Morning Report
RNZ National’s flagship news programme, known for breaking news stories and incisive interviews with politicians, newsmakers and commentators from Aotearoa and around the world. Hosted by Ingrid Hipkiss and John Campbell.
Episodes
Morning Report Essentials Friday 11 September
Cybersecurity expert on ZenTech data breach; Can you tell where your bacon or ham actually comes from?; Businesses gear up for opening of City Rail Link; Kiwi journalist who spent 9/11 inside police cordon; Helen Clark discusses being PM during 9/11 attacks
Latest news from Australia
We crossed the Tasman to Canberra to talk to our correspondent Richard Willingham from ABC in Victoria.
RSA sends Christmas parcels to NZ troops around the world
For 86 years, the RSA has been sending Christmas parcels to New Zealanders in the Defence Force serving away from home. This week, about 175 parcels are being packed at Trentham Military Camp to be sent to places like South Korea, South Sudan, Egypt, the Middle East - and even Antarctica. Anya Fielding reports.
Global Games brings young women rugby players to Taupo
Dozens of teams made up of hundreds of young women rugby players are in Taupo this weekend for the Global Games NZ Junior Girls Rugby Festival. It's this week's regional spotlight, event founder Tyrone Campbell spoke to John Campbell.
Market update
The latest market updates and news from RNZ's business team.
The changing face of the bank of Mum and Dad
Record numbers of people are withdrawing money from KiwiSaver to buy a first home, but the bank of Mum and Dad is still helping. Mortgage advisers say that the way they are doing it is different than in the past. Money correspondent Susan Edmunds spoke to John Campbell.
Greyhound adoptions surge after racing ban
Families across New Zealand are eager to adopt greyhounds after racing was made illegal last month. Agencies say the demand for adoptions is overwhelming, but they're desperate for foster homes to get the dogs used to life as a pet. Felix Walton reports.
Weekly Sports Panel: Abby Wilson and Lima Sopoaga
1 News Sports Editor Abby Wilson and All Black and Manu Samoa player, Lima Sopoaga join Morning Report for this week's sports panel.
Helen Clark discusses being PM during 9/11 attacks
This weekend marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. At the time, then-Prime Minister Helen Clark was on her way to Europe via Hong Kong. Her European trip was quickly cancelled and she returned to New Zealand. Clark spoke to John Campbell.
Businesses gear up for opening of City Rail Link
Auckland businesses are gearing up to reap the benefits of Auckland City Rail Link, which officially opens on Sunday. The $5.5 billion project has taken 10 years to build, and caused significant disruption for businesses along the route. Northern Line Bar and Social, on the corner of Beresford Square and Pitt St, has seen the lows and is now hoping to see the highs. Owner Craig Wright spoke t
Christchurch mansion offered free to anyone who can move it
An Edwardian mansion could be on its way to demolition in Christchurch, unless someone is willing to take it off a local developer's hands. The sweetener? You can have the house for free. The catch? You have to be able to move the four-bedroom, 320 metre-square structure. M Group Properties director of operations, Sean McCrory spoke to John Campbell.
Sports update
An early morning sports news update.
Market update
The latest market updates and news from RNZ's business team.
Kiwi journalist who spent 9/11 inside police cordon
Tomorrow marks 25 years since the September 11 attacks on the United States. New Zealand journalist Lauren Quaintance was reporting from within the police cordon that day. Lauren spoke to John Campbell.
Pensioner loses confidence after welfare payment error
A pensioner whose welfare payments were wrongly suspended says he has no confidence it won't happen again. The social development ministry has admitted it got it wrong after a review found more than 30,000 payments were incorrectly stopped. Political reporter Lauren Crimp reports.
Can you tell where your bacon or ham actually comes from?
The New Zealand pork industry says current labelling frequently makes imported pork look like a local product, with extremely small labelling hidden on the back. Harris Farms is among a small handful of New Zealand brands that only sells bacon and ham made from free-farmed, locally-grown pigs. Its sales and marketing manager Leon Powell spoke to John Campbell.
Cybersecurity expert on ZenTech data breach
Police are continuing to investigate the suspected theft of digital files from a company running clinical trials. Hackers reportedly stole the data from Dunedin-based ZenTech and published some of the files online. The private company works with Health NZ, but the government agency says its systems are unaffected. ZenTech says it has brought in experts to assess the nature and scope of the at
Business news for Friday 11 September
An early morning update from RNZ's business team.
