Nine To Noon for Wednesday 3 December 2025

09:05 Census concerns over the 'cost of getting it wrong' 

Data and statistics experts warn the costs of getting administrative data up to scratch, building the infrastructure need, the potential costs of getting it wrong ... could far outweigh the cost of undertaking a traditional census. Stats NZ confirmed it would scrap the census earlier this year, and replace it with data collected already via other government and non-government entities, as well as some smaller surveys. The decision was made against advice provided by the expert advisory group that Stats NZ convened. The advisory group was not asked to consider the cost implications of its recommendations. But cost was a factor in Stats NZ's decision to not proceed with another census. Polly Atatoa-Carr is Associate Professor at Te Ngira Institute for Population Research which is part of Waikato University and Tahu Kukutai - also with Te Ngira Institute - is a Professor of Demography and specialises in indigenous data and policy discuss with Kathryn. 

Attributable to Sean Broughton, Stats NZ General Manager - Statistical Delivery, Population & Housing

In the future, census data will be produced every year, providing more relevant and timely data for New Zealand. To do this, we will make better use of information already collected by government and other organisations (known as admin data). It’s important to note the new census model is admin data-first, not admin data-only. Surveys, including an annual census survey of a small percentage of the population, will continue to play an important role in producing accurate and reliable census statistics. Stats NZ is also working closely with Māori, Pacific, and other priority communities to develop tailored solutions to help meet their data needs. The census needed to change. A traditional census was no longer efficient and wasn’t meeting New Zealand’s modern data needs. More relevant, useful, and frequent data will help communities and government understand emerging needs and deliver services where and when they’re needed most. In relation to costs, Stats NZ has a five-year appropriation of $227.120 million (between 2024 and 2029,) to fund the delivery of the next census.  By comparison, the 2023 Census cost New Zealand approximately $325 million over five years. Running a traditional survey-led census again in 2028 was projected to reach $400 million as we looked to address cost pressures and declining response rates. The new approach strengthens the resilience and long-term financial sustainability of the census, by making better use of technology and admin data. We are well-placed to make the shift to an admin data-first census. In some cases, admin data already provides better coverage than survey data. For example, we know that the best way to count the population, which is a key part of the census, is through admin data. In addition, about half of census variables can already be collected through admin data. We have high-quality admin data about age, birthplace, number of years in New Zealand (for migrants), number of children born, location and mobility, income, work, and education. Stats NZ is working with relevant government agencies to plan the necessary improvements to admin data that will support the next census. This includes improvements to the collection, supply, and quality of admin data. There are areas where there is work to do, and Stats NZ is focused on addressing these as we move ahead with the detailed design. We welcome the involvement of community representatives, data experts, and stakeholders as we continue to build and implement the new approach and encourage people to have their say through the public consultation that’s now open at   www.stats.govt.nz/census-consultation.

09:25 US political analyst says NZ can ride out Trump second term

A US political analyst says New Zealand needs to ride out the current America first focus of President Donald Trump's second term, and that opportunities are there to strengthen relations.   Professor Dan Schnur teaches at the University of California Berkeley and the University of Southern California and has worked on four presidential campaigns, including John McCain's in 2000. He's speaking this morning at the US Business Summit in Auckland.

09:35 Lead exposure up in last year:  latest stats

A leading world expert in lead poisoning says there's still more work to be done on reducing exposure. The latest New Zealand data shows total lead absorption notification rates increased for both adults and children in 2024 compared to 2023. David Jacobs is the chief scientist at the US National Centre for Healthy Housing. He  says despite paint no longer being in paint and petrol, concerns remain about potential exposure particularly in children. He’s been in New Zealand at the International Conference on Urban Health in Wellington.

09:45 Australia: PM's wedding, AI plan lacks 'guardrails', social media ban lawsuit

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton joins Kathryn to talk about Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's weekend wedding to his partner Jodie Haydon - how did they keep it a secret? A national plan on artificial intelligence has been released, but it won't include "mandatory guardrails" like risk-management systems. Did the government bow to business pressure not to place impediments on AI growth? Meanwhile Australia's social media ban comes into effect next week, but two 15-year-olds are taking legal action to stop it, saying it breaches an implied right to political communication.

