0600 NEWS/WEATHER
0609 NZ NEWSPAPERS
0611 NEWS STORY ELECTRICITY REGULATIONS - Labour Party abandons support for proposed regulations on lines charges after being told by companies that prices wouldn't go up anyway. Move leaves govt's proposed regulations in tatters and Consumers' Inst furious. Comment from Inst chief exec David Russell, Electricity Networks Assn chair Ken Forrest, Enterprise and Commerce minister Max Bradford and Labour's Pete Hodgson. (Eric Frykberg) NORTHERN IRELAND - GOVERNMENT - British MPs debating PM Tony Blair's proposals for power-sharing exec in Ulster. Bill transferring power from Westminster to Belfast could come into effect by next Sunday but Ulster Unionists tabling series of amendments aimed at tightening legal "fail-safe" intended to illegible IRA disarmament. (Keith Chalkley)
0620 RURAL NEWS MEGA MERGER - dairy farmers increasingly anxious about speed govt and industry leaders working at to pull mega-merger deal together when they have yet to hear details. Farmers afraid they'll be presented with fait accompli. Waikato farmer Lloyd Downing says farmers being denied right of consultation they were promised before proposal got this far. (Kevin Ikin) KIWI/TUI - Kiwi Dairies facing new legal challenge relating to its merger with Tui 3 years ago. Application filed in High Court argues companies breached Co-operatives Act procedures in way they went about merger. Application made by Manawatu dairy farmer Suzanne Bruce on behalf of more than 600 former Tui shareholders who say they've suffered heavy financial losses from merger and are seeking damages of close to $100 million. (Kevin Ikin) KIWIFRUIT - Māori INTERESTS likely to challenge restructuring plans for industry approved by cabinet this week. Industry to keep its single-desk marketing system, allowing Zespri to control sales to all overseas markets except Australia, but Māori growers wanting to export own fruit started to challenge single-desk system several years ago. Bruce Norman, Bay of Plenty illegible marketing fruiton behalf of Māori producers, says renewed legal action is possible. (Kevin Ikin) NATIVE FORESTS - govt introduces legislation lifting ban on export of sustainably produced native woodchips, also puts controls on exports of unsustainably produced wood products. Conservation minister Nick Smith says legislation ensures forestry for woodchips carried out in sustainable way. (q) Govt also offering deal in bid to end unsustainable logging on Māori land in Southland. (Tama Muru)
0625 SPORTS STORY AUSTRALIAN SPORTS - i/v with correspondent Tim Gavel. (Wallabies vs Springboks this weekend; cricket team named)
0630 NEWS/WEATHER
0635 NEWS STORY NATIVE FORESTS - govt bid to end unsustainable logging on Māori land in Southland greeted as encouraging first step by group representing owners. Owners being offered deal worth tens of millions of dollars in return for 1 year moratorium on logging naive timber while longer-term deal negotiated. Deal also allows resumption in exports of woodchips from sustainable native forests. Comment from Conservation minister Nick Smith, Kevin Smith of Forest and Bird, and John Southerwood, chair of Rau Murihiku. (Tama Muru) INTERNATIONAL PAPERS MANA Māori: RESOURCE OWNERSHIP - number of Māori academics challenge Crown to re-think its position.
0648 BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS FLETCHER CHALLENGE exiting energy and paper sectors in move which will cut its debt by more than half and reduce its size by 2-thirds. It will sell its paper division to subsidiary Fletcher Challenge Canada to create new company. Energy division will be separated from rest of group, with FC saying it's returning to its roots to concentrate on forestry and building. Comment form spokesman Barry Akers. (Paul Diamond) CONSUMER PRICE INDEX figures for June quarter will be released tomorrow and economists picking only slight increase in inflation. Deutsche Bank predicts
0.5% increase based on declining food prices but says these will be more than offset by strengthening housing component and rising electricity prices. Comment from economist Ulf Schoefisch. (Helen Matterson) FINANCE/MARKETS MARKET REVIEW TELECOMMS company Newcall hopes its reverse take-overbid of NZ salmon will illegible its share of small business market. Newcall has around 10,000 customers who are mostly small to medium-sized businesses and has offices in Australia and US. Managing director Norman Nicholls. (Paul Diamond) AMP ASSET MANAGEMENT exploring ways of increasing presence in retail sector following refurbishment of Lynnmall in West AK. Comment from James Darkins, head of property. (Paul Diamond) INFRATIL/GAS - Infratil's move to buy 5% stake in Natural Gas Corpn seen by analysts as bargaining stake in negotiations with Australian Gas Light. (Paul Diamond) BUSINESS BRIEFS
0700 INTRO/NEWS ELECTRICITY REGULATIONS - Labour decides not to support National's attempt to curb prices charged by electricity lines companies, cites verbal assurances from companies that most of them would not raise prices anyway. Govt doesn't have numbers to pass legislation. Consumers' Inst chief exec David Russell says Labour should have got commitments from companies to reduce prices; live i/v with Pete Hodgson, Labour's Energy spokesman; live i/v with Enterprise and Commerce minister Max Bradford. illegible CASE - National Party's Māori vice president Dick Dargaville resigns all positions with party after revealing he was at centre of domestic assault case. Judge in case dismissed him without conviction and suppressed his name on grounds of mana. Live i/v with Northland regional reporter Lois Williams. ENDOSCOPY SCARE - Medical Supply Assn, which supplies complex medical machinery to hospitals says machinery not always being used properly, suggests guidelines be set up across country to maintain adequate degree of medical staff training re medical machines. Exec officer Diane Rackham says in many cases, staff being trained "hospital way" rather than by following instruction manual - i/ved live; hospitals warned they may have used endoscope equipment which was used at CH Hospital during period when cleaning equipment may not have been working properly. Live i/v with Health correspondent Rae Lamb.
