Nine To Noon for Thursday 7 August 2025

09:05 Law Society calculates benefit of legal aid for first time

For the first time the return on investment for legal aid has been calculated. The report undertaken by consultancy firm Deloitte, commissioned by the Law Society found that for every dollar spent, there was a benefit worth $2.06. The benefits include reduced justice system cost through more efficient proceedings, and savings to households and the government as a result of decreased family violence. The report was commissioned as part of the Law Society's submission to the Ministry of Justice, which is consulting on changes to the legal aid system. The Government and the legal sector agree the current scheme is under pressure, and that demand is increasing, while fewer lawyers want to take on cases funded through legal aid. The Ministry of Justice has proposed options for the system including improving incentives for junior counsel to provide legal aid, reducing expenditure on specialist reports - such as alcohol and drug reports - and introducing a bulk funding mechanism where groups of lawyers, or firms, could be contracted to provide a specified volume of cases for a fixed price. The Law Society president is Frazer Barton, and Julie-Anne Kincade KC is the vice president of the Law Association and a criminal barrister.

09:20 NZ wine industry under pressure from falling demand and now 15% US tariffs

The New Zealand wine industry is among those that could be hard hit by the 15% US tariffs, particularly the sauvignon blanc producing region of Marlborough. Wine labelled from Marlborough represents around 90 per cent of exports, and the United States is this country's largest export market. The tariff challenge comes on top of  falling global demand for wine. The 2023/24  report from the national organisation, New Zealand Winegrowers, said the year had been marked by flat or declining sales and high inventory levels.  New Zealand's chief trade negotiator Vangelis Vitalis has been sent  to Washington  to plead New Zealand's case for lower tariffs.  Susie is joined by Westpac economist, Paul Clark who specialises in the wine sector.

09:30 Charity funded depression recovery centre gets referrals from public list

Wellington's unfunded depression recovery centre Whakamātūtū relies on donations, but is being asked to take on patients from the public list. The community programme offers therapeutic six week and four week day programmes for people with moderate to severe mental health needs. It was established almost 18 months ago, and offers a wrap-around programme - with a GP, psychiatrist, psychotherapists, a trauma treatment specialist as well as art, music and massage therapy. It has backing from private health insurers and some referrals from ACC - but otherwise no public funding. Whakamātūtū Director Martin Quinn says the programme helps what he calls the "missing middle" who suffer in silence, and says despite mostly being funded from donations, it is getting referrals from Health NZ's secondary mental  health services. He speaks with Susie Ferguson, along with board chair, former Retirement Commissioner,  Dame Diana Crossan.

09:45 UK: Tax gap, migrant swap deal, China's 'super-embassy' plans

UK correspondent Natasha Clark joins Susie to look at concerns taxes will have to rise to cover the government's self-imposed borrowing rules. France and UK are trialing a "one-in, one-out" migrant swap deal - Natasha details how it works. Reform leader Nigel Farage has called for police to detail the immigration status of people charged with crimes, following the arrest of two men for the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl. And China has been asked to detail its full plans for its "super-embassy" after some of the drawings were blacked out.

Natasha Clark is Political Editor at LBC radio

10.05 Andrew Millison: Permaculture lessons from around the world

Africa's 'Great Green Wall' is a massive 8000 kilometre planting project aimed at holding back the spread of the Sahara desert. Like a green line across the continent from Senegal in the west to Djibouti in the east, it's both planting trees and restoring degraded land to boost food production. Andrew Millison has recently visited the wall. He is one of the world's foremost experts on permaculture, where landscaping and horticulture replicates natural systems. He is the founder of the Oregon State University Permaculture Program, and travels the world turning his passion into popular explainer videos on his YouTube channel.

10:30 Children the priority in first round of the Social Investment Fund

The Social Investment Agency  has revealed that it's initial round of funding will focus on children of families with complex needs. It's says that to qualify for funding  organisations will need to be working with children whose parents are, or have been, in prison. Those with parents who experienced the care system and children that were stood down or suspended from school when they were 12 or younger. The Secretary for Social Investment, Andrew Coster, says children who have had these experiences are more likely to experience poor outcomes and require significant social support throughout their lives. Andrew Coster joins Susie to explain the focus.

10:35 Book review: The Ghost Walk by Karen Herbert

Sally Wenley reviews The Ghost Walk by Karen Herbert, published by Fremantle Press.

10:45 Around the motu: Jared McCulloch in Queenstown

Jared has updates on waste water and the Shotover River, how Otago and Southland top NZ economic growth list and the construction boom in Queenstown.

Jared McCulloch is the 1 News Reporter in Queenstown

11:05 Tech: Are you being manipulated by dark patterns? What to watch out for

Tech commentator Alex Sims joins Susie to talk about dark patterns in the online space and how they can trick you into doing things you don't intend - like buying or signing up to something without realising. Alex breaks down how they work, cites some examples and discusses where they fit within the law.

Alex Sims is a Professor in the Department of Commercial Law at the University of Auckland Business School and an expert on blockchain technology, copyright law and consumer 

11:25  Helping children (and young adults) with big feelings 

Sadness, nerves, jealousy, anger and frustration - just like adults, children feel these emotions, but sometimes don't have the words or skills to deal with them. Gen Muir is a social worker, parent educator, author, founder of Connected Parenting and mum of four boys. Her latest book is called Little People: Big Feelings. She says from toddlers to teens and even into the 20s, parents need to work on looking behind the behavior, to figure out what's really going on. 

11:45 Screentime: The Life of Chuck, Alien: Earth + more NZIFF picks

Film and television reviewer James Croot joins Susie to discuss The Life of Chuck (cinemas), based on the novella by Stephen King and starring Tom Hiddleston. Alien: Earth (Disney+) is an upcoming American science fiction horror TV series based on the Alien franchise. And James runs through three more picks from the New Zealand International Film Festival, including Ebony & Ivory, One to One: John Lennon and Late Shift.

James Croot is film and television reviewer for Stuff