Afternoons for Wednesday 21 August 2024

1:15 Axe to fall on Upper Hutt native forest? 

Now to a long-running battle in the Hutt Valley where the council is set to fell a section of native black beech trees so a road can be widened. However, locals, who have been fighting to save the trees since 2022, say safe access can be achieved without destroying the native trees. 

Resident Josh Bailey is concerned about losing the ecosystem forever and says Upper Hutt City Council has lacked transparency.

1:25 Taking on Temu

'Support local' - it's not new idea, but it's sometimes easier said than done. In June, RNZ reported that while local retailers were doing it tough, data showed giant tech platforms, Temu, Amazon, and AliExpress were cashing in on New Zealand shoppers. The just launched site, Rita Edited, created by a couple of mates in Hawke's Bay is hoping to compete. The platform aims to showcase the best of Aotearoa's small-scale makers, artists, producers and designers.

Jade Barber and Aleisha Roulston are the brains behind it.

1:35 The ups and downs of separation

A break-up or a separation signals the end of a relationship, but really, it's just the beginning. Flip Grater is a singer-songwriter, author, activist and chef based in Otautahi-Christchurch.

In this week's Press, she has written about the social politics around separating from your spouse and untangling all that awkwardness.

1:45 Heading Off: Eating Georgia

We're going to Georgia in Eastern Europe - home of one of world's oldest wine regions and wildly abundant food. They say the best way to get to know a country is through its cuisine.

Taking us on the Georgian gastronomic tour are founders of 'Eating Adventures' Janice Kirkwood and Sue Dempsey.

2.10 Podcast Critic: In the Dark and The Real Carrie Jade

Ximena Smith reviews two hard hitting investigative podcasts involving a war crime and a con woman.

2:20 Easy Eats with Sam Parish: All-in-one oven-baked chorizo risotto

Sam is back with another recipe for the time-starved cook. This dish is one where the oven does all the work. Get the recipe here.  

2:30 Bookmarks with Chris Kirk

The beloved children's TV presenter joins Jesse from Christchurch to talk about his career, the music he loves (Shapeshifter and Six60) and more. 

3:10 Feature interview: Daniel Handler AKA Lemony Snicket

For 25 years, Daniel Handler, AKA Lemony Snicket has taken young readers into strange and wonderful worlds of his creation in books like A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Bad Beginning. For the first time, Handler pulls back the curtain to welcome readers into his own world, to show us how his love of reading and respect for the curiosity and openness of children led him to become a writer.  His memoir is a celebration of books and words and imagination. It's called And Then? And Then? What Else?"

3:35 Stories from Our Changing World

Wastewater testing became part of our daily lives during the pandemic, when the crown research institute ESR used it to look for the spread of Covid-19 in our communities.  But since 2016 ESR had also been using wastewater to investigate the consumption of illicit drugs. And the Drugs in Wastewater Programme continues today.

Its success prompted chemistry researcher Dr Lisa Pilkington of the University of Auckland to consider other uses for 'wastewater based epidemiology'. Claire Concannon learns what this means, and how it can help. 
 

3:45 The pre-Panel