Nine To Noon

09:05 Pressure mounts on Govt to cover Public Trust auditing fees 

The Public Trust has so far fielded hundreds of complaints, and more than $300,000 worth of unpaid debts owing to it after changes were made to auditing fees. In October 2024 the Government scrapped a subsidy that covered Public Trust's fee to audit vulnerable people's accounts, when those accounts are looked after by a property manager. The property manager is usually a friend or family member and the fee can be hundreds - or in some cases - thousands of dollars. Documents released under the Official Information Act show Public Trust knew the change would be stressful, and urged the Ministry of Justice to communicate the changes clearly with all property managers. But internal correspondence shows that this did not occur as well as it could have, and many people were caught unawares. Simon Palmer is his son's property manager and was shocked to receive a $600 bill for auditing fees - he is petitioning Parliament to have the subsidy re-instated. And Karen Hodgson is the Law Reform Co-ordinator for Community Law Centres Aotearoa.

09:25 School experience vital for teen wellbeing - longitudinal study

New research from the country's largest longitudinal study of child wellbeing has found experience at school is critical to good mental health in young people. The Growing Up in New Zealand study has today released several snapshots of what is happening to teens at high school. It's headline findings include young people having higher levels at satisfaction at school as being more capable at dealing with school tasks, as well as lower levels of anxiety and depression. Kids who experienced discrimination, especially those with disabilities, were less likely to be able to handle tasks at school. The report argues that student mental health and learning environments are inseparable, requiring policy to address both together. Professor Sarah-Jane Paine is research director of Growing Up in New Zealand.

09:35 Community sewing classes provide opportunity for South Auckland learners

Nine years ago Heather Black - a self-taught sewer - started her first class for adults in Auckland. A visual leaner - she wanted to help those who didn't suit traditional adult education. So she bought a second hand machine, sourced donated materials and away she went. Her class is well-suited to those with English as a second language, or deaf, but it is for all who are keen to learn. Her classes have now grown, and expanded to run across Mangere East, Manurewa, Takanini, Otara, and Manukau.

09:45 UK: Mandelson 'flight risk', Chagos deal confusion, bellwether byelection

UK correspondent Harry Taylor has the latest on the fallout from the Epstein files, including that the Speaker of the House of Commons passed on information to police about Peter Mandelson, including that he could be a flight risk. There's confusion around the UK's deal with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands, after a government minister said it was "pausing" the deal and a pocket of Manchester will be centre of attention to see who wins tomorrow's by-election.

Harry Taylor is a parliamentary reporter for PA Media

10:05 A Southland farmer, and shearing business owner, on organising the gathering of rural women know as "The Muster"  

A gathering of rural women is taking place in Southland in just over a week's time to give them a chance to take time out and connect with others after a year that has come with weather challenges for many. One of those helping to organise "The Muster," as it's called, is local farmer, Emma-Kate Rabbidge - who knows just a little bit about how high some rural women's plates are piled. She helps on the farm in Tokanui, but  also runs a shearing business, has four children - the youngest of which is still pre school age. She and her husband have recently taken on more land and she is also running a four bedroom farm stay, with a friend.  Emma-Kate talks to Kathryn about the need for rural women to take time out for themselves.   

10:30 The dance show using an AI robot to explore how tech shapes our agency

As artificial intelligence continues to advance, it's been incorporated into a dance show that seeks to highlight how technology is shaping our agency and identity. Abilitopia is part of a double bill with another show, White Noise, that will premiere tonight in Auckland. It's from the disability-led arts company Touch Compass and explores how AI - which is commonly used to support disabled people - may end up shaping the rules all of us live by. The show's director is Dr Suzanne Cowan, she's also the artistic director of Touch Compass and a teaching fellow and Convenor of the Master of Disability, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Waikato.

10:35 Book review: Three of the best from 2025

Kiran Dass reviews three of her favourite books from last year: One Day, Everyone Will Always Have Been Against This by Omar El Akkad, published by Text Publishing, Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy, published by Hamish Hamilton, and Forbidden Notebook by Alba De Céspedes, published by Pushkin Press.

10:45 Around the motu: Ian Allen in Marlborough

Ian discusses with Kathryn the lease extension at Port Marlborough for the Bluebridge ferry, a controversial cycle lane in Blenheim, a new innovation block underway for Marlborough Boy's College  and the Flaxbourne A&P show to celebrate its centenary

11:05 Tech: Rooftop satellite station angers residents, US workaround to EU blocked content

Technology correspondent Bill Bennett joins Kathryn to explain why construction of a rooftop satellite station in central Auckland has upset nearby residents - who's built it and why put it there? What do Spark and Chorus' half year results show say about the shape of the telecoms market, and the US has built a "freedom.gov" portal that will allow worldwide users to circumvent government controls on their content. 

11:25  How to help kids understand the internet and make it work for them

The internet is a rapidly changing space where adults can have trouble keeping up - let alone kids. Algorithmic manipulation, marketing profiles, fake news and an unpredictable AI future are pretty much affecting us all. The information available to make sense of it isn't usually aimed at kids - the ones set to inherit the internet and the world being shaped by it. Dr Niraj Lal is a Melbourne-based researcher and writer, who's also host of the ABC's kids' podcast Imagine This. He's written a new book called Behind the Screens, which explains the ins and outs of how the internet works - aimed at getting kids thinking about how they use it, who they interact with and what data is being gathered about them.

11:45 Screentime: Holy Days, Scrubs 2026, Reality Check: Inside ANTM

Film and television reviewer Tamar Munch joins Kathryn to talk about Holy Days (out in cinemas), a film based on Kiwi writer Joy Cowley's novel about a lost young boy and three nuns who go on a road trip. Scrubs (Disney+) is back for a 10th season, reuniting the original cast members. And Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model (Netflix) looks back on the show that became a pop-culture phenomenon but may not have stood the test of time.