Midday Report

News from the rural and farming sector with Sally Murphy.

Former BMX world junior champ, Jessie Smith struggles to understand how Cycling NZ can be shocked by the findings of the latest independent review into the sport.

News from the business sector, including a market report with Gyles Beckford.

The professional fire fighters union are pushing for industrial action as it says staffing in Auckland has reached crisis point.

The union said over the weekend there were 23 gaps in firefighter coverage, including 5 fire trucks out of commission due to no staff and several more short-staffed.

It said Fire and Emergency have failed to hire enough career firefighters, which leaves no room for leave or sickness - meaning some people have to work 80 to 100 hour weeks.

That's something Fire and Emergency denied.

Māni Dunlop spoke to Martin Campbell, the Union's Auckland Local Secretary.

The government has made more pre-budget promises - this time committing $100m to specialist mental health and addiction services.

The money will cover community based crisis services, enhance existing specialist child and adolescent mental health and a $10-million dollar boost to workforce development.

Māni Dunlop spoke to the Health Minister Andrew Little, who announced the spend this morning.

A $100m dollar plan to tackle mental health and plans to cut food waste and emissions.

Pharmac is making it easier for vulnerable babies, to receive a preventative treatment for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, this winter.

Last year, a surge in cases of the potentially fatal virus affected babies and infants, leaving children's wards full, while Pharmac struggled to secure supplies of a steroid based treatment.

Now, it's arranged for young children at risk of severe illness from RSV to get monthly injections of Palivizumab.

Pharmac's director of operations Lisa Williams spoke to Māni Dunlop about the decision.

New Zealand's first Emissions Reduction Plan to drive the economy in a cleaner direction has been unveiled.

The scheme comes with nearly $3 billion for climate initiatives over four years - most of the money is going towards agriculture and transport.

While there are no moves to extend half-price public transport, $500 million will go towards helping low and middle income families make the switch to cleaner cars.

Professor Sally Brooker from the University of Otago, who co-leads the German-New Zealand Green Hydrogen networking alliance, spoke to Māni Dunlop.

News from the rural and farming sector, including Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor on the just-released Emissions Reduction Plan.

The report into the culture at Cycling NZ is expected to be critical of their high performance environment.