News in brief: Still time to comment on speed limits, Book of Ships on display

isters Myra Larcombe (left) and Nancy Greenfield with their records of the ships that visited Ōpua when it was still a busy port. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Book of Ships
A slice of Northland maritime history is about to go on display at the Kawakawa Library.
Sisters Myra Larcombe and Nancy Greenfield spent more than three decades recording the details and collected photos and other memorabilia from every ship that docked at what was then a bustling Ōpua wharf.
Their Book of Ships fills six albums, beginning with the visit of the Suffolk in November 1957 and ending around 1989, when the Northland Regional Council replaced the Bay of Islands Harbour Board, berthage fees increased, and cruise ships took to anchoring off Kororāreka Pt.

The albums will go on display at 10am on Saturday, June 19, with Myra and Nancy there to answer questions. Myra will also have her records from the Port Valley Committee, which was formed to lobby the then Bay of Islands County Council to improve the "Port Valley", as the area comprising Ōpua, Kawakawa, Moerewa and Ōtiria was known at the time.

Cable Bay carpark upgrade
Carpark facilities at Cable Bay are in for a $476,000 upgrade, thanks to government tourism infrastructure funding.
Far North District Council chief executive Shaun Clarke said the designs were expected to be ready by July, with construction starting in the next financial year.
"We plan to line this project up with the Awanui carpark Provincial Growth Fund project to provide a good package of work for local suppliers," he added.

The work at Cable Bay would involve widening the layby carpark on the beachfront and installing kerbs to discourage motorists from parking on the grass verge. The main carpark at the Taipā end would be resealed, with new markings to include larger bays for campervans.

New bilingual water safety signs would also be installed at Cable Bay following the coroner's inquiry into the fatal drowning of Wairongoa Clarence Renata in 2018. The coroner recommended the council install prominent and informative signs that met Australian/New Zealand standards for water safety signs.

Get connected to fibre
Getting connected to what Chorus general manager customer and network operations Andrew Carroll says is "some of the best broadband in the world" is about to become much easier in Kaitaia, Kerikeri and Rāwene.
A team of Chorus experts will be at the Kaitaia RSA from 3pm to 6pm tomorrow and at CC's Cinema in Kerikeri on Wednesday, also 3pm to 6pm, to help anyone who has yet to switch to the fibre network.
They will be at Rāwene's New Era Cafe on Wednesday, 10am to midday, to answer any questions there as installing fibre gets under way.
Anyone with any questions will be welcome to call in at any of those venues at a time that suits them.

Invitations had been sent to all Kaitaia and Kerikeri addresses with mail delivery that are not currently connected to the fibre network but could be.
"The best news of all is that it is usually free to bring fibre from the street into a home, and if people who come to the event are keen to get fibre immediately, we can even get the process started for them there and then. We'll be here to shout people a coffee while we have a chat, and we really hope people come on down to see our friendly team."

Speed limit discussions
The response to Waka Kotahi NZTA's invitation to comment on state highway speed limits in Northland had been very gratifying, according to spokesman Steve Mutton, but there was still time to contribute.
Engagement would officially close at 11pm tonight, after which all the feedback received would be collated to help determine how state highway safety could be improved in the region. That could include speed limit changes, which would then be formally consulted on.

"We know we need to take action on several fronts, from speed limits to encouraging safer choices about how people use our roads and improving the safety of roads and vehicles. It's not a matter of choosing one over the other, but how they all are part of a system to help keep people safe," Mutton said.

Even when speed wasn't the direct cause of a crash, it was the single biggest factor that determined whether someone was killed, seriously injured or walked away unharmed. Nine highways in Northland were being reviewed, but no one knew those roads like those who drove on or lived along with them. "We'd like people to tell us about places that are hard to get to or from, how safe they feel crossing the highway or letting their children walk or cycle to school in certain areas, and if there are any other sites or information that we need to be especially aware of."