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Monday, April 30

How a single digital ID will affect you

Consumers could be using RealMe, a proof-of-identity service developed by the Government and marketed by New Zealand Post, to open bank accounts, arrange loans and deal with utilities and government agencies online, later this year. Internal Affairs has previously suggested it could also be used for verification on online auction sites such as Trade Me, preventing people from trading under false identities. The Government has spent $58 million since 1999 developing the service, known up until now as iGovt, which lets people log on to a wide variety of government web services using a single logon and password. They also register their mobiles so they can be texted a code that they can enter online to prove their identity. A law change, the Electronic Identity Verification Bill, which is expected to be passed by Parliament later this year, will let private businesses use the same credentials to check people's identity against government records.
© Fairfax NZ News



Commission wants some items banned from repossession

The repossession of bedding and heaters could be banned under changes to repossession law recommended by the Law Commission. The commission has consulted banks, debt collectors and consumer groups as part of the Government's review of consumer credit law. It says its proposals would make repossession laws fairer and transparent for all parties. The commission suggests only goods specified as security in a credit contract could be repossessed, not including items such as bedding, heaters and washing machines. Debt collectors would be licensed and excluded from the industry if they break repossession law.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Moves to stop asylum seekers heading to NZ

Moves are to be put in place to stop people smuggling or asylum seekers heading to New Zealand. The Immigration Act is to be amended so that should a big group of illegal immigrants arrive, they can be detained under a group warrant, rather than an individual one. Minister Nathan Guy says it means the department will be able to focus on managing immediate risks, rather than being tied up in paperwork. Other changes will mean a claimant's refugee status will be reassessed three years after its determined, with permanent residence not granted unless the reassessment is approved.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Worst of exodus seen as over

The director of a group which monitors population trends says the worst of the post-quake exodus from Christchurch is over and people should begin to return to the city by the end of the year. Monitoring & Evaluation Research Associates director James Newell says about 9000 people have left Christchurch, with a third settling in Auckland. He says the biggest population loss was children aged up to four years old. Data from school rolls showed more Maori and Pacific Island children had left, compared to European-Pakeha children. ''I would expect the trend would go to a net gain by the end of this year, rather than a net loss,'' said Mr Newell.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Parents should think twice about fruit juice

Parents are being urged to think twice about putting fruit juice into the kids' lunch boxes. Research shows some drinks are loaded with sugar, and that can increase tooth decay and cause weight problems. Ingrid Yoost from the Australian Consumer Group CHOICE says parents should think of packaged fruit juice as a treat. "Some that we looked at had more than six teaspoons of sugars in a 250ml pack."
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Southland warned of strong cold blast

Southlanders are being warned to expect a second burst of strong cold southwesterlies and squally showers over Fiordland, Southland and Otago this afternoon. MetService says the winds won't be as cold as the southwesterlies early this morning but further snow could fall to 400 metres. But even where snow isn't falling, the wind chill will be significant and driving conditions will be challenging
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



New name for MAF

A name that's been part of New Zealand agriculture for a very long time, the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry, is now officially consigned to the past. From Monday, MAF becomes the Ministry for Primary Industries. It's the result of Food Safety and Fisheries merging into MAF, bringing all the Government primary industry bodies under one umbrella.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Fiji opens doors for talks

Fiji is opening its doors for talks with other Pacific countries. Foreign Minister Murray McCully is travelling to Suva today as a member of the Pacific Islands Forum Ministerial Contact Group on Fiji. He's the chairman of the forum. Mr McCully says the visit will enable the group to resume direct dialogue with Fiji after a significant interval. He says there's been a number of positive developments towards returning Fiji to democratic rule.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Meetings on loan sharks begin today

A round of meetings about the Government's plans to tighten up on loan sharks begins today. Consumer Affairs Minister Simon Bridges will meet with community and industry groups in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch this week. The planned changes will see the biggest overhaul of consumer credit laws in over a decade and will require more disclosure of loan terms, make it illegal to lend money to someone who would find it too hard to make repayments and tighten up rules around misleading or confusing advertising. People have until May 25 to comment on the proposals.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



More young Maori sought for hospitality industry

The Restaurant Association of New Zealand wants to increase the number of Maori in the hospitality industry because Maori culture and hospitality go hand in hand. The association has launched a new apprenticeship scheme in the North Island to help business owners select quality apprentices from its talent pool to give them a foot in the door and develop their skills. Chief executive Marisa Bidois says the hospitality industry is hungry for young Maori who can transfer the catering skills they have learnt on the marae to restaurant kitchens, eateries and bars.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Sunday, April 29

Rugby: Crusaders score thrilling win over Waratahs

The Canterbury Crusaders have beaten the Waratahs by 37-33 in their Super Rugby match at Sydney Football Stadium tonight. In a fast paced, high scoring affair the Crusaders proved a touch too sharp, running in four tries to the Waratahs three. Zac Guilford, Robbie Fruean (2), and Adam Whitelock touched down for the visitors while Adam Pakalani, Wycliff Palu and Sarel Pretorius scored for the Waratahs. Tom Taylor had another exceptional night with the boot scoring all four of his conversion attempts and adding three penalties for a total of 17 points.
- Herald Online



Australia's PM moves against Thomson and Slipper

Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard has asked MP Craig Thomson to quit the Labor Party and told Speaker Peter Slipper to accept a longer suspension as she moves to dispel what she says is a "dark cloud" hanging over the Federal Parliament. Mr Thomson, who is facing allegations about the misuse of a union credit card, has been suspended from the ALP but says he remains a "Labor person" and will continue to vote with the Government as an independent MP. Meanwhile, the ABC reports that Mr Slipper has moved to head off a possible no-confidence motion by confirming he will not be in the chair when Parliament resumes on budget night on 8 May. Mr Thomson has been under investigation by Fair Work Australia for nearly four years over allegations he used his Health Services Union credit card to pay for prostitutes. Speaking to reporters on Sunday afternoon, he confirmed that he had asked to be suspended from the Labor Party after a discussion with Ms Gillard late on Saturday.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Kate Middleton wears Wellington designer's outfit

By TOM HUNT
An outfit designed by a Wellington-bred designer has been worn by Kate Middleton and seen around the world. New York-based Rebecca Taylor has had her clothes worn by the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker, Reese Witherspoon, Dakota Fanning, Cameron Diaz, Carmen Electra and Taylor Swift. But she said when the Duchess of Cambridge wore her tweed suit on Thursday (UK time) that it was one of her biggest celebrity moments as a designer. "Her style is always impeccable." Middleton was photographed wearing the outfit to a London Scott-Amundsen Centenary Race to the South Pole reception. Taylor, who attended St Catherine's College in Wellington, studied fashion design at the Bowerman School of Design and Wellington Polytechnic (now Massey University). Her brand is distributed throughout 40 countries and 250 cities, with flagship stores in New York and Hong Kong, and found in prestigious department stores including Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks 5th Avenue, Lane Crawford and Selfridges.



Shadbolt smashes interview world record

Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt has smashed the record for the world's longest ever interview. The colourful mayor started his marathon effort yesterday at 12pm and easily beat the previous world record of 12 hours and 30 seconds early this morning. He is due to wrap up his interview on Invercargill based TV station CUE at 2pm. "I've talked a lot, but I've never talked so much about myself and I've learnt that one of my strengths is endurance," he told interviewer Tom Conroy. "I could keep going for another 10 hours!" The new feat should also go down as the longest continuous single event in New Zealand television history. The event is a national fundraiser for St John Ambulance.
- with Newstalk ZB



Gillard may be forced into early election

By ARN - NewstalkZB
There's speculation Australian prime minister Julia Gillard may be forced into an early election, depending on how she handles the Peter Slipper scandal. News Limited reports Tasmanian Independent Andrew Wilkie says he might support a motion of no confidence. Slipper remains on his full salary package of over $300,000, while he stands aside pending claims of Cabcharge misuse and sexual harassment. A no-confidence motion may mean the government would be forced to the brink with a 74 to 74 tied vote.



Main Chch road to reopen with bike race

One of Christchurch's main one-way streets will reopen fully today, for the first time since the February 2011 quake. To mark the opening of the remaining stretch of Madras Street, there'll be a short bike race. CERA chief Roger Sutton, Mayor Bob Parker, and CERA's infrastructure chief Richard MacGeorge will cycle from Latimer Square to the Tuam Street corner, before declaring the road open this afternoon.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



All Madras Street to be open again

A street in central Christchurch will reopen completely on Sunday for the first time since the earthquake in February last year. The last section of Madras Street, between Tuam Street and Latimer Square, will be open to traffic at 3.30pm. A cordon remains on the corner of Madras and Cashel streets, but a temporary road has been put through an empty site.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Saturday, April 28

March a wake up call - Shearer

Labour leader David Shearer believes the turnout at today's march against asset sales is a wake up call for the Government. Thousands of people rallied against the government's intended partial sell-off of state assets in Auckland this afternoon. Mr Shearer was part of a strong Labour presence at the march and says there was a great feeling among the protestors. "And people from all walks of life, obviously feeling strongly about our assets particularly our electricity companies being sold off." The hikoi will continue on, its ranks swollen by people joining it in Auckland, to meet with other protestors in Palmerston North, before arriving for a rally outside Parliament on Friday.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Withdrawal as marmite shortage continues

By PAUL GORMAN
Marmite-making is expected to restart in Christchurch from mid-year, but Sanitarium is giving no guarantees long-term production will stay here. Lovers of the yeast-extract spread have been suffering withdrawal symptoms since the distinctive red-capped Kiwi favourite began disappearing from shelves about six weeks ago. Since then, prices on Trade Me for 500-gram jars of black gold have been rising towards $50. Loyalties have been sorely tested by the shortage, with supermarkets now reporting sales of Australian rival Vegemite have risen significantly in the past month. Work on earthquake-damaged parts of Sanitarium's Papanui factory hit a snag recently when asbestos was found in the wall linings. Speaking from South Africa, Sanitarium New Zealand general manager Pierre van Heerden it was unlikely Marmite would be back in production before the middle of July. The first batches would probably hit the shops early in August.
© Fairfax NZ News



Shearer calls for PM to stand down Banks

The Labour Party leader, David Shearer, is calling on the Prime Minister to stand John Banks down as a minister, following fresh allegations about donations to his 2010 Auckland mayoral campaign. It has been reported that Mr Banks advised Kim Dotcom to split a $50,000 donation in two, so that it could be declared as an anonymous contribution. John Banks has already been referred to the police over an undeclared donation from Sky City, and Labour says it will complain to the Auckland Council about the latest allegations. David Shearer says John Key should confront Mr Banks, and get to the bottom of what has gone on. He says the Act Party leader cannot continue to hold ministerial roles while such serious allegations are swirling aound him. Mr Shearer says there are now serious questions about whether Mr Banks' vote on possible legislation allowing Sky City to install more gambling machines would be influenced by undeclared casino donations.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Thousands protest asset sales

Thousands of people are marching up Auckland's Queen Street, protesting against the Government's planned partial sale of state-owned assets. The protestors are part of a hikoi that began on Tuesday at Cape Reinga. A spokesperson for the marchers says the demonstration is in opposition to a range of issues including asset sales, fracking, deep sea oil drilling and seabed mining. Protestors are holding banners and flags, and chanting slogans such as "Aotearoa is not for sale". Queen Street has been closed to traffic for the march, which is expected to finish about 5pm at Aotea Square.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Winter blast predicted for South Island

Snow may fall in the southern parts of the South Island when the first cold southwesterly blast of the winter sweeps up the mainland tomorrow and Monday, MetService says. The front will arrive over southern New Zealand late tomorrow and spread across much of the South Island on Monday. Farmers are being warned to move stock to shelter as snow may fall to a few hundred metres above sea level in Fiordland, Southland and Otago.
Source: NZN



All Black great Sir Fred Allen dies

Sir Fred Allen has died. He was recognised as one of the greatest backs of the post-World War II All Blacks and became a legendary coach of the team. He was knighted in 2010 for his services to rugby and had been inducted into both the New Zealand and the International Rugby Halls of Fame. Sir Fred, 92, made his name as a five-eighth in the Kiwi Army rugby team of 1945 and went on to captain the All Blacks from 1947 - 1949. He then became an inspiring, fearsome and highly successful coach, guiding Auckland to a then-record 25 defences of the Ranfurly Shield in the early 1960s. Sir Fred, nicknamed the 'Needle', coached the All Blacks in 37 matches between 1966 - 1988. They were unbeaten, 14 of them Tests. Sir Fred played 21 games for New Zealand, all of them as captain, including six Tests.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Parade to mark Air Force 75th year

A military parade through the streets of Auckland today will mark the Royal New Zealand Air Force's (RNZAF) 75th anniversary. More than 200 air force personnel will march through the central city to the Town Hall, where they will be met by Auckland mayor Len Brown. Mr Brown will present the RNZAF with a new Auckland Charter, to recognise the city's close relationship with the defence force. RNZAF aircraft will perform a fly-past over the parade, weather permitting.
NZN



Big recruitment campaign by mining company

Rio Tinto is looking to hire more than 6000 workers at 30 sites around Australia. A recruitment campaign, which is expected to run for four months, was launched by the mining company on Friday. The ABC reports the bulk of the jobs would be in West Australia. The company wants to increase the size of its Pilbara workforce, where it already employs 10,000 people, by at least 50% in the next few years.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



NZ troops' job in Solomons 'almost done'

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman has indicated that the job of New Zealand troops with the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, or RAMSI, is almost done. Australia and New Zealand have begun discussions with the Solomon Islands on withdrawing the remaining RAMSI troops. New Zealand has about 45 defence personnel and 28 police in Solomon Islands.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Friday, April 27

Rugby - NZRU says it'll do everything it can to keep Wayne Smith

The New Zealand rugby union says it's doing everything it can to keep former All Blacks assistant coach and current Chief assistant Wayne Smith in New Zealand. Smith's considering an offer to become the England backs coach and has given himself ten days to make a decision. The chief executive of the NZRU Steve Tew says Smith has been very open with them about what he's been offered. Tew says they consider Smith an important asset to the game here and won't leave him without options to consider. Tew wouldn't reveal won't options the NZRU was putting before Smith.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Australian KFC ordered to pay $8m to brain damaged girl

KFC's been ordered to pay $8 million dollars to an Australian girl who suffered severe brain damage from salmonella poisoning. Earlier this month, the family of Monika Samaan won a court battle against the fast food chain. They claimed the then seven-year-old became sick after eating a chicken wrap from a KFC in Sydney's west.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Decade of droughts over for Australia

Australia will be drought-free next week for the first time in over a decade. The last drought-hit areas, Bundarra and Eurobodalla in NSW, will be lifted out of exceptional circumstances support next week. "The extended period of drought, which made things tough for many on the land, is finally over," Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig said in a statement today. "The seasonal outlook is brighter than it has been for many years and the improved conditions are a welcome reprieve for farmers across Australia." Senator Ludwig said it would be "a major milestone for agriculture in Australia". Since 2001 the Government has provided $4.5 billion (NZD$5.7 billion) in exceptional circumstances (EC) assistance.
Source: AAP



Racist uproar over Miss World Fiji winner

The Miss World competition is meant to encourage world peace, but it's causing an ugly race row in Fiji. Organisers of Miss World Fiji say they've been bombarded with negative comments after 16-year-old Torika Watters won the title at the weekend. The European/Fijian teen has been accused of not being Fijian enough, after beating full-blooded Fijian contestants. Adding to the controversy the competition's judging panel consisted on non-Fijian judges including New Zealand supermodel Rachel Hunter. Hundreds of racist and violent comments had to be removed from the official Miss World Fiji Facebook page.
Source: Newstalk ZB / ONE News



Poi E singer dies after battle with cancer

The leading lady from iconic Kiwi song Poi E has died. 'Nanny' Hui Kahu passed away last night in her Hawera home after a battle with cancer. The 76-year-old helped found the Patea Maori Club, which earned its place in New Zealand history with the 1984 hit Poi E. A tangi for Kahu is being held at Wai-O-Tui Marae in Taranaki, where she will be buried on Monday.
Source: ONE News



Cathedral documents go online at 9am

More than 1000 pages of documents The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) holds on ChristChurch Cathedral will go online at 9am on Friday. Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee is hoping the Anglican Church will follow suit. He says there's a range of views on the "very difficult" decision the church has made about the cathedral's future and the public will have a better understanding about the extent of the damage when CERA publishes the documents. The decision to release the documents comes after a standoff between Bishop Victoria Matthews, who announced in March the cathedral would be partly deconstructed to make it safe following major damage in last February's earthquake, and locals protesting the move. The Historic Places Trust is also opposed to the deconstruction, which started on Monday.
Source: NZN



Elephant may have been shocked into charging

New details suggest the elephant which killed zoo keeper Helen Schofield charged at her after getting an electric shock. She was killed at Franklin Zoo by former circus elephant Mila. It's understood the animal received a shock after it brushed its trunk against an electric fence that secures its enclosure. Dr Schofield then went in to calm Mila down but the elephant charged. The vet tripped while fleeing. Mila then wrapped her trunk around the vet's midsection, and picked her up. Helen Schofield was able to speak and calmly called the command to put her down but by the time the paramedic arrived she was dead.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



20th NZ International Comedy Festival begins today

By Natasha Burling - NewstalkZB
The 20th New Zealand International Comedy Festival kicks off today in Auckland. The festival began at the Watershed Theatre in 1993. Festival director Kylie Aitchison says it has grown into one of New Zealand's most loved events, attended by an audience of more than 100,000 people each year. She says this year's programme includes comedians from the very first festivals, as well as some fresh emerging talent. The festival runs for three weeks with 200 performers, in 118 shows at 23 venues across Auckland.



