Podcasts about mt albert

The national bowls championship is on in Auckland, with men's pairs and women's singles into post-selection play today, with finals tomorrow. Men's singles and women's pairs will follow. The defending champions in the men's pairs, Mt Albert duo Gary Lawson and Tony Grantham, are looking for a three-peat. While women's singles defending champion Leanne Poulson is looking to be the first women to successfully defend the title. As one of the most well-known voices in bowls, Kevin Hickland joins Piney to discuss the championship. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Animal Management is warning residents of an Auckland suburb that a pair of dangerous dogs is on the loose and to keep an eye on their cats. The council says they have had two complaints in Mt Albert, but there is evidence of more attacks. Katie Fitzgerald reports.

A leading Auckland apartment developer says big money is fuelling the city's sprawl and curbing community creation. Ockham co founder Mark Todd has been part of the apartment scene in Tamaki Makaurau since 2009. His company has completed more than 1100 apartments at various sites in Auckland including including the blocks, Tuatahi in Mt Albert and Aroha in Avondale. The latest is the Greenhouse building in the heart of Ponsonby - where 21 of the 93 apartments are still available. At the recent opening of the high end property Mr Todd took a swipe at developers of sites in Drury - 38 kilometres south of Central Auckland He says urban sprawl contributes to Auckland being a city many can't afford to live in, particularly service workers who are the necessary backbone of the metropolis.

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.

What's in store for the massive patch of land in Carrington Road's residential development. Over the next decade more than 4,000 homes are destined for the almost 40 hectares site which is seven kilometres, or approximately 15 minutes from the CBD. Three Tamaki Makaurau ropu of Marutuahu, Ngati Whatua and Waiohua-Tamaki are leading the project facilitated by the Crown. Two urban design advocates discuss the huge undertaking to create homes for tens of thousands of people in a coveted part of the city, next to the Unitec campus on the Mt Albert, Point Chevalier border. Matt Lowrie from Greater Auckland, and housing expert and urban strategist, Greer O'Donnell who is the managing director of the Urban Advisory talk to Kathryn.

Our expert guest today is all about about bicycle maintenance, and how to keep your two-wheeler road worthy throughout the year. Josca Craig-Smith from Josca Bicycle Repairs in Mt Albert talks to Jesse.

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all.   Vote counting: 2/10 They've told us for years reading and writing and math is an issue in our schools. Did the people who struggled end up at the Electoral Commission?   Mt Albert: 3/10 The election review leak whining about everyone except yourself is an insight into what a mess Labour is.   Chris Hipkins: 7/10 A good week. He holds the job and, given the hospital pass he got from Ardern, deserves a crack on his own terms.   His own terms: 2/10 First thing he does is raise tax talk. Read. The. Room.   Chloe Swarbrick: 1/10 Buffoon.   Willie Jackson: 1/10 Double buffoon.   The new Government: 3/10 What new Government?   Christchurch: 7/10 According to this week's survey it's the 10th most popular city in the world to move to. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEWSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The official results in the general election have finally been released - but it's likely recounts will be requested in some electorates. On Friday National lost two seats after the count of special votes, while Te Pāti Māori gained two, and the Green Party has gained another.   The margins in some electorates are in the single digits: - Te Pāti Māori candidate Takutai Tarsh Kemp won the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate by just 4 votes over Labour's Peeni Henare. - Labour's Helen White beat National's Melissa Lee in Mt Albert by just 20 votes  - And Labour candidate Rachel Boyack won Nelson with a majority of 29 votes over the National candidate Blair Cameron. Melissa Lee and Blair Cameron have indicated they may request a recount. Chief electoral officer Karl Le Quesne spoke to Susie Ferguson.  

