Northland news in brief: NCEA pass rates drop, provisional data shows; gas cylinder catches fire

Thousands of Northland school students are now able to access their NCEA results. Photo / 123RF

Provisional results indicate NCEA pass rates dropped across the board nationally for the third consecutive year in 2023. The Qualifications Authority said three years of Covid-related disruption was probably to blame. Students have been able to access their NCEA results since early Wednesday morning. By 10.30am, the authority said about 28,000 of 160,000 eligible students had done so.

Careful cooking

Firefighters are reminding homeowners to take care when cooking after a gas cylinder caught fire at an address in Woolleys Bay on Tuesday evening. Ngunguru fire station officer Chris Gibbs said the hose connected to the 9kg gas bottle caught fire, and that spread to the cylinder. He asked people using gas to keep an eye on their cooking and check for gas leaks.

Jazz jams

An afternoon of good music is on the menu on February 4 with the Northern Jazz Society’s Sunday Jazz event. Held at Flames Hotel’s Lava Bar from 2pm to 4.30pm, the event will have music from Thelonious Punk Band, featuring Declan Matthews, Andy Kingston, Bevan O’Brien and John Bell. Admission is $15 for society members and $20 for non-members.

Fund for feeders

Mahitahi Hauora’s successful sustainable Northland kai initiative, the Kai Ora Fund, is now open for 2024 applications. The fund supports community-led initiatives that increase the availability of healthy kai, address food security and improve community resilience. The closing date for applications is 12pm on February 6 . For more information or to apply, visit www.kaiorafund.com.

Sports selection

Northlanders can vote in the ISPS Handa Halberg Awards for New Zealand’s favourite sporting moment. The 10 finalists include Kaitāia boxer Mea Motu, who defended her IBO world super-bantamweight title after dislocating her shoulder in the first round, and Whangārei Football Fern Hannah Wilkinson, who scored the only goal in the opening game of the Fifa Women’s World Cup against Norway. Vote by visiting www.halberg.co.nz/vote before 9pm on February 14.

Council’s climate call

Northland Regional Council’s latest climate report says the climate outlook for January shows El Nino has a 100 per cent chance of persisting until March but is expected to begin weakening in February. Variations in the weather pattern were recorded in December, such as warmer-than-expected surface sea temperatures and uncommon weather patterns passing through New Zealand.

Summer summons shrew

The Kerikeri Theatre Company is gearing up for its upcoming production of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. The comedic tale of romance and wit will be brought to life with a 60s twist at Kainui Road Vineyard in Kerikeri from February 15 - 24. The production is directed by Jenny Blackler and is the company’s fifth outing in its annual Summer Shakespeare series. Tickets are available at www.blackboxtheatre.co.nz.