TONIGHT ` PUTTING A STOP TO ARRIVALS FROM A COVID HOTSPOT. THE DRASTIC MEASURES BEING TAKEN, FLIGHTS HALTED AS RATES OF INFECTION IN INDIA SKYROCKET. AUSTRALIA'S VACCINATION ROLLOUT SUFFERS A SET-BACK. IT'S CHANGE OF HEART OVER ASTRAZENECA, AFTER MORE EVIDENCE OF A HEALTH RISK EMERGES. AND THE GIANT WORLD-FIRST LASER THAT'S SHOOTING DANGEROUS SPACE DEBRIS TO THE ENDS OF THE UNIVERSE. CAPTIONS BY JADE FERNANDES AND ANNIE CURTIS. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2021 KIA ORA, GOOD EVENING. NEW ZEALANDERS TRYING TO GET HOME FROM INDIA WILL BE TEMPORARILY BANNED FROM ENTERING THE COUNTRY DUE TO THE HIGH NUMBER OF ARRIVALS INFECTED WITH COVID-19. IT COMES AFTER A SECURITY GUARD AT ONE OF OUR MIQ FACILITIES TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS. JACOB JOHNSON REPORTS. COVID IS RUNNING RAMPANT IN INDIA, AND NOW THE GOVERNMENT'S PAUSING TROUBLE FOR KIWI RETURNEES. WE HAVE NEVER PREVIOUSLY SUSPENDED TRAVEL TO NEW ZEALAND CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS. THAT'S WHY I DO WANT TO ASSURE YOU THIS IS NOT A PERMANENT ARRANGEMENT. THE SUBCONTINENT'S HAD MORE THAN 120,000 CASES IN 24 HOURS, AND THE NUMBER OF INFECTED ARRIVALS HERE HAS ALSO SPIKED. JUST YESTERDAY, 17 OF THE 19 NEW COVID CASES PICKED UP AT THE BORDER WERE TRAVELLERS FROM INDIA. THE SUSPENSION BEGINS AT 4PM ON SUNDAY AND LASTS UNTIL APRIL 28. ONE COMMUNITY LEADER SAYS THE DECISION HASN'T COME AS A SURPRISE. THE REASON WHY IT WASN'T UNEXPECTED, IT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE HAD BEEN TALKING ABOUT OVER THE LAST` WITHIN THE LAST 14 DAYS, COUPLE OF WEEKS. BUT OTHERS ARE LIVID AND ARE CALLING OUT THE GOVERNMENT. THEY ARE INCENSED WITH THE ELEMENT OF RACISM, I WOULD SAY. THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE THERE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO SAY, THAT THIS DECISION COULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY AVOIDED. IT IS NOT BASED ON ACTUAL SCIENCE, AND IT IS MORE A POPULISTIC MEASURE. THE BAN SHOULD GIVE THE GOVERNMENT MORE TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHY THERE'S BEEN A SURGE OF INFECTED PASSENGERS AND INVESTIGATE HOW THEY CAN REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CASES FROM HIGH RISK COUNTRIES. MEANWHILE, A NEW BORDER CASE WAS DETECTED IN AUCKLAND TODAY. A SECURITY GUARD (24) AT THE GREY MILLENNIUM MIQ FACILITY. THE PUBLIC HEALTH RISK IS LOW ACCORDING TO HEALTH OFFICIALS, BUT THEY SAY THE WORKER WASN'T VACCINATED, MISSING TWO APPOINTMENTS FOR PERSONAL REASONS. NOW THE HUNT IS ON TO FIND OUT HOW MANY BORDER WORKERS HAVEN'T HAD THE JAB. WHAT WE DO KNOW IS OF THAT GROUP, WE'RE IN THE MID 90S, IN TERMS OF THE PERCENT WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED, AND THE AGENCIES AND EMPLOYERS OF PEOPLE WORKING IN MANAGED ISOLATION AND INDEED AT THE BORDER ARE NOW GOING THROUGH TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHO HASN'T BEEN VACCINATED AND THE REASONS FOR THAT. WHAT WE'LL BE WORKING THROUGH FROM MONDAY ONWARDS IS THE CLOSING WINDOW FOR WORKERS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN VACCINATED TO BE MOVED INTO OTHER ROLES. A COVID CRACKDOWN TO MINIMISE THE RISK OF ANOTHER OUTBREAK. JACOB JOHNSON, 1 NEWS. WITH THE TRAVEL BUBBLE BETWEEN NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA BEGINNING ON APRIL 19, THESE LATEST COVID CASES HIGHLIGHT THE RISKS INVOLVED, BUT THERE'S NO SIGN YET OF THE TRAVEL BUBBLE BEING DERAILED SO FAR. EVEN THE BEST IN THE WORLD ` AND I THINK ACROSS OUR TWO COUNTRIES WE ARE VERY, VERY CLOSE TO THAT ` EVEN THE BEST IN THE WORLD IS NOT AN IMMUNITY BUBBLE, THAT THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL, UH, LEAKAGE FROM THAT. I DON'T WORRY ABOUT OUTBREAKS WHICH CAN BE MANAGED. JUST AS I WOULD EXPECT PEOPLE TO KEEP BORDERS OPEN TO NEW SOUTH WALES IF WE HAD AN OUTBREAK WE THOUGHT WE COULD MANAGE, I WOULD EXTEND THAT SAME COURTESY TO NEW ZEALAND. AND WITHIN THE LAST FEW HOURS, AUSTRALIA HAS CHANGED ITS RECOMMENDATION FOR THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE, FOLLOWING CONCERNS OVER LINKS TO BLOOD CLOTS. JOINING US NOW IS AUSTRALIA CORRESPONDENT ANDREW MACFARLANE. ANDREW, WHAT'S THE LATEST? THE JAB HAS BEEN COMING UNDER SCRUTINY. A SMALL PERCENTAGE HAS HAD BLOOD CLOTS. TONIGHT AUSTRALIA HAS FOLLOWED THE UK. SCOTT MORRISSON GAVE AN UNEXPECTED PRESS CONFERENCE HE SAID ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 50 SHOULDN'T BE GETTING ASTRAZENECA A KEY PRINCIPLE OF OUR MANAGEMENT OF THE PANDEMIC IS TO BASE OUR OPINIONS ON EXPERT MEDICAL ADVICE. SO ANDREW, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR AUSTRALIA'S VACCINE ROLLOUT PLAN? AUSTRALIA HAS INVESTED HEAVILY IN ASTRAZENECA. A FACTORY IN MELBOURNE HAS BEEN PUMPING OUT VACCINATIONS FOR ELDERLY. THOSE WHO ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 50 NEED TO GET AN ALTERNATIVE JAB. AUSTRALIA HAS BIDS IN WITH PFIZER AND NOVA-VAC. AUSTRALIA HAS TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS TO REDO THE ROLL-OUT. THIS IS GOING TO BE A BIG DEAL FOR MANY AUSTRALIANS. THE CONCERNS OVER ASTRAZENECA HAVE BEEN GROWING ELSEWHERE, THE LINK BETWEEN THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE AND POTENTIALLY FATAL BLOOD CLOTS HAS LED TO THE UK OFFERING THOSE UNDER 30 ALTERNATIVE VACCINES, OUR EUROPE CORRESPONDENT DANIEL FAITAUA HAS MORE. BRITAIN NOW HAS A THIRD VACCINE, AND TODAY THE FIRST MODERNA DOSE WENT TO THIS 24 YEAR OLD. I'M IN UNPAID CARE OF MY GRANDMOTHER. SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME THAT I CAN GET IT. ONE OF MANY YOUNGER BRITONS TO BE OFFERED AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE ASTRAZENECA JAB, AFTER A MAJOR BRITISH REVIEW CONCLUDED A POSSIBLE LINK TO A VERY RARE, BUT POTENTIALLY FATAL, BLOOD CLOT SYNDROME. IN AN EXTREMELY SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE ` THE EVIDENCE IS FIRMING UP. THERE HAVE BEEN 79 CASES OF THE RARE BLOOD CLOTS REPORTED IN THE UK, AMONG THE 20 MILLION PEOPLE WHO GOT THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE ` 19 OF THOSE CASES DIED. THAT PUTS THE RISK OF THOSE WHO GET THE JAB DEVELOPING A CLOT AT 1 IN EVERY 250000, AND THE RISK OF DYING AT 1 IN A MILLION. EXPERTS SAY EVERY MEDICINE OR VACCINE CARRIES SOME RISK, FOR INSTANCE ` THE ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE PILL, ABOUT ONE IN A THOUSAND PEOPLE ON THAT PER YEAR DEVELOP A BLOOD CLOT, YET THE BENEFITS STILL FAR OUTWEIGH THE RISKS. IT'S THOUGHT YOUNGER ADULTS ARE AT HIGHER RISK OF CLOTS AFTER THE ASTRAZENECA JAB. ABOUT 1 IN EVERY 100000 VACCINATIONS, AFTER THE ASTRAZENECA JAB. ABOUT 1 IN EVERY 100000 VACCINATIONS, WHICH IS WHY 18 TO 29 YEAR OLDS WILL BE OFFERED A DIFFERENT VACCINE. THE FINDINGS WILL FUEL CONCERNS ABOUT THE SHOT FAR BEYOND THESE SHORES. SEVERAL EUROPEAN NATIONS HAVE ALREADY RESTRICTED THE VACCINE TO OLDER ADULTS. AND AS THINGS STAND FOR SOME POORER NATIONS ` IT'S EITHER ASTRAZENECA OR NOTHING, POTENTIALLY THREATENING THE ROLLOUT OF A VACCINE THAT IS KEY TO THE GLOBAL STRATEGY TO STAMP OUT THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, ESPECIALLY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. UNDER A GLOBAL SCHEME CALLED KOVACS, MORE THAN A BILLION ASTRAZENECA JABS ARE BEING DELIVERED TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD TO PROVIDE A CRITICAL LINE OF DEFENCE. EXPERTS ARE LINING UP TO SAY THE BENEFITS OF TAKING A VACCINE FOR COVID-19 ` WHICH HAS KILLED NEARLY 3 MILLION PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD, FAR OUTWEIGH THE RISKS. THIS VACCINE IS EXTRAORDINARILY EFFECTIVE AND I KNOW IT WOULD BE TRAGIC IF THIS LED TO DISTRUST OF THIS VACCINE. EVEN WORSE, IF IT WAS FOR VACCINES IN GENERAL FOR COVID. VACCINES ARE THOUGHT TO HAVE SAVED 6000 LIVES IN THE UK ALONE. DANIEL FAITAUA ` 1 NEWS, LONDON. MIQ IS NOW A COMMON TERM USED AS PART OF OUR COVID-19 VOCABULARY. A YEAR AGO, MANAGED ISOLATION AND QUARANTINE BECAME MANDATORY FOR RETURNEES AS OUR MAIN DEFENCE AGAINST THE VIRUS. 1 NEWS HAS BEEN GIVEN ACCESS INSIDE A CLOSED MIQ FACILITY. ASHLEIGH YATES HAS THE EXCLUSIVE LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES. HAMILTON'S DISTINCTION HOTEL ` A PLACE TOURISTS STAYED A YEAR AGO, NOW A FACILITY RETURNEES CALL HOME FOR 14 DAYS. WHEN THE GUESTS ARRIVE AT THE HOTEL, THEY COME THROUGH OUR LARGE CARPARK AREA ` WHICH IS THE EXERCISE ZONE, AND THE COACH STOPS HERE READY TO WELCOME THEM TO THE FACILITY. THIS IS OUR RED ZONE ` THIS IS WHERE OUR RETURNEES COME DOWN ON DAY 3 AND DAY 12 TO HAVE THEIR SWABS DONE. THE NURSES ARE IN FULL PPE. IT'S ONE OF 32 FACILITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, HOSTING 130000 PEOPLE OVER THE LAST YEAR. HOSTING 130000 PEOPLE OVER THE LAST YEAR. EVERYONE WHO NOW