Checkpoint

News from the business sector, including a market report.

Protesting could be banned from some parts of Christchurch, if one councillor gets his way. The council will tomorrow vote on a notice of motion requesting staff investigate Aaron Keown's proposal to create protest-free zones at what he calls 'sensitive sites', including the Bridge of Remembrance, the earthquake memorial, places of worship and cemeteries. That's alarmed one of the city's best-known protesters and Amnesty International, as Keiller MacDuff reports.

The Warriors will bide their time as they search for a suitable replacement to their co-captain. The side recently granted a release for Mitch Barnett to leave the club at the end of the season on compassionate grounds. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

An advocacy group is campaigning for health school lunches this election year, saying they could be funded by a junk or sugary foods levy. Following Government cost cutting meals served as part of the revamped school lunch programme cost an average $3:50. The lunches have to meet a number of nutritional guidelines, but Health Coalition Aotearoa believe there's too much packaged food, meals are not big enough or high enough quality. Co-chair Professor Lisa Te Morenga spoke to Lisa Owen.

The government is playing-down impact the Iran conflict could have on energy prices here, as global oil and gas prices surge in the wake of the attacks by the US and Israel. It's seen traffic grind to a halt through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route connecting the Persian Gulf with open ocean. The price of brent crude oil has risen by around 9 percent since, while Goldman Sachs is forecasting liquefied natural will more than double in price if the disruption continues through March. A leading economist says Kiwi motorists will start to see significant price rises at the pump in the coming weeks. Giles Dexter reports.