No luck for Stewart Island/Rakiura ratepayer facing 500% hike
Photo: Otago Daily Times / Stephen JaquieryA Stewart Island/Rakiura ratepayer on the receiving end of a 500 percent rates hike received little sympathy from the district councillors this week. On Monday, the unnamed person made headlines after appearing in a Southland District Council report for contesting a jump in their rates from $348.68 to $1743.95 in the space of one year. In its report, council staff pointed out the nature of the land would have been highlighted in a LIM report, showing what was at stake with the rating situation. Ultimately, councillors voted for no rates remission to be applied to the Rata Street property for the 2023/24 financial year. The average rates increase for Southland district for 2023/24 was 13 percent.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 07, 2024 07:47 UTC
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Man avoids conviction after shooting daughter with paintball gun
KiwiRail runs out of money for Auckland’s network rebuild, firefighters battle tricky scrub fire and Joe Biden and Donald Trump line up US election rematch in the latest NZ Herald headlines. Video / NZ Herald / RNZ / APA man shot his daughter with a paintball gun because she would not tidy her room, a court has heard. Michael Saunders, 42, appeared in the Invercargill District Court this week after pleading guilty to recklessly discharging a paintball gun. A police summary of facts said on November 27 the man’s chickens escaped from their coop and he used a paintball gun to round them up. He went inside with the paintball gun and told his 12-year-old girl to clean her room.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 07, 2024 07:38 UTC
Punches thrown after Dunedin motorway road rage
A middle-aged man verbally abused and attempted to punch a teenage Dunedin driver after anger flared on the motorway near Green Island, police say. Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond, of Dunedin, said police were called at 8pm last night by a 19-year-old man who had been "brake checked" by another motorist on the motorway. When he pulled over, the driver of the other vehicle verbally abused him and then attempted to punch him, Snr Sgt Bond said. During the arrest, the man was found to be in possession of a knife and breaching bail conditions. While he was in custody, the man spat in the face of two police officers, Snr Sgt Bond said.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 07, 2024 07:13 UTC
ASB survey finds kiwis are sitting on the fence when deciding if it's a good time to buy a house
"Last time net house price expectations were at this level, annual price growth was at almost 30%," ASB Senior economist Kim Lundy said. The ASB survey was taken over the three months to end of January, making it a lagging market indicator. "Which suggests more people think a peak in rates might be just around the corner," ASB's report on the survey results said. "As for whether now is a good time to buy a property, New Zealanders appear to be firmly on the fence, with 51% of respondents saying it's neither a good nor bad time to buy. To start receiving them, register here (it's free) and when approved you can select any of our free email newsletters.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 07, 2024 06:32 UTC
Breakfast briefing: Benchmark rates fall in anticipation of inflation control gains
North of the border, the Bank of Canada delivered the expected no-change rate decision, holding its policy rate at 5% and saying it is in no hurry to cut. We should perhaps note that the South Korean inflation rate ticked up above 3% again in February. The GDP data yesterday disappointed many, with real economic activity up just +0.2% in the quarter, up +1.5% over the year. The UST 10yr yield starts today at 4.09% and down -6 bps from yesterday. The Kiwi dollar starts today at just on 61.4 USc and an overnight gain of +½c.
Source:Stuff
March 07, 2024 00:47 UTC
No doubt there was serious, credible threat on Pakistan tour, says NZCPA chief
New Zealand cricket team (Photo/ Mohammad Hafeez Twitter)Auckland [New Zealand], September 19 (ANI): New Zealand Cricket Players' Association (NZCPA) chief executive Heath Mills has said that there is no doubt that there was a serious and credible threat on the BlackCaps on its now-abandoned tour of Pakistan. The New Zealand men's cricket team on Sunday arrived in Dubai after leaving Islamabad on a charter flight. "Once we went through that checking process and spoke to independent people, there was no doubt that it was a serious and credible attack on the tour. New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive David White on Sunday said that he is grateful to the Pakistan Cricket Board for helping organise the safe departure of the New Zealand team. This advice was supported by NZC's security consultants - who were on the ground in Pakistan, and by other independent sources.
Source:Stuff
March 06, 2024 16:19 UTC
Are pest-free tomatos real?
Anthony and Angela Tringham, who grow heirloom tomatoes commercially under the brand Curious Croppers, have two main greenhouses in Clevedon, Auckland, where they produce their fruit. "I meant to put tobacco plants and engytatus in the other greenhouse too, but never got around to it," Anthony says. "And that's the greenhouse where I have now had a whitefly explosion. But when I pulled out the tomatoes last year, I left the tobacco plants in one greenhouse, and the engytatus continued to breed on them all winter. And what I have harvested from that greenhouse this year, that's the cleanest crop I have ever grown.
