(SPEAKS TE REO MAORI) IT'S TUESDAY THE 6TH OF APRIL. I HAVE BEEN TO WAITANGI, BUT NEVER FURTHER THAN THERE. I WENT TO THE CAPE, HAD A MOTORHOME. THE THREE LADS. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. PERFECT. THE PHOTOS LOOKED INCREDIBLE. WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT HOW LUCKY WE ARE IN THIS COUNTRY, NOT ONLY IF YOU LOOK AT THE REST OF THE WORLD BUT ALSO THE PLACES THAT WE HAVE HERE. HOW WAS YOUR WEEKEND? GOOD. A BIT OF DRIVING, BUT IT WAS GOOD TO GET AWAY. WHEN YOU HAVE FOUR KIDS YOU HAVE TO PICK YOUR TIMES. IT WAS NICE. WENT DOWN TO OUR REPORTERS 21ST. WE HOPE YOUR WEEKEND WAS A BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND AS WELL. JOHN IS NOT IN STUDIO WITH US; HE IS IN THE TRON. NOT THE TRON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THIS IS THE TE HUIA, THE TRAIN. THIS IS THE FIRST MORNING THE COMMERCIAL TRADE SERVICES TO HAMILTON A BEGINNING. WE ARE ABOUT TO GET ON IT. WE WILL DO THIS PART OF THE SHOW LIVE FROM THE TRAIN. IS THIS THE RENAISSANCE OF RAIL? IS THIS THE START OF SOMETHING BIG AND GREAT CONNECTING WAIKATO AND TAMAKI MAKAURAU? OR IS THIS A SLOW DIESEL TRAIN THE FIRST STEP AND A MUCH LONGER PROCESS? WE WILL BE LIVE FROM THE TRAIN, TALKING ABOUT THE PROS AND CONS AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE RAIL GREAT IN THIS COUNTRY. A BIG MORNING LIVE FROM THE TRAIN. STAY WITH US. BEFORE ANY OF IT, HERE IS OUR WONDERFUL FRIEND INDIRA WITH THE NEWS. NEW ZEALANDERS WILL FINALLY FIND OUT WHEN A TWO-WAY TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE WILL BE ON THE CARDS, AND IT COULD BE AS SOON AS THE END OF THE WEEK. THE GOVERNMENT'S EXPECTED TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT LATER TODAY WHICH WOULD ALLOW QUARANTINE-FREE TRAVEL BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. THE BUBBLE IS EXPECTED TO RUN ON A STATE-BY-STATE BASIS, RESTRICTING TRAVELLERS FROM PARTICULAR AREAS IN THE EVENT OF AN OUTBREAK. PRIME MINISTER JACINDA ARDERN HAS PREVIOUSLY WARNED THERE'D BE AN ELEMENT OF 'FLYER BEWARE' SHOULD THE BORDERS SHUT WHILE KIWIS ARE VISITING AUSTRALIA. SCHOOLS ARE CALLING FOR HELP FROM THE GOVERNMENT AS PLANS TO REINTRODUCE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS REMAIN UP IN THE AIR. PRE-PANDEMIC, THERE WERE 22,000 INTERNATIONAL PUPILS ACROSS THE COUNTRY; CURRENTLY THERE ARE ONLY 5000. WITH THE BORDERS SEALED SHUT, THE EDUCATION SECTOR WORRIES STUDENTS ARE GOING TO OTHER COUNTRIES INSTEAD, CAUSING IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE INDUSTRY. LOOK, AGAIN, IT'S COME BACK TO WE REALLY WANT TO HAVE THAT DIALOUGE WITH THE MINISTER AND WITH THE MINISTRY AND SAY, 'WHAT IS THE STRATEGY?' IT'S NOT OK TO KEEP THE DOOR CLOSED; WE NEED A STRATEGY TO REBUILD AND TO RELAUNCH THIS INDUSTRY. WITHOUT THE FINANCIAL BOOST FROM OVERSEAS, SOME SCHOOLS HAVE HAD TO CUT TEACHER NUMBERS AND INCREASE CLASS SIZES. SEVEN PEOPLE HAVE DIED ON OUR ROADS THIS EASTER, MAKING IT ONE OF THE DEADLIEST TOLLS IN A DECADE. ALL SEVEN OF THE FATAL CRASHES HAPPENED IN THE NORTH ISLAND ` SEVERAL WERE IN WAIKATO. THE MOST RECENT CRASH WAS IN NORTHLAND ON SUNDAY. NO ONE WAS KILLED ON THE ROAD THIS TIME LAST YEAR, PARTLY DUE TO THE COUNTRY BEING IN LEVEL FOUR LOCKDOWN. THE FIRST OF A NEW PASSENGER TRAIN SERVICE CONNECTING AUCKLAND AND HAMILTON HAS JUST LEFT THE STATION IN THE LAST HALF HOUR. TE HUIA WILL RUN RETURN SERVICES TWICE A DAY IN A BID TO EASE TRAFFIC BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES. DESPITE BEING DUBBED THE 'RENAISSANCE OF RAIL', THERE'S SOME HESITANCY FROM THE PUBLIC AROUND THE TRAVEL TIME. A FULL JOURNEY FROM FRANKTON, HAMILTON INTO AUCKLAND'S CBD TAKES ABOUT TWO AND A HALF HOURS WITH A TRANSFER AT PAPAKURA. OVERSEAS, AND MORE THAN A HUNDRED PEOPLE ARE DEAD AS FLASH FLOODS AND LANDSLIDES CAUSE HAVOC IN INDONESIA AND EAST TIMOR. TORRENTIAL RAIN SAW WATER OVERFLOW FROM DAMS, SUBMERGING THOUSANDS OF HOMES IN THE REGION. DOZENS OF PEOPLE ARE STILL MISSING, WITH OFFICIALS WARNING THE DEATH TOLL COULD RISE FURTHER. INDIA'S SEEN ITS HIGHEST NUMBER OF DAILY COVID-19 INFECTIONS SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN. MORE THAN 103,000 CASES WERE CONFIRMED ON SUNDAY AS THE COUNTRY ATTEMPTS TO RAMP UP ITS VACCINATION CAMPAIGN. PREVIOUSLY, ONLY THE UNITED STATES HAD BREACHED 100,000 DAILY CASES. TO SPORT, AND A LATE GOAL HAS FURTHER DENTED THE WELLINGTON PHOENIX'S HOPES OF ENTERING THE TOP SIX ON THE A-LEAGUE LADDER. WELLINGTON PLAYED OUT A TOPSY-TURVY CLASH AGAINST MELBOURNE CITY AND LOOKED TO HAVE SNATCHED A DRAW THROUGH SKIPPER ULISES DAVILA. IT MIGHT OPEN UP HERE FOR DAVILA. CURVES ONE. GOES IN! I BELIEVE WE'RE A GOOD TEAM AND WE'VE GOT SOME GOOD PLAYERS AND WE PLAY SOME REALLY GOOD FOOTBALL, AND I'VE SAID THAT SINCE THE START OF THIS SEASON. WE'VE PLAYED SOME REALLY DECENT FOOTBALL WITHOUT REWARDING OURSELVES ` THAT'S THE DISAPPOINTING PART ABOUT IT. NEW ZEALAND INTERNATIONAL ISAIAH PAPALI'I HAS SCORED HIS FIRST TRY FOR NEW NRL CLUB THE PARRAMATTA EELS. THE FORWARD CRASHING OVER AGAINST THE WESTS TIGERS. PAPALI'I! HE'S OVER! ISAIAH PAPALI'I SCORES. PAPALI'I AMONG SEVEN TRY SCORERS IN THE EELS' 36-22 WIN. THEY REMAIN UNBEATEN ALONGSIDE THE PANTHERS. GO, THE EELS. WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE WARRIORS THIS MORNING. WHAT HAPPENED? NOTHING. THE NRL IS STILL GOING. THEY WILL BE PLAYING AGAIN NEXT WEEK . IT IS ALL GOOD. YOU SOUNDED CONFIDENT WHEN YOU SAID THAT. IT HAS. KEEPING THE FAITH. BEFORE WE GET INTO THE WEATHER, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE WAS IN YOUR TRIP? IT IS LIKE A PARENT CHOOSING THE FAVOURITE CHILD. AHIPARA. REALLY? STUNNING. THE BEACHES INCREDIBLE. THAT IS ON THE WEST COAST. AT THE START OF 90 MILE BEACH. WE HAD BEAUTIFUL SUNSETS. WE WENT BIKING ON QUAD BIKES ALONG THE BEACH. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN. OTIS STAYED BEHIND, BUT HE LOVED THE BEACH. THERE ARE SOME BEAUTIFUL ONES AROUND THERE AS WELL. WE WERE JUST SPOILT FOR CHOICE. AT THE MOMENT, IT WAS THE PERFECT TIME TO GO. EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS LOTS OF NEW ZEALANDERS OUT EXPLORING, DID NOT FEEL TOO CRAZY. WHICH IS WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT WHEN YOU WENT RIGHT UP TO THE CAPE. NORMALLY THERE ARE BUSES EVERYWHERE. IT WAS BUSY, BUT... THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL SEEN SO MANY NEW ZEALANDERS. WE MET A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO SAID THEY HAD NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE, MUCH LIKE US. GOING INTO DOING SOMETHING NEW. IT WAS PERFECT, AMAZING. A SHORT WEEK FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE THIS WEEK. SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HOLDING DOWN THE FORT. KIDS ARE STILL ON HOLIDAY. ANOTHER DAY TODAY. DID THAT SURPRISE YOU? A LOT OF PARENTS WERE TAKEN ABACK. BUT IT DOES HAPPEN ACROSS EASTER. SOME SCHOOLS WILL HAVE A TEACHERS ONLY DAY ON WEDNESDAY. A LOT OF ORGANISING TO BE DONE. WHAT IS OUR WEEK LOOKING LIKE? IT IS NOT LOOKING TOO BAD OUT THERE. A FEW SHOWERS, BUT NOTHING TO GRAZING. THIS IS WHAT YOUR TUESDAY LOOKS LIKE. IT'S MOSTLY FINE IN THE UPPER NORTH, BUT WITH A BIT OF CLOUD COVER FOR EVERYONE, AND WATCH OUT FOR THE CHANCE OF A COUPLE OF SHOWERS TOWARDS THIS EVENING AROUND AUCKLAND AND FURTHER NORTH IN KAITAIA. 23 DEGREES FOR THE TWO OF YOU, 25 FOR EVERYONE ELSE. YOU'RE LOOKING AT A DECENT DAY THROUGH HERE, WITH JUST THAT CLOUD COVER MORNING AND NIGHT, ALTHOUGH HAMILTON AND TOKOROA COULD SEE SOME BRIEF LIGHT SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON AS WELL. 23 DEGREES IN ROTORUA, 25 FOR HAMILTON, 27 THE HIGH IF YOU'RE IN TAURANGA. THE DAY LOOKS LOVELY AND SUNNY FURTHER EAST ` LITTLE BIT OF MORNING CLOUD FOR SOME PLACES, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S CALM, WITH JUST SOME LIGHT WINDS. 22 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN MASTERTON, 24 FOR THOSE OF YOU IN NAPIER AND GISBORNE. YOU'LL START THE DAY OVERCAST SHIFTING WEST, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S SOME LIGHT RAIN FIRST THING FROM PALMERSTON NORTH THROUGH TO TAUMARUNUI, BUT ALL THAT SHOULD CLEAR AWAY TO REVEAL A FINER AFTERNOON. 19 DEGREES IN WELLINGTON, WITH TEMPS IN THE EARLY 20s FOR THE REST. IT'S NICE AND FINE ACROSS IN THE UPPER SOUTH ` LITTLE BIT OF CLOUD COVER THIS MORNING IN KAIKOURA, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S SMOOTH SAILING. THE WEST COAST IS A BIT MORE OVERCAST, THOUGH, WITH ONE OR TWO SHOWERS POSSIBLE AS WELL. 18 DEGREES IN GREYMOUTH AND HOKITIKA, 22 IN NELSON. YOU'RE IN FOR CLOUD COVER FIRST THING MOVING EAST, AND THERE COULD BE A COUPLE OF LIGHT SHOWERS ATTACHED IF YOU'RE IN OAMARU, BUT ONCE THAT LIFTS, THINGS LOOK GOOD. JUST WATCH OUT FOR SOME GUSTY WINDS AFTER LUNCH AROUND ALEXANDRA. 21 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN CHRISTCHURCH AND OAMARU, 22 FOR EVERYONE ELSE. AND IT'S MOSTLY GREY SKIES IN THE LOWER SOUTH ` PLUS, WATCH OUT FOR THE ODD SHOWER THROUGH SOUTHLAND AND MILFORD SOUND, MORE LIKELY THIS MORNING. THOSE WINDS LOOK A BIT STRONG AS WELL, ALTHOUGH IN AMONGST ALL THAT YOU MIGHT GET THE ODD FINE PATCH. 18 DEGREES IN QUEENSTOWN AND INVERCARGILL, 22 FOR DUNEDIN. AND THEN CHECKING OUT YOUR WEDNESDAY ` TOMORROW THERE'S A FEW SHOWERS IN THE NORTH ISLAND'S EAST AND SOME ISOLATED RAIN AROUND FIORDLAND AND STEWART ISLAND, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S MOSTLY FINE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. NICE. THIS WAS US ON MONDAY NIGHT. THIS IS BAILEY'S SPEECH ON THE WEST COAST, WHICH IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SUNSETS. GORGEOUS. I AM VERY PLEASED FOR YOU. WE HAD SUCH A STUNNING TIME. ARE WE DOING THE SPOKE WEATHER TODAY? ABSOLUTELY. IF YOU LIVE IN A PLACE OR MAY BE VISITED A PLACE THAT DOESN'T APPEAR ON THE WEATHER MAP, SEND US A PHOTO AND LET US KNOW WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL AND WE WILL CELEBRATE IT AFTER 8. COMING UP WE WILL GO BACK TO HAMILTON, TE HUIA TRAIN MAKING ITS WAY TO AUCKLAND. COMING UP ` THERE'S HIGH HOPES A DATE FOR AN AUSTRALIAN TRAVEL BUBBLE WILL BE ANNOUNCED LATER TODAY. AFTER THE BREAK ` WHAT OPENING UP TRANS-TASMAN TRAVEL WILL MEAN FOR THE TOURISM SECTOR. NAU MAI, HOKI MAI. WELCOME BACK TO BREAKFAST. THE PRIME MINISTER IS DUE TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON A LONG-HOPED-FOR TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE LATER TODAY. 1 NEWS UNDERSTANDS TRAVEL WITH AUSTRALIA COULD OPEN UP AS EARLY AS THE END OF THIS WEEK. THE TOURISM SECTOR HAS BEEN ONE OF THE HARDEST HIT BY COVID-19. PRIOR TO 2020, AUSTRALIAN VISITORS SPENT A MASSIVE $2.7BN IN NEW ZEALAND, MEANING AUSTRALIA IS NEW ZEALAND'S LARGEST MARKET. SO HOW DESPERATELY DO WE NEED THE BUBBLE, AND HOW SOON DO WE NEED IT? TO HELP ANSWER THAT, WE'RE JOINED BY TOURISM NEW ZEALAND INTERIM CHIEF EXECUTIVE RENE DE MONCHY. MORENA. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU WERE APPOINTED INTERIM CEO IN NOVEMBER LAST YEAR ` OUT OF THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE. HOW HAVE THE LAST FIVE MONTHS BEEN? THE LAST 12 MONTHS HAVE BEEN A ROLLERCOASTER AND THE LAST FIVE HAVE BEEN NO DIFFERENT. I HAVE BEEN AT TOURISM NEW ZEALAND FOR FIVE YEARS, SO I KNEW IT I WAS GETTING INTO. BUT THE LAST 12 MONTHS WE HAVE A ROLLERCOASTER FOR THE ENTIRE SECTOR. HOW DESPERATELY DO WE NEED THIS BUBBLE? HISTORICALLY, $2.7 BILLION WAS THE AUSTRALIAN SPENDER NEW ZEALAND, AND SO FAR AND AWAY THE MOST SIGNIFICANT MARKET ABOUT 40% OF HISTORICAL VISITORS. SO THAT IS GOING TO GIVE AN IMMEDIATE SCALE. BUT IT IS ALSO GOING TO GIVE US THE ABILITY FOR THE SECTOR TO HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE TO BE ABLE TO PLAN FOR IT. THAT HAS BEEN A REAL CHALLENGE OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS. IN ORDER FOR THERE TO BE SOME TYPE OF PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE, WHAT DO WE NEED TO HEAR FROM THE PRIME MINISTER THIS AFTERNOON? WHAT WE NEED IN THAT ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WILL GIVE SOME CERTAINTY? THE IDEAL IS IF WE HAVE A HARD DATE, AND ALSO WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR PEOPLE TO TRAVEL. THAT WILL ALLOW PEOPLE TO MAKE THEIR PLANS, BE ABLE TO BOOK. IT TAKEN AS IT WILL BE THE MOST RESILIENT TRAVELLERS WHO WILL GO FIRST. IT IS THAT YOUR OWN RISK. THE PRIME MINISTER MENTIONED THIS. YOU MIGHT GET STUCK WHEREVER YOU ARE TRAVELLING TO, OR FAMILY WHO ARE COMING OVER HERE MIGHT GET STUCK IN NEW ZEALAND IF THERE IS AN OUTBREAK. I GUESS IT WILL BE FAMILY. I THINK SO. WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IS THE MOST RESILIENT TRAVELLERS. I WAS IN A TAXI IN WELLINGTON AND A GUY HAD JUST BECOME A GRANDFATHER WHO HAD MET HIS GRANDDAUGHTER ` HE WILL BE ON ITS FIRST FLIGHT, I THINK, TO AUSTRALIA. I THINK YOU WILL SEE HOLIDAY TRAVEL RAMP UP OVER TIME. GOING INTO JULY AND OCTOBER. VERY IMPORTANT AS THE ABILITY FOR THE SECTOR TO BE ABLE TO PLAN ABOUT WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE KNOWING THAT AUSTRALIANS WILL HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO COME HERE. SO THE INDUSTRY IS AWARE THAT WHEN THE BUBBLE OPENS INITIALLY IT WILL NOT BE AN INFLUX BUT IT WILL HAPPEN OVER TIME? IT IS SO HARD TO PREDICT. I THINK SO. ALSO NATURAL TRAVEL PATTERNS WILL BE PART OF IT. WE ARE` APRIL SCHOOL HOLIDAYS IN AUSTRALIA ARE NOW. POSSIBLY IT WILL BE MORE LIKE JUNE, JULY. THAT IS A NATURAL TRAVEL.. I THINK YOU WILL SEE SOME SPIKES AND TRAVEL DURING THAT TIME. IF THE PRIME MINISTER STANDS AT THE PODIUM THIS AFTERNOON AND DOES NOT GIVE A DATE, WHAT WILL THAT MEAN TO THE INDUSTRY? THAT IS CHALLENGING. WE TOTALLY UNDERSTAND IT IS A HEALTH-BASED RESPONSE, BUT IT IS CHALLENGING. IT IS THE UNCERTAINTY, LIKE ANY BUSINESS. THE UNCERTAINTY OF NOT KNOWING. MODELLING HAS SHOWN THAT AUSTRALIAN TOURISTS COULD BRING AND AROUND $1 BILLION, IF THAT BUBBLE IS OPENED UP SOON, AND THAT IS WHAT THEY COULD BRING INTO THE ECONOMY BY THE END OF THE YEAR. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT BIG STAKES FOR THE TOURISM INDUSTRY. ABSOLUTELY. $2.7 BILLION IN A NORMAL YEAR. BASED ON ON WADDLING, WE THINK IT COULD BE $1 BILLION OR EVEN MORE AND 2021. THESE ARE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS INTO THE ECONOMY. THIS HAS BEEN A HEALTH RESPONSE, SO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT IN TERMS OF BUSINESSES, BUT I YOU DISAPPOINTED IT HAS TAKEN THIS LONG TO GET TO A POINT WHERE HOPEFULLY WE HAVE GOT A DATE AND WE KNOW WHEN THE BORDERS WILL BE OPEN? IT HAS BEEN SO CHALLENGING OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS WITH ALL THE CHANGES AND THE FLAREUPS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD. HOPEFULLY THERE WILL BE GOOD NEWS LATER ON TODAY. THAT WILL GIVE A REAL SHOT IN THE ARM FOR THE SECTOR. IF NOT, THOSE THAT CAN IMMEDIATELY BENEFIT FROM IT. ALSO THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO LOOK FORWARD WHAT THE REST OF 2021 LOOKS LIKE WILL BE SIGNIFICANT. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO DO FOR THE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE REALLY STRUGGLED IN THE LAST YEAR? A VARIETY OF THINGS, BOTH AT AN INDUSTRY LEVEL AND ALSO INTERNATIONALLY. WE HAVE CARRIED ON PROMOTING OURSELVES INTERNATIONALLY. WE HAVE ALSO BEEN SUPPORTING INDUSTRY HERE IN NEW ZEALAND ABOUT HOW DO THEY HIBERNATE THEIR BUSINESS AND HOW BEST TO DO THAT, FINANCIAL ADVICE, DIGITAL MARKETING ADVICE ` WE HAVE TRIED TO MAKE AS MUCH AS WE CAN OF THIS DOWNTIME TO BE ABLE TO TRAIN THE INDUSTRY AND GET THEM READY FOR A RESTART. HOW EXCITED AS THE INDUSTRY ABOUT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT? VERY EXCITED. IT WILL BE PRETTY MONUMENTAL.. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. LET US HOPE THIS AFTERNOON'S ANNOUNCEMENT` CONFIRMING AGAIN, WHAT NEEDS TO BE ANNOUNCED THIS AFTERNOON IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE IDEAL? AN EXACT DATE AND WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE OF TRAVEL. MAKING NEWS THIS MORNING ` CONSUMERS ARE BEING WARNED TO WATCH OUT FOR CARTEL-LIKE BEHAVIOUR FROM OUR MAJOR RETAILERS. MORE ON THAT AT 6.30. ALSO AHEAD ` WE TAKE YOU ON BOARD THE TE HUIA TRAIN SERVICE CARRYING COMMUTERS FROM HAMILTON TO AUCKLAND. JOHN IS IN HIS HAPPY PLACE. AND HOW CAN WE RELIEVE THE STRAIN ON OUR UNDER-PRESSURE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS? THIS IS A LIVE SHOT OF DUNEDIN THIS MORNING LOOKING ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL AS THE SUN COMES UP. IT WILL BE A NICE SUNNY DAY FOR MUCH OF THE COUNTRY. ALL WEATHER DETAILS COMING UP SHORTLY. IT IS 6:26. YOU ARE WITH BREAKFAST. JUST BEFORE WE GO TO HAMILTON WHERE JC IS STANDING BY TO GET ON THE TRAIN WHICH TRAVELS THROUGH HAMILTON TO AUCKLAND, JUST OFF OF THE BACK OF THAT INTERVIEW WITH THE TOURISM NEW ZEALAND CE, TALKING ABOUT THE TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE, THE PRIME MINSTER MAKING AN ANNOUNCEMENT THIS AFTERNOON WITH A PLAN AND A DATE AS TO WHEN WILL BE ABLE TO TRAVEL QUARANTINE FREE BETWEEN NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA, WHAT WE ARE ASKING IS WHAT YOU RISK IT? THE PRIME MINISTER MADE IT CLEAR THAT YOU MAY GET CAUGHT IF YOU GO OVERSEAS AND THERE IS AN OUTBREAK WHERE YOU ARE, AND YOU HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT, AND THEY NEED TO BE INSURANCE WILL GO UP, AND WILLIE RISK AND WHY WOULD YOU RISK IT? WE WOULD LOVE LET'S HEAD TO HAMILTON NOW. CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE HAVE YOU LOUD AND CLEAR, YOU ARE IN YOUR HAPPY PLACE, AREN'T YOU? THERE ARE PEOPLE OUTSIDE WHO HAVE COME TO SEE THE TRAIN, IF YOU ARE JUST TUNING IN, THIS IS THE FIRST EVER MORNING OF THE TE HUIA'S LIFE. THIS IS THE COMMERCIAL PASSENGER TRAIN BETWEEN HAMILTON AND BUBBA PAPAKURA, THE FIRST TRAIN LEFT AT 5:48. THERE WE GO, THAT WAS A BIT OF A TOOT TO WARN OUR CAMERAMAN THAT WE ARE ABOUT TO HEAD OFF. IT IS ABOUT AN HOUR AND 1/2 TO PAPAKURA. DEBT IF YOU WANT TO GO FURTHER INTO AUCKLAND, YOU CHANGE TRAINS. IT IS A DIESEL TRAIN AND EVERYBODY WANTED TO BE ELECTRIC. THE MAIN TRAIN LINE IS NOT ELECTRIFIED YET, SO THIS IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AND PEOPLE ARE DELIGHTED ABOUT THIS SERVICE CONNECTING WAIKATO AND AUCKLAND, BUT IT ALSO TELLS US HOW MUCH STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE FOR RAIL IN NEW ZEALAND TO MAKE IT THE NETWORK THAT IS AS GOOD AS WE WANTED TO BE, SO WE'LL BE JOINED BY THE CEO OF KIWI RAIL WHO WAS LISTENING TO ME RIGHT NOW, WILL BE JOINED BY THE MAYOR OF WAIKATO. ALL OF THAT IS AHEAD AS WE HEAD OUT OF THE FRANKTON STATION, OFF ON WHAT IS A BIG MORNING TO PAPAKURA. HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO ANY OF THE PASSENGERS YET AND HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THIS SERVICE? WE WILL DO THAT, AND THE FIRST TRAIN THAT LEFT AT 548 HAD A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY ON IT, AND IT WAS THE 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER'S BIRTHDAY, SO THEY WERE ON THE FIRST EVER TRIP INTO AUCKLAND TO HAVE A BIRTHDAY ON THE BIG SMOKE, AND THAT IS ONE OF THE PASSENGERS WE MET TODAY. WE WILL BE WITH THEM THROUGHOUT THE MORNING TODAY. WE WILL COME BACK TO YOU SHORTLY, AND ENJOY YOUR TRAIN RIDE BECAUSE I KNOW IT IS A BIG THING FOR YOU, YOU LIKE TRAINS. I LOVE TRAINS, WE ARE OFF. (HORN BLARES) IT HAS JUST GONE 630, HERE IS INDIRA WITH THE NEWS. A DECISION ON WHETHER THE TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE WILL GO AHEAD WILL BE REVEALED IN LESS THAN 10 HOURS. IT COULD SEE QUARANTINE-FREE TRAVEL BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND, WITH THE BUBBLE LIKELY TO OPERATE ON A STATE-BY-STATE BASIS, ALLOWING TRAVELLER RESTRICTIONS FROM AREAS WITH A COVID-19 OUTBREAK. PRIME MINISTER JACINDA ARDERN'S WARNED THERE'D BE AN ELEMENT OF 'FLYER BEWARE' SHOULD THE BORDERS SHUT WHILE KIWIS ARE VISITING AUSTRALIA. ONE SECTOR CRYING OUT FOR TWO-WAY QUARANTINE-FREE TRAVEL IS THE TOURISM INDUSTRY. INTERIM TOURISM NEW ZEALAND CHIEF EXECUTIVE RENE DE MONCHY SAYS THE LAST 12 MONTHS HAVE BEEN A ROLLERCOASTER. LOOK, I THINK IT'S BEEN SO CHALLENGING OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS WITH, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE CHANGES AND THE FLARE-UPS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD. YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET A GOOD ANNOUNCEMENT, GOOD NEWS LATER ON TODAY ` I THINK THAT WILL GIVE A REAL SHOT IN THE ARM FOR THE SECTOR. ACCORDING TO DATA FROM INFOMETRICS, BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, AUSTRALIAN TOURISM INJECTED NEARLY $3BN INTO NEW ZEALAND'S LOCAL ECONOMIES. THAT REPRESENTED 23% OF ALL INTERNATIONAL VISITOR SPENDING IN NEW ZEALAND. BEFORE COVID-19, AIR NEW ZEALAND HAD NEARLY 3.5 MILLION PASSENGERS FLY THEIR TASMAN AND PACIFIC ROUTES. ON AVERAGE, MORE THAN 100,000 AUSTRALIAN TOURISTS VISITED NEW ZEALAND EACH MONTH. THE FIRST OF A NEW PASSENGER TRAIN SERVICE FROM HAMILTON TO AUCKLAND IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY. TE HUIA WILL RUN RETURN SERVICES TWICE A DAY IN A BID TO EASE TRAFFIC BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES. A FULL JOURNEY FROM FRANKTON, HAMILTON INTO AUCKLAND'S CBD TAKES ABOUT TWO AND A HALF HOURS WITH A TRANSFER AT PAPAKURA. THE COMMERCE COMMISSION IS WARNING CONSUMERS TO BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR CARTEL BEHAVIOUR AS NEW LAWS PROTECTING BUYERS FROM BEING RIPPED OFF KICK IN THIS WEEK. BUSINESSES CAUGHT PRICE FIXING, BID RIGGING OR DIVIDING UP MARKETS COULD NOW FACE UP TO SEVEN YEARS IN JAIL. THE INCREASED PUNISHMENT AIMS TO PREVENT LARGE ORGANISATIONS FROM BANDING TOGETHER. IT IS CONDUCT THAT WE FIND FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT THIS IS A CHANGE IN THE LAW THAT WILL BRING US INTO LINE WITH OTHER COUNTRIES OVERSEAS BY ADDING AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY FOR THAT CONDUCT. OUR TWO BIG SUPERMARKET CHAINS ARE ALSO BEING INVESTIGATED AS PART OF THE CARTEL CRACKDOWN. ENGLAND'S PRIMED TO TAKE THE NEXT STEPS IN ITS ROADMAP OUT OF LOCKDOWN. PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON'S CONFIRMED NON-ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES INCLUDING GYMS, SPAS, ZOOS AND THEME PARKS CAN REOPEN NEXT WEEK. HE'S ALSO ANNOUNCED HIS OWN PLANS FOR THE NEW FREEDOMS. AND ON MONDAY THE 12TH, I WILL BE GOING TO THE PUB MYSELF AND CAUTIOUSLY, BUT IRREVERSIBLY, RAISING A PINT OF BEER TO MY LIPS. MR JOHNSON SAID HE WAS HOPEFUL INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL COULD RESUME MID NEXT MONTH. TO SPORT, AND A DISAPPOINTING PAST FEW DAYS FOR WARRIORS FANS HAS JUST GOT A LITTLE BIT BETTER. THE WARRIORS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BRING FORWARD THE SIGNING OF HIGHLY RATED FULLBACK REECE WALSH FROM THE BRONCOS, ACCORDING TO MULTIPLE REPORTS IN AUSTRALIA. THE 18-YEAR-OLD WAS MEANT TO JOIN THE TEAM AT THE END OF THE SEASON, BUT IT'S UNDERSTOOD HE WILL JOIN HIS NEW TEAMMATES OVER THE COMING DAYS. THE REPORTED MOVE WILL ALSO SEE YOUNG WARRIORS PLAYMAKER PAUL TURNER JOIN THE BRONCOS IN A SWAP-TYPE DEAL. THE WELLINGTON PHOENIX HAVE SUFFERED A BITTER DEFEAT AT THE HANDS OF MELBOURNE CITY IN THE A-LEAGUE. THE NIX BATTLED TO EQUALISE TWICE IN THE CLASH, ONLY TO BE LET DOWN LATE ON. OPPORTUNITY HERE FOR CITY TO SWING. IT'S THE PENALTY AREA, AND A BEAUTIFUL HEADER FROM MARCO TILIO! OFF THE BENCH TO PUT CITY BACK IN FRONT. THE 3-2 DEFEAT IN WOLLONGONG DENTING WELLINGTON'S HOPES OF CLIMBING INTO THE TOP SIX ON THE LADDER. AND THAT'S YOUR NEWS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, INDIRA. I AM GOING THROUGH THE FEEDBACK. WE ASK YOU THE QUESTION ABOUT THE TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE AND WHETHER` THERE IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT COMING THIS AFTERNOON BY THE PRIME MINISTER, WHETHER YOU WOULD GET ON A PLANE AND HEAD ACROSS TO AUSTRALIA IF IT MEANT TAKING THE RISK THAT THE BORDER COULD BE CLOSED IF THERE IS A BIT OF AN OUTBREAK WHEREVER YOU ARE. IT IS 50-50. TIM SAYS 100%, THE LAST FEW MONTHS I HAVE HAD A GREAT NEPHEW AND TWO GREAT NIECES BORN, I HAVE MY SISTER AND EXTENDED FAMILY THERE, AND HE ALSO HAS A JOB HE CAN BE REMOTELY. AND NETTA SAYS NO. I WILL TRAVEL AROUND NEW ZEALAND, BUT THE RISK IS TOO HIGH OVERSEAS. AND THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNIFICANT FAMILY AND AUSTRALIA, THAT IS THE DRIVING FORCE TO GET OVER THERE. FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR A HOLIDAY, THEY WILL POSSIBLY WAIT A LITTLE BIT LONGER IF THAT IS THE CASE UNTIL WE KNOW THINGS ARE A BIT BETTER. BRIDGET SAYS YES, I JUST WANT TO SEE MY FAMILY FOR A FEW DAYS AND THEN COME BACK, WE HAVE OTHERS SAYING NO, I DO NOT WANT TO GO ANYWHERE THERE IS COVID-19. LET US KNOW, EMAIL US. HOW IS THE WEATHER LOOKING? IS LOOKING PRETTY NICE OUT THERE, TO BE HONEST. SOME PEOPLE MIGHT STILL BE POSSIBLY ON HOLIDAY THIS WEEK, EXTENDING THE LONG WEEKEND. THE KIDS ARE OFF SCHOOL TODAY. THIS IS WHAT YOUR TUESDAY LOOKS LIKE. IT'S MOSTLY FINE IN THE UPPER NORTH, BUT WITH A BIT OF CLOUD COVER FOR EVERYONE, AND WATCH OUT FOR THE CHANCE OF A COUPLE OF SHOWERS TOWARDS THIS EVENING AROUND AUCKLAND AND FURTHER NORTH IN KAITAIA. 23 DEGREES FOR THE TWO OF YOU, 25 FOR EVERYONE ELSE. YOU'RE LOOKING AT A DECENT DAY THROUGH HERE, WITH JUST THAT CLOUD COVER MORNING AND NIGHT, ALTHOUGH HAMILTON AND TOKOROA COULD SEE SOME BRIEF LIGHT SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON AS WELL. 23 DEGREES IN ROTORUA, 25 FOR HAMILTON, 27 THE HIGH IF YOU'RE IN TAURANGA. THE DAY LOOKS LOVELY AND SUNNY FURTHER EAST ` LITTLE BIT OF MORNING CLOUD FOR SOME PLACES, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S CALM, WITH JUST SOME LIGHT WINDS. 22 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN MASTERTON, 24 FOR THOSE OF YOU IN NAPIER AND GISBORNE. YOU'LL START THE DAY OVERCAST SHIFTING WEST, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S SOME LIGHT RAIN FIRST THING FROM PALMERSTON NORTH THROUGH TO TAUMARUNUI, BUT ALL THAT SHOULD CLEAR AWAY TO REVEAL A FINER AFTERNOON. 19 DEGREES IN WELLINGTON, WITH TEMPS IN THE EARLY 20s FOR THE REST. IT'S NICE AND FINE ACROSS IN THE UPPER SOUTH ` LITTLE BIT OF CLOUD COVER THIS MORNING IN KAIKOURA, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S SMOOTH SAILING. THE WEST COAST IS A BIT MORE OVERCAST, THOUGH, WITH ONE OR TWO SHOWERS POSSIBLE AS WELL. 18 DEGREES IN GREYMOUTH AND HOKITIKA, 22 IN NELSON. YOU'RE IN FOR CLOUD COVER FIRST THING MOVING EAST, AND THERE COULD BE A COUPLE OF LIGHT SHOWERS ATTACHED IF YOU'RE IN OAMARU, BUT ONCE THAT LIFTS, THINGS LOOK GOOD. JUST WATCH OUT FOR SOME GUSTY WINDS AFTER LUNCH AROUND ALEXANDRA. 21 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN CHRISTCHURCH AND OAMARU, 22 FOR EVERYONE ELSE. AND IT'S MOSTLY GREY SKIES IN THE LOWER SOUTH ` PLUS, WATCH OUT FOR THE ODD SHOWER THROUGH SOUTHLAND AND MILFORD SOUND, MORE LIKELY THIS MORNING. THOSE WINDS LOOK A BIT STRONG AS WELL, ALTHOUGH IN AMONGST ALL THAT YOU MIGHT GET THE ODD FINE PATCH. 