Car strikes woman
An elderly woman who was struck by a car in Kaitaia yesterday morning was taken to hospital for a precautionary X-ray. According to police the driver of the car was blinded by sunstrike as he turned from Commerce St into Empire St, his vehicle clipping the woman's heel as she crossed Empire St. She fell and "banged" one knee but was not badly hurt. The driver was not considered to be at fault.
Sleepout burnt, house saved
A sleepout has been destroyed after a rubbish fire spread at Ahipara but firefighters were able to stop the flames spreading to a nearby house. Ahipara fire chief Dave Ross said the occupier had partly demolished the Roma Rd structure and was burning some rubbish when the flames took hold of what was still standing. The brigade's major concern was that the fire would spread to a nearby house, which the crew prevented, with help from the Kaitaia brigade. "We only carry 1400 litres of water, which was gone in a nanosecond ... We really needed the water Kaitaia had brought with them," Ross said.
Blood-test results awaited
Police suspect that the driver of a car that crossed SH10 and came to a halt in a ditch at Awanui on Saturday morning may have been affected by alcohol or drugs. A spokesman said yesterday that a decision regarding charges would be made when blood test results were received.
Changes to Māori roll
More than 23,400 Māori have chosen to change electoral roll types or enrol to vote.
The 2018 Māori Electoral Option, which gave all enrolled voters of Māori descent the opportunity to be on the Māori roll or general roll, ran from April 3 to August 2. At the end of the Option, 52.4 per cent of Māori voters were on the Māori roll and 47.6 per cent were on the general roll, compared with 52.8 per cent and 47.2 per cent at the start of the Option period.
There have been net increases of 1200 on the Māori roll and 4015 on the general roll. In Northland there has been a net increase of 235 people on the roll. A total of 567 people changed from the Māori roll to the general roll while 332 changed from the general roll to the Māori roll, The Whangārei roll has had a net increase of 84 people on the roll, 360 changed from the Māori Roll to the general Roll while 276 changed from the general roll to the Māori roll. Meanwhile in Te Tai Tokerau, there has been a net decrease of 358 people, 1206 changed from the general roll to the Māori roll while 1564 changed from the Māori roll to the general roll.