Finance Minister Nicola Willis has broadly delivered what she promised on the election campaign trail, with millions of New Zealanders in line for a tax cut - some small, some a bit bigger. 

To talk through this week's budget, as well as other Wellington issues, Nick was joined by former United Future leader and former revenue minister Peter Dunne and Infometrics chief executive and economist Brad Olsen.

LISTEN ABOVE

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has broadly delivered what she promised on the election campaign trail, with millions of New Zealanders in line for a tax cut - some small, some a bit bigger. 
To talk through this week's budget, as well as other Wellington issues, Nick was joined by former United Future leader and former revenue minister Peter Dunne and Infometrics chief executive and economist Brad Olsen.
LISTEN ABOVE

Wellingtonians now have the chance to discuss the issues of the day one-on-one with proud local Nick Mills and have a forum to share their ideas, passions and outrages on a daily basis.

You don't find many people more passionate about the capital than Nick, and he comes to Wellington Mornings after decades of success as the man behind some of the city's leading hospitality and entertainment offerings - Spruce Goose, Hummingbird and the Wellington Saints basketball team just to name a few.

Nick's proud of his city but also knows much can be improved on to make Wellington an even better place, and brings an honest, edgy, fun and engaging show to Wellingtonians each weekday from 9 'til midday.

Wellingtonians now have the chance to discuss the issues of the day one-on-one with proud local Nick Mills and have a forum to share their ideas, passions and outrages on a daily basis. You don't find many people more passionate about the capital than Nick, and he comes to Wellington Mornings after decades of success as the man behind some of the city's leading hospitality and entertainment offerings - Spruce Goose, Hummingbird and the Wellington Saints basketball team just to name a few. Nick's proud of his city but also knows much can be improved on to make Wellington an even better place, and brings an honest, edgy, fun and engaging show to Wellingtonians each weekday from 9 'til midday.

Wellingtonians now have the chance to discuss the issues of the day one-on-one with proud local Nick Mills and have a forum to share their ideas, passions and outrages on a daily basis.

Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills

Friday Faceoff: Budget Special with former revenue minister Peter Dunne and Infometrics economist Brad Olsen

Rising fuel prices are starting to push up costs across the entire economy, not just at the petrol pump.

Businesses are feeling the ripple effect, especially in hospitality, where suppliers are adding surcharges to cover higher transport and production costs.

Popular Wellington café, Smith the Grocer, is now considering introducing its own fuel surcharge as expenses like meat, milk, and deliveries increase. 

Nick speaks to co-owner Kirsten Saunders on the subject - where do they draw the line? How are they coping at the moment with high costs?

LISTEN ABOVE

Rising fuel prices are starting to push up costs across the entire economy, not just at the petrol pump.
Businesses are feeling the ripple effect, especially in hospitality, where suppliers are adding surcharges to cover higher transport and production costs.
Popular Wellington café, Smith the Grocer, is now considering introducing its own fuel surcharge as expenses like meat, milk, and deliveries increase.&nbsp;
Nick speaks to co-owner Kirsten Saunders on the subject - where do they draw the line? How are they coping at the moment with high costs?
LISTEN ABOVE

Wellington Cafe considers surcharge to deal with fuel crisis

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/4f25477c-cdf5-46b2-8703-b42c00206f16/transcript

EDITORIAL: 

Fuel prices are starting to quietly creep into everything… and I mean everything we do. 

We always talk about it when we fill up the car — that’s the obvious one.  

But what we’re starting to see now is the next layer of it… the ripple effect. 

And it’s hitting hospitality, right where you notice it most — in your wallet, when you go out for a coffee or a bite to eat. 

There’s a really interesting story out today from Radio New Zealand about a well-known Wellington spot, Smith the Grocer, down in the Old Bank Arcade. Been there or a long time, very successful, very well run cafe.  

They’re not doing it yet — but they’re seriously considering adding a fuel surcharge to their prices. 

And here’s why. 

Their suppliers are already doing it to them. 

One meat supplier has slapped on a 4 percent increase across the board.  

Another is looking at about 5 percent temporarily. Eggs going up. Delivery costs going up. It all stacks up. 

And when you look at the numbers, you can see why.  

According to the fuel app Gaspy, 91 petrol is sitting around $3.48 a litre, diesel closer to $3.89.  

These are real costs, and the flow is going right through the system — from the truck, to the supplier, to the café, and eventually… to you. 

Now the café owner says they’d rather not do it — margins are already tight — but when everything goes up at once, they’ve got two choices: absorb it… or pass it on. 

So here’s the question I’ve been thinking about. 

If you walked into your local café tomorrow… and there was a 5 percent surcharge on the bill — not hidden, not sneaky, just clearly there because of fuel costs — would you pay it? 