Source:Stuff
March 06, 2024 16:08 UTC
Invercargill council hits speed bump over road safety
Photo: Supplied / Invercargill City CouncilA plan to install a raised safety platform at a busy Invercargill intersection has come to a crashing halt following objections from councillors. The intersection in question had been identified as "high-risk" by the council, with 18 crashes recorded over the past five years. But councillors took exception to a proposed 75mm raised platform and asked for consideration that it be removed from the design. Ria Bond backed up Dermody, saying the platform would reduce speed down to 30km/h in an area which was 50km/h. Ultimately, councillors voted to proceed without the raised platform, despite information from Hamilton City Council showing the positive impact they had had up north.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 06, 2024 12:53 UTC
E Tū Urges Government To Support NZ Media By Passing Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill
E tū, the union for journalists and media workers, is urging the Government to pass the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill as an important part of the solution to the problems facing the media in Aotearoa New Zealand. Recent redundancies affecting Stuff’s sports reporters, and uncertainty about job security across the wider media landscape, demonstrate the revenue constraints that will continue to harm the industry. E tū senior delegate at Stuff, Tom Hunt, says the Government passing the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill would be a good balance of supporting the industry while maintaining media independence. “Government help for the media can and has been appreciated, but it can also be a poisoned chalice. That is, it must listen to the calls of basically everyone in the industry and support the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill.
Source:Stuff
March 06, 2024 11:39 UTC
Daily review 06/03/2024
Written By: notices and features - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 6th, 2024 - 18 commentsCategories: Daily review - Tags:Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …Share this: FacebookLinkedInRedditPinterestMastodonTwitterPrintEmail
Source:Stuff
March 06, 2024 10:47 UTC
The government’s first 100 days have gone largely to plan, now comes the hard part
By Richard Shaw*Although the notion of a government’s “first 100 days” in office is constitutionally meaningless, it has become part of the modern political lexicon. In short, much of the first 100 days has involved undoing the former government’s initiatives. Shortly we will all stop talking about the first 100 days. The most consequential things that took place in the coalition’s first 100 days, in other words, were not in the action plan. It is also worth noting, perhaps, that while the “first 100 days” is usually associated with Roosevelt, its roots are actually in France.
Source:Stuff
March 06, 2024 10:38 UTC
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Dunedin drug trafficker ‘middleman’ pleads guilty to role in $27m cocaine plot
Video / NZ HeraldThe middleman for an international drug cartel involved in a $27 million cocaine plot which terminated in Dunedin has pleaded guilty. The Portuguese national pleaded guilty to attempting to take possession of the class-A drug for the purpose of supply and will be sentenced in May. On August 3, 2022, the 254m container ship Spirit of Auckland was transiting through Philadelphia when authorities seized two duffel bags containing 91kg of cocaine from an intake grate under the vessel. Matthew Hodder: Photo / Rob KiddThe duo tested equipment, including an underwater scooter, and carried out reconnaissance on Spirit of Auckland. As Spirit of Auckland entered the shipping channel, Ferreira-Sampaio used a radio to inform Hodder of its progress.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 06, 2024 08:47 UTC
Right Wing voter hate and donor greed is directing this Government’s agenda – what political harvest will spite and malice generate?
Gun fetishists, Tobacco lobbyists and Wealth interests dominating policy. What political harvest will spite and malice generate? This is what we have become in just 4 months – if you voted for this you must own this malice and spite. Increasingly having independent opinion in a mainstream media environment which mostly echo one another has become more important than ever, so if you value having an independent voice – please donate here. If you can’t contribute but want to help, please always feel free to share our blogs on social media.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 06, 2024 01:44 UTC
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Pink dazzles at Dunedin concert at Forsyth Barr Stadium
Pink wowed the crowd with an acrobatic opening to her show in Dunedin last night. Photo / Craig BaxterPink wowed the crowd with an acrobatic opening to her show in Dunedin last night. Photo / Craig BaxterDunedin concert-goers were tickled pink by a mesmerising performance put on by one of the biggest stars to swing from Forsyth Barr Stadium’s rafters. Her hits from the early 2000s brought the party girl back out of the mums in the crowd, and rightly so. One thing was for sure, nobody puts on a show quite like Pink.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 06, 2024 01:10 UTC
Helicopter firm owner denies charges over fatal crash
Photo: Getty ImagesThe owner of a Milton helicopter company has denied charges after a pilot crashed and diedwhile flying at night, allegedly outside the terms of his licence. According to charging documents Mr Harrison held a licence with a "restricted night rating" which barred him from undertaking such a cross-country flight at night. As a business owner, Lister’s alleged conduct exposed Mr Harrison to the risk of death or serious injury. Mr Harrison had also flown for Queenstown helicopter company Over The Top, which said he was respected and loved by crew and clients. He had been awarded a Silver Safety Award by the New Zealand Helicopter Association (NZHA) for more than 10 years’ continued safe flying.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 05, 2024 23:45 UTC