Checkpoint for Tuesday 12 March 2013

6:49 PM.A large Taranaki Maori farming incorporation is feeling the effects of the increasing drought conditions and fears most of their dairy farms will be dry by the end of March; A group against the… Read more Audio

6:46 PM.Some West Coasters are planning to march on the Westland district council because it's blown its budget by more than five million dollars in the first half of the financial year. Audio

6:42 PM.A Supreme Court judge has quashed the Mayor of New York's ban on big soft drinks just hours before it was to come into force. Audio

6:36 PM.Federated Farmers wants the Government to review genetic engineering regulations it says are impeding the creation of drought resistant grass and crops. Audio

6:33 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:26 PM.Environmentalists have gone head to head with two coal mining companies in the Supreme Court over whether climate change should have been considered when consent was granted for a new mine on the West… Read more Audio

6:22 PM.The Australasian car parts company, Repco, says its new American owner is keen to invest more money in expanding the chain's presense around the country Audio

6:20 PM.Wairarapa farmers meeting in Masterton this afternoon have voted unanimously to ask the Government to declare a state of drought in the region. Audio

6:12 PM.At least three Opposition party leaders have had their names falsely registered as being interested in buying shares in Mighty River Power. Audio

6:08 PM.The Auditor-General has found no evidence of corruption by the Labour MP Shane Jones when as Minister he over rode officials' advice, and granted citizenship to a Chinese businessman in 2008. Audio

5:54 PM.People are being urged to get their influenza vaccination, available from today. Audio

5:50 PM.A man convicted of assault in his efforts to guard Lake Horowhenua says he'll sue the council and others for fouling the lake regardless of a Supreme Court ruling. Audio

5:48 PM.A large Taranaki Maori farming incorporation is feeling the effects of the increasing drought conditions and fears most of their dairy farms will be dry by the end of March; A group against the… Read more Audio

5:43 PM.The country's largest newspaper publisher, Fairfax, is considering contracting out the jobs of all of its in-house call centre staff in New Zealand and Australia. Audio

5:36 PM.The Prime Minister says he thinks a Bill that transfers Waitangi or Anzac Day to a Monday if they fall on the weekend will become law. Audio

5:33 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

5:28 PM.A National Finance investor who lost a large part of his life savings says the eight-and-a-half months home detention sentence imposed on a former director is a joke. Audio

5:25 PM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

5:20 PM.The Government and Opposition have entered a bidding war over who has the biggest list of names for and against asset sales. Audio

5:18 PM.More details have emerged about the pitched battles government ministers had with the board of Solid Energy, including its push to sell off parts of the business to large overseas companies. Audio

5:14 PM.Our political editor, Brent Edwards, is with us. Audio

5:07 PM.The Auditor-General has found no evidence of corruption in the 2008 case where the Labour MP and then Minister Shane Jones over-rode officials' advice and granted citizenship to a Chinese businessman.

5:00 PM.Shane Jones is cleared and back on Labour's front bench. More revelations about pitched battles between the Government and Solid Energy and investor says National Finance sentence a joke. Audio