Podcasts about Porirua

In Pacific Waves today: The wife of a deceased Fijian farmer who copped serious injuries in a March police raid is looking for answers; An Indonesian human rights researcher says a rapidly growing number of Indonesian military personnel are being deployed to West Papua; The stories of Pacific women who helped shape Porirua have been brought into the spotlight in a new exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A. Inc. On the occasion of his 300th NRL match Tonga praised Jason Taumalolo as an inspiration for young people with achievements extending far beyond rugby league. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

From Michelin stars to school lunches, sublime, ridiculous. I think it's safe to say none of the school lunches on offer will be getting Michelin stars. Then the last lot probably wouldn't have either. A scathing report has been issued by the Auditor General, which says only 50% percent of the meals delivered by the new school lunch programme in 2025 complied with the Ministry of Education's nutrition standards. We haven't talked about the school lunches for a hot minute, have we? Remember when it was the topic du jour? The parliamentary watchdog also took aim at inaccurate costings for the lunches, safety issues, contingency planning, and their rollout. Associate Minister for Education and the equivalent of 'Thatcher Thatcher milk snatcher', David Seymour is the one that said no, we're going to do away with them altogether, oh all right we'll keep them, but they have to be cheaper. He's hit out at the criticism, inferring the Auditor General took far too much notice of malcontents formerly involved in the scheme. “What they haven't done is a comparison of the quality before and after I took over. So they've been very critical in various ways and I'm happy to to answer their criticisms, but they haven't evaluated the whole programme and it appears that a lot of the initiation of the report and the feed into the report came from people that frankly had to be sacked after they were not able to manage the programme when I came in, and those who previously supplied the government, often at twice the current price. None of those people are very happy and they seem to have had a pretty good hearing from the Auditor General.” I don't think we can shoot the messenger. The office of the Auditor General has done some sterling work over the past few years and they're just simply looking at the numbers. But should we just do away with them altogether? Because when it was initially conceived, I mean if you look at the data, the 50% nutrition figure for the School Lunch Collective's meals was calculated by the Ministry of Education. It was disputed by the Collective, which said by Term 3 we'd got it up to 69% of the lunches complying with nutrition standards, and in Term 4 compliance was 75%. I bet your bottom dollar I was churning out school lunches back in the day that did not comply with the Ministry's nutrition standards. And probably, if you look at the kids' lunchboxes this morning, there's a lot of pressure from schools and fellow parents to produce nutritional, yet decorative, eye catching, pleasing to the palate school lunches. Honestly, that thing where you're doing the bento boxes with the pretty patterns in the sandwiches, as if parents didn't have enough to do of a morning. Anyway, they probably wouldn't meet the criteria every day either. And that's the thing. When school lunches were first envisaged, you and I, and indeed the MPs involved in the decision making, probably imagined a couple of Marmite or cheese sandwiches, some yoghurt, a muesli bar and an apple. Easy. Why not? Fill your boots. Do it. But that's where you and I, and indeed the MPs, are coming from a place of privilege. Who knew that a Marmite sandwich was privilege? It is. Bureaucrats stuck their oars in and said, no, when it comes to the school lunches for certain children, the school lunch may well be the only regular meal of the day. You privileged people with your Marmite sandwich go home to cooked dinners full of protein and veggies. These children don't. Therefore, we must cram as many nutrients and veggies as we possibly can into the school lunch to ensure these poor kids get their daily allowance. That's where it all got very, very, very complicated. Because if you're trying to make the school lunch the main meal of the day, generally it'll have to be heated. And you'll have to pack it full of veggies and some of these kids, you, some of these kids don't even know the texture of raw vegetables or couscous or rice or anything of the like. Some providers did it very well. Remember that school in Porirua? Where we had the lovely principal and they got the parents involved and they did their own lunches. And they were mums and they were sensible and they knew how to make meals on the smell of an oily rag and how to disguise vegetables. You grate the carrot into the spaghetti bolognese. You don't put it there in big lumps because they're not used to that, a lot of these kids – they don't want to eat chunks of carrot. Most parents who are listening to this show will know how you disguise veggies into food. You usually do it when they're about 18 months old, nine months to 18 months old. You don't make it slop, but get them used to texture and chewing and the like. And that's what you do. You don't hit them up with a couscous salad on day one and expect them to scarf it down. We come back to what success looks like for this programme. For me, I never imagined in 10 trillion years that it would cause this much angst, political toing and froing, that it would cost that much, around $328 million a year, that it would take up, command so much airtime and column inches in the media. It's absurd. I thought it would be a lunch as you and I know it, not every single calorie and veggie a child would need in a day. That it would be about improving attendance because when the kids knew there was a good meal for them, they'd turn up to school, and performance would improve. But no, that hasn't happened. School attendance hasn't improved and the only data around improved classroom performance is non-existent. You just get the touchy feelies – the children reported a better sense of wellbeing. Well, that's not getting an A+, is it? That's not being able to sit through a reading lesson. No, the programme's become more trouble than it's bloody worth. Do away with the government being involved, you know, give some money to the charities that do provide, KidsCan provide lunches, Sanitarium and Fonterra provide breakfast clubs. Either scale it right back and keep it simple and keep it as cheap as possible, the sandwich, the yoghurt, the apple, or just don't do it at all. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The auditor general has raised questions over whether the government's school lunch programme is delivering on its goals. Porirua College has been providing lunches at a loss in order to meet their own standards. Principal Ragne Maxwell spoke to John Campbell.

