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The Star Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi
Thursday March 9 2017 19
Young scapegoats
We said:
The city’s most
dangerous intersections
have been revealed after
city councillor Aaron
Keown hit out at his
council colleagues for not
putting aside $800,000
to fix the contentious
intersection of Harewood,
Breens and Gardiners Rds
in Bishopdale
Lynley Jenkins – A lot of it
would be solved if lights stayed
green for longer, and there were
more right-turning arrows.
Also hefty penalties for red light
runners. People have forgotten
orange means prepare to stop.
Simon Rutherford – This is
just a list of intersections! Where
is the journalism that tells us why
newly upgraded intersections are
considered dangerous like QE II
and Marshland Rd.
We said:
Selwyn Sounds had
Lincoln rocking at the
weekend, with more
than 7500 people at
the concert. The bands
included Mi-Sex, the
Jordan Luck Band and
Dragon
You said:
Maree Reveley – Awesome
bands and great venue. Same
complaints as above though.
Took far too long to get in and
queues for ladies toilets were
absolutely ridiculous. Men’s
urinals ended up overflowing
onto the ground.
Paula Fisher – Great day
and music, but yes more toilets
required and entry queue a bit
long but expected when allowed
to bring food an drink in.
Alan Hane – Great day,
big toilet queues, though, need
more toilets and men’s urinals.
Jackie Ryan – Was
absolutely awesome day
fantastic music and delicious
food, bring on next year.
Tania Adams – hope they
have more loos next year, the
queues where ridiculously long.
BILL English’s
comments last week
that local workers and
particularly the young
fail drug tests, and
this was the reason we
were having to bring in overseas
workers for these roles, made
my blood boil for a number of
reasons.
First, it’s simply not true on the
scale alleged. The Government’s
own figures show that just 150
people a year either failed or
refused to take a drug test out of
the 30,000 people a year who were
tested.
Our prime minister cynically
scapegoated a group of people who
need the Government’s backing
rather than being thrown under
the bus like this in response to
the reporting of all-time high
migration figures.
Instead of an intelligent debate
about employment, he decided to
use anecdotes that had not been
fact checked. But facts matter,
and in this country we expect
our prime minister to use them.
A country’s young people are
one its best resources, so for him
to marginalise and blame them
unfairly is shameful.
While the prime minister and
his party are busy taking pot shots
at our young people, Labour has
been forming plans to make sure
all our young people are ready for
work. Currently, there are 74,000
young people not in education,
employment or training and, last
year, Andrew Little announced
policy to fix this problem.
Andrew did not shy away from
the fact that there are some young
people who occasionally need a
kick up the backside to get them
out the front door, but he also
laid out a plan to help them into
work. For a period of six months,
young people would be offered
employment on community and
environmental projects and paid
the minimum wage.
Mentors will help them
make the most out of this time
and make sure that they learn
important skills like punctuality.
This further adds to our intention
to pay the equivalent of the
dole to employers who take on
apprentices.
Labour is not prepared to throw
our young onto the scrap heap,
we want a future where our young
people have hope and opportunity,
not a prime minister ready to use
them as political fodder.
TALE WITH A TWIST EDINBURGH ON SHOW
Roles reversed in Sherwood
Forest classic production
Work up sweat on the
Scottish streets
P3 P42 P62
Thursday, January 26 , 2017
• By Andrew King
CANNABIS, methamphetamine,
firearms and cash were found on
the rural property yesterday of a
family member of a high-profile
deceased businessman.
Police raided the property
about 20km south of Christchurch
yesterday morning and
took the middle aged man into
custody for questioning.
He was interviewed for
several hours by detectives at
the Christchurch central police phetamine, and firearms charges. has gang connections.
station and is expected to face He is scheduled to appear in Police were yesterday releasing
charges relating to possession of the Christchurch District Court few details of the raid near Lincoln
but The Star has learned the
cannabis for supply, cultivating on January 31.
cannabis, possession of metham-
The Star has learned the man firearms found included pistols.
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GARDENING - P35
Armed police were used in the
raid.
Detective Sergeant Chris Power
confirmed firearms, 30 mature
cannabis plants, 110 seedlings
and a small amount of methamphetamine
was taken from the
property.
“The cannabis was being
grown in a shipping container,”
he said.
Police also seized about
$20,000 in cash believed to be
linked with drugs.
The deceased businessman
whom the arrested man is
closely related to was well known
throughout New Zealand.
He died with a fortune worth
more than $100 million.
He was also a benefactor for
many charities and organisations,
both nationally and in
Canterbury.
Family member of well known
businessman nabbed in raid
DRUG STING:
Police found
drugs, firearms
and cash at
an E lesmere
property on
Wednesday.
