It’s 50 years since the end of the Vietnam war It was controversial with protests throughout the country Enter your email address to receive regular updates from Waatea News Produced by iDigital Strict water restrictions in Dargaville for the past month have been lifted were imposed in the Northland town and the nearby coastal settlement of Baylys Beach on 11 March Kaipara District Council chief executive Jason Marris said steady rainfall in recent days had lifted water levels in the Kaihu River and Niwa predicted near-normal rainfall this month The Kaihu River provides raw water for Dargaville's water treatment plant Marris acknowledged Dargaville and Baylys Beach residents for their water-saving efforts during the past month despite being under water restrictions of some form since December 2024 residents reduced their daily water use by an average of 161,465 litres This amounted to a saving of more than 4.3 million litres almost enough to fill two Olympic-sized swimming pools "Everyone's efforts during these restrictions have made a massive difference," he said Frequent water restrictions have become a source of frustration in the town with Dargaville Ratepayers and Residents Association chair Rose Dixon saying families were denied the "quintessential Kiwi summer" of fun in the backyard with a hose and water slide "I just don't think that's fair," she said, when level 3 restrictions, banning the use of outdoor hoses and sprinklers, imposed in December the council defended its failure to find a solution citing the enormous cost of establishing a more resilient water supply and changing government policies on water that had thrown any plans into disarray water shortages could be a thing of the past in Dargaville Minister Shane Jones announced a $17.5 million loan to Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust to build a 22km pipeline from its new Waihekeora Reservoir at Glinks Gully to Dargaville As well as providing a back-up water supply for the town and major users such as the Silver Fern Farms processing plant it would allow the flat land south of Dargaville to be converted to high-value horticulture The pipeline is expected to be completed in summer 2026/27 the Far North District Council is due to reconsider its restrictions at a meeting of its water shortage committee on Wednesday A spokesman said any changes would likely be announced on Friday level 3 restrictions currently remain in place at Kawakawa Less severe level 2 restrictions are in place for Kaitāia fire restrictions have also been eased in parts of Northland Acting Northland community risk manager Michael Champtaloup said fires were allowed again - but only with a permit - across most of Northland A total fire ban remained in the Muriwhenua fire district which included the Aupōuri and Karikari peninsulas Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Former Northland teacher James Robertson Parker was convicted in 2013 of 74 charges Police have yet to determine the cause of the man's sudden death in the Te Kamo suburb of Whangārei yesterday Leader says government intervention is needed and has organised a meeting with Police Minister Mark Mitchell Waikato and Auckland could be hit by squally thunderstorms tonight as a low moves in from the Tasman Sea Far North Mayor Moko Tepania and Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo are both facing in-house leadership challenges in the upcoming October local elections The Kaipara township of Dargaville was victim to a string of burglaries overnight Police received a report of a burglary on Victoria St around 2am Senior Sergeant Steve Dickson said the suspects smashed a window entered a store and stole a range of products He said a service station and superette were broken into during that same period Police confirmed they were investigating other reports of suspicious activity in the area “We acknowledge the public for reporting this activity through to us and police will work through the information to ascertain whether it is linked to the burglaries,” Dickson said Dargaville has been left reeling by other burglaries. More than $2000 was taken from the Greenways Charitable Trust in Dargaville in late December Dickson encouraged people with information about last night’s burglaries to contact police on 105, referencing number 250218/4404 or anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111. Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond. Visitors are encouraged to help identify people in the photographs. Police said three vehicles were stolen from Mamaranui at around 1am on Sunday. Inspector Maria Nordstrom, Whangārei-Kaipara Area Commander, said the vehicles travelled in convoy south into Dargaville where they were spotted by police. "All three vehicles failed to stop for the unit near River Rd, before beginning to drive at excessive speeds." Police did not pursue the vehicles, she said. "Police soon came across one of these vehicles which had collided with a house on River Rd, and the driver was attempting to run on foot before being apprehended by police." Nordstrom said a second vehicle was located abandoned on State Highway 12 near Turiwiri, while a third stolen vehicle was spiked near Pūhoi. All five were charged with burglary and multiple counts of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle. Those arrested were aged between 14 and 16. Police said three vehicles were stolen from Mamaranui at around 1am on Sunday. (Source: 1News) Five teenagers will face charges after three vehicles were allegedly stolen from a rural property north of Dargaville, with one colliding with a house while attempting to flee police. Man charged after gun allegedly fired in Masterton MSD office Police said it was believed to be an isolated incident with no wider risk to the public Crime and Justice Bystanders prevent attempted abduction of Auckland primary student Police said they were investigating the incident which occurred outside Rowandale School in the suburb of Manurewa at around 3pm on Monday Homicide investigation after man dies in Auckland's Manurewa Emergency services were called to the property on Mahia Rd just before 10am to a report of a man "seriously injured" Vandals in 4WDs mow down The damage was done overnight on Saturday after the vandals first removed new vehicle barriers in front of the trees Owner prosecuted after dog starves to death SPCA inspectors found evidence suggesting Mike had been tethered to the same spot "for an extended period" Blaze at McDonald's in east Auckland treated as suspected arson Counties Manukau CIB Detective Senior Sergeant Michele Gillespie said a scene guard has been in place at the restaurant overnight Victoria Uni law students to sit handwritten exams due to AI fears 22 mins ago Five Big Things That Happened Today: Tuesday, May 6 30 mins ago Judge orders arrest of man over plot targeting Lady Gaga concert 3:25pm EU launches drive to lure scientists after Trump freezes funding 3:14pm Auditor-General launches probe into school lunches 2:57pm Man charged after gun allegedly fired in Masterton MSD office 11 mins ago 1Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Bystanders prevent attempted abduction of Auckland primary student Kiwi motorcyclist killed in 11-bike British Supersport crash Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway Govt halts all current pay equity claims, makes it harder to lodge new ones Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala A$AP Rocky and Rihanna also revealed they are expecting their third child. Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fans Sun, May 4 Lorde announces new album name, date Thu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robbery Mon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Mon, Apr 28 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robbery Mon Five teenagers will face charges after three vehicles were allegedly stolen from a rural property north of Dargaville with one colliding with a house while attempting to flee police Police said three vehicles were stolen from Mamaranui at around 1am on Sunday said the vehicles travelled in convoy south into Dargaville where they were spotted by police "All three vehicles failed to stop for the unit near River Rd before beginning to drive at excessive speeds." "Police soon came across one of these vehicles which had collided with a house on River Rd and the driver was attempting to run on foot before being apprehended by police." Nordstrom said a second vehicle was located abandoned on State Highway 12 near Turiwiri while a third stolen vehicle was spiked near Pūhoi All five were charged with burglary and multiple counts of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle Those arrested were aged between 14 and 16 A 25-year-old man has appeared in court after he allegedly fired a gun at another person inside a Ministry of Social Development office in Masterton yesterday Police were called to the incident on Lincoln Rd at around 12.40pm on Monday Wairarapa Area Commander Inspector Nick Thom said there were no reports of injuries from the incident "Following police's initial enquiries one person was taken into custody a short time later nearby." Cordons were put in place around the area and some staff were armed as a precaution Thom said it was believed to be an isolated incident with no wider risk to the public "Police would like to commend Ministry of Social Development staff for their prompt actions in following their lockdown procedures as this enabled police to provide a swift response to resolve this incident quickly." A 25-year-old man appeared in Masterton District Court today charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and conducting a dangerous act with intent to cause grievous bodily harm A stranger allegedly tried to force an 8-year-old boy into a car outside an Auckland primary school yesterday before bystanders intervened and the man drove off Police confirmed they were investigating an incident from around 3pm on Monday outside Rowandale School in the suburb of Manurewa "Police are still working to understand exactly what was occurring at the time and our enquiries are ongoing," a spokesperson said "We have spoken with the boy and will continue to work through a careful process Rowandale School principal Karl Vasau said in a statement to social media that other parents had intervened "The student then made his way home and told his parents who then came into school to let us know and then they rung the police." Vasau told 1News the pupil was "doing fine" following the incident and was surrounded by a "supportive "Our student is safe now and his family are thankful that nothing further happened to their boy but are wanting us all to be aware and stay safe It's about working with that child to make them feel safe again but also looking forward to returning back to school with a little bit of normality." Police had reacted "pretty quickly" to the reports "They've been in this morning to touch base and connect the community police constables are going to come back to tomorrow to address the whole school in relation to what had happened and around keeping themselves safe before and after school." Increased police patrols would remain in the area after school from Wednesday Anyone with relevant information should contact police on 105 A Southland man whose dog was found starved to death has been sentenced to community work was found dead in his kennel by Invercargill City Council Animal Control officers in June 2023 SPCA inspectors executed a search warrant and found evidence which suggested Mike had been tethered to the same spot "for an extended period" with a rusty chain He was prosecuted for failing to seek veterinary care for the severely malnourished dog The ground Mike was restricted to was described as "worn down" "His body was in extremely poor condition and pelvis were clearly visible," SPCA said A post-mortem confirmed the dog had the lowest possible body condition score which suggested Mike had been starved over several weeks His stomach and intestines were "almost entirely empty" The offender admitted he had not checked on the dog for "about a week" The man claimed he had not contacted a vet or the SPCA because he could not afford to do so He was sentenced to 200 hours of community service at the Invercargill District Court after pleading guilty to charges relating to the treatment of Mike He was also ordered to pay reparations of $233.88 for veterinary costs and $500 towards legal costs He was disqualified from owning dogs for a period of five years SPCA chief executive Todd Westwood said Mike's death was the result of neglect that could have been avoided This case is a clear reminder that if an animal is unwell It’s a basic responsibility of pet ownership,” he said He said prolonged tethering was "unacceptable and heartbreaking", which was why the SPCA advocated for new regulations that would be released later this year "The prolonged tethering of dogs is an issue that our inspectors deal with daily While it is difficult to gather accurate numbers it is safe to say this issue impacts the lives of thousands of dogs in New Zealand." Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard said in April that the new regulations would give animal welfare inspectors the tools to intervene quickly when dogs are suffering harm from being tied up for long periods Hoggard said he had "been hearing a lot from members of the public" who want to see action taken" on the issue of dog chaining "Most dog owners in New Zealand treat their animals well and these regulations will have little to no impact upon them," he said "I’m confident these regulations will result in better outcomes for those dogs "We have a few steps to follow to get these proposals ready to become law but it is my expectation that these will be finalised by the end of the year That will be followed by a short period with a focus on education so that all dog owners understand their obligations and to allow those who need to make changes time to adapt." The changes agreed on through Cabinet included: A law change was first proposed and consulted on two years ago Nearly 30,000 people signed a petition to Parliament on the issue in 2021 Police say a fire at a McDonald's restaurant in Pakuranga is being investigated as a suspected arson Emergency services attended the fire on Pakuranga Rd just before 3pm yesterday Large plumes of smoke could be seen and explosions heard at the fast food restaurant which has "sustained significant fire damage as a result" "At this point in time we are treating this fire as a suspected arson "A scene examination is being conducted this morning and police will work alongside a fire investigator," she said Gillespie said part of these inquiries would be working to understand how the fire began She said police would like to hear from anyone who saw suspicious activity prior to the fire Anyone with information was urged to contact police online or anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 A law student at Victoria University of Wellington said students had been "left in the lurch" after an announcement on Monday that said next month's exams for two law subjects would have to be handwritten also said a timetable had still not been provided he said he had become "increasingly worried that the embedding of artificial intelligence (AI) in many students' laptops makes ensuring that students' work is their own very difficult" He had hoped the university would have a technical solution although he hoped one would be available at the end of the year "This means that we will not be able to allow students to use laptops for exams next month," McLay wrote "I want to make this announcement as soon as possible so students have time to prepare for handwritten examinations." McLay added that there would be an exception for students with a disability that required them to use a keyboard The situation affected the LAWS 312 Equity and LAWS 334 Ethics exams The student said the announcement was stressful during an already stressful time a representative of the Victoria University of Wellington Law Students' Society said the Council of Legal Education had to be certain that everyone who passed the exams in Equity and Ethics deserved a pass (and did not cheat) "Previously in person invigilation has been sufficient to manage these concerns due to the increasing ability and sophistication of AI the faculty were concerned about the reliability of the exams leading to their decision to make the Equity and Ethics exams handwritten." The representative said the law students' society had expressed that students' preference was for typed exams — "reflecting how our professional lives will look" once it became clear that the faculty felt they needed to proceed with handwritten exams we emphasised that students should be informed as early as possible accessibility options should be made clear and exam content and timing should reflect the fact that many students have not done handwritten exams since high school and are not used to writing for extended periods of time." The representative added it was separate from the delay to the exam timetable Victoria University Provost Professor Bryony James said students' handwriting their exams meant the university could be confident that the results truly reflected the students' own knowledge and effort — free of any suggestion of the influence of AI James said she would ensure that no student was disadvantaged and was committed to working with students — including those with disabilities — who might need further support to participate in exams and final assessments as a result "As part of this undertaking the Faculty of Law will review this Trimester's exam results to ensure this cohort's performance is in line with previous years and confirm that students are not significantly impacted by this decision." President of Victoria University's Students' Association Liban Ali told Morning Report he was aware that this could happen as early as last year "It has been on the card as of last year I feel like there was something that was going to happen." Ali said the announcement had come at the wrong time and that the Students' Association were very concerned for students He said the Students' Association had engaged the Law Society and the faculty to determine the best way to support students He added that he would make sure that any changes were communicated early in the future rnz.co.nz The Government halts all current pay equity claims Stanford concedes use of personal email 'untidy' and a Kiwi motorcyclist has been killed in a crash in England Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden said the proposed changes would "significantly reduce costs to the Crown" and would discontinue current claims There have been massive pay equity claims in recent years for nurses and rest home workers The PSA union said the changes were a "dark day for New Zealand women" while the nurse's union described it as a "blatant and shameful attack" Read More Erica Stanford has spoken after 1News revealed she sent pre-Budget announcements to her personal email last year and had used her Gmail for ministerial business over the course of her time as a minister who holds the education and immigration portfolios said today she was "not a perfect human" she put the practice down to printing issues But Stanford said she had "taken lots of steps" to avoid the issue from arising further Read More Rowandale School principal Karl Vasau told 1News the pupil was "doing fine" following the incident and was surrounded by a "supportive Read More Shane William Pritchard has been charged with crimes he didn’t commit and chased for debts he doesn’t owe That’s because the Dunedin man is not the only Shane William Pritchard in town The duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane but it has caused problems for 36 years and he's approached Gill Higgins for help Read More was fatally injured alongside Englishman Owen Jenner on the first corner of the race at Oulton Park who was a previous New Zealand rider of the year Cemetery Circuit in Whanganui posted to its social media in tribute to Richardson a fantastic and talented racer and a genuine human" Read More Homegrown will be held at Hamilton's Claudelands Oval confirmed it would be leaving Wellington's waterfront after being there for 18 years Organisers said Hamilton offers potential for the festival to expand and evolve as New Zealand's fastest-growing city Read More A Brazilian judge today ordered the arrest of a man suspected of being involved in an alleged plot to place explosives at a concert by singer Lady Gaga in Rio de Janeiro Judge Fabiana Pagel of the Rio Grande do Sul state court did not name the suspect in her ruling but said he is a man investigated by Rio de Janeiro police as the alleged mastermind of the plot said yesterday they had released a man under investigation for the alleged plot after he paid his bail Brazilian media reported that is the same man jailed today by Judge Pagel Rio police did not reveal names of either of its two suspects or show images of the explosives that the alleged plotters intended