Podcast appearances and mentions of Banks Peninsula

John MacDonald was joined this morning by Megan Woods and Vanessa Weenink, to delve into some of the biggest issues of the week. It's been a big week for Weenink, who holds the electorate seat for Banks Peninsula – she gave an update on the State of Emergency in the area, and her thoughts on the response. Pay equity was the big topic of the week – it's been revealed National Party members were told about the plan last week – how did Weenink feel at the time? And David Parker believes it's time for MMP to go – does his stance hold merit? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Banks Peninsula's State of Emergency remains in effect, with warning of more severe weather on its way for much of the country. The emergency was declared a week ago during record rain and flooding. Orange warnings have now been issued for more heavy rain for several parts of both islands, heading from south to north over the next two days. Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger told Canterbury Mornings the State of Emergency will be reviewed again at 4pm. He says they worry rain tomorrow may impact existing slips and could make things a bit messy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I've always been a fan of MMP. And I still am, but there's one thing about it that I do struggle with – the list MPs. I know it took some of us a while to totally understand why we have list MPs. I understand – but I don't necessarily like it. Which is why I thought retiring Labour MP David Parker raised some good points about MMP in his valedictory speech in Parliament. He reckons we should replace it with something else. His preference is the single transferable vote system, and he thinks we should have another referendum to see if people want to stick with the MMP voting system. I don't think we need a referendum because I think most people are happy with it. I am, anyway. Where I am with David Parker is list MPs. He didn't say straight out that he thinks they're a waste of time. That's probably because he's a list MP himself – or he was, anyway. But he thinks that, even if you're a list MP, you should be connected to an electorate. I know you see some list MPs driving around the place with signage on their vehicle saying “so-and-so, so-and-so, your such-and-such MP in wherever you might be”. Example: Tracey McLellan bills herself as a Labour list MP based in Banks Peninsula. But that's just optics. It's just done to make us think that a list MP is just as approachable and interested in their local community as someone specifically elected to represent an area. And I think list MPs have got a big sell job on their hands to convince us of the value they bring. I know they say they work frantically. But how does that stack up when we've got the likes of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon dealing with everything that comes with being PM – plus he's also the MP for Botany. So David Parker is right to be saying that list MPs need to do more than just meat in the room at Parliament when it comes to voting in a pack. I disagree with him though when he says MMP is to blame for polarising people. He says MMP has based politics in New Zealand on identity, but I thought that's what MMP is all about. Because identity politics is when you get a political view based on things like ethnicity, race, nationality, religion, denomination, gender, sexual orientation, social background, political affiliation, caste, age, education, disability, intelligence and social class. My response is: what's so bad about that? It's not as if we didn't have special interest political parties before MMP. We had Christian Heritage and the Christian Democrats. And the Values Party was pretty much an environmental political outfit. Even Social Credit had a particular identity –it wasn't just another mainstream political party. Another thing I disagree with is David Parker's view that MMP is bad because it polarises people. He says under the first-past-the-post system, New Zealand was one of the best countries in the world and that, with MMP, the place was meant to get even better. But he says it hasn't. He says politicians are more divided than ever and New Zealand society is more divided than ever. But I don't think MMP is to blame. People are polarised all over the world – more so after Covid. And there are many different voting systems all over the world. Nevertheless, David Parker thinks MMP has run its course and he reckons it's time to put it to the people and have another referendum to see if we're still happy with MMP, or whether we'd like to change to something else. Even though I've got issues with list MPs, I'm good with the way things are. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Banks Peninsula is still under a State of Emergency almost a week after heavy rain triggered widespread flooding and slips including an active slip on Lighthouse Road in Akaroa. Christchurch City Council controller Anne Colombus spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

While the state of emergency in Christchurch was lifted yesterday it remains in place for Banks Peninsula. Banks Peninsula MP Vanessa Weenink spoke to Alexa Cook.

The Canterbury communities of Little River and Akaroa are both still cut off from the rest of the country after yesterday's torrential rain flooded their areas. A state of emergency is still in place for Christchurch and Banks Peninsula with teams assessing the extent of slips and damage after the area had its fourth wettest day on record yesterday. While in Wellington, the blustery wind and driving rain has mostly died down. But power cuts and rubber neckers are causing the biggest nuisance as people there mop up from yesterday's storm. Lauren Crimp has more from the capital.

