Subject: 12 April, 2007 ----- WYSIWYG NEWS ------------------------------ Copyright, Brian Harmer. Easter weekend saw a continuation of the family theme. Catherine and Mark have gone home to Melbourne and we miss them already. Mary and I participated in the solemn but beautiful Good Friday observances at our parish church, and then I had to collect Helen and her boyfriend from the bus terminus at the Wellington Central railway station. The station is a dismal place at the best of times, despite recent efforts to modernise it. The old kiosk has gone, and in the corner where the baggage lockers used to be, there is a new supermarket which has a deli section specialising in fast food for commuters. Here are posters on the trains that read "Forgot to cut your lunch? We've got you covered!" It's a clever ploy, and in addition to the thirty five thousand or so commuters who pass through the station each day, there are a couple of thousand students from Victoria University's Commerce faculty who attend lectures in or close to the railway station. The bus arrived and our two weary travellers got off. It's a beautiful journey from Gisborne, but the gloss wears off quite rapidly during a 10 hour bus ride. The next afternoon, Mary and I went to Wellington Airport, never one of my favourite places, but I am prepared to make an exception when my eldest granddaughter and her mother are arriving. Grace was excited to see her father since he had already been here a week, but we were included in the round of hugs and kisses. Back home once more, we took the new bypass route through town. I know that it disrupts cross town traffic, but it certainly seems to work well for its intended purpose. I like it. The weekend weather played its part, and on Easter Sunday we were able to enjoy a splendid family lunch at Anthony and Sarah's new home in Maungaraki. They moved their big dining table out onto the deck and we all sat round a veritable mountain of food and enjoyed each other's company in sunny flat calm conditions looking out over the grandeur of the harbour. The next day, David departed for Brisbane, and Helen and boy friend went home to Gisborne. We are enjoying the company of Rowena and Grace for the remainder of the week. I am not so sure that the changeable, not to say wintry weather since the weekend is entirely to their liking.
---- 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 "GS" will indicate an opinion from our editorial assistant. In all cases they are honest expressions of personal opinion, and are not presented as fact. All news items (except where noted otherwise) are reproduced by kind permission of copyright owner, Newstalk ZB News. All copyright in the news items reproduced remains the property of The Radio Network Limited. Formatting this week is sponsored once again by my friends George and Pat Berger in Alexandria, VA. ---- On with the News. Monday, April 2 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NORTHLAND FLOODS EXPECTED TO COST $5 MILLION -------------------------------------------- The Earthquake Commission is expecting to pay $5 million to owners of flood-ravaged properties in Northland. The EQC has received more than 200 claims for damage to land and houses since a deluge of rain fell on the region last Thursday. Claims manager Keith Long says the cost so far is more than $3 million, but there are more claims to come. He says the commission is expecting around 100 more calls this week. EQC damage assessors are already in the flood-hit areas. ANTI-SMACKING NOT ADOPTED BY GOVT --------------------------------- The Government is denying another back down on the anti- smacking bill. It will not become Government business and will remain Sue Bradford's private member's bill. Prime Minister Helen Clark says there is not really a prospect of completing the bill this week so whether it became a Government bill or stayed a private member's bill, it will be debated in May. She says the decision has nothing to do with the level of support from NZ First. The Government has already abandoned plans to push the bill through Parliament under urgency. (I am still mystified as to why this is not a conscience vote. Given the PM's utterances before the election, it was never put forward as part of their mandate. - BH) NZ WATERS TO RISE FOLLOWING TSUNAMI ----------------------------------- New Zealand Civil Defence is monitoring updates from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre following the massive quake in the South Pacific this morning. The 8.1 magnitude earthquake sent a tsunami crashing into the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. There are reports up to eight people are dead while more are missing. New Zealand's director of Civil Defence and Emergency Management John Hamilton says the scientific advice he has received is water levels here will rise half a metre this afternoon. Mr Hamilton says changes in sea level are likely to generate hazardous currents which boaties and anyone in the water need to be aware of. He says he is receiving updates all the time and keeping in close contact with Civil Defence in Australia. There are still five or six New Zealanders in the Solomon Islands the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is trying to contact after the earthquake. Everyone in and around Honiara has been accounted for but communications with the badly hit town of Gizo are proving difficult. The New