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NZ Herald
a day ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Matariki 2025: Art light trail showcasing local creators snakes through Auckland city centre
The trail begins on Upper Queen St on the corner of Mayoral Drive, leading into Myers Park along a stairway designed by Tessa Harris (Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki) with patterns depicting pātiki to discover the captivating light and sounds of Waimahara. Waimahara asks people to remember Te Waihorotiu, the stream that flows quietly beneath the underpass. Commissioned by Auckland Council, this permanent multi-sensory artwork – by Graham Tipene (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Manu), technology experts IION, skilled Māori composers and creatives – is just the beginning. Te Ara Rama Matariki Light Trail. Photo / Glenn Iness Step 2: Tūrama and Taurima Upon returning to Queen St, Tūrama will begin to unfold. A series of art installations tells ancient stories of place as you walk towards the sea. First, participants will see Horotiu, a 9m kaitiaki who symbolically guards the ancestral river, greeting the waharoa in Aotea Square, by celebrated artist Selwyn Murupaenga. This area carries the historic ngā tapuwae o ngā mana o te whenua, who thrived in this space for hundreds of years. Turama Kaitiaki. Manu Korokī will be next. Inspired by the works of revered ringa whao Fred Graham, flocks of manu take flight on opposite sides of Queen St with an accompanying audio track mimicking their birdsong. Kāhu Kōrako will be visible high in the crosswires, representing an older kāhu whose plumage has lost the dark colouring of youth and whose feathers have turned grey. Lights, music, and more are on offer in Auckland this Matariki. Photo / Auckland Council Turn left into the historic Strand Arcade, and Taurima will shine among the trees on Elliot St. With symbolism of pātaka kai suspended above the street in quirky fluoro-neon art created by Lissy Robinson-Cole (Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Hine), Rudi Robinson-Cole (Waikato, Ngāruahine, Ngāti Pāoa, Te Arawa), Ataahua Papa (Ngāti Koroki, Kahukura, Ngāti Mahuta), and Angus Muir Design, you will be immersed in the history of this space and place. Taurima. Photo / Jay Farnwoth Heading back to Queen St along Victoria St, look back along this unique viewshaft to the Sky Tower and you will see a bespoke Māori art projected on to the city's biggest canvas. While walking towards the harbour, a Kawau Tikitiki will be suspended in flight above the street, acknowledging this bird's revered constancy of purpose, resolute nature and speed of action. Upon reaching the original foreshore between Shortland and Fort Sts, participants will walk beneath the majestic Te Wehenga, where illuminated imagery will evolve from whenua to moana. The role of waharoa in Māori architectural tradition marks the junction of realms, a transition point where something changes; where you will feel you are leaving something behind and progressing into something new. Tūrama was created by Graham Tipene, Ataahua Papa and Angus Muir Design, with support from Auckland Council and the city centre targeted rate. Tūrama Te Wehenga. Photo / Jay Farnworth Step 3: Tūhono The downtown section of the Matariki light trail begins at Te Komititanga, the square that features permanent works of whāriki where Queen St meets the sea. Tūhono is an all-new trail of light installations and lightboxes linking Te Kōmititanga along Galway St to Takutai Square and Māhuhu ki te Rangi Park. Artist Arama Tamariki-Enua – Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Tumu-te-Varovaro (Rarotonga), Ara'ura (Aitutaki) – has blended tradition with contemporary design. He invigorates ancestral rhythms and motifs with modern arrangements of vibrant colours, introducing an immersive journey for all to experience. In Takutai Square, Tamariki-Enua worked with Angus Muir and Catherine Ellis on a light and sound installation using patterns that reference tukutuku panels and carving in Tumutumuwhena, with the repetition of the patterns forming the star-like shapes of the Matariki cluster. Matariki trails include light installations, kapa haka, and street markets in the city centre. An accompanying soundscape, developed in collaboration with Peter Hobbs, brings back sounds of the foreshore and forest before the modern city was founded. The works are projected on to Te Rou Kai, the public artwork made up of a pop-jet fountain and 16 sculptural stones by an older generation of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei artists. Tamariki-Enua's creation encourages reflection on what is now and what was then. The Tūhono light projections in Takutai Square will play every evening from Thursday, June 19, to Thursday, July 10, with a seven-minute light and sound sequence every quarter-hour from 5pm until 10pm. Tūhono takes the form of a metaphoric waka, drawing a visual and spiritual line toward Takaparawhau, the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei ancestral stronghold where Tumutumuwhenua, their whare tupuna, proudly stands. Immerse yourself in modern mahi toi (art) and a lightshow within Takutai Square, stroll among the illuminated mature trees of Beach Rd, marvel at a 10-storey laser projection on to the Nesuto building and fun light designs within Te Tōangaroa, including Te Mātahi o te Tau by Tyrone Ohia and Angus Muir Design. Tūhono and these new downtown activations for Matariki are brought to Matariki ki te Manawa in the city centre by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and Britomart Group, with support from Auckland Council and the city centre targeted rate. Te Hui Ahurei o Matariki – Matariki Festival Day Aucklanders can experience kapa haka, waiata, carving demonstrations, raranga (weaving) activations, kite making, stories, art and an insight into special waterways at the Botanic Gardens as part of Matariki Festival Day. Festivities will begin at 10am and last until 4pm. Auckland Transport has put on a free park and ride service for the festival. The main departure point will be the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1185 Alfriston Rd, Alfriston. If the church carpark reaches capacity, additional parking is available directly across the road at Alfriston College, 540 Porchester Rd. Buses will run continuously on a loop between 9.45am and 4.45pm. The last bus to leave the garden will be at 4.45pm, and the garden gates will lock at 5.30pm.
