Nine To Noon for Monday 4 March 2024

09:05 Builders grapple with stubborn high levels of waste going to landfill

Despite efforts from governments, councils and others over decades to reduce construction waste - it remains a stubbornly high portion of what is sent to landfill - as much as half. A recent paper by Building Research Association of New Zealand found factors behind the building sector's waste issue included poor design of materials, lack of sorting on-site and a lack of recyclers. There are some pockets in the industry where there has been success at getting waste under control. One of those was Auckland Master Builders vice president Nigel Benton's build site at New Lynn where more than 90 percent of waste was diverted from landfill. Nigel talks to Kathryn about that project, and discusses why some of the responsibility of dealing with waste must go back to suppliers. BRANZ principal social scientist Casimir MacGregor also talks to Kathryn about what is needed to develop a more systemic approach to dealing with waste from construction.

09:25 Health campaigners seek meeting with Minister over school lunches

Health Coalition Aotearoa, a collective of health organisations, want a meeting with the Government over concerns a programme which provides free school lunches may be in jeopardy. Ka Ora Ka Ako was introduced by Labour in 2019 and provides free lunches to around 220,000 students. It doesn't have funding beyond this year, and the group is concerned the Minister who has responsibility for it has campaigned to abolish it in the past. Kathryn speaks with Boyd Swinburn, the Coalition's co-chair.

09:40 Ultra-runner Jon Nabbs on completing his 7500km Canada journey

On the final programme of 2023 Nine to Noon highlighted the marathon effort of Kiwi Jon Nabbs as he ran across Canada. He set off from St John's in Newfoundland on the country's east coast and has headed west ever since - running through six Canadian provinces on his quest to reach Victoria in British Columbia. With his trusty pram 'Shania' and wearing his trademark Superman suit, he's endured the incredibly tough Canadian winter, all to raise money and awareness of child cancer charities. He finished his run yesterday - so how did he celebrate?

09:45 Foreign correspondent Thomas Sparrow

Several European countries have rejected the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine after the French president said "nothing should be ruled out". Russia says it would make war with NATO inevitable. And a wave of violent violent crimes, including multiple shootings, have spread through several Brussels neighborhoods over the past months, raising concerns about safety in the EU capital.

10:05  Born to run: Annika Pfitzinger overcomes chronic fatigue to compete on world stage

It's been a remarkable comeback for cross country runner Annika Pfitzinger. Next month, the 31-year-old will compete as part of the New Zealand team at the World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. A huge feat considering where she was six years ago - confined to the couch, suffering from crippling headaches and inexplicable exhaustion. The mysterious illness was all the more confusing, given she had just secured a personal best over 10km - 34.33. Months of testing finally led to a diagnosis of chronic fatigue - recovery would be years away, if at all. The daughter of Olympic runners Christine (nee Hughes) and Peter Pfitzinger, Annika says working on her mental health and letting go of her running dreams, was key to her comeback. But the road to recovery is far from linear.

10:35 Book review: The Three Quicks - Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner and the Road to the World Test Championship by Trevor Auger 

Harry Ricketts reviews The Three Quicks - Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner and the Road to the World Test Championship by Trevor Auger published by Mary Egan Publishing

10:45 Around the motu: Simon Wilson in Auckland

The legacy of Fa'anānā Efeso Collins and what his passing and mourning reveal about what Auckland and the political arena has lost. Public submissions have just opened on the Auckland Council's Long Term Plan, which Simon says is based on Mayor Wayne Brown's big new dream: to sell the remaining shares in the airport, and a 35-year operating lease for the port, and use the proceeds to establish a Future Fund, which would operate like a mini-NZ Superannuation Fund.

Simon Wilson is a Senior Writer NZ Herald 

11:05 Politics: PM's allowance U-turn, what govt was told before Newshub collapse

Political commentators Gareth Hughes and Liam Hehir look at the U-turn by the Prime Minister over his accommodation allowance, the progress of the great legislative repeal, the housing minister's plan to "flood" our biggest cities with land for development and what the government was warned about the state of the media market before the collapse of Newshub.

Gareth Hughes is a former Green MP and now works for the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa.

Liam Hehir is a Palmerston North lawyer, political commentator and a National Party member.

11:30 Blue Rose Café: Auckland pies with a Māori and Pasifika twist

Tucked away on Auckland's Sandringham Road, is a vibrant blue café doing things a little bit differently. Blue Rose co-owners Lenny Stevens and Robbie Kainuku bring a Māori and Pasifika flair, respectively, to their menu items. Recently their Koko Samoa Cupcakes featured on Auckland's top 100 Iconic Eats but it's perhaps their pies which they're best known for. The pies are handmade, and packed with unique ingredients. Their 'palusami' pie has corned beef and taro leaves, a 'boil up' pie with bacon bones, watercress and potato, and a 'hangi pie' with pork belly, stuffing and kumara. About 3000 of them fly out of the cabinet each week, and that's before you factor in their catering orders.

11:45 Off the beaten track with Kennedy Warne

Kennedy Warne discusses the journey of trans-Pacific rower Tom Robinson, and Cole Brauer, who is days away from finishing one of the most demanding solo yachting events: the Global Solo Challenge. Kennedy also discusses a strange new art installation on Waiheke Island's Sculpture on the Gulf Exhibition.