New NorthTec CEO
Wayne Jackson, chairman of NorthTec, has stepped in as interim chief executive of the polytech following the resignation of Mark Ewen. Jackson has been a NorthTec board member since 2017 and held a number of leadership roles in his career including 20 years as a partner in Ernst & Young heading up its business advisory group. He is also a trustee of the Auckland City Mission and is working with community organisations in the educational field. Jackson said Ewen, who announced his resignation in November but remained at his post until the end of 2018, did a great job in "refocusing" NorthTec to meet the needs of Te Tai Tokerau in a fast-changing educational environment. Jackson has moved to Whangārei and he and his wife will be taking time to explore the Northland region and meet people.
Tech-free weekend
Youth aged 13 to 16 will unite for three days in nature, free from technology this weekend. The idea for the camp came to 14-year-old Gaia Aplin, from Tutukākā Coast, after experiencing the challenges of maintaining healthy relationships through the teen years and the lack of conversations within her peer group which were positive. She spoke about her idea at The Natural Phenomena Nature Education Conference held in Whangarei in November last year and it was well received. The UBU camp, hosted by The Nature School New Zealand, will be held in Tutukākā from today until Monday. You can learn more by visiting the Facebook page The Nature School – New Zealand or follow UBU_youth on Instagram.
Bridge restrictions
Mangawhai's Insley St Bridge is down to one lane. Just prior to Christmas the Kaipara District Council placed a restriction on the weight limit of the bridge after significant defects were identified following routine structural inspections. The roading team has been working since returning from the Christmas break to devise an interim solution that lessens the impact to all motorists. Work repairing the bridge is expected to begin in March and should take approximately 11 weeks to get the bridge fully reopened. But from yesterday the bridge's weight limit restriction was lifted. That means the bridge will be restricted down to a single lane down the centre of the bridge that is controlled by temporary traffic signals. The signals are activated by approaching vehicles and will turn green when it is safe to pass. This will also allow the bridge to be used by school buses which recommence operation next week.
Collectors needed
The Heart Foundation needs more Northlanders to volunteer as street collectors for its Big Heart Appeal 2019 next month. Every year over 6500 New Zealanders die of heart disease. Funds raised during the Heart Foundation's annual appeal are used to support heart-related research and specialist training for cardiologists. The Heart Foundation is New Zealand's leading independent funder of heart research. Since 1968 it has funded more than $70 million in research and specialist training. The Big Heart Appeal street collections will take place on Friday, February 22, and Saturday, February 23. To find out more about volunteering, visit heartfoundation. org.nz/volunteer
Reti gets education, jobs
Whangārei MP Shane Reti has a new role after National Party leader Simon Bridges announced that the two-term MP is now the party's Spokesperson for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment. Reti said: "I have been involved in the tertiary education sector for many years, both locally and overseas. I have always been a strong advocate for vocational training and, together with Associate spokesperson MP Simeon Brown, we will be looking to address key issues such as getting New Zealand's tertiary sector back up the international rankings and aligning skills with jobs.''
