WYSIWYG NEWS - 15 March, 2003
Brian Harmer
----- WYSIWYG NEWS -------------------------------
Copyright, Brian Harmer
Last weekend, Mary and I rented a little house in the quiet
little village called Lake Ferry. Situated on the Eastern
shore of Lake Onoke at the Southern extremity of the
Wairarapa region, the township consists of about fifty
houses, a pub, and a camping ground. The nearest general
store is sixteen km North at Pirinoa, and the nearest town
is Martinborough which is 36 km away. Like most of the
Wairarapa, the region is bleached almost white after
several months without significant rain. The rolling
hillside farms on the road from Martinborough to the sea
are a patchwork of pale straw with the occasional thin
patch of green where irrigation is available. Various forms
seem to rely on bore water, since many of the creeks in the
region are bone dry. The currently fashionable form of
distribution seems to involve underground piping to a grid
of nozzles that look like inverted "potties", from where a
pulsating jet of water is squirted onto a ring of grass.
But, on to Lake Ferry. The quietness I mentioned was one of
the drawcards, though that wasn't always as absolute as we
might have expected. For a start, the Pacific ocean crashes
relentlessly on the stony spit that separates the lake from
the sea. And then there is a colony of water birds at the
head of the lake. They seem to be a mixture of black swans,
Canada geese, and Paradise Shelducks. When they are
disturbed the noise is astonishing, beginning with initial
honks of alarm and followed by the thunder of a thousand
wings as the motley flock relocates to a different part of
the lake. Man-made noise is present too, as anglers putter
across the placid waters, or worse, as the ubiquitous rural
quad-bikes scurry back and forth between homes and pubs.
For the most part though, it was quiet. On the Saturday
morning, we walked around the Eastern shoreline to the head
of the lake. It was a partially overcast and windless day.
The water perfectly mirrored the grey and blue and purples
of the cloudscape, and created a thousand opportunities for
the photos of a lifetime. I did mention that I left my
camera back in the house did I? Shags perched on disused
piles with wings hung out to dry. What were the piles for?
I speculate that they may have been used for some sort of
shoreline retention scheme against the periodic flooding in
the region. Despite it being the second to last weekend
before the end of daylight saving, there were a number of
tents on the camping ground, and to my surprise a number of
caravans permanently attached to more solid buildings.
These are not the sort of cabin you find in an American
trailer park, but genuine single axle caravans that once
roamed the country behind a car before coming to this last
resting place. The house in which we were staying was
comfortable, and equipped with all the necessities,
including a complimentary bottle of wine from the owner. If
anyone contemplates a similar retreat from city life, you
can find the web site at
http://lendale1.tripod.com/index.htm
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
http://www.kiaorathailand.com. Many thanks good people.
On with the news:
Monday, 10 March
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PUBLIC HEALTH WARNINGS REPEATED
-------------------------------
Public health officials are repeating warnings to the
public to be careful about the food and water they consume.
A letter sent to the New Zealand Herald newspaper warns of
cyanide in home and motel water supplies, explosives and
gas in cinemas. Police have linked the threat to earlier
letters sent to the US embassy and Australian and British
high commissions. Deputy director general of public health
Dr Don Matheson says people should be aware of the taste of
what they are eating or drinking. He says cyanide has an
almond flavour and would cause a burning sensation in the
mouth.
(I figure that by the time you are aware of the taste, you
are dead! - BH)
WARNING TO REMEDY DISTRIBUTORS
------------------------------
The Ministry of Health has issued a strong warning to the
distributors of an alternative remedy who claim it is a
wonder drug. Sellers of the product Ambrotose claim it
offers relief to sufferers of serious diseases such as
cancer and cystic fibrosis. Medsafe Team Leader Compliance
Peter Pratt says the Ministry is concerned about the
claims, which are in breach of the medicines act. He says
they have spoken to Mannatech, the company involved, and
have sent them a warning letter.
'WONDER DRUG' UNPROVEN SAY DOCTORS
-----------------------------------
The Medical Association is also concerned about alternative
remedy Ambrotose. The pills, which cost about $70 for a two
to four week supply, largely comprise of natural sugars.
It is claimed these promote cell-to-cell communication, and
hormone and energy production. Medical Association chairman
Dr John Adams says it is another example of an alternative
remedy that has not been subject to the same scientific
rigour as medicines. He compares Ambrotose with Lyprinol, a
mussel extract which was hailed as a possible cancer cure
without the appropriate tests. Dr Adams says alternative
remedies should have the scientific background to back up
any claims, otherwise people are given false hope, and end
up wasting their money.
STAMPEDE AT CENTRE OF ENQUIRY
------------------------------
The Multiple Sclerosis organisation is carrying out a
thorough investigation of the processes followed at The
Great New Zealand Horse Trek. The Taranaki trek, to raise
money for MS, turned to disaster when around a dozen horses
were killed in a stampede on March 2. Seventy riders pulled
out of the trek after the incident. MS National Director of
Operations Nola Rawson says the trek finished up on Sunday
without further incident, and she will now be briefed by
the organiser over the next few days. She says they want to
talk to a number of other people involved with the trek
before drawing conclusions about what actually happened and
whether it could have been averted.
