Podcasts about Tauranga

Tauranga based drone manufacturer Syos Aerospace won the top prize at the Hi-Tech Awards last night in Wellington. The company makes uncrewed vehicles for land, sea and air and recently won a big UK defence contract. CEO and founder Samuel Vye talks to Susie.

On Wednesday we spoke to Napier mayor Kirsten Wise about more than 100 roles being under threat at Napier City Council, the Council is trying to save $3 million in labour costs. Tauranga City Council is looking to do the same through its annual plan which they will deliberate on next week. Tauranga Deputy Mayor Jen Scoular spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Over the next four years $164 million will go towards setting up urgent care clinics in Counties Manukau, Whangārei, Palmerston North, Tauranga and Dunedin. Health Minister Simeon Brown spoke to Corin Dann.

In today's episode, the Parliamentary debate of unprecedented suspensions handed down to three Te Pāti Māori MPs has the potential to bring the House to a grinding halt ahead of Thursday's Budget, over the next four years $164 million will go towards setting up urgent care clinics in Counties Manukau, Whangārei, Palmerston North, Tauranga and Dunedin, children as young as six, are being adopted from overseas and forced into domestic slavery, being beaten, threatened, raped and abused, Auckland FC have taken a significant step towards a dream Grand Final appearance in their debut A-League season, beating Melbourne Victory 1-nil in a tense semi-final first leg at AAMI Park, and we have the latest from Kerry-Anne Walsh in Australia.

I'd love to know what Labour are saying behind closed doors about the Green Party's alternative Budget released today. I mean, they're playing nice in public - but behind closed doors, they must be tearing their hair out because this is next level crazy. I mean, none of it is a surprise. It is full of exactly the kind of utopian, money grows on trees, when-I-grow-up-I-want-to-be-a-unicorn kind of stuff that we expect from the Greens. There is a wealth tax, there is an increased tax for companies, there are two new personal tax rates, there's a private jet tax, an inheritance tax, there's doubling the bright-line test to bring in more capital gains tax, and a doubling of the minerals tax. They're also gonna save some money by cutting planned prisoner beds, but they haven't quite explained how they're going to stop these bad guys actually committing the crimes that land them in prison in the first place. They're gonna spend the money on light rail in Auckland, an overnight train from Wellington to Auckland, trains from Auckland to Tauranga, trains from Christchurch and Dunedin, trains from Auckland to Hamilton, There's free GPs, free nursing services, free annual dental check-ups, free basic dental care, free prescriptions, and free childcare from age 6 months. There's also free income in the form of a UBI for students and beneficiaries - as I say, just the usual crazy stuff which 90 percent of us voters seem to agree makes them completely unfit to run the country's books. My reaction, obviously, has just been to laugh - because, you know, I was 5 years old too once and I also had these kinds of dreams. Labour's reaction must be to cry, because this kind of loony nonsense that's paraded as serious policy just makes it so much harder for them to get back into Government. I mean, Labour will need the Greens much more than they have in the past, right? We are no longer dealing with the Greens sitting at 5 percent where their nutty ideas can be ignored because they will not get as much out of coalition negotiations, we are now dealing with the Green Party consistently sitting at 10 percent and above. A Labour-Greens government will be 3 quarters Labour and one quarter the Greens - and that's not even counting the other dollop of crazy that's going to come from the Māori Party. Jet tax, death tax, wealth tax, crims out on the street - Labour must be weeping today. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ten years on from the referendum that divided a nation, Marcus checks in on whether there's still any appetite for change. Plus bringing back the commuter train service from Auckland to Tauranga seems like a no brainer, right? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if your next big breakthrough didn't happen in a zoom meeting or a brainstorming session - but in the stillness of nature?In this episode of The Essential Shift Podcast, I'm joined by Stephanie, the visionary behind Fern Valley Retreat - a soulful, eco-glamping haven tucked in rural New Zealand.We talk about the intuitive nudge that changed her family's entire life trajectory, what it really takes to build a retreat space from scratch, and why stepping away to rest is essential for women in business.Get ready to re-treat! If you LOVE the episode, don't forget to share it on your Instagram stories and tag me @essential.shift!✨ Want to connect and build your business with a support network? JOIN THE CIRCLE ✨KEY EPISODE TAKEAWAYSHow intuition guided a bold, life-changing decisionThe healing power of nature and the magic of glampingWhat it really takes to create a successful retreat spaceWhy it's okay not to have it all figured out at the startThe difference between doing it all and doing what mattersSHOW RESOURCESExplore Fern Valley Retreat – HEREFollow Fern Valley on Instagram – HEREJOIN THE CIRCLE – A community for conscious, creative entrepreneurs - HEREFollow me on Instagram – HEREFind me on LinkedIn – HEREABOUT THE GUESTStéph is the heart and soul behind Fern Valley Retreat. Together with her husband Mike, she left behind the hustle of Auckland to follow her heart after falling in love with a rural property south of Tauranga, New Zealand. Driven by a deep belief in the power of nature to enhance well-being, she created an off-the-grid glamping escape - a place where guests can reconnect with nature without sacrificing comfort.Bless it be.With love,Laetitia