I wasn't expecting to come home to a fully formed functional government.  After all, the results of the specials were only announced on Friday and there are still a couple of electorates where it is absolutely worth going through and counting the votes again.    As expected, National lost two seats after the count of special votes, while Te Pāti Māori gained two, and the Green Party has gained another.    The margins in some electorates are in the single digits:  - Te Pāti Māori candidate Takutai Tarsh Kemp won the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate by just 4 votes over Labour's Peeni Henare.  - Labour's Helen White beat National's Melissa Lee in Mt Albert by just 20 votes   - And Labour candidate Rachel Boyack won Nelson with a majority of 29 votes over the National candidate Blair Cameron.  Melissa Lee and Blair Cameron have indicated they may request a recount and really, why wouldn't you if you were them?    But nonetheless whatever the results, Christopher Luxon and David Seymour and Winston Peters are joined together in an uncomfortable throuple and they're just going to have to deal with one another.    Not the result Christopher Luxon wanted, but then it's not up to him to dictate the makeup of Parliament.  It's up to the voters, and this presumably is what they wanted.    Winston Peters has been around.  This is not his first rodeo.    So he'll be looking to parlay his 8 seats from 6.08 per cent of the votes into a shiny baubles and pretty trinkets - mainly for himself but no doubt he'll be looking for a few pieces of costume jewellery for his MPs.    LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So who's in and who's out? Final results showed Labour's Peeni Henare lose Tamaki Makaurau by just 4 votes and Labour's Helen White win Mt Albert by just 20 votes. Our reporter Louise Ternouth looks at the winners and losers.

Last Monday when I was hosting afternoon talkback I got a pithy little text that said "We've got rid of the clownshow and here comes the 3-ring circus."  It's pretty funny because it's pretty true and it's happened.  The counting of the special votes has confirmed that Luxon and Seymour need Winston and as we all know Seymour and Peters are not BEST friends. Critics warn of a conservative coalition of chaos. That won't be so but only if it's a coalition of compromise. It could be worse. Labour, the Greens, New Zealand First and Te Pāti Māori together have 63 seats. In a parliament of 123, that means they could have theoretically stolen the election. So thank Chris Hipkins for ruling Winston Peters out before the election.  Now the horse-trading begins and the fight for influence between ACT and New Zealand First and the question exists as to who National will owe more to. The larger party, ACT, or the smaller party, New Zealand First, that gives them the final vital votes to form the government.  It's the age-old question of coalitions — the saga of the tail and the dog.  Meanwhile, the special votes have no good news for Labour. The final upshot is that just 26.9 per cent of New Zealand voted for the party. A sad result after over 50 per cent supported the party a short 3 years ago.  The ultimate sign of the disaffection is Mt Albert where Helen White has held on but with an even smaller majority than on election night. In 2020 the majority was 20 thousand votes. Now it's just 20. A brutal swing which shows the verdict on the party, the policies and the candidate. There is no way that Helen can continue to say she's done well.  And despite all the concessions Labour made to their Māori caucus and the policies that gave many New Zealanders conniptions, Māori have turned around and given their seats to Te Pāti Māori. The ultimate snub was to Labour's deputy leader Kelvin Davis, who has lost his seat. And if he's true to his word then he'll have to resign. Which can I say might be a blessing for Labour as it tries to rebuild.  So here we are with a parliament of 122 seats about to become 123 under the bizarre vagaries of MMP. Certainly, if we had First past the Post this would have been a more clearcut process of government formation. But we don't.  We have what we have and it's now over to our political leaders to show the maturity to stitch together a stable government to lead us through a period of time that becomes more complicated as time goes by. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle - Three's Patrick Gower and Auckland Councillor Richard Hills joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The special votes are finally out, and National's two lost seats have all but confirmed they have to form a three-way coalition with ACT and Winston Peters. It's also been a horror day for Labour, after only just clinging onto Mt Albert by 20 votes, and both the Greens and Te Pāti Māori making huge grounds on their special vote speciality. And Labour deputy Kelvin Davis has announced he'll stay on as leader of Labour's Māori caucus, after losing his Te Tai Tokerau seat to Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National will need New Zealand First's Winston Peters alongside Act's 11 seats to form a government after the special votes come in.   National has lost two seats, taking its 50 seats down to 48.   Labour's Te Atatu MP Phil Twyford avoided being another victim of the so-called "bluenami", holding onto his seat by just 131 votes.   Labour's Rachel Boyack also clawed back Nelson by 29 votes, while its Mt Albert candidate Helen White managed to hold on to her seat by just 20 votes.    Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls says some of the seats were even closer to the wire.   He told James Daniels and Tyler Adams Te Pati Maori's Takutai Tarsh Kemp won the Tamaki Makaurau seat by a razor-thin margin.  “And she won it by a majority of just four votes. Not 40, not 400, just four votes. I mean it's incredibly thin.” The Maori Party took two seats from Labour - Tamaki Makaurau and Te Tai Tokerau. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Auckland two of Labour's safest seats are on a knife's edge with just a handful of votes between the leading candidates. All eyes are on the special votes to see which party will take Mt Albert and Te Atatū. Felix Walton spoke to voters.

