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Today’s content

Government gambles with Level 3 move
Matthew Hooton (Herald):  Jacinda Ardern rolls the dice on level 3 (paywalled)
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Level 3 ’till Christmas’: Government’s great gamble
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Jacinda Ardern’s elimination gamble, as 300,000 people head to work (paywalled)
Luke Malpass (Stuff): If Auckland isn’t in level 2 in two weeks, elimination will have all but failed
Barry Soper (Stuff):  Don’t expect Govt to admit elimination strategy has been scrapped
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Whole country could see restrictions until Christmas if virus isn’t stamped out in Auckland
Michael Plank and Shaun Hendy (The Conversation): New Zealand government takes a calculated risk to relax Auckland’s lockdown while new cases continue to appear
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern says it’s ‘within our power’ to ensure freedom from tight COVID-19 restrictions at Christmas
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Experts say Auckland moving to alert level 3 is a risk – but PM says Covid-19 can be eliminated
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Moving Auckland to alert level 3 a ‘calculated risk’ – experts
Emma Russell (Herald): Experts on Auckland’s move to alert level 3
Michael Neilson (Herald): Auckland moves to level 3, PM Jacinda Ardern urges ‘caution’
Danielle Clent (Stuff): Eliminating Delta from community hard but still feasible, experts say
1 News: ‘Only takes one case’ – Michael Baker issues warning as Auckland eyes Level 3
1 News: Dropping Auckland to Level 3 ‘a calculated risk’ – Covid-19 modeller
Herald Editorial: A measure of relief for Auckland, but Waikato was let down
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): This lockdown isn’t working
Todd Niall (Stuff): Aucklanders show the power of community commitment
Ben Leahy (Herald): Mayor says move to level 3 relief for strained Aucklanders
Ben Leahy (Herald): Auckland’s lockdown compared to Sydney and Melbourne
RNZ: What you need to know: Updated alert levels for Auckland, Waikato, rest of NZ
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): Auckland is heading into alert level three. How do the rules change?
Emma Russell (Herald): Auckland moves to level 3 – what does that mean for you?
RNZ: Covid-19 wrap for 20 September: Auckland to leave alert level 4
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Philip Hill, Tony McFall and Kurt Krause (Newsroom): A ‘next level’ plan for Covid in 2022
Richard Harman (Politik): Government reviewing Covid strategies (paywalled)

Waikato outbreak
George Block (Stuff): Corrections deemed Black Power member who caught Covid-19 unsuitable for bail
Katie Scotcher (RNZ): Timeline: How Covid-19 left Auckland with a man on bail
Michael Morrah (Newshub): Prisoner at centre of Waikato COVID outbreak appears to have breached multiple bail conditions
Herald: Infected prisoner made four stops before arriving at bail address
George Block (Stuff): Covid-positive prisoner made four stops on way to bail address, Corrections says
RNZ: Remand prisoner likely infected en route to Firth of Thames residence
RNZ: Evidence Waikato Covid-19 cases likely linked to current cluster – Robertson
RNZ: Bailing prisoner outside region ‘totally irresponsible’ – Waikato District Mayor
Lawrence Gullery (Stuff): Waikato leaders angry at Government officials for allowing man to bring coronavirus across border
Taroi Black (Māori TV): ‘Man did not have Covid-19 while he was in prison’ – Correction says
Herald: Ministry of Health believes prisoner was infected in Auckland
John Weekes (Herald): Mt Eden prisoner mysteries continue – but Auckland infection likely, officials say
1 News: ‘How the heck?’ Mayor frustrated after Covid case let out of Auckland
Newstalk ZB: How did this happen? Waikato Mayor and Corrections Vice President both have questions on how a remanded prisoner got Covid across the border
Amy Williams (RNZ): Waikato community waiting anxiously for Covid-19 test results after remand prisoner crosses Auckland border
1 News: Strong testing turnout in northern Waikato after Covid cases detected
Mina Kerr-Lazenby (Stuff): Mangatangi School is Waikato location of interest in Delta outbreak
Lana Andelane and Lydia Lewis (Newshub): COVID-positive remand prisoner likely not isolated on arrival, immediately isolating prisoners ‘ideal’ but not ‘practical’ – CANZ
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Robb Kidd (ODT): Report finds multiple Covid protocol failures at Otago Corrections Facility

