The Detail

On top of a turbine in the windy city, The Detail learns why too much wind isn't a good thingAfter a year of drought, heavy rainfall has brought relief to the energy sector. Whether that carries over to consumers is a different story.…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

More than 80,000 Kiwi smokers need to quit their habit before the end of the year to meet the Smokefree 2025 goal, but a public health professor says there's no chanceOur world-leading Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 legislation barely survived to see this year, and the reality of addressing tobacco use is "like whack-a-mole"More than 80,000 Kiwis must quit smoking before the end of the year to meet the goal of Smokefree 2025, which was launched 14 years ago.But Professor of Public Health Chris Bullen tells The Detail that it is unlikely to happen - "I don't believe so, sadly"."The evidence suggests we are not heading in the right direction fast enough," says Bullen, who is also the director of the National Institute for Health Innovation."We have got more work to do in 2026 and beyond."The smokefree goal aims to have less than 5 percent of the population smoking by December, but the latest data reveals there are still about 300,000 daily smokers across the country.Bullen says part of the issue is, last year, the Coalition government repealed three areas of the Smokefree law, most importantly the denicotinisation of tobacco products (where the nicotine is basically taken out of cigarettes) and banning the sale of tobacco products to those born after January 1, 2009."I think we could have gotten to the goal under the previous legislation, but that was repealed by the current government."The lack of policies to support and motivate more people to think about quitting means there's an awful lot of effort on the ground that's got to go on to get 84-, 85-thousand people to quit smoking between now and the end of the year and I just don't see it happening fast enough."He says the denicotinisation strategy needs to be revisited, and a smoke-free generation approach needs to be adopted to encourage young people not to start smoking."Other countries picked up the baton when we dropped it, and I think that would lock in the very low levels of smoking in our young people, forever, and this would be a real boost for their future prospects."The Detail also speaks to Bullen about illegal tobacco and vaping, and the role they play in Smokefree Aotearoa.A tobacco industry-funded report has just revealed that 25 percent of cigarettes sold in New Zealand are from the black market, smuggled into the country, largely from China and South Korea, and available on Facebook Marketplace, at construction sites, and in some dairies…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Changes made in haste in vocational education are being met with dismay by sectors that feel left out of it Years-long disruption in the vocational education sector is risking the loss of experienced trainers, and students who should be driving the country's future growthIt's been called 'change fatigue' and the tertiary sector covering vocational education is exhausted by the meddling of successive governments.Since 2020 there have been major upheavals with vocational training and polytechnics, and the key word for those in the industry is uncertainty.There's also frustration at the amount of money spent rearranging the deckchairs for ideological reasons instead of just getting on with the job of equipping students for work…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Mark Ware, Project Director for NZTA, shares insights about Auckland's ambitious plans for a second city crossing. He dives into the mysterious yellow vessel in Waitematā Harbour, pivotal to groundbreaking geotechnical investigations. Listeners learn about the unique challenges faced by barge crews and the critical need for geological sample preservation. Ware discusses innovative drilling techniques and the environmental considerations vital to the project’s success, painting a vibrant picture of construction at sea.

As a new announcement on compensation for Abuse in Care victims looms, one expert says the waiting has been another form of psychological abuseAbuse in Care victims have had different responses to compensation offers, from those who've taken the money and moved on, to those who feel they're being seriously shortchangedA warning, this story references abuse…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

There's buoyancy and optimism in the tourism industry in spite of New Zealand's long slow slog when it comes to the post-Covid airline bounce-back…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Online violence, against high-profile women in particular, has prompted the government to look at ways to help them deal with it The price of having a public face, especially for women, is having to deal with a rising tide of abuse. It could have a chilling effect on local body election candidates this year…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The only certainty surrounding the election of the new pope is that he will be a man, and that's a tradition unlikely to change soonWith a patriarchy deeply rooted in tradition, women in the Catholic Church are split on the urgency - or even need - to ordain women as priests…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The Central Otago District Council has a plan that could save millions, but many locals say it comes at the cost of history, heritage and community…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The cultural extravaganza festival that is Polyfest was a record-breaker this year - but its finances are in perilIn spite of the rain this year's Polyfest hit record numbers, but organisers are back to looking for coins down the back of the couch to get it running next year…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details