Election meeting
Far North folk can hear from the candidates in the Northland and Te Tai Tokerau electorates in Kaitāia on Thursday.
The meet the candidates event will be at REAP, 33 Puckey Ave, from 5pm to 9pm on Thursday.
There will be questions asked that have been collected from the local community over the past 8-10 weeks.
Candidates confirmed for the Northland electorate are Mark Cameron (Act); Michael Feyen (NZ Loyal); Mike Finlayson (Northland Party); Shane Jones (NZ First); Matt King (Democracy NZ); Jeffrey Lye (Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party); Grant McCallum (National); Reina Penney (Greens) and Willow-Jean Prime (Labour). Cameron and McCallum will not be at the meeting after sending their apologies.
The candidates for Tai Tokerau are Kelvin Davis (Labour); Make Herbert (Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis); Mariameno Kapa-Kingi (Te Pāti Māori); Hūhana Lyndon (Greens) and Paturiri Toautu (Independent).
Use of force justified
The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) oversaw a police investigation into a complaint alleging that an officer assaulted a woman in custody as she was being led into the Kaitāia Police Station in August 2020.
The woman had earlier been arrested in the Kaitāia township and as she was being escorted into the police station, she alleged she was punched in the face by an officer.
The officer claimed the woman kicked him in the groin as he was leading her into the station and in reaction he pushed her away, unintentionally hitting her in the lip.
The police investigation found the officer’s use of force was justified and agreed the contact with the woman’s lip was unintentional. The IPCA agreed with the police outcome and findings.
Kaeo blaze
Far North firefighters spent more than two hours battling a blaze on Otangaroa Rd, north of Kaeo, on Thursday night.
Volunteer brigades from Mangonui, Cavalli and Kaeo were called to the vegetation fire at 5.45pm.
At 6.30pm the fire was 70m by 30m in size but by 8.30pm had been extinguished.
Fire and Emergency NZ was unable to say what caused the fire to start.
Fire treated as arson
A late-night bush fire in Mahuta Gap Rd, south of Dargaville, is being treated as arson.
Volunteer firefighters from Dargaville and Te Kopuru attended the scene just before 9pm.
Firefighters worked in the dark to pump water from the creek and extinguish the blaze around three hours later.
The blaze area of roughly a hectare was monitored overnight.
Police have asked anyone with information to contact them via 105 and quote job number P056032495, or to contact Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
