Top schools to take over the management of troubled ones; Kilbirnie confirmed as site for Wellington indoor sports centre; Dunedin International Airport will have no international flights for several months of the year.
NZ Herald
The New Zealand Herald leads with a report that broadcaster Tony Veitch will appear in court on Thursday for a hearing expected to resolve allegations that he beat up his former partner. The paper says it is understood Mr Veitch will make a guilty plea, but it is not clear to which charge or charges.
Auckland mayors will urge a full ward system for the super-city council when they meet Local Government Minister Rodney Hide on Thursday.
A memorial service was held on the first anniversary of the Mangatepopo canyoning tragedy.
Dominion Post
The paper says after 10 years, four reviews and the spending of millions of ratepayers' dollars, Kilbirnie's Cobham Park has been confirmed as the site for Wellington's indoor sports centre.
The Dominion Post carries the story of 67-year-old Nelson fish-and-chip shop owner Roy Clark who had a miraculous escape when his building exploded around him over Easter weekend.
Public anger has seen the reward for information about whoever used an elderly dog as fighting "bait" leap to $20,000.
The Press
The paper's lead says top schools are to take over the management of troubled ones in the new Government's education reforms, stunning those in the industry.
Fiji's central bank has slashed the country's currency in a bid to entice tourists and boost exports.
American gospel group the Blind Boys of Alabama wowed the paper's music reviewer at a concert in Christchurch on Wednesday night.
Otago Daily Times
The ODT reports Dunedin International Airport will have no international flights for several months of the year, following Air New Zealand's reduction in trans-Tasman services.
The Government has confirmed that the $15 million it plans to provide for the planned stadium in Dunedin will come with "no strings attached".
Disgraced lawyer Michael Guest has applied for restoration to the roll of barristers and solicitors. He was struck off in 2001 for lying to a client.
