Northland news in brief: Election enrolment packs arrive; and Covid recovery fund opens

Northlanders should have their 2020 general election enrolment packs - which includes information on the two referenda being held at the same time - in their letterboxes by now.

Enrol to vote
Around 100,000 Northlanders should have received their enrolment update packs so that they can vote in September's general election. However, any voters who haven't received an enrolment update pack in the mail need to act now to make sure they are enrolled and ready to vote in the September election and referendums. Around 3.27 million personalised enrolment packs have been sent to voters to check they are correctly enrolled, including almost 100,000 in Northland. "If you haven't received an enrolment update pack it means you aren't enrolled or need to update your details," says Mandy Bohté, national manager of enrolment and community engagement for the Electoral Commission said. People can enrol or update their details online at vote.nz using a New Zealand driver licence, New Zealand passport or RealMe verified identity. They can also call 0800 36 76 56 to ask for an enrolment form to be sent to them.
■ If you are standing in the elections or putting on a meet-the-candidates event in Northland, email details to elections@northernadvocate.co.nz

Community grants
From today, Northland community groups can apply to a $36 million fund established to encourage locally-led solutions as communities rebuild and recover from Covid-19. Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni said: "Community-led initiatives under the CCRF might include helping people to work remotely, health and safety measures for whānau, building financial capability, or developing and implementing Covid-19 recovery plans. CCRF funding will be targeted towards community-led initiatives that support priority groups, which include Māori and Pacific communities, as well as culturally and language diverse populations." The CCRF will be administered through the Ministry of Social Development and funding will be available in waves. More information about the CCRF and how to apply will be available at https://www.msd.govt.nz/.

Te reo classes
Multicultural Whangārei has started its te reo Maori classes - beginner level - which are free. The classes are held on Tuesdays from 12.30pm to 2.30pm, and Thursdays from 10.30am to 12.30 pm, with the last class for the year scheduled for December 17. As spaces are limited pre-registration is required via email to info@multiculturalwhangarei.co.nz or (09) 430 0571

Crash victim named

Aroha Leaf, aged 27, of the Far North, died when this car left SH1 near Okaihau on Wednesday, police say.

Police say the woman who died when a car left the road and flipped into a ditch in the Far North this week was Aroha Leaf, aged 27, of the Far North region. Police said its investigation into a crash on State Highway 1 near Okaihau on July 29 remains ongoing and their thoughts are with Leaf's whanau. The passenger in the car was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries and remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition. Neither were wearing seat belts, police said. The death, which was the 16th on Northland's roads so far this year, has been referred to the coroner.

Party deputy to speak
New Conservative deputy leader Elliot Ikilei will be speaking in Northland next week and will host spontaneous public events in the region too. Ikilei will be at Kingston House, Kerikeri, from 7pm on Friday, August 7, then at Whangārei Boys' High School, from 7pm on August 8. Also at the Kerikeri event will be the party's Northland candidate Mel Taylor.

No new cases reported
There were no new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand yesterday. It has been 91 days since the last case of Covid-19 was acquired locally from an unknown source. The total number of confirmed cases of the virus in NZ remains at 1210.