Recent entries
- New schools for Queensland
- Party precinct: failed
- The Doors keyboardist Manzarek dies
- IR changes opposed
- Waiting for 'little mate' to wake
- Breathing difficulties, sleep
- New flood tax planned
- Glenn Lazarus joins Palmer
- RSS Syndicate this blog (XML)
What we're talking about
- Richard on Party precinct: failed Can not think of a time in the entire history of mankind where alcohol consumption has not led to etiquette hell.Let it ... more
- hospitality is dead or rather never was on Party precinct: failed Get rid of hositality and its segeregation /and age groupdiscrimination practices and it might just bring back boomers and ... more
- Gayle on New schools for Queensland Now this is called good Government and forward planning, the demographics have changed and there are more families with ... more
- Harry on New schools for Queensland It's great that Queensland are doing this, basically just governing by closing and opening schools as required.We must be in ... more
- Harry Draman on Party precinct: failed The laws are currently in place to reduce the DSP problem: "Fines for serving intoxicated patrons". $10,000,000 would have ... more
- Gayle on IR changes opposed I am so sick and tired of politicians and unions doing their level best to convince us that they all know what each party is ... more
- ArtG on New flood tax planned RichardI guess bligh being a labor person wouldn't have been blessed with the ability to see the future like you. And who ... more
- Harry on IR changes opposed Go away with your own hate filled putridity Ri hard. more
- Richard on IR changes opposed Same should apply to ALL political advertising and campaigns.Still months away from an election and we are already being ... more
- Richard on New flood tax planned LOL Mick, ARTG's response.DESAL plants, now that was a good investment(NOT).Anna Bligh sacked the water minister because the ... more
- Jeff on IR changes opposed break all the unions! more
- Harry on IR changes opposed Better offf without unions anyway. All the businesses and companies I deal with are beyond rappoach. Totally honest and ... more
- artg on New flood tax planned mickPipelines recycling plants more
- mick on New flood tax planned "So she spent spent our grandchildren's money (cough) by spending on huge infrastruture projects and placing Queensland into ... more
- David on Waiting for 'little mate' to wake This isn't a good story and my thoughts are with the family. Much more I could say but this isn't the time. more
- health museum houston on Baby bonus not budgeted for Thanks for a marvelous posting! I really enjoyed reading it, you are a great author. I will always bookmark your blog and ... more
- west coast france holidays on Swan's sixth budget Hi This is my earliest blog, it's really a school work for the institution. more
- roger on PM emotional for DisabilityCare Cry, do you have the guts to say that to Fiona Anderson's son Sandy? more
- Wendy Graham on Green Ant Bite Treatments I was bitten on the toes by a couple of green ants this morning , while beside myself with pain I tried teatree oil, ... more
- Lewis on Vale, Haydn Sargent Good day! I could have sworn I've visited this blog before but after going through some of the articles I realized it's new ... more
Auckland storm and tornado
4BC Afternoons: Three people have been killed and at least seven injured after a tornado hit Auckland, New Zealand's largest city.
A Fire Service spokesman said two were killed when a concrete slab landed on a truck on St George's Road in Hobsonville, in the city's northwest.
Photo Gallery: Photos from the storm.
Moyd and Loretta cross to News Talk ZB in New Zealand to find out about the tornado and with fires burning in Helidon and Burpengary they speak with the Rural Firies to see what is happening.
Listen: NewtalkZB's Lesley Deverall with Moyd and Loretta
It is understood another person was also killed at the site, where a new high school is being built.
A shaken construction worker, Sam Nuthall, said he saw big dark clouds and thought it would just be a rainstorm but was forced to shelter between a block wall and a truck.
"You couldn't see it coming ... there was debris flying everywhere, steel getting thrown around," he told Radio New Zealand.
There were 50 to 80 people on the site and there were a few "pretty bad" injuries after the tornado struck at about 12.15pm (1015 AEDT), he said.
The Hobsonville Point secondary school, due to open in 2014, and Hawkins Construction spokesman Hamish Anderson told AAP the company was still gathering information on the disaster.
He couldn't confirm the deaths.
Watch: Amateur video of the tornado by Tony Martin
Whenuapai resident Suzanne McFadden told 3News it was "five minutes of utter devastation".
"It got very muggy, very still," she said.
"Suddenly the sky went very, very black, almost like night, and a huge wind came across the river.
"It ripped century-old pine trees out of the ground, it's taken roofs off houses, it's crushed cars and boats.
"The main street of our village looks like a bomb's gone off, and we're all very aware that it could turn around and another one could strike."
The Fire Service spokesman said there were reports of people trapped in buildings.
An ambulance spokeswoman said it was dealing with seven injured people.
Police have set up an operations base at Whenuapai and are advising motorists to be wary of flooding and drive to the conditions.
Some bus services have been stopped.
State Highway 18 and a number of roads in the area are closed.
Weatherwatch.co.nz says another band of thunderstorms and torrential downpours is moving into the area.
"We are advising people to remain indoors until the torrential rain and possible thunder has passed, most likely over the next hour or two," head weather analyst Philip Duncan said.
A thunderstorm warning is also in place for Waikato.