Zealanders MFAT is trying to get hold of are believed to be on outlying islands. (I believe that a rise of a few millimetres eventuated on the New Zealand coast - BH) EPMU WORKERS ACCEPT AIR NZ DEAL ------------------------------- Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union members of Air New Zealand's ground services have accepted a package to stop their jobs being out-sourced. The EPMU is calling the deal the best of a bad situation. A majority 77.8 percent of members voted in favour of the settlement, which involves losses to some and gains for others. Those who are facing a pay cut can choose between redundancy or staying on with a $3,000 payment. Members say staff are upset at the way they have been treated, but are relieved they will not lose their jobs. The package does not include the Service Food Workers Union represented workers, who chose not to accept the deal. (This deal under duress has all the appearance of a temporary stay of execution. The axe is still up there. - BH) KEY OUTLINES SCHOOL POLICY -------------------------- John Key says national standards for primary and intermediate schools are the only way to guarantee the future of New Zealand children. The National Party leader has unveiled three education policies which will set standards in reading, writing and numeracy. They will be defined by benchmarks set in a range of tests. Mr Key says at the moment there are too many kids who are slipping through the system and for a lifetime they are locked out of any jobs they want because they have failed the basic building blocks of education. Mr Key says the only way for the policy to work is with the cooperation of teachers, experts and parents. (This initiative met with overwhelming rejection at an international principals' conference which was taking place at the time. - BH) UP TO 43 PATIENTS AT RISK OF CJD -------------------------------- An Auckland City Hospital patient appears to be suffering from the rare and deadly brain wasting Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The Auckland District Health Board says the patient does not definitely have the disease, but has symptoms consistent with CJD and is effectively unconscious. If the patient has CJD it is likely she contracted it while having a brain membrane graft in 1984. The concern is that other patients are automatically linked to the woman because CJD can be transmitted through the use of the same surgical instruments, which can transfer brain cells despite the sterilisation process. The same tools have been used on 43 patients since the woman's operation. Officials are stressing it is very unlikely the group has contracted the disease, as since the 1950s only eight people worldwide have been infected this way. They say since then Auckland City Hospital has updated its sterilisation process. It will not be know for years if the 43 patients have CJD, as it takes a long time to develop. What the ADHB can do is not yet clear, but it has been talking with international specialists and is looking at creating a national strategy to deal with CJD. If members of the public are concerned they can call 0800 234 200. REPORTED CRIME UP 4.1 PERCENT IN 2006 ------------------------------------- The number of reported crimes increased by more than 16,000 in 2006. The annual crime statistics show of the 4.1 percent increase in reported crime, the largest jump was in sexual offences, up 9.7 percent. Of the 12 police districts, six saw a decrease in reported crime levels. Bay of Plenty had a 10.1 percent drop, while Northland's crime was down by eight percent. The largest increases in reported crime were recorded in Wellington, where there was an increase of nearly eight percent, and in Canterbury which had an increase of 6.5 percent. KIWISAVER DEFAULT PROVIDERS SIGNED UP ------------------------------------- The Government has signed up its default providers for its soon to be launched Kiwisaver scheme. The initiative begins in July, and will see people entering new jobs automatically enrolled in a retirement savings programme. Finance Minister Michael Cullen has held an official signing ceremony at Parliament this morning for the six companies involved in the initiative. They are; ASB, AMP, ING New Zealand, Mercer Consulting, AXA New Zealand and Tower. PASSENGERS COPING WITH NEW SECURITY MEASURES -------------------------------------------- Airports around the country are coming to grips with new security measures, which require international travellers to carry liquids on board in clear plastic bags. Christchurch International Airport is reporting a smooth start to the implementation of strict new security measures. Airport manager Darin Cusack says a few people grumbled but for the most part it went well. He says passengers appear to have boned up on the new regulations and have been well organised. Don Huse, Auckland International Airport CEO says the only people who seemed surprised were travellers from South America, but the big test for the airport will come over the busy Easter break. Under the new rules travellers will only be allowed to carry on board liquids, aerosols and gels including drinks, perfume, aftershave lotion, toothpaste and creams if they are in containers of 100ml or less. The containers must be packed in a one litre, clear plastic bag which is resealable. (The public are basically compliant in such matters, but it surely behoves the airlines to ensure