Kaipara District Council opts in to water reform discussions

Twenty-one Kaipara residents were welcomed as new citizens at a ceremony in Dargaville. 

Soon, Dargaville and Te Kopuru locals will see little libraries popping up around the community.

Summer is on its way and it’s time to start preparing for a drought. Meteorologists are predicting a dry windy summer.

More than 900 voices from the east and west of Kaipara celebrated te reo Māori with waiata as the clock struck 12pm on Rāpare 14 o Hepetema (Thursday 14 September). 

The ‘Trifecta Development Area’ planned on the outskirts of Dargaville moved to the next phase after Kaipara District Council accepted the recommendations of the Hearings Panel on 30 August 2023.

A new collaborative project has arisen from the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, which aims to build Northland’s resilience to future adverse weather events by tackling the problem of fallen and at-risk trees.

Be a considerate neighbour and think about how your noise might affect those around you.

An update from Kaipara District Council and Northland Regional Council.

Tell us what you think about proposed connectivity improvements for Dargaville.

Please do your part to help make our communities safe and accessible by parking in the right spot when you’re out and about

From 1 July 2023, popular and new fiction books can be borrowed rent free through Kaipara Libraries.

The Kaipara District Mayoral Relief Fund gave out a total of $532,443.94 to residents and ratepayers in the Kaipara district.

Work to improve the resilience of Maungaturoto’s water network is almost complete.  

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?

Do you live in or love visiting Baylys Beach? Tell us what you think about a new playground for the settlement. 

Dargaville’s ANZAC Cinema is set to reopen on 1 July, in time for the start of the school holidays.

A huge shoutout to the Paparoa Cyclone Response Fundraiser Committee for their generous donation towards the Kaipara District Mayoral Relief Fund.

A new addition to Kaipara District library’s TUTU collection has arrived just in time for winter. The Home Energy Audit Toolkit (HEAT) helps assess energy efficiency and find ways to keep your home warmer, drier and cheaper to run.

Over the next month, Elected Members and Council staff are attending community markets around Kaipara District.

There are a number of roads impacted after heavy rainfall throughout the district on Tuesday 9 May 2023.

Construction of the permanent upgrade for Wood Street will take place next year, after Council has signalled prioritising emergency works over planned projects for the upcoming Annual Plan 2023/2024.

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. 

At the April Council meeting Kaipara District Council staff presented the latest financial statements for the draft Annual Plan 2023/2024, alongside a projected rates increase averaging 4.98 percent across the district.

A healthy environment, prosperous economy and dependable roading are included in the community outcomes Kaipara District Council has set for the next few years.

Staff will explore options for a waste to energy plant after Elected Members supported a Notice of Motion at today’s Council Meeting.

Works to further improve Maungaturoto’s water network kick off next week.

Late last month a warm Kaipara sun shone on a group of farmers and growers keen to hear about a season of growing squash in Maunganui Bluff, north of Dargaville.  

Kaipara District Council is asking the community for feedback on proposed fees and charges for the 2023/2024 year.

A number of agencies are offering support for those affected by February's extreme weather events.

Kellys Bay Recreational Reserve will no longer operate as a camping reserve.

If you’re looking for some activities for your kiddies in the holidays there are exciting things happening at Kaipara Libraries for the April school holidays.

The demolition of the Dargaville Town Hall (Northern Wairoa War Memorial Hall) annex may be brought forward, after recent weather events caused further damage.

The Ruawai Adaptive Pathways Community Panel is inviting the Ruawai community to help shape their planning by sharing local knowledge through an online survey or at a community drop-in session.  

If your home was damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle and you need support to find temporary accommodation, the Temporary Accommodation Service (TAS) can help you.

Contractors working on the Lang’s Beach bridge on Cove Road have encountered further challenges, delaying the reopening of the bridge until Wednesday morning.

I am not sure anyone would have believed me had I said we would have to contend with another extreme weather event during the on-going aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Authorities in Northland are advising travellers to stay up-to-date and amend their plans if necessary as key local roads damaged in Friday’s heavy rain around Mangawhai and surrounding areas will remain closed until midweek and in some cases, longer.

Everyone has now left the overnight accommodation centres at Campbell Park Christian Camp, Moir Point Christian Camp and the community-led centre at St John's Hall in Kaiwaka.

