Afternoon Edition: 29 October 2025

The Afternoon Edition of News Fix for 29 October 2025, straight from the Newstalk ZB newsroom - bringing you everything you need to know in news, politics, business, entertainment and sport.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Good afternoon. I'm raileing Ramsey. This is your afternoon news
fixed for Wednesday, the twenty ninth of October. Our population
growth is losing steam, slowing in all sixteen regions. Provisional
stats and Z figures annually to June show Canterbury's population
rose the most, up one point one percent, but it

(00:24):
dropped zero point three percent of Nelson and Marlborough. Wellington
lost seventeen hundred more people than it gained. Massy University
sociologist Paul Spoonley says migration and growth go hand in hand,
with both fizzling out.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
Two years ago, we would have been talking about how
fast regions and cities were grown because of that high spirit.
In terms of migration numbers.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
It's unclear how long power will stay out to households
in Kluther and Southland, now down to just under six
thousand homes. Their states of emergency continue, but Kaikoda's expiresed
Pluther mayor Jock Martin says seventeen hundred homes don't have
power in his district, but progress is good considering the
conditions out there in the field.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
They've come across the initial problem and then there's another problem.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
And another problem.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
Access to the problem as a hindrance too with all
the windfall damage.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
A reporter suggesting the government approach to Kyenger order is
based on errors. A twenty twenty three review fronted by
Bill English suggested moving away from public housing because people
with accommodation supplements were more vulnerable, but Otaga University research
reached the opposite conclusion. Author Io Fascio says the twenty

(01:40):
twenty three review compared different stages of support, not when
intervention began.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
What they should have done at which we did. We
looked at the point of intervention. That is the exact
time you can see which of the two is the
most vulnerable.

Speaker 1 (01:57):
Police and Gisbone appear to have hit a roadblock Hooker
month since Bell Marghy died on September twenty nine, Detective
Inspector Martin James is asking people to help them track
the movements of a stolen silver high and die Sonata
registration af N two one five. It was stolen from
Ormond Road the night before Mangy died. Anti smoking advocates

(02:20):
want more investment at the border is illegal tobacco consumption rises.
A report for Local Imperial tobacco and British American tobacco
branches shines a light on our smoking habits. It suggests
more than a quarter consumed last year was illicit products,
including smuggled contraband, asthma and Respiratory Foundation chief executive Letitia

(02:42):
Harding says that's no reason to tax tobacco lease. It's
got to be packaged together as a whole strategy. Really
tighten up the borders, invest in the borders, for seize
illicit trade, tobacco trans Tasman police and cooperation and a
sting dubbed Operation black Onyx has led to the seizure
of almost one hundred firearms in New Zealand. The combined

(03:05):
week of action with Australian partner agencies produced forty three
arrests here, one hundred and ten chargers, ninety six firearms,
siezures and eighty three searches. To sport, the All Blacks
believe their match fitness advantage over Ireland for Sunday's Grand
Slam Tour opener in Chicago will be counterbalanced by the

(03:25):
freshness of the Irish, who haven't played together since the
Six Nations ended in March. Australian captain Pat Cummins has
made a tentative return to bowling in a brief net
session in Sydney, with hopes of returning two or three
matches into the five Test Ashes series. New Zealand past
bowler Matt Henry will be monitored over the next few

(03:46):
days to determine if his injured calf will allow him
to play in the third one day against England. That
is your latest news fix. Will be back with the
next update tomorrow morning from the news Talk zb newsroom.