Morning Report for Friday 23 June 2023

8:40 AM.There'll be lots of people flocking to the beaches and headlands this weekend -- not for a swim but hoping to spot a passing whale or dolphin.

The "cetacean census", as the Canadian-inspired event is… Read more Audio

8:38 AM.A major push to scrap the seven-point-four billion dollar Let's Get Wellington Moving project has the backing of the city's retail sector, or at least those from it who turned up to a public meeting… Read more Audio

8:27 AM.The battle over the Māori seats is heating up, with two Labour MPs opting for an electorate or nothing approach.

But the party insists it's not reviving its "do or die" 2017 strategy, which… Read more Audio

8:25 AM.First Up's resident Chiefs fan, Leonard Powell, headed to Hamilton ahead of tomorrow's final, to get some scoreline predictions. Read more Audio

8:20 AM.After 18 weeks, it's come down to a Super Rugby Pacific final between the two teams many were picking from day one - with the Chiefs hosting the Crusaders in Hamilton tomorrow night.

The teams… Read more Audio

8:16 AM.More than 130 people fled their homes in Te Karaka last night as heavy rain lashed Tai Rāwhiti.

Evacuation centres were full of people as flooding struck the region, only four months after Cyclone… Read more Audio

7:58 AM.The Crusaders have plenty of extra motivation to win tomorrow night's Super Rugby final, with the defending champions determined to send coach Scott Robertson and veteran Sam Whitelock off as winners.

7:52 AM.Well, let the 87th National Party conference begin.

The party's conference starts tomorrow in Wellington, and the gathering follows a round of regional conferences which have seen party leader… Read more Audio

7:47 AM.The Maritime Union fears it could be a financial disaster for Auckland if the mayor gets his way with a proposal for the Ports of Auckland.

Just two weeks after Wayne Brown won a contentious vote for… Read more Audio

7:43 AM.The Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University says its financial problems are growing all the time and it has no choice but to slash jobs and cut courses.

The University has announced plans to axe 229… Read more Audio

7:33 AM.Back to Gisborne now, where the sodden grounds are set to be inundated as rain ramps up again this afternoon.

Mayor Rehette Stoltz is asking people to stay home and not travel unless necessary.

… Read more Audio

7:27 AM.Gisborne reporter Kate Green spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss. Read more Audio

7:23 AM.The wreckage of the missing Titan submersible has been found, with all five members on board losing their lives.

A Coast Guard official has described it as a "catastrophic" event.

Plymouth… Read more Audio

7:13 AM.Tai Rāwhiti is being battered by a relentless band of rain with the highest possible red weather warning covering the region until Sunday.

Access to the wider region is restricted with State Highway… Read more Audio

6:47 AM.Universities are warning they don't get enough funding to train secondary school teachers.

Victoria University's shock proposal to cease secondary teacher education at the end of the year has… Read more Audio

6:40 AM.Back to the weather, and coastal communities in Tai Rāwhiti are cut off yet again as torrential rain lashes the district.

State Highway 35 is closed between Okitu and Ruatoria due to flooding, and as… Read more Audio

6:21 AM.A debris field has been found around the site of the Titanic.

Experts are evaluating the debris to determine if it is the remains of the missing Titan submersible or not.

Our DC correspondent… Read more Audio

6:17 AM.And in Gisborne, two evacuation centres hosted at least 130 people from Te Karaka last night.

They may fill up as other parts of Tai Rāwhiti face torrents of rain this weekend.

Ben Green is the… Read more Audio

6:10 AM.We start this morning in Tai Rāwhiti, where a state of emergency has been declared as rain continues to fall in the region.

The most severe red weather warning is in place, with significant flooding… Read more Audio