Morning Report

All Waihi schools, except Waihi Beach, will be closed today due to the town's water shortage.

A burst water pipe left Waihi without water yesterday for a short period. A precautionary boil water notice is in place, and restrictions around washing, showering and drinking remain.

Toby Adams is the Mayor of the Hauraki District.

He speaks to Corin Dann.

A pandemic expert wants the Government to look at extending its ban on visitors from China to include other Asian countries.

Professor Nick Wilson says border controls during the coronavirus outbreak have not been tough enough and planning for a possible pandemic was inadequate.

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters took to a live Facebook chat last night to answer questions about the New Zealand First Foundation.

The secretive foundation is facing a Serious Fraud Office investigation after the Electoral Commission ruled some donations it received were not properly declared or passed on.

Peters turned his back on usual media channels and instead turned his hand to a live video chat on Facebook.

Is that likely to be a successful political strategy?

Dr Jennifer Lees-Marshment is a political marketing specialist.

Sophie Devine scored her first international T20 century this week - but the White Ferns captain expects more women's cricketers will quickly follow in her footsteps.

A large scrub fire burning on the hillside of Marlboruogh settlement, Rarangi has been contained. Fire crews were called to the scene on Port Underwod Road before midnight where the blaze wound round the hillside. Reporter Charlotte Cook speaks to Corin Dann.

The Minister of Corrections says his department is using its own money for Whānau Ora programmes.

Yesterday Dame Tariana told Morning Report that during her meeting with the Prime Minister they discussed that money earmarked for Whānau Ora was going to other government departments.

She is one of five leaders who filed an urgent claim to the Waitangi Tribunal over the government's handling of Whānau Ora funding. 

Yesterday Te Puni Kōkiri's chief executive, David Samuels, told the Māori Affairs Select Committee that money earmarked for Whanau Ora services does sit within other government agencies.

Kelvin Davis is the Minister of Corrections.

He speaks to Susie Ferguson.

The KiwiSaver fund provider Generate has revealed it was hacked, and thousands of customers personal information stolen.

Generate went public about the hack yesterday, after notifying the police, Inland Revenue, Privacy Commissioner and market regulators.

Around 26,000 of Generate's 90,000 customers have had their personal information compromised.

Money invested with the company is safe because it's held in a separate system to the one which was breached. Generate wouldn't elaborate on how the data was taken, and did not return RNZ's request for an interview.

RNZ business reporter Madison Reidy speaks to Susie Ferguson

RNZ has backed down on plans to fire RNZ Concert presenters and turn the station into an automated music service.

After a strident campaign by Concert supporters, spearheaded by former Prime Minister Helen Clark, RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson told staff yesterday the plan to change RNZ Concert had been shelved.

Music teacher Margaret Guldborg and music writer Elizabeth Kerr organised a Save RNZ Concert petition which has been signed by more than 26,000 people.

They speak to Susie Ferguson.

The Reserve Bank is refusing to be panicked by the outbreak of virus Covid-19 and it's possible impact on the economy.

It held the official cash rate unchanged at a record low 1 percent, judging that the virus will deliver a short, sharp economic shock, which should be largely over by the end of next month.

It's picking the virus will nearly halve growth in the first quarter - the equivalent of several hundred million dollars.

But deputy-governor Geoff Bascand told business editor Gyles Beckford that's not sufficient to justify a rate cut to inoculate the economy from the impact.

There are claims claims Rio Tinto has reneged on an agreement to remove hazardous waste from the Southland town of Mataura.

The government is considering legal action against the company for its failure to deal with its own toxic waste from the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter.

Environment Minister David Parker spoke to Corin Dann about the move.

The chief executive of New Zealand Aluminium Smelters, Stewart Hamilton, was not available for an interview but said yesterday that the company had fully cooperated with the Gore District Council and had committed to contributing $1.75 million to the costs of safely removing and processing the hazardous waste currently housed in Mataura.