Nine To Noon for Monday 14 April 2025

09:05 High prices, lack of options hamper homes with gas

Homes with piped or bottled gas are facing increasing prices and fewer choices, as complaints about services doubled in the last year. And it's not just households. The Whanganui District Council recently doubled the entry fee to its swimming pools and upped cremation fees - with the council's chief executive saying its gas bill had risen by 80 to 90 per cent - 'an $800,000 increase across the board'. Vegetables NZ recently reported one of its members' gas bill was up 200 per cent in five years. That sector is now partnering with GNS Science to consider the possibility of geothermal heat to replace gas for greenhouse growing. Gas New Zealand, which represents the gas industry, is aware of high prices and difficult market conditions. Its chief executive, Jeffrey Clarke, says there is still a future for gas as a fuel out to 2050 and beyond. With 600,000 households in New Zealand using gas, Consumer's manager of Powerswitch, Paul Fuge, says the problems are only likely to get worse with gas supply continuing to drop each year and with the burden of paying for the network left to houses that don't switch to electric appliances.

09:20 Surge of interest in new investment visa     

The coalition government's new "golden visa" for investors, which came into being at the beginning of the month, appears to be attracting significant interest. New Zealand Trade and Enterprise says that in two weeks from the end of March, 2,500 people visited the Active Investor Plus Visa application page - an increase of over 700% on the numbers visiting the old investor visa application at the same time last year. The new version of the investor visa has two simplified categories, the scope of acceptable investments is extended and the previous English language requirements are removed.  The Chief Executive of Malcolm Immigration, David Cooper, has just returned from Germany, Hong Kong and Singapore where he has been talking to potential investors about the new visa. He says the timing of the revamped opportunity is ideal.  

09:30  Researchers at Victoria University find new antibiotic with the potential to treat drug resistant bacteria

Researchers at Victoria University - Te Herenga Waka have discovered a new antibiotic using genome mining. The team at the School of Biological Sciences analysed a bacterial genome and identified a promising  compound they have called  "ambocidin." The new antibiotic has the potential to treat drug resistant bacteria. One of the research team, Jeremy Owen, joins Kathryn to explain how they managed to switch-on the normally silent genes that produce ambocidin.

09:45 Middle East correspondent Sebastian Usher 

The latest on Gaza, moves to try to get some kind of diplomacy going between Tehran and Washington again, and in Lebanon and Syria - has security situation stabilised at all? Sebastian Usher reports. 

10:05 Irish actor Ciarán Hinds on the power of telling war stories

 He has more than 120 acting credits to his name - everything from Jane Eyre's Mr Rochester, a Russian president in Sum of All Fears and Albus Dumbledore's brother in the Harry Potter series. Not bad for a boy from Belfast who was offered his very first acting role in 1981's Excalibur after meeting director John Boorman in a pub. Ciarán Hinds is 72 now, but not slowing down. After winning critical acclaim for his portrayal as the grandfather in Kenneth Branagh's 2021 Oscar-winning movie Belfast he's worked on five more films and six TV series. One of those is about to hit screens here - Australian drama series The Narrow Road to the Deep North which premieres this Friday, 18th April on Prime Video. It's based on the book of the same name, in which Ciarán plays the main character - Dorrigo Evans - in his later years as he charts his journey from prisoner of war to revered surgeon and reluctant war hero. He also tells Kathryn about his work in New Zealand on the yet-to-be-released Netflix mini-series East of Eden, which caught the country's attention when filming took place in Oamaru.

10:35 Book review: Surplus Women by Michelle Duff 

Ash Davida Jane reviews Surplus Women by Michelle Duff published by Te Herenga Waka University Press

10:45 Around the motu: Kirsty Pickett in Te Anau

There has been rekindled optimism that moose might still exist in the Fiordland National Park, a 7-year-old's generosity will help save lives in the Southern Lakes region, Stoat trapping efforts have been stepped up in the Greenstone Valley after four takahē deaths, and the annual wapiti bugle is well underway with 600 hunters from across the world taking part.

Kirsty Pickett is the co owner of the Southland App based in Te Anau, covering Southland and Fiordland.

10:55 A peak at Christchurch's long awaited stadium - one year from opening

Journalists in Christchurch are getting a first look at the city's long awaited new stadium, Te Kaha. The $683 million stadium  which will have capacity for 30,000 for sports events, and 36,000 for large music events and is due to open a year from now. It is the city's largest ever construction project. RNZ Christchurch reporter Anna Sargent joins Kathryn from the inner city construction site.

11:05 Political commentators Sue Moroney and Liam Hehir 

Liam Hehir is a Palmerston North lawyer, political commentator and a National Party member.

Sue Moroney is a former MP with the Labour Party and now chief executive of Community Law Centres Aotearoa. 

11:30 From oligarchs and superyachts to fish and chips in Grey Lynn

When Nathan Ward bought up a fish and chop shop in Grey Lynn three years ago it was a far cry from cooking for oligarchs on superyachts and in top restaurants in Melbourne and London. But the owner of 'Nate's Plaice' says the fast-paced Friday nights can get the heart racing just as fast as any five-star establishment. Born in Hawke's Bay but having worked abroad for many years it was the Covid-19 pandemic, that brought Nate back to New Zealand. The fish and chip shop was initially just something to keep him busy while he was here but three years later he's still at it. 

11:45 Urban Issues with Bill McKay

Napier approves a 59-lot housing development in a tsunami zone, and it's complicated. Bill discusses the recent decision, how it came to be, and who pays for maintenance and any damage from inundation.

Bill McKay is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of Auckland.