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A recording of Radio New Zealand National from 5am to midnight. The following rundown is sourced from the broadcaster’s website. Note some overseas/copyright restricted items may not appear in the supplied rundown:
12 February 2015
===12:04 AM. | All Night Programme===
=DESCRIPTION=
Including: 12:05 Music after Midnight; 12:30 The Truth About Life and Death (F, BBC); 1:05 Discovery (BBC); 2:05 Playing Favourites (RNZ); 3:05 Odyssey and Images, by Andris Apse and Ron Crosby (4 of 10, RNZ); 3:30 NZ Books (RNZ); 5:10 Witness (BBC)
===6:00 AM. | Morning Report===
=DESCRIPTION=
Radio New Zealand's three-hour breakfast news show with news and interviews, bulletins on the hour and half-hour
=AUDIO=
06:00
Top Stories for Thursday 12 February 2015
BODY:
Murray McCully tells us about what will come out of tomorrow's meeting with Iraq's Foreign Minister. A leading Australian security analyst says it's only a matter of time before there is an extremist attack in New Zealand and a meteor lights up the skies over New Zealand.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 28'28"
06:06
Sports News for 12 February 2015
BODY:
An update from the team at RNZ Sport.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 1'45"
06:10
No sign from Govt that it'll back away from SkyCity deal
BODY:
The Government's showing no sign of backing away from the Sky City Convention Centre deal.
Topics: business, politics
Regions:
Tags: SkyCity
Duration: 2'12"
06:17
Pacific News for 12 February 2015
BODY:
The latest from the Pacific region.
Topics: Pacific
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 2'40"
06:19
Morning Rural News for 12 February 2015
BODY:
News from the rural and farming sector.
Topics: rural, farming
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 4'04"
06:26
Te Manu Korihi News for 12 February 2015
BODY:
The late Ngati Porou leader, Apirana Mahuika, will be laid to rest on the East Coast later this morning; The Waitangi Tribunal has directed the Crown to release more documents, in the Ngapuhi Mandate inquiry; A Northland kaumatua is threatening to close local forestry routes if the council fails to fix a dust problem caused by log trucks; The Māori Development Minister says the Māori Council will be at the table when the government and iwi leaders enter talks to define Māori freshwater rights.
Topics: te ao Māori
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 3'26"
06:38
Visit by Iraqi Foreign Minister next crucuial step
BODY:
The Foreign Minister says his meeting with his Iraqi counterpart tomorrow will be focused on the coalition efforts to combat Islamic State, and the possible role New Zealand may play.
Topics: politics
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 2'12"
06:46
Sky City sees strength in Auckland and high roller businesses
BODY:
The casino operator, SkyCity, says its first half financial report is better than it looks on first glance, despite a 10-and-a-half-percent fall in net profit to 54.6 million dollars.
Topics: business
Regions: Auckland Region
Tags: SkyCity
Duration: 2'36"
06:49
House prices fell 1% in January
BODY:
House prices fell 1 percent in January as activity showed the typical summer slowdown.
Topics: business, housing, economy
Regions:
Tags: house prices
Duration: 1'49"
06:51
Chatham Rock Phosphate isn't giving up on its mining project
BODY:
Chatham Rock Phosphate's managing director, Chris Castle, says he isn't giving up on his project to mine phosphate from the Chatham Rise.
Topics: business
Regions:
Tags: Chatham Rock Phosphate, mining
Duration: 2'40"
06:53
ASB Bank expects continued solid profit growth
BODY:
ASB Bank expects continued solid profit growth in line with growth in the economy.
Topics: business, economy
Regions:
Tags: ASB Bank
Duration: 1'48"
06:55
Retail spending edges down
BODY:
Retail spending with debit, credit and charge cards declined a seasonally adjusted zero-point-4 percent in January, the third successive monthly fall.
Topics: business, economy
Regions:
Tags: retail
Duration: 2'13"
06:57
Tower eyes Pacific for growth
BODY:
The general insurer, Tower, is keen to expand its presense in the Pacific.
Topics: business, Pacific
Regions:
Tags: Tower insurance, insurance
Duration: 1'17"
06:58
Morning markets for 12 February 2015
BODY:
Wall Street is mixed. The Dow Jones Index is down 29 points to 17 839.
Topics: business, economy
Regions:
Tags: markets
Duration: 50"
07:07
Sports News for 12 February 2015
BODY:
An update from the team at RNZ Sport.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 1'47"
07:11
Crucial step of request for help from Iraq likely
BODY:
New Zealand is expected to receive a formal request tomorrow to contribute to the military campaign against the Islamic State jihadist group
Topics: politics, defence force
Regions:
Tags: Iraq, Islamic State
Duration: 2'27"
07:13
Leading security analyst says it's only a matter of time
BODY:
A leading Australian security analyst says it's only a matter of time before an Islamic extremist attempts a headline-seeking attack in New Zealand.
Topics: crime, sport
Regions:
Tags: security, Cricket World Cup
Duration: 4'58"
07:18
President Barack Obama asks Congress for military force
BODY:
President Barack Obama has asked Congress to formally authorise the use of military force against Islamic State militants.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: USA, Islamic State
Duration: 3'32"
07:22
Meteor lights up night sky over NZ
BODY:
A flash of blue light and a sonic boom were reported in the skies over New Zealand about ten o'clock last night.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: meteor
Duration: 6'17"
07:29
Independent commissioners will decide on Convention centre
BODY:
Three independent commissioners will decide whether the public will get to have a say on the planned SkyCity convention centre. SkyCity has lodged a 17-hundred page application for consent to build the three thousand-seat convention centre and a five-star hotel next door. Our Auckland correspondent Todd Niall can tell us more.
Topics: business
Regions: Auckland Region
Tags: SkyCity
Duration: 3'17"
07:36
New Zealand judge questioned by British MPs
BODY:
The New Zealand judge appointed to lead a major inquiry in child sex abuse allegations in the UK, has been questioned by a group of British MPs ahead of the start of the inquiry.
Topics: law
Regions:
Tags: UK, Lowell Goddard
Duration: 2'17"
07:38
Synthetic cannabis blackmarket becoming more of problem
BODY:
More reports of synthetic cannabis being sold from private houses is coming in from all parts of New Zealand.
