http://www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz en-us Thu, 08 Oct 2026 17:46:59 +1300 Rocketspark http://www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz/blog/post/171331/trash-and-treasure-maungaturoto/ Great to stop in and see all the volunteers hard at work at this year's Trash and Treasure sale in Maungaturoto. This is a very popular event - the carpark was full and the Hall was humming with bargain hunters.This week-long fundraiser for St John is a real community institution, and as you can see there are tons of bargains to be found, and more rolling out everyday.If you haven't been down to the Maungaturoto Centennial Hall yet, I highly recommend it. It's on all week so there's still time t... Wed, 07 Oct 2026 16:12:33 +1300 http://www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz/blog/#post171331 http://www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz/blog/post/171330/paparoa-oakleigh-road-rehabilitation/ I checked out the recently completed Paparoa Oakleigh Road rehabilitation work yesterday.Over the past few months, about 1km of road has been rebuilt and strengthened to improve safety, drainage, resilience, and long-term reliability for the people who use this route every day. The work included strengthening more than 7,300m² of pavement, installing nearly 7,900m² of new chipseal, upgrading culverts and drainage, and rebuilding sections of the road foundation that had reached the end of their... Wed, 07 Oct 2026 16:00:32 +1300 http://www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz/blog/#post171330 http://www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz/blog/post/171287/olsen-avenue-stormwater-upgrade/ Earlier this week I visited the Olsen Ave Stormwater Network Renewals project at Mangawhai Heads to see how work is progressing. The project includes over 350 metres of new stormwater pipe, along with 10 new manholes and catchpits, helping to address long-standing stormwater issues in the area. At the eastern end of the road, a pilot hole is being drilled down the hill with a drilling head then being brought back up to make an underground hole for the new pipes. The current set up is a synthetic... Sun, 04 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +1300 http://www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz/blog/#post171287 http://www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz/blog/post/170915/whakapirau-road-slip-repair/ It was great to catch up with the Huband Contractors crew on site today working on the Whakapirau Road slip repair. The job is well on its way to completion, as crews fix a significant underslip that first occurred during Cyclone Gabrielle and was worsened during later storm events. The slip caused a large section of the road to give way, creating a safety risk for travellers. By realigning the road away from the unstable slip area, this project will provide a safer, more resilient route.Work st... Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz/blog/#post170915 http://www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz/blog/post/170777/mangawhai-heads-surf-beach-carpark-upgrade-completion/ I joined the project crew from Wharehine Construction yesterday, along with council staff and elected members, to celebrate the completion of the Mangawhai Heads Surf Beach carpark upgrade.The work was funded using financial contributions collected from developments in the Mangawhai area and provides 67 new parking spaces including four additional accessible carparks, a dedicated bus drop-off area and an expanded bus park. There are now a total of 211 carparks.Mangawhai Heads surf beach is one o... Wed, 23 Sep 2026 09:50:19 +1200 http://www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz/blog/#post170777 http://www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz/blog/post/170535/new-paparoa-fire-station-blessing/ I had the pleasure of attending the blessing for the amazing new Paparoa Fire Station this morning led by CFO Ken Ogilvy and Te Uri o Hau kaumatua Albert Shelford.The substantial building is going to be a real asset to the local area and future proofs a strong emergency services presence for many years to come.  Coomunity and volunteer spirit are essential to a vibrant Kaipara with its many small townships and settlements. Paparoa Fire Brigade along with the neighbouring Tinopai crew t... Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz/blog/#post170535 http://www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz/blog/post/170457/mangawhai-road-slip-repair-completion/ Mangawhai Road is officially open following one of the most significant slip repair projects ever undertaken in Kaipara.The full 24/7 closure between Coal Hill Road and Cames Road reflected the scale and complexity of the work required to restore this vital connection safely, after it suffered significant damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023. We are grateful to NZTA for the Cyclone Gabrielle 92% funding assistance rate contributed towards this project (our normal subsidy rate is 62%).T... Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:00:55 +1200 http://www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz/blog/#post170457 http://www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz/blog/post/170408/farnsworth-way-unveiling/ I had the privilege this morning to attend the unveiling of Mangawhai's new public road named Farnsworth Way. Council formally decided in July to name the new road as a lasting tribute respected Kaipara community leader Mark Farnsworth. The lane was created as part of the Wood Street and surrounds revitalisation and stormwater project in the Mangawhai Heads precinct.For more than 40 years, Mark has given his time, knowledge and leadership to Kaipara and Northland through local government, enviro... Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:50:12 +1200 http://www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz/blog/#post170408 http://www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz/blog/post/169722/a-new-playground-for-te-kopuru/ I had the pleasure of opening Te Kopuru's new playground this week, and it's safe to say it got a big tick of approval from the Te Kopuru School students.This is a fantastic community space and a real asset for Te Kopuru. The old playground had seen better days, so it's great to see it transformed into somewhere children get outside, burn off some energy and have fun. Alongside the playground, we've added new paths, native planting, fruit trees, and planter boxes full of vege plants. The team ha... Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz/blog/#post169722 http://www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz/blog/post/169720/maungaturoto-wastewater-renewal-completion/ I stopped by Maungaturoto today to check out the recently completed wastewater renewals project.More than 300 metres of ageing wastewater pipe have been replaced, helping make the network more reliable for local homes and businesses. There's not much disruption as the new PVC pipe is burst through the old asbestos cement pipes in situ underground - pretty smart technology.Thanks to our contractors TDG Environmental and everyone involved in getting the job done on time and under budget. Great to ... Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.jonathanlarsen.co.nz/blog/#post169720