Checkpoint

The prime minister says it could take up to six months to remove masses of soil dumped on damaged roads on the East Cape from last week's storm. Christopher Luxon visited weather-hit Te Araroa and Hicks Bay by helicopter, and spoke to media at the Tai Rawhiti emergency coordination centre. Like locals, he's bracing for a long and tough road ahead. The PM's comparing the devastation in some places to 20-23's Cyclone Gabrielle. Meanwhile, work has just resumed at Mount Maunganui a week on from the deadly land-slip there. Rescue workers were pulled out of the disaster site this morning after technology that had been installed to monitor land movement was triggered and work suspended. It came ahead of a vigil tonight for a community still reeling over the deaths of six people. Kim Baker Wilson spoke to Lisa Owen.

Pencils, pens, textbooks and a full set of uniform might seem like the basics for any school student, but many families are relying on donations to start the school year. Several schools across the motu are able to fund parts of their school uniform, through their own coffers, local commuity trusts and donations. But some school principals says covering back-to-school costs means they are having to make sacrifices elsewhere. Bella Craig reports.

There's a mystery lurking in the waters of northern New Zealand. What happened to a highly invasive seaweed pest that smothered huge areas of seabed, threatening native species and the Kiwi way of life? Northland reporter Peter de Graaf tried to find out.

It is bad news for New Zealand basketballer Steven Adams, with his NBA season over due to injury. Sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe spoke to Lisa Owen.

A pop up clinic offering free dental care in Wairoa has been overwhelmed with demand in an area that hasn't had a full time dentist for half a decade. The clinic is a joint project between Health New Zealand, iwi, Kahungunu and Hawkes Bay's Golden Apple dentists. Patients have been prioritised according to need and there has been lots of them keen to get in the chair, with the clinic's two week run almost over. Dr Isha Woodhams of Golden Apple Dental spoke to Lisa Owen.

United States correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about Donald Trump threatening Iran with "major destruction" as he pressures the country to negotiate the a nuclear weapons deal, as well as two federal agents being stood down following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minnesota.

A former National MP says discrimination against pacific peoples travelling to New Zealand needs to end and the government should change visitor visa requirements so they are treated the same as travellers from dozens of other countries. More than 45,000 people have signed a petition demanding equal treatment of visitors from New Zealand's pacific neighbours. Petition organiser Arthur Anae joins spoke to Lisa Owen.

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thompson spoke to Lisa Owen about how large parts of the UK have been hit by record flooding, how a UK study has found similarities between menopause and Alzheimer's and how the number of Brits giving up alcohol is on the rise.

Part of the cordon has been lifted near the site of the deadly Mt Maunganui landsip, allowing about a dozen businesses to reopen for the first time in six days. But just a few hundred metres around the corner, the recovery effort to find those buried continues - and that continues to weigh heavily on locals' hearts. Lauren Crimp reports from Mount Maunganui.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

Auckland FC have taken some unique approaches to dealing with the Australian heat this summer. Wearing rain coats on sunny training days and spending hours in the sauna have been part of the preparation for A-League games across the Tasman. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

Senior Cabinet Minister and National Party stalwart Judith Collins is returning to law after a 24-year career in politics. Ms Collins - one of the more familiar faces in politics - announced her retirement this morning, saying she feels like she's "done her dash". Political reporter Anneke Smith has more.

About 150 people have been evacuated near Papamoa after a land slip was deemed a risk to life. Tauranga City council says residents had to move from the Mangatawa Marae and Papakainga housing. The slip is near a watermain and there's concern that the pipe could break if the land moves anymore. Blance McMath is chair of the Mangatawa Papamoa Blocks that owns the Papakainga housing, and spoke to Lisa Owen.

Storm damage along Tairawhiti's East Cape is dividing students and teachers, with some cut off from their schools. State Highway 35, a vital link around the coast, has been severely damaged in last week's extreme weather. Some parts are closed, while other sections have restricted access. Te Waha o Rerekohu Area School in Te Araroa, which is due to start on Monday, is one of the schools cut off. Principal Lynn Burrell spoke to Lisa Owen.

A New Zealander who had his leg amputated after being severely injured while fighting in Ukraine says he sung Aotearoa's national anthem to keep himself going during his excruciating rescue. Khol Gillies had to wait days to be evacuated from the battlefield because fierce fighting made it virutally impossible to reach him. Gillies, originally from Hawkes Bay had been in Ukraine for six months fighting as a volunteer. Gillies spoke to Lisa Owen.

The public has had their say on whether the Prime Minister should be going to Waitangi - with a majority thinking it's important he does. The RNZ-Reid Research Poll asked New Zealanders their thoughts on whether the Prime Minister should be at Waitangi - and whether they think the Treaty has too much or too little an influence on government decisions. Political reporter Giles Dexter spoke to Lisa Owen.

