Civil Defence
Tasman District state of emergency
A state of emergency remains in place in the Tasman District. Kathryn talks with Nelson Tasman Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group Controller, Roger Ball. Audio
A Q&A on questions and answers : the rules and process of question time
You ask a question. You get an answer. You’d think Question Time would be easy. But MPs constantly get it wrong, and often on purpose. The House gets a tutorial from Parliament’s quiz masters. Audio
Kaikoura tourism reaps benefits of earthquake repairs
Earthquake-ravaged Kaikoura has seen a boost in tourist numbers this summer, as visitors head back to the region following the rebuild of State Highway One north of the town. Audio
Cyclone Gita could head to NZ - NIWA
Cyclone Gita has been upgraded to a Category 5 storm as it moves into open waters, with a possibility it may impact New Zealand early next week. Audio
Taiwan quake: Rescuers hurry amid fears of major casualties
Rescuers are freeing people from trapped buildings in the eastern Taiwanese city of Hualien, following a serious 6.4 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday morning (NZ time). A number of buildings have… Audio
Taiwan earthquake: Buildings collapsed, casualties expected
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake has struck Taiwan's east coast. At least two buildings have collapsed, including the 300-room Marshal Hotel, which is resting precariously on one side and is tilted over a… Audio
Taiwan earthquake: Hotel topples in magnitude 6.4 shake
A magnitude-6.4 earthquake has rocked Taiwan's east coast, following a 'swarm' of 19 earthquakes over the past 48 hours. The US Geological Survey says it hit at a depth of 9.5km. There are reports of… Audio
Kiribati ferry disaster: Seven survivors back on land
The seven survivors of the Kiribati ferry disaster have arrived back on dry land. The Butiraoi vanished after leaving Nonouti on January 18. The survivors were rescued after being spotted by a New… Audio
Chatham Islands devastated by wildfire
Firefighters on the Chatham Islands have been battling a 3,000 hectare fire which has been burning since Thursday. Principal Rural Fire Officer Craig Cottrill is in charge of the Chatham Islands… Audio
Wgtn: $31m power quake plan gets nod
A $31 million scheme to protect Wellington's power supply after an earthquake has won provisional approval.
Waitara residents urged to stay away from homes ahead of high tide
Residents of about 30 properties at East Beach in Waitara are being asked to stay away from their homes ahead of the high tide at about midnight. Robin Martin spoke to some of them. Video, Audio
Nelson storm surges highest in living memory
About 50 people who evacuated their homes in the Nelson/Tasman region today will spend the night in an evacuation centre. Paul Shattock of Nelson City Council has with latest. Audio
100 evacuated amid Buller state of emergency
More than 100 people were evacuated from their homes in Westport today, and most will spend the night in evacuation centres. Buller District Mayor Garry Howard describes the flooding. Audio
State of emergency declared in Dunedin
Sewage has flown on to the streets in Dunedin, prompting the council to warn all stormwater should be treated as contaminated. Civil Defence Controller Sandy Graham joins Checkpoint with the latest. Audio
Missing Kiribati boat: Children likely to be on board
The MP for the Kiribati island where a missing ferry departed from says many of the victims are likely to be high school children heading to Tarawa for the term. The Butiraoi, which may have been… Audio
Otago, Southland drough declared, fire crews on standby
Fire crews and helicopters are on standby across central Otago as temperatures hit the mid-30s, and rising winds and low humidity levels push the risk of fire to extreme levels. It comes as a drought… Audio
Kiribati ferry sinking: Hope remains for another life raft
It's not known how many people were on the Kiribati ferry that's been missing for 11 days, but it's feared up to 100 may have been on board. Aircraft from Australia and the US Coast Guard have joined… Audio
Unconscious teen rescued from sunken Kiribati ferry
An unconscious teen is one of the eight people from a missing Kiribati ferry found after drifting in a dinghy in the Pacific for a week. An RNZAF Orion spotted the dinghy 300km south-east of Nauru and… Audio
NZ not ready for next big earthquake - Eric Crampton
The public policy think tank, the New Zealand Initiative, says this country is still under-prepared for the next big earthquake. The group of economists has reviewed the policy response to the… Audio
Tauranga to solve unaffordable housing - mayor
Tauranga plans to open up new sites of land and increase housing density to address its impending housing crisis. Survey results released yesterday show the city has usurped Auckland as New Zealand's… Audio
