New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands ::: A News Blog ::: est 2004



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Tuesday, May 31

New Zealand Business Confidence Falls to 7-Year Low.

New Zealand business confidence slumped in May to a seven-year low, prompting concern the economy may stall and making another central bank interest rate increase unlikely. A survey released today in Wellington by National Bank of New Zealand shows 23 percent of companies expect to sell less in the coming year. That's up from 18 percent in April and the lowest since April 1998. Thirty-two percent said sales may rise, the lowest in about two years.



Mouse sparks police callout.

New South Wales police contacted New Zealand after receiving a call last night from an Australian woman concerned about her mother in Wellington. She said they had been speaking on the phone when the mother let out a scream and the line went dead. A police unit and ambulance went to the mother's home and discovered the scream had come from her after she saw a mouse.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Winter arrives right on cue with snowstorms.

The weather took a vicious turn yesterday, with snow, thunderstorms and plummeting temperatures gripping parts of the country a day before winter's official kick-off. But forecasters were offering Queen's Birthday holidaymakers a ray of hope that conditions would ease by Sunday in the North Island at least. Snow fell at Milford and Queenstown with a heavy-snow warning in place for the central North Island until at least this morning, and drivers being warned of treacherous driving conditions. Dunedin was forecast to reach minus 2C this morning after 8C yesterday, one degree colder than Christchurch on 9C. Wellington reached 10C in the afternoon but temperatures were expected to drop to a chilly 6C overnight as the southerly intensified. Heavy rain and winds up to 80km/h battered Auckland with thunderstorms in the afternoon and temperatures as low as 10C.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Lions give public training display.

The Lions launched their charm offensive with a public training session at North Harbour Stadium, Auckland today. Around 2000 fans turned out for the event, which featured the whole of the squad and key management figures including head coach Clive Woodward. Fans were given a training display with the squad breaking into forwards and backs to practise lineouts, kicking and demonstrate bungee-sprint training after a video presentation on the players.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



French saboteurs appeal to stop TV showing trial video.

The two French agents jailed over the Rainbow Warrior bombing 20 years ago have appealed against a High Court decision to allow TVNZ to show footage of their trial. The ruling last week allowed the network to screen court footage never before seen of Alain Mafart and Dominique Prieur, who were convicted of wilful damage and the manslaughter of Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira in 1985. The High Court ruled that public interest in the footage outweighed the privacy issues of the agents, TVNZ lawyer William Akel has said.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Maori staff initiative welcomed.

A Health Ministry initiative aimed at boosting the number of Maori health workers has been hailed as a positive step by health professionals. Maori are over-represented in health statistics, but under-represented as a percentage of medical staff. The Health Ministry recently issued Raranga Tupuake, a discussion paper seeking ways to boost the Maori health workforce. Submissions will close on July 8. It will also stage several consultation hui around the country to canvass opinions.
source :The Press



Scorecard to halt ugly Auckland buildings.

Poor-quality, ugly buildings will no longer be permitted under a radical blueprint to be unveiled today by Auckland City Mayor Dick Hubbard. The plan aims to put a stop to cheek-by-jowl apartment towers in the inner city and plaster boxes in the suburbs passing for urban renewal.It is understood Mr Hubbard will announce plans to score every new building - from homes to high-rises - on its urban design merits, with a three-tier system to throw out mediocre proposals, process acceptable ones in the normal manner and fast-track those which are of high quality.
Source: NZPA



Desert Road ice causes delays.

Travel through the central North Island and high parts of the South Island remained dicey today, as leftover ice and snow made driving difficult. The North Island's Desert Road was still closed at 8.30am today between Rangipo and Waiouru, due to ice.
Source: NZPA



Canterbury school bailed out with $2.2m.

The Ministry of Education has bailed out one of Christchurch's biggest secondary schools after a management blunder left it on the brink of financial ruin. The ministry has approved a $2.2 million bail-out of Aranui High School to ensure its financial viability after appointing a second statutory manager to control the troubled school's finances. The bulk of the 15-year, interest-free loan will be used to repay a $900,000 bank loan taken by the school last year to pay for a new $1.8m performing arts centre at the school.
source:The Press



TVNZ hassled in Tianamaen Square.

Chinese sensitivity over the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre was highlighted yesterday when a New Zealand journalist was questioned when trying to film at the Beijing landmark. TVNZ journalist Guyon Espiner gained permission to shoot in Tiananmen Square, but found officials did not like what he had to say. A Chinese Government minder stopped Espiner when he began to talk about human rights issues and the events at Tiananmen Square. "She accused Television New Zealand of acting in an 'unfriendly manner'," Espiner told NZPA.
Source: The Dominion Post.



Monday, May 30

Labour's spending fails to convince voters.

Few voters believe education or hospital services have improved, despite the extra billions of dollars the Government has spent since it came to office, the latest Herald DigiPoll survey says. Health spending has risen from about $6.6 billion a year when Labour took office to $9.6 billion, but health continues to be the issue of greatest concern to voters, as it was in the lead-up to the last election. Education funding has risen from $5.5 billion to $8.6 billion and is rated the third most important issue.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd
Full story CLICK HERE



Some opting for plastic bag wrapping.

More airline travellers are opting to cover their luggage in plastic shrink wrapping following the Schapelle Corby case. The Australian beauty student has been jailed for 20 years by a Bali court for drug smuggling. The defence for the 27-year-old Gold Coast woman rested on the claim that baggage handlers put 4.1 kilos of marijuana in her unlocked boogie board bag to transport it from Brisbane to Sydney. Aviation security service spokesman Mark Everitt says it makes sense to protect luggage and the shrink wrap process will determine whether a passenger's bag has been interfered with because it will stand out if the seal is broken. The wrapping service is available at Auckland and Christchurch airports.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Change of heart possible with NZRU.

Claims of a shock back-down from the New Zealand Rugby Union over the new NPC Premier Division. Reports over the weekend suggest the NZRU has had a last minute change of heart, and will include all 14 applicants in the new competition, with the make up of the new division to be confirmed on Thursday. Union officials had been adamant the maximum would be 12 teams. It has been suggested the threat of legal action is behind the NZRU's sudden about face.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Dixon crashes out of Indy 500.

Scott Dixon's terrible motor racing luck continues. He has crashed out of the 89th Indy 500. Dixon was clipped by another car on turn one of the famous oval track, just after the halfway stage of the 200 lap race. He was eighth, having started 13th. Dixon walked away from his car, so he is ok, and there is no sign of injury despite his car hitting the wall hard.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Tragic end to Turkey motorcycle trip.

Neil and Carol Bishop had been having a ball on their motorcycle trip through Turkey. Yesterday it came to a devastating and tragic end as the couple from Washdyke near Timaru both died instantly when their motorcycle collided head on with a van as they headed from the south eastern city of Diyarbakir to the eastern city of Van. The dead couple, both in their early 50s, were part of a group of 30 motorcycles touring Turkey and were due home in a fortnight. Before they headed back to New Zealand they had planned to go to Gallipoli and the part of Turkey where Mr Bishop's father served during the war.
Source: NZPA



Clark ready to talk up trade deal with China.

Prime Minister Helen Clark has touched down in Beijing, vowing to push for a comprehensive and open free trade agreement with the world's fastest growing economy. She spoke to Press political editor Colin Espiner. I n a whirlwind 48-hour visit to the Chinese capital, Prime Minister Helen Clark will meet President Hu Jintao for the first time on his home soil since his election in 2003. She will also meet Premier Wen Jiabao, as well as local business leaders and New Zealanders doing business in China. She will attend a state banquet in her honour at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing's Tiananmen Square this evening
source:The Press



Sunday, May 29

The National Party today announced its list for the upcoming general election.

For the news story and complete list click HERE



Snow in the South.

Winter has announced its arrival in Queenstown. Local weather forecaster David Crow says snow has fallen to at least 500 metres and temperatures have not moved above about 4 degrees today. The AA reports State Highway 94 between Te Anau and Milford is open but affected by snow, so chains are essential for all vehicles and extreme care is required. The MetService says snow should continue to fall until daybreak tomorrow, with a further 15 to 25 centimetres expected to pile up near the tunnel.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



SIS agents swoop on Zaoui's friends.

Men identifying themselves as SIS agents have arrived unannounced at the homes of Algerian refugees in Auckland and quizzed them about Ahmed Zaoui. They were questoned about their religious practices, which mosque they attended and whether Zaoui's party, the FIS, had any formal structure in New Zealand. One agent, "James", identified himself as SIS, then used the word "mukhabarat", a term both Algerians and Iraqis use for the state's secret police. Said one: "It reminded me of the persecution you face in Algeria. I felt targeted by the SIS. Are they going to every African and knocking on doors if they apply for citizenship, or is it just some people?"
source:Sunday Star Times



Women run the country but it doesn't show in pay packets.

Thirty years of feminism have transformed New Zealand, but below the very top level, men remain in charge. Figures collected for the Weekend Herald by the Ministry of Women's Affairs show that women have moved into paid work in massive numbers since a United Women's Convention in Wellington in 1975. Back then, women accounted for 32 per cent of total employment; now it's almost half (46 per cent). But when 500 women meet for a new national convention in Wellington next weekend to review 30 years of progress, the score will be mixed. The Governor-General, Prime Minister, Chief Justice, Parliament's Speaker and the head of the biggest company on the sharemarket, Telecom, are all women.And a World Economic Forum survey published last week placed New Zealand first in the world for women's political empowerment.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd
Full story click HERE



Maori Party 'biggest in the country'.

Soaring membership numbers have seen the Maori Party claim to be the largest political party in New Zealand. It claims that its hard work at grassroots level walking the streets, talking to people and helping enrol potential voters for this year's election has helped boost its membership numbers to nearly 17,000. Deputy leader and Tamaki Makaurau candidate Pita Sharples says the party now has the biggest membership in New Zealand.
source:Herald on Sunday



Principals fighting ministry intervention.

High school principals are going head to head with the Education Ministry over the Government-sanctioned takeover of their schools. The Secondary Principals' Association (Spanz) is attempting to thrash out new criteria for the ministry's statutory intervention in schools amid concerns it is heavy-handed. Association head Graham Young said the ministry was too readily appointing limited statutory managers or commissioners and sacking school boards, and in many cases, doing it confrontationally. He said principals were worried about their jobs, particularly after an intervention at Tokoroa High School.
source:Sunday Star Times



IRD swoop nets $490m tax bonanza.

