Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Work begins later this month (from Monday 28 July) preparing to replace the temporary Bailey bridge on State Highway 2 at Waikare Gorge, with a wider, stronger temporary bridge.

SH2, between Pūtōrino and the northern side of Waikare Gorge, will close for a 24-hour period from 10am Saturday 30 August to 10am Sunday 31 August while the Bailey bridge is removed and the new bridge is lifted into place.

Prior to this closure, SH2 will be reduced to one lane between the Bailey bridge and King’s Bridge, from late July, for construction work off to the side of the road. King’s Bridge is approximately 150m south of the Bailey bridge. Stop/go traffic management will be in place during this time and we ask road users to be aware of the new layout and expect delays.

That construction work will involve building a crane platform and putting the new steel bridge together, before it can be installed during the 24-hour road closure.

The new bridge, known as an Acrow bridge, is similar to the current Bailey bridge but it will be 1 metre wider (accommodating vehicles up to 4.2m wide) and have more capacity for HPMV and most over-dimensional vehicles. It will have a chipseal surface and is expected to be quieter than the current Bailey bridge.

The Acrow bridge will remain in use until the Waikare Gorge realignment project is complete.

Principal Project Manager Richard Bayley says the new bridge will remain single lane however, it will better support the local freight industry and improve safety for everyone.

“During the closure, a crane will be used to swap the bridges over – taking the Bailey bridge off its piles and lowering the Acrow bridge into place. Crews will then deconstruct the Bailey bridge off to the side of the road, before the parts are removed from site.

“We know a full closure like this is very disruptive which is why we’re planning this work on a weekend to reduce the impact on people who travel during the weekdays, like commuters, freight and school kids. 

“We value the support from the community in the area and from road users. We’re confident this new wider, stronger, quieter bridge will make travel through the area easier for more people.”

Next steps

Following the 24-hour full closure, there will be an additional 3 nights of closures, to focus on widening the north and south bound approaches to the new bridge. These will be Sunday 31 August, Monday 1 September and Tuesday 2 September, 9pm to 5am each night.

This work is weather dependent. The contingency dates for the full 24-hour closure is the following weekend (starting Saturday 6 September), with the night closures following this. If weather delays this contingency date, the next contingency is the following weekend (starting Saturday 13 September).

Note that there will be no access for emergency services during the full 24-hour closure. However, emergency services will be assisted through the night closures.

Background

Installed in May 2023 after Cyclone Gabrielle destroyed the old bridge, the single lane Waikare Bailey bridge reinstated connection along SH2. It was only a short-term solution with a 2-year design life and is restricted to General Access and 50MAX vehicles.

Acrow bridges have a 5-year design life, have a higher load capacity, and can accommodate more vehicle types. The Acrow bridge will serve as an interim upgrade to maintain access, and support traffic and project construction needs until the Waikare Gorge realignment is completed.

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

People travelling between the Bay of Plenty and the Waikato will be able to get where they’re going sooner, with the speed limit lifting this morning at the new roundabout at the intersection of State Highways 1 and 29.

After 17 months of construction, the bulk of the work on the SH1/29 roundabout and approach roads in Piarere is complete, meaning it’s now safe for NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) to lift the speed limit to 100km/h.  

“Lifting the temporary speed limit is a major milestone. We’ve come over the hill and the finish line for this project is now in sight,” says Acting Regional Manager Infrastructure Delivery Waikato/Bay of Plenty, Darryl Coalter. 

Construction got underway in January 2024, and Mr Coalter says work is on track to be completed in August this year. 

“Our project team and contractors understand just how important this new roundabout is for people who use the road on a daily basis and have been dedicated to completing it as efficiently as possible.” 

People will continue to see activity over the next few weeks, including landscaping (around 200,000 plants will be in by the end of July) and finishing touches will be applied to the underpasses. 

Final road surfacing works are also anticipated in July, likely to be carried out at night, with details to be confirmed closer to the time. These works would require a temporary reduced speed limit, before the limit will be reinstated to 100km/h again. 

The 60-metre roundabout is designed to improve efficiency, connectivity, and safety on this very important high-volume route. It has also been constructed to allow connection with the future expressway between Cambridge and Piarere.  

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

A spate of incidents of animals found wandering on southern highways recently has the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) urging people to be vigilant about supervision and containment of livestock or pets.

Sometimes it is wild animals such as deer also creating hazards on the highways, says NZTA maintenance contract manager Justin Reid.

“There have been a number of recent incidents of livestock or other animals loose on Southland highways, and highways across the wider South Island, which have served as a reminder of the risks this can pose,” Mr Reid says.

