All of Northland is now in a restricted fire season with a permit required to light an open fire. Far North Zone One, which covers Aupouri and Karikari Peninsulas and the Kaitaia/Ahipara area, and Kaipara districts will move from a prohibited to restricted fire season effective from 8am today.This means all of the Far North, Whangarei and Kaipara districts will now be in a restricted fire season and a permit is required to light fire in the open air from today. Principal Rural Fire Officer Myles Taylor said with some permitted fires, communities may see smoke in some areas. However, anyone planning on lighting a fire or applying for a permit is urged to think carefully about the situation the country is currently in. "We will be looking at permit applications on a case by case basis but during Covid-19 levels 4 and 3 we are unable to conduct site visits which means it may take longer than usual for permit applications to be processed." Taylor said if it was not essential to burn rubbish and garden waste right now, be patient and wait until it is safe.
Man hands himself in
A man at the centre of an Armed Offenders Squad callout has handed himself and a firearm into police. Officers were called to a property near Dargaville on Sunday after reported shots were fired at a vehicle. Police were not able to find the man. Yesterday a 20-year-old handed himself in to police along with a firearm. He will appear in Whangārei District Court on charges of unlawfully discharging a firearm and aggravated assault.
Remote learning to continue
NorthTec students will continue to study remotely as the country moves into alert level 3 today. Tutors will continue to deliver lessons and tutorials remotely through a combination of digital and online methods, including virtual lectures via Zoom and online theory teaching. This complies with Government directives for tertiary education under alert level 3, and is aimed at ensuring the safety of students and staff. Some staff will now be allowed on to campus to prepare further teaching materials and resources, under specific conditions including maintaining social distancing at all times. Acting chief executive Wayne Jackson said overall, students and staff had coped well with the lockdown and lessons had continued as planned despite being taught remotely.
