Copyright © 1995 Brian Harmer
What a week! We seem to have suffered (or enjoyed, depending on your need for water) a cycle of at least three weeks in which brief rain occurs on Tuesdays, and perhaps Wednesdays, and then the weather is fine for the rest of the week including the weekend. Many parts of the country still have had no significant rain, though tonight, Sunday, a heavy rain warning is in force for Northland, Auckland, Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty. 130mm is expected in the next 24 hours. After a long dry spell, the land is often incapable of dealing with such volumes of water and slips occur.
But here in Wellington, apart from a slight straw hue to the distant Orongorongos the rain is not likely to amount to much, though I suspect the cycle may be yielding to the wind and rain of winter. Coming down the hill from Normandale today, however, I was struck by the sheer blue and gold splendour and the picturesque nature of the panorama. In the foreground, the suburbs of Lower Hutt, Alicetown, Moera and Petone provide a pleasant and colourful carpet of roofs and trees leading the eye to the blue curve of the harbour, Whanganui-a-Tara which curves round to the mouth of the Hutt River, and on to Pt Howard. Lowry Bay, Days Bay and Eastbourne. The clear autumnal light seems to bring distant places such as the Pencarrow light into sharp proximity, and across the harbour mouth, the white hull of the problematic ferry, Aratere is just disappearing around behind Seatoun. The green bulk of the Miramar Peninsula likewise seems closer than usual, though I imagine that the fleet of small yachts racing on the harbour itself are finding it every bit a far as usual. Evans Bay is visible as a red tailed Qantas Boeing soars soundlessly upwards from the airport before swinging in a wide arc to the West. How often, I wonder, have I referred to the Orongorongos, that range of hills which interpose between the Harbour and the more substantial range of the Rimutakas further to the East. (A trivia point ... the Rimutakas are not visible from Wellington City ... at least not from sea level. A person standing on Queens Wharf would need to look across the top of Matiu/Somes Island to be looking in the direction of the Summit tearooms which marks the saddle between the Tararuas to the North and the Rimutakas which run South from there to the sea. They are just not visible from there. Many a Wellingtonian has gone through life mistaking the Tararuas for the Rimutakas. I blame Aunt Daisy!) Anyway, back to the Orongorongos ... today they looked rugged, dry and somewhat forbidding. Somehow, the visual clarity and their apparent nearness made them look more vertical than usual. It was a very lovely view, and one which I suspect may have to sustain me through an impending wet winter.
On with the news:
All news items (except where noted otherwise) are reproduced by kind permission of copyright owner, IRN Ltd whose current news listing can be found at http://www.xtramsn.co.nz/news/
All material in parentheses, and concluded with the initials "BH" is the personal opinion of Brian Harmer as editor of this newsletter, or occasionally "HH" will indicate an opinion from Helen.
A Law Commission proposal to allow an exception to 'double jeopardy' has been presented to the Government. Double jeopardy prevents someone being re-tried for a crime they have already been acquitted of. The proposed exception is to allow the retrial when there is evidence of perjury or other conduct interfering with justice. The move follows the case of Kevin Moore, who was acquitted of murder. He is now serving a prison term for perjury, after it was revealed a witness providing an alibi had lied. Justice Minister, Phil Goff says he fully supports the proposal and will fight for the bill in cabinet.
West Coast residents have limited amounts of electricity this afternoon as the Arthur's Pass fire has cut off around 45 per cent of the coast's power. Part of the national grid goes through the pass, and with fire and water near the pylons, managers were forced to shut it down. Trustpower spokesman, Graham Purches says the coast's own power stations are trying to supply the entire region. However, he says the weather is now cold and says people will be trying to heat themselves and cook evening meals. Graham Purches says the stations are coping at the moment, but warns residents must conserve power. Meanwhile, Canterbury fire officers trying to dampen down the blaze are being replaced by North Island reinforcements. Some of the local fire fighters have been battling the blaze since it started at 6 o'clock yesterday morning, near the Waimakariri Gorge. DOC spokeswoman Sheryl Colley says nine helicopters and two fixed winged planes are helping fighting the blaze, but she says some of the 90 fire officers on the ground are getting tired. She says they will be replaced by firefighters who have been called in from the North Island. Sheryl Colley says the wind is not helping the firefighters' efforts, as it threatens to re-ignite hot spots.