PEOPLE WALK FOR PEACE IN INVERCARGILL
--------------------------------------
About 300 people walked through the Invercargill city
centre yesterday in support of peace in spite of a looming
US-Iraqi conflict. Spokeswoman for the march organisers,
Judith Robinson, says the Have A Heart For Peace march was
not just to protest against the possibility of war, but to
get world leaders to look for new ways to resolve
conflicts. Judith Robinson says a wide cross-section of
people went on the walk and she was struck by the goodwill
and solidarity of the walkers and supporters.
BUSY WEEKEND FOR INVERCARGILL POLICE
------------------------------------
It has been another busy weekend for Invercargill police.
Fifty-four people have been arrested since Friday night.
Senior Sergeant Dave Raynes says this follows last
weekend's very busy time when 72 people were arrested.
Dave Raynes says many of those arrested were young males
and alcohol was a significant factor in many of the
offences. He says a wide range of mainly disorder offences
were committed in the inner city over the weekend. Those
arrested will be appearing in court through the week.
(Sounds like that walking for peace was not entirely
effective - BH)
SEAT-BELT CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED
---------------------------
Eastern District police are launching a campaign to target
seat-belt wearing. Inspector John Fairley says police are
concerned that the district has a very high non-compliance
rate. Inspector Fairley says the campaign is timely and
will run for three weeks. He warns police will continue the
crack-down till at least the end of the year. A seat-belt
offence incurs an instant fine of $150, and police are
adopting a 'zero tolerance'. The campaign will target both
drivers and passengers.
PM DEFENDS CUP MONEY
--------------------
Helen Clark is defending her government's support for an
America's Cup challenge. Political opponents, as well as a
number of sports and social welfare groups, want to know
why $5.6 million of taxpayers' money is being spent on what
they call a millionaire's game. But the Prime Minister says
it is not about sport but branding and profile for New
Zealand in the competitive global environment. She says it
presents huge opportunities and will be good for the
country. Helen Clark says the irony is Team New Zealand may
find it easier to get sponsorship now the next America's
Cup is being held in Europe.
(I have considerable sympathy for all the other groups who
say that they could achieve similar results for their
sectional interest with the aid of $5 million - BH)
PORT HILLS FIRE UNDER CONTROL
------------------------------
Christchurch firefighters now have a fire on the Port Hills
under control. The fire began on a spur overlooking Sumner
at about four o'clock, and is thought to have been started
by a spark from welding work being done on a nearby house.
The blaze shot up the spur towards Godley Head Road but has
since been brought under control.
ALCOHOL AD RESTRAINTS SHOULD STAY - FOUNDATION
-----------------------------------------------
The Drug and Alcohol Foundation is appalled by calls to
loosen up alcohol advertising regulations. Lion Breweries,
together with the Beer, Wine and Spirits Council has
complained that the current rules are too tight.
They would like the option of being able to advertise
before 9pm on television. Drug and Alcohol Foundation
spokeswoman Sally Jackman says they have evidence which
proves the status quo should be maintained. "We do have
evidence that young teenagers who remember and like ads
tend to become heavier drinkers or have more positive
attitudes about drinking when they are in their late
teens," she said.
AUSSIE SPIDER BAFFLES
---------------------
The discovery of an Australian huntsman spider in an east
Auckland suburb has the Ministry of Agriculture and
Forestry baffled. The large arachnid was found in a garden
in Bucklands Beach at the end of January. The home owner
managed to kill it and sent it to MAF where it was
confirmed as a huntsman. MAF biosecurity officer Amelia
Pascoe says they alerted people in the area to the find and
asked other residents to keep an eye out for any more of
the large spiders. No more have been confirmed in the area
and MAF is unsure how it turned up in the eastern suburb.
Biosecurity officer Amelia Pascoe says the information they
have is the spider is not poisonous, but it can hurt if a
person is bitten by the larger ones.
TEEN IN COURT AGAIN
-------------------
The Whangarei teenager accused of driving a car into a
group of party-goers at Kamo, killing one of them, has made
another appearance in court. Nineteen-year-old Julie
Johnson faces 27 charges, including 13 of causing injury
and one of murdering 16-year-old Renee Brown. Police asked
for the matter to be stood down while their inquiries
continued. Johnson was remanded in custody to appear again
in the Whangarei District Court on March 31 for a pre-
depositions hearing.
CER NOT IRAQ FOCUS AT TALKS
---------------------------
Protests over Iraq are not expected to detract from
Monday's focus on Closer Economic Relations in Wellington.
John Howard is wrapping up three days of bilateral talks
with Helen Clark. Our political editor says even though
they disagree on the Iraq issue, the two prime ministers
have a genuinely warm relationship. Barry Soper says
protests outside the state luncheon are expected today, and
security will be tight. A sizeable police presence is
expected in the capital. Green MPs will join the peace
protestors outside Parliament. Greens co-leader Rod Donald
says he and the party's eight other MPs will not be at the
state banquet. He says the luncheon may be seen as an
endorsement of John Howard's stance on Iraq. At weekend
talks in Auckland, Mr Howard and Miss Clark warned that all
Pacific nations are vulnerable because of the rise of
international terrorism. Miss Clark says it has been a
strain for New Zealand to draw up legislation and find
money for counter- terrorism activities since September 11.