The State of Emergency in Selwyn has been lifted, but it will continue in Christchurch and Banks Peninsula until at least tomorrow, as the region starts the clean up process after being inundated in rain over the last 48 hours. There is still extensive surface flooding particularly in the Selwyn district and Banks Peninsula, and Little River in Banks Peninsula remain cuts off. Reporter Rachel Graham spoke to Lisa Owen.

Torrential rain and strong winds have hammered Canterbury, with states of emergency being declared in Christchurch, Banks Peninsula and the Selwyn District. Surface flooding has closed roads and schools across the region, and rivers have burst their banks. An orange heavy rain warning is in place until Thursday evening. Anna Sargent reports.

Canterbury's civil defence and emergency management team leader Phill Mackay spoke to Paddy Gower.

The city is under a state of emergency along with Banks Peninsula, and the Selwyn District. Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger spoke to Morning Report.

Stell dir vor, du hast die Gelegenheit, Neuseelands atemberaubende Südinsel zu erkunden - und dann wirst du krank. Leider ist es uns genau so gegangen, und wir konnten uns nur in kleinen Kreisen um Christchurch herum bewegen. Irgendwas Anstrengendes war nicht drin! Zum Glück ist eine gemütliche Fahrt zur Ostküste und die Banks Peninsula schon ein Erlebnis an sich. Auf unseren Ausflügen über Serpentinen und steile Straßen haben wir unsere Augen auf Reisen geschickt und die unbeschreiblich schöne und gleichzeitig schroffe Natur und den Pazifik auf uns wirken lassen. Und schließlich konnten wir noch die kleinsten Delfine der Welt, nasty Pinguine in Schuhgröße 39 und das Babybecken von Seelöwen sehen. Sogar ein fast echter Schneesturm hat und gebeutelt! Aber alles in allem müssen wir wiederkommen... Nachrichten kannst du uns sehr gerne hier draufquatschen (next Stop: Singapur!): [https://www.speakpipe.com/happytogo](https://www.speakpipe.com/happytogo) Unsere neue Sendung "Psychologie to do! - Dein nächster Schritt" ist hier verlinkt: [https://www.ardmediathek.de/sendung/psychologie-to-do-der-naechste-schritt/Y3JpZDovL3dkci5kZS9wc3ljaG9sb2dpZXRvZG8](https://www.ardmediathek.de/sendung/psychologie-to-do-der-naechste-schritt/Y3JpZDovL3dkci5kZS9wc3ljaG9sb2dpZXRvZG8)

An investigation has found a fishing boat which ran aground on Canterbury's Banks Peninsula in 2023 when it turned towards land and nobody was in the wheelhouse to stop it.

