Best Rivers Media Productions Podcasts (2025)

1
Kerre Woodham: Beyond the headlines of the cancer report 6:10

Play Pause

9h ago6:10

6:10

Whenever I hear or read news headlines these days, I know that the headlines will be just that for so many people. Headlines. People won't hear or they won't read beyond the headline, and then they'll form their own opinions based on nothing more than 20 words or fewer. I've got numerous examples of that. Even people that I would have thought would…

1
Phil Lester: Victoria University Ecology and Entomology Professor on the efforts to stamp out yellow-legged hornets 8:57

10h ago8:57

8:57

Efforts to stamp out yellow-legged hornets in New Zealand are widening. Biodiversity New Zealand is expanding the 5-kilometre surveillance zone in Glenfield and Birkdale on Auckland's North Shore further out to 11-kilometres, to ensure only one population is at large. Victoria University Ecology and Entomology Professor Phil Lester told Kerre Woodh…

1
Josie Spillane: Highlands Motorsport CEO on the Street Smart driving programme, lottery 6:20

1d ago6:20

6:20

The Street Smart programme is a hands-on, one-day driver training course for young drivers, teaching crucial real-world skills beyond basic testing, helping reduce road deaths across New Zealand. The course focuses on decision-making, hazard perception (like "rabbits" on the road), distraction management, peer pressure, and emergency manoeuvres in …

1
Hamish Firth: Mt Hobson Group Director on the Government's RMA reforms 7:48

1d ago7:48

7:48

An urban planner says the Government’s RMA reforms are well overdue. It's unveiled plans to replace current Resource Management Act laws with two new pieces of legislation, one for the environment and one for planning. It sets clear limits on council regulations and is expected to save $13 billion in consenting costs. Mt Hobson Group Director Hamis…

1
Kerre Woodham: The Supreme Court ruling on disabled carers makes sense 5:41

1d ago5:41

5:41

Two parents who care for their severely disabled adult children have been recognised as homeworkers and are now entitled to receive the minimum wage, along with other associated employment conditions, after a landmark ruling yesterday from the country's highest court. They're now deemed to be employees of disability support services. And the famili…

1
How community banks are balancing urgent pressures with long-term modernization 21:43

17h ago21:43

21:43

Community and regional banks operate in an environment of perpetual tension. They need to grow deposits and drive lending profitability while managing operating costs that threaten to overwhelm smaller institutions. They must also prevent increasingly sophisticated fraud while delivering customer experiences that match Amazon and Netflix. And they …

1
Kerre Woodham: Is there still a place for Te Pāti Māori in Parliament? 4:58

2d ago4:58

4:58

2024 was an epic annus horribilis for the Greens - you remember Golriz Ghahraman, Darleen Tana, Julie Anne Genter, et al. It went on and on. It was arguably the worst year on record for any political party in this country ever. But wait, hold my beer – we have a new champion. 2025 is shaping up to be an even more horribilis of an annus for Te Pāti …

1
Why every bank now needs a stablecoin strategy (whether they like it or not) 29:42

1d ago29:42

29:42

The GENIUS Act brings regulatory clarity to stablecoins, but Conduit CEO Kirill Gertman argues that clarity alone won't guarantee success. Banks face a choice between building their own infrastructure or becoming the pipes for others.Kirill Gertman has watched the stablecoin industry evolve from multiple angles. He spent nearly two decades in finan…

1
John MacDonald: Coster has no evidence to back up his claims 4:09

3d ago4:09

4:09

Whether-or-not you saw former police commissioner Andrew Coster’s TV interview yesterday, you’ll know about the allegations he’s making. He thinks people are running for the hills after the Jevon McSkimming scandal and aren’t telling the whole story in terms of what they knew and when they knew it. Especially current police minister Mark Mitchell a…

1
Kerre Woodham: Productivity and the great Christmas shutdown 6:23

6d ago6:23

6:23

This morning, I'm going to pretty much let Toss Grumley do the opener for me. Who's Toss Grumley? Well, Toss is a New Zealand business advisor and investor. The Post has run an editorial he wrote, bemoaning the Christmas shutdown. In it he said New Zealand's Christmas break has started to become way too extreme, and it's impacting our productivity …

