Nine To Noon for Wednesday 31 July 2024

 

09:05 Children's Minister Karen Chhour: boot camps and Oranga Tamariki's future

The first of the government's military style academies began this week. Ten boys will start the 12-month pilot programme at Oranga Tamariki's Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice Residence. Critics say there is no evidence bootcamps work and in fact could cause more harm. The Children's Minister, ACT's Karen Chhour, joins Kathryn in studio to explain why she believe this time will be different, and to discuss the future of care for our most vulnerable, at risk children

09:25 First gold at the Olympics for NZ

The womens sevens team have won gold at the Olympics this morning. The Black Ferns had to come back from 12-7 down against Canada at half time to eventually win New Zealand's first medal at the games winning 19-12. Sports reporter Barry Guy was at the game and talks to Kathryn.

09:35 Cloud software sector and its economic potential

A new report finds the cloud software sector is taking on some of the country's biggest export earners in terms of value to the economy. Also known as Software as a Service - or SaaS - the report suggests it earned $3.6 billion dollars in revenue last year. This compares with $ 2.8b earned by the wine industry and $900m for the gaming industry. Some of the best known cloud software businesses in New Zealand include accounting firms, Xero and Hnry; online giving platform Pushpay and leading geoscience software business Sequeent. Seequent has an estimated revenue of more than $240m. It was sold to the global infrastructure engineering software company Bentley Systems, in 2021 for $1.4b. Kathryn speaks with Chief Executive of Seequent Graham Grant, who says New Zealand has the potential to become a global SaaS powerhouse; and author of the 2024 Insights from the Cloud report, Bruce Jarvis.

09:45 Australia: Rex goes under, Ministry reshuffled, Tasman 2+2 talks

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton joins Kathryn to talk about regional airline Rex going into voluntary administration after struggling to compete with Qantas and Virgin. The Prime Minister has rearranged his ministry to solve some political problems that had cropped up and the Australian and New Zealand finance ministers and climate change ministers are meeting for the annual 2+2 talks. Also - Karen gives an update on how Australia is faring at the Olympics.

Karen Middleton is political editor of the Guardian Australia

10:05 From Southland to working with Super Bowl champions

 Atipa Mabonga was born in Zimbabwe, raised in Southland, she's an accomplished track and field athlete, and is now the talent and culture manager for the reigning Superbowl champions. Her time with the Kansas City Chiefs coincides with their back to back Superbowl victories, last year and this year. She talks to Kathryn about how she went from high school in Winton, to university in Texas and then landed a coveted role with a global sporting brand.
 

10:35 Book review: Rimu: The Tree of Time An Amorangi and Millie Adventure by Lauren Keenan 

Joanna Ludbrook from Chicken and Frog Bookshop in Featherston reviews Rimu: The Tree of Time An Amorangi and Millie Adventure by Lauren Keenan published by Huia Publishers

10:45 Around the motu: Mike Tweed in Whanganui
 

The redeveloped Sarjeant Gallery is set to reopen in November. Mike says it has cost around $70 million, $17.3million coming from ratepayers. The Whanganui District Council has made the call to shut the Virginia Lake Rotokawau Aviary as part of its long term plan, but opposition is mounting. And police have been investigating a spate of duck thefts.

Mike Tweed is a Multimedia Journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle 
 

11:05 Music with Kirsten Zemke: Dance crazes II

Music correspondent Kirsten Zemke joins Kathryn to talk about what turns a tune into a dance craze. What are the links between pop music and club music and how do dance crazes spread?

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

11:20 Clash of the codes for the fourth season of Match Fit

Union and league are putting their differences aside in the latest season of a TV show which sees ex professional rugby players get back in the game. Match Fit is returning to TV Three for a fourth season - getting both codes together after previously focusing on one per season. The show is less of a sports show, and more of a men's health show, highlighting the power of friendship, opening up, and physical exercise in managing mental stress and distress. As the players get their fitness and skills back up to speed, mental and physical health are also discussed, providing an earnest look into the personal lives of some of the country's biggest sporting heroes. Ex All Black Piri Weepu, is back on the show for a third time, league player Clinton Toopi crossed the Tasman for his second season, and former All Black coach Sir Graham Henry is back for his third season of Match Fit. Kathryn speaks to the three of them.

11:45 Science: Why we blush, music + ageing, new sepsis test

Science correspondent Dr Jen Martin joins Kathryn to talk about three new studies. One looked at what happens in the brain when someone blushes - the study used an innovative means of getting participants to blush that involved Mariah Carey! Another study looked at whether our memory for music diminishes with age and a new test for sepsis could help save patients from dying with the condition and curb the use of antibiotic over-use.

Dr Jen Martin founded the science communication program at the University of Melbourne, runs the espressoscience.com blog and is also the author of 'Why Am I Like This?: The Science Behind Your Weirdest Thoughts and Habits'.