18 DEGREES IN QUEENSTOWN AND INVERCARGILL, 22 FOR DUNEDIN. AND THEN CHECKING OUT YOUR WEDNESDAY ` TOMORROW THERE'S A FEW SHOWERS IN THE NORTH ISLAND'S EAST AND SOME ISOLATED RAIN AROUND FIORDLAND AND STEWART ISLAND, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S MOSTLY FINE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. DON'T FORGET TO GET YOUR BESPOKE WEATHER REQUESTS IN, SEND US A PHOTO, TELLS WHAT MAKES YOUR PLACE SPECIAL IF YOU LIVE IN SOMEWHERE THAT DOES NOT QUITE MAKE IT TO OUR MAP. THAT IS ON THE CAPE, WE TOOK THAT. YOU SAID THAT IT WAS A VERY SPIRITUAL, MOVING EXPERIENCE, AND I FELT THAT THERE IS WELL. IT'S A REALLY SPECIAL PLACE. THAT IS WHERE PEOPLE WHO HAVE PASSED AWAY LEAVE FROM. WE LUCKED OUT WITH THE WEATHER, IT WAS PERFECT. IT IS 6:38. AS WE'VE DISCUSSED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS ON BREAKFAST, EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE UNDER INCREASING PRESSURE, WITH STAFF OVERWORKED AND OVERWHELMED. BUT IT'S NOT ONLY EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS. THE EAST CARE MEDICAL CENTRE IN EAST AUCKLAND HAS BEEN FORCED TO TURN AWAY PATIENTS FROM THEIR CLINIC AS WAIT TIMES SOAR. IT COMES AFTER FUNDING FOR THE CLINIC'S OVERNIGHT SERVICES WAS CUT LATE LAST YEAR, ADDING EVEN MORE STRESS TO OUR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS. CARE GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE GORDON ARMSTRONG JOINS US NOW. TO DISCUSS THIS CONTINUING ISSUE, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE THIS MORNING. BEFORE WE DISCUSS THE PRESSURES THAT ARE ON DEPARTMENTS NOT JUST HERE IN AUCKLAND BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, CAN YOU GIVE US SOME BACKGROUND TO EAST CARE AND THE 24-HOUR SERVICE WHICH SHUT DOWN. WHY? WE HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR 30 YEARS, AND PROVIDING EMERGENCY CARE FOR 23 YEARS, WE ARE A SMALL COMMUNITY BASED ORGANISATION AND OWNED BY GENERAL PRACTITIONERS, AND WE HAD A COMPLEX POPULATION MIX, AND WE ALSO SERVICE SOUTH AUCKLAND OVERNIGHT, SO WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY, AND THEY SAY THAT THE FACT THAT WE ARE ALWAYS OPEN IS IMPORTANT TO THEM. IF YOU HAVE A SICK CHILD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, YOU WANT TO GET CARE AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN, SO WE ALWAYS FELT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO BE OPEN 24 SEVEN, BUT WE FELT IT WAS GOOD TO THE SYSTEM BECAUSE EVERY PATIENT THAT WE SAW OVERNIGHT WAS ONE LEASE THAT WOULD BE TAKING UP SPACE IN THE SYSTEM. BEFORE YOU HAD TO SHUT YOUR DOORS, HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE YOU SEEING ON AVERAGE? WE PROBABLY SAW 20-25 NIGHT, AND THAT MIGHT SOUND LIKE A LOT, BUT AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT ON AVERAGE SEES AROUND 65, AND WE WERE FUNDED BY COUNTIES MANUKAU HEALTH UNTIL 2018 WHEN THEY MADE A DECISION TO CEASE OUR FUNDING, WHICH SURPRISED US AT THE TIME BECAUSE WE FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND THE WIDER HEALTH SYSTEM, SO WE KEPT OUR DOORS OPEN FOR ANOTHER 2 1/2 YEARS WITHOUT FUNDING, AND WE WERE THE ONLY HEALTH SERVICE THAT WAS OPEN OVERNIGHT WITHOUT FUNDING AT THAT POINT, BUT PEOPLE CAN SEE AT ANY TIME OF THE DAY TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE FROM THE SYSTEM. DO YOU KNOW WHY THAT FUNDING WAS CUT? AT THE TIME, THEY FELT THAT THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT COULD COPE WITH THE VOLUMES AND THAT THE MONEY MIGHT BE SPENT BETTER ELSEWHERE, BUT WE SAW THE POTENTIAL DISASTER FOR NOT BEING OPEN OVERNIGHT AND THE OVERLOADING ON ED, SO WE KEPT GOING UNTIL LATE LAST YEAR, AND ADDS YOU CAN APPRECIATE THE PANDEMIC WAS DIFFICULT, AND WE LOST A COUPLE OF DOCTORS LATE IN THE YEAR AND WE COULD NOT AFFORD TO REPLACE THEM WITHOUT FUNDING, SO WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CLOSE OUR OVERNIGHT SERVICE. YOUR OVERNIGHT SERVICE CLOSES DOWN, MIDDLEMORE HOSPITAL EXPERIENCING AN OVERLOAD OF PATIENTS TURNING UP TO USE THE 24-HOUR SERVICE, WHAT ARE WE NOT GETTING RIGHT HERE? I KNOW IT IS A COMPLEX ISSUE WITH LOTS OF MOVING PARTS, THERE IS A LOT GOING ON, WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT THE TEAM AT ED, BY THE TIME THEY GET OVERWHELMED, IT IS A WIDER SYSTEM FAILURE, WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL ABOUT THE LEVEL OF CARE THAT EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS PROVIDE, THEY DO A FANTASTIC JOB WITH LIMITED RESOURCES, BUT WE KNOW THAT IN THE LAST WEEK, COUNTIES MANUKAU HEALTH HAVE FUNDED 16 PRIMARY CARE CLINICS IN SOUTH AUCKLAND, AND IT IS GREAT THAT THEY ARE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT PRIMARY CARE IS THE RIGHT PLACE TO HELP RELIEVE THE PRESSURE ON ED, AND WE FEEL VINDICATED BECAUSE THAT HAS A WAYS BEEN OUR ARGUMENT, BUT NONE OF THOSE OVERNIGHT SERVICES SO THAT PROBLEM STILL HAPPENS AND ALL YOU HAVE IS SHIFTING THE PROBLEM TO OTHER PARTS OF THE SYSTEM, SO PATIENTS ARE NOW HAVING TO DRIVE TO MIDDLE MORE FROM EAST AUCKLAND ALL THEY ARE HAVING TO DRIVE TO CENTRAL AUCKLAND SO MINIMAL AS MORE LOAD, THE CLINIC IN CENTRAL AUCKLAND HAS WALLOWED, IT IS BAD FOR THE PATIENTS, THESE ARE NOT EMERGENCY CASES, BUT THEY HAVE AN URGENT NEED FOR CARE. IT IS BAD FOR THE SYSTEM BECAUSE YOU'RE SHIFTING THE STRESS FROM ONE PLACE TO THE OTHER. GIVEN WHAT MIDDLEMORE AND SO MANY OTHERS ARE DEALING WITH, YOU KNOWING THAT 30 YEARS OF HAVING A 24-HOUR SERVICE FOR PEOPLE IN EAST AUCKLAND AND SOUTH AUCKLAND, IT MAKES SENSE THAT YOU SHOULD OPEN YOUR DOORS AGAIN AND WAIT FOR THAT MONEY FROM COUNTIES MANUKAU HEALTH TO BE PUMPED BACK INTO EAST CARE. THE CURRENT POSITION IS THAT THERE IS NO MONEY FROM COUNTIES MANUKAU HEALTH BE ALLOWED FOR US, WE HOPE THAT CHANGES, BUT WE ARE PARTNERS WITH COUNTIES MANUKAU HEALTH, WE WORK WITH THEM VERY CLOSELY AND CONTINUE TO DO SO AND WE WILL BE WORKING WITH THEM ON THE VACCINE AS WELL, SO WE JUST HAVE A PHILOSOPHICAL DIFFERENCE ABOUT OVERNIGHT CARE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DEVELOP OUR HEALTH AND EAST AUCKLAND, WE HAVE PROVIDED A LOT OF SERVICES SUCH AS MATERNITY, OBSERVATION UNITS, AND IT WOULD BENEFIT FROM HAVING DOCTORS 24 SEVEN. SO MAYBE THAT IS A CONVERSATION WE CAN CONTINUE. WHAT YOU HEARING FROM EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS AROUND THE COUNTRY? WE HAVE BEEN HEARING ABOUT EXHAUSTION, PEOPLE REDUCED TO TEARS BECAUSE THEY ARE TRYING TO PROVIDE A SERVICE BUT IT IS NOT ONLY THAT THEY CANNOT PROVIDE IT IN A TIMELY MANNER, BUT PEOPLE ARE GETTING FRUSTRATED, THOSE WHO ARE TURNING UP IN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS AND GET FRUSTRATED BY THE WAY TIMES. WE ARE HEARING THE SAME THINGS, THOSE DOCTORS DO A FANTASTIC JOB IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES, AND IT IS DIFFICULT FOR PATIENTS. IF YOU ARE SEEING YOUR GENERAL PRACTITIONER OR YOUR AFTER HOURS SERVICE, IT FREES UP ED WHICH IS MEANT TO BE FOR EMERGENCIES, IF YOU CAN BE SEEN IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU WILL BE SEEN QUICKER AND IT WILL BE BETTER FOR THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT BE OVERLOADED BY PEOPLE WHO CAN BE TREATED ELSEWHERE, OTHERWISE YOU HAVE LONG WAIT TIMES AND A REALLY UNDER PRESSURE WORKFORCE. JUST TO WRAP THINGS UP, OBVIOUSLY THERE NEEDS TO BE A LONG-TERM SOLUTION TO THIS, BUT IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE, WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP ALLEVIATE THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS AND THE PRESSURES THAT THEY ARE UNDER? THIS IS ACROSS NEW ZEALAND. IT IS ABOUT BACK AUTOMATED APPROACH BETWEEN SECONDARY CARE HOSPITALS AND EDS AND PRIMARY CARE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE ALL ADEQUATELY FUNDED AND WE ARE ABLE TO HAVE PATIENCE, AND WE WANT MORE SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY, NOT LESS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING AND AIDING TO THE CONVERSATION. COMING UP, THE TE HUIA PASSENGER TRAIN BETWEEN HAMILTON AND AUCKLAND HAS OFFICIALLY LEFT THE STATION. NEXT, THE WAIKATO DISTRICT MAYOR EXPLAINS HOW SIGNIFICANT THE NEW LINE WILL BE. WE ARE ON TE HUIA, THE TRAIN BETWEEN HAMILTON AND PAPAKURA. WE ARE COMING LIVE TO YOU ON THE TRAIN, WE ARE ABOUT TO PULL INTO HUNTLY, WHICH IS EXCITING, AND HAS A POPULATION THAT HAS BEEN GROWING IN RECENT YEARS, BUT THE DRIVE TO AUCKLAND IS A BIT OF A PAIN IN THE PROVERBIAL IN TRAFFIC, SO THEY ARE HOPING PEOPLE WILL GET ON IN HUNTLY AND CATCH THE TRAIN. THE NORTHERN EXPRESSWAY BYPASSED HUNTLY, REMOVING HUNDREDS OF CARS FROM THEIR ECONOMY, THE WAIKATO MAYOR IS SITTING NEXT TO ME, IS THIS A GOOD DAY? IT IS A GREAT DAY, HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING. WHAT DIFFERENCE WILL IT MAKE? I THINK IT WILL GIVE PEOPLE OPTIONS ABOUT GOING IN AND OUT OF AUCKLAND ON A DAILY BASIS, AND ALSO HELP PEOPLE GET OUT OF THEIR CARS. THIS IS A FAR BETTER OPTION THAN BEING STUCK IN TRAFFIC. IT IS NOT THE SOLUTION FULL AND FINAL, THERE IS A SENSE ON THIS TRAIN AND LOTS OF PEOPLE ON THE STRAIN LOVE TRAINS, THERE IS A SENSE THAT IT IS THE BEGINNING OF THE SOLUTION. THIS IS STILL DIESEL, IT IS STILL SLOW, BUT IT IS BETTER THAN HAVING NO TRACE OF IT AT ALL, RIGHT? THERE ARE SOME NEGATIVE, BUT THERE ARE MORE POSITIVES THAN NEGATIVES, THIS IS A START AND WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE. THIS IS ABOUT A MODAL CHANGE AND GETTING PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR CARS AND ONTO ANOTHER FORM OF TRANSPORT, WE WERE JUST SITTING HERE THIS MORNING, I CAN IMAGINE JUST SITTING HERE ON KEYBOARDS, DOING YOUR WORK, AND THAT MEANS IT IS MAKING YOU MONEY AS OPPOSED TO COSTING YOUR MONEY TO TRAVEL. WE JUST DID A WANDER AND PEOPLE ARE WORKING ON THE COMPUTERS, WHAT DIFFERENCE WILL THAT MAKE FOR HUNTLY? THIS WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR HUNTLEY, THEY ARE ALREADY GOING THROUGH A LARGE GROWTH SPURT AS IS THE WHOLE WAIKATO, AND WE OTHER CORRIDOR THAT LINKS HAMILTON TO AUCKLAND, SO YOU LOOK AT PLACES LIKE POKENO, THIS IS WHERE THE GROWTH IS HAPPENING INTO THE WAIKATO, SO THIS WILL MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE BY A LOT OF PEOPLE, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. THE TRAIN IS NOT STOPPING AT SOME OF THOSE OTHER COMMUNITIES, AT SOME STAGE, WOULD YOU LIKE TRAIN SERVICES TO STOP THEIR AND BE VERY MUCH PART OF THE TO AND FRO BETWEEN WAIKATO AND AUCKLAND? ABSOLUTELY, WE ARE WORKING ON GETTING THE AUCKLAND METRO SERVICE TO COME DOWN AS FAR AS POKENO EVENTUALLY, AND THAT IS OUR LONG-TERM PLAN. TE HUIA WILL REMAIN A SERVICE BETWEEN HAMILTON AND AUCKLAND PREDOMINATELY DEALING WITH THE LINKAGES AS FAR NORTH AS HUNTLY IN THE FUTURE, SO THIS IS TWO STRINGS TO A BOW HERE. WE NEED TO GET IT ALL ALIGNED AND MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNEW THAT AND SUPPORTER, BECAUSE WE WILL LOSE IT AGAIN OTHERWISE, AND WE DO NOT WANT THAT. WHAT SORT OF PATRONAGE DO YOU NEED? HAVE YOU DONE THOSE NUMBERS WHICH WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A BIG CONVERSATION WITH THE CEO OF KIWI RAIL. I THINK FOR THE REGULAR OCCUPANCY, YOU WOULD BE LOOKING AT CONSISTENTLY IN THE UPPER 80%. IT WOULD BE FANTASTIC AT THE TRAIN WAS FULL AND HAMILTON AND THERE WAS ONLY STANDING ROOM FROM HUNTLY. AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK WE CAN GET 80% TO 90%, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. I THINK EVERYONE WATCHING, PARTICULARLY NORTH ISLANDERS, KNOWS THE ROAD TRAVEL BETWEEN AUCKLAND AND HUNTLY. WE ARE GOING PAST HUNTLY NOW, WE ARE ACTUALLY PASSING THROUGH REALLY LOVELY WAIKATO RURAL COUNTRYSIDE. WE ARE GOING TO GO JUST PAST A LOVELY FARMHOUSE THERE, IS A PRETTY TRAIN TRIP, ISN'T IT? THE OTHER THING ABOUT TRAVELLING ON A TRAIN AS YOU FIND YOU ACTUALLY SEE THINGS THAT YOU DO NOT NORMALLY SEE ON THE EXPRESSWAY, WHICH IS A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF ROAD THAT BYPASSES HUNTLY, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY TO SIT ON A TRAIN AND WATCH THE COUNTRYSIDE GO BY IS QUITE SPECIAL, YOU CAN ENJOY THE VISTA FOR WHAT IT IS. HOW HAS THE BYPASS AFFECTED HUNTLY BUSINESSES? THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD USE TO STOP OFF FOR A PETROL OR A SNACK, HAS IT LOT OF THOSE CONSUMERS? I CAN IMAGINE THE FAST FOOD PLACES IN HUNTLEY, SPEAKING TO THE OWNER OF THE FIRESTONE SHOP IN HUNTLY, HE SAID HE HAD SEEN A DROP-OFF, BUT AN INCREASE OVER AND ABOVE WHAT HE HAD ON AVERAGE, SO I HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANYBODY WHO HAS DISTINCTLY SUFFERED AS A RESULT. THE NEXT STATION IS HUNTLY, THAT IS YOU, YOU ARE GETTING OFF, AREN'T YOU? WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL NEW STATION AT HUNTLY, DON'T YOU? IN THE ORIGINAL STATION IS COMING BACK ON SITE AND IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING, ON THE TRAIN. WE ARE PULLING AND NOW, I THINK WE ARE SLOWING DOWN. ARE WE PULLING INTO HUNTLY? WE ARE HERE, THIS IS A NEW ERA IN RAIL IN NEW ZEALAND. IS IT GOING TO WORK? WHAT WILL IT TELL US ABOUT THE STATE OF THE RAIL OF A STRUCTURE IN THIS COUNTRY? MAKING NEWS THIS MORNING, AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON A TWO-WAY TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE IS EXPECTED TODAY ` WHAT THE TOURISM INDUSTRY HAS TO SAY ABOUT THE IMPENDING DECISION AT 7. WE ARE GOOGLING BECAUSE JOHN WAS WRAPPED TWO MINUTES AGO, HE HAS AND IN HIS HAPPY PLACE. ALSO AHEAD, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER GRANT ROBERTSON JOINS US. CAN HE SHED ANY LIGHT ON THE GOVERNMENT'S PLANS FOR TRANS-TASMAN TRAVEL? HERE IS YOUR 7 O'CLOCK NEWS. NEW ZEALANDERS WILL FINALLY FIND OUT WHEN A TWO-WAY TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE WILL BE ON THE CARDS, AND IT COULD BE AS SOON AS THE END OF THE WEEK. THE GOVERNMENT'S EXPECTED TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT LATER TODAY WHICH WOULD ALLOW QUARANTINE-FREE TRAVEL BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. THE BUBBLE IS EXPECTED TO RUN ON A STATE-BY-STATE BASIS, RESTRICTING TRAVELLERS FROM PARTICULAR AREAS IN THE EVENT OF AN OUTBREAK. PRIME MINISTER JACINDA ARDERN HAS PREVIOUSLY WARNED THERE'D BE AN ELEMENT OF 'FLYER BEWARE' SHOULD THE BORDERS SHUT WHILE KIWIS ARE VISITING AUSTRALIA. ONE SECTOR EAGERLY AWAITING THE GOVERNMENT'S TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE ANNOUNCEMENT IS THE TOURISM INDUSTRY. DATA FROM INFOMETRICS SHOWS THAT BEFORE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, MORE THAN 100,000 AUSTRALIAN TOURISTS VISITED NEW ZEALAND EACH MONTH. INTERIM TOURISM NEW ZEALAND CHIEF EXECUTIVE RENE DE MONCHY SAYS THE BUBBLE WOULD PROVIDE A BIG BOOST TO THE SECTOR. SO, BASED ON OUR MODELLING, IF IT OPENS UP SOON, WE THINK IT COULD BE A BILLION DOLLARS OR EVEN MORE IN 2021, SO THESE ARE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS INTO THE ECONOMY. MEANWHILE, SCHOOLS ARE CALLING ON THE GOVERNMENT FOR HELP WITH UNCERTAINTY AROUND THE RETURN OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS TO OUR SHORES. BEFORE COVID-19, THERE WERE 22,000 INTERNATIONAL PUPILS ACROSS THE COUNTRY; CURRENTLY THERE ARE ONLY 5000. WITH NEW ZEALAND'S BORDERS CLOSED, THE EDUCATION SECTOR'S WORRIED THAT STUDENTS ARE CHOOSING TO STUDY IN OTHER COUNTRIES INSTEAD. LOOK, AGAIN, I JUST COME BACK TO WE REALLY WANT TO HAVE THAT DIALOGUE WITH THE MINISTER AND WITH THE MINISTRY AND SAY, 'WHAT IS THE STRATEGY?' IT'S NOT OK TO KEEP THE DOOR CLOSED; WE NEED A STRATEGY TO REBUILD AND TO RELAUNCH THIS INDUSTRY. WITHOUT THE FINANCIAL BOOST FROM OVERSEAS, SOME SCHOOLS HAVE HAD TO CUT TEACHER NUMBERS AND INCREASE CLASS SIZES. THERE'S SOME HESITANCY FROM THE PUBLIC OVER THE TRAVEL TIME OF THE NEW TE HUIA PASSENGER TRAIN SERVICE CONNECTING HAMILTON AND AUCKLAND. THE FIRST-EVER SERVICE LEFT HAMILTON'S FRANKTON STATION JUST BEFORE 6 THIS MORNING. A FULL JOURNEY BETWEEN THE HEART OF BOTH CITIES TAKES ABOUT TWO AND A HALF HOURS, WITH A TRANSFER AT PAPAKURA. TE HUIA WILL RUN RETURN SERVICES TWICE A DAY IN A BID TO EASE TRAFFIC BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES. AND THE WAIKATO DISTRICT MAYOR SAYS IT'S A GREAT DAY FOR THE REGION. STILL GIVES PEOPLE OPTIONS AROUND GOING IN AND OUT OF AUCKLAND ON A DAILY BASIS, AND ALSO HELP PEOPLE GET OUT OF THEIR CARS. IT IS A LOT MORE PLEASANT TO COMMUTE ON A TRAIN THAT DECISION TRAFFIC, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU JUST HIT GRIDLOCK. A FAR BETTER OPTION FOR PEOPLE. INDIA'S SEEN ITS HIGHEST NUMBER OF DAILY COVID-19 INFECTIONS SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN. MORE THAN 103,000 CASES WERE CONFIRMED ON SUNDAY AS THE COUNTRY ATTEMPTS TO RAMP UP ITS VACCINATION CAMPAIGN. PREVIOUSLY, ONLY THE UNITED STATES HAD BREACHED 100,000 DAILY CASES. STRONGER COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS HAVE COME INTO EFFECT IN PARTS OF JAPAN TO TRY AND STOP A SHARP UPTICK IN CASES, WITH JUST 108 DAYS UNTIL THE OLYMPICS. THE COUNTRY CONFIRMED ALMOST 2500 CASES ON SUNDAY, MANY OF THEM IN OSAKA. THREE CITIES ARE THOUGHT TO BE ON THE BRINK OF STATES OF EMERGENCY. NEW MEASURES, INCLUDING CUTTING OPENING HOURS FOR RESTAURANTS AND MANDATORY MASKS, WILL BE IN PLACE FOR AT LEAST A MONTH. TO SPORT, AND A LATE GOAL HAS FURTHER DENTED THE WELLINGTON PHOENIX'S HOPES OF ENTERING THE TOP SIX ON THE A-LEAGUE LADDER. WELLINGTON PLAYED OUT A TOPSY-TURVY CLASH AGAINST MELBOURNE CITY AND LOOKED TO HAVE SNATCHED A DRAW THROUGH SKIPPER ULISES DAVILA. IT MIGHT OPEN UP HERE FOR DAVILA. CURVES ONE. GOES IN! AND IT'S THE ONE THEY'VE BEEN WAITING FOR! ULISES DAVILA BRINGS THE PHOENIX BACK ON TERMS WITH A QUITE BRILLIANT EFFORT! BUT CITY FOUND A LATE GOAL IN THE 83rd MINUTE TO CLOSE OUT A 3-2 WIN IN WOLLONGONG. I BELIEVE WE'RE A GOOD TEAM AND WE'VE GOT SOME GOOD PLAYERS AND WE PLAY SOME REALLY GOOD FOOTBALL, AND I'VE SAID THAT SINCE THE START OF THIS SEASON. WE'VE PLAYED SOME REALLY DECENT FOOTBALL WITHOUT REWARDING OURSELVES ` THAT'S THE DISAPPOINTING PART ABOUT IT. AND THAT'S YOUR NEWS. NICE. THANK YOU. I WAS WAITING FOR THE NRL NEWS, AND I WAS JUST LIKE, CARRY STRAIGHT ON. IT IS OKAY, WARRIORS FANS. LET US JUST FORGET IT. ATTENDANCE ALL FINE. NOTHING HAPPENED. IT IS ALL GOOD. YOU ARE GOOD, MATTY. I AM GREAT. YOU LOOK REALLY RESTED. YOU LOOK GOOD. RYAN DOES ALL OF THE DRIVING. JUST SAT IN THE CAR, PLAYED SOME MUSIC, CHILLED OUT. WE HAD THE BEST WENT UP. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. THE NICE WEATHER IS CONTINUING FOR MANY PLACES. IT'S MOSTLY FINE IN THE UPPER NORTH, BUT WITH A BIT OF CLOUD COVER FOR EVERYONE, AND WATCH OUT FOR THE CHANCE OF A COUPLE OF SHOWERS TOWARDS THIS EVENING AROUND AUCKLAND AND FURTHER NORTH IN KAITAIA. 23 DEGREES FOR THE TWO OF YOU, 25 FOR EVERYONE ELSE. YOU'RE LOOKING AT A DECENT DAY THROUGH HERE, WITH JUST THAT CLOUD COVER MORNING AND NIGHT, ALTHOUGH HAMILTON AND TOKOROA COULD SEE SOME BRIEF LIGHT SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON AS WELL. 23 DEGREES IN ROTORUA, 25 FOR HAMILTON, 27 THE HIGH IF YOU'RE IN TAURANGA. THE DAY LOOKS LOVELY AND SUNNY FURTHER EAST ` LITTLE BIT OF MORNING CLOUD FOR SOME PLACES, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S CALM, WITH JUST SOME LIGHT WINDS. 22 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN MASTERTON, 24 FOR THOSE OF YOU IN NAPIER AND GISBORNE. YOU'LL START THE DAY OVERCAST SHIFTING WEST, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S SOME LIGHT RAIN FIRST THING FROM PALMERSTON NORTH THROUGH TO TAUMARUNUI, BUT ALL THAT SHOULD CLEAR AWAY TO REVEAL A FINER AFTERNOON. 19 DEGREES IN WELLINGTON, WITH TEMPS IN THE EARLY 20s FOR THE REST. IT'S NICE AND FINE ACROSS IN THE UPPER SOUTH ` LITTLE BIT OF CLOUD COVER THIS MORNING IN KAIKOURA, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S SMOOTH SAILING. THE WEST COAST IS A BIT MORE OVERCAST, THOUGH, WITH ONE OR TWO SHOWERS POSSIBLE AS WELL. 18 DEGREES IN GREYMOUTH AND HOKITIKA, 22 IN NELSON. YOU'RE IN FOR CLOUD COVER FIRST THING MOVING EAST, AND THERE COULD BE A COUPLE OF LIGHT SHOWERS ATTACHED IF YOU'RE IN OAMARU, BUT ONCE THAT LIFTS, THINGS LOOK GOOD. JUST WATCH OUT FOR SOME GUSTY WINDS AFTER LUNCH AROUND ALEXANDRA. 21 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN CHRISTCHURCH AND OAMARU, 22 FOR EVERYONE ELSE. AND IT'S MOSTLY GREY SKIES IN THE LOWER SOUTH ` PLUS, WATCH OUT FOR THE ODD SHOWER THROUGH SOUTHLAND AND MILFORD SOUND, MORE LIKELY THIS MORNING. THOSE WINDS LOOK A BIT STRONG AS WELL, ALTHOUGH IN AMONGST ALL THAT YOU MIGHT GET THE ODD FINE PATCH. 18 DEGREES IN QUEENSTOWN AND INVERCARGILL, 22 FOR DUNEDIN. AND THEN CHECKING OUT YOUR WEDNESDAY ` TOMORROW THERE'S A FEW SHOWERS IN THE NORTH ISLAND'S EAST AND SOME ISOLATED RAIN AROUND FIORDLAND AND STEWART ISLAND, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S MOSTLY FINE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. DO NOT FORGET THE SPOKE WEATHER REQUESTS. EMAIL US. WE WILL DO THAT JUST UPDATE O'CLOCK.. IT IS 7:08 WE WOULD NORMALLY HAVE OUR WEEKLY CATCH-UP WITH THE PRIME MINISTER ON MONDAYS, BUT GIVEN IT WAS A PUBLIC HOLIDAY, WE'VE MISSED THAT OPPORTUNITY ` BUT WE ARE DELIGHTED TO WELCOME DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER GRANT ROBERTSON, WHO HAS KINDLY STEPPED IN TO TALK ABOUT TODAY'S TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE ANNOUNCEMENT, THE LATEST ON A COOK ISLANDS BUBBLE AND MORE. MORENA. ATA MARIE. I KNOW I AM THE OFFER CALL SUBSTITUTE, BUT I WILL DO MY BEST. WE ARE DELIGHTED TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW. HOW WAS YOUR EASTER? FANTASTIC. I GOT TO SPEND SOME QUIET TIME. WENT UP NORTH AND SO A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT AND ABOUT ENJOYING THE BREAK, WHICH WAS TERRIFIC. WE ARE VERY LUCKY WE ARE ABLE TO GET OUT AND ABOUT. WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE THIS MORNING, WHICH I DO WANT TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT, BUT WE HAVE HAD LOTS OF PEOPLE SAYING, YES, I AM READY TO GO. I HAVE MY ONLY CHILD IN MELBOURNE, I AM READY TO GET TAKE THE RISK AND GET ONTO THAT PLANE... IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING. CAN WE EXPECT TO DATE THIS AFTERNOON FROM THE PRIME MINISTER? THAT IS WHAT THE PRIME MINISTER SAID A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO TODAY WE WOULD ANNOUNCE A DATE. CABIN AND STILL HAS TO MEET TODAY TO MAKE THAT DECISION, BUT THAT IS ABSOLUTELY THE JOB TODAY. I UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE HAD ON THE SHOW THIS MORNING, WE ALL HAVE FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN AUSTRALIA, AND IT HAS BEEN A REALLY LONG TIME FOR PEOPLE. I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE ARE A GOOD PLACE HERE. HARD WORK WE HAVE DONE HAS PUT US IN A POSITION WHERE THIS IS POSSIBLE. ONE OF THE THINGS TO ACKNOWLEDGES THAT BOTH AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND, RELATIVE TO THE REST OF THE WORLDCOM HAVE DONE WELL. WE HAVE THE REWARD FOR ALL THE SACRIFICES. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DATES, WE TALKING DAYS? ARE WE TALKING WEEKS? THESE OTHER DECISIONS CABINET WILL MAKE LATER ON TODAY. YOU WILL BE AWARE WE HAVE BEEN STEPPING THROUGH THIS CAREFULLY, BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT WE GET THE SYSTEMS IN PLACE. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO TELL NEW ZEALANDERS AND AUSTRALIANS WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THEM BEFORE THEY LEAVE, WHAT HAPPENS IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT THERE WAS AN OUTBREAK ON EITHER SIDE OF THE TASMAN, SO WE WANT TO STEP PEOPLE THROUGH THAT. WE HAVE TO GET OUR AIRPORTS READY. THERE IS QUITE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT WE WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE ALL THOSE ANNOUNCEMENTS LATER TODAY. YOU ARE SAYING EVERYTHING IS IN PLACE FOR THIS TO HAPPEN? ALL I AM SAYING IS CABINET IS READY TO TAKE THE DECISION EXACTLY AS THE PRIME MINISTER INDICATED. OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE BEEN TALKING TO AUSTRALIA FOR SUMMER MONTHS. THEY TOOK THEIR DECISIONS EARLIER. WE NOW HAVE OUR PROCESSES READY TO GO. CABINET HAS TO GO THROUGH THOSE AND MAKE SURE WE ARE HAPPY WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE DECISION ABSOLUTELY SESSION, AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT WILL COME THIS AFTERNOON. DO WE KNOW THE FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS OF WHAT THIS BUBBLE OPENING WILL MEAN FOR A BIG ECONOMY? WE HAVE SOME NUMBERS THAT WERE DONE IN 2020. THEY REFLECT WHERE THINGS WERE PREVIOUSLY. CLEARLY, A LOT OF AUSTRALIANS LIKE TO COME TO NEW ZEALAND, AND WE WANT THEM TO COME HERE, AND THERE WILL BE PARTS OF NEW ZEALAND WHERE THIS WILL MATTER, PLACES LIKE QUEENSTOWN FOR THE SKI SEASON AND SO ON; EQUALLY, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER NEW ZEALANDERS LIKE TO GO TO AUSTRALIA, SO WHILE THERE WILL BE DEFINITE ECONOMIC BENEFIT HERE IN NEW ZEALAND, WE ALSO HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT QUITE A FEW PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN A NEW ZEALAND WILL NOW GO TO AUSTRALIA. ON BALANCE, IT WILL BE A POSITIVE, AND IT IS UP TO US TO MARKET OURSELVES IN AUSTRALIA AND MAKE SURE THEY COME OVER HERE. COULD THIS HAVE BEEN DONE SOONER? THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CALLS FOR THAT, BUT THE REALITY IS WE HAD TO DO IT WHEN WE KNEW IT WAS SAFE. I WILL NEVER APOLOGISE FOR PRIORITISING THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF NEW ZEALANDERS. KIWIS KNOW THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING THROUGHOUT THE LAST YEAR OR SO, MAKING SURE THAT WHEN WE DO MOVE, WE DO IT WITH CONFIDENCE AND TAKE PEOPLE WITH US, HAVE ALL THE SYSTEMS IN PLACE. I THINK BACK TO PEOPLE WHO WANTED THIS BEFORE CHRISTMAS, AND THAT WAS THE EXACT MOMENT THERE WAS AN OUTBREAK IN MELBOURNE. WE HAVE BEEN CAREFUL AND CAUTIOUS, BUT WE ARE READY. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE COOK ISLANDS. JOHN SPOKE WITH THE PRIME MINISTER LAST WEEK ON THE SHOW. HE TOLD US THAT RAROTONGA WILL BE OPEN IN MAY. WILL A BUBBLE BE OPEN BY THEN WITH THE COOK ISLANDS? WHAT WE AGREED WITH PRIME MINISTER BROWN WAS HERE WAS THAT WE WOULD BE AIMING FOR MAY. I AM SURE THE PRIME MINISTER IS REALLY KEEN TO GET IT GOING ON 1 MAY. HE WAS LAST WEEK. THAT IS COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDABLE. THIS IS A COUNTRY IN THE COOK ISLANDS THAT IS RELIANT ON TOURISM TO AN EXTENT WELL BEYOND EVEN WHAT WE ARE. WE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT. EQUALLY, WE HAVE OBLIGATIONS TO BOTH THOSE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE COOK ISLANDS AND THOSE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN NEW ZEALAND TO TRAVEL THERE TO MAKE SURE THOSE SYSTEMS ARE IN PLACE, AT PARTICULAR THAT IS AT THE HEALTH END AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE IF WE NEEDED MANAGED ISOLATION SYSTEMS, A GOOD TESTING REGIME AVAILABLE. WE HAVE HAD SOME FANTASTIC DISCUSSIONS. I KNOW THAT THEY MET WITH THE NEW ZEALAND HEALTH OFFICIALS. WE ARE MAKING VERY GOOD PROGRESS. YOU CANNOT SAY THAT THERE WILL BE A BUBBLE OPEN ON 1 MAY, WHICH IS WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH JOHN LAST WEEK? I WOULD LOVE THAT TO BE THE CASE. WE HAVE COMMITTED OURSELVES TO MAKING SURE WE ARE TARGETING MAY. WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THOSE CHECKS AND BALANCES. AS I SAY, PRIME MINISTER BROWN ABSOLUTELY IS ADVOCATING FOR HIS COUNTRY AND PUTTING THAT DATE OUT THERE. WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS MAY, AND I AM OPTIMISTIC. JOHN IS ON THE TE HUIA TRAIN AND IS HEADING TO` DID HE PAY FOR HIS OWN TICKET? I WILL ASK. YOU INVESTED AROUND $80 MILLION FOR THE SERVICE. IS THE INVESTMENT WORTH IT? WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE SAYING THEY PROBABLY WOULD NOT GET ON IT BECAUSE IT WILL TAKE TWO AND HALF HOURS. ARE YOU LOOKING AT INVESTING ANYMORE INTO THAT SERVICE TO GET IT GOING FROM HAMILTON DIRECT INTO THE CENTRAL CITY? WE HAVE PLANS TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN RAIL, MAKE SURE WE HAVEN'T GENUINELY CONNECTED JOURNEY. I THINK THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT START. IT WILL TAKE TIME TO BUILD UP, FOR PEOPLE TO FACTOR RETURN TO THEIR PLANS, BUT THIS IS AN OPTION FOR PEOPLE AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO OUR OBLIGATIONS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND REDUCING EMISSIONS. WE WANT TO SEE PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR CARS, AND THIS IS PART OF THAT NETWORK. ABSOLUTELY WE WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THE NETWORK, MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE AND REDUCE CONGESTION, AND ULTIMATELY HELP MEET THOSE CLIMATE CHANGE GOALS. THIS IS DAY ONE. WE ARE VERY EXCITED. FINALLY BEFORE YOU GO, I WANT TO MENTION THE RALLY THAT WAS HELD IN WELLINGTON LAST WEDNESDAY TO RAISE FURTHER AWARENESS FOR THE INCREASE IN SEXUAL VIOLENCE, WHICH IS UP ALMOST 50% OF THE FIVE YEARS. ARTICULATELY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IN THE CBD. THIS IS YOUR ELECTORATE. WHAT'S BEEN DONE ABOUT IT? PEOPLE FEEL UNSAFE, WOMEN FEEL UNSAFE IN THE CENTRAL CITY IN WELLINGTON. I WAS AT THE RALLY, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ORGANISERS. THEY DID A TERRIFIC JOB. IT IS AN AWFUL SITUATION WHERE THIS IS A SITUATION THAT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR MANY YEARS AND WE STILL HAVE TO HAVE RALLIES ABOUT IT. THE GOVERNMENT, FROM OUR PART, HAS PUT RECORD LEVELS OF INVESTMENT INTO COMBATING DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE. WE NOW HAVE A MINISTER DEDICATED TO THAT ROLE. EVERYONE HAS A RIGHT TO FEEL SAFE IN THE CITIES AND TOWNS THEY LIVE IN. WE HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN, WORKING WITH THE COUNCIL, WORKING WITH THE POLICE ` AND I MET WITH THEM LAST WEEK AND HAVE REGULARLY MET WITH MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL ` UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS NOT NEW. THERE IS A REAL CONCERN OUT THERE AT THE MOMENT FOR PEOPLE, AND WE JUST HAVE TO ALL DO OUR BIT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY FEEL SAFE. I THOUGHT IT WAS A FANTASTIC RALLY, AND A GROUP OF PEOPLE I KNOW WILL KEEP AT IT, AND WE WILL KEEP WORKING WITH THEM. AND SO THEY SHOULD. GRANT ROBERTSON, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING. THANK YOU. COMING UP ` WE'RE TALKING TO KIWIRAIL ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE BACK ON TRACK TO AUCKLAND. YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED JOHN'S NOT IN THE STUDIO THIS MORNING. INSTEAD, HE'S ON BOARD THE NEW TE HUIA TRAIN SERVICE CARRYING COMMUTERS FROM HAMILTON TO AUCKLAND. UNFORTUNATELY FOR LIVE TELLY, THEY'RE ROLLING THROUGH A PATCH WITH NO RECEPTION, BUT EARLIER, JOHN SPOKE TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CONTROLS. SONNY WITANA, SO NICE TO MEET YOU. CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS BIG MORNING. YEAH, THANK YOU, JOHN. YEAH, IT'S A GREAT OCCASION, ACTUALLY. LOOKING FORWARD TO DRIVING THESE. TELL ME ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU AS SOMEBODY WHO'S BEEN DOING THIS FOR... HOW MANY YEARS? COMING UP 40 YEARS NOW, JOHN. YEAH. IT'S A BIG OCCASION, ACTUALLY. WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF PASSENGER TRAINS IN HAMILTON BEFORE ` OLD RAILCAR AND STUFF. BUT HAVING THIS THING RUNNING OUT, ESPECIALLY FOR HAMILTON, IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S GREAT, ACTUALLY. AND STOPPING IN HUNTLY ON THE WAY, WHICH I SUSPECT MAY BE MEANINGFUL FOR THAT LITTLE TOWN. YEAH, HUNTLY AND ROTOKAURI ON THE WAY UP AS WELL. YEAH. SO IT'LL BE REALLY GREAT ACTUALLY, FOR THE WHOLE WIDER COMMUNITY, REALLY. YEAH. DO YOU SENSE THERE'S A RENAISSANCE IN RAIL? YOU ARE A MAN WHO STOOD AT THE FRONT OF TRAINS FOR 40 YEARS, DRIVING THEM UP AND DOWN THE COUNTRY. DO YOU SENSE THAT TIMES ARE CHANGING? YEAH, I THINK THEY ARE. I THINK PEOPLE ARE REALISING, ESPECIALLY WITH CLIMATE CHANGE, THAT RAIL IS THE WAY TO GO. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE REST OF THE WORLD, THEY'VE ALL EMBRACED IT. SO I GUESS IT'S UP TO US NOW. CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE ENGINE, SONNY? WHAT HAVE YOU GOT? WHAT HAVE YOU GOT BENEATH YOUR FEET AS YOU'RE DRIVING THIS? I'VE GOT A DFB THERE. IT'S AN OLD-SCHOOL ENGINE, BUT IT'S BEEN REDONE AND IT'S REALLY AWESOME, ACTUALLY. YEAH, IT'S GREAT. IS IT EXCITING? IS THIS AN EXCITING DAY? IT'S VERY EXCITING. YEAH. YEAH. I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT SINCE ABOUT SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR, AND THEN WITH COVID ` WE HAD A FEW SETBACKS WITH COVID. AND SO TO HAVE THIS FINAL ROLLOUT DATE IS AWESOME. AND SO, WHEN YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT, WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING? UM, TESTING THE TRAIN OUT AND TRAINING THE ON-BOARD STAFF ` WELL, NOT SO MUCH ME TRAINING THE ON-BOARD STAFF, BUT I'VE BEEN TRAINING ALL THE LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS TO DRIVE IT AND STUFF, SO IT'S SOMETHING NEW FOR THEM. THERE'S A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS ON IT ` DOOR RELEASES AND ALL THAT SORT OF CARRY ON. SO, YEAH, THIS DAY IS FINALLY HERE. DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST TRAIN YOU DROVE AS THE MAN IN CHARGE? DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS? OH, IT WAS TOO MANY YEARS AGO, JOHN. BUT, YEAH, IT WAS A SCARY MOMENT, ACTUALLY. (LAUGHS) YEAH, VERY SCARY. SO FROM SCARY TO EXCITING AND A SENSE OF SOMETHING GOOD AND MEANINGFUL AND WORTHWHILE BEGINNING? OH, YEAH. VERY MUCH SO. YEAH, I THINK IT'S CERTAINLY WELL OVERDUE. THE POPULATION AROUND THE WAIKATO IS GROWING AND IT'S DEFINITELY TIME FOR A TRAIN. YEAH. WELL, I REALLY WISH YOU WELL TODAY. I HOPE YOU HAVE A FAN` I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING ON YOUR TRAIN, SONNY. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. YEAH. THANKS FOR THAT, JOHN. HE HAS A FASCINATION WITH TRAINS. HE IS AT HIS HAPPY PLACE THIS MORNING, WHICH GOT ME THINKING AROUND THE LAST TIME YOU TOOK A TRAIN RIDE, FOR MANY IN AUCKLAND, THAT IS WHAT YOU DO ON A DAILY BASIS. KIDS GET ON THEM TO GO TO SCHOOL, WE GET ON THEM TO GO TO WORK. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO COME IN AND THE HUTT VALLEY TO WELLINGTON, PEOPLE TAKE THE TRAIN. WHAT WAS YOUR LAST TRAIN RIDE? WHEN I MOVED BACK FROM LONDON, I DID NOT HAVE A CAR AND RYAN LIVED JUST SOUTH OF AUCKLAND, WHICH WAS QUITE FAR AWAY, SO I HAD A TRAIN TO SOUTH AUCKLAND. I HAD TO GO AS FAR SOUTH AS I COULD GO, WHICH IS PAPAKURA. JC IS BACK WITH US, WE HAVE SORTED OUT OUR TECHNICAL ISSUES, MORENA. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, I HAVE TWO PASSENGERS WHO ARE WAGGING SCHOOL. IT IS A DAY OFF TODAY! IT IS A SCHOOL DAY. TWO BEAUTIFUL HAMILTONIANS. HOW ALL YOU? HOW OLD ARE YOU? 10. HOW MANY TRAIN RIGHT HAVE YOU BEEN ON IN YOUR LIFE? NONE. SO THIS IS YOUR FIRST TRAIN RIDE, WHAT ARE YOU UP TO TODAY? WE'RE GOING TO RAINBOWS END. WHAT A GREAT WAY TO SPEND A DAY, YOU ARE CATCHING THE TRAIN GOING ACROSS TO RAINBOWS END. AND YOU WILL EAT SOME GOOD FOOD AS WELL, I IMAGINE. IS THIS YOUR FIRST-EVER TIME ON A TRAIN AS WELL? YES. ARE YOU ENJOYING IT? IT IS WEIRD. I LIKE IT BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE THE WORLD AS IT GOES BY, YOU ARE NOT STRESSED OUT BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT SITTING IN TRAFFIC, ALTHOUGH YOU PROPERLY HAVE NOT DONE MUCH DRIVING ANYWAY. WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING ON THE TRAIN? UM... IT IS A BIG QUESTION, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. YOU GET A CAFE. THERE IS A CAFE, I HAVE A COFFEE. YOU CANNOT TAKE THE PONSONBY OUT OF THE BOY. DO YOU WANT TO SHOUT OUT TO YOUR SCHOOL? FRANKTON. WE ARE ON TE HUIA, IT IS VERY EXCITING. WE HAVE LOST AGAIN, BUT THAT IS HIS FIRST TRAIN RIDE, HOW EXCITING? MAKING NEWS THIS MORNING ` ENGLAND IS TAKING ITS NEXT STEPS OUT OF ITS STRICT LOCKDOWN, SO WHEN WILL INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL LIKELY RESUME? MORE ON THAT AT 7.30. ALSO AHEAD ` IS THE NEW TE HUIA TRAIN THE SIGN OF THINGS TO COME? THE BOSS OF KIWIRAIL TELLS US WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE BACK ON TRACK TO AUCKLAND. IT IS A BIT OVERCAST THIS MORNING AND AUCKLAND, BUT NOTHING TOO CRAZY TO WORRY ABOUT, THERE ARE LOVELY CLEAR BLUE SKIES ACROSS MOST OF THE COUNTRY, I HAVE YOUR DETAILS COMING UP. A DECISION ON WHETHER THE TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE WILL GO AHEAD WILL BE REVEALED IN LESS THAN 10 HOURS. IT COULD SEE QUARANTINE-FREE TRAVEL BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND WITH THE BUBBLE LIKELY TO OPERATE ON A STATE-BY-STATE BASIS ALLOWING TRAVELLER RESTRICTIONS FROM AREAS WITH A COVID-19 OUTBREAK. PRIME MINISTER JACINDA ARDERN'S WARNED THERE'D BE AN ELEMENT OF 'FLYER BEWARE' SHOULD THE BORDERS SHUT WHILE KIWIS ARE VISITING AUSTRALIA. ONE SECTOR CRYING OUT FOR TWO WAY QUARANTINE FREE TRAVEL IS THE TOURISM INDUSTRY. ACCORDING TO DATA FROM INFOMETRICS ` BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, AUSTRALIAN TOURISM INJECTED NEARLY $3 BILLION INTO NEW ZEALAND'S LOCAL ECONOMIES. THAT REPRESENTED 23% OF ALL INTERNATIONAL VISITOR SPENDING IN NEW ZEALAND. BEFORE COVID-19, AIR NEW ZEALAND HAD NEARLY 3.5 MILLION PASSENGERS FLY THEIR TASMAN AND PACIFIC ROUTES. ON AVERAGE MORE THAN 100,000 AUSTRALIAN TOURISTS VISITED NEW ZEALAND EACH MONTH. AND DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER GRANT ROBERTSON SAYS HE'S OPTIMISTIC ABOUT A DECISION TODAY. WE'VE ALL GOT FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN AUSTRALIA, AND IT'S BEEN A REALLY LONG TIME FOR PEOPLE, AND I FEEL REALLY CONFIDENT ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE'RE IN A GOOD PLACE HERE. THE HARD WORK WE'VE ALL DONE HAS PUT US IN A POSITION WHERE THIS IS POSSIBLE. PASSENGERS ARE MAKING THEIR WAY TO AUCKLAND CURRENTLY AFTER THE FIRST OF A NEW PASSENGER TRAIN SERVICE FROM HAMILTON SET OFF. TE HUIA WILL RUN RETURN SERVICES TWICE A DAY IN A BID TO EASE TRAFFIC BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES. A FULL JOURNEY FROM FRANKTON, HAMILTON INTO AUCKLAND'S CBD TAKES ABOUT 2� HOURS WITH A TRANSFER AT PAPAKURA. ONE OF THE TRAIN CONDUCTORS, A 40-YEAR VETERAN, SAYS IT'S A BIG DAY AND HE'S EXCITED. IT'S A BIG OCCASION. WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF PASSENGER TRAINS IN HAMILTON BEFORE AND OLD RAIL CAR AND STUFF. HAVING THIS THING RUN OUT SPECIALLY FOR HAMILTON IS GREAT, ACTUALLY. THE COMMERCE COMMISSION IS WARNING CONSUMERS TO BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR CARTEL BEHAVIOUR AS NEW LAWS PROTECTING BUYERS FROM BEING RIPPED OFF KICK IN THIS WEEK. BUSINESSES CAUGHT PRICE FIXING, BID RIGGING OT DIVIDING UP MARKETS COULD NOW FACE UP TO SEVEN YEARS IN JAIL. THE INCREASED PUNISHMENT AIMS TO PREVENT LARGE ORGANISATIONS FROM BANDING TOGETHER. IT IS CONDUCT THAT WE FIND FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT THIS IS A CHANGE IN THE LAW THAT WILL BRING US INTO LINE WITH THE OTHER COUNTRIES OVERSEAS BY ADDING AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY FOR THAT CONDUCT. OUR TWO BIG SUPERMARKET CHAINS ARE ALSO BEING INVESTIGATED AS PART OF THE CARTEL CRACKDOWN. ENGLAND IS PRIMED TO TAKE THE NEXT STEPS IN ITS ROADMAP OUT OF LOCKDOWN. PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON HAS CONFIRMED NON ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES INCLUDING GYMS, SPAS, ZOOS AND THEME PARKS CAN REOPEN NEXT WEEK. HE'S ALSO ANNOUNCED HIS OWN PLANS FOR THE NEW FREEDOMS. AND ON MONDAY 12th, I WILL BE GOING TO THE PUB MYSELF AND CAUTIOUSLY BUT IRREVERSIBLY RAISING A PINT OF BEER TO MY LIPS. MR JOHNSON SAID HE WAS 'HOPEFUL' INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL COULD RESUME MID NEXT MONTH. TO SPORT AND A DISAPPOINTING PAST FEW DAYS FOR WARRIORS FANS HAS JUST GOT A LITTLE BIT BETTER. THE WARRIORS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BRING FORWARD THE SIGNING OF HIGHLY-RATED FULLBACK REECE WALSH FROM THE BRONCOS ACCORDING TO MULTIPLE REPORTS IN AUSTRALIA. THE 18 YEAR OLD WAS MEANT TO COME INTO THE TEAM AT THE END OF THE SEASON, BUT IT'S UNDERSTOOD HE WILL NOW JOIN HIS NEW TEAMMATES OVER THE COMING DAYS. THE REPORTED MOVE WILL ALSO SEE YOUNG WARRIORS PLAYMAKER PAUL TURNER JOIN THE BRONCOS IN A SWAP TYPE DEAL. TO THIS MORNING'S PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION, AND A LATE CRYSTAL PALACE STRIKE HAS DENIED EVERTON VICTORY. HE IS ONLY BE ON THE PICTURE ABOUT TWO MINUTES. HE RIFLES AND INTO THE CORNER. THE 1-1 DRAW DENTS EVERTON'S AMBITIONS OF FINISHING INSIDE THE LEAGUE'S TOP FOUR, BUT BOOSTS THAT OF WEST HAM UNITED. THE HAMMERS CAN MOVE INTO FOURTH IF THEY BEAT WOLVES THIS MORNING, AND THEY'RE ALREADY UP 1-0. NICE. THANKS, INDIRA. AND THAT'S YOUR NEWS. THIS IS WHAT YOUR TUESDAY LOOKS LIKE. IT'S MOSTLY FINE IN THE UPPER NORTH, BUT WITH A BIT OF CLOUD COVER FOR EVERYONE, AND WATCH OUT FOR THE CHANCE OF A COUPLE OF SHOWERS TOWARDS THIS EVENING AROUND AUCKLAND AND FURTHER NORTH IN KAITAIA. 23 DEGREES FOR THE TWO OF YOU, 25 FOR EVERYONE ELSE. YOU'RE LOOKING AT A DECENT DAY THROUGH HERE, WITH JUST THAT CLOUD COVER MORNING AND NIGHT, ALTHOUGH HAMILTON AND TOKOROA COULD SEE SOME BRIEF LIGHT SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON AS WELL. 23 DEGREES IN ROTORUA, 25 FOR HAMILTON, 27 THE HIGH IF YOU'RE IN TAURANGA. THE DAY LOOKS LOVELY AND SUNNY FURTHER EAST ` LITTLE BIT OF MORNING CLOUD FOR SOME PLACES, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S CALM, WITH JUST SOME LIGHT WINDS. 22 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN MASTERTON, 24 FOR THOSE OF YOU IN NAPIER AND GISBORNE. YOU'LL START THE DAY OVERCAST SHIFTING WEST, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S SOME LIGHT RAIN FIRST THING FROM PALMERSTON NORTH THROUGH TO TAUMARUNUI, BUT ALL THAT SHOULD CLEAR AWAY TO REVEAL A FINER AFTERNOON. 19 DEGREES IN WELLINGTON, WITH TEMPS IN THE EARLY 20s FOR THE REST. IT'S NICE AND FINE ACROSS IN THE UPPER SOUTH ` LITTLE BIT OF CLOUD COVER THIS MORNING IN KAIKOURA, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S SMOOTH SAILING. THE WEST COAST IS A BIT MORE OVERCAST, THOUGH, WITH ONE OR TWO SHOWERS POSSIBLE AS WELL. 18 DEGREES IN GREYMOUTH AND HOKITIKA, 22 IN NELSON. YOU'RE IN FOR CLOUD COVER FIRST THING MOVING EAST, AND THERE COULD BE A COUPLE OF LIGHT SHOWERS ATTACHED IF YOU'RE IN OAMARU, BUT ONCE THAT LIFTS, THINGS LOOK GOOD. JUST WATCH OUT FOR SOME GUSTY WINDS AFTER LUNCH AROUND ALEXANDRA. 21 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN CHRISTCHURCH AND OAMARU, 22 FOR EVERYONE ELSE. AND IT'S MOSTLY GREY SKIES IN THE LOWER SOUTH ` PLUS, WATCH OUT FOR THE ODD SHOWER THROUGH SOUTHLAND AND MILFORD SOUND, MORE LIKELY THIS MORNING. THOSE WINDS LOOK A BIT STRONG AS WELL, ALTHOUGH IN AMONGST ALL THAT YOU MIGHT GET THE ODD FINE PATCH. 18 DEGREES IN QUEENSTOWN AND INVERCARGILL, 22 FOR DUNEDIN. AND THEN CHECKING OUT YOUR WEDNESDAY ` TOMORROW THERE'S A FEW SHOWERS IN THE NORTH ISLAND'S EAST AND SOME ISOLATED RAIN AROUND FIORDLAND AND STEWART ISLAND, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S MOSTLY FINE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE WILL DO THE SPOKE WEATHER JUST AFTER 8 O'CLOCK. COMING UP ` IS THE NEW HAMILTON TO AUCKLAND RAIL SERVICE A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME? WE'RE RIDING THE RAILS WITH KIWIRAIL NEXT. Hey, man. Oh, hey. Come to check out the car? BOTH: Yeah. - Josh. - Jen. Hi. She's in pretty good nick. Only done 110,000 K's. WOF and rego. You know, full service history. (OMINOUS MUSIC) What is this? This is a one-star safety-rated car. Yeah. Try and get in. (HORN TOOTS) My body's, like, folded in half. I don't understand what's going on. People don't often think about how a car will crash and how it will protect you. That's what a star safety rating tells you. Just can't imagine` If we crashed in a car like this, there's no way we would survive. (OMINOUS MUSIC) WERE NOT ON THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA. TE HUIA AS THE NAME OF THE TRAIN. WE ARE DUE TO ARRIVE AT PAPKURA AT EIGHT THANKS FOR COMING. ON ONE HAND, IT SEEMS EXCITING. AND WE NEED TO INVEST IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT. A DIESEL TRAIN CAN ONLY GO AS FAR AS PAPAKURA. IS IT A WIN? IT IS A BIG WIN. IT WAS A WHOLE COLLABORATIVE GROUP. IT IS A CHANCE WERE US TO BRIDGE THE GAP. TO CONVERT PEOPLE TO PASSENGER RAIL. PEOPLE ON TWITTER ARE SAYING THAT THIS IS STEP AT A TIME STUFF. EVERY STEP IS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. WE STILL DON'T HAVE THE STRETCH OF RAIL ELECTRIFIED. SO, THE COMPELLING ARGUMENT AROUND GETTING PEOPLE OFF THE ROADS IS LESS COMPELLING THAN THE ENGINES DIESEL. THE OTHER SIDE OF IT IS THAT WORK WILL BE COMPLETED IN ELECTRIFYING THE RAIL ELECTRIFICATION IS BIG CAPITAL, AND YOU JUST HAVE TO HAVE THE PATRONAGE TO SATISFY THAT. MOVING BETWEEN AUCKLAND AND HAMILTON AS THE FIRST LEPER. CORRECTION: STEP WE HAVE FIVE GENERATIONS OF CAPITAL CATCH UP. IS IT THAT BIG, REALLY? ON TOP OF THE CRL WHICH IS 4 1/2 MILLION DOLLARS CAN WE TALK ABOUT TRENDS THAT OPERATE LIKE THIS ALREADY. LIKE PALMERSTON NORTH TO WELLINGTON AND THIS IS KIND OF COMPARABLE TO THAT. HOW LONG IS THAT SERVICE BEEN DOING THAT? 30 YEARS NOW. WE ARE PART OF THAT PROGRAM, IT'S THE FIRST RAIL COMMUTER SERVICE THAT GIVE YOU RAIL STARTED IN 30 YEARS IN THE REGION. THE TRAIN ISN'T RUNNING ON SATURDAY? WHY IS THERE IRREGULARITY? THERE IS A LOT GOING ON WITH AUCKLAND PASSENGERS. WE HAD BLOCKS OF LIFE THROUGHOUT THE AUCKLAND METRO AREA. IT'S THE