An Air Force jet has made an emergency landing at Bridge Pa Aerodrome south of Hastings. The two-seater AerMacchi training jet, with two people aboard, reported shortly before two this afternoon that it had suspected oil pressure problems. The pilot said a warning light had come on while he was flying to Napier. He decided to divert to Bridge Pa, a country airfield south of Hastings, to make an emergency landing. A number of fire engines were sent from Hastings to stand by while the plane circled the airfield and then landed safely.
(It should come as no surprise that a service whose members suffer one demoralising set-back after another should be more accident prone than a service which knows that it is valued by its citizens and its government. Regrettably, the conventions which prevent serving members from saying what they really believe are clouding the truth about the state of our Air Force and Navy. I am not sure everyone believes it is appropriate to disempower and downscale the two services to the extent being proposed. As someone observed, the Government of New Zealand has had previous assurances about having no natural enemies, and being under no especial threat. That was in 1938, I believe. - BH)
Companies could help halt the brain drain by rewarding key staff for their ideas, according to an intellectual property lawyer. Christchurch lawyer and company director Tony Kiesanowski says New Zealand cannot retain key workers on salary alone. He says they need to find ways to hold key staff. He says New Zealand cannot compete with overseas companies and research organisations without offering an incentive to stay. He says New Zealand has to think outside the square to keep people in companies. He says that would ensure ideas get to market, and contribute to profits. Mr Kiesanowski warns companies could find themselves bogged down in lawsuits if they do not recognise ideas and inventions in employment contracts. He says once an arrangement is reached in principle on sharing the return from intellectual property or key inventions, it is not difficult to record it in an employment contract or ancillary document.
A row is brewing about plans to pay Maori organisations, to sign- up voters on the Maori electoral roll. Almost $500,000 to publicise the roll is being allocated to the Maori Women's Welfare League and the Morehu Youth Movement, part of the Ratana Church. In addition, 20 other groups are being offered up to $10.50, for every Maori they get to enrol. National MP, Murray McCully, says it is a cash-for-votes scheme, for the benefit of the Labour Party. He says there has to be a point where New Zealanders smell a large rat, because this is about a group which votes disproportionately Labour. He claims the scheme is getting that group to vote, over and above others. Murray McCully says there is an obvious conclusion many New Zealanders will draw from this. He says the scheme appears to be legal, but whether it is legal is very different to whether it is right. He believes most New Zealanders will think it is a lot of money to spend on Maori groups to promote Maori enrolment, for the benefit of just one political party.
The New Zealand Defence Force is denying its release of a list of submarine detections was an attempt to undermine the credibility of the Prime Minister. Helen Clark has attacked the publication of details supposedly showing air force Orions have located submarine activity near New Zealand on eight separate occasions. Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Carey Adamson says it was not their intention to challenge earlier statements by the Prime Minister that the Orions have never found any submarines. The Defence Force claims there has been a misunderstanding, and it wishes to apologise for any embarrassment it may have caused.
(As I said before, the conventions seem to get in the way. It was good therefore to see s.c.n-z regular, and former deputy chief of defence staff, Air Vice Marshall Robin Klitscher writing a sane and powerful article in the Evening Post last week. Having retired, Robin is free to speak his mind which he does very ably. Keep up the good work, Robin. - BH)
There was a gentle wake up call for Cantabrians yesterday with a gentle earthquake rocking the province shortly before lunchtime. The tremor measuring 4.5 on the Richter was recorded near Hanmer Springs and was felt from Christchurch to Blenheim. Seismologist Mark Chadwick says the earthquake was centred deep below the earth's surface which is why it was such a gentle shake. He says there have been a number of minor earthquakes in the area since Christmas but this was probably the first one that has been strong enough to be felt.
