August 10, 2026 • 34 mins
On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday the 11th of August 2026, Not every council is happy about the attempted forced amalgamation by central government, Manawatu Mayor Michael Ford shares his thoughts.
It seems the Christchurch Council is backing Sir Graham Lowe's NRL Southern Orca's bid, Newstalk ZB Canterbury Sports Commentator Nick Bewley tells Ryan how likely it is team will come together.
Contact Energy's reported a record net profit of $423 million, Shareholders Association CEO Oliver Mander shares his thoughts on if power prices will come down.
Plus Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on calls for Anthony Albanese to apologise over claims he’s insulted the Japanese Prime Minister and south Australia announces a royal commission into artificial intelligence.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The issues, the interviews and the insight. Bryan Bridge on
an early edition with Spark for business Technology that keeps
business moving news talks.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
They'd be very good morning to you. Welcome to Tuesday
six after five. We'll look at council amalgamations this morning,
Donners and Australia for us. The housing numbers that smash
a whole in Labour's capital gains. Text the story on
Luckson's leadership, nurl's South Island team, Will it happen and
contact Interguce Profits. The agenda Tuesday, the eleventh of August.
Scary big earthquake. You should see the footage frightening earthquake.
(00:33):
Actually in Colombia seven point four magnitude. Seventy seven people
have died. It has happened early in the morning as well,
about seven thirty local time, people waking up, going to work,
getting ready for the day. But the sense currently is.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
That it has had a huge impact and not just
felt across Colombia and neighboring Venezuela, but tremors from this
seven point four manitude quak felt as far as Panelt.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
To the UK. We told you the other day about
the Mega Dinghies if you've seen the footage of the
megadinghy's coming into the UK, this is across the channel
from France. Well, the largest megadinghy holding the biggest number
of people of migrants has entered. They reckon now, taking
the year total to more than fifteen thousand. Nigel Parass,
it's a national security emergency.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
So whether we have fewer bad people thus far this
year than last year, the situation is desperate. It should
be declared a national security emergency. And yes we have
managed to stop some of the dingers, but it doesn't
stop the problem. It doesn't go away.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
There was two hundred and thirty people on that one boat. Now, finally,
remember this little whoop see from the UK broadcaster Radio Carolina.
Speaker 5 (01:40):
This is Radio Caroline. His majesty King Charles the third
has passed away. As a mark of respect, we will
now be playing suitable continuous music until further notice.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Oh so, a very grim sort of bulletin, but the
story behind it's quite funny. So station's been found in
breach of broadcasting rules for mistakenly announcing Charles's death. Media
watchdog Offcom says a staff member played a pre recorded
obituary out of curiosity cutting off the presenter's stream, then
(02:16):
panicked and left it. Called it a very significant inaccuracy
on a matter of very high public interest.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Ryan Bridge on early edition with Spark for business technology
that keeps business moving news talks.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Be this spray and walk away eight minutes after five
nine ninety two is a number to text now. The
Contact net profit up twenty eight percent to four hundred
and twenty three million dollars in the year of June.
This is for a couple of reasons. The first of
which you will think is they're charging like a wounded bull. Well, actually,
if you look at their retail arm, the retail arms
not making money. So they will argue that they have
(02:55):
not given themselves the little sweetheart deals that all the
other power companies gent tailors are giving them, where the
gen part of the tailor, the gen part gives a
sweetheart deal to the tailor and we pay higher prices.
They say, we're not doing that. Therefore, our retail business
is not making money. And if you look at the
earnings overall since twenty twenty two, earnings have doubled for
(03:19):
Contact member. Contact is fully publicly listed. It's not owned
by well, not partly owned by the government. Like the others,
earnings have doubled since twenty twenty two. An underlying profit
is up one hundred and thirty percent. They are investing
in renewables. They have acquired mono or energy, remember that,
and that has lifted their bottom line. But they say
we have stayed true. The transfer price between what the
(03:44):
gen taylors are are charging the gen part is charging
the tailor is actually not a sweetheart deal. It reflects
the very independent way of assessing the retail arm business
that we have been doing for some time. It is
a loss in it is a true loss. But I
mean once top people asking the question today, why are
(04:04):
you making all this money when our prices are going up?
And every April you get a letter from your power company,
don't you saying your prices are going up for one
reason or another. They all point to the transmission costs,
They all point to the line's costs. That's what's driving it,
but most people probably don't believe it anyway. The other
thing they're doing is data center. So here we go again,
(04:27):
data center. In the news. They have announced plans. They're
sort of quite fresh. They haven't got too far down
the track yet, but they have announced plans for a
data center in Stratford and Tartanaki along with CDC backed
by Infantil. And what happens with the power, what happens
with the water, and also we're not yet clear, remember
(04:49):
because the government hasn't got rules yet. They've just sort
of hinted that there might be rules about where the
power has to come from, where the water has to
come from, who's responsible for it. So at this stage,
lot of un answered questions on that one. Eleven minutes
after five Bryan Bridge, You're on News Talks. There'd be
great to have your company coming up next. We will
look at contact and we will look if you're a
shareholder in Contact, at what you're getting out of this.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
The Early Edition Full show podcast on iHeartRadio powered by
News Talks AB. Get ahead of the headlines on Early
Edition with Ryan Bridge and Spark for Business Technology that
keeps business Moving News Talks AB.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Five point thirteen. You're on News Talks. Areb The average
New Zealand property residential property value down one and a
half percent in the three months to the end of July.
This is the report out yesterday from qv SO down
one and a half percent in three months. Now. Remember
Labor needs three percent growth in housing prices per year
(05:49):
to fund the doctor's visits that they have promised on
the campaign. So and it will be interesting to see
depending on where you live in New Zealand. If you're
house prices are going up and then you need to
sell your house and it's a second house, then you
will be paying the capital gains tax which will be
funding the doctor's visits. For I don't know. Some rich
(06:10):
list are living in Herne Bay. Three of them per
year is what they are entitled to under Labour's policy.
So they have some questions to answer about that because
if you're dropping one and a half percent in three months,
we will wait to see what the annual average is.
But remember they need three percent. That is what their
calculations are based on three percent increase per year. Bread rich,
(06:32):
there's fourteen after five, right, let's go to contacts. They've
reported a record net profit four hund and twenty three million,
up nearly twenty eight percent, operating earnings topping a billion.
This is thanks to in part the one energy takeover
and stronger renewable generation.
Speaker 6 (06:48):
They are a solid return on some very prudent investments,
and our shareholders should be happy with that, but they
are also made Remember that also came with an increase
of our renewable generation to ninety eight percent.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Olive Amanda Is Shareholders Association. See you over me this morning, Oliver.
Good morning water, Brian. So are you happy with that
their full year dividend up three percent forty cents a share.
Speaker 7 (07:12):
Look, it is a pretty good result. The dividend has
increased to forty cents. It's interesting that they're still holding
something in reserve for their dividend. They're only paying it
out at sixty five percent of their operating free cashloads.
If policy gives them leads to pay out quite a
lot more than that. That probably reflects the fact they're
trying to create that funding optionality for those projects that
they have going forward.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
It's interesting listening to what that's saying in regards to demand,
Like they you know, obviously you need prices to be
you need some demand, don't you. And when you have
a whole bunch of businesses going offline who are demanding,
you need something to replace it with and they're looking
to data centers amongst other things.
Speaker 7 (07:52):
Look, I mean that's that's really interesting how I made
yesterday in terms of the potential option they're looking at
with CDC in Stratford and yeah, look New Zealand and
we've seen that in Southland as well. At the moment
we see investment in data center in data centers in
Southland and the jet generation that goes along with that.
So you know that that is another lever for New
(08:13):
Zealand and to consider in terms of its future electricity
demand as well. And it's the way, and I think
we've said this before iron these these companies are currently grows.
