Morning Report for Friday 16 June 2023

8:38 AM.An expert on landslides and natural hazards warns thousands more New Zealand homes may become uninsurable in the near future. But quantifying risk from natural hazards is a fraught business -… Read more Audio

8:28 AM.It's a high-stakes weekend for rugby - not only are the two semi-finals playing out in Christchurch and Hamilton, the first All Blacks squad of the year is being unveiled. Coach Ian Foster will name… Read more Audio

8:24 AM.The secondary teachers' union and the Education Ministry go back to the negotiating table today to find a solution to their pay dispute. Members of the Post Primary Teachers Association are refusing… Read more Audio

8:19 AM.The head of the national polytechnic, Te Pukenga, is defending a proposal to cut 400 jobs. Te Pukenga, which has 10,000 employees, unveiled its plans yesterday. The chief executive, Peter Winder, says… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.The Employers and Manufacturers Association says Auckland businesses are feeling beaten up, after months of bad weather, high costs, soaring interest rates and flagging sales. It's symptomatic of a… Read more Audio

7:57 AM.Wearing fluffy cat ears which spin around translating your brainwaves isn't what a farmer would do on a normal day in the yards. And growers are more likely to walk between crop rows, not through the… Read more Audio

7:49 AM.Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson deliberately and repeatedly mislead MPs about parties at 10 Downing Street when COVID restrictions were in place. That's the conclusion of a report by MPs -… Read more Audio

7:40 AM.Secondary teachers are vowing to continue rolling strikes until they receive an acceptable pay offer. There've been mounting calls from parents for an end to the strikes, which have resulted in… Read more Audio

7:34 AM.The Tertiary Education Union says that the national training organisation Te Pukenga has never been funded well enough to achieve its aims. Te Pukenga is proposing to cut about 950 jobs in a major… Read more Audio

7:27 AM.The Crusaders and Chiefs will start favourites in this weekend's Super Rugby Pacific finals but neither are expected to have an easy ride. Scott Robertson's Crusaders will move a step closer to a… Read more Audio

7:24 AM.Hundreds of people gathered last night at Wellington's Cathedral of Saint Paul to remember the five people killed in the Loafers Lodge fire in Newtown. People had to flee for their lives in the May… Read more Audio

7:18 AM.Government officials are warning there are serious flaws in plans to disaster-proof critical infrastructure like phones, power and roads. Legislation to ensure there isn't a repeat of the crippling… Read more Audio

7:09 AM.An economist says the latest GDP figures could signal an end to rising interest rates - at least in the short term. The figures show the country is in a technical recession, with negative growth of… Read more Audio

6:51 AM.The High Court has ruled in favour of a group of independent pharmacies which challenged the legality of Countdown's in-store pharmacies. Countdown operates five pharmacies nationwide, after the… Read more Audio

6:46 AM.National has attacked the Government over the latest GDP figures, saying the economy is in a fragile state thanks to its profligacy. New Zealand is technically in recession, with GDP down for the… Read more Audio

6:21 AM.Paying blood plasma donors in New Zealand would ensure enough is in the country to meet patients' needs. In Alberta, Canada, donors receive up $105 NZD ($65 USD) per donation. Georgetown University's… Read more Audio

6:13 AM.The Government is looking into how it can transition towards a low emissions economy and move away from fossil fuels. Energy Link was commissioned by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment… Read more Audio

6:08 AM.The country has slipped into recession - brought on by devastating floods and a cyclone as well as rising interest rates. The figures show negative growth by whisker for the last quarter of 2022 and… Read more Audio