She says the pressure on smaller nations must be immense.
Mr Howard said stronger nations such as Australia and New
Zealand have a role to play in helping smaller Pacific
states. Terrorism will be top of the agenda when the
Pacific Island Forum meets in Auckland in August. And Helen
Clark says the two nations have agreed to disagree on the
looming war with Iraq. New Zealand is determined not to
confuse issues in its attempts to secure a free trade
agreement with the United States. Miss Clark says she is
not tempted to alter her view that there is still a need
for diplomacy, in the hopes of securing a trade
arrangement. John Howard and Helen Clark do see eye-to-eye
over Zimbabwe. Miss Clark says Zimbabwe's suspension from
the Commonwealth because of its oppressive regime is bound
to dominate discussion at the upcoming Commonwealth forum
in Nigeria. As chairman of the Commonwealth, John Howard
says it is logical that the suspension should be upheld
until the August summit.
JUDGES OK AS THEY ARE - NATIONAL
---------------------------------
National does not see any need for changes to the way
judges are hired and fired. The Government is proposing to
set up two new statutory bodies to oversee the appointment
of judges and the process for their dismissal. It says it
will improve the independence of the judiciary. But
National's Justice spokesman Richard Worth says the current
system works well enough and the changes are not needed.
He says they definitely will not make the judiciary more
independent. Richard Worth says he also has serious
concerns about a proposal to allow judges to work part-
time.
(It's only when things go awry that the issue comes to the
fore. I certainly do believe that vastly more transparency
is required in the presently mystical process by which
judges are selected and appointed. On the whole, the
present system does seem to have given us some very fine
judges, but the occasional glitch does have the public
asking how this or that person got appointed to the bench.
- BH)
Tuesday, 11 March
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CYANIDE ANTIDOTE STOCKS ASSESSED
--------------------------------
The Auckland District Health Board is assessing its
antidote stocks in light of the recent spate of cyanide
poisoning threats. Letters sent to various embassies and to
the New Zealand Herald have threatened to unleash the
deadly poison in domestic water supplies or as a gas in
cinemas. Wellington's Capital Coast Health has increased
its cyanide-antidote supplies in case the threats are
realised. The Auckland DHB already has supplies of cyanide-
antidote as it is not a rare poison. But it is monitoring
the situation and assessing its stocks in light of the
recent threats.
RESCUE COORDINATORS ALERTED BY BEACON
-------------------------------------
An emergency beacon that has been activated in the Hawke's
Bay region has the National Rescue Coordination Centre on
high alert. The centre has been trying to track the beacon
using a helicopter since two this morning. It is believed
the beacon is currently in the Frimley/Tomoana area of
Hastings. Police say it is probably an accidental
activation on a pleasure boat. Senior Sergeant Greg
Bradshaw's asking boaties to check that their beacons have
not been inadvertently activated.
RECORDED CRIME UP
-----------------
Recorded crime in New Zealand has risen slightly. Latest
police figures show offences for 2002 were up 3.2 per cent
on the previous year. The total number of offences was just
over 440,000, compared to 426,000 in 2001. Police
Commissioner Rob Robinson says the figure is not bad given
that over the past six years overall recorded crime in New
Zealand's dropped by 7.8 percent against a population
increase of 4.3 percent. He says in the same period, the
resolved crime rate has improved by five percent.
Dishonesty makes up the bulk of the overall rise. Violent
crime is up slightly, as are homicides and sexual offences.
NEW CRIME CAMERAS IN CHRISTCHURCH
---------------------------------
Christchurch crime cameras are in line for an upgrade as
police plan to turn up the heat on inner city trouble
spots. Fifteen cameras are currently operating around the
city with the focus on The Strip, the Bus Exchange and
north of Cathedral Square. Crime Camera Manager Constable
Dave Moore says technology has changed considerably since
the first cameras were installed in 1996. He says the
upgrade will mean more cameras and clearer footage.
KURDS PROTEST AT TURKISH CONSULATE
-----------------------------------
Local Kurds have held a two-hour protest at the Turkish
Consulate in Auckland. The rally was aimed at highlighting
concerns that Turkey may move its military forces into
northern Iraq in the event of a war. New Zealand Kurds
Society spokesman Karwan Eskerie says it is a critical
situation as the Kurds in the area will resist the Turkish
troops by all means possible. Mr Eskerie says the group is
trying to get across its concerns today.
TWIZEL POSTIE DOES NOT DELIVER
------------------------------
Twizel residents are catching up on their mail, but it may
be a little out of date. A postie in the South Island town
has lost her job for failing to deliver the mail. New
Zealand Post says more than 80 items were never delivered,
some dating back five years. They included wedding
invitations and cheques. Post spokeswoman Tanya Henderson
says when they investigated, a number of mail items were
found in the postie's possession. She says the mail has
been returned to Twizel residents. Tanya Henderson says the
reason for non-delivery is confidential.
