Nine To Noon for Wednesday 22 July 2020

 

09:05 'It's simply not fair': Franchise sector calls for rent relief

Many franchise businesses say they're still being hounded by their landlords for rent from the lockdown period, while others are facing rent increases. The Franchise Association took a snap survey of its members, representing some 985 small business owners, and found 82 per cent said agreement on rents was unlikely without action from the government. The survey also found  20 per cent of franchisors had been warned to expect a rent hike. Government plans for help with arbitration costs hit a brick wall after New Zealand First pulled support for legislation. Joining Kathryn is the CEO of the Franchise Association, Robyn Pickerill, Stephen Mansfield, CEO of Quest Apartment Hotels and Brad Jacobs, director of The Coffee Club and Bird on a Wire chains.

09:20 Auckland trees thin on the ground

As developments expand in South Auckland, the city's trees are dwindling to the point they're well under minimum standards for canopy cover. The data has been analysed by LiDar (Light Detection and Ranging) surveys between the years 2016-2018, and gathered by the Tree Council. Kathryn talks to the organisation's chair Sean Freeman.

09:45 Victorians under mask order, Australia copies NZ wage subsidy

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton joins Kathryn to look at how Victoria has 300 - 400 cases of Covid emerging each day and state residents are now required to wear masks in public. Australia is adjusting the wage subsidy scheme it introduced to account for hours worked, and charges have been laid over the deaths of four people the Dreamworld fun park.

10:05 What is Maths good for? Wunderkind Stefan Buijsman

Maths prodigy Stefan Buijsman was one of the youngest people ever to gain a PhD, which he did at age 20, in 18 months! Now he's written a book, 'Plusses and Minusses' to help others get a better appreciation for the subject and, thereby a better understanding of the world as a whole. He also explains how and why our culture uses mathematics to shape the way we live and think: from determining what we watch on Netflix to who is the most popular political candidate.

10:35 Book review - The Quick and the Dead by Cynric Temple-Camp 

Harry Broad reviews The Quick and the Dead: True stories of life and death from a New Zealand pathologist by Cynric Temple-Camp. Published by Harper Collins.

10:45 The Reading

Where the Rēkohu Bone Sings, part 3. By Tina Makereti and adapted for radio by Owen Scott.

11:05 Deep Purple and Beethoven with Graeme Downes

This week Graeme takes a trip down memory lane, looking at Deep Purple's Live in Japan album. The band is still active and have their 21st album coming out next month. He'll also look at concerts underway to celebrate Beethoven's 250th birthday, and play the 2nd movement of the 135 quartet. 

Graeme Downes is a musicologist and former senior lecturer in the Department of Music at the University of Otago.

 

11:20 Reviving the recorder!

Showing new musical audiences what the recorder is capable of, is what it's all about for University of Canterbury student Lily Doak.While many music students may start with the recorder, only to leave it behind, Lily Doak has a long-standing passion for one of the humblest of wind instruments, and it's already earned her a soloist spot in two prestigious classical music concerts. She plays 2 of her favourite pieces.

11:45 The pandemic and public law

Law correspondent Dr Dean Knight looks at how legal issues and challenges that arose over the lockdown haven't gone away, next week the High Court will hear the legal challenge to level 3 and 4 lockdown. He'll also talk about the legal authority for border quarantine and how a proposal to charge people for hotel and food costs butts up against an important human right.

Dr Dean Knight is Associate Professor, Faculty of Law and NZ Centre for Public Law, Victoria University of Wellington.