Nine To Noon for Thursday 1 May 2025

09:05 Whakapapa ski field prepares for season ahead with the granting of a ten year concession.

Whakapapa ski field has joined Turoa in moving out of the hands of the receivers with a 10-year concession being granted by the Department of Conservation to the operator Whakapapa Holdings. Both ski areas on Mount Ruapehu had faced an uncertain future when the operator, Ruapehu Alpine Lifts went into voluntary administration in 2022. The decision is being welcomed in the region, that has been hit hard economically with the close of two local wood and pulp mills. The government has provided nearly $50 million to keep the field functioning to support jobs and businesses. DOC has acknowledged how important the area is to all New Zealanders, especially the iwi and hapū who whakapapa to the maunga and said it will monitor the ski field to ensure it was running smoothly. Kathryn speaks to Whakapapa Holdings Shareholder Director and CEO Dave Mazey who was the former head of Ruapehu Alpine Lifts.

09:25 Child trafficking law change within reach?

A legal specialist in human trafficking says a simple amendment to the Crimes Act - which would enable prosecutions against child traffickers brought - is within reach. RNZ has recently revealed cases of children held in slavery-like conditions after being trafficked into the country. In one case, a 12 year old was withdrawn from school and put to work by his adoptive father, Joseph Auga Matamata, who covered his tracks by saying the boy had returned to to his home country.Rebecca Kingi advised the crown prosecutor in that case,  and says because of our inadequate laws, Matamata was unable to be prosecuted for trafficking crimes against the boy, although he was convicted of multiple other crimes. She says parliament's business committee is considering allowing the scope of a bill from the National MP Greg Fleming on slavery offences to be expanded - which should be a simple matter - given the bill already has cross party support. A second bill from Greg Fleming, requiring larger companies to report on their supply chains, could bypass the member's bill ballot under new rules for legislation with cross-party support.

09:45 UK: Local elections, Net Zero row, Kneecap fight

UK correspondent Hugo Gye joins Kathryn to talk about Sir Keir Starmer's first big test with voters since the general election - with signs local elections may not go his way. Former Labour PM Tony Blair has weighed into contemporary politics with a report arguing that trying to eliminate fossil fuels in order to reach Net Zero is "doomed to fail". Belfast band Kneecap are being condemned across the political spectrum for their videos which show them saying MPs should be killed, and supporting Hamas and Hezbollah. And two men are on trial for cutting down a 100 year old tree on Hadrian's Wall. 

Hugo Gye is Political Editor of The i Paper

10.05 Southland aunty teaching others to find a feed 

She is known by many up and down the country as Whaea T - the aunty who will teach you how to hunt, fish and gather. Southlander Terressa Kollat is also now a TikTok star with some 200,000 followers. Her videos show her catch and how she prepares the food. Inspired by her nephew Michael Taniora to put her Facebook videos on TikTok - Terressa's first video on the video platform of her eating fresh kina went viral with more than 1 million views. She goes on trips every week to her best spots around Southland and takes a group of up to six people with her. Terressa is adamant she's not there to fix problematic kids. They have to be up to it and want to learn. She splits her week from working at the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter and going out on foraging trips. Terressa talks to Kathryn about her attachment to the whenua. Kathryn also speaks to Terressa's nephew Michael, who regularly joins the fishing and  hunting trips, as well as Piper Lovell who has been learning from Whaea T. 

10:35 Book review: Wonderland by Tracy Farr 

Louise O'Brien reviews Wonderland by Tracy Farr published by The Cuba Press

10:45 Around the motu : Keiller MacDuff in Christchurch

Keiller discusses the latest events in Ōtautahi including the coronial inquest into the murder of Juliana Bonilla-Herrera, art lovers can purchase a couple of Bill Hammond's for the price of a rustic bach in Wainui, and the latest weather updates.

Keiller MacDuff is a RNZ Senior Journalist based in Christchurch.

11:05 Tech correspondent Peter Griffin 

Meta has launched an app to compete with ChatGPT, and US President Trump's ire at Amazon for wanting to put tariffs on listings. Tech leaders here are worried about the lack of movement on developing the cybersecurity workforce - an area seen as 'invisible' in the Government. 

Peter Griffin is a Wellington-based science and technology journalist.

11:25 Separating parents: mediation to stay out of court 

Jill Goldson has spent decades working as a mediator with separating parents, together with their children.  As well as running thousands of mediations, she's advised government policy on family law, and is a researcher. Jill Goldson's grounding principle is that child-inclusive work with families can make it better for everyone. She says a nationwide fully funded mediation service is available to families, but not enough people know about it. She's just published a book setting out what she's learned over the years about from working with families. Text any questions for Jill to 2101 or email ninetonoon@rnz.co.nz. Jill's book is available via Amazon and University Bookshop Auckland. 

11:45 Screentime: Warfare, Drop, Sinners, Small Things Like These

Film and television reviewer James Croot joins Kathryn to talk about four movies out in cinemas. Warfare is directed by Alex Garland and based on Ray Mendoza's experiences during the second Iraq War as a US Navy SEAL. Drop is a thriller directed by Christopher Landon based on a widowed mother's dating horror. Sinners is a horror starring Michael B Jordan in dual roles as twin brothers who return to their hometown to start over, but are confronted by supernatural evil. And Small Things Like These stars Cillian Murphy as a hardworking coal merchant who helps a girl banished to a Magdalen laundry.

James Croot is film and TV reviewer for Stuff