Thursday, April 26

Labour lays complaint over Banks' mayoral campaign

The Labour Party is calling for an investigation into an alleged SkyCity donation to Act MP John Banks in his 2010 bid to win the Auckland Super City mayoralty. Labour MP Grant Robertson used the protection of Parliamentary privilege to accuse Banks of not declaring a $15,000 donation he received from SkyCity Casino towards his mayoral campaign. Robertston said SkyCity has said it gave $15,000 to Banks and Mayor Len Brown in the 2010 election and has a policy of asking candidates to declare such donations. Robertson said Banks did not declare receiving such an amount in his election returns.
Source: ONE News - With Newstalk ZB



Quit and win competition launched for smokers

Maori and Pacific families are being targeted to take part in a competition for smokers to win money if they quit their habit. A $5000 prize is on offer to a group of people that gives up cigarettes. The cash won't go to individual smokers, but instead to a charity of their choice. Fifteen teams of 10 people from Northland and Auckland are being recruited take part in the three month competition which is part of a research project by Tobacco Control Research Turanga. Head researcher Marewa Glover says the challenge fits in with the Government's approach to family welfare. The competition will begin on 31 May.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Mideast students flock to NZ as visas are 'easier'

By Lincoln Tan
Saudi student Abdul-Azeem Fakhr came to New Zealand to study because he could not get a visa for the United States. Mr Fakhr said New Zealand is becoming a popular study destination for students from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations because it was "more friendly than America or Australia" and "easier to get a visa". In 2002, there were just 67 Saudi students studying in New Zealand. Now, there are about 7000, according to estimates made by the Minister of Tertiary Education, Steven Joyce. According to Immigration New Zealand, 2654 students visas were issued to Saudi nationals last year - but many students, like Mr Fakhr, who is taking a short course to become an English teacher, do not require a student visa.



Tidal wave of K-pop heads our way

By Lincoln Tan
Some of South Korea's top pop bands, with millions of fans and followers around the world, could be headed to New Zealand for a huge pop music festival with the aim of spreading "Hallyu" - or the Korean cultural wave. As part of celebrations to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between South Korea and New Zealand, the Korean Society is planning to bring the country's most popular female group, Girls' Generation, with other top pop groups such as 2PM and Kara, for a K-pop festival in the summer. Celebrations to mark the "Korea-New Zealand Year of Friendship" start on Saturday with Korean Day at the North Shore Events Centre, where K-pop will be taking centre stage.



Severe weather warning issued, heavy rain on way

After weeks of mostly fine weather for much of the country, heavy rain is expected in the north and west of both islands. The MetService has issued a severe weather warning for Westland and northwest Nelson, as a broad trough of low pressure moves east towards New Zealand from the Tasman Sea. "This trough is preceded by moist northerlies, bringing rain to the north and west of both islands," forecaster Leigh Matheson said.
- APNZ



digital tv

Figures show 84% of New Zealand households have now switched to digital television. By the end of next year, only a digital television signal will be available. The Going Digital agency says any television can go digital with a set-top box and satellite dish or UHF aerial. The agency says video or DVD recorders will also need to go digital if they are to continue receiving and recording images.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Wednesday, April 25

Niue to post live whale-frolicking on the web

Thousands of dollars worth of equipment is due to arrive in Niue next month for land-based whale watching platforms. Special coin-operated binoculars imported from the United States will be set up at six sites around the island in time to see the humpbacks which pass close to the island from mid-June on their southbound migration. Whale watching is one of Niue’s main tourist attractions and Hayden Porter of the Niue Tourism Board says there will also be webcams and eventually a device to listen to the whales’ underwater cries.
News Content © Radio New Zealand International



Thousands attend Anzac service at Gallipoli

Thousands of New Zealand and Australian tourists have attended an Anzac Day dawn service in Gallipoli. This year marks the 97th anniversary of the landing of Australian and New Zealand Corps at Gallipoli Peninsula during World War I on 25 April 1915. Some 2721 New Zealand soldiers died and 7500 were wounded, while over 8700 Australians lost their lives in battle. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard paid tribute to "the men who came from the ends of the earth to fight a far off war" in her address. New Zealand's Veteran Affairs Minister Nathan Guy told those gathered it is a sacred space. "Gallipoli is widely regarded as a significant milestone in the emergence of our unique New Zealand identity. An Australian Memorial Service will also be held at Lone Pine - the battlefield where some of the worst fighting occurred in 1915 - and a New Zealand Memorial Service at Chunuk Bair.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Vet crushed to death by elephant

A veterinarian has been crushed to death by an elephant at Franklin Zoo, south of Auckland, police say. The incident happened around just after 4pm today. According to the zoo's website, there is only one elephant on site, a former circus elephant called Mila. The 39-year-old elephant has been at the zoo for more than two years and spent most of her life with the Whirling Brothers Circus. The zoo would not comment.
Source: ONE News



Australians honour soliders at dozens of services

Thousands of Australians have stood shoulder to shoulder at Anzac Day dawn services, united in remembrance and respect for the nation's generations of diggers. The term was coined in the gold fields of Australia and came to typify the horrific experiences of Australian soldiers in battlefield trenches across the world. At services in every capital city, and dozens more in the smallest Australian communities, people turned out to mark the 97th anniversary of the day Australian and New Zealand troops landed at Gallipoli in 1915.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Historic Places Trust wants Cathedral demolition halted

The board of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust is the latest group to call for a halt to the demolition of ChristChurch Cathedral. The building was severely damaged in the February earthquake last year and it has been decided that all but two or three metres of the Anglican church is to be taken down. Demolition of the tower began on Monday. The board has resolved to support keeping as much of the building's heritage fabric as possible and has asked for any further work to stop. Chairperson Shonagh Kenderdine says the Cathedral can be retained in a greater form than church leaders believe. She says it is a question of time and money - and time needs to be taken to find the necessary money.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Mining states booming as rest of Australia struggles

Big sections of Australia unaffected by the mining boom are effectively going backwards, according to new figures. While Western Australia continues to ride high on mineral exports, the rest of the country is struggling. The findings have also revealed a weak housing construction market is a key problem for the economy as a whole, the ABC reports. The latest State of the States report from Commonwealth Securities, a stock broking firm operated by the Commonwealth Bank, reveals the economic divide between Sydney and Perth. An economist with the firm, Savanth Sebastian, says the entire eastern seaboard is looking significantly weaker than the west.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Basketball - Breakers tame Wildcats to take grand final series

The New Zealand Breakers are the Australian National Basketball champions again after beating the Perth Wildcats 79-73 in the decisive third game of the grand final series. The victory was played out in front of a sellout crowd of more than 9000 at the Vector Arena in Auckland on Tuesday night. The Breakers and the Wildcats went tit-for-tat in the first half, with both teams' characteristic aggression on defence making life hard at the offensive end. The visitors led 41-39 at halftime, before the Breakers rallied to lead 58-54 at the end of the third period. The final quarter was fierce, with the Wildcats upping their intensity and they clawed their way back into the match.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Tourist numbers on the rise

Visitor arrivals have reached their highest number since the global financial crisis, with more than 2.5 million people coming here last year. Statistics New Zealand figures show 24,400 more visitors arrived in March than the same month last year, an 11% rise. In the March 2012 year, 2.618 million visitors arrived in New Zealand, up 4% from 2011. The largest increases were in visitors from Australia, China, and Malaysia. The largest decrease was in visitors from Japan.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Thousands attend dawn ceremonies

By Kim Choe
Dawn ceremonies have taken place around the country, the 96th time Anzac Day has been commemorated since the ill-fated Gallipoli landing in 1915. Good weather encouraged thousands to attend and pay tribute to those who served, and before the sun rose service men and women marched to the Auckland Cenotaph, their precision and discipline befitting the occasion. The numbers of veterans may be getting smaller, but crowds at the services are increasing - organisers were expecting ten thousand in Auckland but early estimates have put the numbers at much higher than that. Services will continue throughout the day.
3 News



ANZAC DAY



Tuesday, April 24

Japan to open embassy in Samoa

Japan is to open an embassy in Samoa next year. The Japanese embassy in New Zealand says Japan and Samoa have built a friendly relationship in fields such as development cooperation and political, economic, and people-to-people exchanges. It says Japan places strategic importance on the Asia Pacific region and Samoa has been one of the most important partners for Japan’s South Pacific diplomacy.
News Content © Radio New Zealand International



Hamilton Zoo's 'much-loved' chimpanzee dies

A chimpanzee at Hamilton Zoo has been put down after it was discovered she had serious heart problems. Forty-six-year-old "Fimi" suffered sudden paralysis of her right leg over the weekend, which an ultrasound confirmed was due to the chimp having advanced heart failure. Hamilton Zoo Director Stephen Standley said the decision was made to put Fimi to sleep this afternoon. "Fimi is a much loved member of the Hamilton Zoo family and she will be sorely missed by staff, visitors and other members of the chimpanzee troop, particularly her daughter Sanda," Standley said. Standley said the zoo's other chimpanzees were being given access to Fimi's body this afternoon to allow them to spend time with her, recognise she has passed away and go through the natural grieving process. Fimi was born at Tierpark Hellabrunn in Munich, Germany and spent most of her life at Adelaide Zoo where she reared a son Tsotsi and daughter Sanda. Fimi and Sanda were transferred to Hamilton Zoo in November 2008.
Source: ONE News



With 47 cases, Niue dengue believed to have peaked

The Niue Health Department says it believes the dengue outbreak has peaked. The department says there have been 47 recorded cases of dengue fever, but only one case has been picked up in the last seven days. The Acting Director of Health, Manila Nosa, says it’s a relief to see the wane in cases, but it’s too early to say that dengue is completely gone. He says there has been a lot of rain lately and it’s hoped this won’t contribute to a further spread.
News Content © Radio New Zealand International