Topics: health
Regions:
Tags: synthetic cannabis
Duration: 5'02"
07:43
Mark Lundy told client he tried to increase insurance policy
BODY:
Mark Lundy's retrial has been told he tried to increase his family's life insurance, just hours before his wife and daughter were hacked to death.
Topics: crime
Regions:
Tags: Mark Lundy
Duration: 3'08"
07:49
Primary Industries Minister may declare state of drought
BODY:
The Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy is expected to declare a state of drought when he visits the parched South Canterbury region today.
Topics: farming, rural, weather
Regions: Canterbury
Tags: drought
Duration: 3'51"
07:53
Huge numbers expected at Mahuika tangi
BODY:
Huge numbers of mourners are expected at Rahui Marae on the east coast today to say their final goodbyes to the Ngati Porou leader, Apirana Mahuika.
Topics: te ao Māori
Regions: East Coast
Tags: Apirana Mahuika, Ngati Porou
Duration: 2'47"
07:56
Murray and Bond supreme Halberg Award winners
BODY:
The double world champion rowers, Eric Murray and Hamish Bond, have won the country's most prestigious sporting prize, taking out the supreme award at last night's Halberg Awards in Auckland.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags: Halberg Awards, rowing
Duration: 2'51"
08:07
Sports News for 12 February 2015
BODY:
An update from the team at RNZ Sport.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 2'09"
08:11
Formal invite to help in IS fight expected
BODY:
The formal invitation the Government's been waiting for before commiting to the fight against Islamic State is expected to be offered tomorrow.
Topics: defence force, politics
Regions:
Tags: Iraq, Islamic State
Duration: 4'21"
08:19
Security increased at Cricket World Cup sites after burglary
BODY:
Staying with security and the New Zealand Cricket World Cup Organisation has committed to boosting its security measures at its sites, after the theft of five laptops.
Topics: crime, sport
Regions:
Tags: Cricket World Cup
Duration: 3'28"
08:22
Deaths at sea of more than 300 migrants
BODY:
The United Nations' Refugee Agency has labelled the drowning of more than 300 illegal migrants a 'horrible and enormous' tragedy.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Italy, asylum seekers
Duration: 4'55"
08:29
Design issues mean costs of SkyCity Convention Centre increase
BODY:
A construction cost specialist says the projected cost of SkyCity's convention centre jumping by a third, would prompt him to consider putting parts of it back out to tender.
Topics: business
Regions: Auckland Region
Tags: SkyCity
Duration: 3'08"
08:32
Markets Update for 12 February 2015
BODY:
A brief update of movements in the financial sector
Topics: business, economy
Regions:
Tags: markets
Duration: 50"
08:37
Black Caps on mission to make World Cup history
BODY:
Cricketing history beckons for the Black Caps as they seek to become the first New Zealand side to reach the World Cup final when the tournament begins in Christchurch on Saturday.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags: Cricket World Cup, cricket
Duration: 4'27"
08:41
Talks one of the last chances to stop death in Ukraine
BODY:
Talks are about to begin in Minsk over the future of Ukraine.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Ukraine
Duration: 3'38"
08:47
Te Manu Korihi News for 12 February 2015
BODY:
The late Ngati Porou leader, Apirana Mahuika, will be laid to rest on the East Coast later this morning; A Northland kaumatua is threatening to close a local forestry route if the council fails to fix a dust problem caused by log trucks; The Waitangi Tribunal has directed the Crown to release more documents, in the Ngapuhi Mandate inquiry; The Māori Development Minister says the Māori Council will be at the table when the government and iwi leaders enter talks to define Māori freshwater rights.
Topics: te ao Māori
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 3'05"
08:50
Mining sector says door shut on investors in seabed mining
BODY:
The mining sector says New Zealand has effectively shut the book on seabed mining and will miss out on significant royalties.
Topics: business
Regions:
Tags: Chatham Rock Phosphate, mining
Duration: 3'17"
08:54
Proposed highway through inner city Nelson
BODY:
Residents in an inner-city Nelson suburb worry a proposed highway for the city will rip out the heart of their community.
Topics: transport
Regions: Nelson Region
Tags: Nelson
Duration: 2'28"
08:56
Pubs and brewers learn to sink or swim
BODY:
For better and for worse brewers, bottlestore owners and publicans are starting to feel the effect of the new lower alcohol driving limits that became law last December.
Topics: business, law
Regions:
Tags: alcohol, drink driving
Duration: 3'43"
=SHOW NOTES=
===9:06 AM. | Nine To Noon===
=DESCRIPTION=
Current affairs and topics of interest, including: 10:45 Swimming in the Dark, by Paddy Richardson, told by Michele Amas (4 of 12, RNZ)
=AUDIO=
09:08
Policing the Cricket World Cup
BODY:
Superintendent Sandra Manderson is the National Commander of Operation Cricket World Cup.
Topics: crime, sport
Regions:
Tags: Cricket World Cup, security
Duration: 23'17"
09:31
Coroner's report backs up campaign for better midwifery care
BODY:
Midwife training and experience is under the spotlight again following a critical Coroner's report which recommends intensive training and supervision for new midwives. Casey Nathan, who was 20, and her newborn son died in 2012. Jenn Hooper is a longtime campaigner on better midwifery care and founder of the group Action to Improve Maternity; and Sharron Cole is from the Midwifery Council.
EXTENDED BODY:
Photo: CC BY Official U.S. Navy Imagery.
Midwife training and experience is under the spotlight again following a critical Coroner's report which recommends intensive training and supervision for new midwives. Casey Nathan, who was 20, and her newborn son died in 2012.
Jenn Hooper is a longtime campaigner on better midwifery care and founder of the group Action to Improve Maternity; and Sharron Cole is from the Midwifery Council. They join Kathryn Ryan to discuss ways in which the care of women and babies could be improved.
Topics: health, education
Regions:
Tags: midwifery
Duration: 28'03"
10:06
UK correspondent Kate Adie
BODY:
Banking scandals. The Black and White Ball. Money for the UK elections. UK TV rights for sports matches.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: UK
Duration: 9'17"
10:15
Gruffalo author, Julia Donaldson
BODY:
He has terrible tusks, and terrible claws. And terrible teeth in his terrible jaws.
The Gruffalo author, Julia Donaldson.
EXTENDED BODY:
His eyes are orange, his tongue is black, he has purple prickles all over his back
It's a line children, and parents, around the world will recognise from the award-winning children's picture book The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Alex Scheffler.
