95bFM: The Wire

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka has made a last-minute amendment to the Tīkapa Moana Protection Bill that would create new “high protection” areas in the Hauraki Gulf.

The amendment would allow commercial fishing in these newly created protected areas.

Wire Host Caeden spoke to Dr Simon Thrush, Professor of Marine Science at the University of Auckland, about what he thought of the latest amendment. 

And they spoke to Forest and Bird Advocate Bianca Ranson  about their opposition to the bill amendment.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden speaks to Carmel Sepuloni about the recent 1-News-Verian poll, the Western Samoan Citizenship Bill gaining unanimous support at select committee, and the divorce law change known as ‘Ashley’s law’ that was passed through Parliament yesterday.

For States of the States this week they speak to Andre Fa’aoso from the Yale Daily News about presidential candidate Donald Trump’s mental fitness after a recent rally, celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day, and a recent letter sent by the Biden administration threatening to withhold arms from Israel. 

They speak to Liz from Student Justice for Palestine Otago about a video showing pro-Palestine students in a hostile stand-off with campus security. 

And they speak about changes to the Tīkapa Moana Protection Bill with the University of Auckland’s Dr Simon Thrush and Forest and Bird’s Bianca Ranson. 

For City Counselling this week, Sofia speak to Councillor Shane Henderson about the Ports of Auckland using the Fast-track Bill to convert the Captain Cook and Marsden wharves into a waterfront attraction and Council’s new roaming dog squad. 

She also speaks to University of Auckland Law Professor, Mark Henaghan, about the Family Proceedings Amendment Bill passing its third reading yesterday.

For States of the States, 95bFM's US election coverage, Wire Host Caeden speaks to Andre Fa’aoso from the Yale Daily News about presidential candidate Donald Trump’s mental fitness after a recent rally, celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day, and a recent letter sent by the Biden administration threatening to withhold arms from Israel.

Yesterday, the Family Proceedings (Dissolution of Marriage or Civil Union for Family Violence) Amendment Bill, colloquially known as Ashley’s law, passed its third reading. 

The Bill would allow family violence survivors with a protection order to dissolve their marriages immediately without going through a court process, reforming the Family Proceedings Act which has been in place since 1981. 

Sofia spoke to Professor of Law at the University of Auckland, Mark Henaghan, about the Bill and what changes it would bring. 

She started the interview asking him what the current law is for divorce.

Apathy, distress and hopelessness are common things to joke about among young people. Doomscrolling and bedrotting are among some of the terms used to describe general apathy and lack of motivation towards our current world.

New Zealand has one of the highest reported news avoidance rates in the world at sixty-percent choosing to not seek out news. New Zealanders are frustrated with the quality of news reporting and negative news stories, fuelling a worsening mental state. Social Media also has a part to play in how people receive news, now mainly focused on pop-culture icons rather than real journalism. 

Sasha spoke to Doctor Alex Beattie, a lecturer in Media and Communication about why New Zealanders actively choose to ignore the news and apathy within the youngest generations. We also spoke about a new era of escapism versus a culture of overproduction in our society.

The Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ just released Our Air 2024, a three yearly report featuring data on air pollution levels and its impacts.

The report found that, while concentrations of various particulates had reduced, and overall air quality in Aotearoa had improved, air pollution had a much greater contribution to diseases and birth defects across the country than previously expected. 

Oto spoke to Dr Joel Rindelaub, a senior lecturer in Chemical sciences at the University of Auckland, to discuss the report and the impacts of air pollution on the human body.

Recently, the HMNZS Manawanui sank off the coast of Samoa, after hitting a reef and catching fire. 

Following the sinking, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) announced a Court of Inquiry, after being called on by a Samoan International Relations expert based in New Zealand.

Usually, similar incidents regarding major maritime vessels would be investigated by Maritime New Zealand, and may also be referred to the Transport Accident Investigation Commission. However, as the Manawanui was a naval vessel engaged in governmental activity, the NZDF is holding the inquiry.

News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke to a Professor in the Faculty of Law at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT), Paul Myburgh, about what this inquiry could mean.

As well as this, an estimate of up to 200,000 litres of diesel has leaked into the ocean from the wreckage.

New Zealand's Deputy Chief of Navy, Commodore Andrew Brown, says that there is currently no evidence that the spillage has come from the main fuel tanks onboard, which appear to be intact.

This comes as the Chief of the Navy, Rear Admiral Garin Golding, told RNZ’s Morning Report that roughly 950 tonnes of diesel fuel was onboard when the HMNZS Manawanui sank.

They also spoke to a Lecturer in the Department of Marine Science at the University of Otago, Dr Bridie Allan, about how much of a concern the spillage is so far, and what the environmental implications of the spillage could look like.

For their regular catch-up, Wire Host Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez March about the recent amendments to the Hauraki Gulf protection bill and the impacts of commercial fishing, the recent 1news Verian poll showing that 40% of New Zealanders think Aotearoa is in a worse state today than it was last year, and the Samoan Citizenship Bill drafted by fellow Greens MP Teanau Tuiono getting getting passed in the select committee and moving on to it’s second reading.

He also spoke to Dr Joel Rindelaub, a senior lecturer in Chemical sciences at the University of Auckland, to discuss the recent report by the Ministry of Environment and Stats NZ analysing air pollution in Aotearoa and its Impacts.

News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke to Professor in the Faculty of Law at the Auckland University of Technology, Paul Myburgh, and  Lecturer in the Department of Marine Science at the University of Otago, Dr Bridie Allan, about an Court of Inquiry being called for the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui in Samoa, and the subsequent oil spillage that has occurred due to the incident.

The STAR community group covers an area in West Auckland, mostly along the coastline. It was set up to respond to the large storm events at the start of last year and encourage residents to support one another. 

Wire host Castor spoke to Dorothy Wilson from the group about the impact on the ground, and what people want to see from the government in a new emergency management system. 

Wire host Castor began by asking about the immediate fallout of the weather events last year.

Among the various inquiries into the government’s response to last year's Auckland Anniversary and Cyclone Gabrielle flooding was Te Weu me Te Wai, a report assessing the floods' impact on marginalised communities and identifying potential changes the government could make.

Wire host Castor spoke to Associate Professor George Laking, one of the report’s authors, about the issues with the current system and the report’s recommendations.