Thousands of New Zealanders have borrowed from their banks to put solar power systems on their houses, but advocates are calling for more help for people who don't have a home loan.The main banks all offer low-or no-interest loan options for people who want to invest in solar power for their homes, often by extending an existing home loan.Westpac's managing director of product, sustainability and marketing Sarah Hearn said the bank had approved more than 1000 "greater choices" loans for solar panels or batteries in the past two years, as well as a small number of personal loans.The total amount lent was $30 million.ASB said its Better Homes Top Up lending balances were $327 million, and around 4500 customers had used Better Homes Top up in the previous 12 months alone.ANZ had a similar offer that had been taken out by 21,000 households to a total of more than $850 million.'Super excited' about New Zealand's energy transitionChief executive of Rewiring Aotearoa Mike Casey said he was "super excited" about what was happening in New Zealand's energy transition."A lot of the time we talk about moving from fossil fuels over to electricity, but I think there's a bigger energy transition that's going on here, which is also moving away from traditional energy landlords and towards customers of New Zealand taking a lot of energy sovereignty into their own hands."Being able to generate and store energy, it's a whole new dynamic to the New Zealand's energy system that we haven't seen before."And while the price of all forms of energy, whether it grid electricity or diesel or petrol or gas, continues to go up at, I think, quite an uncomfortable rate for many New Zealanders, the price of solar and batteries seems to keep coming down."Chief executive of Rewiring Aotearoa Mike Casey. Photo: Supplied / Rewiring AotearoaA typical system can cost between $9000 and $15,000 installed, although some systems are much larger.Casey said while taking on a loan to pay for it was a form of debt that some people found uncomfortable, "choosing not to generate your own electricity on your own rooftop is another form of debt because you have to just keep paying someone else for the energy that they can provide you".He said a conservative estimate was that a system would pay itself back in seven or eight years."It really comes down to the number of people that are in your home, how much of that solar you generate you can self-consume. And a lot of it comes down to making sure all the machines in your home are electric."The more electric machines you have, like your hot water and your spatial heating and all of those kinds of things, the more of your own power that you use, the faster the payback on the solar is."Electricity comparison site Powerswitch tracks the buy back rate that companies pay for solar power that is generated, but not used and sent back to the grid.It varies from 23c/kWh during peak period from Octopus through to 8c from Contact.Casey said the next step should be support for batteries.At present, many households do not opt for battery storage of the power generated because the cost makes it uneconomical.But Casey said it could be part of helping the country shore up its defences against things like natural disasters."I would love to see the government come out and say, you know, we think a massive roll out of solar batteries and electrification in the homes of New Zealanders is the best way to bring down our cost of living because it genuinely is."Australia has about 40 percent rooftop solar covering compared to 3 percent to 4 percent in New Zealand.That has been driven by government subsidies, including for batteries."They've seen 200,000 home batteries get installed in the last six months. It's bigger than the peak response of Manapouri. It's like building another entire dam."And at the moment, the energy system in New Zealand doesn't recognise or reward customers from having batteries."But he said people who did not have mortgages or own their own homes were being left out.Long-term low interest loansRewiring Aotearoa is working on a Ratepayer Assistance Scheme that would offer long-term low interest loans tired to a property with flexible repayment terms, building on the New Zealand Local Government Funding Agency.These would have longer terms than the bank options, making them more manageable for people on lower incomes.It said eight councils, plus EECA, had committed the further funding required to get the scheme ready for final equity investments from councils and central government."There's a big problem here with equity and that not all New Zealanders have access to a mortgage."Pensioners, renters - we're looking at what else can we do outside of mortgages for people to have the upgrades on their homes that allow them to start saving money."He said the ratepayer assistance scheme would be good for pensioners who had cleared their home loans and did not have the income to service the sort of loan that banks would offer them.Rewiring Aotearoa is also working on a trial to look at solar for renters."How do you get the landlord to spend the money and how do you split the savings between the tenants and landlords?"How long to pay power system off?Investigative writer at Consumer Chris Schulz said it would take seven to nine years for a solar power system to pay for itself.People who were high energy users, such as those with an electric vehicle, would see a quicker return.He said it was likely that when New Zealand reached 5 percent coverage, it would be a "tipping point" for the new technology."People start seeing it when they're out walking or on their neighbours' roofs and start thinking oh yeah, okay - now might be a good time to look at this."Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

