Nine To Noon

Scott Necklin, chief executive of Local Government New Zealand who is leading a proposed Ratepayer Assistance Scheme. He explains a plan to let homeowners spread costs over long terms. Talks cover financing solar and electrification, keeping borrowing off council books, development levies turned into long-term levies, and how the scheme could help struggling households and speed up housing growth.

Sam Ackerman, a sports commentator known for incisive coverage of NZ rugby, cricket, NRL and athletics. He breaks down New Zealand Cricket’s T20 revamp and its impact. He covers Super Rugby coaching changes and Black Ferns selection. He celebrates the Warriors’ perfect NRL start and spotlights James McDonald’s record week and World Indoors athletics results.

Stephen K Amos, London-born stand-up and actor known for Live at the Apollo and West End roles, talks about crafting live shows that reward listening. He explores comedy in the noisy social media age. He describes using audience connection, setting comic boundaries, and how live performance resists snap judgments online.

Rebecca Stevenson, senior journalist at Business Desk who covers markets and policy. She unpacks Reserve Bank messaging around inflation and policy trade-offs. She describes volatile oil market moves and a tenfold surge in local oil futures trading. She highlights younger investors using advanced trading apps and shifts toward ETFs, defence stocks and self-directed KiwiSaver strategies.

Tess Brunton, RNZ reporter in Dunedin covering Otago and Southland communities. She talks about Stewart Island's diesel power crisis and moves toward solar. She covers a heated code-of-conduct clash at Dunedin City Council. She outlines Queenstown plans to pump treated wastewater into the Kawarau River and a croquet club fundraising to replace asbestos-hit facilities.

Sally Batson, bookseller and reviewer from The Next Chapter Bookshop in Wanaka, gives a lively take on Glenn Colquhoun’s The Ballad of Joe Taihape. She highlights its narrative‑poetry format, graphic‑novel visuals and satirical threads about race and colonisation. She notes the theatrical, musical quality and wonders who Joe Taihape might really be.

Tareq Baconi, Palestinian scholar and author known for work on Hamas and Palestinian identity. He reflects on writing a multigenerational memoir, growing up dispossessed, and the tensions of being public about Palestinian and queer identities. He discusses love and loss, migration to London and facing racism, and how regional politics shaped his turn to scholarship.

David Smith, Washington bureau chief for The Guardian, reports on American politics and major national events. He discusses Trump's sudden shift from a strike deadline to claiming talks with Iran. He covers petrol price spikes in southern states and airport chaos from staffing shortages. He also reflects on the response to the death of the former FBI director and its political fallout.

Josie Brennan, founder of Fabric-a-brac and long-time organiser of community fabric markets, talks about building a nationwide sewing market that supports hospices. She shares how it grew from her mother’s stash into events with rare fabrics, patterns and a pop-up café. The market attracts cosplayers, students and families and has reached a $250,000 fundraising milestone.

Ian Fay, a Deloitte partner who advises on crypto tax and compliance. He explains which platforms must report user identities to IRD and how swaps and DeFi lending can trigger taxable disposals. He covers timing of gains versus losses, recordkeeping challenges with international platforms, and how indirect exposure via funds changes tax treatment.