Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Argument for Lifting NZ Super Age

30 April:

Road crews have finished works requiring closures ahead of time, meaning planned road closures scheduled for tonight (Wednesday) and tomorrow night (Thursday) are no longer needed.

However, road users travelling on State Highway 2 in Wairarapa still need to be aware of road rebuilding works and a road closure on State Highway 2 in Greytown. Drivers should ensure they allow extra time when travelling through the town.

24 April:

Late April and early May will see maintenance works underway on State Highway 2 between Masterton and Carterton.

Roxanne Hilliard, Wellington Alliance Manager, says contractors will complete a wide range of maintenance tasks.

“They will be fixing safety barriers – we have four recent barrier strikes that need to be fixed. It is critical damaged barriers are fixed as they are instrumental in preventing head on collisions.

“They will also be doing line marking and carrying out water cutting – this removes excess bitumen from the road surface, improves road grip, and makes it safer to drive on,” Ms Hilliard says.

Ms Hilliard says the work requires road closures over five consecutive nights, and State Highway 2 will be closed to traffic in both directions.

“We appreciate full closures do affect drivers. However, with winter approaching it is vital this section of the highway is in the best shape it can be for the winter months ahead.”

The work will be underway from Sunday, 27 April to Thursday, 1 May. The highway will be closed to north and southbound traffic each night between 9 pm and 4 am (works conclude Friday, 2 May at 4 am).

Ms Hilliard says local road detours will be available via Chester and Norfolk Road, and Cornwall Road and Hughes Line (see work and detour details below).

“Because these are local roads, road users must drive to the conditions, obey the speed limit, and be patient if there is queued traffic. We want people to get to their destinations safely.”

Drivers travelling through Wairarapa also need to be aware of other road works on State Highway 2 that will affect their journeys. This includes road rebuild work in Greytown and drainage works in Masterton.

It is essential people plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys.

NZTA/Waka Kotahi and the Wellington Transport Alliance thank the public for their patience and cooperation while these essential state highway maintenance works are completed.

Works schedule and detour routes

• Sunday, 27 April to Thursday 1 May. 9 pm – 4 am
• State Highway CLOSED in both directions between Chester and Norfolk Roads
• Sunday and Monday nights (27 and 28 April):
  • Northbound traffic detour via Chester and Norfolk Roads
  • Southbound traffic detour via Cornwall Road and Hughes Line
• Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights (29 April – 1 May):
  • All traffic must detour via Hughes Line and Cornwall Road.

View larger night closures map [PDF, 365 KB]

More information

Source: Secondary teachers question rationale for changes to relationship education guidelines

Spring might get all the glory in the gardening world, but seeing the Auckland Botanic Gardens in winter is a testament to the beauty that can be achieved in your backyard any time of the year. This treasure of Tāmaki Makaurau is bursting with colour and birdsong even in the coldest months, and during this time, the gardening team is as busy as ever.

Landscape gardener and horticulturist Jeffrey Jones is one of the collection curators at Auckland Botanic Gardens. His Monday mornings start by giving his areas – the Perennial Garden and the visitor centre surrounds – a tidy up with a leaf blower as he assesses the tasks ahead for the week. In winter, that might mean cutting back, lifting or dividing plants to promote new life, or adding mulch to protect plants from weeds and provide the soil with nutrients.

Jeffrey shares some pro tips for making your garden look its best in winter, spring and summer, and some advice on attracting native birds to your backyard.

Think at least a season ahead

To keep your garden looking its best throughout the year, you need to start early. If you’re dreaming of daffodils and bulbs bursting through the ground in spring, it’s best to plant them in late April or early May.

“To create our colourful displays here at the Botanic Gardens, we are always thinking ahead,” says Jeffrey. “If you really want spring action with flowers like freesias, daffodils and gladioli, you really need to be planting late autumn up to mid-May.”

But it’s not only spring that is blooming gorgeous in Auckland. Lots of flowers blossom during winter, such as cyclamen, snowflakes, and Narcissus ‘Erlicheer’ – but again, it takes planning.

