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



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Monday, March 31

Mexican working holiday scheme starts

A Mexican working holiday scheme comes into effect today. Up to 200 New Zealanders aged between 18 and 30 can now travel and work in Mexico for up to a year. A similar number of Mexicans will be able to work in New Zealand. It is the first time the Mexican Government has signed a Working Holiday Scheme with any country.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Chinese embassy denies journalist visa

A New Zealand journalist has asked the Government for help after the Chinese embassy refused him a visa to attend to the signing of the free-trade deal with China. A group of journalists will accompany the Prime Minister and the Trade Minister to Beijing for next week's singing.Capital Chinese News journalist Nick Wang says no reason was given for declining his visa application. His application was returned by embassy staff. Mr Wang was asked to leave a media event for a visiting Chinese politician after Chinese officials expressed displeasure at his presence.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Land sale windfall for charities

Four charities are set to benefit from the sale of a large residential block of land on the outskirts of Christchurch. The land is being sold on behalf of Mingo King Charitable Trust. Proceeds from the sale will be invested to provide a steady income for the Salvation Army, Red Cross, the Cancer Society and St John's Ambulance service. Most of the Harewood land was owned by Stella King, a recluse who died in 2003. She donated it to her aunt Nora Mingo, on the condition that when she died she would in turn give it to the four charities. Nora Mingo added to the size of the property and created a trust to run it.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Kiwi patrol hit by roadside bomb in Afghanistan

Several NZ army personnel have had a lucky escape after one of their vehicles was struck by an improvised explosive device yesterday. The explosion hit the flank of one of four vehicles, which were part of a NZ reconstruction team heading to conduct a mobile medical clinic in northeast Bamyan Province. No army personnel were injured in the attack which left one vehicle with a broken windscreen and damaged front lights. A New Zealand army spokesperson said no shrapnel entered the vehicle and there were no injuries to any personnel.
NZ HERALD STAFF



Deal opens door to big US contracts

By Anne Gibson
Giant radio systems exporter Tait has scored a major United States deal, after winning the right to supply the federal Government with high-tech equipment. Bill Fredrickson, president of Tait Radio Communications in the US, said the company had just become registered as a preferred supplier of equipment to Government organisation. The deal would mean it could sell thousands more units to the lucrative US, Canadian and Mexican markets, and might be worth about US$20 million ($25 million) during the next two to three years. Fredrickson estimated Tait had now become the fourth or fifth-largest supplier of land mobile radio equipment to North America.



Random screening for airport workers

Workers at international airports throughout New Zealand will be subject to random screening from Monday, as the Civil Aviation Authority moves to tighten security. The authority says aviation security service officers will screen people who work within restricted areas at international airports, such as those who deal with airside baggage. It says any airport workers, their personal belongings or vehicles, may be screened at any time from today, for prohibited items or substances. The authority says the measures will bring New Zealand further into line with international aviation security.
© 2008 Radio New Zealand



Doubts Pacific scheme will solve labour shortage

Grape growers in Marlborough doubt a government scheme to employ Pacific Islanders will overcome a looming chronic shortage of seasonal labour. Under the policy, announced last year, Pacific Islanders are the first priority to fill New Zealand's seasonal worker shortage. However, a month out from the season New Zealand's biggest wine region is struggling to find even a third of the number of pruners it needs. New Zealand Winegrowers says the industry supports the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme, but it is unlikely there will be enough Pacific Islanders to meet the region's needs.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Winter flu season approaching

With winter closer than any of us want to think, medical authorities are already thinking about the influenza season. Canterbury District Health Board is encouraging people to start getting their flu injections. Virologist Dr Lance Jennings, who is also spokesman for the National Influenza Strategy Group, says the vaccine is the best protection against influenza and it is not too early to get it. He says even though it still feels like summer, it is important to be immunised before winter as the vaccine does not work immediately.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Sunday, March 30

Maori boarding schools possible key to achievement

The Maori Party says something drastic has to happen to lift dismal Maori educational achievement rates. The party's education spokesperson, Te Ururoa Flavell, told an education forum in Auckland this weekend that one answer could be a revival of Maori boarding schools. Mr Flavell says his party is looking at what he calls a parallel development for Maori, which includes adopting models such as boarding schools that have shown they can provide positive outcomes. Mr Flavell says in the past, Maori boarding schools created a history of excellence and provided many Maori leaders.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Cleaners to strike

Hundreds of cleaners, many of them working in hospitals, are taking strike action this week. They are employed around the country by Spotless Services, whose workers have gone on strike in the past. Eight hundred cleaners are walking off the job on Wednesday for 24 hours in a dispute over wages. Service and Food Workers union spokesman Shane Vugler says Spotless is refusing to pay the workers more money because the company is in a funding dispute with nine district health boards.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Dixon takes first IndyCar race

New Zealand's Scott Dixon has won the opening race of the 2008 IndyCar series at the Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday. Dixon had to content with several incidents but led for 67 of the 200 laps and gave his Target Chip Ganassi Racing team a great start to the season. Dixon's team mate, Dan Wheldon who won the previous three races at the speedway, came in thrid posistion.
Source: ONE Sport



New TV channel hits the airwaves

TVNZ7 has is now on air, beginning transmission with a two-hour debate involving leaders of the minor political parties. The channel is free-to-watch on Freeview, which offers a bouquet of channels broadcast via satellite in digital format to spearhead New Zealand's move away from analogue television. Other channels on Freeview include TV One, TV2, TV3, C4, Maori Television, Te Reo, Stratos, Cue and Parliament TV.
NEWSTALK ZB



Clark leaves for Europe and China

Prime Minister Helen Clark leaves tomorrow for Europe to attend a special royal service in memory of Sir Edmund Hillary. It will be held at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, and attended by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, as well as Sir Edmund's family and the public. Helen Clark says the service will include the laying up of Sir Edmund's Knight of the Garter banner. Miss Clark is then off to Romania to attend a NATO meeting on Afghanistan where future international support for the country will be discussed. On April 7, she will arrive in Beijing for the signing of the free trade agreement between New Zealand and China.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Saturday, March 29

Milestone for minimum wage campaign

The minimum wage will rise to $12 an hour from Tuesday, but unions say they will continue to campaign to lift it to $15 an hour. The Government announced the rise in December, saying it was meeting its obligation to New Zealand First and the Green Party under their post-election deal. The change will affect about 140,000 workers and means the minimum 40-hour-week wage would be $480.
Source:NZPA



Wild card Erakovic wins at Miami Open

New Zealand tennis player Marina Erakovic has won her second round match at the prestigious Miami Open. The wild card entry, ranked 101 in the world, has stunned world No 34 Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands in three sets, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2. Erakovic is on target to play world number six, Venus Williams, in the next round.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Jarvis stamp collection under hammer

New Zealand's largest single vendor stamp collection is being auctioned in Wellington on Saturday. Wellington philatelist David Jarvis died last year, leaving about 500 lots of stamps, including more than 40 of the world's first postage stamp, the Penny Black. The stamps are all dated between 1840 and the 1960s and starting prices range between $200 and $10,000. Mowbray Collectables chief executive, John Mowbray, is conducting the auction, which he says has attracted bidders from all over the world. Mr Mowbray says the auction is significant because it is the most extensive collection from Great Britain ever owned in Australasia.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Prime Minister launches Labour's Tongan branch

Prime Minister Helen Clark has launched the Tongan branch of the Labour Party. Speaking to the mostly Tongan crowd of more than 100 people in Mangere in Auckland, Miss Clark said the launch was significant for all Pacific Islanders and Labour will keep listening to what people in Manukau city want. Tongan branch secretary Salote Lilo says the move will unite Tongans to become more politically active.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Osbournes leave NZ but hope to be back

Heavy metal rocker Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon flew out of Auckland yesterday, saying their holiday in the tourist resort of Queenstown was a "little bit of heaven". The pair have been in the country after Ozzy Osbourne played at the Rock2WGTN gig during Easter weekend with other heavy metal acts that included Lordi, Kiss, Poison and Alice Cooper. The couple said they had loved their stay in New Zealand and hoped to return. Sharon Osbourne said their visit to Queenstown had been a "little bit of heaven" for the couple.
Source:NZPA



Zimbabwe Ex-pats holding mock elections

Zimbabweans living in New Zealand will go to the polls today, despite their votes not counting in their home country. Mock elections are being held in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch to highlight the fact ex-patriots cannot vote while living away from Zimbabwe. Auckland organiser Adams Makope says their votes should not be ignored and they are taking a stand. He says the 'elections' will provide an indication of how people feel their country is being run and how they would have voted if they were there. Mr Makope says the exercise will let everyone know how Zimbabweans really feel about the presidential candidates.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Labour's revival slashes poll gap

By Audrey Young
Labour has almost halved National's lead in the Herald-DigiPoll survey. National has slipped by 4.6 percentage points in a month memorable for slip-ups and lacklustre performances by leader John Key. But the party is still ahead - it has the support of 49.9 per cent of decided voters, and could still govern alone with 63 MPs. Labour's fight-back has lifted it 2.8 points to 39.3 per cent in a month of carefully designed publicity hits for the Government. The gap between the two big parties is now 10.6 percentage points, much closer than the 18-point lead National had on Labour early this month.



