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Wellington’s wild weather is really making itself known — trains and flights are being cancelled, and drivers are being reminded to take it slow and stay safe out there.
Want to stay in the loop and see what’s happening next? The Post has all the latest updates to keep you covered.
Hi neighbours!
At Graham’s Painters we bring 40+ years of experience, a friendly team of over 20+ full-time professionals, and a “get-it-done” attitude to every job big or small.
We specialise in interior/exterior painting, roof painting, house washing, decking, fencing, wallpapering, … View moreHi neighbours!
At Graham’s Painters we bring 40+ years of experience, a friendly team of over 20+ full-time professionals, and a “get-it-done” attitude to every job big or small.
We specialise in interior/exterior painting, roof painting, house washing, decking, fencing, wallpapering, and cedar weatherboards. We’re tidy, punctual, and perfect for busy families, non-DIYers, and retirees.
Discounts available for SuperGold Card holders
Serving all of Wellington, Hutt Valley & up to Plimmerton.
Message us today for a free quote, we’d love to help bring your home to life!
Wellington’s Te Awe Library on Brandon St will be closing its doors for good at 5 pm on March 1. It’s been the city’s largest temporary library, and now it’s making way for the exciting return of Te Matapihi Central Library!
We want to know: Are you as excited as we are for Te … View moreWellington’s Te Awe Library on Brandon St will be closing its doors for good at 5 pm on March 1. It’s been the city’s largest temporary library, and now it’s making way for the exciting return of Te Matapihi Central Library!
We want to know: Are you as excited as we are for Te Matapihi’s grand reopening?
Want all the details? The Post has everything you need to know.
Hi neighbours!
At Graham’s Painters we bring 40+ years of experience, a friendly team of over 20+ full-time professionals, and a “get-it-done” attitude to every job big or small.
We specialise in interior/exterior painting, roof painting, house washing, decking, fencing, wallpapering, … View moreHi neighbours!
At Graham’s Painters we bring 40+ years of experience, a friendly team of over 20+ full-time professionals, and a “get-it-done” attitude to every job big or small.
We specialise in interior/exterior painting, roof painting, house washing, decking, fencing, wallpapering, and cedar weatherboards. We’re tidy, punctual, and perfect for busy families, non-DIYers, and retirees.
Discounts available for SuperGold Card holders
Serving all of Wellington, Hutt Valley & up to Plimmerton.
Message us today for a free quote, we’d love to help bring your home to life!
UPDATE 4 - 11.30AM, 5/2
Staff remain onsite at the impacted areas, distributing fliers and speaking with the local community. This will continue throughout the day.
Crews are working to ascertain the full impact of the flooding on the plant’s equipment and operations. This assessment will … View moreUPDATE 4 - 11.30AM, 5/2
Staff remain onsite at the impacted areas, distributing fliers and speaking with the local community. This will continue throughout the day.
Crews are working to ascertain the full impact of the flooding on the plant’s equipment and operations. This assessment will take some time, and we expect that this will be an extended outage at the plant.
We are undertaking work to check the condition of the long outfall pipe by sending cameras down the beginning of the pipe and having divers check the end of the long outfall underwater.
Shoreline inspections and clean-up of debris on the coastline around the short outfall continue three times daily, with a focus on completing these at low tide.
All untreated wastewater is still being discharged through the short outfall pipe. We are working to divert as much as possible to the long outfall, as quickly as possible, and to put screening in place to remove items like sanitary pads from the wastewater being discharged. We do not have a timeframe for when this will take place at this stage. Discharging partially screened wastewater out to sea via the 1.8km long outfall pipe will allow for greater dilution of the wastewater in the Cook Strait, rather than untreated wastewater flowing around the coastline.
Even with this diversion, untreated wastewater will still need to be discharged via the short outfall. This is because the temporary arrangement can only accommodate dry weather flow.
To reduce the impact of odour and stop the process going septic, we are working to empty the clarifiers and Primary Settling Tanks. We estimate that this will continue for up to a week. During this time, we expect to see some discolouration around the coastline.