Karen Middleton is a political correspondent based in Canberra

10:05 Attacking waiting lists with a mobile surgery truck

New Zealand's operating theatres are severely under pressure, but a big blue articulated truck has been travelling up and down the country helping out with day surgery for 23 years. The Mobile Surgical Unit – Te Waka Hauora - is  20 metres long and is a modern, fully equipped operating theatre, designed and built for a wide range of day surgeries. Once parked, the surgical unit deploys its self-levelling, hydraulic ram stabilisers and at the touch of a button the sides of the trailer unit expand outwards, doubling its width. The truck travels up and down the country supporting rural hospitals and helping to reduce waiting lists. So far it's been able to treat 35,000 patients Its Chief Executive Mark Eager joins Kathryn from the Christchurch studio.

10:30 'Brain-boosting' mushrooms now growing in NZ

A variety of a well-known mushroom touted as having brain boosting qualities is being cultivated at scale in New Zealand for the first time.`Lion's mane' mushrooms contain bioactive compounds, which some studies show can stimulate neuron growth. The fungus is native to Asia and found in European and North American forests. New Zealand's biosecurity laws only allow for the importation of the dried, powdered,  Lion's mane product, not spores for propagation. Raglan based Sean Mills has worked for several years to develop a fungus which is a close relative to the Lion's mane. He and his team are now cultivating 400 kilograms of the fresh mushrooms a week for customers here and in Australia

10:40 The most popular books at the library this year

The latest statistics are out on what books were most borrowed from libraries this year. They show readers in the biggest cities often turned to stories of wartime resilience, high-stakes thrillers and immersive fantasy. Time Out Bookstore manager is Jenna Todd.

10:45 Around the motu: Jonathan McKenzie, Editor of the Waikato Times 

Jonathan discusses the national Facebook group formed by a Hamilton mother to investigate further action over contaminated coloured sand, young Hamiltonians struggle to find work, the local arts festival set to deliver the city a multi-million dollar cash injection and why the public can't be trusted to name a giraffe.

11:05 Book review: Over Alps and Plains in Cobb’s Name by Peter Savage

Harry Broad reviews Over Alps and Plains in Cobb’s Name by Peter Savage, published by Peter Savage.

11:10 Music with Dave Wilson: Brass bands and their social functions

Music correspondent Dave Wilson joins Kathryn to discuss brass band traditions in a few locations around the world. He'll talk about how these instruments have evolved out of military activity to become connected to sites of social, political and economic activity. The loud sounds of collective brass, and the effects they have on human listening practices, create material possibilities for people coming together, for any number of reasons. 

11:25 Tuhoe history: 'Children of the Mist' re-published

One hundred years after it was first published, the substantial history of  Tuhoe, "Children of the Mist"  by ethnologist Elsdon Best, is back in bookshops. Best traces the history of the Urerewa from the first settlers from Polynesia through to the arrival of  Europeans. But this is not just a record of what happened when, it also weaves through details of the traditions, myths, religious beliefs and practices of local iwi and hapū. The latest edition has been published under the guidance of scholar and Māori language expert, Rāpata  Wiri, ( Ngā Tūhoe  and Ngāti Ruapani) who also writes a preface for the book. There is also a second volume that sets out the genealogy, or whakapapa, of iwi descended from Mātaatua Waka - one of the great Polynesian voyaging canoes that tradition says migrated to NZ. And it doesn't end there - the set also includes a fold out map of ancient pā sites. Kathryn talks to Rāpata Wiri.

11:45 Science with Jen Martin: Kiss evolution + seagull shouting

Science commentator Jen Martin joins Kathryn with three fascinating studies. The first suggests that kissing may have evolved 21.5 million years ago. Ever had your chips eyed up by a greedy seagull? This study suggests that yes, shouting at them, probably works. And researchers have found being a famous singer can raise your risk of an early death - but why?

Jen Martin founded the science communication program at the University of Melbourne, runs the espressoscience.com blog and is also the author of Why Am I Like This?: The Science Behind Your Weirdest Thoughts and Habits.