Junior Doctors at Waikato DHB are on strike for five days next week
Junior doctors at Waikato Hospital and other District Health Boards are striking from 8 am on Monday 29 April to 8 am on Saturday 4 May. Services will be affected as there will be fewer staff on duty.
We will be rescheduling many appointments for surgery, treatments and outpatient clinics and giving priority to the emergency, intensive care and maternity.
All patients whose operations or clinical appointments are affected by the strike will be notified by telephone. Not all clinics are being deferred, so if you have not been notified please call the service to confirm. If you are unsure please call 0800 276 216.
Please save the hospital Emergency Department for emergencies.
If your illness or injury is not urgent, you may face long delays. Go to your family doctor or local accident and medical centre. Contact Healthline on 0800 611 611 for advice from a trained professional.
Need mental health support and someone to talk to? Free call or text 1737 any time, 24 hours a day. You’ll get to talk to (or text with) a trained counsellor.
Should the strike notice be lifted, services will resume.
We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.
www.waikatodhb.health.nz/strike
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
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.
Will these roadworks affect you?
Don’t expect a quick trip between Cambridge and Tamahere for much of this year, because major roadworks are starting.
Asphalt works on that section of Waikato Expressway will run from March through to late 2026, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) says. Motorists are warned to plan for significant delays.
“Unfortunately the pavement, particularly in the slow lanes, has deteriorated faster than expected,” NZTA’s Roger Brady said.
Will these roadworks affect you? Tell us more in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).
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