The story of a mouse who outwits the scary creature of the title has sold more than 10 million copies, been translated into 50 languages and made into a film.
Donaldson got the idea for the story from an old Chinese tale about a little girl who escapes being eaten by a tiger by telling it she is the fearsome queen of the jungle. The girl tells the tiger to walk behind her and see how all the animals fear her.
I couldn't make the tiger fit into my rhyme scheme so I decided to create an imaginary monster whose name could rhyme with whatever I liked.
Many of Donaldson's rhyming stories feature unlikely heroes, whether it be a mouse who triumphs over a Gruffalo, or a dog, cat, frog and bird who join forces to frighten off a fearsome dragon, as in her book "Room on the Broom"
But just as he planned
to begin on his feast,
From out of a ditch
rose a horrible beast.
It was tall dark and sticky,
and feathered and furred.
It had four frightful heads
it had wings like a bird.
Donaldson says children like to be scared then reassured.
The former Children's Laureate in Britain and has written almost 193 books for children, over 100 of them for schools. Her other popular rhyming books include Stick Man and The Snail and the Whale.
She started as a children's performer in theatre and television. One day a publisher wanted to turn one of her children's songs, A Squash and A Squeeze into a book, and the rest is history.
She talks to Kathryn Ryan about her career and her love for rhyme.
Topics: books, author interview
Regions:
Tags: Julia Donaldson, Children's Books
Duration: 24'21"
10:39
Book Review: The Possibilities by Kaui Hart Hemmings
BODY:
Reviewed by Jane Westaway.
Topics: books
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 5'54"
11:06
New Technology with Paul Matthews
BODY:
Paul Matthews discusses the battle brewing in Wellington IT over Wellington City Council's Odyssey Project; the big shake up in tertiary tech education; and who's watching you when you're watching TV? Paul Matthews is the Chief Executive of the Institute of IT Professionals.
Topics: technology, education
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 19'44"
11:28
Parenting: What it's like parenting with a special needs child?
BODY:
Christchurch father Kelly Dugan has a three year old daughter Lucia with special needs. He speaks openly about the realities of raising her and the day to day struggles.
EXTENDED BODY:
Christchurch father Kelly Dugan has a three year-old daughter Lucia with special needs. He speaks openly about the realities of raising her and the day-to-day struggles. He wrote about Lucia:
My daughter's 'a different type of perfect'. I have a child with special needs. I am that guy, we are that family. The ones you see at the park and you think, "I wonder what is wrong with that kid". That is us. I knew nothing about people with special needs until I had one, a child with brain injuries, a "special needs" kid.
Kelly Dugan doesn't sanitise the day-to-day struggles of raising Lucia, who was deprived of oxygen at birth.
'Our darling Lucia has a perfect brain stuck in a broken chassis, we live day to day, inside there's just a little girl who wants to go to the park and run around and go on the slide'.
'We were told at birth she wouldn't be able to walk and talk, we can't believe that, if we believe she won't do these things then we might not do everything we possibly can to help her make progress, it hurts to push her, but we have to strive to help her.'
He said it's hard to see her in pain and struggling.
"I dread the day she signs to me or is able to talk and says to me Dad why am I like this'
Kelly Dugan is also the CEO of SmileDial, a registered charity that was established in 2011 with the simple goal of putting Smiles on the Dials of families with children with special needs.
SmileDial supports all family members (rather than focusing on the child with the illness or disability) ensuring that mums, dads and siblings all have Smiles on their Dials.
Kelly Dugan talks to Kathryn Ryan.
Topics: life and society, disability
Regions:
Tags: Kelly Dugan, Lucia Dugan, special needs, parenting, cerebral palsy
Duration: 22'34"
11:51
Film Review with Dan Slevin
BODY:
Dan Slevin reviews The Theory of Everything, Selma and Kingsman: The Secret Service.
Topics: media
Regions:
Tags: film
Duration: 7'57"
=SHOW NOTES=
09:05 Policing the Cricket World Cup
Superintendent Sandra Manderson is the National Commander of Operation Cricket World Cup.
09:20 Coroner's report backs up campaign for better midwifery care
Midwife training and experience is under the spotlight again following a critical Coroner's report which recommends intensive training and supervision for new midwives. Casey Nathan, who was 20, and her newborn son died in 2012.
Jenn Hooper is a longtime campaigner on better midwifery care and founder of the group Action to Improve Maternity; and Sharron Cole is from the Midwifery Council.
09:45 UK correspondent Kate Adie
10:05 Best selling children's author, Julia Donaldson
[image:33274:full]
Julia Donaldson is a former Children's Laureate in Britain and has written almost 193 books for children. Her other popular rhyming books include The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom and Stick Man.
10:30 Book Review: The Possibilities by Kaui Hart Hemmings
Reviewed by Jane Westaway
10:45 The Reading: 'Swimming in the Dark' by Paddy Richardson
Serena, a 15-year-old Alexandra girl, is in deep trouble and needs help badly. A fast-paced story of three women and the meaning of courage. Told by Michele Amas. (4 of 12, RNZ)
11:05 New Technology with Paul Matthews
Paul Matthews discusses the battle brewing in Wellington IT over Wellington City Council's Odyssey Project; the big shake up in tertiary tech education; and who's watching you when you're watching TV?
Paul Matthews is the Chief Executive of the Institute of IT Professionals.
11.30 Parenting: What it's like parenting with a special needs child?
Christchurch father Kelly Dugan has a three year old daughter Lucia with special needs. He speaks openly about the realities of raising her and the day to day struggles. He wrote about Lucia:
My daughter's 'a different type of perfect'. I have a child with special needs. I am that guy, we are that family. The ones you see at the park and you think, "I wonder what is wrong with that kid". That is us. I knew nothing about people with special needs until I had one, a child with brain injuries, a "special needs" kid.
Kelly Dugan is the CEO of SmileDial, a registered charity that was established in 2011 with the simple goal of putting Smiles on the Dials of families with children with special needs. SmileDial supports all family members (rather than focusing on the child with the illness or disability) ensuring that mums, dads and siblings all have Smiles on their Dials.
11:45 Film Review with Dan Slevin
Dan Slevin reviews The Theory of Everything, Selma and Kingsman: The Secret Service.
