Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.

Episodes

July 22, 2025 3 mins

Over in the UK, the Government is looking into a review of the state pension age to see if it needs to be increased.

The review will consider whether the current state pension age - currently 66 - is still appropriate, based on factors such as life expectancy.

UK correspondent Enda Brady says this comes as Denmark pushes the pension age back to 70, and it's raised some concerns.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

Mark as Played

Concerns have been raised among economists as inflation data suggests things may not be as on track as they seem.

Inflation has hit 2.7 percent, with big food increases led by massive hikes in food prices.

HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham explains what this could do for the Reserve Bank's outlook going foward.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark as Played

New Zealand red meat exports earned an extra $1.2 billion this year, due to good livestock pricing and tighter supplies. 

But the country's $10 billion-plus red meat sector has raised the alarm that it was struggling to get the numbers of livestock needed to satisfy international demand.

The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark as Played

Tonight on The Huddle, former High Commissioner to the UK and former Auckland mayor Phil Goff and Thomas Scrimgeour from the Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! 

Sky TV has bought Three for $1. What do we make of the deal? What does this mean for the future of the industry?

New Zealand has joined the international calls for an end to the ongoing war in Gaza - but do we ne...

Mark as Played

There's concerns over whether the costs for the new Waikato University medical school will blow out and be passed on to taxpayers.

Cabinet will contribute $80 million to the $230-million-dollar Waikato University school, which is expected to open in 2028 for 120 trainees. 

University of Waikato Vice-Chancellor Neil Quigley says the university is on track for a surplus of $20 million this financial year.

"The university is in r...

Mark as Played
July 22, 2025 101 mins
Mark as Played

The big news of the day is another $1 deal in the media, which probably tells you everything you need to know about the state of the industry.

But this is, on balance, good news for everyone - I would have thought. It's good for you, for viewers, good for Sky, and good for Three.

And I'm gonna work backwards on that - Let's start with TV3.

It's good news for Three and for the people who work there, because Three continues to e...

Mark as Played

A pohutukawa tree on Auckland's North Shore has sparked controversy, with residents of an impacted apartment complex calling for a solution.

The tree fell over into the complex's property and has been lying in place for three years - and there's growing demand to move it.

Former ZB broadcaster Murray Deaker is one of the impacted residents and he says the tree's a safety hazard for residents and their families.

"There's a hearing o...

Mark as Played

The Government believes only a negotiated ceasefire offers the best hope in Gaza.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters has signed New Zealand on to a long and growing list of nations calling for a permanent end to the conflict.

Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper speculates about the impact of this statement.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark as Played

An Auckland property developer doesn't believe changes to rules on building granny flats will add the 13,000 extra dwellings claimed by the Government.

Easing resource and building consents requirements for structures 70 square metres or less - was one of the Government’s first moves in office.

David Witburn says the number is more like 3,000.

"The reality is, it's a niche accommodation type, a granny flat. It's not everyone's drea...

Mark as Played

A childcare centre director who employed her convicted child sex offender husband as a groundskeeper has been sacked.

There is no allegation he offended against children at the centre, and investigations are ongoing.

Australian correspondent Sam Emery says this story will prompt questions about child safety as Parliament returns.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark as Played

Sky TV recently bought TV3 - and it's got experts speculating about what this could mean for the future of New Zealand sport.

It's taking over Warner Brother Discovery's New Zealand television arm - including other linear and streaming channels, like ThreeNow.

Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark as Played

Global condemnation of Israel is growing, over killing Palestinians and restricting aid.

New Zealand is demanding a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, along with dozens of other countries. 

Foreign Minister Winston Peters told the House the international community's united in revulsion over what's happening

Peters says having the European Union on board will build pressure - hopefully with success.

He explained it's brought on by frus...

Mark as Played

Sky TV is promising it won't shake the boat too soon after buying TV3 and ThreeNow - for a dollar. 

Warner Brothers Discovery has sold its Kiwi TV arm, including a range of linear and streaming channels. 

Sky TV says, for now, Sky Open will continue operations as normal and Three News will be kept at the six o'clock slot. 

Chief executive Sophie Moloney says they might even still negotiate with TVNZ on sports. 

...

Mark as Played

A steep rise in gym-related ACC claims for injuries could be down to strength training's rising popularity. 

Accident Compensation Corporation data shows it accepted about 50,000 gym-injury claims last year - worth about $50 million dollars.

It notes training and gym activities now account for the most claims.

Body Torque Personal Training founder, Alex Flint, says training with weights can result in shoulder and lower-back in...

Mark as Played

The water sector for England and Wales is set to undergo a significant overhaul following the release of a new report.

The Independent Water Commission sets out 88 recommendations to get the industry back into shape after years of notable controversies.  

UK correspondent Gavin Grey unpacks the findings.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark as Played

Stats NZ  recently reported annual inflation increased to 2.7 percent in the three months to the end of June, and it's sparked concerns among experts.

Economists had all been expecting annual inflation would be recorded at 2.8 percent or 2.9 percent - close to the Reserve Bank's 3 percent target band.

Harbour Asset Management spokesperson Shane Solly revealed what this could mean for the economy going forward.

LISTEN ABOVE

See ...

Mark as Played

Website infrastructure company Cloudflare has announced moves designed to stop AI from scraping digital content for free.

Going forward, website owners can choose if they want AI crawlers to access their content - and decide how the content gets used.

Cloudflare chief strategy officer Stephanie Cohen says websites want control over who uses their output - and they can charge or block AI platforms if needed.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystud...

Mark as Played

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!

There's growing calls to scrap NCEA - and the Government is looking to make some changes to the qualification. What do we make of this?

Coldplay's Chris Martin is now warning adulterers to disentangle before the kiss cam comes on. What do we think of this saga? Shoul...

Mark as Played

The Finance Minister says the costs involved in building a new medical school at Waikato University have been through a thorough business case.

Construction will begin this year - with the school providing 120 doctor training places a year, focused on primary care and rural health.

The Government's chipping in $83 million dollars, and the university and philanthropic investors will contribute $150 million.

When asked what would hap...

Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

    The Bobby Bones Show

    Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.