Plans to remove empty Hawke's Bay state houses

Housing New Zealand is planning to remove some empty state houses in Hawke's Bay as part of a redevelopment project. 166 state rental properties across Napier and Hastings are untenanted. Housing New Zealand says 64 are earmarked for future redevelopment. Asset development manager Sean Bignell says there's a large number of empty houses in Maraenui because people on the waiting list don't want to live there. He says the houses will be removed because they're a target for vandals and are attracting crime.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Poverty not linked with crime - study

A long-running study by Christchurch researchers has found that being raised in a poor family does not lead to increased rates of crime or mental health problems in later life. The Christchurch Health and Development Study, by Otago University, has observed the development of about 990 people from birth over 30 years. The study's leader, David Fergusson, says low income appears at first glance clearly associated with crime and mental health problems. But he says poverty is also connected with a lack of parental care, and that is what seems to be the real culprit in these adverse effects. Professor Fergusson says the study did show a link between the income of the child's family and his or her later educational success and earning power.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



NZ offers to re-deploy to peace observers to Syria

The Government has offered to re-deploy two of its military observers already in the Middle East to take part in the United Nations mission in Syria. A spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says the Government is waiting to hear back from the UN. New Zealand has seven observers in Israel, Lebanon and Syria as part of an existing UN mission observing a truce between the three countries.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Large visitor influx for March

An earlier Easter and Australia's school holidays helped make for an 11 percent increase in visitors to New Zealand in March. Statistics New Zealand says the rise is also partly a recovery, after visitor numbers dropped following the Christchurch earthquake. Spokeswoman Andrea Blackburn says there were 8,400 more arrivals from Australia last month. She says visitors from China were also up 8,700 from March 2011, the second-highest monthly increase ever from that country.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Major changes to Overlander train service

There are major changes for the Auckland-Wellington Overlander train service. KiwiRail has announced its providing new scenic carriages for the trip which will run just three times a week from Auckland and Wellington. And it will also be a shorter service with fewer stops. The Overlander currently runs a daily service during summer months and three days a week during winter, and some carriages are 60-years-old. KiwiRail's general manager of Passenger Services, Deborah Hume, says introducing new scenic carriages is the key to revitalising the North Island service. The new service will begin operation on Monday June 25.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Asset sales will hit power bills - Grey Power

By DANYA LEVY
Residential consumers with state-owned power companies face on average a $265 a year increase in their electricity bills if the Government continues with its plans to partially sell them, Grey Power has told Parliament. The Finance and Expenditure Select Committee is today hearing submissions on legislation to enact the Government's controversial "mixed ownership model" and sell up to 49 per cent of Mighty River Power, Genesis and Meridian. The Government also plans to reduce its shareholding in Air New Zealand but is not required to pass new laws to do so. Grey Power spokeswoman Molly Melhuish said a Ministry of Economic Development comparison showed consumers with state-owned energy companies paid on average 3.31 cents less per kilowatt for their power than those with private companies. That meant consumers with private companies paid $265 more a year.
© Fairfax NZ News



Student army wins Anzac of the Year award

Canterbury University's student volunteer army will become the first group to receive the Anzac of the Year award. Returned and Services' Association chief executive Dr Stephen Clarke says the award recognises the army's significant contribution to the Christchurch community after the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. It is also the first time the award has been given to non-military personnel or to a group. Mr Clarke says the students displayed compassion, commitment and camaraderie, which are all Anzac qualities. The award was being be presented by the Governor-General, Lieutenant-General Sir Jerry Mateparae, at Canterbury University, at 6pm on Tuesday.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Target for child vaccination almost reached

The Government says New Zealand is close to reaching its immunisation target for young children for the first time ever. One of the Government's key health targets has been to ensure 95% of two-year-olds have had their recommended vaccinations. At present, 92% are fully immunised, up from 67% five years ago. The Government says just 495 more children have to be fully immunised before July to achieve the target. From July, the target will shift to 95% immunisation of eight-month-old babies.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Cruise ship growth centres on Melanesia

Cruise ship schedules for the Pacific suggest just a fraction of the region is reaping the benefits of an increase in visitors. The number of passenger visits has grown by 17 percent since 2007 and is expected to reach 1.3 million by the end of the year. New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji are the main benefactors.
News Content © Radio New Zealand International



Submitters express opposition to asset sales

Members of the public appearing before a Parliamentary select committee hearings on partial asset sales have so far being overwhelmingly opposed to the policy. The Government plans to sell up to 49% of state-owned energy companies Genesis Energy, Meridian Energy, Mighty River Power and Solid Energy and reduce the Crown's shareholding in Air New Zealand. The Finance and Expenditure Select Committee was hearing some 40 submissions on Tuesday as it considered legislation allowing the partial sale. Megan Salole, representing the lobby group Stand Up, encouraged MPs and observers to rise to their feet in a show of opposition to the bill. Other submitters expressed concerns about the long-term loss of strategic assets and the dividends the companies provide to Government, and the possible impact on power prices.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



HMAS Newcastle ship to arrive in Auckland

Australian Navy Guided Missile Frigate HMAS Newcastle arrives in Auckland this morning. It's been conducting exercises off the West Australian coast with New Zealand Navy ships Te Kaha and Endeavour. The Newcastle will not be open to the public during the five day visit. The crew will take part in ANZAC Day commemorations at Devonport and Auckland City.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Shakespeare to be performed in Maori at Globe Theatre

Shakespeare meets Maori at London's Globe Theatre today. Sky News reports as part of the Globe to Globe festival, Shakespeare's plays will be performed in 37 different languages, including Maori. Rawiri Paratene is leading the Ngakau Toa theatre company group which will perform Troilus and Cressida and says it's an unique opportunity. "By doing it in Maori, by doing Shakespeare in any other language I believe takes away the language barrier that a lot of Shakespeare has with a lot of modern audiences." Mr Paratene says the audience can forget following every word and watch the show for what it is.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Number of Kiwis drinking alcohol on the decline

The number of Kiwis drinking alcohol is continuing to decline. Latest research from Roy Morgan reveals 74 percent of New Zealanders consumed alcohol in the 12 months to January 2012 - down from 79 percent in 2008. Cider remains the only type of alcohol which saw consumption increase - all other types declined. Wine remains the most popular alcohol beverage but consumption's been steadily decreasing over the last four years.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Computer help programme for depression developed

Staff at the University of Auckland have developed a new computer based self-help programme aimed at supporting those with depression. Associate Professor Sally Merry says their programme includes a mood monitor and tells teens what depression is and how to overcome it. She says trials suggest the new programme is at least as effective as face to face therapy. "By the age of 18 about a fifth to a quarter of young people will have had what we would consider a clinically significant episode of depression where the mood change is pervasive and sustained." Sally Merry says three quarters of those with depression never seek help.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Milestone as Hanson Court Apartments open

By Newstalk ZB staff - NewstalkZB
Today marks a milestone in the largest social housing redevelopment project ever undertaken in New Zealand. Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown and Minister for Housing Phil Heatley are cutting the ribbon to officially reopen Hanson Court Apartments in Newtown. The $13.7 million upgrade is part of a $400 million project shared by Wellington City Council and the Government to improve social housing in the capital. It's the largest of its kind in this country. Celia Wade-Brown says they want to improve the quality of life for tenants and provide a place they feel proud to live in.



Helen Clark powerful but unknown - report

By KATE CHAPMAN
Former prime minister Helen Clark is well known in these parts, but according to an international journal she is one of the world's most powerful unheard-of women. In its recent issue, Foreign Policy unveiled its list of the 25 women around the world who hold considerable power but are relatively unknown. Clark came in at number one. After becoming New Zealand's first elected female prime minister and winning three consecutive elections, Clark left Parliament following Labour's loss in the 2008 general election. She went on to head the United Nations Development Programme. The article said the likes of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff got all the attention, ''but they're not the only female leaders running the world''.
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- © Fairfax NZ News



Remembrance bells ring out for 80 years

The remembrance bells at the National War Memorial, synonymous with Anzac Day, turn 80 years old on Wednesday when the nation pays tribute to fallen soldiers from world conflicts. The carillon in Wellington is the third largest in the world and was first played in 1932. It has 74 bells ranging in size from 10 kilograms to 12.5 tonnes and is played by a lone carillonist. The Returned and Services Association says the remembrance bells are an essential part of the tribute to fallen soldiers.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Monday, April 23

Kiwi mum's fight over kids kept in Algeria

By Samantha Hayes
The family of a Northland woman fighting to get her children back from their father in Algeria is furious over the actions of a New Zealand diplomat. Mihi Puriri's family says she was about to get the kids back when New Zealand's consul in Cairo stepped in with disastrous consequences. Mihi Puriri missed her son Zakaria's first birthday. She has not seen him or his two siblings for the past eight weeks because her husband, Algerian boxer Mohammed Azzaoui, won't let her. Mr Azzoui took the family to Algeria to see his terminally ill father last August. However, he wasn't ill, and Ms Puriri says Mr Azzaoui then confiscated all their passports and refused to let them leave. “In terms of MFAT, I've been shocked and appalled actually right from the very beginning at the inane level of support that they have provided,” says Ms Puriri. Her aunts told Native Affairs that Ms Puriri was close to getting her children out of the country with new visas and passports, when New Zealand's consul in Cairo stepped in and spoiled the plan. Barbara Welton went to the apartment in Mostaganem and refused to leave without the children. A tense stand off involving about 50 family members and armed police ensued for over six hours, before Ms Welton finally left without the children.
3News



