TONIGHT ` OUR VACCINE ROLLOUT IS NOW APPROVED FOR USE IN 12- TO 15-YEAR-OLDS IN NEW ZEALAND. SO WHAT'S BEHIND THE DECISION? HEAVY RAIN WARNINGS REMAIN IN PLACE FOR PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, AND AFTER THE FLOODS, A SMALL COMMUNITY RALLIES FOR A BIG CLEAN-UP. AND THE NEW ZEALAND WEIGHTLIFTER MAKING OLYMPIC HISTORY. LAUREL HUBBARD'S SELECTION FOR THE TOKYO GAMES IS A FIRST FOR TRANSGENDER ATHLETES. CAPTIONS BY KATE PARKINSON AND MICHAELA CORNELIUS. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2021 KIA ORA. GOOD EVENING. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF NEW ZEALAND CHILDREN WILL NOW BE GIVEN THE PFIZER COVID VACCINE. THE PFIZER JAB'S BEEN APPROVED FOR 12- TO 15-YEAR-OLDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THERE ARE 265,000 KIWI CHILDREN IN THAT AGE GROUP, AND WE HAVE ENOUGH VACCINES ON THE WAY. SCHOOLS WILL HELP WITH THE ROLL OUT, BUT CHILDREN CAN ALSO GET VACCINATED AT THE SAME TIME AS THEIR PARENTS. POLITICAL EDITOR JESSICA MUTCH MCKAY HAS BEEN AT THE ANNOUNCEMENT AND HAS MORE DETAILS AND REACTION. KIDS AS YOUNG AS 12 ARE SET TO ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES FOR THE COVID VACCINE. THEY ARE MAKING THIS DECISION BASED ON CLINICAL ADVICE, BASED ON RESEARCH, AND BASED ON DATA. AND THAT'S BEEN A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF THE REASSURANCE PROCESS FOR EVERY NEW ZEALANDER. SCHOOLS WOULD HELP DISHING IT OUT, BUT STUDENTS COULD ALSO GO AT THE SAME TIME AS PARENTS. AND OFFICIALS HAVE ALREADY BEEN PLANNING FOR THIS. WE'VE GOT ENOUGH VACCINE COMING INTO THE COUNTRY THAT EVERYONE WHO WOULD BE ELIGIBLE, INCLUDING THIS GROUP, IF THAT'S WHERE THE FINAL ADVICE LANDS, WILL BE ABLE TO RECEIVE A VACCINATION THIS YEAR. WE PUT THIS TO PARENTS HEADING HOME IN AUCKLAND. LET'S GET IT DONE. SO NO CONCERNS. JUST THINK THEY'RE JUST A BIT TOO YOUNG, AND I PREFER UNTIL THEY WERE 18 SO THEY CAN MAKE THEIR OWN DECISION. IF IT'S PROVEN SAFE, AND THERE'S NO OBJECTIONS TO IT, THEN I DON'T SEE WHY NOT. SO WHAT DOES THIS EXPERT THINK? THE SAFETY PROFILE LOOKS REALLY GOOD IN YOUNGER PEOPLE. I THINK THAT ALSO BY THE TIME WE START VACCINATING THIS AGE GROUP, WE'LL HAVE THE LUXURY OF MANY HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOSES IN THAT AGE GROUP AS WELL TO DRAW ON. THE PFIZER VACCINE HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED FOR 12- TO 15-YEAR-OLDS IN THE US, EUROPE, CANADA, JAPAN, AND ISRAEL. COVID'S PROBABLY JUST FAR WORSE THAN GETTING A VACCINE. NO, NO CONCERNS AT ALL. WE'RE PRETTY SURE THAT THIS VACCINE IS WORKING, AND WE'RE HAPPY THAT THE KIDS ARE FINALLY ABLE TO GET IT. THE US