Auckland Harbour Bridge cycle rally: Arrested cyclist says access to bridge needed to modernise city
Tēnā koutou. The man who was arrested at the cycle rally over the Auckland Harbour Bridge on Sunday says having cycle access on the bridge is key to modernising the city.
Epsom resident Jason Mathieson arrived early and broke through the police blockade at the Curran St on-ramp to the bridge shortly before Bike Auckland's 'Liberate the Lane' rally began.
Mathieson, who works as bicycle messenger and claims to “live on my bike”, believes a cycle path over the bridge is the key to unlocking Auckland as a modern city.
“It should be an exciting project for the city.”
After unsuccessfully pressuring police to “let this happen”, Mathieson saw his opportunity to throw himself and his bike over the gate when one of the police officers momentarily glanced away.
“It's not like you are trying to break the law, but rather break and idea, the idea that bikes can’t go over the bridge.”
As Mathieson made his way to the bridge, he thought he had made it, until he saw another police blockade in his way, where he was arrested.
“I watched everyone go over the bridge from the back of the police car.”
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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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89.2% Yes, it's fair
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10% No, it's unreasonable
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0.8% Other - I'll share below
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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“.