Podcasts about te huia

Change is coming to the Auckland-Hamilton train, Te Huia, which will no longer stop at Papakura. The train will instead call into Pukekohe, in a move to improve efficiency for North Waikato residents. Waikato Regional Councillor Angela Strange talks to Mike Hosking about the change. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission has released its report into an incident in June 2023, when the Te Huia passenger train blew past a stop signal near Penrose Station. The Commission's chief investigator of accidents Naveen Kozhuppakalam spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Georgie Dansey from the TRON (regional travel by rail) advocacy group talks about Te Huia's stay of execution - and where to from here.

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from Monday on Newstalk ZB) Rent Is Not a Dirty Word/Why Are We Paying for Such a Sad Train?/We Can Love Both Codes Equally/There Goes the Neighborhood/What's a Phonebook?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Monday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) Can You Tell Us What it Is?/How Qualified Do You Need to Be?/Sad Train Gets Sadder/More Unfounded Hype/Never Quote ConfuciusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NZTA/Waka Kotahi chief executive Nicole Rosie speaks to Lisa Owen about the funding of the Te Huia train service.

Te Huia, the Waikato to Auckland commuter train will continue to be funded by NZTA at reduced rate.   Waikato councils will soon be deciding how they will help fund the Te Huia train service between Hamilton and Auckland.   NZTA's committed around 12 million dollars from the National Land Transport fund to extend the service until April 2026.  NZTA Chief Executive Nicole Rosie told Heather du Plessis Allan “The service is slightly under its passenger numbers, and punctuality.”  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Highlight Reel, as the excitement over the aurora faded the Government announced details of how they will deal to gangs. Si & James asked how gangs have affected your life and got some interesting stories.  A big focus on transport this week with a suggestion the Cook Strait ferry service should be sold off. Plus the boys debate the validity of the Te Huia commuter train service between Hamilton and Auckland. Rowena Duncum from The Country gave her thoughts as Fonterra looks to sell key brands like Anchor, Mainland and Kapiti. Simon had a difficult drive to work, and James and producer Tyler had no time for his woes -  they told him his driving sucks! Plus they discuss the new portrait of King Charles, and Simon tells us about going school uniform shopping with his grandson Monty. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, it's D-day for Te Huia. Today's the day that NZTA has met and has decided whether or not to keep funding the train past the end of June. Unless NZTA gives them more money, it's all over by the first of July.And come on, it's gotta be all over right? Because the case for this thing has never actually stacked up.We subsidise every single passenger on that train to the tune of at least $92 per trip. Compare that to the other commuter train that runs in the North Island between Palmerston North and Wellington, the Capital Connection. The subsidy there is $26 per passenger, that's almost a quarter.80,000 are estimated to catch Te Huia this year. By contrast, it's 110,000 for the Capital train. Can you explain to me how fewer people are catching a train into Auckland, a considerably bigger city?Because why would you? You can do that trip on the train from Hamilton to Auckland, it takes 2 hours and 40 minutes. Or you can jump in your car and travel for 2 hours - it doesn't make any sense. The train only runs a couple of times a day for half the week, and then three times a day for the other half. And it doesn't even stop at massive commuter suburbs on the way to Auckland, like Pokeno.It's gotta go. It's an expensive, ineffective service.But this is not a criticism of the idea of a train between Hamilton and Auckland, that is a great idea. If we had a proper train running, it would mean we could take Pokeno, Tuakau, Pukeohe, Bombay and Mercer's traffic all off the motorway and encourage more people to live in those less expensive places - and maybe even move to Hamilton.But we've got to do it properly. It's got to be faster than a car, it's got to stop at the right places where people live and it's got to run more frequently.I'm certain that if it was done properly, many more people would use it.So killing Te Huia is not killing a great idea, it's just killing the poor execution of a great idea. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, it's D-day for Te Huia. Today's the day that NZTA has met and has decided whether or not to keep funding the train past the end of June. Unless NZTA gives them more money, it's all over by the first of July.And come on, it's gotta be all over right? Because the case for this thing has never actually stacked up.We subsidise every single passenger on that train to the tune of at least $92 per trip. Compare that to the other commuter train that runs in the North Island between Palmerston North and Wellington, the Capital Connection. The subsidy there is $26 per passenger, that's almost a quarter.80,000 are estimated to catch Te Huia this year. By contrast, it's 110,000 for the Capital train. Can you explain to me how fewer people are catching a train into Auckland, a considerably bigger city?Because why would you? You can do that trip on the train from Hamilton to Auckland, it takes 2 hours and 40 minutes. Or you can jump in your car and travel for 2 hours - it doesn't make any sense. The train only runs a couple of times a day for half the week, and then three times a day for the other half. And it doesn't even stop at massive commuter suburbs on the way to Auckland, like Pokeno.It's gotta go. It's an expensive, ineffective service.But this is not a criticism of the idea of a train between Hamilton and Auckland, that is a great idea. If we had a proper train running, it would mean we could take Pokeno, Tuakau, Pukeohe, Bombay and Mercer's traffic all off the motorway and encourage more people to live in those less expensive places - and maybe even move to Hamilton.But we've got to do it properly. It's got to be faster than a car, it's got to stop at the right places where people live and it's got to run more frequently.I'm certain that if it was done properly, many more people would use it.So killing Te Huia is not killing a great idea, it's just killing the poor execution of a great idea. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The future of the Waikato to Auckland passenger train service Te Huia will be decided on Thursday when the Transport Agency meets in Auckland. Reporter Libby Kirkby-McLeod spoke to Corin Dann.

