Copyright © 1995 Brian Harmer
Christchurch is a different country. It looks different, naturally enough, but it feels different. The people have different concerns, and seem to march to a different drummer. Auckland does not feel so very different, but there must be something in that artesian water down there that makes the place seem so separate. Mary and I had the opportunity to spend a weekend with our wonderfully hospitable middle son and daughter-in-law who live down there in the land of red and black, where the name Speights is spoken in hushed tones as they contemplate the frost on the glass and the brown liquid therein. We arrived on the soon to be discontinued Freedom Air flight, sweeping down the coast over the snow-capped Kaikoura ranges, and from 26,000 feet I could see whale watching boats moving on the beaten sea below (no whales were seen however). In over Pegasus Bay and the broad plains, over Wigram and the stored planes, and swinging back to the North, we landed and disembarked quickly. We dropped the luggage off at Andrew's house, and then came back to the city to enjoy some lunch and a beer in the bright sunshine of a lovely winter day. Smartly dressed young men in the uniform of St Bede's College were every few yards along the strip, selling daffodils in support of the Cancer Society.
Since I am horrendously late this week, I will carry this journey over till next week.
All news items (except where noted otherwise) are reproduced by kind permission of copyright owner, IRN Ltd. Any text above this point, and all subsequent 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. In all cases they are honest expressions of personal opinion, and are not presented as fact. This week's formatting is sponsored by Bruce Hamilton, to whom many thanks. On with the news:
Three pre-school children are spending the night in welfare care, after being found alone in a flooded Auckland flat. Auckland police say the four, three, and one-year-old children were upset, cold and soaking wet when police broke in to the locked Mt Eden address late this afternoon. Neighbours had noticed water pouring out of the unit. A shower had been left on, or possibly turned on by the children. Inspector Bruce Bird says the flat was occupied by two women. He says one went looking for work at seven o'clock this morning, leaving the children with the other woman, who police want to talk to in order to hear an explanation. Inspector Bird says those responsible could be charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life, and leaving children unattended. He says the children are being checked out at Starship Hospital, and will spend the night in CYF care.
Jonah Lomu's lawyers have initiated legal action against TV3. Papers claiming Lomu's image has been used without consent have been filed at the High Court in Auckland. An advertisement promoting the TV3's free-to-air rugby coverage featured a picture of the All Black. Lomu's lawyer says a court conference has been set down for early October.
Farmers who say they have lost stock as a result of a 1080 poison drop in the National Park area will have to pay to have it confirmed one way or the other. One farmer who lost four sheep has been told it will cost $600 for a vet and Landcare Research to test his animals for traces of 1080. One landowner who lost a domestic pig is going ahead with the testing, despite the cost. Alan Henderson, of the Ruapehu Action Group which opposed the use of 1080, says it is too much of a coincidence that stock was found dead soon after the recent drop by Horizons m.w. Pest control business unit manager for Horizons, Craig Mitchell, says their contractors worked within the designated boundaries, and he is satisfied the drop went as planned.
Another brat packer has been relegated to the second row in Parliament after the Speaker's decision this afternoon that National loses two front bench seats. National's police spokesman Tony Ryall drops back, along with the party's former finance spokesman David Carter. They follow Nick Smith, who was demoted in Bill English's reshuffle. Their seats will be taken by New Zealand First's Winston Peters and probably his deputy Peter Brown. Mr Peters' party has also secured another seat in National's block directly behind them, which will probably go to whip Rob Mark. New Zealand First also gets a further front-bench seat across the aisle where the Greens have been sandwiched in between two philosophical enemies, New Zealand First and ACT. National's deputy leader, Gerry Brownlee is philosophical about the decision. He says the Speaker has made a ruling and the party will abide by it.
You have read the book; seen the film; bought the DVD. . . and now you can tread the paths of Middle Earth for yourself. Wanaka author Ian Brodie has compiled the Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook, which is being published by HarperCollins in November. The guidebook offers insights into how the film-makers turned New Zealand into Tolkien's intricate world, along with detailed maps and easy to follow directions. The publishers say Brodie has woven together local history, movie lore, Maori mythology and Elvish legend to provide the definitive guide for the practical traveller. And since Hobbits are fond of their creature comforts, the book also provides accommodation and eating-out tips.
