Firefighters were called to a fire at a house in Raumanga at about 12.30pm yesterday. A crew from Whangārei Fire Station attended but the fire was extinguished by the time they arrived. Fire communications shift manager Hayley Saunders said the fire started in a light fitting.
Coastguard open day
People will be able to take a closer look and learn more about the Northland Coastguard Air Patrol at their open day on Saturday, May 14. Northlanders will be able to sate any curiosity about the volunteer work from 10am to 1pm at Kerikeri Airport, between Hertz rental cars and the aeroclub.
Insights on island fauna
Locals are invited to attend the Friends of Matakohe-Limestone Island Annual General Meeting on May 18. The AGM will be held in the May Bain Room at the Whangārei Central Library on Rust Ave at 6pm. The group says the meeting will be an opportunity to meet Limestone Island's ranger Jo Skyrme in person and hear about the happenings on the island - including exciting activity with the oi/grey-faced petrel and some interesting data revealed in the recent lizard survey.
Positive move for youth sport
Sport Northland has signed up alongside 15 other national and regional sport organisations to an initiative designed to create positive sporting experiences for children by educating and supporting parents and other adult influencers in youth sport. Good Sports was developed by Aktive, whose chief executive Jennah Wootten said it is focused on raising adults' awareness about their behaviour and how this impact youth sport participation. The initiative examines what parents can do to ensure children and young people enjoy sporting experiences. Sport Northland will take part in a residential in Hamilton, from May 30 to June 1, to begin a 12-month accelerated learning environment designed around creating more targeted engagements with parents.
Rescue chopper relocation meeting
Whangārei District Council is holding a meeting this Monday to answer questions about the relocation of the Northland rescue helicopter base to Whangārei Airport. The meeting will be held at the Sunair Terminal at Whangārei Airport at 5.30pm. Free exit will be arranged for attendees who park in the airport carpark during the meeting. The council is also planning drop-in sessions to discuss the issue in the coming weeks.
Motorway opening update
Ara Tūhono - the Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway will open next year.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is working with the Pūhoi to Warkworth project partners, Northern Express Group (NX2), and its subcontractor, Fletcher/ Acciona Joint Venture, to confirm a new 2023 opening date for the motorway. The 18.5km motorway will provide a safer, more resilient and reliable route for motorists travelling between Auckland and Northland. Good progress is being made at the southern connection just north of the Johnstones Hills tunnels and planning is well under way to complete the next sequence of work to connect SH1 to the new road. Once that work is completed between May-June 2022, motorists will be able to drive through the tunnel and on to the Arawhiti ki Ōkahu (Ōkahu viaduct). They'll drive through a big cut in the hillside before rejoining SH1 at Pūhoi. Traffic flow will remain at one lane in each direction and motorists won't be able to drive on the Pūhoi viaduct (Arawhiti ki Pūhoi) until the rest of the motorway opens next year.
