Transit Regional Office
Auckland

20 February 2003

MEDIA RELEASE

Transit removes flagpoles from Auckland Harbour Bridge

Following the breaking of the western flagpole on the Auckland Harbour Bridge in extraordinary windy conditions this morning, the decision was made, for safety reasons, to remove both flagpoles. The flagpole broke at about 10 am.

Removing the broken pole required a northbound lane on the bridge to be closed. The lane is now open again. The eastern flagpole will be secured and removed tonight to lessen disruption to traffic.

The cause of the break will be determined before any further action is taken on re-erecting the poles says Transit regional manager, Wayne McDonald.

'There is no doubt that the extraordinary weather we are currently experiencing has resulted in this situation,” he says. "The safety of motorists is paramount, so if necessary we will have to look at a further strengthening of the flagpoles before they are re-erected," he says.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>