A playground swing designed for children and adults in wheelchairs has been installed at Nisbet Park playground in Moerewa. The Liberty Swing is the second in the Far North, with the first installed in February at Jaycee Park in Kaitaia. A suitable site for a third Liberty Swing is being investigated within the Kaikohe-Hokianga Ward.
Christmas Carol fever
Dargaville Little Theatre's upcoming production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is proving so popular that special seating plans are being made to fit everybody in under Covid protocols. The theatre said due to the high demand for tickets, and the subsequent need to make a seating plan for each show due to Covid restrictions, tickets are now only available by emailing dargavillelittletheatre@gmail.com. A Christmas Carol will be performed at Dargaville Little Theatre at 2pm on November 14, 27 and 28; and at 7pm on November 12, 18, 19, 20 and 26. Tickets are $28 for adults, $18 for students and $12 for children.
Ruapekapeka road upgrade
The second stage of a major road upgrade leading to the historic Ruapekapeka battle site got the go-ahead last week with the signing of a $3.5 million contract with United Civil Construction. The redevelopment starts in mid-November and includes sealing the road for 4.5km from State Highway 1 to Monument Rd, a retaining wall with artworks and a permeable pavement to protect puriri tree roots. Stage 1 of the project, sealing the road beyond Monument Rd, is already underway. Safety improvements to the intersection of SH1 and Ruapekapeka Rd will be delivered in partnership with Waka Kotahi. The entire project is due to be completed in April 2022.
Bayly Road resealing
Work to seal Bayly Road, which runs from Haruru Falls Rd near Waitangi Golf Course to Waitangi Mountain Bike Park, is due to start this month. The road topped the Far North District Council's road prioritisation matrix due to dust nuisance, so it was fast-tracked through the organisation's maintenance and renewals contract. Earthworks and widening are due to be completed by Christmas, with sealing due to start after peak holiday traffic in late January. The project is expected to be complete by March 2022.
Pitch for te reo signs
Proposed options for bilingual school traffic signs have been released for consultation, Waka Kotahi director of Land Transport Kane Patena says. The proposal would see the word 'kura' in bold or italic font positioned above the word 'school' to differentiate te reo Māori and English. "The Government wants to see te reo Māori seen, spoken and heard wherever possible, to continue the revitalisation of the language. We are seizing the opportunity to introduce bilingual school signs in advance of other bilingual traffic signs to align with expected changes to speed limits around schools from next year," Patena said. Further details on the consultation can be found at https://nzta.govt.nz/about-us/consultations/, with consultation closing on December 17.