PLANS TO BE VACCINATING KIDS OVER 5 BY CHRISTMAS. THERE ARE TRIALS UNDERWAY OF THE PFIZER VACCINE IN AGES 6 TO 11. AND WE'LL OBVIOUSLY FOLLOW THOSE TRIALS WITH INTEREST. THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION SAYS RICH COUNTRIES SHOULD GIVE MORE SHOTS TO COVAX TO HELP THIRD-WORLD COUNTRIES. COUNTRIES THAT VACCINATE CHILDREN AND OTHER LOW-RISK GROUPS NOW DO SO AT THE EXPENSE OF HEALTH WORKERS AND HIGH-RISK GROUPS IN OTHER COUNTRIES. IS IT FAIR FOR US TO VACCINATE RIGHT DOWN TO 12-YEAR-OLDS WHEN OTHER COUNTRIES ARE STRUGGLING TO GET THEM? YOU'LL SEE THAT, OF COURSE, OUR VACCINATION PROCESS IS TAKING US THE BETTER PART OF A YEAR, AND THAT IS BASED ON SUPPLY. WHAT WE'RE ALSO DOING, THOUGH, IS SUPPORTING VACCINATION ROLLOUT IN OTHER COUNTRIES. JUST TODAY, SENDING SOME HEALTH SUPPORT INTO FIJI TO SUPPORT SOME OF THEIR COVID RESPONSE. IN NEW ZEALAND, WE'RE SET TO CLICK OVER TO A MILLION DOSES IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. JESSICA MUTCH MCKAY, 1 NEWS. OUR GOVERNMENT'S PLEDGED $10 MILLION TO HELP FIJI'S BATTLE AGAINST COVID-19. IT COMES AS THE ISLAND NATION RECORDS 126 NEW CASES IN THE PAST 24 HOURS. ITS TOTAL NUMBER OF ACTIVE CASES BALLOONING TO 1500 SO FAR. 14 PEOPLE WITH COVID-19 HAVE DIED IN THIS CURRENT OUTBREAK, BUT FIJI MEDICAL AUTHORITIES ARE ONLY COUNTING FIVE DEATHS FROM THE VIRUS, SAYING THE OTHERS DIED OF UNDERLYING CONDITIONS. SYDNEY S HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE WORRIED ABOUT LOW TESTING NUMBERS AS THE STATE PREMIER WARNS COVID RESTRICTIONS ARE LIKELY TO BE EXTENDED. 11 COMMUNITY CASES HAVE BEEN DETECTED SO FAR IN ITS LATEST OUTBREAK, INCLUDING SOME WHO ONLY HAD VERY BRIEF CONTACT WITH POSITIVE CASES. OUR AUSTRALIA CORRESPONDENT ANDREW MACFARLANE IS IN SYDNEY. THE SPREAD OF SYDNEY S COVID-19 OUTBREAK IS REACHING FURTHER. IN SOME INSTANCES THE EXCHANGES HAVE BEEN SCARILY FLEETING - LITERALLY PEOPLE NOT EVEN PHYSICALLY TOUCHING EACH OTHER. THERE ARE WORRIES THE VIRUS IS CIRCULATING UNDETECTED IN THE COMMUNITY, AS TESTING NUMBERS HAVE DROPPED OVER THE WEEKEND. 25,000 SWABS NOT ENOUGH TO SATISFY THE STATE PREMIER. WE WANT THAT RATE TO BE HIGHER. WE WILL HAVE CONFIDENCE IN OUR POLICY GOING FORWARD, IN RELATION TO THE CURRENT SETTINGS GOING FORWARD, IF THOSE TESTING RATES GO UP. DESPITE SYDNEY'S GROWING CLUSTER, NO MAJOR RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT IN JUST YET. THE ONLY SIGN COVID S MADE A COMEBACK ` MASKS HAVE BEEN MADE MANDATORY ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND IN PUBLIC SPACES FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. I M JUST A BIT SURPRISED IT S NOT