Listen to a powerful message of hope from Ps Logan Stewart (LIFE Tauranga Campus Pastor) as we explore the peace, clarity and power that comes through God's presence.-To find out more about LIFE, visit us at lifenz.org

Five Tauranga homeowners are desperate for a solution three years after a huge slip forced them out of their homes, but the council is refusing to help. 

We know airfares are expensive, right? Everybody, and I mean everybody, I know who's booked flights recently has made the comment that an overseas flight is cheaper than flying just about anywhere around New Zealand – especially to the provincial centres. Easter was huge in terms of airfares, but even on your normal everyday Wednesday morning, flying to Timaru, flying to Tauranga, it's going to set you back a fortune. We've been complaining about Air New Zealand's pricing now ever since we could get back in the air again after Covid, but what can we do? Air New Zealand says its experienced more cost inflation in the past three years than was typically seen in a decade, with Covid, a weak New Zealand dollar, and geopolitics all to blame. Richard Thompson, Air New Zealand's Chief Financial Officer says their costs over the past 3.5 years have gone up by roughly 30%. Domestic airfares on average have gone up by around 24%, so they're trying to absorb the costs, they say. He argues that flying is still a relatively affordable way to get around the country, with every $400 or $500 fare, he says, there are thousands of examples of $129 fares or even $99 fares. He said I was speaking with someone before Christmas who wanted to get from Timaru to Napier. They were paying $600 or $700 one way. But what's the alternative? You drive to Picton. It'll cost you $100 in gas. If you take the ferry across, that's another $250 or $300. Then another $50 or $60 in gas to get to Napier. He said driving isn't cheap either. But now the government's getting in on the act. Associate Transport Minister James Meager is not ruling out underwriting the expansion of small regional airlines to help maintain routes and keep the price of flying competitive. But truly, the thing is we simply do not have the population base to support viable competition. How many airlines have tried and failed to establish themselves in the market? Just thinking back, in the last couple of decades, Freedom Air, Kiwi Air, and Ansett - they came, they tried, they failed. Don't get me wrong, competition is a good thing. We do have Jetstar, bless them and where they fly, you'll generally find the routes are the most competitive in terms of airfares, and the most reliable – because let's not forget about reliability. And I don't think that's a coincidence. I'm supposed to be flying to Tauranga in a couple of weeks for the day, for a job. And I'm supposed to be flying down on Saturday morning and flying back on Saturday evening. I have absolutely no confidence that that will happen. None. I mean, I hope it does, because there's a film crew down there and it will be a costly exercise if I fail to make it. I'm not planning anything for that particular Saturday night because the last time I flew to Tauranga, I got down there fine and then sat for just under 7 hours in the regional lounge waiting for a plane that never came, or it didn't come for a very, very long time. And yes, you can drive, but it's a horrible drive. But what do you do? It's a horrible drive or you accept that there's a very real chance that the plane won't take off when it says it's going to. Why, though, is the government interfering in the market? I found it really interesting that successive governments, Labour and National have wanted to tinker with privately owned businesses like supermarkets, and petrol companies, and banks, and now the airlines. They want to sort of tweak and fiddle around to try and bring prices down and make things more competitive, and it's all about the consumer and you know. Fabulous. Why don't they bring down the price of power? That's something they do control. The governments are in charge of that. Not everybody flies, we all use electricity. It is what it is. It's expensive to run an airline. Really expensive now in the wake of Covid and it's all been outlined as to why it's so expensive. Flying is expensive. We know that. We baulk at paying the prices if we can. They will allow some subsidies if you're going for a funeral, if there's humanitarian reasons for getting somewhere quickly. Air New Zealand can allow for cheaper airfares, but ultimately, do we want the government, that is the taxpayer, subsidising competition in the aviation industry? I wouldn't have thought that was a good use of taxpayer money. Why on Earth should other taxpayers who don't fly, subsidise those who want to flit off to Hawkes Bay or Queenstown for a jolly. I just don't see why the government should be interfering with the business of flying planes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Speaking of the bad weather, it brings me to the emergency mobile