Northland news in brief, Civil Defence worker honoured and poachers hit Tutukaka Coast

Northland Civil Defence officer Claire Nyberg has been recognised for her contribution to Civil Defence Emergency Management.

A Northland Civil Defence worker has been recognised for her significant contribution to Civil Defence Emergency Management. Northland welfare manager Claire Nyberg was given a Silver Award at the 2018 Civil Defence Awards this week. Nyberg received the award for the significant contribution she has made to local, regional and national welfare arrangements. The awards were presented by Minister of Civil Defence Kris Faafoi at an event in Wellington on Wednesday. "Through their efforts, they have helped make our communities safer and more resilient,'' Faafoi said of the recipients. ''Civil Defence Emergency Management attracts dedicated and talented people, and tonight's recipients are representative of the commitment and innovation we see right across the sector. These award recipients have set an excellent example for those who follow, and deserve recognition at the national level."

Tutukaka poachers nabbed

Tutukaka Coast has been hit by poachers this week with fisheries officers nabbing people taking undersize paua and crayfish in two separate incidents. Two men were inspected after diving from the shore on the Tutukaka coast. They had six crayfish, three of which were allegedly undersized with possibly the smallest crayfish the local Honorary Fishery Officer had ever seen - measuring 41mm across the tail. The legal size limit for crayfish is 60mm for females and 54mm for males horizontally across the tail. They also allegedly had a couple of undersized paua. The men will receive fines of up to $500 each. Three men were caught on Thursday after taking 45 undersized paua from the Tutukaka area. The paua were located and items of scuba gear used to take the paua were also seized. Some of the paua were as small as 75mm in size. If you see suspicious fishing activity 0800 4 POACHER (0800 476224) hotline.

Police investigate stabbing

A man stabbed in the neck was reluctant to speak to police officers when they started asking questions about his injuries. Senior Sergeant Brian Swann said the man was stabbed in Victoria St, Dargaville, about 11.30pm on Thursday. He was taken to Whangārei Hospital but was reluctant to talk with police. He was released from hospital and police are continuing to investigate.

Sleeping man faces two charges

A man who allegedly threatened police with a blow torch was in the end smoked as he blazed his way to a court appearance. When police found him it was not clear if the man was asleep or unconscious in a car parked on SH12 near Mamaranui. The motor was not running but the keys were in the ignition. When woken by police he allegedly threatened them with a blow torch and had to be subdued. The 53-year-old was taken to Whangārei police station where he was charged with refusing to accompany police and refusing to have a blood test. He was to appear in the Whangārei District Court.

$1.5m for water quality project

More than $1.5 million is to be spent restoring and protecting water quality in more than 20 Northland lakes – including some of the region's most ecologically outstanding dune lakes – over the next five years. Collectively 24 dune lakes will be targeted via the Freshwater Improvement Fund (FIF) project. They include nine ecologically outstanding lakes, among a dozen the council has recently completed lake-specific management plans for) and another 15 dune lakes with special management needs. The nine ecologically outstanding lakes with management plans which will come under the FIF project are: Waihopo and Ngatu (Aupouri Peninsula); Waiporohita (Karikari Peninsula); Kai Iwi, Taharoa and Waikare (the three Kai Iwi lakes); Humuhumu, Rotokawau, Kanono (Pouto Peninsula).
The other 15 lakes covered under the FIF bid are Kihona, Ngakeketo North, Ngakeketo South, Te Werahi Lagoon, Waiparera (Aupouri Peninsula); Lakes Midgley and Shag (near Kai Iwi Lakes); Rototuna, Swan and Waingata (Pouto Peninsula); Heather, Mini/Split, Ngakapua South, Rotoroa and Waimimiha North (Sweetwater area).

Māori roll deadline looms

Māori voters have two more months to decide whether they want to change what electoral roll they are on. The 2018 Māori Electoral Option, which opened on April 3 and closes on August 2, gives voters of Māori descent the chance to choose to be on the Māori roll or the general roll for the next two general elections. For voters in the Northland region, that means if you're currently able to vote for candidates in the Northland or Whangārei electorate, you can choose to swap rolls and vote for Te Tai Tokerau candidates - or vice-versa. Māori voters can enrol or change roll types by filling in an enrolment form which can be downloaded from www.maorioption.org.nz. Enrolment forms are also available from PostShops or can be requested by phoning 0800 36 76 56. More than 16,000 people have either changed roll types or enrolled for the first time since the start of the Māori Electoral Option. There has been a net gain on the general roll of 3352 and a net decrease of 1426 on the Māori roll.