US officials have confirmed a branch of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will play a role in supporting American security operations during next month's Winter Olympics in Italy. The news has prompted outrage in Italy after ICE agents were involved with the fatal shootings of two US citizens in Minneapolis this month. Sports correspondent Dana Johannsen spoke to Lisa Owen.

A crew of volunteers are using quad bikes to deliver essentials and do welfare checks around the storm hit East Cape, with some homes completely cut off and roads out. They're putting in long days dropping off gas bottles and food and helping clear up rubbish and debris. One of those volunteers is Te Hemara Rauhihi. He spoke to Lisa Owen.

A person is in critical condition following a shooting involving Border Patrol agents near the US-Mexico Border. Correspondent Katie Silver spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Greyhound racing industry wants tens of millions of dollars in compensation if the government pushes ahead with its proposed ban. The deadline to end the sport is July this year. Racing Minister Winston Peters has previously said serious injury rates among greyhounds have remained too high, and improvements made haven't been significant enough for the industry to retain its social licence. Canterbury Greyhound Racing President and a long-time greyhound trainer Jean Fahey spoke to Lisa Owen.

Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen about temperatures soaring across the country, reaching close to 50 degrees in some areas, potentially trumping previous record highs.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The Labour Party has savaged a government advisory group on retail crime, calling it "dysfunctional, directionless and failing". It comes after Checkpoint yesterday revealed that three of the five members on the Ministerial Advisory Group had resigned in recent weeks.

It seems timing continues to rule out potential All Blacks coaching candidates. Coach Vern Cotter will leave the Blues at the end of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season to move to the Queensland Reds next year, therefore removing himself from the All Black coaching conversation. Sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe spoke to Lisa Owen.

In the Northland town of Oakura, locals are adjusting to a new reality - no proper road south to Whangarei for as long as the next three months. The road north reopened on Saturday but it is a long detour, and the emergency route south is narrow, steep and, frankly, frightening. Peter de Graaf reports from a town picking up the pieces after last week's storm.

The government is mulling an inquiry into the events surrounding the deadly landslide that crashed down Mount Maunganui on Thursday, leaving six campers missing - presumed dead. While the recovery effort continues, questions are being asked about whether the council-owned campground should have been evacuated earlier, when the alarm was raised about other slips on the maunga. Lauren Crimp is in Mount Maunganui and filed this report.

The government is assuring flood hit regions there's more financial support to come after announcing an immediate $2.2 million relief package. $1.2 million of that will go into topping up mayoral relief funds, while the other $1 million will reimburse marae that have provided welfare support to communities. Tairawhiti's East Cape has been hit hard, communities remain isolated, some homes are uninhabitable and lifeline roads are still touch and go. The mayor says it will take a lot to get the area back on its feet. Mayor for the District, Rehette Stoltz spoke to Lisa Owen.

There is a "strong case for an independent government inquiry" and families of those missing in the Mt Manuganui landslip "deserve" the facts, according to the Prime Minister. He has appointed Chris Penk to advise cabinet on the possible scope of an inquiry into the fatal disaster. Tauranga City Council is already planning to investigate but the Prime Minister said there is an inherant conflict. Newly appointment Associate Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery, Chris Penk spoke to Lisa Owen.

Thames Coromandel's local State of Emergency ends tomorrow, and the mayor says at this point it is unlikely to be extended. However, as the district tries to dry out it has some challenges ahead, including two major slips on its main highway and 63 storm-damaged homes. Libby Kirkby-McLeod spoke to people around the district and filed this report.

The temperatures are rising in Melbourne on and off the tennis court as the Australian Open reaches the quarter-finals stage. The city was forecast to reach 45 degrees Celsius and tournament organisers had to juggle the schedule for what could be the warmest day at the tournament on record. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

National has narrowly outperformed Labour as the party voters trust the most to manage the economy. Just over 32 percent of people trust the National Party the most to manage the economy in RNZ's latest Reid-Research poll. Labour is just a whisker behind on more than 31 percent. Political reporter Anneke Smith spoke to Lisa Owen.

US correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about President Trump speaking to Minnesota leaders about the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by ICE agents, as well as the public and political response that have come from that.

A south Auckland health clinic that is now operating 24-seven is hoping to take the pressure of an overrun Middlemore hospital emergency department. Local Doctors Otara is the first clinic to open through the night in Counties Manukau since 2020. It is gradually extended its opening hours to meet demand, with medical staff previously staying on after official closing because patients were still waiting to be seen. Dr Lloyd McCann, Chief Executive officer for Tamaki Health, which owns Local Doctors, spoke to Lisa Owen.

