Far North news briefs

Robert Sullivan at the Ockham NZ Book Awards. Photo / NZ Book Awards Trust, LK Creative

Car show to aid Daffodil Day

This year the Far North Vintage and Classic Car Club is combining with the Pioneer Village Kaikohe to promote a family day with activities, food and a display of old vehicles for Daffodil Day. Funds will be raised by a charge for display vehicles, entry donations from the public, sales of food and museum activity tickets. Everybody is invited to come along to the Pioneer Village from 10am to 2pm on Saturday August 30. Support the cancer fund and learn what the Vintage Car Club and Pioneer Village contribute to the history of the land. Bring along your old or interesting vehicles to show.

Driving delays

Northland drivers can expect some delays on State Highway 1 over the coming weeks as essential maintenance gets under way. From Sunday, August 24 to Friday, October 10 (weather permitting), crews will be working overnight between 8pm and 6am on two busy stretches of SH1:

• Te Hana to just north of Kaiwaka
• Brynderwyn Hills to Oakleigh

This work involves pre-seal repairs to prepare the road for a major resurfacing programme. To keep everyone safe, stop/go traffic management and speed restrictions will be in place. For weekly site updates, visit the https://nzta.govt.nz/projects/sh-maintenance-programme/northland-state-highway-maintenance-programme.

For live updates and any weather-related changes, check the https://journeys.nzta.govt.nz.

Dog survey

Far North District Council is asking people across the Far North to share their thoughts on how dogs and other animals are managed in our communities. Residents are encouraged to complete a short online survey, which asks about dog registration, roaming dogs, education and ideas for improving animal management. Visit the council’s consultation webpage to learn more and complete the online survey. Make sure to have your say before submissions close on Sunday, September 14. You can also visit any of our service centres and ask our friendly staff to print a hard copy survey for you.

Poet Laureate appointed

Acclaimed poet Robert Sullivan (Ngāpuhi, Kāi Tahu) has been appointed New Zealand Poet Laureate for 2025–28, the National Library of New Zealand announced. Sullivan’s latest collection, Hopurangi – Songcatcher, was recently shortlisted for the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry in the 2025 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. His career spans multiple honours, including the Jessie Mackay Best First Book Award and the Montana New Zealand Book Award. Acting National Librarian Gina Smith praised Sullivan as “a poet who amplifies Māori and Pacific voices with grace and humility”. Sullivan is appearing at the inaugural Northland Writers, Readers and Poets Festival in Kerikeri this weekend.

Kaikohe water upgrades

An upgrade of Kaikohe’s water treatment plant is under way to strengthen the town’s water resilience through improved reliability of supply. Work at the Taraire Hills Water Treatment Plant started at the end of July and will take a year to complete. There will be no disruption to the operation of the current plant or supply to Kaikohe during the upgrade. It is funded through the Government’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund, some of which has been allocated to upgrade water and wastewater infrastructure in Kaikohe.