Whanau navigators to support children of prisoners
At least 20,000 tamariki have a parent in prison. According to Treasury analysis of Stats New Zealand data, without the right support, they're 10 times more likely to end up in the justice system themselves. In a New Zealand first, charity Pillars Ka Pou Whakahou will be piloting a new support role with three whanau navigators at the Manukau District Court. The five-year pilot will see these
First-ever midterm Republican convention takes place in Texas
The first-ever midterm Republican convention is continuing in Texas, with Vice President JD Vance expected to make a keynote speech today. It follows an extraordinary promise from US President Donald Trump yesterday - he has vowed to pay every American adult $5,000 if his party wins the November elections. Correspondent Jagruti Dave spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss from Washington.
Morning rural news for Friday 11 September
A slink skin factory in Southland is causing a stink with the community meanwhile a conservation project is turning marginal farmland or difficult-to-farm areas into a game hunting paradise. Rural News on Morning Report with Gianina Schwanecke.
Early sports update for Friday 11 September
An early morning sports news update.
City Rail Link: A century in the making
The City Rail Link is set to finally open this weekend, hailed as a game changer for transport in the city, and eagerly anticipated by local businesses who've faced a decade of disruption. But the story of the CRL goes back not just a decade, but over a century. Matthew Theunissen reports.
World news wrap for Friday 11 September
Catch up with the latest headlines from around the world with RNZ's Alice Wilkins.
The Kiwi behind the wheel of London’s self-drive taxis
Self-driving taxis have hit the streets of London, and a New Zealander has made it happen. Alex Kendall co-founded Wayve in 2017 and as of last week 15 of its autonomous vehicles have been available to book on Uber in London. Kendall spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
Morning Report Essentials Thursday 10 September
Chris Bishop responds to fast-track pushback from councils; Lifeline boss responds to mental health services review; Lifeline boss responds to mental health services review; Mandy Molloy on police apology over daughter Rachel's death; Deva Mahal discusses Silver Scroll nomination
Repair Festival Aotearoa brings fixers together
Everyone's got something at home that needs repairs, a shirt with a button loose, maybe a bike tyre that's blown. From now until September 27, Repair Festival Aotearoa is hosting more than 50 repair events and workshops across the motu. These are run by local volunteer fixers, craftspeople, and trade experts - and people can come on in and drop off their items that need a bit of mending. Repa
World of Wearable Art show set to take place in Wellington
Preparations are underway at Wellington's TSB Arena for the capital's annual World of Wearable Art show. More than a hundred costumes will compete on the seventeenth of September amid live music and dance performances. Anya Fielding reports from backstage.
Deva Mahal discusses Silver Scroll nomination
The shortlist for the country's most prestigious songwriting award, the APRA Silver Scroll, was revealed this morning. One of the nominees, Deva Mahal spoke to John Campbell.
Sports Chat for 10 September 2026
An update on what's happening in the sports world with Nathan Rarere.
Market Update for 10 September 2026
Business update for 10 September 2026.
How to choose the right term when refixing your mortgage
Interest rates are rising again. But if you're a borrower looking to take out a new loan or refix an existing one, how can you know what the right term is to choose? Money correspondent Susan Edmunds spoke to John Campbell.
New wind farm opens in Southland
A new $600 million wind farm that can generate enough to power close to 100,000 homes has officially opened. The Kaiwera Downs Wind Farm near Gore was completed over two stages, bringing the total number of wind turbines to 46. Tess Brunton has more.
AI-generated fake citations found in academic papers
Auckland University researchers have found AI generated citations in academic papers are slipping through the cracks. A new study looked at more than 3000 peer reviewed recently published papers and found 69 had fake references hallucinated by AI. Auckland University senior computer science lecturer and one of the paper's authors Ulrich Speidel spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
Fisher & Paykel Appliances CEO speaks to John Campbell
Fisher & Paykel Appliances is deploying more artificial intelligence to help speed up its software, and give customers other ways to ask for help - instead of just ringing tech support. But that change came at the cost of 44 job cuts back in June. Its CEO says the company remains committed to New Zealand, but moves like it are required if it is to remain competitive in a changing world. Danie
Sports News for 10 September 2026
Sports News for 10 September 2026.
Wayne Brown calls out underfunding of tourism infrastructure
Auckland leaders are calling for a national solution to fix what they say is systemic and significant underfunding of tourism infrastructure. Mayor Wayne Brown says more than 50 representatives from the tourism sector have signed a charter, a set of design principles for one of two funding mechanisms that will, according to the mayor, deliver about $220 million a year. Wayne Brown spoke to In
Mandy Molloy on police apology over daughter Rachel's death
More than four years after Rachel Molloy was found dying at the bottom of stairs in central Auckland, her mother Mandy has received a personal apology from Auckland police. Rachel's death was initially treated as an accident, despite her being a key witness in an upcoming sexual assault trial and a previous home invasion, prompting her mother to seek answers. Mandy Molloy spoke to John Campbe
Sports Chat for 10 September 2026
An update on what's happening in the sports world with Nathan Rarere.