UPDATED: 2.18PM Thursday 02 March 2023

Kaipara District continues to respond to the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Kaipara District Mayor Craig Jepson has established a Mayoral Relief Fund to help support those affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.

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 Kaipara homeowners have had their houses stickered in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Yesterday I was able to witness first hand some of the hard work that has been happening across the district to recover from Cyclone Gabrielle.

Our Rapid Response teams made good ground yesterday, conducting welfare checks on our isolated and hard-to-reach Kaipara communities, many of which are still without power.

After having no occupants overnight we have closed the Civil Defence Evacuation Centre at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church and relocated the team to other areas of the response.

UPDATED: 2.17PM Thursday 02 March 2023

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.

When you see the sun come out and the wind has dropped, it could be difficult to believe what we have experienced in the last few days.

In the early hours of this morning Awakino River on the northern outskirts of Dargaville breached its banks. 

It’s been a tough day, especially for parts of Dargaville, with Awakino River and some of Ruawai now being evacuated. By 7pm, high tide, we expect to have evacuated everyone from areas we think are vulnerable.

This is the second State of Emergency for Northland in two weeks. Again, as a precautionary measure, the State of Emergency was called early so we could be well prepared for Cyclone Gabrielle before it hits.

Now that the weather conditions have improved and we have passed the last couple of high tides we feel it is safe for those who have been evacuated to return home.

A precautionary state of emergency has been declared for Northland as at 4.30pm Sunday 12 February, for an initial period of seven days, as part of the regional response to Cyclone Gabrielle.

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

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

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

The four councils in our region are working together on a plan to make our communities more accessible to live, work, play and visit.

The popular free Mangawhai bus service is back for summer!  

Paparoa Village Green users can now picnic and play under brightly-coloured shade sails thanks to a collaborative effort between the Paparoa community and Kaipara District Council.

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

The Ruawai Community Panel gathered for the second time this year to take a guided tour of the Raupo Drainage Scheme.

Thank you to everyone who submitted feedback on the Exposure Draft District Plan. A summary of the feedback received is now available to view.

Kaipara District Council staff are working to install vehicle barriers at the end of Raymond Bull Road to prevent vehicles driving through wetland habitat to the protected coastline.

Kaipara’s newly elected Council will be sworn in at 1pm on Wednesday 26 October at the Lighthouse Function Centre, Pou Tu o Te Rangi Harding Park.   

The preliminary results for Kaipara District Council elections are now available.

Progress results for Kaipara’s local government elections are now available.

Dargaville Library will undergo a colourful makeover during the school holidays, thanks to local artist Micaela van den Berg. 

Five Kaipara residents officially became New Zealanders at a Citizenship Ceremony held in Dargaville on Friday 16 September.

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

From today, voting packs for local elections begin rolling out to letterboxes across Kaipara.

Kaipara District Council has confirmed sunflowers and squash for the second growing season of the Kaipara Water demonstration sites.

A Mangawhai Wastewater Treatment Plant Advisory Group (MAG) is helping to guide a future strategy for the growing town’s wastewater disposal.

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.

Two new community hubs move a step closer with Kaipara District Council opting to apply for the Three Waters Better Off Funding Package, provided by Central Government, to help fund them

Thirty candidates are confirmed for Kaipara District Council’s local elections on 8 October.

Candidate nominations for Kaipara District Council have now closed.

Kaipara District Council is considering purchasing land in Mangawhai for future use as public sporting and recreational facilities and wants to hear what the community thinks.

If you are passionate about Ruawai and its future, the newly created Ruawai Adaptive Pathways Community Panel is looking for members just like you!

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

Kaipara District Council has approved the Exposure Draft District Plan for release, inviting the public to provide feedback. 

Government sources estimate that between $120 and $185 billion dollars of investment in three waters (drinking water, waste water and storm water) infrastructure will be needed over the next 30 years to improve the quality of our drinking water and wastewater and stormwater management, across New Zealand.

Seven Kaipara residents have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to the district’s citizens and environment at an award ceremony held in Dargaville. 

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.

Twenty-two community organisations have been awarded a share of $100,000.00 in the latest Kaipara District Council Community Grant.

Kaipara District Libraries will no longer charge fines on overdue items.

