0609 NZ NEWSPAPERS
0611 MāORI NEWS
0616 NEWS STORY: ELECTRICITY CRISIS - PAY BACK - Mercury Energy releases details of Operation PowerSave, scheme aimed at encouraging AK CBD customers to save even more power. AK City Council offers more financial help in formof $5 million recovery fund, calls on Mercury and govt to match donation. Comment from Mercury's Patrick Strange, mayor Les Mills, and Michael Barnett, Chamber of Commerce. (Nicola Pauling)
0620 RURAL NEWS
0625 SPORTS STORY EUROPEAN SPORT - live i/v with correspondent John Daniell. (English rugby players row between RFU and clubs)
0630 NEWS/WEATHER illegible NEWS STORY: AUCKLAND REGIONAL SERVICES TRUST - multi-party MPs group meets today to discuss ARST future. National Party caucus still divided on asset sales and little chance group will reach consensus. Comment from MPs Pam Corkery, Belinda Vernon, and George Hawkins. (Stephen Harris)
0639 INTERNATIONAL PAPERS
0642 MANA NEWS
0651 BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS: UNEMPLOYMENT - ANZ Job Ads survey shows employment decline has resumed, with situations vacant advertising running 8.4% behind this time last year. However, WN's employment outlook brighter than AK's. Comment from ANZ chief economist Paul Stewart. (Rodney Joyce) AUSTRALIA - UNEMPLOYMENT - ANZ Bank survey shows number of job adverts rose in February by seasonally adjusted 5.1%, almost completely reversing January's 6.0% adjusted decline. (AAP) NATURAL GAS RESERVES estimate revised upwards, with offshore Maui field now believed to be much bigger than previously thought. (Rodney Joyce) FINANCE/MARKETS ECONOMY - MANUFACTURERS shrugging off talk of depressed economy, with manufactured exports close to boom levels. ManFed president David Moloney says while Asian downturn sharpening import prices, bigger issue is undeserved lack of business confidence. (Rodney Joyce) PALMERS GARDEN CENTRES - 4 stores, 3 in AK and 1 in WN, won't re-open after stocktaking today as buyer Mitre 10 has been unable to reach new lease terms with landlords. (Rodney Joyce) BUSINESS BRIEFS
0700 INTRO/NEWS PRIMARY PRINCIPALS - govt prepared to primary schools thousands of dollars if principals agree to switch to individual contracts on 5 year fixed terms. Govt says it wants same situation as with secondary principals now pay parity achieved. Principals outside parity deal settled last week. Comment from Education minister Wyatt Creech, Janet Kelly of School Trustees' Assn, Geoff Lovegrove, Principals' Fedn, and Joanna Beresford, NZEI. (Al Morrison); live i/v with Geoff Lovegrove; live i/v with Education minister Wyatt Creech. ELECTRICITY CRISIS - AK CITY COUNCIL setting up recovery fund and wants to set up dedicated CBD recovery team consisting of councillors, Mercury Energy representaties, govt, and CBD companies. Live i/v with councillor Phil Raffills, one of those on team. ELECTRICITY CRISIS - PAY BACK - live i/v with Mercury spokesperson Patrick Strange re Operation PowerSave. FOREIGN AFFAIRS - JAPAN - PM Jenny Shipley raises thorny question of threatened Southern Bluefin tuna with Japanese PM Ryutaro Hashimoto but admits finding resolution won't be easy. Leaders held talks on first of 3 day visit. (Clare Sziranyi)
0730 NEWS/WEATHER/SPORTS NZ PAPERS FINANCE UPDATE SERBIA - KOSOVO - 6 major powers agree on 12 point action plan in effort to force Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic to end brutal crackdown on ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. Russia dissents from decision to impose sanctions. I/v with London correspondent Des Fahy. (Mng Rpt) STEVEDORES ROW - NZ Stevedoring Co, US-owned, alleged to be using receivership laws to get round awkward labour rights. Rival firm claims dispute risks destabilising entire industry and undermining key piece of NZ's infrastructure. Comment from Stephen Poole of Leonard and Dingley, Trevor Hanson, general secretary of the Waterfront Workers Union, New Zealand Stevedoring company managing director John Price, and MP Peter Brown, a former stevedoring manager, who wants govt to act. (Eric Frykberg) IRAQ - CRISIS - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan presents plan to Security Council on how 8 presidential sites in Iraq will be inspected, involves diplomats accompanying arms inspectors. Live i/v with correspondent Judy illegible. INDONESIA - ELECTION - President Suharto expected to be re-elected for 7th 5 year term in tomorrow's election. I/v with correspondent Jonathan Head. ACTIVE LIFESKILLS COURSE in doubt. Course helps troubled teenagers get their lives back on track, has been running in CH for 7 year. (Jo Palmer)
0800 NEWS/WEATHER PRIMARY PRINCIPALS - Education minister Wyatt Creech insisting principals go on to individual 5 year contracts as part of pay parity deal, in return govt will give schools supplementary grants. NZEI has ballotted principals to find out how much support there is for scheme. (written) AUCKLAND - SIZE - Labour's deputy leader Michael Cullen says city is "great, crushing weight" sitting atop nation, says it's sucking in imports while producing much smaller proportion of country's exports. Live i/v with Dr Cullen and Phil Warren, chair of AK Regional Council. ELECTRICITY CRISIS - PAY BACK - chief exec of Employers' and Manufacturers' Assn, Vaughn Sampson, has serious reservations about Operation PowerSave - i/ved live. INTERNATIONAL PAPERS COOK ISLANDS TAX INQUIRY - legal challenge to Inquiry's findings continues in illegible High Court. NZ First leader Winston Peters accused of running political agenda. Bronwen Evans reports live. MALCOLM REWA CASE - crown prosecutor says Rewa's serial sex offending had been going on for over 20 years. Eileen Cameron reports live. SERBIA - KOSOVO - little immediate response in Belgrade to news of measures being taken against it. 6 major powers meeting in London condemned Serbian repression in Kosov and want former Spanish PM Felipe Gonzales to act as mediator. I/v with Belgrade correspondent John Devitt. (Mng Rpt) PRIMARY PRINCIPALS - results of NZEI ballot. Live i/v with president Liz Parata.
0830 NEWS/SPORTS COMMONWEALTH GAMES - NZ athletes using heat chambers to help them prepare for sweltering temperatures in Malaysia. LIve i/v with team's director of medical services, Dr Richard Edmond. SOUTH AFRICA - RUGBY INQUIRY - President Mandela challenging court's request he give evidence in inquiry relating to judicial inquiry he ordered into SARU. I/v with correspondent Anthony Johnson. (Mng Rpt) GRAVESTONE - search for blood-stained piece of gravestone, which went missing almost 40 years ago in CH. Stone marks grave of young woman stabbed to death by butler of prominent Canty family in 1871 and is being sought by television programme "Epitaph".Live i/v with presenter Paul Gittins. NZ WINE TRADE FAIR opens today at Ellerslie in AK. Wine Inst says more than 400 restaurants and wine outlets from all over NZ have replied to invitations. (Heugh Chapell) BRITAIN - BSE INQUIRY set up by govt to look at causes and handling of disease, first hearing held. Live i/v with correspondent Keith Chalkley.