An Inland Revenue clampdown has resulted in it recouping half a billion dollars in unpaid tax. In the year to last June, the IRD's audit activity unit collected $490 million from those slow to pay taxes, did not know their tax responsibilities, or deliberately avoided paying tax. Among industries needing more attention were building, hairdressing, plumbers, creative arts, agriculture and landscaping, where cash payments are common. The government believes it loses up to $4 billion a year in tax money because of the "black economy".
source: Sunday Star Times



Indonesians arrested with fake passports.

New Zealand police have reportedly cracked an Indonesian immigration scam. The newspaper says a businesswoman was arrested on Wednesday. It says she had been applying for New Zealand visas, and then selling them to the highest bidder. The forgery was revealed after six customers who had been outbid complained to police. It is alleged police found 230 passport covers, 93 completed passports and an array of immigration stamps when they raided the woman's office.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Saturday, May 28

Canterbury Crusaders win Super 12 final.

The Crusaders beat the Waratahs 35-25 to win their 5th Super 12 title.



Magic into netball final.

Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic is through to the final of netball's National Bank Cup. The Magic has stormed to a 55-49 victory in Friday night's semifinal against Northern Force, after a stunning performance in the second half. The Force will now play the winner of Sunday's minor semifinal in Waitakere between Auckland Diamonds and Southern Sting.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Maxmius leads the way.

New Zealand super-maxi Maximus leads the trans-Atlantic yacht race after five days on the water. Maximus has covered nearly 1300 nautical miles with around 1700 to go. Maximus has suffered damage to its sails and other gear, while co-owner Bill Buckley has dislocated his shoulder. Conditions are very cold with more strong head winds expected for the next 24 hours. In spite of the tough going Maximus is on track to break the 100 year race record, the oldest in sailing.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Surge in support for Peters.

The National Party is gaining ground on Labour, according to a new poll out this morning. The Herald Digi-Poll also shows a surge in support for Winston Peters. National has gained three points in this morning's survey, with Labour down just under two points. The gap between the parties has closed from almost twelve points last time, to less than seven. Winston Peters is also making significant progress; he has gained an extra six points in the preferred Prime Minister stakes, where he is up to 17 percent. Helen Clark is still way out in front as preferred PM, with 52 percent support.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Apple growers to march.

Apple growers from around the country are planning a march to parliament to demand the government sort out access for our apples to Australia. For more than 50 years Australia has blocked New Zealand apples over fear of the disease fireblight. Rupert Ryan of the Australian Access Action Group says it has been scientifically proven this will not happen through fruit - but still Australia will not budge. He believes the government is being too soft, and is pushing the issue to one side.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



More flights to UK.

Air New Zealand is congratulating negotiators who have secured an easing of restrictions on the number of direct flights to the UK. Currently only seven direct flights a week are allowed from British and New Zealand airlines, but this has been eased as part of a push to liberalise the British aviation industry and introduce more competition. Air New Zealand Spokesman Mark Street says once the agreement is ratified, the company will look to acquire additional landing rights at Heathrow. The process is expected to take at least 12 months.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Deans keen to stay at the helm.

Crusaders coach Robbie Deans has confirmed that he would like to return for a record seventh season in charge because he sees new challenges in the new Super 14 arena. Deans has led the Crusaders into five finals since stepping up from team manager to head coach in 2000. He is now the longest-serving coach in the Super 12. The former All Blacks assistant coach has had offers from overseas in the past, but he is not ready to leave the Crusaders yet – especially as up to four senior All Blacks are expected to move on this year.
source:The Press



Buoyant Nats to unveil party list.

National will unveil its candidate list tomorrow, buoyed by the prospect of returning 20 or more new MPs to Parliament after the election. The mood will be very different to three years ago when the party announced its list for the 2002 election; that year, National's low polling pitted many of its sitting MPs into a fight to the death for a winnable spot, along with newcomers. Win or lose at this year's election, National's ranks are likely to be boosted by 20 or more new MPs on current polling.
Source: The Dominion Post.



Friday, May 27

BBC's NZ-made forecasts get rethink.

The BBC is going to rethink its New Zealand-made weather forecasts. The move to the 3D TV weather forecast system we're used to seeing on our screens has been a nightmare for the British broadcasters. There have been hundreds of complaints, and even motions in Parliament and questions in the House of Lords over the high tech graphics. The BBC has now confirmed it is looking at "retilting" the 3D map so that Scotland appears less like a small country a long way away from everything.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Crisis at Starship.

Auckland's Starship Hospital is snowed under with children suffering from a flu-like bug. Schools in both Auckland and Wellington are reporting large numbers of students coming down with the illness. Starship Clinical Director of Children's Emergency Dr Richard Aickin says patients are waiting up to six hours to be seen. He says the hospital is in a real state of crisis because there are no free beds for inpatients. Dr Richard Aickin says parents need to see their family doctors first and let the GPs refer the more serious cases to Starship.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Lions arrive in NZ.

The Lions rugby team have arrived for one of the most anticipated sports events in New Zealand for the past decade. They landed in Auckland at lunchtime and have travelled to their inner city hotel. Close to one hundred people gathered outside the airport waiting for a view of the Lions. Lions fans were sporting the famous red shirts, with some carrying banners welcoming the team to New Zealand.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Flag pushes China's No 2 to side door.

A borrowed Tibetan flag forced the second most powerful man in the world's biggest country to scuttle through a side door at the start of a state visit to New Zealand. Foreign Affairs officials diverted China's Wu Bangguo from a red carpet Maori welcome at the top of Parliament's steps to the much less salubrious Beehive entrance – at present a construction zone – because of a one-man protest by Green MP Rod Donald. Mr Donald was waiting at the foot of the steps with a Tibetan flag borrowed from colleague Sue Kedgley. Four Chinese security officers shouted, "Police, police" as he unfurled the flag and asked for him to be moved, but police there said he had the right to stay.
Source: The Dominion Post.
Full story click HERE



Heavy rain pounding flood-hit Bay of Plenty.

Bay of Plenty residents still reeling from flooding and slips over a week ago woke up this morning to heavy rain, thunder and lightning. After May 18's devastating rain, nearly 800 homes were affected by flooding and slips in Tauranga and hundreds more people were evacuated in Matata, north of Whakatane. Met Service forecaster John Crouch said there was a band of heavy rain moving through the Bay of Plenty and could hit both Tauranga and Matata. "It's moving through fairly quickly but we are expecting 20-30mm just this morning.
Source: NZPA



Steam trains set to whistle again.

Steam trains are set to run again between Napier and Gisborne once the rail line is upgraded. Passenger trains have not run on the line for the past few years, because deferred maintenance has left some of the line below standard. Kevin Ramshaw, a spokesman for Ontrack – the new government agency managing the tracks – said improvements to the line were planned so passenger services could again run.
Source: The Dominion Post.



Giant grocery buy-up signals lower prices.

New Zealand shoppers may get lower grocery prices after Australian supermarket giant Woolworths struck a $2.67 billion deal to swallow three big New Zealand supermarket chains. Cheaper petrol, discount stores and large supercentres - direct competition for discount retailer The Warehouse - are also possibilities after the deal which creates one of the biggest food operators in the world. The Australian company, until now unrelated to the New Zealand supermarket which shares its name, yesterday agreed to buy local supermarket operator Progressive Enterprises from its Australian owner Foodland, with a number of Australian supermarkets. Progressive owns Foodtown, Woolworths and Countdown and operates the SuperValue and FreshChoice franchises.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Thursday, May 26

Capill faces new sex allegations.

Police have successfully applied to have the sentencing date of disgraced former Christian political party leader Graham Capill delayed until next month while they investigate new sex claims against him. Capill was due to appear for sentence in Christchurch District Court today for indecently assaulting an eight-year-old girl, but was remanded to re-appear on June 10. It was revealed today that two more women, from Christchurch, had since told police they had also been molested by Capill.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Prime moves Holmes show .

Paul Holmes' current affairs show on Prime has become the first victim of the competition in the 7pm timeslot and will move forward an hour, pitching it head-to-head with news bulletins on TV1 and TV3. Prime chief executive Chris Taylor said the change to 6pm was not an attempt to take on the news bulletins, but to draw through the audience from Prime's own news bulletin at 5.30pm.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Birdflu could spread to NZ in just hours, says expert.

New Zealand virologist Lance Jennings says the bird flu virus in Vietnam is beginning to adapt to humans and if it does, it could spread to New Zealand in a matter of hours. Since the Asian H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus first emerged in China and Hong Kong eight years ago, it has killed 37 people in Vietnam, 12 in Thailand and four in Cambodia. A new outbreak has just been reported in China. Dr Jennings said if the virus adapted to pass between people, it would then move quickly, including being carried by air travellers.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Hoax bill $2 million and still climbing.

The foot-and-mouth extortion hoax on Waiheke Island has cost at least $2 million, with the final bill expected to be many times higher. The Agriculture and Forestry Ministry has wound up a massive operation on the island which began after a letter claiming foot-and-mouth had been released arrived in Prime Minister Helen Clark's office on May 9.
Source: The Dominion Post.



Families sign up for extra benefits.

About three-quarters of the 260,000 families eligible for extra family income payments under the Government's Working for Families packages are now receiving it. Of those families getting more money, 81,000 are working families who are receiving an extra $28 a week on average from Inland Revenue. Figures made public by Social Development Minister Steve Maharey show that 196,230 families have been receiving the additional payments since a new phase of the package was launched on April 1. The other 60,000 have not yet registered or have chosen to receive the extra money in a lump sum at the end of the year.
Source: The Dominion Post.



Coca-Cola dropped as Rockquest sponsor.

Soft-drink giant Coca-Cola has been ousted from its sponsorship of youth event Rockquest, to the delight of anti-obesity campaigners. The Government has stumped up enough cash in the health allocation of this year's Budget to allow the Health Sponsorship Council to claim back sole naming rights for its Smokefree brand, taking the fizz out of Coke's four-year association with the event. Health Sponsorship Council director Iain Potter said the council had always been uncomfortable being a co-sponsor with a soft-drink company because of the obvious contradictions in motivation and goals.
Source: The Dominion Post.



