Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house

Date:  17 April 2025

The DOC Community Fund (DOCCF) is a contestable Crown fund, open to community groups and private landowners to support community-led conservation projects on public and private land.

This 2025 funding round criteria focused on protecting and restoring threatened species and ecosystems. Projects are funded for up to three years and cover a range of threatened ecosystems and species across Aotearoa New Zealand, including plants, invertebrates, and birds like tara iti/fairy tern, New Zealand’s rarest bird.

Director Strategic Partnerships and Investment, David Van Der Zouwe, says the 20 projects and organisations funded are those most likely to have the greatest positive impact for biodiversity.

“The DOCCF is an investment in our future,” says David. “Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique species and habitats will have a better chance of being enjoyed by future generations thanks to this funding.”

The DOCCF received 291 applications, totalling requests for more than $141 million – the largest amount of funding ever sought through this fund – compared to $77 million in 2023. With an average grant of $450,000, the funding targets investment into high-value conservation outcomes, and supports collaboration and engagement with local communities and iwi.

“There is a huge appetite for funds from community groups to support conservation projects,” says David.

“The passion and dedication of all applicants is admirable, making this a challenging process. Ultimately, the projects awarded funding prioritise our species in genuine danger of disappearing forever.

“When they’re gone, they won’t come back. So helping our vulnerable species and places recover and thrive, through projects like these, is a great way to make a real difference for nature.”

The recipients and their related projects are available on the successful applications 2025 webpage.

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Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house

Date:  17 April 2025

That’s according to last year’s winner Patrick Clement, whose photo featured three generations of family enjoying Taupō Fishery. He says his family all ended up with a licence featuring the photo to keep as mementos.

“They love it. The photo was taken in 2017, and the boys are now old enough to fish, and I’m pleased to report they caught fish not just at the Trout Centre, but also in the ‘big river’!”

As one of the winning entries, Patrick also received a free full season licence for the 2024-2025 season.

“My mates were out on the river bragging that they were fishing with someone famous,” he says.

This year, seven Taupō fishing licences are up for grabs to kick off the new trout fishing season beginning 1 July 2025.

While the overall winning photo makes it onto printed season licences, other winning photos are used for categories on the website and paper licences.

DOC Senior Community Ranger James Barnett says the judges are looking for photos celebrating the uniqueness of the world-famous Taupō Fishery.

“It could be a trophy shot, but equally important are those moments with family, with friends, or even landscape shots with a fishing theme.

“We’re looking for photos for seven licence categories, including family, senior, and junior,” says James.

“For many of us getting out into nature with a fishing rod is our happy place, and a photo of your fishing experience could be just the thing we’re looking for to celebrate the joy of fishing in Taupō.”

Entries close midnight, Sunday 18 May 2025.

Up to five photographs can be submitted per person. To enter, email photographs to fishlicence@doc.govt.nz along with your name, where the photo was taken, and the approximate date it was taken. All photos must have been taken in the Taupō Fishing District.

Further information, including a list of the licence categories and full terms and conditions for the competition, can be found online.

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Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house

Date:  16 April 2025 Source:  Department of Conservation and Marlborough District Council

“Boaties are not allowed to go within 100 m of king shag colonies under the district’s environment plan rules, to protect this endangered species which only breeds in the Marlborough Sounds,” DOC Ranger Dan Palmer says.

“King shags are famously skittish and tend to fly the nest when disturbed by a noisy boat, leaving their eggs and chicks vulnerable to predation by gulls.”

There are colonies on Sentinel Rock – a popular fishing spot – and at Trio Islands, Duffers Reef and White Rocks.

They’re often mistaken for common shags, but Dan says there are a few important differences.

“Unlike common shags, king shags won’t go near anyone with a fishing line and aren’t interested in scavenging, so they don’t tend to trouble boaties. King shags are also larger than their common shag cousins.”

