Nine To Noon for Wednesday 14 May 2025

09:05 Are competition laws working when it comes to the electricity sector?

In the last week two small players have been swallowed up by big generator/retailers. Yesterday Z Energy sold its electricity retail arm Flick -  and its customer book to Meridian, in a $70m deal.  Flick is expected to be shut down. Last week, the Commerce Commission granted clearance for Contact Energy to take over smaller generator Manawa Energy in a $1.9 billion deal, saying it will not substantially lessen competition. Meanwhile consumers are seeing their power bills rising. The Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment is conducting a review of competition law - could and should this change the test for such acquisitions, to boost competition, especially by smaller players. Kathryn speaks Consumer NZ's Chief Executive Jon Duffy,  and independent energy analyst, William Bisley, who made a submission to the Commerce Commission on the Manawa deal.

09:25 MFAT updates US travel advice for New Zealanders 

The Foreign Affairs Ministry has updated its travel advice for New Zealanders travelling to the United States for the first time since Donald Trump became president, saying they could be detained, deported or banned from re-entering the country if they don't meet strict requirements. In a statement released to Nine to Noon, MFAT says 17 New Zealand passport holders have sought assistance in the three months since November 2024 because they have experienced immigration difficulties in the US. MFAT says it was a routine review of the US travel advisory which was last fully reviewed in 2023. While the travel advice level for kiwis travelling to the US remains at Level 2, 'Exercise increased caution' - the advisory now includes more cautionary wording about the potential for detention at the border. It also cautions travellers about laptops, mobile phones and other electronic devices potentially being subject to border security inspection. Otago and Auckland Universities have already alerted academic staff to the issues they may face if travelling to the US.  Otago University Professor of international relations Robert Patman says he would not travel to the US at present, and he thinks the MFAT travel advice is cautionary for anyone who may have criticised the Trump administration in any way. 

09:35 AI, drones and helicopters being used to manage Auckland's power lines 

Artificial Intelligence is being trained to assess all the power poles and wires in Auckland to better help lines company Vector with its maintenance. The technology - GridAware - uses a combination of drones and helicopters to capture visual images of all the network lines, together with AI to look at those images, check their condition, and report back. Every 2 and a half years Vector estimates it will complete 170,000 inspections of its entire overhead network this way. Simon Mackenzie is the chief executive of Vector.

09:45 Australia correspondent Bernard Keane

Australia correspondent Bernard Keane joins Kathryn to discuss the makeup of Anthony Albanese's new cabinet and internal Labor party factions; Sussan Ley, who has become the first female leader of the Liberal Party after she defeated right-wing candidate Angus Taylor; and the Nationals, who are flagging they want to abandon the commitment to net zero that Scott Morrison arrived at years ago

Bernard Keane is political editor for Crikey.com

10:05 Bestselling author on his international mission to get teens reading

  "Writers are a lot like vampires," writes author Neal Shusterman on his website. "A vampire will never come into your house, unless invited-and once you invite one in, he'll grab you by the throat, and won't let you go. A writer's much the same." The award-winning author is a heavyweight in the young adults world, writing over 50 books largely within the genres of dystopia, science fiction, and thriller. Titles like Challenger Deep, Courage to Dream and Scythe have won him dozens of international awards. He's made it his mission to get young people reading, and aside from his extensive repertoire, he regularly travels internationally to speak to groups of teenagers and ignite this passion. Based in Florida, he's in New Zealand for Verb and the Auckland Writers Festival, with talks specifically for teenagers squeezed into his schedule.

10:30 Rare endemic New Zealand snail filmed laying an egg - for the first time ever

Powelliphanta Augustus snails live for more than 20 years, lay a few bean-size eggs annually, and eat slugs and earthworms. Compare this to a garden snail, which have thousands of offspring each year, only a short-lifespan and eat plants and leaves. They're hermaphrodites with genital pores on their necks - which means the snail only needs to peek out of its shell slightly to "do the business". DOC has been managing a captive Powelliphanta in chilled containers in Hokitika since 2006.Lisa Flanagan is a DOC Ranger who has been looking after the captive snails for over 12 years. She was on the scene to film the hatching video and joins Kathryn. 

10:35 Book review: 1985: A Novel by Dominic Hoey 

Louise Ward of Wardini Books reviews 1985: A Novel by Dominic Hoey published by Penguin Random House NZ

10:45 Around the motu: Logan Savory in Southland

Invercargill Council has settled on a 7.11% rate increase, they have also halted plans for a $5m spend on urban play in the city, there's been angst over a housing development next to 87-year-old Invercargill poultry farm, and there was an unexpected twist to start of the Southern Steel netball season.

Logan Savory is the Southland Tribune editor, based in Invercargill.

11:05 Music with Kirsten Zemke 

Kirsten brings us some "swamp rock"  - a genre that emerged in the American South, particularly Louisiana and Mississippi in the early 70s.

11:20  From fast-fashion to self-made advocate: designer Tara Viggo

Kiwi fashion designer Tara Viggo has returned home to Dunedin from a high-flying overseas career to champion slow fashion. Her big break in the industry in London saw her working for lists of major brands, but it was there she saw firsthand the tonnes of new, almost perfect clothes being thrown out. Disillusioned and bitter about the industry, Tara started making her own patterns with the intention to encourage more people to make their own wardrobe, and slow down their consumption. A jumpsuit pattern blew up online and her business Paper Theory has been selling patterns to a dedicated audience ever since.

11:45  Personal finance: do you have savings for a rainy day ?

The Retirement Commission's Money Month theme this year is the importance of Emergency Savings - the idea of having a bit aside for the unexpected. Kathryn speaks with money expert David Boyle, who says for many it is very difficult to save, but it is an important way to smooth-out life's little or medium financial emergencies.

David Boyle is the General Manager of Kiwisaver for Fisher Funds and was previously with Mint Asset Management and the Commission for Financial Capability. This discussion is of a general nature and does not constitute financial advice.