to use said authorities believed the suspects sought to target Brazil’s LGBTQ community The Rio event on Sunday was the biggest show of the pop star’s career attracting an estimated 2.5 million fans to Copacabana Beach with 5200 military and police officers deployed to the beach where fans were revelling The European Union launched a drive to attract scientists and researchers to Europe with offers of grants and new policy plans after the Trump administration froze US government funding linked to diversity no one would have imagined that one of the biggest democracies in the world would cancel research programs under the pretext that the word diversity was in this programme," French President Emmanuel Macron said at the Choose Europe for Science event in Paris "No one would have thought that one of the biggest democracies in the world would delete the ability of one researcher or another to obtain visas," Macron said Taking the same stage at the Sorbonne University European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU’s executive branch would set up a "super grant" programme aimed at offering "a longer-term perspective to the very best" in the field She said that €500 million (NZ$948 million) would be put forward in 2025-2027 "to make Europe a magnet for researchers" It would be injected into the European Research Council which already has a budget of more than €16 billion (NZ$30 billion) for 2021-2027 Von der Leyen said the 27-nation EU intended "to enshrine freedom of scientific research into law" with a new legal act As "the threats rise across the world Europe will not compromise on its principles" The White House responded by describing DEI as "an inherently discriminatory policy" "If the European Union wants to embrace policies that divide rather than focus on real scientific discovery they should not be surprised when US innovation continues to outpace Europe," said spokesperson Anna Kelly "America will continue to attract and cultivate the best talent in science Macron said that the French government would also soon make new proposals to beef up investment in science and research hundreds of university researchers in the United States had National Science Foundation funding cancelled to comply with US President Donald Trump’s order to end support for research on diversity More than 380 grant projects have been cut so far including work to combat internet censorship in China and Iran and a project consulting with Indigenous communities to understand environmental changes in Alaska’s Arctic region Some terminated grants that sought to broaden the diversity of people studying science researchers and doctors have taken to the streets in protest While not mentioning the Trump administration by name von der Leyen said that it was "a gigantic miscalculation" to undermine free and open research "We can all agree that science has no passport "We believe that diversity is an asset of humanity and the lifeblood of science It is one of the most valuable global assets and it must be protected." Von der Leyen's drive to promote opportunities in Europe in the field of science and take advantage of US policy shifts dovetails with the way that she has played up the potential for trade deals with other countries since Trump took office in January and sparked a tariff war last month vowed that the EU would also address some of the roadblocks that scientists and researchers faced notably excessive red tape and access to businesses Macron said science and research must not "be based on the diktats of the few" Macron said Europe "must become a refuge" for scientists and researchers and he said to those who feel under threat elsewhere: "The message is simple The Auditor-General's office has announced plans for an inquiry into the school lunch programme that has drawn criticism since a revamp It will cover Ministry of Education planning procurement and contract implementation under David Seymour's alternative model Terms of reference for the inquiry set out its scope: The Auditor-General's office said it decided to investigate because of concerns raised about aspects of the revised lunch programme and what the Ministry communicated with previous providers," it said "Because of the importance of these services we have decided to carry out an inquiry." the Office noted the ministry had in October last year awarded a two-year contract to the School Lunch Collective under which lunches would be provided for $3 each The ministry was also reported to have paid a further $8.9m to the collective for Year 9 and older students which had been part of the School Lunch Collective A further $4m grant was provided to KidsCan for a food programme in Early Childhood Education services rnz.co.nz While the duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane for the other it has caused problems for 36 years It’s been years of fearing every knock on the door Years of wondering if he’ll be hand-cuffed and taken to jail to be honest,” says Shane William Pritchard a scout and a member of the Air Training Corp remembers getting quite a shock when her friend called one evening She'd been acting as a referee for a gun licence for Shane whose friend informed her that the police had a long list of offences against Shane’s name Not long after that the police turned up to where Shane was working at the local tannery to arrest him “You're scrambling in your head to think of ways that you can prove it's not you.” Another Shane William Pritchard had been born in Otago They were separated by just two weeks and about 50 miles – one growing up in Mosgiel the other in Milton – but also by the lives they’d been leading To watch the full video story go to TVNZ+ Shane from Milton had huge problems focusing at school He was raised in foster care and then boys’ homes I just wanted to look cool and get in trouble,” he tells Fair Go Milton Shane was used to run-ins with police he got pulled over in his car and asked about his driving licence one’s got a licence and the other hasn’t.’ And I’m like ‘obviously it must be the one with a licence’.” he went to his bank to draw out an ACC payment and was asked which bank account was his He says that at that point he was trying to figure out what was going on “I thought it was just an error.” But he took advantage of the situation and withdrew a large sum of cash Mosgiel Shane became aware of the withdrawal when a scheduled car payment was declined and when Milton Shane turned up at the bank to withdraw more money Identity fraud was considered but Milton Shane was legitimately expecting an ACC payment so the withdrawal appeared to be a genuine mistake and the police couldn’t take any action 'Anything I could get away with Mosgiel Shane thought the bank incident would have alerted police to the problem But his nemesis had cottoned on to the advantages of having a second identity to use Milton Shane acquired a suite of furniture on hire-purchase Milton-Shane clocked up more driving offences Mosgiel Shane thought about changing his name but realised he’d have to provide his previous name in the process the courts and debt collectors such as Baycorp should be able to distinguish between himself and Milton Shane The police first addressed the issue in the 1990s after Mosgiel Shane went to the media He was given a letter to carry with him should he be apprehended He and his parents felt his situation wasn’t being taken seriously Mosgiel Shane went to the media a second time in the mid-2000s the police gave their word that a record in their system would stop the misidentification from happening again This does appear to have worked as far as police action goes But while Mosgiel Shane was given the same reassurance by the Ministry of Justice he continued to receive demands from the courts for unpaid fines He’d also get stopped and questioned whenever he left the country for work trips or holidays It took a huge toll on Mosgiel Shane’s mental health not realising the constant stress it placed on his life John Pritchard says that at times his son felt his life wasn’t worth living worrying about what he was going to do to himself and that really ate me up.” he and his son were in tears as Shane admitted he was at breaking point He described going for days at a time unable to eat or sleep wondering what might happen next "Am I going to be in a position where they've got me in handcuffs or I've got debt collectors coming to the door?" ...You're spiralling into this black hole." He started taking anti-anxiety medication which helped And events regarding Milton Shane seemed to settle Milton Shane was charged for fishing without a licence in Twizel and failing to comply with fisheries officers But a court registrar incorrectly entered the birth date of Mosgiel Shane in the system both Shanes were being chased to pay the $1530 fine It was Mosgiel Shane who spotted the error and rang the court He also sent a statement from his manager saying he’d not been fishing in Twizel that day The reply he got was to say he’d been given the wrong form and that they wouldn’t accept his proof They just wanted to know how I was going to pay the fine.” The first Milton Shane knew about this was when Fair Go told him Mosgiel Shane had been chased for the fine He was told to pay up or face the consequences feeling he shouldn’t have to pay good money to correct someone else’s mistake But it cost Mosgiel Shane over $5000 in legal fees and took months of back and forth between him “Why should anybody have to pay their own money to right somebody else's wrongs and prove who they are I’m sick and tired of proving who I am all the time.” He wanted the Ministry of Justice to take responsibility and reimburse him for his legal costs saying court staff such as the registrar in this case have immunity if they make mistakes such as the one made here and if I make a mistake and it's affecting my client that it's going to cost them money to rectify a mistake that I've made.” he deserves a million apologies from those guys,” she says Milton Shane told Fair Go he still gets in trouble but wants the other Shane to know he doesn’t use his birth date anymore And he had a message for him: “We’ve got to get it sorted for you so you can have a good life with you and your family because I’m trying to get my life together with my son and my grandson” He offers to meet to see if they can sort it out together but I’m not interested in meeting him,.” says Mosgiel Shane He says he doesn’t hold any grudges and accepts Milton Shane’s apology And he believes the only way for that to happen is for the courts and the Ministry of Justice to give him a guarantee that mix-ups won’t occur in the future Fair Go asked the Ministry of Justice to appear in person to apologise and provide reassurance to Shane of its plans to guard against these mistakes The Ministry declined our request to be on camera saying any comment on an individual case would compromise the independence of the courts as the Ministry operates separately But it did send a written apology directly to Mosgiel Shane It also admitted mistakes can occur in clerical records but said instructions were clear and the importance of getting things right had been emphasised to staff Mosgiel Shane isn’t totally convinced that’s the end of it “All I want is for the Ministry of Justice and the courts to do their job I'd like to live without this hanging over me all the time his criminal check has come back showing a clean slate Kiwi motorcyclist Shane Richardson is one of two riders who died in an 11-bike crash at a British Supersport Championship event A statement from British Superbikes said the race was immediately stopped and trackside medical services deployed "Due to the extreme severity of the incident and ongoing medical intervention the remainder of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship event was cancelled," a spokesperson said "This catastrophic accident has tragically resulted in two riders being fatally injured and another sustaining significant injuries." Richardson was initially treated trackside and then taken to the circuit's medical centre before he was taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital with "severe chest injuries" Jenner was also initially treated trackside and then taken to the circuit medical centre where he died from a "catastrophic head injury" British rider Tom Tunstall suffered back and abdominal injuries and a further five riders including New Zealander Morgan McLaren-Wood were transferred to the circuit medical centre with minor injuries which did not require transfer to hospital Three more riders were also involved but were uninjured "Devastated to hear we have lost another of our racing family Our thoughts are with Hannah and the family along with our condolences to Owen’s family too." Richardson's sponsor Whites Powersports said the team was "extremely saddened" by the news of his death "Shane will be remembered by many as a great racer Our thoughts go out to Shane’s young family and friends during this tough time The New Zealand Superbike Championship said its "deepest sympathies" went out to Richardson's family and friends A person has died following a crash on Auckland's south-western motorway this morning The single vehicle crash was reported to police shortly before 5am the sole occupant of this vehicle died at the scene," a police spokesperson said "Earlier closures of northbound lanes have now lifted and police advise motorists to continue to expect delays as earlier backlogs clear "We appreciate motorists' understanding this morning while emergency services carried out their work." Police said the serious crash unit examined the scene this morning and an investigation was underway into this morning's crash on behalf of the Coroner This is in addition to an earlier crash on Auckland's northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge Emergency services responded to a two-truck collision on the northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge shortly after 5am New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said all lanes south on State Highway 1 were open again following this earlier crash with five lanes available on the Harbour Bridge "Allow extra time for delays on the Northern Motorway to slowly ease this morning three lanes going south were now open again between Onewa Rd and the Harbour Bridge," NZTA said The government is making it harder to make a claim for pay equity that will cut costs There have been massive pay equity claims in recent years for nurses and resthome workers Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden announced the moves to raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued to support a claim on Tuesday saying changes back in 2020 had created problems "Claims have been able to progress without strong evidence of undervaluation and there have been very broad claims where it is difficult to tell whether differences in pay are due to sex-based discrimination or other factors." Claims were concentrated in the public sector with costs to the Crown of all settlements so far totalling $1.78 billion a year "The changes I am proposing will significantly reduce costs to the Crown," she said "The changes will discontinue current pay equity claims." Van Velden told Midday Report she believes in pay equity but the current thresholds were "a bit too loose" Asked how she ensure women were not hurt by this the minister said "I'm a woman and I support women who work" "I also support removing gender based discriminations from our workforces but what I don't support are muddied laws and unclear laws," she said "So these changes are better for all women who are working where we can genuinely say hand on heart that what they are finding with their claims is genuine gender based discrimination." Van Velden told reporters at Parliament any current claims would be stopped and need to restart under the new threshold to show "genuine" gender discrimination and make sure the comparators were right She gave a figure of 33 current claims that would be stopped as the legislation was put through under urgency "You have librarians who've been comparing themselves to transport engineers We have admin and clerical staff at Health New Zealand comparing themselves to mechanical engineers." Social workers had compared themselves to air traffic controllers "We don't believe we have that setting right." Any comparison would now be between female employees and male employees at the same employer "But you cannot go fishing for discrimination across the New Zealand workforce." All current settled claims would continue but the government was drawing "a line in the sand" "We're not stopping claims." The nurse's union has this year had at least 10 pay equity claims in play The PSA union has said pay equity claims and settlements had resulted in significant improvements in pay and working conditions for many workers The union said the changes would make it "impossible for people in female-dominated professions to be paid fairly" "Women across the country will pay the price for this," PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said "The government's changes today are a dark day for New Zealand women as the government says it will repeal the pay equity law and extinguish 33 existing claims in a constitutional overreach "The PSA is exploring all possible avenues to oppose these unconstitutional amendments and stop this attack on women We will not be deterred in our fight to achieve pay equity for all." "This is a blatant and shameful attack on women," New Zealand Nurses organisation chief executive Paul Goulter said "Women in workforces predominantly performed by female employees have been underpaid and undervalued for generations That is what pay equity claims seek to rectify," he said "This move by the government will widen the pay gap between men and women." The union had at least 10 pay current pay claims across Aged Care These cover many nurses and support workers The E tū union also called the changes an attack on women and a green light to pay them less for work of equal value The government was pulling the rug out from under a 13-year-long fight in aged care "These changes are not about evidence — they are about saving money by keeping women underpaid," national secretary Rachel Mackintosh said in a statement A number of unions have called a snap rally at Parliament at 1pm today in light of the announcement the Council of Trade Unions and representatives of other unions say they will be "protesting the government's attack on women and the destruction of progress on pay equity..." rnz.co.nz Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career (...