Well what a weekend.   From the nail biter of a fantastic AB's game, which, for the record, I was never in any doubt of. For those of you who were still listening to our election night coverage at midnight Saturday night you would have heard me say I picked the AB's to win – so you know, never in any doubt from me, just saying. Just so happy for Fozzie to be honest. I feel like he deserved that.   Likewise I thought the Nats deserved to win Saturday night like they did. You can't take away from Luxon what he was up against... from a shambolic leaking party at the start, to some in house scandals, to an unsympathetic media, to constant grilling about how unliked and unpopular he was, to a gruelling and nasty campaign against him from Labour and their Union mates at the CTU.  He had it all thrown at him, and he just kept going. Slow and steady wins the race. On reflection, personally, if we made one mistake it was getting sucked in by the polls, we started to believe them. I did anyway. I think questions need to be asked now about how pollsters are conducting these in this post-landline age. They seemed ropey at the beginning, but then as they stacked up and up and up – and we sure weren't short of polls— they seemed to all be telling a similar story.   Turns out, they were wrong. Worst culprits were obviously Newshub, where an excited Jenna Lynch breathlessly announced just a couple of days out from election day that ‘the Nats had crashed'.   It really got to the point of crazy at the end there. Maybe we all just went nuts because it was such a long campaign, we were all delirious by then. But I don't think we as voters were well served by the so called non-biased press gallery reporting, and by sideshows like whether Chris Luxon believed in dinosaurs.   I think what the wipe out for Labour very clearly points to is a rejection of Jacinda – particularly in Auckland where National did so well. I mean Chloe won the electorate seat of Auckland Central, but Auckland had a massive blue wave. And I actually put Chloe's win down to name recognition and just being a face of Auckland for so long. Mahesh came dangerously close there and I think he'll be a force to be reckoned with next time – he just needs more time and more name recognition.   But Hipkins got a hospital pass from Jacinda of the very worst kind, I felt bad for him in the end. Voters rejected lockdowns and her sneering treatment of them and the fact her very own Mt Albert electorate is so close to flipping blue for the first time in history, speaks volumes about how toxic the Jacinda brand had become. International coverage leapt on it, one headline calling it a ‘devastating verdict on Jacinda Ardern as New Zealand votes out Labour party in 'bloodbath'.   CNN said: "New Zealand shifts right as voters punish ruling party". And I do think it was the party getting punished —and Jacinda— more so than Chris Hipkins himself.   So look it's all on for Luxon now. After an exhausting campaign it now seems the nitty gritty of the hard work really starts for him: how he cobbles together his government, who gets what, does he need Winston after specials are counted or not, and how the heck does he make it all work.   All I can say at this point is thank god the All Blacks won, thank goodness the election campaign is over, now all we need is for the sun to keep shining. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

October 3: The political discourse today was dictated by the ongoing argument about The Press debate, and who has said what from both parties. And NZ Herald senior writer Simon Wilson joins to discuss the races for Auckland Central and Mt Albert - two electorates the Greens hope will be theirs come Election Day. Host: Hamish FletcherProducer: Ethan Sills See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

October 3: The political discourse today was dictated by the ongoing argument about The Press debate, and who has said what from both parties. And NZ Herald senior writer Simon Wilson joins to discuss the races for Auckland Central and Mt Albert - two electorates the Greens hope will be theirs come Election Day. Host: Hamish FletcherProducer: Ethan Sills See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland's Mount Albert electorate has always been held by Labour. It's produced party leaders and Prime Ministers like Helen Clark and Jacinda Ardern. But this year National is running a strong ground campaign and the Green Party is hoping to improve its chances off the back of its victory in the neighbouring electorate of Auckland Central. Our reporter Tom Taylor met the candidates.

