Category: Public Media

Source: Radio New Zealand

Kaikōura’s Wakatu Quay will open again in time for summer.

The site has been closed this year while work has been completed on the first building as part of the redevelopment of the historic wharf.

With the building due to be completed this week, Kaikōura District Council chief executive Will Doughty said the site will be opened up for community use next month.

”There is still ongoing landscaping work, and we will probably wait until the spring (next year) for some of the planting.

”But it’s exciting to see the first building coming together.”

Mr Doughty said the council is discussions with a number of potential tenants, with the hope of opening the building up for a restaurant or hospitality type business.

”We are in no hurry,” Mayor Craig Mackle said.

”We’ve always had the view of ‘build and they will come’, so we are under no pressure.”

The council hopes this will be the first of several new buildings on the site.

The project is being funded by a $10.18m grant from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, with the council taking the lead on the project and loan funding any shortfall.

The grant was received from the Government in 2019 to redevelop the area after it suffered damage in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2016.

Local company LMC Building and Construction Ltd was granted the tender for the first building in September.

Company manager Luke Chambers said the build is due to be completed this week, with the site handover set for 31 October.

Mr Chambers grew up in Kaikōura and spent many hours fishing off the Wakatu Quay wharf.

”It’s always been a popular place to be and on a nice day it’s pretty hard to beat.

”It’s been a fantastic project to be involved with and to be able to give a new lease on a pretty magic location is pretty special.”

Mr Chambers said project has provided employment to locals and he has brought in local contractors whenever possible.

”There was a large emphasis on that from the council to use locals, so it has been good to able to deliver on that.

”It has been an interesting project with a unique design and location, surrounded by ocean.

”It’s not everyday you come across something like that.”

He said the completed project will have ”a pedestrian feel to it”, with vehicle access to be restricted, and prominent street lighting installed.

The lighting complies with the council’s new dark sky lighting rules and was tested recently.

”It will be a nice place to come to at night. It’s very low key, but it creates a nice atmosphere.”

The building has been designed to reflect whatever light is available, so it blends in well in with sun rises, sunsets and on cloudy days, he said.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Tunnelling is underway in Māngere East for a $64 million wastewater upgrade that will reduce overflows, protect local waterways and prepare the network for thousands of new homes.

A boring machine, nicknamed Moana by local children, began work this morning and is currently underground, carving out a passage.

Watercare’s Archboyd Wastewater Upgrades will include a new storage tunnel, pump station and 1.2-kilometre wastewater pipeline designed to reduce overflows and prepare the network for thousands of new homes.

Councillor Alf Filipaina for the Manukau ward welcomes the work, saying it will support housing growth and protect the environment, but also reinforces that South Auckland is again hosting infrastructure to serve the wider city.

“Having this is really for our community. But the project is not for Māngere solely and wholly. We have the wastewater treatment plant here, and it’s about supporting future growth in the area and protecting the environment.”

Filipaina says Māngere often carries the city’s wastewater load, with overflows sometimes affecting local streams and the Manukau Harbour.

Watercare project manager Jason Salmon says the work should help prevent poor ecological outcomes.

“This is a significant upgrade to the Māngere East wastewater network that will support new housing and protect the environment by reducing wastewater overflows,” he says.

“Once complete, the system will be able to hold more than half a million litres before releasing it to the new pump station on Archboyd Avenue. The upgrades will remove two existing overflow points and improve the network’s resilience.”

The Archboyd upgrades form part of Watercare’s $13.8 billion ten-year capital programme, which funds about $3.8 million of work every day across Auckland. Major projects are also underway in central and north-west Auckland, including the Midtown Wastewater Diversion and the Red Hills and Whenuapai schemes.

“We have about 120 projects on the go right now,” Salmon says. “This one is particularly important because it enables growth in Māngere East, Wickman Way and Favona, while protecting the Manukau Harbour from overflows.”

The programme will also pave the way for about 3000 new homes, including Kāinga Ora developments. Work on the Māngere East project is scheduled for completion in 2027, with trenchless tunnelling used to minimise noise and road disruption.

“Where possible, our aim is to use trenchless methods to reduce noise and road closures. We thank the community for their patience,” Salmon says.

The $64 million investment is partly funded by the Government’s Shovel Ready fund, making it Watercare’s final project under that national recovery programme. The company says its infrastructure is financed through borrowings and service charges, not Auckland Council rates, with prices fixed until July 2026.

Moana on the move

Earlier this month, children from Kidz & Crayonz Early Childhood Centre helped launch the tunnel-boring machine, leaving colourful handprints on Moana before she began tunnelling six metres underground.

Leanne Van Niekerk, the centre manager, says the event helped make the massive project tangible for the community’s youngest residents.

“The kids chose the name ‘Moana’ after the Disney character because of her spirit of exploration, which fits nicely as the TBM’s about to start her journey underground,” she says.

Moana began tunnelling this morning and is expected to complete her 170-metre journey within three weeks. Once tunnelling is finished, the machine will be lifted out for maintenance before being redeployed on another project.

Watercare says it plans to invest more than $660 million in six major Ōtara infrastructure projects between 2028 and 2040 to reduce overflows and improve water quality.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Manawatū-Whanganu residents and visitors are being urged to prepare for potentially serious weather around Labour Weekend, with heavy rain and winds forecast.

Manawatū-Whanganui Civil Defence is bringing in extra staff to its Emergency Coordination Centre in response to the forecast.

Tararua District is under a heavy wind warning from 10am today until 3am tomorrow, with severe gale winds gusting to 120 kilometres per hour.