alerts. The emergency mobile alerts came about because Fire and Emergency and the National Emergency Management Agency and other agencies including New Zealand Police, Ministry of Primary Industries and Ministry of Health use emergency mobile alerts to alert people if their lives, property or health are at serious risk. I'm pretty sure they came about during Covid, I can't recall them before then you might, but I think it was pretty much a Covid response and that's continued to include any other times where lives, property or health are at serious risk. Over the past week. Aucklander's have received about four or five emergency alerts on their phones, and I'll tell you what, they give you an absolute conniption when they start screeching. You know it takes you right back, the adrenaline surges through, you think, fight or flight ... okay there's bad weather coming. Well, yes, a cyclone had been forecast to be arriving over the North Island. So, you would imagine with a tropical cyclone bad weather comes - thunderstorms, the potential for flooding. And then the next lot of emergency alerts came to warn of the potentials of dangerous gases as a result of a recycling plant in a suburb of Auckland going up in flames and once that fire started, many, many suburbs around the fire were advised to stay inside and then another alert gave the all clear sometime later. I do understand that Civil Defence is damned if they do and damned if they don't. Some Aucklander's were asking why they weren't warned about the severe thunderstorms and deluges on the Friday night of Easter weekend. But surely, we all knew that a cyclone was sitting over the North Island, and cyclones bring rain and thunderstorms. But there was criticism because they hadn't been warned, so therefore we got warnings up the Ying Yang in response. Meteorologists defended themselves, saying well, thunderstorms are notoriously difficult to predict, and weather is notoriously difficult to predict. We saw that with Gabrielle as well. In February 2023, the Esk River in Hawkes Bay burst its banks and flooded the entire valley. Hundreds of Hawkes Bay residents woke in the middle of a nightmare, with water surging through their homes, and there was no alert, no warning, they hadn't been evacuated from the area, and yet the cyclone had been predicted. Schools had been closed in Hamilton and Tauranga and those areas were unaffected but Hawkes Bay was absolutely hammered. It's an imperfect science, an imprecise and inexact science. Are we depending far too much on meteorologists who can give you a broad spectrum? - we can expect thunderstorms, we can expect electric storms, we can expect heavy rain over the next week, we can't tell you that it's going to arrive at your house at this time, so be prepared. And I wonder if too many people are expecting that from authorities and from decision makers. We've become very used to having people tell us what we should do, how we should do it, to keep ourselves safe. I'm not entirely sure you can do that with weather. It is unpredictable. It changes. Meteorologists will tell you that they can really only give you a broad spectrum. And if you're depending on government agencies to tell you what to do and where to go and how you should cope, I think that way lies disaster, really. Because you'll think, well, I haven't had a warning, so I should be fine. People will let me know if I'm in danger and you start to lose your Spidey instinct, you start to lose your Spidey senses. Too many alerts are going to mean that people will just switch off. They'll either switch off their phones and say I'm not going to have my heart racing and my pulse racing and the adrenaline surging through me for a fire that's happening ten suburbs over that really doesn't affect me. If we start to switch off, then again, emergency services will be blamed because they sent out too many. I suppose it's helpful having someone to blame other than God and the weather? But when did weather become such a big deal that it dominates the news. Meteorologists are becoming the new public health officials. And when did we stop using our common sense and relying on government agencies to tell us what to do in weather. Do you need to know through your emergency mobile alerts, what is happening? Does that give you the opportunity to take precautions? What purpose does the agency serve? I'd really love to hear your thoughts on this one.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether it be families being able to afford to bring students home from University for the holidays, attending important events or visiting friends. Many kiwis living in the regions say they're cut off - with the cost of flying on our national carrier - simply unaffordable. Scott Koster did the maths and reckons it would be cheaper for his university student daughter to take a bus from Tauranga to Auckland, an Uber to the airport and then fly Jetstar to Wellington. Koster spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

