Extreme weather may be the trigger for deadly and devastating slash, but the lines on who is responsible for prevention and clean-up are blurred The slash debate heats up - again - in Gisborne as forestry operators urge the government to remove their legal accountability for the devastating discharge Guest: Dr Mark Bloomberg - adjunct senior fellow at the School of Forestry at Canterbury University Learn More: Forestry group urges Government to remove legal accountability for slash Find The Deta...
Jan 26, 2026•23 min•Ep. 1502
The floods keep coming, and we keep rebuilding. Is there a better way to cope with increasing numbers of infrastructure-wrecking storms? New Zealand's most common natural hazard is flooding, but we're often unprepared for it, and more preoccupied with earthquakes or eruptions Guests: Nick Leggett - Infrastructure NZ Chief Executive Rehette Stoltz - Gisborne Mayor Kate Newton - RNZ Climate Change Reporter Fox Meyer - Newsroom political reporter Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episod...
Jan 25, 2026•24 min•Ep. 1503
The news year, unpacked, by five divas with microphones As the year draws to a close, The Detail looks back at 12 months of deep dives, sharp analysis, and the kinds of conversations that helped New Zealanders make sense of a turbulent, fast-moving world Guests: Alexia Russell - The Detail editor Gwen McClure - The Detail producer/ host Amanda Gillies - The Detail host Sharon Brettkelly - The Detail host Davina Zimmer - The Detail associate producer Learn More: Catch up on The Detail's 2025 epis...
Dec 11, 2025•26 min•Ep. 1499
From storms to scorchers, what this summer's wild weather means for New Zealand tourism With tourism numbers back to pre-covid levels, New Zealanders are getting ready for a swarm of tourists. Experts say those tourists should be getting ready for New Zealand's wild, changeable weather. Guests: Chris Brandolino - Earth Sciences New Zealand principal scientist and meteorologist Dr Stephen Espiner - Lincoln University associate professor of parks, recreation and tourism Find The Detail on Newsroom...
Dec 10, 2025•25 min•Ep. 1501
From stray dogs to traffic jams to the most controversial topic of all - berms - councillors and mayors from across the country report what's getting on their residents' nerves When residents have a gripe about rain, stray dogs, berm maintenance, or even a tree root, they call their councillor. Today The Detail is calling those councillors, too. Guests: Bryan Cadogan - former Clutha mayor Sam Jennings - Horowhenua District councillor Max Brough - New Plymouth mayor Richard Hills - Auckland counc...
Dec 09, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1500
At Auckland Museum's new shark exhibition, all the models are to scale, allowing visitors to get face-to-face with some of the largest creatures on the planet From a shark the size of a cigar to the long-extinct 400-kilo 'buzzsaw' to those that glow in the dark, sharks are an incredibly diverse species - and according to the exhibition's curator, 'the most misunderstood animals on the planet' Guests: Clinton Duffy - Auckland Museum curator of marine biology Learn More: Details about Auckland Mus...
Dec 08, 2025•22 min•Ep. 1498
Between the high cost of living and a slew of toys failing safety tests, buying Christmas presents for kids is fraught How to shop for your kids this Christmas, in the wake of the asbestos-contaminated sand, toy recalls, and children's products failing safety tests Guests: Gemma Rasmussen - Consumer NZ head of research and advocacy Mareta Hunt - Safekids Aotearoa Poutokomanawa/Director Learn More: Toy safety tips More about recent tests of toys from Shein, Ali Express, eBay and Amazon here and h...
Dec 07, 2025•21 min•Ep. 1496
A year of highs, lows and hard questions: Inside New Zealand's rollercoaster sporting season The country's biggest sports teams delivered everything from turmoil to triumph in 2025, with a mixed bag of results across rugby, league, netball and cricket, with off-field drama often dominating headlines. Guests: Rikki Swannell - Sports commentator and journalist Learn More: The Post's All Blacks season player ratings RNZ's deep dive into the Netball NZ and Dame Noeline Taurua incident RNZ's piece on...
Dec 05, 2025•26 min•Ep. 1497
The opening has been pushed back again, the price is extraordinary, but Auckland's City Rail Link is expected to deliver the region the wow factor Those in charge of the country's most expensive transport infrastructure are confident the new timetable for opening will stick - but they won't name a date Guests: Alan Trestour - CRL Head of Delivery for Auckland Transport Patrick Brockie - CRL chief executive Stacey van der Putten - Auckland Transport director of public transport and active modes R...
Dec 04, 2025•24 min•Ep. 1495
There's a lot of hand-wringing but few answers when it comes to culling New Zealand's rapidly expanding deer population In a war between hunters and conservationists over the control of one of our most damaging pests, only the deer are winning Guests: Richard Dawkins - Federated Farmers meat and wool chair Jill Herron - Newsroom journalist John Bissell - hunter and conservationist Learn More: RNZ's podcast Deer Wars More on Herd of Special Interest Details of talks on special interest wapiti her...
