Checkpoint for Wednesday 5 April 2023

6:24 PM.Live Australian freshwater crayfish are among the contraband sniffed out by Biosecurity at Auckland Airport in the past three months.

The number of air passengers screened in the first quarter of… Read more Video, Audio

6:19 PM.One of the men at the centre of the stand off at Gore District Council was given a two year contract extension just days before a new council was picked.

Chief executive Stephen Parry is no longer on… Read more Audio

6:12 PM.New Zealand's 40th prime minister Jacinda Ardern has officially bowed out of political life, delivering her final address to Parliament.

Her speech marks the end of 14 years as an MP - of which she… Read more Video, Audio

6:07 PM.New Zealand's Reserve Bank has taken the firehose to the inflation fight, blasting the market with a higher rate rise than expected.

The RBNZ has gone with a 50 basis point increase, taking the OCR… Read more Video, Audio

5:54 PM.1980's pop icon Cyndi Lauper is performing in Dunedin, and Woof! Bar had welcomed her with a big beautiful sign 'Haere Mai Cyndi'. On Tuesday Lauper embraced the hospitality, calling in. 

The bar… Read more Video, Audio

5:51 PM.A hard-hit west Auckland community is split over whether road access should be reinstated to visitors in time for Easter.

Piha is still grappling with the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.

While some… Read more Audio

5:47 PM.Take is easy on the roads if you're driving on the long weekend, as Waka Kotahi warns there will be delays.

Easter Weekend and school holidays means potentially thousands on the move over the next… Read more Video, Audio

5:45 PM.New Zealand Rugby have released a 10-year plan for women and girls rugby with some ambitious targets for getting more females engaged in the game.

Players, referees, board members and fans are among… Read more Video, Audio

5:25 PM.Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has officially bowed out of Parliament, making her valedictory speech in the House. Read more Video, Audio

5:20 PM.There's a cost of dying crisis for low income families, according to the Funeral Directors Association.

It says some are unable to farewell their loved ones with dignity, respect and in keeping with… Read more Video, Audio

5:16 PM.The former US President Donald Trump has launched a blistering attack on the prosecutor who charged him with 34 counts of falsifying business records.

Speaking at his Florida residence hours after he… Read more Video, Audio

5:13 PM.With the Easter weekend and school holidays just days away, things aren't looking good for those trying to cross the Cook Strait.

For the third day running, one of Bluebridge's ferries has been stuck… Read more Video, Audio

5:07 PM.Reining in inflation is coming at a cost for the average New Zealander with a mortgage, critics say.

The Reserve Bank has surprised with a 50 basis point rise in the official cash rate to 5.25… Read more Audio