Checkpoint for Wednesday 27 October 2021

5:07 PM.School is still out until November 15 at the earliest for some of the youngest students in Auckland and Waikato.

That is the provisional return date set by the government, but it is very much… Read more Video, Audio

5:11 PM.People in parts of Waikato and King Country are seeing restrictions loosened slightly, to alert level 3 step 1, the same as Auckland's current settings.

Hamilton, Raglan, Waipa, Waitomo and… Read more Audio

5:16 PM.Covid-19 Response and Education Minister Chris Hipkins has asked the Ministry of Education to work with primary schools and kura on advice for a staged return to learning.

Years 9 and 10 at Auckland… Read more Video, Audio

5:25 PM.Despite a flood of opposition, the government is going to force councils to get on board with their three waters reform.

The proposal's been about four years in the making and aims to dramatically… Read more Video, Audio

5:30 PM.Glass has been raining down in central Wellington today, closing part of Lambton Quay and surrounding streets.

Our reporter Kirsty Frame joins us from there with all the details.

  Read more Video, Audio

5:36 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6278982163001 Video, Audio

5:39 PM.Opposition parties are calling for a major overhaul of the way the Accident Compensation Corporation handles people's information after staff shared, and laughed at people's injuries in a Snapchat… Read more Audio

5:43 PM.About $200 a year - that's what it's costing NZ households in order for the Tiwai Pt aluminium smelter to stay open, the Electricity Authority says.

It says New Zealanders are subsidising the… Read more Audio

5:47 PM.President of Auckland Primary Principal's Association Stephen Lethbridge told Checkpoint if students return to school on November 15, he wants to see some clear guidelines around the "gold standard"… Read more Video, Audio

6:08 PM.There is still no set timeframe for when all students in level 3 will return to the classroom.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins has indicated that primary school students could be back from November… Read more Video, Audio

6:16 PM.More information is what some Auckland businesses are calling for after the government announced businesses using the vaccine certificate must have fully vaccinated staff.

And as the city desperately… Read more Video, Audio