Far North news in brief: Community grants; meet the candidates and Awanui crash

Te Kao’s Pōtahi Marae has been given $30,000 by the Te Hiku Community Board to facilitate the installation of a playground for the whole community.

Community grants

Four community groups are celebrating after receiving a share of more than $40,000 in funding from the Te Hiku Community Board.

Pōtahi Marae was the biggest winner, receiving $30,000 to install a playground that will be open to the whole community. The playground will be close to Whakawhiti Ora Pai Health Clinic, the Aupōuri Rugby Football and Sports Club grounds, and is expected to become a central hub of activity in the area.

A grant of $8,530 went to Ahipara Aroha to boost community safety, going towards a a comprehensive CCTV network in Ahipara which will be integrated with the existing network in Kaitāia.

The board has allocated $2,830 to Oruaiti School for signage along a mountain biking trail. The ‘Oruaiti Mountain Bike Trail’ is a project that is led by the Year 5 and 6 enviro-classroom at Oruaiti School. The signs will give descriptions of the tracks and safety messages so the public can use them.

Dementia Northland received $1,250, which will go towards organising a whānau and carer workshop that focuses on providing essential resources to support families and caregivers of those affected by dementia.

Meet candidates tonight

Six candidates standing in the Northland electorate will be at a meet-the-candidates event in Kerikeri tonight. The Taxpayers’ Union is hosting a candidates meeting at the Homestead Bar in Kerikeri from 7pm tonight.

Confirmed to attend the debate are National’s Grant McCallum, Labour’s Willow-Jean Prime, Act’s Mark Cameron, NZ First’s Shane Jones, Green’s Reina Penney and DemocracyNZ leader Matt King.

The Taxpayers’ Union will also release of a specially commissioned Curia poll on voter intentions in the Northland electorate that was taken over the weekend.

Awanui crash

Police responded to a two-vehicle crash on the intersection of State Highway 1 and 10 in Awanui in the Far North around 11.10am on Sunday. One person was transported to hospital as a result of a medical event, and the road was blocked while the scene was cleared.

Beware scam

Police want Northlanders to be aware of a Facebook scam circulating in which a person is messaging people and posing as New Zealand Police.

The message advises victims that their computer has been hacked, and, during a call, asks for remote access to their computer for the supposed investigation.

The scammers then access the victims’ online banking account and attempt to withdraw money from it.

Police have received several reports about the scam, and an investigation is under way.

Paihia arrests

Two people have been taken into custody following two assaults at an address on Kings Rd in Paihia around 11.10pm on Saturday night after police responded to reports of two assaults in which two people received moderate injuries.

Two men were taken into custody on charges of assault with intent to injure, and injures with intent to injure/reckless regard. The pair will appear in Kaikohe District Court today.