BB#37-sept-oct-2017 by BayBuzz

I S S U E N O. 3 7 • S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 • $ 8 . 0 0 I N C L U D I N G G S T

Lake Tūtira RESCUE MISSION BEGINS

9 772253 262016

ELECTION ISSUES / BIRDWOODS GEM / GREEN VS GREEN / BALI BLISS / ENERGY TRENDS / HB’S MUSIC MAN / NAPIER MELTDOWN UPDATE

Modern Eclectic is geared towards small businesses that want to benefit from the symbiotic relationships of a shared office. What makes Modern Eclectic different? Our office has been designed with sharing in mind, as we believe working together this way is better. We strive for collaborative culture - ‘be nice and share’ works to benefit the many and not just the few. Setting up a commercial space is a time consuming and costly exercise. For small businesses, a fully functioning office with a boardroom, printer, collaborative space, breakout seating and a full time concierge is a competitive advantage. reception@moderneclectic.co.nz / moderneclectic.co.nz / sharedspace.co.nz > moderneclectic Modern Eclectic • 74 Tennyson Street, Napier • Unlimited 200/200 high-speed fibre • Eight-person

boardroom with screen • Six-person collaboration space • Breakout area with booth seating • Video conferencing facilities • Full time concierge to greet clients • Shared printer • Common area with a full kitchen and bar • CBD location and easy parking

Lake Tūtira . Photo: Tim Whittaker. tim.co.nz

S EP TEMBER/O C TO BER 2017

This Month

Features

Parliamentary elections: issues and local candidates. Lake Tūtira: treasure or embarrassment? Global energy trends coming our way. Regional Council investing big in science. Flooded with video viewing choices. Forest & Bird rescues protected land. Is no one accountable for gastro disaster? Getting serious about child obesity. Napier meltdown continues. Plus HB’s own music man, Birdwoods’ sculpture, Bay food, hospitality and architecture winners, and more.

20 / TWO SHADES OF GREY / Tom Belford

Cover photo: Lake Tūtira by Tim Whittaker

Provocative campaign proposals. And essays from Lorck, Yule, Nash, Elliott.

30 / SAVING LAKE TŪTIRA / Bridget Freeman-Rock How can this treasure, now an embarrassment, be restored?

38 / OUR ENERGY FUTURE / Tom Belford What does global energy transformation mean for us?

46 / SEEKING ANSWERS FROM SCIENCE / Keith Newman Regional Council investing big in leading edge science.

52 / GREEN VS GREEN / Sophie Price Forest & Bird wins nationally signiﬁcant battle to protect conservation land.

56 / STREAMING TURNS TO DIGITAL TORRENT / Keith Newman Making sense of our ﬂood of ﬁlm/TV viewing options.

37 S E P TEM B ER / O CTO B E R 2 0 1 7

06 / Bee in the Know /

Lizzie Russell

60 / Ideas & Opinions 60 / GETTING OFF THE PODIUM / Sarah Cates What’s to be done about child obesity in HB?

76/ Culture & Lifestyle 76 / SITTING ROOM SESSIONS / Lizzie Russell 80 / LIFE IMITATES ART / Michal McKay 84 / BALI BLISS / Prue Barton 94 / NO FEAR / Michal McKay 96 / LETTER FROM THE COUNTRY / Mary Kippenberger

64 / WHERE THE BUCK STOPS/ Paul Paynter Who should be held to account for gastro disaster?

68 / DISGUSTED / Andrew Frame An update on the Napier City Council meltdown.

70 / BOM DIA, FINGERMARK / Matt Miller Digital tech company comes to HB with Brazilian ﬂair.

72 / APPLE FUTURES / Peter Beaven Apples looking great for HB. But challenges ahead.

Follow us at: baybuzzhb Selected BayBuzz articles are archived at: www.baybuzz.co.nz For editorial enquiries contact Tom Belford: editors@baybuzz.co.nz For advertising enquiries contact Kane Wright: kane@baybuzz.co.nz, 021 118 2826 BayBuzz, PO Box 8322, Havelock North. ISSN 2253-2625 (PRINT) ISSN 2253-2633 (ONLINE)

THE BAYBUZZ TEAM EDITOR: Tom Belford. ASSISTANT EDITORS: Lizzie Russell; Michal McKay. SENIOR WRITERS: Bridget Freeman-Rock; Keith Newman; Sophie Price; Mark Sweet; Tom Belford. COLUMNISTS: Mary Kippenberger; Matt Miller; Paul Paynter; Sarah Cates. EDITOR’S RIGHT HAND: Brooks Belford. PHOTOGRAPHY: Tim Whittaker; Sarah Cates; Florence Charvin. ILLUSTRATION: Brett Monteith. DESIGN: Unit Design. ADVERT ART MANAGEMENT: TK Design. ADVERTISING SALES & DISTRIBUTION: Kane Wright. ONLINE: Mogul. BUSINESS MANAGER: Bernadette Magee. PRINTING: Format Print. SOCIAL MEDIA: Liz Nes. This document is printed on an environmentally reponsible paper produced using Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) pulp sourced from Sustainable & Legally Harvested Farmed Trees, and manufactured under the strict ISO14001 Environmental Management System.

Nigel Wearne, Sitting Room Session. Photo: Tim Whittaker tim.co.nz

FEATURED CONTRIBUTOR: KANE WRIGHT

Kane was born and raised in Taradise (Taradale) on a diet of outdoor activities such as cricket, rugby, ﬁshing, hunting and white baiting. After graduating from Taradale High School he moved onto Wellington and Auckland to further his studies. Settling in Auckland for close to ten years he carved out a career in sales and marketing for large multi-national organisations as well as some of NZ’s most established businesses.

