Nine To Noon for Monday 4 August 2025

09:05 Massive overhaul of NCEA coming 

The Education Minister Erica Stanford is announcing a massive overhaul of the NCEA secondary school qualification system. NCEA level one is to be replaced with foundation literacy and numeracy tests.Levels two and three would be replaced with a New Zealand Certificate of Education and an Advanced Certificate.The Minister says evidence shows NCEA is inconsistent and doesn't always deliver what students need. John Gerritsen is RNZ's Education Correspondent. Susie also speaks with PPTA President Chris Abercrombie.

09:20 Unpacking the Governments' latest health and safety announcements 

A health and safety expert says extensive consultation last year with the sector, has largely been ignored in favour of isolated comments and anecdotes. Last week the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden made five announcements related to reducing red tape across various workplaces. This included proposals to change when scaffolding might be required, rules for children working and being on farms, exposure to dust and fumes, and reducing red tape for adventure activity and amusement ride operators. The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 is 10 years old, and the promise to reform New Zealand's health and safety laws was an agreement in the ACT - National Coalition Agreement. Mike Cosman has almost 50 years’ experience in occupational safety and health and risk management in New Zealand and internationally. He was Chair of the NZ Institute of Safety Management Board for 9 years, and runs the health and safety consultancy firm CosmanParkes. 

09:30 New South Wales offers fast tracked house plans for $1   

For the next few months, the Australian state of New South Wales is offering house plans, with fast tracked planning consent, for just $1. The NSW Housing Pattern Book has  low-rise designs, with eight different options on offer for home builders. The state's Planning Minister says the designs will help speed up the delivery of new homes. The $1 cost for the house plans is in contrast to a typical price tag of around $20,000. They are for so-called low-rise housing - semi-detached homes, terraces and apartments, not  free standing houses. Each pre-approved pattern includes an accelerated planning pathway and the technical information necessary to proceed with building. One of the architectural firms whose designs feature in the pattern is Sam Crawford Architects based in Newtown in Sydney. He joins Susie to talk about the project  

09:45 South America: Brazil cops 50% US tariff, pre-Inca tombs found

South America correspondent Daniel Schweimler joins Susie to talk about reaction to the US imposing a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian goods and how it's tied to President Trump's dislike of a prosecution of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro. Former president of Colombia Alvaro Uribe has been sentenced to 12 years for bribing witnesses to keep quiet over his involvement with right-wing paramilitary groups. And gas workers installing pipes under Peru's capital Lima discovered two pre-Inca tombs, including one with the remains of a person over 1000 years old.

10:05 Young opera stars take stage in Wellington 

Julien Van Mellaerts and Natasha Te Rupe Wilson  are about to take the stage as part of Wellington Opera's production of Verdi's A Masked Ball. The two young stars have both been mentored and supported by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and her Foundation. Julian who is a baritone, was awarded the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation Laureate last year, and Natasha who is a soprano, was awarded the Dame Malvina Major Award in 2021.Verdi's opera centres on a love triangle and a conspiracy against the governor of Boston, set against the backdrop of a masked ball. 

10:25 Former top cop Jevon McSkimming faces charges of possessing child sexual exploitation and bestiality material.

Former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming is facing eight charges of possessing objectionable publications including child sexual exploitation and bestiality material over a four-year period. McSkimming resigned as the country's second most powerful cop in May amid separate investigations by the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) and police. It can now be revealed that McSkimming was arrested on 27 June in Wellington.RNZ's National Crime Correspondent, Sam Sherwood was at Wellington District court. 

10:30 Education Minister on proposed scrapping of NCEA

The Minister of Education talks to Susie about her proposal to remove NCEA, and replace it with new qualifications. Levels two and three are to be replaced with a New Zealand Certificate of Education and an Advanced Certificate. Students would be required to take five subjects and pass at least four to get each certificate. The changes would be phased in from next year, with the new certificates in place for year 12 from 2029 and year 13 the following year. Stanford says the flexibility of NCEA has led to students focusing more on credit counting than mastering essential skills. 

10:35 Book review: Yilkari: A desert suite by Nicolas Rothwell and  Alison Nampitjinpa Anderson

David Hill reviews Yilkari: A desert suite by Nicolas Rothwell and  Alison Nampitjinpa Anderson, published by Text Publishing.

10:45 Around the motu: Amy Williams in Auckland 

Amy discusses nominations in Auckland for the local body elections,  the latest on helipads, oyster growers and their on going fight against sewage overflows and Auckland's growing homelessness.

11:05 Political commentators Brigitte Morten and Sue Moroney

Brigette and Sue discuss the proposed changes to NCEA, the weekend's National Party Conference and planned changes to health and safety regulations.

 Brigitte Morten is a director with public and commercial law firm Franks Ogilvie and a former senior ministerial advisor for the previous National-led government, a National Party member and currently volunteering for the party's deputy leader, Nicola Willis.

Sue Moroney is a former MP with the Labour Party and now chief executive of Community Law Centres Aotearoa. 

11:30 Award-winning pie maker Lewis Mazza-Carson is on a roll with his gourmet pies

Gourmet baker Lewis Mazza-Carson is on a roll with his pies. He's been offering some delicious crusty offerings from his hole-in-the-wall Pie Rolla's store in K'Road for the past year, has now expanded to Newmarket and just opened a store in Britomart at the weekend. The original Pie Rolla's site is also set to become a full sit down restaurant - because who doesn't want more time to linger over their favourite pie? Lewis comes from great hospo pedigree - his parents are Francesca Mazza and Aaron Carson who have set up a number of well-known Auckland restaurants, including Sugar at Chelsea Bay, Just like Martha, Rude Boy, Winona Forever and more. Two months ago he took away the 'Best Emerging Talent' at Auckland's Lewisham Awards which celebrate the best of the city's hospitality scene.

11:45 Urban issues:  Noise annoys and it will get worse as low-level aerial traffic increases

Urban issues correspondent Bill McKay looks at issues in a future where our skies are filled with drones. 

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