/news/upper-north-island/rss 九一星空无限 Keep up with the latest in Upper North Island news with 九一星空无限talk ZB. Sat, 19 Apr 2025 17:29:38 Z en /news/upper-north-island/weather-clean-up-to-cyclone-tam-begins-in-northland-as-winds-ease/ /news/upper-north-island/weather-clean-up-to-cyclone-tam-begins-in-northland-as-winds-ease/ About 4600 homes and businesses in Northland are still without power, down from a peak of more than 24,000. Most Northland roads are now open but motorists are advised to drive with extreme caution due to downed trees and branches. A damaged pipe in Paihia has led to a water conservation message in the Bay of Islands. MetService predicts continued wind and showers today, but some respite is expected over Easter. Northlanders are beginning to clean up fallen trees and sodden properties as the rain and wind from Cyclone Tam begins to ease. About 4600 homes and businesses in Northland are still without power, down from a peak of more than 24,000 on Thursday. Northpower - the lines company for Whangārei and Kaipara - said it still has around 2800 customers without power but crews are making steady progress. A helicopter is helping locate faults as repair work continues today, with crews coming up from Hamilton to help. Top Energy is reporting 28 different faults in the Far North today, impacting more than 1800 homes and businesses. It has crews from Hawke’s Bay joining the restoration response today. Both companies are urging people without power to be patient, as repairs in isolated areas could still take days. Northpower chief executive Andrew McLeod said the lack of wind and rain today will help the restoration process. Paihia road closure, water restrictions State Highway 11 at Paihia - also known as Marsden Rd - remains closed due to coastal inundation which has undermined the road and the services underneath it. Northland MP Grant McCallum said the storm damage is unacceptable both for tourism businesses and local residents and an urgent solution is needed to stop the ongoing closures. Motorists are able to pass through Paihia with a small detour. Far North District Council is urging all residents and businesses in Paihia, Waitangi and Ōpua to conserve water for the next 24 hours while a water main, exposed by the high waves, is repaired. In other areas, roads and highways are beginning to reopen as the flooding subsides. State Highway 1 at Hōreke, just south of the Mangamukas, reopened at 8.40pm on Thursday, after being closed for most of the day by flooding. At about 10am on Thursday, the floodwaters trapped a man and his Mini, who was rescued by Fire and Emergency crews and police, said Northland group manager Graeme Quensell. Police also helped rescue a person who fell down the riverbank on Princes Rd in Ruakākā at about 5.30pm on Thursday. The person was found uninjured and given a lift home. The Mini trapped in floodwaters on Rangiahua Bridge, SH1 in Hōreke. Photo / Joe Marshall The fragile Mangamuka Gorge south of Kaitāia and Brynderwyn Hills south of Whangārei have both stood up to the weather. Kaipara District Council is reporting road closures at Monteith Rd, Oparakau Rd and Waimatenui East Rd this morning, while caution is also needed on Sandy Beach Rd and Service Lane 4 Hokianga Rd. The roads are expected to be open by the end of the day. In Whangārei district, Finlayson Brook Rd is closed due to a number of underslips making the road unsafe. There are also a number of partial closures due to flooding, with the roads open only to high-sides four-wheel-drives. They are Russell Rd near Punaruku, Waiotu Block Rd and Otonga-Marua Rd. Whangārei District Council also urges extreme caution for motorists driving in the area, as other roads may also be impacted by the storm. Far North District Council was last night reporting five road closures due to flooding: Horeke Rd, Iwitaua Rd, Okaka Rd, Pukepoto Rd (Okaihau) and Waikare Rd - although they were likely to reopen as the flooding subsided. Greenacres Drive was also closed by a fallen tree. Whangārei resident Andy Mayhew says this tree fell on his Kauri driveway yesterday, cutting power, which was restored in the middle of the night. Photo / Andrew Mayhew Mobile coverage returning as power restored Cyclone Tam impacted cellphone reception in places across Northland on Thursday but that is being restored as power is restored to the cellphone towers, said Telecommunications Forum chief executive Paul Brislen. No cellphone towers were damaged by the weather but many ran out of battery back-up due to the long periods of extended power outages, he said. On Friday, there were still 25 cellphone towers down in Northland at midday, from about 1000 towers across the region. Brislen said Top Energy was prioritising power restoration to the towers and mobile generators were being taken to other sites. One NZ said thousands of text messages were sent during the storm on its Satellite TXT service, a backup service which it enabled for the northern North Island yesterday during the cyclone recovery. Weather: Respite is forecast The rain and wind from Cyclone Tam will linger in Northland but respite is on the horizon, says MetService. Meteorologist Lewis Ferris said today’s weather lacks the intensity seen in the past two days. The strongest wind gusts hit Northland at 155km/h and were recorded in Cape Rēinga at 2am yesterday. A Northpower line worker clears a tree from a power line on Hatea Drive, Whangārei. Photo / Mike Dinsdale On the Beaufort Wind Scale, 155km/h is hurricane strength and the highest category on that scale. Even more sheltered areas experienced severe gusts, such as Whangārei reaching 96km/h. The most drenched district was the Far North. Kaikohe recorded the highest rainfall – 117mm in the 24 hours up to 4pm on Thursday. Ferris said rainfall of more than 100mm in 24 hours met the weather forecaster’s warning criteria. Next in line was Kāeo with 91.2mm of rain for the same period, Whangārei with 85.3mm, Kerikeri with 72.8mm and Kaitāia with 56.8mm. Floodwater near Umawera. Photo/ Matthew Davison Readings from the Northland Regional Council’s rain data shows rainfall totals over the last seven days are high, such as 260mm at Whakakpara and 237mm at Glenbervie. Ferris said there would still be some wind around Northland today. A northerly breeze was expected as well as some heavier showers and thunderstorms intensifying this afternoon. “The likely reality is that it is not going to affect everyone,” Ferris said. “People just need to be aware, even if the day is broadly better than it has been.” Ferris offered a glimmer of hope for weather-beaten Northland this Easter. “There will be periods of wet weather through the weekend but also some gaps. If you’re heading out the door, take a jacket.” Firefighters had responded to more than 120 weather-related callouts since midnight on Wednesday. Most were trees and power lines that had toppled on to roads, but two were trees on houses. Graeme Quensell, Fire and Emergency NZ group manager for Northland, said crews yesterday helped a Paihia family secure their belongings after the roof on their Panorama Ave house was blown off by high winds. Fri, 18 Apr 2025 01:23:58 Z /news/upper-north-island/green-light-for-whang%C4%81rei-roading-project-set-to-unlock-3000-homes-supermarket/ /news/upper-north-island/green-light-for-whang%C4%81rei-roading-project-set-to-unlock-3000-homes-supermarket/ A roading project set to unlock land for up to 3000 houses, plus a new supermarket and shopping centre, is going ahead in Whangārei. Whangārei District Council has given the green light for the Springs Flat roundabout and Gillingham Rd bridge, providing better access to land north of the city. The key part of the project is an $18 million roundabout on State Highway 1, which will provide access to Springs Flat Rd to the west and Alcoba St in Te Kamo East. Earthwork and drainage for the roundabout is set to start this month and be completed by November, with local firm BDX being awarded the $4.3m contract. The second stage, the year-long construction of the roundabout, is due to start in December. The other major part of the project is a replacement of the old, one-lane timber bridge on Gillingham Rd with a raised, two-lane concrete bridge. The new bridge will provide access to the east and north for the development, and will connect with the Springs Flat roundabout through an extension of Beacondale Place to Alcoba St. Whangarei District Council's image shows how the proposed roundabout for State Highway 1 at Springs Flat will unlock connected land in the area. The $4.2 million bridge construction contract has been awarded to United Civil Construction and is due to be finished in December. The project also includes new shared paths on Springs Flat Rd and Alcoba St, including a signalised crossing on SH1. It is funded with the help of $10.3m from central Government’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund. When this was approved in 2023, the project was expected to cost $23m but is now estimated to cost $27m. Council infrastructure committee chairman Simon Reid said the project has been under consideration for many years. “This area has been growing fast. The increased population is starting to put major pressure on traffic flow, and the current roading situation was threatening to constrain development and growth. “This work will enable this area to flourish at some point in the future.” The housing development around Gillingham Rd will be driven by private property developers, but the council has a vital role to play in enabling the work by providing suitable infrastructure, Reid said. “Much of the land in the Gillingham Rd area, north of the Waitaua Stream, is zoned for residential housing and hasn’t been developed because of the old narrow bridge.” Reid said there are also plans for a new supermarket and shopping centre on Springs Flat Rd, next to the roundabout. Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference. Sun, 13 Apr 2025 22:26:47 Z /news/upper-north-island/tauranga-manslaughter-trial-jury-retires-to-consider-verdict/ /news/upper-north-island/tauranga-manslaughter-trial-jury-retires-to-consider-verdict/ Geoffrey and Karen Boucher were killed when they were struck by a motorcycle while crossing State Highway 2 in July 2022. A 60-year-old man with interim name suppression has been on trial for the past two weeks in the High Court at Rotorua, charged with manslaughter. The Crown claims he was speeding and didn’t stop at the light. His lawyer says the pedestrian crossing is “inherently dangerous”. The jury has been left to decide if the way a 60-year-old was riding on July 22, 2022, was a “wanton disregard” for the safety of road users, or a case of “human fallibility”. Geoffrey and Karen Boucher suffered unsurvivable injuries as they lawfully crossed State Highway 2 at Bethlehem, on a traffic-signal controlled crossing. Karen Boucher was sent flying, while Geoffrey Boucher was dragged under the bike. Both died at the scene. The Crown alleges it was the rider’s “ego” that killed them. Prosecutor Ian Murray said in closing that the rider rode by his own rules, paying no attention to speed limits, choosing to make his own assessments about safe speeds. The Crown said that in this case, his assessment was wrong. Both Crown and defence experts confirmed the man was speeding immediately before and in the lead-up to the collision. Defence expert Dr Tim Stevenson estimated the rider was travelling an average of 110km/h in the 50km/h zone just before the roundabout. The Crown says the jury can see the rider cuts the lanes to maintain speed, and on the man’s own evidence, has difficulty as he leaves the roundabout because of grooves in the road. The rider said he took a straight line because it was safer for his pillion passenger. Because of his speed, the Crown alleges, he was distracted by the “little bit of difficulty” and careered out the other side to approach the pedestrian crossing, which had been showing red signals for “quite some time”. The Crown says that at some point he looked up, saw the red light and braked, but it was too late. The rider denies ever seeing a