Nine To Noon for Monday 20 November 2023

09:05 More housing for Rotorua: Can bursting school rolls cope?

Planned social housing developments in Rotorua have two school principals concerned they won't be able to accommodate increasing student  numbers. Hundreds of new homes are being built in the surburbs of Ōwhata and Ngongotahā, where school rolls are already blowing out. As the affordable homes developments are completed over the next few years it will mean hundreds more children in the areas. The burning questions are : where are they going to be educated, is there the classroom space and are there enough teachers? Ōwhata Primary School principal Bob Stiles and the Principal of Ngongotahā Primary School Craig McFadyen fear there'll be more pupils, than classroom space.

09:30 The teen destigmatising mental illness in highschools

Since the age of 13, Claire Ma has been spending her free time supporting others with their mental health. The Tauranga teen founded the New Zealand branch of Letters to Strangers, the largest global youth-run non-profit, seeking to destigmatize mental illness. Letters to Strangers anonymously connects high school aged students with one another through letters, whether it's someone who can relate to what they're going through or just offering a listening air when they need it most. Now, at 17 years old, Claire is one of this year's YWCA 24 under 24, a list that celebrates young people making a big difference within their communities. Claire has presented at international webinars and conferences on mental health and the power of connection - a far cry from the once isolated young girl struggling to find connection as a new immigrant. 

09:45 South America Katy Watson

Argentina goes to the polls on Sunday to vote for their new president. The elections come as the country struggles with an economic crisis, with inflation now above 140%. The choice is stark - current economy minister Sergio Massa or a radical outsider, Javier Milei - a man who's brandished a chainsaw on the campaign trail and has some unorthodox plans to fix the economy like blowing up the central bank and replacing the peso with the US dollar. 

10:05 NZ tech company dubbing Disney and Netflix hits

If you've seen the Korean Netflix hit Squid Game - or even heard of it, for that matter - our next guest may be to thank. Steven Renata is co-owner of KIWA digital, a cultural creative agency whose technology VoiceQ has helped to support the English dubbing of the likes of Squid Game, and Spanish series Money Heist. Closer to home, VoiceQ has been used to support the dubbing of Disney classics The Lion King and Moana in te reo Māori. Steven Renata who is Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Pakahi and Ngāti Rehia, is a dual speaker of English and te reo Māori, and a founding member Les Mills International which partners with 20,000 clubs worldwide to deliver group fitness experiences. He's passionate about the intersect of tech and culture and believes it is the responsibility of the technology sector to keep languages alive.

10:35 Book review: Bird Life by Anna Smaill

Airini Beautrais reviews Bird Life by Anna Smaill published by Te Herenga Waka University Press

10:45 Around the motu: John Freer in Coromandel

John talks to Kathryn about the Christmas present everyone hoped for - having  SH25A, known locally as the Kopu-Hikuai Road, repaired and reopened. It's the gateway to the Peninsula and is now open, however the major tourist attraction, the Cathedral Cove track remains closed. And Thames is taking on Oamaru in steampunk stakes, John has the details.

John Freer is a local news reporter with CFM.

11:05 Political commentators Fletcher Tabuteau and Tim Hurdle

Political commentators Fletcher Tabuteau and Tim Hurdle discuss how close we might be to stitching a government together.

Tim Hurdle is a former National senior adviser, was the National Party Campaign Director in 2020. He is a director of several companies, including Museum Street Strategies, a public affairs firm.

Fletcher Tabuteau is a former NZ First MP from 2014 to 2020, former deputy leader of the party, and former Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the then Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and the then minister for regional development Shane Jones. He now works for lobbying and communications firm Capital Government Relations.

11:30 Heilala Vanilla: Sweet story of success

Vanilla is sometimes used as a pejorative  - as something boring and bland.  But the founders of Heilala Vanilla were determined it should be anything but, and and they're quite literally winning at that - taking out top honours at this year's New Zealand Food Awards. The company's origins came out of an aid project in Tonga following a cyclone that struck there in 2002. The vanilla crop grew well - and the beans impressed some big-name chefs back home in New Zealand. Kathryn is joined by Heilala Vanilla's co-founder and CEO Jennifer Boggiss to explain how it achieved B-Corp certification.

11:45 Urban issues with Bill McKay

Bill McKay looks at an interesting new fellowship from The NZ Institute of Architects: $20,000 for someone to research "public housing challenges in Aotearoa" and "explore solutions".

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