Publication
Licences revoked after death of student pilot
ANorthland flying instructor whose licences were revoked after his student died in a gyrocopter crash says he accepts the Civil Aviation Authority’s decision. Martin Pattie died in October 2023 at Omaka Aerodrome in Blenheim in his newly bought...
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Future of key Northland marine rā hui in doubt
The future of Northland’s two landmark marine protection areas is uncertain as the Government moves to strip regional councils’ powers to make rules for fishing and fishery resources. The Government says fisheries management should be handled...
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CODE RED
Nurses say Whangārei Hospital Emergency Department (ED) is hitting Code Red daily and patients are being treated in corridors, as the worst flu season in a decade takes its toll. Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora said while the ED was very busy,...
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Looming El Nino sparks warning to prepare now
Flooding from heavy rain in Northland blocked roads and turned paddocks into ponds over the weekend. But meteorologists, councils and farming leaders say now is the time to prepare for a drier spring and summer as El Nino takes hold. With below-normal...
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Butter Factory bar staff fear losing thousands in pay
Workers from Whangārei venue The Butter Factory are likely to lose thousands of dollars in wages each, according to the liquidator. The restaurant and late-night entertainment venue has been closed since July 14, with company Punjab to NZ Group put...
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Cost crunch leaves volunteers in crisis
Rising living costs are making it harder for some Northland organisations to recruit and retain volunteers, community groups say. Non-profit Volunteering Northland says finding volunteers had become an obstacle in recent years. “People get into that...
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Husband and wife convicted of murder
When three people stormed a rural property at night, armed and ready for confrontation, violence unfolded fast. The visit ended with the fatal stabbing of Euan Mackey. Now, two years on and after one aborted trial and three days of deliberation, a...
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‘It’s beyond a joke’ Residents lose faith in roaming cattle fix
Residents say years of complaints, crashes and property damage caused by roaming wild cattle on Whangārei Heads Rd have left them sceptical a lasting solution is close. In a social media post last week, Whangārei District Council (WDC) said it had...
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Back by Christmas? Harbour eyed to trial local scallop rules
Whangārei Harbour could become a testing ground for a localised approach to scallop management, with the public asked whether limited scallop fishing should return after a four-year closure. The call for feedback comes as documents released under the...
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Meth crisis fuels call for more local detox beds
ANorthland addiction support provider says delays in accessing inpatient detox services risk missing crucial opportunities to help people when they are ready to seek treatment. Kaikohe’s Whakaoranga Whā nau Recovery Hub chief executive Rhonda...
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‘What would Dad do’
An arborist removing tree stumps in a residential street was grabbed by his shirt sleeve and pulled into the spinning blade of the machine he was using. Kevin Barry, who only months earlier had started work as a groundsperson for an Auckland...
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Rising costs leave families struggling
Far North families are increasingly seeking help with food as rising living costs pressure household budgets, a local foodbank says. Charity Meet the Need has released its latest impact report, showing it delivered more than 1.27 million meals through...
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Retail hub grows from developer’s vision
AEuropean commercial developer with a unique vision is creating a boutique retail and hospitality complex in the heart of Kerikeri. The Square is being built at the former Bunnings Warehouse building on Fairway Drive, and will house independent...
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Dad’s final messages offer help to others
“Surround yourself with your friends and family like a korowai, hold them tight . . . Be kind. Be really, really kind to everyone.” Those are among the final words of a Northland father to his son, as he battled terminal brain cancer. Shane Nicholas,...
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Family outraged by tame bull’s slaying
‘People hungry for a bit of meat” are believed to have shot and butchered a Northland farming family’s prize breeding bull, worth about $10,000. Beef breeders Bryce and Irma Gibbons, who own a 150ha farm in Ngataki, in the Far North, are “absolutely...
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Sniffing out spawning secrets
We’re travelling from Whangārei to Kawakawa in a University of Waikato wagon, heading for a series of waterways where researchers believe īnanga (Galaxias maculatus) may be spawning. Travelling in the back are the stars of the operation: Lilli, a...
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Surgical robot for North
Whangārei is set to become New Zealand’s first provincial public hospital to have a surgical robot. North Shore Hospital in Auckland is the country’s only public hospital with the technology, while several private hospitals also operate surgical...
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A Range of Homes Available Now
Aleader from a remote Kaipara community says he would like to see more police action against drug dealers. The comments came after two rural Kaipara residents faced the possibility of life in prison, after being arrested for dealing...
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Greens say Whakapara Marae a prime
ADVERTISING CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING [email protected] 09 470 2811 9am-4pm weekdays FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK PHOTO ORDERS Email [email protected] The Green Party says its proposed $2.44 billion marae trust would provide long-term funding for...