Friday, March 28

Tonga to open commissions in Aucklnad, Wellington

NUKU΄ALOFA, Tonga (Radio Tonga News, March 27, 2008) - The government is planning to open a High Commission in Wellington in June, shortly followed by a consulate in Auckland. The Honorable Minister of Foreign affairs, Tu΄a Taumoepeau Tupou told Radio New Zealand International that with more than 50,000 Tongans in New Zealand, the government must offer them more service. He says, opening the offices is also about Tonga having a closer and more reciprocal relationship to New Zealand because the two countries want the best for the region. Honorable Tupou added that the offices will also help those who wish to apply for dual citizenship, in the wake of a recent law change by the Tongan Government.
Copyright © Tonga-broadcasting.com



NZ volcano erupting - under water

By MICHAEL FIELD - Fairfax Media
You wouldn't know it but a large volcano eruption is taking place in New Zealand. It's not visible because Monowai is completely underwater - north of the Kermadec Islands, and is about 1500 metres deep. Its conical cone reaches to just 120 metres below the surface of the Pacific. The latest activity has gone unnoticed on the surface as its location is off the main shipping routes.



Weekend rain predicted for NZ's driest areas

The MetService is predicting "useful rain" to fall on some of the country's drought-stricken areas over the weekend. A frontal rainband, currently perched over Fiordland and Southland, is expected to make its way slowly up the middle of the country. Heavy rain warnings have been issued for Fiordland, Westland, Buller and parts of Nelson.
Source:NZPA



National walkway unveils gold mining history

Part of New Zealand gold mining history will be uncovered in Southland tomorrow, with the opening of the latest section of a nationwide walking track. The new section is a loop track starting at the foot of the Longwood Range, about 12km west of Riverton. It will also serve as the entrance to a harder Te Araroa (The Long Pathway) route, running along an old water race on the side of the Longwood Range. Kevin Hawkes of the Te Araroa Southland Trust told NZPA the track highlighted the gold mining history of the area . "From the stone walling, to the channels and pits in the ground there is evidence of the Chinese and European gold mining activities in the area," he said.
Source:NZPA



Motorbike helmets to be compulsory in Cook Islands

Feeling the breeze blowing through your hair while riding a scooter around Rarotonga may soon cop you an instant $100 fine. Helmets are to become compulsory for all motorcyclists on April 12, after an amendment to the Cook Islands' 40-year-old Transport Act, though footwear apparently remains optional for motorcycle and scooter riders. People of all ages riding scooters, usually without helmets and sometimes barefooted, are a common sight on the 32km road that circles Rarotonga.
Source:NZPA



Fiji man suspected of selling fake NZ visas

A 26-year-old man in Fiji is expected to be charged on Friday with forgery and fraud for selling fake New Zealand and Australian visas. Police investigating the visa scam say it is possible that people sought out the fake documents because of travel bans which prevent some in Fiji from entering New Zealand and Australia. Corporal Suliano Tevita from Fiji police says so far nine fake visas have been located, including those of a family of four who were caught at Nadi Airport trying to leave the country with fake New Zealand passports last week. It is claimed that 30 passports were found at the Suva home of the suspect and that visas were being sold for about $1600.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



SPCA says circus elephant is fine

The SPCA is satisfied the living conditions of an elephant at a South Auckland circus meets its standards. The animal welfare group received a complaint about the treatment of Jumbo at the Story Book Circus. SPCA investigator Sue Baudet visited the circus today and says living conditions are within the minimum standards required by the SPCA. She says the SPCA will always try to monitor the welfare of animals involved in the circus.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



NZ soldiers face court martial over alleged hashish use

Six soldiers have been shipped out of Afghanistan back to New Zealand to face drug charges at a court martial. The New Zealand Defence Force said the six members from the Provincial Reconstruction Team contingent in Afghanistan had returned to New Zealand on remand for trial by court martial for alleged drug use. NZ Army Land Component Commander Brigadier Dave Gawn said a thorough investigation into the allegations resulted in the charges being laid.
NZPA, NZ HERALD STAFF



Green light for online lotto sales

The Government has given the greenlight to online Lotto sales. Internal Affairs Minister Rick Barker today announced the Government had decided to allow NZ Lotteries to sell Lotto, Powerball, Strike, Big Wednesday and Keno via the internet. Critics of online gambling have cited it as a major potential cause of problem gambling. But Mr Barker said several safeguards would be put in place around the NZ Lotteries products to help users gamble responsibly. Players would be required to register online, would be limited to one account and would be required to set their own weekly and monthly spending limits, which could not be exceeded. "Players will also be able to see how much they have won or lost over the year.
Source:NZPA



Rural mayor says migrant worker support too city-focussed

One of the country's fastest growing districts says government support for incoming migrant workers is too focussed on main centres. The Race Relations Commission has asked small towns to better welcome and support migrant workers saying rural areas cannot afford to ignore them. Ashburton Mayor Bede O'Malley says while overseas workers are crucial to rural growth, support structures are usually based in the city. "The government agencies that are set up to do this type of work are probably more focussed on the main centres, and we have to make sure our issues are presented to their forefront so they can help us address those issues."
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Grain costs not to blame for rising bread prices

Wheat farmers are rejecting claims by bakers that high grain prices are the main driver behind the rising cost of bread. Quality Bakers, which markets brands such as Freyas, Molenberg and Vogels, says the rise in the price of bread can be put down to increased demand and the global price of wheat.
© 2008 Radio New Zealand



Airport planning to spread its wings

By WARWICK RASMUSSEN - Waikato Times
Hamilton International Airport wants to add Asian and possibly American destinations to its schedule as part of an ambitious long-term goal to become the North Island's second-biggest airport. Chief executive Chris Doak revealed the vision to Hamilton City Council's finance and audit committee yesterday as part of a briefing on the company's performance and plans for the future. With the airport's $15 million terminal upgrade completed, it was now time to look at growing the business, Mr Doak said. Key to that was making a strong case to extend the runway from 2200m to close to 2700m, which would allow larger wide-body jets such as 767s and 777s to use Hamilton.



Thursday, March 27

Support payments for drought-hit families

Rural families in drought affected areas will get special support payments from the Government if they need them. Social Development Minister Ruth Dyson says they will apply to eligible farmers in Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Manawatu, Wanganui, Marlborough, Canterbury, Otago and Southland. Ms Dyson says the rural assistance payments are specially targeted to those in need and are designed to cover essential living costs only. The payments are set at three quarters of the level of the unemployment benefit. Applicants will have to meet income and asset tests to qualify.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Community service for wombat rape claim

By TRACY NEAL - The Nelson Mail
A Motueka man who claimed to have been left speaking Australian after being raped by a wombat has been sentenced to 75 hours' community work for his trouble. Arthur Ross Cradock, a 48-year-old orchard worker, admitted in the Nelson District Court yesterday to the charge of using a phone for a fictitious purpose, after calling police with the message, 'I've been raped by a wombat'. When asked if he had an emergency, he replied "yes", Mr Stringer said. On a second subsequent call to the communications centre, Cradock told police he was being raped by a wombat at his Motueka address, and sought their immediate help. "Apart from speaking Australian now, I'm pretty all right you know, Cradock told the operator. Alcohol had played a big part in Cradock's life. However, defence lawyer Michael Vesty said alcohol was not a problem that day.
(The speaking Australian bit must have been really scary. Ed note.)



NZ film selected for New York Festival

A New Zealand film about humanity and survival has been selected for a short film competition in New York. Cargo, written and directed by New Zealander Leo Woodhead, will screen at the seventh annual Tribeca Film Festival next month. New Zealand Film Commission short film manager Juliette Veber said the Tribeca festival was becoming one of the most important film events in the United States.
Source:NZPA



Dengue fever warning for Pacific nations

Auckland Regional Public Health Service has issued a warning about dengue fever in the Pacific Islands. The potentially fatal dengue virus is transmitted through mosquito bites and its symptoms include fever and rashes. Public health doctor Doone Winnard says New Caledonia and Tonga have confirmed about 200 dengue cases this year. French Polynesia has also reported about a dozen new cases, but the warning applies to all Pacific nations.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



More than 100 Bhutanese refugees resettled

More than 100 Bhutanese refugees have left Nepal to be resettled in the United States and other Western nations, including New Zealand, the UN refugee agency said yesterday. The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Nepal said the number should reach 200 by the end of this month and 10,000 by the end of the year.



