Morning Report

Heavy rains have helped douse some of the wildfires rampaging through Australia since September last year.

There have been downpours in the states of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, which have all been badly hit by the bushfire crisis.

Major roads were closed in Queensland and power cuts were reported in parts of NSW as a result of the weather.

RNZ's correspondent in Sydney is Scott Levi.

The country's newest ecosanctuary on the northernmost tip of the South Island is being called a small step towards fixing humanity's crimes against nature.

Those behind the new Wharariki Ecosanctuary are hoping it will be a turning point in the survival of species on the brink.

RNZ's Tracy Neal was at the official opening on Saturday, and filed this report.

About $1.5 million worth of construction projects in Christchurch will be finished and opened this year, marking another milestone in the Christchurch rebuild.

Of the 12 anchor projects six have been completed with two more due to be finished this year.

They are the new Christchurch Hospital Acute Services Building and the new convention centre at a cost of $975 million.

Other major projects are also likely to be finished including two new motorways coming in at a cost of $485 million.

Anan Zaki reports from Christchurch.

A brief update on the movements in the financial sector.

The government plans to formally introduce changes to Family Funded Care next month.

Family Funded Care has been widely criticised for requiring intellectually disabled New Zealanders to be the employers of the family members who take care of them.

Last year, the Government signalled changes to the Funded Family Care, removing that requirement, expanding eligibility to include spouses and partners and lifting pay rates from minimum wage up to a maximum of $25.50 an hour.

Now they've spelled out when the legislation will be introduced in the house and how long they expect it will take to pass. Cliff Robinson has been a full-time carer for his two adult children for nearly 50 years.

He speaks to Corin Dann.

Whakatāne businesses are continuing to feel the effects of the Whakaari/White Island eruption with some needing to completely overhaul their operations.

A rāhui was placed on marine activities for nearly three weeks after the eruption so many businesses were unable to operate, while others suffered due to tourists keeping away during the normally busy summer period.

Dozens of businesses have now applied for assistance from the Government, as Matthew Theunissen reports.

A disabled woman was told she could not have any home help for two weeks over the Christmas break because her assigned days fell on public holidays.

This was despite her Healthcare New Zealand carer still providing daily personal care and some home help to her husband, funded under a different contract.

Wairoa resident Careen Busing says carers and their clients are paying for a system that is broken, and she wants to see change.

Anusha Bradley reports.

A forestry company with close links to New Zealand First says it made a presentation to Shane Jones about the project it was seeking a $15 million government loan for, months before Mr Jones says he first heard of it.

Mr Jones has said he first heard about a bid by New Zealand Future Forest Products for Provincial Growth Fund money in October and immediately wrote to the Prime Minister declaring a conflict of interests because directors at the company have close ties to his party.

But the company's PGF application form says the project was discussed with Mr Jones in a presentation before the bid was submitted on April the 8th.

Mr Jones has issued a statement to RNZ saying the presentation never happened.

But NZFFP director David Henry says the presentation was a meeting he personally had with Mr Jones in Wellington.

He spoke with Investigative Journalist Guyon Espiner about his company's application to the Provincial Growth Fund.

The Silver Ferns have been impressive in beating England 64-48 - with all 11 players taking the court at netball's Nations Cup in Birmingham.

A cyclone with New Zealand in its warpath will see sizeable waves pummel the East Coast of the North Island this week.

Cyclone Tino will cause more than a ripple at beaches on the East Cape, Gisborne and Hawke's Bay as well as the Bay of Plenty, eastern Coromandel and parts of Northland and Wairarapa.

Richard Green from the forecasting website Weather Watch speaks to Philippa Tolley.