There's hopes rural communities will be considered before changes are made to NZ Post's services. Options include dropping to delivering two days a week in urban areas, instead of three, and going from five times a week in rural areas down to three. Additionally, postal outlets will be reduced from 880 to 500. Rural Women CEO Marie Fitzpatrick says…

The Education Review Office has found the system for addressing school absence is failing, with chronic absence doubling in the last decade. In Term 2 this year, one in ten students was chronically absent, with more than 80 thousand missing more than three weeks of the term. Since 2015, chronic absence has doubled in secondary schools and almost tr…

The UK teenager accused of killing three young girls at a children's dance event will appear in court tomorrow, now on a terrorism charge. England's Merseyside Police yesterday announced they'd discovered a bio-toxin and al Qaeda documents in the 18 year old's home following the July mass-stabbing. UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge it's …

There’s assurance the Government's proposed building consents scheme, allowing tradespeople to self-certify, is safe. Businesses with a track record of delivering bigger projects will be able to access streamlined consenting. Qualified tradespeople will be able to forego inspections for low risk builds through the opt in 'self-certification scheme'…

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 30th October, there are more changes to our building and construction sector. The Government wants to allow builders and plumbers to self-certify their work to cut back on council inspections. Master Plumbers Chief Executive Greg Wallace joins the show to discuss. The Education R…

Newstalk ZB Sports Reporter Andrew Alderson joined Ryan Bridge to wrap the weekend's sporting events. On today's agenda: The Black Caps claimed a history-making win over India, beating the hosts on their home turf. The Silver Ferns claimed the Constellation Cup, beating Australia 61-43 in the third test of the series. Liam Lawson's behaviour at the…

The iconic Kiwi corner dairy is believed to be becoming a rarer sight. The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment notes there are more than 1,700 businesses currently registered as dairies or superettes, less than Retail NZ's 2018 count of around 4,000. Communications Manager Ann-Marie Johnson told Ryan Bridge a number of dairies have clo…

An Australian woman's been found alive, after going missing in New South Wales' Snowy Mountains for nearly two weeks. A multi-agency search started for Lovisa Sjoberg when authorities discovered her hire car had not moved for six days. The 48-year-old was found injured and dehydrated by officials on Sunday. Australian Correspondent, Donna Demaio to…

The Government's received advice on how Kiwibank can better compete with the large Australian-owned banks. It's in response to the Commerce Commission market study on personal banking. Documents released under the Official Information Act show Treasury wants to look at exploring use of private capital, including an Initial Public Offering. Massey U…

The road toll is sitting at zero for the long weekend. Six people died last Labour Weekend, which is a tragedy. The road toll is the lowest Labour Weekend toll since 2013, when we had one death on the roads. Why do we think this has happened this particular weekend? Is it the Road to Zero that the previous government introduced? Is it the fact we'v…

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 29th of October, Treasury has put three options on the table to raise Kiwibank's capital and make it a stronger competitor against the big banks. Massey University Banking Expert David Tripe talks through the options with Ryan. They're a Kiwi staple, but the number of dairies acros…

Here we go again, everybody. They’re planning to build yet more houses on land that we know is partial to flooding. This time, it's the Coalition Government, with three housing projects on its fast-track list in Auckland and Canterbury. In 2022 it was Labour, they had 700 homes on their fast-track list that were prone to flooding. You might think, …

There's fresh information for prostate cancer patients and their doctors to consider when making treatment decisions. A UK study has found those treated with a highly targeted type of radiotherapy appear to have fewer problems with two major side effects, compared with those who have surgery. Auckland Radiation Oncologist Associate Professor Giusep…

The issue of the Manawanui sinking is hanging over the Prime Minister as he attends the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa. Christopher Luxon met UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer last night, and will meet with King Charles and other leaders today. He says it's too early to talk about whether Samoa will get any financial compensatio…

