The Press back issues from May 2000:
Coal ban may start next year
May 01, 2000; ... A coal-fire ban could be in force in Christchurch by winter 2001under a plan to fast-track Environment Canterbury's Air Plan. At a meeting on Thursday, Canterbury regional councillors arelikely to approve a timetable that could have a proposed Air Plannotified early next year and ...
Bearded boys from Texas belt out the blues
May 01, 2000 ... The essential ZZ Top elements of salacious humour, boogierhythms, and cheap sunglasses helped fuel a high-octane concert inChristchurch. The bearded boys from Texas lived up to theirpublicity with a show at the WestpacTrust Centre last night thatlaid on the "blues and rock, the grit and ...
Press TV Week
May 01, 2000 ... The Press will launch a free weekly television guide tomorrow. The Press TV Week is a new, separate tabloid-sized liftout thatwill accompany the newspaper each Tuesday. It will contain programme listings ...
Plea for calm after police shooting
May 01, 2000 ... NEW PLYMOUTH -- Police appealed for calm after the fatal shootingof a Waitara man who witnesses said was hit by up to five policebullets in the Taranaki town's central business district. The 23-year-old man, named by relatives as Steven Wallace, wasshot by a police officer at ...
Doctors don tutus for pre-match warm-up
May 01, 2000 ... These Canterbury medical specialists' resolve is as tough as anAll Black front row. The dancing doctors looked their audiencedirectly in the eye, and tippy-toed their way in ballet tutus to thesounds of Swan Lake played by a string quartet, as a pre- match warm-up event for the first ...
Family angry over killing
May 01, 2000 ... NEW PLYMOUTH -- The family of Steven Wallace are angry over whatthey say was a needless killing by police of a talented young man. "They murdered him ... why did they have to shoot him in coldblood?" asked family members at a Waitara house yesterday. "They took the life of a ...
Mayors to seek deal for Coast
May 01, 2000; ... West Coast leaders hope to win more concessions from theGovernment today in talks on the $100 million economic developmentoffer to the region. Buller District Mayor Pat O'Dea, who has previously said he wouldwalk away from the offer if it was not improved, said yesterday itwas ...
Diary
May 01, 2000; ... Still wet ANOTHER reminder of how ill- equipped some people are for lifewithout automation (Diary, April 24). Taking her four-year- old intothe public toilet she was startled to see him rubbing his handstogether under the paper-towel dispenser. She says her little onewas amazed ...
Pay equity not on Govt's agenda
May 01, 2000 ... WELLINGTON -- Pay equity for women is not a priority for thisterm of government, Prime Minister Helen Clark says. Before the election Ms Clark said Labour was keen on pursuing payequity, but the party did not agree with the Alliance which wantedto make pay equity between similar ...
Cook Islands' leader backs policies
May 01, 2000; ... Prime Minister Helen Clark is right to highlight the health andeducation needs of Pacific Islanders in New Zealand, says her CookIslands' counterpart, Dr Terepai Maoate. Dr Maoate paid an informal visit to Christchurch at the weekendto see family members in the city, and also to ...
Falling Canty confidence
May 01, 2000 ... Falling business confidence, as shown in a national survey,reflects the views of Canterbury business people, says CanterburyEmployers' Chamber of Commerce chief executive Peter Townsend. The National Bank's survey of business confidence for April showsa near 50 per cent drop in ...
Rare disease strikes
May 01, 2000 ... WELLINGTON --A 10-year-old is critically ill in Waikato Hospitalwith suspected amoebic meningitis. The last case of the rare but often fatal illness in New Zealandwas believed to have been 20 years ago, Waikato Medical Officer ofHealth Dr Dell Hood said. The sex and home town of ...
Wet-wood issue on fire again
May 01, 2000; ... "Wringing wet" firewood sold in Christchurch is passingEnvironment Canterbury testing, says an enforcement officer. Former police officer Grant Campbell, whose job it is to test themoisture content in firewood for Environment Canterbury'senforcement section, said a large volume of ...
