Counting kiwi
Environmental community organisation Backyard Kiwi has recorded more than 1000 kiwi in the Whangārei Heads area. Last year's kiwi listening count estimated 885 adult kiwi present across the Heads. With results from 17 of the 20 kiwi listening stations in for 2021 they are looking to be more than 1000 this year. Backyard Kiwi says it was thanks to community commitment to keeping dogs under control, and the stoat control programme. The kiwi population was down to 80 birds 20 years when the programme started.
Nurses' strike
About 1400 Northland District Health Board nurses will join about 30,000 NZNO members across the going on strike three times in their campaign to demand better pay and conditions.
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) said its 30,000 members working in DHBs have voted in favour of three more strikes: July 29/30 for 24 hours, August 19 for eight hours and September 9/10 for 24 hours. The strike ballot closed at noon yesterday.
The nurses went on strike in June and the next three strikes will take place with the NZNO saying the DHBs also seem willing to actively seek a solution.
Further discussions with the DHBs are set for later this week, and mediation is scheduled for next week.
Puketona junction roundabout
The completion of the Puketona junction roundabout will be officially marked by Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis on July 14. The $15m Puketona junction project aims to improve the intersection at SH 10 and 11 which is on the Twin Coast Discovery Route. It has had a poor safety record because of the high volume of turning traffic. The project was funded by the regional package of the NZ Upgrade Programme delivered by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
Death after crash
Police have named a person has died following a crash in Mamaranui, north of Dargaville on June 16. Billie-Jean Della Young-Wardrop, aged 20, from Dargaville died when the vehicle she was in left the road on State Highway 12, near Mamaranui, and rolled down a bank later catching fire. Emergency services - including a helicopter and ambulance - responded to the single car crash.
EV charging in Paihia
Paihia will soon get a new 25kW DC electric vehicle (EV) charging station by converting three council parallel car parks into two 90-degree EV car parks on Williams Rd.
The charging station site was chosen because it is adjacent to necessary Top Energy power infrastructure and provides room for more, faster recharge stations to be installed in future.
The recommendation to create dedicated car parks for the station was made by the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board using the council's Parking and Traffic Control Bylaw 2010.
Paihia currently has one 7kW AC Tesla charger on the waterfront, but no multipurpose DC charging stations. These are a common feature of the Crimson Coast EV Highway, which provides a network of EV chargers around the Far North.
