The Detail
Episodes
Finish line in sight for CRL
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The opening has been pushed back again, the price is extraordinary, but Auckland's City Rail Link is expected to deliver the region the wow factor Th...
Calls for urgent action over deer control
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There's a lot of hand-wringing but few answers when it comes to culling New Zealand's rapidly expanding deer populationIn a war between hunters and co...
A year of aviation turbulence
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Aviation under pressure: Airbus A320 glitch adds to a year of crashes, questions, and shaken confidenceThe Airbus A320 fault sparked worldwide delays ...
Local government's big shakeup
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Regional councils have to find a different way of operating that cuts down on double ups and layers of bureaucracyRegional councillors who've jus...
Living with HIV in 2025
30 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
An HIV diagnosis used to be a death sentence, but that hasn't been the case in years - so why hasn't the stigma changed with the science?More than fou...
Tips for a fabulous 2025 Kiwi Christmas do
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It doesn't have to be extravagant, expensive or loaded with tinsel and tat - bring your smile to host the perfect seasonal party If you're fed u...
Smokefree choking
27 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We've failed to reach our smokefree obligations, but has New Zealand done well enough to relax our efforts?New Zealand was once a world leader in gett...
The fierce battle over mining on Denniston Plateau
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The West Coast has long been mining country, but a proposed expansion of coal mining operations - and the backlash - leaves the region's economy and e...
The rising cost of taking a gamble on the what-ifs
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the cost of insurance rises, Consumer NZ sees worrying signs that more people are dropping their house insuranceFrom house insurance to health insu...
Uber victory will be trumped by Parliament
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Unions who won an employment case for four Uber drivers in three different courts could find the ruling short-lived, with the introduction of new legi...
Dark patterns on the web
23 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psychological tricks and traps using deceptive website design techniques are starting to overwhelm online shopping.What's being termed 'dark...
One for the political tragics
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Two big political memoirs have hit the bookshops this year - but which high profile politicians are missing from the shelvesFrom memoirs to biographie...
Trump's backflip on beefed up tariffs
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A surprise reversal on high beef tariffs has been a welcome relief for farmers, but with Trump in the White House, celebrations are muted U.S Preside...
The year of the kākāpō
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kākāpō numbers are recovering at such a rate that we are running out of pest-free islands to put them on 2026 could be the year that the kākāpō ...
Police face deepening crisis of trust
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Government pressed for action as scandal over police handling of McSkimming complaints sparks national reckoningA week after a bombshell IPCA report r...
The rising crisis of child sexual exploitation in NZ
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sexual exploitation of children is seen as one of the worst crimes out there - but do the prison terms reflect the severity?An advocacy organisation s...
How Kiwi kids are becoming the new face of 'adult' diabetes
16 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Type 1 diabetes used to be called 'juvenile diabetes', and Type 2 affected adults. But that's no longer the case, and the number of kids with Type 2 i...
The "inherently unsafe" brakes in some 70,000 vehicles
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For years, a father has been fighting for Waka Kotahi to do more about the dangers of a vehicle braking system involved in his son's death. Now a coro...
The BBC edit heard around the world
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Editing scandal at BBC sparks 'existential crisis' for public-service broadcaster and puts the spotlight on trust in journalismFrom editing error to b...
Earth's weakest link may be in space
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Space terrorism is no longer relegated to sci-fi movies: it's happening already, and one legal expert warns we're far from preparedAn attack on satell...
Fears of bubble trouble with AI shares
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As AI share prices soar, some economic doomsayers have started to ring the warning bells of a bubble risk More and more, finance experts are predicti...
An economy based on tourism burns
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ruapehu District's mayor says the huge fire still burning in the region could have the same effect on the local economy as the 1996 eruptionIn Tongari...
In Taiwan, invasion by disinformation
09 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a country swamped by disinformation, two entrepreneurs have come up with solutions to tackle the problem, on and offline For Taiwan, the threat of...
Life in a peaceful country with war on its doorstep
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Detail's Sharon Brettkelly visits Jordan, where the tourism industry propping up the country's economy has been all but decimated by the war in ne...
Efforts ramp up to eradicate the yellow-legged hornet
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This nasty pest can be destroyed, but it will take government resources and extreme vigilance from the public to do it.The anti-pest army is being mob...
