Northland news in brief: Whangārei-based plumber has title shot; seed libraries grow

Whangārei-based plumber Blake Patrick of Limitless Plumbing and Gas has won the Northern final of the Young Plumber of the Year competition.

Top plumber

Whangārei-based plumber Blake Patrick of Limitless Plumbing and Gas has won the Northern regional final of the Plumbing World Young Plumber of the Year 2024 competition. He will now head to the national final on October 23 for his second shot at the title, after also being a finalist last year. The top young plumber, aged 31 years or younger, will win a share of more than $70,000 in prizes.

Film fest

Students from eight schools will have their films screened at Te Ahu, in Kaitāia, tomorrow for the 2024 Te Hiku Film Festival. The creative movies eight Far North schools have been making - Mangōnui, Oturu, Pompallier, Ahipara, Paparore, Oruaiti, Te Hapua and Ngataki - will be celebrated with screenings. There will be three during the day, at 9.15am, 11am, and 12.30pm for the students. Then there’s an evening session at 5.30pm followed by the prizegiving.

Seed libraries grow

Seed libraries at five Far North libraries are flourishing with people of all ages discovering their green fingers and growing their own produce. The seed exchange programmes are held in Procter, Kaikohe, Kawakawa, Paihia and Kāeo libraries, with a monthly Garden Guru event at Procter Library in Kerikeri once a month. A seed exchange is a cache of seeds donated by local businesses and members of the community. The public can take seeds home, plant them, and then replenish the seed library with their own seeds, seedlings, or produce. Since the Procter Library launched its seed library nearly a year ago, more than 800 seed packets have headed out the door.

Scholarships awarded

Scholarships designed to grow the rural health workforce have been awarded to 27 students from rural and regional communities through a partnership between Rural Women New Zealand and Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora. The scholarships, which range between $2500 and $5000, have been awarded to help students from rural backgrounds continue their study in healthcare. The scholarships come from an overall funding pool of $90,000.