NZ's Roads Described as "Killing Fields"

The death toll on New Zealand's roads over the Anzac weekend reached 14, prompting National Road Policing manager, Superintendent Paula Rose to describe the roads as "killing fields".

The accidents happened at a number of locations throughout the country which included Oruanui near Taupo, Tangimoana Rd, south of Bulls, Nelson, Whenuapai, SH1 north of Wellsford, Taupaki, Albany Village, Kelston, Meremere and Te Awamutu.

The worst accident was at Oruanui where a collision with a Chrysler shunted a BMW into a head on collision with a van which then burst into flames, killing the 4 people inside. The driver of the of the Chrysler also died and his daughter was seriously injured.

Two young children were pulled alive from the burning wreckage of the van by a passing motorist and taken to hospital.

Foreign Visitors to New Zealand
Visitors to New Zealand should take care on its roads. The high death toll has caused the
UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office to make this statement in it's travel advice for New Zealand.

"Whilst road conditions are generally good in New Zealand, it takes a little while to get used to local driving conditions.

In 2007 there were 422 road deaths in New Zealand. This equates to 10.0 road deaths per 100,000 of population and compares to the UK average of 5.0 road deaths per 100,000 of population in 2007.

You are advised to read a copy of the Road Code (the official guide to traffic rules and traffic safety) before driving. Particular attention should be given to the section covering the right of way rules, which are different from other countries. UK driving licences are valid for use for a maximum of 12 months.

Motor insurance is not a legal requirement in New Zealand. Therefore, even though the UK has a reciprocal Healthcare Agreement with New Zealand, private accident insurance is recommended. This is because New Zealand law has removed the right of accident victims to sue a third party in the event of an accident. Instead the Accident Compensation Commission (ACC) helps pay for your care if you are injured as the result of an accident. However, the ACC only covers the cost of treatment in New Zealand and delayed travel or loss of income in a third country is not covered.

NZ Students Tested For Swine Flu

A group of students from Rangitoto College returning from Mexico yesterday morning have tested positive for Influenza A.

The students, who were on flight NZ1 from Los Angeles, are awaiting results of further tests to determine if they have contracted the Influenza A H1N1 subtype, also known as Swine Flu.

"Health Minister Tony Ryall said: "Ministry of Health officials advise me there is no guarantee these students have swine influenza, but they consider it likely.

"However, I am also informed none of the affected patients are considered seriously ill, and most in fact seem to be on the road to recovery."

The ten students had tested positive for Influenza A, and their results would be sent to the World Health Organisation laboratory in Australia to ascertain whether it was the H1N1 swine influenza, Mr Ryall said."

A group of students from another Auckland school, Northcote College who also returned home from Mexico that day on flight NZ5 are being monitored by health officials, three of started to develop flu like symptoms but were later cleared.

Pinehurst and Westlake Girls High Schools were reported as presently having students groups visiting Mexico who have yet to return to New Zealand.

Pinehurst School later issued a release saying that Health Minister Tony Ryall's information was wrong and NO students from the school were in Mexico, but were in Argentina which was unaffected by the outbreak

John Key has been reported as saying that "the plan set up since the 2003 bird flu scare meant New Zealand had good stocks of the anitviral drug Tamiflu - about 1.4 million treatments and the single gateway into New Zealand via Auckland meant control was easier."

New Zealand also has international airports at Christchurch (which receives passengers from Australia, Asia and the Middle East) Wellington, Queenstown and Dunedin.

Swine Flu FAQs
The World Health Organisation has published a FAQ on Swine Flu, covering the following questions:

• What is swine influenza?
• What are the implications for human health?
• Where have human cases occurred?
• How do people become infected?
• Is it safe to eat pork meat and products?
• What about the pandemic risk?
• Is there a human vaccine to protect swine influenza?
• What drugs are available for treatment?

With reference to treatment

"Antiviral drugs for seasonal influenza are available in some countries and effectively prevent and treat the illness. There are two classes of such medicines, 1) adamantanes (amantadine and remantadine), and 2) inhibitors of influenza neuraminidase (oseltamivir* and zanamivir).
Most of the previously reported swine influenza cases recovered fully from the disease without requiring medical attention and without antiviral medicines.

Some influenza viruses develop resistance to the antiviral medicines, limiting the effectiveness of chemoprophylaxis and treatment. The viruses obtained from the recent human cases with swine influenza in the United States were sensitive to oselatmivir* and zanamivir but resistant to amantadine and remantadine.

Information is insufficient to make recommendation on the use of the antivirals in prevention and treatment of swine influenza virus infection. Clinicians have to make decisions based on the clinical and epidemiological assessment and harms and benefit of the prophylaxis/treatment of the patient.

For the ongoing outbreak of the swine influenza infection in the United States and Mexico, the
national and the local authorities are recommending to use oseltamivir* or zanamivir for treatment and prevention of the disease based on the virus’s susceptibility profile."

* Oseltamivir is marketed under the trade name of Tamiflu

H1N1 Warning Given a Year Ago
Replikins Ltd released a statement on 8 April 2008 stating that H1N1 was replicating rapidly and may succeed H5N1 as the leading candidate for the next expected pandemic.


Further information about this suspected outbreak can be found on the WHO website, Wikipedia Channel4.com and other news sites

Wainuiomata Residents Banned for Bad Behaviour

Palmerston North Supreme Motor Lodge owner Steve Donnelly this week imposed a blanket ban on sports teams from Wainuiomata staying at his hotel, citing their repeated bad behaviour as the reason for making such a decision. See the report on Yahoo Xtra News or watch the YouTube Video

Wainuiomata High School's sports teams and the town's indoor sports club were accused of spitting, playing loud music at night, using obscene language and being unruly.

According to "The Age" Mr Donnelly said

"Sports teams from Wainuiomata High School and the town's indoor sports club were accused of spitting, playing loud music at night, using obscene language and being unruly.

"Everyone there refuses to acknowledge the problem, and accuses the world of being out to get them. I've been there once ... I was surrounded by graffiti, and I thought, 'I don't want to spend much time here.' "

Mr Donnelly said teachers and parents repeatedly failed to keep their charges in check, letting them run wild in the motel's facilities"

But rather than accepting responsibility for the actions of his students Wainuiomata High School principal Rob Mill told the Dominion Post that the motel manager Malcolm Glen was to blame.

"They are teenagers, so there is going to be some level of noise. The manager was quite unreasonable and actually quite aggressive."

But sporting teams from other locations haven't been banned, what's so unique about Wainuiomata?

One has to ask why there isn't better supervision of groups of unruly teenagers from Wainuiomata, who accepts responsibility for their actions?

Perhaps the statement made by MP Trevor Mallard, who was born and bred in Wainuiomata, gives us some clues to where the root of the problem lies:

"It's stupid and very, very unfair. It shows the sort of blind prejudice I thought we didn't have in New Zealand any more. I'm not surprised the (owner's) Australian," he told the paper"

Irony, on so many levels.

It doesn't take much imagination to realise that patterns of behaviour that are allowed in childhood will continue into adulthood.

Pat Lam, coach of the Blue Super 14 Team, said at a conference that rugby players involved in violent off-field incidents are reflective of New Zealand society when he downplayed numerous incidents involving some members of his team.

"It's not just our team, it's society in general. There is not one sports team that hasn't had an issue."

"We have that culture right throughout New Zealand. The amount of murders we have, they get pushed and some people break - it's not isolated to just our team, it's society in general,"

But by failing to condemn unacceptable off-game behaviour both Mallard and Lam could be seen by some as implicitly supporting a culture where anyone except the perpetrator is seen as responsible for anti-social behaviour.

Who sets the example to young people these days and sets the boundaries.

Motel owners?