Nine To Noon

09:05 New year, new curriculum for primary school maths and English 

The first primary schools days for 2026 start for some from today, and with the return to the classroom comes an updated, new maths and English curriculum. Changes to how the two core topics are taught were first introduced in 2024. But in October last year, updates described by teachers as "significant" were announced. The Ministry of Education website says primary schools are required to use the updated English and mathematics curriculum content. But are schools ready? Kathryn speaks to Lucy Naylor, President of the Auckland Primary Principals Association and the head of Milford Primary School on the North Shore and Pauline Cleaver, the Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Education's Curriculum Centre.

09:25 Are tax incentives working as a way to support commercial Research and Development?

The first report into the government's tax incentives for commercial research and development estimates an impact on New Zealand’s GDP of nearly $7bn.The incentives were brought in five years ago to encourage business innovation by offering a 15% tax credit on eligible R&D and it replaced an earlier grants scheme. The inquiry into the scheme's effectiveness was carried out by the public policy research entity, Motu. It found that for every $1 of government spending, firms invested $1.40 in additional R&D. Kathryn is joined by the report's lead author, Tadhg Ryan-Charleton. 

09:35 Reefton Powerhouse back on

The country's first power station is generating again for the first time in 80 years. The Reefton Powerhouse was built in 1888 and was believed to have been the first public supply of electricity in the Southern Hemisphere back then. It closed down in 1946, but in 2013 a community trust was started with the hope of turning the small river-run hydro station on again. It is plugged into the national grid and expected to earn about $200,000 a year, which will go back into community projects. Reefton Powerhouse Community Trust member Dave Hawes talks to Kathryn about what it took to get the station generating again. 

09:45 Europe correspondent Seamus Kearney

Unprecedented EU pushbacks force Trump into retreat, Russia cuts heating across Ukraine despite peace talks, Spotlight on state of Spanish railways after string of crashes, and Italy voices anger after New Year's bar fire owner freed on bail.

10:05 Natasha Brown on working in finance and writing her thriller, Universality

A lockdown rave. Someone bludgeoned - almost to death - with a gold bar. A newspaper article that tells the outlandish story. But is it the truth? And is that what anyone wants anymore? Natasha Brown's latest novel Universality has been described as a "nesting doll of satire that leaves readers uncertain where their loyalties lie." It made the latest Booker Prize longlist - a successful follow up to Natasha's debut novel Assembly - which also netted her a number of honours. Natasha's path to authorship was a little atypical - she read mathematics at Cambridge University and spend a decade working in finance. Natasha will be appearing at the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts in March. She talks to Kathryn about what sparked her to write Universality. 

10:30 RNZ reporter Lauren Crimp with the latest from Mount Maunganui

Police have confirmed the recovery operation at Mount Maunganui has resumed this morning, after specialist monitoring equipment was brought in overnight. The search area was evacuated at 11.50am yesterday, after a contractor driver noticed potential instability on the face of the slip and experts deemed it too hazardous for teams to continue working.

10:35 Book review: Three of the best from 2025

Louise Ward of Wardini Books reviews three of her favourite books from last year: 1985 by Dominic Hoey, published by Penguin, Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino, published by Penguin, and Wonderland by Tracy Farr, published by The Cuba Press.

10:45 Around the motu: Simon Wilson in Auckland

Simon reflects on the third anniversay of the fatal Auckland Anniversary Weekend storms of 2023, and their link to the Mount Maunganui tragedy. He also discusses the Papatoetoe local board by-election, and the The Prime Minister’s “captain’s call” to reset housing density plans.

11:05 Political commentators Gareth Hughes and Ben Thomas 

Gareth Hughes is the Director of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa is a former Green MP and is no longer a member of any political party.

Ben Thomas is a former National government press secretary, a columnist and a director of public affairs firm Capital.

11:30  Dried pasta made in South Wairarapa

Making the most of the locally grown wheat was the driving force behind creating what could be the only dried pasta making company in New Zealand. Based in South Wairarapa, Monty and Sons, founded by Monty Petrie and his wife Jessica,  uses duram wheat grown by the Wairarapa Grains Collective.They make four different shapes of pasta using a low heat process to extrude the product to preserve nutrients, before  it's slow dried over  12 to 18 hours. Monty talks to Kathryn about his desire to make the most of local products.

11:45 Off the beaten track with Kennedy Warne

Kennedy has been to visit the site of the final battle of Ruapekapeka, he'll talk about the New Year's Day sand sculputures at Matapouri, and he's reflecting on the joy of kingfishers.