Nine To Noon for Thursday 21 September 2023

 

 

09:05  Queenstown locals frustrated over water situation

Queenstown locals are reeling over the possibility of a prolonged boil water notice.  The notice was put in place after people started getting sick with cryptosporidium infections,  and the national water authority, Taumata Arowai served the council with a compliance notice.  This is because the Two Mile water treatment plant does not have a protozoa barrier, which prevents parasites entering the supply. Queenstown's mayor Glyn Lewers has said it could be months before the equipment is in place. There are currently 17 known cases of cryptosporidium in the resort town. Queenstown business owner Fleur Caulton, who has two restaurants in the resort town, talks with Kathryn.

09:20 Phone + power + Netflix: are “bundled” plans good for customers?

The Commerce Commission has just announced draft guidelines around the marketing of bundled plans. This is where one retailer provides multiple services to a household, such as internet, gas, your mobile phone plan, and even Netflix, all packaged together in a single contract.   Will the proposed guidelines address `confusion as a marketing tool?' Tristan Gilbertson, is the Commerce Commission's telecommunications commissioner.

09:30 From the paddock to ocean calm for stressed out farmers and growers

Five years ago, Stephen Thomson saw his rural community struggling with stress, pressure, the daily grind and never ending to-do lists. He's a keen surfer, so founded the non-profit Surfing for Farmers, as a way for country people to get away from the pressures of life on the land, and into the ocean for an opportunity to de-stress and connect with others. SFF is a 13 week surfing course where all you have to do is turn up. Everything else: equipment, lessons and a barbeque are free of charge. Since the beginning five years ago, 4000 farmers and growers across 27 locations have taken part. Surfing for Farmers has won awards, and is a finalist in this year's Beef and Lamb Awards, FMG Rural Champion Category. Surfing for Farmers founder and chair, Stephen Thomson talks with Kathryn Ryan

09:45 UK: PM rolls back petrol car ban, King Charles in France, Russell Brand canned

UK correspondent Matt Dathan joins Kathryn to talk about Prime Minister Rishi Sunak rolling-back the government's measures to reduce carbon emissions, including pushing back the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035. King Charles and Queen Camilla are in France for a three-day state visit that was postponed in March due to protests. Investigations are continuing at various media organisations after serious sexual allegations were levelled at Russell Brand. 

Matt Dathan is Home Affairs Editor at The Times

10:05 Kiwi lawyer to head global wine body

Auckland lawyer Dr John Barker is about to move to France to head the global wine body which sets rules for the industry around the world. He's been appointed the director-general-designate of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine. The organisation represents 87 per cent of global wine producers and 71 per cent of wine consumed globally. Dr Barker specialises in the law around the wine sector, and spent a decade as General Counsel and General Manager Advocacy and Trade for New Zealand Winegrowers. Wine production is New Zealand's fifth largest export sector, with exports in the 12 months to May worth $2.4 billion. Dr John Barker talks with Kathryn ahead of his departure for the new role in France.

10:35 Book review: Tramping in Aotearoa: New Zealand's Top 45 Tracks by Shaun Barnett 

Elisabeth Easther reviews Tramping in Aotearoa: New Zealand's Top 45 Tracks by Shaun Barnett published by Potton & Burton 

10:45 Around the motu: Libby Kirkby-McLeod in Waikato

Questions continue to be raised about Waka Kotahi’s approach to safety issues, after RNZ reported that despite being aware other passenger trains were running red lights, the agency only sanctioned the Auckland to Hamilton service, Te Huia. Six of those eight safety incidents happened in Wellington. Also, Libby discusses Kmart becoming the first business to open a distribution centre at New Zealand's biggest inland port, the Ruakura Superhub.

10:55 Latest GDP figures: economy not a technical recession

The economy lifted out of recession in the three months ended June, with New Zealand’s gross domestic product rising 0.9 percent. The annual growth rate slowed to 1.8 percent from 2.2 percent.

RNZ Business Editor Gyles Beckford joins Kathryn to talk about the latest figures from Stats NZ.

11:05 Media briefed on Cryptosporidium outbreak 

The number of cases of cryptosporidium in Queenstown is now 18 and the district council has told media it is rushing to get a UV filter for one of its 2 mile water treatment plant.

But the mayor Glyn Lewers does not expect to have an action plan for that before the end of next week meaning a prolonged boil water notice for residents and businesses.

Crux managing editor Peter Newport was at the press conference. He joins Kathryn. 

In an earlier version of this interview, there was reference made to Wānaka. To be absolutely clear there is no boiled water notice applying to Wānaka. The Queenstown Lakes District Council has a list of all suburbs under the boil water notice here. 

11:15 Tech: Las Vegas casinos hit by cyber attack, new bank scam doing the rounds

Technology correspondent Tony Grasso joins Kathryn to talk about the huge ransomware attack that's affected casinos in Las Vegas. MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment have both fallen victim to hacking groups known as ALPHV and Scattered Spider since August. So how did they get in, and did Caesars make the right move in paying a ransom? Tony also talks about social media slander and the latest bank scam hooking in victims.

Tony Grasso is Principal Consultant at cybersecurity firm TitaniumDefence. He worked at GCHQ in the UK and is a former Intelligence Officer in New Zealand.

11:25 Parenting: Teaching Te Reo Māori in schools

Mohamed Alansari, senior researcher for the New Zealand Council for Educational Research joins Kathryn to talk about how to improve outcomes for growing Te Reo Māori in schools. Which schools are doing it well - and what practices could other schools learn from them? He highlights research from a new report.

11:45 Screentime: Telemarketers, Kairākau s3, 2nd Chance

Film and TV reviewer Tamar Munch joins Kathryn to talk about Telemarketers (Neon), a docu-series which sees mates and former telemarketing employees Pat Pespas and Sam Lipman-Stern, take a sobering look at the ugly side of American capitalism and the abuse of customer trust. She'll also talk about season three of Kairākau (Whakaata Māori) and 2nd Chance (DocPlay), which looks at the incredible antics of Richard Davis, inventor of the modern-day bulletproof vest, who shot himself at least 192 times to prove his product worked.