Nine To Noon for Monday 15 March 2021

 

09:05 Suicide rate for construction workers still rising 

Statistics from the Chief Coroner show one hundred and sixty one construction workers may have died from suicide between 2017 to 2020. The construction industry has the highest suicide numbers for any single sector in New Zealand and it isn't getting any better.

MATES in Construction has been operating on worksites in New Zealand for over a year trying to help workers who are struggling with mental health. Their field officers visit sites and try to understand the challenges workers are facing, and help them on a peer to peer basis. Mates in Construction CEO Victoria McArthur says while they're encouraged by employers and workers engaging openly in discussions about mental health, change isn't happening fast enough to save lives. Kathryn is also joined by Chief Executive Officer of Naylor Love Rick Herd to discuss how the industry is attempting to address the mental health crisis. 

09:20 The America's Cup: Auckland holds its breath

Sailor, writer, historian and America's Cup commentator Sarah Ell on the nail-biting regatta which stands at 3-all in the first-to-7 series between defenders Team New Zealand, and the challengers Luna Rossa.

09:30 Valuing Māori heritage and culture in Kirikiriroa: He Pou Manawa Ora

A move to improve relationships between Hamilton City Council and tangata whenua and an invitation to the community to consider the value Māori heritage and culture brings to Kirikiriroa is taking shape in our fourth largest city. Kathryn Ryan speaks with Muna Wharawhara​, Hamilton City council's first Māori relationship manager and Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate​. Muna has been working on a strategy called He Pou Manawa Ora strategy: which translates to "Pillars of Wellbeing" - the pillars being history, unity, prosperity and restoration. The document, which has been developed alongside local iwi and representative groups aims to make sure Māori have a voice at all levels of Council's decision-making. More than one thousand submissions have been received so far on the document, which is out for public consultation until Friday.

09:45 Italy back into lockdown, Poland + Hungary in court over  EU law row

Europe correspondent Seamus Kearney looks at how rising infections across Italy has put the more than half the country back into lockdown, as more European nations suspend the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine over safety concerns. Meanwhile Hungary is expected to join Poland this week in taking legal action over a new EU regulation that makes access to the bloc's millions of euros in funding conditional on respecting the rule of law.

10:05 Author David Coventry: On arriving at things later in life

David Coventry always knew he wanted to be a writer - but says, like many things in his life, it took a while for him to get there. His award-winning debut novel The Invisible Mile, published in 2015, re-imagines the grueling race undertaken by an Australasian team competing in the 1928 Tour de France. He followed it up with Dance Prone, published last year, which explores the post-hardcore punk scene in 1980s America. David drew on his own love of music for the novel: he taught himself to play the guitar in his late teens and worked as a sound engineer before taking himself off to university at the age of 27. He joins Kathryn to talk about finishing up his later work, which draws on his experiences of ME-Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

10:35 Book review - Her Say: Stories by Jackie Clark and The Aunties

Carole Beu of the Women's Bookshop reviews Her Say: Survivors of Domestic Abuse Tell Their Own Stories by Jackie Clark and The Aunties. Published by Penguin Random House.

10:45 The Reading

Responsibility, part one. Written by Nigel Cox and read by Tim Gordon.

11:05 Political commentators Mills & Sherson

Stephen and Trish talk to Kathryn about the way the government has been announcing Covid 19 alert level changes and the reaction to the process, particularly from businesses. Was anything learnt by politicians and the public about the National Party review?

Stephen Mills is the executive director of UMR Research , which is the polling firm used by Labour.  He is former political adviser to two Labour governments. 

Trish Sherson is from corporate affairs firm Sherson Willis, and a former ACT press secretary. 

 

11:30 Waste not want not: How to cook with not-so-fresh food

We're all guilty of throwing out stuff in the fridge that's gone to waste - but when you add it up, Kiwis are chucking out over 157-thousand tonnes of food a year. Sarah Burtscher describes herself as a home cook, but has run restaurants in Christchurch and Tekapo. She's just published a book that looks at the top 10 foods we tend to waste and pairs them with yummy recipes to save them instead, including Forgotten vegetable soup and Easter spiced whole orange cake.

11:45 Off the beaten track with Kennedy Warne

Kennedy talks about the rest of the Kopiko cycle ride across the North Island. Last time he chatted to Kathryn he had ridden as far as Ongarue. Now for some stories from the second part of his journey, which concluded at East Cape lighthouse.