Northland news briefs

Truck crash closes SH1
Yet another logging truck crash closed State Highway 1 at Umawera, south of the Mangamuka Ranges, yesterday. A trailer rolled about 2.30pm, blocking the road until a crane arrived more than an hour later. No injuries were reported. Police and the Okaihau fire brigade attended.
Chance to meet board
The Independent Maori Statutory Board is holding three hui next week for people to meet board members, share views and gain an understanding of the board's purpose and progress. Hui will be held at Te Hana Te Ao Marama Marae at Te Hana at 10am-1pm on Monday, Hoani Waititi Marae at Waitakere at 1pm-3pm on Tuesday, and at the Papakura Marae at 10am-1pm on Thursday. For more information and to RSVP contact patai@imsb.maori.nz.
Ngai Takoto to hold hui
 Ngai Takoto are holding hui-a-iwi at Paparore, Whangarei and Auckland next month to inform whanau about the Nga Taonga o Ngaitakoto Trust as the mandated iwi organisation for the Ngai Takoto fisheries and its role as a charitable trust. Hui will be held at Te Paa a Parore Marae on Paparore Rd, 18km northwest of Kaitaia, at 6pm on August 10, at a venue to be confirmed in Whangarei at 6pm on August 11, and at Tatai Hono, Khyber Pass, Auckland, at 11am on August 13. For more information call Mere Henry on 027 508 3950 or email mere.ntont@xtra.co.nz.
Power cut mystery
Top Energy staff are still working to determine the cause of a power cut that saw several thousand people in the Kerikeri area without electricity on Wednesday night. A fault on the line between Kaikohe and Waipapa about 7.30pm cut power to 4200 customers. By 8pm most had their power restored, with the last 1200 fixed by 8.30pm.
Septic tank charges
A user-pays charge has been introduced for dumping septic tank waste at Far North District Council treatment plants. Septic tank cleaning companies could previously dispose of the sludge pumped from household tanks without charge but now have to pay $28 per cubic metre. The council says the charge was introduced because households on public sewerage schemes contributed towards the cost of maintaining and cleaning out settling ponds at wastewater treatment stations, but households on septic tanks did not. The plan ran into opposition from tank cleaning companies.
Correction
In a story in Tuesday's Northern Advocate headed Student Aces maths test, it was stated that Sanjesh Kumar is the maths/chemistry teacher of high-flying Bay of Islands College student Frank Chen. Mr Kumar is a maths/physics teacher.