The government is kicking an extra $1.2 million into mayoral relief funds for areas hit by the severe weather, to help with immediate needs like food and shelter. But it has acknowledged that is a drop in the ocean and there will be more money to come.

Europe correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about the captain of a suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker being taken into custody, as well as England's health system announcing a world-first cancer database.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The women's defending champion Madison Keys has been knocked out in the fourth round of the Australian Open. Sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe spoke to Lisa Owen.

As recovery work continues in Mount Maunganui, the east cape is also facing a massive clean-up. Te Araroa looks like a waste land, pocked with muddy ruts and woody debris everywhere. The small settlement, Onepoto, and Wharekahika have been hit hard. Parts of State Highway 35 around the coast remain closed or restricted. Te Araroa incident management team leader and resident Trudi Ngawhare spoke to Lisa Owen.

There is still a huge amount of clean up to do on roads around the upper North Island following last week's severe weather. Slips and flooding damaged major roads in Thames, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and the East cape. In Gisborne entire hillsides collapsed, bringing forestry and native bush down onto roads. Convoys have made it through State Highway 35 at the top of the east coast, but it could be several weeks before State Highway two between Gisborne and Bay of Plenty reopens. NZTA's Mark Owen spoke to Lisa Owen.

The recovery operation at Mount Maunganui has resumed after last week's deadly landslide. Police say the remains of some victims have been found after six people were unaccounted for following the slip at the popular campground. The Prime Minister has been on the ground in Tauranga meeting with locals in the wake of devastating storms. But questions are being raised about the responsibility of both the Council and the holiday park. Finn Blackwell has more.

A controversial government advisory group on retail crime has fallen apart with three of the five members resigning months before the group is due to finish its work. The latest person to quit is Retail New Zealand Chief executive, Carolyn Young. Questions have been raised about the group's value for money after it was revealed that its chairperson, Sunny Kaushal was paid $230,000 in its first year; something he vigorously defends. Retail NZ's Carolyn Young spoke to Lisa Owen.

Dozens of students on the East Cape are cut off from their Hicks Bay kura after extreme weather's closed vital roads in the area. Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kawakawa mai Tawhiti is due to open tomorrow, but various road closures along State Highway 35 have cut off some communities. School tumuaki principal Campbell Dewes home is cut off and he can't reach the school by road. His whanau aren't the only ones isolated and he is working on a plan for the kura. Campbell Dewes spoke to Lisa Owen.

Four days on from a devastating storm, pockets of whanau remain cutoff from one another on the East Coast. The usually short drive between communities is no longer possible, with widespread flood damage and slips leaving roads impassable. With dwindling food supplies in Te Araroa the reopened road to the south, came just in time. Mary Argue reports.

The hunt for a new All Blacks coach officially starts this week. New Zealand Rugby has set up a five-person panel - which includes a number of former players - that will help appoint the new coach. However, anyone gunning for the job will have to check their CV first due to a new guideline that could rule out several hopeful applicants. Sports reporter Jamie Wall spoke to Lisa Owen.

As students head back to school this week, the Post-Primary Teachers Association is worried about hundreds of staff vacancies at schools around the country. According to the Ministry of Education, there are over 400 vacancies for school staff, including early childhood centres, primary, intermediate, and secondary schools. The PPTA says it means some high school teachers are being made to teach subjects they're not qualified in. PPTA president Chris Abercrombie spoke to Lisa Owen.

Middle East correspondent Perry Wilton spoke to Lisa Owen about Israel beginning what it calls a "large-scale operation" to retrieve the body of the last remaining hostage in Gaza.

It has been revealed the fire service got a 111 call about a slip near the Mt Maunganui holiday park nearly four hours before a fatal landslide. FENZ said call takers notified the Tauranga City Council three minutes later. However, the landslip that was referenced in the 111 call did not affect life or property and therefore Fire and Emergency did not send crews to attend. WorkSafe has started gathering information on the tragedy and is considering whether to launch a formal investigation. Meanwhile the minister for Emergency Management and Recovery is working on a support package for the affected areas. Minister for Emergency Management Mark Mitchell spoke to Lisa Owen.

An RNZ special on the unfolding weather event in the North Island, presented by Lisa Owen.

An RNZ special on the unfolding weather event in the North Island, presented by Ingrid Hipkiss. Red heavy rain warnings are in place for Northland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, and Gisborne from Tologa Bay north. Several regions have declared a state of local emergency, including Coromandel, Hauraki, Bay of Plenty, Whangarei and Gisborne Tai Rāwhiti.

Whether your goal was to thrive or survive 2025 it's certainly been a big year. We've done 228 shows in the past twelve months, covering plenty of remarkable and difficult stories. Despite the hard moments there's also been plenty to smile about. And since it's our last programme of the year we thought we'd listen back to some of the lighter moments we've had on Checkpoint in 2025.