Larry Williams Drive

Concerns have been raised in Gisborne, where rural school bus routes have been altered or cut. Over 100 Gisborne students could be affected by these changes, and parents are calling for a new solution to be found. Gisborne farmer Toby Williams says parents in these rural areas won't be able to get their kids to school efficiently anymore.  "For me, that'd be a hour journey each way to get them there, it ruins the productivity on my farm to try and get my kids to the education they need." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK Government is bolstering air defences and deploying  a Royal Navy warship to the eastern Mediterranean to improve security in Cyprus. This comes a day after runway of the British air base in Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri, was hit by a drone, prompting security concerns. UK correspondent Gavin Grey explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A record portion of new bank lending to first-home buyers is going to those with small deposits. More than half of the $1.1 billion lent to first-home buyers in January went to borrowers with deposits of less than 20 percent, according to the latest Reserve Bank figures. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's been growing concerns about what the ongoing crisis in the Middle East could do for petrol prices. There's fears Kiwi motorists will soon pay the price at the pump over the escalating conflict, and retailers have been warned not to take advantage of the conflict.  Milford Asset Management expert Jeremy Hutton explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Independent Children's Monitor says Oranga Tamariki still isn't measuring up to national care standards. The percent of young people in OT care suffering abuse has increased from 8 percent to 10 percent in the year to July last year.  The report says a third of those in care aren't seeing social workers enough and only 11 percent had been given an assessment of their life skills. Independent Children's Monitor CEO Arran Jones says it's important to ensure that children in state care are properly looked after - and this data isn't good reading. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland's mayor's adamant he won't be drawing up housing maps and plans for the Minister just yet.  Housing Minister Chris Bishop's recently backed down on Auckland’s housing density plans, cutting the city’s theoretical capacity from two million homes to 1.6 million. He's asked Auckland Council to send an updated summary on provisional zoning changes by March 17. But mayor Wayne Brown says they won't invest millions on maps without more clarity, and they don't materialise at the press of a button.  LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 4 March. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The man appointed today as the coach to take the All Blacks to next year's Rugby World Cup is Dave Rennie. And he's got his work cut out for him.  He can’t start fulltime with the All Blacks until June - he has to finish his contract in Japan first. That wraps up in May, which means there’s a very tight turnaround before the first test against the French in early July. Then he’s got the Italians, then the Irish, and then the South Africans. Baptism of fire, much? And in just over 18 months, he’ll be heading into the Rugby World Cup. Lifting that trophy is going to be a challenge but it’s not impossible. Rassie Erasmus famously took over in 2018 and won the Rugby World Cup with the Springboks the next year. And you could argue the Springboks back then were more of a hot mess than the All Blacks are now, ahead of Rennie taking over. It’s also worth remembering that coaching at international level isn’t new ground for Rennie. He was the Wallabies' coach before he was dumped for the disaster that was Eddie J

Tonight on The Huddle, Tim Wilson from the Maxim Institute and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Dave Rennie has been confirmed as the new head coach of the All Blacks. What do we think of this? Do we think this was the right choice? US and Israeli forces have killed close to 800 people in Iran, struck about 2000 Iranian targets and destroyed 17 ships. Israel's also killed dozens in Lebanon, going head-to-head with Hezbollah, forcing thousands to flee their homes. Are we concerned by this development?  The Children's Commissioner says Oranga Tamariki needs to heed a critical report on the agency, after new research confirmed there's been little progress on National Care Standards. Do we think this is fair? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Dave Rennie era is upon the All Blacks, and the new head coach is determined to make some tactical shifts for the All Blacks ahead of their upcoming matches. The pressure's on for Rennie to make a difference, with 122 days to go until his first test against France in Christchurch. Former All Black and Sky Sport commentator, Jeff Wilson, says Rennie's contract lasts until the end of the men's Rugby World Cup in November 2027, which isn't long. "This is, as Dave Rennie himself said, a bit of a sprint. He obviously fitted the brief that they were looking for and I think he'll go in there and he'll be aggressive and try and make quick changes." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of Australia's biggest radio shows has come to an explosive end after an infamous on-air spat. Kyle Sandilands and Jacqueline ‘Jackie O’ Henderson will no longer present the KIIS FM breakfast program together after Sandilands berated Henderson during a live broadcast last week.  TV producer and host of The Beefing podcast, Alexandria Funnell, is questioning why this particular incident ended the show. "The two are known for the biggest stunts in Australian radio history, aren't they? So this is a pretty clever one if it is, it's getting a lot of coverage, they're giving a lot of information about things that are going on behind the scenes."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Top-tier experience and a systematic approach to rugby have won Dave Rennie the All Blacks' head coach job. After nine years offshore, the former Chiefs mentor will return home - appointed Scott Robertson's successor. New Zealand Rugby chair David Kirk has outlined what ultimately gave Rennie the edge. "The game is very global at the moment, innovation's coming from lots of different parts of the world, and I think we've got, frankly, plenty to learn from the rest of the world. So he can bring that back to us." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's growing speculation as Labour appears to be mulling over their Reserve Bank policy ahead of the election.  The previous Labour Government changed the bank's remit, ordering it to focus on keeping inflation low - and ensuring maximum employment.  The current Government scrapped the changes. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan explained what Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds could be considering.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An escalating war is shaking the entire Middle East, with no sign of easing. US and Israeli forces have bombed more than 2000 targets and killed close to 800 people in Iran, since first launching attacks on Saturday.  Iran's retaliated with drone attacks US infrastructure in surrounding Gulf States. The UK, France and Greece are strengthening capabilities around Cyprus, where a British air base was hit.  US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Donald Trump is expected more US casualties to come from the conflict. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie has no doubt New Zealand can win next year's Rugby World Cup in Australia. The two-time Super Rugby-winning coach is taking over from Scott Robertson less than a year and a half before the showpiece tournament. Rennie says it will take a power of work and alignment in a short amount of time, but the All Blacks have the goods. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains why Rennie was picked. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The primary teachers union's asking the the Employment Relations Authority for urgent mediation as pay talks hit an impasse.  NZEI says it's not happy with the Ministry of Education's pay-rise offer, sitting between 2.1 and 2.5 percent - alongside the rising cost of living. Lead union negotiator Liam Rutherford says teachers also want recognition of the work adapting to widespread curriculum changes.  "We're hearing from teachers across the country that it isn't just the size of the change, it's also the speed in which the Minister of Education wants it done by." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's tension between the US and the UK, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticised Donald Trump and claimed the Government 'does not believe in regime change from the skies'. The US President also recently condemned the UK 'taking too long' to allow US forces to use its airbases to attack Iran. UK correspondent Enda Brady explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US-Iran conflict could affect New Zealand’s red meat exports to the Middle East, the Meat Industry Association says. Reports reveal New Zealand red meat exporters were closely monitoring the situation in the region, due to the disruption to the Strait of Hormuz. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson and former Auckland mayor Phil Goff joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Prime Minister Chris Luxon has copped some backlash over his non-committal response to the crisis in the Middle East. Who's to blame here? How bad does this look in an election year? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 3 February, 2026, we talk to a former CIA officer about the US war in Iran - and how the conflict is growing. The Children's Minister tells us why there'll be another boot camp for young offenders. A new take on cell-phones - we hear from an advocate of putting a phone in every prison cell. And on The Huddle, Phil Goff and Maurice Williamson battle it out over the fighting in the Middle East. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.