POLICE INVESTIGATE ATTACK LINK
-------------------------------
Police are looking at a possible link between four separate
attacks on women in the Tauranga area. In the latest
incident last night, a nurse was confronted in her car at
the intersection of 13th Avenue and Devonport Road. She had
been on her way to work at Oakland Health when she was
stopped by a youth standing in the middle of the road. Two
other young men then wrenched open her car door and tried
to pull her out. The woman reacted quickly by putting her
foot hard on the accelerator and speeding away. One man is
now helping the police with their inquiries.
KURDS PROTEST AT TURKISH CONSULATE
----------------------------------
Local Kurds have held a two-hour protest at the Turkish
Consulate in Auckland. The rally was aimed at highlighting
concerns that Turkey may move its military forces into
northern Iraq in the event of a war. New Zealand Kurds
Society spokesman Karwan Eskerie says it is a critical
situation as the Kurds in the area will resist the Turkish
troops by all means possible. Mr Eskerie says the group is
trying to get across its concerns today.
COUNCIL WILL NOT BLOCK SPRAYING
-------------------------------
The Waitakere City Council will not be taking legal action
under the Health Act to stop the aerial spraying against
the Painted Apple Moth. A group opposed to the Auckland
spraying operation was advised by constitutional lawyer and
former Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer that they might
have a case to stop the spraying. The Waitakere City
Council then spent $10,000 investigating the option but has
found insufficient evidence to press ahead. Council
Environmental Management Committee chairwoman, Penny Hulse,
says they are unable to prove anything which would be
required under the Health Act to prevent future aerial
spraying operations.
AID AGENCIES PREPARE FOR WAR
----------------------------
As the world prepares for a likely war against Iraq, aid
agencies are readying themselves for the rush of refugees
expected once the bombing starts. The Gulf War saw camps in
the Middle East overflow with around a million refugees.
Another US-led strike is expected to displace a similar
number of people. World Vision New Zealand spokesman James
Addis is in Jordan, helping set up three of the 10 camps
which been established in Jordan, Syria and Iran. He says
with the strong likelihood of chemical and biological
weapons being used, a humanitarian crisis is pending.
Wednesday, 12 March
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COMMISSIONER 'UNHELPFUL' SAYS LAWYER
------------------------------------
The country's top policeman is being accused of being
unhelpful in meeting his end of the bargain in a private
prosecution against him. Commissioner Rob Robinson, along
with his assistant Jon White and John Upton QC are facing
charges of perverting the course of justice. The private
prosecution is being brought by former Wanganui police
superintendent Alec Waugh who was cleared last year on ten
charges of making fraudulent claim expenses. His lawyer Rob
Moodie says he keeps facing brick walls when trying to
access information for his case.
LEAKY BUILDINGS DOCUMENT RELEASED
----------------------------------
The document, "Better Regulation of the Building Industry,"
sets out proposed changes to the Building Act to ensure
there will be no more leaking homes. It also suggests
changes to the industry's regulatory framework. Minister of
Commerce Lianne Dalziel says it is important to realise
that the weather tightness issue is the symptom of a far
more fundamental and systemic problem that flowed from
changes to the Building Act 1991, which came into effect in
1993. She says that ten years later, the results are being
seen of the deregulated and "hands off" building
environment. Ms Dalziel says the scope of the Act will be
extended so that e is more emphasis on the interests of
consumers and the need for buildings to be durable and fit
for their purpose. She says the paper also puts greater
emphasis on getting it right the first time, which will be
aided by better building methods and products and stronger
building controls. It recommends the strengthening of
monitoring and enforcement and a more proactive Building
Industry Authority. The document also raises questions
about whether the building industry needs its own dispute
resolution body and whether there should be broader options
for consumer redress. Ms Dalziel says the document provides
a brighter picture for new home-buyers with better methods,
products and controls, as well as better people and quality
regulations.
(It seems that the initial shock-horror headlines were a
little overstated in their estimate of the number of houses
actually affected. In any event, prevention is good, but is
of no help at all to those whose houses are already
damaged. - BH)
AIRPORT EMERGENCY ENDS SAFELY
------------------------------
More details have emerged of the incident at Auckland
International Airport which led to a full emergency being
declared this afternoon. The tail of a Singapore Airlines
jumbo jet struck the runway of the Airport during take-off.
The 747-400 took off around 3.20 this afternoon bound for
Singapore. It was forced to circle the airport several
times and eye witnesses reported seeing the plane flying at
extremely low altitudes before finally returning safely to
the tarmac. One eye witness phoned Radio Hauraki and said
he saw the tail of the plane scraping along the runway
during take-off, and briefly catching fire. It is
understood the passengers were forced to stay on board the
jumbo jet immediately after landing because the crew were
unable to power down the jumbo's engines. A spokesman for
Singapore Airlines says all passengers have now
disembarked. It is not yet known what went wrong during
take-off procedures. Other flights have been diverted to
other cities during the emergency.