Road rage is getting worse according to survey results out today, and I think it's time we made road rage a specific criminal offence. I'll come back to that but, first, how about this for a story? A guy's driving around Governor's Bay when this boy racer starts tailgating him, then stops in front of him, pulls out a baseball bat and starts smashing the guy's windscreen. That was a week ago. Then we had someone else sent to prison last week after stabbing someone in an apparent road rage incident in Riccarton. It happened back in September on the corner of Blenheim Road and Clarence Street when two guys got into an argument. The guy who was sent to prison last week got out of his car with a pair of scissors and stabbed this other guy before taking off. He turned himself into the police sometime after that, and he was sentenced last week. So you consider cases like that and the incident in Governors Bay the weekend before last, and you think no wonder we've got new stats out today saying nearly 50% of Canterbury people think road rage has got worse here in the past year. It's 60% in Auckland. So, surely, the time has come for us to make road rage an actual criminal offence? At the moment, no one can be charged with road rage. It can lead to people being charged with things like assault, intent to injure, and reckless driving. But I think road rage needs to be made a specific offence. I see it in the same light as the stalking laws the Government wants to introduce. Like road rage, stalking can lead to people being charged with other offences. So why not do the same with road rage? AA Insurance has found that, broadly, 1-in-10 Kiwis have been involved in a road rage incident of some sort in the past year. They've experienced things like tailgating, being cut off by another driver, being tooted at excessively, and being yelled or screamed at by another driver. Exactly the sort of thing this guy on Banks Peninsula went through. According to his post on Facebook last night, it was 12:10am and this boy racer was tailgating him when he, obviously, at some point overtook this guy, stopped in front of him, got out with a baseball bat and started smashing up the guy's car. And he's now on Facebook asking people who live in the area if they've got any security footage that might help identify the vehicle involved. He's trying to track-down a Rego number so the police can, maybe, do something about it. Because, according to his post, the police didn't do anything on the night. Although the police have told our newsroom this morning that he was “unable to make a statement at the time” and was provided with information to help him report the incident online. The police did confirm that it was reported to them just after midnight on Sunday March 2. The guy who was attacked has posted a photo online showing the windscreen smashed on the driver's side. It must have been absolutely terrifying for him. As Beau Paparoa, who is one of the bosses at AA Insurance, is saying today - things like tailgating not only increases the risk of rear-end collisions. It's also distressing and dangerous for the people being tailgated. But it goes next level when you've got some muppet not only tailgating you, then passing you, and stopping right in front of you, and getting out of their car and taking to yours with a baseball bat. I don't think leaving things as they are and only charging people with other offences, and not charging them specifically with road rage, is going to do anything to fix the problem. From my experience, I would say road rage has been a major problem for a long time now. Whether I can say that I think it's got worse here in the past 12 months, I don't know, but a lot of people think it has. So surely the time has come to up the ante and make road rage a criminal offence. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few weeks ago, I came across one of my favourite Native trees: the Tree Fuchsia. Most people in the world that grow house plants know Fuchsia as an elegant producer of flowers. I took my Dutch Cousin to Banks Peninsula, and he simply thought I was taking the micky: how can you have a Fuchsia species that grows up to 12 meters? The flowers are beautiful and the bark is outstanding – literally. But the seeds are something else again, dark purple, soft and edible. Instead of eating these seeds raw or cooking them into a jam, I felt they were miniature purple plums that could be planted to become new Fuchsia seedlings, and that's what became my new harvesting project. These seeds are tricky to germinate, simply because they are so tiny. Soak them in water as soon as they are soft and ripe, try to remove the flesh or pulp, and spread the seeds on a good, wet seed-raising mix in a shady spot. When they germinate, put them into a lighter, warm, moist place and keep your fingers crossed. And just a few days ago I noticed our Damson Plums were ripening quickly (despite Canterbury's awful weather this “summer”). The plums were falling off the tree, so I reported this feature to my Gardener Supreme, and decided to harvest them right-away. Now, the “normal” way to harvest these beautiful plums is by going up a ladder and grabbing the fruits within reach, chucking them in a bag before going down the ladder and tossing them in a large bucket on the orchard floor, before climbing back up. The “Straight shoots” at the top often do not bear fruit – they are a waste of time climbing. After grabbing all the plums, way up high, you can start the process of creating one of the best Jams in the World (see recipe at the end). As many people know by now, it's best to prune stonefruit trees soon after harvest – it keeps the tree shorter and easier to manage next year and it opens the damson tree up to wind and space on the inside. I thought: “maybe it's a good idea to prune at the same time as harvesting!” Two birds with one stone and not too long on the ladder with arthritis, etc. So far, it's worked pretty well. Heaps of fruit and much quicker retrieval of the ripe fruits. Of course, when consulting Lynda Hallinan's book on Damsons, I discovered that I was certainly not the first one to come up with that idea. And you know what? The Jam that Julie chucked into the jars is absolutely amazing! Jam Recipe – a Mix of Lynda Hallinan's recommendations and Julie's moderations For a kilo of Damson plums: Boil them up in half a cup of water. Bring to a gentle simmer, until it's “red and pulpy”. Add 750 grams of sugar. Stir until dissolved. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes… keep an eye on it so it doesn't get burnt. Take out all the stones with a slotted spoon or tongs (the reason is simple: those stones can break your teeth!!). Test the mixture for “setting” – not too tough, please! Chuck them into the sterilised jars. Now think about some croissants from Le Panier filled with damson plum jam! LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister's revealed he'll be spending this year's Waitangi Day in the South Island. Chris Luxon is not visiting the Treaty Grounds this week - he's instead sending a Ministerial delegation including Erica Stanford, Tama Potaka, Paul Goldsmith and Mark Mitchell. Luxon's office has this morning revealed he'll celebrate the public holiday with Ngāi Tahu, at Banks Peninsula's Onuku Marae. Luxon's previously said not all Prime Ministers commemorate the day at the Waitangi grounds - and he plans to go to different marae across the country over the course of his tenure in office. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says it would be a better look if Luxon fronted up. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our holiday on the West Coast of the South Island (Punakaiki) was just what we needed – weather in Christchurch was cold and wet, but on the West Coast sunny and warm. I re-discovered a tree I have missed since leaving Auckland 14 years ago: Rhopalostylis sapida is its name. Gardeners know it as the Nikau Palm. There are two species in the New Zealand Territories: R sapida is the common Nikau in North Island and South Island, occurring mostly on the coast from Okarito in the West and Banks Peninsula in the East. It also occurs on Chatham Island and Pitt Island and the variety that grow there is a lot more elegant, especially in the younger form: the fronds (leaves) have a more drooping attitude, a bit like the traditional palms in the tropics. I reckon we should have a taxonomic discussion about its identity (a different species?). The Nikau on the offshore Islands of the Hauraki Gulf show a similar elegance (Little Barrier, Great Barrier etc etc). I must say: I prefer those drooping forms over the tightly growing leaves pointing towards the sky. Flowering takes place in Spring and Summer and the colours are wonderful. The seeds that are formed a year later are one of the Kereru's favourite snacks. These birds' ecosystem service is to disperse the seeds through the forests – a lovely job! So… if you find Nikau seeds and want to have a go at germinating them: chuck them in water for a few days and take out the seeds; the flesh is easy to remove. Plant the seeds in good seed-raising mix (or even in a plastic bag!) until they germinate. Plant them in tall pots – keep them in shade. When they start to grow (My goodness… they are slow!) ensure that you give the palm's roots some space. When transplanting be careful not to damage the roots, especially the tap root! The second Native species in New Zealand occurs in Raoul Island (Kermadec Islands group). Its scientific name is Rhopalostylis baueri. This is a gorgeous form with large leaves and beautiful drooping habits. They are great to grow in large containers. I found some of these baueri (often called Rhopalostylis baueri var cheesemanii) as Christmas present for my local gardener at home. It's one of those finds that fills a space in my heart too and it gives us a few years of “advantage” to get that beauty growing. Plant in shade, out of frost sites and be very careful with the roots. In Punakaiki I learned exactly how much that time advantage is: Nikau take about 40 years to start forming a trunk They can grow to 15 meters tall Have “rings” around their trunk where old leaves were attached, so you can more-or-less guess how old the tree is: two or three rings per year Do the Maths! Too slow? Sorry to hear that. LEAVE YOUR LEGACY! IT'S WORTH IT LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The summer science series continues with an episode from RNZ podcast Country Life. From a block of gorse-infected scrubland on Banks Peninsula, renowned botanist Hugh Wilson has spent half a lifetime growing Hinewai Reserve into a 1600-hectare paradise of regenerated native forest by leaving nature to it. Cosmo Kentish-Barnes visits to learn more.The Country Life podcast takes you all over the motu to hear the extraordinary stories of every day rural New Zealand. Hosted and produced by Sally Round, Cosmo Kentish-Barnes, Duncan Smith and Gianina SchwaneckeListen to more Country Life episodes.Guest:Hugh Wilson, botanistSign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The Christchurch City Council is defending its decision to press ahead with long awaited sewage plant upgrades for the Banks Peninsula township of Akaroa. Adam Burns has more.