Music Details
Artist: Francoise Hardy
Song: Le Temps De L’Amour
Composer: Savet/Dutronc/Morisse
Album: The Collection
Label: VOGUE
Time: 10:44
Artist: Ezra Vine
Song: Braver than Most
Composer: Vine
Album: single
Label: NZ on Air
Time: 1127
===Noon | Midday Report===
=DESCRIPTION=
Radio New Zealand news, followed by updates and reports until 1.00pm, including: 12:16 Business News 12:26 Sport 12:34 Rural News 12:43 Worldwatch
=AUDIO=
12:00
Midday News for 12 February 2015
BODY:
In Auckland, three young girls have serious injuries after being hit by a car on their way to school and much of the South Island is declared officially in drought.
Topics: life and society
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 15'47"
12:17
Manufacturing activity slumps sharply in January
BODY:
Manufacturing activity has slowed sharply.
Topics: business
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 1'27"
12:19
APN postpones NZ float at least a year, posts $A11.5m year profit
BODY:
APN News and Media says it's postponing any float of its New Zealand assets for at least 12 months until the success of its strategy becomes evident.
Topics: business
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 1'14"
12:20
NZ Oil & Gas plans a $A70m takeover bid for Cue Energy
BODY:
New Zealand Oil and Gas is planning an on-market takeover bid for Cue Energy, valuing the Australian-listed firm at nearly 70 million dollars.
Topics: business
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 1'17"
12:23
ASB's high LVR lending shrank by $1.4b since restrictions
BODY:
ASB Bank's riskier mortgage lending has shrunk by 1 point 4 billion dollars since the Reserve Bank's restrictions came into force.
Topics: business
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 1'02"
12:24
Sky City's chief: Auckland's performance reflects $100m investment
BODY:
Sky City's chief executive says if the casino operator hadn't spent more than 100 million dollars over the last three or four years on its Auckland property, it wouldn't be performing so strongly.
Topics: business
Regions:
Tags: SkyCity
Duration: 1'17"
12:25
Midday Markets for 12 February 2015
BODY:
For the latest from the markets we're joined byAngus Marks at First NZ Capital.
Topics: business
Regions:
Tags: markets
Duration: 2'15"
12:27
Midday Sports News for 12 February 2015
BODY:
New Zealand shot-putter Valerie Adams came away empty-handed from the Halbergs last night, but she's now up for one of world sports' biggest awards.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 2'38"
12:34
Midday Rural News for 12 February 2015
BODY:
News from the rural and farming sectors.
Topics: rural, farming
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 9'03"
=SHOW NOTES=
===1:06 PM. | Afternoons===
=DESCRIPTION=
Information and debate, people and places around NZ
=AUDIO=
13:10
Your Song - These Hard Times
BODY:
These Hard Times - Matchbox 20. Chosen by Wayne Biggs.
Topics: life and society, music
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 15'06"
13:23
Our New Zealand A to Z - Rugby Fields
BODY:
Shane Graham - President of Nelson Rugby Football Union David Kennedy - CEO of the Eden Park Trust Troy Para - Rugby development officer for Ngati Porou East Coast.
EXTENDED BODY:
The flavour and history of some of New Zealand's sports grounds, with Shane Graham, president of Nelson Rugby Football Union; David Kennedy, CEO of the Eden Park Trust; and Troy Para rugby development officer for Ngati Porou.
Topics: life and society, sport, history
Regions:
Tags: rugby
Duration: 36'40"
14:10
Meteor!
BODY:
Al Gilmore from Mt John Observatory discusses last night's spectacular astral phenomenon.
Topics: science
Regions:
Tags: astronomy
Duration: 15'33"
14:20
Tame Eel Killed
BODY:
Nydia Bay is in mourning after the area's famous (and long-lived) pet eel was killed and used for bait.
Topics: life and society
Regions: Marlborough
Tags: Nydia Bay, eels
Duration: 8'45"
14:45
Feature album - Blue
BODY:
Following on from a major new interview with folk legend Joni Mitchell in this week's New York magazine, the feature album today is "Blue".
Topics: music
Regions:
Tags: Joni Mitchell
Duration: 13'23"
15:10
The Expats
BODY:
New Zealand Soprano Carleen Ebbs talks about her experiences in Britain and Wales.
Topics: music
Regions:
Tags: opera
Duration: 14'03"
15:45
The Panel Pre-Show for 12 February 2015
BODY:
Your feedback, and a preview of the guests and topics on The Panel.
Topics: life and society
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 13'56"
=SHOW NOTES=
1:10 Your Song
These Hard Times - Matchbox 20. Chosen by Wayne Biggs
1:20 Our New Zealand A to Z - Rugby Fields
Shane Graham - President of Nelson Rugby Football Union
David Kennedy - CEO of the Eden Park Trust
Troy Para - Rugby development officer for Ngati Porou East Coast
2:10 Meteor!
Al Gilmore from Mt John Observatory discusses last night's spectacular astral phenomenon
2:20 Tame Eel Killed
Nydia Bay is in mourning after the area's famous (and long-lived) pet eel was killed and used as bait
2:30 NZ Reading - Burton's Tour #4
A whimsical travelogue in which the narrator and her companion Burton enjoy a 'tootling' tour through the back roads of England, Spain and India. In this episode they visit India where they take in an election, visit an Elephant training school then Burton gets an ear ache and has to visit an Indian hospital
2:45 Feature album
Following on from a major new interview with folk legend Joni Mitchell in this week's New York magazine, the feature album today is "Blue"
3:10 The Expats
New Zealand Soprano Carleen Ebbs talks about her experiences in Britain and Wales
3:35 Our Changing World.
It started out as an experiment driven by curiosity, but a Bay of Plenty farmer discovered that he can produce greener pastures by digging up ancient volcanic soils that lay buried for thousands of years
3:45 The Panel Pre-Show
With Jim Mora, Zara Potts, Jock Anderson and Sue Wells
===4:06 PM. | The Panel===
=DESCRIPTION=
An hour of discussion featuring a range of panellists from right along the opinion spectrum (RNZ)
=AUDIO=
15:45
The Panel Pre-Show for 12 February 2015
BODY:
Your feedback, and a preview of the guests and topics on The Panel.
Topics: life and society
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 13'56"
16:07
Panel Intro
BODY:
What the panelists Sue Wells and Jock Anderson have been up to.
