Morning Report for Wednesday 20 March 2024

8:52 AM.Speculation is mounting that British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been offered the role of 007, formerly played by Daniel Craig.

UK's Total Film reporter Neil Smith spoke to Corin Dann. Read more Audio

8:49 AM.The number of sea lion pups being born near Dunedin is the highest it's ever been.

The youngsters have been using coastal roads as their playground and some roads have been temporarily closed to… Read more Audio

8:45 AM.Thick layers of red seaweed are blanketing beaches on Auckland's Hibiscus Coast.

Both Orewa and Red beach are covered in the hair-like seaweed which has been on the shorelines for more than week -… Read more Audio

8:40 AM.The Government's first carbon auction of the year is on a knife-edge, following revelations companies are holding onto more surplus credits than previously suspected.

The credits are essentially… Read more Audio

8:27 AM.Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's illustrious career has been recognised by parliament with heartfelt speeches, waiata and even a couple of job offers.

The opera singer celebrated her 80th birthday this month.

… Read more Audio

8:23 AM.A Salvation Army director says its housing unit doesn't have the space or resources to take in more evicted Kāinga Ora tenants.

Ian Hutson, Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit director, says he's… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.Labour's leader Chris Hipkins says people with disabilities are paying the price for what he terms the coalition government's fiscal incompetence.

Whaikaha - the Ministry of Disabled People - has… Read more Audio

7:56 AM.The 'tween' leads of New Zealand's latest feature film stole the show at the world premiere of The Mountain in New Plymouth Tuesday night.

A joyous and heartfelt drama, the film follows three… Read more Audio

7:48 AM.All governments make decisions with "imperfect information" but retiring MP and former finance minister Grant Robertson says his experience during the Covid pandemic was an "extreme sports version of… Read more Audio

7:39 AM.The Government's being accused of blindsiding the disabled community when it changed funding for some services this week.

Joshua Perry lives in his Dunedin home and says the individualised funding… Read more Audio

7:27 AM.The head of an outdoors organisation says the Conservation Department's price hikes for the Great Walks will make the experience too expensive for New Zealand families.

The department is increasing… Read more Audio

7:20 AM.A confidential document leaked to RNZ says one of the country's top research institutes, Callaghan Innovation, is tens-of-millions-of-dollars short for urgent building work, some of which is needed to… Read more Audio

7:10 AM.The Ministry of Disabled People's announcement that it's restricting the help disabled people can get has left many blindsided.

Respite care, accommodation and noise cancelling headphones are some of… Read more Audio

6:48 AM.The Government is making efforts to demolish delays in the building consent system by forcing councils to front up with data every quarter.

Applications for consent must be done within 20 working… Read more Audio

6:45 AM.The top brass at police and defence have warned MPs the government's spending cuts could weaken frontline services.

Public sector bosses have been questioned at Parliament's Select Committees over… Read more Audio

6:22 AM.Northland's unused wood waste left over from felling and processing trees - including slash - could be transformed into biofuel and used for clean energy.

A report from the Energy Efficiency and… Read more Audio

6:09 AM.Patients in Wairoa can now rely on ongoing chemotherapy services, rather than travelling hours for treatment.

Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora has confirmed chemotherapy treatments, which were first… Read more Audio