Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Radio New Zealand

Record temperatures in Kerikeri have highlighted a long-standing bugbear in the Northland town – declining access to once-popular swimming spots.

According to MetService, last Saturday’s maximum of 32.3C set a new January record for the town.

That was broken just 24 hours later by Sunday’s high of 32.7C.

Sweltering temperatures send Northlanders, like 17-year Te Moemoea Milne, flocking to streams and waterholes.

“It’s been ridiculously hot. Just boiling,” he said.

When RNZ caught up with him he was cooling off by doing bombs off Charlie’s Rock, a scenic waterfall on Kerikeri’s Waipapa River.

“If I have money, I just ask the boys to come and pick me up and go somewhere. Anywhere with a wharf or any jumping spots.”

Over recent decades, however, the fast-growing town has lost access to beaches due to the coastal property boom and the closure of privately owned roads once used by the public.

The most recent swimming spot to become off-limits is Fairy Pools, on the Kerikeri River, which used to be accessed from a public road in the town centre.

Fairy Pools Lane was closed by the Far North District Council in November 2024 for what was supposed to be a four-month period, due to a major housing development on the surrounding land.

Late last month, the closure, already three times longer than originally intended, was extended indefinitely.

At the time a council statement said the closure was for safety reasons, and the extension was because the developer’s work programme had expanded.

“Heavy machinery, tree felling, bush clearance, and earthworks in and around the accessway make public entry unsafe,” the council said. To ensure public safety during the ongoing works, a full closure of access to the reserve is required… The extended closure will remain until all major development works have been completed.”

Young swimmers told RNZ that Charlie’s Rock was far superior for its jumping-off places and cool water, but Fairy Pools was close to the town centre and easy to access.

Charlie’s Rock was reached via a 20-minute, bouldery path, which was challenging for less mobile residents.

Tommy Lodge, 17, said Charlie’s Rock was easily the town’s best freshwater swimming spot.

“But Fairy Pools is nice and accessible, real close and still good for a swim.”

He described the closure as “pretty stupid”.

“I reckon it should be open, especially for people that don’t have as much access to cars or transport.”

RNZ contacted the Matakana-based developer, Turnstone, and the council for an estimate of when Fairy Pools Lane would officially reopen. Neither had responded before this story was due to be published.

Long-time Kerikeri resident Anne Trussler lamented the loss of what she described as “a serene and beautiful spot”.

She said Fairy Pools was her late father’s favourite place, where he used to take his dog for daily walks. Now she was unable to go there to remember him.

“More and more of these very, very special places, uniquely Kerikeri places, are slowly being denied to us. It’s wrong, and nobody’s really looking out for the people of Kerikeri. So I am deeply concerned.”

Fairy Pools Lane and reserve was until recently surrounded by the Bing property, named after a previous owner, and planted in gum and redwood trees about 90 years ago.

The roughly 20-hectare property, between Kerikeri’s town centre, the Heritage Bypass and Kerikeri River, was sold to a developer in 2021. Transfer of the land was delayed by a legal dispute until 2024.

Plans for the land included up to 350 homes, a “lifestyle village”, new roads, and commercial premises.

Most of the trees have now been cut down but felling is continuing this week alongside the river, prompting a two-day closure of part of the Rainbow Falls Track in the nearby Department of Conservation reserve.

Firefighters were called to at least two fires in the property late last year.

In the most recent blaze, on 14 December, two helicopters and firefighters from five Far North brigades were needed to bring the flames under control.

FENZ said the fire started when high winds fanned a burn pile back into life.

Recent record-breaking temperatures prompted community group Our Kerikeri to compile a list of the town’s remaining swimming spots.

As well as Charlie’s Rock, the list included the pool at the bottom of Rainbow Falls, Waipapa Landing, and waterholes along Wairoa Stream, accessed via a bush track off Cobham Road.

The nearest beach was Wharau Bay, 14km away at the entrance to Kerikeri Inlet.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A person has been found dead and three people are in a critical condition after a shooting overnight in Horowhenua.

