Fears for critically endangered fairy tern near Pākiri sand mining site
A group is calling for authorities to end sand mining offshore an Auckland beach which is home to the critically endangered tara iti (New Zealand fairy tern).
Kaipara Limited, a company involved with quarrying, mining and infrastructure development, has applied for resource consent to continue extracting sand from an offshore coastal marine area near Pākiri.
Sand has been taken from the Pākiri area for almost 100 years, and if successful, Kaipara Limited will be allowed to extract two million cubic metres of sand over 20 more years.
For many of the 665 people against the proposal, the critically endangered tara iti is at the forefront of their concerns.
The native shore bird is likely New Zealand’s rarest breeding bird, with a population of about 45 including only 12 breeding pairs, according to the Department of Conservation.
The Endangered Species Foundation said Auckland Council needed to “make the right decision” and put an end to the Pākiri sand mining, for which the current resource consent is due to expire in 2023.
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Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
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14.7% Critical thinking
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29.6% Resilience and adaptability
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2.9% Other - I will share below!
Brain Teaser of the Day 🧠✨ Can You Solve It? 🤔💬
Make a hearty dish. Take just half a minute. Add four parts of kestrel. Then just add one. What have you made?
(Trev from Silverdale kindly provided this head-scratcher ... thanks, Trev!)
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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.
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