Northern Rescue Helicopter crews flew 130 missions across Northland and Auckland over 16 holiday days.The Northland and Auckland-based crews carried out 111 missions from Monday, December 22, 2025 to Monday, January 5, 2026, then a further 19 flights on Tuesday, January 6 and Wednesday, January 7.Chief Operating Officer Karl Taylor said the period was hectic, driven by serious road crashes, water and land-based accidents, medical complaints, and inter-hospital transfers.Taylor also credited engineers, pilots and paramedics, and praised the way emergency services worked together during the rush.“We are proud to stand alongside our fellow first responders and work for the good of the community day and night,” Taylor said.He pointed to serious vehicle crashes in the Brynderwyns and the Far North, where patients were flown to hospitals in Northland and Auckland, with some in critical and serious condition.Taylor said the Northland and Auckland rescue helicopter operations merged some years back and now operate as one combined service, with crews trained to the same level.Know something local worth sharing?Send it to [email protected]

Authorities are warning car owners to be mindful of where the water run-off ends up when washing vehicles at home if they wish to avoid a hefty fine.The warning comes after one social media user expressed surprise upon learning that a friend received a fine for washing their car on an Auckland driveway late last year.The RedNote post attracted hundreds of comments.Amendments to the 1991 Resource Management Act introduced stiffer penalties for individuals and companies polluting waterways, poisoning aquatic life or damaging habitats in September.Individuals discharging contaminants such as cleaning products into stormwater systems face fines of $1500, while companies can be fined $3000.The fine individuals faced if they contaminated stormwater systems before the September amendment was $750.Jesse Hindt, acting compliance manager at Auckland Council, said car owners should be aware of wider environmental impacts when washing vehicles on sealed surfaces."On concrete surfaces like driveways or the road, wash water will generally flow into our stormwater system, which drains directly into streams, rivers and the sea," Hindt said.The water could carry detergents, oil, fuel residues, metals and dirt that contaminate waterways, poisoning aquatic life and damaging habitats, he said."Even biodegradable detergents pollute waterways," Hindt said."To prevent this from happening, the council advises people to wash their vehicles on unsealed ground such as gravel or grass or divert run-off to unsealed ground using sandbags."Environment Trust CEO Carla Gee Photo: SuppliedCarla Gee, chief executive at EcoMatters Environment Trust, said people who were unable to wash their cars on unsealed ground could bring vehicles to a commercial car wash that would discharge the run-off into a wastewater system that was treated."Stormwater drains are only for rain," she said. "They flow through streams to the sea, so don't put anything in there that you wouldn't want in your kaimoana (seafood)."Pour dirty water into toilets or sinks instead so it would be discharged into the sewage system and treated, Gee said."We love our rivers and beaches, and we want our kids and grandkids to be able to enjoy them," she said."When our streams get polluted, fish and shellfish can die or become sick with toxins, and our waterways can become too dangerous to swim in."Auckland Council also warned organisers of community car washes that used a large quantity of wash water, including fundraising events, to ensure the run-off did not enter the stormwater system.Organisers were advised to cover and block any stormwater catchpits, divert wash water to unsealed ground or ask Watercare for permission to discharge to the sewer system, and block the catchpit outflow and remove excess water with a wet vacuum."If you cannot find a suitable location, check with local self-serve car wash businesses and ask to use one of their stalls to conduct the car wash fundraiser," the council said.A spokesperson from the Ministry for the Environment said households should check local government regulations if they were unsure about potentially committing an offence by discharging water or potential contaminants from their property into stormwater systems."Individuals and businesses have responsibilities to prevent contaminant discharge to help improve the water quality and the health of our waterways," the spokesperson said.Know something local worth sharing?Send it to [email protected] — we’ll help spread the word.

