Podcasts about Auckland Region

Popular getaway destination Waiheke Island's has just welcomed a group of VIPs, but they're more than just weekend visitors. Ten Kiwi have been released on the eastern side of Waiheke, Te Motuaarairoa, the most isolated side of the island. It's still the first urban Auckland area to have the national icon reintroduced. Save the Kiwi CEO Michelle Impey spoke to Lisa Owen.

Nearly 50 years ago, Jack Hobbs began working on transforming some farmland in Manurewa into what is now Auckland Botanic Gardens. 

Dame Valerie Adams is on a mission to help thousands of tamariki in South Auckland as winter bites.

It's a tough time for business in one of Auckland's top shopping districts, with many empty shopfronts lining once-bustling streets. Newmarket businesses say high rent, a tight economy and changing shopping habits have all contributed to a difficult environment. They say the many empty buildings on Broadway and the surrounding streets aren't a good look for attracting customers, and the area sometimes feels like a ghost-town. Luka Forman went for a visit.

Newmarket's Broadway precinct has in the past been a go to for shoppers. About five years ago it even got a brand new upmarket Westfield mall, but still had a mix of one off boutiques and stores including Karen Walker and Kate Sylvester, on the main strip and surrounding streets. Now there are multiple ghost shops on Broadway, displaying signage of stores that no longer exist and with a heavy sprinkling of "for lease" signs. Mark Knoff Thomas from the Newmarket Business Association spoke to Lisa Owen.

A decision to ban off lead dogs from a popular Auckland park has some residents gearing up for a fight. Auckland Council's currently reviewing dog rules at dozens of local and regional parks and beaches. The popular suburban Monte Cecilia park is one of them, at the moment pooches can roam free in designated areas. Almost 90 percent of submissions on its future wanted to keep the off leash areas, just 10 percent supported a change. Ella Kumar, Puketāpapa Local Board chair said they want their community to feel safe when enjoying their parks and reserves in Puketāpapa. "Our decision to change some locations from off-leash to on-leash will ensure these spaces are more accessible for all park users," she said. Dog Lovers of Monte Cecilia spokesperson Jonathan Sweeney spoke to Lisa Owen.

A vigil has taken place for the US PhD student Kyle Whorrall, who was killed at a bus stop in Auckland's Meadowbank on Saturday night. A 16-year-old boy charged with murder and aggravated robbery has made a first appearance in court, and has been remanded in custody. Lucy Xia reports.

It's the biggest cemetery in the country, but Auckland's Waikumete in the city's west is full - and new space is desperately needed. 

Some Auckland homeowners have found themselves on the wrong side of the fence, when it comes to council regulations. Several in Point Chevalier have recieved infringement notices asking them to lower the height of their front fences by just under half a metre. Point Chevalier resident Sue spoke to Lisa Owen.

Aucklanders are split on whether the council should approve a new stadium in the city centre or upgrade Eden Park instead. This week councillors will vote on which of the competing proposals should go ahead. Felix Walton has more.

The Auckland Council proposal would see some off lead parks become on leash only, as well as further restrictions on dogs running free at some beaches. It wants to improve safety and protect wildlife. But the move's created a divide, Madills farm in Orakei is a popular reserve just blocks back from the beach, the former dairy farm has a network of paths around sports fields, and currently has a significant off leash dog area. But its one of the parks ear marked for changes. Dog owner Claudia Elze is among those fighting the plan, she spoke to Lisa Owen.

A man is in a critical condition in Auckland Hospital after a stabbing on the city's North Shore this afternoon. Police were called to the scene on Birkenhead Avenue just after 2:00pm after the victim was found injured. Reporter Finn Blackwell was at the scene and spoke to Lisa Owen.

Dog owners are chewing over a proposal that would see significant changes to Auckland dog walking rules. Auckland Council is recommending some areas in 14 regional parks and 64 local parks become completely dog-free, as well as creating new off-leash areas. The changes could also see further restrictions on dogs running free on beaches. Dog Owner and social scientist Marie McEntee spoke to Lisa Owen.

Auckland's Mayor Wayne Brown joins Kathryn Ryan to talk about taking back control of transport policy and planning, his plans for Auckland's development agency Eke Panuku and its events agency Tataki Auckland Unlimited.

All Auckland buses will have driver protection screens installed by 2026 and those behind the wheel hope this will help to deter aggressive behaviour. The government and Auckland Council are co-funding the project to retro-fit more than 1000 buses with custom-made plexiglass screens, and the first lot of completed buses was revealed today. There have been repeated calls for more safety measures for the city's bus drivers after an increase in physical assaults in the city. Amy Williams filed this report.

There has been developments in the manhunt, for the suspect at the centre of fatal stabbing on board an Auckland bus. The 37 year old has handed himself in to a North Shore police station this afternoon. He evaded police for more than 24 hours following the stabbing of a woman in Onehunga on the number 74 bus. Police have today revealed that he was already known to them. The pair was sitting near each other and together at points during the bus journey, but don't appear to have known each other. There doesn't seem to have been an altercation before the stabbing according to police, Felix Walton has more.

