Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills

It’s a huge weekend coming up in the capital. Wellington’s Cuba Dupa street festival returns to Cuba St with more 170 performances across Saturday and Sunday spanning music, dance, theatre and visual arts. One of the acts is called Fun and Funner - a children's band fronted by comedian Karen O’Leary and dad and teacher Tom Watson and sax player Eilish Wilson alongside Orchestra Wellington. The tri...

Wellington's famous Cuba St will see more than 170 performances this weekend as the famous street festival Cuba Dupa returns for anotther year. So who are the headliners, and what other artists are taking to the various stages? Wellington Mornings music man James Irwin joined Nick Mills to preview the festival.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob Geldof is a musician, an activist, a charity man, and a Knight of the British Empire... despite being an Irishman. He rose to fame as a member of The Boomtown Rats, but in 1984 an item on the 6 o’clock news sparked him to create one of the world’s most memorable charity drives; Band Aid and then eventually Live Aid, raising money to end famine in Ethiopia. Geldof is in Wellington this week to...

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has delivered his state of the nation speech, decrying wokeism and DEI, and calling to "make New Zealand first again". How has his speech gone down? Also, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has returned from a trip to India. What will come out of the trip? Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls joined Nick Mills for the Beehive Buzz. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystu...

The equivalent of the entire population of Levin have become jobseeker beneficiaries in the last 12 months, with more than 200,000 people now receiving jobseeker. How do we get people into work - and will things get better as the economy improves? Also, The Wellington City Council pocketed $24,000 per week in fines from the new fixed bus lane cameras in Manners Street between June and December. Th...

The All Whites are in town to face Fiji in a Fifa World Cup qualifier match. What can we expect - and can we make it to the World Cup for the first time since 2010? Also, the Breakers basketball team has been sold - who's bought the team, and what does it mean for it's future? Weekend Sport host Jason Pine and All Sport Breakfast host Adam Cooper joined Nick Mills for the Friday Sport Kickoff.&nbs...

Nick was joined by National's MP for the Wairarapa Mike Butterick and Labour's Police spokesperson Ginny Andersen for Politics Thursday. They discussed the  gross domestic product (GDP) rise of 0.7% in the December 2024 quarter, following a 1.1% decrease in the September 2024 quarter. They also looked at Health Minister Simeon Brown's spat with public health workers, the Prime Minister's trip...

The New Zealand Herald's Wellington Issues reporter Georgina Campbell is finishing up after nine years working at Newstalk ZB and the Herald in Wellington. In the final Capital Letter slot, she reflects on her most memorable stories, and how the journalism scene has changed since 2016. Nick also took a trip down memory lane to one of Georgina's first live radio crosses on Wellington Mornings - rep...

Nick was joined for this week's business panel by Gillies Group owner Malcolm Gillies, and tech entrepreneur and founding member of Vision Wellington, Luke Pierson. They discussed how their particular industries are faring in the current economic climate, and how the government and councils can help things move forward. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington mayor Tory Whanau claims her council is the "government's punching bag" and has labelled the Prime Minister "not a nice person". Is there some truth to the government constantly beating up Wellington City Council, and was it right for the Mayor to go personal?  Also, t he Coroner has released her report into the death of Sandy Calkin, who died after falling into Wellington Harbour...

It's a big weekend for New Zealand Formula 1 fans as our very own Liam Lawson begins his first full season. How special is his story, and how will he perform? Also, the Hurricanes need a win tonight as they face the Highlanders in Dunedin. Can they do it? Newstalk ZB Weekend Sport host Jason Pine and All Sport Breakfast host Adam Cooper joined Nick Mills for the Friday Sport Kickoff.  LISTEN...

Jon Toogood is perhaps one of Wellington’s best musical exports. His musical career started at Wellington High School when he met Tom Larkin and the pair went on to form chart-topping New Zealand rock band Shihad. The band returns to Wellington this week for their final ever performance, fittingly at Homegrown festival, which will be held in Wellington for the last time. Toogood joined Nick Mills...