The Greens have signed an agreement with the Labour-led Government, but stopped short of assuring its votes on confidence and supply. The agreement falls into three categories. The first assures the Greens a role in policy development. The second allows its involvement in the broad direction of policy. Thirdly, the Greens will be party to information. The Greens are now saying confidence and supply could be offered on a case-by-case basis even after the genetic moratorium is lifted in October next year. The Greens say the signing of today's agreement is breaking new ground in this country. Greens co-leader Rod Donald says while they have their differences with the Government, they will not vote against good legislation for the sake of it. Co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says it shows that under MMP, parties are able to play a role in policy outcomes even if they are technically part of the opposition. Mr Donald says the document in no way restricts the party's freedom to state its differences over issues.
Staff at Waitakere Hospital admit patients have expressed safety concerns after a woman was set on fire during labour. A young Auckland mother suffered burns to her lower body during a caesarean section earlier in the month. It is thought an electro-surgical unit used for diathermy ignited the vapours from an alcohol-based swabbing solution. The woman's baby was unharmed, but she suffered burns to her lower body. Waitakere City's Deputy Fire Chief, Ben Basevi says the alcohol intensified the heat of the flames. He says surgical staff had to extinguish a number of fires around the bed surface. Mr Basevi says a number of factors would have to be in place for a fire to break out, and in this case, fuel, air and an ignition source were all present. Waitakere Hospital General Manager Rachel Haggerty says surgical staff were "heroic" in their efforts to extinguish the fire. Rachel Haggerty says once the rarity of the situation is explained, patients can be reassured they will be safe. The Hospital is now weighing up the pros and cons of using alcohol-based solutions in the operating theatre, and in the meantime a water-based iodine solution is being used while the investigation continues. Ms Haggerty says iodine does the job, but alcohol is better at killing bacteria.
One of the three 14-year-old girls charged with killing Waitara truck driver Kenny Piggott has pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Karararina Makere Te Rauna will be sentenced tomorrow, as she is giving evidence in the trial of the other two girls. The trial is now expected to take about eight days rather than a fortnight. The empanelling of the jury will take place on Wednesday morning. The battered body of the 60-year-old man was found partly submerged in the Waitara River in March. Mr Piggott's car was found abandoned the same day in the Waitotara Valley, 120 kilometres south of Waitara.
An administrative error has forced Wayne Brown to step down as Chairman of Gisborne's Tairawhiti District Health Board. Mr Brown also chairs the Auckland Health Board. However it is against the law for one person to chair two boards. Ministry of Health Director General, Karen Poutasi says she only recently become aware of what she calls the administrative oversight. Ironically senior doctors' representatives are calling for Mr Brown to resign as Auckland Board chairman. They say his management style clashes with what they feel are their patients' interests.
(If the impression conveyed in a documentary programme on this man was anything like reality, I regret his removal not one bit. My sympathies in the Auckland dispute are entirely with the staff. - BH)
The new Parliament has kicked off with vigorous and heated debate. Following the State opening at lunch time, MPs are back to business, gathering to debate the appointment of Parliament's deputy Speaker and two assistant Speakers. It has been a controversial process, with the Opposition upset that two out of three of the jobs have gone to Labour MPs. NZ First leader Winston Peters says that is ridiculous. He says it is not right for the government to have such a blatant disregard for the MMP environment. Labour MP for Northcote Ann Hartley is deputy Speaker. Fellow Labour MP Ross Robertson and National's Clem Simich are the assistant Speakers. Shadow leader of the House Gerry Brownlee says Ms Hartley's appointment is a joke, given that she is a virtual unknown.
A Waihi resident says he is in a holding pattern, until he knows more about the fate of his property. Twelve householders in the Hauraki District have been advised to get out of their homes immediately. A risk assessment by the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences shows there is a greater than 10 percent chance the ground beneath those properties will slip. Florist Ray Miller says he and his wife were shocked to learn their home of 30 years is in a high risk area. But he says he is not yet ready to give up his house and move into a motel. He says it is not clear what kind of compensation will be offered.
(Alas, poor Waihi! I knew it well, Horatio! When Pye, and later Philips, were the main industry in the town, and the graffiti on the rail bridge said, "save the town, shoot a miner", I stayed many a night in the old Commercial Hotel, where a meal to feed Ethiopia for a week could be had for $8. An entire packhorse crayfish hanging over both ends of the biggest dinner plates would cost the same, and dear old Betty Dell would be disappointed if you didn't want dessert afterwards. - BH)
The 14-year-old girl who admitted a part in the death of New Plymouth man Kenny Piggott has been sentenced. Mr Piggott was found dead on the banks of the Waitara River in March this year. Karararina Makere Te Rauna pleaded guilty to manslaughter yesterday at the High Court in New Plymouth. She has been sentenced to eight years and nine months in prison. Under our new sentencing laws, she must serve a third of that before she is eligible for parole. Te Rauna was given credit for her guilty plea and her willingness to be a Crown witness in the trial. Two other teenagers are charged with murder. Te Rauna was sentenced after submissions from the Crown and Defence lasting almost two hours. There was considerable discussion about the new sentencing laws which came into force in July and the young age of the accused.
A US manufacturer is suing Fisher and Paykel Healthcare because it claims the New Zealand company has infringed its patents. ResMed Inc. claims that Fisher and Paykel's ACLAIM mask products copy designs patented by ResMed. The masks in question are used to help patients suffering from respiratory problems, such as sleep apnea. Fisher and Paykel's masks were introduced for the first time in June of last year. ResMed is a leading manufacturer of medical equipment specialising in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep-disordered breathing. Fisher & Paykel Healthcare says the suit was filed without warning and had not been served on the Company by the close of business in the US. It says it will not comment until it sees details of ResMed's claim. The company says it has procedures in place to avoid infringing the intellectual property rights of its competitors and to protect its own intellectual property. ResMed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dr Peter Farrell says ResMed has invested heavily in the development of its mask technology, and will not tolerate the copying of products by competitors.
The parents of three young children allegedly left alone for 16 hours at the weekend have appeared in Blenheim District Court. Police were alerted after a neighbour noticed two of the children in a distressed state at the bottom of their driveway. The mother has pleaded not guilty to three charges of leaving a child under 14 without proper care. The father has not entered a plea. They will reappear in court next month. Meanwhile, charges have yet to be laid against two mothers accused of leaving their three young children alone yesterday, in a flooded Auckland flat.
Confirmation that 136 refugees are arriving here on Thursday from Nauru and Papua New Guinea, has upset New Zealand First. The refugees, some of whom were originally picked up by the freighter Tampa last year, will be accepted as part of our international quota. New Zealand First leader, Winston Peters, says the Government is more concerned about its international "do-gooder" image than its own citizens. He says refugees accepted under a United Nations quota will be given good housing, food, medical and welfare care, while New Zealanders are dying because of poor housing conditions. Mr Peters claims New Zealand's refugee quota of 750 seems to have been met three times over.
Auckland's Sky City has posted an after-tax surplus of $85. 1 million, an increase of more than 20% on last year. However, out of the $85 million must come a $27. 9 million write-down of the Force Entertainment Centre in Auckland, after Sky City underwrote a recapitalisation, boosting its stake from 50 to 73 per cent. The net surplus is $57. 2 million. A final dividend of 22. 5 cents per share has been declared making the year's total dividend 38 cents per share. Managing Director Evan Davies say this is a very pleasing result. Gaming revenues were up 10%, while food and beverage revenues were also up 9% to $28 million. Hotel and conference revenues were up 9% at $19 million and revenues from the Sky Tower were up 6% at $7 million. Looking forward to the year ahead, Mr Davies says in less than a month Sky Riverside, the new casino complex at Hamilton, is due to open on time and to budget. Meanwhile in Auckland, he says construction has begun on a new convention centre which is due to be finished around the end of 2003.
The mother of child killer Bailey Kurariki says she is broken hearted by what has happened. Thirteen-year-old Kurariki was convicted with five other youths on Saturday of the killing of pizza worker Michael Choy in south Auckland last year. His mother, Lorraine says he was only nine months old when she and his father separated. She believes education authorities should share some of the blame for him going off the rails. Lorraine Kurariki says she would go to social welfare meetings only to be told to keep quiet when she argued with them about getting her son into a school. Bailey is the youngest of eight children. His mother says her other children have turned out all right.
The French America's Cup syndicate took up its berth in Auckland yesterday, and was greeted by a Greenpeace protest. Team France is sponsored by Areva, a nuclear power company, which Greenpeace says is completely inappropriate for such a premier event in a nuclear-free country. Greenpeace says Areva is one of the worst polluters in the world and discharges nuclear waste into the ocean daily. The environmental group also says Areva is intimately connected to the development of nuclear weapons. Although Greenpeace objects to the French team sponsor, it is promising not to disrupt the America's Cup. It says its opposition is not directed at the team, and the French sailors are welcome. Greenpeace spokeswoman Bunny McDiarmid says if yachties support New Zealand's nuclear-free status they should fly a nuclear-free pennant while watching racing, as a way of opposing the nuclear industry's use of this premier event to advertise itself. Bunny McDiarmid says hopefully the protest flags will also make it on to French TV, to balance Areva's self- promotion.
