Auckland's West Coast beaches closed
Auckland Emergency Services are asking people to stay away from West Coast beach communities which are trying to recover from last week’s storm.
What you need to know:
- The affected beaches are Piha, Karekare, Bethells, Muriwai, Huia and Little Huia
- The beaches have been closed to non-residents only
- The closures are for safety and to ensure road repairs can take place
“While there is road access into Piha, it’s limited and we’re asking people not to go to Piha to go surfing or picnicking, I know we may have a fine weekend coming up but to stay away out of respect for those communities,” Duty controller Mace Ward says.
If you are wanting to check swimming conditions in other areas of Auckland, check the SwimSafe site.
Poll: Is the increase in disability parking fines fair?
In October, the fine for parking in a designated mobility car park without a permit has jumped from $150 to $750—a 400% increase!
The goal is to keep these spaces open for those who truly need them. Do you think this big increase in the fine is fair? Share your thoughts below.
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89.4% Yes, it's fair
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9.8% No, it's unreasonable
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0.8% Other - I'll share below
Smoke in Mt Wellington
Smoke has been seen coming from the crater of the Auckland maunga Mt Wellington.
Images of the smoke began appearing on social media on Friday afternoon.
Around 1.45pm, Fire and Emergency (Fenz) shift manager Josh Pennefather told the NZ Herald a crew was fighting a fire of about 60 square metres in size.
”It’s spreading up hill … [but] there’s no property at risk at this stage,” Pennefather said.
Six fire trucks were in attendance working to contain a grass fire that's spreading up the maunga.
A helicopter was on its way to assist firefighting efforts, he added.
At 2pm, Pennefather shared that the fire was contained and they were working to extinguish it, including “keeping an eye on a whole bunch of hot spots“.
Just dough it
With three basic ingredients and a bit of creativity, you can give old containers new life with Resene testpots.
Find out how to create your own with these easy step by step instructions.