Smelter closure plans 'shattering': Shadbolt
Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt says Rio Tinto's plans to close the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter next year are "shattering". The Australian mining giant has announced that it will start a wind-down of operations and the eventual closure of New Zealand Aluminium Smelters (NZAS). tiwai_2012-5329.jpg The aluminium smelter at Tiwai Point in Bluff. The company owns 79.4 per cent of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter, which produced 353,293 tonnes of saleable metal last year, the most since 2011. The Environmental Defence Society has filed court proceedings against New Zealand Aluminium Smelters, asking the court to decide who had responsibility under the Resource Management Act.
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 08, 2020 20:24 UTC
Tiwai Point aluminium smelter to close, 1000 jobs to go
Southland residents discuss their concerns about the closure of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter. Rio Tinto has said it will close the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter. Robyn Edie/Stuff Tiwai aluminium smelter chief executive Stewart Hamilton discusses the closure of the smelter. Kavinda Herath / Stuff Invercargill Mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt talks about the closure of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter. Robyn Edie/Stuff Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at the official re-opening of potline 4 at Tiwai Point Aluminium smelter in December, 2018.
Source:Stuff
July 08, 2020 20:22 UTC
Sex charge over alleged pool cue assault
The man was allegedly attacked with a pool cue while naked during a boozy night out in the town. Last week the Otago Daily Times reported the incident involved two South Otago clubs, Clutha Rugby Club and Clutha Valley Rugby Club. A source told the ODT a Clutha Valley player who was at a venue with several club members stripped off in response to a "club song" being played in the bar. He said the alleged perpetrator, who had been dining with friends, took exception to the public nudity before matters escalated. The assault was carried out using a pool cue, leading to serious abdominal bleeding, hospitalisation and surgery for the Clutha Valley man.
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 08, 2020 19:52 UTC
Weather: Roads closed after snow blankets country, temperatures drop to -6.1C
Heavy snow in the central North Island forced road closures – the Desert Road section of State Highway 1 and SH49 from Waiouru to Ohakune were both affected. McInnes said snowfall on Desert Road was “quite nice and impressive”. Other areas to get a dusting included Lewis Pass, Arthur’s Pass and Hanmer Springs in the South Island. Road snow clearing operations on Banks Peninsula had been successful, but four-wheel drive restrictions on Summit Road between Little Akoloa and Le Bons Bay were still in place at 10am. Stuff-co-nz Snow closed Desert Road on Thursday, captured on an NZTA live camera.
Source:Stuff
July 08, 2020 19:24 UTC
How Covid-19 changed travel home - and abroad - for Kiwis
Job uncertainty, no access to welfare, and concerns over Covid-19 are some of the drivers behind the flood of New Zealanders abroad coming back to Aotearoa. It's estimated around one million Kiwis live abroad, but since New Zealand entered the alert level 4, just over 23,000 have returned. Ross Giblin/Stuff It's estimated around one million Kiwis live abroad, but since New Zealand entered the alert level 4, just over 23,000 have returned. Since that date, and despite enormous disruption to air travel, 23,424 Kiwis have made the return trip. On top of that, 25 per cent of their website inquiries were coming from abroad – normally it was around 10 per cent.
Source:Stuff
July 08, 2020 19:23 UTC
Neighbours wake occupants during large Nelson house fire
A Nelson woman woken suddenly by the sound of an early morning fire rushed to wake her neighbours as the blaze spread through their home. It is understood the house did not have working smoke alarms. Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman Daniel Reilly said the house was well alight when two crews from Nelson arrived. “They are incredibly lucky to be alive without working smoke alarms.”Reilly said they were only alive becaue neighbours alerted them to the fire. Braden Fastier/Stuff It is understood the house had no working smoke alarms.
Source:Stuff
July 08, 2020 19:23 UTC
Junior Fa turns down $500K to fight Joseph Parker
Junior Fa has turned down as much as $500,000 to take on Joseph Parker in a New Zealand heavyweight super fight. Stuff-co-nz New Zealand heavyweights Joseph Parker and Junior Fa may finally get in the ring together as professionals. READ MORE:* Queenstown option for Joseph Parker's breakout fight* Plans for Joseph Parker to fight in New Zealand in August* Joseph Parker v Junior Fa stalls over 'ridiculous' money demands* Talks start for Joseph Parker v Junior Fa* Joseph Parker eyes a long shot at WBO heavyweight title* Joseph Parker's trainer Kevin Barry unleashes verbal blows on Junior FaBut they still won't commit and are unhappy with Higgins taking that to the public via the media. "The only explanation is Junior Fa is using Joseph Parker to build his name and then he's offered $500,000, enough to buy a house, and he runs." "Joseph Parker is the A-side, he should be paid triple Junior Fa, but he is willing to fight Junior Fa for the same money.
