Nine To Noon for Monday 27 March 2023

 

 

09:05 Family GPs withdrawing essential services

A new survey finds family doctors are cutting services such as childhood immunisations due to chronic staff shortages and underfunding, amid what they are calling a crisis. The General Practice Owners Association (Gen Pro) survey warns GP services are at a critical crossroads. More than half (53%) essential family doctor clinics have reduced their services and over a third (36.5%)  have completely withdrawn some services altogether. One-hundred and eighty five responses from member GPs across the country shows practices are struggling to find and retain doctors and nurses increasing waiting time for appointments, compromising patient health, and putting a burden on after hours and Emergency Departments. The survey found 55% of practices are not taking on new patients and three in every five  general practices have a current vacancy for a GP.  Nearly half (46%) say they've lost at least one nurse in the previous three months. My guest is Gen Pro CEO Philip Grant and Whangarei GP (and GenPro board member) Dr Geoff Cunningham.

09:30 Kiwi start up develops disease detecting 'electronic nose'

Scentian Bio is a local start-up developing a biological electronic nose that can detect human diseases. The company is harnessing insect smell receptors to help detect diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria and has been awarded a $2.7 million dollar grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  Scentian Bio's Chief Technology Officer, Dr Andrew Kralicek,  spent 19 years at Plant & Food Research researching how smell receptors in insects work, and how they can be used to create a biosensor that can detect and identify odours. He tells Kathryn Ryan about the potential for the technology. Andrew Kralicek will also be speaking at the E Tipu IFAMA World Conference 2023 in Ōtautahi Christchurch 19-20 June.

09:45 Europe: Macron digs in amid protests, Germany's deal over combustion ban

Europe correspondent Seamus Kearney joins Kathryn to talk about French President Emmanuel Macron's refusal to budge over a plan to raise the pension age, even as demonstrations and strike action spreads. The police handling of the protests has attracted the attention of Europe's top human rights watchdog. And the EU will relax its plans to ban internal combustion engines in new cars from 2035 after pressure from Germany. 

10:05  From tramping boots to rugby boots

Krysten Cottrell definitely doesn't suffer from a boring nine to five, splitting her time between hunting for possums in Hawkes Bay during the week, then heading to Auckland to play for the Blues in the weekend. A former Black Fern, Krysten is the captain of the Hawkes Bay Tui and plays for the Auckland Blues during her weekends. During the week, she swaps her rugby boots for tramping boots, working alongside her husband Tipene for his business Te Ngahere. Hiking through the bush in the Kaweka Ranges, Krysten and the team trap pests such as rats and possums, in an effort to make swathes of Hawkes Bay forest predator-free. They also track and monitor kiwi, hoping to restore the kiwi population in the area.

10:35 Book review: I Will Find You by Harlan Coben

Sally Wenley reviews I Will Find You by Harlan Coben, published by Penguin Random House

10:45 Around the motu: David Hill in North Canterbury

David joins Kathryn to look at a big day on the area's calendar: the return of the Oxford A&P show. Agricultural shows are vital to the district's economy, which really took a hit through Covid-induced cancellations. Volunteers have been kept busy helping fledgling shearwater birds who crash land around the Kaikoura coast - they're part of the Hutton's Shearwater Charitable Trust which runs its Flysafe campaign in March and April. 

11:05 Political commentators Gareth Hughes & Tim Hurdle

Gareth and Tim join Kathryn to talk about the protests that greeted Posie Parker in Auckland over the weekend and forced her to leave the country ahead of her Wellington event. They'll also look at National's education plan and the government's alternative 'common practice' model, child poverty statistics and the return of Winston Peters.

Gareth Hughes is a former Green MP and now works for the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa. 

Tim Hurdle is a former National party advisor and was campaign director for National at the 2020 election.

11:30 Taipa Salt Pig: artisan sea salts

On a Far North beach, in Taipa, James Moore can often be found barefoot, shlepping buckets of sea water from the ocean to his truck. Back home, James runs the water through his solar-powered evaporation tanks, leaving behind crystals of savoury seasoning. He's the owner of the Taipa Salt Pig, a company specialising in award-winning sea salts. Flavours include garlic, chilli and even squid ink, while his top-selling Citrus Zest Sea Salt won gold at last year's Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards. Taipa Salt Pig also collects the water vapour and distills it to produce a range of water products, under the label Ocean Water. The idea earnt him a silver medal at the 2022 Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards.

James Moore also shares a recipe for Curry Basil Broccoli Bisque.

11:45 Urban issues: Slashing budgets and bowling buildings

Bill McKay looks at Auckland Council's proposed budget - it's the last day for Aucklanders to make a submission - and an old Auckland mental hospital is being demolished to make way for a brownfield redevelopment.

Bill McKay is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of Auckland.