In the past few months, following Auckland's long lockdowns, residents saw a boom in graffiti on public structures.
This has led to a lot of discussion about the artform, and its place in the cultural zeitgeist.
While everyone from artists to politicians to locals agree that graffiti on private residential property is vandalism, the conversation of painting on public structures like bridges and trains has been more divided.
Jack Horsnell spoke with Graffiti artist, CAPO, street art expert, Dr Reuben Woods and Auckland Councillor Shane Henderson to understand why this discussion is taking place.
This week’s Wire shows will contain a series of interviews with Auckland’s mayoral candidates, which bFM has been putting together to provide our listeners with relevant information on the candidates and their policies.
Today, Casper speaks with Viv Beck, who is currently the chief executive of Heart of the City, a business advocacy group for Auckland’s city centre, and has been endorsed by the National-Party aligned Communities and Residents organisation.
This is the full version of Casper’s interview with Auckland mayoral candidate Viv Beck, of which an abbreviated segment was played on the Monday Wire.
Viv Beck is currently the chief executive of Heart of the City, a business advocacy group for Auckland’s city centre, and has been endorsed by the National-Party aligned Communities and Residents organisation.
Various art groups from throughout New Zealand have recently had their funding cut back by Creative NZ, in the midst of the government entities extension of their Kahikatea Scheme.
This includes the Shakespeare globe theatre, an artist residency at the home of painter Colin McCahon, and the Arts On Tour NZ .
The scheme has brought in important new talent for funding, but the letting go of groups who’ve received funding in the ast has raised questions about expanding arts funding.
To learn more, Liam had a chat with Steve Thomas, the artistic director of Arts on Tour, about how they’re planning to adapt.
More than 200 homes have been red-stickered, and at least 5000 have been damaged after the devastating deluge across Tāmaki Makaurau and the upper North Island.
Experts are warning that health hazards such as mould and contamination could be waiting for residents returning to their flood damaged homes.
News & Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Senior Lecturer at the Massey University School of Built Environment, Dr Mikael Boulic, who says Auckland’s current conditions are the “worst case scenario” for mould to grow.
We started off our interview discussing what steps people should take when cleaning up their wet property.
There are 38 organisations who are issuing a public call for Auckland Transport to urgently deliver the long overdue inner west cycle lanes and street improvements. Six of those are schools that want safer street for their students, there is the Grey lynn residents association, there are several businesses from ponsonby and K road that support the improvements and there are advocacy groups.
The Waitematā Safer Routes (also known as the Grey Lynn and Westmere improvements) is the project that hangs in the balance. It has been paused and this spawned criticism from the community who urge to continue the Grey Lynn and Westmere improvements.
The Waitematā Safer Routes are a vital link between the adjoining projects. Dropping the middle project would mean network benefits were lost, and the schools and communities of the inner west would be left disconnected.
There are 56 letters in support of Grey Lynn and Westmere improvements, while there are 6 letters opposing the improvements.
Daniel spoke with Mike Lee about his thoughts on the inner west cycle lanes and street improvements.
The Entrust dividend payment is a payout of Entrust’s dividends in Vector Limited, and is paid out to beneficiaries throughout Tamaki Makaurau who reside within the Entrust district. During the current cost of living crisis, the dividend payment is expected to be a welcome relief for Aucklanders eligible to receive it.
Last year Entrust paid out more than three-hundred dollars each to more than three-hundred-and-fifty-thousand Entrust beneficiaries throughout Auckland. To learn more about the Entrust Dividend payment, where the money comes from, and how many Aucklanders can expect to receive the payment this year, Andre Fa’aoso spoke to Denise Lee, Entrust’s Dividend Sub-Committee spokesperson and started off by asking her how much the 2023 dividend payment will be.
To learn more about Entrust’s operations, Andre asked Denise how Entrust operates, and also asked about a tax-reform campaign Entrust is fronting that aims to secure fourteen million dollars extra in dividends for Aucklanders.
For our regular catch-up with Labour MP Andrew Little, he spoke about more than 6300 overseas workers joining Aotearoa’s health workforce in the past year and expansions to working visas for New Zealand and UK residents.
News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins talked to Professor of Medicine and Acting Dean of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau, Warwick Bagg, about the need for more medical students and why the University is against National's proposal to have a third medical school at the University of Waikato.
And for Get Action! Otago University Students’ Association President Quintin Jane and Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association Te Aka Tau-ira President Jessica Ye discussed their petition to make tertiary education more accessible and introduce a universal study wage for all.
Producer Rawan Saadi spoke to screenwriter and Associate Professor Shuchi Kothari about the Pan-Asian Screen Collective and the initiative to have more Asian stories on screen.
The Labour government announced last week that it will make ram-raiding its own criminal offence and build two new Youth Justice residences. We thus enter an election season where both major parties converge on using 'tough on crime' measures on rangatahi.
Hanna spoke to Te Pāti Māori's Takutai Kemp about why the party does not endorse Labour's policies even though they claim to have a more rehabilitative focus than National's, their strong opposition to placing rangatahi in carceral institutions, addressing the systemic drivers behind youth offending through community integration and manaakitanga, and what space Te Pāti Māori have to push their policies when both Labour and National agree on punitive approaches to youth offending.
Emilia spoke to Ricardo Menendez-March about the Green Party’s plans for the healthcare system.
News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins to New Zealand Resident Doctors’ Association National Secretary Dr Deborah Powell.
Arno reported on Pharmac and access to medication and healthcare and spoke to health economist from the University of Auckland Dr Paula Lorgelly, Dr Kate Gregory from The Cancer Society, and Prostate Cancer Foundation New Zealand CEO Peter Dickens.
And for his bi-weekly catch-up with The Opportunities Party, Nicholas spoke to TOP candidate for Epsom Dr Nina Su about their proposed Teal Card and the state of New Zealand’s healthcare system.
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