolling District Plan review Cultural concerns would also be taken into account with any resource consent applications and as part of spatial planning for the northern growth area general manager of transport and community infrastructure “We recognise the impact of unlocking the housing in the Northern Growth Area on the whenua Hapū have voiced their concerns and council remains committed to working alongside mana whenua and developers to mitigate impacts and incorporate cultural narrative.” This included creating an attenuation wetland to help manage stormwater which was budgeted for in the current Long-Term Plan The Springs Flat development is being managed by the Davies-Colleys’ company DC Group It will extend Springs Flat Rd and build an attenuation pond for the roundabout The BDX Group, ultimately owned by the couple, will do this work, along with the $4.3m enabling works for the roundabout The council said this was saving ratepayers about $1.5m for the road extension alone and would save six months in building the roundabout because the enabling contract would not go out to open tender The cost of the BDX contract was less than estimated by an independent quantity surveyor reflecting synergies from BDX already being on site for the supermarket development Davies-Colley said the deal also involved vesting land worth nearly $1m at the end of Springs Flat Rd The Gillingham bridge replacement contract was awarded by open tender to United Civil Construction for $4.2m The roundabout main construction contract will also be awarded by open tender with the roundabout due to open in December 2026 A scene guard is in place at a property in the Te Kamo suburb of Whangārei today as police try to establish the cause of a man's sudden death Detective Senior Sergeant Michelle Harris of the Whangārei CIB said police were called to a house on Eden Terrace just before 4pm yesterday afternoon where they found a deceased man The circumstances of his death were not clear so the property was under guard until a scene examination is carried out later today A post-mortem examination would be part of the investigation Police have yet to release the name of the deceased Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday A Whangārei man has been charged in relation to the driveway death of a young child earlier this year who has been granted interim name suppression appeared in the Whangārei District Court on Monday morning The 35-year-old was charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life He is next due in the High Court on 11 April police said the three-year-old boy died at a Te Kamo address in February after an incident with a moving vehicle in a driveway Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Emergency services were called to an address in Whangārei on Sunday Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Whangarei MP Shane Reti fronted the NorthChamber business lunch in Whangārei Homelessness drug abuse and dirt bike riders causing havoc are some of the key concerns Northland business leaders raised with Police Minister Mark Mitchell Mitchell met with about 35 people in Whangārei on Wednesday in a business lunch organised by NorthChamber hearing their concerns in a question-and-answer session Attendees raised concerns about homelessness and people with mental health issues causing problems in Whangārei’s central business district (CBD) Drug abuse, both in Whangārei and in other towns like Kaikohe To help address homelessness and people with mental health issues Mitchell suggested there was a need for more collaboration between the likes of local government social service agencies and business representatives Such an approach worked well to reduce crime in Auckland’s CBD where people previously felt too scared to walk down the streets at night But Whangārei already has several groups working together, including the CitySafe partnership and attendees pointed out the “service poverty” in Northland not experienced in places like Auckland Mitchell said a new Social Investment Agency will help to ensure services cover what is needed He also spoke in favour of a police crackdown on gangs pushing drugs. Such an approach was successful in Ōpōtiki - the only area which has not seen an increase in meth use Mitchell said there would also be legislation to crackdown on “boy racers” and unlawful bike riders with a punitive approach While Mitchell’s police portfolio dominated the question-and-answer session he also talked about his other roles as Minister of Emergency Management and Recovery With emergencies, Mitchell said there is only one country more prone to natural disasters than New Zealand: Bangladesh Northlanders should be proud of the way they have responded to the many weather events in the region The Festival of Consent runs until Sunday with events including talks and a dance party The land at Onoke Heights is considered wāhi tapu by Ngāti Kahu o Torongare after it was used historically to treat battle casualties and process the dead Developer Onoke Heights Ltd wanted to develop a 93-home subdivision on the 6.9ha site The developer then applied to the High Court to appeal this decision Ngāti Kahu o Torongare spokeswoman Nicki Wakefield said the developer has now dropped its High Court appeal, meaning the Environment Court’s cancellation of resource consent stands “This is great because we don’t have to spend a year in the High Court and we now get to find time trying to find long-term protection.” the developer has agreed in writing to not cut down culturally sacred trees on the land The six large pūriri trees and one tōtara are remnants of a time when they were used in the processing of battle casualties found some of the trees would be at least 200 years old and possibly even twice that and were present on the site in the 1800s when they were already imbued in tapu The hapū was considering applying for an interim High Court injunction to protect the trees but the written agreement came through instead Wakefield said Ngāti Kahu o Torongare is grateful for the community’s support in protecting the site including the backing of iwi Ngāpuhi and the thousands of people supporting protection of the trees The hapū is now working with Whangārei District Council to get the land protected from subdivision through the District Plan and the trees listed as notable trees Other notable and sacred trees in the hapū’s rohe may also need listed protection Wakefield did not know what the developer plans to do with the land Onoke Heights Ltd director Philip Leather earlier told the Northern Advocate the council made a “a huge blunder” by not recognising the wāhi tapu when it zoned the land as residential The developer bought the land on the understanding it was free to build on Onoke Heights Ltd and Whangārei District Council have been approached for further comment This is not the first time a subdivision at Onoke Heights has been stopped from going ahead The Environment Court ruled against a plan change for the land by Crown agency CDL Land New Zealand for a less intense subdivision in 1996 Whangārei District Council rezoned the land from rural to residential in 2018 as part of its District Plan changes Onoke Heights Limited applied to Whangārei District and Northland Regional councils for resource consents for its 93-home subdivision in late 2021 The application was publicly notified in 2023 with 29 submitters raising a range of concerns A public hearing was held in November 2023 Independent commissioner Alan Withy granted resource consents for the subdivision in February 2024 appealed this decision to the Environment Court Court hearings were held in September and November 2024, with the judges deciding against the development and cancelling the resource consent in December 2024 This decision was appealed to the High Court by Onoke Heights Ltd In March 2025, Ngāti Kahu o Torongare received written confirmation from the developer that the sacred trees on the site would not be cut down A one-stop shop for mental health and addiction services in central Whangārei will be an "absolute gamechanger" making support more accessible to those who need it Doocey and Health Minister Simeon Brown travelled to the northern city on Friday to open Manaia House where services scattered across Whangārei in four run-down buildings will be combined under one roof Manaia House has 75 consulting rooms and offices for 250 staff over its three floors located between Rathbone Street and Laurie Hall Park The building itself is not new - it has previously housed government agencies such as the Māori Land Court - but the interior has been fully rebuilt Doocey said the $21.6 million project was part of the government's drive to improve access to mental health and addiction services "Many people come to me saying they find the system very fragmented and they didn't know where to find support … This will change that." Surveys of unmet need had found a quarter of people did not seek help when they needed because they did not know where to go A third did not seek help because they thought they would have to wait too long Having all community mental health and addiction services in one central location would make help easy to find and having all staff on one site would allow support to be offered sooner Doocey said people often had complex needs with input required from different services which meant a one-stop-shop or integrated hub approach was much more efficient Heath New Zealand's Te Tai Tokerau operations manager Alex Pimm said the new facility would help reduce stigma by moving mental health services out of substandard buildings hidden out of sight into a purpose-built facility in a prominent location "This will put mental health in the centre of the city It could also remove some barriers to recruitment because the old buildings lacked space for more staff even though there were vacancies in the mental health team Also helping open Manaia House on Friday was Reuben Carpenter a peer support worker for Arataki Ministries and a tangata whaiora representative (people with experience of mental health issues) "Having the new facility here would be amazing for tangata whaiora hopefully it will allow easier access and more efficiency "A few of us have worked in buildings that aren't up to par so this will be a whole new thing for the staff "I'm pretty sure tangata whaiora will love the space as well and I'm hoping it will reduce stigma and discrimination for people with mental health concerns." The idea of bringing all Whangārei's mental health and addiction services together in one building was first mooted in 2016 Health New Zealand's northern region head of infrastructure Chris Cardwell said it had been a rocky journey The 3740-square-metre building was purchased by the then Northland District Health Board just a week before the completed building was due to be handed over by contractors The rupture occurred during Labour Weekend so it was days before it was discovered The top floor sustained the least damage so some staff were able to move in late last year freeing up space at overcrowded Whangārei Hospital The rest will move in during the next two weeks with the building due to open to patients from 12 May A total of $19.5m came from the government with the rest from other sources Police have pushed out the starting date for phase two of the police reduction of support to mental health events even further after advice from a governance group for the programme Fifteen out of 19 health districts have seen increases in assaults on staff The agency has stopped or delayed 136 initiatives including a much-lauded patient information system A drugs and social crisis afflicting Northland is deepening Politics RSS Richard and Evelyn Johnson face a rates bill of between $3385 and $3511 a year for their Waiotira property which they say they will struggle to pay on their pension A couple living in rural Whangārei say their proposed rates rise of about 30% is unfair and unaffordable on their pension Whangārei District Council is currently consulting on its annual plan for 2025-26 The council is planning a general rates increase of 10.7% plus a new targeted stormwater rate averaging $180 per property and an increase in other charges It also wants to change its uniform annual general charge reducing this flat-rate to $500 by increasing the land value-based charge so higher-value properties pick up more of the bill than lower-value properties For Waiotira pensioners Evelyn and Richard Johnson their Whangārei District Council rates are proposed to increase 35% if the uniform annual general charge is reduced to $500 The Johnsons’ total rates bill is proposed to be between $3385 and $3511 a year a cost Evelyn Johnson said was unaffordable on a pension and unfair given the lack of services in the area The couple bought their 20ha property in the 1970s for $12,000 and while property values have rocketed since then they have received no extra services on their unsealed road about 30km from central Whangārei Their property is now zoned residential lifestyle and charged the same rate as residential properties in town “It’s a big increase for lifestyle blocks that have zero facilities,” said Evelyn Johnson “We don’t have footpaths or streetlights or [public] transport.” Richard Johnson said he would like the council to cut its costs so the impact on ratepayers is not so high The Johnsons are particularly impacted because their land value went up $75,000 to $540,000 in the latest valuation when the new values were reported in December 2024 Yvonne Johnson had just been diagnosed with bowel cancer and Richard Johnson was recovering from heart problems caused by Covid-19 “It really was the last thing on our mind,” he said Both have since recovered and they attended the council’s annual plan roadshow meeting in Ruakākā on April 8 with their daughter-in-law where they were shocked to be the only members of the public there Yvonne Johnson said more people need to get involved with the consultation and let the council know the increases are too expensive the couple would have to sell their home and move to a cheaper flat in town despite loving the quiet of the countryside The Johnsons already have a reverse mortgage to help pay for costs on their block such as a $500 UV treatment of their rain water and a $2500 improvement to their stock water They do not want to add rates to this mortgage Whangārei District Council revenue manager Alison Puchaux also encouraged ratepayers to get involved by finding out how much their rates are proposed to change and making a submission The council’s website shows a rates breakdown for each property based on the $500 uniform annual general charge but ratepayers can also inquire if they want to know what their rates will be with a $909 uniform annual general charge Reducing the uniform annual general charge to $500 sees savings for properties with lower land values which elected members agreed was a desired outcome But she admitted the tools available to council to charge rates are blunt and the rates do not take into account ratepayers’ income and ability to pay Property owners with high values have already let the council know they do not agree with the proposed changes due to problems with affordability and lack of services Payment options are also available to match income payment The Johnsons are also working with the council to see if their property valuation can be reviewed given the increase was greater than other properties on their street It has been a day of firsts for Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro The first wahine Māori and first Northlander appointed to the nation's top ceremonial role Dame Cindy is for the first time taking an official tour of the region she calls home Wednesday was also her first time paddling a waka and her first time as both captain and bailer-in-chief Whangārei-born Dame Cindy has spent the past two days in the northern city even joining a community singalong at Pehiāweri Marae on Tuesday evening Wednesday's itinerary included a trip by waka on Whangārei's Hātea River accompanied by her husband Dr Richard Davies and young paddlers from around Te Tai Tokerau [Northland] At one point more than 100 students from the kura [school] Te Kāpehu Whetū performed a rousing haka from the riverbank as the waka passed by Dame Cindy said it had been "an amazing experience" and kaihautū [waka captain] Joelene Busby was a role model for other wahine Māori in the way she led efforts to pass on knowledge to a new generation of paddlers The Governor-General said it was her first Northland tour since being appointed in 2021 "It's an amazing opportunity to come home and make contact with people who I've known in previous lives… but also to meet with people doing grass-roots work in their communities Busby said Dame Cindy was given an opportunity to captain the waka Whakaruru Te Hau and lead the chants keeping the paddlers in time During the trip to the landmark Te Matau ā Pohe bridge and back she was also introduced to each of the young paddlers and in turn she told them where she was from "It was awesome to have that whakawhānaungatanga [getting to know each other] on our waka," Busby said had never heard of the Governor-General until a few weeks ago Waru-Morgan said she had taken up paddling a year ago to better connect to the moana and for the chance to have a "waka whānau" said Dame Cindy was easily the most famous person he'd ever met "And she did an excellent job captaining the waka said it was an honour to paddle with Dame Cindy "It was cool watching her have a go at being a captain On Thursday Dame Cindy will visit a peruperu packhouse and an iwi-led community housing development in Kaikohe as well as joining a centenary celebration at the Whangaroa RSA in Kāeo On Friday she will wrap up her tour with a pōhiri [formal welcome] at Te Ahu centre in Kaitāia followed by visits to a foodbank and a mental health hub Her Te Tai Tokerau tour started on Tuesday with a pōhiri at Terenga Paraoa Marae and visits to the Hundertwasser Art Centre and Wairau Māori Art Gallery Ngāti Hine) is the third person of Māori descent to hold the office after Sir Paul Reeves and Sir Jerry Mateparae Her previous roles include serving as chief executive of the Royal Society Te Apārangi head of the School of Public Health at Massey University head of Te Kura Māori at Victoria University of Wellington and pro-vice chancellor Māori of the University of Auckland later gaining qualifications in epidemiology and business administration Meridian said work would start in August this year and the solar farm's annual output would be enough to power around half the homes in Northland Elizabeth Ellis' tireless work as an artist and leader in Māori arts and education has landed Ellis the title of Senior New Zealander of the Year A mayor says his council is taking a tough stance after a social media message drew a barrage of vitriol and racist comments says she is proudly Māori and part British Dame Cindy will replace Dame Patsy Reddy when her five year term ends in September Te Ao Māori RSS Merv Williams says Tagrisso is an expensive cancer treatment made more expensive by the addition of GST A Whangārei retiree funding his own targeted cancer therapy is frustrated that he has to spend more than $25,000 on GST alone over the three-year treatment Such payments should be exempt from the tax former Whangārei District councillor and former Strand Arcade manager has to pay nearly $180,000 for his cancer therapy “It’s a tax on top of having to pay the healthcare I would like to see a change in policy so that healthcare is not charged GST,” he said “They say it’s not funded because there’s not enough in the health budget Williams, who recently retired full-time from work, was diagnosed in August 2024 with non-small-cell lung cancer, linked to a mutation in the gene for a protein called EGFR The diagnosis was a surprise because his only symptom was a very mild but lingering cough previous health checks had flagged issues with a lung Williams was able to have surgery within two weeks of his diagnosis His specialist recommended he follow this up with a three-year course of osimertinib, which targets the EGFR mutation The pill is made by AstraZeneca under the brand name Tagrisso although AstraZeneca has agreed to fund every other month for Williams’ treatment At the start of this year, Pharmac started funding osimertinib for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer with the EGFR mutation but only for patients whose cancer is incurable Williams is ineligible for this funding because his cancer was surgically removed While Williams is pleased his cancer is not considered terminal having to pay for the drug himself will hit his retirement savings hard While he has some cover through insurer Southern Cross the most its policy contributes for such cancer drugs is $8000 a year He said GST should be removed from such cancer therapies Simon Watts acknowledged the “difficult position” faced by cancer patients funding their own treatment But the Revenue Minister said allowing a GST exemption for one type of goods or services would lead to exemptions for other deserving items significantly increasing administration and resulting in a loss of revenue the Government would have to find elsewhere “The Government’s preference is to direct revenue directly to health services such as the recent significant boost in Pharmac funding to ensure Pharmac can deliver additional vital medications.” Pharmac’s director for equity and engagement said osimertinib is currently funded for patients with advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer with a specific mutation Pharmac is also considering an application to fund osimertinib as an additional treatment for this type of lung cancer after the tumour has been removed It is currently seeking clinical advice on this Ngawati said Pharmac works hard to fund as many medicines as possible to get the best health outcomes for New Zealanders but having a fixed budget means it has to make difficult decisions about what medicines to fund This sentiment was also echoed by Southern Cross Health Insurance with chief operating officer Andrea Brunner saying it has a limited funding pool for drugs not otherwise funded in New Zealand Brunner confirmed Williams’ KiwiCare plan covers up to $8000 a year which can be used on cancer drugs approved by Medsafe but not funded by Pharmac A Whangārei hapū is celebrating the end of a controversial development on land they consider tapu or sacred after the developer dropped their appeal But the hapū are now looking at options to protect the whenua from future development Ngāti Kahu o Torongare has been in and out of court for the last 30 years to protect land near Onoke Pā Hapū spokeswoman Nicki Wakefield said it's a huge relief that the developer Onoke Heights Limited has dropped their appeal but it's such a relief that we don't have to spend another year in the High Court spending tens of thousands of dollars on a fight that we've already won twice." In 1996 the hapū went to the Environment Court to stop a subdivision on land next to Onoke Pā the hapū won that case but in 2018 the almost seven-hectare site Developer Onoke Heights Limited applied to build 93 homes on the land and was issued consent by the Whangārei District Council Ngāti Kahu o Torongare took that to the Environment Court and in December last year, where the court quashed the consent Wakefield said the hapū are thankful for all the tautoko (support) they've received which included support from the wider iwi of Ngāpuhi and donations to cover legal fees at the Environment Court But she said the site is still zoned as residential and therefore still at risk of development "It's really important now that we put in the protections that Onoke should have always had they haven't been put in by the council despite all the evidence being there that the place is not suitable for development." The hapū are also concerned that there is no protection for the large Pūriri trees on the site "Now we get to focus on the long-term protection through the district plan the protection of the huge rākau Pūriri on site and trying to find a way to take the land of the owner and look after it as a hapū," she said Ngāti Kahu o Torongare have been in and out of court for the last 30 years to protect Onoke Pā A Whangārei based hāpu are going back to court for the