Companies are investing heavily in gross contact is no exceptions.
Gross campex this year was three hundred and seventy five million,
and they're talking about increasing that next year to somewhere
around that four sixty four to seventeen million mark.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
How investors reviewing seeing the result, But I.
Speaker 7 (08:39):
Think investorship should probably fairly positively as a results. There's
noise in there because you've start digesting here the mane
Or acquisition, and that's if you stripped that out, you've
got to sort of got that seventeen that Ebbitt's figure
and Winterston tax figure. It's not quite as spectaculous, but
it's still around seventeen percent. And similarly for the profit,
(09:00):
there's noise in that in terms of increase in profit,
both for some underlying issues and from money or itself.
Be still talking about an underlying increase of somewhere to
somewhere in the thirty percent mark, which is really pretty
good for consumers. It's interesting because there's a signal that
in the forward market that suggests that the wholesale prices
(09:23):
are reducing. They won't always flow through directly to consumer
bills because there's other factors in there like transmission and
distribution cost, but it could be that's pointing to some
relief and residential power price increases into the next year
as well, which is interesting.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Oliver Good to be on the show is always Oliver,
Amanda Shareholders Associations CEO. Time is eighteen after five. What's
Razor got to do with NRL got to do with
the South Island Turny?
Speaker 8 (09:49):
Next?
Speaker 1 (09:49):
News Talk SEB the Early edition Full the Show podcast
on iHeartRadio powered by News talksb on your Radio and
online on iHeartRadio. Belly Edition with Ryan Bridge and Spunk
for Business Technology that keeps Business Moving.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
News Talk B News talks ITB it is twenty half
to five. Speaking of data centers, Zackerberg, the Meta boss.
He is throwing cash at anyone who will take a
data center, and he's announced new cash overnight.
Speaker 9 (10:21):
Another part of building a positive future for everyone is
making sure that everywhere we build infrastructure, local communities benefit.
We've already seen this with the teachers in Richland Parish
who got fifty thousand dollars bonuses because the extra tax
revenue from our investments, and we launched America's Workforce Academy
to provide free training and guarantee jobs at our infrastructure sites.
(10:42):
Today we're starting a new future is for Everyone fund
to invest in the community's teachers, first responders, energy and
water infrastructure in more ways to support those communities directly.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Basically, anyone who's anyone gets cash. By the way, that
fifty thousand dollars that they gave tea teachers came from
a forty two million dollars in sales and use tax
for that particular state authority, and that was in the
first nine months of the current fiscal year. That was
double the previous year. Fifty k was more than some
(11:16):
teachers salaries for the year twenty one after five Ryan
Bred the prospective of South Island NRAL team looking better
than ever. Apparently the christ Church Council is backing Sir
Graham Low's Southern Orcers bid. Council has met with the
NRAL and outlined a commercial plan and there's a razor twist.
Nick Buley News Talks heb Canterbury sports commentator with us
this morning. Neck, good morning, good morning, right, so starting
(11:37):
to look promising, is it?
Speaker 10 (11:39):
Certainly the wheels in motion. Look the council were doing
its due diligence and new documentation that has been reported
this morning from Newstalks c B show. You know, conversation
started a couple of years ago. They're starting to ramp
up and the warriors were in town in christ Church
in June and NRL officials we hear council officials who
hear there's no exact request for proposal around a twentieth
(12:02):
license to enter the NRL just yet, but they're getting
all their ducks in our ow and they really need to.
You know that the NRL timeline and an ideal world
is that a club would be stood up, the Southern
Orcas or whoever it's going to be here in christ
which would be stood.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
Up by twenty twenty nine.
Speaker 11 (12:18):
You know, we're talking two.
Speaker 10 (12:19):
And a half years away. And there's a lot to do,
including obviously the report yesterday and m's hiring a coach
and finding players and sponsors and getting members and you know,
hiring all sorts of stuff. So look, it's encouraging signs
for people down here in the South who you know,
want to have an NRL team here, But there's certainly
(12:40):
a lot to do.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
The razor thing, is that a headline grabber or is
that a serious pitch for me?
Speaker 10 (12:46):
Anyway, Ryan, it's the headline grabber. But look, I've observed
Scott Robertson and the Crusaders environments. He is more these days,
or certainly at that point in time, what you'd call
a culture coach. He's not necessarily the one and the
hard graft On field. That's what he gets some experienced
assistant coaches in and around to do. And I suppose
(13:07):
that's the pitch from Sir Graham Low and Andrew Chalmers
of the Southern Orcas, you know, come in and be
that guy that can provide a winning culture. He certainly
did that at the Crusaders and then we'll wrap around
experience in and around him. I personally think it's a
little bit bold for someone with zero rugby league experience,
given the cut and thrust of NRL, one of the toughest,
(13:29):
you know, domestic competitions in Australasian sport. But it certainly
would grab attention as it did yesterday. And the fact
we are talking about it right now.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Hey very quickly. Is the council looking at putting rate
payer money into this or we don't know yet.
Speaker 10 (13:43):
We don't know yet, and that's the fascinating thing for me.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Ryan.
Speaker 10 (13:45):
There'll be I mean, I'm a rugby league not through
and through, but there'll be certain people out there that
are going to tell the council to stick to what
they know in terms of the water and rubbish and
all that sort of stuff is getting into bed with
rugby league really considered a top price already when we're
supposed to be curbing rate rises. So that'll be one
to watch.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Yeah. Indeed, Nick Berley News Talks zb Canniby Sports commentated
with us twenty four minutes half to five, and we've
spoken a lot on this program about charmers and elbows budget,
there was the negative gearing, there was the capital gains
tax changes or the latest to take a hit from this,
not just the housing market, but now the banks. Bank
shares tanking yesterday west Pack down four point seven percent,
CBA down four point four, A, n Z two point seven,
(14:26):
NAB two point six. This is after west Pac released
its quarter three market update mortgage applications down eleven percent,
and they are expecting those applications to be down twenty
percent for quarter four. And if the market real estate
markets not making money, the banks aren't making money, so
the share price is reflected. Twenty four after five News
(14:47):
Talks ZB. We'll look at that story about the PM's
leadership next News TALKSB twenty seven after five, Here we
go again, for at least the second time this year,
there's a story in the media about National MP's doing
the numbers online uckson. Thomas Coglan at The Herald has
said that phones are ringing. At least one MP has spoken.
One MP does not a story make. But the political
(15:09):
calculation here is that Luxon is a drag on the
party's polling. Changing horses midstream would not hurt their chances
of forming a government, but might provide momentum and a
boost to their share of the right voting block and
perhaps even some soft center. They'll be tempted by the
Descender transition which saw a poll bump a circuit breaker.
(15:29):
They'll be wary of the Judith transition and the many
Labour ones before that which proved fatal. But this is
completely unique this situation, as this is a party in government.
Whoever leads it leads New Zealand. Luxon's plea for more
party votes is falling on deaf fares, and despite expensive
advertising campaigns and glossy videos of the PM explaining their
(15:50):
fiscal strategy, his comments on the campaign, which is underway
in Earnest, are drowning out the pre recorded material. The
last week they've been in cleanup mode. They can't afford
to spend another three months trapesing around the country with
a dust pan and broom. That would require either better
discipline from the current leader or a change to a
new one, which has always been the fly in the
(16:12):
ointment for national There is no just cinder in waiting
in the wings. Bishop and Willis are well versed debaters
who perform well on the campaign. However, Keiwis like reluctant heroes,
and Bishop looks rightly or wrongly anything but Willis's near
perfect performance handling the initial fuel shot proves her worth,
but she may be too tied to the cost of
(16:32):
living woes that have hurt Laxen. Erica Stanford is the
candidate you'd pick if you really wanted to play ball.
