Larry Williams Drive

The wave of extreme weather lashing the North Island is likely to have a devastating impact on the rural sector. Crops, culverts, and feed have been destroyed by the floods and orchards and fields have been left underwater due to Friday's heavy rainfall. The Country's Jamie Mackay says this will be a tough time for farmers and this will likely push up the price of food for consumers. Jamie Mackay says these floods are coming off the back of two wetter than average months for the North Island, which have disrupted maize production. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington-based software firm Hnry has managed to secure a $35 million investment and plans to expand. Hnry is designed to help the self-employed manage their accounts, and the start-up plans to widen their services and hire more staff following the substantial investment.  BusinessDesk managing editor Pattrick Smellie says this is an impressive investment for a start-up this size to secure, especially in a recessionary economic climate. Pattrick Smellie also says this company fills an important slot, as a Xero-style platform for companies to small to afford Xero. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Airport is bracing for more heavy rain while it grapples with Friday's weather damage. Auckland Airport is watching the weather closely, and has 'sucker trucks', sandbags, and supplies for stranded passengers on standby. Auckland Airport Chief Executive Carrie Hurihanganui says everything is in place to prepare for potentially extreme conditions, but any added damage remains to be seen. Carrie Hurihanganui says Auckland Airport is prepared for a similar scenario to Friday, but hopes that doesn't happen. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ruapehu's local economy is expected to be on thin ice at the closure of a ski chateau. The heritage-listed Chateau Tongariro Hotel will shut in five days after the building's lease expires. The 93-year-old mountainside accommodation had to close as necessary seismic upgrades were deemed too expensive. Ruapehu mayor Weston Kirton says it was an iconic spot and it shouldn't have to go. Mayor Kirton says that the loss of the Chateau Tongariro Hotel is another hit to Ruapehu's tourism.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on The Huddle, independent journalist Clare de Lore and former Labour Chief of Staff and current director at Mike Munroe Communications, Mike Munroe joined in on a discussion about the following issues: Chris Hipkins announced his Cabinet reshuffle- what do we think? Is Michael Wood really the best choice for Minister of Auckland? Why did Willie Jackson get to keep his Broadcasting and Media title? Did Nanaia Mahuta deserve to be demoted? Labour is leading in the polls following Chris Hipkins being appointed to the role of Prime Minister. Is this a fluke, or does National need some new policies? Campbell Johnstone is the first All Black to publicly come out as gay, how big of a deal is this? How do we feel about Wayne Brown privately calling journalists 'media drongos' over text? LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Northland has declared a State of Emergency for the next seven days. Heavy rain and strong winds are expected to lash the region over the next week and Northland Civil Defence is warning households to take the weather warning seriously. Far North deputy mayor Kelly Stratford says heavy rain has fallen on and off in the region today and they haven't needed emergency management resources yet. She says they are poised and ready with evacuation and welfare centres in case the weather gets worse overnight. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The CEO of a harm prevention services provider has slammed a food retailer caught selling alcohol for 67 cents a can. Pak 'n Save New Plymouth is under fire for marketing $3.99 six-packs, but Foodstuffs North Island say the beer was priced wrongly and it's since been corrected. Hapai Te Hauora CEO Selah Hart says mental health issues are a major problem, and this exploits families suffering at the hands of addiction. "You know who that's targeted to, it's not to those that can manage their drinking in a way that is helpful or sustainable. We're actually looking at those families who cannot control their drinking behaviours and therefore can not move past these really attractive signs." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Education Secretary has re-iterated the decision to shut schools is about managing traffic to get infrastructure up and running. The Education Ministry previously said education services couldn't open for on-site instruction until after Waitangi weekend. Education Secretary Iona Holsted says they'll make the call to open on a daily basis, getting advice from Civil Defence in the morning and informing schools by midday. She says they'll give advice on infrastructure condition, power, sewage and flooding to take into account. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins revealed his new outline for Cabinet in today's media briefing. Jan Tinetti has become Minister for Education, Ayesha Verrall's taken over Health from Andrew Little, and Immigration and Transport Minister Michael Wood has also become Minister for Auckland. Nanaia Mahuta has lost Local Government, and the job has gone to Kieran McAnulty instead. Grant Robertson retained Finance and Willie Jackson kept Broadcasting and Media. ZB's senior political correspondent Barry Soper says that it's unclear why Michael Wood has been promoted and got the Minister for Auckland role, considering how his policies have affected the region. LISTEN ABOVE      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has unveiled his new line-up in today's Cabinet reshuffle. Dr Aeysha Verrall has been promoted to Minister of Health, Jan Tinetti has been promoted to Minister of Education and Nanaia Mahuta lost Local Government to Kieran McAnulty, but keeps Minister of Foreign Affairs. Michael Wood has also been promoted to Minister for Auckland, in addition to keeping his roles as Transport Minister and Education Minister. Chris Hipkins says Michael Wood is the right person to co-ordinate Labour's support strategy for the region and win Auckland voters over. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thousands of Alice Springs locals attended a meeting on Monday in an attempt to address the ongoing crime wave.  Many Indigenous Australian members of the Alice Springs community walked out of the meeting, feeling like it was designed to tackle the concerns of business owners above all else. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the Indigenous community felt the meeting didn't address the generational disadvantage and unsafe homes that contributed to young people turning to crime. Murray Olds says business owners are fed up with the uptick in youth crime following the expiration of an alcohol ban six months priors. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former prop Campbell Johnstone is the first All Black to publicly come out as gay. The former player announced he was gay in an interview on current affairs program Seven Sharp on Monday. The wider rugby community have expressed their pride and admiration for Campbell Johnstone since the statement aired. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave says this is an important step forward for New Zealand rugby because the All Blacks have such a public presence.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has boosted Auckland's Mayoral Relief Fund by $1 million as the upper North Island prepares for another battering from Mother Nature. Northland has declared a precautionary State of Emergency, valid for seven days. Red rain warnings are in force in the region, as well as for northern Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula. Orange Warnings apply to the rest of Auckland and Great Barrier Island tonight, and tomorrow for the Bay of Plenty, and parts of Tairawhiti. North Shore councillor, Richard Hills says in his area, the rain has cleared but the wind's picking up- which is risky to the already soft and unstable ground. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experts warn that stargazing could be a thing of the past as satellites are predicted to crowd the night sky by 2030. There are currently 8,000 satellites up in space, with a further 400,000 approved to go up by the end of the decade. The University of Auckland's Richard Easther says this development is alarming, especially since it happened without much oversight. Richard Easther says that if even a quarter of the satellites approved went up into space, the night sky could look different in the coming years. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King Charles is reportedly in talks with the BBC to give a tell-all interview. The King has been silent following the revelations Prince Harry disclosed in his memoir 'Spare', but it has been claimed that Buckingham Palace has spoken to the BBC. The interview is rumoured to be taking place on May 6th, ahead of King Charles' coronation. UK correspondent Kay Oliver says this interview would be a first for the royal and establish Charles as 'the people's King'. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The coming weather is expected to disrupt already affected roads around the North Island. Damage to Coromandel's State Highway 25A has been particularly bad as the road at the summit has completely collapsed and closed indefinitely.  There are also closures on State Highway 25 and 37 because of the damage from flooding, slips and debris. Waka Kotahi Regional Maintenance Manager Jacqui Hori-Hoult says drivers need to research the risks ahead of time and several regions must avoid non-essential travel over the next few days. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland was lashed with heavy rain and subsequent floods last Friday and is forecast to receive further heavy rain in the coming days. The extreme weather has resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of property and inventory being destroyed, and many Auckland businesses will be closing their doors until further notice. NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan says that no one expected a disaster like this to hit Auckland and the region will benefit from extra Government support and resources. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on The Huddle, ZB's Tim Beveridge and NZ Herald senior writer Simon Wilson joined in on a discussion about the following issues- and more! What do we think of Auckland mayor Wayne Brown's communication around the Auckland floods and Saturday's subsequent press conference? Could he have handled it better? All Auckland schools will be closed for a week on Tuesday because of the expected extreme weather. Is that overkill?  Burnside High School's new uniform will cost parents $545 minimum, and there's no second hand option available. Is this fair? How real is ageism in the workforce? Do potential employees over 55 have it worse when job-hunting? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland is being warned to prepare for more extreme rain tomorrow following Friday's record-breaking downpour. Many companies are asking office staff to work from home and other businesses will be closing their doors until further notice. This economic disruption combined with the infrastructure, property, and inventory damage means flooding will potentially cost Auckland businesses hundreds of millions. Finance Minister Grant Robertson says it's too early to judge the overall impact of the flooding, but the weather damage will result in significant losses. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has given Labour a boost in both polls run by Newshub and 1News. The 1News Kantar Public poll shows Labour has gone up by 5 points and is sitting at 38 per cent, overtaking National. The Newshub-Reid Research poll shows Labour has risen to 38 percent, up 5.7 points, and National's down 4.1 to 36.6 percent. ZB's senior political correspondent, Barry Soper says Labour will be stoked with these results because new leadership has given them a bump, but it's still early days. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.