Nights for Wednesday 26 June 2024
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Australia's possible nuclear future: Path to net zero or political gamble?
10:45 PM.The main opposition party in Australia is thinking of taking the nuclear option as the country looks to pivot away from coal-fired power generation. Would the Australian people ever approve of such a… Read more Audio
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Yvonne Lorkin: Twenty years of wine writing in New Zealand
10:30 PM.Wine writer, competition judge and businesswoman Yvonne Lorkin joins Emile Donovan to reflect on her career working in all things fermented. Read more Audio
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Do possums really deserve to be despised?
10:18 PM.Conservationists love to hate possums for killing native birds and spreading disease. But the introduced marsupials don't deserve cruel treatment just for existing, says Christchurch academic and… Read more Audio
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Fundraising underway for medieval wing of Hamilton Gardens
9:15 PM.If you've ever visited Hamilton, you're aware of the award-winning gardens, which are the pride of joy of the river city. A new attraction to the gardens is seeking $300,000 from the public. Read more Audio
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Severe weather update with Wairoa mayor Craig Little
9:08 PM.Craig Little provides an update on the rain and flooding on the East Coast of the North Island. Read more Audio
8:10 The House
Today on our Parliament programme - The House - Phil Smith outlines a week of urgency and a week of bills - including five requesting public input.
8:15 Pacific Waves
A daily current affairs programme that delves deeper into the major stories of the week, through a Pacific lens, and shines a light on issues affecting Pacific people wherever they are in the world. Hosted by Susana Suisuiki.
8:30 Nights Jukebox
Emile Donovan plays your requests - as long as you've got a compelling reason, or a good story to go with it.
Send in your requests to nights@rnz.co.nz or text 2101.
8:45 The Reading
Tonight, the third episode of 'Rocking Horse Road', written by Carl Nixon and read by Jason Whyte.
After her violent death on the beach at the end of Rocking Horse Road, Lucy Asher takes on the status of a deity for a group of boys in the school. Their collective imagination makes her into something apart, special and, almost because of her very unassailability, a goddess. As her high priests they must revenge her murder....it's part 4
9:07 Nights Quiz
Do you know your stuff? Come on the air and be grilled by Emile Donovan as he dons his quizmaster hat.
If you get an answer right, you move on to the next question. If you get it wrong, your time in the chair is up, and the next caller will be put through. The person with the most correct answers at the end of the run goes in the draw for a weekly prize.
The quiz is themed - find out more about tonight's theme on Nights' Facebook page.
9:20 Hamilton Gardens fundraising campaign gets underway
If you've ever visited Hamilton or just know someone who has, it's likely you're aware of the award-winning gardens, which are the pride of joy of the river city.
While tens of thousands of people visit the city's most popular attraction each year, the gardens themselves are still a work in progress.
So a fundraising campaign has just been launched to help raise $300,000 needed to complete the new medieval themed space.
Emile Donovan founding director and visionary designer of the gardens Peter Sergel.
An artist's impression of the Apothecary Garden section of the planned Medieval Garden at the Hamilton Gardens, due to open to the public in Spring, 2025. Photo:
9:30 Midweek Mediawatch
Hayden Donnell talks to Emile Donovan about the big stories in the news this week including how the media covered the Government's Pharmac funding announcement, why the Daily Mail published a highly questionable AI article and Stuff closes two newspapers in Northland.
Photo:
10:17 Does our hatred toward possums need a rethink?
Possums have been public enemy number one in the conservation scene for years.
They eat native birds and plants, and can spread disease on our farms.
But our next guest says the violent way New Zealand targets possums, including school hunting events, may be doing more harm than good to society.
Dr Emily Major is a researcher and conservation advocate based in Christchurch and she joins Emile Donovan.
Dr Emily Major Photo: Supplied
10:30 Yvonne Lorkin: Twenty years of wine writing in New Zealand
Wine writer, competition judge and businesswoman Yvonne Lorkin joins Emile Donovan to reflect on her career in all things fermented.
Yvonne Lorkin has been a wine writer, judge and educator for over 20 years. Photo: Supplied
10:45 Australia's possible nuclear future: Path to net zero or political gamble?
The main opposition party in Australia is thinking of taking the nuclear option as the country looks to pivot away from coal-fired power generation.
Does it make sense from a climate point of view - or an economic point of view? And would the Australian people ever approve such a move?
Tony Irwin is a nuclear engineer and an honourary associate professor at Australian National University. He joins Emile Donovan.
Peter Dutton. Photo: AFP
11:07 Pocket Edition
On this week's Pocket Edition Maggie Tweedie debuts a fresh single from Marlins Dreaming and Aotearoa Hip Hop collective SWIDT return with a stellar new album to share.
Photo: RNZ / Krista Barnaby