Nine To Noon for Wednesday 8 December 2021

 

09:05 Mental wellbeing in Aotearoa: a new snapshot

A new report-card into the wellbeing of New Zealanders finds a concerningly large minority of people and communities with persistently poor wellbeing. The report by the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission is the first of its kind. It finds that while most communities in Aotearoa tend to experience good wellbeing most of the time, a number of groups do not including young people, veterans, rainbow communities, Māori and Pacific peoples, rural communities and the disabled. Kathryn speaks with Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Board Chair, Hayden Wano and chair of the Commission's Expert Advisory Group, Sharon Shea, who is also the co-chair of the Maori Health Authority.

09:30 Young tech developers create roadtrip app

As New Zealanders hit the roads this summer, a couple of young tech entrepreneurs hope their new app will help keep tabs on the cost of that trip. Roadtrip has been developed by university graduates Emory Fierlinger and Ben Robertson. Enter your start point, destination and licence plate number and the app caclulates the petrol cost, and an option for splitting the bill. In time the developers want to add regional pricing to guide drivers to the best deals. The cost of petrol has gone up dramatically in the last 18 months -from just over a $1.80 per litre of 91 Octane in April last year to $2.30 by mid October this year.  In some place a litre of 91 has been as much as $2.50. Kathryn speaks with Emory Fierlinger and Ben Robertson.

09:45 Australia: Govt anti-vaxxers, harassment stats, dud city Sydney

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton joins Kathryn to talk about the criticism directed at Scott Morrison over two members of his backbench who have been cozying up to US right-ring extremists peddling anti-vax conspiracies. Half of all Australian women have been sexually harassed and a quarter of all men, according to a new survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australia’s cricket team has a new captain ahead of the Ashes, following the Tim Paine sexting scandal and Sydneysiders have ranked their own city as among the worst party destinations in the world in a survey of global performance indicators for 2021.

10:05  The Secret Marathon - Martin Parnell

Prolific British-Canadian marathon runner, author and now documentary maker Martin Parnell, along with filmmaker Kate McKenzie, have made an inspiring and visually stunning film about Afghan women taking great risks to run in the Marathon of Afghanistan.The Secret Marathon is inspired by the story of  25-year-old Zainab, the first Afghan woman to run in Afghanistan's first official marathon in 2015,  held in Bamiyan. It tells the story of the other brave women who have followed in her footsteps to stand up for equality. Martin wants to keep the plight of Afghani women in the spot-light, so the film is being re-released around the world as a fund-raiser for Afghan refugees. Martin joins Kathryn Ryan ahead of The Secret Marathon's screening in Wellington tonight at 6:30 PM at the Roxy Cinema. $5 of every ticket sale is being donated to ChangeMakers Wellington to help recent Afghan refugees resettle. Other screenings are happening around the country before Christmas.

10:35 Book review: Can't Get There From Here by Andre Brett

10:45 The Reading

Gifted, episode three. Written by Patrick Evans.

11:05 Music with Jess Fu

Music commentator Jess Fu joins Kathryn to look at a new track from Tamaki Makaurau-based singer songwriter Louisa Nicklin, Unholy Night, which reminds us not everyone has a great time of it at Christmas. All proceeds from the song are going to the Auckland City Mission. She'll also look at Erny Belle's latest track off an album set for release in January, and play a track from a re-release of Aunt Sally's 1979 album.

11:20 How to prevent Covid from ruining Christmas: What you need to know

Let's face it, this year's silly season is going to be a bit different. What are some of the potential pitfalls to watch out for this festive season as we all try to cope with Covid in the community? Kathryn is joined by Gemma Rasmussen, head of communications and campaigns at Consumer NZ to talk about your rights if Covid upsets your travel plans, how to head off courier or shipping delays and some tips to ease the financial stress of Christmas.

11:45 Arts with Mark Amery

In our look at the visual arts today Mark Amery is in Wellington and has been at the extraordinary Hilma af Klint exhibition at City Gallery Wellington, where he also looks at the moon drawings of Rita Angus and some fascinating creative responses to them by two contemporary artists in collaboration: Seraphine Pick and Andrew Beck. 

Rita Angus herself is the subject of a major exhibition opening at Te Papa December 18, leading Mark to ask where all the major survey shows of other New Zealand artists in Wellington have gone.  

 

Music played in this show

Artist: Cleo Sol
Track: Don't Let it get to your head
Time Played: 9:35

Artist: Free Nationals and Chronics
Track: Eternal lights
Time Played: 10:43

Artist: Elskavon and John Hayes
Track: Vermillion
Time Played: 11:30

Artist: Broods
Track: Heartbreak
Time Played: 11:45