Myrtle Rust in Kaipara

The Mangawhai Heads Reserve Concept Plan has been officially adopted, setting a vision for the reserve's future development.

Update Friday 18 April, 8:57am

A new Master Plan for the Mangawhai Community Park will guide future use and development of the popular public space.

What does play look like for your whānau? Play Week Aotearoa is running from 26 October to 1 November.

Two of Northland’s most iconic campgrounds at Kai Iwi Lakes could be under new management in 2025 if Kaipara District Council’s Request for Expressions of Interest bears fruit.

Taharoa Domain campgrounds may be under new management this summer after Kaipara District Council Elected Members agreed to seek Expressions of Interest for its operation.  

In 2023, we asked the community for feedback on the Master Plan for Mangawhai Community Park. The Mangawhai Community Park Governance Committee used that feedback to prepare a draft master plan.

State Highway 1 over the Brynderwyn Hills is now closed for crucial recovery works. Detour routes through the Kaipara district are open and operating.

A nationwide campaign to promote Northland during the Brynderwyn Hills closure is just kicking off and will run throughout the period of the closure.

New facilities are on the cards for Pine Beach campground at Taharoa Domain. 

It’s the busiest time of the year for Taharoa Domain – Kai Iwi Lakes, and we need you to help us look after this beautiful gem. 

Please note: as of August 2024 the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association manages both Glinks Gully and Kellys Bay recreation reserves.

Freedom camping at these sites is prohibited. Further info and booking is available on the NZMCA website at Pouto Camping - Glinks Gully & Kellys Bay

Downer, our contractors, along with community volunteers (including Friends of Mangawhai Community Park) will be knocking back pest plants in Mangawhai Community Park.

Education and monitoring will be the main focus to stop freshwater gold clams from establishing in Kaipara District’s Taharoa Domain and Kai Iwi Lakes.  

We’ve been working with Mangawhai Surf Club on temporary lifeguard facilities.

Upgrading the Taharoa Domain day visitor toilet facilities, improving drainage in Mangawhai Community Park, and completing the award-winning Baylys Beach boardwalk are all on the cards for Kaipara District Council’s (KDC) work programme thanks to a cash injection from the Tourism Infrastructure Fund (TIF).

With daylight savings upon us and sunny hours on the up across Te Tai Tokerau, visitors are also on the increase at Kai Iwi Lakes, Taharoa Domain.

The rainy weather persisted through July, resulting in 949 new pothole reports. To tackle the pothole issue, we introduced an additional pothole truck to speed up repairs.

Kaipara District Council Parks and Open Spaces team manage six of the district’s cemeteries and recently funded community-led work to repair the gates to their former glory.

Friends and family of the late Sibyl Canning gathered at the Moir Street Reserve to plant a kowhai in memory of Sibyl and her contribution to Mangawhai.

What do you want to see on the water tank at Moir Street?

February’s extreme weather events have impacted roads across Kaipara. Our roading network has suffered significant long-lasting damage, and many issues will not be a simple fix. 

Please note:

As of August 2024 the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association manages both Glinks Gully and Kellys Bay recreation reserves. 

Freedom camping at these sites is prohibited. Further info and booking is available on the NZMCA website at Pouto Camping - Glinks Gully & Kellys Bay

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Information in this article is no longer current. Please see above for updated info. 

Council has pressed pause on any changes to Kaipara’s waste and recycling services while a new waste strategy from central Government is assessed.

Kaipara District Council has confirmed the governance membership for the Harding Park Committee, and appointments to the Pou Tu o Te Rangi Joint Management Committee.

The Mangawhai Surf Club and surrounding area remains off limits to the public due to a significant landslide behind the clubhouse.

After February's extreme weather events, you or someone you know, may be feeling upset, exhausted, overwhelmed or uncertain. You don’t have to manage this on your own, there are free resources available to support you during this time.

A number of our staff have been diverted to emergency services relating to Cyclone Gabrielle. Council services will continue but some with limited capacity so please be patient. We will continue to keep you updated.

The recent weather events have caused a significant landslip behind the Mangawhai Heads Surf Club.

This article with be updated as information on Kaipara's roading network is available. 

Kaipara communities will soon see officers regularly patrolling freedom camping hot spots, offering education and increasing awareness of proposed new national freedom camping rules.

Improvements to the Poutō Point carpark area can progress in 2023 thanks to further funding from Kaipara District Council.

Kaipara’s population is expected to explode during the summer break, with people enjoying the district’s beaches, lakes, and vibrant communities. 

Security improvements at Taharoa Domain are now complete, enhancing the safety of campers, day trippers and Domain staff. 

Summer holidays are fast approaching! During this time critical Council services continue, with some changes due to staff availability.