COMES INTO THE NEW ZEALAND BORDER MUST GO INTO A HOTEL THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY THE NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT. WE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE WERE IN FOR, WE HAD TO LEARN AS WE WENT. BUT NOW IT'S JUST OUR NORMAL. WE HAD NO PLAYBOOK FOR THIS ` SO WE'VE LITERALLY BUILT THE PLANE WHILE WE WERE FLYING. IT'S REALLY EVOLVED RAPIDLY AND IT IS A WORLD CLASS SYSTEM. IT HASN'T ALL BEEN SMOOTH SAILING. 14 PEOPLE HAVE ABSCONDED FROM FACILITIES ` INCLUDING THE DISTINCTION HOTEL ` WHERE A MAN CUT THROUGH A FENCE TO GO TO A LIQUOR STORE. THERE'S ALSO BEEN MINGLING GUESTS, AS WELL AS THE VIRUS SPREADING AMONGST THOSE STAYING AT AUCKLAND'S PULLMAN HOTEL. THESE INCIDENTS PROMPTING CALLS FOR CHANGE. WE ARE STILL IN FAVOUR OF A PURPOSE BUILT FACILITY. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS ARE RIGHT WHEN THEY SAY THAT, JUST BY ITS VERY NATURE, THESE HOTELS, THEY'RE NOT CUT OUT FOR QUARANTINE. OUR MIQ FACILITIES CONTINUE TO FAIL AND CONTINUE TO HAVE BREACHES. AND IT REALLY HASN'T IMPROVED SINCE LAST JULY. AND THAT'S NOT A CRITICISM OF PEOPLE WORKING ` IT'S JUST SIMPLY SAYING THE FACILITIES FOR USING ARE AS GOOD AS THEY CAN BE, BUT THEY'RE SIMPLY NOT WHAT WE NEED. BUT WITH A PANDEMIC RAGING BEYOND OUR BORDERS, FACILITIES LIKE THESE WON'T BE DISAPPEARING ANY TIME SOON. WE'RE CERTAINLY PLANNING ON HAVING MIQ IN SOME FORM FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT YEAR, PROBABLY LONGER. BUT THE ONLY THING I KNOW FOR SURE IS IT WILL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AND ADAPT OVER THAT TIME. THE INTRODUCTION OF THE TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE MARKING ANOTHER MILESTONE THAT WILL ALTER OUR ISOLATION SYSTEM. ASHLEY YATES, 1 NEWS. SOUTH AUCKLAND COMMUNITY LEADERS AND KAUMATUA HAVE CONVERGED ON MANUREWA MARAE TODAY TO RECEIVE THEIR FIRST PFIZER DOSES. THEY HOPE THEIR MOVE WILL ENCOURAGE MORE PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY'S MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITY TO GET THE JAB. MOANA MAKAPELU LEE REPORTS. A LITTLE JAB. ALL DONE. AND OVER IN A SECOND. SORRY TO DISAPPOINT YOU. AW. I CAN DO IT AGAIN IF YOU'D LIKE? I DIDN'T EVEN FEEL IT. THESE PROMINENT SOUTH AUCKLAND LEADERS ` RANGI MCLEAN AND TAKUTAI MOANA NATASHA KEMP, KEEN TO SET AN EXAMPLE. NO PROBLEMS AT ALL. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ALL THE HYPE IS ABOUT. IT'S FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR PEOPLE. THEIR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IS PARAMOUNT. THIS IS THE FIRST MARAE- BASED CLINIC TO ROLL OUT THE VACCINE, KAUMATUA AND KUIA FIRST IN LINE. WE'RE GOING TO BE PART OF HISTORY AS THE FIRST MARAE TO BE ABLE TO ROLL OUT THE VACCINATION. THE CLINIC WILL HAVE THE CAPACITY TO VACCINATE UP TO 300 PEOPLE A DAY. ON ARRIVAL, PATIENTS WILL SIGN IN, HAVE A ONE-ON-ONE CONSULTATION