Checkpoint Choice

Corrections is slashing the amount of time prisoners can spend on jail phones talking to their whanau, and said some inmates have been abusing the system, resorting to violence and stand over tactics to monopolise the phone. Currently, prisoners make free calls to approved numbers for up to three hours a day, but in the new year that is being cut back to just half an hour. Corrections Commissioner for Custodial Services, Leigh Marsh spoke to Lisa Owen.

An New Zealand Airforce plane carrying search and rescue equipment and disaster relief supplies has arrived in Vanuatu following the 7.3 magnitude earthquake earlier this week. MFAT consular staff and six defence force personal were on the flight including medics and staff who will help evacuate New Zealanders who are stuck there. On the ground in Port Vila cash is being rationed with ATM's down and electricty intermittment. There's also evidence of some crisis pricing as people try and buy essentials. Central town remains cordoned off as search teams continue to comb the rubble for people, with the death toll expected to rise. Journalist and documentary director Adrian Stevanon spoke to Lisa Owen.

An inmate's wife said severely cutting the amount of time time prisoners can spend on the phone to family could lead to more tension and violence in jail and will harm rehabilitation efforts. At the moment, prisoners make free phone calls to approved numbers for up to three hours a day, but in the new year that's being cut back to just half an hour a day. Corrections said the change is aimed at giving everyone fair access because there's been issues with some prisoners monopolising the phones. But the one prisoner's wife said the phone is a vital link to the outside world and their families and it helps them cope with being locked up.

All Black Ardie Savea has been one of the big movers during the Super Rugby off-season after joining his brother at Moana Pasifika. The rugby pre-season is coming up to the Christmas break and Savea was keen to meet up with his new team mates, despite still officially being on leave. It turns out Savea's presence at North Harbour stadium caused a stir. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

An airforce hercules carrying emergency supplies has arrived in quake struck Vanuatu and will help with the evacuation of New Zealanders stuck there. At the moment there are no commerical flights to the island, but planes carrying aid have been landing at the airport. MFAT staff were on the defence force flight that arrived earlier today and will help co-ordinate evacuations. But what about people who are booked to Vanuatu in the next few days and weeks? Jen Staples from Flight Centre travel group spoke to Lisa Owen.

In the Far North, the district council is having to bring in tighter controls across its 11 cemetries to prevent so-called "plot hoarding." It means reserving a plot, but not using it for many years. The District is running out of space to bury people as it tries to cope with a growing and aging population. Out of just over 9,500 burial plots - only 833 are free. The new guidelines will limit applications or additional plots for family members. Far North District Mayor Moko Te Pania spoke to Lisa Owen.

More people in financial hardship have been declined government food grants this year and foodbanks warn this is putting even more pressure on their struggling services. Data released to RNZ under the official information act shows six percent of special needs grants were declined in the first nine months of this year. That's compared to just 3.5 percent for the same period in 2023. The Ministry of Social Development offers the hardship grants, most are given for food, and people do not have to be on a benefit to apply. Amy Williams reports.

There are mixed reactions to the government's announcement today of redress payments for those tortured in the Lake Alice psychiatric hospital's child and adolescent unit in the 1970s. The minister responsible, Erica Stanford, said the $22.68 million package involves $150,000 redress payments to survivors, although they will be able to instead opt for an individual assessment of what they should be paid. Jimmy Ellingham has the story.

Downtown Port Vila has been cordoned off as rescue workers dig for survivors in a painstakingly slow and delicate process. At least 14 people are confirmed dead in yesterday's 7.3 magnitude quake and more than 200 injured. But locals have been warned to expect those figures to rise. The quake hit around lunch time when town was busy, but locals say it was lucky there were no cruise ships in port at the time. Dan McGarry, a journalist in Port Vila, spoke to Lisa Owen.

The desperate search for survivors continues after yesterday's 7.3 magnitude earthquake which toppled buildings and brought a huge landslip down on a busy road. At least 14 people were killed and hundreds injured in the violent quake and it's feared people are still trapped beneath the rubble and dirt. The government has issued a call for help, asking for medical supplies, heavy machinery for cleaning landslides and collapsed buildings, plus safe drinking water. Caleb Fotheringham has been covering the story.

A hard working Hamilton Christmas tree is a little on the tired side and needs a pretty pricey zhoosh up if its going to stay on duty for years to come. The iconic tree, that is the tallest in country at 27 metres or six stories high, has already put in more than 15 years of festive service but its frame is aging and patching it will cost around $120,000. The Hamilton Christmas Tree Trust has set up a Give a little page to fundraise for the work. It's spokesperson, Rebecca Aston spoke to Lisa Owen.

It's the time of year when many people are looking forward to getting away on their summer break -- to enjoy some sun and sea and let their hair down a little while they're away from home. But the suspected alcohol poisoning of a group of travellers in Fiji is yet another reminder of the potential risks. Four Australian women are among those who became sick, correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen.