Marlborough District Council Principal Coastal Scientist Oliver Wade says the taonga bird species was identified as needing specific protection through the development of the new Marlborough Environment Plan.

“The rules in the new environment plan identify the limited number of important breeding and roosting sites for the King Shag and put in place a 100 m exclusion zone that applies to any boating activity.

“Marlborough District Council and the Department of Conservation are committed to working together to care for this incredible species, which can dive up to 60m and is the deepest diving bird species in our region.”

Dan Palmer says king shags are under considerable pressure following challenging La Nina conditions in 2022-23.

“At last count, the overall number of birds was 614, having dropped by 25 per cent since 2021, although last year’s successful breeding season was a bright spot. Still, we’re going to continue to see La Nina knock-on effects in the breeding population over the coming years.

“The good news is we can help king shags by simply respectfully sharing space. They’re unique and special – and if they go from here, they’re gone from everywhere.

“Giving king shags the space they need creates a much safer environment for adults to protect their eggs and chicks, and gives king shags a fighting chance to grow a healthy, resilient population.”

Background information

The king shag is only found in the outer Marlborough Sounds. Because they have a small range and there are not many of them, even a single adverse event could impact most of the population.

A deep diving bird, they feed on bottom-dwelling fish species including lemon sole, opalfish and witch. Given their preferred prey, king shags depend on a healthy seafloor ecosystem.

Other threats include disturbance from human activity and bad weather events.

King shags breed in winter, making nests of sticks and seaweed cemented with guano on low rock platforms, steep rock faces, or rock ridges. Typically, they lay one to three pale blue eggs per nest.

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Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house

Date:  16 April 2025

The mural, which celebrates the reserve turning 30 years old in 2023, shows a stunning underwater scene representing the iconic marine reserve that runs along 11 km of the Abel Tasman Coastline.

Featured on the mural are taonga species such as kekeno/NZ fur seal, tāmure/snapper, koura/crayfish and rāwiri/blue cod, alongside other species and habitats. It also educates boaties and the public about the rules of the reserve.

DOC Marine Reserves Ranger Stew Robertson says the mural is a real joint venture, with the concept design coming from working with artist Mat Tait.

“Mat is a national treasure in his own right, famous for his art, illustrations and award-winning books. A huge thanks to Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve which funded Mat’s time, and Dulux which provided the paint through its partnership with DOC.”

The Tonga Island Marine Reserve was established in 1993 to reverse declining populations and a degrading marine ecosystem along the Abel Tasman Coast. It’s been a spectacular success, with significant increases in size and abundance of species like rāwiri, kōura and blue moki.

Stew says, “nature thrives as an interconnected system and we need to work together to protect it”.

“Diving and boating are encouraged in our reserves but fishing is strictly prohibited. The rules are simple: no fishing, taking, damaging or polluting of marine life inside a marine reserve.

“Ignorance of the rules is no excuse. The default penalty for breaking marine reserve rules is a $600 infringement fine up to prosecution and imprisonments for serious, commercial or repeat offending.”

The reserve’s boundaries run from Mosquito Bay reef in the south to Awaroa Head in the north, to one nautical mile (1.8 km) out to sea. There are yellow triangular markers on land and yellow buoys with crosses and lights at sea along each end out to the corners. CCTV cameras are installed to detect illegal fishing, and rangers and locals often patrol the reserve at any time of the day or night.

All NZ marine reserves are marked on modern vessel chart plotters. If you don’t own a chart plotter, you can download the Marine Mate App which will tell you the local rules and regulations wherever you are in the country.

“Marine protection allows areas to have intact food webs which builds ecosystem resilience and benefits the surrounding areas.”

“Aside from protecting fragile habitats and increasing their resilience, marine reserves give us a glimpse into the marine world without the influence of fishing.

Background information

Tonga Island Marine Reserve

Tonga Island Marine Reserve is known for its crystal-clear water and thriving marine ecosystem – both below and above the waves. This includes fish, shellfish and crustaceans, seabirds, several dolphin species, seals, and seaweeds.

