Midday Report

More than 140 iwi representatives from across the motu have gathered at Te Papa marae in Te-Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington today for the launch of a very special book.

Te Ata O Tu the New Zealand Wars Collection features more than 500 objects from the New Zealand Wars - from weapons to paintings to soldier's letters.

Some of them are also on display - and for some iwi and whanau - they're seeing them for the first time.

One of the author's of Te Ata O Tu the New Zealand Wars Collection and Te Papa's history curator Katie Cooper spoke to Charlotte Cook.

The children's charity Save the Children is appalled by a new bill creating a ram raid offence which would see children as young as twelve criminally charged with up to ten years in prison, including for being a passenger, or filming the incident. 

The Justice Select Committee has been hearing submissions on the Ram Raid Offending and Related Measures Amendment Bill.

Save the Children advocacy and research director Jacqui Southey spoke to Charlotte Cook.

News from the rural farming sector. Cuts are coming for the Ministry for Primary Industries, but an MPI boss says it won't be to core frontline services like its quarantine officers, veterinarians or animal welfare officers, in efforts to reduce expenditure. The outlook for sheepmeat is worsening - with sheep farmers' profits expected to halve this season, due to lower lamb and mutton prices. Seven catchment groups are in for a 3.3 million dollar boost from the Government.

The pressure is mounting on the Crusaders coach Rob Penney who concedes they simply haven't deserved to win any of their first three games of the Super Rugby season. The defending champs, who've won seven consecutive titles, sit at the bottom of the standings as they try to overcome the loss of coach Scott Robertson to the All Blacks and several players to injuries and overseas contracts. New Zealand's Paris Olympics cycling hopes have suffered a setback with Regan Gough announcing his retirement. Long-term injuries and illness has forced the two-time Olympian to quit after a decade at the top which included winning a team pursuit world title in 2015.

Midday Business News for 13 March 2024

The police are working to identify a body which was pulled out of the sea at Gulf Harbour, north of Auckland yesterday afternoon.

The body wrapped in plastic bags was found by a fisherman who first thought it was a log or a dead animal when he dragged it from the water.

A post mortem on the body is expected to begin later today.

Reporter Lucy Xia spoke to Charlotte Cook from Gulf Harbour.

Protestors have turned out in force in the Taranaki town of Hawera today as a renewed hearing into an offshore mining application gets underway.

Trans Tasman Resources has for years been trying to get permission to extract ironsands off the coast from Patea, but its consent was quashed by the Supreme Court in 2021.  

The Environmental Protection Authority is running public hearings as it reconsiders the company's application to suck up 50 million tonnes of seabed a year for 30 years. 

Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin has been at the meeting and spoke to Charlotte Cook.

An Otago cricketing stalwart is receiving a special honour at the warm-up match between the White Ferns and England A in Dunedin today.

Helen Simpson is the country's longest-serving cricket scorer.

She's been scoring cricket for a whopping 54 years and will be the first to receive one of New Zealand Cricket's newly minted badges to mark her contribution.

Simpson spoke to Ben Strang about her passion for cricket and her long scoring career.

A constitutional law expert believes a 49-year-old law prohibiting the Chief Ombudsman from keeping his post, should be amended.

Peter Boshier is being forced to retire because the Ombudsmen Act 1975, states that an Ombudsman "shall so resign his office on attaining the age of 72 years."

He says he will continue in the role at "parliament's pleasure".

Ben Strang spoke with Wellington barrister and constitutional law expert Graeme Edgeler.

News from the rural farming sector. Lake Opuha only has a week's worth of water left. The dam near Fairlie which generates electricity for the national grid and supplies water to 16-thousand hectares of farmland - is sitting at just 10 percent of operational capacity. New Zealand scientists are set to share the secrets of horticultural export success with Vietnam. Federated Farmers is pushing ahead with its call for an independent inquiry into rural banking.