Seventy jobs are going as the Auckland Health Board tries to shave up to three million dollars from its ballooning deficit. The board is consulting unions and affected staff before finally deciding which positions will be cut. The final announcement will be made in about two months. The Board's job review includes nurses, medical, surgical, managerial and clerical staff. Chief Executive Graeme Edmond has given an assurance there will be no direct impact on patients.
The lawyer for disgraced Maori TV boss John Davy says his client's remorse is genuine. Davy is being deported to Canada after serving 13 weeks of a six month sentence in an Auckland prison. He conned his way into the top job at Maori TV by making false statements about his previous experience on his C.V. Kahu Barron-Afeaki says Davy has learned a lot in prison. He says his client does not know what his future will be like once he returns home. He says no employment opportunities have been lined up for Davy in advance, and he just wants to get on with living as a free man again.
(Until he got back to Canada, that is, and then his emorse evaporated. - BH)
The leaders of the two main political parties squared off in Parliament this afternoon for the first time since the election. Political editor Barry Soper says National's Bill English showed he had not recovered from his party's biggest defeat ever, whilst Prime Minister Helen Clark exuded confidence. For Mr English, the speech was a tough one to deliver, considering he was speaking to mostly empty seats on the other side of the debating chamber. He referred to National's deep roots in the community and how well the party has served this country in the past. But Helen Clark was having none of it, saying Mr English's speech best summed up the election result.
The government is poised to place 52 more people on its Zimbabwe blacklist. Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff has confirmed negotiations to extend sanctions against Zimbabwe's ruling elite are almost finalised. He says the move is in line with action taken by the European Union, Canada and the United States. Tension is mounting in Zimbabwe as President Robert Mugabe continues with his plan to evict nearly two-thirds of the remaining 4,500 white commercial farmers to leave their farms without compensation. Mr Goff says a travel ban has been in place against 20 key members of Zimbabwe's government since April. That list includes Robert Mugabe. Meanwhile National wants the government to urgently investigate claims that white Zimbabwean farmers who have fled to New Zealand, are being followed here and harassed. The party's Foreign Affairs spokesman Wayne Mapp has produced evidence of the claims in Parliament this afternoon. He says ZANU-PF militants from Robert Mugabe's regime are travelling here to intimidate and harass the farmers, and in some cases, have issued death threats against them. Wayne Mapp says the document has been sent to the Police Commissioner and Immigration authorities. Phil Goff says he will look at the documents to determine whether he needs to take any action.
A major power outage in Waikato has affected dozens of dairy farmers. Power's been cut to a stretch of land running alongside the Waikato River from Arohena to Whakamaru, since three this morning. Chief Executive of The Lines Company John Anderson says a failure in a piece of equipment supplying power from the generators caused the outage. He says there are a hundred dairy farmers in the area affected. Mr Anderson says Fonterra has now decided to delay milk pick-up in the region until midnight tonight. The power is due to be back on between seven and nine tonight.
Maiden speeches in Parliament from two Labour MPs today have reflected both the old and the new face of the party. Waitakere MP Lynne Pillay says her work for the union movement during the 1990s has toughened her up for a life in Parliament. She says she learned political life was not about winning arguments, but about negotiating outcomes. Meanwhile new List MP Ashraf Choudhary paid tribute to the hard-working migrant communities, warning about growing prejudice. He says physical attacks on members of ethnic or migrant communities are growing at an alarming rate.
The Crown has begun outlining its case in the trial of two teenage girls charged with murdering Waitara truck driver Kenneth Pigott. The prosecutor says on the night the 60- year-old died, five teenagers were roaming the streets of Waitara after drinking bourbon provided by an adult. They found Mr Pigott asleep in his four-wheel drive and decided to steal his car. The prosecutor alleges Mr Pigott was hit on the head with a hammer eight or nine times, and his jaw broken. His body was found in a nearby river the following day. A pathologist's report indicates he probably died of drowning. A defence lawyer says his client hit Mr Pigott two or three times, not nine. He has asked the jury to consider the cause of death and that his client did not have murderous intentions.
