Sleepout razed
A sleepout has been razed in Moerewa in a fire thought to have been caused by an electrical fault. Kawakawa fire chief Wayne Martin said the fire started about 1am yesterday in a double garage which had been converted into a sleepout. The usual occupant had fallen asleep in the main house and discovered the fire when he woke up and went outside. The sleepout was razed and the occupant had lost all his possessions. A fire investigator was at the scene to confirm the cause.
Hospital road changes
Starting this Saturday the exit and entry roadways to Bay of Islands Hospital in Kawakawa will be swapped around as part of preparations for building a new health centre. The new layout will be clearly signposted. The new front entrance - for use by the public and all services, including ambulances, couriers and porters - will be in place until the end of the construction, around March 2018, when the main entry will be via the Te Hauora o Pukepuke Rau Integrated Whanau Wellness Centre. So far the old phlebotomy and administration block has been demolished with the old laboratory, front entrance and outpatient clinics due to start this week. Some outpatient clinics are now being held in the community health services building.
Footbridge repair
The Whananaki footbridge is to get repaired, after an inspection found that 16 timber piles were in need of replacement. A total of $33,353 has been allocated to the project, as an additional cost, to the $409,855 contract that Steve Bowling Contracting won in 2016 to maintain and repair the 70 bridges in the Whangarei District Council network.
Opus engineers inspected the bridge before the holiday period and found it in need of immediate repair.
Night market homeless
Paihia's Friday night street food market is homeless again. The market started in late 2015 as part of an effort to revitalise the run-down and largely vacant Paihia Mall. However, following objections from a landlord, it shifted to Alongside, a waterfront bar and restaurant, a few months later. Now an insurance company has objected to outdoor cooking on Alongside's large wooden deck. Alongside manager Sarah Greener said she and the market vendors hoped to find a new location soon.
Marley concert pass won
The Northern Advocate received well over 200 entries in its competition to win a double VIP pass to the Marley Tribute concert at Kainui Rd Vineyard, near Kerikeri, on February 17. The winner of the competition was Jalissa Karena-Lange.
Treaty commemoration
The anniversary of the third and largest signing of Te Tiriti will be commemorated at Mangungu Mission, near Horeke in South Hokianga this Sunday. Organisers are expecting a strong community turn-out at the commemorations, which will begin about 9am, with mihi and karakia, followed by waka on the water at midday, and kai. The event will finish about 2pm.