Nine To Noon

As housing intensification increases in many New Zealand towns and cities, University of Auckland ecologist Dr Margaret Stanley says retaining mature trees is key to having liveable cities, and artificial turf is not an environmentally sound subsitute for green space.

The government has chosen a light rail option linking downtown Auckland to the Airport. The plan will see a partially above and below ground rail link from the Wynyard Quarter to the airport, with 18 stops along the way. RNZ Auckland reporter Katie Todd has details.

First this morning as omicron takes hold with tens of thousands of cases projected per day - how will our diagnostic laboratoies cope? New analysis from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation suggests Omicron infections in Aotearoa New Zealand could peak at about 80-thousand a day by mid-February, in an outbreak lasting about 3 months. So how are our labs prepared for such a surge in demand for testing? Dr Juliet Elvy, Consultant Clinical Microbiologist with Asia Pacific Health Group or APHG, by far the country's largest provider of COVID lab testing in NZ. She's also deputy chair of the Medical Microbiologists network.

Laumata has been watching Encanto on Disney+, Euphoria express on Neon, Afterlife season 3 on Netflix and Liana on Youtube.

Children aged 5-11 are now eligible for the Covid vaccine, and the first week and a half of the immunisation programme has seen strong demand. But not all children will be jumping at the chance - so what if your child is scared of needles or feeling anxious about vaccine? Kathryn gets some tips from Dr Jin Russell, a community and developmental paediatrician at Starship Hospital, about how to best support your child.

Paul talks to Kathryn about supercomputers, the Metaverse and the future of the Internet. And help is on the way for the workforce shortfall in the tech sector. Late last year the Government announced a border exception to bring 600 new tech workers in, Will it help and is it enough?

The annual inflation rate has jumped to 5.9 percent, the highest annual rate since mid-1990. Consumer prices rose 1.4 percent in the three months ended December. RNZ Business Editor Gyles Beckford is in the studio with Kathryn to discuss the results.

Harry Broad reviews three of his favourite books from last year: Wai Pasifika by David Young published by OUP, Too Much Money by Max Rashbrooke published by BWB and Performer a Memoir by Paul Maunder published by Te Puawai.

Harriet talks about the pressure on Boris Johnson over 'Partygate', the latest on Covid, and the cost of living crisis.

Gloria Hakken of Waikanae tells Kathryn the remarkable story of her parents-in-law who were members of the Dutch resistance and who hid a Jewish toddler, Elli, in their house in Amsterdam for two years from 1941. After the war, they moved to New Zealand with their three sons but never knew what happened to Elli. A few years ago Gloria, went on a mission to find the lost girl, who had moved to Brazil, and managed to reunite her with the Hakken family in New Zealand. Gloria and her family will be at an event will be held at parliament this afternoon to mark United Nations International Holocaust Remembrance Day.