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 WEDNESDAY 11 SEPTEMBER 2013
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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Thousands of people in Canterbury are preparing for another night without power as repair crews work to fix lines damaged in last night's violent storm. The worst hit area is the Selwyn District west of Christchurch and the power company Orion, is warning customers who don't have their power back on now, they could be in the dark overnight. And the damage is so extensive some homes could be without power for the next five days. The chief executive of Orion, Rob Jamieson is with us now.
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The Government's plans to overhaul the Resource Management Act now hang in the balance tonight as two of its support parties pull their backing. The Māori Party and United Future say the changes, announced last month, are a step backwards and undermine environmental protections. The legislation is still being drafted, but without minor party support, the Government will not have the numbers to get it over the line. Both the Green and Labour parties have already refused to back the changes. New Zealand First is yet to decide. The United Future leader, Peter Dunne, joins us now.
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In a televised address from the White House this afternoon President Obama talked tough on the Syrian regime's responsibility for chemical attacks. But he delayed the vote on a military strike as he stepped up diplomacy over Russia's deal for Syria to surrender its weapons stockpile for destruction. The Syrian President has now not only accepted the Russian proposal but has also agreed to sign on to the International Chemical Weapons Convention. President Obama stresses today though, that he's ordered the American military to maintain their readiness to respond with force in case diplomacy fails. Here's Michael Vincent in Washington:
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A young woman was hit by a vehicle and then dragged for 50 or more metres in South Auckland early this morning. The 20-year-old was found lying on Stonex Road in Papatoetoe, just before three a. m. Earlier she'd been at a family party about two kilometres from where she was found. Detective Senior Sergeant Al Symonds (Simon-ds) says the woman has undergone surgery and is now in critical, but stable condition.
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS with sharon brettkelly
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It's 4-1 to Team New Zealand in the race for the America's cup and Oracle has used up its one and only lifeline by postponing the second race of the day. America's Cup challengers Team New Zealand won the first race by a minute and 5 seconds, the biggest margin so far. Straight afterwards Oracle called a postponement which each team is allowed to do once. Its skipper, James Spithill, admits they have some problems on board and the decision to postpone had nothing to do with any mechanical problems.
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The Team New Zealand coach is Rod Davis.
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That's Team New Zealand's coach Rod Davis - The next two races are now scheduled for Friday.
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17. 30 HEADLINES
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Thousands of people in Canterbury are preparing for another night without power as repair crews work to fix lines damaged in last night's violent storm. The worst hit area is the Selwyn District west of Christchurch and the power company Orion, is warning customers that the damage is so extensive some homes could be without power for the next five days. Many people in the region have spent the day cleaning up after the storm. Our reporter, Nicola Grigg drove out west as far as she could before finding the road blocked by fallen trees. We hear from some of the locals she met along the way.
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The internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom says he will donate any compensation he gets from suing the Government to charity. The Megaupload founder is seeking five million dollars from the police and the Government Communications Security Bureau, for illegal surveillance and subsequent raid on his house by the armed offenders squad in helicopters. Mr Dotcom said last year that he wouldn't burden taxpayers by seeking damages. Our reporter Kate Newton is following this.
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Attackers have injured a New Zealander and several Australian trekkers and hacked to death two of their local porters in the Papua New Guinea highlands. The foreigners were robbed on the Black Cat Track and had to walk out for six hours to get help. The New Zealand managers of the company PNG Trekking Adventures say they're confident the police will find the culprits who attacked their people. Mark Hitchcock, formerly of Invercargill, says the injured New Zealander from the trek is a resident of Australia, though he wouldn't release the man's name.
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Mark Hitchcock of PNG Trekking Adventures. And another veteran trekker, Australian Charlie Lynn, while praising Mr Hitchcock's company as exemplary operators, also says such an attack was bound to happen because locals are angry at getting little benefit from trekking because of mismanagement by the Australian and PNG governments. We'll hear from Mr Lynn after six o'clock.
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17. 45 MANU KORIHI with Eru Rerekura
Kia ora mai, good evening,
The Green Party's crediting its campaign in the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti by-election for its boost in support from Māori voters.
A poll, by TVNZ's Māori news programme, Te Karere, shows support for the party vote for the Greens has doubled to 15 per cent since January.
The Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei says that comes down to two reasons, which include standing in the June by-election to replace the late Parekura Horomia.
She says standing Marama Davidson, and the support from the party's Māori members in organising the campaign from the ground, demonstrated how serious it was about Māori politics.
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A former Māori Language Commissioner says more needs to done to attract younger viewers to Māori Television.
Haami Piripi says he understands why a departing Māori Television Board member, Ian Taylor, suggested the station should consider cutting its Te Reo content.
Mr Taylor said that Māori TV produces more programmes for kaumātua when it should be targeting the younger generation.
But Mr Piripi says captivating and sustaining a younger viewership is always going to be a challenge.
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IN: I SYMPATHISE WITH. . .
OUT: . . . OF LANGUAGE REGENERATION.
DUR: 29"
Former Māori Language Commission Chief Executive, Haami Piripi.
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A resident of Te Kaha in the eastern Bay of Plenty has identified a possible drawback from the use of telemedicine - saying it could make patients feel less confident about giving personal information via video link.
Technology has been installed in eastern areas of the region for medical advice to be provided via video in order to improve access to health services for those living in remote communities.
Haki McRoberts (mac roberts) is the deputy mayor of the Ōpōtiki District Council and comes from Te Kaha, which is 60 kilometres further east along the coast from Ōpōtiki.
He says there are benefits in telemedicine for the Te Kaha community, including reduced travel and costs - but there may be a drawback.
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IN: INFORMATION THAT YOU. . .
OUT: . . . MUCH INFORMATION OUT.
DUR: 32"
Haki McRoberts - the deputy mayor of the Ōpōtiki District Council.
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Waikato University is receiving nearly 2-million dollars from the government for a four year project to study freshwater food gathering areas and how to manage them better through the use of both science and traditional Māori knowledge.
The research project will look at how western science and matauranga Māori can inform them on how to care for areas along the Waikato River which are valuable food resources.
That's Te Manu Korihi news, I'll have a further bulletin in an hour.
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The Government is going ahead with merging four schools on to a single 40 million dollar campus from new entrants up to school leavers in quake-hit eastern Christchurch. The Education Minister Hekia Parata who announced the final decision on the new Aranui community campus today, caused controversy in June by suggesting it could be a public-private partnership or PPP. Local principals said that might block people's chances to use school buildings or make maintenance less of a priority. Hekia Parata said today no decision has been made yet about a PPP at Aranui. But the Ministry of Education's deputy secretary of regional operations, Katrina Casey, said it would be better if any PPP covered more than just the one school.
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The Aranui campus will open in 2017 on the grounds of Aranui High School - its principal John Rohs (Ross) is with us now.
Details are emerging about strict security laws being drafted for the G20 Summit which will be held in Queensland next year. The proposed laws will remove a person's automatic right to bail if they're arrested near the meetings in Brisbane or Cairns. Lawyers are warning peaceful protesters could get stuck in jail waiting for a bail hearing. The ABC's Stephanie Smail reports
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Presenter: Susie Ferguson
Editor: Maree Corbett
Deputy editor: Phil Pennington
Producers: Mei Yeoh, Craig McCulloch