Morning Report for Wednesday 9 March 2016

8:54 AM.The first ever book club for Auckland's homeless has become an inspiration for some to improve their lives. Audio

8:50 AM.Hundreds of school rugby league players in Wellington will lose their training field if the city council approves a half-million dollar turf upgrade for the Phoenix football club. Audio

8:46 AM.Environmental groups have panned the Government's rationale for breaking its promise to allow marine reserves up to 200 miles from New Zealand's coast. Audio

8:43 AM.A mother whose son died while diving says she goes through the grieving process each time she hears of another diver's death. Audio

8:38 AM.Firefighters near Hanmer Springs are continuing to dampen down hotspots before forecast strong winds arrive today. Audio

8:30 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:28 AM.The leader of the opposition in Fiji says the country is back in the grip of the military after two military men were appointed to key state roles last week. Audio

8:24 AM.A leading Australian sports doctor says tennis star Maria Sharapova's career is likely over after announcing she failed a drugs test at this year's Australian Open. Audio

8:20 AM.The High Court has been told how Richard Ord decided he had to confront the gunman who shot his partner or he'd be next. Audio

8:17 AM.A Far North conservation group is blowing the whistle over a recent resource consent allowing a tourism operator to dig for swamp kauri. Audio

8:11 AM.The Finance Minister Bill English says falling dairy prices mean the land prices will also fall and farming for capital gain will no longer be an option for the industry. Audio

8:07 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:54 AM.Anointed by dirt and powered by passion is the mantra of the international mountain biking event, Crankworx, which starts in Rotorua today. Audio

7:51 AM.Chinese New Zealanders who fought in places like Gallipoli during the First World War were recognised last night during a special commemoration and book launch at Wellington's Pukehau National War… Read more Audio

7:46 AM.Iwi say people should have to consult with them about where they scatter ashes of the dead. Audio

7:43 AM.Buller's mayor Garry Howard says the latest redundancies at Stockton Mine are proof the owners are readying it for sale. Audio

7:40 AM.Zero hours contracts will soon be a thing of the past after a deal was struck between National and Labour to get a new law over the line. Audio

7:36 AM.Suggestions people who go out fishing in the Hauraki Gulf or Malborough Sounds will have to fill out a form / tell a govt dept how much they've cuaght is angering many. Audio

7:29 AM.Firefighters near Hanmer Springs are in a race against the clock to dampen down hotspots before forecast strong winds build after midday. Audio

7:22 AM.It's a story that's rocked the tennis world, an admission by Maria Sharapova, the sport's top earning female star, that she failed a drug test at this year's Australian Open. Audio

7:15 AM.Listening to that is the Finance Minister Bill English. Audio

7:11 AM.Fonterra's dairy farmers say the latest cut to their income is a bitter pill, and many farmers will be under extreme stress. Audio

7:07 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:58 AM.Kirkcaldie and Stains, the Wellington retailer that's in the final stages of closing down, says it will pay more than half a million dollars to break a lease for a warehouse property in Petone. Audio

6:57 AM.American stocks are a touch softer, weak Chinese trade numbers and a dip in oil prices have dampened sentiment. Audio

6:55 AM.Oil prices have hit their highest levels in three months, but an industry body says there's a long way to go before it gets back to sustainble levels. Audio

6:54 AM.Inflation looks set to have stayed at multi-year lows, if the ANZ bank's latest monthly gauge is anything to go by. Audio

6:53 AM.There is something of a silver lining to the dark cloud of another cut in Fonterra's payout forecast - for investors at least. Audio

6:52 AM.Industry watchers believe there are some bright spots that could help lift the payout for next season. Audio

6:50 AM.An economist says Fonterra's lower forecast payout to dairy farmers only adds further pressure for the Reserve Bank to cut the official cash rate. Audio

6:42 AM.The United Nations is deeply concerned about a tentative deal between the European Union and Turkey over the migrant crisis. Audio

6:39 AM.The Finance Minister says a small group of dairy farmers will probably now be in trouble because of low milk prices. Audio

6:26 AM.News from the rural and farming sector. Audio

6:21 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

6:14 AM.The multi-million dollar financial mismanagement at the Ministry of Health led to a fiery debate in Parliament yesterday. Audio

6:09 AM.It's been a tense night for weary Hanmer Springs residents worried about potential flare ups after yesterday's scrub fire. Audio

6:05 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:00 AM.A fourth generation dairy farmer tells us he sees no future in dairying - we'll ask the Finance Minister, Bill English what he's going to do about the crisis. We also talk to Maria Sharapova's former… Read more Audio