Northland news in brief: Arson accused to apply for bail; and educational food hui

Firefighters from Kawakawa and Kerikeri managed to save a shed at the isolated Ngawhitu Rd property, west of Moerewa, but had no chance of saving the house. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Arson hearing

A Northland man accused of burning down a house near Moerewa is expected to apply for bail when he next appears in the Kaikohe District Court. William Bradley Pashley, 50, was charged with arson shortly after a home on Ngawhitu Rd, off Ngapipito Rd, burned to the ground on the night of January 17. He was remanded in custody after his first court appearance on January 19 and is due back on January 26 by audio-visual link. The home was owned by a woman living at the address. It is understood at least one child lived there as well. At the time it was the sixth serious house fire in the Far North in less than six weeks, and all but two were in the Kawakawa-Moerewa area.

Garden food bowl

The first of four educational hui to teach Kaipara residents how to transform their backyards into food bowls will be held this Saturday. The Māuri Orā ki Ngāti Whatua Charitable Trust hui at Naumai Marae from 9am will focus on food sovereignty, and provide a general understanding of kai and what is already being grown in local backyards. Trust director Grace Le Gros hopes the project will be a catalyst for change. "As peoples' skill level grows, we will encourage local marae to use some of their land to produce kai and generate jobs. Getting people off the unemployment benefit will be a win-win for the government and our community." A pilot garden full of herbs and vegetables will be planted at Naumai Marae. Hui are also planned for Ripia Marae, south of Te Kōpuru, and Parirau Marae, northwest of Matakohe and are open to the whole community. Anyone who wants to attend can register by contacting Hazel Hornell at hazel.mauriora@gmail.com or 0220422447.

Food charity comes to Northland

An initiative by national food rescue charity, KiwiHarvest, to deliver an additional 450 tonnes of food nationwide will be extended to Northland. KiwiHarvest rescues good food that is unable to be sold and distributes it to those in need. KiwiHarvest general manager, Blandina Diamond said Project A-Rohe will help the charity reach further afield and help communities.

It's not the end of the Bean

The much loved drive-through coffee depot at Pohe Island has gone but the owners are hoping to eventually reopen. Photo / Michael Cunningham

The much-loved drive-through coffee depot at Pohe Island has gone but the owners hope to eventually reopen.
Katrin Laser and partner Daman Groshinski opened Easy Bean out of the old refuse dump and recycling depot last year. However, the lease ran out in December for the redevelopment of the area for a bike park. The couple said they have spoken to Bike Northland and Whangārei District Council to see if the building can be relocated, but a drive-through was no longer a consideration. They're hoping to hear back from WDC in May. In the meantime the couple are circumnavigating New Zealand. Customers can keep up to date through facebook.com/KiwiLogic.

High Commssioner for the day

Northland women aged 17-25 can apply to "be British High Commissioner for the day".
Commissioner Laura Clarke says the annual competition gives the winner the opportunity to get an insight into what it's like to be an ambassador or high commissioner, and lead a diplomatic mission. She will accompany Clarke on a programme to mark International Women's Day on March 8, including meeting influential leaders and taking over the mission's social media pages.
To apply check out https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQQVh6g4gbgXWwjEtZl98OcA_fxMoHZFSHv9jGHVFm4RZV3A/viewform.
Applications close February 22 and the winner will be announced shortly afterwards.

Correction

An Advocate story on January 16 about plans to upgrade a boat ramp and reclaim land for parking at Rangitane, near Kerikeri, gave incorrect figures for the cost of the project. The redevelopment will cost $3.7 million with $2.5m contributed by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment through its Covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund and the remaining $1.2m from the Far North District Council. The story incorrectly gave the total cost as $4.2m with $2.45m from MBIE and $1.75m from the council. The incorrect figures were supplied by the council but a further error in the editing process stated the total cost as $4.5m in the headline. The council and the Advocate apologise for the errors.