12 Jun 2013

Morning Report: local papers

7:01 am on 12 June 2013

Wednesday's headlines: Environment Court is divided over whether dams on the Nevis river; increase in the number of children injuring themselves on scooters; Auckland couple in hospital after motorcycle crash at the Isle of Man TT race.

NZ Herald

The New Zealand Herald leads with the story of a young New Zealand couple who were in hospital after a motorcycle crash at the Isle of Man TT race.

Tracey Partridge and Luke van den Bos of Auckland were left with serious leg and facial injuries after a motorcycle crashed into a crowd of spectators.

Waikato Times

The Waikato Times says a ten-fold increase in the number of children injuring themselves on scooters has sparked a call for helmets to be made compulsory.

ACC figures show the number of claims for scooter-related injuries has risen from 697 in 2008, to 6474 last year.

Dominion Post

The Dominion Post leads with Wellington City Council members pondering the future of the earthquake-prone town hall.

Chief executive Kevin Lavery on Tesday briefed councillors on plans to spend 43-million dollars to strengthen the building. He told the the paper it is an awful lot of money for zero return, when what the city really needs is a purpose-built convention centre.

And there's a picture of Jolene Rose, a mother of three who has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. She ran a methamphetamine business from her rural Manawatu home.

The Press

The Press reports on the sentencing of Dominatrix Jolene Rose, who supplied at least 8.5kg of methamphetamine while collecting welfare benefits. Her business is estimated to have grossed nearly $5 million in three years.

Councillor Aaron Kewon wants ratepayers to contribute $50,000 so the council can employ a fulltime bee expert. Plan Bee aims to boost the honey-bee population in Christchurch by introducing hives across the city.

ODT

The Otago Daily Times says the Environment Court is divided over whether dams should be banned on the Nevis river. A 148-page report for Environment Minister Amy Adams was made public on Tuesday and it outlines a split decision amongst the commissioners as to whether the river should be dammed.

Residents of Brighton are angry a cellphone tower will be installed within weeks. Telecommunications company 2Degrees told the paper it was notifying Scroggs Hill road residents about the decision to proceed with the 12 metre tower.