The intricacies of the murder charge against Kevin Harmer have been presented to the jury in the High Court in Christchurch. Harmer is accused of killing his wife Jillian Thomas in October 1999 and deliberately setting fire to the vehicle from which her body was later recovered. Justice Chisolm told the jury that while the case against the accused is circumstantial, it does not necessarily make it weaker or second rate. He said if they agreed with the Crown that separate strands of evidence presented a series of unbelievable coincidences, then they must agree with the Crown's case. However if they come across evidence that is equally in favour and equally against the accused, then the benefit must weigh in his favour.
Hundreds of worried Waihi residents have turned out to a public meeting tonight. The gathering follows the revelation that 174 properties in the town are at some risk of subsidence, and the mood in Waihi's Memorial Hall was one of anxiety and concern. Many residents asked questions about compensation, and wanted to know what the government and the local council were doing about the issue, but Mayor Basil Morrison told residents no guarantees could be made at this stage. Associate Energy Minister Harry Duynhoven told residents that the government will be talking seriously about the issue.
The jury has called it a day in Christchurch at the High Court murder trial of Kevin Harmer, but not before asking another question of the Judge. Harmer is accused of killing his wife Jillian Thomas in October 1999, and deliberately setting fire to the vehicle from which her body was recovered. Immediately after their meal break tonight, the jury asked Justice Chisholm to redefine the legal meaning of 'reasonable doubt'. He told them while the Crown does not have to prove its case with 100 percent precision, the jury must be absolutely sure the Crown has proved its case. Deliberations will resume in the morning.
(A reporter rang my son's house within minutes of the guilty verdict wanting to know if we were related to the convicted man. ... we aren't, but I wonder if there is a lower job somewhere than that reporter's idea of what constitutes news? - BH)
The family of an elderly Thames man who has been sent to prison today, were expecting a harsher penalty. Seventy- seven-year-old Rex Law killed his wife Olga, who was suffering from Alzheimer's disease, in March this year. He pleaded guilty to her murder, claiming it was a mercy killing. In sentencing, the High Court at Hamilton heard how Law had given his wife sleeping pills, hit her over the head with a mallet, and then suffocated her. Under the new sentencing act, which allows more flexibility, Justice Tony Randerson sentenced Law to 18 months imprisonment. Law's son John says he is confident his father will be able to cope with that.
The police are putting on a brave face in the wake of figures out today showing a rise in crime. Latest figures show overall crime has risen by almost three percent over the past year, compared with a 1. 9 percent decrease the previous year. There has also been a big jump in the number of sexual offences, with a 13 percent increase being recorded this year. Police Commissioner, Rob Robinson, says the response to international events such as September 11th, together with a number of high profile murder cases, have resulted in a very busy year.
The Health Minister has failed to escape getting involved in the Auckland healthcare workers' row. Around 70 jobs are being slashed at the Auckland District Health Board, in a bid to get its $61 million deficit down. There is concern the cuts will impact on patient services. However Health Minister Annette King says she is confident patient safety will not be compromised. She says fewer than 10 of the jobs being axed are medical positions. Mrs King says most of them are non-clinical and none of the changes affect areas where vacancies need to be filled. However, the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists says the cuts will impact on patient services, as well as on the morale and resourcing of doctors and nurses.
An end to the secondary teachers' pay dispute at last. Teachers have voted overwhelmingly to ratify an offer recommended by an independent arbitration panel. Eighty- eight percent of PPTA voters endorsed the proposed collective agreement, after 16 months of often bitter negotiations. PPTA President Jen McCutcheon says voter turnout was high, with around three-quarters of the union's 14,500 members taking part. The deal gives all teachers a three-and-half percent pay rise now, and a further three percent in July next year. Jen McCutcheon says it is great that a long and bitter dispute which has lasted almost eighteen months is now over and she is praising union members for their determination. Education Minister Trevor Mallard says the news is an enormous relief. He says now the teachers have settled, more energy will go into encouraging people into the profession. Mr Mallard admits he knew the secondary teachers would always be a hard nut to crack. He says in general, PPTA disputes last longer than anywhere else in the state sector. Trevor Mallard says even if the arbitration panel's recommendations had not been binding for the Government, they still would have accepted it as final.
