Waka Kotahi funds to support walking and cycling in Dargaville

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

Walk, run, scooter, bike, or maybe rollerblade?

The recent completion of the third phase of the Mangawhai shared path means residents and visitors can now choose all sorts of transport modes to travel from the Village to the Heads shops. 

A major upgrade to the Raupō drainage system to protect highly productive fertile land has made significant progress.

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

A joint paper on the suite of upgrades for the Mangawhai wastewater treatment plant has won the prestigious Paper of the Year award at the Water NZ conference.

A new observation tower for Baylys Beach will improve the response times and working conditions for volunteer lifeguards on the popular west coast beach.

Kaipara District Council has allocated over $50,000 through the Sport NZ Rural Travel Fund and Creative Communities Scheme – Arts Funding, benefiting 33 successful applicants in 2024.

Kaipara’s roading services were transferred to Downer Ltd on 1 July and the team have been busy recruiting, assessing the network and planning their works programme.

Kaipara District Council has awarded more than $480,000 to 32 local organisations through its 2024 Community Grant and Reserve Contributions Fund.

Check out the latest work on the boardwalk extension for Baylys Beach. Piling is complete and now the team are installing the bearers and joists.

The relationship agreements Kaipara District Council holds with Te Roroa and Te Uri o Hau were terminated by the Council at its September meeting, with a view to start afresh with new agreements.

A new strategy developed by Northland’s four local authorities looks to improve accessibility across the region, which has the country’s second highest rate of disabilities and impairments.

It’s Welcoming Week, an opportunity to make our communities more welcoming to all those who choose to call Aotearoa New Zealand home.

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.

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

Our roading team and contractors are carrying out slip repair work on Paparoa-Oakleigh Road (near Wairere Road), Mon 29 July to Fri 2 August.

It’s kick off time for the new loos at Pahi!

The first stage of the Rangiora Road park upgrade will include car and boat trailer parking, lighting and a public toilet.

A new group of roading services contractors has been put in place to deliver road maintenance for Kaipara District Council. 

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

 A set of new toilets for Baylys Beach goers were officially blessed and opened to the public late last week.

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.

Kaipara District Council and Whangarei District Council are developing a joint panel of contractors to complete the remaining emergency recovery repairs, helping to save money and time for both councils.

From 1 July Molesworth Drive southbound traffic will be diverted around Moir Point Road/Seabreeze Road for approximately three weeks.

A new delivery model for transportation services and roading construction across Northland has been confirmed following decisions made by Far North, Kaipara, and Whangarei District and Northland Regional Councils.

Downer is working hard to get construction done through the winter period, in time to have the third phase of the shared path open for use when summer rolls round again.

Close to 100 people came together at the southern tip of the Pouto Peninsula to celebrate the opening of a new wharf in Kaipara.

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

More than $3.2million of external funding will be redirected into Kaipara District’s waters infrastructure budget after Council deciding to redirect existing uncommitted Better Off and Transition Support funding.

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.

New toilets are on the way for Baylys Beach, to provide safe and accessible facilities for the community and visitors. 

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.  

Molesworth Drive has been a hive of activity, with crew working on the third phase of the shared path spread across different zones.

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.

Kaipara District Council contractors Ventia have completed another significant road repair, this time in Maungaturoto.

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.

Kaipara District Council has gone to the open market for a new roading contractor as the current contract with Ventia comes to a close. 

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.

Up to $10,000 is up for grabs in round one of Kaipara’s Rural Travel Fund for 2024. 

Work on Pouto wharf has been progressing well during weather and tidal windows, with the crew taking every opportunity to complete piling works, concreting, and install bearers. With most of the piles now in place, the crew are focused on completing the bracing and joists over the next fortnight.

Devich Road bridge will close again from next week while contractors carry out final repairs.

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. 

Two bridges in Tangiteroria will undergo essential works this year to improve safety and restore full vehicle access, resulting in temporary closures on Omana Road and Pukehuia Road.

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.

Works on the next phase of the Mangawhai shared path kick off 7 February. 

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

With the Brynderwyn closure fast approaching, we’ve been busy preparing detour routes for additional traffic.

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. 

Visiting Kaipara’s hot spots this summer? Please park considerately or risk taking an infringement (fine) home with you. 

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!

Tinopai wharf is currently closed due to significant deterioration and structural damage. 

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.

We have now finalised the design for Wood Street. A huge thanks to everyone who has been involved over the years and through the design trials to get to this permanent design.

Another round of weather events, including ex-Cyclone Lola, has affected works on Poutō wharf and extended the completion date out to the end of the summer. 

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.

