Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

Hornets are on notice as the Government commits $12 million to stamp them out in Auckland. 

The yellow-legged hornet was detected on the North Shore earlier this year. 

They pose a serious threat to honeybees and, by extension, to the agricultural sector. 

Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says since the start of November, 37 queen hornets and 28 nests have been destroyed. 

More than 730 traps have already bee...

You can take the girl out of Waihi, but you can't take the Waihi out of the girl, I tell you. 

News that Oceana Gold's Waihi North project has been approved makes good sense, as far as I'm concerned. The permit that was confirmed yesterday guarantees the securing of 350 existing jobs, the creation of 100 plus new roles, the project to be in operation until at least 2042, so that gives some continuity, some certainty, which is ...

It’s been a tough run for the economy this year, but the Finance Minister is celebrating the progress that was made. 

Nicola Willis told Kerre Woodham the economy is growing, which means that when they look back on 2025, they’ll be able to say it ended a lot better than it started. 

She says that looking into next year, it’s set to grow much faster, with many more jobs being created. 

“People can look forward to thei...

Trains will be offline across the Auckland rail network from December 27 to January 28. 

KiwiRail says the closure is needed to allow for urgent repairs and maintenance which is needed for the upcoming City Rail Link, set to open in the second half of 2026. 

Public Transport Users Association National Coordinator Jon Reeves told Kerre Woodham that shutting down the trains over the summer for maintenance purposes is the cl...

New Zealand's economy grew more than expected between July and September. 

But between April and June, it shrank more than previously thought. 

GDP rose 1.1% in the September quarter, surpassing all expectation but Stats NZ has revised the numbers for the June quarter, finding GDP actually fell 1%, not the previously-reported 0.9%. 

That means the economy shrank 0.5% in the year to September. 

NZ Herald Business...

For those who have been here over summer, Auckland is a lovely place to be.  A lot of residents push off, and it feels like the city is yours to explore, and visitors are very welcome and make a welcome addition to the city, new people with new energy and seeing things that you don't see, seeing the city through new eyes. 

But it's going to be a little bit tricky to get around, unless you fancy a bus on a sweltering day o...

Mark Mitchell is acknowledging the wins he had in 2025. 

It’s been a busy year, the Minister dealing with a range of emergencies across the country, plus the hefty police portfolio. 

He told Kerre Woodham that although there’s a lot of negative headlines throughout the year, we should be extremely proud of ourselves as a country. 

Mitchell says there’s a lot more going on than there is bad.  

LISTEN ABOVE 

S...

Treasury's Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows more delay to getting the books back to black.  

The deficit's expected to deepen to a depth of $16.9 billion and not narrow to $60 million dollars until 2029-30. 

Economic growth is expected to be just 1.7% next year. 

NZ Herald Business Editor Liam Dann told Kerre Woodham that the problem isn’t in how much we borrow, but the efficiency of government spending. &n...

We're going to start this morning with the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update, which was actually the Three-quarter Year Economic and Fiscal Update. It delivered news we all expected, and that is that we're getting there as a country. It's just taking longer than we thought. 

Treasury's half-year update, published on Tuesday, predicted a return to surplus in 2029/30, a year later than it forecasted in May. Finance Minister N...

I remember back when I first started talkback, a million years ago at nighttime, it must have been the semicentennial of the waterfront workers strike of '51, or the lockout, depending on which side you're on. It was the biggest industrial confrontation in New Zealand's history for those who don't know of it. It was 151 days from February to July, and at its peak, 22,000 waterside workers, or wharfies, and associated unions were of...

The NZ Blood Service is encouraging people to donate, saying the demand doesn’t stop. 

Although the amount of hospital activity and the number of surgeries slow down over the holiday period, CEO Sam Cliffe says things like accidents, births, and long-term conditions are still prevalent.  

She told Kerre Woodham that they try to over-collect in the two weeks up to Christmas and for a little bit after, as their stocks tend ...

A year into the job Health Minister Simeon Brown is celebrating early signs of success on reducing wait times. 

He took over the heath portfolio in January of this year, succeeding Dr Shane Reti. 

Brown told Kerre Woodham he attributes reinstated health targets as one aspect that's made a difference. 

He says the number one focus remains improved access to health care. 

LISTEN ABOVE  

See omnystudio.com/list...

At least 16 people are dead and 38 others injured in a terrorist attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney.

Hundreds of people had gathered at Bondi for an event to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah, when gunmen opened fire.

Massey University Centre for Defence and Security Studies Senior Fellow John Battersby told Kerre Woodham that police responded as quick as they could, but it can be difficult to predict these attacks. 

"Law enfor...

A New Plymouth lake is being drained in an effort to stop invasive clams. 

Lake Rotomanu's been closed to motorised watercraft since the gold clams were found there last month, marking the first discovery of the species outside of the Waikato River. 

The lake's outlet was opened yesterday, and it will take about four days to drain completely. 

Dave Cade told Kerre Woodham it’s the worst biosecurity threat to New Zeal...

Nicola Willis is defending her economic track record in the face of a lobby-group's satirical campaign. 

The Taxpayers' Union has sent MPs Nicola Willis-branded fudge, claiming she favours treats today and taxes tomorrow. 

It suggests Willis should cut spending more. 

Willis says the Government has reduced taxes and delivered significant cost savings while keeping frontline services. 

Kiwiblog author and co-foun...

Do you see any advantage or benefit to the country in having a former Finance Minister and the current one debating fiscal policy? 

The current Finance Minister, Nicola Willis, has challenged the former Finance Minister, Ruth Richardson, to a debate. Now, that is misguided in my view, but to be fair, she was grievously provoked. Ruth Richardson is the chair of the Taxpayers' Union. The Taxpayers' Union is a pressure group, a g...

Whenever I hear or read news headlines these days, I know that the headlines will be just that for so many people. Headlines. People won't hear or they won't read beyond the headline, and then they'll form their own opinions based on nothing more than 20 words or fewer. I've got numerous examples of that. Even people that I would have thought would understand the media, like journalists, they'll look at a headline and think, "Oh, y...

Efforts to stamp out yellow-legged hornets in New Zealand are widening. 

Biodiversity New Zealand is expanding the 5-kilometre surveillance zone in Glenfield and Birkdale on Auckland's North Shore further out to 11-kilometres, to ensure only one population is at large. 

Victoria University Ecology and Entomology Professor Phil Lester told Kerre Woodham hornets target worker bees one by one and will hurt more than our hone...

The Street Smart programme is a hands-on, one-day driver training course for young drivers, teaching crucial real-world skills beyond basic testing, helping reduce road deaths across New Zealand. 

The course focuses on decision-making, hazard perception (like "rabbits" on the road), distraction management, peer pressure, and emergency manoeuvres in a controlled environment with professional coaches. 

Highlands Motorsport ...