Far North news in brief: Kina barren meet; school attendances online and free Wi-Fi

Kina barrens are devastating parts of the marine environment in Northland and elsewhere. Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Shane Jones is holding a public talk tomorrow on how kina barrens can be dealt with.

Kina barren meeting

Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Shane Jones is holding a public talk on how kina barrens in the Far North can be dealt with. Kina barrens - an area depleted of all life except for kina - are becoming a major issue in the Far North. Jones will host the discussion at Awanui Hotel, from 9am tomorrow. Fisheries New Zealand is seeking feedback on two proposed measures to help address kina barrens and rebalance local ecosystems.

Attendances on line

A new online data dashboard with weekly school attendance data is available to the public and parents of students in the Far North and elsewhere. The dashboard went live on Tuesday and will be updated once a week to show a national average of how many students are at school on any given day. Visitors can filter the total number of students by region or day to understand shifts in attendance over time. The dashboard can be accessed at: https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/statistics/daily-attendance.

Free Wi-Fi

Hokianga residents can get access to free public Wi-Fi following a rollout of the Far North District Council’s Nothing-But-Net programme. The programme has been running since 2021 and co-ordinates installation of high-speed fibre by Chorus along with Wi-Fi access points, allowing anyone to connect to the internet wirelessly. In the coming months, the programme will continue to extend Wi-Fi access to Far North residents and visitors with plans to create community hubs at marae, town squares, along cycle trials, and at health centres.

Far North open for business

With State Highway 1 over the Mangamukas and Brynderwyns, Kaitāia Business Association wants the country to know the Far Far North is still open for business. KBA chairman Josh Kirby said the impact of higher transportation costs and reduced domestic tourism is significant and will become apparent over time, and the longer the road is closed, the worse it gets. “However, it’s essential to remind our friends, whānau, and broader networks that alternative routes are open and available and, more importantly, that Kaitāia and Te Hiku remain open for business.‘’

NZ legacy lounge

Haruru resident Jane Johnston has set up the New Zealand Legacy Lounge in Kerikeri. The exhibition, previously in Paihia, is part library, part museum, and part discovery centre and community activities space. It includes a huge collection of New Zealand books and Kiwiana collections. There are an estimated 50,000 natural and cultural history books, along with historic photos, early 1900s paintings, vintage records, kauri gum, weaving, pottery and thousands of collectible Kiwiana and retro knick-knacks such as souvenir dolls, teatowels and teaspoons. Johnston will be promoting the lounge to schools for field trips and for school holiday activities and to seniors for indoor activities. Contact her on agentjane99@gmail.com for membership information.