3+ week, 6+ hour ago (649+ words) A 3D rendering of the solar farm now under construction at Ruakaka. Graphic / supplied. As Meridian Energy begins construction on its $227 million solar farm in Ruak'k', a local M'ori leader is highlighting unresolved cultural and environmental concerns. Dr Mere Kepa, chair of the Takahiwai M'ori Committee and representative of local hap" Te Parawhau, says that for local M'ori the project continues a legacy of land loss and cultural displacement. "When workers arrive to mark out the land, scrape through indigenous waters, and hammer measuring ropes into the soil, a sense of impending forfeiture is felt again," she said. Meridian, however, says it consulted extensively with M'ori stakeholders on the project - its first solar scheme in New Zealand and one of the country's largest. Increased environmental commitments - including plans to restore wetlands, enhance sand dunes, and plant 22ha of native vegetation, as well…...

6+ day, 15+ hour ago (448+ words) Job advertisement volumes have risen by 1% for the past four months and are now 7% higher than a year earlier, according to the Seek Employment report for October. Annual growth has not been this strong since November 2022, Seek said. However, applications per ad also rose 2% for the month and remain at record-high levels. "While we're mindful that many Kiwis are still facing real challenges in finding work, this data does indicate that hiring activity has stabilised after many months of decline," Seek country manager Rob Clark said. A more promising sign of stability returning on a wide scale was that ad volumes had grown annually in Auckland for the first time (1%), after two-and-a-half years of decline, Clark said. Aside from Gisborne (-1% for the month), all regions recorded either no change or growth in October. Job ads saw the strongest monthly growth…...

1+ week, 15+ hour ago (640+ words) Northlanders are being urged to lock in good water habits now, before water treatment plants are pushed to their limits. The Far North District Council's Water Shortage Management Committee (WSMC) said water restrictions over the next few months will depend less on drought risk and more on how residents and visitors use water. The committee members makes recommendations for water restrictions based on the latest water flow and consumption data, and the water-take consent levels set by Northland Regional Council. The committee said simple habits like catching rainwater, limiting outdoor use and keeping showers short can help ease pressure on treatment plants and "lessen the need to apply restrictions that protect our water sources. Far North District Council head of infrastructure Tanya Proctor said the west coast is generally more vulnerable to dry spells, and high visitor numbers in peak…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago (713+ words) Rotorua council will run its water services until 2028 while exploring a shared model. Rotorua Lakes Council's 10-year plan for managing the district's water, wastewater and stormwater services has been approved by the Government. The prospect of joining a merged, multi-council organisation to deliver those services from 2028, however, remains a point of debate among councillors. The council's Water Services Delivery Plan outlines how water services will operate under the Government's Local Water Done Well programme, which replaced Three Waters reform in August. Councils were required to develop and submit water services plans by September 3. Rotorua's plan keeps management in council hands until at least 2028, delaying any move to a regional body. In the interim, Rotorua will work with Kawerau, "p'tiki and Whakat'ne councils, which had their respective plans accepted this month, to investigate the validity of forming a joint organisation. A…...

3+ day, 15+ min ago (602+ words) Kellam Conover, known as Kelly, died in a fall on Aoraki/Mt Cook on Monday. The heartbroken mother of a climber who died while trying to conquer Aoraki Mt Cook this week has described him as "extraordinary in many ways. Pamela Conover is grappling with the immense grief of losing her son, Kellam Conover, all while being on the other side of the world at her home in North Carolina. Kellam, from the United States, and his W'naka-based mountain guide, Thomas Vialletet, were part of a group of four climbers trying to ascend Aoraki Mt Cook on Monday night. The pair, connected by a rope, fell close to the summit. Pamela Conover said Kellam, who she affectionately called Kelly, was an introvert, but he found it easy to navigate the world by "making good friends and being kind and thoughtful…...