(The bottom line seems to be that the pilot over-rotated to
an angle nearer 20 degrees than the normal 12.5. As I read
it, the pilot is a senior command pilot, but one who had
just 100 hours on the 747-400 as opposed to Airbus and
other Boeing types. Whether this is relevant to the
incident is beyond my capacity to judge. I am just relieved
that it was not an Air New Zealand plane, since that
deprives media cynics of the opportunity to build further
on their self-created myth of a systemically failing
airline. - BH)
GOOD RESPONSE TO CYANIDE LETTERS
--------------------------------
Police have been encouraged by the response to their public
pleas for information on the cyanide letters. The letters -
some of which contained potentially deadly cyanide crystals
- were sent to foreign embassies and the New Zealand Herald
last month. More than 100 people have called the 0800
THREAT line since the discovery of the original letters.
Several more people have also e-mailed the investigation's
website. There has been a further influx in the past two
days since police released information on a new letter
making specific threats against water supplies and cinemas.
Assistant Commissioner Jon White says the information has
been largely useful.
HEAT TAX FOR STUDENTS
---------------------
Queues of children with packet noodles and last night's
leftovers have forced one Auckland school to charge pupils
to microwave their lunch. Laingholm School in West Auckland
is asking parents to put a 20 cent coin in their child's
lunchbox as a form of 'heat tax'. Principal Paul Heffernan
says he was forced to introduce the charge because his
teachers were spending much of their lunch break heating
food and finding spare utensils. He says it has been
putting pressure on the staffroom's sole microwave with
around 15 pupils each day needing to use it along with the
staff.
(It's nice to live in a country where this is a headline. -
HH)
(While I take Helen's point, I am irritated that the
parents involved think that the teachers and administrators
involved have nothing better to do in their own lunch
breaks than to provide individual room service to the
little darlings. - BH)
ALIEN INSECTS FOUND
-------------------
Auckland health authorities are on alert after the
discovery of two species of foreign mosquito. The larvae
and several pupae were found by MAF staff in old tyres used
to secure a piece of equipment on a container on board the
ship Southern Cross 2. The ship's last port of call had
been Pago Pago in American Samoa. The tyres and their
surrounding area have been fumigated and mosquito traps set
in the area. Australian experts have been asked to help
identify the what type of mosquitoes they are and what
threat they may pose.
POLICE DOG DESTROYED AFTER BITING BOY
-------------------------------------
A police dog in training has been destroyed in Christchurch
after it bit a 13-year-old boy earlier this week. The dog,
which was being evaluated for police work, was being
exercised on the New Brighton property of a police dog
handler on Monday night. It jumped a two metre fence and
bit the boy on the hand, arm, and buttocks. The teenager
suffered grazes and bruising but no puncture wounds. After
an investigation, the dog was put down. Inspector Graeme
Cairns says it was not suitable for the job it was being
trained for. He says the boy's family laid no complaint and
did not ask police to destroy the dog.
NEW EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE LAUNCHED
--------------------------------------
A new after hours medical and surgical service has been
launched in Palmerston North and Feilding. Between 11pm and
8am general practitioners' telephones automatically switch
over to the hospital's emergency department. Medical advice
will be given by a triage nurse or a medical staff member
over the phone, and if necessary, treatment will be given
at the hospital's emergency department. MidCentral Health
stresses the scheme is only for emergencies and the best
time for people to see their own doctor is during normal
working hours.
Thursday, 13 March
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SECURITY TIGHTENS AROUND TRADE
------------------------------
New Zealand is tightening security around the shipment of
goods to its major trading partners such as the US. Customs
Minister Rick Barker says international terrorist activity
means New Zealand and its trading partners are looking for
increased assurances about the security of shipments. Mr
Barker says Customs is developing a proposal for a secure
government export partnership scheme with business. He says
that would include assurances around the packing and
contents of shipping containers and the application of
tamper indicator seals.
BAIL FOR JAPANESE STUDENTS
---------------------------
Nine Japanese students charged with murder have been
remanded on bail at the Waitakere District Court. They have
been charged in relation to the death of 22-year-old Nozomu
Shinozaki, who was found dead at a private West Auckland
academy at the end of last month. The nine students all
face strict bail conditions, including a 24 hour curfew,
and non-association with certain individuals along with
surrendering their passports. They were all at the Columbus
Academy where the 22 died, and in addition to murder are
charged with kidnapping and assault. The director of the
academy is also charged in relation to the incident, and
stands accused of perverting the course of justice. All are
due to appear in court again on April 10.
(I wonder when was the last time that such a large number
of people was charged with a single murder. - BH)
SKIPPER STAYS ON STRICKEN YACHT
-------------------------------
Two people have been rescued from a yacht in trouble nearly
800 kilometres off the southern Queensland coast. The yacht
has been taking on water and is believed to have a cracked
hull after battling five metre seas and winds up to 50
knots. David Gray from Australian Search and Rescue says
the New Zealand cargo ship Rotoiti has rescued two of the
crew, but the skipper is staying on board against their
advice. He says the man faces a sixty-hour sail to Lord
Howe Island before he would be safe, in a yacht which was
damaged enough for him to call for urgent assistance
Mr Gray says he disagrees with the yacht's skipper's
decision to stay, and considers the man is putting his life
at risk.
