Highlights from Radio New Zealand National's programmes for the week ending Friday 16 December. This week .... This week...another housing boom as property prices increase, the current state of Maori journalism, two stories from Canterbury's earthquake - a victim's recovery and a musician's return, a look back at the life of an albatross genius, the DNA of food, performing Shakespeare in te reo Maori and 200 years of wedding fashion on exhibition at Te Papa.
The Earthquake Recovery Minister says this is a final warning for the Christchurch City Council.
This weekend the Kiwi Club of New York is having a big fundraiser to benefit the Christchurch Earthquake appeal.
The Christchurch earthquake looks to have dashed hopes of a pickup in household spending this year.
'Is this the Brighter Future?': Rachel Graham looks at how the Government's decisions have impacted the lives of people in Christchurch.
An earthquake aftershock measuring five-point-one on the Richter Scale shook Christchurch this morning, just after six o'clock.
Host of the Radio New Zealand programme This Way Up, currently assisting friends in Christchurch affected by the earthquake.
The Insurance Council is ranking the Canterbury earthquake as the world's third most expensive insured event this year.
The Insurance Council is ranking the Canterbury earthquake as the world's third most expensive insured event this year.
An earthquake aftershock measuring five-point-one on the Richter Scale hit Christchurch this morning, just after six o'clock.
A review of the week's news with extensive coverage of this week's devastating earthquake in Christchurch
Let's return to the situation in Christchurch where there have been nine earthquakes this morning, cutting power to 10 thousand homes.
Canterbury was shaken by a 5.1 earthquake just after 5.30 this morning.
The Government is considering introducing a state of emergency after a series of powerful earthquakes in Christchurch this afternoon.
The track will open this week after being closed for nearly a year after the line suffered extensive damage in last November's earthquake.
Rocket Lab's Electron rocket launch today on the Mahia Peninsula has been scrubbed again, sadly. A power fault this time. Kaikoura residents and businesses are celebrating the re-opening of State Highway 1 north following a year of earthquake repairs. The coastal highway link between Picton and Christchurch was badly damaged during the November 2016 quake but will now re-open during the day from 7am. It will close at 8:30 each night so more repairs and assesments can be done. Kaikoura Top Ten Holiday Park co-owner Ed Nolan tells us what this means for his business and others in the town. The Prime Minister Jainda Ardern says the Government's new families package will reduce child poverty in the country by 48 per cent. We ask the panellists whether this is realistic or if there are other, more entrenched imprediments to lowering poverty in New Zealand. The panellists also discuss the state of the books, and discuss if they worry about national debt iincreasing, as the opposition has warned. The Prime Minister says wealthy New Zealanders can opt out of the Government's Winter Energy Payment, which will see those on a benefit, NZ Superannuation or a Veterans Pension get an extra boost due the winter season. Many are doubtful that will happen though. The panellists discuss why some wealthy people have missed out on tax cuts only to be able to reap the reward of this package. We also ask if they suspect this money will be used for heating purposes. The University of Otago has a new degree which brings science and art together, the BaSc. It aims to break down barriers between the two disciplines. Two students are graduating the degree this week. We talk to Eirenie Taua'i who has been studying Pacific Studies and Neuroscience. We aslk her what careers she is considering now and what it was like to study to very different courses. The families of those who died in the CTV building collapse in Christchurch's 2011 earthquake say they will continue to fight for justice. Police announced earlier this month they won't be prosecuting the engineers of the building after a three-year long investigation. The families met with police to ask and why say they aren't convinced all has been done. We ask panellist, barrister Jonathan Krebs, if other charges could and should be laid.
The Canterbury earthquakes have provided the opportunity to reconsider the Christchurch CBD - and arts and culture have often led the discussion. No more so than during the bold biennial weekend celebration of urban creativity which is Festa, which first gave the public access to the red zone back in in 2012. FESTA returns this Labour weekend and joining Mark Amery this week are festival director and architectural historian Doctor Jessica Halliday and Kairaranga or weaver Benita Wakefield, who is part of FESTA project Kono for Kai.
Topics - If you like a quiet time, head for the Spanish city of Seville. Seville's silent summer, they're calling this. They've banned outdoor noise. Seville's been noisy; flamenco singers, old men playing dominoes, bar patrons chatting. The city councillors have now banned most of this, and they seem to have support. Gerry Brownlee the Earthquake Recovery Minister will have the final say over what happens to a piece of land near Christchurch airport, on the corner of Memorial Ave and Russley Road. It's currently zoned as rural, but industrial development could be on the cards. The NYT wonders why with so much violence in movies and games, the big Comic-con pop entertainment convention in San Diego is so peaceful. John Banks snapped phone-driving, we saw at the weekend. John Banks accused of breaking the law again, this time for using a cellphone while driving.
The Fire Service is recognising fire crews who responded to the February earthquake at an event this evening in Christchurch.
The Prime Minister says he expects the death toll from this week's Christchurch earthquake will rise to more than two hundred.
The Finance Minister, Bill English, says the Christchurch earthquake means the New Zealand economy is unlikely to grow this fiscal year.
Lectures resume at the University of Canterbury this morning after being cancelled for two weeks because of the earthquake.
After a shaky few weeks in Canterbury thousands of earthquake survivors have been rocked again, this time by heavy metal greats, Metallica.
Interview with Surface Water Planner, Graham Harrington. This interview was conducted by Emma Kelland as part of Deirdre Hart's Coastal and River Earthquake Research project.
The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority will be travelling the length of New Zealand this week to drum up investment in the rebuild of Christchurch's city centre.
Earlier this morning Christchurch's Cathedral Square saw its first dawn service since the earthquake in 2011. The city's Mayor Phil Mauger was there.
The Earthquake Recovery Minister, Gerry Brownlee, has defended the government's handling of the Christchurch City Council's consenting crisis in Parliament this afternoon.
The country's political parties are uncertain about whether a special tax might be needed to help pay to rebuild Christchurch after this week's devastating earthquake.
A New Zealander who was in Christchurch for both the September and February earthquakes, has spoken about experiencing her third major quake - this time in Japan.
The first one struck just before 2 this afternoon and measured 5 point 8 on the Richter scale, and was eight kilometres deep.