“We start planning for our winter colour displays in January by ordering seeds and plants,” says Jeffrey. “We know our winter plants do best if they’ve been in the ground for a little while and if they’ve had a bit of growth before the first frost, so we planted out our winter displays – thousands of Icelandic poppies, alyssum and primula – back in April.”

Some spring blooms such as tulips and peonies aren’t well suited to Auckland’s mild climate. To avoid disappointment in your own garden, pick the brains of the experts and select the best picks of the bunch.

Auckland Botanic Gardens has many free brochures available to help you choose plants that grow well in Auckland’s conditions all year round.

Auckland Botanic Gardens Collections Curator Jeffrey Jones says there are lots of ways to achieve a colourful garden year-round.

Plant trees during winter

Jeffrey says winter is the perfect time to plant trees. In the colder months, trees can focus on establishing strong root systems without growing leaves, flowers or fruit. Plant fruit trees in free-draining areas and work compost into the soil to ensure the tree has lots of nutrition.

Stake trees when planting to avoid damaging the roots when the plant is established.

Fruitful gardening in Auckland

“What separates the Auckland Botanic Gardens from the region’s other beautiful parks is we’re also here to research and trial what grows best in Auckland,” says Jeffrey. “We produce brochures with tips for the best plants for Auckland’s subtropical climate and these are a result of many years of research. We put a range of plants into our trial garden so our experts can pick their top eight plants for this region.”

Fruit trees that grow well in Auckland include feijoas (plant two trees for cross-pollination and a bumper crop), tamarillos and citrus such as mandarins, limes and Meyer lemons.

European plums such as Prunus domestica ‘Luisa’ and Japanese plums like Prunus domestica ‘Hawera’ are well suited to Auckland’s humid climate.

For a beautiful fruiting tree that will provide shape and structure to your backyard, try Japanese persimmon Diospyros kaki ‘Fuyu’, a tree with spectacular foliage that turns red and orange in autumn.

Add native plants to the mix

Many gorgeous native shrubs and trees can also be planted in winter to create colour, shape and form in your garden – as well as being food sources for native bird species. A stroll through the Native Plant ID Trail at the Auckland Botanic Gardens will inspire. Purple and pink hebes are a haven for insects, the favourite snack of pīwakawaka (fantails) and tauhou (silvereyes).

Explore the beautiful colours of native flora on the Native Plant ID Trail at the Auckland Botanic Gardens.

Flowering plants like kōwhai bloom from July until November and are a favourite of nectar-lovers tūī and kererū (New Zealand pigeon). Kōwhai can reach heights of 10m, so if you’re short on space, consider a dwarf variety such as Sophora microphylla ‘Dragon’s Gold’.

For shape and interest, don’t overlook mānuka (tea tree), which is excellent for hedges and coastal areas and a favourite with both nectar-loving and insect-eating birds.

“You can’t go past mānuka,” says Jeffrey. “They are smaller, growing with flowers at different times of the year. With native birds, you need to think about seasonality – planting food sources for them at all times of the year.”

Other native plants to try are makomako (wineberry), houhere (lacebark), harakeke (flax) and dwarf varieties of pūriri.

Plant some rare beauties

To really do your bit for conservation, plant rare or threatened native species. Jeffrey suggests the pale flowering kūmarahou Pomaderris hamiltonii.

“Pomaderris hamiltonii is the cousin of the common kūmarahou, but it’s threatened and is only found in the upper North Island” says Jeffrey. “It has beautiful cream flowers and is an Auckland treasure we want to protect.”

Another regional treasure to plant is Clianthus puniceus, an Auckland variety of kākā beak. This threatened shrub, named after its beak-shaped flowers, puts on a display of colour from August to November that nectar-eating birds love.

“The common kākā beak Clianthus maximus gets all the glory, but Clianthus puniceus, is an Auckland variety that needs our help and still puts on a lovely show.”

Clianthus puniceus is an Auckland variety of kākā beak that is threatened. The plant has beautiful foliage and striking flowers that tūīs love.

