Council decision on Private Plan Change 81 triggers formal RMA process

Dargaville’s flood resilience strengthened through critical repairs and improvements

We’re looking for fresh talent to bring colour and creativity in the form of a mural for Jaycee Park toilets in Dargaville.

Dargaville residents were asked to urgently conserve water ahead of the Kings Birthday weekend, when reservoir levels started to drop due to a break along the town's raw water pipeline. The event prompted emergency repairs for this first and three subsequent leaks, round the clock water deliveries from Kaipara and neighbouring districts and a coordinated response.

Did you know that a whopping 55% of journeys take place on just 16% of the KDC road network?

Success! The last houses around upper Hokianga Road are now getting water, thanks to the dedicated work of the crews to get the booster pumps on Sunday.

A new targeted rate will be collected to support three of the district’s museums.

Kaipara District Council has reviewed its Development Contributions Policy and is seeking feedback on the proposed changes.

Significant strides have been made to repair hundreds of slips and restore the Kaipara roading network.

The dry season came to an abrupt end in April with the arrival of ex-tropical Cyclone Tam.

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

Community members in Dargaville are being told to prepare for further surface flooding in the township over the next couple days. 

Commemorative ceremonies took place around Kaipara District on Friday in observance of ANZAC day.

Replacement corridor for the Brynderwyn Hills section of State Highway 1, announced. 

Update Friday 18 April, 8:57am

Northland experienced an exceptionally dry March, which brought grading work across the district to a halt. 

The Dargaville Town Hall is getting a push to move forward with additional funding approved.

Kaipara District Council has lifted water restrictions for Baylys Beach and Dargaville properties on town water supply.

The announcement of a boost for water projects in Northland will provide a resilient water supply for Dargaville’s future generations. 

At the 26 March 2025 council meeting, elected members approved the Proposed Kaipara District Plan, paving the way for it to proceed to public notification in late April.

The Kauri Coast Community Pool will receive funding from Kaipara District Council for another year, while staff investigate ownership options for the future.

Dargaville and Baylys Beach residents have taken the level 4 water restrictions in their stride with daily water usage decreasing further.

A dry February has put the brakes on unsealed road maintenance, shifting our focus to wet roll grades.

Those on town supply in Baylys Beach and Dargaville are now in level 4 water restrictions – essential use only. Water can only be used for drinking, cooking, washing clothes and showering. 

Kaipara District Council has agreed to consult with the community on a targeted rate for the district’s museums.

Work across the 1126km unsealed network will pick back up in late March, having slowed down during the dry season. 

Whakapirau, Paparoa, Ruawai, Arapohue, Maungatūroto are just a few of the places now home to 27 official New Zealand citizens.

Council kaimahi (staff) and elected members will be at the Field Days.

Lower than expected rainfall and extremely low river flows are edging Kaipara District closer to drought conditions.

Council is asking residents in Dargaville and Baylys Beach to reduce their water use immediately to protect the water supply.

Pre-seal repairs progressed well in November, with 71% of sites finished.

Residents in Baylys Beach and Dargaville on town water supply are asked to conserve water use as we enter level 2 water restrictions.

In October, Kaipara's roading team powered through 55% of necessary pre-seal works, in preparation for re-seals next year.

Kaipara District Council has agreed to incorporate Private Plan Change 83 (PPC83), Cove Road North Precinct (The Rise) into the Operative Kaipara District Plan.

A suite of recovery and resilience projects underway in Kaipara District is set to benefit from more than half a million dollars in central government funds.

Kaipara District Council has agreed to incorporate Private Plan Change 81 Trifecta Development Area (PPC81) into the Operative Kaipara District Plan.

Kaipara District Council adopted the recommendations of the Hearing Panel for Private Plan Change 84 Mangawhai Hills Development Area (PPC84) at its 28 August meeting.

Two count cameras have been installed in Dargaville to track the number of people walking, cycling and scooting.

We made the most of June’s relatively dry weather, carrying out culvert placements and water tabling across the district.

Council has approved a procurement plan to appoint a contractor for the Dargaville Town Hall Project. Keen contractors will soon be able to register Expressions of Interest.

A decision to adopt the recommendations of a Hearing Panel by Elected Members of Kaipara District Council moves Private Plan Change 83 (Cove Road North Precinct) a step closer.