Coasties, here’s what the next four days have for us.Friday, 9/1Mostly fine and sunny, with breezy to brisk sou’wester windsHigh: 26Low: 17Saturday, 10/1Fine with some cloud, fairly breezy westerliesHigh: 27Low: 17Sunday, 11/1Fine and partly cloudy, fairly breezy westerlies developing in the morningHigh: 28Low: 18Monday, 12/1Partly cloudy, with a chance of a shower until evening, westerlies turning southerly in the afternoonHigh: 27Low: 15See the full Weather section in the Hibiscus Coast App for:🌊 Tide times🌬️ Wind conditions🌊 Wave updates🌞 UV levels🏖️ Safe swimming spots...and plenty more.The Hibiscus Coast App has everything you need, accessible at any time and from any location.

If your baby relies on Alfamino, it’s worth checking the tin before the next feed. New Zealand Food Safety, Pharmac and the Ministry of Health are supporting Nestlé in a recall of five batches of Alfamino 400g infant formula for babies with milk allergies, due to the potential presence of cereulide, a toxin produced by Bacillus cereus that can cause gastrointestinal illness. There have been no reports of illness linked to this recall in New Zealand or internationally. In New Zealand, the affected imported product is not sold in supermarkets and is mainly publicly funded through hospitals, pharmacies and GPs, although a small amount may have been bought over the counter at pharmacies or online. The affected batches are 51070017Y2 (use-by 17.04.2027), 51080017Y1 (use-by 18.04.2027), 51480017Y3 (use-by 28.05.2027), 51490017Y1 (use-by 29.05.2027), and 52030017Y1 (use-by 22.07.2027). For more information, contact Nestlé on 0800 864 685.Prescribers and pharmacies are being advised of the recall and asked to inform parents and guardians. If you have an affected batch at home on the Hibiscus Coast, do not feed it to your baby if at all possible, and return it to where you bought it for a full refund. Pharmac funds alternatives, so talk with your pharmacist or GP about what’s best for your baby. If you have no alternative infant formula for tonight and tomorrow, contact Healthline on 0800 611 116. If your baby has consumed the affected formula, symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhoea (which can be severe or persistent), or unusual lethargy, typically appearing 30 minutes to 6 hours after exposure and usually resolving within 24 hours.Seen something local we should cover?Let us know at [email protected]

Police have confirmed one person has died after yesterday’s serious two-vehicle crash on Pine Valley Road, Dairy Flat.Emergency services were alerted at around 12:50pm on Wednesday, January 7.Pine Valley Road was closed while crews worked at the scene, and reopened at around 5pm.The Serious Crash Unit attended, and enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.For Hibiscus Coast locals who use the Dairy Flat route, it’s a sobering update after yesterday’s road closure.Know something local worth sharing?Send it to [email protected]

Netsafe is warning people to be extra cautious with emails they receive including their private information, as hackers threaten to release more than 400,000 stolen health documents.They took the files from the online portal Manage My Health, and 120,000 people are affected.The Tuesday morning deadline for Manage My Health to pay the US$60,000 ransom passed without the files being publicly shared, but unverified reports appeared to put a new deadline at 5am on Friday.Manage My Health has identified general practices whose patients have had their private health information breached, but it is not yet clear when those patients will be told.Netsafe chief online safety officer Sean Lyons said it's difficult to know what to watch out for while it's unclear what's been stolen.But he said people should have a "raised level of suspicion" about any communication containing their private data."Even names, addresses, dates of birth, family members, we hear talk about maybe even scans of passport details," he said.Hackers could include that information in an email and claim to be their GP, Manage My Health, or another agency, Lyons said."So that kind of ... 'I must know who you are because I hold your NHI number, or I know your address and date of birth, therefore I must be from the agency that I say I am'," he said."So it really is being extra cautious around anything that contains your personal information and asking for more, for money, for more information."Lyons said dodgy emails may also apply pressure on people, like giving deadlines for a response or payment, or threatening people that they're at risk of prosecution or breaking a law."Don't give in to that pressure, contact the agency that somebody says they're from directly, don't use any of the communication methods, numbers, email addresses, whatever that they give you."People could also contact Netsafe for advice if they are unsure, he said.Anyone who Manage My Health says has been affected by the data breach has the right to ask the company for more information, Lyons said."It's important that we know what it is that we should be looking out for, to what extent that information of ours has been breached, and what we might need to do to ... shore up our privacy position based on it."Know something local worth sharing?Send it to [email protected]

