Northland news in brief

Police have arrested two boys over a suspicious fire that gutted a shed at the Eastern United Rugby Football Club in Taipa. PHOTO/PETER JACKSON

Teens on arson charges
Two boys, aged 13 and 14, have been arrested over the fire that destroyed a shed on the Eastern United Rugby Club grounds in Taipa on May 26, above. They were bailed into the care of family members, and will appear before the Youth Court at Kaitaia on Tuesday charged with arson.

Rain set for Lions game
Spectators at the DHL New Zealand Lions Series 2017 opener in Whangarei tonight will have to dress warm and waterproof with the weather outlook looking bleak. Heavy rain is expected all throughout the day and while it eases off around kick-off time at 7.35pm, there will be showers hanging about. The temperature is expected to be about 13C when the whistle blows.

Police hunt fleeing driver
Police are continuing to look for a man who fled from a checkpoint near Okaihau yesterday. Sergeant Dylan Robinson said Highway Patrol officers were carrying out routine checks on Wehirua Rd when they realised a driver they had stopped was wanted to arrest. Several police went looking for him when he sped off but were unable to locate him. Members of the public called police about his erratic driving as he fled. Police knew the man and efforts to locate him were ongoing.

Myrtle rust spreads
The number of properties confirmed to have the plant disease myrtle rust has now hit 34, all but five in Taranaki. The number of cases in Northland remains at three while Waikato has two. Most infections have been found on young seedlings but several Taranaki infections are on large, established trees. It has been found in nurseries, private gardens, an orchard and a golf course. An infected pohutukawa hedge has been destroyed. Ministry for Primary Industries and DoC say they are still committed to fighting the spread of the fungal disease, which could devastate plants in the myrtle family such as pohutukawa, manuka, ramarama, feijoa and eucalypts. The public is encouraged to view the information about myrtle rust on MPI's website www.mpi.govt.nz/myrtlerust. Any suspect sightings should be reported to MPI on 0800 809 966. Do not touch the plant or the rust. Note the location and take clear photos of the plant and the symptoms.

The Talks panel
The second series of "The Talks" panel discussion with industry leaders, innovative thinkers, and successful creators is planned. On June 7, Sharon Morgan (Whangarei District Council, Northland Rugby Union), Kris MacDonald (Ngatiwai Trust Board), Ana Heremaia and Ruby Watson (Akau design school) and James Shaw (Green Party) will take part. Guest speakers will field questions from panelists, invited leaders and the audience at The Orchard, 85 Cameron St (entrance off Walton St), 7.30pm on Wednesday.

Mamma Mia! matinee
Demand for tickets to Northland's first production of the ABBA musical Mamma Mia! is so strong an additional matinee has been added to the season. With bookings already very heavy for the show that plays at Forum North from June 16 to July 8, there will be an additional matinee performance on Sunday, June 18. Almost half the tickets for the extra show have gone already.

Match winner
Congratulations to Anne Matthewson from Matauri Bay, who won the competition in yesterday's Northern Advocate, for two tickets to the Lions match today courtesy of Specsavers. Anne also collects two pairs of designer frames from Specsavers. Anne correctly named Jared Payne as the former Northland rugby captain who now plays for the Lions. Not today though - he pulled a calf muscle and is out of the game.

Help for Brit nationals
British High Commissioner Jonathan Sinclair and his team will have a mobile British office on a nationwide tour - alongside the British and Irish Lions - and will be in Whangarei today and tomorrow. The aim of the mobile office is to help any British nationals who might need consular assistance, such as losing a passport. With 30,000 Lions fans expected to tour New Zealand over the coming six weeks, the British High Commission is preparing for a possible spike in requests for help. To cope with that, Mr Sinclair and his team have arranged their first Mobile Consular Platform in the form of a big red bus - The GREAT Bus - to provide that support during this major event. "I'm delighted that we can take the office on the road like this, supporting British nationals all across Aotearoa. And what better place to start than stunning Northland," Mr Sinclair said. The GREAT Bus will be at the Town Basin outside Claphams Clock Museum in Whangarei today from 9am to 5pm and tomorrow from 9am to noon.

Rugby fan back on trail
A fan from the fan trail who had been vandalised is being returned to his place in the trail today. The Hurricanes fan, painted by Room 8 at Hora Hora School, was discovered on the ground last Saturday. Creative Northland's Abbey Cameron said he had been knocked over and his head and arm kicked off. She said another fan had been pulled out the ground near Reyburn House but he was otherwise uninjured. The Men's Shed performed surgery with screws and the fan will be returned to his spot on Dent St near Te Kakano just in time.