Morning Report

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The government is this morning announcing money for upgrades at schools and hospitals so they can move to cleaner energy.

Up to $4.8 million dollars will be available for eight schools to upgrade their old coal-fired boilers, and up to $5.2 million for upgrades at two hospitals.

It's the first confirmed spending from a $200 million fund aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of the state sector.

Amanda Larsson is a climate and energy campaigner with Greenpeace.

A mother whose baby died in 2016 because of substandard care during labour at Hutt Hospital says her daughter Ellie would have lived if staff had acted more quickly.

A Health and Disability Commission report has found the DHB and its staff failed to properly monitor the baby's heart rate and Ellie suffered severe brain damage due to a lack of oxygen.

She died six days later.

Her mother Ruth Toyoshima told reporter Jordan Bond that Ellie's death was entirely preventable.

News from the rural and farming sector.

A brief update from the business sector.

A study of the New Zealand justice system has found that those with brain injuries are over-represented in our prisons.

The study was cited by Dr Ian Lambie, the chief science advisor to the justice sector, who has published a discussion paper looking at the prevalence of head injuries in people who end up in courts and prisons.

Dr Lambie told our reporter Ben Strang that almost all women at Christchurch women's prison had a history of traumatic brain injury.

The countdown to election day is on - with the Prime Minister revealing people will head to the polls on 19 September.

The date coincides with Suffrage Day - 127 years since women won the right to vote in New Zealand.

Jacinda Ardern's proclamation comes early in the year in keeping with a precedent first set by the former National leader and Prime Minister John Key.

National's leader Simon Bridges' message in return is simple - bring it on.

A key question still for Bridges is how he'll handle Winston Peters - will he rule New Zealand First in or out as a potential government partner?

Bridges is still keeping his cards close to his chest, but says he'll reveal all in the not too distant future.

Roger Federer saved seven match points on his way to a dramatic five set comeback win over unseeded American Tennys Sandgren in the Australian Open quarter-finals.

The health watchdog condemns substandard care at Hutt Valley DHB that led to a baby's death, Cabinet approves the first step in plans to combine RNZ and TVNZ into a new public broadcaster, Hong Kong puts in place stringent measures to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Australian tennis great Margaret Court has been honoured at the Australian Open.

Court was presented with a trophy on court at the Rod Laver Arena ahead of the blockbuster Nick Kyrgios versus Rafael Nadal match.

The award marked 50 years since Court won her Grand Slam, claiming all four major tennis tournaments in 1970.

She still holds the all-time record of 24 Grand Slam single titles in her career, one more than Serena Williams.

But her outspoken conservative views on social issues, such as gay marriage, has made her a controversial figure.

RNZ correspondent Dave Worsley is in Melbourne.