(That was just the Hurricanes arriving to give the Crusaders a super-12 wakeup call :-) - BH)
A banner day for Auckland's Round the Bays fun run. About 76,000 ran, walked and pushed strollers around the 8.4 kilometre circuit. A Japanese man won the event in a time of approximately 26 minutes. A New Zealander won the women's competition in about 28 minutes. Paralympian Gavin Foushe won the wheelchair event. Event director Elizabeth Leitch says the recent run of beautiful weather encouraged people to turn up. She says the 29-year-old event brings out people of all shapes, ages and fitness levels.
(As seen on Television, this was no place for any sane person to be. Wall to wall people is not my idea of a good time - BH)
Oyster fans can celebrate as the first pick of the season arrives in shops from Bluff today. People in the deep south have already had a sneak preview over the weekend but the first shipment is expected to hit major centres this afternoon. Barnes Oysters manager Graeme Wright says the first oysters of the beds are exceptionally good and he expects a great season. He says the Bluff oysters will keep coming until around mid-July. Around 12,000 oysters will be in today's first shipment. Graeme Wright says most New Zealanders will not be as lucky as those in Bluff and Invercargill, who have been buying the delicacy at wholesale cost.
(Wahoo ... and I had my first utterly magnificent magical succulent dozen of the season ... mmmmmmmmmmmm .... - BH)
There has been a victory for Monteith's beer drinkers this afternoon. Owners of the boutique West Coast brew, DB, has decided to keep a substantial portion of the Monteith's brewing operation on the Coast. A row erupted amid threats of a boycott of the brand when DB announced last week that Monteith's had become so successful it was moving the operation to Auckland. However, at a press conference in Wellington this afternoon DB announced that some of the brewing will stay where it is. DB says the operation will not be on the same basis as it has been up until now, so there may still be job losses.
(Well! I am gobsmacked! How wonderful to be able to report the reversal of a great loss. Great news - BH)
(Never say "only" and "beer" in the same sentence - BH)
A local writer is the winner of an international literary award and is off to Italy to collect her prize. Wellington writer Vivienne Joseph's The A.O.K Project is one of eight prize winners in this year's UNESCO Prize for Children's and Young Person's Literature in the Service of Tolerance. Three-hundred and nine books from 58 countries in 35 language competed for prizes, and 44 were short-listed. Ms Joseph is the author of several novels and picture books for children and says she is 'over the moon' to have won. She leaves for Italy at the beginning of April.
The Waiuku girl who may have prevented another high school massacre in the US does not consider herself a hero. Sixteen-year- old Tarryn Pitzer alerted local police during an online chat with a teen from Pennsylvania. The boy began talking of shooting classmates and having access to guns. Waiuku police contacted Interpol, which in turn called the FBI. The boy has been suspended from school and is receiving counselling. Tarryn Pitzer is not thinking of herself as a hero and say she is just glad something positive has come of her actions.
The Prime Minister says the public is sick of "gutter politics". Helen Clark made the statement as she announced the return to Cabinet of Marian Hobbs and the appointment of Dover Samuels to an undersecretary's job. Mr Samuels says Prime Minister Helen Clark has acknowledged his family has been hurt over the past year. Miss Clark accepts her part in the hurt but has urged everyone to now lay off. She says the public has had a 'gutsful' of gutter politics. Miss Clark says Mr Samuels has been put on the rack and she now wants an end to people's pasts being dredged up. Mr Samuels is to become the economic development undersecretary.
(The prime minister is quite correct. She herself is not entirely free from blame, but I am glad she is hearing the signs ... I hope others will too, regardless of the party to which they belong. - BH)
Air New Zealand says it has had trouble with the airbridge at Sydney Airport which has led to a boycott threat from airlines. The airlines have told the airport they will not use airbridge 61 because of a costly accident and other incidents. A Singapore Airlines jet had its passenger door ripped off when the airbridge, which gets passengers from the terminal to plane, collapsed. Air NZ spokesman David Beatson says in another incident the airbridge was linked to an empty Air New Zealand plane when it unexpectedly drooped. He says the airbridge was not carrying any passengers at the time and there was no damage. The airport was asked what it was doing about it. Mr Beatson says there appears to be a problem involving almost all airlines using Sydney Airport and they are working together to get a satisfactory response. They have told the airport to either repair the airbridge or station an engineer alongside it. He says otherwise they say they will not use it.
