The Department of Conservation (DoC) is appealing to people to take care using off-road vehicles on beaches along Kaipara's Ripiro Beach to protect the sand dunes.
"The sand dune systems of the Kaipara, in particular around Pouto, are some of the most extensive and least modified in New Zealand and are
of national and international significance," Kauri Coast operations manager Stephen Soole said. "One of the main threats to sand dune systems is the recreational use of off-road vehicles." Damage includes loss and change of composition of vegetation, disturbance to wildlife, introduction of exotic animals and plants, erosion and litter. DoC warranted officers will be increasing their activity along Ripiro Beach this summer focussing on the use of off-road vehicle activity on public conservation land dune systems.
Fatal crash at Kauri
A motorbike rider died after he was involved in a crash at the intersection of State Highway 1 and Richards Rd in Kauri, Whangārei, on Saturday night. Emergency services were alerted to the crash involving a car and a motorbike just before 6.40pm. The man died later in Whangārei Hospital. "The motorbike rider was transported to in a critical condition but sadly died from their injuries overnight," a police spokesperson said.
New toilet blocks
The Far North District Council recently completed new toilet blocks near the Hokianga i-Site at Ōpononi and at the Haruru Falls and Waitangi Track carpark. Both toilet blocks have three pans and are unisex and wheelchair accessible. The Ōpononi toilets also have two cold water, outdoor showers and are built in a style to blend in with nearby buildings. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment partly funded the facilities under its Tourism Infrastructure Fund.
Stephanie's security award
Northern Districts Security firm general manager Stephanie Irwin has taken out Security Supervisor-Operations Manager of the Year at the prestigious New Zealand Security Awards. The 32-year-old picked up her award virtually after Covid-19 restrictions saw the planned September event in Christchurch moved online. During the award announcement, Irwin was praised for her exceptional leadership and innovativeness which improved efficiency, staff experience, and outcomes for clients. It was the first time the Northern Districts employee of seven years had ever been nominated for a national award. Her colleague and CitySafe officer Adam Barclay, 23, unfortunately missed out on taking home Security Officer of the Year after he was named a finalist.
Powerball jackpots
Powerball was not won on Saturday and has rolled over to Wednesday night, where the jackpot will be $30 million. Four players took home $250,000 each with Lotto First Division in the draw.
The winning tickets were sold at Westown Lotto in New Plymouth and on MyLotto to players from Auckland, Whanganui and Otago.