Nine To Noon for Tuesday 21 May 2019

 

 

09:05 Mining company : "We have good motives here"

The overseas mining company seeking to expand its operation next to a fossil rich geological site of international significance in Otago, says it has good motives, and is surprised by the negative reaction. Plaman Resources is 50.9% owned by the Mayasian business Iris Corp, and 49% owned by two Australian businessmen.  It has a permit to mine diatomite in Middlemarch at Foulden Maar  - a 23-million-year-old crater lake at Middlemarch - and is seeking permission to buy the neighbouring property to expand the mine.  The diatomite is brand named "Black Pearl" and sold as stock feed. The plan has run into strong opposition from some locals,  concerned scientists and former Prime Minister Helen Clark. Kathryn talks with co-founder and CEO of Plaman Resources, Peter Plakadis.

09:15 Updating the research on Traumatic Brain Injuries 

A new initiative to bridge the gap between research and clinical care for Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) has been announced by Auckland University of Technology. Currently, 36,000 New Zealanders suffer a TBI, ranging from the the mild to the severe, each year at a cost of $100 million to the health system. However, public awareness of head injuries remains low, and there is not a broad consensus on how to treat them. The new TBI Network will pull together medical experts, key organisations and patients to prioritise research to better prevent and manage head injuries. Associate Professor Alice Theadom is the director of the TBI Network and joins Kathryn to explain what they hope to achieve.

09:30 Lessons from the City of Angeles to the City of Sails

Los Angeles has long been associated with entertainment, but it has booming industries in the manufacturing, aerospace and tech sectors. If it were a country, LA county would be the 20th largest economy in the world. But with success comes social and environmental challenges. Stephen Cheung is Executive Vice President of Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) and the President of World Trade Center Los Angeles (WTCLA) and is here for the annual Tripartite summit between Auckland, Guangzhou and Los Angeles. He joins Kathryn to talk about the shared prosperity challenges international cities face.

09:45 Alabama's abortion laws & presidential pardons

US correspondent Susan Milligan talks to Kathryn about the ongoing fallout and coverage of the state of Alabama passing a virtual ban on abortion and Missouri effectively following suit. What are the legal and political implications?. Also, a look at the presidential power of granting pardons.

10:05 Kinley Salmon : Debunking the "robocalypse"

With all the talk of artificial intelligence and machine learning - does the technological revolution really mean that robots are knocking on the door to take many of our jobs? New Zealand economist Kinley Salmon says there is so much hype, it's hard to think straight. In his new book Jobs, Robots and Us, he argues that more people than ever are in work in New Zealand, technology isn't something that just happens to us, and that the future of work is in our own hands.

10:35 Book review - When We Remember to Breathe by Renee Liang and Michele Powles

Sonja de Friez reviews When We Remember to Breathe by Renee Liang and Michele Powles​, which is published by Magpie Pulp.

10:45 The Reading

Lisa's Story  (from All this by Chance) by Vincent O'Sullivan read by Peter Hambleton. Part 7 of 10.

11:05 Tourism growth goals & Xero turns first profit

Business commentator Rod Oram looks at the tourism sector's strategy for future growth, and Xero turns in its first profit, with its record share price making its founder a billionaire.

11:30 New Zealand's billionaire doomsday preppers 

A new VICE documentary attempts to track down the overseas billionaires building boltholes in New Zealand. "Hunt for the Bunker People" follows freelance journalist Baz Macdonald as he investigates why the super rich are looking to buy land in Queenstown as "apocalypse insurance." As Baz comes to terms with the causes of this paranoia, he considers the implication for Queenstown's shrinking middle class.  He joins Kathryn to speak about the documentary and what he plans to do next with his investigation. 

Hunt for the Bunker People screens on VICE will be on SKY On Demand and SKY GO until May 23rd. 

11:45 Deepfakes - when you shouldn't believe your eyes

Media commentator Gavin Ellis speaks to Kathryn about a new study out this morning which says we should resist rushing into new laws to control "deepfakes". Also, Colin James has just celebrated half a century in the Press Gallery with a characteristically analytical reminisce in the ODT.

Gavin Ellis is a media commentator and former editor of the New Zealand Herald.  He can be contacted on gavin.ellis@xtra.co.nz