Nights

The future of the tech sector is looking dazzling - and quite crowded - actually. Amazon Web Services announced this morning it wants to build three data centres in Tamaki Makaurau, spending up to 7-point-5-billion-dollars on the centres, which are due to be completed in 2024. It says the project will create a-thousand direct and indirect jobs, and add nearly 11-billion-dollars to the economy over the next 15-years. The chief executive at Gorilla Technology Paul Spain explains what it all means.

Vaccination rates for Maori are being described as dismal, compared with non- Maori and the race is on to get them vaccinated as fast as possible. According to this week's figures 51 percent nationwide had recieved their first jab compared to 78 percent of non-Maori... Across Auckland Counties Manukau is the worst... just 50 percent of Maori have had their first dose versus 84% of non Maori. And only a quarter of Maori in the catchment are fully jabbed..its just over half for for non-Maori. The Maori Development Minister Willie Jackson says the Government is doing everything it can to get 90% of Maori vaccinated in the next fortnight before alert levels are reviewed. Bryan Crump spoke to a man at the coalface, Dr Rawiri Jansen co-leader of Te Ropu Whakakaupapa Uruta - the National Maori Pandemic Group.

We're joined by Marty Duda from The 13th Floor to talk about their new youtube channel - Uptown Lowdown. A new music news and review show.

Erick Brenstrum joins us once again. He casts his eye on the flooding in Europe and Tennessee, Hurricaine Ida and the wildfires and drought in Europe and North America.

We chat to Luisa Tora about the traditional Fijian female tattooing practice of veiqia and a new exhibition in Christchurch.

Hayden Donnell joins Bryan Crump for Midweek Mediawatch, tonight the decision to move Auckland to alert level three set off a tsunami of takes from across the media spectrum, most of them about whether this means the end of our vaunted elimination strategy.

Police in Melbourne appear to have shot rubber bullets at hundreds of protesters who gathered at the city's Shrine of Remembrance locked in a stand-off with riot police in a third day of demonstrations. The activists are protesting against the lockdown and demanding a vaccine mandate for the construction industry be lifted. And then a magnitude 5.8 earthquake hits Melbourne, followed a magnitude 4.7 aftershock just minutes later. ABC reporter Dana Morse chats to Bryan.

The Auckland couple who travelled to Wanaka while the city was at Covid-19 alert level 4 have been charged. Police say William Willis and Hannah Rawnsley have been summonsed to appear in the Papakura District Court next month on a charge of failing to comply with the Covid-19 health order. RNZ reporter, Katie Todd talks to Bryan Crump.

We chat to Beverly Rhodes whos beautiful exhibition of oil paintings called Ka mua, ka muri. is currently on at the Pataka Gallery in Porirua.

Tama Waipara has the latest news from Te Tairawhiti Arts Festival - including their local focussed festival next month and a new Summer Arts Festival for early 2022.