Morning Edition: 21 March 2025

The Morning Edition of News Fix for 21 March 2025, straight from the Newstalk ZB newsroom - bringing you everything you need to know in news, politics, business, entertainment and sport.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Good morning. I'm Neva ready Manu, and this is your
morning news fix for Friday, twenty first of March. In
this update, New Zealand is out of recession, but the
recovery could be less of a sprint and more of
a crawl. GDP's risen by zero point seven percent in
the December quarter, but Kiwibank economist Sabrina Delgado says the

(00:24):
economy was still one point one percent smaller than the
same period the previous year. The construction of mining sectors
both shrank by more than ten percent during the year.
If you look at the annual numbers, they're less pretty
Any growth we're getting here right now is still off
a very low base in person overnight urgent care, and
Napier is back on the table. Elite proposal earlier this

(00:44):
year revealed the government was considering scrapping the nurse service
and replacing it with a virtual equivalent due to low demand.
After community backlash, which includes a protest planned for the weekend,
Health Minister Simeon Brown has announced Napier Health's overnight care
will continue. He says they will also add an additional
nurse with prescription abilities and medical support from a doctor

(01:05):
via Tallyhealth. Three people have been arrested following alleged extortion
of shoppers by security at an Auckland supermarket. A woman
says she was accused of shoplifting in January, where guards
demanded she pay almost four hundred dollars before threatening more fines.
Five victims filed complaints. Emily Ansel reports.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
Detective Senior Sergeant Kevin Tennan says men aged twenty three
and thirty nine and a nineteen year old woman will
appear in the Munuko District Court on Wednesday if facing
multiple charges including demands with intent and obtains by deception,
which carries a maximum seven year prison sentence.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
Concerned military personnel may have to pick up the slack.
With fewer civilian staff in the Defense Force. The NZDFS
consulting civilian staff on proposals to not fill almost three
hundred vacancies and disestablished then recreate other jobs. It would
result in eighty employers yes losing their job. As Auckland's
Western Spring Speedway prepares to run its last ever race,

(02:06):
a local councilor is lamenting how it got to this point.
Western Spring Speedway is holding a Legend's Night tomorrow before
racing has moved to Ornihong as one Kanaka Speedway. The
decision has been controversial because of a letter that Speedway
New Zealand claims misrepresented their support for moving racing. Councilor
Mike Lee says it's hard to tell if that letter

(02:27):
was deliberately misrepresented. One actually what one say is but
the letter was so manned that.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
A complaint was placed to the Serious Forward Office.

Speaker 1 (02:37):
The opportunity for an early peak at Christchurch's newest landmark,
Dekaha Stadiums opening its doors early as part of May's
Open christ Church Festival. The event showcases buildings of architectural
interest across the city and in sport. The International Olympic
Committee has anointed double gold medal winning swimmer Kirsty Coventry
as their tenth president in Greece. Forty one year old

(03:00):
Zimbabwean will be the first woman and the first African
to serve in the role from June twenty third. New
Zeven Rugby's plan to field in under eighteen team against
Australia this year is being opposed by a forty plus
consortium of the country's secondary schools. Melbourne have beaten Penrith
thirty twenty four to open Round three of League's NRL.
I'm never ready, Manu. That's your latest news fix and

(03:22):
we'll be back with the next update at midday from
the newstalk zb news room