School children have helped hone the environmental monitoring the dredge at Port Taranaki. As a result of a project undertaken by Room Four at St Pius X School, Taranaki Regional Council [TRC] has increased their monitoring of effects from dredging. “We were on an extensive monitoring programme already,” TRC scientific officer marine ecologist Emily Roberts said. Read more
New Zealand
Auckland’s St Paul’s College sells surplus land
Tuesday, June 9th, 2015
A 1700 sq m plot of bare land that borders St Paul’s College is being sold by the Marist Brothers’ Trust Board. The land is being subdivided from the school and is therefore yet to be assigned a capital valuation. Ponsonby is one of the Auckland’s most sought-after post codes. There were 14 residential sales in Read more
A tale of two Churches
Tuesday, June 9th, 2015
Comparisons between the progress made at Barbadoes St and in Cathedral Square are unhelpful, but perhaps inevitable, says an editorial in the Christchurch newspaper, The Press. The editorial explains how public reaction to the two Churches has differed and suggest the reason can be found in their history and current use. Since the earthquakes, debate Read more
St Pat’s teacher remembers chicken legs Collins
Tuesday, June 9th, 2015
A teacher who mentored Jerry Collins at St Patrick’s College in Wellington said he used to be called “chicken legs”. “Jerry used to get called chicken legs in his early days and once he got called that, and named that, he used to spend most of Friday afternoons in the gym instead of in the Read more
Dunedin’s Basilica getting a make-over
Tuesday, June 9th, 2015
Tented scaffolding has been erected around St Patrick’s Basilica in Macandrew Rd, Dunedin, as part of a $1.7 million preservation project. St Patrick’s redevelopment committee chairman Sean Toomey says the current work involves earthquake-strengthening, removing the roof to fix leaks and install new damp-proof floors. The work on the Basilica is part of a redevelopment Read more
Catholic church considers banning photographing of children
Tuesday, June 9th, 2015The New Zealand Catholic Church has announced it is considering introducing guidelines to control the filming and photographing of children on church grounds. Similar guidelines already exist overseas. In Ireland there is a total ban on all photographs during religious services in the Dublin archdiocese, including weddings, first communions, confirmations and baptisms. Other churches in Read more
Caritas calls for NZ to be ‘bold’ leader on climate change
Tuesday, June 9th, 2015It’s time for New Zealand to take charge and be a leader in climate change negotiations, says Caritas in a submission on the Government’s climate change target. In its submission, the Catholic agency for justice, peace and development said the Government’s consultation document “too narrowly sees our climate change contribution as a financial cost to Read more
The pain goes on in Nepal
Friday, June 5th, 2015
As media events, humanitarian crises come and go. The spotlight is no longer shining brightly on Nepal but the human suffering continues. Rain has already begun to fall and will intensify as the monsoon season begins, bringing landslides and disease to many already desperate communities. “We are shaken but not beaten; we shall rise as Read more
Creative thinking needed to save old churches
Friday, June 5th, 2015
Selling old churches has become the new norm, real estate agents say. Churches around the country are shutting their doors as congregations and funds dwindle, and ageing buildings need seismic strengthening. More and more old churches are being converted into cafes, craft shops, offices and homes. Heritage New Zealand said of nearly 200,000 non-residential buildings, Read more
New freephone reduces waiting time for abortions
Friday, June 5th, 2015
Women seeking an abortion are being offered easier access to the procedure with a free, national telephone consultation service that started this week. Using the freephone number the service has been set up by Wairarapa abortion doctor Simon Snook because of the delays, said to be potentially harmful, faced by many New Zealand women seeking Read more