Morning Report for Wednesday 3 August 2022

8:53 AM.The words "abandoned underground tunnel" aren't often associated with "iconic landmark and tourist attraction".

Auckland mayoral candidate Viv Beck promises to change that.

She wants to turn… Read more Audio

8:47 AM.Smashing a PB is always satisfying, and on July 29 the Earth recorded its own personal best time for a single rotation.

It's not a record most people would have noticed - the day was just 1.59… Read more Audio

8:42 AM.New Zealand has its third monkeypox case, isolating in the South Island.

After two years of Covid-19 are we more prepared to manage this virus - or has pandemic fatigue got the better of us?

Otago… Read more Audio

8:38 AM.District Health Boards around the country were never directly consulted about whether international nurses should be left off the list for super fast residency visas.

The government has repeatedly… Read more Audio

8:29 AM.The tourism industry is scrambling to find enough staff before the expected influx of tourists this summer.

It's estimated that one in four tourism jobs or 90,000 roles, were cut in the first 12… Read more Audio

8:15 AM.A former member of the Celebration Centre who was involved in exorcisms says the practice is extremely damaging.

Former Celebration members have accused the church of manipulation and exploitation… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.The Government will today reveal its National Adaptation Plan, which will feature ideas on how to move communities which are vulnerable to the full impact of climate change.

Thames-Coromandel… Read more Audio

7:55 AM.Police are still searching for a people involved after a 'vile' attack on a cemetary near Cambridge. 

On Monday night cars drove into Hautapu Cemetery and did burnouts across recently buried graves… Read more Audio

7:53 AM.An expert on prison violence says it's often sparked when something prisoners are promised later doesn't happen.

Six teenage prisoners ended their 24-hour protest on the roof of Hawke's Bay Regional… Read more Audio

7:45 AM.The National Party leader Christopher Luxon says the Cost of Living payment is a shambles.

The first of three payments was made to people this week, including to some New Zealanders living overseas. 

7:43 AM.An economist says low unemployment rates appear largely positive on the surface but is likely to cause financial headaches, especially for small businesses.

Unemployment is expected to hit a record… Read more Audio

7:43 AM.Some shoppers are already turning their back on the big two supermarket chains - well before new moves aimed at reducing the hold they have.

A Commerce Commission report revealed in May that… Read more Audio

7:30 AM.Some communities may be abandoned as climate change results in more intense storms and flooding.

The Government will today release the first national strategy for dealing with the inevitable effects… Read more Audio

7:24 AM.The US Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, has landed in Taiwan, despite warnings by China.

Pelosi is on a tour of Asia, and while Taiwan is not an official stop on the tour, she had been widely… Read more Audio

7:18 AM.A controversial Christchurch church accused of being "toxic" "hurtful" and "extreme" is facing further accusations.

Ex-members have independently contacted RNZ saying they were traumatised by the the… Read more Audio

7:12 AM.Property values dropped by 2.5 percent over the past three months, the largest quarterly fall since the Global Financial Crisis.

Last month alone values dropped 0.9 percent.

In Wellington, the new… Read more Audio

7:09 AM.New house price data out today shows property values are falling at the fastest pace since the global financial crisis 14 years ago.

CoreLogic figures show house prices fell 2.5 percent in the past… Read more Audio

6:50 AM.New Zealand track and field athletes Olivia McTaggart and Imogen Ayris are competing in the women's Commonwealth Games pole vault.

McTaggart had been tipped as a medal chance before the Games got… Read more Audio

6:44 AM.Gale force winds closed South Island ski fields, including Cardrona and Coronet Peak, yesterday.

The wild weather may have brought an unexpected windfall however - a fresh dump of snow.

Cardrona… Read more Audio

6:42 AM.It was a blustery night for the capital with gusts up to 120 kilometres per hour.

It's the same story for much of the rest of the country with strong wind watches stretching most of the South Island… Read more Audio

6:28 AM.One of New Zealand's mountain biking medal hopes, Anton Cooper, has had to withdraw after testing positive for Covid-19.

Cooper has two Commonwealth medals to his name already - a Gold at the 2014… Read more Audio