Monday's headlines: Porirua couple who borrowed $800 from a finance company in 2003, now owe $70,000; two Judges were among 21 court staff assaulted in the past two years; playground upgrades planned in Hamilton.
NZ Herald
The New Zealand Herald leads with more on the story of Ana Eriepa, 37. The paper says police officers are still piecing together how she ended up in the boot of her Subaru, and why she was dragged 1.7km along State Highway one near Tokoroa on Saturday.
A man has been charged with kidnapping and will appear in Rotorua District Court on Monday.
Waikato Times
The Waikato Times leads with plans by a group of Hamilton City Councillors to upgrade or build new playgrounds in almost every neighbourhood in the city. It would mean nine new playgrounds and upgrades to another 18 by 2016.
Iwi chief executive Meka Whaitiri is Labour's candidate in the Ikaroa-Rawhiti byelection. She beat five other challengers for the nomination on Sunday.
Dominion Post
The Dominion Post leads with the story of a Porirua couple who borrowed money from a finance company in 2003 and now owe $70,000.
Teresa and Lomitusi Fesuiai told the paper it started with an $800 loan for some tyres and was followed by more loans to cover family events and gifts. The couple hope someone will now buy their Ranui Heights home so they can clear the debt.
A pair of New York apartments owned by Sir Peter Jackson are for sale for $NZ26 million. It says Sir Peter bought the lower Manahttan penthouses in 2008 for about $NZ20 million.
The Press
The Press leads with calls by officials for tighter health and safety regulations around asbestos-contaminated material after a plasterer used a paint scraper to unknowingly remove material riddled with asbestos from a textured ceiling in Cashmere.
It says the incident has unveiled a worrying loophole in which tradespeople are being sent into earthquake-damaged homes, to work with potentially contaminated material before it is tested.
Businesses in west Christchurch, including Orana Wildlife Park, are upset that a marathon next weekend will close Maclean's Island road, on one of the busiest weekends of the year.
ODT
The Otago Daily Times says holes, one large enough to swallow a bench, appeared in the esplanade at St Clair beach in Dunedin yesterday, as big sea swells pounded the coast. One of the holes grew from about 1 metre to 4 metres after the high tide at 4.30pm.
Ministry of Justice figures show at least two Judges were among 21 court staff assaulted in the past two years.
