Orewa development goes bust; teachers injured on the job; NZ may get crimeline; Winston Peters' judgment day; rogue pack of cyclists cross Harbour Bridge; and more
- A $450 million building project at Orewa has been shelved after the property company responsible went into receivership, according to the Herald's lead story. Kensington Park Properties planned a 750-home development on the site of the old Puriri Park camping ground. About 60 of the homes have been built. It is the biggest and most advanced construction project in New Zealand to go under.
- The Press reports that ACC paid out $5.49 million in the year to June to teachers who had been injured on the job. One Dunedin school principal, Rod Galloway, said assaults by students were on the rise. He said teaching was now more like "crowd control" and teachers no longer elicited the respect they used to.
- The Dominion leads with an offer by Lord Ashcroft to help set up a tip-off crimeline in New Zealand to fight crime. Lord Ashcroft, deputy chairman of the British Conservative Party, gave $200,000 for the return of the Waiouru war medals stolen last year. He also helped set up the Crimestoppers phone line in Britain.
- The Otago Daily Times reports that senior Dunedin police officers mishandled a case of suspected ACC fraud. Complainant Bruce Van Essen spent two years trying to clear his name after a search of his house by three police officers and two representatives of ACC. Authority chairwoman Justice Lowell Goddard said ... a warrant issued for a search of Mr Van Essen's home in 2006 lacked any description of offences he was supposed to have committed and provided no documentary evidence of any offence.
- Parliament's privileges committee meets today to finalise its decision on whether Winston Peters knew about the $100,000 donation from billionaire Owen Glenn, reports the Herald.
- A group of cyclists from the North Shore illegally rode across the Harbour Bridge yesterday on their way to a cycle rally on the city side of the bridge. They were agitating for the right to ride and walk across the bridge.
- Finally, Wellington dogs have been going mad for a mysterious lump, thought to be a huge chunk of cheese, that washed up on the south coast. The object, which resembles a brie, is the size of a wheelie bin and thought to weigh about 500 kilos.