Morning Report for Thursday 14 April 2022

8:36 AM.South Taranaki appears well placed to bounce back from Covid-19 after dodging the worst of the disruption caused by the virus. Taranaki reported 288 new Covid-19 cases on 13 April, 76 of those in… Read more Audio

8:25 AM.Outgoing Labour MP Louisa Wall will give her valedictory speech in Parliament later today.

She has been appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be the Pacific Ambassador for Gender Equality.

8:21 AM.Easter weekend is approaching and police are asking drivers to slow down and be patient over the break.

Eight people died on the roads last year in what was Aotearoa's deadliest Easter in a decade.

… Read more Audio

8:18 AM.After Red warnings and dire weather forecasts, Tairāwhiti and the Wairoa District are waking up to a calm morning after the edge of ex-Cyclone Fili hit the region yesterday.

Tokomaru Bay-based Civil… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.The country has woken up in the orange Covid-19 setting this morning, just in time for the long Easter weekend.

A Covid-19 modeller is warning that the new setting poses a significant risk in Otago… Read more Audio

7:57 AM.Petrol heads rejoice!

On Thursday night New Zealand is staging the first leg of the annual "Hot Wheels Legends Tour" - a global search for the best custom car in the eyes of toymaker Mattell.

The… Read more Audio

7:53 AM.The long Easter weekend is upon us and many people are keen to get away.

Easter's a popular time for tramping.

Department of Conservation director of heritage and visitors Tim Bamford spoke to Susie… Read more Audio

7:47 AM.Some builders are threatening to bypass council inspections because they simply cannot afford to wait weeks amid "absurd" delays in getting staff on site.

Inspections in Christchurch are taking about… Read more Audio

7:42 AM.In the eyes of some economists, the Reserve Bank took a "sledgehammer" to inflation by raising the Official Cash Rate a further 50 basis points - to 1.5 percent.

CoreLogic New Zealand chief property… Read more Audio

7:38 AM.Intense downpours in Tairāwhiti overnight cleared on Thursday morning.

Two-hundred millimetres of rain was recorded in the northern part of the region in the five hours to midnight, on top of heavy… Read more Audio

7:29 AM.An overseas recruitment campaign targeting intensive care nurses has lured just three people into jobs here since it launched two months ago.

The $300,000 campaign was set up to entice New… Read more Audio

7:25 AM.A non-profit organisation that lends to struggling families, Nga Tangata Microfinance, says it's is handling record requests for help.

Chief executive Natalie Vincent spoke to Susie Ferguson. Read more Audio

7:21 AM.The cost of living continues to rise.

Latest figures show food prices went up 7.6 percent in the year to the end of March.

It's the largest increase in more than a decade. Prices for fruit and… Read more Audio

7:15 AM.Otago University Covid-19 modeller Matthew Parry is worried about a continuing rise in infections in Otago and Southland among those over 60.

He's backed by the Southern District Health Board, which… Read more Audio

7:09 AM.After 80 days at the red Covid-19 setting, New Zealand is in Orange - giving people the freedom to gather in unlimited numbers, stand at bars, or go to school without masks.

Reactions on the streets… Read more Audio

6:48 AM.UK Justice Minister David Wolfson has resigned in protest after Prime Minister Boris Johnson was fined for breaking Covid-19 restrictions in the form of a string of parties at his home.

Johnson is… Read more Audio

6:41 AM.Covid-19 Minister Chris Hipkins is continuing to champion masks, after some requirements were loosened.

New Zealand is now at the orange traffic light setting, which means all gathering limits have… Read more Audio

6:23 AM.Many roads across Tairāwhiti and the Wairoa District are closed due to slips, flooding and fallen trees. 

That includes State Highway 35 between Potaka down to Okitu, just east of Gisborne, and State… Read more Audio

6:14 AM.The past 24 hours have been tough on Tairāwhiti and the Wairoa District.

MetService Red warnings for heavy rain in the regions have been dropped but Easter weekend means more people will be… Read more Audio

6:11 AM.The Omicron wave refuses to break in the south as new cases sit irritatingly high.

Those on the frontline of southern health services say they're holding up even as cases remain a persistent strain… Read more Audio

6:08 AM.The relaxing of Covid-19 restrictions comes with perks for central city bars, restaurants and cafes.

After 11 weeks, business owners say they're pleased to see the back of mandatory seated service… Read more Audio