Summer Report for Thursday 15 January 2015

8:48 AM.The Waitaki dam is getting a 40 million dollar upgrade involving some major earthquake strengthening and fixing a generator which has been broken for 15 years. Read more Audio

8:42 AM.There are fears amongst some businesses in the port town of Lyttelton that a new entertainment and retail precinct on the waterfront could take away much needed customers from the town's existing bars… Read more Audio

8:38 AM.A long spell of hot weather this year has allergy sufferers reaching for the antihistamines instead of the sunscreen. Audio

8:35 AM.A team of researchers from the United States and Australia will set out this weekend to examine skyscraper sized waves generated under the ocean's surface just south of New Zealand. Audio

8:29 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:28 AM.The Reserve Bank has reduced the amount of capital Heartland New Zealand has to hold, putting its capital requirements in line with those of the other registered banks. Audio

8:27 AM.An economist says even though consumers have gained a one to one-and-a-half billion dollar windfall from falling petrol prices over the last few months, they're not splurging on spending in other… Read more Audio

8:23 AM.The New Zealand Film Commission believes the country has what it takes to make a mark on the world's stage. Audio

8:20 AM.Auckland Transport's looking to step up security at the city's central transport hub, Britomart. Audio

8:16 AM.A property analyst thinks regional variations in home lending rules could help slow down the housing market. Audio

8:09 AM.The first edition of Charlie Hebdo published since last week's attack has sold out in hours, with five million copies printed to meet demand -- dwarfing the usual run of 60-thousand. Audio

7:52 AM.A campaign is under way on the West Coast to crack down on poaching and illegal hunting on the province's remote farms. Audio

7:48 AM.The Labour Party leader is looking for a new media minder. Audio

7:45 AM.The 111 emergency text service has been restored following a thirteen hour outage yesterday. Audio

7:41 AM.Half of the International Space Station has had to be evacuated from a suspected ammonia leak. Audio

7:36 AM.Sentiment on Wall Street has taken a decided turn for the worse amid concerns about global growth, deflation and disappointing retail sales figures. Audio

7:35 AM.Metlifecare has secured a 5 hectare site in Red Beach in Auckland on which it plans to build its 26th retirement village at a cost of about 150 million dollars. Audio

7:34 AM.Falling oil prices drove December's zero-point-3 percent fall in spending using electronic cards. Audio

7:26 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:22 AM.Some of the world's best filmmakers are talking up the future of the film industry in New Zealand. Audio

7:17 AM.The conservation group Sea Shepherd says the New Zealand Navy must continue its pursuit of three illegal fishing vessels and call for back-up from Australia. Audio

7:14 AM.Auckland transport and a former senior police officer are calling for a bigger police presence at the city's central transport hub Britomart. Audio

7:09 AM.Al qaeda in Yemen is claiming responsiblility for the Charlie Hebdo massacre, on the same day as the publication of the magazine's first edition since the murder of its staff. Audio

7:00 AM.Al qaeda claims responsibility for the Paris attack, as the Charlie Hebdo magazine sells out. A call for more police to be stationed at Auckland's Britomart and big names from the movie world agree to… Read more Audio