In today's episode, the Prime Minister joins us from London to talk about Pope Francis death and the PM's meeting with King Charles, mourners are gathered at St. Peters Square in Rome and Catholic communities across New Zealand will be holding special masses to allow people to pray for Pope Francis. A Tauranga father has trouble flying his daughter back to university in Wellington and a school in Hokitika is on a mission to find its new principal, and students have taken matters into their own hands.

One Tauranga father has told RNZ about the trouble he is having getting his daughter back to university in Wellington. Money correspondent Susan Edmunds spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Listen to a powerful message of hope from Ps Logan Stewart (LIFE Tauranga Campus Pastor) as we gather to celebrate Easter Sunday. The power of Jesus' death and resurrection isn't just found in death being overcome, but also because Christ's victory means He has life for us all.-To find out more about LIFE, visit us at lifenz.org

I'm starting to wonder who isn't running for mayor in Wellington. Former Labour leader Andrew Little is the latest one joining the race to oust current mayor Tory Whanau. And, just in case you think so, I'm not endorsing Andrew Little in any way, shape, or form. But I do think having former MPs on local councils is a very good thing. Because whether we like it or not, local councils cannot operate in isolation and knowing how things in Wellington work is invaluable. Andrew Little isn't the first ex-MP wanting to get into local government. Former National MP Nick Smith is the mayor of Nelson. Phil Goff was mayor of Auckland. In Christchurch, former Labour politician Lianne Dalziel was elected mayor three times. Maurice Williamson —who was a National MP and minister— is on Auckland Council these days. John Banks. The list goes on. And they don't admit it at the time, but when these ex-MPs stand for their local councils, it's not just their political experience they're banking on. They also know full well that they're making the most of apathetic voters who look for a name they know and end up voting for them. When it comes to name recognition, I reckon an ex-MP has way more chance of being successful in the job than some of the other people you see milking their name recognition to get elected to their local council. People in my game do it. In fact, it seems to me that if media people don't go on to be marriage and funeral celebrants, they go on to be a local councillor. Not that you will ever catch me doing that. Last thing I'd want to do. Sportspeople milk their name recognition too. I'm not in Tauranga and don't know all the ins-and-outs, but I think it's pretty safe to say that the reason Mahe Drysdale is the mayor of Tauranga is because of his brilliant rowing career. He's got none of this so-called “business experience” that some people think is essential for someone to be good at running a town or a city. He's got no prior political experience. He's just a name. Voters obviously thought he was a good Kiwi bloke, he's done well in his sport, so they voted for him. Not that, from what I've seen, it's been all plain sailing for him so far. I've seen a few stories with him getting heat for stuff – and that is where people's lack of political experience shows. And why I think it's a very good thing to have people former MPs on our local councils. They're not perfect —Lianne Dalziel was far from perfect— but they know what they're getting themselves into. They generally don't set the world on fire, but I don't care about that. Because, whether we like it or not, local and central government are intertwined. Local government is way more dependent on central government than it would like to admit. Especially, when they're in the schtuck. When they need to get Wellington on their side. Which is why having people as mayors and councillors who know exactly how to get the government on side —because they've been there and done that— that's why it is so beneficial. And that's why I'll take an ex-politician over an ex-media personality or an ex-sporting hero any day, when it comes to who I want to see on my local council. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My ongoing advice to the Government is: don't make big announcements on a Friday. I watched the Prime Minister from Waikato at the Ruakura Superhub. This is what the Government lives for. It's what they dream of. It's what they preach. The Superhub by the way is one of the great visions for this country. It services 45% of the population and 55% of GDP. It's part of what they call the "Golden Triangle" when it comes to business, servicing Hamilton, Tauranga and Auckland. Anyway, at the press conference was a representative from the company with a trillion dollars in assets under management. I'm talking about the local tribe, Waikato-Tainui, with the Prime Minister. Tuku Morgan from the tribe, who in another life became famous for expensive taxpayer funded underwear, spoke eloquently about what the Superhub means, how big it is, how massive the vision is and how transformational it all could be. So, not just a miss for the Government in terms of coverage for exactly what this country needs, but also the chance for us to see a part of the so-called Māori economy we don't often see. Waikato-Tainui are a wonderful success. The sadness for me is I don't see them as Māori. I see them as a business, and a good one. Race should not be part of business because performance is the key to business, not race. But there is no denying their money came out of the Treaty settlement process and they have taken it and run with it. Not only don't we get to see the successful side of the Māori economy, we don't ask often enough how it is you can have that much success and yet still have so much Māori deprivation? That's the news we do hear a lot about - poverty, addiction, violence and bad health. It's all bad news. Why? If Māori can do well why are we so obsessed with why they aren't? And if there is a way out for those who need it, and Māori have provided the blueprint, why is it still an issue? Māori are held back, we are told. Are they? Why haven't Waikato-Tainui been held back? Or Ngai Tahu? If you listen to the Willie Jackson's of the world, he will tell you colonialism has ruined the Māori dream. I didn't see that on Friday. Quite the opposite.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says he has been talking to Iwi leaders about how to better investment for the past 12 months. It comes as one of the country's wealthiest iwi, Waikato-Tainui makes the biggest investment since Treaty settlement 30 years ago. On Friday Waikato-Tainui announced a partnership with global investment firm Brookfield to develop an inland port in Waikato that services more than half of the country's GDP. The port, Ruakura Superhub, is connect to the country's two largest commercial ports, Auckland and Tauranga. The Prime Minister talks to Mike Hosking about Māori investment, the significant Sealord loss, reaction to Winston Peter's 'hysterical' claims, and more. LISTEN ABOVE OR WATCH BELOW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to a powerful message of hope from Ps Katie Milgate (LIFE Team) as she continues our Fruit of the Spirit series, focusing on the aspects of joy. We can often get caught up in trying to find happiness, when really what we're seeking is Joy - a conviction that comes from our relationship with God.-To find out more about LIFE, visit us at lifenz.org

Kia ora and welcome to the EV Quest Podcast, your source for electric vehicle news from Australia, New Zealand, and around the globe.In this episode, recorded on April 5, 2025, host Adrian Maidment in Tauranga, New Zealand, talks  with Riz Akhtar, reporting live from the Melbourne Motor Show at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.Links:NZ EV Sales data: https://evdb.nz/most-popular-evs-nz

The collectible toy Trolls - often butt-naked, spiky-haired figures - were once manufactured right here, in Tauranga. Damian Sutton is on a mission to collect them.

Tauranga based Local Democracy Reporter Alisha Evans with news from the region.

The Black Caps have wrapped up their series against Pakistan with a game to spare, clinching the second match by 84 runs in Hamilton. An unbeaten 99 from Mitch Hay steered an erratic batting effort from the Black Caps, after they had been reduced to 132 for five. In reply, Pakistan were reduced to nine for three and then 72 for seven but provided some late-order resistance in being dismissed for 208 in the 42nd over. Hay was named player of the match but insists he wasn't gutted to miss out on a century. The final match of the series is on Saturday in Tauranga. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

G'day and welcome to the “EV Quest Podcast”. Bringing you EV news from Australia, New Zealand, and from the rest of the world . Adrian Maidment in Tauranga, New Zealand.  And in  Melbourne, Australia -  Riz Akhtar from Carloop.This episode:March EV sales in NZ. Tips for buying a new EV. Upcoming eventsWe are also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EVQuest

The Tauranga District Council will release its draft annual plan for public consultation on Friday - its first since it was elected in July last year. Former Tauranga councillor and former mayoral candidate John Robson spoke to Corin Dann.

Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Simon Pound & Jennie Moreton. They discuss the why tax breaks for churches might be worth retaining, and Tauranga councils $470,000 coffee bill. Plus, what does the future hold for Dunedin Gaol. Jennie Moreton is an investment Adviser & Director of Craigs Investment Partner Simon Pound is a brand strategist & partner at Previously Unavailable. Co-founder of fashion label Ingrid Starnes, and podcaster for Business is Boring. [picture id="4KBH1OYĀuckland_TempleĒxterior_12_jpeg" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Tauranga City Council has copped some backlash after accepting a five-year contract for coffee machines and coffee at a total cost of $470,000. This comes as the council proposed putting parking fees on boaties - sparking outrage from ratepayers. Tauranga Councillor Steve Morris understands why people are outraged by this. "Charity starts at home - and perhaps we could be charging 50 cents or even $1 per coffee from our council organisation to recoup the costs." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tauranga boy Sam Ruthe at just 15-years old has become the youngest person ever to run a 4-minute mile. Will a 14-year old accomplish the same, one day?

Listen to a powerful message of hope from Ps Joel Milgate (LIFE Team) as he continues our Fruit of the Spirit series. Kindness is what we do, and gentleness is about the manner that way do it. Ultimately, both rely on a sacrifice, whether it's of time, finance or material possessions, we all have something to give.-To find out more about LIFE, visit us at lifenz.org

The name on everyone's lips in athletics circles both here and around the world is Sam Ruthe. The Tauranga 15-year-old's sent the running world into a spin by becoming the youngest athlete to ever run a sub four-minute mile - clocking 3:58.35 at the Mt Smart track in Auckland. Nick Willis is one of our very best middle-distance runners, and joined Piney to discuss Sam's achievement and his future in the sport. “It really sets the stage for a really exciting and promising future ahead.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Teenage sensation Sam Ruthe ran himself into the record books with a sub four minute mile paced every step of the way by another Sam Olympian Sam Tanner. Tauranga's 15 year old Sam Ruthe is the youngest person in history to break the four-minute mile barrier. Clocking 3m 58.35 seconds at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium in less than ideal conditions. His pacer, training partner and Olympian 24-year-old Sam Tanner won the race. (3m 58.29). Sam Tanner spoke to Lisa Owen.

15-year-old Sam Ruthe is hoping to break the four-minute mile barrier. He is aiming to become both the youngest person ever and the first 15-year-old in history to break the iconic mark. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

Tauranga teenager Sam Ruthe became the youngest runner in the world to break the four minutes mile on Wednesday night. Sports reporter Grant Chapman was there at the finish line.

Tauranga teen running sensation, Sam Ruthe, who on Wednesday night became the youngest person in history to break the four-minute mile barrier at 15-years-old. Nick Willis spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

New Zealand's middle-distance prodigy Sam Ruthe has become the youngest person in history to break the four-minute mile barrier. The 15-year-old from Tauranga became the 49th New Zealander to break the four-minute mile doing so at a wet Go Media Stadium last night. Olympian Sam Tanner helped lead Ruthe in the second half of the race, setting the pace for the teenager towards the finish line. Ruthe eventually finished second behind Tanner in three minutes 58.35 seconds. He's eclipsed the previous pioneer, then 16-year-old Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who has gone on to become a double Olympic champion. Ruthe told Ryan Bridge that it felt amazing having all his friends and family there supporting him. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul Maoate, Stephen Hunt and Brendan Popplewell preview the races at Tauranga this Saturday.

Marine precinct users in Tauranga say they feel misled by the mayor Mahe Drysdale. In a meeting in October last year, Mr Drysdale told commercial boat users that the sale of the land was a 'shit deal' and that if the current council could get out of it they would. Precinct users say that with an injunction before the courts the council has a chance to do just that. Libby Kirkby-McLeod reports.

