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Inner city business owners will be relieved to see City Rail Link work has ended in Albert St.
Five years of City Rail Link work has come to fruition at the intersection of Albert St and Wolfe St in Auckland's CBD.
Digging up the busy city street for rail tunnels took longer than expected … View moreInner city business owners will be relieved to see City Rail Link work has ended in Albert St.
Five years of City Rail Link work has come to fruition at the intersection of Albert St and Wolfe St in Auckland's CBD.
Digging up the busy city street for rail tunnels took longer than expected and caused hardship for businesses in the area, said City Rail Link Ltd chief executive Dr Sean Sweeney.
"There have been robust discussions over the years, but we have worked hard with local businesses to find suitable solutions to offset impacts when work fell behind schedule including the introduction of rent assistances scheme for those who qualified,” said Sweeney.
“We hope we are leaving behind a rejuvenated and transformed street.”
Work began in late 2015 on the city rail link section at the lower end of Albert St.
A trench was excavated down the middle of Albert St between Customs St and Wyndham St to build the project’s twin underground tunnels 350-metres long.
At Commercial Bay they connected with the tunnel built from Britomart Station.
Construction also involved relocating an important stormwater line and strengthening a section of a large sewer main.
Tunnel construction finished in mid-2019 and Albert St was back filled up to road level.
Street beautifying followed – building wider pavements, installing new street furniture and lighting, planting native trees and creating bus bays to upgrade public transport.
Sweeney says the end to the work at the lower end of Albert Street is an important milestone.
“Historically it is where CRL’s construction began, but when you look ahead it’s a timely reminder that CRL is a transformational project for the whole of Auckland."
"Alongside that city-wide view we have a commitment to leave a positive legacy locally where we have had to put our spades into the ground.“
Meanwhile, work is continuing from the Wyndham St intersection to extend the city rail link further south along Albert St to join the new Aotea underground station in the city centre.
We’re holding information sessions to help you enrol with us in 2021. Find out about courses, meet tutors and enrol in one easy process.
Sessions run at various times on campus and if you can’t make it, join us on Zoom. Secure your place for 2021.
Police asked and you responded.
Members of the public have helped to christen Auckland Police's new puppy Etu.
Police appealed to the public last week for suggestions for a name starting with E for their latest canine recruit.
People were quick to come up with names.
Echo, Ernie, Eddie … View morePolice asked and you responded.
Members of the public have helped to christen Auckland Police's new puppy Etu.
Police appealed to the public last week for suggestions for a name starting with E for their latest canine recruit.
People were quick to come up with names.
Echo, Ernie, Eddie and Ezra were top contenders but officers were taken with the name Etu.
Hi Neighbours, The Labour landslide removes most of the excuses (New Zealand First) offered for why some big Auckland projects didn't happen last term. So will it now all be go ? Read the story below:
Hi all, I am wanting to collect a good quantity of rose petals. As wanting to try making my own rosewater. Please reply, if you can oblige.
Make your own modernist art and release your inner Matisse with easy-to-create canvas artworks. Use Resene testpots to suit your colour scheme for a co-ordinated look.
Make the most of this weekend with this easy step by step project idea from Resene. Find out how to create your own.
Kia ora neighbours! With two bouts of lockdown it's a been a funny old year of schooling. Where kids struggled to keep up at home, some parents are thinking about repeating the school year. Is this you? If it's something you're considering and you'd like to share the reasons … View moreKia ora neighbours! With two bouts of lockdown it's a been a funny old year of schooling. Where kids struggled to keep up at home, some parents are thinking about repeating the school year. Is this you? If it's something you're considering and you'd like to share the reasons why, do get in touch - josephine.franks@stuff.co.nz
To celebrate the refreshed Stuff Travel website, enabling you to dream, plan and now book your next escape all in one place, we're giving away a $100 voucher.
To go into the draw to win simply vote below on which of the following destinations you're most likely to use your voucher on. … View moreTo celebrate the refreshed Stuff Travel website, enabling you to dream, plan and now book your next escape all in one place, we're giving away a $100 voucher.
To go into the draw to win simply vote below on which of the following destinations you're most likely to use your voucher on. Visit travel-booking.stuff.co.nz for inspiration and to view all the other destinations.
Hello Neighbours!
Just a quick note to let everyone know about the upcoming Black Grace tour starting next Friday. We will be touring venues around Auckland between Friday 6 - Monday 16 November. It's the company's first time performing in some of these areas, so we're really … View moreHello Neighbours!
Just a quick note to let everyone know about the upcoming Black Grace tour starting next Friday. We will be touring venues around Auckland between Friday 6 - Monday 16 November. It's the company's first time performing in some of these areas, so we're really excited to meet new faces and dance enthusiasts!
We're looking forward to sharing these new works with our community, which will be accompanied by a special live music performance.
Below is a link to the Facebook events page with details of each venue. Please feel free to share with those who might be interested and hope to see you there!
