Morning Report

The National Party is calling for clarity on the legality of community checkpoints.

Iwi in regions such as Te Tai Tokerau, Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Manawa have been running checkpoints to restrict access to their rohe - and keep Covid-19 out of vulnerable communties.

Brett Hudson is the party's police spokesperson.

The Reserve Bank is looking at removing the limits on home loans to low-deposit borrowers to help counter the economic downturn.

Deputy governor Geoff Bascand says loan-to-value ratios were designed to cool a surging housing market, but that has changed.

The Property Investors Federation says removing LVRs would be good news for both first-home buyers, and investors, but some property market analysts doubt much will change.

Bindi Norwell is the chief executive of the Real Estate Institute.

Queenstown is facing a new wave of rental challenges as some tenants face high rents with limited to no income.

While the district council and some landlords are offering rent relief, many say they're struggling.

Tess Brunton has more.

Shopping for non-essential items will be allowed again under Alert Level 3, as long as it's contactless.

But what will that look like?

Auckland University professor Ilan Oshri specialises in global supply chains, and says we should expect shortages of many consumer goods till mid-way through next year.

A brief update of movements in the financial sector.

Top level government advice to oppose bail for prisoners on the grounds they may have Covid-19 is unlawful and turns prisons into quarantine facilities, according to leading defence lawyers.

The lawyers are taking on the government's chief legal advisor, the Solicitor General, who has sent a directive to prosecutors advising them to oppose bail on suspicion of Covid-19.

Investigative Journalist Guyon Espiner reports.

Businesses hoping to open under Alert Level 3 next week are still uncertain about exactly what they can and can't do.

They've got questions about how to stick to the rules when they go back to work - and how to ensure their workplaces are as safe as possible for employees.

Paul Jarvie from the Employers' and Manufacturers' Association speaks to Susie Ferguson.

The National Party says small to medium businesses are paying the price for the extension of Alert Level 4 restrictions to next week.

It's been calling for more of the economy to be opened up sooner or for more financial support to be offered to those businesses still closed.

Minister of Finance is Grant Robertson speaks to Corin Dann.

Whanau with three generations under one roof say the lockdown has given them time to transfer whakapapa knowledge and return to living off the land.

Nannies, koroua, tamariki and mokopuna have come together to form bubbles as large as 19, with some travelling before Alert Level 4 began just so they could be together.

Meriana Johnsen spoke to some of these multigenerational bubbles to find out what their lockdown looks like.

Businesses are desperate to know what minimum amount of contact tracing they must provide when the country drops down to Alert Level 3 next week.

An app developer says technology allows this to be done cheaply and well, but only if the Government urgently sets out the standards.

Phil Pennington reports.