The Detail
Episodes
The double-whammy bill natural gas users have to pay
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New Zealand is running out of gas and prices are rising - but that hasn't stopped some households from hooking upNatural gas is a dwindling resource, ...
A speedbump, not a roadblock for Iran's nuclear programme
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Information about Iran's nuclear programme is highly secretive, but experts say the bombings may not have been a huge setback US President Trump said ...
The big 'but' in our slow economic recovery
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As far as New Zealand's economic recovery goes, we're still crawling out of our deep recessionary hole - and we've just hit a global glitch Quarterly ...
At the Cannes Lions, a cheeky New Zealand advert comes out on top
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sir Graham Henry beamed into the world's most prestigious ad awards to congratulate New Zealand on being 'the best place in the world to have herpes'O...
'Nowhere to go' for more than 100,000 Kiwis
22 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Unaffordable housing, the high cost of living, and 'very intentional decisions' by the government see a spike in homelessness.An advocate for people s...
The thinking way to win a war
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Innovation in warfare features in Ukraine's David and Goliath fight with Russia …Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Funeral costs in the spotlight
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Even funeral directors believe death could be done better, but how to achieve that is up for debateA funeral bill is one you never want to have to pay...
Rural innovation sets the scene for New Zealand's future
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dozens of innovators showed off their wares at Fieldays, offering solutions to problems - and a bit of hope From waterway-mapping robots to leather ma...
Van Velden steers WorkSafe toward a softer touch
15 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A decade after major overhauls to health and safety in New Zealand, WorkSafe is getting a reboot. Critics aren't convinced it will save lives. With mo...
Chasing butterflies
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lepidopterists fear our butterfly and moth numbers are on the wane They're not just beautiful, they help pollinate our flowers and grasses. But a...
In its 57th year Fieldays is still a hit for farmers across the country
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At Fieldays, exhibitors from around the country - and the world - come to show off the latest farming innovations…Go to this episode on rnz.co.n...
New Zealand's predator-free future in peril
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Predator Free 2050 was hit by a budget blow, and now the 'moonshot' goal is under threat The environmental sector worries that the future of a predat...
America's foreign student fiasco
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New Zealand universities are being urged to seize the day when it comes to America's turmoil over foreign studentsWhile Donald Trump is busy burning d...
The electricity evangelist spreading the solar message
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It may seem that as an ordinary person, cutting emissions is too big a job. But homeowners have a large part to play…Go to this episode on rnz.c...
NZ's mean testing creep
08 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The issue on how to save on superannuation is a political no-go, with one gallery editor describing the debate as 'uranium wrapped in barbed wire'Mean...
Synthony rocks the world stage
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A marriage of bass drops and bow strings, Synthony strikes a chord from Christchurch to Calgary Lights, strings, action: Sythony started as small, on...
The science sector sounds the alarm
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers brace for an uncertain future and warn of lasting damage after a funding shake-upScience has been sidelined by the Budget, despite the Gov...
New Zealand's invisible children
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For the undocumented, NZ-born children of overstayers, life ends when they turn 18Two decades after a change to citizenship laws, the NZ-born children...
B416 group is parenting in action
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The push to get under-16 year olds off social media is a cause that's united some high-powered women from all walks of lifeSocial media is already off...
Diamonds and their pearls moment
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There are pros and cons ethically with mined and lab diamonds, but one certainly gives you more sparkle for your dollarDiamonds may be forever but at ...
The revival of a genre that never went away
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Boots, banjos, and big crowds - country music finds its voice in New ZealandHeartfelt and homegrown, country music is enjoying a Kiwi revival, with tw...
Opening the door to more addiction
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gambling regulation is moving to take online operators into account, but doubts are being expressed as to how effective it will beThe Problem Gambling...
The headwinds facing regional airlines
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The small plan routes that keep our country connected are becoming increasingly fragile links…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Climate solution all but buried before it begins
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Climate fix, or fossil fuel lifeline - the truth behind the country's first carbon capture and storage projectThe country's first carbon capture ...