The Porirua City Council is projecting an average zero percent rates rise, not taking into account water bills. It's down from a previous proposal of four percent. There may still be small increases, and even decreases for some ratepayers. Mayor Anita Baker says the recent QV valuations changed the way utility properties were rated, which brought projected rates down. "It means 0 percent for our ratepayers, but they are going to be paying more next year for their water rates - so they are going to be paying an extra $4.40 a week on their Porirua rate." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EDITORIAL: This is one of those stories that leaves you feeling angry, frustrated and, most of all, heartbroken for a little girl and her family. A five-year-old girl has been left with serious facial injuries after being mauled by a dog that had been released from the Porirua pound just one day earlier. According to evidence presented in court, the dog, called Thanos, had already attacked an 18-year-old family member in January. That attack resulted in facial injuries, antibiotics and treatment. The dog was impounded and classified as dangerous. But after the owner asked for it to be returned, the council released it, warning the owner that the adults at the Cambridge property where it was going to live had to be told about the risks and the need for vigilance. Then came the tragedy. The very next day, a five-year-old girl was in a garage playing fetch with the dog. The dog that had just been released after attacking an 18 year old. The dog was not wearing a muzzle. It was not on a lead. It attacked her, causing horrific injuries to her cheek and lip. She required surgery to repair what doctors described as a complex wound. Blood supply had to be restored. Today she carries scars across her lip, beside her nose and under her eye and it is horrific. And that's where my sympathy lies this morning. Not with the council, bad decision. Not with the dog owner, horrific decision. Not with the dog which knows no better. With a little girl who will likely remember this for the rest of her life. I love dogs. I've owned dogs. Most dog owners are responsible people. But we are making a mistake in this country when we start pretending dogs are people. They're not. They're animals. Some are powerful. This dog had already shown aggression. It had already attacked someone. Yet somehow, within 24 hours of being released, it was around a young child without the most basic precautions being taken. Knowing that this dog had attacked someone before. That to me is simply not good enough. Owning a dog is a privilege. It's not a right. And when a dog has already shown it can attack, the responsibility on the owner becomes even greater. Once a dog has attacked, there is no ifs no buts no maybes they have to be put down. Simple. Simple, because they will do it again. The lesson from this story is simple. Love your dogs. Care for your dogs. But never ever forget what they're capable of doing. Because when people get complacent, it's innocent children who end up paying the price. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Pacific Waves today: Outrage in PNG over dolphin catch on foreign purse seiner; Trump opens Pacific national marine monuments to fishing; OFC Pro League in good stead for upcoming seasons; Pasifika housing initiative in Porirua wins award. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