With a fondness for the heat of the equator, a large amount of his thirties were devoted to travel throughout Asia, and more recently Europe. With his ﬁancée, Kane has now seen the light and they are well and truly settled back in Hawke’s Bay. Having returned regularly over the years, he is looking forward to resuming the Hawke’s Bay lifestyle, while contributing to the region through BayBuzz.

BAYBUZZ REGULARS KEITH NEWMAN Keith is a journo with nearly 40-years’ experience across mainstream and trade media. He’s won awards for writing about hi-tech, produces Musical Chairs programmes for Radio NZ and has published four books,one on the internet in New Zealand and three others on New Zealand history.

LIZZIE RUSSELL Lizzie is writer, project wrangler and arts promoter. She’s been living and working back in her home ground of Hawke’s Bay for ﬁve years, initially with Hastings City Art Gallery and more recently as a freelancer. She also co-ordinates the Wildﬂower Sculpture Exhibition and Pecha Kucha in the Bay.

BRIDGET FREEMAN-ROCK Bridget Freeman-Rock is Hawke’s Bay grown. Lived abroad in Australia and Germany before returning with young family in tow in 2009. She has a fairly eclectic, free-range writing vocation, freelancing as a writer, copy-editor, translator and occasional performance poet.

TO M B E L F O R D : F R O M T H E E D I TO R

My Vote

Photo: Florence Charvin

In the tradition of The Economist, New York Times, The Guardian and most other publications that analyse public aﬀairs and thereby form opinions, I am taking the editorial prerogative of sharing my thoughts on the election choice before us in the Tukituki constituency. I intend to vote for Anna Lorck over Lawrence Yule for MP. You of course will form your own opinion, perhaps after reading the essays by these candidates in the pages that follow. Why Lorck?

Firstly, I simply can’t stand the thought of another National Government. The Nats have shredded New Zealand’s social safety net – intended to protect our neediest in terms of housing, health, mental health, education, and poverty. And when it comes to the environment, they’re still living in an entirely outmoded and discredited paradigm – witness their ‘milk toast’ approach to climate change and inadequate nods toward improving water quality. There’s no sign Nats ‘get’ that our economic activities must accommodate the environment, not the reverse, whether the scale is Hawke’s Bay, NZ or the planet. Their antiquated approaches to both social wellbeing and the environment are typified by Nick Smith, a minister who has badly bungled both housing and water, but manages to hang on because he’s a best mate of Bill English. Enough to disqualify Bill English as PM to my mind. So if nothing else, with a Labourled Government I’ll be rid of Nick Smith. That’s improvement enough by

4 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

itself to not use my candidate vote to help deliver a National MP … such as Lawrence Yule. Which brings me to our local major party candidates – Yule and Lorck. I’ve tilted against Yule in the past. My first political effort was the successful campaign to prevent the massive development of Ocean Beach that he supported. But on the other hand, I worked closely with him in support of amalgamation, to the dismay of some of my supporters. So I bear no personal grudge against Yule – I admire his outstanding work ethic, and respect his amassed knowledge of all aspects of local government. But if he is elected MP, he will have escaped political accountability for the gastro debacle – a disaster increasingly portrayed by the official Inquiry as avoidable with proper leadership and oversight. Moreover, if elected MP, he’ll be one more ball-carrier, following the party line, abetting a possible National Government I simply can’t abide. His opponent, Anna Lorck, represents a fresh start for Hawke’s Bay. And perhaps her election might even contribute to a fresh start with a Jacinda Ardern-led Labour Government. That bigger prospect is beyond our control here in the Tukituki constituency, but we can contribute by directly electing one more Labour candidate, who even with the strongest likely nationwide vote for Labour, would not otherwise be seated. The Tukituki constituency deserves the fighter that Lorck has proven she is. In recent years she has demonstrated she is far closer and more responsive to the

people of this district and their concerns than Yule (and Foss) – on housing, on schools, on Police, on water. If Lawrence Yule is a skillful ‘finger in the air’ politician, Anna Lorck is a committed ‘heart on her sleeve’ advocate. If Yule is ‘wait and see’, Lorck is ‘let’s organise and make things happen’. If Yule represents a fading past with heavy baggage, Lorck represents an open book and a chance to re-boot. If Yule looks to inherit a seat, Lorck strives to earn it. If Yule is a lulling warm bath, Lorck is a bracing cold shower. But Hawke’s Bay doesn’t need another three-year warm soak in complacency! We have problems to solve and opportunities to seize with fresh outlook and vigour. Lawrence Yule has had his run. It’s time for a change. And whether as an opposition backbencher or a government MP, our province will be getting with Anna Lorck the strong local voice we need on the issues vital to the wellbeing of our community.

tom@baybuzz.co.nz

Tom is a HB Regional Councillor. His past includes the Carter White House, building Ted Turner’s first philanthropic organization, doing heaps of marketing consulting for major nonprofits and corporates. Tom writes an acclaimed blog for professional NGO fundraisers and communicators in North America and Europe.

BEE IN THE KNOW

Photo: Tim Whittaker tim.co.nz

Kevin Atkinson Kevin Atkinson recently ended 19 years as a director of Unison, including the last eight years as chairman. During that period Unison has expanded into non-regulated energy businesses, such as transformer manufacturing, increasing its proﬁtability from those earnings. Unison’s most

6 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

recent dividend to the Power Consumers’ Trust was $12.7 million. In 2015 Atkinson sold his company, payroll provider IMS, founded in 1983, to MYOB … in theory to retire. But there’s little sign of slowing down as Kevin remains active as chairman of the HB District Health Board, having served on that board since 1998. He serves as a director of the New Zealand Health Partnerships, an initiative of the country’s 20 health boards to achieve

purchasing eﬃciencies allowing more to be spent on patient services. And currently he’s seeking election to the Hawke’s Bay Power Consumers’ Trust. Kevin’s been a staunch philanthropic supporter of myriad community activities … like HB Rugby Union, for which he also served as a director, HB Rescue Helicopter, and basketball. In 2010 he was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Business and the Community.

