Andrew Dickens Afternoons

I was thinking today about how New Zealand seems to be slowly changing under our feet and I wonder if we’ve acknowledged it.A while back, it seemed like every second issue was an issue driven on or caused by our largest city. It got to the point where the A word was hated by half the country and the people who lived there were more and more reticent to mention the place.But the place seems to have gone off the boil lately while the rest of New Zealand is on fire.  I thought that when I heard that Phil Collins is coming but only playing Napier and Christchurch. Dunedin is now on the global stadium music venue radar. Frankly, if I was a mega star flying halfway across the world to play a gig I’d rather plat those exotic places rather than a bog standard mid-sized Westernised city like A town.The investment in facilities up and down the country is another great thing.  Tauranga today is boasting that 120,000 visitors are heading to the Bay because of their music festivals but also the development of the internat

A talkback caller has left Andrew Dickens with her story about bullying, with him calling it 'one of the most remarkable calls' he has ever received. After a father received community service for assaulting a boy who was bullying his son, Dickens wanted to know what people's bullying experiences are. One caller, Lisa, talked about how her son nearly faced a 40-strong retaliation after he had spat on someone.The situation escalated, with bricks being thrown through her window, but Lisa says that that's not where it ends. LISTEN TO LISA TALK WITH ANDREW DICKENSSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Criminal Justice Summit has come to an end, and honestly, I think we’re in a worse place than when we started.When Andrew Little said his intention was to overhaul the system during his tenure as Justice Minister, I think we all cautiously agreed because there’s no way you can say the current system is a success.Of course, people had differing opinions.  Some want a more punitive regime, others a more rehabilitative regime and others still want a society where less people resort to crime in the first place.  Some of us want all of the above.So Andrew Little appointed a working group of 10 to look at the nuts and bolts.  Meanwhile, he decided to have an open slather Criminal Justice Summit to let the people have their say.  It’s fair to say that many rolled their eyes and sighed fearing a waffly talkfest that would go nowhere.Well, that’s exactly what we got, but it was worse than that.  It was far nastier and corrosive that we had hoped for.It has been the most remarkable display of self-interest that I c

Tributes from fans and viewers are flowing in for broadcaster Greg Boyed.The One News host, who has worked for Newstalk ZB, passed away suddenly while on holiday in Switzerland.Callers to Andrew Dickens expressed their shock and sadness that they would not see him on their screens again.Jan says that Greg was ‘in their homes every single night’.Geanne commented that she loved his music choices and how he made the news more personal without becoming biased.Bill had worked with Greg in Tauranga, and lamented that he had not had an opportunity to meet up with him again.LISTEN TO THEIR TRIBUTES ABOVEWhere to get help:• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7)• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)• Youthline: 0800 376 633• Kidsline: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7)• Whatsup: 0800 942 8787 (1pm to 11pm)• Depression helpline: 0800 111 757 (available 24/7)If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

LISTEN TO JORDAN BOND TALK WITH ANDREW DICKENS ABOVEA vigilant cyclist on Auckland's Northwestern Cycleway was able to avert danger after vandals created a lethal roadblock using rocks.The popular bike route was closed off by a row of small rocks behind a blind corner and on a downhill section near the Patiki Rd underpass, between Te Atatu and Waterview.The cyclist who spotted and removed the blockage told other cyclists to keep an eye out on the cycleway for more barriers.Bike Auckland was notified of the incident this morning by the cyclist, who cleared the rocks immediately, this morning."Luckily I was going [the] other way so had time to stop. If I/someone was coming downhill it could have been very nasty."There are some serious dick-heads out there," they said.Ugh. Who does this? This has been cleared away, but please look out if you're traveling the NW cycleway. (Attention @AklTransport @nzpolice) pic.twitter.com/QR7xfOHOjz— Bike Auckland (@BikeAKL) August 21, 2018Bike Auckland spokeswoman Jolisa Gracew

So in another life, I worked in private radio and with the IRN news team under Ed Taylor.  I distinctly remember the day when a teenage Greg Boyed walked into the newsroom for the first time.He made an impression. He was tall and skinny and his hair was swish and he had a Roger Ramjet chin and then he opened his mouth and a big ballsy voice came out. He knew he had a good voice and it was a source of entertainment to go and watch Greg read the news and watch his body and mouth contort to get the best sound ever. He was one of those newsreaders who always wanted to smile. But right from the start, we knew he was ambitious and talented and relatively humble.  He was a true broadcaster.  A journalist, a presenter, a producer.  He could do everything and do it well.  He was no one trick pony.  And he was funny and caring towards his co-workers. And like anyone who strives for high standards he could be terribly disappointed if he didn’t reach them.  If he had one weakness perhaps it was that he cared too much. He

Former residential red zone owners are getting payment from the Government for their uninsured homes.Minister Megan Woods has announced 103 property owners will get 100 percent of the 2007/08 rateable value for their homes - at a cost of about 12 million dollars.Andrew Dickens spoke with Christchurch residents on what they think of the announcement, and if they believe it was the right decisionLISTEN ABOVE AS CHRISTCHURCH CALLERS SPEAK TO ANDREW DICKENSSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister says today's repatriation ceremony in Auckland is a reminder of the huge responsibility which comes with every overseas deployment.Jacinda Ardern was at the airport for the ceremony to honour 27 New Zealand soldiers and one child, whose remains have been returned from Malaysia and Singapore.Talkback caller Angela, who was at the Airport this morning, told Andrew Dickens it was one of the most moving things she has ever experienced." I drove up to the airport and the first thing I saw was about 30 motorcycles parked on the road, and it turned out to be from the veterans motorcycle club. It was very emotional."LISTEN ABOVE AS ANGELA SPEAKS TO ANDREW DICKENSSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Eagles' greatest hits album has moonwalked past Michael Jackson's "Thriller" to become history's best-selling album of all-time in the U.S.The Recording Industry Association of America told The Associated Press on Monday that the Eagles' album — "Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975" — is now certified 38x platinum, which means sales and streams of the album have reached 38 million copies.The album was released in 1976 and pushes Jackson's "Thriller," which is 33x platinum, to second place.RIAA also said that the Eagles' "Hotel California," released in 1977, is now 26x platinum and makes it the third best-selling album of all-time.The last time RIAA tallied sales for the Eagles' greatest hits album was in 2006, when it said it was 29x platinum. Sales and streams for "Thriller" were last updated last year."We are grateful for our families, our management, our crew, the people at radio and, most of all, the loyal fans who have stuck with us through the ups and downs of 46 years. It's been quite a ride," Don Henley

Tourism is on fire; therefore, you’d think it was a good job prospect.Well, apparently that's not the case which is why moves are afoot to attract more young people into tourism jobs.Tourism is the country's biggest export earner, bringing in over $14 billion a year, but that could be under threat. Because with all the investment and hotels on the go, there's not enough young people into it.36,000 extra tourism workers are needed by 2025. But the Tourism Industry has done some research and found that young people perceived tourism as "low-wage" and a subject for "drop outs".This is another example of young people being stupid and parents being guilty of not exploring opportunities.In the 90s, I lived in the South of France working on an English language radio station. Yes, it was as good as it sounds. One day in a bar in Cannes I met an apprentice hotel manager. He had been studying in London for three years and was now working as an intern. He was front of house at the Carlton, which was like the place on th

LISTEN ABOVE AS TALKBACK CALLER IAN TALKS ABOUT THE SERIOUSNESS OF CONCUSSION WITH ANDREW DICKENSThe sister of Ryan Crotty has voiced her concerns over the All Black's concussion problems after the midfield back was forced out of the latest Bledisloe Cup clash in Sydney.Shea Crotty, a top basketballer who has played for the Tall Ferns, tweeted: "I want to see my brother grow old and able, not battling the brain forever."Shea Crotty...concerned for brother Ryan. Photo / PhotosportCrotty has suffered six concussions in the past 15 months, including during Super Rugby games in March and May this year.Couldn’t agree more my girl. Know how frustrated he will be but for selfish reasons I want to see my brother grow old and able, not battling the brain forever. https://t.co/2fYfGcClau— Shea Crotty (@Shea_Crotty) August 18, 2018In June, Crotty admitted repeated concussions might force him to retire."If I wasn't to bounce back from one as quickly as I tend to, then maybe you would think like that (retiring)," he says.

A report by the Department of Conservation shows three out of five native whitebait species are under threat, and Forest & Bird are calling for a ban on commercial whitebait sales until stocks recover.Talkback caller John told Andrew Dickens that he is concerned about the marine environment caused by overfishing."How far do we go to feed our faces? We are seeing a destruction of a species, and something has to be done before it is to late"LISTEN ABOVE AS JOHN SPEAKS TO ANDREW DICKENSSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Students rebel against digital NCEA exam that requires new laptops Funny old weekend where I flirted with getting sick. I was hot and cold and sneezy and not quite with it. I thought it had passed when I heard something and I thought I was still a bit under the weather.I’m pretty sure I heard someone saying that they’re going to clean up the country by making it more expensive to take rubbish to the dump. So I stopped for a moment. Cleared my ears and listened again, and to my surprise, realise I had heard what I had heard.Green MP and Associate Minister for the Environment, Eugenie Sage was announcing a new policy on waste, at the Party's annual conference, which has been signed off by Cabinet.The goal is to reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfills in New Zealand, as the amount of waste at landfills increases worldwide. So the public will be asked whether they think the current levy of $10 per tonne on waste taken to landfills, should be higher. And as only 11 per cent of landfills are presently cover

So the primary school teachers are striking for the first time in 24 years and the fourth time ever.READ MORE: Striking teachers take to the streets for pay riseI remember the last strikes in 94. It was all about pay parity with secondary teachers. But this action is very rare and you have to ask yourself, why teachers haven’t been standing up for themselves more through the years? Some will say the public service is taking advantage of the kinder gentler Labour-led Government which may be the case but it’s also right to say that teachers have been complicit in their own fate by being too quiet for too long.They say their main motivation is to cure the teachers' shortage, and it’s not about the money. But it is about the money because they’re asking for 16 per cent over 2 years which is frankly pretty whopping. So you can see the government’s hesitation and add to that the secondary school teachers who will be watching and plotting their move in the future.But we will see if teachers are prepared to move.But

