May 5 2026
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Honour at dawn An Anzac wartime revelation A simple phone call opened up a surprising joint wartime history journey last week for two Pahi neighbours …
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p As the sun rose over Kaipara on April 25, hundreds of locals headed out into the chill of an autumn morning to pay their respects at Anzac Day commemorations district-wide. One hundred and eleven years after the Gallipoli campaign, which forged the ties of Anzac fraternity with our Australian military allies, generations gathered to remember the service of those who fought under the New Zealand flag in conflicts then and since.
Council backs Dargaville education
Shane Jones speaks in Dargaville
u by Andy Bryenton
New Zealand First parliamentarian Shane Jones delivered a forceful address to a packed Lighthouse Function …
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Road toll highlighted A road crash awareness event focussed on seatbelts and child restraints will be held in Dargaville this Thursday as part of Northland Road Safety Week …
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The Kaipara District Council has voted unanimously to throw its support behind plans to build a tertiary education hub in Dargaville, committing to fund a necessary tranche of research needed to advance the project. At last week’s council meeting the mayor and elected members debated spending $14,000 on a workplace needs study; a paper laying out the courses the Kaipara business community needs to help employ more local young people in jobs that have skills shortages. Professor Doug Sutton of Massey University has indicated that such a study would provide a powerful argument for the establishment of a tertiary hub in Dargaville, a project he has championed, and now looks to be a step closer to fruition. Councillor Canton proposed having the council fund this work; a survey of
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industry needs, which will add weight to claims that Kaipara needs education for future prosperity. “What skills will Kaipara need this decade? Right now we do not have an answer. This is part of ensuring Kaipara is at the front of the queue for any regional plan,” said Mr Canton. “There is a willingness from the driver of this project (Massey University and Professor Sutton) and from the general public,” said deputy mayor Lambeth. “We are lucky to have the opportunity to have this. Massey is an amazing institution, and I wholeheartedly support this,” said councillor Nathan.
The mayor and councillor Tane concurred. Both helped host a meeting between Dargaville’s business and civic leadership with Professor Sutton that established grassroots approval for the education project. If Professor Sutton’s application is successful, it will not be the council, nor ratepayers, which fund the establishment of a tertiary training provider in west Kaipara. However, the support of councillors adds weight to a growing call for the central government to mobilise its ministries to assist in getting students and tutors in class, in Dargaville, by 2027. ¢
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