Midday Edition: 04 August 2026

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 04 August 2026, straight from the Newstalk ZB newsroom - bringing you everything you need to know in news, politics, business, entertainment and sport.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Good afternoon. I'm Malcolm Jordan and this is your midday
news fix for Tuesday, the fourth of August. Snow is
easing across the South Island, but the bitter cold is lingering.
Dunedin Police say people should avoid travel, with crashes across
the city, all school shut and bus services canceled. Snow
has closed State Highways one, eighty five and eighty seven,

(00:24):
while further north, christ Church's State Highway seventy five has
now reopened. Met Services Braid and White says the coldest
air is yet to hit christ Church.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
All of that vrain activity is going to ease off
and we get some clear skies building him behind with
high pressure and that's going to allow that over eighteen
Richard's parmit. We're talking minus five degrees and Tuesday morning.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
All today's Cookstraight ferries are canceled, with a road snowfall
warning for Wellington's Rematucker Hill Road. It's been revealed a
senior Health New Zealand official used a personal email to
pose as a pay to collect information on a GP's
business venture. Doctor Clive Price moved to Todonger from the

(01:06):
UK eighteen months ago, starting a company providing bowl screening
tests for kiwis unable to access the national program. Emily
Ansel reports.

Speaker 3 (01:15):
Doctor Price says he shocked at their methods when they
could have just called general practitioners altered or chair Buzz
Burrel says it seems extraordinary and he assumed Health New
Zealand would be cleaner. Health new Zealand says a direct
approach would have been more appropriate, but there was no
intention to obtain information under false pretenses.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
Government agency diversity plans are facing scrutiny from an ACT, MP,
Treasury and MB have published plans calling for increased use
of Toreyo, Maori and cultural practices at work. Treasuries reported
using diversity focused job websites to advertise some roles to
widen its selection polls. Act's Public Service spokesperson Todd Stevenson

(01:58):
says the agency should focus on core responsibilities and we
just want to make sure that actually what's being delivered
is services for New Zealanders are not internal naval gazing.
Business heavy hitters believe some structural energy issues need ironing out.
The Northern Infrastructure Forum and Auckland Business Chamber have launched
a two step policy asking political parties to break up

(02:21):
the Big four gentailors. They say we should increase renewable
generation by fifty percent, estimating it could give the economy
a thirty billion dollar boost every year. Forum Executive director
Barney Irvine says there's not enough competition.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
Which is keeping up new retail entrants in vire four
driving prices up.

Speaker 1 (02:41):
Police want to hear from any witnesses after a fatal
two vehicle crash on State Highway One in Northland's Cody
about eight thirty pm yesterday. Anyone who saw two vehicles
speeding north between Tacamo's Springs Flat Roadhouse and Fonterra Cody
last night should contact police. Local soap Shortland Street is

(03:02):
being funded next year and will run an extra day
each week to sport. Taranaki hooker Bradley Slater is en
route to South Africa to replace the injured George Bell
on the All Blacks Tour. New Zealand Football have confirmed
Andrew Pregnell will depart as chief executive in early twenty
twenty seven after more than an eight year tenure. Twenty

(03:23):
twenty one champion Emma Raticanu has withdrawn from the US
Tennis Open with a stress fracture in her right leg,
and New South Wales have reportedly appointed Matt King as
Laurie Daly's successor to coach the Blues and State of
Origin league for the next two campaigns. I'm Malcolm Jordan.
That's your latest news fix. We'll be back with the
next update at five pm from the news Talk zb newsroom.