HAWKE'S BAY WELLNESS INDEX Jobs on Seek.co.nz 24 August 2017

Homes For Sale 24 August 2017

363 UP 25 FROM JUNE

655

Homes Sold in July 2017 (REINZ)

Burglaries May 2017

Assaults (Family violence indicator)

203

347

210

Lamb price at Stortford, average, per head

(REALESTATE.CO.NZ)

139

DOWN 20 FROM JUNE

21 AUGUST 2017

UP 25 FROM APRIL

DOWN 39 FROM MAY 2017

.98

IN MAY 2017 (UP 7 FROM APRIL)

Napier Port Cargo, Tonnes, June & July 2017

HB Hospital Emergency Department presentations 21 June to 22 August 2017

376,910

8,096 (UP 737 FROM SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR)

(UP 12% FROM SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR)

Visitor nights, commercial & private, year over year ending June 2017

Visitors to MTG, July 2017, Including FREE children

Illicit Drug Oﬀences in June 2017

2,242 3.6

DOWN 4 FROM MAY

Jaﬀas given away by Pipi in July 2017

Gigabytes of data downloaded, in July 2017 on average, by NOW residential customers

Bay Espresso coﬀee sold July 2017, kg

2,125 1,682 172GB HOT What's Hot MP Lorck TANK Co-working oﬃce Labour Mobile devices Forest & Bird Swimming pool Snacking Arts Festival

NOT What's Not MP Yule WCO Home oﬃce Greens TVs DOC Velodrome Meals Staying home

BB E E EI NI N TH KN TH E EK N OO WW

Clockwise from top left: Jeremy Rameka at Paciﬁca, James Beck at Bistronomy, John Logan and Jackson Smith at Malo. Photos: Florence Charvin

Riding the wave The rest of the country is catching on to what the locals have known for some time – Hawke’s Bay restaurants are winners. Congratulations to Jeremy Rameka, Natalie Bulman and the Paciﬁca team on being named New Zealand’s best restaurant at the Cuisine Good Food Awards in August. Since the awards were established in 2014, the previous Best Restaurant

8 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

winners have all been Auckland-based (Sidart, Roots and The French Café). A judging panel of 40 esteemed food and beverage professionals praised Pacifica’s daily degustation menu in their final report on Pacifica. "The question 'what is Kiwi cuisine?' is often asked, and the answer could well lie in the offerings of chef Jeremy Rameka at Pacifica. A delicate and restrained touch in the kitchen results in beautifully presented flavours, and an opportunity to truly taste the ingredients that Rameka has front of mind."

Our other winners were Napier’s Bistronomy (Best Regional Restaurant, after being named 2016’s Best New Regional Restaurant), Malo in Havelock North (Best New Regional Restaurant), and the winery restaurant at Elephant Hill was awarded a ‘hat’. The hat system is the Cuisine Good Food Guide criteria for assessing restaurants. This year 34 New Zealand restaurants were awarded one hat, 14 (including Bistronomy and Paciﬁca) were awarded two, and eight restaurants received the maximum of three hats.

Wish You Were Beer Tired of the same old Steinlager, Heineken, or the original craft, Mac’s? HB’s own craft brewers have plenty to offer, suiting every taste.

Photo: Florence Charvin

Abbey Brewery/Fat Monk 1769 Maraekakaho Road, Hastings fatmonk.co.nz Craft beer is hand crafted in small batches. The ability to mix it up and to make any style you want, when you want. Utilising new premium hops and malts from around the world. Brave Brewing Co 408 Warren Street, Hastings facebook.com/bravebeer Purveyors of small batch, artisan ales. Small award winning brewery Crazy Bay Beer 27 Hamilton Place Suite 101, Onekawa facebook.com/Crazy-Bay-Beer Producers of ﬁne, local, handcrafted beers with a crazy twist, using 100% NZ grains and hops. Above: Amber serving up the suds at Brave Brewing Co

Hip Hip Hooray

Edge Brewing Puketitiri facebook.com/Edge-Brewing Specialty Beer for a discerning palate. Giant Brewing Co Havelock North giantbrewing.co.nz A brewery at the foot of Te Mata Peak, Havelock North, New Zealand. GodsOwn Brewery 3672 State Highway 50, Maraekakaho godsownbrewery.co.nz A beer that delivers on ﬂavour and has been made with love and a vision that considers the environmental impact of production. HB Brewing Company Awatoto Road, Meeanee, Napier hbbc.co.nz One of the largest craft breweries in New Zealand but still deﬁnitely crafty.

Napier Brewing Co 85 Meeanee Quay, Napier facebook.com/NapierBrewingCo Napier's only BrewPub call and see the beer being brewed while you enjoy a few! Roosters 1470 Omahu Road, Hastings roosters.co.nz A boutique brewery with a passion for making craft beers since 1994. Sneaky Brewing Napier sneakybrewing.com Creating bold new age craft Beers! Zeelandt Brewery 14 Shaw Road, Eskdale zeelandt.co.nz Our beer is an approachable drop, full-ﬂavoured with plenty of malty character balanced with the best New Zealand hops.

