All of my life I have eagerly waited for the 'potential' of this region to blossom, unfortunately in economic terms the word potential is a meaningless gesture.

Police are appealing to motorists to slow down, wear restraints and not drive after drinking alcohol.

Government funding has increased by 23 per cent to $77.7 million for the maintenance, operation and renewal of Far North roads over the next three years.

Far North lines network operator and electricity generator Top Energy has acquired the Ngawha Ginn Spa baths and farm as part of a land acquisition deal believed to cover nearly 200ha of the geothermal field.

A dozen or so Houhora volunteers who have been using their own craft to aid boaties in distress for five years are ready to become Coastguard's most northerly unit.

Well known Far North couple Donna and Paul Scutt were among the latest crop of winners of Sport Northland's Lotto Sport Maker programme.

A whopping 89 per cent of convictions for illegal hunting or possession of kukupa were for offences occurring in Northland.

The very sad and unexpected passing of Jannye Freeman has caused me to reflect on the immense amount of voluntary service Jannye has rendered to the Whangaroa community.

The council has set up a Kaitaia Water Reference Group to liaise with the community and interest groups and work to resolve existing risks to the water supply scheme in drought conditions.

A record number of 113 gymnasts representing the elite from clubs across the province competed at the annual Kaitaia Gymnastics Club competition earlier this month.

A quote from Anglo/French writer, historian and politician Hilaire Belloc summed up Clive Patterson's philosophy nicely when the long-time Kaitaia solicitor was farewelled into retirement (of a kind) last week: 'There's nothing worth the wear of winning b

Okaihau and St Stephen the Martyr's in Kaikohe, told the Northland Age last week that they would fight the decision, and hoped that the two communities would rise up in their defence.

Re your front page article (July 14), about the South Kerikeri Inlet Landcare Kiwi Conservation Group reporting the death of seven kiwi in the last two months to dogs.

A dining era came to an end in Kaitaia on Friday night when Peter Bieri and Mary Jane Ardley served a full house at the Beachcomber restaurant for the final time.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has welcomed what he described as a range of new operational changes designed to improve the transparency, clarity and enforcement of rules around swamp kauri.

One local league identity impressed with the selection of Brody Tamarua and Te Kahi Nathan for the Kiwis 16s trials in Rotorua this week was Jim Larkin.

Premier division Kerikeri Bay Builders 4 Central Brown 0 (ht 1-0): Sitting second-to-bottom, Central were never likely to give newly crowned NMP champions Kerikeri much trouble, especially at home.

Kaitaia GP Dr Lance O'Sullivan might well have recorded a literary first for New Zealand, if not globally, last week.

"Less than 10 per cent of New Zealand's wetlands remain, and Northland's remaining wetlands are declining fast, with swamp kauri mining being a significant cause."

Champions of the kiwi in the Far North are concerned by the number of birds that have been killed by a dog or dogs around Kerikeri over the last two months.

Is going alcohol-free for a month really something to celebrate? Catherine Gaffaney asks experts what Dry July says about New Zealand's Drinking Culture.

Mangonui's Year 8 and under-15 sides represented their centre with distinction at the Barfoot & Thompson Representative Tournament in Kerikeri at the end of June.

Nearly two years on since Mayor Carter was elected and what has been achieved? Very little, I say. The SFO investigation had all prior councillors and Wayne Brown under suspicion, along with the entire council management team.

Mention in the Northland Age about a wooden pou that once stood at Taipa, but has since been removed (What became of the pou? June 11), has sparked interest from Heritage New Zealand.

David Allott, national manager of Spotless Services, wasn't thinking about what he was going to say as he drove from Auckland on Tuesday to congratulate his company's team at Kaitaia Hospital.

The Far North Quilters' ladies in Kaitaia are well used to producing quilts for good causes and worthy individuals, but a request from Switzer Residential Care general manager Jackie Simkins some months ago was far from run of the mill.