Trump's South African spotlight
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump's claims of a white genocide in South Africa betray the influence of his billionaire expat friends, including Elon Musk The US President ...
Local councils and the battle for money
25 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Local councils have more effect on our daily lives than policies from the Beehive. But more than half of eligible voters fail to have their say on who...
The galaxy of the Star Wars universe stretches to infinity
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The end to spin off stories from 1977's first Star Wars movie looks like being a galaxy far, far away…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more d...
Misleading figures on New Zealand youth suicide rates
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A global report ranking New Zealand as the worst for youth suicide rates grabbed headlines. But two researchers say the numbers are wrong…Go to ...
The injustice of a freshwater crisis
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A precedent-setting High Court case could be the key to a better attitude towards cleaning up our waterways…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for ...
The high cost of getting high in New Zealand
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With meth use on the rise, one former addict shares her brutal story and remarkable recovery.Kiwis from every background are now smoking meth, and the...
In classrooms, money lessons that matter
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why trial and error isn't the best way to learn financial literacy, and how a new curriculum could help A new curriculum will teach financial literac...
Rugby in recovery
18 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Detail's Amanda Gillies talks to NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson about crowds, international fixtures, financial turmoil and personal strainNZ Rugby&#x...
Research, ethics, and Artificial Intelligence
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to studying how bots affect human behaviour, there are other ways to do it than pretending to be one of those bots…Go to this epis...
When more money doesn't mean more nice things
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The language of the Budget sometimes takes a professional to decode. A look at what's real, and what's nominal. Even if the government throws more th...
Poor political strategy fans pay equity fury
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The government's lightning blitz on pay equity claims has left whole sectors devastated, and the public confused about what just happened The opposit...
Powering New Zealand from a Wellington wind farm
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 relie...
Smokefree 2025 goal all but up in smoke
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
'Change fatigue' hits vocational education
11 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 e...
Drilling for Auckland's mythical harbour crossing
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There's a mysterious yellow vessel in the Waitematā Harbour. The Detail investigates. …Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
The price of a ruined life
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As a new announcement on compensation for Abuse in Care victims looms, one expert says the waiting has been another form of psychological abuseAbuse i...
Tourism operators optimistic in the face of capacity restraints
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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-backR...
Tools to cope with social media vitriol
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Shaking up the Catholic Church patriarchy
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
In Central Otago, historic buildings on the council chopping block
04 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The politicians have gone but debt remains for Polyfest
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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'...
Australia's election tightly poised
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Australia could be the second major nation where voters in a federal election have done a u-turn on hardline, Trump-light style leadersAustralians go ...
Iwi/ Crown relations on the line after scathing audit
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Iwi and hapū are legally entitled to their Treaty Settlements, but a new report from the auditor general has found widespread breaches by the Crown ...
Keeping politicians honest
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Increasing numbers of politicians are failing to manage real or perceived conflicts of interest, and there are calls to strengthen protocols over them...
In the Chatham Islands, hope for a more independent future
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New Zealand's remotest community relies heavily on public money, but it's not what the community wants for itself For the 600-odd residents of the Cha...
Detentions and arrests at US borders sow fear
27 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The current threat level for travel to the US is 'exercise increased caution', but a growing number of people say it's not high enough…Go to thi...
The Auckland Uni nuclear physicist unlocking secrets of the universe
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Auckland University nuclear physicist David Krofcheck is recognised for his work on the world's greatest science experiment …Go to this episode ...
Getting swept into a global recessionary vortex
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New Zealand will inevitably be pulled into the world's economic gloom to some extent, but we have some cushioning in place…Go to this episode on...
The fuss over new infant formula rules
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A two billion dollar industry faces new rules to protect new parents - and it's pushing back…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Basic banking help for the vulnerable
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A bank account is a passport to the economy, but some Kiwis can't get onboard. A new scheme aims to change that.Opening a bank account isn't a si...
