Nine To Noon for Wednesday 9 April 2025

09:05 Report reveals extent of problems with Māori Land Court digitisation project

A litany of failures following changes made and millions of dollars spent  on digitising the Māori Land Court has been revealed in a report from the Ministry of Justice. Overhauling the Court's information systems was part of the 2019 Whenua Māori Programme, with approximately $8 million allocated for the project in Budget 2019. But so far more than $24m has been spent, with the new digital solution, Pātaka Whenua, going live in May 2023, after an initial deadline of October 2020. A Post-Implementation Review, commissioned last year by the Ministry of Justice and obtained by Nine to Noon under the Official Information Act, details the significant volume of complaints from users since the system went live, the whakamā court staff feel since the rollout, and the increased workload it has generated for them. The Ministry is now working to try and correct the digital programme despite much of it already "hard-coded in". Glenn Tootill is a director at Maurea Law, a member of the Māori Law Society and is on the Ministry's external users reference group for Pātaka Whenua and Carl Crafar is the Ministry of Justice Chief Operating Officer for Operations and Service Delivery.

09:20 Construction costs flat after pandemic surge

Construction cost increases had their second-lowest annual increase on record, according to CoreLogic. The data and analytics company says construction costs are up by 0.9 per cent for the year - a complete turnaround from the double-figure increases seen in 2022. CoreLogic measures the cost of wages and materials - but not land - to build a standard 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom single-storey house. CoreLogic's chief economist Kelvin Davidson describes the situation as moderate, and while the costs of materials have flattened, the cost of building is not retreating. The most recent quarter saw roof flashings and sheet metal rising by up to 4 per cent, structural steel up 1 per cent - while kitchen cabinetry and PVC pipework and fittings fell. Kelvin Davidson says a sharp drop off in dwelling consents and building work in the last two years has helped take the heat out of costs.

09:30 Streaming in schools doesn't lift achievement: educator

Nathanial Swain is a former primary teacher turned education academic who says streaming classes by ability level is not the way to go to lift achievement. Dr Swain is a Senior Lecturer in Learning Sciences at La Trobe University in Melbourne and the founder of Dr Swain's Cognitorium, an online community of teachers has 23,000 members and growing - many in this country. He says teachers have to deal with growing workloads, staff shortages, and sometimes their own mental health issues as well as their students, so it's vital they use best practice in the classroom. Dr Swain says splitting students into ability streams, or even splitting a class into smaller ability groups is not effective. Instead, he says 'whole class' teaching promotes excellence and equity. Nathanial Swain will be Auckland this weekend to speak to the SPELD conference - SPELD is a not-for-profit organisation that specialises in assisting people with dyslexia and other specific learning disabilities.

09:45 Australia: Trump fallout, Darwin Port, medical drone trial, Mokbel free

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton looks at the impact Donald Trump's tariff wars are having on the ASX 200 index and what it's done to the Australian dollar. The Darwin Port has been drawn into the election campaign, with both main parties in a battle to outdo each other on who's more committed to stripping Chinese-owned company Landbridge of its 99-year lease. Medical drones are being trialed in the Northern Territory to bring supplies and tests to remote indigenous communities and notorious gangland figure Tony Mokbel has bene freed after almost 20 years in jail.

Karen Middleton is a political journalist based in Canberra

10:05 Rachel Paris, a former Auckland lawyer turned author, attracts Hollywood interest with debut thriller 

 Most of Rachel Paris's life has been devoted to building a spectacular career in commercial law, from earning a masters degree at Harvard to becoming one of the youngest ever partners at top New Zealand law firm  Bell Gully. But during Covd-19 she left corporate law to undertake a masters in creative writing at the University of Auckland. Now, she has realised a childhood dream of becoming an author with the publication of "See How They Fall." The thriller has already garnered comparisons with the TV series "Succession" and interest from Hollywood. Rachel Paris joins Kathryn to talk about her writing journey.

10:35 Book review: The Bookshop Detectives 2: Tea and Cake and Death by Gareth Ward and Louise Ward 

Lynn Freeman reviews The Bookshop Detectives 2: Tea and Cake and Death by Gareth Ward and Louise Ward published by Penguin Random House NZ

10:45 Around the motu: Libby Kirkby-McLeod in Hamilton

Construction has begun on the country’s biggest solar farm, Waikato University starts a new pharmacy course, a Waikato Medical Fund fills funding gaps, and water restrictions end in Hamilton and Waipa.

Libby Kirkby-McLeod is a RNZ Waikato Reporter.

11:05 Music with Kirsten Zemke: Girl Power

Music reviewer Kirsten Zemke looks at the latest crop of successful young female pop stars, including Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and Billie Eilish.

Kirsten Zemke is an ethnomusicologist at the University of Auckland's School of Social Sciences.

11:20 Can you change your partner's behavior? Should you try?

Most people in a relationship have aspects of their partner they'd like to change. From minor irritations like how they stack the dishwasher, to bigger issues like attitudes to money or parenting styles. But can you really change someone's behavior? Should you try - and if so how? Therapist, educator and researcher Jo Robertson joins Kathryn and will take your questions - text them to 2101 or email ninetonoon@rnz.co.nz

11:45 Science: GE wolf back from extinction, how background music drains work focus

Science commentator Allan Blackman joins Kathryn to look at the success had by Colossal Biosciences at bringing back the dire wolf, which went extinct 12,500 years ago. Through genetic engineering they've managed to produce three dire wolf pups. A new study has found the wrong background music can really affect employees' performance in their jobs. The five big risks for cardiovascular disease are well known: smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity. But a new study has found people who maintain a healthy lifestyle at the age of 50, free of those risk factors, live longer and enjoy a longer health span.

Allan Blackman is a Professor of Chemistry, School of Science, Auckland University of Technology