Northland news in brief: Brynderwyns to close again; and algal bloom in Hātea River could kill dogs

State Highway 1 over the Brynderwyns will be closed in both directions again from tomorrow while work is done to fully repair the road, including some work done by abseiling.

SH1 over Brynderwyns to close again

After being opened to allow Easter traffic through, State HIghway 1 over the Brynderwyn Hills will be closed again from tomorrow to allow a full repair of the road to take place.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency will close SH1 at the Brynderwyns in both directions for about two weeks from 11.59pm Sunday.

During the closure, major earthworks and drainage installation will take place before the road can be fully reopened in May.

Detours will be in place for light vehicles via Mangawhai and Waipū (using Nova Scotia Dr) and for heavy vehicles via SH12 and SH14.

Multiple crews will be working every day of the closure on earthworks, drainage works and abseiling to work below the retaining walls. Under the main slip, overnight crews will be carrying out soil nailing to reinforce the slopes.

Avoid contact with Hātea River

People should avoid all contact with Whangārei’s Hātea River due to an algal bloom that is developing in the waterway - and there’s a warning that dogs could die if they eat contaminated fish. The area affected is from the Town Basin vicinity to Kaiwaka Point near the airport at Onerahi.

Investigations are ongoing, with Northland Regional Council and Ministry for Primary Industries and the public being advised to avoid contact with the water and refrain from fishing in the river until further notice. This is a separate advisory from the current shellfish warning issued by Nga Tai Ora Public Health.

Te Whatu Ora Health NZ - Te Tai Tokerau said an algal bloom is a naturally-occurring event and water sampling from Town Basin and Kissing Point sites indicate high levels of an algae species that is toxic to fish.

The algae toxin causes mucous on the gills of fish. Currently no fish deaths have been reported to NRC. Additional data shows the bloom may be as far east as Kaiwaka Point. Members of the public have observed very dark water in the impacted area.

NRC will continue to monitor the event and at some point the algae will begin to die off, which may impact fish and shellfish. Dogs consuming any dead fish may be at risk. For further information contact 09 430 4100.

Nurses rally over health crisis

Members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation will hold rallies across Northland today to call on all political parties to fix the crisis in the health system by committing to more nurses and better pay.

The action will be part of rallies organised nationwide. Nurses and their family and friends will gather at Pūtahi Park, Town Basin (next to the Canopy Bridge), Whangārei from 11am to 1pm. There will also be rallies in Kaitāia from 11am-1pm at the old Warehouse carpark; Rawene from 11am-1pm at the boat ramp; Kerikeri from 11am-1pm at the ANZ Bank and Dargaville from 11am-1pm at the Countdown/The Warehouse carpark. There will be speeches followed by fun and whānau activities at all events.

Movie to screen at park opening

Whangārei District Council is hosting a screening of the action movie The Jungle Book today. The event is in celebration of the opening of the Pohe Island Adventure Playground, which has recently been closed for upgrades and renovations. Food trucks will be there. The official opening is at 2pm and the movie will begin at 3pm. The event is smoke-, vape- and alcohol-free and has wheelchair access.

Marae apologises over traffic delays

The Whananaki Marae has apologised to locals and visitors who were impacted by the traffic delays between 4am and 5am on Saturday during the dawn opening of the marae.

The marae had a volunteer traffic management team directing traffic, however it said with an unprecedented attendance of over 1000 at one of the largest events the community has ever seen, it took some time to direct the parking of the cars safely.