Border, MIQ, immigration
RNZ: Checkpoint: Thousands more MIQ vouchers to come – MIQ deputy CEO
RNZ: Tears and cheers as thousands miss spots in MIQ offering
Tom Hunt and Charlie Gates (Stuff): November and December MIQ spots gone in 67 minutes, thousands miss out
Marty Sharpe (Stuff): One of the lucky ones – Napier man secures one of 3000 MIQ spots for his wife 
Luke Robinson (Newshub): Frustration sets in for Kiwi athletes after missing out on MIQ spaces
Brent Melville (BusinessDesk): MIQ system ‘solves nothing’: 25k people for 3,200 rooms (paywalled)
Brittney Deguara (Stuff): MIQ booking system a ‘joke’, leaving family in Melbourne heartbroken, hopeless
Miriam Burrell (Herald): Queue for ‘virtual lobby’ MIQ booking system tops 22,000
Daniel Faitaua (1 News): Massive demand for MIQ lobby system: ‘Bloody nightmare’
Matthew Scott (Newsroom): The desperate 27,000 in the MIQ lobby
Brent Thomas (Herald): Fixing the MIQ booking system – let’s use more of travel agents’ expertise (paywalled)
Anne Gibson (Herald): 18,500 extra NZ hotels rooms should be used – expert (paywalled)
Chris Keall (Herald): Boss of Larry Page-based air taxi startup Wisk has answer to MIQ scramble
1 News: MIQ spot granted to family of man whose daughters were killed in Timaru
Daniel Smith (Stuff): MIQ difficulties forcing workers out of the country
Herewini Waikato (Māori TV): Whakarewarewa Village Rotorua: ‘No MIQ on our back door-step thanks’  
Michael Gebicki (Stuff): The countries where unvaccinated travellers are banned
Alan Granville (Stuff): Air New Zealand’s Australian quarantine flights sell out in three minutes
Dan Lake (Newshub): Australian MIQ spots sell out in three minutes, with some flights only having 10 seats available

Vaccine rollout
Stephen Croucher, Doug Ashwell, Jo Cullinane (The Conversation): New Zealand has ramped up vaccination rates, but too many people remain concerned about vaccine safety
RNZ: Auckland could reach 90 percent first dose vaccination milestone in two weeks – Ardern
Bridie Witton (Stuff): 90 per cent or higher vaccination coverage will bring fewer restrictions, Jacinda Ardern says
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Fewer than 27k doses given on Sunday amid push to get Akl jabbed
RNZ: Māori King and other leaders endorse Pfizer vaccine
Oriini Kaipara (Newshub): Māori King Kīngi Tūheitia, Sir Tumu Te Heuheu join chorus for Māori to get vaccinated amid efforts to lift Māori vaccination rates
Māori TV: Waikato-Tainui, Tuwharetoa leaders call for Māori to get the jab
Troels Sommerville (Stuff): Unvaccinated over-65s asked to stay home when Auckland drops alert levels
Rod Jackson, David Thomason and Paul Catmur (Herald): The 90% Project – Behaviour change experts: 21 tips to help NZ get vaccinated
Herald: One Auckland councillor’s finger lickin’ idea to get Aucklanders vaccinated
Karina Cooper (Northern Advocate): Northland doctors sign letter alongside 5000 Kiwi health experts backing vaccine
RNZ: Mandatory vaccination order under spotlight in High Court
Stuff: Sacked border worker didn’t give a reason for not having vaccine 
Herald: New vaccination bus Shot Cuzz hits Auckland streets
Lucy Craymer (Stuff): Vaccine diplomacy swings in Pacific nations’ favour

Contact tracing, testing
Herald: Waikato DHB to fast-track Covid test results
Jo Lines-MacKenzie (Stuff):  ‘Level 4 anxiety’ as Waikato residents line up to be tested