Everest weather beats Kiwi attempt.

Bad weather and illness have thwarted attempts by New Zealand mountaineers to scale two of the world's highest peaks. An attempt to traverse Mount Everest from Tibet to Nepal by a team led by New Zealander Russell Brice had to be abandoned this week because of poor weather through May. The team featured Brice, who climbed Everest in 1996 and again in 1997, and New Zealand mountain guides Dean Staples, Dave McKinley, Charlie Hobbs, Andrew Taylor and Mark Woodward.
source:The Press



Wednesday, May 25

Migrant rules get scrutiny.

The Government wants more control over immigration decisions on who can live in New Zealand and may even disband agencies such as the one that declared Ahmed Zaoui a refugee. Immigration Minister Paul Swain signalled the Government’s intention yesterday when announcing terms of reference for a "fundamental" review of the Immigration Act. He said there was a feeling the balance had shifted away from "New Zealand’s right as a sovereign state to determine who comes or goes". He wanted "firm, fast and fair immigration processes". The multi-layered appeal regime for some overstayers and spontaneous refugees - who, like Mr Zaoui, seek refugee status at borders - should be much simpler and faster.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Crusaders fans flock to final.

A sea of red and black is guaranteed for Saturday night's Super 12 final between the Crusaders and the Waratahs at Jade Stadium. The match is already sold out. The Crusaders are strong favourites to win but captain Richie McCaw wants to save the sentimental stuff for after the final whistle. Saturday night's final against the Waratahs will mark the final appearances in red and black jerseys for Dave Hewett and Justin Marshall and possibly others.
source: NEWSTALK ZB



Working for Families stats released.

The Social Development Minister says the average payment under the new Working for Families package will be around $100 a week. Figures on the initial uptake of the package have been released today. It came into effect on April 1. More than 196,000 low income families, with an estimated 385-thousand children, have already signed up.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Name change meeting turns into shouting match.

People walked out of a meeting in Whangarei last night after debate over the spelling of Mt Parahaki got heated. Whangarei Act Party list MP Muriel Newman called the public meeting as she believes many people do not want the spelling of Parahaki to be changed to Parihaka, as local Maori have asked. "My personal view is that it's a name change," she told about 200 people, mainly middle-aged and elderly Pakeha, who turned up to Forum North. "I don't think it's a respelling as they are two different things." At times the meeting got heated, with some speakers being loudly interrupted by others. One elderly Pakeha woman walked out saying she was "disgusted"
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Dodgy doodlings sent to parents.

Scrawling a rude note on the side of exam papers has returned to haunt 20 school pupils, with copies of their offensive musings sent home to mums and dads. The Qualifications Authority has released the results of investigations into cheating allegations from last year's NCEA exams. Punishment was handed out to 90 pupils caught cheating in, or writing offensive messages on, their papers. Last year was the first time the dodgy doodling was recorded as misconduct. Twenty students were reprimanded for writing rude messages – often to markers or about teachers – on exam papers, or drawing offensive pictures.
Source: The Dominion Post.



Called to the bar - court may sit in pub.

A former Wellington pub has been suggested as a possible alternative home for the Supreme Court. The Thorndon Tavern was one of seven sites mooted for the court should plans to use the historic old High Court building have to be ditched. The old building, in Stout St near Wellington District Court, was named as the court's intended permanent home in late 2003. But no agreement has been reached while Historic Places Trust, Justice Ministry, judges and the Government try to fit the needs of a modern court, the judges and staff into an old building without destroying its historical value.
Source: The Dominion Post.



Shania Twain's amended house plans rejected.

Attempts by Canadian country music singer Shania Twain to win over Queenstown planners appear to have failed, despite changes to plans for her high-country home. Michael Parker, counsel for Twain, also known as Elaine Lange, and her husband Robert "Mutt" Lange, yesterday presented a revised proposal for a home on Motatapu Station, near Wanaka, to commissioner Trevor Shiels, acting on behalf of the council. Planner Andrew Henderson, of CivicCorp, the council's contracted regulatory body, had earlier recommended the application be declined, mainly because of its potential visual effects.
source :The Press



Mowat loses his RNZ slot.

Radio New Zealand has confirmed programming changes that will see Wayne Mowat's afternoon show on National Radio broadcast from Auckland with a new host. Mowat will stay on as a roving anchor, feeding into the show from various locations, spokesman John Barr said. Other changes include extending Checkpoint by an hour to 7pm and revamping weekends, with Kiwi music show Home Grown expanding.
Source: The Dominion Post.



It's a fish eat fish world out there.

Napier's National Aquarium has been forced to import 44 piranha after the South American fish lived up to their fearsome reputation and started feasting on each other. Cannibalism had reduced the aquarium's collection of 15 piranha to just four, manager Rob Yarrall said yesterday. "They are very old now – and they eat one another sometimes," he said. "It's the nature of the beast.
Source: The Dominion Post.



Kiwis Help Discover Giant Planet.

Amateur and professional New Zealand astronomers have contributed significantly to the discovery of a planet several times larger than Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. Located 15,000 light years away from the Earth, the new planet is one of the most distant ever discovered. It has about twice the mass of Jupiter and is twice as far from its solar-type star as the Earth is from the Sun.
©2005 Xtra Limited.



Tuesday, May 24

China's No 2 on four-day NZ visit.

China's second-highest-ranking politician, Wu Bangguo, will start a four-day visit to New Zealand tomorrow as part of an intensive round of bilateral meetings between the two countries. Next Monday, Prime Minister Helen Clark leaves for Beijing, where she will talk to President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao before continuing on to Japan. There she will meet Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and attend New Zealand's "national day" at the Aichi World Expo.
Source: The Dominion Post.



Pitcairn sex convictions stand, court rules.

The Pitcairn Supreme Court, sitting in Auckland, has rejected a bid from six islanders to have their convictions for sex offences against girls over-turned. It rejected an application for a permanent stay of proceedings from the six men and said none of the grounds the men's lawyers advanced were valid. Last year, the six men were convicted of rape and indecent assault charges against under-aged girls on the island over a 30-year period. Two were given jail terms of up to six years and three were sentenced to home detention or community service.
source:APN Holdings NZ Ltd



TVNZ gains access to Rainbow Warrior bombing film footage.

Television New Zealand has won access to never-before released court film footage of the two French secret service agents who bombed Greepeace's Rainbow Warrior 20 years ago. Alain Marfart and Dominique Prieur pleaded guilty to the July 1985 bombing in a hearing that was recorded on closed circuit cameras. A High Court ruling has now given State Broadcaster Television New Zealand (TVNZ) access rights to that footage.
source:NZPA



PM wants Nats' new man out of WTO role.

The Government has sent a strong signal that top trade official Tim Groser should be removed as chairman of worldwide talks worth billions of dollars to New Zealand. Prime Minister Helen Clark made it clear yesterday that the Government had lost confidence in Mr Groser – newly confirmed as a National Party candidate – continuing to chair the World Trade Organisation's agricultural negotiations committee. Mr Groser was stood down as New Zealand ambassador to the WTO yesterday, and intends to resign by the end of the week. But he wants to stay as agricultural chairman – a WTO rather than New Zealand Government appointment – for key negotiations to end export subsidies.
source;Dominion Post



$1m lure for Kiwi writers.

Poet Bill Manhire thought someone was pulling his leg when he read a letter from a Las Vegas casino tycoon promising him a million dollars for his creative writing course. But the professor of English who heads Victoria University's International Institute of Modern Letters discovered American philanthropist Glenn Schaeffer was serious about his challenge to match every New Zealand dollar raised by the institute before December 31 with an American dollar, up to $1 million. The institute hopes to set up an endowment fund with the money, helping the next generation of novelists, poets and scriptwriters who graduate from the course.
source; Dominion Post



Close off date for electoral roll June 17.

The close-off date for the main electoral roll would be June 17, Prime Minister Helen Clark said yesterday. Enrolment was possible until the day before the general election but a cut-off line had to be drawn so the electoral roll could be printed, she said. She has not announced when the election will be held and has only said her preference is to go full term. The last date an election can be held is September 24.
Source: NZPA



Monday, May 23

All Black trial teams named.

All Black selectors name Probables and Possibles teams for next week's All Black trial in Napier
Click HERE for full story.



Tauranga disaster: 'I told you so'.

A Tauranga police officer says the city's council should never have allowed homes wrecked in flood-damaged Otumoetai to be built and last week's slips were bound to happen. As angry residents began demanding Tauranga City Council take action to prevent any repeat of Wednesday's disaster, Otumoetai resident and police officer Aaron Fraser said he had fought the council for two years about the risks. The Earthquake Commission expects the bill for Wednesday's floods to top $8 million. In Tauranga, 17 homes were destroyed or are in imminent danger, and 70 more are uninhabitable. Further east in Matata, 93 homes were damaged and 47 are too dangerous to return to.
source:Sunday Star Times



'Technicians' could perform minor surgery.

A key adviser to the Government wants "technicians", rather than highly-trained surgeons, to perform minor surgery such as eye-cataract, minor hernia and varicose vein operations. Dr George Salmond, chairman of a Government advisory group and former Director General of Health, said technicians commonly performed cataract surgery in Britain and the Third World - a claim questioned by eye specialists. "In places like India they have whole hospitals with one or two medical staff and literally hundreds of people have these operations done. The outcomes are excellent," said Dr Salmond, head of the Health Workforce Advisory Committee's medical reference group. This would cut costs and help address the shortage of doctors.
Source: NZPA



First Male Nurse For Plunket.

It has taken 98 years, but the country has its first male Plunket nurse. Keith Curry has 10 years nursing experience and starts his new job in Northland today. General Manger of Clinical Services Angela Baldwin hopes it is a welcome change from tradition and a sign of what is to come. She says Mr Curry was the best candidate for the job.
source:NewstalkZB



Job Market Running Out Of Candidates.

