There’s concern our cemeteries are running out of space, with some councils taking too long to secure new land. The Cemeteries and Crematoria Collective says many graveyards are already at or near capacity, forcing delays and limiting burial options. It warns too many councils are failing to plan far enough ahead, and many are excluding cemeteries from urban growth strategies that often focus narrowly on housing. Collective Chair Daniel Chrisp told Andrew Dickens that while 70-75% of New Zealanders prefer cremation now, there are still many communities and cultures that prefer burial. He says the option needs to be provided, so councils need to think strategically and proactively about it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Consumer confidence could be turning around as borrowing rises. Latest data from credit bureau service Centrix shows residential mortgage and household lending have both increased more than 20% year-on-year. Personal loan and Buy Now Pay Later applications and business borrowing are also up. Westpac chief economist Kelly Eckhold told Andrew Dickens we're heading in the right direction, but it's still early days. He says many of the indicators for growth are still subpar but lower interest rates are starting to flow through. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Rain's on the forecast for today's 165th running of the Melbourne Cup. There are no New Zealand-trained runners this year, but Smokin Romans and Torranzino were both bred here. Newstalk ZB's Melbourne Cup correspondent Donna Demaio says those heading to Flemington will need to pack their brollies and coats. She told Andrew Dickens the weather is dominating much of the conversation. Demaio says it's expected to rain all day and even during the race. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast Tuesday 4th of November 2025, Centrix data shows more people are getting mortgages, Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold tells Andrew what this means for the economy. A new NZ Initiative report’s calling on the government to tap into GP data, Chair of General Practice Owners Association Dr Angus Chambers shares his thoughts. NZ Cemeteries and Crematoria Collective Chair Daniel Chrisp tells Andrew we’re running out of room to bury the dead. Plus, Australian Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on the weather in Melbourne for the highly anticipated Melbourne Cup. Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The GP Owners' Association's backing calls for the Government to make better use of primary care data. A New Zealand Initiative report says information from GP clinics isn’t being systematically collected, unlike hospital and prescription data. It argues the information could help identify prescribing issues and prevent unnecessary hospital admissions. Association Chair Angus Chambers told Andrew Dickens this has been an acknowledged gap for a long time. He says it has been collected individually before, but not systematically, which requires investment. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9 people were left in a critical condition after a knife attack on a train in the UK. It is believed that a man on the train, which was moving from Peterborough to London on a fast-track line, pulled out knives and started attacking passengers once it was on the move. UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Andrew Dickens that the incident was not terror related. 'Originally counterterrorism police were investigating this. We are now being told it is likely not to be terror related.' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The public service union says ACC has breached employee contracts with its working-from-home rule change. The PSA's taking the agency to the Employment Relations Authority. It says ACC gave the union only one hour's notice when it told staff four weeks ago they would have to come into work three days a week - up from two. PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons told Andrew Dickens that ACC promoted jobs with three working-from-home days. She says workers who got the roles now feel deceived. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Attracting the extra staff needed for 140 new hospital beds could be a challenge. The Government's announced new wards for Middlemore, Waikato, Wellington and Nelson hospitals, in addition to a new Hawke's Bay ward announced earlier this year. Health Minister Simeon Brown told Andrew Dickens funding has been approved to recruit the additional 350 staff needed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On Friday I interviewed a representative of oyster farmers in the Mahurangi area who were outraged at a wastewater dump by Watercare that had poisoned their oysters. They have to close for 28 days. One farmer has to dump 80,000 oysters. That’s not good for business or their cashflow. As the interview went on I found out that this is not an isolated incident. It’s already happened 39 times before this year. And even worse Watercare has the right to do a dump like this 200 times every year. I was flabbergasted. That seems like an awful lot of dumping. Then in the weekend I got a call from a local MP. She told me Watercare basically wrote their own consent. They needed to involve public consultation yet all they did was drop some leaflets at the Warkworth library. She's raised the issue with the mayor, the man who wants to make Auckland a global city, and Mr Fix it doesn't seem at all interested in fixing it. And now they dump the regions wastewater into the Mahurangi River and they’re allowed to do that 200 times a year. It’s killing the river. It’s destroying the oyster business. It’s decimated commercial fishing in the area. It’s a symptom of intensification in the area. It’s a symptom of the infrastructure being unable to cope with the new demand. And it’s a symptom of the Council not having enough money to fix the problem and no desire to help the affected businesses and to rescue a wrecked river. Honestly, I’d rather swim in the Thames or the Seine than swim in the Mahurangi in rural North Auckland. The issue has been swept under the carpet by Watercare and the authorities and it’s frankly just not good enough. Day by day clean green New Zealand is becoming a myth and a lie we like to tell. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast 2025, the Government’s adding 140 new hospital beds across five hospitals from mid next year Health Minister Simeon Brown tells Andrew Dickens the difference it'll make to capacity. Andrew Alderson has the latest on the weekends sport. The PSA’s taking ACC to the employment relations authority, PSA National Secretary, Fleur Fitzsimons says workers have been blindsided over new work-from-home rules. Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on two people in critical condition after ten were injured by two men with knives on a train heading to London from Doncater Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The All Blacks are set to face Ireland in Chicago for the first match of their Grand Slam Tour. This will be the first time the two sides have faced each other in nearly a year, where the All Blacks beat Ireland 23 - 13. ZB's Voice of Rugby Elliott Smith told Francesca Rudkin that '[the game] promises to be a special occasion even if it's not tearing the headlines off the front pages.' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Health Minister receiving advice on allowing babies to receive measles vaccine as the outbreak spreads. New Zealand has two new Auckland cases bringing the total to 13. A national immunisation week starts on Monday - to help bring it in under control. Minister Simeon Brown told Francesca Rudkin there is the potential that if children are immunised earlier than 12 months, their longer term immunity wouldn't be as good. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is Donald Trump testing the limits with his latest nuclear weapon testing comment? The US President posted on social media - saying he has no choice but to restart testing, because of other countries testing programs. If the US follows through it'd mark the first official nuclear weapon testing - apart from North Korea - this century. Geopolitical Analyst Geoffrey Miller told Francesca Rudkin that it's part of Trump's game. He says he's constantly playing this game of brinkmanship, where he'll go right to the brink before pulling back. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 31 October. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Signs are looking good for Fonterra's major sell-off to get the green light this morning. By 10:45 today, the shareholders will decide if selling big brands like Anchor and Mainland to global dairy giant Lactalis is the right decision. Fonterra Shareholder and Supplier Garry Reymer told Ryan Bridge that the majority of shareholders seem to be in favour of the sale. 'I hear a few farmers who tell me they're gonna vote against it, but by and large the majority seem to accept,' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Opinion remains split on whether we have to renew our vehicles' Warrants of Fitness, too often. Proposals up for consultation from today would further stretch out WOFs for light vehicles, to once every two years. The one-year rule would continue for vehicles older than 10 years. AA Principal Policy Adviser Terry Collins told Ryan Bridge that they've surveyed their members to get their thoughts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
You know how we're a free trade country? It’s our thing. We export, we earn, we sell, we get richer. And we want open supply chains and free movement of goods across borders, etc., etc. Well, today Trump and Xi of China are finally signing that deal—or at least the framework of a deal—to bring an end to this war. This should, in theory, benefit both of them. The region. And us. That's a good thing. We're also likely to sell our dairy consumer brands to the French today, in a deal worth $4 billion. That's a good thing. Yesterday, Westpac released some research—they reckon our GDP wasn’t actually that bad in June.They revised down their estimate from a 0.9% contraction to just 0.1%. They say it all came down to an accounting glitch related to the closure of the Marsden Point oil refinery. In all of these stories, two ideologies are playing out. Are we a free trade, open-the-door, globalist sort of country? Or are we the Winston Peters, protectionist, don’t-sell-your-milk-brands, keep-Marsden-Point-open type of place? Are we New Zealand First? Because the more countries out there protecting themselves, the stronger the argument becomes for us doing the same.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Belief that both employers and the Government need to up their game to ensure Kiwis are being hired before migrants. The Immigration Minster's getting tougher on employers hiring more migrants than unemployed New Zealanders. Erica Stanford says employers will be stripped of the chance to recruit migrants if they're not looking closer to home. Business NZ Immigration Specialist Rachel Simpson told Ryan Bridge the Ministry need to help businesses prioritise Kiwis. She says employers will always look locally but immigration is about the skills those people bring to the country. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 30 October. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
More MPs and longer parliamentary terms have been deemed key to modernising a decades old electoral system. Fresh New Zealand Initiative research found 30 years on from the introduction of MMP, our parliament is in the need of a four year term and 50 more members. That would take the Parliament to 170. Report author and Senior Fellow Nick Clark says MMP has delivered fairer and more representative parliaments. But he says these changes would create better balance between members and the executive. Clark says right now there is a huge number of ministers compared to members, making it harder for MPs to hold those ministers to account. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.