Sarah CurtisMultimedia Journalist·Northern Advocate·2 Aug, 2026 05:00 PM4 mins to read‌Foxton photographer Terry Oliver-Ward captured this image of the extremely rare Australasian Bittern, also known as the matuku hūrepo.

The new Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm, near Dargaville, is feeding electricity to the national grid, but the $640,000 Bittern Management Fund that secured the Department of Conservation’s support remains untouched.

The Kaipara District Council-issued consent, finalised in 2022, required Mercury to establish the fund through a legally binding deed before construction