Latest news with #MokoTepania
Economic Times
24-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Barrier Air's bold bid to beat Air New Zealand on the far north route
Barrier Air's 14-seater Cessna Grand Caravan taxis on the tarmac in Kerikeri — the small airline taking big steps to challenge Air New Zealand on regional routes Regional carrier Barrier Air has successfully carved a niche on the Auckland–Kerikeri route, directly competing with national giant Air New Zealand. Since launching the service in August 2024. Founded in 1983 as Great Barrier Airlines and rebranded in 2015, Barrier Air operates a fleet of six Cessna Grand Caravans, serving routes including Auckland to Kerikeri, Kaitāia, Whitianga, and Aotea/Great Barrier Island, as well as connections from Aotea to Tauranga and North airline has sold over 8,000 seats in the first eight months, with plans to double that figure in the coming year.'Each month the passenger numbers continue to grow, and we are grateful to all of our loyal passengers who have travelled with us,' said CEO Grant Bacon. 'We are excited about what the future holds for further expansion on air services into the Far North.' Barrier Air's entry into Kerikeri was driven by local demand for more travel options, especially amid frequent cancellations by Air New Zealand. To address this, the airline introduced a flat-rate return voucher system priced at $245, valid for any flight within 12 months, offering flexibility and affordability to travelers. The airline operates 22 return flights weekly between Auckland and Kerikeri, utilizing 14-seater Cessna Grand Caravans. This expansion follows their successful operations in Kaitāia, where they now conduct 34 weekly flights, a significant increase attributed to strong community support. Far North Mayor Moko Tepania praised the airline's commitment, stating, 'I encourage the 75,000 Far Northeners who call our district home to continue to use and support Barrier Air so that we can ensure that they remain financially viable and continue to provide their services to our remote district.'While the airline had considered expanding to Whangārei, Bacon noted that, due to ongoing industry challenges, this plan is on hold for the current calendar year. 'With the cost base challenges the industry is continuing to face, the idea of operations into Whangārei is something we will continue to monitor, but I do not anticipate a commencement of services into Whangārei this calendar year,' he said.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Barrier Air's bold bid to beat Air New Zealand on the far north route
Regional carrier Barrier Air has successfully carved a niche on the Auckland–Kerikeri route, directly competing with national giant Air New Zealand . Since launching the service in August 2024. Founded in 1983 as Great Barrier Airlines and rebranded in 2015, Barrier Air operates a fleet of six Cessna Grand Caravans, serving routes including Auckland to Kerikeri, Kaitāia, Whitianga, and Aotea/Great Barrier Island, as well as connections from Aotea to Tauranga and North Shore. The airline has sold over 8,000 seats in the first eight months, with plans to double that figure in the coming year. 'Each month the passenger numbers continue to grow, and we are grateful to all of our loyal passengers who have travelled with us,' said CEO Grant Bacon. 'We are excited about what the future holds for further expansion on air services into the Far North.' Barrier Air's entry into Kerikeri was driven by local demand for more travel options, especially amid frequent cancellations by Air New Zealand. To address this, the airline introduced a flat-rate return voucher system priced at $245, valid for any flight within 12 months, offering flexibility and affordability to travelers. The airline operates 22 return flights weekly between Auckland and Kerikeri, utilizing 14-seater Cessna Grand Caravans. This expansion follows their successful operations in Kaitāia, where they now conduct 34 weekly flights, a significant increase attributed to strong community support. Live Events Far North Mayor Moko Tepania praised the airline's commitment, stating, 'I encourage the 75,000 Far Northeners who call our district home to continue to use and support Barrier Air so that we can ensure that they remain financially viable and continue to provide their services to our remote district.' While the airline had considered expanding to Whangārei, Bacon noted that, due to ongoing industry challenges, this plan is on hold for the current calendar year. 'With the cost base challenges the industry is continuing to face, the idea of operations into Whangārei is something we will continue to monitor, but I do not anticipate a commencement of services into Whangārei this calendar year,' he said.
RNZ News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Mayor supports hapū in fight against fast-tracked marina proposal.