Best Ambience and Style: Bistronomy

Outstanding Winery Restaurant: Elephant Hill

Outstanding Front of House Team: Mister D

People’s Choice: Indigo

Congratulations to the winners at the Hawke’s Bay Hospitality Awards. Celebrations at the big industry bash in August saw the success nicely spread:

Outstanding Sales Rep/Supplier: Lisa Clarke, Clearview Estate Winery

Outstanding Bar: Emporium Eatery & Bar

Outstanding Cellar Door: Clearview Estate Winery

Outstanding Ethnic Restaurant: Indigo

Outstanding Coﬀee Establishment: Hawthorne Coffee

Outstanding Chef: Jeremy Rameka, Pacifica Restaurant

Outstanding Wine & Beverage List: Deliciosa

Outstanding Café: Maina

Outstanding Local: Common Room

Outstanding Restaurant: Bistronomy

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 9

BEE IN THE KNOW

Can I borrow your stapler? Modern Eclectic on Tennyson Street, Napier. Photo: Florence Charvin

Wallace Development recently announced plans to expand their Ahuriri ‘tech hub’ concept across Hawke’s Bay, and the opening of another co-working space in central Napier suggests Hawke’s Bay professionals are quickly picking up the global shared office trend. Simon Griggs, director of Modern Eclectic in the refurbished Halsbury Chambers in Tennyson Street, says coworking makes sense for startups and small operators. “Setting up a commercial space is a time consuming and costly exercise. For businesses, especially startups, to be able to come into a fully functioning office with the amenities you would expect with more established offices – such as boardrooms, commercial printers, collaborative space, breakout seating and a full-time concierge – gives them a competitive advantage.” The modern co-working space is about more than sharing resources to save money, and the way space is used reflects

10 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

the way business is being done in the age of the Cloud. “We’re geared towards small businesses that want to benefit from the symbiotic relationships of a shared office,” Griggs says. “Our office has been designed with sharing in mind, as we believe working together is better this way. We strive for a collaborative culture and believe “be nice and share” works to benefit the many and not just the few. “Halsbury Chambers is a heritage building that was completely overhauled and reimagined. While still an art deco building, gone are the old-fashioned rabbit hole hallways and offices of the remote past. Modern technology and working practices have allowed us to move away from things like storage rooms filled with filing cabinets onto cloud-based storage. Forgotten are the days where you were attached to your desk and if you wanted to take a confidential call you had to have an office door to shut. This new contemporary approach to working with

a diverse range of people, makes the space varied and multidisciplinary.” Over the hill in Ahuriri, Wallace Development’s the Tech Collective has filled quickly. Anchored by tenants NOW and Xero, the huge converted 1940s woolstore is also home to several smaller tech companies including Grundy Productions, Workshop X Marketing, and Webfox, and there’s 12 ‘hot desks’ – spaces for short-term use. The popularity and demand has seen work begin on a Tech Collective in Hastings and one in Havelock North. The Havelock North space on Napier Road (handy to Hawthorne Coffee and Deliciosa Restaurant) will open this spring, with Hastings to follow in coming months. Wallace Development’s Annabel Hall comments that with the modern, high quality facilities on offer in shared spaces like these, for smaller businesses and self-employed people the Tech Collective option is “the perfect set-up.”

TASTINGS, VINEYARD & WINERY TOURS Weddings and events created by Orton Tailored Cuisine

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W W W. S I L E N I . C O . N Z

Shhh... he’s correcting his vision. Are you worried about your child’s vision getting worse? Orthokeratology (Ortho K) uses night-time Corneal Reshaping Lenses to correct your vision while you sleep, and slow the speed of vision changing. To find out if Corneal Reshaping is right for you, ask Shattky Optometrists today.

Shattky Optometrists delivers the highest quality eyecare and eyewear for all ages. For more information visit Shattky today in Hastings or Waipukurau. HASTINGS / 116 Russell St. South / 06 876 3777 www.shattky.co.nz G shattkysoptometrists

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IS YOUR CHILD… n Getting blurry vision? n Sick of wearing glasses? n Lacking confidence? n Active in sports?

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BEE IN THE KNOW

Asians in the Bay Awards In August the Multicultural Association, Hawke’s Bay Inc. celebrated the richness of the broad community and the impact of Asian culture on Hawke’s Bay with the Asians in the Bay Awards. The 6th annual event was attended by over 200 people. Rizwaana Latiﬀ, Multicultural Association president, says the awards exist, “To recognise the contributions and to celebrate the successes of Asians in Hawke’s Bay in many ﬁelds of expertise and entrepreneurship. It's also an evening where we celebrate our diversity.” The awards night featured six categories: • Best Restaurant: Westshore’s Philippine Asian Kitchen. • Best Secondary Student: Holly Pablo (Sacred Heart College). • Best Tertiary Student: Vaibhav Raj Pathi (EIT, Business Studies). • Best Professional: Dr Terence De Silva (The Doctors, Hastings). • Best Business: Jaswinder Singh’s

Team Work (Hawke’s Bay) Ltd, a primary industry labour contracting company. • Best Community: HB Philippine Community – judged the most stand-out group in terms of support and involvement of members, and contribution to the wider community. Categories were judged by an independent panel led by EIT’s Mark Oldershaw and including Malcolm Dixon, Margaret Wellwood, Carol Hall, Maxine Boag and Wayne Walford.

Rizwaana Latiﬀ commented that the highlight of the evening for her was the performance by a young group of Bhangra (traditional dance from Punjab, India) performers who got the audience out of their seats. “People of diﬀerent nationalities came together to dance, celebrate and have fun. The Multicultural Association vision is "connecting diverse cultures in Hawke’s Bay with respect and unity", and my personal vision is "harmony in diversity”, and I felt these both were achieved on this evening.”

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Contact Tai today for a no obligation rent appraisal 12 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

THE

H O W D O Y O U M A KE A G RE AT C AR E V E N B E T T E R? Th e a l l n e w C X -5 F h er e n o w and already s etting recor d s. C o m e in f o r a t es t driv e to day .