0730 NEWS/WEATHER NZ PAPERS FINANCE UPDATE Māori SCHOOL CLAIMS - Education Review Office today begins inquiry into allegations that teachers at Māori total immersion school in Huntly, Te Wharekura o Rakaumanga, have given pupils beer and cigarettes as rewards. Teacher also accused of slamming pupil into wall. Other allegations include teachers drinking and gambling on school grounds. Dr David Gilgen, Huntly GP and parent of 2 children at the schook. has complained to ERO on behalf of 10 families - i/ved live; live i/v with chair of school trustees, Timi Maipi. NATIVE FORESTS - govt offering deal to Māori landowners in bid to end unsustainable logging in Southland, wants moratorium. Land covered under 1906 South Island Landless Natives Act and was given in compensation for Treaty breaches. Mauri Pacific leader Tau Henare reluctant to support moratorium; i/v with Conservation minister Nick Smith; live i/v with Ken McAnergney, beneficiary under 1906 Act and secretary of Rau Murihiku which represents the landowners.
0800 NEWS/WEATHER MANA CASE - chairof Nga Puhi Runanga in Northland says Dick Dargaville's decision to resign all positions with National Party best possible outocme. Rudy Taylor says Mr Dargaville under political pressure to go after appearing in court on domestic assault charge. Mr Taylor provided character reference for Mr Dargaville - i/ved live. ELECTRICITY REGULATIONS - opposition parties withdraw support for govt's attempt to regulate electricity market. ACT opposed to any regulation and govt doesn't have numbers to pass legislation. Live i/v with Alan Jenkins, Electricity Networks Assn, and David Russell, Consumers' Inst. ANTI-SMOKING CAMPAIGN - graphic images of damage smokers do to their bodies at illegible of quit smoking campaign being launched today. $800,000 camapign basedon Australian model, uses TV ads to illustrate rotting lungs and clogged arteries. One ad so shocking it can only be screened after 7pm. I/v with Dr David Hill, chairof Australian National Tobacco Campaign, in NZ for launch. (Mng Rpt); campaign Coincides with survey showing growing numbers of 4th formers smoking. ASH says research shows Māori and Pacific Island students, in particular, are smoking more. Live i/v with spokesperson Trish Fraser. MORTGAGE RATES - latest Real Estate Inst figures shows most lending institutions have raised fixed rates in past few week, taking 1-year rates to around 6% and 5-year rates to nearly 8%. Second round of increases in past 2 months, meaning that since beginning of year, fixed rates have increased by around half a percent. Live i/v with Economics correspondent Bronwen Evans, with comments from Real Estate Inst's Max Oliver and ANZ Bank economist Bernard Hodgetts.
0830 NEWS/WEATHER/SPORTS NATIVE FORESTS - govt offers deal to Māori landowners in return for moratorium on logging while longer term deal negotiated. Native Forest Action says moratorium merely means to divert attention away from fact govt has resumed export of sustainable native timber products. Live i/v with spokesman Steve illegible. MEDICAL LABORATORIES - Health Funding Authority proposal to change way laboratories are funded raises fears some provincial centres could lose local pathology and post-mortem services. HFA's new purchasing model includes proposal to put lab work out to tender and private labs say that could lead to dwowngrading of services in regions like Northland. (Lois Williams) INTERNATIONAL PAPERS AUSTRALI/U.S. RELATIONS - PM John Howard has talks in Washington with President Clinton, reacts sceptically to Mr Clinton's assurance he still believes in free trade despite restrictions placed on imports of Australian and NZ lamb. I/v with Canberra correspondent Michelle Grattan who's travelling with Mr Howard. (Mng Rpt) PAPUA NEW GUINEA - NEW PRIME MINISTER elected today to replace Bill Skates Former Speaker John Pundari favoured to take over but Mr Skates has declared he intends to become PM again in 2002. I/v with political scientist Prof Ted Wolfers. (Mng Rpt) FRANCE - AIRPORT REFUGEE - stateless Iranian-born refugee, "Mr Alfred" who's spent 11 years living in Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris, may soon be able to leave. Officials have finally found key identity document lost in 1988. I/v with correspondent Elaine Cobb. (Mng Rpt)