Two a penny

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Dunedin’s mayor and city MP Pete Hodgson want the controversial Undie 500 rally out of Dunedin for good.

The rally once more descended into chaos last night, with Dunedin police forced to wear riot gear and use pepper spray to disperse student mobs. .The annual Undie 500 event, organised by Canterbury University engineering students, involves a pub crawl from Christchurch to Dunedin, in cars worth under $500.The 70 officers took about two hours to disperse the students.Hodgson, who represents Dunedin North, told Radio New Zealand it’s time to put a stop to the event. This is the third consecutive year the rally has led to disorder.Mayor Peter Chin said the Undie 500 isn’t welcome in Dunedin, and suggested the Canterbury students trash their own city instead, RNZ reported.Last year’s official Undie 500 was cancelled after rioting in the city resulted in 69 arrests the previous year.The event has previously caused headaches for Dunedin police left to control riotous behaviour at the end of the trip.Most of last night’s action centred in the three blocks around Castle Street, with mobs setting furniture and piles of rubbish on fire in Castle and Leith streets, Dunedin Area Commander Inspector Dave Campbell said.However, an unofficial version of the event still ran and 30 arrests were made after another round of disorder.Flying bottles hit two or three other people, who had to be taken away by ambulance for treatment.One officer was hit in the head and knocked down with a hurled bottle, and would have been seriously injured if not for his helmet, he said.Mr Campbell said there would be a boosted police presence this weekend and anyone arrested would gain a criminal record, due to a no-diversion policy.Mr Campbell said there would be a boosted police presence this weekend and anyone arrested would gain a criminal record, due to a no-diversion policy.They faced a variety of charges, ranging from disorderly behaviour and breaching the liquor ban to wilfully setting fire to property.Most of those arrested were Otago University students, Mr Campbell said.”We are happy we have been able to stabilise the crowd without exerting our authority too much,” he told the Otago Daily Times.The officer in charge of the police response, Inspector Alistair Dickie, said they had chosen to take a softer approach this year and were relatively pleased with how things turned out last night. We are pleased at the moment.”We could have sparked something here.”

. Hopefully, I don’t eat my words

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Aucklanders may see the return of trams trundling along the Waitemata waterfront if the ARC gets its way.

The Auckland Regional Council is “examining into the feasibility” of a light rail or tram system along the Waitemata Harbour waterfront.

The Government’s decision to buy and redevelop Queens Wharf, with public spaces and a cruise ship terminal, added impetus to examining at public transport options, said ARC Transport and Urban Development Committee chairwoman Christine Rose.

Planners estimate when people stroll the so called Wynyard Quarter at the waterfront seven out of 10 trips will be taken on public transport, walking or cycling.

“Light rail or heritage trams should be considered in any public transport options for Wynyard Quarter and Quay St as part of the area’s redevelopment,” she said.

She said planning had not previously looked at the use of light rail, but the regional council wanted to put that up as an option.”

The feasibility study into light rail for the waterfront will provide information on the potential demand for light rail and how it was used in comparable waterfront cities.

“We are striving to add to existing heritage and character, and to enhance Auckland’s waterfront viability and experience for workers, tourists and Aucklanders at large.

A report to the ARC transport committee today said modern light rail trips were being used for peak hour commuting as part of transport networks throughout the world..

In Auckland, a loop linking Wynard Quarter, Quay St and Britomart could be part of a wider transport solution for the city.

Or they were used in short loops often aimed at tourists.

*What do you think of the proposal? below. Progress on the feasibility study will be reported back to the Transport and Urban Development Committee in November.

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A former girlfriend of murder-accused Clayton Weatherston has told the High Court in Christchurch that he once kicked her across the room.

The woman, whose name and occupation is suppressed, said she was in a relationship with Weatherston from 2004 to August 2007, when he ended it.

Weatherston, 33, is accused of stabbing his former girlfriend Sophie Elliott, 22, to death at her home on 9 January last year.

The witness, who was Weatherston’s girlfriend before he started dating Elliott, recounted a violent incident in the latter half of 2006 when he had kicked her across the floor. He admits her manslaughter but denies the murder charge.

She had rushed to the bathroom and Weatherston would not let her leave. He had kicked her in the back and the ribs and her knee had hit her nose which started bleeding, she told the High Court in Christchurch. Her eye was bruised in the assault.

“I felt trapped,” she said.

He would not let her leave the house and took her car keys because he wanted to talk about it.

“I told if him if you don’t get help I will leave you,” she said.

She recovered and she got very annoyed and told him to get help.

Weatherston had, according to Elliott, denied a previous violent incident in his bedroom on December 27, 2007, and had accused her of making up stories and being crazy.

Earlier in the day, Elliott’s friend Erin van de Water, told the High Court in Christchurch Elliott had told her of a meeting she had with Weatherston on January 7, 2007, in his office in the Economics Department at Otago University. As Elliott was leaving Weatherston had accused her of ruining his career and Elliott believed he had tried to push her down the stairs. As Elliott was leaving Weatherston had accused her of ruining his career and Elliott believed he had tried to push her down the stairs.

She heard from Elliott how Weatherston thought he was much better than her and she was lucky to be going out with him. They would often “vent” on their personal life and she became aware of the relationship with Weatherston.

Elliott often wondered if they had a relationship as Weatherston would want to spend quality time with his ex-girlfriend who was supposed to be the most amazing person. . By Christmas they did not seem to be a couple any more.

Van de Water, a make-up artist, said Elliott felt her self esteem was damaged by Weatherston’s comments and her confidence was noticeably knocked. She reported that earlier that day she had visited Weatherston to give him a photo album of his graduation.

On December 27 Elliott had come to her house and looked shaky and flushed. He had made insulting remarks about her appearance saying her chin was too pointy and her eyes were too far apart. Weatherston had started shouting and forced her on to his bed and put his arm on her throat.

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Home loan customers probably missed the “bargain of a lifetime” on long-term mortgage rates, after a multibillion-dollar borrowing frenzy in the past few weeks, some economists say.

But floating mortgage rates are likely to fall further and stay down, possibly till the end of next year.
Other economists say lending rates may go lower, given a weak world economy, and there is no need to lock in rates now.
In the past week or so, five-year fixed lending rates jumped from about 6.
In a highly unusual move, Reserve Bank governor Alan Bollard said yesterday that long-term interest rates were too high.5 per cent as people suddenly switched to longer-term loans, to lock in much-lower-than-average rates.5 per cent to 7. The frenzied demand pushed rates up. .
But the rise in the past fortnight was “unwarranted” and, if rates stayed up, it could put unnecessary pressure on companies and home owners borrowing from banks, Dr Bollard said.
BNZ advised a fortnight ago to “fix now”.
Bank of New Zealand chief economist Tony Alexander says the Reserve Bank is just showing its impotence to haul down longer-term fixed rates, even though wholesale interest rates dipped almost a third of 1 per cent on Dr Bollard’s announcement.
Westpac economist Donna Purdue said the Reserve Bank was expected to cut official interest rates 50 points at the end of the month, which would bring floating rates down sharply. People had now missed that “wonderful opportunity” to lock in cheap rates, Mr Alexander said, although three-year rates remained much lower.

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Executives at Air New Zealand are to act as cabin crew for the airline’s subsidiary, Zeal 320 Ltd, during next week’s planned strike action on trans-Tasman and Pacific routes.

Talks between the airline and the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) are continuing.
But the EPMU said it did not believe the airline had staff available to replace striking cabin crew.
Air New Zealand told Radio New Zealand it had 100 fully qualified staff, including top executives who have volunteered to keep planes flying over the Easter period.
Air New Zealand’s group general manager of short-haul airlines, Bruce Parton, said senior staff, including Glen Sowry, who is heading the negotiations, will act as crew on the Zeal 320 flights. .
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Mr Parton said the airline may consider sacking and replacing the 250 Zeal cabin crew if the industrial action is drawn out

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Tourist’s wedding trip ends with bashing

Saturday, 28 February 2009

Scotsman Stuart Martin came to New Zealand to celebrate a mate's marriage today instead he's lying in a coma in Hawke's Bay Hospital.
Mr Martin, 31, was attacked in central Taradale after attending the stag night of his friend Rory McBrearty, who is to marry his fiancee, Meghan, in Napier today.
The pair have been mates for more than six years and Mr Martin had flown from Australia to attend the wedding.
Speaking to The yesterday, the shaken Mr McBreatrty, also 31, had just been at the bedside of his comatose friend.
"I'm pretty upset about it all.
"I'm on the verge of a breakdown, to tell the truth," Mr McBrearty said.
"They're [hospital staff] not saying much about his condition, but it's pretty serious. It's overwhelming.
"They came to the Bay from all over the place."
He said he and about 20 friends had spent much of Thursday being driven on a pub crawl around back-country pubs before winding up at a friend's house in Taradale.
"It was just your normal stag do. That's why the stag do was so close to the wedding. We finished up at a friend's place in Taradale. It was good.
"We went around town [Taradale] and Stuart went through town," Mr McBrearty said. A group of us was walking from there to another place. We were just walking home.
"We hadn't been drinking in Taradale.
During a scuffle he was knocked to the ground and two of the attackers stomped on his head and face. .
He was taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital after a passer-by alerted emergency services. His attackers' shoes left an imprint on his face and head.
Mr McBrearty described his friend as a "small, friendly guy who makes friends with everyone".
No-one in the stag party noticed Mr Martin was missing until one of the group walked back past the town centre and saw the police cordon. Everyone who knows Stu loves Stu. Everyone who knows Stu loves Stu. He's just one of those guys. He's a little white boy there's nothing to him."
Yesterday, police charged three 17-year-olds with assault. Darrin Wright, Hamish Bowman and Joshua McConville, all from Taradale, appeared before a JP and were remanded in custody till Wednesday.

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Axe bandit hits Wgtn service stations

By CLIO FRANCIS – Wednesday, 14 January 2009

Supplied
BRAZEN ROBBERY: Wellington Police said the early morning robberies at a Shell station in Newtown and a Caltex station in Miramar, left staff traumatised and the offender with less than $300 cash.

A brazen robber with a tomahawk axe strapped to his waist struck two service stations in Wellington today.
Acting Detective sergeant Andrew Compton said in both cases the lone robber lifted up his shirt to expose what the victims thought was a tomahawk axe placed across his waist.
Wellington Police said the early morning robberies at a Shell station in Newtown and a Caltex station in Miramar, left staff traumatised and the offender with less than $300 cash.
The first robbery occurred around 5.
He said police were sure images taken from security cameras at the petrol stations would help find the person responsible.
Later, at 8.20 this morning at a Shell station on Constable Road, Newtown, he said.
He said that at both petrol stations the man demanded the contents of the till, and left with small sums of cash.45am, the man walked into the Caltex Station in Broadway, close to Wellington Airport. The victims said he wore a black beanie over his face with a black cap on top.
The robber is described as being dark skinned, possibly Fijian, in his mid 20's. .
He was dressed in a red t-shirt with a long sleeved grey jacket and was wearing baggy jeans.

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Cradle to early grave

Tuesday, 06 January 2009

More than350 children and young people whose safety or welfare had been brought to Child, Youth and Family's attention have died since 2000.
Children's commissioner Cindy Kiro says many of the deaths were preventable.
Some died from suicide, abuse, assaults by parents or caregivers, neglect and shootings.
Last year, Dr Kiro carried out a review of the deathsand she criticised CYF social workers for not focusing enough on at-risk children. Most died from natural causes, medical complications or accidents, including vehicle crashes, fires, falls and drownings.
Dr Kiro said she was frustrated by the significant number of preventable child deaths through violence, neglect, injury or suicide.The review found "gaps" in information provided to her office and triggered a new focus on neglect by parents and caregivers.
Though CYF had dealt with some issues identified in her review, it needed to do more to protect high-risk children it was notified about.. "I want to see more impetus and focus . because that's where I think we can save the lives of a lot more children.."
Figures in Dr Kiro's 2008 annual report show her office was notified by CYF of 86 deaths last financial year alone a large increase on the previous year.
"It's immensely frustrating and it makes me feel sometimes angry that we can't and don't do more.
A further 271 deaths were reported between 2000 and 2007.
A further 271 deaths were reported between 2000 and 2007.
"We know about them, but it might just be a phone call that's made about a kid who's driving fast down the road," a spokesman said. .
About 50 children have died since 2000 while in CYF care, four from violence or abuse.
Numerous children referred to its care had pre-existing medical conditions. She would work with Dr Kiro on child advocacy issues.
Social Development Minister Paula Bennett refused to comment on the numbers, saying only that any child's death was tragic.
She said children notified to CYF were dying from the same causes as other children but were a higher-risk group.
Dr Kiro's review last year criticised CYF social-worker practices, and found "significant issues around supervision and chronic neglect" by some parents and caregivers, especially in cot death cases."
Generally when childrendied through deliberate violence or neglect, most were aged under five, not known to CYF officials and from families with intergenerational abuse. "So there's going to be an increased proportion of them who will die from physical assault, injury or other violence categories.
The number of reported cases of potential child abuse jumped from 40,939 notifications in 2004 to 89,461 last year.
The number of reported cases of potential child abuse jumped from 40,939 notifications in 2004 to 89,461 last year.
CYF said it was "symptomatic of an increase of public awareness and a growing intolerance of child abuse in society".

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Key unveils redundancy package

Around $160-a-week for families, redundancies could hit 70,000

Monday, 15 December 2008

A $50 million package to ease the burden on families affected by redundancy has been unveiled by the Government as it steels itself for as many as 70,000 people to lose their jobs as the effects of a global economic down turn bite.
Prime Minister John Key confirmed today the Government's re-start package would be backdated to November 8, the date of the election, and would provide short-term help for up to 16 weeks to low and moderate income families with children, and to people with high housing costs, who lost their jobs through redundancy.
* Up to $100-a-week extra for those who qualify for the maximum accommodation supplement after redundancy.
The package includes:
* A payment for families with children and who are no longer eligible for the In-Work Tax Credit, of $60-a-week for families with up to three children and $15-a-week for each extra child.
People made redundant between November 8 and today would have until January 15 to apply for assistance.
* Employment and job services.
Payments would start January 1. Those made redundant after today would have 20 working days to apply from the date they are laid off.
The government was committed to supporting "hard working New Zealanders who are unfortunate enough to be made redundant and need help meeting their commitments while they look for another job", he said.
Mr Key said the package fulfilled National's promise during the election campaign to help ease the country through an economic downturn.
Their costings are based on as many as 70,000 people needing assistance in those circumstances – but officials stressed that those figures were an extreme and "worst case" scenario and they were not expecting any where that number of people to be affected by redundancy.
Officials say the package provides assistance only for those affected by redundancy – workers who lose their jobs in other circumstances are not eligible.

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Council makes hay to cut park mowing costs

By STACEY WOOD Thursday, 04 December 2008

/The
SEEDS OF DISCONTENT: Lauren Gillies, 15, is upset that the grass at her local park in Levin has not been cut. She and her mother walk their dog there, but are concerned that people could hide in the long grass.

Levinresidents are up in arms over their council's attempts to make hay while the sun shines.
However, residents of Martin Harvey St are upset at the state of their neighbourhood park.
In an effort to reduce rates by $400,000, Horowhenua District Council has slashed maintenance at 14 reserves, leaving grass to grow almost a metre high before it is cut and made into hay. .
Bridget Gillies said she and daughter Lauren, 15, regularly walked their dog there but were concerned about their safety in its current condition.
Another resident said she was worried that small children could be hurt by glass or other hazards. "It depends on the weather, which is really up and down.
Levin fire station officer Brendon Woodley said he was not worried yet, as the grass was still fresh and green."
Palmerston North senior station officer Graeme Mills said long grass in suburban areas was always a problem in the hotter months. You'd need a good couple of weeks of hot, dry weather to really dry it out.
"Councils actually have the authority to give notices to private landowners asking them to cut their grass because of the fire risk. "At this time of year it can dry out in the heat and high winds and, if anything does start, it spreads very quickly."
Council parks assets officer Doug Tate said the cost-saving measures were necessary to keep rates down and the public needed to accept some compromises."
Council parks assets officer Doug Tate said the cost-saving measures were necessary to keep rates down and the public needed to accept some compromises. They're still being maintained, they're just not being cut. We've kept things clean and cut boundaries around playgrounds, and made walkways. All the reserves would be cut by Christmas."
He was aware of 44 complaints about the long grass from across the district but had heard no reports of injury.