Podcasts about aucklanders

The Prime Minister says New Zealand would support the U-K government - if it decides to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession. The former prince was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office - over allegations that he'd sent confidential documents to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Christopher Luxon says government officials from NZ and the UK have been in contact over the issue in the past week. Meanwhile, Aucklanders have also weighed in, many saying that Mr Mountbatten-Windsor should be removed from succession.

The cost of living is hitting Kiwis hard, with new data showing Aucklanders are more likely to be worse off. More than a third of New Zealanders have a savings balance of less than $500, according to new data from Westpac. Westpac's Financial Wellbeing programme manager, Warren Ngan Woo, says Auckland is a big city where things cost more, which eats into people's ability to save money. "This is just a snapshot in relation to savings, but it certainly doesn't take into account what other people have in options with their savings." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The cost of living is hitting Kiwis hard, with new data showing Aucklanders are more likely to be worse off. More than a third of New Zealanders have a savings balance of less than $500, according to new data from Westpac. Westpac's Financial Wellbeing programme manager, Warren Ngan Woo, says Auckland is a big city where things cost more, which eats into people's ability to save money. "This is just a snapshot in relation to savings, but it certainly doesn't take into account what other people have in options with their savings." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Conservation Minister says National wants more consistent policy for Auckland's Hauraki Gulf. National says it will ban commercial fishing in all 12 high protection areas and 5 sea floor protection areas. It will also review the rules which allow bottom trawling in some corridors. Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says some activities would still be allowed under these changes. "We've discussed this matter with a lot of Aucklanders, a lot of New Zealanders - they're not very happy with that situation, and we've decided it's important to revert to the original intent." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland's suburban, heritage, and green areas aren't guaranteed immunity from housing intensification. The Government has revised the city's housing capacity number in a new plan - from just over 2 million, to 1.6 million, with more focus on the city and transport hubs. It follows pushback from Aucklanders - particularly in National strongholds like Ōrākei, Mt Eden and Franklin. But Housing Minister Chris Bishop says it's ultimately up to the council where houses are built. "If they wish to take growth out of the suburbs, then they can do that. The strong feedback coming through is that that's what they want to do." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, finally Chris Bishop has done the right thing and made the u-turn on the two million new houses he had planned for Auckland. It's not altogether a surprise that he did this and announced it this afternoon, because it's been rumoured for months - for the obvious reason that it's election year. Auckland is a key battleground. Aucklanders are obsessed with houses. Auckland voters who own their homes were already stressed about this plan, and if it turned into a full election issue with proper media coverage, even more of them would've become stressed. That would mean blue Auckland voters heading straight to New Zealand First, ACT or Labour. So it was a political problem for National and Bishop had to back down. But in reality, it's not just politics, is it? It's basic common sense. I think it's reasonable for an Aucklander who has sunk one to two million dollars - maybe more, maybe a bit less, but still a lot of money - into their home to feel stressed at the idea of a multi‑storey apartment block popping up next door, blocking their view, blocking their light, ruining their privacy. Whatever it is. We mock these people as NIMBYs, but actually, I think it's fair for them to want to protect the place they live in. Don't you want to protect the place you live in? This battle, though, is far from won. Anyone looking at this and thinking, “That was a close call, thank God that's over,” - it's not over. All Bishop has done is reduce the number of new houses to the point that it shouldn't impact on suburbs. But whether it does affect suburbs is a decision for Auckland Council, and that decision hasn't been made yet. So while it should, on balance, be okay, nothing is certain until the Auckland maps are released. What this is, then, is one u-turn down, and one more to go. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government will today reveal its back down on controversial Auckland housing intensification plans amid fierce public criticism. New planning rules would currently allow another 2 million homes in Auckland. But last month the Government announced it'll water down the rules with an announcement expected this afternoon. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Kerre Woodham a balance needs to be struck. He says Auckland has to grow with affordable housing, but quite rightly some Aucklanders have said they don't want big buildings next to their homes. He's also allaying concerns about a proposal for a $9 toll on Auckland's Harbour Bridge. The Infrastructure Commission recommended tolling the existing bridge, and second new crossing, to reduce construction costs on the Crown. But Luxon told Woodham it's only an idea. He says the Government hasn't decided whether it'll be a new bridge or a tunnel yet, and decisions on how to fund it will come later. He says tolls are the only way to pull forward the development of new roads, faster. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We need to talk about the state of our water infrastructure, this week some Christchurch residents have to boil water, last week Wellington's Moa Point wastewater treatment plant flooded, Aucklanders can't swim in some local beaches after heavy rain - and that's just this summer! So why doesn't our water infrastructure seem up to scratch and what can be done to future proof it? Dr Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer Architecture and Planning from the University of Auckland chats to Jesse.