Energy policies could add 40% to prices, research indicates

New research indicates electricity prices could rise by 40% within two decades. The rise would be in addition to inflation and the cost of new transmission wires or other technical developments. The research was done by a Christchurch think tank, the Centre for Advanced Engineering, and was paid for by petroleum exploration companies. It blames the price jump on the capital cost of new power plants. It says costs will be $2 billion more than they need be, because of the Government's commitment to renewable electricity and a 10-year ban on building fossil fuel-powered generating plants.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Rudd on first big trip as PM

Kevin Rudd has left on his first big overseas trip as Australian Prime Minister. Mr Rudd will travel to Washington, New York, London, and stops in Europe before finishing his tour in Beijing. Australian correspondent Steve Price says Mr Rudd has ruled out speaking to any presidential candidates while in the States, saying it would be inappropriate. However, he will meet with President George Bush and the withdrawal of Australian troops from Iraq will be high on the agenda.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Women happier than men

New Zealand women appear to be a lot happier than their male counterparts. A survey by UMR Research into happiness considered age, gender, job and marital status. The 9,000 respondents were asked to rate how satisfied they are with the way their life is going. Director Tim Grafton says the happiest region is Nelson and the least happy is the West Coast/Buller. The happiest men also live in Nelson but middle-aged men who live in Southland are the least happy people in the country. Mr Grafton suggests the finding reflects the fact middle-aged people have more pressures in their lives. Women are the happiest in Gisborne and Hawke's Bay but are least happy in Auckland.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Wednesday, March 26

Call for Anzac messages to overseas troops

More than 400 military personnel will be stationed overseas on Anzac Day and the Defence Force wants New Zealanders to send them a message of support. New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) commander joint forces Major General Rhys Jones said a new facility on the NZDF website enabled people to send an individual or general message to personnel deployed overseas. "While we honour those who have given their lives for our country in past conflicts on Anzac Day, we would also like to encourage New Zealanders to show their support for our current troops," he said. The messages would be sent to New Zealand troops serving in Afghanistan, East Timor, Sudan and the Solomon Islands on April 26, the day after Anzac day. The 400 NZDF personnel are deployed on 17 peacekeeping operations, United Nations missions and defence exercises around the world.
Send a message here-CLICK THIS LINK



No Chineses troops at torch relay - Australia

The Australian government says Chinese troops will not be welcome in Australia to guard the Olympic torch relay as it passes through Canberra in April. China has reportedly asked for its army to provide the security after pro-Tibetan protesters disrupted the lighting of the torch in Greece earlier this week, the ABC website reports. Attorney-General Robert McClelland says he is not aware of any official request from China, but says any offer of assistance would not be accepted.
© 2008 Radio New Zealand



Cricket-Panesar spins England to series victory

England spinner Monty Panesar claimed six wickets to wrap up the deciding third Test against New Zealand just after lunch at McLean Park in Napier on Wednesday. New Zealand, chasing an improbable 553 to win, were bowled out for 431 in their second innings on the fifth day to give England victory by 121 runs and a 2-1 triumph in the series, their first overseas success since South Africa in 2005. New Zealand won the first Test in Hamilton by 189 runs and England the second in Wellington by 126 runs.
© 2008 Radio New Zealand



Aust worried about China's loan to Fiji

Australia's Foreign Minster admits he is concerned about China's $140 million loan to Fiji. Fiji has announced it has secured the funding from the Chinese government for the development of new roads. Stephen Smith has met with his New Zealand counterpart Winston Peters ahead of today's Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Auckland. He says he would be concerned if Chinese money in the Pacific starts to influence foreign policy. He says cheque book diplomacy is not a sensible way forward. Mr Smith hopes Fiji's foreign minister will provide a clear road map for free and full elections. He also wants New Zealand and Australia to work more closely to help Pacific Island nations.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Trolly crisis blamed on students

Students are being blamed for a shopping trolley crisis at a central Wellington supermarket. Chaffers New World in Wakefield St says it is having to fork out tens of thousands of dollars a year to replace stolen shopping trolleys. Supermarket spokesman Steve McLachlan blames students who cannot be bothered carrying their groceries. He says he cannot replace the trolleys as quickly as they are stolen and now sends out a van to scout the city to retrieve them. Mr McLachlan says the service picks up around 50 trolleys a week from a variety of places including student halls, alleyways and building sites.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Record kiwifruit crop predicted

A record kiwifruit crop is being predicted by one Bay of Plenty company. G6 Kiwi expects to produce almost 28 million trays. It is the biggest volume ever for the group, and follows a record 2007 crop. General manager Linda Mills says the first crop estimates are very pleasing, with fruit size better and the quality very good.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Economy labels could cut fuel usage

The Government believes new compulsory fuel economy labels will mean less gas guzzling vehicles will be imported into New Zealand. It has launched the new initiative which will give each vehicle a star rating, similar to those used on new household appliances. It will also estimate the yearly fuel cost, based on an average fuel price and distance. The system applies to vehicles imported since 2005 and those manufactured since 2000. It takes effect from April 7. The labels are estimated to cut fuel usage by seven percent.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Passengers transitting in NZ to require visas

The Government is changing the rules for passengers in transit through New Zealand. Immigration Minister Clayton Cosgrove says as of Friday, transit visas will be needed for all people travelling via New Zealand, unless they are specifically exempted by immigration policy. He says the change is due to increased security requirements and changing travel patterns. Mr Cosgrove says the new policy will strengthen risk management and future proof border control.
NEWSTALK ZB



Giraffes to help prune Hamilton's trees

The giraffes are always hungry at Hamilton Zoo, and local residents are being given the chance to serve them up a treat. Giraffes eat a range of tree branches which can be found in household gardens and Hamilton zoo-keepers have offered to prune suitable trees free of charge. The giraffes preferred fodder includes Lemon wood, Coprosma, Feijoa, Red Robyn, Tree Lucerne and Ake ake. Hamilton Zoo director Stephen Standley said that this was a great opportunity for local residents to contribute to the animal's diet while at the same time getting their pruning done for free.
Fairfax New Zealand Limited 2006.



New NZTE office opened in India

A New Zealand Trade and Enterprise office has been opened in Indian city of Mumbai. Forestry Minister Jim Anderton opened the new office saying it reflected Mumbai's importance as a hub for Western India, growing opportunities for, and interest from, New Zealand companies. The new office would be the primary support for Investment New Zealand programmes in India. There is already an office in Delhi.
Source:NZPA



Tuatara declared world's fastest evolving animal

By MICHAEL FIELD - Fairfax Media
Scientists have declared New Zealand's living dinosaur to be the world's fastest evolving animal. Although tuatara have remained largely physically unchanged during very long periods of evolution, the researchers found the animals are evolving at a DNA level faster than any other animal. The discovery, reported in the international journal Trends in Genetics, was made by scientists at Massey University's Allan Wilson Center for Molecular Ecology and Evolution in Auckland. They have taken DNA sequences from the bones of ancient tuatara up to 8,000 years old. They reported the tuatara has the highest molecular evolutionary measured, changing than any other animal, including bears, lions, ox and horses.



500,000 enrolled in KiwiSaver

Half a million New Zealanders are officially enrolled in the Government's workplace saving scheme KiwiSaver. The milestone was reached last week, eight months after the scheme was launched. Initial projections were that about 250,000 people would be enrolled within a year. Some $600 million has been invested in KiwiSaver accounts.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Horticulture industry worried about poaching of Pacific workers

The horticulture industry is worried that Australia may poach workers from Pacific Island countries which New Zealand is relying on for its seasonal work programme. A new survey by Australia's National Farmers Federation suggests about 100,000 more workers are needed in the rural sector there to help struggling farmers. The Farmers Federation wants the government to look to neighbouring countries - including those in the Pacific - to fill the gap. But Horticulture New Zealand wants Australia to steer clear of hiring workers from five Pacific Island countries used by the horticulture industry here. Chief executive Peter Silcock says New Zealand has focused on Tonga Samoa, Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Kiribati - but a lot of other islands also have very high levels of unemployment that Australia could focus on.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Tuesday, March 25

Wellingtonian believes he's found cannonball from Cook's Resolution

A Wellington man is on a quest to prove a cannonball he found in a rock pool came from Captain Cook's ship during the explorer's visit to the area in 1773. GNS Science says the object is undoubtedly a cannonball from a two inch gun and has not ruled out the possibility it is indeed from Cook's ship. Wellingtonian John Mcilwaine was walking along the city's south coast off Barretts Reef when an object in a rock pool caught his eye. After researching possible explanations and consulting historians, Mcilwaine is now convinced the cannonball was fired off Cook's ship, the Resolution, in 1773. Mcilwaine says Cook wanted to warn the Maori not to steal anything as they had on the previous voyage. An authority on Cook, Emeritus Professor Tim Beaglehole says there is no mention of a cannon being fired on that occasion and Cook would have noted it. He says he remains sceptical, but with a little room to wonder.
Copyright © TVWorks Limited



Greenpeace protesters try to board coal ship

Protesters aboard the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior have been attempting to board a coal ship in Lyttleton harbour, near Christchurch One of the protesters is chained to an anchor, as police attempt to remove them They are also trying to stop protesters boarding the coal ship. A Radio New Zealand reporter at the scene says someone on the coalship is spraying water at the protesters' dinghies. Greenpeace has targetted the coal ship, which belongs to Solid Energy, as part of a protest about climate change.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Australian Foreign Minister in NZ

Foreign Minister Winston Peters is meeting his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith in Auckland today. It is the first time the pair have met since Smith was appointed in December with issues such as China, East Timor and Fiji on today's agenda. Tomorrow a wider meeting of Pacific foreign ministers will begin, which Fiji will attend.
Copyright © TVWorks Limited



Rice price hike adds to Fiji poverty

The Fiji Consumer Council says an expected increase in the price of rice will push more people below the poverty line. The price of rice is expected to go up worldwide as there’s a global shortage. Rice has become a staple food in Fiji, but the country produces only 1/8th of its needs. The consumer council’s chief executive officer, Premila Kumar, says a higher price for rice will mean hardship for many consumers.
© RNZI 2004



Tenth person falls ill after eating toxic honey

Ten people, including a district councillor, have now fallen foul to toxic honey from the Coromandel. The Food Safety Authority is urging people to hold onto honey they suspect has been contaminated instead of following earlier advice of throwing the hazardous food out. Waikato District Health Board medical officer of health Dell Hood said the Food Safety Authority (FSA) wanted as much of the toxic honey as they could get so they could perform tests on it. The toxic honey was produced as a result of bees feeding on honeydew containing poison from the native tutu bushes.
©2008, APN Holdings NZ Limited



