Morning Report for Thursday 2 December 2021

8:55 AM.The countdown to Christmas is on.

We know what you're thinking, where's the time gone?!

After a year of Covid and lockdowns, many are ready to dive into the silly season early. So, how do you keep… Read more Audio

8:52 AM.Wellington City Council's social housing tenants may soon get ratepayer help with their rents.

The council will today consider whether to extend a temporary subsidy that is currently used by very… Read more Audio

8:47 AM.Five years after the earthquake which devastated the Kaikōura coastline, people are once again be able to gather pāua from its shores.

The fishery has reopened for three-months much to the joy of… Read more Audio

8:43 AM.A sixth case of the Omicron virus has been detected in New South Wales.

New South Wales health minister Brad Hazzard yesterday ruled out lockdowns to contain the new variant.

He says it might be… Read more Audio

8:40 AM.Auckland's business leaders are warning more city businesses will close for good if the city doesn't move to orange in a fortnight.

Auckland Unlimited chief executive Nick Hill says the calamity - as… Read more Audio

8:36 AM.Auckland schools are reporting wildly different attendance rates with some families refusing to send children back to class.

It's just over two weeks since the region's classrooms were allowed to… Read more Audio

8:25 AM.Waitangi Day commemorations have been cancelled for 2022.

The Government is being warned that the calling off of events is just the start, with Northlanders fearful of what Covid-19 will bring to… Read more Audio

8:21 AM.A union and a hotel worker say MIQ facilities are not as secure as they could be because frontline staff are being left out of health and safety training and meetings.

They say that's preventing… Read more Audio

8:16 AM.Covid-19 vaccinations for children age five to 11 are coming, but not until next year.

It looks likely shots will be available for that age group from the end of January.

Of the current delta… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.Two Nelson primary schools have closed after staff members tested positive for Covid-19. One person at Enner Glynn School returned a positive result yesterday and had been infectious since Monday… Read more Audio

7:56 AM.If you're sick of Christmas music already, here's a new track to keep you... entertained?

'Vax the Nation' by Dr Joel Rindelaub and Randa is a new "nerdcore" rap song.

It features cameos from some… Read more Audio

7:54 AM.Motueka moves to a new traffic light system today - no, not THAT one, but the old -fashioned version with traffic and pedestrian signals.

The new system, a first for the South Island town, is part of… Read more Audio

7:50 AM.The depth of the sedimentary basin beneath Wellington is the reason there was so much shaking and damage in parts of Wellington during the 2016 Kaikoura Earthquake.

That's the finding of  a new study… Read more Audio

7:45 AM.Iwi health providers are going right into the heart of Gisborne's most vulnerable communities to get the city's whānau vaccinated.

The Tairāwhiti region is the lowest fully vaccinated region in the… Read more Audio

7:36 AM.New Zealand will deploy Defence Force and police personnel to the Solomon Islands to help in the regional effort to restore order in the capital Honiara.

The island nation has been roiled by civil… Read more Audio

7:35 AM.Ghislaine Maxwell's trial has reached its second day in New York.

The court has heard from one of the alleged victims, a woman who says she was sexually assaulted by Jeffrey Epstein.

The prosecution… Read more Audio

7:26 AM.Auckland's economic development agency is warning more businesses will close for good if the city doesn't move to Covid-19 traffic level light orange in a fortnight.

The actual number of financially… Read more Audio

7:22 AM.The Government is being warned the calling off of Waitangi Day events is just the start, with Northlanders fearful of what Covid-19 will bring.

Northland iwi want only double-vaxed visitors and… Read more Audio

7:20 AM.Enner Glynn School says health officials have told it one person got a positive Covid-19 and was infectious since Monday.

There are number of close contacts who have been told to get tested… Read more Audio

7:13 AM.Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield is defending the timeframe to get Covid-19 vaccinations for children approved and rolled out.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said on… Read more Audio

7:09 AM.The clock's ticking for the government to get children aged five to 11 vaccinated against Covid-19.

Minister Chris Hipkins has announced he expects advice from Medsafe in a couple of weeks and the… Read more Audio

6:46 AM.A Northern District Health Board leader says the region needs more time to boost low vaccination rates before unvaccinated travellers are allowed in.

From 15 December unvaccinated Aucklanders may… Read more Audio

6:42 AM.Roadside Covid-19 testing stations could be set up on State Highway 1 heading into Northland as iwi race to figure out how to avoid escalating cases once the Auckland border lifts.

That happens in… Read more Audio