Christchurch City Council had a record number of noise complaints lodged at the end of last year.

It's thought to be caused by event cancellations, which has left people nowhere to party but home.

With universities canning their O Week events, Niva Chittock asked Canterbury students if they'll follow the noisy neighbour trend.

The laptop's perched on the kitchen table, comfy pants in position, maybe even some funky old socks on too - and the watercooler conversations are no more.

The line between home and work has been blurred with so many forced into their living rooms to work from home during Covid.

Kim Moodie looks at what impact that's had on traditional office.

The Principal Youth Court Judge says there is a clear lack of targeted support for young female offenders, and he wants action.

It's a message backed by the Children's Commissioner and a top child and adolescent psychiatrist, who say calls for this stretch back years.

Katie Doyle reports.

Eden Park says its financial viability is at risk as it stares down the barrel of a third straight year of disruptions due to Covid-19 settings.

Meanwhile, uncertainty over just how long the country will remain at red is causing major headaches for school and club sport around the country.

And as Nick Truebridge and cameraman Nick Monro report, it's not just our biggest sports and venues bracing for more Covid chaos.

Now to the cross-country capers of a mum and her 6-week old, who've been warming hearts around Dunedin.

Hiriwa and her baby have been spotted in various locations around the town - the sea lions have wombled down the fairway in the middle of a golf game, and braved the traffic to get to the beach.

DOC ranger Jim Fyfe has been keeping an eye on the inquisitive pair.

A quiet park in Palmerston North is a world away from the full stadiums of India, or even a packed Basin Reserve.

But for former Black Cap men's cricket international Andrew Penn, it's the scene of a cricketing comeback, at the age of 47.

Jimmy Ellingham has more.

Immunisation Advisory Centre Medical Advisor Professor Peter McIntyre has told Checkpoint there has been "mandate creep" in schools where children are not mandated to be vaccinated, but are being banned from sports and other extracurricular activities if they are not vaccinated.

He suggested there is room for change with mandates with Omicron.

He said the argument for mandates was twofold - protecting the health system, and second, protecting the community.

"And I think that second one is just much less something we can do with Omicron.

"And we know we're in a fantastic position with the first one, so I think the game has shifted."

The speed limit on a notorious stretch of highway has dropped to 80km/h an hour today.

Motorists will now have to drive slower for about 70 kilometres between Napier and Taupō in a bid to make the road safer, after several fatal accidents.

It's a move the transport agency says is crucial - but it hasn't been popular with regional leaders and many locals.

Our Hawke's Bay reporter Tom Kitchin went for a drive.

News from the business sector, including a market report. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6298012494001

On Monday the Ministry of Health issued a statement advising that of the 20.000 swabs taken in Auckland, about 80 to 90 percent of those who turned up didn't need to.

Royal NZ College of GPs Dr Bryan Betty says it is time for a change in mindset with Omicron.

He told Checkpoint the last month has shown Omicron's impact is very different to Delta, and there is unnecessary fear in the community. 

"I think we need to move into a space very rapidly thinking we're going to live with this and get back to some sort of normality," he said. 

He said isolation restrictions should be cut back. 

"We've already gone from 14 days back to 10. I'd expect those to go back to seven and be reduced again, because we need to start living with Covid."

He said at some point it should go to three days. 

"I think it does start to lessen anxiety in the way we're thinking about this. It certainly takes some of the pressure off the workforce issues we're starting to see at the moment, and it would certainly start to reduce things back a bit."