This June, Hato Hone St John in Northland is trying to raise $150,000 to buy generators for its stations in the region without a generator. People can donate as little as $2 via lighttheway.stjohn.org.nz/st-john-northland-district or by direct credit to St John’s Northland District fund: 12-3244-0025048-01. The reference is “annual appeal Northland generators”.

Pūtahi Park earns NZ kudos

Pūtahi Park in central Whangārei was celebrated at the Taituarā Local Government Excellence Awards presented on Friday night. The park was mentioned in the Beca Award for Placemaking. The project for a landmark park kicked off under the Sense of Place programme, which came out of the Whangārei District Growth Strategy Sustainable Futures 30/50 in 2010. A water feature, trampolines and a slack-line are among the facilities on offer in the former carpark area.

Police crash investigated

Police are investigating after one of its fleet was involved in a crash that closed Hatea Dr on Tuesday morning. At around 5.30am the police car was near the intersection of Hatea Dr and Drummond St in Regent when it collided with a member of the public’s vehicle, a police spokesperson said. Passersby reported seeing a car over a bank in the area. One person was assessed by paramedics at the scene. Hatea Dr was closed for roughly two hours. The police spokesperson said an investigation into the crash was under way.

Teen killed in crash

The person killed in a fatal crash on Coatesville-Riverhead Highway in Kumeū, Auckland, on Saturday night was 18-year-old Ella-Rose Donker. The Whangārei teen died at the scene. Two others injured in the crash remain in hospital, one in stable condition and the other critical. Police said an investigation into the circumstances of the crash was ongoing.

Tributes for Donker posted online described the former Whangārei Girls’ High School student as a gifted snowboarder and competitive rower. Her talent for woodwork was also celebrated. Donker will be farewelled at Arise Church on Great North Rd on Friday. People are encouraged to wear something colourful in celebration of her life.

FNDC engineering benchmark

The most significant update of the Far North District Council’s engineering standards, which set the benchmark and processes for any development project or engineering work in the Far North, has been completed after consultation with the community.

The FNDC Engineering Standards sets out the processes and standards that are expected to be followed and met whenever any development project or engineering work is undertaken within the district.

The Engineering Standards Version 0.6 (May 2023), a 467-page document that goes into significant detail, is now available on www.fndc.govt.nz.

Engineers, designers, infrastructure experts, contractors and other interested parties were encouraged to review the Working Draft Engineering Standards via an online survey, which closed at the end of March last year.

For future feedback and suggestions, email engineeringstandards@fndc.govt.nz.