More than 30 people from the eastern Bay of Islands appealed to the Far North District Council for support in their battle against a fast-tracked consent for a marina at Waipiro Bay. Photo: RNZ/Peter de Graaf Far North Mayor Moko Tepania has thrown his support behind hapū fighting a fast-tracked marina proposal, by calling for the project to be opened up to public consultation. More than 30 people from the eastern Bay of Islands turned out at a Far North District Council meeting last week, urging councillors to oppose plans for a 250-berth marina at isolated Waipiro Bay - even though the council will not have a say if it goes through the fast-track consenting process. Kaikōrero [speakers] for the affected hapū said the fast-track process deprived local communities of their voice, so they were turning to the council so their concerns could at least he heard. The concept plan for the 250-berth Waipiro Bay marina. Photo: Supplied Councillors did not pass a formal resolution - Tepania said the short timeframe made that impossible - but the mayor did pledge to write a personal letter opposing the use of fast-track legislation for the marina proposal. He also invited any councillors who shared his concerns to sign the letter. Tepania told RNZ he believed the proposal should go through the normal RMA (Resource Management Act) process. "As a council we formally opposed the fast-tracking legislation because we had significant concerns about how it would affect our partnership with iwi and hapū here in the Far North, in that it makes two classes of iwi or hapū citizenship, those who have settled and those who have not. We're seeing that now, where we've got unsettled hapū who have come to us because they've got no other avenue to get the powers-that-be to listen to them," he said. "I'm neither here nor there personally over this project, and I'm sure there are some benefits, but what I am opposed to is fast-tracking that does not follow normal resource management processes to ensure that iwi, hapū, community, council and key stakeholders can have a say, and that the process will be transparent." Patukeha kaikōrero Lamorna Ahitapu-Rogers said hapū were grateful for the mayor's support, and the chance to express their opposition despite being locked out of the process. If the marina went ahead, Te Rāwhiti residents would lose one of their main pipi beds and future options for mokopuna. "If they build this marina, and that environment is destroyed when we get our Treaty settlement, there are a lot of things we won't be able to do that we have the potential to do at the moment," she said. Patukeha kaikōrero Lamorna Ahitapu-Rogers says fast-track legislation has left her community without a voice. Photo: RNZ/Peter de Graaf Hopper Developments, one of two companies behind the proposal, did not respond to requests for comment. During last Thursday's council meeting in Kaikohe, speakers from Ngāti Kuta, Patukeha, Ngāti Hine and the local community board laid out their concerns. Natasha Clarke-Nathan, a kaikōrero for Ngāti Kuta and Patukeha, said the proposed marina was "extremely large" with 250 berths, a boat ramp and shops, all in a remote part of the Bay of Islands. It would exclude local people from an important area for gathering kai moana and effectively privatise part of the Bay of Islands. "In our minds this is a privatisation, or a raupatu [confiscation], in favour of the wealthy," Clarke-Nathan said. The development would contribute to the eastern Bay of Islands becoming a "dumping ground" for holiday homes and boats that were used only a few weeks a year. It did not meet the requirements for fast-tracking because it offered no regional or national benefits, she said. Opponents of a fast-tracked marina proposal packed the public gallery at Thursday's Far North District Council meeting. Photo: RNZ/Peter de Graaf She disputed the applicants' claim there were no wāhi tapu in the area and said their figures for the marina's economic benefits were greatly overstated. Clarke-Nathan said the applicants claimed a strong demand for marina berths, but the nearest existing marina, at Ōpua, had 20 empty berths. The real demand was in Kerikeri, at the other end of the Bay of Islands. Ahitapu-Rogers told councillors increasing the number of boats in the area would raise the risk of spreading the seaweed pest caulerpa. The eastern Bay of Islands was already "ground zero" for the caulerpa invasion in Northland, she said. A report released that same week by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research estimated caulerpa's cost to the New Zealand economy could reach $9.4 billion. Louise Dews, of the Eastern Bay of Islands Preservation Society, and Pere Huriwai-Seger were among those calling for council support in their fight against a fast-tracked marina. Photo: RNZ/Peter de Graaf Jane Hindle, Russell representative on the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board, said a project that amounted to the "wholesale transfer of seabed into private ownership" needed the full scrutiny of the RMA. Opponents of the development have called a public meeting at Russell's Kororāreka Marae at 1pm on 18 May. Waipiro Bay is about 20km east of Russell in an isolated area on the "back road" between Whangārei and Russell. Development to date is limited to a gated community of top-end holiday homes. Projects which are not specifically named in the legislation, such the marina, have to apply for consideration under the fast-track process. The Ministry for the Environment assesses the application to make sure it's complete, then the Minister for Infrastructure decides whether to accept it for fast-tracking. If accepted it then goes to an expert panel, which may or may not hold a public hearing before deciding on the consent. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
NZ Herald
08-05-2025
- Health
- NZ Herald
Far North Council approves smokefree policy amid vaping health concerns