Or would you just walk out and go somewhere else? 

Because I’ll be honest with you — I already do this in my own head. Every time before I start the show I go to 2 places to get my coffee 

There are two coffee spots near me. One’s five bucks. The other one — the one I actually like — is $6.30. And every time I go there, I think, “why am I paying more?”… but I still do it. Why because I like the place and I think it’s better there.  

So are we actually price sensitive… or are we habit sensitive? 

If that surcharge becomes the norm — because let’s be honest, this isn’t going away anytime soon — do we just accept it? 

Or does it start changing where we go, what we buy, and how often we go out? 

That’s where it gets really interesting. 

LISTEN ABOVE

EDITORIAL:&nbsp;
Fuel prices are starting to quietly creep into everything… and I mean everything we do.&nbsp;
We always talk about it when we fill up the car — that’s the obvious one. &nbsp;
But what we’re starting to see now is the next layer of it… the ripple effect.&nbsp;
And it’s hitting hospitality, right where you notice it most — in your wallet, when you go out for a coffee or a bite to eat.&nbsp;
There’s a really interesting story out today from Radio New Zealand about a well-known Wellington spot, Smith the Grocer, down in the Old Bank Arcade. Been there or a long time, very successful, very well run cafe. &nbsp;
They’re not doing it yet — but they’re seriously considering adding a fuel surcharge to their prices.&nbsp;
And here’s why.&nbsp;
Their suppliers are already doing it to them.&nbsp;
One meat supplier has slapped on a 4 percent increase across the board. &nbsp;
Another is looking at about 5 percent temporarily. Eggs going up. Delivery costs going up. It all stacks up.&nbsp;
And when you look at the numbers, you can see why. &nbsp;
According to the fuel app Gaspy, 91 petrol is sitting around $3.48 a litre, diesel closer to $3.89. &nbsp;
These are real costs, and the flow is going right through the system — from the truck, to the supplier, to the café, and eventually… to you.&nbsp;
Now the café owner says they’d rather not do it — margins are already tight — but when everything goes up at once, they’ve got two choices: absorb it… or pass it on.&nbsp;
So here’s the question I’ve been thinking about.&nbsp;
If you walked into your local café tomorrow… and there was a 5 percent surcharge on the bill — not hidden, not sneaky, just clearly there because of fuel costs — would you pay it?&nbsp;
Or would you just walk out and go somewhere else?&nbsp;
Because I’ll be honest with you — I already do this in my own head. Every time before I start the show I go to 2 places to get my coffee&nbsp;
There are two coffee spots near me. One’s five bucks. The other one — the one I actually like — is $6.30. And every time I go there, I think, “why am I paying more?”… but I still do it. Why because I like the place and I think it’s better there. &nbsp;
So are we actually price sensitive… or are we habit sensitive?&nbsp;
If that surcharge becomes the norm — because let’s be honest, this isn’t going away anytime soon — do we just accept it?&nbsp;
Or does it start changing where we go, what we buy, and how often we go out?&nbsp;
That’s where it gets really interesting.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Nick Mills: Would You Pay a Fuel Surcharge on Your Coffee

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/4eeb675c-effb-40bf-b2e7-b42c001c3807/transcript

EDITORIAL: Are we starting to overreact to the weather? 

Now before anyone jumps on the phone — yes, I know what’s happened up north.  

Yes, I know what happened with the cyclone and it caused real damage.  

Flooding across parts of Northland, the Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and Hawke’s Bay. Yes I know that.  

States of emergency declared. Power outages. Evacuations. Roads closed. People genuinely affected. Up north. 

Those are the facts and they matter. 

But here’s the bigger picture we’re being told now: New Zealand is entering what experts are calling a more defined “cyclone season.”  

This isn’t just a one-off. We’ve already had multiple major weather events in 2026 — storms earlier this year that caused deaths and serious flooding.  

Scientists are warning that while cyclones may not come more often, they could be more intense, last longer, and hit harder. 

So yes — the risk is real. 

But here’s the question I can’t shake this morning: are we starting to jump too quickly into full shutdown mode every time a system rolls through? 

Because we know this is the time of year. We know we sit in a part of the world where these systems track down. This is not new anymore — this is becoming part of the pattern. 

And yet — what are we seeing? 

Batten down the hatches. Cancel plans. Stay home. Prepare for the worst. 

Now again — authorities will say that’s exactly the point.  

Early warnings save lives. And they’re right.  

Since events like Cyclone Gabrielle, behaviour has changed.  

People take warnings seriously. Emergency management acts earlier. 

And in many cases that's the preparedness that we want and absolutely prevents tragedy.  

That’s a good thing. 