SYDNEY-WIDE. I THINK THEY SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE THE MASK UNTIL COVID S GONE. AUSTRALIA S HAVING A TOUGH RUN WITH COVID. INCLUDING THE CURRENT OUTBREAK IN NEW SOUTH WALES, VICTORIA AND QUEENSLAND HAVE ALSO RECENTLY REPORTED CASES. IT S A SITUATION WHICH HAS PUT MORE SCRUTINY ON THE COUNTRY S VACCINATION RATES. IT IS FAIR TO SAY THE COMMONWEALTH S VACCINE ROLLOUT IS AN ABSOLUTE SHAMBLES. IN AN EMERGENCY MEETING TODAY, THE STATE PREMIERS DISCUSSED ISSUES AROUND DISTRIBUTION OF THE PFIZER VACCINE, AFTER FURTHER RESTRICTING THE ELIGIBILITY FOR ASTRAZENECA. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE INSTRUMENT CALIBRATES ITSELF. VICTORIA S OFFICIALLY STARTED WORK DEVELOPING ITS OWN MRNA VACCINE, AIMED AT COMBATING THE CONSTANTLY CHANGING VARIANTS OF THE VIRUS. VICTORIA S TAKING A LEADERSHIP POSITION ON THIS, AND IT S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. IT D BE IDEAL IF WE HAD NATIONAL LEADERSHIP ON THIS. THERE VE BEEN NO CHANGES TO THE TRAVEL BUBBLE YET. BUT BOTH SIDES OF THE TASMAN ARE WARNING RESTRICTIONS COULD BE BROUGHT IN IF CASES CONTINUE TO EMERGE. ANDREW MACFARLANE, 1 NEWS. QUARANTINE-FREE TRAVEL BETWEEN NEW ZEALAND AND VICTORIA IS SET TO RESTART FROM MIDNIGHT TOMORROW. OUR MINISTRY OF HEALTH MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT JUST HOURS AGO, AFTER OFFICIALS DEEMED THE PUBLIC HEALTH RISK AS LOW. ALSO FROM TOMORROW NIGHT, TRAVELLERS WILL NO LONGER NEED TO HAVE A PRE-DEPARTURE TEST. THE VICTORIA BUBBLE PAUSE HAS BEEN IN FORCE SINCE LATE MAY FOLLOWING THE COVID OUTBREAK IN MELBOURNE. THE EAST OF THE NORTH ISLAND'S STILL BEARING THE BRUNT OF THE STORM SYSTEM, WITH HEAVY RAIN AND SEVERE GALES. STATE HIGHWAY 35 ALONG THE EAST COAST IS STILL BLOCKED BY A SLIP, WHILE THE SMALL COMMUNITY OF TOKOMARU BAY IS CLEANING UP AFTER TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. SEAN HOGAN REPORTS. WITH THE NEARBY WAIOTU STREAM OVERWHELMED, IT FORGED A NEW PATH THROUGH HATEA-A-RANGI SCHOOL. WELL, WE'VE DEFINITELY EXPERIENCED A LOT OF SHOCK. A FEW TEARS HAVE BEEN SHED, BUT NOW IT'S JUST DOWN TO THE MAHI. CARPETS, CLASSROOMS AND COURTYARDS CAKED WITH SILT AND MUD. WE DON'T KNOW WHERE SOME OF THE FLOODWATER HAS BEEN, SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NICE AND CLEAN AND HYGIENIC FOR OUR TAMARIKI TO RETURN TO SCHOOL. ACROSS THE STREAM, WATER AND DEBRIS PUSHING DOWN ARTHUR ST, FLATTENING FENCES AND FLOODING FOUR HOMES. THERE'S NO MONITORING ON THAT RIVER JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE. I MEAN, THAT'S NOT A RIVER I'VE SEEN FLOOD, AND I'M FROM TE PUEA. PARTS OF EAST CAPE RECEIVED 220MM OF RAIN OVER THE WEEKEND. 