The Government's meeting with Police and transport officials today over Wednesday's fatal stabbing in Auckland. Police are expected to lay charges against a 37-year-old man who handed himself in to North Shore Police Station yesterday afternoon. It came after a woman was fatally stabbed on a bus in Onehunga on Wednesday in a seemingly random attack…

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 25th of October, there are concerns about safety on public transport following the fatal stabbing of a woman on a bus in Onehunga. Transport Minister Simeon Brown joins the show to discuss the situation. A new UK prostate cancer trial is looking good for patients - it aims to reduce…

Donald Trump is coming under fire for alleged comments he made about Adolf Hitler. In an interview with the New York Times, Trump's former Chief of Staff, John F. Kelly claims the former president said that Hitler did some good things. US correspondent Sally Patterson told Ryan Bridge the Republican presidential nominee allegedly praised Hitler on …

The primary teachers’ union says there are other matters which should come before improvements to the measuring of student performance. An Auditor-General report says there's a gap in the Ministry of Education's information on student performance before NCEA level. It recommends better collection of progress reports on primary and intermediate stud…

An ambulance union says the Government's made the right call in increasing funding by 6% for Hato Hone St John. It's putting an additional $21 million into the ambulance service, increasing the overall funding to nearly $357 million. Ambulance Association Secretary Mark Quin told Ryan Bridge that it hasn’t resolved the issues of pay parity, but it’…

A bit of life is coming back into the property market, but investors think the best is yet to come. The CoreLogic October Housing report has found almost a quarter of the properties bought were by people who own multiple properties. The Property Investors Federation says there should be a pickup mid next year as mortgage rates continue to fall. Adv…

Yesterday, a driver and fellow passengers all witnessed a stabbing take place, and the person died. This is 2:30 in the afternoon on a bus in suburban Auckland, and someone is allegedly stabbed to death. There's been beatings of passengers and drivers, I don't have to explain this, you've seen the headlines. The problem of driver safety seems to on…

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 24th of October, the Auditor General has told the Ministry of Education to get a better handle on inequality in our school children. NZEI President Mark Potter reacts to the report. Property investors could be the ones to watch in the new year as interest rates continue to drop. M…

Retailers appear hopeful their sales numbers will turn around. Retail NZ's quarterly survey finds 65% of retailers feel confident or very confident their business will survive the next 12 months. It finds 57% expect to meet or exceed their targets for the final quarter, even after 70% failed to meet their last sales targets. General Manager of Norm…

A Wellington City Councillor hopes a Crown Observer will help the city put more support towards water infrastructure. Preparations are under way for a Crown Observer, announced by Local Government Minister Simeon Brown in a bid to help the council's 10 Year Budget. The city's seeking cuts after reversing plans to sell its airport shares. Wellington…

Nothing is ever good enough for some people, is it? You've got a centre-right government committing hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money to feed kids in schools, and they've managed to free up $130 million in savings in the process, and still, it's not good enough for some. The Health Coalition Aotearoa, they're not happy, some dietici…

A principal's sceptical about the Government's ambitious school lunch budget. The Government says it's saving $130 million a year by reducing the cost per meal from $8 to $3. Schools preparing meals internally will get $4 a student to keep hiring people to prepare food. Greymouth High School principal Samantha Mortimer told Ryan Bridge that hungry …

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 23rd of October, a Crown Observer is set to step in at Wellington City Council following mismanaged finances and big changes proposed for the city's Long Term plan. Councillor Tony Randle speaks to Ryan about what it means. David Seymour has unveiled the Government’s new school l…

Labour's calling on the Māori Development Minister to keep the Ihumātao deal as it stands. Documents seen by Newstalk ZB show that Tama Potaka is considering dissolving the committee dealing with the land. It was bought in 2020 with a promise to put Māori housing in the area, putting an end to ongoing protests. Māori Development Minister under Labo…

