Publication
Nobody should ‘have to fundraise to stay alive’
Northland nurse Juanita Bassett has been diagnosed with a form of hereditary cancer so rare fewer than 100 families have it worldwide. A drug could give the mother of two more time but, as Michael Morrah reports, it’s prohibitively expensive. She’s now...
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Food crisis ‘hitting everyone’
Severe food insecurity in Northland caused by soaring living costs is the worst it’s ever been and is now “hitting everyone”, according to community advocates working with affected whānau. The Salvation Army in Whangārei, Tai Tokerau food rescue...
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Revised service centre plan gets go-ahead
AState Highway 1 service centre south of Whangārei has been given the goahead after the Environment Court signed off on a revised design. A five-leg roundabout at the intersection of SH1 and Port Marsden Highway (SH15) will now be used to access...
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‘I have lost everything’
Asolo mother of three who has paid more than $230,000 to fight cancer says people need to realise the cost of cancer treatment in New Zealand. Jacqualine (Jay) Findlater, from Whangārei, was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer in August 2024,...
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Alternative issues
Concerns are mounting that Northlanders haven’t been given the full picture on the alternative Brynderwyns highway plan — a choice critics say could lock the region into a costly, environmentally damaging mistake. The Brynderwyns alternative is part...
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‘They'll have to take me out of here in a box’
Days before he was due for eviction from his Whananaki North bach, Brian Meadows has been granted a reprieve. Whangārei District Council (WDC) is reassessing its plans to evict the 57-year-old from the bach his family has occupied for three...
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Kaitā ia’s former Warehouse site up for tender
After years of closed-door debate, failed proposals and community backlash, the Far North District Council has put Kaitāia’s former Warehouse building up for sale. The FNDC bought the property in 2020 for $1.2 million and over the years has seen...
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Earthworks impact p¯a sites
For most of her life, the history of Sandra Heihei’s maunga existed in stories handed down through generations. But standing alongside archaeologists after controversial earthworks reshaped the site, the local kaitiaki saw traces of ancient fires lit...
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Rough sleepers granted more time to move on
Whangārei District Council has agreed to give rough sleepers at the former Old Boys’ Rugby and Sports Club more time to move on, but a social worker says the issue could have been better managed. Last week, the council issued a 10-day move-on notice...
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Probe finds further alleged offending
across the country assembling in Northland to prioritise the cases. “The team has worked at an exceptional pace alongside Oranga Tamariki and other service providers in this field, ensuring a strong focus on the needs and wellbeing of victims has been...
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Dive boat skipper calls for compensation over case
In 2019, a commercial dive boat was struck by a rogue wave as it crossed the Mangawhai bar. A woman on the vessel fractured her back after being thrown from her seat. The accident triggered a ‘harrowing’ six-year legal battle for the skipper and...
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Marsden Bay residents urge Govt to: Move the dry dock
Marsden Bay residents are urging the Government to relocate a proposed $500 million shipyard and dry dock because of fears the fasttracked project will impact nearby homes. The Marsden Bay Residents Association says the shipmaintenance operations...
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Hundertwasser’s $480K funding shortfall
Whangārei Art Museum will merge with the Hundertwasser Art Centre in an attempt to save money. The merger will bring the two exhibition spaces in the Town Basin into the Hundertwasser building and the combined operation under one senior...
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Fear and anger over move-on order Council tells rough sleepers to leave Old Boys’ site
Whangārei rough sleepers are anxious and frustrated about notices telling them to move on from what they thought was a safe place to camp. Early this week, the Whangārei District Council hand-delivered notices requiring the eight or nine rough...
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Violent smash ends race
One moment NZ Rally Championship frontrunner Jack Stokes was charging towards the finish of a Northland rally stage at 170km/h. The next, he and his codriver were unconscious after a violent crash. The 25-year-old felt well prepared as he headed into...
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Agencies warned $60m cement grant set precedent
Official advice to the Government opposed providing help to Fletcher Building’s Golden Bay Cement factory in Whangārei, for which ministers approved a $60 million grant in July. Officials and independent analysis by Deloitte acknowledged that New...
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Discard rules extended
The fate of unwanted fish hauled aboard commercial fishing boats is back in the spotlight after the Government extended rules allowing some catch to be returned to sea for another two years. The exceptions were due to expire today. However, reviews...
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Musician victimised after seeking ADHD help
After being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, a musician asked his community orchestra to adopt simple communication measures to help him navigate his condition. What followed would end up before the Human Rights Review Tribunal (HRRT). Sean Kemball...
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Pā ua ban imposed
Atwo-year ban on taking pāua, including under customary permits, has been imposed around Ahipara’s Te Tauroa Peninsula. The ban, which kicks in on October 15 – about a week before Labour Weekend – comes after local marae, hapū and community members...