Visit the gardens for inspiration

Not sure where to start in your own garden? A wander through the grounds of the Auckland Botanic Gardens will provide loads of inspiration. The gardens are gorgeous in all seasons – in winter, the Camellia Garden will bloom with pink and white flowers, and the Magnolia Garden will be in its full glory.

Other spectacular areas in winter include the Rock Garden (there’s even an area that can be hired for weddings), and the aloe section – including the spectacular tree aloes – will be flowering in the cooler months.

Source: New Zealand Police

Police are investigating the unexplained death of a 3-year old girl in Kaikohe yesterday.

Emergency services responded to a Tawanui Road address at around 6.15pm.

“The child was unresponsive and sadly, despite medical treatment provided, died at the scene,” Detective Inspector Rhys Johnston, of Northland CIB, says.  “Police extend their condolences to whānau.”

A post-mortem will be conducted in the next few days to determine cause of death.

Police enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the death are ongoing.

ENDS.

Nicole Bremner/NZ Police 

Source: New Zealand Police

Northland Police have launched a homicide investigation following the discovery of man’s body at Horeke, north of Kaikohe.

A man arrived outside the Kaikohe Police Station last night at around 8.30pm.

“After speaking with this man, Police went to a Waikerikeri Road property where a male was found with critical injuries,” Detective Inspector Rhys Johnston, of Northland CIB, says.

“The man was provided urgent medical attention but sadly died at the scene.”

An investigation is underway into the circumstances of what happened last night.

“The enquiry is in the very early stages,” Detective Inspector Johnston says. 

“We are continuing to speak to the man who visited the Police Station as part of this investigation.”

A post-mortem will be conducted in the coming days to determine a cause of death.

“Police extend condolences to whānau for their loss,” Detective Inspector Johnston says.

Police enquiries are ongoing, and anyone with information that can assist with our enquiries are asked to update us online now or call 105.

Please use this reference number: 250522/0155.

ENDS.

Nicole Bremner/NZ Police 

Source: Argument for Lifting NZ Super Age

Contractors have wrapped up ongoing resilience works on State Highway 59 near Pukerua Bay.

Work has been underway at the site since January. Rockfall protection was completed in April, and now seawall works have also finished.

Roxanne Hilliard, Wellington Alliance Manager, says that State Highway 59, which is exposed to the sea and weather, is now much more resilient.

“Over the last month, crews have fixed an eroded footpath, repaired roadside barriers, and improved erosion protection.”

“This part of State Highway 59 is better protected from sea damage, and pedestrian and cyclist access has also improved,” Ms Hilliard says.

As part of the project, 450 metres of barriers and 73 metres of footpath have been repaired.

Ms Hilliard says the repairs will be durable.

“This is because we built an engineered slope with shotcrete and synthetic fibres. Shotcrete is a method where concrete is applied at high velocity, helping the concrete adhere to the slope. This adds more structural stability and strength, better resisting the harsh marine environment.”

“We realize that traffic has been affected by the traffic management needed for this project for some time, and we thank the public for their patience and understanding,” Ms Hilliard says.

More Information:

• This is a low-cost, low-risk resilience project funded from the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP).
• Total works on this site, rockfall and seawall, have an estimated cost of $1.2 million.

Source: NZCTU

The union movement are today hosting a Budget Day Hui to fight back against the Government’s decision to gut the Equal Pay Act and destroy decades of progress towards achieving pay equity.

The hui will take place from 1pm at Parliament and will feature speeches from workers who have been impacted by the pay equity changes. Some of the speakers will be available to speak with media.

“The Government is set to unveil a Budget that makes the wealthiest New Zealanders even richer, paid for by taking money from some of the lowest paid women,” said NZCTU Secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges. 

“Over the last few weeks, we have seen overwhelming opposition from across our society to the Government’s cruel actions.

“Today workers, community groups and the public are coming together to send a message to the Government that they will not get away with effectively ending pay equity in Aotearoa,” said Ansell-Bridges.

Source: Cotality

New Zealand’s property market continues to point to signs of recovery, according to new data from Cotality NZ’s latest Monthly Chart Pack.

Kelvin Davidson, Chief Property Economist at Cotality, said property sales volumes have been gradually trending upward for nearly two years.