A petition calling on the Government to fund the Te Huia rail service past the end of June has reached more than a thousand signatures in its first week. Campaign for Better Transport convener Jodi Johnston spoke to Corin Dann.

Doctors are Worried...  Top 6: Te Huia  Silly Little Poll!  Vaughan's Washing Machine  What's Ya Jobby??  Fact of the Day Day Day Day Daaaaay!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The passenger train Te Huia is on track to miss its targets for passenger numbers but the council in charge of it says that won't tell the whole story. Libby Kirkby-McLeod reports.

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all.    Julie-Anne Genter: 0/10  She's unhinged.    James Shaw: 7/10  Badly let down by a narcissist who stole the headlines by being unhinged.    Pay rises: 5/10  When it comes to MPs and money you can't win. Some are brilliant and some are liabilities, but the pay structure doesn't take that into account, hence you have what you have.    Martin Freeman: 7/10  Truth to power. He's no longer a vegetarian after he discovered the meat alternatives weren't actually that flash for you, reminding us that when you read the label it's often a lot different to the marketing.    Fast track: 7/10  It's depressing to watch the people who whine about actually getting on with stuff.    Premium economy: 7/10  A 19% increase in sales at the front of the plane. What cost of living crisis?    Te Huia: 2/10  $500 a seat subsidisation. It's the premium economy of public transport.    LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Friday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) Or We Could Talk Mortgages and Insurance/Mark the Week/The View from Hamilton/When Conspiracy Theories Collide/That ReportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Thursday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) At Least She's Passionate/Shaw, Not So Much/Angst Over the Media's Angst Over Media Angst/Suck It, Oldies/Trains Come at a PriceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's hope that the Te Huia train service from Hamilton to Auckland is on track for more funding after July. An interim performance assessment of the past two years shows increased demand with targets for 250 passengers a day on weekdays and 100 on the weekend being achieved. It's also meeting its net emissions goal 80 percent of the time. Waikato regional councillor Angela Strange says the service has been exceeding established targets. "What the report doesn't show is that since we've added new services, we're smashing those targets out of the room." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Matt Heath from Radio Hauraki and Jack Tame From ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! New reports show the Hamilton-Auckland Te Huia train service is meeting all its targets. Does this mean the Government should keep funding it? How long can the service last? The Government has scrapped a Bill designed to regulate property managers, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop blaming the added costs to property managers and marginal benefits. Do residential property managers need more regulations? Advocacy group Grey Power is calling for changes to elderly driver assessments, claiming the current process penalises licence holders in most need. Is this fair? What do we think? LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman and panellists Allan Blackman and Nalini Baruch discuss a possibly early end for the Te Huia train's trial period and the shocking finds at a recent beach clean-up in Dunedin.

Georgie Dansey, spokesperson for Te Huia, joins Gary Farrow in the studio to discuss the future of the Hamilton to Auckland passenger rail service, ahead of the public meeting at The Ramada By Wyndham, 287 Victoria St, Hamilton Central on 4th May 2024 at 2.30pm.

The pressure is on the rail service Te Huia, which runs between Auckland and Hamilton. The government says it's one of the most heavily subsidised public transport services in the country - and that's got to change. But, as RNZ Waikato reporter, Libby Kirkby-McLeod reports, Te Huia is far from costing the most in subsidies.

