Nine To Noon for Wednesday 4 December 2024

 

09:05 Wellington Water: leaks, fixes and what to expect this summer

Wellington's Water says the risk of water restrictions this summer has diminished. But it still wants households and businesses to be careful.Wellington Water has been plagued by old crumbling pipes and thousands of leaks,  as well as a spreadsheet blunder earlier in the year which meant the agency had to go back to the six councils which own it asking for an extra  $37.5 million dollars. In a sobering briefing to a Greater Wellington Regional Counicil committee last week, its new chief executive Pat Dougherty warned councillors that even if the funding tap got turned on now, it would be 11 years until `we have a day as good as today.'' Kathryn speaks with Charles Barker, Director Regulatory Services for Wellington Water.

09:20 South Korean president declares martial law

Extraordinary events in South Korea where the President has declared martial law. Kathryn speaks with Jean Hong, Professor of Korean Politics at the Nam Center for Korean Studies based at the University of Michigan.

09:30 As hopes for global plastic treaty melt, what next?

Hopes of securing a landmark agreement on plastic pollution melted this week in South Korea. Nearly 200 nations had gathered to progress a global plastics treaty  - but there were issues on which some  countries - particularly top petro-chemical producers - became stuck. They included whether to cap production, how to manage chemicals of concern and the financing for developing nation to help with implementing any agreement. The talks are now parked, to resume at a later date. Plastic production, meanwhile, proceeds at speed - it's on track to triple by 2050. Sian Sutherland is the co-founder of A Plastic Planet and The Plastic Health Council. She says lobbying from the plastics industry - which is really just Big Oil - helped derail the talks - which will put the health of billions of people at risk.

09:45 Australia: Military offenders out, Bali 9 extradition, 'baggy green' bagged

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton looks at the independent inquiry being launched into sexual misconduct in the Defence Force which will see personnel convicted of sex crimes in criminal or military courts face automatic discharge. The final five members of the so-called Bali 9 group of drug smugglers are a step closer to being sent home to Australia after serving almost 20 years of their life sentences. And the baggy green cap worn by the late cricketing legend Sir Donald Bradman during the 1947-48 Test series against Inia has been sold at auction.

Karen Middleton is Political Editor of the Guardian Australia

10:05 Buddhist Sensei Richard Von Sturmer's new poetry collection exudes a curiosity for the everyday 

Richard Von Sturmer is an artist-activist, poet and playwright from the North Shore. A stalwart of New Zealand's creative scenes, Richard was involved with numerous punk bands during the 1980s, including The Plague and The Humanimals and Avant Garage. But he is perhaps best-known for writing the lyrics for Blam Blam Blam's There is No Depression in New Zealand - often cited as our unofficial national anthem. Richard is also a Zen Buddhist and spent time studying at the Rochester Zen Center in Upstate New York. Now, his new poetry collection, Slender Volumes, his tenth writing collection, explores what it means to be curious about our environment and everyday things. Whether he's describing seagulls standing on a handrail or insects drinking from a pan of water, the lovingly designed collection is rooted in Buddhist folklore, with his home stomping ground of Onehunga playing a central role throughout. Richard joins Kathryn to talk about his varied career. 

10:30 Short story winner: Girlhood 

This story captures the youthful joy of life and adds something to classical Greek perspectives on love. Here is Girlhood by Stella Weston told by Amy McClean. 

10:35 Book review: Don't Look Back, You'll Trip Over by Michael Caine 

Harry Ricketts reviews Don't Look Back, You'll Trip Over by Michael Caine published by Hachette

10:45 Around the motu: Tess Brunton in Dunedin

Tess discusses the latest events in Otago including an update on the bird flu, the extraordinary dissection of a rare spade-toothed whale, and the plight of the South Island robin.

Tess Brunton is a RNZ reporter in Dunedin covering Otago and Southland.

11:05 The FAB Soloists of 1974: Paul, George, Ringo, John

By the end of 1974, the long drawn out acrimonious death throes of the breakup of Beatles had finally abated and all four band members were firmly established in their subsequent solo careers. Remarkably, in December of that year - fifty years ago this month - each member of the Fab Four simultaneously had a song in the top 40 of the Billboard Singles chart. Today, Ian Chapman revisits those songs. 

Ian Chapman is Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Music at the University of Otago. 

11:20 Consumer: Concerns over FRT trial outcome, telco transparency tick

Consumer NZ boss Jon Duffy joins Kathryn to highlight his organisations concerns over the recently completed FRT trial in Foodstuffs stores. He'll also look at mobile phone companies getting a pass on intervention from the Commerce Commission regarding customer transparency. While efforts have been made to improve competition, Consumer NZ says there may still be work to do.

11:45 Science: DOC's big job on threatened species, chalk plant pollinator

Science commentator, biologist Dr Sophie Fern, looks at a new study into where more research is needed to support the work DOC does in threatened species recovery. What's pollinating the critically-threatened plants that live in our rare chalk eco-systems? And a study into the native inanga is helping to challenge a 'headwaters to the sea' approach to conservation.

 Dr Sophie Fern is a biologist specialising in conservation and natural history