But is there a tipping point? 

Because when every weather system is treated like it could be catastrophic, something else starts to happen.  

People stop going out. Businesses take a hit. Events lose momentum. And slowly, quietly, the economy feels it.  

And it starts to feel like it’s clickbait for media. It starts to feel like a build up days before. 

And here’s where it gets tricky — because you don’t want complacency.  

You don’t want people ignoring warnings when a genuinely dangerous system is coming. 

But you also don’t want a country that freezes every time the forecast turns rough. 

We’ve seen the impacts — infrastructure under pressure, insurance costs rising, councils facing huge bills to build resilience.  

All of that is real, and all of that needs serious long-term thinking. 

But day-to-day? 

Are we getting the balance right?  

Or are we starting to default to worst-case scenario thinking every time will be a catastrophe — just in case? 

Because if this is the new normal… if this really is a “cyclone season” we’re going to live with… 

Then the way we respond to it matters just as much as the weather itself. 

So, here’s the question this morning — have we found the right balance between caution and overreaction? 

Or are we, bit by bit, becoming a country that shuts down too easily? 

Should we be more cautious of a boy who cried wolf situation in Wellington? Because that’s the part that really scares me. 

Do we overreact too quickly? 

LISTEN ABOVE

EDITORIAL: Are we starting to overreact to the weather?&nbsp;
Now before anyone jumps on the phone — yes, I know what’s happened up north. &nbsp;
Yes, I know what happened with the cyclone and it caused real damage. &nbsp;
Flooding across parts of Northland, the Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and Hawke’s Bay. Yes I know that. &nbsp;
States of emergency declared. Power outages. Evacuations. Roads closed. People genuinely affected. Up north.&nbsp;
Those are the facts and they matter.&nbsp;
But here’s the bigger picture we’re being told now: New Zealand is entering what experts are calling a more defined “cyclone season.” &nbsp;
This isn’t just a one-off. We’ve already had multiple major weather events in 2026 — storms earlier this year that caused deaths and serious flooding. &nbsp;
Scientists are warning that while cyclones may not come more often, they could be more intense, last longer, and hit harder.&nbsp;
So yes — the risk is real.&nbsp;
But here’s the question I can’t shake this morning: are we starting to jump too quickly into full shutdown mode every time a system rolls through?&nbsp;
Because we know this is the time of year. We know we sit in a part of the world where these systems track down. This is not new anymore — this is becoming part of the pattern.&nbsp;
And yet — what are we seeing?&nbsp;
Batten down the hatches. Cancel plans. Stay home. Prepare for the worst.&nbsp;
Now again — authorities will say that’s exactly the point. &nbsp;
Early warnings save lives. And they’re right. &nbsp;
Since events like Cyclone Gabrielle, behaviour has changed. &nbsp;
People take warnings seriously. Emergency management acts earlier.&nbsp;
And in many cases that's the preparedness that we want and absolutely prevents tragedy. &nbsp;
That’s a good thing.&nbsp;
But is there a tipping point?&nbsp;
Because when every weather system is treated like it could be catastrophic, something else starts to happen. &nbsp;
People stop going out. Businesses take a hit. Events lose momentum. And slowly, quietly, the economy feels it. &nbsp;
And it starts to feel like it’s clickbait for media. It starts to feel like a build up days before.&nbsp;
And here’s where it gets tricky — because you don’t want complacency. &nbsp;
You don’t want people ignoring warnings when a genuinely dangerous system is coming.&nbsp;
But you also don’t want a country that freezes every time the forecast turns rough.&nbsp;
We’ve seen the impacts — infrastructure under pressure, insurance costs rising, councils facing huge bills to build resilience. &nbsp;
All of that is real, and all of that needs serious long-term thinking.&nbsp;
But day-to-day?&nbsp;
Are we getting the balance right? &nbsp;
Or are we starting to default to worst-case scenario thinking every time will be a catastrophe — just in case?&nbsp;
Because if this is the new normal… if this really is a “cyclone season” we’re going to live with…&nbsp;
Then the way we respond to it matters just as much as the weather itself.&nbsp;
So, here’s the question this morning — have we found the right balance between caution and overreaction?&nbsp;
Or are we, bit by bit, becoming a country that shuts down too easily?&nbsp;
Should we be more cautious of a boy who cried wolf situation in Wellington? Because that’s the part that really scares me.&nbsp;
Do we overreact too quickly?&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Nick Mills: Are Cyclone Vaianu Warnings Risking a Boy Who Cried Wolf Situation

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/b026dc64-1058-4a8c-a0e0-b42b000819fc/transcript

Friday Faceoff: Budget Special with former revenue minister Peter Dunne and Infometrics economist Brad Olsen

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