“Now that winter is here, the risk is greater when the days are shorter and visibility is reduced. The potential for serious injury or death is high when a vehicle collides at speed with one of these animals or takes evasive action to avoid a collision.”

Owners may be held responsible when it comes to any damage caused by their animals.

Police say it is considered an emergency when animals such as livestock are found on the road in uncontrolled circumstances, and people should call 111 to report it.

“In the case of livestock, we would strongly encourage owners or managers to be mindful of their supervision, regularly checking their fences, and taking extra care when moving stock,” Mr Reid says.

“Sometimes it will be beyond peoples’ control when an animal gets loose due to the actions of others or unforeseen circumstances, but it’s all about trying to reduce the potential for harm.”

The impacts of wandering stock on motorists can be profound and long-lasting. Check out one person’s story in this short video, which also features Federated Farmers, police and FENZ on what people need to know about this issue

Watch video(external link)

Source: New Zealand Police

To be attributed to Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Wescott:

Police investigating injuries suffered by a young baby in the Hutt Valley are appealing to anyone who may have information to come forward.

On 14 June, Police were notified that a three-month old baby had been brought into hospital by her family.

The baby girl had a broken arm, which appeared an unusual injury for such a young baby.

Further examination has taken place at the hospital, which has identified multiple further fractures throughout the baby’s upper and lower body. 

Police are investigating the circumstances of how these fractures and injuries have occurred – we do not believe the injuries could have been sustained accidentally.

There will be people who know how the baby girl sustained such serious injuries and we are urging them – or anyone else with information – to do the right thing and come forward.

If you can help, please contact Police via 105, quoting file number 250614/8509.

You can also provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
 

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre. 

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

This winter, with introduced predators hungry and lurking, critical action is being taken to help one of the world’s most endangered birds produce a new generation of chicks on Rakiura/Stewart Island.

You probably don’t know much about pukunui/Southern New Zealand dotterel, but the rangers on Rakiura have been battling the elements for decades trying to prevent them from being predated, primarily by feral cats.

Pukunui used to be widespread throughout Te Waipounamu, even found in the Southern Alps, but stoats and cats have decimated their numbers and they now only nest on Rakiura mountain tops.

“Pukunui have swooped under most people’s radar, but they deserve all the protection they can get,” says Guy McDonald who leads DOC’s Pukunui Recovery Team.

“We call them the ‘underbirds’ because they are only found at the bottom of New Zealand, and like many native species, they have a friendly, innocent manner, and are defenceless to introduced predators.’ 

The forest is overrun with predators 

Guy is one of a small team of rangers on Rakiura who control predators around pukunui breeding areas, monitor nests and conduct annual population counts. 

“Our team often works day and night, dealing with all kinds of extreme weather, in the effort to protect some of the last remaining strongholds of pukunui breeding pairs located around the mountains of the Tin Range – Ka Puketuroto.”  

It has been incredibly challenging because the forest is overrun with predators and trapping networks can only cover a small proportion of the habitat. 

Consequently, the pukunui population has plummeted to 105 – down from 176 in 2020 and 300 in 2010.

“Pukunui should live to at least 20-30 years old, but with the huge number of feral cats on the island as well as other predators, most pukunui only survive 4-5 years if they’re lucky,” says Guy.   

“It’s hard on team morale when we find dotterels that have been eaten, especially the ones we have banded and become familiar with. It’s heartbreaking to find their little bodies.”  

But there’s a new plan to reverse the decline, drawing on extra funding from Predator Free 2050 and expertise from DOC’s National Predator Control Programme and Zero Invasive Predators.

Not your average house cat 

Although there aren’t stoats on Rakiura, pukunui are up against another stealthy and ferocious carnivore – the feral cat.   

Feral cats are apex predators which means nothing preys upon them. They can hunt high and low across thousands of hectares of forest and mountains, and they survive by preying upon any animal they can sink their teeth into, including birds, bats, lizards, and insects.  

In response, we’ve begun the first phase of an aerial 1080 operation to reduce the number of rats, feral cats and possums by more than 95% across more than 40,000 hectares of Rakiura National Park.   

We will do this by accurately applying biodegradable 1080 bait pellets from helicopters to support the trapping efforts of the local team.   

“It wouldn’t be possible or safe to cover this remote, rugged terrain with traps alone. It would put our people at risk,” Guy says. 

The use of 1080 is vital for protecting populations of native species across the country. It will heavily reduce predator numbers so pukunui can have a safer, more successful breeding season.  