Horowhenua District is under a heavy wind warning from 9am until 7pm today, with severe gale winds gusting to 120 kilometres per hour.

The Tararua Range is under a heavy rain warning from 10am until 8pm today. Expect 80 to 100 mm of rain, with peak rates of 15 to 25 mm per hour.

There is also a heavy rain watch for Tongariro National Park from 3pm until 11pm today. There is a moderate chance this will be upgraded to a warning.

Emergency Management Group controller Craig Grant said parts of the region had already been hit by severe weather in the past two weeks.

He said staff have been monitoring the situation throughout the week, but more staff were being brought in to support the region’s response.

“With many watches and warnings across the region, and the worst of the weather forecast to come through this afternoon and evening, we are ensuring we are prepared for any situation. Staff are rostered throughout the weekend, including into the evening.

“We are in contact with district and city council emergency management teams, as well as partner agencies such as emergency services and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, to ensure everyone has what they need to respond to local issues.”

Grant said people should take the time to prepare.

“While Horowhenua, Tararua and Ruapehu are under watches and warnings, the weather will also impact other parts of the region – such as Manawatū and Palmerston North.

“There are simple things you can do like ensuring you have supplies ready in case you need to stay at home for a prolonged period, as well as preparing a grab bag of essential items for if you need to evacuate in a hurry.”

Tararua District was still recovering from Tuesday’s weather, which caused multiple power outages, ripped roofing iron from houses, and brought heavy rain to some areas.

“People in Tararua District should take precautionary measures ahead of the strong winds, such as either tying down or moving inside objects such as garden furniture, pot plants and trampolines.

“Further damage to trees, powerlines and unsecured structures is possible. Driving may be difficult, especially for high-sided vehicles such as campervans and lighter vehicles such as motorcycles.”

Residents should drive to the conditions and, if possible, avoid any unessential travel, Grant said.

“Thunderstorms are possible this afternoon, so we may see hazards across our roading network. Please stay home if you can and keep up to date with the weather conditions.”

He also urged those planning to camp or travel over the long weekend to be well prepared.

“People travelling to the area for camping or recreation during the long weekend should ensure they are prepared for the weather. Take plenty of supplies, and be sure to have a radio with a list of key frequencies,” he said.

Catchments across the region are already saturated, and waterways could rise quickly if there is further heavy rain.

“People camping near waterways should keep this in mind. Keep an eye on the forecast and waterways, and be prepared to move.

“It is always better to move earlier rather than later. If in doubt, delay or postpone your trips.”

While it was too early to predict Monday’s conditions with certainty, early forecasts showed more rain was possible.

“We will learn more as we get closer to Monday, but currently it appears there will be another front similar to what we have experienced recently moving north through the region,” Grant said.

“We’ll be keeping a close eye on the situation throughout the long weekend, with staffing organised.”

He said people could keep up to date with key information on this weather event on the Manawatū-Whanganui Civil Defence Facebook page.

“If at any time you, your family and/or your property are at risk, immediately contact emergency services on 111.”

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

What is Local Democracy Reporting? 

The Local Democracy Reporting (LDR) programme is a free public-interest news service dedicated to strengthening coverage of local authorities, rūnanga and other similar organisations. 

LDR now has 16 reporters, delivering over 1.1 million page views each month.  

The reporters are employed by, and report to, their host newsrooms but receive extra mentoring, training and support from RNZ. All stories are shared with a wide range of media partners, including RNZ. 

The programme is managed and funded by RNZ with the support of NZ On Air. It was designed to fill gaps in reporting, mostly in regional New Zealand, brought about by decreases in reporting numbers in traditional media. 

What are the LDRs able to cover?  

The LDRs focus exclusively on stories about publicly appointed or elected officials or bodies. This includes but isn’t limited to local councils, council committees, community boards, council-owned commercial enterprises, health entities, local trusts, iwi organisations, and port or airport authorities. 

The brief is to report on the decision-making process: what decisions are made in the public’s name and how are they arrived at; what evidence is presented to the councils, etc. 

It also means going out and talking to the people affected and sharing their stories and perspectives. 

Hear from Local Democracy Reporters about why they think the programme is effective:

Who runs the LDR programme?

The LDR programme is administered by LDR Manager David Reid, who is based in Wellington, and LDR Editor Marika Hill, who is based in Christchurch.  

The local democracy reporters report to their host newsrooms. Any story tips, suggestions or other feedback, including complaints, should be directed to the relevant newsroom in the first instance.   

The programme is modelled on a similar one run by the BBC in the UK. 

How can New Zealand media companies access the content? 

All of the content made possible by the LDR programme is freely available to all New Zealand media organisations that apply to access it and meet these criteria:  

You are a genuine media organisation providing a reputable public news service to an established audience within New Zealand.  

You accept the jurisdiction and adhere to the principles of the NZ Media Council and/or Broadcasting Standards Authority.  

You have a robust system for handling complaints.  

You must also agree to the terms and conditions for the use of the content, including attribution requirements, which will be provided to you upon receipt of your application.   

You will then be given access to the LDR content system, which includes all of the local democracy reporters’ stories, photos and video/audio. You will be able to publish or broadcast the stories on your own platforms.  

Media wishing to publish or broadcast the stories on their own platforms can sign up any time.  

Applications will be assessed by RNZ and approval will be at RNZ’s discretion.  

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE LDR CONTENT BY BECOMING A MEDIA PARTNER  

What about newsroom funding applications to host a reporter?  

Applications for newsrooms to host a reporter for 2026 have now closed. If you require more information or wish to discuss the process, please contact LDR Manager David Reid. 

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