Nine To Noon for Tuesday 23 May 2023

 

09:05 High-Sea retrieval highlights fragile Cook Strait emergency response

The saga of the beleaguered MV Shiling cargo ship which will be towed into Wellington Harbour this morning after losing power at sea nearly two weeks ago has highlighted the "fragile" emergency response capability in the event of a maritime disaster in the Cook Strait. Earlier this year,  the Interislander ferry Kaitaki lost power in Cook Strait and started drifting towards the rocky south coast with 864 people on board. Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor and Greater Wellington Regional Council Chairman Daran Ponter have written to the Transport Minister outlining their concerns about the lack of a tug capable of an open water rescue. They are to meet Associate Transport Minister Kiri Allen next week. The join Kathryn, along with Wellington Harbourmaster Grant Nalder.

09:30 Wandering wallabies: Pest species moves closer to a national park

There are major efforts underway to keep a bunch of Australian invaders from stepping foot - or paw - in one of our national parks. Wallabies were introduced to New Zealand in the late 1800 for hunting and private zoos that adapted well and took off in great numbers. They're considered a pest because they can destroy productive farmland and native forests...and although mostly found in South Canterbury, they've been creeping closer to Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. Joining Kathryn to talk about the ongoing work to contain them under the National Wallaby Eradication Programme, is Sophia White, Biosecurity NZ's team manager of pest management programmes. And to talk about what's happening in that crucial South Canterbury area, Brent Glentworth - biosecurity team leader Environment Canterbury. If you want to report a wallaby sighting, you can do so here.

09:45 USA correspondent Ximena Bustillo 
 

Ximena has the latest on debt negotiations between the White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as the US gets closer to a possible default. GOP Presidential candidates Ron DeSantis and Tim Scott are due to announce their Presidential run. And the United States plans to blacklist about 70 companies and organisations for selling restricted U.S. products to Russia, part of a push by G-7 nations to try to exact more economic pain on Russia for its war on Ukraine.
 

Ximena Bustillo is an NPR politics reporter based in Washington

10:05  From Fonterra executive to plant based protein business

Maury Leyland Penno and her husband John Penno were previously high flyers in New Zealand's lucrative dairy industry. Now the former Fonterra executive and founder of dairy company Synlait Milk are betting big on a plant-based protein.  They are on a mission to create a new food system for Aotearoa, using technology that taps into one of the world's most abundant and sustainable food sources: protein from green leaves. Kathryn talks to Maury about the business Leaft, the motivation behind the plant based push and why she wants to change the industry she grew up in. She will be speaking at the E Tipu IFAMA World Conference in Christchurch next month.

10:35 Book review: Sparrow by James Hyne

Lisa Finucane reviews Sparrow by James Hyne, published by Macmillan\

10:45 Around the motu: Robin Martin in New Plymouth

The developers of a proposed offshore windfarm in the South Taranaki Bight say it will create hundreds of jobs and require the building of a new port at Patea. A protest in Stratford against rising rates, has seen the rotting corpse of a goat dumped at the Council’s front door, distressing staff, meanwhile a recent armed robbery has left a New Plymouth diary owing fearing for his life. And a Taranaki business is the first in the Southern Hemisphere to make an Icelandic superfood to a unique recipe said to have fuelled the Vikings on their travels more than 1000 years ago. Skyr is a fresh sour milk cheese, similar to curd cheese, consumed like yoghurt.

RNZ's Taranaki reporter, Robin Martin

11:05 Business commentator Victoria Young

Two major regulators of companies - the Commerce Commission and the FMA have had their budgets trimmed, Victoria talks to Kathryn about whether class actions have changed this. Also, tech investment as per tech investment report from TIN 100, 2022 was good but basically investment is falling behind, venture cap funding is drying up.  What does this mean for tech firms in NZ?. And economists are predicting Wednesday's monetary policy statement will see rates hiked again, as last week's budget has added inflation pressures.

BusinessDesk investigations editor, Victoria Young

11.30 The Giants House: horticulture meets art on a gigantic scale in Akaroa

Gigantic colourful sculptures tower in an artist's landscaped garden wonderland on Banks Peninsula.  Built in 1881, a grand historic house in Akaroa welcomes visitors to wander its colourful terraces over-looking the harbour.  It's home for the past couple of decades to artist and horticulturalist Josie Martin, who started this quirky project when she settled down after thirty art residencies all over the world. She first started mosaics here when she discovered a treasure trove of old china dumped in the grounds of her house, from before the days of rubbish collections.  Today it's a Garden of International Significance.  And, she tells Kathryn, it's in an on-going labour of love, bringing together her two loves, horticulture and art.  She calls it The Giants House.  Some of her sculptures are 5 metres tall.

11:45 Sports-chat with Glen Larmer

Aaron Mauger resigns as the coach of Moana Pasifika, Glen explains the significance and likely impact. The State of Origin's first game is next week, how are things shaping up. Also, Glen talks abou the new star of world football, Erling Harland and his impact on the Premier League and in golf, Michael Block has been a stand out player at the PGA Championship.

Music played in this show

Track: Kraftwerk
Artist: Autobahn
Time Played: 10:36

Track: Here Comes the Sun
Artist: The Beatles
Time Played: 10:38

Track: Can't Buy Me Love
Artist: Ella Fitzgerald
Time Played: 10: 41 

Track: Watch Fire
Artist: Laura Veirs
Time Played 11:29