Checkpoint
Checkpoint with Lisa Owen is RNZ’s weekday drive-time news programme, Our people, stories and breaking news and interviews from 4-6pm.
Episodes
February 16, 2026 • 7 mins
Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen about Australia appointing a new federal opposition leader as the Liberal Party seeks to draw a line under disastrous polling showing its headed towards political annihilation if it can't turn its fortunes around.
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February 16, 2026 • 5 mins
News from the business sector, including a market report.
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February 16, 2026 • 3 mins
A former Kiwi rugby league star is fighting for his life after being shot in a drive-by. NRL premiership winner Matt Utai is believed to have been gunned down on a street in West Sydney. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.
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February 16, 2026 • 4 mins
A Westport dental clinic is struggling as it faces a major shortage. Wait times at the town's only adult dental practice are weeks long as the hunt for a second full time dentist drags on. Kawatiri Health's been trying to fill the hole since August 2024. It means some people are being forced to travel out of town. Kawatiri Health general manager Pauline Ansley spoke to Lisa Owen.
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February 16, 2026 • 9 mins
The country's first National Infrastructure Plan has been revealed, detailing an 'affordable' plan to tackle the country's infrastructure woes. It said building and maintaining infrastructure was becoming more expensive as climate change was making the natural hazard risks more severe. Minister for Infrastructure Chris Bishop spoke to Lisa Owen.
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February 16, 2026 • 4 mins
Canterbury has been hammered by heavy rain as the storm that caused havoc in the north swept along the South Island's east coast today, with more than 300 millimetres falling in some areas. A local state of emergency has now been declared for Banks Peninsula and State Highway 75 between Christchurch and Akaroa is still closed. People have been asked to conserve water on the peninsula and boil water notices are in place for Lit...
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February 16, 2026 • 7 mins
Hundreds of Auckland construction projects are in limbo after changes to residential building standards. Under the old medium density residential standards houses could go up three stories or eleven metres high without having to get a resource consent. But those rules were canned in October last year after a deal was struck between the council and the government. Now some developers are left with projects that do not meet the ...
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February 16, 2026 • 2 mins
A woman accused defrauding a man out of more than half a million-dollars in an alleged 18-year romance scam has appeared in court for the first time today. The Auckland woman, who has interim name suppression, was arrested last week after an investigation involving the Auckland City Police Financial Crimes Unit. Finn Blackwell reports.
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February 16, 2026 • 4 mins
Residents of an affluent east Auckland suburb fear their quiet lifestyle will be shattered by a three-storey development in the middle of their neighbourhood. The controversial development in Farm Cove was consented shortly before Auckland's planning rules changed in October last year. One resident sought legal advice, maintaining the development should no longer be allowed, and says there's been mixed messages from Council ab...
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February 16, 2026 • 3 mins
Some isolated Wairarapa residents are gutted they're cut off from their livelihoods and emergency services after a destructive storm ripped through the region on Sunday and Monday. Torrential rain and widespread flooding has washed out the Lake Ferry Road bridge over the Turangaui River - cutting off settlements in Ngawi, Lake Ferry and Cape Palliser. Meanwhile, thousands of homes are still without power across the Wairarapa r...
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February 16, 2026 • 4 mins
Former champions are teetering on the edge of an early exit and minnow nations are making history at the T20 Cricket World Cup. Amongst the upsets and surprises in the tournament hosted in India and Sri Lanka, the Black Caps can secure their place in the next stage of the competition with victory tonight. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.
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February 16, 2026 • 4 mins
A woman has been killed in a dog attack in the small Northland settlement of Kaihu. Police were called to a property about 11.30 this morning along with ambulance, the fire service and the Northland rescue helicopter. The woman, whose name hasn't been released, was dead when police arrived. Reporter Teuila Fuatai spoke to Lisa Owen about what a local resident had to say.
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February 16, 2026 • 6 mins
United States correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about the US increasing military presence near Iran ahead of a high stakes meeting between the two nations, as well as the search continuing for Nancy Guthrie as authorities ruled out family members as suspects.
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February 16, 2026 • 5 mins
A local state emergency is in place for Banks Peninsula. The town of Akaroa is completely cut off. Most of the Christchurch Akaroa Road is closed due to flooding and slips. A Boil Water Notice is now in place for Wainui and Little River on Banks Peninsula due to flood damage. Residents across the area are being asked to conserve water. Little River just outside of Christchurch has been hit hard, reporter Anna Sargent was there...
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February 15, 2026 • 4 mins
United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about health officials in the UK dealing with a growing measles outbreak in north-east London, as well as new analysis into the gender pay gap in the UK.
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February 15, 2026 • 3 mins
News from the business sector, including a market report.
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February 15, 2026 • 5 mins
The Winter Olympics has been hit with more controversy, as cheating allegations were thrown around across Curling teams. Sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe spoke to Lisa Owen.
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February 15, 2026 • 7 mins
The mother of a man who still has nerve damage more than a year after being hospitalised for huffing nitrous oxide and is unable to work in construction anymore is calling for tougher regulation around so called nangs. A mother, who doesn't want to be named, said her son was buying large quantities of Nitrous Oxide and thought he could manage his doses, but things got serious when he started losing his balance. She spoke to Li...
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February 15, 2026 • 4 mins
Fire and Emergency dealt with almost 800 callouts between midnight and this afternoon with more than 100 of those calls being for life threatening events or due to serious damage. Fire and Emergency Assistant National Commander Ken Cooper spoke to Lisa Owen.
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February 15, 2026 • 3 mins
Some homes in Wellington may be without power until the end of the week, with the capital battered by heavy gales and flooding today. The dramatic storm cut power to more than 30,000 properties across the entire lower North Island, shutting dozens of schools, prompting ongoing evacuations, causing slips and flooding streets. Ellen O'Dwyer reports.
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