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Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council
Environment Canterbury © 2025
Retrieved: 11:50am, Wed 08 Jan 2025
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Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council
Drive, walk or cycle into the south bank of the Ashley Rakahuri River in Rangiora for your choice of two movie screenings:
The origin story of how the world’s greatest supervillain first met his iconic Minions, forged cinema’s most despicable crew and faced off against the most unstoppable criminal force ever assembled. This film has a PG rating with a warning note for violence.
Entry to the screening area will open at 1pm.
Buy tickets to Minions: The Rise of Gru
A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.
This film has a PG rating with a warning note for battle violence and fantasy horror.
Entry to the screening area will open at 5pm.
Buy tickets to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Find out more about the recreational spaces in Ashley Rakahuri Regional Park, including an exercise trail and areas for fishing, swimming, gamebird hunting, walking, cycling and picnicking.
Environment Canterbury © 2025
Retrieved: 11:50am, Wed 08 Jan 2025
ecan.govt.nz/get-involved/news-and-events/2025/drive-in-movies-bring-summer-fun-to-rangiora/
Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council
The bug bags provide a short-term habitat for macroinvertebrates, bugs, worms, and snails that may have otherwise drifted past.
Dr Issie Barrett from the Waterways Centre and Matt Stanford, Enviroschools Selwyn facilitator, worked with Glentunnel, Hororata, Greendale, Springston, and Leeston Enviroschools to take a baseline water quality assessment at each site using the types of macroinvertebrates they found.
“There are lots of different types of bugs that can live in the river and what we want to see is lots of diversity, because that’s going to be the healthiest river,” said Issie.
She explained that certain bugs were indicators of water quality – for instance, stoneflies are intolerant to pollution, so high numbers of stoneflies indicated better water quality. On the flip side, high numbers of invertebrates like snails and worms would suggest that the waterway might be polluted.
The big question at sites where we don’t currently find the sensitive species is, “are they just drifting past because there is nowhere suitable for them to live?” This is what deploying the bags may tell us.
In a joint meeting, each school shared the type of bugs that had ended up in their bags and compared that with baseline sampling. The bags deployed near Whitecliffs and Glentunnel were located furthest up the awa and had lots of sensitive species like green stoneflies, dobsonflies and single gill mayflies, which indicated a higher water quality.
Over the years the students in these areas have led restoration efforts along the awa with riparian planting and are proud of their connection to this waterway.
Further downstream, students discovered some pollution-tolerant species like snails, flatworms, segmented worms, and blood worms in their bags.
Issie said that seeing species like worms isn’t necessarily a bad thing. “A fully functioning ecosystem will include both sensitive species and the more tolerant types.”
Flooding of the Waikirikiri awa in October meant some of the bug bags were swept down the river.
“None of the students’ hard work will go to waste,” said Issie. “Bags that were washed away will likely end up in Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere and become habitats for invertebrates and small fish.”
“The flood that we had ended up testing the design limits of our bug bags and revealed some deficiencies that the students have already thought of ways to rectify,” explained Matt.
Despite the flood, ākonga still found the creation and launch, as well as the identification of macroinvertebrates, to be an exciting and beneficial activity.
Leeston school said that some of their children didn’t even know there were bugs in the river, so it was an interesting learning experience for them.
“This project wasn’t about having all the answers,” said Matt. “We wanted to foster the children’s curiosity and get them to ask the ‘why’ question. When young people are connected to their local environment, they act instinctively in ways to protect it. I’m sure we will see some cool action from them aimed at improved water quality along the Waikirirkiri awa.”
Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council
In recent months, staff have completed a major programme of work to help restore the region’s resilience to flooding after the 2021 flood event.
The project focused on more than 400 repair jobs across Central and South Canterbury. This included:
In many cases, we were able to replant existing trees that had washed out but were still alive after the flood.
This mahi wouldn’t be possible without the support of our communities – hundreds of landowners and dozens of contractors – who tirelessly worked alongside us for the past three years.
The total cost of flood recovery work came down to $22.6 million and we thank the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for helping co-fund about $8.3 million of this through a one-off emergency fund.
We were also successful in gaining some funding in the Government’s budget from ‘Kānoa – Regional Development and Commercial Services’ for tranche 1 of flood resilience projects.
