The Front Page

It may not have felt like we had much of a summer this year – but a cold snap in Auckland has signalled that the seasons are changing.

Temperatures dropped in our biggest city, as a cold front passed over much of New Zealand last week.

It comes as cyclone season continues in the Pacific, with Cyclone Alfred last week on Australia’s east coast.

With those hot summer nights fading into memory, today on The Front Page we’re looking ahead to what autumn and the rest of the year could bring, with NIWA meteorologist - Chris Brandolino.

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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 Daniels
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

French exchange student, Eloi Rolland, was last seen five years ago, today.

The then-18-year-old's disappearance has baffled authorities ever since... Was it a murder, kidnapping, an accident, did he get lost in the bush, commit suicide or plan an escape. Is he still alive, does he want to be found?

He searches Google Maps for directions to Piha about 5am the morning he vanished. He catches a train. He walks for nearly two hours. He turned on to Piha Road at 9.16am. At 9.48 the battery on his phone goes dead.

And then... nothing. Nothing for five years.

Today on The Front Page, Herald senior journalist Anna Leask joins us as we take a look back at Eloi’s disappearance.  

We’ll also hear some from Eloi’s parents, Thierry and Catherine, and Bruno Dupuis of Acapella Productions, who directed a documentary series in France about Eloi’s story.

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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 Daniels
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the new science fiction film Mickey 17, Robert Pattinson’s character Mickey Barnes is killed and each time he dies, a new copy of his body is printed out.

It’s a classic far-flung sci-fi premise -- but the technology it’s based on is far more science than fiction.

3D bioprinting is a technology that uses 3D printing to create tissues and organs from living cells and biomaterials.

The technology has been evolving rapidly over the last couple of decades. So how far away are we from printing out multiple Robert Pattinsons?

Today on The Front Page, University of Queensland’s Professor Sašo Ivanovski joins us to break down 3D Bioprinting, where the technology is at, and what its future looks like.

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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 Daniels
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anybody watching the Oscars would have noticed a common theme...  

It was probably about when host Conan O'Brien mocked streaming culture with a sketch introducing the idea of a 'building for movies' and getting people to 'stream movies in a theatre.'

And it wasn’t the first, or the last, reference to brick-and-mortar cinemas...  

Anora director Sean Baker used his acceptance speech for Best Director as a battle cry for movie theatres – saying they’re under threat.

And it’s not just the US that’s seen less bums in seats at the cinema.

NZ cinema chain Silky Otter said just last year the market was about 25% below what it was in 2019, pre-Covid.

But, is the pandemic the only thing to blame?

Today on The Front Page, Capitol cinema owner, Roger Wyllie is with us to chat about what could be causing the death of cinemas – and what can be done to revive them.

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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 Daniels
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government plans to change laws to allow victims the right to choose whether a convicted sex offender gets permanent name suppression or not.

Now, automatic name suppression applies to protect witnesses and complainants under the age of 18 and those where certain sexual offences are alleged.

It’s a law that garners a lot of criticism from the general public – there is constant commentary on the perceived reasons why someone gets to keep their name a secret.

Herald senior reporter Melissa Nightingale and Newstalk ZB’s Sophie Trigger have been delving into the feedback given to the Minister about the changes.

Today on The Front Page, Melissa is with us to discuss them, and what the law looks like at the moment.

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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 Daniels
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’ll come as no surprise to anyone that meth is a serious problem in New Zealand.

Wastewater Testing results show the consumption of the drug in New Zealand more than doubled in the second half of 2024 to the highest levels ever recorded.

At the same time, the New Zealand Drug Trends Survey (NZDTS) 2024 showed the average price of a gram of meth declined from $563 in 2017/18 to $360 in 2024.

Meanwhile, Wastewater testing in Ōpōtiki shows meth use there has halved after police raids on an alleged Mongrel Mob drug ring.

Today on The Front Page, Herald investigative reporter Jared Savage is with us to run through the state of meth in our country.

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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 Daniels
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

March Madness is upon us – which means it’s the busiest time of year for anyone trying to get anywhere.

It usually marks the end of the summer holiday period – school and university is back in session, and most people are back at work.

So whether you’re biking, driving, or taking a train or bus – it's nightmarish.

But it does lead back to that age old question – how do we solve our traffic problems?

Today on The Front Page, we’re joined by Matt Lowrie from Greater Auckland to look at some of the possible solutions.

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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 Daniels
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government’s announced it’s giving businesses more power to make ‘citizen’s arrests’. 

Up until now, citizen’s arrests could only happen between 9pm and 6am, for crimes with a maximum punishment of at least three years in prison.   

But the changes mean people can intervene and stop any offence at any time of the day, by using restraints and ‘reasonable’ force.

Retail crime costs New Zealand retailers $2.6 billion each year.

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says retail crime rose 85% between 2019 and 2023, including a 91% increase in victimisations relating to theft.

Today on The Front Page, we speak to Retail NZ’s Carolyn Young about the rise of retail crime, and later Labour’s police spokesperson Ginny Andersen, who is criticising the government for the changes.

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 Daniels
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few years ago, commentators and analysts often raised the idea of a ‘youthquake’ - young, first-time voters coming in and shaking up the political landscape.

It was after events like the School Strikes 4 Climate showed the power of youth mobilising around a common goal.

Yet those youthquakes never happened – at least, not for left-leaning politicians.

Instead, there’s been a shift to more conservative views among our youngest voters – and a yearning for the quote ‘good old days’ has seen trends like ‘trad wives’ and a ‘return to traditional family values’ skyrocket online.

It’s all while a recent UK survey found that 52 percent of 13- to 27-year-olds believe their country would be better with a “strong leader who does not have to bother with parliament and elections”.

Today on The Front Page, to discuss what’s shaping the youth of today, we’re joined by AUT University senior lecturer in Communication Studies, Christina Vogels.

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 Daniels
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The appearance of three Chinese warships so close to our borders has surprised and confused Australian and New Zealand officials.

The ships issued a live-fire warning off Australia’s east coast – forcing commercial flights to change course.

Then, on Saturday afternoon, sailors on a New Zealand Navy frigate saw live rounds being fired from a Chinese vessel's main gun.

Beijing’s now under scrutiny for not warning Australia or New Zealand of drills being performed in the Tasman Sea.

All this comes as tensions between New Zealand and our pacific neighbours are at an all time high.

Today on The Front Page, Waikato University’s Al Gillespie updates us on what’s going on.

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 Daniels
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.