Emergency services are at the scene of a serious crash on Pine Valley Road in Dairy Flat, and the road is closed.The crash involves two vehicles. One patient has been taken to Auckland City Hospital in a serious condition.The road will remain closed while emergency services work at the scene.Seen something local we should cover?Let us know at [email protected]

State Highway 1 northbound is closed at Greville Road in Auckland’s Waitematā as Police respond to a serious incident.Officers were called to the area about 10:50am.Photo: tomtomPolice thank the public for their patience.They are asking people to delay travel if possible and follow suggested diversions.For Hibiscus Coast locals heading home from the City, this may affect planned northbound travel through the area.Seen something local we should cover?Let us know at [email protected]

The part that gets Coasties is not one giant bill.It is the slow drip of a few key ones that never seem to ease.Heading into 2026 on the Hibiscus Coast, the safest assumption is simple.Rates and insurance keep nudging up. Power stays stubbornly high unless you actively change your plan or habits. Gas remains the utility most likely to jump when a deal ends.Auckland Council has already signalled another rates increase for 2025/26.Its long-term plan points to a bigger rise again in 2026/27.So if you own a home in Orewa, Manly, Millwater or nearby, budget for another step up. Do not assume you will be the exception.Insurance is the same story. Most renewals are still trending higher. Auckland’s flood and storm risk has changed the pricing maths. The practical move is to expect an uplift. Then decide what you do about it. You can pay it. You can lift your excess. You can trim extras. Or you can shop around properly, instead of letting it roll over.Power is less about a promised drop and more about what you do. The baseline cost of being connected is still a big chunk. Many households only see real relief when they switch retailer. Or they move to a better plan. Or they get smarter about when they use the heavy stuff.Gas sits in a slightly different bucket. It is not always the biggest line on the budget. But it can bite hard when your contract renews. It can also bite when a special ends. That is why more Coast households are treating it as a watch list bill. They are doing the numbers before replacing a hot water system or appliances.Add it all together and you get the 2026 feeling for a lot of families. It is not panic. It is just less wriggle room.A few dollars here and there can be the difference. You either keep two small treats in the month. Or you cut back to one. Or you drop a subscription.If you want a simple way to stay ahead of it, keep it basic.Pop a little buffer into your weekly cash flow for fixed bills.Diarise your insurance renewal so you can quote-check before you are under time pressure.Review your power plan like you would a phone plan. If you are on gas, know when your current deal ends. That stops it quietly rolling over at a higher rate.Know something local worth sharing?Send it to [email protected] — we’ll help spread the word.

EB Games has launched a staff consultation on a proposal to shut down its New Zealand operations, which would affect the Silverdale Mall store.The proposal includes all 38 stores and the New Zealand distribution centre.No final decision has been made.EB Games says the New Zealand business is no longer commercially viable after multi-million-dollar losses in the 2024 fiscal year.It has pointed to weak trading conditions, higher costs, and turnaround efforts that did not succeed, including store changes, cost cutting, and attempts to sell the business.If the proposal goes ahead, all New Zealand roles would be disestablished.The company has also indicated some staff may have options to relocate into roles in Australia.Employees are being asked to provide feedback, with responses due by January 12.EB Games is an Australian-based video game and pop culture merchandise retailer owned by GameStop since 2005.The consultation applies to New Zealand only, and there is no equivalent plan to close Australian stores at this stage.EB Games has about 336 stores in Australia.Know something local worth sharing?Send it to [email protected] — we’ll help spread the word.

