A motorcyclist has died after a crash in the Far North.
Northland's road death toll has climbed to eight compared with 10 at the same time last year with the fatality.
The motorcyclist died after a crash involving a motorcycle and a car, near Te Kao, about 70km northwest of Kaitaia just before midday yesterday.
An off-duty St John officer was first at the scene, followed by firefighters from Kaitaia and Police Serious Crash Unit investigators.
Two others suffered moderate injuries and were attended to at the scene.
The Police Serious Crash Unit is investigating the crash. The death comes just three days after another motorcyclist died in a crash at Tutukaka.
Puppy farm investigation
The SPCA is continuing its investigation into an alleged puppy farm near Dargaville.
Animal advocates, including the Bay of Islands Animal Rescue group, filmed themselves breaking into the farm last October after becoming concerned for the health and welfare of 96 dogs contained at the dog breeder's property.
The video, posted on social media, shows dozens of beagles, golden retrievers, poodles and maltese living in close confinement behind corrugated iron fencing. Inside their pens, they were standing on broken pallets on the floor.
Following the visit, the rescue group obtained six of the dogs, while the SPCA uplifted three.
The SPCA couldn't say what happened to the three dogs that were removed.
SPCA national inspectorate manager Alan Wilson said: "We can confirm that SPCA is involved and that our work is ongoing, therefore we are unable to make any further comment at this time."
Ministry consults hapū and iwi
Representatives from throughout Te Tai Tokerau had a chance to share their views on the future of resource management in Aotearoa on Wednesday. Whānau, hapū and iwi met with the Ministry for the Environment at the Comfort Hotel Flames in Onerahi to discuss the proposed changes to the resource management system and how it will impact them. Those in attendance made calls for a commitment to articles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, rather than the principles. They also raised concerns around the segregation of Māori land through resource management legislation, definitions of mana whenua and the intersection of mana whenua with iwi, and how Māori would participate in the drafting of new legislation.
