Northland news in brief: Man arrested after shooting dog on his farm, and more Lotto luck

Armed police block the intersection of Ngunguru Rd and Harris Rd in Glenbervie prior to the arrest of farmer Gilbert Courtney and the recovery of four firearms. Photo / John Stone

A Northland farmer who sparked a police Armed Offenders Squad callout has appeared in court on two charges. No pleas were taken when Gilbert Courtney, 71, of Glenbervie appeared in the Whangārei District Court yesterday on one charge of threatening to kill and another of unlawfully presenting a shotgun. He was arrested at his Ngunguru Rd house on Thursday evening and taken to Whangārei police station for questioning. Police recovered four firearms from the property. Courtney is on bail and will re-appear before a judge on March 2.

Big ticket

A ticket sold in Whangārei was among six that each won more than $35,000 with Lotto Second Division on Wednesday. The ticket, sold at Patel's Foodmarket on Kamo Rd, won $35,327 with Lotto Second Division in Wednesday's Lotto draw. The win follows two Lotto First Division and four Lotto Second Division wins in Northland so far this year.

Whangaroa fire

Firefighters were battling a major blaze off Wainui Rd, near Kaeo, late yesterday. The alarm was raised about 4.10pm with four helicopters dispatched from Paihia and Whangārei and fire crews sent from Kaeo, Kerikeri and Mangonui. The blaze was in scrub and native bush under power lines. Further details were not known at edition time yesterday.

Special service

A special service acknowledging the Treaty of Waitangi will be held at Christ Church in Russell at 10.30am tomorrow. The speaker will be David Williams, an Auckland University professor, who from 1991-2001 was an independent researcher and barrister specialising in Treaty of Waitangi claims by Māori concerning historic acts or omissions by the Crown. Williams is also an ordained priest in the Anglican Church and chairs the St Issac's Retreat House Trust in the Hokianga. The service will be followed by a shared lunch.

Campground for sale

A Kiwiana-style beachfront campground operating in South Hokianga since the 1960s is up for sale. The owners of Ōpononi Beach Holiday Park, which is next to the Manea Footsteps of Kupe cultural centre due to open later this year, plan to retire after decades running the business. It will be sold at auction through Bayleys Kerikeri on February 4. The campground has 34 powered sites and 80 tent plots. The only other commercial campground in Hokianga is in Rawene, 12km further up the harbour.

Pump blamed for blaze

A seized water pump is thought to have started a fire on a farm near State Highway 1, Ōhaeawai, on Tuesday night. The resulting blaze destroyed the pump shed and burnt through area of grass equivalent to about half a rugby field. Kaikohe Fire Brigade responded, along with a tanker from Kerikeri. The blaze took almost three hours to put out, in part because of difficult access across farmland.

Up in smoke

Kaikohe firefighters responding to alarming reports of smoke from a business on the town's main street about 10.45am on Wednesday discovered it was in fact someone road-testing new tyres. No damage was done beyond some rubber left on the road.

Digger stolen

A new digger stolen from Ace Rental on Waipapa Rd, Kerikeri, has been found in South Hokianga. The 2.5-tonne Kobelco digger was taken along with a trailer after thieves cut a fence on Sunday evening. Senior Sergeant Peter Robinson, of Mid North police, said the digger was recovered in Waima on Tuesday. Police inquiries were continuing.

Death charge

A Whangārei man charged over the death of a woman while under the influence of a drug and being incapable of having control of a vehicle has been remanded for a trial date to be set. Wayne John Purdon, 56, of Tikipunga, appeared in the Whangārei District Court on Wednesday and was remanded on bail until April for a trial date. The charge relates to the death of a 55-year-old woman on State Highway 1, south of Whangārei, on July 14 last year. He also faces a charge of causing bodily injury while under the influence of a drug and being incapable of controlling a vehicle.