that no aircraft leaves the grounds without a full supply of potable water and toilets that are guaranteed to function for the duration of the flight. Oh yes, and perhaps more frequent tours of the cabin by staff offering water. Many passengers in window seats are too diffident to clamber over a sleeping neighbour unless the need is dire. - BH) MORE MEN WANTED TO TEACH YOUNGSTERS ----------------------------------- One of the key note speakers at an early childhood conference in Christchurch is rallying government and industry to get more men into the profession. New Zealand has one of the lowest rates of men working in early childhood centres in the developed world with less than one percent in the sector compared with about 10 percent in countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Scotland and Norway. Belgian expert Jan Peeters spoke at the Early Childhood Conference in Christchurch this weekend and says it is important for children to have both a male and female influence in their education. STORM BREWING OVER CLIMATE COMMENTS ----------------------------------- A storm of words is brewing over the meteorological analysis of Northland's bad weather last week. The Climate Science Coalition is pouring scorn on the National Institute of Weather and Atmospheric Research, which said there would be more flooding events in the future because of global warming. Coalition spokesman Augie Auer says the observation by NIWA's climate scientist Dr Jim Salinger, is simplistic and unscientific, especially considering the fact the summer brought below average temperatures. He claims Dr Jim Salinger's argument has no credibility. "In fact, his (Salinger's) agency's own figures show that New Zealand has been cooling since the El Nino of 1998. To put it simply, NIWA is claiming that warming is occurring when its own records show otherwise. Why wont they admit this?" Professor Auer also claims there is no scientific proof that carbon dioxide is the cause of the minimal warming that occurs from time to time in the atmosphere. "As a consequence, there is no need for Kyoto, carbon taxes and the other costly red herrings currently being spun in political circles." Prof Auer, a former chief meteorologist, is calling for NIWA to be disbanded and for all weather matters to be returned to MetService, which once dealt with all issues relating to climate science. (Dr Salinger's comments are of course exactly in line with the recently released IPCC report, and the great majority of scientific opinion. If you have a different view please don't bother to write. :-) - BH) MORE SAFETY SCRUTINY OF SPEEDWAYS LIKELY ---------------------------------------- There is likely to be scrutiny of speedway safety following the weekend death of a 13-year-old spectator at a Blenheim track. The boy died in Wairau Hospital from his injuries after he was struck when a car flipped over a safety barrier at Renwick's Eastern States Speedway on Saturday night. People in the crowd say the car flew through the air after it struck another vehicle. Speedway photographer George Gibbs says it was horrendous. He says it was a freak accident and in all the 30 years he has been at events, it is the first time he has seen something go into the crowd. Mr Gibbs says there was no way of predicting what happened. Western Springs Speedway promoter Dave Stewart believes there will be pressure to improve track side conditions after the fatality. He says things can always be made taller, wider and straighter but there is a limit to what can be done. GOVT CONSIDERING FLOOD RELIEF ----------------------------- There is likely to be scrutiny of speedway safety following the weekend death of a 13-year-old spectator at a Blenheim track. The boy died in Wairau Hospital from his injuries after he was struck when a car flipped over a safety barrier at Renwick's Eastern States Speedway on Saturday night. People in the crowd say the car flew through the air after it struck another vehicle. Speedway photographer George Gibbs says it was horrendous. He says it was a freak accident and in all the 30 years he has been at events, it is the first time he has seen something go into the crowd. Mr Gibbs says there was no way of predicting what happened. Western Springs Speedway promoter Dave Stewart believes there will be pressure to improve track side conditions after the fatality. He says things can always be made taller, wider and straighter but there is a limit to what can be done. Tuesday, April 3 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AUDITOR GENERAL TO INVESTIGATE DHBS ----------------------------------- The Health Minister has called in the Auditor General to look at Auckland's three district health boards. Pete Hodgson is under increased political pressure to sack officials from the DHBs for their part in the community laboratories contracting row. The DHBs' decision to award the contract for provision of lab services to Labtests Auckland rather than incumbent provider Diagnostic Medlab was overturned by the High Court last month. Labtests chief executive Tony Bierre was a member of the Auckland District Health Board when the new contract was awarded. Although Dr Bierre outlined his conflict of interest to the board the court ruled its knowledge of the conflict and inability to act on it made the process unfair. Pete Hodgson has asked Kevin Brady to undertake a focused performance audit to examine how conflicts