The Government is confirming it is making changes to Auckland's housing intensification plan. It has been considering watering down controversial planning rules allowing two million homes to be built over the coming decades. Chris Bishop says that target is nothing more than a modelling number on a spread sheet, but he will be changing it over the coming month. He told Mike Hosking most Aucklanders seem to agree there needs to be more housing in the CBD and along transit routes. Bishop says the plan will allow that while restricting up-zoning in suburban areas. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over 450 kilometres of Auckland roads will be getting a refresh in the coming weeks as droves of Aucklanders head out of town for summer. Auckland Transport's head of road maintenance Alan Wallace joined Andrew Dickens to chat about how people can best avoid the roadworks. Wallace said, "everything we're doing, we're trying to do it in a way that minimises how it affects others." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's first ever IKEA is set to open in Auckland's Mount Wellington this week, with 15 to 20 thousand people expected to roll through the doors. Staff say the stores are packed with 7,500 products and there's traffic management to help with the busy crowds. But traffic agencies have warned Aucklanders to expect long delays, and the presence of the store has raised questions about the impacts on smaller nearby businesses. Reporter Bella Craig managed to get a sneak peek. 

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 28 November 2025, police have arrested more people in relation to a huge drug smuggling ring at Auckland Airport. A trial to only collect rubbish from Aucklanders every two weeks is off to a bad start. The council has revealed that almost 80% of the feedback has been negative. Consumer NZ has revealed the worst deals you can buy for Black Friday. After years of being mothballed, Waiwera Thermal Springs is getting revamped - the man behind the redevelopment explains the vision. Plus, the Sports Huddle debates what the heck is going on at Cricket NZ and whether the proposed new T20 competition would save or ruin the local game. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aucklanders are strongly rejecting a proposed fortnightly rubbish collection trial in select suburbs. The six month trial would start in February, and involve 10-thousand homes in Te Atatu Peninsula, Panmure, Tamaki, Clendon Park and Weymouth. Of the more than five thousand submissions, 78 percent were opposed. Auckland Council's Waste Solutions General Manager Justine Haves told Heather du Plessis-Allan that a final decision will be made next month, but their goal is to cut down waste. She says there's lots of evidence from other councils that fortnightly collections makes a huge difference to the volume of waste. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Public consultation on Auckland Council's proposed six-month trial of fortnightly kerbside rubbish collections shows 78% of submitters opposed the trial. General manager for waste solutions, Justine Haves spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Pohutukawa are out and flowering and abundant. The days are longer, the sun is shining, the Reserve Bank has cut the OCR, Christmas is coming, summer holidays are on the horizon, Chris Hipkins was talking tough around any kind of coalition with the Greens. We're in charge, we're not going to have this rabidly socialist nonsense, was the clear implication. Commentators are saying that this point now, here, is rock bottom. I know we've been told things are nearing the bottom, nearing the nadir, but this is it. And now things are on the up. So how confident are you feeling? I know when we've talked about this in the past, you've been bruised by past events, and that's informed the way you're thinking and who could blame you. The world has been a very uncertain place over the past five years, and nobody could blame you for hunkering down and keeping your nuts hoarded away. Nobody. Some of you have said, those of you that have got the readies to invest, you've said, "I'm not willing to. I'm just not willing to. I'm not willing to grow my business. I'm not willing to take risk in case Labour gets back in." Well, where are you at right now? The Reserve Bank lowered the OCR to 2.25%, the ninth reduction since August 2024. The bank said economic activity is picking up, inflation is forecast to fall to 2% by mid 2026, and that will help households. And listen to Roger Gray from the Ports of Auckland, who was on with Heather Du Plessis-Allan last night. “Nine months ago, I was in Miami talking to the cruise lines to try and understand why they were dropping off their bookings and the feedback across the whole lot of the four cruise lines I went to was they felt that New Zealand was just simply too hard to deal with because people were so negative about things. What I think is interesting is that's where we were and that was their perception, but the cool thing is now, I think there's a real change going on amongst people. There's a real starting to be a positivity amongst a lot of people and you know, I think the Bledisloe Wharf is a great example. If you can just get on and do stuff, we've created 250 new jobs for Aucklanders and that wharf will be finished by the end of next year.” He was saying, "Yeah, we used to be known as “No Zealand” and it was all like, 'Oh no, no. No, don't bother investing here. It's all too hard. No, you'll lose your money.'" He says it's quite different now. Quite different. He's picking up the positivity, he's seeing more of it. Where are you at right now? You know, as we go into Christmas, there's a month of business for many companies and many businesses and many workers. It's a busy time of year up until a couple of weeks before Christmas, then as we go into Christmas and the Christmas holidays, how are you feeling about going into 2026? Are you feeling optimistic? Can you feel the tide is turning? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pohutukawa are out and flowering and abundant. The days are longer, the sun is shining, the Reserve Bank has cut the OCR, Christmas is coming, summer holidays are on the horizon, Chris Hipkins was talking tough around any kind of coalition with the Greens. We're in charge, we're not going to have this rabidly socialist nonsense, was the clear implication. Commentators are saying that this point now, here, is rock bottom. I know we've been told things are nearing the bottom, nearing the nadir, but this is it. And now things are on the up. So how confident are you feeling? I know when we've talked about this in the past, you've been bruised by past events, and that's informed the way you're thinking and who could blame you. The world has been a very uncertain place over the past five years, and nobody could blame you for hunkering down and keeping your nuts hoarded away. Nobody. Some of you have said, those of you that have got the readies to invest, you've said, "I'm not willing to. I'm just not willing to. I'm not willing to grow my business. I'm not willing to take risk in case Labour gets back in." Well, where are you at right now? The Reserve Bank lowered the OCR to 2.25%, the ninth reduction since August 2024. The bank said economic activity is picking up, inflation is forecast to fall to 2% by mid 2026, and that will help households. And listen to Roger Gray from the Ports of Auckland, who was on with Heather Du Plessis-Allan last night. “Nine months ago, I was in Miami talking to the cruise lines to try and understand why they were dropping off their bookings and the feedback across the whole lot of the four cruise lines I went to was they felt that New Zealand was just simply too hard to deal with because people were so negative about things. What I think is interesting is that's where we were and that was their perception, but the cool thing is now, I think there's a real change going on amongst people. There's a real starting to be a positivity amongst a lot of people and you know, I think the Bledisloe Wharf is a great example. If you can just get on and do stuff, we've created 250 new jobs for Aucklanders and that wharf will be finished by the end of next year.” He was saying, "Yeah, we used to be known as “No Zealand” and it was all like, 'Oh no, no. No, don't bother investing here. It's all too hard. No, you'll lose your money.'" He says it's quite different now. Quite different. He's picking up the positivity, he's seeing more of it. Where are you at right now? You know, as we go into Christmas, there's a month of business for many companies and many businesses and many workers. It's a busy time of year up until a couple of weeks before Christmas, then as we go into Christmas and the Christmas holidays, how are you feeling about going into 2026? Are you feeling optimistic? Can you feel the tide is turning? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Couple of things from this morning's poll on CGT. Basically, we're evenly split. As many of us are in favour of Labour's plan as are against it. The results are interesting, though. The details. So, more Aucklanders hate it more than the rest of the country. 45% of Aucklanders oppose it. Only 32% support it. Now, Auckland holds the keys to the kingdom, electorally, as Labour found out in stunning defeat at the polls two years ago. Auckland lockdowns collapsed their vote. As did the cost of living. So, if you're National, that's where you focus your anti-CGT campaign. Its' also interesting, and the Herald piece on the poll makes this point, in areas where people are doing well, where house prices haven't caved. There's more support. In areas feeling poor because their house price has fallen through the floor, they don't like it. So basically, you have squeezed-middle voters telling you they feel too poor to support another tax. And so, you end up with this fight between people who like the sound of an idea, and people who feel it will threaten their chance of growing wealth. Then you've got to ask yourself, will the tax do what it says on the label? Will it pay for millions of extra doctor's visits? Where will these doctor's magically appear from? Does this party have a good track record with delivering on promises, practically if they tell you how much but not really how? You could look at this poll and think it's a win for capital gains. And it is. Sort of. But there's plenty of fodder for an anti-capital gains campaign which is no doubt being workshopped by some ad agency as we speak. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aucklanders, this is news you need to know, congestion charging is coming. A Government bill to bring it in passed its third reading in parliament, and that means it will pass into law. Congestion charging is already seen in cities like London, Singapore and New York City, and usually involves charging motorists to enter the central city at peak times. Auckland will be the first city of the ranks - then it could be rolled out in other cities. To tell us what it might look like here, Matt Lowrie from transport think tank 'Greater Auckland' joins Jesse.

