Midday Edition: 12 December 2024

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 12 December 2024, straight from the Newstalk ZB newsroom - bringing you everything you need to know in news, politics, business, entertainment and sport.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Good afternoon. I'm Malcolm Jordan and this is your midday
News VEX four Thursday, the twelfth of December. The government
won't say how much breaking the contract for building two
megaferries is costing the taxpayer. The last government signed a
contract with a South Korean shipyard for the rail enabled ships.
Nikola Willis can that project a year ago, citing climbing costs.

(00:26):
Winston Peters is now steering a new project as the
new Minister for Rail, but he wouldn't tell Heather Duplicy
Allen the figure that must be paid for calling off
the contract.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
It's confidential. Why is it confidential? For a whole lot
of reasons. Do you're nothing about commercial practice? That's why it's confidential.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
A message pushing for change within Fire and Emergency to
improve bad workplace behavior Chief executive Kerry Gregory's release and
end of year video saying there's bullying, harassment, sexism and
racism in the organization. He says such conditions can make
some people afraid to come to work. United Fire Brigades

(01:03):
Association Chair Peter Dunn says people are targeted for a
variety of reasons.

Speaker 2 (01:08):
Some of it is.

Speaker 1 (01:08):
Treating volunteer firefighters, who are the overwhelming majority of firefighters,
for instance, as being inferior because of volunteers. Detectives investigating
an Invercargo woman's death at Lake Harwire after an assault
have retrieved items while examining the property. Karen Gayllen White
was killed at her property in March. Jamie Cunningham reports.

Speaker 3 (01:28):
Police only launched a homicide investigation last month. Detective Senior
Sergeant Reagan Boucher says they're speaking to a number of
people who are assisting with inquiries. He says EASYR scientists
completed further examinations of areas of interest yesterday, but won't
go into detail about what was found.

Speaker 1 (01:49):
Optimism the bird flow outbreak in an Otago farm could
be a catalyst for investment in viral surveillance. Two hundred
thousand birds are being culled that the Mainland Poultry owned
farm in Moiraki under strict biosecurity lockdown. Otiger University virologist
Professor Jem McGegan says infection spread from wild birds and

(02:11):
is likely to occur again.

Speaker 3 (02:12):
Do we need to.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
Kind of target the areas that we do surveillance so
exactly at these interfaces where domestic animals as well as
wildlife are interacting as well as humans as well.

Speaker 1 (02:23):
A positive forecast for New Zealand's food and fiber exports,
with expectation they'll reach record levels over the next two years.
MPI believes it will reach just under fifty seven billion
dollars by June and over fifty eight billion dollars the
following year. Meat and wool revenues are expected to rise
slightly to eleven point four billion dollars as demand strengthens.

(02:46):
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McLay told Heather Duplic Allen
wool's commodity price is starting to increase and there's new users.

Speaker 2 (02:54):
The Indian Parliament only has New Zealand woolen carpets everywhere
through their buildings. Does is a good role for Will,
but there's a lot of work to do because it's
been very tough for shep farmers to sport.

Speaker 1 (03:05):
The grinch has come early for New Zealand's elite rugby players,
with news that many must return their sponsored vehicles early
next year. Ford have confirmed to the Herald that their
thirty year partnership of New Zealand Rugby will end on
January thirty one. FIFA's ratification of Saudi Arabia as host
of the twenty thirty four Men's World Cup has brought

(03:28):
immediate backlash from human rights groups and the Storm have
confirmed star fullback Ryan Pappenhausen has signed a one year
extension through until the end of the twenty twenty six
NRL season. I'm Malcolm Jordan. That's your latest news fix.
We'll be back with the next update at five pm
from the news Talk zb newsroom.