Rebuilding Christchurch’s quake-damaged inner city Anglican cathedral may not happen. Costs have blown out. Funding – just like the cathedral roof – has a big hole in it. The Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Trust says its budget estimate had ballooned from $104 million to $248m, following a four-month project review. There is now a $114m Read more
The Coalition Government’s pledge to introduce a Treaty Principles Bill is insupportable, opponents say. Describing the proposed Bill as “radical”, former National Party minister Chris Finlayson and political commentator Matthew Hooten say the bills should not have the National-led Government’s support. Former National Party attorney general and minister for Treaty negotiations under Sir John Key’s Read more
A former principal of St Peter’s College has been elected the head of the board of the Gore school which will remained in statutory management. Limited statutory manager Nicola Hornsey confirmed John Hogue was appointed to the St Peter’s College school board as one of the proprietor’s representatives by the school’s proprietor, the Dunedin Catholic Read more
Convincing teenage boys to cook 150 cottage pies that they will not eat is no easy task. However, when St Vincent de Paul volunteer Vince Jones told John McGlashan College senior food technology pupils they would be cooking for the homeless and families in need, they were all in. “They didn’t know until today what Read more
A Catholic food bank which served Christchurch people for 60 years had to close earlier this month. Catholic Social Services says the cost of essential food items and a lack of donations were behind the decision to close. “It’s terribly sad that our efforts to feed those who cannot afford food ceased because it had Read more
Next month an intellectual retreat is on offer to adults from across Australia and New Zealand. The retreat host is Campion College, an independent higher education institution located in Western Sydney. The on-campus 12-14 April retreat “offers a unique opportunity for intellectual enrichment and exploration of the liberal arts, focusing on theology and literature” Sydney’s Read more
Covid vaccinations substantially reduce the risk of heart failure and potentially dangerous blood clots linked to the infection for up to a year, according to a large study. Researchers analysed health records from more than 20 million people across the UK, Spain and Estonia and found consistent evidence that the jabs protected against serious cardiovascular Read more
Climate activists are urging the Christchurch City Council to count cruise ship emissions in the city’s climate targets so they are included in the emissions reduction plan. Christchurch’s latest emissions report estimated cruise ships produced the equivalent of 2 percent of the city’s total gross emissions in the 2023 financial year. Although they were calculated Read more
A former teacher has returned to the coastal town of Gisborne after four decades away, but now as their parish priest! Delighting longtime residents, Fr Mark Field recently began his new role as parish priest at St Mary’s Star of the Sea Catholic Church. Field was a familiar face in the town from the late Read more
Covid-19 and life expectancy made bad partners in most countries during the pandemic. The virus made global life expectancy fall. Except that is in New Zealand, Australia and a few other countries. Here and in those places, the long-standing trend of people living longer continues. The pandemic’s toll About 15.9 million deaths have been attributed Read more