New Zealand

The 2020 Budget was turned on its head and the Covid-19 pandemic forced the Finance Minister to leave some things on the cutting room floor, among them was reducing the cost of going to the doctor and… Video, Audio

And thousands of unruly mops and overgrown beards finally got the chop on Thursday. Huge lines formed outside the country's hairdressers, but some shop owners are concerned business could drop off… Video, Audio

Shoppers queued outside malls this morning to celebrate the start of level 2 with some retail therapy.

Businesses that have had to shut up shop for the entirety of lockdown could not wait to get back… Video, Audio

Paul Button is the General Manager of Canopy Tours in Rotorua.

Canopy Tours is a bit of an adventure playground - ziplines, swing bridges and canopy platforms.

He joins Lisa Owen with his response… Video, Audio

Tourism got a carry-on bag full of cash in Budget 2020, but industry leaders say it's nothing compared to what needed to keep them afloat.

The $400-million Tourism Recovery Fund includes a domestic… Video, Audio

News from the business sector, including a market report. Video, Audio

Eight more weeks of the wage subsidy is not enough for one of New Zealand's largest tour operators to stay afloat.

Pan Pacific Travel's Managing Director Matt Brady talks to Lisa Owen. Video, Audio

Queenstown rolled out the welcome mat to domestic visitors today as passenger planes flew in for the first time since April 1.

The district has been reeling from thousands of job losses, with more… Video, Audio

A $50 billion rescue fund sits at the centre of 2020's "once in a generation Budget" as the country braces for the economic carnage promised by Covid-19.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson says the… Video, Audio

Thursday May 14 in New Zealand saw an historic Budget from the government to rebuild the economy after Covid-19, while at the same time the country moved from level 3 lockdown into level 2.

Finance… Video, Audio

When New Zealand oil company Tamarind Taranaki went into liquidation in November last year, it left the government holding a big fat oily baby.

Laden with 40,000 barrels or 6000 tonnes of crude oil… Audio

Doctors waiting rooms will never be the same post-Covid-19, according to one of our biggest primary health organisations.

That is not a bad thing - the pandemic has taught us invaluable lessons about… Video, Audio

Justice Minister Andrew Little says the police failed to get any of the necessary clearance before trialling controversial facial recognition software.

RNZ has learned the police tested US company… Audio

Funeral directors and whānau who have relentlessly opposed the ten person limit on funerals and tangi are delighted with the news up to 50 people can now attend the service.

The Health Minister David… Audio

The Ministry of Education says there is no room on school buses for physical distancing when services resume under lockdown level 2.

It is blaming a shortage of drivers and buses for preventing it… Audio

A Canterbury man who can't find work or access a benefit says he is part of a growing group of New Zealanders whose unemployment is hidden from any official figures.

Because the man's wife still has… Audio

News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio

Three nurses at Waitākere hospital likely contracted Covid-19 on a stressful day when a patient died and others were sick and confused, Waitematā DHB says.

A report has been released after an urgent… Video, Audio

The heartbroken whānau of Pukekohe butcher Roy Green say they are relieved the government has loosened restrictions on tangihanga.

The young father and husband died suddenly on Sunday night, leaving… Audio

Public pressure has forced a quick u-turn from the government over how many people can attend a tangihanga at alert level 2.

The rules initially restricted funeral guests to just 10 because the… Video, Audio