An upgrade to a key Hawke's Bay road is expected to bolster the region.  

The Hawke's Bay Expressway, which carries 29,000 vehicles a day, is being widened from two lanes to four.  

The Government says starting work on the Road of National Significance early will bring construction forward 12-to-15 months.  

Employers and Manufacturers Association Head of Advocacy Alan McDonald told Ryan Bridge it'll massively improve access.  

He says the Road of National Significance programme is designed to make better connections between the economic hubs of the country. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

An upgrade to a key Hawke's Bay road is expected to bolster the region. &nbsp;
The Hawke's Bay Expressway, which carries 29,000 vehicles a day, is being widened from two lanes to four. &nbsp;
The Government says starting work on the Road of National Significance early will bring construction forward 12-to-15 months. &nbsp;
Employers and Manufacturers Association Head of Advocacy Alan McDonald told Ryan Bridge it'll massively improve access. &nbsp;
He says the Road of National Significance programme is designed to make better connections between the economic hubs of the country.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Alan McDonald: Employers and Manufacturers Association Head of Advocacy on the Hawke's Bay Expressway getting an upgrade

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/fc1e618e-08c2-4556-8772-b210015da65e/transcript

Two classic American food brands are landing in New Zealand - with Auntie Anne’s pretzels and Carvel soft serve opening in Auckland this month.

Auntie Anne’s sells pretzels, lemonades, dips and “pretzel dogs” - with more than 12-hundred stores across 600 international locations.

Carvel claims to have invented soft-serve ice cream.

NZ Cinnabon franchise owner Kathan Parikh told Ryan Bridge they'll use mostly New Zealand ingredients while sticking to the classic American recipes.

He says Kiwis travel a lot and this is a great opportunity for them to enjoy America on home soil. 

Two classic American food brands are landing in New Zealand - with Auntie Anne’s pretzels and Carvel soft serve opening in Auckland this month.
Auntie Anne’s sells pretzels, lemonades, dips and “pretzel dogs” - with more than 12-hundred stores across 600 international locations.
Carvel claims to have invented soft-serve ice cream.
NZ Cinnabon franchise owner Kathan Parikh told Ryan Bridge they'll use mostly New Zealand ingredients while sticking to the classic American recipes.
He says Kiwis travel a lot and this is a great opportunity for them to enjoy America on home soil.&nbsp;

Kathan Parikh: NZ Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s pretzels franchise owner on bringing new brands to NZ

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/6fb33c35-3d00-455d-a9b8-b4c7012db8d5/transcript

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Thursday 17th of September 2026, the Business community not happy with National’s plan to bust up Foodstuffs, Business NZ Advocacy Director Catherine Beard explains. 

Auntie Anne’s and Carvel Ice Cream are opening their first NZ stores in Auckland this month, Kathan Parikh NZ Cinnabon franchise owner, tells Ryan why he's bringing the new chains into the country. 

The June quarter GDP number is out today, independent economist Cameron Bagrie shares his thoughts.

Plus, US Correspondent Mitch McCann has the latest on the Federal Bank's rate decision and Trump choosing not to back Saudi Arabia in Houthi violence. 

Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.          

LISTEN ABOVE  

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Thursday 17th of September 2026, the Business community not happy with National’s plan to bust up Foodstuffs, Business NZ Advocacy Director Catherine Beard explains.&nbsp;
Auntie Anne’s and Carvel Ice Cream are opening their first NZ stores in Auckland this month, Kathan Parikh NZ Cinnabon franchise owner, tells Ryan why he's bringing the new chains into the country.&nbsp;
The June quarter GDP number is out today, independent economist Cameron Bagrie shares his thoughts.
Plus, US Correspondent Mitch McCann has the latest on the Federal Bank's rate decision and Trump choosing not to back Saudi Arabia in Houthi violence.&nbsp;
Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE &nbsp;

Full Show Podcast: 17 September 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/9ad75b31-14ec-478b-9d41-b4c7012abe73/transcript

Nicola's supermarket smash-up is not serious. 

She's playing a very risky political game and she knows it. 

Cost of living is the only game in town this election. 

Win on the cost-of-living battle, and you win the war. 

Nicola thinks by looking tough on supermarkets, she'll earn the respect of the 'squeezed middle'. 

But, as I've said many times before, even if you wipe out ALL the so-called 'super profits' the supermarkets are making, you benefit by a few extra dollars per week. 

But there's a big if here.

Our supermarkets are run very efficiently. Yes, they are dominant, too dominant, but that allows economies of scale in a long, thin country of five million people. 

Mess with that for political gain and you risk prices actually going up, not down. 

That is not my view. That is the view of the very report which Nicola relied on to make her grand pronouncement yesterday. 

In other words, this whole thing could end up costing us more than it saves us. 

Nobody knows for sure. No governments in the world have gone in with an axe and split up a live supermarket chain, in real time.

The very threat of it will put the willies up investors. Who's going to be investing in New Zealand's supermarket industry before the second half of 2027?

That's how long a second report will take to answer those questions. 

And guess what, those risks, those 'scenarios', those best guesses on calculators by modellers will still be there in 12 months' time. 

At which point, National will shelve this idea. It won't happen. 

This isn't happening. It's not serious. It's politics. It's election year. 

Some are saying this is Nicola's Jacinda nuclear-free, oil and gas moment. 

But it's not. Jacinda actually did the ban. Nicola's not. 

Jacinda fired the gun, Nicola's just waving it around the supermarket for a photo-op.

Nicola's supermarket smash-up is not serious.&nbsp;
She's playing a very risky political game and she knows it.&nbsp;
Cost of living is the only game in town this election.&nbsp;
Win on the cost-of-living battle, and you win the war.&nbsp;
Nicola thinks by looking tough on supermarkets, she'll earn the respect of the 'squeezed middle'.&nbsp;
But, as I've said many times before, even if you wipe out ALL the so-called 'super profits' the supermarkets are making, you benefit by a few extra dollars per week.&nbsp;
But there's a big if here.
Our supermarkets are run very efficiently. Yes, they are dominant, too dominant, but that allows economies of scale in a long, thin country of five million people.&nbsp;
Mess with that for political gain and you risk prices actually going up, not down.&nbsp;
That is not my view. That is the view of the very report which Nicola relied on to make her grand pronouncement yesterday.&nbsp;
In other words, this whole thing could end up costing us more than it saves us.&nbsp;
Nobody knows for sure. No governments in the world have gone in with an axe and split up a live supermarket chain, in real time.
The very threat of it will put the willies up investors. Who's going to be investing in New Zealand's supermarket industry before the second half of 2027?
That's how long a second report will take to answer those questions.&nbsp;
And guess what, those risks, those 'scenarios', those best guesses on calculators by modellers will still be there in 12 months' time.&nbsp;
At which point, National will shelve this idea. It won't happen.&nbsp;
This isn't happening. It's not serious. It's politics. It's election year.&nbsp;
Some are saying this is Nicola's Jacinda nuclear-free, oil and gas moment.&nbsp;
But it's not. Jacinda actually did the ban. Nicola's not.&nbsp;
Jacinda fired the gun, Nicola's just waving it around the supermarket for a photo-op.

Ryan Bridge: Nicola's supermarket bust up isn't serious

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/81c09479-9bd4-41e3-9c1c-b4c70129f6ad/transcript

Alan McDonald: Employers and Manufacturers Association Head of Advocacy on the Hawke's Bay Expressway getting an upgrade

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