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot “Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019 Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June “It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima the city’s secretary of economic development in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028 Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012 Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show “I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame” Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994 that was the biggest free rock concert in history sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017 when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues “She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis "100% written in blood," the website read The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2 Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23 "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box and another is seriously ill and can't be tried five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children According to her testimony and that of the concierge at least one of the suspects had a handgun The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million) Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets" Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists historians and music industry professionals The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians the scope and longevity of their career and body of work as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique" Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted Sprinklers are once again allowed in Dargaville and Baylys Beach with all water restrictions lifted by Kaipara District Council Tough water restrictions in Dargaville and nearby Baylys Beach have evaporated thanks to steady rain The restrictions in Dargaville and Baylys Beach began in December with a sprinkler ban The change this week removes all restrictions which means homes and businesses on town supply can use water sensibly The 3.3 million cubic metre Te Waihekeora Reservoir was completed last year at Redhill and the pipeline will relieve pressure on the municipal water supply in the Dargaville area water is not expected to flow from the pipeline until the summer of 2026 to 2027 with the physical work starting this summer and expected to take about a year council chief executive Jason Marris acknowledged residents for their water-saving efforts “Everyone’s efforts during these restrictions have made a massive difference – thank you for conserving this precious resource so that our community had enough water to get through.” Over the 27 days that level-four restrictions were in place residents reduced their daily water use by 161,000 litres on average Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference Visitors are encouraged to help identify people in the photographs Documents released under the Official Information Act reveal tensions between clinical staff, local managers and national health bosses over a proposal to close Dargaville Hospital due to a lack of doctors While staff shortages are common at rural hospitals around the country the situation at Dargaville reached crisis level in October when no doctor could be found to work the overnight shifts A staff roster dated 1 October showed a doctor was available after-hours for just five of the 55 nights between 10 October and 1 December said doctors stepped up at the last minute to fill most of those roster gaps The alarm was raised on 9 September by Health NZ Te Tai Tokerau operations manager Alex Pimm who warned no doctor would be on duty overnight from 6 October His report proposed closing the inpatient ward from that date due to a "lack of sustainable medical workforce" and "inherent clinical and patient safety and reputational risk" Most staff could be redeployed to Whangārei and Bay of Islands hospitals but a small number would be required at Dargaville to run outpatient services and "significant public and media interest" would have to be carefully managed Dargaville Hospital would have been downgraded to an outpatient clinic with daytime-only urgent care with a senior manager suggesting it should be pulled was watermarked: "Draft for discussion - Not government policy" spelled out the efforts made to recruit medical staff and six options ranging from no change at one end of the scale to complete closure at the other The risks of the no-change option included patients deteriorating overnight and needing help that was not available; nurses feeling unsupported; patient harm; and more strikes by staff worried about health and safety The preferred option was to switch to an "enhanced urgent care model" which would still mean closing the ward and moving overnight patients to Whangārei again explaining the situation and recommending Dargaville stop admitting new patients overnight He also recommended the hospital "transition to not provide an inpatient service from 7 October" while continuing to provide urgent care and booked medical procedures during the day Lowry emailed Health NZ chief executive Margie Apa saying she believed Pimm's recommendations were appropriate she revealed the problem had escalated in the previous 24 hours due to a senior doctor going on long-term sick leave rumours of a possible closure started filtering into the public domain A reporter emailed then-Health Minister Shane Reti who contacted senior executives at Health NZ closing Dargaville Hospital was not under consideration and any suggestion otherwise was incorrect Apa demanded assurance from Northland health managers that every avenue for maintaining overnight service had been explored "Please instruct the team that they must action every option to maintain overnight cover until we are able to put in place a timeframe with community to consult on changes if they are required," she wrote Tensions rose in the emails that followed Apa's apparent smackdown of the closure proposal Northland chief medical officer Jennifer Walker - who had previously issued a stark warning about the risk of keeping the hospital open - expressed her surprise and reiterated her "very significant concerns about clinical safety for inpatients at Dargaville Hospital .. when we have no access to an on-site doctor" Pimm wrote: "There seems to be some suggestion that we have not been trying hard to find cover and keep the ward safely running I hope I am misinterpreting things but I want to be very clear that the team and I have worked very hard to find medical/nurse practitioner cover that you were advised on 15 August of the likely need to close the ward .. There comes a point where we have to recognise that we have reached the limit of our actions and need to make a decision." local managers appear to have accepted Health NZ's decision to keep the hospital open detailing how the hospital would function with no after-hours doctor a low threshold for transferring patients to Whangārei and assessing patients to make sure they were stable and unlikely to need overnight treatment Pimm said Health NZ was continuing to look at how it addressed long-standing workforce challenges to ensure community needs were prioritised Health NZ was still working to fill vacancies at Dargaville Hospital and reviewing how it could "continue to support the Kaipara community in a sustainable and safe way" Pimm said Health NZ would seek feedback on its plans later this year An interim plan designed to keep the hospital functioning safely making use of an on-call doctor when available and a telehealth service on other nights A senior Northland doctor was so worried about a lack of medical staff in Dargaville overnight she was convinced it was too risky to keep the town's hospital open Front-line healthworkers in Northland are being asked to "fill in" on reception to let overworked administration staff take toilet breaks A surgeon from the legendary Māori Battalion has inspired a mobile clinic designed to bring health services to the remotest corners of Northland Health New Zealand says patients at Dargaville Hospital were safe and well-looked after Nurses and local managers have now agreed to keeping Dargaville Hospital open Water deliverers have also been told they cannot fill up from the town supply leaving rural households whose rainwater tanks have run dry to source water from outside the district The tanker restrictions are unfair as residents should have access to clean drinking water as a human right said Dargaville Ratepayers & Residents Association chairwoman Rose Dixon “We aren’t living in a Third World country But when basics like water become inaccessible With water restrictions happening every year Council chief executive Jason Marris agreed the restrictions are “pretty tough” “It’s essential use only – you may not use town water anywhere outside I acknowledge this is a significant restriction on everybody,” he said in a social media video The council is trying to find a long-term solution to the problem of water security for Dargaville and Baylys Beach While the area usually has some form of water restriction each summer It is the second time in the last 10 years a level-four water restriction has been imposed in Dargaville and Baylys Beach A medium-scale drought in Northland was declared by the Government on Friday for the Waikato due to the dry conditions faced by farmers Less than 5mm of rain fell in Dargaville and Kai Iwi Lakes in February less than 10% of the expected rainfall for the month The Poutō Peninsula and Ruawai received less than 10mm The lack of rain means it is common for homes on rainwater tanks and farmers to run out of water and need a top-up said Simone Nordstrom from Harrison Contracting “I can’t remember when the last decent rainfall has been The Dargaville-based trucking and contracting business offers water deliveries in the height of summer to help service the community where a lot of people are not on town supply Harrison Contracting had been doing three to six water deliveries a day with most customers charged around $250 to $350 But the company was told it could not fill up its water tankers from the town supply from Wednesday on There is no viable alternative water source for Harrison Contracting with Kaipara District Council suggesting it register with Whangārei District Council so it can fill up from that council’s Maungatapere water supply as most of the costs in a water delivery is from mileage and the driver’s time The company has already fielded distressing calls from people who have run dry it’s disappointing that we can’t provide our community with water at a time of need.” Water deliverer Maungatapere Transport confirmed a water delivery from Maungatapere to Dargaville would cost about $600 and up to $800 to areas further afield Kaipara District Council said there are a number of water suppliers in Kaipara and neighbouring regions who can supply water to residents on private water supply The council will have an update very soon on a long-term plan to increase resilience of Dargaville’s water supply with staff acknowledging the town is set to grow due to recent private plan changes In December, when water restrictions started in the area Marris said while the council had been investigating water storage the issue got tied up with the Three Waters legislation which would have seen the costs taken over by a giant inter-regional organisation When the coalition Government disestablished Three Waters in December 2023 responsibility for drinking water supply fell back on the council Both options are estimated to cost between $16 million and $17m Marris encouraged residents to report any water leaks which can increase in drought conditions due to the soil shrinking and putting extra pressure on water pipes He also reminded residents of the complete fire ban covering all of Northland A group of eight amateur actors from Dargaville have been plucked from their local Northland theatre stage to perform on the French Riviera The team from the Dargaville Little Theatre will head to Monaco in August to represent New Zealand in Mondial du Théâtre The festival takes place once every four years - celebrating community acting projects from around the world Dargaville Little Theatre president Eryn Wilson Collins was thrilled the small Kaipara town would be representing New Zealand amongst some of the most iconic international cities "This is just ridiculous - my favourite thing to do is to show people the Mondial du Théâtre website that shows all the teams going over Theatre New Zealand selected the group to audition after they won the national TheatreFest back in 2022 The cast put together a recording of their play Out of Mind they were officially selected late last year The musical looks at Aotearoa's mental health system in the 1950s by following the lives of six women within a mental health institution said she had been wanting to tell a story about New Zealand women when she got the idea her grandmother had trained as a mental health nurse in Tokanui in the '50s and as I read through them I found them really fascinating and so I started to do a little bit of research into it Cast member Yasmin Bainbridge was beyond excited to be a part of the group going to Europe The 41-year-old moved to New Zealand from Malaysia in 2008 and had no acting experience before she joined the Dargaville Little Theatre Bainbridge has since been a part of four productions and said the sense of community kept her around we're just supporting one another,' and [it] gives us a chance to grow and discover all of this talent you don't think you have." the cast will be busy rehearsing and fundraising While Theatre New Zealand was helping the small theatre group to get to Monaco They still needed to raise a good chunk of money Cast member Brenda Polwart said the Dargaville community had been super supportive "We've had a heap of support from the town and people are already starting to donate little bits and pieces because we're going to need quite a bit of fundraising." The cast hoped to tour the musical around Northland in a bid to raise $40,000 by August Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday but the future is uncertain for university-level theatre education A multidisciplinary show from Prayas Theatre is celebrating the work of local South Asian artists Lisa Warrington reflects on her longstanding advocacy for Aotearoa New Zealand drama and what it means to receive a Kings Birthday… Audio Frustrated Dargaville residents say they are being denied a proper Kiwi Christmas due to the early imposition of water restrictions The town's ratepayers association says successive councils have failed to plan ahead or invest in basic infrastructure - but the council says changing government policies on water have thrown any plans into disarray The Kaipara District Council has today imposed level three water restrictions in Dargaville and the coastal settlement of Baylys Beach which is just one step away from the strictest water restrictions possible households connected to the town supply are banned from using hoses Using a hose or water blaster to wash vehicles as is using the town supply to fill swimming pools water may be used only for essential cooking and hygiene purposes While water restrictions are common in the Kaipara District this summer's jump to level three is unusually early - last summer it took until 12 February Dargaville Ratepayers and Residents Association chair Rose Dixon said people were frustrated because water restrictions were an almost annual occurrence "I'm finding a lot of people are saying stuff like 'The council's known about the issue for over a decade why haven't they done anything about it?' So they're saying they're just going to ignore the rules and use the water anyway because they pay for it the council's had plenty of time to sort it out "It's just another stress factor that you don't need at Christmas time The typical Kiwi Christmas where you bring out the barbecue and have fun in the backyard - we've not been able to do that for nearly a decade now We've not been able to have a quintessential Kiwi summer Kaipara District Council principal infrastructure advisor Anin Nama said the new restrictions would help make sure everyone had enough water for their daily needs "We all need everyone to play their part and make our water last as long as possible," he said Nama suggested using a watering can for the garden and a bucket if the car could not wait for a clean from which the Dargaville and Baylys Beach supply was drawn and the amount the council could take was limited "The council is acutely aware water supply for Dargaville is a real challenge during the summer months and water restrictions are not a long-term solution … We want to reassure residents that we are committed to increasing the security of Dargaville's water supply." Nama said "significant progress" had been made on investigating two options for making the town's water supply more resilient More information would be provided in the New Year Council chief executive Jason Marris earlier told the Northern Advocate that $100,000 had been allocated in 2022 to investigate expanding Waiatua Dam to boost the district's water storage capacity But that had been shelved when the previous government brought in its Three Waters legislation which would have transferred all responsibility for water infrastructure in Northland and Auckland to a new organisation When the coalition government binned the Three Waters plan responsibility fell back on to local councils Marris said the options currently under investigation were upgrading the council-owned Waiatua Dam or connecting to the Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust dam on Pouto Peninsula Both were likely to cost around $16 million Dixon said two private plan changes approved by the council this year would allow another 800-plus homes to be built in Dargaville allowing the council to invest in infrastructure "I do understand council's struggles with affordability given the number of ratepayers in our patch But this is something they could have started planning for a decade ago That lack of foresight and planning is why people are angry and upset." Dixon said she was pleased the current government had directed councils to prioritise spending on basic infrastructure Northland Regional Council data shows the Dargaville area has received only about 70 percent of its normal rainfall during winter and spring 2024 three water schemes in the Far North are under level two restrictions which bar the use of sprinklers and irrigation systems There are currently no water restrictions in the Whangārei District The region's dam levels are slightly below average for this time of year sitting at 85.2 percent after a winter where catchments recorded three-quarters of the normal rainfall Level three water restrictions are now in place in Napier due to heavy water use amid a dry spell of weather Some people are considering selling up while others are taking matters into their own hands thanks to what they say is a lack of police presence In the last two months, two homicides have occurred at nearby Ripiro Beach while Dargaville businesses and homes have been targeted Whangārei-Kaipara Area Commander Inspector Maria Nordstrom said arrests had been made concerning recent crimes including several burglaries Kaipara District Mayor Craig Jepson says while he respected residents’ concerns he believed the spike in crime was temporary But community members state the area feels unsafe and has for a long time - and have started a new community patrol to sort the issue Northern Wairoa Community Patrol secretary Rose Dixon said there has been a lot of pressure from the community to get up and running but it takes time to vet volunteers and complete training Dixon said in the meantime people were taking a less favourable vigilante approach It highlighted not only why community patrol visibility was important but also increased police presence She said it felt wrong that victims of domestic abuse were forced to wait an hour to be protected by police who may have to travel from Whangārei Residents felt as though the area was forgotten about especially considering it is common for community patrols to receive some funding from councils but there were no plans to do the same here “There’s a real sense of despair in the community and that feeling of giving up or [on the other hand] you’ve got people saying we will take things into our own hands.” “I think the general feeling is that this is the Wild West out here and it’s gotten absolutely out of control.” One migrant is considering moving away after less than a year in the area after he returned from overseas to find his Land Cruiser hiking boots and even vacuum cleaner stolen The district feels like a “dangerous s*** hole” “You hear about three burglaries in one night and then people getting murdered on the beach - like what the hell is that His view on Aotearoa New Zealand has been dampened by a “terrible” and “disappointing” experience that has left him with little faith in crime prevention and justice “NZ had a reputation as a place in paradise and it’s fading fast.” “This stuff is going on all over the world Nordstrom said she acknowledged the community has a strong sense of pride and ownership in their area She said police had a finite amount of resources to work with but would deploy to priority incidents when they occurred she welcomed those who would work alongside police as eyes and ears for the area “We work alongside a range of community groups and volunteers every day around crime and wider issues at play.” “It takes all of us working together to help keep our community safe.” Nordstrom said staff have been working “incredibly hard” in recent months across the Kaipara area which included a number of investigations into burglaries and serious crime Three arrests had been made in under a week following burglaries which included a 16-year-old for a burglary at a liquor shop a man and woman aged 45 and 41 in relation to the burglary of a takeaway shop and an 18-year-old also charged with receiving stolen property that was taken during a burglary of a vape store An arrest was also made last week in relation to the death of Jasmaine Corin Reihana who was found dead inside a burnt-out car on September 9 Nordstom and frontline Sergeant Kiley Dalbeth accompanied the Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson on a walk through the township late last week to reassure local businesses It was also an opportunity to provide prevention and wider safety advice to community members as well “We will not tolerate this offending; especially given the disruption and stress it puts on those whose livelihoods have been targeted “The number of incidents occurring across the community in recent months is likely to be an exception Jepson said Dargaville and surrounding areas were not the only ones struggling with a crime wave, pointing to a series of burglaries early September in Mangawhai “It seems to be a little bit of outsiders coming in to commit the crime I have confidence police will be dealing with the offenders.” He felt that Dargaville residents were among the most “law-abiding” in the region When questioned about the community feeling as though a lack of police presence was becoming an issue Other methods such as placing bollards at shop fronts could be undertaken too “I don’t think Dargaville is an area suffering from a high crime rate I hope that it’s a temporary increase and I certainly respect and understand [people’s] concerns and I hope that police will be responding to that.” He