New Zealand Food Safety is supporting Nestlé in recalling specific Milo Dipped Snack Bars over possible rubber contamination.Acting deputy director-general Jenny Bishop said rubber pieces in the product could cause choking.The recall applies to Nestlé Milo Dipped Snack Bars (160g) with batch numbers 5316 TD15, 5317 TD15 and 5318 TD15, and a best-before date of AUG 2026.The affected products were sold at supermarkets and retail stores nationwide.They have been removed from shelves and were made in Australia.The same product is also subject to recall there.New Zealand Food Safety has received no reports of associated injury.Customers are asked to check the best-before date and batch details on the box.Affected product should not be consumed and should be returned to the retailer for a full refund.If returning it is not possible, it should be thrown out.New Zealand Food Safety will work with Nestlé to understand how this happened and prevent its recurrence.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

New Zealand’s net migration gain fell to 14,200 in 2025, according to provisional estimates from Stats NZ.The total was down on 2024, driven by fewer migrant arrivals while departures edged up to a provisional calendar-year record. Net migration of non-New Zealand citizens also eased. New Zealand citizens continued to record a net migration loss, with 61 percent of departures heading to Australia.On the Hibiscus Coast, the estimated population reached 67,800 as of June 30 2025. That compares with 48,600 in 2015 and 37,100 in 2005.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

