Afternoon Edition: 31 March 2025

The Afternoon Edition of News Fix for 31 March 2025, 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 Wendy Petree and this is your afternoon
news fixed for Monday, the thirty first of March. Minister
for Rail Winston Peters says his inter Island a ferry
plan saves costs on infrastructure. Cabinet today agreed to Peter's
package to have two new ferries crossing Cooks Straight by
Christmas at twenty twenty nine. He says, I'll have road

(00:24):
and rail decks and capacity for fifteen hundred passengers. They'll
be longer than the current vessels about two hundred meters,
but smaller than the canceled government's contract. Peter says this
is more pragmatic than that.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
The marine infrastructure and Picton requires replacement, so will be
replaced and read infrastructure Winton has life aften it, so
we will modify and.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
Keep using it. Meanwhile, Peter's is unrepentant about publicizing and
questioning private Instagram posts by Benjamin Doyle from before he
became a Green MP. The New Zealand first Seeder posted
on x criticizing the posts with sexually suggested of captions.
The Green Party says Peter's is fanning hatred and Doyle's

(01:04):
received death threats that Peter says he wants Doyle to
explain the posts.

Speaker 3 (01:09):
What do you post mean?

Speaker 1 (01:10):
And why are fifty two taken down? What's suspect about them?
Slim down Health and Safety at Work Act requirements for small,
low risk businesses to reduce compliance costs. That's one of
several changes to health and safety laws at workplace Relations
in Safety Minister Brook van Walden is announcing today it's
senior political reporter, Sophie Trigger.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
Cabinets agreed to cut down on what it's calling tech
box health and safety tasks and only require the regulator
be notified for significant workplace events like death, serious injury
or illness. Brook van Velden says low risk businesses will
only have to manage critical risks. For example, a small
clothing shop needs to provide first aid, emergency plans and
basic facilities, but not a psychosocial harm policy.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
Serial Aucklin sex offender Luca fair Gray has been jailed
for four and a half years for crimes against a
thirteen year old girl. Emily Ansel reports.

Speaker 3 (02:05):
A jury found the twenty two year old guilty of
three charges of sexual conduct with a young person in February.
In an impact statement to the victim expressed frustration about
fair Gray explaining his actions using his autism, which she
also has the jury didn't know. Fairgray had previously been
convicted of ten assault charges against six teen girls.

Speaker 1 (02:29):
Silver Fern Farms remains in the red, with a reported
loss of twenty one point eight million dollars last year.
Joint owner SFF Cooperative also reported a ten point nine
million dollar loss. Meade exports grew twenty five percent in
February compared to twelve months ago, reaching one point one
billion dollars. CEO Dan Bolton says the losses are disappointing.

(02:52):
Probably what we did underestimate is just a level of
the Cuman tension that occurred through the best half the
last year. The Wellington Phoenix and Ford Rohus have agreed
to mutually terminate his contract. Roehaus has been released with
three months left on his one year deal with the club.
The victorious a Blackburn Sevens will be without Manyah Nuku

(03:13):
for this week's A World Series tournament in Singapore after
she was forced from the field during the final against
Australia with a leg injury. And Lydia Coe has finished
sixth in the latest LPGA Tour event in Arizona, leaving
her to the top of the season long money list.
I'm Wendy Petrick. That's your latest news fix. We'll be

(03:34):
back with a next update tomorrow morning. From the News Talks,
he'd been newsroom