said the council would not be funding the community patrol but was happy to advise on how the patrol could look and work When asked what the council could do about the issue Jepson stated law and order was not the council’s responsibility “Although it is something that we would certainly like to have an input in.. Brodie Stone is an education and general news reporter at the Advocate Brodie has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond Two sections of State Highway One are closed after a slip hit on the Mangamuka Gorge in the Far North while floods closed the road near Cape Reinga NZTA Waka Kotahi says there are no detours available and motorists should expect delays The gorge had only re-opened yesterday after being closed by a large slip early on Sunday The other closure was just north of Waitiki Landing Te Hāpua was still accessible but NZTA was warning motorists there were no alternative routes to Te Paki or to the cape Northland Regional Council rainfall data shows the heaviest falls in the Kaitāia and Doubtless Bay areas with the highest rate - 25mm of rain in an hour - recorded at Pukenui Heavy rain was also falling in Whangārei and in Dargaville where residents were reporting significant surface flooding Northland Civil Defence spokesperson Zach Woods said Dargaville was one of the areas hardest hit by Tuesday's wild weather with a high tide and the heavy rain combining to cause surface flooding in the town centre He urged Dargaville residents to be alert to further flooding especially around the next high tide at 1.30am on Wednesday morning Updates could be found on the Kaipara District Council's Facebook page Some businesses in the town centre had sandbagged their premises as a precaution ahead of the next tide MetService issued a heavy rain watch and a severe thunderstorm watch for all areas north of Whangārei until midnight The forecaster said thunderstorms and localised downpours were possible especially in northern and western parts of the region NZTA continued to urge motorists to take extra care at four trouble spots on Northland's state highways The roading agency said flooding was possible on State Highway 1 at Rangiahua Temporary road surfaces on State Highway 1 at Whakapara and Akerama where major road rebuilding projects were underway north of Whangārei NZTA warned that large potholes could form anywhere and floodwaters could hide branches or other hazards Flooding just 30cm deep could be enough to sweep away vehicles Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday NZTA is warning motorists there are no alternative routes for the two road closures A multi-faceted weather system is on its way to parts of the country The dry conditions have impacted Northland's western areas the most Dargaville and nearby Baylys Beach were placed under level four water restrictions, the toughest restrictions available, last Tuesday as drought starts to bite in the region Since then, daily use has reduced by 166,000 litres as residents and businesses can only use water for essential use and cannot use water outside The council is encouraging people to report any breaches of the water restrictions with reports followed up with a council visit when level four restrictions were last imposed Medical officer of health Dr David Sinclair said while following the level four water restrictions it’s important for residents to keep healthy and safe by continuing hand washing and drinking water Bennetts said long-term solutions for Dargaville’s water supply are being investigated, including connecting to the Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust reservoir near Te Kōpuru or upgrading its Waiatua Dam with both expecting to cost between $16 million and $17m Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust has been engaging constructively with council was finished last year and partly filled over winter so it can supply its current shareholders One shareholder is Kaipara hapū Te Uri o Hau whose commercial arm Renaissance Group has used the reservoir’s water to establish an avocado orchard Orchard manager Cruize Selkirk said 6500 trees have been planted so far with a digital sensor giving information about ground moisture to ensure the water is used efficiently the orchard would not have been able to set up “Avocados do need a lot of water but they don’t like water sitting on their feet .. Update: This story has been amended to reflect new comments from Health NZ that doctors stepped in to provide additional cover to fill the roster gaps documents released under the Official Information Act reveal shows that from 10 October to 1 December last year an after-hours doctor was rostered on at the 12-bed hospital on just five of those 55 nights Two nights were marked as 'tentative' so the total could have been as low as three nights out of 55 doctors stepped up at the last minute to fill most of those roster gaps The documents do not cover the period after 1 December In a letter to Northland's top health official dated 30 September Te Tai Tokerau chief medical officer Jennifer Walker said Ministry of Health rules stated rural hospital emergency departments should have an on-site doctor available within 10 minutes at all times While there was no clear rule on inpatient wards she believed the same criteria should apply Walker said the lack of an overnight doctor represented a "significant clinical risk" that could not be fully managed by sending the sickest patients to Whangārei Hospital or by providing on-line support to nurses on duty overnight While doctor shortages are common across rural New Zealand staffing levels at Dargaville Hospital reached a crisis point in October last year Senior doctors have previously told RNZ the problems were exacerbated when Health NZ cut pay rates for locums Health NZ Te Tai Tokerau operations manager Alex Pimm raised the alarm on 9 September with a report warning there would be no doctors on duty overnight after 6 October All efforts to recruit medical staff - including locums and nurse practitioners - had failed prompting him to propose closing the inpatient ward due to the "lack of sustainable medical workforce" and "inherent clinical and patient safety and reputational risk" That would have downgraded Dargaville Hospital to an outpatient clinic with daytime-only urgent care Pimm said risks of keeping the ward open included patients deteriorating overnight and needing medical help that wasn't available; nurses feeling unsupported; patient harm due to understaffing; and more strikes by staff worried about health and safety The proposal was effectively vetoed by Health NZ at a national level Walker expressed her surprise at the decision and reiterated her "very significant concerns about clinical safety for inpatients at Dargaville Hospital … when we have no access to an on-site doctor" She said Bay of Islands Hospital also had "quite a few vacant shifts" in October "It is my belief that I have clearly expressed my concern for clinical safety and this has not been accepted … I am worried regarding the potential consequences for patients and our staff," Walker said detailing how the hospital would function with no doctor overnight and making sure any patients staying overnight were stable and unlikely to need treatment Asked for an update on the current situation Pimm said Health NZ was still recruiting to fill medical positions including vacancies at Dargaville Hospital The organisation was also looking at how it addressed long-standing workforce challenges to make sure community needs were prioritised "The inpatient ward at Dargaville Hospital remains operating up to our 12-bed capacity Our focus remains on ensuring that there is medical cover during daytime shifts when the rest of the multi-disciplinary team is present and most patient admissions and transfers occur," Pimm said "Our priority remains on patient safety and wellbeing While we recruit to vacancies and review our service model we have changed some of the admission criteria to further minimise the risk of a patient requiring out-of-hours medical input as well as providing additional education to our nursing kaimahi we have a robust contingency plan in place to maintain patient safety." Pimm said Health NZ was reviewing how it would "continue to support the Kaipara community in a sustainable and safe way" and would seek feedback on its plans later this year The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists and the nurses' union NZNO have been approached for comment There are also "a number of gaps" in the roster for the rest of the month Dargaville residents are angry with Kaipara District Council's water restrictions with some even suggesting they may flout the sprinkler ban with residents threatening to flout the rules The council said it is acutely aware of the need for a more secure water supply in the area, but it has been affected by the now-disbanded Three Waters legislation Level 2 water restrictions for Dargaville and nearby Baylys Beach were introduced on Monday This means those on town supply must not use sprinklers or an irrigation system to water their garden water blasters and buckets can still be used for watering gardens The restrictions come as water flows over the Kaihu weirs have reduced rapidly over the past week and there is little rain forecast prior to Christmas with the council saying further restrictions are a very real prospect Mapping from Northland Regional Council shows this area has received low rainfall nearly every month this year averaging around 70% of normal rain over spring But Dargaville Ratepayers & Residents Association chairwoman Rose Dixon said a lack of water has been an issue in western Kaipara for over a decade and should have been a top priority for the council “Honestly, local residents are absolutely frustrated with the Kaipara District Council’s lack of urgency in addressing our region’s long-standing water supply issues .. Many gardens are used to produce food and is seems inane to stop watering gardens when it’s still okay to fill a swimming pool Ratepayers have recently faced a large increase in water rates and the extent of agitation has resulted in some people saying they will flout the restrictions and contest the fines “Although the council has recently begun exploring potential solutions Residents have also raised concerns new subdivisions in Dargaville will add to the water demand Council chief executive Jason Marris agreed water supply for Dargaville is a real challenge during the summer months and a solution is needed to increase the security of supply we will continue to see our residents facing water restrictions during summer which leads to decreased business and resident confidence.” In 2022, the council allocated $100,000 to investigate an expansion of Waiatua Dam as a possible water storage solution But the issue then got tied up with the Three Waters legislation with the costs of improving the water supply in Dargaville due to be taken over by a giant inter-regional organisation called Entity A Entity A was supposed to be formed by July this year, covering all of the drinking water, stormwater and sewage for Northland and Auckland When the coalition Government disestablished the Three Waters programme in December 2023 responsibility for drinking water supply fell back on Kaipara District Council The council brought investigations to improve Dargaville’s water supply back in-house at this time the council committed to invest in improving water supply and increase capacity through consent renewal alternative water sources and storage solutions The council is now investigating two options: Connecting to the central government-backed Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust dam on Pouto Peninsula or upgrading the council’s Waiatua Dam on Opanake Rd “Current estimates for each of these options are between $16 million and $17 million We hope to have an update on this as part of the Annual Plan process for next year,” Marris said He acknowledged the two private plan changes approved for Dargaville this year could also have an impact “Staff are aware of the possible growth occurring with recent private plan changes and want to ensure that infrastructure is available to meet that growth “This was a key topic of both private plan change hearings and is why staff are investigating the two options above acknowledging that both options come at significant cost.” Dixon said a forward-thinking approach is needed, such as state-of-the-art seawater filtration units being used by Gisborne District Council for emergency supply This would also address environmental concerns about the way water is treated with the council using an aluminium-based coagulant Tests of the Northern Wairoa River earlier this year revealed alarmingly high levels of aluminium in the water the council said at the time that polyaluminium chloride particles or residue are washed into the wastewater treatment plant and the council’s testing near the plant showed lower aluminium levels than in other parts of the Northern Wairoa Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate says nurses are doing the best they can without an onsite doctor Nurses working at a Northland hospital, where night shifts are run without onsite doctors initially did not want to keep the hospital open due to concerns about clinical safety Beleaguered Dargaville Hospital has been running some shifts without a doctor on the premises since July with nurses working with a telehealth service and critically ill patients being transferred to Whangārei Hospital Health NZ Te Whatu Ora said there were some roster gaps due to vacancies but recruitment was continuing One patient went into cardiac arrest and died, but Health NZ said the death was not a direct result of staffing NZ Nurses’ Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) members went on a rare strike in protest of the conditions Earlier this month, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti’s office quashed rumours the hospital could be closed down saying any such speculation was “utterly wrong” But an email leaked to the Northern Advocate shows local management and NZNO delegates initially recommended against keeping Dargaville Hospital fully open overnight when doctors were not there It also revealed the hospital does not have a doctor on the premises daily between 5pm and 8am The decision to retain the full overnight function of the hospital was made from the very top of Health NZ and was “100% a political decision and not a clinical safety decision” Hospital management and nurse delegates have since discussed the risks and agreed to keep the hospital open working together to provide the best care possible while also looking at long term solutions nurses are particularly concerned Health NZ is not advising the public about the restriction in overnight services at the hospital They want the public to be aware the overnight service is predominately provided through telehealth NZNO wants Health NZ to commit in writing to staffing the hospital with the necessary doctors as soon as possible including asking for Government support for fast-track international visas It is also considering claiming extra remuneration for the nurses having to work without doctors onsite to provide a disincentive to running other rural hospitals without doctors Union Dargaville delegate Rachyl Randell told the Northern Advocate nurses will persevere and continue to serve the community as best they can until a doctor becomes available staff and the community is always our greatest priority we need a hands-on doctor to do physical assessments.” Health NZ Te Whatu Ora has been asked about the comments in the leaked email but did not respond by deadline northern regional director for hospital and specialist services previously said the agency was working with local leadership and clinicians on a range of strategies to ensure high quality care for patients This includes continuing to recruit senior medical positions at rural hospitals looking at other options to provide care as close to home as possible “The safety of patients remains paramount and we can assure the public that if you or a loved one needs urgent hospital-level care in Northland a decision was made to prioritise on-site senior doctor cover for the daytime shifts with telephone and video support from doctors at Whangārei Hospital and a telehealth provider available overnight Recruitment of senior doctor positions continues but he acknowledged recruitment isn’t happening as quickly as liked Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has also been approached for comment but he was overseas on Thursday The cast of Dargaville Little Theatre's Out of Mind are off to represent Theatre New Zealand at Mondial du Theatre in Monaco this August Dargaville Little Theatre is set to represent Theatre New Zealand at Mondial du Theatre the World Festival of Amateur Theatre in August The group will head to Monaco, where they will perform their musical Out of Mind, which won Best Overall Production at Theatrefest in 2022 Nearly three years later it’s that same production that will tell international crowds the story of seven women at Tokanui Mental Hospital Playwright Deborah Steele said the news has barely sunk in for the group “It’s just quite unbelievable,” Steele said The stage will be the largest they’ve ever performed on — and they get to choose between two venues — Theatre Princesse Grace or Theatre des Varietes Looking at the other cities performers are from highlights just how big their achievement is They’ll be performing alongside groups from London to Washington Verona and Paris at the week-long quadrennial event Steele wrote Out of Mind in 2022 but it was developed as a collaborative project The subject matter is the treatment of people in New Zealand’s mental health institutions during the 1950’s Steele felt the decision to apply for the festival with a “weighty subject” went in their favour Musicals also are typically light-hearted and upbeat but depite being a musical Out of Mind doesn’t take the material too lightly The performers are aged from their early 20s to late 50s the director and a tech support people will head to Monaco but first have to raise $5000 each Mondial du Theatre will provide free accommodation but they still need to arrange flights Steele said the group will be heavily rehearsing before that can happen That’s so the group can travel across North Auckland and Northland to perform locally before their big adventure Concerns about a spike in crime and locals meting out vigilante justice when police are not available have prompted Dargaville residents to set up a community patrol group The Dargaville area has been hit by a wave of burglaries, ram raids and two homicides - a rarity in the usually quiet corner of Northland - in recent months which means officers often have to travel from Whangārei Northern Wairoa Community Patrol spokeswoman Anita Evans said recent events had alarmed the community with the ensuing front-page news reports prompting Police Minister Mark Mitchell to hold a community meeting on Friday evening "Recently we've had - for the first time ever - murders here in the surrounding areas of Dargaville and local residents in a state of fear because they've had break-ins or they've had vehicles stolen from inside their properties "We have people who are fearful and are now arming themselves because they're aware the police are not here on duty." townsfolk delivering their own justice had left a suspect in hospital "The police weren't here and the locals actually figured out who were the locals [committing crimes] so we had vigilante justice - and I believe a young person ended up with a broken arm They too have been arrested because they took matters into their own hands "That's another concern - we don't want people thinking they've got to have a baseball bat or they've got arm themselves because of this element." She said eight people had volunteered so far to join the community patrol group and were now going through the police vetting process They would be able to patrol areas around Dargaville which were not covered by CCTV "They can also do welfare checks - if an elderly person calls up and says 'I think I've got something happening at my house,' they can go around and do a check We're hopeful their presence will act as a deterrent." Evans said a local business had "come to the rescue" by providing funding for an entire year The police minister's announcement at the meeting that police were seeking 18 new recruits for Northland was "wonderful news" Mitchell also said he wanted to see the current one-hour response time come down to 20 minutes though that would require police to be based closer than Whangārei when the Dargaville station was unmanned Evans said Dargaville police covered a large area from Pouto in the south - another hour's drive away - almost to Waipoua Forest in the north She was pleased Mitchell had made it to the meeting, given that he was also the minister of emergency management and had come straight from the Dunedin floods with just a couple of hours' sleep a Dargaville ward councillor on the Kaipara District Council said