Source:Stuff
July 08, 2020 18:50 UTC
Colourful handmade homewares are hot to collect right now
The hottest homewares to collect right now are all about bringing a fresh pop of colour into a room. SUPPLIED The Hamilton hoya plant which sold for $6500 on TradeMe. Lou Barker of Blue Scarlet interior design has hunted out coloured glass at secondhand shops for 15 years. The easiest and most affordable glass categories for collecting are depression glass, carnival glass and milk glass. "Those (kilim rugs) that are about 50 to 80 years old are getting to a really good age.
Source:Stuff
July 08, 2020 18:45 UTC
Click to Pay credit card technology offers one-step online shopping
Buying stuff online has become a lot easier with a new credit card payment system that does away with the need to enter card details with every purchase. Credit card companies Visa, Mastercard, Amex and Discover have collaborated to create Click to Pay which reduces the number of payment steps at online shops. After a one-time account registration, customers can pay online at retailers offering the option without having to fill out forms or re-entering credit card details. SUPPLIED Marty Kerr, Visa country manager says click in pay will reduce the number of abandoned online shopping carts. According to the monthly BNZ Online Retail Sales Index, online shopping was up 50.1 per cent in May.
Source:Stuff
July 08, 2020 18:00 UTC
The Peter Ellis case and Māori customary law
He identified a third phase, when tikanga Māori fuses with New Zealand’s common law tradition to form a hybrid law of Aotearoa that could be developed by judges, case by base. “There are certainly sensitivities here, but if our state legal system can open up and learn about the Māori legal system, then this is a good thing. The Te Ture Whenua Māori Act (the Māori Land Act) 1993 had a mechanism for the High Court to state any question of tikanga to the Māori Appellate Court, which had expertise in tikanga Māori. “... the common law of Aotearoa is different to the common law of other countries. “Will the first law evolve in the way that the common law did: from a system of local custom to a more positivist system of judge-made law?
Source:Stuff
July 08, 2020 17:01 UTC
Culture shock for Polynesian pathfinder in racist Aussie league
The racist treatment of Kiwis legend Olsen Filipaina during his playing days in Australia is a disgrace. OPINION: Here is my recommendation for the sporting book of the year – a horror story of bullying at its worst. It is the biography of former New Zealand rugby league international Olsen Filipaina, The Big O. In 1928 though, the great George Nepia was left home on racial grounds from a tour to South Africa. Skene doesn't spare Filipaina's Sydney bullies, notably coach Stanton, who still can't understand the fuss.
Source:Stuff
July 08, 2020 16:52 UTC
Five days sick leave? New Zealanders deserve more
Halaena Mckeague/Halaena Mckeague Halaena Mckeague says that a low minimum sick leave is a barrier to being in paid work for many of us. There’s a lot of New Zealanders out there who have no paid sick leave. Low minimum sick leave acts as a barrier to being in paid work for many of us. That’s because most businesses benefit by providing decent sick leave by having fewer sick days on average across their staff, just ask ANZ. Most of them are on minimum sick leave.
Source:Stuff
July 08, 2020 16:52 UTC
Sex offending sentence extended for violating cellmate
PHOTO: ROB KIDDA sex offender who violated his cellmate while double-bunking has had three and a-half years added to his sentence. Brian Lewis Mitchell (30) appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday after pleading guilty to a charge of unlawful sexual connection. But the court heard the prisoner had denied the offending during a recent interview with a psychologist and when Judge Michael Crosbie detailed the facts of the case yesterday, he shook his head. Mitchell had been placed in a cell with the victim three days before the incident on June 15 last year. However, the man received treatment for the physical soreness caused by the sex attack and police later became involved.
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 08, 2020 16:41 UTC
Student hurt in queue pushing at North Dunedin bar
Photo: ODT filesA woman was injured as hundreds of people gathered outside a North Dunedin bar for Re-O Week festivities. Police said a woman received "crush injuries" when about 500 people queued outside Starters Bar on Monday night. Association events and venue operations manager Jason Schroeder said a queue quickly developed outside the bar after it reached its 415-person capacity about 10.30pm. A female student injured her hip in the incident, he said. Mr Schroeder said bar staff worked closely with Campus Watch and police, and well-trained security staff were handling events.
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 08, 2020 16:34 UTC
Unconscionable and from within
After news of the leak broke, National Party List MP Michael Woodhouse said it was "unconscionable and unacceptable that those suffering from the incredibly dangerous virus now have to suffer further with their private details being leaked". The shabby leak came from his own Member of Parliament, from material supplied by a former National Party president. Unconscionable, unacceptable, and from within. Neither Mr Walker or Mrs Boag wanted to be interviewed yesterday. Mr Walker still has a role to play; "shortcomings" must be laid bare.
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 08, 2020 16:33 UTC