1
Kerre Woodham: Should convictions for violence be public record? 6:41

7d ago6:41

6:41

Now, surely, it should be a straightforward exercise. You're about to embark on a relationship with someone, and you want to do a police check. Does this person have previous convictions for violence? Seems charming, seems a lovely, but you hear horror stories. So, why wouldn't you want to check on somebody before you invite them into your life? Wh…

1
Kerre Woodham: What would it take to get police trust to 80%? 7:14

8d ago7:14

7:14

It's been 12 months since Richard Chambers became New Zealand's Police Commissioner. And by crikey, he's had a busy old time of it, a little bit of a poisoned chalice. There's been the clean out of the police hierarchy following the McSkimming scandal – or really, scandals. And two months after his appointment, police officer Lynn Fleming was kille…

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Doug Marlowe: Global expert on drug-court policy on the effectiveness of the Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Court 14:55

8d ago14:55

14:55

Calls to expand the Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Court across the country. AODTC was launched in New Zealand in 2012 as a pilot to steer high-risk, high-need offenders away from prison. Offenders must plead guilty and face a likely prison term of up to three years for drug offences, committing to a tough 12- to 18-month program including regula…

1
Why venture capital infrastructure is finally getting automated 25:32

9d ago25:32

25:32

The venture capital world has a liquidity problem. With IPOs scarce and M&A exits few and far between, investors have been stuck in positions for years, unable to return capital to their LPs or move into new opportunities. But while traditional exit doors have stayed shut, technology has opened up new ones—specifically, platforms that make it possi…

1
Kerre Woodham: A rates cap or an erosion of services and facilities? 7:18

9d ago7:18

7:18

Auckland households face a 7.9% rate rise next year, primarily to fund the operating costs for the $5.5 billion City Rail Link, which is nearly finished. It's a reality, it's going to open for passengers next year – woo! The increase will cover the $235 million annual cost of operating the new underground rail service. It's the largest rates rise s…

1
Kerre Woodham: Labour makes big promises, but can they deliver? 6:16

10d ago6:16

6:16

Hundreds of the Labour Party faithful gathered over the weekend in Auckland to begin the march back to Parliament's government benches. Council of Trade Unions head Sandra Gray was preaching to the converted when she told the crowd that New Zealand's Pavlova paradise has been eaten up by the rich. She said Labour needed to give workers a reason to …

1
Tom Walters: Matakana Oysters owner says industry is struggling after heavy rain and wastewater spill 11:16

10d ago11:16

11:16

Auckland oyster farmers are facing another blow just weeks after a major wastewater spill into the Mahurangi River. Watercare says heavy rain on 19 November caused 86 cubic metres of wastewater and stormwater to overflow into the river from a Warkworth pipeline. The Ministry for Primary Industries has suspended harvesting while tests are carried ou…

1
Kerre Woodham: E-scooters, cycle lanes, and public demand 6:52

13d ago6:52

6:52

The Government's move to shift e-scooter users from the sidewalk to bike lanes is being hailed as a win for common sense. Shame it's not coming in before the Christmas party season. ACC stats for e-scooter injuries this year are close to surpassing $14 million. Now, I don't believe that's because e-scooters are inherently dangerous. They're very ea…

1
Kerre Woodham: Are you feeling optimistic? 3:34

14d ago3:34

3:34

The Pohutukawa are out and flowering and abundant. The days are longer, the sun is shining, the Reserve Bank has cut the OCR, Christmas is coming, summer holidays are on the horizon, Chris Hipkins was talking tough around any kind of coalition with the Greens. We're in charge, we're not going to have this rabidly socialist nonsense, was the clear i…

1
Kerre Woodham: Regional councils need to be streamlined 5:40

15d ago5:40

5:40

Regional councils are being abolished – or are they? Thomas Coughan writing in the Herald makes a very good point, it's not the councils that are being abolished, it's the council laws. Under the Government's proposal, which was announced yesterday, regional councils would have their governance replaced by Combined Territories Boards, a group made …

