Holiday Breakfast

Te Anau-born Swiss-Kiwi tennis player Lulu Sun has qualified for the ladies singles at Wimbledon. 

Sun is placed 123rd in world rankings - she eased past Filipino, Alexandra Eala, in the third round of qualifying. 

We’ll find out who she'll face when the draw is made overnight. 

Newstalk ZB Sports Journalist, Dean McLachlan, told Tim Beveridge “It’ll be her second Grand Slam appearance after playing at the Aussie Open earlier this year.” 

McLachlan said “She’s just switched allegiance from Switzerland to New Zealand.” 

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A new Uber-style app for truckies is launching nationally next week after being trialled in Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty. 

The Road Ninja app - dubbed the "Uber for truck drivers" will match businesses to truckies in their area. 

Road Ninja Founder Bodhi Vette told Tim Beveridge drivers can set their own rates and get paid what they’re worth. 

Vette said “It’s a driver-first platform.” 

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The latest Crime and Victims survey reveals New Zealand's most common offence is fraud. 

The Ministry of Justice has surveyed more than seven-thousand people, and it shows 10% have experienced fraud in the year to October 2023. 

66% have been scammed by unauthorised bank transactions, and 20% were scammed making online purchases. 

Cyber-security company Aura’s Principal Advisory Consultant, Alistair Miller, told Tim Beveridge “Because it’s seen as quite shameful – we ignore the statistics, don’t talk about it with our friends and family and keep quiet about it.” 

Miller said “It’s become an industrialised process – there's call centres with hundreds of people working to defraud people – and now there’s A.I to make it even more automated.” 

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Wellington Council’s decision to sell its 34% share in Wellington Airport may put rates up in the future. 

The highly contested decision to sell the shares has passed - and the proceeds will be invested in a perpetual fund. 

At least three councillors, who previously agreed to sell the shares, now say they've changed their minds - and the move to sell would fail if a vote happened today. 

Mayor Tory Whanau has been criticised from fellow left-leaning councillors for supporting the sale. 

Wellington Councillor for Takapu/Northern Ward, Ben McNulty, told Tim Beveridge “My progressive colleagues ran on a platform on opposing the privatisation of our assets.” 

McNulty said “Wellington is not a very diversified city compared to Auckland and Christchurch.” 

He said “We have rates, parking and the airport.” 

“The investment fund will not return anywhere close to the airport, because it has to be a green fund.” 

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Transporting New Zealand says the Government's struck a good spending balance – with investment in the future.  

The government's announced the finalisation of its Policy Statement on Land Transport, to the tune of $22 billion.  

It'll be used to improve road maintenance, build roads of national significance, improve public transport, and bring in roadside drug testing. 

Transporting NZ Policy Lead, Billy Clemens, told Tim Beveridge “This will ensure roads work for New Zealanders.” 

Clemens said “Truck operators pay a lot toward roads, but as long as there’s good maintenance, they’re happy to pay.” 

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Self-taught rocket scientist Sir Peter Beck had humble beginnings as a Fisher & Paykel Appliances apprentice. 

Since 2006, he’s been chief executive of Rocket Lab – which has been pivotal in growing New Zealand’s $1.69 billion space industry.  

Employing 1,800 staff, Beck’s Rocket Lab is second only to Elon Musk’s Space X as the most prolific commercial launch provider globally.  

It has worked with Nasa on multiple missions and launched the first rocket in the Southern Hemisphere to reach space in 2009. 

Rocket Lab CEO Sir Peter Beck told Tim Beveridge “I was sitting on a place at the time, halfway across the United States. When I received the email, it was unexpected – I'm tremendously humbled.” 

Beck said “For all the engineers in the space industry and entrepreneurs of New Zealand – there’s aways a big team and lots of people help. It’s a recognition of those people.” 

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Around 70 Kiwis turning 18 from August will become the first cohort legally allowed to seek details about their donor parent from Births, Deaths and Marriages. 

As officials prepare for requests about donor-biological parents, a team of University of Auckland researchers are asking their own questions in a new nationwide survey. 

Since the Human Assisted Reproductive Technologies (Hart) register began collecting information nearly two decades ago, more than 3,000 donor-conceived people have been born. 

Auckland University Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Cindy Farquhar, told Tim Beveridge “We’re aware that it’s a delicate situation.” 

Farquhar said “Some people make their own private arrangements – same-sex couples may find their own donor outside of the fertility clinic.”  

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In 1999, Theresa Gattung became the first female chief executive of a major New Zealand company at Telecom (now Spark). 

She broke through a major glass ceiling – paving the way for a prolific corporate career - co-founding My Food Bag, sitting on the board of healthcare start-up Tend, as well as the dating website Compatico.   

She’s been named a Dame in this King’s Birthday Honours alongside Joan Withers.   

Dame Theresa Gattung told Tim Beveridge “I wasn’t sure if it was a gag or not – 10 years ago when I got my previous honour, it came in the mail.” 

Gattung said “Girls looking up have to believe that anything is possible – they could be a Prime Minster, CEO, chair, or philanthropist. That’s what important.” 

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The construction of new builds is coming to a halt. 

About 35,000 new builds were given consent in the last year – more than a 20% drop from the period ending April 2023. 

This is being chalked up to inflation and the cost-of-living crisis.  

Chief Executive of Building Industry Federation, Julien Leys, told Tim Beveridge “The Covid building boom is over.” 

Leys said “Interestingly enough, the renovation market is doing quite well – and we’ve seen a bit of a boost come through with infrastructure.” 

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Prime Minister Chris Luxon will visit Niue and Fiji this week to develop and reaffirm New Zealand's cooperation with the region. 

This will be Luxon’s first visit to the Pacific as Prime Minister.  

Political Editor Jason Walls told Tim Beveridge “He’s expecting to be received warmly and get a good welcome. It’s a strategic area of the world for New Zealand.” 

Walls said “He’s been in the job for about six months, but he hasn’t been jet-setting much - he’s been very focused on the 100-day plan and getting the budget out of the way.”  

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