Three new cases of Covid-19 detected in the community has prompted a move up the alert ladder, to level three in Auckland and level two across the rest of the country. Below, the critical questions about Covid-19 alert level three, answered. For the latest official advice see here. What happened? On a helter-skelter Valentine’s Day … Read more
Summer reissue: She’s head girl, a viral star, a poet. But none of those credentials can ever capture the force of nature that is Aigagalefili ‘Fili’ Fepulea’i-Tapua’i. Portraits by Edith Amituanai. First published September 12 2020. Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by its members … Read more
Today’s official unveiling of the tunnel boring machine (TBM), named after one of New Zealand’s most iconic civil rights leaders, wasn’t just for ceremonial purposes, but a sign of the genuine relationship City Rail Link (CRL) wants to forge with Māori. It would be easy to become bogged down by the plethora of “boring” puns … Read more
A suburban Auckland property home to hundreds of rabbits is causing a stir with neighbours, who have called in the Auckland Council to take control of the situation. Dylan Lewis is surrounded by rabbits, all different sizes and colours. The 51-year-old shares his large Mount Eden home with hundreds of the fluffy creatures, and neighbours … Read more
For a whole lot of Auckland notables, the hottest ticket in town this week has been a trip to see the unveiling of Waiheke Island’s new electric buses. Alex Braae was there to see it. For dignitaries around Auckland, ribbon cuttings this year have been few and far between. And who wouldn’t want a morning … Read more
A small, loud minority who oppose change at Eden Park has been the voice of our neighbourhood for too long, writes Jeremy Todd. In our neighbourhood we have a sleeping giant, a kaumatua, a global icon and a vital contributor to our local community and our city. I am talking about Eden Park. This week … Read more
Penny Hulse served as Waitākere deputy mayor before the great amalgamation – and as deputy mayor of the Super City for six years from its inception on November 1, 2010. Here she looks at the ways the new structure helped Aucklanders, and how it let them down. Maybe it is my age, maybe it is … Read more
A handful of polling stations throughout New Zealand have an uncanny ability with picking general election winners. RNZ’s Kate Newton visits Birkdale on Auckland’s North Shore to meet the voters at one such bellwether. For the inside running on who might win the 2020 election, forget the polls. Instead, consider Birkenhead Baptist Church. Not for … Read more
Walk from Karangahape Road to the waterfront and Queen Street will give you a view into the soul of Auckland. Alice Webb-Liddall explored the street’s history and how it has shaped the city. What connects all significant streets is their ability to bring people together. On Queen Street, heritage buildings like the Town Hall, grand … Read more
With the international borders closed New Zealanders have been rediscovering the delights of their own country. For Aucklanders, it’s the perfect opportunity to explore the many volcanoes scattered around Tāmaki Makaurau, writes Gareth Shute. There are a plethora of volcanoes across Auckland, though just a handful get the vast majority of visitors. You no doubt … Read more
An Auckland iwi whose population and land holdings were decimated during the New Zealand Wars is partnering with the Auckland Council’s development arm to ensure its stories are being heard – and a new playground plays a starring role. Note: This article uses the iwi’s preferred spelling of Takaanini. A new playground for South Auckland … Read more
The Rawiri Community House, nestled between the Auckland suburbs of Manukau and Manurewa, helps hundreds of families with food and other essential services each week. It’s kept going thanks to an unlikely friendship forged in the struggle to help those doing it toughest. My interview at the Rawiri Community House in Rata Vine, with Liz … Read more
The charity running the Māngere Markets makes close to half a million a year from a business centred on a publicly owned carpark, but distributes less than a third of its income in grants. That’s left some locals wondering whether the trust could be doing more to support the community, writes Justin Latif. Nothing quite … Read more
The U-turn follows statements from Ashley Bloomfield about expectations under current Covid-19 settings and outcry among students, writes Cameron Leakey. The University of Auckland has reversed a decision to return to on-campus teaching next Monday. It follows statements yesterday by the director general of health, Ashley Bloomfield, which questioned the university class size limit of … Read more
Locations include Les Mills gym in Takapuna, Countdown Milford and The Warehouse Milford. A person who subsequently tested positive for Covid-19 took part in classes at Les Mills in Takapuna as well as visiting various North Shore retailers. Attention is focused particularly on the gym sessions, with Auckland Regional Public Health Service saying anyone who … Read more