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How over all the violence are we right now?   I can't tell you how over it I am. I'm sure you are too. It's actually getting ridiculous and what I'm worried about now is that not even a change of government is going to stop it.   A stabbing murder at an Albany bus stop in Auckland Monday, another knife incident 30 minutes later in Auckland's Waterview, the next day, Tuesday, a person taken into custody after a knife found Kepa Road, in Auckland's Orakei. That same day a shooting at a Rotorua intersection.   And it's not just Auckland and Rotorua, the night before in Christchurch ten youths went on a crime spree, breaking into shops to steal stuff, also stealing cars. The week prior there were three aggravated robberies across Auckland's Point Chevalier and Mt Albert... a gang member was rounded up for those.   These are just the ones that make the news. And don't get me started on all the people out on ankle bracelets on home detention who're committing crimes and absconding from Police. The level of crime, particularly youth crime, is a major issue... we know it, we've had years of it building to this point. It's one of the things politicians argue about at length in terms of how to solve. Is it absent disinterested parents? Is it gang households? Is it gang recruiters? Is it school absenteeism and boredom from disengaged youths who've dropped out of school? Is it addiction issues... alcohol, drugs, vapes? Is it poverty? Is it cost of living? Is it Tik Tok? Is it Kelvin Davis' genius plan to empty the prisons? A plan they're now resiling from, surprise surprise.   How much can we pin on that particular disastrous policy? Probably quite a lot to be honest. Consider the irony, when the new Labour government back in 2017, promised to reduce the prison population by 30% over 15 years. Commentators at the time said, “the last thing any Government wants is to look soft on crime.” Fast forward to 2023 and what do we have here? An election about to be lost by the government based on exactly that. They've looked too soft on crime. Endless soft on crime decisions, which have seen us end up where we are.   So given all that, what are the solutions? The criminals and the gangs already running amok. The horse has bolted. So how to turn this around? It's complex, complex, complex, they keep telling us. And to be fair, I think it is. So are the solutions community based? Do offenders need to face tougher penalties? Should we lock more young people up? Should we invest more in their education? Should we work with parents more? Are schools doing enough? Are the Police well enough resourced to deal with it?  Last night at the leaders debate Chris Hipkins said he wants to 'turn young people's lives around'. That's a bit rich when you've had 6 years to do that, and you didn't. Luxon said they'll tackle the gangs and back the Police. Hipkins then said they'll go after gangs too. But all the tough talk doesn't mean much if the reality doesn't match. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's First Up pod - the roads have way more cyclists than there used to be, we visit a humble bike shop in Mt Albert to see what got people pushing pedals; ACT Leader David Seymour joins give us the lowdown on what has been a hectic week in parliament and Auckland Council and the government agree - in principle - to a $2 billion flood recovery package, and yet not everyone is impressed. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

E whai ake nei, coming up on the show today! First Liam talks live about the Altered Ego Market with organisers Cinta and Gabby, taking place at Nice Goblins on the 20th of August. Frances then speaks with Tiakitai, Karen and Gervaise about the Ōwairaka Community Club a non-clinical, creative space and community in Mt Albert for adults with lived experience of mental health issues.  Liam also had a chat with Will Greeson and Iulia Boscu from Without Appeal about their ‘A Garden to Banish Loneliness' exhibition in the window gallery of studio 445. Frances also chats to Tawhai Rickard, the recent winner of the National Contemporary Art Award about his winning work. She then speak to Stepanie Post, director of Art Now about their new Art Walks, taking us around public art in the city.   And finally we have your art guide for Tāmaki Makarau this week.