A couple of fun facts that weren't covered in the Government's transport plan, given we all got exercised about registrations and fuel taxes.  The Road to Zero has been dumped as part of it. And the Te Huia train is under review.  You can add these two projects to the Labour Government's litany of shambles that, essentially, came to nothing.  The poverty figures that went backwards, the Fees Free programme that got no one they wanted into university and now Road to Zero, surely the stupidest of titles, finally put out of its misery.  In fact, is Road to Zero as stupid as Let's Get Wellington Moving? It's a close-run thing.  But like Road to Zero, Let's Get Wellington Moving didn't work either. You've never seen such a lavish array of hot air and thought bubbles getting enacted at such a price.  Te Huia is a classic New Zealand story. At its heart, on a piece of paper, the concept of shuffling people between Hamilton and Auckland is not the end of the world.  But in typical fashion, at the start it didn't stop in Auckland, it stopped out of Auckland. Then you had to change trains or get a bus. Then it ran red lights and got pulled.  Then no one used it, and when they used it a bit, it turned out they used it on weekends. So it turned into a touristy "let's visit Auckland on a Saturday" sort of thing.  All the while it was losing money hand over fist. Last time we talked about it they were expanding the number of services. Normally you expand the number of services because of demand, but not Te Huia. No, they just expanded it for the sake of it.  $90 per person per trip is what we all pay for this folly.  As for the Road to Zero, it isn't at zero and it's not close to zero. It will never be at zero and as the agency who oversees this stuff announced just this week, they are now looking at recidivist behaviour to see if it's a hard core who are causing all the trouble on the roads.  Small hint - it is. It's like crime, it's a handful of troublemakers causing the issues, so all that advertising about seatbelts and speed and drinking never hit the mark, because the mark doesn't care.  The big question is the longer-term issue. By the time this Government undoes all the nutty stuff, will there be anything left at all of the Labour Government of 2017-23?  And if there isn't, how bad in the annals of history does that make them? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all.    The short week: 7/10  Who doesn't love a day off during the week? Ask the folk at Perpetual Guardian.  Shane Jones: 7/10  My political hero of the week. Read his piece in the NZ Herald over Waitangi and overreach and rewriting history. He speaks for many of us with the advantage he can actually do something about it.  In the Wings: 7/10  New documentary on Liam Lawson. Have a watch and see what hard work and dedication and talent can get you and a reminder than we have among us many a great, young talent.  The benefit modelling: 1/10  Shock of the week. I can't honestly be the only one who didn't have a clue. The average jobseeker time is 13 years. What sort of life is that and what sort of country allows it?  Crime: 7/10  Good week for regular Kiwis. Cultural reports gone and discounting of sentences limited. Any day a policy is driven by common sense is a good day.  Te Huia: 3/10  Turns out that's another misrepresentation. The new journeys are not demand driven, but merely yet more cost on a train that is haemorrhaging money and where tickets cover 3% of the actual cost and the ratepayers pony up the rest.  The Superbowl: 8/10  Forget the fact I love the NFL - the people who run rugby here should look at what the NFL do and work out why the NFL is enjoying such growth and rugby isn't.    LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we explore a kōrero between two people about a movie.Episode dialogue:Hēmi: Kei te haere māua ko Te Huia ki te mātaki kiriata ā te po nei. Kei te hia haere mai koe?Āpera: Ko tēhea kiriata?Hēmi: Ko Ngā Kēmu Hiakai.Āpera: Kua kitea kētia tērā. Haere kōrua.Hēmi: He pēwhea?Āpera: Te mutunga kē mai nei o te maroke! Kāore i roa e mātakitaki ana, ka warea ahau e te moe.Hēmi: Nō reira, me pēwhea koe e mōhio ai i pērā rawa te maroke mehemea i warea koe e te moe?Āpera: E hoa, ki te kore ahau e whakamīharo atu i te haurua hāora tuatahi o te kiriata, he tohu tērā kāore te kiriata e eke.Hēmi: Ānō nei he mātanga arotake kiriata koe. Heoi anō, mā māua e whakatau mehemea he pai, kāore rānei. E noho rā.Āpera: Haere rā.The Everyday Māori Podcast is supported by Te Mātāwai as a part of its contribution to Maihi Māori - Kia ūkaipō anō te reo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The passenger train between Hamilton and Auckland is increasing off-peak services.   Beginning today, Te Huia will have a third service on Thursdays and Fridays, where demand has been the highest.   There will also be a second return service on Saturdays.   Waikato Regional Councillor Angela Strange told Mike Hosking that she hears from Waikato people who are excited about the inter-regional service.  She says the extra services mean people can go up or down for a half day.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions continue to be raised about Waka Kotahi's approach to safety issues, after RNZ reported that despite being aware other passenger trains were running red lights, the agency only sanctioned the Auckland to Hamilton service, Te Huia. Six of those eight safety incidents happened in Wellington. Also, Libby discusses Kmart becoming the first business to open a distribution centre at New Zealand's biggest inland port, the Ruakura Superhub.