Explainer – NZ Post is closing service counters and cutting delivery days.What is the future of mail going to look like?So, is mail delivery as we know it just going to vanish?Not so fast, says NZ Post CEO David Walsh, who says the agency is in the midst of a massive transformation in the face of rapidly dropping mail numbers.“New Zealanders are communicating differently,” he said.“I think we’ve all experienced that in our personal lives as well, and that change has been going on for quite some years.”Here’s what you need to know about how NZ post is changing.What’s happening to NZ Post?The agency is in the middle of what it’s called “a period of transformation,” shifting its emphasis towards parcel delivery and consolidating many of its services.In October, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment approved changes to the Postal Deed of Understanding between the Crown and NZ Post, allowing them to change some of their procedures.The changes approved include:Permitting a minimum frequency of 2 days delivery to urban, PO Box and private bag addresses, or 3 days for rural. The days must be spread throughout the week. Formerly, 3 days per week urban and 5 days rural were required.Allowing a minimum 500 total postal service points, then down to a minimum of over 400 after four years. Previously a minimum 880 points were required.The ability to convert up to 5 percent of delivery points to communal points annually.For consumers, this boils down to likely fewer delivery days and postal counters.Deed change doesn’t automatically result in operational change to NZ Post’s services, Walsh has said, but it gives the network more flexibility to make changes.It announced back in 2024 that it would be gradually combining its two separate mail and parcel networks into one operation.“For customers – this means your mail and parcels will eventually be delivered by one person, rather than two separate deliveries made by a Postie and a Courier,” Walsh has said.That’s all basically because mail volumes have dropped dramatically.How bad has it gotten?“It wasn’t that long ago we were delivering 700, 800 million mail items a year,” Walsh said. “We think in the next 12 months that could be well under 150 million mail items.”According to NZ Post’s latest annual report, 158 million mail items were delivered in fiscal year 2025, down from 187m in 2024, while 88 million parcels were delivered, up from 84m in 2024.“Parcels have grown significantly over the last three or four years, and mail has declined significantly in the same time,” Walsh said.New Zealand addresses currently receive less than two letters each per week, compared to 7.5 in 2013, a spokesperson told RNZ.The service has started to move back upwards after heavy losses – after a $56m loss in 2023, there was a $14m loss in 2024, and a $2m loss in 2025, according to their annual report.The transformation toward parcel delivery is still in progress, Walsh said.“When and how that happens we’re still progressively working our way through change, but that will depend on where volumes get to over the next few years. It’s too early to say exactly when.“We believe it’s a good solution to maintain a great mail service.”Consolidating parcel and mail delivery into one would be more economical, he said.“Having one person deliver down the street is clearly more efficient than having two, so that is the goal.”So, we’ll get mail less often?Although the changes to the Deed of Understanding now lets urban delivery be as few as two days a week, that hasn’t happened so far.“We haven’t moved to twice a week yet, that is still something that will respond to as we see changing demand for mail services,” Walsh said. “If there is a permanent change in frequency we will certainly communicate that in advance.”It’s hardly a transformation unique to New Zealand.Mail services around the world have been dealing with lower volume and higher costs.Last year, Denmark became reportedly the first country in the world to end its national letter delivery service entirely.John Maynard of the Postal Workers Union of Aotearoa recently criticised some of the cuts and changes on RNZ’s Midday Report.“It’s one thing that people will want to use emails over the old traditional mail system, but it’s quite another thing for a state-owned enterprise to act in a manner which consistently undermines people’s confidence in an institution.”Could you no longer get mail delivered to your house?That’s one of the concerns raised by the union to RNZ late last year.The Deed of Understanding now allows for up to 5 percent of delivery points annually to be changed to communal points – such as a cluster of boxes which service multiple addresses on a street.Maynard told RNZ the suggestion to stop delivering to individual home letterboxes was “sort of hidden away in the document”.“Putting the letterboxes in clusters makes it easier for the company to sack all the posties and have them delivered by vans which wouldn’t have to stop at your house, they’d put your mail at the end of the street,” he said.However, Walsh said, the changes were more geared towards new developments, such as entrances to apartment buildings.“There is both what the deed permits and what I expect us to continue to do”.NZ Post also said in a statement, “we do not have widespread plans to move to communal delivery, and customers who currently have an individual letterbox can expect their delivery to continue as normal.”While the deed does allow for consolidation of some delivery points, Walsh said, “From the perspective of NZ Post, if you’re in urban New Zealand and you have a letterbox outside your house, it’s almost certain we will continue to deliver to your house.”However, he said NZ Post needs flexibility for new subdivisions or developments in rural areas.“That will mean that we can continue to offer good service to those areas.“As more households come on, that’s more points for us to deliver, but every site is having less mail be delivered too, so that makes it incredibly expensive for us to maintain to those new sites being developed.”The Deed of Understanding says that “Any proposed change requires reasonable notice and community engagement before any conversions.”What about my local post shop? Is it closing?NZ post also announced recently that it would close 142 service counters in convenience stores, pharmacies and libraries around the country, leaving 567 still operating.Manly, Stanmore Bay Post Shops CloseWalsh said NZ Post had a “robust process” looking at what services were being used the most and where, when it came time to decide on closures.“The data I have at the moment is that about around 90 percent of urban New Zealanders will be within 4km of a retail site” once the changes are in effect, he said.To find out what’s happening in your area see the NZ Post Website list.NZ Post says it has invested $290 million into infrastructure and automation.NZ Post has also opened up new retail hubs for sending, collecting and returning parcels in Auckland, with more planned around the country, and five large processing centres.How will these changes affect people who rely on the post?The decision to close outlets has upset some smaller communities, who worry about the impact on older customers or those without easy access to alternatives.“It’s easy for millennials and younger generations, but older people will really struggle,” Springfield Superette owner Raj Kumar of Rotorua told RNZ recently.Stuart Dick is the chair of the board at the Magazine Publishers Association and general manager at Are Media which publishes weekly magazines including the New Zealand Women’s Weekly and the Listener.“It is concerning that NZ Post are neglecting their core service and customers by reducing delivery days,” he said.“Thankfully there are alternative delivery networks growing to provide some coverage, and the majority of magazines are sold via retail outlets.“However this does not absolve NZ Post of their core purpose to ‘Deliver what people care about’ which includes the magazine subscriptions that our readers love, along with many other things Kiwis rely on their national postal network to deliver.”Walsh said NZ Post was aware of those concerns.“We will continue to work with those senders that have specific time requirements around them. We may not have perfect answers for everyone but we are absolutely committed to working with those senders to see what we can do to support their requirements.”He said NZ Post’s goal was to make the changes with as little disruption as possible.“It’s not easy, it’s clearly going to have impacts on some people, but we’re trying to get that balance right.”Will mail ever go away entirely?Asked if NZ Post as we know it is just going to vanish entirely at some point, Walsh said it was simply responding to changes in the culture.“The way New Zealanders communicate, what they choose to receive, is choices that we don’t make, so we are responding to those changes and that’s really what we’re reflecting.”NZ Post’s pivot to parcels also means it is more directly competing with services such as Aramex and DHL.“It is a very competitive delivery market out there,” Walsh said.“I’m proud of how well NZ post both competes and operates. We have made some pretty significant investments over the last few years to make sure we can continue to scale up our parcel and parcel delivery services.”However, the Postal Union’s Maynard told Midday Report he was still concerned about what the future might hold.“I think we’re going to see some more reductions in NZ Post services allowed for under the deed. I think this sort of thing will continue, pressure from the government, for NZ Post to cut costs and give the cash back to the government.”Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