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Bird feeder warning
Experts say bird lovers should stop using garden bird feeders as the threat of H5N1 avian influenza becomes an increasing reality for New Zealand. “H5N1 avian influenza [bird flu] has been detected in New Zealand, and the virus will soon become a...
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Fashion hub backs CBD revival
Designer fashion, objects and jewellery store Collecte aims to stand out on Whangārei’s Walton St with its curated lightbox window front. Director Az James said she deliberately picked Walton St so people would see the store as they drove towards the...
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Northlander’s Hollywood odyssey
Stephen Murphy had no idea he was auditioning for The Odyssey when he stood in front of a casting director on Zoom, dressed in stubbies and a 90s wrestling T-shirt. The actor, who grew up in Whangārei, had been evacuated from his Los Angeles home...
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Puppies being sold ‘like lollies’
ANorthland animal rescue group is “disgusted” that litters of puppies believed to be as young as 1 to 2 weeks old are being sold near a Far North community market for profit. Donna Doolittle’s Animal Rescue in Kaitā ia said the puppies barely had...
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Expressway ‘a win for the region’s businesses'
Northland business and transport groups are hailing the Government’s $3.6 billion agreement to deliver the first section of the Northland Expressway as “a win for the region’s businesses and communities”. Transport Minister Chris Bishop announced on...
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Biofuel plant faces billion-dollar test
Abiorefinery planned for Whangā rei’s Marsden Point could create hundreds of jobs but experts say it’s unclear if the proposal will be financially viable. An international consortium led by US-based Seadra Energy is progressing plans for a biorefinery...
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Family forgives drunk driver after fatal crash
Rondy Pedrido Sepaya was a man whose sense of duty stretched far beyond himself. He was the son who paid the bills in the Philippines and funded his nephews’ schooling to give them choices he never had. Every dollar Sepaya earned in New Zealand was...
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Bird guardians fly the nest after 30 years
The founders of Whangārei Native Bird Recovery Centre are stepping down after more than 30 years of volunteering. Robert Webb has retired as manager and deputy chairman, and Robyn Webb has retired as staff manager, he said. Robert will continue to...
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Alarm over plan to truck Auckland’s waste north
ANorthland community leader who helped spearhead a successful campaign against sewage spills into Whangārei Harbour fears a proposal to truck wastewater from a fast-tracked Auckland housing development to Whangārei could place additional pressure on...
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Council merger plan advances
Three Northland councils are backing a roadmap to a single regional authority under the Government's local government reform programme. But the final blueprint for amalgamation warns the journey will involve difficult decisions on Māori representation,...
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‘A free lunch only helps if it is edible’
More than a year after the Government shifted to a $3-per-meal school lunch model, some Northland schools say the programme is failing the very students it was designed to help. The Ministry of Education says only five of Northland’s 117 participating...
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Judge lifts child order after false diagnosis
Ajudge barred a Northland woman from unsupervised contact with her young child after her former partner falsely claimed she was prescribed medication for schizophrenia. However, the without-notice parenting order was removed the next month after a...
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Egg producers brace for H5N1
Egg industry bosses say it’s too early to know whether the H5N1 bird flu will affect supply or prices, but at least one Northland farmer remains optimistic. Paparoa egg farmer James Borger said strong biosecurity measures and years of preparation would...
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Athlete’s fight for life as kidney failure hits
A20-year-old with the same disease that killed his mother is searching for a new kidney. Hokianga man Snow O’Halloran was born with Alport Syndrome, which resulted in his mother’s death when he was 8. Kidney function at less than 10% and hip issues...
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‘Out of control’
Four-wheel-drives could be banned from a Whangārei district beach at the centre of long-running user-conflict under sweeping new council rules. The proposed ban, which would triple the number of vehicle exclusion zones along the Whangārei district’s...
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‘Heavy-handed’
Under-pressure nurses at Whangārei Hospital say they are being asked to provide a medical certificate for each day they call in sick, in response to high winter sick leave. Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora denied it had made any changes to sick leave...
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Knives, homemade weapons and assaults
ANorthland trauma therapist says she has witnessed school violence far beyond traditional bullying, including students bringing knives to school, making homemade weapons and carrying out violent assaults. Erin Majurey, who has worked as a trauma...
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Property market defies winter chill
While the New Zealand property market has cooled alongside winter temperatures, Northland has bucked the trend and defied the early winter slump. According to the latest Trade Me Property Price Report, prices, listings and search activity cooled...
