Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

A pohutukawa tree on Auckland's North Shore has sparked controversy, with residents of an impacted apartment complex calling for a solution. The tree fell over into the complex's property and has been lying in place for three years - and there's growing demand to move it. Former ZB broadcaster Murray Deaker is one of the impacted residents and he says the tree's a safety hazard for residents and t...

The Government believes only a negotiated ceasefire offers the best hope in Gaza. Foreign Minister Winston Peters has signed New Zealand on to a long and growing list of nations calling for a permanent end to the conflict. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper speculates about the impact of this statement. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Auckland property developer doesn't believe changes to rules on building granny flats will add the 13,000 extra dwellings claimed by the Government. Easing resource and building consents requirements for structures 70 square metres or less - was one of the Government’s first moves in office. David Witburn says the number is more like 3,000. "The reality is, it's a niche accommodation type, a gr...

A childcare centre director who employed her convicted child sex offender husband as a groundskeeper has been sacked. There is no allegation he offended against children at the centre, and investigations are ongoing. Australian correspondent Sam Emery says this story will prompt questions about child safety as Parliament returns. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sky TV recently bought TV3 - and it's got experts speculating about what this could mean for the future of New Zealand sport. It's taking over Warner Brother Discovery's New Zealand television arm - including other linear and streaming channels, like ThreeNow. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Global condemnation of Israel is growing, over killing Palestinians and restricting aid. New Zealand is demanding a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, along with dozens of other countries.  Foreign Minister Winston Peters told the House the international community's united in revulsion over what's happening Peters says having the European Union on board will build pressure - hopefully with success. H...

Sky TV is promising it won't shake the boat too soon after buying TV3 and ThreeNow - for a dollar.  Warner Brothers Discovery has sold its Kiwi TV arm, including a range of linear and streaming channels.  Sky TV says, for now, Sky Open will continue operations as normal and Three News will be kept at the six o'clock slot.  Chief executive Sophie Moloney says they might even still ne...

A steep rise in gym-related ACC claims for injuries could be down to strength training's rising popularity.  Accident Compensation Corporation data shows it accepted about 50,000 gym-injury claims last year - worth about $50 million dollars. It notes training and gym activities now account for the most claims. Body Torque Personal Training founder, Alex Flint, says training with weights can r...

The water sector for England and Wales is set to undergo a significant overhaul following the release of a new report. The Independent Water Commission sets out 88 recommendations to get the industry back into shape after years of notable controversies.   UK correspondent Gavin Grey unpacks the findings. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stats NZ  recently reported annual inflation increased to 2.7 percent in the three months to the end of June, and it's sparked concerns among experts. Economists had all been expecting annual inflation would be recorded at 2.8 percent or 2.9 percent - close to the Reserve Bank's 3 percent target band. Harbour Asset Management spokesperson Shane Solly revealed what this could mean for the econ...

Website infrastructure company Cloudflare has announced moves designed to stop AI from scraping digital content for free. Going forward, website owners can choose if they want AI crawlers to access their content - and decide how the content gets used. Cloudflare chief strategy officer Stephanie Cohen says websites want control over who uses their output - and they can charge or block AI platforms...

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! There's growing calls to scrap NCEA - and the Government is looking to make some changes to the qualification. What do we make of this? Coldplay's Chris Martin is now warning adulterers to disentangle before the kiss cam comes on. W...

The Finance Minister says the costs involved in building a new medical school at Waikato University have been through a thorough business case. Construction will begin this year - with the school providing 120 doctor training places a year, focused on primary care and rural health. The Government's chipping in $83 million dollars, and the university and philanthropic investors will contribute $150...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 21 July 2025, Health Minister Simeon Brown on giving the green light for the new Waikato Medical School - and how the Government managed to cut a significant amount of money from the original proposal. Inflation is up again to 2.7 percent but the Finance Minister Nicola Willis reckons the economy will have firmly turned around by...

Now, here's a prediction for you - watch those Waikato University medical school costs blowout. I reckon it's gonna blow out and there's all the signs this thing is gonna blow out. Even when the Waikato University was itself putting in less money, which is $100 million, there were questions about whether it could afford it because Waikato University's debt level is maxed out at the moment. So ever...

One expert is joining the calls to overhaul NCEA after the Government indicated changes were on the way. A damning report's highlighted major problems with the qualification's credibility, with some schools already withdrawing from Level One. NZ Initiative Senior Fellow Dr Michael Johnston says NCEA's had a 20-year run and it's time to rethink it. "I think a lot of teachers and schools have probab...

Experts have offered reassurance our high inflation isn't a sign of things to come. Stats NZ figures show the Consumers Price Index reached 2.7 percent for the year to June. Inflation fell to just 2.2 percent last year - from 7.3 percent three years ago - but has been rising since. Kiwibank senior economist Mary Jo Vergara says this is likely a spike, so should go back down. "If you look at domest...

Construction will begin this year on a new medical school at Waikato University. The Government has given it the go ahead - and is providing $83 million dollars towards the project. Health Minister Simeon Brown says the school will offer a post-graduate degree aimed at other fields, such as nurses or paramedics. "This is about attracting people from those rural communities working potentially in h...

Consumer NZ says complaints against Noel Leeming go beyond its price-matching policy.  The tech retailer is facing criminal charges brought by the Commerce Commission - accusing it of making misleading promises.  Noel Leeming's strongly rejecting the claim, and says it will vigorously defend its stance.  But Consumer NZ chief executive, Jon Duffy, says the company's also charged wit...

The Prime Minister has confirmed a Waikato medical school's coming, with construction beginning this year. The Government's putting $83 million towards the $230-million-dollar project, with the rest coming from Waikato University and philanthropic investors. It'll offer a graduate-entry programme, focused on primary care and rural health. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says...

Over in Australia, the opposition isn't faring too well in the months after their election loss. The first post-election opinion poll has revealed Sussan Ley's coalition is sitting on 29 percent - the lowest figures since 2023. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says Ley is still trying to appeal to prospective voters as the coalition assesses the damage.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.co...

Finishing chances remains a focus for the All Blacks as they pivot towards the Rugby Championship next month. The 3-nil win over the French keeps the All Blacks second in the world behind the Springboks. Sportstalk host Jason Pine explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A win for Kmart workers, whose union says it's secured an industry-leading deal.  Worker First Union says it's ratified a two-year pay deal matching the minimum living wage - and rising alongside its increase next year.  Deputy Secretary of Retail at Workers First Union, Rudd Hughes, says this deal is a 'gold standard' for retail workers - and he hopes other retailers can follow suit. "I...

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday 18 July. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A flurry of action has occurred over Wellington mayoral hopeful Ray Chung's campaign. Three council candidates aligned with his ticket, Independent Together, have dropped out in just three days. This follows criticism of an email Chung wrote, containing salacious rumours about the city's Mayor. He's since apologised. But Alistair Boyce from campaign group Better Wellington is standing by him. He t...