latest in a legal saga spanning 30 years A Whangārei hapū is describing an Environment Court decision to quash consents for a housing development on significant land as "the best Christmas present ever" The judges who threw out a consent for a Whangārei subdivision say it is one of the clearest cases they have ever seen of a site that should not be developed because of its significance to Māori they won a ruling that said land next to Onoke Pā is sacred Now they're back in court in a real-life version of Groundhog Day A roading project set to unlock land for up to 3000 houses, plus a new supermarket and shopping centre Whangārei District Council has given the green light for the Springs Flat roundabout and Gillingham Rd bridge providing better access to land north of the city The key part of the project is an $18 million roundabout on State Highway 1 which will provide access to Springs Flat Rd to the west and Alcoba St in Te Kamo East Earthwork and drainage for the roundabout is set to start this month and be completed by November with local firm BDX being awarded the $4.3m contract the year-long construction of the roundabout The other major part of the project is a replacement of the old, one-lane timber bridge on Gillingham Rd with a raised The new bridge will provide access to the east and north for the development and will connect with the Springs Flat roundabout through an extension of Beacondale Place to Alcoba St The $4.2 million bridge construction contract has been awarded to United Civil Construction and is due to be finished in December The project also includes new shared paths on Springs Flat Rd and Alcoba St It is funded with the help of $10.3m from central Government’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund the project was expected to cost $23m but is now estimated to cost $27m Council infrastructure committee chairman Simon Reid said the project has been under consideration for many years The increased population is starting to put major pressure on traffic flow and the current roading situation was threatening to constrain development and growth “This work will enable this area to flourish at some point in the future.” The housing development around Gillingham Rd will be driven by private property developers but the council has a vital role to play in enabling the work by providing suitable infrastructure “Much of the land in the Gillingham Rd area is zoned for residential housing and hasn’t been developed because of the old narrow bridge.” Reid said there are also plans for a new supermarket and shopping centre on Springs Flat Rd Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate A cabin fire at a Whangārei accommodation park caused a classroom at the nearby NorthTec campus to self-evacuate Firefighters were called to the Otaika Accommodation Park at 1.30pm today Northland Assistant Commander Graeme Quensell said the fire was fully involved when crews arrived He estimated the cabin was 8m by 3m and said the fire had been extinguished within six minutes Quensell said an ambulance was requested to check a female occupant for smoke inhalation A video posted to social media showed smoke billowing from the park to Te Pūkenga NorthTec next door A voice could be heard telling people to “get out of the smoke” over the top of the sound of a fire alarm A NorthTec spokeswoman said a classroom on the campus chose to self-evacuate because of the smoke A fire investigator will look into the cause of the blaze Otaika Accommodation Park was unavailable for comment Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond Police said emergency services were called to a Mahia Rd property just before 10am after a report of a person seriously injured Mairehau house fire: Firefighters battle two-storey house blaze 10 patients were assessed and treated by our crews in total Auckland commuters face a chaotic morning after two highways leading into the central city have been majorly disrupted by crashes NZ film industry faces uncertainty over US tariff ongoing decline in livestock numbers and questions over longer sentences reducing reoffending Reporter Sierra is at Magnificent Moa Day where experts are revealing their incredible 3.6 million year-old find Emergency services are attending the fire at a McDonald's on Pakuranga Rd Christopher Luxon holds a post-Cabinet press conference A memorial tree has been planted at the entrance of St John’s bush in honour of slain American entomology student Kyle Whorrall Victim of abuse is wanting a judicial review Goodman Group is upgrading Highbrook Crossing to add retail dining and public space to New Zealand’s largest business park in East Tāmaki where hip hop crews from all over the world are battling to see who’s the best and Parliament tackles alcohol and mental health The Coleman family has been melting down precious metals for more than 40 years This is the first time they've shared inside their multi-million dollar gold and silver operation The Prime Minister joins Mike Hosking in the Newstalk ZB studio to talk all the big politicial issues Moana Pasifika beat the Highlanders 34-29 in Dunedin Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was joined by Deputy PM Winston Peters and Minister of defence Judith Collins to make a pre-budget defence announcement and 3D-printed limbs help child amputees in Gaza Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is expected to be joined by Defence Minister Judith Collins and deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters make a pre-Budget defence announcement Neighbours heard explosions as a fire ripped through a Mt Roskill house Mum pays tribute after Auckland bus stop killing Australians vote early and insurance companies brace for claims Megyn Cordner and Lucas Prince started their business from the back of a van in 2022 Andrew Che lost his life savings after sending it to the wrong account Barclays Bank has refunded his money after a prolonged battle for compensation Aerial footage reveals the scale of flooding across areas of Canterbury after a destructive weather system hit the region and prompted a state of emergency North Shore real estate agency chief responds to a Real Estate Disciplinary Tribunal decision Mark Mitchell provides an update on the state of emergency in Christchurch and Selwyn A possible mini tornado was spotted about Auckland Harbour as the latest band of wild weather hits the city Fire and Emergency NZ said it responded to more than 30 callouts overnight more Kiwis turning to methamphetamine and Drs are back at the negotiating table NZSA chief executive Oliver Mander speaks about CEO pay in 2024 Waiwhetu woman Julie Paterson heard 'a loud cracking' and saw a tree branch falling towards her during Wednesday's storm Heather Keats updates the powerful system battering New Zealand breaks down why Wellington is under a rare red warning with extreme winds and Local MP Hon Nicola Grigg speak to the media on the local state of emergency in Selwyn Gisborne locals and health workers marched to Heipipi Park where speakers highlighted what they say is a regional health crisis NZ Herald Live: Simeon Brown talks to media About 13,000 Northlanders remain without power after strong winds from ex-tropical Cyclone Tam cut supply about 8000 Northpower customers still have no power down from a peak of more than 20,000 overnight Around 5000 Top Energy customers are yet to have power restored Both companies warned it may take up to three days for power to be restored to areas hardest hit customers may be without power for the rest of the day or overnight The spokesperson said cyclone winds caused major damage to the Northpower network overnight much of this from trees falling through lines Northpower crews began restoring power to affected customers once conditions were safe to do so “Now that winds and rain have started to ease full repair and restoration work is ramping up “We’ve also mobilised additional crews from across the North Island with over 150 people now working on the response,” a spokesperson said Top Energy reported earlier today about half of its network had lost power The company urged customers to prepare for “prolonged outages” as its network had suffered “extensive damage” from trees and high winds and this storm is testing their resilience,“ a spokesperson said “Our teams are focused on repairing the damage to the backbone of the network but the conditions are making this very challenging.” Fourteen of Northland’s fire stations were without power early today Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo told RNZ trees falling on the powerlines started causing problems from 11pm last night He urged residents to be cautious and if possible “We’re still predicted to have some very high winds today … please be aware of the conditions we don’t want anyone to be trapped,” he said Far North Mayor Moko Tepania told RNZ trees had caused multiple road closures Some Northland residents endured a sleepless night as wind and rain from Cyclone Tam thrashed the region Cable Bay resident Lisa Murphy said she had no sleep as the glass windows of her home flexed in the wind Murphy shared her experience through Facebook Messenger – her local cell tower is down so phoning was not an option She said locals rallied to help one another Ocean intruding on to the road near the coast at Taipa and Mangōnui.” Murphy said the Doubtless Bay Four Square was packed with people bulk-buying water and other essentials Murphy said locals had stayed home from work because it was too dangerous to drive where a Mini became trapped in floodwaters on Rangiahua Bridge on State Highway 1 A farmer reportedly pulled the car and its driver to safety Fire and Emergency’s Auckland-based swift water rescue team assisted Hato Hone St John said a patient was assessed at the scene and no treatment or transport was required Flooding across Rangiahua Bridge is reported to be blocking both lanes Motorists are asked to follow the directions of response crews in the area Civil Defence Northland spokesman Zachary Woods reported no evacuations or welfare centres had been needed Fire and Emergency NZ group manager for Northland said firefighters had dealt with 120 weather-related calls since midnight The majority were trees and power lines toppled on to roads but there were also two calls during the night about trees landing on houses During the day firefighters were called to a fire in a tree which had fallen on to power lines in rural Matapouri Fire and Emergency staff also helped a Paihia family secure their belongings after the roof on their Panorama Ave house was blown completely off by high winds Another roof came off an unoccupied property at Wintell St MetService says the wild weather is set to continue until at least 9pm Northlanders have been told to expect 40 to 70mm of rain in the next nine hours on top of what has already fallen MetService meteorologist Oscar Shiviti said Northland had “significant accumulations” of rain over the past 12 hours Cape Rēinga copped 12mm of rain and Dargaville 5.6mm Shiviti said the heavy rain warning was still expected to stay in place until 9pm before the rain moved south The strong wind warning was also expected to be in place until 8pm “Both of these rain and winds should ease off later tonight it doesn’t mean it’s going to be completely dry.” Wind had caused trees to fall on roads and powerlines throughout Northland while flooding has caused problems on crucial state highways The top of the country recorded 155km/h wind gusts at Cape Rēinga at 2am MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said 155km/h is hurricane strength and the highest category on that scale Makgabutlane was unsure if the winds would reach that strength again but said “pretty strong” gusts were expected until this evening Even in areas that are more sheltered there were severe gusts such as a 96km/h reading recorded in Whangārei The strong winds caused numerous power and phone outages Northland police said transmission towers in the region’s east and north were damaged overnight Cell phone reception has been affected in some areas but landlines were still operating Crews are working to restore services but police advise anyone needing emergency services to call 111 from a landline with the Kāeo River having flooded on to SH10 Motorists have reported the highway is now clear of floodwaters that peaked around high tide at 10.15am today who co-ordinates Civil Defence in Kawakawa and Moerewa earlier said rivers were full and breaching and farmers were taking their cows to higher ground The Kawakawa River at the Taumarere bridge was “right on borderline” Tirohanga stream bridge was already breaching and Doels Rd was flooded Butler said it would not be long before the rivers form “Lake Kawakawa” “She’s blowing a gale; there’s massive debris on the road there’s just massive ponds in the middle of the road.” Butler urged whānau to have enough food and water and look out for elderly kaumātua and kuia Fallen trees and flooding have closed a number of roads in Northland Whangārei District Council has reported two road closures – Snooks Rd and Otonga-Marua Rd Roads partially closed included Bay View Rd Pouto Rd in two locations and Sandy Beach Rd Council said all single-lane locations were scheduled to be remedied today except Sandy Beach Rd as its timeframe was unconfirmed because of a downed powerline Northland harbourmaster Jim Lyle said it had been a windy night in Ōpua where he is based A wave buoy north of the Bay of Islands recorded huge 12m swells and an Okaihau wind gauge recorded 65 knots (120km) The Northland Regional Council reported on its website that the colossal swell hit shores at 4.21am and 10m and 11m waves were recorded at 8am and 9am A launch that beached at One Tree Point today is one of four to wash ashore in Whangārei during the storm so far Three other vessels had ended up on the muddy edges of the Hātea River near Kissing Point there was a report of a boat upside down at Mangōnui Most of the owners of the stranded vessels had been contacted but Lyle said he was still trying to contact the owner of the launch at One Tree Point Lyle said some ships had to removed from Port of Whangārei to wait out the bad weather further out at sea A cement ship scheduled to enter the harbour on Wednesday also had to remain out at sea Civil Defence Northland spokesman Zachary Woods warned Northlanders to stay away from coastal areas “Today’s not necessarily the day that you need to go to the beach,” he said especially in the Far North and eastern Northland strong wind and swells could bring flooding to coastal areas today Northland MP Grant McCallum said storm damage at Paihia was unacceptable both for tourism businesses and local residents State Highway 11 (Marsden Rd) is closed due to storm inundation But McCallum said the highway was completely undermined A long-term solution was needed to stop the repeated flooding and storm surges in Paihia Previous solutions have included a breakwater which some local residents opposed due to environmental concerns but an acceptable solution is needed quickly Health Minister Simeon Brown and Arataki Ministries peer support specialist Reuban Carpenter cut the ribbon at the opening of Manaia House in Whangārei on Friday On Friday, Health Minister Simeon Brown and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey officially opened Manaia House, next to Whangārei’s Laurie Hall Park, as a new community mental health and addictions facility The project has been nearly 10 years in the making with fit-out work having to be extensively redone after a burst pipe flooded two floors in October 2023 including $19.5m from the Government and the balance funded by then-Northland District Health Board and other contributors Brown said the facility had 75 consultation rooms for Northland’s community mental health and addiction services, which were previously spread across four locations in Whangārei “$19.5m has been invested by the Government into this purpose-built which has been designed to support contemporary models of care in a modern “Modern, reliable health infrastructure is a top priority for the Government and this new facility will enhance mental health services in the northern region improve accessibility and free up much-needed space at Whangārei Hospital where some services have been operating from.” The ground floor will accommodate adult and older people’s services the middle floor will be for children’s services and the top floor will accommodate about 250 staff Doocey said as Mental Health Minister he had heard how fragmented the mental healthcare system was and people didn’t know where to go when they needed help a quarter say they don’t know where to get help and a third say it takes too long to be seen “Buildings and services like Manaia House will be a game-changer Doocey admitted the new facility was a consolidation of existing facilities and did not necessarily mean new clinical roles But Health NZ Te Tai Tokerau group director of operations Alex Pimm said bringing all the services together under one roof created efficiencies especially when patients needed to access more than one service Manaia House also meant there was more room to grow staff numbers and having a new facility made recruiting easier Having the new facility in the centre of Whangārei’s CBD helped put mental health and addiction services in a more positive light than when the services were tucked away in crumbling buildings “It’s important to have mental health services prominent in the city but because it lifts the profile of mental health and addiction services – that’s one way of reducing the barriers to access and reduces stigma.” Manaia House will be open to patients and their families from May 12 Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate focusing on health and business Mark Wright's 90-minute one-act play explores the origins of the Anzac spirit Kiwi actor Mark Wright shares with Jodi Bryant what audiences can expect from his Voices from Gallipoli play coming to Whangārei this week A veteran actor is bringing the voices of the ill-fated 1915 Gallipoli campaign to life and it will likely induce Whangārei audiences to both laughter and tears Kiwi actor Mark Wright is bringing his acclaimed play Voices from Gallipoli to OneOneSix to perform over two nights as part of a North Island tour the 90-minute one-act play explores the origins of the Anzac spirit Wright portrays nine diverse characters from that disastrous campaign a pompous British general and an 80-year-old returned serviceman The self-confessed “amateur historian” grew up listening to stories of his two great-uncles who left their hometown of Waihī to serve in Gallipoli They returned but later died because of wound complications “My great-grandfather was the proprietor of the Rob Roy Hotel and my two great uncles left from the Rob Roy to serve in Gallipoli They were wounded and repatriated back but died due to their wounds I grew up listening to stories from my grandmother [their sister] and they were two very young men taken too soon,” he says “They were the inspiration for my play and one of them makes an appearance in the play “He was a stretcher bearer in the medical corps – their job was to get the wounded back to a dressing station as quickly as possible and they used a lot of donkeys because of the terrain I discovered it was a bayonet wound so he was in the front line Wright wears a wristwatch watch one of his uncles wore during the war and incorporates other family heirlooms as props Wright spends a lot of time at the family bach at Waihī Beach but grew up in Auckland where he attended the same boys’ college as his great-uncles On the eve of the 100th Gallipoli anniversary in 2014 he was asked to narrate a documentary where a group of students from his former school travelled to Anzac Cove where the tragedy played out “I’d always wanted to go and it was a very moving and life-changing experience You don’t really know what you’re up against until you stand on the beach and look up at the terrain.” followed by an incident in 2021 hosting an acting workshop where he demonstrated some improvised monologue He cast himself as a returned serviceman and began talking about his experiences of war It was well-received with the students asking him what play the monologue had come from and he told them he had just made it up “The play is about how the origins of the Anzac spirit were forged in the fires of war on the shores of the Gallipoli Peninsula Aussies and Kiwis are fierce rivals on the sporting fields Voices from Gallipoli has been described as “putting the humanity back into the history book” and Wright was keen to dispel the myths about Gallipoli think that we landed at dawn and that’s why there’s a dawn service “A lot of New Zealanders also don’t know that Kiwi women died at Gallipoli and I bring that out in my play “A lot of people don’t understand we had no high command Some people don’t think that Māori fought at Gallipoli they think they were digging in the trenches and labouring but that’s actually not true – they had their own battalion called the Pioneer Battalion and they fought very well.” Wright takes the audience into the trenches and on to a hospital ship as he brings to life various characters in scenes described as both amusing and gut-wrenching such as the toffee-nosed commanding officer the homesick Kiwi who is someone’s beloved son Wright switches character simply by changing hats which hang on a hat stand making up the stage centrepiece Although he goes to great lengths to bring a woman’s voice into the narrative he decided against doing a full nurse costume and make-up as it would look like “a very bad drag act” Wright’s long professional career does include comedy he has appeared for every professional theatre company in New Zealand and toured extensively throughout Australasia He has featured in 40 different television series and won two New Zealand Film and Television awards for best performance Wright first performed his play in 2022 on Anzac weekend in Waihī he has performed in 15 towns leading up to and around Anzac Day and says the content has remained the same “It seems to have struck a chord with the audience from the get-go unlike any other play I’ve been in in my 35 year-plus career the audience stay on and linger in the foyer because they all have stories and questions “They all have a family connection they want to share with me or tell me something I go straight out to the foyer and I’ve received some of the best quotes Another woman came up to me on opening night in Waihī and said to me my husband dragged me along but I’m going to book tickets for my mother and sister.’ it’s women who buy tickets to the theatre and drag their husbands along and I think a lot of women don’t think this play’s for them.” Wright usually visits the town two weeks’ prior to the show where he gives talks at the local RSA and high schools to spark interest there was a group of teenage girls in the audience in the middle of the holidays so I hadn’t been able to visit their school beforehand “I talked to them afterwards and was chuffed that what I’d written does have an appeal to teenage girls and they said they would definitely recommend it to their friends “I’ve been getting a real mix of amateur historians but also a lot of people who know very little or nothing about it One of his first performances of Voices from Gallipoli was at his former college “In the foyer of the theatre they had the original honours board and my two great-uncles’ names are on that honours board so that was quite an emotional performance for me.” “OneOneSix in Whangārei is a professional theatre venue and I’m looking forward to bringing the play to town.” # Voices from Gallipoli will be performed at OneOneSix on Friday May 2 and Saturday May 3 from 7pm The agenda for next week's fluoride-themed Whangārei District Council meeting reveals councillors will be asked to revoke an earlier decision not to fluoridate the city's water supply The advice says they should be ready to fluoridate by the end of the month but also to be on standby to immediately halt the work if a court case goes their way Originally the meeting was scheduled to take place held behind closed doors on Tuesday this week at the start of the meeting a majority of councillors voted against holding the discussion while the public was excluded As a result, the meeting had to be rescheduled to Monday to allow for the obligatory three-day notice period for a public meeting states that the Ministry of Health's deadline for starting fluoridation is 28 March But to meet that deadline - because of the time needed for 'wet testing' of the newly installed fluoridation equipment - dosing of the water supply would have to start on 19 March The High Court is due to decide on the council's application for an injunction which would buy councillors time until their legal challenge against fluoridation can be heard later this year The staff recommendation is to start fluoridation testing no later than the morning of 19 March but to put the work on hold if the council's application for an injunction succeeds The agenda also spells out the costs to date incurred by ratepayers The cost of fluoride equipment is $4.56 million of which the Ministry of Health has so far paid half The council is due to be reimbursed for the remaining $2.28m once the equipment is commissioned The agenda report states that would not be paid out and the council could be ordered to repay the initial $2.28m if fluoridation did not go ahead the council's legal costs were more than $73,000 but that would be higher by the time of next week's meeting The council could also be fined $200,000 if convicted of contravening an order to fluoridate plus another $10,000 per day if it continued to flout the ministry's instructions The council is seeking another $1.5 million from the ministry for fluoridation equipment for its Poroti water treatment plant the Ministry of Health is unlikely to consider providing additional funding," the report states The agenda continues by setting out the legal risks to councillors and staff and the risks that the Ministry of Health or even the minister for local government could intervene The report also reveals that fluoride was ordered on 12 March to fill storage tanks and that the dose will be between 0.7 and 1.0mg per litre with a target setting of 0.85mg/l A stern letter from Director-General of Health Dr Diana Sarfati dated 18 February and included with the agenda states she will "give consideration to legal options" if the council does not comply by the 28 March deadline Since then however Sarfati has resigned her position, and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has described ordering Whangārei to fluoridate its water supply as "a despotic Soviet-era disgrace" Correction: This story was amended at 6.29pm on 13 March to remove the incorrect claim that part of Monday's extraordinary meeting was still expected to be held in public-excluded A Whangārei District Council meeting to discuss a legal challenge against fluoridation will now take place next week in public Whangārei councillors will meet behind closed doors today to discuss the legal ramifications of refusing to fluoridate the city's water There are 14 councils that have been ordered to fluoridate some or all of their drinking water but who's following the order and who's fighting back Making a council fluoridate its water is being slammed by New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters It comes as Whangārei District Council is under fire from the Director General of Health Dr Diana Sarfati after it voted in December against adding fluoridation to the water A person is dead and a second has been left with life-threatening injuries after a shooting at a Whangārei waterfront park There is a significant police presence at Onerahi's Beach Road the area is dotted with emergency services vehicles and police are enforcing a cordon around what is believed to be a shooting at the reserve Police said they received reports of a person injured at Beach Road Reserve about 11am on Thursday one person was pronounced deceased at the scene," they said in a statement "A second person was located with serious injuries and has been transported to hospital." and a homicide investigation has been launched Locals said the incident involved a man and a woman Armed police at the scene were turning people away The cordons on busy Beach Road were set up from Church Road onwards People leaving the cordoned area were being questioned by police and some reported seeing and hearing guns a rapid response vehicle and an operations manager to the scene and one patient was taken to Northland Base hospital in a critical condition acting detective senior sergeant Shane Pilmer said police did not believe there was any risk to the wider community but police want to hear from anyone who saw the incident "We understand this incident would have been unsettling for the wider community and we appreciate the assistance from the public during this time "The key focus for us is determining the series of events that led up to this tragic incident." Cyclists trying to do the popular route around the headland were being turned away and told the cordon would remain in place for some time Although police had visited nearby Raurimu Avenue School Anyone with information about the incident was asked to call Police on 105, or to visit their Update Report page online at 105.police.govt.nz and quote file number P061751387. Information could also be provided anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or on their website Whangārei's fluoridation rebellion is intensifying with the Director-General of Health threatening to potentially pull rank and turn on the switch to add fluoride to the city's drinking water if the council continues its defiance This comes as ratepayers face the prospect of almost $5 million in potential extra Whangārei District Council (WDC) costs after councillors voted in December against adding fluoridation to the water In a strongly-worded letter to WDC Mayor Vince Cocurullo and chief executive Simon Weston Director-General of Health Dr Diana Sarfati told the council it was an offence under the Health Act 1956 for a local authority to contravene a direction (to fluoridate) She said the minister of health could seek a rare High Court writ of mandamus - a type of court order - overriding WDC's refusal and forcing it to flick the switch for fluoridating its drinking water The writ enables the Director-General to turn on the fluoridation switch herself or order council staff or contractors to do so "The act also provides that in circumstances where a local authority is in default of its legal obligations the Director-General of Health may perform those obligations," she said WDC is the only council among 14 refusing to fluoridate its drinking water after the government's August 2022 directive Sarfati said WDC's role was to implement the Director-General's directions It was under a mandatory statutory duty to comply with these the council has no discretion to refuse to comply with a direction." Weston said the Director-General could compel the council to perform any duty it had failed to carry out under the Act Refusing to comply also brought the risk of Minister for Local Government Simon Watts intervening Sarfati wrote to WDC on 30 January in response to its 18 December decision to seek a High Court injunction and fluoridation deadline extension This followed the council's 28 November decision not to fluoridate "I reiterate that I expect the council to comply with its direction by the required date and I do not consider there is a basis for an extension," Sarfati said She said the minister of health could apply to the High Court for a writ of mandamus to compel WDC to perform any duty it had failed to perform under the act A short-notice extraordinary WDC meeting on Wednesday will revisit the council's November 28 fluoridation decision in the wake of Sarfati's letter She has requested a letter from WDC before 5pm on Valentines Day confirming whether the council intends to comply with the fluoridation direction for Whangārei and Bream Bay by 28 March Deputy Mayor Phil Halse and councillors Benney Simon Reid and Phoenix Ruka pushed for the injunction at WDC's 18 December meeting who used his casting vote at the December meeting in favour of seeking a deadline extension and injunction would not comment on Sarfati's representations in the wake of her letter Neither would he be drawn on whether the council should continue with its fluoridation ban or change tack at the meeting on Wednesday He said the council was being responsible in its decision not to fluoridate which it had to take into account under legislation such as the Local Government Act Cocurullo said ordering the council to fluoridate meant removing the community's right to have a say in the important fluoridation decision Weston said councillors risked personal liability for financial penalties resulting from failing to carry out the fluoridation direction Sarfati's letter threatened heavy non-compliance penalties under the Health Act "The Act provides for potentially heavy penalties upon any conviction by a court The ministry (of Health) will consider whether prosecutions should be commenced on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the Solicitor-General's prosecution guidelines," Sarfati said WDC ratepayers face the prospect of paying significantly towards the $4.857 million in extra costs as a result of the council's current position That's from having to pay back or miss out on $4.557 million the government's putting towards necessary fluoridation equipment for the district's five water treatment plants including at Whau Valley; a potential fine of up to $200,000 for not complying with the directive (with an added $10,000 a day for every day or part-day WDC doesn't comply after the 28 March deadline) at least $100,000 should the council seek an injunction (with other costs on top of that likely including paying for the Ministry of Health court costs if the application is lost) Northland law firm director Jeremy Brown has been appointed by the council working party set up at the 18 December meeting to seek an injunction said the court was likely to treat an application for an Interim injunction with scepticism given the council had already received government funding for fluoridation infrastructure Sarfati said there was no legal uncertainty about the government's August 2022 fluoridation directions - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air The move goes against a directive issued by former director-general of health Sir Ashley Bloomfield Gavin Benney wants to halt his council's drinking water fluoridation implementation Nelson's mayor has hit back at "disinformation" being spread on social media about fluoride in the city's water Two groups which oppose the fluoridation of water supplies have been ordered to pay $41,000 after losing a court case against the Hastings District Council The director-general of health has denied Tauranga an extension which would have allowed the city to delay water fluoridation Whangārei District Council is seeking public feedback on several topics It has come to that time of the year where we look at what we have done since approval of the long-term plan and incorporate changes for this year’s annual plan That means our council needs your help in deciding on some important topics again We are asking for feedback on some structural changes within the rating systems along with asking for feedback on how you would like our council to be structuring the water and wastewater services we offer as part of our Local Waters Done Well consultation These decisions will impact everyone and it’s important we all understand what the questions are and why we’re asking them Your feedback on these topics is vital to Whangārei’s development and in relation to the Local Waters Done Well consultation vital to the growth of Northland and how our districts interact with each other While many may question the consultation process public consultation is about getting everyone’s input before making any big decisions Imagine Whangārei District Council as the head contractor in building a house They need to know what the residents (the home owners) want – maybe a new kitchen an extra bathroom or just a fresh coat of paint we can make sure we’re not installing a swimming pool when what you really need is a new roof Getting involved early in the consultation also helps catch any problems and gives everyone including those who might not usually speak up We have implemented several methods of getting feedback during this consultation period You could come along to speak with us in person at one of our community consultation events (see the full list on council’s Have Your Say page online) you could pick up a consultation document from one of council’s customer service centres or libraries or you could jump onto the Have Your Say page on council’s website and there is even the option of popping into council and talking to the team helping them to understand what you want for the future of Whangārei Our council has made it as easy as possible for you to give your feedback and if you have any questions about the topics we’re always happy to work through them with you It’s natural to be passionate about a topic and care more about something when it affects you directly and while things might not always go your way it is hard to complain if you didn’t tell us what you wanted in the first place Come along and have your say in shaping Whangārei’s future Head to the council’s website to find council consultations, and to see what your proposed property rates for 2025-26 would be under our preferred options The annual plan and Local Waters Done Well consultations both close on Friday The council moved to continue its fight against fluoride at an urgent short-notice extraordinary meeting today two-hour-plus meeting was called after the council received a sternly-worded letter from director general of health Dr Diana Sarfati The council must fluoridate its drinking water for 80,000 residents by March 28 or risk being charged with breaking the law Lawyers advising the council have warned politicians were at risk of imprisonment as a result of the council not fluoridating by then Other consequences included the Government sacking the council and appointing commissioners or an observer These are alongside the prospect of councillors being individually liable for up to $200,000 in fines for defying the fluoridation directive plus $10,000 a day for every day after that Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo said the council was not yet breaking any law as there was still more than a month before the directive came into force But Cocurullo said he would go to prison for democracy if the consequences of not meeting the March 28 decision reached that point He said the community needed to be able to have its say on whether fluoridation should happen and this was not the case at present Today’s council vote comes as ratepayers face the prospect of $5 million in potential extra WDC costs after councillors voted against fluoridating WDC is the only council in New Zealand refusing to fluoridate among 14 nationwide ordered to do so by outgoing director general of health Sir Ashley Bloomfield in 2022 WDC councillor Gavin Benney led today’s council recommitment to its decision not to fluoridate made via a 7:7 split vote where Cocurullo again used his casting vote Simon Reid and Phoenix Ruka also voted in favour of this The council decided to launch a High Court challenge against Sarfati’s fluoridation directive which is a hearing where the court is presented with evidence on the safety or otherwise of fluoride from scientific experts and makes a judgment Cocurullo said the High Court should rule on the safety and science behind the Government’s fluoridation push including from New Zealand’s government science advisers supporting both sides of the polarised argument It was up to the High Court to rule on what should be used as a basis for directing New Zealand councils to fluoridate WDC will also seek “urgent interim relief” so it can delay its hands-on preparations for full fluoridation by the March deadline The council meeting saw Mayor Cocurullo eject Couper – who voted against continuing with the anti-fluoridation stance – for 10 minutes for failing to stop his line of questioning during debate Security was called and the meeting adjourned as Couper refused to depart The new legal moves decided on by the council superseded its mid-December decision to apply for an injunction after lawyers indicated this was unlikely to succeed They will cost WDC at least $200,000 of unbudgeted funds with increased rates Sarfati has requested a letter confirming today’s meeting decision before the end of the week She has signalled WDC faces a High Court legal order known as a writ of mandamus if it continues to defy her fluoridation directive Cocurullo said WDC’s resistance was for two reasons The first was questioning the safety of fluoride where one person could order a council to fluoridate without asking the public for its thoughts Councillor Deb Harding pushed for greater community say in the decision via councillors supporting New Zealand First’s Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill which seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that grants centralised authority to the director general of health and mandates the fluoridation of local water supplies The bill would also amend the Local Government Act 2002 and Health Act 1956 mandating local authorities to hold a binding referendum on water fluoridation New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the bill reinstated communities’ fundamental right to determine through democracy whether or not their water supply was fluoridated “Important public health measures such as this should be decided with transparency not by overreaching Wellington-based bureaucrats,” Peters said ■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air A Northland council fighting orders to add fluoride to its water supply for the past five months has bowed to government pressure - but councillors also voted to stop fluoridation immediately if a legal challenge goes their way on Tuesday Whangārei District councillors met in front of a packed public gallery on Monday afternoon in a debate that exposed sharp divisions among elected members The resolution that was eventually passed revoked last November's decision to defy government orders to fluoridate the city's water supply from 28 March it had to start testing equipment and dosing the city's water supply this Wednesday Councillors opposed to fluoridation were now pinning their hopes on an injunction the council was seeking in the High Court on Tuesday it would buy the council time until its legal challenge against fluoridation could be heard Monday's resolution called on staff to delay fluoridation until the morning of 19 March and to cease preparations if the injunction was successful It also required the mayor and chief executive to advise the director-general of health that fluoridation was being carried out "under protest" and without prejudice to the council's upcoming legal challenge Monday's meeting was frequently bogged down in points of order and procedural matters, with much of the argument against continuing the fluoride battle focussed on the cost to ratepayers the council could be forced to repay the $4.56 million cost of fluoridation equipment The Health Ministry has already paid out $2.28m and had been expected to reimburse the council for the other half calling for an immediate end to all legal proceedings and associated costs was defeated only when Mayor Vince Cocurullo used his casting vote to break the deadlock of seven votes each way Councillor Gavin Benney's original motion was then passed by 13 votes to one Councillor Patrick Holmes worried about the effect on rates of the unbudgeted expense of fighting fluoridation He said decisions around fluoridation were deliberately taken away from councils because the director-general of health was the person best qualified to make that call "The losers will be the tamariki [children] who we continue to throw money at," he said believed people were "too hung up on the cost of doing the right thing" "If going to jail is my punishment for doing the right thing felt the objectors who filled the gallery with placards such as "Get the F out of our water" If people felt so strongly about the issue they should take their concerns to the government which had made the decision to fluoridate in Whangārei and Bream Bay possibly spoke for many when he just wished the whole thing would end and lamented the anger and division the topic generated "I just want this to get over and done with Councillor Gavin Benney - who spearheaded the fluoride fight - said he was disappointed about having to revoke the council's earlier decision But to comply with the directive and not break the law It is disappointing to have to move that today Cocurullo said the costs of the fluoride fight were a concern if the government had not required the council to install fluoridation equipment the almost $5m could have been spent instead on education programmes about dental care and nutrition in schools "I believe that would be a much better use of money," he said Councillor Scott McKenzie said he accepted the vote on his rejected amendment which was so close it required the mayor's casting vote He remained concerned about the councillors' "open chequebook" approach to the fluoride issue with legal costs so far of $110,000 and rising It was also possible ratepayers could end up having to pay the government's court costs if the council lost its legal challenges Originally it was to have been held behind closed doors last week but a majority of councillors voted for it to be rescheduled as a public meeting the council was asking the courts to rule on whether adding fluoride to drinking water at the proposed level of 0.7-1.0 mg per litre was safe and whether the director-general of health's instructions were lawful Whangārei is the only district council in New Zealand refusing to fluoridate among 14 nationwide Whangārei District Council has again refused to put fluoride into the district's water supply despite the government saying they have to Whangarei Accessible Housing Trust members and trustees celebrate the completion of three new units in Onerahi's Cartwright Rd Young Northlanders with disabilities now have more options for housing thanks to Whangārei Accessible Housing Trust’s new homes in Whangārei The trust has finished building three new fully accessible, two-bedroom units in Onerahi, designed as long-term rentals for disabled people aged under 65 The units will be rented at an affordable price to people with disabilities with the highest housing needs such as people who need to use a wheelchair and have no suitable accommodation available When the trust was formed in 2006, the only available and affordable accessible housing was for the older population “We have taken young disabled people out of rest homes [and] enabled people to finally move out from their family for the first time with the three new units in Onerahi opening just after six new units were opened in Glenbervie late last year accessible bathrooms including wet-area shower and appropriate handrails and accessible kitchens with benches at two levels Feedback from existing tenants has helped improve the modifications over the years Scanlen said the ongoing need for accessible homes is driving the trust which still has 20 applicants waiting for a home “All of the trustees live with a disability and get enormous satisfaction from seeing young disabled people who are living in very difficult situations While Kāinga Ora and the private sector do provide some accessible homes these are mostly focused on the older population There are also no requirements or incentives for the private sector to ensure new homes are accessible even though the trust found it is no more expensive to incorporate accessible design features when building new The trust is a registered community housing provider so its properties are available for eligible tenants on the social housing register It also partners with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Go to the trust’s website whangareiaccessiblehousingtrust.org.nz to find out more about the trust’s homes or inquire about tenancy eligibility Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate The council reaffirmed its defiance of the government’s fluoridation order on Monday legal threats and a bitterly divided chamber Whangārei District Council (WDC) spent Monday afternoon in what may be one of the most chaotic and heated council meetings in recent memory After months of defiance against Ministry of Health orders to fluoridate the district’s water supply councillors gathered to consider their legal standing and whether to halt proceedings against the Crown a mayor fighting off accusations of predetermination and councillors throwing around accusations of “governmental rape” councillors voted not to proceed with fluoridating the council’s water supply in defiance of an order from outgoing director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield in 2022 With a High Court hearing of the council’s request for an injunction (which would put any Ministry of Health action on hold) scheduled for today (Tuesday the council ultimately reaffirmed its decision to push forward with legal action against the ministry despite mounting costs and no budget allocated for Crown lawyer fees purchased last week in anticipation of the meeting’s outcome Before councillors could get to the matter at hand, they had to untangle the mess left by their previous attempt to discuss fluoridation A scheduled meeting last week was blocked when seven councillors refused to allow it to be held behind closed doors That meant Monday’s meeting was the first opportunity for public scrutiny of the council’s ongoing defiance of the Ministry of Health with mayor Vince Cocurullo reminding attendees to keep applause and outbursts to a minimum Signs were permitted as a silent show of support or opposition a small concession to the crowd of fluoride opponents who filled the room Councillor Gavin Benney – backed by New Zealand First, vocal opponents of the mandating of fluoridation – opened proceedings by introducing a motion that would allow the council to comply with the ministry’s directive while still continuing the legal challenge It was a strategic move aimed at avoiding personal liability for councillors while preserving their right to fight fluoridation in court But the meeting quickly descended into a procedural minefield as councillor Paul Yovich attempted to add an amendment that would immediately halt all legal proceedings and their associated costs This was ruled a “direct negative” – meaning it contradicted the main motion entirely – and therefore couldn’t be included An attempt to reword the amendment to make it legally viable also failed Councillor Marie Olsen was visibly frustrated urging the council to stop debating and get on with the vote Councillor Simon Reid warned that compliance with the Ministry of Health directive would make councillors “complicit in governmental rape” the financial and legal implications of the council’s ongoing resistance was a recurring theme The council has already spent $93,466 (excluding GST) on legal fees and there is no budget allocated for the costs of the Crown’s legal team if WDC loses in court the council risks losing $4.5m in government funding for fluoridation infrastructure Staff also revealed that an estimated 915 hours of work — equivalent to 122 working days – had already been spent on this issue Deputy mayor Phil Halse suggested that legal costs could be covered from the council’s $76m water reserves fund The council’s legal team, however, ruled that the mayor’s previous statements did not legally prevent him from participating in the decision-making process. “Matters such as this, where they are of an administrative nature, allow elected members to express strong views and vote accordingly,” the lawyer advised. After 1 hour and 22 minutes of debate, the council finally voted on the original motion to comply with the fluoridation directive only until the court ruled otherwise. The amendment to drop legal proceedings was defeated 7-6, with Cocurullo using his casting vote to break the tie. The final motion was then passed, meaning WDC will begin fluoridation preparations – but will stop if interim relief is granted in court. The meeting concluded with Benney declaring that “the hard work has been done” and urging his colleagues to stay the course in fighting against the Ministry of Health. With the High Court hearing today, the council’s legal battle is far from over. The fate of fluoridation in Whangārei now rests in the hands of the judiciary – but whatever the outcome, this saga is unlikely to end quietly. This is Public Interest Journalism funded by NZ On Air. A complaint must be first directed in writing the complaint may be referred to the online complaint form at www.presscouncil.org.nz along with a link to the relevant story and all correspondence with the publication Together with Rural Support Trust Te Tai Tokerau (Northland) Westpac are proud to bring Sir John Kirwan to Whangārei for a free talk on mental health and resilience Sir John Kirwan (JK) has a passion for mental health and shares his own mental health journey with the aim of helping others with theirs JK is an All Black legend but it’s his contributions outside of rugby that have made him one of our most treasured New Zealanders JK is helping New Zealanders understand mental illness This is an opportunity not to be missed and a chance to hear and learn from one of New Zealand’s most well-respected All Blacks Join us for free park entry to Thundercorss BBQ lunch and the chance to trial Surron Farm Utility electric bikes and polaris UTVs The 2025 Deer Industry conference makes a return taking place in Queenstown and celebrates 50 years of NZ Deer Farmers Association Take a night off from cooking and join us and others at Pukuru School Hall for a community dinner.  The Waikato Primary Industry Adverse Event Cluster wish to invite you to join them for a relaxed BBQ lunch.  You can contact your local Trust using the email form on their page or call 0800 787 254, 8am - 6pm.   If you wish to donate directly to a region, you can find your region here and find donation details on their page Anti-fluoride campaigners react at Monday's Whangārei District Council meeting Fluoride will be added to Whangārei’s drinking water from Wednesday morning subject to the outcome of a High Court hearing in Wellington on Tuesday Whangārei District Council (WDC) this afternoon voted almost unanimously to back off its months-long and highly-vocal refusal to fluoridate its drinking water by March 28 as ordered by the director-general of health The council had risked potential legal charges $10,000 a day for failing to comply and more Councillor Patrick Holmes said that equated to a 3.8% general rates rise to cover the close to $5 million in extra unbudgeted fluoridation refusal costs WDC voted 13 to 1 to end its resistance to the fluoride order Nine working days are required for Whangārei fluoridation to meet the deadline subject to the outcome of a High Court hearing in Wellington tomorrow at which WDC will seek “urgent interim relief” to the hands-on preparations for full fluoridation by the late March deadline The council wants the chemical’s introduction halted until the High Court can rule on which evidence about adding fluoride to drinking water is used to justify the Government directive to do so A High Court decision allowing a pause on the implementation process will potentially mean fluoridation introduction either doesn’t start The council has already purchased the required hydrofluorosilicic acid or fluoride Mayor Vince Cocurullo said his vote to rescind a November 28 decision not to fluoridate did not mean he had egg on his face ahead of the High Court hearing and it was important the council acted lawfully who has led the anti-fluoridation campaign at the council remained opposed but had changed tack on implementation so the council and councillors were not at legal risk About $100,000 has been spent to date on the council’s legal action against fluoridation Whangārei district currently has four water treatment plants at Whau Valley Maunu, Ruakākā and Waipu each with different fluoride delivery arrangements it will slowly start spreading through the council’s drinking water pipes and networks from the four treatment plants People would start getting fluoridated drinking water from their taps at different times Commissioning will see staff look to confirm a consistent fluoride dose of between 0.7mg/litre and 1mg/litre Whangārei District Council is holding a sudden closed-door meeting on Tuesday morning about fluoridating its drinking water The closed meeting comes just 17 days ahead of the government's 28 March deadline for the council to fluoridate its drinking water The short-notice 9.30am emergency meeting comes after an unusual last-minute change on Friday where an initial and also unusually open council meeting scheduled at 9am with the description fluoride as its purpose was canned at the last minute About 80,000 Whangārei district residents will have their water fluoridated by that date if the council decides to change tack on its rebel stance against doing so at Tuesday's meeting New Zealand's Local Government Act which underpins local council meetings process requires ordinary council meetings to be publicly notified at least two working days ahead of them happening Fluoridation has for months drawn the biggest sustained public gallery turnouts since the council moved into its civic centre Te Iwitahi in 2023 Up to 100 people have attended every public council meeting where fluoridation has been discussed since Whangārei District Council (WDC) decided not to fluoridate on 28 November WDC posted the Tuesday meeting change on its council Facebook page only and not its website's normal agendas and meetings page The post said the reason for the 9am meeting's cancellation was that there were no public agenda items for consideration It said the 9.30am meeting's purpose was for the council to consider legally privileged information about the council's position on drinking water supply fluoridation The meeting comes as time runs out for the significant lead-in time required to test newly installed infrastructure and dosing processes ahead of any fluoridation startup Council lawyers have applied to the High Court for a date to hear a council application for "urgent interim relief" so WDC can delay its hands-on preparations for full fluoridation by the late March deadline The council wants the High Court to rule on which evidence about adding the chemical to drinking water is used to justify the government directive to do so Politicians face the prospect of jail if the council is successfully charged with flouting the government directive to make this happen by 28 March Ratepayers face stumping up for $5 million in extra costs from the council refusing to comply Tuesday's closed meeting comes after Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo said he would go to prison over democracy and the council directive WDC is the only council in New Zealand refusing to fluoridate among 14 nationwide ordered to do so by outgoing the Director General of Health Sir Ashley Bloomfield in 2022 The council is to hold the meeting at its Te Iwitahi council chambers in Whangārei's Rust Ave It comes as ratepayers face the prospect of almost $5 million in potential extra Whangārei District Council costs after councillors voted against adding fluoridation to the water Fluoridation has started this morning in Whangārei after the High Court reserved its decision on a the first of the council's legal challenges against Health Ministry orders The Whangārei District Council applied for an injunction in the High Court on Tuesday which would have allowed it to delay the addition of fluoride to the water supply which means the council has to start fluoridating in the meantime It is not known when the judge's decision will be released Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo said if the council's bid for an injunction was successful it would be able to turn fluoridation off until its main legal challenge could be heard The Health Ministry's deadline for fluoridation was not until 28 March but dosing of the water and "wet testing" of newly installed equipment would have to start today to ensure that deadline was met Fluoride would be gradually added to the Whangārei City and Bream Bay water supplies building up to a concentration of 0.7-1.0 parts per million by the end of the month The council had already ordered fluoride for its water treatment plants earlier this month in case it lost Tuesday's legal challenge or the decision was delayed Cocurullo said it was not yet known when the High Court would hear the council's main legal challenge against fluoridation The council had asked the court to rule whether it was safe to add hydrofluorosilicic acid to drinking water at the required dose and whether the Director-General of Health had the legal right to order the council to fluoridate During a fractious meeting in Whangārei on Monday councillors voted to revoke an earlier resolution to defy orders to add fluoride to the water supply they also voted to stop fluoridation immediately if the council won its bid for a High Court injunction who has spearheaded the anti-fluoride fight said he was disappointed to have to backtrack on last November's vote we had to do what we had to do… The battle goes on," he said concerned about the potential cost to ratepayers of the fluoride fight If the council had not reversed its earlier vote it could have been forced to pay the full cost of fluoridation equipment It could also have been liable for a fine of $200,000 plus $10,000 per day of continued contravention Those costs have likely been averted by the council's decision to proceed As of Monday those stood at about $110,000 and that was before the council's main legal challenge had even started But councillors also voted to stop fluoridation immediately if a legal challenge goes their way tomorrow Whangārei councillors are meeting later today to discuss their fluoridation stand-off with the Health Ministry Whangārei councillors will be asked to revoke an earlier decision not to fluoridate the city's water supply The council has so far resisted the government's directive to fluoridate Whangārei's drinking water New Zealand Dental Association president Amanda Johnston - a practising dentist in Whangārei - said the council's hesitance to fluoridate was frustrating "There's really clear evidence that adding fluoride to the water is really beneficial to the teeth across all age groups "The dental practitioners of Northland really want to do the best for their patients really good preventative move to help cut down on dental disease." Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo cast a deciding vote to refuse fluoridation in February It came after a federal judge in the United States ruled fluoride presented "unreasonable" risks in September 2024 "This all stems from the recent court case in the US What's actually been proven is anything over 1.5 parts per million is actually unsafe," he said Although the judge determined fluoridated presented some risk he noted the ruling could not "conclude with certainty that fluoridated water is injurious to public health" "The level that we're talking about with water fluoridation is 0.7 parts per million You couldn't ever drink too much water to get too much fluoride but he was calling for a High Court ruling to eliminate all doubt I need to have a very clear ruling from the High Court so I can get it very clearly we are legally responsible to make sure that the water is safe," he said Councillor Scott McKenzie said it was not the council's place to debate the merits of fluoridation He said the council was legally obliged to follow the government's directive "I've stayed clear of the science on it because I'm not a scientist It really is the legal aspect that I'm more concerned with," he explained "That's the area that's relevant to council and determines whether we have the remit to have a say in this space or not McKenzie said the confidentiality of Tuesday's meeting made him uncomfortable "It's a surprise that the meeting is being held in confidential some of us are feeling some concern around that because there seems to be a lack of transparency and integrity and accountability in the process." Cocurullo said it had come at the request of his council's legal team "What I can tell you is that there is information that we've received from our legal office and they have asked for us to have this discussion about it." The council took its fight against a fluoridation directive to the High Court in Wellington today. Justice Karen Grau reserved her decision on granting interim relief to Whangārei District Council. The Whangārei District Council needs to start the process to fluoridate its water by 9am tomorrow in order to set up the specialised infrastructure in time to meet the Government’s March 28 deadline. Justice Grau told the court she had more reading to do on the matter but that she would release her decision before March 28. The council will cease fluoridation if the High Court grants the interim relief before then. Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo said he would wait for the court decision before commenting further. In submissions, Crown counsel Jason Varuhas criticised the Whangārei District Council’s 11th-hour U-turn at a council meeting yesterday from its previous decision against fluoridation. "For nearly four months, Whangārei District Council’s publicly stated policy had been not to comply with the direction and to act unlawfully – an extraordinary situation for a public body," Varuhas said. "It’s had multiple opportunities to reconsider during that period but only did so yesterday." The council's resolution stated that staff could cease fluoridation if the court granted interim relief. "What one takes from the resolution yesterday, it seems to me, is that council would see the interim orders as clearing a path for them to pursue their preferred course of non-compliance with their mandatory statutory duty." Varuhas said there was legal precedent to show that "the granting of interim relief should not have the effect of allowing something that might be unlawful". The council’s defiance was despite fluoridation being a well-established public health measure and the levels used in NZ being evaluated as a safe and effective. Varuhas pointed to comprehensive studies showing the science relied on by the Whangārei District Council — showing a connection between fluoridation and lowered IQ in children — was unreliable. He said studies showed communities without fluoride such as Whangārei had worse oral health outcomes. Māori and those who suffered socio-economic disadvantage were the worst affected by the absence of water fluoridation. The Crown also argued the council had resolved to act unlawfully, but those that sought the court’s aid must act lawfully – especially if that other party was a public body. "To adopt a policy to act unlawfully is itself unlawful," Varuhas said. The council was also reneging on its previously agreed contract with the Ministry of Health to secure funding to build capital works to support fluoridation and accordingly, more than $2 million in public money had been paid to the council for the purpose. However, the council’s lawyer Jeremy Browne said the council could be left carrying the can for another $2 million but that was in the council’s hands because, if it fluoridated, it would meet the terms of the contract and the Ministry would pay the further $2 million necessary to complete the process. Justice Grau noted more than one person in the council had claimed they were willing to go to jail over the issue, but she noted fines were the only penalty available under the Health Act. Based on the Ministry's understanding of the science, failure to fluoridate would be detrimental to the community of Whangārei, which had a high proportion of Māori and lower socio-economic residents – people most negatively affected by the absence of fluoridation. "For example, children under five in the relevant community suffer 3.41 decayed missing or filled teeth on average and that number was higher for the Māori population in Whangārei. In comparison to Wellington, the same figure was 1.9." Interim orders, if granted, would also have a destabilising effect on the five councils which were still directed to fluoridate but had not yet done so. It would also impact the Government’s $18 million already set aside to pay for fluoridation infrastructure in the 14 councils that had been directed to do so. Issuing Whangārei District Council an interim order could also be an encouragement to other councils contemplating such measures and interest groups. Browne said the interim relief sought was important. It was clear the council has been very unwilling to fluoridate, but it had done so as a result of very persistent and clear messaging from the Director-General of Health that enforcement action was available and would be considered. The council wanted a judicial review of the Director-General of Health’s directive to fluoridate and a ruling on the information used to make fluoridation directive decisions. Browne said the science used as the basis for the Director-General's directive was out of date and the Ministry of Health was demonstrating institutional inertia by not considering new studies that had been conducted since those used for making the directive. Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air Whangārei District Council’s only hope of stalling the start-up of fluoridating its drinking water supply tomorrow has been dashed. Tap water generic image. (Source: istock.com) Defiance and threats as fluoride deadline loomsMore than a dozen local authorities have been ordered to fluoridate some or all of their drinking water Who is following the order and who’s fighting back Health 'Win for transparency': Emergency Whangārei fluoridation meeting cannedThe council today decided in a narrow 7 to 6 majority vote not to go into a public-excluded debate about fluoridation New Zealand Whangārei District Council backtracks on fluoridation resistanceFluoride will start being added to Whangārei drinking water on Wednesday morning — subject to the outcome of a High Court hearing in Wellington tomorrow Auditor-General launches probe into school lunches It will cover Ministry of Education planning procurement and contract implementation under David Seymour's alternative model Politics Full video: Question time as Parliament resumes after recess Parliament is back after a three-week recess Erica Stanford concedes use of personal email 'untidy' Stanford said her practice of forwarding Government correspondence to a personal Gmail account Govt halts all current pay equity claims Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden announced the moves to raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued to support a claim National introduces members' bill to ban social media for under 16s Christopher Luxon announced the bill alongside Tukituki MP Catherine Wedd this morning Erica Stanford sent pre-Budget documents to her personal email There are multiple examples of Stanford using her personal email for ministerial business EU launches drive to lure scientists after Trump freezes funding 3:14pm Auditor-General launches probe into school lunches 2:57pm Man charged after gun allegedly fired in Masterton MSD office 2:45pm Police plea after 'oversight' left Bondi killer without help 2:18pm Sullivan's four-try onslaught highlights Chiefs' vulnerabilities 2:03pm Full video: Question time as Parliament resumes after recess 53 mins ago 1Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Bystanders prevent attempted abduction of Auckland primary student Homicide investigation after man dies in Auckland's Manurewa Vandals in 4WDs mow down, destroy 38 pōhutukawa trees in Napier Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala A$AP Rocky and Rihanna also revealed they are expecting their third child. Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansSun, May 4 Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon Whangārei District Council’s only hope of stalling the start-up of fluoridating its drinking water supply tomorrow has been dashed The council took its fight against a fluoridation directive to the High Court in Wellington today Justice Karen Grau reserved her decision on granting interim relief to Whangārei District Council The Whangārei District Council needs to start the process to fluoridate its water by 9am tomorrow in order to set up the specialised infrastructure in time to meet the Government’s March 28 deadline Justice Grau told the court she had more reading to do on the matter but that she would release her decision before March 28 The council will cease fluoridation if the High Court grants the interim relief before then Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo said he would wait for the court decision before commenting further Crown counsel Jason Varuhas criticised the Whangārei District Council’s 11th-hour U-turn at a council meeting yesterday from its previous decision against fluoridation Whangārei District Council’s publicly stated policy had been not to comply with the direction and to act unlawfully – an extraordinary situation for a public body," Varuhas said The council's resolution stated that staff could cease fluoridation if the court granted interim relief "What one takes from the resolution yesterday is that council would see the interim orders as clearing a path for them to pursue their preferred course of non-compliance with their mandatory statutory duty." Varuhas said there was legal precedent to show that "the granting of interim relief should not have the effect of allowing something that might be unlawful" The council’s defiance was despite fluoridation being a well-established public health measure and the levels used in NZ being evaluated as a safe and effective Varuhas pointed to comprehensive studies showing the science relied on by the Whangārei District Council — showing a connection between fluoridation and lowered IQ in children — was unreliable He said studies showed communities without fluoride such as Whangārei had worse oral health outcomes Māori and those who suffered socio-economic disadvantage were the worst affected by the absence of water fluoridation The Crown also argued the council had resolved to act unlawfully but those that sought the court’s aid must act lawfully – especially if that other party was a public body "To adopt a policy to act unlawfully is itself unlawful," Varuhas said The council was also reneging on its previously agreed contract with the Ministry of Health to secure funding to build capital works to support fluoridation and accordingly more than $2 million in public money had been paid to the council for the purpose the council’s lawyer Jeremy Browne said the council could be left carrying the can for another $2 million but that was in the council’s hands because it would meet the terms of the contract and the Ministry would pay the further $2 million necessary to complete the process Justice Grau noted more than one person in the council had claimed they were willing to go to jail over the issue but she noted fines were the only penalty available under the Health Act Based on the Ministry's understanding of the science failure to fluoridate would be detrimental to the community of Whangārei which had a high proportion of Māori and lower socio-economic residents – people most negatively affected by the absence of fluoridation children under five in the relevant community suffer 3.41 decayed missing or filled teeth on average and that number was higher for the Māori population in Whangārei would also have a destabilising effect on the five councils which were still directed to fluoridate but had not yet done so It would also impact the Government’s $18 million already set aside to pay for fluoridation infrastructure in the 14 councils that had been directed to do so Issuing Whangārei District Council an interim order could also be an encouragement to other councils contemplating such measures and interest groups Browne said the interim relief sought was important It was clear the council has been very unwilling to fluoridate but it had done so as a result of very persistent and clear messaging from the Director-General of Health that enforcement action was available and would be considered The council wanted a judicial review of the Director-General of Health’s directive to fluoridate and a ruling on the information used to make fluoridation directive decisions Browne said the science used as the basis for the Director-General's directive was out of date and the Ministry of Health was demonstrating institutional inertia by not considering new studies that had been conducted since those used for making the directive The Whangārei District Council has put off any likely decision about whether to change tack on its fluoridation refusal after the mayor failed in his bid to take the debate behind closed doors In another twist in the council’s ongoing fluoridation refusal the council today decided in a narrow 7 to 6 majority vote not to go into a public-excluded debate about fluoridation the council has set a new extraordinary meeting date for Monday allowing three days’ notification with fluoridation on the agenda Some politicians are expecting this meeting to be a public meeting but Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo would not confirm whether that would be the case Cocurullo tabled a motion at this morning’s meeting to make all discussions confidential Deputy Mayor Phil Halse seconded this move Carol Peters and Paul Yovich voted against Simon Reid and Phoenix Ruka supported the Cocurullo/Halse push Councillor Jayne Golightly livestreamed into the meeting whilst horse trekking but her link became unreliable at the time of voting and her vote was therefore not counted Councillors who pushed for debate not to be confidential say they were pleased the discussion didn't happen out of the public eye Councillor Scott McKenzie said democracy was an important part of the fluoridation decision-making process Councillor Ken Couper said the meeting vote was about transparency regardless of which way people felt about fluoridation "It's important people know what’s happening," Couper said The mayor threw Couper out of the last fluoride-themed extraordinary council meeting in February for 10 minutes after not stopping his line of questioning during the debate "Today was unfortunately another step in a situation that should never have happened," Couper said "It was a win for transparency." Couper said the meeting should still have gone ahead after the move to shift debate out of the public eye failed He believed Cocurullo had the power as mayor to make that happen in spite of potential issues around technical and legal meeting notification timings who wanted this morning’s debate to be confidential said after the meeting he was philosophical about what had happened Benney said the only reason he’d wanted behind closed doors discussion was for legally privileged material ahead of Whangārei District Council’s High Court case He said he was in favour of open democratic discussion on what was the controversial issue of fluoridating the council’s drinking water The meeting came as time is running out for the council as it needs significant lead-in time to test newly installed infrastructure ahead of any fluoridation start-up Eight working days are needed for this pre-start-up process The Whangārei District Council must fluoridate its water by March 28 after a directive to do so from the Director General of Health Failing to do so could see councillors risk jail if charged with not putting fluoridation into council drinking water for 80,000 people Whangārei ratepayers face a rate increase as the council looks at $5 million in extra costs and charges if it doesn’t fluoridate Cocurullo said after the meeting that discussing legally privileged information in private was a normal part of council process The Whangārei District Council on Friday said the Tuesday meeting’s purpose was for the council to consider legally privileged information about the council’s position on drinking water supply fluoridation Council lawyers applied to the High Court for a date to hear a council application for "urgent interim relief" so the council can delay its hands-on preparations for full fluoridation by the late March deadline The council wants the High Court to rule on which evidence about adding fluoride to drinking water is used to justify the government directive to do so since Whangārei District Council decided not to fluoridate on November 28 LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air Fluoride will start being added to Whangārei drinking water on Wednesday morning subject to the outcome of a High Court hearing in Wellington tomorrow Whangārei District Council this afternoon voted almost unanimously to back down at the eleventh hour on its months-long and highly-vocal refusal to fluoridate its drinking water by March 28 as ordered by the Director-General of Health up to $200,000 in fines $10,000 a day for failing to comply and more WDC Cr Patrick Holmes said that refusal equated to a 3.8% general rates rise to cover the close to $5 million in extra unbudgeted fluoridation refusal costs The council voted 13:1 to wipe its resistance to the fluoride order Nine working days were needed to commission the Whangārei fluoridation to meet the deadline Wednesday morning’s fluoridation beginnings were however subject to the outcome of a High Court hearing in Wellington tomorrow where the district council was seeking "urgent interim relief" so it could instead delay the hands-on preparations for full fluoridation by the late March deadline This was in spite of today’s rescinding of its November 28 decision not to fluoridate The council wanted the chemical introduction halted until the High Court could rule on which evidence about adding fluoride to drinking water was used to justify the government directive to do so A High Court decision allowing a pause on the implementation process would potentially mean fluoridation introduction either didn’t start The council had already purchased the hydrofluorosilicic acid or fluoride for Whangārei drinking water fluoridation Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo said after the meeting his vote in favour of rescinding the council’s November 28 decision not to fluoridate did not mean he had egg on his face Cocurullo said the backtrack had been important It was important the council acted lawfully Councillor Gavin Benney who has led the anti-fluoridation campaign at his council said he was still not in favour of adding fluoride to Whangārei water But he had changed tack on it happening so that the council and its politicians were not at legal risk Around $100,000 has been spent to date on the council’s legal action against fluoridation Whangārei district’s currently has four water treatment plants at Whau Valley Maunu Each water treatment plant had different fluoride delivery arrangements fluoride wouldslowly start spreading through the council’s drinking water pipes and networks from the four treatment plants Commissioning would look to confirm a consistent fluoride dose of between 0.7mg/l and 1mg/l The Auditor-General's office has announced plans for an inquiry into the school lunch programme that has drawn criticism since a revamp procurement and contract implementation under David Seymour's alternative model Terms of reference for the inquiry set out its scope: The Auditor-General's office said it decided to investigate because of concerns raised about aspects of the revised lunch programme and what the Ministry communicated with previous providers," it said "Because of the importance of these services we have decided to carry out an inquiry." the Office noted the ministry had in October last year awarded a two-year contract to the School Lunch Collective under which lunches would be provided for $3 each The ministry was also reported to have paid a further $8.9m to the collective for Year 9 and older students which had been part of the School Lunch Collective A further $4m grant was provided to KidsCan for a food programme in Early Childhood Education services rnz.co.nz The government is making it harder to make a claim for pay equity that will cut costs There have been massive pay equity claims in recent years for nurses and resthome workers on Tuesday saying changes back in 2020 had created problems "Claims have been able to progress without strong evidence of undervaluation and there have been very broad claims where it is difficult to tell whether differences in pay are due to sex-based discrimination or other factors." Claims were concentrated in the public sector with costs to the Crown of all settlements so far totalling $1.78 billion a year "The changes I am proposing will significantly reduce costs to the Crown," she said "The changes will discontinue current pay equity claims." Van Velden told Midday Report she believes in pay equity but the current thresholds were "a bit too loose" Asked how she ensure women were not hurt by this the minister said "I'm a woman and I support women who work" "I also support removing gender based discriminations from our workforces but what I don't support are muddied laws and unclear laws," she said "So these changes are better for all women who are working where we can genuinely say hand on heart that what they are finding with their claims is genuine gender based discrimination." Van Velden told reporters at Parliament any current claims would be stopped and need to restart under the new threshold to show "genuine" gender discrimination and make sure the comparators were right She gave a figure of 33 current claims that would be stopped as the legislation was put through under urgency "You have librarians who've been comparing themselves to transport engineers We have admin and clerical staff at Health New Zealand comparing themselves to mechanical engineers." Social workers had compared themselves to air traffic controllers "We don't believe we have that setting right." Any comparison would now be between female employees and male employees at the same employer "But you cannot go fishing for discrimination across the New Zealand workforce." All current settled claims would continue but the government was drawing "a line in the sand" "We're not stopping claims." The nurse's union has this year had at least 10 pay equity claims in play The PSA union has said pay equity claims and settlements had resulted in significant improvements in pay and working conditions for many workers The union said the changes would make it "impossible for people in female-dominated professions to be paid fairly" "Women across the country will pay the price for this," PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said "The government's changes today are a dark day for New Zealand women as the government says it will repeal the pay equity law and extinguish 33 existing claims in a constitutional overreach "The PSA is exploring all possible avenues to oppose these unconstitutional amendments and stop this attack on women We will not be deterred in our fight to achieve pay equity for all." "This is a blatant and shameful attack on women," New Zealand Nurses organisation chief executive Paul Goulter said "Women in workforces predominantly performed by female employees have been underpaid and undervalued for generations That is what pay equity claims seek to rectify," he said "This move by the government will widen the pay gap between men and women." The union had at least 10 pay current pay claims across Aged Care These cover many nurses and support workers The E tū union also called the changes an attack on women and a green light to pay them less for work of equal value The government was pulling the rug out from under a 13-year-long fight in aged care "These changes are not about evidence — they are about saving money by keeping women underpaid," national secretary Rachel Mackintosh said in a statement A number of unions have called a snap rally at Parliament at 1pm today in light of the announcement the Council of Trade Unions and representatives of other unions say they will be "protesting the government's attack on women and the destruction of progress on pay equity..." rnz.co.nz The National Party has introduced a new members' bill to ban social media for those aged under 16 Christopher Luxon announced the bill alongside National Tukituki MP Catherine Wedd this morning Wedd said the My Social Media Age-Appropriate Users Bill "puts the onus on social media companies to verify that someone is over the age of 16 before they access social media platforms" Key aspects of the Bill would include obligations for the social media platforms defence for providers to rely on reasonable verification measures regulatory oversight and a review after three years there are no legally enforceable age verification measures for social media platforms in New Zealand Members' bills are introduced by MPs who are not Ministers and need to be drawn from a ballot to be debated in Parliament Luxon said he was hopeful of gaining bipartisan support He had spoken with coalition partners ACT and NZ First about it but would let them speak about their position He said this was an issue he had been passionate about since 2018 and as a dad he felt the party needed to do more to keep young people safe from online harm We want to protect our kids from the harms of social media. That’s why today National has introduced a members bill to ban social media for kids under 16 years old. pic.twitter.com/TiQJs87DhQ "It's time that New Zealand acknowledged that for all the good things that come from social media it's not always a safe place for our young people to be and we need to do something about it." He said teachers and parents had raised issues with him including cyber bullying exposure to inappropriate content and exploitation and social media addiction "Social media should not be exempt from social responsibility and it is time we put the onus on these platforms," he said Wedd said social media was "an extraordinary resource" “As a mother of four children I feel very strongly that families and parents should be better supported when it comes to overseeing their children's online exposure The bill closely mirrors the approach taken in Australia which passed the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill in December 2024 At the end of last year, a 1News Verian Poll found more than two-thirds of New Zealand voters supported restricting social media access for under-16s The poll results showed that 68% backed introducing similar legislation in New Zealand as in Australia and 10% were undecided or preferred not to say National Party supporters and women showed the strongest support for the proposed restrictions while opposition was highest among 18-34-year-olds and men Wedd said "other jurisdictions are also taking action" "Texas recently passed legislation which bans under 18s from social media use and the UK the EU and Canada all have similar work in train," she said "This bill builds on National’s successful and successful cell phone ban in schools and reinforces the Government's commitment to setting our children up for success." Family First chief executive Bob McCoskrie welcomed the introduction of the bill but questioned why it was not a government priority "or at the very least have a parliamentary and public discussion via a Select Committee process" "Family First thanks Catherine Wedd for drafting the Bill but once again calls on all the coalition parties in the Government (ACT and NZ First) to adopt the bill as a Government bill and ultimately walk the talk when it comes to protecting children online “This important discussion needs to be a priority for the Government and not left in a biscuit tin." ACT leader David Seymour said the party shared concerns over young people and social media but opposed the bill "because it is not workable" we ask the Education and Workforce Committee to hold an open The inquiry should hear all voices to find a workable solution that respects parental responsibility," he said He cited concerns about the practicalities of a ban including privacy issues and the general definition of ‘social media’ to encompass a large part of the internet "Similar legislation has been passed in Australia and no-one yet knows how the ban will be implemented We would be better to learn from the Aussies' mistakes than make the same mistakes at the same time as them." The European Union launched a drive to attract scientists and researchers to Europe with offers of grants and new policy plans after the Trump administration froze US government funding linked to diversity no one would have imagined that one of the biggest democracies in the world would cancel research programs under the pretext that the word diversity was in this programme," French President Emmanuel Macron said at the Choose Europe for Science event in Paris "No one would have thought that one of the biggest democracies in the world would delete the ability of one researcher or another to obtain visas," Macron said Taking the same stage at the Sorbonne University European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU’s executive branch would set up a "super grant" programme aimed at offering "a longer-term perspective to the very best" in the field She said that €500 million (NZ$948 million) would be put forward in 2025-2027 "to make Europe a magnet for researchers" It would be injected into the European Research Council which already has a budget of more than €16 billion (NZ$30 billion) for 2021-2027 Von der Leyen said the 27-nation EU intended "to enshrine freedom of scientific research into law" with a new legal act As "the threats rise across the world Europe will not compromise on its principles" The White House responded by describing DEI as "an inherently discriminatory policy" "If the European Union wants to embrace policies that divide rather than focus on real scientific discovery they should not be surprised when US innovation continues to outpace Europe," said spokesperson Anna Kelly "America will continue to attract and cultivate the best talent in science Macron said that the French government would also soon make new proposals to beef up investment in science and research hundreds of university researchers in the United States had National Science Foundation funding cancelled to comply with US President Donald Trump’s order to end support for research on diversity More than 380 grant projects have been cut so far including work to combat internet censorship in China and Iran and a project consulting with Indigenous communities to understand environmental changes in Alaska’s Arctic region Some terminated grants that sought to broaden the diversity of people studying science researchers and doctors have taken to the streets in protest While not mentioning the Trump administration by name von der Leyen said that it was "a gigantic miscalculation" to undermine free and open research "We can all agree that science has no passport "We believe that diversity is an asset of humanity and the lifeblood of science It is one of the most valuable global assets and it must be protected." Von der Leyen's drive to promote opportunities in Europe in the field of science and take advantage of US policy shifts dovetails with the way that she has played up the potential for trade deals with other countries since Trump took office in January and sparked a tariff war last month vowed that the EU would also address some of the roadblocks that scientists and researchers faced notably excessive red tape and access to businesses Macron said science and research must not "be based on the diktats of the few" Macron said Europe "must become a refuge" for scientists and researchers and he said to those who feel under threat elsewhere: "The message is simple A 25-year-old man has appeared in court after he allegedly fired a gun at another person inside a Ministry of Social Development office in Masterton yesterday Police were called to the incident on Lincoln Rd at around 12.40pm on Monday Wairarapa Area Commander Inspector Nick Thom said there were no reports of injuries from the incident "Following police's initial enquiries one person was taken into custody a short time later nearby." Cordons were put in place around the area and some staff were armed as a precaution Thom said it was believed to be an isolated incident with no wider risk to the public "Police would like to commend Ministry of Social Development staff for their prompt actions in following their lockdown procedures as this enabled police to provide a swift response to resolve this incident quickly." A 25-year-old man appeared in Masterton District Court today charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and conducting a dangerous act with intent to cause grievous bodily harm A coroner is likely to recommend improvements after an overworked police force failed to connect a mass killer to the mental health system before his unprovoked attack had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen and was experiencing psychotic symptoms when he killed six people and injured 10 at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction in April 2024 An inquest has been told Queensland Police had a number of chances to plug him back into mental health treatment and medication ahead of the tragedy Cauchi was homeless and living apart from his family in Toowoomba when he was shot dead by police during his stabbing rampage He had stopped taking his medication in 2019 and stopped seeing a psychiatrist in 2020 Queensland police officers made several calls for change including greater numbers of mental health officers within the force They also suggested that laws regarding when mentally ill people could be forced to take an involuntary psychiatric examination be amended to be less confusing manager of the Queensland police's vulnerable persons unit said the changes were needed to prevent the criminalisation of those with mental illness "Mental health shouldn't just be a police response," he told the NSW Coroners Court "It's a no-brainer to me that there should be appropriate responses that are health-led." Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer said that changing legislation around police powers was "shaping up to be a significant recommendation" at the inquest This week's evidence has focused on one particular incident in January 2023 when Cauchi called police to his family's Toowoomba home He accused his father Andrew of stealing his collection of knives telling attending officers that they had to be returned or he would become bankrupt or homeless A follow-up visit to the Cauchi family home was requested and the fill-in police mental health incident co-ordinator for the Darling Downs region saw the email — but he forgot to action it due to an "oversight" the co-ordinator he was filling in for backed the officer "His oversight on that email is devastating," she said "It's not indicative of him as an officer or how he performed my role." She also backed a call for further assistance saying police officers were under greater pressure due to increasing numbers of call-outs relating to mental health despite not being trained in this area "If it's not bleeding and it's not on fire the police are the people who have to attend," she said police were called to Cauchi's unit in Brisbane after residents heard a man screaming and the sound of someone being hit He told attending officers that he had been slamming his fridge Cauchi was also pulled over three times in 2020 and 2021 by highway patrol police for erratic driving The Chiefs are putting their faith in first-five Damian McKenzie recovering from a hand injury in time to play the Crusaders in what is a pivotal game in Christchurch on Saturday But just as important to the Super Rugby Pacific leaders will be improving a defence which leaked 26 unanswered points in the second half of their 35-17 defeat to the Hurricanes It was an uncharacteristic defensive lapse by a usually highly consistent side who retained their place at the top of the table thanks to their superior points differential compared with the Crusaders the Chiefs face Moana Pasifika in Hamilton and the Highlanders in Dunedin in the run in to the playoffs – games very much in the winnable category although the former have surprised a few this season The Crusaders’ run-in features the Waratahs in Sydney the Highlanders in Christchurch and a potentially difficult trip to Canberra to play the third-placed Brumbies Every team has looked vulnerable at times this season The Crusaders’ two losses came against the Chiefs in Hamilton and a shock defeat to Moana Pasifika — both heavy although they did escape a Hurricanes’ comeback in Wellington in round nine They also needed two James O’Connor penalties in the final 10 minutes to beat the Blues a week later But the Chiefs’ downfall at the weekend was as unexpected as it was spectacular after they led 17-9 at the break Replacement wing Bailyn Sullivan made history when scoring all four of the Hurricanes’ tries after the break as the home side too easily unlocked the Chiefs’ defence via a long pass a break through Cortez Ratima and Shaun Stevenson close to the line an excellent wide cross-kick by Ruben Love and a shorter grubber kick by Riley Higgins Getting McKenzie back on the field after he missed the last two weekends for the Chiefs will be important for their game management but a Crusaders attack that ran in six tries against the Highlanders last time out will threaten them in different ways the Crusaders may be without All Black Will Jordan Jordan has played in all 10 Crusaders matches this season and head coach Rob Penney has been guarded about Jordan's rest plan of his All Blacks No.10 McKenzie: “Everything's tracking in the direction that he should be available but we won't count our chickens before they hatch.” the defending champion Blues must win in Suva against the Drua to force their way back into the playoffs mix after being overtaken for the sixth and final spot by Moana Pasifika Moana Pasifika beat the Highlanders 34-29 in Dunedin – their first win over the southerners in another Ardie Savea-inspired performance Shane William Pritchard has been charged with crimes he didn’t commit and chased for debts he doesn’t owe That’s because the Dunedin man is not the only Shane William Pritchard in town While the duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane for the other it has caused problems for 36 years It’s been years of fearing every knock on the door Years of wondering if he’ll be hand-cuffed and taken to jail to be honest,” says Shane William Pritchard a scout and a member of the Air Training Corp remembers getting quite a shock when her friend called one evening She'd been acting as a referee for a gun licence for Shane whose friend informed her that the police had a long list of offences against Shane’s name Not long after that the police turned up to where Shane was working at the local tannery to arrest him “You're scrambling in your head to think of ways that you can prove it's not you.” Another Shane William Pritchard had been born in Otago They were separated by just two weeks and about 50 miles – one growing up in Mosgiel the other in Milton – but also by the lives they’d been leading To watch the full video story go to TVNZ+ Shane from Milton had huge problems focusing at school He was raised in foster care and then boys’ homes I just wanted to look cool and get in trouble,” he tells Fair Go Milton Shane was used to run-ins with police he got pulled over in his car and asked about his driving licence one’s got a licence and the other hasn’t.’ And I’m like ‘obviously it must be the one with a licence’.” he went to his bank to draw out an ACC payment and was asked which bank account was his He says that at that point he was trying to figure out what was going on “I thought it was just an error.” But he took advantage of the situation and withdrew a large sum of cash Mosgiel Shane became aware of the withdrawal when a scheduled car payment was declined and when Milton Shane turned up at the bank to withdraw more money Identity fraud was considered but Milton Shane was legitimately expecting an ACC payment so the withdrawal appeared to be a genuine mistake and the police couldn’t take any action 'Anything I could get away with Mosgiel Shane thought the bank incident would have alerted police to the problem But his nemesis had cottoned on to the advantages of having a second identity to use Milton Shane acquired a suite of furniture on hire-purchase Milton-Shane clocked up more driving offences Mosgiel Shane thought about changing his name but realised he’d have to provide his previous name in the process the courts and debt collectors such as Baycorp should be able to distinguish between himself and Milton Shane The police first addressed the issue in the 1990s after Mosgiel Shane went to the media He was given a letter to carry with him should he be apprehended He and his parents felt his situation wasn’t being taken seriously Mosgiel Shane went to the media a second time in the mid-2000s the police gave their word that a record in their system would stop the misidentification from happening again This does appear to have worked as far as police action goes But while Mosgiel Shane was given the same reassurance by the Ministry of Justice he continued to receive demands from the courts for unpaid fines He’d also get stopped and questioned whenever he left the country for work trips or holidays It took a huge toll on Mosgiel Shane’s mental health not realising the constant stress it placed on his life John Pritchard says that at times his son felt his life wasn’t worth living worrying about what he was going to do to himself and that really ate me up.” he and his son were in tears as Shane admitted he was at breaking point He described going for days at a time unable to eat or sleep wondering what might happen next "Am I going to be in a position where they've got me in handcuffs or I've got debt collectors coming to the door?" ...You're spiralling into this black hole." He started taking anti-anxiety medication which helped And events regarding Milton Shane seemed to settle Milton Shane was charged for fishing without a licence in Twizel and failing to comply with fisheries officers But a court registrar incorrectly entered the birth date of Mosgiel Shane in the system both Shanes were being chased to pay the $1530 fine It was Mosgiel Shane who spotted the error and rang the court He also sent a statement from his manager saying he’d not been fishing in Twizel that day The reply he got was to say he’d been given the wrong form and that they wouldn’t accept his proof They just wanted to know how I was going to pay the fine.” The first Milton Shane knew about this was when Fair Go told him Mosgiel Shane had been chased for the fine He was told to pay up or face the consequences feeling he shouldn’t have to pay good money to correct someone else’s mistake But it cost Mosgiel Shane over $5000 in legal fees and took months of back and forth between him “Why should anybody have to pay their own money to right somebody else's wrongs and prove who they are I’m sick and tired of proving who I am all the time.” He wanted the Ministry of Justice to take responsibility and reimburse him for his legal costs saying court staff such as the registrar in this case have immunity if they make mistakes such as the one made here and if I make a mistake and it's affecting my client that it's going to cost them money to rectify a mistake that I've made.” he deserves a million apologies from those guys,” she says Milton Shane told Fair Go he still gets in trouble but wants the other Shane to know he doesn’t use his birth date anymore And he had a message for him: “We’ve got to get it sorted for you so you can have a good life with you and your family because I’m trying to get my life together with my son and my grandson” He offers to meet to see if they can sort it out together but I’m not interested in meeting him,.” says Mosgiel Shane He says he doesn’t hold any grudges and accepts Milton Shane’s apology And he believes the only way for that to happen is for the courts and the Ministry of Justice to give him a guarantee that mix-ups won’t occur in the future Fair Go asked the Ministry of Justice to appear in person to apologise and provide reassurance to Shane of its plans to guard against these mistakes The Ministry declined our request to be on camera saying any comment on an individual case would compromise the independence of the courts as the Ministry operates separately But it did send a written apology directly to Mosgiel Shane It also admitted mistakes can occur in clerical records but said instructions were clear and the importance of getting things right had been emphasised to staff Mosgiel Shane isn’t totally convinced that’s the end of it “All I want is for the Ministry of Justice and the courts to do their job I'd like to live without this hanging over me all the time his criminal check has come back showing a clean slate A stranger allegedly tried to force an 8-year-old boy into a car outside an Auckland primary school yesterday before bystanders intervened and the man drove off Police confirmed they were investigating an incident from around 3pm on Monday outside Rowandale School in the suburb of Manurewa "Police are still working to understand exactly what was occurring at the time and our enquiries are ongoing," a spokesperson said "We have spoken with the boy and will continue to work through a careful process Rowandale School principal Karl Vasau said in a statement to social media that other parents had intervened "The student then made his way home and told his parents who then came into school to let us know and then they rung the police." Vasau told 1News the pupil was "doing fine" following the incident and was surrounded by a "supportive "Our student is safe now and his family are thankful that nothing further happened to their boy but are wanting us all to be aware and stay safe It's about working with that child to make them feel safe again but also looking forward to returning back to school with a little bit of normality." Police had reacted "pretty quickly" to the reports "They've been in this morning to touch base and connect the community police constables are going to come back to tomorrow to address the whole school in relation to what had happened and around keeping themselves safe before and after school." Increased police patrols would remain in the area after school from Wednesday Anyone with relevant information should contact police on 105 Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career (...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot “Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019 Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June “It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima the city’s secretary of economic development in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028 Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012 Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show “I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame” Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994 that was the biggest free rock concert in history sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017 when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues “She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis "100% written in blood," the website read The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2 Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23 "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box and another is seriously ill and can't be tried five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children According to her testimony and that of the concierge at least one of the suspects had a handgun The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million) Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets" Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists historians and music industry professionals The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians the scope and longevity of their career and body of work as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique" Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted One person has died following a workplace incident involving machinery in Whangārei Emergency services were called to an Onerahi address around 5.30pm on Tuesday Inquiries into the circumstances of the incident are ongoing.” A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said two crews attended an accident “We removed a person from machinery and handed them over to ambulances.” A St John spokesperson said two ambulances and one rapid response unit attended the scene about 5.30pm A WorkSafe spokesperson said the organisation had been notified and was making initial inquiries Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday. Nine-year-old Harper Davis saw "a flicker of fire" and raced to tell McDonald's staff. Whangārei District Council this afternoon voted almost unanimously to back down at the eleventh hour on its months-long and highly-vocal refusal to fluoridate its drinking water by March 28 as ordered by the Director-General of Health, risking potential legal charges, up to $200,000 in fines $10,000 a day for failing to comply and more. WDC Cr Patrick Holmes said that refusal equated to a 3.8% general rates rise to cover the close to $5 million in extra unbudgeted fluoridation refusal costs. The council voted 13:1 to wipe its resistance to the fluoride order, ahead of tomorrow’s High Court case. Nine working days were needed to commission the Whangārei fluoridation to meet the deadline. At present, it must begin by 9am on Wednesday. Wednesday morning’s fluoridation beginnings were however subject to the outcome of a High Court hearing in Wellington tomorrow where the district council was seeking "urgent interim relief" so it could instead delay the hands-on preparations for full fluoridation by the late March deadline. This was in spite of today’s rescinding of its November 28 decision not to fluoridate. The council wanted the chemical introduction halted until the High Court could rule on which evidence about adding fluoride to drinking water was used to justify the government directive to do so. A High Court decision allowing a pause on the implementation process would potentially mean fluoridation introduction either didn’t start, or stopped mid-stream. The council had already purchased the hydrofluorosilicic acid or fluoride for Whangārei drinking water fluoridation. Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo said after the meeting his vote in favour of rescinding the council’s November 28 decision not to fluoridate did not mean he had egg on his face. Cocurullo said the backtrack had been important, ahead of the High Court hearing. It was important the council acted lawfully. The district council was still, however, following up on its concerns. Councillor Gavin Benney who has led the anti-fluoridation campaign at his council said he was still not in favour of adding fluoride to Whangārei water. But he had changed tack on it happening so that the council and its politicians were not at legal risk. Around $100,000 has been spent to date on the council’s legal action against fluoridation. Whangārei district’s currently has four water treatment plants at Whau Valley Maunu, Ruakākā and Waipu. Each water treatment plant had different fluoride delivery arrangements. If fluoridation went ahead, fluoride wouldslowly start spreading through the council’s drinking water pipes and networks from the four treatment plants, at varying stages. People would start getting fluoridated drinking water from their taps at different times. Commissioning would look to confirm a consistent fluoride dose of between 0.7mg/l and 1mg/l, with a target setting of 0.85mg/l. Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo said his council's backtrack was necessary on several fronts. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Fluoride will start being added to Whangārei drinking water on Wednesday morning, subject to the outcome of a High Court hearing in Wellington tomorrow. Whangārei Deputy Mayor Phil Halse has his say in today's often-testy fluoride council meeting. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Fluoride will slowly be added to Whangārei drinking water plants at different stages over coming weeks if WDC fluoridation proceeds. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) 'Light' 4.1 magnitude earthquake jolts lower North Island Geonet said the earthquake struck 10km northwest of Levin at 5.16pm at a depth of 37km Good Sorts: The retired Feilding GP running a mobile medical service Dr Warren Nicholls has taken his skills on the road to increase access to healthcare Four injured State Highway 2 at the intersection of Wi Duncan Rd is currently blocked Farmhand died after poorly maintained quad bike rolled A Tararua farm manager has been ordered to pay $75,000 in reparations to the family of a farmhand who died after the poorly maintained quadbike he was riding rolled Crime and Justice Why Mark Lundy's release from prison doesn't mean he will be free Lundy will be released from prison next month after more than 23 years behind bars for the murder of his wife Christine and their daughter Amber in 2000 Herbertville's only pub finally reopens after Cyclone Gabrielle The remote settlement an hour's drive from Dannevirke has been without a pub since the February 2023 cyclone A magnitude 4.1 earthquake has jolted the lower North Island this afternoon It described the shaking as "light" with close to 2000 reports from people feeling the tremor by 5.45pm M3.6 quake causing weak shaking near Levin https://t.co/aJM2e4ScOx One Facebook poster said it was "definitely a good one" while another described it as "only little but strange" Horowhenua District Council said it was a "good reminder" to chat about being prepared for earthquakes Tonight's Good Sort is Dr Warren Nicholls a retired GP from Feilding who never quite stopped being a doctor Dr Nicholls took his skills on the road as part of a mobile medical service aimed at increasing access to healthcare There are no appointments needed – people just show up the team checks basic information like weight "There's a huge need for it," Dr Nicholls said The service began with local farmer Dean Williamson who wanted farmers to get more than their tractor checked up "To be able to book a health check in with the doctor you're looking at four or five weeks in advance and goodness knows what the weather's going to be like or what they're going to be doing on farming," Williamson said "I've signed a thousand death certificates but I've also delivered a thousand babies so the ledger of life is balanced," he said One caravan has now turned into a three and they've seen over a thousand patients He said one in four patients need further help "We've got a person who's probably a diabetic with a sugar of 12 and they don't know it." A mental health survey always finishes the visit it's their first doctor's visit in years "I haven't retired yet," Dr Nicholls said he wants to expand his operation into Northland "It's become my glorious obsession now." Four people have been injured following a two-vehicle crash south of Dannevirke this evening Police said they were called to State Highway 2 at the intersection of Wi Duncan Rd around 7.10pm One person sustained serious injuries following the crash Motorists have been asked to take alternate routes Double convicted murderer Mark Lundy will be released from prison next month after more than 23 years behind bars Lundy was convicted in 2002 for the killing of his wife Christine and daughter Amber in Palmerston North in 2000 and was sentenced to life with a 20-year non parole period the Privy Council quashed the convictions and ordered a retrial as was the case with all paroled prisoners Lundy would be subject to release conditions "They are conditions that relate to circumstances: Where he lives Any breach of those conditions would mean Lundy would be recalled to prison where he would continue serving his sentence "That is why he is not free in the sense of freedom." Lundy has always denied carrying out the killings and continues to fight to prove his innocence Dyhrberg said asserting his innocence would not have prevented him being paroled but would have made it more difficult to achieve "It's almost a Catch-22 situation then that will often preclude you from engaging in certain programmes If you don't engage properly in these various programmes for rehabilitation and reintegration She said continuing to fight to clear his name would not be held against him by the Parole Board "The Parole Board already knows that he is maintaining his innocence and they wish to take legitimate steps to try and prove their innocence or show maybe you know then they are entitled to do that and won't hold against them at all." said extensive preparation was undertaken ahead of the