The latest RNZ Pacific news and sport.

Kelly Gibney joins Jesse to share a recipe that is heavy on flavour but light on time.

Heading Off is our weekly segment where we take you on adventures from the comfort of your home. If you've got a travel tale you'd like to share, we'd love to hear it, get in touch via 2101 or [email protected] and we might be in touch. Today we're off to the Azores, off mainland Portugal, where our guest Sarah Schmitt got the chance to experience life as a research scientist on a 10-day whale tracking expedition.

The latest RNZ Pacific news and sport.

It's six months since this record-breaking kakapo breeding season kicked off, and it's still all hands-on deck for the kakapo rangers out on the southern islands, keeping an eye on chicks and their mums. Allison Ballance has the latest from the Kakapo Files.

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Forestry is one of New Zealand's largest export earners. But in recent years you could argue it's become synonymous with disaster: hillsides collapsing, rivers choked with sediment and mountains of forestry slash washing through communities after major storms. Last week, new national forestry rules came into force. The Government says they'll simplify the system and provide more certainty for the industry. But some experts warn the changes could actually make it harder for councils to manage forestry risks in places that are particularly vulnerable to erosion and extreme weather. To explain what's changed we're joined by Dr Mark Bloomberg from the University of Canterbury School of Forestry

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Forget about rugby and pavlova there's a new battlefield in our great Trans-Tasman rivalry. The sausage roll. Timaru baker Simon Bruce has been picked to represent New Zealand against Australia's finest pastry purveyors. Battle commences tomorrow, but Simon joins Jesse from the Gold Coast where he's been sizing up the opposition.

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We're going to start today's show talking about the proposed move-on orders amendment bill and what it could mean for homelessness. The bill, which is currently before Parliament's Justice Select Committee, would allow police to issue move on orders to anyone who is rough sleeping, begging, obstructing business entrances or causing a disturbance. 

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The latest RNZ Pacific news and sport.

Welcome to Midday Report essentials with Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira, in for Guyon Espiner. In this episode: Labour's education spokesperson is rejecting reports Labour would scrap a twice-yearly test for primary school students if it got into government. We spoke to Ginny Andersen. A fresh report out of ACC shows injuries cost the country around $8.7 billion dollars a year, and we spoke to the chief executive for a breakdown. Finally, a veteran journalist - once imprisoned for his reporting says Media Freedom is more threatended than ever. We heard from Peter Greste.