The Front Page

In the past, overseas investment in New Zealand has been seen as a privilege – rather than a right.

But – could that all be about to change with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s latest push for economic growth?

He kicked off 2025 by announcing the establishment of a foreign investment agency – similar to those seen in Ireland and Singapore.

The Government’s holding a ‘global investment summit’ next month – with sovereign wealth and major asset management fund managers expected to attend.

So, how does foreign investment work now? And can we emulate the success of another country, like Ireland, where foreign investment accounts for much of their GDP and private sector employment?

Today on The Front Page, Glenn Shewan, will take us through what foreign investment looks like in New Zealand now – and what could change.

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.

For better or worse, house prices have been a cornerstone of our economy for decades.

But a rise in prices now put home ownership out of reach for many Kiwis.

Things could be changing though.

Wellington City’s new rateable valuations show that, on average, house values have plummeted 24.4% since 2021.

It comes as the city -- which once made headlines for its hotly contested rental market -- now sees landlords fighting to fill their homes.

So, is this a nationwide phenomenon, and is the dream of owning your own home becoming more of a reality?

Today on The Front Page, co-host of Opes Partners’ The Property Academy Podcast, Ed McKnight, is with us to run through the latest in property.

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.

National has kicked off 2025 by diving headfirst into plans for economic growth – and it wasn’t long until Act threw in their two cents.

Party leader David Seymour made privatisation a key focus of his State of the Nation speech.

And while Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he doesn’t want to sell anything off this term – he's suggested it could be campaigned on in next year’s election.

It’s a road that New Zealand has gone down before, with the likes of Bolger, Shipley, and Key selling everything from banks to energy companies in the 80s and 90s, and only a few state-owned enterprises remain.

So, what could be on the chopping block – and would anyone actually want to buy it?

Today on The Front Page, we put those questions to Greg Smith, Head of Retail at Devon Funds Management.

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 Government wants to see tourism numbers increase as part of its economic growth push.

As part of that push, the existing visitor visa scheme will be tweaked to include welcoming ‘digital nomads’.

That will allow tourists from visa waiver countries up to nine months to travel around New Zealand while still working for their overseas employer.

The scheme has already been greeted with expressions of interest from overseas, but the introduction of digital nomad visas in some countries has contributed to a local backlash against tourism.

Today on The Front Page, Strategic Director of the Hotel Council Aotearoa, James Doolan, joins us to discuss the state of tourism in this country, and Spanish journalist Marta Bausells discusses the issues faced in Barcelona as a result of the scheme.

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.

Mining has become a key part of the Government’s plans for economic growth.

Resources Minister – and self-appointed ‘Matua of Mining’ - Shane Jones has unveiled a plan to double exports to $3 billion by 2035, alongside a list of 37-strong Critical Minerals List and a national minerals strategy.

While the plan has been met with criticism from environmentalists and the opposition, there has been some positive feedback from academics, praising the plan for its commitment to ‘pipe-line development’.

But do the numbers stack up? And how many of those critical minerals are actually sitting beneath our feet?

Today on The Front Page, Massey University Professor of Geography Glenn Banks is with us to dig into the government’s mining plans.

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.

If the theme of 2024 was ‘cutting back’, then 2025 is all about ‘growth’.

The word appears 31 times in Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s State of the Nation speech – and for good reason.

 Luxon said it’s the “key to brighter days ahead” after experiencing the “biggest recession since the early 1990s.”

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has been handed a revised Economic Growth portfolio as part of that planning, working on things like driving up tourism numbers, and international investment.

This week on The Front Page, we’ll be unpacking some of the Government’s plans for the economy, how they’ll work, and if they are right for New Zealand.

Later on, we’ll get some insight into how and whether New Zealand can actually stimulate growth from independent economist Cameron Bagrie.

First up today though, NZ Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan is with to explain why growth is the topic of conversation.

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.

Silicon Valley’s been rattled by a low-cost Chinese AI – with the startup claiming their DeepSeek technology can emulate the performance of ChatGPT, at a fraction of the cost.

Its launch shook share markets and spawned allegations from OpenAI that their Chinese rivals used its work and models to make their own artificial intelligence.

This is all happening while the new US administration appoints an ‘AI and crypto czar’ so the online currency can ‘thrive’.

So, what is the future of AI and will we all be buying our coffees in crypto sooner rather than later?

Today on The Front Page, science and tech journalist Peter Griffin is with us to run through the latest advancements and shake-ups n the tech space.

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.

Students across the country are starting to head back to school, and there are some big changes coming from our youngest pupils.

As well as 2025 marking the return of charter schools, primary school students will start to be taught structured literacy and maths this year, as part of a curriculum refresh instituted by Education Minister Erica Stanford.

It comes as test results continue to show declines in achievement across all age groups.

But are these changes enough to reverse falling standards – and are our teachers on board with them?

Today on The Front Page, Newstalk ZB education reporter Shannon Johnstone is with us to what parents need to know about this years 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.

Meta – the parent company of Facebook and Instagram – has implemented some changes across its organisation since Donald Trump’s election win.

The social media giant is set to remove independent factcheckers from its service, replacing them with community driven ‘notes’ similar to what X implemented after its rebrand from Twitter.

The company has also ended various diversity, equity and inclusion measures, while chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has called for more ‘masculine energy’ in the corporate world.

All this came before he was seated in the front row at Trump’s inauguration, alongside other tech bosses, raising questions about how tied up these global companies are becoming with the current US administration.

Frances Haugen is a former Facebook employee turned whistleblower over the company’s actions. She joins us today on The Front Page to discuss the changes in the tech world.

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.

From the ongoing downfall of high-flying developers to promises of Swedish meatballs - this year is set to be one to watch when it comes to property news.

Major developments are getting underway after the passing of the Fast Track Approval Act, while some projects that have been under construction for years are close to completion.

But after a few years of a tough lending landscape and issues in the construction industry, are we closer to getting back on track?

Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald Property Insider Anne Gibson joins us to share her property predictions for 2025.

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.