North Police have recovered a vehicle from the Mahurangi River linked to a fatal January incident.Forty-seven-year-old Tekanimaeu Arobati was washed away in the Mahurangi River on Tuesday, January 21.He was located in the river three days later on Friday, January 24.Inspector Nina Pedersen said Police continued searching for the vehicle Mr Arobati had been travelling in at the time.The Police National Dive Squad was deployed to the Mahurangi River on Wednesday, February 12 to carry out further searches.Mr Arobati’s Nissan X-Trail was located that afternoon and recovered from the river.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

Supporting local only works when locals can actually find you.SkinSafe Skin Cancer Clinic in Orewa was set up to meet the increasing demand for skin cancer treatment on the Hibiscus Coast.Spic N Span Cleaning Services provides home and commercial cleaning across the Hibiscus Coast.North Harbour Law, based in Orewa, specialises in property, private, and commercial law.Complete Beauty Spa in Orewa specialises in skin treatments and beauty therapy.The Hibiscus Coast keeps growing, and new people moving in do not always know which local names to trust yet.These are the kinds of services people look up with a purpose, they open the app because they need a clinic, a cleaner, a lawyer, or a treatment provider.For many owners, confidence comes from seeing exactly where they appear, and what happens after someone taps.In the app, that is trackable.You can see views, clicks, and placements, so you are not relying on assumption.A Featured Listing puts your business above standard listings in your category when someone is actively searching.Display advertising adds another layer, with your brand on the Home Screen or at the top of News, so it is seen even before the search starts.One helps you be found at the right moment.The other helps you stay top of mind a little earlier.Visibility counts. Learn more at portal.hibiscuscoastapp.nzGet the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

Emergency services are responding to a school bus fire on Pakiri Road near Leigh this morning.The incident was reported just before 8.30am.The bus has been extensively damaged by fire.Sergeant Mark Stallworthy says four children were onboard at the time and have all been safely removed. “It’s fortunate that no one has been hurt.”Sergeant Stallworthy says Pakiri Road is down to one lane until about midday.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

Making plans?Three Hibiscus Coast events to check out.Valentines with Elvis - Mike ColeSat 14 FebClick here for more detailsDigital Seniors Whangaparaoa HubWed 18 FebClick here for more detailsOrewa Boulevard Arts FiestaSat 21 FebClick here for more detailsFind more things to do anytime in the Hibiscus Coast App. Browse the full Events Calendar for what’s on this week.Got an event coming up?List it free now. We’ll review submissions for next week’s Top Picks.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand says response times may be delayed as the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union escalates to two one-hour strikes per week.Strikes are planned between 12pm and 1pm this Friday and Monday, with further notices for 20, 23 and 27 February, and 2 March. During the strike periods, Fire and Emergency will still respond to emergency calls. In areas covered by professional firefighters, the closest available volunteers will respond from their stations.Deputy National Commander Megan Stiffler says both parties are involved in facilitation and the agency believes the strike action needlessly puts the community at risk. Fire and Emergency sought facilitation citing a significant gap between its offer and the union’s expectations.The agency says its pre-facilitation offer amounted to a 6.2 percent average increase over three years. It says this was three times less than the NZPFU’s settlement proposal. Under that offer, average senior firefighter salaries would move from about $81,000–$87,000 to $86,000–$93,000 at the end of the period, excluding overtime and allowances, which add an average of nearly $39,000 to annual remuneration.Fire and Emergency says average senior firefighter pay has increased by 37 percent over the past decade, more than 10 percent above the average increase for all workers.The agency says it remains committed to reaching a fair and sustainable settlement while facilitation continues.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