Govt willing to consider asylum request from Afghan interpreters

Prime Minister John Key says the Government is willing to consider any request for asylum by Afghans who worked as interpreters for New Zealand troops. The interpreters fear they could be targeted once NATO forces leave Afghanistan. New Zealand soldiers have been serving in Afghanistan since 2003, with the Provincial Reconstruction Team and on operations with the elite SAS unit. New Zealand is due to withdraw from the country next year and has indicated that, circumstance allowing, that could happen sooner. Mr Key says New Zealand would not want to leave any locals in a compromised position because of their association with its soldiers.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Peters calls for pensioner power discount

By DANYA LEVY
NZ First leader Winston Peters has written to Government ministers asking for a 10 per cent winter power discount for Super Gold Card holders to be included in next month's Budget. The Super Gold Card gives discounts to people over 65 and was introduced by Peters while he was the senior citizens minister under the former Labour government. A 10 per cent discount on utilities for card-holders was one of NZ First's election policies. Peters said the Government should make power companies invoke the social responsibility clause in the State Owned Enterprises Act to give a discount during the coldest months of the year from May to October.
© Fairfax NZ News



Heaphy Track to be opened again for winter

Mountain bikers will be able to enjoy a second season of riding the Heaphy Track this winter. Starting from the May 1 through to September 30 the 78km Kahurangi National Park track will be again opened up to bikes. It's estimated more than 1700 mountain bikers took a ride on the Heaphy Track during last years trial period.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Anaesthesia-related deaths lowest ever

The number of patients who've died under anaesthesia has fallen to its lowest number ever. The latest report covering 2006 to 2008 shows 124 anaesthesia-related deaths, but only 19 solely attributable to anaesthesia. The rest were due to a combination of factors including surgical ones. President of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists Professor Kate Leslie says this is a significant drop, since the previous report showed 50 deaths solely attributable to anaesthesia. "This report should provide comfort to patients and their families because the number of deaths solely attributed to anaesthesia in New Zealand has dropped to it's lowest point yet."
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Sunday, April 22

Afghans working with Kiwi troops plead for asylum

A group of Afghans working with Kiwi troops in Afghanistan is seeking asylum in New Zealand, fearing they will be targeted and killed once coalition troops withdraw. They spoke exclusively to ONE News correspondent Garth Bray who has been with Kiwi soldiers in Kabul and Bamiyan. Bray had been at a meeting between an Afghan commander and Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman when he was ushered outside to an impassioned and impromptu plea from an interpreter working with Kiwi and Afghan troops. The interpreter said his work has become a threat to his life, and many others. "Our faces are very familiar to most of the people. As soon as international forces leave, our future will be very, very dark and it's most likely we are going to be killed," the man said. Interpreters usually disguise themselves on operations, but not in high level meetings between New Zealanders and senior Afghans suspected of links to the Taliban. Just after Bray and Coleman spoke, another 20 interpreters approached Coleman and asked for asylum.
Source: ONE News



How to wear war medals this ANZAC Day

The Defence Force is giving people guidance on how to wear their war medals with pride this ANZAC Day. The rules governing medal-wearing in New Zealand, known as the Order of Wear, specifically allows family members to wear medals of the deceased on the right side for the national memorial. Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant General Rhys Jones says it's great people are wearing their relative's medals, honouring their memory. He says people should wear only one set of medals on the right side of the chest, and be directly related to their family. Lieutenant General Jones says insignia such as neck badges, sashes, sash badges or breast stars cannot be worn by anyone other than the original recipient.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Work starts on cardboard cathedral

The start of work to build Christchurch's cardboard cathedral has been marked with a sod turning ceremony on Sunday afternoon. The $5 million structure will be built in Latimer Square as a temporary replacement for the Anglican Cathedral which is being demolished. Designed by the Japanese architect, Shigeru Ban, the building will be made out of large cardboard tubes, timber beams and structural steel. Construction will begin in five weeks. It's hoped the cathedral will be completed in time for the visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, in November. Work on bringing down the remains of the Christchurch Cathedral tower will be begin on Monday, making it safer for workers to retrieve stained glass windows and other heritage items. Demolition of the city landmark began a month ago after the Anglican Church decided the cathedral was too badly damaged to repair.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Growing push for drinking age of 20

By SARAH HARVEY
Support for returning the drinking age to 20 is gaining momentum as MPs face calls to address binge drinking. But politicians courting the youth vote are cautious, and the Green Party has indicated it is unlikely to back a change to move the age from 18 to 20. MPs are expected to vote on the purchase age provisions of the Alcohol Reform Bill in the next couple of months. The drinking age was lowered to 18 in a 1999 conscience vote. Health leaders want it restored to 20, and say the evidence points to that as the only option. National MP Jackie Blue said straw polls had shown "overwhelming" public support for the age to be set at 20.
© Fairfax NZ News



Few parents prosecuted over truancy

The government's promise to crack down on truants and convict their parents has fallen flat, with just a few convictions in the past two years. The revelation comes as a poll shows the public supports stiffer penalties for parents. Labour says the Government's attempt to tackle truancy by throwing millions of dollars at the issue has failed. The Ministry of Education funded the prosecutions of just 15 parents of truant children last year, despite 29,000 students being absent on any given day. A further eight parents were prosecuted for failing to even enrol their children.
© Fairfax NZ News



Pigeon poachers not listening to pleas

By KIRSTY JOHNSTON
Maori poachers hunting wood pigeons to the verge of extinction in the north are refusing to listen to pleas to stop from their community. Iwi say despite their determination to stamp out the hunting themselves, they may have to prosecute some of their own if their message goes unheeded. The birds are in decline in Northland, where hapu mumbers say they have found evidence of illegal hunting. Known as kereru in most of the country but as kukupa in the north, wood pigeons were traditionally killed for their meat and feathers, but are now protected.



Saturday, April 21

Afghan asylum seekers missing after boat hit by wave

Indonesian authorities are questioning more than 70 mostly Afghan asylum seekers bound for Australia after their boat was hit by a powerful wave, forcing them to swim to shore. Community members of Wonogoro Beach on the eastern coast of Java island reported seeing scores of people wash up onto the shore late last night. Forty three were found straight away including three children and one woman. Police detained another 30 late Saturday morning and are still searching for up to 30 more. Search and rescue officials said they were not searching the sea.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Kiwi journalist arrested in Zimbabwe

A New Zealand photojournalist has been arrested and fined in Zimbabwe. State media says Robin Hammond was fined $180 after taking pictures at a post on the border with South Africa. He was convicted for under the Protected Areas and Places Act. Otago University international relations Professor Robert Patman said investigative journalists face a tough choice in Zimbabwe. He said they have to ask themselves whether to declare their intention to report and forfeit the chance of doing the story or claim they are going on holiday in order to investigate.
Source: Newstalk ZB



Another sellout at Vector for basketball

Tickets for Tuesday's Australian basketball league grand final decider in Auckland sold out in under an hour on Saturday morning, with New Zealand Breakers fans eagerly snapping up all 9,125 tickets in quick time. The heartbreaking one-point loss to the Wildcats on Friday night in Perth mean's it's one-all in the series - and it's a tight turnaround for the Breakers, who arrive home Saturday night and will get just one training session in ahead of the winner-takes-all final at Vector Arena on Tuesday.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Overseas convention centres operating at fewer staff

By Natasha Burling - NewstalkZB
Overseas convention centres are operating with far fewer staff than the number being touted for Auckland's proposed venue. Sky City's convention centre will have a capacity of 3500 people. The Government's promising 800 full-time, part-time and casual jobs. But annual report figures show Sydney's convention centre has the same capacity, and managed with 200 full-time equivalent staff. Melbourne's convention centre holds 5000, and operates with just 133 full-time and 273 casual staff.



Kiwis remain divided over King Charles

Last year's lavish royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton has done little to boost the royal family's popularity in New Zealand, according to a Republican Movement survey. The poll found that when 85-year-old Queen of England dies, 51% of New Zealanders would want Prince Charles to become New Zealand's head of state, a 3% decline from last year. This result was underpinned by a decline of support for 63-year-old Prince Charles amongst women to 52% from 58% last year. Only 36% of the 1053 voting-age New Zealanders polled supported New Zealand becoming a republic.
Source: ONE News



Cantabrians given chance to record quake experiences

Christchurch people have an opportunity to record their earthquake experiences today. The Quake-Box recording studio opens in Cashel Mall this morning for people to tell their stories. The mobile studio will be run by Canterbury University staff and can record experiences with video or audio equipment. Spokeswoman Jen Hay says some people may just want to tell their story, while others may want to be interviewed. She says they are looking for 'top of mind' experiences of people from the quakes. The Quake-Box will be in Cashel Mall until May 19.
- Newstalk ZB



Govt asked to consider colour-code food system

The Government is being urged to act on a colour-coded labelling system for food. University of Otago research shows a traffic light colour system, with red, orange or green markings to indicate fat, sugar and salt, would make deciphering food labels simpler. Professor Louise Signal says the current nutritional information on packaging is too complicated. She says with such a high obesity rate it's time shoppers had help making healthier choices. Louise Signal says the colour system has a lot of support and it's time to get it on food packaging.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Rare NZ soldiers footage to be shown tonight

By Tim Dower - NewstalkZB
Rare footage showing New Zealand soldiers in action in North Africa and Italy will be projected onto Auckland War Memorial Museum tonight. The 12 minute film tells the story of 24 Battalion as they left New Zealand and in service on the battlefields of North Africa, Greece and Italy. The Battalion lost 522 men in fighting, and more than 1500 men were wounded.



