How being a dad has changed, and why that's good.

What is going on with all the metal thefts?

Over the last couple of weeks there has been a spate of metal thefts in the Wellington region First the EV chargers at Avalon Park were cut. Then on Tuesday evening ChargeNet reported that five of their charging locations across the region had also been hit. This fits with what we are seeing in the rest of the country. A 2025 police report found that metal thefts have almost tripled in the last three years. Vice president of the 'Association of Metal Recyclers' and Macaulay Metals operations manager Glen Jacobs talks to Jesse.

Damaging our coastlines: Should beaches get closed at night?

Oreti Beach is one of Southland's most iconic stretches of coastline, 26 kilometres in length, the bay lies between the town of Riverton and the outflow of the Aparima River. It's a place made famous by motorcycling legend Burt Munro who used it as his personal speedway while training to set his land speed records. Records that still stand to this day But now there's a growing debate about its future, with locals calling for the beach to be closed at night because of dangerous driving, fires, vandalism and other antisocial behaviour. Local Joyce Kolk joins us to explain what's going on.

The pre-Panel: Your daily dose of stuff and nonsense

Wallace Chapman and Jesse Mulligan star in the shortest show on radio, where they show they really can make something out of nothing, join them to be part of their delight, or to simply despair. Wallace will also preview what's on The Panel tonight.

Feature: Does the future of driving even involve driving?

For years self-driving cars felt like a technology that was always just over the horizon. Now they're here. In parts of the United States and China, fully autonomous vehicles are already carrying passengers without anyone behind the wheel. Dr Andrew Miller writes about the future of mobility in his newsletter Changing Lanes. He says we're approaching a major turning point in transport, one that could make roads safer and cities more liveable. But the biggest questions are no longer technological. They're about how we choose to use driverless cars and what role we want them to play in our communities.

Easy Eats: Creamy Sausage Orzo with Leeks

Wednesday means Easy Eats here on Afternoons; a chance to share a recipe that is light on time but heavy on flavour. Kelly Gibney is away but we're thrilled to have Emilie Pullar here, a pasta expert who's behind The Burnt Butter Table website and Burnt Butter Pasta Instagram page.