She's denied wanting it enough, which is key, and is
a star performer, able to connect with people in a
way others have proven incapable. At this point, this is
all just talk, but timing is everything in politics, and
the fact MPs are briefing journalists twelve weeks out from
(16:55):
early voting is destabilizing in itself. Are you better to
nip it in the bard? We'll hope for brighter days.
Ryan Bridge talks twenty nine after five is the number
to text Donna's in Australia for US next elbows upset
the Japanese. I'll tell you why. Plus we'll look at
the council amalgamations, who's in and who's out. You're on
(17:18):
News Talk Seed B for your Tuesday morning Yea All
the Time.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
The early edition Full The Show podcast on iHeartRadio powered
by News Talks at B before the news breaks. Here
it first Ryan Bridge on early edition with Spark for
business technology that keeps business moving.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
News Talks at B. She's get a moment you were
away from six News Talks, he'd be morning Ryan Razor
must be a publicity stunt. This is from Anthony. It's
a bit easier this, Anthony. You sound like a true
blue rugby union fan. It's a bit easier to coach
league with no real scrums, no real rucks or real
(18:14):
competition for the ball. Anthony, thanks for your message. Loads
text coming in from Owa Kearney as well. We'll get
to those in a second. And also before six we
will talk about counsel amalgamations. We'll get to Donna in
Australia very quickly though. If you've been following Australia's Sunrise
Energy Metals, hopefully you had shares last week. So they
are going after now US listing. And the reason is
(18:36):
because they are buoyed by a Pentagon investment, a four
hundred million dollar loan. They are getting the company stocks
up sixteen percent yesterday and trumpingounced last week this loan.
It was at I had a round table with a
bunch of mining bosses. There they are throwing money at
companies that produce batteries and critical minerals. In particular, Sunrise
(18:57):
owns a scandium project in Australia that they say could
serve as a major source of the element outside of China,
which is where most of it comes from. Now. Scandium
is used to strengthen aluminium in sectors including and here's
the clincher aerospace, which is of course something that Trump
and the Pentagon are very interested in. It is twenty
three away from six Brian, Let's go to our reporters
(19:20):
Cullum and Dunedin Morning Callum, Morning Ryan. What's the coroner
said about this prisoner who died in Invercargol well.
Speaker 12 (19:27):
A coroner's recommended that corrections coordinate better with health staff
after this death that occurred four years ago. Thirty year
old Remand prisoner Nicoros Strange was found dead in his
cell and in the Cargol Men's prison back in August
of twenty twenty two. The coroner, Amelia Steele, says staff
should consult better with health workers and more recognitions needed
(19:48):
of how transitioning in and out of the Intervention and
Support unit affects prisoners that units used to safely observe
and treat vulnerable inmates. Corrections acknowledges the recommendations and says
it's taking to improve its policy and practice.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
All right, how's your weather?
Speaker 12 (20:05):
Mostly cloudy afternoon, fine breaks nor easterlies and the high
eleven today.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Nice one, Thanks Callum Clears and christ It this morning. Claire,
good morning. You're going to get a motor home for
your New Brighton Red Zone land?
Speaker 13 (20:16):
Well potentially. This new report before counselors today is recommending
doing exactly that, leasing some of the Red Zone land
to the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association for a period
of ten years. This proposal would allow up to one
hundred motor homes to stay for up to ten days
within any thirty day period. They did public consultation on this.
There was three hundred and sixty fourth submissions. Only five
(20:38):
of them were against to the idea. Those who support
it say it will bring some economic benefits to New
Brighton and activate what's currently vacant land. This comes as
a group of homeless people who have set up a
makeshift camp on Red Zone land at nearby Bexley have
been told they need to move on by the end
of February in order to make way for some wetland.
Of course, the question now is where they might go
(21:00):
and whether they remain homeless or get moved into permanent accommodation.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Right, how's you were them?
Speaker 14 (21:05):
Cloudy?
Speaker 13 (21:05):
We do hear the old shower this morning about Bank's peninsula,
then clearing to find a bit later northeasterlies and the
high will be twelve nice one.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Thank you. Mix is with us on Wellington Morning. Mechs,
good morning. I know you love a comm's funding story.
This is consultants you're looking at today.
Speaker 15 (21:20):
Yeah. I will actually get to the Comm's part of
it eventually. But a story by Andrea Vance in the
Post this morning. Ferry Holdings Limited, the state owned company
of course and delivering our next set of ferries, has
been committing almost fifteen million bucks to external consultants and contractors.
We know how Wellington loves those, including three and a
half a million to Affirm whose strategic advisor is one
(21:43):
of the directors of Ferry Holdings Limited, which is not
a good look. Apparently these numbers are only public after
a complaint by the labor party to the ombudsman that
the individual contracts were not being public. Ferry Holding says
this director has already disclosed this conflict of interest and
steps efectively steps out of the room when discussions regarding
this company take place. Generally, the costs do indeed show
(22:07):
a rather heavy reliance on consultant spend, something we've been
trying to wind back, not ramp up couple of melon
recruitment as well, because of course seek no longer cuts
mustard when you're trying to fill a few communications roles
for instance as well.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
How's your weather cloudy?
Speaker 15 (22:22):
Claring to find this afternoon southerleast twelve.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Nice one, Thank you and Neva's an Auckland morning neighbor,
good morning. Feeling the fast track process is having negative
effects on rural Auckland well look.
Speaker 14 (22:33):
An Auckland councilor said, totally totally inappropriate. These are his
words for the government to fast track housing developments outside
the city's urban boundary, so the fast Trek panel it's
approved a controversial This is the twelve hundred home Dellmoor development,
which is near audio Work water Care can't connect to
the site to the city's water infrastructure for several years,
(22:54):
potentially not until at least twenty fifty. Rodney Water councilor
Greg Sayers has come out out. He says this project
has been fast trick without it being shovel ready. He
says the development is still, you know, quite a few
years away. Might as well go through the council consent process.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
Yeah, that's what Wayne Brown was saying last week. What
is the point in fast track for a slow project?
Speaker 4 (23:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Yeah, so interesting. How's our weather?
Speaker 14 (23:18):
Cloudy areas of morning folk again today? Sixteen is a
high here in Auckland.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
I said, Jesus. It was warm yesterday, wasn't it? What
had the doors opened? Yes, exactly, front and back? Hold
the far Wow, it is eighteen away from six News talks.
It'd be. We're in Australia with Donnaix.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
International Correspondence with ends and eye insurance peace of mind
for New Zealand Business.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
News talks did be? It is sixteen minutes away from six.
Donna de Mayor's Australia correspondent, Donna good morning, Good morning here.
Now why has Albanezi been asked to apologize to the Japanese?
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Oh goodness mate, Now we all know that comedy is
quite subjective, so the PM is being asked to apologize
over a common he made on this podcast called the
Bush Deep Podcast. Now allegedly it's comedy based, but it's
been claimed that the PM was perceived to be referring
to Japan's Prime Minister's Senate Takashi's anatomy when he was
(24:14):
asked about two melons that he was gifted by his
Japanese counterpart. Now he was asked about the melons and
at the time he gestured to his chest when he
was asked how they may have been smuggled in. Now
we've heard from the former Australian ambassador Shingo Yamagami, who
says this exchange is insulting, it's ignorant and the betrayal
(24:35):
of the close relationship between Australia and Japan. Now, a
spokesperson for Albanizi says any assertion that he was making
a quip about the PM's body is wrong. But Angus Taylor,
opposition leader, he says, no, we need an apology. This
comment or this gesture is beneath the office of the PM,
(24:56):
and he thinks that an apology will be appropriate. Now Interestingly,
this is the same podcast where the PM said William
Hill was asked a question and he said he'd shagged
maryon dates at Carlie Minogue. So he did apologize after
that gaff. So now we wait and see whether this
dies down or whether he is forced to say sorry.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
So was it the same podcast? Was it the same podcast?