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Councils stand by merger decisions
Northland council leaders have signalled they are still committed to the amalgamation process despite the Government hitting pause on reform. The region’s efforts towards the biggest overhaul of local government in almost four decades have been left...
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Region’s meth use dips
Methamphetamine consumption in Northland has fallen, but experts say there’s no evidence yet the region’s battle with the drug is easing. Newly released wastewater testing shows use fell by about 22% compared with the January-March quarter, but...
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Summer car ban sought on Ruakā kā coast
Aproposal for a daytime summer holiday vehicle ban on part of the Ruakā kā Uretiti coastline was put to Whangā rei District Council’s Vehicles on Beaches Bylaw hearing on Monday. Ruakākā’s Paradise Shores resident and fisherman John Westlake told the...
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Ratepayers head to High Court
Plans to demolish Dargaville’s town hall are heading for a legal showdown, with opponents planning a High Court challenge to stop the wrecking ball. Dargaville Ratepayers and Residents Association (DRRA) chairman Gordon Walker said the association was...
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Family rally after baby son’s diagnosis
Less than a month after welcoming their son, Northland parents Shontelle Wilson and Pikikotuku Te Kahu learned he had cystic fibrosis, an incurable disease neither knew they carried. Their youngest son Taimana Te Kahu was born on July 30. Weeks...
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Code Red time soars
Pressure at Whangārei Hospital’s emergency department this winter has been laid bare in documents released to the Northern Advocate. The data showed the emergency department (ED) was in Code Red seven times longer in the first two weeks of July than...
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Calls for ‘critical’ dog-safety education
Far North animal welfare advocates are calling for “critical” education around dog safety as issues with dangerous canines continue to dominate the district. During the past five years, the Far North District Council [FNDC] has held three events to...
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El Nin˜ o raises fresh drought fears for north
The impacts of a strengthening Pacific El Nin˜o climate pattern are beginning to be felt, according to Northland Regional Council. “Impacts on Northland’s weather patterns are starting to be felt and will persist through this outlook period,” the...
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Court challenge over crayfish catch limits
Alandmark High Court ruling on Northland’s rock lobster fishery management is under scrutiny in the Court of Appeal this week as Seafood New Zealand and the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries challenge the decision. The appeal, being heard over two...
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‘This is my kingdom’
Oyster theft remains a costly problem for shellfish farmers, but Far North grower Owen Robertson believes he has found a solution. The Whangaroa farmer, who has twice successfully pursued alleged oyster thieves through the Disputes Tribunal, said...
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Mum battling MS seeks silver lining
AWhangā rei woman diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at 24 says every patient experiences the lifelong autoimmune condition differently. Rebekah Buxton, a geotechnical engineer and mother of three, shared her story during MS Awareness Week, September...
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The invisible prison of PTSD
The sound of water splashing was enough to trigger former cop Haydn Korach after he attended a drowning while working. At the time, it seemed like a routine job. Years later, Korach realises it’s one of many that contributed to a Post Traumatic Stress...
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Beware ‘excuseflation’ Businesses using cost pressures to hike prices
PART OF NEW ZEALAND’S HERALD First there was “shrinkflation”, now Northlanders have noticed another phenomenon as severe costof-living pressures continue to squeeze families. With everyday expenses such as insurance, rates, fuel, and groceries...
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Rates hikes: ‘Show us why’, home owner says
ANorthland home owner has questioned rising rates bills as the cost-of-living crisis continues to haemorrhage money from people’s wallets. Kaikohe resident Justin Harnish said paying the rates bill – on top of soaring grocery, electricity, fuel and...
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‘Brightest light’ fades
Northland busker “Mr T” is being remembered as a “beautiful soul” whose cheerful grin and music became fixtures of central Whangā rei. Te Wairongoa Paniona, widely known as Mr T, died Monday, aged 67. He was a regular presence on the streets of...
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Will fentanyl become NZ’s next drug crisis?
‘Ibelieve it’s inevitable,” Otangarei ¯ Trust chief executive Martin Kaipo said. With methamphetamine already entrenched in Northland, Kaipo feared the impact an opioid crisis could have on New Zealand communities. Among the drug-related behaviour he...
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'No one had the personality of Flynn'
ANorthlander with big dreams died less than two weeks before his 21st birthday when his vehicle crashed while he was driving to feed his dog. After fishing on August 21, Flynn McBride climbed into his Toyota Hilux and set off for Maungakaramea, where...
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Father, son honour late mum by following her dreams
After losing his wife, Whangā rei dad Jacob Davey embarked on an adventure with his young son to fulfil the bucket list she left behind. It was a journey inspired by the woman he met unexpectedly on his OE to England: Daisy Dempsey. Completely in...