Repairs on Devich Road bridge are set to start next week.

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.

UPDATED: 9.30am Tuesday 31 October 2023.

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

Kaipara District Council has adopted their Annual Report for 2022/2023. The report was unanimously adopted in the 25 October meeting.

Elected Members agreed to commence the first two stages of a multi-year project to increase the capacity of the Mangawhai Wastewater Scheme.

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. 

Upgrading the Taharoa Domain day visitor toilet facilities, improving drainage in Mangawhai Community Park, and completing the award-winning Baylys Beach boardwalk are all on the cards for Kaipara District Council’s (KDC) work programme thanks to a cash injection from the Tourism Infrastructure Fund (TIF).

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.

Northland’s three District Council roading teams are gearing up for a major resurfacing and road repair programme in the hope wet weather is set to ease.

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.

Sunny weather and an incoming tide provided the perfect backdrop to open the Mangawhai boardwalk to a large gathering last week.

The boardwalk is the second phase of the Mangawhai shared path project, connecting the village to the heads, and making it safer and easier to travel by foot, bike, or scooter along busy Molesworth Drive.

If you’re driving along the beach, keep to the harder sand below the high tide mark.

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.

Council staff and contractors have been working on solutions to repair or replace Devich Road bridge, which was damaged in the 24 February extreme weather event.

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.

Work to repair a slip on Glinks Road is scheduled from mid-September to mid-December 2023. 

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

Progress has been tracking well on the second phase of the Mangawhai shared path, with the boardwalk section now stretching right across the water by the causeway.

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

Contractors working on the finishing touches for Poutō wharf have had to down tools until conditions are more favourable to complete the remaining piling and wharf head.

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 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.

A sunny day set the scene for the official opening of Stage One of the Kaihu Valley Trail (KVT), which was celebrated with a blessing and ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by Ahikiwi Marae on Saturday 10 June.

The need to focus on continuing urgent road repairs due to ongoing wet weather and storm damage is delaying some routine maintenance on Northland’s council-owned roading networks.

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.

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. 

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.

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.  

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.

In a controlled opening, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency will re-open SH1 at the Brynderwyn Hills for northbound vehicles only from 8am tomorrow morning (Wednesday 1 March).

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

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.

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.

Media release from Northland Civil Defence.

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. 

Kaipara District Council is asking residents to mow their own roadside berms to keep Kaipara neighbourhoods tidy. 

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

Salt services, a professional dive team, spent most of a day early last week pulling an old car wreck out of the water. The car had been submerged some years ago and was resting where work was starting on the wharf head.

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

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

Improvements to the Poutō Point carpark area can progress in 2023 thanks to further funding from Kaipara District Council.

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. 

The growing season for the Kaipara Water demonstration sites has kicked off with the Maunganui Bluff site planted out with squash earlier this week.

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

It’s been a busy month as the new Council gets its feet under the table. In November we agreed on the committee structures for the next three years, many of which remain the same from the previous triennium.

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

Northland motorists are being asked to be patient this summer as the Northland Transportation Alliance battles relentless wet weather while attempting roading repairs.

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 construction of Poutō wharf has really been trucking along recently, with another dozen piles driven in the ground last week.

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

Sea, sand, and Aotearoa New Zealand’s rarest bird were all on hand for the opening of Kaipara’s newest loos.

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.

If you live in Poutō or have gone for a drive down recently, you will have seen some of the wharf construction taking shape.

Consultation is now open on a proposal for new speed limits in Kaipara’s Poutō Peninsula and West Coast catchment areas. You now have until Monday 5 December to give your feedback.

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.   

New toilets at Alamar Crescent are ready for the public to use in time for Mangawhai’s busy summer season. 

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

You can soon give your feedback on proposed speed limits changes to Poutō Peninsula and West Coast roads. 

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.

Physical works for Poutō wharf have begun. Earlier in the month, Waikaretu marae led a blessing ahead of construction starting.

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.  

The second phase of the Mangawhai shared path cranks up construction next month, and includes a collaboratively designed boardwalk running alongside the causeway.

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

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.

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

A blessing event carried out with Te Uri o Hau iwi representatives earlier this week signalled the completion of the first phase of the Mangawhai shared path works.

Work to construct Poutō wharf is set to begin shortly.

The first part of a multi-phase project to manage Council’s water and wastewater asset network more efficiently and improve its resilience is complete.

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

Last week saw the first of the pre-cast concrete slabs for Mangawhai’s new wastewater balance tank carefully craned into place.

At the July Council Meeting, Kaipara District Council Elected Members unanimously accepted the Private Plan Change 81 (PPC81) request from the Dargaville Racing Club inc.

