Checkpoint is a drive-time news and current affairs programme on Radio New Zealand National. It broadcasts nationwide every weekday evening for two hours and covers the day’s major national and international stories, as well as business, sport and Māori news. This recording covers the first hour. The following rundown is supplied from the broadcaster’s news system:
Checkpoint FOR TUESDAY 03 SEPTEMBER 2013
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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The Government's given its long awaited go ahead to re-enter the Pike River mine to try to get workers' bodies out, but straight away it's giving the multi-million dollar project a slim chance of success. Even with a rough budget of seven million, and even if everything goes to plan, a recovery team will only get as far as the end of the entry tunnel and not beyond a rock fall where most of the bodies are. But the victims' families, who were given the word today, are pleased the team could be in by March next year. Anna Osborne whose husband Milton died in the 2010 gas blasts, says it's taken nearly three years of never-ending setbacks to get this far.
CUT
But Anna Osborne wants it to go further. She says while it's possible some bodies may be found in the entry tunnel, or drift, it's important to get beyond that to the main workings of the mine.
CUT
However, Solid Energy's manager in charge of the recovery, Mark Pizey, asked today what the prospects are for getting into the main workings, had this response.
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The re-entry starts with sealing the main ventilation with huge quantities of a concrete mix flown in by helicopter, starting next month if the weather allows. Then a foam seal will be injected 2 point three kilometres down the mine, creating a ventilated tunnel free of methane which the recovery team can go into. Simon Bridges is the Minister responsible for the Pike River Mine. He says there's only a slim chance the re-entry plan will mean any of the bodies of the 29 men will be recovered.
I/V
The Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, is warning he'll retaliate against French interests in the region if France attacks Syria. While it's vowed not to act alone the French government is pushing for a military strike for the use of chemical weapons on Syrian civilians. The French intelligence services have now released a dossier of evidence which they say proves the Syrian regime was responsible for a chemical weapons attack. The ABC's Will Ockenden reports.
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The woman whose complaints about a Wellington rest home sparked an investigation by the Ministry of Health says she's shocked by the level of incompetence officials uncovered. Susan Christian found her elderly mother covered in her own faeces on three separate occasions at the Malvina Major retirement village's hospital. The Ministry of Health did a spot audit which not only backed her complaint but found much wider problems such an inadequate response to complaints, inadequate care-plans, and lack of clinical leadership. The home's been ordered to fix the failings within between one and six months. Its owner, the listed company Ryman Healthcare, says it accepts the findings. Susan Christian feels vindicated.
I/V
The New Zealand First leader, Winston Peters, has claimed in Parliament that raids carried out by the SIS last July, were illegal. The SIS carried out searches on properties in Auckland last year when it was investigating an alleged assassination plot against the Fiji Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama. Here's our political reporter, Clare Pasley.
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The police have executed 20 search warrants on Mongrel Mob members following an eight month operation. 100 officers were part of the swoop this morning, and 250 charges have been laid. Many of the arrests were in Marlborough - the Area Commander is Inspector Simon Feltham.
I/V
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS - Sharon Brett-Kelly
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17. 30 HEADLINES
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The Government in Japan has unveiled a 607 million dollar (NZ) plan to stem radioactive water leaks at Fukushima, including freezing the ground underneath the stricken nuclear plant. Groundwater from nearby hillsides has been flowing under the plant and mixing with polluted water that has already seeped into the soil. This groundwater has then made its way into the Pacific. The government will also finance a project to upgrade nuclear decontamination systems at Fukushima.
Our correspondent in Tokyo is Mark Willacy.
I/V
About 18 thousand Telecom customers on the East Coast of the North Island have had their phone landline services disrupted for more than six hours today AND - they're likely to face further problems until late this evening. Telecom says the disruption has been caused by a hardware failure at an exchange building in Napier at about 11 this morning. Our reporter Jacob McSweeny joins us now.
I/V
The Chief Inspector of Mines says he won't hesitate to pull the plug on the Pike River mine re-entry plan if he thinks it's become too unsafe. The 7 million dollar project in three stages will start next month, with a recovery team in as early as next March. But that will depend on monitoring and safety approval by the chief inspector and the board of the mine's owner Solid Energy. Solid Energy's recovery chief Mark Pizey (pie-zee) says the recovery team of up to a dozen will include experts from overseas.
I/V
To military history now, and it's been revealed why the numbers of New Zealand troops who served at Gallipoli has been miscalculated for almost a century. It's been widely stated that 8 thousand 556 New Zealanders landed on the Turkish peninsula in 1915, and a staggering 7 thousand 447, or 87 percent ended up killed or wounded. In recent years, the number who fought has been revised upward. But it's only now that the origins of the miscalculation have been uncovered by Ministry for Culture and Heritage historian David Green. He's with us now.
I/V
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17. 45 MANU KORIHI - Eru Rerekura
Kia ora mai, good evening,
The Māori Council, says a referendum into the Government's asset sales programme suggests the tide is turning, calling it a win for democracy.
Yesterday the organisers of the Keep our Assets petition succeeded in their second attempt to gather enough signatures to force a non-binding referendum.
It's estimated more than 327-thousand eligible electors signed the petition.
The Prime Minister, John Key says holding the referendum, at a cost of about 9-million dollars is a waste of money.
The Māori Council co-chair, Maanu Paul disagrees.
ASSETS-COUNCIL-TP
IN HOW DO YOU. . .
OUT . . . WITHIN OUR COUNTRY.
DUR 24"
Māori Council co-chair, Maanu Paul.
John Key has also rejected calls by petition organisers to suspend asset sales until the referendum can be held, and says the partial float of Meridian Energy will go ahead.
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A Rotorua Mayoral candidate is sticking to her idea of the city being run by tangata whenua, despite reservations by a Te Arawa elder.
Janine Rangimarie Bosma is one of five people running for mayor.
Te Arawa kaumātua, Toby Curtis, who is part of a tribal drive to help descendants who are vying for local body elections, says if a council doesn't represent diversity of its citizens it will not be a council which is effective.
However, Ms Bosma, though supportive of the tribal campaign, says she's standing by her idea of replacing the city council with a tribal structure.
She says why not try it.
Ms Bosma says her tipuna never signed the Treaty of Waitangi.
She says Dr Curtis has is point of view, and she has her own, and now she wants to know what the public think about her idea.
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The Māori tertiary institution, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, has high hopes for a new 67 million dollar campus in Tauranga.
It's partnered up with the University of Waikato, and two polytechnics including the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, to create a hub for the institutions.
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council last week approved 15 million dollars towards the facility.
The wānanga says it'll improve the gains that've already been made in terms of Māori participation in tertiary education within the region.
Its deputy chief executive, Wiremu Doherty, says the providers will be able to support each others shortfalls.
AWANUI-CAMPUS-TP
IN WE HAVE. . .
OUT . . . MORE THAN HAPPY.
DUR 14"
Wiremu Doherty of Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi.
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Young Te Arawa training cadets will learn insulation skills as part of the Ngāti Whakaue plan to warm up 250 homes in the region.
The Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust has partnered up with the government's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority and the provider, Eco Insulation Ltd.
Trust board member and project leader, Katie Paul, says it plans to insulate the floors and ceilings of more than 250 homes, for whānau with high needs.
She says the insulation company will also support the Tumahauranga Trade Training cadets to learn how to insulate homes.
That's Te Manu Korihi news, I'll have a further bulletin in an hour.
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Trains and traffic came to a crawl when a freight train derailed south of Auckland, partially blocking State Highway One and the main trunk line. The crash happened during the early hours of this morning near Mercer. The road has now reopened. Natasha Bayler reports
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Groups helping refugees in Australia are disappointed and angry that both major parties have adopted harsh policies on asylum seekers who arrive by boat. Those who work with refugees have been particularly depressed by the Labor Government's tougher stance but it has helped take the question of boat people off the election agenda. Here's our political editor Brent Edwards.
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Archaeologists have started digging at the battlefield of the biggest and bloodiest conflict between England and Scotland in 1513. Fiona Trott reports
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Presenter: Mary Wilson
Editor: Maree Corbett
Deputy editor: Phil Pennington
Producers: Susie Ferguson, Mei Yeoh