Afternoons for Thursday 8 October 2015

1:13 First Song 

Decemberists - A Beginning Song 

1.15 Huntly East Coal Mine Closure - Waikato District Mayor Allan Sanson

Solid Energy is to close its underground coal mine at Huntly East, which employs 68 people. Company managers met workers at the mine this morning to give them the news. Solid Energy chief executive, Dan Clifford, said the mine had been struggling financially for some time and its loss-making position had become worse recently. The Waikato District Mayor, Allan Sanson, talks about how this will affect Huntly.

1.20 Huntly East Coal Mine Closure - Kim Baker Wilson

Radio New Zealand's reporter, Kim Baker Wilson, has been at the Huntly East Mine speaking with workers this morning.

1.25 State of Play Survey - Dr Scott Duncan

A new survey into how our kids play, shows that what's known as 'bubble wrapping' or 'wrapping your kids in cottonwool' can have major consequences for their development. The nationwide State of Play Survey, asked more than two thousand New Zealand parents about how their kids are playing. It was conducted by Auckland University of Technology's Human Potential Centre, in conjunction with Persil. Dr Scott Duncan is from the AUT Human Potential team.

1.30 Colouring-In Books for Adults - David Hedley

We're talking about the new craze of colouring-in books for adults. It's a phenomenon that's taking off in New Zealand and throughout the world. Two of the top ten places in Amazon's best seller book list, belong to the genre at the moment. But one bookshop owner says it's taken him by surprise. David Hedley in the owner of Hedley's Bookshop in Masterton.

1.40 Favourite Album

The Cure - Disintegration

2:10 First Person - John Campbell (Live in AK studio)

Times just got tougher for the people of provincial New Zealand, with Solid Energy today (WE EXPECT) announcing the closure of its Huntly Mine and the loss of (68?) jobs there. Our reporter John Campbell has been working on another podcast in his First Person series. We heard part of last week's one, which dealt with issues affecting the working poor in Manukau. The latest episode centres around the meatworks at Wairoa.   

2:20 Road Map - Raglan 

We're heading out west from Hamilton along State Highway 23 today to the town with the world-famous left-hand surfing break, Raglan       

3:10 The Expats

This week we're talking to World Vision's security director for East Asia, Tristan Clements.

3.25 Masterpieces

Designer Simon James discusses a couple of his favourite furniture designs.

3.35 Our Changing World: Science of stony soils and water

Canterbury's gravel outwash plains are covered in stony soils that are increasingly being irrigated for intensive dairying.  Sam Carrick from Landcare Research takes Alison Ballance on a tour of some research farms around Lincoln and introduces her to pieces of soil science kit called lysimeters, some of which have been inspired by the Canterbury rebuild.   

3:45  Panel Pre-Show - Jon, Jim & Zara 

What the world is talking about, with Jon Bridges, Jim Mora and Zara Potts.