Morning Report for Wednesday 27 January 2021

8:59 AM.Friends and fans are paying tribute to the veteran New Zealand actor, Peter Vere-Jones, who has died aged 82.

He appeared in several Peter Jackson films, such as Bad Taste and the second Hobbit film… Read more Audio

8:54 AM.The New Plymouth District Council has signaled its support of expected changes to the Local Electoral Act, which would scrap the provision allowing for citizen-initiated referenda, after Councillors… Read more Audio

8:47 AM.As the UK death toll surpasses 100,000 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told the country he's "deeply sorry" for every life that has been lost.

Speaking at a news conference a short time ago, Johnson… Read more Audio

8:43 AM.The Department of Conservation will now display Covid Tracer app QR codes on huts, toilets and shelters.

Previously, users were only asked to sign in at visitors centres and serviced campsites. Last… Read more Audio

8:40 AM.Pressure is mounting on the government to release $24 million earmarked for the tourism town of Franz Josef.

Six months since approving a project to give the town flood protection, the mayor is… Read more Audio

8:36 AM.Fire and Emergency has suspended all fire permits in Canterbury and banned fires completely in Marlborough saying the hot dry conditions could lead to fires starting easily and spreading quickly.

It… Read more Audio

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

8:23 AM.Exporters are rejoicing after the government announced an upgrade to New Zealand's free trade agreement with China.

The deal will allow faster access to Chinese markets for New Zealand goods and a… Read more Audio

8:17 AM.Doctors say the Covid-19 vaccine rollout will need to be carefully planned if the shortcomings of last year's troubled flu jab distribution is to be avoided.

Record numbers were vaccinated for the… Read more Audio

8:15 AM.The intense demand for Covid-19 testing in Northland has eased.

On Monday the centres extended their hours and tested over 1700 people, almost 1 percent of Northland's population.

Yesterday they… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.The EU has threatened to limit exports of Covid-19 vaccines to other countries outside the bloc as production problems emerge.

AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech have both said they cannot supply the… Read more Audio

8:06 AM.The head of the New Zealand Olympic Committee says this year's Tokyo Games remain very much on as far as they are considered. Read more Audio

7:53 AM.Wellington has once again faced raw sewage spilling into the streets after a pipe burst on Monday afternoon.

The pipe sent putrid liquid running into the intersection of Mercer and Victoria streets… Read more Audio

7:50 AM.Downtown Wellington workers and residents are fed up with the putrid stench of raw sewage pervading the city after a wastewater pipe burst.

A temporary fix only narrowly avoided raw sewage pouring… Read more Audio

7:46 AM.It was a case of throw off the duvet and open the windows right across Canterbury on Tuesday night after Christchurch recorded its hottest January day since 1979.

The mercury nudged 36.7 degrees in… Read more Audio

7:37 AM.Judith Collins says more tradespeople should be let into New Zealand to help build more houses and ease supply and demand troubles.

The National Party says the country is suffering an unfolding… Read more Audio

7:25 AM.A new advisory board has just been appointed to recommend changes to the troubled Oranga Tamariki ministry.

The four-strong board will make its recommendations to the Minister for Children, Kelvin… Read more Audio

7:22 AM.Iwi in the North are set to reinstate checkpoints by Thursday morning which they say is to stop Covid-19 from moving around the area - or into the rest of the country. 

Te Tai Tokerau Border Control… Read more Audio

7:19 AM.Doctors and nurses are in a race to learn how to administer Pfizer's tricky Covid-19 vaccine as a major step towards the rollout is signalled.

The government says if all goes to plan, the product… Read more Audio

7:09 AM.The European Union has warned Covid-19 vaccine producers they must deliver agreed supplies, amid fears production problems could seriously hamper its inoculation drive.

AstraZeneca and… Read more Audio

6:53 AM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Read more Audio

6:45 AM.The government has future-proofed their free trade agreement with China, bringing it up to date for another ten years.

The Minister for Trade and Export Growth, Damien O'Connor, signed off the… Read more Audio

6:43 AM.Iwi in the North are set to reinstate checkpoints by Thursday morning which they say is to stop the Covid-19 from moving around the region - or out into the rest of the country. 

Te Tai Tokerau… Read more Audio

6:39 AM.The Government is now downplaying previous suggestions quarantine free travel to and from Australia could be in place by the end of March.

Different travel rules for different Australian states is… Read more Audio

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

6:20 AM.A brief update from the business sector. Read more Audio

6:10 AM.The National Party's call for temporary laws to free up land for house building is being dismissed as flawed and short-sighted.

The opposition leader Judith Collins wants new legislation giving… Read more Audio