Small- and medium-sized businesses SMEs are handling more work than usual, with nearly 40 percent reporting an increase in levels normally expected in the first quarter, according to a recent survey of more than 500 businesses.The first quarter survey by accounting software firm MYOB indicates a quarter of SMEs had less work than usual in the pipeline, though there was an increase in the number expecting an increase in trade over the first three months of 2026.Several key sectors, including 38 percent of manufacturing SMEs, 37 percent of retail businesses and 33 percent of the construction and trades businesses surveyed reported an increase in orders or work commissioned before the end of March.MYOB chief customer officer Dean Chadwick said many SMEs were still navigating uneven demand and ongoing cost pressures, though the survey results suggested business activity for the new year had started on firmer footing."SMEs ended 2025 with largely steady trading conditions in the final few months of the year, though performance varied across the sector," he said."While more than a quarter of businesses exceeded their sales expectations and most met their forecasts, a quarter saw a softer-than-predicted performance."The survey indicated SMEs were moving on their own spending plans, with 44 percent of those surveyed planning to bring forward deductible business purchases on things like supplies or equipment, before 31 March."We know from our research at the end of last year that many local businesses are planning to take advantage of the Investment Boost to maximise business investment this year," he said."We can also see from the latest data that businesses are making good on the growth ambitions they signalled at the end of last year - not only seizing opportunities to increase sales before the end of the financial year, but also upping their own spending on plant, supplies and equipment to boost their operations."Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

A Warkworth man has been sentenced to 12 months home detention for distributing child sexual exploitation material.The 25-year-old appeared at the North Shore District Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to 21 charges of distributing objectionable material. The Department of Internal Affairs said the material included images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation and abuse of children.The Department’s Digital Child Exploitation Team opened an investigation after a report from an international law enforcement agency. The Department said the report indicated the man had been sharing links containing child sexual exploitation material through an online chat.A search warrant was carried out at his address on May 14, 2024. The Department said several electronic devices were seized and destroyed.It said examination of the devices identified 7,853 objectionable files, and that 1,053 child sexual abuse images had been shared to 12 other offenders.Digital Child Exploitation Team manager Tim Houston said offenders who possess and knowingly share this material present a risk to online and offline communities.As part of the sentence, the man will be registered as a child sex offender, and the devices used were ordered to be destroyed. The Department said that in 2024 the team conducted 69 investigations, helped safeguard 14 New Zealand children from harm, and its filtering system blocked over one million attempts to access websites hosting child sexual abuse material.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

Coasties, here’s what the next four days have for us.Friday, 13/1Cloud builds with showers, some heavy, turning to rain later, easing easterlies.High: 25Low: 19Saturday, 14/1Partly cloudy with a morning shower risk, strong sou’wester developing.High: 24Low: 16Sunday, 15/1Morning cloud clears to fine, strong sou’wester easing later.High: 23Low: 15Monday, 16/1Partly cloudy with breezy westerlies across the Hibiscus Coast.High: 23Low: 15See the full Weather section in the app for:🌊 Tides🌬️ Wind☔ Rain radar🌞 UV levels🏖️ Safe swimming spots...and more.The Hibiscus Coast App has everything you need for the region, accessible at any time and from any location.

Police arrested a 15-year-old after an aggravated robbery in Albany on Tuesday night.Police responded to Coliseum Drive, Albany at 7.41pm following reports a teenage victim was approached outside a fast-food restaurant and had his electric trail bike allegedly stolen at knifepoint.Inspector Aron McKeown, Waitemata East Area Prevention Manager, said the bike was driven across the car park towards the mall and out of sight.The Police Eagle helicopter, already in the area for another matter, located the bike being driven at excessive speed on the Northern Busway southbound.Eagle tracked the bike as it exited at Constellation Station and travelled onto the Northern Motorway. No units pursued the bike on the ground.The rider exited at Tristram Avenue and headed towards Becroft Park, cutting through a football game before continuing towards Milford.The incident ended on Bevyn Street when the rider fell from the bike.Police arrested the 15-year-old at the scene. He was not injured.Waitemata East CIB has charged the male with aggravated robbery, reckless driving and possession for supply of cannabis.He is due to appear in the North Shore Youth Court. Police said the teenage victim is being provided support following the incident.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