$200,000 for veterans' suit
May 01, 2000 ... WELLINGTON -- A group of nuclear test veterans are being given$200,000 for legal expenses for a class action suit against theBritish Government, Veterans Affairs Minister Mark Burton says. Sailors who crewed two New Zealand frigates during Britishnuclear tests in the Pacific more ...
Police investigate crash
May 01, 2000 ... Police are investigating a fatal two-car crash at theintersection of South Eyre and Carleton roads, Oxford. The soleoccupant of one of the cars, Melissa Kate Jones, 25, of Cust, diedat the scene, just before midnight on ...
Mountain biker dies
May 01, 2000 ... A mountain biker has died of injuries after going over a cliffnear Queenstown. Matthew David Hubber, 21, of Arrowtown, went off atrack and fell over a cliff about 4.30pm ...
TV presenter marries
May 01, 2000 ... Television presenter Petra Bagust has married cameraman HamishWilson at Matakauri Lodge, 7km from Queenstown. After the ceremonyon Saturday, Queenstown helicopter pilot Dennis Egerton landed atthe ...
Actor sparks armed offender alert
May 01, 2000 ... An actor catching a Christchurch bus to rehearsal was shocked tofind he had sparked an Armed Offenders Squad callout. The man was waiting at a bus stop about 10.20am yesterday when apassing driver saw on the man what he thought was a gun. The police were notified and ...
Mother's plea to escaper
May 01, 2000 ... AUCKLAND -- The mother of prison escaper Travis Burns hasappealed to her son to give himself up before he is shot by police. Charlotte Burns, of Auckland, begged her 32-year-old son to phoneher immediately "so we can organise a voluntary and safe surrender". Burns and fellow ...
In a few words
May 01, 2000 ... Why don't the New Zealand and Australian Super 12 commentators onSky TV listen to their South African counterparts? They might learnhow to deliver an eloquent and unbiased commentary. NEIL BLUNDEN The Lake Lyndon toilets are always filthy and full of brokenglass as well as ...
Unions must get message
May 01, 2000 ... Why make one employer the whipping boy for the actions ofanother? That was the question raised last week when the Council ofTrade Unions urged that the Employment Relations Bill besignificantly broadened to include secondary strikes. It is a callthat should win few friends for the CTU ...
Honours
May 01, 2000 ... Sir--I, for one, am more than happy to see that, at long last,imperial awards have been scrapped, to be replaced with a NewZealand honours system. For many, knighthoods and damehoods have long been seen as thetrappings of a culture steeped in elitism and feudalism. Moreover,they ...
Waste disposal
May 01, 2000 ... Sir--So they are going to spend thousands to brainwash us intobelieving landfills are better than incinerators. They will say a landfill is cheaper. In fact, a British companyhas offered to build and run an incinerator, and charge $35-$50 atonne for rubbish. A landfill costs ...
Chathams Trust
May 01, 2000 ... Sir--As a Chatham Islander, I resent Roger Beattie's April 14comments about our Chatham Islands Enterprise Trust, andparticularly his final allegation of nepotism. Its growth has not been "phenomenal" -- it is running the variousfacilities listed in his letter, and using what ...
Air quality
May 01, 2000 ... Sir--Since 1984, New Zealanders have been subjected to the almostcontinuous impacts of extremist policies. National and localpoliticians seem to have forgotten there is any such thing asbeneficial compromise. As furniture factories face closure becauseof lack of access to abundant beech ...
Poker machines
May 01, 2000 ... Sir--For reasons best known to herself, Phillida Bunkle seems totruly believe that displaying the odds against winning on pokermachines might actually prevent players from becoming hooked. Such logic is useful only for politicians to justify the removalof more money from ...
Council policies
May 01, 2000 ... Sir--The economist Gareth Morgan has accused the ChristchurchCity Council of "diddling", that is, swindling or cheating, itsratepayers (April 17). For 60 years the council has maintained astock of affordable rental housing for low-income families who mightotherwise be unable to live in ...
Masses of 'mums at autumn show
May 01, 2000 ... Blooming heck -- Christchurch grower David Purcell and hiswinning vase of chrysanthemum blooms are swamped by ...
Privy Council
May 01, 2000 ... Sir--Sir Robin Cooke proposes abolishing appeals to the PrivyCouncil because its judges, living overseas, are unfamiliar with ourhistory and society. What does he propose as a replacement? A courtcontaining, among others, overseas judges (April 17). Because Privy Council judges ...
Tariffs
May 01, 2000 ... Sir--Tariff freezes are modest first steps in the rightdirection. Let Messrs Luxton and Lockwood Smith explain how they want toreduce our import deficit of $8 billion. If they say: devalue, wehave halved the exchange rate of the New Zealand dollar since 1980.A $US100 purchase in ...
Road closure OK, firms say
May 01, 2000; ... Transport firms and Arthurs Pass residents are philosophicalabout the closure of State Highway 73 for five weeks. The highway from Candys Bend to Starvation Point will be closedfrom today until June 2 while a Transit New Zealand contractorstarts work on a $9.3 million ...
Road-sealing celebrated
May 01, 2000 ... The past was revisited and the future celebrated on the InlandKaikoura Road on Saturday. An entourage of horse-drawn transport and vintage cars trundledalong part of the route, celebrating the last 9km of the road beingsealed. The road, which links Hanmer Springs and ...
Slow-speed car chase
May 01, 2000 ... Christchurch police have been amazed by a slow-speed car chase,most of which failed to break the speed limit. Police spotted the stolen car just after 1am yesterday, and gavechase around Hornby and Halswell, using two squad cars. InspectorWarren Kemp said the pursuit involved ...
Police plea to robbery witness
May 01, 2000 ... Police have called on a witness to an armed robbery of a servicestation early yesterday to come forward. A 30-year-old man had gone into the service station on SparksRoad shortly before 2am with his face covered and armed with amartial-arts weapon and a knife. He robbed the ...
New gold-coin bus fares system starts
May 01, 2000 ... Christchurch bus drivers will spend less time handling changefrom today, as new gold-coin fares are introduced. Fares for regular bus trips increase today from 90 cents and$1.80 to $1 and $2 respectively. The prices of monthly and 12-ridepasses will stay as they were. Environment ...
Journalist's drowning 'was accidental'
May 01, 2000 ... Nelson Coroner Ian Smith has returned a finding of accidentaldrowning at an inquest on award-winning journalist Andrew Heal. MrHeal, 28, died on January 9 while kayaking at Pakawau Inlet, 14kmwest of Collingwood in Golden Bay, while on a family holiday. Mr Heal was deputy editor ...
Light plane makes unscheduled landing
May 01, 2000 ... A light plane on a private sightseeing tour had to make anunscheduled landing in a paddock north of the Waimakariri River onSaturday after developing engine problems. Canterbury Aviation spokesman Paul McDonald said the Cessna hadbeen hired by a father and son for a ...
Chch workshops on 'healing breath'
May 01, 2000 ... A senior teacher in the art of "Healing Breath" will be inChristchurch this week for a series of workshops. Sri Chayapathy, ofthe Art of Living Foundation in Bangalore, India, will also conductfree introductory talks at the YMCA and at the University ...
Residents dig in over quarry
May 01, 2000; ... Leithfield Beach residents have taken their fight over a plannedquarry near their village to the streets of Christchurch. About 40 placard-bearing protesters gathered outside the officesof Environment Canterbury on Friday to oppose plans by WinstoneAggregates Ltd to set up an ...
Hunters endure hungry night out
May 01, 2000 ... Three hunters had to endure a cold and hungry night in the bushafter becoming disoriented about one kilometre from the hut theywere staying in near Hanmer Springs. The group had been taken into the Tutu Valley area, east ofHanmer Springs, by helicopter on Friday but lost their ...
Farewell for Burnham base soldiers
May 01, 2000; ... South Island soldiers will parade through Christchurch todaybefore leaving for East Timor, at the same time as the army pays itslast respects to a Kiwi soldier who died last week. Staff Sergeant Billy White was just 18 days away from returningfrom New Zealand's peace-keeping ...
Taxi firm fears revamp
May 01, 2000 ... A revamp of taxi services at Christchurch airport will sacrificethe city's small operators for the sake of improving the airport'sprofits, a taxi company specialising in the airport trade claims. Christchurch International Airport announced on Saturday that itplanned to call ...
Bid for car event
May 01, 2000 ... Next year's international Rally of New Zealand could bringCanterbury unprecedented levels of television exposure. Christchurch Mayor Garry Moore and city council staff yesterdaymet a senior Rally NZ official to discuss Christchurch's bid to holdthe rally. Mr Moore said issues ...
Loss of rally stage dismays organisers
May 01, 2000 ... The loss of a stage in Canterbury's national car rally hasdismayed rally organisers. The clerk of the course for the Durham Arms Canterbury Rally lastSaturday, Paul Bradshaw, said the abandonment of the stage on theSummit Road from Evans Pass to Dyers Pass was disappointing and ...
A taste of Christchurch's Pacific
May 01, 2000 ... Smiling cousins Langilangi Vehikite, left, Lolohea Ofa, and theirgrandmother Sema Mailangi were among those who turned out at thePacific Islands Festival. The Christchurch community had the chanceto share the bountiful ...
Sewerage works to get subsidy
May 01, 2000; ... Cash-strapped small New Zealand towns which pour their sewageinto rivers will get taxpayer help to pay for more environmentallysound sewerage systems. Health Department principal public health manager PaulPrendergast confirmed he was working on Labour Party policy, whichpromises ...
Trainee pilot forced to make landing
May 01, 2000 ... A trainee microlight pilot fast- forwarded through the manual tolanding yesterday afternoon when his instructor collapsed during aflying lesson over Napier. The 57-year-old instructor fainted at thecontrols, leaving the trainee no option but to attempt landing theplane back at Napier ...
Skydiver in hospital after chute failures
May 01, 2000 ... A Rotorua skydiver is in hospital with a broken leg and pelvisafter his main parachute failed to open and the reserve parachuteopened only partially during a jump close to the city's airport.Whanau Paneora, a parachute packer with the Tandem SkydivingCompany, was injured when he landed ...
Seven tickets share main Lotto prize
May 01, 2000 ... Tickets from Blenheim (four), Auckland (two), and Hastings sharedthe big prize in Lotto draw No.669 on Saturday. Winning numbers: 1318 19 25 31 39. Bonus: 14. Prize values and number of winners.-- Division one: $186,262 (7).Division two: $10,729 (16) ....
Diabetes at epidemic level in NZ
May 01, 2000; ... Diabetes Awareness Week begins tomorrow, and a Christchurchsufferer urges people who suspect they have the disease to get acheck. About 140,000 New Zealanders have been diagnosed with thecondition. It affects one in 27 New Zealanders, and is now inepidemic proportions ....
Author gets stuck in at party conference
May 01, 2000; ... In the 64-year history of the National Party there cannot havebeen another speech like it. To liven up the party's first regional conference since it lostoffice in November, the Napier electorate hired author and columnistAlan Duff to deliver a provocative speech at Napier's ...
Delegates reject monarchy referendum call
May 01, 2000 ... WELLINGTON -- Delegates to the Labour Party's weekend Wellingtonregional conference have rejected a remit calling on the Governmentto hold a referendum on New Zealand's constitutional statusimmediately the Queen ceases to reign. The remit, proposed by Wairarapa delegate Derek ...
Currency union with Australia not ruled out
May 01, 2000; ... Prime Minister Helen Clark does not rule out currency unionbetween New Zealand and Australia, but is sceptical about adoptingthe United States dollar. "It's not for now but you'd be foolish to dismiss it," she saidyesterday on the possibility of a common trans-Tasman currency ....
Labour signals large membership drive
May 01, 2000 ... WELLINGTON -- The Labour Party, riding a big wave of popularitysince the election, aims to double its membership in 18 months. Delegates to the party's Wellington regional conference inPorirua yesterday were warned not to rest on their laurels and tomake the most of the honeymoon ...
Dairy Board takes Aussie stake
May 01, 2000 ... WELLINGTON -- The New Zealand Dairy Board is to become a majorplayer in Australia after taking a big stake in the deregulateddairy market there ahead of the New Zealand dairy companies whichfailed to form a mega-merger. The board, New Zealand's biggest exporter, announced on ...
Middle-age bulge in population
May 01, 2000 ... WELLINGTON -- New Zealand is developing a severe case of middle-aged spread, Statistics New Zealand population estimates indicate. Half of the country's estimated 3,829,600 inhabitants are nowmore than 34.2 years old, chief demographer Mansoor Khawaja said. In 1901 the ...
Booklet aid for parents
May 01, 2000 ... The Education Review Office offers a service to parents wantingto make an informed choice of secondary school. The office has released a booklet, Choosing a Secondary School,which provides a comprehensive step-by-step guide. The booklet is designed to help people evaluate the ...
More parents seek school detail
May 01, 2000 ... A personal interview with the principal of an intermediate schoolis one step many parents take to help to make informed educationalchoices for their children. "I have noticed a growing trend of parents actively investigatingthe opportunities each school can offer their children." ...
SCHOOL PROFILES
May 01, 2000 ... Aranui High School Roll: 1180, co-educational. Specialities: Senior (Year 13) and junior (Year 9) academies. Philosophy: For Aranui High School to be the best, its aim is tobe a school without failure, where children leave having identifieda talent, a skill, an ...
ChCh Girls' High keen on excellence
May 01, 2000 ... A focus on excellence in all fields of endeavour is the hallmarkof Christchurch Girls' High School. The school prides itself on its academic reputation. Most leaversenrol for university or polytechnic. Information technology is offered to help classroom learning ....
New skills at Riccarton
May 01, 2000 ... Riccarton High school prides itself on providing a secure, safe,environment where students can feel a sense of belonging to their"school family". It remains one of the smaller co- educational high schools whichis a strong drawcard for many. Prospective students and their ...
Women's sexuality
May 01, 2000 ... Cindy Carmichael, a health worker for The Health Alternatives forWomen (THAW), will speak on aspects of women's sexuality on Thursdayfrom noon to 1pm at the Next Step Centre for Women, H Block,Christchurch Polytechnic. To register your interest in attendingthis free talk, phone 364-9070 ....
The life of REILLY
May 01, 2000; ... John Reilly takes over as Canterbury's top policeman today, buthe is no paper-shuffling bureaucrat. The 53-year-old has done thehard graft, and knows what front-line police work involves. He talksto DIANE KEENAN. Excitement drew Canterbury's new top cop, John Reilly, to ...
Stormers hailed
May 01, 2000 ... CAPE TOWN -- Stormers coach Alan Solomons ranked his side's 27-13 Super 12 rugby win over the Highlanders on the same level astheir recent victory over the Blues in Auckland. "There were periods, much like the Blues game (which the Stormerswon 39-18 on April 8) where we absorbed ...
Mehrtens likely to miss clash
May 01, 2000; ... All Black and Crusaders' first five-eighths Andrew Mehrtens looksset to miss this Friday's Super 12 game against the Waratahs becauseof a rib injury. Last night Crusaders coach Robbie Deans said he doubted whetherthe Crusaders' goalkicker and playmaker would be fit enough ...