Nine To Noon for Friday 23 July 2021

 

 

09:05 A fairer system for booking MIQ?

As Cabinet weighs up New Zealand's quarantine-free travel arrangement with Australia, any changes to the bubble could put more pressure on the overloaded MIQ booking system. Experts are putting up their hands up to help the government improve the booking system, described as a "nightmare" by New Zealanders abroad. There is significant demand for the 4000 MIQ rooms which are currently booked out until the end of November. Available rooms appear at random on the MIQ website and are booked on a first-come, first-served basis. But tech-savvy New Zealanders are using computer programming codes to snap up available spots within seconds, or paying freelancers to do it for them. So could the MIQ booking system be redesigned?  And what would a fairer system look like? Kathryn asks the chief executive of NZ Tech Graeme Muller, and Tava Olsen, a queueing theorist at the University of Auckland's Business School.

09:20 Tunnelling in Auckland that will ultimately lead to cleaner waterways

A massive piece of machinery will soon be digging and boring a tunnel in Auckland to divert wastewater and stormwater from inner city suburbs to the Māngere Wastewater Treatment Plant. Watercare's Central Interceptor project involves a 15 kilometre pipe running underneath the Manukau Harbour and finishing in Grey Lynn. It's the biggest wastewater infrastructure project to date which will create the longest bored tunnel in the country.Watercare Central Interceptor executive programme director, Shayne Cunis talks to Kathryn about the the $1.2 billion project, due for completion in 2025.  

9.40 Vaccine Alliance Aotearoa making progress towards a Pacific vaccine

Timaru based biotech company South Pacific Sera says that they could be able to provide vaccines for New Zealand and the Pacific. The company is a member of the consortium Vaccine Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand, which involves the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, and Otago and Victoria universities to research and develop a Covid vaccine in Aotearoa. Founding shareholder and director of South Pacific Sera Dr William Rolleston is excited about the possibilities Biotech provides.

09:45 Asia correspondent Elizabeth Beattie

A year's worth of rain in just three days in China's Henan province has caused more than 30 deaths, the evacuation of 100,000 people and widespread devastation. Elizabeth also talks to Kathryn about the ongoing Olympic Games controversies and Hong Kong's anti-doxing privacy bill.

Elizabeth Beattie is a journalist at Thomson Reuters, based in Hong Kong  

 

10:05 A love song to the guitar 

The humble guitar is a ubiquitous part of life around the globe. We produce over two and a half million guitars every year and it's big money. But it is also based on an ancient craft, and the music is still at the heart of the guitar. Geographer and guitar nerd Professor Chris Gibson and his colleague Andrew Warren have spent 5 years exploring the history and present of the guitar, from cord to chord. 

10:35 Book review - Enough Horizon: The life and work of Blanche Baughan by Carol Markwell

Paul Diamond reviews Enough Horizon: The life and work of Blanche Baughan by Carol Markwell, published by Cuba Press

10:45 The Reading

The final episode of 'Llamas and Empanadas' , Eleanor Meecham's account of her bicycle journey in South America.

11:05 New music with Jeremy Taylor

Jeremy Taylor from SlowBoat Records plays tracks from Lips album release tour with Phoebe Rings, along with the 5th solo album from the wonderful John Grant.

11:30 Sports commentator Sam Ackerman- NZ Olympians - the ones to watch

Sam has been casting an eye over the 211 NZ athletes across 22 sports, with 118 of them first-time Olympians. He talks to Kathryn about where the spotlight may fall and who he thinks will fare well in Tokyo.

11:45 The week that was with

Comedians Elisabeth Easther and James Elliott with a few laughs, including how some American children are acquiring a British accent thanks to popular tv show Peppa Pig.