Northland news in brief: Self-service kiosks for Far North libraries; 105ha solar farm for Ruakākā

Nicola Smith, senior librarian for Kerikeri and Kawakawa, demonstrates the new self-service system to Far North deputy mayor Ann Court. Photo / Supplied

Ruakākā solar farm

Meridian Energy is building a 105ha solar farm with a grid-connected battery next to the Marsden Point oil refinery.

The Ruakākā Energy Park will house a battery energy storage system (BESS) at least 100MW in capacity and a utility-scale solar farm.

The development represents a step towards New Zealand's transition to 100 per cent renewable energy, Meridian Energy said.

The company expects the Marsden Point BESS to be operational by mid-2023.

The solar farm can supply power for up to 15,000 households and will be constructed once the BESS is up and running.

Self-service for libraries

Far North libraries have been equipped with new self-service kiosks.

Library users can check out their own books, magazines and other library materials, as well as renew books and check account details at the kiosks.

Far North District Council said the contactless system was a timely addition to library services in the current Covid-19 environment and it's anticipated the technology will help to cut customer queues.

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags have been added to all library items and visitors scan their library cards under a red laser that is motion-activated.

Once a library card is scanned, the user's account information appears on the kiosk screen, followed by prompts on how to check items out.

Users can also see books they have on hold, any fees owed, they can change the type size on the screen, and perform transactions in a range of languages, including te reo Māori.

Charger alight

Whangārei firefighters were called to a Tikipunga home early on Tuesday morning after a charging device caught alight. Fortunately, the fire was out by the time crews arrived at the address around 5.15am. A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman reminded people to take keep charging devices away from any flammable materials as they can easily overheat and catch fire.

Kaitaia dryer fire

Twenty-eight Far North firefighters were needed to tackle a "major" dryer fire at a Kaitaia triboard mill on Monday. Kaitaia deputy fire chief Ross Beddows said three of their crews worked "flat out" to contain the blaze within 20-minutes at Juken New Zealand Limited on Whangatane Dr around 10.30pm. They were assisted by crews from Mangonui and Ahipara, who helped dampen and cool the dryer's exterior for an hour and a half. Beddows said an automatic deluge system at the mill kicked in but was unable to stop the fire spreading to a nearby conveyor belt system. Fire investigator Craig Bain said they were still investigating the cause but it appeared to be the result of a production fault.

Kiwi not threatened

Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai announced that the North Island brown kiwi is no longer threatened after a five-yearly assessment of the conservation status of birds in New Zealand.

The North Island brown kiwi has been reclassified from "At Risk – Declining" to "Not Threatened".

Classifications are based on an estimated number of mature birds, the area occupied and the predicted change in the population over three generations or 10 years, whichever comes first.