Midday Report

News from the rural farming sector.

Concerns are mounting about the spread of an exotic seaweed on Aotea Great Barrier Island. The caulerpa weed can cause devastating environmental damage and a ban on anchoring and fishing is already in place in some areas. But there are calls for more urgent action heading into the busy summer season. Barry Scott is the Deputy Chair of the Aotea Great Barrier Environmental Trust.

Three shops have been gutted and a person is in hospital after an early morning fire in the small south Canterbury town of Fairlie. Four fire trucks responded to the blaze on the town's main street about two o'clock this morning. Later in the morning a Fire and Emergency support vehicle rolled while trying to transport gear to the scene - one person became trapped and had to be rescued by emergency services. Investigators are now trying to determine the cause of the fire. Fairlie Bakehouse owner Franz Lieber witnessed the ordeal.

News from the rural farming sector.

Former Black Ferns Sevens representative Niall Williams-Guthrie is returning to rugby after signing with the Blues for next year's Super Rugby Aupiki season.

Midday Business News for 20 November 2023

After-hours health services will now be available by phone to almost 900,000 people living in isolated rural communities. The service is being run by Ka Ora which is jointly commissioned by Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand and the Maori Health Authority Te Aka Whai Ora, using three existing telehealth organisations. Ka Ora general manager Jess White spoke to Charlotte Cook.

A professor of international law says Labour Leader Chris Hipkins has missed the boat in calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Israeli-Gaza conflict. Mr Hipkins made the call yesterday saying "the violence and the killing has to stop". He stressed he'd spoken as leader of the Labour Party, not as caretaker Prime Minister, but questions are being raised about the appropriateness of his comments. The University of Waikato's International Law Professor Dr Al Gillespie spoke to Charlotte Cook.

A scientist in New Zealand is helping to monitor the Fagradalsfjall volcano in Iceland with warnings the probability of an eruption remains high.

Authorities evacuated nearly four thousand people from the fishing town of Grindavik this week as magma coursed through the ground beneath.

Sigrun Hreinsdottir knows the volcano well - she's from Iceland and is currently working with GNS Science in Lower Hutt.

Hreinsdottir spoke to Charlie Dreaver.

The Lower Hutt Community has been grappling with not one, but two violent deaths in a single day.

Police are yet to release the name of the woman killed in a hit-and-run in Naenae Thursday morning.

They also haven't found the person or people driving the car. In Wainuiomata a man was shot dead by police after a stand-off, where he held a weapon to his partner's neck.

Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry spoke to Charlie Dreaver.