The man at the centre of a fatal stabbing on Auckland bus, has handed himself into a Northshore police station. The man was identifed off CCTV footage as a person on interest in yesterday's stabbing on the number 74 bus in Onehunga. The woman who was stabbed multiple times, died at the scene. There were 9 other passengers. Police say it appears the attack was random and there was no altercation before hand, but he was known to police. The two sat near each other and together on the bus at various points in the journey. The police are still appealing for witnesses to the incident. Stacey Van der Putten who is the Director of Public Transport for Auckland Transport spoke to Lisa Owen.

Community leader Dave Letele has confirmed his South Auckland foodbank will close for good after Christmas. Mr Letele runs a number of programmes in South and West Auckland through his business Buttabean Motivation. But he said funding hasn't been able to match increased demand, so his food bank will have to close, Melanie Earley reports.

Auckland residents whose properties are in danger because of slips on publicly owned land have pleaded their case for a fix funded from council coffers. A group of Titirangi residents say they've fallen through the gaps of the recovery from last year's Auckland Anniversary floods. But, while councillors were sympathetic to their plight, they've so far stopped short of agreeing to pay, Maia Ingoe reports.

Time's up for Aucklanders with 2023 storm-affected homes to register for council buyout or remediation, amid concern those unregistered may be living in potential death traps.

Symonds Street cemetery is a slice of inner city Auckland history and the final resting place for more than 10,000 people.

Some residents of medium density homes surveyed by Auckland Council say the upper levels of terraced houses and duplexes are so hot in summer, they are difficult to use.

Businesses along Auckland's waterfront say they need reassurance the Wynyard Crossing Bridge WILL re-open before the SailGP regatta in January. Tickets to the global sailing championship which the city is hosting for the first time, went on sale today and are set to sell out. But local businesses say the broken pedestrian bridge has not only taken away foot traffic but also their livelihoods and with summer around the corner, they're hopeful SailGP will also bring back the much-needed crowds, Jessica Hopkins reports.

Auckland Council said dozens of bins removed from Auckland streets and dumped in a council work site will remain there in case they're needed for parts. The council this year said it would remove 30 percent of the region's public rubbish bins, with the project expected to save ratepayers at least nine million dollars. But some residents are unhappy with where the bins have been left, many in a heap out in the open, near Auckland Domain, Jessica Hopkins reports.

An aviation industry group said traffic congestion around a new outlet mall, a stones throw from Auckland airport is frustrating airlines and causing some delays. Manawa Bay, which is owned by Auckland international Airport, is less than three kilometres from the airport and it's attracted some huge crowds since it opened late last week, causing traffic chaos. Board of Airline Representatives executive Director Cath O'Brien spoke to Lisa Owen.

Soaring power prices and rising labour costs have combined to force the closure of a third mill, taking 72 people's jobs with it. The Japanese owned Oji Fibre Solutions said it had no other option but to shut down its paper recycling plant in Auckland and lay off the staff. Many of those now feel they have no choice but to take their skills overseas. The closure comes just three weeks after 230 workers at Winstone Pulp International were told those two mills were closing for good. The Oji workers, some of whom have been there for decades, are left trying to figure out what to do next, Melanie Earley reports.

Wayne Brown's idea is a causeway or series of bridges, from Meola Reef in the central city suburb of Point Chevalier and to Kauri Point in the Northsotre suburb of Birkenhead. Labour's plan for a second harbour crossing that included rail and road tunnels was estimated to cost more than 55 billion dollars. The Government's focus is on an additional crossing for vehicles. Auckland mayor Wayne Brown spoke to Lisa Owen.

The goal of getting Aucklanders to halve their car use by 2030 is delusional and needs a complete rethink according to one councillor. The Council's Transport Emissions Reduction Pathway lays out a series of targets for reducing Auckland's transport emissions by almost 65% within the next 6 years. Here are a few of the goals; car trips make up 94% of distance travelled around the city - the aim is to cut that to 47%, pump cycle trips up from 1% to 5% and increase bus trips from 3 % to 12%, Auckland Councillor Daniel Newman spoke to Lisa Owen.

An Auckland school principal who's having to find up to twenty relief teachers a day says the shortage is putting too much pressure on staff and students and its only going to get worse, unless there's a nationwide solution found.Orewa College on the Hibiscus coast, emailed parents last week warning them that some students may have to rostered home to study if it couldn't find enough to releiver to plug staff shortages. It's managed to narrowly avoid that but is still facing the daily challenge of finding relievers. It's the same for other schools too and in June the relief teachers association told Checkpoint demand was outstripping supply. Orewa College Prinicpal, Wiri Warriner told Lisa Owen the shortage means the rest of the his staff are under pressure to do even more

Waiheke residents with health issues said they're living in fear of what could happen without after-hours care. 9000 residents live on the island and currently have to call an ambulance in an emergency after Waiheke's only after hours clinic closed unexpectedly a fortnight ago. Health New Zealand officials are due to visit the island tomorrow to talk to providers about the clinic's future. But as reporter Lucy Xia reports, some said they could be facing a life or death situation.

