Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

A Lower Hutt couple have been taken to the Tenancy Tribunal by their landlords after they refused to disclose they had gotten a dog. A video surfaced on social media revealing the couple had gotten a dog without asking, confirming the landlords’ suspicions after the smell of urine had gotten so bad the carpet had to be replaced.  Solicitor Mike Thornton says the landlords were entitled to use...

There's a view Fonterra's strong result today is unlikely to climb much more. The dairy giant's reported a 2.8 percent rise in first-half net profit to $750 million. It's also announced a 20 cent lift in the farmgate milk price - and a $9.70 midpoint per kilo of milksolids. Federated Farmers Dairy Chair, Karl Dean, says given global uncertainty, he doesn't think the midpoint will reach $10. "The f...

The Associate Energy Minister says 'finicky' differences have barred Australian-standard fuel here. The Government's relaxing our specifications to harmonise with Australia's, to combat global shortages.  Shane Jones says it'll give importers a wider pool and hopefully bring some relief at the pump. He says it's compatible with Kiwi vehicles and meets safety and quality expectations.  Jo...

The Government's bracing itself for fuel pipeline disruptions down the track. As of Wednesday, the country had seven weeks of petrol reserves, and more than six weeks of diesel and jet fuel.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis says they'll announce details of cost relief measures for low-to-middle income households tomorrow.  Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper speculates...

Labor has comfortably won re-election in South Australia, but One Nation has achieved its best electoral result in decades. The Liberal Party was polling at 19 percent of the vote, while Pauline Hanson's controversial party beat them out at 21 percent. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says this should send a warning to the opposition parties ahead of the next federal election. LISTEN ABOVE...

New Zealand Cricket's trans-Tasman counterparts believe time will tell over whether choosing NZ20 over a Big Bash team is the right play. NZC have given conditional backing to a new franchise league - rejecting an entry into the Australian tournament. Sportstalk host Jason Pine explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The NZ20 consortium are confident - but not adamant - they will get off the ground for next January. The franchise league has been given conditional support by New Zealand Cricket. NZ20 establishment committee chair Don Mackinnon says this conditional approval is enough to get things going at this stage.  "We do have a backup, NZ Cricket's very aware that it could push to January '28, but tha...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 20 March, 2026, baby snapper could soon be legally caught by commercial fishers - but recreational anglers aren't happy about it. A new study says car pollution is killing hundreds of Aucklanders a year. Winter is coming - and so is a serious new strain of the flu. We've a warning from GPs. And on the Sports Huddle, Andrew Alderso...

Taranaki’s Three Sisters Brewery is purchasing Sunshine Brewing, including the Gisborne Gold brand. Three Sisters founder Joe Emans said he plans to keep the brands distinct and "keep them doing what they're good at." Emans joined Andrew Dickens to chat about the purchase and the future of New Zealand's beer industry.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iran has targeting energy facilities across the Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar in response to an Israeli attack on Iran's South Pars gas field - the largest natural gas field in the world.  It is believed that 17% of Qatar's export capacity has now been wiped out, and could take up to five years to repair. Qatar-based journalist Courtney Hammond said the attack in Qatar "ma...

So welcome to the fuel crisis — which is starting to feel a bit like COVID Junior. The government is apparently developing targeted support for low-to-middle income households facing rising fuel prices because of the ongoing international fuel crisis. Australia is already launching these measures. They’re focused on delivering aid quickly through the tax and welfare system. Yes, ladies and gentlem...

Hidden in the amendments to the Fisheries Amendment Bill, published online on Wednesday, are changes deemed “outrageous” by recreational fishers. The changes mean the minimum legal-size limit for a range of species, including snapper, tarakihi, butterfish, blue moki and trevally would be removed.  The major concerns of letting baby fish be caught is the reduction in populations, "anyone who f...

US President Donald Trump has said he's 'not putting troops' on the ground in Iran and is expecting the war to soon come to an end, whereas Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says there's still months to go.  In the meantime, Trump has backed Kevin Warsh for Federal Reserve Chair, but ties to Jeffery Epstein may stand in his way.  "It just seems to be one of those things that are being hel...

