The Wire with Manny

Two brutal attacks across the motu have returned public attention to the issue of dog maulings that stubbornly refuses to be resolved. Since 2020, we’ve seen a 20% increase in injuries to people from dogs, coming to nearly THIRTY THOUSAND dog-related injuries reported per year (half of which are bites), and these are the numbers collected without mandatory reporting in Aotearoa.

In the wake of these dog attacks, which saw one woman in Northland lose her life and a father and son in Christchurch severely injured, many people are looking for the government to act to address this issue that frequently flies under that radar until tragedies like this strike. 

But how to respond, and what changes should be focused on, remain open questions.

To get his opinion on how we should approach the issue, Wire Host Manny spoke with Associate Professor at Auckland Law School Marcelo Rodriguez Ferrere on the issue of animal control legislative reform.

For Dear Science, our expert, Dr Cushla McGoverin chats with us about the ‘Spinosaurus’, a repellent for bed bugs, and research on the inner ear and hearing loss 
For our weekly catchup with the National Party, Wire Host Sara spoke to National MP Ryan Hamlilton about ‘move-on’ orders to take place in New Zealand’s cities, Auckland’s housing intensification changes, and the plans for a Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions & Transport
For Green World, Sara spoke to CEO of WWF New Zealand, Dr Kayla Kingdon-Bebb, about the environmental NGO roadmap looking at an ‘environmental reset’ in New Zealand policy.
Producer Vihan spoke to the University of Auckland’s Dr Emmy Rākete on the new move-on orders for rough sleepers and how it can affect Aotearoa’s social landscape. 
Producer Toby spoke to Auckland University’s Chris Ogden about the geopolitical significance of the Chagos Islands, and why Donald Trump is so unhappy about Britain ceding them to Mauritius.

The Government has introduced new move-on orders for rough sleepers across the country. The new orders give police the authority to ask rough sleepers to relocate from an area for 24 hours, and leaves support for them up to the police. If rough sleepers fail to comply with these orders, they are liable to pay $2000 in fines. 

Producer Vihan spoke to Professional Teaching Fellow at the University of Auckland's School of Social Sciences, Dr Emmy Rākete, on what the rationale is behind these new orders and their impact on the social landscape of Aotearoa. 

This week on the Tuesday Wire... 

For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News and Editorial Director Castor spoke to MP Simon Court about making English an official language of Aotearoa and reducing the minimum proposed homes for Auckland down to 1.6 million. 

They also spoke to Dr. Mohsen Mohammadzadeh from the University of Auckland’s school of architecture and planning about PC 120 and how to best develop Auckland as a city for the future. 

And producer Alex spoke with Senior Lecturer in Architecture and Planning, Timothy Welch, about the Infrastructure Commission’s suggestion of a $9 toll on the harbour bridge, whether it's the right move, and what it means for Auckland’s Infrastructure planning.