"Some people are aware of the hazards, but unaware of the consequences." Are you interested in disaster resilience planning? What do you think about 15-minute cities as a tool for disaster resilience? How can we create safe, informed and resilient cities? Interview with Keygan Huckleberry, Emergency Management Officer in Christchurch. We talk about his vision for the future of cities, disaster resilience, urban planning with evacuation in mind, safe cities, agreement on urban challenges, and many more. Keygan Huckleberry is a local Planning Coordinator for Civil Defence Emergency Management in Christchurch. His day to day role is predominantly focused on developing and writing plans and strategies to address the vast array of hazards that Christchurch and Banks Peninsula face. In an activated Emergency Operations Centre Keygan will either be the Response Manager, managing the response and the response staff, ensuring each team understands their role, response objectives, and actions required under the Action Plan, and providing leadership and guidance to other functions in the response; or he will lead the planning team in creating Action Plans to address novel problems and support managing the consequences that citizens of Christchurch and Banks Peninsula are faced with. Find out more about Keygan through these links: Keygan Huckleberry on LinkedIn getready.gov.nz website with preparation templates Connecting episodes you might be interested in: No.213R - Defence in depth against human extinction No.214 - Interview with Anders Sandberg about consecutive disasters No.260 - Interview with Haydn Read about risk and resilience No.280 - Interview with Hudson Worsley about sustainability vs resilience No.281R - Misfortunes never come singly. A holistic approach to urban resilience and sustainability challenges What wast the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@WTF4Cities⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wtf4cities.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ website where the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠shownotes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ are also available. I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in. Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesfm ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠

Forget the Southern Alps in winter. A new book from Banks Peninsula-based author, writer and filmmaker Matt Vance focuses on New Zealand's everyday - or perhaps less interesting - landscapes.

Is a California-based professor who grew up on a Banks Peninsula sheep and beef farm. Today he shares his thoughts on the controversial topic of the proposed changes to gene technology regulation.  He has an interesting outsider's perspective on GMO's which has not currently been presented in the media. So, we give him the chance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cup and Show Week gets underway today with the NZ Trotting Cup at Addington, there's the Free for All Friday, Riccarton Saturday, and the A&P Show on Thursday to Saturday. Plus, what does the former Minister of Agriculture and Speaker of the House make of the political world today? And how is he faring on his Banks Peninsula sheep and beef farm?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We head to beautiful Le Bons Bay, just north of Akaroa in Banks Peninsula, where a fundraising effort is underway to purchase a large piece of land which is on the market, to create a public reserve. The Le Bons Bay Conservation Trust has a vision to buy the property, protect native flora and fauna, and allow walking access to the public. Jesse talks to Matthew MacDonald from the trust to find out more.

Stop building houses in dumb places. That's the message the Insurance Council is giving the Government. That bit about “dumb places” isn't me paraphrasing, by the way. They're not my words. They're the exact words the Insurance Council is using after the Government confirmed that changes to the Resource Management Act are one of the 43 things in its final quarterly action plan for the rest of the year. And when I heard that, the first dumb place I thought of was New Brighton, in Christchurch. In fact, pretty much anywhere along that eastern coastline, but especially New Brighton and South Brighton. Because I can't understand for the life of me why the city council has allowed building just to keep on keeping on in those areas when it knows that up to $14 billion worth of properties in Christchurch and Banks Peninsula could be at-risk from sea-level rise. We learned about that figure in October last year when the council made a submission to parliament's environment select committee, which is leading an inquiry into climate adaptation. So, the Christchurch council says on one hand there are truckloads of areas that could be inundated because of sea level rise —about $14 billion worth of property— but, on the other hand, says yep, you can build that new house you want to build at Southshore. Or tells developers they can build apartments at New Brighton. And it's just nuts. You'd think we would have learned not to do this years ago after the quakes. Because remember all the head scratching that went on back in 2011 after the big earthquake about why the council had historically allowed building to happen in certain parts of town? Parts of town where things really went pear-shaped after the quakes. But it's coastal suburbs like New Brighton, South New Brighton and Southshore where there's been a lot of talk about inundation because of how the coastal land dropped after the earthquakes. It seems to have been something the Christchurch City Council has preferred to pussy-foot around over. Increasingly so, as time has gone on. I remember speaking to Dr Bronwyn Hayward from the University of Canterbury, who has written some of the reports that have come out from the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, and I asked her if she could understand why we're still putting houses in New Brighton and South Brighton. She said she couldn't understand it at all. Especially, when you consider that the council itself knows that there's $14 billion worth of properties at risk of being inundated. On top of that $14 billion, the council also reckons road and water infrastructure worth about $3.2 billion is at risk of being taken out because of sea level change. But, despite that, the consents department will probably dish out approval for more building in those areas today. I remember meeting a guy who came around to do a TradeMe pick-up a couple of years ago. He'd moved down from the North Island with his family, and they were building a new house in New Brighton. He was really excited about it and I just didn't know what to say to him. So I said nothing. But what I wanted to say was: “Why the hell are you doing that? Don't you know it's going to be underwater at some point?” And we know it is, because the city council has told us. The same city council telling people it's ok to build there. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Country Life looks at a farming system known as agrivoltaics where traditional agriculture runs alongside solar farming and Cosmo's at a sheep breeders field day on Banks Peninsula, to find out how genetic gains can boost farm profits.