She’s head girl, a viral star, a poet. But none of those credentials can ever capture the force of nature that is Aigagalefili ‘Fili’ Fepulea’i-Tapua’i. Portraits by Edith Amituanai. The sky above Aorere College is a brilliant blue. Sunlight gets into every corner of the campus, and music spills out into the morning from a … Read more
Dozens of major cities are building cycleways and pedestrianising streets as they adapt to the post-pandemic world. Hayden Donnell asks why Auckland hasn’t experienced a similar level of transformation. All over the world, cities are transforming as they adapt to an age of lockdowns and social distancing. London’s Soho district has been almost completely pedestrianised, … Read more
The son of a Mongrel Mob president, former professional boxer Dave Letele is now helping South Aucklanders get jobs, get fit and get fed. Reiná Vaai meets the ‘Brown Buttabean’ at his Manukau HQ. “I should’ve been in prison or dead by now,” says Dave Letele, also known as Brown Buttabean. In his early 20s … Read more
Uncertainty over alert level rules in Auckland has seen a rest home open its doors to visitors for just one day, before shutting them again. As Stewart Sowman-Lund reports, care homes across the city are taking very different approaches to alert level two. All 14 Bupa care homes in Auckland shut their doors yesterday, keeping … Read more
Businesses and community organisations in South Auckland are already finding themselves stretched thin – and warn the worst is yet to come. Māngere businesswoman Toni Helleur employs up to nine people providing corporate massage services across Auckland. But since April, she’s only had one month of income, and following this latest resurgence, the future isn’t … Read more
As racist and unfounded rumours swirl, how is the family at the centre of New Zealand’s newest Covid cluster and the wider South Auckland community responding? Justin Latif reports. A week after the announcement that members of a south Auckland household had tested positive for Covid-19, the family is getting the support it needs, according … Read more
Much has been made of digital divide, but as Justin Latif has observed in his role as a board of trustee member of Māngere Central School, schools in the area are making big strides to ensure students aren’t left behind. It’s hard to imagine what lockdown would be like without the limitless time-consuming options provided … Read more
With the extension of alert level three set to stretch many South Auckland families even further, Justin Latif reports on how organisations are preparing to help feed those most in need. Food banks across South Auckland are scrambling to get themselves ready for an expected surge in demand, following Friday’s announcement that the level three … Read more
Justin Latif takes the temperature of his community in South Auckland, ground zero for the latest Covid-19 outbreak. Following the prime minister’s announcement on Tuesday evening, my messenger app began pinging with pictures and videos of people at the supermarket. But it wasn’t panic buying that I was seeing, rather there was a sense of … Read more
The confirmation of community transmission has prompted a swift move up the alert level ladder. Here are the critical questions about Auckland’s move to Covid-19 level three lockdown, answered. What are the new alert levels – and where do they apply? Auckland enters alert level three at midday today, Wednesday August 12. At the same … Read more
Two deeply religious men are standing for Labour in South Auckland. But Justin Latif reports that their views on the abortion law reforms are very different. On a bitterly cold Friday morning, the Māngere electorate candidates’ debate heated up when the topic of abortion was raised. Following a question related to whether candidates supported the recent … Read more
There are no incumbents in the south Auckland seat of Takanini, for this is a completely new electorate. Justin Latif goes to meet some of the voters, and the fascinating bunch desperate for their support. The name of New Zealand’s newest electorate can be traced back to a prominent Te Ākitai Waiohua chief of the … Read more
Community initiative or commercial enterprise? How a planter box-slash-chair is trying to revolutionise berms around Auckland. On the corner of Ariki Street and Crummer Road in Grey Lynn is a cafe called Crumb. It’s a good cafe, but that’s by-the-by. It’s the berm next to Crumb that’s controversial; it’s at the centre of a dispute between … Read more
South Auckland’s five local boards all face similar challenges when it comes to supporting its local residents with jobs, transport and providing places to have fun. So what are their draft plans proposing? Justin Latif finds out – and hands out some awards. Is there anything more soporific than an Auckland Council consultation document? They … Read more