So, I was listening to the radio and a story really jumped out at me. I thought, “Wow!” The headline was: Porirua City Council has achieved a 0% average increase in rates. Zero percent! You can almost hear the whole country saying, “Wow - could I have that, please?” This milestone comes alongside zero cuts to services. Double wow. However - depending on your QV valuation - you may still see some increases to your rates. The Porirua City Council achieved a 0% average increase for non-water rates through a combination of a multi-year fiscal strategy, structural service shifts and targeted cost-cutting measures. But there's a clue in that sentence. When you first hear the story, you think, “Good on Porirua - it can be done.” You might also wonder why Porirua would ever consider amalgamation, especially joining the spending crazies in Wellington. But then there's that key phrase: non-water rates. That's the fishhook. Water rates have been separated out as part of Local Water Done Well. The newly established regional water entity handling Porirua's supply, Tiaki Wai, has announced an average 12.8% increase in water charges across the Wellington region - including Porirua - for the 2026–27 financial year. Ah, I see. So it's 0% for everything except water… which is up 12.8%. Uh-huh. And this was actually a detail missing in the debate about Auckland's 7.9% rates increase because that figure also excludes Watercare's rise in water charges - which has been announced at a further 7% on top. I doubt very much that any council, once water rates are included, will come in under double digits in this next round. So maybe the problem hasn't really been solved. I'll admit there is greater efficiency in our councils. I'll admit they're watching their spending - I've seen it happen, including in Auckland. But the fact remains: despite all the big PR messaging, there is no real, tangible decrease in the amount of money coming out of your wallet - or mine. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Sunday marks a historic milestone for McDonald's New Zealand, with the franchise turning 50. What began as a single restaurant in Porirua in 1976 has grown into a network of 177 restaurants, with thousands of employees and 53 local franchises. McDonald's managing director Kylie Freeland says McDonald's was initially focused on expanding out to bigger countries, but a convincing business case saw New Zealand being one of the first countries to get one. "By 1991, we had 50 restaurants and between 1991-97, we doubled that to 100 restaurants. Today, we have 177, but we've got another 6 opening this year." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Sunday marks a historic milestone for McDonald's New Zealand, with the franchise turning 50. What began as a single restaurant in Porirua in 1976 has grown into a network of 177 restaurants, with thousands of employees and 53 local franchises. McDonald's managing director Kylie Freeland says McDonald's was initially focused on expanding out to bigger countries, but a convincing business case saw New Zealand being one of the first countries to get one. "By 1991, we had 50 restaurants and between 1991-97, we doubled that to 100 restaurants. Today, we have 177, but we've got another 6 opening this year." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington City Mayor Andrew Little spoke to constituents and officials this morning outlining the way forward for council amalgamation, as only ten weeks remain for the government's deadline. Mayor Little joins Nick on the show this morning to discuss his thoughts and plan as the deadline looms. With talks of a referendum, Little says if he had to decide today, he would go through with the amalgamation of the "core four" - Porirua, Hutt City and Upper Hutt. Nick finds out the latest on Upper Hutt's involvement, the effect on rates, what WCC have learnt from the Auckland Supercity merger and the possible structures that could sustain local voices. Little shares what the next steps look like, including potential of a referdendum. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2020, we spoke with then Porirua high school student Jess Jenkins who was off to study at Harvard University Fast forward six years and Jess is now a senior at Harvard and has been selected as one of this year's 'Fay Prize winners' - the top prize at Harvard for undergraduate thesis work. Her research used big data to explore how where you grow up shapes your future and also examined the long-term impacts of colonial land confiscation in Aotearoa. Jess chats to Jesse. [picture id="4JO879P_20260521_Fay_Prize_HRI3213_avif" crop="16x10" layout="thumbnail"]