Topics: life and society
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 5'05"
16:08
The Panel with Jock Anderson and Sue Wells (Part 1)
BODY:
Topics - Greg Watts the Executive Director of the NZ Security Association joined the Panel to explain why there's no parking at Westpac Stadium during the Cricket World Cup. How frightened should we be of technology?
Topics: life and society
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 24'20"
16:13
Cricket World Cup Security.
BODY:
Greg Watts the Executive Director of the NZ Security Association joined the Panel to explain why there's no parking at Westpac Stadium during the Cricket World Cup.
Topics: sport, life and society
Regions:
Tags: cricket
Duration: 7'28"
16:18
Smart Electricity Meters
BODY:
How frightened should we be of technology? Now The Privacy Commission has issued a warning about the private information smart electricity meters gather. We ask Associate Professor Gehan Gunesakara of the University of Auckland how secure that data is.
Topics: technology
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 11'45"
16:35
Driver Fatigue vs Drink Driving
BODY:
Napping does help tiredness and a call for chronic Fatigue Syndrome to be re-named.
Topics: health
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 7'28"
16:35
The Panel with Jock Anderson and Sue Wells (Part 2)
BODY:
Topics - Napping does help tiredness and a call for chronic Fatigue Syndrome to be re-named. What's on the minds of panelists Sue Wells and Jock Anderson. Tax expert Andrew Dickeson explains the difference between doing up your house and selling it...and doing up a house on TV and selling it. 22-year-old Courtney Topic was shot dead by Sydney police carrying a kitchen knife. It's now revealed she has Aspergers Syndrome. Iraq's foreign minister meets the PM tomorrow. Is this a personal invitation to go to war?
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 26'28"
16:43
Panel Says
BODY:
What's on the minds of panelists Sue Wells and Jock Anderson.
Topics: life and society
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 6'48"
16:47
Tax and DIY TV Shows
BODY:
Tax expert Andrew Dickeson explains the difference between doing up your house and selling it...and doing up a house on TV and selling it.
Topics: money
Regions:
Tags: tax
Duration: 8'00"
16:55
Woman Killed by Aus Police Had Aspergers
BODY:
22-year-old Courtney Topic was shot dead by Sydney police carrying a kitchen knife. It's now revealed she has Aspergers Syndrome.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 1'09"
16:58
NZ Troops in Iraq
BODY:
Iraq's foreign minister meets the PM tomorrow. Is this a personal invitation to go to war?
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Iraq
Duration: 2'44"
=SHOW NOTES=
===5:00 PM. | Checkpoint===
=DESCRIPTION=
Radio New Zealand's two-hour news and current affairs programme
=AUDIO=
17:00
Checkpoint Top Stories for Thursday 12 February 2015
BODY:
Mail deliveries cut back, costing 400 posties their jobs; PM again rules out troops in combat role; Govt won't make further gambling concessions to SkyCity; Three children injured on their way to school; Prostitute gives evidence at Lundy trial; Drought declared across most of South Island.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 20'08"
17:08
Mail deliveries cut back, costing 400 posties their jobs
BODY:
Four hundred posties will be axed as standard letter deliveries are cut to three days a week for most people from July.
Topics: business
Regions:
Tags: New Zealand Post
Duration: 5'05"
17:12
PM again rules out troops in combat role
BODY:
Ahead of tomorrow's meeting with a top Iraqi official, the Prime Minister is again ruling out New Zealand troops fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq.
Topics: politics, defence force
Regions:
Tags: Iraq, Islamic State
Duration: 2'44"
17:16
Govt won't make further gambling concessions to SkyCity
BODY:
The Government has ruled out making any further gambling concessions to SkyCity in exchange for it building an international convention centre in Auckland.
Topics: business
Regions:
Tags: SkyCity, gambling
Duration: 2'23"
17:18
Three children injured on their way to school
BODY:
A woman who'd just dropped off her own children at a South Auckland school hit three young girls when they ran across a busy main road.
Topics:
Regions: Auckland Region
Tags:
Duration: 3'41"
17:22
Prostitute gives evidence at Lundy trial
BODY:
A prostitute has told the Mark Lundy retrial that when she went to a Petone motel in August 2000 to service a man called "Mark", there was a three quarters empty bottle of rum in his room and he reeked of alcohol.
Topics: crime
Regions:
Tags: Mark Lundy
Duration: 2'59"
17:26
Drought declared across most of South Island
BODY:
The Government has today declared that large parts of the South Island are in drought; that encompasses most of Otago, Canterbury and Marlborough.
Topics: farming, environment, weather
Regions: Canterbury, Otago, Marlborough
Tags: drought
Duration: 2'49"
17:33
Evening Business for 12 February 2015
BODY:
The New Zealand dollar has been mixed against the currencies of its major trading partners, as weakness in the Australian currency dragged it down.
Topics: business, economy
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 2'36"
17:37
Sydney men appear in court over terrorism charges
BODY:
Two Sydney men charged with planning a terrorist act have appeared in court via video link today after their hearing yesterday was cut short due to security concerns.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Australia
Duration: 6'25"
17:49
World War II veteran 'gobsmacked' at getting French Legion of Honour
BODY:
Penwill Moore from Wellington, who's about to be presented with France's highest decoration says he was 'gobsmacked' when he found out about it.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: WW2, French Legion of Honour
Duration: 3'44"
17:52
Apirana Mahuika buried on the East Coast
BODY:
The Ngati Porou leader, Apirana Mahuika, has been laid to rest.
Topics: te ao Māori
Regions: East Coast
Tags: Ngati Porou, Apirana Mahuika
Duration: 3'11"
17:56
Brendon McCullum eyes more silverware
BODY:
The New Zealand Cricket captain Brendon McCullum has picked up one piece of silverware but there's a bigger prize he has his eyes on - the Cricket World Cup.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags: cricket, Cricket World Cup
Duration: 2'24"
18:07
Sports News for 12 February 2015
BODY:
An update from the team at RNZ Sport.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 3'14"
18:11
Union reacts to 400 postie jobs going
BODY:
Standard mail deliveries will be cut back to three days a week for most people from July, costing 400 posties their jobs.
Topics: business
Regions:
Tags: New Zealand Post
Duration: 5'47"
18:21
Only 13 days of water left for Opuha Dam
BODY:
Lake Opuha in South Canterbury is just 13 days away from having to turn off the tap for the 250 farmers who rely on it for irrigation.