From a block of gorse-infected scrubland on Banks Peninsula, renowned botanist Hugh Wilson has spent half a lifetime growing Hinewai Reserve into a 1600-hectare paradise of regenerated native forest by leaving nature to it.

This week Country Life meets a young woman who lost her job in the tech industry and turned things around by getting her hands in the soil and starting up a market garden. The team also heads to Banks Peninsula where unwanted gear in farm sheds has been turned into cold hard cash for the benefit of the community.

The Garden City is becoming more and more the home of that Aussie sap-sucking pest we knew so well in Auckland, and it shows in the number of people that contact us on talkback radio.  Until recently, this species was a North-Islander – it slowly spread further and further south: Nelson, Blenheim, Golden Bay, further south along the west coast and also down the east coast of the South Island: Kaikoura, Christchurch and Banks Peninsula.  I've seen them in Akaroa a few years ago, so they have been hanging around the warmer Canterbury spots for a while.  I reckon this is a nice example of climate change in action.  Damage to a large range of garden plants:   They suck sap from a wide variety of host plants, often climbers (Wisteria, Passionfruit vines) and Perennials (salvia, Hydrangeas, Camellia, you name it!!).  Sap-sucking is their big impact on garden plants – sometimes they debilitate their host, pooping honeydew all over the place and that creates a deposit of sooty mould, like with so many sap-sucking insects in the garden.  The damage starts as soon as the little fluffy-bums appear on the scene (in mid-Spring).  Now, these are the Passionvine Hopper control tricks for Autumn:  Currently they are adults, with quite cute moth-like wings that are partially see-through. These jumpy sapsuckers are impossible to hit with chemical sprays.   The female hoppers mate and lay eggs on thin twigs or branches and also on the tendrils of growing vines (such as Passionfuit vines):  Easiest thing to do is to find those egg-laying sites and prune them off in late autumn - early winter. Chuck them in the Ultra Low Emissions Burner and they won't hatch next spring.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Commentary there of New Zealand's crew winning the Sail GP regatta yesterday after the first day of racing was abandoned on Saturday when a dolphin was sighted on the course. And a Lyttelton councillor says it would be a pity if the race did not return to Christchurch next year - given the benefits to businesses and the community. Sir Russel Coutts suggested Sail GP would not return to the city, as he called the dolphin policy "extreme" and said minority interests were holding up the event. Coutts did not respond to Morning Report's invitation to come on the show and Sail GP managing director Andrew Thompson declined. Banks Peninsula councillor Tyrone Fields spoke to Corin Dann.

Every Thursday afternoon, Banks Peninsula farmers head to the beach in Hickory Bay and ride waves to forget about work. Farmer and surfing coach, Kristin Savage, runs the Surfing for Farmers initiative, which doubles up as an apres surf catch-up and BBQ in the farmyard.

A new aerospace centre in Canterbury is expected to lift the local economy by up to a billion dollars and secure the local sector's talent in New Zealand. The Tawhaki National Aerospace Centre at Kaitorete Spit in Banks Peninsula officially opened today, following a five and a half million dollar boost from the government. Project leaders say it clears a path for both local and international companies within the sector to take flight and gain access to space. Reporter Adam Burns was at the opening. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6346526744112

Lyttelton Harbour has been confirmed as host of the New Zealand leg of Sail GP in March next year. Auckland was meant to play host to the racing, but the unavailability of a spectator facility put paid to the event. Christchurch has hosted the event in the past, and it's now been confirmed to take place on the 23rd and 24th of March. Tyrone Fields, councillor for Banks Peninsula, spoke with Ingrid Hipkiss.

Country Life is at an asparagus harvest near Mangaweka and meets some of the harvesters from Vanuatu. The team checks out some rare horse breeds at the Canterbury show and meets a Banks Peninsula farming couple.

The full election results are released by the Electoral Commission out at two-o'clock today with many MP's awaiting the final result in what have been close races. They include National's Vanessa Weenink who is 83 votes ahead of the Labour candidate Tracey McLelland in Banks Peninsula. Weenick spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

There are now two investigations into how a fishing boat carrying thousands of litres of diesel ran aground near a Banks Peninsula marine reserve. Conservationists are worried endangered wildlife could be wiped out by the spill from the Austro Carina, which is stuck in big seas near Shell Bay. Anna Sargent reports.

