Morning Report

One of the country's largest sporting events for school pupils has been cancelled for the first time in 17 years due to Covid-19.

The AIMS Games sees more than 11,000 students compete in a variety of sporting codes and is held in Tauranga every year.

Tournament organisers says this year's event would have to be postponed until next year, as the coronavirus pandemic made hosting the competition in September untenable.

The news is also a huge blow for the Bay of Plenty economy, as a report showed last year's games injected $6.5 million dollars into the regional coffers.

Vicki Semple is the Tournament Director for the AIMS Games.

A $1.1 billion budget promise aims to help rebuild the economy by creating thousands of what the government has labelled 'nature-based jobs'.

The cash is destined to fund 11,000 roles in areas such as pest control, revegetation, cleaning up waterways and improvements to public tracks and huts.

Rachel Thomas asked those on the ground whether they think the big spend can work.

Surf Life Saving is calling for beachgoers to take care this weekend, as there will be no life guards on patrol.

Although the Surf Life Saving season ended in April, the organisation is expecting people to take to the beach this Queen's Birthday weekend.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand national manager Allan Mundy speaks to Corin Dann.

The Silver Ferns could end up playing the New Zealand men's team as a substitute to international Tests that have been put in doubt this year due to Covid-19.

With most international borders closed, a September series against Australia, South Africa, and England, is unlikely to go ahead. History was made last year when the Silver Ferns played their first televised games against the New Zealand Men's team in the lead up to the World Cup.

It was the brainchild of Silver Ferns Coach Dame Noeline Taurua - who told sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe that they have to get creative with the coronavirus curtailing their usual test matches.

The Prime Minister says the priority is to get any trans-Tasman travel bubble right before possibly widening the arrangements to include Pacific Islands.

What does that mean for nations that rely heavily on tourism and sending seasonal workers to New Zealand?

Jamie Tahana from RNZ Pacific speaks to Corin Dann.

A brief update of movements in the financial sector.

People wanting to find somewhere to tie the knot may face long waits and have to settle for a chilly winter wedding after the Covid-19 scuppered many couples' big day.

The wedding industry is teetering after mass cancellations due to gathering restrictions, and there are fears more jobs will be lost unless New Zealand opens its bubble to Australia and beyond soon.

Hamish Cardwell has more.

One of New Zealand's biggest hotel chains, Millennium and Copthorne Hotels, says it will shed more than 900 of its 1300 employees.

The news represents a grim reversal of the company's fortunes, after it reported its best-ever year in 2019, with more than $229.7 million in revenue.

The occupancy rate across the company's hotels crashed to 1.5 percent this April, from 83.7 percent at the same time last year.

Dean Humphries is the national director of Hotels at Colliers International.

He speaks to Susie Ferguson.

The Covid-19 crisis forced GPs to quickly adapt their methods, with remote consultations the new standard practice. But as restrictions are eased, will we go back to visiting the doctor in person?

The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners has published a manifesto that argues that a return to normal would be a mistake.

Samatha Murton is their president.

The lack of diversity of the National Party's top team is raising eyebrows, and even a eliciting a modicum of mockery.

While three out of the top ranked MPs are women, there are no Maori MPs on the front bench.

Other non-Pakeha MPs don't get a look in either.

Former National Party MP Tau Henare speaks to Susie Ferguson.