Nine To Noon for Friday 6 June 2025

09:05 Service reductions hitting one of the country's largest hospice organisations 

One of the country's largest hospice organisations is planning to reduce services next month, if nothing changes with regard to its funding. Tōtara Hospice, which services the communities of South and South-East Auckland,  wrote to the Health Minister Simeon Brown this week to outline the urgency.  It comes after years of warnings hospice funding is unsustainable, and this year's Martin Jenkins report which found that for the first time the hospice sector In New Zealand won't be able to raise enough money to break even. Hospices are funded by a mix of government funding and community fundraising. Tina McCafferty is the chief executive of Tōtara Hospice, which provides specialist adult palliative care to South and South-East Auckland. 

09:20 Why drivers don't stop at train crossings

Nearly half of motor vehicles fail to stop , or prepare to stop when approaching level crossings in research commissioned by Kiwirail. They were least likely to do so where there were just Give Way signs in place. The engineering and professional services consulting firm WSP observed more than 3600 drivers - 47 per cent failed to stop at crossings with Stop signs. or be ready to stop at Give Way signs. Earlier research had found more than half of the deaths in serious level crossing collisions over a ten-year period occurred at crossings with Stop or Give Way signs. There have been 25 collisions at crossings in the last two years. The report says 'Look for Trains' signs had significantly higher success getting drivers to stop and look - and a major recommendation of the review was to remove all Give Way signs for Stop signs. Paul Ashton is chief operations officer at Kiwirail. 

09:30 Water cremations approved for first time 

Water cremations in Christchurch have been approved - the first time the option has been availble in New Zealand. Traditionally in New Zealand there have been four choices: burial in the ground or at sea, cremation - with the ashes then stored or scattered - and donation of our body to medical science, but now there is another option - water cremation. Deborah Richards and Andrew Bell, directors and operators of the Christchurch Water Crematorium discuss why they think it will be a popular post-life choice.   
 
09:45 Pacific correspondent Koroi Hawkins, editor of RNZ Pacific 

Koroi discusses preparations for a snap election in Samoa, a year long teachers strike in Vanuatu and Nauru's negotiations with the US to allow seabed mining.

10:05 New film follows paraplegic former kayak instructor's journey back onto the water

A new film Riverbound - The story has just begun follows a former professional kayak instructor, now paraplegic, as he takes to the water for the first time since an accident left him paralysed from the waist down. The subject of the film, known simply as "Yak", had his life-changing accident six years ago. The 12-minute short shows him packrafting through wild rapids on the Upper Buller Gorge with a big smile beamed across his face as he takes to the water once again. The film has its world premiere and is a finalist at the NZ Mountain Film Festival in Wanaka, Queenstown in June, and online throughout July. Kathryn is joined by filmmakers Deane Parker and Dylan Gerschwitz, plus Yak himself, to tell us about the wild ride he's been on. 

10:30 Sky City sues Fletcher Building for losses over Convention Centre building delay  

Casino operator Sky City Entertainment is suing Fletcher Building for losses incurred because of delays in completing the nearby International Convention Centre in Auckland. The company is alleging Fletcher's negligence and breaches of contract have resulted in the project being more than six years behind schedule.The part completed building was badly damaged in a fire in 2019, which SkyCity says was the fault of Fletcher Building. Sky City says it's entitled to damages of more than 330-million dollars. Kathryn talks to Simon Wilson  a Senior Writer at the NZ Herald 

10:35 Book review: Heart Lamp: Selected Stories by Banu Mushtaq 

Lisa Adler from Unity Books Wellington reviews Heart Lamp: Selected Stories by Banu Mushtaq published by Scribe

10:45 Around the motu: John Freer in Coromandel

A lake concept is the latest idea in the discussions around Thames shoreline protection, the Local Waters Done Well agreements are providing some intriguing council dynamics, the reinstatement of the Auckland to Coromandel Town ferry service could be a happening thing, and a unique event took place this week; a community emergency management exercise.

John Freer is a CFM local news reporter from the Coromandel Peninsula.

11:05 New music with Jeremy Taylor from SlowBoat records

Jeremy explores  new music from people who have been quiet lately - Pulp, Ladi 6 and The Lemonheads

11:30 Sports commentator Sam Ackerman

11:45 Friday funnies with  Comedians Te Radar and Donna Brookbanks 

Our comedians Te Radar and Donna Brookbanks contemplate why Madam Tussauds in London has a model of a sausage roll, the 700 Indian engineers who pretended to be an AI start--up and Walt Disney's family reject the idea of bringing him back as a robot at Disneyland Los Angeles.