NorthTec – Tai Tokerau Wānanga and Ngāti Rēhia took a step forward in their partnership with the signing of a new agreement last week at Te Puna o Te Mātauranga Marae, Raumanga. Under the agreement, Ngāti Rēhia will take on responsibility for managing Te Pou o Manako, NorthTec's Kerikeri campus. Kipa Munro of Ngāti Rēhia will take on the role of kaiwhakahaere mātua, campus operations manager. Ngāti Rēhia has been based at Te Pou o Manako since 2018, when the partnership with NorthTec began. The new agreement takes the partnership into an operational mode with the aim of meeting the needs of whānau, hapū and the community through programme delivery.
Blaze guts vehicle
A van has been destroyed in a late-night fire at a camping ground in the Bay of Islands. Paihia and Kerikeri fire brigades were called to the blaze just before 1am on Wednesday at Bay of Islands Holiday Park near Haruru. The van was destroyed but the occupant was unhurt. Firefighters were at the scene for an hour and a half as leaking fuel kept re-igniting the wreckage. Police were called because it was not immediately clear how the fire started.
Fire at mill
A fire in a timber mill sparked concerns at one of Kaitaia's biggest employers on Wednesday but it was extinguished with minimal damage. Kaitaia Fire Brigade senior station officer Colin Kitchen said the alarm was raised about 8.30am when a fire broke out in a large drier, about 60m long by 8m high, used in Juken NZ veneer mill's production process. Due to the initial size of the fire back-up trucks were dispatched from Ahipara and Mangonui. The mill's steam suppression system was activated while firefighters stood by with breathing apparatus and hoses. After about 90 minutes, once it was safe to open the drier, firefighters finished putting out the blaze. The other brigades were not required. Kitchen said there was no timber in the drier at the time and damage to the plant was minor. He expected normal production would resume later in the day.
Art exhibit extended
Village Arts Gallery in Kohukohu has extended its exhibition, Te Kupenga.NET, in which invited artists show their response to the kaupapa of Covid-19, for an extra three weeks until April 10.
Lightning strike
Kaipara District Council's pump station on Alamar Cres in Mangawhai Heads was struck by lightning on Monday, causing the pump to fail and a minor overflow into the estuary. Electrical and operations staff assessed the damage and what repairs were needed. Fortunately, no further overflow occurred. A temporary health warning has been put in place to prevent people from swimming or gathering shellfish in the area until further notice. Signage at entry points to the estuary will remain in place until March 24.