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FA C TOR

Kayak Queen 2016 Hawke’s Bay Sportsperson of the year Aimee Fisher is continuing her impressive kayaking success, having won two gold medals in late July at the under-23 canoe sprint world championships in Romania. Fisher – a former student of Karamu High School – took out the K1 200 metre and 500 metre events in style, oﬀering a perfect farewell to coach Rene Olsen, who has guided her for the last three years with the national K4 squad but has now left to join the Great British coaching team. “Winning both Olympic distances was quite surreal really,” says Fisher, “winning just the 200 would have been the dream.” She paid tribute to the support she’s received, both on the circuit and at home. “You start down this path knowing that you need a lot of luck to get to the top, and you ﬁnd out that it’s not just about having the physical gifts. You need just the right people around you and I have had the dream run. I won those medals for those people and it’s such a joy and a privilege to be able to do it for them.” In late August Fisher joined K4 teammates Lisa Carrington, Caitlyn Ryan and Kayla Imrie in the Czech Republic for the open canoe sprint world champs. They claimed the K4 500 bronze medal.

Power Vote! While we gear up for an exciting national election this month, BayBuzz wants to remind you about another vote – the election for the Hawke’s Bay Power Consumers’ Trust. While it may sound a bit dry, it’s important that we elect really eﬀective representatives to the ﬁve trustee positions, as these are the people who vote all the shares in Unison on behalf

14 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

Mahia Boom No longer just a picturesque peninsular known for quiet beaches and a friendly pub, Mahia is all go on the innovation and environment fronts. A rocket launch in May has been followed by significant funding for a water project and financial sign-off on a major pest control programme. $145,000 from the Ministry for Environment’s Community Environment Fund will go towards the final stage of the Whangawehi Stream project. This final year of the project which began in 2011 involves improving water quality in the head waters of the Whangawehi catchment by fencing and planting about ten hectares of riverside habitat and creating connectivity between the different ecosystems. This means planting 23,000 native trees on Okepuha Station along the margin

of the Whangawehi Stream inside four kilometres of stock exclusion fencing, and putting in new traps in the fenced area to reduce pest pressure and allow the return of indigenous biodiversity in the Whangawehi upper catchment. Alongside this latest chunk of funding, the Whangawehi scheme also won the supreme award at the nationwide 2017 Green Ribbon Awards in June. Hawke’s Bay Regional Council voted in July to partner with multinational energy company OMV on a biodiversity project aimed to make the Mahia Peninsula predator-free. OMV and HBRC have committed to each contributing $50,000 per year for four years for the work focused at Mahia, an initial step towards a predator-free Hawke’s Bay.

of the consumers connected to Unison's electricity network in Hawke's Bay. The HB Power Consumers’ Trust voting period ends Monday 2 October 2017 and is being conducted by both postal and online voting. Changes to the board make-up are certain as chairman John Newland and trustee Arch Buntain have both served the maximum consecutive term of nine years and are not eligible for re-election. Those eligible to vote in the election are consumers of electricity who are connected to Unison’s electricity network within the

Hawke’s Bay Power Consumers’ Trust district, as at 2 June 2017. For consumers with multiple connections, there is a maximum of three votes permitted. For joint account holders, only one vote per connection is permitted. Voting documents are delivered to consumers from Monday 11 September (probably taking three or four days to complete distribution). If you haven’t received yours by 15 September, call the Hawke’s Bay Power Consumers’ Trust oﬃce and a special voting document will be issued.

AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO DENTISTRY WITH WYNTON PERROTT

Death by Air Pollution The most comprehensive study to date on the effects of climate change on global air quality and health spells out more depressing climate-health news. Researchers from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Japan and New Zealand, using nine different global chemistry-climate models, have found that if climate change continues unabated, it will cause about 60,000 extra deaths globally each year by 2030, and 260,000 deaths annually by 2100. Most models showed an increase in likely deaths – the clearest signal yet of the harm climate change will do to air quality and human health, adding to the millions of people who already die from air pollution every year. The reasoning for the upsurge in fatalities comes down to the way climate change is set to increase the amount of ground-level ozone and fine particle pollution we breathe, which leads to lung disease, heart conditions, and stroke. A changing climate with less rain and more heat means this pollution will stay in the air for longer, creating more health problems. Ground-level ozone is created when chemical pollution (such as emissions from cars or manufacturing plants) reacts in the presence of sunlight. As climate change makes an area warmer and drier, more ozone will be produced. Fine particles are a mixture of small solids and liquid droplets suspended in air, like black carbon, organic carbon, soot, smoke and dust. These fine particles, which are known to cause lung diseases, are emitted from industry, transport and residential sources. The research – published first in Nature Climate Change – suggests that premature deaths due to climate change will increase in all regions except Africa, with the largest increases in India and East Asia.

Online Commuting Tool

Looking for a commuting buddy? As with almost any other kind of buddy, you can now find one online, thanks to the launch of a free online tool that connects people so they can carpool, use public transport, walk or cycle together regularly or for one-off trips. SMART TRAVEL is being used around the country in a bid to unclog the roads and promote more sustainable commuting. It’s a simple case of registering online or downloading the app, popping your departure points and destinations and times in, and matching with others who share the same schedule. The app also offers recommendations for routes and calculators of financial cost and environmental impacts of your chosen commute. smarttravel.org.nz

A whiter, brighter smile can make me look healthier and younger ... but is it for me? With so many options available, it is difficult for the average kiwi to know where to start. Often people are left with more questions than answers when it comes to tooth whitening. HERE ARE SOME TIPS FROM SMILEHAUS

Who can have tooth whitening? Anyone who wants a whiter smile, but an assessment with a dental professional is advisable as each person is unique.

