Nine To Noon for Friday 1 August 2025

09:05 Sixty percent of rural and small schools without enough board nominations 

With 10,000 places across school boards open for nominations - only 2000 people have so-far put their name forward, with the deadline looming this month.  For rural and small schools,  only 40 percent have enough nominations to form a board at this stage. Responsible for setting the strategic direction, overseeing the curriculum, finance, property, and health and safety, as well as employing the staff, a board is vital to the running of the school and the well-being of pupils. Andrew King is the principal of Oropi primary school near Tauranga and the president of the New Zealand Rural Schools Leadership Association - which represents 400 rural and small schools across Aotearoa.  Kathryn also speaks with Meredith Kennett,  president of NZ School Boards Association. 

09:20 Details revealed of proposed urgent and after hours health services  

The government has a goal of  98 per cent of New Zealanders being able to access "in person" urgent  and afterhours healthcare within a one hour drive from their home. It's allocated $164 million  over four years to expand services across the country. Now details of what and where those services will be have emerged. The range of care and opening hours are set out for  large urban centres, smaller city services, rural centres and remote areas. There will 21 large urban centres in the North Island, two in the South Island;  five smaller city clinics in the North, and six in the South. The Royal College of Urgent Care  is pleased at the planned extension of  afterhours care, but has expressed reservations over workforce numbers and funding. Kathryn talks to Kelvin Ward, Chair of Royal NZ College Urgent Care and Medical Director at the Wellington Accident and Urgent Medical Centre.

09:30 Barrier Air CEO on the challenge of keeping fares down

The chief executive of Barrier Air, says keeping fares down is a huge challenge, with the cost of aircraft parts up five-fold since Covid. Barrier Air flies to Great Barrier Island, the Far North, Whitianga and Tauranga. Small regional airlines are struggling - Sounds Air is cutting two regional services and selling aircraft, while Air Chathams is considering cutting back services, because of mounting costs. The latest is a hike in the price of air traffic control, charged by Airways NZ, which follows a rise in Civil Aviation levies. Barrier Air Chief Executive Grant Bacon says his airline staff are often verbally abused by passengers for the cost of their airfares, but they are doing everything they can to keep prices down. Kathryn also speaks with Simon Wallace, chief executive of the Aviation Industry Association, which says the government needs to step in to support regional air travel.

09:45 Tension as Cook Islands marks 60th anniversary 

The biggest event in the Cook Islands calendar is currently underway, marking 60 years of free association with New Zealand. However it comes as the relationship with New Zealand is tense,  after the Cook Islands Prime Minister signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with China in February. RNZ Pacific journalist Caleb Fotheringham is in the Cook Island. 

10:05 Game developer and physics teacher to make STEM school

Physics teacher and academic Tristan O'Hanlon, and Grinding Gear Games co-founder Jonathan Rogers, have been given resource consent to build a new Auckland high school focussed on sciences and computer programming. 'The Academy' in West Auckland is expected to open in 2027. The pair say the school will start with year 7s and year 9s to then build up into a full intermediate and high school with a focus on teaching programming languages like JavaScript. Senior students will study the Cambrdige curriculum instead of NCEA, but there will be a focus on the sciences, and mathematics. Jonathan is managing director at Grinding Gear Games, known for its hit game Path of Exile, and was one of the company's founders. The game studio was recently sold to Chinese developer TenCent. Jonathan and Tristan talk to Kathryn about their desire to see STEM education stepped up, and their hopes for the new school. 

10:35 Book review: In the Hollow of a Wave by Nina Mingya Powles

Melissa Oliver from Unity Books Wellington reviews In the Hollow of a Wave by Nina Mingya Powles, published by Auckland University Press.

10:45 Around the motu: Ian  Allen, Editor of the Marlborough Express

Ian talks about the last print edition of the Marlborough Express as it goes digital only, just enough candidates for local elections and Havelock's water woes.

11:05 Music reviewer Jeremy Taylor

Slow Boat Records' Jeremy Taylor plays tracks from a newly released album from the late English singer/songwriter Nick Drake; a debut solo album from Cameron Winter and a collaborative album between former Roxy Music man Brian Eno and U2/ Coldplay producer, Beatie Wolf. 

11:30 Sports commentator Sam Ackerman

11:45 The week that was

Our comedians Te Radar and Michele A'Court bring some levity the end of the week