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Region ‘a piece of paradise’ for seasonal work
Kerikeri has been named one of the world’s best destinations for seasonal agricultural workers, with the Far North town ranked fifth for fruit-picking and harvest jobs. The Remitly study listed Kerikeri as the world’s fifth-best destination for...
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Licences revoked after death of student pilot
ANorthland flying instructor whose licences were revoked after his student died in a gyrocopter crash says he accepts the Civil Aviation Authority’s decision. Martin Pattie died in October 2023 at Omaka Aerodrome in Blenheim in his newly bought...
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Future of key Northland marine rā hui in doubt
The future of Northland’s two landmark marine protection areas is uncertain as the Government moves to strip regional councils’ powers to make rules for fishing and fishery resources. The Government says fisheries management should be handled...
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CODE RED
Nurses say Whangārei Hospital Emergency Department (ED) is hitting Code Red daily and patients are being treated in corridors, as the worst flu season in a decade takes its toll. Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora said while the ED was very busy,...
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Looming El Nino sparks warning to prepare now
Flooding from heavy rain in Northland blocked roads and turned paddocks into ponds over the weekend. But meteorologists, councils and farming leaders say now is the time to prepare for a drier spring and summer as El Nino takes hold. With below-normal...
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Butter Factory bar staff fear losing thousands in pay
Workers from Whangārei venue The Butter Factory are likely to lose thousands of dollars in wages each, according to the liquidator. The restaurant and late-night entertainment venue has been closed since July 14, with company Punjab to NZ Group put...
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Cost crunch leaves volunteers in crisis
Rising living costs are making it harder for some Northland organisations to recruit and retain volunteers, community groups say. Non-profit Volunteering Northland says finding volunteers had become an obstacle in recent years. “People get into that...
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Husband and wife convicted of murder
When three people stormed a rural property at night, armed and ready for confrontation, violence unfolded fast. The visit ended with the fatal stabbing of Euan Mackey. Now, two years on and after one aborted trial and three days of deliberation, a...
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‘It’s beyond a joke’ Residents lose faith in roaming cattle fix
Residents say years of complaints, crashes and property damage caused by roaming wild cattle on Whangārei Heads Rd have left them sceptical a lasting solution is close. In a social media post last week, Whangārei District Council (WDC) said it had...
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Back by Christmas? Harbour eyed to trial local scallop rules
Whangārei Harbour could become a testing ground for a localised approach to scallop management, with the public asked whether limited scallop fishing should return after a four-year closure. The call for feedback comes as documents released under the...
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Meth crisis fuels call for more local detox beds
ANorthland addiction support provider says delays in accessing inpatient detox services risk missing crucial opportunities to help people when they are ready to seek treatment. Kaikohe’s Whakaoranga Whā nau Recovery Hub chief executive Rhonda...
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‘What would Dad do’
An arborist removing tree stumps in a residential street was grabbed by his shirt sleeve and pulled into the spinning blade of the machine he was using. Kevin Barry, who only months earlier had started work as a groundsperson for an Auckland...
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Rising costs leave families struggling
Far North families are increasingly seeking help with food as rising living costs pressure household budgets, a local foodbank says. Charity Meet the Need has released its latest impact report, showing it delivered more than 1.27 million meals through...
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Retail hub grows from developer’s vision
AEuropean commercial developer with a unique vision is creating a boutique retail and hospitality complex in the heart of Kerikeri. The Square is being built at the former Bunnings Warehouse building on Fairway Drive, and will house independent...
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Dad’s final messages offer help to others
“Surround yourself with your friends and family like a korowai, hold them tight . . . Be kind. Be really, really kind to everyone.” Those are among the final words of a Northland father to his son, as he battled terminal brain cancer. Shane Nicholas,...
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Family outraged by tame bull’s slaying
‘People hungry for a bit of meat” are believed to have shot and butchered a Northland farming family’s prize breeding bull, worth about $10,000. Beef breeders Bryce and Irma Gibbons, who own a 150ha farm in Ngataki, in the Far North, are “absolutely...
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Sniffing out spawning secrets
We’re travelling from Whangārei to Kawakawa in a University of Waikato wagon, heading for a series of waterways where researchers believe īnanga (Galaxias maculatus) may be spawning. Travelling in the back are the stars of the operation: Lilli, a...
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Surgical robot for North
Whangārei is set to become New Zealand’s first provincial public hospital to have a surgical robot. North Shore Hospital in Auckland is the country’s only public hospital with the technology, while several private hospitals also operate surgical...
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A Range of Homes Available Now
Aleader from a remote Kaipara community says he would like to see more police action against drug dealers. The comments came after two rural Kaipara residents faced the possibility of life in prison, after being arrested for dealing...