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.

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 been successful in its applications for the Tourism Infrastructure Fund.

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

Pop into Dargaville Museum to see their latest display on the development of the Kaihu Valley Trail.

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. 

Find out about the new wharf at an information drop-in session 3 July 2022. 

With the courtesy crossings for phase one now complete, the Mangawhai shared path team and contractors got the spades and mulch out and ticked off the planting, getting the final shrubs and trees in the ground last week.

The project to install a new toilet at Lincoln Street Reserve is a step closer to completion with the new facilities delivered to site last week.  

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.

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.

Work to improve the wastewater network in Kaiwaka is scheduled to begin on 23 May 2022. 

A new balance tank for Mangawhai's wastewater treatment plant is one step closer to completion, with the first pre-cast concrete slabs poured for the tank structure.

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

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.

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.

Complex problems for councils seldom come as neatly packaged as the “Better Off” funding which is part of the Three Waters Reforms.

Elected Members have unanimously approved paying the forecasted $265,000 project shortfall for Poutō wharf, funded from the district’s financial contributions reserves.

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.

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

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.

Two new footbridges were opened at a double ribbon-cutting ceremony in the Kaipara township of Kaiwaka on Saturday 26 March.

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. 

Ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and other delays to the programme have inevitably slowed the Poutō wharf project, but the team have made progress and are now working through the tail end of the developed design.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

At yesterday's Council meeting, the Kaipara District Council approved paying the forecasted $487,000 sealing project shortfall to complete Pouto Road Phase 1, from its retained earnings.

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.

Starting today through to Wednesday 23 February a short section of Molesworth Drive from the ITM down to Nautical Heights will go down to one lane, with flow managed using traffic lights.

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

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

Kaipara District Council’s recently approved new speed limits for the Mangawhai, Kaiwaka and Hakaru areas, are expected to take effect within the next few months.

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.

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 Northland Transportation Alliance’s (NTA) Unsealed Road Improvement Project remains on track to approved project milestones with 84.4 km’s of the network’s road pavement layering completed to date. 

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

The Council is about to start constructing a balance tank, to increase the capacity of the Mangawhai Community Wastewater Scheme.

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. 

Upgrades to numerous unsealed Northland roads are well underway, with a substantial amount of work to be completed by the end of June in the Kaipara District. 

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

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

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

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

Construction for the Pahi wharf upgrade ended as it began months ago, with the sky lighting up slowly on the people gathered together. Voices joined in karakia and waiata, led by kaumatua Hone Martin and representatives of Te Uri o Hau swirled around the Kaipara harbour as a dawn blessing was performed to open the wharf’s gangway and pontoon.

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.

With the border opening there will be increased traffic travelling through both of the worksites. Please remind your visitors ahead of their arrival that these are still active work sites in the lead up to the break – give your friends and family a heads up so they can be prepared for possible travel delays and can plan their journeys accordingly.

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.

Kaipara District Council’s externally funded Unsealed Road Improvements Project remains on track with a little over half the project completed. Northland Transport Alliance Maintenance Lead Bernard Petersen says this includes just over 70 kilometres of unsealed surfaces upgraded.

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.

Kaipara District Council has adopted a report recommending new speed limits in the Mangawhai and Kaiwaka area. The adoption of this report paves the way for the introduction of lower speed limits this financial year.

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

As part of ongoing improvement of Kaipara’s unsealed roading network, the Northland Transportation Alliance is using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to confirm pavement thickness safely and rapidly across the district.

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

Our Kaipara District Council team is excited to see the sealing start to roll out for Phase one of the Pouto Road project – the upgrade of the northern portion running down to Ari Ari Road junction.

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

The $8.06M Unsealed Roading Network project that began in May last year, has crossed the halfway mark with completion of the first season’s physical pavement and associated works at a cost of $4.3M to end of October.

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

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

Extra low tides earlier this month allowed Huband Contractors to work on some of the timber repairs around the lower parts of the tidal stairs.

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.

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

An onsite blessing will be held by Te Roroa on Friday 12 November to mark the start of construction on the $1.8m Waipoua River Road project.

Baylys Beach access is back open for use.

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

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

There’s been significant progress on the Village intersection improvements recently. Night works have enabled the programme to see only a small delay in spite of the recent Level 4 lockdown and restrictions.

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.

Earlier this month an extreme rain event at Baylys Beach, followed by periods of further wet weather, saw signifcant damage inflicted on the beach access.

The Huband crew have been working at the end of the wharf recently, preparing the connection for the new gangway, and replacing pile caps and stringers.

An update on wher ethe roading team will be working across Kaipara in October. 

