Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Do you know what I'm not going to miss? Public payphones.
Spark has finally reached the end of the road. They've made the decision to rip 90% of these public payphones out of the ground.
They tried to save them. They tried to talk Auckland Council into a deal where they could modernise the payphones in Auckland and operate them on behalf of the public. In exchange, Spark would have been allowed to run digital advertising on the sides of the phones.
But Auckland Council said no and for good reason. The council already operates its own digital billboards and these phones would have eaten into that revenue stream. So the answer was no.
The government didn't step in to change anything, and now the phones are simply too expensive for Spark to maintain in their current form. The copper wiring has been removed, so they're going to go.
And I'm happy to see the back of them because I can't tell you the last time I used a payphone, or even saw one being used. In fact, I don't believe anyone uses them anymore, even in an emergency.
Surely you'd be more likely to ask the nearest person, who would almost certainly have a cellphone you could use, than run a kilometre down the road looking for a payphone.
All they are now is visual clutter. They're often tagged, vandalised, or broken. The handset is hanging off the cradle, the glass panels are scratched, and they generally look neglected. And all of that would still be true if they were upgraded, right? They'd look great for five minutes, and then somebody would come along and write "Limp" on one or something.
And then you'd have to look at the advertising screens on the side.
Personally, I'm not gagging to see more moving billboards in an urban environment. There are parts of Auckland that would be beautiful if there weren't digital billboards constantly changing and flashing at me.
So, to me, this doesn't feel like a sad end to an era.
If there's a payphone near you, pay your last respects. Lay some flowers. Take a photo, maybe, so you can tell the kids in years to come what that thing once was and what you did with it.
And then say goodbye to a technology that has definitely had its day, hasn't it?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Newstalk ZB sports reader Andrew Alderson and New Zealand Herald sports journalist joined in on a discussion about all of the latest New Zealand sporting issues.
Today a judge rejected a bid from NZ Rugby to stop the launch of a new Chiefs NRL team in Papua New Guinea. Is this the end or should NZ rugby fight more?
The Kiwis lost to the kangaroos in the Rugby League World Cup yesterday by the slimmest of margins. How badly did the referees screw the Kiwis? Where does the the team go from here?
Auckland FC kick off their season this weekend but a controversial lifting of a suspension for Sam Cosgrove has filled the headlines. Was Cosgrove right to fight back against media?
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 16 October 2026, has the Taxpayers' Union gone too far with an AI-generated attack ad showing Chris Hipkins stealing wallets from family homes?
Sir Ian Taylor remembered the lifelong friend he thought was indestructible after former Newstalk ZB Afternoons host Danny Watson died, aged 73.
"King" Wally Lewis on how he rates the Kiwis for rugby league's World Cup – and we talk about his personal battles.
And on The Sports Huddle, Andrew Alderson and Alex Powell discuss a judge ruling against New Zealand Rugby in its battle with the NRL over the Chiefs name.
Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some small kiwi businesses have been surprised by Facebook's newest fees. Meta has launched a new subscription service that charges businesses a monthly fee to post links to their websites.
It will cost $260 a month in New Zealand, and businesses will still be limited to posting just 20 links in the comments.
Tech commentator Bill Bennett told Heather du Plessis-Allan that Meta hasn't considered the impact this could have on New Zealand small businesses which often aren't as profitable as those in the United States.
He suggested businesses look at getting their own websites from local New Zealand sources.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

30,000 people in Wellington have failed to pay their first water bill under the new Tiaki Wai water services company, almost one in five customers.
Wellington's Mayor Andrew Little told Heather du Plessis-Allan there are a variety of reasons why people haven't paid their new water bills. Some were surprised to get the bill separately from their rates while others are finding it unaffordable and have set up payment plans.
He says there have been some mistakes with some properties without water connections being charged.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.