50MM FELL IN AN HOUR ON SUNDAY, CAUSING RESIDENTS IN LOW-LYING HOMES TO GET OUT FAST. THE RAIN'S BEEN SO HEAVY. THE RIVER IS TOO CLOSE TO OUR HOUSE. POSSESSIONS MOVED TO HIGHER GROUND AS PARTS OF THE SMALL TOWN DROWNED UNDER RELENTLESS RAIN. EVEN THOUGH IT EASED DOWN A LITTLE BIT YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, WE HAD RAIN AGAIN LAST NIGHT. SO UP IN POTAKA, STATE HIGHWAY 35 HAD A MASSIVE SLIP. IT'S BEEN QUITE LOCALISED, QUITE HEAVY IN PARTS, AND THAT'S WHAT'S CONTRIBUTED TO WHAT'S HAPPENED HERE. THE COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER TO PLAN THE RECOVERY ` LOCAL MP KIRI ALLAN BACK FROM CANCER TREATMENT AND LENDING A HAND. FOR THOSE WHANAU THAT HAVE BEEN DISPLACED, I JUST... OUR AROHA IS WITH YOU. WITH THE SUN OUT, THE MOP-UP COULD BEGIN. HOME LEARNING IMPLEMENTED UNTIL THE SCHOOL CAN SAFELY OPEN. COS WE WANNA STAY POSITIVE, BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT NEXT YEAR, WE'RE 150 YEARS, SO WE HOPE THAT WAIOTU DIDN'T WASH AWAY THAT DREAM. TOKOMARU BAY HOPING THE SUNSHINE WILL STICK AROUND. SEAN HOGAN, 1 NEWS. THE CLEAN-UP CONTINUES THREE DAYS AFTER A DEADLY TORNADO TORE THROUGH THE AUCKLAND SUBURB OF PAPATOETOE. TONIGHT, MOST HOMES HAVE HAD THEIR POWER RESTORED, BUT DOZENS OF HOUSES HAVE BEEN DESTROYED. VANDHNA BHAN HAS MORE. THESE PAPATOETOE STREETS ARE A COLLECTION OF BROKEN TILES, DOWNED FENCES, AND TARPAULIN-CLAD ROOFS. THIS PARTIALLY BUILT HOUSE IS ONLY HELD UP BY A NEIGHBOURING VAN. THAT ONE IS HOLDING THE HOUSE. AS SOON AS I OPENED THE DOOR, IT STARTS MAKING NOISE. 62 HOMES SO FAR HAVE BEEN DEEMED UNINHABITABLE, LIKE THIS TOWNHOUSE COMPLEX BEHIND ME MARKED WITH A RED CARD. BUT HUNDREDS MORE HAVE BEEN DAMAGED. THE TORNADO RIPPED THROUGH THE AREA ON SATURDAY MORNING, PLUCKING TREES FROM THE GROUND, SPARKING POWER LINE EXPLOSIONS, AND TEARING FACADES OFF HOMES, BUT IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR THE COMMUNITY TO RESPOND TO THE DISASTER. WHEN WE FOUND OUT THAT THE INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED, SO WE CLOSED ALL OUR BUSINESS JUST TO HELP PEOPLE SECURE THEIR HOUSES, AT LEAST, AND THEY CAN LIVE IN THE HOUSE. RAJU AND OVER 60 OF HIS WORKERS BOUGHT TARPS AND STARTED SECURING DOWN ROOFS. ONCE WE STARTED ONE, THE NEXT ONE CAME AND SAID, 'CAN YOU PLEASE DO MINE? CAN YOU PLEASE DO MINE?' SO WE FINISHED ABOUT 8 O'CLOCK ON SATURDAY NIGHT. WORKING THROUGH TILL TODAY, THEY'VE COVERED NEARLY 70 ROOFS AND FIXED OVER 20 FENCES FOR FREE, WITH PLANS TO HELP REBUILD HOMES. PEOPLE ARE STILL CALLING US, AND WE STILL SEND MY BOYS AROUND TO HELP THEM. AND SOME DON'T HAVE INSURANCE, SO