The Wellington Amalgamation could grow into eight councils instead of the previously expected "tight" four. Nick speaks to Porirua Mayor Anita Baker, who is very strongly for the amalgamation. Mayor Baker shares her preferences for amalgmation and addresses concerns that Porirua rates are among the highest in the country. She says people are hesitant as jobs may go, but she "doesn't care" if her job goes if it means amalgamation for the betterment of the city. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wellington Amalgamation could grow into eight councils instead of the previously expected "tight" four. Nick speaks to Porirua Mayor Anita Baker, who is very strongly for the amalgamation. Mayor Baker shares her preferences for amalgmation and addresses concerns that Porirua rates are among the highest in the country. She says people are hesitant as jobs may go, but she "doesn't care" if her job goes if it means amalgamation for the betterment of the city. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Friday Sports Kick-off Nick is joined by sports gurus and ZB Sports hosts Adam Cooper and Jason Pine. This week they chat about the New NZ Rugby CEO - Steve Lancaster. The crew look into growing Super Rugby and the struggles of bringing it up to levels on par with sports of the time like F1 or league. Does super rugby stand a chance? Can the Phoenix Women make it to the grand final? First time we have the chance, but we are currently trailing 2-1 against Brisbane Roar. The team play Sunday 10th May at 2.30pm Porirua Park - get out and support them in their semi-final! And how will the Hurricanes fare without Roigard and Love this weekend? The team play Moana Pasifika tomorrow night 7.05pm. And what a weekend for Porirua! Phoenix, Pulse and Saints all playing there over the weekend. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has given an ultimatum for local councils - amalgamate in three months or we will do it for you. The Wellington region has been in talks of amalgamation - Wellington City, Porirua, Hutt City and Upper Hutt. Upper Hutt Mayor Peri Zee has concerns and says more options should be on the table. Mayor Zee speaks to Nick sharing her thoughts on the call from Minister Chris Bishop and Simon Watts, and the three month time limit. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Penny Ashton and Tim Wilson. First up, lead your own reform, or we'll do it for you: those are words straight from RMA Reform minister Chris Bishop, who has given councils a three-month ultimatum to lock in amalgamation proposals. The Panel talks to South Wairarapa Mayor Fran Wilde. Is three months enough time? Then, in Porirua a single mother has had 14 thousand dollars of debt from a car loan written off. This is thanks to the advocacy from a local budgeting facilitator, who wouldn't take no for an answer when she saw the stress this debt was causing.

(00:00) NZ Warriors(36:49) Mindfulness(41:19) Charlisse Leger-Walker(50:20) NBL/Breakers(01:06:16) Elijah Just & Chris Wood(01:12:47) Auckland FC(01:32:39) Wellington Phoenix Women(01:38:56) Blackcaps & White FernsThis week in the Niche Cache we discuss the current NZ Warriors vibe and their standing among the NRL's biggest franchises. Then we get a Charlisse Leger-Walker update in WNBA preseason and roll through some of the best NZ NBL performances from the last week, weaving in NZ Breakers perspectives. Elijah Just continues to shine in Scotland and Chris Wood's awesome at penalties, so are Auckland FC who defeated Melbourne City on penalties in the A-League. Wellington Phoenix Women lost their A-League finals came but are back in Porirua for the second leg this weekend. Blackcaps won in Bangladesh with Ben Sears and Bevon Jacobs leading the way, while White Ferns spark up a fun few months of New Zealand cricket in England.Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/elnichecacheSubstack: https://thenichecache.substack.comDonate: https://buymeacoffee.com/thenichecachethenichecache@gmail.com