(These airbridges along with many others in the region are manufactured right here in Lower Hutt. I have never heard of another with similar problems, though I suppose it must happen. - BH)
Green co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons today said protection measures may be required to protect the endangered Hector's dolphin after a professionally filleted carcass was found on a Westport beach. Ms Fitzsimons said a photograph of the mutilated dolphin had been anonymously forwarded to her by a concerned local and she had taken the issue up with the regional Conservator of the Department of Conservation. "I am told the dolphin had marks from a gill net. These are set in the sea just off river mouths and we know that two such nets were operating in the area at the time. "Hector's dolphins are a protected and endangered species and under the Marine Mammals Protection Act all deaths must be reported. Whoever found this one in their net did not report it, neither did the person who filleted it to use its meat. It was left to an anonymous member of the public." Ms Fitzsimons said that the death of even one Hector's dolphin was very significant as the population was on a knife edge. A census ten years ago estimated a total population of 1320 individuals. However they breed so slowly that this population cannot sustain more than 2.6 deaths a year from unnatural causes. Last year five deaths were reported to DOC, the year before it was nine. This year there have already been two in three months. The majority of them were killed in fishing nets. "The Greens are extremely concerned that, despite the endangered status of this rare and beautiful animal there is someone out there who sees it as just a commodity. "Currently there is a strategy being developed for the protection of the North Island Hector's dolphin. If more dolphins continue to be killed we must look at national restrictions on the use of coastal set net fishing if we are to save this species." Ms Fitzsimons said there is a growing awareness of the precarious position of the Hector's dolphin among the West Coast community. "The Green Party negotiated funding in the last budget for conservation awareness campaigns one of which is designed to raise the profile of the Hector's dolphin on the West Coast. "It is encouraging that a member of the public reported this death. But it is very disappointing that some have still to learn."
High wind warnings have been issued for Otago and Canterbury highways. Police say all motorists and particularly those in camper-vans, high sided trailers and caravans need to be careful and slow down in strong winds. Warnings have been issued for SH1 Rakaia to Glenavy, SH77 Ashburton to Rakaia Gorge, SH8 Washdyke to Twizel, SH80 Pukaki to Mount Cook and SH82 Waimate to Kurow.
(They weren't kidding. At least one large truck and trailer rig ended up on its side on the coast road North of Christchurch. - BH)
Anti-smoking campaigners say the easiest way to make cigarettes safer is to make them self extinguishing. ASH Director Trish Fraser says submissions for the Government's Cigarettes Fire Safety Bill close on Saturday. She says the Government plans to set up a standards committee which will spend three years looking at ways to make cigarettes safer. Ms Fraser says the committee would be an expensive option and would not necessarily make cigarettes as safe as those which are self extinguishing. She says roll-your-own cigarettes go out in less than four minutes while manufactured cigarettes can take up to 15. Trish Fraser says when she asked a British American Tobacco spokesman he said he believed accelerants were used in tailor-made cigarettes, but he is yet to confirm.
The government has announced two new primary schools will be opened in Auckland next year. Education Minister Trevor Mallard says both are in new subdivisions - one in Manurewa and one in Henderson. He says forecasts show that about 570 primary school children will be in the area where the Manurewa school is to be built by 2006. Trevor Mallard says the new schools will have enough classrooms to accommodate about 260 students, and more classrooms will be added as the rolls increase. He says eight new schools have opened in the Auckland region since 1996.
Rural firefighters have brought two fires under control in the Waitaki district of the South Island this afternoon as fears mount over the rising fire risk. Waitaki District Council emergency services manager Eric Spittle says a field of barley caught alight south of Oamaru, and a scrub fire broke out near Omarama. He says the scrub fire may have been started by someone throwing a cigarette butt out of a vehicle. Eric Spittle says people need to take more care when the fire risk is extreme.
