Morning Report

Grey Lynn businesses hope Olivia Dean concert brings a boost; Mother speaks out after son's cancer treatment is delayed; Wellington Mayor responds to growing water bill concerns; AI safety concerns remain despite ChatGPT's teen mode

We cross the Tasman to talk to our correspondent Richard Willingham from ABC in Victoria.

Whanganui, the country's only UNESCO City of Design, is co-hosting New Zealand's first-ever national design festival, along with Palmerston North. The Festival of Design Aotearoa runs from today until October 25th, and includes interactive events ranging from an afterdark light show to a "Trashion" parade featuring garments made from discarded materials. One of the events running this weekend only...

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

We hear a lot about the cost of campaigning, but what about the admin side of getting people on the roll, running polling stations? Money correspondent and host of the No Stupid Questions podcast, Susan Edmunds has been looking into this and joins Ingrid Hipkiss.

A former problem gambler says regulators need sharper teeth as ads for illegal online casinos continue to infiltrate the phones of recovering addicts. He worries the onslaught will cause others like him to relapse. Felix Walton reports.

1 News Sports Editor Abby Wilson and All Black and Manu Samoa player, Lima Sopoaga join Morning Report for this week's sports panel.1 News Sports Editor Abby Wilson and All Black and Manu Samoa player, Lima Sopoaga join Morning Report for this week's sports panel.

Today marks the last day for six staff who resigned from Pahiatua Medical Centre over what they described as overwhelming workloads and a growing safety crisis. Seven staff, including a doctor and nurses, handed in their resignations last month, saying they wouldn't return unless OmniHealth, which runs the clinic, was out of the picture. The doctor is continuing on until next month. The fallout ha...

Grey Lynn businesses are gearing up to welcome around 30,000 Olivia Dean fans tomorrow night as they flock to the newly reopened Western Springs Bowl. Locals are hoping the concert venue's renovation will breathe new life into their shopping strip. Grey Lynn Business Association general manager Caroline Tauevihi spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

George Bower will play his 31st test for the All Blacks tomorrow, after being dropped for two years. The prop worked on his game, fitness and strength to earn his way back, making an immediate impact off the bench against South Africa. Bower spoke to John Campbell.

An early morning sports news update.

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

National has announced plans to bring back minimum car parking requirements for new developments. Community group Massey Matters spokesperson Lizzie Sayegh spoke to John Campbell.

Tens of thousands of people across the Wellington region haven't paid their first Tiaki Wai water bills, as debate ramps up about whether the agency's prices should be capped. Wellingtonians are staring down a future of price increases which a budget advisor says is causing people in the community deep stress. Wellington Mayor Andrew Little spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Tens of thousands of people across the Wellington region haven't paid their first Tiaki Wai water bills, as debate ramps up about whether the agency's prices should be capped. Wellingtonians are staring down a future of price increases which a budget advisor says is causing people in the community deep stress. Wellington Issues reporter Ellen O'Dwyer reports.

Tanya Lapu'aho speaks to Ingrid Hipkiss about the delays in treatment at Starship Hospital for her two-year-old son, Cillian. He has neuroblastoma, a cancer that develops in a child's nerve tissue. Cillian requires chemotherapy and two bone marrow transplants. The second, which was successful, was delayed a few days due to staffing shortages.

An early morning update from RNZ's business team.

The Wellington North electorate turned up en masse last night, for the Te Aro Valley Meet the Candidates Debate. People were forced to stand outside in the rain to listen to lively heckling, witty humour and serious policy issues. The community-led forum at the Aro Valley Community Centre featured candidates vying to represent the student-heavy area of Te Aro and its surrounding suburbs in Parliam...

A New Zealand AI consultancy firm, Ten Past Tomorrow, says teenagers need more safeguards when using AI. In August, OpenAI rolled out its ChatGPT for Teens - a default, safer mode for under-18 users. But research done by Common Sense Media, a US non-profit watchdog organisation that advocates for online safety, found the chatbot still presents problems for young people, even going so far as to rec...

The US military is reportedly weighing up the use of a weapon known as the mother of all bombs in the Iran war. Correspondent Kate Fisher spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss from Washington DC.

The latest rural news with Gianina Schwanecke.

An early morning sports news update.

The Migrant Workers Association has come out in support of a New Zealand First immigration policy. The advocacy group is among many who have long advocated for workers' visas to not be tied to their employer, so they can easily move jobs if they are exploited or threatened. It's now among proposals announced by Winston Peters, who wants to replace the Accredited Employer Work Visa. Gill Bonnett re...

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

Heath NZ says it is continuing to deliver safe and high quality care to children with cancer, after treatments were delayed at Starship Hospital due to a shortage of nurses. Nurses Organisation Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.