National Radio Midday Report

Mine Declined – Auckland Beating – Stabbing Ceremony – Sounds Slick – Tourism Ministry – Surgery Wait – Scam marriages – Metropolitan College – Prison Officers – Teresa Cormack – Middle East – Black Jersey – Avalanche Victim – Radiation Therapists – Dog Assault

MINE DECLINED: Conservation Minister Sandra Lee is standing by her decision not to allow the expansion of a proposed West Coast goldmine. The mine proposal by Australian company GRD Macraes had been granted resource consent by the West Coast Council but Mrs Lee had the final say.

AUCKLAND BEATING: The Auckland District Court this morning heard about the final hours of Nicholas Clarkson’s life before he suffered a fatal beating in the inner city. Four people are charged with the aggravated roobery and murder of Mr Clarkson.

STABBING CEREMONY: Police investigating religious meeting in which a man was stabbed are yet to decide whether charges will be laid. The man, a willing participant in a religious ceremony, is in hospital in a stable condition.

SOUNDS SLICK: The Picton harbour master says a diesel slick from a fishing boat that sank at the weekend has so-far not affected the Marlborough Sounds coastline or wildlife.

TOURISM MINISTRY: A new Ministry of Tourism is to be created. The announcement from Tourism Minister Mark Burton came at the Tourism Industry Conference in Rotorua.

SURGERY WAIT: A surgeon from Starship Hospital says it is outrageous that a nine-year-old girl has to wait a further two years for corrective spinal surgery after already waiting 12 months.

SCAM MARRIAGES: Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel is seeking a detailed report into allegations of scam marriages between homeless people and immigrants seeking residency.

METROPOLITAN COLLEGE: The Education Review Office says Auckland’s Metropolitan College should be closed.

PRISON OFFICERS: Union delegates from the Corrections Association are currently meeting to decide whether they will step up industrial action over a breakdown in contract negotiations between the Corrections Department and prison officers.

TERESA CORMACK: Napier police hope to have the first results from blood samples of men on the list of suspects for the killing of Teresa Cormack next week.

MIDDLE EAST: Claims by Israel’s Foreign Minister Shimon Perez that diplomatic contact had been re-established between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators have been denied by both Governments and new fighting has broken out over the occupied territories leaving at least six Palestinians dead.

BLACK JERSEY: The Commerce Commission has confirmed that it has received a complaint from Canterbury New Zealand about anti-competitive behaviour from Adidas over Canterbury’s All Black Invincibles jersey.

AVALANCHE VICTIM: Police have named the man killed in an avalanche at the Treble Cone ski-field yesterday. He was David Ronald Harmer.

RADIATION THERAPISTS: In Australia it is hoped new pay offer could solve a shortage of radiation therapists in New South Wales that has seen delays in radiation cancer treatment.

DOG ASSAULT: Unemployed Gisborne man David Clark, who attacked a police dog with a knife, has been sentenced to 13 months prison.

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