Nine To Noon for Wednesday 10 September 2025

09:05 IRD cracks down on overseas student debt, uses private contractor

Inland Revenue is stepping up efforts to track down overseas student loan debtors - and is trialling using an external provider which promises to use "advanced data mining techniques" to locate defaulters. Overseas borrower student loan debt has ballooned to $2.3b as of May.Of that, 1.3 billion is owned by people who have no contact with IRD, which forecasts this to rise to more than 3 billion in three years, and over 5 billion by 2032. IRD is focussed on those who own property here or have New Zealand based investments, the top 250 UK and Australia based debtors, those who have been back to New Zealand three or more times in the last year and those who have defaulted on their instalment arrangements.In a briefing document to the Revenue Minister sighted by Nine to Noon, IRD outlines its efforts and says it has made one arrest at the border, and notified 89 others that they may be arrested at the border. Fincap represents financial mentors and budgeting services. Its Senior Policy Advisor Jake Lilley, says contracting an outside agency is a worrying development and he has concerns around overreach, and heavy handedness. Dave Ananth is a tax barrister with the law firm Stace Hammond and a former prosecutor with the IRD.

09:30  UN's top official on natural hazards visits

With New Zealand prone to major earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and major storms in recent years, the United Nations' top official on disaster risk is visiting. Kamal Kishore is here to learn from how the country responded to Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 among other disasters. He is here to speak to Government departments like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the National Emergency Management Agency to talk about the similarities New Zealand has with other countries grappling with disaster preparation questions. Mr Kishore says earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters are inevtible, and communities can mitigate the harm of those events if they are prepared and have warning systems in place. As well as being at the UN - Mr Kishore aslo worked as India's top official on disaster management and led the G20 working group on disaster risk reduction. 

09:35  New effort to boost kiwi’s financial knowledge

Nearly 40% of kiwis rate their financial literacy as average or below, with some giving themselves a failing grade, according to a recent survey.  The Retirement Commission's Sorted website is one of the most popular places people go - 1.4 million have used it.   Users will soon be able to be linked to a professional financial advisor through a new partnership with Financial Advice NZ.  Kathryn speaks with Retirement Commissioner Jane Wrightson and Financial Advice New Zealand Chief Executive Nick Hakes.

09:45 Australia: 4500 ANZ staff cut, migration row, Roberts-Smith appeal fails

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton joins Kathryn to talk about the thousands of jobs being cut at ANZ - the biggest at one of the major banks in decades. Comments by a Coalition MP about Indian migrants has sparked outrage, an appeal has been denied for the war hero turned accused murderer Ben Roberts-Smith and Victoria becomes the first state to forge a treaty with its First Peoples.

Karen Middleton is a political journalist based in Canberra

10:05 The womanising Russian spy who helped rescue MI5

 It had all the hallmarks of a set up. A Russian trade representative walks into London police station in the 1970s and claims to be a KGB officer. The CIA and MI5 had been worried for a decade about such false approaches - designed to plant disinformation among western intelligence agencies. But Oleg Lyalin was genuine - even if his motives were perhaps unusual. Through his multiple love affairs, he'd woven a complicated web from which he wanted to escape. Then came his drink-driving arrest, which proved the catalyst for his defection. And that would lead to the sensational expulsion of over one-hundred Soviet officials. Lyalin's story has been meticulously detailed by Richard Kerbaj in his new book The Defector. He stumbled across the case while researching his 2022 book The Secret History of the Five Eyes.

10:35 Book review: Lest They Have Eyes by Bonivon Dyer

Lucy Black reviews Lest They Have Eyes by Bonivon Dyer, published by Torn Curtain Publishing.

10:45 Around the motu: Ian Allen on Marlborough

Ian talks to Kathryn about attempts to cut back urgent care hours, King Salmon moves processing from Nelson to Blenheim, council candidates and cat control. 

Ian Allen Editor for Stuff based in Marlborough

11:05 Music with David Wilson: A capella around the world

Music correspondent Dave Wilson joins Kathryn to look at a capella singing traditions around the world. He features three different traditions of unaccompanied vocal group singing through one from Sardinia, one from a group of Central African foragers and one from the Black Barbershop singing tradition - that was recorded in the 1890s!

Dave Wilson is a saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, and interdisciplinary scholar, a Senior Lecturer in Music at the New Zealand School of Music-Te Kōkī.

11:20 Keeping you on your toes: Podiatrist Simon Wheeler

Kathryn talks with Christchurch podiatrist Simon Wheeler about toes and how to take care of them. Simon will take your questions. Text 2101 or email ninetonoon@rnz.co.nz

11:45 Science with Ximena Nelson: Bumblebee puzzle buddies, waterproof spider nests

Science commentator Ximena Nelson joins Kathryn to talk about two studies that give us some insights into bumblebee and spider behaviour.

Ximena Nelson is Associate Head of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Canterbury. Her main research interests lie in animal behaviour and physiology.