Northland news in brief: Kaitaia boxer's next fight screened live; and trampoline injuries soar

Kaitaia boxer Mea Motu will have her next fight this weekend shown on Spark Sport.

Unbeaten Kaitaia boxer Mea Motu has her next bout this weekend, to be screened on Spark Sport.
Featherweight Motu, with a 4-0 record, will feature in the co-main event of Peach Boxing's upcoming fight night, which will be held in Auckland on Saturday.
Spark Sport will cover the fight, marking the company's first entry into local boxing.
After this fight, Motu's next bout will be on March 27 against Tania Reid for a New Zealand title. She also hopes to fight in Kaitaia this year. The aim is for her to keep busy and gain ring experience so she can make her mark on the international stage in 2022.

Trampoline injuries jump

More than 4500 trampoline-related injuries in Northland over the past 10 years have cost almost $4.5 million. In 2020 547 trampoline-related injuries in the region came at a cost of $1.3m. That was the highest annual cost in the past decade by more than $400,000. Nationally, ACC accepted claims for 12,669 trampoline-related injuries last year, at a cost of $10.6m.

Fire in the mulch

Spontaneous combustion of a large pile of mulch at a Bay of Islands landscaping business took firefighters almost two hours to put out. The fire was reported around 12.20am on Thursday on Pataka Lane near Waipapa's commercial centre. Kerikeri fire chief Les Wasson said there was no immediate threat to property but the fire produced a lot of smoke and odour. The fire was deep-seated so the brigade had to soak the mulch pile with a ''huge'' quantity of water to extinguish it. Spontaneous combustion in compost or mulch piles is not uncommon, especially when the material is damp — as it would have been after the previous day's rain.

Water tank rescue

Whangārei firefighters rushed to help an injured person stuck in a water tank at Pataua North on Saturday. St John ambulance and Northland Rescue Helicopter were called around 10am. Paramedics treated a patient in a moderate condition who was airlifted to Whangārei Hospital. No other details were known at edition time.

Police operation

Members of the public reported seeing around seven police vehicles near Whananaki, north of Whangārei at 1.30pm yesterday. A police spokesperson said there was no wider risk to the public when officers were spotted. Northland police were making inquiries about a person of interest and more information is believed to be made available today.

Accent on seafood

Feesh and cheep loving Australians have been saying it for years, and now it's true. New Zealanders' favourite takeaway meal is officially fush and chups. For a short while at least.

It's the work of Best Foods, which has rebranded the world-famous Mangonui Fish Shop as the Mangonui Fush Shop to encourage people to eat more local seafood.

The Ministry for Primary Industries forecast a 1.4 per cent drop in seafood exports for the year ending June, thanks to Covid-forced food service closures, challenging freight logistics and lower consumer spending.

The Mangonui shop has been serving fresh, locally caught seafood for more than 70 years, earning national recognition as the top fish and chip shop in New Zealand.