During an interview with the ‘Morning Report', Prime Minister Christopher Luxon confirmed that orders for the homeless in Auckland's CBD to move on were “definitely a consideration”. He later stated, that “Aucklanders don't feel safe going into the central city”, and both Central government and Auckland Council are considering how they can move homeless people out of the CBD ahead of summer.  This follows previous reports that the Government was considering a rough sleeping ban for central Auckland. This news comes as Stats NZ released their annual unemployment figures this week. The results show that national unemployment has risen to a nine-year high at 5.3%, with the New Zealand youth taking most of the damage. For our weekly catchup with The Green Party, Wednesday Wire Max spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez March, to discuss the new unemployment figures released last week. They also spoke about the Government's new action plan to combat methamphetamine use. But first, they discussed what The Green Party thought about the Government's plan to decrease homelessness in the Auckland CBD

During an interview with the ‘Morning Report', Prime Minister Christopher Luxon confirmed that orders for the homeless in Auckland's CBD to move on were “definitely a consideration”. He later stated, that “Aucklanders don't feel safe going into the central city”, and both Central government and Auckland Council are considering how they can move homeless people out of the CBD ahead of summer.  This follows previous reports that the Government was considering a rough sleeping ban for central Auckland. This news comes as Stats NZ released their annual unemployment figures this week. The results show that national unemployment has risen to a nine-year high at 5.3%, with the New Zealand youth taking most of the damage. For our weekly catchup with The Green Party, Wednesday Wire Max spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez March, to discuss the new unemployment figures released last week. They also spoke about the Government's new action plan to combat methamphetamine use. But first, they discussed what The Green Party thought about the Government's plan to decrease homelessness in the Auckland CBD

A young woman who was homeless and at rock bottom says appearing in a therapeutic court helped her turn away from petty crime and find stable housing. Amy Williams reports.

Thousands of households across the country are currently in rates arrears, struggling to pay their rates for the 2024/2025 financial year.  Auckland Council's head of rates, valuations and data management, Rhonwen Heath, said 6.6 percent of rates, or 42,902 households were outstanding at the start of the 2025/2026 year. As cost of living pressures continue to grow on households, with rising food, electricity and rents, Thursday Wire Producer Sanat wanted to chat to Auckland Councilor Shane Henderson about how Auckland Council plays a role in making life more affordable for everyday Aucklanders. They also had a discussion about the role of fireworks in our community, with major festivals like Diwali prompting some communities to express concern about the disruption that fireworks are causing to their families, animals and the natural environment.

