Missing bus stop 8239 sign on New North Road
Hello everyone
Has anyone else noticed that the bus stop sign for 8239 New North Road (outside old Rocky's cafe, at intersection of Richardson Road and New North Road) has been missing for the past 2-3 weeks?
As regular user of public transport for the past 6-7 years, was waiting to catch a bus (Route 22) and noticed that the bus stop sign and the 'bus stop road marking' had suddenly disappeared.
The pole had been neatly removed and the road marking was now orange- the no parking marking!
There had been no warning/notices or any other communication from AT in the past few weeks if AT was removing or moving the bus stop.
Most bus drivers knew nothing about it. Some drivers stopped for the commuters waiting at the stop, others did not.
Some drivers knew that a bus stop existed in the system, but not sure if they should stop, as there was no bus stop sign!
Waited for a few days and called AT.
The staff there had absolutely no idea of what was happening. She said the bus stop does still exist in their system, and the drivers should be stopping there when signaled. But I kept insisting that the sign was gone, and there was no evidence left of any bus stop there!
I have laid several written complaints with AT, but no response.
On one hand AT is promoting active use of public transport, and then the bus stops go missing.
**On a similar note, last week the bus stop sign outside PaknSave (8241) New North Road, had been damaged badly and fallen to the ground. Reported this to AT as well.
The sign had now moved to the grass, with no post until yesterday!
Will be interesting to know what other public transport users out there think of this.
Thank you
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Charities turning away high numbers of volunteer applications
Charities are turning away people wanting to volunteer amidst a flood of interest they say is linked to the high rate of unemployment.
It comes as some businesses receive thousands of applications for paid roles and people look for experience anywhere they can.
The advocacy organisation Volunteering NZ has been tracking the trend. Spokesperson Margaret McLachlan said there has been a considerable rise in applications for volunteer roles across a range of charities.
Many application forms asks people to divulge if they are job hunters.
"Over the last year or so, they are seeing more people coming in who are saying they are in that category. They are looking for work but doing volunteering while that process is taking place."
"As unemployment increases and the cost of living, times are tougher for everybody."
At the same time, she said community organisations supporting social services were busier and needed more helpers.
McLachlan said depending on the organisation, they might want to do a police check, a reference check and an interview.
"In some cases it can be a process to go through and not always, and that can take some time.
"It's actually the same barriers that a person might find in finding a job, can also apply to volunteering. It's not always a easy option."
SPCA had 120 op shops and animal rescue centres across the country in which volunteers worked.
General manager of retail Cathy Crichton said they received about 1300 extra applications for volunteer roles, a 32 percent increase, from June to November 2025, compared to 2024.
"There's definitely a nudge forward which is very exciting and we're very grateful."
But it meant they were not accepting any more volunteers in some areas.
"Because the applications are up it's a unique scenario. But at this point in time, in smaller locations, we've actually got a hold in 19 locations in New Zealand where we are at capacity - and that's very rare and it's a very new trend."
Crichton said anyone seeking volunteer work should think creatively about what skills they can offer - it could be in administration or marketing.
"We'd love to welcome as many people as we could because the more hands on deck the more we can do and the more we can contribute to the community."
She said people were self-motivated to apply for volunteer work.
The unemployment rate rose to 5.3 percent in the September quarter, meaning 160,000 people were jobless. The next quarterly figures are out in February.
"There's a willingness to give back and contribute to the community. Unemployment being high really does encourage people to engage with the workforce and get experience," Crichton said.
"It really is about staying connected with the community and meeting others."
She said they had also seen an increase in young people seeking volunteer work experience.
"It's a great opportunity to get work experience and a reference and there's an appeal there as an employer...I really do think it adds value to a CV."
Stats NZ data showed over half of New Zealanders, 53 percent, volunteered during March 2025 and of those, 27.6 percent volunteered through an organisation and 40.8 percent volunteered directly for another person.
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