Morning Report for Thursday 18 May 2023

8:54 AM.Te Tairawhiti iwi Ngati Porou are demanding urgent action to address the slash left over from forestry operations in the region. The iwi says it can no longer tolerate unsustainable practices that… Read more Audio

8:43 AM.As the adrenaline wears off - survivors of the Hostel Fire Tragedy say they're just starting to feel the full weight of what they've been through. At the Newton Community Centre - a team of trauma… Read more Audio

8:40 AM.Global temperatures will likely surge to record levels in the next five years, according to a new update issued by the World Meteorological Organization. A combination of man-made greenhouse gas… Read more Audio

8:31 AM.Police have found the vehicle involved in a road rage shooting in Auckland yesterday. Last night, Police executed a search warrant at a property on Kelvyn Grove, Hillpark. The vehicle of interest in… Read more Audio

8:26 AM.The Commerce Commission released its building supplies study yesterday in which it recommended government begin monitoring price rises and take down barriers that are stopping new suppliers joining… Read more Audio

8:21 AM.Former Warriors rugby league star Manu Vatuvei is set to be released from prison later this month and will take up a role at his former club as a mentor. Kiwis great Vatuvei was sentenced to three… Read more Audio

8:17 AM.Dairy farmers and others in Whangarei are bracing for yet more heavy rain today. Metservice has issued a severe weather watch that could result in heavy rain in Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Bay of… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.Investigations continue, including into the role played by Fire and Emergency in the rescue of five people off the roof. A truck with a 32-metre ladder was used, but a second long-ladder truck was not… Read more Audio

7:57 AM.Advocates warn mental health services won't cope with the rising tide of post-cyclone trauma that is surfacing in Hawke's Bay and Tairawhiti. Te Whatu Ora says the number of people seeking mental… Read more Audio

7:52 AM.The Mayor of Auckland Wayne Brown has softened his stance on the city's arts sector and social services, which previously faced sweeping budget cuts. Citizens Advice Bureau, homelessness initiatives… Read more Audio

7:50 AM.Auckland police are still hunting for a gunman shot at a minivan, injuring a 15-year-old girl who was sitting in the van's backseat. The girl is in a stable condition in hospital - another family… Read more Audio

7:44 AM.Residents of Loafers Lodge are struggling to piece their lives back together as they come to grips with losing everything in Tuesday morning's blaze. They're staying in short-term accommodation, but… Read more Audio

7:41 AM.An intensive police search of the Loafers Lodge in Wellington is due to start today. Six people are confirmed to have died in a blaze there on Tuesday, but up to 20 people are still unaccounted for… Read more Audio

7:34 AM.New Zealand writer Catherine Chidgey has taken out the top fiction award at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. Announced at the Aotea Centre last night, she won for her novel The Axeman's Carnival… Read more Audio

7:27 AM.A man drove his car directly towards a packed emergency department at North Shore Hospital on Saturday. The car crashed into bollards right outside the door. Sarah Dalton is the executive director of… Read more Audio

7:23 AM.News has come in overnight of what is being described as a near-catastrophic car chase of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle by aggressive paparazzi in New York City. A spokesperson for the couple says… Read more Audio

7:13 AM.RNZ political editor Jane Patterson and business editor Gyles Beckford spoke with Corin Dann on today's Budget announcement. Read more Audio

7:10 AM.Anti-poverty campaigners are hoping for tangible support for vulnerable people in today's so-called "no frills" Budget. They are focussed on what the government has up its sleeve to ease the cost of… Read more Audio

6:43 AM.Another unwelcome bout of bad weather is set to hit the upper North Island - arriving in the far north this afternoon. A heavy rain watch is in place for Northland, while Auckland, Coromandel and the… Read more Audio

6:38 AM.Police say it will be days before they know how many people have died in the horrific Wellington hostel fire. The fire in Loafers Lodge on Tuesday morning is now being treated as arson and a homicide… Read more Audio

6:18 AM.Auckland mayor Wayne Brown has walked back plans for huge budget cuts to community organisations. It comes as a welcome relief to many, including Manurewa Local Board deputy chairman Matt Winiata. At… Read more Audio