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Govt bailout saves jobs
Northland leaders are ecstatic a Government bailout for Golden Bay Cement not only secures hundreds of jobs but recognises the business’ importance to the New Zealand economy. The Government has agreed to fund $60 million to maintain the Fletcher...
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Health NZ admits failings in toddler’s care
Nearly two months after her toddler was rushed to Starship hospital for emergency bowel surgery, a concerned mother says she is still waiting for Whangā rei clinicians to explain in person why his condition was not recognised as serious sooner. Health...
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ED staff exhausted by crisis load
Whangārei Hospital’s emergency department is so busy that staff fear someone will die waiting for help. But Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora says patient safety is the highest priority, with a system to reassess patients waiting for care. Both Health...
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Police investigate shipwreck removal
Aman who says he saw part of a shipwreck being destroyed and removed believes the action denied New Zealanders a chance to learn their history. But one of the men involved said it was only timbers sitting on the sand and the law wasn’t clear what...
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‘Kaitā ia itself is slowly going to shut down’
Along-serving Juken New Zealand employee fears the closure of the Northland Mill is just the beginning for Kaitā ia, warning that the Far North town could face a “domino effect” of job losses and business closures. The employee, who has worked at the...
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Council signals end to art centre funding
Whangārei’s controversial Hundertwasser Art Centre is making a profit but remains unable to run without council support, with Mayor Ken Couper saying future funding will depend on community feedback. The $33 million centre – the last designed by...
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Paradise shattered
It was their “piece of paradise” — a corner of Northland steeped in history and natural beauty, where time passed at a gentle pace and people rarely locked their doors. But not any more. Two violent deaths in as many weeks have left Hokianga...
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Supermarket owners ring up change in Ō taika
Nearly two years ago, Alice Bayley and her partner Sione Teu moved from Auckland with big plans to transform a Northland Four Square in a suburb with a shady reputation. Bayley was apprehensive; she’d read how the previous owner of Four Square Ō taika...
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Northland’s meth crisis
“All you need to do is feed someone for a little while until they’ve got the hunger for it, and then you’ve got the control,” Ō tangarei Trust chief executive Martin Kaipo said. He knew of grandmothers dealing meth and some mothers so consumed by...
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Parents want answers as daughter ‘robbed’ of life
Ashley Wickman went into the surf around midnight at Uretiti Beach in Northland. “I’m just going to catch a wave,” a police statement later recorded her saying to the three other teenagers she left in the shallows. Ashley was found dead 12 hours...
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Fuel projects complete
The importance of Northland’s Marsden Point for the future of New Zealand’s energy needs has been marked by the completion of two major fuel storage projects. The milestones at Channel Infrastructure included the arrival of the first diesel cargo for...
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Back on the market
Aproperty in central Kerikeri where 20ha of trees were felled last year has been put on the market by the developer before a single home has been built. The property – bordered by the town centre, Kerikeri River and the Heritage Bypass – was touted as...
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Frustration builds as slip repair drags on
Frustration is growing for residents and business owners impacted by the Helena Bay slip, more than five months after the landslide closed the key access road. Whangārei District Council said reopening the road remained a key priority but rain and wet...
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Complaint after guard seen watching mum breastfeed
ANorthland couple want accountability from Corrections after a prison guard was seen staring at the mother breastfeeding in her hospital bed. Corrections says the staff member was undertaking standard security checks and was unaware the bathroom was...
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DoC admits failure to oversee campgrounds
The Department of Conservation (DoC) has acknowledged it failed to properly oversee the management of three Far North campgrounds for years. The issues are now the subject of an external investigation, with DoC estimating the Ngāti Kuri Trust Board...
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‘I feel very angry’ Families count cost of pool firm failure
Several Northland families claim they’ve lost tens of thousands of dollars – in at least one case, more than $100,000 – after paying for pool and landscaping work that never eventuated. The Northern Advocate has spoken to multiple customers who claim...
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Store owner on trial for exploitation
Behind the bright aisles of a bargain store, migrant workers say they were pushed into 100-hour weeks, forced to sleep in storerooms and told they would be deported if they spoke up. Now, Snehal Suresh Patel, the former owner of Whangā rei chain...
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Brewing up a taste for NZ
Apioneering Northland coffee farm is hoping to introduce visitors to a slower ritual of coffee drinking and tasting this summer. Ikarus Coffee growers Rob Schluter and Marie-Elodie Proust are preparing a tasting experience where visitors can learn and...
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Erosion fears after reserve clean-up
Acoastal Whangā rei resident claims the district council’s removal of longestablished trees and gardens from a waterfront reserve could increase erosion risk and waste ratepayer money. Christine Macartney says the work threatens what she describes as...
