The Wire with Manny

A record number of Aucklanders are using public transport amidst rising fuel costs. The average number of users is up 10% from the same time last year. 

And yesterday, Watercare lifted its boil water notice for the suburbs of Hillsborough, Mt Roskill, Royal Oak, and Three Kings after 2 days under the notice. 

The notice was due to a detection of bacteria on Monday, which a Watercare investigation found was caused by a single water quality monitoring tap. 

For City Counselling this week, The Wire Host Caeden spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson about these topics.

For City Counselling this week, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson about the increased demand for public transport in Auckland and the boil water notice for parts of Auckland that was lifted yesterday. 

And they spoke to Dhilum Nightingale, CEO and Founder of VERI-Mi Charitable Trust, about an app she has built to support anti-migrant exploitation advocacy. 

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, News Director Castor spoke to MP Shanan Halbert about the government’s stance on the US/Iran conflict, the Tukituki water security project, and Labour’s public transport policy. 

Producer Pranuja spoke with Dr Kate Kersey about new research exploring how middle-aged women understand and manage their drinking.

And she spoke with Associate Professor Bridget Conor about a new UNESCO report highlighting gender inequality in creative industries.

A new UNESCO report looking at gender equality in creative industries across more than 100 countries has found that while women make up a large part of the workforce, they’re still underrepresented when it comes to power, pay, and visibility.

The report also highlights growing concerns around bias in generative AI and increasing online abuse, which are shaping who gets to participate in digital creative spaces.

Producer Pranuja spoke with Associate Professor of Communications at the University of Auckland, Bridget Conor, about what’s driving these inequalities, and what’s at stake if they continue.

Four NASA astronauts aboard an Orion spacecraft are currently on their return trip to planet Earth, having just conducted a successful flyby mission to the moon. The mission brought humans within the vicinity of the moon for the first time in over fifty years, and when the four astronauts passed behind its far side, they set the record for the furthest distance that any human has ever travelled away from Earth.

The test mission is paving the way for a manned landing on the lunar surface, currently scheduled for 2028, and eventually, a permanent lunar base.

Producer Toby spoke to Josh Aoraki, resident astronomer at Auckland’s Stardome Observatory, about the past, present, and future of lunar exploration.