Morning Report for Tuesday 31 March 2015

8:56 AM.We didn't beat them at the cricket, but a New Zealander has beaten Australia in growing the largest pumpkin in the Southern hemisphere. Audio

8:53 AM.The cost of rebuilding Whanganui's failed wastewater treatment plant has ballooned from 25 million dollars to 38-million. Audio

8:50 AM.A Franz Josef shop owner's questioning why local businesses are being allowed to operate at all if the Alpine Fault makes it too risky for them expand and develop. Audio

8:47 AM.The lower North Island tribe, Ngati Toa, wants all of its members to be speaking or learning Te Reo Maori in four years' time; The lead Treaty negotiator for Ngai Takoto iwi in the Far North is fed up… Read more Audio

8:42 AM.Farmers say other ways of cutting the environmental impact of dairy farming need to be considered before a moratorium on dairy conversions is considered. Audio

8:39 AM.Tertiary institutions say cut-price competitors are poaching their foreign students and taking millions of dollars in fees. Audio

8:36 AM.Energy companies are gritting their teeth and pressing on with the search for oil, despite tough conditions forcing the industry to work hard to make a dollar. Audio

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

8:26 AM.It's already been nicknamed the 'leaning tower of Wellington' and at an angle of 12.5 degrees, a proposed new Wellington airport control tower is on more of a lean than the tower in Pisa. Audio

8:23 AM.The personal details of the world leaders at last year's G20 summit in Brisbane were accidentally disclosed by the Australian immigration department. Audio

8:19 AM.Most New Zealanders feel generally positive towards Asia and Asian people but a growing number are blaming them for pushing up house prices. Audio

8:15 AM.The police are still trying to find out who is responsible for the threat to spike infant formula with the pest poison. Audio

8:10 AM.The Privy Council has overnight confirmed Teina Pora will not face a retrial for the rape and murder of Susan Burdett. Audio

8:07 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:56 AM.The Wellington City Council is not ruling out rate rises to help pay for a controversial runway extension at the capital's airport. Audio

7:53 AM.The jury will today continue deliberating in the Mark Lundy double murder trial. Audio

7:42 AM.The country's spy watchdog is to investigate whether the Government Communications Security Bureau is using its interpretation of private communication to spy on New Zealanders. Audio

7:40 AM.Campaigning in what is predicted to be a tightly fought British general election has officially begun. Audio

7:36 AM.The Privy Council has overnight confirmed Teina Pora will not face a retrial for the rape and murder of Susan Burdett. Audio

7:29 AM.The Maori Party says it supports 90 percent of the proposals to change the Resource Management Act, but it will not agree to anything that puts the environment at risk. Audio

7:24 AM.The Labour Party leader says the Northland by-election result signals the beginning of a nationwide loss of support for National. Audio

7:20 AM.A survey on the perception of Asia and Asian people shows many New Zealanders blame them for pushing up house prices, but generally feel positive towards them. Audio

7:16 AM.The Ministry for Primary Industry's Scott Gallacher has been listening to that. Audio

7:11 AM.Police are yet to find the blackmailer who's been threatening to spike infant formula with 1080, but say it was always going to be a complex inquiry, and in the meantime, they're confident the food… Read more Audio

7:07 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:58 AM.On Wall St, stocks have risen after merger and acquisition activity. Audio

6:56 AM.Now to a small electricity provider that is trying to take on the big players in the market. Audio

6:54 AM.There are warnings the Canterbury rebuild will slow as Auckland's booming construction market lures workers away from the quake-damaged city. Audio

6:52 AM.Employees are becoming more upbeat about their chances of a pay rise this year, as their confidence grows in the jobs market and the economy. Audio

6:51 AM.Synlait Milk's managing director is brushing off the company's half-year loss and production delays, saying the rest of the year will be better. Audio

6:50 AM.The petroleum and minerals regulator says small exploration companies are being hit hard by weak oil prices, and some are even thinking of giving up their exploration permits. Audio

6:49 AM.The New Zealand dollar has reached another record against its Australian counterpart. Audio

6:47 AM.The chief executive of The Warehouse, Mark Powell, is stepping down after four years in the role. Audio

6:26 AM.The lead Treaty negotiator for Ngai Takoto iwi in the Far North is fed up with "individual politics" which he says is keeping tribes in the rohe from moving forward; A small, all-Maori western Bay of… Read more Audio

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

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

6:12 AM.A group of tertiary institutions say its members are losing hundreds of students a year because cut-price organisations are poaching them. Audio

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

6:00 AM.The 1080 infant formula poisoning deadline is reached today -- are the police any closer to catching the offender? A survey finds New Zealanders are more positive than ever towards people from Asia… Read more Audio