For a while there, electric vehicles felt inevitable in New Zealand, attracting a growing number of Kiwi drivers.The future, humming quietly along city and rural roads, was silent, clean, and cheaper to run.Then the brakes went on.The Detail looks at why, talking to long-time EV-user Ed Harvey, founder and CEO of Evnex - an EV smart charging company in Christchurch.He says in the space of a couple of years, electric vehicle sales have slumped, with the blame trail leading straight to Wellington. The government scrapped the clean car discount, introduced EV road-user charges, and, most recently, weakened the clean car standards."They [government ministers] would say they didn't think it was working - they would probably say, look, the market share is way down, that's proving Kiwis don't really want electric vehicles, but I think the government has... really leveraged the politicisation of EVs to their advantage," Harvey tells The Detail."And they haven't shown leadership in a technology that is actually going to save kiwis money."Harvey built his own EV car, converting his Honda Accord, while at university in 2013.He's since sold it, upgrading to another EV.But he says fewer Kiwis are joining him for the silent drive on New Zealand roads."We are definitely not soaring. 2025 was not the best year; I would say it was sort of flat, if not a very moderate growth."In terms of pure B-EVs (battery electric vehicles rather than hybrids) just over 9000 were sold in the New Zealand market last year. That's just over a four percent market share, a slight increase on 2024 but a big dip on the year before. In 2023, which was the last year of the clean car discount, B-EVs had a 10 percent market share, translating to 26,000 sold."And even the year before that, in 2022, we had just under 20,000 [sold], and, again, compare that with just over 9000 last year, it's a huge drop, which is really disappointing for those of us in the industry," Harvey says.After the government scrapped the clean car discount - the rebate that knocked thousands of dollars off the price of an electric vehicle - EVs were brought into the road user charge net.For years, EV drivers had been exempt - a deliberate incentive to encourage uptake. That advantage disappeared - fairness, the government argued. Everyone pays their way.Then late last year, penalties under the Clean Vehicle Standard - designed to push importers toward low-emission cars - were slashed, and the pressure to prioritise cleaner vehicles eased.The government insists the slowdown reflects global trends and tight household budgets.But Harvey says it has come at a devastating cost to the environment and for EV businesses."It's done huge damage to the industry. There were a lot of fledgling businesses that were building, whether it be EV charging infrastructure, like us, or battery recycling, or EV service specialists that were starting to grow quite well back in 2022/23. It's done a huge amount of damage to those businesses, and they have lost a lot of confidence."It prompted him to write opinion pieces for The Post and on LinkedIn, saying "the New Zealand government's lack of strategy and ambition around electrification is nothing short of embarrassing. Our transport minister is capitulating to the interests of lobbyists and short-term political gains".He tells The Detail that transport remains a large source of emissions in New Zealand. And EVs are an answer to reduce this.The Port of Auckland has noticed a drop in the number of EVs arriving in New Zealand.Between 15,000 and 18,000 vehicles - a mix of EVs, hybrids, petrol, and diesel - arrive in Auckland every month - that's about 200,000 a year.But for December last year, only 600 vehicles were EVs."A year before that, December 2024, that was over 800, so we are talking about a decrease of around 30 percent for EVs," Chris Mills, general manager, marine, multi-cargo and cruise at Port of Auckland, tells The Detail."And we are also seeing similar numbers, in terms of reductions, around plug-in hybrids."He says he's seen a bump in non-plug-in, self-charging hybrids - the petrol-hybrid equivalent."We have seen those numbers really boom. In December, there were 2700 units registered in New Zealand."Ed Harvey doesn't mind hybrids but would still prefer drivers committed to full electric vehicles.He says they are the future ..... the technology is there, the chargers still work, it's just that the road ahead is a lot less clear.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