he had floated the idea of a community patrol a few years ago and was delighted it was now getting off the ground The patrols would not be an alternative to police the patrols made a police presence in the town even more essential because officers would have to respond if the volunteers saw a crime taking place "The last couple of months have been very bad here in terms of burglaries and there has been some incidents of murder as well," Nayyar said "The minister talked about a model of different agencies working together which he said had been successful in the Auckland CBD Older residents in particular wanted to be able to walk into a police station and make a report rather than sending an email Mitchell's office told RNZ the 18 new recruits would consist of 11 frontline community beat officers (four in the Far North seven in the Whangārei-Kaipara police district) and seven officers for gang disruption units A police spokesperson told RNZ the allocation of 500 new police was indicative for planning purposes and staged across two years Police could not provide a starting date for the new officers because that would depend on factors such as recruitment Police investigating the death of a Dargaville woman on a west coast beach last month are hoping new CCTV images will provide a breakthrough in finding her killer The body of Joanna Mai Sione-Lauaki was found on Ripiro Beach The 38-year-old's death was initially regarded as unexplained but since last Friday police have been treating it as a homicide said police were appealing to the public for sightings of the man captured in the CCTV images He was wearing a blue sweater with white pants Symonds said police believed he was the last person to see Sione-Lauaki alive "We're asking anyone who may have seen this man in the Baylys or Omamari beach areas Symonds also repeated his appeal for information about a white 2012 Toyota Hilux flat deck ute He believed the vehicle was in the area where Sione-Lauaki's body was found Police wanted to hear about any sightings of the ute until about 10 August "Our teams are working hard to piece together the events leading up to Jo's death and any information could assist in getting closure for her whānau," Symonds said Several items of clothing were still missing and police wanted the public's help to locate a white Nike T-shirt with a red tick black or dark grey tracksuit pants and red Adidas scuffs Anyone who could help should call 105 quoting file number 240803/9062 Anyone who wanted to talk to a member of the investigation team in person could go to Dargaville Police Station and those who wanted to pass on information anonymously could do so via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 Joanna Mai Sione-Lauaki was reported missing in August Police are still hoping someone will shed light on what happened to Joanna Sione-Lauaki before she was found dead on a empty beach Police continue to investigate the unexplained death of a Dargaville woman found at a Northland beach last week Police investigating the 38-year-old's death said her black Mitsubishi Outlander was found in the car park near the entrance to Omamari Beach A woman's death discovered in Northland is being treated as unexplained longstanding member of Dargaville Little Theatre died in a road accident earlier this month A small Northland theatre company has farewelled a beloved member who died in a single-vehicle road accident on State Highway 14 in Kaipara earlier this month Michael (Mike) Craig Collins was 51 when his vehicle left the roadway at Tangiteroria near Dargaville on January 20 The crash happened about 5.30am when Collins was on his way to work as a court registrar He was normally based in Whangārei but was due to fly out that morning for a week’s ancillary work in Hastings Because of a drop beside the road his crashed vehicle wasn’t discovered until about 5.30pm with a good sense of humour who got on well with everyone” Dargaville Little Theatre honoured Collins a longstanding and much-loved member with a “final curtain call” funeral on Friday afternoon Carole said the theatre had been a major aspect of her family’s lives It was where she and Collins' father first met and where Collins went on to meet his first wife Eryn Wilson Except for a few years working in Hamilton Collins was involved in the theatre his entire life She recalled taking him to various working bees and other events behind the scenes when he was just a toddler he was on stage for the first time in a production called Witches and the Golden Ring Collins appeared in more than 40 productions - the second most of any of the theatre’s members; dad Neville in the top spot Collins didn’t have formal drama training but learnt as he grew up “He could do pretty much anything in theatre that needed to be done.” Collins was working on an upcoming production of Chicago planning for which had since been paused to allow members to grieve The theatre said Collins was “much loved” among its membership and someone who will be “greatly missed” Collins won the role of Harry Dangle - a pompous and sharp-witted lawyer - in the show One Man brought “a wealth of experience and fresh energy” Collins also had a role last year in the National Theatrefest Showcase’s one-act play Our Stories A family obituary in the Northern Advocate said Collins was the “adored husband of (current wife) Anna; loved dad of Billy and granddad to Aubree; treasured son of Neville and Carole; and much-loved brother Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism much of which she spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference especially those involving environmental issues The Dargaville Racecourse is looking for new owners and is available with the designation of General Residential Large Lot and Industrial after a private plan change Plans for the future of Dargaville Racecourse are back at the starting line now the land is up for sale A multimillion-dollar development was proposed for the 46.7ha lot by Dargaville Racing Club Dargaville Community Development Board and Te Runanga o Ngāti Whātua in 2021 A private plan was adopted by Kaipara District Council just two months ago to allow for that vision to come to life Some residents who opposed the development say the sale marks an opportunity to put the land to other use But Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson hoped an equipped developer would pick up where things left off in a district needing housing Up until recently plans were on track for the development According to a previous Local Democracy Reporting article between 20% and 30% of the housing would be social The rezoning meant the site went from rural to a mix of residential Awakino Point Ratepayers Group chairman Colin Rowse felt the housing was too high-density for the area The association had opposed the development since the beginning They believed the land was better suited to food production or a solar farm The land was prone to flooding and the idea of developing for housing was foolish others aired concerns over a lack of green space for children connectivity to the Dargaville township and traffic safety Te Runanga o Ngāti Whātua spokesman Tracy Walters said at the time the development offered an opportunity for tangata whenua to return home It also offered job opportunities at the on-site retirement village Jepson said regardless of the development plans Dargaville Community Development Board and Te Runanga o Ngāti Whātua had achieved a zone change “It makes the land very attractive to a bigger developer and hopefully that’s what will happen “I don’t see the sale of that property as a detrimental thing it will go to people who have the expertise to carry it through.” Jepson said the Awakino Point Rd development would also add to Kaipara’s housing needs The development, not far from the racecourse, had a private plan change approved by the Kaipara District Council earlier this year It would allow for a subdivision of up to 384 new homes on the 39ha rural block “Dargaville has suffered terribly for lack of housing opportunities,” Jepson said In future he wanted to see the town flourish The national hīkoi in support of the Treaty of Waitangi which began on Monday at Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Reinga) There they were have been welcomed by the haukainga - Ngati Whatua Kaipara Māori Ward councillor Pera Paniora - whose position was scrapped by the council - spoke to the crowd She urged them to join the hikoi and take the fight for their rights to Parliament After a visit to the local council offices they began the long trek to Auckland's North Shore Earlier, emotions are running high as the hīkoi was welcomed to Laurie Hill Park in Whangārei by mana whenua Recap the day's events with RNZ's live blog: The hikoi will detour from its route in the footsteps of Dame Whina Cooper's 1975 land march to stop in the Kaipara District today The early introduction of the Treaty Principles Bill hasn't deterred a planned hīkoi to Parliament in protest Toitū te Tiriti have mobilised Māori around the country this year Explainer - Why all the fuss about the Treaty Principles Bill What's it about and where will it all end up Dargaville Hospital has become a "political football" with patients caught between what's best for them and the public health system's budget crunch The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, the union representing employed senior doctors and dentists, said the situation in Dargaville was an example of the rationing of health resources in rural New Zealand A leaked email last week revealed clinical staff initially wanted the hospital closed when Health NZ was no longer able to find doctors to staff the ward overnight That was over-ruled at a national level with Health Minister Shane Reti's office telling RNZ any speculation the hospital could close was "utterly wrong" ASMS executive director Sarah Dalton said her organisation knew of debates between local managers doctors and national leadership about whether it was possible to keep the hospital open "While our members would like to see the hospital remain open at night they don't believe it is being done safely at present … We're really concerned that it is to some extent a political football between what's best for patients and access to care and some of the financial drivers Te Whatu Ora [Health NZ] is grappling with at the moment," she said Their key concern was that if a Dargaville Hospital patient's condition deteriorated overnight, they would not necessarily have access to a doctor nurses would have to take advice via telehealth or the patient would be transported to Whangārei Hospital an example of rationing of resources for people who live in rural areas all over New Zealand … what I would call a refusal to staff hospitals in ways that are sustainable." Dalton said telehealth - a commercial service in which a doctor at another location provided medical advice via phone or video calling - was a "fantastic advance" which had made follow-up and specialist care available to more people it was a back-up that was less safe than having a doctor physically present especially when a diagnosis or urgent care was required "I don't think we should pretend that provision of telehealth makes care safe and I know that the nurses have already expressed concerns about that I think we need to have some better conversations about how telehealth is being used and we need to be really clear that you're always better off if you're in the room with a doctor," she said "We'd all like to see Dargaville Hospital maintain its inpatient beds but they need to be supported to do so safely and clinical advice is that that can't be done on current staffing arrangements." Dalton said the medical workforce shortage was a worldwide problem but ASMS believed Health NZ was not doing enough to recruit One of the factors affecting staffing at Dargaville Dalton said locums should not be a "first port of call" for staffing hospitals but a drop in pay meant a previously available workforce was no longer willing to fill gaps in the roster Senior doctors have told RNZ the pay cut was in some cases more than 40 percent "Most hospitals have agreed budget allocations for medical staffing that are smaller than the number of staff needed if we want our hospitals to be appropriately staffed we have to be prepared to fund and resource that Health NZ northern deputy chief executive Mark Shepherd said patients at Dargaville Hospital were safe and well-looked after "All patients admitted to Dargaville Hospital are assessed as appropriate for the care currently available at the hospital with ambulance services transporting all high-risk patients directly to Whangārei Hospital." Shepherd said efforts to recruit doctors for Dargaville Hospital were continuing and contingency plans would remain in place to ensure patient and staff safety in the meantime He thanked staff for their hard work and ongoing dedication to their patients and community Northland emergency doctor Gary Payinda has told Checkpoint the health system is suffering under woeful understaffing budget constraints and leaky buildings - and the government's priorities are all… Audio Mercury’s wind turbines at Kaiwaikawe will be 206m high and 162m wide making them larger than those at its Turitea South wind farm near Palmerston North Mercury has confirmed it will build a $287 million wind farm northwest of Dargaville using the largest and tallest wind turbines in the country Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm will produce 77 megawatts (MW) It will be the first wind farm in Northland, adding to the region’s growing renewable energy zone the wind farm will feature 12 turbines in two clusters with the turbine tips reaching 206m and 162m wide Mercury executive general manager of generation development Matt Tolcher said the Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm was part of Mercury’s high-quality renewable energy generation pipeline “We’re looking forward to kicking off construction on Kaiwaikawe in early 2025 and are already focused on how we can be a positive part of the Northland community.” The impact included establishing an annual community fund to support groups and communities around the wind farm The $30,000-a-year fund will be open for business mid-2025 and operate for the life of the wind farm and we look forward to continuing to work with them through construction and operation,” he said Other efforts include best-practice erosion and sediment control improving habitat for wetland birds and protecting the bittern population Tolcher said the development is expected to involve up to 100 jobs during construction providing employment opportunities for the Northland region While Danish manufacturer Vestas is the main contractor supplying its V162-6.4 MW wind turbines for the first time in New Zealand other contractors include Northpower and Kiwi companies Higgins and ElectroNet The turbines will connect to an on-site substation by underground lines then will connect to Northpower’s substation near Dargaville through a 66kV overhead transmission line Part of these high-voltage overhead lines will run along a 1.8km easement on the Kaihu Valley Trail Mercury chief executive Stew Hamilton said the decision to construct the Kaiwaikawe Wind Farm demonstrates the company’s commitment to lifting New Zealand’s renewable energy generation Other work underway includes the expansion of Mercury’s Ngā Tamariki geothermal power station near Taupō and the expansion of its Kaiwera Downs Wind Farm in Southland with all three projects helping to lift the country’s renewable energy capacity connected to the national grid by about 2.6% “This project is an example of the huge level of activity under way across the energy sector to ensure we continue to support New Zealand’s move to electrification and to increase the country’s security of supply.” Police are investigating after a five-month-old baby was presented at Dargaville Hospital with serious head injuries Police are investigating after a 5-month-old child was taken to Dargaville Hospital with serious head injuries Whangārei CIB acting Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Pilmer said the infant arrived at the hospital on December 28 “The baby was flown to Whangārei Hospital and later transferred to Starship hospital in Auckland where they are making a good recovery.” It continues a grim start to the year for Kiwi kids after multiple child deaths in the first week of 2025 A 34-year-old man was charged with murder after allegedly killing a baby and trying to kill another child and a woman in Hamilton on New Year’s Day A special bedside court hearing was held for the man on Friday child and injured woman were also suppressed On Sunday, a child was allegedly murdered and their body left in a car outside the Manukau police station in Auckland early this morning appeared in the Manukau District Court this afternoon across the road from the station where police said he arrived and spoke to officers shortly after midnight leading to the child’s body being found in a car parked outside The man wept during today’s brief appearance He was granted interim suppression and remanded in custody In Southland, a 3-year-old died after being struck by a vehicle on a driveway on New Year’s Day at a residential address in Gore “Our thoughts are with the child’s family at this sad time,” police said Sign up to The Daily H a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday 'This is not something we’ve seen before.' Dargaville police have identified three young offenders believed to be involved with a string of burglaries in the town Police believe they have found three young people allegedly involved in a string of burglaries in the Northland town of Dargaville this week The youngest of the alleged offenders was just 11 The police investigation has been underway since three businesses were targeted on Tuesday A store on Victoria St had a window smashed and products taken about 2am while a petrol station and superette were also broken into about the same time “We are treating these three burglaries as linked and have identified three young people allegedly involved,” Nordstrom said who are aged between 11 and 15 are being referred to Youth Aid.” who worked quickly to identify those allegedly responsible and work closely with the local community Police Minister Mark Mitchell visited to alleviate resident fears which was followed by the promise of 18 new police officers for Northland However, in late December the town was hit again when more than $2000 was taken from the Greenways Charitable Trust Five teens face charges after police intercepted a convoy of stolen vehicles in Dargaville — including one that crashed into a house Three vehicles were stolen from a rural property near Mamaranui early Sunday morning Whangārei-Kaipara area commander Inspector Maria Nordstrom said “These vehicles travelled in convoy south and into the Dargaville township where one of our frontline staff members located them “All three vehicles failed to stop for the unit near River Rd before beginning to drive at excessive speeds.” “Police soon came across one of these vehicles which had collided with a house on River Rd and the driver was attempting to run on foot before being apprehended.” A second vehicle was found abandoned on State Highway 12 near Turiwiri “The third stolen vehicle carried on travelling south where spikes were successfully deployed near Pūhoi,” Nordstrom said “Thanks to assistance from the police Eagle helicopter and dog units all four remaining offenders were quickly arrested.” Minister of Police Mark Mitchell was in Dargaville on Friday to hear the concerns of residents amid a crime surge which includes two homicides [one scene pictured here] A Dargaville crime surge that has seen anxious elderly arming themselves out of fear has resulted in the promise of 18 new police for Northland Minister of Police Mark Mitchell attended a public meeting on Friday to reassure residents and hear their concerns but questions remain about how quickly change will come Around 100 people attended the meeting at Dargaville’s Lighthouse Function Centre where speakers included Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson and Kaipara-Whangārei Area Commander Maria Nordstrom It is still not known when the recruits would start and concerns remain around the wait times for a vast area but police say they are being proactive Nordstrom said a review of the rural policing model in Whangārei and Kaipara was already under way which once complete could take an overall look at staffing in Dargaville she revealed an expectation of 18 new police for the Whangārei-Kaipara area within the next six months Exact staffing locations for recruits would be worked through as they complete the training process police would continue to be adaptive and respond to calls no matter what day or time “While staff deploy from a particular station or area we do have the ability to move staff to where they are needed during that shift.” Should staff be tied up in Dargaville the next logical station to dispatch staff from would be Whangārei She said police worked closely