Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The message is clear as heavy rain pelts the lower South - be prepared. A red-level heavy rain warning is in force for North Otago, Dunedin and coastal Clutha. NIWA reports Dunedin has already had 75 percent of its normal monthly rainfall for October. Otago Civil Defence group controller Matt Alley said they were continuing to monitor rain as it was falling. "We have our emergency operation centre...

The latest Census data is out, with numbers for all sorts of data points from ethnicity, home ownership and income to gender and sexual identity. But the number that most interested me today is buried in the housing stats. In 2018, when we last did the numbers, about one in every six New Zealand homes recorded mould bigger than an A4 piece of paper. More than 21 percent of households recorded...

Prime Minister Chris Luxon's feeling 'stoked' with today's Mood of the Boardroom survey results. The nation's business heavy-weights have ranked Government ministers in the Herald's annual survey - and they're feeling pretty optimistic with the state of the current Government. NZ Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan says the nation's business community always feels more positive when the...

Police in New South Wales have applied to the state’s top court to ban two pro-Palestinian rallies set to take place this weekend. Next Monday marks the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s attacks on Israel and the start of the conflict in Gaza - and police aim to stop a rally taking place on that date from going forward on top of the usual weekend protests. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says p...

INEOS Britannia are one win away from earning the right to challenge Team New Zealand for the America's Cup. The British syndicate has beaten Luna Rossa in both races overnight to lead 6-4 in the best-of-13 Louis Vuitton series. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police have arrested a teenager after disrupting a 'sophisticated smishing scam' using new technology never seen in New Zealand before. Authorities have described smishing - a form of phishing - as when a device known an ' SMS Blaster' is used as a fake cell tower and tricks nearby cellphones to connect to its fraudulent network. This 'SMS Blaster' has reportedly sent thousands of fake texts claim...

UK forces were found to be involved in supporting Israel's response after Iran launched a missile attack on the country. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says the UK 'stands with Israel' and recognises its right to self-defence. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says other MPs will be very disappointed with this revelation. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A proposal to re-develop Marsden Point's decommissioned refinery is being considered. Channel Infrastructure NZ recently entered a conditional agreement with Seadra Energy to create a bio-refinery at the Northland site.  Seadra would purchase it for about $53-million and use some existing, decommissioned assets like tankage and jetties. Milford Asset Management's Jeremy Hutton unpacks what th...

Politicians of all stripes say the Government shouldn’t try to stop the values of properties vulnerable to the effects of climate change from plummeting. In fact, they believe there is room for at-risk property values to fall further to discourage investment in flood-prone parts of the country. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny unpacks these findings further. LISTEN ABOVE See o...

The Government has continued its push to increase the use of remote building inspections to speed up the construction and consenting process. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has voiced disapproval with the current process - and claimed that remote inspections will make the building process more efficient and affordable.  NZ Certified Builders CEO Malcolm Fleming says this proces...

Tonight on The Huddle, journalist Mark Sainsbury and Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The partner of an Australian diplomat was allegedly involved in an altercation in central Wellington early on Sunday and authorities are looking to waive immunity to press charges. Do we think diplomatic immunity standards need to be c...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 2 October 2024, the situation in the Middle East continues to escalate with Iran firing missiles into Israel. Director of Special Projects at the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council Bren Carlill joins Jack to discuss how other countries can avoid getting involved. Health New Zealand is urging the Governm...

Genesis Energy has confirmed it will  spend $64 million on taking a majority stake in ChargeNet - the nation's leading EV public charging network. Under terms of the agreement, Genesis will acquire a 65 percent stake in ChargeNet, which was founded in 2015 by tech entrepreneurs Steve and Dianna West.  Genesis chief retail officer Stephen England-Hall says decarbonising New Zealand's tran...

A legal expert sees a reasonable chance New Zealand could waive diplomatic immunity after allegations about an Australian diplomat's partner surfaced. Sky News has reported the partner was involved in an altercation in central Wellington early on Sunday. New Zealand Police have confirmed they're seeking to waive diplomatic immunity for an individual, so charges can be laid. Electoral law expert Gr...

One former Black Caps coach has expressed some confusion as Tim Southee relinquished his team captaincy.  Tom Latham has taken the reins after Southee ended his tenure as skipper with six wins, six losses and two draws through just under two years at the helm. Mike Hesson says some aspects of his resignation have raised a few questions. "I can't think of any side in the world where you would...

There's belief Republican candidate JD Vance completely lost credibility as today's vice-presidential debate ended.  The contest against Democrat Tim Walz was mostly civil and policy focused.  But Vance dodged a question on Donald Trump challenging the 2020 election results - saying he's 'future-focused'.  Former US ambassador to New Zealand, Mark Gilbert, says until that moment, Va...

It was civil. It was somewhat thoughtful. It was focused for the most part on policy.   It was, frankly, a novel experience to be watching a modern U.S political debate that didn't immediately descend into petty name calling, insults, conspiracy theories, hyperbole and lies. I thought JD Vance was much better than Tim Walz. If these things are to be scored, then he was the winner for me. He d...

There's hopes that the US will step in soon to de-escalate Middle East tensions.  Iran has launched nearly 200 missiles at Israel, with most being intercepted. Israel is promising consequences while continuing airstrikes - and yesterday, forces invaded Lebanon. The Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council says strong intervention is the only way to end the cycle. Policy analyst Bren Carlil...

The vice presidential candidates in the US election clashed in their first and only debate ahead of the 2024 US election. Democrat Tim Walz and Republican JD Vance faced off over the economy, abortion, immigration, the conflict in the Middle East and energy. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says the pair raised some interesting arguments over the future of energy and natural gas - a m...

Over in the US, both vice presidential candidates just had their first and only debate ahead of the November election. Democrat Tim Walz and Republican JD Vance clashed over hot-button issues including the Middle East crisis, immigration, taxes, and climate change - to name a few. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says this debate felt more civilised than the Trump-Harris clash from September - but...

A whitewash test series defeat to Sri Lanka was Tim Southee's trigger to step down as Black Caps test captain. Tom Latham will take the reins with immediate effect, beginning with three tests in India starting in a fortnight. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave says this was the right move on Southee's part. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's suggestions private companies should build - and potentially run - our public hospitals. 1News reports Health NZ is urging the Government to consider private sector help, given the investment required for dozens of hospitals. Former Health NZ chair Rob Campbell says he believes this is being raised now as a diversion. "It's previously been held off because the very large projects - like th...

The Duke of Sussex has returned to the UK to make a brief public appearance at a central London charity event. Prince Harry attended WellChild's  annual awards ceremony at a London hotel to pay tribute to the young people recognised at the event. UK correspondent Enda Brady says it's unlikely Harry will be able to meet up with the royals - and will probably depart for California before a reun...

Australian retail sales rebounded by more than expected in August as warmer weather brought forward spring spending after a midwinter slump. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, retail sales rose 0.7 percent - beating out initial predictions of 0.4 percent. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham says it's clear recent tax cuts have driven up consumer spending. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.c...

Construction continues to slow, although consents for office and public transport buildings have risen 26 percent. Stats NZ says new home consents dropped 20 percent in the year to August - and standalone new builds fell 9.7 percent. Consents for townhouses, apartments, retirement village units, and flats are down 27 percent. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen unpacks the factors behind th...