WE'RE PLANNING TO HELP THEM AS WELL. AND IT'S NOT ABOUT MONEY. OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS ALSO ROLLING UP THEIR SLEEVES TO PITCH IN. THE SUPREME SIKH SOCIETY HAVE BEEN GOING DOOR-TO-DOOR, CLEANING DEBRIS, TALKING TO RESIDENTS, AND DELIVERING OVER 1000 FOOD PARCELS. THE BASIC PRINCIPLE FOR SIKHISM IS TO HELP OTHERS, SHARE WITH OTHERS, AND FOOD IS ONE OF THE IMPORTANT PART OF THE RELIGION TO HELP WITH. FOR MANY IN THIS COMMUNITY WITH FAMILIES IN FIJI NOW SUFFERING THE GROWING COVID PANDEMIC, THIS IS A DOUBLE WHAMMY. IT'S REALLY SAD BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE ARE SENDING MONEY TO FIJI EVERY WEEK TO HELP THEIR FAMILIES OUT, AND NOW THEY'RE KIND OF STUCK. AND THE BORDER CLOSURES ARE MAKING IT HARDER FOR THE FAMILIES IN FIJI WHO HAVE LOST A LOVED ONE HERE. OVER 60,000 HAS BEEN RAISED THROUGH GIVEALITTLE FOR JANESH PRASAD'S WIFE AND KIDS. HE DIED AT THE PORTS OF AUCKLAND CONTAINER YARD IN WIRI. WE'RE EXPECTING A BIG CROWD ON WEDNESDAY FOR THE FUNERAL. AND THE COSTS OF THAT FAREWELL HAVE ALSO BEEN COVERED. THESE GOOD SAMARITANS GIVING THE COMMUNITY ALL THEY'VE GOT AS THE MAMMOTH CLEAN-UP JOB IS JUST BEGINNING. VANDHNA BHAN, 1 NEWS. TRANSGENDER WEIGHTLIFTER LAUREL HUBBARD'S BEEN CONFIRMED IN THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM FOR TOKYO, MAKING HER THE FIRST TRANSGENDER ATHLETE TO MAKE THE GAMES. HER SELECTION HAS MADE HEADLINES AROUND THE GLOBE. HERE'S ANDREW SAVILLE. (YELLS) OH DEAR ME. THE ELBOW. THE ELBOW. LAUREL HUBBARD'S INTERNATIONAL CAREER LOOKED LIKE COMING TO A PAINFUL END AT THE GOLD COAST COMMONWEALTH GAMES THREE YEARS AGO. BUT HUBBARD RE-EMERGED IN 2019, AND EARLY LAST YEAR, DOING ENOUGH TO QUALIFY FOR TOKYO. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO NOTE THAT LAUREL HAS MET THE NEW ZEALAND OLYMPIC COMMITTEE SELECTION CRITERIA BASED ON PERFORMANCE, AND IMPORTANTLY, LAUREL HAS MET THE INTERNATIONAL WEIGHTLIFTING FEDERATION ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR ATHLETES WHO HAVE TRANSITIONED FROM MALE TO FEMALE. THE 43-YEAR-OLD IS A GENUINE MEDAL PROSPECT IN THE 87 KILO PLUS DIVISION. THIS ISN'T AROUND OPINION, THIS IS AROUND THE SELECTION POLICIES AND CRITERIA. WE'RE PROUD TO HAVE FOLLOWED THAT THROUGH. IT WILL DIVIDE PEOPLE. THERE'LL BE HARD CONVERSATIONS. THAT'S JUST THE WORLD WE LIVE IN. MEDICAL AND SPORT EXPERTS SPOKEN TO BY 1 NEWS SAY THE IOC AND WEIGHTLIFTING RULES ARE THE ISSUE. HUBBARD'S TESTOSTERONE LEVELS HAVE TO BE UNDER A CERTAIN AMOUNT, BUT SOME ARGUE THAT'S UNFAIR. FEMALES USUALLY HAVE MINIMAL TESTOSTERONE, WELL BELOW HUBBARD'S LEVELS. OTHERS SAY THE ADVANTAGE IS MORE