More delays for Christchurch's Metro Sports facility is unwelcome news for the country's top swimmers.

Greater Christchurch Regeneration Minister, Megan Woods has sacked the contractor for next year's build, after a budget blowout of more than $75 million.

Completion's been put back again to early 2021.

Paralympic swimmer Sophie Pascoe's coach, Roly Crighton told Mike Hosking they were hoping she'd be able to train there sooner rather than later.

"We were looking very much forward to 2020, being in that complex prior to Tokyo."

LISTEN ABOVE AS ROLY CRIGHTON SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

A growing taste for alternative proteins is posing challenges for the meat industry.

Alternatives such as plant proteins, lab proteins and insect-based products are becoming increasing popular as more people turn away from meat.

Rabobank animal protein analyst, Blake Holgate told Mike Hosking the market for alternative proteins has exploded.

"You are talking billions of dollars particularly over in that U.S market."

He said alternative products are quickly becoming mainstream.

"At the moment it's very much that premium highly branded products targeting that millennial group. But over time as the technology improves we do see it becoming a low cost competitor."

LISTEN ABOVE AS BLAKE HOLGATE SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

The UN is looking to define what constitutes a 'killer robot' - and who can be held responsible.

A panel is set to move ahead with talks to define and set rules on weapons that can kill without human involvement.

It comes after an open letter was signed, calling for an international ban on the creation of what's referred to as 'lethal autonomous weapons systems'.

Founder of Kiwi Business X-Craft Enterprises Philip Solaris - who signed the letter - said it's a move in the right direction.

"There's still a long way to go as far as getting the other big nations that are involved in this arms race, around the table and agreeing to putting some sort of limits on it."

LISTEN ABOVE AS PHILLIP SOLARIS SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

Don't expect butter prices to drop anytime soon.

A block of butter now costs around $5.70, which is 60 percent more than this time last year.

READ MORE: Dairy companies defend rising prices

ASB rural economist, Nathan Penny told Mike Hosking international demand for butter has surged, as the product is no longer considered unhealthy.

"It's seen as not being bad for you anymore, the myth around the link between heart disease and animal fats has been busted."

LISTEN ABOVE AS NATHAN PENNY SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

There are doubts a manned re entry of Pike River mine will ever happen.

Pike River Minister Andrew Little has had sign-off from Cabinet to establish a government agency and hopes to re enter the Pike River Mine by March 2019.

However, geologist Dr Murry Cave told Mike Hosking there are too many technical difficulties, and promises shouldn't be made to the families of the Pike 29. 

"In the area where the fresh air base was, we know that that area has collapsed and there's a lot of rubble there. Getting through all that rubble would be almost technically impossible I would have thought."

Cave doubts the bodies of the 29 men will ever be retrieved.

"That really implies that you're going to get into the guts of the mine, which I don't think is really possible at all."

While Andrew Little said the decision will come down to him, National's pike spokesperson Amy Adams says Labour's significantly dialled back promises made on the campaign trail.

She says it justifies the cautious approach her party took to re entry

Support for an Auckland school which sent home a healthy-but-non-immunised student in the wake of the mumps epidemic.

It's the worst outbreak of the contagious disease in the region for 20 years.

St Peters College sent home a Year 8 student for 12 days, after it was revealed he wasn't immunised, meaning he misses exams and a school camp.

Immunisation Advisory Centre director, Dr Nikki Turner told Mike Hosking it's a good step by the school.

"If the person had gone and got immunised he could have gone back to school, it's perfectly reasonable. Remembering that mumps is highly infectious and I think somebody else would be rather annoyed if they got mumps from somebody who hadn't got around to getting vaccinated."

Turner said most of those contracting mumps are young adults and older adolescents, who may have missed out on their vaccine - which is now given to babies at 15 months.

"You've got a few people who are anti-vaccination in there and importantly there are a few people in that age group who come from countries that don't have a mumps-containing vaccine so they may not know they haven't got mumps."

LISTEN ABOVE AS NIKKI TURNER SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

The UN is looking to define what constitutes a 'killer robot' - and who can be held responsible.

A panel is set to move ahead with talks to define and set rules on weapons that can kill without human involvement.

It comes after an open letter was signed, calling for an international ban on the creation of what's referred to as 'lethal autonomous weapons systems'.

Founder of Kiwi Business X-Craft Enterprises Philip Solaris - who signed the letter - said it's a move in the right direction.

"There's still a long way to go as far as getting the other big nations that are involved in this arms race, around the table and agreeing to putting some sort of limits on it."

LISTEN ABOVE AS PHILLIP SOLARIS SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

A growing taste for alternative proteins is posing challenges for the meat industry.

Alternatives such as plant proteins, lab proteins and insect-based products are becoming increasing popular as more people turn away from meat.

Rabobank animal protein analyst, Blake Holgate told Mike Hosking the market for alternative proteins has exploded.

"You are talking billions of dollars particularly over in that U.S market."

He said alternative products are quickly becoming mainstream.

"At the moment it's very much that premium highly branded products targeting that millennial group. But over time as the technology improves we do see it becoming a low cost competitor."

LISTEN ABOVE AS BLAKE HOLGATE SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

Don't expect butter prices to drop anytime soon.

A block of butter now costs around $5.70, which is 60 percent more than this time last year.

READ MORE: Dairy companies defend rising prices

ASB rural economist, Nathan Penny told Mike Hosking international demand for butter has surged, as the product is no longer considered unhealthy.

"It's seen as not being bad for you anymore, the myth around the link between heart disease and animal fats has been busted."

LISTEN ABOVE AS NATHAN PENNY SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

There are doubts a manned re entry of Pike River mine will ever happen.

Pike River Minister Andrew Little has had sign-off from Cabinet to establish a government agency and hopes to re enter the Pike River Mine by March 2019.

However, geologist Dr Murry Cave told Mike Hosking there are too many technical difficulties, and promises shouldn't be made to the families of the Pike 29. 

"In the area where the fresh air base was, we know that that area has collapsed and there's a lot of rubble there. Getting through all that rubble would be almost technically impossible I would have thought."

Cave doubts the bodies of the 29 men will ever be retrieved.

"That really implies that you're going to get into the guts of the mine, which I don't think is really possible at all."

While Andrew Little said the decision will come down to him, National's pike spokesperson Amy Adams says Labour's significantly dialled back promises made on the campaign trail.

She says it justifies the cautious approach her party took to re entry