Far North news in brief: Kayak safety, jobs board and NCEA results

Free paddling safety workshops for people interested in kayaking or paddleboarding will be held in Kerikeri and Whangārei next month.

Sup and kayak safety

Free paddling safety workshops for people interested in kayaking or paddleboarding are set for Kerikeri and Whangārei in the first weekend of February.

They are part of the KayakSafe NZ programme, run by the Kiwi Association of Sea Kayakers and made possible by Safer Boating Forum funding support from Maritime New Zealand.

Held throughout the country, the workshops are presented by experienced members of the kayak association volunteering their time to share their knowledge.

Topics covered include understanding the environment, hazards, weather and interpreting marine forecasts, essential safety equipment, communication devices, suitable clothing, trip planning and what to do in emergencies.

The Kerikeri workshop is on February 1 from 10am, while the Whangārei one is on February 2 from 10am. For more information and to register for a workshop, visit kask.co.nz/kayaksafe-nz

NZEA wait

Far North teens wanting to know their NCEA results only have days to wait. The New Zealand Qualifications Authority [NZQA] will release results online on January 15, 2025. Results can be viewed via the MyNZQA learner’s portal. Students will then be able to see their assessed and marked NCEA exam papers online from January 21. Students who sat the New Zealand Scholarship exams will know their results on February 11.

Jobs online

Far North folk wanting a job, or to change jobs, can access the Te Hiku Community Network’s online Job Board.

The board is for those who have started the year with a skip in their step and motivated to find mahi (work) and take on new opportunities. It has been freshly updated with the latest known job listings in our region. Head to our job board at https://www.tehikucommunity.co.nz/local-job-board.

Admin going to Auckland

Administration of Far North District Council’s (FNDC) Independent Qualified Person (IQP) register will be transferred to Auckland Council after a decision was made during the final council meeting for 2024.

IQPs are responsible for ensuring safety systems in commercial buildings are working properly by carrying out building warrants of fitness checks. The register lists the IQPs available to undertake checks within Northland.

Moving administration of the register will not affect on-the-ground building warrant of fitness audits or other building checks, with FNDC staff remaining responsible for safety regulation compliance.

For the past 20 years, Whangārei District Council (WDC) has managed the IQP register for all three of Northland’s district councils. WDC recently transferred its own IQP register to Auckland Council and can no longer manage the service for FNDC.