Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

There's hope the Commonwealth Games could return to Christchurch fifty years on from the 1974 event. Mayor Phil Mauger has recommended the city host the 2030 Games, and Christchurch city councillors voted to run a viability report. Mauger hopes an event of this scale will help turn Christchurch into the sporting and events capital of New Zealand. "We have all these fantastic new facilities, and I...

The British House of Lords today voted to delay the Government’s plan to send refugees to Rwanda. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to 'stop the boats,' referring to migrant ships illegally crossing the English Channel. 214 out of 385 Lords agreed to delay ratification of the Rwanda treaty. UK correspondent Enda Brady says this scheme has cost a substantial amount- and experts believe it'...

Tonight on The Huddle, current affairs commentator Josie Pagani and Tim Wilson from Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more!  Prime Minister Chris Luxon revealed that a six-member Defence Force team will be deployed to the Middle East region to uphold maritime security. Is this the right move? Does New Zealand need to keep funding the Christchurch...

Australian-owned company Santana Minerals has informed investors swathes of gold may be hidden under farmland in Central Otago. The 'Rise and Shine' site had been marked in a recent report as  “the most significant single gold discovery in New Zealand in four decades”. The site has an estimated value of $325 million a year and could yield between 100,000 to 150,000 ounces of gold per year. Busines...

Zespri chief executive Dan Mathieson is stepping down from New Zealand's biggest kiwifruit exporter to pursue overseas opportunities. Mathieson has led Zespri for over seven years, and will stay on until the end of the 2024 harvest, before joining up with American-based berry company Driscoll’s. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

A potential silver lining for first home buyers in possible changes to lending rules. The Reserve Bank is proposing introducing debt to income ratios from the middle of the year. Owner occupiers could borrow six times their income, while for investors it would be seven times. Independent economist Tony Alexander says the central bank plans to ease up on loan-to-value ratios at the same time. He sa...

Big spends on the Mt Messenger bypass roading project, despite no road actually being built. The Transport Agency has already spent 60 percent of the $280 million dollar budget of the Taranaki project. New Plymouth Mayor Neil Holdom says there's no way the project will get done within the projected budget. He blames frivolous court cases for the hold up, and says it is time to get on with the job....

Some Ngāti Kahu iwi members in the Far North are threatening to block boat ramps in protest at the annual Doubtless Bay fishing contest this weekend. A post to social media says fish numbers have decreased dramatically due to over-fishing in the area. But other iwi leaders have responded saying discussions on the matter have not yet taken place. Competition organiser Nick Ryan says the event is a...

Amateur golfer Nick Dunlap stunned the sports world with his unexpected victory. The 20-year-old university student has become the first amateur to win on Tour since Phil Mickelson in 1991, taking out the American Express tournament in California. However, as an amateur, he can't collect his $2.46 million first-place prize. NZ Open tournament director Michael Glading says golfers with amateur stat...

Whether Jacinda Ardern will continue as New Zealand's special envoy for the Christchurch Call - is still up in the air. The multilateral body brings together tech companies and countries to fight online extremism. Ardern's already met up with Prime Minister Chris Luxon in Auckland, and he says they'll discuss the matter in coming months. Tech commentator Paul Spain says it's likely tech companies...

Defence Minister Judith Collins says our personnel will support coalition forces with targeting for precision attacks on identified targets. Foreign Minister Winston Peters is giving little away on what that will look like. "Well, it's finding people who are threatening lives with piracy, mayhem and murder- and stopping them." Asked if it was drone operation, Peters says he can't answer that quest...

Prime Minister Chris Luxon recently announced a Defence Force team will be sent to the Red Sea to help protect maritime security. ZB senior political reporter Barry Soper says Luxon denies this has anything to do with Israel and Gaza. "According to Christopher Luxon, it'll contribute to the collective defence of the Middle East- and ships are certainly being hindered in their progress through ther...

