Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The NZ20 consortium are confident - but not adamant - they will get off the ground for next January. The franchise league has been given conditional support by New Zealand Cricket. NZ20 establishment committee chair Don Mackinnon says this conditional approval is enough to get things going at this stage.  "We do have a backup, NZ Cricket's very aware that it could push to January '28, but that's not our goal at the moment. We're going to work really hard to deliver it in the timeframe we've got."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 20 March, 2026, baby snapper could soon be legally caught by commercial fishers - but recreational anglers aren't happy about it. A new study says car pollution is killing hundreds of Aucklanders a year. Winter is coming - and so is a serious new strain of the flu. We've a warning from GPs. And on the Sports Huddle, Andrew Alderson and Nick Bewley debate whether it really is the Warriors' year. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taranaki’s Three Sisters Brewery is purchasing Sunshine Brewing, including the Gisborne Gold brand. Three Sisters founder Joe Emans said he plans to keep the brands distinct and "keep them doing what they're good at." Emans joined Andrew Dickens to chat about the purchase and the future of New Zealand's beer industry.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iran has targeting energy facilities across the Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar in response to an Israeli attack on Iran's South Pars gas field - the largest natural gas field in the world.  It is believed that 17% of Qatar's export capacity has now been wiped out, and could take up to five years to repair. Qatar-based journalist Courtney Hammond said the attack in Qatar "marks a huge escalation in this war." She told Andrew Dickens that there are concerns of retaliation from the targeted states as energy facilities are a strong-hold of the Gulf countries' economies.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So welcome to the fuel crisis — which is starting to feel a bit like COVID Junior. The government is apparently developing targeted support for low-to-middle income households facing rising fuel prices because of the ongoing international fuel crisis. Australia is already launching these measures. They’re focused on delivering aid quickly through the tax and welfare system. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it’s another tax-credit scheme. Now the problem with that, and with so many other tax-credit schemes National has come up with, is that it’s such a faff.  Who can actually be bothered, in our busy lives, to jump through all the hoops to get a few dollars back? Does anybody, in this day and age, really take advantage of all those cashback offers? Gosh, it’s hard work. Take FamilyBoost - it under-delivered, cost more than expected and benefited higher-income families more than lower-income ones.  Nearly a quarter of the money allocated went on administration rather than to families. So now Nicola Willis is thinking about another tax-credit scheme on fuel prices. She says the scheme needs to be simple. But New Zealanders want something even simpler. They don’t want to have to apply to get money back. They don’t want to leave the money in the pump in the first place. They want it to stay in their wallet — not have to apply to get it back later.  They want the price at the pump to go down, but Nicola Willis won’t touch the existing fuel excise tax, nor will she reduce the fuel-tax increase coming later on. What is it — 18 cents a litre? Nor will National suggest working from home or subsidising public transport because they’ve taken such a hard line against those policies in the past. Of course, Chris Hipkins came out and floated that. What Nicola Willis has been doing today is talking to fuel companies, and will that really be any more effective than the fireside chats she had with the supermarkets, or with Fonterra over the price of butter? It really is starting to feel a little bit like COVID 2.0, isn’t it? Wacky schemes to get your money back, promises that you’ll get your money back, but somehow you never do. And, the government flapping its gums while nothing really happens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hidden in the amendments to the Fisheries Amendment Bill, published online on Wednesday, are changes deemed “outrageous” by recreational fishers. The changes mean the minimum legal-size limit for a range of species, including snapper, tarakihi, butterfish, blue moki and trevally would be removed.  The major concerns of letting baby fish be caught is the reduction in populations, "anyone who failed science can still understand that," NZ Sport Fishing Council's Mike Plant told Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Donald Trump has said he's 'not putting troops' on the ground in Iran and is expecting the war to soon come to an end, whereas Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says there's still months to go.  In the meantime, Trump has backed Kevin Warsh for Federal Reserve Chair, but ties to Jeffery Epstein may stand in his way.  "It just seems to be one of those things that are being held up again and again, and which Trump has been trying to brush under the under the rug," US Correspondent Dan Mitchinson told Andrew Dickens.  And, in brighter news, a 100 year old war veteran has become the world's oldest organ donor. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctors are noticing an increase in respiratory illnesses at the moment as a new flu strain moves in to the country.  GP New Zealand chairman Dr Bryan Betty joined Andrew Dickens to chat about the new strain - Super-K. "We know it's in New Zealand, but the cases haven't increased yet," he said. "What we think is going to happen is there's going to be a take-off as soon as winter comes." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King Charles III is set to visit the US, despite growing calls to postpone the trip following Trump’s repeated criticism of Sir Keir Starmer. The US President said he was 'looking forward' to meeting with Charles - and the visit has been confirmed to go ahead amid the ongoing UK backlash directed at Trump.  UK correspondent Enda Brady says the trip will last four days, and Charles will visit Washington DC, New York and an unspecified rural part of America. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Federal Reserve has raised its inflation forecast as it held interest rates steady, citing an 'uncertain' economic outlook because of the war in Iran. Rates were kept steady at a range of 3.50 percent to 3.75 percent, with officials flagging one expected cut by the end of the year. Fisher Funds expert Sam Dickie explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.