Checkpoint

A former Kiwi rugby league star is fighting for his life after being shot in a drive-by. NRL premiership winner Matt Utai is believed to have been gunned down on a street in West Sydney. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

A Westport dental clinic is struggling as it faces a major shortage. Wait times at the town's only adult dental practice are weeks long as the hunt for a second full time dentist drags on. Kawatiri Health's been trying to fill the hole since August 2024. It means some people are being forced to travel out of town. Kawatiri Health general manager Pauline Ansley spoke to Lisa Owen.

The country's first National Infrastructure Plan has been revealed, detailing an 'affordable' plan to tackle the country's infrastructure woes. It said building and maintaining infrastructure was becoming more expensive as climate change was making the natural hazard risks more severe. Minister for Infrastructure Chris Bishop spoke to Lisa Owen.

Canterbury has been hammered by heavy rain as the storm that caused havoc in the north swept along the South Island's east coast today, with more than 300 millimetres falling in some areas. A local state of emergency has now been declared for Banks Peninsula and State Highway 75 between Christchurch and Akaroa is still closed. People have been asked to conserve water on the peninsula and boil water notices are in place for Little River and Wainui. Samantha Gee reports.

Hundreds of Auckland construction projects are in limbo after changes to residential building standards. Under the old medium density residential standards houses could go up three stories or eleven metres high without having to get a resource consent. But those rules were canned in October last year after a deal was struck between the council and the government. Now some developers are left with projects that do not meet the new rules and will not get council sign off. Auckland Councillor Richard Hills spoke to Lisa Owen.

A woman accused defrauding a man out of more than half a million-dollars in an alleged 18-year romance scam has appeared in court for the first time today. The Auckland woman, who has interim name suppression, was arrested last week after an investigation involving the Auckland City Police Financial Crimes Unit. Finn Blackwell reports.

Residents of an affluent east Auckland suburb fear their quiet lifestyle will be shattered by a three-storey development in the middle of their neighbourhood. The controversial development in Farm Cove was consented shortly before Auckland's planning rules changed in October last year. One resident sought legal advice, maintaining the development should no longer be allowed, and says there's been mixed messages from Council about it going ahead. Felix Walton has more.

Some isolated Wairarapa residents are gutted they're cut off from their livelihoods and emergency services after a destructive storm ripped through the region on Sunday and Monday. Torrential rain and widespread flooding has washed out the Lake Ferry Road bridge over the Turangaui River - cutting off settlements in Ngawi, Lake Ferry and Cape Palliser. Meanwhile, thousands of homes are still without power across the Wairarapa region, as well as in Wellington. Ellen O'Dwyer reports.

Former champions are teetering on the edge of an early exit and minnow nations are making history at the T20 Cricket World Cup. Amongst the upsets and surprises in the tournament hosted in India and Sri Lanka, the Black Caps can secure their place in the next stage of the competition with victory tonight. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

A woman has been killed in a dog attack in the small Northland settlement of Kaihu. Police were called to a property about 11.30 this morning along with ambulance, the fire service and the Northland rescue helicopter. The woman, whose name hasn't been released, was dead when police arrived. Reporter Teuila Fuatai spoke to Lisa Owen about what a local resident had to say.