Visitors to Ruawai got a blast from the past at a four-day interactive expo that explored the landscape, people and traditions that have shaped the current community.

Artists, Sean Duffell and Thijs de Koning, spent three days at the Mangawhai Activity Zone (MAZ) in Mangawhai Community Park last week, adding a splash of colour and creativity to the space.  

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.

The Ruawai-Raupō community adaptation planning project is underway and the project team from Kaipara District Council is organising the first community event in Ruawai.

Amendments to Kaipara District’s Speed Limits Bylaw were unanimously passed at the May Council Meeting, resulting in new speed limits in the Mangawhai – Kaiwaka (including Hakaru) and Kaiwaka West (including Oneriri Road and Oruawharo Road) areas. 

Down the road from the mighty Tāne Mahuta, a road-carpet was rolled out and lights set to green as the newly sealed 1.5km stretch of Waipoua River Road was opened for traffic.

Te Tai Tokerau councils celebrated a unique milestone in April after the adoption of New Zealand’s first region-wide climate adaptation strategy.

Kaipara District Council has voted unanimously to adopt a ten year library strategy, paving the way forward for an equitable, modern library service.

Work is underway to implement new speed limits in the Mangawhai – Kaiwaka (including Hakaru) and Kaiwaka West (including Oneriri Road and Oruawharu Road) areas.

Projects to install new toilets in Mangawhai and Maungaturoto reached milestones recently, as the new facilities were delivered to their sites.

On Monday 28 March, Mangawhai Community Park’s new toilets were formally opened with a blessing at the Historic Village.

Kaipara District Council is extending a stern warning to people who are parking illegally around schools and making it unsafe for young children.

We are aware some Maungaturoto residents have recently experienced events of low pressure or in some instances disrupted water supply to their properties.

Harvesting is underway across the Kaipara Water demonstration sites. 

At a recent Council meeting, staff gave an update on Gumdiggers Track and the work happening behind the scenes.

Work to build two new footbridges in Kaiwaka is entering its final stages. The footbridges provide a safer link for pedestrians to cross the river, improving connectivity for the Kaiwaka community.

At a recent briefing Council staff presented the preliminary financial statements for the upcoming Annual Plan (2022-2023).

A small number of people parking badly at schools around the district are making the area unsafe and obstructing lines of sight for other drivers.

Locals and visitors with their boogie boards, beach bags, skateboards and shopping bags piled on board the Mangawhai Village to Beach bus over summer, turning out in even greater numbers than previous years of the trial service.

The truss is now up on the abutments at the north bridge, with physical construction of the boardwalk starting last week. 

The council is upgrading wastewater systems and is asking people to flush responsibly.

Growth is the word of the day when it comes to the Kaipara Water demonstration sites. The summer months have seen the former grassed paddocks turn into a jungle of green activity on both sites.

The Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has released the $3.5M needed to protect existing stopbanks against flooding, along the western side of Wairoa River between Dargaville and Te Kopuru.

Check it out! Our Mangawhai office now has a dedicated food scraps bin for the staff kitchen, thanks to Sustainable Kaipara and their Community Compost Collection Service.

Work is progressing well on the raw watermain renewals in Maungaturoto.

Although recent rain has been welcomed by landowners, it is causing headaches for Kaipara District Council’s Raupo stopbank improvement project, in Ruawai.

Representatives of the Pahi community met with Council at the wharf last week to work out where a new toilet block could go.

Across our district, our animal management officers have been out and about with owners and their furry friends

‘A breath of fresh air’ is how one industry professional describes the Kaipara District Resource Consents team since the Council made substantial improvements to their resource consent service.

A small gathering, a prayer and a blessing to keep workers safe marked the start of the work on-site for the Kaiwaka footbridges.

Iwi Liaison Manager Jack Rudolph and Māori Advisor Missy Hokai joined the Council on 1 November, to strengthen a Te Ao Māori capability and viewpoint across the organisation.

Visitors to the Kaipara Water demonstration sites will spot the beginnings of green growth starting to peek through the soil.

It begins! Fulton Hogan started physical works to improve Waipoua River Road this week.

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.

Sustainable Kaipara, with support from Kaipara District Council, announces the launch of Rising to the Challenge, a series of online conversations and in-person events that aim to start conversations on climate change. 

If you don’t already use Kaipara Libraries, we want to hear from you.  If you are one of our library users, we want to hear from you too.

