Northland news in brief: Surf lifesaving club’s plea to council

Up to 560cu m of rock fell in the slip, on Kaipara District Council reserve, and onto the Mangawhai Heads Surf Lifeguard Service. Photo / Mangawhai SLS presentation

Slip fix still waiting

Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service is urging Kaipara District Council to take decisive action to ensure surf lifesaving at Mangawhai can continue unimpeded. The club has been hampered by a slip on council land since February 2023. A fix to stabilise the land will cost $1.9 million and, after the council did not allocate funding in its long- term plan, the club offered to fund the work itself, as long as the council agreed to give the club a 33-year lease. The club wanted a decision by the end of May so fundraising could start but the council has now asked for extra time, said club chair Jess Costello. The council said it expects to meet the club in due course.

Budget fallout

Psychiatrists are disappointed the Government failed to meet a National Party election promise for 13 extra psychiatry registrar places in the Budget, despite the escalating mental health workforce crisis. A Northern Advocate investigation found Northland youth in need of mental health services are waiting an average of nearly four weeks to see someone, more than 50 per cent longer than adults. Dr Hiran Thabrew, chairman of Tu Te Akaaka Roa, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists’ NZ national committee said the mental health system is in crisis. Despite evidence that serious mental illness costs New Zealand $12 billion a year, there has been no meaningful investment to help Kiwis with severe and complex mental illness and addiction issues, he said.

Man dies in crash

A man died after the vehicle he was driving rolled on a bend and crashed into trees in Kaikohe, Far North. Emergency Services were called to a single-vehicle crash on Te Pua Rd, near State Highway 1 at about 5.30pm on Saturday. The Serious Crash Unit attended the scene and investigated the crash’s circumstances. A police spokesperson said the man was heading northbound towards Ōkaihau when his vehicle rolled on a “gentle” bend and hit trees. Despite the best efforts of emergency services, the male died from critical injuries at the scene. Following the fatal crash, the road was blocked and motorists were advised to take an alternative route. The road was reopened after 9pm.

Uniform website

A Napier schoolboy is encouraging families to buy and sell second-hand school uniforms online, to help beat the cost-of-living crisis. Hugo Moffett set up his website to address the expense of buying new uniforms. The website now has a Northland section and he would like to spread the word about it. Go to tinyurl.com/nzschools to find out more.

Parrot Place

The Parrot Place in Kerikeri is celebrating its 21st birthday today from 10am. Head down to 1 Mission Road to meet some friendly birds and enjoy a sausage sizzle fundraising for Bay of Islands Animal Rescue, glitter face painting, a candy floss machine, discounts on selected products and a giveaway.

Fish being tested

A small number of people have reported catching sick snapper in the last week, with symptoms described by one fisher as zombie fish, according to the Ministry for Primary Industries. Recreational fisherman Sam Erickson caught several snapper in Kaipara Harbour, near Ruawai, which had a lack of flesh and mucus layer, and sunken, milky eyes, with an appearance he described as like the walking dead. A ministry spokesperson said it has collected samples from one fisher reporting concerns, with the samples arriving at its animal health laboratory on Tuesday. This testing aims to rule out exotic or emerging diseases, and gain an understanding of the cause of the symptoms. Anyone who is concerned about the state of fish caught is urged to report it as soon as possible to Fisheries New Zealand on 0800-80-99-66.