Morning Report

Schools are figuring out what to do with the nearly $64 million they have received from the government's donation scheme.

A little over 1500 schools in deciles one to seven have signed up to the programme and get $150 per student as long as they don't ask families for donations.

Some are better off by thousands of dollars, but others are worse off.

RNZ education correspondent, John Gerritsen, reports.

Women in Opotiki can give birth in their home town again - but could face a dark wait in the carpark if their babies arrive at night.

People marched in the streets in December when the Bay of Plenty DHB announced it was closing its maternity unit until March.

It's now worked with midwives, and trained ambulance workers and nurses to help, so the unit can reopen early.

But its future is still uncertain.

RNZ health correspondent Rowan Quinn reports.

The Transport Agency is warning motorists to plan for extra journey time in Southland and Otago.

Flooding, damage to roads, major events and a lowering of speed limits will cause traffic to be slower than usual.

Graeme Hall is NZTA's system manager.

Southland Federated Farmers are looking for volunteers to help dozens of desperate farmers clean up from last week's flooding.

A big clean-up has been underway since Saturday as people return to their homes in Mataura.

Local Federated Farmers Vice President, Bernadette Hunt, is imploring anyone who can help to get involved with the "farmy army".

She speaks to Susie Ferguson.

Ish Sodhi's controversial shift to the New Zealand A cricket side has been ended early.

JoJo Rabbit, the film written and directed by Taika Waititi is up for six Oscars later today, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.

The movie is based on a book by Belgian New Zealander Christine Leunens.

Caging Skies was released eleven years ago to rave reviews - at home and overseas.

It's since been translated into twenty languages.

Taika Waititi's mother, Robin Cohen, is a fan.

She's the one who got her son to read the book and the rest is about to be history.

Leunens is in Los Angeles for the Oscars.

She speaks to Susie Ferguson.

More than 1000 people receiving money from the government to help with their housing costs have been underpaid to the tune of $1.4 million.

The mistake happened because the Ministry of Social Development's accommodation supplement area boundaries weren't always properly updated.

That meant some people weren't paid the correct amount they were entitled to, and documents obtained by RNZ under the Official Information Act show they are owed, on average, just over $1000 each.

RNZ social issues reporter Sarah Robson has been investigating.

Two people thought to be trampers have been found dead in the Makarora River in Otago's Mt Aspiring National Park.

There are few details yet about the two but police believe they may have been tramping together.

Seventy-five tracks from Fiordland to the southern end of Mount Aspiring Park are closed after last week's heavy rain and flooding.

Aaron Fleming is the Department of Conservation South Island manager.

He speaks to Corin Dann.

Southland is still in a state of emergency today.

All drinking water in Gore, Mataura and Otama still needs to be boiled.

Mayors across the region are meeting this morning at 10 to discuss the state of emergency.

The mayor of Southland is Gary Tong.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she is "frustrated" by the progression of a plan to remove RNZ Concert from the FM frequency in favour of a new youth-focussed station.

Ardern told Morning Report her belief is that one station does not need to come at the cost of another.

"This is not pitting one generation after another or one audience after another. RNZ has a mandate across the board and as I say my focus has been increasing access.

"We don't have to lose one for the other and actually, regardless of who contacts me or not I hold this opinion."