Nine To Noon for Tuesday 7 March 2023

 

 

09:05 IAG insurance: record number of claims, thousands of homes at risk of flooding

The country's largest insurer, IAG,  has been inundated with flood and cyclone claims, more in the last two months than in all of last year. IAG's brands include AMI, State Insurance and NZI. Since January, it has received nearly 40,000 claims. IAG New Zealand Chief Executive Amanda Whiting says they estimate 20,000 homes across the country are at risk of severe flooding, and the company is actively working with the government's Cyclone Recovery Taskforce, lead by Sir Brian Roche, about where flood-damaged houses should be written off for good.

09:20 "Mad March" hits Wellington's already stretched bus service

Frustrated Wellington commuters are facing lengthy waits for full buses, as "mad March" hits amid a driver shortage.  A hundred services have been suspended as Metlink grapples with a shortage of 120 drivers. The problem is exacerbated in March as students return to school. The Chair of Greater Wellington Regional Council Daran Ponter says half hour bus journeys are taking an hour. 

09:30 Coeliac Disease and the challenges of avoiding gluten

Coeliac disease is an auto-immune disorder triggered by gluten which can cause diarrhoea, vomiting, weight loss, fatigue and anaemia. It affects one per cent of the world's population.  Otago University Associate Professor of public health and member of the Coeliac New Zealand Medical Advisory Panel, Kirsten Coppell, says the incidence of the disease is increasing in New Zealand, as it is globally. She says while there are more and more gluten free products available, some can still contain traces of gluten, and that many staff in cafes and restaurants have no knowledge of best practice.

 

09:45 USA correspondent Ron Elving

Ron says the presidential cycle is beginning in both Democrat and Republican stables, he looks at who is in the running so far. Also uncertainty abounds about the direction of the US economy, the war in Ukraine and US-China relations. And there's much talk about President Biden's age, and former President Trump's uncertain status with both the law and with Republican voters.

Ron Elving is Senior Editor and Correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News.

 

10:05 Empowering girls through skateboarding: Amber Clyde

When Amber Clyde started skateboarding as a 10 year old in Birkenhead, she was the only girl at the skate park. She struggled with confidence, was shy and scared to get involved,  and with no classes available to learn how to skate, she quickly drifted away. Amber picked up skateboarding again at age 20 after the birth of her first daughter, and this time she wanted to take her love for skateboarding to a new level, so she started teaching young girls. She started running weekend classes for a gold coin donation, and they became so popular she expanded. Amber and her coaches at Girlskate, now teach hundreds of girls each week, runs workshops in schools and has funding from Auckland Council and Sport NZ. She's the subject of a new documentary released today - called Back on the Board.

10:35 Book review: Golden Days by Caroline Barron

Emma Hislop reviews Golden Days by Caroline Barron, published by Affirm Press

10:45 Around the motu : Matthew Rosenberg in Gisborne

As Tairawhiti deals with the many aspects of cyclone recovery it's emerged that a Gisborne District Council owned forest at Waingake was a factor in cutting off the region's water supply. Forestry waste damaged the city's main pipeline. Meanwhile, the city remains in a water crisis, industry is slowly being brought back on, and residents are still being asked to conserve water. Matthew touches on some of the local stories which illustrate the depth and breath of Cyclone Gabrielle's ongoing impact, including Ben and Sarah Aperahama losing everything.

 

Matthew Rosenberg, is a local democracy reporter based out of the Gisborne Herald's newsroom.

11:05 Business commentator Gyles Beckford

Gyles discusses calls for a banking inquiry here, plus the recent earnings season.  
 

Gyles Beckford is RNZ's Business editor.

11:30 How to do a digital detox without a complete device breakup

Do you feel stressed by the number of emails in your inbox? If your phone pings, do you feel the need to check it straight away? Do you tweet in the toilet? For many of us, the feeling of being overwhelmed by the amount of information, messages and requests that come at us every day from our devices will be very familiar. Dr Kristy Goodwin is an Australian researcher and author who's looked at how we can break the cycle of our over-reliance on screens. Her new book is 'Dear Digital, We need to talk: A guilt-free guide to taming your tech habits and thriving in a digital world'. She says no, you don't need to cancel Netflix or delete Slack off your phone.

11:45 Sports-chat with Joe Porter

Joe talks sport with Kathryn including, Super Rugby - weekend that was, how Super Rugby Aupiki is shaping up, the NRL is underway and the Warriors win their first game, the Black Caps remarkable efforts in second test against England fade as Sri Lanka series approaches and Liverpool's massive victory over Manchester United.

RNZ Sports reporter, Joe Porter