Nine To Noon

Susie Ferguson speaks to Renee Taylor, founder of Salt Aotearoa. Her purpose is to inspire greater connection with the ocean, by encouraging people to learn to freedive, spearfish, and to collect kaimoana. She's relatively new to the activity herself, only learning to freedive and spearfish at the age of 30. But it's had such a profound impact on her own life, that she wants to share it with others, particularly other wahine Maori. Renee Taylor says it's reconnected her with her Maoritanga, and has changed the way she sees the impacts of humans on the moana, and our taiao, our natural world. Salt Aotearoa offers opportunities for people to get in the water and learn to dive, by hosting free dive events and diving camps.

Germany correspondent Thomas Sparrow discusses how the EU plans to reduce gas consumption in response to Russia reducing gas deliveries. He also talks about travel chaos as Lufthansa was forced to cancel over 1000 flights. Thomas is a political correspondent for Deutsche Welle, based in Berlin.

Could wood fibre technology be a game changer for our horticulture industry and help reduce carbon emissions? Locally grown fruit, vegetables and plants are all generally grown in compost or potting mix which contains peat. Peat is a highly sought after ingredient which boosts production, retains nutrients and holds water but it is imported, and mining of it has been banned recently in the UK and Ireland because of the high levels of carbon emitted in the process. A Matamata company, Daltons, which supplies growing media such as potting mix, has just imported the first wood fibre processing machine which will use wood chips from pinus radiatus trees to reduce its reliance on peat. Susie Ferguson speaks with Scott Bromwich from Dalton's and Dr Brian Jackson from the University of North Carolina, has been researching alternatives to peat for nearly 20 years.

Private landlords say they don't necessarily want to conduct frequent intrusive inspections of rented properties, but rigid insurance policies require it. Landlords and property managers who take out loss-of-rent policies have to carry out regular inspections to cover their insurance obligations - or risk having a claim rejected. Most insurers require these to be done every three months. The Property Investors Federation says for low risk, long term tenants, this is onerous and unnecessary, and Renters United says such frequent inspections are stressful and and intrusive for tenants. Susie Ferguson speaks with Property Investors Federation President Andrew King; Geordie Rogers, President of the tenants' advocacy group Renters United and Tim Grafton, the Chief Executive of the Insurance Council.

A New Zealander living in London who's receiving the cost of living payment says she wants to opt out, but it's not a simple matter. From today - anyone who earns under $70,000 a year, and is not eligible for the winter energy payment, will see $116 appear in their bank account - the first installment of the $350 payment over the next three months. So far 56 people have contacted IRD to opt out of the payment. Susie speaks with London based IT worker, Laura, who left New Zealand in 2014.

Comedians Te Radar and Kathryn Burnett look back on the stories that made them laugh this week.

The Commonwealth Games are underway, but will it truly capture the public's imagination? Sam Ackerman joins us to look at why some feel the shine is coming off the Games, as well as the latest controversies embroiling the rugby codes.

Martene McCaffrey of Unity Books Auckland reviews Joan by Katherine Chen, published by Hodder Martene says Chen's Joan is a retelling of a familiar figure in European history. The novel is a fictionalised account of the heroine Joan of Arc, focusing on her life and ambitions, as opposed to her famous end at the stake.

A thoroughly modern Cinderella centred around a quest for identity, true love and the courage to be yourself is being staged by the Royal New Zealand Ballet Company. Cinderella is the company's first national tour in more than a year, and the first production performed at its renovated home base, the St James Theatre in Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. The new ballet, three years in the making, has been choreographed and composed by Kiwis Loughlan Prior and Claire Cowan.

Susana Lei'ataua, RNZ Pacific's news editor, has the latest from the Pacific, including the election in Papua New Guinea, Samoa opening its border for the first time on Monday, and Pacific participation in the Commonwealth Games.