Lawyers out of work due to economic downturn

Lawyers are being made redundant because of the international economic downturn, a legal website says. LawFuel.co.nz conducted a survey of legal recruiters and found lawyers, particularly in the property sectors, had been made redundant in recent weeks. LawFuel.co.nz spokesman John Bowie said lawyers working for small law practices were particularly vulnerable. Mr Bowie said the slowdown was also being felt in London and New York which were places New Zealand lawyers often sought work.
Source:NZPA



New marine farming zone declared

A new aquaculture management zone has been declared in the Firth of Thames(NZ). The new Wilson Bay marine farming zone is 1.5km off the coast of Kereta, 5km south of the entrance to Coromandel Harbour. It is established under new legislation following a moratorium on new marine farming which was imposed in 2001. Aquaculture is well established at Wilson's Bay and is part of a local industry contributing $27 million to the regional economy and employing nearly 300 people.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Grape harvest underway

The South Island's grape harvest is underway and wineries are predicting a bumper yield. The annual harvest is expected to take a month to complete. Torlesse Wines in Waipara, is beginning to harvest Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc varieties. Winemaker, Kim Rayner, says vineyards have been very lucky with weather conditions with a hot, dry spell until mid-February followed by sizeable amount of rain.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Give Islanders visas, says report

By Greg Ansley
Australia has been urged to follow New Zealand's example by creating special work visas for Pacific Islanders as part of a new strategy to improve relations with the region. An Australian Strategic Policy Institute task force has also told the Government it should consider recruiting Islanders for its recruit-starved defence force, as Britain does with Fijians. The recommendations were drawn up by a panel of distinguished Australians for a new Labor Government that has promised a fresh start for the nation in the Pacific. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd wants to shift emphasis, and pledged to work closely with New Zealand when he met counterpart Helen Clark in Canberra for their first official talks.



Say goodbye to queues at Customs

By HANK SCHOUTEN - The Dominion Post
Kiwis flying across the Tasman could soon be getting through airports more quickly with the help of automatic passport-reading machines. New Zealand and Australian travellers with electronic passports will be able to put themselves through passport control without having to queue. Passengers put their passports into a machine similar to a ticket kiosk that downloads details, including an electronic image of the passport holder's face. Passengers are then given a coupon for a gate, at which cameras and computers using facial recognition technology do the checks done till now by customs officers.



Monday, March 24

Staying abreast of workplace law

By ANNA CHALMERS - The Dominion Post
Employers would have to provide breast-feeding spaces for working mothers under proposed workplace laws that also set in stone minimum meal and rest breaks for all workers. Proposed legislation, aimed at "vulnerable workers and breastfeeding mothers", were announced yesterday. Labour Minister Trevor Mallard and his Cabinet colleague Maryan Street announced the moves at the centenary commemorations of the 1908 Blackball miners' strike over meal breaks. It will set in law for the first time the requirement that employers provide at least two minimum breaks of 10 minutes in an eight-hour shift, and a half-hour unpaid meal break.



Motorists face long queues home

Traffic is queueing on State Highway One north of Wellsford heading south, as motorists journey home from the Easter weekend break. It is backed up for 10 kilometres. A good two kilometre-long tail has formed at the Coromandel side of the Kopu Bridge near Thames. Traffic is bumper to bumper along State Highway Two heading from Coromandel towards Auckland following an earlier crash. And traffic is banked up north of Wellington at Otaki. Motorists are advised to expect significant delays and to be patient.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Meeting on Fiji in Auck this week

Foreign ministers from more than 15 Pacific Island nations are arriving in New Zealand to discuss the situation in Fiji. Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will host the delegates at the Pacific Islands Forum in Auckland on Wednesday. He says forum members share a commitment to getting Fiji back to democracy as soon as possible.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Online Spitfire auction generates global interest

The listing of a vintage British World War II aircraft on the Trade Me website by an Auckland family has generated world-wide interest, even from Germany. The Subritzky family, of Auckland's North Shore, listed their Spitfire with the online auction site for an unspecified price. The Vickers Supermarine single-seat Spitfire is one of fewer than 50 left in the world. Mike Subritzky told the New Zealand Herald having the Spitfire was a privilege, with its history making it the best aircraft the family had owned. "It's a time capsule. It's been around since 1944 and it's special because it's not a replica." Although the Subritzkys have not put an asking price on the aircraft, Spitfires in good condition can be worth up to $5 million, the newspaper reported.
Source:NZPA



Sunday, March 23

Winter bites the South

Winter is making itself known in parts of the South Island. A cold southerly has seen the freezing level plummet to near sea level in some areas. Weather Analyst Philip Duncan says it is more like winter than autumn in places like Southland and Canterbury.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



American spelling 'annoying'

A 13-year-old spelling champion says he is excited about representing New Zealand in the US, but he finds American spelling 'really annoying'. Hamilton Boys' High School student Thomas North is the first male to win the New Zealand Vegemite Spelling Bee. His prizes include an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington to compete in the US Scripps Spelling Bee in six weeks' time, and an American dictionary to study up with. After last year's New Zealand champ had some trouble, Thomas North says he will be brushing up on his American accent as well as American spelling. He says he finds their idiosyncrasies - such as no 'u' in colour or flavour - really annoying.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



New class of property right

The Government is considering ways to give more security to people who rent their homes long-term. Building Minister Shane Jones is asking officials to come up with ideas for a new type of property right. It could mean lease agreements with terms of 15 years or more, which could be tradeable. Mr Jones says a quarter of New Zealand households are now long-term renters.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Goff off to East Timor

Defence Minister Phil Goff is off to visit East Timor. He will spend three days visiting New Zealand troops, and holding talks with leaders of the troubled country. Mr Goff says it is his ninth visit in nine years, and demonstrates our commitment to Timor and its government. He says the armed attacks on the president and prime minister recently illustrate how fragile the situation is in the country. Mr Goff will not be seeing president Jose Ramos Horta in Dili though. That meeting will take place in Darwin, Australia where Mr Ramos Horta is recovering following the assassination attempt.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Protection for workers

The government says it is moving to boost protection for vulnerable workers by bringing minimum meal and rest break requirements into law. It is part of a proposal alongside a code of practice to promote breastfeeding in the workplace. Minister of Labour Trevor Mallard says it may surprise people that no statutory requirement for meal and rest breaks exists. He says often in very busy places or businesses with smaller numbers of employees, staff do not get the breaks people think they should.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Beneficiary debt hits new high

Beneficiary debt has reached an all-time high, and the National party believes all that is being offered is excuses. Latest figures reveal beneficiary debt now totals more than $763 million. National party welfare spokeswoman Judith Collins says as prices for food and petrol go through the roof, Labour should at least be offering its beneficiaries budgeting advice. She says instead, they are standing by and allowing debt to spiral out of control. Ms Collins expects the debt to blow out to well over a billion dollars in just a few years.
NEWSTALK ZB



Tongan Prime Minister to visit Japan

Tongan Prime Minister Feleti Sevele will pay an official visit to Japan next week, the PACNEWS reported on Saturday. During his visit, Sevele, chairman of the Pacific Islands Forum, will have an audience with the Emperor of Japan and have separate bilateral meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Foreign minister Masahiko Koumura. The meetings will focus on relations between Japan and the member countries of the Pacific Islands Forum, bilateral relations between Japan and Tonga, climate change; and renewable energy resources and technology, the Suva-based regional news agency said.
Source: Xinhua



Aussie locusts hit NZ for summer

By Michelle Coursey
Plagues of locusts have crossed the Tasman to make the most of New Zealand's hottest summer for a decade. Forest and Bird Society president Dr Peter Maddison said there had been unusual insect activity in parts of the country affected by drought. Swarms of crickets, an insect "associated with drought", had hit the Hauraki Plains and there had been larger numbers of locusts in the northern regions, many of which may have come from Australia. "It's the remains of the swarms that get over here, but the weather conditions are right to bring them over," Maddison said. Grass grub beetles, whose growth is encouraged by hot temperatures, had been causing problems in the Bay of Plenty.



Thomas wins spelling bee in tight final

It took 22 rounds before Thomas North became New Zealand's champion secondary schools' spelling bee champion. Thomas, from Hamilton Boys' High School, went head-to-head with Hugo Carnell from Western Springs College in Auckland for the final 10 rounds, before taking out the title in Wellington today. He became the first male to win the championship in a competition that has been running for four years and will represent New Zealand at the American National Spelling Bee in Washington DC in late May.
Source:NZPA



Saturday, March 22

Work of art donated

Discarded boards from a building site which a New Zealand-born artist, Rosalie Gascoigne, transformed into her last major series of works have been donated to the National Gallery of Australia. The multi-panelled installation comprising a 10-work series is on display in Canberra and is valued at more than A$2 million ($2.28 million). Gascoigne died in 1999. "When she was young she had no hint of artistic talent at all, but it grew and grew," said Gascoigne's husband Ben, who donated the work.
NZPA



Former New Zealand cricket captain Wallace dies

Former New Zealand cricket captain Merv Wallace has died aged 91. Wallace, who scored more than 7,000 runs in a 24-year career with Auckland and played 13 tests between 1937 and 1953, died on Friday. He toured England in 1937 and 1949 and was coach of the team from 1956, when he was involved in New Zealand's first test victory over the West Indies at Eden Park, until 1970. Wallace scored 17 first-class centuries during his career in which he averaged 44.32. His highest test score was only 66, however, and he averaged just 20.90. The New Zealand team are wearing black armbands during the third test against England at Napier as a mark of respect.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Food Safety warning as three treated for toxic honey poisoning

A 32-year-old man is in a satisfactory condition in Thames Hospital after being one of three people to be treated for symptoms of toxic honey poisioning in the Coromandel. A 38-year-old woman and her three-year-old son have been discharged from the hospital. "The honey may have had high levels of tutin toxin which if consumed can result in symptoms include vomiting, delirium, giddiness, increased excitability, stupor, coma and violent convulsions," she said. A number of people have been killed, incapacitated and hospitalised over the years from eating toxic honey.
Source:NZPA



Kiwi teacher gets global book deal

A Hutt Valley High School teacher and part-time author says he has no plans to quit his job after a British publisher bought the rights to distribute his novel globally. Bernard Beckett's sci-fi thriller Genesis for young adults has been picked up by publishing house Quercus in a deal worth £100,000 ($250,000). Mr Beckett won a New Zealand Post book award last year for the book which explored a New Zealand set in 2052 that had been renamed The Republic and cut off from a disease-ridden world. He had no plans to give up his day job and concentrate on writing, he told The Dominion Post.
NZPA



Neill's wine for US

Actor Sam Neill is expanding his wine business with the release of an "affordable" label in the United States. Neil will expand production from his Central Otago base by buying in grapes from Marlborough and Hawkes Bay. The label, Picnic, will retail at US$28 ($35) a bottle. Neill will release the Picnic 2006 vintage in California next month
©2008, APN Holdings NZ Limited



Kiwibank half-year earnings up 30%

Kiwibank has recorded an increase of more than 30% in its half-year profit. It made $22 million in the six months to December, compared with $17 million for the same period a year earlier. Kiwibank's chief executive, Sam Knowles, says a lot of revenue is still being eaten up paying for growth initiatives, but that will prove worthwhile in the long run. He says he expects the bank's growth to be self-sustaining by 2010. Kiwibank currently has 600,000 customers.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



High $ a bonus for holidaymakers

Travel agents are surprised there has been an increase in tourist numbers to New Zealand, given the high New Zealand dollar. Statistics New Zealand says there were 2.4 million visitors in the February 2008 year, which is a two percent rise on 2007. There was a two percent rise in the number of tourists from Australia but a 47 percent drop in people coming from Taiwan. Paul Yeo, CEO of the Travel Agents Association, says New Zealand is not a hot destination for holidaymakers at the moment because the rising dollar makes it more expensive.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



79-year-old scales Mt Aspiring

A New Plymouth man is believed to have become the oldest climber to scale Mt Aspiring in the Southern Alps - at the age of 79. Doug Ball said he never set out to break any records but he was pleased to get to the top at his third attempt earlier this month. "Everything just fell into place - the weather, the snow conditions, everything was perfect," he told The Taranaki Daily News.
Source:NZPA



It's in the stars - fuel costs at a glance

By Mathew Dearnaley
Car dealers and private individuals selling vehicles through websites will risk being fined up to $5000 if they do not display available fuel consumption information. Regulations coming into force on April 7 will require sellers to display fuel-economy labels if the information for them is available from the Government website www.fuelsaver.govt.nz. The stickers will use a six-star rating system similar to that used for household goods such as refrigerators. The star labels can be downloaded for free.



Friday, March 21

Young spellers compete for national title

Twelve young spellers from around the country will compete in Wellington tomorrow for the title of New Zealand's champion speller. As well as the title, the winner of the New Zealand Vegemite Spelling Bee final will represent New Zealand at the 81st US Scripps Spelling Bee in Washington DC later this year. While equal numbers of boys and girls entered the spelling bee, the champion speller in the three years the competition had been running had always been a girl.
Source:NZPA



Cruise ship sought for Tonga coronation

Tonga is negotiating the lease of a cruise ship to provide additional accommodation for the coronation of King George Tupou V in August. About 500 invited guests are expected including members of the royal families of Japan, Britain, Norway, the Netherlands, Monaco, Thailand and Bhutan. The Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Tourism, Edgar Cocker, says they have block booked all the 513 available rooms in hotels, motels, guesthouses and resorts. He says they are confident they can secure a ship for more accommodation .
© RNZI 2004



Delays for motorists in heavy holiday traffic

Motorists are facing major traffic delays both north and south of Auckland. Vehicles are backed up for nearly five kilometres on State Highway 16, heading north into Wellsford. And further south, there is a backlog of holiday traffic for several kilometres on State Highway 2 and State Highway 26.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Another mission for the HMNZS Canterbury

The Navy's new amphibious ship Canterbury is leaving from Devonport on Tuesday for its second international mission. Canterbury will travel to Noumea to take part in a defence exercise involving France, Australia, Papua New Guinea and Tonga. Defence Minister Phil Goff says the ship and its capabilities strengthens New Zealand's ability to work with defence partners.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Prisoners to work on rebuilding houses

Prisoners will be put to work refurbishing relocated state houses, in a new partnership between the Corrections Department and Housing New Zealand. Corrections Minister Phil Goff and Housing Minister Maryan Street made the announcement today that about 90 inmates would work on up to 40 houses a year. Old state houses which are moved off sites which are being redeveloped will be shifted to the prison where they will be refurbished by prisoners. Mr Goff said the initiative would see prisoners learning building trade skills, while refurbishing relocated state houses, stripping the insides and refitting them with new kitchens, vanities, tubs, shelving, aluminium joinery and curtains.
Source:NZPA



Brisbane, Melbourne, top list of places to work

Australians would prefer to work in Brisbane, on the Gold Coast or in Melbourne rather than in Sydney if they had the choice, a new survey shows. Sydney, despite the glamour of the harbour, its bridge and the Opera House, has a reputation for being too fast-paced, impersonal, cut-throat and expensive, a survey by recruitment firm Talent2 shows. The survey of 1,327 respondents, and based on the quality of life attainable in Australian cities, found 29 percent would prefer to work in Brisbane or on the Gold Coast, 26.2 percent liked the look of Melbourne, while only 18.2 percent backed Sydney.



Peters to meet new Australian foreign minister

Foreign Minister Winston Peters will meet his new Australian counterpart Stephen Smith in Auckland next Tuesday for their first round of regular six-monthly consultations. "The relationship between New Zealand and Australia is as close a relationship between countries as can be found anywhere in the world, and I look forward to welcoming Mr Smith to New Zealand," Mr Peters said today. Mr Peters said items on the agenda would include Fiji, the Solomon Islands, East Timor, regional security, as well as relations with Asia and the United States.
Source:NZPA



Ban cellphone use while driving - NZ public

Most New Zealanders want the use of mobile phones while driving banned. A new Research New Zealand (RNZ) poll showed 86 per cent of New Zealanders believed that phoning/texting and driving should be illegal. Only 13 per cent said "no" to a ban. RNZ director Emanuel Kalafatelis said that when asked about hands-free mobile phone options, 50 per cent of those who supported the ban on use while driving said the use of hands-free phones should also be outlawed.
Source:NZPA



Thursday, March 20

Finance company fined

A South Auckland finance company has been fined more than $37,000 and has been ordered to refund debtors $12,500 after being found guilty of breaching the Fair Trading Act. The Commerce Commission argued that Lelei Finance's contracts failed to state interest rates, how interest was calculated and details about the early repayment of debt.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Indonesia seeks NZ assistance in Papua police training

Indonesian police have sought assistance from New Zealand police to implement improved community policing in the Papua region. They are also looking to recruit about 1,500 more Papuans into their ranks as part of the initiative. New Zealand Police’s manager for International Strategy and Policy, Jackie Goodwin, recently visited Papua on Jakarta’s invitation to scope out areas where the Papua-based police could use technical assistance.
© RNZI 2004



NZ scientists return from largest investigative voyage to Antarctica

Scientists and crew of New Zealand's biggest scientific voyage in the Antarctic waters of its Ross Sea dependency have returned with a treasure trove of new fish and other organisms. The research vessel Tangaroa returned to Wellington today after completing the most comprehensive survey of marine life in the region. The 7140 nautical mile voyage surveyed some areas and habitats for the first time, and uncovered many species that are new to science. The voyage, which took 50 days and $6.6 million of government funding, was part of an international effort by 23 countries to survey marine ecosystems and habitats in the waters surrounding Antarctica.
Source:NZPA



Kiwi 'creche' opened in Hawke's Bay

A 40 hectare reserve has been opened in northern Hawke's Bay, which conservationists say marks a significant step in helping save the North Island brown kiwi. The PanPac kiwi creche, west of lake Tutira, cost $700,000 and took nearly four years to develop. It was opened on Wednesday. The reserve surrounds Lake Opuahi, and is protected by a two metre high fence. Kiwi chicks are rescued from the Kaweka Forest Park and kept in the creche until they are big enough to defend themselves in the wild against stoats. The aim is to raise 30 kiwi a year. The project is a partnership between a Napier-based Conservation Trust, the Department of Conservation, the regional council, community groups and commercial sponsors.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Biofuel target too high for many cars

