Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Less than 24 hours after Victorian residents were warned to evacuate from bushfires, flash floods started tearing through the region. Authorities issued flood warnings as heavy rain drenched the state and flooded rivers during the typically dry spring season. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says roads have been closed and flights have been cancelled as the wild weather belts the region.   See...

Incoming All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has reportedly been told to stay away from his future charges at the World Cup. According to halfback Justin Marshall, Robertson has been barred from games involving the All Blacks because the current coaching group feels his presence would be a distraction. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains the ongoing issue further. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio....

The death of Christchurch woman Mellory Manning is one of two cold cases police are keen to crack, looking to a new DNA tool. Police confirm they're trialling Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy testing, which compares DNA of unidentified suspects with genetic profiles on genealogy websites. Mellory's brother Rob Manning says this technology is a positive step forward for everyone in society....

Pope Francis has suggested he would be open to having the Catholic Church bless same-sex couples on a 'case-by-case' basis. This was in response to a number of requests sent to the Pope ahead of a global gathering about the Church's future. When asked to clarify, the Pope stated any request for a blessing should be treated with 'pastoral charity'. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says there's debate as...

Tonight on The Huddle, Curia pollster David Farrar 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! Deputy National leader Nicola Willis has criticised former National minister Paula Bennett for posting a public photo with ACT's Brooke van Velden. Is this an endorsement, or are we overthinking this? Nanaia Mahuta is fa...

House prices are in recovery mode after a 18-month slump, according to new data. The Reserve Bank's today held the Official Cash Rate at 5.5 percent- with the next review of monetary policy late November. Infometrics chief forecaster Gareth Kiernan says increased interest rates are still a concern for prospective buyers, but an uptick in migration has added to demand. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.c...

Little surprise the Official Cash Rate remains unchanged- for the time being. The Reserve Bank has today held the OCR at 5.5 percent, claiming interest rates are constraining economic activity as required. Milford Asset Management's Katlyn Parker says there's a lot of uncertainty around this point in the election campaign, and the RBNZ will be waiting for a change. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/...

Goldman Sachs analysts have warned National's proposed tax cuts could risk worsening existing economic pressures. Andrew Boak and William Nixon believe National's plan could  exacerbate inflation, and therefore cause interest rates to remain higher for longer. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny agrees, claiming National's proposed foreign buyers tax and increased immigration fee...

Grant Robertson's reflected on his Government's record on student poverty, after a confrontation at a Wellington university today. After Robertson cast his vote at Victoria University, a student initiated a testy exchange, asking about Labour's rejection of a universal student allowance. ZB political editor Jason Walls says Grant Robertson's defence was fair, as Labour removed first-year fees duri...

The latest One News/ Verian poll shows NZ First still holds the balance of power. Labour is stagnant at 26 percent, National's leading with 36 percent- but ACT has dropped two points to 10 percent, meaning they'll need NZ First to reach the threshold. National finance spokesperson Nicola Willis isn't confident Winston Peters will stand by a possible National/ACT coalition. "It's been 27 years sinc...

A popular Auckland walkway has been partially closed following a spat between some property owners and the council. The dispute is centred around a around a seaside cottage with heritage status, with the owners requesting the status be removed. The cottage used to belong to Kiwi artist and photographer Clifton Firth​. Their lawyer, Alex Witten-Hannah, says the owners want to knock the 'derelict' c...

An internal police review paints a broken picture of New Zealand's bail system. The report shows 0.4 percent of offenders - one in 250 - are automatically flagged as high risk, while low risk offenders are needlessly targeted, because police IT systems aren't fit for purpose. Police Deputy Commissioner Naila Hassan acknowledges the current bail management application system isn't fit for purpose b...

Suggestions the wheels are falling off the economy faster than expected. The Reserve Bank today held the Official Cash Rate at 5.5 percent, with the next review of monetary policy happening in late November. There's no saying whether the OCR will rise again, but the central bank is signalling it doesn't expect it to drop until early 2025. But BNZ's head of research, Stephen Toplis, says he predict...