It's been revealed that Waka Kotahi knew of eight passenger trains running red lights last year, but only Te Huia was sanctioned In July Waka Kotahi said the particular circumstances of Te Huia's breaches meant the risk posed was different. Waikato Regional Council's Angela Strange is questioning that. Waka Kotahi was invited on the show this morning but declined to comment further. Strange spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

RNZ Waikato reporter Libby Kirkby-McLeod discusses passenger train Te Huia, which is back up and running its full route from Hamilton to Auckland after a temporary halt due to safety concerns. And the latest on fresh sightings of Tom Phillips, who has been missing with his three children for more than a year. Also, Ngati Apakura, is a hapu near Te Awamutu, is is harvesting off their traditional land again after 160 years - it's now pushing to reconcile the impacts and harm caused by the Crown's attack on Rangiaowhia.

The ban is over and Te Huia, the train service running between Hamilton and Auckland, is allowed back into central Auckland. Te Huia has only carried passengers as far as Papakura instead of The Strand in Parnell since mid-July after trains ran two stop signals. Waikato Regional Council member Angela Strange spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Te Huia train service returns to central Auckland this morning after temporarily being banned. It's not been allowed on tracks in Auckland City after failing to stop for two red lights this year. To celebrate its return, free tickets will be available. Waikato Regional Council Deputy Chair Angela Strange says a system has now been installed which will stop the train if it passes a red light. She told Mike Hosking that a more comprehensive solution will take a while. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A passenger train banned from downtown Auckland due to safety concerns after it ran two red lights, has been given the go ahead to return to the CBD from August 7th. Waka Kotahi slapped Te Huia, the Hamilton to Auckland train, with a prohibition order after two different drivers crashed stop signs on the network in two separate incidents; in one case another commuter train was forced to stop to avoid a potential collision. Since then Te Huia has been stopping more than 3km from the CBD at Papakura. As a condition of reentry into the city, the Transport Agency had said the train needed to be fitted with a specific sophisticated electronic control system that monitors the train in real time and can slow or take control of it. That hasn't happened but Waka Kotahi Director of Land Transport Neil Cook, explains they have reached an agreement on safety measures. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6331910711112

The resumption of train services between Auckland and Hamilton is being marked as an 'excellent outcome'. Waka Kotahi has lifted its ban on Te Huia trains entering metro Auckland, accepting Kiwirail's alternative safety proposals. Trains will again be able to continue into The Strand in Parnell from August 7. Waikato Regional Councillor Angela Strange says there'll be free fares for a week when it returns. She says it's to acknowledge the disruption to passengers. "So we've costed that investment at around $12,000 for the whole week, which is pretty small given the total running costs." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hamilton to Auckland rail connection is back in the news for all the wrong reasons.  The Te Huia service has been banned from entering the Auckland metro area after the driver ran red lights.  The service has been forced to terminate at Papakura while KiwiRail fits new safety technology on the train.  It comes just weeks after a new report was released encouraging more investment in regional rail in the North Island. But if this one service is still having basic woes two years into its operation, what hope is there for other networks?  To address these concerns, Damien is joined by consultant Roger Blakeley, who recently chaired the Future is Rail conference, to discuss the challenges facing rail. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VenutoProducer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rail union is calling the ban slapped on Te Huia an "unjustified reaction". The Hamilton to Auckland train service has been banned from the Auckland metro area, because of two incidents of running red light signals. Waka Kotahi says the train must be fitted with the European Train Control system before it can be allowed back into the suburban passenger network. Kiwirail says it would take up to two years to design, install and test the system. Rail and Maritime Transport Union General Secretary Todd Valster spoke to Susana Leiátaua. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6331329878112

KiwiRail has almost completed an investigation into a train driver crashing a red light in an incident that's led to a passenger train service being barred from downtown Auckland due to safety concerns. Waka Kotahi slapped the ban on the Auckland to Hamilton service Te Huia, after different drivers blasted through red lights, two separate times. The most serious failing was a driver ignoring a stop signal near Penrose which the transport agency says could have caused a collision with another passenger train. The other incident was north of Hamilton. Waka Kotahi is now demanding Kiwirail install a specific train safety control system on Te Huia before it's welcomed back into downtown Auckland. Kiwirail chief executive, Peter Reidy, spoke to Lisa Owen. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6331035911112

The red light running train service from Hamilton to Auckland can't enter Auckland City until it sorts out its safety protocols. Instead of finishing up in Parnell, its final destination is now Papakura, more than 30km from the city. We sent reporter Tom Taylor trainspotting to see how it's affected passengers.

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all.   Sam Cane: 6/10 Tricky call this. No, he shouldn't have done it. But, then having done it I don't think anyone would begrudge him sending a message to an idiot. But then the mistake was the apology and the All Blacks gear. When the All Blacks are out-woking the woke, the world is upside down.   The Warriors: 8/10 That Parramatta Eels thrashing is as good as a turmeric shot and olive leaf extract in winter.   Te Huia: 2/10 In all honesty, pull the pin. It loses money, it's slower than a car, no one uses it and it can't stop at red lights.   The back up plane for the Prime Minister: 2/10 BS of the week part one. "Nothing to see here, we do it all the time." Oh, whoops, no we don't.   RATs: 2/10 BS of the week part two. We first don't know where they are, oh wait, yes we do and a lot of them are no longer of any use. By the way, it cost half a billion dollars for nothing. Then they go and defend it!   Wine: 8/10 $2.3 billion in income to the country. I'll drink to that.   Shane van Gisbergen: 9/10 What he did in America will never be recognised by the likes of a Halberg. But it really was that good.   Threads: 7/10 At 100 million members and growing you can't say it isn't a successful start-up.   LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEWSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

KiwiRail's CEO says they've taken all the necessary steps to prevent future safety issues. Waikato regional councillor Angela Strange hasn't ruled out seeking financial compensation following KiwiRail prohibiting Te Huia from operating in Auckland. CEO Peter Reidy says the train's failure to obey red signals on two occasions is a safety issue that needs correcting. "Because rails are connected to a system, if a train goes through a red signal, the whole system shuts down. So all train movements that could result in a train stop- there was no risk to passengers. However, it's a serious incident."  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hamilton to Auckland train service, Te Huia, has been banned from entering Auckland city due to dangerous driving. Waka Kotahi's issued a prohibition notice effective immediately after drivers on the passenger train crashed red signal lights on two occasions. In one case triggering a safety protocol which halted another passenger train that could have collided with Te Huia. Investigations are underway after Kiwirail reported the safety breaches. From this afternoon Te Huia will have to stop at Papakura station and passengers will have to bus into the city. Waka Kotahi director of Land transport, Neil Cook, explains what happened. Meanwhile Kiwirail says there will be replacement buses in and out of Auckland central to Papakura at no charge to Te Huia passengers this week, but after that, commuters will have to cover the cost. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6330960910112

Transport agency Waka Kotahi says one of the Te Huia trains that crossed a red light could have crashed into a busy commuter train. The rail service connecting Waikato and Auckland has been caught running at least two stop signals. Now, it's banned from entering Auckland's central area. Passengers have to get off in Papakura and catch a bus if they want to go into town. Operator KiwiRail declined to be interviewed this morning. Waka Kotahi director of land transport Neil Cook spoke to Corin Dann.

Waikato Regional Council is bitterly disappointed that Te Huia trains are now forbidden from entering Auckland. Transport agency Waka Kotahi has banned Te Huia from operating north of Papakura after train drivers twice ran red lights in the last three weeks. The most serious was a driver ignoring a stop signal near Penrose which Waka Kotahi says could have resulted in the train crashing into another one. Operator KiwiRail declined to come on the programme this morning. Waikato Regional Councillor Angela Strange spoke to Charlotte Cook.

Transport agency Waka Kotahi has banned the Te Huia train from entering central Auckland city after train drivers twice ran red lights in the last three weeks. An immediate prohibition notice was issued on the Hamilton to Auckland service following the incidents. Passengers must now stop at Papakura on Auckland's southern outskirts and catch a replacement bus to and from the city. RNZ reporter Jordan Dunn spoke to Charlotte Cook from Papakura railway station.