A group of Mount Albert-based activists are blaming a lack of trees for Auckland flood damage.  Honour the Maunga aims to keep the 345 exotic trees in Mount Albert in place while slowly growing native trees around the area.  Honour the Maunga spokesperson Anna Radford says there have been dozens of slips in the region after the Auckland floods hit and they all fell on tree-less areas. Anna Radford says some slips were stopped from growing wider or falling further downhill by the same exotic trees the Tūpuna Maunga Authority wants to remove. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part of the answer to the Rob Campbell scrap is to employ people in the public service differently. David Seymour says those in the public service are sympathetic to the Government, Ashley Bloomfield says they aren't. Rob Campbell wants to say whatever he likes as a private person, but still allegedly be neutral when he's a public person. Maybe part of the problem with the public service is you have to be some sort of robot to simply carry out instruction. I find it hard to believe you can work for a Government if you genuinely believe what you are being asked to do seems wrong to you. How many people want to spend all day feeling like they are wasting their time because some minister told them to implement an idea that is either going nowhere or not going to work? Rob Campbell's appointment was clearly based on his passion for the co-governance type structure of the new health system. He likes it and he wants to see it widespread. So, surely you appoint an advocate of an idea, as opposed to merely a public servant? In Campbell's case, he came with form. He's an old unionist, he is of the left, he has a record - but that didn't stop a bunch of companies sticking him on a board - so he clearly has talents elsewhere where political leanings mean little, if anything. It's fairly clear Adrian Orr would not be appointed by National, but is he considered a leftie? We never thought about that when he ran the Super Fund. But he is inextricably linked to Grant Robertson and a general view that an astonishing amount of printing was required to fund Covid and, as it turns out, land us in the economic crapper. Bloomfield you couldn't pick as left or right, even though a lot of people, including myself, saw him as far too close to Labour and their Covid agenda. And that's ultimately the point, isn't it? We will see what we want to see and within all of us is an agenda of sorts. Surely the large swathes of the media in these past five years are living proof that you can pretend to be neutral until the excitement over a late arrival from Mt Albert sees you swooning just a little bit embarrassingly. So, instead of a job for life, what about the best person for the job for a public service appointment? And as the job changes, as it always does with Governments, the same way it does as one chief executive leaves and a new one arrives, you appoint the people most aligned with the thinking, and therefore the greater desire to get it done. 'Yes Minister' and 'Yes Prime Minister' had the reality of the public service worked out - and that was 40 years ago. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tiny streams turning into gushing rivers, trees crashing down on people's houses, and homes saturated once again. Auckland was lashed with more severe weather, leaving motorists stranded on the motorway once again - and adding to the woes of an already sodden city. Our reporter Tom Taylor and cameraman Nick Monro have the story.

A Mt Albert woman says there was an hour of heavy rain between five and six am, before it suddenly stopped. Susan Farquar says she was worried things would be worse than Friday and is relieved it ended. She spoke to Corin Dann.

Jacinda Ardern has resigned as Prime Minister, saying she will step down from the role within the next few weeks, but will remain the MP for Mt Albert through until April. The PM dropped the bombshell as she addressed media at the start of Labour's caucus meeting in Napier this afternoon. After announcing October 14th as the election date, she went on on say that she would not be the one to leading her party to the polls.

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Kings College Assistant Coach Kevin Putt joined the programme to preview their clash against Mt Albert Grammer. LISTEN ABOVE 

Some Mt Albert residents want lighting along a pathway where a man was recently fatally stabbed - but their pleas may go unheeded. Twenty-five-year-old student Thomas Coombes was found dead on the Roy Clements Treeway in the Auckland suburb just over two weeks ago. A man has charged with his murder but many in the suburb are still worried about safety. Finn Blackwell has the story.

A man is on the run in Auckland after what police are describing as a brutal stabbing of a man in Mount Albert. Police have named the suspect they're looking for - he is 22-year-old Christian Eteuati. He's wanted in relation to the death of a man on Tuesday night. Checkpoint reporter Louise Ternouth has the details.  

A brutal stabbing on a quiet central Auckland walkway has shaken the Mount Albert community.Police have launched a manhunt for a 22-year-old after a man was found dead in Roy Clements Treeway on Tuesday night.The wanted man is known to frequent Sandringham and West Auckland, is considered dangerous and should not be approached.National list-MP based in Mount Albert Melissa Lee told Heather du Plessis-Allan this is an unusual tragedy for her electorate.“Quite shocking for the community actually, and I've been trying to gauge how they're actually coping with it. Many people are concerned that it's actually happened in their own backyard.”LISTEN ABOVE

