It! festival postponed
A food and musical festival which was to have taken place in Paihia next month has been postponed until early next year due to the Covid pandemic. The It! Bay of Islands Food and Wine Festival was scheduled for October 3 on the Village Green with award-winning acoustic covers band White Chapel Jak as the main act. Ticket holders have been contacted with an offer of a refund or a transfer to a new date. The new date, in February, March or April, will be chosen in the next few weeks.
Election coverage
The Northern Advocate will start its general election coverage in earnest next week when it interviews candidates in all three electorates in the region - Whangārei, Northland and Te Tai Tokerau. And as part of our coverage we want readers to submit questions they want the candidates to answer. We will be conducting interviews, including video interviews, for publication in the Advocate and on its website, on The Hits Northland radio station and website. If you have a question you want to ask candidates either about specific issues in your electorate or Northland as a whole, please send them to elections@northernadvocate.co.nz, or by post to Candidate questions, Northern Advocate, PO Box 210, Whangārei.
Affordable housing calls
Whangārei District Council is backing local government calls for the Government to bring in housing affordability legislation – but the decision to do so wasn't unanimous. WDC wants an affordable housing working group to be set up. This would be made up of relevant and affected councils, central government agencies – Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Kainga Ora and the Ministry of Social Development, iwi and the community housing sector. It also wants a national policy statement for affordable housing. The council's affordable housing calls were made at an extraordinary council meeting on August 13 in Whangārei. They come as part of a majority decision on whether to make these calls. Councillors Phil Halse and Vince Cocurullo voted against the motion.
Ethnic football festival
The annual Whangārei Ethnic Football Festival is being held on Saturday, October 10, from 8am-2pm, at Tikipunga Sports Park. The annual tournament is organised by Multicultural Whangārei and features teams made up from the region's various ethnic communities. There will be a six-a-side football tournament, cultural performances and family fun. To register contact Justine on 09 430 0571 or email events@multiculturalwhangarei.co.nz
Blood donors wanted
The New Zealand Blood Service will visit the Far North next week looking for blood. The service will be at the Turner Centre in Kerikeri from 1pm to 6pm on Monday, and 9am to 3pm on Tuesday. It will then be at Te Ahu in Kaitaia on Wednesday from 10.30am to 4.30pm and on Thursday from 8.30am to 2.30pm. To book an appointment, or to register as a blood donor, go to www.nzblood.co.nz or call 0800 448325.