The sludge in the plant’s sludge holding tanks will be taken to Carey’s Gully as soon as possible. We estimate that this will continue for approximately a week/few days and will advise the local community as further plans are made. During this time, it is likely that there will be an increase in odour due to the plant being offline and the work taking place onsite. We will do all that we can to mitigate the impacts of odour.
The rāhui is still in place and covers anything the water touches/can touch with the high or low tides. While it is in effect, no public activities should be undertaken on or around the beaches on the southern coastline.
Health NZ advises the public to stay off the beach and avoid all contact with the water of the south coast. Check our map in our pinned posts for information on affected areas.
Do not collect or eat shellfish / kai moana from the affected coastal waters.
If you have been exposed to the water and develop symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, cough, rash, irritation of the ears, nose or throat, seek medical attention and inform the healthcare provider of your possible contact with sewage. Healthline is a free over-the phone health service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 0800 611 116.
Further updates will be provided.
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UPDATE 3 - 9AM, 5/2
Staff are onsite at the impacted areas, distributing fliers and speaking with the local community. This will continue throughout the day.
Crews will be back onsite today, working to ascertain the full impact of the flooding on the plant’s equipment and operations. This assessment will take some time, and we expect that this will be an extended outage at the plant.
We are prioritising an investigation into diverting partially screened wastewater to the long outfall pipe.
Discharging partially screened wastewater out to sea via the 1.8km long outfall pipe will allow for greater dilution of the wastewater in the Cook Strait, rather than untreated wastewater flowing around the coastline.
A further update will be provided at approximately 11:30am, following the next emergency management meeting.
REMINDER: A rāhui is in place from Ōwhiro Bay to Breaker Bay. Please be aware that untreated sewage poses a high risk to public health. Due to the ongoing discharge of untreated wastewater via the short outfall pipe’s discharge point at Tarakena Bay, we strongly advise that people avoid the coastal area along the south of Wellington until further notice. Do not enter the water or collect kaimoana from this area.
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UPDATE 2 - 7:30PM, 4/2
- With power cut off at the plant and significant health and safety hazards present, it is unsafe for our teams to work onsite through the night.
- Tomorrow morning, staff will be at the areas impacted by the wastewater discharge, distributing fliers to the local community.
- Out of an abundance of caution, the sampling area has been increased to stretch from Breaker Bay to Seatoun. While we understand the risk of wastewater reaching from Tarakena Bay around to Seatoun to be very low, we are erring on the side of caution and completing sampling at these sites every 24 hours. The rahui extends to Breaker Bay, and does not cover the area of coastline through to Seatoun. However, we note LAWAs existing advice following the recent heavy rain. LAWA advises to not swim for 2-3 days following heavy rain.
This will be the final update for this evening. We’ll provide a brief update tomorrow morning, and a more fulsome update will be provided following tomorrow morning’s emergency management meeting at approximately 11:30am.
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UPDATE 1, 4:30PM, 4/2
Work continues at Moa Point Wastewater Treatment Plant, with all hands on deck to help with this issue. Teams will continue responding through the long weekend.
Our top priority is to protect public health and safety. Please be aware that untreated sewage poses a high risk to public health. Due to the ongoing discharge of untreated wastewater via the short outfall pipe’s discharge point at Tarakena Bay, we strongly advise that people avoid the coastal area along the south of Wellington until further notice. Do not enter the water or collect kaimoana from this area.
A rāhui has been placed from Ōwhiro Bay to Breaker Bay, and will remain in place until further notice. Signage is being placed around all impacted areas, and teams are continuing to door-knock local residents and businesses.
Sampling is occurring along the coast, and we are also assessing ocean currents to understand if wider sampling is needed.
We are working to ascertain the full impact of the flooding on the plant’s equipment and operations. This assessment will take some time, and we expect that this will be an extended outage at the plant. We are prioritising an investigation into diverting partially screened wastewater to the long outfall pipe. Discharging partially screened wastewater out to sea via the 1.8km long outfall pipe will allow for greater dilution of the wastewater in the Cook Strait, rather than untreated wastewater flowing around the coastline.
We have observed odour around the short outfall pipe’s discharge point. We are assessing options to mitigate odour in the short term, and protect the health and balance of the plant’s biological process to reduce the risk of any longer-term odour.