A marine conservationist who spent time on the Austro Carina says fishing boats often tow their lines close to Banks Peninsula. Peter Langlands has spent many hours on board fishing trawlers as an observer - including the Austro Carina in the 1990s. Two investigations have been launched into how the 25-metre vessel, which was carrying thousands of litres of diesel, ran aground at Red Bluff. Peter Langlands says the area it was working in is a very productive fishery. Langlands spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Environment Canterbury concedes an oil spill near a marine reserve is not able to be contained. The 25-metre long Austro Carina crashed into the rocks and ran aground at Canterbury's Shell Bay on the eastern side of the peninsula on Sunday night.The four crew made it to shore and had to be winched out by helicopter. It is estimated 10,000 litres of diesel and 400 litres of hydraulic fluid is on the grounded ship. Aerial observations are set to get underway to work out the extent of the situation, but weather is limiting a containment operation. The spill is close to the Akaroa Marine Reserve and the area is home to protected species like the korora/little blue penguin and the upokohue/Hector's dolphins among several others. Kathryn speaks with Andy Thompson, DoC's Mahaanui operations manager and Shireen Helps owner and founder of Pohatu Penguins, a wildlife tour company on Banks Peninsula.

A fishing boat aground on rocks near Banks Peninsula is leaking diesel and hydraulic oil close to a marine reserve.    The 25-metre-long Austro Carina activated its emergency beacon at 9:38pm on Sunday.  The four crew members made it to shore and were winched aboard a helicopter to safety.  Maritime NZ has opened an investigation. The area is home to protected tāonga species such as kororā/little blue penguin, hoiho/yellow-eyed penguin, kekeno/NZ fur seal, upokohue/Hector's dolphins, and several other seabird species. The Canterbury Regional Council is working to contain the spill - its on-scene commander is Emma Parr. Parr spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

A Banks Peninsula hapū is working with the regional council to protect tāonga species, including hoiho, from a diesel and oil spill near a marine reserve close to the peninsula.  The spill is coming from a fishing boat which crashed into the rocks and ran aground at Shell Bay on Sunday night. The 25-metre-long Austro Carina has thousands of litres of diesel onboard. The crew is safe but the boat is not - most of it is under the water and is unlikely to be recovered.  The area is home to protected species such as kororā/little blue penguin, hoiho/yellow-eyed penguin, kekeno/NZ fur seal, upokohue/Hector's dolphins, and several other seabird species. Te Rūnaka o Koukourarata chair Mananui Ramsden spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

You can count on Jack – After 36 years of being blissfully unaware of the art of gardening, the questions suddenly start… Buying a house with wilderness helps. But the coolest thing is that those questions are inspiring enough to make me look up all sorts of things, related to those topics. In MediaLand it's called “research”. Privacy, Height-restrictions of trellises and fences, useful hedge species and easy maintenance are important facets of the design – I just added “Natives” and researched the Genus Pittosporum. Pittosporum means “sticky seeds” Wow! 200 species – many in New Zealand; lots of different varieties within the best garden species. And often the flowers of this genus produce nice scents during the hours of darkness – obviously pollinated by nocturnal insects. Everybody grows P. tenuifolium (kohuhu) – it could well be the most popular plant for hedges; small-ish leaves in various colours and hardy from coast to Highlands. Pittosporum eugenioides (tawapou) or Lemonwood is another frequent planter: can grow pretty tall (10 meters or so) with dense foliage of large leaves – see if that Council of yours can stop that growth! But then there are some really spectacular species that are quite stunning, native and elegant. P. obcordatum is a rather rare tree in the wilds of New Zealand, with reddish-bronze twigs and a rather “woolly” look. It is now cultivated (seeds and cuttings) for the NZ garden market. Honestly it is a great wild hedge and grows in just-about any condition. I've seen it near Kaitaia, on Banks Peninsula and near Invercargil; This hedge rocks and the less you clip it, the wilder it looks! Pittosporum turneri looks a bit like obcordatum, but seems to be a bit “leaner” and “thinner” and it has a distinct grey or silver colour; can stand growing in shady areas, which can be useful. Pittosporum umbellatum is another native from our country. Mostly in the North Island. It has dense foliage with outstanding pinky-white, sometimes cream-coloured inflorescences. (that is a fancy botanical word for “flowers”). The flowers hang in so-called “umbels” – hence the species name umbellatum. Easy to grow from seed. The trees are pretty hardy in windy conditions. Finally I can recommend a species called Pittosporum crassicaule; a small and tight species of just half a meter or so that grows very slowly; It has that alpine-plant look with firm twiglets and a feeling of densely interlacing branches, known from divaricating plants. P. crassicaule has very interesting black flowers that smell beautifully at night. I reckon it's not a plant for “privacy” as Jack requested, but it would make a brilliant low hedge around an alpine garden Have a look at specialist growers of our pretty Pittosporum species – you'll be surprised.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you were listening to the show last Friday you'll know our critter of the week was the Banks Peninsula tree weta. This fascinating creature has been able to thrive largely due to the work of the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust.

