Morning Report for Friday 22 April 2022

8:52 AM.The recreation of trenches and a fortified pa in North Waikato is the start of a venture by local iwi to tell the true story of the Battle of Rangiriri, which happened more than 150 years ago.

In… Read more Audio

8:47 AM.Missing: Two baby Australian Blue Tongue skinks.

The 15cm skinks were lent by a collector to the Wildlife Foxton Trust visitor centre.

Earlier this week they disappeared, and there are fears they… Read more Audio

8:43 AM.If you're in Wellington, it's soon time to put on your dancing shoes.

The Eat, Drink, Play  festival is coming in May, and organisers say it's time to enjoy good food, drinks and entertainment. 

… Read more Audio

8:40 AM.The Government has named nine areas that will play a key role under sweeping health reforms soon to be implemented.

From July, the country's 20 district health boards will be abolished and replaced… Read more Audio

8:27 AM.Russia has claimed victory in the battle for Mariupol, despite Ukrainian forces stubbornly holding on.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has told troops to ditch plans to storm a giant steel plant… Read more Audio

8:21 AM.The Black Ferns have a new coach and it's former All Black Wayne Smith.

He has just over five months to help the team defend their World Cup title.

The Black Ferns were soundly beaten in four tests… Read more Audio

8:15 AM.The soaring inflation rate looks set to be reflected strongly in the ongoing costs of fuel and road transport.

That's something that ultimately will wallop all consumers.

Ia Ara Aotearoa… Read more Audio

8:11 AM.Well, as we've heard reported this morning, the subject of China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific has hovered above Jacinda Ardern's discussions with her Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in… Read more Audio

7:56 AM.The Super Rugby competition becomes truly Pacific this weekend, with the New Zealand teams heading to Australia as the championship reaches its halfway point.

The five Kiwi sides will face their… Read more Audio

7:53 AM.Three scenic tracks in Auckland's Waitakere Ranges will re-open today after being closed for four years to protect precious kauri trees from disease.

Open again, after an upgrade costing $2 million… Read more Audio

7:50 AM.An expert in natural hazard planning says the government needs to buy out residents in flood-prone areas such as Anzac Parade in Whanganui, or risk people losing their lives.

In 2015, floodwaters… Read more Audio

7:45 AM.The Ministry of Health is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal fees to fight families that care for their disabled children.

Three cases, all of which still have a long way to run… Read more Audio

7:43 AM.Many Anzac day formal parades and services have been cancelled due to the Omicron outbreak. 

This year's dawn service at Auckland Museum will be an invitation-only event.  

RSA president BJ Clark… Read more Audio

7:37 AM.Building costs are being singled out as a major contributor to the country's record inflation.

Property research firm Core Logic's Cordell Housing Index Price latest survey found that construction… Read more Audio

7:26 AM.Towns north of Wellington that were once thoroughfares for State Highway 1 are now quiet seaside settlements.

It's been just over three weeks since Transmission Gully opened - diverting traffic away… Read more Audio

7:24 AM.The Black Ferns have an elaborate new coaching structure to help them defend their World Cup title. 

Former All Blacks Coach Wayne Smith has been named Director of Rugby and will be assisted by… Read more Audio

7:18 AM.The announcement of a billion dollars of arms being sent from the US to Ukraine comes a day after Russia test-launched a new nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile.

The Sarmat missile… Read more Audio

7:13 AM.A family friend of Kaoss Price, shot dead by police, says it's now clear they did not need to kill the unarmed young man.

The 22-year-old was shot on Saturday night on State Highway 3 while trying to… Read more Audio

7:10 AM.New Zealand is beefing up its security ties with Japan as the world grows ever more volatile - with a plan to share more information between the two nations.

Jacinda Ardern sat down with Japan's… Read more Audio

6:50 AM.The Government has named the first nine areas of the country that will pilot a key aspect of the major upcoming health reforms.

The areas are Ōtara, Hauraki, Taupō, Wairoa, Whanganui, Porirua, West… Read more Audio

6:45 AM.Hollywood actor Johnny Depp is being cross examined by his ex wife Amber Heard's defence lawyers.

Heard is being sued for defamation for implying her former husband had abused her in a 2018 opinion… Read more Audio

6:17 AM.This year's Anzac Day dawn service at Auckland Museum will be an invitation-only event thanks to the orange Covid-19 protection setting.

The general public are encouraged to commemorate in different… Read more Audio

6:13 AM.The civil construction industry is not training enough new workers to keep up with the boom in roading and infrastructure projects.

A report by the Civil Workforce Forum and Civil Contractors New… Read more Audio

6:09 AM.Joe Biden has announced the United States is to send another billion dollars worth of military aid to Ukraine.

It will include heavy artillery weapons, ammunition and tactical drones, which will be… Read more Audio