Morning Report for Wednesday 1 December 2021

8:53 AM.New Zealand is literally in hot water - coastal sea temperatures around Aotearoa are well above what's normal.

That's according to NIWA, which has reported "marine heatwave" conditions in all… Read more Audio

8:50 AM.Advocates are calling for more support for working women going through menopause.

Most women start the biological change after the age of 45. For some it is so debilitating, they are forced to quit… Read more Audio

8:45 AM.The Insurance Council says the new Covid-19 variant Omicron means travellers should be more wary than ever when booking trips.

It says it's essential to check with insurers what is and isn't covered… Read more Audio

8:42 AM.The average house price in every Wellington suburb has now hit at least $1 million.

QV has released new rating valuations for the capital showing an increase of 60 percent since 2018.

Condition of… Read more Audio

8:37 AM.Today CoreLogic released its House Price Index - which offers some hope for buyers in the future property market.

It says the November results show a gradually easing property value growth.

… Read more Audio

8:29 AM.The boss of an iwi healthcare provider in Taranaki is worried a shortage of oximeters will hamper its ability to help whanau isolating at home with Covid-19.

It's expected most people with mild to… Read more Audio

8:24 AM.Struggling hospitality businesses in Auckland say the government is turning off their financial support just as the city's borders open and their customers leave for greener pastures.

The city moves… Read more Audio

8:12 AM.The biggest surprise in the changing of the National Party guard may have been the new deputy leader, with some observers having thought an accommodation with Simon Bridges was on the cards.

In his… Read more Audio

7:58 AM.The high profile sex trafficking trial of Ghislaine Maxwell is underway in New York.

Prosecutors have already told the court the 59-year-old British socialite allegedly preyed on and groomed young… Read more Audio

7:52 AM.Officials are urgently considering a formal request from Solomon Islands for assistance from New Zealand.

Days of violent unrest have rocked the Solomons capital, Honiara.

The Foreign Affairs… Read more Audio

7:50 AM.Auckland's three district health boards are closing in on a significant milestone when it comes to vaccinating Māori against Covid-19.

Auckland DHB is just 292 people short of that goal for first… Read more Audio

7:48 AM.There are now more than 200 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in the world - with a further 1200 probable cases.

In South Africa, where the variant was first identified, 124 cases have been… Read more Audio

7:40 AM.There are now at least 205 known cases of the Omicron variant in the world.

The EU's public health agency says 42 cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant have been found in 10 member states.

The UK… Read more Audio

7:37 AM.Newly minted National Party leader Christopher Luxon has signalled the party wants to make changes to the bipartisan housing accord his deputy Nicola Willis set up with Labour.

Luxon told Morning… Read more Audio

7:23 AM.Migrants will embark on a fast-track process to residence from today - and some are hoping they could even get their permanent stamp by Christmas.

In the biggest immigration change in recent history… Read more Audio

7:20 AM.For the first time in nearly a decade, businesses are closing at a faster rate than new ones are opening.

The data from Stats NZ shows that close to 65,000 firms closed their doors in the year ended… Read more Audio

7:13 AM.National Party has picked Christopher Luxon as its new leader.

The first-term MP will take the helm with second term MP Nicola Willis as deputy leader.

University of Auckland political scientist… Read more Audio

7:09 AM.The beleaguered National Party has pinned its hopes on a political novice to resurrect its fortunes and win the next election.

The former Air New Zealand boss Christopher Luxon was elected… Read more Audio

6:48 AM.A once-in-a-lifetime chance for 165,000 migrants to become residents starts today.

Senior software engineer Mic Shaw was logging on to apply when the programme opened at 6am on Wednesday.

His wife… Read more Audio

6:44 AM.A Northland iwi is floating a plan to block off popular tourist destinations this summer.

Bay of Islands iwi Te Tii Waitangi ki Te Pēwhairangi has told authorities they intend to re-establish a… Read more Audio

6:41 AM.National's new leader Christopher Luxon is promising to turn a party in turmoil into a high-performing team.

The former Air New Zealand chief executive says he will get National fighting fit by the… Read more Audio

6:09 AM.Former National Party senior cabinet minister David Carter is "absolutely delighted" with his old party's changing of the leadership guard.

Now it's just a matter of convincing hundreds of thousands… Read more Audio