Listen to a powerful message of hope from Ps Logan Stewart (LIFE Tauranga Campus Pastor) as he speaks on what it means to have goodness and faithfulness. Living a life of goodness and faithfulness ultimately means we are following Jesus the same in private as we do publicly.-To find out more about LIFE, visit us at lifenz.org

Consumer confidence perked up in February to 96.6. Perceptions of personal finance situations was up five points, with 21 percent expecting to be better of this time next year. Greg Smith of Devon Funds Management breaks down the findings with Mike Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some of the best bits from today’s show: Harrison does E-Z Money Live. We send Harrison to the streets of Tauranga to promo his live “Tap That”. Harrison becomes Sean’s Step Dad! We send Harrison around to all of Sean’s old stomping grounds. What is NZ’s Best Pie? We catch up with Frankie Venter! Producer Arun shows the teams “Blemishes & All” And we talk to the Olympian who won Cash Strapped. Love ya! Sean, Steph & Harrison x Follow us on insta @Edgeafternoons

Around the motu: Tauranga based Local Democracy Reporter Alisha Evans.

Listen to a powerful message of hope from Ps Logan Stewart (LIFE Tauranga Campus Pastor) as he unpacks how deep and authentic relationships with other people are crucial for us to continue moving forward in our discipleship journeys. Across our campuses, there's a variety of different environments to grow and nurture our relationship with Jesus. -To find out more about LIFE, visit us at lifenz.org

Propelled by enthusiasm from fans domestically as well as overseas, Ne Zha 2, China's box office champion, has made history by surpassing Pixar's blockbuster Inside Out 2 to become the world's highest-grossing animated film of all time.凭借国内外影迷的热情支持，中国电影票房冠军《哪吒2》一举超越皮克斯大片《头脑特工队2》，成为全球票房最高的动画电影，成功创造历史。As of Tuesday evening, 20 days after the movie's premiere on the first day of the Spring Festival holiday, which is the country's most lucrative box office season, Ne Zha 2 has earned 12.35 billion yuan ($1.69 billion), including presales and revenue from overseas markets such as North America and Australia.截至2月18日晚，即该片在春节假期第一天首映后的第20天（春节假期是中国票房收益最高的电影档期），《哪吒2》票房已达123.5亿元人民币（16.9亿美元），包括预售和北美、澳大利亚等海外市场的票房。The movie has also risen to become the world's eighth highest-grossing film and is the sole non-Hollywood film on the top 10 list, according to industry trackers Maoyan Pro and Beacon.据行业追踪机构猫眼专业版和灯塔的数据显示，该片还跃升至全球票房总榜第8名，并且是票房前十榜单中唯一一部非好莱坞电影。As the sequel to the 2019 runaway hit Ne Zha, the movie continues to use a subverted way to narrate the legend of its titular character, a 3-year-old deity who rides on flaming wheels and wields a red ribbon to harness his superpowers. The film has garnered widespread acclaim for portraying the character as someone who bravely fights an unfair fate and pursues his own path.作为2019年热门电影《哪吒》的续集，该片继续采用颠覆性方式讲述同名主人公哪吒的传奇故事。哪吒年仅三岁，脚踏风火轮、身披混天绫，而且拥有超能力。该片因塑造了哪吒这一勇于反抗不公命运、追求自我道路的角色而广受赞誉。Widely regarded as representing the pinnacle of Chinese animation, the movie took five years to produce, and involved over 4,000 animators from 138 companies who created more than 1,900 visual-effect shots.这部电影被广泛认为是中国动画的巅峰之作，耗时五年制作完成，共有来自138家公司的4000多名动画师参与，创作了1900多个视觉特效镜头。Lu Shengzhang, the former dean of Communication University of China's Department of Animation and Comics, told China Daily that the film, loosely inspired by the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) classic Fengshen Yanyi (Investiture of the Gods), shows that the country's rich history and culture can serve as a gold mine to inspire further appealing movie stories.中国传媒大学动画学院前院长路盛章接受《中国日报》采访时表示，该片大致受到明代（1368-1644年）经典作品《封神演义》的启发，这表明中国丰富的历史文化是一座宝库，可以激发创作更多引人入胜的电影故事。Evita Mei, a Chinese immigrant in Tauranga, a city on New Zealand's North Island, told China Daily that she took her teenage son to watch the film, and that most of her neighbors and friends in the Chinese community have a sense of national pride.新西兰北岛陶朗加市的一位中国移民伊维塔·梅告诉《中国日报》，她带着十几岁的儿子去看了这部电影，而且她所在华人社区的大多数邻居和朋友都表现出民族自豪感。Some families see the film as a way to enhance youngsters' understanding of Chinese mythology and literature.一些家庭想通过这部电影，增强孩子们对中国神话和文学的理解。Melina Weber, a German citizen who is living in Beijing, said that Ne Zha 2 was the only film she watched during the Spring Festival holiday, adding that she was impressed by the movie's presentation of Chinese culture in various ways, such as showcasing local food and beautiful landscapes.居住在北京的德国公民梅莉娜·韦伯表示，《哪吒2》是她在春节期间观看的唯一一部电影，并补充说，她对这部电影以多种方式展现中国文化印象深刻，比如对当地美食和美景的呈现。investituren.授职典礼；授权仪式