DOC and Dulux

DOC and Dulux have had an official partnership since 2013. This partnership supports the restoration and maintenance of the vast visitor infrastructure that DOC manages, including backcountry huts.

As a result, hundreds of DOC huts and buildings and other community facilities have been protected and enhanced.

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The latest figures provided by the major banks to Consumer Protection for Fraud Awareness Week shows $194 million was lost to bank scams.

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Work gets underway later this month to repair underslips on State Highway 35, north of Tikitiki (D9) and at Kemps Hill, north of Ruatoria.

The Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) alliance, on behalf of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), is completing this work alongside local contractors as part of the Cyclone Gabrielle recovery programme.

Work on both sites gets underway on Monday 28 April – after Easter and Anzac Day. The work will continue until late 2025. 

During the work, traffic lights will be operating on both stretches of SH35 while construction is underway. Road users should expect delays and plan their journey.

North of Tikitiki (D9)

Crews will be onsite Monday to Friday between 6am and 6pm.

Repairs at this site will include excavating the slips to level them before adding engineered fill (material) and geotextile fabric. This will be compacted into layers back up to road level. As part of the work a culvert will also be upgraded, which means traffic will need to shift from one side of the road to the other at times.

Kemps Hill

At Kemps Hill, between Ruatoria and Tikitiki, a willow wall will be constructed as a ‘living wall’ to stabilise the hillside. Three underslips will also be repaired.

The first 2 slips will be repaired first with work expected to be complete mid-year.

Crews will then complete repairs to the third underslip from mid-year.

Kopuaroa

Further south, at Kopuaroa, the team has completed two weeks of night works on one of the two active sites in the area.

To avoid potential delays, caused by challenging ground conditions, crews began nights shifts at Kopuaroa Slip 2, the first site at Kopuaroa when heading north.

Four crews worked 24/7 to keep the project on track.

Work in Kopuaroa is expected to be complete by mid 2025.

Thank you

Please slow down, stay alert, especially when driving through the sites at night, and follow all instructions. Our local crews are there to keep everyone safe while travelling through the sites.

Thank you to all road users for your continued support and patience while the recovery work continues.

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People travelling across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty for Easter and Anzac weekends are urged to drive to the conditions and plan ahead before leaving home, as many holiday makers will be making the most of an extended break and taking the chance to travel.

This year, Easter Monday, Anzac Day and school holidays all fall in the same week, which means it’s likely to be extra busy on our roads, says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi System Manager for the Waikato, Andy Oakley.

“Congestion and delays are inevitable during holiday periods, so we also want to remind everyone to be patient, drive to the conditions and keep to the speed limit. 

If past years are anything to go by, traffic will be especially heavy on Thursday 17 April and Good Friday 18 April, and then on the return journey on both Sunday 20 and Monday 21 April. 

“In the Bay of Plenty, motorists should be prepared for heavy traffic on State Highway 2 (SH2), between Paeroa and Waihī, Tauranga and Katikati and on State Highway 29 (SH29) over the Kaimai Range. 

“In the Waikato, delays are predicted on State Highway 1 (SH1) between Tīrau and Karāpiro, SH2 from Pōkeno to Maramarua, and around Tairua on State Highway 25 (SH25). 

Looking ahead to Anzac Day, road users should also allow extra time for their journeys, particularly on Anzac morning as there will be short-term restrictions and small detours in place near some townships. 

Road users are reminded to check the NZTA Journey Planner website for the latest road conditions across the state highway network. 

Journey Planner(external link)

Waikato Bay of Plenty works as at 11 April 2025 [PDF, 338 KB]

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NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi advises of the following closures for motorway improvements. Work delayed by bad weather will be completed at the next available date, prior to Thursday, 17 April 2025.

Please note this traffic bulletin is updated every Friday.