The Automobile Association says more than half the country's cars would not be compatible with a 3% blend of biofuel. A parliamentary select committee is hearing submissions on a government bill that seeks to include some biofuel in all fuel from April. The mandatory biofuel content would start at less than 1% this year, rising to 3.4% by 2012. The AA's Mike Noon told the committee the biofuel sales targets are out of phase with the current and near-term make-up of the country's vehicle fleet. He says most of the 1.2 million imported used cars are not compatible with a blend of about 3%, and the AA would prefer the biofuel obligation to be 2.2% , as originally proposed by the Ministry of Transport. Mr Noon says fuel system repairs to cars damaged by biofuels could cost as much as $800 million.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Aussies nabbing Kelly Tarlton's

One of Auckland's iconic tourist attractions looks destined to be sold to Australian owners. Tourism Holdings has entered into an agreement to sell Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World to Village Roadshow for $13 million. Tourism Holdings Chief Executive Trevor Hall says Kelly Tarlton's will fit better with similar operations owned by Village Roadshow, whose portfolio includes the Sydney Aquarium, Oceanworld Manly and Sea World Gold Coast.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Aussies holidaying here last month

More Aussies flocked to our shores for a holiday last month. Figures from Statistics New Zealand show that more than 280,513 visitors in total came here in February, an increase of nearly five percent on the same time last year. Eighty-five-thousand-376 Australians came for a look around, an increase of 9.5 percent. The next highest number of tourists was from Britain, followed by America, Canada and China. Thirteen percent fewer Japanese visited.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Goldie painting fetches record price

An oil painting considered to be one of the finest by renowned artist Charles Goldie brought a record auction price at a sale in Auckland last night. The 1933 oil of Maori chief Hori Pokai sold for $454,000 at an auction at the International Art Centre in Parnell of important, early and rare 19th and 20th century art. Art Centre director Richard Thomson said it was "an absolute boomer" of a sale, with the Goldie taking centre stage as the most important work on offer. The Goldie, A Summer's Day Hori Pokai (also known as Sleep 'tis a Gentle Thing) was expected to bring between $240,000 and $280,000.
Source:NZPA



Compulsory paternity tests proposed in bill

By Claire Trevett
A new bill would allow courts to order compulsory DNA testing of children for paternity checks, regardless of consent. United Future MP Judy Turner's private member's bill provides for the Family Court to order cheek swabs for DNA testing of children whose paternity is in dispute. The measures in the Family Proceedings (Paternity Orders and Parentage Tests) Amendment Bill also include warrants allowing the possibly forcible taking of the child to get the sample if a parent resists the order. At present, courts can only recommend parentage tests and parental consent is required for children under the age of 16.
©2008, APN Holdings NZ Limited



Flow of migrants to Australia still big

The annual flow of New Zealand residents to live in Australia is the biggest since the middle of 2001. Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) said a net 29,600 people migrated to Australia in the year to February, up from 22,200 in the February 2007 year. It was the highest annual net flow of migrants from New Zealand to Australia since 30,000 people moved in the July 2001 year. The net outflow to Australia peaked at 31,800 in May 2001, with earlier peaks in the January 1989 year and December 1989 year.
Source:NZPA



NZ key member of FBI cyber specialists

By MICHAEL FIELD - Fairfax Media
New Zealand has been revealed as a member of a specialist American led anti cyber crime group. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said in a statement today that the newly formed Strategic Alliance Cyber Crime Working Group was one of its most promising initiatives to fight cyber crime. It says "high-level cyber cops" from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States had met at FBI headquarters and in London to create the group.



Nationwide strike planned by hospital workers

An ongoing industrial dispute involving hospital workers is set to continue, with notice being given of upcoming strike action. The Service and Food Workers Union (SFWU), which represents more than 800 kitchen workers, cleaners and orderlies who work for Spotless Services, has issued strike notices for Wednesday, April 2. SFWU industrial coordinator Shane Vugler said Spotless was refusing to pay the wage increase negotiated last year after lockouts over wage negotiations. Mr Vugler said a $14.25 minimum pay rate was negotiated as part of new national agreements covering workers employed by District Health Boards and three other contracting companies. But Spotless was now refusing to pay because of "funding issues" with its clients, the DHBs, he said.
Source:NZPA



Drought loss put at $1.24b

By TANYA KATTERNS - The Dominion Post
The drought which has battered rural New Zealand for months is estimated to cost farmers more than a billion dollars - a figure the farming sector says is just the tip of the iceberg. MAF estimates this summer's drought, which has been sapping the life out of the country's heartland, will take away $1.24 billion from the farm gate this financial year. But farmers say individual losses are massive and the Government estimates do not reflect the real level of financial pain.



Tonga to Open High Commission in New Zealand

Tonga's foreign minister said his country plans to open a High Commission in Wellington in June, followed shortly afterward by a consulate in Auckland, Radio New Zealand reported on Wednesday. Sionatane Tu'uakinamolahi Taumoepeau Tupou, the minister, said his country must offer consular services to more than 50,000 Tongans in New Zealand. He added that opening the offices also helps Tonga maintain a closer and more reciprocal relationship with New Zealand.



Wednesday, March 19

Petrol at $2 a litre?

There is a prediction we could be paying as much as $2 a litre at the pump as early as next month. The website, interest.co.nz says New Zealand oil companies are yet to catch up with the record price of crude oil. The site says the price paid by New Zealand oil importers has risen by as much as 15 percent in the past five weeks to a record 122 dollars 45 cents a barrel. However, petrol prices in New Zealand have risen by just five percent during the same period. Interest.co.nz says once that 15 percent price in the basic cost of the crude flows through to oil companies here, the average price of fuel is expected to hit $2 a litre.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Extra petrol tax for Auckland motorists

Auckland motorists will be asked to pay an extra five cents a litre for petrol from next year. The Auckland Regional Council has voted in favour of imposing the tax, which would be used for new roads and public transport. The government paved the way for the regional tax in the 2007 budget and legislation to allow it to happen is expected to be passed mid year. Auckland was always expected to be the first to adopt the tax, because billions of dollars are needed for scheduled improvements to its motorways, railways and bus services.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



NZ not in recession says BERL

The Independent economic think tank BERL is dismissing suggestions the New Zealand economy is in a recession but warns it could be possible to talk the country into one. Senior economist, Ganesh Nana, says there seems to be an inglorious rush by many financial organisations and institutions to be the first to confirm the New Zealand economy is now in a recession but Mr Nana believes talk of a downturn or even a recession is uninformed and grandstanding. He says the underlying factors for New Zealand involve dairy prices, oil exports and business investment and as long as those things remain strong the economy should come out relatively unscathed.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Vigils for Tibet being held around NZ

Peace vigils are planned for around the country today to protest the violent crackdown on independence protestors in Tibet. Amnesty International is taking part in the rallies in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin which have been organised by Friends of Tibet. Spokeswoman Margaret Taylor says it is an opportunity for people to highlight the fact that New Zealand cares about what is happening in Tibet. She hopes the rallies will put further pressure on the Government to come out with stronger statements about the human rights situation in China.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Taranaki latest region to declare drought

Taranaki is the latest region to declare a drought after a prolonged dry spell in the area. Taranaki Regional Council declared a drought today as farmers struggled to deal with the conditions. There has been no sufficient rain since November and no rain was predicted until May. The Taranaki Regional Council chairman David MacLeod said the drought declaration would open up new avenues of government assistance for farmers.
Source:NZPA



Unborn booked for Invercargill childcare

By SOPHIE SPEER - The Southland Times
Unborn children are being registered on waiting lists for Invercargill day care centres. The city is experiencing a shortage of early childhood education, caused in part by a soaring birth rate and because of parents wanting to take advantage of the Government's 20 hours' free childcare for 3 and 4-year-olds, centre owners said. Queens Park Child Care Centres licensee Lucia Rogers said its centre had a two-year waiting list and parents were listing their children before they were born.



Larger proportion of women doctors in NZ

The proportion of women doctors working in New Zealand increased significantly during 2006. According to the 2006 New Zealand Medical Workforce survey, released yesterday by the Medical Council, the proportion of women doctors increased to 37 per cent of the total medical workforce. The data also showed an increase in the active workforce of 7.7 per cent from 2005 to 2006.
Source:NZPA



'Old jar lid' was rare medal

By DAVE BURGESS - The Dominion Post
A rare English medal uncovered in the backyard of an Upper Hutt house will soon be on its way to the Museum of London. Kevin Homan discovered the dirt-encrusted Temple Bar Medal while working with his father on foundations for the family's garage. "At first I thought it was an old jar lid, then I washed it off with a hose. Around the edges it said that in 1672 the Temple Bar was erected and then removed in 1878." The one-kilogram medal was made in 1878 from the lead roof of Temple Bar, which historically marked the western boundary of the City of London.



