Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Although visitor spending is on the rise, some parts of New Zealand are still doing it tough.

A Government survey's found international visitor spending increased by 10% and contributed more than $12 billion to the economy in the year ending March.

That's 9.2% up on the previous year.

It reflects an increase in international visitors, topping 3.3 million arrivals, up from almost 3.2 million.

Queenstown Mayor Glyn Lewers told Ryan B...

Tourism mojo. 

Louise Upston fired off an enthusiastic press release last night. 

"International visitor spend on the up” it proclaimed.

New data, which we get from the International Visitor Survey, showed a 10% jump in spending on the previous year.

Sounds impressive, right? 

Sounds like we’re getting somewhere. Finally shaking off the Covid cobwebs. 

But this is where we start to see the spin doctors earning t...

Australia's refusing to play ball with the US, which is demanding it up its defence spend to 3.5% of GDP as soon as possible.  

Australia's currently tracking to lift spending to 2.33% of GDP in the next eight years.  

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese seems to be brushing off the demand.  

Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio told Ryan Bridge that Albanese has said what you should do in defence is decide what you need...

Minimal progress in another round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.  

The two countries have agreed, in Istanbul, to exchange sick and wounded prisoners of war, and those under 25. 

Meanwhile, Ukraine's carried out drone strikes on several Russian air bases.  

BBC's Olga Ivshina says even the loss of one plane is significant, as Russia can't replicate it quickly.  

She told Ryan Bridge Russia has also l...

Do you know what's really starts to rub me the wrong way? 

It's governments telling us to do more things. 

This morning, we've got the government coming out with yet another hotline.

Sounds fancy. Sounds efficient. 

It's a hotline to report road cones. A road cone tipline. 

Sorry, but if the problem is that there are too many road cones on the road, and they're unnecessary for the work being carried out

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday 3rd of June 2025, The Government's introducing new changes to Worksafe and implementing a new roadcone hotline, Parallax CEO Dave Tilton shares his thoughts on how it will work. 

Ukraine and Russia have been having peace talks in Turkey, BBC Senior Russia Correspondent Olga Ivshina shares the latest. 

Andrew Alderson has the latest on the weekend's sport.&nbs...

Significant changes at WorkSafe as it moves from an enforcement focus and launches the road cone hotline.

The agency will now engage early to support risk management, starting with today's opening of a tipline for excessive road cone usage. 

Parallaxx Traffic Control Training Chief Executive Dave Tilton told Ryan Bridge there are good elements to this announcement.
  
He agrees with the collaborative risk-based...

Just 60% of Air New Zealand's trans-Tasman flights took off within 15 minutes of their scheduled time last month.  

A report by the Ministry of Transport shows airline performance for April. 

78% of Jetstar's flights between Australia and New Zealand left on time, and 70% for Qantas.  

Aviation commentator Peter Clark told Ryan Bridge Air New Zealand's has a large fleet, which means more planes needing attention.&nbs...

Doubts many parents will be prosecuted for repeat truancy under a new Government directive. 

Associate Education Minister David Seymour's confirmed these parents could be fined up to $30 a day as part of a firmer approach on school attendance.  

Any possible prosecution cases will be referred to the Ministry. 

Darfield High School Principal Andy England told Ryan Bridge they have 28 students —or 3%— who could fall in...

Farmers are welcoming a proposal to remove difficult rules from the Resource Management Act. 

The Government's released three discussion documents proposing amending 12 current national directions and four new ones. 

They include changes to freshwater management and regulation of farming practices. 

Beef + Lamb New Zealand Chair Kate Acland told Ryan Bridge the Government's addressing issues they've been highlighting...

British Police are still asking the public not to speculate as to why a 53-year-old businessman drove his car into a massive crowd of people in Liverpool.

Seventy nine people - among those celebrating Liverpool Football Club's league title - were hurt; seven remain in hospital.

Paul Doyle faces six charges related to grievous bodily harm, and one of dangerous driving.

He'll first appear in court this weekend.

Doyle is a former Roya...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, Friday the 30th of May Full Show Podcast 2025, the Ministry of Education's been ordered to prosecute parents who who don't regularly send their children to school, Darfield school Principal Andy England shares his thoughts. 

Beef and Lamb NZ are praising the government's RMA announcement Chairperson Kate Acland explains it's benefits. 

New data on plane arrivals shows Air New Zealand...

The price of butter's shot up 65% over the past year - you might have noticed nana's cookie jar's a bit empty lately. 

Bakers are buying in bulk from the Aussies, where it's cheaper.

Online discussion blames our dairy farmers, the co-op that buys their milk, and the producers who sell it. 

But, there are a couple of reason its cheaper there than here. 

1) We export a hell of a lot more to the world than the Aussies d...

A lack of consensus at the Reserve Bank on yesterday’s cut to the OCR reflects the global economic uncertainty. 

The Monetary Policy Committee has dropped the cash rate 25-basis points to 3.25%, and now expects to reach a 2.9% low-point in December. 

However, further cuts are uncertain, with the bank adopting a watch and wait approach. 

ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley told Ryan Bridge they still believe we’ll get an...

The Grocery Action Group is unconvinced by a proposal to rapidly add competition to the grocery sector. 

The New Zealand Initiative wants the Government to introduce a "fast track pathway" to allow new entrants to enter the market, rather than forcing any break-up of the existing supermarket companies. 

It includes streamlining rezoning, consenting and investment clearance processes. 

The group's Sue Chetwin told Rya...

There's an expectation it will take two years to get the number of international students in vocational education back to pre-Covid levels.

There were about 75-thousand international students in New Zealand last year - 40% less than a peak in 2016.

Vocational Minister Penny Simmonds says told Ryan Bridge centralising Polytech's into Te Pukenga is a big factor, as it caused a financial mess.

She says it's been a nightmare, which is ...

Another Reserve Bank rate cut. 

It was largely as expected - 25 basis points.

The rest of the press conference and much of the Monetary Policy Statement itself was focused on the ‘unpredictable’ global environment. 

We can’t say this because we don’t know what Trump will do. We can’t be certain about that because XYZ. Trade war, etc, etc.

But at what point does unpredictability become predictable, and therefore not t...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Thursday the 29th of May 2025, 

The Reserve Bank cut the OCR by 25 basis points, ASB bank Chief Economist Nick Tuffley shares his thoughts. 

International student numbers are down in Secondary schools and for vocational training, Minister for vocational education Penny Simmonds tells Ryan Bridge what the Government's doing to help. 

The New Zealand Initiative ha...