Aucklanders are about to have short-term free taxi rides to the heart of the city. The 'Straight to the Heart' service launching tomorrow - across Ponsonby, Newmarket, and Takapuna - lets people hail a retro red taxi, with no booking needed. It'll take passengers to a surprise - or requested - central location. Heart of the City CEO Viv Beck says this is running until November 16, and it's a way to rediscover what Auckland has to offer. "It's about the experience, getting people back into the rhythm of coming here." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thousands of households across the country are currently in rates arrears, struggling to pay their rates for the 2024/2025 financial year.  Auckland Council's head of rates, valuations and data management, Rhonwen Heath, said 6.6 percent of rates, or 42,902 households were outstanding at the start of the 2025/2026 year. As cost of living pressures continue to grow on households, with rising food, electricity and rents, Thursday Wire Producer Sanat wanted to chat to Auckland Councilor Shane Henderson about how Auckland Council plays a role in making life more affordable for everyday Aucklanders. They also had a discussion about the role of fireworks in our community, with major festivals like Diwali prompting some communities to express concern about the disruption that fireworks are causing to their families, animals and the natural environment.

Now to news coming out of Auckland -Biosecurity NZ is urging people to be on the lookout for yellow legged hornets. Why you might ask? Well, for the first time, a yellow legged hornet queen has been discovered building a nest at a house in the suburb of Glenfield. To find out why this is concerning, and what to do if you spot one, Jesse is joined by Lloyd Carpenter a.k.a The Waspman.

It's an idea that some Aucklanders want to see binned before it's even begun, while others say moving from weekly to fornightly rubbish collection is a no brainer. Submissions opened last week on a proposal halve the number of collections in the suburbs of Panmure, Te Atatu Peninsula and Clendon Park, with the pilot scheme to be expanded should it prove successful. Aucklanders create enough rubbish to fill Eden Park pretty much every week and the council hopes it will encourage people to seperate their waste properly and reduce what goes to landfill. Evie Richardson reports.

Work is underway on the Port of Auckland's two biggest wharves, but how long before the city's public get to enjoy more of the waterfront? 

Aucklanders can now check out conditions at the beach before they even leave the house thanks to a new online tool. 

There's division among Aucklanders over whether more events should take place at Eden Park. The Government's set to review the current regulations impacting the stadium, including the number of concerts taking place and their duration. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave weighs in on the debate - and what incoming changes could mean for the future of New Zealand sport. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Has Auckland lost it's mojo? At over 6%, the super city has the highest unemployment rate in the country. Meanwhile, small businesses continue to struggle, with hopes now pinned on the Central Rail Link to deliver a boost in patronage. To escape the doldrums there are calls for the city of sails to back more high-profile events, although some Aucklanders don't support that approach. Lucy Xia reports.

Urgent meetings in several Auckland's inner suburbs as residents chew over new plans which could see 15 story apartment blocks and less protection for heritage.

Aucklanders are being warned not to go onto beaches or into the water, as the country remains under a tsunami advisory. Auckland Emergency Management General Manager Adam Maggs spoke to Corin Dann.

On the 25th of June, our regular City Counselling guest Julie Fairey was involved in a road collision while she was biking in her local area. Fairey wrote about the close call, which she says could have been a lot worse, in a piece published in the Spinoff, as a reinvigoration of her previous advocacy around the need for road safety measures that improve how safely and efficiently Aucklanders can get around the city. As well, this week we've seen the release of the State of the City report, which compares Auckland on metrics including opportunity and prosperity, culture and experience, place and connectivity, innovation and knowledge, and resilience and sustainability. The report found that we are ‘falling behind' other cities, with the biggest emphasis placed on our poor economic productivity in comparison with similar locations. Producer Sara spoke with Julie Fairey about both of these topics, firstly by asking her what motivated her to write about her recent collision.