1
Kerre Woodham: We need to be able to treat feral animals as pests 6:02

16d ago6:02

6:02

Cats and dogs who are part of our families are much loved and live the life of Riley. There must be some days when your cat or dog is lying curled up in the sun with a full tummy, waiting for 3 o'clock when the kids come home and surround it with love, or waiting for you to take it for a walk, or waiting for you to sit down so it can curl up in you…

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Chris Hipkins: Labour Leader talks capital gains taxes, coalitions, cross-party commitments 33:52

16d ago33:52

33:52

Chris Hipkins says coalitions require a balance of compromise and standing by values. The Labour leader says New Zealanders understand the nuances of MMP and the reality that parties can't get everything they want. He says that means parties often can't accomplish as much as they hoped. But Hipkins told Kerre Woodham some things will be bottom line…

1
Kerre Woodham: Do the Kiwisaver tweaks go far enough? 6:48

17d ago6:48

6:48

Christopher Luxon has made his party's first election promise at a Christmas gathering for the party faithful of the Lower North Island. He said that they would lift the default KiwiSaver contribution rate, and eventually the changes would mean employees would see 12% of their earnings going into KiwiSaver, 6% from them, 6% from employers - a level…

1
Bosses Unfiltered Episode 7: Angus Brown 34:18

20d ago34:18

34:18

It’s hard enough to chase a scientific breakthrough. But as New Zealand company Ārepa found out it's even harder and more expenisve to defend your breakthroughs time and time again. Ārepa was founded in 2017 and the so called “brain drink” company was growing at a rapid pace when at the end of 2023, they hit a massive speed bump. That's when the Mi…

1
Matt Brown: She Is Not Your Rehab co-founder on violence against women continuing to be so prevalent 10:35

20d ago10:35

10:35

Violence against women remains one of the world’s most persistent and under-addressed human rights crises. A report from the World Health Organisation says that 1 in 3 women, an estimated 840 million globally, have experienced partner or sexual violence during their lifetime, a figure that has barely changed since 2000. In Australia and New Zealand…

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Kerre Woodham: Who genuinely thinks they have the right to mete out violence? 5:54

20d ago5:54

5:54

A new report from the World Health Organization has found (old news really), a quarter of women have been physically or sexually abused by a partner. It's 24.5% for Australia and New Zealand, so about the same. And there are calls for a public awareness and education campaign in this country about domestic violence. Really? Who needs to be taught t…

1
Chris Mackenzie: Ferry Holdings Ltd Chair on the new Cook Strait Ferry deal 11:24

21d ago11:24

11:24

Rail Minister Winston Peters yesterday confirmed we are to get two new rail-enabled Cook Strait ferries. The Government's signed a fixed-price contract with a Chinese shipbuilder and is securing teams to build port infrastructure in Picton and Wellington. Rail Minister Winston Peters claims the total cost will come in under $2 billion and delivered…

1
Kerre Woodham: Incredible concerts and positive news 6:19

21d ago6:19

6:19

A little bit husky, a little bit hoarse, not as bad as Heather, but a little bit husky from belting out the classics at Eden Park last night with Metallica. Oh my god. Oh my god. What a show. What an event for the city. If you were there, you know, and you'll still be buzzing, and you will still think that is one of the best concerts you've ever be…

1
Kerre Woodham: What makes NZ workplaces so dangerous? 3:05

22d ago3:05

3:05

It's the 15th anniversary today of the Pike River mine disaster, and on this anniversary, unions are calling for a corporate manslaughter law to be enshrined in legislation, as it is in other countries like the UK, Australia, Canada. 29 men were killed when an explosion ripped through the Pike River mine on the West Coast of the South Island. And d…

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Chris Peace: Victoria University Workplace Health and Safety Lecturer on the Pike River mine tragedy and health and safety injuries 10:42

22d ago10:42

10:42

Today marks the 15th anniversary of the Pike River mine disaster that killed 29 men. Despite reforms following the incident, New Zealand's workplace health and safety record remains poor, with fatality and injury rates among the highest in the developed world. Workplace injuries and illnesses cost the country an estimated $5 billion each year. Vict…

