Checkpoint for Wednesday 22 June 2022

5:07 PM.Growers have been forced to throw out hundreds of thousands of crops because wild weather has ruined them.

The latest figures from Stats NZ show fruit and vegetables have gone up 10 percent in the… Read more Video, Audio

5:12 PM.Over Matariki weekend some general practitioners in south and east Auckland will be taking up the slack for Middlemore's slammed emergency department, staying open longer and providing some free… Read more Video, Audio

5:19 PM.The streets of South Auckland are turning red this week as Tonga's national rugby league teams return to action against their New Zealand rivals.

Tongan fans have become renowned for their wild… Read more Video, Audio

5:23 PM.The government spent tens of thousands of dollars in a legal battle against a pregnant woman who was applying for an emergency MIQ spot for her husband.

Roshni Sami's was trying to get her husband to… Read more Video, Audio

5:28 PM.After months of legal wrangling, the former Covid-19 Minister has made a public apology to the journalist Charlotte Bellis.

In a statement, Chris Hipkins has admitted he released incorrect… Read more Audio

5:36 PM.A petition calling for sugary drinks to be banned from all New Zealand schools has gone to Parliament.

The group behind it - Health Coalition Aotearoa - also wants new rules forcing schools and kura… Read more Video, Audio

5:42 PM.It's not just missing plasterboard halting construction on sites across New Zealand. Roofing, windows, and even screws are harder to get and come at an inflated price.

And with added labour shortages… Read more Audio

5:46 PM.Wooden prefabricated buildings are being considered as a temporary replacement for the quake prone Hutt Hospital.

An updated seismic assessment of the Heretaunga Block last week revealed it is only… Read more Audio

5:50 PM.Taranaki businesses are thinking outside of the box as they struggle to fill vacancies and hold onto staff.

Some employers are throwing open days to attract staff, while others are offering… Read more Audio

5:54 PM.The country is preparing to observe Matariki as a public holiday for the first time on Friday but celebrations aren't limited to just Aotearoa.

Some Kiwis living overseas who might be feeling a bit… Read more Audio