Checkpoint for Friday 13 MARCH 2009
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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The heads of the boards governing State Owned Enterprises are being summoned to the Beehive to discuss what the government describes as their 'declining' financial performance.The leaked letter was written by the SOE minister, Simon Power. The SOEs include three government owned power companies, NZ Post and coal miner Solid Energy.Our parliamentary chief reporter, Jane Patterson, joins us now. LIVE
The Minister of Corrections will meet members of her Department next week to discuss a report on Auckland's prisons.The document was commissioned by the union for prison guards, and was written by Colin Rosewarne, an executive officer with the Australian Community and Public Sector Union's prisons division, and an international expert on correctional health and safety.The report highlights security problems at all three Auckland facilities as well staff shortages, prisoner unruliness and poor sanitation. Laura Davis reports. PKG
The government is suggesting that a regional fuel tax could be scrapped. The Transport Minister Stephen Joyce says he's worried about the impact of the combined cost of the national and regional fuel taxes, and an announcement is due next week. But the North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams describes it as last minute interference from Wellington. PRE-REC
56 employees of the Blue Mountain Lumber mill in west Otago have been made redundant. Workers were told of plans to restructure on Tuesday, and given until today to volunteer for redundancy. Locals say the job losses are a blow to the region, but the owners of the mill are hopeful the sawmilling industry will pick up again. Matthew Peddie reports. PKG
Parts of Australia's northeast coast have been declared disaster areas with tonnes of oil from a damaged cargo ship contaminating popular tourist beaches. Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh has declared Moreton Island, Bribie Island and southern parts of the Sunshine Coast disaster zones after the ship's hull was pierced by a container washed overboard. It's estimated at least 60 kilometres of beach coastline has been covered by the slick. Helping with the clean up and joining us now is the Australian marine conservation society's Craig Bohm. LIVE
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BUSINESS NEWS
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There's a call for advertising billboards to be vetted to stop what some people see as offensive material being used to sell products.The call comes as Dominion Breweries agrees to take down a billboard in Hamilton, after a number of complaints. Andrew McRae reports. PKG
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17.30 HEADLINES
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Reserve Bank governor Alan Bollard is turning up the heat on banks again. He's called on them to ease up on increasingly tough lending terms for business borrowers. Our economics correspondent, Nigel Stirling, reports. PKG
There's been a big eruption from an underwater volcano 350 kilometres off the Bay of Plenty coast. GNS scientists mapping submarine volcanoes along the Kermadec Arc say an underwater camera has found that one mountain, known as Rumble Three, is now a hundred metres shorter than it was two years ago.The co-chief scientist on the voyage, Dr Cornel de Ronde says there's also strewn lava boulders covered in black volcanic ash. PRE-REC
The search for survivors continues after an oil rig helicopter carrying 18 people crashed into the sea off the coast of Newfoundland. Officials say the pilot reported some technical malfunctions shortly before it went down en route from St Johns to the Hilbernia oil rig platform. Chris O'Neill-Yates is at St Johns. PKG
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WAATEA NEWS
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A renal physican at Wellington Hospital is warning that one in five New Zealanders suffer from significant kidney illness, and aren't aware of the problem until they end up on dialysis treatment. And Dr Alistair McDonald says that dialysis will be unaffordable within two decades if the rate of kidney disease continues to balloon. PRE-REC
Companies which know their niche in the market will do well, despite the world economic downturn.That was the message to about a hundred Hawke's Bay business people at the first in a series of workshops which the Government agency TechNZ has organised, to help firms get ahead despite the recession. Heugh Chappell reports. PKG
The Ministry of Health has issued a warning over four illegal medicines made in Samoa and Tonga and being sold here. The Ministry says the safety of the products - which claim to treat among other things, ringworm, fungal infections and constipation - is not known. Medsafe's compliance manager is Derek Fitzgerald. PREREC
The crew on board the international space station were forced to take cover in an escape capsule to avoid a piece of flying debris. The danger has now passed and the crew have been given the all clear. Adam Brookes reports. PKG
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