There are no impacts to the wider wastewater network or drinking water network. Drinking water remains safe to drink.
Please note that due to recent heavy rain, LAWA has designated areas around Wellington Harbour and the Eastern Bays in Lower Hutt as unsuitable for swimming. This is not related to the issue at Moa Point.
We’ll continue to keep you updated as work progresses.
--------------------------------------------
There is an ongoing discharge of untreated wastewater from Moa Point Wastewater Treatment Plant, that is impacting Wellington’s South Coast (Island Bay, Lyall Bay, Tarakena Bay).
Following an equipment failure, the plant has been shut down.
Our immediate focus is restoring power to the plant, resuming service, and diverting wastewater to the long outfall pipe, which will improve dispersion of the untreated wastewater and reduce impact on the coastline.
We strongly advise the community to stay away from the south coast beaches. There is currently untreated wastewater being discharged into the water and this may occur for some time.
- Public health signage is being erected at Lyall Bay and the south coast beaches. Untreated sewage poses a high risk to public health. We strongly advise that people avoid the coastal area along the south of Wellington until further notice. Do not enter the water or collect kaimoana from this area.
- A rāhui will be placed over the affected area.
- We have teams on the ground distributing information to the local areas about public health.
Wellington Water acknowledges that this is unacceptable and we apologise to the public, local community and our iwi partners for the public health and environmental impact caused.
More MEGA Magic from the Crew in Eastbourne & Bays
‘Dead West’.
Blends cinematic Americana with atmospheric desert rock. A road story about love, loss, and the long shadow of one fatal moment. Set against endless highways and burning sunsets, it follows two souls whose journey doesn’t … View moreMore MEGA Magic from the Crew in Eastbourne & Bays
‘Dead West’.
Blends cinematic Americana with atmospheric desert rock. A road story about love, loss, and the long shadow of one fatal moment. Set against endless highways and burning sunsets, it follows two souls whose journey doesn’t end with the crash — it begins there. Haunting, atmospheric, and visually striking, this is a ghost story told in heat haze and horizon lines.
Haunting! Tragic!
youtu.be...
MEGA JANUARY: EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE (MOSTLY AT ONCE)
MEGA kicks off 2026 the only way we know how: eyes open, eyebrows raised, and mildly amused by the state of things.
This issue tackles the shared pathway that somehow manages to be finished, unfinished, overdesigned, and confusing all at once.… View moreMEGA JANUARY: EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE (MOSTLY AT ONCE)
MEGA kicks off 2026 the only way we know how: eyes open, eyebrows raised, and mildly amused by the state of things.
This issue tackles the shared pathway that somehow manages to be finished, unfinished, overdesigned, and confusing all at once. We ask the questions no one seems keen to answer — about safety, fences, colours, surfaces, bus stops, trees, timelines, costs, and why traffic management feels like interpretive dance.
It’s an election year, where calm suddenly feels radical. Luxon steadies, Hipkins recalibrates, Winston loiters with intent, ACT keeps rising, others quietly fade — while Trump supplies the global background noise New Zealand never ordered.
We shine a light on academic priorities, including the transformation of the C-word into a funded intellectual exercise — proof that public frustration can always be repackaged as research.
We take a sideways glance at charities, churches, and commercial empires, asking whether faith is a belief system or just another hobby with excellent tax settings.
Closer to home, we celebrate Eastbourne businesses doing things right — clever butchers, ice-cream-fuelled retail innovation, and new barbers bringing life back to empty shops.
We also call out media narratives that don’t quite match reality, especially when grey photos are published during weeks of sunshine, packed beaches, and traffic jams that say otherwise.
Plus: AI — in or out?
Our monthly cartoon.
Chef Gordon Ramswine’s summer recipe.
Add pigs, paperwork, lightning strikes, and overcomplicated signs — and a reminder that sometimes boring, local, and practical beats loud and chaotic.
Same village. Same humour.
New year.
Still asking the awkward questions.
Visit: www.mega.kiwi.nz...
#MEGAJanuary #AskTheAwkwardQuestions #DaysBayReality #LocalBeforeLoud
I am looking for free return plane tickets to Tauranga then back to Wellington same day
Hi neighbours!