(The yacht sank next day and the skipper had to ask to be
rescued. I hope he gets the bill. - BH)
JUMBO NOT AS BAD AS FIRST THOUGHT
----------------------------------
Singapore Airlines says the jumbo jet that scraped its tail
on take-off from Auckland yesterday is not as extensively
damaged as first thought. The first of a number of
engineers has arrived from Singapore to begin assessing the
damage. The plane had to make an emergency landing but no-
one was injured. Airline spokesman Stephen Forshaw says
initial reports that the damage is severe and would take
months to repair are not correct. He says as soon as
repairs can begin, they will take weeks rather than months.
Meanwhile past tail-strikes will be reviewed by accident
investigators trying to discover why the Boeing 747-400
scraped its tail during take-off from Auckland yesterday.
Transport Accident Investigation Committee Chief Executive
John Britton says all possible issues which may have
contributed to the accident, including other relevant
incidents, will come under scrutiny. He says tail-strikes
are not unique, and others will be studied to see if there
are any lessons to learn. The incident is also the subject
of an internal Singapore Airlines inquiry. An air accident
inspector has taken possession of flight recorders from the
Singapore Airlines plane that scraped its tail on the
runway during take-off from Auckland yesterday. Nearly 400
people were aboard the Boeing 747-400 which made a safe
emergency landing, and they have now flown to Singapore in
another aircraft. This flight left Auckland at 10.40am, and
is expected to arrive in Singapore shortly after 3.00pm
Singapore time.
PAEDOPHILE RYDER SENTENCED
--------------------------
Paedophile Barry Ryder has been sentenced to preventive
detention. The 34-year-old appeared in a Christchurch court
on Thursday on charges of kidnapping, indecent assault and
sexual violation. Ryder admitted the offences in January.
They relate to attacks on young boys. Ryder was out on bail
and being supervised by a local mental health agency when
the offending took place. The court has ruled that agency's
identity should remain secret, in the interests of other
people currently in its care.
(This case has received enormous attention since the
perpetrator was the person named in 1994 by Neil Pugmire, a
psychiatric nurse at Lake Alice Hospital. Pugmire predicted
that, if released, Ryder would offend again. Unfairly,
attention has focused on the parole system. The fact is
that if a prisoner is released on completion of the full
term, rather than at some earlier period on parole, then
the state has no legal power to supervise since the person
has "done the time" and the account is deemed to have been
settled. In my opinion, the real culprit is the
academically interesting, but societally flawed distinction
between a mental disorder and a personality disorder. In
terms of outcomes for the community, the distinction is too
fine. If they are a threat to the community, they need to
be in care until such time as the threat is abated. - BH)
TEEN ASSAULTED IN STH AKLD
----------------------------
A serious assault in Auckland has left a teenager fighting
for his life. The 18-year-old is in a critical condition at
Middlemore Hospital after the attack last night outside the
Papakura McDonald's. Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Gutry
says the young man left the restaurant around 11pm, and was
involved in some sort of dispute that has left him with
life threatening head injuries. Police want to speak to
anyone who was in the area at the time.
PROPERTY CONFIDENCE FALLS
-------------------------
Confidence in the property market has dropped to its second
lowest point since figures started being measured. The New
Zealand Property Institute Property & Construction
Confidence Index has halved in the last five months, from a
peak of 110 in November 2002 to 50 in February 2003. New
Zealand Property Institute CEO Conor English says this is a
sharp decline. He says the index now lies below the results
recorded after the September 11 terrorist attacks, and
blames the threat of war in Iraq. The figures show Auckland
is now less confident than Wellington on a three month
rolling average, a reversal of the previous 12 months'
data. Mr English blames the leaky building problem and the
departure of the Americas cup, along with the recent
financial failure of some construction companies in the
Auckland region. The 12 months outlook has worsened on a
three month rolling average with 20 percent believing
things will "get better", 30 percent "stay the same" and 44
percent "get worse". Mr English says this fall in
confidence may yet prove to be temporary if the
international environment becomes more certain. The survey
also reveals that the construction and property industry
does not believe the current Government understands the key
issues.
POLICE CONCERNED AT HATAITAI BREAK-INS
---------------------------------------
Concern from police at a rise in the number of car break-
ins in Hataitai. Kilbirnie police have launched a special
operation after a noticeable increase in house burglaries
in the Miramar area. However Kilbirnie police boss, Senior
Sergeant Ian McKeown says they are also disturbed that
people are losing some very expensive items in the car
break-ins. He says one victim lost over 200 CDs and others
have lost laptops and briefcases, and he is urging people
to play it safe. Ian McKeown says valuables should
preferably be removed from cars at night, but if that is
not possible, they should be hidden from view. Rape Crisis
counsellors believe the rise in reported sex attacks
highlights the massive problem of drink spiking.
Police statistics reveal a 17 percent increase in sexual
attacks in 2002, with on average, 48 attacks each week.