At midday on Saturday there's a protest in Whakatane to demand action over the closure of the hospital's obstetrics unit. Now - if you have a high risk pregnancy or need an emergency caesarian you'd have to go to Tauranga hospital which is over an hour away. Demonstrators say they've uncovered a raft of other issues at the hospital they say are symptomatic of an underfunded system. Whakatane District Councillor Nándor Tánczos, who is organising the protest, told Susie

Tonight on The Huddle, Auckland Councillor Richard Hills and Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Kāinga Ora has unveiled their tougher new approach to address rent debt. Is this move justified - or a step too far? Greens co-leader Chloe Swarbrick brought some lunchboxes into the House and challenged Prime Minister Luxon to eat one after claims they were inedible. What do we make of this? There's concern in Tauranga, with many residents saying mayor Mahe Drysdale should move from Cambridge to the city. Drysdale says it's been difficult finding a house in their preferred school zone - do we think he needs to move? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's episode, ACT Party leader David Seymour has hit back at the Prime Minister's criticism of his support for Philip Polkinghorne who was later charged and then acquitted of murdering his wife, there are concerns that one in five expectant mothers living in and around Whakatane will have to travel Tauranga to give birth, Whangarei's fight against fluoridation has drawn a stiffly written seventeen-page warning from the country's top health official, Hamas says it's delaying the release of Israeli hostages until further notice , and a British study has found that banning phones in schools didn't boost student achievement or improve mental health.

There are concerns that one in five expectant mothers living in and around Whakatāne will have to travel Tauranga to give birth. Te Moana a Toi Iwi Māori Partnership Board co-chair Hone Te Rire spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Tauranga-based drummer Stan Bicknell is facing a hearty wait after the audition of a lifetime with unconventional American prog rock band Primus. Bicknell was one of 11 drummers selected from more than 6000 applicants after the band threw their selection process open to the world late last year. Jay and Dunc spoke with him and got the skinny on what happens from here on out. Enjoy!

The community has rallied around Tauranga's first Māori ward councillor and will climb local landmark Mauao to fundraise for him as he recovers from a rare illness. 

Voice Of GO(r)D is very happy to bring an old friend to the show to tell you a little of his life story in forestry and trucking.Nigel Frost is an owner operator based in Tauranga, New Zealand, who hauls logs in and around the Bay of Plenty area of NZ's North Island. I first met Nigel when I went to work for the same company he contracts his truck to now, Rotorua Forest Haulage, way back in 2003. We have been friends ever since, and this phone chat was an overdue catch up, and a way for my North American and other international listeners to learn a little about New Zealand.Nigel is old school, and doesn't fart around much online, but you can glance at his Facebook here if you like - https://www.facebook.com/nigel.frost.581 If you would like to see a great collection of Nigel's NZ Log Trucking photos, head on over to my Substack, and while you are there, subscribe and never miss an episode or any of my written work. https://autonomoustruckers.substack.com/p/a-kiwi-log-hauler Questions, comments, suggestions, corrections and Hate Mail are always welcomed and strongly encouraged - gordilocks@protonmail.com