A criminal defence lawyer believes locking people up for longer won't necessarily make communities safer. Thousands more offenders are likely to be captured under the Three Strikes rule, following changes by Cabinet to toughen up the new regime. It's lowering the threshold for a first strike warning from 24 months imprisonment to 12 months. Roderic…

A Three Strikes update for you this morning: the Government's basically lowering the threshold you have to meet in order to be hit with the new Three Strikes law. Originally for the law to kick in, for you to get a strike, you had to commit a crime with a prison sentence of 24 months or more, and it was the same for each of the Three Strikes. Now, …

An upgrade to a key Hawke's Bay road is expected to bolster the region. The Hawke's Bay Expressway, which carries 29,000 vehicles a day, is being widened from two lanes to four. The Government says starting work on the Road of National Significance early will bring construction forward 12-to-15 months. Employers and Manufacturers Association Head o…

Australian politicians from both sides have denounced Independent indigenous Senator Lidia Thorpe's expletive-laden outburst at King Charles' reception in Canberra. Thorpe, a Senator for Victoria, began yelling as the King's speech ended and claimed he'd committed genocide against her people. She says the King destroyed her land, and the country wa…

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday 22nd of October, the Government is toughening the three strikes law to catch more offenders. Criminal Defence Lawyer Roderick Mulgan speaks to Ryan about what it means. Tama Potaka has warned the group tasked with deciding the future of Ihumatao to come up with a solution or be show…

Couple of stories in the news today, one of them and I'll just read you the first line from this story. "Ministry of Social Development officials warned their minister that using payment cards as a sanction for beneficiaries can be stigmatising and open to exploitation." What? So either the poor things will stigmatise them, will tarnish their good …

New Zealand have held their nerve to record one of their best wins in almost 95 years of test cricket. The loss of their skipper from the second ball of the fifth day didn’t worry the tourists, nor the probing of a fearsome Indian attack buoyed by a frenzied atmosphere in Bengaluru. Instead, two players with a combined 25 tests’ experience coolly a…

The meat processing sector is being encouraged to evolve to ensure it captures future demand. Alliance Group's confirmed Timaru's Smithfield meatworks will shut by the year's end due to declining sheep numbers – cutting up to 600 positions. BusinessDesk reports rival Silver Fern Farms wants to be constructively involved as Alliance works through a …

The voice of the America's Cup says returning the event to New Zealand shores will deliver more than just sailing. Previous editions have all been held in Auckland, but Mayor Wayne Brown says the hosting decision is in the hands of Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton. Brown says he'd welcome it back, but has concerns over its cost. Sailing commentat…

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday the 21st of October. Team New Zealand have made history in Barcelona, winning the America's Cup for the third time in a row. But where to now for the auld mug? Sailing Commentator Peter Montgomery speaks to Ryan about the win. A huge loss for Timaru with the Alliance Smithfield meat…

Pilot shortages in the aviation sector has some sounding the alarm, concerned that flights could be grounded in four years. There are calls for the Government to intervene, to encourage more young people to pursue the profession. Ardmore Flying School Chief Executive Irene King told Ryan Bridge the financial strains are to blame, with their income …

Judith Collins says race shouldn't be a factor in prosecution decisions. Solicitor-General Una Jagose KC has been under fire after advising prosecutors to "think carefully about particular decisions... where a person is Māori". Collins —in her capacity as Attorney-General— is refusing to endorse the directive. She told Ryan Bridge all prosecution d…

Green Party delegates have voted to ask Speaker Gerry Brownlee to remove the now independent Darleen Tana from parliament. It's now down to Brownlee to decide if Tana's resignation from the party —but not Parliament— affects the proportionality of the House. Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls told Ryan Bridge the party was previously against …

The family of former One Direction star Liam Payne have broken their silence following his death. The 31-year-old has died after a fall at a hotel in Buenos Aires. He's famous for his role in One Direction, the boy band being one of the bestselling groups of all time between their formation in 2010 and their indefinite hiatus in 2016. UK Correspond…