Nine To Noon for Monday 16 March 2020

 

09:05 Air New Zealand in share trading halt

Air New Zealand has placed itself into a share-trading halt today to allow it to thoroughly assess the operational and financial impacts of global travel restrictions. It says it is further reducing capacity across its network as Covid-19 affects travel demand. It also says the airline will be a smaller airline requiring fewer resources, including fewer people. Air New Zealand is to reduce long-haul flights by 85 percent over the coming months. Andy Bowley, an aviation analyst at Forsyth Barr

09:20 Reserve Bank coronavirus cut - what impact will it have?

The Reserve Bank cut the official cash rate to a record low of 0.25 per cent this morning, as the country steps up its response to the coronavirus pandemic. The cut was made ahead of the announcement from the government tomorrow of an economic package to ease the impact of a downturn on businesses - and their employees. Kathryn talks to Jarrod Kerr, Kiwibank's chief economist and Kirk Hope of Business New Zealand.

09:35 Schools and Education Ministry discuss contingency plans

School principals and the Ministry of Education are discussing contingency plans, should school closures eventuate if the coronavirus pandemic worsens here. Internationally there have already been a raft of sweeping measures and mass closures to try to stem the spread of the virus. Kathryn is joined by Principals' Federation President Perry Rush.

09:45 European nations under strict lockdown, EU coronavirus ‘epicentre’

Correspondent Seamus Kearney joins Kathryn to talk about the shock reverberating around Europe as governments moved rapidly to impose unprecedented, strict lockdowns on millions of citizens, closing schools, shops and restaurants and urging people to stay at home.

10:05 Shares slide as market opens

The New Zealand stock exchange has just opened 1.3 per cent down on Friday's close. Earlier the Reserve Bank governor cut the benchmark interest rate to the lowest level ever and  trading in Air New Zealand shares was halted. RNZ business editor Gyles Beckford. 
 

10:15 Councils must share blame for housing crisis: land-banker

One of the country's biggest land-bankers, who has been involved with some of Auckland's best known new housing areas including Milldale, Silverdale, Flat Bush, Pokeno and Tuakau, says local council compliance hurdles and delays are a huge part of the housing crisis. Garry Robertson estimates over the past two decades the green fields land he has purchased has been turned into 15,000 sections around the country, which now house tens of thousands of people. He says he's become increasingly frustrated with the outdated systems and processes used by local authorities, which he claims add  as much as 30 per cent to the cost of a section for prospective homeowners. Mr Robertson, who appeared on the NBR richlist last year, says he's so disillusioned with his experiences, particularly with Auckland Council, that he plans to take a partly developed subdivision he owns in Kaikoura and create sections which run completely off the grid - all services, including water, power and sewage being provided within the development. Kathryn speaks with him and Kaikoura mayor Craig Mackle.

 10:35 Book review - Indelicacy by Amina Cain

Gail Pittaway reviews Indelicacy by Amina Cain, which is published by Text Publishing.

10:45 The Reading

Snapper in a Landscape  written and read by Declan O’Neill:  Episode one.

11:05 Political commentators Mills & Sherson

Stephen Mills is the executive director of UMR Research and former political adviser to two Labour governments. Trish Sherson is from corporate affairs firm Sherson Willis, and a former ACT press secretary.

11:30 Easy, low-cost vegan meals

Jackie Norman and Gareth Scurr share vegan recipes for busy people - all developed in their camper van kitchen.

11:45 Public solidarity in the time of social isolation

Kennedy Warne joins Kathryn to talk about stories from the past and present that show the importance of public solidarity as we cope with a pandemic. He also pays tribute to a tenacious tree: the pohutakawa.