Northland news in brief: Police name victim in fatal State Highway 12 crash near Matakohe
Paihia firefighters on top
The Paihia Fire Fighters team took part in the Northland Fire Brigades Sub Association Drivers Challenge and achieved a clean sweep of awards. Heath Taylor secured first place, Kaine Joyce was runner-up and Paihia Fire Brigade won the team competition.
Dietitian boosts healthcare
Health NZ's first dietitian permanently based in the mid-North is offering dietetic care for acute patients at Bay of Islands Hospital, as well as support for outpatients and those in the community. Rachel Keane started her role in January, which involves providing specialised nutritional support for patients with serious or complex health conditions. These plans help manage these conditions, promote recovery and improve overall health outcomes.
Recycling bags out, bins in
Kerikeri residents will soon need to adapt to a new way of recycling, as local waste operators transition away from taking bagged recycling in favour of bin-only collections. Far North District Council says the change was part of a move to improve efficiency and reduce contamination in the recycling stream. This means branded recycling bags are no longer available for purchase in Kerikeri stores. Kerikeri residents can still recycle a broad range of items at the Waipapa Re:Sort Station.
Northland food to the fore
Savour Northland will take place in October. Developed in collaboration with the local hospitality and producer industry, Savour Northland 2025 will again showcase the region's food, drink and manaakitanga through a calendar of events. Last year 126 events were featured. There were also 49 entries in the Savour Northland Challenge, which encouraged restaurants, cafes and food trucks to present the ultimate expression of Northland on a plate or in a glass.
Farmer withdraws appeals
Dairy farmer Phillip Bayly has withdrawn two appeals he filed against abatement notices issued by the Northland Regional Council (NRC) after NRC agreed to cancel the notices as part of a wider enforcement resolution. Bayly had appealed two separate abatement notices – one concerning wastewater management at his Hūkerenui Rd farm and another prohibiting silage discharge at his Inksters Rd property in Towai. The notices required immediate environmental compliance actions, including the preparation of a wastewater management plan and the prevention of contaminant discharges to land and water. The council had sought enforcement orders against Bayly and three others in relation to dairy operations across five farms in the region. However, a joint memorandum submitted to the Environment Court on May 1 proposed a resolution that if enforcement orders were granted by consent, the abatement notices would be cancelled. The court accepted the agreement and issued the enforcement orders.
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RNZ News
7 days ago
- RNZ News
Toxic 'superweed' spreading across Northland sparks concern for pastoral farming sector
Perennial Madagascar ragwort (Senecio madagascariensis) can grow up to 50cm tall in ideal conditions, and has multiple branches, long leaves and many flowers. Photo: SUPPLIED/Northland Regional Council The Northland regional council and farming groups are developing a plan to try to control an invasive weed known as the "mad rag" or "fireweed", amid fears it could spread to other regions and even into the South Island. Madagascar ragwort (Senecio madagascariensis) is a poisonous and sometimes fatal plant for livestock with bright yellow, daisy-like flowers, now considered widespread in the Far North particularly on cattle farms. Dubbed the "fireweed" in Australia, that originated from southern Africa, adult plants could produce up to 10,000 seeds that could be viable for up to a decade, and germinated in as little as six weeks across most soil types. AgResearch principal scientist and weed management expert, Dr Trevor James said the plant suppressed other pasture species and spread by wind, posing many challenges for farmers and landowners trying to control it. "There is no easy way to manage it once it gets established, but the main problem is its toxicity to cattle and horses," James said. "Poisoning doesn't seem to be the problem per se, because stock don't eat it once they learn that it's horrible. "But poisoning could be a problem if it's made into hay and is fed out as hay or possibly silage and the poison toxins are still there." James said climate modelling showed it had the potential to go further afield of Northland. "And if climates get warmer and drier, definitely it has the potential to move further south ." Some fields along SH10 in the Far North are now dominated by Madagascar ragwort. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Farmers were being urged to get to know the weed, pull it out by hand and work with their neighbours to keep on top of it. Will Burrett, chief operating officer of Crown-owned Pāmu Farming formerly Landcorp Farming, said Madagascar ragwort was prevalent on its Northland farms. He said it resulted in lost production of up to 35 percent over seven years at its Rangiputa site, where it was costing on average up to $200 per hectare to control, in addition to the increased use of agrichemicals. "We've obviously got herbicide applications and we're trying to limit those as much as we can because we are starting to impact overall pasture production," Burrett said. "It is highly toxic, so we can spray out of paddock and then the fresh seedlings that re-sprout and come back through, if animals do graze those, they're highly toxic to their liver, so that does cause animal health considerations that we have to try and manage as well." He said Pāmu were actively trying to manage it by pulling the weeds out by hand as they came through, but it was such a "fast, prolific grower". "There's no silver bullet for this, and it's got a significant risk across the north in that it's been proven to have the ability to spread to other regions throughout Aotearoa in terms of the cattle systems and the dairy systems out there. It's a massive risk." Burrett said the next steps were about committing industry to a plan, to take to the biosecurity minister in the next month or two. Takou Bay farmer Ian Sizer studies an infestation of Madagascar ragwort. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Beef farmer Ian Sizer of Tākou River had dealt with the pest for around four years, and said it spread across a whole paddock within just four weeks on discovering the first plant. He spent up to two hours a day hand-weeding it to keep on top of it and maintain his herd's health. "It's everywhere. It's a problem all the way across our farm and of course, neighbouring farms, and we're all trying to do our part on containing it," Sizer said. "Part of my daily routine when I'm moving cattle is one eye is always kept on the Madagascar ragwort, and if I see it, the priority is to get off and hand-weed it." Sizer said it came at a significant cost to the business. "It's costing me probably in the region of $70,000 a year to try and deal with this, but the impact on farmers throughout the whole of New Zealand, it could easily be put into millions," he said. Sizer said there were very few effective herbicide for farmers, which had to change, and a collective, national approach to fast-track the development of longer-term biological controls was vital. The Northland Regional Council led a working group to address the challenge of controlling Madagascar ragwort, including the Ministry for Primary Industries and the Department of Conservation, as well as farming sector groups like Beef and Lamb New Zealand and Dairy NZ. A 2023 Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research feasibility study for biocontrol of Madagascar ragwort found the potential agents used in Australia would be unsuitable in New Zealand. Jack Craw, chairman of the regional council's Biosecurity and Biodiversity Working Party, said it had $20,000 allocated towards developing a business case for its long-term management and further research. He hoped industry groups would help co-fund the programme that would explore the use of biological controls such as beneficial insects for the long-term management. "We've highlighted this to the national level, and we believe it's something that the regional councils, plural, of New Zealand should be funding this, along with all the sector organisations." Madagascar ragwort grows up to 60cm tall and has yellow, daisy-like flowers. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf He said its spread outside of Northland was "inevitable", as the seeds travelled by wind, so a controlled area notice to restrict the movement of vehicles in and out of the region would be "a futile gesture". "There's probably no point in the Ministry for Primary Industries putting a controlled area notice on the upper half of Northland because even if we did, we can't inspect every single vehicle and then water blast them all. It's just not possible. "We need to focus much more on finding a long-term control solution for this weed." Madagascar ragwort was "a national issue," he said. "We've done the climate matching and this thing will grow as far south as Canterbury, and invade most pasture types." Farmers were not currently receiving any financial assistance for its control, he said. Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said the management of Madagascar ragwort would require a "collective effort", but the responsibility of long-term management of it in the north, where it was well-established, sat with the regional council. "A working group involving regional council and industry sector representatives has been established with the intention of identifying management options to mitigate the risk of further spread and to reduce known infestations," Hoggard said in a statement. "The working group will be developing a Madagascar ragwort action plan for the region. Nearby regions are involved in this too. "Biosecurity New Zealand and MPI's On Farm Support team will support this group." The matter would be discussed at the next regional biosecurity manager's forum, he said. Recent genomic DNA testing revealed the plant that many thought to be the similar endemic Gravel groundsel species, was the faster-spreading Madagascar ragwort. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
7 days ago
- RNZ News
Water finally restored in Dargaville
Many homes and businesses in the Northland town of Dargaville went without running water during King's Birthday weekend. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Water has finally been fully restored in Dargaville after a massive outage caused by four separate pipeline ruptures last week. Friday's breakages in the 40-kilometre water supply pipeline all but emptied the town's water reservoir and left most homes without running water or under tight restrictions. Kaipara District Council said water was restored to the last homes on upper Hokianga Road, late on Sunday afternoon. However, a resident living just off Hokianga Road told RNZ her taps only started flowing again on Monday night, an outage of almost four days. The council had to scramble to set up water tankers and portaloos around town during the King's Birthday long weekend, while contractors brought in extra staff from Whangārei and Auckland to fix the pipe. In an update posted late on Sunday, the council said tap water in some parts of town was still discoloured, but it had been treated and was safe to drink. The discolouration was caused by sediment being stirred up as the tanks were refilled. A council spokesperson urged Dargaville residents to continue using water conservatively while levels recovered. As of Sunday evening, the reservoir was about 25 percent full. The delay in reinstating water to the upper Hokianga Road area - including Panorama Place, Cobham Avenue and Mountview Place - was due to problems with the booster pumps, the council said.
RNZ News
01-06-2025
- RNZ News
Hīkoi to honour toddler killed in her Northland home
Catalya Remana Tangimetua-Pepene died at her Kaikohe home last Wednesday. Photo: Supplied A hīkoi is taking place in Kaikohe this morning to honour the life of three-year-old Northland girl Catalya Remana Tangimetua-Pepene The toddler, known to close family as Remana, was farewelled last week at Te Paea Marae, just north of Whangārei, and buried at St James Church cemetery in Ngāraratunua last week. Neighbours told RNZ they were heartbroken to lose a child whose smile was so bright it "lit up the whole world". Emergency services were called to a home on Tawanui Road, in Kaikohe, about 6.15pm last Wednesday, where they found the girl unresponsive. Police said she could not be saved, despite medical treatment at the scene. A 45-year-old man, who has been granted interim name suppression, is charged with assaulting a child sometime between 1 and 30 April, and with murdering the same child on 21 May. He is due to appear in the High Court at Whangārei on 11 June. Now, Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi O Ngāpuhi has posted on social media , signed off by chairman Mane Tahere: "The hīkoi has been called by local hapū Te Matarahurahu supported by Ngāpuhi Group to honour the life of Catalya, a three-year-old mokopuna whose passing has deeply affected our community." It would start at Len's Pies on Broadway at 10am on Monday, and finish at the green at the centre of town. There would be karakia, karanga, takutaku and waiata, led by the hapū, and people were encouraged to wear bright, colourful clothing. "This tragedy has deeply shaken us all," the post reads. "The pain is still raw, not just because we have lost a precious life, but because this is not an isolated incident. We also remember our whānau who were most recently taken in Horeke and Pakotai but also the many others this year. Our aroha extends to all the families affected by these traumatic events." "We recognise that vulnerability exists on all sides of these tragedies, in the lives of those harmed, and those who have harmed. As whānau, hapū and a broader iwi, we must find a way forward that upholds both justice and healing."