Doctors are noticing an increase in respiratory illnesses at the moment as a new flu strain moves in to the country.  GP New Zealand chairman Dr Bryan Betty joined Andrew Dickens to chat about the new strain - Super-K. "We know it's in New Zealand, but the cases haven't increased yet," he said. "What we think is going to happen is there's going to be a take-off as soon as winter comes." LISTE...

King Charles III is set to visit the US, despite growing calls to postpone the trip following Trump’s repeated criticism of Sir Keir Starmer. The US President said he was 'looking forward' to meeting with Charles - and the visit has been confirmed to go ahead amid the ongoing UK backlash directed at Trump.  UK correspondent Enda Brady says the trip will last four days, and Charles will visit...

The US Federal Reserve has raised its inflation forecast as it held interest rates steady, citing an 'uncertain' economic outlook because of the war in Iran. Rates were kept steady at a range of 3.50 percent to 3.75 percent, with officials flagging one expected cut by the end of the year. Fisher Funds expert Sam Dickie explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

Tonight on The Huddle, Auckland councillor Maurice Williamson and artist and local Government politician Oscar Kightley joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Originair says it's already had to reduce flights between Westport and Wellington - and the route's now set to be axed by May. Do we think this is the right move? Should we try to fund it? The Government...

The Wattie's restructure is likely to have a significant economic impact, where more people could be affected by the shutdown.  Heinz Wattie's has proposed closing manufacturing facilities in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin, and a Hastings packing facility - impacting about 350 jobs.  The Country's Jamie Mackay explained how the farmers and growers could be affected by this change.&nb...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 19 March, 2026, prepare for the worst on fuel - we talk to Finance Minister Nicola Willis about why the tone of the Government's suddenly got more urgent. An expert on why party drugs are cheaper and more easily available. We ask the boss of a popular way to lose weight whether it's a wonder drug. And on The Huddle, Maurice...

I’m sorry to say it’s a bit of a bad day - a day of rather unpleasant economic news, I’m afraid. Let’s start with the GDP number. It came in at 0.2 percent for the final quarter of last year, which is very much at the low end of expectations. We were looking for something in the range of 0.2 percent to 0.5 percent, with 0.5 percent being the Reserve Bank’s forecast. The problem with that is those...

Novo Nordisk, the Danish drugmaker behind famed weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic, is leading the way in the semaglutide trend.  The drugs help people lose weight, but they've also proven to be helpful in reducing health conditions like heart disease and kidney disease. CEO Mike Doustdar says more people are starting to recognise that Novo Nordisk's output goes beyond an agent that reduces...

Originair says it's already had to reduce flights between Westport and Wellington - and the route's now set to be axed by May. The regional carrier stepped in when Sounds Air withdrew from the service in 2024. Now, it says it's struggling with the small market and increasing operating costs. Managing director Robert Inglis says it's cut the service back to three times a week - which went well over...

The Finance Minister says South Korea and Singapore will continue to export fuel, as concern rises over continuity of supply.  The Government says they'll now give twice-weekly stock updates - as the war in Iran pressures global oil prices.  Nicola Willis says South Korea's limiting orders to 2025 levels,  but New Zealand has a strong relationship with Singapore.  "Including an...

Ketamine is becoming much more popular in the Kiwi party scene. The New Zealand Drug Trends Survey shows 73 percent of respondents have no trouble getting their hands on the dissociative anaesthetic. The inflation adjusted price of MDMA has tumbled 47 percent since 2017. Drug testing agency KnowYourStuff general manager, Casey Spearin, says use of ketamine's climbed since 2018. "We hear, anecdotal...

Former Reserve Bank economist Michael Reddell says it's getting harder to know how much the economy's growing or shrinking. Stats NZ estimates GDP rose 0.2 percent in the December quarter, below most forecasts. But Reddell says it's also revised the figures for previous quarters. He says the 0.2 for December could still potentially be revised up as high as 0.5 percent, or as low as minus 0.1. LIST...