Orana Wildlife Park will stop taking in new animals for six months, after two reviews highlighted four key areas that need improving. The investigations were prompted by whistleblowers' animal welfare concerns and allegations of a toxic culture at the Christchurch zoo. The Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia commissioned an independent investigation into the allegations, while the Orana Wildlife Trust Board asked agency Culture by Design to assess the park's workplace culture. Both reviews highlighted the need for the zoo to improve its governance, systems, processes and policies. Delphine Herbert has the details.

MPI is asking people to keep a close eye on their backyard chooks after a bird flu scare in the forced killing of 200 thousand birds. A mainland egg farm near Moeraki tested positive for an aggressive and highly contagious strain of avian influenza; H7N6. That led to the farm being quarantined and the entire commerical chicken population being destroyed after the virus spread between sheds. Wildlife vet Brett Gartrell spoke to Lisa Owen.

A massive 7.3 earthquake has hit Vanuatu, at a depth of 10 kilometres. The quake struck 37 kilometres west of the capital Port Vila just before 1:00pm local time. A local journalist has told the ABC it was a violent high frequency shake that lasted 30 seconds and siren are sounding throughout the capital. Locals have described it as the biggest quake in more than 20 years. Red Cross's deputy head of delegation for the Pacific, Finau Leveni spoke to Lisa Owen.

A woman whose holiday home was at the centre of an online scam said it has taken weeks for the host site to take the property offline. Meanwhile she's worried people will have been fleeced for a deposit and turn up expecting to stay at the house. In October, Kelli Walker noticed her six bedroom holiday home in Orewa was on the Booking.com website but she never listed it. She notified the site of the scam listing but said nothing happened for weeks. Walker spoke to Lisa Owen.

A former spy minister said a police trip to China looks like a "classic effort" by the Chinese government to "curry favour" with New Zealand authorities. A group of 33 police staff visited China in October, in what the police say was a private, self-funded trip to increase cultural competency. It's raised critics' eyebrows, who say the jaunt has all the hallmarks of a political interference operation. Anneke Smith reports.

Richlisters and the kindness of a church means needy families are still being fed after a trio of key donors stepped into save David Letele's south Auckland food bank. The Butter Bean food bank has struggled this year with demand massively out stripping funding. But this week it will deliver hundreds of Christmas hampers and toys to Whanau hampers after donors stepped in. David Letele from ButtaBean Motivation spoke to Lisa Owen.

Fiji's government is desperately trying to protect the country's reputation as a tourist destination after seven people fell violently ill after drinking cocktails at a five-star resort on Saturday afternoon. The four Australians, one American and two Fiji residents had been drinking pina coladas at the Warwick Resort on the Coral Coast. They're reported to have had symptoms of nausea, vomiting and neurological issues. A friend of one of those affected told RNZ that they're still too ill to get up. But a short time ago Fiji's Minister of Tourism and Deputy Prime Minister, Bill Gavoka, told media that three patients have now been discharged and two others are likely to be released later today. Gavoka spoke to Lisa Owen.

An advocate for young homeless people said it's clear Oranga Tamariki needs more funding to care for teenagers and children. The call comes as Oranga Tamariki data shows the number of kids and teens kept in police cells overnight is sky-rocketing. The organisation said there is pressure on its facilities. The Green Party's justice spokesperson said the situation is so bad - that she knows even police are concerned about it. Finn Blackwell reports.

A survivor of the Lake Alice child and adolescent unit, where children were tortured in the 1970s, has received an in-person apology from the Medical Council for not investigating a complaint he made. But Steve Watt would still like a public apology so everyone can hear what the Medical Council has to say about why his complaint to the council in the late 1990s, about the unit's lead psychiatrist, Dr Selwyn Leeks, went nowhere. Reporter Jimmy Ellingham has the story.

Fijian authorities are scrambling to find out what led to seven people falling ill after drinking cocktails at a five-star resort on Saturday afternoon. All were taken to hospital where their condition is now stable - with one of the seven reportedly returning home to Australia. Fiji's Ministry for Tourism said they think this is an isolated incident - and resort staff have assured them the ingredients of the drinks were not substituted or altered in anyway. But one guest told RNZ, his friend who was among the group that had a pina colada at the resort, is still too ill to get up. Caleb Fotheringham has more.

Food waste is a massive issue, it's estimated up to a third of all food is lost or wasted globally. A recent survey by social group Love Food Hate Waste found 42 percent of left overs aren't used, more than 26 percent of people admitted cooking too much leading to waste and more than 16 percent of people bought more food than they can use. Kate Fenwick from Love Food Hate Waste spoke to Lisa Owen.

