Morning Report

Veteran test batsman Ross Taylor believes the depth of New Zealand cricket is the best it's been in the time he has been in the side.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

A Northland social worker says some whanau are having to live in trees because they can't get housing.

Christiane Rudolph-Anania from Te Ha Oranga says in the last three years that she's been working as a social worker, every person she's come across has had a housing problem.

She was at the Northland Housing Forum hui in Whangarei yesterday to raise her concerns.

Ms Rudolph-Anania told RNZ reporter Jessie Chiang the kind of living situations some people were resorting to.

A charity taxation specialist with thirty years experience in the sector says the regulator has done little more than slap the Hepatitis Foundation with a wet bus ticket.

The foundation spent more than $128,000 on travel for its board chairperson, Chris Cunningham, in just over two years and paid for lavish dinners at top Auckland restaurants.

It also could not account for thousands of dollars of credit card expenses.

Charities Services - the regulator - responded by sending the foundation a letter of expectation and not publishing the report's findings.

Mr Cunningham and the trustees all remain on the board.

Dr Michael Gousmet told political reporter Jo Moir the regulator should have taken the investigation much more seriously.

Samoa's school children have skipped important exams and the last few weeks of school as the measles epidemic heightens.

Thirty-nine people are confirmed dead from the highly contagious disease as almost 3000 people are infected throughout the country.

A mass vaccination campaign is underway with over 40,000 people being immunised since 20 November.

Sister Tina Kalepo is the Principal of Paul the Sixth College outside Apia.

She told Alex Perrottet only two of her students contracted measles but everyone is off school for good this year, and a strong message must go out to families to ensure their children are immunised.

News from the rural and farming sector.

A brief update from the business sector.

Porirua-based iwi Ngāti Toa Rangatira has officially become the landlord of more than 900 state homes in the city.

Ngāti Toa's new community housing provider, Te Āhuru Mōwai, has partnered with Kainga Ora - Homes and Communities, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

The iwi will manage the tenancies, maintenance and upgrade of the Kainga Ora properties in western Porirua, including areas in Titahi Bay, Mana, Tawa, Takapūwāhia and Eldson.

At a contract singing ceremony at Takapūwāhia Marae yesterday, Te Runanga o Toa Rangatira chair Taku Parai told Te Aniwa Hurihanganui the agreement was a milestone for his people.

Transpower says bird droppings are the most likely cause of Wednesday's power cut that took much of Northland off the grid.

A high-voltage circuit breaker on Transpower's network tripped, leaving 90,000 properties without electricity for about three hours.

The grid operator's chief executive Alison Andrew says a team was sent to inspect the area where the line tripped.

Learning he's set to make his test cricket debut hasn't phased allrounder Daryl Mitchell says veteran Black Caps bastman Ross Taylor.