An Auckland Councillor is questioning whether the median barrier at the site of a fatal car crash at Ramarama, near Auckland's southern border, is fit for purpose. Yesterday's crash on State Highway 1 claimed the lives of three seasonal workers, just days before they were due to fly home to Samoa. Three others were hospitalised, including a 21 year-old who remains in a critical condition in hospital, reporter Lucy Xia reports.

The Auckland City Mission is racing to contact hundreds of food parcel recipients, after chunks of methamphetamine disguised as pineapple lollies were found in food packs it distributed. Three people have needed hospital treatment after tasting the lollies, including two children. There are fears that more of these lollies are circulating in the community, and a police investigation is underway, Lucy Xia reports.

With the 13th World Choir Games in Auckland heading towards the final notes, audiences have been impressed by the diverse mix of Asian stories that have been expressed through song. It's the first time New Zealand is hosting the world's largest choral competition, RNZ Asia's Chen Liu reports.

A worker viciously beaten in a random attack in Aucland's CBD says he's been off work for months with a litany of injuries and is now constantly looking over his shoulder. Chris, takes care of some of city's trees and was working in Aotea Square when he was viciously attacked in January by a man who had allegedly made violent threats against others in the days leading up to the attack.

Residents in two Auckland suburbs had a rude awakening overnight after two shootings rocked their normally quiet neighbourhoods. Finn Blackwell went to the scene of both shootings and filed this report.

Caves created by rivers of lava underlie New Zealand's biggest city. A new research project is documenting Auckland's lava caves, hoping to protect this hidden geological heritage and understand what future eruptions might have in store. 

Auckland's mayor has urged his councillors to stop "kicking the can down the road" and get on with approving his revised ten-year budget. Finn Blackwell reports.

A bridge or a knackered one at least could be sinking businesses in Auckland's viaduct. Owner of The Conservatory bar and restaurant on Auckland's water front Tricky Hartley speaks to Lisa Owen.

Simon looks at a new report ranking Auckland against 9 comparable cities, and explains why the supercity's transport network is close to collapse. 

Many people are back on the bike in eastern Auckland with the launch of the Taniwha Cycleway. It's the latest in a series of cycleways linking the suburbs of Tamaki Makaurau-Auckland.

Niue students impress crowd at world's largest cultural festival.

Road cones, raised crossings and the entire board of Auckland Transport have all attracted the wrath of Auckland's Mayor, and today Wayne Brown had the opportunity to pop off a few shots at its chief executive. The mayor joined Dean Kimpton at a bus depot this afternoon to show off Auckland's first electric double decker bus. And as the two Auckland leaders got behind the wheel for a test drive, Checkpoint thought it'd be a good opportunity to test the temperature between them. Amy Williams reports.

Artham Dance Company want to shake up both an ancient text and a revered dance tradition. The company founders tell Justin Gregory they are not afraid of a challenge.

Police have launched a homicide investigation following the death of man near state housing units in the Auckland suburb of Mt Albert. Detective Senior Sergeant Lisa Anderson says police were called to the scene on He Ana Way shortly before one this afternoon. Our reporter Jordan Dunn is there.

We're back to where we were in 1969 when it comes to easing congestion over Auckland's harbour 

With Auckland's light rail project officially scrapped, focus is returning to the other pieces of Auckland's road network puzzle.

‘Look ahead, not back' - the last words of Todd Niall after 46 years in daily journalism. The last of these were spent reporting the complicated and highly-contested issues afflicting Auckland and its supercity council. Unlike his other passion - yacht racing - that's not glamorous, but Todd tells Mediawatch local matters really do matter for every citizen. 

Last month a petition was presented to Auckland Council in a plea to stop the sale of the Downtown Carpark on Fanshawe and Lower Hobson Street. The building has more than 1900 spaces and petitioners say it is relied on for convenient and reasonably priced parking for access to the Auckland Civic Centre. As of this afternoon they've gathered 8386 signatures. Yesterday it was revealed the sale was likely to proceed, with the council saying backing out would undermine the council's reputation in the development sector. The organiser of the petition Shery Gartner talks to Jesse.

New Zealand Herald senior writer Simon Wilson joins Jesse to reflect on Wayne Brown's first year in office.

Simon looks at recent sport in the City of Sails. He says Auckland's all excited with the Warriors in the top 4 in the NRL, although it's unclear if they'll be able to play at their home stadium, Mt Smart. Up the Wahs fever has hit town. Simon also talks to Kathryn about the impact the FIFA Women's World Cup has had on the city, and how Auckland Transport coped with the influx of fans. And the bus driver shortage is no longer, but there are still major issues with the ferries. He also gives an update on how Queen Street's facelift is going and why some residents affected by Cyclone Gabrielle are still in limbo.