Morning Report

The mayor of New Plymouth says local authorities should be required to pass a warrant of fitness on the state of their water infrastructure.

He estimates it will take a decade and hundreds of millions of dollars to get New Plymouth's infrastructure to a standard where it's "fit for purpose"and many other towns and cities are in the same boat.

RNZ Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin has more.

Senator Bernie Sanders is under attack from rival US Democrats as he cements his position as a frontrunner to take on Donald Trump in November's election.

Tension ran high at the Democratic presidential candidate debate in Charleston.

Washington DC correspondent Nick Harper speaks to Corin Dann.

News from the rural and farming sector.

A brief update from the business sector.

The Citizens Advice Bureau says the push to provide more and more government services online is leaving too many people behind.

Its new report says it's not just older people who are being disadvantaged - it's young, Maori and Pacific people too.

Kerry Dalton is the chief executive of the Citizens Advice Bureau and she told RNZ social issues reporter Sarah Robson the trend towards moving services is a growing one.

In latest developments - One in five countries now have coronavirus, there are cases on all continents apart from Antarctica. We talk to the IOC about whether coronavirus could derail the Olympics. New research shows police are almost twice as likely to send a first-time Maori offender to court than a Pakeha. Home owners near Wellington say poor council recordkeeping has derailed house sales

A $10,000 reward has been on offer for three years, but still no confirmation of the South Island kōkako.

More than 200 possible encounters have been reported but the Grey Ghost remains elusive.

Inger Perkins is manager of the South Island kōkako charitable trust.

Unions are worried employees are being asked to take leave, as some sectors face a shortage of work amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

Exporters, tourism operators and education providers have been hard hit by Covid-19 and the subsequent travel restrictions.

Council of Trade Unions' president Richard Wagstaff speaks to Corin Dann.

The medical director for New Zealand Football says they don't have any plans to ban junior players from heading the ball in training sessions.

Yesterday the English, Northern Irish and Scottish Football Associations confirmed heading the ball at training had been outlawed for primary school children, while they were also restricting headers for 12 to 16-year-olds at grassroots level.

The guidelines follow a study by Glasgow University, which found former professionals were at more risk of dementia due to consistently heading footballs.

Mark Fulcher is the medical director for New Zealand Football and the team doctor for both the All Whites and Football Ferns.

He told Clay Wilson he's not surprised to see the decision of the British Associations, but current science alone doesn't suggest it's necessary.

Watercare says it's growing increasingly concerned by Auckland's skyrocketing water use.

Peak demand records for the region were broken three times last week, with Aucklanders using more than 560 million litres in just one day.

The demand is putting a huge strain on Aucklands water treatment plants and networks.

The head of Water Value for Watercare is Roseline Klein.

She speaks to Susie Ferguson.