Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news and current affairs show. Joel Armstrong, Sara Mckoy, Max Micheel, and Caeden Tipler focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere in independent-thinking bFM style. Monday-Thursday 12-1pm on 95bFM.
Data released by the Real Estate of New Zealand appeared to show the Auckland housing market cooled off slightly last month. After years of skyrocketing prices, relief may be in sight for would-be Auckland homeowners. Is this the beginning of a long-awaited price correction, or just a temporary blip in an otherwise bouyant market? Producer Ben Goldson speaks with CEO of the Real Estate Institute, Bindi Norwell.
Generation Zero will soon release their Zero Carbon Act. The Act, which Gen Zero hopes to attract cross-party support for, would commit the government to completely eliminating net carbon emissions.
The Auckland Women’s Centre is hosting a forum next week all about feminist parenting. 95bFM reporter Amanda Jane Robinson speaks to the Centre Manager at the Women’s Centre, Leonie Morris, about the event.
Tomorrow, Babe Vibes is releasing a new zine all about sex, 'sex etc'. The zine also discusses different types of shame women often feel surrounding sex, from bodies to trauma and assault to slut-shaming. 95bFM reporter Amanda Jane Robinson speaks to Babe Vibes founder, Kara Haupt, about the zine.
On The Wire we speak to CEO of the Real Estate Institute, Bindi Norwell, about house prices in Auckland. talk with Generation Zero about a new proposed Zero Carbon Tax policy. We have our weekly chat with the Green Party, this week talking to co-leader Metiria Turei about Apple tax and charging for bottling water. We have AUT Pacific Media Centre’s Kendall Hutt talking all about the latest in Pacific news for Southern Cross. Auckland Women’s Centre Manager Leonie Morris talks about the Centre's upcoming feminist parenting forum. And lastly, we speak to Kara Haupt speaking about a new zine from Babe Vibes, all about sex and shame.
The 4th Annual Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon is happening this weekend at Mairangi Arts Center. Art+Feminism is a global campaign, which intends to boost coverage of women and the arts on Wikipedia and to encourage female editorship. In a 2011 survey, the Wikimedia Foundation found that less than 10% of its contributors identify as female. This lack of gender diversity has a number of troubling impacts, particularly in relation to how content is skewed. 95bFM reporter Amanda Jane Robinson speaks to the general manager from Mairangi Arts Center, Angela Suh, about the event.
Asian New Zealand Executive Director, Simon Draper, talks about Aucklands relationship with Asia after a survey showing half of Auckland residents blame Asia for housing prices.
On The Wire we have Asian New Zealand Executive Director Simon Draper, talks about Aucklands relationship with Asia after a survey showing Auckland residents blaming Asia for housing prices, National MP Jami-Lee Ross, talks about abortion law reform and the prospect of tax cuts, radio Adelaide’s Nicole Wedding for all the latest in Australian news, one of the runners up of the 2017 Global Student Entrepreneurs Awards, Min Kyu Jung, live in the studio talking about the business he created that helps students improve their exam results and the general manager from Mairangi Arts Center, Angela Suh talking about the 4th Annual Art + Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon.
Hundreds of holiday parks in some of New Zealand’s most beautiful locations may soon be free of rats, stoats and possums after the organisation that represents them signed up to Predator Free New Zealand. The Holiday Parks Association of New Zealand signed an agreement with the Predator Free New Zealand Trust yesterday, which will see its 300 member parks trapping in and around their grounds. Producer Jess Smith spoke with Predator Free New Zealand’s spokesperson Jessi Morgan to find out more about the new partnership.
About 1,200 University of Auckland staff went on strike with 300 rallying on Thursday after failing to reach a pay rise agreement with their employer. The Tertiary Education Union says all staff at the university should be given a fair and equitable increase in pay but a satisfactory agreement with university management had not been reached following seven months of negotiations. 95bFM reporter Ambrose O’Meagher caught up with Antonia Verstappen from the TEU about what the strike entailed, while producer Jess Smith spoke to Emily, a student from Auckland University attending the rally to get an update on how the strike is going.
From Dec 27 to Jan 18, all train lines across Tāmaki will be shutting down for summer maintenance, a closure which is expected to be the last of its kind ahead of the opening of the City Rail Link.
The current measles outbreak in Tāmaki is being continually monitored, with exposure sites being updated daily on info.health.nz. The public are encouraged to track whether they’ve been in possible contact with the virus, and get up to date on any vaccinations to limit possibilities of transmission.
Auckland Council are supporting arts initiatives across the summer months, with Music in the Park kicking off in early January, and Movies in the Park following in February.
Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about these topics, and also asked for comment following the attack by two gunmen at Bondi Beach earlier this week.
Yesterday, the latest six-monthly survey of housing support providers under the National Homelessness Data Project, or NHDP, showed that homelessness in Auckland has more than doubled in the year to September. The report also found that 14 of the 21 agencies interviewed reported an increase in homelessness.
As well as this, Australia’s ban on social media for children under 16 has taken effect. And according to an interim report into social media harm, a social media ban for children in New Zealand is worth exploring further.
And last week the Government announced the replacement of the Resource Management Act, or RMA. The coalition said its replacement will slash red tape and supercharge growth.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, Wednesday Wire Host Max spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez March about the Government’s new RMA reforms and a potential social media ban in New Zealand.
But first they discussed the latest report on Auckland homelessness.
The Parliament’s Workforce and Education Committee has released an interim report on an inquiry into the harm young New Zealanders face online. The government has recently announced an overhaul of the Resource Management Act and introduced two new bills in its place, the Natural Environment Bill and the Planning Bill.
For our weekly catch-up with the National Party, Producer Vihan spoke to MP Carl Bates, who is also the Deputy Chairperson of the Workforce and Education Committee, about the new findings of the interim report, the new Natural Environment Bill, and the Fast Track Approval Amendments Bill.
The government has announced the overhaul of the Resource Management Act (RMA), which will be replaced by two different bills, the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill. The RMA is set to be fully replaced by 2029.
The RMA, which has been in effect for 34 years, is polarising across the political spectrum.
In announcing the reforms, RMA Reform Minister, Chris Bishop, says that “pretty much everything” will be quicker and less costly under the new regime.
For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Joel spoke to MP Simon Court about this overhaul of the RMA.
They also discussed The Education and Workforce Committee’s interim report on the harms young people experience online, with a majority recommending a ban on social media for under-16-year-olds.
But first, they discussed the overhaul of the RMA.
On Sunday, “Block the Ban” held a protest against the government’s decision to ban new prescriptions of puberty blockers for young people with gender dysphoria.
The United Nations’ committee for the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination has released a report warning that New Zealand is at serious risk of weakening Māori rights.
And last week, the government rejected the recommended methane emissions targets.
This is despite officials warning against the government doing so, stating that lowering methane emissions targets could increase New Zealand’s contribution to global warming.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Shanan Halbert about all of these topics.
Safety measures on public transport are of growing concern this week following the fatal and unprovoked attack that took place on route 76 in East Tāmkaki on Monday night.
Earlier this week there were also multiple critical incidents that occurred simultaneously across Auckland’s West Coast beaches and waterways, seeing an unusually high deployment of emergency services and surf lifesavers for this early in the summer.
Swedish home and furniture retailer Ikea opened in Sylvia Park a week ago today, drawing huge excitement for many.
Producer Jasmine Gray spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson about these topics.
Last week was scrutiny week, where Parliament focuses entirely on holding government agencies and ministers to account, to check-in on how well the Government is performing.
Many of the questions surrounding scrutiny week have been focused on climate change, with many recent reports highlighting the Government’s questionable decision-making.. The biggest headline was that the coalition had chosen to reject all three of the climate change commission’s recommendations to strengthen New Zealand’s emissions targets.
Along with this, the United Nations released a new report, where they’ve warned that New Zealand is at serious risk of weakening Māori rights and entrenching disparities for the indigenous population. In the 14-page report, the UN expressed concerns over multiple government policies affecting Maori, including the disestablishment of the Maori Health Authority, cuts to public funding for Maori services, and minimising the role of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, Wednesday Wire Host Max spoke to MP Ricardo Menendez March about the report released by the United Nations, but first they discussed Scrutiny Week and the Government’s recent climate change decisions.
The government is pausing the new prescriptions of Puberty Blockers to gender diverse and transgender young people from the 19th of December onwards, following a similar move by the UK after the results of the NHS’s Cass Review.
Wire Producer Flo spoke to activist Lauren Craig about the effects of the legislation, her petition “Reverse the decision to deny transgender and takatāpui young people access to puberty blockers” against the changes and the wider political motivation for the policy.
If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here
The biannual Scrutiny Week took place in Parliament last week, with meetings across select committees and government departments focussed on scrutinising the outcomes of government work.
These include hearings on ministries like Health, Housing, Environment and Justice.
Wire Host Sara spoke to National MP Carl Bates about Scrutiny Week, firstly by asking him to talk about the meetings he was involved in
95bFM 
