Nine To Noon

Mark Amery heads to Gore, Foxton and Whanganui to consider how visionary individuals in some of our smaller but rich historical centres are bringing art and heritage together to maintain their towns' identity post-industry and their futures as dynamic visitor destinations.

Lisa Finucane reviews The Raffles Affair by Vicki Virtue, published by Penguin.

Field biologist Alexandra Morton has been on a 30 year crusade to save British Columbia's wild salmon taking on governments and industry. Her extensive research has shone a light on the detrimental impact of ocean based salmon farming off Canada's west coast. Alexandra Morton's latest book Not on My Watch has been described as a roadmap of resistance.

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton joins Kathryn to talk about the lifting of Sydney's lockdown and decreasing Covid cases in Melbourne, a possible deal between National and Liberal parties over climate change that could break a political stalemate, a corruption scandal engulfing the Labor party in Victoria and Bonza, a new airline could take to Australian skies next year.

Christchurch and Banks Peninsula residents can go on line from Friday to find out how vulnerable their properties are to coastal erosion. It's part of Christchurch City Council's efforts to engage residents in moves to adapt coastal and low-lying areas of the city and the peninsula in line with predicted sea level rises. It's anticipated the digital tool will give residents information so they can be part of this conversation Using data from a Coastal Hazard Assessment report by environmental and engineering consultancy Tonkin and Taylor, residents will be able to see how coastal flooding, erosion and groundwater levels could affect their properties from now until the middle of the century, through a colour coding system. Data suggests parts of Christchurch and Banks Peninsula are likely to become uinhabitable by 2050. Council principal programme advisor Jane Morgan speaks with Kathryn Ryan.

The need to prove you are who you say you are has increased in the digital era - and anyone wanting a vaccine "passport" is going to have to go through the process. In order to access their vaccination records and certificate, people will have to go via the government's RealMe service or sign up for a new My Health Account. RealMe - run by Internal Affairs - is one of a number of providers offering digital identity verification, but there are concerns the department will also play the role of regulator too, with new legislation introduced to Parliament. The Digital Identity Services Trust Framework Bill will set up the legal structure for providing secure and trusted digital identity services for people and organisations. Kathryn speaks with Colin Wallis, incoming executive director of Digital Identity NZ and James Brown, Director of Global Partnerships with APLYiD.

Financial planner Liz Koh says we are at the start of a new economic cycle in which there will be winners and losers. The winners will be those who are prepared for the change.

It was a story that brought the world to a near standstill - well, in shipping anyway - and sparked many a meme. It was the unfortunate grounding of the massive container ship Ever Given in the Suez canal back in March, after it was buffeted by a sand storm and got stuck.

Is West Auckland going to get a vote on the future of its booze monopoly?. Rebecca says West Auckland's alcohol monopoly looks set to be put to the vote with a community group delivering a petition with over 37,500 signatures to the Waitakere Licensing Trust last week.

Jessie Bray Sharpin reviews The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki, published by Text Publishing.