Two a penny

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Key calls Maori job summit

By VERNON SMALL Saturday, 24 January 2009

A separate "Maori summit" to look at ways to fight unemployment in the economic crisis will be held next Wednesday, Prime Minister John Key says. ."
Mr Key made the announcement during his first visit as prime minister to the Ratana marae close to Wanganui yesterday, where more than 20 National MPs were given a warm welcome at the traditional Labour powerbase.
"That will just be an opportunity to reflect on some of the issues Maori face.
Echoing new United States President Barack Obama's inauguration speech, he called for Maori and Pakeha to work together to combat the worst effects of the recession.
Mr Key paid tribute to the "bravery and leadership" of Dr Sharples and his Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia for striking a support deal with the National Government.
He predicted once the flag was flying, people would soon get used to it and would ask in a few years: "What was all the commotion about?"
Mr Key and his delegation of almost 30 MPs the largest National had taken to the annual celebrations of the birthday of prophet Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana were led on to the marae in the mid-afternoon by the Ratana brass band.
He also pledged to fly the Maori flag alongside the New Zealand flag on Parliament and Premier House on Waitangi Day if agreement could be reached over which flag to fly on Auckland harbour bridge. At one point he tried to draw comparisons between the inflexibility of the cast on his broken right arm and the need for flexibility in relationships, but ended up combining the words shiny and white to describe it as a "shite cast".
His speech was not without its slips.
Labour leader Phil Goff and about 20 Labour MPs were welcomed on to the marae in the morning, but were left in no doubt there was widespread sympathy for the National-Maori Party Government.
He also raised eyebrows by telling the largely low and middle income audience he had called Dr Sharples from his "place in Hawaii" during the holidays. Mr Goff responded by saying change went in cycles.
Ratana spokesperson Ruia Aperahama said National's deal had delivered "what Labour had failed to do in 80 years" of its close association with Ratana."
He defended his party's record, saying it had cut Maori unemployment from 18 per cent to below 8 per cent, advanced Treaty settlements and had improved housing, health and education. "We'll be back.
Mr Key said the parties were working well together, and there was good will on both sides.
The new Government should be judged on its results, not its promises, Mr Goff said."

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"That's not to say there won't be challenges along the way of course there will be

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Canyoning tragedy a ‘terrible slip-up’

By CLIO FRANCIS and – Thursday, 22 January 2009

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SOMBRE ANNOUNCEMENT: Rupert Wilson Chairman of the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre and CEO Grant Davidson hold a press conference announcing the centre would plead guilty to two charges over the canyoning tragedy.

LIVES LOST: The seven victims of the Mangatepopo canyoning disaster: Tony McClean, Natasha Bray, Floyd Fernandes, Tom Hsu, Portia McPhail, Anthony Mulder and Tara Gregory.

Canyon tragedy parents

Grieving mother speaks of her loss

Centre admits canyoning tragedy charges

Victim’s mum: ‘It doesn’t get any easier’

‘We’ll be carrying this with us forever’

Chairman Rupert Wilson

A devastated father hopes some wisdom can be drawn from last year's canyoningtragedy which claimed seven lives, as the outdoor pursuits centre involved accepts responsibility.
The centrewillplead guilty to two charges linked to the deaths, the centre's chairman Rupert Wilson said at a press conference today.
In April last year, students from Elim Christian College in Auckland were on a canyoning adventure at theSir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuit Centre in Turangi when rapidly rising, flash-flood waters in the Mangatepopo Gorge swept many of them away.
The families of the seven people killed in theincident held an emotionally charged press conference at Elim Christian College this afternoon.
Two other charges have been withdrawn by the Department of Labour.
Andy Bray, the father of Natasha, 16, said he was thankful to OPC for accepting responsibility for the tragedy. They [OPC] just slipped up that weekend with a terrible result.
"Nobody meant for this to happen.
Fransisco and Jennifer Fernandes, parents of Floyd, said they were pleased charges were being laid against OPC."
He said if some wisdom could be drawn from this then some good could come from "our children dying"."
They also thanked New Zealanders for supporting them.
"We are praying for justice and we think justice has come now. "We are new migrants who came into this country. "We are new migrants who came into this country. We have no family here…. . There were only four of us. "We spend sleepless nights just hugging his photograph and sitting in his bed."
Mrs Fernandes said the grieving process never got any easier.
He said he had been overwhelmed by people's kindness."
John McClean, father of teacher Tony McClean, said he didn't feel angryat OPC, just frustrated at the loss of his son, best friend and potential grandchildren. We still don't know who he is but that's typical of the kindness we received. We still don't know who he is but that's typical of the kindness we received."
SCHOOL WECOMES GUILTY PLEA
Elim Christian College today said they were pleased the centre was accepting responsibility and accountability for the tragedy.
"We understand the reasons for the withdrawal of the other two charges and wish to commend the Department of Labour team for their investigation," the school said in a statement.
"We are hopeful that it will now be possible to conclude the remainder of the police investigation and the coroner inquest much earlier than anticipated.
"While nothing can erase what has happened or restore our broken families we want to ensure that as a consequence of this unfortunate process that a tragedy of this kind can be averted in the future and adventure activities of this kind made even safer."
TWO CHARGES DROPPED
In October, the Department of Labour laid four charges under the Health and Safety in Employment Act against the centre. They were due to be heard in Taumarunui District Court today but the centre said the charges would now not be formally called and neither the department nor the centre would appear.
"OPC has informed the Department of Labour and the Taumarunui District Court that it will plead guilty to two charges laid under the Health and Safety in Employment (HSE) Act," Department of Labour group workplace services manager Maarten Quivoy said.
OPC will plead guilty to one charge under the Act that, as an employer, it failed to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of its employee, Jodie Sullivan, while at work. Ms Sullivan was the OPC instructor who led the high school group into the gorge.
The second charge is that OPC failed to take all practicable steps to ensure that no action or inaction of Jodie Sullivan harmed any other person.
The other two charges were withdrawn because the department considered they were adequately covered by the charges now subject to the guilty pleas.
Mr Wilsonsaid thatthe most important factor in making the plea was that the children were in the centre's care when the tragedy occurred.
He also said they decided on making the plea because any defended hearing would delay the Coroner's Court hearings for up to two years.
The case will now be adjourned until sentencing.
A sentencing date has yet to be set by Taumarunui District Court.
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At 79, it’s time to leave the nursery

Thursday, 22 January 2009

Afterdedicating his life to saving rare and endangered plants, Alastair Turnbull is hanging up his spade as he looks forward to his 80th birthday.
Mr Turnbull, who has been keen on native plants since the age of four, has put Otaki's Talisman Nursery on the market.
With clients nationwide and overseas, he started the nursery in Whenuapai 35 years ago before moving to Otaki 22 years ago, re-establishing and developing it to become of the most highly regarded arboretums in the country.
Showcasing native tree, shrub and alpine specimens from Cape Reinga to Fiordland, he has devoted his life to preserving plants and teaching people how to grow them.
The nursery has more than 1000 types of plants, including more than 170 that are endangered or threatened. .
He has registered 25 native plants with the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture, including hebe cultivars, one of which is named Hebe Thomas after his grandson

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How to spot a rip current

By SAM SACHDEVA – Saturday, 03 January 2009

Rip currents are a common, hidden danger at Canterbury beaches, warn life-savers.
Surf Life Saving Canterbury life-saving manager Dougal Holmes said the dangerous currents were "the biggest problem" over the summer.
"There's a lot of holes and rips around rivermouths like the Waimakariri, and close to Taylors Mistake and Shag Rock. .
"People are tempted by the calm, warm water and they go in, and then they get into trouble," he said."
Areas of still water in otherwise choppy surf, dark, discoloured water and floating debris in one spot are all signs of a rip current.
"Sometimes you can actually see the water racing out to sea it's just a matter of being aware about where you swim.
Swimmers caught in a rip often panicked and struggled against the current, exhausting themselves and increasing the risk of drowning.
He urged those caught in a rip to look at the water in front of them rather than turning to face the shore. "You have to just relax and go with the rip until you get out of it, then swim back to shore; or swim across it and parallel to the shore if you are an experienced swimmer," Holmes said. "It's like walking home at night do you go down the dark, mysterious alley, or the well-lit signposted street with policemen close toby?"

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The safest option was to swim between the flags at a patrolled beach

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Bollard blasts high prices

The Thursday, 11 December 2008

ReserveBankgovernor Alan Bollard is putting the boot into banks, oil companies and food firms for not bringing down prices as much as they should.
In an unusual and pointed attack, Dr Bollard also told power companies not to keep pushing up prices and local bodies to start keeping rate rises under the level of inflation. "It is something we will raise in discussions with them.
He said he had not yet called in bank chiefs about lowering interest rates further, but expected to do so soon.
He cut official interest rates by a record 1."
In a speech at the Wellington Chamber of Commerce yesterday, Dr Bollard said more central bank interest rate cuts depended on "all sectors" playing their part and not adding to inflation.25 points since July, but said banks had only partly passed that on. . Banks should not expect to keep up their profits in tough times, he said.
Despite problems for banks in borrowing from overseas this year, "we have been surprised we have not seen more pass-through".8 billion before tax last year, up 11 per cent, according to a report by accounting firm KPMG.
Big banks made combined profits of $4.
Some food prices needed to fall, too.
Petrol prices have fallen by 83 cents a litre since July, but Dr Bollard said he was not sure they had fully reflected falling world prices "in the last few weeks". "Now that global prices have crashed, there is plenty of room for retail price cuts. For example, international dairy prices were half the level they were a year ago. "Rate rises should be well below the rate of inflation this year (and in future)."
Local councils had "got into the habit of passing on big increases and not thinking too deeply about it", Dr Bollard said.
The major banks have cut short-term mortgage rates by about 2.".25 points.8 percentage points since July, not passing on the full benefit of Reserve Bank cuts of 3.15 per cent. Floating mortgage rates have fallen from just under 11 per cent in the middle of the year to about 8. Banks also faced higher costs as a result of the Government's charges for the bank deposit guarantee scheme. Banks also faced higher costs as a result of the Government's charges for the bank deposit guarantee scheme.
Banks said it also cost more to borrow overseas as a result of the credit crisis.
Household power prices have risen about 6.6 per cent on average in the past three years.
"We get a picture of an industry that has a relatively easy time and it has not shared the pain," Dr Bollard said.
State-owned power companies made total profits of $446 million in the past year. Sharemarket-listed Contact made a profit of $237 million.
Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee said the Government was in talks with electricity companies and was concerned that "they don't raise prices unduly".
"They are providing reasons why they think their prices should go up. We are continuing to have discussions about the problems they say are leading them to those price rises."
Prices in the retail power sector had risen "in excess of 80 per cent since 2001", he said. "It has to stop somewhere. I think they [power companies] need to consider very carefully what he is saying."

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Oil spill closes Auckland beach

By LUCY VICKERS – Tuesday, 02 December 2008

A large oil spill has forced the closure of Little Shoal Bay on Auckland's North Shore. .
It will be at least two days before the water and shore is cleaned up, says North Shore City Council Pollution Prevention Co-ordinator Rachel Zaloum.
Harbourmaster marine pollution response co-ordinator Mick Courtnell says the spill, the largest he has seen in a while, came from a ship bunkering at Wynyard Wharf in the Auckland commercial port.
The incident is being dealt with by the Auckland Regional Council Harbourmaster and the past two days have been spent removing the substance from the beach and adjacent seawall.
The cause has yet to be established but it is likely to be a prosecution and the Harbourmaster office is investigating.
By the time they got the alert it had reached the harbour bridge and they used a chemical dispersant to sink the material.
No obvious impact to wildlife has been observed, and Mr Courtnell says he saw a seal come in and seemed to be healthy and unaffected.
Ms Zaloum says that a prominent water quality warning sign with a red post was put up on the beach specifically to warn people not to swim because of the risk of contact with the oil.
This morning workers were hosing down the seawall and using absorbent booms to soak up the oil that was sent back into the sea.

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There is also a sign at neighbouring Halls Beach, she says

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German tourist rescued after being trapped in canoe

Saturday, 15 November 2008

A German tourist trapped in a canoe in the upper reaches of the Wanganui River was rescued by local residents of close toby Whakahoro settlement late Friday.
Wanganui police search and rescue commander Senior Sergeant Darcy Forrester said police were alerted at 4.20pm and initiated a rescue operation.
The man had been unable to free the woman himself.
He said the 20-year-old woman's male companion, an English tourist, raised the alarm after having to leave the trapped woman and paddle two hours downstream to alert Department of Conservation staff at John Coull hut. .
"Three locals from the close toby Whakahoro settlement responded quickly and went down to the river to find the woman still trapped and eventually freed her from the canoe," said Mr Forrester.
Mr Forrester said The Square Trust rescue helicopter flew the woman to Wanganui Hospital for treatment.
The pair had been planning to canoe from Whakahoro to Pipiriki over the next three days. Police also took the Englishman back to Whakahoro after his ordeal.

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Try to trick Vomit Man if you dare

Friday, 31 October 2008

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HOBBY GONE SCARY: Michelle Lamb puts her heart and soul into Halloween.

Halloweenenthusiast Michelle Lamb has spent about $600 on enough lollies for 1200 trick-or-treating kids, but they must first get past her latest creation – Vomit Man.
Scary life-sized monsters with names like the mother-in-law, The Mad Irishman and Monica – she is the blonde one with a stain on her dress that would frighten Bill Clinton – must also be negotiated.
The journey to her front door, and the lolly jar, then takes the expectant children past fake graves, giant spiders and rats. "We get them from everywhere and all the schools talk about it.
Mrs Lamb was not joking about expecting 1200 kids tonight."
Mrs Lamb decided to make her Miramar home a Halloween haven about 12 years ago when she went trick or treating with her niece. We had a double-decker bus come last year full of kids."
She also also gives out certificates.
"I didn't want to knock on people's doors who I didn't know, so decided to make somewhere safe for kids to come. They get the certificate in a little bag with really good presents. "I do them for kids who make their own outfits, or have really gone out of their way to make something special. "I love my fan mail."
Mrs Lamb and husband Brian, who do not have children, get a thrill from the reaction of the children, and plenty of fan mail. . It usually starts coming just after Halloween. "I am not as enthusiastic as Michelle but it is a fantastic night on Halloween."
The life-sized mannequins are created by the Lambs and put up in the front yard by Brian, who is a builder."
The madness does not stop at the front step either – inside the house is covered with monster cutouts, flying bats, skulls, and other scary stuff. For her it is just a hobby gone mad.

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Body confirmed as that of missing boatie

Thursday, 18 September 2008

The body found washed up on an island in Auckland's Waitemata Harbour yesterday has been confirmed as that of missing boatie, Mike Shaw.
Mr Shaw, 49, from Ramarama, south of Auckland, disappeared on Sunday when the five-metre runabout he and a friend were in sank close to Browns Island.
The other man clambered ashore on Browns Island and was found the next morning when a search began.
Both men were wearing lifejackets and chatted to each other in the water for some time before they were separated and Mr Shaw drifted away. The body, still wearing a lifejacket, was found by a member of the public about 10.
Mr Shaw's body was found on Rakino Island, about 13km northeast of where the boat sank.
The police launch Deodar III was expected to use new sonar technology today to search the harbour bottom for the sunken boat.30am yesterday.
The system had attracted interest from overseas navies but had seldom been seen in New Zealand, said the company last November after the navy's last steam frigate Canterbury was sunk in the Bay of Islands as a dive attraction.
The wide angled multi-beam sonar system was developed by New Zealand company, Electronic Navigation Limited.
The system produced a clear underwater image of the sunken frigate sitting on the bottom of Deep Water Cove minutes after explosive charges had blown holes in the ship's hull and it sank on an even keel in 28 metres of water.
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