Behind the education overhaul
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A key player in the curriculum rewrite says the criticism is overblown - and not a reflection of what the sector thinksMany agree NZ's education ...
City Councillor slams "protected" gulf zones that still allow fishing
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A City Councillor and a Marine Science Professor warn that the Hauraki Gulf recovery is at risk after a last-minute fishing carve-out to the new Tīka...
Paying over the odds for our four-lane highways
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The figures keep blowing up when it comes to paying for our Roads of National Significance, and critics say some of the justifications are shonky Ha...
A move to split the autism spectrum
02 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Up to 150,000 New Zealanders have autism, but there's a huge range in how it impacts people - so some think it's time the spectrum is dividedWhile Tru...
Thirty years of dance for Black Grace
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As this unique Kiwi group celebrates a big anniversary, it's balancing its creative vision with a tight budget and an agile approach - on and off stag...
Rugby's big gamble in the US
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The US isn't known for its rugby prowess, or interest - so when the All Blacks take on Ireland this weekend, they're playing to sell a vision The All...
A spotlight on aging
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The aged care sector has had enough of reports describing all its many problems - and hopes a new Ministerial Advisory Group will provide some solutio...
Border patrols for child predators
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The amount of child sexual abuse material entering New Zealand is increasing and getting 'more violent' - and the Customs team managing it can't keep ...
Taking the political temperature, a year from the vote
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With just twelve months until the next election, the mood of the nation is "one of disillusionment", and that's reflected in the pollsWith a year to g...
Auckland museum checks the locks
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When there's a successful jewel heist such as the Louvre break-in, museum directors around the world take another look at their own patches. Auckland ...
Bothered, buggered and burnt out
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A combination of job insecurity, tight economic times and a pressure to always be on the clock is resulting in a burnt out workforceBurnout is increas...
Iconic Kiwi brands with a French flavour
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fonterra is concentrating on its core business, and that means executing one of the biggest business transactions this country has ever seen - to the ...
Two ordinary women
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fifteen years after the explosions at Pike River mine killed 29 men, a new feature film brings the families' ongoing fight for justice back into focus...
The great rugby heist
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
R360 is making a bold play for Kiwi stars, but there's much debate over whether the rebel competition is set to be a rugby revolution, or a career-end...
Christchurch - city of colour, capital of cool
19 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our second biggest city is experiencing the type of revival that should make the rest of New Zealand enviousIn the last 14 years Christchurch has been...
Voice acting royalty at epic Armageddon
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You could walk past these prolific actors and not even notice you're among stars - until they open their mouths You could walk past these prolific ac...
Helping the helpers in hard times
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Charities in crisis: how government cuts and rising costs are stretching New Zealand's social safety netPhilanthropists split too many ways and tears ...
New Zealand on strike, again
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our workforce has had enough and will down tools on October 23 for a "mega strike", involving more than 100,000 workers New Zealand used to be the pos...
The pig welfare reforms that roll back pig welfare
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Changes announced by animal welfare minister Andrew Hoggard turn out not to be what they appeared on the labelThe government announcement looked like ...
When social licence is revoked
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Big and profitable Kiwi companies hiking their prices during a cost of living crisis have been accused of losing their social licenceIt's very va...
The new online war against birth control
12 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The contraceptive pill is under fire on social media. Why birth control is being called "poison" online - and what doctors say.Fact vs Fear: Doctors a...
Stormwater solutions lying in the soil
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
An expert in water-sensitive design urges us to think harder about what lies beneath our feet Lost in Auckland's push for development has been t...
The hidden heroes of child care
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Inside New Zealand's kinship care movement, and what's needed to repair the cracksFrom heartbreak to hope: how kinship carers are saving New Zealand&#...
The twists and turns of Māori politics
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Amid celebrations that their youngest MP made the cover of Time, ructions that threaten to blow Māori politics apartIt's reset day for Te Pāti ...
What's missing from new earthquake plans
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One expert says the government's changes on earthquake-prone buildings are more about saving money than lives - but there's some sensible stuff in the...
The nothing burger of a power plan
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The much anticipated government announcement of a solution to soaring power prices has fallen well short of fundamental reform The government's ...