EDITORIAL: Let's start this one with a show of hands. Who's been to the tip lately? I want you to be honest. I'll start. I reckon I'm a regular at the tip, I think I've been a dozen times this year. House clean-ups, business clear-outs, all the stuff that's just easier to throw away than deal with properly. Out of sight, out of mind. Job done. Except—it's not. Because right now, Wellington has a rubbish problem that's getting worse, not better—and this isn't opinion, this is straight fact. Our main dump, the Southern Landfill, is now expected to hit capacity in about four to five years. Last time we talked about it, it was ten years. That's been pulled forward from around eight. So already, the clock's ticking faster than anyone planned. And here's where it ramps up. Over in Porirua, Spicer Landfill is due to close in 2030. Sounds like someone else's problem, right? It's not. Because when Spicer goes, it takes pressure off nowhere—it pushes it straight back onto Wellington. Yes, there's a plan. A sludge dryer up at Tītahi Bay, meant to shrink the volume. Sounds good. Problem is—it might not be ready in time. Even the people behind it say finishing by 2030 is “ambitious”. In fact, Wellington's Deputy Mayor Ben McNulty has already said closing Spicer effectively chops years off the life of the Southern Landfill—taking it from a good scenario of about seven years down to four. Now here's the part that should really make you sit up. Every year, this region produces around 8,000 tonnes of sewage sludge. Not rubbish you can skip. Not something you can pause. It's a by-product of wastewater treatment—you cannot turn it off. And right now, officials are warning there is a real risk that when Spicer closes, there may be nowhere to put it. Now think about that for a second. We're not talking about old couches or broken fridges—we're talking about essential waste from a system that has to run 24/7. If there's nowhere for it to go, you don't have a tidy-up problem—you've got a system problem. So we've got less landfill space, more pressure on what's left, and the backup plan might not land when it needs to. And if you think the answer is just “build more landfill”—not so fast. Local iwi, including Ngāti Toa Rangatira, and residents are strongly opposed to extending these sites. Cultural concerns, environmental concerns, plain old quality of life. So that option? Politically and socially—very, very hard. Which leaves us where? More waste. Less space. No clear plan. And I'll put my hand up—I'm part of it. It's easier to dump than sort it out. Easier to pay the fee and drive away. But we cannot keep doing that. Because if we don't get ahead of this—fast—the next thing creeping up the valley won't just be a landfill. It'll be a crisis we cannot ignore. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick speaks to Deputy Mayor Ben McNulty around concerns over the sustainability of Wellington's waste systems. There is talk of expanding the Wellington tip to the back of Zealandia, McNulty shares the likelihood of this and stresses the importance and urgency of this issue. Porirua's Spicer Landfill is due to close in 2030 and is due to chop years off the lifespan of Wellington's landfill. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wellington Phoenix women line up a big second leg semi final against Brisbane Roar in Porirua this weekend, while Auckland FC's mens team goes on to the next elimination final in the A-League. Glen also discusses pricing for TVNZ games at football's World Cup in June and July. And in rugby league the Warriors continue winning.

