Morning Report

The long-awaited walking and cycling path across the Auckland harbour bridge has been named as one of eleven major projects to be fast-tracked through the consent process.

"Shovel-ready" projects like the Northern Pathway (also known as Skypath) have been chosen to boost the economy in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis.

Christine Rose is the chair of Get Across, formerly known as the Skypath Trust.

He speaks to Corin Dann.

A brief update of movements in the financial sector.

The government is refusing to pass a single-page piece of legislation, before the election, that would allow families with disabled children to take complaints to the Human Rights Review Tribunal and the courts.

Since 2013, Labour has repeatedly promised to change the law, freeing families to challenge the amount of government support they get.

But now its saying it won't look at the legislation until after the election, blaming the delay on Covid-19.

Catherine Hutton reports.

Research indicates the government's fees-free policy is persuading students to enrol in university who are not well-equipped to cope.

The study of 1000 first-year students at the University of Canterbury last year found a quarter enrolled only because of the policy.

That group had worse marks and less confidence than other students and were more likely to consider dropping out.

Here's RNZ education correspondent, John Gerritsen.

Otago University has proposed no longer making psychological medicine, obstetrics or gynaecology compulsory for medical students in the sixth and final year.

The plans have alarmed many doctors - more than 160 have written to the university to "express their dismay".

John Tait, vice president of the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, speaks to Corin Dann.

A group of 360 clinicians have written to the Director General of Health demanding progress be made on updating the country's hospital IT systems.

A recent stocktake of DHBs found $2.3 billion is needed to address the "ageing","slow" and "not fit for purpose" technology.

The group says patient care is being hindered by the country's "large technological debt".

Dr Ruth Large is one of the co-chairs of the Clinical Informatics Leadership Network and a senior doctor at Waikato DHB.

The World Anti-Doping Agency has begun an investigation into doping violations after an inquiry led by Richard McLaren uncovered 40 positive tests hidden in the records of the International Weightlifting Federation.

Borders across Europe have opened up to each other for the first time in three months.

European citizens are now able to travel across the continent as border restrictions, put in place to contain the spread of the coronavirus, begin to ease.

However, with the continent closed off to non-EU citizens and many safety restrictions still in place, there is doubt as to what appetite there will be for travel this summer.

Germany correspondent Thomas Sparrow speaks to Susie Ferguson.

The public housing agency, Kainga Ora, doesn't know how many of its properties meet design standards that ensure anyone with a disability can live in them.

There are close to 900 people on the state house waiting list who need a property that better suits their needs and disability advocates say the government needs to do better.

Social issues reporter Sarah Robson has the story.

A Ngaruawāhia hapū is demanding to know why they were not properly consulted about a decision to destroy 300-year-old food pits. 

Excavation of the rua, which give the town its name, stopped in early May, after protests from local hapū.

The hapū chair is hoping a hui with officials later this week will shed some light on what went wrong and where to go from here.

Meriana Johnsen reports.