Northland news in brief: Three great acts at Summer Haze concert; first Eco Market

Kiwi drum and bass gurus Shapeshifter headline the Summer Haze festival that plays in Matakana in January, along with Fat Freddys Drop and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard.

Music lovers looking for their fix of hot tunes this summer can check out Summer Haze, which is being held in Matakana and Tauranga. The bill is headlined by Kiwi drum and bass gurus Shapeshifter, with support from fellow Kiwis - dub/reggae/soul masters Fat Freddys Drop. Also on the bill is innovative Australian rock band King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Summer Haze is on in Tauranga on December 29 and Matakana Country Park on January 4. Tickets are on sale now from summerhaze.co.nz.

First Eco Market
A Paihia eco-centre is holding its first Eco Market from 9am-1pm today featuring artists, growers, crafters and crepe makers. There will also be a crop swap from 10am-11am and a sewing workshop from noon in which participants will learn how to make upcycled draught stoppers. The venue, Kaipatiki Ecohive, is at 195 Puketona Rd on the way to Haruru.

Karikari tree planting
A Karikari Peninsula marae is planting 500 native trees on Monday as part of the MPI-funded Matariki Tu Rākau initiative. The planting, delayed by recent dire weather, will start at 10am at the Haiti-tai-Marangai Marae community māra kai (garden) at the corner of Whatuwhiwhi Rd and Waiari Rd.

Grandparents support group
All grandparents raising grandchildren are invited to a monthly coffee group for support and companionship. The group meets at 10.30am on the first Friday of each month at the Anglican Care Centre, at the corner of Mill Rd and Deveron St, Whangārei. Call Christine on 021 061 5387 for more information.

Covid medicine approved
Pharmac yesterday confirmed the access criteria for the first preventative medicine for Covid-19 for severely immunocompromised New Zealanders. Chief Medical Officer Dr David Hughes said Tixagevimab and cilgavimab (branded as Evusheld) provide an additional layer of protection and supports the aim of preventing severe illness and hospitalisations as a result of Covid-19. Evusheld is available in hospitals and will be available in the community from mid-September. For more information on access criteria visit pharmac.govt.nz. There were 78 new cases of Covid-19 notified in Northland in the 24 hours to 6am on Friday, with 47 cases in Whangārei District, 25 cases in Far North District, 6 cases in Kaipara District. There are 619 active cases in Northland including seven cases in hospital.

Poutō wharf work to begin
Work to construct Poutō wharf is set to begin within the next month. The physical wharf works will be undertaken by STF Limited, specialists in Marine Infrastructure Design, Construction, Maintenance, and Salvage. Once constructed, the timber wharf will be located just south of Fisherman's Rock, catering for all-tide access for charter/tourist boats, fishing and recreation. The piling will be steel. Work on site is expected to take approximately 12 weeks. The project team is working closely with representatives from Waikaretu marae and Te Uri o Hau to ensure nominated kaitiaki (guardians) are regularly on site to undertake cultural monitoring during the construction.

Awanui River flood scheme
Improvements to the Awanui flood scheme in recent years proved their worth in the recent storm as it contained more floodwaters than the devastating 1950s flood. Joseph Camuso, the Northland Regional Council Rivers and Natural Hazards manager, says the Awanui River had a peak flow of 300cu m to 320cu m a second during the recent storm. Compared to a flow of 220cu m a second in January 1958 which saw floodwaters up to a metre deep inundating Kaitāia township. A $12.5m grant from the Government as part of its Covid-19 recovery response package has slashed the time needed to complete the Awanui River upgrade that is now due to be completed next year rather than 2027.

Record atmospheric river
Niwa meteorologists say last week's atmospheric river (AR), which was responsible for widespread devastation in both the North and South Islands, was a record-breaker. The AR, a huge plume of moisture from the tropics, was New Zealand's strongest ever for August since records began in 1959. Niwa meteorologist Ben Noll says it was also the second strongest for winter as a whole (June-August), pipped to the post only by an AR in July 1998.