For the Business Panel this week Nick is joined in the studio by Harcourts CEO Marty Ritchie and Director of Trinity Group and Treasurer of Hospitality NZ Jeremy Smith. The panel talk business in the capital, they share their wins, struggles and hopes with working in the city. Ritchie shares how the real estate market is looking - with his expertise with the Kapiti Coast, Porirua and in the city. What trends is he seeing? What are buyers asking for? And Smith tells us how it is trying to sell his business and how hard it is to make a business profitable in this climate. How is hospo holding up with all these external political and economic factors? Smith calls the hospitality industry "the canary in the coal mine." Also, what do they look for in employees? How do you deal with the uncertainty doing business in NZ? How are they finding the public mood in the city - and are our people the saviours? And our panellists give their thoughts on the state of the city and our council. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MetService is defending the lack of warning in Wellington, before it was battered by torrential rain and flash flooding early today. Karori man Philip Sutton hasn't been found since his home flooded. Wairarapa and Wellington - excluding Porirua - now sit under a rare red warning until late tomorrow. A State of Emergency's been declared, with warnings to evacuate from low-lying areas. MetService's Heather Keats says limited warning's possible for localised thunderstorms - because they develop so quickly. "You could be 40 kilometres up the road and have no rainfall recorded at all, and then you could be underneath it and then receive 80 millimetres in an hour." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you haven't watched the Bunnings video yet showing its staff being attacked, I recommend you go and watch it - especially if you feel uneasy about the company using CCTV for facial recognition. It's a compilation of incidents that have occurred in its stores. The first incident shows a man pulling a knife on a staff member and threatening them so he can walk out the door with two trolleys' worth of stolen goods. That happened at the Porirua store. The next incident shows a man holding a box who runs at and knocks over a staff member, while another man behind him tries to steal a second box. That happened at the Takanini store. The incident I found hardest to watch is a man approaching a staff member at their car in a mostly empty car park. He sidles up to them, then smacks them in the head when they're not expecting it. He then chases the staff member as they run away and trip because they are so frightened. Now, let's be clear about what's going on here - Bunnings is releasing this video as part of a PR campaign. It's trying to convince us that it needs to use facial recognition technology in two of its Hamilton stores. What blows my mind is that it has to go to these lengths. It's been trialling facial recognition since 2018. It's fought its way through a tribunal process in Australia. It's had the Privacy Commissioner here, and the equivalent over the ditch, watching them. It's engaged a Māori digital sovereignty expert. It's released at least two of these video compilations. And all of this, so far in New Zealand, is just for permission to operate in two stores. Not all stores - just two. Two Hamilton stores. That's because there are still enough people worried that Bunnings will take our biometric data and sell it, lose it or wrongly deny entry to some innocent person. I would have thought this was a slam dunk. I would have thought the answer would be: yes, absolutely - go ahead and use facial recognition if that's what you need to do to keep your staff safe. Because sure, something might go wrong one day with the CCTV. But go and watch those videos. Things are going wrong right now. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you haven't watched the Bunnings video yet showing its staff being attacked, I recommend you go and watch it - especially if you feel uneasy about the company using CCTV for facial recognition. It's a compilation of incidents that have occurred in its stores. The first incident shows a man pulling a knife on a staff member and threatening them so he can walk out the door with two trolleys' worth of stolen goods. That happened at the Porirua store. The next incident shows a man holding a box who runs at and knocks over a staff member, while another man behind him tries to steal a second box. That happened at the Takanini store. The incident I found hardest to watch is a man approaching a staff member at their car in a mostly empty car park. He sidles up to them, then smacks them in the head when they're not expecting it. He then chases the staff member as they run away and trip because they are so frightened. Now, let's be clear about what's going on here - Bunnings is releasing this video as part of a PR campaign. It's trying to convince us that it needs to use facial recognition technology in two of its Hamilton stores. What blows my mind is that it has to go to these lengths. It's been trialling facial recognition since 2018. It's fought its way through a tribunal process in Australia. It's had the Privacy Commissioner here, and the equivalent over the ditch, watching them. It's engaged a Māori digital sovereignty expert. It's released at least two of these video compilations. And all of this, so far in New Zealand, is just for permission to operate in two stores. Not all stores - just two. Two Hamilton stores. That's because there are still enough people worried that Bunnings will take our biometric data and sell it, lose it or wrongly deny entry to some innocent person. I would have thought this was a slam dunk. I would have thought the answer would be: yes, absolutely - go ahead and use facial recognition if that's what you need to do to keep your staff safe. Because sure, something might go wrong one day with the CCTV. But go and watch those videos. Things are going wrong right now. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Michael talks to Lynda Knight, principal of Glenview School in Porirua, about how understanding the neuroscience of stress and trauma transformed her school's approach to dysregulated behaviour. They discuss why a felt sense of safety, strong relational connections and teacher self-regulation are essential foundations for learning, and what schools and policymakers can do to better support children experiencing stress and trauma.

The Transport Agency has revealed its preferred route for the Petone to Grenada Road, a four-lane highway connecting Lower Hutt and Porirua, which could cut peak travel times by more than 20 minutes. Anya Fielding reports.

A Porirua family is frustrated and angry that it took months of back and forth with Work and Income and a call to the media to get an unwell man the benefit he's entitled to. Lauren Crimp reports.