This podcasts twice shy Hey, South Australia is doing a
Royal commission to artificial intelligence? What's that going to tell us?
Do you reckon?
Speaker 3 (25:31):
Fascinating? The state government saying that you know, the technology
is potentially destructive, so they need to look into the
upsides and what is going to have, you know, what
impact is going to have in the future. The Premier
Peter Malaskus, when he announced that there's going to be
a Royal commission into AI, he says, if unchecked, it
could present a material risk to the way society operates.
(25:55):
So they want to look at the benefits, they want
to look at minimizing unwanted impact. Now it's going to
start October first, and we're not going to get a
report until at least July next year. But I thought
this was a fascinating quote from the premier the use
of artificial intelligence is an exciting opportunity to advance the
cause of humanity, but it is also true, according to him,
(26:17):
that unchecked artificial intelligence does represent a material risk to
the way our society operates and a risk to the
future of work if not thought through carefully. Fascinating, I thought.
He says, we're at a really important fork in the road.
Mind you, he just got back from a trip where
he actually spoke to representatives from Open Ai, Anthropic and Apple.
(26:38):
So maybe he saw some things that we need to
know about.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
Yeah, maybe you didn't like Donna. Good to have you
on the show. Dona Demeayo, who is our Australia correspondent. Time,
it's thirteen minutes away from Sex. The typhoon moving in
by the way to China. They've had to evacuate a
million people. With a station in central Shanghai recorded three
hundred millimeters of reign in twenty four hours three hundred
millimeters of rain for context, so that was their highest
reading in one hundred and fifty years. There were five
(27:03):
hundred millimeters and twenty four hours in Esk Valley during Gabrielle.
Our flights have been affected and thirteen hundred flights have
been canceled. Whole bunch of people have had to move
into safer areas. Let's go to twelve minutes away from six.
Let's go to local amalgamation news. Not every council is
happy about this attempted forster amalgamation by central government. By
(27:23):
current count forty eight councils have submitted proposals, seventeen have abstained.
Michael Ford is the one or two mere joins me
this morning. Michael, good morning, Oh, good morning Ryan, now
on here, good to have you now. On Friday, five councils,
including yours, committed to move forward together on a locally
led regional work program. What on earth does that mean? Michael?
Speaker 11 (27:45):
Right, So we're not ready for head Start. We never
were when we were never interested in the head Start program.
With five councils, So that's Honga Nui Rupe, who rang
A Ticke Taraua and ourselves making up about a fifth
of the size of the North Island. We've signed an
MoU where we'll work together on alternative models. So we
have been working on a number of models, one of
(28:06):
them being the Federation model, and we're going to work
together and come up with a solution that addresses the
government's concerns, takes on the regional functions, but hopefully retains
as much local representation, local decision making and local accountability
as we can.
Speaker 8 (28:26):
What's the time frame here, Well, we're.
Speaker 11 (28:30):
Working through till probably early next year, so six to
nine month timeframe.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
And what exactly when you talk about the models, the
federation model for your average punter, what does that actually
look like?
Speaker 11 (28:43):
Sure? So, federation model, sometimes called the Manchester model, is
where you retain your individual councils with mayors, but you
have another level of governance above which takes on which
governs the regional functions. And over time, we have a
in the or Too long Anui region, we have what
we call man Or Too Anui local authority shared services organizations.
(29:07):
So we're actually work together a lot as as anyway
that could possibly slot in and govern some of the
regional functions.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
And over time, how many layers of council would we
go from and how many would we end up with.
Speaker 11 (29:24):
Well, it would be effectively the mayors would sit on
the on the on the higher level board, so it
would be removed the government's removing the regional Council. So
the regional functions would be governed by a committee of
(29:44):
which would probably include the mayors, so it would be
less than we've got at the moment. So we have
the local district council, City council representation and then those
the leaders of those govern the regional function.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Michael Ford one or two mayor. There is much Nine
minutes away from six y're on newstalk SAB.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
News and Views you Trust to start your day. It's
early edition with Ryan Bridge and Spark for Business Technology
that keeps Business Moving Hues talks'b.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
Seven to six. Remember years ago in New Zealand there
was a story about a project that couldn't get off
the ground. I think it was a roating project for
memory because of a tunny far that was under the
water and some people thought that was completely outrageous. Wait
do you hear this one? This is Harry Potter fans
have succeeded in getting a new one billion dollar power
line re routed because it ran over the grave of
(30:39):
someone called Dobby, who's a character in a Harry Potter film.
And they had a little shrine literally a couple of
pebbles to Dobby and on that basis, they wrote to
the power company, the energy company that was doing the project,
and said can you please reroute it? And the energy
company has said yes. Six to six. Ryan Bridge this morning, Mike.
(31:01):
Great to see you, Ryan, lovely to see you too. Hey,
the data centers. Have you seen how much money in
America they are throwing, like Meta and all those throwing
at any local council or borough that will take them.
They were giving a fifty thousand dollars bonus to teachers
in one place.
Speaker 16 (31:19):
It's one of the most interesting stories of recent times
because if you remember, I don't think it was much
more than a year ago data centers were seen. It
was like we couldn't wait till a data center arrived
and they were going to be the greatest thing in
the world. And within twelve much I can't stand it.
They do depend I got a very good letter from
a bloke who runs a data center the other day
and he said, there are data centers and data centers,
(31:41):
so the stuff that you're talking about in places like
Tennessee with Elon Musk and how they run and what
water they use and the power they use and how
they affect the community don't have to be the problem.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
But the hums the big thing.
Speaker 16 (31:51):
See in Australia at the moment they've got a big
debate because a lot of them have gone smaller ones
have gone into Sububia. And so yeah, yes, the water
and yes the power and all that sort of stuff.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
It's the hum yeah, yeah, but the water and some
of them wash their own face though water wise some.
Speaker 16 (32:07):
Of them don't use much water at all, and they
just go run around speaking of water. This thing you mention,
this Delmore thing right, so north of Auckland. So it's
not just Delmore, it's Pegasus and christ Us. There's a
big one in arrow Town. They all seem to be
the same living twelve hundred houses. Ye would you buy
a house forget the developer and forget the green light
from fast track? Would you buy a house in a
suburb or a development where your wastewater's been tracked down?
Speaker 8 (32:29):
Poop?
Speaker 2 (32:30):
I mean, I mean, who's doing that well? Or don't
you keep up well? I don't think people will care
to be honest as long as it's are.
Speaker 16 (32:37):
You so short of houses in this country? I mean,
if you went to buy a house today, right, you've
got a choice of hundreds literally hundreds sort of house
that's in Delmore. They're all over the place and they go, well,
yeah know that, what are those trucks are? Well, those
are the trucks taking your wastewater to funk rate.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
Do you think it's odd that they need to fast
track a slow project. It's not like the parts of
Auckland where this thing is going to start tomorrow, So
why do they need to run?
Speaker 16 (33:00):
Fascinating thing to me because what is fast track about?
Is it about you know, getting tower on a port
up and running and out of the courts or is
it about just a bunch of guys who want to
build one thousand houses on a paddock somewhere and they
can't quite connect to the local infrastructure. It's a fascinating thing. Hey,
what do you got on today where we're going to
do a little bit about the rugby leagues of Graham Lowe.
(33:21):
I don't know how he's offering Razor a job.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
It's a headline grab er.
Speaker 16 (33:25):
Well it could be a headline grabber, but I mean,
you know, when do you start when you don't have
a license and the council involved in stuff like that.
