Northland news in brief

E tu members working for IDEA Services in Whangārei during their strike.

About 10 E tu support workers at IDEA Services in Northland joined thousands throughout New Zealand in another round of strike action in Whangārei. The workers waved placards at the Canopy Bridge yesterday to raise their concerns around health and safety, workloads and job security. Three thousand E tū members are affected by the dispute which has been running for eight months and has seen five previous strikes. The union has applied for a formal facilitation process, arguing the bargaining has become protracted and the employer has shown bad faith.

No tsunami from quake

A tsunami threat to New Zealand was lifted minutes after the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management issued a beach warning following a magnitude 7.0 earthquake near the Kermadec Islands. The earthquake occurred in the Kermadec Islands region at 10.55am yesterday. A ministry spokesman said based on current information, the initial assessment was the earthquake was unlikely to have caused a tsunami that would have posed a threat to New Zealand. Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group spokesman Murray Soljak said everyone who enjoyed the coast should be aware of the proximity of Kermadec Islands and the speed of a tsunami.

Tree planting in reserve

An automotive company and a conservation programme will join forces next weekend to plant 800 trees in the AH Reed Memorial Reserve. The planting will extend existing native forest and demonstrate best-practice native forest establishment and management. Honda, native forest monitoring group Trees That Count and the Whangārei District Council are inviting the public to come and help, meeting at 10.30 am sharp next Saturday, June 22 in the AH Reed Memorial Kauri Park car park. Helpers should wear sturdy footwear and clothing to protect skin from insect bites, sharp vegetation and sunburn. They should also bring their own spades, lunch and water.

Lotto winners

A player from Hamilton won $10.2 million in Powerball First Division in Saturday's Lotto draw. The winning ticket was sold at Whitcoulls The Base in Hamilton. The $10.2 million prize is made up of $10 million from Powerball First Division and $250,000 from Lotto First Division. Three other Lotto players from Auckland, Cambridge and Waitara will also be celebrating after winning $250,000 each with Lotto First Division tonight. A lucky Strike player from Auckland won $800,000. The winning Lotto numbers were 6, 15, 25, 27, 28, 35 with Bonus number 4 and Powerball 5.