Northland news in brief: Covid-19 testing available, free course for farmers

Scholarship recipient Sean Alexander, right, with A&P Scholarship convenor and society president Evan Smeath.

Scholarship for WBHS prefect

Whangārei Boys' High School prefect Sean Alexander has been awarded this year's Whangarei A&P Society $9000 scholarship.
Judges described Alexander as passionate about the environment and the future of dairying and farming in general.
Alexander has a strong investment in hockey. He plays for the Maungakaramea club and also started a collegiate hockey team of Whangārei Boys' High School Carruth House players to help improve the mental and physical resilience of the hostel students.
He is dedicated to his leadership roles at the school and also volunteers his time at the Whangārei A&P Show.
He intends to study AgriCommerce at Lincoln University next year.

Virus testing in Whangārei

Covid-19 testing will be available for Northlanders during the long weekend through primary and secondary care operators. Testing is available every day at Northland's hospital emergency departments and White Cross in Whangārei. Whangārei's community-based testing centre on Winger Cres in Kamo will be open on Monday from 10am-12 noon and on Tuesday from 9am-2pm. Northland DHB medical officer of health Dr Catherine Jackson advised people who were unwell enough to see a doctor, and for those with milder symptoms, she advised people to isolate at home and stay away from family and friends as much as possible prior to being tested.

High tea highlights cancer cause

A high tea fundraiser will be held in Whangārei next week to mark International Brain Tumour Awareness Week.
Held every year during the last week of October, it brings together brain tumour patients, families and supporters around the world, who hold events like walks, lunches and afternoon teas to raise money.
Gavin Starling, a founding trustee of Brain Tumour Support NZ who lost his partner Natalie to brain cancer in 2018, is hosting a high tea in Whangārei on Saturday, October 31 to raise funds for Brain Tumour Support NZ, and awareness of the disease.
The high tea will be held at Kensington Bowling Club from 11am to 2pm. For more information visit www.braintumoursupport.org.nz/events.

Expertise sought for te reo programme

The Ministry of Education is seeking providers to help roll out a nationwide programme to increase the te reo Māori capability of the education workforce.
The programme, Te Ahu o te Reo Māori, will support the incorporation of Māori identity, language and culture into the curriculum and day-to-day practices of education services so Māori learners can actively participate in te ao Māori (the Māori world), Aotearoa and the wider world.
The ministry has requested proposals to identify potential providers for the delivery of Te Ahu o te Reo Māori from 2021 to 2024.
Proposals are being sought from providers with the expertise and networks to build the capability of early childhood centres, kōhanga reo, puna reo, schools, kura and wharekura kaiako (teachers), leaders and support staff to use te reo Māori confidently in their sites and classrooms across the country.
The due date for proposals is Monday, November 30 at 12 noon. Successful applicants will be contacted by January 13 and delivery will start from late March. Visit education.govt.nz for more information.

Free course for female farmers

Women keen to get into farming can enrol for a free NorthTec course designed specifically for them. Starting next month, it will be run by female tutors and will target women already working in the agriculture sector who want to develop their skills, or who want to retrain for employment purposes.
The course will be fees-free and will include two Level 3 qualifications, which means learners can prepare for a variety of farm work without incurring a student loan. Learners will have work placements on real farms all over Northland, from Oromahoe to Portland. The course will incorporate advice and mentoring from female role models working in the sector, including representatives from the Dairy Women's Network, the Ministry for Women and local female farmers and industry experts.
The programme kicks off on November 23 and runs until July 2021. Anyone interested in finding out more should contact tutor Melissa Bayley on 027 210 3599.

Debt clock ticks over

The Taxpayers' Union has launched its "official" New Zealand Government Debt Clock, to track the money politicians are borrowing (www.debtclock.nz). "Based on official Treasury figures, just the speed of the debt clock is terrifying," spokesman Jordan Williams said. "Every day the Government is piling on another $128 million. By 2024, every Kiwi household will effectively have another $112,000 on top of their mortgage."