Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Pāmu, formerly Landcorp, is seeing a significant financial turnaround, having reported a net profit after tax of $120 million for the year ended June 2025, which will see it return a $15 million dividend. It's a significant turn compared to last year's results, where the company posted a loss of $26 million. Chief executive Mark Leslie says he's 'thrilled' to be reporting these results. "It's grea...

There's frustrations over yet another delay to a possible extension of the Port of Tauranga wharves.  The Stella Passage development fast-track application has been halted, days before an expert panel was due to begin discussions.  A High Court judge has directed it must not be considered, pending further orders from the court. Tauranga Business Association CEO Matt Cowley says this is d...

The Government's new reforms are being welcomed by the alcohol industry body. The Government's proposing making businesses have further zero and low alcohol products on sale, to meet growing demand. It's also allowing businesses to respond to objections on licensing, and permitting wineries and breweries to have both an on and off license. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper exp...

The Government hopes businesses will be in favour of an alcohol regulation shake-up. It's allowing breweries and wineries to have both an on and off license - and is also letting businesses respond to objections around them having a license. Objections need to come from the local community. Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says it's important for people to have concerns to have a real voice...

A new $35-million-dollar supercomputer is levelling up the country's weather predictions. Earth Sciences New Zealand says the new Cascade system is three times more powerful than its predecessor - helping provide earlier and more frequent forecasting. It's hoped the computer's advanced modelling capabilities could mitigate the impact of severe weather events. Spokesperson Jess Robertson says the m...

A former supermarket leader agrees New Zealand's lacking competition. The Government's aiming to put supermarkets that would improve competition up for being fast-tracked in new reforms. It comes as the Minister of Finance confirms there's been talks with Costco to potentially expand across the country in the coming years. Former Costco NZ managing director Patrick Noone says their West Auckland s...

Victoria police say the search for a man who shot and killed two officers will take longer than expected.  The two men were gunned down on Tuesday while attempting to serve a search warrant at a rural property in Porepunkah - 300 kilometres outside of Melbourne.  A major police operation is underway to find accused gunman Dezi Freeman - who could still be armed.   Australian corresp...

A change of luck for Super Rugby playoff sides. The 'Lucky Loser' format for the top-six has been tweaked after just one season, with the highest-ranked first round loser sliding to bottom seed for the remainder of the finals. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The boss of Air Zealand says he's proud they've made even two cents of a dollar this year - as profits drop 13.7 percent.  The airline's being hit hard by a sluggish domestic economy, with costs like landing charges, wages, and engineering material rising much faster than inflation. Outgoing CEO Greg Foran says he appreciates it's been a difficult few years.  "Whether it was starting whe...

Nigel Farage recently unveiled his controversial plans to deport asylum seekers, but the Taliban have already voiced their support. The Taliban claimed it was 'ready and willing' to work with Farage to accept Afghans who have been deported from the UK. UK correspondent Gavin Grey explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 27 August 2025, Finance Minister Nicola Willis is slashing red tape in the hope it will attract another supermarket player to expand into New Zealand. Insurance costs have risen 900% in the past 25 years. Heather asks Kris Faafoi from the Insurance Council whether it's company greed or necessity. AT tries to defend its $63 mill...

If I'm honest with you, the passing of John Barnett on Sunday has actually hit our house quite hard over the last three days - because at the start, nobody knew anything about what had happened. And as the information has come out, we've realized that when my husband bumped into him on the street on Sunday afternoon, it was literally just before he died They stopped for a chat, husband went in one...

It's been revealed the Reserve Bank chairman sent a warning letter to Treasury in the wake of Adrian Orr's resignation. Neil Quigley warned that it would  'immediately destroy the goodwill' between the two entities if it publicly released details of the fateful meeting. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

Tonight on The Huddle, lawyer and political commentator Liam Hehir and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  The Government announced some new changes designed to get overseas retailers fast-tracked in a bid to boost competition in the grocery sector. Do we think these changes will make a difference? Do w...

The state of the US Federal Reserve has always prompted responses from financial markets, but recent actions from the Trump administration have raised eyebrows. Trump recently came out and said he was going to fire Federal Reserve Board member Lisa Cook earlier in the week. Milford Asset Management's Andrew Curtayne unpacked the market reactions  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener...

The recent energy crisis has rippled out to the big companies, with Meridian the latest to take a significant financial hit. Meridian Energy recently confirmed a $452-million-dollar loss, after being hit by periods of low wind, two major droughts, and a shortage of gas. CEO Mike Roan says the company's been through a tough year, but they managed to shield customers from the high prices. "We took a...

The United States Government has been pushing for more full-fat dairy products, and one Kiwi expert confirmed there's health benefits. Robert F. Kennedy jnr has said for months that he wants the Government to endorse whole milk, reversing its earlier claims that Americans should consume low-fat milk and cheese to reduce the health risks. Nutritionist and AUT professor Caryn Zinn says there's a 'su...

Auckland Transport has spent more than $63 million dollars on traffic management and road cones in the past year.  Mayor Wayne Brown is criticising the figure - saying it equates to about 3 percent rates rises across the city.  But AT says it isn't too much considering its over $1.2-billion infrastructure programme.  Road Corridor Access and Coordination Group Manager Tracey Berkahn...

The Government expects new supermarkets to pop up in months, rather than years - with planned reforms. It's introducing legislation to pass before the end of the year to allow supermarkets that boost competition to be up for fast-track approval. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says supermarkets can also apply for streamlined building consents. "Really, it's just a matter of how quickly they can bui...

A build-up of industry income changes could have driven the pay gap between men and women to a historic low.  The pay gap for the June quarter is sitting at 5.2 percent, down from the 8.2 percent seen a year ago. It's the smallest margin seen since Stats NZ began collecting the data in 1998.  Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says sectors like transport, IT and finance have been...

The Government hopes more progress on competing with the supermarket duopoly will bring down prices. It's announced what it calls an express lane, allowing for new supermarkets to open in New Zealand. If a supermarket will boost either regional or national competition, it will be considered to be fast-tracked. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says these changes are set to be...

It's a big day for Swifties - as Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement. The multi-Grammy winner and NFL star took to social media this morning, sharing photos of the proposal. US correspondent Jonathan Kearsley says this story interrupted the US Open coverage - and even made its way into President Trump's cabinet meeting. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

New data from Consumer NZ reveals insurance costs have soared over the last two decades, and there's concerns less households could access it going forward. The report notes the cost of insurance has gone up 916 percent since 2000 - ahead of the increase in the price of cigarettes and tobacco, which went up 608 percent. Insurance Council Chief Executive Kris Faafoi says there's been many high-prof...

Former Māori All Black Shane Christie has died in Nelson, aged 39. Friends of Christie have told NZME it was believed his death was self-inflicted and came after a period during which concern over his wellbeing had increased. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave paid tribute. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has voiced strong disapproval with Labour's migration strategy, and he's set to unveil his own solution. Farage will outline his party's plans to tackle small boats crossings, and he's already pledged to detain and deport people coming into the UK illegally. UK correspondent Enda Brady speculates ahead of the announcement. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for...