It's a four year contract as well as a four
year contract, and I'm thinking to myself, that's a good contract,
isn't it for something that doesn't exist so far Anyway.
Graham Low's with us on that, So how's that brilliant stuff?
Speaker 2 (33:41):
Mica As would be next. You're on News Talk ZB.
Speaker 8 (33:45):
Enjoy your day, see tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live
to News Talks it'd be from five am weekdays, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio h
The issues, the interviews and the insight. Bryan Bridge on
an early edition with Spark for business Technology that keeps
business moving news talks.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
They'd be very good morning to you. Welcome to Tuesday
six after five. We'll look at council amalgamations this morning,
Donners and Australia for us. The housing numbers that smash
a whole in Labour's capital gains. Text the story on
Luckson's leadership, nurl's South Island team, Will it happen and
contact Interguce Profits. The agenda Tuesday, the eleventh of August.
Scary big earthquake. You should see the footage frightening earthquake.
(00:33):
Actually in Colombia seven point four magnitude. Seventy seven people
have died. It has happened early in the morning as well,
about seven thirty local time, people waking up, going to work,
getting ready for the day. But the sense currently is.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
That it has had a huge impact and not just
felt across Colombia and neighboring Venezuela, but tremors from this
seven point four manitude quak felt as far as Panelt.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
To the UK. We told you the other day about
the Mega Dinghies if you've seen the footage of the
megadinghy's coming into the UK, this is across the channel
from France. Well, the largest megadinghy holding the biggest number
of people of migrants has entered. They reckon now, taking
the year total to more than fifteen thousand. Nigel Parass,
it's a national security emergency.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
So whether we have fewer bad people thus far this
year than last year, the situation is desperate. It should
be declared a national security emergency. And yes we have
managed to stop some of the dingers, but it doesn't
stop the problem. It doesn't go away.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
There was two hundred and thirty people on that one boat. Now, finally,
remember this little whoop see from the UK broadcaster Radio Carolina.
Speaker 5 (01:40):
This is Radio Caroline. His majesty King Charles the third
has passed away. As a mark of respect, we will
now be playing suitable continuous music until further notice.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Oh so, a very grim sort of bulletin, but the
story behind it's quite funny. So station's been found in
breach of broadcasting rules for mistakenly announcing Charles's death. Media
watchdog Offcom says a staff member played a pre recorded
obituary out of curiosity cutting off the presenter's stream, then
(02:16):
panicked and left it. Called it a very significant inaccuracy
on a matter of very high public interest.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Ryan Bridge on early edition with Spark for business technology
that keeps business moving news talks.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Be this spray and walk away eight minutes after five
nine ninety two is a number to text now. The
Contact net profit up twenty eight percent to four hundred
and twenty three million dollars in the year of June.
This is for a couple of reasons. The first of
which you will think is they're charging like a wounded bull. Well, actually,
if you look at their retail arm, the retail arms
not making money. So they will argue that they have
(02:55):
not given themselves the little sweetheart deals that all the
other power companies gent tailors are giving them, where the
gen part of the tailor, the gen part gives a
sweetheart deal to the tailor and we pay higher prices.
They say, we're not doing that. Therefore, our retail business
is not making money. And if you look at the
earnings overall since twenty twenty two, earnings have doubled for
(03:19):
Contact member. Contact is fully publicly listed. It's not owned
by well, not partly owned by the government. Like the others,
earnings have doubled since twenty twenty two. An underlying profit
is up one hundred and thirty percent. They are investing
in renewables. They have acquired mono or energy, remember that,
and that has lifted their bottom line. But they say
we have stayed true. The transfer price between what the
(03:44):
gen taylors are are charging the gen part is charging
the tailor is actually not a sweetheart deal. It reflects
the very independent way of assessing the retail arm business
that we have been doing for some time. It is
a loss in it is a true loss. But I
mean once top people asking the question today, why are
(04:04):
you making all this money when our prices are going up?
And every April you get a letter from your power company,
don't you saying your prices are going up for one
reason or another. They all point to the transmission costs,
They all point to the line's costs. That's what's driving it,
but most people probably don't believe it anyway. The other
thing they're doing is data center. So here we go again,
(04:27):
data center. In the news. They have announced plans. They're
sort of quite fresh. They haven't got too far down
the track yet, but they have announced plans for a
data center in Stratford and Tartanaki along with CDC backed
by Infantil. And what happens with the power, what happens
with the water, and also we're not yet clear, remember
(04:49):
because the government hasn't got rules yet. They've just sort
of hinted that there might be rules about where the
power has to come from, where the water has to
come from, who's responsible for it. So at this stage,
lot of un answered questions on that one. Eleven minutes
after five Bryan Bridge, You're on News Talks. There'd be
great to have your company coming up next. We will
look at contact and we will look if you're a
shareholder in Contact, at what you're getting out of this.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
The Early Edition Full show podcast on iHeartRadio powered by
News Talks AB. Get ahead of the headlines on Early
Edition with Ryan Bridge and Spark for Business Technology that
keeps business Moving News Talks AB.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Five point thirteen. You're on News Talks. Areb The average
New Zealand property residential property value down one and a
half percent in the three months to the end of July.
This is the report out yesterday from qv SO down
one and a half percent in three months. Now. Remember
Labor needs three percent growth in housing prices per year
(05:49):
to fund the doctor's visits that they have promised on
the campaign. So and it will be interesting to see
depending on where you live in New Zealand. If you're
house prices are going up and then you need to
sell your house and it's a second house, then you
will be paying the capital gains tax which will be
funding the doctor's visits. For I don't know. Some rich
(06:10):
list are living in Herne Bay. Three of them per
year is what they are entitled to under Labour's policy.
So they have some questions to answer about that because
if you're dropping one and a half percent in three months,
we will wait to see what the annual average is.
But remember they need three percent. That is what their
calculations are based on three percent increase per year. Bread rich,
(06:32):
there's fourteen after five, right, let's go to contacts. They've
reported a record net profit four hund and twenty three million,
up nearly twenty eight percent, operating earnings topping a billion.
This is thanks to in part the one energy takeover
and stronger renewable generation.
Speaker 6 (06:48):
They are a solid return on some very prudent investments,
and our shareholders should be happy with that, but they
are also made Remember that also came with an increase
of our renewable generation to ninety eight percent.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Olive Amanda Is Shareholders Association. See you over me this morning, Oliver.
Good morning water, Brian. So are you happy with that
their full year dividend up three percent forty cents a share.
Speaker 7 (07:12):
Look, it is a pretty good result. The dividend has
increased to forty cents. It's interesting that they're still holding
something in reserve for their dividend. They're only paying it
out at sixty five percent of their operating free cashloads.
If policy gives them leads to pay out quite a
lot more than that. That probably reflects the fact they're
trying to create that funding optionality for those projects that
they have going forward.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
It's interesting listening to what that's saying in regards to demand,
Like they you know, obviously you need prices to be
you need some demand, don't you. And when you have
a whole bunch of businesses going offline who are demanding,
you need something to replace it with and they're looking
to data centers amongst other things.
Speaker 7 (07:52):
Look, I mean that's that's really interesting how I made
yesterday in terms of the potential option they're looking at
with CDC in Stratford and yeah, look New Zealand and
we've seen that in Southland as well. At the moment
we see investment in data center in data centers in
Southland and the jet generation that goes along with that.
So you know that that is another lever for New
(08:13):
Zealand and to consider in terms of its future electricity
demand as well. And it's the way, and I think
we've said this before iron these these companies are currently grows.
Companies are investing heavily in gross contact is no exceptions.
Gross campex this year was three hundred and seventy five million,
and they're talking about increasing that next year to somewhere
around that four sixty four to seventeen million mark.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
How investors reviewing seeing the result, But I.
