Morning Report

The government has unveiled a $300 million action plan to tackle homelessness, and stop relying on motels to house people.

It includes $175 million for an extra 1000 transitional housing places by the end of the year.

Hurimoana Dennis is the Kaitiaki Matua from Te Puea Marae, which helped house the homeless during winter at the height of the housing crisis.

He speaks to Corin Dann.

Politicans from both sides of the House - and from across the Ditch - will join family, friends, and the public to farewell the former Prime Minister Mike Moore this afternoon.

Clayton Cosgrove, who met "his closest mate" when he was 14 and succeeded Moore in the seat of Waimakariri, will be speaking at this afternoon's gathering at Dilworth School.

He speaks to Corin Dann.

An Auckland property manager is delighted she will be able to get out of providing emergency housing to homeless families.

The Government has announced it'll spend $300 million on homelessness, adding a thousand new places for people to stay.

Zubeen Andaz says she wants the children to be in more stable homes but won't miss the damage she's had to fix.

Jordan Bond reports.

The Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, has told Rio Tinto it needs to show some responsibility over the toxic waste stored in Mataura.

Yesterday the Environment Minister David Parker said he would consider suing the mining company over what he says is its failure to deal with the hazardous waste from the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter.

The minister and local leaders are up in arms at claims the company, which is the majority owner of the smelter, reneged on a verbal agreement given just last week to remove the waste from the Southland town of Mataura for the past six years.

Jacinda Ardern told reporters yesterday she agrees with them.

We have asked for Rio Tinto for an interview. They declined.

SkyCity has conceded defeat, saying Auckland's new convention centre will not be ready in time for the APEC summit next year.

A fire ripped through the convention centre building site in October destroying parts of the roof and delaying construction.

That means other venues will have to be found for the ten thousand people expected in Auckland when world leaders meet next November.

Phil Goff is the mayor of Auckland.

He speaks to Susie Ferguson.

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has backtracked on claims his New Zealand First party was responsible for taking photos showing former party president Lester Gray with RNZ journalist Guyon Espiner.

The photo, along with one of Stuff journalist Matt Shand, appeared on a pro-New Zealand First website in an article that criticised reporting by RNZ and Stuff reporting on the party's donation schemes.

Peters was asked about the photos when interviewed by Peter Williams on Magic Talk. Last night Peters issued a statement saying New Zealand First has no interest in putting journalists under surveillance and no private investigators had been hired to follow Guyon Espiner or anyone else.

He said a supporter had seen Lester Gray and Guyon Espiner together and snapped a photo. It was, in Peters' words, "as simple as that".

National Party Deputy Leader Paula Bennett speaks to Susie Ferguson.

Rain and severe gales are set to hammer the bottom of the South Island this weekend with Fiordland likely to bear the brunt.

The region is still cleaning up after last week's wild weather as a former tropical cyclone bears down on the lower South Island.

Angus McKay is the Emergency Management Southland controller.

He speaks to Corin Dann.

Tauranga Mayor Tenby Powell says a shoot-out that took place overnight on Thursday was very concerning.

The incident took place after officers tried to pull over a car as part of their investigation into the double killing in nearby Omanawa, but the driver fled towards the central city, as shots were fired at the police.

The car eventually pulled over and in the following shootout the man was killed. Armed police remain on alert.

Powell told Corin Dann the matter was of "great concern".

"These are weapons that we haven't seen used here before," he said.

"At this time, this is gang-on-gang violence, the community aren't involved and our police are working hard to contain this. But Tauranga isn't the only one affected by this. We are in the headlines right now, but this is an issue happening across the country."

A man is dead after a shootout with police in Tauranga last night.

Officers tried to pull over a car as part of their investigation into the double killing in nearby Omanawa but the driver fled towards the central city, as shots were fired at the police.

The car eventually pulled over and in the following shootout the man was killed.

A large section of State Highway 2 is closed this morning with huge disruptions for Tauranga commuters.

Armed police remain on alert.

District Commander Superintendent Andy McGregor speaks to Susie Ferguson.

The mixed martial arts star Israel Adesanya hopes his Halberg Award shows young athletes - the sport is on par with New Zealand's major codes.