Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

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A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

13 MIN AGO

Kelly Eckhold: Westpac Chief Economist on the OCR

We'll learn today, where the new Reserve Bank Governor sees the OCR heading. The central bank's expected to keep the Official Cash Rate unchanged at 2.25 percent. Governor Anna Breman will be releasing her first Monetary Policy Statement since taking charge 11 weeks ago. It's likely to show when inflation should start easing, and when the economy should recover from last year's downturn. Economists expect the OCR will rise again late this year and early next year. Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold shares his thoughts with Ryan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4 min
21 MIN AGO

Ryan Bridge: Would you pay $9 to cross the Auckland Harbour Bridge?

The answer depends on whether you can afford it. Congestion charging is coming and that'll add to the cost if you need to drive for work. This is only a proposal-based on the original toll, inflation-adjusted, almost 70 years ago. The suggestion, nothing's hard and fast, comes from an Infrastructure Commission report. We know there'll be a toll to cross the new bridge, or tunnel, whichever gets built. The government already told us that. What we know now is that the both the old and the new crossing will be tolled. So, there's no avoiding it. If you can avoid it, they don't collect the revenue they need to pay for the new one. Why $9? They reckon it's the sweet spot that will get enough people using it to make enough to pay for the new build, without scaring everybody off and, again, leaving it short on revenue. So basically, driving a car over the bridge becomes a luxury item. You'll either need to be a bit rich or as happens overseas, your employer will pay for your car or Ute or truck to cross. And what about everybody else? Well, when the build the new bridge, it'll have bus lanes and other public transport options that'll be cheaper. Most people, they reckon, will opt for public transport. Which is fine, so long as public transport suddenly becomes reliable and more linked-up and bus drivers aren't getting stabbed and bashed all the time. The other point here is.... is $9 actually that much money in the scheme of things? People cross the harbour by ferry for about that price. BUT there's a cap to how you pay overtime and you usually haven't got car running costs and petrol etc. So, driving would become a premium option. The question then becomes, do you not build because $9? The answer is simple, of course you do. if we complain about the cost of building stuff and never build a thing we will continue this death spiral we've been in. We need productivity growth and infrastructure and all those good things. They don't come from nowhere. They come from good, planed investment. What we need is good financial controls on the design and construction. We need a government doing the budget, rather gold-plated version. And we need that government to agree with the one that comes after it that this is a national interest project. Mess with the bridge and you mess us. Then just get on a build the thing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3 min
19 HR AGO

Oliver Mander: Shareholders Association CEO on Contact Energy announcing a capital raise

A bittersweet result for Contact Energy’s shareholders. The energy company released their half-year results yesterday, recording a 44% rise in net profit. But it's now in a trading halt while it starts raising capital for more renewable energy projects. Shareholders Association CEO Oliver Mander told Ryan Bridge Contact is unlikely to be the last to announce a capital raise – with more likely coming up later in the year. He says it’s important for current shareholders to make an active decision going forward, as there’s no value gained by simply doing nothing. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3 min
19 HR AGO

Catherine Beard: BusinessNZ Advocacy Director on the impact of conferences on the economy and the new International Convention Centre in Auckland

The business events sector's working to bump up our international multi-day conferences, which are currently lagging behind domestic bookings. A Business Events Industry Aotearoa report shows events contributed $925 million to the economy last year. Multi-day conferences generated approximately 1.5-million visitor nights for accommodation, nationwide. BusinessNZ Advocacy Director Catherine Beard told Ryan Bridge if you want to attract events you have to have good venues that are big enough to take big conferences – like the new International Conference Centre in Auckland. She says it’s a bit like stadium shows for major music acts – if you don’t have the events and can’t draw the crowds, you’re going to miss out. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3 min
1 DAY AGO

Full Show Podcast: 17 February 2026

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2025, The government’s ordered an independent review over what happened at Wellington Water’s Moa Point, Mayor Andrew Little tells Ryan what he hopes will come out of it. A new report shows business conferences contributed nearly $1 billion to the kiwi economy last year, Business NZ Advocacy Director Catherine Beard shares her thoughts. Contact Energy posted a half year net profit increase of 44% to $205 million, Shareholders Association CEO Oliver Mander provides analysis. Plus, Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on the alleged Bondi terror gunman’s first court appearance and a major supermarket chain accused of misleading customers, faces court action. 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.

34 min
1 DAY AGO

Andrew Little: Wellington Mayor on the inquiry into Moa Point Treatment Plant

Wellington Mayor Andrew Little says everyone is now in the hands of central Government, as an inquiry is announced into the catastrophic failure at the Moa Point Water Treatment Plant. A Crown Review team's being appointed to look into the failure of Wellington's wastewater facility. Little was met with clear frustration from locals at a lack of clear answers at a public meeting on the issue in Kilbirnie last night. He told Ryan Bridge people need the chance to express their anger, but says the review is now a matter for ministers. He says they need to figure out what happened as a matter of public confidence. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4 min
1 DAY AGO

Ryan Bridge: Beware the insatiable beast that is the State

It's like a hungry child screaming for more food, even though you've just fed them dinner and pudding. Across the Tasman, Jim Chalmers, the Aussie Treasurer is facing high debt and deficit. They've managed to achieve the highest level of spending to GDP of any Government in 40 years, outside the pandemic. Sound familiar? To deal with this, the IMF has just told them they should cut their cloth. They've also suggested the Federal Government may need to bail out some states who are also weighed down by the Double Ds of post-Covid governance - debt and deficit. Let's not forget this is the lucky country. The one that's been firing on cylinders we don't even have. The Flying Aussie Roos, it turns out, haven't quite been putting away for a rainy day despite making hay while the sun shines. So, what do they do? There's a report out from The Australian this morning that they're considering taxing more. Remember they already have a capital gains tax, the thing we don't have but Labour's promising to introduce. But they have a discount on it for assets held for at least a year - once you flick it off you get half off the tax. Their Treasurer has apparently been keen on getting rid of this discount before, and not ruling it out now. It brings them an extra $10 billion in revenue. So when parties here say they'll solve our problems with new taxes, is that the end of the story? Or does the insatiable beast come back for more? This is a problem unique to government. In private business, as you well know, you only put prices up so high in order to cover costs. People have choice about what they buy and they might put you out of business. So you cut costs. You innovate. You change and adapt to remain competitive. Government's can raise taxes indefinitely. The problem with some of them is that, given the chance, they would. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 min
2 DAYS AGO

Viv Beck: Heart of the City CEO on Eden Park being allowed to up 22 concerts a year

Hopes new events settings coming to Eden Park stadium will bring more foot traffic through Auckland's city-centre. The stadium will be allowed to host up to 12 large and 20 medium-sized concerts a year under the changes - without the need for resource consent. This will bring the total of concerts allowed up from the current 12. Night-time sport will also be allowed on any day, as long as the games finish by 10.30pm. Heart of the City CEO Viv Beck told Ryan Bridge she thinks back to the Metallica concert last year - and the buzz that it brought to the city. She says fans stayed around for days - and were queuing round the block for merchandise. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3 min

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A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.