Nine To Noon for Thursday 11 August 2022

 

 

09:05 Driven to distraction - pothole woe up and down the country 

Cars are being ruined and frustration is growing in communities around the country over the state of our roads. Residents, particularly those in rural areas say the roading network is in a terrible state - made worse by the wet winter - and repairs just aren't happening. They blame long-term neglect and underinvestment by government and local councils, and fear climate change is only going to make the situation worse. Susie speaks to Northland local John Baird who's set up a potholes Facebook group, and Beth Houlbrooke from the Rodney Local Board of Auckland Council to talk about just how bad the problem is, along with Waka Kotahi's Brett Gliddon on what's being done.
 

09:30 Non profit energy retailer seeks help to "end power poverty"

The country's only kaupapa Maori, not-for-profit energy retailer says 130,000 households experience energy poverty, and it needs help to end that. Nau Mai Rā  was established a year ago. It is committed to turning no customer away, and pledges not to disconnect any home, even if a customer is struggling to pay bills. A portion of each customer's power bill goes to "pay it forward" for others who may be struggling. Nau Mai Rā's founder, Ezra Hirawani, won 2022 Young New Zealander of the Year. He says despite the energy retailer's best efforts, too many households are still experiencing energy hardship. Nau Mai Ra has launched a campaign to seeking 10,000 customers around the country to switch to it, to help boost the "whanau fund" for those in dire need. Susie speaks with Ezra Hirawani and Dawson Marama who has joined Nau Mai Rā as a customer in order to help others.

09:45 UK: PM race gets nasty, another heatwave, warnings of winter price hikes

UK correspondent Hugo Gye joins Susie to talk about fears within Conservative ranks that an increasingly nasty campaign to be leader by Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak will damage the party, the cost of energy this winter is forecast to be more than three times higher than it was a year ago. There's a heatwave and drought hitting Britain, along with train strikes and airport delays...but Birmingham has enjoyed its time in the sun hosting the Commonwealth Games.

10:05 An exceptional sporting career: cricketer Ross Taylor

The curtain came down on the international career of Black Caps batter Ross Taylor in April this year. After 16 years representing New Zealand, his 450th and final game was at a One Day International against The Netherlands. He's the first player from any country to make100 international appearances in all three formats of the game: test cricket, one-day internationals and Twenty20. Ross Taylor's biography Black and White, released today spans from his Samoan-Kiwi upbringing in Masterton to becoming widely regarded as one of the country's greatest cricketers. He talks to Susie Ferguson about his success on the pitch and also about the resilience needed to deal with some crushing disappointments, rejections, racism and adversity.

 

10:35 Book review: A Riderless Horse by Tim Upperton

Harry Ricketts reviews A Riderless Horse by Tim Upperton, published by Auckland University Press

10:45 The Reading

 Episode four of Carl Nixon's novel The Tally Stick told by Vivien Bell.

11:05 Tech: Taiwan cyber attacks, NHS suffers DDoS, 100m affected by worker's data theft

 

Tech commentator Tony Grasso joins Susie to talk about the cyber attacks on Taiwan amid rising tensions with China, a DDoS attack on Britain's National Health Service. He'll also look at why insider theft is still a major risk, as an ex-Amazon worker is found guilty of stealing the details of over 100 million Americans and six million Canadians,  and how Adversary-in-the-middle attacks are on the rise and include New Zealand targets.

Tony Grasso is Principal Consultant at cybersecurity firm TitaniumDefence. He worked at GCHQ in the UK and is a former Intelligence Officer in New Zealand.

11:25 Sibling rivalry - parenting plight or just part of growing up?

It can drive parents mad, but psychologist Dr Rachael Sharman of the University of the Sunshine Coast says sibling rivalry is a perfectly normal - and in fact, even necessary part of the developmental process. So how can parents guide their kids through the conflict process? 

11:45 Film & TV: Still Here, Girl in the Picture, Sea Beast

Film and TV correspondent Laumata Lauano joins Susie to talk about Still Here (TVNZ), a four part docu-series celebrates the small but mighty Pasifika community in inner-city Auckland who have remained despite decades of rampant gentrification. She'll also talk about disturbing Netflix doco Girl in the Picture and one for the kids - Sea Beast (Netflix) featuring the voice of Kiwi Karl Urban.
 

Music played in this show

Track: Problem With It
Artist: Plains
Time Played: 9:45am 

Track: Islands in the Stream
Artist: Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton 
Time Played: 10:35am 

Track: Mistakes 
Artist: Sharon van Etten 
Time Played: 11:25am 

Track: Can't See Stars 
Artist: Erin Rae feat. Kevin Morby 
Time Played: 11:45am