RNZ News
a day ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Auckland dog lovers plan legal action over off-leash dog ban
A group of Auckland dog lovers are planning legal action over a decision to ban off leash pooches at a popular suburban park. Auckland Council is currently reviewing dog rules at dozens of local and regional parks and beaches. Dog Lovers of Monte Cecilia spokesperson Jonathan Sweeney spoke to Lisa Owen. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Scoop
a day ago
- General
- Scoop
Funding Will Help 'Critically Threatened' Long-tailed Bats
A project that delivers pest control to help long-tailed bats living in the Franklin district has received a $45,300 funding boost. EcoQuest was one of 64 conservation projects carried out by mana whenua and community groups that received Auckland Council's latest funding to help protect, restore and enhance the natural environment. The group looks after the native long-tailed bat, or Chalinolobus tuberculatus - one of New Zealand's rarest and most vulnerable creatures which settled in the Manukau Lowlands. EcoQuest Finding Franklin Bats lead researcher Natasha Bansal said the funding will help employ a coordinator who will connect their work with the community. "Because we deal with a lot of private landowners, the aim was to get a community connector, someone who is from the community to talk to these landowners and talk to them about the bats," she said. "For the past year, we have had increasing requests from schools and communities to come and talk to them about the project." Since starting the project in 2017, Bansal said one of their aims was to keep the community involved. "We have a lot of people that come and volunteer their time, and we appreciate that. "But this grant will allow us to employ someone to do that work." The native long-tailed bat is listed as both nationally and regionally critically threatened, with a high rate of decline due to predation and loss of roosting habitat. The project team works in Waiuku, Patumahoe and Pukekohe and so far, more than 200 bats have been mapped out within that triangle. Bansal said there could be more, and work on tracking them will continue for the next few years. "We've only done this for two seasons now, we have five seasons in total. And every time we go out, we're finding more and more bats." Council's Environmental Services general manager Samantha Hill said the grants ranged from $5800 to $85,000 - allocated to projects that will help to protect and restore native ecosystems, grow community involvement and contribute to Māori outcomes. "One of the projects delivers pest control to help long-tailed bats living in Franklin," she said. "Another supports mana whenua-led conservation work on Aotea/Great Barrier Island, and several other groups are carrying out ongoing predator control and native habitat restoration to support a range of threatened native species." With the invaluable work the community groups were doing, significant steps in progress to protect, improve and minimise risks to the natural environment would be seen, she said. "It is important for us to continue to recognise and support the tireless commitment given by these dedicated community-led conservation groups and their many volunteers."
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Auckland Council says 100,000 new homes built after planning rule book came into force
Auckland Council says 100,000 new homes have been built in the eight years since its planning rule book came into force . It comes as the government plans to take back power from local councils if their decisions are going to negatively impact economic growth, development or employment. Housing and Resource Management Act (RMA) reform minister Chris Bishop said the new regulation within the RMA would stop councils from stalling on housing developments. Bishop said the provision would be added into the RMA amendment legislation currently before Parliament. The Auckland Unitary Plan has governed what can be built and where since 2016, and the council has crunched numbers to show how many consented houses became reality. The number of homes constructed rose from 10,200 in 2018 to a record 18,100 in 2023, with 17,200 built in 2024. As of December 2024, there were 20,200 new homes in Auckland's housing pipeline - 13,800 under construction and 6,400 consented but not yet started. Taking into account population growth, there were close to six homes per 1000 residents before the Unitary Plan came into force and now there are 9.5 homes per 1000 residents. Auckland Council's chief economist Gary Blick. Photo: Supplied/Auckland Council Auckland Council's chief economist Gary Blick said there had been a boost in new houses with 90 percent of consented houses being completed. "What this data really shows is that the vast majority of building consents become new homes. "It also shows that the changes that were made with the Unitary Plan in late 2016 have created a lot of development opportunities." The housing pipeline is still sensitive to economic shifts, such as higher interest rates which contributed to fewer new projects starting construction from late 2022. The number of new houses consented in Auckland last year dropped 10 percent to 13,939 compared with 2023. The region's median house price of $1 million is 7.5 times the median income, compared to five times that in 2000 which in today's terms would be $680,000. "That's how far we've slipped so what we really need to see is a sustained material improvement in housing," Blick said. This month, the government announced it would allow Auckland Council to scrap its intensification plan change, called Plan Change 78. It was required to develop three storey town houses throughout the city but put on hold due in part to 2023's flooding and cyclone. Council must replace it with a change to the Unitary Plan that permits buildings of at least six stories around the City Rail Link stations in Mount Eden, Kingsland, Morningside, and others. It has until October 10 to notify the plan change. Blick said the focus should remain on enabling housing capacity in accessible places, such as close to town centres and transport options. "That could mean making it easier for people to live and work near major transport infrastructure - like the City Rail Link - giving them faster commutes, better access to jobs and education, and easing pressure on our roads," he said. More than half of the houses built in recent years have been town houses. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
