Stewart Island/Rakiura

Government

In local government terms, the island is part of Southland District. However, it shares with some other islands a certain relaxation in some of the rules governing daily activities. For example, every transport service operated solely on Great Barrier Island, the Chatham Islands, or Stewart Island/Rakiura is exempt from section 70C of the Transport Act 1962 (the requirements for drivers to maintain driving-hours logbooks). Drivers subject to section 70B must nevertheless keep record of their driving hours in some form. See New Zealand Gazette 14 August 2003.

Related Topics:
Local government - Transport - Great Barrier Island - Chatham Islands - New Zealand Gazette - 14 August - 2003

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On 1 April 2005, TV3's Campbell Live show reported that the New Zealand government planned to sell a large part of the island to the United States, to host an air base supporting their operations in Antarctica. In the following show, the presenter John Campbell said that confused staff at the Prime Minister's office had contacted them after receiving several complaints from the public about these plans. Campbell confirmed that the story was actually an April Fool's Day hoax.

Related Topics:
1 April - 2005 - TV3 - John Campbell - April Fool's Day

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