Podcasts about Waikato

A development in the Middle East, with US President Donald Trump turning on a key US ally. He’s threatened to bomb Oman if it interferes in the Strait of Hormuz. It’s all while a 60-day ceasefire with Iran expires – and officials say that there’s been very little diplomatic progress to reopen the key waterway. So, why is Trump lashing out at a key ally? What does this latest stalemate mean for the rest of us? And at this point, what is and should be the US’ main priority? Today on The Front Page, University of Waikato international law professor Al Gillespie is with us to break it all down. 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: Chelsea DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane YeeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonathan has the latest on a long running neighbour dispute involving a container, and more. 

A new social supermarket opening today in Hamilton hopes to ease chronic food insecurity. The supermarket is run by charitable organisation Tamariki Tu Tamariki Ora and will allow struggling families to fill their pantries free of charge. Chief executive of Tamariki Tu Tamariki Ora, Jaye Wainui, spoke to John Campbell

Health New Zealand is urging the country to brush up on the symptoms of meningococcal disease after it caused the death of a young adult in Waikato. National Public Health Service clinical director of protection Dr Susan Jack spoke to John Campbell.

The uncertain economic environment could be the reason for climbing unemployment and declining job ads. The latest Seek data shows job ads fell 0.8 percent last month, the third consecutive month of decline. It suggests conditions remain strongest in the South Island, while centres like Auckland, Wellington, and Waikato face greater headwinds. Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold says the labour market has not emerged unscathed from the Iran war. "Perhaps at the start of the year, they were looking forward to a much better year, but business confidence really got buffeted around the last three or four months." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The uncertain economic environment could be the reason for climbing unemployment and declining job ads. The latest Seek data shows job ads fell 0.8 percent last month, the third consecutive month of decline. It suggests conditions remain strongest in the South Island, while centres like Auckland, Wellington, and Waikato face greater headwinds. Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold says the labour market has not emerged unscathed from the Iran war. "Perhaps at the start of the year, they were looking forward to a much better year, but business confidence really got buffeted around the last three or four months." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A predecessor of Chris Luxon is unconcerned about his non-emergency use of Defence Force aircraft. Luxon's justifying taking dozens of military domestic flights this term - including twice between Auckland and Waikato. He says he only uses them when necessary. Former Prime Minister Sir John Key says the aircraft are there to be used, and doing so can make practical sense at virtually no cost. "The pilot is already being paid for by the Air Force, the plane is being depreciated whether he uses it or not - in fact, actually, if you don't fly them, then their parts just get ripped out, unused." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a motorhead's paradise in the Waikato this weekend as thousands of enthusiasts from different vehicle scenes attend the Chrome Horsepower Festival. Festival organiser Azhar Bhamji spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Jonathan talks about the recent cold and how the local zoo has been helping the animals, the central business district gets its first playground, parking wardens resort to cameras to cover all the local schools, Hamilton's amalgamation plans hit a speed bump and Waipa Council decides to get rid of the controversial former Te Awamutu Bunnings building.

Antonio Shalfoon is someone who is a very different person off the field than he may seem on it. Known as a bit of a grub on the field, off the field he is one of the greats and his journey to professional rugby is as inspiring as any. To start he wasn't offered his first full Super Rugby contract until the age of 26 after years of grinding away in club rugby, moving provinces to chase opportunities, and overcoming setbacks that would have made most people give up. Add to that Antonio opens up about the frightening story of being diagnosed with myocarditis, where he was told he may never play the game again. Some other parts that stood out for me in this episode were…- Hearing about the time he had a fight with a kids dad while playing Cricket- Why he got punched in the head in his first Waikato training- The scary heart condition that nearly ended his rugby career- His pathway into the Crusaders and what kept him going- His selection into the Maori All Blacks and what that mean for him- Why he's signed in Japan for next seasonAnd plenty more great yarns.Antonio is exactly the type of person you want around a rugby team. He's funny, authentic, incredibly resilient and proof that there is no single pathway to achieving your goals. This was an awesome conversation and one I know you'll enjoy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The iwi of Tauranga Moana say the recent landslides on Mt Maunganui Mauau is their mountain telling them he is not ready to accept people yet. Six slips have been recorded since the weekend, near where severe storms and record rainfall in January sent a deadly load of mud and debris into the campsite below. Work is being done to repair the tracks and give the public access to the jewel of the region, but opinions are divided on when it should be open. Waikato, Bay of Plenty reporter Rachel Moore reports.