Speaker 7 (08:39):
Think investorship should probably fairly positively as a results. There's
noise in there because you've start digesting here the mane
Or acquisition, and that's if you stripped that out, you've
got to sort of got that seventeen that Ebbitt's figure
and Winterston tax figure. It's not quite as spectaculous, but
it's still around seventeen percent. And similarly for the profit,
(09:00):
there's noise in that in terms of increase in profit,
both for some underlying issues and from money or itself.
Be still talking about an underlying increase of somewhere to
somewhere in the thirty percent mark, which is really pretty
good for consumers. It's interesting because there's a signal that
in the forward market that suggests that the wholesale prices
(09:23):
are reducing. They won't always flow through directly to consumer
bills because there's other factors in there like transmission and
distribution cost, but it could be that's pointing to some
relief and residential power price increases into the next year
as well, which is interesting.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Oliver Good to be on the show is always Oliver,
Amanda Shareholders Associations CEO. Time is eighteen after five. What's
Razor got to do with NRL got to do with
the South Island Turny?
Speaker 8 (09:49):
Next?
Speaker 1 (09:49):
News Talk SEB the Early edition Full the Show podcast
on iHeartRadio powered by News talksb on your Radio and
online on iHeartRadio. Belly Edition with Ryan Bridge and Spunk
for Business Technology that keeps Business Moving.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
News Talk B News talks ITB it is twenty half
to five. Speaking of data centers, Zackerberg, the Meta boss.
He is throwing cash at anyone who will take a
data center, and he's announced new cash overnight.
Speaker 9 (10:21):
Another part of building a positive future for everyone is
making sure that everywhere we build infrastructure, local communities benefit.
We've already seen this with the teachers in Richland Parish
who got fifty thousand dollars bonuses because the extra tax
revenue from our investments, and we launched America's Workforce Academy
to provide free training and guarantee jobs at our infrastructure sites.
(10:42):
Today we're starting a new future is for Everyone fund
to invest in the community's teachers, first responders, energy and
water infrastructure in more ways to support those communities directly.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Basically, anyone who's anyone gets cash. By the way, that
fifty thousand dollars that they gave tea teachers came from
a forty two million dollars in sales and use tax
for that particular state authority, and that was in the
first nine months of the current fiscal year. That was
double the previous year. Fifty k was more than some
(11:16):
teachers salaries for the year twenty one after five Ryan
Bred the prospective of South Island NRAL team looking better
than ever. Apparently the christ Church Council is backing Sir
Graham Low's Southern Orcers bid. Council has met with the
NRAL and outlined a commercial plan and there's a razor twist.
Nick Buley News Talks heb Canterbury sports commentator with us
this morning. Neck, good morning, good morning, right, so starting
(11:37):
to look promising, is it?
Speaker 10 (11:39):
Certainly the wheels in motion. Look the council were doing
its due diligence and new documentation that has been reported
this morning from Newstalks c B show. You know, conversation
started a couple of years ago. They're starting to ramp
up and the warriors were in town in christ Church
in June and NRL officials we hear council officials who
hear there's no exact request for proposal around a twentieth
(12:02):
license to enter the NRL just yet, but they're getting
all their ducks in our ow and they really need to.
You know that the NRL timeline and an ideal world
is that a club would be stood up, the Southern
Orcas or whoever it's going to be here in christ
which would be stood.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
Up by twenty twenty nine.
Speaker 11 (12:18):
You know, we're talking two.
Speaker 10 (12:19):
And a half years away. And there's a lot to do,
including obviously the report yesterday and m's hiring a coach
and finding players and sponsors and getting members and you know,
hiring all sorts of stuff. So look, it's encouraging signs
for people down here in the South who you know,
want to have an NRL team here, But there's certainly
(12:40):
a lot to do.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
The razor thing, is that a headline grabber or is
that a serious pitch for me?
Speaker 10 (12:46):
Anyway, Ryan, it's the headline grabber. But look, I've observed
Scott Robertson and the Crusaders environments. He is more these days,
or certainly at that point in time, what you'd call
a culture coach. He's not necessarily the one and the
hard graft On field. That's what he gets some experienced
assistant coaches in and around to do. And I suppose
(13:07):
that's the pitch from Sir Graham Low and Andrew Chalmers
of the Southern Orcas, you know, come in and be
that guy that can provide a winning culture. He certainly
did that at the Crusaders and then we'll wrap around
experience in and around him. I personally think it's a
little bit bold for someone with zero rugby league experience,
given the cut and thrust of NRL, one of the toughest,
(13:29):
you know, domestic competitions in Australasian sport. But it certainly
would grab attention as it did yesterday. And the fact
we are talking about it right now.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Hey very quickly. Is the council looking at putting rate
payer money into this or we don't know yet.
Speaker 10 (13:43):
We don't know yet, and that's the fascinating thing for me.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Ryan.
Speaker 10 (13:45):
There'll be I mean, I'm a rugby league not through
and through, but there'll be certain people out there that
are going to tell the council to stick to what
they know in terms of the water and rubbish and
all that sort of stuff is getting into bed with
rugby league really considered a top price already when we're
supposed to be curbing rate rises. So that'll be one
to watch.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Yeah. Indeed, Nick Berley News Talks zb Canniby Sports commentated
with us twenty four minutes half to five, and we've
spoken a lot on this program about charmers and elbows budget,
there was the negative gearing, there was the capital gains
tax changes or the latest to take a hit from this,
not just the housing market, but now the banks. Bank
shares tanking yesterday west Pack down four point seven percent,
CBA down four point four, A, n Z two point seven,
(14:26):
NAB two point six. This is after west Pac released
its quarter three market update mortgage applications down eleven percent,
and they are expecting those applications to be down twenty
percent for quarter four. And if the market real estate
markets not making money, the banks aren't making money, so
the share price is reflected. Twenty four after five News
(14:47):
Talks ZB. We'll look at that story about the PM's
leadership next News TALKSB twenty seven after five, Here we
go again, for at least the second time this year,
there's a story in the media about National MP's doing
the numbers online uckson. Thomas Coglan at The Herald has
said that phones are ringing. At least one MP has spoken.
One MP does not a story make. But the political
(15:09):
calculation here is that Luxon is a drag on the
party's polling. Changing horses midstream would not hurt their chances
of forming a government, but might provide momentum and a
boost to their share of the right voting block and
perhaps even some soft center. They'll be tempted by the
Descender transition which saw a poll bump a circuit breaker.
(15:29):
They'll be wary of the Judith transition and the many
Labour ones before that which proved fatal. But this is
completely unique this situation, as this is a party in government.
Whoever leads it leads New Zealand. Luxon's plea for more
party votes is falling on deaf fares, and despite expensive
advertising campaigns and glossy videos of the PM explaining their
(15:50):
fiscal strategy, his comments on the campaign, which is underway
in Earnest, are drowning out the pre recorded material. The
last week they've been in cleanup mode. They can't afford
to spend another three months trapesing around the country with
a dust pan and broom. That would require either better
discipline from the current leader or a change to a
new one, which has always been the fly in the
(16:12):
ointment for national There is no just cinder in waiting
in the wings. Bishop and Willis are well versed debaters
who perform well on the campaign. However, Keiwis like reluctant heroes,
and Bishop looks rightly or wrongly anything but Willis's near
perfect performance handling the initial fuel shot proves her worth,
but she may be too tied to the cost of
(16:32):
living woes that have hurt Laxen. Erica Stanford is the
candidate you'd pick if you really wanted to play ball.
She's denied wanting it enough, which is key, and is
a star performer, able to connect with people in a
way others have proven incapable. At this point, this is
all just talk, but timing is everything in politics, and
the fact MPs are briefing journalists twelve weeks out from
(16:55):
early voting is destabilizing in itself. Are you better to
nip it in the bard? We'll hope for brighter days.