The projects in Waitaha that will benefit are the Rangitata Flood and Resilience Works – Stage 2, Regional Structure Upgrade and Adaptation Programme – and Waitarakao/Washdyke/Seadown Works.
Kānoa is co-funding up to 60 per cent of these projects through the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF). Environment Canterbury is funding the rest through rate collection.
Finally, as part of the LTP, we implemented the district-wide rate for the Waikirikiri/Selwyn River. This is a dedicated separate rate charged to Selwyn district ratepayers for flood protection work including the clearing out of channels and flow paths, weed control, and berm strengthening.
This is in addition to the six dedicated river and drainage rating districts that exist on the periphery of this work area. We are committed to working with the local community and Selwyn District Council to understand key pressure points and improve flood resilience of the whole catchment.
Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council
Check boats, trailers and anything else that was in the water, including your dog’s fur and paws if your dog is in the water with you, for any plant material and remove it.
Even if the plant appears dry and dead, it may still survive and start a new infestation. Leave debris at the site or, if you find any later, treat and dispose of it in the rubbish. Do not wash it down drains.
Wash all equipment such as nets, machinery, footwear and clothing thoroughly with an appropriate decontamination solution (10% detergent for 10 minutes or 2% bleach for at least one minute in water) before putting it in any new waterway.
If you can’t clean your gear or animals, restrict your use to a single waterway OR dry completely to the touch inside and out, and leave to dry for at least another 48 hours.
Our Check, Clean, Dry ambassadors will be out and about this summer at a number of recreational hotspots across the region to help keep freshwater pests front of mind for water users and to chat all things Check, Clean, Dry.
They will also be providing free, portable cleaning equipment and collateral if you are working and playing in and around popular freshwater sites.
“We are looking forward to getting out and visiting freshwater hotspots across Canterbury this summer, creating awareness and educating the public about how to prevent the spread of invasive freshwater pests,” says Louise McDermott, freshwater ambassador – Biosecurity.
“Check, Clean, Dry, isn’t just to protect against historic freshwater pests like didymo, there are other harmful aquatic pests which you may not be able to see. We all have a responsibility to protect our freshwater. Remember, even if you can’t see it, if it’s wet, it’s a threat,” says Anna Meikle, freshwater ambassador – Biosecurity.
Environment Canterbury © 2025
Retrieved: 11:50am, Wed 08 Jan 2025
ecan.govt.nz/get-involved/news-and-events/2024/help-stop-the-spread-of-freshwater-pests/
Source: Auckland Council
Pique your senses in our city centre this Lunar New Year.
Midtown’s lanes and squares will be alive with a creative and cultural buzz inspired by Asian traditions and infused with a unique Auckland flavour.
From 26 January to 22 February, feel uplifted by the colours, sounds, tastes and beats of Asia, joining millions around the world who celebrate Lunar New Year.
Throughout the festival, we invite you to take part in the inaugural Bao and Boba promotion. It’s simple; if you dine in the city centre and vote for your top shop you’ll be in to win.
Shown first at the Louvre Museum in Paris and later in London, Berlin, Kobe and Sydney among other cities, Chubby Women by acclaimed Chinese artist Xu Hongfei are coming to Aotea Square. These light-hearted, body-positive sculptures of voluptuous women – reminiscent of masterpieces by Titian and Rubens – bring smiles wherever they go.
The Lucky Cat figurine beckons good fortune and prosperity, so don’t miss our selfie sensation in the making. By the clocktower of the Auckland Town Hall you’ll meet a three metre high Lucky Cat popping cute finger-hearts in Kiwi style. In Darby Street neon red Lucky Cats will shine from lamp posts and in Bledisloe Lane lightboxes will display Asian art.
Immerse yourself in a free summer event transforming Te Hā o Hine (Khartoum Place) and Lorne Street into an exciting Asian street festival. Cheer the crews in the street dance battle or relax and learn Tai Chi.
Enjoy delicious food on a promenade of outdoor tables where a food ambassador will share with you the history of the dish you’re enjoying. Experience a real sense of community while watching dragon dances, traditional instrument buskers, local Asian musicians and storytellers.
Read more about the Midtown Street Party for Lunar New Year at OurAuckland.
At Auckland Art Gallery, witness the spectacular Tung Tek lion dancers performing on the forecourt, chilled sounds from DJ EDY and guitarist Sam Nakamura, bubble tea, a menu of family-focused workshops inspired by delicious yee sang, and many other exciting Lunar New Year activities.