Market Update for 10 September 2026
Business update for 10 September 2026.
Is local bacon or ham really from New Zealand?
The New Zealand pork industry is calling for clearer branding on products so shoppers know if they're buying bacon or ham from overseas. NZ Pork says some supermarkets' pork products have extremely small labelling hidden on the back saying where the pig was bred overseas, but it's marketed as being local. NZ Pork Chief Executive Brent Kleiss spoke to John Campbell.
Latest from scene of fatal train incident in Auckland
A student has died after being hit by a train at a level crossing in Auckland. Police were called to Baldwin Ave station in Mount Albert about 3.30pm yesterday. Reporter Erin Johnson spoke to John Campbell.
Lifeline boss responds to mental health services review
Work is underway to act on recommendations made in an independent review into mental health and addiction telehealth services. The review commissioned by Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey found too many people are waiting too long or not getting through. Lifeline general manager of Social Services Grenville Hendricks spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
Chris Bishop responds to fast-track pushback from councils
Auckland Council is considering all legal avenues available to challenge fast-track consents for housing outside planned areas, and whether to reduce or withhold services from unanticipated developments. Richard Hills says the council could face a potential $5 billion bill from 50,000 to 60,000 new houses, while several councils are calling for a pause on fast-track residential consents. Chri
Sports News for 10 September 2026
Sports News for 10 September 2026.
Business News for 10 September 2026
Business News for 10 September 2026.
AI health coach boosts engagement with high-need patients
Doctors say a field test of an AI health coach is showing signs of higher engagement with high-need patients. A single AI assisted outreach by Tamaki Health saw about seven times as many people enrol in a programme for people living with diabetes, compared to the clinics' previous efforts. Tamaki Health's Wellness Support Team clinical director Dr David Codyre spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
More women disclose family violence at work
Workplaces are increasingly providing practical safety nets for women experiencing intimate partner violence. New research by Women's Refuge shows more women are disclosing that they are victims of family violence at work and receiving their employee entitlements. But it also shows there's more work to be done, with most people unaware of their workplace family violence policies. Amy Williams
Hundreds of UK flights cancelled due to traffic control outage
Hundreds of thousands of passengers have been affected by flight cancellations and delays in the UK. A technical problem at air traffic control yesterday caused the disruption at multiple airports. Operations are now stable, but airlines are still grappling with knock-on impacts that could last for days. correspondent John Bevir spoke to John Campbell from near Bristol Airport.
Morning Rural News for 10 September 2026
News from the rural farming sector.
Early Sports Chat for 10 September 2026
An update on what's happening in the sports world with Nathan Rarere.
Dozens of academic papers included fake AI references
New research from the university of Auckland has found dozens of academic papers have fake references in them that have been made up by AI. The study looked at more than 3000 peer reviewed papers published in the last few years and found 2 percent of them, or 69 papers, had fake references hallucinated by AI. Some of the references had realistic author and journal names and publication detail
World news wrap
Catch up with the latest headlines from around the world with RNZ's Alice Wilkins.
Ministry looks to cut red tape in hospitality sector
The Regulation Ministry is proposing a number of measures to cut red tape for the hospitality sector, to make it easier and cheaper for hospo businesses to operate. Robin Groves is the co-owner of Station Kitchen. He's also a member of the industry group of the Restaurant Association. Groves spoke to John Campbell.
Sports News for 10 September 2026
Sports News for 10 September 2026.
Morning Report Essentials Wednesday 9 September
Weekly Political Panel: Nicola Willis and Vanushi Walters; Fast-track housing could leave buyers without council services; Matt Doocey responds to report into mental health services; Hotel operator responds to visitor levy funding announcement; Keala Settle on bringing Sunset Boulevard to Wellington
Keala Settle on bringing Sunset Boulevard to Wellington
Tony nominated Maori actress and singer Keala Settle is set to return to the stage, taking on the lead role of Norma Desmond in musical Sunset Boulevard as part of Te Whare Whakarauika Wellington Town Hall's reopening programme. It'll be the first professional performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit show in New Zealand - in recent years a West End revival that transferred to Broadway was the
Inanga return to Hawke's Bay three years after cyclone
Inanga, a native whitebait species, has been recorded spawning in Hawke's Bay again, three years after Cyclone Gabrielle. The Waikahu wetland outlet was heavily eroded during the cyclone in 2023, leaving much of the bank without the dense vegetation needed for the species. But since then restoration work has been undertaken by the regional council, through a funding partnership with the Depar
Long-standing home support providers lose contracts
A Waiheke Island-based health trust is one of several organisations that's been told its home and community support contracts won't be renewed. It comes as Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand moves to bulk fund services in Auckland and Northland, with long-standing providers finding out their contracts won't be renewed. One operator says the changes contradict recent advice for improving services
Market Update for 9 September 2026
Business update for 9 September 2026.