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Greens say Whakapara Marae a prime
ADVERTISING CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING [email protected] 09 470 2811 9am-4pm weekdays FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK PHOTO ORDERS Email [email protected] The Green Party says its proposed $2.44 billion marae trust would provide long-term funding for...
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Bird feeder warning
Experts say bird lovers should stop using garden bird feeders as the threat of H5N1 avian influenza becomes an increasing reality for New Zealand. “H5N1 avian influenza [bird flu] has been detected in New Zealand, and the virus will soon become a...
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Fashion hub backs CBD revival
Designer fashion, objects and jewellery store Collecte aims to stand out on Whangārei’s Walton St with its curated lightbox window front. Director Az James said she deliberately picked Walton St so people would see the store as they drove towards the...
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Northlander’s Hollywood odyssey
Stephen Murphy had no idea he was auditioning for The Odyssey when he stood in front of a casting director on Zoom, dressed in stubbies and a 90s wrestling T-shirt. The actor, who grew up in Whangārei, had been evacuated from his Los Angeles home...
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Puppies being sold ‘like lollies’
ANorthland animal rescue group is “disgusted” that litters of puppies believed to be as young as 1 to 2 weeks old are being sold near a Far North community market for profit. Donna Doolittle’s Animal Rescue in Kaitā ia said the puppies barely had...
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Expressway ‘a win for the region’s businesses'
Northland business and transport groups are hailing the Government’s $3.6 billion agreement to deliver the first section of the Northland Expressway as “a win for the region’s businesses and communities”. Transport Minister Chris Bishop announced on...
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Biofuel plant faces billion-dollar test
Abiorefinery planned for Whangā rei’s Marsden Point could create hundreds of jobs but experts say it’s unclear if the proposal will be financially viable. An international consortium led by US-based Seadra Energy is progressing plans for a biorefinery...
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Family forgives drunk driver after fatal crash
Rondy Pedrido Sepaya was a man whose sense of duty stretched far beyond himself. He was the son who paid the bills in the Philippines and funded his nephews’ schooling to give them choices he never had. Every dollar Sepaya earned in New Zealand was...
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Bird guardians fly the nest after 30 years
The founders of Whangārei Native Bird Recovery Centre are stepping down after more than 30 years of volunteering. Robert Webb has retired as manager and deputy chairman, and Robyn Webb has retired as staff manager, he said. Robert will continue to...
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Alarm over plan to truck Auckland’s waste north
ANorthland community leader who helped spearhead a successful campaign against sewage spills into Whangārei Harbour fears a proposal to truck wastewater from a fast-tracked Auckland housing development to Whangārei could place additional pressure on...
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Council merger plan advances
Three Northland councils are backing a roadmap to a single regional authority under the Government's local government reform programme. But the final blueprint for amalgamation warns the journey will involve difficult decisions on Māori representation,...
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‘A free lunch only helps if it is edible’
More than a year after the Government shifted to a $3-per-meal school lunch model, some Northland schools say the programme is failing the very students it was designed to help. The Ministry of Education says only five of Northland’s 117 participating...
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Judge lifts child order after false diagnosis
Ajudge barred a Northland woman from unsupervised contact with her young child after her former partner falsely claimed she was prescribed medication for schizophrenia. However, the without-notice parenting order was removed the next month after a...
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Egg producers brace for H5N1
Egg industry bosses say it’s too early to know whether the H5N1 bird flu will affect supply or prices, but at least one Northland farmer remains optimistic. Paparoa egg farmer James Borger said strong biosecurity measures and years of preparation would...
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Athlete’s fight for life as kidney failure hits
A20-year-old with the same disease that killed his mother is searching for a new kidney. Hokianga man Snow O’Halloran was born with Alport Syndrome, which resulted in his mother’s death when he was 8. Kidney function at less than 10% and hip issues...
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‘Out of control’
Four-wheel-drives could be banned from a Whangārei district beach at the centre of long-running user-conflict under sweeping new council rules. The proposed ban, which would triple the number of vehicle exclusion zones along the Whangārei district’s...
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‘Heavy-handed’
Under-pressure nurses at Whangārei Hospital say they are being asked to provide a medical certificate for each day they call in sick, in response to high winter sick leave. Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora denied it had made any changes to sick leave...
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Knives, homemade weapons and assaults
ANorthland trauma therapist says she has witnessed school violence far beyond traditional bullying, including students bringing knives to school, making homemade weapons and carrying out violent assaults. Erin Majurey, who has worked as a trauma...
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Property market defies winter chill
While the New Zealand property market has cooled alongside winter temperatures, Northland has bucked the trend and defied the early winter slump. According to the latest Trade Me Property Price Report, prices, listings and search activity cooled...
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