Auckland is included in a funding boost for community organisations aimed at faster access to mental health support, says Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey.He says the funding is designed to remove barriers, help people access the right support earlier, and make support available when and where it’s needed.One of the funded groups, Hearts and Minds, will expand early intervention and navigation services in Waitematā.It will help more than 600 people access timely support through Support Coordinators who connect people with resources and support.Asian Family Services will also provide culturally appropriate mental health support in Auckland and Wellington, plus national telehealth services.It is expected to reach more than 1,500 people.Other funded work includes a new digital service in Canterbury through The Loft, and an expansion of MATES in Construction to reach an additional 3,000 construction workers across 19 regions.For Hibiscus Coast readers, the key detail is that some of the funded work is planned for Waitematā and Auckland, and Asian Family Services will also offer national telehealth support.The funding boost comes from the Mental Health Innovation Fund.In the second funding round, the matched funding threshold was lowered from $250,000 to $100,000 to allow a wider range of community-led initiatives.Seen something local we should cover?Let us know at [email protected]

The Stuff-owned website Neighbourly - at the centre of a major cyber breach - has headed to court to try to stop the stolen information spreading.The High Court at Auckland has confirmed it has received and accepted an application for an injunction.The site was taken down for a time on New Year's Day after the breach was found.Information including names, email addresses, posts and messages has purportedly surfaced for sale on the dark web.Cyber security experts say it is particularly concerning that GPS data from Neighbourly has also been taken. One said it could put lives at risk.A court date has not yet been set.It comes at the same time that the ManageMyHealth website was struck by a hacker attack that includes patient information.The hackers, calling themselves "Kazu", posted on Sunday morning that unless the company paid a ransom within 48 hours, they would leak more than 400,000 files in their possession.Know something local worth sharing?Send it to [email protected] — we’ll help spread the word.

If you’ve driven past a string of open home signs this week, you’re not imagining the lift in activity.Early January on the Hibiscus Coast is looking busier in terms of people moving, rather than prices running away.To put some numbers around the supply locals are scrolling through right now, Trade Me was showing 843 residential properties for sale across the Hibiscus Coast and nearby Rodney suburbs at the time of writing.The top asking price we could see in that set was $7.5m for a lifestyle property in Dairy Flat.At the other end, one of the cheapest listings we could find was $399,000 for a one-bedroom apartment in Gulf Harbour.Local agent Charlie from Charlie Cochrane Real Estate says the market has “picked up, in terms of sales volumes not higher prices”, which he links to “the lowering of the OCR and the consequential lower mortgage interest rates”.He also says vendors’ price expectations have been “somewhat tempered” because of “the high volume of properties for sale”.Charlie Cochrane.If you’re in that first home buyer bracket, Charlie says homes in the “$800,000 to $1 million” range are “attracting good numbers of potential purchasers”.That fits with what many locals notice first, plenty of foot traffic, lots of comparison, and buyers taking their time before they commit.So if you’re planning a move in 2026, this looks like a market where prep matters.Buyers can take a breath and watch what actually sells, not just what’s listed.Sellers will likely do best by pricing to the competition and getting the basics right before the first open home, because people have more choice and they are using it.Know something local worth sharing?Send it to [email protected] — we’ll help spread the word.