Daily updated closure information(external link)

Unless otherwise stated, closures start at 9pm and finish at 5am. Traffic management may be in place before the advertised closure times for the mainline.

NORTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)

• Millwater northbound off-ramp, 14 April
• Southbound lanes between Northcote Road off-ramp and Onewa Road on-ramp, 16 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Northcote Road southbound on-ramp, 16 April
  • Esmonde Road southbound on-ramp, 16 April

CENTRAL MOTORWAY JUNCTION (CMJ)

• None planned

SOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)

• Khyber Pass Road southbound on-ramp, 15 April
• Southbound lanes between Greenlane off-ramp and Mt Wellington Highway on-ramp, 13-14 April (approx. 10:30pm to 5:00am)
  • Greenlane southbound on-ramp, 13-14 April (approx. 10:30pm to 5:00am)
  • Tecoma Street southbound on-ramp, 13-14 April
  • Ellerslie-Panmure Highway southbound on-ramp, 13-14 April
• Northbound lanes between Mt Wellington Highway off-ramp and Mt Wellington Highway on-ramp, 13-16 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
• Mt Wellington Highway southbound on-ramp, 16 April
• Southbound lanes between Mt Wellington Highway off-ramp and East Tamaki Road on-ramp, 15 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Mt Wellington Highway southbound on-ramp, 15 April
  • Princes Street southbound on-ramp, 15 April
  • Highbrook Drive southbound on-ramp, 15 April
• Highbrook Drive southbound on-ramp, 14 April
• Southbound lanes between East Tamaki Road off-ramp and East Tamaki Road on-ramp, 16 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
• East Tamaki Road northbound on-ramp, 13-14 April
• Northbound lanes between Ramarama off-ramp and Papakura on-ramp, 14-16 April
  • Drury/SH22 northbound on-ramp, 14-16 April
  • Ramarama northbound on-ramp, 14-16 April
• Southbound lanes between Ramarama off-ramp and Bombay on-ramp, 13-14 April
  • Ramarama southbound on-ramp, 13-14 April
• Northbound lanes between Bombay off-ramp and Ramarama on-ramp, 13 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Bombay northbound on-ramp, 13 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
• Northbound lanes between Bombay off-ramp and Ramarama on-ramp, 14 April
  • Bombay northbound on-ramp, 14 April

NORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)

• Southbound lanes between Waimauku roundabout and Trigg Rd, 14 April (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)
• Northbound lanes between Trigg Rd and Waimauku roundabout, 14 April (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)
• SH16 eastbound to SH20 southbound link (Waterview southbound tunnel closed), 14 April
  • Great North Road eastbound off-ramp (Waterview southbound tunnel closed), 14 April
• SH16 westbound to SH20 southbound link (Waterview southbound tunnel closed), 14 April

UPPER HARBOUR MOTORWAY (SH18)

• Hobsonville Road westbound off-ramp, 13-14 April

SOUTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH20)

• Northbound lanes between Massey Road off-ramp and Kirkbride Road (SH20A) on-ramp, 13-14 & 16 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • SH20 northbound to SH20A southbound link, 13-14 & 16 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Massey Road northbound on-ramp, 13-14 & 16 April
• Northbound lanes between Cavendish Drive off-ramp and Kirkbride Road (SH20A) on-ramp, 15 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • SH20 northbound to SH20A southbound link, 15 April (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Massey Road northbound on-ramp, 15 April
  • Puhinui Road northbound on-ramp, 15 April
  • Cavendish Drive northbound on-ramp, 15 April

GEORGE BOLT MEMORIAL DRIVE (SH20A)

• None planned

PUHINUI ROAD (SH20B)

• None planned

STATE HIGHWAY 22 (SH22)

• None planned

STATE HIGHWAY 2 (SH2)

• None planned

Please follow the signposted detours. NZ Transport Agency thanks you for your co-operation during these essential improvements and maintenance.

Current overnight closure information(external link) 

Auckland roads and public transport(external link)