Construction work for the new Poutō wharf will begin in 2022.

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

Creative Northland on behalf of Kaipara District Council will be the lead on public consultation to gather, analyse and prepare documentation of key findings that will inform a 10 year Arts, Culture and Heritage strategy for the Kaipara.

Kaipara communities are to have a say on whether the Norfolk Pines in Pahi should remain protected or whether they can be removed, as part of the District Plan review process.

Over the next few months, our team and contractors will replace approximately 3,000m of ageing raw watermain pipes.

As part of our Long Term Plan, we undertook to explore options to expand the capacity of the Mangawhai Wastewater Scheme to accommodate growth in the area and summer peak flows.

A total of $45,155.00 has been awarded in the latest funding round for the Mangawhai Endowment Lands Account (MELA).

If you’re connected to Council’s treated water supply system, your most recent water invoice may have shown an increase in the cost for your first cubic meter of water.

Animal management services continue to improve since the Kaipara District Council brought them back in‑house.    

Council is playing its part, helping lead the way, and supporting our communities to lower emissions and grow Kaipara’s resilience in a changing climate.

Considerations from Kaipara District about the Three Waters Reforms.

The public feedback period for the Discussion Documents as part of our District Plan review process has closed.

Ngā mihi mō au korero whakahoki! 

Thank you for your feedback. We had a fantastic response to our recent survey asking for help to select one of the trial crops for Kaipara Water demo site two. The winner by community vote was kaanga ma.

A progress update on the Kaihu Valley Trail.

Kaipara District Council (KDC) began consultation today on a proposed model of representation.

Want to stay connected with what's happening in Kaipara? Heard about Antenno? A free mobile app that sends you posts & alerts – and lets you report Council-related issues directly to us. 

A reminder to Have Your Say on our Discussion Documents, and some changes to our plans because of COVID-19.

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.

While our libraries are closed during Level 4 and Level 3, online services are available and brimming with choice. eBooks, magazines and newspapers, audiobooks and more are on offer, and all free! 

As part of the District Plan Review, Discussion Documents are now out for comment.

A progress update on the Kaihu Valley Trail.

Kaipara District Council has been awarded a grant from the Creative NZ Local Government Arts Fund to develop an Arts, Culture and Heritage Strategy.

Council has decided to make a stand by voting to oppose the recently granted Dome Valley Landfill resource consent, at the June council meeting.

A survey of Ripiro Beach users to understand their concerns relating to beach use received over 1,700 responses.

Kaipara District Council today endorsed a future-focused Long Term Plan (LTP) which aims to respond to a growing population while caring for the environment and keeping rates increases low. 

The Dargaville Library was blessed on Tuesday as it reopened its doors to the community.

An update on the Kaihu Valley Trail progress

A total of $13,049.00 has been granted from the first round of the Rural Travel Fund to eight schools and sporting organisations across the district.

We are stoked to be part of an excellent collaborative project, trapping and assessing rubbish before it finds its way into our waterways and out to sea.

Nine infrastructure renewal projects are being rolled out across Kaipara District this year. 

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

Every year the Council surveys residents to see how we are tracking. 

A fresh, new, tikanga-based approach to organisational change, a new strategy designed to overcome the digital divide, and two examples of outstanding personal leadership have helped Northland councils scoop four awards available to local government managers.

Some of the works happening around the District. 

We are so proud to support the ANZAC commemorations around our District. 

Some of Kaipara’s arts projects got a boost recently with $14,894.80 awarded in the latest Creative Communities Scheme funding round. 

Ripiro Beach runs from the bottom of the Maunganui Bluff through to Pouto Peninsula.

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

In the first few months of 2021 there’s been a trickle of new information which has led to a substantial update on the long-running story of the debt levels of Kaipara District Council’s Mangawhai Wastewater Scheme. 

The Council will be reviewing its representation arrangements later this year and is calling for community feedback now before formulating any specific proposals.

Kaipara District Council has published a report about the outstanding historic debt and capacity of the Mangawhai Wastewater Scheme (MWWS). 

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. 

We’re having some issues at the moment around bad parking behaviour at both Mangawhai Beach School and Dargaville Primary School

Gumdiggers Track is a walkway formed by the Mangawhai Recreational Charitable Trust (the Trust). 