Topics: environment
Regions: Canterbury
Tags: drought, water, Opuha Dam, irrigation
Duration: 3'21"
18:26
American Sniper murder trial starts in Texas
BODY:
A court in Texas has heard about the last text messages sent between famed US sniper Chris Kyle and a friend before a third man Eddie Routh shot them.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: American Sniper, USA
Duration: 4'41"
18:33
NZ sends icebreaker to rescue fishing boat
BODY:
An Australian fishing boat is trapped in Antarctic ice, and rescue coordinators in New Zealand are sending an American icebreaker to free it.
Topics: Antarctica
Regions:
Tags: fishing
Duration: 3'17"
18:37
Police fail to investigate sexual assault complaint - IPCA
BODY:
The police watchdog has found two officers failed to investigate a woman's sexual assault complaint because she had a mental illness.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: police, IPCA, mental illness
Duration: 3'35"
18:45
More transparency around trade deal called for
BODY:
Four years after a petition was tabled in Parliament calling for more transparency around the negotiation of the Trans-Pacific trade agreement, one of the organisers - the Council of Trade Unions - finally got to appear before a select committee.
Topics: politics, economy
Regions:
Tags: TPPA, trade, CTU
Duration: 2'48"
18:48
Tonight's opening ceremony for the Cricket World Cup
BODY:
The opening ceremony for the Cricket World Cup in New Zealand will begin soon in Christchurch.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags: cricket, Cricket World Cup
Duration: 2'48"
18:51
Te Manu Korihi News for 12 February 2015
BODY:
The Ngati Porou leader, Apirana Mahuika, has been laid to rest; A Northland kuia says the government is profiting from the forestry industry - at the expense of her community's health; A group of Māori authors are this year's guests of honour at the Taipei International Book Exhibition.
Topics: te ao Māori
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 2'55"
18:54
Today in Parliament for 12 February - evening edition
BODY:
Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee considers petition calling for greater transparency around the TPP trade agreement. Junior ministers step up to answer questions on behalf of their senior colleagues.
Topics: politics
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 5'00"
=SHOW NOTES=
===7:06 PM. | Nights===
=DESCRIPTION=
Entertainment and information, including: 7:30 At the Movies with Simon Morris: Current film releases and film related topics (RNZ) 8:13 Windows on the World: International public radio features and documentaries 9:06 Our Changing World: Science and environment news from NZ and the world (RNZ)
=AUDIO=
19:15
The Importance Of Public Art
BODY:
Public art advocate and artist Leo Villareal's work, The Bay Lights, is currently lighting up the San Francisco Bay Bridge, which is part of an Illuminate the Arts project that aims "to alter the arc of human history through the creation of transformational works of public art".
Topics: arts
Regions:
Tags: San Francisco, bridges, LED, public art
Duration: 17'15"
20:42
Poetry - Anna Akhmatova
BODY:
VUW Modern Letters Creative Writing workshop convener Cliff Fell recites the influence of the "classic" poems and poets... Russian Anna Akhmatova was a great love poet.
EXTENDED BODY:
VUW Modern Letters Creative Writing workshop convener Cliff Fell recites the influence of the "classic" poems and poets... Russian Anna Akhmatova was a great love poet.
Image: Portrait of Anna Akhmatova by Olga Della-Vos-Kardovskaya, 1914 (detail)
Topics: arts
Regions:
Tags: poetry, Anna Akhmatova
Duration: 17'35"
20:59
Conundrum clue 7
BODY:
Clue number 7.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 08"
21:59
Conundrum clue 8
BODY:
Clue number 8.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 18"
=SHOW NOTES=
7:10 The Importance Of Public Art
Public art advocate and artist Leo Villareal's work, The Bay Lights, is currently lighting up the San Francisco Bay Bridge, which is part of an Illuminate the Arts project that aims "to alter the arc of human history through the creation of transformational works of public art".
7:30 At the Movies
=SHOW NOTES=
=AUDIO=
19:30
At The Movies for 12 February 2015
BODY:
At The Movies returns, and this week Simon Morris looks at three very English films, including multi Bafta-winner The Theory of Everything. James Bond spoof Kingsmen stars Colin Firth, while old-fashioned scoundrel Mortdecai features Johnny Depp and Gwynneth Paltrow.
EXTENDED BODY:
Simon Morris looks at three very English films, including multi Bafta-winner The Theory of Everything, James Bond spoof Kingsmen stars Colin Firth, while old-fashioned scoundrel Mortdecai features Johnny Depp and Gwynneth Paltrow.
Topics: media, arts
Regions:
Tags: film
Duration: 23'28"
7:30 At the Movies
Films and movie business with Simon Morris.
8:10 Windows on the World
International public radio documentaries - visit the Windows on the World web page to find links to these documentaries.
8:40 Poetry
VUW Modern Letters Creative Writing workshop convener Cliff Fell recites the influence of the "classic" poems and poets... Russian Anna Akhmatova was a great love poet.
9:06 Our Changing World
=SHOW NOTES=
Coming Up on Thursday 19 February
Bounty Islands, a portable x-ray detector, the Dodd Walls centre for Photonics and Quantum Technologies, and the discovery of an entire ecosystem under Antarctica’s ice.
=AUDIO=
21:06
River Health 101 - Feet In and Hands On
BODY:
Whitebait Connections takes school children out to measure the health of local streams and rivers.
EXTENDED BODY:
By Amelia Nurse
What do whitebait need in a stream? How can you tell if a stream is healthy or not? Just some of the questions that school students across the country are being encouraged to ask when they’re taken out to visit local waterways, and encouraged to get their hands and feet wet in a practical session of water testing.
This week we join students from the Koraunui School in Stokes Valley as they discover what the meaning of a healthy waterway is. Two groups are on a fieldtrip led by Zoe Studd, a coordinator from Whitebait Connection and the Island Bay Marine Education Centre, to the Catchpool Valley Stream in the Rimutaka Forest Park, south of the Hutt Valley.
Whitebait Connection is an experiential education programme which operates throughout New Zealand to educate school children about how to evaluate the health of waterways, how upstream and land-based activities can harm waterways and what they can do to take action in their local environment.
As the students measure a series of physical qualities, including water clarity, flow, temperature, pH and conductivity, they learn how all these contribute to the health of a stream.
Conductivity is a measurement of nutrients in a stream, says Zoe Studd.