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 15

BEE IN THE KNOW

Buzz Around the Bay

NZ International Film Festival

Spring Fling Throughout September and October, Central Hawke’s Bay Celebrate springtime in CHB with a series of over 30 diverse events from homesteads, horse treks and daffodils, to culture, cycling and family-friendly fun. thespringfling.nz NZ International Film Festival September 7 to 24 at MTG Century Theatre, Napier and Events Cinemas, Havelock North The programme of features and documentaries that make up this year’s NZIFF is varied and broad, with warmth, fun, shock and horror on offer at the movies. nziff.co.nz Harcourts Hawke’s Bay Arts Festival September 26 to October 8, various venues It’s time to get familiar with the programme and get booking! The third annual Harcourts Hawke’s Bay Arts Festival will pitch up in the Spiegeltent on Havelock’s Village Green, but other venues including the Blyth Performing

Arts Centre, MTG Century Theatre, Arts Inc. Heretaunga and Napier’s Waipu Anglican Cathedral will also be used to stage the exciting mix of international theatre, dance, music, cabaret, comedy, literature and more. hbaf.co.nz Fringe in the Stings October 5 to 7, Hastings Organisers call it the Arts Festival’s “snottynosed, delinquent cousin”. Fringe in the Stings returns for year two to present bold, brave and brilliant shows to a local audience. fringeinthestings.co.nz Colour Run September 10, Napier Soundshell Napier and Hastings Youth Councils and Zeal Hawke's Bay present a ‘fun run with a difference’ in support of “Live for Tomorrow” youth suicide prevention. Runners start the 5km looped track dressed in white, and pass through “Colour Stations” dotted throughout the course, ensuring everyone finishes the run plastered in colour. eventfinda.co.nz

Home and Garden Show September 15 to 17, Mclean Park Packed with ideas and information for transforming your surroundings, the Home and Garden Show features showonly specials, prize opportunities and all the inspiration you need to get cracking on your house and landscape updates. homeandgardenshow.co.nz

CELEBRATING HASTINGS

PAR ADE

16 SEPTEMBER 11AM / HASTINGS CBD

BLOSSOM MARKET

16 SEPTEMBER 9AM - 12 NOON / HASTINGS CBD MALL

BLOSSOM PRIZEGIVING

16 SEPTEMBER 1PM / HASTINGS CIVIC SQUARE

MORE INFO: ARTSINC.CO.NZ

16 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

The Hooligan and the Lady, Harcourts Hawke's Bay Arts Festival. Photo: Sarah Horn

Hastings Blossom Parade September 16, Hastings The Blossom Festival and Parade has come to represent spring and Hastings in all its diversity, colour and creativity. Find your street-side position early to cheer on the cultural groups, dancers, artists, community organisations and local businesses aboard their creative ﬂoats. artsinc.co.nz

RNZB’s Ryman Healthcare Season of Romeo and Juliet September 24, Napier Municipal Theatre Artistic director and choreographer Francesco Ventriglia creates a fresh and passionate version of the world’s greatest love story, especially for the Royal New Zealand Ballet. This is the company’s first new production of Romeo and Juliet since 2003, inspired by Franco Zeffirelli’s classic 1968 film with Prokofiev’s instantly recognisable score. eventfinda.co.nz The Sound of Music October 1, Napier Municipal Theatre Touring nationally, the “world’s most popular musical” is in town for two shows only. The legendary Rodgers and Hammerstein musical features an unforgettable score that includes 'My Favorite Things', 'Edelweiss', 'Do-Re-Mi', 'Sixteen Going on Seventeen', 'The Lonely Goatherd', 'Climb Ev’ry Mountain', and the title song 'The Sound of Music'. eventfinda.co.nz

Romeo and Juliet

Napier Wellbeing Market October 14 and 15, Taradale Town Hall Hawke’s Bay’s ﬁrst wellbeing market oﬀers quality stalls to explore, onsite therapists and advice, massage, healing and other bodywork treatments, plus crystals, books, herbal remedies, naturals foods, yoga and clairvoyant readings. wellbeingfair.co.nz

That Bloody Woman October 17, Napier Municipal Theatre The popular 2016 musical returns, bringing suffragist and activist Kate Sheppard back to life in a nationwide campaign to rock the vote for this election. eventfinda.co.nz Tremain’s Teddy Bears Picnic October 22, Anderson Park, Taradale Races, games, craft stalls, food caravans, amusement rides and pony rides, 4x4 Jeeps for children and of course a springtime vibe promise a great day out for the whole family – even the inanimate members. New Zealand Royal A&P Show October 19 and 20 at HB Showgrounds Join 30,000 others at Hawke’s Bay’s largest gathering and check out the alpaca, beef cattle, dairy cattle, dog trials, equestrian, fleece wool, pigs, sheep, shearing, wood chopping, poultry and home industries competitions. Plus hundreds of trade displays, Animal World, rides and sideshow fun. Pecha Kucha October 31, Havelock North Function Centre Hear from 8-10 locals with funny, heartfelt, exciting, interesting stories told in the international Pecha Kucha format (20 slides x20 seconds each). facebook.com/ pechakuchahb

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 17

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What will Winstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s price be?

