Checkpoint for Wednesday 15 June 2022

5:06 PM.GPs say people are having to travel hundreds of kilometres just to get a 15 minute doctors consult, amid the doctors shortage that's seen half the country's clinics close their books to new patients.

5:17 PM.The rapidly rising price of diesel is going to put more pressure on household budgets as it filters through into almost every corner of day to day life, according to the AA.

Per litre diesel has gone… Read more Audio

5:27 PM.Auckland Council is cutting back on red tape approving many substituted building products on site to help get the industry through a plasterboard supply crisis.

It's also loaning out its building… Read more Audio

5:42 PM.When is an airport an airport? Turbulence is brewing in Hawke's Bay with accusations the region's airport is more focused on commercial business interests than actual aviation.

It all comes during a… Read more Audio

5:46 PM.The All Whites will have to wait another four years for the opportunity to play at the FIFA Football World Cup finals after a heart-breaking loss in their final qualification game.

New Zealand was… Read more Audio

5:51 PM.New safety barriers on the sides of a state highway near the Horowhenua town Levin are making some residents feel anything but safe.

They say turning into their properties has become a daredevil act… Read more Audio

5:55 PM.A pair of 12 year-old schoolgirls with big dreams have launched a skateboarding charity that they're hoping to take global.

What started out as a plea for skateboard donations has now become an… Read more Video, Audio

6:06 PM.With GP waiting rooms busting at the seams, it's even bleaker for those seeking specialty care. It can take at least 13 years to train a hospital specialist.

New Zealand currently has less than half… Read more Audio

6:14 PM.Pharmac is overhauling the criteria for funded prescriptions of a safe sex drug commonly used by gay men.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, can reduce the risk of being infected with HIV by up to 99… Read more Audio

6:26 PM.The striking sunsets noticed by New Zealanders in recent weeks are caused by leftovers from Tonga's volcano eruption.

And NIWA says the phenomenon, which produces vibrant blue and purple hues, could… Read more Audio