'If we were in a place where there are a lot of cows, or farm land, or fertiliser or sewage going in, we’d expect a really high number, which means there’s a lot of nutrients in the water. Some nutrients is important but too much and we get lots of algal growth … choking up the waterways.' _Zoe Studd
Next, the students collect invertebrates such as mayflies and caddisflies. Each of these macro invertebrates has a different level of tolerance to pollution and is a good indicator of stream health. Each has a sensitivity score, which “tells us how well it can adapt to poorer water quality or if a habitat has been degraded quite severely.”
After their visit to the Catchpool Valley Stream, the students continued on to the mouth of the Wainuiomata River at Baring Head. The stream is a tributary to this river and the students conducted the same series of tests to see what effects unfenced agricultural land and urban development has on the water and the life it supports.
Here’s the outcome of the students’ big day in the water.
Catchpool Valley Stream
Physical observations:
Water Clarity: Average 99cm
Rating: Excellent
Conductivity: 130
Rating: Excellent (enough nutrients to help plants and animals grow)
Macro Invertebrates:
10 caddisflies, 13 stoneflies, 34 mayflies, 14 Dobsonflies, 7 water boatmen, 9 damselflies.
Overall, the students found that the water quality at Catchpool was excellent.
Wainuiomata River/ Baring Head
Physical observations:
Water Clarity: Average 73cm
Rating: Good
Conductivity: 150
Rating: quite a lot of nutrients in the water
Macro invertebrates:
53 freshwater snails, 2 flatworms, 3 mayflies, 1 stonefly, lots of midges and a few mosquito larvae.
You can follow the science adventures of students at Koraunui School and their teacher Dianne Christenson on Twitter at Curious Koraunui or on their blog.
Topics: environment
Regions:
Tags: whitebait, fish, rivers, stream, water clarity, Koraunui School
Duration: 17'17"
21:20
Drug Addiction in the Genes
BODY:
A single gene seems to predispose people to becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol
EXTENDED BODY:
By Sonia Sly
The abuse of amphetamine-type stimulants is reported to be higher in New Zealand than anywhere else in the world, and costs associated with drug and alcohol abuse are soaring at an estimated $7 billion per year. With these figures in mind, research is being undertaken at Victoria University to look into ways of preventing drug and alcohol addiction.
Bart Ellenbroek, has been conducting this research and believes that those suffering from drug and alcohol dependency cannot be held responsible for what is essentially an illness and disorder of the brain. The research points to links between a person's levels of serotonin, a mood-altering brain chemical, and susceptibility to drug dependence. With more than 30-years of experience in the field of neuroscience, Bart Ellenbroek says that one identifiable gene is a contributing factor to addiction.
The Serotonin Transporter is a protein that recycles serotonin, and a change in the gene that codes for this protein has been shown to affect the rate of serotonin uptake. It is known to predispose people to anxiety and depression and it may play a role in addiction. Bart Ellenbroek says this gene is a significant contributing factor to drug and alcohol addiction, but he is quick to reinforce that it is not the only one.
His studies have been undertaken in animal models, and some surprising discoveries have emerged that allude to the notion that not all drug addictions are alike.
'We found indeed that these animals are much more sensitive to cocaine and especially to ecstasy … interestingly, they are not more sensitive to heroin …' _Bart Ellenbroek
The animals also acquired addiction at a much faster rate than those without it, self-administering more frequently and much earlier, with reinstatement of the addiction adopted very quickly after a period of withdrawal.
Sarah Bradbury, who graduated with a PhD in psychology last year, has shown in her research that the development of drug addiction is related to brain levels of serotonin.
What did you set out to find?
I set out to find why some drug users become drug-dependent, when the majority of drug users do not become dependent. I specifically researched the role of two neurotransmitters - serotonin and dopamine - in the progression of MDMA and cocaine use to abuse.
What did you discover?
The results suggest that during initial exposures to a drug, the susceptibility to drug abuse is related to the drug-produced serotonin response: a greater drug-produced serotonin response was associated with a decreased likelihood of progression to drug abuse. Although a wealth of research has implicated dopamine in drug use and abuse, my research failed to find an association between dopamine and susceptibility to drug abuse. Therefore the drug-produced serotonin response appears to be a critical factor in the progression from drug use to drug abuse. This finding was supported by the results of a subsequent study which showed that a depleted serotonin system increased drug-taking during initial exposures to a drug.
How low do serotonin levels have to be in order for people to be susceptible to addiction?
This study is the first to suggest that susceptibility to drug dependence/addiction is associated with inherent individual variability in the serotonin response to drugs. Further research will be needed to gain a better understanding of this relationship, and to get an idea of the relevant serotonin levels.
People talk about addictive personalities. Is there anything from your findings suggesting this to be the case and, if so, what would a low serotonin personality look like?
The research does not directly suggest anything about 'addictive personalities'. However, because a depleted serotonin system resulted in an increase in either MDMA or cocaine intake, the research supports a number of other studies which have shown that the biological basis for all drug addictions is similar. There are also a number of studies which have shown a similar biological basis for addictions to things other than drugs.
In terms of what a low-serotonin personality may look like ... Abnormalities in brain levels of serotonin have been implicated in a number of mood disorders, and people who suffer from mood disorders are more likely than the general population to be drug abusers.
In your study you discovered that levels of serotonin on initial intake of drugs makes a difference in terms of subsequent abuse, why is this?
The mechanism by which the serotonin response influences drug use is not yet clear. The mechanism might be due to alterations of serotonin receptor function within the brain, and it is likely to involve complex interactions with other neurotransmitter systems.
Do our serotonin levels remain roughly the same or do they change frequently depending on activities, food intake etc.?
Serotonin levels fluctuate but there is an effective regulatory system that neutralises these fluctuations. Any daily fluctuations in serotonin levels are unlikely to be significant enough to make a person more or less susceptible to drug abuse. Abnormal alterations of serotonin levels are associated with changes in normal functioning. For example, depression is associated with lower levels of serotonin, and is therefore treated with drugs that increase serotonin levels.
