Some Kiwis are at risk of losing their sight as the backlog for public eye appointments grows.  

More than 36 thousand New Zealanders are waiting longer than recommended for their appointments, with more than 125 thousand ophthalmology follow-ups outstanding nationwide.  

Health NZ says its working to reduce the wait times caused by an ageing population, staff shortages, and overwhelmed services. 

Greenlane Clinical Centre's Clinical Director of Ophthalmology, Sarah Welch told Kerre Woodham they're doing everything they can to try improve things. 

She says they're potentially starting to turn a corner, but with the number of people waiting, it's not going to happen tomorrow or the next day – it'll take a year or so. 

And that, Welch says, probably shows we need more capacity within ophthalmology across the country.  

LISTEN ABOVE  

Some Kiwis are at risk of losing their sight as the backlog for public eye appointments grows. &nbsp;
More than 36 thousand New Zealanders are waiting longer than recommended for their appointments, with more than 125 thousand ophthalmology follow-ups outstanding nationwide. &nbsp;
Health NZ says its working to reduce the wait times caused by an ageing population, staff shortages, and overwhelmed services.&nbsp;
Greenlane Clinical Centre's Clinical Director of Ophthalmology, Sarah Welch told Kerre Woodham they're doing everything they can to try improve things.&nbsp;
She says they're potentially starting to turn a corner, but with the number of people waiting, it's not going to happen tomorrow or the next day – it'll take a year or so.&nbsp;
And that, Welch says, probably shows we need more capacity within ophthalmology across the country. &nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE &nbsp;

Join Kerre Woodham one of New Zealand’s best loved personalities as she dishes up a bold, sharp and energetic show Monday to Friday 9am-12md on Newstalk ZB. News, opinion, analysis, lifestyle and entertainment – we’ve got your morning listening covered.

Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

Sarah Welch: Greenlane Clinical Centre's Clinical Director of Ophthalmology on the growing backlog of Kiwis waiting for eye appointments

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/733d749a-49c7-4051-942d-b4c00023708a/transcript

Well, I don't know what we're going to do... Good news! How on earth do you make a talkback show out of good news? That's not what we're here for. Indeed, it is very good news, though. The post-Covid collapse in education has halted, and the equity gap is narrowing as disadvantaged students improve at higher rates than their richer peers. That's according to New Zealand's 2025 PISA, Programme for International Student Assessment, results, which is a benchmark for 15-year-olds in the OECD in science, maths, and reading. Oh yes, sure, there are legitimate qualifiers. Results in other countries fell, so it was easier for us to catch up and look good. And no, thank you media, we're not back to the 2009 levels, which is when our schools delivered truly world class results in the PISAs, but come on, this is fantastic news.  

The Minister for Education, Erica Stanford, believes, as indeed do I, as indeed do many of you, that your socioeconomic circumstances should not dictate your academic achievement. That a world class education should be available to every child in New Zealand, not just those who can afford private schools and tutoring. Education should be a way up, and it should be a way out for those who do not want to live the same lives as their parents. Understandably, Erica Stanford is very, very pleased with the results. 

ES: To see these kids who are in the bottom quartile who have gained in science a year, in maths three terms, and in reading two terms or six months, that is beyond what we could have expected. And the reason I came to politics and to education was to close the equity gap that has been stubborn for decades, and this is the first time we've seen a turnaround. One of the things I put this down to is actually kids turning up to school. 

MH: I was going to say, right. So just being at school helps. 

ES: Well, if you look back to 2022 when we last did PISA, in term two our attendance rate was about 39% 39.6 In 2026 in term two, 64.3 Still a very long way to go, but when kids are turning up to school and our message has been over the last three years every single day counts, this is what happens, and it matters the most for the kids at the bottom who need education to change their lives. 

You cannot doubt the Education Minister's passion for her portfolio. You also cannot doubt the results that she is getting. I don't know what the teachers' unions are going to do now. How can they complain because our kids are succeeding? And in large part, it is thanks to very, very good teachers who were always motivated, who were always professional, but who had a dog of a curriculum under Labour to deal with. I don't know what the principals who said, "Oh, you can't test children, you know, these give a false result," were talking about. No, they don't. They give an international benchmark. They let us know how we're doing compared to the rest of the world.  

For a very, very long time, we were world leaders. And for those of us who grew up with an education in the 70s and early 80s—I'm talking the 1970s and 1980s, not the 1870s and the 1880s, just for clarity—it was a world-class education. Erica Stanford's been trying to ensure that no matter if you're in Whangārei or you're at school in Bluff, the core subjects will be the same. There'll be localised differences, there'll be regional differences, but the basics, the standard stuff, will be the same, and that's as it was. We turned out world-class scientists from tiny country schools because we had a great curriculum and brilliant teachers.  