An Auckland based recruitment agency says there are simply too few suitable people in the labour pool to fill a growing number of vacancies. Synergy Consulting is looking for candidates for what appears to be a dream job, including a month's training in Paris with accommodation and all expenses paid, a company car and a six figure salary. Managing director Belinda Staff says that no suitably skilled talent is coming forward to take up the role. She says New Zealand's employment market is in a critical situation and people with key skills can virtually pick and choose the positions they are applying for.
source:NewstalkZB



Christchurch smog worse than thought.

Air pollution in Canterbury is far worse than the public has been led to believe, with experts admitting a serious flaw in the region's smog measuring system. The method used to measure smog for the past decade has been under-measuring wood smoke – the cause of most of the region's smog problems, say Environment Canterbury (ECan) air experts. Smog last year exceeded health guidelines in Christchurch 73 per cent more times than recorded by the flawed technology – recording 33 days over the limit last winter instead of 19.
source:The Press



Boom towns in for price shock.

Kaikoura is the most overvalued town in the country, but it will also suffer the most as house prices there are predicted to slide up to 9 per cent in the next year. Research from economic forecasting firm Infometrics reveals New Zealand house prices will slip an average 0.8 per cent over the next year and about 5 per cent over the next two years. Kaikoura and the Queenstown Lakes District are likely to bear the brunt of the slowdown and drop 9 per cent by June next year.
source:Sunday Star Times



Cereal killer behind bars.

A new muesli bar is keeping Kiwi rock lobsters from munching their mates while awaiting the long journey to a posh Asian dinner plate. Scientists from the National Institute of Water and Atmosphere spent two years developing the fish-flavoured muesli bar to prevent lobsters from eating each other before export. "When they find [a bar] they pick it up with little claws on their front legs, tear pieces off it and pop it into their mouths," said Dr Philip Heath, manager of Niwa's Mahanga Bay Aquaculture Centre in Wellington. Almost all lobsters caught in New Zealand waters are exported live but some spend several months in holding tanks waiting for the market price to reach its seasonal peak. That's when they can eat each other.
source:Sunday Star Times



Millions for pool of state houses.

Two plans outlined in the Budget will develop the region's housing stock rapidly in the next few years. One involves giving Auckland 2400 of the 3288 new state houses to be built or acquired for $130 million in the four years from July 1. The other Budget initiative is to transfer $54 million worth of Defence land at Hobsonville Air Base to Housing New Zealand. Housing agencies have welcomed the plan to add to the Auckland housing stock because about 5000 people are on the state house waiting list.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Top diplomat leaves job to join National.

A bitter Trade Negotiations Minister Jim Sutton last night accused one of New Zealand's top diplomats of "betrayal" after his decision to quit and stand as a list candidate for National. Tim Groser, who represents New Zealand at the World Trade Organisation, told the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade last week that he wanted a political career with National.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Sunday, May 22

'Road rage' ruins coach tour.

A busload of South Korean tourists was left stranded in the Lindis Pass yesterday when their driver stormed off after being stopped by a police officer for speeding. The 41 tourists were heading to Christchurch when the bus driver, Peter Warren, was pulled over at midday for exceeding the 90kmh speed limit on State Highway 8, 15km south of Omarama. Mr Warren (63) left the bus and his passengers after becoming angry when being asked for details, Const Dow said. "He threw the keys on the dashboard, grabbed his suitcase from the side locker and started walking," Const Dow said. The tourists were offered a ride back to Christchurch by the driver of an empty Johnston's Coachlines bus that was returning from Queenstown.
source Otago Daily Times



State of emergency extended to Monday.

The state of emergency in the floodstricken Bay of Plenty township of Matata has been extended through until Monday when it will be reviewed. The full scale the Bay of Plenty disaster is becoming clear as the flood waters drain away and the Insurance Council estimates the bill in the tens of millions. Civil Defence officials lifted the state of emergency in Tauranga and other parts of the region on Friday morning, but the worst-hit community of Matata may be cleaning up for months. Around 20 homes in the town have been swept away or will have to be demolished and 50 others are seriously damaged. Nearly all of the town was evacuated on Thursday night.
source:ONEnews



ONE News scoops top awards again.

It was a clean sweep of the top honours for TVNZ at the Qantas Media Awards held in Auckland on Friday night. TVNZ scooped the top six awards in News and Current Affairs and ONE News has been voted Best News Programme for the fifth consecutive year by an international judging panel, which called it a "world class news service". TVNZ won 26 of the annual Qantas Media Awards for television, 23 of which were for News and Current Affairs, including the Supreme Award for Excellence in Journalism
Full story and list of awards click HERE.



Asian immigration drops for second year.

Stricter entry requirements and slower processing of visa applications is being blamed for a sharp slowdown in long-term Asian migration to New Zealand. The latest Statistics New Zealand migration figures show the net inflow of long-term Asian migrants dropped by 28 per cent in the year to April, to 19,000 people. It is the second consecutive year there has been a major slide in Asian migration to the country.
source:RNZ



Guilty plea expected from Prince.

New Zealand-born teenager Anthony Prince is expected to enter a guilty plea in court in the United States of America over an armed bank robbery. Prince and his friend Luke Carroll pleaded not guilty in April to robbing the WestStar Bank in the Colorado ski town of Vail of approximately $US130,000.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Calicivirus re-introduced.

The calicivirus is being re-introduced in the market gardens of South Auckland to help curb a bunny boom, but this time it is legitimate. Calicivirus was introduced illegally in 1997, with the method of release helping rabbits develop an immunity to it. Auckland Regional Council Biosecurity Manager Jack Craw says the time is now right to bring it back, with immunity rates dropping. Mr Craw says strategic releases in key places can significantly reduce rabbit numbers.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Rugby Super 12 2nd semi-final

Waratahs 23 - Bulls 13.
Waratahs play Crusaders in the finals at Christchurch.



Saturday, May 21

Old AB jersey fetches $8000 in London auction.

Bob Burgess' 1972 All Blacks rugby jersey worn in the Cardiff Arms Park test against Wales has sold for £3200 ($NZ8360) at a Sotheby's auction in London. It is believed to be a record price for an All Blacks first five-eighths jersey. Burgess played 23 times for the All Blacks including seven tests. He played against the Lions in 1971 and toured with the All Blacks on the 1972-73 tour. Burgess swapped his jersey with his opposite Phil Bennett after the December 2 game, won by New Zealand 19-16. The match was remembered for All Blacks' manager Ernie Todd sending home prop Keith Murdoch the next day after an incident in the Angel Hotel in Cardiff overnight.
Source: NZPA



For latest news on BOP floods/rain.

click HERE to link to BOP Civil Defence news.



Vandalism and neglect wiping out Maori art.

Some of New Zealand's oldest art, painted by early Maori on caves and rock outcrops, is disappearing thanks to years of vandalism and neglect. Several hundred little-known rock drawings and carvings have been identified from the Far North to Southland and in the Chatham Islands, where there are also unique carvings of human figures on living trees. But most of the 1400 tree carvings identified in the 1950s have been lost, some of the best rock art has been drowned by hydro power schemes and much of the rest is decaying because of weather, vegetation, animals and people.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Don't rely on inheritances, children of baby boomers told.

Children of the baby-boomer generation won't be able to count on inheritances and may even struggle to find babysitters if a special report proves true. ACNielsen has been studying what it says is the "biggest demographic change" of current times - those New Zealanders aged in their late 40s to 50s known as the baby-boomer generation. Researchers found that ageing baby-boomers plan to spend their hard-earned money on themselves in retirement rather than leaving a nest-egg for their children.
Baby-boomers
How many: About 1 million.
How old: Aged 40 to 59.
How much: About $32 billion in disposable income.
In their own words
On children: Chain them up outside the supermarket.
On wealth: 'I want to support myself in my old age and I want to relax and enjoy myself.'
On shopping: 'I like trying free tastings of new products.'
Source: ACNielsen
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Carpark cracks will force closure of Aotea Square.

Users of Aotea Square and the underground Civic Carpark face more than a year of disruption after new cracks were found yesterday in the carpark roof. The Auckland City Council quickly fenced off half the grassed area and put a weight limit on vehicles entering the square.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Tauranga residents return home.

Many of the Tauranga residents evacuated from their homes during this week's floods should be able to return later today. Engineers are still checking over some properties assessing the damage, but they say some people will get the green light to go home soon. Evacuees have to wait until assessors have been through their homes before they are allowed back in. In some cases the Fire Service has made special trips to people's houses to retrieve prized possessions. There has been no further deterioration in the weather overnight, but locals are looking ominously up at the skies with more rain forecast today.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Labour dept hires PI to track jumpers.

The Department of Labour is using a private investigator to track down foreign fishing crew who jumped ship and are living in New Zealand illegally. Official documents show more than 200 people have been reported as jumping ship since 2002 - with 132 of those in the past year, compared to 55 the previous year. But the department has had little success in locating them, deporting only 28 since 2002.
source:RNZ



State of emergency extended in Matata.

A state of emergency will remain in the flood devastated Matata/Edgecumbe region of eastern Bay of Plenty until at least Monday and police patrols will be on duty over the weekend to prevent looting. Over half the 500 residents of Matata, west of Whakatane, have been evacuated from their homes since the floods struck on Wednesday. Up to 20 houses were destroyed with another 50 suffering minimal to substantial damage.
Source: NZPA

Full story click HERE



More Kiwis waltzing Matilda.

The flood of Kiwis to Australia is gathering speed, with 60 per cent more heading across the Tasman in the past year. More than 32,000 left for a long-term stay in Australia in the year to April 2005. Only 13,879 returned, leaving a net outflow of 18,200. That compares with 11,400 the previous year. The number of New Zealanders lost to Australia has increased from 7040 in 1995 and peaked in 2001 at 31,100. It has been steadily rising since 2002.

Source: The Dominion Post.



Friday, May 20

Super 12 Rugby Semi-Final.

Canterbury (Crusaders) 47 Wellington (Hurricanes) 7



PM tours flooded areas.