A footbridge linking Auckland's Viaduct to a once-humming restaurant district overlooking the harbour has finally been fixed, after nine months stuck in the upright position. The final tally's not in yet but fixing Wynyard Crossing Bridge is estimated to have cost close to 11 million dollars - more than it cost to build. Some businesses that rely on the bridge to bring them customers want rent reductions from their landlord - the council arm in charge of fixing the bridge. Amy Williams took a walk-about.

Ōtautahi Christchurch is getting a brand new aircraft as Jetstar makes its biggest expansion into New Zealand in over a decade. The airline is adding daily flights from Christchurch to the Gold Coast and Melbourne from mid December until the end of January - it's also adding to the Auckland flight schedule The new plane, an A320, touches down in the garden city this Sunday morning. Christchurch Airport's General Manager of Aero Development Gordan Bevan spoke to Susana Lei'ataua.

A Coromandel business owner and former army medic desperately tried to save the life of a man who was shot near his remote property. Police have confirmed that one person is dead and another seriously injured after the incident, which occurred this afternoon about eight-and a-half kilometres south of the Coromandel Township, towards the top of the Peninsula. The injured man has been airlifted to Auckland City Hospital. One person was arrested and police are considering laying charges. They are not seeking anyone else in relation to the incident. A Coromandel business owner, who did not want his name used, spoke with Checkpoint producer Matthew Theunissen.

Motorists will have to pay between a $1 and $5 .40 to drive on them. The announcement, made by Minister of Transport Simeon Brown earlier today, doubles the number already operating in New Zealand. Mr Brown also announced changes to tolling systems meaning the vehicle owner - rather than the driver - will be charged. But the government caved on a proposal to toll the new Manawatu-Tararua Highway after the proposal faced backlash from the local community. Dom Kalasih from Transporting NZ spoke to Susana Lei'ataua.

Jetstar is expanding its services to the New Zealand market, and Christchurch looks set to get the bulk of the traffic. An extra aircraft will land in Christchurch on Sundays and four more trans-Tasman routes are set to launch in the next six months. Auckland Airport said it's also been growing its domestic and international Jetstar services. It rejected claims a slated large airport upgrade made it a less attractive proposition to Jetstar, and said its airline charges were lower or on par with other airports. Krystal Gibbens has the details.

A scrub fire caused the evacuation of three properties near Norwood in Canterbury, destroying a shed and leaving behind a trail of blackened vegetation and the smell of smoke. Fire and Emergency was called to the blaze between Burnham and Dunsandel, believed to have been caused by a vehicle tyre blowing out. It quickly spread to 30-hectares due to the hot, dry conditions, and teams remained on site last night putting out the flames and dampening down hotspots. Delphine Herbert reports.

The government is going back to the drawing board on its reforms to the Holidays Act, which will overhaul how annual leave is calculated. The Workplace Relations and Safety minister Brooke Van Velden has pushed out her rewrite, and instead is opting to start from scratch. While businesses are pleased it could lead to a simpler leave system, Labour is worried workers will miss out. Political reporter Giles Dexter reports.

For many of us, hanging the laundry up outside is something we wouldn't give a second thought. But residents at an Auckland apartment building have been told they can't hang their wet washing out on the balcony. It's been banned because it affects the aesthetic of the building - and is a breach of community guidelines. Reporter Louise Ternouth went to visit the residents of the Resido Apartments in Mount Wellington.

Three homes were evacuated and a shed was destroyed by the blaze near Burnham, which is covering around 30 hectares. It follows three other big fires in the Selwyn District in the past week, including a 980-hectare high country blaze at Bridge Hill that closed the highway linking Canterbury and the West Coast and resulted in evacuations. Incident controller Commander Dave Berry spoke to media near the scene of the Burnham fire a short time ago.

Tired of waiting, a team of specialists have resorted to DIY and drafted their own anti slavery law, in the hope that MP's will support it. The team included modern slavery and human trafficking and legal experts from World Vision and the ANZ bank. The bill defines modern slavery as exploititive or forced labour, forced prostitution and child labour, debt bondage or the trafficking of people. If passed into law, it would mean companies with revenue over of 50 million, have to report any exloitation risks in their international operations and supply chains, as well as declaring acutal incidents of modern slavery and what they're doing to stop it. World Vision's Rebekah Armstrong spoke to Lisa Owen.

A man with disabilities is facing his fourth summer stuck in a hot and loud motel room while he waits for a state house to be modified for his wheelchair. New Plymouth's Shane Emeny spoke to Checkpoint two months ago about his plight but was hopeful then his long wait for a home was almost over. Fast forward to December and he still doesn't have a moving date, leaving him feeling isolated and forgotten. Although, ACC says work on his new home is progressing. Reporter Jimmy Ellingham paid him a visit.

