Midday Report

Voting for local and regional council candidates closes on Saturday at midday. 

RNZ's Hawke's Bay reporter Tom Kitchin.spoke to Māni Dunlop about the issues facing councils throughout the region.

Today is the last day to get your vote in the post in the elections for local councils, but you've still got time to deliver it into the ballot boxes dotted throughout the country at council service centres, libraries, and supermarkets.

It's not too late to enrol at www.vote.nz 

RNZ reporter Rachel Graham spoke to Māni Dunlop about the candidates and issues at the bottom of the South Island.

News from the rural farming sector

Midday sports News for 4 October 2022 The fullback come midfielder Jordie Barrett has a signed a new contract keeping him with the Hurricanes and New Zealand Rugby through till the end of 2025.

News from the business sector

A pōwhiri has been taking place at Parliament to welcome the Solomon Islands' foreign minister on his first official visit to Aotearoa today.

New Zealand has long-standing ties with the Solomons, but China's influence is growing after it signed a security agreement earlier in the year.

The Solomons' foreign minister Jeremiah Manele and his counterpart Nanaia Mahuta conducted a bilateral meeting this morning.

RNZ political reporter Giles Dexter spoke to Māni Dunlop about the meeting.

The government has revealed details of a package to get more medical graduates training to be General Practitioners.

And a large North Island health provider's patient details have been accessed and compromised by cyber hackers.

The Health Minister Andrew Little speaks to Māni Dunlop about the hack, GP training, and the wider pressures facing the workforce.

To Tāmaki Makaurau, where a welcoming ceremony for the Rugby World Cup has just wrapped up.

The Women's tournament starts on Saturday with a triple-header (that's three games in a row) at Eden park.

The last match of the day is the Black Ferns against Australia.

Sports reporter Clay Wilson spoke to Māni Dunlop.

There's a cold blast coming this week with a chunk of the tropospheric polar vortex about to whip our way.

Temperatures are set to drop around mid-week, and there might even be snow.

In Te Waipounamu - the South Island - snow will be heaviest in Southland and Otago but it could fall to sea level in Ōtautahi Christchurch on Wednesday night, and even on the hills around Wellington.

Metservice meteorologist Lewis Ferris spoke to Māni Dunlop.

News from the rural farming sector