The Prime Minister has inspected flood-ravaged areas of the Bay of Plenty. She has voiced her sympathy, saying it is obviously very devastating for the communities involved. Helen Clark says they have been closely following the emergency response, and now the recovery response. She says everyone is pitching in. The Prime Minister says the Government has already contributed to the mayoral relief funds. The main road through Matata in the Bay of Plenty is unlikely to be reopened until late next week. The small township northwest of Whakatane has been devastated by the flooding. Transit says flood debris on State Highway Two is four metres deep in some places. It says a temporary access way has been constructed, but it is too early to predict when the highway will reopen. More rainfall is predicted for the weekend, so further flooding is likely to set the repairs back yet again.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Bay of Plenty/Matata

Re the floods/rain storms in the Bay of Plenty/Matata...there have been no casualities or serious injury in that region. Everyone is ok. (just a little wet)
More heavy rain forecast for sunday (NZ time), but emergency services will cope.
click HERE to link to BOP Civil Defence news.



Bleak weather for rugby.

The weather is looking bleak for Friday night's Rebel Sport Super 12 semifinal between the Crusaders and Hurricanes in Christchurch. It has been raining in the Garden City today, and more is forecast tonight.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Crowe not wanted as NZ cricket selector.

Former test captain Martin Crowe's application to be a national cricket selector has been thrown out because of a perceived personality clash with coach John Bracewell. With the permission of his Sky Television bosses, Crowe recently entered the selection race but he was told by New Zealand Cricket on Tuesday that he was wasting his time.
Source: The Dominion Post.



Dancer's fall brings down the curtain.

The audience at the Royal New Zealand Ballet's Auckland premiere of its new season got a little more drama than they'd paid for when a lead dancer collapsed on the floor during a solo routine. Yu Takayama fell heavily during the last performance of the company's triple bill of A Million Kisses to My Skin on Wednesday night. She tried to continue, but couldn't and hobbled off the stage. The curtain was hastily drawn and artistic director Gary Harris went on stage to say Ms Takayama had sustained "a nasty injury". The eight remaining dancers continued without her.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Delivery of new army fleet resumes.

Delivery of the army's new fleet of Pinzgauer light operational vehicles has resumed after the army refused to accept any more until a fault was fixed. The army ordered 321 of the vehicles in a $93 million contract with the British manufacturer to replace its ageing fleet of V8 Landrovers. Only 95 had been delivered when a fault was found in the gearbox cooling system in 17 vehicles in January.
Source: NZPA



More rain forecast for Tauranga.

Sodden Tauranga is spared for the next two days but more torrential rain is forecast for Sunday. Wednesday's big wet was "unprecedented" in Tauranga. The MetService rain gauge at Tauranga airport measured 309mm in the 24 hours ending 4pm Wednesday and a peak intensity of 58mm an hour at 10am Wednesday. The last similar downpour was in about 1923 when 283mm of rain was measured, Mr McDavitt said.
Source: NZPA



Peters predicts early election.

The Prime Minister might call an early election while New Zealanders are preoccupied with the Lions rugby tour, Winston Peters says. The New Zealand First leader spoke to Grey Power Nelson members at their annual meeting at Annesbrook Church and Community Centre yesterday. He told the crowd of about 300 he suspected there would be an early election, and later told the Nelson Mail it might be called around the time of the Lions tour.
source:The Nelson Mail



Scholarships require students to stay in New Zealand.

Students receiving a scholarship provided for in yesterday's $8.5 billion education budget will be bonded to stay in New Zealand. However, they will be able to leave the country by paying it back or transferring debt to a student loan. The move is part of a new drive to bond students to stay in the country and slow down the "brain drain". New early childhood teacher trainee scholarships announced last week required teachers to teach in New Zealand, matching the time they received a scholarship for.
Source: NZPA



Writer C K Stead recovering from stroke.

Auckland poet and novelist C K Stead has withdrawn from the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival after suffering a mild stroke. "It was huge shock, quite a fright. I'm otherwise very fit," the 72-year-old said last night. Stead, whose novels and poetry have both won New Zealand Book awards, was scheduled to take part in several events at the festival, which started yesterday and finishes on Sunday.
Source: NZPA



NZ budget - link to main points.

Click HERE for main budget points.
source:NZ Herald



Thursday, May 19

Govt gives $1000 savings plan promise.

Workers will get $1000 each if they join a new workplace savings plan, under savings measures unveiled in today's budget. They could then qualify for up to $5000 towards their first home purchase, Finance Minister Michael Cullen said. The KiwiSaver scheme would lift New Zealand's low level of household savings and help first-home buyers into a home, Dr Cullen said. Workers who join the voluntary scheme, expected to start in April 2007, will automatically receive $1000 from the government towards their savings. Participants must contribute at least 4 per cent of their gross salary.
Source: NZPA

Full story click HERE



American travel agents hit NZ en masse.

The biggest group of North American travel agents to ever visit New Zealand are here after winning a competition to get first-hand experience of New Zealand, Tourism New Zealand says. The group of 50 "Kiwi Specialists" are part of the joint Air New Zealand Tourism New Zealand-organised trip. "The Kiwi Specialist programme works to educate this group on New Zealand, what it has to offer, and why it is a fantastic destination for North Americans."
Source: NZPA



Filipino Nurses Exploited In NZ.

There are claims Filipino nurses working in New Zealand are the victims of abusive and exploitive practices. The New Zealand Nurses' Organisation is expressing concern that the foreign workers are being taken advantage of by immigration agencies and some employers. They have cited incidents where two agencies have charged exorbitant fees to find the Filipinos jobs, while workers at an aged-care provider are being paid significantly less than their colleagues.
source:NewstalkZB



Memorial for NZ servicemen to be constructed in Korea.

New Zealand service men and women who served in Korea are to be recognised with a memorial at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in the South Korean city Pusan. Prime Minister Helen Clark announced $100,000 to recognise New Zealanders who served with the UN forces in Korea between 1950 and 1957.
Source: NZPA



Radiographer strike off but surgery in doubt.

Elective surgery at some hospitals around the country is still in doubt, even though radiographers have called off a five-day strike. Heated wage talks saw a compromise reached yesterday – but it came too late to prevent hundreds of people across nine district health boards (DHBs) being told their surgery was cancelled. The nine DHBs' national chief executive Chris Clarke said last night the focus would now switch to getting in touch with hundreds of people around the country and rescheduling as many procedures as possible.
Source: NZPA



Wednesday, May 18

Shania Twain's country home plans turned down.

Canadian singer Shania Twain's proposed new country home on Motatapu Station, near Wanaka, has received the thumbs down from CivicCorp because it is not in harmony with the landscape. Although the nearest public vantage point is 2km away, the regulatory authority says the 8m-high building would break the natural line of a terrace top and a more suitable location could be found, according to a report by CivicCorp's consultant planner, Andrew Henderson. Mr Henderson said in his report Twain's proposed dwelling "is not considered to be in harmony with the line and form of the landscape". Consent should be declined unless further evidence was presented at the hearing, he said.
Source: NZPA



NZ economist Morgan detained in Iran.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed New Zealand economist Gareth Morgan and a group of fellow bikers are being detained in Iran. The group, attempting to ride from Italy to China, have had their passports seized by authorities. MFAT spokeswoman Emma Reilly told NZPA the ministry was aware of the situation. Ms Reilly said the group had an agent in Iran looking after them and the ministry would be following up later today as it was midnight there at the moment.
Source: NZPA



Desperate Act wooing John Banks.

The courtship between John Banks and the Act Party has been rekindled as a group of desperate party members work to woo the former Auckland City mayor. The move to recruit Mr Banks is designed not only to boost the party over the 5 per cent threshold, but to present an alternative leader to Rodney Hide after the election. One source told the Herald that the party was "haemorrhaging members, money and votes" and having Mr Banks on board was seen as a way of reversing that.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Heavy rain in BOP cause havoc.

Flood waters are causing havoc in parts of the Western Bay of Plenty. Houses in the region have collapsed and fallen into mudslides as heavy rain turns the region into a disaster zone. Several homes in the Welcome Bay area of Tauranga have been washed away, while many others are on the verge of collapsing. Parts of the Otumoetai area are being evacuated because of flooding, while slips have covered railway lines and roads. Motorists are being urged to stay at home, with the harbour bridge in Tauranga closed because of flooding at both ends.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Hobbit motel opens at Waitomo.

A world-first motel has been created in a hillside at Waitomo. Inspired by the Lord of the Rings trilogy, two hobbit motel rooms are the latest to be built at Woodlyn Park. The hobbit units come complete with round leadlight windows and a round door. They are dug out of a hillside and sheep graze on their grass roofs. The self-contained units can accommodate up to 10 people and have specially designed furniture and decor to fit with the rustic hobbit theme.
source: Waikato Times



Homes flooded after rainstorm isolates Coromandel towns.

Several Coromandel Peninsula townships were cut off yesterday after heavy rain caused severe flooding. State Highway 25 between Kopu and Hikuai was temporarily blocked yesterday afternoon, effectively isolating Coromandel's east coast from the west, Thames Coromandel District Council spokesman Peter Hazeal said. Mr Hazeal told NZPA Whangamata was the worst hit township, with firefighters pumping out water from about 20 flooded homes. Further north, Pauanui and Tairua remained isolated from the south early last night because of flooding, although State Highway 25 had reopened.
Source: NZPA



Storm of complaints over NZ BBC weather.

New Zealand-produced graphics for the BBC television's weather service created a storm of controversy yesterday with complaints flooding in about the new look. Viewers bombarded a BBC internet site complaining about the graphics, which replace the old stationary "cloud" and "rain" symbols with shadow sweeping across the country and a bird's eye camera that zooms in on different regions. Many said the new format was confusing and some complained that by trying to show the curve of the earth's surface, the BBC had made it difficult to see what was going on in Scotland and northern England. Last March, New Zealand's Metservice sold the homegrown TV weather graphics package to the BBC in a multi-million dollar deal.
Source: NZPA



Housing market takes sudden plunge.

The housing market's "second wind" ran out of puff in April. Fresh sales figures show prices fell sharply in central Wellington and volumes in the traditionally soft autumn month slumped to their lowest level in four years. After months of surprising strength because of a mortgage price war late last year, prices fell sharply across the country in April, figures from the Real Estate Institute show. Median prices fell in all but two regions, with Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Canterbury, Westland, Nelson, Marlborough and Southland all recording median price falls.
Source: The Dominion Post.



Tuesday, May 17

Westpac tips $7.1b Budget surplus.

