Nine To Noon for Wednesday 18 October 2023

 

09:05  Wellington bar owners angry over liquor licensing delays - Mayor responds

A group of Wellington bar owners say they face unreasonable delays for liquor licences,  and are unfairly blamed for antisocial behavior on Courtenay Place.  The group met with Wellington mayor Tory Whanau last week to express their concerns. They say getting liquor licences issued or renewed can take many months and blame this on the Wellington City Council, Police and Health authorities. Spokesperson for the group Jose Ubiaga owns three venues and says he's faced month long delays and expensive hearings, after opposition by police and Te Whatu Ora, as well as a slow response from Wellington City Council inspectors. Mr Ubiaga says he and fellow bar owners want to contribute to a safe and vibrant Courtney Place, but the precinct is anything but, right now. Meanwhile businesses and retailers are worried about the future for the central business district with foot traffic down and public sector cuts looming. Kathryn speaks with Jose Ubiaga and Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau.

09:30 How sunlight can protect against depression and anxiety

New research suggests disruption to our circadian rhythms can lead to depression, anxiety and psychosis. Sean Cain from the Monash School of Psychological Sciences specialises in the effects of light on moods and has analysed exposure to natural light and the correlation with psychiatric disorders and self-harm. Dr. Cain tries to spend much of his time outdoors and away from artificial light. You can read the research here. 

09:45 Australia: Voice vote - will anything follow it?

Australia correspondent Chris Niesche joins Kathryn to look at the failed Voice vote at the weekend. Where did the Yes and No campaigns differ? Why has opposition leader Peter Dutton retracted his promise to hold a second referendum on the issue? Is it likely anything will follow the failed Vote?

10:05 Guy Cotter on a life spent climbing and guiding in the world's biggest mountains

Guy Cotter is mountaineering royalty in New Zealand. He has climbed Mt Everest five times as well as multiple other peaks above 8000 metres - often guiding people who are a lot less experienced. Cotter took charge of the company Adventure Consultants after the tragic deaths of his friends and the company's founders Gary Ball and Rob Hall on expeditions in 1993 and 1996 respectively. Cotter started his guiding career after being approached by Ball in the early 90s. Adventure Consultants has now been in business for more than 30 years, despite a Covid-19 hiatus. Cotter has detailed his life in the mountains in a new book Everest Mountain Guide: The remarkable story of a Kiwi mountaineer.  He is also the son of Ed Cotter - who was a climbing companion of Sir Edmund Hillary's before the first conquest of Mt Everest. 

10:35 Book review: Ngā Kaihanga Uku Māori Clay Artists by Baye Riddell 

Paul Diamond reviews Ngā Kaihanga Uku Māori Clay Artists by Baye Riddell published by Te Papa Press

10:45 Around the motu: Susan Botting in Northland

Susan Botting is in Northland where Whangārei District Council is pushing back against a 2022 Government directive to fluoridate its council-supplied drinking water. The council has voted to hold off for now on awarding the main contract to make the job happen. And a 13,000-strong crowd has turned up to celebrate the Whangārei Maritime Festival. Those numbers make it one of Northland's biggest events.

11:05 Music with Kirsten Zemke: Songs from space

Music commentator Kirsten Zemke goes out of this world with some songs that are not only about space, but have been broadcast from there too.

Kirsten Zemke is an ethnomusicologist at the University of Auckland's School of Social Sciences.

11:20 Beekeeping: how to handle honey bee pests and diseases

For any hobby or professional beekeeper there are a plethora of known pests and diesases that affect honey bees, including Varroa. Fifty years ago there were few such pathogens, but today bees and bee products are shipped internationally on a large scale, which has enabled diseases to spread. Dr Robert Owen has been a beekeeper for 20 years and did his PhD on the Varroa bee mite. He has co-authored a book with two other scientists - Jean-Pierre Scheerlinck and Mark Stevenson called Honey Bee Pests and Diseases: A Complete Guide to Prevention and Management. He talks with Kathryn Ryan.

11:45 Science: Why we love fatty foods, AI reveals Herculaneum scroll

Science correspondent Siouxsie Wiles joins Kathryn to talk about a new study that's investigated why we love fatty foods so much and the role texture has to play. A computer science student has won a global contest for his work with AI that's allowed the first text inside a carbonised scroll from the ancient city of Herculaneum to be read. And staying with AI, could it be used to detect signs of Parkinson's disease 20 - 30 years before symptoms appear?

Associate Professor Dr Siouxsie Wiles is the head of Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland.