Midday Report

Experts project almost 15,000 extra construction workers could be needed at the peak of Cyclone Gabrielle recovery efforts. 

In Hawke's Bay specifically, that number could reach 8,700 additional workers.

So what does that mean for the region and its recovery?

Hastings District Council chief executive To'osavili Nigel Bickle spoke to Charlie Dreaver.

National's Health Spokesperson, Shane Rei, says his party cannot commit to adopting Labour's free cervical smear policy if elected, without first seeing the costings and impact it will have on labs.

On Tuesday morning Labour announced it would make cervical screening free for 25-to-69 year olds, if they're re-elected.

National's health spokesperson, Dr. Shane Reti, told Charlie Dreaver the policy is too light on detail for his party to decide whether to back it.

The two booking agents accused of health and safety failings in the Whakaari/White Island trial have had their charges dismissed.

ID Tours and Tauranga Tourism Services made a submission for dismissal to the Auckland District Court last week.

Reporter Lucy Xia was at Auckland District Court and spoke to Charlie Dreaver.

Leptospirosis cases in humans are on the rise, but an expert in infectious zoonotic diseases - passed from animals to humans - says more research is needed to understand how the bacterial disease is being transmitted between animals and between species.

Monique Steele has the rural news.

The All Blacks have turned to a former mentor as they look to bounce back from their opening game loss to hosts France at the Rugby World Cup. Sir Steve Hansen, who has the highest winning percentage of any All Blacks coach, is with the team until later this week.

 Felicity Reid has sports.

Air New Zealand expects there will be significant disruptions to its regional flight schedule from next year, as a result of maintenance delays. 

Andrew McRae has the business news.

Dunedin's deputy mayor Sophie Barker has resigned, saying the breach of a confidential council meeting was the final straw.

Just days ago, she and senior city councillor Jim O'Malley filed a complaint about Mayor Jules Radich, for minimising a racist outburst by community board chairman Barry Williams.

Barker will continue on as a councillor.

Radich has accepted her resignation and RNZ has contacted the Mayor for comment.

Sophie Barker was not available for an interview today, but councillor Jim O'Malley spoke to Charlie Dreaver.

Treasury will this afternoon publish its Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update - or PREFU - with much of the speculation being that it will paint a rocky economic picture.

It will outline forecasts for inflation, government debt, unemployment and economic growth.

ASB senior economist Mark Smith spoke to Charlie Dreaver.

It's the first rā of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori and this year's theme is Kia Kaha Te Reo Māori - making the language stronger.

Well at Tokomaru Bay Four Square in Tairāwhiti Gisborne they're doing just that, greeting customers in te reo Māori, placing te reo signs around the store, and even have a shopping list webtool where customers can translate their grocery kupu it into Māori.

Four Square Tokomaru Bay owner operator, Mike Turney, spoke to Charlie Dreaver.

The opening weekend of the Rugby World Cup in France has wrapped up, but it's left a sour taste in the mouths of many fans - and not because of the results.

All Blacks fans turned to social media to complain about queues of over an hour long for a drink, while some fans heading to the England-Argentina game in Marseilles were unable to take their seats until after kick-off due to disorganisation in getting to the stadium.

RNZ's reporter in France, Jamie Tahana, told Charlie Dreaver it's not the start to the tournament that organisers would've hoped for.