red light and doesn’t know why his brake lights are seen coming on. He accepts he must have braked, but doesn’t know what he saw to make him apply the brakes just before impact. The Crown alleges he is lying. Prosecutors Ian Murray (left) and Camille Houia are leading the Crown case in a manslaughter trial in the High Court at Rotorua. Photo / Hannah Bartlett Murray told the jury the rider must have seen the red light, but because he was travelling so fast, by the time he reacted, the brakes came on only a fraction of a second before impact. He was travelling almost 70km/h when he hit the Bouchers, leaving them with virtually no chance of survival. Murray told the jury not to be distracted by the many “red herrings” of the defence case; it was a very “simple” trial. “If he hadn’t been riding at that speed he would have been able to control the bike better, he would have been able to stop better, and he would have not killed the Bouchers because of his dangerous driving,” he said. His riding amounted to a “major departure” from the standard expected of a reasonable and prudent rider, the Crown said. An issue of ‘human fallibility’ Ron Mansfield, KC, who led the defence with co-counsel Caitlin Gentleman, closed their case by reminding the jury the rider had never denied he caused the collision and was at fault. Ron Mansfield, KC, is representing a motorcyclist charged with manslaughter in a trial in the High Court at Rotorua. Photo / Hannah Bartlett However, the defence did not consider the Crown had selected the appropriate charge. The Crown sought to frame the rider and his conduct as “cynical, callous and cold”, said Mansfield. “Can I suggest that might tell us more about the prosecutor promoting his charge than it does about [the rider]?” Mansfield said the defence didn’t deny speed was a factor, but he urged the jury to consider the whole picture. The rider hadn’t seen the red light, because he was fixated on a centre green light further down the road, Mansfield said. The defence pointed to visual clutter around the first set of traffic lights, which on the night in question was missing a central overhanging light that was brighter and higher than the two lights on either side of the road. Bethlehem pedestrian crossing where Geoffrey and Karen Boucher were killed. Photo / Mead Norton “Without that central light there, you could see the central light further down the road. Before the roundabout and after he became fixated on it, thinking that was the controlling light for what he could do,” he said. “It was a bigger lamp and it was in the middle of the road, and it was right in the vision of the rider.” He was so fixated, that he “didn’t see the red lights that were there to be seen”. Both Mansfield and Murray urged the jury to consider the way the rider responded after the collision, but offered different conclusions about his behaviour. Murray said the man was self-serving – seeing to his own needs by going into the Pizza Hut bathroom to clean himself up, and only offering assistance to Karen Boucher once he saw the emergency services arriving. He referred to witnesses’ statements about things they heard and saw the rider say – concern for where his bag was, a “callous” phone call asking for his bike to be collected, and an apparent lack of concern about the state of the Bouchers. However, Mansfield urged caution when assessing those statements. The rider hadn’t tried to leave the scene, he had stayed, and witnesses had only heard snippets of conversations. Their view of what he said had been coloured by what had happened, Mansfield said. They had seen “a guy who had been riding a Harley Davidson”, were “shocked” by the death of two people, and were prone “to jump to negative conclusions”. The rider, like others who were at the scene, had taken some time to realise a second victim was lying on the side of the road. When he did see Karen Boucher, he saw that no one was attending to her, and tried to help her in the way he thought he could – by performing chest compressions. Sadly, it was likely she had already died at this point. He hadn’t asked the paramedics about the Bouchers’ condition, because it was clear to everyone they were dead. Self-serving, or genuine concern for safety? The Crown said the man had started a “self-serving” petition, calling for a review of the pedestrian crossing, in a bid to shift the blame. But Mansfield said it came from a place of genuine concern for safety, and this concern was shared by hundreds of other locals who had signed it. While there hadn’t been other deaths or collisions on the crossing, Mansfield said that didn’t tell the jury whether there had been near-misses. The defence called a witness who told the jury she and her brother were very nearly hit by a truck as they went to cross on a green light, as the truck ran a red. The prosecution had pointed to the volume of traffic that used the road, some 47 million cars over five years. But Mansfield said that wasn’t the right metric to focus on, it was more important to focus on how often the pedestrian crossing was used, which based on defence witnesses evidence from the council and expert, wasn’t often. Mansfield accepted the rider’s conduct had fallen below the standard expected. “You might think it’s careless, it’s not what we expect of the ordinary or reasonable, or competent driver ... It’s careless driving causing death and if that charge had been laid, none of us would be here.” Justice Cheryl Gwyn said, in summing up, manslaughter was defined as culpable homicide that was not murder. “It is when someone is killed, and while it is not regarded as murder, we view the person who causes the death, their conduct as reprehensible,” she said. It is the killing of a person by unlawful act, where that act is objectively dangerous, and an operative cause of the person’s death. Where it involves negligence, that must be a “major departure” from the standard of care required in that situation. The difference between that and “dangerous driving causing death” was they must drive in a way that falls below the standard of care owed in a situation, and that driving must have created a situation that was dangerous to the public. While for manslaughter, the focus was on the “unlawful acts”, in dangerous driving, the driver didn’t have to have committed an unlawful act, the focus was on the driving as a whole. The Crown says the unlawful acts were the rider’s speed, dangerous cutting of lanes on the roundabout, and failing to stop for the red light. The jury has retired to consider its verdict. Hannah Bartlett is a Tauranga-based Open Justice reporter at 九一星空无限. She previously covered court and local government for the Nelson Mail, and before that was a radio reporter at 九一星空无限talk ZB. Fri, 11 Apr 2025 03:41:47 Z /news/upper-north-island/mount-maunganui-street-dining-fee-plan-leaves-sour-taste-for-eateries/ /news/upper-north-island/mount-maunganui-street-dining-fee-plan-leaves-sour-taste-for-eateries/ New alfresco dining fees in Mount Maunganui have been slated as “unfair” for businesses “struggling just to keep the doors open”. Tauranga City Council is proposing to charge cafes, bars and restaurants a yearly fee of $50 per square metre of footpath they use for tables and chairs. The fees would start from July 1 and apply for businesses north of State Highway 2 in Mount Maunganui and from 11th Ave to the Tauranga city centre. Mount Business Association business improvement manager Harris Williams said the fees were another time waster and expense for businesses. “It just seems unfair. “I’ve had a lot of conversations with our hospitality businesses and they say ‘the numbers are really grim, we’re really struggling just to keep the doors open’.” There were owners doing 70-hour weeks to reduce staff costs and the time needed to apply for the street dining fee licence would “frazzle them even more”, Williams said. The association’s chairwoman, Kate Barry-Piceno, said the council’s reason for expanding street dining fees beyond the CBD to create consistency across the city was “flawed”. Mount Business Association chairwoman Kate Barry-Piceno. Photo / Brydie Thompson The council had proposed a flat rate of $100 per square metre across central Tauranga and Mount Maunganui, discounted by 50% for the first year – a change from earlier proposed zone-based rates. Businesses using footpaths in some CBD areas have been paying fees for years – since 2013 for The Strand and 2020 for Wharf St, after council upgrades in those areas. Barry-Piceno said the council had not invested in Mount Maunganui’s streetscape for at least 25 years. If the council was being consistent, in her view, it would invest in the streetscape, then charge the fees in consultation with businesses. Cafes and restaurants on Wharf St have paid outdoor dining fees since 2020. Photo / SunLive Outdoor dining increased foot traffic and created vibrancy, which benefited retailers and the community, she said. “Why are you taxing them again for something that brings significant benefits to the area?” Gigi’s cafe owner Logan Payne said it was another expense that would make his “not-very-profitable business, even less profitable”. Gigi’s was part of Mount Maunganui fashion store Sister’s and Co and all of its tables were on the street. The fees could force them to remove the tables and only serve store customers, said Payne. “The public will lose a cool spot to have a coffee and a bite to eat.” Alpino restaurant manager Jamie Laurie. Photo / Brydie Thompson Alpino restaurant manager Jamie Laurie said it seemed “really bizarre” the council was slapping charges on outdoor dining in a tourist town. “A big draw for our customers is the fact they can sit outside and feel like they’re in Italy.” Mount streets were dominated by cars and charging to use a tiny bit of pavement space didn’t make sense, he said. If the council were to pedestrianise some of Maunganui Rd then it could justify charging the fees because outdoor dining space would increase, said Laurie. Council city centre infrastructure lead Shawn Geard said the council’s last significant upgrade to the Mount Mainstreet streetscape was in the mid to late 1990s. Footpaths were public spaces that needed to remain safe and accessible for everyone, he said. This was why Mount Maunganui and Tauranga businesses that used footpaths needed a licence-to-occupy agreement outlining what area they could use, Geard said. Tauranga City Council will charge businesses to use the footpath for tables and chairs. Photo / Brydie Thompson “These public spaces are provided and maintained at the expense of ratepayers, so it’s fair and reasonable the businesses that benefit from exclusive use contribute to their upkeep.” The fees were not directly used to pay for infrastructure or upgrades in the area but went into general council finances and were used for the benefit of all ratepayers, he said. Licence-to-occupy fees were standard practice for councils and reflected a common approach to managing the private use of public land for commercial gain, Geard said. Businesses that no longer wanted to use the space could remove their tables and chairs if they did not want to apply and pay for a permit, Geard said. The council could also work with businesses to reduce the footprint of their outdoor area if they wanted to pay less, he said. Feedback on the cost of street dining fees was being sought as part of the council’s Annual Plan consultation that runs until April 28. - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air. Fri, 11 Apr 2025 03:02:37 Z /news/upper-north-island/kerikeri-18-year-old-faces-drug-charges-after-failing-to-stop-for-police/ /news/upper-north-island/kerikeri-18-year-old-faces-drug-charges-after-failing-to-stop-for-police/ An 18-year-old who failed to stop for police in Northland had his car searched and was found with cannabis and LSD, police say. Officers in Kerikeri came across a speeding vehicle about 7pm on Sunday. Relieving Far North Area Commander acting Inspector Kylie Newton said they signalled the vehicle to stop. “The driver disregarded the blue and red lights and carried on at speed and was not pursued further given the manner of driving.” After finding the vehicle on Keridale Lane, staff approached the vehicle and could smell a “strong odour” of cannabis, Newton said. “A search of the vehicle was invoked, which located cannabis and LSD inside.” The man was arrested on the roadside and the vehicle impounded. He was due to appear in Kaikohe District Court today, charged with possession for supply of cannabis and LSD, as well as failing to stop for police. “Possession for supply is a serious offence, so it’s a pleasing outcome that these illegal substances are out of circulation in the community,” Newton said. Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond. Mon, 07 Apr 2025 01:48:42 Z /news/upper-north-island/morrinsville-road-closed-after-vehicle-collides-with-gas-main/ /news/upper-north-island/morrinsville-road-closed-after-vehicle-collides-with-gas-main/ A vehicle has hit a gas main in Morrinsville and a road is closed. A Fire and Emergency NZ spokesman said they were called to the incident on Moorhouse St about 8.11am. The road is closed between Anderson and Thames streets and crews were monitoring the situation, he said. The local gas authority has been advised. A police spokeswoman said emergency services were responding to the crash and no injuries have been reported. A staff member at Ezekiel Trust Community Kindergarten on Moorhouse St said it was closed today while Central Kids Kindergarten said they would continue caring for kids as usual as the business didn’t use gas. A staffer at Redoubt Bar and Eatery on Thames St said she drove through the incident on her way to work and saw an ambulance, a police car, and fire truck with people running around the scene. She didn’t think anyone was “severely injured” but said people looked like they were in a panic trying to help. She was unsure if their eatery was affected by the gas main hit, and said they hadn’t been informed of it yet. Malisha Kumar is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton. She joined the Waikato Herald in 2023 after working for Radio 1XX in Whakatāne. Sun, 06 Apr 2025 22:39:29 Z /news/upper-north-island/person-in-custody-after-firearm-report-in-mata-northland/ /news/upper-north-island/person-in-custody-after-firearm-report-in-mata-northland/ A person has been arrested after they reportedly had a firearm during an argument at a property south of Whangārei. Police received reports about a dispute between people known to one another taking place at a Fulton Rd address in Mata about 7.42am today. A police spokesperson said one person was quickly arrested and inquiries were ongoing. Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond. Sun, 06 Apr 2025 21:57:56 Z /news/upper-north-island/men-charged-in-unrelated-northland-murder-cases-appear-in-court-mental-health-reports-ordered/ /news/upper-north-island/men-charged-in-unrelated-northland-murder-cases-appear-in-court-mental-health-reports-ordered/ Two men facing unrelated murder charges have been unable to enter pleas due to concerns around their mental health. Today, both men had their cases called in the High Court at Whangārei, and common themes were heard during their separate hearings. The men, who both have name suppression, are facing murder charges stemming from incidents alleged to have occurred in Northland over the weekend of March 15. A 44-year-old was accused of murdering Estene Rapatini in Kaikohe, while a 53-year-old has been accused of murdering Toby Mike Adams at a Norfolk St address in Whangārei. Each of their lawyers had been unable to take instruction from their clients regarding pleas, and mental health issues were raised in both cases. Defence lawyer Sharon Green, who represented the 44-year-old, said an initial assessment indicated her client required further investigation into his mental health, and reports would be ordered. Under the Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act, two reports, known as a section 38 report, must be obtained by the court to assess whether a person has a mental disorder and can understand the nature of court proceedings. Green said she had been made aware that demand for psychiatric services at the moment had doubled, which meant a report may not be available until August. “We’d certainly hope a report would be available by August 8,” Justice David Johnstone said. Justice Johnstone said it was likely both reports would be required and scheduled a tentative trial date for August 2027. For the other man, defence lawyer Matthew Ridgley had similar concerns, however, he had made contact with a private doctor who would be able to have a report ready by the end of May. His case will be recalled in June when the report is available, and a trial date was set for July 2027. Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined 九一星空无限 in 2023. Fri, 04 Apr 2025 05:18:34 Z /news/upper-north-island/northland-police-deliver-woman-in-labour-to-whang%C4%81rei-hospital/ /news/upper-north-island/northland-police-deliver-woman-in-labour-to-whang%C4%81rei-hospital/ Two Whangāreicommunity officers were in the right place at the right time last week when a woman in labour needed to be transported to hospital. Community officers constables Darron Goodwin and Ewen Cumming were stopped in trafficduring rush hour last week. A woman – who was a midwife – approached the vehicle and banged on the window. She had a woman in the car who needed to get to Whangārei Hospitalas quickly as possible. The midwife said the woman was in labour and her unborn child had an elevated heart rate. “She said she had a woman in the car who was distressed and having a baby,” Goodwin said. It was all action as the blue and red lights were flicked on and the constables led the way. “At that time of the morning there is a bit of traffic around so it was easy for us to lead the way up to the hospital,” Goodwin said. The woman was delivered to the maternity ward safely and was taken to a delivery room. Reports are that the mum and baby are doing just fine. Thu, 20 Mar 2025 00:06:06 Z /news/upper-north-island/northland-two-unrelated-homicides-lead-to-murder-charges/ /news/upper-north-island/northland-two-unrelated-homicides-lead-to-murder-charges/ Two men have been charged with murder after two unrelated deaths in Northland at the weekend. A man was fatally stabbed in Kaikohe on Saturday morning and, also on Saturday, a man was found dead at a Norfolk St address in Whangārei. Police said the homicides were unrelated and both involved people who were known to each other. A 53-year-old man who was known to the Norfolk St victim was taken into custody and charged with murder on Sunday afternoon, police said. He was due to appear in Whangārei District Court on Monday. Police maintained a presence on Norfolk St on Sunday as homicide investigations continued. Neighbouring properties included Emerge Aotearoa and Arataki Ministries. Residents on Norfolk St in Whangārei told the Northern Advocate they had heard nothing to indicate a person had been killed until emergency services swarmed into their street. Some neighbours and residents on their morning walks said they felt the severity of crime in Northland had worsened despite a reported drop in violent crime. Norfolk St was quiet on Sunday where a homicide investigation was taking place. Photo / Brodie Stone Whangārei man Lance Bax was out for his morning walk with his son on Sunday when he saw the heavy police presence. “It’s a bit surreal. You can’t believe that sort of stuff is happening in Whangārei,” he said. Bax said a lot of elderly people lived on Norfolk St and, with churches and takeaway restaurants in the area, it was a busy part of town for families. A Norfolk St resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, said she realised something was awry when emergency services arrived early on Sunday. She said neighbours gathered outside to check on each other and find out information. “It’s a bit close to home,” she said. “I never thought I’d live in a street where this would happen.” One mother of two said she felt scared for her children. Meanwhile, a 44-year-old man was charged with murder in relation to a man’s death at a Mangakahia Rd property, about 5km south of Kaikohe. The charged man was due to appear in Kaikohe District Court on Monday. Kaikohe-Hokianga community board chairwoman Chicky Rudkin said the community would wrap around the affected whānau of the person who died. She did not want to comment further on the incident or its impact. Northland District Criminal Investigations manager Detective Inspector Dene Begbie said police were aware the two homicides may have caused concern in the community. He acknowledged the victims and their families and the “tragic impact” that the events would have. “I do want to reassure the public that these two incidents are unrelated, and both involved people known to each other, at private addresses." “There is nothing to suggest any sort of increased or ongoing risk.” He said homicide investigations were challenging and thanked those involved in responding for their professionalism. “We are pleased to have made quick arrests in both cases.” Northland MP Grant McCallum said high-profile homicides attracted people’s attention but the Government was committed to its “tough on crime” stance. He said people should be seeing more police on the front line and said there had been a drop in violent crime. “I understand how unsettling this is for people,” he said. “Ultimately as a community, we’ve all got to work together in the crime space to help the police.” Two other homicides have been reported in Northland this year. On February 27 beloved Whangārei woman Yvonne Chapman was shot and killed in Onerahi. And on January 29, 18-year-old Kyle Jenkins was found dead in a creek at Ōtaika after being shot. Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond. Sun, 16 Mar 2025 23:56:56 Z /news/upper-north-island/hundreds-in-northland-protest-fast-tracked-sand-mining-operation/ /news/upper-north-island/hundreds-in-northland-protest-fast-tracked-sand-mining-operation/ By Victor Waters - RNZ Hundreds of people in Northland took to Te Ākau Bream Bay’s water and beaches on Sunday to protest a fast-tracked sand mining operation. A flotilla of more than 50 watercraft converged from Whangārei Heads to Langs Beach to oppose the proposal to dredge nearly 8.5 million cubic metres of sand over the next 35 years. Auckland-based sand mining company McCallum Brothers is currently in the process of applying for resource consent to extract sand. Their website states it is their way of being transparent with the public. Local residents and environmental advocates say that the operation would cause irreversible damage to the seafloor, wildlife, and coastline. Mary Sinclair from Save Bream Bay Sand said it was an incredibly successful day, bringing the many affected local communities together. “The energy is really, really apparent, nobody is going to give up on this process, we are here for the duration and will take all the steps we can to protect Bream Bay as it is,” Sinclair said. “I’ve been coming to Langs beach for 70 years, I’m over 70 years old, we haven’t had the togetherness of this community that we’ve got now. Māori and non-Māori, from Langs beach right through to Whangārei Heads. “If you were on the water today you would have been amazed at the connections that were being made and what people were saying to each other, the community is getting into gear and we won’t stop.” The protesters are worried about the environmental impacts of the sand mining but company McCallum Bros says concerns will be addressed. Photo / Geoff Reid The protest comes after a petition of 14,000 signatures in opposition to sand mining at TeĀkau Bream Bay was handed to Green MP Hūhana Lyndon last week. The proposed sand mining site lies 5km offshore from Waipū, Langs, Uretiti, and Ruakākā beaches, which are vital habitats for sea life such as taraiti (New Zealand fairy tern), where there are 40 adult birds left, and endangered hawksbill turtles have been spotted there. The boats hit the water where the sand mining will take place, about 5km offshore from Ruakaka Beach. Photo / Geoff Reid Sinclair said she also had concerns for the returning scallop population in Bream Bay. “What they’ll do they’ll continue to decimate what has begun to re-grow and we’ll lose them to Bream Bay. “When you lose the scallops on the sea floor and lose other sea life on the sea floor then your fish start suffering, the fish have the food they need to grow and they’ll disappear. “You take away the fish and have an impact on all the birds, we have species like dotterel and other birds in this area which have numbers that are declining and they’ll disappear.” About 50 boats took to the water on Sunday to protest McCallum Brothers' sand mining plans for Bream Bay and were treated to fine weather. Photo / Geoff Reid She said mining could also impact Bream Bay’s enclosed sand system. “They take sand from here it will not refill from outside and then you’ll start altering what happens with the waves and the water which will start altering the sand dunes. “If you look at the ecological impact here they will have an impact on every part of that going forward, particularly if it’s for the next 35 years.” The “Save Bream Bay Sand” advocate encouraged the McCallum Bros to look at other sand alternatives. She said sand mining from the sea floor is a practice that’s declining internationally because of it’s environmental impacts. “We all want the New Zealand economy to grow, that’s not a question, we know that for that we need concrete and need more roads. “But we also know sand can be manufactured from aggregate we know that there are other sources of sand on land that are being quarried and there’s no need to take it from the sea floor.” Sun, 16 Mar 2025 22:37:00 Z /news/upper-north-island/proposed-cuts-at-northtec-prompt-dive-in-staff-morale-and-concerns-for-unskilled-workforce/ /news/upper-north-island/proposed-cuts-at-northtec-prompt-dive-in-staff-morale-and-concerns-for-unskilled-workforce/ NorthTec staff are on edge as Northland’s leading polytechnic proposes to stop 11 programmes across several industries. The tertiary education provider is proposing cuts across primary industries, forestry and construction. There are fears the proposed changes could result in an unskilled workforce in Northland, leading to workplace accidents. NorthTec said it would consider feedback before making decisions. The polytechnic is part of Te Pūkenga, which the Government has committed to dissolving. Tertiary Education Union national president [Tiriti] Julie Douglas accused NorthTec of doing the “dirty work” for Minister for Vocational Education Penny Simmonds. Simmonds said polytechnics should have reviewed their operations four years ago. The Tertiary Education Union was concerned NorthTec used “underhand tactics” by not marketing or advertising courses to justify redundancies. NorthTec executive director Toa Faneva said it advertised the full range of programmes for 2025 from the start of its campaign in September last year until the start of semester one this year. “In addition, as we moved through the campaign, specific emphasis was given to programmes where enrolment numbers were low, as is our usual practice.” Faneva said the 11 programmes under consultation had low demand. “We have not had the opportunity to review our programme provision for several years and we know that demand for training changes over time.” NorthTec chief executive Toa Faneva said the wider changes were a good opportunity to look at demand in Northland. Faneva said NorthTec was in the process of engaging with key stakeholders, such as local government, MPs, relevant industry sectors and employees, around the proposal. That included working in partnership with hapū/iwi to discuss long-term delivery options, he said. One NorthTec staffer who did not wish to be named was concerned about the risks that may emerge if the proposal went ahead. Some of the programmes are in dangerous industries, they said. They also felt that without giving people the right skills, the industry would struggle. “We’re going to see more accidents, deaths and unskilled people.” They felt the proposal lacked foresight and community consultation. “Now all of us are up in the air wondering if we’re going to have a job or not.” But Te Uepū representative and NorthTec curriculum lead Sharlene Nelson was worried about long-term implications. “I am quite concerned because we all know that once you cut a course, it’s really hard to bring it back.” Faneva said NorthTec was committed to delivering a range of study options. Nelson has worked at NorthTec a long time and she felt staff morale was the worst it’s ever been. “Staff are feeling quite vulnerable,” she said. Tertiary Education Union organiser Jill Jones felt staff were being treated unfairly. “We haven’t been supplied with a proper financial justification for this review,” she claimed. “They need to talk to the staff because the staff know what the needs are.” Faneva did not directly respond to those concerns. However, he acknowledged the continued patience and professionalism of the NorthTec team. The change process was an opportunity to address long-running issues in the sector, he said. Minister for Vocational Education Penny Simmonds believes a shake-up of the vocational education system is needed. Photo / Phil Smith Douglas said despite pressure from the Government, NorthTec “must not forget who they are”. “They are an institution embedded in the community which is a critically important part of their existence and they must not forget the obligations and responsibilities they have to their community. “They have to be on our side and push back.” Douglas felt Minister for Vocational Education Penny Simmonds was not considering the skills needed in 20 years. But Simmonds said a review should have happened at Te Pūkenga’s inception to ensure the long-term viability. Changes would continue this year to prepare for the new vocational education system, she said. Simmonds was not privy to specific information about the decisions made by polytechnics. “However, I would suggest that it is important for NorthTec, as it is for all polytechnics, to be taking appropriate actions to ensure their overall viability and maintain their relationships,” she said. Simmonds believed the months ahead would be a “challenging time” for the vocational sector. Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond. Sun, 16 Mar 2025 22:09:29 Z /news/upper-north-island/fire-crews-battling-blaze-in-far-north-soon-after-drought-announced/ /news/upper-north-island/fire-crews-battling-blaze-in-far-north-soon-after-drought-announced/ A section of State Highway 15 is closed following a 2ha scrub firein the Far North this afternoon. It comes just hours after a drought was announced for Northland. Fire and Emergency said they were asking travellers to avoid the area around Awarua so firefighters can work. Police said they were there managing traffic and the road on either side of Tokawhero Rd is closed. According to New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, SH15 is closed 2km south of Tokawhero Rd and delays are expected. Reports of the fire came in just after 12.30pm. Eight trucks are at the location and five helicopters have been sent to battle the fire, which is in scrub and grass. Another Northland fire, in the Waipoua River area in Kaipara, was brought under control earlier this week. Residents were evacuated last Wednesday as flames reportedly came within metres of homes within the settlement. A prohibited fire seasonis in effect for the Muriwhenua, Hokianga, Ripiro and Paparoa areas of Northland. No outdoor fires are allowed and all permits are revoked. Meanwhile, the rest of Northland is under a restricted fire season, meaning anyone wanting to light a fire needs to apply for a permit through checkitsalright.nz. Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond. Fri, 07 Mar 2025 03:12:27 Z /news/upper-north-island/whang%C4%81rei-s-claphams-clock-museum-burgled-overnight/ /news/upper-north-island/whang%C4%81rei-s-claphams-clock-museum-burgled-overnight/ Whangārei’s Claphams Clock Museum is closing for five days during peak tourism season after an early morning burglary. Police are investigating after a window was smashed to gain entry to the Quayside attraction around 3.30am today. The group of people believed to be responsible stole several watches and fled in two vehicles, police said. Smashed glass was some of the damage caused after the Claphams Clock Museum was burgled overnight. Photo / Brodie Stone The vehicles were later found abandoned on William Jones Drive in Ōtangarei. They were towed away for forensic examination. Police tape cordoned off the museum this morning. Behind the cordon, one of the glass front doors appeared smashed. Whangārei District Council’s general manager of community services, Victoria Harwood, said an activated alarm system alerted security to the burglary. “It’s extremely sad for the museum to have been targeted, and sad to be turning visitors away during peak season,” Harwood said. The museum, which is owned and run by the council, will be closed until March 8 for police investigations, repairs, a stock take and cleaning. Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond. Mon, 03 Mar 2025 01:26:43 Z /news/upper-north-island/mangawhai-tornado-survivor-tina-johnson-shares-miraculous-tale/ /news/upper-north-island/mangawhai-tornado-survivor-tina-johnson-shares-miraculous-tale/ Northland woman Tina Johnson was asleep in bed when a tornado tore through her Mangawhai home, sucking her and the mattress she was on into its vortex. In an exclusive interview with reporter Brodie Stone, Johnson shares her miraculous story of survival at a time when she thought “everyone else was dead”. It was about 3am on January 26 when Tina Johnson woke to a noise “like a freight train” in her second-storey bedroom. She tried to move but her body was locked in place, likely from momentary atmospheric pressure. Within five seconds, her ranch-slider door shattered. She tried to curl up into a ball. The 52-year-old was lifted and found herself spinning in slow motion. Johnson was in the tornado’s vortex. She tried to make sense of what was happening. She wondered if she had been caught in a tsunami. “But there was no water,” Johnson said. Her body was struck repeatedly by long pieces of timber and drawers from her bedroom which had been sucked into the churning column of air with her. “I sort of relaxed while I was in there,” Johnson said. “I think I sort of thought I was in a dream, I couldn’t get the reality of it. It was just too out there.” Suddenly, Johnson felt her body being “drilled” into the back bedroom wall by the force of the twister. Her body was thrown and landed on top of her metal shed. The bedroom roof landed on top of her but she somehow managed to push it away. Johnson’s body was covered in pieces of plasterboard and chunks of insulation, which she pushed off before swinging her legs around and pulling herself up into a seated position. The adrenaline coursed through her body and prevented her from feeling any pain. Johnson looked at the world around her. Everything was masked in a grey mist, she said. “You could hear a pin drop. Everything was silent. “I actually thought I was the only person alive. I thought everyone else was dead because it was so quiet,” she said. A bolt of lightning pulled her from her daze. She screamed for help. Neighbours rushed to help her and within minutes she was surrounded by rescuers. They used pieces of debris to stabilise the shed roof. Johnson had been terrified the shed might collapse under her weight. It was in those moments she was told a tornado had torn through the streets. As Johnson lay waiting for emergency services, she could see her “horrendous” injuries. A bone near her wrist had snapped and was poking out of her arm. Her leg was so mangled it looked as though a shark had attacked it, she said. Johnson gave her friend’s number to rescuers. It was the number she could recall. As Ross rushed up Old Waipu Rd to help – past police cordons and driving over power lines – ambulance crews made a shortcut through the back of properties to reach her. Ross even happened to drive over Tina’s bedroom deck, which had landed halfway down the street. When he arrived, Johnson felt safe. Shortly after Ross’ arrival, emergency services reached Johnson and started the long journey to safety. “They had to carry me all the way down Old Waipu Rd. And I remember saying ‘Is it raining?’ And they were like, ‘No, we’re cutting through the bush’.” Johnson said she floated in and out of consciousness. She was taken to Mangawhai Heads Beach to be picked up by a helicopter. The ambulance shook as the chopper landed, making her panic. “I knew what it was, but I still had that fear,” she said. At the front of Johnson’s mind was her daughter Jade, who had been staying in Mangawhai. “When the helicopter took off from the surf beach, I was able to see where Jade was staying, and that the house was okay,” which gave her “huge relief”. She was airlifted to Auckland City Hospital and woke with Ross and Jade at her side. Johnson’s stint in hospital is a blur. She has had five surgeries and other procedures. Remarkably, she has already taken a few steps. But because of her injured arm, she struggles to lean on the gutter frame so is using a wheelchair. “They are pretty impressed that I’ve got to where I’ve got to already. And that I am so determined to get up and about.” Johnson has been at three different hospitals and been treated by teams in plastics, skin, orthopaedic, physio, occupational therapy, and more. She was told her recovery would be a long process. “I’m just focused on healing and moving forward and getting out of here more than anything else. “I’m not dwelling on it,” Johnson said. When she looks back on the events, she said she is more shocked than anything else. On the day Johnson spoke with the Northern Advocate, her beloved home of five years was being demolished. She would have liked to see it in person one last time. But close friends and family sifted through broken walls, doors and furniture to find valuables such as jewellery and photographs. Jade FaceTimed her from the top of the stairs where her bedroom once was. Johnson watched a digger go through her unrecognisable home. She believed the fact her house had been on the market may have made the mourning process easier. She plans to move in with some good friends in Mangawhai when she is finally discharged. Then, she just wants to get on with life. Johnson said she is amazed by the community around her, including support from strangers. But one of her biggest blessings? A friend brings her coffee a few times a week. “It’s the little things,” she laughed. Johnson’s neighbour set up a Givealittle page to help support her road to recovery. To donate, head to this link. Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond. Sat, 01 Mar 2025 02:57:48 Z /news/upper-north-island/northland-eyes-economic-boost-with-regional-deal-proposal/ /news/upper-north-island/northland-eyes-economic-boost-with-regional-deal-proposal/ Future energy, tourism, primary manufacturing and marine manufacturing are all highlighted in a regional deal proposal that is to land on the Government’s desk before the end of the week. The quartet has been selected as the major economic growth opportunity for Northland’s initial “light touch” regional deal proposal. Northland’s joint regional economic development committee chairman John Vujcich has previously said the four could significantly benefit the North. “They have the potential to double Northland’s economic production,” Vujcich, who is also a Far North District councillor, said. The four areas of opportunity are confidential but have been referenced in a Northland council meeting agenda. Vujcich would not comment on them when approached. “The Government has asked for this to be confidential because it wants to make its decision unencumbered by local politics or local expectations,” he said. Northland’s “light touch” regional deal economic development proposal will go into a selection process before the Government decides by the end of the year whether and how to progress it. Regional deals are part of Government plans to develop a joint approach with local councils, the private sector and iwi/hapū to build economies locally. A staff report to a Northland Regional Council (NRC) Te Taitokerau Māori and council working party meeting said the “light touch” proposal was the first step in a negotiation process. It said there was a likelihood some proposal opportunities would be dropped during the negotiation process and others added. About 20 regions across the country registered their interest in applying for a regional deal when then Minister Simeon Brown wrote to local government across New Zealand in late November inviting these proposals. The report said Cabinet would agree on next steps for each region by mid-2025. The intention was to finalise the first regional deal for one selected New Zealand council by December. Two more deals would be finalised by October 2026, ahead of the next general election. Northland’s “light touch” proposal must list its chosen high-level opportunities and their expected outcomes. It must also indicate Northland councils’ contribution to these, and outline what the region’s seeking from the Government to achieve them. The report said regional deals were between central and local government, but there was an expectation the private sector and Māori would participate in the deals’ negotiation. The form of this participation would be determined once it was known in mid-2025 how the Government would deal with Northland’s submission. The Northland regional deal proposal uses the region’s 2024 100-year Te Rerenga, Te Taitokerau Northland’s Economic Wellbeing Pathway document. Northland Inc is co-ordinating the proposal’s development with support from Far North, Kaipara and Whangārei District Councils as well as NRC. Northland’s joint regional economic development committee, which is made up of two politicians from each of these councils, is the governance entity for developing the proposal, engaging with the Government and regional deals decision-making. Sat, 01 Mar 2025 02:12:16 Z /news/upper-north-island/waipoua-river-fire-humbling-community-response-for-evacuees/ /news/upper-north-island/waipoua-river-fire-humbling-community-response-for-evacuees/ Evacuated residents remain unable to return home as the Waipoua River Fire continues to grow, spreading to 100ha. The blaze in an isolated area of the Kaipara Region was 50 per cent contained on Friday but crews hoped to fully contain it tonight. Fire and Emergency New Zealand has also declared a prohibited fire season for the entire west coast of Northland and in the Far North from today. Muriwhenua, Hokianga, Ripiro and Paparoa are all included in the ban due to tinder-dry conditions. Three helicopters, four heavy machinery, 50 ground crew and 15 incident management team personnel battled the Waipoua River Fire yesterday. Incident controller Corey Matchitt said some residents were able to briefly return home on Friday to collect essentials. “We know this is a really hard time for everyone who is away from their home during this fire. Evacuating has meant everyone is safe and we are grateful to the whānau and everyone supporting them at this time.” Crews were alerted to the fire about 2.15pm on Wednesday. Twenty homes in the Waipoua Settlement in the Kaipara District were evacuated. Some residents left via the beach, as flames blocked access to State Highway 12, before heading to Iwi Te Roroa’s marae at Waikāra. Chairwoman Cheryl Tane said evacuees arrived with nothing but the clothes off their back. The marae was able to supply fresh clothing, warm food, showers and a place to sleep through emergency preparation and generous donations. On Thursday, community members were busy at work in the kitchen preparing kai and sorting through other donations. Volunteers April Dee [left] and Amelia Chapman categorising donations for people displaced from Waipoua Settlement. Photo / Brodie Stone “What affects our relatives has an impact on our wider family and whānau,” Tane said. “It’s a very isolated rural community and those community networks, bonds and links are strong.” Several families who arrived overnight on Wednesday were first offered a hug, Tane said. The community at Waikarā knew all too well the feeling of being displaced. Almost three years to the week, a 70ha blaze ripped through their rohe, bringing flames close to the marae. They were evacuated to Waipoua. “I feel responsible as chair of this marae to take the burden off the families, and release them of that burden during the time they’re in our care,” Tane said. Waikarā Marae is situated off the isolated West Coast, pictured here in the distance. To the left, trees and shrub recover from a 70ha fire three years prior. Photo / Brodie Stone She knew evacuees were concerned for their homes but also the wider area. “We are intrinsically linked to that forest, to the trees, to Tāne Mahuta.” Te Roroa Development Group general manager Snow Tane was at Waipoua on Thursday and said no native bush had been impacted. The fire had burned mostly through iwi-owned pine. However, the flames had come just metres from some of the homes. No one had been injured, he said. “Everyone’s safe which is our main concern.” Te Roroa Development Group general manager Snow Tane said the community had been humbled by the outpouring of support right across Tai Tokerau. Photo / Brodie Stone Residents were anxious about their homes but having a safe space such as at Waikarā Marae was a relief. “There are communities right around Tai Tokerau ringing in,” he said. Donations even included mutton from further south in Pouto to supplement food at Waikara. “We’re humbled by that [response] from the communities around the north. “The whole community, Māori and non-Māori get together and support one another.” Kaipara mayor Craig Jepson was at the fire on Friday and said he was impressed by the work of the fire crews. “Boy, have I seen some tough individuals going in and doing the hard yards.” They were working to ensure no damage to native bush. Jepson said it would be good to see the fire snuffed out so important resources weren’t taken away from their communities. Wipari Henwood, Fire and Emergency Northland district manager, said a prohibited fire season in selected areas meant all fire permits were revoked. “The frequent hot days we’re experiencing have increased the chances of a fire taking hold that we will not be able to contain quickly,” he said. The Waipoua River fire was a prime example, he said. Fire and Emergency are investigating the cause. Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond. Fri, 28 Feb 2025 03:06:10 Z /news/upper-north-island/%C5%8Dpononi-businesses-fear-losses-as-level-4-water-restrictions-loom/ /news/upper-north-island/%C5%8Dpononi-businesses-fear-losses-as-level-4-water-restrictions-loom/ An unexpected water outage caused some Far North businesses in coastal holiday hotspots to lose income as they had to close or cancel bookings. Businesses in Ōpononi and Ōmāpere are now concerned a possible move to the highest water restriction will result in further financial losses. The beachside settlements on the Hokianga Harbour had a sudden water outage on the weekend of February 15 and 16. The Far North District Council (FNDC) said a leak in the water main almost emptied the supply’s storage reservoir. Now Ōpononi and Ōmāpere were at risk of Level 4 water restrictions, the council said. The restrictions would mean people in the area would be limited to essential water use only, such as for cooking, drinking and washing. Ōpononi Hotel general manager Felicia Ewe-Presland said the hotel had been unable to open during the leak because of health and safety reasons. “We suffered quite a lot, there was definitely a loss of income.” Ewe-Presland said the hotel would not be able to operate if the area moved to Level 4 restrictions. “We need our water to run our establishment. We need to be able to supply clean, filtered drinking water.” She said the restrictions were a concern, especially for hospitality businesses in the area. The Ōpononi Hotel. Ōpononi Lighthouse Motel owner Tangi Cole said the leak hugely disrupted its services. She said some guests cancelled their bookings and drove to Paihia instead. Cole was concerned about what Level 4 would mean for business. “It was really bad, our guests couldn’t use the showers or toilets or anything. It was very Third World.” Cole said the potential water restriction may mean water pressure in the showers would drop to a trickle and “as a business that is totally reliant on overseas and domestic tourism – which still hasn’t fully recovered from pre-Covid [levels] – by doing this, it would give us bad reviews”. FNDC head of infrastructure Tanya Proctor said the timing of the leak was very unfortunate. “It was particularly difficult to locate and was finally repaired on Sunday.” The council said residents and visitors were urged to conserve water to allow the reservoir to refill, in the hope of avoiding Level 4 water restrictions. Proctor said it had been disappointing that despite Level 3 water restrictions being in place for Ōpononi and Ōmāpere since mid-January, there had been reports of people washing cars and boats during the impacted weekend. “Level 3 water restrictions ban the use of hoses, outdoor sprinklers and irrigation systems.” Proctor said there was a danger that both towns may run out of water. The reservoir refill was taking longer because of very low flows in the Waiotemarama Stream, which is the primary water source for the towns, council said. Ongoing dry weather has seen levels in the stream fall close to the minimum consent levels granted by Northland Regional Council. Proctor said the Waiotemarama Stream is very vulnerable to dry conditions, and drought remained a real possibility for some areas of the Far North. Water restrictions are currently in place across the district to protect water sources. Ōpononi-Ōmāpere remain on Level 3 water restrictions, along with the Ōmanaia and Rāwene water supplies. Dargaville and Baylys Beach, in Kaipara, are also under Level 3 restrictions. Level 2 water restrictions – which ban the use of outdoor sprinklers or irrigation systems – continue to apply in Kawakawa-Moerewa, Kerikeri-Waipapa and Paihia-Ōpua-Waitangi. Kaitāia, Kaikohe-Ngāwhā and Ōkaihau will remain at Level 1, where no restrictions apply but customers are encouraged to use water sensibly. Whangārei currently has no water restrictions in place. Sun, 23 Feb 2025 22:14:25 Z /news/upper-north-island/new-lease-on-life-for-old-northland-ferry/ /news/upper-north-island/new-lease-on-life-for-old-northland-ferry/ A kauri launch that ferried passengers and cargo around the Bay of Islands for 50 years is facing an exciting future as a floating pizzeria. The Bay Belle caught the eye of Rakino Island resident and global adventurer Kate Farrant, when it appeared as a deceased estate sale on TradeMe last year. Lured by the boat’s beauty, she instantly recognised its potential for rehoming a popular seasonal restaurant - Woody Bay Pizzeria - previously run on Rakino in the Hauraki Gulf, by a fellow resident Alf Newton who had agreed Farrant could take over it. The dream, Farrant said, is to have Bay Belle back on the water in time for next summer. Newton has been schooling her in the art of making pizzas and fellow Rakino Islanders have been happily sampling her wares, Farrant said. The Bay Belle, once a stalwart of Northland waters, is now in the Big Smoke getting a makeover to become a floating restaurant. Photo / supplied While the vessel’s first excursions would be around the Hauraki Gulf nearest Auckland, Farrant also hoped Bay Belle canoperate around Great Barrier and Kawau islands and in the vessel’s once-familiar Northland waters. For now, however, there’s a lot of restoration work to be done on the boat, Farrant said. The Bay Belle’s hull has been cleaned, plywood cladding that was widely added around the boat was being removed, old paint sanded away, and caulking replaced. “I’m hoping to do right by her, and to restore her to her former glory, painting her in her original launch colours and taking no shortcuts along the way.” Farrant wants the Bay Belle to sport her original kauri exterior but said she is less likely to bring back the original interior, which included fantasia formica, a smokey blue wall paint, primrose coloured ceiling, and pink marble plastic linoleum floors. The Bay Belle’s exterior will be returned to it’s original kauri state. However, the boat’s new owner has new plans for the inside, which is currently a blank canvas. Photos / supplied Farrant said she is regularly covered in dust, exhausted, and has “a thousand things” on her mind but fortunately has the support and help of a group of good friends. Together, they’ve put in countless hours of work at Hobsonville Marina to steer the dream towards a reality. Farrant recently reached out online to other wooden boat enthusiasts for a repair product she needed and was overwhelmed by people’s enthusiasm for the project. She had been gifted an artwork for the boat. Someone else had provided her with a photograph of the Bay Belle once saving a barge with engine problems, guiding it safely to a wharf. Hundreds of people, including some of the boat’s former skippers, have shared advice, encouraging words, and offered to help, Farrant said. She recalled the boat had launched friend and Waipu resident Greg Maddox’s career as a sign writer. “There’s a lot of love and respect for this old girl (Bay Belle).” Built by Deemings boats at Ōpua in 1960, the Bay Belle was first launched in 1961 as the Fullers Cream Trip ferry making deliveries and transporting passengers over a traditional shipping route that took in some of the Bay of Island’s most spectacular coastal sights. The Bay Belle served as the passenger ferry between Paihia-Russell between 1973 and her retirement in 2011. The Bay Belle spent 50 years as a passenger and freight ferry in the Bay of Islands. Photo / supplied During that time the vessel helped make history with some of the country’s first female skippers of commercial vessels at her helm. Eighty-five-year-old Jane Taylor was at the wheel for the vessel’s last trip in 2011, which made national news. In 1966, Taylor was the Bay of Islands’ - and possibly New Zealand’s - first ever woman to captain a commercial vessel. She became skipper of the Bay Belle in 1970 and skippered it on its final Cream Trip voyage in 1973. In its later role as a Paihia to Russell ferry, Bay Belle was skippered by Captain Charlotte Ebbett who described the boat as “a mentor, a trusty workmate, an on-the-job engineering tutor and, in the end, my best friend”. Ebbett’s now offering her support to Farrant so she can take the helm for her upcoming business venture. “I can’t help but feel I’m following in the footsteps of many other strong and powerful female movers and shakers,” Farrant said. She appreciated how much the Bay Belle meant to a lot of people. “I get the feeling that walking her decks again might be a nostalgic walk down memory lane for many people. “I can’t wait to be able to share her with you again.” Farrant is keen to hear from anyone who has photos, memories, or stories of the Bay Belle to share. She is best reached through the boat’s Instagram page baybellenz or by email Baybellenz@gmail.com Sarah Curtis is a general news reporter for the Northern Advocate. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, most spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference, especially those involving environmental issues. Sat, 22 Feb 2025 00:23:38 Z /news/upper-north-island/police-appeal-for-information-after-aggravated-robbery-in-northland-store/ /news/upper-north-island/police-appeal-for-information-after-aggravated-robbery-in-northland-store/ Police are appealing for witnesses and sightings of a white car, after four men armed with a hammer and tyre iron held up a Northland store. The incident happened in the Far North town of Kaikohe on Tuesday about 11.20pm. Police said the aggravated robbery involved the four men entering the store on Broadway, allegedly jumping the counter and taking items, including cigarettes and cash. Police are appealing for information or sightings of this white Toyota Aqua, with registration PSR418, allegedly used in an aggravated robbery in Kaikohe on Tuesday night. A staff member had to run to the back of the shop and lock themselves in. There were no injuries reported, but the staff member was left shaken. Police would like to speak with anyone who witnessed the aggravated robbery or who recognises the vehicle allegedly used in the offending. It is a white Toyota Aqua, registration PSR418. Anyone with information can contact police online, by calling 105 or by calling Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, using the reference number 250219/8356. Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference. Fri, 21 Feb 2025 02:43:40 Z /news/upper-north-island/northland-council-funds-22-projects-for-climate-resilience-far-north-leads/ /news/upper-north-island/northland-council-funds-22-projects-for-climate-resilience-far-north-leads/ Far North projects have received the bulk of $600,000 of ratepayer funding to help build climate resilience throughout the region. Twenty-two projects are getting a share of $600,000 of Northland Regional Council funding, with more than $300,000 going on 12 Far North-specific projects. Also, some of the funding is going to region-wide projects that may include the Far North. Council deputy chairwoman Tui Shortland said during the council’s long-term plan 2024-34 consultation, the region’s communities emphasised the importance they placed on the council taking a leading role in helping to build that resilience. That led to the council establishing a $600,000 fund to support communities to prepare for the growing effects of climate change and the natural-hazard risks the region faces. Shortland said the council had received a huge level of interest from communities throughout Northland, expressing their ideas and aspirations for a climate-resilient future for the region. Several Northland organisations have received funding from Northland Regional Council to install solar power systems to help build climate resilience. In this first round the council had an overwhelming response, with 96 applications, including 48 in the Far North, seeking $3.2 million. Shortland said deciding how to allocate the $600,000 available had been extremely difficult, but 22 projects that met the fund criteria and aimed to build community capacity and strengthen connections to build community resilience would receive a portion. “Six of the projects directly focus on building kai resilience for the region. These include on-the-ground, community-led mahi that aims to educate and empower communities to grow their own kai and projects that identify and strengthen food support networks and develop a strategy for how the region can become self-sufficient in food production and distribution,” she said. Four projects supported water supply investigations to future-proof water resilience and water tanks in vulnerable communities. Three rural marae will receive funding to support the installation of solar panels, improving energy resilience and benefiting the wider community in times of need. Funding will also support four projects that look to nature-based solutions to build resilience to the changing climate, recognising how restoring wetlands, river margins and coastal dune systems can enhance protection from weather events, increase carbon sequestration and support indigenous biodiversity. Three other projects aim to build resilience across multiple impact areas looking holistically at how our resilience could be improved as the climate changes. Two planning projects have been funded that will help the respective communities understand how climate change could affect them and to formulate specific plans to reduce these impacts. Ratepayer climate resilience funding will help install water tanks in isolated Northland communities. The successful projects Far North: Hokianga Community Educational Trust – He Kete Kai o Hokianga – Future Proofing our Hokianga Food Systems ($36,786.39) Matatina