The cost for water is going up for Wellington households. Tiaki Wai - the new water entity looks after Wellington, Porirua, and Hutt Valley is coming into effect July 1 and the price is eyewatering. The average household in the region currently pays about $2,100 a year for water through rates, but under the new model that would shift to a standalone charge of roughly $2,410 annually — about $200 a month — with costs expected to climb. Modelling projects yearly increases of 8.9% to 14.4% through to 2035, meaning compounding rises could push annual water bills to around $6,831 within a decade, or more than $130 a week. Former WCC spokesperson for the Regional Water Committee and current Director of the Infrastructure Commission, Tim Brown shares his thoughts on the cost announcement. Brown tell Nick of his experience dealing with water and the councils and how the forecasts are looking for their future. He advocates for a Water Consumer Advocacy Trust to monitor Tiaki Wai. And shares his concern for Wellington making it through high rates and an extra bill for water. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time for Mayoral minutes, where we speak with a local mayor about the challenges they're facing, how they're working to solve them, and what makes their community special. Today we're heading to the Porirua, from where Mayor Anita Baker joins Jesse.

 A special event has just been held at Takapuwahia Marae in Porirua to mark the welcome extended by Ngati Toa to iwi members.

The Hurricanes are hoping for a strong start as the Super Rugby season gets underway. The Chiefs recently pumped the Hurricanes 29-nil in their Super Rugby preseason contest in Porirua. Head coach Clark Laidlaw joined Piney to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're a nation of Kiwis but many New Zealanders have never seen the bird they're named after in the wild. So when a project to bring the national icon back to the capital was hatched in 2016 most people thought it was crazy. The Capital Kiwi Project aims to restore a large scale wild kiwi population to Wellington's hillsides - from Red Rocks on the south coast to west of Porirua. A decade on, the kiwi are thriving - and when the latest group is released in April there will be 250 kiwi living in Wellington. Founder of the Capital Kiwi Project Paul Ward spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

A bold project aims to cloak the hills behind Porirua east in native forest, with hundreds of hectares of native planting underway. Ellen O'Dwyer reports.

In Pacific Waves today: Ilegal sale of medical drugs in PNG a persistent concern; Pacific families urged to be vigilant against measles; Homeownership a reality for Pacific families in Porirua. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The wetlands and surrounding forests of Te Awarua o Porirua, or Porirua Harbour, were once rich food baskets for Ngāti Toa Rangatira. But decades of development throughout the catchment - large-scale deforestation, road and rail building and urban growth - have brought sediment and pollution into the harbour, damaging the habitat. Veronika Meduna meets some of the team working to restore the harbour to its former plenty.Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Learn more:Julian Wilcox recently spoke to artists Jasmine Arthur and Te Rauparaha Horomona about Ngati Toa in Porirua and the opening of a new exhibition Mutumutu ki Mukukai Freshwater to Salt Water.Ngāti Toa Rangatira celebrated the return of their sacred maunga, Whitireia, to iwi ownership earlier this year.Alison Ballance visited both Porirua and Wairarapa in 2018 to explore how environmental impacts travel from the hills to the sea and what communities are willing to do to make their waterways cleaner and healthier again.Guests:Kaumatua Te Taku Parai, Ashleigh Sagar, Robert McLean and Jaida Howard of Ngāti Toa RangatiraBrian Thomas, Porirua City CouncilBryce and Jacqueline WatkinsLisa Casasanto and Jon Bluemel, Kahotea stream Restoration GroupJohn McKoy and Simon Glover, Guardians of Pauatahanui InletGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

At least one Wellington mayor says it's time district councils combined into one. The Government's proposing replacing regional councillors with boards of district mayors. They'll have two years from establishment, to put up a regional plan for future local Governments. Porirua mayor Anita Baker says the Wellington region should grab this opportunity. She explained Hutt City and Porirua residents have already said yes to amalgamation, and Wellington city mayor Andrew Little doesn't seem opposed either. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It officially became a city on October 2nd, 1965, when its population hit 20,000. Today, it's home to more than 60,000 people. Mayor Anita Baker joins Nights to celebrate her city.

