Petrol Prices – Super-Yacht Facility – Black Box Inadmissible – Body Found – West Auckland Shooting – Refugee Clashes –
Olympic Fever – Home Grown Olympic Fever
- PETROL PRICES: Motorists are demanding government relief as another huge petrol hike is in the pipeline. Petrol
companies have warned of more rises likely this week likely to be a further four cents. Highest Crude oil prices since
the gulf war and the weak NZ dollar have sent petrol prices skyrocketing - they are now a third higher than a year ago,
with 91 now 118c per litre. Of that price, 9c is excise tax and 13c is GST. The Government says motorists are buying
less petrol – so increased GST is not translating into higher tax income.
There are signs that transport and food costs will go up following petrol. Inflation seems an inevitable result, as
higher petrol costs will send waves through other industries.
- SUPER-YACHT FACILITY: A new super-yacht facility will inject more than $80m into Northland. Alan Jones who left NZ to
make his millions in the United States 12 years ago, has bought seven hectares from Northland Port Co for the project.
It will bring jobs and skills into Whangarei.
- BLACK BOX INADMISSIBLE: A key piece of evidence – the black box flight recorder - has been ruled out of the
manslaughter case against the pilot of the Ansett Dash 8 plane, which crashed killing four people, five years ago. The
pilot faces four charges of manslaughter and three of injuring, after he allegedly failed to observe height
restrictions, leading to the crash
- BODY FOUND: A body has been discovered in the hills around Christchurch. The body appears to have suffered injuries,
Police have not said if the injuries were intentional or accidental.
- WEST AUCKLAND SHOOTING: West Auckland Police say the man shot in the stomach yesterday doesn’t want to press charges.
Police have been accused of handling the gang related shooting badly. A man made a mercy dash taking the shot man to an
ambulance, because the police wouldn’t.
- REFUGEE CLASHES: In Australia there have been violent clashes between police and rampaging refugees in an outback
refugee centre.
- OLYMPIC FEVER: Olympic fever has gripped Australia, with the Olympic torch relay nearing Sydney.
- HOME GROWN OLYMPIC FEVER: West Coasters in New Zealand began their own Olympic torch relay today – the official torch
didn’t make it to the West Coast when it passed through New Zealand earlier this year.