Nine To Noon

One of the biggest news stories emerging in Northland over the past week has been a series of extremely divisive talks held opposing co-governance. At one of the meetings in Dargaville, police had to ask people to leave when arguments broke out. And there are more talks to come. Also Sam talks to Kathryn about the sudden liquidation of the company running a big-cat sanctuary and the risk of the animals being put down. And investigations are wrapping up one year on since the Enchanter fishing charter sank off North Cape.

Airini Beautrais reviews A Forager's Life by Helen Lehndorf, published by HarperCollins NZ

As the world heats up, researchers in Australia have developed a heat stress scale to help people avoid the risk of health problems from heatwaves which are intensifying globally. Professor Ollie Jay is the director of the University of Sydney's Heat and Health Research Incubator, and he is leading the world-first project, in collaboration with the Sydney Environment Institute. The heat stress scale in conjunction with an accompanying app aims to help the public handle the heat and also minimise, or avoid, health risks arising from more frequent heatwaves. Professor Jay says his team is striving to reduce the health impacts of extreme heat across a person's lifespan - as the growing extremes of climate ultimately affect everyone

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton joins Kathryn to talk about the Aukus submarine and defence technology details announced yesterday - including its $368b price tag over the next 30 years. It's the biggest spend in Australia's history, and will see the country buy at least 3 US Virginia class nuclear-powered submarines. Karen will also look at the lavish spending of Hillsong Pentecostal Church that was revealed under parliamentary privilege by MP Andrew Wilkie, and the class action lawsuit that's being taken by more than 60 AFL players against the league over the impact of concussion on their health.

As Cyclone Gabrielle bore down on New Zealand, two would-be visitors to the south Pacific were forced to make an emergency detour.

Doctors and nurses were paid almost half a million dollars from drug companies in the form of gifts, travel and sponsorship during 2021, according to a Stuff analysis of data provided to Medicines NZ. It's the first time pharmaceutical companies have publicly reported their financial relationship with individual New Zealand health professionals. Research shows drug company gifts and payments can influence prescribing and in the wake of the role big pharma played in the US opioid crisis, there has been an international push for more transparency. But the information given to Medicines NZ is far from comprehensive and not all companies handed over their data. So do we really have a true picture of their influence and the payments being made? Kathryn speaks to the Chief Executive of Medicines NZ, Dr Graeme Jarvis and Associate Professor of psychological medicine at Auckland University David Menkes.

Tales of comebacks, upsets and tantrums - Sam looks at the biggest stories moving the sporting needle right now, including the Black Caps producing a remarkable finish for the second consecutive test, what the Crusaders shock start means for Scott Robertson's All Black ambitions and the rise of New Zealand's sprinting star.

A third of the world's penguins live on and around New Zealand's shores. Some species are listed as endangered, including erect-crested penguins, Kathryn's subject of conversation with Thomas Mattern. Thomas recently went on a six week mission by yacht to the Antipodes and the even more remote and rarely-visited Bounty Islands, trying to establish how the little-known-about erect-crested penguin is actually doing. Thomas Mattern is Research Fellow in the School of Zoology at the University of Otago, part of the team at the Tawaki Project and the Global Penguin Society.

Business commentator Pattrick Smellie joins Kathryn to examine yesterday's announcement that main benefits, including pensions and student allowances will be increased by 7.22 per cent to keep up with inflation - what will the effect be on wages? He'll also look at the government's less sure-footed Industry Transformation Plans and the odd timing of Beef and Lamb NZ's campaign against carbon farming of forests.

RNZ journalist Andrew McRae joins Kathryn to talk about the cleanup efforts around Waikato following Cyclone Gabrielle, why the idea of a super council taking in Hamilton and surrounding districts is being floated again, why the days of free entry into Hamilton Gardens is numbered and the continued opposition to planned development on the Opoia pa site.