News
2000 MIQ rooms empty daily as NZers struggle to secure spot
Almost 2000 managed isolation rooms sit empty each day, while New Zealanders trying to get home say they are struggling with an ongoing lack of vouchers.
Thousands evade payment of MIQ fees: 'This is just messy'
Officials are trying to track down more than 14,000 people who have automatically had free stays in MIQ.
Anti-plastic campaigners and plastic producers find fault with government scheme
Anti-plastic campaigners and plastic producers are both critical of the four-year plan to phase out the harmful packaging, saying it falls short on plastic bottles and PVC. Audio
Amount earned from MIQ fees far less than expected
Officials have told the government they are sometimes struggling to identify who needs to pay for their managed isolation stay.
Vulnerable children should have Covid-19 vaccine 'tomorrow' - health expert
The government is being asked to rethink its Covid-19 vaccine plan now Medsafe has given the green light for children as young as 12 to receive a Pfizer injection.
Auckland tornado: 'I opened the door and just saw the devastation'
Contractors will be out in force again today in Papatoetoe, where the ripple effects of a quick, devastating and deadly tornado on Saturday morning are still being felt.
Central Auckland business owners protest CRL disruptions as 'debts are mounting'
Central Auckland business owners say officials have been complacent in the 'decimation' of their livelihoods, during City Rail Link construction.
Rikki-Lee Simeon sentenced to 14 years jail for murdering partner
An Auckland mother will spend 14 years in prison after killing her 21-year-old boyfriend Brendon Hamilton in his Dominion Road flat.
'Free pass to pollute': Critics slam climate report over dairy
Critics have hammered the Climate Change Commission's agriculture goals, saying it has missed the mark on methane targets.
'We're not treating them like patients, we're treating them like guests'
The managers of Auckland's Jet Park Hotel say turning their business into the country's main quarantine facility was nothing short of terrifying.
Canterbury flooding aftermath: 'The winter feed's all gone'
Farmers near burst stopbanks in Mid Canterbury return to find piled-up debris, fences washed away and waterlogged winter feed.
Canterbury floods: 'Trees just whirlwinding down - it was scary'
Hundreds of Mid-Canterbury residents spent another night next to packed bags, ready for evacuation, after floods that left motorists stranded and 'dangerous' scenes on the roads.
'It's a fundamental concern' - MIQ audit finds numerous shortcomings
Random checks of 13 MIQ hotels in February and March found staff shortages, PPE supply problems, returnees left to mingle and bus drivers not complying with PPE rules.
'Plain migrant scapegoating': Govt faces backlash over immigration 'reset'
Migrants have hit back at the government's immigration reset, saying it uses them as a "scapegoat" for problems with housing, infrastructure and worker welfare.
MIQ staff often feel unable to report breaches, union says
A union is worried that MIQ is a difficult place to speak up when workers see something wrong.
Wellingtonian in Sydney left bewildered, unable to attend mum's funeral
A man wanting to visit New Zealand for his mum's funeral is among hundreds of travellers in limbo either side of the Tasman sea, during a partial 48-hour pause of the travel bubble.
'Green fairies' increasingly getting charged, lawyer says
A lawyer fighting cannabis prosecution cases says she's seeing a surge in the number of people being taken to court for using or supplying the drug as a medicine.
'I don't believe we're hurting anyone'
A Waikato man who claims he was giving cannabis free to elderly people for pain relief has been raided and charged by police.
Restaurateurs based at MIQ hotel going to court after business 'just died'
The government did not consult surrounding businesses before approving hotels for use as MIQ facilities.
Christchurch terrorist could not be compelled to attend today's court proceedings - Judge
The man convicted of the Christchurch mosque shootings told prison authorities he wanted today's initial hearing postponed due to a lack of access to court documents.
GPs say clear guidance needed over their role in vaccinations
GPs say they're still in the dark about whether they will be helping the government meet its target of one million Covid-19 jabs by the end of June.
MIQ moving to in-house security eight months after government decision
Government security roles have only recently been advertised, eight months after the government decided to hire its own security force instead of using private firms.
New youth justice facility opens in South Auckland
Officials who opened a new Māori-based service youth justice facility in Auckland this morning did so with a promise: that it will have made a significant difference in a year.
Adapting at pace: One year of MIQ in New Zealand
The leaders of MIQ have paid tribute to a system they describe as a cornerstone of New Zealand's Covid-19 elimination strategy.
Authorities unable to say how many border workers unvaccinated
The government plans to move unvaccinated workers in managed isolation facilities to low-risk roles from Monday, but still cannot say how many workers will be affected. Audio