Confusion over the billionaire-backed Auckland Arena proposal being withdrawn from options for Western Springs. Businesswoman Anna Mowbray, her husband and former All Black Ali Williams, and Auckland FC owner Bill Foley withdrew their 12,500 seat proposal, which wouldn't have cost ratepayers a cent. It follows news Aucklanders don't have a clear preference on an option for the site. The group cites unique challenges. Chair of the Stadium Venues Working Group Shane Henderson told Heather du Plessis-Allan they've been left largely in the dark. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mānawatia a Matariki CoachesWelcome back to another episode of Powtearoa - The New Zealand Blood Bowl Podcast!This episode we head to our biggest city to see what is happening with our Auckland coaches. No Trickey this time as he is globetrotting. But, Welshy and Toffer are joined by Mahuika (James) and Makahli (Benjamin) from Auckland to tell us all about it.11 Auckland coaches recently visited Hamilton for Bobsol's Matariki 7s event and we hear how they got on (though Toffer couldn't remember where the event took place). Then we discuss the Grudge at the Crater an upcoming charity 11s event in Auckland, what is happening and how to get involved in helping to raise money for the amazing I am Hope charity.So sit back and listen as the Aucklanders tell us just how amazing things are for Blood Bowl in their neck of the woods.If you would like to donate to I am Hope via the Grudge at the Crater give a little page here is the link - https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/grudge-at-the-crater-rolling-for-mental-health If you are not already on discord, come and join us on the NZBB Discord server here - https://tinyurl.com/joinNZBBC and please visit the NZ Blood Bowl Community FB page here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/NZBBC/ If you are not already on discord, come and join us on the NZBB Discord server here - https://tinyurl.com/joinNZBBC and please visit the NZ Blood Bowl Community FB page here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/NZBBC/ Intro music adapted from Bensound.com. Cheers Bensound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Auckland Council and its water arm Watercare seperate financially, but with it comes a 7.2% price hike in water bills for Aucklanders. Watercare's chief executive Jamie Sinclair spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Sunday the 22nd of June was the shortest day of the year, and as is tradition, the winner of National Flash Fiction Day was also announced. The competition has been running since 2012 and it celebrates short stories in all their glory. Aucklanders dominated the podium this year, and our congratulations to runners up Jack Remiel Cottrell and Gretchen Carroll. But the big winner was Claris Harvey, who took out the top spot with her story "The Golden Glove".

Aucklanders have nominated the city's top 100 restaurant dishes. The fifth annual 'Iconic Auckland Eats' list whittled down well over 3000 submissions to a selection of 100 local restaurants. Felix Walton reports.

After 145 years iconic Auckland department store Smith and Caughey's will close its doors for the final time this Sunday at 4pm. The closure was set for the end of July but Aucklanders have been snapping up the discounted items almost all of the stock is gone. Reporter Louise Ternouth spoke to Lisa Owen.

It is as expected - if our office is anything to go by, Auckland is a miserable town today because the house valuations are out, and they're bad. Just about everyone has jumped on the computer to have a look by now, I'd say, and just about everyone's house has gone backwards. So my house - it's gone down in value by 8 percent. One of the bosses, not too bad, only gone back by 4 percent. I don't think anyone's house has gone up in the office. Someone's house has dropped by $250,000. One colleague, and this colleague is suffering more than anybody else - her house has gone down by 21 percent. That's $1.15 million down to $900,000. That's another $250,000 shaved right off right there. Someone's feeling agitated. I called a real estate agent today to see if it's wider than just our office. They told me, yep - and people are not happy. Another real estate agent reckons he's already fielding calls from buyers who are mid-negotiation, who are now saying they're not gonna lift their offer anymore. They're just gonna leave it right where it is, because look at the valuation that's out today. Auckland Council says they normally have about 500 people on their website at any one time. When we called, they said they were watching 12,000 people on their website at any one time. As I said yesterday, spare a thought for Auckland. If you have an Aucklander in your life, spare a thought for them because it's a tough day for Auckland today. Because, I mean, we take the mickey out of Auckland, but there is good reason why Auckland feels like this. Houses in Auckland mean a lot, don't they? I feel like probably more than anywhere else in the country apart from maybe Queenstown and the surrounding area, because houses are expensive in Auckland. Young Aucklanders obsess about it. They scrimp and they save, and they try so bloody hard to get into their first house. It's totally understandable that absolutely no one in this town wants to watch their house then go down in value. But of course, bear in mind, it is slightly irrational. If you are one of these Aucklanders doing this, you are being irrational, you realize that, because you're not suddenly poorer today than you were yesterday, are you? I mean, the value of the thing has not changed overnight. It's simply just been written down. In fact, it was written down a year ago, it's just taken them a year to put it out there. And if you're buying and selling in the same market, it really doesn't matter at all. It's only if you're cashing up to move out of town or to get rid of an investment property or something like that, that this actually matters. Now, I say that knowing that none of that is gonna sink in - we're gonna continue to be irrational because it is all in our heads, isn't it? We feel wealthier when the house is worth more, and that ain't what happened today. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The legendary British cabaret La Clique was formed 20 years ago by Australian David Bates. Growing up on a sheep farm playing the piano, David is now an Olivier Award-winner and tours his Spiegeltent of eclectic acts globally.