BEFORE RECEIVING THEIR SHOT. THEN THEY'LL BE MONITORED FOR 20 MINUTES. WE WANT TO SHOW LEADERSHIP AND SAY TO OUR WHANAU, ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SAFE. THERE ARE THOSE THAT LISTEN TO CONSPIRACY THEORISTS, BUT THE MAJORITY, I BELIEVE, ARE ACTUALLY SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND OTARA MINISTER AUPITO WILLIAM SIO IS JOINING THE QUEUE. THERE ARE PEOPLE EXCITED ABOUT THE TWO-WAY QUARANTINE FREEBOARD TRAVEL ZONE IN AUSTRALIA. BUT I'M ALSO ASKING, OUR COMMUNITY, IN PARTICULAR TO BE CAUTIOUS. WITH THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT OF A TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE OPENING AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF RETURNING WHANAU, LEADERS EVEN MORE KEEN TO DRIVE THE MESSAGE HOME ` GET VACCINATED. BY LEADING BY EXAMPLE, WE HOPE TO ACHIEVE THAT. A COMMUNITY KEEN ON NOT MAKING ANY MISTAKES. MOANA MAKAPELU LEE ` 1 NEWS. THE MAJORITY OF KIWIS THINK THEY'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR GROCERIES, AND ARE QUESTIONING WHETHER SUPERMARKET SPECIALS ARE REALLY SPECIALS. THAT'S ACCORDING TO A NEW CONSUMER NEW ZEALAND SURVEY RELEASED TODAY. 81% OF KIWIS AGREED SUPERMARKET PRICES ARE TOO HIGH. THREE QUARTERS BELIEVE SPECIALS HAVE BECOME SO COMMON, THAT THEY WEREN'T SURE IF THE SAVINGS ARE GENUINE. THE RESULTS WILL GO TO THE COMMERCE COMMISSION ` WHICH IS INVESTIGATING COMPETITION IN THE SUPERMARKET SECTOR. DEMANDS FOR THE PORTS OF AUCKLAND CHIEF EXECUTIVE TO GO HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO HIS DOORSTEP. PRESSURE ON HIM TO RESIGN HAS BEEN ESCALATING SINCE THE RELEASE OF A SCATHING REPORT INTO TWO WORKER DEATHS. KIM BAKER WILSON REPORTS. HERE ON A MISSION,... LOVELY DAY TO PUT A REQUEST FOR A RESIGNATION ON SOMEBODY'S TABLE. ...WITH A SIMPLE MESSAGE. HE MUST GO. GIBSON MUST GO. TONY GIBSON, THE PORTS CHIEF EXECUTIVE, HAS ALREADY SAID HE'S NOT, AND SINCE A DAMNING REPORT HIGHLIGHTING PRODUCTIVITY BEING PUT OVER SAFETY,... THAT REPORT WAS HORRIFIC. ...THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE SPOKEN IN JUST THE ONCE. HOW ARE YOU SO UNAWARE OF HOW BAD THESE PROBLEMS WERE? I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THEM. AND IT'S THAT COMMENT THAT'S ANGERED THESE ADVOCATES. FOR ME, IT'S BEYOND BELIEF. THAT'S ACTUALLY THE REASON WHY HE SHOULD GO STRAIGHT AWAY, NOT BECAUSE OF THE DEATHS, BUT BECAUSE HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON. THEY'VE PUT THEIR UNEASE IN BLACK AND WHITE. I'VE NEVER STRUCK A CHIEF EXECUTIVE ANYWHERE IN MY 40-YEAR-LONG UNION CAREER WHO SAID HE'S NOT AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING. WE BELIEVE THAT THAT, QUITE FRANKLY, IS UNBELIEVABLE. A JOURNEY ON FOOT,... AND WE GOTTA GET THIS RIGHT. ... WITH LETTER IN HAND, TAKEN RIGHT TO THE PORTS FRONT DOOR. SEE YOU LATER, TONY. THE PORT SAYS IT'S NOT COMMENTING, BUT THESE ADVOCATES ARE. TWO