Auckland Council’s biosecurity team has noted that homeowners are reporting an increase in the numbers of mice and rats this winter. The team says this is likely to be due to the recent cold snap and rain, which may have resulted in mice moving...... Read More

Rod and Leigh Jenden of Arkles Bay (left and second from left) initiated this petition asking for Freedom Camping to be prohibited on the Arkles Bay foreshore (HM March 1). Mr Jenden says it was eventually signed by 1200 people from all over Auckland....... Read More

An offer by a Chinese company to build, own and operate the Penlink Road and bridge has been turned down. The offer included a proposal to procure the project on a non-competitive basis. It was considered by Auckland Transport (AT), the NZ Transport...... Read More

Recent heavy rain again turned Nukumea Stream in Orewa brown with sediment, although to a lesser extent than the major event in early April (HM April 17). In April, Council issued the Sunny Heights developer, Changda International and its contractor...... Read More

The slashing back of a large amount of mature mangroves in Orewa Estuary is under investigation by Auckland Council following a number of complaints from local residents. Two large piles of what appear to be cut mangroves appeared alongside the estuary...... Read More

Dairy Flat’s Courtney Davies, 23, has some big ideas when it comes to agricultural innovation, which has landed her a place at the Bayer Youth Ag Summit in Brazil this November. Every two years, 100 delegates aged 18 to 25 are selected to participate...... Read More

The waterless dehydrating composting toilet is suitable if no connection to septic or town sewerage is available. It’s easy to manage with urine being separated off while solids are dehydrated and can be emptied into the garden. People downsize...... Read More

After Rodney resident Johnny Hamer got kicked out of college, he spent some time being homeless but eventually found he could earn good money by cleaning other people’s homes. But there was a downside – the chemicals in the cleaning products...... Read More

Three students from Whangaparaoa College who attended Dr Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots seminar at Kristin School last month came away inspired. Roots & Shoots is a programme of the Jane Goodall Institute that aims to bring young people together...... Read More

Eight months after the shock news that a new regional landfill dump is being planned for the Dome Valley, Waste Management has lodged its formal resource consent applications with Auckland Council. The applications went in just days before local iwi...... Read More