Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

It's looking increasingly likely that cash is getting phased out. More and more banks have removed their ATMs, and Australia's Macquarie Bank made headlines over its decision to scrap physical money altogether. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann examines the future of physical cash. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 9 May 2024, Transpower's warning Kiwis to reduce their electricity usage to avoid power cuts tomorrow morning. Transpower's Chantelle Bramley tells Heather how bad the shortfall is. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has promised "modest but meaningful" tax cuts. Heather asks her how much money we'll get. The Huddle debates whether...

The nation is grappling with worsening power and gas shortages - in line with one expert's warning. In September 2023, Enerlytica director John Kidd warned of power shortage risks following the loss of a key gas-fired power plant. Kidd says these issues have been coming for a while. "It is one of those things where you need capacity to cover exactly these types of periods. And over the last few ye...

Tonight on The Huddle, Josie Pagani from Child Fund and ZB host Tim Beveridge joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Transpower has warned customers across the nation to reduce their power consumption from 7am to 9am tomorrow morning due to an unexpected cold snap. Should we have seen this coming? Can we expect this to happen again? Finance Minister Nicola Will...

An employment expert says compulsory work seminars for beneficiaries will make them more employable. Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston announced the seminars will be designed to help with training and work. Jobseekers who do not attend could face sanctions. Max Whitehead says some people need help to show employers what they can offer. "These courses will really give them th...

Thousands of people have been caught up in Woolworths whoopsie. The supermarket wrote to winners of a promotion, awarding them 4000 reward points - which equals $30 worth of groceries. But it sent about 80,000 emails, instead of 1000. It's apologised and offered 500 points compensation to those wrongly emailed. Auckland University marketing professor Mike Lee says it's understandable if people are...

The Finance Minister has promised Kiwis will benefit from meaningful tax cuts in this year's Budget. Nicola Willis gave a preview speech to the Hutt Valley Business Chamber this morning - and ruled out austerity, despite a challenging economy. Willis says she's made sure the cuts will be targeted at middle to lower income workers and families. "We've come up with what we think is responsible. As I...

Transpower is reminding people to avoid unnecessary power use. The grid operator is asking consumers to reduce electricity use between 7am and 9am tomorrow. An unseasonal cold snap and low wind generation means the country is facing a potential supply shortfall. Executive operations general manager Chantelle Bramley says they're doing their best to avoid power cuts. "Generators have been making as...

Over in Sydney, a man's been arrested after a woman was stabbed in a gym car park. It's believed the man and the woman were in a brief relationship before the attack, where the victim was stabbed multiple times. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says authorities have warned attacks like this have become more common. LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis is still committed to giving Kiwis their promised tax cuts. Willis unveiled a preview of this year's Budget and promised 83 percent of New Zealanders will benefit from incoming tax relief. ZB political correspondent Barry Soper unpacks Willis' promise - and theorises on who stands to benefit and miss out. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

New Zealand Rugby have expressed a desire to bring Richie Mo’unga home early from his Japanese contract with Toshiba, which ends in mid-2026. Scott Robertson’s elevation to All Blacks coach and concern around depth at first-five have instigated the push. ZB sports commentator Elliott Smith outlines some of the strategies NZ Rugby might use to bring him back. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listene...

A petition's been handed to Parliament calling for an inquiry into Alan Hall's wrongful conviction. Hall spent 19 years in prison wrongly convicted of murdering Arthur Easton in 1985. He received $5 million and an apology. The petition asks for a Royal Commission Inquiry into the conviction and police investigation. Social Justice Aotearoa CEO Jackie Foster says the conviction was a travesty. "We...

Airports across the UK were all impacted by an outage at passport e-gates, causing subsequent delays. The outage at e-gates left staff at several airports manually processing travellers to get them through. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says this is the second high-profile airport issue since May 2023. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions are being raised about the future of the Port of Tauranga. This comes off the back of Auckland mayor Wayne Brown confirming the Port of Auckland's land, assets, and operations will be kept in council ownership. Milford Asset Management's Jeremy Hutton explores a few potential outcomes. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One expert has noticed New Zealand's biggest banks don't seem to be rushing to get more information about the insurability of the properties they lend against. The Reserve Bank wants banks to keep a closer eye on the long-term insurability of properties they lend against, amid concerns about natural risks. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explains the moves the banks could tak...

One Cambridge scientist may have gotten us one step closer to discovering life on other planets. Professor Nikku Madhusudhan came across dimethyl sulphide gas on planet K2-18b during a routine scan - a gas mainly produced by living things. He says the planet is suspected to be an ocean world with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere, meaning the gas could come from microorganisms.  "Any discovery of life ou...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 8 May 2024, the man wanted in relation to the Ponsonby shooting has been found dead in Taupo. Detective Inspector Chris Barry tells Heather whether or not it's a gang related incident. Haeata Community Campus Principal Peggy Burrows responds to David Seymour's free school lunches revamp. RMA Minister Chris Bishop defends his de...

Tonight on The Huddle, journalist Clare de Lore 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! Authorities still claim Sunday's shooting on Auckland's Ponsonby Road is still a bit of a mystery following the death of the shooter today. Will we learn the truth? Is this a sign of escalating violence in New Zealand?  Th...

Genesis Energy has confirmed they plan to resume buying coal amid reduced gas supplies and increased consumer demand. The company claims it needs to invest in a solid stockpile to ensure customers can access what they need for the time being. CEO Malcolm Johns warns the company will dip below the 350,000 tonne threshold by spring. "We're going to have to buy coal to top that stockpile up for next...

The dilapidated Gordon Wilson Flats in Wellington will keep their heritage label - for now. RMA Minister Chris Bishop has rejected a last-minute move to remove heritage listings for a number of buildings to make way for development. But he has given the green light to a range of housing recommendations, with hopes to encourage intensification in the city. Chris Bishop says there wasn't enough info...

There's reservations about the Government's new school lunch scheme. Associate Education Minister David Seymour has unveiled a programme he says will continue feeding kids already getting free school lunches. But he says they'll save $107 million a year by serving simple items and having a Government bulk-order for food. Haeata Community Campus Principal Peggy Burrows says it'll likely throw up ch...

A constitutional law expert suggests changing rules on enrolling to vote could benefit the current Government. A report by the Auditor-General's found pressures on systems led to mistakes in the vote count, such as a rushed final check of the official results. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has proposed stopping people enrolling to vote on election day to slim down numbers of special votes. Otago...

Police say Sunday's shooting on Auckland's Ponsonby Road is still a bit of a mystery. 33-year-old Robert Sidney Horne was killed by 31-year-old Killer Beez member, Hone Kay-Selwyn, after he and other got out of a car, about 10.15pm. Kay-Selwyn was found dead yesterday in a rural property near Taupō, hundreds of kilometres from Auckland. Detective Inspector Chris Barry says they may never have a co...

The Government says the country's low gas production is threatening our energy security. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show there was a 12.5 percent reduction in gas production last year and almost 30 percent less has been produced this year than projected. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says more people are getting desperate for gas energy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudi...

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels has described her alleged affair with Donald Trump - in graphic detail. She's taken the stand today as a key witness in the former US President's ongoing criminal hush money trial in New York. Daniels walked the jury through a sexual encounter in 2006 - that Trump denies - and the $130,000 in hush money she received. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Daniels de...