A Porirua community group says members are saving money for the first time and breaking free from devastating cycles of debt by creating their own pool of savings and interest-free loans. It's a model that's been operating for decades, but may be getting more common as daily life gets more expensive. Ellen O'Dwyer reports as part of Pinch Point - an ongoing RNZ series about living with the cost of living.

The initial construction of Transmission Gully is being described as a 'dog's breakfast' as the chipseal and drainage systems prove unable to cope with demand. Newstalk ZB revealed yesterday that NZTA is planning to re-surface and rebuild several kilometres of the road north of Porirua, likely meaning lane closures during the day and full closures at night. Infrastructure NZ CEO Nick Leggett told Mike Hosking the road was rushed and opened without all consents being satisfied. He says New Zealand is not that experienced in building big projects, as things keep getting switched on and switched off. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Porirua suburb of Paremata didn't escape the wild weather of the last few days, with two houses being evacuated after a landslip on Sunday morning. Resident Dan Isaac spoke to Corin Dann.

A programme to try to get people off meth and away from crime has been launched in Porirua as part of a multi-million dollar government drive. Ellen O'Dwyer reports.

Four new agencies have been put in charge of determining how Whānau Ora resources are distributed to Maori communities across the country. It's the biggest shake up in the history of Whānau Ora since it was created by the the late Dame Tariana Turia in 2010. One of the new commissioning agencies was launched by Wellington iwi Ngāti Toa at Hongoeka Marae near Porirua this morning. Pokere Paewai reports. 

There's a belief Auckland's new Police training centre will make recruitment more accessible. The new space on the Massey University campus includes multiple classrooms, along with gym and recreation areas. Police Commissioner Richard Chambers told Mike Hosking over the years some people have steered away from a career in Police because they couldn't go to Porirua for training. He says it's about creating more opportunities for those who might find Porirua for 20 weeks a challenge. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new research lab in Porirua has been built to be set on fire. The Building Research Association said the $40 million facility can simulate the way fire spreads through multi-storey buildings, providing some of the most advanced fire testing capabilities in the Southern Hemisphere. Kate Green reports

In Pacific Waves today: Fiji national describes Israel-Iran conflict as 'freaky'; Bougainville independence talks conclude; Tonga's Princess calls for whales to have legal rights; Pacific Climate Warriors take climate change message to Pasifika in Porirua. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Today marks 10 years since All Black Jerry Collins and his partner Alana Madill were both killed in a fatal car crash in the south of france. At 6pm tonight Porirua's Jerry Collins Stadium hosts a special memorial match, put on by his first amateur club Norths United RFC.

A group of Porirua volunteers is offering warm kai to those in need during the chilly winter months. Wellington Issues Reporter Nick James went along to take a look.

In today's episode, smoke has billowed out of the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, and it is black showing no Pope has been chosen, dozens of Indian and Pakistani civilians have been killed after hostilities erupted between the two nations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, the government has been told the police need greater powers to properly clamp down on transnational and organised criminal groups, the search is on for families of nearly 2000 mental health patients who were buried in unmarked graves in Porirua, the New Zealand Film Commission is working to strengthen ties with India and Europe as the United States threatens to slap a 100 percent tariff on any films made here, and a meteor shower, which is actually a brightly burning trail of space debris left behind by Halleys Comet, will be visible in our skies over the next few days.

The search is on for families of nearly 2000 mental health patients who were buried in unmarked graves in Porirua. Porirua Cemeteries Manager Daniel Chrisp spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

A government call for mayors to help battle truancy is cheeky and completely at odds with earlier instructions for councils to stick to roads and pipes and keep their noses out of everything else. That from Porirua Mayor Anita Baker, in reponse to a letter from the Associate Minister of Education. David Seymour has written to Aotearoa's mayors asking them to help boost school attendance. He's refered them to daily attendance data and is encouraging them to quote "lead the change they want to see." Porirua mayor Anita Baker spoke to Lisa Owen.