Faith, hope and chocolate eggs
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The places where hot cross buns and Easter eggs are taking a back seat to deep-rooted traditions…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more detail...
It's a matter of time before measles comes to NZ, and experts are worried
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A measles outbreak in the US has already killed three. Just how worried should New Zealand be?Measles is highly contagious, and spreading rapidly in t...
US cuts on Antarctic research could be a major blow for NZ
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Uncertainty over Antarctic research funding is unnerving scientists, who say time is running out for climate change solutions on the ice…Go to t...
New Zealand's biggest-ever study on dementia reveals startling numbers
13 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After knocking on more than 20,000 doors, New Zealand researchers have found high numbers of people who have dementia, but not the diagnosisResearcher...
New Zealand's estuaries 'in hot water'
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A high rate of sedimentation means our estuaries are getting shallower, but the road to fixing the damage is a much deeper issueThe health of New Zeal...
A rocky road for the battle against road cones
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Government has declared a war on road cones, but the industry thinks it's the wrong approach to an issue they're already working onA pilot program...
Trump's tariff turmoil and the cost for the world
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Trump's tariffs crashed global markets and are causing fears of a trade war. What happens now is the 'trillion-dollar question'. Trump's tariffs...
A haka, a political standoff, and the role of tikanga in Parliament
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Treaty Principles Bill is all but dead, but the fallout from a protest haka in Parliament has Te Pāti Māori MPs at odds with the Privileges Comm...
'On every dimension, New Zealand is falling behind' when it comes to social cohesion
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The results of a new report on social cohesion are so poor they even surprised the author. He says it's time we fix it, before it's too late. …G...
The New Zealand institution heralding change
06 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The New Zealand Herald is barely out of everyone else's headlines these days, but will readers notice the changes that are bubbling beneath the masthe...
New Zealand start-up aims to take space transport to new heights
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dawn Aerospace builds space planes and propulsion systems out of their Christchurch workshop. Their next goal is two trips to space, every day. ̷...
Fixing the GP crisis
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A crisis in primary health care is worsening and calls are increasing for some hospital funding to be diverted to GPs…Go to this episode on rnz....
Super Rugby Pacific, back and better than ever
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Halfway through the season, Super Rugby has ditched expectations and crowds are taking noticeA shakeup in competition and rule changes have revived th...
Parents on notice after a spate of drownings
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With drowning numbers creeping up, a water safety expert explains why so many of these deaths are avoidable…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for ...
Reforming the reforms - the RMA is up for debate, again
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Legislation designed to simplify the country's resource management laws has now become more complex than the multitude of statutes it originally repla...
An atheist on why churches should remain tax-free
30 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Critics say that churches' exemption from paying income tax gives them an unfair competitive advantage. But one atheist says these tax laws are essent...
Tinā, the Samoan film that's a hit with palagi
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At last New Zealand has another hit film on its hands, 10 years after the last big box office draw.Tinā is a film that will make you laugh and cry, b...
New campaign aims to tackle rising sideline abuse in sport
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rugby ref Ben O'Keefe knows first-hand what it's like to receive abuse from spectators. He says if we don't tackle it, it will drive children away fro...
Five years after the first big lockdown, is NZ ready for the next pandemic
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The next pandemic could arrive at any time, but the government has ignored a Royal Commission of Inquiry report that could help it prepareHalf a decad...
Good riddance to bad rubbish at a north Auckland tip
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
More than half of Auckland's rubbish gets dumped at one landfill, where waste is turned into energy to power homes and grow food…Go to this epis...
Timeless Summer, endless debt
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There's a call for laws to be introduced requiring ticket sellers for big events to hold punters' cash in trust, so we don't see a repeat of fans' mon...
In Delhi and D.C., Christopher Luxon and Winston Peters in their elements
23 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Taking the train with Winston Peters and watching Christopher Luxon play cricket: what it's like traveling with a foreign trade delegationChristopher ...