Scott Morrison is drawing his 16 year political career to a close. The former Australian Prime Minister will leave federal parliament at the end of next month for a new career opportunity in the US. It will trigger a by-election in the typically liberal Sydney seat of Cook. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says between Covid and AUKUS, Morrison's left a mixed legacy. "He's joining a number of...

Alexander Zverev has denied Kiwi-raised Brit Cam Norrie a spot in the quarter-finals at the Australian tennis Open, winning a tense five-set battle. The German sixth seed won 10-3 in the fifth set tie-break to end Norrie's run. The fourth-round encounter was briefly halted during the third set on Monday afternoon after a woman threw a raft of leaflets saying 'Free Palestine' onto the court. Sports...

The Foreign Affairs Minister is reiterating New Zealand's support for a two-state solution to the decades-long Israel-Palestine conflict. Winston Peters says recent comments made by members of the Israeli Government fuel tensions and put chances of a solution at risk. Waikato University law professor Al Gillespie says it's unlikely Israel will accept the proposed provisional measures being discuss...

On the other side of the world, there's very rough weather in the UK- with gales and downpours as Storm Isha blows in. UK correspondent Kay Oliver says there's major disruption, including 170,000 homes and businesses waking up to no power. "We've got train services suspended, we've got trees falling down on cars, and flights being cancelled." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Muriwai community advocates and locals are calling for cars to be banned from the beach after a teenager was killed over the weekend. Is this the best course of action? The Government is under pressure over Māori issues following last week...

The first Cabinet meeting of 2024 is set to take place tomorrow, as the Government reaches the halfway point of its first 100 days. This meeting takes place days after the National Unity Hui in Turangawaewae- and event which has cast a shadow over the Government. NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan outlines her predictions here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

New Zealand exports could profit from the ongoing conflict in the Red Sea. Freight continues to be redirected around Africa's Cape of Good Hope while violence continues to escalate. The new route means the products this country sends to the Asian market won't take as long as those from Europe or Eastern USA. Rabobank researcher Stefan Vogel says exporters may want to keep an eye on container avail...

Cricket Australia has raised a few eyebrows over their decision to sidestep Australia Day celebrations at an upcoming test match. The holiday coincides with Friday's Gabba Test match against the West Indies in Brisbane. Prime Minister Albanese has urged people to stop 'looking for outrage', as this announcement has prompted some backlash. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson explains the divid...

ZB's Barry Soper predicts the Government is in for a difficult year following last weekend's events. The Māori King organised a National Unity Hui attended by thousands, and commentators are divided on the Prime Minister's decision to skip the event. Senior political correspondent Barry Soper says the 'Māori issue' will dominate the headlines over the next few weeks, and the Government may need to...

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has put the blame on inadequate funding for Wellington's water issues. Since 2022, 40 percent of the region's drinking water has been lost to leaks. Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has written a letter requesting information from local councils on how they're addressing the problem. Willis says Wellington City Council only gave Wellington Water a fraction of t...

Belief vehicles need to be totally banned on Auckland's Muriwai Beach. A teen died yesterday after a ute rolled on the beach, and two others have serious injuries. Vehicles are now banned at the beach until Thursday - with people allowed on foot. Muriwai Community Association co-chair, Clare Bradley, says how vehicle access is currently managed isn't working. "There is a growing sense that the onl...

Outrage from Wellington parents as a school changes uniform requirements. Year Nine pupils at Wellington College must now wear blazers and ties, which come with a price tag of almost $300. Some parents aren't happy about the change during a cost of living crisis. Vaughan Couillault of the Secondary Principals' Association says uniform changes usually aren't cheap. "You can't put a cheap blazer ont...

There's belief stricter penalties will help against a surge in people fleeing police. Police data from the Bay Of Plenty shows 883 drivers in the region didn't stop when signalled, from January to October last year. That figure was 902 for all of 2022 - and 521 for 2021. Police Association President Chris Cahill says countrywide in the first nine months of last year, drivers kept going 8900 times....