Two Shades of Grey If voters are looking for ‘Big Ideas’ from the current parliamentary campaign, they’re likely to be disappointed – at least with respect to the major players, National and Labour. TOM BELFORD

That’s not surprising. Conventional political wisdom is that mainstream parties shouldn’t rock the boat during campaigns. Thus their campaign platforms and pronouncements tend toward the vanilla – cherry vanilla from one and vanilla praline from the other. Most Labour and National campaign offerings revolve around reallocation of spending to politically preferred constituencies – or if not preferred groups, at least oiling bothersome squeaky wheels. Offering his own “Six ways to make a new New Zealand” in a recent essay, former Massey vice-chancellor “and politician” Steve Maharey wrote: “I do not see the magnitude of change the times demand coming from politicians, who are caught in short electoral cycles, or an increasingly entertainment-oriented media environment. “President Franklin D Roosevelt, asked why he had not introduced a particular policy, replied: ‘Frankly madam, you will have to make me.’ What he meant is that politicians who want to get elected cannot afford to get too removed from their voters. If they are to make significant change, it helps to know at least someone is on their side.” That said, the election campaign is not devoid of ‘Big Ideas’. It’s just that they tend to be voiced by candidates and parties inhabiting the fringes of the political spectrum. To me, a ‘Big Idea’ is one that might truly shift the playing field, representing

a radical change in current thinking or policy or control of the public purse (like a capital gains tax). Or an idea that, although controversial, just might strike a chord... reﬂecting the secret wishes of many voters. Here are a few ‘Big Ideas’ ﬂoated during the campaign.

Share international visitor GST

Some propose to share GST paid by international visitors back to the regions, with proceeds earmarked for tourism-related infrastructure. Tourism is the nation’s biggest export industry, as international visitors are delivering $40 million in foreign exchange to the New Zealand economy each day of the year. The Government last year collected $1.1 billion in GST from international visitors (YE March 16) and another $1.7 billion from domestic visitors. Proponents of a rebate argue that tourism is putting an unaﬀordable burden on local infrastructure – from public toilets to campgrounds to maintaining iconic attractions and sites (like our own Te Mata Peak Park). Winston Peters would also return 25% royalties from mining, oil and gas, and water to the regions from which these payments originate. And while he’s at it, Winston would exempt food from GST, currently a $3 billion per year revenue stream, to be recouped by

“clamping down on tax evasion and the black economy”.

Return petrol taxes

Another scheme to get central government dollars back into local hands is to return petrol taxes to the regions. The biggest local government spend, especially in the provinces, is on roads. When you last bought petrol, the government collected about 67 cents per litre as fuel excise (excluding GST). You were also charged GST on the petrol excise, which amounts to a tax on a tax. The Government collects about $1.2 billion per year via the fuel excise duty. But PM Bill English says it’s impossible to determine where the duty is paid, foreclosing any ability to return funds to their origination area. Back in 2009, then-Transport Minister Steven Joyce killed regional fuel taxes. Labour had approved one for Auckland, and other regions (Canterbury, Bay of Plenty, Wellington and Waikato) were considering them.

Charge for commercial water use

The Green Party would put an immediate 10 cent/litre levy on the sale and export of water, while cautiously pledging if in government to develop a “fair way to charge all commercial water users” after nationwide consultation. Revenue from SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 21

More contentious issues, like controlling cats, sharing GST on international tourists' spending with regions, or adding a tax/royalty on commercial water use, tend to come from minority parties.

the levy would be split 50/50 between local councils and mana whenua. The Greens claim 87% of people asked think water bottler and exporters should pay royalties. Heaps of emotion surround water bottling in Hawke’s Bay, but calls for royalties do open the question: why water bottling and not other commercial uses – e.g., irrigating apples, grapes and vegies, or the water in all those Heinz Wattie’s cans? And that’s where the politics gets tricky! NZ First and Labour (the latter with a surprising proposal to charge for all commercially-used water) are also on the water levy/royalty bandwagon.

Move Crown agencies out of Wellington

This is a more indirect proposal to boost regional economies. The State sector has about 300,000 employees; the Public Service component (the main 26 agencies like MPI, Treasury, Environment Transport) has about 48,000 employees, 42% of whom (19,248 FTEs) work in Wellington (compared to 2.4% or 1,110 FTEs in Hawke’s Bay). As long as we must have large public bureaucracies, says Winston, why not spread their payrolls, rents and oﬃce equipment/service expenses to our local economies? And there’s a second asserted beneﬁt – moving these bureaucracies, especially service agencies like MSD, Education and Housing closer to the 22 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

‘real’ people of New Zealand might increase their responsiveness and emotional IQ.

Hit wealthy retirees

Not by taxing them more … that’s old news. Instead, cut the superannuation of wealthier ‘retirees’. If the payments to those earning over $50,000 per year were cut in half, that would yield $3 billion to spend for needier purposes. That’s a proposal of Gareth Morgan’s TOP (The Opportunities Party). But over Winston Peters’ dead body!

Universal Basic Income

And, also from TOP, here’s a way to use some of that $3 billion. Give two groups (initially) a Universal Basic Income – all families with children under age 3 ($200 per family per week), and all citizens over age 65 ($200 each person per week). Says TOP: “This change starts to honour the millions of hours of unpaid work associated with child rearing, without which our economy would collapse.” For seniors, TOP’s ﬁne print reconciles the UBI with the limit of superannuation for wealthy retirees!

Net Zero by 2050

A multi-party group of MPs favour an initiative to reduce NZ’s carbon footprint to “net-zero” by 2050. And NGOs are organising around a Zero Carbon Act to achieve that goal.

As long as we must have large public bureaucracies, says Winston, why not spread their payrolls, rents and office equipment/service expenses to our local economies?

