Checkpoint for Friday 5 February 2021

5:08 PM.Prepare for a rude welcome - that's the message to Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins ahead of a meeting about toxic levels of lead being found in the drinking water of two coastal Otago towns.

People in… Read more Audio

5:16 PM.Businesses which missed out on grants from a controversial government tourism fund could seek compensation if an investigation by the Auditor General finds any fault with the scheme.

The AG's office… Read more Video, Audio

5:20 PM.Jacinda Ardern has told iwi leaders that Maori won't be left behind in the Government's vaccination strategy, but they're not front of the queue either.

She joined the Iwi Chairs Forum virtually from… Read more Audio

5:25 PM.A family of five who have gone car-free for nearly a year say they have had to get creative about how they get around. It is as New Zealanders are encouraged to reduce our use of road transport, which… Read more Video, Audio

5:35 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6229354500001 Video, Audio

5:40 PM.Denying visas to most of the crew on a luxury ship and warning it off entering New Zealand waters with the threat of imprisonment was the right thing to do according to immigration's border boss, who… Read more Video, Audio

5:55 PM.Wellington is famous for the Beehive, the wind and its celebrity cat Mittens - who last night sent the city into despair after he was briefly abducted. Caitlin Cherry has the story. Read more Video, Audio

6:08 PM.The Auditor-General has announced an inquiry into a controversial tourism fund, which has paid out millions of dollars to more than a hundred operators.

The government's Strategic Tourism Assets… Read more Audio

6:15 PM.Queensland could be host to Australia's first purpose-built privately run Covid-19 isolation and Quarantine centre, with potential capacity for 6000 people.

Construction firm Wagners wants to build… Read more Video, Audio