Marae Trust – Matatina Kai Whenua – community garden at marae for self-sufficiency ($22,476) Morehu Marae Committee – water tank replacement at marae ($7127.66) Ngai Tupoto Trustees Marae – solar system ($35,000) Oromāhoe 18R2B2B2 Trust – Te Wai Ora, Te Whenua Ora: Oromāhoe Water Feasibility Study ($25,000) Pakanae 5A Trust – Cultural and Nature-Based Resilience Programme ($30,000) Puketawa Marae – solar energy for marae resilience ($26,037.49) Roma Marae – Te Ngao ki te Marae o Roma (Energy Resilience at Roma Marae) ($25,000) Te Hapua Sports and Recreation Club – water resilience ($6956.52) Te Paatu ki Kauhanga Trust Board – Kāmehameha ($40,000) Te Pokapu Tiaki Taiao O Te Tai Tokerau Trust – Tuituia Te Kahunuku & Food Resiliency ($32,325) Te Runanga o Ngāti Hine Trust – Tanks a lot ($40,000) Rest of Northland: Bream Bay Coastal Care Trust – Bream Bay Coastal Restoration Project ($23,000) Climate Change Taitokerau Northland Trust – Kai Sovereignty Strategy ($20,000) Coastal Restoration Trust of New Zealand – Te Taitokerau branch – Te Taitokerau: How to restore dunes video ($30,708) Community Business Environment Centre – Hokinganui a Kai ($40,000) (includes Far North) Opuawhanga Community Hall Trust – Resilience Network ($10,500) Rural Support Trust Northland – Rural Support Climate Resilience ($40,000) (includes Far North) Te Maire Whanau Trust – Whānau-Led Fruit Orchard Development ($30,000) Whakapara Marae Trust – Te Taiao o nga Waipukehia – The environment of the flooded waters ($30,000) Sun, 16 Feb 2025 23:05:32 Z /news/upper-north-island/believe-it-or-not-kait%C4%81ia-to-finally-get-sweetwater-delivery-today/ /news/upper-north-island/believe-it-or-not-kait%C4%81ia-to-finally-get-sweetwater-delivery-today/ After a number of false starts, missed deadlines and an abatement notice from the country’s top environmental watchdog, Kaitāia should finally start having water from the Sweetwater Aquifer from today. And while many will not be holding their breath for the long-awaited Sweetwater - after all Far North District Council has already given, and failed to meet, three promised dates for the water - the council is sure this time it will be ready. The council started the Sweetwaters project in 2011, with the scheme gathering pace after the 2020 drought that hit Northland. It was designed to provide clean drinking water for Kaitāia and surrounds and do away with the need to take water from the vulnerable Awanui River. The situation got so bad that water tanks had to be placed in Kaitāia as the Awanui River ran extremely low during the drought. But the project has been dogged with problems and the project has now soaked up $17 million of ratepayer money, with the final cost likely to top $20m. It’s missed three deadlines over the past two years to deliver the water, but the council says the wait will be over finally this week. It had hoped to have the supply flowing through traps on Friday, but FNDC head of infrastructure Tanya Proctor said that was not possible. “Work related to commissioning additions to the water treatment plant in Kaitāia has progressed as planned and operators are ready to start introducing water from the Sweetwater bores to the Kaitāia supply,” Proctor said. “However, a final compliance check has forced a delay. Water quality testing requires water to sit in the pipes for 24 hours and for samples then to be tested by a laboratory. Frustratingly, lab testing could not be undertaken on Friday or Saturday. “This will now be completed today [Monday]. We anticipate those test results will give us the go-ahead to introduce water from the Sweetwater bores to the Kaitāia supply on Tuesday.” If the water does finally flow through it will provide some relief for the council and householders as the Far North is still in danger of a drought this summer. The council initially promised the water would be flowing through taps in the town in December 2023, then again in December last year, but issues prevented that. But Te Hiku ward district councillor Mate Radich said he would only believe it when he tasted the Sweetwater himself because previous promises had failed to deliver. Radich has previously called the entire project a debacle that has taken too long and cost far too much. One issue holding up the project was sourcing a membrane filter from overseas to install at the Kaitāia Water Treatment Plantto treat both the Sweetwater bore and Awanui River sources. FNDC then said the water would be ready by the end of December, but again that deadline was missed. Compounding delays, the Government’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) said on May 10 it issued an abatement notice to FNDCin relation to unauthorised discharge of water from Sweetwater bores. The abatement notice is still in place, but the council said it was unable to comment further on why it was still in place at this stage. Sun, 16 Feb 2025 22:39:26 Z /news/upper-north-island/sweetwater-to-finally-flow-into-kait%C4%81ia-homes-this-week/ /news/upper-north-island/sweetwater-to-finally-flow-into-kait%C4%81ia-homes-this-week/ If all goes to plan, Kaitāia residents will start getting freshwater from the controversial Sweetwaters Aquifer through their taps from Friday as the $17 million-plus project finally nears a conclusion. Far North District Council (FNDC) started the Sweetwaters project in 2011, with the scheme gathering pace after the 2020 drought that hit Northland. It was designed to provide clean drinking water for Kaitāia and surrounds and do away with the need to take water from the vulnerable Awanui River. The situation got so bad that water tanks had to be placed in Kaitāia as the Awanui River ran extremely low during the drought. But the project has been dogged with problems and the project has now soaked up $17m of ratepayer money, with the final cost likely to top $20m. It’s missed two deadlines over the past two years to deliver the water, but the council says the wait should soon be over. FNDC head of infrastructure Tanya Proctor said water from the Sweetwater bores was now at the water treatment plant in Kaitāia. Proctor said the next stage was to commission the plant. There are several steps in that process: running the water through the new membrane filter to test and fine-tune its operation; ensure telemetry (sensors and other data collection devices) is operating correctly; flush and disinfect the membrane and associated pipework; and train operators to use the new equipment. “With the current programme and progress, water from the Sweetwater bores will be introduced to the Kaitāia supply on Friday, February 14,” she said. The goal is for people to start using the freshwater from Friday, but it will be contingent upon the successful completion of all the other steps outlined above. The council initially promised the water would be flowing through taps in the town in December 2023, then again in December last year, but issues prevented that. Emergency tanks had to be placed in Kaitāia during the 2020 drought as the town’s water supply dried up. It’s hoped the Sweetwaters Aquifer project will end the need for such emergency action. But Te Hiku ward district councillor Mate Radich said he would believe it when he tasted the Sweetwater because previous promises had failed to deliver. “I’ll hold my breath and sit back and wait and see if it does [get delivered this week]. We’ve heard it all before and it still hasn’t happened yet.” Radich has previously called the entire project a debacle that has taken too long and cost far too much. One issue holding up the project was sourcing a membrane filter from overseas to install at the Kaitāia Water Treatment Plant to treat both the Sweetwater bore and Awanui River sources. FNDC then said the water would be ready by the end of December, but again that deadline was missed. Compounding delays, the Government’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) said on May 10 it had issued an abatement notice to FNDC in relation to the unauthorised discharge of water from the Sweetwater bores. The abatement notice is still in place, but the council said it was unable to comment further on why it was still in place at this stage. “The abatement notice required the council to immediately stop discharging water from the bores to the surrounding wetland. This abatement notice remains in place,” the EPA said. “As New Zealand’s national environmental regulator, the EPA undertook the investigation following a request from the Northland Regional Council. Under the RMA [Resource Management Act], the EPA has specific enforcement powers to assist and intervene in an enforcement action of a council.” EPA investigations manager Jackie Adams said the abatement notice was still in place and would remain so until the council acquired appropriate discharge consent from Northland Regional Council. The EPA would not comment further at this stage. Mon, 10 Feb 2025 01:03:08 Z /news/upper-north-island/petition-calls-for-expanded-kait%C4%81ia-hospital-as-far-north-residents-struggle-with-limited-care/ /news/upper-north-island/petition-calls-for-expanded-kait%C4%81ia-hospital-as-far-north-residents-struggle-with-limited-care/ A Far North woman is calling for better healthcare in the district after her partner had to endure a painful ambulance ride more than 160km long. Kaitāia resident Elle Montgomery-McCloy has launched a petition urging the Government to expand Kaitāia Hospital to service all medical and emergency needs, or build a new one that offers full care. “In the last three years my partner has had three serious health issues and each time he has been shipped to Whangārei Hospital by ambulance. “The first time he had a stroke, but luckily, he is fine from that. In July he shattered his hip, which was excruciating.” She said she had heard of many similar stories from other residents and that something needed to change. “We basically refused to keep going back to Whangārei for treatment as it was putting pressure on him, it was making it worse. We are trying to manage it on our own. “But what about those who don’t have help at home and time is of the essence? How long will it be before people die or don’t survive something like a heart attack.” Elle Montgomery-McCloy launched a petition urging the Government to expand or replace Kaitāia Hospital after her partner, Aaron, endured a long trip to Whangārei Hospital for a hip injury. Montgomery-McCloy said that while Kaitāia Hospital staff were wonderful and their services were done well, she claimed they did not have the facilities to deal with anything substantial. Health NZ Te Tai Tokerau group director of operations Alex Pimm said Kaitāia Hospital was an important part of their hospital network in the region that provided a range of hospital and specialist services, including several transport options. Pimm said they were not aware of the petition, however, they were happy to engage with the community on the matter. Health NZ Te Tai Tokerau group director of operations Alex Pimm said they are open to engaging with the community about the petition. Photo / Denise Piper “Health NZ is currently developing a rural health strategy, as well as a long-term infrastructure investment plan that will guide our collective response to ensuring that people living in non-urban areas are able to access the healthcare that they need.” Pimm said over the past few years they have focused on offering more care as close to home as possible, which included offering joint replacement and cataract surgery at Kaitāia Hospital. “We are very aware of the impact that distance and travel time has on people’s ability to access care and treatment. Our focus remains on ensuring that we minimise the travel for patients and their whānau as much as possible.” Chief executive for primary healthcare organisation Mahitahi Hauora, Jensen Webber, said clinical workforce shortages are a long-standing issue for both primary and secondary healthcare providers and highlighted that the Far North also had that challenge of attracting and retaining healthcare professionals. “We know that inequity in access to healthcare leads to poorer health outcomes. But until the