The Greymouth District Mayor says the damage done by this morning's mini-tornado will run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Kevin Brown has been surveying the suburb of Cobden which was hit by a twister just after 4am. Residents report hearing a large roar and then their homes began to shake. Some homes have been severely damaged with rooves blown off and windows broken. Debris litters the streets. Power was knocked out for many residents but has since been restored. Mr Brown says he was surprised by what he saw when he arrived at the scene. He says he lives on the other side of the river and while they had some heavy wind, it was nothing compared to that suffered in Cobden. Mr Brown says Greymouth residents have to be prepared for twisters, because they live close to the Tasman Sea. He says there was one similar to this morning's about two years ago, however it was not as serious. The Fire Service is being praised for its efforts in the aftermath of what must have been a "very frightening experience" for some residents, says Mr Brown.
Christchurch police are confident today's crackdown in the New Brighton area will yield good results. Over 30 officers are working in the suburb today targeting youth offenders, traffic and executing a number of search warrants. Inspector Brian McGurk says they do several such campaigns every year and they are always successful. He says their first arrest was of a man who was driving while disqualified.
Confusion reigns over meetings between the Service and Food Workers Union and DB Breweries. The two groups were supposed to meet today over the future of workers at DB's Monteith's Brewery in Greymouth. A meeting was scheduled for representatives of both sides at 10 this morning. DB Breweries management insists they arrived for a meeting in Christchurch this morning and no union reps turned up. However, the union insists it has spent the last few hours on the West Coast meeting with its members and DB lawyers. The union claims a position should be reached soon.
(It all came right in the end with all 14 staff reinstated. - BH)
The Government has done an about face and has agreed the National Certificate of Educational Achievement will carry a grade average. It was previously opposed to marking subjects but Education Minister Trevor Mallard says the feedback from parents is that they would like a number to indicate performance in each subject rather than use grades such as merit or excellence. Mr Mallard says the grade will be out of 100 and it will be reviewed in five years to see if it is still wanted. The new certificate, covering school certificate, university entrance and bursary, starts from next year. He still believes the information behind the mark will be more useful to employers and to tertiary institutions trying to select students.
The Hemp plant, which is a variety of cannabis, could be about to become legal opening the way for it to be grown industrially in this country. A private member's bill from Green MP Nandor Tanczos removing Hemp from the Misuse of Drugs Act, is set to be introduced to Parliament. Mr Tanczos says industrial hemp is a great cash crop, and his bill would clear the way for New Zealand to start growing it for uses such as making rope, cloths and fibre board. He stresses there is no chance of people smoking the plant as it does not have high enough levels of the chemical in marijuana which gets smokers stoned. The Government has already indicated that it is committed to proceeding with hemp farming trials.
The Minister of Health expects to release the Gisborne Cervical Inquiry Report in Gisborne on April 10. Annette King is expecting the report to be delivered to her office by the end of the week. She says the inquiry was moved to Gisborne because of the particular importance of the issues to the women there, and says the report should also be released there. Mrs King will be accompanied by Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia and senior Ministry of Health officials.
The mayor of Kaikoura says the town escaped relatively unscathed from gale-force winds which pounded the east coast of the South Island last night. Gusts of more than 140 kilometres an hour were recorded. Jim Abernethy was at his son-in-law's farm about seven kilometres out of Kaikoura when the power went off. He says his son-in-law went out to his vehicle to get a torch, when the wind pulled the roof off a shed knocking the vehicle over. His son-in- law was trapped under the utility but escaped serious injury. Meanwhile, Main Power says about 30 homes in the Kaikoura area, and at least 100 isolated households in North Canterbury are still without power. Extra contractors have been brought in from Nelson to help fix power lines.
