Morning Report

People travelling to New Zealand may soon have to help cover the cost of their mandatory two-week stay at a quarantine hotel.

Cabinet will consider a co-payment scheme in a matter of weeks, as the cost of managing people in isolation facilities climbs.

The government is being warned to think very carefully about such a step.

Here's RNZ political reporter, Katie Scotcher.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The Mayor of Auckland wants the government to fast-track a bid to more than double the city's daily water grab from the Waikato River.

Phil Goff has asked the Environment Select Committee to have a hearing on the resource consent application and include the project in the Covid-19 Recovery Bill lineup.

Waikato-Tainui iwi and the Waikato River Authority have both condemned the move, saying the crisis has nothing to do with Covid-19.

The original consent was made in 2013 and remains 106th in the queue.

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff told our environment reporter Rachel Thomas the region is facing a major drought and it can't wait any longer.

A plan to wind up Wellington's community Covid-19 testing centres at the end of the week has been ditched as concerns about new cases increase.

The centres were set up to be an easy, efficient place to get swabbed at the height of the outbreak.

They've now closed in many smaller regions.

Wellington GP, Jeff Lowe, runs a community based assessment centre, or CBAC, based at his GP clinic and says there's been a dramatic increase in tests since the first two border cases last week.

He told RNZ health correspondent Rowan Quinn he's considering reopening a separate testing site to cope.

News from the rural and farming sector.

A brief update from the business sector.

The manager of a popular central Wellington cafe-bar, says they feel lucky about how quickly they've bounced back after the end of the lockdown.

The hospitality sector has been one of the worst hit by the pandemic, and the industry has received the third highest amount of money from the Government's wage subsidy scheme.

Some businesses are continuing to struggle, with their takings still significantly below that of before the lockdown.

Despite fears that people might continue to stay away during Level 1, Dilinger's manager, Roosa Resanen told RNZ Wellington issues reporter, Harry Lock, their clientele of government and corporate workers have returned.

The government is being warned not to force returning New Zealanders to cover some of the cost of their managed isolation, as it may impede on their right to return home.

More than $81 million has already been spent on quarantine or managed isolation and nearly $300 million has been budgeted for the rest of the year.

With increasing numbers of people arriving at the border, Cabinet will soon consider a co-payment scheme.

Barrister Michael Botts told RNZ political reporter Katie Scotcher, introducing such a scheme could be problematic.

The government is being warned not to force New Zealanders to pay for managed isolation as it may impede their right to return home, and The Australian state of Victoria reintroduces some restrictions as cases of community transmission rise

A tagger who was restrained by police in Auckland in the early hours of Sunday morning says he was spear tackled into the wall by police officers.

Bystanders who filmed the altercation are claiming excessive use of force by the four officers holding him down.

Nikau Andrews, 26, spoke to us from his hospital bed.

In an official response, Auckland District Commander Superintendent Karyn Malthus says: "The man violently resisted [arrest] and it took several officers to restrain him, one of whom sustained minor injuries.

"The arresting officers struggled to apply handcuffs to the resisting man, and additional officers created a protective arc in order to allow them to complete the handcuffing action."

Superintendent Karyn Malthus says police acted in an appropriate and professional manner in a volatile and dynamic situation and upon becoming aware, prioritised the man's medical treatment over keeping him in custody. 

He was taken to hospital shortly after being taken into custody. He has since been released and is due to appear in the District Court on charges of wilful damage and resisting arrest on 10 July.