The Mangōnui Boardwalk project is due for completion by February.
The Mangōnui Boardwalk project is due for completion by February.
Dog owners urged to take care
The Far North District Council is reminding all dog owners to ensure their pets are well controlled at beaches and other popular destinations during the holiday period.
Animal management officers (AMOs) will be on duty through the holiday period responding to urgent complaints andcare for dogs in the council's animal shelter. They will also conduct random checks at popular holiday destinations.
Signs detailing the dog control laws are posted at reserves and most beaches. Visitors to the district must ensure they are familiar with dog access rules for the beaches. They are urged to be careful where there are kiwi populations. Many parts of the Far North have high kiwi habitats with strict dog control regulations.
Manager environmental services Rochelle Deane said the animal management team had a successful year. They opened a purpose-built dog shelter in Kaitāia and increased the number of dogs reunited with owners or adopted.
"We impounded 423 dogs last financial year compared to 373 the previous year. Despite that, we increased the number of dogs returned to owners from 151 to 178 and the number of dogs we adopted out increased from 19 to 69."
She said regrettably, they cannot rehome all dogs that come into their care. Council euthanised 112 dogs last financial year, 2 per cent less than the previous year.
"We picked up numerous dogs that have never been properly controlled, and in September we impounded four dogs from one property alone. They were assessed for adoption but all proved too dangerous, leaving us no option but to euthanise them."
The contactless system that has just been installed in Far North District Council libraries.
Libraries launch self-service checkouts
A contactless system that allows library users to check out their own books and other library materials as well as renew books and check account details was launched throughout Far North District Council libraries on December 20.
Radio frequency identification tags (RFID) placed inside library items allow the system to work in a similar way to supermarket self-service kiosks. Library users scan their library cards under a red laser, which is motion activated.
Once a library card is scanned, the user's account information appears on the kiosk screen, followed by prompts on how to check items out. Library users can also see books they have on hold, any fees owed, they can change the type size on the screen, and perform transactions in a range of languages, including te reo Māori.
The kiosk also accepts library card details stored within phone apps like the Far North District Libraries app. It is expected the technology will help reduce queues.
Staff will be on hand to guide users through the new system, but it is expected the new self-service technology will free them to assist on complicated inquiries and deliver popular programmes like Storytime, Tamariki Tune Time, adult crafting groups, CV building workshops, computer and device help, ESOL and literacy services.
William Shakespeare's Macbeth is being brought to life at Kainui Vineyard by Kerikeri Theatre Company in February.
Macbeth in the Vineyard
The Kerikeri Theatre Company is performing Macbeth by William Shakespeare in the Kainui Vineyard in February.
Macbeth is Shakespeare's darkest tragedy and tells the tale of a man tempted by promises of power, that he shall one day be King of Scotland. As he claws his way to glory, he watches his back and is consumed by guilt and madness.
It is believed William Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in 1606 while the Globe Theatre was closed and society was effectively in lockdown due to the plague. That sounds remarkably familiar.
Macbeth is one of Kerikeri Theatre Company's most ambitious productions. Director Adam Parmenter controls the riveting tale in a mashup of Viking and medieval themes. It is the fourth year in a row that the Kerikeri Theatre Company has performed Shakespeare at the open-air venue of Kainui Vineyard and Brewery.
General admission tickets sell for $35 an adult or $25 a student. Four-seater gazebos are available, but are limited. https://www.kerikeritheatrecompany.co.nz/macbeth/
The Mangōnui Boardwalk project is due for completion by February.
Mangōnui boardwalk extensions
The Mangōnui waterfront's recreation area is being transformed by a boardwalk extension, improved street and boardwalk lighting, extended footpaths and the addition of 40 carparking spaces.
The existing wooden boardwalk is being extended by about 350m from the War Memorial in Waterfront Rd to Tasman St. This will then link to a 550m gravel path ending at Māori Point.
The design includes dual walking and cycling boardwalks to connect the village with the harbour and a new jetty and pontoon to provide access to the water for recreational activities, including boating, fishing and swimming.
The extension work involves installing piles at the water's edge, attaching joists to the piles, then a layer of wooden decking on top of the joists to create the boardwalk.
Over half the boardwalk has now been completed, with the rest due to be finished by the end of February.
The Mangōnui waterfront project is the culmination of five years of work by the Mangōnui Waterfront Facilities Working Group that included input from Kenana Marae. The project is being funded by $5.56 million from the council's long-term plan and a $1.5 million contribution from the Government's Covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund.