of interest are dealt with in each of the three DHBs. He says he wants to ensure the "debacle" does not happen again. He says findings from the Auditor General around the issue of conflict of interest will be vital to assist other DHBs over the same issue. ANTISOCIAL BOYS CAN BECOME ILL ADULTS ------------------------------------- New research links antisocial behaviour in boys with poor physical health in their adulthood. Paper co-author Professor Richie Poulton from Otago University says while other studies have shown childhood antisocial behaviour leads to adult crime and mental disorder, this is the first study to show evidence of the link to poor physical health in adulthood. He says poor physical health outcomes include injury, sexually transmitted diseases, cardiovascular risk, reduced immune function and dental disease. The findings are published this week in the US journal, Archives of General Psychiatry. Researchers at the University of Otago's Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit collaborated with colleagues at the Institute of Psychiatry at Kings College, University of London. The findings come out of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health & Development Study, which has followed 1000 Dunedin- born people since their birth in 1972/73 For this study, 526 males were assessed throughout their childhood, adolescence, and as young adults, with the most recent assessments at age 32. Boys whose antisocial behaviour persisted into adulthood were more than three times as likely to show symptoms of chronic bronchitis and gum disease, 2.9 times more likely to show markers for later heart disease and stroke, and 2.2 times more likely to have contracted the Herpes virus. Males who exhibited high levels of antisocial behaviour as children but reduced their antisocial behaviour by adulthood did not have the same poor health as adults. Professor Poulton hopes the findings will encourage policy-makers to feel more comfortable making investments in prevention measures. POLICE CONDUCT REPORT RELEASED ------------------------------ The report into police conduct has come up with 60 recommendations. Dame Margaret reviewed 313 complaints of sexual assault against 222 police officers over 26 years. Of them, 141 were serious enough for criminal charges to be laid. The report recommends police have a code of conduct which currently does not exist. Among other things, officers will be prohibited from participating in a sexual relationship with someone they are dealing with professionally. The Government says it is committed to adopt all the report's recommendations. More follows. (Anyone interested in the report in full can find it here. http://tinyurl.com/28fbtj. I disagree with the recommendation to abolish the disciplinary tribunal and replace it with an ordinary industrial relations process. Unlike most other employees, the police cannot withhold their labour and must regularly go into harm's way on our behalf. To my mind this means that we expect different things from them than we expect from anyone other than the armed forces. They should have a parallel process to the military. - BH) OPPONENTS SLAM NATIONAL'S EDUCATION POLICY ------------------------------------------ National Party leader John Key is being told he is out of touch with his latest education policy. National wants to introduce standards and benchmarks in reading, writing and numeracy at primary schools. But New Zealand First's education spokesman Brian Donnelly says schools already have plenty of assessment tools available to them. He says there are a huge array of tests available for primary schools, which are of very high quality and allow peer comparisons. Mr Donnelly claims National is backtracking on its earlier position of having national standards. Education Minister Steve Maharey believes National's policy is a giant step backwards to the practices of the last century. He claims that introducing age- related national testing standards will simply put children onto an education production line, rather than allowing them to move on individually as fast as they can. INSURANCE CLAIMS LODGED FOR FLOOD DISASTER ------------------------------------------ More than a thousand claims have been lodged from last week's floods in Northland. Chris Ryan, chief executive of the Insurance Council, says the claims range from entire buildings being swept away as a result of land slips, to houses that are uninhabitable. The estimated cost will be more than $10 million. Mr Ryan says most of the claims are for property damage and he is unaware of any livestock claims so far. Wednesday, 4 April 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FRUIT PEST EDGING CLOSER TO NZ ------------------------------ Biosecurity officials are on alert for a pest which could seriously affect the New Zealand wine industry and other summer fruits. The Glassywinged Sharpshooter is rife in North America and has been edging closer to the New Zealand region. It has now been confirmed in the Cook Islands. New Zealand's acting biosecurity standards manager Stephen Butcher border surveillance has been stepped up on imports from the Cook Islands. He says Biosecurity officials can never guarantee a pest will not sneak in and are reviewing existing precautions to see if they can be strengthened. BOTTOM-TRAWLING BANNED IN 1/3 OF NZ WATERS ------------------------------------------ Almost a third of New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone is to be protected from bottom-trawling. The Government has been in consultations with the fisheries industry and other stake holders for over a year about what steps should be taken to protect underwater features, such as cold water corals and seamounts. Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton has announced all areas under current regulation will be closed, meaning 30 percent of the seabed under our economic zone will be protected. He says 17 separate areas are covered and are being set aside to protect the seabed. (No lawyer jokes are required at this time - BH) PRICE OF STAMPS TO RISE TO 50C ------------------------------ Postage price is going up five cents to 50 cents in June. Fast Post is also going up from 90 cents to a $1. New Zealand Post says the price hike is a result of increased costs and growth in the number of addresses to which New Zealand Post delivers. Parcels, bulk mail and international mail prices are not affected. (Wouldn't you know it. I bought a box of 100 45c stamps last week! - BH) TAME ITI'S FIREARM CONVICTIONS OVERTURNED ----------------------------------------- The Court of Appeal has overturned Tame Iti's firearms convictions. The veteran Maori activist was charged after letting off a shotgun during an open-air Waitangi Tribunal hearing at Ruatoki in January 2005. He was found guilty under the Arms Act on two counts of possessing a firearm in a public place and was fined $300. Iti appealed the convictions on the grounds Crown law does not cover the ceremonial area in front of a marae's wharenui. (Bizarre. His appeal was successful because the court held that the prosecution didn't prove he intended harm. I am astonished that intention to harm is a necessary element of firearms charges. - BH) OVERHAUL OF POLICE SENIOR MANAGEMENT WANTED ------------------------------------------- Judith Garrett, one of the women who sparked the Police Commission of Inquiry into police conduct wants a complete overhaul of police senior management. The investigation was launched after rape allegations were levelled against police by Northland woman Ms Garrett and Louise Nicholas from Rotorua but their claims could not be included in the Dame Margaret Bazley's investigation because the women's cases against current and former officers were before the courts. Ms Garrett says most senior officers now in management positions were around when the appalling police culture was occurring in the 1980s. She believes all the top brass should step down and be replaced by people who are not tainted. Ms Garrett claims Commissioner Howard Broad must have known what was going on. The Government has promised to adopt all 60 recommendations in Dame Margaret's report, including implementing a code of conduct for police and last night, Parliament appointed a deputy to the Police Complaints Authority as a result of the Bazley report into police conduct. District court judge Michael Lance will join Police Complaints Authority Justice Lowell Goddard. New Zealand First MP Ron Mark says appointing a deputy is a good step towards strengthening the independence of the authority but United Future leader Peter Dunne doubts the Bazley report will stamp out what he calls the unhealthy cancer at the core of the police. He says a code of conduct may sound like a good idea but he is not convinced it will tackle the issue of police looking after their own by ignoring the conduct of misbehaving officers. He says the whole way in which people in middle to senior police management are appointed needs to be re-examined to ensure the best people are coming through. Mr Dunne says police have allowed an evil culture to develop to protect their own behind a wall of silence. Dame Margaret investigated more than 300 sexual assault claims involving police between 1979 and 2005. She found 141 cases could have resulted in charges or reprimands being brought against officers. (I don't believe that there is an unhealthy cancer "at the core of the police". There may well be too many amoral, or even immoral cops, but why they are perceived by Mr Dunne as being "at the core" eludes me. I sincerely hope that the forthcoming review of electoral boundaries will move me to someone else's electorate. - BH) ROBOT MEAT BONING TECHNOLOGY A STEP CLOSER ------------------------------------------ The Government is investing $4 million into a Dunedin venture that aims to bring new technology into the meat processing market. Robotic Technologies is a joint research-and- development venture between Dunedin's Scott Technology and meat processing company, PPCS. Robotic Technologies aims to fast track the commercialisation of a robotic boning room system. The company estimates it will provide processors with yield benefits of about $4 million a year and labour savings of another $1 million each year. Spokesman Chris Hopkins says the system has a major health and safety benefit, as it will remove the need for bandsaws - the single biggest source of injury in the meat industry. AUCKLAND RANKED A TOP CITY -------------------------- Auckland has been ranked as one of the top five cities in the world to live, but mayor Dick Hubbard wants to go even higher. Human resources consultancy firm Mercer surveyed 215 cities. Auckland came in behind Zurich, Geneva, Vancouver and Vienna. Wellington comes in at number 12. The worst city to live according to the survey is