Kāpiti’s dedicated electrification expo is bringing solar, home batteries, electric vehicles, e-bikes, hot water heat pumps, induction cooktops and more together under one roof. 

Solar power expert Iain McIssac of Green Van Solar & Electrical says this is an opportunity for the public to see the tech up close, compare options and talk directly to the people who install, supply and use it every day.

“Basically the Expo is about finding ways to use the latest technology to help people to save money and ensure essentials are operating during a power cut, including medical emergencies and natural disasters.”

McIssac says there are a lot of options available now from hot water heat pump, DC car charging and the latest battery technology. He says even solar panels are getting upgrades every year.

“With power prices rising and now sitting at around 40cents a KW it doesn’t take long for those power bills to get out of control. Come and see us at the Expo and we can guide you through options says McIssac.

Home energy technology has changed dramatically in just a few years. An average household has the potential to save over $3,000 across their home energy and transport costs — and many people don’t realise how much is now within reach.

The Expo will have Exhibitor stalls — solar, batteries, EVs, e-bikes, hot water heat pumps and more from local and national suppliers. There will also be talks from independent experts and community leaders on what works, what to watch for, and how to get started.

This free expo is on Sunday, 4 Oct, 10am – 4pm at the Waikanae Memorial Hall.

Scullion has not performed live since August 2025, when an accident left her with a fracture in her neck. After an extended period of recovery, she is now preparing to return with MSQ – the Michelle Scullion Quartet – and a programme showcasing the remarkable range and character of the flute.

“I am delighted to be returning to live performance and bringing my new band, MSQ, to The Bond Store,” Scullion says. “After such a lengthy break, it feels very special to be preparing a programme for an audience again.”

Scullion will be joined by three accomplished local musicians: Robert Kingi on guitar, Elliott Fui’moana on bass and Cam Steel on drums.

Together, the quartet will present World of Flutes, a varied programme spanning jazz, funk, blues, atmospheric grooves and world music. The performance will feature music associated with artists including Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis and Sérgio Mendes, blended with MSQ’s own arrangements, improvisation and distinctive sound.

At the centre of the performance is Scullion’s collection of instruments. She will move between concert flute, alto flute and bass flute, alongside Chinese bamboo flute, kōauau, vocals and percussion. Each brings its own colour and cultural character to the programme, creating a musical landscape that ranges from intimate and reflective to vibrant and rhythmically charged.

For Scullion, the performance is more than the launch of a new quartet. It is also an opportunity to celebrate recovery, resilience and the joy of making music in front of a live audience once again.

Opening the evening will be young local performer Carys Ferguson, winner of the Kāpiti College Talent Quest earlier in 2026. As sponsor of the Talent Quest, Mostly Music offered Carys the opportunity to perform at a Mostly Music event as part of her prize.

Providing a pathway for young and emerging performers is an important part of the Soundscape Series. By opening for established artists on a small but professional stage, performers such as Carys can gain valuable real-world experience and connect with a live audience in a supportive environment.

Presented as part of the Mostly Music Soundscape Series, the event continues the series’ commitment to creating memorable live music experiences and showcasing artists at different stages of their musical journeys.

This event is the last in the Mostly Music Soundscape Series for 2026, held at The Bond Store, Paraparaumu.

Event details

Saturday 17 October at The Bond Store, 21 Birmingham St, Paraparaumu
Doors 7:30pm | Show 8pm

Featuring:
Michelle Scullion Quartet
with opening act Carys Ferguson

Tickets: $25 via Eventfinda: https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2026/soundscape-series-michelle-scullion-quartet/paraparaumu

For more information, visit Mostly Music online www.mostlymusic.nz or follow Mostly Music on social media.

Kāpiti Mayor Janet Holborow says Councils deserve better than election-year limbo. “Councils and communities engaged in the Head Start pathway in good faith and within tight time-frames. While we didn’t want to be part of the Wellington region’s proposal, the lack of certainty puts us in a difficult position. 

“We are now left in limbo at a time when we’re already grappling with the transition to the new planning and environmental management systems, a raft of legislative changes pushed through under urgency in recent weeks, and increasing community expectations to cut costs.  

“Deferring decisions on the cusp of a general election is irresponsible. Councils and communities that engaged in the Head Start pathway – at considerable cost – deserve better,” says Mayor Holborow.

Porirua Mayor Anita Baker has challenged the Government to continue with Wellington regional reform after it delayed decisions on council amalgamation proposals until next year.

“I’m fuming,” says Mayor Baker.

“For six years, we have been pushed to confront how local government should be organised across the Wellington region. This Government turned up the pressure, told us the status quo wasn’t good enough and gave us a very tight time-frame to develop alternatives. So we did.

“Our four councils put forward a credible proposal after hundreds of hours of work and significant cost to ratepayers. You cannot spend months telling councils to be brave and work together, then lose your nerve when they do exactly that.”

Mayor Baker says the councils had engaged in good faith with the Government and their communities while responding to pressure for major structural change.

“It is difficult to reconcile this loss of nerve with a Government that demands greater efficiency from councils, threatens rates caps and continues to impose additional costs on local government.

“At a time when households are under real cost-of-living pressure, ratepayers are entitled to ask what has been achieved by putting councils through an expensive, time-consuming process only to send us back to the starting line.”

Labour’s Kāpiti candidate Sophie Handford, whose electorate includes Whitby, Paremata, Plimmerton and Camborne in northern Porirua, and extends through to Ōtaki also criticised the delay and its cost to councils.

“Kāpiti Coast District Council and Porirua City Council were given just months to undertake significant work, commit staff time and spend ratepayer resources responding to a deadline imposed by the Government,” Handford says.

“Now, after councils have done the work National demanded of them, the Government has abandoned its own timetable and pushed the process beyond the election.”

Handford says for a Government that repeatedly talks about fiscal discipline, this is a real failure of planning and follow-through.

“People in Kāpiti and Porirua, the region and councils throughout the country deserve a Government that treats their councils’ time and ratepayer money with respect. Decisions about the future of local government should be handled carefully and transparently, not through a rushed process that is changed after councils have already done the work.”

The Government announced on Thursday that none of the 18 Head Start proposals submitted nationally would move into detailed design at this stage.

The Government had launched Head Start in May, giving councils three months to develop and submit proposals. In August, it said Cabinet would decide in September which proposals would progress to detailed design.

Local Government Minister Simon Watts says the overall quality of the proposals was high but more work was required before Cabinet could make final decisions.

“While the overall quality of proposals was high, none came with the unanimous view of the region, and some needed further analysis before they can progress. These are important gaps we must fill in prior to making final decisions.”

Mayor Baker also warned that any reform involving Greater Wellington Regional Council needed to clearly address what would happen to its responsibilities.

“I do not want Greater Wellington’s responsibilities simply dumped on Porirua and other city and district councils.”

“Councils have stepped up. Porirua has stepped up. We have done what was asked of us. The Government should not walk away now. It needs to decide what it believes in and have the courage to back it.”

Greater Wellington Regional Council chair Daran Ponter also criticised the delay, saying councils had responded to what he described as a rushed process.

“The Government forced a hastily scrambled Head Start process on the local government sector, excluding regional councils in the making. Even so, councils across the country got on with the job.”

Ponter says the failure to progress any proposals before the election was disappointing for councils and communities that had invested in the process.

“Despite this great work, no proposals progressed before the election beggar’s belief. Put simply, Head Start has failed to get out of the starting blocks,” says Ponter.

Wellington Mayor Andrew Little says Councils across the region invested significant time and ratepayer money because Ministers asked them to move quickly. “We did exactly that.”

Mayor Little says Wellington councils had worked to the timetable set by the Government.

“There was considerable time and effort spent on chasing the Government’s amalgamation demands, that we could’ve spent delivering the services and facilities that our communities expect.

“Ministers made promises they couldn’t keep and have now abandoned the process. Wellington ratepayers are entitled to ask why they were asked to pay for an exercise the Government was not prepared to complete.”

He says councils had been expected to develop major structural reforms within what he described as an unreasonable time-frame.

“Councils across New Zealand were given a totally unreasonable three-month deadline to propose a model for local amalgamation, amid continually-shifting criteria by the Ministers. We met all of the government’s requirements to get a proposal in before the deadline.”

The estimated costs to councils to complete the Head Start requirements from government are $11.1million.

What’s On

Mandy Butler was with her partner in the Paraparaumu car park when the tornado tore through at about 1pm, forcing them to duck for cover inside their car.

She said the tornado ripped through the area for about 10 seconds, pelting cars and people with debris.

She was cut on the arm by glass from her smashed rear window.

“[It] was so scary,” she said.

The wind was so strong, said Butler, that she expected the damage to be worse.

Butler and her partner managed to cover the broken window with tarpaulins and duct tape before driving back to Wellington.

They made it home safely despite having to make the journey without a rear window, she said.

A local restaurateur who also witnessed the tornado said he saw seagulls being whipped around by the wind.

The car park was left strewn with debris and damaged vehicles.

Witnesses also praised staff at the local Mitre 10, who rushed out to help once the tornado passed.

More traffic news: www.trafficfox.co.nz

From 1 October 2026, motorists will be required to leave a minimum distance of 1.5 metres when overtaking a pedestrian, cyclist, horse rider or other vulnerable road user on the road.

