RNZ: The Detail

This nasty pest can be destroyed, but it will take government resources and extreme vigilance from the public to do it.The anti-pest army is being mobilised, local Facebook pages are buzzing and a swarm of publicity embarked upon, all aimed at stamping out the yellow-legged hornetGuests: Professor Phil Lester - Victoria UniversityMike Inglis - MPI Biosecurity Commissioner NorthKarin Kos - Apiculture NZ chief executiveLearn more:Look out for hornetsYellow-legged hornet sightings in Auckland in 2025 | NZ GovernmentHow to build a wasp trap - Phil Lester recommends this system but says you don't need to register your trapPhil recommends Vespex as a bait which is available from a Nelson firm called MerchentoFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A key player in the curriculum rewrite says the criticism is overblown - and not a reflection of what the sector thinksMany agree NZ's education is below par, but how to fix it is the subject of a major conflict - as the government's proposed curriculum has made clearGuests: Laura Walters - Newsroom's political editorMichael Johnston - The New Zealand InitiativeLearn more:Draft curriculum content released for Years 0-10 learning areas and wāhanga akoFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A City Councillor and a Marine Science Professor warn that the Hauraki Gulf recovery is at risk after a last-minute fishing carve-out to the new Tīkapa Moana.The new Hauraki Gulf/ Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Act is meant to preserve our largest marine park, but 11th-hour changes have critics questioning if it offers high protection or hollow promisesGuests: Simon Thrush - Marine science professor at Auckland UniversityMike Lee - Auckland councillor for Waitematā and GulfLearn more:Find the new legislation hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The figures keep blowing up when it comes to paying for our Roads of National Significance, and critics say some of the justifications are shonky Has justifying our massive spend-up on roads been 'juiced by some convenient maths' or are New Zealanders not capable of seeing the big picture?Guests: Matt Lowrie - Greater Auckland directorNick Leggett - Infrastructure New Zealand chief executiveMarc Daalder - Newsroom senior political reporterLearn more:Greater Auckland blogInfrastructure NZ Transmission Gully reportMarc Daalder's article in NewsroomNZTA's list of the 17 roads of national significanceFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Up to 150,000 New Zealanders have autism, but there's a huge range in how it impacts people - so some think it's time the spectrum is dividedWhile Trump's comments on a link between autism and paracetamol have caused uproar, a more pressing debate in going on within the community of autistic people and advocatesGuest: Dane Dougan - Autism New Zealand chief executiveLearn more:New York Times article: Should the Autism Spectrum Be Split Apart BBC article: Fact-checking three claims Trump made about autismFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

As this unique Kiwi group celebrates a big anniversary, it's balancing its creative vision with a tight budget and an agile approach - on and off stageGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The US isn't known for its rugby prowess, or interest - so when the All Blacks take on Ireland this weekend, they're playing to sell a vision The All Blacks take on Ireland in Chicago on Sunday morning in what will be a test run for America's Rugby World Cup dreamGuest:Jamie Wall - RNZ Sports Reporter Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The aged care sector has had enough of reports describing all its many problems - and hopes a new Ministerial Advisory Group will provide some solutionsIt's hoped a Ministerial Advisory Group on aged care can get all the players in the same room to thrash out an answer on how to best deal with a tsunami of aging peopleGuest: Tracey Martin - New Zealand Aged Care Association chief executiveLearn more:Read the government's press released on aged care hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The amount of child sexual abuse material entering New Zealand is increasing and getting 'more violent' - and the Customs team managing it can't keep upThe Child Exploitation Operations Team is on the front lines, finding and catching those in the trade of child sexual abuse material. The Detail gets an inside look at the growing issue and what's being done to tackle it.Guest: Simon Peterson - Chief Customs Officer, Child Exploitation Operations TeamLearn more:Watch Unmasking Monsters - TVNZ documentary about the COET team - hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

With just twelve months until the next election, the mood of the nation is "one of disillusionment", and that's reflected in the pollsWith a year to go until the next election, the government is under polling pressure with whispers the Prime Minister could be rolled, and the opposition still finding its voiceGuest:Guyon Espiner - RNZ Investigative JournalistFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

