Articles from ‘’ in ‘Community’

Further reductions to the speed limits on rural roads around Franklin will only serve to frustrate the vast majority of road users. But will Auckland Transport listen? In 2019, Auckland Transport (AT) introduced a new speed limit bylaw and called for public submissions on the proposed changes. When I posted this news on my Facebook page, more than 53,000 people viewed the post. Many made submissions opposing the wholesale changes. · Did AT…

Students, Staff, parents, caregivers, whānau and Papakura Community, · Kia ora whānau, Talofa lava, Mālō e lelei, Kia Orana, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Bula Vinaka, Namaste, · You may be aware that Papakura High School has been under Limited Statutory Management since January 2014 and other forms of intervention since 2009, this means there has been a Ministry of Education appointed advisor to the Principal and Board in place. · As of today, 1…

Fire and Emergency New Zealand urges households, lifestyle block owners and landowners not to burn outdoor fires during lockdown, to save firefighters having to respond to calls from anxious neighbours and break their COVID-19 bubbles. · Fire and Emergency has responded to more than 98 calls involving fires in Auckland since lockdown kicked in last Wednesday. Eight were vegetation fires, 52 were building fires, and 38 were other fires such as…

Please look after yourself and your family and keep an eye out for your neighbours. You can contact me at [email protected] if you need a hand.

Members of three volunteer fire brigades – Tuakau, Pokeno, and Onewhero attended a benefit social night last Saturday (3 July 2021), in time for Matariki when we honour and remember loved ones who are no longer with us. The event was organised for the crews and whānau to acknowledge the impacts associated with the loss of loved ones and colleagues and to raise mental health awareness. · The organising committee wished to demonstrate…

Labour MP Ibrahim Omer received a standing ovation after his maiden speech on Thursday. · The list MP is the second refugee to enter the NZ Parliament, having fled his home country of Eritrea, which has been ruled as a totalitarian, one-party dictatorship since its independence from Ethiopia in 1993.

On Friday 17 July 2020, Karaka Playcentre were extremely lucky to have Bunnings transform their wilderness area through the Bunnings community support programme. Bunnings is committed to participating in the communities in which they operate by contributing to local, regional and national causes, charities and organisations throughout Australia and New Zealand. · The south facing wilderness area at Karaka Playcentre has required some…

ANZAC day 2020 will be a vastly different day to years previous, but still bears little resemblance to the horrors that young Sergeant James Stanton experienced during the First World War. Thanks to a canny series of events, we know a little about what he endured by the contents of his diary, written in the trenches and in the safekeeping of local man Mr Phil Gibbs for many years. · “My mother was given the diary by a lady next door neighbour …

While public ANZAC Day services will not be able to go ahead this year, we can still take time to reflect on the sacrifice made by our ANZACs and show our appreciation to all of our veterans and service personnel. · Defence Minister Ron Mark joined Defence Force personnel in urging all New Zealanders to stand at the end of their driveway, living room, balcony, or their essential places of work, at 0600 hours on the 25th of April to commemorate…

To all Dutch New Zealanders, · While we work from home, walk in empty streets, wait in lines to do our shopping in supermarkets in compliance with the 2 m social distancing, life in New Zealand and the rest of the world seems to be on hold. No plans are made, many worry about their health, the health of vulnerable relatives here and in The Netherlands, and what the future will bring for their jobs and business. · Health should be priority nr 1…