Read more about Auckland Art Gallery events here.
And bring the whole family to Lunar New Year in Aotea Square as part of Auckland Live’s Summer in the Square. Experience gravity-defying dance, the Lunar New Year karaoke competition and mahjong workshops teaching the classic game, and myriad more.
Read more about Lunar New Year in Aotea Square at OurAuckland.
Scroll through to the full Lunar New Year programme with dates, times and venues at OurAuckland.
Auckland Council Lunar New Year festival director Eric Ngan says our growing pan-Asian population is an asset to Auckland. He says young Asian Kiwis are proud of their roots, enjoy life in this city, and continue to creatively evolve their traditions.
“The tradition of sharing time and food together is as strong as ever in the weeks of Lunar New Year. The metaphors that speak to the phases of the moon – change, brightness, and wholeness – are reflected in the nature of our Lunar New Year celebrations, such as family reunion dinners, striving for harmony and an aspirational future,” he says.
The Lunar New Year Festival is proudly supported by the city centre targeted rate.
Source: Auckland Council
Northcote has always suffered from terrible stormwater flooding. It’s located in the historic trajectory of the Awataha Stream and the middle of an overland flow path. As such, after heavy rain, the town centre and surrounding homes have historically been prone to flooding.
To address these flooding problems, as well as reconnect local communities with their awa using green infrastructure, Eke Panuku has been working with Auckland Council’s Healthy Waters team, Kāinga Ora Homes and Communities, Kaipātiki Local Board and mana whenua, in recent years, to put water sensitive design principles into practice.
With the record-breaking downpour in Auckland experienced on Friday 27 January, the new stormwater infrastructure in Northcote was tested to the max.
Two significant projects completed at the end of last year as part of Te Ara Awataha – Northcote’s new greenway – made all the difference in the face of the deluge that hit Tāmaki Makaurau. These were the daylighting of the Awataha Stream and the transformation of Greenslade Reserve into a stormwater detention park.
“Bringing the Awataha Stream to the surface provided better stormwater management in Northcote by allowing flood water to be channelled along the stream bed, rather than through private property. Having the water flow through an open channel provides much greater capacity than the older piped network. And, in this instance, it had the added benefit of keeping the parts of the older pipe in place, diverting a portion of the higher flood flows back into the pipe to provide even more flood capacity,” says Nicholas Vigar, Head of Network Planning at Auckland Council’s Healthy Waters.
Te Ara Awataha greenway network links existing and new reserves, providing areas for recreation and conservation. When not in flood, the returned stream bed will improve water quality and create habitat for manu (birds), ngāngara (insects) and tuna (eels) once more. The paths alongside the stream have rapidly become a valuable means of connection – both to local destinations and to nature.
Greenslade Reserve makes up another critical part of the greenway and stormwater infrastructure. The reserve was transformed last year to address flooding problems. This included a planted urban wetland and detention basin.
The reserve was designed to manage a one in 100-year flood event by detaining and slowing the release of water (able to handle approximately five Olympic size pools worth!). In late January, this proved critical.
At its peak, January’s downpour exceeded a one in 100-year event. Water overflowed into the street network, but the detention of 12 million litres of water on the sport field meant that flooding downstream was predominantly within the street network and damage to property was minimal compared to previous (lesser) events. When not in flood, Greenslade Reserve now provides a top-class sports field and recreational facility.
Kate Cumberpatch, Eke Panuku Priority Location Director – North, said: “The weather conditions were unprecedented, but we’re delighted that the new stormwater management infrastructure provided protection for the residents of Northcote! It did what it was designed to do, diverting and managing the extreme amounts of rainwater and preventing the extent of flooding we have seen in the past.”
Source: Auckland Council
Emerging Kiwi songstress Cassie Henderson has just found her name in the same sentence as Dua Lipa, Coldplay and Six60.
Cassie’s song Seconds to Midnight was too good to miss.
For the young star, hearing her hit song alongside the biggest songs of the year – and opening and closing the soundtrack with two much-loved Kiwi anthems – will be a pinch-me moment this New Year’s Eve in Auckland.
Seven songs make up the ‘midnight moment’ soundtrack, put together by MediaWorks to synchronise with the Vector Lights lightshow on the Auckland Harbour Bridge and SkyCity’s fireworks display from the SkyTower.