parole hearing "The parole board will always have concerns and they've expressed those concerns at earlier hearings that he's had so we were able to look carefully at the issues that they thought were important and then do the work that helped satisfy them that those concerns are ameliorated sufficiently for him to be granted." When and where Lundy would be released would be kept private "The people who need to be notified of all these details do know and it's just not information that needs to be in the wider public domain That's for the safety of Mark and the people he's living with." Asked whether Lundy would continue efforts to clear his name Kincade said an application with the Criminal Cases Review Commission had been underway for "some years now" "Work will just carry on with that — as it has been." When Cyclone Gabrielle beat its destructive path down the North Island's east cost the tiny coastal village of Herbertville wasn't spared Remote and isolated anyway - east of Palmerston North it's about an hour's drive to Dannevirke - the February 2023 tempest destroyed the road in and out and flooded the pub Water and silt tore through when the bridge over the Wainui River at the village entrance turned into a dam The roads are pretty well repaired but the pub has remained shut - until now Farmers like to talk about farming with each other On the side of the road doesn't really tick that box but to be able to sit down and have a beer and a talk - they really enjoy that," John said Locals had already had a chance to sneak a peak getting invitations for the Sedcoles' practice runs behind the bar this week they'll whip classic bar food and Miki might even add Japanese dishes They've hired a bar manager to train them for six months Not many people live in the village itself but John said there was a steady steam of visitors for fishing and to visit the world's longest place name up the road Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu There's only about 30 permanent residents out here including the farmers in the immediate area It's just a quiet little village with a pub and a lady down the road who has a coffee and real ice-cream shop really - country folk enjoying the sea side." After a recent sale the pub has 10 shareholders "They've been working some long hours One of the shareholders brought one of his workers up and between the three of them they put down the whole new floor He has run the motor camp over the road for more than three years and while he waits for his replacement there he's busy at both businesses He's also Cape Turnagain Golf Club captain "We were ready to leave the motor camp I was playing golf with one of the shareholders who owned the inn and I said 'We're looking at jobs and will probably move on.' He said 'Why don't you move across the road?' That's how it started and here we are." Although the Herbertville Inn will open every day next week its normal trading hours are Wednesday to Sunday allowing John a day or two off for his sporting passion And the local nine-hole course has sweeping coastal views Just after Cyclone Gabrielle struck one of the pub's previous owners Fridges and freezers had floated down the back hallways The bar and kitchen have scrubbed up well and the pool table and dart boards are ready for use under the watchful eye of pictures of the town's founders on the wall There's a "ladies' snug" and the inn will no longer provide accommodation John said he and Miki were on a steep learning curve "I think it's just having people come in and enjoy themselves and someone to talk to watching the rugby on a Friday and Saturday night and afternoon and getting a few people together to enjoy that sort of thing "Sitting at home they sort of lose that." He expected their two cats to keep crossing the road back to their old home although their two bichon-cross dogs might not wander so far rnz.co.nz councillors clashed over its split decision to continue ignoring the director-general of health (DGOH) directive issued to them and 14 other councils with the worst oral health outcomes in the country Councillors voted 7-7 to seek 'urgent interim relief' to delay its preparations for full fluoridation of the public water system by the approaching March deadline This was supported by Mayor Vince Cocurullo and councillors Gavin Benney The mayor used his casting vote to break the tie The controversial decision saw cheers from a full public gallery of rowdy anti-fluoride protesters who were holding up signs including "Pro-Choice" chief executive Simon Weston said the council had resolved to apply for a judicial review of the directive to fluoridate and would seek a court hearing on the safety of fluoride Weston told councillors at Wednesday's meeting a court case could cost the council upwards of $200,000 He said this figure was an estimate by their lawyers for a five-day trial but the total cost could be more or less depending on the length of the hearing He said this estimate did not include costs that could be put on the council as a result of not complying with the directive In a letter on 30 January, Director-General of Health Dr Diana Safarti gave a final warning to the council that it must comply with its "legal duty" to fluoridate Bream Bay and Whangārei water supplies by 28 March 2025 or face possible penalties or prosecution The letter advised that local authorities prosecuted for contravening or permitting the contravention of a directive could face fines of up to $200,000 with a further $10,000 per day of non-compliance Dr Safarti rejected the council's previous request for an extension on their deadline to fluoridate the council was advised that already installed fluoride equipment funded by the government costing almost $5 million may have to be paid back Half of this cost had already been paid to the council and the remaining half would also be funded when the council undertook fluoridation Weston said the council would have to consider rate increases or charging for water to make up the costs He directed people to the council's website which had Ministry of Health information on the purpose and safety of fluoride Councillor Ken Couper said the council's decision unnecessarily put Whangārei ratepayers at risk "The fines are bad enough and having to find unbudgeted money for court cases is bad enough But the reputational cost to our council and district is enormous when you start playing fast and loose with the law." He said it was not the council's role to "fight" with the central government or challenge the perceived safety of fluoride "If people have a problem with fluoride they need to go to central government because they are the ones who mandated us to put it in the water." He said he had been advised councillors like him who voted to accept the directive would not be held personally liable but that other councillors and staff may be Councillor Gavin Benney conceded that the costs of a court case would fall on ratepayers But he said he was absolutely confident they would not have to pay any fines "Council has not breached any law at this point in time Whether we do or not at a later date remains to be seen." Councillors being "threatened" with personal liability or prosecution was over the top "I believe this is a battle that will be won we have no intention of putting the council or ratepayers at risk "I believe there is no chance of any councillors being fined personally or of council being fined." Benney said he and other councillors would continue to challenge the DGOH on the safety of fluoride Dental Association president and Whangārei practitioner Amanda Johnston said she suspected more people in the community wanted fluoride in the water than not I get five times as many patients thanking me for advocating on their behalf to get fluoride into that water "There's a very vocal minority in our community who have been quite aggressive in pushing their message across They are very loud and difficult to ignore and the scare tactics they use can be quite threatening." The council's attitude was negatively impacting the community "The amount of oral disease that comes into my practice is endless I think it's disappointing it's going to be very expensive for our council not only with legal costs but there will be fines for not following the DGOH mandate." She said the community needed all the help it could get to prevent tooth decay which she said was affecting all age groups "The amount of fluoride added to the water is entirely safe and very long tested as being effective in preventing tooth decay." Police initially said on Monday the circumstances surrounding the death of a man in Te Kamo were unexplained and required further investigation Police are not treating the death of a man at a Whangārei property as suspicious Detective Senior Sergeant Michelle Harris, of Whangārei Criminal Investigation Branch said police were called to an Eden Tce property in Te Kamo about 3.45pm on Sunday Harris initially said on Monday the circumstances of the man’s death were not clear and required further inquiries police have put a scene guard in place on Eden Tce so a scene examination can be carried out today.” A post-mortem examination would also be completed in due course Mandating Whangārei District Council fluoridation is being slammed as a "despotic Soviet-era disgrace" by New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters Director-General of Health Dr Diana Sarfati is requiring Whangārei District Council (WDC) fluoridates its drinking water for 80,000 people by 28 March WDC this week reaffirmed its 28 November refusal to fluoridate - in spite of Sarfati's sternly written email to the council on 30 January indicating "potentially heavy penalties upon any conviction by a court" for refusing the order Sarfati said it was an offence under the Health Act 1956 for a local authority to contravene a direction Sarfati on Friday announced her resignation Lawyers have warned councillors of the risk of imprisonment for refusing to comply with the 28 March fluoridation deadline Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo said he would go to prison over the principle of democratic freedom and the community being able to make its own fluoridation choice rather than being directed to do so by one person "It is chilling that we have got to a point in New Zealand where elected politicians are being threatened with imprisonment just for doing their jobs standing up for democracy and asking for a vote," Peters said "This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country "Individual democratically elected councillors are not only being threatened with huge fines they are now being threatened with imprisonment - all for disagreeing with a foolish law change and forcing Wellington-based bureaucrats to act Deputy Director-General of Health Dr Andrew Old said Parliament had considered the issue of community water fluoridation and in 2021 passed reforms to empower the director-general of health to direct local authorities to fluoridate their water supplies Old said over 60 years of international and New Zealand research showed community water fluoridation was a safe effective and affordable way to improve oral health Local Democracy Reporting Northland asked Sarfati whether her handling of WDC fluoridation (including her strongly-worded letter to the council) and the 13 other councils also directed to fluoridate nationally had led to her resignation Old said in response that her resignation was not related to WDC's fluoridation directive or the Ministry of Health's approach to fluoridation nationally "The Ministry of Health continues to work with the Whangārei District Council to encourage compliance with its direction to fluoridate the water supplies in Bream Bay and Whangārei." Cocurullo said on Sarfati's resignation that his council's fluoridation directive refusal would have been but one of a number of major issues she had been dealing with in her role "I can't say our council's fluoridation refusal is the reason why she is leaving," Cocurullo said Cocurullo has been a vocal critic of the director-general of health since 2021 having the sole power to make a fluoridation decision for councils around New Zealand New Zealand First proposed a Member's Bill the day after the WDC meeting aimed at returning flouridation decision-making power to local communities "All the council is fighting for is to have a referendum on the matter so locals can have a voice," Peters said The 'Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill' seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the director-general of health and mandated the fluoridation of local water supplies It will also amend the Local Government Act 2002 and Health Act 1956 mandating local authorities to hold a binding referendum on water fluoridation "This bill reinstates the fundamental right for communities to determine through democracy whether or not their water supply is fluoridated," Peters said He would not comment on Sarfati's resignation Local Democracy Reporting RSS The tsunami siren on the Parua Bay waterfront before it was removed A controversial tsunami siren in Whangārei Heads has been removed because it was installed ahead of schedule and before full community consultation was removed last year and is yet to be replaced Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group spokesperson Zach Woods said the siren was taken away because it had gone in before schedule and full consultation The Northern Advocate has previously reported that some residents complained about the impact on their coastal views and raised concerns about potential noise levels “This was a unique set of circumstances and it is the only one planned to be relocated.” Woods said the management group was working with the Whangārei District Council on options for a new location that would ensure effective tsunami warnings for the community The new siren is expected to be completed before testing is due in September Northland’s new tsunami siren system will be tested for the first time at 10am tomorrow - marking the end of daylight saving when clocks go back an hour Parua Bay residents may hear the adjacent Yacht Club siren it would not meet the volume standard for a tsunami warning in that area if there was a tsunami warning before the installation of the new siren the old sirens would be used in conjunction with the new network The old sirens will not be tested but will remain operational until the new network is fully functional The new sirens would use the same tone as the current ones but would also intermittently broadcast a voice warning about the threat and the required action This is a test of the Northland tsunami siren network; no action is required” - will sound for about one minute The test is only for the network of outdoor sirens Anyone with indoor sirens is encouraged to check them by pressing the test button Woods said it was important to get feedback from the test to ensure the new system worked or whether improvements were needed Feedback forms will be available on the Northland Regional Council website and the Civil Defence Northland Facebook page from the day of the test firefighters are sharing their usual daylight saving messaging and asking people to check that their smoke alarms work Sarah Curtis is a general news reporter for the Northern Advocate She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism most spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference especially those involving environmental issues A confidential meeting was scheduled to be held this morning but was canned when a majority of councillors voted against holding it behind closed doors A council spokesperson said the discussion had been rescheduled to an extraordinary meeting at 2pm on Monday at Te Iwitahi The delay until Monday was to allow for the required three days' public notification The meeting was called to discuss legal advice relating to the council's High Court challenge seeking assurances about the safety of fluoride and questioning the legality of the government's order to add it to the city's water supply Mayor Vince Cocurullo said this morning councillors were to have discussed legally privileged information relating to their legal challenge against fluoridating the city's water supply which is why the meeting had to be confidential a majority of councillors voted against holding the meeting behind closed doors councillor Scott McKenzie felt it was the right move "It's less frustrating that it's played out this way than it would have been to continue to have the discussion in confidential," he said "I think it's more important that there's transparency and accountability of our elected members to our public." Cocurullo said he accepted the council's decision was part of the process "There was a motion to go into confidential and the majority of the councillors voted not to go into the confidential so we couldn't proceed," he said and I've made it very clear we follow the processes without actually bending the rules anywhere." Cocurullo said the council's next step would be discussed this afternoon If the meeting had to be held at least partly in public it could not proceed until next week because of the required three-day notice period Cocurullo said the council has asked the High Court to rule on the safety of fluoride, and the legality of the Director-General of Health's order to fluoridate the city's water supply The council had also asked for an injunction to delay fluoridation until after the court had reached a decision which was not expected until later this year The government's deadline to start fluoridation is 28 March The equipment is understood to be in place already at the city's water treatment plant The council could be liable for a fine of $200,000 plus $10,000 per day Around the country 14 councils have been ordered to fluoridate their water supplies Whangārei residents spoken to on the street by RNZ were largely supportive of the council's fluoride stance though some were wary of closed-door meetings and the potential cost said Mayor Cocurullo had made the right call "I'm firmly of the belief the mayor has been elected by the people and he has a right to make a decision for the people said she was pleased the council was objecting to the Health Ministry's directive "From what I believe you'd have to drink a lot of water for it to have any positive effect on tooth decay And I don't think people drink all that much water out of the tap these days anyway." "Vince Cocurullo said it's not 100 percent sure that it's safe But the meeting shouldn't have been held behind closed doors At least it's going to be a public meeting now." said he was "sitting on the fence" on fluoride But I can see it's raised a few hackles in the district but I don't know if the people commenting on this stuff have the right credentials." Murray said he trusted the people who ran the country to do the research and make the right decision concerned about the potential cost of the council's stand "Now the government has turned around and said 'We'll fine you for not continuing with fluoridation' and it's at the cost of other projects we could otherwise spend the money on "Maybe the public needs to be asked to make the decision Photo / Supplied- Northland’s “castle on a hill” in Whangārei has sold to an Auckland buyer - The four-bedroom mansion was built by Stuart and Nanette Cains over two decades is excited about moving and praised the home’s craftsmanship Northland’s famous “castle on a hill” has found a new owner The listing agents for the four-bedroom mansion told OneRoof the buyer was from Auckland but were tight-lipped about the price The stately home has been the talk of the town since it hit the market for sale in 2023 It had been a decades-long labour of love for the vendors retired master builder Stuart Cains and his wife Nanette who decided to build their very own chateau after falling in love with the historic homes of Europe and the US The property sits on a 3.46ha lifestyle block “I am in awe of the love and work the owners have put into their home,” she told OneRoof adding that she was filled with “excitement and joy” about the move from Auckland to Whangārei who had been marketing the property with colleague Kelly Sackfield since Christmas said he had been showing Kate properties in the area but “none had truly resonated with her” on a spur-of-the-moment decision late in the afternoon a grand staircase with an intricately hand-carved wooden balustrade and gleaming marble steps - Buy the million-dollar penthouse, get the $250,000 Porsche for free - ‘Devastating’ twist - family heartbroken after dream home snatched at the last minute - NZ’s most affordable city: Where ‘only’ 40% of homeowner pay is going towards the mortgage “I hadn’t seen someone so captivated in a long time which sits on 3.46 hectares of rolling countryside Sackfield had told OneRoof before the sale that it could be one of the best value castles around “We don’t want people to think they are going to have to pay millions and millions – they are not The sellers have had their time there and now it’s somebody else’s turn,” she said The Cains told OneRoof in February that they never intended the house to be a castle The couple sourced the marble on the staircase from Spain and husband Stuart made the banisters Retired master builder Stuart handcrafted all the woodwork through the house They were both working full-time when they started the project so everything was done after work and during time off They completed the first stage of the build in 2000 Over the next two decades they added two more bedrooms Nanette told OneRoof they spent hours looking for the right fixtures and fittings to complement the home “We kind of had a style and I guess we have carried it through.” Multimillion-dollar sales are rare in Whangārei Foote told OneRoof this week that buyers at the top end of the market were "taking a measured approach to decision-making" “We’re seeing strong interest from both local and international buyers particularly expatriates seeking security amid geopolitical uncertainties Demand remains resilient for high-quality homes - Click here to find more properties for sale in Whangārei A New Zealand-first $200 million tertiary knowledge education and arts (KEA) hub is shaping up for Whangārei with hopes it could bring huge gains for the region The planned hub will be based around the former Whangārei District Council (WDC) Forum North headquarters, which has been in only partial use since the council vacated the building for its new civic facility in 2023 The University of Auckland signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with WDC in August Discussions with other providers are underway The KEA hub could be up to five-stories high and cover an area the size of a rugby field in the city's south-west corner Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo said the new hub was a major step forward for Te Tai Tokerau "This isn't just another project - it's a cornerstone for our region's future building up our industries and making Whangārei a place where talent thrives and opportunities abound," Cocurullo said "The KEA hub will bring together education job training and creative activities all in one place It's a project designed to lift our region and give people the tools they need to succeed right here at home." Backers say it will radically revitalise the look and feel of Whangārei's city centre by attracting hundreds of tertiary students into town A health simulator and education centre is scheduled to be the first cab off the rank in the new knowledge The project gained $250,000 in seed funding from the Transpower fund set up for Northland after its pylon fell over The KEA hub project has been backed by Te Tai Tokerau local government leaders through the Northland Mayoral Forum The hub recognised that Whangārei and Northland's population was forecast to double in size to regionally 400,000 people in the next 30 years WDC had also already put aside $10 million of ratepayers' money towards Forum North repairs and renovations Cocurullo said central government would potentially be involved in the project along with other operators The new facility would see between 2000 and 3000 students enrolled at any one time at the KEA hub in Whangārei - and its outlying Kaitāia The University of Auckland is the hub project lynchpin Vice-chancellor Professor Dawn