Checkpoint for Thursday 17 October 2024

5:45 PM.Australia correspondent Peter Ryan spoke to Lisa Owen about the high cost of housing in Australia being blamed for the collapse in the birth rate, which has tumbled to its lowest level since European… Read more Audio

5:36 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio

5:33 PM.Today is D-Day for Darleen Tana - with the Green Party due to meet this evening to decide whether to eject their former MP from Parliament altogether. It comes after a fraught and drawn-out process -… Read more Audio

5:29 PM.Rising ticket prices for sports events are upsetting some fans but organisers are gambling on people forking out big bucks for bucket list events. Golf's Ryder Cup is the latest event to come under… Read more Audio

5:27 PM.The local government minister Simeon Brown said he still has concerns about the workings of Wellington City Council. That's despite his meeting with Wellington's Mayor Tory Whanau at parliament this… Read more Audio

5:18 PM."Dire" is how one advocacy service describes the disability housing situation. Disability Connect helps people with disabilities, and their families, find the services and support they need. It's… Read more Audio

5:08 PM.A man paralysed after a fall, who has been in emergency housing for three years, waiting for a wheel chair friendly state house, is still waiting for a property to be modified. The New Plymouth man… Read more Audio

4:42 PM.Young people on the job seeker benefit say they're barely surviving as they struggle to find work while dealing with threat of losing their only source of income. In August, the government introduced… Read more Audio

4:36 PM.Hawke's Bay's controversial Ruataniwha Dam project was back in the public spotlight at a council meeting today for the first time in years. Plans for the nearly billion-dollar dam were scuppered in… Read more Audio

4:28 PM.The feud between All Black centre Reiko Ioane and Ireland's Jonny Sexton has been put to bed, for now. The two players have been trading jabs since last year's Rugby World Cup quarterfinal. Sports… Read more Audio

4:25 PM.Dunedin's Cliff the Ambulance has hit the road as the city council's Save Our Southern Hospital campaign ramps up. Ministers are waiting for officials to report back with options to reduce costs in… Read more Audio

4:15 PM.United States correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about the state of Georgia having a record breaking day of early voting, two election workers in Georgia taking to court to claim millions… Read more Audio

4:07 PM.So far this year, 176 routes have been or are being reviewed by the Ministry of Education; 21 have been cut and 11 have been replaced with different routes or combined with others. Otago schools have… Read more Audio