Top Of The Morning News Digest

Friday, 3 July 2015, 8:35 am
Press Release: NewsRoom_Plus

Top Of The Morning News Digest

* NewsRoom_Digest from 2 July 2015 available at Eveningreport.nz - see http://info.scoop.co.nz/EveningReport.nz

* RNZ 7am - Top 5 items for 3 July 2015

1. The police say are they keeping an open mind over what caused the death of three children and a woman in Ashburton. The bodies were found yesterday in a house on the edge of the town.

2. The Government is considering changing tenancy law to support the growing number of people renting indefinitely. Building and Housing Minister Nick Smith said officials were reviewing the standard tenancy contract set out in the Residential Tenancies Act. Some tenants say current lease and notice periods provide very little stability for renters wanting to put down roots.

3. British oil company BP has agreed to pay $US18.7bn ($NZ27.8 billion) for the pollution that followed the Deep Water Horizon oil rig explosion. Close to 500 million litres of crude oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico in the 2010 disaster.

4. The Prime Minister says getting more private investment will be a key role for the new organisation that will lead the reconstruction of Christchurch. ‘Regenerate Christchurch’ will take over when the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority is dissolved in April next year. The Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says it will be around five years before the Government hands back full control of Christchurch to the city council.

5. Meanwhile, developers are confident there will be demand for the 940 townhouses and apartments planned as part of an $800 million residential precinct in central Christchurch. Fletcher Residential has won the tender for the East and North Frame project, and wants to finish it within nine years.

ENDS

© Scoop Media