Finance Minister Michael Cullen will deliver a Budget surplus of $7.1 billion, according to Westpac Bank estimates - well ahead of the $5.6 billion the Treasury forecast in December. Dr Cullen's sixth Budget on Thursday is expected to include announcements on savings schemes, business tax changes, spending priorities for health and education, and a big but long-term defence spend-up. As well as strong government books, the Budget would show the economy slowing from 4.5 per cent growth in the year to March 2005, to slightly more than 2 per cent in the following 12 months. The next year, economic growth would pick up only a little.
Source: The Dominion Post.



NZ hit by German email virus.

New Zealand and Australia have been hit by the "Sober-P" worm, which appear in email boxes written in German. The emails by Nazi extremists have been flooding computers here. The anti-virus firm Symantec says Australasia is one of the first regions to be hit. It is understood the US will be targeted today.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



NZ nurses forced to flee Afghanistan.

Two New Zealand nurses have been forced to flee their base in Afghanistan after riots erupted there last week. Wendy Hetrick, of Ashburton, is in the third month of an eight-month stint working with the Red Cross in Afghanistan but along with another New Zealand nurse, she was last week forced to safety in Dubai. "There's every chance I may not return – I might be killed or kidnapped, that's something that is always in the back of my mind." Last week those words came back to haunt her after riots broke out in Jalalabad, near the border with Pakistan, at the compound where she has been staying.
Source: NZPA



Saucy sheep comment OK, says authority.

The Broadcasting Standards Authority has rejected a complaint about a radio presenter who told listeners Christchurch people "cuddle" sheep. Shirley man Bruce Newburgh told the authority he was genuinely upset after hearing Radio Pacific talkback host Miles Davis say: "I won't take any more calls from Christchurch callers. I will let them go to bed to cuddle their sheep." He claims the station, owned by the RadioWorks Network, regularly slurs Cantabrians, and its presenters have previously described them as "Neanderthal losers" and Christchurch as "the white trash capital of the world".
source: The Press



Unsold Skyhawks a costly burden.

The Government's inability to sell its mothballed squadron of Skyhawk fighter bombers for four years is set to be a continuing and expensive embarrassment. The private United States pilot-training company lined up to buy the jets now says it cannot justify their purchase. However, they have still not been sold. The cost of storing and maintaining the jets has topped $7 million and a further $1 million has so far been paid to sales consultants.
Source: The Dominion Post.



Honour for first Maori film-maker.

Actress and film-maker Ramai Hayward is to receive a lifetime achievement award at the inaugural Maori Film Festival in Wairoa at Queen's Birthday weekend. "Ramai Hayward was New Zealand's first Maori film-maker," festival director Leo Koziol said yesterday. "In her career, Ramai Hayward's film production roles included actress, scriptwriter and camerawoman." A near-complete retrospective of Hayward's work will be shown.
Source: The Dominion Post.



Prince William coming with the Lions.

Rugby-mad Prince William has confirmed his plans to head down-under for the Lions tour of New Zealand.
It was confirmed yesterday that Prince William would be coming to New Zealand in July after an invitation from team management to join the British and Irish Lions during the final stages of their tour.
Source: The Dominion Post.



Monday, May 16

New Zealand junior education minister quits after bullying claim.

New Zealand’s junior Education Minister stepped down from his Cabinet posts today after students accused the former teacher of bullying them in the classroom. David Benson-Pope denied the allegation but agreed to stand down while senior law officials carried out an independent inquiry, Prime Minister Helen Clark said in a statement.



Teaching graduates warned off profession.

Instead of the usual graduation ceremony commendations for "commitment, dedication and hard work", Massey University teaching graduates have found themselves all but warned off their chosen profession. Emeritus Professor Ivan Snook told the assembled graduates in Palmerston North they were entering a "major site of struggle". "What changed was the nature of teaching, the nature of learning and, arguably, the very nature of the students you are to teach. " Professor Snook said teachers faced increased surveillance, were seen as skilled technicians rather than professionals and were prevented from promoting social justice under the guise of "political correctness".
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd
Full story click HERE



School fees jump 130 per cent.

A town's school fees have jumped an average of 130 per cent in the past five years. The rise has raised parents' fears that some Nelson schools will become elitist. MP Nick Smith surveyed Nayland College, Nelson College, Nelson College for Girls and Waimea College and found voluntary fees or donations had increased an average of 130 per cent since 1999.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



NZQA chief executive quits.

Chief executive of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority Karen Van Rooyen has resigned - the second high-profile casualty at the NZQA in just 10 days. Ms Van Rooyen has been under fire since the scholarship debacle in January and has faced increasing pressure following a damning report into the exam system. NZQA board chairman Graeme Fraser resigned 10 days ago after two critical reports into the organisation's handling of the 2004 school scholarship exams, which largely blamed the authority for the wild variations in last year's results.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Pakistan's president Musharraf to visit NZ.

Pakistan's president Pervez Musharraf will visit New Zealand next month, Prime Minister Helen Clark said today. The June 17-19 visit would be the first bilateral visit by a president of Pakistan.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Germans Eye Up NZ Supermarkets.

More choice for supermarket shoppers is on the horizon. German grocery giant Aldi is making moves to enter the market currently dominated by two main players, Foodstuffs and Progressive Enterprises. The company has filed 100 applications to trademark its brands since the beginning of the year and 760 all together. Supermarket bosses say if Aldi comes in, or if the Warehouse started offering groceries at its chain, it would reduce prices, increase store numbers and offer some diversification.
Copyright 2005 Newstalk ZB News.



NZ looks at options to stop Japan hunting humpbacks.

New Zealand was looking at all its options including a possible legal fight against Japan's attempt to slaughter endangered humpback whales, Conservation Minister Chris Carter said yesterday. Japan plans to go to the meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Korea in June asking to double its kill of about 440 minke whales a year for so-called scientific purposes and also add humpback and fin whales to the list.
Source: NZPA



NZ First backs compensation for Maori land owners.

Maori forestry owners should be compensated for being stopped from earning an economic return from their lands, a New Zealand First MP says. The party's environment spokesman, Jim Peters, was reacting to news the Waitangi Tribunal had ruled the Crown breached the Treaty of Waitangi by abandoning compensation negotiations with the Waimumu Trust, which owns 4400ha of forestry near Gore. Source: NZPA



IRD to pay $5300 to fired staff.

Inland Revenue has been ordered to pay $5350 to two staff members it fired for improperly accessing their families' tax files. The money will cover part of the $12,700 legal costs incurred by Gillian Buchanan and Lynn Symes in their employment dispute with Inland Revenue. The department is seeking leave to appeal against an Employment Court order to reinstate the women, who were fired two years ago. The court found they had been treated more harshly than other staff who had unauthorised access to departmental files.
Source: The Dominion Post.



DNA testing a world-class success.

The DNA database has matched 55 per cent of its crime scene samples with suspects - a hit rate which is one of the best in the world. Figures issued under the Official Information Act show more than 5000 of 10,000 DNA samples from crime scenes have matched individuals on the national DNA database, which hold samples from about 50,000 people. In April last year, a new law came into effect allowing police to take samples from a widened range of criminals.
source:Sunday Star Times



Nats rule out Peters as coalition PM.

National has ruled out handing New Zealand First leader Winston Peters the country's top job as part of a post-election coalition deal. Some NZ First MPs have been informally suggesting the idea of a National-NZ First coalition led by Mr Peters if the party held the balance of power after the election, an Auckland newspaper reported today. But National leader Don Brash today moved to quell the suggestion. "If we talk to other parties. . . we will not sell our souls just to get into office, and we most certainly will not be offering the leadership of the next government as a bargaining chip," Dr Brash said through a spokesman.
Source: NZPA



History on Crusaders' side.

The Crusaders will have history on their side when they meet the Hurricanes in this Friday night's Super 12 semi-final at Jade Stadium. The Crusaders have a perfect semi-finals record, winning all six of their play-off matches since the competition began in 1996. If they beat the Hurricanes this weekend they will host the final in Christchurch.
source: The Press



Early checks look good for Waiheke livestock.

Waiheke Island livestock remain free of foot-and-mouth symptoms but it will be seven more days before the all-clear is confirmed. A helicopter was used at the weekend to ensure all livestock was accounted for and to check the location of wild pigs and goats on the island.
Source: The Dominion Post.



Sunday, May 15

Wellington opts out of the V8 race.

New Zealand looks set to lose the V8 supercars races completely following the decision by Wellington to pull out of running a street race in 2006. The Australian owners of the race series say New Zealand's future in V8 supercar racing is gone. Wellington City Council blames the resource consent process for quashing plans for the race. It says it would take too long and cost up to $1 million. Auckland's failure to secure the street race last year was also blamed on the amount of public consolation required under the same act.
source:One News



Maori film festival a first.

Wairoa is gearing up for the first ever Maori film festival, which is being held in the region over Queen's birthday weekend. The four day festival, which has created international interest, will showcase both feature and short films, with the opening night having a 1950's theme. The festival will be a mixture of feature length and short films and include a workshop for Maori film makers
source:One News



Wearable Arts has Singapore showing.

Wearable Arts has become a household name in New Zealand, and the show that began in a leaky tent in Nelson 17 years ago has gone from strength to strength. Now it has had its biggest ever offshore showing for a select audience in Asia. "We're bringing wearable arts to Singapore to showcase the arts and culture of New Zealand," says Suzie Moncreiff, the creator of Wearable Arts. Twenty models and more than a hundred costumes have all become part of Tourism New Zealand's aim to encourage more people from Asia to visit New Zealand.
source: One News



Proposed pylon route sparks defiance.

Residents fighting a proposed high voltage power line through Waikato won't sell their land to Transpower and will go to court to prevent it being seized. Transpower has announced its preferred option for the 190 kilometre line which follows a western route from Clevedon via Morrinsville and Arapuni to Whakamaru. New Era Energy, a group representing 12 local action groups, says landowners will put up notices on their properties refusing access to Transpower until conditions are met. The group's spokesman, Bob McQueen, says landowners are also angry at being given fewer than three weeks to make submissions on the planned route.
source:RNZ



Arctic-bound Kiwi sailor on good pace.

