Northland Age
  • Northland Age home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Rural
  • Opinion
  • Kaitaia weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northland Age

King wants checkpoints gone

By Peter Jackson
Northland Age·
17 Apr, 2020 12:59 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Another checkpoint, manned by volunteers, popped up on board the Hokianga ferry over Easter. Picture / Supplied

Another checkpoint, manned by volunteers, popped up on board the Hokianga ferry over Easter. Picture / Supplied

Northland MP Matt King has called on the police to uphold the law and shut down illegal road checkpoints.

Mr King said he had heard from a growing number of Northlanders who were feeling intimidated and harassed at illegal checkpoints that had been set up by "local vigilantes" across the Mid and Far North.

"We live under New Zealand law, and vigilante groups can't just make up their own rules, however well-intentioned," he said.

"Police must intervene and protect those who are just trying to go about their lawful business, including food shopping or moving to essential employment.

"I encourage everyone to stay in their bubble and respect social distancing rules, and for the police to get these illegal checkpoints under control."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Meanwhile volunteers set up a Covid-19 checkpoint on the Hokianga ferry over Easter, co-ordinator Richard Nahi saying Kohukohu residents had been concerned that a combination of the long weekend and free ferry transport during the lockdown could lead to an influx of visitors from the South Hokianga. No tourists were identified, but a few people had tried to cross the harbour to visit family members.

Mr Nahi said the checkpoint volunteers had had no power to turn people around, but informed the ferry crew, who "did their job well."

The main role of the checkpoint had been to offer information about travel restrictions, testing stations and Covid-19 symptoms, while the volunteers, a mix of Māori and Pākehā, were supplied with proper protective gear. Further checkpoints were planned, at random times and locations.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The Kohukohu area had a high proportion of elderly people who were particularly vulnerable to the virus, Mr Nahi added.

Another checkpoint, manned by volunteers, popped up on board the Hokianga ferry over Easter. Picture / Supplied

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northland Age

Northland Age

Kāinga Ora scraps 450 new Northland houses, deepening shortage

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Northland Age

School lunch programme saves $130m, student satisfaction rises, Govt says

10 Jul 02:00 AM
Northland Age

Changing times: Kiwibank's new model prompts mixed reactions

10 Jul 02:00 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northland Age

Kāinga Ora scraps 450 new Northland houses, deepening shortage

Kāinga Ora scraps 450 new Northland houses, deepening shortage

11 Jul 05:00 PM

Kāinga Ora halts 40 housing projects in Northland amid $12.3b debt

School lunch programme saves $130m, student satisfaction rises, Govt says

School lunch programme saves $130m, student satisfaction rises, Govt says

10 Jul 02:00 AM
Changing times: Kiwibank's new model prompts mixed reactions

Changing times: Kiwibank's new model prompts mixed reactions

10 Jul 02:00 AM
Far North approves 10.95% rates rise, slightly lower than forecast

Far North approves 10.95% rates rise, slightly lower than forecast

09 Jul 06:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northland Age e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to The Northland Age
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northland Age
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP