0600 NEWS/WEATHER
0609 NZ NEWSPAPERS
0611 MāORI NEWS 1616 NEWS STORY FIRE SERVICE - SPENDING - Commission chair Roger Estall under fire again following revelations about spending on legal bills and public relations. His answers on spending to select committee fail to satisfy. Comment from Mr Estall, committee chair Katherine O'Regan, and Labour MP Trevor Mallard. (Sarah Boyd)
0620 RURAL NEWS DAIRY GIANT - smallest dairy company, Kaikoura Co-op Dairy Company, says details of mega-merger proposed by Dairy Board should be presented to farmers quickly if they're to have confidence to back it. Chair Ron Mackle says farmers are companies want clear plan for staffing at manufacturing sites, so that companies know their role within mega co-op, and suppliers know where to send goods. (Diana Leufkens); Food and Fibre minister John Luxton says key consideration for govt is whether proposal is in best interests of country and will raise farmers' incomes. (Kevin Ikin) MERGER ACTION - group representing more than 600 dairy farmers begins court proceedings over mergerof Kiwi and Tui dairy companies 3 years ago. Farmers were all Tui suppliers, say merger has cost them an average of $40,0000 each because they're being paid less for their milk than Kiwi suppliers and also lost out in value of shares they received from transfer to Kiwi and fact that no value was attached to Tui company's Tararua brand. (Kevin Ikin) TRUST-OWNED POWER COMPANIES to discuss impact of electricity reforms, especially on rural customers, at conference today. Trust-owned companies mainly in rural areas and have mostly elected to keep line business rather than retail. Electricity Trust Assn secretary Peter O'Brien says this has created awkward position for directors whose companies have lines which service only a few customers. (Diana Leufkens) ELECTRICITY REFORMS - Fed Farmers tells govt special information service for consumers needed if electricity reforms are to succeed. Energy spokesman Tom illegible says many rural customers don't know range of suppliers or how to choose which ones best fit their needs. (Diana Leufkens) WOOL PRICES - crossbred fleece and second shear wool prices lift by up to 3-4% at CH sale despite less favourable exchange rate. (Kevin Ikin)
0625 SPORTS STORY RUGBY - live i/v with commentator John McBeth on Super 12 matches - will Highlanders keep their top spot?
0630 NEWS/WEATHER
0635 NEWS STORY SOUTH AMERICAN VISIT - PM Jenny Shipley leaves this weekend for 9 day visit to Chile, Peru, and Mexico as part of paving way for APEC meeting in September. First visit by NZ PM to Chile and Peru and only 2nd to Mexico - i/ved. (Al Morrison)
0640 INTERNATIONAL PAPERS
0642 MANA NEWS LAND GRAB BOOK - new book, by Pakeha lawyer DavidaWilliams, reveals some of underhand tactics used by Crown to obtain Māori land. MāORI COUNCIL forges closer relationship with Crown. Comment from Maanu Paul.
0648 BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS BANK OF NZ manages rise in half year profit of nearly 10% with improvements on both sides of balance sheet. Managing director Mike Pratt says it's pleasing result given tough competition, squeezed margins, low interest rates, and Asian crisis. (Helen Matterson) WORLD TRADE ORGN - no sign of resolution in leadership dispute. Concern that dispute causing possibly permanent damage to WTO. Comment from Dave Woods, editor of "World Trade Agenda", and from former US trade ambassador Michael Smith. FINANCE/MARKETS MARKET REVIEW KNOWLEDGE WORKERS - study of way Asia-Pacific countries handle employees who have job of coming up with new and bright ideas shows many doing badly. Knowledge worker defined as anyone who works with incomplete knowledge and creates ideas from it, such as detectives, investigative journalists, research chemists and engineers, lawyers or anyone working in product development and theory is that such workers must be treated differently from someone on production line or service worker. Jane Hemstritch, partner with Anderson Consulting in Australia, says report challenges managers to be more flexible in approach. (Helen Matterson) BUSINESS BRIEFS
0700 INTRO/NEWS KOSOVO -PEACE PLAN - Russia and West agree on plan at meeting of G8 countries' foreign ministers in Bonn. NATO spokesman Jamie Sead outlines agreement, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says it's significant advance for refugees in region. Comment from President Clinton; agreement does not mean to bombing of Yugoslavia. I/v with Germany correspondent Caroline Wyatt. (Mng Rpt) FIRE SERVICE - SPENDING - figures produced at parliamentary select committee show Commission spent almost half million dollars on one public relations firm in 1997-98 financial year, on top of earlier revelations Commission spent more than $1.3 million on legal bills. Live i/v with committee member, Labour MP Trevor Mallard; Internal Affairs minister Jack Elder declines i/v; live i/v with Fire Commission chair Roger Estall. CANCER CHILD - Family Court lifts all orders seeking guardianship and delivery of Liam Williams-Holloway to DN Hospital for chemotherapy. Healthcare Otago in touch with lawyer acting for his family over having his cancer reassessed. 4 months now since Liam examined, parents took him into hiding to pursue alternative treatment. Live i/v with Gerad and Dawn Uys of Rotorua who've been providing Liam with his alternative treatment. illegible NEWS/WEATHER NZ PAPERS FINANCE UPDATE LABOUR PARTY CONGRESS - party begins its election year congress today, crucial for party that's been in opposition for 9 years. Focus on training candidates for electioneering. Live i/v with Political editor Al Morrison. CARDIAC SURGEONS RETIRE - 6 senior specialists retire today from Greenlane Hospital in AK, being farewelled with "End of an Era" conference which has attracted heart specialists from Australia, U.S., and Britain. (Julian Robins); livei /v with John Neutze, paediatric cardiologist at Greenlane for more than 36 years, and Alan Kerr, recognised as NZ's foremost practising cardithoracic surgeon. ALBANIAN REFUGEES - 3 Immigration Service staff tomorrow begin journey to Balkans to find and bring back first group of Albanian refugees planning to resettle in NZ. Govt says NZ will take up to 800 with close family links to NZ. Reporter Lisa Owen travelling with team, meets members of Albanian community including Venera Ukmata who's hoping her parents and sister will be among first group to arrive in NZ. Comment also from Kemal Murati, Albanian community, Immigration Service's Marie Sullivan, and Bill Smith of Amnesty International.
0800 NEWS/WEATHER KOSOVO - PEACE PLAN - foreign ministers from Russia and 7 western powers call for Yugoslav forces to leave Kosovo and be replaced by international force. Make-up of peacekeeping force not detailed. I/v with Belgrade correspondent Jackie Rowland about reaction to plan there. (Mng Rpt) FIRE SERVICE - SPENDING - parliamentary select committee asks Commission chair Roger Estall to explain almost half million dollars spent on public relations. Live i/v with Firefighters' Union secretary Derek Best. DRIVER LICENCES - Automobile Assn takes out full-page advert in major daily newspapers calling for motorists not to panic regarding new licenses, follows chaotic first week and bad press for AA which is responsible for introducing new licences. Live i/v with AA operations manager Noel Rugg. INTERNATIONAL PAPERS PAINTED APPLE MOTH discovered in AK, related to White Spotted Tussock Moth and voracious feeder on apples, pears, apricts and roses. President of AK Pipfruit Growers' Assn, Louis Dean, says it needs to be wiped out as soon as possible; live i/v with MAF's chief forestry officer, Dr Ruth Frampton. FIJI ISLANDS - ELECTION starts tomorrow. New preferential voting system and islands' economic crisis make it hard to predict outcome. Live i/v with correspondent Shiu Singh.
0830 NEWS/WEATHER illegible TESTS - Gisborne's Public Health Unit and Health Funding Authority begin identifying women in region who should be retested for any signs of cervical cancer. Women in city worried, following publicity that pathologist misdiagnosed at least 3 smears. HFA has written to doctors in city telling them to be cautious about smear tests taken before Feburary 1996 when pathologist retired. (Heugh Chappell) SCOTLAND - ELECTION - voters electing first parliament in 300 years, will give Scots large measure of home rule. Many voters worried new body will be stepping stone to full independence and spell end of United Kingdom. Live i/v with correspondent Alistair Wanklyn. WEEKEND WEATHER FRIDAY FEEDBACK OZ SPOT - live i/v with Canberra correspondent Michelle Grattan. (inquiry into deportation of heavily pregnant Chinese woman, who was subsequently forcibly aborted;GST future;PM Howard's furniture problem) FRUIT AND VEG REPORT with Jack Forsythe.