Nine To Noon for Thursday 19 February 2026

09:05 Expert warns of future wastewater failures

A top water engineer says the failure of the Moa Pt wastewater plant  in Wellignton is 'guaranteed' to happen again elsewhere because of a lack of skilled water operators in this country. Millions of litres of untreated wastewater has discharged into the south coast of Wellington in the last couple of weeks after a 'catastrophic failure' at the Moa Point plant on February 4. The Government is carrying out an independent review into the failure - with ownership of the plant set to change hands from Wellington City Council to the new water organisation Tiaki Wai. Former Wellington City councillor Tim Brown is deeply concerned about the governance of the coming water entity Tiaki Wai. He says  board appointments to the water services company have been too political, and lacking in infrastructure expertise. Water engineer Iain Rabbits has been working in the industry for 35 years and says he can guarantee part of the failure at Moa Point will come down to the lack of skilled wastewater operators. 

09:25 Govt moves Bill under urgency to override High Court ruling in favour of beneficiaries

The Government is moving quickly to override a court decision that could have wiped large debts for some beneficiaries. The High Court had recently ruled the debts were being imposed illegally - after a case was taken by an anonymous ACC claimant - known only as Ms B. Ms B - while waiting for a decision on her ACC claim - was on a benefit and also was eligible for, and received, supplementary benefits including the winter energy payment, accommodation supplement, and a discretionary grant related to disability. Under the law claimants are required to pay back the benefits if their ACC claim was accepted and they receive backpay. However Ms B queried whether the supplementary benefits should be paid back - and the Court agreed that the Ministry of Social Development had been incorrectly requiring these to be paid back - when the law didn't actually allow for it. Under urgency on Tuesday night the Social Development Minister Louise Upston introduced a Bill to override the court's judgment. Community Law's Law Reform Coordinator is Rupert O’Brien.

09:35 Orchadist says red tape holding back horticulture exports

The government will miss its goal of doubling horticulture sector exports unless reforms are made, a Hawke's Bay orchardist says. Published in 2023, the Aotearoa Horticulture Action Plan is aiming for $12 billion in revenue by 2035. But grower Paul Paynter says an inability to import some plant materials is hindering the industy. He says blackcurrents, quince and pears have no health import standards - meaning they cannot be brought in at all. In Northland, a report has outlined five crops which could be grown in the region - althought four of the five don't have health import standards. The Ministry for Primary Industries is also building a new Auckland quarantine facility expected to open in 2029 aimed at streamlining processes. Paul Paynter is general manager at Hawke's Bay based stonefruit and apple growing business The Yummy Fruit Company. 

09:45 UK: Unemployment jumps, critical by-election, Andrew protection probed

UK correspondent Rob Watson joins Kathryn to talk about unemployment in the UK climbing to its highest rate in five years, a by-election in Greater Manchester which could prove critical to Sir Keir Starmer's Labour party and the Met Police carrying out "initial inquiries" into protection officers on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's detail.

Rob Watson is a BBC political correspondent 

10:05 Finding Cynthia Winters: Sue Watson's investigation into her birth history

 Sue Watson always knew she was adopted.  Her parents made no attempt to disguise her origins, nor those of her sister Wendy, who'd they'd also adopted at birth. They had a happy childhood growing up in West Auckland...and then after a major law change in 1985, her birth mother, "Lizzy"  reached out to her. Sue was in her mid-20s and for the first time in her life, she was curious. What followed over the next few decades was not a Disney reunion story. But it's one Sue says she felt compelled to write, particularly as she neared the age Lizzy was when she died. Sue Watson has held a number of governance roles, and currently sits on the board of Haumaru Housing. It was only in 2021, during her research for her book, did she discover the name she was given at birth: Cynthia Winters. She joins Kathryn to talk about why she hopes her experience will help others wrestling with their adoption history. Listeners keen to read Sue's book Finding Cynthia Winters, or wanting more resources can click here.

10:30 The high school students cooking medical tailored meals

A group of high school students is using a defunct tuck shop to create medically tailored meals that are low in sodium and gluten free, while learning to cook themselves. They cook for people with nutritionally sensitive  health conditions like  heart disease, high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes. The scheme at Newlands College in Wellington - known as Rourou Kai Ora -  was set up by  GP Luke Wilson, along with primary school teacher Jenny Neill and performance coach Andy Duncan. While in it's early stages and serving just a small group of patients, the charity is modelled on the Ceres Community Project in California that involves about 500 young people. Luke Wilson joins Kathryn to talk about the charity's hopes to expand.

10:35 Book review: Good People by Patmeena Sabit

Carole Beu of The Women's Bookshop in Auckland reviews Good People by Patmeena Sabit, published by Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand.

10:45 Around the motu: Jesse Archer from LakeFM in Taupō

Taupo District flooding, regional council reform, concerns about Tongariro Alpine Crossing shuttles, Taupō-nui-a-Tia College recovers from a fire.

11:05 Technology: Volt Typhoon - the infrastructure 'sleeper cell'

Tech commentator Tony Grasso looks at new warnings from security agencies here and in Australia about 'Volt Typhoon', a Chinese-sponsored hacking group that looks to disrupt critical infrastructure. There's been a 416% rise in web-skimming and "vibe scams" - these are AI-built phishing sites that clone legitimate brands. Australia has mandated that businesses with turnover more than $10m must report any ransomware payment within 72 hours...no more just "quietly paying the bill".

Cybersecurity expert Tony Grasso is Chief Information Security officer at COGENT. He worked at GCHQ in the UK and is a former Intelligence Officer in New Zealand.

11:25 Considering a child's right to play in their neighbourhood

Many people will remember the days when children would roam free, playing with friends around the neighbourhood. But with kids tending to stick much closer to home how can parents encourage their offspring back to outdoor free play? Shyrel Burt is a former chair and current board member of advocacy group Play Aotearoa, and experienced local government adviser. 

11:45 Screentime: Wuthering Heights, Crime 101, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

Film and TV reviewer Tom Augustine joins Kathryn to talk about the new Wuthering Heights movie which has generated a lot of controversy, Crime 101 (cinemas) is a new crime thriller starring Chris Hemsworth and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a TV series that's a prequel to Game of Thrones.