Media monitoring

What’s on RNZ News at 8am – Nov 29

Transpower plans to install spikes on its towers near the Topuni River in Northland in a bid to stop birds perching there in hopes of preventing further power outages; and refugees being held in offshore detention by Australia could be sent to New Zealand under a deal between the Australian Government and Opposition MP.

1.The widow of the pilot of the plane that crashed into Mt Erebus 40 years ago says an apology from the government and Air New Zealand took her completely by surprise.Maria Collins was at Government House on Thursday when Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern apologised to families for failures and wrong decisions by Air New Zealand - which was wholly owned by the government at the time - both up to and after the disaster in which 257 people died.

2. Teams of vaccinators are preparing to head out across Samoa as health authorities try and get ontop of the deadly measles outbreak. More people are expected to die with officials warning the worst is yet to come.

3.Refugees being held in offshore detention by Australia could be sent to New Zealand under a deal between the Australian Government and Opposition MP.

4.The Hepatitis Foundation has called in the auditors as it pushes back against an investigation's highly critical findings of extravagant spending.The foundation has been put on notice with a threat of being referred to the Attorney-General if the chairperson and trustees don't resign by Monday.

5.The Education Ministry is dismissing a union safety concerns over school buses saying its disappointed parents were unduly alarmed. First Union tried to delay the tenders of thousands of school bus routes over the process for checking bus safety.

6. Northland Maori have been told the Government is working to free up the rules blocking papakāinga housing projects.

7. Transpower plans to install spikes on its towers near the Topuni River in Northland in a bid to stop birds perching there in hopes of preventing further power outages.The national grid operator is blaming bird droppings for tripping a high-voltage circuit breaker that caused a major power cut on Wednesday morning.

8. The New Zealand First leaders privacy lawsuit against civil servants has so far cost tax payers more than $500,000. This month Winston Peters sued two former National minsters, two top public servants and the Ministry for Social Development.

ENDS