1
Kerre Woodham: Contractors, employees, and the gig economy 5:33

23d ago5:33

5:33

Business NZ Chief Executive Katherine Rich says the Supreme Court's ruling that Uber drivers are in fact employees of Uber, not contractors, could have far-reaching implications for businesses that hired contractors, and she says it could collapse the gig economy. What's the gig economy? Well, when we're talking about the gig economy, we mean peopl…

1
Peter Huskinson: Bowel Cancer NZ CEO on the Never Too Young Report, call to lower the bowel cancer screening age 13:02

23d ago13:02

13:02

Bowel Cancer NZ's new report lays bare the realities of 350 people under 50 living with the disease. It’s the second deadliest cancer in New Zealand, and the leading cause of cancer death among people under the age of 50. Every year around 3,300 New Zealanders are diagnosed and 1,200 die from the disease, despite it having a cure rate of over 90% w…

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How to build a partnership that can survive market disruptions ft. Cross River and Best Egg 36:14

24d ago36:14

36:14

Some partnerships in financial services begin with a handshake and end with a contract dispute. Others start with a Sunday morning LinkedIn message and evolve into something that transcends the typical vendor-client relationship. The collaboration between Cross River Bank and Best Egg falls firmly into the latter category."When we first got into th…

1
Andrew Dickens: If we don't want congestion charges, give us alternatives 8:26

24d ago8:26

8:26

On the front page of the New Zealand Herald today there was a poll, and it shows that we're split as a nation on the issue of capital gains tax. So, the question for us here in this room and you in your room and all of us together is, should we have another discussion on the CGT? And my answer to that is, of course not. And why? We have no real ide…

1
Episode #30: Brandan the Supervisor 1:06:05

24d ago1:06:05

1:06:05

PARENTAL ADVISORY EXPLICIT CONTENT Episode #30: Brandan the Supervisor In this episode, we pick up from last week’s conversation about the discipline required in security work and the essential teamwork expected within a club environment. We dive into the story of a team member who wasn’t meeting his responsibilities, putting his coworkers at risk.…

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How CFOs can regain strategic control in times of economic volatility ft. FIS’ Chrissy Wagner and Seamus Smith 26:54

27d ago26:54

26:54

CFOs are abandoning quarterly planning cycles for week-by-week assessments as trade tensions, tariff uncertainty, and supplier volatility force a new short-term reality onto financial leadership. Seamus Smith, EVP and Group President of Automated Finance at FIS, and Chrissy Wagner, SVP of GTM at FIS, break down how finance leaders can balance urgen…

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Banks or Pipes: Where financial institutions go when agents take over 29:46

27d ago29:46

29:46

Welcome to a special 4dFi podcast exploring the latest trends and technologies reshaping finance. I'm Zack Miller, Tearsheet's Editor in Chief.Today, we're unpacking the rise of AI agents and their potential to transform how consumers interact with financial services. I'm joined by my partners Russell Weiss, an AI expert and startup builder, and Jo…

1
Bosses Unfiltered - Episode 6: Angus Simms 36:22

27d ago36:22

36:22

New Zealand produces enough food to feed 40 million people. Some of it we consume and some some we export. But a staggering 30% of the food we make or grow goes to waste. Fruit and vegetables need to look a certain way to make it onto supermarket shelves – or they get tossed. Angus Simms and his partner Katie Jackson wanted to tackle that problem -…

1
Kerre Woodham: The problem with our retirement system 4:56

27d ago4:56

4:56

As you'll have heard in the news this morning, the Retirement Commissioner has called for a 10-year roadmap and cross-party agreement, following the release of its review of New Zealand's retirement system. More Kiwis are living longer, working differently, and facing pressures around housing and care. We're facing a huge rise in the number of olde…

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Patrick Nolan: Retirement Commission Policy and Research Director on the call for changes to the retirement income system 8:16

27d ago8:16

8:16

A warning New Zealand needs to act quickly on strengthening our retirement income system. The Retirement Commission's income policy review has found a longer-term political focus is needed to ensure future generations' certainty. It makes 12 recommendations, including moving more quickly to implement KiwiSaver reforms, and harder strategies such as…