Kevin McCarthy has become the first US House Speaker ousted from the role. Representatives have voted 216 to 210 to remove him- after Republican ire over McCarthy  compromising with Democrats on a stopgap deal to avoid a Government shutdown. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says it's unclear who will replace McCarthy in the role, as the Republicans haven't lined anyone else up. LISTEN ABOVE See omn...

The All Blacks have their eye fixed on the quarterfinals ahead of Friday's match. All Blacks coach Ian Foster has made nine starting changes for the team's final World Cup pool match against Uruguay. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave recaps the choices made ahead of this week's key match. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The retail sector wants changes to the justice system, after a concerning report. The latest Retail NZ report shows the sector has suffered just under $2.6 billion in losses from crime in the year to June. It also found 92 percent of retailers have suffered a crime in the past year. Retail NZ Chief Executive Carolyn Young says more businesses are expecting to incorporate AI facial recognition to i...

Here's some good news , we've finally got some new rules around forestry slash that might actually make a difference to places like Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay, which have been absolutely pounded by logs in Cyclone Gabrielle. The rules are kicking in very soon - just 4 weeks’ time. And they will require forestry owners to remove their slash  if it’s over a certain size,  and it’s not particularly l...

Speculation claims UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak may axe part of the High Speed 2 rail project. Sunak is set to deliver a speech as part of the Conservative Party conference, and a rumour that he'll scrap the Manchester leg of the rail link. UK correspondent Enda Brady says the project costs have ballooned to $200 billion, and Sunak will be feeling the pressure to cut costs. LISTEN ABOVE See omnys...

Tonight on The Huddle, Neale Jones from Capital and Infrastructure NZ CEO Nick Leggett joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Chris Luxon says he'll be active in Christchurch next Tuesday, but there's no room in his itinerary for a rescheduled Press debate. The event due to happen tonight was called off after Chris Hipkins got Covid. Is this cowardice on Luxon's...

The Reserve Bank of Australia has kept the OCR on hold for the fourth month in a row. The decision to keep the cash rate at 4.1 percent is the first one made by the RBA's new governor, Michele Bullock. However, Bullock warned that Australia isn't out of the woods yet when it comes to inflation, and warned of future hikes to come. HSBC Chief Economist Paul Bloxham thinks the RBA could hike interest...

Another key GDT auction is set to take place tonight, and experts have an optimistic outlook. This auction is off the back of two positive lifts in September, with a 2.7 percent and 4.6 percent increase improving moods within the sector. The Country's Jamie Mackay says he consulted rural economists from Westpac, Jarden and Rabobank- and they're feeling positive about tonight's predicted results. L...

Until Monday, no-one knew the name of the reclusive Pennsylvanian millionaire regularly visiting Hawke's Bay. Sean Colgan found himself in the spotlight after it was revealed he'd been lending his private plane to ACT's David Seymour. BusinessDesk managing editor Pattrick Smellie's been digging into his background- and earlier investments during the Covid-19 pandemic. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.c...

Chris Luxon says he'll be in Christchurch next Tuesday - but still has no time for the Press debate. Hipkins is unable to make the Press leaders debate, which was due to be held tonight, as he's tested positive for Covid-19. Luxon has been accused of chickening out of the debate by Labour. ZB political editor Jason Walls accuses Labour of being 'churlish', allowing Luxon to take the high road. LIS...

A Wellington City Councillor believes the Council will have to borrow money to fund the quake-prone Town Hall. It faces yet another cost increase, which would add between $70 million to $147 million to the $182 million budget. Council will vote on approving the budget in a matter of weeks. Councillor Ray Chung says it's annoying council's continuing with business as usual. "We're going to have a r...

An alternative theory about the mysterious origins of the white powder on the Ranfurly Shield has been proposed. The iconic log o' wood was split in two after the Hawke's Bay Magpies dropped the Shield at an after-party celebrating Saturday's win. Ranfurly Shield restorer James Dwan says the white powder seen in photos is likely plaster from earlier repairs of the famous taonga. "I put some plaste...