The Hamilton-Auckland Te Huia train service will no longer be travelling into Parnell. The temporary ban follows two incidents where the train driver has failed to obey a red signal and has entered a section of track where there is the potential for conflict with another rail service. These incidents were reported by Waka Kotahi leading to the issuing of a prohibition notice to KiwiRail, preventing Te Huia from entering the Auckland metro area. Waikato Regional Councillor Angela Strange joined the Mike Hosking Breakfast. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Te Huia rail service that runs from Hamilton to Auckland has been banned from travelling north of Papakura. This follows multiple incidents of Kiwirail train drivers failing to obey signals, putting the train at risk of collision.  The Public Transport Users Association's Jon Reeves says this move will just encourage more commuters back into cars. "Who wants to get on a bus in a traffic jam in peak time around Auckland to get into Parnell? This is just going to kill it." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all.   Ginny Andersen: 2/10 It would have been zero if it hadn't been for her appearance on the show, at last admitting crime was actually up and it's not all reporting.   Adrian Orr: 6/10 Because if he's right, and that's still up in the air, 5.5 percent and possibly no recession is not actually a bad result.   Christopher Luxon: 6/10 Backing out of the housing density deal is the right thing to do. Politicians don't like climb-downs, but climbing down is better than forging ahead with a dumb idea.   Mānuka honey: 4/10 It's a lot of lawyers, a lot of time, a lot of money - and they keep losing. Maybe, just maybe, manuka honey isn't actually exclusively ours.     Hawkes Bay: 7/10 When you are dancing with Bordeaux and Napa in terms of wine, it's a reminder than if you do it right, we are as good as anyone, anywhere.   Te Huia: 3/10 It seems an odd thing to do to take an abject, transportation failure and then ask if it can be hopeless in Tauranga as well.   Phillip Schofield: 6/10 Of all the people of late that have been cancelled, I feel sorry for him most of all. Falling out with a friend shouldn't lead to a shafting. And then you've got to ask what sort of friend does that anyway.   Ratings: 8/10 Big numbers out yesterday for the radio industry and another record audience for this show. We are number one in every town and city now - bar Northland.     Northland: 4/10 Come on Northland. Do you really want to be the odd one out?   LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEWSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hamilton-Auckland train has now hauled 100,000 passengers since it began. Jennifer Nickel, chair of the Climate Action Committee at Waikato Regional Council, talks about it with Free FM's Gary Farrow.

A shortage of train drivers is preventing the expansion of passenger services between Hamilton and Auckland. The train driver shortage, as well as a holdup obtaining safety compliance, means additional non-peak services on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays probably won't be introduced until at least June, 2024. It had been hoped they would be rolled out in October last year. The Waīkato Regional Transport Committee deputy chair Angela Strange, spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Greens say the problems dogging Te Huia shouldn't stop us from expanding the regional rail network. The Transport and Infrastructure Select Committee is taking public submissions, as part of an inquiry into the country's passenger rail network. Newstalk ZB has revealed Te Huia, the recently launched Hamilton to Auckland rail service, has been plagued with low passenger numbers and other issues. But Greens Transport spokesperson Julie Ann-Genter told Mike Hosking future services will be faster and more frequent. She does it's too early to judge Te Huia as it takes time for people to plan their lives around a new service. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National leader needs to move on and stop using Te Huia as a political football.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to the He Ara Oranga: Report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction, while the prevalence of mental distress among Māori is almost 50% higher than among non-Māori, Māori are 30% more likely than other ethnic groups to have their mental illness undiagnosed. Dedicated to changing these staggering statistics is this week's guest Jean Te Huia - a mother, grandmother, wife, sister, and woman extremely proud of her Māori heritage. As one of 9 children, Jean left school at age 16 with minimal education in 1973 and went into nursing, boarding at a nursing home in Hastings with other nursing students. She was 1 of only 5 Māori nursing students in a class of 30 students. Over the years, Jean completed a Bachelor of Nursing and midwifery training. She has been a midwife and registered nurse for over 30 years. After completing midwifery training, Jean became the founder of CHOICES, a Māori Service Provider, in 1995. CHOICES services today include Kaupapa Māori birthing, pre-school early childcare, sexual and reproductive health care, school-based nursing, health promotion and screening, counselling and prisoner re-integration and rehabilitation. They have over 80 staff and contract to the government and provide free nursing services to our Māori communities. Jean believes the real cause of Indigenous problems is colonisation, and that as a result, Indigenous peoples of Aotearoa continue to suffer with higher statistics proof in an over-representation in prisons, mental health institutes, dead and dying, homelessness and poverty. This, Jean believes, is a direct result of the failure of the New Zealand Government to respond positively and appropriately to Indigenous needs. Join me this week as Jean and I discuss the impact of colonisation and how it changed the way of life for Māori people in Aotearoa.

Midweek Mediawatch - Colin Peacock talks to Karyn Hay about an Aussie politician whose ‘Google it, mate' riposte to a reporter's ‘gotcha' question struck a chord recently - and the otherwise invisible (so far) Aussie election. Also: how some media seized on an off-the-cuff comment on public transport - and dumped on the Te Huia train.

Midweek Mediawatch - Colin Peacock talks to Karyn Hay about an Aussie politician whose ‘Google it, mate' riposte to a reporter's ‘gotcha' question struck a chord recently - and the otherwise invisible (so far) Aussie election. Also: how some media seized on an off-the-cuff comment on public transport - and dumped on the Te Huia train.

National Party leader Christopher Luxon says he does support public transport subsidies, after making conflicting comments yesterday. On Tuesday he told media public transport needed to stand on it's own feet, and that he did not support subsidising it. On Morning Report on Wednesday, Luxon specified the National Party supported current subsidies, but didn't support slow public transport investments like the Te Huia train from Hamilton to Auckland. "What I was trying to say yesterday was that what we're not up for is subsidising white elephant public transport projects, like a slow train from Hamilton to Auckland." Luxon says the party is broadly support of the Government's three-month discount on public transport fares, but doesn't expect the discount to be the main driver of increased use.

The question for those who supported Te Huia and still do, is just what is it you expect to happen to turn around the atrocious figures as laid bare in the Chamber of Commerce report into the train's so far disastrous start?   The one change is that the train gets a bit closer to Auckland itself than it originally did. That just leads to the question, why didn't you do that from the start?  Or why didn't you delay the start until you could do it? You don't need five years to work out whether it works or not. The reason they give it five years is it gives them breathing space to offer excuses in the hope of a miracle. It is yet another example of money we don't have funnelled out on ideological nonsense any 12-year-old could see was never going to get off the ground. A trip that costs more and is slower than the car is dead from day one. Dead from day one in theory as well as reality, in other words you didn't even need to take the next step. You are offering a lesser, more expensive, and a slower option to an issue that many would argue doesn't even exist. The assumption, of course, being that even if the train could get you to Auckland itself, you somehow get yourself about the place at no cost. Another fanciful proposition. The reduction in carbon emissions can be improved if the passenger numbers rise. That's a big if. So all you are left with, if you think about it, is time. Somehow magically time, and time alone, will make people take a train. The train won't change and the speed won't change. I suppose they could make it free and have all of us pay for it, so at least the cost would drop. By the way, don't rule that out. Russ Rimmington, the Regional Council head, stood next to those public transport geniuses Michael Wood and Jacinda Ardern on the day of launch, was asked what they would do if it didn't work. He said "we'll give tickets away." Maybe he knew it wouldn't work and was pre-announcing already signed of policy under the guise of a joke? We just thought it was a joke. And as it potentially turns out, a joke that's on us. The trick now is not to, as is so often the trait of this sort of thinking, leadership, and governance, to dig in and bury your head. The trick is to be honest, accept you were wrong, and pull the pin. Some of us saw it from the start, for some it took the report, but it's the same thing, ultimately. A bad idea that didn't work, never will, so cut your losses.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Transport Minister says Covid-19 disruptions have affected the Hamilton to Auckland train service.  A report for the Waikato Chamber of Commerce found including the subsidy, it costs more than driving.  It also found on the assumption of one person per vehicle, the carbon emissions are higher per person taking the train.  Transport Minister Michael Wood told Mike Hosking it needs time for people to get used to it and try it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Transport Minister says Covid-19 disruptions have affected the Hamilton to Auckland train service.  A report for the Waikato Chamber of Commerce found including the subsidy, it costs more than driving.  It also found on the assumption of one person per vehicle, the carbon emissions are higher per person taking the train.  Transport Minister Michael Wood told Mike Hosking it needs time for people to get used to it and try it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the expensive train trial that's totally off the rails according to a new report. Less than a year since its launch, the Hamilton to Auckland train Te Huia is facing a damning review from the Waikato Chamber of Commerce. It claims the train is using an "extravagant" amount of government funding to keep running; with taxpayers subsidising each passenger to the tune of $282, based on the number of travellers onboard in 2021. Waikato Regional Council Chairman Russ Rimmington talks to Lisa Owen.

The Waikato Chamber of Commerce is concerned the Hamilton to Auckland train service is financially and environmentally worse than driving.A report for the chamber shows per trip driving costs $48 compared to $294 on Te Huia which includes the $12 fare and a $282 subsidy.Based on the assumption of one person per vehicle, carbon emissions are 20kg per person driving and 31.5kg per person on the train.Chamber Chief Executive Don Good told Mike Hosking it will likely become a topic in local body elections this year.“I would suggest to them that they've got this year to make it happen, after which some very strong questions need to be asked.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Te Huia is getting back on track. The Hamilton to Auckland train service can now go directly to the Strand in Parnell on weekdays instead of having to stop at Papakura. The next step is to have it go to Puhinui station to allow access to Auckland Airport. It won't be able to go to Britomart Station. Rail Governance Group Chair Hugh Vercoe told Heather du Plessis-Allan it's understandable. “They don't really think that a slow diesel train coming up from the Waikato coming into their network is a great asset to have”. LISTEN ABOVE 

An investigation is underway after two carriages broke away from the main train on a kiwi rail commuter service between Auckland and Hamilton. The Te Huia service was between Paerata heading toward Pukekohe in an 80km/h zone on Monday evening when without warning it pulled apart - causing the emergency brakes to lock on. No one was hurt. Kiley O'Meara was on board one of the two breakaway carriages. Services were temporarily suspended, but are expected to be back to normal on Wednesday. In the meantime KiwiRail is trying to work out how and why the train split mid trip. KiwiRail's acting chief operating officer Walter Rushbrook describes what happened.  

