Morning Report for Friday 20 May 2022

8:55 AM.The tornado and hail storm in Levin has ruined crops.

Woodhaven Gardens has about 2500 acres of outdoor growing space, and company director Jay Clark spoke to Susie Ferguson. Read more Audio

8:54 AM.The snow guns are primed and the forecast is promising with less than a month until South Island ski fields start opening.

This winter marks the first season since 2019 that overseas visitors will be… Read more Audio

8:45 AM.Māori health and social workers say the funding announced in yesterday's budget will do little to help ease their burden, or close equity gaps. 

The government is calling its spend on Māori health a… Read more Audio

8:43 AM.Slightly south of Levin, in Ōhau, no tornado but the hail was almost golf-ball sized.

Andy Cooper was woken by the hail. Read more Audio

8:40 AM.A tornado has ripped through Levin this morning, with a local school among those caught in its wake.

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Maria Lyne is the principal… Read more Audio

8:24 AM.Health was a centre piece of the budget - capturing more than eleven billion dollars in funding as the Government presses ahead with its plan to replace DHBs with a centralised health service.

Health… Read more Audio

8:17 AM.Finance Minister Grant Robertson says part of the budget is about the task of balancing short-term welfare priorities with longer-term economic investment.

But opposition parties say he's failed and… Read more Audio

8:15 AM.A small tornado hit Levin on Friday morning.

Corrina Puha was in her Levin home when the Tornado went through.

She spoke to Corin Dann.

  Read more Audio

8:11 AM.A mini tornado has ripped through Levin this morning - Trees and powerlines are reported to have come down.

State Highway 1 is closed in Levin between Durham Street and Supercheap Auto due to what… Read more Audio

7:58 AM.A long campaign trail comes to an end today for Australia's political leaders - with the country going to the polls tomorrow.

According to the latest polling numbers, Labor under leader Anthony… Read more Audio

7:54 AM.Emergency medicine specialists are urging the Government to work with them to address worsening problems facing hospitals.

A centre piece of yesterday's Budget was more than $11 billion to replace… Read more Audio

7:49 AM.A mini tornado has ripped through Levin this morning - Trees and powerlines are reported to have come down.

Kelly Fox runs the Traffic Updates Horowhenua Kapiti Wellington Facebook page.

She spoke… Read more Audio

7:42 AM.The National Party has lashed out at what it calls "out of control spending" in the latest Budget.

Among the big ticket items in Thursday's budget were a record investment in health, a $350 payment… Read more Audio

7:36 AM.A cost of living surprise - the government's compiled an almost $1 billion package in Budget 2022 to help New Zealanders struggling with the rising cost of living.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson… Read more Audio

7:25 AM.Wellington Hospital has to move its Emergency Department because its structure might fail in a quake. There are also issues at Hawke's Bay Hospital. They are the latest shaky hospitals juggling… Read more Audio

7:17 AM.Grant Robertson's fourth wellbeing budget is out.

Political Editor Jane Patterson and Business Editor Gyles Beckford spoke to Morning Report about what's in it. Read more Audio

7:13 AM.A cost of living surprise - the government's pulled out an almost billion dollar package in Budget 2022 to help New Zealanders struggling with the rising cost of living.

Finance Minister Grant… Read more Audio

7:10 AM.Voters have been quick to deliver their verdict on Grant Robertson's fourth wellbeing Budget.

He's splashing the cash - including a record investment in health of $11.1 billion.

Rosie Gordon has… Read more Audio

6:50 AM.Groups representing those most disadvantaged in Aotearoa say they're disappointed the budget hasn't gone far enough.

Child Poverty Action Group says while it is encouraging to see large investments… Read more Audio

6:45 AM.A public transport campaigner is giving the government's budget just 3.5 out of 10.

The two month extension of half price fares and a permanent cut for community card holders did little to sweeten… Read more Audio

6:40 AM.The drug-buying agency Pharmac has a much bigger pool of money to fund medicines following yesterday's Budget.

The Government is investing an extra $191 million over the next two years - a sum that… Read more Audio

6:15 AM.The Budget has paved the way for replacing the school decile system next year.

From January a new system, the equity index, will be used to calculate how much money schools will get to tackle… Read more Audio

6:10 AM.The new budget is changing the rules for property price caps on two schemes to encourage first home buyers to invest.

This comes as the boom in housing prices is wrapping up with experts predicting a… Read more Audio

6:08 AM.People have been quick to deliver their verdict on Grant Robertson's fourth wellbeing Budget.

He's splashing he cash - including a record investment in health of $11.1 billion dollars.

In a matter… Read more Audio