The 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season kicks off in Dunedin on Friday, February 13, with the Highlanders hosting defending champions the Crusaders in a southern derby.Later that night, attention turns to Sydney where the NSW Waratahs face the Queensland Reds at Allianz Stadium.Saturday, February 14 continues with the Fijian Drua opening their campaign at home in Lautoka against Moana Pasifika. The round also includes the Blues hosting the Chiefs at Eden Park, while the ACT Brumbies meet the Western Force in Canberra.The season launch was held in Auckland, bringing together players past and present to mark 30 years since Super Rugby began. The 11 clubs were represented by Patrick Tuipulotu (Blues), Patrick Pelligrini (Moana Pasifika), Tom Wright (ACT Brumbies), Manasa Mataele (Fijian Drua), Du’Plessis Kirifi (Hurricanes), Nic Dolly (Western Force), Codie Taylor (Crusaders), Fraser McReight (Queensland Reds), Wallace Sititi (Chiefs), Eamon Doyle (NSW Waratahs) and Fabian Holland (Highlanders).Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley said the anniversary season would reflect on the competition’s history while looking ahead to its future, with clubs planning celebrations across the year.For Hibiscus Coast rugby fans, the opening weekend includes a prime-time Eden Park clash on Saturday night as the Blues begin their 2026 campaign against the Chiefs.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

There’s a steady kind of pride when someone local takes on a national job.Whangaparaoa College principal Steve McCracken has recently become Chairperson of the Secondary Principals Council (SPC) in Aotearoa New Zealand, the body that advocates for the unique needs of secondary and area school principals.The Council is made up of elected representatives from across the country.It also has specific roles for Maori, women, and Area School principals, so a wider mix of voices is built into its leadership.As chair, McCracken will help steer that advocacy work and represent principals’ interests at a national level.For the Hibiscus Coast, it is a simple reminder that local school leadership can carry real weight well beyond the school gate.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

Waitemata Police have arrested five teenagers after reports of vehicle crime in Hillcrest and a later stop in Massey.Police say it began just before 3.30am, after a member of the public reported vehicles being interfered with on Stanaway Street in Hillcrest. Inspector Jason Edwards said a group of males fled the street in another vehicle. Police found four vehicles had been interfered with and an ignition barrel on the ground.About 30 minutes later, the Police Eagle helicopter tracked the group as they abandoned a stolen vehicle in Massey. Edwards said the group was seen walking onto Zefiro Drive. Ground units were directed to the location and all five were taken into custody.Police say the group had been travelling with two stolen vehicles in tandem, before colliding with each other on the Royal Road offramp. One vehicle was abandoned and the group continued a short distance.Those arrested are aged between 13 and 16. Four males have been charged with unlawfully getting into a vehicle and will appear in the Waitakere Youth Court today. Police say the group is also being spoken to in relation to other vehicle crime across west Auckland and the North Shore.Police thanked frontline teams from the North Shore and Henderson, and the Crime Squad. Police also acknowledged the member of the public who reported the suspicious activity.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

Auckland will host a larger SailGP race stadium when the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix returns in February 2026.The Wynyard Point Race Stadium will expand its record-setting grandstand by 30 percent, building on the 2025 event that reshaped Auckland’s waterfront skyline and brought racing metres from shore.The expanded structure is designed to intensify crowd noise and sightlines as SailGP’s high-speed foiling fleets race directly in front of packed grandstands.The near-shore format is central to SailGP’s appeal, allowing spectators to follow every manoeuvre as teams race at speed on the Waitemata Harbour.New Zealand’s Black Foils, led by Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, will again compete against the world’s top sailing nations as teams set the pace for the 2026 season.For Hibiscus Coast residents, the Auckland leg places an international sporting event within easy reach, with afternoon race windows suited to same-day travel.Race Day 1 takes place on Saturday, February 14, with the Race Stadium open from 1:30pm to 7:00pm and racing scheduled between 4:00pm and 5:30pm.Race Day 2 follows on Sunday, February 15, with the same stadium and race window times.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]

Two Auckland students are in Starship Hospital after being struck by cars before school on Monday.Police said one intermediate-aged student was hit by a car at about 8.15am while crossing Whangaparāoa Road in Stanmore Bay.In a statement, Whangaparāoa College confirmed one of its students was hit.It said the student was receiving medical treatment and would make a full recovery.Police said another intermediate child was hit by a different car on Onewa Road in Northcote at 8.26am.St John said both children who suffered moderate injuries were taken to Starship in ambulances.Get the Hibiscus Coast headlines first.Corrections, tips, or photos, [email protected]