Auckland Sexual Abuse Help Crisis Coordinator Caroline Day
estimates that a third are drug-assisted crimes. She
believes the statistical increase is partly due to more
attacks, but also because more victims are coming forward
due to greater public awareness. Ms Day attributes the
awareness to a number of publicity campaigns, and cases
such as the recent conviction in Rotorua of a man on drug
sex attack charges.
BUILDING INDUSTRY SCRUTINISES DOCUMENT
--------------------------------------
The Building Industry Authority says a discussion document
on the Building Act is an important step towards a more
effective building regime. The document proposes changes to
the act to ensure homes are fit to live in, through better
people, methods, materials and controls. BIA chairman Barry
Brown says the authority is keen to see improvements to the
regulations and to see innovation and effectiveness
addressed. He says it is willing to take a greater
leadership role and that will be done through more expert
staff and an accelerated work programme. Mr Brown says it
is vital industry members read the document and offer
input. In releasing the discussion paper yesterday, the
Minister of Commerce, Lianne Dalziel said one of the key
issues to come out of the report was the need for a more
proactive Building Industry Authority.
Friday, 14 March
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COUNCIL WANTS TO SEE SPRAY REPORT
----------------------------------
The Waitakere City Council is eager to see a copy of a
study into the health effects of the Painted Apple Moth
spraying programme and will reconsider its legal action.
Constitutional lawyer and former prime minister, Sir
Geoffrey Palmer, told the council there was a clear
argument against MAF's aerial spraying campaign and
recommended that a case be taken on health grounds.
However, the council decided not to take any action because
the symptoms were not sufficiently serious for the
prosecution to go ahead under the terms of the Health Act.
Now new research undertaken by Auckland University shows
there were some side affects reported by residents within
the spray zone. The nearly 300 residents self-assessed
their overall well being before and after spraying. The
council's environmental committee chairwoman, Penny Hulse,
says they have not seen the report yet, and have not shut
the door on legal action. She says an invitation has been
extended to the author of the study to speak to them about
the findings. However, the researchers say some reported
effects might not be caused by the spray itself but rather
from the stress of low flying planes.
LITTLE INFORMATION ON COCKPIT RECORDER
-------------------------------------
What the pilots of a Singapore Airlines 747 said as their
plane scraped its tail on take-off from Auckland on
Wednesday may never be known. The Transport Accident
Investigation Commission says the cockpit voice recorder
has stored the last half hour of the plane's operation, but
it is after the tail strike while the plane was circling.
It may hold some useful information but it will not provide
the flight deck discussion at the time of the actual
incident. However, chief executive John Britton says
information has been extracted from the flight data
recorder. He says a copy will be kept in New Zealand and
another sent for decoding and printing out at the
Australian Transportation Safety Bureau laboratory.
Meanwhile, engineers repairing the jumbo jet are being
reminded that one of the world's worst air disasters
stemmed from a tail-strike. In 1985 a Japan Airlines 747
carrying more than 500 passengers crashed near Mount Fuji
after an explosive decompression left the pilots unable to
control the plane. It was caused by the failure of a rear
bulkhead, which had been incorrectly repaired after the
plane scraped its tail on landing seven years earlier.
The repairs had been supervised by Boeing.
MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING CONCERNS RAISED
-------------------------------------
The Mental Health Commission says it still has some
concerns about mental health funding, despite an audit of
six DHBs indicating money has been spent appropriately.
The ring fence protection project, a joint Ministry of
Health/Mental Health Commission initiative, has found that
money allocated in 2001/02 for mental health was being
spent in mental health, or was earmarked to be spent in the
next year. Mental Health Commissioner Jan Dowland says that
reaffirms the Government's commitment to the ring fence
policy and the importance of building more and better
mental health services. However, she says the project
raises some concerns. She says it found that in some DHBs,
services were not being delivered to contracted levels with
the level of delivery lower than expected from the funding
allocated. It also showed that some non-government
organisations that provide services are not being
compensated for increases in costs and population growth
despite this being provided for in the funding allocated.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Annette King is concerned that
boards are only providing about 96 percent of the services
they contracted for. Mrs King says the most significant
under-delivery was in the area of child and youth mental
health services. She says a newly-established facility, the
Werry Centre at Auckland University, will address that
problem by providing first-class training and support for
child and youth mental health workers.
FLAG BURNER ACCUSED REMANDED
----------------------------
A Porirua school teacher charged with burning a New Zealand
flag has been remanded to reappear in the Wellington
District Court in May. Thirty-seven-year-old Paul Hopkinson
pleaded not guilty to the charge when he appeared in court
this morning. He has also denied a charge of criminal
nuisance. Police arrested him following a demonstration at
Parliament this week over the visit of Australian Prime
Minister John Howard. Mr Hopkinson was granted bail on the
condition that he refrain from engaging in unlawful
protest. Four other people charged with disorderly
behaviour and obstruction were also remanded to re-appear
in court in May.
CYANIDE DEADLINE PROMPTS PLEAS
-----------------------------
With a threatened demonstration of capability two weeks
away, police are appealing for more information about the
cyanide letters. Letters sent to US, British and Australian
diplomatic missions threatened action if Iraq is attacked.