Tuesday, March 18

NZ asked to suspend military ties with Indonesia amid Papua abuse

The New Zealand-based Indonesia Human Rights Committee says it continues to be deeply concerned about the human rights situation in West Papua. It has written to the New Zealand foreign minister, Winston Peters, asking the government to suspend all defence training ties with Indonesia. The letter says New Zealand’s defence ties serve to give legitimacy to a military force which is manifestly responsible for deepening repression and ongoing violence in West Papua.
© RNZI 2004



Iodised salt must be used in bread

The country's bread manufacturers will be forced to put iodised salt into their products. The Food Safety Authority has given bread makers 18 months to comply with new rules for iodine fortification. The authority's Joint Food Standards assistant director Jenny Reid says people used to get iodine through eating dairy products. She says that is no longer happening, so the authority wants to introduce it back into the food supply and has decided bread is the best way to do it. Ms Reid says organic and unleavened breads will be exempt from the iodine requirement.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Top Fiji minister to visit NZ

Fiji’s military appointed Foreign Minister Epeli Nailatikau will be in Auckland next week as regional nations hold a key meeting to try and keep the pressure up for a restoration of democracy in the South Pacific state. Most coup-linked officials are banned from visiting New Zealand but also coming with Nailatikau will by the head of the Prime Minister's Department, Parmesh Chand, who has permanent residency here. The men will be attending the Pacific Forum Foreign Minister's meeting in Auckland on Wednesday next week. Six nations, including Australia and New Zealand, will review progress on Bainimarama's commitment to free and fair general elections in Fiji next year.
Fairfax Media



Niue Government hoping New Zealand Government will provide millions for fishing operation

The Niue Government is hopeful New Zealand will help meet some of the costs of the capital investment made on the island by the New Zealand based company, Reef Group. The company says the operations, such as the fish processing plant are providing benefits for Niue and it has pushed the island to ask New Zealand for millions of dollars to pay for its share of the investment. An Opposition MP, Terry Coe, says Reef should not be asking for such help, but Niue Finance Minister, Fisa Pihigia, says the New Zealand Government, in talks last week, was sympathetic. He says the fish plant is a vital source of employment and has established Niue as a fish exporter.
© RNZI 2004



Online voting survey

An Electoral Commission survey has found one third of New Zealand voters would prefer to cast their votes online. UMR Research surveyed more than 1000 people about online voting on behalf of the Commission. While 31% said they would choose to vote on the internet, a quarter of voters completely ruled it out. The Electoral Commission says e-voting may encourage more young people to vote, but it's unlikely it would encourage people on low incomes.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Rise in gold buyers reported

A 10-fold increase in the number of people looking to buy gold is reported by gold trader, New Zealand Mint. The commodity broke through the $US1000 per ounce mark last week and market turmoil currently sees it at $US1006.10 per ounce. New Zealand Mint says the high New Zealand dollar means domestic investors can get good value for their money. Even though the price is already rocketing, head broker Michael O'Kane says it's still a good time to buy.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



NZ builders could be poached

There are concerns New Zealand builders could be poached by Australian under a new policy to make housing more affordable. The Australian is building thousands more homes to address a housing shortage. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has also announced his government may introduce a scheme which would allow 15,000 people to emigrate to Australia to work in the building industry.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Sixth troop rotation heads to Solomons

Forty-four New Zealand Defence Force personnel are leaving for a four-month tour of duty in the Solomon Islands today. They are the sixth rotation to serve in the Solomons and are drawn mainly from the territorial force battalions of 3rd Auckland Northland and 6th Hauraki regiments. Regular tasks for the troops include carrying out patrols, liaising with locals, providing assistance to police and helping with external security at Rove Prison in the capital Honiara.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Family may hold key to killer diseases

By KIM THOMAS - The Press
A South Island family's genetic make-up may hold the key to fighting illnesses like cancer and Alzheimer's disease. University of Otago researchers have found that descendants of one Dunedin family have a rare "mutating" gene. The researchers' article, published in the prestigious Nature Genetics magazine, claims the discovery could prove vital in the battle against major illnesses. The mutating gene is the one that affects cell "suicide", which, for example, occurs too soon in patients with Alzheimer's and not soon enough in those with cancer. Biochemist Dr Liz Ledgerwood, one of the study's main researchers, said the discovery of the mutating gene was significant because it meant it could be manipulated by drugs to attack major diseases.



Monday, March 17

PM says NZ wants to see end to Tibet violence

The Prime Minister has just asserted that New Zealand is deeply concerned at the violence in Tibet. Helen Clark says the Government wants to see an end to the violence. She says New Zealand has long urged China to engage in meaningful dialogue with the Tibetan people. Miss Clark adds that New Zealand respects the right of people to protest peacefully. She says the Government urges Chinese authorities to react carefully and proportionately to protest.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Hedgehog gets police escort

By DAVE BURGESS - The Dominion Post
Why did the hedgehog cross the road? Because police stopped traffic to prevent it from being squashed. Palmerston North police were faced with a prickly problem during a drink-drive blitz on Milson Line on Friday night when a hedgehog tried to cross their checkpoint. Traffic was stopped and the animal was escorted across the road. "His reason for crossing the road was not ascertained and he was not breath-tested," Senior Sergeant Brett Calkin said.



US benefactor gives more to Scott's last base

A Los Angeles foundation has given New Zealand's Antarctic Heritage Trust $200,000 for conservation work. It is the third grant the Getty Foundation has bestowed on the trust in four years. The money will be used to preserve Captain Scott's last expedition base at Cape Evans in Antarctica. The base is on the World's 100 Most Endangered Sites List, and is at serious risk of damage from snow, ice and water. Trust spokesman Nigel Watson says it has been described as the world's most evocative heritage building.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Niue, Tokelau, 'among worst spam senders'

By CLAIRE MCENTEE - The Dominion Post
New Zealand territories Niue and Tokelau are among the three worst offenders for relaying spam per head of population, according to security software firm Sophos. The company said Niue and Tokelau came in second and third respectively, on a per capita basis behind British territory Pitcairn Island in its survey of countries emitting spam during the last quarter of 2007.



Lotto sales to go online by year end

Punters around the country will be able to buy Lotto tickets online by the end of the year.Lotteries Commission corporate communications manager Karen Jones said they had been "signalling the move for sometime, but were unable to confirm a launch date". Ms Jones said customers would be able to purchase Saturday Lotto, Big Wednesday and Daily Keno tickets online "before the end of the year". Ms Jones said the security of online transactions was "paramount" and the commission was "working with the regulators" to ensure customer safety.
Source:NZPA



Small Nelson vodka distillery gets $16 million US contract

A fledgling Nelson vodka making business has just signed a multi million dollar deal that will see the product in some of best bars in the United States. An American distributor has bought the company's entire years production in a deal worth $16 million. The vodka is made from 26,000 year old, ice age water - water entirely untouched by humans and contaminants and sourced from a bore in a secret location.
Copyright © TVWorks Limited



Wreckage of warship found

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced the wreckage of HMAS Sydney, has been found. The warship was sunk off the coast of West Australia in World War II by a German raider disguised as a Dutch freighter. All 645 crew on board HMAS Sydney died when it went down during a battle with the German raider Kormoran on 19 November, 1941. Its fate has been a maritime mystery ever since. Sunken wreckage of the Kormoran was found on Saturday about 800km north of Perth by the Finding Sydney Foundation.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



England win 2nd cricket Test

England has won the second cricket Test against New Zealand by 126 runs at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. New Zealand was dismissed for 311 in their second innings with Brendan McCullum the last batsman to go for 85. The series is now 1-1. The third and final Test starts on Saturday in Napier.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Sunday, March 16

Iconic weta being relocated into central Christchurch

They are not the prettiest in the insect kingdom but weta are an iconic New Zealand species - and they are going places. Tree weta are being collected on Banks Pensinsula as part of a project to move them back into the city. Eleven weta are city-bound - being relocated in portable wooden houses to Riccarton Bush, a six hectare block of kahikatea floodplain forest, surrounded by a predator-proof fence in the heart of Christchurch. Researchers say the urban bush will form a natural laboratory and they have plans to add to the eco-system.
Copyright © TVWorks Limited



Poet David Beach wins $65,000 NZ Prize in Modern Letters

A New Zealand writer who has spent much of his life working as a mail sorter has scooped New Zealand's largest literary prize. David Beach was tonight presented with a cheque for $65,000 as winner of the biennial Prize in Modern Letters for his book of poems Abandoned Novel. "That a book of poems can win a $65,000 prize makes me feel as if I've stumbled into a parallel universe where poetry is considered important," Mr Beach said. New Zealand's largest literary award, the Prize in Modern Letters, is sponsored by United States businessman and arts philanthropist Glenn Schaeffer and administered by Victoria University's International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML).
Source:NZPA



Daylight saving has not ended yet

Despite what your calendar might say, daylight saving time did not end overnight. But it seems even Telecom is confused. This morning, its 0800 talking clock advised that clocks should have been put back an hour at two o'clock this morning. In fact, daylight saving, or New Zealand Daylight Time, comes to an end on April 6 after the government extended it to 27 weeks following a petition from United Future leader Peter Dunne. Calendars and diaries printed prior to the change carry the old date.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Second year of godwit trials begin

A second year of trials has begun to monitor the migratory patterns of the godwit, which have recorded the longest non-stop flight of all birds. Massey University marine ecologist Phil Battley says transmitters have been surgically implanted into three males and six females. Most of the males in last year's study stopped migrating, and it is thought that was caused by the fitting of external transmitters. Dr Battley says it is hoped this year's study will help develop understanding of how the godwits use large-scale weather systems and find out what is needed to conserve the species. He says the godwits are due to set off from the Firth of Thames in the next fortnight.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Judge overturns 'blinkered' immigration ruling

