Nine To Noon

Kathryn talks to Local Democracy Reporter Alisha Evans from the Western Bay Plenty about how the Tauranga CBD is in "crisis" and struggling for customers.

Catriona Ferguson reviews The Things We Do To Our Friends by Heather Darwent, published by Penguin Random House

It's been a long quest to solve an Australian military mystery, identifying a man, who for 80 years was the 'unknown' sailor. This is a case that had bugged the Royal Australian Navy for decades, trying to put a name to a World War Two crewman who was found to have initially surivived a fierce nautical fight battle off the coast of Western Australia in 1941 between the HMAS Sydney and a German warship. Both boats sank and it was thought that all the Australian crew died. But months after the ocean conflict, a life raft with the remains of an unidentified HMAS Sydney Crewman was found near Christmas Island. He was one of the 645 crew who died in what remains Australia's greatest naval disaster. No other bodies were recovered. But who was he? This is where DNA expert Dr Jeremy Austin from the University of Adelaide takes up the intriguing story.

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton joins Kathryn to talk about the Prime Minister unveiling details of the wording to the proposed change to Australia's constitution to formally recognise Indigenous people and establish a permanent advisory body known as the Voice. A deal has been reached that will force big-emitting companies in Australia to decarbonise, after the Albanese government struck a deal with the Greens. The federal government is working on legislation to ban the Nazi salute and other Nazi symbols amid controversy over Posie Parker's protest last week, which has left a Liberal MP from Victoria narrowly avoiding being expelled from her party for attending the rally. And former US President Barack Obama is in the country on a speaking tour.

Seven weeks on from the initial carnage hardest hit communities are still clearing debris. The day after the cyclone hit, we spoke with Bridget Parker whose property is near Tolaga Bay. She despairingly described the extensive damage caused to her home, farm and orchard by forestry slash that had washed onto her property. Following the storm, the government announced a long-awaited inquiry into woody debris , which includes forestry slash and sediment-related damage in Tairawhiti and Wairoa. But earlier this week, Bill Bayfield, one of the inquiry's three panel members was forced to stand down after being found to have compromised his independence, and last night Stuart Nash was stripped of his ministerial portfolios for breaching the Cabinet Manual, including Minister of Forestry. Kathryn discusses the issue with the Forest Industry Contractors Association Chief Executive Prue Younger and checks back in with Bridget Parker.

A local cloud computing specialist is warning about the dangers of our critical data being held on cloud services owned by international companies. Data held onshore by an overseas owned cloud provider is not, and can never be, under the exclusive control of Aotearoa, according a legal opinion obtained by the cloud computing company Catalyst Cloud. A new digital strategy for the courts has just been released by the Office of the Chief Justice. Local cloud computing firm Catalyst Cloud is so concerned about prospect of our judiciary adopting a US-based cloud computing provider, that it sought an opinion from a King's Counsel which concluded the only way to avoid jurisdictional risk is by holding government information exclusively in New Zealand. Police already use a US-based cloud computing provider, holding evidential material, including about sex crimes. Kathryn discusses with Doug Dixon, CE of local provider Catalyst Cloud.

Matatu stun red hot favourites Chiefs Manawa to win Super Rugby Aupiki, meanwhile in Super Rugby Pacific, the top teams are starting to take shape. The Warriors are in the top four of the NRL after four rounds, and the ANZ Netball Premiership, is shaping up to be a tight competition. In Cricket, the Black Caps are seeking to seal a one-day series win over Sri Lanka and in football, the All Whites have finally broken their goal scoring drought.

Gemma Rasmussen, head of Communications and Campaigns for Consumer NZ joins Kathryn to discuss whether the amount charged by Wilson Parking for overstaying allotted parking time is out of proportion, talk about Consumer's new campaign to combat "greenwashing" and whether those "specials" at the supermarket are really special at all.

The RBNZ monetary policy statement is due next week, Pattrick discusses whether another 25 basis points rise is on the cards? Or more? He says much seems to rest on whether the fragility in US and European banks eases. Pattrick Smellie is the editor and co-founder of BusinessDesk and has reported on the New Zealand economy and business since 1983.

A Wellington couple fears their home is in negative equity after two slips on their Vogeltown property, raising the question of whether people need to get a engineer's report before buying property. Last year's slips cost Wellington City Council a record $1.8m to clear. The latest in Cook Strait crossing woes, three investigations and an audit are underway after Kaitaki lost power in Cook Strait and passengers are calling for quicker investigation into ongoing ferry issues. And Georgina tells Kathryn what she's stick of people saying Wellington is dying.