The Crown entity being blamed by the government for giving it bad advice over the Taranaki farmers tax row is seeking legal advice over the debacle. Quotable Value New Zealand is being blamed by Finance Minister Michael Cullen for putting the government wrong. Dr Cullen claims QVNZ's advice prompted him to attempt to rush through legislation to collect taxes from farmers who were compensated when Maori land rentals increased. However, the chairman of the company, Richard Westlake, says QVNZ didn't give Dr Cullen any advice. He says the company gave valuation advice to a government ministry, Te Puni Kokiri. Richard Westlake says he is absolutely confident with the quality of the valuation advice his company gave. The company is not ruling out legal action.
Name suppression for the four people charged with murdering Rakaia man Nicholas Clarkson, has been lifted. The 23-year-old died in hospital after being found beaten and unconscious in downtown Auckland in January. The two men accused are, 21-year-old Tawa Iles, a tree feller from Whangarei and 19-year-old Tipene Herewini Halford, a barman from the Auckland suburb of Glenfield. The two women charged are Annie Frances Hekeua, an 18-year-old student from Auckland and 18-year-old Krystale Tina-Marie Tahuri. Both women have been remanded on bail with strict conditions until a pre-trial hearing in May. Halford was denied bail and has been remanded in custody until May 4th while a bail application for Iles will be heard this afternoon.
Big changes are being recommended for the way in which the public can lay complaints about botched medical procedures. The Government has released a report by Helen Cull QC, looking into recent patient concerns in Northland and other areas. The report says the current system is too slow and divided, with 14 separate bodies able to investigate complaints. It says that is causing confusion for patients, and it recommends a more streamlined, one- stop complaints system. The report also says there should be mandatory reporting of doctors whose practices are below acceptable standards. The changes have been welcomed by the Health and Disability Commissioner Ron Paterson. He says the report highlights the need for adequate resourcing in his office, in order for it to deal with all the public's complaints. He says the report's recommendations must be quickly acted upon, so the public can be assured of a comprehensive, easily accessible and fast acting complaints system.
The Government is moving quickly to crack down on questionable lending methods used by some loan companies. Acting Minister of Consumer Affairs Jim Anderton says some companies are making customers give them their ATM cards and pin numbers as a condition of their loan. Mr Anderton says under the current system the practice is not illegal, although he says it is highly oppressive and wants it outlawed. He says he has asked the Ministry of Consumer Affairs to fast track their work on Credit Law, so he can have a proposal before Cabinet by the middle of the year.
A profit warning from Air New Zealand - the company says there will not be one this financial year. Chairman Sir Selwyn Cushing says the airline will make a substantial operating loss for the 12 months to the end of June 2001. Sir Selwyn says trading in January and February deteriorated, due to further intense competitive pressures in Australia. The falling Aussie dollar is also putting added pressure on costs. He warns that those conditions are likely to remain for the rest of the year. Shares in Air New Zealand fell yesterday following a similar profit warning from rival Qantas. There was an immediate reaction to today's profits news with Air New Zealand A shares trading down eight cents to $1.07, while the more widely held B shares slumped seven cents, to $1.35.
(Due to the newsgathering equivalent of a run-out this week both Helen and I thought the other was gathering Friday's news, so we both missed it. Sorry - BH)
(But one piece of good news was a series-levelling test win by the Black Caps over the touring Pakistan cricket team. Craig McMillan achieved special glory by scoring a world record twenty six runs of a single over ... five fours and a six of the bowling of a hapless Younis Khan who may wish not to have been part of that particular record. - BH)
Date: 29 March 2001 Brian Dooley
Wellington New Zealand
CURRENCIES
The currency codes given below conform to ISO 4217, which
can be found at http://www.xe.net/currency/iso_4217.htm.
The rates given are for telegraphic transfer and are
as given in the Wellington Evening Post today.
To Buy NZD 1.00
USD 0.4136
AUD 0.8353
GBP 0.2879
JPY 50.82
CAD 0.6478
EUR 0.4672
FRF 3.0637
DEM 0.9139
HKD 3.2344
SGD 0.7451
ZAR 3.3276
CHF 0.7155
INTEREST RATES (%)
Call : 6.25
90 Day: 6.25
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