Morning Report for Wednesday 20 July 2022

6:09 AM.Many roads in the South Island remained closed overnight due to snow, flooding and slips.

Waka Kotahi closed the Lindis and Haast passes, State Highway 8 between Omarama and Twizel, and the Aoraki Mt… Read more Audio

6:16 AM.The government has set aside a $44 million dollars to help councils set up the controversial new Three Waters system.

Every council in New Zealand will receive at least $350,000 dollars of additional… Read more Audio

6:45 AM.Waitaki District Council says it's prioritising repairing the washed out bridge on Lake Ōhau Road. 

The road is the only access point to the Lake Ōhau village, trapping residents and holiday-makers. 

7:08 AM.A massive cleanup is ahead for parts of Otago and Canterbury after a storm flooded homes and farms, ripped up roads, cut off towns and sliced a bridge in half.

Many roads are still closed and as… Read more Audio

7:13 AM.The raging Ashburton River has again spilled into farmland swamping paddocks and frustrating farmers.

Last year's major flooding saw the same river leave debris, shingle and sediment all over local… Read more Audio

7:24 AM.The media manager for the All Blacks has admitted she was the one who cancelled coach Ian Foster's post-match press conference on Sunday, saying in a post on Linkedin she didn't want him to "just be a… Read more Audio

7:38 AM.Questions are being asked about the sluggish drop in fuel prices following a slump falls in the cost of crude oil.

While the cost of petrol at the pump is gradually going down the price of diesel… Read more Audio

7:45 AM.Specialists on statistics warn a law change poses the threat of official data being corrupted by political meddling and unregulated sharing.

They are alarmed the new law will let the Government… Read more Audio

7:48 AM.National Party deputy leader Nicola Willis has defended Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern after she faced criticism for taking a photo with a crowd while not wearing a mask.

The photo, posted to Ardern's… Read more Audio

7:56 AM.Paying with cash, reading books and playing boardgames to pass the time - you'd be forgiven for thinking it's a bach holiday or a childhood from times gone by.

Instead, it's the central North Island… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.Temperatures have exceeded 40C for the first time ever in the UK. The London fire bridgade has declared a 'major incident' with multiple fires across the city.

Fields and buildings are on fire in… Read more Audio

8:16 AM.Three high profile and popular mayors in the lower South Island are putting their jobs on the line in the October local elections by refusing to reject the Goverment's controversial three waters… Read more Audio

8:20 AM.A swamp kauri bowl gifted to the US President has upset Northland environmentalists who are calling it an "appalling" mistake.

The Prime Minister gave the bowl to Joe Biden on her recent visit to… Read more Audio

8:25 AM.Steve Bannon, a former top advisor to Donald Trump, is in court today facing contempt charges for refusing to comply with the investigation into the attack on the US Capitol building.

Investigators… Read more Audio

8:37 AM.The Moderna vaccine has been provisionally approved for children six months and older in Australia, but professor Nigel McMillan believes more needs to be done.

He spoke to Corin Dann. Read more Audio

8:52 AM.The Waitangi Tribunal, set up to address injustices against tangata whenua, has been accused of being unfair to Māori in the way it operates.

The Tribunal has heard that a lack of access for… Read more Audio