The past year was a tough grind for many households and businesses but forecasters say there is economic improvement on the horizon.Kelly Eckhold, chief economist at Westpac, said he was expecting the economy to be much stronger in 2026, with growth in GDP of about 3 percent over the year compared to a flat 2025."That's supported by lower interest rates in the coming year. Whereas in 2025 we saw relatively strong performance by the primary sector and tourism to some extent but not so much the services sector and the bits of the economy that really drive the major urban areas, we think we probably have much more balanced growth in 2026."Households might not see much wage growth initially, he said, because that was one of the last things to move, but inflation should be weaker. "The cost of living crisis should ease off a bit."Gareth Kiernan, chief forecaster at Infometrics, agreed things should improve."It can't be worse, right? You've had good export prices, you've got interest rates which are headed lower than we had been thinking… there's a bit of caution coming on some of those exports… but I think between the effects of the strong prices over the last 18 months and the low interest rates and the government doing more in the infrastructure space - if not anywhere else, you put all those together and there are enough signs that growth should be better."He said the international environment would be something to keep an eye on. "Trump and the tariffs had derailed things somewhat through the early part of this year and that sort of has hung over the economy for the rest of 2025. But who really knows in that space, I guess."He said there were some small signs that the labour market was already improving and that should continue to build. "There does seem to be a bit more of an air of optimism and maybe a bit more genuine growth starting to come through as opposed to the high business confidence we had a year ago which didn't really translate into anything much this year."Economists from BMI, a Fitch Solutions company, said they expected 2 percent growth in 2026."The Reserve Bank of New Zealand's rate cuts will continue to ease monetary policy conditions - even if most of the easing cycle is likely behind us - supporting household spending and business investment. We anticipate a 25 basis points cut to 2 percent by the end of 2026. Government infrastructure projects - including Auckland's City Rail Link, major highway upgrades such as the Waikato Expressway, and water resilience programmes - will add momentum. Externally, strong demand for dairy and meat, alongside a tourism rebound, should underpin growth."However, downside risks persist. An escalation in global trade tensions or new tariffs could weaken export performance, while a slower-than-expected recovery in Mainland China - New Zealand's largest trading partner - would dampen agricultural demand."Domestically, persistent labor shortages and wage pressures could restrain productivity, and delays to infrastructure projects would reduce fiscal support. Additionally, if inflation proves sticky, the Reserve Bank may pause or reverse rate cuts, curbing the anticipated lift to consumption and investment."Simplicity chief economist Shamubeel Eaqub said he was much more optimistic about 2026. "Mainly because we're starting to see a bottom in a lot of things a the moment. Some of the distress is fading."But he said the recovery would not be felt evenly."I think there has been a real expansion of poverty in New Zealand, there's a chunk of New Zealanders that are continuing to do it really tough."They're stuck in that position where they work in industries that are not going to recover strongly. They work in industries that have relative low-wage, they work and live in places where the cost of living has gone up a lot with rents… so these things are not going to turn around quickly."A rising economy Is not enough to lift them up.. But for the median and for the people in the top end I think things will look a lot better."Sources of growth will change, he said, as some of the momentum shifted out of the primary sector."But by the second half of the year, all the weight of the rate cuts, the cumulative benefits of all the rate cuts would have come through. And we should start to see banks lending again because, you know, they're fair weather friends."And then once they start lending money, that's when you really juice up the cycle because it's really about investments."When people start to make investments and businesses make investments, that's really when the economy recovers. Also, I'm getting more optimistic on the government's capex plans."For the last couple of years, they've been reducing spending, reducing spending, reducing spending. That's really the only place austerity has worked so far in not investing in infrastructure. But if you look at all the announcements that have taken place in the second half of this year, it's all about central government and local government doing more next year. And so all the pipeline stuff, it looks like we are going to see quite a lot of activity starting in the beginning of next year. So with the government coming back and hopefully the private sector coming back through the middle of next year, you've kind of got more of a platform for growth."Know something local worth sharing?Send it to [email protected] — we’ll help spread the word.

MetService says the Hibiscus Coast is set for a mostly sunny, dry week, with temperatures lifting into the weekend.It says high pressure stretched across the country is shielding New Zealand from significant weather. It expects plenty of sunshine and dry weather for many places, with the odd afternoon shower.For Whangaparāoa, forecast highs range from 24°C on Tuesday, January 6 to 28°C on Sunday, January 11. Overnight lows sit between 17°C and 18°C.MetService meteorologist Alanna Burrows says drier weather will be “a bit of relief” in parts of the northeast after recent wet days.Burrows says it will be hotter in some eastern regions later in the week.She points to Blenheim on Friday, with a forecast maximum of 32°C, which she says is 7.5°C above average.MetService says it issues Heat Alerts for unusually hot weather.Seen something local we should cover?Let us know at [email protected]

Police have closed East Coast Road near Stillwater, Auckland, after a single-vehicle crash just after 3pm.The closure is between Wilks Road and Bawden Road.Police say one person has serious injuries and is being treated by ambulance services.Motorists are being told the road will be closed for over an hour, with detours in place.For Hibiscus Coast drivers who use East Coast Road, expect delays in that Stillwater stretch this afternoon.Seen something local we should cover?Let us know at [email protected]