PEOPLE HAVE TURNED UP FOR WORK ONE DAY AND NOT RETURNED HOME. LET THAT SINK IN. SOME, THOUGH, SAY THE PORTS BOSS IS BEING BULLIED. FORCING A DECISION THAT SHOULD BE MADE BY A BOARD, THEY'RE NOT OFFERING ANYTHING CONSTRUCTIVE. ALL THEY'RE INSISTING ON IS THE DEPARTURE OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE. MR GIBSON WASN'T THERE TO MEET THEM, BUT THEY WERE MET BY A SENIOR OFFICIAL. THEY'RE WARNING THEY'LL BE BACK WITH SOMETHING BIGGER IF THERE'S NO RESIGNATION. KIM BAKER WILSON, 1 NEWS. STILL TO COME ` A PLEDGE TO GET CLEAN. THE GOVERNMENT'S MILLION-DOLLAR PLAN TO PHASE OUT COAL BOILERS. PLUS ` LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF A SCI-FI FILM. INTRODUCING THE SPACE LASER ` HOW THIS CONTRAPTION WILL DEAL WITH SPACE JUNK. TJ: Have I done enough to wear the jersey? Gotta sweat out that fear because this is bigger than me. I do it for my fans and my family. ION4 hydration. Sweat it out witih Powerade. THE GOVERNMENT'S BANNED ALL NEW COAL GENERATORS, WHILE SPENDING MILLIONS TO HELP BUSINESSES TRANSITION. IT WANTS TO PHASE OUT COAL BOILERS BY 2037, BUT THE OPPOSITION THINKS THE GOVERNMENT'S ACTING TOO QUICKLY. HERE'S RYAN BOSWELL. CLEANING THE WORLD'S WOOL BY POLLUTING THE CLIMATE IN THE PROCESS. THIS COAL-FIRED FACTORY IN TIMARU PUMPS OUT 14,000 TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE EVERY YEAR. NOW A PROMISE TO GO CLEAN. WE'RE GOING TO SWITCH OUT THE EXISTING 6 MEGAWATT COAL-FIRED BOILER OVER A PERIOD OF 18 MONTHS. AND WE'RE GOING TO REPLACE THAT WITH AN E-BOILER, OR AN ELECTRIC BOILER. IT'S BEING FUNDED IN PART BY THE GOVERNMENT, WHICH TODAY SPENT 23m OF A $70m FUND HELPING BUSINESSES SWITCH TO CLEAN ENERGY. THE MINISTER SAYS IT'S EQUAL TO TAKING 49,000 CARS OFF THE ROAD. WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THIS FIRST TRANCHE ` THAT THERE'S 14 BUSINESSES. WE'LL HAVE TWO MORE ROUNDS OF THIS, BUT THAT WILL DEPEND ON THE SCALE. I CAN'T GIVE YOU AN ABSOLUTE NUMBER. SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS IS. WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST THE ECONOMY. MEGAN WOODS PROMISING TO BAN ALL NEW COAL-FIRED BOILERS BY THE END OF THE YEAR, AND SHE'S PROPOSED TO PHASE OUT EXISTING ONES BY 2037. BUT JUST HOW MANY BUSINESSES NATIONWIDE ARE IN THE FIRING LINE? I DON'T HAVE IT IN MY HEAD IS AS I'M STANDING HERE, BUT WE CAN GET THAT FOR YOU LATER. HER OFFICE LATER POINTING TO AN ESTIMATE FROM 2016 OF UP TO 550 COAL BOILERS. NATIONAL SAYS IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH. WE'VE GOT A DRAFT REPORT FROM THE CLIMATE COMMISSION OUT, AND SUBMISSIONS HAVE JUST CLOSED ` OVER 10,000 SUBMISSIONS. GONNA TAKE SOME TIME TO GO THROUGH THAT. AND THEY'VE COME OUT WITH A POLICY THAT REALLY SHOULD HAVE WAITED. BUT IT MAKES SENSE FOR WOOL WORKS... WE HOPE THAT THIS IS A TEMPLATE GOING FORWARD. ...BOTH ECONOMICALLY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY. RYAN