Nine To Noon for Tuesday 23 July 2024

 

09:05 Could shared equity purchases be the solution for those struggling to buy a home?

A major bank has this morning announced a target of at least $1 billion in lending to affordable housing solutions over the next three years. Westpac commissioned Deloitte for a report into home ownwership in New Zealand and ways to arrest the decline of the past three decades. Westpac says it is targeting lending to community housing providers assisting people into home ownership. Its report says shared equity, rent-to-own and leasehold properties could get tens of thousands of lower to middle income households into ownership. But a lack of awareness of the options, and capital has been holding those pathways back. The Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust has put some 200 households into leasehold homes - at about half the cost of market rates. The trust's chief executive Julie Scott talks to Kathryn about the model. Westpac chief executive Catherine McGrath talks about the bank's ambitions with affordable housing.   

09:25 One man now in charge of public health system

One man is now in charge of reforming the public health system and finding $1.5 billion in savings. Health Minister Shane Reti yesterday appointed Professor Lester Levy as Commissioner - saying he was sacking the Health New Zealand board, over a blow out in middle management and an overspend of $130 million a month. Only Dr Levy and one other director remained on the board as of yesterday after a string of resignations.  Shane Reti says Dr Levy has assured him there will be no adverse impacts on the delivery of care, and frontline clinicians will be brought closer to decision-making. Kathryn speaks with health commentator,  Ian Powell.

09:35 Major independent retailer shuts door on new customers

New Zealand's biggest independent electricity retailer says it's no longer taking on customers because of wholesale energy prices. Electric Kiwi says wholesale energy prices are up 50 percent on six months ago and high futures prices - what it buys to protect against the volatile spot prices - mean every new customer the retailer takes on would be loss-making for the business. Chief executive Luke Blincoe says it's a market failure being overseen by the Electricity Authority and the Commerce Commission. He says smaller independent retailers like his are being squeezed while the big four generator-retailers - namely Mercury, Meridian Energy, Genesis Energy and Contact Energy - have the advantage of being able to insulate themselves from high spot pricing with their own generation. Electric Kiwi is New Zealand's biggest independent retailer - with more than 67,000 customers.

09:45 US: Kamala Harris is presumptive nominee - but it's not certain yet

US correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben joins Kathryn to talk about the growing support for Kamala Harris to take the top of the Democrat ticket. But there's still key Democrats who are yet to publicly back her - so who else could be in the running. What's the Republican reaction been to yesterday's announcement by Joe Biden and what are some of Harris' strengths - as well as her weaknesses?

Danielle Kurtzleben is a political correspondent assigned to NPR's Washington Desk.

10:05 Dominic Gordon on a lifetime of risk

Dominic Gordon grew up in the inner west of Melbourne, a lower middle class boy from a stable family. But from age 10 when he began smoking, he found opportunities for risk taking every day. Shoplifting, vandalism, graffiti-ing trains, getting into fights, stealing money and substance abuse. He was expelled from numerous schools and appeared in the youth court frequently.  His debut memoir Excitable Boy is an unsettling, un-sugarcoated collection of essays, an account of a life of risk taking, as he looks back and tries to understand for himself what was happening.

10:35 Book review: In the Half Light of a Dying Day by CK Stead

Claudia Herz Jardine of Scorpio Books reviews In the Half Light of a Dying Day by CK Stead published by Auckland University Press.

10:45 Around the motu: Che Baker in Invercargill

Southland region correspondent Che Baker joins Kathryn to look at Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark's return to work after a month off following his 'brain fade' with some comments he made at a prize-giving dinner. A new application to establish a mātaitai reserve around the Ruapuke island group is now under way and Southland has a newfound status as the strongest-growing region in the country.

Che Baker is the editor of the Southland Times.

11:05 Business: The Warehouse faces takeover bid, Zuckerberg's sunglasses play

Business commentator Rebecca Stevenson talks about how The Warehouse's founder Stephen Tindall has joined forces with Sydney private equity firm Adamantem Capital seeking a takeover bid. What's behind the move - and why did The Warehouse issue a don't sell notice to the stock exchange? Facebook owner Meta has explored a multibillion-euro investment in eyewear group EssilorLuxottica, as the social media platform intensifies its push to develop smart glasses. And John Deere has appointed its first chief tractor officer - but it might not involve the kind of work you'd expect.

Rebecca Stevenson is a senior journalist at BusinessDesk

11:30 The no-fuss guide to creating a haven in your garden

If you've always wanted to start a garden, but were unsure of where to start, Philip Thomsen can help. He's written a guide called The Practical Kiwi Gardener. It's full of advice on where to start - including knowing your soil, factor in location and go about design. He says as sections get smaller, and people have less space to deal with vertical gardens can be a great idea. Philip joins Kathryn to talk about the best tips for getting your garden in the ground.

11:45 Sports: All Blacks Fiji test takeaways, Ardie Savea to Moana Pasifika

Sports correspondent Marc Hinton joins Kathryn to talk about the All Blacks win over Fiji in the US, what does it tell us about the first three tests under Scott Robertson's tenure? Ardie Savea is off to Moana Pasifika - can he save the struggling franchise? And ahead of the Paris Olympics, who are New Zealand's hottest medal contenders?

Marc Hinton is a senior sports writer for Stuff.