Tania Waikato joins us LIVE to talk about her exciting and unique campaign to get people on the Māori roll before it closes next week.The Jobseeker benefit for 18 and 19 year olds is set to be cut later this year, which will affect 2700 young people that are on benefits for health and disability reasons. Louise Upston's responses when questioned in the house says it all about this Govt's priorities.Qiulae Wong answers Katie Bradford's quickfire questions on the party's stance on the main issues facing NZ. ++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

Tomorrow, the NPC finally returns for its 50th edition with the first match kicking off between Waikato and Bay of Plenty at 7 tomorrow night. This year also marks a return to free-to-air for the competition, with the hopes that it'll help build on the viewership growth the comp has seen over the past couple of seasons. Melodie Robinson is the Head of Sports and Events at TVNZ, she joined D'Arcy to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A small brewery running out of an old farmhouse in the Waikato has been crowned overall champion brewery at this year's New Zealand Beer Awards held in Dunedin. Brewer Daryl Bryant is behind Karamu Barrelworks

Ray Jah45 aka Ray Nolan is a Maori reggae singer, selecta, surfer, skater, father, occasional MMA fighter and tradesmen from the Waikato region, in New Zealand, who now resides in Cronulla, South of Sydney. You can find him here and his band, Sub-Tribe here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two part failures are to blame for a wide spread IT outage at multiple Waikato Hospitals. It left several hospitals offline for almost 12 hours, meaning they couldn't access the data centre, patient information and test results. Te Whatu Ora, Health NZ chief information technology officer Darren Douglass spoke to Lisa Owen.

There are ongoing frustrations among health staff about the multiple IT failures in hospitals this year, with the latest in multiple hospitals in Waikato on Wednesday night. Nurse Tracy Chisholm, a union delegate for the New Zealand Nurses Organisation spoke to John Campbell.

More than 120 people have died in the Waikato River since 1980. Deceptively fast currents, hidden hazards and overconfidence make it dangerous for swimmers and rescuers alike. In 2018, firefighters using jetskis for rescues felt like a game changer, until FENZ banned motorised boats for water rescues. After local backlash, a separate entity was set up to run the rescue jetskis in Waikato. Officer Karl Lapwood from the Ngaruawahia Volunteer Fire Brigade spoke to John Campbell.

New rules will soon mean that if a children's toy meets US or EU safety standards, it will be deemed compliant in New Zealand. The Government says it's a common-sense move that will ease costs for toy importers and bring New Zealand up to date with modern safety standards. It also notes it would not reduce the safety of toys sold in New Zealand. But not everyone is convinced. Hamilton mum Jessica Jordan joins Jesse to share her worries that cheap imports could put children at risk.

A prison officers union says they're battling high resignation rates, constant short staffing and an inexperienced workforce. A report into Waikato's Spring Hill prison found low staff morale, high levels of unplanned absences and almost forty percent of custodial staff had less than two years experience. Corrections Association president Floyd du Plessis spoke to Lisa Owen.

Low staff morale, no onsite drug testing for years, contraband readily available, and filthy uninhabitable parts of the jail. That's just some of the serious concerns identified at the Spring Hill Correctional Facility. A report by the Inspectorate Office, the prison watchdog, also highlights issues with staff absences, long lockdowns for inmates, inadequate meals and a prison population way over what the jail was originally designed for. Commissioner of Custodial Services for Corrections, Sean Mason spoke to Lisa Owen.

The 2026 Zanda McDonald Award winner is a highly regarded agricultural entrepreneur. At 32, he is the founder and owner of Ohinewai Harvest Ltd and Dhaliwal Ag Ltd in the Waikato, recognised for building a diverse cropping and horticultural business from the ground up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While the opening date for Auckland's long-awaited underground rail is yet to be announced, Hamilton's station below the street has been there for decades. Few Hamiltonians are even aware that inside the 344 metre tunnel beneath their feet is the country's first ever underground passenger train station. The station is now blocked off but there are fresh calls to see it re-opened. Waikato reporter Rachel Moore has more.

John and Debbie Moorby are large-scale Waikato dairy farmers and the proud parents of All Black Josh, who will make his starting debut at Eden Park tomorrow night against Ireland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Residents of Waikato surfing mecca Raglan are concerned a lack of buses is making life tough for both residents and tourists.

Now, granted, it is a long weekend - and you have every right to put your feet up and relax - but if you're worried about becoming a winter couch potato, then this might be for you. The Winter 31 Club is a 31 day yoga challenge inspired by Matariki. Katie Deare is from the Sun Salute Yoga Centre in Hamilton to talk it over.

This week Country Life takes you stargazing at a farm near Lake Tekapo, goes behind the scenes of a wool auction in Napier and is with some belching cows being measured for methane emissions at a giant barn in Waikato. You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.In this episode:0:54 - Rural News Wrap8:50 - Inside the 'animal Hilton': Pamu's methane measurement barn15:08 - Wool for sale - inside a Kells Wool auction27:22 - Stars on the farm46:10 - Garden diaries: Beneath the starsWith thanks to:Diane Karaitiana Bryant, PāmuRichard Kells, Holly Tarrant, Jess Williams, Ken Tunnicliff, Kim Asquith and Alexa CookSam Blair and Steve BergeMake sure you're following us on your favourite podcast app, so you don't miss new episodes every Friday evening.Send us your feedback or get in touch at country@rnz.co.nzGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A giant barn in Waikato features 10 feeder bins for cows to graze from freely allowing their burps to be measured for methane emissions.You can find photos and read more about the stories in this episode on our webpage, here.With thanks to:Diane Karaitiana Bryant, PāmuGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

New national guidelines are being developed for assessing and monitoring patients in emergency departments following the death of a man in the Waikato Hospital ED. Following a rapid review of the incident Health New Zealand says the death was an acute unexpected incident. Health NZ Executive National Director - Clinical, Dr Richard Sullivan spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Panel Plus An extra half hour of The Panel with Wallace Chapman, where to begin, he's joined by Nights host Susana Lei'ataua. Then: have you ever wondered how popcorn came to be? Dr Garritt Van Dyk of the University of Waikato shares the history of the cinematic snack.

Just in time for Matariki its Powtearoa episode 59!In this episode Toffer and Trickey are joined by friend of the show, and recent tournament winner, Owen! The Sunday 7s happened. the second 7s event of 2026 (soon to be more) and Owen is here to tell us all about it. We also need to mention that Waikato has gone from 0 to hero over the last few years with a league, a 7s event, a made up ranking system that puts Bobsol at the top of everything, and now a new tournament on the horizon. Owen takes us through the rules-pack for Bully Bowl!We also make mention of the current standings in the 7s series and the final outcomes for Borderlands that happened recently in Auckland.Thanks to everyone for listening in. NZ Blood Bowl continues to punch well above its weight an things are getting bigger and better all the time!!If you are not already on discord, come and join us on the NZBB Discord server here - https://tinyurl.com/joinNZBBC and please visit the NZ Blood Bowl Community FB page here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/NZBBC/ If you are not already on discord, come and join us on the NZBB Discord server here - https://tinyurl.com/joinNZBBC and please visit the NZ Blood Bowl Community FB page here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/NZBBC/ Intro music adapted from Bensound.com. Cheers Bensound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jonathan talks to Kathryn about a new pre-fab support ward for Waikato Hospital ED, and a councillor is under-fire after going ahead with footpath repairs to save money without proper sign off.

An outbreak of a highly contagious horse disease is spreading among thoroughbreds in the North Island , raising concerns about exports. Strangles is a serious bacterial infection for horses, ponies and donkeys that causes a fever and painful abscesses in the throat. The disease has been confirmed on a dozen stud farms - all but one are in Waikato and the horses have been isolated to prevent it spreading further. New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing general manager of welfare Sam Fursdon joins Lisa Owen on Checkpoint.

If there's any good that comes from this awful case of the man dying while waiting for help in Waikato Hospital's emergency department, it's that at least it's getting a lot of media attention. I don't know if you recall but basically the same thing happened in 2021 at Middlemore Hospital. It was strange to me how little attention it received at the time, especially given everything else that was going wrong. There were people waiting for ambulances and dying in their doorways. That was happening a lot. There were reports of overcrowded EDs, understaffed hospitals and all sorts of other problems. Yet, for some reason, it barely attracted any attention and I could never really explain why. Perhaps, in retrospect, it was simply that it didn't fit the narrative. It was a Labour government at the time, Jacinda Ardern was Prime Minister and the government was pouring large amounts of money into a range of areas, including hospitals. So there was no easy explanation for why these things were happening. Now, of course, it's much easier to explain: National government, austerity, therefore not enough money. There's a logical connection there, whether you agree with it or not. While I'm horrified that this has happened, at least it is getting the attention it deserves because it was predictable — and it was predicted. The problem is simple: we do not have enough nurses and doctors in our hospitals. Go into a hospital and tell me that's not true. Don't worry about the numbers that get trotted out every time we talk about this. We hear, "Oh, we've hired heaps of doctors, we've hired heaps of nurses," and so on. Numbers can be misleading. You can say you've hired two new nurses but are those nurses fulltime or part-time? If they're fulltime, then you've gained two nurses. If they're part-time, you've effectively gained one fulltime equivalent nurse. This is the kind of thing I'm told is happening at the moment. Ignore the numbers and look at what's actually happening. Waikato ED wait times are so long that the waiting room is overcrowded and people are queueing out the door. Does that look like a fully staffed department to you? No, because it isn't. And the reason I want this to get attention is that an ED is one place none of us can avoid. Rich or poor, we're all likely to end up there at some point if we need emergency medical help. It has to work. If it doesn't work, then people's lives are at risk. And the more attention that's focused on the fact that it isn't working, the greater the chance that something is actually done to fix it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Alia Bojilova is a registered psychologist with a focus on resilience. She grew up in Eastern Europe during some of the most tumultuous times in recent history before immigrating to New Zealand at age 17. During her service with the New Zealand Defense Force, she worked as the Lead Psychologist and an Officer with the SAS. While serving as a UN military observer in Syria, Alia and her team were taken hostage, and she negotiated the release of herself and her team. She holds a PhD from the University of Waikato and studied the link between curiosity and resilience in special operations forces. Since leaving the military, Alia has served as coach and advisor to leaders and teams around the world, and across a wide range of sectors, including government, venture capital, elite-level sports, corporate services, and creative industries.She's the author of The Resilience Toolkit, available on Amazon.More about Alia:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandrina-alia-bojilova/Resilience Toolkit - https://amzn.to/4fa9DZHTimestamps:00:22  Introduction to Alia Bojilova01:21 Lead Psychologist for New Zealand SAS05:35 The Link Between Curiosity and Resilience07:51 Resilience in Special Operators12:38 Time of Service and Involvement in SAS14:51 What Does "Military Observer" Mean?17:04 Assessing for Curiosity in Training19:22 Curiosity's Distinction from Openness31:40 Common Signifiers of a Resilient, Curious Mindset35:40 Olympic Athletes and Special Operators37:13 The Phenomenal Gift of Being Taken Captive in Syria54:01 One or Two Books Everyone Should Read55:18 Best and Worst Advice Ever Received56:31 OutroSend us a message

Dairies have been named as the primary outlet for an illegal tobacco ring, now busted. The Illicit Tobacco Action Group has run a six-month op - seizing more than 1.3 million cigarettes, $170,000 in cash, and arresting five across Rotorua, Waikato and Auckland. Officers conducted 21 searches at eight outlets and six homes across Rotorua, Waikato and Auckland. Customs' Terry Brown says they caught a mix of retail outlets, distributors and storage areas. "We remain very hopeful that evidence, particularly forensic evidence, will give us a steer towards the import supply chain." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We chat with a Waikato dairy farmer who claimed the Emerging Leader Award for her roles with Young Farmers and Federated Farmers. She discusses he hopes for the future of the dairy industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's not much Waikato dairy farmer Jim van der Poel hasn't been involved with in the past 40 years. 