Germany goes for the doctor on our PhDs

By MICHELLE DUFF
A Nazi-era law that could have seen New Zealand scholars jailed for using the title "Dr" in Germany is being revoked. After years of lobbying from the Education Ministry, the German Government has agreed to change legislation banning New Zealand doctoral graduates from calling themselves "Dr" while in the country. Until this month, if a Kiwi PhD holder had used the title "Dr" before their name, they could have been imprisoned for up to a year and charged with abuse of a title. The laws are based on legislation from 1939, when the Nazi government eyed foreign degrees with suspicion and required that non-German doctors be authorised by the Reich Ministry of Science, Education and Culture. Only people who earned doctorates of philosophy or medical degrees in Germany were allowed to use "Dr". The Education Ministry has been trying to get New Zealand on the list since, but German officials refused to change the law without "proof" it was common practice in New Zealand to use the title.
© Fairfax NZ News



Aust wins Anzac Rugby League Test

Australia has won the Anzac Rugby League Test. Despite a determined and competitive effort by the Kiwis, the Kangaroos won by three tries to two. The final score is Australia 20 and New Zealand 12. The match was played before a crowd of 35,000.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Friday, April 20

Air NZ to fund country's 'great walks'

By Matthew Backhouse
The Department of Conservation and Air New Zealand have struck a deal which will see the airline pay around $3m to promote and protect the country's nine Great Walks and the native species which inhabit them. Under the partnership, announced today (Friday), Air New Zealand will promote the walks to international and domestic tourism markets. It will also fly endangered species to new breeding sites around the country and invest in conservation programmes alongside the walks. The Great Walks _ the Milford Track, the Routeburn Track, the Kepler Track, Abel Tasman Coast Track, the Heaphy Track, the Tongariro Northern Circuit, the Whanganui Journey, the Rakiura Track and the Lake Waikaremoana Track _ are experienced by about 50,000 people every year and return about $3 million.



Warnings to immigrants over phone scam

By Lesley Deverall - NewstalkZB
Immigrants are being warned to beware of a new phone scam offering citizenship. The scammer introduces himself as being from the non-existent Asian Minority Group of Internal Affairs in Wellington. He appears to be targeting migrants from Nepal and Bhutan and to know details of the families he's calling. The Department of Internal Affairs has received several calls today about the scam. The man claims he can provide citizenship and that money needs to be paid via Western Union to Nepal. One person's made two payments of $984 and $485.
Anyone receiving such a call is advised to call the police.



NZ may get share if world's biggest telescope is split

The world's largest telescope may end up being operated jointly by South Africa, and New Zealand and Australia. The $NZ2.45 billion astronomy project, the Square Kilometre Array, will be a configuration of thousands of satellite dishes, wired together as a radio telescope to explore distant parts of the universe. Australia and New Zealand are jointly bidding for the facility to be based in Western Australia - with one or two of its 3000 dishes in New Zealand -- and are competing with an African consortium-led by South Africa, which would spread its array through 10 countries.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Final cruise ship docks in Akaroa

By FRANCESCA LEE
The last cruise ship to visit Canterbury this season docked in Akaroa today. Akaroa is acting as the region's main port while Lyttelton is being rebuilt. Canterbury received 92 cruise ship visits in the 2011-2012 season, with 80 visits to Akaroa and four to Lyttelton. The visits brought in an estimated $23 million to the region. A cruise ship could make a visit about three or four times a season, said Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism business development manager Caroline Blanchfield. Cruise company Carnival Australia's chief executive Ann Sherry said New Zealand was in the middle of a "cruising boom". "The cruise industry is really taking off this end of the world. A lot of Australians are cruising these days," said Blanchfield.
© Fairfax NZ News



Auckland Airport named best in Australia-Pacific

Auckland Airport has been named best airport in the Australia-Pacific region for the 4th year in a row. The award was announced in Vienna overnight as part of the Skytrax World Airport awards. Auckland also came second only to Vancouver for Best Airport handling between 10 and 20 million passengers
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



50 years of 'the box' in NZ homes

By Vaimoana Tapaleao
This month marks 50 years since the New Zealand public were able to rent their very own television set - a luxury item back in the 1960s. Owning a television set may be the norm these days, but half a century ago it was a rare delight to have one sitting in the lounge. In April 1962 Stan Pemberton, owner of Dominion Television Services, began renting sets for a fraction of the price it would cost to buy one. Buying a 23-inch black and white television would set you back £130 back then - approximately $4500 today.



Large grass could be useful as biofuel

Otago University has begun a trial of a large Asian grass with the aim of using it as biofuel to power its heating systems. The researchers are putting 7000 Miscanthus giganteus plants on sites near Port Chalmers and Oturehua in central Otago to test its growth patterns and frost-resistance. Lead botanist Janice Lord says the grass has great potential because it is dry, easy to handle, and grows three metres high yet does not seed, so should not become a pest. Other biofuel crops like jatropha have failed in New Zealand conditions, but the university says this grass has a real chance of replacing coal or wood in its heating boilers.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Crafar farms sold to Chinese

By 3 News online staff / NZN
The Government has approved the controversial sale of Crafar farms to a Chinese-owned company this morning. Land Information Minister Maurice Williamson and Associate Finance Minister Jonathan Coleman approved the deal after a recommendation from the Overseas Investment Office. This comes after an earlier approval was overturned when Sir Michael Fay took the issue to court and had the decision overturned. Sir Michael’s Crafar Farms Purchase Group says the new decision is a bad day for New Zealand. “This is a one way deal. No Kiwi will ever own a farm in China and that’s a fact,” their statement says. Milk New Zealand Holding Limited – owned by Chinese company Shanghai Pengxin under the names of duo Zhaobai Jiang and Lei Jiang



Other regions could copy post-quake rehab rejig - Minister

Healthworkers around the country could pick up on emergency changes their colleagues in Canterbury made after the Christchurch earthquakes to provide tailored rehabilitation services in at home for patients, a Cabinet minister says. The region's health administrators brought in a Community Rehabilition, Enablement and Support Team, known as CREST, under urgency in Canterbury in April last year. So far, more than 1000 people have used the system, which has helped them to reduce hospital stays or avoid them all together, Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew says. "There has been a number of other DHBs getting in touch because the word is getting out ... this model has quite a lot of resonance with keeping people in their own homes as long as possible," she says.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Average price of books drops by 14%

Shifting tastes in literature may be the reason for a drop in the price of books. Statistics New Zealand figures show the price of books fell by 14% in the March quarter. Statistics New Zealand says a change in the types of books that make up the best-seller lists is partly responsible. The index is based on the top 10 adult novels, top 10 e-books and the top 10 children's titles, and the popularity of cheaper books makes a difference to the price of books overall.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Thursday, April 19

Council seeks public feedback on communication

The Christchurch City Council is asking for the public's feedback on its communications as part of a $80,000 audit. The audit was announced in January this year, following a series of public complaints about the council and chief executive Tony Marryatt's performance. The council is asking people to share their experience of council communication and how they think the experience could have been improved. The responses will be included in the audit report and recommendations.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Silver Fern Farms extends product range in UK

Meat processor and marketer Silver Fern Farms has extended its range of lamb products in the Tesco retail stores in the UK. The company first placed its products in around 250 Tesco stores in October 2011. Silver Fern Farms retail category sales manager Grant Howie says it this week introduced lamb medallions to the UK market and it was already its number one product, proving that continual innovation was a great way to get more growth.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



NZ captain seizes 180kg of pure heroin at sea

A New Zealand commander of a British warship says a massive drug bust in the middle of the Indian Ocean may have put a dent in the finances of global terrorists. Captain Lance Cook was deputy commander of the Combined Task Force 150, which intercepted a boat carrying 180 kilograms of pure heroin. The vessel, an Arabian fishing dhow with eight armed people on board, had come from the North Arabian sea heading towards Africa. "While the boarding party was on board that ship, that was when they discovered the 180kg of bagged heroin," he says. "Terrorist organisations use narcotics to fund their activities".
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Government moves on plain packaging for tobacco

Government ministers have agreed in principle to introduce plain packaging for tobacco products. Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia says a final decision will be made after public consultation on the issue later this year. Mrs Turia says the move brings New Zealand in line with Australia: there are strong arguments for NZ following Australia in stopping tobacco companies from using the design and appearance of their packaging to promote cigarettes.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



NZ singer tops US chart

A Hamilton singer has become the first New Zealander to have a No 1 song in premier American music chart the Hot 100. Kimbra Johnson is featured in the song Somebody That I Used To Know by Australian artist Gotye. The song has won wide acclaim in New Zealand and overseas. According to Billboard.com, the best a New Zealand artist or group has done on the chart before is No 2 by Crowded House for its song Don't Dream It's Over
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