Black Grace presents 3 Dances
6 Nov Hobsonville - Sunderland Lounge, 7pm
7 Nov Glen Innes - Te Oro, 7pm
8 Nov Takapuna -The PumpHouse Theatre, 5pm
13 Nov Waiheke Island - Artworks Theatre, 7pm
14 Nov Glen Eden - Glen Eden Playhouse Theatre, 7pm
15 Nov Piha - Barnett Hall, 5pm
16 Nov Waiuku - Waiuku Memorial Town Hall, 7pm
Police are appealing to the public to help identify this person.
Police believe he may be able to assist them with enquiries into a theft in the Henderson area.
If you recognise him, or have any information about his identity, phone 105 quoting file number 201017/9691
@[organisation_10338]
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(If on mobile, click your profile… View moreThe Neighbourly team is here to lend a helping hand! Whether you have some questions around how the site works, or you need help updating your details or settings, getting in touch with us is simple:
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We look forward to hearing from you!
Act now to beat the water shortage:
• Install a rainwater tank (resource consent fees waived).
• Maintain your tank (check guttering is clear).
• Install water saving devices (shower head/taps).
• Install a water sensor to monitor your usage.
Ellen Parker admits she used to shun insects.
But now she is the confident custodian of thousands of bees.
"Normally I'm not really a fan of insects and flying things," said Parker, a medical receptionist.
"But when I started to learn more, I realised they're not out to … View moreEllen Parker admits she used to shun insects.
But now she is the confident custodian of thousands of bees.
"Normally I'm not really a fan of insects and flying things," said Parker, a medical receptionist.
"But when I started to learn more, I realised they're not out to sting you. They're out there doing their own thing and they're pretty tame."
The Glendene resident and partner Alexander Jones have drawn a flock of followers to their Instagram page @verygoodbeeco, which documents their beekeeping journey.
The 28-year-olds bought their first hive in November 2019 after delving into a beekeeping experience course in Matakana.
"We really enjoyed it and decided to take the plunge," Jones said.
The fact that the entire hive can function as one brain is incredible, he said.
"... bees are essential parts of the life cycle of many plants and therefore life on earth, so being able to contribute to that definitely provides a bit of a feel-good aspect to it."
The keen apiarists last week spent an hour watching the bees from a beanbag fronting the hive.
"It's strangely therapeutic," Jones said.
A fascination with flying is echoed in the West Auckland couple's careers.
Jones is an aircraft technician and Parker, a former flight attendant.
The goal is to keep the operation small.
"For us on a hobby scale and the way we've established our hive, we're not thrashing the bees to get every drop of honey out of them like on a commercial scale," Jones said.
Any honey and wax produced by their bees is purely a bonus, he said.
The couple has found it rewarding to turn the products into beard wax, a honey and sugar scrub and beeswax food wraps.
Jones and Parker have been flooded with orders for Christmas presents.
"We give our neighbours honey and stuff to say thanks for putting up with us," Jones said.
He confesses there have been days when he questioned if beekeeping was a good idea.
When the honey farmers first brought the hive home, they made the mistake of inspecting it on a cloudy day when most occupants were home.
The bees grew angry and launched a stinging attack on their new owners.
"They were bouncing off our suits," Parker said.
"You think of bees, which are focused on foraging, being stuck at home when someone comes lifts the roof off their house and starts shaking it around," Jones said.
"They'd prefer it to happen while they're away at work."
The budding apiculturists have to inspect the bees for signs of infestations, mites and wax moths.
Jones said they are battling their way through swarm season- the bees' natural instinct to propagate when flowers and bees start to wake from a long winter.
The apiculturists have learned the hard way that swarm prevention is critical at this time of year.
This can be done by giving hives enough space, splitting a hive to almost simulate a swarm and to prevent them raising a new queen, he said.
"We were a bit slow to read the signs and a couple of days before we planned to split our hive (to prevent a swarm), our hive swarmed into the neighbour's tree," Jones said.
"We then managed to find the swarming queen and return her to a spare hive we had ready for the split."
The honey farmers carried out the hive split and the bees returned to their hives an hour later.
"We were pretty embarrassed and stressed by the whole thing, but it has offered us plenty of learning and lessons for the rest of the season and onto the next," Jones said.
Nature has taken its course and a new queen has hatched in the new hive.
Jones said that out of respect to their neighbours, the couple will give the hive to interested friends.
"We'd love to manage a hive for them to see if they want to take the hobby up themselves."
"The original hive seems to be behaving again and has started their honey production."
Herobility Eco Feeding Spoon and Eco Baby Spoon & Fork have been recalled as they pose a choking hazard for babies. It has been found that these can break into small pieces.
The product has been sold at Mummum, Global Baby, Hatch Boutique, J Ballantynes, Mighty Ape, Smith and Caugheys and … View moreHerobility Eco Feeding Spoon and Eco Baby Spoon & Fork have been recalled as they pose a choking hazard for babies. It has been found that these can break into small pieces.
The product has been sold at Mummum, Global Baby, Hatch Boutique, J Ballantynes, Mighty Ape, Smith and Caugheys and The Nile from October 2019 to October 2020
If you have one of these forks/spoons and the date stamp is marked 2019 or earlier (or no date stamp is shown), the company advises to stop using the product and contact Bloom and Grow NZ to organise for a gift voucher to the same value.
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