According to Waitākere ward councillor Shane Henderson, siren laden car battles are creating a major public nuisance in West Auckland, particularly in Te Atatū. Henderson spoke to Corin Dann.

The Former Local Government Minister's not taking issue with the Auckland Mayor's new manifesto. Wayne Brown has laid out his thoughts and a Beehive to-do list ahead of the 2025 Budget. He scored the Government a B+, saying they're too distracted by mega-projects and press releases. Simeon Brown told Mike Hosking Wayne Brown is just doing his job. He says he's the mayor of our largest city and he's advocating for what he believes is needed, even if they don't agree. The Government's refusing to budge on an Auckland bed tax. Brown's manifesto also includes calling for the government to reconsider an Auckland bed levy, adding a small fee on short term accommodation. Brown told Hosking they don't want to lump Aucklanders with the tax. He says in fact the council should be looking for efficiencies in its own budget instead of new taxes. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since Wednesday last week, Auckland and the wider Northland region were warned of heavy rain and winds expected across the North Island.  On Friday night however, as severe thunderstorms struck Auckland, residents were not sent severe weather alerts until after the worst part of the storm had already arrived. Many Aucklanders have called out the slow response system, in an effort yet again to revitalise discussions around Auckland's storm and natural disaster preparedness. As well, Auckland's public transport system is under the microscope this month as Aucklanders endure just over a fortnight without train services, as workers seek to speed up the completion of Kiwi Rail. Yesterday, Transport Minister Chris Bishop also announced a multi-billion dollar project for a Northland Expressway that he says will improve public transport.  In the meantime, public transport prices have increased — for ratepayers and users —- translating to less bang and more buck for Aucklanders.  Producer Sara spoke with Councillor Julie Fairey about both of these topics, firstly by asking if she was satisfied with Auckland Council's response pace in the lead up to severe weather conditions.

Vector staff will be out in force today with some households still without power after stormy weather at the weekend. Auckland Emergency Management General Manager Adam Maggs spoke to Paddy Gower.

Aucklanders' water bills are set to increase as Watercare prepares to become financially independent and spend billions of dollars improving the city's water services. Jessica Hopkins reports.

Aucklanders are split on whether the council should approve a new stadium in the city centre or upgrade Eden Park instead. This week councillors will vote on which of the competing proposals should go ahead. Felix Walton has more.

In what could be the ultimate Christmas present for Aucklanders, IKEA is hoping its new Sylvia Park store will be open in time to get your holiday gift shopping done there. IKEA's chief sustainability officer Karen Pflug spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Aucklanders are being warned to go easy on the long showers and car washes as the city begins to 'prepare for drought'. Watercare chief operations officer Mark Bourne spoke to Corin Dann.

Auckland Council's Community Committee has sent a ‘please help' letter to the government after reports from their Community Impact team showed a 53% rise in the number of people sleeping rough over the past four months. This follows changes last year by the Ministry of Social Development to the rules surrounding emergency housing, introducing stricter entry criteria and new requirements which make it difficult to stay.  While Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, earlier this week, denied that these changes have led to an increase in homelessness, Housing First Auckland programme manager Rami Alrudani said that outreach workers have been stretched thin, dealing with “more and more homelessness every day”. Producer Sara spoke with Councillor Julie Fairey about the rise in homelessness in Tāmaki Makaurau.  As well, Auckland Council are trialling an AI digital assistant to help improve their customer support services. The ‘Ask Auckland Council' pilot, presented at February's Revenue, Expenditure and Value Committee, is being funded by Google Cloud at no cost to ratepayers. Auckland Council receives 1.5 million calls every year and coordinates region-wide services across multiple platforms. The new system is designed to bridge the gap between Aucklanders and digital services, reducing the effort required to seek out information Starting on the topic of homelessness, Sara asked Julie if she was surprised to see a stark increase in the latest data around the number of people sleeping rough.