We've always had good teachers, but they've been dealing with absolute politically motivated, ideologically unsound curricula over the last couple of decades. All parents want is their children to achieve their potential, to have a chance to succeed. I went to school in Pukekohe, Tokoroa, Turangi, and Waihi, and I could foot it with anybody from around the world education-wise. You were allowed to explore what you wanted to explore. I wanted to learn French, for heaven's sake, when I was in Turangi. I found an old, old French dictionary, and French wasn't offered at Turangi Primary, but a teacher found another teacher within the school that was willing to sit with me, show me it wasn't just words, it was sounds that made another language.   

The number of parents I spoke to who could see their children going backwards under Labour's curriculum – the money that was spent on that, the people who were employed to come up with all sorts of add-ons instead of understanding that the basics have to be there, and then the children will find the add-ons. If they know the basics, they can go exploring all by themselves. And the number of you who rang me having to find money you simply did not have to pay for extra tuition because you could see your kids were failing, you could see your kids were falling behind, you didn't want them to be left behind, so you did it. You got them educated when it is the responsibility of state schools to do that. I've seen a difference with the grandkids. Huge difference. It's so important. This used to be the way out for migrant families since forever ago. It used to be the way out for children who'd had to leave school at 12 or 13, who slogged away, made a life, but then wanted more for their own kids, wanted more choices for their own children. Education was it. I would love to hear from you on this, especially if you are somebody who's seen the difference in your home, especially if you're somebody who was having to find that money for the extra tuition because you were not going to let your kids down. The Government might have been letting the kids down, but you weren't going to let your own children down. And employers, I want to know if you're starting to see the first signs of a truly educated workforce. 

Well, I don't know what we're going to do... Good news! How on earth do you make a talkback show out of good news? That's not what we're here for. Indeed, it is very good news, though. The post-Covid collapse in education has halted, and the equity gap is narrowing as disadvantaged students improve at higher rates than their richer peers. That's according to New Zealand's 2025 PISA, Programme for International Student Assessment, results, which is a benchmark for 15-year-olds in the OECD in science, maths, and reading. Oh yes, sure, there are legitimate qualifiers. Results in other countries fell, so it was easier for us to catch up and look good. And no, thank you media, we're not back to the 2009 levels, which is when our schools delivered truly world class results in the PISAs, but come on, this is fantastic news. &nbsp;
The Minister for Education, Erica Stanford, believes, as indeed do I, as indeed do many of you, that your socioeconomic circumstances should not dictate your academic achievement. That a world class education should be available to every child in New Zealand, not just those who can afford private schools and tutoring. Education should be a way up, and it should be a way out for those who do not want to live the same lives as their parents. Understandably, Erica Stanford is very, very pleased with the results.&nbsp;
ES: To see these kids who are in the bottom quartile who have gained in science a year, in maths three terms, and in reading two terms or six months, that is beyond what we could have expected. And the reason I came to politics and to education was to close the equity gap that has been stubborn for decades, and this is the first time we've seen a turnaround. One of the things I put this down to is actually kids turning up to school.&nbsp;
MH: I was going to say, right. So just being at school helps.&nbsp;
ES: Well, if you look back to 2022 when we last did PISA, in term two our attendance rate was about 39% 39.6 In 2026 in term two, 64.3 Still a very long way to go, but when kids are turning up to school and our message has been over the last three years every single day counts, this is what happens, and it matters the most for the kids at the bottom who need education to change their lives.&nbsp;
You cannot doubt the Education Minister's passion for her portfolio. You also cannot doubt the results that she is getting. I don't know what the teachers' unions are going to do now. How can they complain because our kids are succeeding? And in large part, it is thanks to very, very good teachers who were always motivated, who were always professional, but who had a dog of a curriculum under Labour to deal with. I don't know what the principals who said, "Oh, you can't test children, you know, these give a false result," were talking about. No, they don't. They give an international benchmark. They let us know how we're doing compared to the rest of the world. &nbsp;
For a very, very long time, we were world leaders. And for those of us who grew up with an education in the 70s and early 80s—I'm talking the 1970s and 1980s, not the 1870s and the 1880s, just for clarity—it was a world-class education. Erica Stanford's been trying to ensure that no matter if you're in Whangārei or you're at school in Bluff, the core subjects will be the same. There'll be localised differences, there'll be regional differences, but the basics, the standard stuff, will be the same, and that's as it was. We turned out world-class scientists from tiny country schools because we had a great curriculum and brilliant teachers. &nbsp;
We've always had good teachers, but they've been dealing with absolute politically motivated, ideologically unsound curricula over the last couple of decades. All parents want is their children to achieve their potential, to have a chance to succeed. I went to school in Pukekohe, Tokoroa, Turangi, and Waihi, and I could foot it with anybody from around the world education-wise. You were allowed to explore what you wanted to explore. I wanted to learn French, for heaven's sake, when I was in Turangi. I found an old, old French dictionary, and French wasn't offered at Turangi Primary, but a teacher found another teacher within the school that was willing to sit with me, show me it wasn't just words, it was sounds that made another language. &nbsp;&nbsp;
The number of parents I spoke to who could see their children going backwards under Labour's curriculum – the money that was spent on that, the people who were employed to come up with all sorts of add-ons instead of understanding that the basics have to be there, and then the children will find the add-ons. If they know the basics, they can go exploring all by themselves. And the number of you who rang me having to find money you simply did not have to pay for extra tuition because you could see your kids were failing, you could see your kids were falling behind, you didn't want them to be left behind, so you did it. You got them educated when it is the responsibility of state schools to do that. I've seen a difference with the grandkids. Huge difference. It's so important. This used to be the way out for migrant families since forever ago. It used to be the way out for children who'd had to leave school at 12 or 13, who slogged away, made a life, but then wanted more for their own kids, wanted more choices for their own children. Education was it. I would love to hear from you on this, especially if you are somebody who's seen the difference in your home, especially if you're somebody who was having to find that money for the extra tuition because you were not going to let your kids down. The Government might have been letting the kids down, but you weren't going to let your own children down. And employers, I want to know if you're starting to see the first signs of a truly educated workforce.&nbsp;

