NZ Engine

Source: New Zealand Government

Transport Minister Chris Bishop has welcomed news that a contract has been confirmed for design, consenting, and construction of the new two-lane bridge to replace the Pepe Stream Bridge on State Highway 25 (SH25).  

“At more than 80 years old, the current single-lane bridge is a bottleneck, with severe congestion experienced during holiday periods. Funding has already been confirmed by New Zealand Transport Agency NZTA, and I’m pleased progress has been made to get a delivery contractor on board,” Mr Bishop says. 

“We know going into summer that the Coromandel is a great holiday spot for many Kiwis. We also know the traffic heading into the eastern side of the Coromandel, can get very congested. Once this bridge is complete, it will help ease some of this traffic so Kiwis can get on with their holidays at the beach quicker.  

“Fulton Hogan will build the new two-lane SH25 Pepe Stream bridge, working with engineering consultants WSP to support the design and preparation of resource consent applications.  

“The new bridge includes a 3-metre-wide shared path on the eastern side, a 1.5-metre-wide footpath on the western side, with a pedestrian crossing and safety refuge planned near the Pepe Road intersection. 

“At a cost of $22 million, construction of the new two-lane bridge is expected to start in late 2026 and be open to traffic by December 2027. In the meantime, traffic management staff will again be in place over the summer holidays to assist traffic over the old bridge. 

“SH25 through Tairua will remain open while the new bridge is being built and the old one demolished, with brief closures expected occasionally at night. One of the first tasks for the team will be to remove the current shared footbridge and install a temporary shared path on the western side of the existing bridge.  

“I want to thank the local community and Coromandel MP Scott Simpson for their advocacy and patience, I know we are all looking forward to construction getting underway on this project as soon as possible. A public information day is planned by NZTA in February 2026 to provide more details on the new bridge design, traffic management, and other construction details.” 

Coromandel MP Scott Simpson welcomed the news, saying the new bridge will be an economic boost for Tairua and the wider Coromandel. 

“Today’s announcement marks real progress for Tairua. The community has been calling for a safer, more reliable bridge for many years, and today’s development is a real step forward,” Mr Simpson says.  

“The new two-lane bridge is a long-overdue investment in the safety, resilience, and vitality of our community. It will significantly improve the journey for locals, make holiday travel smoother for visitors, and strengthen the Coromandel’s economic future.” 

Artist’s impression of the new two-lane SH25 Pepe Stream bridge is attached.

Source: NZ Ministry for Primary Industries

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

Date:  05 December 2025

In December 2024 the feral tom cat reached a large island in the river where the endangered terns were nesting. It killed and ate several adult birds, chicks and eggs, disturbing the colony and causing almost all 95 nests to be abandoned.

Last week contractors, husband and wife team Jasen and Shannon Mears of J & S Mears, were carrying out a leg-hold trapping operation, targeting feral cats to protect nesting tarapirohe from predators. They caught 11 feral cats, including the 6-kg individual responsible for last year’s colony attack. But it wasn’t easy.

Shannon Mears says they tracked the large feral tom cat – identified by its long stride and distinctive prints – for three days, before finally luring and trapping it.

“It took three nights to catch it. Each morning, we would find the cat had yet again evaded or ignored traps and bait. Its prints clearly showed him visiting the river near the same tern colony he decimated last year to check the water level. It would have only been a matter of time before the river level dropped, and he would have been able to reach the colony again.

“We went to great lengths to lure it with whole rabbits as decoys, wing traps and buried leg-hold traps covered by tissue paper and soil, in which it was eventually caught.

“Even then it managed to pull the stake out and hide in a den about 200 metres away in the middle of the Acheron campsite, where our dog, Billy, tracked him.”

Shannon says it was challenging to outsmart the wily and trap-shy cat which had carefully avoided the many leg-hold traps set around the colony and network of over 700 kill traps in the wider area.

“It was a relief to finally catch it and a win for the black-fronted terns, which will be a lot safer this breeding season,” says Shannon.

DOC South Marlborough Principal Ranger Pat Crowe says after the devastating loss of the colony last year, it’s good news to see the results of the massive trapping effort.

“It was sad to see the impact a single cat had on an entire colony of these special birds when everyone was working so hard to protect them. So, it’s gratifying it has now been removed along with ten other feral cats.

“Controlling predators like feral cats, ferrets and stoats is difficult work, especially when you’re dealing with trap-shy individuals but it’s critical to give species like tarapirohe and other braided river birds a fighting chance.”

Pat says apart from a flooding event in late October which disrupted early nesting, it’s been a successful breeding season with no signs of predation by introduced predators within the trapping area.

The Waiau Toa/Clarence River is important habitat for black-fronted terns. There are at least 12 colonies nesting on islands in the braided river this year and 206 nests have been recorded in the six monitored colonies.

People can do their bit to help protect the tern colonies when they’re out naturing in the Molesworth Recreation Reserve by giving the birds space and keeping out of the nesting colonies, says Pat.

If you spot a feral cat while out driving or walking in this area, please contact the DOC Renwick office: renwick@doc.govt.nz

Predator control, island enhancement for nesting, and bird monitoring has been undertaken in the area for about a decade. This project is supported by Ngāti Kurī. It’s funded by Canterbury Regional Council (Environment Canterbury), DOC and Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and much of the work is carried out by J & S Mears Contracting and Wildlife Management International Limited which monitors the birds.

