Nine To Noon for Thursday 17 October 2024

09:05 Stoush between Southland farmers and anglers over farm discharges

A stoush between Southland Farmers and Fish & Game has ramped up after a legal ruling over farm discharge. Environment Southland - the regional council - wanted to put a rule in its land and water plan that would allow for some discharge on farms, but that was overruled in the High Court and Court of Appeal, which found it did not comply with the Resource Management Act. The regional council says the decision likely means nearly all Southland farmers would need to apply for resource consent to keep farming lawfully.  Environment Minister Penny Simmonds has called the situation unworkable, and the issue will be addressed in RMA reform, which the Government expects to have passed into legislation before the next election in 2026. Fish & Game Southland, along with Forest and Bird, were the parties that challenged the council's rules in the courts. That has irked the Southland branch of Federated Farmers, which is now telling members to remove anglers' access through farms to waterways. Fish & Game chief executive Corina Jordan and Federated Farmers Southland president Jason Herrick speak to Kathryn about the situation.

09:20 Calls for Government intervention as pilot shortage looms 

New aviation workforce research suggests 100 more  pilots are needed each year than are currently being trained, and without government intervention the sector faces a massive shortfall. The data from the Aviation Industry Association and the Ringa Hora Services Workforce Development Council  focused specifically on the pilot and engineering workforce. It found demand for domestic pilots is increasing by about 2 to 3 per cent per year, and this can't be met under the current training system. The demand for pilots is being felt globally  because many who lost their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic haven't gone back. The shortfall of pilots in North America alone is estimated at 17,000 currently - and expected to remain significant over the next decade. Domestic pilot shortages could be exacerbated as the local workforce competes with that international demand. The Aviation Industry Association wants the government to make policy changes in order to make it easier for student to train. Simon Wallace is the chief executive of the Association and says this research is the hard evidence governments have been asking for. He speaks with Kathryn Ryan.

09:30 Red Cross urges wardrobe spring clean this Saturday

Red Cross is preparing for a influx of used clothing this weekend, with free pick up available in three cities on Saturday only. The charity is holding a clothing drive, with Uber customers in Auckland Christchurch and Wellington able to get their donations picked up from their doorstep with no charge. Last year 56,000 kilograms of clothing was donated through the drive. Talei Kitchingman, Director of Retail at Red Cross, says second hand clothes sales help fund humanitarian work, and make op-shoppers happy, plus, who doesn't love a spring clean?

09:45 UK: Assisted dying bill, Taylor Swift escort row, tax hike softening

UK correspondent Matthew Parris joins Kathryn to talk about the introduction to Parliament today of a bill on assisted dying, the continuing row over the use of a police escort for Taylor Swift's London concerts and which Cabinet members failed to declare free tickets and is the Chancellor trying to soften Britons up for tax increase ahead of her first Budget in two weeks? Matthew also looks at how the discovery of a sock on Everest belonging to Andrew Irvine has renewed interest in who may have reached the summit first. 

10:05 Anna Coddington on Silver Scroll stardom

Anna Coddington won big at last week's Silver Scroll awards, but she's been a big name in the industry for more than a decade. She started playing music at the age of 11 in her hometown of Raglan and hasn't stopped since. She's traversed instruments and genres with five albums under her belt, and is known for her lively performances on stages across Aotearoa. Her Silver Scroll win was for the song 'Kātuarehe,' off her most recent album, Te Whakamiha. The funk-inspired, bilingual work is an ode both to her long-term band and her journey learning Te Reo Māori. She joins Kathryn to discuss her colourful career so far.

10:35 Book review: My Father's Suitcase by Mary Garden 

Lissa Michell reviews My Father's Suitcase by Mary Garden published by Justitia Books

10:45 Around the motu: Ellen Curnow in Westport

Westport now has the most expensive power in New Zealand. And the latest figures from MBIE show its still going up. Ellen discusses the impact on locals. Also a petition demanding reliable and equitable health services for rural people, which started in Buller last month is now making its way around New Zealand collecting thousands of signatures. And a civil case taken by a local man against mayor Jamie Cleine has just wrapped up in the Westport District Court .

Ellen Curnow is a Westport News reporter 

11:05 Tech: Elon Musk's AI party, consumer law and AI, Google looks to go nuclear

Tech correspondent Peter Griffin joins Kathryn to talk about Elon Musk's big event last week where he revealed plans for a CyberCab - but failed to impress the market. Australia has kicked off consultation on whether its consumer protection laws are fit to deal with the AI revolution - how does New Zealand's shape up. And Google has joined Microsoft in seeking a deal to buy energy from a fleet of mini nuclear reactors to generate the power needed for the rise of AI.

Peter Griffin is a Wellington-based science and technology journalist

11:25 Parenting: fostering creativity in children

We're looking at what creativity is, why it is important and also how it is not just a preserve of the arts. Kathryn's guest is Mark Osborne - he set up Leading Learning which covers a range of educational services including leadership development and mentoring, curriculum development and creating innovative learning environments. Dr Osborne has worked with schools internationally and a particular focus is on helping teachers to encourage children to set their own goals.

11:45 Screentime: Nobody Wants This, A Mistake, Disclaimer

Film and TV reviewer Perlina Lau joins Kathryn to talk about new rom-com Nobody Wants This (Netflix), which is centred on an unlikely relationship between a podcaster and a rabbi. A Mistake is a new Kiwi film starring Elizabeth Banks as a surgeon involved in a fatal medical decision. And Disclaimer is a new psychological thrillier from Alfonso Cuaron starring Cate Blanchett.

Perlina Lau is co-host of RNZ's Culture 101 programme