Nine To Noon for Monday 19 November 2018

 

09:05 How can we get warm, dry, safe houses?

As the government considers new minimum standards for rental homes, a new online tool to assess if a house is warm, safe and dry has been launched. The Homefit initiative has been developed by the Green Building Council. It is a free on-line check with 20 questions which will evaluate how warm, safe, efficient and dry a house is. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is currently developing new minimum standards for rental homes that will be brought in as part of the Healthy Homes Guarantee Act. Kathryn talks with Green Building Council Chief Executive Andrew Eagles, and Robert Whitaker of the organisation lobbying for tenants  - Renters United.

 

9.20 Report: concerns remain over Royal NZ ballet

The Royal New Zealand Ballet says it is listening to feedback from dancers, audiences, funders and others and will make changes to improve support for young dancers. Earlier this year the ballet company was criticised for the high turnover of dancers and concerns over bullying.  An independent review made eleven recommendations on how the company could improve, including clarifying its workplace bullying policy.  Their feedback has been made public in a new report which shows concerns remain over the wellbeing of dancers and whether enough New Zealanders are being seen on stage. Chair of the Royal NZ Ballet, Steven Fyfe talks to Kathryn Ryan.

09:30 Coffee cup lending scheme launches in Wellington

A reusable coffee cup lending scheme is about to be trailed in Wellington for caffeine addicts looking for convenient, takeaway coffee that's also waste-free. Currently New Zealanders send an estimated 295 million cups to landfill each year. While there are already compostable alternatives a very low proportion are actually composted.

The Again Again scheme works like this: customers pay a three dollar refundable deposit  for a reusable steel cup, with a silicone lid, and a cardboard heat sleeve. They fill it up at one of 14 participating cafes and when it's empty, they can fill it up again, or return it to any shop in the network where they can get their money back. ​Nada Piatek, is the Founder and Director of Again Again which will launch on Tuesday 20th November. Fourteen Wellington cafes will take part in the pilot including Peoples Coffee, Superfino, Fidel's, and Maranui.

09:45 The race to replace German Chancellor Angela Merkel

In the wake of Germany celebrating 100 years of women's suffrage, correspondent, Thomas Sparrow reports that the race is now on to replace Angela Merkel following her announcement that she will be stepping down as the head of her Conservative Party and will not seek relection after her term as Chancellor ends in 2021.

Thomas Sparrow is Political and Security Correspondent for Deutsche Welle.

10:05 Brain benefits of crosswords

What is going on in the brain when we are doing crosswords? David Astle is somewhat of a dictionary expert, he is also Melbourne-based writer and a full-on word nerd - somewhat of a walking dictionary. He is a legend in Australian crossword circles, knocking out a notoriously tough weekly cryptic crossword for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. His latest book, Rewording The Brain explains how the mind responds to tackling word puzzles and the benefit that can bring, including increasing brainpower and cognitive capacity.

10:35 Book review - Black Boots New Zealand Rugby Legends by Phil Gifford

Harry Broad reviews Black Boots New Zealand Rugby Legends. It is written by Phil Gifford, with photographs by Barry Durrant, and is published by Bateman Publishing.

10:45 The Reading - Ghost Dance

Ghost Dance written and told by the late Douglas Wright, episode 1 of 10 

11:05 Politics with Morten & Mills 

Brigitte Morten and Stephen Mills take a look at the international politics at APEC, and also which domestic issues are proving tricky for the government. Also the risk factor in bold decisions over the Pike River Mine re-entry and a broadening of the Royal Commission into abuse in state care.

Stephen Mills is the executive director of UMR Research and former political adviser to two Labour governments and Brigitte Morten is a Senior Consultant for Silvereye and a former senior ministerial advisor for the previous National-led government.

11:30 Topp country tucker with roving foodies Jools & Lynda

Dames Lynda and Jools Topp talk to Kathryn Ryan about their huge appreciation for tasty tucker and the passionate food producers up and down the country who work so hard to bring it to the plate. Based on the first two seasons of the TV series, 'Topp country' - the twins have published a cook book crammed full of humour, recipes and cracking kiwi yarns. It's called: 'Topp Country: A culinary journey'.

11:45 Cave hunting in South Westland and Ginger Ninjas

Off the beaten track with Kennedy Warne, including the South Westland cave he went in search of, and a group of community weedbusters in South Titirangi tackle wild ginger, a hard-to-control weed in the north.