Midday Edition: 11 August 2026

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 11 August 2026, 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 (00:02):
Good afternoon. I'm Malcolm Jordan and this is your midday
news fax for Tuesday, the eleventh of August. Chris Bishop
has confirmed the National Caucus will meet tonight, but says
Chris Luckson's leadership won't be on the agenda. The Herald
reports MPs have been fielding phone calls about a potential
leadership spill, one saying there will be change. Bishop says

(00:23):
the caucus backs its leader and ministers and MPs take
calls on a wide range of matters. That is part
of the daily life when you're an MP and a minister.
It's a recess week. People are out and about. I
think I'm about four different cities in the next four days,
so of course people are talking on the phones. Defense
of a housing development near Audowa in Auckland's North. Auckland's
mayor and multiple councilors are criticizing the fast track approved

(00:47):
Delmore development for having no water infrastructure. Water care can't
install pipes until at least twenty thirty three and waste
must be trucked out. Urban planning specialist Hamish Firth told
Kerry Woodham the land's been zoned for housing since twenty sixteen,
I would have suggested to you that Waterkeirez planned rollout

(01:07):
of the sewage and water infrastructure would have already included this,
ten years after the date. Contact Energy is assuring a
potential Taranaki data center would be self sufficient. The Gen
Taylor's talking with Australian company CDC on building a facility
in Stratford. Chief executive Mike Fuge told Ryan Bridge today

(01:29):
the plant would be powered by future renewable sources energy wise.
Will it wash its own face, yes, absolutely, and even manwater,
yet it is aiming to be water neutral. Contact has
posted a record twenty eight percent rise in annual profit
at four hundred and twenty three million dollars. Teams are
working carefully in stages to return water supply to Ohakuni

(01:52):
by this evening. The towns had to resort to water
tankers and portaloo since Friday. Ruapehu District Council pushed restoration
twenty four hours yesterday after technical analysis advised against rushing infrastructure.
Executive Manager Vinie Dutra says working too quickly could have
broken the pipes, which have become less resilient with age.

(02:15):
It's not just for repair district, it is common team
across New Zealand where the water infrastructure is aged to
a point that it becomes fragile. Our largest regional council
says its core services need protection during a government overhaul.
City and district councils had until Sunday to pitch plans
for merging into larger unitary councils. The government says it's

(02:38):
working through those proposals. Environment Canterbury chair Dion Swiggs says
responsibilities like flood infrastructure, civil defense coordination and specialist skills
have to be maintained through ours. We've got to make
sure that local government has the capacity to continue delivering
because especially these life important and critical functions, they just
can't stop. They've got to keep going to sport confidences

(03:02):
building that New Zealand will get a second NRL League team.
The christ Church City Council has been working directly with
the governing body for almost two years on requirements. A
cold front sweeping over South Africa has made for a
wet final training session for the All Blacks and Durban
ahead of facing the Sharks tomorrow morning. Former Silver Ferns

(03:23):
netball captain Anna Nuevar has died aged fifty eight. The
mid Quarter made her New Zealand debut in nineteen eighty
nine and was elevated to lead the side in nineteen
ninety two. I'm Malcolm Jordan. That's your latest news fix.
We'll be back with the next update at five pm
from the Newstalk ZB newsroom.