A diplomatic snub has been delivered by the Government, to the leader of the overseas Chinese Democracy Movement. IRN's political editor says Wei Jingsheng was sitting in the debating chamber's public galleries, but the Government refused to acknowledge him. The Act Party asked for Parliament to acknowledge Mr Wei's presence, but the Government objected. Last week Mr Wei was honoured at a Parliamentary reception given by the Australian Government. Rodney Hide says the Government's snub is a disgrace for a man who spent 20 years in jail fighting for democracy. Ethnic Affairs Minister Chris Carter was unmoved saying he enjoys good relations with the Chinese community and hopes that will continue.
A second of three Cambodian men accused of possessing more than $12 million worth of heroin has taken the witness stand in his own defence. Sophea Kim - who has been living on a benefit - told the High Court at Napier he had no idea the parcels of videotapes he received in early January contained 76 percent pure heroin. He says that fellow accused Day Lay had asked him to accept the parcel and that he had been looking out for it for five or six days. Kim says that after he had helped Lay to open the parcels he wanted to leave the property but said he was very afraid of Lay.
A Maori health provider in Northland has had its contract with the Health Ministry terminated. The Ministry says services provided by Te Hauora o Te Tai Tokerau will be managed by Northland Health in the interim. The Ministry had funded the iwi group to provide public health services worth $800,000. These included breast feeding advocacy and promotion, and a healthy lifestyles programme. In addition, the Northland District Health Board funded it to provide services worth $400,000. The Health Ministry's Director of Public Health, Dr Colin Tukuitonga said all parties involved including the provider had mutually agreed to an early termination of the health contracts. The Health Ministry says it is in the interests of all parties to take whatever steps necessary to protect the integrity of health services provided to Maori in the area.
An increase in student bankruptcies is being attributed to a proportional increase in the number of student loans. The amount of student debt write-offs due to bankruptcy has risen from $2. 8 million to $3. 9 million over the past financial year. But Tertiary Education Minister Steve Maharey says proportionally the number of students going into bankruptcy has not changed. He says the increase is to be expected, with a significant upsurge in the number of students taking out loans.
Air New Zealand says it still has a world class engineering operation, despite its latest mishap. On Friday night part of a wing flap detached from a Los Angeles-bound Boeing 747 as it took off from Auckland. It follows a similar incident a week ago, and another last year. Senior vice president of operations and technical Bill Jacobson says the airline has checked its other 747s without finding any problem. He says the planes are thoroughly checked every five to six weeks anyway, and following this incident the relevant parts will also be disassembled and the linkage parts tested. The Transport Minister says he is satisfied air travellers can have confidence in our national carrier. Paul Swain has met with the Transport Accident and Investigation Commission and the Civil Aviation Authority today. Mr Swain says these agencies are independent of Government policy, and have public safety as their primary concern. He says as they work their way through the investigation they can take any steps they see as urgent.
New Zealand appears to be becoming a more popular place to live for skilled migrants. The government is to lift the General Skills Category pass mark required to gain residency here, from 28 to 29 points. Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel says there is a significant number of applications already on hand. Because of that, the pass mark needs to be increased. She says the move will make it more difficult for people to get in, unless they have a job offer which attracts a high level of points.
Fourteen homes in a Dunedin suburb have been evacuated this afternoon, following the discovery of explosives material in the backyard of a property in Tainui. Senior Sergeant Phil McDouall says police called in the bomb squad from Burnham. The bomb was found to be unstable and could not be moved, so it was detonated on site. No one was injured. Police are trying to find out how the material came to be in the area.
Otago University staff in Dunedin have turned out in force at a protest rally on the campus after they walked off the job on strike for the afternoon over a pay dispute. Combined unions are seeking a pay rise of eight per cent. But the university is offering 1. 5 per cent. Union spokesman, Shef Rogers, told a rally outside the university registry, that the varsity has the money to pay staff better. Dr Rogers says the union estimates more than 600 members took part in the rally - that's higher than was expected.
There is frustration for those seeking change, in the Palmerston North suburb of Highbury. Seventeen-year-old Wiremu Waho died from a stab wound on Saturday night. He is the third teenager in the suburb to lose his life violently this year. The Highbury Community Focus Group was set up after the fatal shooting of Wallace Whatuira in February. The group's chairman, Ian Cruden says the group wants to hire two social workers. But he says it is frustrating that they have only just been able to fill one of the positions. He says the person is a prominent sports personality, who is from Highbury but who can not be named yet.
Date: 29 August 2002 Brian Dooley
Wellington New Zealand
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