Police were called to a Waitārere Beach address near Levin at about 12.40am on Wednesday.

They found four people with gunshot wounds when they arrived.

Manawatū Area Commander Inspector Ross Grantham said a woman and two teenage boys have been taken to hospital in a critical condition. The woman was taken to Palmerston North Hospital by ambulance and the two teenagers were flown to Wellington Hospital.

“Another young person who was at the address is physically unharmed and they are being given wrap-around support,” Grantham said.

He said the gun was found at the scene and a forensic examination of the property will take place on Wednesday.

Access to State Highway 1 from Waitārere Beach Road was closed overnight; however, it has since reopened under traffic management.

Grantham said police were not looking for anyone else in relation to the shooting, and officers would be visible around the area while an investigation is underway.

“This is a shocking incident for Waitārere Beach and the district,” Grantham said.

“This was a confronting scene, and I want to acknowledge the emergency personnel who responded to the call for help.

“We are still in the very early stages of our enquiries, but we are focused on understanding how and why this tragic event occurred.”

He said police will release more information when it becomes available.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Record temperatures in Kerikeri have highlighted a long-standing bugbear in the Northland town – declining access to once-popular swimming spots.

According to MetService, last Saturday’s maximum of 32.3C set a new January record for the town.

That was broken just 24 hours later by Sunday’s high of 32.7C.

Sweltering temperatures send Northlanders, like 17-year Te Moemoea Milne, flocking to streams and waterholes.

“It’s been ridiculously hot. Just boiling,” he said.

When RNZ caught up with him he was cooling off by doing bombs off Charlie’s Rock, a scenic waterfall on Kerikeri’s Waipapa River.

“If I have money, I just ask the boys to come and pick me up and go somewhere. Anywhere with a wharf or any jumping spots.”

Over recent decades, however, the fast-growing town has lost access to beaches due to the coastal property boom and the closure of privately owned roads once used by the public.

The most recent swimming spot to become off-limits is Fairy Pools, on the Kerikeri River, which used to be accessed from a public road in the town centre.

Fairy Pools Lane was closed by the Far North District Council in November 2024 for what was supposed to be a four-month period, due to a major housing development on the surrounding land.

Late last month, the closure, already three times longer than originally intended, was extended indefinitely.

At the time a council statement said the closure was for safety reasons, and the extension was because the developer’s work programme had expanded.

“Heavy machinery, tree felling, bush clearance, and earthworks in and around the accessway make public entry unsafe,” the council said. To ensure public safety during the ongoing works, a full closure of access to the reserve is required… The extended closure will remain until all major development works have been completed.”

Young swimmers told RNZ that Charlie’s Rock was far superior for its jumping-off places and cool water, but Fairy Pools was close to the town centre and easy to access.

Charlie’s Rock was reached via a 20-minute, bouldery path, which was challenging for less mobile residents.

Tommy Lodge, 17, said Charlie’s Rock was easily the town’s best freshwater swimming spot.

“But Fairy Pools is nice and accessible, real close and still good for a swim.”

He described the closure as “pretty stupid”.

“I reckon it should be open, especially for people that don’t have as much access to cars or transport.”

RNZ contacted the Matakana-based developer, Turnstone, and the council for an estimate of when Fairy Pools Lane would officially reopen. Neither had responded before this story was due to be published.

Long-time Kerikeri resident Anne Trussler lamented the loss of what she described as “a serene and beautiful spot”.

She said Fairy Pools was her late father’s favourite place, where he used to take his dog for daily walks. Now she was unable to go there to remember him.

“More and more of these very, very special places, uniquely Kerikeri places, are slowly being denied to us. It’s wrong, and nobody’s really looking out for the people of Kerikeri. So I am deeply concerned.”

Fairy Pools Lane and reserve was until recently surrounded by the Bing property, named after a previous owner, and planted in gum and redwood trees about 90 years ago.