Sea, sand, and Aotearoa New Zealand’s rarest bird were all on hand for the opening of Kaipara’s newest loos.

Consultation is now open on a proposal for new speed limits in Kaipara’s Poutō Peninsula and West Coast catchment areas. You now have until Monday 5 December to give your feedback.

When you’re out and about this summer remember that all Council land and Council buildings are smokefree and Vapefree.

You can soon give your feedback on proposed speed limits changes to Poutō Peninsula and West Coast roads. 

A new vision for Pou Tu o Te Rangi and Harding Park was confirmed this week, with the updated Reserve Management Plan adopted by Kaipara District Council.

A chainsaw course for Dargaville High School students saw wattle and other pest plants removed from Old Mt Wesley cemetery.  

A new fees structure for Taharoa Domain was confirmed at Kaipara’s August Council Meeting.

The Mangawhai Activity Zone (MAZ) Trust will soon start work on a new Flow Bowl and Street Skateboarding Plaza, following a grant from Kaipara District Council.

Council staff are asking the Kaipara community to report any antisocial behaviour around public facilities after a recent run of vandalism.

Around 30 people turned out to a meeting at the Lighthouse Function Centre in Dargaville to discuss the Draft Management Plan for Pou Tu o Te Rangi/Harding Park.

A new Reserve Management Plan has been drafted for Pou Tu o Te Rangi, Harding Park and Old Mount Wesley Cemetery, which overlook Dargaville and the Northern Wairoa River.

Work to install the Kaiwaka footbridges will start in early January and continue for around seven weeks. With it comes some great employment opportunities for local contractors.

What would you like to see on the murals for two new public toilets in Mangawhai?

Council and the Pou Tu o Te Rangi Joint Management Committee are preparing new reserve management plans (RMPs) for the Pou Tu o Te Rangi historic reserve and Harding Park (including the adjoining Old Mount Wesley Cemetery).  

The Council has awarded the contract to design and build the two Kaiwaka footbridges to Bridge It NZ.

A small but enthusiastic team of volunteers planted hundreds of native plants on the weekend. 

Dargaville Intermediate tamariki joined forces with the Kaipara District Council parks team recently, planting approximately 400 native plants in Taharoa Domain.

An community planting session is happening at Mangawhai Community Park on Saturday 26 June. 

Extensive pest plant removal, the creation of extra parking, a restoration and revegetation programme, and more.

The Kaipara Kai Hub team have been in the news a lot recently with all their peanut trial mahi!

A friendly reminder to take only photos and leave only footprints at the Taharoa Domain when exploring the wonderful jewel of Kaipara.

Our Parks team and local contractors Turf Tamer recently completed work by the Kaiwaka River (north eastern side of the bridge).

Kaipara District Elected Members have voted in favour of a proposal to temporarily store the 157-year-old ship the Daring next to the Mangawhai Museum. 

Work will begin again at the Mangawhai Community Park after the Easter break.

Nets have been set in Lake Taharoa for koi carp surveillance. If you're swimming, boating or kayaking on the lake, please keep out of the areas marked on the map during the operational periods.

Kaipara District Council has laid out its vision for the next decade of development in its Long Term Plan (LTP) and is asking the community if they agree.

The Kaihu Valley Trail is one section of the Ancient Kauri Trail that will be developed in stages and eventually link Ōmāpere, on the Hokianga Harbour, to the Mangawhai Coast.

The beautiful Kai Iwi Lakes/Taharoa Domain have proved popular over the last few weeks with a huge number of people visiting. The Kaipara District Council team jointly manage the area with Te Kuihi and Te Roroa, alongside Northland Regional Council and Department of Conservation, and together we work hard to ensure this precious place is protected, while still being enjoyed by many holidaymakers.

Kaiwaka footbridges will form part of the Kaiwaka walking and cycling network and will reduce severance caused by the state highway and rivers. 

If you want your berm looking immaculate it’s OK to mow it yourself if you want to.

Our parks team and contractors have been busy installing the new picnic tables around Mangawhai. 

See the results from surveys and events we've undertaken recently as part of our Long Term Plan. 

Summer is coming and so are all our visitors. It’s the busiest time of the year for the Taharoa Domain-Kai Iwi area, and we need you to help us look after this beautiful gem.

From the end of this month Pearson Street Reserve will be closed to vehicles all year round.

How can we make Northland more accessible for people with disabilities, older adults, migrants, or families with young children?

Work is progressing at pace, as a result of $2.87m recently allocated to Kaipara District from the Te Tai Tokerau Redeployment Package. A total of $9.32 million is allocated across Northland. The funding package through the Provincial Growth Fund is providing urgent economic relief for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, by creating immediate work opportunities for local people and businesses.

Treat water like gold.

A new governance structure has been established for Mangawhai Community Park, recognising the new level of maturity in the Park’s development.