Larry Williams Drive

Could you ever have too much wine? It seems in Australia at least the answer is yes. Australia has an oversupply equivalent to more than 2.8 billion bottles of wine – a little more than 100 bottles per person. This is after a trade dispute with China slashed exports. The excess wine is being stored in large steel vats in wineries across Australia, equating to 859 Olympic wine-filled swimming pools. Executive producer on The Country Rowena Duncum spoke to Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National wants to give people the ability to invest in multiple KiwiSaver providers. Chris Luxon was speaking at a financial services council event. NZ Herald Business Editor at Large spoke to Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, former Labour Party Chief of Staff Mike Munro and PR Expert Ben Thomas joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day, and more! Political commentators are questioning why Labour are promising savings from removing taking GST from fruit and veg one week, while increasing fuel tax the next week. EVs are exempt from the road user charges, but should they be? And should the Lauren Dickason case have gone in front of a jury or a judge? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank now says house prices are going to rise much faster than it first thought. Forecasts now show a 9.5% rise in house prices by the end of 2025. It’s last forecast had that at 0.4%. Combined with high interest rates, it's not looking flash for affordability. Infometrics Principal Economist, Brad Olsen spoke to Heather du Plessis Allan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand Rugby has launched its own streaming platform. It's called NZR Plus, which is an app you can download or you can watch content online. There are currently two documentaries available to watch for free, of the All Blacks and Black Ferns seasons last year. Newstalk ZB rugby commentator Elliot Smith spoke to Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three Auckland ferry routes are on the chopping block. From the first of October Fullers360 will no longer run services to Bayswater, Northcote Point, or Birkenhead Auckland Transport is trying to find another operator that will run the services. Jon Reeves is from the Public Transport Users Association spoke to Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government will increase the fuel excise tax by 12 cents a litre over the next three years. Chris Hipkins expects it to cost the average driver an extra $1 a week. It's supposed to help fund a $20.8 billion transport plan to fill potholes, build new roads and public transport. David Parker spoke to Heather du Plessis Allan on the topic. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The walking tracks to the Cathedral Cove will be closed over summer. DOC says landslips and rockfalls have made some tracks impassable, and there are no quick fixes. It's also urging people to stay away from the cove altogether. Cathedral Cove Scenic Cruises's Ken Hindmarsh spoke with Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian women's football team's world cup campaign ended last night following a 3-1 loss to England.  However, the tournament has inspired the country to watch and get involved with football.\ Australian correspondent Murray Olds talked to Heather du Plessis-Allan about the tournament's legacy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The role of the jurors in Lauren Dickason's four week trial was crucial - and fundamental. The ruled the 42-year-old guilty of murdering her three daughters in Timaru in 2021, in a majority verdict yesterday. Dickason had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, caused by postpartum depression. Former judge Rosemary Riddell told Heather du Plessis-Allan the trial ran as you would expect. She says it was hard but not too difficult for a jury to handle - and people have a responsibility to perform their civic duty. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The South African cricket team looks like they are sending a b-team to face the Black Caps.SportsTalk host D'Arcy Waldergrave joins Heather du Plessis-Allan to talk about it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I think it’s time to the end the freeloading of the EV owners, don’t you?  The big news from the Chris Hipkins government is that they’re raising petrol tax again. That's right... they were just giving us a discount on the tax 2 months ago and now they are going in the opposite direction. From next year they’ll start hiking phasing in 12 cents a litre hike  Why?  Well because we’ve got to pay to fix the potholes  That’s what that petrol tax pays for. So do the road user charges that the drivers of diesel cars pay. But the EV owners pay nothing  They are driving on our roads for free and have been since the first EV hit New Zealand. Their exception period is due to run out April next year so you would think they are going start paying in about eight months. But no... don’t be so sure  More news out today is that officials are concerned about doing it  They are worried about noncompliance and the system not coping  I’ve had enough of this, haven’t you?  This might have made back when there were about 100 EVs a

Inflation in the UK dropped sharply to 6.8 percent in the year to July from 7.9 percent in June. The region's Office for National Statistics claim falling energy prices have helped ease the economic pressure.  UK correspondent Gavin Grey says this is good news, as wages have gone up by 7.8 percent between April and June, exceeding inflation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Curia pollster and Kiwiblog contributor David Farrar and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Reports suggest National are set to allow foreign buyers to outbid New Zealanders for homes, reversing the 2018 ban implemented by Labour. If true- is this a good move? Lauren Dickason has been found guilty of murdering her three daughters in Timaru in 2021. She now faces a life sentence for the murder of each child. What do we make of the verdict? A Waste Management chemical engineer says recycling in NZ is "essentially fraud". What do we think of this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Global dairy prices plunged by 7.4 percent overnight at the Global Dairy Trade auction. Whole Milk Powder - a key driver for Fonterra's prices - dropped 10.9 percent, the lowest level in nearly 5 years. Dairy NZ director Jacqueline Rowarth says this decline is partially led by softening demand from China amid Covid-19 restrictions.  "This has been a game that has been played before, it's very difficult to tell what's going on in China. We love them as a market, but in terms of customers, it can be very challenging." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank has kept the Official Cash Rate at 5.5 percent, in line with predictions from banks and economists. Many experts believe the OCR may shift later in the year to get the CPI down to target range. Milford Asset Management analyst Katlyn Parker says there was limited market reaction to the announcement, but it's hard to think of more positives for the economy in the coming months. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Full speed ahead as Three Waters passes its third reading in the House. The reform transforms water providers into 10 regional entities but some councils are against it- they're scared they'll lose control. National and ACT have pledged to repeal it if elected. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says the most controversial aspect of the reform, co-governance, is still a contested issue. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tough times for one of New Zealand's largest listed construction companies. Fletcher Building's annual net profit fell 46 percent to $235 million, according to a statement released to the NZX today. CEO Ross Taylor says the extra costs incurred by the troubled international convention centre in Auckland are causing the company some grief. "We're committed to getting the convention centre delivered and open, it'll be a world-class facility. But it's fair to say it's causing us some grief on the way through." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Outgoing Green MP Elizabeth Kerekere's fired a final shot across the party's bow. In her valedictory speech to Parliament, Kerekere claimed Greens co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson were the only complainants - suggesting no one formally took issue with her actions. ZB Political Editor Jason Walls says James Shaw and Marama Davidson were sitting in the House watching the speech- and Shaw was 'staring daggers'. "The pair of them- I don't think I've seen any of them look that angry, especially James Shaw. They were there as a mark of respect, but they were not doing very well to hide their emotions." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New reports state National may lift the ban on foreigners buying residential homes in New Zealand. The ban was implemented in 2018, and National has opposed limitations being enforced on foreign investors. Labour's Spokesperson for Overseas Investment David Parker is outraged this idea is being considered. "Before we put in place the ban in 2017, 20 percent of the homes in Central Auckland and 10 percent of the homes in Queenstown were being bought by overseas buyers- that was closing out New Zealanders." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.