Alert level rules, compliance, enforcement
RNZ: Gang associates nabbed by cops on border run with cash and KFC
Herald: Gang members caught at Auckland border with $100,000 cash – and KFC
Dubby Henry, Zoe Holland and Craig Kapitan (Herald): Judith Collins filmed without mask at Queenstown business
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Face mask exemptions ignored in their hundreds due to ‘lack of awareness’
Katie Harris (Herald): Pair who allegedly absconded from Auckland to Wellington granted interim name suppression
Stuff: Man charged over travel from Auckland to Wellington in lockdown denied bail
Vera Alves (Stuff): Neighbours dob in family over gathering that turned out to be Zoom birthday party
Sarah Templeton (Newshub): Wellington homewares store owner says sign ‘welcoming’ maskless shoppers wasn’t ‘discouraging’ mask use
RNZ: Cutting through the back paddock – ‘isolated’ border breach attempts
Amy Wiggins and Zoe Holland (Herald): Grieving aunt told she would be arrested if she attended niece’s funeral
Stuff: Anger over Auckland students heading to class in Tauranga
Liz McDonald (Stuff): Police investigating door-to-door vaccination scam 

Business, economy
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Business leaders should be cautious giving prescription for Delta 
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Business leader calls for ‘flexible’ level 3 in Auckland to boost economy, experts wary
Liam Dann (Herald):  Level 3 brings big drop in economic cost … and a lifeline for business (paywalled)
Jason Walls (Newstalk ZB): Not a single cent more for podcasts, poetry and picture books in the name of ‘Covid recovery‘
Rahul Bhattarai (Herald): Business groups welcome Level 3 in Auckland
Daniel Smith (Stuff): Business: ‘Relief cannot be overstated’
Andre Chumko and Nadine Porter (Stuff): Hospitality, arts sectors breathe ‘sigh of relief’ as 50-person cap raised to 100
Nadine Porter (Stuff): New gathering limit under ‘Delta level 2’ a mixed bag for businesses 
Verity Johnson (Stuff): No one can afford to be complacent about helping Hospo 
Herald: Level 4 has been a ‘nightmare’ for small businesses
Anne Gibson (Herald): Auckland construction workforce back on tools by Wednesday (paywalled)
Louisa Steyl (Stuff): Alert level changes bring little relief to Southland
Justin Connolly (Newsroom): Wellbeing budgets not a PR exercise
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Commerce Commission charges against Bunnings dismissed
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): The battle of Highland Park: Supermarkets in stand-off despite public promise
Marine Lourens (Stuff): Booze baron Harjit Singh’s company stripped of liquor licences after underpaying staff

Housing
Rebecca Macfie (North & South): The Great Divide
No Right Turn: Expropriate the house hoarders
Cass Marrett (Renews): How the housing market got so cooked
RNZ: Hundreds apply for fixed-price homes at Wainuiomata housing initiative
RNZ: Hastings state housing project delayed by squeeze on construction supply chain
Carmen Hall (Herald): Rising cost of Tauranga land, higher materials prices add $130k to average new home cost (paywalled)
RNZ: Unconsented work being overlooked in hot property market
Jenny Ruth (BusinessDesk): RBNZ to clobber first-home buyers with new LVR restrictions (paywalled)

AUKUS, foreign affairs, trade
Chris Trotter (Interest): A coalition of the waning
Robert G Patman (Stuff): Why Aukus is unlikely to halt China’s assertive foreign policy
Robert Scollay (Herald):  China and the CPTPP – right move, wrong timing? (paywalled)
Charles Finny (BusinessDesk): China’s CPTPP bid: What is Beijing up to? (paywalled)
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): The quiet figure behind New Zealand’s APEC success

National Party
1 News: Judith Collins ‘on her way out’ as National leader – commentator
Herald Editorial: Collins is an uneasy fit for National in these pandemic times
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Three senior staffers departing Judith Collins’ office
Claire Trevett (Herald): National MP Todd Muller on a ‘tough period,’ Judith Collins and his return to Parliament (paywalled)

Parliament
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Grant Duncan, the academic behind Stuff-Massey University Election Survey, wins top Australasian award
Piers Fuller (Stuff): Labour MP Kieran McAnulty’s famous old red ute put out to pasture 

Afghanistan
1 News: Families of Afghan interpreters ‘scared and in hiding’
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Desperation grows as Government yet to make decisions on plight of Afghans 
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): David Seymour leads accidental ice cream-centred anti-Taliban protest

Health
Janine Rankin (Stuff): More than one in 10 emergency department patients do not wait
Stuff: Waikato DHB taking ‘cautious approach’ restricting visitors and services

Inequality
Susan St John (Daily Blog): Working for Families isn’t working for poor families
Justin Latif (Local Democracy Reporting): Closing the digital divide requires ‘constant attention’, say education experts

