Northland news briefs

This fish frame dumped on a beach at Whangārei Heads is a danger to the public and the Northland Regional Council wants people to take their fish and shellfish remains home with them.

Beach waste caution

People misusing Northland's coastal areas as a dumping ground for unwanted fish frames and shells are being urged to show a bit more courtesy towards others. Ricky Eyre, the Northland Regional Council's coastal and water quality field operations manager, said with roughly 3200 kilometres of coastline and some fantastic beaches and islands, it was no surprise that many people flocked to Northland's coastal areas.

Summer's onset also coincides with a spike in the numbers of people making life unnecessarily unpleasant – and potentially risky – for others by simply dumping fish frames, and the remains of kina, oysters and other shellfish on beaches and coastal margins. which is not allowed under NRC rules.

Sentencing delayed

The sentencing of two 17-year-old who admitted bashing an 82-year-old Kerikeri man and taking his car has been put off until next month. Tama Puhipi, of Mangamuka, and Rorana Mane, of Rahiri Settlement, near Okaihau, were charged with aggravated robbery and were to have been sentenced in the Kaikohe District Court yesterday.

However, a vital pre-sentence report had not been prepared for Mane so a new date of January 30 was set. Both continue to be under 24-hour curfew but Mane's bail conditions were varied so he is allowed out of the house as long as he is in close proximity to his parents.

The youths were hitch-hiking in September when they accepted a lift with the 82-year-old, bashed him unconscious, dumped him opposite Kerikeri Airport and took off in his Suzuki Swift. Puhipi was identified by a witness while Mane was handed over to police by his family.

Quad bike death

A person was killed on a farm after a quad bike rolled in Northland yesterday. Police and St John ambulance officers were called to the rural property about midday. Whangārei police Senior Sergeant Steve Dickson said Worksafe had also been advised.
He said the person had been killed sometime between 11am and midday.

Skateboard towed, driver charged

Police stopped a motorist who was towing a skateboarder along Kaitaia's main street earlier this week. The driver, who recorded 347 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath, was charged with driving while his licence was suspended.

Drunk skater crashes

A man who lost control of his skateboard in Kaitaia's main street earlier this week, and crashed through a large Salvation Army window, was fortunate not to have suffered severe injury, or worse, according to police. A spokesman said it might well have been his degree of intoxication that saved him.