Morning Report for Monday 7 October 2013

8:55 AM.Time to chat to our Melbourne correspondent Phil Kafcaloudes. Audio

8:48 AM.The Waikato tribe, Ngati Hikairo, is due to give evidence before the Waitangi Tribunal today; A central North Island hapu says a diesel leak which has contaminated the Makotuku stream has strained the… Read more Audio

8:45 AM.A controversial housing development in Northland faces what could be its final hurdle today, with local hapu saying it's time humans, rather than birds, got something out of the project. Audio

8:40 AM.Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has rated Sunday's rugby test against the All Blacks in Johannesburg as one of the greatest ever -- and that's despite his side losing the match 38-27. Audio

8:35 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

8:29 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:27 AM.Buying a new home has got even tougher for people with low deposits, as some banks are reducing pre-approval periods for home loans. Audio

8:25 AM.About 400-thousand civilian employees at the US defence department will return to work tomorrow, despite the government being no closer to an agreement on raising its debt ceiling. Audio

8:18 AM.And the taps being turned off in Raetihi has meant lost bookings for some accommodation providers, like Leonie Cadman from The Barbed Wire Gallery. Audio

8:15 AM.The Manawatu - Wanganui Regional Council has launched an investigation into the contamination of Raetihi's water supply. Audio

8:10 AM.The annual Apec summit gets under way today - but without the US President Barack Obama. Audio

7:57 AM.With just three days until the cut-off to return local body voting papers by mail, every indication points to a very low turnout. Audio

7:52 AM.The race for the country's biggest elected role, the Auckland mayoralty, is limping into its final week with few sparks flying and a sluggish response from voters. Audio

7:47 AM.International disarmament teams have begun destroying Syria's chemical weapons and the machinery used to produce them. Audio

7:45 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:42 AM.At least 34 people have been killed in violent clashes on the streets of Cairo on the 40th anniversary of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, with tear-gas and gunshots being fired to disperse stone-throwing… Read more Audio

7:35 AM.A new report says the Earthquake Commission was ill-prepared for a major earthquake and had to use inexperienced staff to respond to the Canterbury earthquakes. Audio

7:26 AM.A sixteen-year-old life guard saved four people from drowning in less than an hour on Saturday. Audio

7:20 AM.Libya is demanding an explanation from the US government after the Al Qaeda leader, Abu Anas al-Liby, was seized in Tripoli. Audio

7:18 AM.Raetihi residents will have to wait almost three weeks before they can drink the town's water again, but the local council is telling them not to worry, because they will be compensated. Audio

7:12 AM.The United States Government shutdown is likely to be on the agenda when Finance Minister Bill English meets key financial figures in Washington DC this week. Audio

7:08 AM.The Prime Minister, John Key, is confident a Pacific-wide trade deal can be completed by the end of the year, but he's not betting the ranch on it. Audio

6:47 AM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

6:40 AM.The New Zealand racing driver Scott Dixon seems to have taken a leaf from Oracle's book as he mounts a come-from-behind challenge for the Indycar racing championship in North America. Audio

6:35 AM.The Apec summit is underway in Bali, with leaders from across the world meeting in Indonesia - but there's one notable absence. Audio

6:27 AM.A central North Island hapu says a diesel leak which has contaminated the Makotuku stream has strained the relationship between tangata whenua and the Ruapehu skifield operators; The Waikato tribe… Read more Audio

6:22 AM.News from the rural and farming sector. Audio

6:18 AM.The latest from the Pacific region. Audio

6:15 AM.Raetihi residents and businesses have been told it will be almost three weeks before they can use the town's water supply for drinking again. Audio

6:10 AM.A New Zealander who's just spent a week in Syria holds little hope of the conflict being resolved any time soon. Audio

6:00 AM.John Key says Pacific trade deal can be completed by end of year;Finance minister to attencd IMF/World Bank meetings this week;Up to 3 weeks until Raetihi water back to normal;US seize Al Qaeda leader… Read more Audio