A plan to chop down exotic trees on an Auckland maunga and revegetate the area with native species has been halted after a successful appeal in court.Plans had earlier been made in November 2019 by Tūpuna Maunga Authority - which co-governs Ōwairaka/Mt Albert maunga with Auckland Council - to remove 345 exotic trees and replace them with 13,000 natives.But the plan led to protesters forming an Honour the Maunga group and holding a sit-in at the site to stop contractors from cutting the trees down.Auckland couple Averil and Warwick Norman then launched a High Court legal challenge last year to halt efforts to cut the trees down.They lost that challenge, but in taking the matter to the Court of Appeal they argued the plan breached the Reserves Act and that it didn't allow for enough public consultation.The Court of Appeal's three judges backed the couple's arguments that not enough consultation had been done, saying the plan should have been publicly notified as required by the Resource Management Act."We have concluded that the application should have been publicly notified under s 95A of the RMA," they said in their recent decision."In the circumstances, the resource consent granted by the council must be set aside."Earlier, the High Court had previously found the authority and Auckland Council both acted lawfully when granting consent to remove the trees on a non-notified basis.The TMA had earlier been set up as a group to which ownership of Auckland's 14 tūpuna maunga (ancestral mountains) could be returned to 13 iwi.The plan to revegetate Ōwairaka/Mt Albert maunga was linked to a wider plan to restore native flora, fauna, culture and mana to a landscape changed by colonisation.The HTM group, many of whom had grown up in the area, have earlier told how they regularly walk the maunga and felt a deep connection to the towering oak and gum trees that had been in line for the chop.- by Ben Leahy, NZ Herald

Mid week atop Mt Albert

"Audacious thieves" is how police are describing those who have stolen an Auckland couple's treasured bonsai collection from their Mt Albert home in two seperate incidents. Police are appealing to public for help to find the miniature trees. Theft of bonsai specimans is becoming more common according to Auckland Bonsai Society President Matt Hutson.

As if this week's not tough enough and we're not rarked up enough already, now they want to carve up heritage houses for more development. A new bill aims to force councils to allow more dense housing. The "new intensification rules will allow buildings of up to three storeys on most sites in cities without any need for resource consent from August 2022,” we read yesterday. This is basically a green light to development and a way of addressing housing supply. Councils have previously made access to land difficult; this turns the tables. It takes more power off Councils and reduces impediments to progress, and that's no bad thing. What might be ruffling the feathers of the latte set however, is whether this snazzy new drive for development winds up on their front door step. A South Auckland Councillor has said that it needs to include wealthier suburbs too. So those sitting pretty in a 200-year-old villa in Remuera, or Kelburn or Fendalton may well be looking down the barrel of a 3-storey development going up next door. In some areas it's up to 6 storeys. How palatable will be this be for them? I can tell you it'll go down like a cup of cold sick. Low density houses in suburbs in metropolitan areas are already feeling the squeeze with infill housing and developments like apartment complexes springing up around them.  A green light to more of it will have people worried. I get both sides of the argument, on the one hand we need more housing, no question, and we need it to happen quickly. But on the other hand, who's overseeing whether quiet neighbourhoods will turn into bustling ugly concrete jungles?  Threats to remove heritage overlays or to reclassify them risks losing, not just the history of suburban areas, but also the architecture, cityscape, urban landscape and design aesthetic. If sprawling bungalows lovingly maintained in Merivale or Mt Albert or Maori Hill suddenly have to make way for 3 or 6-storey-high concrete apartment buildings, then what does that do to the value of an area? Will this devalue already established homes? Will there be a flight to certain areas, thus rearranging the whole current make-up of suburbs? Or will value of the ancient villa on a one-thousand-square-metre lot actually go through the roof because they'll soon be like hens teeth?  And how much is it costing to throw your 3-storeys up on land in wealthier low-density suburbs anyway? Where, by the time you're done, the price of the finished development will be out of reach of any first home buyer. Will this pump the market up? Or pump on the brakes? I imagine it's a gamble that'll have heritage home owners feeling a little uneasy this morning. 

The Down Syndrome Association says the community is heartbroken, in shock and outraged after the death of 27-year-old Lena Zhang Harrap. Police have launched a homicide investigation following the death of Harrap, who had Down Syndrome. The national executive officer of the Association  Zandra Vaccarino told Morning Report while the incident is tragic, it is an anomaly and it shouldn't stop people with the syndrome living a full and happy life. Vaccarino says there has been an incredible outpouring of support following Harrap's death. 

Covid-19 modeller not happy with Hendy figures; Mt Albert community shaken after woman's death; Three-hundred gather for vigil in Timaru for three sisters; Covid-19: Thousands spent on MIQ for sports teams; All Blacks and Springboks face off in 100th test; Wellington designer's work used as logo on the 'Trump Card'; Applications to change building consents flooding to councils.

The Mount Albert community in Auckland is shocked and upset at the violent death of a vulnerable young woman near Owairaka Domain. Twenty-seven year old Lena Zhang Harrap, who had down syndrome, failed to return home after going out for a walk on Wednesday morning. Her body was found that afternoon in bush off a walkway and the police have launched a homicide investigation. Chen Liu reports.

