Central Otago Floods - Reserve Bank - Political Reaction - Greens In The Clear On Website - Greens Attacked Over Cannabis - Sweat Shops - Jesse Jackson Arrested - Dangerous Offender - Auckland Sex Trial - Hyatt Hotel Dispute - Pacific Island Offending - Fish And Chips

CENTRAL OTAGO FLOODS: Floods: Massive floods in Queenstown. Wanaka suffering from telephone and power problems. Police asking people across Central Otago to stay at home. Contact Energy says flows in the Clutha are presently 6 times normal and that they are powerless to slow the flow. The rain is also causing more problems in the West Coast valley which suffered from a massive slip. James Morrison from Weather Workshop is predicting the rain band to push northwards. Inland Canterbury can expect more rain.

RESERVE BANK: The Reserve Bank has raised the official cash rate by half a percent. Dr Don Brash says that all recent signs point to strong growth in the economy. Dr Brash says he can see mortgage rates rising to 8% in the medium term.

POLITICAL REACTION: Treasurer has welcomed the Reserve Bank projections which indicate strong prolonged growth. Richard Prebble says growth predictions. Michael Cullen says it is a domestic - borrow and spend - recovery at the moment.

GREEN'S IN THE CLEAR: Police investigating a complaint about the Green Party web-site say that it appears there was no offence committed on the basis of a preliminary inquiry.

GREEN'S ATTACKED OVER CANNABIS: The PM has attacked the Green policy of decriminalising cannabis on a visit to the Coromandel. National is presently running second in the poll. Shipley made no mention of support for decriminalisation by her Minister of police.

SWEAT SHOPS: Auckland's Chief Labour Inspector says there have been several reports of more sweat shops following publicity concerning exploitative conditions in a clothing factory.

JESSE JACKSON ARRESTED: Jesse Jackson has been led away in hand-cuffs from a protest about the expulsion of several students from a high school for getting into a fight.

DANGEROUS OFFENDER: An escaped dangerous offender - Peter Matahiri - has been caught again and charged with a Labour weekend home invasion and bashing in Manurewa.

AUCKLAND SEX TRIAL: A man accused of sexually abusing a family member for 10 years as a sex-slave has admitted to the rape of one victim but denies raping another.

HYATT HOTEL: The Service and Food Workers Union are taking out an injunction against the Hyatt Hotel which plans to outsource its housekeeping and has given 30 staff members a months notice.

PACIFIC ISLAND OFFENDING: A Pacific Youth Justice seminar in Porirua is discussing the high rates of offending and arrest among Pacific Island young people.

FISH AND CHIPS: A Lower Hutt fish and chip shop - Blue Island at Moera - has again won a national - best fish and chip shop award. The cook says the secret is fresh fish and good quality oil.

© Scoop Media

Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

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