underlying issues of securing equitable funding for general practice, pay parity between regions and between primary and secondary care, and workforce shortages are addressed, we are unlikely to make the progress our communities in Tai Tokerau deserve.” Chief executive for primary healthcare organisation Mahitahi Hauora, Jensen Webber, said several underlying issues needed to be addressed to ensure equitable healthcare. Taikorihi Locality programme manager JJ Ripikoi said should a new hospital be built, it will not immediately resolve the health crisis in Te Hiku (Far North). Taikorihi Locality is one of 12 Localities set up under the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022 and hopes to achieve better and more equitable health outcomes for all. “Te Hiku needs an upgraded hospital, we also need to ensure the resources follow, to provide the high-level care our whānau desperately need. “We know that there is a lot of mahi to do to improve hauora in Te Hiku ō Te Ika to address a history of unmet need, persistent, long-term and long-standing inequalities and inequities that have yet to be addressed.” Clerk of the House of Representatives Dr David Wilson said the petition was received and is still open for signatures and has not yet been presented to the House. Montgomery-McCloy said she hopes her petition, which currently has more than 180 signatures, will make a difference. “I hope they take it seriously. I feel we are an overlooked area in this country. I lived in Hamilton before moving to the Far North and the difference is vast. It’s almost like we don’t exist up here.” The petition is available online via petitions.parliament.nz. Sun, 09 Feb 2025 23:06:53 Z /news/upper-north-island/hamilton-teenager-s-death-remains-unexplained/ /news/upper-north-island/hamilton-teenager-s-death-remains-unexplained/ The death of a Hamilton teenager remains unexplained, police say. Emergency services were called to a Forest Lake address shortly before 12.30am on Sunday after reports a 19-year-old woman was in an unresponsive state. “On arrival, medical staff confirmed she had sadly died,”Detective Senior Sergeant Kristine Clarke said. “Police are speaking with those present at the address at the time, and completing further scene and area inquiries, to help determine what took place. “The death is currently being treated as unexplained.” In an updated statement released to the Herald this morning, policesaid the death remains unexplained. “Police are conducting inquiries to determine the circumstances,” the statement said. “A post-mortem is due to be carried out today.” Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times. Sun, 02 Feb 2025 23:31:11 Z /news/upper-north-island/fatal-crash-dargaville-s-theatre-community-farewells-much-loved-character-mike-collins/ /news/upper-north-island/fatal-crash-dargaville-s-theatre-community-farewells-much-loved-character-mike-collins/ A small Northland theatre company has farewelled a beloved member who died in a single-vehicle road accident on State Highway 14 in Kaipara earlier this month. Michael (Mike) Craig Collins was 51 when his vehicle left the roadway at Tangiteroria near Dargaville on January 20. The crash happened about 5.30am when Collins was on his way to work as a court registrar. He was normally based in Whangārei but was due to fly out that morning for a week’s ancillary work in Hastings, his mother Carole Collins said. Because of a drop beside the road his crashed vehicle wasn’t discovered until about 5.30pm, Carole said. She described her son as “a funny guy, a bit goofy, with a good sense of humour who got on well with everyone”. Dargaville Little Theatre honoured Collins, a longstanding and much-loved member with a “final curtain call” funeral on Friday afternoon. Carole said the theatre had been a major aspect of her family’s lives. It was where she and Collins' father first met and where Collins went on to meet his first wife Eryn Wilson. Except for a few years working in Hamilton, Collins was involved in the theatre his entire life, Carole said. Mike Collins, spot lit on the left of the back row, in one of more than 40 Dargaville Little Theatre productions in which he appeared over the years. She recalled taking him to various working bees and other events behind the scenes when he was just a toddler. By 10 years old, he was on stage for the first time in a production called Witches and the Golden Ring. By 15, he was a member of the theatre committee. Over the years, Collins appeared in more than 40 productions - the second most of any of the theatre’s members; dad Neville in the top spot. Collins didn’t have formal drama training but learnt as he grew up, Carole said. “He could do pretty much anything in theatre that needed to be done.” Just ahead of the crash, Collins was working on an upcoming production of Chicago, planning for which had since been paused to allow members to grieve. The theatre said Collins was “much loved” among its membership and someone who will be “greatly missed”. In October last year, Collins won the role of Harry Dangle - a pompous and sharp-witted lawyer - in the show One Man, Two Guvnors. It was a role to which Collins, a “seasoned performer”, brought “a wealth of experience and fresh energy”, the theatre said. Collins also had a role last year in the National Theatre fest Showcase’s one-act play Our Stories. A family obituary in the Northern Advocate said Collins was the “adored husband of (current wife) Anna; loved dad of Billy and granddad to Aubree; treasured son of Neville and Carole; and much-loved brother, uncle, and friend to all who knew him”. Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, covering a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, much of which she spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference, especially those involving environmental issues. Sun, 02 Feb 2025 23:16:44 Z /news/upper-north-island/%C5%8Dkaihau-cyclist-death-kaikohe-man-appears-in-court/ /news/upper-north-island/%C5%8Dkaihau-cyclist-death-kaikohe-man-appears-in-court/ A Kaikohe man appeared in court today in relation to the death of a 19-year-old cyclist in Ōkaihau earlier this week. The 27-year-old has been charged with allegedly failing to stop and ascertain injury after the young person’s body was found on Settlers Way around 10.15pm on January 28. The man appeared in court on Friday and was granted bail until 18 February when he will be expected to enter a plea. If found guilty, the charge carries a maximum penalty of 5 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $20,000. The man has interim name suppression until his next court hearing when it will be readdressed. Police are still seeking witnesses to the incident as part of their investigation. Information can be updated online or by calling 105 referencing number 250129/0360. Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond. Fri, 31 Jan 2025 03:20:18 Z /news/upper-north-island/northland-retirees-celebrate-80kg-honey-harvest-from-village-beehives/ /news/upper-north-island/northland-retirees-celebrate-80kg-honey-harvest-from-village-beehives/ One hundred Northland retirees are reaping the rewards of a successful honey harvest after beehives were introduced to their retirement village. A year after Arvida Te Puna Waiora retirement community installed two hives on the Kerikeri village grounds, a whopping 80kg of honey was collected and harvested. Residents and staff are buzzing about the project’s success. They flocked to the TeRipo Wai Clubhouse in their droves to fill their jars and containers with honey which village manager Monique Hawker had painstakingly filtered from impurities. “I put a message on WhatsApp to ‘bring your own jars’,” Hawker said. “I was there with a cup ladling it into whatever containers people brought down.” The two hives belong to the village and are tended by “Charlie the local beekeeper”. Village resident Karen Errey came up with the idea while walking along the nearby river. Arvida Kerikeri residents are stoked that Karen Errey [pictured] came up with the idea of putting hives on the village grounds. Photo / Jenny Ling “I saw so many trees and plants out in flower. “I said to Monique ‘Why don’t we get some beehives’.” Residents' gardens are also blooming with flowers that attract bees. The first stage of Arvida’s $170m retirement village development in Kerikeri was launched in 2021 by local hapū Ngāti Rēhia and former mayor John Carter. Currently, there are 100 residents living in 93 villas, Hawker said. The complex, at the end of Hall Rd, has the capacity for 265 two and three-bedroom villas. Hawker said she was delighted with the honey project’s success. Stephen Pieterson cradles a large jar of honey. Photo / Jenny Ling “We’ve had the hives for just over a year, fully knowing they would be ready for extraction at the end of last year. “It’s incredible to see the fruits of our labour.” Residents have been drizzling the golden nectar over everything, including toast, cereal, and crackers, adding it to salad dressings, and swirling it over ice cream. “We’re rapt,” resident Brenda Dalton said. “I haven’t tasted honey like this in years.” The hives are now back in place as the retirement community waits for the next honey harvest. Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering human interest stories, along with roading, lifestyle, business, and animal welfare issues. Mon, 27 Jan 2025 00:42:43 Z /news/upper-north-island/fire-crews-respond-to-scrub-blaze-in-tauranga-s-kairua/ /news/upper-north-island/fire-crews-respond-to-scrub-blaze-in-tauranga-s-kairua/ Fire and Emergency services are responding to a scrub fire in the Tauranga suburb of Kairua after receiving a report of smoke in the area. Firefighters arrived at the scene to find a scrub fire in gorse in toetoe about 10 metres by 10 metres, a spokesperson said. “Currently, we’ve got one crew on scene, but we’ve got two more appliances and a water tanker en route.” A witness who drove past said the “huge fire” was in the hills behind the Bay Park stadium. “The smoke is massive, you can’t miss it and it’s getting bigger.” Fri, 24 Jan 2025 02:34:48 Z /news/upper-north-island/police-make-arrest-in-relation-to-whang%C4%81rei-robberies-after-spotting-suspect-vehicle/ /news/upper-north-island/police-make-arrest-in-relation-to-whang%C4%81rei-robberies-after-spotting-suspect-vehicle/ Police have arrested a 16-year-old suspected of being involved in two recent robberies in Whangārei. The youth was taken into custody and was due to appear in the Whangārei Youth Court today, police said. The arrest followed a police pursuit of a vehicle just after 5pm yesterday. The vehicle had been identified as one potentially involved in arobbery at Kensington’s Z petrol station early on Wednesday and possibly also in an attempted aggravated robbery later that day at Tikipunga. Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Pilmer, of Whangārei, said police signalled for the vehicle to stop in Otangarei but it sped off. The vehicle was then abandoned and its two occupants fled but were soon found by a police dog unit. ”This was an excellent example of a well-coordinated response to some dangerous behaviour within our community,” Pilmer said. Police say a worker at the Z station was assaulted and threatened by a group of people who smashed a glass door to get inside the shop, which was in its locked night-pay mode. Items were taken but were not described by police. The incident at Tikipunga allegedly involved a group of offenders entering a dairy on Meadow Park Crescent just before 3pm. Police say the store’s fog cannon was activated and the offenders sped off in a vehicle. It was not known what items, if any, were taken. Pilmer called on the public to report any unlawful behaviour they might have seen either by calling 111 (for incidents that were happening at the time) or, for matters after the fact, by phoning 105 or contacting police online. Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, much of which she spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference, especially stories about environmental issues. Fri, 24 Jan 2025 02:25:19 Z