Kenzi Jordon's already got NCEA level 3 and University Entrance. She has mainly been taught at home after finding school boring. Now, she's hoping to be accepted to the University of Waikato to study mechatronics. Kenzi spoke to Lisa Owen.

Waikato rubbish crews are increasingly facing aggressive and abusive behaviour. The council has now launched a social media campaign encouraging culprits to dump the attitude. Acting Zero Harm Manager for Waikato District Council, Joanne McArthur spoke to Lisa Owen.

A year after direct flights from Hamilton to Australia started, the region is reaping the benefits. Hamilton and Waikato Tourism general manager Nicola Greenwell spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Students from the new Waikato medical school will have placements in five regions around the country from 2029. Dr Nathalie de Vries, Chief Medical Officer at Whanganui Hospital spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Fisheries Minister denies impact of bottom trawling; Most charter schools exceed attendance and achievement targets; Waikato medical students to be placed in regions from 2029; Knitting campaign captures hearts of knitters across country; Timaru girls choir goes viral following Big Sing performance

Raw sewage, dead animals, life-threatening logs are just some of the obstacles athletes worry about facing if they have to get into the water for their sport. New research from Waikato University has found climate change and the impact of extreme weather events have had a huge impact on getting young people into surfing, kayaking and waka ama. Joining us to talk about the concept of 'polluted sport' is the University of Waikato's Holly Thorpe

Business Editor Corin Dann spoke to John Campbell from Fieldays at Waikato's Mystery Creek.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast with Heather du Plessis-Allan for Wednesday the 9th of June, we hear from an expert why the Government's proposed LNG terminal shouldn't go ahead. We go to Waikato to celebrate the opening of Fieldays for 2026. Heather dives into the changing perceptions New Zealanders have towards Asia. And on Politics Wednesday, Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen go toe-to-toe over the appointment of Rakesh Naidoo to the Labour list. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rural economy is awash with good news on the revenue front. Consumer spending figures from Cuscal Paymark, show consumer spending reached 3.8 billion dollars in May, that's up 1.2 percent, year on year. But in Waikato, the increase was 4.6 percent, 280 percent above the national average. Don Good, chief executive of the Waikato Chamber of Commerce spoke to John Campbell.

Winter sports are well under way, which means stories about poor sideline behaviour are back in the headlines. Things got so bad in Waikato a few weeks ago that all junior rugby league matches were cancelled. Sport Waikato says not only is the behaviour inappropriate, but it can actually have a detrimental effect on a kid's enthusiasm for sport. Sport Waikato CEO Matthew Cooper is with me now.

This week's episode comes with a small technical disclaimer: we absolutely butchered the video file, so due to corrupted footage, this one is mostly audio-only with a few tiny video scraps sprinkled in. Apologies — although, to be fair, we've never looked better.But fear not, because the rugby chat survives.After the usual world-class nonsense, we dive into the URC, where the semi-finalists are locked in and rugby fans in New Zealand are, of course, absolutely buzzing with excitement. No irony there whatsoever. In all seriousness, though, the final four should make for some cracking clashes, and we break down what's coming.Then it's over to the final round of Super Rugby, where the Blues continued their late-season collapse by getting absolutely pumped by the Mooloo men of Waikato. Moana Pasifika delivered the feel-good story of the week, grabbing a win in what may sadly be their final game in existence. Meanwhile, the Crusaders — being the absolute bastards they are — appear to be coming right at exactly the right time.And who gets to face them next week in Christchurch, at their shiny new stadium? The Auckland Blues, currently riding a four-game losing streak. Lovely.Even better, thanks to the bizarre “lucky loser” setup, the Blues might still sneak through even if they lose. Because apparently even finals rugby doesn't need actual jeopardy anymore.We also touch on the Force, Waratahs, Highlanders, and look ahead to a weekend of knockout rugby, jump flights, jump sticks, and all the usual nonsense.Grab a beer and enjoy.

A controversial waste-to-energy plant at Te Awamutu, the successful Raglan international surf competition, disputes at South Waikato District council and the Waikato Winery that has won gold.