MUSCLE MASS, HEIGHT AND LONG LEVERS. SOMEONE WHO'S HAD TESTOSTERONE FOR 35 YEARS OF THEIR LIFE COMPETING AGAINST SOMEONE WHO'S HAD MAYBE ONE-TENTH OF EVEN THAT AMOUNT OF TESTOSTERONE ` IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. FORMER LIFTER LAMBRECHTS IS PART OF THE 'SAVE WOMEN'S SPORT AUSTRALASIA' GROUP, WHICH IS URGING THE GOVERNMENT AND SPORT NZ TO REVIEW THE RULES. I REALLY THINK THAT AFTER 2018, SOMEONE SHOULD'VE DONE SOMETHING. THINGS COULD'VE BEEN DONE A LOT BETTER MAKING HER LIFE EASIER, BUT ALSO THE LIFE OF OUR OTHER ATHLETES A LOT EASIER. WELL, IT'S A DEBATE EVERY DAY, ISN'T IT? I DON'T KNOW THERE'S A SINGLE ANSWER. BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, SOME ATHLETES ARE FIRMLY AGAINST THE SELECTION, BUT HAVE BEEN TOLD NOT TO COMMENT. LAUREL HUBBARD DIDN'T APPEAR TODAY, BUT IS LIKELY TO FRONT AT THE OLYMPICS. (YELLS) HUBBARD'S SELECTION AND ENTRY INTO THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES WAS A DISTRACTION THREE YEARS AGO. EXPECT THAT TO BE ELEVATED, EITHER WAY, TO NEW LEVELS IN TOKYO. SO WHERE DOES LAUREL HUBBARD RANK AMONGST THE OTHER COMPETITORS IN HER DIVISION? THE BEST LIFTER IN THE WORLD AT THE MOMENT IS CHINA'S LI WEN WEN. THAT'S HER COMBINED TOTAL FROM THE TWO LIFTING DISCIPLINES AT THE ASIAN CHAMPS. RUSSIA'S DOPING BAN MEANS THEIR BEST ATHLETE WON'T BE IN TOKYO. NORTH KOREA HAVE PULLED OUT, SO THERE GOES KIM KUK HYANG. UKRAINE'S BEST LIFTER COULD ALSO MISS OUT BECAUSE OF THAT COUNTRY'S DOPING VIOLATIONS. THAT LEAVES AMERICAN SARAH ROBLES AS THE OTHER COMPETITION TO HUBBARD, WHOSE 285-COMBINED, PUTS HER RIGHT IN CONTENTION FOR A MEDAL ON CURRENT FORM. STILL TO COME ` A HORRIFIC CAR CRASH IN THE U.S. KILLS NINE CHILDREN. WHAT CAUSED THE TRAGEDY. PLUS, THE ALL BLACKS NAME THEIR NEW CAPTAIN AND SQUAD TO TAKE ON FIJI AND TONGA. 10 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED, INCLUDING NINE CHILDREN, AFTER AN 18-CAR PILE-UP ON A U.S. HIGHWAY. THE CARS SLAMMED INTO EACH OTHER IN ALABAMA. SOME THEN BURST INTO FLAMES. MANY OF THE CHILDREN KILLED WERE TRAVELLING FROM A RANCH THAT HELPS VULNERABLE KIDS. A TROPICAL STORM MOVING THROUGH THE AREA IS BELIEVED TO HAVE MADE THE ROAD SLIPPERY. AN INVESTIGATION IS UNDERWAY. PEOPLE COME HERE SEARCHING FOR A BETTER LIFE, BETTER PAY AND A CHANCE TO START OVER. BUT SOME THINK OUR PRE-COVID LEVELS OF IMMIGRATION HAS PARTLY CONTRIBUTED TO CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE AND AN OVERHEATED HOUSING MARKET. SO FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 30 YEARS, A MASS REVIEW OF OUR IMMIGRATION SETTINGS IS UNDERWAY. KATIE BRADFORD HAS DETAILS. THIS PHD CANDIDATE WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ONE OF JUST 250 INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS WELCOMED TO AOTEAROA IN MARCH. IT WAS LIKE A DREAM COMING TRUE. THAT DREAM IS TO STAY HERE FOR THREE YEARS, STUDYING AND WORKING. I DON'T FIND ANY DISCRIMINATION ON MIGRANTS. AND I FEEL MIGRANTS DO A LOT. THEY ARE HARMONISED WITH NEW ZEALANDERS. PRIOR TO COVID, MIGRATION SKYROCKETED. IN APRIL 2010, NET MIGRATION WAS OVER 13,000. 10 YEARS LATER, IT'D GROWN TO 90,000. AND THE RESULTS OF COVID ` CLEAR NOW. JUST 6000. THE GOVERNMENT USING THE PANDEMIC AS A RESET ` ASKING THE PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION TO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR ENTIRE IMMIGRATION SYSTEM. IS THAT GOOD FOR US WHO UPROOT THEIR LIVES TO COME TO NEW ZEALAND, TO BE IN THOSE TEMPORARY AND OFTEN CAN BE LOW-SKILLED JOBS? OR DO WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING TO TRAIN OUR DOMESTIC WORKFORCE? IN THE PAST THERE'S BEEN LOTS OF DIFFERENT PURPOSES, FUNCTIONS OR OBJECTIVES OF IMMIGRATION. LOOKING AHEAD, IT'S A QUESTION OF WHICH OF THOSE FUNCTIONS, WHICH OF THOSE PURPOSES ARE GOING TO BE MOST IMPORTANT. IN RECENT YEARS, THE FOCUS HAS BEEN ON USING MIGRANTS TO FILL SKILLS SHORTAGES. GONE FROM 100,000 TEMPORARY WORK VISAS TO 200,000 IN THE SPACE OF 10 YEARS. BUT THERE'S CONCERN WE MAY HAVE BECOME TOO DEPENDENT ON THAT. MIGRATION CONTRIBUTES POSITIVELY TO NEW ZEALAND, BUT THE PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION NEED TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE ISSUES. DO MIGRANTS SUBSTITUTE FOR NEW ZEALANDERS? DO THEY SUPPRESS WAGES? HOW MANY IS TOO MANY? HOW MANY IS ABOUT RIGHT? AND THERE'S BEEN A FAILURE TO PLAN FOR THE IMPACT ON INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSING AND THE ENVIRONMENT. HIGH POPULATION GROWTH COMBINED WITH THE IMMIGRANTS HAS INCREASED DEMAND FOR ALL SORTS OF THINGS. NEW ZEALAND'S POPULATION HAS GROWN FASTER THAN MANY DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. WE SAW A SPIKE IN THE LATE '80s AND AGAIN FROM 2013. SO THERE MAY BE LIMITS PUT ON MIGRATION LEVELS, OR CHANGES MADE TO CATEGORIES. WE'D BE LOOKING MORE AT A RANGE OR MAKING A RANGE OF SCENARIOS RATHER THAN ONE SPECIFIC NUMBER BECAUSE IT REALLY DOES DEPEND ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE OR THE INVESTMENT. YOU CAN HAVE YOUR SAY ON HOW NEW ZEALAND SHOULD LOOK FOR THE NEXT 30 YEARS. SUBMISSIONS CLOSE AT THE END OF DECEMBER. KATIE BRADFORD, 1 NEWS. VETERAN LOCK SAM WHITELOCK IS TO TAKE OVER AS ALL BLACKS CAPTAIN. THE 122-TEST VETERAN WILL LEAD THE ALL BLACKS NEXT MONTH WHEN THEY TAKE