The latest Taxpayers Union Curia Poll shows Labour ahead of National and Chris Hipkins is now marginally more popular than Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. What does this poll result tell us, and will Labour's support hold? Also New Zealand First have introduced a members bill to take 'woke' diversity equity and inclusion practices out of the public service. Currently the public service has to “p...

OPINION What is it with Prime Ministers from Auckland giving us a bad rap? First it was John Key telling us we were dying. He of course was right - he just got his decades wrong. Now we have Christopher Luxon calling us "lame-o". I haven’t heard that phrase since the 90s, but that aside, he's dead right. Why? Well last year the government announced it would be offering councils the opportunity to...

Labour leader Chris Hipkins says he's grown supportive of the idea of Wellington's four city councils amalgamating into a super city, despite previously being against it.  "I do think some consolidation in the Wellington region would be better for Wellington ratepayers," the Remutaka MP told Nick Mills.  "But also, the lack of strategic oversight for the region is actually holding us bac...

Local Government Minister Simon Watts has called in Wellington Water for a “please explain” and sought advice on potential Government intervention. What could intervention look like, and is it likely? Also, Kiwirail is laying off more than 200 workers as the organisation tries to find savings. What does this mean for the state owned enterprise?  NZ Herald Wellington issues reporter Georgina C...

One of the world's most sampled artists died last week. Roy Ayers is a name not many will recognise - but you've certainly heard his music. What's his legacy? Also, the final ever Homegrown festival to be held in the capital takes place this weekend. Whose on the line up?  Wellington Mornings music man James Irwin joined Nick Mills for Music Time.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listene...

A coroner's report says a man who drowned on Wellington's waterfront may not have, if the council's safety procedures had been better.   Open Justice reports 30-year-old Sandy Calkin drowned in Wellington Harbour in 2021 after accidentally falling in after drinking on Courtney Place.   Coroner Katherine Greig's report says Wellington City Council knew about identified safety risks at the...

It's the end of an era for the biggest event of Wellington's music scene.  Homegrown festival, held on the capital's waterfront since 2008, will leave the city for good after this weekend's final event.  Festival founder Andrew Tuck joined Nick Mills to discuss the event's legacy, as well as this year's festival which will see Shihad's final ever performance and be held across two days f...

Former Minister Andrew Bayly has escaped the trials and tribulations of Parliament for a hike up Nepal's Mt Everest - but is it frowned upon for an MP to take a holiday while the house is sitting?  Also, a new political poll is due out today. What can we expect?  Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls joined Nick Mills for the Beehive Buzz.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listene...

Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr has resigned suddenly - but why aren't we being told why he's moved on so swiftly? Also, what's his legacy in the role? And the stories keep coming on the government's cheaper free lunch in schools programme. Are these lunches up to scratch, and was the Prime Minister right to say unhappy parents can send their kids to school with a marmite sandwich and an apple? L...

A scathing report into the management of Wellington Water has found the organisation is paying up to three times as much for unplanned pipe maintenance as comparable councils in NZ - so how did this happen, and how will the region's councils respond?  Also, the government has released a tranche of documents into the work to replace the Interislander ferries. What do the documents reveal? NZ H...

Health Minister Simeon Brown has unveiled plans to launch a tele-health service, allowing patients to see a doctor or nurse from home via their mobile device.  “This service will mean Kiwis can access primary healthcare from anywhere in New Zealand, 24 hours a day, seven days a week with the ability for GPs and nurses to also issue prescriptions or make referrals for lab tests," Brown said ye...

OPINION We were warned a report was coming out on Wellington Water. Not even people in the media or on our councils thought the report was going to be this scathing. There is a lot of shock around Wellington right now. And we’ve always suspected it, but now we know just how bad Wellington Water has been managing our pipes and our money. The entire report can be summed up in two lines. The first; w...

We're told a housing boom is on the way in the capital with a new district plan allowing for more higher-density homes closer to the city. Has this made it easier to develop in Wellington, and what will it mean for house prices? Also, f or the first time the Wellington City Council has responded to public concern over a cycleway project, voting to investigate reinstating carparks to Glenmore St ne...