Morning Report

Damien O'Connor has made drought declaration that covers the entire North Island, parts of the South Island and the Chatham Islands and has allocated $2 million to help those struggling to survive.

Some of relief package money will be used to set up a feed working group and to fund more psychosocial support for farmers and growers.

Kerry Irvine, a sheep and beef farmer in Tapawera, speaks to Susie Ferguson.

Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor has made a drought declaration that covers the entire North Island, parts of the South Island and the Chatham Islands and has allocated $2 million to help those struggling to survive.

Some of relief package money will be used to set up a feed working group and to fund more psychosocial support for farmers and growers.

O'Connor speaks to Corin Dann.

Disgraced former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to 23 years in prison.

He was found guilty of a first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape.

The charges were based on testimony in a New York courtroom by Miriam Haley and Jessica Mann, who are expected to speak at the sentencing.

Correspondent William Denselow speaks to Susie Ferguson.

Let's look at what markets are doing after hearing that declaration from the World Health Organisation that the Covid-19 outbreak is now a pandemic.

John Authers is the senior markets editor at Bloomberg based in New York.

The World Health Organisation has officially declared the outbreak of Covid-19 a pandemic.

Health Minister David Clark speaks to Susie Ferguson about how this affects New Zealand.

An advisor to the National Rugby League says the Bulldogs players had no excuse for takign school girls back to their hotel during a preseason trip.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

An environmental group has been given the go-ahead to challenge the Thames-Coromandel District Council's decision not to sign on to a declaration on climate change in the High Court.

Last year, the council declined signing up to the Local Government Leader's Climate Change Declaration - a document that recognises councils have a part to play in mitigating climate change.

After the decision, local activists, Hauraki Coromandel Climate Action, filed for a judicial review of the decision.

The council applied to have the review struck out and wanted $25,000 dollars awarded in costs but it failed in the High Court in Auckland this week.

Hauraki Coromandel Climate Action spokesperson, Denis Tegg, told reporter Eva Corlett why the group wants its day in court.

Landlords say government figures show rents are at an all-time high, with the national average weekly rent reaching $480 last month.

The Property Investors' Federation says there is a shortage of houses and landlords are also passing on the cost of upgrading their properties to meet healthy home regulations.

Wellington woman Jessie Moss told our reporter Harry Lock it took her three months to find a home for her and her two daughters and some of the houses she saw were in a terrible state.

The National Guard have been suburb of New York City which has seen an outbreak of coronavirus.

New Rochelle has had 108 cases of coronavirus making it the largest cluster of coronavirus cases in the United States.

New Rochelle makes up a majority of the state's 173 coronavirus cases and has double the number of cases as New York City.

New Zealander Martyn Clarkson is living about three kilometres from the centre of the containment zone in New Rochelle.

He speaks to Susie Ferguson.