ON FIJI AND TONGA. I HAVE LED THE TEAM BEFORE AND REALLY ENJOYED THE CHALLENGE THAT COMES WITH IT. IT'S GONNA BE DIFFERENT THIS TIME, JUST BECAUSE SAM IS OUT FOR A LITTLE BIT, AND IT'S NEVER NICE TO HAVE SOMEONE OUT THROUGH INJURY, BUT LOOKING FORWARD TO TRYING TO PROVE MYSELF, FIRST OF ALL, PLAY GOOD RUGBY AND THEN HOPEFULLY HELP OUT THE TEAM WHERE I CAN THROUGH MY OWN PERSONAL LEADERSHIP. SO, YEAH, EXCITED ABOUT IT. WHITELOCK REPLACES SAM CANE WHO IS STILL RECOVERING FROM SURGERY ON A PECTORAL INJURY. FOUR DEBUTANTS WERE ALSO NAMED. BLUES HALFBACK FINLAY CHRISTIE ALONG WITH THE CRUSADERS' ETHAN BLACKADDER, CHIEFS' QUINN TUPAEA AND HIGHLANDERS FRONT ROWER ETHAN DE GROOT ARE ALL JOINING THE 36-MAN SQUAD. TO CRICKET NOW ` AND WET WEATHER'S HIT PAUSE TO THE START OF DAY FOUR OF THE WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL. OUR BOWLING DOMINANCE LAST NIGHT, THOUGH, PUTTING THE BLACK CAPS IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT FOR WHEN PLAY RESUMES. INDIA'S ALL OUT FOR 217. NEW ZEALAND SITTING ON 101/2. JUST AHEAD ` YOUR FORECAST. AND THE STORMY WEATHER IS EASING. PLUS, TIME TO FIX THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION'S SOLAR PANELS. # TURN IT ON IN A NEW KIND OF BRIGHT. IT'S SOLAR. Reckon I could jump from there? - Pretty high. - THINKS: Hmmm... If I get hurt, who's gonna take me to the toilet? I'm so sorry, bro. (SIGHS) TO TOMORROW'S WEATHER, WITH JUSTIN WELLINGTON AND 'IKO IKO'. # SMALL JAM ALONGSIDE JW. # MY BESTIE AND YOUR BESTIE # SIT DOWN BY THE FIRE. # YOUR BESTIE SAY SHE WAN' PARTY, SO CAN WE MAKE THESE FLAMES GO HIGHER? # TALKING 'BOUT HEY NOW, HEY NOW, # IKO, IKO A NAE. (VOCALISES) # START MY TRUCK. LET'S ALL JUMP IN. HERE WE GO TOGETHER. # NICE COOL BREEZE AND BIG PALM TREES ` # I TELL YOU, LIFE DON'T GET NO BETTER. # TALKING 'BOUT HEY NOW, HEY NOW, # IKO, IKO A NAE. (VOCALISES) # A KEIA MAMANG GWELE STEP ON THE DANCIN' FLOOR. # HIPS BE WINDIN', DJ REWINDIN'. TAKE IT TO THE ISLAND WAY. # KEIO BABY MAMA, PUT ON YOUR DANCIN' SHOES. # ONE DROP IT, POP IT LOW NOW, TAKE IT TO THE MAX NOW. # JAMMIN' THE SMALL JAM WAY. THAT'S ALMOST IT FROM US HERE ON TONIGHT. ON THE NIGHT OF THE WINTER SOLSTICE, WE'LL LEAVE YOU NOW WITH SOME SPACE-WALKING ASTRONAUTS INSTALLING SOLAR PANELS ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. THANKS FOR WATCHING. GOODNIGHT ` PO MANAHAU. # TURN IT ON IN A NEW KIND OF BRIGHT. IT'S SOLAR. # COME ON AND LET THE BLISS BEGIN. # BLINK THREE TIMES WHEN YOU FEEL IT KICKING IN. (LORDE'S 'SOLAR POWER' CONTINUES) CAPTIONS BY KATE PARKINSON AND MICHAELA CORNELIUS CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2021