Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

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Newstalk ZB
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With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.

  1. 3h ago

    Gavin Grey: UK correspondent on the wildfires tearing through France and Spain

    A race against time for crews battling Europe's raging wildfires - as conditions tipped to heat up. More than a quarter of a million people have fled across Spain and France, reducing villages to ghost towns. French crews are fighting flames near Bordeaux, and efforts continue near Madrid to stop flare-ups.  UK correspondent Gavin Grey unpacked the extent of the damage. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  2. 3h ago

    Catherine Williamson: Mocka chief executive on the business launching a physical store in Christchurch

    Kiwi furniture brand Mocka is preparing to open its first standalone physical store in New Zealand, nearly 20 years after it began operating. Originally selling kids’ furniture online, the business’ range expanded to curated collections across key sectors, and it's set to open its first bricks-and-mortar store in Christchurch. Mocka chief executive Catherine Williamson says the brand's not looking to compete with Ikea - and it'll do things the 'Mocka way'. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  3. 3h ago

    Shane Solly: Harbour Asset Management expert on Spark announcing strategic review of digital services

    Telecommunications company Spark has reorganised its operations into two divisions to reflect an increasing focus on core services. The core telco and IT services will come under the direction of the Connectivity division, with the other division responsible for Digital Services. Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  4. 4h ago

    The Huddle: Do the Greens have a point about data centres?

    Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! National leader Chris Luxon has ruled out working with the Opportunity Party after the election, but leader Qiulae Wong has been adamant it'll will work with any party if it gains enough votes. What do we make of this?  The Green Party is calling for a moratorium on data centres - do we think this is fair, or is this bad for jobs and future investments?   Would you take your pet on a plane with you?  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  5. 4h ago

    Perspective with Ryan Bridge: Do we need a moratorium on data centres?

    There's a bit of having your cake and eating it too when it comes to people who turn their noses up at these data centres. The Greens are jumping up and down about them. Of course they are. They say they'll suck up power from the grid, push up electricity prices and create only a handful of jobs. That's the problem, apparently. They're calling for a one-year ban while we sort out some regulations, which is all very well and good, except for two quite important things. First, most Kiwis use AI, which is basically why we need these centres in the first place. Two-thirds of us have used AI in the past year. It's making our lives and businesses more efficient but that comes at a cost.  An AI search apparently uses at least 10 times the electricity of a Google search. Researchers in the US reckon that a single ChatGPT query, and just think about this next time you type one in, consumes the electrical equivalent of leaving a light bulb on for 20 minutes. Okay, so it's not cheap. There's no such thing as a free lunch. The more we use it, the more it costs. Second, when politicians call for moratoriums or bans, it's usually because we don't know enough about something and need more time to figure it out. That is not the case here. Amsterdam imposed a moratorium on data centres in 2019. Ireland effectively restricted them in 2021 and some US states have done the same. Since then, a lot has changed. There are now rules in place overseas, in certain jurisdictions, that mean data centres essentially have to generate their own electricity. There's no reason we can't, or shouldn't, have similar rules ready to roll out here. It's the job of politicians, remember. This is pretty much what they do, including this coalition, I might add: keeping on top of the law and what's happening around the world. That's how they justify their overseas junkets, after all, isn't it? They're meant to stay ahead of the curve. But we're not. A moratorium on data centres is a very 2019 solution. It's very pre-COVID. Let's not be so pretentious or self-righteous as to believe it's not us driving demand for data. What we need, and you won't hear me say this often, is rules and regulations that ensure we can keep the lights on while feeding the dirty little AI habit we like to pretend we don't have. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  6. 4h ago

    Nicola Willis: Finance Minister on the Government looking into next steps for fuel support package

    The Government says escalation in the Iran war may move out the trigger-point for stopping temporary fuel-support payments. The $50 weekly payments for lower-income working families was meant to last a year from April, or until 91-octane stays cheaper than three-dollars a litre for a month.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis expects we'll reach the four-week threshold this week - but the latest data won't be available til Wednesday.  "The reason we put that four-week rule in place was because we do not think we should have these extra supports in longer than we need them." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  7. 4h ago

    Full Show Podcast: 27 July 2026

    On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast with Ryan Bridge for Monday, 27 July, 2026, an Auckland Hospital patient tells us about her experience of a bug infestation. An expert says we're getting closer to having driverless taxis in New Zealand. Gareth Morgan on why he thinks the Opportunity Party shouldn't go into coalition. And on The Huddle, Josie Pagani and Trish Sherson are at odds over a shopowner saying don't come into his store, try shoes on for size and then go get them cheaper online. 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.

    Full Show Podcast: 27 July 2026

  8. 4h ago

    Qiulae Wong: Opportunity Party leader says she's keeping options open after National rules out working with the party

    National leader Chris Luxon has ruled out working with the Opportunity Party after the election.  Three recent polls have had the party  nearing the five-percent threshold for getting into Parliament.  Leader Qiulae Wong has been adamant it'll will work with any party, if it gains enough votes.  "We kind of have to wait to see where the votes fall on election day, and we'll be really clear with voters what our bottom lines are."  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.

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