Sports Chat for 9 September 2026
An update on what's happening in the sports world with Melissa Chan-Green.
Solar buyers urged to look beyond the cheapest quote
When it comes to solar power systems, is a cheaper system the fastest way to get a return? Money correspondent Susan Edmunds has been looking at quotes from across the country that indicate that sometimes paying a little more could prove to be the better investment. Edmunds spoke to John Campbell.
Weekly Political Panel: Nicola Willis and Vanushi Walters
Nicola Willis and Vanushi Walters joined Morning Report this morning for the Weekly Political Panel.
Sports News for 9 September 2026
Sports News for 9 September 2026.
Sports News for 9 September 2026
Sports News for 9 September 2026.
Building company in the dog house, but on to a winner
A building company is raffling off a designer dog house only built after a joke ad was met with some genuine interest. The house boasts a double-glazed window, carpet and long-run metal roofing and will be sold to raise money for the SPCA. Landmark Central Auckland owner Warwick Aldridge helped build the house and spoke to John Campbell.
Fast-track housing could leave buyers without council services
Buyers of fast-track approved developments in Auckland could face a future with no council-run services. During Tuesday's Policy, Planning and Development Committee meeting, councillors were told Auckland's facing a potential bill of up to five billion dollars from the approval of 50 to 60-thousand "unanticipated" new houses. In response, councillors unanimously voted to investigate legal opt
Questions raised over discharge of homeless stroke patient
A homeless Auckland man who had a severe stroke while living under a bridge this winter was later discharged from Auckland City Hospital in just a gown, and taken to a nearby charity that provides support for people in hardship. The stroke left him with slow speech and movement, needing a walker to get around. Lifewise found housing for him, but is concerned someone with major ongoing health
Market Update for 9 September 2026
Business update for 9 September 2026.
Sports Chat for 9 September 2026
An update on what's happening in the sports world with Melissa Chan-Green.
John Gerritsen looks into latest PISA test results
Results are out for the biggest school exam in the world - the OECD's PISA tests of 15-year-olds in reading, maths and science. How did we do? Education correspondent, John Gerritsen spoke to John Campbell.
Drop in flu vaccinations as winter illnesses increase
While hospitals and GP clinics struggle under the tide of people coming through their doors with winter illnesses, only about a quarter of the population got the flu vaccination this year. And the percentage of those over 65 getting the flu shot has steadily decreased since 2022. Rachel Graham reports.
Hotel operator responds to visitor levy funding announcement
The operator of a large hotel chain in New Zealand says diverting a portion of International Visitor Levy funds to councils is a good first step. If re-elected, the National Party is pledging to allocate $385 million over four years to councils, the portion each council gets will depend on the number of international visitors they host. Councils would have to use the money for things like eve
Matt Doocey responds to report into mental health services
If you or someone you love calls a mental health hotline, Lifeline, Youthline or 1737, will you always get through to one of the really good people on the other end of the line? And what happens if your need is acute, and you call back, or you call one of the other services, do they know who you are and what you're up against... or do you start from scratch every time? The issues and solution
Sports News for 9 September 2026
Sports News for 9 September 2026.
Business News for 9 September 2026
Business News for 9 September 2026.
New campaign launched to encourage Maori to enrol and vote
Nga Iwi o Taranaki, all eight iwi of Taranaki have launched 'The Landline', a campaign running on social media and online, which aims to entertain, educate and ultimately, encourage Maori to enrol and vote. Ngati Maru Pouwhakahaere and CEO, Anaru Marshall spoke to John Campbell.
UK bans importing of goods from Israeli settlements
The UK has announced a ban on the import of goods made in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The settlements are illegal under international law, and eleven other countries will implement the same trade sanctions. In response, Israel has announced the closure of the British consulate in Jerusalem. Correspondent John Bevir spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss from London.
Morning Rural News for 9 September 2026
News from the rural farming sector.
Early Sports Chat for 9 September 2026
An update on what's happening in the sports world with Melissa Chan-Green.