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Meth pipes in plain sight
ANorthland woman is calling for glass pipes associated with meth to be hidden from view in Whangārei shops after seeing a child ask about the drug paraphernalia on display. Community advocate Jodie Rameka, who ran for Whangārei District Council’s...
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Robot takes on pest
An innovative Kiwi No8-wire approach has produced a world-first large-scale submersible dredge planer designed to remove invasive caulerpa seaweed. The unusual-looking $5 million remote underwater vehicle (ROV) was launched for final sea trials at...
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Quiet retirement
After two decades under public watch from thousands of people and numerous television cameras, the last four lions at the former Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary will have a quiet retirement, with the park permanently closed to the public. Last November, the...
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‘Funding formula is so broken’
Anew funding package for GPs will not go far enough to address the needs of long-underfunded Northland clinics, a doctor says. Health Minister Simeon Brown is hailing the package as a major boost to general practices, with $120.6 million extra funding...
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Kiwi carers fined over brief hold of chick
For 34 years, Robert and Robyn Webb have been the steady, familiar faces of the Whangārei Native Bird Recovery Centre. Now, in their retirement years, the couple is at odds with the Department of Conservation. The centre has been fined $400 for a...
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Attacks on medics rise
Assaults on frontline emergency staff are rising – and for ambulance worker Paul Todd, that reality hit home when a routine callout escalated into a gun threat. The Hato Hone St John emergency medical technician was responding to a 1am medical callout...
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One-armed grandfather drags family from flames
Flames were already tearing through 68-year-old Hirini Tau’s home when he woke. With only one arm, he pulled his unconscious son down a smoke-filled hallway to safety. “I just wanted to turn it into something that could save lives,” he said of sharing...
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UN climate complaint hits Beehive plan
Climate activist and iwi leader Mike Smith has requested the United Nations “intervene urgently” before legislation is introduced preventing companies from being sued over damage caused by greenhouse gas emissions. Smith, with the National Iwi Chairs...
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‘We’ve lost our hospital’
Kaipara residents and healthcare professionals are alarmed over Dargaville Hospital changes, which they describe as replacing the 24/7 hospital with user-pays healthcare. Health New Zealand said Dargaville Hospital will be known as Dargaville Health...
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Plan a ‘terrible idea’
Strong criticism of a $29 million inner-city upgrade from local businesses has sent Whangārei District Council back to the drawing board. The Waterfront to City project proposes to upgrade John St and surrounds, including installing traffic lights at...
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Where does plastic go?
Ajudge has questioned what meaningful difference there is between burning plastic in a pyrolysis unit and sending it to landfill, as he heard allegations against a man running a plastic-burning plant without the required consent. Environment Court...
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Woman sentenced for 2006 case after fleeing NZ
For about 20 years, a single court file gathered dust in a Whangārei cabinet — a relic of the pseudoephedrine-tomethamphetamine era. It should have been finalised in 2007, but the defendant fled, leaving behind what may be one of New Zealand’s...
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Housing costs driving elderly to homelessness
Increasing numbers of people aged 65-plus are living on the streets as a result of falling home-ownership rates and soaring costs, a Northland housing advocate says. According to the latest official count, 237 people are living rough in Whangārei,...
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‘They basically entrap and enslave people’
Police say they discovered more than a decade ago that Northland gangs were handing out methamphetamine for free in vulnerable communities to hook users and recruit them to sell drugs. Yesterday, Detective Superintendent Greg Williams, director of the...
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Supreme Court quashes $4.2m payout to quarry
Aquarry owner’s twodecade legal battle with Whangārei District Council over alleged negligence has largely ended in defeat after the Supreme Court set aside the $4.2 million in damages he had earlier been granted. Malcolm James (Jimmy) Daisley has...
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Mum fights for more time
Ever since having a melanoma removed a decade ago, Northland mum Krystel Scott-Davidson has been doing everything right. She’s had two surgeries including one to remove lymph nodes under her armpits to ensure it didn’t spread. She’s stayed out of the...
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‘It’s a whole new world’
For Northland mum Katie Wilkinson, discovering her second daughter was born deaf has exposed her family to a “whole new world”, one she feels privileged to be part of. The Whangārei resident’s baby, Mary, now 2, initially failed her newborn hearing...
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New cancer centre cuts travel for patients
About 350 Northland cancer patients each year will no longer have to travel for treatment thanks to the new radiation oncology service at Whangārei’s Jim Carney Cancer Treatment Centre. The $60.9 million facility was officially opened yesterday by...
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