with a wide range of community partners and was looking forward to working with the Northern Wairoa Community Patrol in Dargaville once up and running Mitchell told the Advocate he would like to see young people from Dargaville consider a career in the police especially because they will understand their community and its needs Moving forward it would be vital for community groups such as Māori Wardens security staff and community patrols to work alongside police rather than in silos Mitchell indicated that would require a more unified strategy moving forward “I think there’s people energised to come together and do that I’ve said I’m on standby to come up and participate and join those meetings.” Jepson told the Advocate this week when it came to policing there was CCTV coverage but wait times currently vary depending on police availability That gap offered an opportunity for Māori Wardens and the Northern Wairoa Community Patrol to step up “That’s how communities have to work nowadays...they have to realise that stepping up and taking ownership of these issues [is important] especially when you have an under-strain police force.” He said that Friday’s meeting had been a good opportunity for residents to express their fears and concerns The meeting revealed some elderly were arming themselves out of fear which was unsurprising “I think the way society is in NZ at the moment people do have to protect themselves and take appropriate action.” Vigilante justice was among the reasons for forming a community patrol such as a recent incident in the area where community members took action That was a concern to Northern Wairoa Community Patrol secretary Rose Dixon who was pleased the Police Minister made an effort to meet with residents Dixon said it was “absolutely awesome” to hear recruits were coming to Northland which could eventually complement their efforts She said support from local business Filter HQ with fuel vouchers and more would accelerate plans for the community patrol to be fully operational by November although they were still on the lookout for a vehicle Kaipara District councillor Ash Nayyar felt that the council should consider funding the patrol as other councils do across the country He agreed that provincial towns such as Dargaville may need to follow a model where community organisations chip in when it comes to crime but his primary concern was police action Nayyar wanted recruitment to happen quickly and to see some officers stationed in Dargaville The town acts as a feeder to other areas which highlighted a need further afield than people realised He also pointed out that the area is populated with many elderly who don’t know how to report crimes online therefore having the ability to report at a station was vital Norstrom said the front counter is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm and operational staff are based at the station and front counter opening hours subject to jobs they are attending Nayyar said whether or not the recent crimes were the symptoms of a spike “We want to project Dargaville and this area as a welcoming place and a safe place,” he said “We’re one hour away from the [main] highway Friday’s meeting was a step in the right direction but momentum needed to be maintained Stressed-out nurses in Dargaville are going on strike over fears for staff and patients while there is no doctor at the beleaguered hospital Members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation plan to voice their frustrations with a strike starting at 1pm on 29 August said the strike would be only an hour long but it was still a major step for her profession Dargaville Hospital was making use of a telehealth service and transferring the sickest patients to Whangārei Mariscal said the nurses had grave concerns for community and staff safety and were "sick and tired of working in fear" when there was no doctor on site "We're quite stressed about having no doctors because of not knowing what walks through the door and managing that without a doctor on site is terrifying," she said "Even Prime Minister Christopher Luxon admitted we're under tremendous pressure but still nothing is being done about it." She said a telehealth service was no replacement for an on-site doctor it's not the same as having a hands-on doctor to actually do a physical assessment you feel really helpless and you're just waiting for someone to come and help you Mariscal acknowledged hiring permanent staff was difficult in rural areas such as Dargaville but said the current shortage was related to management's unwillingness to pay locum doctors a worthwhile rate Mariscal said Dargaville Hospital relied heavily on locums to fill gaps in the roster especially when staff were sick or on holiday "But now the locums aren't getting paid that same rate … how can you think about cutting costs when lives are at risk?" Fellow NZNO delegate and registered nurse Rachyl Randell said the hospital was also struggling with a shortage of nursing staff overnight and high workloads it means a nurse is taken off the floor to transfer them The amount of sick calls since the doctor shortages has increased significantly due to the impact this is having on nurses' wellbeing "I became a registered nurse to provide the best possible care I could for each and every one of my patients not leave work in a state of wondering what if or what else could I have done with the current conditions we are working in." Health New Zealand has been asked for comment Since after-hours staffing at Dargaville Hospital reached a tipping point last month the crisis has also spread to Bay of Islands Hospital in Kawakawa Last weekend Bay of Islands Hospital was unable to find enough doctors to fill its roster a situation that may be repeated in coming weekends The emergency department remained open but some patients had to be transferred to Kaitāia Hospital Patients would normally be taken to the much larger, and closer, Whangārei Hospital meaning its emergency department was already at more than 150 percent capacity Tangipo Ryder returned home to family land a year ago but can't enrol with a doctor anywhere nearby The Whangārei mayor says Northland has needed a new hospital for the last 20 years This afternoon the Whangārei Hospital's ED was at 156 percent capacity Authorities say Dargaville Hospital is safe but high-risk patients will be transferred to Whangārei Hospital Health authorities say Dargaville Hospital is safe and any patients there will be well cared for by clinical teams, despite no doctors being on site overnight The comments come after an email leaked to the Northern Advocate revealed local managers and NZ Nurses’ Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) did not want the hospital to stay open when there was no doctor on site because of clinical safety fears The decision to retain the full overnight function of the hospital was made from the very top of Health NZ Te Whatu Ora and was “100% a political decision and not a clinical safety decision” Hospital management and nurse delegates have since discussed the risks and agreed to keep the hospital open, working together to provide the best care possible while looking at long-term solutions Health NZ northern deputy chief executive Mark Shepherd assured anyone being cared for at Dargaville Hospital that it is safe and patients will be well looked after But even while assuring the community, Shepherd qualified this by saying Dargaville will not care for high-risk patients “All patients admitted to Dargaville Hospital are assessed as appropriate for the care currently available at the hospital with ambulance services transporting all high-risk patients directly to Whangārei Hospital.” Shepherd also said anyone who needed hospital-level care should seek help as early as possible and call 111 in an emergency a doctor was on site until about 6pm each day with overnight nurses supported by a senior medical officer giving on-call cover There had been overnight staffing issues at Dargaville Hospital for some time now and Health NZ had not been successful in recruiting senior medical officers the decisions we are taking to manage immediate operational and clinical issues are made with an absolute focus on maintaining appropriate access to health services for the community,” he said “Health NZ is committed to working with our staff communities and unions on long-term solutions that ensure access to high-quality health services.” Shepherd said Health NZ was also looking to address the long-standing workforce issues to ensure the needs of the local community continued to be prioritised “We want to thank our staff for their hard work and ongoing dedication to their patients and community,” he said Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate focusing on health and business Health Minister Shane Reti's office has quashed rumours that Dargaville Hospital could be closed down saying any such speculation is "utterly wrong" RNZ asked Dr Reti if there were any plans for the beleaguered hospital - either extra investment downsizing or closure - and was told closing Dargaville Hospital was not under consideration A spokesperson for Reti said Health NZ would respond with a progress update on staff recruitment at Dargaville and services for the people of Northland "People starting these sorts of rumours [about the hospital closing] are actively undermining confidence and trust in the public health system," the spokesperson said The hospital - which serves a population of more than 27,000 people across Northland's Kaipara District - has been struggling to fill its medical roster for some time Its emergency department and 12-bed inpatient ward are often without a doctor after hours forcing stressed nurses to rely on a commercial telehealth service for support Top Northland health officials were to have met Dargaville nursing staff last Friday It is not clear if that meeting went ahead because staff have been barred from speaking to media If the hospital were to close its overnight beds that would mean transporting patients to Whangārei Hospital which has its own problems - in particular Whangārei is just under an hour's drive from Dargaville via State Highway 14 Many emergency cases are already taken directly to Whangārei due to Dargaville Hospital's doctor shortage St John has confirmed to RNZ that Dargaville has just one ambulance That means any time a patient has to be transferred to Whangārei there may be no ambulance available in Dargaville and surrounding areas for two hours Backup is from St John stations in Whangārei or Maungaturoto Dargaville Hospital currently has 12 beds in a general ward and eight in a detox unit Northland's other rural hospitals - Kaitāia and Kawakawa - have 26 and 20 beds The lack of doctors at Dargaville Hospital prompted a rare nurses' strike on 29 August with nurses saying they were stressed and fearful of the consequences of looking after patients when no doctors were available senior clinicians have told RNZ it reached a critical level in May when Health NZ cut the pay rate for locums RNZ was told some locums who had been coming to Northland for years refused to return when their pay was cut almost by half RNZ understands doctors were informed in early September that consultation about Dargaville Hospital was about to take place While no more details were available at that time Section 43 of the doctors' collective agreement requires Health NZ to consult members about any "any review that might result in significant changes to either the structure staffing or work practices affecting employees.. Te Hā Oranga o Ngāti Whātua and Hospice Kaipara are based on the same site but are not directly affected by any changes at the hospital Staffing worries at Dargaville Hospital come just as the town appears to be on the cusp of a population boom announced in August by the Kaipara District Council will allow 47ha of land at the former Dargaville Racecourse to be developed for housing and light industry A similar plan change in May opened up 39ha of rural land on Awakino Road The strike has been planned to highlight the fear nurses have about working in a hospital with no doctors after-hours Desperately worried doctors fear people are dying as a direct result of critical workforce shortages A regional specialist doctor is pushing back on the government's claims there is no hiring freeze on frontline health roles When no doctors were available after hours Dargaville Hospital was making use of telehealth service and transferring the sickest patients to Whangārei By Peter De Graaf of RNZ Dargaville Hospital has again been without a doctor most nights this week The message, sent by management at Health NZ Te Tai Tokerau warned staff there would be no doctor or nurse practitioner on duty overnight on Wednesday or the rest of the week There were also “a number of gaps” in the roster for the rest of the month The memo set out contingency plans such as telehealth- a private business service that allows nurses to talk to an off-site doctor by phone or video call - and a lowered threshold for transferring patients to Whangārei Hospital Management had also arranged for an advanced paramedic to be on the ward overnight on Wednesday and Thursday to support the nurses any patients on the ward overnight had to be assessed by a senior doctor as being stable and unlikely to need medical input during the night any patients transferred to Dargaville’s 12-bed general ward would need to have their transfer completed by 5.30pm “We are actively discussing options with the national executive team in the meantime we need to ensure that any patients admitted or transferred to the general ward at Dargaville Hospital are kept safe,” the memo continued An “escalation plan” was included in case any patients who had been stable during the day deteriorated overnight The message ended with a thank you to Dargaville staff “This is clearly not a position that we would like to be in We will continue to work together to look at safe options for care delivery for the community.” Health NZ chief clinical officer Dr Richard Sullivan told RNZ the hospital had been experiencing overnight staffing issues for some time “We are continuing to look at how we address these long-standing workforce challenges to ensure the needs of the local community continue to be prioritised we have not been successful in recruiting senior doctors Contingency plans will remain in place to ensure patient and staff safety while we continue to recruit to these vacancies,” he said “This is not a position we want to be in and the decisions we are taking to manage immediate operational and clinical issues are made with the focus on maintaining appropriate access to services for the community and unions on long-term solutions that ensure access to high-quality health services.” Sullivan urged anyone who needed hospital care to seek it as early as possible and to make use of telehealth options such as Healthline In an emergency people should always call 111 The lack of doctors at Dargaville Hospital overnight prompted a rare nurses’ strike on August 29 The nurses said they were stressed and fearful of the consequences of looking after patients when no doctors were on duty Earlier this week the office of Health Minister Shane Reti said closing Dargaville Hospital was not being considered despite the difficulties finding medical staff Any speculation about the ward shutting down was “utterly wrong” Dargaville Hospital serves a population of more than 27,000 people across Northland’s Kaipara District Senior clinicians have told RNZ the doctor shortage at Northland’s rural hospitals worsened dramatically in May after Health NZ cut pay rates for locums - or temporary doctors - by as much as 40% Two water pipeline projects in drought-hit Northland are set to receive government loans totalling more than $40 million with the trust leading the work saying it will transform local economies - and solve Dargaville's ongoing water supply woes Regional Development Minister Shane Jones has announced a $17.5m loan to build a 22km pipeline from the newly built Waihekeora Reservoir to Dargaville which is currently in the grip of level 4 restrictions forbidding all but essential water use Jones also announced $24m to build a pipeline connecting the huge Otawere Reservoir due to be completed in the coming months near Waimate North with Matawii Reservoir built near Kaikohe two years ago All three dams had been built by Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust with loans from the former Provincial Growth Fund would come from the Coalition government's Regional Infrastructure Fund Jones said the two projects would significantly increase Northland's water security and unlock economic growth Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust chairman Murray McCully said the 22km Kaipara pipeline would provide water to about 3000ha of potential horticultural land between Te Kopuru and Dargaville as well as to Silver Fern Farms' processing plant at the eastern end of Dargaville township The plant was the biggest employer in the area but struggled to maintain the water supply it needed to operate throughout summer the Kaipara District Council would build a pipeline to its water treatment plant which currently relied on the drought-sensitive Kaihu River McCully said not only would the scheme allow farmers along the flats south of Dargaville to access irrigation water it would also make Dargaville's water shortages a thing of the past "The town is suffering under these level 4 water restrictions and is McCully expected the pipeline to be completed in summer 2026-27 The scheme could also supply light industrial users in Dargaville and potentially farms on the other side of the Wairoa River McCully said one of the ways the loan would be repaid was by selling shares in the Kaipara Water Company with users owning and operating the project in the long term "We've got some initial shareholders close to the reservoir and you can see avocado orchards planted just across the road We've also seen farmers using their full entitlement to water over summer So the weather's been doing some marketing for us," McCully said by adding more small dams at relatively low cost "We see this as a very exciting day for Dargaville because it does solve the headline water problem we've been reading about It also creates an opportunity for land use conversion between Te Kōpuru and Dargaville lifting production and providing additional employment This is a scheme that is able to transform the economy around Dargaville over the next decade or so," he said Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson said he was thrilled by the news Establishing a secure water supply on the western side of the district had long been a problem and staff had investigated various options over the years - but all came at significant cost Jepson said the council was grateful to Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust for building the pipeline to Dargaville giving the council access a more consistent and reliable water supply in future the Otawere pipeline project further north would connect the 4 million cubic metre $47m Otawere Reservoir with the existing 750,000 cubic metre Matawii Reservoir Jones said the 15km pipeline would create a "water corridor" across mid-Northland unlocking another 1600ha of highly fertile land between Waimate North and Kaikohe "The government's investment in water is addressing barriers to development in regions like Northland where a consistent water source is needed to unlock economic and recreational resources for its communities," he said Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust and Kaipara District Council would combine pipeline construction with the $7.8m Dargaville to Te Kōpuru stopbank upgrade an existing Regional Infrastructure Fund flood resilience project Jones said combining the two projects could save $3 million and speed up completion Under level 4 restrictions introduced this week in Dargaville town supply water may be used only for drinking Agriculture Minister Todd McClay classified the conditions as a medium-scale adverse event with the drought declaration opening up funding support and tax relief for farmers and growers and the coldest places - and those hit by 'atmospheric rivers' Kaipara mayor Craig Jepson and deputy mayor Jonathan Larsen visit Dargaville businesses over a spate of incidents Northland police say they are making progress in holding people to account over a spate of offending across Kaipara and Whangārei But police say they have dealt a blow to a core group of offenders behind recent aggravated robberies and burglaries on Kaipara and Whangārei businesses A 44-year-old man was arrested and charged last week in relation to some 20 offences in Dargaville and Whangārei over the past month said Area Commander Inspector Maria Nordstrom “Our staff located a stolen vehicle travelling near Tangowahine “He’s since had an initial appearance in the Whangārei District Court on burglary charges where he allegedly targeted clothing The man has been held in custody until next appearance on October 21 “Dargaville staff have been working