Nine To Noon for Wednesday 2 June 2021

 

09:05 Keeping it local - affordable housing for seniors

There's been a 44% rise in over 65s renting in recent decades, according to Age Concern, and some New Zealanders are finding themselves homeless in older age for the first time in their lives. Rents are rising faster than NZ Super, even when supplemented by the accommodation benefit, and more people are reaching retirement with a mortgage. According to the Centre For Research Evaluation And Social Assessment, seniors in public or private rentals are more likely to live in poor conditions, with worse home care services and are more likely to go into residential care.  Older people faced with having to move away from their communities to find suitable affordable accommodation and to access the services and care they need are dislocated from whānau and friends. An initiative by the Stewart Island Seniors Cottage Trust aims to help older low-income residents stay on the island and in the community.  Kathryn speaks with project leader Bruce Ford and Kay Saville-Smith, director of CRESA, and co-leader of the Affordable Housing for Generations Research Programme.

09:25 Head injury research focus on deceased athlete's brains

The donated brains of former athletes are being studied to understand more about how repeated sports related head injuries cause brain degeneration.Repetitive mild traumatic sporting brain injuries can lead to a progressive neurodegenerative disorder called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).  Funded by the Health Research Council, Helen Murray from the University of Auckland centre for brain research is looking at structural changes in the brain tissue from deceased Australian athletes to learn more about the neuropathology of such injuries. Dr Murray is the captain of the New Zealand women's national ice hockey team, the Ice Ferns, and she has witnessed team-mates suffer appalling head trauma. 

09:40 Ashburton bridge due to close again

Ashburton's damaged bridge is due to close again for further stress testing by engineers. The crucial bridge carrying State Highway 1 through the mid-Canterbury town reopened late last night to light vehicles. RNZ reporter Katie Todd is on the north side of the bridge.

09:45 New NSW Covid sites,  Porter drops ABC defamation case and mouse plague!

Australia correspondent Chris Niesche joins Kathryn for an update on the Covid outbreak in Victoria, as New South Wales posts sites of concern following a visit from a Covid-positive person. Former attorney general Christian Porter has dropped his defamation case against the ABC over a story alleging he'd been accused of rape in the 1980s. And as New South Wales struggles to control its mouse plague, there are concerns about what a pesticide could be doing to native species in the state.

10:05  Owen Eastwood: the ancient power of togetherness

New Zealander Owen Eastwood is one of the most in-demand performance coaches in the world. He's currently working with the English football and British Olympic teams, and has also worked previously with the South African Cricket Team, the Royal Ballet School, Scotland Rugby, the Command Group of Nato and the New Zealand Warriors. He was born in the deep south the third of four children, his father part Maori and English - his mother of Irish heritage. In recent years Owen Eastwood has focussed very much on the idea of heritage - whakapapa - in his work with teams. He says the need to belong is hardwired into us from our ancestors,  and that succesful teams, regardless of whether they're sporting or otherwise, need to understand that power. Owen Eastwoods book is called Belonging: The Ancient Code of Togetherness, published by Hachette.

10:35 Book review: Beautiful Things by Hunter Biden

Dean Bedford reviews Beautiful Things by Hunter Biden, published by Simon and Schuster

10:45 The Reading

The Years Before my Death, part three. David McPhail reads from his memoir. 

11:05 Music: A look at the rock 'classic'

Music reviewer Kirsten Zemke joins Kathryn to look at three well-known rock songs that have some classical training and influence, and examines what makes a "power ballad".

11:20 Kiwis in full flight: the small NZ company making it big in orbit

Auckland based 3D printing company Zenith Tecnica has printed hundreds of parts for five mega satellites - each as big as a double decker bus.  Their material of choice is titanium.  Two hundred and sixty of their components are now tracing a path in orbit for US space company Maxar Technologies.  Almost three hundred more are in production, readying for eight other satellites.  The NZ-made titanium parts are special because they're super strong and light.  They have a longer than average space life and one part does the job of many. Zenith Tecnica has also printed titanium parts for Americas Cup yachts, hip replacements and prosthetics for paralympians. Technical director of Zenith Tecnica Peter Sefont speaks with Kathryn Ryan.

11:45 Covid vaccine and cancer, snails' trails and Auckland's volcano threat

Science commentator Siouxsie Wiles joins Kathryn to talk about the latest Covid studies, including the 80 per cent rollout of the Pfizer vaccine to Israeli adults and the safety of the vaccine for cancer patients. She'll also look at new research into the make up of a snail's trail and the new study that calculates how long it would take to escape Auckland in a volcanic eruption.

Associate Professor Dr Siouxsie Wiles is the head of Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland.