Nine To Noon for Tuesday 19 August 2025

09:05 Time to put the responsibility where it belongs - council and property law expert 

A lawyer who has represented councils found facing the bill when building projects have gone wrong says it's time to place responsibility where it belongs. The government is moving to a proportionate liability system for the Building Act, which will mean  each party is liable only for the work they have actually done. Previously councils have been the ones left to face damages for defects. Nathan Speir is a partner at law firm Meredith Connell.

09:15 Poorly managed forests said to be affecting neighbouring farms

The government is planning policies to limit the full conversion of farmland to exotic forestry - particularly those registered in the emission trading scheme. Farming groups and rural communities have been raising concerns over the amount of productive farmland being converted into forestry for several years now. But those trying to farm alongside these forests say they can face significant challenges in trying to operate in the face of pests and potential fire threats from poorly managed plantations. We heard yesterday from James Hunt, who farms at Pōrangahau near the Hawkes' Bay coast, where he is trying to increase wetland areas, and already under pressure from pest animals. Richard Dawkins, the chair of Federated Farmers Meat and Wool sector group, wants the forestry sector to have to pay levies to help with pest control. But Forest Owners Association Chief Executive,  Elizabeth Heeg, says many forests are well managed with owners taking considerable care when it comes to things such as deer and pig control or fire risk.

09:35 Global study explores how hot homes affect health 

Hundreds of roofs across the Pacific, and other parts of the world, are being painted white, as part of a health study to determine whether this helps occupants beat the heat. About 500 roofs across four continents have been painted with a reflective coating, as part of research into tackling the health impacts of climate change. Since the project launched in Niue in 2023, more than 200 of the 530 households on the tiny Pacific Island have signed up to take part. Homes across Mexico, India and Burkina Faso are also included in the study. The University of Auckland team is carrying out the research on cool roofs in Niue, while local universities are contributing to the research in the other three nations. Dr Noah Bunkley from the University's Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa, Centre for Pacific and Global Health  is managing the global project called REFLECT. 

09:45 US correspondent David Smith

The latest from the meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump at the White House. There's resistance to the US President's move to deploy the national guard in Washington DC. And California Governor Gavin Newsom fights fire by fire with congressional redistricting. 

David Smith is Washington bureau chief for The Guardian. 

10:05 Grant Robertson opens up about his life

Former finance Minister Grant Robertson has opened up about his early life, and his political journey in a new memoir.
Anything Could Happen begins with his early years as the son of a lay minister, and sports mad youngest of three boys, and covers his struggles telling his family about his sexuality,  the shock of his father's imprisonment for stealing from his employer, and his role in the Jacinda Ardern government which faced the Covid pandemic and subsequent economic shockwave. Now Vice Chancellor at the University of Otago, Grant Robertson joins Susie from Dunedin.

10:35 Book review : Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2025: Breath, edited by Tracey Slaughter

Sally Battson from The Next Chapter reviews Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2025: Breath, published by Massey University Press.

National Poetry Day is this Friday. 

10:45 Around the motu: RNZ's Libby Kirkby McLeod reports from Hamilton

Libby discusses the local wards where only one person is standing, why Tokoroa might be losing its polytech and funding struggles for projects to protect endangered bird species.

Libby Kirkby McLeod is RNZ's Waikato Reporter

11:05 Business commentator Hamish McNicol 

A2 Milk, Freightways and Contact Energy start earnings season, and Hamish looks at Mercury's result today before a preview of results from Spark and Fletcher Building tomorrow. There's a Comvita takeover bid from a rich lister, the OCR will very likely be cut by 25 basis points on Wednesday, and the boardroom ructions at Rakon. 

Business news with NBR co-editor Hamish McNicol 

11:30 Is Big Tech more powerful than government?

How much of your life is ruled by an algorithm? It's possibly more than you think. Everyday algorithms are aiding us to make decisions - and increasingly making decisions about us.  A handful of tech giants like Google, Meta and Amazon are in control of the AI systems that shape our lives - what we read, what we buy, who we interact with...and concerningly, what we consider to be to be "true". Professor Alexandra Andhov is in the inaugural  Chair in Law and Technology and Director of the Center for Advancing Law and Technology Responsibly at the University of Auckland. She's giving a talk at next Tuesday's Raising the Bar series focused on how unchecked AI development is already threatening our society - and what's needed to rein it in.

11:45 Sports-chat with Marc Hinton 

The All Blacks top the rugby world rankings, but should they be worried about a resurgent Wallabies team? The Black Ferns kick of their Rugby World Cup campaign on Monday; Marc talks about what it would mean for them to defend their title, against the odds. The Warriors are back on track with a win, Netball NZ is increasing the imports allowed in the ANZ Championship while Chris Wood keeps on scoring in footballs' English Premier League.