Not if but when - Taiwan waits for China to leap
05 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Taiwanese worry about living costs and their everyday lives while pushing the prospect of action from China to the back of their mindsTaiwanese people...
Digital IDs are coming
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you want to live your life more seamlessly, you might have to swallow the dead rat of information seepageGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more d...
A royal pain for the House of Windsor
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With Fergie, Harry and Andrew in the headlines again, The Detail speaks to an insider about whether they can weather yet another storm From Fergie&#x...
NZ Football League caught in offshore betting storm
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A Kiwi amateur league has become a global betting goldmine, raising red flags about the risk of illegal on-field activityNew Zealand's time zone ...
Port of Auckland hails remarkable turnaround
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A new tripartite agreement for the Port of Auckland signals a turnaround for a workplace long dogged by controversy, including debt, delays and deathT...
Changing the future for organised crime
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The final report from the Ministerial Advisory Group on Organised Crime is delivered today, and it makes for frightening reading It would give you ch...
The viral drift of misinformation
28 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You can roll your eyes all you want at the White House reckons on panadol, autism and vaccines, but the alarming truth is they are damaging and will t...
Turtles, the pet turned pest
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Turtles have a relaxed reputation, but in reality they're quick-moving and aggressive, and are wreaking havoc on our native wildlifeBreeds including r...
Inside Taiwan's powerhouse semiconductor sector
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Detail puts on a rabbit suit and gets special access to the incubators of Taiwan's semiconductor industryInside Taiwan's booming semiconducto...
Soft power, sneaky marketing
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How New Zealand manages to develop brand awareness without spending a fortune on advertising itselfNew Zealand ranks pretty highly in this year's...
A race to change laws sees a sprint to the courts
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A spate of legal cases have put the Government up against industries and unions who say fast-tracked laws have been undemocraticFrom a ban on greyhoun...
When AI in the workplace goes wrong
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A workplace performance expert warns that introducing artificial intelligence simply to replace people will backfire badly for companiesCompanies tryi...
Canned peaches, canned
21 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hawkes Bay orchardists are pulling out their peach trees after Wattie's told them it's shrinking production of the canned fruitA gap in production in ...
Banter, beers and backstabbing at the Beehive
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Parliament isn't all fiery debate and smart comebacks, in fact MPs of all political colours get along. But only some are willing to admit it.Lawmakers...
Black Ferns battle injuries as they chase glory in England
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Black Ferns are one win away from the finals, and the mood of the nation depends on a much-needed sporting victory."The Jonah Lomu of her tim...
NZ urged to build new trade blocs
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
BRICS is shifting the weight of global power, and one expert says it may be time New Zealand changed alliancesWith BRICS shaking up global politics an...
A summer scandal on our shelves
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The sunscreens under investigation for their labelling claims in Australia, but still for sale hereSunscreen law dictates how SPFs are labelled, but w...
Politics sink landfill-saving law
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's still not clear exactly why the Greens' Right to Repair Bill faltered at select committee stage, after extensive cross-party collaboration on the...
Leaked papers, low votes, huge stakes
14 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With local body elections less than a month away, The Detail looks at what's at stake Falling voter numbers, growing mistrust and leaked documents ha...
Outdoor education up a creek without a paddle
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
An overhaul of the secondary education curriculum will likely see outdoor education become a vocational subject, and critics say the change risks loss...
Pennies from the mega corps
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The whole world is trying to chase down the likes of Google, Microsoft and Meta for more income tax, and New Zealand is no exception Global tech firms...
Police under pressure as gunfire rocks quiet Levin
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Entrenched gang conflict, personal grudges and methamphetamine use have fuelled a spate of gang shootings in LevinA Gang Conflict Warrant is in place ...
The confused and chaotic legacy of Tom Phillips
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Detail talks to reporter Tony Wall, who's covered the saga of the fugitive father and his children for nearly four years After nearly four years, ...
Making America Solvent Again
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Economists are starting to talk about the demise of American exceptionalism. The Detail looks at what that term means, and what effect it has on your ...
The power imbalance that hits in old age
07 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Retirement village living should feel like home, but in some cases residents have the status of students in a hostel What seems like a small dispute ...
