Ruth Hill
Council aims to make Wellington safer with lower speed limits
Wellington council has signed off on a proposal to cut speed limits to 30km/h on most streets and 40km/h on the main roads.
Paris, Bilbao, Brussels and Glasgow have done it - but it may be a long and… Audio
Covid cases falling, but hospital pressure unrelenting
The number of Covid cases continues to fall for the second week running but the pressure on hospitals is unrelenting.
And the daily death toll may keep tracking up for weeks yet. Ruth Hill reports. Audio
Surprise as NZ unemployment rate rises slightly
It may not feel like it, but wages are rising at their fastest rate since late 2008, whipped on by labour shortages in almost every sector.
All the pundits predicted we'd see record low unemployment… Audio
Former-Exclusive Brethren members detail the church's money-go-round
A cult-like church that is accused by ex-members of controlling its adherents' lives, has metastasised into a multinational corporation with massive buying power.
The Exclusive Brethren - now… Audio
Charity status of The Plymouth Brethren Church under scrutiny
Former members of The Plymouth Brethren Church are calling for it to be stripped of its charitable status, which allows it to claim millions of dollars in tax breaks each year.
The secretive… Audio
Overworked, understaffed, pressured workers at all NZ's DHBs
Overworked, understaffed and under extreme pressure. That's not just the situation at Middlemore Hospital but also at almost every other DHB in the country, with a massive influx of patients suffering… Audio
Nearly one in three nursing students drop out before qualifying
Nearly one-in-three nursing students drop-out before qualifying, due to financial pressure, family responsibilities and other factors made worse by Covid-19.
At the same time, health boards and rest… Audio
Ceremony for Queen's Jubilee in Wellington
While the 96-year-old Queen was no doubt tucked up in bed on the other side of the world, back here a very special ceremony was held to mark her platinum jubilee. Ruth Hill was at the Wellington… Video, Audio
Worries over Wellington construction flaws and quake risks
Commercial property owners in Wellington are worried they may be stuck with office towers no-one wants to rent or insure.
There are now about 150 buildings in the CBD which share the same… Audio
A 'sonic refresh' is coming for RNZ
Earlybirds tuning in to Morning Report will have a fresh wake-up call from Monday morning. We're keeping the birds and the six 'pips', but as of tomorrow RNZ's three flagship news programmes - Morning… Video, Audio
Levin littered with debris after wild storm hits in early morning
Levin has been left to deal with a trail of destruction after a wild storm ripped through the town this morning.
Rooves lifted off homes - debris scattered - schools closed and power lines left… Video, Audio
Levin wakes to wild weather
In Levin, residents were woken by torrential hail nearly the size of golf balls, and what they are describing as a tornado.
MetService says it recorded a wind gust of 140 kilometres per hour in… Audio
New research questions efficacy of Reading Recovery
Critics of the multimillion dollar Reading Recovery programme want it overhauled or even scrapped following new research showing it's left some children worse off.
The United States study found those… Audio
Damning report exposes declining literacy rates
Now I don't know my ABC - the perilous state of literacy in Aotearoa New Zealand.
That's the title of new report from the Education Hub think tank which examines the reasons why over a third of… Audio
Online job board helps weddings go without a hitch in pandemic
It's a nightmare scenario for a couple just before their wedding day: the photographer, the makeup artist or the celebrant tests positive for Covid and there's a mad scramble to find a replacement.
… Video, Audio
Capital's hospitals brace for strain from Omicron
Up to one in three patients coming through Hutt Hospital's emergency department have Covid.
At the same time 800 doctors and nurses at Wellington region's three hospitals have been off sick or in… Audio
Covid-19: Wellington update after camp destroyed
An RNZ reporter went out to visit some of the sites that protesters are currently occupying after the dramatic removal of their camp at Parliament lawn on Wednesday.
Susie Ferguson got an update. Audio
Covid-19: Babies born in pandemic lockdown still reclusive
They're known as "bunker babies" - children born during the pandemic who have spent their short lives in and out of lockdown.
While New Zealanders are now learning to live with the virus, some… Audio
New Zealanders volunteer for new refugee settlement scheme
New Zealanders are putting their hands up to help settle refugees, through a new community sponsorship scheme that's on top of the Government quota.
Amnesty International is a strong supporter of the… Audio
Submissions close on bill to widen ACC cover for birth injuries
Submissions close today on a bill to widen ACC cover for birth injuries.
However, the Green Party, doctors and injured women say its scope is too narrow and many won't get the help they need.
Ruth… Audio