Top Of The Morning News Digest

Friday, 10 July 2015, 9:17 am
Press Release: NewsRoom_Plus

Top Of The Morning News Digest

* NewsRoom_Digest from 9 July 2015 available at Eveningreport.nz - see http://info.scoop.co.nz/EveningReport.nz

* RNZ 7am - Top 5 items for 10 July 2015

1. A bitterly cold southerly still covers much of the North Island this morning, and several major highways are closed because of snow and ice. They include State Highway 1 from Taihape to Turangi (including the Desert Road), the alternative route (State Highway 4), and the Napier-Taupo road. Police are urging people not to travel on central North Island roads at all.

2. Meanwhile, north of Wellington the Rimutaka Hill road is open but caution is advised. Gisborne is all but cut off, as State Highway 2 is shut on both the Opotiki and the Wairoa sides. The long way round East Coast to Opotiki - State Highway 35 - remains open.

3. The Government rejected pre-Budget advice from the Treasury to close KiwiRail, but it’s put the company on notice that it cannot expect to be subsidised forever. Documents released yesterday showed the Treasury suggested closing down the rail network because it cost too much, and recommended the Government just fund KiwiRail for one more year while undertaking a comprehensive study to look at closing the rail company.

4. An organisation representing property managers, the Property Institute, says the Government is missing a chance to do something meaningful for tenants with its proposals for improving rental conditions. Under legislation to be introduced to Parliament in October, social housing will have to be insulated by next July, and all other rental properties by July 2019. Rental properties will also have to have smoke alarms. The Institute suggests it would be far better for landlords to be required to check whether a home is damp or leaky.

5. The Finance Minister says China’s stock market crisis underlies the importance for New Zealand exporters to look at other markets as well. Shares across China have lost nearly one third of their value since mid-June, although there was a rebound yesterday, when the Shanghai Index clawed back the previous day’s losses.

ENDS

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