Checkpoint is a drive-time news and current affairs programme on Radio New Zealand National. It broadcasts nationwide every weekday evening for two hours and covers the day’s major national and international stories, as well as business, sport and Māori news. This recording covers the first hour. The following rundown is supplied from the broadcaster’s news system:
Checkpoint FOR MONDAY 19 JANUARY 2015
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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Fire crews in North Canterbury and Marlborough have been scrambling to control blazes this afternoon. The fires had been threatening a number of homes. We'll hear from Marlborough shortly but first, Waimakariri Principal Rural Fire Officer Tim Shepherd is with us now i/v
Further north near Blenheim, other firefighters who've been battling a big scrub fire are on edge as it flares up again. The fire at its height closed State Highway One and the railway line at Dashwood Pass but the possibility of evacuation has now eased. The Principal Rural Fire Officer in Marlborough Richard McNamara is with us now. i/v
The Ministry for Primary Industries is proposing fee rises of up to 20 percent for businesses that use its food safety and biosecurity services. MPI is reviewing how much it charges for such work, for the first time since it was established in 2011. It hopes to bring in an extra 12-point-eight million dollars a year. Of that, winegrowers are set to pay an extra two point nine million dollars but are vowing to fight back. The New Zealand Winegrowers Chair, Steve Green, says they already pay a lot in excise. CUT The MPI's deputy director general, Dan Bolger, says the plan to hike fees reflects the cost of running the system. i/v
A truck driver who survived a plunge of more than ten metres on Auckland's motorway has spoken of how lucky he is to be alive. Brendon Greig's fully laden fertiliser truck and trailer careered off an elevated part of the motorway at Spaghetti Junction early yesterday. He escaped his mangled wreck with only a small spinal injury and a few small scratches. Kim Baker Wilson saw him in hospital. PKG
One of the authors of a report that lists Auckland as one of the top ten most unaffordable cities in the world - says the Housing Minister didn't understand it properly. The Demographia <demo-GRAPH-ia> Housing Affordability Survey, compared nearly 400 cities based on house prices and median incomes, and puts Auckland as the nineth least affordable, worse even than New York. LA is tenth. The Minister Nick Smith blames the Resource Management Act and is promising significant reforms, starting this week. He had this to say about the survey. The report's co-author Hugh Pavletich , is with us now i/v
Confidence in the jobs market has fallen as bad economic news here and overseas makes people feel gloomier. The Westpac-McDermott Miller Employment Confidence Index is down 5 points to 106 point 5 in the three months to December. The reading, because it is above 100, shows optimists still outnumber pessimists. However it also shows people are more downbeat about their job security and future pay rises. A senior economist at Westpac Bank, Satish (Sar-teeesh) Ranchhod joins us. i/v
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17.30 HEADLINES
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17.35 MARKET UPDATE
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Asylum seekers on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island says they are prepared to die and donate their organs to Australians, so at least part of their bodies can taste freedom. It's the seventh day of protests at the Australian-run facility, with detainees of one compound locking out staff. The message from the hunger striking detainees comes in the form of a letter obtained by the ABC. The ABC's Liam Cochrane is with us now from Papua New Guinea. i/v
Auckland's transport operators are beefing up security on trains and buses to cope with the thousands of people heading to Eden Park for the opening match of the Cricket World Cup next month. An Australian terrorism expert says New Zealand could be seen as a soft target for a terrorism attack. But Auckland Transport's special events manager John Strawbridge is coy about how they would handle such an attack. i/v
The first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open is underway in Melbourne and most of the world's top ranked players are there. The men's world number one, Novak Djokovic says he's ready to defend his bid for a fifth Australian Open title despite having been ill. And in the women's Serena Williams is still the one to beat. Our correspondent David Luddy joins us. i/v
There are mounting fears that Boko Haram militants are expanding their operations after a weekend raid over the border in Cameroon - kidnapping dozens of people. Cameroon's Information Minister is Issa Tchiroma Bakary < Issa CHIROMA Back-ery> CUT It is the largest abduction carried out by Boko Haram in Cameroon. And it all follows the recent massacre in the Nigerian town of Baga. Ghana's President says West Africa cannot stand idly by as people are butchered in their homes. The BBC's Africa Correspondant Will Ross says as many as 80 people, have been taken. PKG
Returning to our story about Auckland being the nineth least affordable city to live in, worse even than LA and New York. Shaila Dewan (Shyla De-wahn) is the National Correspondent for the New York Times and has studied housing in various metropolitan markets across the US. She says there is no easy solution in America either. i/v
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A Ngāti Korokii Kahukura iwi member says the growth of waka ama has helped reach the tribe's Treaty settlement goal of getting more people to use Lake Karaapiro [pron: Kuh-RAAH-pee-raw].
The outrigger canoe or waka ama Nationals, which are growing more popular every year, took place last week at the lake near Cambridge.
Te Manu Korihi reporter, Laura Bootham, reports.
PLAY AUDIO: Waka Treaty PKG
IN Waka-sfx-sound e.g. racing screaming
OUT ...for Checkpoint, Laura Bootham.
DUR 02' 51"
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Presenter: Liz Banas, Jim Mora
Editor: Phil Pennington
Deputy editor: Jo Leavesley
Producers: Mei Heron, Sharon Brettkelly, Kim Savage