Morning Report

A brief update from the business sector.

Christchurch's New Brighton community says they're sick of waiting for a long-promised revamp to its run-down local shopping area, and wants the council to dump the group it's given the job to.

Development Christchurch was set up by the City Council in 2016 to revitalise quake damaged areas like New Brighton.

The New Brighton Residents Association says the organisation was meant to be putting into action the council's master plan for New Brighton but they see no signs of progress.

RNZ reporter Rachel Graham spoke to the spokesperson for the New Brighton Residents Association, Brian Donovan.

Midwives say a $2500 cash injection for each worker to help cover their lockdown costs isn't going to cut it. .

More than $92 million will go into essential health services that financially suffered during Covid-19, as well as into testing labs and ventilators.

It is the first instalment of $59 billion worth of funding from the Covid-19 Recovery and Response Fund.

The chief executive of the New Zealand College of Midwives Alison Eddy told reporter Eva Corlett the $5 million fund will provide some relief but anxiety over long term funding remains.

The Dragons have claimed their first win of the NRL season, beating the Sharks 30-16 in Sydney.

Atlanta is the latest flash point in America's protests over police brutality and the killings of African-Americans. Black Lives Matter protests here call on the government to condemn police violence in the US, and disarm the police in New Zealand. Consulting engineers are calling for government support to stave off big job losses.

It's Friday so we cross the ditch to Canberra to talk to our correspondent Kerry-Anne Walsh.

Lumsden has been a regular early morning national hot spot in our weather reports.

Each morning RNZ lists the warmest and coldest places in New Zealand and in Lumsden the mercury is often hitting 12 degees at 5am.

So what's special about this tiny Southland town?

Tim Hanna, owner of the Lumsden Hotel, speaks to Kim Hill.

A Wairarapa fishing couple want to sell a taste of their isolated bay. 

They fear New Zealanders are losing their connection with traditional kaimoana like crayfish and paua, so they're taking on the big players with novel packaging and measures to boost fish stocks. 

Country Life producer Sally Round reports.

The ski season kicks off from today with Canterbury's Mt Hutt the first to welcome people back to the slopes.

Ski fields are celebrating the shift to Alert Level 1, saying the past month has been a rollercoaster preparing to open under Level 2 restrictions.

Tourism reporter Tess Brunton has more.

Super Rugby Aotearoa is about to kick off, with the Highlanders hosting the Chiefs in Dunedin tomorrow night, before the Blues take on the Hurricanes in Auckland on Sunday afternoon.

The five New Zealand sides will play each other twice over ten weeks, with the team who finishes at the top of the standings crowned champions.

Crowds will be there too, with 20,000 people expected at Dunedin's stadium tomorrow, while more than 35,000 tickets have already been sold for Eden park the following day.

RNZ rugby reporter Joe Porter looks at which teams, if any, can stop the Crusaders from marching to another title.