Nine To Noon for Friday 4 April 2025

 

09:05 Auckland University law/business merger in doubt

The battle over a controversial proposal to fold Auckland University's 140-year-old law school in with its business faculty has taken another turn - with the University canning a deciding vote on Monday.  The merger of the schools was proposed in November last year, and met with widespread criticism from alumni, staff and the wider legal sector. The university now says it is ‘taking more time to consider all options for the proposed new faculty arrangements for Business and Economics, Law'.  Kathryn speaks with Raynor Asher KC, former Court of Appeal judge and alumnus of the Law School . Also Will Dalzell, who is in his final year of law at Auckland University – and former president of the Law Students' Society.

09:20 Health and Safety announcements fail to address the big issues: sector leaders

Health and safety experts say government announcements this week have fixed 'non issues' and fail to address what most needs to be done in the area. Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden made four separate announcements this week - covering safety compliance for some businesses, governance liability, private land access and the development of codes of practices. But the Institute of Safety Management - which is the largest professional association for health and safety practitioners - say the clarifications change nothing in practice, and are a distraction from what really needs to be done. Institute board chair Mike Cosman joins Kathryn.

09:30 Online freight moving business hopes to fill empty lorries

An online freight moving service is hoping it can fill up lorries that at the moment are making trips empty or only partly filled. Industry estimates are that 9 out of 20  heavy transport vehicles on the road are running empty. A website based out of Wanaka, GoBackLoad, hopes to help fill up some of that spare capacity by giving people the opportunity to list their load for free while approved carriers can  bid for the work. Kathryn speaks to the owner of GoBackLoad, Jim Turner.

09:45 Asia correspondent Ed White

Ed White brings the latest on the devastating earthquake in Myanmar, and the response. Plus reaction across Asia to the new US tariffs, and South Korea is just hours away from learning of the fate of its leader with the constitutional court set to decide on president Yoon's impeachment.

Ed is a correspondent with the Financial Times based in Shanghai

10:05 Kirsty McGregor: 5 years of Shepherdess

Australian Kristy McGregor met her kiwi diary farmer husband in the Aussie outback, then moved to Horowhenua when he took over running the family farm. Even though Kristy had spent two years on a remote farm in Western Queensland - 220 km from the nearest town of 30 people - she was unprepared for the lonliness and isolation she felt here. She knew from talking to others, that many rural women experience similar feelings, so from her kitchen table, five years ago, she launched Shepherdess magazine. Five years on - it's thriving - and has spawned a TV series and a three day festival.

10:30 Auckland weather update

Heavy rain has lashed Auckland and Northland this morning- with ferries cancelled and early reports of power cuts. It follows a night of heavy rain that pushed in from Northland - that region has seen more than 100mm of rain in some areas overnight with more coming in this morning. All Gulf Harbour ferries have been cancelled, with replacement buses running and power cuts have been reported around Auckland. The top of the South Island and the West Coast also had heavy rainfall overnight. RNZ Auckland reporter Victor Waters is with us now.

10:35 Book review: A Training School for Elephants by Sophy Roberts

Lisa Adler from Unity Books Wellington reviews A Training School for Elephants by Sophy Roberts published by Doubleday.

10:45 Around the motu: Samantha Gee in Nelson

Nelson and Tasman are in the firing line for an atmospheric river, this weather is coming on the back of a drought, the new ferries plan "just needs to be done" according to Picton residents and a consultation has been planned for controversial speed limit reversals in Tasman.

Samantha Gee is RNZ's Nelson reporter.

10:50 Palmerston North reclassifies roads to avoid speed limit lifts

The Palmerston North City Council has come up with a creative solution that avoids lifting speed limits on some of its local roads. A new Land Transport Rule came into effect in October last year, requiring local councils to reverse certain speed limits reductions to their previous speed limits. But instead of reversing lowered speed limits the council reclassified the roads. The city's mayor Grant Smith describes the move as not 'anti - government' just 'common sense'. 

11:05 New music with Grant Smithies

London band The Tubs find a sweet spot between wistful sad-boy lyrics and glorious guitar jangle on their second album Cotton Crown. We'll hear two tracks from that today, followed by new music from Dunedin's Jay Clarkson and a reissued gospel-funk classic from LA/ Detroit quartet Hodges, James, Smith and Crawford.

11:30 Sports commentator Sam Ackerman

Liam Lawson's set to finally get back on track after his formula one demotion, Auckland's stale stadium debates drag on and depleted Black Caps make the most of the IPL window - Sam Ackerman goes over the big sporting topics.

11:45 The week that was 

Comedians Donna Brookbanks and Irene Pink bring the laughs, including the top April Fools' Day pranks of 2025.