If we don’t act now, future generations will ask why 

The aim is to increase the population to at least 300 birds by 2035 with predator control. However, if predators can be permanently removed through the Predator Free Rakiura project, this target could be well exceeded.  

“As a team we are excited and nervous because if we are successful, and predators can be eradicated, we may no-longer need a pukunui recovery team,” says Guy.   

“This would be the best marker of success but also the end of an era.” 

Dan Cocker, also known as Dotterel Dan, has been involved in protecting pukunui since 2017 as a teenager.

Dan wants to see these birds become so abundant on Rakiura that they can return to shorelines and mountains throughout Te Waipounamu when it’s safe.  

“When I read books about our extinct native birds, I ask why didn’t they do more? Future generations will ask us this same question, if we don’t take action,” says Dan. 

This isn’t just about pukunui – Rakiura should be bustling with native wildlife, but there’s a deafening silence deep in the forest. Predator Free Rakiura aims to restore the health and abundance of the ecosystem and bring back native species that belong here.   

Donations a boost for pukunui protection   

In 2023 the New Zealand Nature Fund launched a campaign in partnership with DOC to raise funds from donors to support DOC’s Pukunui Recovery Team.

It’s early days but the pukunui team acknowledges the support of the New Zealand Nature Fund and everyone who has donated to this project.  

“Project donations have been vital for expanding our predator control efforts,” Guy says.   

Find out more and support our efforts

Learn more about the plight of the pukunui in this documentary: Underbirds – the Fight to Save the Southern New Zealand Dotterel. 

Learn more about why we use 1080 to protect native species.

Stay up to date with progress on Predator Free Rakiura and the Pukunui Recovery Operation: Removing predators from Stewart Island/Rakiura

Learn more about DOC’s role in Predator Free Rakiura and the species that need our protection: Predator Free Rakiura: Our work

Source: New Zealand Police

One person has died following a truck crash in Wairoa Valley, Tasman District, this morning.

Police were notified at 9.40am that a logging truck had crashed on Wairoa Gorge Road.

The driver was unresponsive when emergency services arrived and sadly was unable to be revived.

The road is closed while the Serious Crash Unit conducts a scene examination.
 

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre. 

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

Date:  03 July 2025

At the fossicking site at Slab Hut Creek Campsite, south of Reefton on the West Coast of the South Island, there have been problems with fossickers mining into the creek bank. DOC staff say if left unaddressed, the fossicking will ultimately result in the creek eroding into the campground.

Senior Ranger Darrell Haworth says the repairs to the site needed a digger to remediate and have cost thousands to undertake.

“This is the second time we have had to carry out remediation to protect the camping area because of gold fossicking activity – which means we have less budget to spend on visitor assets elsewhere,” Darrell says.

“As well as threatening the stability of the camping area, the unlawful digging potentially impacts the access road for the campground.

“With the gold price so high at the moment (at over $5400 an ounce), we are assuming that’s a motivation for these people, as a lot of effort has been put into these destructive earthworks.

“We’d like people to spread the word the rules need to be followed when fossicking for gold at these sites. Signs are in place informing people of the key rules – fossickers must stay in the active streambed, use hand tools only, leave natural features undisturbed; and ensure the area is returned to near its original condition.

“We are aware this issue of digging in banks and undermining vegetation is also occurring at the Moonlight Creek fossicking area, and we have carried out legal proceedings in the past for people caught. Rangers are regularly in the area and will be monitoring these sites.”

Digging in banks on Public Conservation Land is an offence under the Conservation Act as it interferes with or damages natural features.

The penalty for this activity in the case of an individual, is imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine not exceeding $100,000, or both: in the case of a body corporate, a fine not exceeding $200,000

Background information

Gold fossicking is the activity of collecting gold by a stream or river using pans, shovels, and sluice boxes.

People can do this in designated public gold fossicking areas. There is a low concentration of alluvial gold (found in soil usually around rivers and streams) within all the gold fossicking areas.

Nine of New Zealand’s 19 gold fossicking sites are on the West Coast.

Contact

Source: New Zealand Police

A woman will appear in court in connection with an investigation underway into the discovery of human remains in Freemans Bay on Tuesday.

Police have been investigating since officers located the body of a newborn baby in a wheelie bin outside an address on Renall Street.

Detective Inspector Scott Beard, of Auckland City CIB, says a 32-year-old woman is expected to appear in court.

“At this stage we have charged the woman with interfering with human remains, and she is due to appear in the Auckland District Court,” he says.

“We believe this appearance will be via audio-visual link.

“A post-mortem examination was carried out on the baby yesterday, the results of which are still pending.

“We are conscious that this is a very delicate situation, and we are ensuring there is support in place for the woman.”