The roughly 20-hectare property, between Kerikeri’s town centre, the Heritage Bypass and Kerikeri River, was sold to a developer in 2021. Transfer of the land was delayed by a legal dispute until 2024.

Plans for the land included up to 350 homes, a “lifestyle village”, new roads, and commercial premises.

Most of the trees have now been cut down but felling is continuing this week alongside the river, prompting a two-day closure of part of the Rainbow Falls Track in the nearby Department of Conservation reserve.

Firefighters were called to at least two fires in the property late last year.

In the most recent blaze, on 14 December, two helicopters and firefighters from five Far North brigades were needed to bring the flames under control.

FENZ said the fire started when high winds fanned a burn pile back into life.

Recent record-breaking temperatures prompted community group Our Kerikeri to compile a list of the town’s remaining swimming spots.

As well as Charlie’s Rock, the list included the pool at the bottom of Rainbow Falls, Waipapa Landing, and waterholes along Wairoa Stream, accessed via a bush track off Cobham Road.

The nearest beach was Wharau Bay, 14km away at the entrance to Kerikeri Inlet.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A person has been found dead and three people are in a critical condition after a shooting overnight in Horowhenua.

Police were called to a Waitārere Beach address at about 12.40am on Wednesday.

They found four people with gunshot wounds when they arrived.

Manawatū Area Commander Inspector Ross Grantham said a woman and two teenage boys have been taken to hospital in a critical condition. The woman was taken to Palmerston North Hospital by ambulance and the two teenagers were flown to Wellington Hospital.

“Another young person who was at the address is physically unharmed and they are being given wrap-around support,” Grantham said.

He said the gun was found at the scene and a forensic examination of the property will take place on Wednesday.

Grantham said police were not looking for anyone else in relation to the shooting, and officers would be visible around the area while an investigation is underway.

“This is a shocking incident for Waitārere Beach and the district,” Grantham said.

“This was a confronting scene, and I want to acknowledge the emergency personnel who responded to the call for help.

“We are still in the very early stages of our enquiries, but we are focused on understanding how and why this tragic event occurred.”

He said police will release more information when it becomes available.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A former museum director fears a popular heritage area in Queenstown will be forgotten about if a crucial access bridge is not restored.

This week, Queenstown Lakes District Council indefinitely closed the country’s highest suspension bridge, Skippers Bridge, due to safety risks.

The bridge is the only access route from Queenstown to Skippers Canyon, where several tourism operators offer four-wheel-drive tours.

The council said inspections revealed issues with the bridge’s suspension cables, and it could not safely assess what load the bridge was currently able to support or its integrity.

Now, the future of the bridge was in the hands of councillors, who would be deciding whether to invest in remediating the bridge during their annual planning process.

David Clarke, a former director of the Lakes District Museum for 34 years, was worried that fixing the bridge would not be a priority.

“It’s the old catchcry that money should only be spent on essential items, and sometimes heritage falls into the area of not being essential, and so you get a decline in heritage buildings and structures.

“That’s a great shame because the proof is in the pudding. Thousands go up there every year to see the gold mining heritage and to cross that bridge.”

He hoped that if driving over the bridge in a vehicle was no longer possible, people might be able to walk or cycle over the bridge.

“I’m hoping they’ll quickly find some money and do the remedial work to open it at least to pedestrians.

“It’s still a bit of a haul to walk from the bridge to the old Skippers Point Township ruins, but at least that would be something and allow people to get through to the backcountry, where there’s some other amazing heritage relics like the old Bullendale powerhouse and the remains of the Bullendale township up the left branch of Skippers Creek.

“There’s also a lot to see at Skippers Point: the cemetery, the old school house, some of the ruins, and it’s just spectacular.”

Clarke said Skippers Bridge, which first opened in 1901, was also a “major feat of engineering”.

“When you consider how remote it is, to get the materials in there, let alone sling the giant cables across the gorge, without helicopters, it’s amazing.”

