The Wire with Castor

Last Sunday, the Cabinet proposed five changes they would make to the Fast-Track Approvals bill, which they recommended to the Environment select committee. 

Some of the changes included shifting the final say on fast-tracked projects from ministers to an expert panel, requiring an iwi authority representative to be present on the panel alongside experts in Māori development and the environment, and extending the timeframe for comments on fast-tracked projects.

However, despite Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones saying the changes were based off feedback from submitters to make the fast-tracking process more inclusive, many advocates and experts say the bill still poses a threat to the environment and that it still prioritises development over conservation. 

For their weekly catch up, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez-March about the party’s take on the changes to the fast-track approvals bill. 

They also talked about the government's plans to remove natural gas import barriers, and arsenic contamination of the Ohinemuri river caused by mining

A recent report from the education review office (ERO) and the New Zealand Medical Journal (NZMJ) has found that early childhood teachers are seeing more children than ever with poor language skills. This, in part due to Covid-19 and increasingly prevalent screen and device usage.

Low language and speaking skills can have further implications down the line as children become older, this is quite jarring as New Zealand is a first world country with high access to healthcare and childcare.

Sasha spoke to professional research fellow in the department of General Practice and Primary Care, Samantha Marsh, about the implications of early childhood screen use and impacts of Covid-19 on children.

A recent study involving commuters in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, found that women and people of intersectional identities were more likely to avoid using public transport out of fear of harassment. 

Anti-harassment strategies proposed in that study promoted the idea of encouraging members of the public to become “active bystanders” during situations of harassment, where they could intervene by helping to de-escalate situations, reporting harassment incidents to transport staff and directly confronting perpetrators as a last minute resort.

Oto spoke to Doctoral candidate Kirsten Tilleman from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Auckland, to discuss what active bystanders are and the role they could play in preventing harassment on Auckland’s public transport

This week on the Tuesday Wire...

For Dear Science we chatted with our expert Professor Allan Blackman about mosquitoes using infrared, digital versus paper tests, and potential uses for whisky waste. 

In our weekly catchup with the National Party, Wire host Castor spoke to MP Katie Nimon about changes to the Fast Track Approvals Bill and potential amendments to the Marine and Coastal Area Act. 

They also spoke to Forest and Bird’s Geoff Keey about the Fast Track Bill, both the announced changes and what more they say needs to happen. 

And they spoke to Rachel Mackintosh from the E tū union about the recent Uber employment case. 

Producer Josef spoke to Peace Action Wellington Representative, Valerie Morse, about the New Zealand Defence Force’s contract with BAE systems.