When there's a successful jewel heist such as the Louvre break-in, museum directors around the world take another look at their own patches. Auckland is no exception. Auckland War Memorial Museum might not be dripping in stunning jewellery, but it still contains priceless artifacts that need protectingGuest: David Reeves - Auckland War Memorial Museum Chief Executive The film clips used in this podcast were from Entrapment (1999) Ocean's 11 (2001) Mission: Impossible (1996) The Thomas Crown Affair (1999).Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A combination of job insecurity, tight economic times and a pressure to always be on the clock is resulting in a burnt out workforceBurnout is increasingly becoming the norm, with a multitude of factors pushing New Zealanders across the country to breaking point. But one expert says the tide is changing with a new generation entering the workforce.Guest:Dougal Sutherland - Principal psychologist at Umbrella wellbeingGeorgi Toma - Founder of Heart and Brain WorksLearn more:Read Massey University's press release about their study on workplace burnout hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Fonterra is concentrating on its core business, and that means executing one of the biggest business transactions this country has ever seen - to the benefit of its farming shareholdersNZ First isn't happy about Fonterra's consumer goods - including some iconic Kiwi brands - becoming the property of a French company, but farmers want the windfallGuest:Riley Kennedy - Business Desk senior reporterFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Fifteen years after the explosions at Pike River mine killed 29 men, a new feature film brings the families' ongoing fight for justice back into focusThe Pike River mine disaster killed 29 men, and sparked a fifteen-year fight for justice. A new film brings that fight to the big screensGuest:Rob Sarkies - director Rebecca Macfie - journalist and author of Tragedy at Pike River mine: how and why 29 men diedLearn more:Read the Royal Commission's report on the Pike River Coal Mine tragedy hereWatch the Pike River movie trailer hereFind Rebecca's book about Pike River hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

R360 is making a bold play for Kiwi stars, but there's much debate over whether the rebel competition is set to be a rugby revolution, or a career-ender The new rebel rugby competition is said to be targetting top-tier players by dangling huge salaries, but there are big hurdles in its plan to steal the gameGuest:Elliott Smith - Rugby Commentator and Deputy Sports News Editor - Newstalk ZBFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Our second biggest city is experiencing the type of revival that should make the rest of New Zealand enviousIn the last 14 years Christchurch has been to hell and back - now it's finally emerging from the rubble as the country's most vibrant place to beGuests: Phil Mauger - Christchurch mayorAnthon Matthews - Hustler Group directorLearn More:Paddy Gower raves about ChristchurchTV3's Juliet Speedy takes a peek into the Te Kaha stadium, set to open on time and within its $683 million budgetFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

You could walk past these prolific actors and not even notice you're among stars - until they open their mouths You could walk past these prolific actors and not even notice you're among stars - until they open their mouthsGuests:Nolan NorthVeronica TaylorDavid SobolovLearn More:Find out more about the Armageddon Expo hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Charities in crisis: how government cuts and rising costs are stretching New Zealand's social safety netPhilanthropists split too many ways and tears in the boardroom as charity funders are overwhelmed with increased calls for help, along with a decrease in donationsGuests: Kisten Kilian-Taylor - Head of Philanthropy at the Perpetual GuardianSusan Edmunds - RNZ Money CorrespondentLearn More:Red the Perpetual Guardian hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Our workforce has had enough and will down tools on October 23 for a "mega strike", involving more than 100,000 workers New Zealand used to be the poster child of industrial relations, but strikes have become woven into our culture in the last century - and next week's walkouts are set to be some of the largest in modern historyGuests: Grant Morris - Associate Professor, Victoria University Faculty of Law Anna Whyte - Senior Political Journalist, The Post Learn More:Read Anna Whyte's reporting here Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Changes announced by animal welfare minister Andrew Hoggard turn out not to be what they appeared on the labelThe government announcement looked like a good news story on pig welfare - but closer examination reveals a winding back of plans to ban farrowing crates and mating stallsGuests: Monique Steel - RNZ rural reporter Marcela Rodriguez Ferrere - Auckland University Faculty of Law Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Big and profitable Kiwi companies hiking their prices during a cost of living crisis have been accused of losing their social licenceIt's very valuable but you can't buy it, and if you lose it there can be serious consequences. Why a social licence to operate is a must now for corporates.Guests: Andrew Bevin - Newsroom business reporterKevin Jenkins - business consultantShaun Truelock - OneFortyOne general managerLearn more:Read Laura Walters' analysis on Fonterra's social licence hereRead Andrew Bevin's story about the Tasmanian salmon farming industry hereRead some of Kevin's previous articles about social licences here and hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The contraceptive pill is under fire on social media. Why birth control is being called "poison" online - and what doctors say.Fact vs Fear: Doctors are pushing back on the viral birth control myths and warnings over the contraceptive pill that are flooding social mediaGuests: Dr Beth Messenger - Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa medical directorDr Megan Bugdon - La Trobe University lecturer Learn more:Read the La Trobe Univeristy study hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