A New Zealander bidding to become the first person to sail solo around the world via the Arctic North-west Passage says he is making good early progress. Christchurch man Graeme Kendall, 58, left Auckland on April 26 for a 40,000km journey that is expected to take up to six months. He is due to round Cape York at the northern tip of Queensland today after safely navigating the Tasman and Coral seas in his 12.5m cruising yacht Astral Express.
Source: NZPA



Saturday, May 14

Maori tiki auctioned in US.

Three old Maori greenstone tiki have gone under the hammer in New York. They fetched a total of more than $US45,000 in the Sotheby's auction. A nine-centimetre tiki from a private collection in Rhode Island went for more than $US20,000. Another Maori artefact was passed in. The 85-centimetre-high tekoteko gable figure was expected to reach up to $US35,000.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



BBC to use NZ Weather software.

The New Zealand MetService has announced that its television weather graphics system, Weatherscape XT, is about to be launched by the BBC. The MetService has been working with the BBC both in the UK and from New Zealand for the past year customising and installing the software. MetService CEO John Lumsden says it is the largest television project his company has undertaken so far.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



SkyCity shares drop as casino profits forecast to plunge.

Shares in casino operator SkyCity fell 13c - or 3 per cent - to $4.22 yesterday after the company said the smoking ban could help to wipe up to $19 million from annual profit. It cut its earnings guidance from $114 million-$119 million to $100 million-$103 million. SkyCity had expected a $10 million impact from the ban, but $20 million now looked likely.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Blumsky angry about failed v8 bid.

Former Wellington mayor Mark Blumsky is angry the difficulties involved in getting resource consent have resulted in Wellington not pursuing its bid for the V8 Supercars' street race. Wellington City Council has decided it will not go ahead with a bid for the event because there is no guarantee it will be able to get resource consent in time.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Super 12 results.

Crusaders beat Hurricanes 40-20; Waratahs win 25-20 over Blues
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Doctors refuse to name fees.

Family doctors are defying a Health Ministry request for them to reveal the fees they charge patients. Leading GP organisations, including the Independent Practitioners Association Council, the Medical Association, and the Royal College of General Practitioners, have jointly told their members not to provide details of fees they will charge when a new Government subsidy for 18-to-24-year-olds comes into effect on July 1. Spokesman Peter Foley, chairman of the Medical Association's GPs council, said the ministry had imposed requirements on practices, without consultation or agreement.
Source: The Dominion Post.



Farmers wait nervously for virus news.

Farmers were today on edge as they waited for the word on the threat of a second supposed foot-and-mouth infection. The extortionist's letter received by the prime minister's office on Tuesday threatened that "further" foot-and-mouth would be spread on the mainland today if the Government had not given in to the demands.Police won't say which area that may be. At this stage, no sign of foot-and-mouth has been found on Waiheke Island and police are confident the letter is a hoax.
source: The Waikato Times



Signs good for fall in petrol prices.

The signs are looking good for a petrol price drop with international oil prices down, the New Zealand dollar strong and at least one New Zealand petrol company saying the short-term outlook for petrol prices is good in this country. Today oil prices to New Zealand of Dubai oil, from which most New Zealand petrol is refined, were hovering around $NZ63 a barrel – down from about $NZ68 a month ago.
Source: NZPA



Friday, May 13

Jobs go as Fonterra shifts operation overseas.

Up to 30 people will be offered replacement jobs or redundancy as Fonterra moves part of its Northland operation overseas. The dairy giant is transferring a sugar-milk powder blending operation from the Maungaturoto dairy factory to Singapore. The plant has 160 staff and up to 30 will be affected.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Billy Bowden's Star Rising.

The career of New Zealand cricket umpire Billy Bowden is on the up-and-up. He has been selected to officiate in the third, fourth and fifth Ashes tests when England hosts Australia in July and August. Bowden says he is shocked but delighted to be picked and it shows him he has been making some sound decisions.
Copyright 2005 Newstalk ZB News.



Cellphone virus spreads to New Zealand.

The Cabir mobile phone virus - which spreads from mobile phone to mobile phone - has been reported in New Zealand for the first time, says a Finnish anti-virus expert. Cabir infects the Symbian operating system used in many of the most popular smart phones, and New Zealand is the 22nd country to have reported a Cabir infection, according to Mikko Hyppoenen, head of anti-virus research at Finnish internet security firm F-Secure.
Source: NZPA



West Coast peace activist dies.

Peace activist Owen Wilkes, once jailed for pulling the supposedly neutral Norwegian government up for harbouring an American military base, has died. Mr Wilkes was also a prominent figure on the South Island's West Coast for building a pioneering solar house at Punakaiki, later torn down by the local council.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



NZ to observe Bougainville election.

New Zealand is sending two people and putting $150,000 towards a team to monitor provincial elections on the Papua New Guinea island of Bougainville. Foreign Minister Phil Goff said Dr Andrew Ladley, director of Victoria University's Institute of Policy Studies, and former High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Nigel Moore, would join the 11-strong team.
Source: NZPA



'Stress leave' for TVNZ presenter.

Television New Zealand newsreader Eric Young has taken stress leave and his future with the broadcaster is uncertain. Young presented late-night news show Tonight on Monday, but has been absent since. It is not known when, or if, he will return. It is understood Young is suffering a stress-related illness, stemming from problems after the arrival of the show's new executive producer, David Lomas.
Source: The Dominion Post.



Beneficiaries get $27m push to work.

Sickness beneficiaries are being encouraged to return to the workforce under a joint initiative by the government and district health boards. The programme, co-ordinated by Work and Income, will encourage people on sickness and invalid benefits to seek extra health services so they can return to their jobs sooner rather than later. Paths would pay for intensive physiotherapy, access to pain clinics, fitness programmes, counselling sessions, extra visits to doctors to manage chronic diseases like diabetes and asthma – and even knee and hip operations.
Source: NZPA



Thursday, May 12

Hospital strikes threaten surgery.

Thousands of hospital patients from Nelson to Northland face potential chaos when radiographers strike for five days this month. Radiographers have given notice of strike action at nine district health boards, including Auckland, Waitemata, Waikato and Wellington's Capital and Coast. Members of the Association of Professional and Executive Employees (Apex) intend to strike from midday on Monday, May 23 to midday on Friday, May 27.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Crunchie bar addict really loses his nut.

A Bay of Plenty man took a crowbar and smashed a dairy owner's car windows because his mother had forgotten to buy him a Crunchie bar. In the Tauranga District Court Robert Teamo, a 24-year-old unemployed man of Waitangi, pleaded guilty in Tauranga District Court to a charge of wilful damage. Judge Russell Callander jailed him for one year.
Source: NZPA



Lions match live on TVNZ.

The Lions match against Argentina is to be screened live on TV One. The game, at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, will screen at 6.30am on May 24, with a replay at 11 that night. The Lions leave for New Zealand the following day. TV One will also show Jonah Lomu's comeback to rugby in the Martin Johnson testimonial match at Twickenham, at 6.30am on June 5, with a replay at 1pm.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Divers help get stranded dolphin back to safety.

Quick action has saved a common dolphin from a slow death near Tutukaka on Northland's east coast yesterday. The adult dolphin had been on dry land for an hour and 40 minutes before being released back to the ocean, but water was poured over it throughout that period. "It slowly came right and then it took off toward the Poor Knights Islands.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Nearly $40m for court improvements in budget.

The Government today announced $39 million to build and upgrade five courts around the country -- but there are several others of poor standard that will have to wait. Courts Minister Rick Barker said about half of New Zealand's 72 courts were aged 50-years or older and one quarter were over 100-years-old. Today he announced $17.5 million for land to be bought for a court in New Plymouth and for new courts in Invercargill and Levin. The remaining $21.5 million would go to overhauling and expanding Hastings Court and the expansion of Manukau District Court.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Unemployment rate rise contradicts economists.

The unemployment rate unexpectedly rose in the March quarter to 3.9 per cent from 3.6 per cent at the end of last year, Statistics New Zealand said today. Economists had expected the seasonally adjusted data to record a fall to a new 20-year low of 3.5 per cent. It is the first rise in the unemployment rate since December 2003. Employment was still the highest ever recorded at 2.06 million and the participation rate was the second highest at 67.6 per cent.
Source: NZPA



Economy on downturn, says Cullen.

Finance Minister Michael Cullen said today a slowdown in economic growth appeared to be arriving. Next week's budget would therefore take a long-term view to give New Zealand the chance to ride through the downturn in the next year to 18 months, Dr Cullen said. Latest figures showed New Zealand's rate of economic growth slowed further in the final quarter of last year and was even weaker than most commentators expected.
Source: NZPA



Wednesday, May 11

Australian Budget threatens NZ competitiveness.

The Australian Budget announced yesterday will cause more pressures in the New Zealand economy, says Business NZ Chief Executive Phil O’Reilly. “Across the board tax cuts at all income levels will make it more tempting for New Zealand workers to consider jumping the ditch,” Mr O’Reilly said. “Over the last year there’s been a net loss 330 of New Zealand citizens to Australia every week. That’s already too many, but yesterday’s Budget decisions could mean more New Zealanders staying permanently in Australia.



1-1-1 report is scathing.

The just-released report into the 1-1-1 emergency call system is scathing about the police. The Review Panel says it is very concerned about the potential risks to the safety of the public, front-line police and communication centre staff and the potential for any loss of confidence in the New Zealand Police. The report comes with 61 recommendations and highlights a number of key failings, including problems with management structures, and deficiencies in the decade-old communication centres. Ninety percent of emergency calls are not answered within ten seconds, there are problems with the radio dispatch and there is a shortage of staff.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Remove Waitangi from legislation, says Peters.

Winston Peters is urging all MPs to put aside their differences and support his bill which removes references to the Treaty of Waitangi from all legislation. The New Zealand First leader's private members bill gets its first reading in Parliament this afternoon. Mr Peters says it is time for MPs to support it and serve their country, instead of the interests of what he calls a "greedy few". He says his bill aims to correct an anomaly which has harmed race relations since 1986 when the vague term, "the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi" was first included in legislation.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Drinking experiment went wrong - Robson.

The MP behind a bid to raise the drinking age is hopeful his proposal will be debated by Parliament this evening. Progressives deputy leader Matt Robson has been pushing for the legal drinking age to be put back up to 20. He says public health experts are noticing that younger and younger people are now consuming alcohol. Mr Robson says hospital admissions for teenagers are also on the rise and the rate of sexually transmitted diseases amongst young people has increased dramatically since the age was lowered to 18. He says public health evidence suggests the experiment went wrong.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Child welfare staff sacked for 'inappropriate relationships'.

