The Wire with Joel

This week it was announced that Tāmaki Makaurau will be receiving a further 152 battery electric buses for its roads; an order that is described as the biggest electric bus order in Australasia. 

The Auckland Transport press release said that an increase in the number of electric vehicles, operating on Auckland Transport’s bus services, will actively support the goals of Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland's Climate Plan, which has a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as well as preparing Auckland for the impacts of climate change.

Zazi spoke with AT Metro’s Decarbonisation Manager, Darek Koper. They spoke about how these electric buses will impact the environment, how transport emissions are currently affecting climate change, and when we should start to see these buses driving around Auckland. They also touched on what other steps AT Transport are making to reduce emissions in Aotearoa. 

This week Zazi and Brooke talk about the Auckland moving to Step 2 of Alert Level 3 and the Events Transition Support Scheme.

First off, the two talk about the easing of restrictions in Auckland, with the city moving to step 2 of Alert Level 3. Brooke shares whether she is happy with this next step, and how she feels about retail owners enforcing their own rules surrounding Covid-19 safety and regulations.

Then, Zazi speaks to Brooke about some summer festivals getting Government financial aid due to the threat of Covid-19. Zazi asks if Brooke thinks this scheme should extend to smaller events that have less than 5000 people, if she believes summer festivals are a good incentive for young people to get vaccinated, and how she thinks these festivals will impact our local economy, if they go forward.

Today on the Wire, Jemima Huston speaks to NZEI Te Riu Roa’s President Liam Rutherford about the government’s latest funding for school counsellors. 

Air New Zealand General Manager Customer Leeanne Langridge joins Jemima live on the show to speak about the airline's latest announcement that Covid-status restrictions will be put in place for passengers on all domestic flights from December 14 2021. 

Joe Wickins talks to Steve Abel, the Senior Campaign Manager for Greenpeace, about how fertiliser companies are to blame for cancer-related deaths due to water contamination. 

Finally on Tomorrow’s World, Isla and Stella look at concepts of walkability and neighbourhoods for urban planning with Dr Lee Beattie.

Yesterday, Greenpeace released a statement detailing how Fertiliser Companies are responsible for nitrate-contaminated water which has caused people to die from bowel-cancer. Studies have shown that in New Zealand, there are up to one-hundred cases of bowel-cancer a year with forty deaths. The organisation has called for the government to phase out synthetic fertilisers which contain nitrogen due to how it’s impact our waterways, as well as the environment. Joe speaks to Steve Abel, the Senior Campaign Manager for Greenpeace, on the issue of water contamination and how it affects efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.