Baghdad, followed by Brazzaville in the Congo. Mr Hubbard welcomes the findings, but believes Auckland has the potential to move up the rankings. He says the city is aiming for number one spot in the next survey. However he admits Auckland does have problems with its transport and is aiming to improve on the current situation. (I think they must have got the rankings round the wrong way. I couldn't live in Auckland now. - BH) TODAY'S POLICE VINDICATED SAYS UNION ------------------------------------ The president of the Police Association believes today's police force will feel vindicated by the Police Commission of Inquiry into the conduct of officers. Dame Margaret Bazley's investigation reviewed 313 complaints of sexual assault against 222 police officers over 26 years and found that in 141 incidents, there was enough evidence for officers to be disciplined or have charges brought against them. The report described a "wall of silence" as officers protected colleagues. It found there were flaws in the way allegations of sexual abuse against police were treated and that a stereotyped view existed of complainants. The report's 60 recommendations, including a code of conduct, will be implemented. Police Association President Greg O'Connor says there is no evidence of those same failures today and while there are still many things which need improving, the public can have full confidence in the force. Police Commissioner Howard Broad has apologised to the victims of sexual abuse by officers and cover ups. The inquiry was sparked by complaints from Rotorua woman Louise Nicholas and Judith Garrett of Kaitaia. Their cases could not be addressed in the report as they were going through the courts when the inquiry was carrying out investigations. TRUCKIES FEEL THE PAIN OF HIGHER COSTS -------------------------------------- Expect the price of goods to rise as trucking companies put up their freight costs by at least 10 percent. The Road Transport Forum says there has been a 50 percent rise in Government imposed costs over the past 12 months including an extra week of leave added to the wages bill. Chief Executive Tony Friedlander says the recent 11 percent increase in heavy vehicle road user charges was the last straw and will have an inflationary effect because everything people use in their daily lives is carted by truck. Mr Friedlander says the situation is mirroring an industry survey by Waikato University showing many smaller trucking companies making losses. He says trucking companies have no choice but to pass on costs, if they want to stay in business. Thursday, 5 April 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GOVT WANTS ELECTION FUNDING SHAKE-UP ------------------------------------ The Deputy Prime Minister has confirmed Labour wants to make it harder for people to make anonymous donations to political parties. The Government is considering changes to the Electoral Act to make electoral funding more transparent. Michael Cullen says the current regime, which allows donations of up to $10,000 to be anonymous, is in for a shakeup. He says there will be stricter rules around donations because the public is demanding greater transparency. Dr Cullen says Labour favours state electoral funding. National, New Zealand First and United Future have grave reservations about the proposal. National believes it is a cynical ploy for the Government get help paying back its $800,000 election overspend. Finance spokesman Bill English says its no coincidence that the amount Labour would immediately gain from state funding almost matches the amount it has yet to pay back. United Future leader Peter Dunne says there is a huge risk of abuse and the Government will need to proceed very, very carefully. NZ First leader Winston Peters says his party has never supported the idea of taxpayer funding of political parties. He says parties should go out to the marketplace and the streets and get support the old fashioned way. Both United Future and NZ First support a tightening up of laws around anonymous donations. NZ NEEDS TO IMPROVE ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE --------------------------------------------- New Zealand is being urged to improve its performance in the areas of water pollution, waste management, energy efficiency and climate protection. The OECD Environmental Performance Review of New Zealand acknowledges New Zealand has improved its environmental performance over the past decade and offers 38 recommendations for improvement. It encourages better protection of surface and ground waters and recommends the introduction of regulations on water quality and economic approaches to water allocation. The report also calls for upgrades of waste management, to the extent of making landfills run on a full cost recovery basis. OECD official Lorents Lorentson says New Zealand's industrial sector needs to improve its energy efficiency and there is quite a lot of potential for doing so. He says carbon emissions per unit of GDP from electricity generation are also growing fast. Mr Lorentson says New Zealand has very little incentive to conserve fuel because the nation's low taxes on motor vehicle fuels. He says the Government's suspension of its carbon tax is creating uncertainty as to how New Zealand will meet its Kyoto Protocol obligations. He has praise for New Zealand's environmental performance in the fisheries sector, saying the transferable quota system has helped avoid stock collapses and the New Zealand model is being emulated overseas. Environment Minister David Benson-Pope says work is already underway to meet many of the 38 recommendations, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and strengthening environmental monitoring. He acknowledges more needs to be done and where the Government is unlikely to meet the OECD's recommendations, alternative actions are already in place. The OECD's Environmental Performance Review of New Zealand makes a number of recommendations. Among other things, it calls on New Zealand to: - Better protect surface and ground waters. The report shows that the water quality of streams, rivers and lakes is declining due to diffuse pollution, and irrigation is taking a toll on some aquifers. The OECD recommends introducing baseline regulations on water quality, and economic approaches to water allocation among users, to avoid problems in the future. - Clarify and strengthen climate protection policy. The suspension of the climate protection policy package in 2005, in particular the planned carbon tax, has created great uncertainty about how New Zealand will meet its Kyoto target. The OECD calls on the country to use economic approaches to encourage energy efficiency and carbon dioxide sequestration. It also recommends more use of the "Kyoto flexible mechanisms", including emissions trading. - Upgrade waste management. The OECD notes improvements in waste management policies, but urges that landfill sites be run on a full cost recovery basis, country-wide, to help finance needed infrastructure improvements. The report also points out the need for systematic tracking of movements and treatment of hazardous wastes. - Improve environmental reporting at the national level. The OECD points to the need for better coordination of regional-level monitoring to enable the development of national-level indicators to track progress towards environmental sustainability goals. Among achievements during the review period, the report notes that New Zealand has: - Kept environmentally harmful subsidies among the lowest in the OECD in the agriculture and fisheries sectors. Associated environmental benefits include the conversion of large tracts of marginal agricultural lands to forest or conservation parks. Fisheries management through individual tradable quotas has helped avoid stock collapses; Improved drinking water quality. T PETROL PRICES RISE - THEN FALL AND FALL --------------------------------------- Healthy competition has led to a drop in prices at the petrol pumps. A price war broke out in Auckland when Gull refused to shunt up its prices earlier this week. Other oil companies put up their prices, then decreased them again shortly after. Shell fired a fresh shot early this afternoon by cutting prices around the country, in some areas by up to 6c a litre. It took its national price for 91 to $1.51.9 a litre, 95 to $1.56.89 and diesel to 97.9c a litre. There have also been varying prices nationwide, with Wanganui drivers at one stage paying up to 4c less a litre. AA spokesman Mike Noon is advising motorists to shop around, as the prices are constantly changing. He says competition is the best thing within the marketplace. (That was a pleasant surprise at least for the holiday weekend - BH) FLU SHOTS AVAILABLE NOW ----------------------- Influenza vaccinations are available from doctors' clinics from today. The vaccine has been distributed to GPs over the past three weeks. The National Influenza Strategy Group is predicting more New Zealanders than ever will be immunised this season. The group says orders from doctors and DHBs for promotional resources such as brochures have already exceeded expectations. Virologist Dr Lance Jennings says it is best to have the vaccination now, before the influenza enters the community. The vaccine is free for New Zealanders aged over 65 or those with long-term health conditions, including children. RETHINK ON MOTORWAY FUNDING --------------------------- Transit is now considering how it will find alternative funding for Auckland's Western Ring Route after huge public opposition forced it to drop a proposal to impose tolls. The 48km motorway will provide an alternative to State Highway 1, bypassing Auckland to the west and linking Manukau City to Albany via Waitakere. To close the $800 million funding gap tolls of up to $10 a time could have been imposed on motorists using the route, allowing it to be completed by 2015. Rick van Barneveld, CEO of Transit New Zealand, says 21,500 submissions were received about the tolling proposal. Most wanted an alternative method of funding. Mr Barneveld says the government is investigating other funding options, which could include a regional fuel tax. (I don't believe the opposition was any greater than it would be for their abject failure to get Transmission gully built now. - BH) GOVT OUTLINING TELECOM SPLIT DEMANDS ------------------------------------ Telecommunications Minister David Cunliffe is due to release a draft document on the Government's requirements for Telecom's split. Telecom was ordered to separate into retail, wholesale and network units after the passing of the Telecommunications Amendment Act last December. The Government had previously announced it would force the company to unbundle the local loop, opening its network to rivals. Public consultation is sought on the draft document. Friday, 6 April 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LABOUR INSPECTORS OUT AND ABOUT ------------------------------- Department of Labour inspectors visited 25 retailers on Good Friday which they consider were in breach of the Easter trading laws. The outlets throughout the country were businesses that had been prosecuted last year, or ones the public had complained about. The majority were garden centres. Labour Department spokesman Andrew Annakin says the visits could result in the retailer being issued with a warning or summons, depending on the circumstances. The Department will also be visiting retailers on Easter Sunday when trading is also forbidden. WORKERS URGED TO TREASURE EASTER HOLIDAYS ----------------------------------------- The Council of Trade Unions is urging all workers to get in behind the campaign to save their Easter statutory holidays. Union secretary Carol Beaumont says Easter is one of the few long weekends when workers can be with their families. She says Pacific Island workers in particular are over-represented in low paying jobs and the pressure to work can be just too great. She says the fact that shops cannot legally open on Good Friday and Easter Sunday means staff do get a break. Ms Beaumont believes there is growing recognition about the need to address a healthy work-life balance. "People have other responsibilities as well as their working life. They do want to spend quality time with their children or involved in community or religious activities and we're right behind them." Ms Beaumont says with only three and a half days a year when shops cannot trade, closing businesses should not be a big deal. She wants workers to let their local MP know how much they value the Easter break. 18-YEAR-OLD ARRESTED OVER AIR GUN ACCIDENT ------------------------------------------ An 18-year-old man has been arrested and charged after shooting a young relative in the head with an air rifle. The 14-year-old youth underwent surgery last night to have a pellet removed from his head, after the shooting in Waitangi. He is now in a stable condition in hospital. It is the second air gun shooting of a young person in Northland in a week. Last Friday Tayla Scott was accidentally hit in the chest by a pellet from a gun fired by her older brother. She is now recovering from her injuries. Detective Sergeant Rhys Johnston says some people obviously do not treat air guns as the dangerous weapons they are. DS Johnston says the 18-year-old who has been charged is not an immediate relative of the boy. He will appear in court on Tuesday charged with careless use of an airgun. Meanwhile, the Council of Licensed Firearms wants people to wake up to the dangers of air guns. Chairman John Howat says it is important to keep the guns locked away so people who do not know how to use them, do not have access to them. Mr Howat says he would like to see the laws tightened so people are better educated when they buy air guns, and restricted in what they can do with them. BUSINESSES WARNED NOT TO BREAK EASTER TRADING LAWS -------------------------------------------------- Businesses planning to trade this Good Friday are being urged to make sure they have the right to do so. Only retailers who are exempt under current legislation are allowed to open today and on Easter Sunday. To make sure this happens, Department of Labour staff will out on time-and-a-half, checking on retailers all over the country. Spokesman Martin Quivooy says there are no excuses. He says they have already written to people who have broken the law previously, and may visit businesses which have been prosecuted in the past. Martin Quivooy says those who do not comply, can be prosecuted and fined up to a thousand dollars. (The $1,000 fine is so trivial in comparison with the profits to be made that they just regard it as the cost of the license to operate. - BH) GOVERNMENT SLAMMED OVER OECD REPORT ----------------------------------- The Greens are blasting the Government's environmental policies as a major failure. It follows the release of an OECD report on New Zealand's environmental progress since 1996. It is critical of our record on energy efficiency, but says we are very good at managing fish stocks. Green MP Nandor Tanczos wants to know what the Government is going to do about problems identified in the report. He says it shows the greenhouse gas intensity of the New Zealand economy is the fourth highest in the OECD. Mr Tanczos says the dropping of plans for a carbon tax has raised concerns about how we will meet out Kyoto Protocol commitments. National's Environment spokesman Nick Smith is also critical saying the report makes it difficult for the Government to claim it is leading the way on sustainability. He says it shows declining water quality and rising greenhouse gas emissions. Nick Smith wonders how things could be worse, with the report also highlighting policy failures in the areas of water, waste, the oceans, and biodiversity. The Government says work is already underway to address some of the concerns raised. (I wish the Greens would stop slamming things. It makes my ears hurt. - BH) SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brian Harmer does NOT administer the mailing list. Please do not send subscription related messages to him. Instead, visit the website listed below, where you can make changes as required. 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