4 days ago
- General
- Scoop
Hunua Kōkako Take Flight To Sing A New Song At Maungatautari
Auckland's conservation community is celebrating as the Hunua Kōkako Recovery Project begins the translocation process up to 20 kōkako to Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, marking the first time the Hunua Ranges population will contribute birds to another recovery project. The operation began last Saturday and to date eight birds have been rehomed at Maungatautari. Once teetering on the brink of local extinction, the kōkako of the Hunua Ranges have made an extraordinary recovery thanks to over 30 years of commitment from mana whenua, dedicated volunteers, Auckland Council, and the Department of Conservation. From a low point of just a single breeding pair and 23 individuals in 1994, the population now numbers an estimated 259 breeding pairs as of the 2022 census. Chair of Auckland Council's Policy and Planning Committee Richard Hills says this moment is deeply emotional and symbolic. 'The haunting, melodious call of the kōkako was nearly lost forever in Hūnua. 'Thanks to three decades of perseverance and hard work by volunteers, mana whenua and council staff, we've turned that around. It is a success story that gives other conservation projects across Aotearoa huge hope and drive to keep going,' says Hills. 'To go from one breeding pair to now having enough of these stunning taonga to be able to rehome some with other sanctuaries and help their population thrive, is a profound way to honour that work and help ensure kōkako thrive across New Zealand for generations to come. 'This project shows why investing time and money into our environment is so crucial, we must continue work like this into the future to protect our precious native species. The Hunua project is funded by Auckland Council's Natural Environment Targeted Rate, which continues to support pest control efforts, including a planned aerial 1080 operation in 2025 to sustain the hard-won progress. The Hunua Ranges are now recognised by the National Kōkako Recovery Programme as one of only two mainland habitats to surpass 500 birds and the project is praised for fostering strong genetic diversity. This achievement has only been possible through intensive pest control, including three aerial 1080 operations and thousands of volunteer hours maintaining 3,000 bait stations and 700 traps across rugged terrain. Auckland Council's Project Lead for the Hunua Kōkako Recovery Project, Miranda Bennett reflected on the journey. 'The Hunua kōkako is a success story, one of resilience and community, and a symbol of hope. Other projects once gifted us birds to strengthen our population, now we have the privilege of paying that generosity forward. It's a full-circle moment that fills us with pride and gratitude,' Ms Bennett says. The upcoming translocation, supported by Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Tamaoho, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngāti Tamatera and Ngāti Whanaunga, will involve a carefully coordinated two-week operation. Led by certified kōkako bander Dave Bryden, a skilled team of Auckland Council staff, volunteers, and contractors will net adult birds, health-check and band them, then gently transport them in specially designed boxes for the two-and-a-half-hour journey to Maungatautari, ensuring they are released by early afternoon to settle into their new home. Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, once devoid of kōkako since the 1970s, has become a stronghold for the species after earlier translocations in 2015 and 2016. A 2020 census recorded 101 territorial birds, confirming it as the fastest growing and largest mainland kōkako population established by translocation at the time. This translocation is a collaborative effort supported by mana whenua from both Hunua and Maungatautari. The receiving iwi, Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Ngāti Hauā, Raukawa and Waikato are welcoming kōkako with aroha and kaitiakitanga. Chief Executive of Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari Helen Hughes says: 'We are absolutely thrilled to welcome these precious kōkako from the Hunua Ranges. This translocation is significant to our ongoing efforts to protect New Zealand's unique biodiversity. 'It strengthens our population's genetics and deepens our conservation partnerships. We're so thankful to iwi, volunteers, and Auckland Council for making this possible.' Dr. Janelle Ward, Science, Research and Species Lead, adds: 'Kōkako are such special manu, and their haunting song touches both the heart and the spirit. 'This event is especially meaningful as we honour the work done by Hunua iwi, Auckland Council, and community volunteers who have safeguarded these taonga for over 30 years.' The translocation will also help maintain kōkako genetic diversity nationally, laying the groundwork for Maungatautari to one day become a source site for other reintroductions and native corridors like Taiea te Taiao, allowing native species to move safely across Waikato landscapes. As the haunting call of the kōkako prepares to echo once more through the ancient forest of Maungatautari, this milestone stands as a powerful reminder of what long-term vision, cross-agency collaboration, and deep community care can achieve. Love this initiative and want the best for Auckland's future? Stand for council in Auckland's Local Elections 2025. Nominations open 4 July 2025 and close 1 August 2025, midday. If you'd like to learn more about what's involved in standing, visit