An expert in water-sensitive design urges us to think harder about what lies beneath our feet Lost in Auckland's push for development has been the need to preserve the sort of sub-soil that absorbs water and encourages trees to growGuests: Sue Ira - director of Koru Environmental and Auckland University PhD candidateLearn more:Read Sue's article on Newsroom.That article came from a piece of research spearheaded by Auckland Council's Healthy Waters and Flood Resilience departments, funded by the Ministry for the Environment. That study is not yet publicly available. But another new report shows why this issue is so importantFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Inside New Zealand's kinship care movement, and what's needed to repair the cracksFrom heartbreak to hope: how kinship carers are saving New Zealand's most vulnerable children, in spite of the cost to their bank balances and themselvesGuests: Dr Michelle Egan-Bitran - Family for Every Child programme advisor for New Zealand and the PacificLearn more:Read the Kinship report hereRead the report summary hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Amid celebrations that their youngest MP made the cover of Time, ructions that threaten to blow Māori politics apartIt's reset day for Te Pāti Māori, after a series of dramas and accusations that have shone an unwanted spotlight on its politiciansGuests: Lloyd Burr - Stuff Explainer editorElla Stewart - RNZ Longform Journalist, Te Ao MāoriLillian Hanly - RNZ political reporterFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

One expert says the government's changes on earthquake-prone buildings are more about saving money than lives - but there's some sensible stuff in thereEarthquake-proofing heritage properties just got more doable for their owners, and the result could be a drop in the numbers of vacant and abandoned buildingsGuests: Olga Filippova - Auckland University Associate Professor, PropertyDi Maxwell - Left BankLearn more:MBIE's Earthquake-prone building system and seismic risk management reviewLocal government reacts to earthquake regulation changes in NewsroomFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The much anticipated government announcement of a solution to soaring power prices has fallen well short of fundamental reform The government's much-trumpted power plan to reform the electricity sector is more likely to result in dirtier, more expensive power, than a clean, cheap solution.Guests: Marc Daalder - Newsroom senior political reporter Learn more:Government's securing New Zealand's energy future press releaseFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Taiwanese worry about living costs and their everyday lives while pushing the prospect of action from China to the back of their mindsTaiwanese people are used to air raid sirens and preparations for action ahead of any Chinese invasion, but life must be lived well in the mean timeGuests: Mark Hanson - journalist, publisher White FungusDr Ming-Shih Shen, Institute for National Defense and Security Research, TaiwanDr Jie Zhong - Institute for National Defense and Security Research, TaiwanKelly Sloan - Sloan & Associates, DenverYurii Poita - Ukraine scholar, specialist on Asia Pacific securityLearn more:Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

If you want to live your life more seamlessly, you might have to swallow the dead rat of information seepageGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

With Fergie, Harry and Andrew in the headlines again, The Detail speaks to an insider about whether they can weather yet another storm From Fergie's letter to Epstein to Prince Harry's ongoing conflict with his family, the House of Windsor has had a tough runGuests: Dickie Arbiter - Royal CommentatorFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A Kiwi amateur league has become a global betting goldmine, raising red flags about the risk of illegal on-field activityNew Zealand's time zone and poorly paid players make it vulnerable to match-fixing, opening the door for bad actors to manipulate matches - and athletesGuest:Dana Johannsen - In Depth sports correspondentDeclan Hill - Investigative JournalistLearn More:Read Dana's stories here, here, here, here and hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A new tripartite agreement for the Port of Auckland signals a turnaround for a workplace long dogged by controversy, including debt, delays and deathThe unexpected success story of the Port of Auckland includes an about-face on safety procedures, with the Maritime Union saying its work model needs to be replicated by ports around the countryGuest:Roger Gray - Port of Auckland CEO Carl Findlay - Maritime Union New Zealand national secretaryLearn More:Article on formal signing of Tripartite AccordArticle on the deaths at the PortArticle on Port financesFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The final report from the Ministerial Advisory Group on Organised Crime is delivered today, and it makes for frightening reading It would give you chills - the chair of the Ministerial Advisory Group on Organised Crime lifts the lid on a scary future for New ZealandGuest:Steve Symon - Chair of the Ministerial Advisory Group on Transnational, Serious and Organised Crime and senior partner at Meredith ConnellLearn More:This page includes links to the group's monthly reports Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

You can roll your eyes all you want at the White House reckons on panadol, autism and vaccines, but the alarming truth is they are damaging and will turn up hereEven though he's been lambasted doctors around the world, Donald Trump's pronouncements on health issues none the less add to the less add to the mountain of misinformation in this areaGuests:Isabelle Montgomerie - post-doctoral fellow at the Malaghan Institute's Infection and Vaccinology GroupHelen Petousis-Harris - vaccinologist and co-director of the Global Vaccine Data NetworkLearn more:Helen's latest blog post on playing deadly politics with vaccinesSee the press conference at the White House via NBC on YouTubeFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Turtles have a relaxed reputation, but in reality they're quick-moving and aggressive, and are wreaking havoc on our native wildlifeBreeds including red-eared sliders, cumberlands and snake-necks are becoming New Zealand's worst pests at a turtle's pace - which, as it turns out, is pretty fastGuests:Imogen Bassett - Auckland Council Head of Natural Environment Specialist ServicesDonna Moot - Turtle Rescue founderLearn more:More on the influx of turtles in the South IslandWhy Auckland introduced the ban on the sale of certain turtle breedsFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The Detail puts on a rabbit suit and gets special access to the incubators of Taiwan's semiconductor industryInside Taiwan's booming semiconductor sector, rabbit suits, sanitising air showers and transistors smaller than a speck of dustGuests:Brian Travers - CEO of Christchurch's Syft TechnologiesYuyi Chang - Electronic Engineering student Dr Sun-Zen Chen - Tsing Hua University researcher Zse-hong Tsai - Taiwan AI Centre for Excellence head Professor Yung-jen Hsu - Centre for Excellence chair Professor Tien-Wang Tsaur - EconomistLearn more by reading these two articles:The world's biggest chipmaker needs to move beyond TaiwanTaiwan Weaponizes Chip Sector to Deter China on World StageReferences:Space technology and Taiwan's strategic objectivesFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

How New Zealand manages to develop brand awareness without spending a fortune on advertising itselfNew Zealand ranks pretty highly in this year's Global Soft Power Index, but we've been better in the past, and some of our key images are aging outGuests:David Downs - New Zealand Story CEOAlice Peacock - Newsroom business reporterLearn more:NZ Story Market Pulse reportGlobal soft power report 2025 - David Downs' piece is on page 37Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A spate of legal cases have put the Government up against industries and unions who say fast-tracked laws have been undemocraticFrom a ban on greyhound racing to dismantling the Māori Health Authority, this Government's hallmark is fast becoming its speed of lawmaking - and the industries and unions in the firing line aren't happy about itGuests:Laura Walters - Newsroom political editorLearn more:Read Laura's article on the High Court's decision regarding greyhound racing hereWatch Winston Peter's greyhound racing ban announcement hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A workplace performance expert warns that introducing artificial intelligence simply to replace people will backfire badly for companiesCompanies trying to use AI simply to reduce staff costs are being told they risk weakening morale, diminishing trust and stalling innovationGuests:Craig Steel - Transforming New Zealand's Productivity authorLearn more:Read Steel's paper on Transforming New Zealand's Productivity hereRNZ's coverage on New Zealand's latest GDP dataFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Hawkes Bay orchardists are pulling out their peach trees after Wattie's told them it's shrinking production of the canned fruitA gap in production in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle allowed Chinese canned peaches to get a perch in the market - now they're undercutting the local offering and are here to stayGuests:Andrew Bevin - Newsroom business reporterGary Hamilton-Irvine - Hawke's Bay Today multi-media journalistLearn more:Discussion about peaches on RNZ's The PanelAndrew Bevin's story in NewsroomFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Parliament isn't all fiery debate and smart comebacks, in fact MPs of all political colours get along. But only some are willing to admit it.Lawmakers spend their days arguing with their opposition over decisions that shape our nation, but behind-the-scenes there's a bit of room for collegiality Guests:Find a list of the current New Zealand MPs (including those interviewed in this episode) hereLearn more:How Parliament worksFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The Black Ferns are one win away from the finals, and the mood of the nation depends on a much-needed sporting victory."The Jonah Lomu of her time" will take on Canada this weekend in the Women's Rugby World Cup semi-final, with hopes of taking New Zealand to victory Guests:Suzanne McFadden - LockerRoom founding editorLearn more:Women's Rugby World Cup websiteThe Spinoff's article about the many complex truths in the lack of Black Ferns coverageFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details