1683 days ago

Fears for critically endangered fairy tern near Pākiri sand mining site

Caroline Williams Reporter from Rodney Times

A group is calling for authorities to end sand mining offshore an Auckland beach which is home to the critically endangered tara iti (New Zealand fairy tern).

Kaipara Limited, a company involved with quarrying, mining and infrastructure development, has applied for resource consent to continue extracting sand from an offshore coastal marine area near Pākiri.

Sand has been taken from the Pākiri area for almost 100 years, and if successful, Kaipara Limited will be allowed to extract two million cubic metres of sand over 20 more years.

For many of the 665 people against the proposal, the critically endangered tara iti is at the forefront of their concerns.

The native shore bird is likely New Zealand’s rarest breeding bird, with a population of about 45 including only 12 breeding pairs, according to the Department of Conservation.

The Endangered Species Foundation said Auckland Council needed to “make the right decision” and put an end to the Pākiri sand mining, for which the current resource consent is due to expire in 2023.

Click 'read more' for the full story.

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More messages from your neighbours
18 hours ago

Poll: Do you set New Year’s resolutions?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

🎉 2026 is almost here!

We’re curious ... how do you welcome it?
Do you set resolutions, follow special traditions, or just go with the flow?

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Do you set New Year’s resolutions?
  • 9.6% Yes! New Year, New Me
    9.6% Complete
  • 21.2% Yes - but I rarely stick to them
    21.2% Complete
  • 69.2% Nah - not for me
    69.2% Complete
344 votes
8 days ago

Poll: Is it ok to regift something that you have been given?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

🎁 Holiday Gift Chat!

Do you ever regift?
What’s your take on asking for a receipt if a gift doesn’t fit?

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Is it ok to regift something that you have been given?
  • 78.8% Yes! It's better to regift what I don't need
    78.8% Complete
  • 21.2% No. It's the thought and effort that matters
    21.2% Complete
1288 votes
6 days ago

Today’s Mind-Bender is the Last of the Year! Can You Guess It Before Everyone Else? 🌟🎁🌲

The Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

I dance in the sky with green and gold, a spectacle few are lucky to behold; I’m best seen in the south, a celestial sight—what am I, lighting up the New Zealand night?

Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm on the day!

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