Morning Report

The wife of the Erebus DC10 pilot is stunned by an apology from the Prime Minister and Air New Zealand, the measles death toll in Samoa is expected to pass 40 today, Muslims say the mosque attacks shouldn't be used to justify the latest round of gun law changes.

Wellingtonians may think they know a thing or two about gusts and gales, but the community of Castlepoint home of a howling southery and wind-whipped sand would like a word.

Yesterday historian Redmer Yska told Morning Report he thinks Wellington needs to give a specific name to the city's torment. Wellington gets winds over 63 kilometres an hour 166 days a year.

But Castlepoint comfortably, or uncomfortably, beats that.

Gusts of at least 63 kilometres an hour happen on average 227 days a year and on 102 of those days, the gusts are over 96 kilometres and hour.

Joe Vermeer runs the Castlepoint Beach Store Anders Crofoot owns Castlepoint Station. 

The pair speak to Corin Dann.

Christchurch could become the country's space hub within five years.

A government-commissioned report suggests it is the ideal spot for developing, testing and launching space equipment, thanks to relatively low air-traffic, low rainfall, and strong links between industry, government and academic institutions.

Katie Todd reports.

Principals south of the Bombay Hills say the superior fund-raising ability of high-decile Auckland schools is creating a gap with the rest of the country.

Fees from foreign students and donations are boosting the coffers of already well-heeled Auckland schools by as much 40 percent more than similar schools in other parts of the country.

RNZ education correspondent John Gerritsen reports.

A brief update on the movements in the financial sector.

Two Christchurch families have been left traumatised by the actions of a 22-year-old truck driver who ran a red light and crashed into a car killing a 12-year-old boy and his uncle.

Driver Casey Winter was sentenced to four months community detention.

He had pleaded guilty to careless driving causing death.

Eleisha Foon was in court.

A national system of paying for public transport tickets virtually anywhere using cellphones, credit card or paywave is beset by delays and uncertainty.

The Transport Agency now says the rollout of project Next will start in Wellington in 2022, two years behind schedule. It is blaming this on complex, changing technology - but a report sheets points a lot of problems back to the agency itself - including putting the project into unsafe hands.

Phil Pennington reports.

Families of those killed in New Zealand's greatest peace-time disaster will meet the Prime Minister and Governor General in Auckland today.

A private ceremony is being held at Government House to mark 40 years since the crash of Air New Zealand Flight TE901 on Mt Erebus in Antarctica in 1979, with the loss of 257 lives.

Reverend Richard Waugh will take part in the service and speaks to Susie Ferguson.

Other commemorations today include a ceremony at Scott Base in Antarctica.

At 12:49pm, staff will gather at a Koru memorial on the hill above the base for a short reading, a message from Prime Minister Jacinda Adern, and a moment's silence.

Back in Auckland, there will be a service and wreath laying at the Erebus Crew Memorial garden at Auckland Airport.

The Erebus crash killed all on board, including 20 crew members.

An Australian criminologist says there's been no reduction in gang members in New South Wales since the Police introduced its Strike Force Raptor unit.

National Party leader Simon Bridges told Morning Report on Wednesday the task force is "devastatingly effective", and his party has proposed that a similar squad be set up in New Zealand.

The proposals include a ban on patches in public, parole conditions preventing offenders from returning to their gangs, and tougher sentences.

All states in Australia except ACT have anti-consorting laws whereby a person who hasn't been convicted can be charged if they associate with two or more gang members.

Mr Bridges said these laws are worth considering but he was not commited to them.

Corin Dann spoke to Terry Goldsworthy, an associate professor of criminology at Australia's Bond University, and began by asking if gang numbers had reduced in Australia since tougher laws were brought in.

England allrounder Ben Stokes wants racism in sport to be confronted and not simply brushed aside.