Excavating a historical waka, and the story that goes with it
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The discovery of a waka buried on the coastline of Rēkohu/ Chatham Islands has caused a century-old tension to resurfaceIn the Chatham Islands, local...
The physical toll of nine months on the ISS
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After nine months in space, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore splashed back down the earth. Their bodies and minds may never catch up. Swollen faces, s...
'Bewildered' experts aren't on board for changes to fisheries management
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The government wants to streamline regulations, but marine advocates worry the changes would make fishing less transparent and expedite destruction of...
What's in a name - trademarks in 2025
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With trademark applications surging, The Detail looks at what it takes to get a mark registered in New Zealand…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz f...
The art of tiptoeing around Trump
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Donald Trump's firing line, foreign leaders decide whether to butter up or shout back Former New Zealand Ambassador to the US Tim Groser explains t...
Niche but relatable - the film festival where the theme is fraud
16 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Swindles, scams and deception take centre-stage at Wellington's highly specific documentary film festival The Wellington Fraud Film Festival will sh...
From New Zealand to Afghanistan, with Project 51
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today marks six years since the Christchurch mosque attacks. One couple's new documentary honours the lives lost - and the lives changed as a resultPr...
The cost of a meal that sticks in the throat
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The school lunch debacle has deteriorated so much that there is an increasing clamour to rip it up and start again In treating school lunches as a ser...
Master Electricians' warning on the Right to Repair Bill
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The bill passed its first reading in Parliament last month, but one trade feels the amendment is a live wire…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for...
Why we want to be mates with Vietnam
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New Zealand is after a trade slice of rapidly growing Vietnam, and a new agreement should strengthen those connections.Vietnam is one of the fastest g...
Designing a better night's sleep
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New building products being tested at Auckland University may be the answer to restless summer nights in city apartments…Go to this episode on r...
Takapuna Golf Course thinks council plans for land are below par
09 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Auckland's North Shore, a public golf course is fighting council plans to use their course as a floodwater catchment Auckland Council wants to tur...
Wikipedia, a surprising repository of fact
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a world where misinformation and disinformation are rampant, the website has become an unlikely source of truth…Go to this episode on rnz.co....
Canadians go from anxious to angry over Trump moves
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Canadians are united in their horror over US tariffs that have the power to plunge the country into recession and cause mass unemploymentDonald Trump&...
The shockingly bad press for ECT
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Up to 300 New Zealanders a year are administered electric shock treatment - and the vast majority are happier for it Electroconvulsive Therapy has had...
Time to ditch your 3G phone
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tens of thousands of handsets and other devices are likely to become redundant by the end of the year as NZ shuts down the 3G phone networkAs New Zeal...
Citizens arrest laws raise red flags for experts
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The government wants to make retail a safer work environment by allowing citizens arrest. One legal expert fears the change will have the opposite eff...
Preparing our kids for the wild world of the internet
02 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A claim we're not paying enough attention to giving our children the ability to sort out what's real and what's not in the murky depths of the interne...
Celebrating 100 years of Indians in Wellington
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A new book promises to lift the lid on the history of Wellington's Indian community in ways that would surprise most people There's more to the I...
Shaking up the media landscape
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Media oversight and regulation is described as messy, and screen productions desperately need help. Changes are in the wind. The government is makin...
SovCits are fighting the law, but the law's winning
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
More people are using 'SovCit' arguments in court, engaging in so-called 'paper terrorism'Sovereign citizens believe they are exempt the laws of New Z...
When shaken baby syndrome verdict is unsafe
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A supposed shaken baby case is raising questions over the misdiagnosis of injured infants, with authorities rushing to lay the blame on parents…...
The corruption ranking that could affect your mortgage
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New Zealand has been too complacent for too long about our reputation for honesty, and now we're on a downward slide in international perception R...
A Kiwi champion for Lucy Letby
23 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How a Kiwi documentary producer has been a part of a network to get authorities to revisit one of the most notorious murder cases the United Kingdom h...