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland is the first major international city to welcome in the New Year and people will enjoy watching from vantage points all around the city.
Aucklanders can livestream the audio on MoreFM 91.8fm or online at vector.co.nz/lights. A livestream video of Vector Lights can also be watched online at facebook.com/vectornz.
The mix of seven songs bringing in 2025 are:
Cassie Henderson – Seconds to Midnight
Shapeshifter – Electric Dream
Sabrina Carpenter – Espresso
Coldplay – feelslikeimfallinginlove / A Sky Full Of Stars remix
Dua Lipa – Training Season
Benson Boone – Beautiful Things
Six60 – Kia Mau Ki Tō Ūkaipō / Don’t Forget Your Roots
For all details about where to watch, road closures, transport, and how to stay safe if you decide to travel into the city centre, please visit OurAuckland.
The five-minute and 30-second-long Sky Tower fireworks display, which is the highest in the Southern Hemisphere, will start with a 10-second countdown projected onto the base of the tower. Following this, 500 kgs of pyrotechnics will be launched from three purpose-built firing sites mounted onto levels 55, 61 and 64 of the Sky Tower (200-240M above ground.)
Planning of the fireworks display started six months ago, with pre-production and programming of the firing field computers and address signal boxes. The installation of the equipment required for the big event will take 250+ hours and includes 14 kilometres of electrical cabling and wiring and 1500 lines of programming code.
Photo Credit: Skycity Entertainment Group.
90,000 colour-changing LEDs on the Auckland Harbour Bridge, as well as 100 spotlights under the roadway, will blackout before a pulsing effect counts down to the new year from 10-seconds to midnight. A dynamic and colourful display will burst on the bridge for the next five minutes and will replay every 15 minutes; last showing at 1.00am.
Vector Lights has been installed on the harbour bridge since 2018, showcasing Vector’s smart energy technology and innovation. 248 solar panels situated in Wynyard Quarter generate energy that is then stored in a Tesla Powerpack (battery) at the Jellicoe Street Car Park. Smart meters at the battery site and on the bridge relay data between each other every 10-seconds, ensuring the energy used to power Vector Lights is released back into the energy grid (peer-to-peer system).
Due to critical maintenance work by NZTA, some of Vector Lights will not appear on the west side overarch of the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Completion of the work is expected by 31 March 2025.
Source: Auckland Council
We invite you to reset your summer with a stroll through our city centre.
With ever-changing streetscapes, award-winning spaces, re-imagined laneways and new shared paths, you’ll find it has a fresh outlook on life.
Make a day of it and discover what’s new since you were here last.
Grab an ice cream and discover ten awe-inspiring things on Auckland’s waterfront. Some have been here for more than a century. Others weren’t even here last summer.
Inspiring the protection of our harbour, a heritage kiosk at the western end of Te Wānanga has been turned into a cultural and marine education space. Make sure Te Wharekura is on your must-visit list. Read more here.
Top 10 things to discover in our new downtown this summer
Let your kids’ imaginations run wild with endless ways to play at Wynyard Quarter. From public art to parks, murals, basketball and fountains, there are multiple ways to keep the kids busy in the city centre.
8 fun ways for kids to play at Wynyard Quarter
Queen Street has been given a makeover from Aotea Square to Customs Street. So buckle up the bike helmets, scoot along our new Waihorotiu path, and duck away into a labyrinth of laneways – some new, some ageing gracefully, all fascinating.
Channeling Melbourne, our dreamy laneways are set for summer.
Much-acclaimed artwork Waimahara in Myers Park is now interactive. Signage and QR codes in the park will guide you to sing a special waiata. The artwork will listen and respond, accompanying you with an awe-inspiring display of light and sound.
It’s a spell-binding experience – sing with new artwork Waimahara
Weave a path from Te Komititanga – the square at the waterfront end of Queen Street – and find a stunning new shared space: Galway Street. Once you’ve let yourself be captivated by the area’s urban charm, the smoothed edges of the street will lead you to one of Auckland’s hospitality gems: Britomart and Takutai Square.
Discover what’s new where Queen Street meets the sea
A once reflective, quiet urban backyard used mainly by the residents, has become a living art experience. Since Joe Sheehan’s artwork Lost & Found – a series of eight intricately carved boulders – was installed in midtown’s upper Federal Street, people passing through have had a front row seat to view this extraordinary work of art.
