NorthTec's Whangārei graduation ceremony, scheduled for September 1, has been cancelled due to Covid alert level restrictions. The ceremony was postponed from March due to the Covid alert level at the time. The rescheduled ceremony was planned to take place at Forum North, Whangārei. Toa Faneva, Te Ahurei chief executive, said: "It is with regret and sadness that we have had to cancel our annual graduation ceremony. However, the decision was inevitable, given the current situation with regard to Covid-19. We feel for our graduands and will look at arranging another ceremony when this is possible. All graduands have been notified of the cancellation, and we will be in contact to advise of other arrangements as and when we are able to."
Grants deadline extended
Since the recent re-emergence of Covid-19 in New Zealand, it was decided to extend the closing date for the Pouhere Taonga Mātauranga Māori contestable grants to September 3. There are 20 contestable grants of up to $25,000 each for iwi, hapū, and Māori communities for projects supporting the revitalisation of vulnerable Ancestral Landscapes and Māori built heritage knowledge. There are now a further two weeks available to those who would like to submit an application. Please visit https://www.heritage.org.nz/protecting-heritage/maori-heritage/matauranga-maori-grants for more information.
Two utes collide
Covid level 4 restrictions may have reduced the number of cars on the road but it hasn't stopped them colliding with each other. One such crash occurred on Waiare Rd, near Kāeo, about 12.45pm on Tuesday when two utes, an Isuzu D-Max and a Toyota Hilux collided. No one was injured but one lane was blocked for almost an hour.
Crash victim named
The man who died in a crash at Peria, near Kaitaia, on Monday has been named by police as Tristan Kearney. The 43-year-old was the sole occupant of a vehicle which left Peria Valley Rd, hit a tree and went down a bank. He is survived by a partner and five children. It was Northland's first, and so far only, road fatality during this year's level 4 lockdown.
Rāhui in place
Iwi have placed a rāhui on the water in the Far North following the death of a freediver on Wednesday. Te Roroa initiated the three-day rāhui near Waipoua River on Thursday after a 63-year-old died while freediving for seafood. At alert level 4, recreational fishing and whitebaiting is not allowed, except for Māori customary fishing and food gathering. People fishing for this reason must stay local, keep to their household bubbles, do not use a boat or go into the water to fish, and are prohibited from doing anything that may put them in danger or requiring rescue.
