Midday Report

Some businesses around Queenstown finally have relief after two weeks of boiling water to keep afloat amid a cryptosporidium outbreak.

20,000 people living in Frankton, Shotover Country, Lake Hayes Estate and Quail Rise can drink tap water again, because the Kelvin Heights plant has been deemed safe.

Otago Southland Reporter Tess Brunton spoke to Charlotte Cook.

The Ministry for Primary Industries has allocated $20,000 to the Southland Rural Support Trust to distribute among farmers and growers.

Culverts were washed out, paddocks flooded, trees downed and stock lost when strong wind and heavy rain hit the lower South Island two weeks ago. 

Monique Steele has the rural news.

Former All Blacks halfback Justin Marshall claims incoming All Black coach Scott Robertson has been barred from New Zealand's World Cup games in France.

Barry Guy has sports.

The Reserve Bank will likely struggle to get inflation precisely to its desired target of 2 percent, according to Kiwibank's chief economist.

Anan Zaki has the rural news.

Labour has gone on the attack over National's tax policy Thursday morning, saying only 3,000 households would receive the $250 a fortnight tax cut that the party has been campaigning on.

Thursday morning Labour's finance spokesperson, Grant Robertson, described the policy as a scam.

He says 99 percent of New Zealand households won't get the full $250 headline figure, despite National's publicity materials claiming that is the amount "an average-income family with children" would receive.

He went on to say that claim was a lie. The analysis was done by the Council of Trade Unions.

National's finance spokesperson Nicola Willis spoke to Charlotte Cook.

The ACT and National parties are rejecting any suggestion they have engaged in anti-Māori rhetoric or race-baiting, with many parties experiencing an increase in aggressive behaviour towards their candidates this election.

Te Pāti Māori is blaming National and ACT for the behaviour shown towards its members, with a man being trespassed from the home of their Hauraki-Waikato candidate, Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke on Wednesday.

The party's president, John Tamihere, has described the perpetrator as "an elderly Pākehā man", who is a well-known campaigner for the National Party.

ACT's leader David Seymour spoke to Charlotte Cook.

The Labour Party is committing to fair pay for defence force personnel, if re-elected.

Currently, military personnel do not have the same rights to negotiate their pay and conditions as other employees.

The policy, announced today, would have the Remuneration Authority independently set fair rates and allowances for those in uniform.

Labour would also review the Defence Act 1990 to ensure it is fit for the future.

Labour defence spokesperson Andrew Little spoke to Charlotte Cook.

Retail crime in New Zealand has been found to be costing the country $2.6 billion a year.

The staggering figure - up from $1.1 billion six years ago - has been revealed by Retail NZ this afternoon in its crime position statement. 

Its research has also found 92 percent of retailers have experienced some form of crime in their line of work in the past 12 months.

Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young spoke to Charlotte Cook.

Volatility in global markets and softer consumer demand including from our biggest customer, China is hitting exports. That slump in beef exports to China has hit farmgate prices here. 

Monique Steele has the rural news.

The participation of Black Caps pace bowler Tim Southee in the Cricket world cup is unclear with Southee conceding he has lot of work to do to be match fit. 

Stephen Hewson has sports.