The Front Page

A years-long dispute between two pensioners and an Auckland property developer reignited over the weekend.  Owen and Jane Hayward claim they have trespassed from the surrounding businesses of their Ōrākei apartment for their refusal to sell to property developer Kerry Knight – but Knight says he’s the one being harassed by the octogenarians. Warring neighbours may have been perfect reality TV fodder back in the day, but as more developers seek to make the most of new zoning laws, how can these affected parties sort out their woes before the media gets involved?  Today on The Front Page, Damien is joined by senior property lawyer Jonathan Wood for his advice on what both sides of these types of conflicts can do differently.   Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VentutoProducer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Day by day climate change is having a clearer and clearer impact on us and the world we live in.  While we’re reaching the end of a frosty winter here in New Zealand, July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded, as heat waves spread across the Northern Hemisphere. Closer to home, wildfires have caused devastation on the Hawaiian island of Maui after being fuelled by cyclonic winds. The Government has recently announced plans to try and make Aotearoa the first country to have 100 percent renewable electricity – but are we acting too late for a crisis we’ve been warned about for decades? And will our pleas for a sunny summer give us more than we bargained for? Today on The Front Page, Damien is joined by NZ Herald science writer Jamie Morton to discuss what to do now that weather shocks and climate records have become the norm. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VentutoProducer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Parliament wraps up its final sitting week of the term, will next Friday it will formally dissolve as the Governor-General of New Zealand triggers the course of events that lead to the next election.  But as politicians prepare their final speeches of the 53rd Parliament, they are already deep in campaign mode, with the rhetoric between the major parties heating up in recent days.   So with coalition deals already being fleshed out in public, and fiscal promises and swing voter friendly policies already being dished out, what is the current state of campaigning, and are politicians priorities in the right place?  Today, NZ Herald deputy editor and host of On the Tiles, Thomas Coughlan, joins Damien for a discussion about the dissolution of Parliament and what will happen next.   Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VentutoProducer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been 10 years since the collapse of construction company Mainzeal, and for much of that decade the company’s directors have been embroiled in a legal battle between them and creditors over how it went down.  That finally ended last week, with the Supreme Court ordering the directors, including former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, to pay out nearly $40 million.  So how did Mainzeal come to this – and what does this mean long-term for company directors, who may now find themselves in difficult legal positions?  Today on The Front Page, Damien is joined by BusinessDesk investigations editor Victoria Young, who has been following this case through the courts.   Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VentutoProducer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The centrepiece of our fashion industry is back after four long years away.  New Zealand Fashion Week returns with a brand new te reo name; Kahuria, which means to cloak or adorn. The event’s new owners will be hoping to present a refreshed major cultural event after close to half a decade in the darkness.  So, what looks will be on display? How is the garment industry coming to terms with concerns around fast fashion, consumerism, and the cost-of-living crisis? And can the smorgasbord of creativity on show catch the zeitgeist?  Today on The Front Page, we’re joined by Viva managing editor Amanda Linnell and Viva’s fashion and creative director Dan Ahwa to discuss what to expect from an event a long time in the making. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VenutoProducers: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nobody expects their relationship to spill into a long Family Court dispute, but thousands in Aotearoa resort to this measure every year.  The experience can be brutal for those involved, with the proceedings often being compared to warfare between people who once loved each other.  The impact is particularly harsh on children, who could face years of watching their parents embroiled in bitter disputes with antagonism just growing stronger over time.  NZ Herald senior writer Jane Phare has spent months investigating Family Court cases, talking to families, psychologists, lawyers and judges who have all experienced this system firsthand.  Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VenutoProducers: Shaun D Wilson and Paddy FoxExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warning: This episode of The Front Page contains extensive discussion of sexual assault. Danny and Roberto Jaz are now known as two of Aotearoa's most notorious criminals.  In 2022, after years of name suppression, the brothers were unmasked as the Mama Hooch rapists. They have 69 charges between them for their crimes against a number of victims who will return to court over the next two days as the brothers are sentenced. But who exactly are these criminal brothers and how did they get caught?  The NZ Herald’s Anna Leask has followed this case through the courts. She joins us today on The Front Page to discuss one of the most shocking cases of sexual assault in our recent history.   Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VenutoProducers: Paddy Fox and Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mortgage rates and house prices are two of our favourite topics of conversation in New Zealand, and they are making for grim discussions at the moment.  Particularly for those Kiwis who are about to refix their mortgage rate for the first time since the economy really took a turn for the worse.   So what’s the best option for those looking to or having to change their rate in the middle of these high interest rates, and is our property fixation about to send jolts through the economy?  Today on The Front Page, Damien is joined by Jose George, the general manager of financial and consumer research organisation Canstar.   Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VenutoEditor: Paddy FoxExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thirteen minutes of extra time would have felt like a lifetime to Spanish supporters on Sunday night, but the FiFA Women’s World Cup has finally ended with a new champion. This tournament, which had expanded to 32 teams, served up all shocks, giant slayings and silky skills one would expect from the best football players in the world. Packed stadiums in both Aotearoa and Australia also put to bed once and for all the long-held notion that people just aren’t interested in women’s sport.   But this is only the start of a long journey. So how do we keep this momentum going? And how do we ensure our footballers of tomorrow continue to give fans a justification to buy tickets to the games? Today on The Front Page, Damien is joined by Newstalk ZB’s weekend sports presenter, and Sky Sport football commentator, Jason Pine for a chat about what lies ahead for the beautiful game. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VenutoProducer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The modern gambler sits among us. They’re on the sofa in our living room, they’re at our work lunches and they’re the distracted friend at the evening out. Gamblers are no longer relegated to the dark corners of the pokies. With the power of their mobile phone, they can bet no matter where they are.  Relentless advertising from the gaming industry offers deals and promotions, encouraging viewers to place bets on everything from online poker to Football World Cup matches. But some countries are now fighting back, putting measures in place to keep online gambling under control. Across the ditch in Australia a new online gambling self-exclusion register called BetStop is going live today. Is this a step we could take? And is Aotearoa doing enough to ensure that we don’t lose a generation to the blight of online gambling addiction? Today on The Front Page, Andree Froude from the Problem Gambling Foundation and Dr Charles Livingstone, Head of the Gambling and Social Determinants unit at Australia’s Monash University discuss whether we are taking too big a gamble on Kiwis’ mental and financial health. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VenutoProducer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.