Touch the satin-smooth surfaces of Joe Sheehan’s Lost & Found
Even our green spaces are refreshed. Discover the Fort Street pocket park in Queen Street, award-winning Amey Daldy Park at Wynyard Quarter, and much-loved city centre oasis: Myers Park.
10 parks to explore in Auckland’s city centre
Everyone loves the adrenalin which is unique to our charismatic Karangahape Road. The old narrow footpaths were once jam-packed. Now there’s room to experience the layers of Karangahape, where every detail tells a story.
10 delightful moments to experience in Karangahape Road this summer
Source: Auckland Council
The enchanting vocals of Georgia Lines will headline the third of 18 free concerts in this summer’s Music in Parks series.
Georgia will be supported by popular artists Fin Rah Zel, Fan Club, and Rumpus Machine in a concert in Auckland’s city centre on Saturday 18 January. Time and place details on Our Auckland here.
Chart-topping singer / songwriter, Georgia was awarded Breakthrough Artist at the Aotearoa Music Awards (AMA’s) in 2022. She is bringing her catchy R&B-infused pop to Aotea Square, a venue that has made a name for itself in music folklore over decades.
Don’t miss this iconic summer music series playing across the region throughout summer. In 2025 it returns to the city centre after a five-year absence, thanks to funding from the city centre targeted rate. Read more about Music and Movies in Parks at OurAuckland.
And for the second free concert in Aotea Square this summer, diary 20 February for the Music in Parks After Work Special. Join one of Aotearoa’s most acclaimed singer-songwriters Anna Coddington for an uplifting pop-up performance, as part of Auckland Live Summer in the Square. Learn more on OurAuckland here.
Anna Coddington, musician.
Looking back at the history of music in Aotea Square, three big anniversaries converge.
Fifty years ago Split Enz first played at the Town Hall, on the edge of the square – it was 1975. In December 1984, 40 years ago, the square was the tipping point for the Queen Street riots after local bands Herbs, DD Smash and The Mockers had entertained the crowd.
In 2005 a Shihad gig inadvertently damaged part of the square, and the roof of the carpark below. The huge crowd’s energetic dancing caused an overload on the now-reinforced surface.
Fast forward twenty years to 2025 and Georgia Lines will play a more mellow vibe for Music in Parks’ return to the city’s arts quarter, where organisers agree ‘history never repeats’!
Reading Georgia’s bio, it’s clear that this artist is emerging as a prominent figure in the New Zealand music scene. She is establishing herself as a household name at home, and her star is rising globally.
Known for her infectious personality and chart-topping hits, Georgia has captivated a steadily growing fanbase. She recently played seven showcases with her band at SXSW, receiving 5-star reviews.
Strengthening her global footprint further, she has inked a deal with the prestigious US booking agent Wasserman Music and her success story has expanded with the release of her recent singles Monopoly and Romeo.
Monopoly claimed the coveted #1 spot as the most added song to radio in Aotearoa, and carved a consistent presence in the top 10 airplay charts for four consecutive weeks.
Romeo secured its own milestone, topping the charts and dominating New Zealand’s airwaves throughout the summer of 2023/24.
Aucklanders are invited to gather friends and whānau and pack a picnic rug or grab a meal or snacks from one of the many eateries in midtown: Aotea Arts Quarter| Heart of the City.
And as the season unfolds, head to parks around the region for a fun-filled season of free outdoor entertainment. After 32 years of Music in Parks, later joined by Movies in Parks, Auckland Council is set to deliver a show-stopping lineup of concerts and screenings.
Councillor Richard Hills, chair of the Auckland Council Policy and Planning Committee, celebrates the sense of community, diversity of music talent, and free family fun these events provide for Aucklanders over summer.
“With a wider and more diverse range of events than ever before, including performances from top local artists and blockbuster movies, these events reach far and wide across Tāmaki Makaurau and offer something for everyone to enjoy,” he says.
“This much-loved series of free events is a fantastic way to make the most of the long summer days and nights with your loved ones and enjoy our beautiful city affordably.”
A number of events happening in and around the city’s waterfront on 18 January will mean there is limited parking and potential road closures. Auckland Transport (AT) would like to encourage you to consider using public transport for this event.
Visit AT’s online Journey Planner or download the AT Mobile app today, then sit back, relax and take the stress out of attending city events this summer.