BOSWELL, 1 NEWS. AUSTRALIAN SCIENTISTS HAVE DEVELOPED A WORLD FIRST LASER TO BE FIRED AT SPACE JUNK, BLASTING THEM OUT OF ORBIT TO AVOID CATASTROPHIC COLLISIONS. EXPERTS SAY MILLIONS OF PIECES OF DEBRIS POSE A RISK TO ASTRONAUTS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF SATELLITES THAT HELP US THROUGH OUR EVERYDAY LIFE. CHANNEL NINE'S JONATHAN KEARSLEY ONE SMALL SWITCH FOR MAN; ONE GIANT BEAM FOR MANKIND. A REAL BREAKTHROUGH FOR SPACE TECHNOLOGY WORLDWIDE. IT'S DESTINATION SPACE FOR THIS LASER, FIRED FROM AN OBSERVATORY OVERLOOKING CANBERRA. THE RAY OF LIGHT GOES WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE ` THE ENDS OF THE UNIVERSE ` TO HELP PROTECT $900b WORTH OF SATELLITES AND CRUCIAL SPACE INFRASTRUCTURE ORBITING EARTH. WE DEPEND ON SPACE FOR OUR BANKING, NAVIGATION, MOVEMENT OF GROCERIES AND SUPPLIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. FOR DECADES, THE SMALL TEAM AT MOUNT STROMLO OBSERVATORY HAS BEEN TRACKING SPACE JUNK. SO THIS CAME FROM A RUSSIAN ROCKET, COSMOS. AIMED AT BILLIONS OF STARS, THE LASER PINPOINTS A PIECE OF JUNK. ANOTHER LASER, FAR MORE POWERFUL AND INVISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE, IS FIRED AT THE DEBRIS TO SHUNT IT FROM ORBIT. THE RISK FROM SPACE DEBRIS IS` IS SUBSTANTIAL AND INCREASING. ALMOST 130 MILLION PIECES OF DEBRIS SURROUND EARTH. WE'VE POLLUTED SPACE SO BADLY. EVERYTHING FROM BROKEN BITS OF SPACECRAFT, SCREWS AND NUTS AND BOLTS, DEAD SATELLITES TO URNS CONTAINING HUMAN REMAINS. BUT THERE'S SO MUCH, IT'S PUTTING SPACE TRAVEL AT RISK. (BOOM!) IN 2011, A TEAM ON BOARD THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION HAD A CLOSE CALL. THIS OBJECT PASSED WITHIN A FOOTBALL FIELD OF THE SPACE STATION, AND RELATIVE VELOCITY WAS 8 MILES PER SECOND. PROBABLY WOULD HAVE DESTROYED THE SPACE STATION. A TEAM FROM SPACE INTELLIGENCE FIRM EOS HAS SPENT SEVEN YEARS WORKING ON THIS TECHNOLOGY. IT'S A WORLD FIRST. I AM A SPACE JUNKIE, AND OF COURSE, WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS GOING TO BE SO IMPORTANT. THE APPLICATIONS FOR THE LASER FIRED FROM THIS OBSERVATORY GO WAY BEYOND SIMPLY MOVING SPACE JUNK. IT COULD BE USED TO COMMUNICATE WITH DEEP SPACE PROBES, BUT THE ABILITY TO MOVE OR POTENTIALLY ONE DAY DESTROY SOMETHING CIRCLING THE EARTH MEANS THIS TECHNOLOGY COULD BECOME A FRONTIER FOR SPACE WARS. IT MIGHT BE A LONG WAY OFF, BUT FOR AUSTRALIANS WITH A LASER-LIKE FOCUS ON SPACE, EVEN THE SKY IS NO LIMIT. THE ONLY WAY WE CAN MANAGE OUR POPULATION, OUR RESOURCES AND OPTIMISE OUR INDUSTRY IS TO USE SPACE TECHNOLOGY. JUST AHEAD ` YOUR WEATHER, AND IT'S LOOKING LIKE THE END OF THE GOLDEN WEATHER. NOW TO TOMORROW'S WEATHER WITH KIMBRA AND 'GOLDMINE'. (KIMBRA'S 'GOLDMINE') THAT'S IT FROM US HERE ON TONIGHT. THANKS FOR WATCHING. PO MANAHAU, GOODNIGHT. CAPTIONS BY JADE FERNANDES AND ANNIE CURTIS CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2021