Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

There's been growing debate over how Auckland's CBD can be revitalised after years of uncertainty and economic decline. The $5.5 billion City Rail Link is due to be built at the second half of the year and it's promised to bring in economic benefits, but it's unclear if it'll get the city in motion.  Kiwi entrepreneur Andrew Barnes says a lot of shops and businesses have been closed, and it's not as attractive to prospective visitors.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Donald Trump has been upping the pressure on the Federal Reserve to cut rates. The US Federal Reserve is set to convene next week, and it's looking likely that they'll keep rates on hold at this stage. Harbour Asset Management expert Shane Solly unpacked the speculation further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and former Auckland mayor Phil Goff joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Donald Trump sparked some outrage following his criticism of allied efforts, including New Zealand, in Afghanistan. Were his comments out of line?  New Zealand Rugby has unveiled their updated criteria for a new All Blacks coach - applicants must be from New Zealand and have international head coaching experience? Do we think this is the right move?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 26 January, 2026, we explore how long Mount Maunganui's likely to remain off-limits in the wake of the landslide. Interim New Zealand Rugby boss Steve Lancaster gives us details of the search for the next All Blacks coach. An entrepreneur outlines how he'd give Auckland's CBD a makeover. And on The Huddle, Phil Goff and Trish Sherson have harsh words for Donald Trump's criticism of allied efforts, including New Zealand, in Afghanistan. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the human tragedy at Mt Maunganui continues, the timeline around warnings and what authorities knew and when they knew it is becoming clearer. Fire and Emergency has confirmed it received a 111 call about landslides on the Mount before 6 o’clock on Thursday morning. As you would expect, it has a robust record-keeping system, which records that call as being at 5.48am. The slips at that time did not affect life or property, and so three minutes later at 5.51am, Fire and Emergency says it notified Tauranga Council as the landowner responsible. But here’s where it gets tricky. Tauranga City Council’s CEO initially said there was no record of the call at the council’s end. Then he was corrected - and that the council did actually receive that call. But given all of the staff who were working and the various calls they were receiving as they responded to weather problems that morning, it’s going to take a bit of time and the independent review to work out the timeline at the council’s end. Personally, I had no idea until this week that landslides kill more people in New Zealand than any other natural disaster. But as the changing climate makes these big weather events much more common, the question of liability is becoming more prescient than ever. In addition to responding to the myriad problems that extreme weather might cause, in addition to modelling for flooding and high winds, councils and landowners need to have a system for assessing landslide risk in different areas and responding in real time as conditions dictate. And one of the critical questions in the independent review will be whether receiving that call from Fire and Emergency about a slip on the Mount would have been enough for the council to evacuate the campground. Did they have an adequate, real time, extreme weather risk management system? Should staff have had to wait for a landslip to be reported? Or should heavy rain have been enough to get people out? The question of liability looms over everything in this tragedy. And it’s my hunch that many councils and landowners around the country will be looking at the terrible events at Mt Maunganui and realising their own systems for assessing real time landslide risk are woefully inadequate. Tauranga Council hopes to have the terms of reference and more detail about the independent review confirmed later this week. But just as Pike River was a catalyst for huge health and safety law reforms, the Mt Maunganui disaster is fast shaping up as a watershed moment for property owners and councils around the country. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis is hoping inflation can drop back into the Reserve Bank's target band off the back of the latest data. The annual inflation rate for 2025 was 3.1 percent, up from 3 percent for the year to September. Willis says the Government supports the Reserve Bank getting back to their target band of 1 to 3 percent. "It's inflation that's the broadest driver of the cost of living. At the same time, interest rate reductions have been really important to recovering our economy after a very difficult period, but it's always the case that as the economy recovers, you do expect that eventually interest rates do go up." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's belief among experts that New Zealand depends on the World Health Organisation for disease prevention and health promotion.  The US officially withdrew from the WHO last week.  Now Winston Peters has questioned the organisation's effectiveness and how it's using its funding.  Former WHO director Dr Rob Beaglehole says while the WHO has room to improve, New Zealand ultimately benefits from membership - especially given that future pandemics are 'inevitable'. "The only way to respond effectively, apart from closing borders for a short time, is going to be to work with other countries together." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand is the benefactor of the World Surf League granting its athletes the left hand break they've been begging for. Raglan's Manu Bay will host the newly instated New Zealand Pro in late May. Surfing New Zealand CEO Ben Kennings says says this is 'huge' for the sport's place in New Zealand. "We can't wait to host those best surfers in the world, it's going to be pretty spectacular." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand Rugby interim CEO Steve Lancaster has insisted today's coaching policy change isn't an admission of fault when hiring Scott Robertson. NZR has invited Kiwi coaches with international experience to apply for the vacant All Blacks job, something Robertson didn't have. Lancaster says New Zealand is 'incredibly blessed' to have a high calibre of potential coaches and he's confident the right choice will be found. "We're confident that there is a good number of coaches, both here in New Zealand and around the world that are capable of coaching the All Blacks and we don't think we need to go outside of that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The future of Mount Maunganui's Mauao is unclear, as efforts to recover six people buried in a landslide continue. Iwi leaders say they are yet to have a hui to discuss what the long term plan is.  Ngāti Pūkenga and Ngāti Ranginui historian Buddy Mikaere says a rahui is being placed on it now, and there does need to be a rest - which should be taken advantage of. "Have a proper review of the entire Maunga, the track system, to see where likely hazards might be, and to note those and put in place actions that might prevent this from happening again."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.