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Community News

Aotea Iwi Open Major Exhibition on Outer Hauraki Gulf

Members of Ngāti Rehua Ngātiwai ki Aotea travelled to Tāmaki Makaurau this week to proudly mark the opening of the immersive exhibition, ‘Ngā Huhua: Abundance’, at the New Zealand Maritime Museum. The special opening event took place on Thursday evening,…

Composite image of Charlie and Winnie Blackwell above the Kaitoke flats on Great Barrier Island, showing the mānuka scrub and swamp area at the centre of the Council’s investigation.

Community News

‘We Feel Like Murderers’: Council Raid Terrifies 90-Year-Old Barrier Farmers

For 170 years, the Blackwell family has not just farmed the land on Great Barrier Island/Aotea; they have embodied the island’s enduring spirit of self-reliance. But for patriarch Charlie (89) and matriarch Winnie Blackwell (90), the latest confrontation with Auckland…

Healthy tomato seedlings ready for local gardens — now on sale at Kaitoke School’s Harvest Hub for $5 each.

Community News

What’s On Around Aotea: Notices, Events & Jobs

NOTICES Tomato Seedlings for Sale – Harvest HubSpring’s in full swing, and Kaitoke School’s Harvest Hub is overflowing with healthy tomato seedlings ready for local gardens. Varieties range from cherry to big slicers at $5 each. Payments can be made…

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…

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…

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…

Mike Lee is advocating for pragmatic progress with a commitment to preserve the region's environment and community rights. Photo / NZME

Community News

‘Small communities still care’: Lee says Aotea shows what local democracy looks like

Mike Lee says Great Barrier Island’s record voter turnout shows how much the island still values genuine local democracy. “This was, as it always is in Waitematā & Gulf, a highly contested, hard-fought campaign,” he told the Barrier Times. “My…

New no-fishing zones arrive in the Hauraki Gulf this Weekend

New marine protection areas come into force across the Hauraki Gulf this weekend, as part of the Government’s new Marine Protection Bill — marking one of the most significant shifts in local fishing rules in decades. From Saturday 25 October,…