Top Of The Morning News Digest

Friday, 26 June 2015, 8:43 am
Press Release: NewsRoom_Plus

Top Of The Morning News Digest

* NewsRoom_Digest from 25 June 2015 available at Eveningreport.nz - see http://info.scoop.co.nz/EveningReport.nz

* RNZ 7am - Top 5 items for 26 June 2015

1. Auckland councillors may start work within months to modify the Council’s controversial transport levy after passing the 10-year budget by a single vote. The $114 annual levy on households boosted the average residential rates rise to nearly 10%.

2. Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has hinted at possible changes to regulations governing the milling and exporting of swamp kauri. Northland environmental groups have complained that the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is allowing exporters to illegally export the valuable timber, and that there are deficiencies in MPI's export records. Mr Guy said his officials are examining the regulatory regime and changes could follow.

3. Meanwhile, the Auditor-General will announce next week whether she will investigate the way the swamp kauri industry has been regulated.

4. Some MPs fear a security breach by Greenpeace protestors, who managed to scale Parliament’s roof yesterday, will result in stricter access to Parliament. Four people have been charged with trespass and a full review of Parliamentary security is to be carried out.

5. Sports experts say intense competition between secondary schools may be weakening their athletes and also New Zealand’s ability to compete internationally. They say one-sided competition is bad for skills development for good players, and will result in national selectors overlooking emerging talent in other schools. This is because a small number of schools are dominating school sports and that number is shrinking.

ENDS

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