Morning Report

The latest market updates and news from RNZ's business team.

Money correspondent Susan Edmunds looks at how rates have been rising and who is paying the biggest bills.

The latest Westpac Economic Overview predicts a fall in the unemployment rate, with economic growth forecast to rise to 3 percent in 2027. Westpac chief economist Kelly Eckhold spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Major changes to the laws governing fisheries - covering how much can be caught, what can be caught, and who is able to have input into those decisions - have been paused until after the election after a swell of public criticism. Sealord CEO Doug Paulin spoke to John Campbell about the debate behind sustainable fishing practices.

Porirua GP Dr Bryan Betty says it's not too late for vaccinations to make a significant difference in the country's battle against a brutal flu season. He spoke to John Campbell about the late season and the expansion of vaccine coverage.

Residents and leaders on Wellington's South Coast want more transparency on the Moa Point water treatment plant meltdown, over six months after the disaster occurred. Ellen O'Dwyer reports.

Deputy Political Editor Craig McCulloch on Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment officials found in contempt of Parliament.

An early morning sports news update.

The latest market updates and news from RNZ's business team.

New Zealand's gender pay gap is at 5.3% in the June quarter, slightly up from the same time last year when it was 5.2%. That's according to the latest numbers from Stats New Zealand, which compares the median hourly earnings between men and women. Jo Cribb is the founder of Still Minding the Gap, an advocacy group. She spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

New Zealand has approximately 170,000 children living in what's defined as "material hardship" and more than 350,000 children in financially insecure households. The Child Poverty Action Group has launched a manifesto to reduce child poverty. Lyn Amos, chief executive of Child Poverty Action Group, spoke to John Campbell about the group's challenge to political parties.

The National Party this week ruled out a bed tax, despite the city deal with Auckland committing to exploring one in 2027. It comes as the government announces a rates cap from 2029. Mayor Wayne Brown spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss about what the changes could mean for Auckland.

An early morning update from RNZ's business team.

Starship Hospital is deferring less urgent cases to cope with a spike in young children with flu symptoms. Pharmac has announced it will fund the flu vaccine for all children under five for next year's flu season. Currently - for children at least - only those under 4 who have been hospitalised for respiratory illnesses are eligible for no-cost jabs. Starship Hospital respiratory paediatrician Dr...

Hundreds of people are feared dead after a flash flood and mudslide on the Nepal-Tibet border. Entire villages have been swept away. At least 95 people have been killed, and hundreds of others are missing, including foreign tourists. The BBC's Global Affairs Correspondent, Anbarasan Ethirajan spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

A home-grown agritech tackling painful udder infections in dairy cows looks to be going global meanwhile selling fertiliser is proving profitable for New Zealand co-operatives. Rural News on Morning Report with Gianina Schwanecke.

An early morning sports news update.

While property values across most of New Zealand are on the downslide - a southern buying frenzy has seen Invercargill completely defying that trend. Fueled by a resilient economy and a slew of infrastructure projects, the average house price in the country's southernmost city has risen more than eight percent over the last year. As Katie Todd reports, the question now is whether there's enough ro...

Catch up with the latest headlines from around the world with RNZ's Alice Wilkins.

The Port of Auckland has reported a record profit of $111 milion, up 30 percent from last year. It's seeing strong container and car volumes, and is delivering a $55 million dollar dividend back to Auckland Council. The port has had a remarkable turnaround after historic issues with worker safety, disputes and delays. Port of Auckland Chief Executive Roger Gray spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Some of New Zealand's most serious runners are in Otago for the race, thought to be the country's longest ultramarathon. Organiser Jill Wolff spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss about the 320 kilometre race.

A community is up in arms over plans to send stormwater runoff into a native forest where an 800-year-old kauri tree lives. Resource consent has been granted for a housing development near Parry Kauri Park in Warkworth, which allows stormwater from four of the 12 lots to be diverted into the park's stream. Auckland Council says any adverse effects on the park will be minimised. Luka Forman reports...

With only 11 sitting days left until the House rises for the election, about 100 bills remain for Parliament to consider. Dr Michael Swanson, honorary research fellow at Otago University's politics programme, spoke to John Campbell about the lawmaking trends in this term of Parliament.

An early morning sports news update.

The latest market updates and news from RNZ's business team.