Sam Olley
Northland iwi providers, Peeni Henare discuss lagging vaccination rate
'On the precipice of a future... or significant failure.' That's how the Whānau Ora Minister described the current state of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout today.
Peeni Henare met with iwi health… Audio
Covid-19: Lockdown loneliness in Auckland, and how to cope
Another long lockdown in Auckland is making it harder for older people to avoid loneliness.
Social isolation was already a major problem before the pandemic. National surveys of 40,000 pensioners… Audio
Whakaari/White Island: Independent WorkSafe review months overdue
A review of WorkSafe's handling of operations on Whakaari/White Island before the deadly eruption took place is now months overdue.
The blast in December 2019 took 22 lives.
In 2020 Minister of… Audio
Building crisis: Auckland-made materials nearly running out
The building and construction sector has just a few days worth of some Auckland-based products left.
According to suppliers some key materials are already unavailable.
Last week the government gave… Audio
Covid-19: Burnout concerns on Māori, Pasifika frontline
Kaupapa Māori vaccinators and testers are being forced to take breaks while Pasifika contact tracers are described as "frayed at the edges".
In the fight against Covid-19, burnout has become a… Audio
Covid-19: Schools step in to bridge digital divide
Schools and iwi trusts have stepped in to buy devices and internet for families struggling with distance learning over the past three weeks.
They want to stop a new wave of children falling behind… Audio
Covid-19: Auckland ambulance crews donning full PPE
St John crews in Auckland now have to wear full personal protective gear to every callout.
This means gowns, eye protection, gloves and N95 masks which they have to change after each patient.
As of… Audio
Covid-19: Plant nurseries rush to save trees in lockdown
Lockdown has come at one of the worst possible times for plant nurseries.
The businesses should be busy delivering late winter planting crop to clients around the country, now there's a risk that… Audio
Northlanders want inter-regional travellers to stay away
Northlanders are hoping rulebreakers will be kept out of the region today, in the final hours of inter-regional travel.
People who were away from home when lockdown began have until midnight tonight… Audio
US college sports programmes taking Kiwi athletes
College sports - a $1 billion business in the US - are still a popular scholarship option for Aotearoa athletes despite the pandemic.
National Collegiate listings show at least seventeen of our Tokyo… Audio
Unhealthy outcomes from buying boom in Kaikohe
The housing crisis is hitting Kaikohe so badly, residents say overcrowding is now the norm.
It's one of the few places in New Zealand with a median house price below $300,000, increasing… Audio
Kaikohe properties selling in less than a week - agent
The number of houses for sale under $300,000 in New Zealand is dropping by the month.
Kaikohe, in Northland, is one of the last places you can find them.
The median price there was $291,000 last… Audio
Department of Conservation proposed dolphin rules causing division
The Department of Conservation's being accused of using scare tactics and dodgy data in its bid to keep people away from dolphins in the Bay of Islands.
There have been 645 submissions on a planned… Audio
Crowds young and old celebrate Black Caps in Whangārei
The Black Caps and their World Test Cricket Championship mace started a trip to all corners of the country today.
Team members are going all the way to Bluff with the silverware this week.
Tim… Video, Audio
Covered windows could have saved yacht skipper's life - report
A skipper's bravery in the face of death - and precautions that could have saved him - are at the heart of a maritime report out today.
Former ACT party candidate Stuart Pedersen died after his 14… Audio
Napier's National Aquarium told to improve standards or close
The National Aquarium is being told that unless it can improve standards, the facility may have to close and the animals put down.
Napier City Council - which owns and manages the aquarium - wants a… Audio
Whakaari/White Island: Multimillion-dollar fund paid out to charged companies
Whakaari / White Island tourism companies charged with breaching health and safety laws have received hundreds of thousands of dollars in public funding since the tragedy.
Most of the money has come… Audio
Whakaari: Money given to companies 'unfair' - Lawyer for victims
A lawyer representing some Whakaari eruption victims is furious the tourism companies being prosecuted over the tragedy have received hundreds of thousands of dollars of public money.
The 2019… Audio
Covid-19: Different vaccination needles needed for different body types
Larger people with high body fat percentages may need longer needles so Covid-19 vaccinations make it deep into their muscle.
There is no exact criteria in New Zealand saying who needs this apparatus… Audio
Experts want change to compulsory treatment
As the government prepares to replace the Mental Health Act, Maori mental health practitioners want to see major changes to compulsory treatment.
Community treatment orders for patients at home are… Audio