BEST WAY TO DO THE WORK. WE HAVE A HUGE UPGRADE IN AUCKLAND METRO WE JUST REPLACE HUNDRED 34 KM OF TRACK IN SEVEN MONTHS. ALL OF THAT STUFF HAPPENED DURING THE NIGHT-TIME THAT'S WHEN WE DO THE MAHI. MIGHT YOU TALKED ABOUT $370 BILLION TO ELECTRIFY BETWEEN AUCKLAND IT WOULD BE SO GREAT TO HAVE DIESEL ENGINES WOULDN'T? IT'S ALSO BASED ON THE RESIDENTIAL FOOTPRINT. THERE HAS TO BE PATRONS THAT USE THAT CORRIDOR TO USE A CORRIDOR. THAT'S WHY THIS SERVICE IS STARTED WITH DIESEL PRE-ELECTRIC. WE LOOKING AT WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THAT. YOU DON'T HAVE A LINE FROM THE NEXT TRACK. YOU COULD DO FROM AUCKLAND HAMILTON IN 69 MINUTES ARE YOU INVESTING IN EXTRA LINE SO YOU CAN GET THROUGH TRAINS BYPASSING THE AUCKLAND COMMUTER TRAFFIC? WHAT THAT ALLOWS US TO DO IS TO RUN A SERVICE NORTHBOUND, SOUTHBOUND WITH TWO LANES HEADING NORTH IN THE MORNING, TWO IN THE AFTERNOON. THAT INCREASES CAPACITY EXPONENTIALLY. IS THIS THE START OF SOMETHING MEANINGFUL? ABSOLUTELY. THE GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR ROLLING NEW STUFF FOR US` THIS CAR CAME FROM THE UK. IT IS ON ITS FOURTH LIFE. AMAZING KIWI CRAFTSMANSHIP I REMEMBER YOU COULD CATCH THE RAIL CAR FROM WELLINGTON TO HAWKE'S BAY. THERE WAS DUNEDIN, CHRISTCHURCH, ARE WE GOING TO SEE FEASIBLY THE RETURN OF MORE OF THESE KINDS OF SERVICES? YOU'VE GOT A LOOK AT THE TRANSPORT SYSTEMS ANSWER THAT. THERE ARE LESS BUSES AND ALSO TRAINS. CARS WERE QUITE EXPENSIVE, AND THERE WEREN'T MANY OF THEM. ALL OF THOSE THINGS HAVE CHANGED. EVERYBODY'S GOT TWO CARS, THERE'S A LOT MORE BUS SERVICES, FOR US TO COMPANY THERE IS A DIFFERENT LANDSCAPE. TRANS, CONNECTED TO BUSES, THAT'S CHANGED A LOT. THE RENAISSANCE IS HAPPENING ALL OVER FOR RAIL INVESTMENT, AND NEW ZEALANDERS INVOLVED IN THAT. WHO'S GOING TO USE A STRAIN, AND WHAT SORT OF HOPES TO HAVE FOR PATRONAGE? WE ARE REALLY EXCITED THAT IT WILL WORK. THE RESIDENTIAL SPREAD, LAND COST CHANGES, MIGRATION OF WORKFORCES, MANY MANY REASON'SS I THINK WE JUST GOTTA WATCH AND PROMOTE, AND SEE IT GROW OVER TIME. THANKS FOR BEING WITH US. IT'S REALLY PRETTY DRIVING THROUGH HERE. WE ARE RELEVANT TRULY OUT OF WAIKATO AND INTO SOUTH AUCKLAND. WE CAN HEAR YOU. I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE YOU ARE. WHAT TIME ARE YOU EXPECTED TO PULL IN? I'M JUST LOOKING. I'M ABOUT 15 MINUTES AWAY. THERE ARE GOATS IN SOUTH AUCKLAND. THERE SOME SHEEP UP THERE. LOOKS LIKE A REALLY PLEASANT RIDE, . JON THINKS JC, WE HAVE ENJOYED THE RIDE WITH YOU. WE WILL CATCH UP WITH YOU AGAIN SHORTLY. ALSO BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE WE'VE ASKED YOU ABOUT YOUR FEEDBACK ABOUT WHETHER YOU'RE PREPARED TO GET ON THE PLANE AND HEAD ACROSS TO AUSTRALIA, KNOWING THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE RULES AROUND WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE IS AN OUTBREAK WHICH MAY MEAN YOU MAY END UP GETTING STUCK IN AUSTRALIA IF THERE IS AN OUTBREAK. THE FEEDBACK HAS BEEN VERY SPLIT. MANY OF YOU ARE ADAMANT TO GO TO AUSTRALIA AS SOON AS YOU CAN, PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE HAVE SAID EVERYONE THEY ARE GOING BECAUSE THEY WANT TO SEE FAMILY. JACKIE SAY SHE WANTS TO VISIT HER ONLY CHILD IN MELBOURNE. IF YOU HAVE SIGNIFICANT FAMILY OVER THERE, THIS IS HUGE. LISA SAYS NO NOT YET. PEOPLE WANT TO WAIT UNTIL THEY GET THE VACCINE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR FEEDBACK. MAKING NEWS THIS MORNING ` AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON A TWO-WAY TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE IS EXPECTED TODAY. WHAT THE TOURISM INDUSTRY HAS TO SAY ABOUT THE IMPENDING DECISION AT 8. ALSO AHEAD ` WHETHER IT'S HITTING UP THE LOCAL CAFE FOR BRUNCH OR A NEW T-SHIRT FROM A KIWI BRAND, HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES WHO NEED YOUR SUPPORT MORE THAN EVER. AND THE TOURISM INDUSTRY HAS ITS COLLECTIVE FINGERS CROSSED FOR TODAY'S TRANS-TASMAN TRAVEL BUBBLE... NEXT ` WHAT IMPACT IT COULD HAVE ON THE INDUSTRY. YOU ARE WITH BREAKFAST. THE PRIME MINISTER IS SET FOR AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON PLANS FOR A TRANS-TASMAN TRAVEL BUBBLE. IT'S SOMETHING THE TOURISM INDUSTRY HAS BEEN DESPERATE FOR SINCE NEW ZEALAND CLOSED ITS BORDERS. UNDERSTAND WHY ` ACCORDING TO DATA FROM INFOMETRICS, BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, AUSTRALIAN TOURISM INJECTED NEARLY $3 BILLION INTO NEW ZEALAND'S LOCAL ECONOMIES. EARLIER, WE SPOKE WITH TOURISM NEW ZEALAND, AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO HEAR ABOUT THE DIRECT IMPACT OF LETTING IN OVERSEAS VISITORS FROM OVER THE TASMAN. FRIEND OF THE SHOW TAK MUTU FROM MDA EXPERIENCES IN ROTORUA. JOINS US NOW. MORENA. HOW ARE YOU? I AM PRETTY GOOD. I HAD AN AMAZING WEEKEND. FOUR DAYS OVER THE EASTER HOLIDAY BREAK. JUST GIVE US A QUICK REMINDER ABOUT THE BUSINESS THAT YOU HAVE. IT IS A GROUP THAT HAS BEEN GOING FOR 30 YEARS, BUT WE ALSO OWN THE MOUNTAIN BIKE ROTORUA BRAND. WE HAVE A BIKE SHOP AND SHUTTLES AND RENTAL BIKES OUT OF THE FOREST. THAT IS THE THING THAT HAS BEEN TICKING OVER DURING THIS WHOLE CRAZY PERIOD. IT WAS PUMPING OVER THE EASTER PERIOD. TELL US ABOUT IT. OH MY GOSH. I KNOW THAT OUR RENTAL BUSINESS HAS RECORDED RECORD HIGHS, WHICH IS SUPER SURPRISING GIVEN THAT WE WERE 40% INTERNATIONAL BEFORE THE LOCKDOWN HAPPEN. WE WERE NOT EXPECTING IT AT ALL. I'M DOWN IN THE CENTRE OF ROTORUA, AND THE LAST FOUR DAYS HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY CHOCKA DOWN HERE. WE HAVE HAD FAMILIES GALORE COMING DOWN TO HANG OUT. IT HAS BEEN AMAZING. WE KNOW THE PRIME MINISTER IS MAKING THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE THIS AFTERNOON. WE WILL HAVE A DATE, WE WILL HAVE THE RULES AROUND TRAVEL, BUT HOW GOOD IS IT AND HOW SOON DO WE NEED THAT BUBBLE TO OPEN? I AM ALL FOR OPENING THE BORDERS WHEN WE CAN WHEN IT IS SAFE. I THINK THAT MESSAGE HAS BEEN SAID OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT WHEN WE START TO OPEN A DIFFERENT BORDERS TO DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, SO THIS AUSTRALIAN BUBBLE WOULD ABSOLUTELY HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY. AUSTRALIA IS OUR BIGGEST MARKET FOR US HERE. IT IS OUR BIGGEST TOURISM MARKET. WE DEFINITELY WANT TO HAPPEN AS SOON AS IT CAN, BUT WHEN IT IS SAFE. AT THE END OF THE DAY, I HAVE BEEN LOVING BEING ABLE TO GET UP WITH MY FAMILY AND DO THINGS, AND GO OUT TO PARTIES. WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GATHER AS GROUPS. THE LAST THING WE WANT AS THESE REGIONAL LOCKDOWNS, OR RESTRICTIONS PUT IN PLACE. IF IT IS OPEN, BUT WILL THAT MEAN, AND I AM TALKING ABOUT FINANCIAL TERMS FOR YOUR BUSINESS. FOR US, WE HAVE A FEW SCHOOLS THAT WE WORK WITH OUT OF AUSTRALIA, AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL SEE THEM START TO COME BACK. THAT EDUCATIONAL TOURISM IS NOT SOMETHING WE TALK A LOT ABOUT IN NEW ZEALAND. IT IS A BIG PART OF OUR ECONOMY. FOR US DIRECTLY, WE WILL PROBABLY SEE THOSE START TO COME BACK. THEY ARE NORMALLY NOVEMBER TRIPS. WE WILL BE GOOD TO GET THEM IN BEFORE THE REAL SUMMER HITS. FOR MOUNTAIN BIKING, AUSTRALIA IS OUR BIGGEST MARKET. FOR THAT TYPE OF BUSINESS, WE CANNOT WAIT FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. AUSTRALIANS HAVE KNOW THAT ROTORUA IS ONE OF THE BEST MOUNTAIN BIKE PARKS FOR ABOUT TWO DECADES. LIKE I SAY, AS LONG AS WE HAVE FIGURED OUT A WAY TO DO IT SAFELY SO WE CAN MANAGE ANY ISSUES THAT COME BY. IT IS ALWAYS AWESOME TO SEE YOU. I WILL LET YOU GET BACK TO YOUR BREAKFAST. WE APPRECIATE YOU JOINING US THIS MORNING. WE'LL BE THINKING ABOUT YOU AND ALL THE TOURISM OPERATORS WHEN THAT ANNOUNCEMENT COMES OUT THIS AFTERNOON. GOOD TO CATCH UP WITH HIM. THOSE FOUR DAYS OVER THE EASTER PERIOD, IT IS GREAT. GO ASK FOR GETTING OUT AND ABOUT AND EXPERIENCING OUR BACKYARDS. NEW ZEALANDERS WILL FINALLY FIND OUT WHEN A TWO-WAY TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE WILL BE ON THE CARDS, AND IT COULD BE AS SOON AS THE END OF THE WEEK. THE GOVERNMENT IS EXPECTED TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT LATER TODAY, WHICH WOULD ALLOW QUARANTINE-FREE TRAVEL BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. THE BUBBLE IS EXPECTED TO RUN ON A STATE-BY STATE BASIS, RESTRICTING TRAVELLERS FROM PARTICULAR AREAS IN THE EVENT OF AN OUTBREAK. PRIME MINISTER JACINDA ARDERN HAS PREVIOUSLY WARNED THERE WOULD BE AN ELEMENT OF 'FLYER BEWARE' SHOULD THE BORDERS SHUT WHILE KIWIS ARE VISITING AUSTRALIA. ONE SECTOR CRYING OUT FOR TWO-WAY QUARANTINE-FREE TRAVEL IS THE TOURISM INDUSTRY. INTERIM TOURISM NEW ZEALAND CHIEF EXECUTIVE RENE DE MONCHY SAYS THE LAST 12 MONTHS HAS BEEN A ROLLERCOASTER. LOOK, I THINK IT'S BEEN SO CHALLENGING OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS WITH ALL THE CHANGES AND THE FLARE-UPS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD. HOPEFULLY WE WILL GET A GOOD ANNOUNCEMENT, GOOD NEWS LATER ON TODAY. I THINK THAT WILL GIVE A REAL SHOT IN THE ARM FOR THE SECTOR. WITH PRESSURE MOUNTING ON THE GOVERNMENT OVER THE TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER GRANT ROBERTSON SAYS IT'S A FINE BALANCE BETWEEN OPENING THE BORDER AND THE SAFETY OF KIWIS. THE REALITY IS WE HAD TO DO IT WHEN WE KNEW IT WAS SAFE FOR NEW ZEALANDERS, I'M NEVER GOING TO APOLOGISE FOR PRIORITISING THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF NEW ZEALANDERS. KIWIS KNOW THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING RIGHT THROUGHOUT THE LAST YEAR OR SO IS MAKING SURE THAT WHEN WE DO MOVE, WE MOVE WITH CONFIDENCE, WE TAKE PEOPLE WITH US, WE'VE GOT ALL THE SYSTEMS IN PLACE. THERE'S SOME HESITANCY FROM THE PUBLIC OVER THE TRAVEL TIME OF THE NEW TE HUIA PASSENGER TRAIN SERVICE CONNECTING HAMILTON AND AUCKLAND. THE FIRST-EVER SERVICE LEFT HAMILTON'S FRANKTON STATION JUST BEFORE 6 THIS MORNING. A FULL JOURNEY BETWEEN THE HEART OF BOTH CITIES TAKES ABOUT 2� HOURS WITH A TRANSFER AT PAPAKURA. TE HUIA WILL RUN RETURN SERVICES TWICE A DAY IN A BID TO EASE TRAFFIC BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES. AND THE WAIKATO DISTRICT MAYOR SAYS IT'S A GREAT DAY FOR THE REGION. THIS WILL GET PEOPLE OPTIONS AROUND GOING IN AND OUT OF AUCKLAND ON A DAILY BASIS. AND ALSO HELP PEOPLE TO GET OUT OF THEIR CARS, AND IT IS A LOT MORE PLEASANT TO COMMUTE ON A TRAIN AND SIT IN THE FRUSTRATING TRAFFIC. FAR BETTER OPTION FOR PEOPLE. AND KIWIRAIL SAYS THE SERVICE IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. A BIG ONE. IT IS FIVE YEARS WORTH OF BEADWORK FROM A WHOLE COLLABORATIVE GROUP. IT IS DEFINITELY A WINNER, AND IT IS A CHANCE FOR US TO BRIDGE THE COMMUTER CHALLENGE. GET 73,000 CARS OF THE STATE HIGHWAY 12 AUCKLAND AND CONVERT PEOPLE TO PASSENGER RAIL. OVERSEAS AND MORE THAN A HUNDRED PEOPLE ARE DEAD AS FLASH FLOODS AND LANDSLIDES CAUSE HAVOC IN INDONESIA AND EAST TIMOR. TORRENTIAL RAIN SAW WATER OVERFLOW FROM DAMS, SUBMERGING THOUSANDS OF HOMES IN THE REGION. DOZENS OF PEOPLE ARE STILL MISSING, WITH OFFICIALS WARNING THE DEATH TOLL COULD RISE FURTHER. STRONGER COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS HAVE COME INTO EFFECT IN PARTS OF JAPAN TO TRY AND STOP A SHARP UPTICK IN CASES WITH JUST 108 DAYS UNTIL THE OLYMPICS. THE COUNTRY CONFIRMED ALMOST 2500 CASES ON SUNDAY, MANY OF THEM IN OSAKA. THREE CITIES ARE THOUGHT TO BE ON THE BRINK OF STATES OF EMERGENCY. NEW MEASURES INCLUDING CUTTING OPENING HOURS FOR RESTAURANTS AND MANDATORY MASKS WILL BE IN PLACE FOR AT LEAST A MONTH. TO SPORT AND STILL IN JAPAN ` THE OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY CONTINUES TO HAVE A BUMPY PATH THROUGH THE 2020 TOKYO GAMES HOST NATION. AUTHORITIES IN OSAKA HAVE FORMALLY REQUESTED TO CANCEL THE TORCH ROUTE THROUGH THE CITY LATER THIS MONTH. OSAKA OFFICIALS HAD REPEATEDLY SAID THEY DIDN'T WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN THE RELAY WHICH FEATURES 10,000 RUNNERS THROUGH ALL 47 OF JAPAN'S PREFECTURES. NEW ZEALAND INTERNATIONAL ISAIAH PAPALI'I HAS SCORED HIS FIRST TRY FOR HIS NEW NRL CLUB THE PARRAMATTA EELS, THE FORWARD CRASHING OVER AGAINST THE WESTS TIGERS. PAPALI'I! HE'S OVER. (WHISTLE TRILLS) ISAIAH PAPALI'I SCORES! PAPALI'I AMONG SEVEN TRY-SCORERS IN THE EELS 36-22 WIN. THEY REMAIN UNBEATEN ALONG SIDE THE PANTHERS. MOVING RIGHT ALONG. LET'S DWELL ON THAT. GOOD ON YOU, ISAIAH. THAT IS GREAT. I AM SO PLEASED FOR THE TOURISM OPERATORS AROUND THE COUNTRY. THEY HAVE BEEN CELEBRATING A PRETTY EPIC EASTER WEEKEND. IT SOUNDED LIKE THINGS WERE GOING GOOD AND ROTORUA THIS WEEKEND. IT WAS SO HARD TO FIND ACCOMMODATION. WE WENT TO TE PUKE AND THE CLOSEST ACCOMMODATION WE COULD FIND WAS IN CAMBRIDGE. SO WE STAYED THERE AND WE DROVE. MUM AND DAD WENT TO FRANCE JOSEPH ON THE WEEKEND. THEY SAID IT WAS REALLY BUSY. IT WASN'T EVEN THE BEST WEATHER DOWN THERE. THEY SAID TO SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE WAS REALLY SPECIAL. IT FILLS YOUR HEART AND PUTS A SMILE ON YOUR FACE KNOWING WHAT WE CAN DO IN COMPARISON TO THE REST OF THE WORLD. WE HAVE THE FREEDOM AND THE OPPORTUNITIES TO GO AND SEE FOR A LOT OF US PLACES WE HAVE NEVER BEEN TO. MAYBE DO A TRANS-TASMAN TRIP SOMETIME SOON. WE WILL FIND OUT THIS AFTERNOON. IT WOULD BE NICE AS WELL. THIS IS WHAT YOUR TUESDAY LOOKS LIKE. IT'S MOSTLY FINE IN THE UPPER NORTH, BUT WITH A BIT OF CLOUD COVER FOR EVERYONE. AND WATCH OUT FOR THE CHANCE OF A COUPLE OF SHOWERS TOWARDS THIS EVENING AROUND AUCKLAND AND FURTHER NORTH IN KAITAIA. 23 DEGREES FOR THE TWO OF YOU, 25 FOR EVERYONE ELSE. YOU'RE LOOKING AT A DECENT DAY THROUGH HERE WITH JUST THAT CLOUD COVER MORNING AND NIGHT. ALTHOUGH HAMILTON AND TOKOROA COULD SEE SOME BRIEF LIGHT SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON AS WELL. 23 DEGREES IN ROTORUA, 25 FOR HAMILTON, 27 THE HIGH IF YOU'RE IN TAURANGA. THE DAY LOOKIS LOVELY AND SUNNY FURTHER EAST. LITTLE BIT OF MORNING CLOUD FOR SOME PLACES, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S CALM WITH JUST SOME LIGHT WINDS. 22 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN MASTERTON, 24 FOR THOSE OF YOU IN NAPIER AND GISBORNE. YOU'LL START THE DAY OVERCAST SHIFTING WEST, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S SOME LIGHT RAIN FIRST THING FROM PALMERSTON NORTH THROUGH TO TAUMARUNUI. BUT ALL THAT SHOULD CLEAR AWAY TO REVEAL A FINER AFTERNOON. 