Background information

Black-fronted terns are endemic and have a conservation status of ‘Threatened – Nationally Endangered’. They have a national population of 5-10,000 birds, which is declining.

Feral cats are opportunistic and skilled hunters, and among the top introduced predators across many New Zealand’s ecosystems. With their high prey drive, they have a major impact on native birds, bats and lizards.

Braided rivers like the Waiau Toa are dynamic and globally rare ecosystems which face pressures from weed encroachment, introduced predators and land use changes, in addition to human disturbance.

Contact

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology

19 hours ago

The inaugural meeting of the new EIT Council was held today as EIT celebrated preparations to stand back up as a stand-alone independent polytechnic under local leadership and governance.

The Council met today on the Hawke’s Bay campus in Taradale, in readiness for EIT standing back up on 1 January 2026, after the Governor-General signed off the Orders in Council re-establishing regional polytechnics.

Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds announced ministerial appointments to the inaugural governing councils of New Zealand’s ten re-established polytechnics. The Minister noted this was a milestone in returning decision-making and accountability to the regions, restoring local leadership and strengthening connections with communities and industries.

The Minister’s appointments to EIT’s governing council brings together a highly experienced group of inaugural Council members. The new Council knows and understands EIT well, and all are committed to the regions of Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti.

Chair David Pearson brings a wealth of experience, having previously served as EIT Council Chair for 14 years. Chris Collins, as Deputy Chair, served as EIT’s Chief Executive for more than 18 years. Kerry Marshall was a long-serving EIT Corporate Services Director and lecturer, while Tam Tex-Blake brings significant governance experience across the education and primary industry sectors.

The EIT Council met with the goal of overseeing EIT’s stand-up on 1 January 2026.

Chair David Pearson says the Council is “excited and absolutely committed to this task”.

“EIT was widely recognised as one of New Zealand’s leading institutes of technology. Our goal is to see EIT stand back up with that same success and to continue to see EIT grow and develop further.”

“EIT led the way in regional reach and provision in New Zealand, and it did this by focusing on the needs of our communities, iwi, businesses, and industries.”

At the same time, Mr Pearson noted EIT also developed wide ranging international partnerships offshore, all with the aim of supporting delivery into Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti.

“We’re very proud of our regions of Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti. Our goal is to see EIT serving the needs of our people and communities. We’re highly committed to the Minister’s goal of local leadership and governance. We all feel very privileged to have this opportunity to help EIT stand back up.”

At the first meeting, EIT Council members praised the outstanding work of EIT staff and management over the last four years.

“They have faced unprecedented challenges and changes,” says Mr Pearson. “With the reforms, and a cyclone which flooded and closed the Hawke’s Bay campus and impacted both regions, staff and management have been absolutely outstanding. It is a credit to what they have achieved through some very difficult times. Our thanks to Glen Harkness and his team for what they have achieved.”

The meeting was mainly focused on several key initial administrative establishment matters. Mr Pearson says the Council will be making an announcement on the appointment of a new Chief Executive in the coming days.

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology

2 days ago

EIT Auckland Associate Professor of Computing Dr Alison Clear appeared on Botswana Television while representing Aotearoa at a major international computing education conference held in Africa for the first time.

Alison travelled to Gaborone for the ACM Global Computing Education Conference (CompEd 2025), where she serves as Chair of the international steering committee.

The event, hosted by the University of Botswana, brought together more than 100 computing educators and researchers from across the globe to collaborate on strengthening computer science education internationally.

“It was a real honour to be there. This conference brings people together from all over the world so we can learn from each other and strengthen computing education internationally.”

CompEd is one of six conferences run by ACM’s Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE), the world’s largest computing education community. Unlike other SIGCSE conferences, which are typically held in North America, Europe or Australasia, CompEd is intentionally hosted in regions that are underrepresented in global computing research.

“This was the first ACM computing education conference ever held in Africa, and it was important that we came here. There is a great deal of innovative work happening across the Global South, and we want to make sure those voices are fully represented.”

Before the conference, Alison appeared live on Botswana’s BTV News, with Dr. Shanna Mompoloki Suping, University of Botswana Acting Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Education.

“It was wonderful exposure for the conference and for the University of Botswana. Their team has worked incredibly hard to bring this to life.”

The week included keynote presentations, academic paper sessions, a doctoral consortium and two intensive days of international working groups. Alison led one of these groups, which examined how global computing curricula are used and updated across different education systems.

“We want students around the world to have access to high-quality computing education. By collaborating globally, we can make sure our curricula stay relevant and responsive to rapid technological change.”

She says the knowledge gained through conferences like CompEd directly benefits EIT students.

“Networking with educators from around the world gives us new ideas, new approaches and new tools that we bring straight back into the classroom. It keeps our teaching current and ensures our graduates are industry ready.”

Alison has been involved with ACM and SIGCSE for nearly three decades and is currently leading an international taskforce that is developing a new living curriculum model aimed at enabling faster and ongoing updates to global computing standards.

She says the connections made in Botswana will continue well beyond the conference.

“We have created a community that will keep working together. The collaborations we began in Botswana will carry on for years in teaching, in curriculum development and in research.”