Nine To Noon for Tuesday 31 January 2023

09:05 Titirangi homeowners "we have no idea if we can move home"

Aucklanders are bracing for more rain later today. In West Auckland, the hilly, bush-clad suburb of Titirangi is one of the hardest hit. Days of heavy rain has brought down slips, leaving some homes teetering on hillsides and tearing huge chunks out of roads. Thousands of residents are without water, and while water tankers have been brought in, there are many who live too far off the road to lug water in. Paul Bell and his wife Claire live in Otitori Bay Road in Titirangi  - on Friday night 50 metres of bank in front of their home disappeared. Their second baby in due in 3 weeks and they're unsure whether they can move home. Kathryn also speaks with local MP for New Lynn, Deborah Russell.

9:15 Contact insurer, take photos, don't repair: legal advice to stickered home owners

As of Monday afternoon, almost 400 Auckland properties have been red or yellow stickered.  Senior associate at law firm Tompkins Wake, Morgan Brady tells Kathryn Ryan home owners should take a lot of photos and not to attempt any repairs until they've spoken to their insurer.

09:30 Warnings of price rises as fuel subsidy ends

The government's fuel subsidy comes to an end today, and there are warnings the cost of some goods could rise. Transport companies are estimating everyday goods could rise, with one source in the meat industry suggesting it could be by 4 to 5 percent, as the cost of freight increases. In April last year, the government introduced a Transport Support Package in response to a growing global energy crisis. The relief package included a 25 cents a litre cut to Fuel Excise Duty, and a 36 percent discount for Road User Charges. Half price fares on public transport will still continue until 31 March 2023. Kathryn speaks with Countdown's director of New Zealand supply chains, Arjern Ramnarayan and Chris Carr, the director of transporting company Carr and Haslam.

09:45 US: Debt ceiling negotiations, GOP identity crisis, Utah's transgender bill

US correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben joins Kathryn to talk about the ongoing negotiations into raise the debt ceiling after US government debt hit its limit of US$31.4 trillion last week. Meanwhile the long fight over the speakership and debt ceiling crisis have caused some in the Republican party to question whether its lost its way. And Utah has passed a law prohibiting certain gender-affirming treatments for transgender minors. 

10:05 Blokes on bikes riding for men's health

Bruce Cotterill and Paul Muir are a couple of Auckland blokes trying to help other blokes by raising awareness of -- and money for -- for mental health and prostate cancer. The friends are the brains behind Bike for Blokes, a charity they set up last year as they cycled the length of the country, raising nearly $220,000. Both men have had close friends and family members affected by prostate cancer and poor mental health, and worry about men not looking after or even talking about their health and as a result often getting a late diagnosis. In a few weeks,  they're doing it again- taking extra riders with them, and jointly aiming to raise $400,000.

10:35 Book review:  Three of the best from 2022:A Runner's Guide to Rakiura by Jessica Howland Kany; Barefoot by R.V. Bayley and The Art of Copying Art by Penelope Jackson

Lynn Freeman reviews three of her favourite books from last year: A Runner's Guide to Rakiura by Jessica Howland Kany, published by Quentin Wilson; Barefoot by R.V. Bayley, published by Eden Street Press and The Art of Copying Art by Penelope Jackson, published by Palgrave Macmillan

10:45 Around the motu: Samantha Gee in Nelson

Marlborough District Council wants to hear from the public on what should be done with Marlborough Sounds roads to make them safe and resilient against future flood events. Since that devastating rain in August, Samantha says it's been a rather dry summer, with the river flows so low in some places that the perennial toxic algae issue in the lower reaches of certain rivers - the Maitai in Nelson and the Wai-iti in Tasman xx. Further dwn the coast in Greymouth, a conserve water notice has been in place for the Greater Greymouth area since January 4th and in Blackball since January 11. Greymouth has recently experienced some of the hottest recorded temperatures in over 75 years - which has put extreme pressure on local water supplies with usage being more than double the typical amount in some instances.

Samantha Gee is RNZ's Nelson reporter

11.05 Historic red rain warning for Northland

More rain is expected today, with red heavy rain warnings in place for Northland, Auckland north of Orewa and Coromandel Peninsula.

It's the first time a red warning has been issued in Northland. A strong wind watch and severe thunderstorm watch is also in place.

RNZ's political editor is in Whangarei.

11:15 Business commentator Pattrick Smellie : compromised infrastructure 

As Auckland's flooding has further exposed the city's infrastructure issues, Pattrick talks to Kathryn about how to fund and how much to fund stormwater infrastructure. Also, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton, has written to Energy Minister, Megan Woods warning that the Government's energy strategy timetable is far too slow. And Pattrick discusses an aspect of the national CO2 shortage that has had very little attention.

Pattrick Smellie is the editor and co-founder of BusinessDesk and has reported on the New Zealand economy and business since 1983

11:30 Talking intimacy, sex  and relationships at different life stages 

Sex therapist Jo Robertson talks to Kathryn about how she will tackle typically taboo topics around sex, relationships and menopause, when she addresses a gathering of rural women at February's Shepherdess Muster. 

11:45 Sports-chat with Sam Ackerman

It's been a topic of discussion for years and rugby's watershed moment has finally happened. Sam looks at the importance of Campbell Johnstone revealing himself to be the first openly gay All Black - as well as why the debate around Djokovic and Nadal. and who is the GOAT gets so personal. And the Breakers quietly going about making the ANBL playoffs despite coming dead last in the previous season.