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Flares over Wellington harbour an exercise
– Saturday, 21 February 2009
The Coastguard has urged Wellingtonians not to worry if they see flares going off in Wellington Harbour tonight.
The volunteer Coastguard and its Boating Education Service are holding a training session for new recruits and said the exercise is also to remind boat owners of the importance of carrying flares and other means of communication.
The boat will be located offshore from Westpac Stadium.
Around 40 red rockets, 55 hand-held flares and five orange smoke floats will be set off from on board the Steve-Maree. .
Coastguard president Terry Sampson said it was likely people would mistake the exercise for a boat in distress but urged observers not to worry and refrain from contacting emergency services.40pm.
The exercise will run from 9pm until 9.
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Flares over Wellington harbour an exercise
– Saturday, 21 February 2009
The Coastguard has urged Wellingtonians not to worry if they see flares going off in Wellington Harbour tonight.
The volunteer Coastguard and its Boating Education Service are holding a training session for new recruits and said the exercise is also to remind boat owners of the importance of carrying flares and other means of communication.
The boat will be located offshore from Westpac Stadium.
Around 40 red rockets, 55 hand-held flares and five orange smoke floats will be set off from on board the Steve-Maree. .
Coastguard president Terry Sampson said it was likely people would mistake the exercise for a boat in distress but urged observers not to worry and refrain from contacting emergency services.40pm.
The exercise will run from 9pm until 9.
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Service for Air New Zealand crash victims
Dobbyn ‘honoured’ to sing
– Tuesday, 20 January 2009
Air New Zealand
UNDER THEIR WING: The remains of four of the five Air New Zealand crew killed in the Perpignan air crash sit beneath the Boeing 747 which transported them back to New Zealand.
IN MOURNING: Family and friends at the service.
Air New Zealand
HOME SOIL: Maori performance made up part of the service.
Air New Zealand
LEADING FROM THE FRONT: Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe speaks.
‘WELCOME HOME’: Dave Dobbyn said it was an honour and a privilege to perform as part of the service.
A scheduled Air New Zealand flight from London touched at 11pm carrying the remains.
Photo 5 of 5
Air NZ crash victims coming home
A service was held to mark the return home of the remains of four New Zealanders killed in the Air New Zealand crash at Auckland International Airport today.
After ordinary passengers disembarked at the international terminal, the Boeing 747 was towed, with family and the remains onboard, to the airline's engineering base for a formal ceremony.
Airport security kept reporters and photographers away from the area as the jet was parked in a hanger and the doors closed. .
Seven people were killed in the crash off the south of France coast last November, five New Zealanders and two Germans.
In a statement the Airline said veteran singer Dave Dobbyn was to sing "Welcome home".
The bodies were accompanied by their families and airline chief executive Rob Fyfe.
One New Zealand body has yet to be recovered.
Dobbyn said it was an honour to sing there.
Dobbyn said it was an honour to sing there."
Mr Fyfe was to then pay tribute to the four men and missing colleague Murray White and pass on condolences from Prime Minister John Key and the Civil Aviation Authority before members of the Air New Zealand kapa haka group paid a special tribute on behalf of the airline.
"Our hearts go out to them and everyone at Air New Zealand also for what is indeed a sad time.
Mr Fyfe says the arrival would be an extremely emotional time for the families and friends of thedeceased men and Air New Zealanders around the world.
Families would then carry their loved ones to hearses for their journeys to their last resting place.
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"Arriving home in New Zealand will mark the end of another chapter as we all come to terms with the tragedy that occurred in France when we lost our men and A320 operated by XL Airways of Germany," Mr Fyfe said
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Fire rips the heart out of Dargaville
By ROBYN DOWNEY and ROSE STIRLING – Dargaville News Tuesday, 06 January 2009
SOMETHING’S BURNING: Firefighters take a load off whild battling the blaze in downtown Dargaville.
A Dargaville business owner looked on helplessly as his Victoria St west shop and several neighbouring buildings were destroyed by fire.
Ken Foster, owner of Foster's Home Decorating was visibly upset as he watched his furniture shop going up in flames at around 7.
He says the business he and his wife Elain had worked hard to build up over many years and now run with the couple's two sons, was just a blazing inferno with an estimated stock loss of $500,000 and the building containing it, believed to be around $1.30pm on Monday, January 5.
"My whole life's in there mate and we'd just about done 26 years," he told the Dargaville and Districts News.5 million. Mr Foster says the couple bought the building in 1994, having moved in from premises across the road. He says he would be discussing with his family the possibility of starting again.
They then built it up to an up-market furniture store and Resene colour shop.
Mr Foster says the building was insured for replacement value.
"We will have to see if we can rebuild it, we'll see what happens" he says.
"Due to the verocity and size of the fire it was unable to be contained and more fire trucks and crews were needed from several centres around Kaipara and from as far away as Whangarei and Maungaturoto, turning the incident into a fifth alarm, with a 1000 square metre area engulfed in flames," he said.
Police and fire safety officials held a media conference at the Dargaville Police Station later, where Dargaville Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire officer Mitch King said the brigade received multiple calls saying that there was a building on fire between Victoria and Normanby Sts and on arrival fire fighters found an interiors store well ablaze where the fire is believed to have started.
Around 100 fire personel, plus Kaipara District Council and St John Ambulance staff, with police containing the surrounding area, keeping the public at bay.
Around 100 fire personel, plus Kaipara District Council and St John Ambulance staff, with police containing the surrounding area, keeping the public at bay. Mr King says if the buildings had had heat sensors and sprinklers installed this would have made a "huge difference to the outcome".
He says a significant structural collapse occurred with the second level facade falling onto the street of Fosters Home Decorating shop. Business owners' decisions not to have them was often a cost factor.
He says the lack of these fire safety devices was not just an issue in Dargaville but all over the country.
There were no injuries and one person living in a flat above one of the shops, was escorted to safety.
Fire officials say it took fire fighters a good two and a half hours to get the blaze under control and fire crews would continue to dampen down hot spots overnight.
Two men in their teens were arrested during the emergency, one for climbing onto the roof of the close toby Northern Wairoa Hotel and the other for obstructing police. Victoria St west is expected to be blocked off to vehicular and foot traffic between Edward St and Hokianga Rd while the fire is under investigation.
"They were idiots, because the reality is, it was a great big dirty fire and they could have been killed and if they want to kill themselves that's fine but they don't need to endanger anyone else," he says.
Constable Ewen Cumming of the Dargaville police says one of the men was "rubbernecking" on the hotel roof and had unnecessarily compromised the safety of police staff, while the other man was obstructing police who were trying to deal with public safety.
They said hotel staff went from door to door of the hotel accommodation area to ensure hotel visitors vacated the building in case the fire spread further.
They said hotel staff went from door to door of the hotel accommodation area to ensure hotel visitors vacated the building in case the fire spread further.
Elleigh Jackson, an assistant at the close toby Blockbuster video store told the Dargaville and Districts News that she smelt smoke just before police arrived and told her to vacate the store.
"As I was leaving the store I saw the front windows of Foster's store cracking and yellow smoke billowing up inside," she says.
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Most expats in no rush to come home
– Wednesday, 24 December 2008
Three-quarters of the New Zealanders living in Britain have no intention of coming home in the next year, a study shows.
"I'm certainly in the survey's majority of respondents in not looking to return to New Zealand in the immediate future," Christchurch expat Simon MacKechnie, 35, said.
The Global Career Link survey of more than 800 New Zealanders living in Britain found only 6.
The British Government has backed down on threatened changes to the visa system, allowing the 88 per centwho had the necessary stamps to stay longer.3 per cent planned to return home in the next three months.
Business New Zealand chief executive Phil O'Reilly said: "The reasons for young New Zealanders leaving home wider range of opportunities, more higher-paying jobs, OE will remain regardless of the current fallout from the credit crisis.
"But most scarily, 61 per centof those planning to come back are also considering Australia, so we might not even get them back," Global Career Link chief executive Simon Swallow said."
The survey found that of those returning home, 13 per centquoted a lack of work opportunities in Britain or better work opportunities in New Zealand as the reason.
"So the reasons that they are coming back are still the same old `homesick' or `wanting to start a family' chestnuts," Swallow said. Being closer to friends and family was the motive for 32 per cent. They would reassess their next destination after their wedding and before they started a family.
MacKechnie, who will marry his South African fiancee, Nicolette Gerber, 31, next year, said they had no immediate plans to leave London.
An old boy of Christchurch Boys' High School, MacKechnie left for Sydney in 1997 and has lived in New York and London.
"My personal preference is Sydney, while Nicolette's is Cape Town, so we'll probably end up in Cape Town initially," MacKechnie said.
He is as a financial controller in the technology arm of the New York Stock Exchange Euronext business.
He is as a financial controller in the technology arm of the New York Stock Exchange Euronext business. .
"I'm not aware of any Kiwi or other friends leaving London as a result of the credit crunch.
MacKechnie said he was not inspired by the opportunities on offer at home.
"Second, the decline in the kiwi dollar means that people's money will go a bit further in New Zealand," he said.
"Other than the small number of growth companies in Christchurch, most companies seem to offer more senior roles to existing staff within the organisation and they are rarely advertised.
"My perception is the demand for middle and senior finance roles in Christchurch is very limited compared with Auckland and Wellington," he said."
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Recyclers hit hard by world price slump
Thursday, 11 December 2008
A worldwide slump in commodity prices is hitting recyclers hard as smaller councils worry about the long-term survival of kerbside recycling.
Nelson City Council had started stockpiling cans and plastics till world prices recovered and has begun dumping newspapers in a landfill, after prices for paper and cardboard fell 90 per cent. .
"When you've seen a price .
Aluminium had taken five years to reach its peak in July of US$3200 a tonne and just five months to slump below US$1500 a tonne, Mr Tuffley said… halve in 12 months that's pretty dramatic.
"For a lot of people having to make decisions at the moment this would have to be one of the most uncertain times we've faced for decades."
Stockpiling was one way to cope but there was no guarantee prices would rise till the world economy recovered, which could take years rather than months, he said.
Invercargill City Council solid waste manager Tom Greenwood said the financial situation of their contractors could eventually threaten the service if it continued."
Prices for aluminium cans have dropped from $1000 a tonne to $100, steel from $700 to $100 and copper from $8000 to $4000.
"People have got the expectations that now it's in place that it will carry on.
The price per tonne for clear plastics had gone from several hundred dollars to about $30, he said. Everybody's bought into it and the last thing we want is for it to fall over at this stage. Everybody's bought into it and the last thing we want is for it to fall over at this stage. We're doing a lot more sorting. "We certainly aren't dumping in landfill."
Mr Hay expected prices to pick up next year as people's stocks ran down. We're able to produce quite big volumes and that's helped us as well.77 a head of population to help with waste reduction and recycling programmes, funded by a landfill levy.
Environment Ministry spokesman Jeff Seadon said next year councils would get about $3.
In Wellington, Transpacific All Brite had long-term supply deals signed with overseas buyers, council CitiOperations manager, Mike Mendonca, said: "While things are tough we're largely confident that we'll be sheltered from the worst of the effects. Higher prices at landfills, due to the levy, would also encourage people to dispose of less, he said."
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Cheese kransky sizzles to the top
By STACEY WOOD Thursday, 13 November 2008
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DADDY WOULD YOU LIKE SOME? Chef Mita Warbrick holds the winning sausage in the international spicey section of the Great New Zealand Sausage Competition.
"Moist and more-ish" is how judges described this year's supreme winner of the Great New Zealand Sausage Competition.
Chief judge Kerry Tyack said the Heller's cheese kransky was a superb example of the sausage and delivered on taste and texture. Created by Alan Chan, it was flavoured with lemongrass, basil and peppercorns.
Wellington butcher Goulds Fine Foods won a gold award in the international section with its spicy Thai sausage.
Gary Beecroft, chief executive of Retail Meat New Zealand, said the competition helped raise the profile of the Kiwi staple.
Todd Heller, founding director of Heller's, said its kransky was "the ideal Kiwi sausage". .
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The 14th annual competition drew 440 entries, with the winning snarlers presented yesterday at Wellington's Duxton Hotel
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Divers to begin search for Saxton’s body
By JOANNE CARROLL in Wanaka – Tuesday, 04 November 2008
ID 132713/JOANNE CARROLL
PREPARING TO SEARCH: Gear being unloaded from an RNZAF Hercules after a navy dive squad flew in to Wanaka Airport last night.
Navy divers will begin searching Lake Wanaka for missing helicopter pilot Morgan Saxton this morning after they flew in by air force Hercules last night.
Police searching for Mr Saxton said there was little chance of finding him alive.
The Robinson R22 helicoptor Mr Saxton was flying went down in Lake Wanaka on Saturday evening.
Sergeant Aaron Nicholson, of Wanaka, said he hoped Mr Saxton's body would be found in the helicopter so it could be returned to his family. Realistically, we have had to tell the Saxton family there is now essentially little chance of finding Morgan alive.
"Everything above the water in the search area has now been thoroughly combed. Our sympathies and condolences go out to them," Mr Nicholson said. Yesterday's search was hampered by strong winds and choppy water, Mr Nicholson said.
The specialist dive squad had the ability to work at night but a southerly front could have an impact on the search area.
"He passed over me on the barge moments before it happened but, no, I didn't see it happen," he said.
Saxton family spokesman Jonathan Wallace said he was possibly the last person to see Mr Saxton alive.
Mr Saxton died "doing what he did best".
Mr Wallace said he was a good friend of Mr Saxton.
Mr Wallace said Mr Saxton's father David had flown to Wanaka earlier on Saturday and not just ahead of Mr Saxton as reported.
Mr Wallace said Mr Saxton's father David had flown to Wanaka earlier on Saturday and not just ahead of Mr Saxton as reported. The focus has shifted from finding Morgan alive to hoping we can extract Morgan and the wreck," he said. The family is being realistic.
He said the decision to call out the dive squad was made late on Sunday night but the team did not arrive until late yesterday evening.
Mr Nicholson said the underwater search, using specialist sonar and other equipment, would continue to centre on the oil slick found off the shore of Mou Waho (Pigeon Island) about 15km from Wanaka either last night or today.
The lake reaches depths of up to 300m and the area where the oil slick was found was 80m deep. "It has taken a while but we are not looking at saving a life so the urgency diminishes a bit," he said. A helmet, flight jacket and gear bag were found floating on the water on Saturday night.
Thirteen boats, four helicopters and up to 70 volunteers had been searching the area since Mr Saxton was reported overdue on Saturday evening on a flight from Haast. Mr Saxton, 31, is an experienced commercial helicopter pilot based at Haast. A seat back and first aid kit were found washed up on the eastern shore of the lake.
Mr Nicholson said David Saxton was "too cut up" to talk to police yesterday.
Mr Nicholson said David Saxton was "too cut up" to talk to police yesterday. Police had spoken to family and friends about the last sightings of Mr Saxton. He was last seen flying midway over the lake.
Three Civil Aviation Authority investigators were in Wanaka to investigate possible causes.
The helicopter had a radio and a distress beacon but neither was used before the crash. "It must have happened quite quickly," he said.
The death would be referred to the coroner.
Lloyd Matheson, of Southern Lakes Helicoptor, said he was involved in the seach for Mr Saxton on Saturday night. His team found a helmet and a satchel containing aircraft documents in the lake using night-vision technology.
"We confirmed he had gone into the lake," he said.
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Black Power lodges Treaty of Waitangi claim
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
Black Power has lodged a Treaty of Waitangi claim but a spokesperson says it is not about the money.
The gang claim was one of thousands received in the rush leading up to the September 1 deadline imposed by the government for historic claims.
Gangs existed because of colonisation and what they were wanted was education, he said.
Wellington gang spokesperson Eugene Ryder, understood to be a major driver behind the claim, would not provide specifics about it but said the gang was not seeking money.
"It's the story of our lives really and the way we're treated.
"The object of the claim is education as to why we're in the position we're in," he told the New Zealand Herald.
"The way we've dealt with the different breaches is to get together with other like-minded people. From our perspective there have been multiple Treaty breaches, every article has been broken.
Until it is registered it will not become a public document and the tribunal will not release it."
It could be some months before the tribunal decides whether it has the jurisdiction to hear the claim and therefore register it formally.
Lawyer Moana Jackson said the claim was likely to be large and substantive. Neither will the gang.
But some MPs want the tribunal to boot the claim out of the process. As any Maori individual or group could lay a claim, the fact Black Power did not sign the Treaty was irrelevant to the current process.
Gang members needed to take some responsibility, as belonging to a gang was a choice, Mr Mark said.
New Zealand First law and order spokesperson Ron Mark dismissed the claim as "laughable", saying it sounded like a poor attempt to excuse criminal behaviour."
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"Their claim that they only exist because of disempowerment is rubbish