Expect disruptions as the Mongrel Mob farewells its Napier president, 'Heil Dogg', this weekend, police say. Extra police have been brought in from across the country and a number of checkpoints have seen two vehicles being seized. A handful of people have also had gang insignia taken off them under the new laws banning patches in public. But as Alexa Cook reports - most people are peacefully paying their respects.

BYO is nothing new but now it seems there's an increasing trend towards workers picking up pretty much the whole tab for the Christmas party. Checkpoint is aware of some organisations limiting their festive spend to $20 a head with a rider that the money can't be spent on alcohol. Another is stumping up $5 a person; while some functions are completely staff funded. Massey University school of business management, Professor Jarrod Haar spoke to Lisa Owen.

A long time greyhound trainer said the government's ban on dog racing is a disaster and it is unrealistic to think thousands of dogs can be rehomed in less than two years. MPs rushed through legislation yesterday to stop the unnecessary killing of dogs after the announcement. There will be a 20 month wind down with up to 3,500 dogs to be rehomed. Long time leading Canterbury greyhound trainer Craig Roberts spoke to Lisa Owen.

The much anticipated big reveal failed to reveal cost details, whether ferries would be rail enabled, or any specifics about the ships and where they are coming from. Instead the government announced it's setting up a new crown owned company to buy two ferries, with an operating start date of 2029. But it does say the whole project will cost much less than the last government's plan, including break fees for canning the ships. Chief Executive Officer of Booth Logistics Dallas Vince spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Government has failed to deliver a ferry-tale ending for the Interislander today - with major questions persisting around the ship's replacement. A year on from pulling the pin on Labour's project, the coalition has announced it will establish a company to procure two new vessels - to be delivered by 2029. Decisions are to be made in March - but there's no word on how much the deal might cost - or whether the ferries will have rail rolling on and off. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Regional development minister won't commit to helping save jobs at Tokoroa's Kinleith pulp and paper mill but said he's sent an official in Japan to meet with company's owner and establish the facts. The Mill plans to stop paper processing next year with 230 jobs going. The Kinleith operation is owned Oji Fibre Solutions, which announced in September that it was closing its operation at Auckland, partly due to high power prices. Two other paper mills in the Ruapehu district have also closed down this year. Regional Development Minister Shane Jones was at a meeting to save the Kinleith mill in Tokoroa, he spoke to Lisa Owen.

The greyhound racing industry has less than two years to rehome thousands of dogs as the government calls time on the sport saying its animal welfare needs to come first. The government anounced the industry will have 20 months to wind down, with an advisory committee set up to oversee the transition. Racing Minister, Winston Peters said despite changes in the industry greyhound injuries remain consistently high and there's no evidence that stricter regulations would change that. Greyhound Racing New Zealand's chief executive Edward Rennell spoke to Lisa Owen.

The government's striking another blow against workers, according to unions, with plans to dock people's pay if they work to rule as part of industrial action. A proposed law would allow bosses, to use a specified formula, to work out the drop in productivity in partial strikes and deduct that from a workers paypacket. That could include things like teachers refusing to teach certain year groups, or take out of hours sports or cultural group and MRI technicians limiting the number of scans they do in a day - both recent real examples of partial strike action. Joining us now is CTU acting president, Rachel Mackintosh.

The Commerce Commission is slapping criminal charges against supermarkets for inaccurate pricing and misleading specials. The charges will be made separately against Woolworths, Pak'nSave Silverdale and Pak'nSave Mill Street, with the Commission arguing they may have breached the Fair Trading Act. But some consumer watchdogs say the penalty for breaching the act is lacklustre - and that supermarkets make enough profit to get their own prices right. Reporter Maia Ingoe has more.

Heartless and disgusting is how police have described the trashing of a south Auckland pre-school. Over the weekend, someone broke into the Ōtara Community Pre-school and smashed the place up, breaking windows, destroying the microwave and tossing computers on the ground. Police say it is the kids who are now missing out, Counties Manukau East Area Prevention Manager, Inspector Rakana Cook spoke to Lisa Owen.

Politicians are rushing through legislation this afternoon to stop the unnecessary killings of race dogs - after it was announced greyhound racing will be banned in New Zealand. Racing Minister Winston Peters said the call had been made to protect the welfare of racing dogs - it's thought there could be up to 3,500 across the country. It's left the Greyhound Racing industry reeling, while animal welfare groups say it is a monumental win for animal rights in Aotearoa. Jimmy Ellingham has been trackside to gauge reaction.

Victoria University of Wellington has opened it's sustainable building complex - just the second in Aotearoa built to a 'living building' standard. 95 percent of the construction materials for the 61 million dollar building were recycled - it can generate all its own electricity, collect all required water, and manage all its own wastewater. Maori Issues Reporter Pokere Paewai filed this report.