09:05 Dunedin Council moves to return Foulden Maar to public ownership

A pit at Foulden Maar, near Middlemarch. A proposal to mine diatomite would see the entire crater destroyed.

A pit at Foulden Maar, near Middlemarch. Photo: Wikicommons

Dunedin City Council has served a notice of its intention to buy the 23 million-year-old  fossil rich crater lake near Middlemarch, and it may use the Public Works Act to force through a deal. Mayor Aaron Hawkins says the council has served "notices of desire'' to Plaman Resources Ltd, the site's owner, in a  first step which could end in a compulsory purchase by the council. It comes as liquidators for Plaman Resources Ltd prepare to sell the land, which has a mining permit.

A fossil Galaxias fish from Foulden Maar.

A fossil Galaxias fish from Foulden Maar. Photo: John Lindquist

09:25 The anti-trust case against Facebook

The logo of Facebook is seen on a smartphone.

Photo: AFP / Alexander Pohl/NurPhoto

Dina Srinivasan has been a leading light in building the anti-competition case against Facebook, with her research having been cited by Congress among others. Earlier this year she published a journal article explaining the link between Facebook's tightened grip on the ad marketplace and surveillance capitalism. Late last month she attended a closed-door meeting between attorneys general from 47 states and federal officials to explore the possible legal avenues to build an anti-trust case against Facebook.

Dina was previously an executive with WPP, the world's largest advertising holding company, which acquired the advertising technology of a company she founded and ran.

09:30 Up the wall: New research into sound-proofing

Noisy neighbours and their sounds are a familiar, but frustrating, element of modern living and more likely to increase as we all live more closely together. Now a small team of engineers at the University of Auckland have been given nearly a million dollars by the Ministry of Building, Innovation and Employment to develop a sound-proof wall using meta materials that they hope will reduce the capacity of a wall to vibrate in response to sound. Researchers Dr Andrew Hall and Dr George Dodd join Kathryn to explain how it could work, and why New Zealand's building code is shoddy when it comes to sound.

Left: the reverberation chamber where walls are tested for sound insulation properties. Right: an anechoic chamber where smaller items are checked for sound pressure levels - it's the quietest room in New Zealand.

Left: the reverberation chamber where walls are tested for sound insulation properties. Right: an anechoic chamber where smaller items are checked for sound pressure levels - it's the quietest room in New Zealand. Photo: Supplied

09:45 Public hearings into Trump impeachment move closer

US correspondent Susan Milligan joins Kathryn to explain the process of the House impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump, why Elizabeth Warren's plans for a single-payer health care plan is problematic for moderate Democrats and how Trump's attempts at doing normal presidential things appear to be backfiring.

President Donald Trump talks to members of the media on the South Lawn of the White House as he arrives to the White House after a trip to New York on November 3, 2019 in Washington, DC.
(Photo by Oliver Contreras/SIPA USA) | usage worldwide

Photo: AFP

10:05 New Zealand business: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

What helps drive good decision-making in successful New Zealand businesses, and what happens when companies get it wrong? Dr Ralph Bathurst has written a book detailing the stories of Kiwi companies and organisations and the strategies that led to their success or failure. He joins Kathryn to talk about why he's found the leadership in New Zealand is wanting.

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Photo: Supplied

10:35 Book review - Bruny by Heather Rose

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Photo: Allen & Unwin

Carole Beu of the Women's Bookshop reviews Bruny by Heather Rose, which is published by Allen & Unwin.

10:45 The Reading

Mercenary Territory by Susan Pointon told by William Kircher and Sarah Boddy. Episode 2 of 5.

11:05 Business commentator Rod Oram

Rod discusses with Kathryn the upgraded trade agreement with China and the outlook for international trade in general. Also, Rio Tinto's push for electricity price cuts or other financial help at the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter.

11:30 Exotic garden plants a 'ticking time bomb'

Distinguished Professor of Plant Biosecurity Philip Hulme. Supplied.

Distinguished Professor of Plant Biosecurity Philip Hulme. Supplied. Photo: This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To view a co

Lincoln University's professor Philip Hulme has been awarded the Hutton Medal for his work on how non-native plants, including garden ornamentals, become invasive weeds in New Zealand. He says more needs to be done to keep track of introduced species before they spread, stifling native species. 
 

11:45 Media commentator Gavin Ellis

A look at Jane Wrightson's move to Retirement Commissioner which Gavin says is a loss for the media industry. Also, a timely campaign by Stuff highlights the public benefits of journalism, and why he believes the Ministry of Justice team investigating misinformation during the election campaign is walking a tightrope as narrow as piano wire.

Jane Wrightson

Jane Wrightson Photo: supplied

Gavin Ellis is a media commentator and former editor of the New Zealand Herald. He can be contacted on gavin.ellis@xtra.co.nz

Music played in this show

Artist: Johnny Hostile and Jehnny Beth 
Song: Let it Out 
Time: 10.35