Justice, corrections
Anusha Bradley (RNZ): Judges can be appointed without ever attending an interview
Anusha Bradley (RNZ): Fears more judges presiding over cases of people they know
RNZ: The Detail: When Name Suppression Plays Favourites

Environment, Climate change
Lizzy Carmine (Guardian): New Zealand is not as clean or green as we think – plastic waste is polluting our land
RNZ: NZ criticised for abstention in vote on deepsea mining
Newstalk ZB: Disbelief from National that James Shaw intends to travel to Scotland
Rachael Kelly (Stuff): Water takes on the upper Mataura River are over-allocated
ODT: Mataura River above Gore over-allocated, ES says
Andrew Wilks (Newsroom): Three lockdown lessons for the environment
Maja Burry (RNZ): Invasive seaweed detected on Aotea/Great Barrier Island

Media
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Outdated Views? Andrea Vance On Sean Plunket
Gavin Ellis (Knightly Views): Trashing journalists is not in the public interest

LynMall attack
Jane Patterson (RNZ): Anti-terror law back before Parliament today, but faces opposition
Jennifer Foster (Herald): New Zealand should reflect on why it tried to deport the LynnMall terrorist (paywalled)

Education
Julie Bennett (Spinoff): Why improving air quality is key to preventing Covid outbreaks in schools
Daisy Hudson (ODT): OUMSA apologises for offensive jokes

Primary industries
RNZ: Ikea owner buys 5500ha of Otago farmland for forestry
Gianina Schwanecke (Herald): Forestry leaders slam study of impact by Wairoa and Tararua councils (paywalled)
Chloe Ranford (Local Democracy Reporting): Waste ‘footprint’ concern sees NZ King Salmon farm request rejected
Sally Murphy (RNZ): Lack of immigrant workers leaves farmers to rely on family
Sally Rae (ODT): Mother of All Protests on November 21

Local government
Tina Law (Stuff): Council seeks clarity over Government plans to manage three waters debt
Grant Miller (ODT): Gathering thoughts on water a struggle
Mike Yardley (Stuff): Suspend the Three Waters reforms. The numbers look ropey
Brianna Mcilraith (Stuff):New Plymouth District Council to consider feedback over Government’s Three Waters reforms
Paul Mitchell (Stuff): Tararua council working to resolve erosion and resource consent issues with Mangatainoka weir
Hamish McNeilly (Stuff): The council, the killer worm, and the legal stoush
Logan Savory (Stuff): Controversial recycling contract back on table for Invercargill City Council
Rachael Kelly (Stuff): Federated Farmers lays complaint with the Ombudsman over Environment Southland rates increase
Adam Burns (Local Democracy Reporting): ‘My kids work hard’ – Ashburton deputy mayor defends district’s young people
Moana Ellis (Local Democracy Reporting): Whanganui film office set up to boost economy, support local talent
RNZ: Destination Wairarapa stays put
Andrew Marshall (ODT): Dunedin’s heritage buildings receive $763,855 in funding
Andrew Marshall (ODT): Parking tickets earn council a pretty penny
ODT: Responding to public submissions
Craig Ashworth (Local Democracy Reporting): Iwi signs up with South Taranaki council for better relationship

Transport
Dave Armstrong (Stuff): The future is not more parking 
Jake Kenny (Stuff):Campaign for discounted student bus fares in Christchurch gathers pace
Adam Jacobson (Stuff): Auckland light rail: Trackless trams, rapid buses ‘not right’ for CBD to Māngere route
Simon Wilson (Herald):  Government’s really hard call for Auckland light rail (paywalled)

Other
Christina Stringer (Newsroom): Modern slavery: Time for NZ legislation
Melanie Carroll (Stuff): Demand jumps for job applicants who can speak te reo Māori
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Big power users turn up heat on Electricity Authority to deliver lower prices
Liu Chen (RNZ): Auckland single mum loses $200k to scammers posing as Chinese officials
Emma Hatton (RNZ): More supply chain woes as ferry capacity shrinks
RNZ: Man convicted of people trafficking and slavery takes case to Supreme Court
Hamish Rutherford (Herald): America’s Cup defence campaign: Mark Dunphy sees $40m shortfall part filled by more Government cash
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): America’s Cup: details of the Dunphy deal emerge (paywalled)
Craig Ashworth (Local Democracy Reporting): Cameras set to catch Pukerangiora Pā raiders