Stories by Susan Botting
News
Mature mangrove forest cut down for new $20 million Okara marina
Hundreds of mature mangroves have been cut down for Whangārei's new $20 million Okara marina, angering environmentalists who campaigned against their removal 30 years ago.
An invasive seaweed threat: Everything you need to know about caulerpa
Northland is facing an at least 10-year-long battle to eradicate the new marine seaweed superspreader, caulerpa.
Coastal retreat may be best long-term option for some storm-hit communities
A council specialist is warning it may be the best option for those facing expensive and ultimately short-term fixes to deal with foreshore sand dune erosion in Northland.
Northland east coast iwi Ngātiwai fear caulerpa already in rohe
Te Tai Tokerau east coast iwi Ngātiwai is concerned about what they say will undoubtedly be undetected caulerpa along their Northland coastline.
New Zealand-first caulerpa treatment trial set up in Bay of Islands today
Northland Regional Council divers have today set up a New Zealand-first caulerpa attack tool in the Bay of Islands.
Ban now in place to fight caulerpa spread
The government and mana whenua have put in place an anchoring ban to fight the growing threat of one of the world's most invasive marine seaweeds.
Northland dam's emergency spillway threatened by large slip
Whangārei District Council infrastructure committee chairman Simon Reid said the situation at the dam was "quite a concern".
North Island councils combine in urgent call to govt for caulerpa support
Councils representing more than half NZ's population are calling on the government for more money and support to be thrown at one of the world's worst invasive marine seaweed pests recently discovered…
Work on Northland’s newest major marina expected to start in June
One of the most expensive berths in Whangārei's $20 million Okara Marina will cost more than $500,000.
Caulerpa identified in more than a dozen Bay of Islands locations
Bay of Islands officials are concerned about what the invasive seaweed could mean for the region's environment and economy.
Kaipara’s waste to energy plant push involves majority overseas-owned company
Kaipara District Council's push to build a controversial waste to energy plant in or near Auckland includes the 41 per cent Chinese-owned company aiming to build a $350 million equivalent in…
Whangārei's old town hall to get renovated, council to pay
Whangārei's old town hall "eyesore" is to live on in a now $7.43 million renovation due to start by June - in spite of five of the city's leaders wanting...
Whangārei residents upset Northland rescue helicopter to stay in Kensington
A former councillor has told Whangārei District Council that Kensington residents have had enough of the rescue helicopter nightmare in their suburb.
Council defers more than $10m of projects to pay for cyclone repairs
Northland's worst-hit Cyclone Gabrielle district is deferring more than $10 million of planned work rather than almost doubling its rates to pay for major Cyclone Gabrielle damage.
New $68m Mangawhai wastewater scheme drafted
More than $22 million has been shaved off plans for a controversial wastewater scheme that would see Mangawhai sewage redirected into a golf course.
Kaipara council meeting begins with karakia months after Mayor's controversial ban
A karakia rang out across Kaipara District Council's monthly meeting on 29 March, just four months after new Mayor Craig Jepson banned its use.
Timeline to reopen SH1 through Mangamuka Gorge to be revealed this week
Waka Kotahi is revealing 'a timeline to reopening' State Highway One over the Mangamuka Gorge on Friday as the road undergoes a $100 million repair job.
Northland councils say $250m needed to fix thousands of slips
Northland Mayoral Forum chair Vince Cocurullo says Cyclone Gabrielle exacerbated existing infrastructure damage, spreading across the region like smallpox.
Whangarei District Council drawn back into $64 million Oruku orbit
Whangārei District Council has once again stepped into the Oruku conference and event centre ring with a decision to put as much as $11.4 million towards the new version of the facility on the edge of…
Hundertwasser Art Centre narrowly avoids closure
Cyclone Gabrielle was almost the final nail in the coffin for the $33 million tourist attraction.
Northland facing $70m-plus Cyclone Gabrielle bill – and counting
Major increases are expected to be added to that amount as more definite figures emerge.
Northland harbours at risk from new super-spreader marine seaweed pest
Whangārei Harbour - and others along Northland's east coast - are at risk from a new superspreader invasive pest seaweed devastating parts of Great Barrier Island, a Northland ocean ecologist...
New $59m civic centre a 'leaking monstrosity'
A former Whangārei mayoral candidate is concerned about potentially toxic black mould for the 500 staff who will soon move into the building.
Cyclone spurs govt to support marae better for disaster recovery work
Marae play a key role in housing people after disasters and need more government backing, the prime minister says.
Building post-cyclone SH1 resilience may take years - Hipkins
"We are talking years. If we are wanting to build a new highway, that's years."