Another went to the New Zealand Herald warning of cyanide
in water supplies, explosives and gas in cinemas. It also
warned of demonstrations of capability in Auckland and
Wellington on March 28. Assistant Commissioner Jon White
says police have had more than 150 calls about the letters
including information on suspicious people and activity.
He says they need more information, and encourage people to
ring 0800 THREAT.
GIRL ASSAULTED DURING SHOPPING TRIP
-----------------------------------
Lower Hutt police are investigating the abduction and
indecent assault of a young girl. The attack took place
near the Naenae shops in Lower Hutt last night. Senior
Sergeant Peter McKennie says the seven-year-old was with
her brother when a man in his twenties approached the girl
and led her away. She was taken to the river bank for two
hours and indecently assaulted before returning to the
shops. Senior Sergeant McKennie says the man is described
as olive-skinned, clean shaven, medium build and wearing
dark pants. Anyone who saw the pair should contact the
Lower Hutt police.
AOS CALLOUT IN BALCLUTHA
-------------------------
A person has been arrested following an armed offenders
squad alert in Balclutha. Police were called to a dispute
between a landlord and his tenant at a rural address in
Berwick at 10 am. The tenant is alleged to have made
various threats after starting a chainsaw. The landlord
then allegedly found a firearms cabinet on the property
open and empty. He and another member of his family left
the property, but it is thought a woman and child were
still at the address. The stand-off ended at quarter to
one, when a man was taken into custody. He will face a
number of charges.
COMPANY TO PAY $15,000
----------------------
A Hamilton auto-repair company has been sentenced to pay
$15,000 after a contractor was seriously hurt in an
accident. The worker was hurt when a spray booth exploded,
blowing a burner unit directly into his face with such
force he had to have titanium plates implanted into his
face and his teeth wired into his gums to prevent them
falling out. The contractor suffered serious head and face
injuries, a thoracic vertebrae fracture, hearing loss and
was in an induced coma for seven days after the accident.
Auto Body Equipment Limited was sentenced at the Hastings
District Court by Judge Clarkson after being prosecuted by
Occupational Safety and Health. OSH spokesman Murray
Thomson says the accident occurred as a result of
miswiring, which most likely would have been detected if an
appropriately qualified and experienced person had been on
site for the commissioning of the unit. He says the company
failed to take all practicable steps to ensure that the
contractor was not harmed while doing work which he was
contracted to do.
POLICE HUNT ROAD RAGE DRIVER
----------------------------
Police are describing a road rage attack on a Waikato truck
driver as vicious. Tom Adams was attacked by the driver of
van on Horotiu Rd just south of Ngaruawahia yesterday
afternoon. He had stopped his truck after the driver of the
van, which was travelling behind him, kept flashing his
lights. The driver told Mr Adams he had cut him off and
began punching him. Sergeant Len Fox says the attack put
the 58-year-old truckie in hospital. Mr Fox says a passing
truck driver took down the registration of the van and
police are now trying to track down the offender. Police
hope sign writing on the van will lead to them to the
person, after they were told the offender's van had the
name of a Te Kauwhata business on it. Mr Fox says they are
checking that out.
MAN CHARGED WITH ARSON IN BLUFF BLAZE
--------------------------------------
Police are guarding the scene of a major fire in Bluff, as
investigators pick over the remains of the building. The P
& O Logistics Coolstore was gutted by last night's blaze,
which took several hours to put out. Goods worth millions
of dollars are believed to have been destroyed. One man,
charged with arson, is due to appear in the Invercargill
District Court today.
(Apparently the coolstore contained vast quantities of
carrots and export offal. The smell of that fire must have
been something out of the ordinary! - BH)
MACHO WORKPLACE OUT OF VOGUE
----------------------------
A Victoria University lecturer is suggesting that
workplaces need to be more feminised to balance the
traditional strengths that men bring. Dr Ken Parry from the
Centre for the Study of Leadership is running a seminar
next week looking at workplace dynamics, communication and
leadership. He says management skills are changing and the
old-style macho way of running a workplace is no longer
seen as the best way of encouraging staff to work. He says
the new way is based around explaining to staff the reasons
why they are required to do certain tasks.
(Hmmm ... with due respect to Dr Parry, who I understand to
be shortly returning to his native Australia, some of the
workplaces I have been in were much tougher more
confrontational when managed by women than by men, so I am
not entirely sure that machismo is the issue. Please note
that I am not in any way shape or form opposed to women at
any level of management. I just doubt that the environment
is necessarily gentler when a woman is the boss. And of
course corporate objectives are not necessarily achieved by
a less aggressive workplace climate - BH)
THE FINANCIAL PAGE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Date: 14 March 2003 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.
To Buy NZD 1.00
USD 0.5529
AUD 0.9275
GBP 0.3447
JPY 65.70
CAD 0.8207
EUR 0.5108
HKD 4.3224
SGD 0.9707
ZAR 4.5446
CHF 0.7501
INTEREST RATES (%)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Call : 5.75
90 Day: 5.85
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