The case of Ngunguru, Northland

The politics of place precipitated by a development proposal for a privately owned sandspit in Ngunguru, Northland, is examined in this article. It centres on residents' place attachment and the ways in which this helped to inform community resistance to development. A framing analysis of 23 stakeholder interviews conducted in 2008–2009 was carried out by the authors. Place attachment was centred on holistic appreciation of the sandspit's special values. A widespread view that exercise of private property rights over the site was deeply problematic was informed by this appreciation. Community ties were enhanced by shared perceptions of a threat to the sandspit.

New Zealand Geographer, Volume 69, Issue 1, pages 39–51, April 2013

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Airport could create 5000 jobs

Plans for the billion-dollar Kapiti Coast Airport development have been revealed as its owner seeks to loosen council restrictions.

Todd Property Group general manager Bryce Morrin said the company was looking to invest $1b on a project it estimated would create 5000 fulltime-equivalent jobs, directly and indirectly, in areas such as construction, retail, and tourism

"However, I cannot justify that to my board and shareholders if we cannot get the best rate of return. Our option is to pour that into one of our other land holdings around the country where the investment will be more welcomed."

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The decision by the Appeal Court on the Otito Reserve has been released on 28 February 2013.

In June 2012 members of Friends of Matapouri and the Hapu Trust attended the Appeal Court in Wellington.

The latest decision by three Judges confirms the decision by Justice Heath (released December 2010) that the Chief Surveyor erred in law by applying the wrong test in making the decision to approve DP 199214 and that it should not have been approved for survey purposes.

DP 199214 was the plan submitted and approved by LINZ that saw approx 1.1 hectares of reserve land incorporated into a private title. Most of this land was subsequently purchased by DOC for $3.5m and returned to reserve status.

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The boots that Linda Donaldson wore during a trek from Cape Reinga to Bluff are destined to become treasured pot plant containers at her Ngunguru home.

She covered 3054km during her five-month hike and her trusty boots gave her only one blister.

Linda's husband Jim also deserves credit for the comfort of the long-lasting footwear. He followed his wife in their campervan and when she emerged from bush sections of the Te Araroa Trail he would give the boots any repairs needed so Linda could keep wearing them. When she reached Bluff the pair celebrated with oysters and champagne, which Linda thoroughly enjoyed after bush meals of cold muesli and noodles. She ate well on the trail, but still lost 5kg.

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Elisabeth Easther revels in an abundance of native wildlife

Origin of name: Maori for "rumbling tides".

Population: Approximately 1500.

Where is it: Three or four minutes to Tutukaka, 26km to Whangarei, two-and-a-half hours from Auckland.

Interesting historical facts: The Melanesian Mission ship, Southern Cross, was wrecked in Ngunguru Bay in 1860. In 1892, coal was discovered at Kiripaka, at the headwaters of the Ngunguru River and, over 30 years, 630,000 tonnes of coal were extracted.

Main employer: The tourism industry. This area is a magnet for foreign and local visitors.

Sources of pride: Was voted second most beautiful coast on Earth by National Geographic magazine and is also on the AA's "Top 101 Must Do" list.

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To appreciate what wetlands offer, you really have to see them, walk in them and have a good look at what's living there. They are extraordinary places and extraordinarily important to the environment. We want everyone to know that and the way to achieve this is to encourage people to get out and explore."

So says Auckland Council senior biodiversity adviser Miranda Bennett, and I can see what she means. We're standing just 7km from downtown Auckland, in the middle of the LeRoys Bush and Little Shoal Bay wetland in Birkenhead, but we might as well be in another country.

It's tranquil. A gentle breeze offers respite from a scorching sun and stirs native swamp plants such as raupo (native bulrush) and carex grasses. We seek shelter from the sun on well-built paths which meander through cabbage trees, nikau palms, karaka, kowhai and coprosma.

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A woman who lives at a popular holiday spot on the Tutukaka Coast is hoping to form a community watch group after several break-ins and even reports of suspected squatters in empty baches.

Mrs Fuge is confident she will have many permanent Matapouri residents on board to help keep an eye on things around the community.

Long-time Matapouri resident Elizabeth Fuge wants to collect contact details of every property owner in the area in an effort to create a community watch telephone tree.

"It's an idea that came to me from a guy out at Woolley's Bay and, when nothing like that was happening here, I thought I'd do it myself," she said.

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At 0938 hours today [Wednesday, 16 January 2013], Coastguard Northern Region’s Communications and SAR Response Centre was alerted by St John’s Ambulance of a vessel just off the coast of Tutukaka that had a person on board who had suffered a suspected stroke.

St John’s received the initial call from the distressed vessel via cell phone and passed the alert on to Coastguard who tasked Tutukaka Rescue. Tutukaka Rescue managed to establish contact with the vessel on Channel 04, a local game fishing channel in Tutukaka, and arrived on scene within 10 minutes of leaving their base.

On arrival to the vessel, a first response was put on board to assess the situation and stabilise the patient. Tutukaka Rescue then escorted the vessel back to the Tutukaka Marina where they berthed the vessel and were met by St John’s Ambulance. The patient in distress was taken to hospital.

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When mooring access comes before world's rarest shore bird our society is insane.

It's some topsy-turvy world where the community's decision-maker was being forced to weigh up the possibility of bringing a species to extinction against people wanting to moor their boats closer to their homes.

Mangawhai Harbour is promoted as a water-lovers' paradise and the perfect launch pad for surfers, boaties and recreational fishers. But some locals are gunning for significant development of the natural landscape with little regard for the importance and fragility of the harbour's wildlife.

Many people don't realise Mangawhai Harbour is critical to the survival of New Zealand fairy terns.

Fairy terns are New Zealand's rarest shore bird. There are just 43 left in the world. Each one is so vital to the species' survival that the Department of Conservation (DoC) and volunteers take turns to watch over the birds in shifts, at nesting sites during the breeding season.

This critically endangered species once bred around the North Island and upper South Island, but is now confined to four nesting sites north of Auckland.

Mangawhai is the most important of the four sites, with half of the population's breeding pairs feeding on small fish found in the mangroves that grow in the harbour. These small, gull-like birds are already on the knife's edge of extinction, and yet we're at risk of losing this critical feeding ground.

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Long Bay land too expensive to be used for affordable housing envisaged in council blueprint, say developers.

One of Auckland's few large-scale housing developments, at Long Bay, is exactly the type of model the Auckland Council does not want - expensive houses on large sections gobbling up prime land.

This time next year, residents will have moved into the first three-bedroom, stand-alone houses costing at least $700,000, backing on to Long Bay beach and regional park.

The park's facilities have struggled to cope this summer with up to 25,000 visitors a day during the holiday season.

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