Nine To Noon for Tuesday 5 December 2023

 

 

09:05 NZ's first centre for depression recovery to open in Wellington

The country's first community based Depression Recovery Centre is set to open in Wellington early next year, established by a not-for-profit charity. It will offer a therapeutic day programme for people with moderate to severe mental health issues, and hopes to serve 300 people per year, at purpose built premises in Cuba Street. The centre, to be known as Whakamātūtū : A place of recovery will have a team of 20 staff, including a GP, psychiatrist, eight psychotherapists, a trauma treatment specialist as well as art, music and massage therapy. It will begin assessing its first participants from the 15th of January to begin the first course in February. The driving force behind the centre, and it's director, is Wellington mental health advocate and lawyer Brent Williams - who has found funding from the private sector and got backing from ACC, the Social Development Ministry and private insurers, but so far Te Whatu Ora has not given any support. Brent Williams is in our Wellington studio, along with Psychotherapist Karen Begg, who is part of the new centre.

09:20 Auckland flood recovery enters next phase as holiday season looms

Tough decisions are looming for Auckland's flood recovery as affected residents head into the holiday season. It's been around 10 months since the Auckland anniversary weekend floods, and Cyclone Gabrielle, hit the region within weeks of each other. 3000 properties were damaged by the floods, with many still awaiting categorisation. And buyout negotiations are beginning for the first lot of properties which have been deemed level three - meaning they pose intolerable risk to life, and owners will not return. Auckland Council will be discussing the Recovery Plan next Thursday, which formally sets out the next phase of response, and looks at how to improve resilience for future weather events. And progress is being made on Blue-Green Network planning - a host of community-level projects to support properties in high-risk areas. Group Recovery Manager Mat Tucker joins Kathryn to look back on what has been a tough year for many.

09:45 USA correspondent Ximena Bustillo

George Santos has been expelled from the house, making it the first time this has occurred without a conviction. Ximena discusses what this means for the upcoming house elections. And former President Donald Trump's civil lawsuit continues in New York.

Ximena Bustillo is a multi-platform reporter at NPR covering politics out of the White House and Congress on air and in print.

10:05 Fighting for justice for victims of romance scams

It was a story of love and deception so extraordinary it became a hit Netflix documentary. 'The Tinder Swindler', the story of Simon Leviev - a prolific romance scammer - was shocking in scale, with one woman conned out of more than $400,000. But the victim, Cecilie Fjellhøy is far from alone. Globally romance scams are on the rise, and dating apps, such as Tinder and Bumble - recording billions of 'matches' a year - have become fertile ground for fraudsters. New Zealand's Netsafe recently reported a 39 percent increase in online romance scams, with the average loss per victim a staggering $18,667 - according to Netsafe, the tip of the iceberg. Since 'The Tinder Swindler' Cecilie has teamed up with Anna Rowe - another romance scam victim. Together they have launched an online think tank: LoveSaid, with the aim to remove the stigma around such scams and campaign for better legal protection and recourse. 

10:30 Book review: A Memoir of My Former Self by Hilary Mantel 

Louise O'Brien reviews A Memoir of My Former Self by Hilary Mantel published by Hachette

10:35 Short Story Competition winner: Love Like Lemons by Sam Reese

A man is puzzled by the new lodger that has moved in with him and his wife. In trying to build a picture of the mysterious lodger, the man is confronted with a bitter incident from the past and comes to understand a little more about love and acceptance. Love Like Lemons is written by Sam Reese, and told by Gavin Rutherford.

10:45 Around the motu: Alisha Evans in Tauranga

Paid parking plans in Tauranga have been delayed after a public outcry, Western Bay councillors have defended their use of closed-door workshops,Tauranga stores have been barred from selling alcohol before 10am and seven flood damaged pensioner flats in Waihi Beach are to be demolished

Western Bay of Plenty Local Democracy reporter Alisha Evans based in Tauranga with SunLive 

11:05 Business commentator Victoria Young

BusinessDesk investigations editor, Victoria Young has been looking at audit firms and the NZX50 companies that use them. And SkyCity's multi-million dollar carpark spat, and why a judge ruled in the casino operator's favour. Finally, mounting criticism over the shelf-life of gift cards, as Consumer NZ warns shoppers are losing about 10 million dollars on unspent cards every year.

11:25 Some herbal solutions for under the Christmas tree

It's not too late to craft some Christmas presents, soaps, salves and food items. Naturopath and medical herbalist,  Jane Wrigglesworth has a raft of ideas on how to fashion useful presents that don't cost much to produce. If you have a herb garden at home, it can be put to good use to use in a selection of home made items suitable for gifting. Jane is the author of Everyday Herbalist and writes for numerous publications including NZ Gardener and Lifestyle Block.

11:45 Sports-chat with Marc Hinton

New Zealand's Paul Coll has won the Hong Kong Squash Open by beating Egyptian Ali Farag in the men's final. And the Black Caps face unwanted history after their first test loss to Bangladesh. So can the New Zealand side bounce back? Finally, a wrap of the Dubai 7s tournament.

Music played in this show

Track: The Time is Now
Artist: Moloko -
Time played: 11:25