Don’t have time to read the headlines? Watch the Focus Morning Bulletin presented by Chereè Kinnear above
There is great news for the Coromandel region, as State Highway 25A re-opens.
The key route and its new bridge will open this morning, after being out of action since it was devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle in January.
The project has been highly praised for finishing three months early - and under budget.
The opening comes hot on the heels of news the Brynderwyns are closing for nine weeks, early next year.
State Highway 1 at the Brynderwyn Hills in Northland will shut between February 26 and March 27, but reopen for six days over Easter, before closing again on April 3.
But there are fears that Northland cannot afford any more surprise closures.
It cost the region $2 million per day when it had to close earlier in the year.
The Finance Minister says the mini-budget will demonstrate the Government’s decisiveness, in undertaking what she’s calling “a fiscal repair job”.
Nicola Willis will release the document at 1pm, alongside the Treasury’s half-yearly economic and fiscal update.
She’s warning both documents may make for grim reading.
Christopher Luxon is making a quick dash across the Tasman to Sydney, for his first overseas trip as Prime Minister.
He’ll have talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese - one of the first international leaders Luxon spoke to after winning the election.
Luxon’s purpose for the trip is to strengthen relationships with Australia, but there’s not likely to be any significant announcements.
The pair will meet before holding a joint press conference later today.
And Auckland Transport is not ruling out spending up to $300,000 on a new pedestrian crossing in Blockhouse Bay.
It follows a stern warning from Mayor Wayne Brown about the “unjustifiable” cost and a formal directive to AT to come up with cheaper alternatives for crossings.
AT is proposing safety improvements in the Blockhouse Bay town centre that involves upgrading a pedestrian crossing, installing a new speed hump, a new bus layover area, and addressing a roundabout for buses at a tricky intersection.
How a resilient Kiwi village hopes to bounce back from a big drop in visitors.