
Northland takes two top awards
Helping bring a $445 million super fibre-optic submarine cable to Northland has earned the region's economic development agency a top honour in this year's Economic Development NZ Awards by winning Best Practice in Inward Investment.
The 15,000km super fibre-optic Hawaiki Cable project which connects New Zealand with Australia, mainland United States, Hawaii and the Pacific is expected to future-proof New Zealand's internet capacity for the next 25 years.
The cable landed at Mangawhai in February 2018, and was turned on in July.
Northland Inc's General Manager of investment and Infrastructure,Vaughan Cooper, said the initial contact with Hawaiki founder and chief executive Remi Galasso began in 2013 after a group of local businessmen learned the Hawaiki team was looking for a suitable landing site in New Zealand and contacted the agency.
"The cable is now operational, which means Northland now has a digital sector, we have underlying infrastructure to support it, we are creating a digital strategy, and we're underway.
Northland Inc also won the Best Practice in Sustainable Development Award for its Extension 350 project, a farmer-led farmer-focused programme aiming to transform farming practice in Northland.
The project started in November 2016, and over five years will involve 350 farmers throughout Northland.


Poll: If you could rewind time, would you choose a different career?
It might not be too late for you, but some people look back and wish they had taken a different career path.
If you could go back in time, would you choose something different? Let us know what you would have chosen in the comments below.

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59.3% Yes
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40.7% No
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0% Other - I'll share below

Show us your projects
Whether it's craft, haberdashery, woodwork or upcycling, we'd love to see what you've been working on lately.
You may even spark someone else's creativity...
Tell us about your current project or show us a picture in the comments below...


Cabbage Tree Café moves in at the isite Information Centre
A lovely new feature at the isite Information Centre: The Cabbage Tree Café!
The new owners Anna Xu and Henry Wu are all set up and ready to go. They previously operated The Cabbage Tree Café on Rathbone Street and have kept the same business name.
Reana Te Hei, Whangārei isite Team Leader is ecstatic – “it already feels busy with curious locals and tourists noticing the activity, we are so excited!"
"When the visitor centre was built back in the 1990’s the site was specifically chosen with the visitor’s needs and wants in mind – free parking, a playground for the kids, toilet and shower facilities, an information centre, and of course a café."
“The isite is a one stop shop for the many manuhiri (guests) we welcome to Whangarei 364 days a year. We leverage each other’s customers so it’s a win for all."
Like the isite, the Cabbage Tree will be open 7 days a week, closed only on Christmas day. The cafe will open from 7:00am until 4:30pm.