The new law replaces the previous recommended guidance around passing cyclists and, importantly, is the first time horse riders have been included in a road safety measure aimed at preventing death and serious injury among our most vulnerable road users.
NZVRU Trust Chair Julia McLean said the change recognises a long-standing road safety concern and sends a clear message that vulnerable road users deserve greater protection.

“This is a landmark moment for road safety in New Zealand. For years, pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders have been calling for stronger measures to reduce the risk of serious injury and death caused by unsafe overtaking.

“A passing-distance law is only effective if it is supported by education, awareness and enforcement. Drivers need to understand both their legal responsibilities and the potentially devastating consequences of passing too closely.”

The Trust said the law aligns strongly with its national Pass Wide & Slow campaign, which promotes safer behaviour around vulnerable road users and encourages motorists to leave plenty of space and reduce speed when passing.

While welcoming the new minimum standard, the Trust is continuing to advocate for drivers to give horses even more room.
International best-practice guidance recommends motorists allow at least two metres of space and reduce their speed to approximately 20 km/h when passing a horse. A horse can weigh more than 500 kilograms and may react suddenly to unexpected
movement, noise or proximity.

“Drivers often underestimate how vulnerable horse riders are. Giving a horse extra space and slowing down costs very little time but can prevent a life-changing incident.”

The Trust says the law is an important response to the ongoing toll of death and serious injury involving vulnerable road users.
Last year, McLean presented never-before-seen horse-rider fatality statistics at Parliament, helping to highlight the scale of the issue and the need for meaningful change.

The new law will be supported by a $300 infringement penalty, reinforcing the importance of safe overtaking behaviour.
“Our message remains simple: safe choices save lives,” said Julia McLean.

“Whether you’re passing a person walking, cycling or riding a horse, slow down, give them space and remember they are someone’s loved one. Everyone deserves to get home safely.”

Video When you See a Vulnerable Road User – Pass Wide and Slow

More traffic news at: www.trafficfox.co.nz

More traffic news at: www.trafficfox.co.nz

More news from the trust see: https://nzvulnerableroadusertrust.rocketspark.co.nz

“The collision, involving a truck and car, was reported about 6.50am on Thursday and happened between Tararua Road and Meadowvale Road. 

:Sadly, the driver of the car died at the scene and Police are now providing support to their next of kin.” 

Police say enquiries into the crash are ongoing. 

More Traffic news: www.trafficfox.co.nz

The meeting, hosted by the Waikanae Garden Precinct Protection Society, will be held at the Waikanae Bowling Club 356, Te Moana Rd on Saturday 26 September, 1.30pm

Election candidates will speak on their parties’ housing and intensification policies, followed by questions from the floor.

Scheduled to attend, listed alphabetically by surname: Tim Costley – National, Penny Gaylor – NZ First, Sophie Handford – Labour, Melody Willis – Green Party.

Join Coach Angelo Robinson and his Team in celebrating an amazing 30 years of Hoop Club Kāpiti.

There have been many challenges along the way, but Coach Angelo has held true to his strong belief of bringing grass roots basketball to Kāpiti and supporting youth in his local community. 

The club says “We would love to know how Hoop Club Kāpiti has helped you? Better still send a video of you answering them.” 

Send your responses to this survey to contact@hoopclubkapiti.nz

Hoop Club Kāpiti is a local Basketball Club serving the Kāpiti Coast.

“Our primary aim is to provide opportunities for Basketball players and supporters of all ages and levels to participate in the sport.

“We promote a positive atmosphere which emphasises and fosters sportsmanship, teamwork, commitment, self improvement, life skills and respect for others. “

For more see: https://www.hoopclubkapiti.nz/

Christensen took the award for Sacred Nightfall, an intricately hand-painted and stitched tapestry which summons an ethereal night goddess from the deep native forests of Aotearoa.

With a strong global field of creatives from 18 countries, New Zealand designers had a standout showing at the 2026 WOW Awards; taking home 15 of the 25 prizes, including the competition’s top two honours.

Kiwi husband-and-wife team Erna Van Der Wat and Karl Van Der Wat received the Runner-Up Award for Armour of Pain, inspired by Erna’s journey with chronic pain, and its transformation from tormentor to mentor – which judges described as a “fearless portrayal of pain and power”.

A 10-time WOW finalist, Waikanae-based Kayla Christensen has received six prior awards, including placing first in the Aotearoa Section in 2024 and receiving the Dame Suzie Moncrieff Award in 2019. WOW Head of Competition Sarah Nathan says judges described Sacred Nightfall as mesmerising and multilayered, rich with kaitiakitanga and wairua.