19 DEGREES IN WELLINGTON, WITH TEMPS IN THE EARLY 20'S FOR THE REST. IT'S NICE AND FINE ACROSS IN THE UPPER SOUTH. LITTLE BIT OF CLOUD COVER THIS MORNING IN KAIKOURA, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S SMOOTH SAILING. THE WEST COAST IS A BIT MORE OVERCAST, THOUGH, WITH ONE OF TWO SHOWERS POSSIBLE AS WELL. 18 DEGREES IN GREYMOUTH AND HOKITIKA, 22 IN NELSON. YOU'RE IN FOR CLOUD COVER FIRST THING MOVING EAST, AND THERE COULD BE A COUPLE OF LIGHT SHOWERS ATTACHED IF YOU'RE IN OAMARU. BUT ONCE THAT LIFTS THINGS LOOK GOOD. JUST WATCH OUT FOR SOME GUSTY WINDS AFTER LUNCH AROUND ALEXANDRA. 21 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN CHRISTCHURCH AND OAMARU, 22 FOR EVERYONE ELSE. AND IT'S MOSTLY GREY SKIES IN THE LOWER SOUTH. PLUS, WATCH OUT FOR THE ODD SHOWER THROUGH SOUTHLAND AND MILFORD SOUND, MORE LIKELY THIS MORNING. THOSE WINDS LOOK A BIT STRONG AS WELL. ALTHOUGH IN AMONGST ALL THAT YOU MIGHT GET THE ODD FINE PATCH. 18 DEGREES IN QUEENSTOWN AND INVERCARGILL, 22 FOR DUNEDIN. THIS IS WHERE WE ARE GOING TODAY. GLENDHU BAY. YOU WENT TO WANAKA. IT WAS JUST THE BEST THING. WE SPENT ALMOST 3 WEEKS THERE. GLENDHU BAY AS BEAUTIFUL. WE USED TO GO CAMPING THERE AS A KID WITH MY FAMILY. THIS IS WHERE DEREK SPENT THE WEEKEND. WOW. AMAZING. DEREK SPENT THE LONG WEEKEND THERE, VISITING FROM CHRISTCHURCH. HE SAID IT'S JUST BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL. THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN FROM THE TOP OF THE BIKE GLENGHU SUMMIT, WHICH IS A LOCAL MOUINTAIN BIKING TRACK. YOU CAN HIRE BIKES AND HEAD UP THE TRACK AND BIKE DOWN. IT LOOKS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. HE SAID IT'S THE PERFECT SPOT TO VISIT FOR A HOLIDAY ` CAMPING GROUND, LAKE. ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. MOSTLY FINE THERE WITH JUST A BIT OF CLOUD COVER AT TIMES. ALTHOUGH WATCH OUT FOR THOSE WINDS PICKING UP A BIT. HEADING FOR A HIGH OF 21 TODAY. AND THEN CHECKING OUT YOUR WEDNESDAY ` TOMORROW THERE'S A FEW SHOWERS IN THE NORTH ISLAND'S EAST, AND SOME ISOLATED RAIN AROUND FIORDLAND AND STEWART ISLAND, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S MOSTLY FINE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. MAKE SURE YOU SEND IN YOUR BESPOKE WEATHER REQUESTS AS WELL. I LOOK OUT FOR THEM ALL OF THE TIME. BREAKFAST@TVNZ.CO.NZ WE WILL BE DOING TODAY'S THE DAY VERY SOON, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HEAD BACK TO JOHN. HE HAS JUST ARRIVED. HOW WAS IT? IT WAS LOVELY. IT WAS AN HOUR AND 1/2 FROM HAMILTON TO HEAR. IF YOU LIVE IN HAMILTON OR HUNTLY AND YOU WORK HERE, THIS WOULD BE A FANTASTIC SERVICE. BUT IF YOU WORK IN CENTRAL AUCKLAND, YOU HAVE NOW GOT TO TRANSFER ONTO A METRO URBAN TRAIN AND GO INTO AUCKLAND. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CONTACTING US AND SAYING IF YOU ARE IN THE UK, YOU CATCH BRITISH RAIL INTO LONDON ON THE TUBE TO OTHER PARTS, AND TRANSFERRING IS ROUTINE. BUT 2 1/2 HOURS ALL THE WAY FROM HAMILTON TO CENTRAL AUCKLAND AS OPPOSED TO AN HOUR AND 1/2 FROM HAMILTON TO HEAR, DOES SEEM LIKE A LONG TIME. OVER HERE LISTENING TO ME, I HAVE A HUGE ADVOCATE. RUSS IS THE CHAIR OF THE HAMILTON DISTRICT COUNCIL. IT IS THE WAIKATO REGIONAL COUNCIL. IT COVERS THE BOTTOM OF TAUPO UP TO THE COROMANDEL PENINSULA. YOU WERE REALLY KEEN ON THE STRAIN. I HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD ON IT FOR FIVE YEARS AND PEOPLE BEFORE ME. THE PHRASE RENAISSANCE AS ROYAL AS YOUR PHRASE. WHY DO YOU THINK THIS WILL WORK? YOU LOOK AT THE VALUE OF CARS, AND THE TRAFFIC JAMS, AND IT JUST GETS LONGER AND LONGER. EVERY YEAR IT IS ANOTHER 200 M CLOSER TO POKENO. THAT CANNOT CONTINUE. THE GREAT TRAFFIC JAM AT DRURY IS GOING TO GET LONGER AND LONGER. WE ARE THE ONLY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WERE A MAJOR CITY DOES NOT HAVE PUBLIC TRANSPORT CONNECTING TO OTHER CITIES. THE PROBLEM IS THIS IS STILL SLOW AND IT IS STILL DIESEL AND IT STILL CANNOT GO ALL THE WAY INTO AUCKLAND BECAUSE DIESEL CAN ONLY GO THIS FAR. BUT THE POINT EVERYONE IS MAKING IS THAT THIS IS BETTER THAN WHAT WAS BEFORE, WHICH IS NOTHING. THE FIRST SERVICE TODAY, ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OCCUPANCY ON OUR TRAIN. THAT IS WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE TELLING US. IS IT GOING TO WORK? I THINK IT WILL. IT IS GOING TO TAKE TIME. IT IS THE FIRST STEP IN THE JOURNEY. WE ARE RELYING ON CARS. ONE CAR, ONE PERSON. LOOK AT THE ACCIDENTS WE SEE ON THE MOTORWAY. THERE SEEMS TO BE ABOUT ONE A WEEK. THAT REALLY HOLDS UP THE TRAFFIC. THIS WILL WORK. I THINK BIT BY BIT IT WILL GET BETTER. WE WILL REDUCE THE NUMBER OF STOPS BETWEEN HERE AND AUCKLAND, SO IT IS A LIMITED EXPRESS. TALKING TO KIWI RAIL, THEY WILL WORK WITH US ON THAT. ONE OBJECTIVE IS TO MAKE IT FASTER AND FASTER TO THE DESTINATION. AND EVENTUALLY GREENER WITH THE ELECTRIFICATION OF THE MAIN TRAIN LINE HEADING SOUTH. KIWI RAIL HAVE ABOUT $370 MILLION TO SPEND ON IT. THEY WILL WORK TO PERHAPS IN A HYBRID TO START WITH THAT. IT IS A FIRST STEP IN THE JOURNEY. 278 CARS ALL SPEWING OUT THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT IS NOT EXACTLY GREAT FOR OUR KIND OF SUSTAINABILITY. THIS IS A GREAT STEP, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT FOR REALLY PUTTING A BEST FOOT FORWARD AND SAYING LET'S MAKE THIS WORK. IT WAS A BIG, BOLD MOVE. WAIKATO DISTRICT, CERTAINLY KIWI RAIL AND NZ TA HAVE BEEN CHAMPIONS OF THIS PROJECT. HE HAS BEEN A BIG CHAMPION IN SUPPORT OF THIS TRAIN. THANK YOU. NICE TO HAVE YOU WITH US. THIS IS IT. THE TRAIN IS ABOUT TO SHOOT. AND THEN THERE WILL BE A METRO TRAY THAT WILL TAKE PEOPLE INTO THE CITY. WE ARE AT THE SOUTHERN EXTENT OF THE SOUTHERN URBAN LINE. TO GIVE YOU SOME IDEA, MANUKAU AS. THE WAY. IF YOU WORK IN AUCKLAND, THIS COULD BE THE TRAIN FOR YOU. THREE-QUARTER OCCUPANCY THIS MORNING. IT IS A START. KIWI RAIL ARE SAYING THE RENAISSANCE OF RAIL. POSSIBLY TOO EARLY TO MAKE THAT JUDGEMENT. BUT RAIL IS ADVANCING STEP-BY-STEP IN THIS COUNTRY, AND I GUESS THE SAYING IS BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. IT IS BETTER THAN IT WAS BEFORE. THANKS, JC. IT IS QUITE A LOW BAR. WE'LL CATCH UP WITH YOU AGAIN JUST BEFORE 9 O'CLOCK. HOW ARE YOU GETTING BACK INTO TOWN? ARE YOU GETTING ON THE TRAIN? I AM LOOKING AT OUR CAMERAMAN NOW. I HAVE NO IDEA. I DID NOT THINK ABOUT THAT. I JUST GET UP AND TALK. I DO NOT DO THE PLANNING. HOPEFULLY YOU ARE BACK IN TIME FOR THE SHOW TOMORROW MORNING. WE WILL SEE YOU A BIT LATER ON. SEE YOU THEN. IT'S THE 6TH OF APRIL, AND HERE'S WHAT WE'RE CELEBRATING WITH YOU, AOTEAROA. HERE WE'RE STARTING WITH A BANG ` WITH ESTHER WHO'S HIT THE BIG 100. GO, YOU GOOD THING. HERE SHE IS WITH HER LETTER FROM THE QUEEN. THE WHOLE FAMILY GOT TOGETHER ON SATURDAY TO CELEBRATE. AND WHEN WE SAY THE WHOLE FAMILY, WE MEAN THE WHOLE FAMILY. BECAUSE ESTHER IS A MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER, GREAT-GRANDMOTHER AND GREAT-GREAT-GRANDMOTHER. ESTHER, HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM US AND THE ENTIRE FAMILY. TODAY'S THE DAY TIM TURNS 4! HE LIVES ON A SHEEP AND BEEF FARM IN STRATHMORE IN TARANAKI, AND WE'RE TOLD HE LOVES DINOSAURS IF YOU COULDN'T TELL. HERE HE IS AT THE DINOSAUR SHOW THAT CAME TO NEW PLYMOUTH RECENTLY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TIM! HAPPY BIRTHDAY. AND SOMETHING SPECIAL TO END WITH, HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY TO SKYE. THIS ISN'T HER FIRST APPEARANCE ON TODAY'S THE DAY. NEARLY A YEAR AGO ` WE CELEBRATED SKYE BEING RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL AND ALLOWED TO MEET HER FAMILY AFTER BEING BORN DURING LOCKDOWN. HER FAMILY SAYS SHE'S A BEAUTIFUL AND STRONG GIRL WHO THE FAMILY ADORES, ESPECIALLY HER BIG BROTHER LINKIN AND BIG SISTER FLORIDA. LOVE IT. WE LOVE CELEBRATING YOU. LET US KNOW IF SOMEBODY YOU LOVE CELEBRATING A BIRTHDAY, ANNIVERSARY, ANYTHING. BREAKFAST@TVNZ.CO.NZ AND USE TODAY'S THE DAY IN YOUR SUBJECT LINE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET YOUR EMAIL. COMING UP ` HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS AND WIN SOME BIG PRIZES IN THE PROCESS. WELCOME BACK TO BREAKFAST. NEW ZEALAND HAS MORE THAN 500,000 SMALL BUSINESSES. ACCOUNTING FOR 97% OF ALL FIRMS AND EMPLOYING 28% OF OUR WORKFORCE. AND THIS WEEK ON BREAKFAST, WE'RE CELEBRATING THEM. FRIDAY IS SMALL BUSINESS DAY ` A NEW INITIATIVE ENCOURAGING US ALL TO SHOP SMALL. AND, EVEN BETTER, THERE'S PRIZES UP FOR GRABS. IF YOU'RE A SMALL BUSINESS, HEAD TO SMALLBUSINESSDAY.CO.NZ, SIGN UP, AND YOU COULD WIN ONE OF FIVE $10,000 CASH PRIZES, OR SHOP WITH A SMALL BUSINESS ON FRIDAY AND YOU COULD WIN $150,000 OF CASH AND PRIZES. TO TELL US MORE, WE'RE JOINED BY PAT MACFIE FROM MANAAKI. MORENA. YOU DID EVERYTHING FOR ME. WE WILL GO STEP-BY-STEP. WE WILL RECAP AS WELL. TELL US ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS. YOU LAUNCHED ON 25 MARCH LAST YEAR. JUST A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO. COVID-19 HAS US HARD. WE KNEW THERE WAS A GAP IN THE INFORMATION THAT WAS AVAILABLE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. WE HAD NEVER SEEN A SITUATION LIKE THIS BEFORE. WE JUMP STRAIGHT IN, FILLED THE GAP. 180 GREAT ADVISERS GOT ON BOARD. A YEAR LATER, WE ARE OVER 105,000 SMALL BUSINESSES THROUGH THE PLATFORM. THEY ARE CONTINUING TO DO A GREAT JOB FOR SMALL BUSINESSES IN NEW ZEALAND. WHAT DO YOU DO? IS IT LITERALLY JUST OFFERING THEM A BIT OF A HELPING HAND, ADVICE ON WHAT TO DO, HOW TO PIVOT? IT RANGES. IT IS FROM JUST THE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DOING IT HARD, AND THEY JUST WANT TO KNOW THAT SOMEBODY CARES. IT IS A SHOULDER TO LEAN ON. A VOICE OR SOMEBODY WHO CARES. AT THE OTHER END, THERE IS A REAL PRACTICAL, QUOTED VICE. THE OLD WAY OF DOING THINGS TOOK A BIT LONG. WITHIN A DAY, YOU HAVE HALF A DOZEN ANSWERS FROM THE BEST BUSINESSPEOPLE IN NEW ZEALAND. THAT IS HOW THE SERVICE HAS WORKED, AND IT HAS BEEN A REMARKABLE SUCCESS SORRY FOR US. WHO IS COMING TO YOU? EVERY SECTOR. THE LOCAL BAKERY AND MECHANICS, THROUGH TO TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES WHO WANT SOME ADVICE ON HOW TO NAVIGATE THEIR FUNDING SITUATION. EVERYBODY HAS COME TO THE PLATFORM. THE IMPACT THAT IT IS HAD ON THE LIVES OF THE SMALL BUSINESSES IS REALLY WHAT DRIVES US TO KEEP DOING IT EVERY SINGLE DAY. EVEN WHEN YOU LAUNCH LAST YEAR, NONE OF US COULD HAVE PREDICTED HOW LONG THIS WILL GO ON FOR. THE WHOLE SITUATION WAS UNPRECEDENTED. THERE WERE SO MANY QUESTIONS THEY HAD NEVER BEEN ASKED BEFORE. FOR A SMALL BUSINESS WHO HAS HITCHED THEIR LIFE, THEIR DREAMS, BUBBLY MORTGAGE THEIR HOME A BIT MORE TO MAKE IT THROUGH THAT SITUATION, EXTREMELY STRESSFUL SITUATION FOR THEM TO BE AN. HEARTWARMING AS WELL. ESPECIALLY OVER EASTER WEEKEND, I WAS IN THE FAR NORTH AND SAW A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESSES WHO WERE PUMPING BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE GETTING OUT AND ABOUT AND SUPPORTING THEM. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT. IT IS A DAY TO BRING THE BUSINESSES BACK TO THE FOREFRONT OF OUR MINDS. WE ALSO DURING LOCKDOWN, WE WOULD GO OUT AND SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES. BUT THEN WE KIND OF FELL BACK INTO OUR OLD HABITS. IT IS GOOD TO SEE PEOPLE ARE ON HOLIDAY WEEKENDS AND REALLY MAKING AN EFFORT TO GET OUT THERE AND SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES. IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT RETAIL AND HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM, BUT IT IS ALSO ABOUT THE LOCAL MECHANIC OR THE LOCAL SERVICE PROVIDER DOWN THE ROAD THAT IS DOING YOUR BOOKKEEPING. IT IS EVERYBODY. BENEFITS THAT YOU GUYS ARE PUTTING OUT THERE FOR BOTH BUSINESSES AND PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SHOP LOCAL AND SMALL. A HUGE DAY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES ON FRIDAY. THE FIRST THING IS IF YOU SUPPORT SMALL BY MAKING A PURCHASE AND TAKING US IN YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT, A PICTURE OF YOUR NEW SET OF GLASSES OR WHATEVER IT IS, THEN YOU ARE IMMEDIATELY IN THE DRAW TO WIN A PRIZE FROM THE $100,000 PRIZE POOL THAT WE HAVE. THEN ON TOP OF THAT, FIVE LUCKY KIWIS WILL WIN ONE OF FIVE $10,000 SHOPPING SPREES. GO TO THE WEBSITE AND SIGN UP AND GET YOUR BUSINESS ON THE MAP SO PEOPLE KNOW WHERE TO FIND YOU ON THE DAY. YOU ARE IMMEDIATELY IN THE DRAW TO WIN ONE OF I'VE $10,000 CASH PRIZES. WE COULD EVEN GIVE IT AWAY HERE ON FRIDAY IF WE WANT TO. SMALLBUSINESSDAY.CO.NZ. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. GOOD LUCK FOR FRIDAY. MAKING NEWS THIS MORNING ` CONSUMERS ARE BEING WARNED TO WATCH OUT FOR CARTEL-LIKE BEHAVIOUR FROM OUR MAJOR RETAILERS. MORE ON THAT AT 8.30. SORRY, MATTY. YOU GO. THE CAMERA IS ON YOU. ALSO AHEAD ` HOW YOU CAN HELP YOUR KIDS NAVIGATE THE EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER THAT COMES WITH UNEXPECTED CHANGE THROUGH A NEW CHILDREN'S BOOK. (ALL CHANT) - The planet doesn't know which stuff you're doing just because you can't say no. So start at the bottom of your list and cross a few things off. A DECISION ON WHETHER THE TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE WILL GO AHEAD WILL BE REVEALED IN LESS THAN 10 HOURS. IT COULD SEE QUARANTINE FREE TRAVEL BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND WITH THE BUBBLE LIKELY TO OPERATE ON A STATE-BY-STATE BASIS. ALLOWING TRAVELLER RESTRICTIONS FROM AREAS WITH A COVID-19 OUTBREAK. PRIME MINISTER JACINDA ARDERN'S WARNED THERE'D BE AN ELEMENT OF 'FLYER BEWARE' SHOULD THE BORDERS SHUT WHILE KIWIS ARE VISITING AUSTRALIA. ONE SECTOR CRYING OUT FOR TWO WAY QUARANTINE FREE TRAVEL IS THE TOURISM INDUSTRY. ACCORDING TO DATA FROM INFOMETRICS ` BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, AUSTRALIAN TOURISM INJECTED NEARLY $3 BILLION INTO NEW ZEALAND'S LOCAL ECONOMIES. THAT REPRESENTED 23% OF ALL INTERNATIONAL VISITOR SPENDING IN NEW ZEALAND. BEFORE COVID-19, AIR NEW ZEALAND HAD NEARLY 3.5 MILLION PASSENGERS FLY THEIR TASMAN AND PACIFIC ROUTES. ON AVERAGE MORE THAN 100,000 AUSTRALIAN TOURISTS VISITED NEW ZEALAND EACH MONTH. AND DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER GRANT ROBERTSON SAYS HE'S OPTIMISTIC ABOUT A DECISION TODAY. WE'VE ALL GOT FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN AUSTRALIA, ITS BEEN A REALLY LONG TIME FOR PEOPLE, AND I FEEL REALLY CONFIDENT ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE'RE IN A GOOD PLACE HERE AND THE HARD WORK WE'VE ALL DONE HAS PUT US IN A POSITION WHERE THIS IS POSSIBLE. AND ROTORUA BUSINESS OWNER TAK MUTU AGREES WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S SAFE APPROACH WITH THE TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE. AUSTRALIA IS OUR BIGGEST MARKET FOR US HERE. IT IS OUR BIGGEST TOURISM MARKET FOR US, SO IT'S ABSOLUTELY GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT. DEFINITELY WANT IT TO HAPPEN AS SOON AS WE CAN, BUT WITH THAT CAVEAT OF WHEN ITS SAFE, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'VE BEEN LOVING BEING ABLE TO HEAD OUT WITH MY FAMILY AND DO THINGS ` GO OUT TO PARTIES. THE EASTER WEEKEND ROAD TOLL IS NOW THE DEADLIEST IN A DECADE. THERE'S BEEN CONFIRMATION FROM POLICE THIS MORNING AN EIGHTH PERSON WAS KILLED OVER THE HOLIDAY PERIOD ` A TODDLER WHO DIED AT STARSHIP HOSPITAL AFTER AN INCIDENT IN AUCKLAND. ALL FATAL CRASHES HAPPENED IN THE NORTH ISLAND. NO ONE WAS KILLED ON THE ROAD THIS TIME LAST YEAR, PARTLY DUE TO THE COUNTRY BEING IN LEVEL 4 LOCKDOWN. THE COMMERCE COMMISSION IS WARNING CONSUMERS TO BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR CARTEL BEHAVIOUR AS NEW LAWS PROTECTING BUYERS FROM BEING RIPPED OFF KICK IN THIS WEEK. BUSINESSES CAUGHT PRICE FIXING, BID RIGGING OT DIVIDING UP MARKETS COULD NOW FACE UP TO SEVEN YEARS IN JAIL. THE INCREASED PUNISHMENT AIMS TO PREVENT LARGE ORGANISATIONS FROM BANDING TOGETHER. IT IS CONDUCT THAT WE FIND FROM TIME TO TIME. BUT THIS IS A CHANGE IN THE LAW THAT WILL BRING US INTO LINE WITH OTHER COUNTRIES OVERSEAS BY ADDING AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY FOR THAT CONDUCT. OUR TWO BIG SUPERMARKET CHAINS ARE ALSO BEING INVESTIGATED AS PART OF THE CARTEL CRACKDOWN. THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE CHIEF SAYS KNEELING ON PEOPLE'S NECKS IS NOT WHAT OFFICERS ARE TAUGHT. HE WAS TESTIFYING AT THE GEORGE FLOYD MURDER TRIAL. FORMER OFFICER DEREK CHAUVIN IS CHARGED WITH MR FLOYD'S KILLING. CHAUVIN'S BOSS, WHO FIRED HIM THE DAY AFTER MR FLOYD DIED, SAID THE LEVEL OF FORCE USED WENT AGAINST POLICE POLICY. TO SPORT, AND A DISSAPOINTING PAST FEW DAYS FOR WARRIORS FANS HAS JUST GOT A LITTLE BIT BETTER. THE WARRIORS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BRING FORWARD THE SIGNING OF HIGHLY RATED FULLBACK REECE WALSH FROM THE BRONCOS, ACCORDING TO MULTIPLE REPORTS IN AUSTRALIA. THE 18-YEAR-OLD WAS MEANT TO COME INTO THE TEAM AT THE END OF THE SEASON, BUT IT'S UNDERSTOOD HE WILL NOW JOIN HIS NEW TEAMMATES OVER THE COMING DAYS. THE REPORTED MOVE WILL ALSO SEE YOUNG WARRIORS PLAYMAKER PAUL TURNER JOIN THE BRONCOS IN A SWAP-TYPE DEAL. TO THIS MORNING'S PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION, AND A LATE CRYSTAL PALACE STRIKE HAS DENIED EVERTON VICTORY. AND SCORES. HE HAS ONLY BEEN ON THE PITCH FOR ABOUT TWO MINUTES, AND HE RIFLES IN INTO THE CORNER OF THE AMATEUR NET THE 1-1 DRAW DENTS EVERTON'S AMBITIONS OF FINISHING INSIDE THE LEAGUE'S TOP FOUR BUT BOOSTS THAT OF WEST HAM UNITED. THE HAMMERS CAN MOVE INTO FOURTH IF THEY BEAT WOLVES THIS MORNING. SO FAR THEY'RE AHEAD 3-1. THAT IS YOUR FOOTBALL NEWS. GO THE WARRIORS. LET'S MAKE IT FREE FROM FIVE. HOW IS IT GONNA GO? I'M ALWAYS HOPEFUL, MITTY. NOW THAT THEY HAVE SIGNED ON, RHYS WALSH, THAT MY GET US SOME HOPE. DON'T ACT LIKE YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT NO IDEA. DEBTORS CAN GIVE US SOME HOPE. GOOD LUCK AND THAT'S YOUR NEWS. I JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU THIS QUICKLY. I WENT TO THE FAR NORTH. AS AT 90 MILE BEACH? JUST SOUTH OF CAPE REINGA THERE IS AN AMAZING SAND BOARDING BUSINESS THERE SHARED OUT TO ROSE AND THEY'VE. I HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE. EVEN SEEING IT, IT WAS SO IMPRESSIVE. HOW STEEP AS IT? IT WAS QUITE STEEP. THERE WAS SO MUCH FUN, THOUGH. BEAUTIFUL CLEAR BLUE SKIES AS WELL THAT BEAUTIFUL WEATHER CONTINUES FOR US TODAY. THIS IS WHAT YOUR TUESDAY LOOKS LIKE. IT'S MOSTLY FINE IN THE UPPER NORTH, BUT WITH A BIT OF CLOUD COVER FOR EVERYONE. AND WATCH OUT FOR THE CHANCE OF A COUPLE OF SHOWERS TOWARDS THIS EVENING AROUND AUCKLAND AND FURTHER NORTH IN KAITAIA. 23 DEGREES FOR THE TWO OF YOU, 25 FOR EVERYONE ELSE. YOU'RE LOOKING AT A DECENT DAY THROUGH HERE, WITH JUST THAT CLOUD COVER MORNING AND NIGHT. ALTHOUGH HAMILTON AND TOKOROA COULD SEE SOME BRIEF LIGHT SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON AS WELL. 23 DEGREES IN ROTORUA, 25 FOR HAMILTON. 27 THE HIGH IF YOU'RE IN TAURANGA. THE DAY LOOKIS LOVELY AND SUNNY FURTHER EAST. LITTLE BIT OF MORNING CLOUD FOR SOME PLACES, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S CALM WITH JUST SOME LIGHT WINDS. 22 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN MASTERTON, 24 FOR THOSE OF YOU IN NAPIER AND GISBORNE. YOU'LL START THE DAY OVERCAST SHIFTING WEST, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S SOME LIGHT RAIN FIRST THING FROM PALMERSTON NORTH THROUGH TO TAUMARUNUI, BUT ALL THAT SHOULD CLEAR AWAY TO REVEAL A FINER AFTERNOON. 19 DEGREES IN WELLINGTON, WITH TEMPS IN THE EARLY 20s FOR THE REST. IT'S NICE AND FINE ACROSS IN THE UPPER SOUTH. LITTLE BIT OF CLOUD COVER THIS MORNING IN KAIKOURA, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S SMOOTH SAILING. THE WEST COAST IS A BIT MORE OVERCAST, THOUGH, WITH ONE OF TWO SHOWERS POSSIBLE AS WELL. 18 DEGREES IN GREYMOUTH AND HOKITIKA, 22 IN NELSON. YOU'RE IN FOR CLOUD COVER FIRST THING MOVING EAST, AND THERE COULD BE A COUPLE OF LIGHT SHOWERS ATTACHED IF YOU'RE IN OAMARU. BUT ONCE THAT LIFTS, THINGS LOOK GOOD. JUST WATCH OUT FOR SOME GUSTY WINDS AFTER LUNCH AROUND ALEXANDRA. 21 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN CHRISTCHURCH AND OAMARU, 22 FOR EVERYONE ELSE. AND IT'S MOSTLY GREY SKIES IN THE LOWER SOUTH. PLUS, WATCH OUT FOR THE ODD SHOWER THROUGH SOUTHLAND AND MILFORD SOUND, MORE LIKELY THIS MORNING. THOSE WINDS LOOK A BIT STRONG AS WELL. ALTHOUGH, IN AMONGST ALL THAT, YOU MIGHT GET THE ODD FINE PATCH. 18 DEGREES IN QUEENSTOWN AND INVERCARGILL, 22 FOR DUNEDIN. AND THEN CHECKING OUT YOUR WEDNESDAY ` TOMORROW, THERE'S A FEW SHOWERS IN THE NORTH ISLAND'S EAST AND SOME ISOLATED RAIN AROUND FIORDLAND AND STEWART ISLAND, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S MOSTLY FINE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. NICE, MITTY. DID YOU RECOGNISE THAT SONG? FROM THE 80S? REMEMBER WHEN U2 WENT THROUGH THAT TREND WHERE YOU ARE WATCHING A YOUTUBE VIDEO AND IT WOULD CUT TO THAT THEY CALLED IT RICK ROLLING. ABOUT 30 SECONDS INTO A VIDEO IT WOULD PLAY RICK ASTLEY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US. AND THANK YOU FOR THE FEEDBACK. THE BEEN ASKING WHETHER YOU WOULD GET ON THE PLANE TO AUSTRALIA, WE ARE WAITING FOR THAT DECISION POST CABINET. THE AUSTRALIAN IS REPORTING THAT THE DATA IS NOT LOOKING LIKE NEXT MONDAY, BUT THE MONDAY AFTER. SO THAT WILL MEAN THAT WE CAN TRAVEL TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA WITHOUT HAVING TO QUARANTINE FOR THOSE 14 DAYS. YOU WON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR YOUR QUARANTINE ON THE WAY BACK INTO NEW ZEALAND. WE UNDERSTAND THAT IF THERE IS AN OUTBREAK WHERE YOU ARE IT WOULD OPEN STATE-BY-STATE, NOT JUST AUSTRALIA IN ITS ENTIRETY YOU'VE BEEN TELLING US WHETHER YOU WOULD RISK IT. WHETHER YOU WOULD GET ON THAT PLANE AND GO AND RISK BEING STUCK OVER THERE. LOOKS 50-50 A NUMBER OF YOU WANT TO GO. DOMINIC SAYS NO, WE SHOULDN'T OPEN. EVERYTHING IS GOING SO WELL HERE IN NEW ZEALAND IT IS JUST THE FEAR. WE HAVE HAD A RELATIVELY SMOOTH RIDE COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE WORLD, AND WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE FREEDOM THAT WE HAVE HERE. THE OTHER PART OF THAT AS WE HAVE LOVED ONES THAT LIVE IN AUSTRALIA. WE HAVE GRANDKIDS BEING BORN, AND GRANDKIDS THAT HAVE NEVER MET THESE BABIES AND THEY WANT TO GO. AN TONI SAYS, I'LL BE RISKING IT 100%. WE ALSO REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PLACES IN AUSTRALIA YOU HAVE TO GO CROSS STATE TO GET TO. THAT'S JUST ANOTHER LEVEL OF COMPLICATION TO YOUR RISK. I GUESS FOR OUR TOURISM BUSINESS, FOR SO MANY OF THEM THEY ARE DESPERATE FOR AN AUSTRALIAN BUBBLE. CAROLINE SAYS I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE BUBBLE TO OPEN. SHE HASN'T SEEN HER FAMILY FOR 14 MONTHS SHE IS HOPING THAT WESTERN AUSTRALIA IS ONE OF THE STATES THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE BUBBLE. I HAVE A SISTER-IN-LAW IN BRISBANE, WHO IS DESPERATE TO COME BACK AND I HAVE BROTHERS IN PERTH. ONE OF THEM HASN'T ACTUALLY MET ONE OF HIS GRANDCHILDREN BORN IN NEW ZEALAND OVER THE LAST YEAR. I THINK AT THAT POINT IT WOULD BE WORTH THE RISK. IF YOU CAN AFFORD TO GET COURTIERS PART OF THE EQUATION AS WELL. COMING UP ` CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST JACQUI MAGUIRE JOINS US CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST JACQUI MAGUIRE HAS HELPED US THROUGH MANY THINGS, FROM DEALING WITH PANIC SHOPPING TO HOW TAKE CARE OF OUR MENTAL WELL-BEING. NOW SHE HAS A CHILDREN'S BOOK ABOUT HOW KIDS CAN HARNESS THEIR INNER SUPER POWERS TO NAVIGATE EMOTIONS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE UNEXPECTED CHANGES THAT COME WITH LOCKDOWN. SHE JOINS US NOW TO SHARE THOSE TIPS. MORENA. THIS IS A TREAT. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME BACK. I HAVE READ YOUR BOOK. AND BEFORE WE ACTUALLY GET INTO THE VARIED TOPICS THAT COME FROM THIS, THE IDEA OF TALKING ABOUT KIDS AND ANXIETY AND USING LOCKDOWN AS THE VEHICLE, AT WHAT POINT DID THIS COME TO YOU? I WOKE UP ONE MORNING, AND IT WAS IN MY HEAD. THAT'S HOW I OPERATE. AN IDEA COMES, AND AT THAT POINT YOU HAVE A CHOICE. I SAT DOWN AND I WROTE IT. SURPRISINGLY, THAT WAS THE EASY BIT. IT IS TAKEN A HUGE TEAM TO GET TO THIS POINT. I KIND OF LOOK AT OUR SOCIETY, I LOOK AT PARENTS AND CHILDREN, AND IT'S MY ABSOLUTE BELIEF THAT WELL-BEING SHOULDN'T BE A PRIVILEGE. WE NEED TO SUPPORT ALL OUR PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, TEACHERS WITH THE SKILLS TO PROP UP OUR CHILDREN. SOME SCHOOLS DO GET IT. THEY ARE PUTTING IT INTO THEIR DAILY ROUTINE. BUT THIS IS IN A NATIONAL THING. IT IS AND WHAT EVERYBODY LEARNS. YOU MIGHT NOT GET TAUGHT THE STUFF AT HOME. THAT'S TOO MUCH CHANCE IN TERMS OF WHETHER WE'LL BE SUPPORTING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH REALLY GOOD WELL-BEING SKILLS, HOWEVER MANAGE TRICKING US AN UNCERTAINTY. THE QUESTION WAS HOW DO WE MAKE A RESOURCE THAT IS EXTRA GOOD FOR OUR CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN THEIR LIVES. SOMETHING THEY COULD SUCK THEM IN A MAGICAL WAY. THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT THE KIDS. IT'S ABOUT THE PARENTS THAT ARE RECOGNISING SIGNS FROM THE KIDS AROUND ANXIETY. THERE IS SEXY A LOT OF BIG STUFF GOING ON SO FOR THEM. THIS IS A BOOK THAT TEACHES EMOTION REGULATION. THAT IS MASSIVE FOR OUR KIDS. IT'S HELD DO WE HELP YOUNG PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY THEY ARE FEELING THAT WAY. THEY NEED TO HAVE HELPFUL STRATEGIES TO HELP REGULATE, DOWNPLAY AND DISTRACT TO EFFECTIVELY BEHAVE RATHER THAN REACTIVELY RESPOND TO THEIR EMOTION. ON WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION'S WE ARE NUMBER ONE ON THE LIST FOR CHILDREN WELL-BEING. IT HAS DOUBLED IN TERMS OF MENTAL HEALTH ILLNESS IN THE LAST DECADE. LET'S BE PROACTIVE, LESS BE PREVENTATIVE, LET SUPPORT AND WRAP AROUND THEIR FAMILY AND COMMUNITIES. THERE IS SEXY PROVIDE SCHOOL SO WE CAN START TO REALLY ARMOUR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH THE BELIEF INTERNALLY THAT THEY CAN GET THROUGH HARD STUFF. BUT I KNOW THAT I CAN GET THROUGH IT. I KNOW THAT I CAN PUT ON SUPPORT AND GOT THE SKILLS TO MANAGE THAT. RATHER THAN SAYING IT'S TOO HARD, I GIVE UP. LIFE IS HARD AT TIMES. IF YOU HAVE THE SKILLS TO RECOGNISE THAT, WHAT I DO LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK IS THE STRATEGIES THAT YOU'VE GOT AT THE END OF THE BOOK. I WANT YOU TO TELL ME ABOUT THOSE BECAUSE AT THE MOMENT I AM OF REACTIVE PARENT. I JUST FOUND THAT THE LAST LOCKDOWN WAS ALMOST LIKE I GOT TO THE END OF MY TETHER. I BECAME VERY REACTIVE. SO TALK TO US ABOUT THE STRATEGIES. WE KNOW THAT WHEN WE ARE TEACHING SKILLS, WE HAVE TO ROLE MODEL THAT OURSELVES THERE THROUGH EMOTIONS IN THIS BOOK. TALKS ABOUT WHEN YOU'RE SAD, HAPPY AND ANGRY. THEY BECOME ALMOST LIKE THE WAY WE LIVE IN OUR FAMILY. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'RE SOMEBODY THAT GETS WORRIED A LOT, AND THOSE WORRIES DOMINATE YOUR THINKING, AND WE KNOW THAT IF YOU'RE RUMINATING AND THINKING ABOUT WORRIES IT'S KINDA LIKE YOU CAN'T SEE THE WOOD FROM THE TREES. YOU GET STUCK IN THAT WORRY THAT MUSIC CAN'T RELATE TO PEOPLE VERY WELL ONE OF THE STRATEGIES AND HERE IS TO MAKE A WORRIED JAR. THIS IS AN EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGY WHERE YOU AND YOUR KIDS GET TOGETHER AND HAVE YOUR OWN WORRIED JAR AND IT SITS IN A CERTAIN PLACE IN THE HOUSE. YOU HAVE A DESIGNATED WORRY TIME IN YOUR DAY. THE MIGHT BE AT 430 IN THE AFTERNOON FOR 20 MINUTES. IF YOU GET A WORRIED DURING THE DAY, YOUR WRITER ON THE PIECE OF PAPER AND IT GOES IN THE WORRIED JAR. AT YOUR DESIGNATED WORRY TIME, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO GET OIL PIECE OF PAPER OUT AND YOU'RE ALLOWED TO WORRY UNTIL THE COWS COME HOME. YOU TRY AND SOLVE THE PROBLEM, YOU TRY AND THINK OF ALL THE WORST-CASE SCENARIOS, WHAT IS IT DOING FOR OUR KIDS? TEACHING THEM THAT THEY HAVE AN ABILITY TO CONTROL THEIR WORRIES. IT TEACHES THEM OVERTIME THAT ACTUALLY NO AMOUNT OF WORRY WILL EVER SOLVE THE WORRIES. IF IT'S WORRY THAT'S OUT OF YOUR CONTROL, IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH TIME YOU SPEND ON IT. IT STILL CAN BE THERE. IT TEACHES THEM TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS WORRY IF THEY CAN. AND THE STEPS AROUND IT. FOR EXAMPLE, THAT IS ONE CHATTERJEE THAT IS EVIDENCE-BASED THAT HELPS CHILDREN CONTAIN AND MANAGE THEIR WORRIES. SO THERE IS NOT RUNNING RAMPANT THROUGHOUT LIFE.. THIS IS A BIG CONVERSATION. BUT OUR TIME HAS RUN OUT ALREADY. THIS CONVERSATION DOESN'T END BECAUSE YOU CAN HAVE THIS BOOK AND CONTINUE THEIR CONVERSATION WITH HER CHILDREN. WHEN WE GET ' WHEN THE WIND BLEW? ON MY WEBSITE MY HOPE IS THAT THIS REALLY IS A PRACTICAL RESOURCE FOR KIWI FAMILIES THAT HELP US REALLY GROW AND DEVELOP YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEN ADULTS THAT BACK THEMSELVES AND HAVE GOOD TEAMS. YET THE ABILITY TO TO NAVIGATE CHANGE IT WAS LOVELY TO BE IN THE STUDIO. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. JACKIE MCGUIRE STAY WITH US. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK AFTER THE BREAK. THAT'S IT FROM US FOR YOUR TUESDAY MORNING. SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US. JON IS ON THE TRAIN THIS MORNING WE WILL SEE YOU BRIGHT AND EARLY CAPTIONS BY MAEVE KELLY, CAMERON GRIGG, JESSIE PURU AND JULIE TAYLOR. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2021