Health Minister Simeon Brown has asked the Ministry of Health to review the response to a cybersecurity breach involving patient information held in the ManageMyHealth portal, because people need confidence their health data is protected.ManageMyHealth is a privately operated patient portal used by some general practices around New Zealand. It holds medical information and lets patients communicate with health professionals.“I know this breach will be very concerning to the many New Zealanders who use ManageMyHealth, and we need assurances around the protection and security of people’s health data,” Brown said.The review is set to look at what caused the incident, whether the data protections and response were adequate, and what improvements are needed to prevent similar incidents.Brown said he has written to the Director-General of Health asking that the review begins no later than 30 January.He said an Incident Management Team has been meeting daily to coordinate advice and support across government agencies, and he wants that immediate work to stay the focus.The Ministry is expected to develop Terms of Reference, with input from the Government Chief Digital Officer and the National Cyber Security Centre.Health New Zealand has advised there has been no impact on its systems. It is working with primary care providers through General Practice New Zealand to clarify the potential impact on patients and general practices. General practices remain open and providing services.For Hibiscus Coast locals who use ManageMyHealth, the key point is that a formal review is now being set up, alongside the ongoing incident response.Know something local worth sharing?Send it to [email protected] — we’ll help spread the word.

Auckland’s Anniversary Day Regatta will add a harbour-wide Sail Past at 12 pm on Monday, January 26. Organisers say it is designed to celebrate Auckland’s maritime culture and create a standout spectacle on the harbour.The moving procession will depart from Westhaven, follow the city shoreline, then sweep across the harbour to finish off North Head. It is open to all vessels, whether or not they are competing in the regatta.Organisers are inviting classic yachts and launches, workboats, powerboats, keelboats, multihulls, dinghies, club support boats, and more. Entry is free, with participants asked to register on the regatta website.“We want to create a spectacle where the whole harbour comes alive,” said Bill Lomas, Regatta Chair.The timing and route are set up for spectators along the CBD waterfront, Devonport, and North Head. Organisers say the finish position also suits competitors heading into afternoon races.Registered Sail Past participants are invited to the Official Regatta After Party at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. Live music will be provided by the Royal New Zealand Navy Band.Registration for the Sail Past is free and now open at https://regatta.org.nz/regatta-participants/sail-past/Seen something local we should cover?Let us know at [email protected]

A break away is meant to be relaxing. It is harder to relax if you are worrying about the house. The reality is that holiday time can also be opportunity time for thieves, especially when a place looks empty.CrimeStats NZ shows property crime is a big part of local offending. In Orewa Central, theft is about 63% of recorded crime. In Whangaparāoa Central, theft is roughly 77% of recorded offences. In Silverdale Central, the annual total crime rate is 420.69 crimes per thousand residents, ranked 30 within Auckland.You cannot control everything. But you can make your place a harder target.1) Do the basics properlyDo this before you load the car. Then do a final walk-through at the door. Lock every door, including side and back entrances. Close and latch all windows. Secure sheds, garages, and any outbuildings. Put valuables out of sight. Brace sliding doors with a simple bar or a piece of timber.2) Make it look lived inClear the letterbox. Use timers for a couple of indoor lights. Leave curtains slightly open. If you will be away for a while, arrange for the lawns to be mowed.3) Loop in someone you trustTell a neighbour or family your dates. Ask them to collect mail. Ask them to put bins out. If it suits, ask them to park a car in your driveway now and then. Small signs of life help. If they see anything unusual, they should not investigate. They should call 111 straight away.4) Check your insurance before you goDo not assume you are covered for everything. Take a quick look at your policy now, not after a problem.5) Consider a simple security setupModern systems can be straightforward to use. Even basic cameras or sensors can deter an opportunistic visitor. Some insurers may offer discounts for approved setups.Seen something local we should cover?Let us know at [email protected]