Morning Edition: 21 July 2025

The Morning Edition of News Fix for 21 July 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 morning, I never reti manu and this is your
morning news fix for Monday, twenty first of July. In
this update, a warning that a stretched workforce could threaten
the future of the country's infrastructure. Six billion dollars of projects,
including roads, schools and hospitals, will kick off between now
and late December. Civil Contractors New Zealand chief Executive Alan

(00:28):
Pollard says fifteen thousand construction workers have lost their jobs
over the past year. He told Ryan Bridge the next
six months will be achievable, but it could be a
strain longer term, probably over the next eighteen to twenty
four months. So are we're going to have the scale
up quite quickly? The National Return Service Association could fracture

(00:49):
over some clubs with holding fees. Eighteen clubs have been
suspended and have been given three more weeks to pay
their bills or potentially face termination. A note to clubs
obtained by our newsroom reveals twenty four RSAs over combined
one hundred and eighty thousand dollars, causing serious cash flow

(01:09):
problems for the national body. Chief executive Evan Williams says
a small number of clubs don't believe they're getting value
for their annual membership fee. He says, they're considering breaking
away from the national body and creating their own veteran
support organization. The public is being urged to have their
say in the future of NCEEA, Education Minister Erica Stanford

(01:31):
signaling big changes could be on the cards, including the
potential to ditch NCEEA Level one altogether, a move some
schools are doing already. It comes after a damning briefing
presented to the government in June highlighted major problems. Secondary
Principals Association President Louise Anadu says it's important the public
engage in the consultation process. It could be a really

(01:54):
good forum to ensure that when end that was a
qualification that we're all proud of. Rising food and energy
prices could push inflation towards the upper end of the
Reserve Bank's target range. Statsn Z is revealing its latest
inflation figure at ten forty five this morning. Asb economists
expect CPI inflation are set two point eight percent, Infometrics

(02:16):
Principal economist Brad Olsen says others are estimating a slightly
lower inflation rate. He says some are pointing to a
two point six two point seven percent inflation rate, which
is still up from three months ago. More demand to
join Task Force Green than funding can allow. In the
flood damaged Tasman region, sixty job seekers a volunteer to

(02:37):
help the flood clean up, but not all of those
can be taken on due to funding constraints. The available
funds will initially go towards two crews of nine who
will work full time for ten weeks and be paid
the living wage. Police have issued more than seventy infringement
notices and ordered multiple cars off the road during an
antisocial road user event in Auckland on Santa Night, and

(03:01):
investigations are also continuing today into a late night street
brawl in central Hamilton that left one man dead and
three other people injured. In Sport, golfer Scotti Scheffler has
won a maiden Open Championship title at royal Port Rush,
his fourth major victory. The Warriors have snatched a twenty

(03:21):
fifteen win over the Knights in Newcastle to solidify fourth
on the NRL League Ladder, courtesy of a forty meter
triscoring dash in the final minute by Lekahalaesima. The Tactics
are into net balls An's Premiership decider against the Mystics
next Sunday after a come from behind fifty seven to
fifty two win over the Pulse in the elimination final

(03:42):
at christ Church. I'm Neverretti Manu and that your latest
news fix. We'll be back with the next update at
midday from the newstalk ZB news Group.