incredibly hard in investigating these offences and it was a great result for the community that he is remanded in custody.” frontline staff worked with the Tactical Crime Unit to make an arrest for dozens of other offences frontline staff stopped a vehicle at a Te Kamo petrol station forecourt which was sought in connection with an earlier road rage incident in Auckland “The occupants were arrested without further incident and a firearm was located following a search of the vehicle,” Nordstrom said A 17-year-old in the vehicle was sought in connection with an aggravated robbery at an Otaika dairy in early July unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition plus numerous burglaries and theft of motor vehicles in June and July two other youths have also been arrested over a series of aggravated robberies and burglaries “I acknowledge the dedication of our staff working right across this region who have diligently been piecing together the offences leading to arrests.” By Shannon Pitman, Open Justice reporter of stole three vehicles and went joyriding in other cars that were later recovered got a reality check when he appeared in a courtroom dock for sentencing Dargaville man Cory Olsen is facing a lengthy prison term for what the judge described as some of the worst offending she had ever seen this is the most prolific burglary offending I've seen in my career," Judge Taryn Bayley told Olsen on Friday Olsen appeared in the Whangārei District Court for sentencing but matters stopped in their tracks when the judge indicated a prison term he was not expecting Judge Bayley said the file was so large it had taken her two hours to go through the multiple summaries of facts The 44-year-old has been charged with 23 burglaries three thefts of a motor vehicle and five charges of unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle The offending occurred in 2024 across Dargaville Olsen was found to have stolen three vehicles and jewellery of significance that could never be replaced "A lot of these people who were burgled lost items that were of significant value jewellery that was of sentimental value and has come with a sense of a lot of grief for them," the judge said but some did want reparation for costs they had to incur for windows and doors this man smashed through to take their stuff." Police prosecutor Stu Wilkes agreed but said the issue of reparation might "fall on deaf ears" that's got to go towards a credit towards the defendant," he said Although Olsen's lawyer Julie Young indicated her client had no means for reparation Judge Bayley directed a report of his financial capabilities Olsen also reported he had children in his care and Judge Bayley said she needed to ensure care arrangements were in place The sentencing was adjourned and Olsen was remanded into custody until a new sentencing date in July - This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald Dargaville Hospital runs without an on-site doctor for most overnight shifts and some day shifts Under-pressure nurses working without an overnight doctor at Dargaville Hospital are taking an hour of strike action to demonstrate their frustrations Since July, the rural hospital has been using nurses and a telehealth service for most overnight shifts with any critically ill patients being transferred to Whangārei Hospital The nurses say they are working in fear during these shifts with some day shifts also running without doctors on-site Members of NZ Nurses’ Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) will be striking for one hour on August 29 to voice their frustrations with the arrangement Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora said contingency planning is in place to ensure safe and appropriate care for patients during the one-hour strike, and the hospital will remain open and take new admissions The wellbeing of staff is also important and recruitment to cover vacancies is ongoing NZNO delegate and Dargaville Hospital registered nurse Shayna Mariscal said nurses are extremely worried about community and staff safety “We’re quite stressed about having no doctors because of not knowing [who will walk] through the door and managing that without a doctor on-site is terrifying.” Mariscal said there could be anything from no patients to 20 patients presenting at Dargaville Hospital overnight and their statuses can vary greatly She did not want to go into details about what nurses have experienced during shifts with no doctors on-site but said they are under tremendous pressure “We really need doctors on-site rather than a telehealth service it’s not the same as having a hands-on doctor to actually do a physical assessment.” Mariscal said any extra training or support to help nurses better deal with the situation would be beneficial “The only real solution regarding extra training would be to do the nurse practitioner pathway She acknowledged hiring permanent staff in a rural hospital like Dargaville is difficult but said the doctor shortage is related to management’s unwillingness to pay locum doctors a worthwhile rate “We relied heavily on locums to fill in our gaps but now the locums aren’t getting paid that same rate they’re not willing to pay up for the shifts “But how can you think about cutting costs when lives are at risk?” Health NZ group director of operations for Te Tai Tokorau acknowledged the staffing has been “very challenging” especially with the past few months being impacted by increased winter demand “We are grateful for the amazing work done by our great team across Te Tai Tokerau who remain focused on looking after our patients “The wellbeing of our staff is very important to us and we have been working with our teams to manage many challenges.” Pimm said recruitment is a well-documented challenge in the health sector particularly in rural areas like Northland where locum or temporary doctors are often used to cover gaps The preference is for permanent staff over locums but recruitment has not happened as quickly as Health NZ would like Two-thirds of the budgeted fulltime equivalent senior doctor roles in Northland have been filled or are contracted with recruitment continuing to fill the remaining one-third rosters are reviewed to maximise cover each day Bay of Islands and Kaitāia Hospitals working closely together to share capacity where appropriate “We value the enormous contribution nurses make to our hospitals and thank them for the critical role they have in caring for the health needs of our whānau and communities “We know our workforce is under pressure and addressing this across the health sector is a top priority for us work is under way locally to help address concerns raised by Dargaville NZNO regarding better patient care.” Pimm reminds patients needing non-emergency healthcare to phone Healthline on 0800 611 116 or rural patients can call Ka Ora on 0800 252 672 from 5pm to 8pm on weekdays and 24 hours a day on weekends and public holidays The strike is to take place at Dargaville Hospital on Thursday She has more than 20 years’ experience in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference Police say they have arrested a 22-year-old man over causing head injuries to a five-month-old baby The man has been charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm The injured five-month-old baby was taken to Dargaville Hospital on 28 December before being transferred to Starship Hospital in Auckland The man will appear in the Whangārei District Court on Friday Police are investigating after a baby was flown to Starship Hospital with serious head injuries Eighteen new police in Northland won't provide any immediate relief to a crime wave in the town of Dargaville The Minister of Police visited Dargaville on Friday evening to announce the plan for new recruits It follows publicity over an upsurge in ramraids burglaries and anti-social behaviour in recent months which has pushed residents to take matters into their own hands The group had been calling for more volunteers Northern Wairoa Community Patrol spokesperson Anita Evans says the group was formed to deter people from taking a more vigilante approach Kaipara District Council Dargaville Ward councillor Ash Nayyar backs the scheme particularly as current wait times for police attendance can be hours or more See terms of use for easy access to all your favourite programmes All but essential water use has been banned in Dargaville as Northland's big dry continues to worsen Under level 4 restrictions introduced this week The Kaipara District Council has also stopped water delivery trucks filling up from the town supply That means people in rural areas whose rainwater tanks run dry will have to buy water sourced from other areas which is expected to bump up the already significant cost of water delivery Dargaville's level 4 restrictions also apply to the nearby beachside settlement of Baylys Beach The fire risk also remains high across Northland which has been subject to a total fire ban since Saturday Fire and Emergency manager Wipari Henwood has urged Northlanders to avoid doing anything outdoors that could cause sparks Sparks from grinders caused two fires last week forcing the closure of a state highway and destroying a vacant school building A drought was declared across Northland, and other regions, on Friday The declaration unlocks government support for farmers and growers and allows the Ministry of Social Development to consider granting rural assistance payments A rainfall map produced by the Northland Regional Council shows western areas of Northland - around Dargaville in particular - received only about 5 percent of their median February rainfall last month Level 3 water restrictions are in force for homes and businesses connected to the Ōmanaia-Rāwene and Ōpononi-Ōmāpere water supplies in the Far North outdoor sprinklers and irrigation systems are prohibited which means outdoor sprinklers and irrigation systems are banned There are currently no water restrictions in the Whangārei District or in the Kaipara District other than Dargaville-Baylys Beach Some are milking once-a-day and sending stock to the works early The government has pledged financial support for farmers and growers affected by the dry conditions Grapes are being picked in Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa Taranaki's in drought and the hop harvest is about to start in Tasman Paddocks free of plastic wrapping waste are becoming a reality thanks to Grant Lightfoot A Dargaville woman found dead on a beach was the victim of foul play was reported missing on the morning of 2 August after she failed to return home the night before She was discovered later that day by a member of the public on Ripiro Beach Detective Inspector Al Symonds - who is leading the investigation - on Friday announced police had launched a homicide probe after injuries on her body revealed she was the victim of foul play "As of today we are treating the death of Joanna Mai Sione-Lauaki as a homicide inquiry." He declined to say what the injuries on Sione-Lauaki's body had been Police had not given any updates since early August saying they were treating the death as unexplained Symonds defended the time the update had taken Police are asking for the public assistance to find clothing she was wearing prior to her death - a white Nike t-shirt with a red tick They're seeking sightings of a distinctive white 2012 Toyota Hilux ute with no registration plates an orange hazard light on the roof and aluminium dog cages on the back "We're particularly interested in any sightings of that vehicle in the area as well We believe that that vehicle was in the area where Jo's body was discovered around that time." Sione-Lauaki's black Mitsubishi Outlander was also parked at the entrance to Omamari Beach some time after 7pm on 1 August It was information from the public that would solve this "No piece of information is insignificant." Police also wanted to hear from anyone with dash cam or cellphone recordings Sione-Lauaki partner's gang connections were not an avenue of inquiry "Jo's a mother who was going about her daily business." Police are appealing for information after a spate of burglaries in central Dargaville overnight Police are appealing for information after a spate of overnight burglaries in Dargaville Three businesses were targeted in Victoria St about 2.30am “It’s not yet known exactly what items were stolen but it appears a cash register was taken from one premises.” Forensic examinations of each scene had been completed and inquiries were continuing “Our inquiries remain ongoing and we are working hard to identify those responsible.” This morning’s burglaries follow a similar incident on Wednesday morning about 12.20am when offenders smashed a window to gain entry to a Victoria St vape store They obtained a large amount of product from the store and fled in two vehicles Anyone with information about this morning’s burglaries can contact police on 105, quoting job number P060023376 or make a report online at https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105 clicking “Update Report” and reference the job number above Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 Brodie Stone is an education and general news reporter at the Advocate. Brodie has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond. Kaipara$880,000 + Inclusive of GST525187m²1.54haLifestyle living within minutes from townSet on 1.537 hectares (more or less) of gently rolling land just minutes from town this exceptional lifestyle property offers space and with clear instructions from our vendors we are determined to achieve a successful outcome As you enter the property you're welcomed by a lovely driveway that leads you to the home tucked back from the road for privacy and serenity well-presented family home is designed for flexible living with five bedrooms with an office (or six bedrooms) ideal for large families or those seeking extra space The master suite features a walk-in robe and ensuite while the open-plan kitchen and dining area flow effortlessly into the spacious lounge and out onto decks on both sides of the home These deck spaces are perfect for entertaining or simply soaking in the beauty of the private Comfort and functionality are at the heart of this home and a dedicated laundry with easy outdoor access The property also boasts two large double garages with power providing all the storage and workspace you need offering endless potential for lifestyle living or further development With its prime location just minutes from town on a tar-sealed road this property delivers the perfect balance of rural tranquility and urban convenience based on a borrower’s individual credit assessment.Canstar's Most Awarded Personal LoanGet a renovation loan up to $70K and bring your vision to life we can approve your home improvement loan quickly and get your renovation started Dargaville Hospital will remain open during a nurses' strike next week and outpatients should attend their appointments unless told otherwise New Zealand Nurses Organisation members in Dargaville have planned a one-hour strike from 1pm next Thursday to highlight their fears about working in a hospital with no doctors after-hours Nurses have told RNZ they are terrified about what could happen when no doctor is present and the number of staff taking sick leave has increased due to the added stress Health New Zealand director of operations for Te Tai Tokerau Alex Pimm said contingency plans were in place to ensure patient care would continue during the strike "We appreciate some people may be anxious about the strike and want to offer assurance that Dargaville Hospital will remain open," he said The strike notice stated only the general ward and Timatanga Hou (detox unit) would be affected by the industrial action Pimm said Health NZ knew the workforce was under pressure and addressing that was a top priority Work was underway to address concerns raised by Dargaville staff and the NZNO and a "very productive" meeting with health and safety representatives and NZNO representatives took place on Wednesday "Health NZ values the enormous contribution nurses and healthcare assistants make to the health system and thanks them for the critical role they have in caring for the health needs of our whānau and communities," Pimm said would be open as normal and was not affected by the strike Dargaville Hospital has about 20 full-time nurses and six part-timers Staff shortages are not limited to Dargaville Hospital and if whānau can even find a doctor to go to they are forced to travel hours to get care The chronic doctor shortage is being felt across the country but it is those in the regions and rural areas that are feeling the most pain Police investigating the death of a Dargaville woman more than three weeks ago are appealing for information about a distinctive flat deck ute was seen in the area Jo Sione-Lauaki's body was found The 38-year-old mother of eight was discovered between Omamari Beach and Aranga Beach said police wanted to hear from anyone who had seen the ute "We believe this vehicle to have been in the same area where Jo's body was discovered Police would like to hear from anyone who saw this vehicle leading up to and around Friday 1 August in the Baylys or Omamari beach areas near Dargaville," he said Police were also keen to see any dashcam footage of the vehicle Crawford said the investigation team was continuing to work hard to piece together the events leading up to her death could help bring the case to a close by calling police on 105 and quoting file number 240803/9062 Anyone who wanted to speak to a member of the investigation team in person could visit Dargaville Police Station Information could also be provided anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 The property comes with a derelict public swimming pool and a two-bedroom rental unit has been pitched as a development opportunity offering buyers a 2451sqm on a corner site zoned residential Both properties are owned by local investor Raymond Paxton Paxton told OneRoof he only bought the pool because they wanted the villa and unit next door and the properties were being sold together everybody was interested in the house and the flat But I must have been grinning and the owner asked me if I was interested.” He really wanted to buy a small parcel of land at the front of his Victoria Street restaurant and convinced the council to include it in the deal to buy the 33m pool which closed in 1998 after 90 years in service - What's inside? Wellington mortgagee listing comes with a warning to buyers - Spirits told me who would buy my house - hang in there, you will get your asking price - Riverside home plagued by lowball offers ends up selling for more than $1m The purchase has been a local talking point over the past decade Whenever Paxton parks his mobility scooter outside the pool and opens the gates Somebody always comes in if I open up the big gates,” he told OneRoof The conversation usually turns to the pool and what it could be used for One person urged Paxton to turn it into a farm for eels and leeches Another suggested he build on top of the pool and using the empty space as underground parking complete with turntable I thought I’d flick the pool on,” Paxton said but he’s now decided it’s best to leave the pool’s future to a new owner “I’ve turned 83 and I’m getting to the stage where I’ve been told I’m too old to take on new ventures.” The owner wanted the villa but had to take on the swimming pool next door Bayleys agents Nellwyn Lulich and Lisa Pocklington “All of the local feeder schools used that swimming pool,” said Lulich “I remember when I was at Dargaville High School we had all of our competitions there.” Lulich said the property was one of the most unusual listings she’d come across “It’s not every day that you get asked to list the old town swimming pool,” she said The villa and flat at 20 Gordon Street have five bedrooms and two bathrooms between them sits on a 1164sqm corner section and has the main office and ablutions block Whoever buys the property could follow the lead of Patchwork Architecture which turned a former public swimming pool in Whanganui into an award-winning home Gonville Pool House won a 2024 Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects award The architect’s brief was to turn the main pool into a sunken orchard and build a family home - 20-22 Gordon Street, in Dargaville, Northland, is for sale by negotiation has been found with levels of aluminium so high it is potentially toxic to fish Voluntary water testing in Northland’s Kaipara Harbour has found alarmingly high levels of aluminium in the Northern Wairoa River near Dargaville The results - more than 30 times the freshwater standards - show a need for more testing to better understand what is happening The tests were done by Grant Hoey from Cannalytic Profiling a company which regularly tests water around the country Now based in Auckland, Hoey heard about “zombie fish” - snapper so sick they are barely alive - being fished up near Dargaville “I grew up in Dargaville and I know the place quite intimately .. I was up there and did a couple of