More than 50 other local councils last year had policies that designated council areas as smoke and vape-free. Far North Mayor Moko Tepania said he gave up vaping after seeing the item on the agenda, joking: 'that is why I am a bit grumpy sometimes.' He said he is fully behind the motion and encouraged other council members to lead by example. 'We are late to the party, our cousin councils already put stuff like this on the line and it only makes sense to have a policy like this.' Tepania wanted the council to lead by example. 'Like I would like our staff to stop smoking and vaping in front of our offices and use the smoke shed in the back,' he said. 'It's important if we are going to be regulators of a smokefree/vapefree policy.' The Far North District Council's policy would allow it to designate council-owned or administered public spaces as smokefree and to ensure signage identified the areas, as well as commit to partnering with relevant stakeholders to promote the areas. Council's group manager for planning and policy Roger Ackers said council is considering at today's meeting the staff recommendation to create a standalone smokefree/vape-free policy for the Far North. He said if the recommendation goes ahead, then council staff would engage with Health NZ Te Whatu Ora, other organisations, and the wider community to design the policy and look into costs and logistics. A draft policy and an implementation plan would then be presented to the council for consultation and adoption. A research report which investigates developing a smokefree/vape-free policy for the Far North stated the socio-demographic make-up of the district presented unique challenges for the population in relation to smoking and vaping. 'Smoking rates are higher in the Far North than nationally,' the report said. 'In the 2023 Census, 13% of those aged 15 or more from the Far North said they smoked tobacco regularly compared with 8% nationally.' The report said a smokefree/vape-free policy may potentially impact all community members as well as visitors who may be exposed to second-hand tobacco and vape smoke in public places owned or administered by the council. 'A standalone non-regulatory policy will align with the approach of other Northland local councils and with other councils across New Zealand. 'It will provide clear guidance regarding council-owned and administered areas where smoking is discouraged,' the report said. The council's decision to consider a vaping/smoking policy comes as a recent study published in the Nicotine and Tobacco Research Journal has for the first time linked vaping to a life-limiting and irreversible lung disease. The study found e-cigarette use is strongly associated with increased new diagnoses of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in New Zealand. Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ chief executive Letitia Harding said the study confirmed what was long suspected, that vaping was not just risky, it was dangerous to people's health. 'For years, we've been gaslighted into believing vaping is harmless – or at least 'less harmful' than cigarettes – meanwhile, we've watched teen vaping rates skyrocket," Harding said. 'Vaping is not harmless – it never has been – and this study shows it causes long-term irreversible lung damage.' Harding said the study, which tracked 250,000 people over about three-and-a-half years, should be a significant wake-up call to the Government to tighten regulations even further. 'Let's stop pretending we're balancing harm reduction with consumer freedom - vaping isn't harm reduction, it's harm transfer.' Director of health promotion at Te Whatu Ora, Kathrine Clarke said they remain committed to addressing vaping, particularly youth vaping nationally. '[We] are running a number of campaigns and initiatives to support youth to remain smokefree and vapefree.'
NZ Herald
23-04-2025
- Automotive
- NZ Herald
New expressway and route over Brynderwyns welcomed by Northland leaders
Far North Mayor Moko Tepania said the announcement of a preferred route, which comes three days after a slip damaged cars and blocked part of SH1 over Easter, was 'fantastic news for the Far North and all of Northland'. 'It will unlock billions of dollars of economic growth for our people. 'If that's what Cabinet has gone with [the preferred option], that's great news; it means we can press on faster.' Regional Development Minister Shane Jones said the highway had been 'a long time coming'. 'Now we've got to ensure construction takes place within a reasonable timeframe. 'The team are doing as much geological work as possible. 'It's really important we do an exhaustive level of investigative work up front to understand the geology and risks to timely delivery.' Last July, the Government said it was accelerating a four-lane highway between Auckland and Whangārei. That included the stretch of SH1 over the slip-prone Brynderwyns, which was closed for four months last year due to numerous slips during bouts of bad weather. The first stage of the project – a 26km stretch from Warkworth to Te Hana - will include an 850m tunnel bored through the Dome Valley, and three interchanges, located at Warkworth, Wellsford and Te Hana. It is expected to be finished by 2034. Phase two includes Te Hana to Port Marsden – including the alternative to the Brynderwyn Hills - and phase three is Port Marsden to Whangārei. There is no timeline for these sections. Bishop said NZTA had investigated two bypass routes to the west of the Brynderwyns, but had found 'a near east alignment close to SH1'. The new route hasn't been totally finalised, however. 'The emerging preferred corridor is a larger area than will be required for the final route,' NZTA Northland corridor programme director Derek Robertson said. 'Within the emerging preferred corridor, there are still several different places the road may go.' Northland Regional Transport Committee (RTC) chairman Joe Carr, who has lobbied for the eastern alignment, said he was 'thrilled' by the announcement, 'as a crucial move to address long-standing issues with the current Brynderwyn Hills route'. The eastern route would minimise traffic disruption during its construction, Carr said. 'We want value for money and a constructable route. 'We walked the proposed western route, and with the ground instability there, we knew it was a non-starter. Advertise with NZME. 'That's why we focused back on this eastern route.' Northland MP Grant McCallum said the announcement 'creates more certainty for Northlanders and also landowners'. 'It's great we've got to the point where we're getting closer to the final route. 'It's great progress for Northland.' Robertson said NZTA was 'working at pace' to deliver a safer, more resilient road for Northland. However, he acknowledged it was 'an uncertain time' for landowners in the emerging preferred corridor area. 'Now that we have identified the emerging preferred corridor, we will start contacting potentially impacted landowners who are within the area to let them know the next steps. 'Due to the size of the project, this will take time, but we are working hard to contact landowners as quickly as we can.' NZTA is letting affected landowners know they are 'in the study area' for the preferred route from May to August, before approval from the NZTA board from August to September. There will be meetings with impacted landowners from September to early 2026 to discuss the next steps. The roading project, one of the Roads of National Significance, will be delivered as a public-private partnership (PPP).
