Morning Report for Tuesday 20 February 2018

6:00 AM.It's running behind schedule but Gita's on the way and chaos and damage is expected, Jacinda Ardern responds to a big surge for Labour in the latest poll, and Steven Joyce has just put his hand up to… Read more Audio

6:06 AM.A update from the team at RNZ sport. Audio

6:13 AM.The Transport Agency says morning commuters in Wellington may miss the worst of the storm, but they could face a hard journey home.

Commuters in Wellington were told to consider staying home, as the… Read more Audio

6:40 AM.The Taranaki Port has been preparing for the stormy weather ex-cyclone Gita is bringing to New Zealand. Taranaki Port's chief executive officer Guy Roper tells us what the coast is looking like.

… Read more Audio

7:06 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:15 AM.Flooding on State Highways 1 and 2 is likely as ex-cyclone Gita hits the country. In Kapiti there are predictions of waves up to 6.5 metres high. Joining us now is Neil Walker from the New Zealand… Read more Audio

7:16 AM.The West Coast of the South Island is expected to once again be walloped by heavy rain, wild winds and surging tides. More than 200mm of rain is expected along with 150km/h winds, and swells of more… Read more Audio

7:26 AM.A man who was sexually abused by a Catholic brother when he was just six years old says a 33-year-jail sentence for the paedophile is not long enough. The convicted sex offender Bernard McGrath preyed… Read more Audio

7:38 AM.Former Defence Minister, police officer and war zone security consultant Mark Mitchell has confirmed he will contest the National Party leadership. Mr Mitchell is said to be a popular figure within… Read more Audio

7:53 AM.The jury in New Zealander Clinton Thinn's murder trial in California is considering its verdict. Thinn is the step-brother of National MP Nikki Kaye. Neal Putnam is a reporter with The Star News in… Read more Audio

8:06 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

8:14 AM.A Masterton family lawyer says she'll be lodging an official complaint that Oranga Tamariki put out a misleading public statement about the welfare of a young girl. This follows the social agency's… Read more Audio

8:19 AM.Steven Joyce has just put his hand up to lead the National Party, becoming the fifth candidate going for the leadership. RNZ political editor Jane Patterson discusses the race with Susie Ferguson. Audio

8:23 AM.The union representing the Lyttelton Port workers is planning to strike after a breakdown in talks about hours and pay. The Lyttelton Port wants to change people's hours of work so the port can… Read more Audio

8:47 AM.The unexpected boom of Auckland's biggest housing development at Hobsonville Point has left residents worried their commuter ferry may soon not have room for them.

The development was created by the… Read more Audio

8:52 AM.Taranaki farmers face hefty bills as the regional council toughens enforcement of its riparian planting programme to clean up waterways. Audio

8:56 AM.Plastic experts visiting from the US are warning New Zealand's beaches are covered in far more plastic-waste than we realise. Staff from the Five Gyres Institute - an international organisation… Read more Audio