The Wire with Caeden

Just Yesterday, the Ministry for the Environment released their Our environment 2025 report, highlighting the impacts of land use on the ecosystem of Aotearoa.

The report revealed that between 75-95% of Taonga birds, reptiles, frogs and freshwater fish species were at risk of extinction or being threatened and that a significant proportion of groundwater had accumulated excess nitrate due to activities such as intensive farming, logging and urbanisation.

These findings also paint a grave picture for te iwi Māori and tangata whenua, whose livelihoods and mana whenua are also threatened by the extinction of native species and degradation of land.

Oto spoke to Shaun Awatere, a Kaihautū Māori Research Impact Leader and Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, about the findings from the Ministry for the Environment’s recent report and the initiatives led by Iwi and Hapu to address it.

For Dear Science this week, our expert, Professor Allan Blackman, chats with us about research into multiple sclerosis, links between marriage and dementia, and a new massive particle collider. 

In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about the government introducing a competitor to the supermarket duopoly and how New Zealand’s economy will manage in the wake of US tariffs. 

They also spoke to Dr. Gergely Toldi about the government’s baby formula changes and what brought them about.

Producer Amani spoke to Retail NZ’s Chief Executive Carolyn Young on how businesses are struggling with the impacts of infrastructure construction around the country.

And she spoke to University of Otago’s Dr Kimberley O’Sullivan on the recent increase to power prices.

A new report has highlighted the pressure major infrastructure projects are putting on local businesses and communities.

The research from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research shows short-term disruptions are being felt across the country: from Auckland’s City Rail Link to Wellington’s ‘Let’s Get Wellington Moving’ and CBD upgrades in Tauranga and Dunedin.

While it’s widely accepted that Aotearoa needs to invest in infrastructure to futureproof the economy, Retail NZ says more support is needed to help businesses get through the long and often disruptive construction periods.

Producer Amani spoke to Retail NZ’s Chief Executive Carolyn Young to find out more on this.

This description has been edited to add clarification that the work in the report was undertaken as a part of the New Zealand Institute of Economics's (NZIER) Public Good Programme, and has not been funded by Retail NZ.

Nicola Willis recently took over responsibility for grocery regulation after recently appointed consumer affairs minister Scott Simpson identified a conflict of interest. Willis says she is interested in introducing a competitor to the New Zealand supermarket duopoly, though whether this competitor will come from overseas or internally remains to be seen. 

Also in politics this past week are US president Donald Trump’s tariffs, which have had massive economic impact in the US and internationally. While New Zealand is minimally affected by the tariffs, our economy only recently exited a recession, so we may be in a position of vulnerability to further economic instability. 

In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about each of these issues, beginning with plans to address the supermarket duopoly.

You can find the press conference referenced by Tom Rutherford here.