There's no 'plan b' if Christchurch's hotly-debated multi-use arena is ultimately scrapped, according to the Crusaders chief executive.

The proposal's been passed to the public for their say on whether Christchurch City Council should top up the cost, after a $150 million blowout was revealed earlier this month.

Despite their reputation as rugby mad, not all locals are keen on the stadium, saying there's greater need in areas like the city's east. And nearby businesses appear split, some telling Checkpoint they opened on the promise of the stadium, while others say it won't fix short term pain down a deserted end of town.

Here's our reporter Nick Truebridge and cameraman Nate McKinnon.

New faces, old heads and a certain rugby league convert. As usual, there's plenty to talk about in the first All Blacks squad of the year.

The 36-strong group will host Ireland - one of 3 teams they lost to last year - for three tests next month.

Clay Wilson was at today's announcement in south Auckland.

News from the business sector, including a market report. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6307670228112

A crisis meeting has been called between KiwiSaver provider Simplicity and Fletcher Building over impact GIB supply problems are having on its $35 million-worth of shares.

Last week, Simplicity's social housing arm sacked Fletcher Building as its plasterboard supplier for 550 homes due to slow delivery times, saying the company's hubris and lack of foresight had pushed some builders to the wall.

Simplicity owns $35 million of Fletcher Building shares on behalf of its members. The NZ Shareholders Association is joining the meeting as it has had ongoing concerns over the governance of Fletcher Building.

Simplicity's social housing arm, Simplicity Living, is now importing an approved plasterboard from Thailand. It has had 60 construction companies get in touch for advice on how to import plasterboard directly.

Fletcher Building says it will be another year before its new Tauranga factory comes online. It says it is working around the clock producing GIB, but nobody could see the scale of supply problems coming.

Fletcher Building chief executive Ross Taylor told Checkpoint that in 2019 they committed to building the GIB factory at Tauriko in Tauranga.

Wild weather continues to pummel districts north of Wellington in what's being described as an unprecedented storm on the Kāpiti Coast.

A neighborhood in Waikanae's been in clean-up mode today after two tornadoes hit the town overnight.

And it's not over yet with stormy weather set to continue. Rosie Gordon and our cameraman Samuel Rillstone have the story.

The Prime Minister has shaken up her Cabinet line-up following the surprise departures of two key team members.

Parliament's speaker Trevor Mallard will leave next month - and the Justice Minister Kris Faafoi even sooner.

Jacinda Ardern has also taken the opportunity to switch up the Police portfolio, which means goodbye Poto Williams, hello Chris Hipkins.

RNZ deputy political editor Craig McCulloch has the details, and former MP Peter Dunne speaks to Lisa Owen.

Hawke's Bay councils are launching a campaign on the controversial three waters reforms, getting locals to have their say, claiming the government hasn't listened to communities.

All councils in the region have strongly expressed their dislike of the reforms, but the mayors say this isn't about drumming up opposition.

Our Hawke's Bay reporter Tom Kitchin has more.

Jacinda Ardern appears to have had some success in her long-standing battle to convince Australia to review its contentious 501 deportation scheme.

Under the section 501 visa character test, Australia deports people who've spent a year or more in jail. A majority of those are New Zealand citizens, due to our ease of access to live and work in Australia.

To update us on what the two leaders discussed, we're joined by the ABC's Peter Ryan.

A social housing developer's leading a revolt against Fletcher Building's effective monopoly on plaster board supplies that's brought some construction companies to their knees.

Simplicity Living has essentially fired Fletchers, cancelling all its GIB board orders. Instead it's importing approved plasterboard from Thailand to be used in 550 new homes in Auckland.

It's estimated Fletcher's controls 94 percent of the plasterboard market and at the moment demands outstripping supply - forcing prices up and delaying completion of some homes.

Simplicity says there's a cost of building crisis and Fletcher's is making it worse. Its the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's job to help the construction sector lift its performance and basically cut red tape.

Its General Manager Building System Performance John Sneyd talks to Lisa Owen.

Crusaders or Chiefs, Blues or Brumbies? Four teams go into this weekend's semifinals - but only two will emerge to play for the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific title.

Are we in for another all-New Zealand decider or will Australia's best team live to fight another week?

Clay Wilson surveys a strong quartet of semifinalists.