Northland news in brief: Property awards; man on roof and Palestine caravan protest

Whangārei’s new $59m civic centre Te Iwitahi has won another award.

Property award accolades

Two Whangārei developments won accolades at this this year’s Property Council New Zealand Rider Levett Bucknall Property Industry Awards.

Announced on Friday in Auckland, the Property Industry Awards celebrate excellence in design and innovation in the built environment.

Te Iwitahi, the new Whangārei Civic Centre, won a Merit award in the Warren and Mahoney Civic, Health & Arts Property Award category, while the Puriri Park Rd development won a Merit award in the Kāinga Ora - Homes and Communities Community & Affordable Housing Property Award category.

Last month the $59 million Te Iwitahi civic centre was honoured for its “strong tikanga Māori narrative” with a a commercial architecture award at the Auckland region’s Te Kahui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects Awards.

Man on roof

A man has been arrested after allegedly fleeing police and climbing onto a roof.

Police received reports shortly after 1pm on Sunday of disorder following a car crash on Western Hills Dr, Whangārei. Two people had fled in a vehicle heading south and refused to stop for police. The vehicle came to a stop on Anzac Rd in Morningside, where the two occupants fled from the vehicle on foot. One man got onto a garage roof and later came off the roof, and O/C spray was then used. He was then taken into police custody around 1.25pm. Charges were yet to be confirmed at the time of print.

Two crashes

One person was transported to hospital in a moderate to serious condition following a one-vehicle crash around 4.30pm on Saturday in Te Kamo, Whangārei. The vehicle collided with a barrier on Great North Rd and the southbound lane was blocked for a time, police say. Police also responded to reports of a single-vehicle crash where a truck had gone into a ditch on Paihia Rd around 12am on Sunday. One person received moderate to minor injuries and the road was not blocked.

Palestine caravan

The Aotearoa Caravan for a Free Palestine will leave Cape Reinga on Friday heading to a national protest in Wellington on June 27.

It’s planned for a caravan or motor convoy, where vehicles flying Palestinian flags will travel in single file the length of the country. As it passes through different areas people can join the caravan in their area for the day, for part of the day, or may decide to continue on to Wellington.

There will be events/rallies held at some locations on the way – details still to come.

There will be both a North Island and a South Island caravan which will converge in Wellington for national action on June 27, which starts outside Te Papa at 11am.

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