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.

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.

Community, Council and Contractors met at the Rangitane Hall on Monday 2 May, to celebrate the completion of Phase 1 of Pouto Road sealing, and the start of safer journeys for the Pouto community.

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

There was a real sense of Groundhog Day in March, following on from Cyclone Dovi in February when the district was hit with a significant rain event. For Kaipara’s roading team, it was all hands-on deck with the clean-up.

Knocking off the big things as the season turns, daylight savings ends and the autumn equinox has passed, Kaipara District Council has just had confirmation the Mangawhai Central Private Plan Change has been resolved by all the concerned parties without the need for a costly Environment Court hearing.

Even lower expectations for KDC rates in the 2022-23 Annual Plan year, commencing 1 July, are now firmly on the cards as Council gets closer to its June finalisation of what will be in the Annual Plan. 

Covid Omicron case numbers are increasing across New Zealand and in other parts of Northland but not in Kaipara District.

Two years ago last week the Government started its rollout of the first responses to the Covid-19 coronavirus. We’ve been living in a pandemic since then.

Pouto Road phase one and Waipoua River Road will be completed in April, despite delays caused by wet weather in the Kaipara District post the Christmas break. 

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

A blessing undertaken by Te Roroa last week marked the start of physical works on Waipoua River Road.