Northland news in brief: Ninety Mile Beach erosion concern; and rescue chopper fundraiser postponed

Erosion on Ninety Mile Beach near Waipapakauri, above, has sparked a warning to the public and work for the council.

FNDC has arranged safety netting and warning signage to warn the public of erosion at Waipapakauri Beach Access (off the end of West Coast Rd) at Ninety Mile Beach. Minor reshaping of the eroded area will take place this week, similar to maintenance required at the Kaka St beach access point.

Truck-bridge crash

Monday's morning rush was hindered after a truck collided with a bridge barrier and partially blocked State Highway 1 in Whakapara. Police and the Hikurangi Volunteer Fire Brigade responded to the crash near Old North Rd around 7.45am that blocked the southbound lane. A police spokesman said fortunately no one was injured.

Chopper fundraiser rescheduled

Due to the Covid-19 lockdown, the Tour of the North Rescue Chopper fundraiser has been rescheduled. Former ambulance officer Phil Schultz was due to hit the road in his yellow Mini on October to raise funds for the Northland Rescue Helicopter. The four-day trek around Northland has been rescheduled to November 16-19.

Vaccinations booking-free

Northlanders no longer need to book in order to receive vaccinations at Whangārei's Ballance drive-through Covid-19. Anyone eligible for the Covid-19 vaccination can show up at the site on 223 Kioreora Rd. Information from the Northland District Health Board showed every week, for the next month, there will be a dedicated lane to prioritise workers from different industries at the Ballance site. This week the workers lane is reserved for hospitality workers. Also, next week two roving clinics in Tikipunga and Mangawhai are available with no bookings required. Te Ora Hou Northland Inc will host the Tikipunga clinic at 104 Corks Rd on September 14 and 15, from 12pm to 6pm. In Mangawhai, people can attend the St John Ambulance Station on Molesworth Dr from September 16 to 17, 10am to 3pm.

Te reo in skills platform

Te Reo Māori has been integrated into the free Digital Boost Skills Training platform as part of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori. Hikina Whakatutuki, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) announced the change today as part of the programme's commitment to make the Digital Boost training content accessible and relevant to Māori business owners while honouring te reo for all New Zealanders. Digitalboost.co.nz now includes over 90 educational videos in te reo, with the option for English subtitles. More videos will be created over the next year.

Business Excellence Awards

Another deadline is looming in the Northland Business Excellence Awards and NorthChamber wants Kaipara, Far North and Whangārei businesses to feature prominently. The awards are an opportunity for locals to nominate businesses they believe provide exceptional customer service. Nominations for the MoreFM Customer Choice Award category are free and close this Friday, September 17. For more information visit www.northlandbusinessawards.co.nz or call NorthChamber on 09 438 4771.

Orchid Society Show cancelled

The Bay of Islands Orchid Society Show has been cancelled due to the Covid-19 lockdown. The annual show was due to run in October but due to many vendors coming from Auckland, it was deemed unlikely the Covid alert level would drop there to level 1 in time for the show.