A new app connecting businesses and truckies is looking to fill labour shortage across the ditch following a successful launch in New Zealand.

Road Ninja has been dubbed 'the love child of Tinder and Uber' - as it matches up companies looking for hireable help with skilled drivers in their area.

CEO and founder Bodhi Vette says the company's built a pool of skilled and reliable workers, and they're looking to send them out beyond New Zealand.

"We're really just looking at the 'fly in, fly out' roles that are over there at the moment - and there's about 26,000 drivers short over there, so there's big opportunities."

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The Government has recently unveiled its future plan for mining with the release of the minerals strategy and critical minerals list - with the goal of doubling the country's mining exports by 2035.

This development has been well-received by industry experts, but environmental groups have voiced their concerns.

Straterra CEO Josie Vida says this development sends positive signals to the rest of the world that New Zealand is committed to mining - which is good news for the economy.

"It matters to the outsiders looking in - mining's a very expensive business and the people who want to invest in it want to see an enabling environment across policy and law."

Coromandel Watchdog chair Catherine Delahunty says this seems like good news for offshore investors - but it isn't good for Kiwi communities.

"Investors, sure, they come and take and the gold goes offshore and it's processed offshore and the profits go offshore. So our communities are far from convinced by the mineral strategy."

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Proving life is what you make it, I walked into a local restaurant over the holidays.

It's Italian and very good, and they have a new owner.

Who was this person, I inquired?

He came from hospitality, had worked in the city, but he and a mate had decided to, as he put it, take a punt. "It's better to be an owner than work for someone," he said.

I immediately admired him.

The restaurant had been put up for sale because it wasn’t making any money.

That's a familiar story in hospitality and yet I can tell you why this place hadn't made any money.

It was because it was only open five days a week. For dinner. For limited hours.

The first thing our new owner did was open seven days a week and open for lunches.

He even opened on Christmas day and did 20 covers on short notice.

By the time we left town he was more than happy with how things were humming.

So, is hospitality in trouble, or are there too many owners who don’t want to do the work?

Over the holidays I noticed too many people who weren't open, or weren't open long enough, then the cafes that close at 4pm and when you walk in at 3.40pm they say "sorry, the kitchen is closed".

Sorry, the sign on the door says, we are having a well-earned break. "Back on the 3rd of January", or the 6th of January or whenever. This was in tourist country and, let's be honest, I thought all of New Zealand was supposed to be tourist country.

So how much pain is real and how much of life is made harder simply by not trying hard enough?

Is David Seymour right? There are two camps these days - the change makers and the ones who sort of open, but not really, then wonder why things are a bit slow.

Our mate at the restaurant, my bet is, will make a good go of it because he is invested and he is determined and he did a couple of simple things the others could have done but didn’t, so they had to bail.

Winners and losers. Most of it is about choice.

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New Zealand remains in the dark about Donald Trump's tariff plan, as new data shows the US has overtaken Australia as our second largest destination for exported goods.

Business NZ Advocacy Director Catherine Beard told Andrew Dickens blanket tariffs wouldn't have the same impact as targeted tariffs.

She says it would mean the cost will be passed on to the US consumer rather than having to be absorbed by exporters, and we would still be competitive against other markets.

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FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from Thursday on Newstalk ZB) Why Else Would They Turn Away Business/How To Succeed In Business/Mark the Week/Cheating Old Musk/Coffee Isn't Going Anywhere

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There's been plenty of volatility in the tech market this week off the back of the recent DeepSeek fiasco.

Despite things picking up after this week's crash, experts are still wondering what's set to happen next.

Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explains further.

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Kāinga Ora has announced it will allow wool carpet providers the chance to tender for supply of carpet and underlay in its homes.

The agency has spent the last few years using nylon carpets - citing durability and cheaper prices.

The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further.

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The US Federal Reserve has left its benchmark interest rate unchanged, due to stubbornly high inflation.

US President Donald Trump has voiced his disapproval with this move and accused the central bank of mishandling the economy.

NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann unpacks this result - and explains why it's unsurprising rates were left on hold.

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