Ryan Bridge talks twenty nine after five is the number
to text Donna's in Australia for US next elbows upset
the Japanese. I'll tell you why. Plus we'll look at
the council amalgamations, who's in and who's out. You're on
(17:18):
News Talk Seed B for your Tuesday morning Yea All
the Time.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
The early edition Full The Show podcast on iHeartRadio powered
by News Talks at B before the news breaks. Here
it first Ryan Bridge on early edition with Spark for
business technology that keeps business moving.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
News Talks at B. She's get a moment you were
away from six News Talks, he'd be morning Ryan Razor
must be a publicity stunt. This is from Anthony. It's
a bit easier this, Anthony. You sound like a true
blue rugby union fan. It's a bit easier to coach
league with no real scrums, no real rucks or real
(18:14):
competition for the ball. Anthony, thanks for your message. Loads
text coming in from Owa Kearney as well. We'll get
to those in a second. And also before six we
will talk about counsel amalgamations. We'll get to Donna in
Australia very quickly though. If you've been following Australia's Sunrise
Energy Metals, hopefully you had shares last week. So they
are going after now US listing. And the reason is
(18:36):
because they are buoyed by a Pentagon investment, a four
hundred million dollar loan. They are getting the company stocks
up sixteen percent yesterday and trumpingounced last week this loan.
It was at I had a round table with a
bunch of mining bosses. There they are throwing money at
companies that produce batteries and critical minerals. In particular, Sunrise
(18:57):
owns a scandium project in Australia that they say could
serve as a major source of the element outside of China,
which is where most of it comes from. Now. Scandium
is used to strengthen aluminium in sectors including and here's
the clincher aerospace, which is of course something that Trump
and the Pentagon are very interested in. It is twenty
three away from six Brian, Let's go to our reporters
(19:20):
Cullum and Dunedin Morning Callum, Morning Ryan. What's the coroner
said about this prisoner who died in Invercargol well.
Speaker 12 (19:27):
A coroner's recommended that corrections coordinate better with health staff
after this death that occurred four years ago. Thirty year
old Remand prisoner Nicoros Strange was found dead in his
cell and in the Cargol Men's prison back in August
of twenty twenty two. The coroner, Amelia Steele, says staff
should consult better with health workers and more recognitions needed
(19:48):
of how transitioning in and out of the Intervention and
Support unit affects prisoners that units used to safely observe
and treat vulnerable inmates. Corrections acknowledges the recommendations and says
it's taking to improve its policy and practice.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
All right, how's your weather?
Speaker 12 (20:05):
Mostly cloudy afternoon, fine breaks nor easterlies and the high
eleven today.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
Nice one, Thanks Callum Clears and christ It this morning. Claire,
good morning. You're going to get a motor home for
your New Brighton Red Zone land?
Speaker 13 (20:16):
Well potentially. This new report before counselors today is recommending
doing exactly that, leasing some of the Red Zone land
to the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association for a period
of ten years. This proposal would allow up to one
hundred motor homes to stay for up to ten days
within any thirty day period. They did public consultation on this.
There was three hundred and sixty fourth submissions. Only five
(20:38):
of them were against to the idea. Those who support
it say it will bring some economic benefits to New
Brighton and activate what's currently vacant land. This comes as
a group of homeless people who have set up a
makeshift camp on Red Zone land at nearby Bexley have
been told they need to move on by the end
of February in order to make way for some wetland.
Of course, the question now is where they might go
(21:00):
and whether they remain homeless or get moved into permanent accommodation.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Right, how's you were them?
Speaker 14 (21:05):
Cloudy?
Speaker 13 (21:05):
We do hear the old shower this morning about Bank's peninsula,
then clearing to find a bit later northeasterlies and the
high will be twelve nice one.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Thank you. Mix is with us on Wellington Morning. Mechs,
good morning. I know you love a comm's funding story.
This is consultants you're looking at today.
Speaker 15 (21:20):
Yeah. I will actually get to the Comm's part of
it eventually. But a story by Andrea Vance in the
Post this morning. Ferry Holdings Limited, the state owned company
of course and delivering our next set of ferries, has
been committing almost fifteen million bucks to external consultants and contractors.
We know how Wellington loves those, including three and a
half a million to Affirm whose strategic advisor is one
(21:43):
of the directors of Ferry Holdings Limited, which is not
a good look. Apparently these numbers are only public after
a complaint by the labor party to the ombudsman that
the individual contracts were not being public. Ferry Holding says
this director has already disclosed this conflict of interest and
steps efectively steps out of the room when discussions regarding
this company take place. Generally, the costs do indeed show
(22:07):
a rather heavy reliance on consultant spend, something we've been
trying to wind back, not ramp up couple of melon
recruitment as well, because of course seek no longer cuts
mustard when you're trying to fill a few communications roles
for instance as well.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
How's your weather cloudy?
Speaker 15 (22:22):
Claring to find this afternoon southerleast twelve.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Nice one, Thank you and Neva's an Auckland morning neighbor,
good morning. Feeling the fast track process is having negative
effects on rural Auckland well look.
Speaker 14 (22:33):
An Auckland councilor said, totally totally inappropriate. These are his
words for the government to fast track housing developments outside
the city's urban boundary, so the fast Trek panel it's
approved a controversial This is the twelve hundred home Dellmoor development,
which is near audio Work water Care can't connect to
the site to the city's water infrastructure for several years,
(22:54):
potentially not until at least twenty fifty. Rodney Water councilor
Greg Sayers has come out out. He says this project
has been fast trick without it being shovel ready. He
says the development is still, you know, quite a few
years away. Might as well go through the council consent process.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
Yeah, that's what Wayne Brown was saying last week. What
is the point in fast track for a slow project?
Speaker 4 (23:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Yeah, so interesting. How's our weather?
Speaker 14 (23:18):
Cloudy areas of morning folk again today? Sixteen is a
high here in Auckland.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
I said, Jesus. It was warm yesterday, wasn't it? What
had the doors opened? Yes, exactly, front and back? Hold
the far Wow, it is eighteen away from six News talks.
It'd be. We're in Australia with Donnaix.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
International Correspondence with ends and eye insurance peace of mind
for New Zealand Business.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
News talks did be? It is sixteen minutes away from six.
Donna de Mayor's Australia correspondent, Donna good morning, Good morning here.
Now why has Albanezi been asked to apologize to the Japanese?
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Oh goodness mate, Now we all know that comedy is
quite subjective, so the PM is being asked to apologize
over a common he made on this podcast called the
Bush Deep Podcast. Now allegedly it's comedy based, but it's
been claimed that the PM was perceived to be referring
to Japan's Prime Minister's Senate Takashi's anatomy when he was
(24:14):
asked about two melons that he was gifted by his
Japanese counterpart. Now he was asked about the melons and
at the time he gestured to his chest when he
was asked how they may have been smuggled in. Now
we've heard from the former Australian ambassador Shingo Yamagami, who
says this exchange is insulting, it's ignorant and the betrayal
(24:35):
of the close relationship between Australia and Japan. Now, a
spokesperson for Albanizi says any assertion that he was making
a quip about the PM's body is wrong. But Angus Taylor,
opposition leader, he says, no, we need an apology. This
comment or this gesture is beneath the office of the PM,
(24:56):
and he thinks that an apology will be appropriate. Now Interestingly,
this is the same podcast where the PM said William
Hill was asked a question and he said he'd shagged
maryon dates at Carlie Minogue. So he did apologize after
that gaff. So now we wait and see whether this
dies down or whether he is forced to say sorry.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
So was it the same podcast? Was it the same podcast?
This podcasts twice shy Hey, South Australia is doing a
Royal commission to artificial intelligence? What's that going to tell us?
Do you reckon?