The number of teenagers participating in organised sport is decreasing, a move which reflects an overall drop-off in participation once teenagers left high school.Gyms have replaced traditional sports like Rugby and Cricket to be the most popular form of exercise amongst teenagers.Rhys, who called in to the Andrew Dickens show, says the statistics miss out an important activity which is not included in the research."Sport New Zealand needs to broaden its view of participation, if it included people who went to gyms the number would be a lot higher."LISTEN ABOVE AS RHYS SPEAKS TO ANDREW DICKENSSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Press is breathlessly reporting that a homeowner in the Christchurch suburb of Strowan Merivale has just received his latest insurance bill from Tower and his premiums have been increased near enough five-fold.The bill has gone from $2300 to near enough $13,000 a year. The bill is more than $1000 a month. The insurance company is Tower, the first New Zealand company to go to a fully risk-based approach.The owner obviously freaked out and moved to another insurer who charged a more modest amount. But even still premiums are on the way up as other firms move to partial risk-based cover.This has been signalled for a while and it comes after a string of events that have hit the insurance sector. Earthquakes in Christchurch have cost insurers $21 billion and that doesn’t include the $12 billion EQC has paid out.The fully risk-based approach means that from now on the insurance liability will no longer be spread across the whole country. So Mr Insurance Man believes that is places like Christchurch, Napier, Wel

A historical theme park in France plans to use six trained crows to pick up cigarette butts and other rubbish, according to its president.The birds will be praised with treats every time they successfully bring an item back, the Daily Mail reports'The goal is not just to clear up, because the visitors are generally careful to keep things clean' but also to show that 'nature itself can teach us to take care of the environment', said Nicolas de Villiers of the Puy du Fou park, in the western Vendee region.Rooks, a member of the crow family of birds, are considered to be 'particularly intelligent' and in the right circumstances 'like to communicate with humans and establish a relationship through play', Villiers said.The crows will be encouraged to clean the park by the use of a small box which will deliver a snack of bird food each time the rook places a piece of rubbish inside.And the crow family is not the only types of birds found to have potential for intelligent roles.Australian magpies are apparently able

LISTEN TO SIENA YATES TALK WITH ANDREW DICKENS ABOVESeeing Celine Dion live was nothing short of a religious experience - or at least, that's the phrase that was on many fans' lips as the iconic singer took to the stage.Spark Arena was packed full of thousands of fans, warmed up by impressionist Veronic DiClaire, whose renditions of hits by the likes of Whitney Houston and Christina Aguilera earned her a standing ovation and raucous applause.But when Celine took to the stage in a golden suit, silhouetted in a single spotlight for her opener The Power of Love, the entire mood shifted.Religious experience or not, people certainly started acting like we were in church, raising and waving their hands as she hit one power note after the next with ease. As she spoke, fans shouted "yes Celine!" like they were supporting a passionate preacher.And boy did she preach; at one point she gave what must have been a 10-minute monologue about Ryan Reynolds which was utterly nonsensical in the most endearing way. She also spo

So I’ve been in a news blackout this weekend and it was lovely.Into the Central North Island I went. I biked all around Taupo for a look on Saturday and then up Mt Ruapehu on Sunday. The mountain that was closed because it was full by 8.15am each day. It really is booming. Perhaps a bit too much.My impression of the whole region was one of activity and excitement. No vacancy signs all over Taupo. People skydiving. The roar of engines from the Motorsport Park. The streets buzzing with languages and accents from around the world. She was all go That might also be because the weather was simply superb. I’ve never seen the water of Lake Taupo smoother. It was jaw-droppingly beautiful.But the upshot was that I was completely deaf to any news. So deaf that even though I was in the town that developed a sinkhole in it I didn’t know.So this morning I finally turned on the radio to find out what was going on in the world. And the lead story was the New Zealand dollar going lowerFor many, this is a bad sign even though

One News has been criticised for filming Jacinda Ardern apparently breastfeeding at the back of a news conference.Ardern today attended the announcement that plastic bags would be banned, and brought her eight week old baby Neve along with her.While standing at the back of the hall, a One News cameraman turned and filmed Ardern while she was holding Neve.A blanket is covering Neve, and One News has surmised that she is breastfeeding.The video has since been taken down.A TVNZ spokeswoman said the video was removed after they had received a lot of criticism and decided it was wrong.Raising the issue on talkback, Andrew Dickens says that he is outraged that they would post the video, and asks how it is even allowed given tough rules imposed by speaker Trevor Mallard banning unauthorised video of Neve.Texters were divided, with several criticising One News for posting it, with some pointing out that she was clearly trying to protect Neve as she had covered her face.Others questioned why Ardern had even brought Ne