Two footbridges are to be erected in Kaiwaka, parallel to State Highway 1 and crossing streams at the northern end of the township.

Kaipara District Council has begun a review of local electoral boundaries to ensure our rapid growth is reflected in our elected representation and to accommodate a new Māori ward.

Two pōhutukawa trees have been poisoned by vandals in Mangawhai. The trees – approximately fifteen years old and growing on Council-owned coastal reserve – are exhibiting crown damage and other signs of herbicide poisoning.

Kaipara District Council is consulting on their proposed plan for the next ten years and Elected Members will be on hand to talk about it and answer questions.

Are you missing some stock? Our Animal Management team has collected some wandering sheep from Maungaturoto last week.

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.

Creative Communities Scheme is now open for funding applications. The funding is available to support a wide range of arts projects – previous recipients include Te Kopuru School for their Matariki celebrations and the Mangawhai Museum for their Winter Series.

If you're out and about around Lorne, Pirika, and Haimona Street, you may spot our team and contractors undertaking work on the Dargaville water mains. 

‘Water’ will be a word to watch in 2021, as far as Kaipara District Council is concerned. To start with,
low river flows mean water restrictions are in place for our largest reticulated town supply to Dargaville
and Baylys Beach.

When Brian Armstrong and David Buttenshaw joined Fire and Emergency NZ as volunteers, they were both looking for the chance to give back to his community.

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

After months of planning, the Wood Street revitalisation project really got rolling this month, with key changes implemented following the latest community co-design workshops.

A labour of love now blessed.

Kaipara District’s 2020 Citizen & Environmental Awards have been presented.

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

Some Council services and offices will be closed over December/January.

Your next property revaluation is set to arrive in early 2021.

Have you ever looked at a verge or berm around your area and wondered why it has a dip in its centre? That subtle depression is doing an incredibly important job – it’s called a swale and they're an essential part of our stormwater services.

Two proposed demonstration sites for the Kaipara Water project have been given the green light from Council, which will serve as real-life working examples of the best ways to irrigate high value horticultural crops.

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

Ruawai Water treatment plant played host to a number of local school kids as part of the EnviroSchools Water for Life
programme last week. The programme is a Northland Regional Council initiative. 

Find out more about the new Pouto wharf at our upcoming community open day.

The beautiful stretch of weather we’ve been enjoying is great for the beach, but not for water supplies. Being wise with water at the beginning of the season can ease the pressures later on. Let’s streeeeeeech the supply as far as we can.

There’s been a lot of exciting mahi happening in Taharoa Domain recently. This year our Parks team and their contractors have planted more than 12,500 native trees as part of a regenerative planting plan and a successful pest cull has been undertaken around the Kai Iwi lakes area.

Fire Station cleared in Wood Street.

Council looking for feedback to help with the Long Term Plan.

More than $180,000.00 has been awarded in the latest Kaipara District Council funding rounds for Reserve Contributions Contestable Fund, Rural Travel Fund, and the Creative Communities Scheme.  

Dargaville pontoon completion kicks off Kaipara Wharves project

Collaborative stormwater project kicks off with first LittaTrap installed in Mangawhai

The Kaipara District Council has passed a review of its accreditation as a recognised agency to conduct food verification with flying colours. 

Work is underway at Selwyn Park to upgrade lights.

Kaipara District Council has closed off parts of the Northern Wairoa War Memorial Hall (Dargaville Town Hall) at 37 Hokianga Road after an air quality test revealed mould in elevated levels in various parts of the building relating to ongoing water egress.

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.

Minister Shane Jones has announced $15 million for Kaipara District Council for shovel ready infrastructure projects

Business and community groups affected by Covid-19 lockdown are benefitting from support offered by Kaipara District Council.

More than $122,000 has been awarded in the latest Kaipara District Council funding rounds for Community Grants, Rural Travel Fund, and Creative Communities Scheme.

Treat water like gold.

Kaipara District Council is proposing to replace their old Bylaws with a new, tidier version and is asking the community for input before it is finalised.

Nominations have opened for a new set of awards that Kaipara District Council has announced to acknowledge the work of individuals and organisations who protect and enhance the District’s unique environment.

New road safety measures are being introduced outside several Kaipara schools to help make drivers more aware they are approaching school zones and the need to slow down.

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