Nine To Noon for Wednesday 24 January 2024

 

09:05 Australia to ban engineered stone due to silicosis risk for workers: should NZ follow suit?

Australia will become the first country to ban engineered stone benchtops this year, and there are calls for New Zealand to follow suit. Potentially fatal lung disease silicosis is a risk for tradies who work with the artificial stone - commonly used for kitchen and bathroom benchtops - if they breathe in the silica dust as they cut it. As of November last year, WorkSafe visited 60 of the 132 businesses who use the product here, issuing notices to 31 of them for not fully complying with protective measures. Across the Tasman, there will be a complete ban of the product from July. Melbourne-based respiratory physician Dr Ryan Hoy led a Monash University study which found one in four workers in Victoria, who worked with engineered stone, had developed silicosis. Dr Ryan Hoy from the Australasian Thoracic Society, and University of Auckland Professor and director of the Auckland Bioengineering Institute Merryn Tawhai, speak with Kathryn Ryan.

09:25 Wellington's water woes: What's the long-term solution?

The capital's into its second week of water restrictions, as the threats of even tougher cutbacks loom. The capital's water system is run by Wellington Water, which says use across the city is at an all-time high thanks to leaks and high demand. The shortages had been well signalled, with warnings last year from the Greater Wellington Regional Council that resource consent limits would likely be exceeded and surcharges may be needed for future breaches. Kathryn speaks to Wellington Water CEO Tonia Haskell about the situation today and how the leaks are being found and fixed. She'll also talk to Greater Wellington Regional Council Chair Daran Ponter about longer-term plans to handle future dry years.

09:45 Australia: 'Golden visa' scrapped, former PM calls it quits

Australia correspondent Chris Niesche joins Kathryn to talk about the Australian government's decision to put an end to the so-called 'Golden visa' that enabled wealthy migrants to live in the country. Critics of the scheme believed it was open to abuse, while the government said it was "delivering poor economic outcomes". Meanwhile the scope of an inquiry into how the justice system handles sexual violence has been announced and former Prime Minister Scott Morrison calls it quits.

10:05 Chris Kraus' life brought to the stage by Eleanor Bishop and Karin McCracken 

It wasn't until New Zealand playwright Eleanor Bishop was on the New York Broadway scene that she heard about Chris Kraus. Kraus - born in New York - grew up in New Zealand, studied at Victoria University and worked as a journalist at The Evening Post. But she found prominence in New York with her art and cultural commentary books I Love Dick and Aliens & Anorexia. It's the latter book - an autobiographical fiction of her life - which has just been converted to stage production by Eleanor and fellow playwright and friend Karin McCracken. The play is called Gravity & Grace - named after a film Kraus herself made in New Zealand in the 90s. Kraus refers to it as an epic failure. Karin plays Kraus in the play and Eleanor is the director. The duo won the Bruce Mason Playwriting Award in 2022 - the first time in its 40-year history it was given to a partnership. They have created several shows together and cover topics like healthy relationships, consent, erotic fiction, scientific research and the language of old Hollywood. Gravity & Grace will be on in Wellington at the beginning of March as part of the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts and in Auckland later the same month at the Auckland Arts Festival.

10:35 Book review: Three of the best from 2023 - Prophet Song by Paul Lynch, Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate Dicamillo, and Tsunami by Ned Wenlock

Stella Chrysostomou of Volume Books reviews three of her favourite books from last year: Prophet Song by Paul Lynch, published by Oneworld Publications; Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate Dicamillo, published by Walker Books; and Tsunami by Ned Wenlock published by Earth's End Publishing 

10:45 Around the motu: Alisha Evans in Tauranga

Tauranga City Council is delaying the adoption of its Local Alcohol Policy that would have forced  bars to close at 2am, tighter controls are being imposed around Mt Maunganui's industrial area, National Park Village’s potential name change is upsetting a Tauranga business and a dog attack has left a beloved border collie with horrific injuries. 

Western Bay of Plenty Local Democracy reporter Alisha Evans based in Tauranga with SunLive 

11:10 Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau on managing city's water shortages

Two of the Wellington region's mayors are expecting to meet with the local government minister Simeon Brown over how to cope with the water crisis, which may see even tougher restrictions imposed on residents by summer's end. The minister has said he has "serious concerns" about Wellington and Upper Hutt councils' ability to manage the situation of shortages and leaks. Both mayors have said there was confusion around the extra information required by the minister. To explain further, Wellington's mayor Tory Whanau joins Kathryn.

11:15 Music with Charlotte Ryan

Music 101 host Charlotte Ryan celebrates the music of Calexico ahead of their NZ shows and introduces us to Louis Cato.

11:30 The Timaru delicacy now on Australasian Costco shelves

 After a quarter of a decade making custard squares which are sought after around the country the owners of the Denheath  bakery are moving on. Since Lisa and Donald Templeton took over the family enterprise based in Timaru they've grown the business. It's been a lot of hard work and Lisa credits her husband Donald with having innovative ideas that have propelled the growth. Their range of custard squares are stocked in some supermarkets and also exported.

 

11:45 Science: No-needles diabetes meds, carbon cost of bottom trawling

Science communicator Allan Blackman joins Kathryn to talk about how diabetes patients may soon have a new treatment option that doesn't include needles or insulin pumps. A new study has found bottom trawling could be a massive contributor to carbon emissions. And 2024 is a leap year - why do we have those again?