This week's critter is the rarest of our seven tree weta species (Hemideina). The Banks Peninsula tree weta (Hemideina ricta) is only found in a 200km2 patch of remnant native bush on Banks Peninsula. Weta frass (poop) plays an important role in the ecosystem - it helps disperse native seeds and creates nutrient rich soil.

Gigantic colourful sculptures tower in an artist's landscaped garden wonderland on Banks Peninsula. Built in 1881, a grand historic house in Akaroa welcomes visitors to wander its colourful terraces over-looking the harbour. It's home for the past couple of decades to artist and horticulturalist Josie Martin, who started this quirky project when she settled down after thirty art residencies all over the world. She first started mosaics here when she discovered a treasure trove of old china dumped in the grounds of her house, from before the days of rubbish collections. Today it's a Garden of International Significance. And, she tells Kathryn, it's in an on-going labour of love, bringing together her two loves, horticulture and art. She calls it The Giants House. Some of her sculptures are 5 metres tall.

Christchurch's mayor has expressed frustration upon hearing chlorine will be forced into the city's water supply. Government water regulator Taumata Arowai has advised it's declining the council's first chlorine exemption applications. The remaining 20 percent of the Christchurch and Banks Peninsula water supply is now required to be chlorinated, which will take a number of weeks. Mayor Phil Mauger is disappointed for the people of Christchurch, especially for the council members who worked hard to apply for an exemption. "I feel in my heart of hearts they were never going to give exemptions. I feel that we were led up the garden path over a period of years." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A project to rid Canterbury's Banks Peninsula of pests has reached an impressive milestone, partly thanks to a dog with a nose for hedgehogs.  Pest Free Banks Peninsula, a community-led group made up of councils, agencies and iwi, has removed hedgehogs from a 45 hectare containment zone on Kaitōrete Spit.  It's thought to be the first time it's happened on mainland New Zealand without a pest fence.  Niva Chittock reports. 

Strong winds have lashed southern and central parts of the motu overnight.  Power is coming back online for Hutt Valley, but it's still out for many in Banks Peninsula. Four to six metre waves are forecast for Cook Strait this morning and Ferry services have been heavily affected. Christchurch reporter Niva Chittock spoke to Corin Dann.  

Strong winds have lashed southern and central parts of the country overnight.  Power is coming back for more than a thousand households in the Hutt Valley, but it's still out for many on Banks Peninsula. Four to six metre waves are forecast for Cook Strait this morning and ferry services have been heavily affected. RNZ reporter Bill Hickman is at Owhiro Bay on Wellington's south coast.

Wild weather has continued to lash southern and central parts of the country overnight.  Power is out on Banks Peninsula and in parts of the Hutt Valley.  Four to six metre waves are forecast for Cook Strait this morning and Ferry services have been heavily affected. For more, Christchurch reporter Niva Chittock spoke to Corin Dann.

Top stories for 22 March 2023. The mother of a New Zealander killed while fighting in Ukraine speaks out about her son's death. Wild weather overnight has left hundreds of homes without power on Canterbury's Banks Peninsula and disrupted Cook Strait ferry sailings. Health officials confirm two babies have died in the latest whooping cough outbreak And Scott Robertson says his appointment as the new All Blacks coach is still sinking in.

If you've got a bit of land why not think about grazing a coloured sheep - it could be well worth your while. Renewed interest in home-knitting and spinning has pushed up demand for coloured wool - along with prices. And the Black and Coloured Sheep Breeders Association says the industry needs more people to get involved. The Association's mid-Canterbury secretary is Georgie Fairless. She talks to Jesse from her home in Little River on Banks Peninsula.