3+ week, 3+ day ago (487+ words) Possible Whakaari/White Island eruption" was the headline of an Earth Sciences New Zealand update on Thursday last week. The alleged eruption at New Zealand's most active cone volcano happened in broad daylight, but clearly, scientists did not have access to enough information to definitively say if an eruption had occurred. The following day, it was confirmed there had been two weak eruptions on Thursday, with a Monday observation flight noting that ash was produced. Part of the reason for the slow flow of information may be that small eruptions are less easy to immediately distinguish from Whakaari's usual huffing and puffing. In poor weather or darkness, it is even more difficult. There are no longer any operational sensors, cameras or monitoring equipment on the island " a situation scientists have described as frustrating" and strange". Scientists have not been allowed…...

3+ week, 1+ day ago (704+ words) Biosecurity worker Brad Windust (pictured) is calling for regional buffer zones and education programmes to help stop Asian hornets from spreading. Species from left: Asian yellow-legged hornet, German wasp, Asian paper wasp, and Australian paper wasp. Regional buffer zones could be key to halting the spread of Asian hornets, Northlander Brad Windust says" and Cabinet Minister Shane Jones agrees, saying the idea is "worth pursuing. Windust, a biosecurity worker and former beekeeper, believes regions have a two-year window to act against the bee-eating hornet, which threatens honeybees, crops, and ecosystems and has devastated pollination overseas especially in Europe. Alongside buffer zones, he wants regional education programmes so people " especially beekeepers " can identify hornets early. He's calling on regional councils, industry groups, and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones - through the Regional Development fund - to step up. "Every dollar spent now saves…...

3+ week, 4+ day ago (697+ words) In contrast to the rise in most other sectors, non-performing loans in the agriculture sector have declined, the Reserve Bank said in its latest financial stability report. Non-performing loans in the New Zealand agriculture sector are running at near 16-year lows, the Reserve Bank says. Non-performing loans (NPLs) include those where the borrower is at least 90 days late or is unlikely to repay the debt in full. In contrast to the rise in most other sectors, NPLs in the agri sector have declined, the central bank said in its latest Financial Stability Report. The bank's report compares with previous financial stability reports dating back a decade or so, which called out indebtedness in the agri sector " particularly dairy " as being a risk to financial stability. "Elevated milk and beef prices, improving sheepmeat prices and stabilising (albeit high) farm costs have…...

2+ week, 16+ hour ago (629+ words) A 19th-century presentation bowl, which is among only three of its kind made by Ng'ti Pikiao master carver Patoromu Tamatea, could fetch up to $300,000 at auction. The kumete whakairo (carved lidded presentation bowl) will be auctioned at Artvisory's Indigenous Arts of the Southern Hemisphere Auction at Gow Langsford in Auckland on November 24. The 30cm-high, 42cm-wide wooden bowl, currently part of the Patrick O'Connor collection, was carved by Tamatea as a gift from Te Arawa chiefs to Robert Graham in 1878 after the MP was asked to help settle a land dispute in Maket" between chiefs Te Pokiha Taranui of Ng'ti Pikiao and Petera Te Pukuatua of Ng'ti Whakaue, according to auction documents. Graham, a former Superintendent of Auckland and fluent te reo M'ori speaker, travelled for three days on horseback to persuade the chiefs to postpone fighting while he negotiated with…...

3+ week, 6+ day ago (527+ words) Rotorua's newest supermarket has opened at Rotorua Central Mall, with two other businesses now confirmed for the site of the mall's previous supermarket nearby. Ribbon was cut and treats shared as Rotorua Central Mall FreshChoice, the 70th Woolworths New Zealand group store, was officially opened today. Trustee for mall owner Pukeroa Oruawhata Trust, Rawiri Waru said the opening was a "long time coming" and "probably the worst-kept secret in Rotorua". FreshChoice executive general manager Tim Cartwright said the supermarket created up to 50 new jobs, following a "locals-first" employment approach. The supermarket is on the site of the old Smiths City store, which closed in January, and now the trust has confirmed the mall's old Countdown site will also soon be filled. Pukeroa Oruawhata Trust trustee and director David Tapsell said Timezone was set to open on December 19 " "the next best secret…...