A group of indigenous students from across New South Wales and Queensland will get a special opportunity to meet some of the biggest names in rugby league when they travel to the Gold Coast this month http://anzacbloggersunite.blog.co.uk
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Indigenous All Stars youth summit at the Gold Coast in 2012
Friday, January 6, 2012
Food Bill backlash stuns NZ government...
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The petition argues that the sharing of food is a basic human right.
"The Food Bill ... will seriously impede initiatives like community gardens, food co-ops, heritage seed banks, farmers markets, bake sales, and roadside fruit and vegetable stalls," say the organisers of the petition, nzfoodsecurity.org.
Opponents of the law claim free trade agreement negotiations and the long arm of multinational genetically modified seed giant Monsanto are among the drivers of the new law. They also cite changes to US food laws that have seen armed raids conducted against organic food producers and distributors.
However, Green MP Sue Kedgley and Minister for Food Safety Kate Wilkinson have said the bill has inadvertently captured activities it should not have and they are open to make amendments.
Kedgley told the Sunday Star-Times she would support an amendment to the law similar to one passed in the US to exempt small food-producing businesses.
Wilkinson has also signalled that she is seeking advice on amendments to ensure seed banks and an employment system used by organic food producers, Willing Workers on Organic Farms (Wwoofers), are not disrupted.
"It is certainly not my intention to impose food safety regulatory requirements on those hosting Wwoofers or those who provide food to boarders or guests in exchange for money, work or assistance," she wrote to Kedgley last month.
Kedgley has criticised the people who are now opposing the bill for not making their voices heard before.
"These concerns, unfortunately, were never raised during the submission stage of the bill, when they can be examined in depth. Nor were any submissions sent in from any food groups raising these concerns," she wrote on the Green Party's Frogblog last month.
Foodsecurity.org responded describing her response as a "sanctimonious treatment of NZers who are too tired to be
eternally vigilant".
On Friday, Kedgley told the Sunday Star-Times about a recent meeting with officials and signalled she would push for more changes.
Kedgley said there is no malevolent intent behind the bill and she would be the first to be alarmed if the bill was being driven by international free trade agreements.
While there are provisions for whole categories of activity to be exempted by officials, she would now like these to be explicitly exempted in the law.
Kedgley said she proposed that bartering be removed from the bill, but pointed out that bartering is already covered under existing legislation. These provisions in the new Food Bill have essentially been carried forward from existing law.
Wilkinson in her August letter to Kedgley said if bartering was excluded it could "perversely incentivise large scale or commercial food producers to avoid regulatory requirements through setting up some sort of bartering system".
Kedgley said if small producers are covered by the new law they need only to adhere to food handler guidelines. Problems do arise, however, when they employ someone or sell produce to retailers for resale.
One model could be a pragmatic compromise similar to one previously reached for small egg producers, she said. A threshhold of 100 hens was set before producers were required to implement a risk management programme.
Kedgley said she would be pushing for explicit exemptions and a threshold either based on GST registration or a turnover figure.
Source- © Fairfax NZ News
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Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Are stoned kiwi grandparents really a national problem...
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There's evidence New Zealand could be experiencing a problem that's alarming German officials, the so-called "stoned grandparent'' phenomenon.
Germany has seen the number of pensioners convicted of drug offences double in the last decade in some regions.
But in the same period in New Zealand, crime statistics showed the number of over-51s arrested for drug possession tripled.
The Foundation for Alcohol and Drug Education's executive director, Colin Bramfitt, said it was a worrying international trend.
He said that older people were often on medications which, combined with illegal drug use, may cause problems.
Mr Bramfitt said a government-led publicity campaign could be beneficial.
But as a Kiwi grandfather myself, I haven't heard about or been aware of grandparents having any particular problem in this area. Maybe it is still really a German problem. But it is possible some Christchurch grandparents could be experiencing problems with continuous quakes.
Source: - NewstalkZB
Germany has seen the number of pensioners convicted of drug offences double in the last decade in some regions.
But in the same period in New Zealand, crime statistics showed the number of over-51s arrested for drug possession tripled.
The Foundation for Alcohol and Drug Education's executive director, Colin Bramfitt, said it was a worrying international trend.
He said that older people were often on medications which, combined with illegal drug use, may cause problems.
Mr Bramfitt said a government-led publicity campaign could be beneficial.
But as a Kiwi grandfather myself, I haven't heard about or been aware of grandparents having any particular problem in this area. Maybe it is still really a German problem. But it is possible some Christchurch grandparents could be experiencing problems with continuous quakes.
Source: - NewstalkZB
Monday, January 2, 2012
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Have a very happy New Year from NZ
Have a
Very Happy New Year from NZ...
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to my blogging friends around NZ and the world...
http://www.ruthann1.com/MerryChristmasMyFriend.htm
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The Melbourne Storm SG Ball squad have just completed an introductory 5 week training phase in preparation for the 2012 season. A squad of around 40 players aged 15-17 have been training throughout late August and September with a focus on core skills, technique in the gym and conditioning. This training phase culminated in a tour to the Gold Coast last week for 22 of the young Storm hopefuls.
The tour to the Gold Coast consisted of 3 games against Queensland Cup Academy sides from Burleigh Bears, Redcliffe Dolphins and Brisbane Easts Tigers. The Storm boys came away with 2 wins from the 3 games, but more importantly the standard of play throughout the whole tour was of very high quality and enabled the coaching staff to get a greater understanding of all players involved. All players were also a credit to the Storm with their behaviour off the field also matching their excellent performances on the field.
The players that went away on tour are listed below:
Jackson Brenchley (Waverley) Hayden Butler (Waverley)
Romia Matangaro (Waverley) Nicholas Lafaele (Titans)
Brandon Manase (Waverley) Aaron Presnell (Altona)
Dillan Brittain (Waverley) Steve Pesamino (Titans)
Aaron Teroi (Thunder) Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (Altona)
Logan Haughton (Thunder) Ben Halfpenny (Group 16)
Xavier Siola’a (Altona) Pride Petterson-Robati (Waverley)
Joseph Watene (Casey) John Filipo (Thunder)
Apelu Semu (Thunder) Henry Sang-Yum (Altona)
Stevie Taurua (Altona) James Warr (Qld)
Billy Walters (Qld) Naseri Seve (Thunder)
The squad is on a break during October and return in the 1st week of November to commence training again. The final squad of 40 will be announced in late October.