Morning Edition: 17 July 2026

The Morning Edition of News Fix for 17 July 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 (00:03):
Good morning. I'm Wendy Petrie. This is your morning news
fixed for Friday, the seventeenth of July. The Trade Minister
says Switzerland is the next cab off the rank for
a trade deal with New Zealand. Todd McLay has revealed

(00:26):
to The Herald he met with Swiss Secretary of State
Aleen Wudliga Artiga yesterday and talks are now underway. Switzerland
is one of twenty one countries taking part in today's
Future of Investment and Trade Partnership Ministerial meeting in Auckland.
Todd McClay says we're like minded countries, but there is
work to do. Lower fuel prices could clear the way

(00:48):
for a long awaited economic recovery to start back up again.
In the Metric's latest forecast show, annual economic growth is
said to reach a four year high of two point
seven percent mid next year. It points out diesel prices
are now at around two dollars forty a liter, rather
than the three dollars eighty we saw earlier this year.
Chief forecaster Gareth Kernan says businesses are still facing some

(01:11):
cost pressures, but it's not as intense as earlier this year.
No harm and eggs for breakfast, despite bird flu's possible
devastation to chickens. One case of the H five N
one strain has been detected on our shores, found in
a sea bird on Wellington's Potoni Beach a week ago.
The virus has been spreading globally and workers underway on

(01:32):
biosecurity and resilience to prevent a destructive outbreak in poultry.
Egg Producer Federation Executive director for Fiona macmillan says it's
not a food safety issue. People can cook chicken and
eggs as normal. The Department of Conservation is sounding the
alarm about people disturbing New Zealand's wildlife. There were two

(01:52):
hundred and ten reported incidents last year involving people or
dogs harming or harassing native animals and habitats, but no prosecutions.
Some of the most targeted were penguins, seals, sea lions,
whales and dolphins. Principal Investigation Officer Hayden Loper says proving
offenses beyond reasonable doubt is difficult. Mystery surrounds a mass

(02:15):
death event in Portidua which left more than thirty dead.
Stingrays washed up on a local Beach. The Botoni Beach
clean up crew reported dozens of eagle rays and two
rig sharks were discovered last month, relatively close in one area. Now,
the Ministry for Primary Industry says testing has ruled out
exotic pets or diseases as a cause of the strange event.

(02:37):
A spokesperson suspects it's connected to recent storm events in
the area, which have also injured some seabirds. Queenstown is
expecting an influx of air travelers this winter for the
airport's busiest season yet. Seven hundred and eighty five thousand
passengers could travel through the airport between July and September,
and more than fifty thousand, up on the same time

(02:59):
last year. It's gearing up for a peak this weekend,
with more than seventy flights and ten thousand people passing
through alone to Sport and Kazuma. Kaporby has performed the
best of the New Zealanders in the opening round of
Golf's Open Championship Major. Defending NRAL champions Brisbane have kept
their slim playoff chances alive, breaking an eight match losing

(03:22):
streak to beat leaders Penrith fourteen to twelve. Italy rugby
coach Gonzalo Quinzeida has been handed a two month suspension
for his criticism of the refereeing following Saturday's defeat to
the All Blacks, and Belgium's Tim Merlear survived a pile
up on the finishing shoot to win Stage twelve of

(03:42):
cycling's Tour de France. Hy Wendy Petrin, that's your latest
news fix. We'll be back with the next update at
midday from the Newstalk's EDB Newsroom.