Nine To Noon for Monday 1 May 2023

09:05 Why big builds go over time and over budget

First this morning, large infrastructure projects more often than not go over time and over budget - so is it time for a new approach to costing them? Auckland's City Rail Link has blown out by another billion dollars to $5.5 billion - from the original estimate of $3.3 billion. Forsyth Barr Stadium went up $36 million in the construction process, and the budget for Christchurch's Te Kaha stadium has soared by $150 million. Last year Transmission Gully's $850 million budget passed the $1.25 billion mark.  What was meant to be a five-year project took almost eight. New Zealand isn't alone in experiencing cost overruns and delays on large infrastructure projects, however a report from the NZ Infrastructure Commission notes New Zealand projects inevitably end up costing more than comparable ones overseas. Meanwhile an Oxford University survey of 3,000 projects worldwide found less than 3% were on budget and on time. Kathryn speaks with Geoff Cooper, Te Waihanga - New Zealand Infrastructure Commission's general manager of strategy. Also, Nuno Gil, professor of New Infrastructure Development and Director of the Infrastructure Development Research Group at the Alliance Manchester Business School in the UK, currently spending time at the University of Sydney.

09:25 Community wellbeing at core of huge Tamaki Regeneration undertaking

Revitalising three East Auckland suburbs is well underway as the Tamaki Regeneration Company works to improve infrastructure, green spaces and housing options. Formed in 2012, the Tamaki Regeneration Company or, TRC is a Crown and Auckland Council entity.  The Tāmaki Housing Association is part of it and looks after local state housing tenants in Glen Innes, Point England and Panmure. The aim of the TRC is to strengthen the social infrastructure, parks, and community heart -  and to provide healthy places to live. Over the next 20 years the focus is on building 10,500 new affordable, state and private market homes - so far around 1000 houses have been completed. CEO Shelley Katae says close to 100 families have moved into affordable home ownership or affordable rental since the beginning of the Tāmaki Affordable Homes programme - 80 per cent of these are Māori and/or Pasifika families.     

09:45 Europe: Pope's message to Hungary, Erdogan faces tough battle

Europe correspondent Seamus Kearney joins Kathryn to talk about the Pope's three-day visit to Hungary, where he delivered a pointed message to the right-wing nationalist leaders on immigration. And Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan  is back on the election campaign trail after falling ill during a television appearance, raising questions about his health as he fights his toughest-ever election battle.

10:05 Grand designs in Brown vs Brown

Featuring beautiful archive footage and contemporary shots of modernist buildings, NZ's first full length architecture film is featuring in the Resene Architecture and Design Film Festival. Brown vs Brown takes us on a whirlwind tour of iconic mid-century era homes and commercial buildings, seen through the lens of filmmaker Simon Mark Brown, son of the late mid-century modern architect Peter Mark Brown. The documentary explores the change in architectural aspirations after World War Two reflecting how families wanted to live and interact in their home, while exploring the tensions between two competing modernist architect groups. Simon is a filmmaker with two films currently showing in two NZ film festivals: Seasick - about saving the Hauraki Gulf - is showing at Doc Edge.

10:35 Book review: This Is Not Miami by Fernanda Melchor

Phil Vine reviews This Is Not Miami by Fernanda Melchor, translated by Sophie Hughes, published by Text Publishing

10:45 Around the motu: David Williams in Christchurch

Newsroom's South Island correspondent David Williams joins Kathryn to talk about protests over the closure of St George's Hospital maternity unit, as the Canterbury region is plagued by bad headlines about the state of its health services. Meanwhile morale is still "very low" at the Christchurch City Council according to a staff survey and there's been a number of resignations at Lyttleton Port.

David Williams is a South Island reporter for Newsroom 

11:05 Political commentators Gareth Hughes & Tim Hurdle

Political correspondents Tim Hurdle and Gareth Hughes join Kathryn to talk about the Government's tax review of the extremely wealthy - will it lead to actual election policy? They'll also look at the pre-Budget positioning by the Prime Minister, the implications of Australia's strategic defence review and fears over an exodus to Australia by skilled workers - what are the main parties proposing to do about it?

Gareth Hughes is a former Green MP and now works for the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa. 

Tim Hurdle is a former National senior adviser, was the National Party Campaign Director in 2020. He is a director of several companies, including Museum Street Strategies, a public affairs firm.

11:30 Taco Tac'over

We're showcasing Mexican food in our food slot this morning. One of the free entry events at Wellington on a Plate is the Miramar Taco'ver. Amber Sturtz will have many Tex-Mex style tacos to sample there. She is from Austin,Texas, but has been living here for 18 years, fulfiling her dream of     opening a taco truck - Wellington's Taco Addicts.

 

11:45 Off the beaten track with Kennedy Warne

Kennedy joins Kathryn to talk predator eradication on Aotea Great Barrier Island. A project led by local Māori on the island called Tū Mai Taonga aims to free the island of ship rats and feral cats, which have taken a heavy toll on the island's fauna. Kennedy spent time with the project team as they prepare to remove rats from two offshore islands and begin cat trapping in the remote, mountainous northern forests of Aotea.