New Canterbury mothers to get free immunisation

Pregnant women and mothers of newborn infants in Canterbury will get free immunisation against pertussis (whooping cough). Women who are more than 30 weeks pregnant and mothers up to two weeks after childbirth are eligible for the treatment. Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Dr Ramon Pink says the offer is a response to the region's pertussis epidemic. There have been 515 confirmed or probable cases in the region since August 2011. Twenty-seven babies under one have had pertussis and 15 of those have been hospitalised. Two were sent to Starship Hospital in Auckland for treatment. Children receive free immunisation against pertussis as part of the national immunisation schedule. Ensuring children get their vaccinations at six weeks, three and five months and four and 11 years old is crucial to controlling the current epidemic, doctors say.
- APNZ



One Direction in NZ tonight

Latest teen pop sensation One Direction will touch down in New Zealand sometime tonight. Their whirlwind tour of Australia created total bedlam, with Sydney police warning parents to keep their kids indoors. ZM's Jay Reeve has never seen anything like it before, with people going absolutely crazy. He says the only thing that's come close to it was Justin Bieber's visit.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Rugby - Doctors don't know what's wrong with former Wallaby

A former team-mate says doctors don't know what illness has struck down former Wallabies captain Michael Lynagh. The 48-year-old Lynagh was admitted to Royal Brisbane Hospital on Monday complaining of headaches and blurred vision. He remains in intensive care today, where his symptoms are being monitored. Former team-mate Andrew Slack says he was first diagnosed with a stroke resulting from blood clots but doctors aren't certain. Lynagh is regarded as an Australian rugby union great, racking up 72 caps for the nation in the 1980s and 1990s as well as having a distinguished state career for Queensland.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Salt study places NZ mid-tier

You might want to reconsider that next hamburger - New Zealand has saltier burgers than the United States, Canada and Britain, researchers say. The Canadian Medical Association analysed the salt levels in common fast foods in six countries, and found that, while New Zealand was not the worst offender, Kiwis were still chowing down on a lot of salt. Menu items from Burger King, Domino's Pizza, KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut and Subway were all analysed for the salt levels found in their public nutritional information. New Zealand had the saltiest burgers, with an average of 1.4g of salt per 100g, compared with 1.1g in Britain and 1.2g in France. But New Zealand also had the least salty breakfast items and salads, sitting Kiwis in the middle of the range for total fast food salt intake.
© Fairfax NZ News



Only some of Aussie economy's booming

By Sam Thompson - NewstalkZB
Business New Zealand says only certain sectors of the Australian economy is booming and that has implications for New Zealand. The International Monetary Fund claims Australia has the strongest economy in the developed world and expects it to expand by three percent this year. But chief executive Phil O'Reilly says while the mining sector is doing well, the manufacturing sector is struggling. That's seen some Australian companies shift operations to New Zealand. Phil O'Reilly says this shift is a result of New Zealand being perceived as a more business friendly environment.



Shearer to give second 'scene-setter' speech

Labour leader David Shearer is expected to spell out how he thinks the benefits of economic growth should be shared, when he speaks to the Nelson Chamber of Commerce on Thursday. Mr Shearer is giving the second of what he calls his "scene-setter speeches" as he lays out Labour's broad policy direction under his leadership. In his first speech, he talked about how to make the economy grow faster. But Thursday's one, he intends to talk about how that growth can work for everyone, particularly for those who are working harder and longer but struggling to get by.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Key hopeful Singaporean PM will visit NZ

Prime Minister John Key says he hopes his Singaporean counterpart, Lee Hsien Loon, will visit New Zealand next year. Mr Key has finished his trip to Singapore and Indonesia, and returns to New Zealand on Thursday afternoon. He met with Mr Lee and Singapore's president, Tony Tan Keng Yam, before a state dinner at the presidential residence on Wednesday.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Caution on heat pumps when babies are sleeping

A paediatrician is warning parents to be careful of heat pumps when infants are sleeping in rooms heated by them. Separate coronial inquests on Wednesday heard that that two children in Invercargill, aged nine months and 18 months, were put to sleep in rooms warmed by heat pumps. Both were found dead the next day. Barry Taylor of Otago University says the death of one of the children in particular was caused by a number of factors, including an infection, being left alone for 18 hours and overheating. Professor Taylor says a safe temperature for babies is around 18 degrees but the temperature in that room was about 28.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Come clean about SkyCity, Shearer urges Key

Labour leader David Shearer is calling on Prime Minister John Key to - in his words - come clean about political interference in the tender process for Auckland's new convention centre. That initial approach to SkyCity was the limit of his involvement, Key says, and the tender process was handled by the Ministry of Economic Development in the usual manner. But Mr Shearer told Morning Report the deal isn't in the interests of New Zealanders and he doesn't believe Mr Key has been totally transparent about his dealings with SkyCity. "He offered them to change our gambling act in order that SkyCity could have 500 more pokie machines," Mr Shearer says. "I think that that sounds like he was interfering in the deal.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



PNG’s O’Neill calls on Australia to ease visa requirements

Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has called for Australia to ease its visa requirements for Papua New Guineans and asked his Foreign Minister to discuss the subject with Canberra. In a statement, Mr O’Neill said PNG has issued holders of Australian passports visas on arrival since independence, and that Australia should think about returning the courtesy. He said many PNG nationals, including frequent travellers to Australia, continue to experience the frustrations of the visa process.
News Content © Radio New Zealand International



Wednesday, April 18

Cheaper regos if paid online

Cheaper vehicle licensing fees are being offered on line as the New Zealand Transport Agency endeavours to boost its internet business. The NZTA's financial review shows last year 13 percent of all vehicle registrations were done online, a 43 percent increase on 2010. The agency says 50 to 70 percent of vehicle registrations could be done via the internet and it's aiming to have this happen. It's offering online registrations at a slightly cheaper rate than over the counter, and hopes car owners will respond to the price signal.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Rugby - Scotland to tour in June

Scotland will play rugby tests against Australia, Fiji and Samoa in June. They'll open their tour with a match against the Wallabies in Newcastle on Tuesday June 5 before playing Fiji in Lautoka and Samoa in Apia. Scotland will also play the Waratahs on tour.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Crimestoppers receives record call numbers

Crimestoppers has recorded its highest monthly call total. The call centre received more than 1,200 calls last month. In two and a half years, the anonymous tip-off line has received more than 23,000 calls. Nearly 8,000 of those have provided sufficient information for police to consider taking further action.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Solar power system running on Great Barrier

One of the country's largest off-grid solar power systems is up and running on Great Barrier Island. The two systems have been completed at the Department of Conservation bases, providing cleaner, quieter and cheaper electricity. DOC spokesman Tim Brandenburg says 138 solar panels will generate up to 80 percent of the power needed to run their bases at Port Fitzroy and Okiwi. He says the $500,000 purchase is part of a sustainability programme aiming to drastically reduce diesel usage.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Direct flights from India a possibility

India has also been approached to start direct flights to New Zealand. This follows a new agreement with China that will triple direct flights to and from New Zealand . India New Zealand Business Council chairman Wenceslaus Anthony says talked to India's civil aviation minister about the need for direct flights between Indian and New Zealand. "A direct flight between India and New Zealand would be a great boost not necessarily in terms of movement of cargo but also movements of people."
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Wild Kaimanawa horses on sale

Wild Kaimanawa horses are urgently being offered for sale. The Department of Conservation's bi-annual cull is set down for late next month, with 170 of the horses scheduled to be killed as part of the area's ecological management strategy. Kaimanawa Heritage Horses spokesman Elder Jenks says the coming muster is the only chance people will have in the next two years to take a Kaimanawa horse straight from the wild. He says once handled, Kaimanawa wild horses have exceptional temperaments and are flourishing in Pony Clubs around New Zealand. Applications to take a wild horse close on May 15th.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Students' Association backs tough Otago policy on grades

The Otago University Students' Association is supporting a move to kick out hundreds of students with poor grades. Under a tougher academic progress policy, the university suspended 249 students last year, compared to 84 in 2010. Under the policy, any student who does not pass half of their papers for three semesters in a row can be suspended for two years. All New Zealand universities have academic progress policies on their books, but Otago appears to be using the powers to suspend students more than other institutions.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Aussies moving jobs to NZ

Jobs are moving from Australia to New Zealand. Aussie manufacturers struggling to compete domestically because of the the strong Australian dollar and high labour cost, are shifting operations to New Zealand. Business correspondent Roger Kerr says manufacturing companies in Australia have lost their price competitiveness . "Supermarket giant Woolworths is shifting 40 contact centre jobs from Aussie back to Auckland. The Imperial Tobacco company is moving cigarette manufacturing from Sydney to Auckland." Food manufacturer Heinz Australia has also closed three small plants in Australia to centralise production in Hastings.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



NZ hamburgers high in salt - study

By KERRY MCBRIDE
You might want to reconsider that next Big Mac - New Zealand has saltier burgers than the United States, Canada and Britain, researchers say. The Canadian Medical Association analysed the salt levels in common fast foods in six countries, and found that, while New Zealand was not the worst offender, Kiwis were still chowing down on a lot of salt. Menu items from Burger King, Domino's Pizza, KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut and Subway were all analysed for the salt levels found in their public nutritional information. New Zealand had the saltiest burgers, with an average of 1.4g of salt per 100g, compared with 1.1g in Britain and 1.2g in France. But New Zealand also had the least salty breakfast items and salads, sitting Kiwis in the middle of the range for total fast food salt intake. However, that still left some way to go to address healthy eating, said Cliona Ni Mhurchu from Auckland University, who conducted the New Zealand research for the study.
© Fairfax NZ News



