This is the right thing to do and the right time to do it, says NZ Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS) Policy Advisor Paul Barber, in response to the new Healthy Homes Standards just released. This is about saving lives of young children and older people especially, who are made ill by the condition Read more
New Zealand
Project to protect popular Mackenzie church ‘progressing well’
Thursday, February 28th, 2019Extensive work to protect a tourist hot spot in the Mackenzie District is well underway. Work on the Church of the Good Shepherd, on the edge of Lake Tekapo, began almost a year ago due to the increasing number of tourists to the district – with many coming to see the church. Continue reading
Former Brother admits to historical child abuse
Thursday, February 28th, 2019A former Catholic Brother has admitted sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl in her home while her family sat in the same room, with their eyes closed in prayer. Michael Beaumont was due to face a jury trial at the Auckland District Court on Tuesday but pleaded guilty to the historical indecent assault charge. Continue reading
Dunedin abuse survivor fails to meet Pope
Monday, February 25th, 2019
Dunedin sexual abuse survivor, Darryl Smith, has been unsuccessful in his attempt to meet Pope Francis. “We were blocked by the Swiss Guard who dismissed the letter from Bishop Dooley”, writes Spokesman for the Auckland-based Network of Survivors of Abuse in Faith-based Institutions, Dr Murray Heasley. Heasley is in Rome with Smith. Writing on Facebook, Heasley reports,”They Read more
Charity tax exemption not focus of review
Monday, February 25th, 2019
Charity tax exemptions are not part of the government review of charity law. According to the Department of Internal Affairs policy general manager, Raj Krishnan, the issue of tax exemption for religious charities such as Sanitarium and Destiny Church will not form part of the review. Krishnan said lots had changed for the more than Read more
Capital Gains Tax could dent house prices and push up rents
Monday, February 25th, 2019Rents could rise and house prices fall if the government goes ahead with a capital gains tax, says the Tax Working Group. The group, which Thursday released its recommendation for a CGT to be applied on assets such as land, shares, investment properties, business assets and intellectual property. Any gains on the sale of these Read more
New GM for Auckland diocese
Monday, February 25th, 2019Mr James van Schie is to be the new general manager of Auckland diocese. van Schie has spent the last two and a half years as executive officer for the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference in Wellington. Immediately prior to that he was director of parish support and development for the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney. Read more
Te Puke Catholic Church closes
Monday, February 25th, 2019St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Te Puke has had to close its doors. An initial earthquake assessment has the building rated “Cathegory E”, the worst possible rating and in the interests of public safety, the church decided to stop using the building. Churchgoers will still be able to attend Mass, the Anglican vicar, Rev Ruth Read more
Climate change declaration ‘not a binding contract’
Thursday, February 21st, 2019
Thames-Coromandel Mayor Sandra Goudie does not want to sign the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) Climate Change Declaration. On Wednesday she told RNZ the declaration was “politically charged”. But Dave Cull, president of LGNZ, says the declaration is purely aspirational and no one is being pressured into signing up. “It’s not a binding contract; there Read more
Large people charged more for cremation
Thursday, February 21st, 2019
Large people should be charged more in cremation fees because of the extra time it takes to process the oversized coffins, the manager of Hastings cemeteries says. In a paper going before Hastings District Council this week, manager Isak Bester brings several matters to the councillors’ attention, including the extra time involved in cremating “oversize Read more