People living out of Vehicles during lock-down
Police, Northland District Health Board and Whangarei District Council have decided to move all outlying freedom campers to two sites in central Whangarei.
The move will ensure proper facilities can be provided for the welfare of campers and provide them with closer access to medical help should they require it during the month-long Covid-19 lockdown.
This applies to freedom campers and vehicle dwellers regardless of their self-containment certification status. The exception to this is freedom campers at Cobham Oval Car Park and the Finlayson St Car Park who should stay self-isolating where they currently are.
A main site has been set at Pohe Island at William Fraser Memorial Park on Riverside Drive and a second area at the Whangarei Aquatic Centre Carpark. Both carparks will be closed to the public for the duration of the lockdown.
Police will begin moving campers to the two sites over the next few days and campers should stay where they are until they are asked to move by Police or Council’s Armourguard officers.
Council is working with other agencies to try to find accommodation for anyone rough sleeping in cars during the lockdown.
Police, Northland District Health Board and Whangarei District Council remind locals to be kind to our overseas visitors at this time. They are guests in our district and have been caught up in this difficult situation through no fault of their own.
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️