Teams are in full swing across both unsealed and sealed networks, preparing for the upcoming winter season.

Additional residential land has opened up in Dargaville after Kaipara District Council gave final approval to a Plan Change request to rezone 39 hectares of rural land into residential land.

Two temporary raised crossings and a new footpath will soon provide improved connectivity in Dargaville, making it easier and safer for tamariki to walk, cycle and scoot to school.  

We are making changes to the system that Kaipara District Libraries uses for our library catalogue, customer records and other library services.

Roading teams made the most of April’s dry weather, resurfacing 129,042m2 across the network and carrying out culvert replacements and water tabling.

UPDATE - Dargaville Library closure dates confirmed

Commemorative ceremonies took place across Kaipara District on Wednesday in observance of ANZAC day.

Water restrictions have been lifted for properties on town supply in Dargaville and Baylys Beach.

Relatively dry weather in March enabled our roading team to push through our drainage maintenance and renewals.

A new online mapping tool developed by Northland’s three district councils shows the latest repair plans for the remaining slips still affecting district roads following severe weather events that hit the region during 2022-23.

Dargaville and Baylys Beach residents have responded to the call to preserve water under Level 3 water restrictions.

Our team made the most of February’s mixed bag of weather.

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.

January saw our teams commence routine spraying rounds, pavement repairs are full steam ahead and preseals and reseals are underway across the district.

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

Residents in Dargaville and Baylys Beach are urged to reduce water use after use has risen slightly since Level 3 water restrictions came into force on 12 February.

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

Four Kaipara citizens have been recognised for their services to the community at the annual Kaipara Citizen’s Awards. 

Our roading teams worked hard throughout December to prepare our roads for a surge in traffic over the summer.

Water restrictions have been introduced for Dargaville and surrounds, with residents across the entire Kaipara district being urged to use the precious resource wisely.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) has confirmed detour routes and dates ahead of the upcoming closure of State Highway 1 (SH1) Brynderwyn Hills for critical restoration work.

Hundreds of people descended on Taha Awa Riverside Gardens on Tuesday 6 February to mark Waitangi Day with music, cultural performances, activities, kai, and community vibes at Waitangi ki Kaipara.

Aerosol cans and aluminium foil or foil trays are no longer on the list for kerbside recycling collections in Kaipara district.

Roading crews have made strong progress improving and stabilising the local alternative routes around the Brynderwyn Hills in anticipation of additional traffic due to the upcoming closure of SH1 Brynderwyn Hills. 

Bring your friends and whānau to enjoy live entertainment, cultural performances, interactive craft and toi Māori stalls, some delicious kai, a healing space and so much more!

We are now into the final stretch of 2023 and are pushing hard to complete outstanding work before the end of the year.

An update on the Kaipara Cycle Network Connections project from Kaipara District Council Chief Executive, Jason Marris.

Are you a local food vendor, business owner, artist or creative? Come and be part of a community event to celebrate the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi – The Treaty of Waitangi!

Despite the unexpected interruption from Cyclone Lola,October was a very productive month on roads across Kaipara.

Replacement of Dargaville’s Northern Wairoa War Memorial Hall Annex after its demolished is to get a hurry-along with an Elected Member working group established to give the project more focus.

A new building consent management system introduced into Kaipara will make it easier for architects, developers, builders and homeowners to apply for, and keep track of their building consents.

More than half of the 71 slips still impacting Kaipara roads in the wake of multiple severe weather events that hit Northland earlier this year should be repaired by the middle of next year.

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

Designs for two community hubs will proceed as originally planned after a motion agreed by Council to reallocate the funding did not receive iwi support.

Over the next two weekends, Kaipara District Council Elected Members and Council staff will be out and about attending markets around the district.

A number of infrastructure renewals and upgrades completed in recent years have strengthened water security in Kaipara.

Sand, surf and sun are the stuff of classic Kiwi holidays and many memories have been made at beach campgrounds.

That beach lifestyle could be yours.

We are only just on the other side of Winter and are already feeling the benefits of warmer and drier weather.

Kaipara is set to benefit from $2.6 million recently announced by the Government to boost resilience and reduce the risk of major flood damage.

Dargaville residents and visitors are one step closer to easier and safer active transport options after Kaipara District Council’s decision to progress the Kaipara Cycle Network Connections project.

The end of another winter gave us some much-needed sunshine and blue skies. Now with Spring upon us and the days getting longer, our focus moves to pavement works.

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

A new working party, made up of elected members, Kaipara District Council (KDC) staff and input from external expert advice has been appointed to work on the new Engineering Standards for the district.

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

We received 320 submissions from the community on proposed connectivity improvements between residential Dargaville and the town centre.

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). 

Kaipara’s Proposed District Plan is on track to be notified in 2024.  

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.

Footpath works are well underway in Dargaville.

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.

Footpath upgrades for Logan, Gordon and Onslow Streets in Dargaville have been given the green light.

An update from Kaipara District Council and Northland Regional Council.

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

The unsealed network has remained a significant point of focus throughout this traditionally rainy month.

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

It’s been nearly six months since Cyclone Gabrielle, however we are still actively repairing damages and working through a substantial backlog.

Kaipara District Council has introduced a working party to work with staff to finalise development of the Proposed District Plan.

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

Fourteen Kaipara residents from eleven nationalities were celebrated and recognised as new citizens at a ceremony in Dargaville on Monday.

This month, we have been primarily focused on clearing slips, performing tree and drainage works, and continuing with the unsealed rehabs program.

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.

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. 

Commemorative ceremonies took place around Kaipara District on Tuesday in observance of ANZAC day.

The Dargaville Town Hall will be closed from Monday 24 April in the interest of public safety following damage sustained during Cyclone Gabrielle.

Our roading team were kept busy all summer, responding to urgent roading issues following the extreme weather events we’ve had.

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

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.

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.

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.

Kaipara District continues to respond to the impacts of 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.

It’s a relief to see river levels dropping with the steady fine weather. There is still some flooding in areas around the Northern Wairoa, which we are still monitoring. We expect these to return to normal by Tuesday.

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.

You now have until Friday 03 March to dispose of flood-damaged green waste and items free of charge at Dargaville and Hakaru transfer stations. Both transfer stations are operating normal hours during this time.  

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.

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.

This article will be updated with information on Kaipara District Council services during Cyclone Gabrielle. 

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

Kaipara District Council is seeking input from the community on the future of Mangawhai Community Park. 

Our team worked hard throughout December, preparing our roads for the expected influx of summer traffic. 

On the final stretch of 2022, the team have been pushing hard to complete outstanding work before the end of the year. Work continues on both the unsealed and sealed networks in anticipation of the summer rush and the expected increase in traffic. 

Look after your loo and Kaipara's wastewater network this summer by reminding your household members and visitors what not to flush.

Fencing continues to progress in the Parore area and foundations for both Ahikiwi and Parore Bridges have been poured.

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.

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

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is encouraging people in Dargaville to get on their bikes with a Transport Choice programme grant of approximately $8,000,000 to be provided to Kaipara District Council, announced on 4 December 2022.

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

With the continued improvements in weather, we are now full swing into unsealed and sealed pavement works. We have approximately 50kms of road to reseal in the 2022/23 season.

The newly elected mayor and councillors of Kaipara District were officially sworn into office in Dargaville at 1pm on Wednesday 26 October.

Two special artworks that adorn the Dargaville library were blessed at a joint community and Council celebration.

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.   

Our roading team made the most of the warmer, drier weather that came our way in September.

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

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.

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.  

August brought a welcome reprieve from the wild weather and storm events of July. A total of 3,100 individual work items were completed throughout August.

An update on the Kaihu Valley Trail including fencing progress, funding and latest finds along the trail.

Wild, wet and windy weather kept crews busy in July. A total of 3,358 individual work items were completed throughout the month. 

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

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.

Maintenance activities have been widespread in June. During this typically wet period, there has been a focus on potholing, running metal and completing grading work.

Kaipara District Council has completed the final step to adopt Private Plan Change 78 (PP78), which amends the planning rules that apply to the Mangawhai Central Development.

In May, we saw some great progress happening across the district. Sealed pavement rehabs are now complete, and the unsealed network has received the last of the PGF/IRG funding. 

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.

Elected members have voted to pause planned informal consultation on the Kaipara District Plan while they hold a further briefing on some topics.

April’s relatively calm weather meant that Kaipara’s roading team could focus on jobs carrying over from previous months, and complete work on this year’s sealed pavement rehabs, unsealed heavy metal sites, and footpath kerb and channel renewals before the wet winter weather sets in.