Dec 03, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1494
Aviation under pressure: Airbus A320 glitch adds to a year of crashes, questions, and shaken confidence The Airbus A320 fault sparked worldwide delays and airport chaos, and has renewed fears over aviation safety in a turbulent 2025 Guests: Grant Bradley - Aviation commentator Dan Lake - Travel commentator Learn More: Planes grounded after Airbus discovers solar radiation could impact systems Victim identified following fatal mid-air collision between two planes in Sydney's southwest Fleet of UP...
Dec 02, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1493
Regional councils have to find a different way of operating that cuts down on double ups and layers of bureaucracy Regional councillors who've just been sworn in have been shown the writing on the wall by the government, which is plotting a swift end to their terms Guests: Glenn McConnell - Stuff political reporter Learn More: Read Glenn's piece on the regional council shake up here Beehive news release on local government changes Further details from the Department of Internal Affairs Find The ...
Dec 01, 2025•22 min•Ep. 1492
An HIV diagnosis used to be a death sentence, but that hasn't been the case in years - so why hasn't the stigma changed with the science? More than four decades after the first New Zealander was diagnosed with HIV, medical advances have completely changed the face of the once-fatal virus, but one man living with it says he doesn't "think that the HIV stigma has changed radically" Guests: Rodrigo Olin German - Head of Services and Outreach, Burnett Foundation Liz Gibbs - Chief Executive, Burnett ...
Nov 30, 2025•24 min•Ep. 1491
It doesn't have to be extravagant, expensive or loaded with tinsel and tat - bring your smile to host the perfect seasonal party If you're fed up with Northern Hemisphere listicles on how to prepare for a cold Christmas, here's a taste of what it takes to host a summer celebration Guests: Trudi Nelson - Food writer and broadcaster Colin Mathura-Jeffree - Model, TV personality, and professional guest Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details...
Nov 28, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1490
We've failed to reach our smokefree obligations, but has New Zealand done well enough to relax our efforts? New Zealand was once a world leader in getting people to give up cigarettes, but we seem to have pulled up the brakes Guests: Chris Bullen - University of Auckland public health professor Anaru Waa - University of Otago professor Jasmine Graham - Hāpai te Hauora general manager Learn More: Read more about the history of nicotine drinks here Find the New Zealand health survey here Find The ...
Nov 27, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1489
The West Coast has long been mining country, but a proposed expansion of coal mining operations - and the backlash - leaves the region's economy and ecology uncertain A proposal to expand mining operations on the Denniston Plateau pits the economy against ecology, leaving the Government facing a high-stakes decision Guests: Fox Meyer - Newsroom political reporter Learn More: Read more about the Plateau proposal and protests here , here , here , here and here Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go...
Nov 26, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1488
As the cost of insurance rises, Consumer NZ sees worrying signs that more people are dropping their house insurance From house insurance to health insurance, mortgage to pet to funeral, the list of what can be insured seems to be growing. Insurance experts list the ones you can cancel. Guests: Rebecca Styles - Consumer NZ head of investigations Bianca Russell - North Shore office manager Chris Walsh - MoneyHub founder Learn More: Insurance Council of New Zealand's survey reveals Kiwis are concer...
Nov 25, 2025•25 min•Ep. 1487
Unions who won an employment case for four Uber drivers in three different courts could find the ruling short-lived, with the introduction of new legislation An expert in employment law says new legislation will override a Supreme Court ruling, but that bill is full of holes - and will itself end up being tested in the courts Guests: Simon Schofield - University of Auckland professional teaching fellow Learn More: Workers First Union media release on the Supreme Court decision, with a timeline S...
Nov 24, 2025•25 min•Ep. 1486
Psychological tricks and traps using deceptive website design techniques are starting to overwhelm online shopping. What's being termed 'dark patterns' are becoming increasingly prevalent on shopping websites as online businesses scramble for your dollars Guests: Chris Shulz - Consumer NZ senior investigative journalist Alex Sims - University of Auckland commercial law professor Learn More: Read Consumer NZ's Invisible Influence report here Here's the report Alex mentioned that found websites us...
Nov 23, 2025•25 min•Ep. 1485
Two big political memoirs have hit the bookshops this year - but which high profile politicians are missing from the shelves From memoirs to biographies; autobiographies - both authorised and unauthorised - to the mid-career manifesto, the documented lives of politicians come in many forms Guests: Tim Murphy - Newsroom co-editor Jim McAloon - Victoria University professor of political history Learn More: Listen to previous podcasts from Tim Murphy with The Detail here and here Listen to a previo...
Nov 21, 2025•24 min•Ep. 1484
A surprise reversal on high beef tariffs has been a welcome relief for farmers, but with Trump in the White House, celebrations are muted U.S President Donald Trump no longer has beef with some Kiwi exports, but others are still stuck paying a high price - and an economist warns it's anyone's guess how long the relief will last Guests: Brad Olsen - New Zealand economist Kate Acland - Beef and Lamb New Zealand chair and New Zealand Meat Board chair Learn More: Read more about the tariff removal a...
Nov 20, 2025•24 min•Ep. 1483
Kākāpō numbers are recovering at such a rate that we are running out of pest-free islands to put them on 2026 could be the year that the kākāpō breeding programme takes such a big leap forward that conservationists can finally take a step back Guests: Alison Ballance - Kākāpō Files Learn More: Read DoC's blog on the 2026 mast season Learn about Auckland Zoo's kākāpō programme Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details...
Nov 19, 2025•24 min•Ep. 1482
Government pressed for action as scandal over police handling of McSkimming complaints sparks national reckoning A week after a bombshell IPCA report raised allegations of high-level cover-ups and triggered accusations of corruption, the fallout continues to grow, with public trust in our Police in the spotlight Guests: Jared Savage - New Zealand Herald's senior investigative journalist Sam Sachdeva - Newsroom national affairs editor Learn More: Read Sam's article on the case here A Newsroom ana...
Nov 18, 2025•25 min•Ep. 1481
Sexual exploitation of children is seen as one of the worst crimes out there - but do the prison terms reflect the severity? An advocacy organisation says it receives calls from people covertly asking for help to avoid offending - but despite evidence that programmes work, resources to help are thin Guests: Tim Houston - manager of the digital child exploitation team at the Department of Internal Affairs Eleanor Parkes - National Director for ECPAT NZ Where to get help: Stop : South Island Email...
Nov 17, 2025•24 min•Ep. 1480
Type 1 diabetes used to be called 'juvenile diabetes', and Type 2 affected adults. But that's no longer the case, and the number of kids with Type 2 in New Zealand is rising. A specialist in treating childhood diabetes says that some children are born "almost what we call 'programmed'" to have the disease - but new medicine could help put them in remission Guests: Dr Craig Jefferies - Paediatric Endocrinologist at Starship Guyon Espiner - RNZ In Depth Learn More: Read an article from Best Practi...
Nov 16, 2025•24 min•Ep. 1479
For years, a father has been fighting for Waka Kotahi to do more about the dangers of a vehicle braking system involved in his son's death. Now a coroner's report backs him up, but NZTA still disagrees. After a death on a construction site, a coroner's report has called a braking system found in some 70,000 vehicles around New Zealand "inherently unsafe". Waka Kotahi disagrees. Guests: Louisa Cleave - Checkpoint senior producer Selwyn Rabbits - safety campaigner Learn More: Read more reporting o...
Nov 14, 2025•25 min•Ep. 1478
Editing scandal at BBC sparks 'existential crisis' for public-service broadcaster and puts the spotlight on trust in journalism From editing error to boardroom exit, how the BBC's reputation took a blow and what this means for global journalism Guests: Jim Tully - Journalism educator and media commentator Sean Hogan - Freelance Correspondent in the UK Learn More Read the BBC's own reporting on the events Read Al Jazeera's timeline of the events Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episo...
Nov 13, 2025•24 min•Ep. 1477
Space terrorism is no longer relegated to sci-fi movies: it's happening already, and one legal expert warns we're far from prepared An attack on satellite can take modern life offline, affecting everything from basic communication to banking. But international law is lagging, and an expert warns we risk turning the final frontier into the next frontline. Guests: A nna Marie Brennan - University of Waikato law lecturer Learn more: Read Anna's article on the threat of space terrorism here EU chief...
Nov 12, 2025•22 min•Ep. 1476
As AI share prices soar, some economic doomsayers have started to ring the warning bells of a bubble risk More and more, finance experts are predicting that the AI bubble is getting ready to pop - so what does that mean for Kiwi investors, and for our economy Guests: Gyles Beckford - RNZ business editor Harry Smith - Fisher Funds global equity portfolio manager Leighton Roberts - Sharesies co-founder Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details...
Nov 11, 2025•25 min•Ep. 1475
Ruapehu District's mayor says the huge fire still burning in the region could have the same effect on the local economy as the 1996 eruption In Tongariro, locals pin their hopes on rain to put out a massive blaze, so their summer incomes don't get burnt with the region's vegetation Guests: Nick Singers - Technical Advisor for Project Tongariro Jimmy Ellingham - RNZ reporter Weston Kirton - Ruapehu District mayor Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details...
Nov 10, 2025•24 min•Ep. 1474