➡️ Introducing Hads Te Huia who is originally from the West Coast of New Zealand and the Founder of BomblifeNZ which encourages followers to live the Bomblife! Hads wasn't planned and his father wasn't impressed with his arrival because he didn't believe that he was his.

It's arguably the little train that couldn't. Couldn't quite get into the main commuter hub in Auckland CBD. But it does appear to be edging closer. The controversial Te Huia train from Hamilton to Auckland currently only goes as far as Papakura, where people have to change services, taking about another hour to actually get into the city. But from later this month, on Saturdays, Te Huia will head right the way into Auckland. It will however be going to the Strand station, where there is no connecting transport. Councillor Hugh Vercoe, from Te Huia's governance group, explains why it's only a once a week offer.  

NZ Herald journalist and podcaster Frances Cook joins Jesse to review the Te Huia train service.

A school holiday spike has Te Huia's backers saying the service is going great guns. But the standard weekday numbers paint a different picture. Our reporter Nick Truebridge has the story.

For the last 12 years, Kiwibank has supported the Local Hero Award, acknowledging the people making a difference to New Zealand communities. In this bonus episode of When the Facts Change, The Spinoff's business editor Michael Andrew talks with Shannon Te Huia, the 2021 Kiwibank Local Hero of the Year. Shannon established Pūniu River Care in 2015, a marae-based initiative designed to improve water quality and biodiversity by planting trees along the banks of the Pūniu river in the Waikato. He talks about where the idea came from, how he grew it into a viable project and what the award means to him and means for the project.Read more: https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/01-04-2021/kaitiakitanga-in-action-how-one-man-saved-his-awa/When the Facts Change is brought to you by The Spinoff Podcast Network together with Kiwibank. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If you think the new fast train that isn't fast between Hamilton and Papakura is a joke, you've got good company. Patrick Reynolds, who sits on the board of Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, the very organisation that pumped $80 million into the train, he agrees with you. Over the weekend, Reynolds tweeted that the service was the “worst of both worlds” and it is “[v]ery hard to see how it will attract much ridership”, until the train goes faster.Now that is a damning assessment coming from a Waka Kotahi board member.  It says a lot that Reynolds has since deleted that tweet, gone to ground, and the chair of the board, Sir Brian Roche, has apparently also gone to ground on it.What makes it even more damning is the fact that Reynolds is normally such a fan of public transport that he often seems to defend even terrible public transport ideas - but this is evidently so bad even he can't defend it.So let's once and for all understand what's wrong here. The problem is the train goes too slowly to be a commuter train.It's too slow for two reasons according to the guys at the Campaign for Better Transport: the track can't support a fast train, and as it's on the same track as every other Auckland train, meaning it has to stop, it can't be an express service.  The solution is actually to build another track that allows a train to go fast, and allows it to be express from Hamilton to Auckland at 160km an hour, instead of the current 100km an hour followed by a slow suburban train into the city.What's gone wrong is that the government decided that the best way to show that they care about public transport between cities was to throw $100 million at a slow train almost no one will use, instead of investing in the infrastructure we need now and will need in the future which will actually give us a proper fast train people might use. This is money wasted on looking like you're doing something when you're doing nothing, and if even Patrick Reynolds calls you out for how bad your slow train is, then it's really bad.

An ex-Green MP says there's no harm in having a conversation about the party's leadership - and is urging other political stripes to have it too.It comes amid reports the Greens are set to look at whether their co-leadership model of one women and one guy - is fit for purpose.Catherine Delahunty says the original plan was based on gender balance - but we now need a non-binary approach.She told Heather du Plessis-Allan it's also about who will bring a radical edge to issues.Delahunty says the fact that they're having the conversation is a good thing - and other political parties should consider having more than one leader too.Meanwhile, the fashion world looks to be entering into the early stages of a new denim cycle.The boss of Levi's Jeans says they're noticing more consumers opting for loose-fitting denim over the tighter fit.Auckland stylist Caitlin Taylor told Mike Hosking she believes the pandemic has played a contributing role in this change.She says people became very used to wearing comfortable clothes during lockdown.Listen above as Ben Thomas and Shane Te Pou discuss the day's news with Heather du Plessis-Allan on The Huddle

Colin Peacock looks at the Prime Minister's radio chat this morning with Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking, the media coverage of the maiden trip of the Hamilton to Auckland train Te Huia, and the shortcomings of Wellington's bus system.