samples in a couple of spots.” Using a mass spectrometer, which tests heavy metals in the environment but Dargaville wharf and Tirarau St both showed high levels of aluminium - 3.25mg/L and 1.77mg/L respectively These results are 59 times and 32 times the freshwater and marine guidelines by the Australia and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council, which says aluminium should be less than 0.055mg/L for the health of aquatic plants and animals Both results are also breach the 2022 New Zealand Drinking Water Standards Hoey said the results show a need to do further testing and he is working with Dargaville Ratepayers and Residents’ Association to map the best spots and get samples with the aluminium potentially coming from natural sources like silt and clay particles or chemical use - with aluminium products sometimes used in water treatment and earthwork sediment ponds Ratepayers and Residents Association’ chairwoman Rose Dixon said the results are alarmingly and worryingly high “We understand that aluminium at these concentrations is known to be toxic to aquatic life, especially fish this contrast suggests Dargaville as the potential source.” Dixon is concerned about the impact on people either from swimming in the river or eating fish caught there The group previously called for a government inquiry into the high levels of pollutants in the Northern Wairoa River which could be contributing to the illness in snapper Northland Regional Council said the level of aluminium reported could be considered high and “potentially toxic” for fish and other aquatic creatures both to quantify any potential risks and to identify potential causes The council’s proposed regional plan uses the Australasian guidelines as the standard for protecting 95% of species in rivers But the council does not regularly test for aluminium in any of the water quality tests it runs “Aluminium is not a typical water quality concern for the council due to Northland’s predominantly rural landscape Aluminium discharges are typically associated with a consented industrial activity in a more urban environment,” the spokesperson said The tests the council does do shows poor water quality in the Northern Wairoa with its tributaries showing problems with sediment coli and poor ecosystem health indicated by a lack of stream invertebrates both Dargaville and Te Kopuru wastewater treatment plants were compliant only about half the time in the past 12 months with breaches for minor to moderate reasons the non-compliance related to the levels of suspended solids in treated wastewater discharged into the river suspended solids and ammonia in discharges The council has no current concerns about leachate from the Dargaville landfill at Awakino Rd with annual monitoring done for ammonia and some heavy metals Health NZ Medical Officer of Health Dr David Sinclair said the levels of aluminium detected in the river are not considered to be a public health risk at this time as people are commonly exposed to aluminium in their daily lives A bigger public health concern is the level of bacteria which can cause gastroenteritis and skin and eye infections and affect aquatic plants and animals in the food chain Swimming and food gathering in the river at these locations therefore isn’t recommended Dixon said this warning begs the question why there hasn’t been any warnings in recent years to not swim or collect shellfish from the Northern Wairoa River due to its pollution “This has been an ongoing issue for many years It’s a fact the river has high faecal coliforms and that it exceeded almost all parameters with regards to water quality.” When Sam Erickson started hooking one sickly snapper after another he knew something was seriously wrong Around November last year the Dargaville stay-at-home dad noticed a change in the fish he pulled out of the Northern Wairoa River Probably eight out of 10 snapper we were pulling in were diseased." Erickson was the first to coin the term 'zombie fish' a name that's caught on everywhere the hollow-eyed The first sign is they start losing all that gel around their eyes so a cavity opens up around their eyeballs Their eyes start developing cataracts and there's often a bloodshot line in there While the cause of zombie fish is not yet known the phenomenon has put a spotlight on Northland's longest river - and what that reveals isn't pretty A 2020 report by the Northland Regional Council described water quality in the river as "particularly poor" with standards breached for almost every pollutant The Northern Wairoa is sometimes called the upside-down river because its permanently brown colour makes it look like the muddy riverbed is on top chairwoman of the Dargaville Ratepayers and Residents Association said she first heard about zombie fish at the group's inaugural meeting earlier this year he mentioned he'd been catching zombie fish Dixon encouraged Erickson to go public with his concerns about the fish he was catching which prompted an Auckland water testing business to offer free tests of the Northern Wairoa at various sites around Dargaville Those tests revealed - apart from the usual pollutants - surprisingly high levels of aluminium in the water far above the levels recommended by the Australia and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council for the health of fish and aquatic plants The results were a surprise because the Northland Regional Council does not routinely test for aluminium which is not expected at such high levels in a rural waterways The council's own follow-up tests detected even higher levels of the metal It was not clear why there were such high levels of aluminium in the river though it did occur naturally in Kaipara soils and was commonly used to clarify water for example in treatment plants or earthworks settling ponds general manager of Te Roroa Development Group said iwi had long been concerned about water quality in the awa "The main reason is around health and well-being There are a lot of things associated with the mauri [life force] of the river and it's a mahinga kai - that means our people have traditionally gone to the river and got food resources from it and further down you get oysters and mussels." Tane said long-standing concerns included the large volumes of sediment in the river and the discharge of untreated waste water "That plan needs to be around understanding where it's coming from and how can we put mitigation and processes in place to not only manage it but to find ways to stop it from occurring." Dixon said there was hope for an improvement in the river's sediment problem with Kaipara Moana Remediation - New Zealand's biggest harbour restoration project - working to clean up the water flowing into the Northern Wairoa and the Kaipara Harbour The project had so far overseen the planting of almost two million trees and the more than 800km of fencing to keep stock out of waterways Dixon said there were also problems with the town's wastewater treatment plant which regularly breached its consent conditions She believed the plant should be upgraded but that could come at huge cost beyond the means of Dargaville's small ratepayer base She said central government assistance could be needed both to fix the town's sewage plant and to address the river's high aluminium levels "When you think about the fact that more than 90 percent of the west coast's snapper spawns here in our river maybe it's an issue of national significance and the government perhaps needs to step in and look at what they can do to help." Erickson was blunt when asked about the state of the river We crap into it - that's where all our septic goes." the importance of the river to local people was illustrated by a Nathan who stopped to talk after overhearing RNZ conducting an interview about the Northern Wairoa "If you ask anyone who lives or was raised around this area they'll say that the river is part of their life you're either fishing or spending time on the water on the beaches Northern region medical officer of health Dr David Sinclair recommended people avoided swimming or gathering food at the testing locations on the Northern Wairoa River until the relevant agencies had finished assessing the water "The main direct risk to people remains the level of bacteria and affect aquatic plants and animals which are part of the food chain," he said Any snapper caught in the area with "milky white" or "mushy" flesh should be reported to the MPI hotline 0800 80 99 66 Sinclair was planning to meet Dargaville iwi and residents in coming weeks to hear their concerns first-hand The aim is to halve the amount of sediment washing into the country's biggest harbour within 10 years Starting early last year anglers have reported hooking snapper that appear to be malnourished and have mushy A new Northland climate action group has slammed Kaipara District Council's move to "plough on" with climate funding cuts This comes as Kaipara District Council (KDC) this month seals the.. Businesses in Northland's Kaipara District say they're frustrated by a 13-hour internet outage that forced many shops to close or switch to cash-only transactions for a day Dargaville Community Development Board manager Sue Curtis said Wednesday's fibre outage meant eftpos terminals and ATMs stopped working anyone who didn't have cash on hand before the 8am cable break could not spend money at the town's businesses Spark has confirmed the outage was caused when a culvert was being dug near Tangowahine The digger hit the main fibre-optic cable providing broadband internet to Dargaville said all internet providers in the area and more than 2070 homes and businesses were affected The cable was repaired about 9.30pm on Wednesday Curtis said the cable break was especially frustrating because it followed a series of major infrastructure failures "It's disappointing because not so long ago we had that power outage which shut down the whole of Northland and now we have a digger driver who digs through a fairly recently placed fibre network They've dug straight through it and it's affected so many people," she said Curtis said affected businesses should be compensated but it was hard to put a figure on how much they had lost but it is really is up to the providers to come up with a solution." Curtis said the day-long outage came just as the town was busy with visitors many of whom were camping at the popular Kai Iwi Lakes or the 107km-long Ripiro Beach or visiting Waipoua Forest further north on State Highway 12 The damaged cable consisted of a number of fibre-optic cables Spark referred questions about whether the company would try to recover its costs to Chorus Chorus has not responded to RNZ enquiries since Wednesday A Spark spokeswoman said professional locators could advise contractors on where cables were buried and checks could also be done [www.beforeudig.co.nz online] power was cut to all of Northland after contractors carrying out routine maintenance unbolted three legs of a pylon at once The region's backup high-voltage line was disconnected at the time for maintenance There is currently no estimate for the restoration time Beefed-up transmission lines allowing more energy to be produced in the Far North and a grid-scale battery to keep the lights on if the national grid fails again The local MP described the $1 million as a "goodwill payment"because neither Transpower nor Omexom were under any legal obligation to pay compensation The two-and-a-half year closure of part of SH1 cut people off from family members Dargaville is a town with plenty of history that is rapidly growing with the development providing much-needed homes The number of houses in the Northland town of Dargaville could expand by nearly 20 per cent with the approval of a new development The Awakino Precinct private plan change has been approved by the Kaipara District Council allowing a subdivision of up to 384 new homes on a 39ha rural block was first proposed by Moonlight Heights in 2022 There was a mixed response from Dargaville residents nine in support and a further three supporting with conditions Those opposed were worried about the development’s impact on existing infrastructure, specifically water supply which is frequently restricted in summer wastewater treatment so close to the Awakino River and lack of heritage assessment were also concerns raised Fire and Emergency NZ opposed the development saying it did not allow for an adequate supply of water for firefighting and there was inadequate vehicle access for firefighting on some homes But residents in support of the proposal said they supported the growth of the town and prosperity the development could bring to the area With just 2000 private dwellings in Dargaville the development could increase homes in the town by 19 per cent if they are all built Kaipara house prices jumped 7.2 per cent in the year to March 2024, more than three times higher than the national average of 1.9 per cent, according to Infometrics The number of Kaipara families needing help with accommodation has also jumped The Ministry of Social Development’s housing register shows there were 78 Kaipara families waiting for a state house in March 2024 more than double the 33 families in March 2019 The private plan change was considered in 2023 by a hearings panel including independent commissioners Dr Lee Beattie (chair) and Melean Absolum The panel recommended the plan change be approved with minor changes and the full Kaipara District Council agreed on February 28 Mayor Craig Jepson said the development opens up much-needed residential land and is sorely needed by residents and businesses in Dargaville “Accommodation in Dargaville is tight and scarcity of rentals is pushing prices up and up,” he said “We know local businesses struggle to recruit staff due to the housing shortage “Businesses have been asking and asking for more land for housing It’s very difficult to attract professionals to work here when they can’t find somewhere to live,” Jepson said “Opening up this land for housing will provide opportunities for growth and development in Dargaville and have positive economic impacts on the wider district.” Moonlight Heights is a company directed by former The Warehouse director Peter Glen Inger and Dargaville’s Craig Williamson It described itself as a company led by a “prominent local family who are passionate about providing high-quality residential housing within Dargaville” The private plan change will come into effect from June 25 A leaked email shows staff at Dargaville Hospital were so concerned about the risk of not having a doctor on duty overnight they wanted the hospital's 12-bed ward closed down While nurses and local managers now agree with keeping the hospital open - after weighing up all the risks and options - they said the decision to keep it functioning was "100 percent political" The email stated staff and managers were working together to provide the best care possible under the circumstances that the public was not being told there was no doctor physically present between 5pm and 8am medical advice was instead mostly provided by telehealth a commercial service in which a doctor at another location offers advice via a video call "Te Whatu Ora [Health NZ] does not plan to advise the public that they should expect anything other than normal hospital service which is a real concern … The public need to be aware that the service provided at the Dargaville general ward overnight is predominantly provided by telehealth," the email stated The leak also revealed Dargaville Hospital nurses had asked Health NZ to provide an undertaking in writing that the organisation would keep trying to recruit medical staff and that they would be in place as soon as possible local staff and managers were now working together closely to provide the best service they could despite the decisions being imposed on Dargaville Hospital from a national level Health NZ northern deputy chief executive Mark Shepherd said Dargaville Hospital was safe and any patients would be well looked after with ambulance services transporting all high-risk patients directly to Whangārei Hospital," he said The hospital currently had a doctor on-site until about 6pm daily with a senior medical officer (SMO) on-call overnight with nurse staffing Shepherd said Health NZ had been experiencing overnight staffing issues at Dargaville Hospital for some time and had so far been unsuccessful in recruiting SMOs "Contingency plans will remain in place to ensure patient and staff safety while we continue to recruit to these vacancies the decisions we are taking to manage immediate operational and clinical issues are made with an absolute focus on maintaining appropriate access to health services for the community." Health NZ was continuing to look at how it addressed long-standing workforce challenges Earlier this month, Health Minister Shane Reti said any speculation that Dargaville Hospital could be closed down due to the lack of doctors was "utterly wrong" In August, Dargaville members of the NZ Nurses Organisation called a rare strike to highlight their fears about a lack of doctors after hours Recruiting doctors is difficult at many rural hospitals has not had a doctor overnight since mid-2022 Seriously ill patients are now taken directly to Whangārei Hospital which has its own staffing and capacity problems has been unable to fill some weekend rosters since August this year senior doctors have told RNZ the shortage worsened dramatically in May this year when Health NZ cut locum pay rates by as much as 40 percent Locums are short-term doctors often hired to fill roster gaps They are expensive but Northland's rural hospitals had become dependent on locums due to difficulties finding permanent staff RNZ has seen correspondence from a health recruitment consultant naming five doctors willing to work at Dargaville Hospital but only if the hourly rate for locums was restored to the previous level Residents are fed up with boy racers damaging roads in Dargaville Dargaville locals have been left “terrified and frustrated” over boy racers repeatedly doing burnouts and drag racing with some residents deciding to leave town A dad, who asked not to be named citing safety reasons, said the level of crime was “out of control” and a reason why his family of four have decided to sell their house and move elsewhere Everyone including my wife and me is terrified,” said the dad of two daughters Northland Roading Policing Manager Inspector Anne-Marie Fitchett said they are concerned about the anti-social driving behaviour and the danger it poses in the Dargaville area The dad’s family has been living in the town for nine years now But in recent months the place has seen a rise in boy racers doing aggressive burnouts and races which have caused many residents to experience sleepless nights The breaking point for them was an incident on July 29 “It all started around 1am when my wife and I woke up to the noise of cars burning rubber.” The sound of “tyres popping” was so loud that even the police operator he was engaged with to report could hear it The unavailability of police personnel to attend caused him to jump into his ute and follow two vehicles doing burnouts While always keeping a safe distance of 500 metres the local tracked the boy racers from Hoanga Rd near the Northern Wairoa River through to Rowland Rd and Arapohue Rd He briefly stopped at a set of temporary traffic lights near the railway and continued to trail them to the top of a hill and quarry He understands that the police force is understaffed But if nothing was done about the crime in Dargaville then offenders would only get more “brazen” The local said the aftermath of the incident had left him feeling “shattered and frustrated” since he wasn’t able to do anything to make the burnouts stop he drove out to see the extent of the damage caused by the burnouts and racing burnt and shredded rubber everywhere on the road It looked like a burnout strip and just a mess.” He said this incident was a follow-up to another “terrifying” ram raid at a Super Liquor store near their home a day before which made his family think that “they have had enough” Fitchett said the police are concerned about anti-social driving behaviour and the danger it poses in the Dargaville area “There have been a number of reported incidents of anti-social driving in Dargaville over the past three months “We believe many of these are connected to the same small group of dirt bike riders who frequent the Selwyn Park area,” Fitchett said The Dargaville resident believes installing a few more cameras in the area would help in catching such boy racers and discourage them from offending Although the township already has a camera he understood that it wasn’t monitored regularly and was “crappy” in capturing number plates or identifying any perpetrators Fitchett said they urge residents with any concerns around this behaviour to report immediately on 111 Avneesh Vincent is the crime and emergency services reporter at the Northern Advocate He was previously at the Gisborne Herald as the arts and environment reporter and is passionate about covering stories that can make a difference