Checkpoint for Wednesday 15 February 2017

6:55 PM.RNZ's Ian Telfer joins us from Canterbury Audio

6:45 PM.Our Christchurch bureau chief Belinda McCammon is on the line now Audio

6:44 PM.Canterbury residents talk to Checkpoint about the on-going fires. Audio

6:40 PM.Our reporter Maja Burry is just outside of West Moreland. Audio

6:37 PM.The Minister of Civil Defence Gerry Brownlee has described the footage he has seen of the fires is terrifying but has questioned whether emergency services were adequately prepared for it. Audio

6:30 PM.Christchurch Resident Peter Darling Audio

6:28 PM.Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel on Port Hills fire Audio

6:18 PM.The package of food taxes and subsidies would save Australia $3.4 billion in healthcare costs without affecting household food bills. Audio

6:07 PM.Two evacuation centres have been set up to deal with residents being evacuated from their homes. Audio

5:48 PM.Glory Inoke was reported missing from her Fairfield home last night but was found this morning about six kilometres away in Frankton by two men going to work. Audio

5:38 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio

5:35 PM.The Pike River families have just finished a much awaited meeting with the Prime Minister Bill English. Audio

5:20 PM.Ian Telfer is at the evacuation centre at Pioneer Stadium. Audio

5:20 PM.Maja Burry is at the Early Valley Rd evacuation cordon point. Audio

5:11 PM.As John Campbell was on the phone to a local resident, her husband took the phone to tell us the had wind had changed direction and the flames had begun to turn back towards them. Audio

5:07 PM.Thousands of people are being evacuated from areas on and around Christchurch's Port Hills. Audio