Barrier.news – Great Barrier Island News – Barrier.news – Aotea Great Barrier Island News

The newly sworn-in Great Barrier Local Board, from left: Nikki Watts, Christopher Ollivier, Neil Sanderson, Izzy Fordham and Ryan Daly, following Thursday’s pōhiri at the Claris Conference Centre.

Community News

Fordham, Ollivier re-elected to lead Great Barrier Board

Aotea’s new local board was officially sworn in at the Claris Conference Centre on Thursday, marking the start of the 2025–2028 term. Izzy Fordham was re-elected chair and Christopher Ollivier deputy chair at the meeting, which followed a formal pōwhiri…

25 Years of Windy Hill. Photo / AoteaGBI.news

Windy Hill cuts poison use — and still outperforms unmanaged bush

The long-running Windy Hill Sanctuary on the island’s south-east has reduced its use of poison by two-thirds while continuing to record some of the lowest pest levels in the Hauraki Gulf. The wildlife sanctuary, established more than 25 years ago…

Tryphena Wharf stands silent, awaiting urgent repairs amidst collapse concerns.

Ecology - Aotea Green

Dolphin laid to rest after washing up at Tryphena

A dolphin that washed up at Tryphena today has been collected by the Great Barrier Island Department of Conservation office. Rangers Chippy Wood and Ratanui Beazley attended the scene, supported by teenagers Phoenix Beazley and Jarred Beazley. Your browser does…

Venus and Starlink Satellites. Photo / Mike Lewinski / Creative Commons

Tech - Aotea Green

Starlink Users Warned: Plug In or Lose Service

Unpatched hardware could be bricked if left disconnected past November 17.

A Fullers ferry crosses the Hauraki Gulf from Waiheke Island towards Auckland. The gulf is the focus of new legislation expanding marine protection zones across the region.

Environment - Aotea Green

$6 million for Gulf island upgrades

The Government has announced $6 million for upgrades to Hauraki Gulf island infrastructure — part of what Conservation Minister Tama Potaka calls “the biggest step in a generation to restore the Hauraki Gulf / te Pātaka kai a Tīkapa Moana…

Sunset Waterfront Lodge sits opposite the beach at Mulberry Grove, a familiar landmark for visitors arriving in Tryphena.

Tryphena’s Sunset Lodge hits the market

One of Tryphena’s few full-service accommodation providers, Sunset Waterfront Lodge, has been listed for sale — offering what the agents describe as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to secure an established island business and residence. Located across two titles at 5 and…

The Great Barrier Island Ambulance Station in Tryphena. Photo / Supplied

Community News

Ambulance fundraiser passes $85,000 as new integrated model takes shape

Great Barrier Island’s ambulance service still needs to raise around $64,000 to stay fully operational through the summer and into next year, even as the government moves to make the island’s emergency care permanently funded. The island has been selected…

No consent, no problem? 60sqm cabins could be built without red tape, easing the Barrier's housing crunch. Photo / Eric Petschek

Property

Granny flats get the green light — consent rules scrapped

Property owners can now build granny flats of up to 70 square metres without applying for a building consent, after new legislation championed by New Zealand First minister Shane Jones passed through Parliament. The law change, which amends the Building…

A school of parore fish swim alongside mussels growing at a farm in New Zealand Photo / Lucy Underwood / University of Auckland

Ecology - Aotea Green

Blues star Kurt Eklund goes viral over new Hauraki Gulf fishing rules

Blues hooker Kurt Eklund has set off a storm online after questioning the fairness of the government’s new Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Act, which shuts off large parts of the Gulf to recreational fishers while still allowing…

Decisions from a Distance: Auckland Council Headquarters, 90 Kilometers Away from Aotea. Photo / NZME

Community News

Council jobs shrink as environmental roles and wages rise

Auckland Council has cut the number of positions tied to Great Barrier Island by more than a third since 2021, while wages have risen and the type of work carried out has shifted away from traditional council services towards advisory…