The Down Syndrome Association says the community is heartbroken, in shock and outraged after the death of 27-year-old Lena Zhang Harrap. Police have launched a homicide investigation following the death of Harrap, who had Down Syndrome. The national executive officer of the Association  Zandra Vaccarino told Morning Report while the incident is tragic, it is an anomaly and it shouldn't stop people with the syndrome living a full and happy life. Vaccarino says there has been an incredible outpouring of support following Harrap's death. 

Covid-19 modeller not happy with Hendy figures; Mt Albert community shaken after woman's death; Three-hundred gather for vigil in Timaru for three sisters; Covid-19: Thousands spent on MIQ for sports teams; All Blacks and Springboks face off in 100th test; Wellington designer's work used as logo on the 'Trump Card'; Applications to change building consents flooding to councils.

The Mount Albert community in Auckland is shocked and upset at the violent death of a vulnerable young woman near Owairaka Domain. Twenty-seven year old Lena Zhang Harrap, who had down syndrome, failed to return home after going out for a walk on Wednesday morning. Her body was found that afternoon in bush off a walkway and the police have launched a homicide investigation. Chen Liu reports.

Erica and Jaime sit down with Jenn Sivananthan of Naturally Sassy to learn how she started her own business, how she chose a name for it and what advice she has for budding entrepreneurs. 

The Vancouver Island alpine regions are amongst the most pristine and diverse landscapes to be explored, preserved and enjoyed on the worlds outdoor stage. This episode will cover stories from my experiences from my first ascent of Mt Albert Edward, the Island's 6th highest peak, when I was 8 years old to the journey back decades later. Topics include hiking in Paradise Meadows & Strathcona Park, tips on how to stay safe in the wilderness, and stories that I hope will inspire others to get outside and enjoy the incredible places around us. Special thanks to my friends and family who have helped making this podcast possible! The “Wild Islander Guinea Pigs”: Lindsay Klassen, Kathleen Klassen, Stan Klassen, Ben Steele, Anthony Klassen, Kayla Harris, and Chris Harris. You're input and support have been the fuel to keep going. Thank you all!! Artwork advice and input from Nate Kuehl, so appreciated

David's career has largely been in foreign aid, coordinating humanitarian aid programmes and initiatives for the United Nations and other organisations in a host of countries including Rwanda, Somalia, Iraq, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Israel and Lebanon.In 1993 he was named “New Zealander of the Year” by the New Zealand Herald for his work in Somalia and awarded an MBE in the British 1993 New Year Honours List.David's first active role in New Zealand politics was as an advisor to Foreign Affairs Minister, Phil Goff from 2000 to 2002. Elected MP for Mt Albert in June of 2009, David stood forward to lead the Labour Party when Phil Goff stepped down after the 2011 election. Since leaving NZ politics, he's been working with the United Nations, most recently in the South Sudan, where he was in charge of a 20,000-strong peacekeeping force.David is married to Anuschka and they have two children.

Developers will be able to demolish homes and build apartment blocks of at least six storeys deep inside many of Auckland's traditional suburbs under a new Labour Government law aimed at addressing runaway house prices.Auckland Council has released a proposed approach for implementing the changes requiring more intensification across the city.In the biggest change to planning rules since the Unitary Plan, developers will be able to build tall apartment buildings within a 15 minute walk of the central city and 10-minute walk of 10 metropolitan areas - Takapuna, Newmarket, Henderson, Albany, Botany, Manukau, Papakura, Sylvia Park, New Lynn and Westgate/Massey North.The biggest impact will be on suburbs close to the metropolitan areas, which are largely zoned for single houses, such as Remuera, Mt Albert, Sandringham and Milford.Matt Lawrie from Greater Auckland joined Kerre McIvor to give his take on the proposals.LISTEN ABOVE 

In the heart of Mt Albert, Auckland, is one of the oldest gardens in NZ. The Sanctuary Mahi Whenua Community Garden was first planted by Maori in pre-European times and hasn't been built on since. The vege gardens and food forest have been lovingly cared for over the years and flourished under the ownership of Carrington tech, now Unitec. But they face an uncertain future following the sale of the lands to Housing NZ. Despite assurances, the gardens remain zoned for residential development. Vincent is on a break this week so handed the reigns to writer and sustainability advisor Sarah Heeringa to interview gardens curator Trevor Crosby. This podcast first appeared at The Feed Weekly.