PHOTO:
ANDREW KING
SHIFTING POPULATION BEAUTIFUL BANANAS RED-HOT REPUTATION
P7 P13 P15
Thursday, January 5, 2017
•For a timetable
and tickets,
visit http://www.
world buskers
festival.com/
Zara
makes
a splash
The buskers are back
bringing fun, laughter
and even some
vegetables. Canadian
busker Mike Wood
performed a the Arts
Centre’s North Quad
yesterday where he
caught a cabbage on
his head, catapulted
by Liz Williams.
Inset: Fellow Canadian
Mighty Mike wowed
the audience as he
juggled with fire. The
World Buskers Festival
has been running for a
week, returning to the
streets and the Arts
Centre for the firs time
since the February
2011 earthquake. It will
wrap up on Sunday.
PHOTOS:
GEOFF SLOAN
In spite of a few drizzly patches so far this summer, let’s hope we can all continue to have fun
in the sun just like Zara Harrison, 4, of Halswell, as she tip-toes through the water feature at
the Margaret Mahy Family Playground. The rest of January is looking like a bit of a mixed-bag
weather-wise, but there will still be a few cracking hot days, according to the MetService.
PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN
starnews.co.nz Rise Up Christchurch
Be in to win a
$100 prize pack
GARDENING - P19
Rise in
number of
motorists
running
red lights
• By Gabrielle Stuart
CHRISTCHURCH’S growing
red light-running problem is
leaving dozens of injuries in its
wake.
In the past year, there were 65
crashes which left people
injured after drivers ran
red lights, up from 42 the
year before.
At the city’s top 10
worst intersections this
month, almost 5400
drivers ran red lights in a
single day.
That was up 31 per cent from
last year, and 64 per cent more
than in 2014.
They do not include people
turning right across an intersection
on a red light.
The worst for red light-runners
was the intersection of Blenheim
Rd and Mandeville St, where 652
were detected on a single day on
Thursday, December 1.
Police figures have also grown.
In the last year, 1491 people
were ticketed for running red
lights in Christchurch, up from
1316 the year before and 1266 in
2014.
Canterbury road policing
manager Inspector Al Stewart
(left) said he was disappointed to
see the rise.
“It puts people at risk. They
may get away with it 99
out of 100 times, but it is
that one time which could
leave someone injured or
killed,” he said.
He said police had a
focus last year on bad
driving at intersections,
which included red
light-running, and that would
continue until the numbers
improved.
People often had different
excuses when ticketed for running
red lights, but there was no
acceptable reason, he said.
“A lot of people are simply
focused on other things and
don’t see it, but that is just as
unacceptable as running a light
deliberately, because when driving
you should be focused on the
task at hand,” he said.
•Turn to page 4
TRUMP-FUELLED DUST-UPS GIFT FOR ILLUSTRATING
P3 P23
City politicians go toe-to-toe Drawing the latest
runway looks
PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN
Thursday, February 2, 2017
FUEL TAX IDEA
You’ve got to be
joking – motorists
• By Bridget Rutherford
MOTORISTS HAVE slammed
an idea to introduce a regional
fuel tax in Canterbury to fix
earthquake-damaged roads.
Last week, The Star revealed
city councillors Aaron Keown
and Phil Clearwater were pushing
for a fuel tax.
But The Star has received said she would be “very disappointed”
if a fuel tax was intro-
numerous readers’ responses –
with all but one saying they did duced.
not want a regional fuel tax (see “We’re paying more for fuel
pages 16-18).
here in Christchurch. I fee like
They said petrol was already there’s so many other ways to
expensive including the fuel contribute to the roads.
excise, and the city council
“A lot of people can’t afford to
should find money within its run cars as it is.”
budge to repair the roads.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff
It comes as Energy Minister asked for a 10c per litre fuel tax
Judith Collins signals an inquiry for Auckland to plug the $4
into rising petrol margins. million funding gap it has for a
Petrol was currently about 30c list of transport projects over the
more in the South Island and next decade.
Wellington compared to places Mayor Lianne Dalziel said she
such as Levin and Masterton. would be interested to see what
Cr Keown said he expected happened there before making
opposition to the idea – but in any decisions on asking the Governmen
to look at Canterbury.
paying extra on fuel tax to fix
the roads, it would save money Canterbury University transport
expert Simon Kingham said
in the future.
“Rather than pay a little bit the idea was feasible because it
more on fuel, they’d rather was user-based.
damage their cars and take more He said if the city council was
time travelling.
to find money in the budget for
“They are assuming the council
can just juggle the numbers or take it from another project.
repairs, it would have to up rates,
around and fix the roads.”
Motorist Helen Logan (left)
Aaron Keown Phil Clearwater
March 19 2017
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