Check out the latest happenings on the Kaihu Valley Trail progress, including the discovery of some railway artefacts.

Works to improve the sewer pipe network in Dargaville is scheduled to begin on 19 April 2022.  

The Environment Court has given the green light to Mangawhai Central’s Private Plan Change 78 (PPC 78) to the Kaipara District Plan.

The Waiatua Dam (on Opanake Road) may be the solution to end the Dargaville and Baylys Beach water shortages, according to a preliminary investigation, commissioned by Kaipara District Council. 

Kaipara roading teams have been putting their time to good use during the dry season, preparing for autumn when the damper conditions enable new road pavement to be properly compacted.

Last week saw the installation of a temporary sign marking the Dargaville entrance of the Kaihu Valley Trail.

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.

Although Kaipara’s dry weather has slowed work on the unsealed road network, the roading crews are still hard at work, completing some of the remaining associated improvement work, like drainage and vegetation control.

The second season of road surfacing works commenced in the Kaipara District this month, after 14.4kms was completed in December 2021.

‘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.

The Kaipara District's roads continue to hold the right balance of moisture and dryness, which has allowed the NTA and Kaipara District Council to complete a lot of roading work this month, including grading on Avoca Rd, Avoca East Rd and Avoca North Rd.

Kaipara District Council has confirmed that the Ruawai area will be the first location for the community adaptation planning, adaptive pathways process at its meeting on 15 December.

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.

A tomo (sinkhole) recently appeared on Gordon Street in Dargaville.

November has been a busy roading month for the Northland Transport Alliance and Kaipara District Council, across the Kaipara District.

With the Christmas holidays soon approaching, there will be some changes to a few Council services.

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.

Kaipara District Council (KDC) has worked with other Northland Councils on a Drought Management Plan (DMP) to create a consistent drought classification system and approach.

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.

Findings of the latest LittaTrap audit found an increase of rubbish captured. LittaTraps (a simple, cost-effective net that sits inside a stormwater grate) have been installed around Northland through a multi-agency initiative.

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

An update on where the roading team will be working across Kaipara in October. 

A progress update on the Kaihu Valley Trail.

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

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).  

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.

The new-format Dargaville Library had its first evening test-run when author Drew Bryenton (aka Andy Bryenton) presented his book ‘Gads Army’ to an appreciative audience on Thursday 1 July.

A new stormwater network has been installed between 18 – 40 Jervois Street, Dargaville.

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. 

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

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

A section of Hokianga Road has been a hive of activity recently, with our contractors out busy replacing an ageing stormwater culvert.

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

The Kaihu Valley Trail is a 40km walking and biking track being constructed from Dargaville to Donnelly’s Crossing and will form part of the Ancient Kauri Trail that extends from Omapere to Maungaturoto. 

Dargaville Library is encouraging customers to stock up with books and DVD during May before the library is closed temporarily for a freshen-up from 5pm Friday 28 May, reopening Tuesday 15 June. 

Kaipara District Council has accepted the recommendation from the Hearings Panel to approve Private Plan Change 78. 

Author Tere Davies will be talking about her book and answering questions on April 20 in Dargaville. 

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

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.

Kaipara District Council will soon be seeking feedback on their proposal to develop a revitalised Dargaville civic precinct as part of their Long Term Plan consultation.

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.

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. 

A labour of love now blessed.

The Private Plan Change is currently adjourned at the direction of the commissioners. 

North Auckland Dog Rescue and Kaipara District Council’s offer to Community Service Cardholders to subsidise the cost of desexing their dogs have been in such hot demand they are now managing a waiting list.

Dargaville pontoon completion kicks off Kaipara Wharves project

Collaborative stormwater project kicks off with first LittaTrap installed in Mangawhai

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.

Construction work for the new Dargaville pontoon is set to begin next month. The work is part of Kaipara KickStart, an umbrella programme led by Kaipara District Council and funded by the Provincial Growth Fund, to grow the district’s economy and increase community wellbeing.

Following several rounds of community and Mana Whenua consultation, Kaipara District Council has adopted a Spatial Plan for Dargaville, Maungaturoto and Kaiwaka.  

The newly elected mayor and councillors of Kaipara District were officially sworn into office in Dargaville at 1pm on Wednesday 26 October.