It’s been a hive of activity down at the Pahi wharf recently. The upgrade has started with local contractors Huband carrying out the carpentry and repair work on the wharf.

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.

Fill has washed away from a Paparoa-Oakleigh Road bridge, leaving a large tomo.

Work is about to start on two of four new toilet blocks. 

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

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).  

Kaiwaka township has seen a number of safety improvements recently, with our team and contractors Ventia busy working along Kaiwaka-Mangawhai Road.

A progress update on the Kaihu Valley Trail.

A significant change in the programme for the much-needed Village intersection improvements will see the work finished in early December, ahead of schedule.

Pouto Road Phase One and Two - what's been happening?

The United Civil team are starting to work in the road (Stage Two of their work staging plan), focusing on the area at the western entrance to the Moir Street / Insley Street intersection.

Winter weather has slowed the reconstruction work to upgrade our unsealed roads, but no time is being wasted. Teams are clearing vegetation and drains in preparation for when reconstruction work can start again.

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

Kaipara District Council voted to become a shareholder of Northland Inc. at their meeting on 26 May.

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.

The Kaihu Valley Trail is a 40km walking and biking track being constructed from Dargaville to Donnellys Crossing. It will form part of the Ancient Kauri Trail that extends from Omapere to Maungaturoto and be one of the 23 Great Rides around New Zealand.

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.

An update on the Kaihu Valley Trail progress

Each year our Northland Transportation Alliance (NTA) safety team prioritises a number of high risk rural roads  for assessment, design, and safety improvements.

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.

Construction work on the Mangawhai Village intersection improvements started this week. 

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!

Construction work for Phase One of the Mangawhai shared path and Village intersection improvements is set to start later this month.

Kaipara District Council has developed a new formula for unsealed roads that results in a more durable, and lower maintenance, surface.

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. 

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

A number of improvements have been made at the Kaiwaka end of Kaiwaka-Mangawhai Road. 

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

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

An update on what's happening with the Kaihu Valley Trail.  

Our Parks team and local contractors Turf Tamer recently completed work by the Kaiwaka River (north eastern side of the bridge).

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. 

Work will begin again at the Mangawhai Community Park after the Easter break.

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

Recently we received the good news that Waka Kotahi NZTA have granted funding to complete phase 1 of our new shared path.

The first part of the Pouto Road sealing project is set to start this week from Wednesday 24 March, kicking off one of Kaipara’s most significant road sealing projects.

We recently started the evaluation for the Wood Street revitalisation project.

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

Construction work for the Pahi wharf upgrade is set to start April 2021.

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.

Mangawhai’s bus service proved hugely popular with both locals and visitors this summer. The bus ran daily 27 December – 17 January and then every weekend and public holiday to 08 February, picking up passengers from Mangawhai Village to the surf beach. 

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.

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.

Earlier this month Rīpia Marae representatives blessed the site of Motu Wheteke, ahead of physical works starting at the quarry. Kaipara District Council contractors are preparing to reopen the site, primarily for the Provincial Development Unit-supported Pouto Road sealing project. 

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.

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.

Since our last update, the Kaipara Kai Hub team has been busy managing crop trials, engaging with local growers looking at crop diversification, and supporting the kick-off of local projects. The trial site at Te Roroa’s Kai Iwi farm is looking lush. 

Thanks very much to everyone who took the time to fill out our recent Wood Street survey. We had a good response with a total of 205 people selecting one of four options to reconfigure the parking near the entrance to Wood Street (from Molesworth Drive). 

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. 

The interim design for the Wood Street revitalisation project has been in place since early December 2020.

Bad parking can endanger other drivers and pedestrians, particularly around busy shopping areas, parks, schools and beaches.

Changes at Wood Street are part of the Wood Street revitalisation project, a community co-design that came about after the Mangawhai Business Association approached Council in 2019.  

The FREE Village to Beach Loop bus service is running again this summer. Please let your family, friends, and all your visitors know. The bus service is free for everyone. 

The first concrete pour was completed for the new pathway at Matakohe earlier this month.

Kaiwaka footbridges will form part of the Kaiwaka walking and cycling network and will reduce severance caused by the state highway and rivers. 

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.

We are go! Traffic is now one way on Wood Street. Entry is via Molesworth Drive (similar to last summer’s trial). Please take care and look out for the new road markings and signs.

From tomorrow (Thursday 03 December) Wood Street will change to a one way traffic system. Entry will be via Molesworth Drive (similar to last summer’s trial). Please take care and look out for the new road markings and signage, which will be in place from this Thursday. Wheel stops are also being installed to complete the improvements to the back carpark.