Freshwater described the future plans as innovative "We are excited by the potential of the proposed knowledge precinct and being part of the education opportunities that it will create for the city and region," Freshwater said The KEA hub will centralise the tertiary infrastructure and services needed for a range of educators to share This potentially includes some of the University of Auckland's faculty of medical and health sciences' medical pharmacy and optometry study aspects which are currently offered from its Alexander Street Whangārei campus Whangārei hospital's clinical campus and includes working with GP clinics which has also operated out of the same Alexander Street campus is also understood to be part of KEA hub plans KEA hub project steering board chairman Graeme Kerr said the hub had attracted strong interest from Northland and beyond Improved tertiary training pathways were essential for boosting the region and its economic health Kerr said almost 60 percent of Northland's 2250 school leavers in 2022 did not do any tertiary education or were part of tertiary courses that did not increase their lifetime's earning capacity beyond the first two years after study or training Only 350 of that year's school leavers had gone to university Kerr said the new model would provide locally-based options via campuses at Katāia Ngāhwa and Dargaville that could feed on to the Whangārei KEA campus and/or university A 300-bed student accommodation facility is also part of the plan's mix Kerr said among those he had been working closely with were Te Kahu o Taonui (Northland Iwi Chairs Forum) chair Harry Burkhardt on the project The hub will be designed so a range of operators can use the facilities it provides Local Democracy Reporting Northland understands tertiary education currently offered via Te Pukenga's NorthTec campus is in line of sight for being shifted to the KEA hub Te Pukenga and NorthTec have both been contacted for comment Northland Regional Council is understood to have expressed support its Whangārei headquarters close to Forum North Cocurullo said work towards the new hub is currently at an embryonic stage Potential operators were looking at costings and doing due diligence ahead of the project's next steps The university expects to complete due diligence by February Cocurullo said work was currently being done to investigate what needed to be done with some parts of Forum North towards the new hub including costings for renovation versus demolition Whangārei's proposed new $45 million-plus lyric theatre is a key part of the new hub to operated alongside the Capitaine Bougainville theatre and exhibition hall which will remain WDC has already set aside $6.3 million of ratepayers' money for the theatre's seed funding The trust has to date $2.5 million set aside towards the theatre's costings Forum North Trust chair Lachie McLean said his group was excited about the interest the university was showing in the lyric theatre McLean said his group had been pushing for a new theatre for 40 years its Capitaine Bougainville theatre was the smallest of its type in a New Zealand provincial city and built only as a temporary stopgap to replace the city's 700 seat Old Town Hall theatre Costings for the new lyric theatre were now being drawn up The long-held dream of a Māori cultural centre for Whangarei is hanging on hopes of a $5 million council grant Five women will give evidence about their experiences of being in a relationship with the man A woman has told a court that as her ex-boyfriend held her head underwater in a bath she felt a sense of relaxation after allegedly enduring months of abuse at his hands saying her spirit floated above her then 16-year-old body That is just part of the case the Crown has brought against a 43-year-old man on trial in the High Court at Whangārei. The judge-alone trial before Justice Rebecca Edwards involves 33 charges of violent assaults rapes and sexual violation between 2000 and 2015 another resulted in marriage and all of the women had children with him he would enter a new one almost immediately “The Crown submits you will also hear a repeated theme throughout the relationships he had that when the defendant did not get his way he would use fear and intimidation to overpower them,” Crown lawyer Geraldine Kelly said The first complainant was 16 years old when she met the then 18-year-old She said the relationship quickly turned controlling The man allegedly demanded sex up to seven times a day a consistent allegation from all of the women The following four girlfriends told police they were repeatedly sexually assaulted with two reporting they became so worn down they just gave in to the man’s persistent sexual demands “The defendant knew this and on those occasions he did not believe she was truly consenting,” Kelly said in the Crown’s opening Two of those women were distraught when they found out they were pregnant and he allegedly threatened to kill one of them if she had a termination he allegedly forced himself on the complainants weeks after they had given birth her stitches were torn,” Kelly said of the fifth complainant gave evidence and said within a week of meeting he had told her he loved her and they began having sex She recounted one night when he became jealous because she had been talking to male friends and allegedly told her he would kill her by driving into a pole directly at that spot “He swerved when he got close to the power pole and I felt panic in my body.” She said throughout the relationship they would regularly drive past the pole and he would continue to threaten to drive into it “I kept thinking when the day will come he was going to violently do something and take action on his really angry streak,” she said the man allegedly demanded she carry out an assault on a family member with a crowbar poured it on her and said if she didn’t do it she told the court she ran a bath and just wanted to wash the urine out of her hair placed his hands around her head and held her under the water and I could actually see my lifeless body in the bathtub with my purple and blue lips,” she recalled She said the next thing she recalled was her ex-partner allegedly panicking slapping her and yelling at her to breathe She said her lips remained blue and she was too scared to seek medical attention the violence didn’t stop that day,” she told the court Defence lawyer Martin Hislop went through various alleged assaults with the complainant including one where she was allegedly thrown off a deck she told them she had fallen off the couch “I told her that was the story cause he made me keep that story,” she said “What was discussed at the hospital was correct you did fall off the couch?” Hislop questioned The woman had a child with the defendant and Hislop suggested she had fabricated the allegations over custody agreements Hislop put it to the woman that she had started communicating with the other ex-girlfriends in an effort to “gang up on him” “You wanted her to be a part of the ex-wives group?” Hislop asked her I’m just trying to do what’s right,” she responded The judge-alone trial will call 17 witnesses over the next three weeks Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years Nine-year-old Harper Davis saw "a flicker of fire" and raced to tell McDonald's staff Whangārei District Council has put off any likely decision about whether to change tack on its fluoridation refusal after the mayor failed in his bid to take the debate behind closed doors In another twist in the council’s ongoing fluoridation refusal, the council today decided in a narrow 7:6 majority vote special emergency meeting not to go into a public-excluded debate about fluoridation Some politicians are expecting this meeting to be a public meeting, but Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo would not confirm whether that would be the case Cr Jayne Golightly livestreamed into the meeting whilst horse trekking Councillors who pushed for debate not to be confidential say they were pleased the discussion didn’t happen out of the public eye Cr Scott McKenzie said democracy was an important part of the fluoridation decision making process Cr Ken Couper said the meeting vote was about transparency “It’s important people know what’s happening,” Couper said The mayor threw Couper out of the last fluoride-themed extraordinary council meeting in February for 10 minutes for not stopping his line of questioning during the debate “Today was unfortunately another step in a situation that should never have happened,” Couper said Eight working days are needed for this pre start up process WDC must fluoridate its water by March 28 after a directive to do so from the Director General of Health Whangārei ratepayers face a rates increase as the council looks at $5 million in extra costs and charges if it doesn’t fluoridate WDC on Friday said the Tuesday meeting’s purpose was for the council to consider legally privileged information about the council’s position on drinking water supply fluoridation Council lawyers applied to the High Court for a date to hear a council application for “urgent interim relief” so the council can delay its hands-on preparations for full fluoridation by the late March deadline A Whangārei based hāpu are going back to court for the latest in a legal saga spanning about 30 years In December last year the Environment Court quashed consents for a housing development on land they said had huge significance to Ngāti Kahu o Torongare saying at that time it was "one of the clearest cases we have seen where consent should be refused" But developers have appealed the decision for a 93-lot subdivision on Onoke Pā meaning the hāpu will now have to go to the High Court It is the second time in 30 years the hapū has fought a subdivision on the same piece of land which it has always maintained is hugely significant to Māori Ngāti Kahu o Torongare said they were notified at the end of January of an appeal lodged by Onoke Heights LTD against the decision of the Environment Court to cancel resource consents to build 93 homes on Onoke Pā in Te Kamo Whangārei Hāpu spokesperson Nicki Wakefield said her hapū was "bitterly disappointed" at the appeal and potentially going back to court for a third time was a "bitter pill for our people" Wakefield said the hāpu were celebrating the Environment Court decision at Christmas-time "Now we're readying ourselves for another year in court over the same matter and so we might be going in for a third time." Wakefield said there was a "clash" between the interests of developers and local council which contributed to the on-going legal battles "It's a bit of a set-up really and then we're in the middle - we're the meat in the sandwich as the hāpu." "It's our wāhi tapū and it needs to stay as a tapū," Wakefield said The upper Whanganui River iwi has initialled its Deed of Settlement for historical Treaty of Waitangi claims A lawyer tried to act as her own secret witness in a Family Court case to help a friend obtain urgent custody of his child It’s the second time Lynette O’Boyle has become “over-involved” in a case after being suspended from practice for sending letters to the government employer of her client’s ex-partner claiming they were hacking social media accounts Those claims were found to have been completely unfounded and designed to damage the reputation of her client’s ex after they lost day-to-day care of their children Now, in similar circumstances, O’Boyle has again been found by the Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal to have crossed the line by attempting to help a friend gain custody of their child the Whāngarei-based lawyer was working for a client who was attempting to get custody of his 8-year-old daughter who had disclosed to him and her grandfather that her mother would sometimes hit her with a wooden spoon O’Boyle was at a barbecue with her client and his daughter where the girl also disclosed the same information O’Boyle lodged an application with the Family Court for her client to obtain full custody of his daughter the girl’s grandfather and an unnamed “friend” of the family all stating that the girl had told them she was being hit The affidavit from the unnamed friend was in fact O’Boyle who was effectively trying to act as her own secret witness in the case Opposing counsel asked for the identity of the unnamed friend and O’Boyle refused to disclose it This prompted a complaint to the New Zealand Law Society which asked similar questions about the identity of the person who had written the affidavit O’Boyle refused to provide its investigators with the person’s identity reckless about whether she may be called to give evidence,” the tribunal said in a decision released today “Her conduct displayed her partisanship (lack of objectivity) in the matter.” The tribunal went on to describe O’Boyle’s conduct as “wrongheaded and reckless” and her previous appearances before the tribunal indicated a pattern of professional shortcomings “Against the background of her disciplinary record we do not think she is suited to family law which carries risks for lawyers who are susceptible to becoming over-involved with clients or cases and lose sight of their professional boundaries,” the ruling reads O’Boyle’s conduct occurred just three months before another tribunal hearing in 2021 where she was found guilty of misconduct and suspended from practice – which she later successfully appealed O’Boyle sent letters to the employer of the ex-partner to the employer of the ex-partner’s partner and to another employer and copied them to the Privacy Commissioner saying they had hacked into her client’s social media account and her own computer O’Boyle repeatedly told Law Society investigators that some of her allegations were borne out by evidence in the Family Court case The tribunal said while it accepted the fact that lawyers could sometimes make honest mistakes what distinguished her case was the intent to harm the opposing self-represented party in an unrelated sphere the wilful or reckless extent of allegations and inferences the reckless failure to check material or question her own sources before going on such a strong attack As a result of her latest disciplinary finding O’Boyle was ordered to pay a combined $20,000 in legal costs and fines She was also prohibited from practising on her own account meaning she cannot work without supervision from another lawyer O’Boyle did not respond to a request for comment Jeremy Wilkinson is an Open Justice reporter based in Manawatū covering courts and justice issues with an interest in tribunals He has been a journalist for nearly a decade and has worked for NZME since 2022 Police at the scene of a homicide in Whangārei on Norfolk Street A man has been charged with murdering another man at a Whangārei house Detective Senior Sergeant Michelle Harris said emergency services were called to a house on Norfolk Street at about 5pm yesterday Police arrested a 53-year-old man known to the victim at the address The accused is due to appear in Whangārei District Court tomorrow The property is bordered by two mental health and addiction services providers - Emerge Aotearoa and Arataki Ministries Norfolk St is close to Whangārei’s CBD and backs onto Bank St told the Northern Advocate he believed crime had increased in the city in the last month or so “It’s a bit of a worry and hard to explain “You’ve got to be a bit more wary and cautious of where your kids are,” he said You can’t believe that sort of stuff is happening in Whangārei.” Bax said a lot of elderly people lived on Norfolk St and with churches and takeaway restaurants in the area it was a busy part of town A resident who lives on Norfolk St said she realised the incident was significant when more and more emergency services arrived on the scene last night said neighbours gathered outside to check on each other and find out more about what happened She felt nervous so approached police at the scene who reassured her “It’s a bit close to home,” she told the Northern Advocate “I never thought I’d live in a street where this would happen Police have laid a murder charge in relation to a Kaikohe homicide Emergency services were called to a property on Mangakahia Road A man had been stabbed and died at the scene A man taken into custody at the time has now been charged with murder The 44-year-old man will appear in Kaikohe District Court tomorrow Sign up to The Daily H a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Whangārei District Council's High Court bid has failed Whangārei District Council has failed in a last-gasp legal bid to stop full fluoridation of the area’s drinking water The council took its fight against compulsory drinking water fluoridation to the High Court at Wellington last Tuesday Justice Karen Grau reserved her decision which has now been passed to Local Democracy Reporting full fluoridation of the district’s drinking water will now go ahead from Friday Justice Grau said the council’s refusal to fluoridate meant it had “demonstrated a concerning public disregard for the legal obligations of a local authority” for four months Whangārei District Council had challenged the Director-General of Health and Attorney-General in the High Court seeking interim orders that would prevent the Director-General taking any enforcement against the council if it did not fluoridate the district’s drinking water by Friday Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo would not comment on the judgment other than to say he was still considering it and “options to deal with the matter” Grau said the council’s application for interim relief was similar to what had also been sought over the Covid-19 vaccine rollout due to concerns over risks and efficacy Grau said that although the council’s experts disagreed with the Ministry of Health findings that fluoridation was safe and effective it remained the case that the ministry had undertaken significant reviews of the science regarding fluoridation and had advised the Director-General that fluoridation of community water supplies at between 0.7mg/l and 1mg/l was safe and promoted oral health “The council is seeking to immunise itself against the legal consequences of not complying with the law and it is not appropriate for the court to grant orders facilitating unlawful conduct “I conclude this is not a case in which an application for interim orders is appropriate,” Justice Grau said She said granting the interim order would seriously prejudice public interest by encouraging other councils to refuse to comply and/or bring proceedings to avoid compliance Five of the 14 councils directed to fluoridate in 2022 are yet to do so It would also negatively impact the oral health of the Whangārei community and potentially others do not consider that it is in the public interest to grant the interim order I accept that protection and enhancing public health is in the public interest.” Grau said the council’s decision on March 17 to drop its fluoridation refusal two days before it needed to start preparations to meet this Friday’s deadline had included direction to staff to stop this work if the interim relief was granted “That amounts to a direction to staff to act in contravention of the law.” which authorised or approved unlawful conduct was in itself an unlawful action undermining the rule of law in a direct and unjustified way She said the stern penalties Parliament had put in place to respond to a council failing to comply with a direction to fluoridate and other enforcement responses including that the Director-General’s ability to turn on the switch overriding defaulting councils’ legal duties were put in place to deter councils from refusing to fluoridate in the face of vocal opposition from parts of the community Grau said community water fluoridation had also been endorsed by the World Health Organisation She poured cold water on Whangārei District Council’s two other High Court applications Grau said its substantive judicial review application had low prospects of success and the declaration proceedings “may also face difficulties” Emergency services were called to Otaika Rd on State Highway 1 in Whangārei just before 7am following reports a person had been struck by a vehicle A person has been seriously hurt after being hit by a vehicle in Whangārei Emergency services responded to reports of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle on Otaika Rd at 6.53am today A police spokeswoman said the person was taken to Whangārei Hospital with serious injuries Whangārei firefighters are confident they will be able to contain a large scrub fire burning on the outskirts of the city by the end of Friday Fire and Emergency New Zealand operations manager Dennis Cooper said two helicopters equipped with monsoon buckets and 39 firefighters battled the blaze in a steep valley between Onerahi and Tamaterau "We don't have any active fire on the edge line We've just got crews working today to make sure it's fully contained today is about getting a ring right around the fire and making sure it's contained and tomorrow we start mopping up the middle." A survey of the fire this morning established it had burned through an area of 14 hectares less than the initial estimate of 20 hectares At the peak of the fire on Thursday afternoon Whangārei Heads Rd was closed to traffic and two homes were evacuated Firefighters and helicopter pilots had done a great job saving it The pilots' initial instructions were to let the fire run through the valley and focus on protecting the houses Once the fire's intensity had been reduced ground crews were placed around the houses with more on standby if required All residents had since been able to return to their homes The fire had burned through farmland on one side of the valley and scrub and tōtara on the other The terrain was the main challenge for firefighters so it's going to take probably three more days to make sure it's fully out." A mountain bike park and cafe located in the same valley Firefighters were making use of the park's access roads and staging areas Two fire investigators were now at the scene to establish how and where the fire started They would also be interviewing people in the area on Friday afternoon It was too early to say what had caused the fire The helicopters would pause when planes were due at nearby Whangārei Airport Some flights were reportedly diverted to Kerikeri on Thursday with passengers then taken to Whangārei by bus Metservice meteorologist Alec Holden said weather conditions in Whangārei were expected to remain favourable for firefighting efforts "There is a lot of cloud cover and roaming showers around It should make conditions or easier for firefighters to get hold of the blaze Conditions should be cooler and hopefully if they get a shower over the top of the fire it should be real easy to jump on top of it and wrestle it down," he said Holden said Friday's easterly wind would likely shift to a northerly in the evening but was not expected to be strong enough to threaten containment lines A restricted fire season was declared in Northland at 8am on Friday which means all outdoor fires will require a permit from FENZ until further notice Incident controller Graeme Quensell said the Whangārei fire proved the need for restrictions with supporting resources and aircraft to contain and control fires in Northland so it's hoped introducing these restrictions now will help us avoid further wildfires," he said Fire and Emergency said the Whangārei blaze is now under control and firefighters will be stood down for the night at 8pm Incident controller Denis Cooper said several fire crews will be back in the morning to extinguish what's left of the 14-hectare vegetation fire and dampen down hotspots He said its been a huge effort by all of the firefighters and they've done a great job Cooper said the firefighters appreciate the support they've received from Whangārei residents Two properties were evacuated at the height of the fire on Thursday but no homes were lost Helicopters are due back in the air to help battle the scrub fire that has destroyed about 20ha of vegetation The fire has burned through three hectares of bush and pine tree slash Fire and Emergency NZ says all outdoor fires in Northland will require a permit starting from 8am Friday Two close calls this week has Fire and Emergency asking Northlanders to avoid lighting fires this weekend