OWHIRO BAY WATER QUALITY UPDATE
The water quality in Owhiro Bay is being affected by a cross-connection. A cross-connection is where a wastewater pipe is connected into a stormwater pipe. Most cross-connections are from private pipes into public (council) pipes, and this is the case here. Wastewater from private properties is entering the stormwater system, which leads to Owhiro Stream, which leads to the Bay.
We are working with the property owners concerned, who were not aware of the issue, to resolve it as quickly as possible. We expect to have these sorted by the end of the week. We're also continuing our investigation and testing; it can be a mistake to think the first fault you come across will fix the problem.
If you have concerns about what you think might be a cross-connection at your place, please let us know and we'll come and take a look. Our main concern is to eliminate as many of these as we can.
Warning signs that recommend against swimming and fishing in Owhiro Bay remain in place, and will stay there until we receive three consecutive days of clear results. We will update via social media and the website when this changes.
If you have been swimming in the area and feel sick, please visit your doctor.
We will be sharing regular updates every few days on the situation in Owhiro Bay through our website and social media platforms.
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?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
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52.7% Human-centred experience and communication
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14.6% Critical thinking
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30% Resilience and adaptability
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2.7% Other - I will share below!
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
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!
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