Trent shares on what is the last message before we move into our new home at 119 Richardson Road, Mt Albert. 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and National Party leader Judith Collins opened their Little Black Books to share with Spy their favourite things and places in the City of Sails.The PM says date nights with fiance Clarke Gayford are few and far between given a baby and a rather busy job - but gave away the couple's rendezvous spot as Coco's Cantina on K Rd for its perfect mix of friendly and private.The Leader of the Opposition's favourite romantic dinner destination with husband David Wong-Tung is Volare Restaurant at The Gardens in Manurewa. Collins says they love the atmosphere, food and service.When it's time to breathe some fresh air and head to a park, Ardern says that these days, it's anywhere that has a slide. She's grateful the Super City has plenty and also that it is full of patient parents who don't mind someone who hogs the slide.Collins can't beat the nature at Omana Regional Park in Maraetai which she says has lovely bush walks and beautiful sea views.For the best coffee hit in town, Ardern says her neighbourhood of Mt Albert has some great options and she enjoys popping in to see the team at Crave, Kind or Peel to Pip.It's the coffee beans at The Pizza Box in Papakura that give Collins a spring to her step for the day.For the place with the naughtiest calorie load of the treat you know you shouldn't eat, Ardern says her list could be long. She limits herself to takeout from Electric Chicken and Duck Island Ice Cream. The PM also has a penchant for the crumpets at Orphans Kitchen in Ponsonby.Meanwhile, Collins does not need to travel far from her own kitchen for her sweet tooth. She is quite the baker and may soon be taking orders for her own favourite, "Judith's World Famous Cheesecake".Ardern's favourite annual event on the Auckland calendar is The Auckland Arts Festival, which she says is a great way to support Kiwi artists. She says she never manages to get to as many events she would like.Collins has sport front of mind and likes to watch it on centre court. Sadly her "can't miss" event is the ASB Tennis Classic at Stanley St, and like many tennis fans, she would have been disappointed this week that next year's tournament has been cancelled due to Covid.Ardern's best place to enjoy live music is the Civic. She saw Aldous Harding there three years ago. Her second favourite is Tāpapakanga Regional Park in East Auckland, which she calls "the most beautiful setting for Splore".Collins likes her music arena style, which she says was Mt Smart before the pandemic. Hopefully some big acts return to the stage soon.As for watching the America's Cup, Ardern says her best vantage point will be the waterfront. She remembers at the last America's Cup, popping down to Shed 10 to watch with hundreds of others on big screens. "Anywhere that Kiwis come to watch together, will be amazing." she says.As for Collins, when she cheers on Team NZ it will in Maraetai, which she says has a clear view of the action.And finally what do both leaders love and loathe most about Auckland?Ardern loves Auckland in the summer, especially the amazing events across the city in parks, at our beaches and on the waterfront. Rather than a loathe, she said, the only thing she misses is wide open spaces. But she added it was lucky you don't have to go far to find them.Collins loves Auckland for its beautiful harbour views - and the thing she loathes most about the city is the traffic congestion. Hopefully Auckland Transport hear that one.

Welcome to part 3 and our last Ask Me Anything podcast from students in Room 8, Owairaka District school in Mt Albert, Auckland. Our scientist answering their questions is Dr Nicholas Martin an Entomologist (insect scientist) at Plant & Food Research who has spent over 40 years studying insects, and naming a few new species too!

Welcome to Part 2 of a 3 part Ask Me Anything podcast series with questions from students in Room 8, Owairaka District school in Mt Albert, Auckland. Our scientist answering their questions this week is Dr Nicholas Martin an Entomologist (insect scientist) at Plant & Food Research who has spent over 40 years studying insects, and naming a few new species too!

Welcome to Part 1 of our very first Ask Me Anything podcast with questions from students in Room 8, Owairaka District school in Mt Albert, Auckland. Our scientist answering their questions this week is Dr Nicholas Martin an Entomologist (insect scientist) at Plant & Food Research who has spent over 40 years studying insects, and naming a few new species too!

Thea, Tiny Ruins and other big names in New Zealand music performed a special concert last night - at a house in Mt Albert.