Northland news in brief: Iconic Garden safari celebrates 37 years; police investigate dog shooting

One of the amazing properties on display at the upcoming Kerikeri Rotary Garden Safari.

Police are investigating after a report of an animal being shot at with a slug gun in Kaitaia on Thursday. A police spokeswoman said they received a report a dog had been shot at on a property in Rongopai Place shortly after 8.30pm. Inquiries to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident are under way.

New chairwoman

Lesley Lucas has been appointed new chairwoman of Business Bay of Islands. Business Bay of Islands Inc was formed at the end of last year, with the merger of the Russell Business Association and Business Paihia. Lucas has over 30 years’ experience in hospitality, hotel sales and event management in the UK and New Zealand. She has a solid background in event creation and management, having organised a range of corporate, community and high-end events.

Garden safari

The New World Kerikeri Rotary Garden Safari celebrates 37 years of this annual iconic event, to be held the weekend after Labour weekend. Gardens will be open on Saturday and Sunday, November 2-3, from 9.30am to 4pm on both days, for the ticket price of $35, which includes a detailed brochure about the 22 individual gardens, refreshments, entertainment and much more. Families are welcome, with free entry for children under 15. Make a date to come and visit Kerikeri and enjoy our gardens. Tickets are now on sale from a variety of outlets or can ordered online. For further information, go to https://gardensafari.co.nz/ The profits from the Garden Safari fundraiser are managed by Rotary Kerikeri, predominantly for community support, schools, and youth.

Northland up

Northland’s economy has made steady gains in the latest ASB Regional Scoreboard, jumping three places to be marked fifth out of New Zealand’s 16 regions. The ASB economists said consumer confidence in Te Tai Tokerau was a standout, driven by house sales and construction. Annual house sales growth in Northland was 21%, three times above the national average of 6.8%, even though this did not translate into house price increases. Although construction growth fell by 3.4% in Northland, it was much better than the national decline of 13%, and non-residential building increased by 58% in the year. Retail sales also exceeded the national average, with an increase of 0.9% versus a national decline of 0.4%. The ASB economists see a mixed outlook for Northland in the coming quarters, with dairy and meat prices improving, but “sogginess” in forestry and tourism.

Ambulance strike

Hato Hone St John is focused on contingency planning for First Union members’ planned strikes today. Union members — including ambulance and call staff — will withdraw labour for six hours on each of the days. General manager ambulance operations said St John’s top priority was the safety and wellbeing of patients, with union members required to provide life-preserving services during the strike. He expected the strike to cause less disruption than the ones in August.