Auckland Transport--Please read
The Government has announced that New Zealand will be moving to Alert Level 2 on Thursday 14 May 2020.
This means public transport timetables have returned to normal for buses, trains and most ferries. The Ministry of Health wants passengers to still maintain physical distancing so we will need to limit the number of people who can board each bus, train, or ferry. This will reduce the number of passengers on each service. To make up for reduced capacity, we’ve called in some reinforcements; you might find yourself travelling on a bus normally used by sightseers or tourists. These extra buses will help get everyone where they need to be, quickly and safely.
When you’re on board, follow the signs showing where you can sit, and please avoid sitting next to someone you don’t know.
Registered HOP cards only
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Under Alert Level 2, regular fares apply. Please note that bus drivers won’t accept cash. Instead, you’ll need to use a registered AT HOP card to tag on and off. You need to make sure your AT HOP card is registered - this makes contact tracing easy if needed.
Cleaning our fleet
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The safety of our customers and workers is a priority, so we’re making sure all public transport is cleaned regularly. We’ve also stepped up our regime to include spot checks and antimicrobial cleaning. You’ll find hand sanitiser stations at many locations, and we encourage you to use them.
When travelling on buses
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• Cash payments for fares will not be accepted. You must use an AT HOP card.
• Use the rear door to get on and off buses.
• Tag on and off using the AT HOP card reader inside the rear door.
• If you use a wheelchair or mobility device, are vision-impaired or require driver assistance, you can still get on and off using the front door.
• Each bus will have a sign showing the number of passengers it can carry.
School buses
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AT school bus services will operate during Alert Level 2. Following the Government’s guidelines, physical distancing measures will be different from our public transport services but standing on buses will not be permitted. Working closely with the schools, AT have several measures to support contact tracing for students. Hand sanitiser will be made available for students boarding and departing the bus, in addition to the bus being cleaned in accordance with Government guidance. We recommend that parents wait with their child(ren) at the bus stop until they can see if the bus has enough room for their child(ren).
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Poll: Should the government levy industries that contribute to financial hardship?
As reported in the Post, there’s a $30 million funding gap in financial mentoring. This has led to services closing and mentors stepping in unpaid just to keep helping people in need 🪙💰🪙
One proposed solution? Small levies on industries that profit from financial hardship — like banks, casinos, and similar companies.
So we want to hear what you think:
Should the government ask these industries to contribute?
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58.9% Yes, supporting people is important!
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26.1% No, individuals should take responsibility
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15% ... It is complicated
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Even Australians get it - so why not Kiwis???
“Ten years ago, if a heatwave as intense as last week’s record-breaker had hit the east coast, Australia’s power supply may well have buckled. But this time, the system largely operated as we needed, despite some outages.
On Australia’s main grid last quarter, renewables and energy storage contributed more than 50% of supplied electricity for the first time, while wholesale power prices were more than 40% lower than a year earlier.
[…] shifting demand from gas and coal for power and petrol for cars is likely to deliver significantly lower energy bills for households.
Last quarter, wind generation was up almost 30%, grid solar 15% and grid-scale batteries almost tripled their output. Gas generation fell 27% to its lowest level for a quarter century, while coal fell 4.6% to its lowest quarterly level ever.
Gas has long been the most expensive way to produce power. Gas peaking plants tend to fire up only when supply struggles to meet demand and power prices soar. Less demand for gas has flowed through to lower wholesale prices.”
Full article: www.theguardian.com...
If even Australians see the benefit of solar - then why is NZ actively boycotting solar uptake? The increased line rental for electricity was done to make solar less competitive and prevent cost per kWh to rise even more than it did - and electricity costs are expected to rise even more. Especially as National favours gas - which is the most expensive form of generating electricity. Which in turn will accelerate Climate Change, as if New Zealand didn’t have enough problems with droughts, floods, slips, etc. already.
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