More staff to deal with boat people

By DANYA LEVY IN JAKARTA
The Government may have to look at increasing the number of officials working in Indonesia to deal with boat people headed for New Zealand, Prime Minister John Key says. Key has just wrapped up a three-day trade mission to the capital Jakarta and yesterday met with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Boediono. Both leaders raised the issue of boat people, he said. "My view is that one day a boat will turn up in New Zealand. "It's only a matter of time and unfortunately, as the Canadians have seen, once you have demonstrated you can go long distances, others will follow."
© Fairfax NZ News



Tuesday, April 17

Ex-army chief wins East Timor presidency - official

The former army chief and guerrilla fighter Jose Maria de Vasconcelos has won East Timor's presidential elections, an election official said today, citing provisional results. Vasconcelos, known as Taur Matan Ruak, won about 61 percent of the 452,000 votes that have been counted so far, Tomas Cabral, an election commission official, was quoted as saying on local television and radio in the capital Dili. "The tally is still being updated but it indicates that Taur Matan Ruak has gotten the majority of votes," said Cabral. The president plays little role in policy but is vital in underpinning stability in impoverished East Timor, which gained independence from Indonesia in 2002 after a bloody struggle.
Source: Reuters



Australia and NZ aid neglect agriculture in Melanesia, says academic

An Australian academic has criticised Australia and New Zealand aid programmes in the Pacific, saying they are chiefly responsible for appalling social outcomes, in particular in Melanesia. A senior fellow at Australia’s Centre for Independent Studies, Helen Hughes, says the huge amounts of aid Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji receive have not helped accelerate development. She says aid from Australia and New Zealand has not been used to foster economic development, critically neglecting agricultural development in countries which have huge agricultural potential. “The first thing is to stop propping up these corrupt elites who swallow up any aid or tourist income or mineral income, it gets swallowed up in good living and educating children abroad and so on. So, you have to go back to square one and say, without agricultural development, you have nothing.”
Helen Hughes
News Content © Radio New Zealand International



Increase in future flights between NZ and China

By Felix Marwick - NewstalkZB
The Government is picking a major increase in future flights between New Zealand and China. It follows the signing of a new air services agreement that'll allow up to 42 return flights a week between the two countries. The deal will give Chinese airlines the capacity to serve other international airports outside of Auckland and the Government says it'll allow a tripling of current flight connections.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Napier - Gisborne railway being modified

A popular railway trip between Napier and Gisborne is being modified following storm-damage to the line. Around 400 train enthusiasts had planned to travel from Napier to Gisborne on a restored diesel locomotive at the end of the month. But now they'll travel three quarters of the way to Gisborne and finish their trip at Opoutama Beach or jump on a bus in Wairoa that'll take them the rest of the way.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Australia to withdraw from Afghanistan early

The Australian government plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan early. It had previously said the majority of its forces would exit in 2014 but Prime Minister Julia Gillard says it is likely they will leave by mid-next year. Ms Gillard made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon, saying she is confident that local forces in the Uruzgan region, where many of the Australian troops are based, will be ready to take control by then.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Spike in tourism expected for Niue following Lady Gaga campaign

The Niue Tourism Board has seen a huge spike in interest on its website following a campaign to get pop star Lady Gaga to play at a concert on the island. Hayden Porter of the Niue Tourism Board says the Lady Gaga promotion was a genuine offer to the celebrity and they are still awaiting a response but the campaign was also another way to market Niue. Mr Porter says the site has seen up to four times the normal amount of traffic which he expects will convert into bookings in time for the coming high season.
News Content © Radio New Zealand International



Used oil from prison kitchens to be turned into biodiesel

Used cooking oil from prison kitchens is to be converted into renewable fuel, under a deal struck between the Corrections Department and Solid Energy. About 5000 litres of used oil from 18 prisons will be transferred each month to Solid Energy's subsidiary, Biodiesel New Zealand, for conversion. Biodiesel NZ general manager Andrew Simcock says every litre of used oil makes a litre of fuel and saves more than 2kg of carbon emissions. The oil is to be processed and converted into biodiesel in Christchurch.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Vanuatu could be Mauritius of Pacific, says USP professor

A professor of economics at the University of the South Pacific, Biman Prasad, says Vanuatu has the potential to become the Mauritius of the Pacific. Mauritius in the Indian Ocean is one of Africa’s richest countries and considered to have the highest level of democracy of any African country. Dr Prasad points to Vanuatu’s political stability, its positive economic performance through the global financial crisis and expectations that annual growth will reach five percent by 2015. He also says Mauritius has a sound skills training, which Vanuatu still lacks.
News Content © Radio New Zealand International



Fiji to remain suspended from Commonwealth

Fiji remains suspended from the Commonwealth following a meeting in London of ministerial officials. The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) met last night to discuss the interim Frank Bainimarama led-government that has ruled the island nation since 2006. Fiji was fully suspended from the Commonwealth in 2009, three years after Bainimarama overthrew the then government in a military coup. The CMAG concluded Fiji could not be reinstated into the Commonwealth until it had restored democracy by holding elections and addressed pressing human rights and legal issues.
Source: ONE News



Drier climate pattern may be on the way

La Nina weather patterns which have helped with excellent grass growth on New Zealand farms over the past year will end soon and may be followed by drier conditions, climate scientists say. National Climate Centre principal scientist Brett Mullan says the tail end of the La Nina weather patterns will bring average-to-above-average rainfall and easterly winds to most regions during the next two months. This year's La Nina system follows a similar one last year, but Dr Mullan says farmers may soon face drier conditions as an El Nino weather pattern develops. NIWA says that, in New Zealand, an El Nino brings stronger or more frequent winds from the west during summer which can lead to drought, particularly along the East Coast.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Maori nurses offered help to return to home areas

Maori nurses wanting to return to their tribal rohe to work are being encouraged to apply for a scholarship that will allow them move back home. Two postgraduate scholarships are on offer to enable Maori nurses to enter careers in tele-nursing - which includes giving health advice over the phone to people living in isolated communities. Costs being covered include training, study, tikanga, and workplace support. There's a focus on applications coming from Maori nurses in Northland, Tai Rawhiti and the West Coast.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Cathedral can be saved - engineers

By CHARLEY MANN
A prominent group of engineers say it is ''technically feasible'' to restore the Christ Church Cathedral and have launched a 100-signature petition to halt the demolition. The petition comes as legal action is mooted to save the severely damaged historic structure. Engineers from the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering signed the petition at the society's annual technical conference, held in Christchurch last week. The petition states the engineers ''believe it is technically feasible for the Christ Church Cathedral to be safely repaired, rebuilt and restored to its original form in such a manner as to meet all earthquake code requirements and make the building safe for future public use. ''We also believe the restoration of the Christ Church Cathedral could be undertaken so that it is restored to its former glory as the symbol of Christchurch and as an embodiment of the determination and spirit of the people of Christchurch to rise from adversity.''
© Fairfax NZ News



NZ dairy giant Fonterra to build plant in Indonesia

Dairy farmers are looking forward to reaping the benefits of a new blending and packaging plant being built by Fonterra in Indonesia. Federated Farmers dairy chairman Willy Leferink says Indonesia's demand for milk is on the way up. He says the profits won't only help the cooperative, but all dairy farmers will benefit. "The returns of the profit on these plants come directly back to us dairy farmers great to see this happening because elsewhere we sell the milk powder all the profits stay in the other countries."
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Australia's economy struggling

Long gone are the days New Zealanders could simply head across the ditch and land a job. BNZ's latest confidence survey suggests much of Australia's economy is struggling, with only the mining sector providing any positive news. KiwisinOz.com.au managing director Ramesh Naran says it's essential New Zealanders heading across the Tasman do their homework. "It all depends on what industry kiwis are coming over to work in, their level of education, what experience they've got." Ramesh Naran says it is definitely getting tougher to find jobs in the retail, financial and banking sectors.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd



Some coastal properties could be swept away - NIWA

The National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research is warning that coastal erosion could claim some beachside properties if they are not moved. In the last year, Punakaiki Beach on the West Coast has dropped by 2.5 metres and recent king tides have damaged a sea wall protecting 10 baches. And just south of Oamaru, the Waitaki Council moved Beach Road inland three times before closing parts of it that have eroded into the sea. NIWA says mother nature will eventually win the battle against some communities.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand



Monday, April 16

New busway expected to attract 5 million users

Auckland Transport says a new busway for South East Auckland will attract more than 5.5 million users a year. The 7km route, announced Monday afternoon, will link Panmure train station with Pakuranga and Botany. Buses will have separate lanes to other motorists, in an attempt to dramatically reduce congestion. A new Panmure Bridge will be built for the busway as well as a new station in Pakuranga.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand



Canterbury Museum closed due to quake risk

Canterbury Museum is being closed temporarily as a safety measure because of earthquake risk. The Canterbury Museum Trust Board said it decided with "a heavy heart" to close the museum doors until further notice while assessments are carried out on its structural integrity. "This temporary closure of the Museum has not been made lightly," said chair Michael McEvedy. "The decision has been driven by the Board's duty to ensure that public safety remains the priority at all times." McEvedy said the "cautious and conservative" decision was made after in-depth consideration of engineering assessments, peer reviews and opinions. Investigations into the structural integrity of the building will be carried out in two areas of the museum.
Source: ONE News


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