Morning Report for Wednesday 2 October 2013

8:57 AM.The New Zealand-born English allrounder, Ben Stokes, has been named Young Cricketer of the Year by the British Cricket Writers Club. Audio

8:53 AM.As quake-rattled Christchurch residents flee the city, and workers descend upon the region for the rebuild, the township of Rolleston has found itself in the middle of population boom. Audio

8:50 AM.A member of the secondary teachers' union's Maori executive, Te Huarahi, says the Teachers Council must continue to include Maori teachers, as the Government makes changes to the body; The head of the… Read more Audio

8:46 AM.Eight rare Kiwi chicks have died at Wellington Zoo. Audio

8:42 AM.Some commentators say a new scheme to entice first-home buyers into vacant state houses in provincial New Zealand could be missing the point. Audio

8:38 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

8:32 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:27 AM.The Government has admitted that Solid Energy's future is far from secure, despite striking a deal to wipe 100-million-dollars of the company's debt. Audio

8:24 AM.Listening to that is Neil Deans of Fish and Game. Audio

8:19 AM.The landowner at the centre of the Ruataniwha Dam project says he's being unfairly targeted by environmental groups wanting access to the property. Audio

8:16 AM.Joining us is the Finance Minister, Bill English. Audio

8:09 AM.Political wrangling is continuing in the United States this morning with both sides refusing to back down. Audio

7:55 AM.Local Government New Zealand says a revamp of the voting system is needed to combat voter apathy. Audio

7:51 AM.The Prime Minister, John Key, will meet the new Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, in Canberra later today for the first time in his new role. Audio

7:48 AM.The Government says Solid Energy has avoided liquidation or receivership for now, but still has a lot of work to do before its future is secure. Audio

7:44 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:35 AM.Returning now to the America's Cup and the Team New Zealand skipper, Dean Barker is part of a crew struggling to stay together. Audio

7:27 AM.The Australian billionaire Bob Oatley and his Queensland Yacht Club have been confirmed as the challenger of record for the next America's Cup and are already declaring they want to bring down costs… Read more Audio

7:23 AM.The Government's new scheme to help first time home buyers pick up former state housing is being criticised by political opponents for not tackling the real housing crisis. Audio

7:20 AM.Fish and Game is trying to force the Hawke's Bay Regional Council and NIWA to hand over key evidence for the Ruataniwha Dam proposal so it can be independently evaluated. Audio

7:17 AM.The US markets have reacted .. perversely with the S&P 500, the Dow and the Nasdaq are all up. Audio

7:13 AM.More than 700 thousand federal employees are going without pay, national parks are closed, and passport applications could go unprocessed as the United States government fails to reach a deal over its… Read more Audio

7:09 AM.The Corrections Association says more than half of the new recruits at Auckland's privately run prison have resigned over security concerns in the past two months. Audio

6:46 AM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

6:40 AM.The Labour Party says the Government should keep putting money into the debt laden state-owned coal company, Solid Energy, if it's needed. Audio

6:26 AM.The head of the Maori Council's branch in the top of the South Island is walking away from the job after coming under fire from his national executive; A member of the secondary teachers' union's… Read more Audio

6:21 AM.News from the rural and farming sector. Audio

6:17 AM.The latest from the Pacific region. Audio

6:00 AM.A claim that more than half of new recruits at Auckland's private prison have recently resigned because they felt unsafe. America's budget stand off continues ..leaving many services shut down and… Read more Audio