National Radio Midday Report

Lake Levels – Power Customers – Auckland Transport – Suicide Bombing – Health Boards – Canterbury Health – Teresa Cormack – East Timor Tribunal – East Timor Election – Fiji Airport – Prison Officers – Bus Accident – Rugby weekend

LAKE LEVELS: Continued low South Island hydro lake levels are predicted for the next three months in a new climate outlook by NIWA. Dr Jim Salinger says more anti-cyclones, weather patterns that favour dry, settled weather, are the major reason behind the low lake levels.

POWER CUSTOMERS: Electricity retailer FreshStart says it is removing all references advertising for new customers from its web site and 0800 phone line because it cannot afford to take customers on.

AUCKLAND TRANSPORT: A high powered group of local body, business and transport leaders has proposed a single urban transport authority that would take the place of the 17 bodies that currently contribute to transport decisions in the Auckland region. The action group is proposing phasing in the changes. The proposal comes following the Auckland City Council’s approval of the Britomart public transport interchange.

SUICIDE BOMBING: A top level Israeli Government meeting has given the green light to a military response to a suicide bombing that killed at least 15 and injured many other people at a Jerusalem restaurant. The radical Hamas movement has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Palestinian Authority is rejecting Israeli accusations that it should be held responsible or the blast.

HEALTH BOARDS: Most of the District Health Boards have indicated that they are not willing to sign the Crown Funding Agreement with the Ministry of Health because of concerns about funding. The deadline for signing is today.

CANTERBURY HEALTH: The Canterbury District Health Board says there will be no reduction in hospital services or capital expenditure, despite a forecast $20 million deficit.

TERESA CORMACK: Police hunting the killer of Teresa Cormack have blood samples from more than 50 suspects that they are sending away for DNA tests.

EAST TIMOR TRIBUNAL: There has been a further delay to the start of a tribunal in Indonesia that will hear cases of atrocities committed in East Timor before and after the territory’s vote for independence.

EAST TIMOR ELECTION: Foreign Minister Phil Goff has announced the Government will send four New Zealanders to monitor East Timor’s first free elections set for the end of the month.

FIJI AIRPORT: The Indigenous Fijian landowners of a piece of land that the international airport is built on will be compensated today.

PRISON OFFICERS: Prison officers say they will continue with low level industrial action for at least the next few weeks, following yesterday’s Employment Court decision that their action is legal.

BUS ACCIDENT: Christchurch man John David Bryant man, who was struck by a bus on Colombo St yesterday, has died in hospital.

RUGBY WEEKEND: An estimated 15,000 visitors have started arriving in Dunedin for the weekend’s rugby double header – NPC on Friday night and the Bledisloe Cup clash on Saturday.

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