Cordons around Renall Street have since been stood down.

Detective Inspector Beard says Police are still carrying out enquiries at a specific property on the street.

“Our enquiries remain ongoing and it will take some time for a thorough investigation to be completed,” he says.

“We are continuing to ask for those in the community that might have information or CCTV footage that could assist us to get in touch.”

Anyone with information can update Police online now or call 105, using the reference number 250630/9878 or citing ‘Operation Yarrow’.

Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

ENDS.

Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government is investing more than $56 million into water resilience projects in rural Canterbury to help protect against changing weather patterns and increase productivity through higher value land use, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson say.
“Ease of access to water is a top priority for Canterbury’s rural communities,” Mr Jones says.
“Canterbury has so far avoided the extreme drought experienced in previous years, thanks in part to high rainfall over December and January. However, it is still critical that the region future-proofs its water supply.”
The three projects receiving loans through the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) are:

Opuha Dam and Irrigation Scheme upgrade – up to $20.8m to upgrade Opuha Dam
Balmoral Water Storage Facility (Amuri) – up to $20m to build a pond to store up to 10 million cu m for an existing irrigation scheme where resource consents are already held to divert, take, use, and discharge water to land in Amuri Basin.
Waimakariri Irrigation Scheme – up to $15.6m to develop a large-scale storage facility to improve water reliability through the existing Waimakariri Irrigation Scheme.

Mr Patterson was at an event in Cust, along with close to a 100 farmers and other stakeholders to announce the funding.
“In recent years Canterbury has faced increasingly longer and dryer periods. Last August I was nearby Rangiora to announce additional support for farmers dealing with drought,” Mr Patterson says.
“Opuha Dam is a vital regional asset which needs an upgrade to extend its life and address flood management, water quality and seismic risks. Today’s funding will ensure this critical work goes ahead,” Mr Patterson says.
“As well as irrigating farms, the dam has enabled growth in downstream industries such as vegetable and dairy processing while helping preserve the river environment.
“The Balmoral project will ensure a more reliable water supply for farmers, providing more certainty to continue investing in diversified land use and high-value food production.
“The need for a more reliable water supply was also a key driver for the Waimakariri Irrigation Scheme. The project will enable water diverted from Waimakariri River when it is plentiful to be stored in ponds and used all year,” Mr Patterson says.
“Each of these projects has its own geographical boundary within which it operates but combined they provide a significant boost to the region’s broader water resilience and supply for the primary production sector,” Mr Jones says.
Editors’ note:

The  Regional Infrastructure Fund is a capital fund with the primary purpose of accelerating infrastructure projects, with a focus on water storage, energy, and resilience that will make a difference in the regions.
Funding is approved in principle and announced, after which contracts are negotiated. Some funding may depend on completion of business cases. Payments are made once agreed milestones are met. These are set as part of contract negotiations and differ from project to project.

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government’s focus on improving roads across the country is well on its way, with the successful completion of one of the largest state highway road renewal programmes in New Zealand history, Transport Minister Chris Bishop confirmed today.

“We are focused on ensuring government agencies are better at looking after the infrastructure assets we already have, to ensure New Zealanders get the most from their public infrastructure,” Mr Bishop says.

“That’s why we’ve invested in road maintenance and renewals through the $2 billion State Highway Pothole Prevention fund, which ensures vital work is carried out to keep our roads safe and suitable for the people that use them. 

“Over the summer months from September to April, almost 2200 lane kilometres of road either received a new layer of seal or asphalt or the entire road was completely replaced. 

“With over 300 lane kilometres of road being rebuilt, the NZ Transport Agency and its maintenance contractors almost tripled their delivery of brand-new high-quality roads when compared to the previous summer.

“A particular highlight this past season was the State Highway 1 Tīrau to Waiouru accelerated maintenance programme, which delivered over 100 lane kilometres of road rebuilding and resealing throughout the centre of the Waikato region. Regions such as Northland, Taranaki, Manawatū and Southland each saw more than 20 lane kilometres of new roading also.

“I extend my thanks to the communities, drivers and truckies who’ve been so patient through this busy summer maintenance season, and to the contractors who’ve worked hard to get the work done to a high standard.

“Our focus on building new roads will continue over the next two years. We acknowledge that this work can be disruptive for road users; but the use of new construction techniques, increased use of risk-based traffic management guidance, and clear communication with the public will ensure that New Zealanders experience better journeys both during construction and after the works take place. 

“Having safe, high-quality roads to drive on is critical for people getting to work, school and home safely as well as making sure our freight gets to where it needs to go in a timely manner.”