1
Julia Hartley Moore: JHM Private Investigator Services Owner on the number of people living double lives 13:20

28d ago13:20

13:20

How common is it for people to be living double lives? Former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming is awaiting sentence after pleading guilty to having child sexual exploitation and bestiality material on his work devices. An IPCA report also found complaints of McSkimming being a sexual predator were ignored, the emails the woman sent inste…

1
Kerre Woodham: Charging Ms Z would be a gross miscarriage of justice 5:13

28d ago5:13

5:13

How is it that the woman, who's at the centre of a cover-up by top brass within the Police, still has to go to court to defend two charges of causing harm by posting a digital communication? She's charged with harassing a police officer who was apparently investigating her accusations against that pervert McSkimming and with harassing the investiga…

1
AI agents in production: Nvidia's Kevin Levitt on infrastructure for live banking systems 27:19

29d ago27:19

27:19

Welcome to the Tearsheet Podcast, where we explore financial services together with an eye on technology, innovation, emerging models, and changing expectations. I'm Tearsheet's editor in chief, Zack Miller.We've been covering AI in financial services for a while now—chatbots, generative AI, fraud detection models. But something fundamental is shif…

1
Kerre Woodham: The McSkimming cover-up is appalling 6:59

29d ago6:59

6:59

The revelation that the Deputy Commissioner of Police Jevon McSkimming was a predatory pervert was one thing. To find out that our most senior police officers were complicit in not only covering up his inappropriate behaviour, but then prosecuting, persecuting his victim is quite frankly horrifying. I knew, many of you knew, Andrew Coster was an in…

1
Kerre Woodham: At what point do business owners call it quits? 5:16

1M ago5:16

5:16

At what point, when you're a business owner, do you decide that you've had enough? There was Covid, then there were the boom times, then there was the recession that seems to have gone on and on, there's a crisis in consumer confidence, there's global uncertainty that too has gone on and on. There are problems finding staff, there are problems keep…

1
Shayne Currie: NZME Editor-at-Large on trust in media, BBC faces allegations of bias 14:09

1M ago14:09

14:09

The BBC is facing accusations of bias, as well as a lawsuit, after a leaked memo suggests the Panorama programme edited one of Donald Trump’s speeches to imply he encouraged the Capitol Hill riots of January 2021. The US President is demanding a full retraction and is threatening to sue for nearly 1.8 billion New Zealand dollars in damages. The inc…

1
Damien Grant: Waterstone Insolvency Principal on the sharp rise in the number of insolvency 12:12

1M ago12:12

12:12

Many businesses that limped through the pandemic are now going under. Insolvency practitioners have been reporting a sharp rise in the number of insolvencies since mid-2022. Smaller retail, hospitality, construction, transport and manufacturing operators are failing far more now than they were before the pandemic. Waterstone Insolvency Principal Da…

1
Kerre Woodham: Why put money back in the pockets of users? 8:42

1M ago8:42

8:42

So the government's Sunday sessions this year have involved announcements of all sorts of policies, ranging from ho-hum to meaningful.The announcement yesterday of the action plan against organised crime comes under the meaningful. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith released what he called a bold and comprehensive action plan that aimed to disrupt sup…

1
Corrie Parnell: NZ Police Acting Assistant Commissioner: Investigations, Serious and Organised Crime discusses fight against on Meth 8:20

1M ago8:20

8:20

The Government's announced its methamphetamine action plan, calling the drug a 'scourge on our society'. Methamphetamine consumption doubled from 732kg in 2023 to almost 1,500 kilos in 2024, according to police wastewater testing. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says the prevention campaign will address importation, distribution and most importantl…

1
FIS's McWilliams on SMBs, data sharing, and the strategy that wins in a competitive environment 20:03

1M ago20:03

20:03

Banks dramatically underestimate how their customers share financial data, and most of it happens through insecure screen scraping that creates fraud vulnerabilities and slows performance. Shane McWilliams, Head of Retail Digital Banking at FIS, breaks down the three critical challenges separating thriving institutions from those being left behind:…