“Sacred Nightfall asks us to listen to what remains in the darkness and protect what still lives. The extinct whēkau and ruru hinapō are painted back into existence, restoring their memory and honouring the fragile natural world that still surrounds us,” she says.

This year’s winners were selected from 108 finalist entries created by 134 designers from 18 countries; with a prize pool of over $200,000.

Alongside the leading performance of New Zealand designers, multiple artists from Taiwan also enjoyed notable success this year – including student, Cheng-Hung Lin, who took the 2026 Dame Suzie Moncrieff Award; while internationally acclaimed avant-garde designers Bethany Cordwell of Australia and Cecilio Castrillo of Spain took out the Avant-garde Section and Absolutely Positively Wellington International Design Merit Award respectively.

The 2026 WOW Competition judging panel was comprised of WOW Founder, Ambassador, and Resident Judge Dame Suzie Moncrieff; NZ surrealist and expressionist painter Kate MacKenzie and Creative Director of Taylor and The Shelter, Vicki Taylor.

The 2026 World of WearableArt Show: GLO! runs 17 September – 4 October at TSB Arena in Wellington. Tickets are on sale now at worldofwearableart.com

2026 WORLD OF WEARABLEART AWARD WINNERS

Supreme WOW Award: Sacred Nightfall, Kayla Christensen, New Zealand
Supreme WOW Award Runner-up: Armour of Pain, Erna Van Der Wat & Karl Van Der Wat, New Zealand Section winners
Open Section
Winner: More, Katherine Bertram, New Zealand
Runner-up: Spectrum of a Wallflower, Louise MacKay & Allison MacKay, New Zealand
Avant-garde Section
Winner: Hard Exterior, Alter Ego, Bethany Cordwell, Australia
Runner-up: Marginal Gravity, Chao Po-Chien, Shih Chien University, Taiwan
Aotearoa Section
Winner: Sacred Nightfall, Kayla Christensen, New Zealand
Runner-up: MOTHER VAKA, Vasemaca Tavola & Czarina Wilson, New Zealand
Metallic Section
Winner: Armour of Pain, Erna Van Der Wat & Karl Van Der Wat, New Zealand
Runner-up: The Golden Illusion, Shantanu Singh, India
Kinetic Section
Winner: Thoughts, Tracey Murphy & Isabel Costley, New Zealand
Runner-up: Lophii, Joe Blanck, Australia
Bizarre Bra Section
Winner: Bust a Move, Lyndal Linton, New Zealand
Runner-up: Busted!, Katherine Bertram, New Zealand

“The damning report details the inconsistent and incorrect answers, Board-level governance failures, and a lack of transparency around crucial procurement decisions coupled with no records from the time. This has led to aging and broken trucks, and years of delay for replacements,” Costley says.

Costley points to two key examples from the inquiry, relating to different types of fire trucks.

“Thirty new trucks were purchased in 2019, and none of them are in use seven years later. Aerial (ladder) appliances have also suffered significant delays. Despite a ‘final inspection’ in July 2025, they are still sitting with original manufacturers, not yet delivered to FENZ and far from being put into operational use.

“Both contracts are stuck in commercial disputes, with trucks withheld from FENZ while issues are resolved.

“Blaming today’s problems on the state of FENZ at its 2017 inception does not cut it. Many of today’s leaders held leadership roles in the Fire Service prior to 2017, and the state of the many fire appliances today is worse than it was nine years ago. FENZ have been going backwards, not forwards.

Costley says new taxes will not fix FENZ. “Funding has not been the issue, spending and delivery has been. FENZ needs to focus on consistently delivering new trucks into the fleet so every brigade has appliances within the expected age.

“It should not have taken an inquiry like this to bring these issues to light. We have seen misleading response rates, obfuscation over new appliances, and leaders telling the committee that there were processes and equipment were in place that simply were not. I have found the truth not through the answers given to the committee, but through endless hours spent trawling through submissions and speaking with firefighters from north of Auckland to the deep south.

“Despite the challenges the inquiry found, I continue to be impressed by the quality of the men and women who serve in fire stations, both full-time and volunteer,” says Costley.

In May of this year Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden announced a new Chair had been appointed to the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Board.

“I am pleased to announce that I have appointed Mr Raveen Jaduram as Chair of the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Board,” said Minister van Velden.

Mr Jaduram succeeds Rebecca Keoghan MNZM, who has served as Chair since July 2021, following her earlier role as Deputy Chair from June 2019.

“I would like to thank Ms Keoghan for her service during a critical period for Fire and Emergency New Zealand. She has supported the organisation through its post-amalgamation phase, strengthening its structure, and advancing important work on workplace culture and organisational integrity,” said van Velden.

ACT Party MP Brooke van Velden is retiring from Parliament in November.