Northland news in brief: Pink Ribbon Appeal; $200k for squash club; and Fisheries Officers on patrol

Northlanders are being urged to support next weekend's Pink Ribbon Appeal fundraisers

Breast Cancer Foundation NZ is asking Northlanders to support local Pink Ribbon fundraisers happening next weekend.
Volunteer collectors will be stationed around the region for the Pink Ribbon Street Appeal on Friday and Saturday, October 29 and 30. Then on Sunday, October 31, Breast Cancer Awareness Month culminates with New Zealand's first ever neighbourhood Pink Ribbon Walk.
Breast cancer is the leading cause of death for New Zealand women under 65 and every year around 170 women are diagnosed with it in the Northland District Health Board area.
Donations can be made to the Pink Ribbon Street Appeal through volunteer collectors or online at pinkribbonappeal.co.nz.

Funds for squash

Northland Regional Council is to give $205,550 of unallocated Regional Sporting Facilities Rate from 2018-2021 to a Kerikeri Squash Club project to build a district facility for squash.
NRC Chair Penny Smart said the council had collected just under $4 million via the rate in 2018-2021, all but $205,550 of which had been allocated to various Northland sporting projects.
The council had decided to allocate the remaining funding to the squash club which is building a new four-court squash facility to replace a two-court community facility destroyed by fire in 2016.
The facility will expand on the Kerikeri Sports Complex, sharing facilities with rugby and netball clubs.
Of the already allocated 2018-2021 funding, $600,000 had gone to Sportsville Dargaville in 2018 and $100,000 to Sportsville Kaikohe Stage One the same year. In 2019, $500,000 had gone to the Mangawhai Activity Zone.

Close eye on fishing catch

Fishery Officers in Northland will be busy inspecting catches and reminding people about the recreational fishing rules this long weekend.
MPI Regional Manager Fishery Compliance, Phil Tasker, will be among the officers on patrol.
"We would like to remind people the daily limit in the upper North Island is six crayfish per fisher per day of all crayfish species combined. The minimum tail width for a male spiny rock lobster (crayfish) is 54mm or 60mm for a female, and a packhorse rock lobster must have a tail at least 216mm long," Tasker said.
"Fishers can take 20 scallops per person, they have to be 100mm across the widest part of the shell. When fishers are diving for scallops they are allowed to take an additional portion of 20 scallops for the person undertaking the safety role on the boat. Fishers can take seven snapper per person at 30cm."
Information on size and daily catch limits is available on signs at many beaches and boat ramps, on the MPI website and via the NZ Fishing Rules mobile app.

Rallying call to erosion fight

Ōmāpere residents and property owners are being asked for feedback on options to manage coastal erosion that has claimed around 9m of a beachfront reserve over the past decade.
Erosion has been a problem for several years at Freese Park but is now accelerating with up to 0.7m of the reserve being lost each year to the Hokianga Harbour. Without intervention, it will endanger council-owned assets including a wastewater pipeline, public playground, toilets, and a carpark. While Far North District Council cannot remediate all coastal erosion, it does have an interest where public property and services are put at risk.
Last year, the council engaged specialists to investigate methods to halt or slow the erosion. After consulting with tangata whenua and the affected property owner, Stellar Projects has presented three management approaches for the community and council to consider.
Background information and explanations of the different erosion management approaches can be found on the council's website at www.fndc.govt.nz/freese and on large display signs being installed at Freese Park.

Road safety feedback pours in

Those looking to have their say on making our state highways safer in Northland and north Auckland largely turned to online platforms to make their views known.
From May 3 to June 14 Waka Kotahi invited everyone in the community to get in touch either by attending one of our pop-up events across the north, face-to-face meetings, online feedback, or by filling out a flyer.
"We received 1162 individual submissions on the 11 state highways we were looking at as part of this speed review. More than two-thirds of those people chose to share their thoughts using our online feedback tools," says Steve Mutton, Waka Kotahi director regional relationships Te Tai Tokerau and Tāmaki Makaurau.
"It's incredibly pleasing to see the wide range of viewpoints received. We are now taking the time to consider all submissions before publishing them and then consulting on our recommendations next year."
Waka Kotahi is now planning for the next phase, which will involve a formal public consultation in 2022.