Clarke hoped council could find money – or use some of the tourist tax to fix it.

“There are other heritage items around the district that are under threat as well. Yes, we need roads, and infrastructure, and sewerage, and water, and all of those things, but once these heritage features are gone, they’re gone forever.

“It’s nice to be able to protect these remnants of the past.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

It could become more expensive to build a house this year.

Cotality, formerly known as Corelogic, has released its latest Cordell Construction Cost Index, which shows residential building costs increased by 0.9 percent in the three months to December.

The index is made up of 50 percent materials, 40 percent wage costs and 10 percent other expenses such as professional fees and consenting.

The annual pace of increase rose to 2.3 percent, but is still below its long-term average of 4.1 percent since 2012.

Cotality chief property economist Kelvin Davidson said the pace of growth was constrained.

“We are certainly not seeing the extreme inflation experienced in the post-Covid phase, when the [index] annual growth rate peaked at more than 10 percent in late 2022.

“During that period, there were supply chain issues for key materials such as plasterboard and rising wages also drove up costs significantly.

“However, although they’re not rising to any huge degree at present, costs haven’t seen significant falls either. Following the previous growth phase, the overall level of cost to build a new dwelling remains elevated even though the growth rate has cooled,” he said.

He said confidence was returning to the construction sector.

The number of dwelling consents has started to rise again, and reached 35,500 on a 12-month basis in October.

Davidson said that was a turnaround after a period of stagnation.

“After peaking at more than 51,000 in the 12 months to May 2022, the number of new dwellings consented dropped to a low point between 33,500 and 34,000. We are now seeing a recovery that aligns with anecdotal evidence that builders are becoming busier again.”

Activity would probably pick up with interest rates down, and rules such as loan-to-value ratios and debt-to-income rules making new builds more appealing.

“I don’t think we’ll necessarily see a big rise [in costs] because wages, the labour market is still relatively softer than it was a couple of years ago.

“You wouldn’t think there’d be large wage increases for the builders, but there might be a wee bit more pressure coming through there. And then materials as well, a wee bit more pressure, but again, not that returning post-Covid.”

He said activity could generally trend higher this year and cost pressures could return to normal.

Brighter outlook for construction firms

Things were looking up for construction firms, he said.

“There’s always going to be individual experiences and distributional effects in here, but what I hear on the ground and from people I talk to in the construction industry, there is a bit more confidence coming through.

“It takes a while, and it’s been a pretty big downturn for sure, and some developers have done it pretty tough, maybe buying land at the absolute peak value and then seeing interest rates go up and demand for that product come down, prices they could eventually sell it for come down… a big squeeze on margins when you’ve paid top dollar for land, the cost to build has gone up, the eventual selling price has come down. It’s been pretty tricky.

“Some people have obviously done it pretty tough, but I guess the other thing I think you also have to acknowledge is that, yes, it’s been a big downturn, but it was coming off an incredibly high base. So, actually, in the long run context, we’re still building a decent number of properties compared to what we’ve done at the previous troughs.

“So, you know, it’s not all doom and gloom, but at the same time acknowledging that it has been tricky for a lot of builders.”

A period of slower construction cost growth was good for homeowners potentially committing to a build, he said.

“If you sign up for something off the plans and it’s not going to be ready for 12 or 18 months, at least you can kind of have a bit more confidence that it’s not going to run away in the meantime. I think that a bit more stability is probably what people have been hoping for.

“And that is kind of what we’ve seen in the past sort of year or two… I think a lot of people would probably say it’s still expensive to build a house. But the growth rate hasn’t been as fast. So, you know, things have stabilised, have plateaued. And I guess, you know, with interest rates coming down, it just does get a bit more affordable.”

There was a premium for a new build compared to existing houses, he said, but that could reflect the fact that maintenance cost should be lower and the property could be built to higher specifications.

“It stands to reason that new builds will cost a little bit more than existing properties, but then there are those benefits too.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand