Two a penny

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Two people were killed on New Zealand’s roads this weekend, both in Northland crashes.

A 29-year-old pedestrian, Sheridan David Snowden from Northland, was killed in a possible hit and run overnight.Mr Snowden’s body was found near a car on its side in a ditch on Russell Rd in Oakura, 50km north of Whangarei, about 4.He died at the scene, but it was not clear whether the upturned car had struck him or another vehicle that may have collided with that car, police said.30am.”Inquiries conducted to date have given rise to the possibility that another vehicle may also have been involved in the incident.The driver of the car left in the ditch was “assisting police” with their investigation, a police spokesman said. .5m down a bank.On Friday night 19-year-old Andrew Thomas Ellwood from Whangarei died after the car he was a passenger in crossed the centreline, collided with another car and rolled 2.20pm.The car had been travelling along Whangarei Heads Rd before the crash about 7.He and two other people were trapped in the car.Mr Ellwood was conscious when emergency services arrived but died shortly afterwards.They were taken to hospital with serious injuries and stabilised.They were taken to hospital with serious injuries and stabilised.

.Police believe speed was a factor in the crash

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National is playing down a high-stakes political battle between its support partners over Maori seats on the new Auckland council.

It has emerged that Local Government Minister and ACT Leader Rodney Hide told Prime Minister John Key in June he would resign as minister if the Government allowed any form of Maori seat on the yet-to-be-created council.

Cabinet had previously agreed in principle there would be no such seats, but at the June 3 meeting Mr Key had sounded him out on the possibility of Maori seats.

The Maori Party has been lobbying to overturn the Government’s position and recent events show that Mr Key is seriously considering whether Cabinet should reverse its decision.

“It was a live issue and a prospect,” Mr Hide said.

Mr Hide had also assured Mr Key ACT would not threaten the stability of the Government and the confidence and supply agreement would remain in place.

Mr Hide had told Mr Key that he could not compromise and still introduce the bill in his name, and would therefore have to stand aside.

His stance was not a threat, but a position of principle which Mr Key had to know about when decisions were made on the issue, he said.

“The coalition is going well, really focusing on the important issues facing New Zealand,” Mr Ryall said. . .

“ACT’s position is very well known to New Zealanders. but he is very solidly behind the Government. .”

Decisions on the Maori seats were yet to be taken, he said.”

Decisions on the Maori seats were yet to be taken, he said.

He called on Mr Hide to let Cabinet and Parliament decide the issue and then live with it.

“I would hate him to feel he has to step down over one little detail, if Maori seats are created, because that is now a very real possibility,” Dr Sharples said.

Labour accused Mr Hide of grandstanding to lift his party’s low poll ratings, but he said he had not intended to make his stance public.

Dr Sharples said he would be disappointed if Maori seats were not created, but he would stay on to advocate for Maori interests as a minister.

In the email, Mr Henare urges National MPs to back Maori seats, a reversal of its previous policy, saying there was public support for them.

Mr Hide said he was disappointed an email from National MP Tau Henare had been leaked to TV3 in which it had been wrongly claimed Mr Hide had been threatening the stability of the Government when it enjoyed only 1 per cent support in the polls.

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The Reserve Bank has fired a warning shot about the sudden recent sharp rise in interest rates.

The central bank said this morning that current levels of long-term interest rates in this country were “out of line” with its expectations.

The action by the governor was unusual, as he normally waits for his regular six-weekly review of interest rates before making comments on market conditions.

Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard said the recent rise in rates charged between financial institutions was “unwarranted and inconsistent with the monetary policy outlook”. A short time ago it was worth US55.

The New Zealand dollar reacted sharply to the announcement, falling over a cent in value against the American currency.

The comments by Bollard indicate a clear concern from him that recent actions of the markets could put further pressure on struggling Kiwi households and on the depressed New Zealand economy.9 cents compared with over US57c prior to the RBNZ statement. Governments around the world are issuing huge amounts of bonds as they seek to pump money into their own economies.

A number of factors have caused the recent increase in longer term rates.

There has also been a very strong rise in the value of the New Zealand dollar – largely due to the weakness of the US dollar.

This is forcing banks sourcing money offshore to pay higher rates. Several banks have increased their longer term fixed mortgage rates. .5 percent to 3 percent, indicated it did not see much more scope for further falls.

As well, the RBNZ, when lowering official interest rates from 3.

Continuation of such a trend could put further downward pressure on an economy that has been in recession since the start of 2008.

All of these factors have contributed to what is effectively a sharp tightening in monetary conditions within New Zealand – contrary to the RBNZ’s wishes. Furthermore, the risks around the outlook continue to be weighted to the downside,” Dr Bollard said in a statement.

“As we said in our 12 March Monetary Policy Statement, the economic recovery is expected to be very gradual.”

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Dr Bollard said that if this “apparent distortion” in the market persists, it could put unnecessary pressure on the cost of borrowing by firms and households.

“As indicated in our March Statement, we are projecting interest rates to remain at relatively low levels for an extended period.

A number of economists in recent days have been calling for just such an action from the RBNZ governor.

The comments by Bollard are effectively an attempt to “jawbone” interest rates and the New Zealand dollar down.

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Marie Jamieson murder-accused sent to trial

– Thursday, 26 February 2009

JOSEPH MARTIN REEKERS: Sent to trial.

MARIE JAMIESON: Murdered in 2001.
Joseph Reekers, 52, of Auckland appeared in Waitakere District Court this afternoon for a depositions hearing.

The man charged with murdering Auckland hairdresser Marie Jamieson eight years ago has conceded the Crown has a prima facie case against him and has been committed to the High Court for trial.
Reekers has been remanded in custody and will appear in the High Court again next month.
All evidence presented to the court was in written form which the media had been banned from viewing.
Reekers was charged with her rape and murder last June.
The case remained cold until late in 2007 when police re-examined DNA evidence.
Her naked body was found behind factory buildings in Ranui on February 10 2001.
Ms Jamieson was last seen alive as she walked past the Gull service station in the Auckland suburb of Kingsland eight years ago.

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Neighbours tell of attack on woman, 99

The Saturday, 14 February 2009

Aman who attacked a 99-year-old woman in her home walked into a bedroom when police arrived and said he was going to bed, a court has been told.
Neighbours reported the screams of the woman who yelled "save me" and then hearing pounding thuds.
"What's he done, what's he done to me, have I been stabbed?" she asked.
Police found the frail woman bleeding, with her nightie unbuttoned and arms outstretched, and the man still in the home.
He is charged with indecent assault, male assaults female, and burglary.
Glen Patrick Walsh, 20, appeared for a depositions hearing in Palmerston North District Court yesterday. . He conceded a prima facie case and had been committed to trial. One said: "I felt terrified just hearing this going on.
In briefs of evidence, neighbours told of hearing screams of "save me" and "don't". It sounded like she was screaming from the top of her lungs. It sounded like the woman was scared.
He told him to get out of bed and that he was under arrest but the man was incoherent."
Constable Garry Bedford followed the assailant, who was shirtless and barefooted, into a bedroom and watched him get into a bed and pull the covers over his legs.
The court was told Walsh had been drinking home-brew spirits that night. "Nah, I'm going to bed," the man replied."It appeared to me the nightie had been pulled open.
Constable Lisa Walker said the top buttons of the woman's nightie were undone.
Yesterday her family said she was still in hospital, had undergone three operations, had nightmares and wanted to go home."
The woman was taken to Palmerston North Hospital with gashes to both arms and her leg..
"She should have been able to see out her days at home . I promised her she would never have to go to the home but now she's got to go in one," her daughter said.. "She was perfect on that day, though she was tired out by the end of it. "She was perfect on that day, though she was tired out by the end of it."

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Recession ‘perfect time’ to build dream home

By CHARLIE GATES – Friday, 16 January 2009

A Christchurch housing developer is defying the recession to build a $4 million home for himself on the Estuary waterfront in Redcliffs.
When the 505-square metre "dream home" is completed this year, it will feature an outdoor pool with a view of Shag Rock, a glass-walled wine cellar complete with adjustable mood lighting, frosted perspex staircases and a large fish pond stretching into the house from outside.
The owner of the property, who wished to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, said it would be his "dream home".
The home has taken 18 months to design, will take 18 months to build and will include five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a gym, a home theatre, a pantry, a barbecue area, a spa, a three-car garage and a roof terrace..
"It is a dream home for my family and we have spent a lot of time and effort to make a home that suits the Christchurch market . It is beautiful surroundings and a beautiful spot and I think the area is completely undervalued," he said..
"Never let a good recession pass you by.
The developer said the recession had actually helped the building of his luxury home. "It is just a pinch in time. It is a perfect time to build because everyone has not got much work so you always get good contractors," he said.
"The recession has helped the build because you get really good contractors and a good price for materials. No-one was talking about it a year ago and no-one will be talking about it a year from now.
"It is a nightmare."
Project builder Simon Stewart joked that the unique nature of the building made it challenging to construct.
The architect for the project, Group Architecture 3 director Marcus Stufkens, said the grand home had been carefully designed.
"It is a one-off sort of building and it is very unique in a lot of ways," he said.
"From the start it has been designed so from the street you would not know the extent of how large the house is.
"It should be pretty impressive once it is finished," he said."

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Beach seaweed complaints don’t wash, council says

Friday, 02 January 2009

Island Bayresidents are threatening to bring in bulldozers to clean up their beach after the council turned down requests to remove smelly seaweed and weeds.
Council officials say the debris is forming a natural protection against erosion.
"It's a waste of a beach, the only swimming beach on the south coast that's suitable for little children.
Beach cleanup campaigner Margaret Davis said the council had ignored a petition signed by hundreds of residents calling for action."
Last month, Mrs Davis presented a petition signed by 583 people to Wellington City Council.
"Surely it is the right of families who live close to an urban beach to be able to take toddlers in bare feet to play in clean dry sand. "And his answer is still no.
However, on Christmas Eve she was told councillors had referred the matter to the official who refused her request in the first place.
Wellington City Council parks manager Paul Andrews said council workers regularly removed litter and rubbish, but not natural beach debris and vegetation."
She said some long-term residents were so fed up that they had suggested hiring a bulldozer to do the job themselves."
Where vegetation had spread, the sand had stabilised. .
"Potentially you're going to get a better quality beach long term if you allow the dunes to build up again.
"We're not losing sand from the beach system, and there's less cost to ratepayers in cleaning up the road, less inconvenience to residents from sand blowing on to their properties.
In October, Mrs Davis told The the council had stopped taking seaweed and driftwood from the beach after the Taputeranga Marine Reserve came into force in August."
A local community conservation group had been replanting dunes at the western end of the beach for some years and was interested in extending that work, he said.

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Wellington City Council said last year it could no longer remove seaweed from the reserve because of rules prohibiting the removal of marine items a stance the Conservation Department said was wrong

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Weekend of drunken mayhem: 1000 calls to police

Monday, 15 December 2008

Drunkenmayhem sparked more than 1000 calls to Wellington police over the weekend 650 to the police communications centre and 414 triple-one calls.
Most of them related to booze-fuelled fights, disorder, domestic disputes and driving complaints.
"It is a high number, but not unusually high for this time of year in summer people tend to go out in the good weather, start drinking early and carry on right through the night," Mr Darroch said.
Inspector Steve Darroch said Wellington police were flat out dealing with alcohol-related incidents from Saturday afternoon, when people headed out to enjoy the good weather and kept drinking through the night.
Wellington police were busy yesterday processing 22 intoxicated people who had been held in cells overnight. . It accounts for 70 per cent of emergency hospital admissions, kills nearly three people a day and accounts for well over half of all crime.
The weekend binge underlined concerns at the growing booze toll, as reported in The on Saturday.
Wellington Hospital chief medical officer and drug and alcohol specialist Geoff Robinson said New Zealand needed to face up to its alcohol problem, which killed about 1000 people a year.
Every weekend, booze sends 84 people on average to Wellington Hospital either injured or seriously intoxicated.
Hot spots for drunken disorder on the weekend were Courtenay Place and Taranaki St, especially in the vicinity of nightclubs, Sergeant Corey Watts said.
Doctors and counsellors have called for a big rise in beer and wine prices, cuts in the number of outlets, bans on television advertising, raising the legal drinking age and more funding for treatment programmes.
Courtenay Place Expressoholic employee Alan Hunt said drunken tomfoolery was prevalent in Courtenay Place every Friday and Saturday night.
"Saturday is always a busy night, but more people were locked up than usual this weekend probably reflecting the time of year," Mr Watts said.
Neighbouring cafe owner Thanasis De Winter believed the drunkenness and violence on the streets on Saturday night was about normal levels, but he noticed a stronger police presence and more people being arrested throughout the evening and continuing well into Sunday morning.
"People are generally pretty good till about 10pm, then from about 3am fights start and there are girls screaming," Mr Hunt said.
Porirua police arrested eight drunken men the same night on a variety of charges, including assault and breaching bail conditions.
"Police were pretty tough arresting people with alcohol," Mr De Winter said.

. Earlier this month, more than 1000 drivers were breath-tested in booze-bus operations in Otaki and Levin, but only nine were found to be over the limit

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Cheers! We’re killing ourselves

Saturday, 13 December 2008

Amassive hike in alcohol prices is the key solution to a national booze problem which kills close toly three people every day and injures many more, say doctors and counsellors.
Alcohol is a contributing factor to 70 per cent of emergency hospital admissions and well over half of all crime.
It costs $425 million in ACC payouts, $655 million in the public health sector, and $1.
Those who see the devastation daily say raising the price of beer and wine, and reducing the number of liquor outlets are key solutions.17 billion in lost productivity each year. "It's very, very clear what we need to do, all we need now is the guts basically to get on and do it.
"Everyone agrees we have a problem," said Rebecca Williams of Alcohol Healthwatch."
Emergency medicine specialist Paul Quigley agreed."
Wellington Hospital chief medical officer and drug and alcohol specialist Dr Geoff Robinson said New Zealand had a "huge problem" with alcohol. "I'd just put the price up and sod it to all those who complain. .
His research showed that if alcohol were put through the drug-scheduling committee now, it would be a class B drug, sitting alongside Ritalin and morphine and more dangerous than fantasy."
Dr Quigley said the harm done by alcohol compared to the damage from methamphetamine was 100-1. It affects close toly every organ. "Alcohol is by far and away the overwhelming problem. "Alcohol is by far and away the overwhelming problem..
"The amount of money that's spent on `the war on drugs' versus on rehab is phenomenal," Dr Quigley said.
Last year 23,000 people attended treatment, but up to 160,000 were in need of help.
Counsellors say funding for alcohol treatment in the community and in prisons needs to be doubled.
"But there's very clear research that compulsory or mandatory treatment works as well as, or even better than for people who are supposedly self-motivated.
Drug and Alcohol counsellor Roger Brooking said it could be difficult for alcoholics to make the decision to help themselves because alcohol affects the brain.

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He said the Government had allowed the liquor industry to behave like drug dealers, and said it was essential to abolish conscience voting on all alcohol-related issues in Parliament

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Clues sought on mystery HB graveyard

By KATHY WEBB Tuesday, 11 November 2008

After months of investigation and research, transport officials are turning to the public in their quest to identify 33 bodies buried in the path of a planned Hawke's Bay motorway extension.
NZ Transport Agency has had no luck finding out who might be in the Irongate Rd graves, which are near the site of a former pa known as Te Awa o Te Atua, but are believed to contain the bodies of Europeans rather than Maori.
Maori seers, or matakite, who say they can see the dead, pinpointed the graves during a visit to the Irongate area after the Hawke's Bay Expressway extension route was designated 18 months ago. . Their find was confirmed by a ground radar search in September.
"There's been a lot of interest in this discovery, and we'd like to give the public an opportunity to volunteer any information that they think could help us move forward," he said.
However, research into the site had failed to come up with any further details.
There were no plans to move the graves yet.
Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule said: "This is potentially a significant piece of our history, and any clues that could shed some light on their origin will be welcomed.
"At the moment we're focused on learning more about this discovery," Mr Bramley said."