Topics: science, health
Regions:
Tags: drugs, alcohol, addiction, psychology
Duration: 12'58"
21:34
Drug-Resistant TB and a New Class of Drugs
BODY:
How research into the metabolism of the TB bacterium is helping in the development of a new class of antibiotics
EXTENDED BODY:
By Alison Ballance
“The problem is we’re running out of drugs, basically. Probably the greatest discovery of the twentieth century was antibiotics, but we’ve used them so much that resistance is everywhere. We’ve probably released about 50 million tonnes of antibiotics into our environment.” Microbiologist Greg Cook, University of Otago
Microbiologist Greg Cook, from the University of Otago, carries out research into the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB) in humans: Mycobacterium tuberculosis. He is particularly interested in the metabolism of microorganisms, and the goal of his research is to produce a new class of antibiotics – or metabiotics - that specifically target the metabolism of microorganisms such as the TB bacterium.
Greg Cook says that for nearly 50 years no new antibiotics were developed to treat TB, as the use of antibiotics during the 1950s and 1960s was very effective at almost eradicating the disease. However, the AIDs epidemic has seen a big increase in the number of immune-compromised people suffering from TB, and a corresponding rise in drug resistant TB. Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR TB) is caused by an organism that is resistant to at least isoniazid and rifampin, the two most potent TB drugs. Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB) is resistant to almost all drugs used to treat TB, and accounts for about 10% of the cases of MDR TB.
In 2014 the World Health Organisation (WHO) released its first global report on antibiotic resistance, which revealed a serious, worldwide threat to public health.
“Antibiotics are something that people seem to think we’ve discovered in the last 80 years,” said Greg. “But in actual fact these antibiotics have come from soil organisms. And some of these antibiotics are 50 to 100 million years old. So they’ve been in the environment for millions and millions of years, and if you go out into the environment and find pristine soils that have never seen agricultural practise and you randomly sample bacteria for resistance then what you find is that there are already bacteria in the soil that are resistant to antibiotics. And there’s new research showing that bacteria in the soil can actually grow on antibiotics. So, as fast we develop antibiotics, these resistant determinants are already sitting out there in the environment.”
Research in Greg Cook’s lab in the early 2000s identified the mechanism of action for mycobacterial ATP synthase, an enzyme that is essential for the generation of energy in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. At about the same time Janssen identified a drug called Bedaquiline (now marketed as SIRTURO™), which specifically inhibits this enzyme. Bedaquline is used in association with existing TB drugs, and Greg says it is is capable of treating TB within 8 weeks, compared to usual multi-drug treatment which takes two years.
“This was the first time that a drug had actually been used against the energy generation machinery of a bacterium,” says Greg. “So it’s a completely new class of antibiotics. And this was incredibly exciting for us as we believe this is where the new antimicrobials are going to come from.”
Topics: science, health
Regions:
Tags: tuberculosis, TB, antibiotic resistance, micro-organisms, bacteria, drugs
Duration: 21'41"
21:46
Farming Ancient Volcanic Soils
BODY:
When a farmer embarked on an experiment to excavate deep volcanic layers and bring them to the top, he found that the ancient soils produced greener pastures.
EXTENDED BODY:
by Veronika Meduna
Eric Smeith is a dairy farmer in Galatea, in the Bay of Plenty. He’s lived there all his life and has watched the impact that hot and dry summers can have on agriculture. But he has also noticed something else: whenever power lines or water pipes have to be dug into the soil, the pasture growing on the newly mixed top soil is usually much greener.
A few years ago, he embarked on an unusual experiment to test whether he could improve the productivity of his soil by digging up tephra from a volcanic eruption that happened more than 5000 years ago – with promising results.
‘You can actually see it on Google Earth satellite photos. You can still see this green strip in this paddock here’. _Eric Smeith
Volcanic soils cover much of the central North Island, and the thickest sequences of tephra (the loose ash and fragments left behind by volcanic eruptions) are found in the Bay of Plenty and Hawke’s Bay. Some volcanic layers contain a mineral called allophane, which helps to retain water – and Eric Smeith thinks that it is this higher water retention of the buried layers that has helped to green his experimental pastures.
To find out whether Eric’s experiments are repeatable, DairyNZ funded a field trial on his farm – the Galatea Soil Flipping project. The purpose of the trial was to quantify the pasture response and economic return of farming on ancient soils, and to see whether the technique could be used to improve productivity of similar pumice soils across the Volcanic Plataeu. Bill Adam, from the DairyTeam in Whakatane, says he was sceptical at first.
‘I was absolutely terrified that we would take all this expensive potash and phosphate that Eric had been applying for years and years and bury it away one and half metres underground and that it would take us forever to fix it. But actually that didn’t happen. What came up from deep down below had a better pH than what was on the top.’ _Bill Adam
Phosphate and sulphate levels in the deep soil were also high, and Bill Adam says this was most likely because the fertilisers that had been applied to the land for many years had accumulated at depth.
The trial results show that bringing up these ancient volcanic layers improves pasture productivity, as long as carbon is returned to the soil, either by mixing in the original top soil or working in organic material.
Nadia Laubscher, a postgraduate student in soil science at Waikato University, looked more specifically at what happens to the root systems of grasses grown on flipped soils and how well they retain water. She found that the more finely textured buried soils had much better water retention, and that the more readily available water allowed roots to grow more evenly and to penetrate deeper.
“It was even obvious to the touch,” she says. “You’d have big chunks of Whakatane tephra in a mixed soil and you’d touch it and the tephra would be quite moist.”
2015 is the International Year of Soils, and my visit to the Smeith farm was part of a New Zealand Soil Science Society field trip to explore volcanic soils. You can listen to another feature about volcanic soils here
and interviews about global soil issues here:
More features about soil science are coming up throughout 2015.
Topics: science, environment
Regions:
Tags: volcanic soils, tephra, farming, soil productivity
Duration: 12'16"
9:06 Our Changing World
Science and environment news from New Zealand and the world.
10:17 Late Edition
A review of the leading news from Morning Report, Nine to Noon, Afternoons and Checkpoint. Also hear the latest news from around the Pacific on Radio New Zealand International's Dateline Pacific.
11:06 Music 101 pocket edition
A contemporary music magazine with interviews and music from New Zealand and overseas artists, coverage of new releases, tours, live sessions, music festivals and events.
===10:00 PM. | Late Edition===
=DESCRIPTION=
Radio New Zealand news, including Dateline Pacific and the day's best interviews from Radio New Zealand National
===11:06 PM. | Music 101===
=DESCRIPTION=
Music, interviews, live performances, behind the scenes, industry issues, career profiles, new, back catalogue, undiscovered, greatest hits, tall tales - with a focus on NZ (RNZ)