Nine To Noon for Wednesday 25 October 2023

 

09:05 Are stubborn insurance cost rises the new norm?

Latest inflation data from Stats NZ shows insurance premiums are soaring, but is this simply the new norm? Home insurance premiums in the quarter to September are up by more than a fifth year-on-year. Contents insurance was up nearly 19 percent while car insurance was up by more than 10 percent in the same period. The outgoing chief executive of the Insurance Council says high construction costs, severe storm damage and the cost of reinsurance are behind the rises. Tim Grafton will step down from the role next year after 12 years - he has serious concerns over where some houses are being allowed to be built - and says this is one of the biggest questions for the sector.

09:20 A better end for old tyres

6.5 million tyres reach their end of life in New Zealand every year and now a long awaited regulation change is set to improve the way they are disposed of. From March next year, when you buy a new tyre, you'll also be paying $6.65 + GST for its disposal.  This fund will enable Tyrewise to provide free collection and ensure tyres end up at registered processors. Kathryn speaks with Adele Rose, Tyrewise Implementation Project Manager.

09:30 Cherry orchardists ditch diesel for electricity    

Mike and Rebecca Casey have what could be the first zero-fossil fuels orchard in the world. Their Forest Lodge Orchard - growing mainly cherries - in Cromwell has no diesel or petrol on site and has the country's first electric tractor. After selling Mike's startup GradConnection - a network connecting graduates with jobs - to jobs listing company Seek in 2019, the couple bought a six-hectare property with cherry trees in Cromwell. The couple have replaced 20 machines running off fossil fuels with electric alternatives. In January 2022 they completed their first harvest where they were able to command a 15 percent premium compared to other cherries. ​Next year they want to grow production by 400 per cent in line with the trees reaching maturity. Mike, it will come as little surprise, has a keen interest in the energy transition and is also chief executive of Rewiring Aotearoa - a non-profit dedicated to representing people in the energy system. 

09:45 Australia: Billionaire tapes, Albanese in US, Cheng Lei speaks

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton joins Kathryn to talk about the billionaire paper packaging baron Anthony Pratt being centre of a growing scandal over leaked audio recordings that reveal his private comments about some high profile people, including former US President Donald Trump and King Charles. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in Washington DC, but his plans have been interrupted by ructions on the Hill. Australian journalist  Cheng Lei has given her first media interviews since being released from a Chinese jail two weeks ago and what's caused a 10-year-old Aussie pop tune to make the top of the charts?

Karen Middleton is chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper

10:05 What is the secret to human happiness?

Dr Robert Waldinger has been studying human happiness and the secret to it for decades. He is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School,  and Director of the the Harvard Study of Adult Development. That study first began in 1938 with 228 Harvard students with researchers collecting data on their medical and mental health. In the 1970s, another 450 inner-city residents joined the study. It is the world's longest-running research into happiness and suggests friendship and connections help us to live longer and be happier. Dr Robert Waldinger has co-authored a book The Good Life and How to Live It with Marc Schulz and has presented a TED Talk which has over 24 million views.

10:35 Book review: Jenny McLeod: A Life in Music by Norman Meehan 

Glenda Keam reviews Jenny McLeod: A Life in Music by Norman Meehan published by Te Herenga Waka University Press

10:45 Around the motu : John Freer on the Coromandel Peninsula

John talks to Kathryn about how Labour weekend has been positive for the region's business community as bach, holiday homeowners and visitors made the most of the break, however the major tourist attraction Cathedral Cove remains closed. He also has the latest on repairs to State Highway 25A, which is a crucial link and outlines what is happening with the sea wall at the northern end of Thames.

11:05 Music with Ian Chapman

Today Ian Chapman features four new songs from three different Dunedin acts. Two are relative newcomers and one is a well-established band making the best music of their career. From the soul/funk infused sound of the Emily Alice band to the pure folk-pop of up and coming singer-songwriter Krystal Hollis, through to the earthy and sophisticated alternative rock of the much loved Julian Temple Band, these four tracks highlight once again the quality and diversity of Dunedin’s ever vibrant music scene. 

 Ian Chapman is a Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Music at Otago University.

11:20 Demand for divorce coaches on the rise

Demand for divorce coach Bridgette Jackson's services is higher than ever - but she says that's not necessarily a bad thing. A divorce coach isn't a quite therapist, nor a financial or legal advisor. What they offer, is a helping hand for those caught in the throes of a separation, to navigate the complicated system and the emotional tangle that follows. It's not just those who have landed on divorce. Bridgette - who runs Equal Exes in Auckland - also works with unmarried couples who are separating, or those who are still considering staying together.

11:45 Personal finance: The retirement income gap

Money expert Liz Koh dives into the issue of NZ superannuation and whether it's enough to live on. She'll examine the latest Massey University report into retiree income and the differences between the expenditure of those living in the metro areas versus those in the provinces. She'll also share some tips on how to stretch your retirement budget further.

Liz Koh is a money expert specialising in retirement planning. The advice given here is general and does not constitute specific advice to any person.