Stories of sexuality as the closet door opened
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the 1990s, Lois Cox interviewed lesbian women about their lives in Wellington. Some 25 years later, those stories have been published.In Lois Cox&#...
The cost to society of weight loss drugs
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Those who can afford it are getting thin by needle, but new weight loss drugs bring with them unanswered questionsObesity, Ozempic, and the end of bod...
Driving change for better road safety
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The road to getting a driver license is set to become easier and more efficient, but experts question whether safety is enough of a considerationThe g...
Hostility rises as New Caledonia peace deal collapses
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From promise to protest - how the Bougival Accord has thrown New Caledonia into chaos.The Bougival Accord was meant to heal, but now risks dividing Ne...
Why we send our precious e-waste offshore
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New Zealand risks missing out on the "land grab" for e-waste and is paying the price as it sends phones, laptops and batteries offshoreA Kiwi tech fir...
From field to funeral, the hidden toll of CTE on Kiwi sports stars
31 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There's a silent epidemic in our national game, and it's leaving a trail of tragedy here and overseas Shane Christie wanted a hard look at the link be...
For the love of Wellington
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Despite the scandals and leaky pipes, Wellingtonians want the rest of the nation to know that their city is still unbeatableThe capital city has been ...
Fake citations causing real-world damage
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
AI-hallucinated scientific research and legal precedents are making their way into academic papers and court cases, highlighting AI's real-world impac...
Mayday call for New Zealand's sinking cruise industry
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cruise ship visits to Aotearoa are down, and industry insiders worry that the economic fallout for the tourism industry will be severe Red tape, high...
The industry-killing crisis
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the natural gas supply dwindles, a glasshouse grower fears for its future, and the future of growing food in New ZealandTomato grower warns the gas...
In an economic slump, tech startups are in hot demand
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Inside the Auckland event where tech startups pitch to New Zealand's wealthiest investors, the economic outlook is sunny At the Icehouse Showcase, tec...
When protecting us from the evils of the internet backfires
24 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to making the internet safer for children and better for society the devil is in the detail - and those details are often overlooked A r...
Bonus: Amanda Gillies speaks with Reverend Frank Ritchie on the re_covering podcast
23 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Amanda Gillies speaks with media chaplain and broadcaster Reverend Frank Ritchie on his podcast re_covering, to unpack the one story that most impacte...
Rings fellowship making tracks to NZ
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lord of the Rings cast members still hold New Zealand close to their hearts after 25 years, and several are making plans to returnKiwi actor Bruce Hop...
Downfall of the clueless, wannabe, soldier spy
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New Zealand's first-ever conviction for attempted espionage has been handed down, but the solider at the centre of the case was less James Bond and "m...
On rate capping, lessons from across the Tasman
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As rate payers feel the pinch, plans for rate capping offer welcome relief. But councillors here and across the Tasman have warnings. New Zealand hous...
Who's afraid of Aotearoa
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A growing list of rollbacks of Māori language and culture beg the question: is the Government pushing New Zealand towards an identity crisis? From ta...
A city with a cashflow problem
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Auckland's economy is falling behind that of the South Island and rural areas, and there's no government hero coming to the rescueRetailers say it...
Northland's unprecedented crime surge
17 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Beautiful Northland should be New Zealand's paradise but a surge in violent crime, drugs and poverty is even putting off police from moving up thereNi...
Jess Sayer gives life to the author behind Frankenstein
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Queen of Goth - Frankenstein author Mary Shelley - is the inspiration behind a new play written by Jess SayerThe playwright behind a new productio...
The razzmatazz of a bullseye sport
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's gone from a boozy pub game to a mega millions sport - darts' world tour is on in Auckland this weekend At the New Zealand Darts Masters in Auckla...
A boom in businesses going bust
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New Zealand is on track for a record number of liquidations this year - again - but it's not all doom and gloom for Kiwi businesses The rising cost of...
Past the point of safe return, nowhere to go but Antarctica
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After a risky rescue mission to Antarctica, the commander and pilot's blow-by-blow of the 20-hour round trip to McMurdo Station The Defence Force...
Clearing out the confusion over NCEA changes
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A lesson in the big NCEA reset. The Detail puts an RNZ education specialist to the test on the major education system overhaul. Reactions to the gove...