Kerre Woodham: The post-Covid education collapse has halted

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/01fed2c4-b800-4e55-a29f-b4c00015474e/transcript

Reassurances that life is not over after using methamphetamine as wastewater testing revealed record high consumption. 

The Herald's obtained a justice briefing showing almost two million doses were detected in testing in a single week in April. 

That equates to about $40 million in social harm and is 21% above the average amount consumed over the 12 months prior. 

Whakaronga Whanau Recovery Hub CEO Rhonda Zielinski told Kerre Woodham people absolutely can get their lives back after using meth. 

She says people tend to dwell on the bad side and think there's no coming back, but there are people in her life that are living testaments of overcoming meth addiction.  

Zielinski says that from personal experience, there seems to be more success in getting people off meth, than off alcohol.  

LISTEN ABOVE   

Reassurances that life is not over after using methamphetamine as wastewater testing revealed record high consumption.&nbsp;
The Herald's obtained a justice briefing showing almost two million doses were detected in testing in a single week in April.&nbsp;
That equates to about $40 million in social harm and is 21% above the average amount consumed over the 12 months prior.&nbsp;
Whakaronga Whanau Recovery Hub CEO Rhonda Zielinski told Kerre Woodham people absolutely can get their lives back after using meth.&nbsp;
She says people tend to dwell on the bad side and think there's no coming back, but there are people in her life that are living testaments of overcoming meth addiction. &nbsp;
Zielinski says that from personal experience, there seems to be more success in getting people off meth, than off alcohol. &nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE &nbsp;&nbsp;

Rhonda Zielinski: Whakaronga Whanau Recovery Hub CEO on recovering from meth use as consumption hits record high

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/5c22c45e-c67b-4110-aa22-b4bf002e8fae/transcript

A group of hunters has turned pest control into a way to feed their communities. 

Hunt for Good is a not-for-profit that culls wild deer, donating the venison and wild game meat to community groups and food banks. 

The volunteer group currently provides meat for the Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay and Manawatu Regions, and have donated over 20 thousand kilograms of mince. 

Trust Chair, Bill Osborne told Kerre Woodham they're very careful about how they do it, and have strict processing protocols for farms and a strong hunting doctrine. 

He says sustainability is really important in this day and age, and they're trying to preserve what bush they can and maintain pastures for production, so it's quite important to get that balance right. 

LISTEN ABOVE   

A group of hunters has turned pest control into a way to feed their communities.&nbsp;
Hunt for Good is a not-for-profit that culls wild deer, donating the venison and wild game meat to community groups and food banks.&nbsp;
The volunteer group currently provides meat for the Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay and Manawatu Regions, and have donated over 20 thousand kilograms of mince.&nbsp;
Trust Chair, Bill Osborne told Kerre Woodham they're very careful about how they do it, and have strict processing protocols for farms and a strong hunting doctrine.&nbsp;
He says sustainability is really important in this day and age, and they're trying to preserve what bush they can and maintain pastures for production, so it's quite important to get that balance right.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE &nbsp;&nbsp;

Bill Osborne: Hunt for Good Chairman on the group's efforts to feed communities sustainably while culling wild deer

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/4a57f3a4-f4ad-4b91-ab72-b4bf002ac1cf/transcript

Sarah Welch: Greenlane Clinical Centre's Clinical Director of Ophthalmology on the growing backlog of Kiwis waiting for eye appointments

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