The Department of Labour has been ordered to pay $66,000 in costs to a Chinese immigrant after a judge ruled it had a blinkered approach in deciding her application. Xiufang Xi applied under the business investor category, but immigration officers told her they were not convinced the $1 million she had to transfer into a New Zealand bank as part of her application was from her own account in China. Justice Simon France upheld her appeal against the Residence Review Board having declined her challenge to the Immigration Service decision. He said the plaintiff satisfied the immigration criteria and the department's failure to reach the same conclusion was due to a blinkered approach.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



70,000 expected for Round the Bays run

An estimated 70,000 participants will take part in Auckland's Round the Bays run on Sunday. The 8.4km run starts at Quay Street in central Auckland and ends on the waterfront at St Heliers Bay. Organisers say the race is expected to take about two hours to complete.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Saturday, March 15

Taranaki's self-powering school

A Taranaki High School's begun a ground-breaking pilot scheme to generate its own power. Inglewood High School in New Plymouth is expecting to reduce its energy demands with wind turbines and a solar water heating unit. Principal Angela Gattung says in the short term they're hoping it will help them save about 15% of their electricity. And she says the students have played a big part. Ms Gattung says pupils took home special devices to measure power consumption of different appliances. She hopes the project will raise people's awareness of energy efficiency.
Source: Newstalk ZB



45,000 attend secondary schools festival

The Polyfest secondary schools festival drew a crowd of 45,000 on Saturday. Polyfest is 33 years old and the crowd sampled the finals of both traditional song, dance and speeches plus contemporary forms like hip hop and crumping (also known as clown dancing). The hosts were Wesley College - the smallest school to host the Polyfest event to date. Representatives from 66 schools took part.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Next New Zealand Troops off to Solomons

44 New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel leave for a four-month tour of duty in the Solomon Islands on Tuesday - part of a normal rotation. The NZDF personnel are the sixth rotation to serve in the Solomons and are drawn mainly from the Territorial Force battalions of 3rd Auckland-Northland and 6th Hauraki regiments. They will continue to support the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI). Regular tasks include patrols, liaison with locals, helping police, and assisting with external security at Rove Prison.
Source:NZPA



High temperatures continue in South Australia

Total fire bans are in force across South Australia for the second day in a row. The forecast maximum of 40 degrees for Adelaide on Friday was the 12th consecutive day of temperatures above 35° - the longest heatwave ever in any Australian capital city. On Thursday, Adelaide recorded its hottest March night since records began, with an overnight minimum temperature of 30.2°. The heatwave is predicted to continue with temperatures around 38° until next Wednesday.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Picnic train special

A picnic special train will take Aucklanders 80km north to next month's opening of the Atiu Creek Farm regional park. The 843ha farm on the shores of the Kaipara Harbour was given to the nation in October 2005 by Pierre and Jackie Chatelanat and is under the Auckland Regional Council parks network. The council says the train trip on Saturday, April 5, will take 3 1/2 hours to Wellsford Station. The return fare of $75 per adult and $45 per child includes a shuttle bus trip between the station and the park 20km away on the Tapora Peninsula.
©2008, APN Holdings NZ Limited



Labels to push up drink prices

By Simon Collins
Drinkers face higher prices if local brewers are forced to put labels on their cans and bottles warning pregnant women of the risks of drinking alcohol, brewers say. The liquor industry on both sides of the Tasman has lined up solidly against an application to the joint regulatory body Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to require warning labels on all alcohol sold in Australasia, matching a law that has applied in the United States since 1989. But the medical profession, which has previously regarded "moderate" drinking during pregnancy as safe, has now lined up equally solidly to advise pregnant women not to drink at all, and to support warning labels.



Friday, March 14

Fiji gets its first dialysis centre

Kidney patients in Fiji have been given a new lease of life when the country’s first ever Dialysis Centre was opened today. In opening the centre at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva, India’s High Commissioner Professor Prabhakar Jha said the Indian Government has donated more than $100,000 to the Kidney Foundation of Fiji for the initiative and hopes to provide more assistance in future. “I'm proud to say that India is committed not only in providing assistance to the foundation but also providing them with a doctor,” he said. The foundation has purchased more than $900,000 worth of dialysis machines from the United States which is expected to help the growing number of kidney patients in the country.
Fijilive

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Reef Group looks to NZ for help Niue projects

The New Zealand-based company that has made major investments in Niue says it is looking to the New Zealand Government for millions of dollars to help offset the establishment costs. The Reef Group has set up a fish processor, a trawler fleet, a 120 hectare noni juice operation and a freight air link. The managing director of Reef, John Gresson, says the operations are yielding benefits for the island and it is time for Niue as the joint venture partner to help meet some of the capital costs. Niue and New Zealand Government officials have been in talks in Wellington this week and the request from Reef is one of the issues on the table.
© RNZI 2004



Tonga launches support group for child cancer sufferers

Tonga will launch the Pacific Islands’ first parent support group for children with cancer, the Child Cancer Foundation, on Friday. The kingdom is working with the New Zealand Paediatric Oncology Steering Group to find ways to develop services that will help them to look after their children with cancer. The Steering group’s, Dr Jane Skeen, says families must send their children to New Zealand for treatment and it’s currently training Tongan doctors and nurses to complete the last part of the children’s treatment in Tonga.
© RNZI 2004



West Coast dam sparks extinction fears

The Green Party believes a proposed West Coast dam could kill off endangered native species. Meridian Energy wants to build an 85 megawatt hydrodam on the Mokihinui River. The West Coast Regional Council will today notify the public of the resource consents made. Green Party conservation spokeswoman Metiria Turei says Meridian plans to flood the Mokihinui Gorge, which is home to endangered bats, kiwi, snails, kaka and whio. She says structures like dams in such important habitats simply speed up the process for extinction. Ms Turei says the dam will stop the very large population of long-fin eels in the river travelling to the ocean where they breed.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Film and US studies being cut at two universities

University students are angry about plans by two universities to scrap courses in film and American studies. The New Zealand Union of Students says Canterbury and Victoria Universities are planning to shut down the two programmes. Co-president Liz Howes says the arts have been under threat in many universities throughout the country and this is the latest nail in the coffin. She believes the cuts are being made because the programmes are not paying their way.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Midwives defend anti-smoking push

The Council of Midwives says midwives like to talk over the options with mothers who smoke, rather than tell them what to do. It comes after an Auckland University survey of 150 doctors and 200 midwives found just 11 percent of midwives encouraged would-be mothers to abstain from smoking during their pregnancy. Spokeswoman Lesley Dixon says the same study found around 98 percent of midwives discussed the topic with patients. She says they try to find sustainable solutions. like kicking the habit for good.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Surgeon says job put him over drink limit

By TANYA KATTERNS - The Dominion Post
A doctor is fighting a drink-driving charge on the grounds that an alcohol wash he used while preparing for surgery that day pushed him over the legal limit. Police say the grounds for his defence are unprecedented and the case could have worldwide implications. Wairarapa orthopaedic surgeon Ian Denholm continues to work while he defends the charge. His defence is that the alcohol-based sterilising rub that he frequently used over the hours he was in surgery was absorbed into his kidneys. That absorption reached his breath, affecting the results of the evidential breath alcohol results. Police allege he failed a roadside breath test. After accompanying officers to the station, he allegedly recorded a breath-alcohol level of 593 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. The legal limit is 400mcg.



Beneficiary wins $5 million lotto jackpot

An Auckland beneficiary has won this week's Big Wednesday lotto jackpot worth more than $5 million. The man was out on a bike ride when he had a spur-of-the-moment drink stop outside a superette in Titirangi and decided to buy a ticket. He claimed his prize on Friday in Wellington. He says one of his plans for the money is to book a commercial flight into space. The man plans to cancel his benefit with Work and Income immediately.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Warning Hong Kong flu virus likely to hit NZ

Health experts are predicting that a flu virus currently affecting Hong Kong is likely to hit New Zealand this winter. However, it is hoped an influenza vaccine released on Thursday will help protect people against it. Influenza injections will be free for people with severe illnesses such as diabetes or heart conditions, and for those aged over 65.
© 2008 Radio New Zealand



Overlander rail back

The Overlander rail service is back on track. More than 26,000 people travelled by train between Wellington and Auckland from July 2007 to January this year. Toll New Zealand spokeswoman Sue Foley says it shows that those who said they would support the Overlander have stayed true to their word.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Few Maori enrol for nursing training

The number of Maori studying nursing in Canterbury has plummeted. Christchurch Polytechnic's Bachelor of Nursing February intake has only three Maori among its record 114 students - a figure that is worrying health industry leaders seeking to improve Maori health statistics. According to the polytechnic's head of nursing, Dr Cathy Andrew, Maori students usually accounted for between five and eight per cent of students. Just 2.6 per cent of the latest intake are Maori.
Source:The Press



Feisty US kiwi born

A little kiwi has been born far away from a homeland it will never see. The rare North Island brown kiwi is the new star of the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC. Keeper Kathy Brader said the bird, as yet unnamed, hatched late last week. It was behaving differently from Manaia, a kiwi born in 2005 as part of the zoo's captive breeding programme. "It is extremely busy and active, and was trying to walk and stand on day one," she said. "It actually jumped two inches on Sunday morning." The chick - its sex has yet to be determined by DNA testing -- is the third hatched there. In 1975 the zoo was host to the first kiwi born outside New Zealand. The Smithsonian kiwi is destined for internet fame. Its every squawk will be monitored by a webcam to be set up at nationalzoo. si.edu/Animals/Birds/ Kiwi/default. cfm.
Source:Dominion Post


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