Morning Report for Tuesday 16 December 2014

8:55 AM.The Department of Conservation's had a pat on the back for the results of its controversial 1080 aerial drop programme despite the poisoning of three native birds. Audio

8:52 AM.The police at the top of the South Island will be making more random checks on motorcyclists this summer in a bid to prevent deaths on the region's roads. Audio

8:49 AM.A Christchurch factory that has been the subject of hundreds of complaints about its offensive smell is today asking the regional council to give it three more years to fix the odour problems. Audio

8:45 AM.The Court of Appeal has urged a former board member of Te Kohanga Reo National Trust to seek an early trial date for his allegations of financial impropriety by the organisation. The police iwi… Read more Audio

8:44 AM.News from the rural and farming sector. Audio

8:40 AM.District Health Boards may have to cut up to 200 million dollars from their spending next year on official advice to the Government. Audio

8:38 AM.The Public Service Association says a minor dispute over wages has snowballed with an Otago church agency taking the sledgehammer to a nut approach. Audio

8:30 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:25 AM.Security expert Dr Paul Buchanan of 36th Parallel Assessments speaks with Susie Ferguson. Audio

8:21 AM.Prime Minister John Key speaks with Guyon Espiner. Audio

8:18 AM.New South Wales Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione has been addressing a media conference in Sydney. Audio

8:14 AM.With the latest on the Sydney siege, our reporter Kate Newton is with us again. Audio

8:06 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:57 AM.A New Zealand Muslim leader has condemned Sydney's siege as a cowardly and heinous crime; Doctor Anwar Ghani is the president of the New Zealand Federation of Islamic Associations. Audio

7:45 AM.New South Wales Premier, Mike Baird, and New South Wales Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione. Audio

7:43 AM.Last week New Zealand's parliament passed legalisation under urgency to strengthen New Zealand's anti-terrorism laws; Labour supported the legislation, saying that it accepted there is an increased… Read more Audio

7:39 AM.An lawyer who works in the Lindt building, Jeremy Gruzman, says he was lucky not to be in the cafe at the time. Audio

7:37 AM.We cross to Sydney and our reporter Kate Newton who is waiting for the start of the police media conference. Audio

7:27 AM.A suspect in five killings has barricaded himself in a home outside the American city of Philadelphia, we cross now to Washington and our correspondent Priscilla Huff. Audio

7:12 AM.Our reporter Kate Newton was at the police cordon in Sydney overnight, and is now waiting for the start of the police media conference. Audio

7:06 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:59 AM.Kiwi Income Property Trust unit holders have voted in favour of becoming a company. Audio

6:58 AM.The Reserve Bank has more than tripled the number of currencies it now uses to measure the value of New Zealand dollar, to 17 from five. Audio

6:56 AM.For the first time since it began operating in 2002, the government-owned Kiwibank's share of the mortgage market stagnated, in the September quarter. Audio

6:52 AM.An Australian-based international relations specialist says even though a black flag displaying Arabic text was in the window of the cafe, that doesn't mean Man Haron Monis was formally linked to… Read more Audio

6:37 AM.Kate Newton joins us live from Sydney. Audio

6:20 AM.Sydney's political leaders were also in lockdown yesterday at the Town Hall. Audio

6:17 AM.One man in Sydney, who wanted to only use his first name, Arjay, was put into lockdown in his office building only a block away from the cafe. Audio

6:14 AM.Our reporter Kate Newton has been at the cordon all night. Audio

6:06 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:00 AM.Sydney on heightened terror risk after yesterday's seige, Live from Sydney, US suspect in killings barricaded in house, Labour's Robertson on Sydney siege crises, NZ Muslims say Sydney hostage… Read more Audio