Nine To Noon for Thursday 11 March 2021

 

 

09:05 Mental health report finds frustration and no 'roadmap'

Two years after a major inquiry into mental health and addiction, how much real progress has the government made in improving wellbeing in Aotearoa? He ara Oranga - the Report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction - was two years in the making, and put forward 40 recommendations including the reestablishment of the Mental Health Commission. An interim commission was established to monitor the government's progress, and its report - delivered to the Health Minister in December, was released without fanfare last Friday - while a tsunami warning was in place for much of the country. The report finds some progress is visible but describes frustration over the pace of change and points to an urgent need for an overarching action plan. Kathryn speaks with
Hayden Wano, who chaired the initial Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, and last month was confirmed as chair of the permanent commission. Also Mental Health Foundation Chief Executive, Shaun Robinson.

09:20 The health pressures on NZ's top sportswomen

A new survey has given a striking insight into the pressures that New Zealand's top female athletes are under that could compromise their health and performance. More than 200 of the country's elite sportswomen were asked about aspects of their wellbeing - from training load and injuries, to contraceptive use and menstrual health. It also looked how they were affected by appearance, with 73 per cent of athletes feeling they had to alter their physical appearance to conform to gender ideals. Nearly half had suffered from iron deficiency, nearly a quarter had suffered stress fractures and a third reported their menstrual cycle was affected by how much they trained. Kathryn discusses the findings with two members of High Performance Sport NZ's WHISPA group who conducted the survey: Professor Holly Thorpe, who was the report's sociocultural lead and Dr Sarah Beable, a sports and exercise medicine specialist.

09:45 Vaccine export stoush continues, fallout from Megxit interview

UK correspondent Harriet Line joins Kathryn to talk about how Prime Minister Boris Johnson has hit back over an EU claim of an "outright ban" of Covid vaccine exports. Meanwhile a new variant of the virus in Kent has been found to be twice as deadly as previous strains. Harry and Meghan's incendiary interview continues to dominate headlines and a diplomatic protection officer is arrested on suspicion of murder, following the disappearance of a young London woman.

10:05 Enhancing landscapes and transforming lives

Kiri Ericsson and Kellie Benner are dedicated members of Conservation Volunteers NZ, which gets people involved in protecting and restoring local parks and reserves. CVNZ also helps job seekers by giving them practical and transferable skills, plus tips for acing an interview, CV and cover letters, and connecting them with employers. So far 250 people have gone through the programme, from the Kaipara to Dunedin, with over 70% of them going on to work in local plant nurseries, landscaping and arborist roles.  Kellie Benner is CVNZ Wellington Regional Manager and Kiri Ericsson, single mum of three teenagers, is former volunteer turned team leader. Kiri tells Kathryn Ryan her life has turned around 100% since she started planting 7,000 native trees on the Wainuiamata coast east of Wellington a few years ago.

10:35 Book review - The Liminal Space by Jacquie McRae

Lisa Finucane reviews The Liminal Space by Jacquie McRae, published by Huia.

10:45 The Reading

2000ft Above Worry Level, part nine. Written by Eamonn Marra and read by Jack Sergent.

11:05 Another major security alert,  Facebook + TikTok least trusted

Technology commentator Paul Matthews joins Kathryn to talk about this week's major security alert, this time Microsoft's "Hafnium" attacks with suggestions China might be behind it. Meanwhile Solarwinds software is still fighting off attacks after it was initially discovered in December - the takeaway? Anyone can be vulnerable. A new survey has found distrust in tech-giants is at an all-time high, with TikTok and Facebook bottom of the pile.

11:25 Tips for long-distance parenting

After eighteen years of parenting, for some parents at least it might be hard to let go. So when your now young adult leaves home for tertiary education and an independent life how do you adjust and how can you support your young person during the first part of their first time living away from home? University of Canterbury Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Catherine Moran shares some advice for dealing with both parent's and student's challenges with the big transition.

11:45 ZeroZeroZero, Night Stalker, Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry

Film and TV reviewer Chris Schulz joins Kathryn to look at Italian crime drama ZeroZeroZero (Neon), new documentary Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer about Richard Ramirez who terrified residents in LA and the Bay Area in the mid-80s, and documentary Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry (AppleTV+), which looks at the life of the artist at home and on the stage.