Waters infrastructure projects better off thanks to redirected funding

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?

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

Stage one of a plan to expand Mangawhai’s wastewater capacity is complete, and stage two is well underway, catering for projected community growth to at least 2030. 

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Our district is buzzing with summer. Everywhere I go in Kaipara our communities and our many visitors can be seen making the most of these sunshine hours.

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

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

New facilities are on the cards for Pine Beach campground at Taharoa Domain. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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).

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

Summer is on its way and it’s time to start preparing for a drought. Meteorologists are predicting a dry windy summer.

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.

An update from Kaipara District Council and Northland Regional Council.

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

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.

Work to improve the resilience of Maungaturoto’s water network is almost complete.  

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.

What do you want to see on the water tank at Moir Street?

Works to further improve Maungaturoto’s water network kick off next week.

Kaipara District Mayor Craig Jepson has established a Mayoral Relief Fund to help support those affected by 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.

In the early hours of this morning Awakino River on the northern outskirts of Dargaville breached its banks. 

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.

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

Summer is here and so are all our visitors. It’s the busiest time of the year for the Taharoa Domain, and we need you to help us look after this beautiful gem.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Kaipara District Council staff are asking Mangawhai house owners and residents on the wastewater system to flush water through their drains, toilets and showers and prevent gases from backing up into their homes.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Kaipara District Council’s operations and maintenance switches over to a new contractor next month.

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

In the bowels of Kaipara’s wastewater networks, rag monsters and fatbergs are causing havoc and costing ratepayers' money.

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.  

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.

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.

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.

On Monday 28 March, Mangawhai Community Park’s new toilets were formally opened with a blessing at the Historic Village.

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 briefing Council staff presented the preliminary financial statements for the upcoming Annual Plan (2022-2023).

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. 

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. 

The council is upgrading wastewater systems and is asking people to flush responsibly.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

A new balance tank and inlet works are to be installed at the Mangawhai wastewater treatment plant to expand the existing hydraulic capacity during the peak summer periods.

Visitors to the Kaipara Water demonstration sites will spot the beginnings of green growth starting to peek through the soil.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

As part of our Long Term Plan, we undertook to explore options to expand the capacity of the Mangawhai Wastewater Scheme to accommodate growth in the area and summer peak flows.

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.

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.

If you’re connected to Council’s treated water supply system, your most recent water invoice may have shown an increase in the cost for your first cubic meter of water.

Considerations from Kaipara District about the Three Waters Reforms.

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.

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

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.

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.

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. 

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

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. 

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

Some of the works happening around the District. 

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

In the first few months of 2021 there’s been a trickle of new information which has led to a substantial update on the long-running story of the debt levels of Kaipara District Council’s Mangawhai Wastewater Scheme. 

Kaipara District Council has published a report about the outstanding historic debt and capacity of the Mangawhai Wastewater Scheme (MWWS). 

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

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 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.

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.

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. 

‘Water’ will be a word to watch in 2021, as far as Kaipara District Council is concerned. To start with,
low river flows mean water restrictions are in place for our largest reticulated town supply to Dargaville
and Baylys Beach.

See the results from surveys and events we've undertaken recently as part of our Long Term Plan. 

Have you ever looked at a verge or berm around your area and wondered why it has a dip in its centre? That subtle depression is doing an incredibly important job – it’s called a swale and they're an essential part of our stormwater services.

Two proposed demonstration sites for the Kaipara Water project have been given the green light from Council, which will serve as real-life working examples of the best ways to irrigate high value horticultural crops.

Ruawai Water treatment plant played host to a number of local school kids as part of the EnviroSchools Water for Life
programme last week. The programme is a Northland Regional Council initiative. 

The beautiful stretch of weather we’ve been enjoying is great for the beach, but not for water supplies. Being wise with water at the beginning of the season can ease the pressures later on. Let’s streeeeeeech the supply as far as we can.

Kaipara District Council Elected Members opted in to the first part of a reform of the three waters system when they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the end of August.

A total of $132,320.00 has been awarded in the latest funding round for the Mangawhai Endowment Lands Account (MELA).

More than $122,000 has been awarded in the latest Kaipara District Council funding rounds for Community Grants, Rural Travel Fund, and Creative Communities Scheme.