Morning Report

The new coronavirus that has spread to more than 2,000 people is infectious before symptoms show. Nurses are at Auckland Airport this morning to test any unwell passengers from China. Angry and frustrated Napier residents want more action to stop the explosion of the gang population.

What's thought to be one of the biggest murals in the country has transformed a large grey concrete wall in Hamilton.

The wall - 248 metres long and 11 metres tall at its highest point - was originally part of a hill, Te Kopu Mania o Kirikiriroa, that was excavated as a work scheme during the depression.

Since then it's loomed over passers-by in Anglesea Street in the central city.

Here's RNZ's Waikato reporter, Andrew McRae.

Wellington's embattled bus network is getting another refresh.

But don't worry just yet - the Regional Council say they're just tweaking - not overhauling - the system to fix many of the problems they caused when they re-jigged the entire system in 2018.

Greater Wellington Regional Council Chair Daran Ponter speaks to Philippa Tolley about the changes.

Schools start to reopen from Monday next week and many are bracing themselves for roll growth and last-minute enrolments that will put pressure on staffing and classroom space.

Principals in high-growth areas have hired extra teachers because they know some families will turn up without warning.

Here's RNZ education correspondent, John Gerritsen.

For the first time in months, Samoa's hospitals are empty of measles patients.

While authorities say it doesn't yet mark the end of an epidemic that infected more than 5,000 people and killed 83, the vast majority of them children under five, it is a significant achievement.

Now, people are starting to demand answers to how things got so bad in the first place.

RNZ Pacific's Jamie Tahana reports.

The Social Development Minister won't promise to increase benefits, in the face of growing demand for hardship grants.

Almost 200,000 more hardship grants were made in the three months to December compared with the same period in 2018.

In total, more than half a million hardship assistance payments, to help pay for essentials like food and rent, were made.

Beneficiary advocates argue increasing the base rate of benefits would drastically reduce the number of people needing help, and allow MSD to concentrate on helping people who can work, find jobs.

The Social Development Minister, Carmel Sepuloni, won't say if that move is on the cards.

Dr Susan St John is with the Child Poverty Action Group.

The skyrocketing demand for hardship grants means Work and Income case managers haven't been able to spend as much time getting people into jobs.

The admission has come from the Ministry of Social Development in its annual report - and figures released yesterday show the requests for money to pay for things like food and housing isn't slowing down.

Alongside that, the number of people on benefits is increasing - up five percent in the three months to December compared to the previous year.

RNZ's social issues reporter Sarah Robson has more.

Picton's port and ferry terminals have been evacuated this morning, after a highly flammable LPG leak was found in the railyards this morning.

Fire and Emergency has confirmed the leak, and crews are in attendance.

A HAZMAT crew is also on its way from Nelson.

KiwiRail's chief operating officer Todd Moyle speaks to Corin Dann.

New Zealand is back on top again - one of the least corrupt countries in the world.

We're ranked first equal, alongside Denmark, out of 180 countries on perceived levels of corruption in the latest findings by Transparency International.

Justice Minister Andrew Little speaks to Philippa Tolley.

A child safety campaigner is calling for speed restrictions outside schools to be fast-tracked.

The government has committed to doing this over the next decade but with children set to return to school from next week transport authorities are being asked, why wait?

Ben Strang reports.