Stories by Nita Blake-Persen

The skyrocketing number of children living in motels is being called a 'moral failure' by the National party.

There was an increase of 280 tamariki in motels in the three months to September - now… Audio

The government is running out of motels to place families in as the housing crisis reaches record levels, with children among those hardest hit.

There are now 4512 children living in motels - an… Audio

As Te Tai Tokerau prepares to move down alert levels, a Whangārei doctor is pleading with people to get vaccinated - saying the effects of not doing so, will be absolutely devastating.

There are… Audio

The serious fraud office has started looking into businesses which may have abused the wage subsidy scheme.

More than three billion dollars has been paid out in the latest round of subsidies.

The… Audio

A new Northland town has popped up as a Covid-19 location of interest.

The AA driver and vehicle licensing centre in Kerikeri is believed to be linked to the two Auckland women who travelled North… Audio

There are fears Covid may be spreading undetected in Northland after a second woman who visited illegally from Auckland tested positive for the virus.

She was tracked down by police officers last… Audio

Northland will stay in level three until at least Thursday. Residents there are becoming increasingly frustrated as they try to figure out the movements of a Covid positive Auckland woman who visited… Video, Audio

Waiheke and Aotea Great Barrier islands are out of bounds for Aucklanders wanting to get out of the city under eased lockdown restrictions.

Borders are being put in place, meaning only residents and… Audio

Waiheke Islanders want to break from Auckland's lockdown and bring in a localised border.

The island has never had a case of Covid-19, and locals fear that the easing of alert level restrictions… Audio

A pause on the housing market during the latest lockdowns is unlikely to be enough to increase affordability.

Latest figures show in the year to August, all major centres saw house prices rise, with… Audio

The former Ports of Auckland boss brought in lawyers to negotiate his exit payout of nearly $1 million, but any details as to why he was given the money remain under wraps.

Auckland's Mayor Phil Goff… Video, Audio

The wage subsidies bill for the latest lockdowns across Aotearoa has reached $2.5 billion, but requests for support are dropping as restrictions ease.

Nita Blake-Persen has the story.  Audio

It's game on in Tai Tokerau, where rugby clubs and Māori health providers are teaming up to make Northland the first province with 90 percent of people vaccinated against Covid-19.

A new initiative… Audio

Some businesses on Tāmaki Makaurau's northern border say things are so quiet they fear they may go extinct - and desperately want a travel corridor to keep them moving.

RNZ Tai Tokerau reporter Nita… Audio

New Zealanders wanting to welcome refugees into their community will be able to apply for a new sponsorship visa from next month.

The sponsorship programme is part of an expanded trial, in which… Audio

Businesses worried about ongoing lockdowns are being encouraged to get their staff vaccinated to prevent further lockdowns.

Covid-19 immunisations are progressing at a record rate, but with Delta… Audio

Tourism operators in Te Tai Tokerau are feeling the strain as holiday makers remain blocked from driving through Auckland's level 4 lockdown.

A new direct flight between Kerikeri and Wellington is… Audio

Northlanders wanting to head beyond Auckland for a holiday have been given a ticket out of town thanks to a new Air New Zealand flight.

The airline has announced a direct Kerikeri to Wellington… Audio

The government's wage subsidies bill has passed $1.2 billion.

The payout is supporting 838,000 employees, 117,000 self-employed people and 242,000 businesses.

The highest number of supported workers… Audio

Trips to and from Northland look set to remain highly restricted, despite the region's drop in alert levels.

Northland will join the rest of the country - apart from Auckland - at alert level 2 at… Audio

The Maritime Union is furious outgoing Ports of Auckland chief executive Tony Gibson has been paid nearly $1.8 million before leaving the company.

Gibson, who resigned in May, is facing health and… Video, Audio

The number of pensioners getting superannuation payments while son income of more than $200,000 has more than tripled over the past decade.

Superannuitants are the largest group of beneficiaries in… Audio

The latest Covid-19 cases have rocked the Coromandel Peninsula, where hundreds of people have today been tested and the community's set up its own roadblock.

The man who first tested positive for… Audio

Students at Dargaville High School are swapping the classroom for a construction site to build desperately-needed public houses for the North.

The school is churning out beautifully made homes for… Video, Audio

Recovering meth addicts in the Far North are begging the government to boost local resources to help kick the drug.

Former users from across the motu have been visiting Kaitaia in a push to support… Audio