Nine To Noon

Crystal Gibbons, RNZ reporter on the scene covering Wellington’s Moa Point wastewater plant shutdown. She describes the alarm-triggered discharge, equipment failure and staff evacuation. Listens to plans to restore power, divert flow and resume service. Notes health warnings at Lyle Bay and south coast beaches and how central the plant is to Wellington’s sewage system.

Jen Martin, science communicator and founder of the Science Communication Program at the University of Melbourne, breaks down new wellbeing research. She explores links between positive thinking and vaccine response, explains how brain reward systems can affect immunity, and looks at how music — its volume and familiarity — changes driving behaviour and risk.

Madeleine Eskedahl, Swedish-born crime novelist living in New Zealand, creator of the Matakana series. She discusses a murder at a pottery retreat, wartime links to local secrets, recurring investigators Bill Granger and Nico Sopoanga, and why a picturesque town hides dark undercurrents. She also touches on Nordic influences, local reactions, and a forthcoming book about environmental crime.

Gyles Beckford, RNZ business editor who analyzes labour and economic data, breaks down a surprising unemployment rise to 5.4%. He explains why job gains coincided with higher unemployment. Short segments cover workforce re-entry, a jump in part-time roles and women returning, youth underutilisation, slow wage growth vs inflation, and what this could mean for interest-rate decisions.

Samantha Gee, RNZ Nelson-based reporter who covers regional and environmental news. She discusses new funding for the Nelson marina and the jobs it will bring. She outlines vandalism at river monitoring sites and threats from vehicles on the Marlborough coast. She also reports kiwi breeding success at Brook Waimarama Sanctuary and new support for local firefighting and health initiatives.

Ralph McAllister, an experienced book reviewer, highlights three standout 2025 titles. He discusses John Boyne's quartet and its quiet father-son reconciliation. He explores David Szalay's Booker-winning Flesh and its stark, episodic storytelling. He also reviews Anthony Hopkins's memoir, tracing struggle, recovery and theatrical turning points.

Joshua Hinton, actor and playwright who created A Place in the Sultan's Kitchen, blends storytelling and live cooking to tell his family's migration and faith journey. He talks about recording his grandmother's stories, choreographing onstage cooking, family repartee and the Sultan's Kitchen restaurant. Conversations after performances and sharing curry with the audience are also featured.

Karen Middleton, Australia-based political journalist and correspondent, breaks down the Reserve Bank’s 0.25% rate hike and what it means for the economy. She unpacks tensions in the Coalition, Nationals-Liberals splits and shifting conservative support. Karen also outlines the extended protest ban in Sydney for President Herzog’s visit and the cancellation of a major Mardi Gras afterparty.

Dr Wei-Ching Zhuang, a water-quality and sensing researcher at the University of Auckland, discusses flushable RFID sensors she helped develop. She explains how tiny tags travel sewer flows, how detectors read their IDs, and how the system spots illegal connections and blockages. She also covers sensor design, materials and how data can help prioritise inspections.

Raffaella Cerriello, Senior Lecturer in Business Information Systems specializing in platform economics and AI impacts. She explains why AI firms chase ad revenue, how chatbots collect deeper personal data, and why conversational ads could be more persuasive and risky. She also discusses challenges in keeping ads separate, threats to trust, and regulatory options to protect users.