At Graham’s Painters we bring 40+ years of experience, a friendly team of over 20+ full-time professionals, and a “get-it-done” attitude to every job big or small.
We specialise in interior/exterior painting, roof painting, house washing, decking, fencing, wallpapering, … View moreHi neighbours!
At Graham’s Painters we bring 40+ years of experience, a friendly team of over 20+ full-time professionals, and a “get-it-done” attitude to every job big or small.
We specialise in interior/exterior painting, roof painting, house washing, decking, fencing, wallpapering, and cedar weatherboards. We’re tidy, punctual, and perfect for busy families, non-DIYers, and retirees.
Discounts available for SuperGold Card holders
Serving all of Wellington, Hutt Valley & up to Plimmerton.
Message us today for a free quote, we’d love to help bring your home to life!
Hi neighbours!
At Graham’s Painters we bring 40+ years of experience, a friendly team of over 20+ full-time professionals, and a “get-it-done” attitude to every job big or small.
We specialise in interior/exterior painting, roof painting, house washing, decking, fencing, wallpapering, … View moreHi neighbours!
At Graham’s Painters we bring 40+ years of experience, a friendly team of over 20+ full-time professionals, and a “get-it-done” attitude to every job big or small.
We specialise in interior/exterior painting, roof painting, house washing, decking, fencing, wallpapering, and cedar weatherboards. We’re tidy, punctual, and perfect for busy families, non-DIYers, and retirees.
Discounts available for SuperGold Card holders
Serving all of Wellington, Hutt Valley & up to Plimmerton.
Message us today for a free quote, we’d love to help bring your home to life!
Can you digitally move my mum in white shirt to back seat of helicopter & me in green shirt on front seat of helicopter in this video? I am very unhappy with Gold Coast HeliTours for giving my mum front seat so I am asking that you digitally move my mum to back seat of helicopter & put me … View moreCan you digitally move my mum in white shirt to back seat of helicopter & me in green shirt on front seat of helicopter in this video? I am very unhappy with Gold Coast HeliTours for giving my mum front seat so I am asking that you digitally move my mum to back seat of helicopter & put me on front seat of helicopter!
Gold Coast HeliTours ASKED MUM TO RUIN MY HELICOPTER FLIGHT BY SITTING IN FRONT SEAT OF HELICOPTER ON HELIPAD!
Gold Coast HeliTours ASKED MUM TO RUIN MY HELICOPTER FLIGHT BY NOT LETTING ME SIT IN FRONT SEAT OF HELICOPTER!
Gold Coast HeliTours ASKED MUM TO RUIN MY HELICOPTER FLIGHT BY NOT LETTING ME SEE SURFERS PARADISE FROM FRONT SEAT OF HELICOPTER!
Gold Coast HeliTours ASKED MUM TO RUIN MY HELICOPTER FLIGHT BY NOT LETTING ME SEE MAIN BEACH FROM FRONT SEAT OF HELICOPTER!
Gold Coast HeliTours ASKED MUM TO RUIN MY HELICOPTER FLIGHT BY NOT LETTING ME SEE SEA WORLD FROM FRONT SEAT OF HELICOPTER!
Gold Coast HeliTours ASKED MUM TO RUIN MY HELICOPTER FLIGHT BY NOT LETTING ME SEE SOUTH STRADBROKE ISLAND FROM FRONT SEAT OF HELICOPTER!
Gold Coast HeliTours ASKED MUM TO RUIN MY HELICOPTER FLIGHT BY NOT LETTING ME SEE BUILDINGS FROM FRONT SEAT OF HELICOPTER!
Gold Coast HeliTours ASKED MUM TO RUIN MY HELICOPTER FLIGHT BY NOT LETTING ME FILM EVERYTHING FROM FRONT SEAT OF HELICOPTER!
ALL BECAUSE GOLD COAST HELITOURS WANTED MUM TO RUIN MY HELICOPTER FLIGHT ON TUESDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2025!
Th’ Dudes, Mockers & Stellar* are bringing the Ready to Roll tour To Brewtown this coming January.
Final tickets are on sale now -head to Ticketmaster to get yours.
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