Clocks go forward one hour at 2am on Sunday. Photo / 123rf
Clocks forward
Daylight saving time – and the unofficial start to summer – begins this weekend. Clocks go forward one hour at 2am on Sunday, September 28, and turn back on the first Sunday in April. To coincide with the start of daylight saving, Fire and Emergency is urging all Kiwis to test their smoke alarms are working and in the right places, while Northland’s outdoor tsunami sirens will also be tested at 10am on Sunday.
Turning pink for cancer support
Whangārei is set to turn pink this October, sending a message of support and hope during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Town Basin, Victoria Canopy Bridge, Laurie Hall Park Tree, and Whangārei Airport are joining more than 90 sites around the country in lighting up in pink as part of the Global Illuminations campaign. If you’d like to volunteer or find out more, visit breastcancerfoundation.org.nz.
Dogs on a leash
For the rest of the dotterel and oystercatcher breeding season, until March 31, dogs must be on a leash on both sides of the estuary at Matapōuri, including at the southern tip of Matapōuri Bay. Dotterels (tūturiwhatu) and oystercatchers (tōrea) like to breed in the area during the summer, so the Whangārei District Council has introduced the restriction to protect them. The usual summer daytime ban will also apply from December 20 until January 31 between 9am and 5pm. Changes to the Dog Control Bylaw in 2024 meant the council was able to bring in temporary restrictions at specific locations without changing access rules for the remainder of the year.
Cat bylaw ‘a win for wildlife’
A Bay of Islands conservation group says the Far North District Council’s new cat bylaw is a major win for native wildlife. The bylaw mandates microchipping and de-sexing of cats over four months old to curb feral populations. Bay Bush Action’s Brad Windust says feral cats have devastated local species, including dotterels and penguins. The group supports the move but wants stricter rules, including cat containment and a ban on Bengal cat breeding due to their particular threat to biodiversity.
Bird song
Northland’s own Troy Kingi is set to give extra importance to Forest & Bird’s 2025 Bird of the Year competition. He will honour the winning bird with its own song as part of the Waiata Manu series, which will be produced by artist Delaney Davidson each year. In its 20th year, the Bird of the Year vote closes at 5pm on Sunday, with the winner announced on Monday and the song due for release by December.
Poison drop warning
Mill Road Vets in Whangārei are warning dog owners and people with young children to take care along the Hātea River Walking Track to Mair Park. Poison warnings are in place after brodifacoum and diphacinone were laid along the track, where they will remain until November 30. There is a risk that fragments or poisoned carcasses could be picked up by curious dogs. The vet is warning people to keep dogs on leads, don’t let them scavenge, and call a vet immediately if your dog has ingested bait.
Official information stats
The Public Service Commission has released Official Information Act statistics for January to June this year. Of 38,717 requests across 101 agencies, 97.7% were answered on time, with an average response time of 13.2 days. Extensions dropped to 5.8%, while full refusals rose to 11.5%, mostly due to unavailable or public information. The Ombudsman received 283 complaints and issued 53 final opinions—down from the previous period.
Celebrating 1975 Land March
Waitangi Treaty Grounds is marking the 50th anniversary of the 1975 Māori Land March with Te Matakite o Aotearoa, an exhibition featuring Geoff Steven’s documentary, archival prints, and the original Pou Whenua flag. The exhibition runs until October 19, with daily film screenings. Curatorial manager Owen Taituha says the Treaty Grounds is the perfect venue to remember an event that “changed the national conversation about Māori land rights and Te Tiriti”.
Ombudsman releases data
Chief Ombudsman John Allen has published his half-yearly data on Official Information Act and Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act complaints. The data, which can be accessed online at the Ombudsman’s site, covers the number of complaints received under each act from January 1 to June 30 2025, as well as the number of complaints completed by the Ombudsman during this period.