Three workers in Child, Youth and Family residential centres have been sacked for "inappropriate relationships with clients". The department has told National MP Judith Collins, in reply to a parliamentary question, that "inappropriate relationships" could include "receiving money from clients, over-familiarity with clients, giving gifts to clients, etc". Its acting manager of residences, Chris Polaschek, said none of the cases, all in the four years to June 2002, involved sexual relationships.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Parents could get detailed school fees.

Secondary schools may soon have to give parents detailed lists of school fees after a Ministry of Education investigation. Associate Minister of Education David Benson-Pope ordered an investigation into "irregular" subject fees at Otumoetai College in Tauranga six weeks ago after it had threatened to take court action against parent Ian Mason over $700 worth of unpaid fees.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



NZ to bid for 2011 Rugby World Cup.

New Zealand will lodge a bid to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Minister for Sport Trevor Mallard said today. The announcement made jointly with New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) chairman Jock Hobbs followed a feasibility study . "If the bid is successful, the Government and NZRU will make cash contributions towards costs of $20 million and $10 million respectively," Mr Mallard said in a statement. The study had highlighted "significant benefits" of staging the cup, adding an estimated $408 million to the economy and tax revenue of more than $90 million.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Victoria University makes cancer breakthrough.

A potential anti-cancer agent discovered by Victoria University scientists could form the next generation of a cancer drug worth US$2 billion ($2.76 billion) a year in sales. The anti-cancer agent, named Peloruside, was discovered in a marine sponge living in New Zealand's Pelorus Sound by Victoria University senior lecturer Dr Peter Northcote and colleagues at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa).
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Tuesday, May 10

Overhaul for legal aid system.

There is to be a major overhaul of the legal aid system with sweeping changes to eligibility criteria. Justice Minister Phil Goff has introduced a bill to parliament which will see more low income New Zealanders able to apply for legal aid. New rules will see more people required to pay back some of the money they get in legal aid, boosting the value of repayments to more than $24 million a year.
source: RNZ



Chorus to keep birdcalls on National Radio.

It would be a foolhardy National Radio executive who gave the chop to Morning Report's trademark birdcalls, judging by the reaction of listeners. Almost 1700 emails saying "keep the birds" had poured in to the state broadcaster's office by 5pm yesterday after Morning Report asked listeners if the twitterings should stay or go in a review of programming. Spokesman John Barr said hardly anyone wanted to shoot the birds, which sound just before the 7am and 9am news each weekday and have been a feature since starting on Waitangi Day in the mid-70s.
Source: The Dominion Post.



Ministry believes Waiheke foot & mouth threat a hoax.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said today it was investigating a possible threat of foot and mouth disease, but believed it to be a hoax. The ministry said at a news conference it had quarantined a farm on Waiheke Island. The threat was made in a letter delivered to Prime Minister Helen Clark. A spokesman for Miss Clark declined to comment. Police and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) officials at the news conference indicated that there was a reported deliberate release of foot and mouth disease virus on Waiheke Island.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Hubbard Backs Tunnel For Auckland.

Auckland mayor Dick Hubbard is urging Transit New Zealand to fast track a tunnel under Victoria Park to ease motorway traffic jams. Auckland's mayor says it is vital the notorious bottleneck on the motorway before the Harbour Bridge on the city side is fixed.
©2005 Xtra Limited



NZ announces steps towards signing Asean treaty.

New Zealand has decided in principle to sign a friendship treaty with South-east Asian nations, Prime Minister Helen Clark says. Signing the agreement - or announcing an intent to do so - is a criteria set by Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) governments to participate in an East Asian Summit this year. The treaty has been described as a non-aggression pact, but Miss Clark said yesterday the Government's view was that it would not constrain New Zealand's foreign policy.
Source: NZPA



Budget will have more money for aged care.

The Government is promising more money for aged care in the upcoming budget, but says long-term solutions to cost pressures in the sector are some time off. Cabinet papers released today say the budget will include the usual increase for health funding to take account of population changes and cost pressure. An increase in spending on home support and disability services and services for older people are also foreshadowed.
Source: NZPA



Painted apple moth found in Otahuhu.

Biosecurity officials have discovered a painted apple moth in Auckland and say it may be from a "new introduction" of the pest. Biosecurity New Zealand eradication programmes manager Ian Gear said that the latest find, a live male moth in a trap at an Otahuhu container facility on Thursday is likely to be from a new introduction. West Aucklanders have undergone two years of aerial spraying against painted apple moth.
Source: NZPA



Monday, May 9

Sky TV gets exclusive Super 14 rugby rights for NZ.

Sky Network TV today said it had signed a sub-licence with Rugby International Pty that grants it exclusive New Zealand rights to Super 14 rugby. Rugby International Pty is a News Corporation company, and the sub-licence will see Sky TV broadcast Super 14 rugby from New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia for the five seasons to 2010. Under the deal, Sky TV would also broadcast provincial rugby in New Zealand and South Africa between 2006 and 2010. The deal did not cover any Rugby World Cup games or other International Rugby Board (IRB) events, such as the IRB Sevens tournament.
Source: NZPA



$20 million loan to save wananga.

Embattled tertiary education provider Te Wananga o Aotearoa is on the brink of insolvency and the Government is to bail it out with a $20 million loan, Education Minister Trevor Mallard announced this morning . "Today I reported to Cabinet that the situation at the wananga is more serious than we had envisaged and they are in immediate danger of not being able to pay their payroll and also a substantial amount of their creditors," Mr Mallard told reporters. The loan followed an investigation by Crown Manager Brian Roche into the wananga's financial state.
Source: NZPA



Another baby moves to killer bug 'red zone'.

Another baby has tested positive for the aggressive bug that has claimed three lives in Wellington Hospital's neo-natal intensive care unit. The latest case was detected on Saturday, and the baby has been moved into a separate "red zone" of the unit for babies who are infected with the bug. Forty premature babies have been affected by a new strain of the common bacteria staphylococcus aureus since October, and three have died this year.
Source: The Dominion Post.



Blenheim valley home to NZ's biggest chatterboxes.

Famed for its fine wines, views and hospitality, Blenheim's Awatere Valley can now lay claim to something else – its residents can talk the legs off a donkey. Clocking up two hours and 21 minutes above their nearest rival, they spend an average of nine hours, 29 minutes a month – about 20 minutes a day – talking on the phone, a Telecom survey has found. It's clear South Islanders like to talk, though – second was Mayfield, Ashburton (7h 8min), and third was Middlemarch, Otago (6h 51min). The survey was based on average length and number of local and national landline calls. Auckland placed 51st (5h 3min), Christchurch 89th (4h 31min) and Wellington 249th (3h 44min).
Source: The Dominion Post.



Community nurses launch campaign for pay parity.

Community nurses have begun a campaign seeking pay parity with their colleagues working for district health boards. The campaign, launched in Hamilton yesterday morning, follows the settlement in February which boosted pay packets for about 20,000 district health board nurses by 20 to 30 per cent. "That success has highlighted the undervaluing of nurses in the primary health care sector, most of whom work in GP-owned general practices," New Zealand Nurses' Organisation (NZNO) spokeswoman Laila Harre said in a statement yesterday.
Source: NZPA



Man drowns, boy shot as duck hunting season opens.

One man drowned in the North Island and a young boy was shot by his father in the South Island on Saturday during the first day of the duck shooting season. The duck shooting season began at 6.30am on Saturday and runs for between six and 12 weeks depending on the Fish and Game region.
Source: NZPA



Sunday, May 8

New mums sent home in an hour.

They could soon be called McBabies. With one maternity ward confirming a new mum was discharged half an hour after giving birth, some hospitals are offering a virtual drive-through service to mums-to-be. Wellington Hospital says a woman packed up her baby and discharged herself from its delivery suite within 39 minutes of the baby's birth recently. That almost defies the amount of time needed for form filling and checks on the baby's and mother's health.
Source: APN Holdings NZ Ltd



PM of Vietnam in NZ for visit.

The Prime Minister of Vietnam has arrived in New Zealand for an official five-day visit. Phan Van Khai was greeted at Christchurch Airport by Progressive Party leader Jim Anderton last night. Today he visits Lincoln University, and is guest of honour at a civic dinner at the Christchurch Town Hall. Phan Van Khai will be welcomed at Parliament by the Prime Minister tomorrow.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Most refugees from Iran - stats.

Iranians, rather than Iraqis are applying in the largest numbers to come to New Zealand as refugees. New Zealand First leader Winston Peters embarrassed the government last week by revealing information about visitors and immigrants with links to Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein arriving here. But figures supplied by the Immigration Service show that in the past year, the largest number of applications for refugee status were from Iranians - 61 out of 334 applicants. Only 13 were from Iraqis. Only 58 refugee applications were approved during the year.
source: Sunday Star Times



Maori party launches foreshore and seabed policy.

The Maori Party launched its Foreshore and Seabed policy yesterday but opposition parties said it remained unclear. Yesterday afternoon on the Eastern Bay of Plenty's Waiotahi Beach Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia released the policy on the first anniversary of last year's hikoi. The policy would: overturn the Foreshore and Seabed Act, ensure access to beaches based on respect and care for those areas, restore the "credibility and integrity' of New Zealand in the international environment and draft new legislation protecting access and other collective property rights.
Source: NZPA



Task takes nurses where the wild things are.

Nurses and midwives have been told to draw monsters as part of a Hutt Valley District Health Board management training programme that critics say is bizarre. The Nurses Organisation describes the exercise as "odd", and Act leader Rodney Hide says it is a waste of time. "Our training industry is increasingly given over to political correctness, rather than learning the basic skills of the job," Hide said. "It's an insult to nurses."
source: Sunday Star Times



NZ First could hold balance of power.

Winston Peters will be delighted with the latest political poll, which shows his New Zealand First party could well hold the balance of power after the next election. The Herald on Sunday Digipoll suggests either Labour or National could form a coalition government, with support from the Greens or New Zealand First. The Digipoll shows National up four points to 37 percent, and Labour down four to 42 percent.
© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB


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