Speaker 3 (25:31):
Fascinating? The state government saying that you know, the technology
is potentially destructive, so they need to look into the
upsides and what is going to have, you know, what
impact is going to have in the future. The Premier
Peter Malaskus, when he announced that there's going to be
a Royal commission into AI, he says, if unchecked, it
could present a material risk to the way society operates.
(25:55):
So they want to look at the benefits, they want
to look at minimizing unwanted impact. Now it's going to
start October first, and we're not going to get a
report until at least July next year. But I thought
this was a fascinating quote from the premier the use
of artificial intelligence is an exciting opportunity to advance the
cause of humanity, but it is also true, according to him,
(26:17):
that unchecked artificial intelligence does represent a material risk to
the way our society operates and a risk to the
future of work if not thought through carefully. Fascinating, I thought.
He says, we're at a really important fork in the road.
Mind you, he just got back from a trip where
he actually spoke to representatives from Open Ai, Anthropic and Apple.
(26:38):
So maybe he saw some things that we need to
know about.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
Yeah, maybe you didn't like Donna. Good to have you
on the show. Dona Demeayo, who is our Australia correspondent. Time,
it's thirteen minutes away from Sex. The typhoon moving in
by the way to China. They've had to evacuate a
million people. With a station in central Shanghai recorded three
hundred millimeters of reign in twenty four hours three hundred
millimeters of rain for context, so that was their highest
reading in one hundred and fifty years. There were five
(27:03):
hundred millimeters and twenty four hours in Esk Valley during Gabrielle.
Our flights have been affected and thirteen hundred flights have
been canceled. Whole bunch of people have had to move
into safer areas. Let's go to twelve minutes away from six.
Let's go to local amalgamation news. Not every council is
happy about this attempted forster amalgamation by central government. By
(27:23):
current count forty eight councils have submitted proposals, seventeen have abstained.
Michael Ford is the one or two mere joins me
this morning. Michael, good morning, Oh, good morning Ryan, now
on here, good to have you now. On Friday, five councils,
including yours, committed to move forward together on a locally
led regional work program. What on earth does that mean? Michael?
Speaker 11 (27:45):
Right, So we're not ready for head Start. We never
were when we were never interested in the head Start program.
With five councils, So that's Honga Nui Rupe, who rang
A Ticke Taraua and ourselves making up about a fifth
of the size of the North Island. We've signed an
MoU where we'll work together on alternative models. So we
have been working on a number of models, one of
(28:06):
them being the Federation model, and we're going to work
together and come up with a solution that addresses the
government's concerns, takes on the regional functions, but hopefully retains
as much local representation, local decision making and local accountability
as we can.
Speaker 8 (28:26):
What's the time frame here, Well, we're.
Speaker 11 (28:30):
Working through till probably early next year, so six to
nine month timeframe.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
And what exactly when you talk about the models, the
federation model for your average punter, what does that actually
look like?
Speaker 11 (28:43):
Sure? So, federation model, sometimes called the Manchester model, is
where you retain your individual councils with mayors, but you
have another level of governance above which takes on which
governs the regional functions. And over time, we have a
in the or Too long Anui region, we have what
we call man Or Too Anui local authority shared services organizations.
(29:07):
So we're actually work together a lot as as anyway
that could possibly slot in and govern some of the
regional functions.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
And over time, how many layers of council would we
go from and how many would we end up with.
Speaker 11 (29:24):
Well, it would be effectively the mayors would sit on
the on the on the higher level board, so it
would be removed the government's removing the regional Council. So
the regional functions would be governed by a committee of
(29:44):
which would probably include the mayors, so it would be
less than we've got at the moment. So we have
the local district council, City council representation and then those
the leaders of those govern the regional function.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Michael Ford one or two mayor. There is much Nine
minutes away from six y're on newstalk SAB.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
News and Views you Trust to start your day. It's
early edition with Ryan Bridge and Spark for Business Technology
that keeps Business Moving Hues talks'b.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
Seven to six. Remember years ago in New Zealand there
was a story about a project that couldn't get off
the ground. I think it was a roating project for
memory because of a tunny far that was under the
water and some people thought that was completely outrageous. Wait
do you hear this one? This is Harry Potter fans
have succeeded in getting a new one billion dollar power
line re routed because it ran over the grave of
(30:39):
someone called Dobby, who's a character in a Harry Potter film.
And they had a little shrine literally a couple of
pebbles to Dobby and on that basis, they wrote to
the power company, the energy company that was doing the project,
and said can you please reroute it? And the energy
company has said yes. Six to six. Ryan Bridge this morning, Mike.
(31:01):
Great to see you, Ryan, lovely to see you too. Hey,
the data centers. Have you seen how much money in
America they are throwing, like Meta and all those throwing
at any local council or borough that will take them.
They were giving a fifty thousand dollars bonus to teachers
in one place.
Speaker 16 (31:19):
It's one of the most interesting stories of recent times
because if you remember, I don't think it was much
more than a year ago data centers were seen. It
was like we couldn't wait till a data center arrived
and they were going to be the greatest thing in
the world. And within twelve much I can't stand it.
They do depend I got a very good letter from
a bloke who runs a data center the other day
and he said, there are data centers and data centers,
(31:41):
so the stuff that you're talking about in places like
Tennessee with Elon Musk and how they run and what
water they use and the power they use and how
they affect the community don't have to be the problem.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
But the hums the big thing.
Speaker 16 (31:51):
See in Australia at the moment they've got a big
debate because a lot of them have gone smaller ones
have gone into Sububia. And so yeah, yes, the water
and yes the power and all that sort of stuff.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
It's the hum yeah, yeah, but the water and some
of them wash their own face though water wise some.
Speaker 16 (32:07):
Of them don't use much water at all, and they
just go run around speaking of water. This thing you mention,
this Delmore thing right, so north of Auckland. So it's
not just Delmore, it's Pegasus and christ Us. There's a
big one in arrow Town. They all seem to be
the same living twelve hundred houses. Ye would you buy
a house forget the developer and forget the green light
from fast track? Would you buy a house in a
suburb or a development where your wastewater's been tracked down?
Speaker 8 (32:29):
Poop?
Speaker 2 (32:30):
I mean, I mean, who's doing that well? Or don't
you keep up well? I don't think people will care
to be honest as long as it's are.
Speaker 16 (32:37):
You so short of houses in this country? I mean,
if you went to buy a house today, right, you've
got a choice of hundreds literally hundreds sort of house
that's in Delmore. They're all over the place and they go, well,
yeah know that, what are those trucks are? Well, those
are the trucks taking your wastewater to funk rate.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
Do you think it's odd that they need to fast
track a slow project. It's not like the parts of
Auckland where this thing is going to start tomorrow, So
why do they need to run?
Speaker 16 (33:00):
Fascinating thing to me because what is fast track about?
Is it about you know, getting tower on a port
up and running and out of the courts or is
it about just a bunch of guys who want to
build one thousand houses on a paddock somewhere and they
can't quite connect to the local infrastructure. It's a fascinating thing. Hey,
what do you got on today where we're going to
do a little bit about the rugby leagues of Graham Lowe.
(33:21):
I don't know how he's offering Razor a job.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
It's a headline grab er.
Speaker 16 (33:25):
Well it could be a headline grabber, but I mean,
you know, when do you start when you don't have
a license and the council involved in stuff like that.
It's a four year contract as well as a four
year contract, and I'm thinking to myself, that's a good contract,
isn't it for something that doesn't exist so far Anyway.
Graham Low's with us on that, So how's that brilliant stuff?
Speaker 2 (33:41):
Mica As would be next. You're on News Talk ZB.
Speaker 8 (33:45):
Enjoy your day, see tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live
to News Talks it'd be from five am weekdays, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio h
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