Checkpoint for Friday 19 May 2023

6:11 PM.A new hub has opened in Hamilton that will be an all-hours safe place to help vulnerable young teenagers get back on track.

It comes after a spate of ram raids in Waikato, the latest of which saw… Read more Audio

6:07 PM.A nursing student on the cusp of graduating says she's taking up a job in event management because the prospect of working in the field she studied is too grim.

Student nurses spoken to by Checkpoint… Read more Audio

5:53 PM.It's a beautiful mystery. Two stunning photos of a local man mailed to a Dunedin art gallery with a handwritten note and a polite request - "Please give one of the photos to the man in picture and… Read more Video, Audio

5:48 PM.They're cute and cuddly with a powerful nose - and dogs are the lastest tool Auckland council is using in its fight against kauri dieback disease.

After three years of training Pip, Mawhai and Marty… Read more Video, Audio

5:42 PM.Half price power is one of the hidden budget bonuses for Rēkohu Chatham Islands. The government's spending close to $11 million setting up a wind turbine and battery system that will provide the… Read more Video, Audio

5:34 PM.A woman who bought a wooden tray from Kmart in Northland got more than she bargained for when she discovered it contained wood-eating beetle.

The $20 Acacia Serving Tray is now being recalled after… Read more Video, Audio

5:27 PM.Auckland Transport's going to the dogs, literally. From next week big dogs will be allowed on buses in the city. Terms and conditions apply.

It follows what AT's described as the "p-awesome" success… Read more Video, Audio

5:22 PM.Golfer Ryan Fox has had a red hot start to the US PGA in New York. Fox was leading the charge overnight and is now tied for sixth after carding a two-under par first round - three shots off the pace.

5:14 PM.Councils are getting $140m of incentives to bolster public transport services. It's part of the budget package that will see under 13s ride for free; with under 25s getting half price fares.

The… Read more Video, Audio

5:10 PM.The government is defending its decision to provide only specific groups with cost of living support in this year's Budget.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson says he had to weigh up providing support… Read more Audio

5:07 PM.As specialist teams were removing two more bodies from the charred ruins of Loafers Lodge. a man was appearing in court charged with arson over the fire than killed them.

Four bodies have now been… Read more Video, Audio