Morning Report for Monday 16 March 2015

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

8:52 AM.A proposal by clothing company Levi's to pay for a new skate ramp is upsetting some residents in the Christchurch sea side town of Sumner. Audio

8:49 AM.Farmers have been warned sheep and beef farming may become unsustainable in the next decade without major reform. Audio

8:46 AM.New research from Statistics New Zealand has found that Maori trust the police and the health system over other institutions; The fire service says it is desperately trying to engage with the Maori… Read more Audio

8:43 AM.Unions are calling for the Government to put its money where its mouth is by giving public sector workers a decent pay rise. Audio

8:39 AM.The search is continuing in the south of Brazil for more bodies after a bus crash which has killed at least 49 people. Audio

8:35 AM.The Taliban has claimed responsibility for two bomb blasts near Christian churches in Pakistan. Audio

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

8:26 AM.Prime Minister John Key says New Zealand will do more to help our neighbours in Vanuatu. Read more Audio

8:20 AM.Flights carrying relief supplies from Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia have been arriving in Vanuatu with the airport cleared for the arrival of military aircraft. Audio

8:16 AM.General Manager of Energy for Eastland Network; Brent Stewart. Audio

8:15 AM.Rahul Doshi is the Harbour Master in Gisborne, and he's preparing for a final burst of bad weather this morning. Audio

8:11 AM.With Gisborne bracing itself for a continued onslaught from the remnants of tropical cyclone Pam, people due to travel to the region have been advised to delay their plans. Audio

8:08 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:57 AM.The knock-out rounds of the cricket world cup begin this week, with New Zealand meeting the West Indies in the quarter-finals in Wellington on Saturday. Audio

7:54 AM.Foreign affairs spokesperson David Shearer says advice provided to the Prime Minister, John Key, about the emergence of Islamic State in Iraq ignores the impact of the United States-led invasion of… Read more Audio

7:49 AM.It's a tense time for people with family in Vanuatu. Audio

7:43 AM.New Zealander Jeff Brown and his family who live in Vanuatu spent a harrowing Friday night sheltering from Tropical Cyclone Pam in a motel they thought would offer better security than their home. Audio

7:40 AM.Ram raiders have crashed a stolen vehicle into the an Auckland Footlocker store overnight. Audio

7:30 AM.The New Zealand government has pledged 2.5 million dollars in aid to cyclone torn Pacific nations including Vanuatu. Foreign Affairs Minister; Murray McCully. Audio

7:23 AM.Vanuatu's government says 80 percent of houses and businesses have been damaged or destroyed after Cyclone Pam tore through the island nation over the weekend. Vanuatu's Minister for Lands and Natural… Read more Audio

7:19 AM.Northland Civil Defence Operations Manager; Shona Morgan Audio

7:15 AM.Civil Defence Emergency Controller for Gisborne; Peter Higgs. Audio

7:12 AM.Cyclone Pam currently lies about 400 kilometres to the north of East Cape, and is moving south-southeast, with wind gusts of up to 150 kilometres an hour in exposed parts of Northland and the Hauraki… Read more Audio

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

6:59 AM.In currency markets, the New Zealand dollar is at 73.38 US, 95.96 Australian, 49.76 pence, point-6991 euro, 89.07 yen and 4.59 renminbi, and the TWI stands at 77.24 Audio

6:56 AM.Across the Tasman; a government proposal to allow young Australians to withdraw their superannuation to buy a house has run into a storm of criticism. Audio

6:54 AM.Volvo is aiming to more than double it's new car sales in New Zealand, despite battling public perceptions of the brand. Audio

6:50 AM.The Reserve Bank governor, Graeme Wheeler, says the sooner the United States starts raising interest rates the better off New Zealand will be. Audio

6:49 AM.Economists are picking growth will ease off in the last three months of 2014, but remain robust thanks to domestic activity. Audio

6:45 AM.People from Vanuatu living in New Zealand are anxiously awaiting news of their families. Audio

6:41 AM.A pilot has flown into the southern island of Tanna where the eye of the category five storm hit on Saturday. Audio

6:28 AM.The fire service says it is desperately trying to engage with the Maori community to boost volunteer numbers; New research from Statistics New Zealand has found that Maori trust the police and the… Read more Audio

6:24 AM.News from the rural and farming sector. Audio

6:16 AM.Len Garae from the Vanuatu Daily Post on people's livelihoods and how they can survive. Audio

6:14 AM.The latest from the Pacific region. Audio

6:10 AM.Gale force winds, heavy rain and significant swells are continuing to pound north eastern parts of New Zealand, as the remnants of tropical cyclone Pam push south. Audio

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

6:00 AM.Weakened Cyclone Pam still packing powerful punch, Cyclone Pam leaves Vanuatu without homes, incomes, crops, Other Pacific Islands affected almost as badly as Vanuatu, Radio New Zealand's reporter in… Read more Audio