Northland news in brief: Exams for students start next week; and two die in separate crashes

Thousands of Northland school students are preparing for their NCEA and scholarship exams, which begin on Monday. Photo / 123RF

About 4,600 Northland students are preparing for NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams, which begin on Monday and run until December 2.
There are 105 students in Northland entered for New Zealand Scholarship, a system of competitive awards where top-performing students receive between $500 and $30,000 towards the cost of tertiary education or training.
In Northland, 2,499 students are entered to sit some of their exams online. Online exams are being offered in 62 sessions across all three NCEA Levels and in New Zealand Scholarship Media Studies.
NZQA Deputy Chief Executive Assessment, Andrea Gray, says students can find information to help with exam preparation and managing exam pressure by visiting NZQA's Student Exam Hub or following "NZQAofficial" on Facebook and Twitter.

Fatal accidents

There have been two fatal crashes in the Far North, one on Thursday night and one on Friday morning. One person died and another was seriously injured in a crash on Springbank Rd/SH10 near Kerikeri about 6pm on Thursday. Police are investigating the two-vehicle crash. One person died in a single-vehicle crash on West Coast Rd, Mitimiti, which was reported to police at 7.22am on Friday. Another person was airlifted to hospital with critical injuries. The Serious Crash Unit was in attendance, and the road was closed for several hours while they examined the scene. There was also a single-vehicle crash on Awaroa Rd, Broadwood at 10am on Friday. One person received moderate injuries and the road was not blocked.

Hot October

Kaikohe recorded its second hottest October day on record last month, the NIWA Climate Summery for the month shows.
The town recorded a high of 22.9C on October 31, it's second highest temperature for the month since records began their in 1973. Cape Reinga and Kaitaia recorded their highest daily minimum air temperatures on record for October too - 17.6 at Kaitaia on October 29 (highest since records began there in 1948) and 16.1C at Cape Reinga on October 30 (highest since records began there 1971). On October 30 Kerikeri (17.4C) and Kaikohe (16.3C) recorded their second highest daily minimum air temperatures on record for October. NIWA said October was classed as a mild and dry month for much of the country.

Speed reviews

FNDC is seeking feedback on proposed speed limit changes for 301 district roads in Kerikeri, Ōpua, Paihia, Waitangi, and Haruru. The changes are part of a regional assessment of district road speeds, which supports the Government's Road to Zero national strategy to reduce deaths and serious injuries on New Zealand roads by 40 per cent by 2030. The first of three drop-in sessions will provide a forum for questions on Monday, November 7, from 5-7pm, at Cornerstone Church in Kerikeri. Additional sessions are scheduled in Paihia on November 17 and Whangaroa on November 23. To view the plan, to make a submission or to learn more, visit fndc.govt.nz and search 'speed limit review'. Submissions close December 5.

Wait, there's more

The Whangārei District Council is also reviewing speed limits and wants to hear public feedback. The review includes the Whangārei Heads Road, Parua Bay and all settlements along the northern edge of the Whangārei Harbour. The council's Statement of Proposal explains why the review is taking place, the advantages and disadvantages of lower speed limits, and a list of proposed changes. Consultation is open until December 5 and includes three "drop-in" information sessions: Taurikura Hall, November 14 at 5pm; Parua Bay School Hall, November 16 from 7pm; and Tamaterau Hall, November 20 from 5pm.