Local Government New Zealand recently adopted a less speciﬁc “position statement” on climate change stating in part: “Local government seeks to work with central government to develop a joint response to climate change including a clear pathway to a low carbon economy.” Local mayors Dalton, Walker, Hazlehurst and chairman Rex Graham joined numerous other local leaders in signing a supporting “Declaration”. And even the staid NZ Productivity Commission – not known as a hotbed of environmentalism – has issued a public consultation paper examining options for attaining a “low-emissions economy”. This inquiry states “a working assumption that New Zealand governments will likely frame targets for beyond 2050 that require signiﬁcant further GHG emissions reductions over

existing commitments.” The Commission notes (alongside all other observers) that the changes required will “mean that the shift from the old economy to a new, lowemissions, economy will be profound and widespread, transforming land use, the energy system, production methods and technology, regulatory frameworks and institutions, and business and political culture.”

Green Infrastructure Fund

The reasoning here is that cats – both domestic and feral – are major predators and a major threat to our bird populations, including thirty three endangered native bird species.

Radical but familiar

Termed the “Kiwibank of the green economy”, this would be a governmentowned fund intended to attract and leverage private finance to invest in “transformational low carbon, climate resilient projects” – renewable energy and recycling plants, energy efficiency, biofuels, sustainable agriculture, solar installations and other clean technologies. The fund’s target rate of return would be 5% with a goal of reducing emissions by 1 million tonnes of CO2 annually. The Government’s portion – $10 million plus a $100 million line of credit over three years – would be financed by raising royalty rates on oil and gas production.

major threat to our bird populations, including 33 endangered native bird species. Consequently, some believe action is required to better control cats – for example, registering, microchipping, sterilisation, bells on collars, trapping feral cats. Feral cats aside (few are advocating their protection!), NZ is home to 1.4 million ‘companion cats’, treasured by their voting owners. Some local councils, notably Dunedin and Wellington, have bravely safaried into the cat regulation territory, but it’s a dangerous political jungle out there!

Control cats

Referendum on Maori seats

This proposition is famously associated with Gareth Morgan, leader of The Opportunities Party. The reasoning here is that cats – both domestic and feral – are major predators and a

examined the signiﬁcant increase in representation numbers of Māori MPs under MMP.” NZ First also would remove “separate wards based on race” in local government. Winston in full stride: “…in local government as in central government there has been a pandering to division, separatism, parallel representation and parallel laws without any regard to the hugely destructive consequences.”

Winston Peters argues that dedicated Māori seats have served their purpose. His NZ First proposes: “Ensure the future of the Māori seats is a decision for the people to make having

Against some of the above, proposals to legalise cannabis and raise the drinking age to 20 are fairly tame!

Personality vs policy

Whether you love them or hate ‘em, ideas like these do stir the passions. And they will motivate some voters. But do policy issues count that much in campaigns? Arguably, mostly to minor parties and their partisans, the instigators of everything on the list above. Still, because these proposals are the aspirations of minor voices, do they matter? They won’t come to life anyway, unless embraced by or forced upon a major party in a coalition government. And that does happen on occasion. Indeed, there’s what Rob Hosking, writing in NBR, calls the ages-old SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 23

‘Game-changer’ ideas tend to be oﬀered by those on the political edges.

“radical dilemma”: “Their ideas might be adopted by the mainstream and in some cases taken even further than were initially imagined. But such radicals are seldom trusted to actually implement those ideas … “Better, far better, to have such changes implemented by less threatening types. If there is to be change, it should be done without frightening too many people.” There’s passion in ideology and issues, but to the average punter, other forces are more important. Chris Keall, writing awhile back in National Business Review, observed:

24 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

“Earlier today, Prime Minister Bill English said people don’t vote on personality. “The truth is they do, along with other non-political criteria like confidence, smarts, competence and likeability. “Don’t shoot the messenger, but policy is way down the list — which is how John Key could win three elections despite being offside with majority opinion, and even non-binding referendum results, on key issues like asset sales and immigration.” We need only look at the clamour over the ‘Jacinda effect’ to remind ourselves that personality trumps policy. To get to govern, the point of the

exercise, Ardern’s Labour must snatch away a decent chunk of National voters. Will Nat voters ‘defect’ because they’ve suddenly discovered a hitherto suppressed preference for ‘same-old’ Labour policies? Not likely. But will some Nat voters be drawn to a more attractive personality (by whatever perceived quality, doesn’t matter)? More likely. Of course the ‘perfect storm’ for Labour would be the convergence of dynamic, fresh personality with equally fresh, dynamic policies. As I write, that convergence isn’t apparent … Labour and National are still just two shades of grey.

If anyone knows the properties of great wine, it’s Bayleys. As the leading marketer of vineyards in Hawke’s Bay, Bayleys knows how important it is that the region’s wine maintains and grows its reputation for excellence. That is why we are proud to sponsor the awards that celebrate the outstanding quality of the wines produced here in the Bay. We strive for excellence in all we do, and it’s only natural we want to honour those who do the same, not just for their own businesses but also for the region’s wines as a whole. To contact Bayleys regarding viticulture, rural, lifestyle, residential or commercial property please call Napier 06 834 4080 | Havelock North 06 872 9300 | Waipukurau 06 858 5500

CANDIDATE STATEMENT: LAWRENCE YULE

Lawrence Yule as your MP for Tukituki In the next few days voting will begin in the general election, where you get to cast two votes. One for the Party and one for the candidate to represent them. The Government is decided by the Party vote, but what actually happens locally will be largely influenced by your local MP. My decision to resign as mayor of Hastings to stand for Parliament was not an easy one, and was driven by a wish to improve the lives of people in Hawke’s Bay in a way that I could not as mayor. Issues such as climate change, poverty and the environment are of concern, and of great interest to me. The National Government has produced an economy that is in great shape thanks to solid financial management from Bill English during significant adverse events, including a recession and the Christchurch and Kaikoura earthquakes. Currently New Zealand is generating 10,000 new jobs a month, which is very positive for our Hawke’s Bay families. Despite this, some of our people remain locked out of the workforce because of a lack of skills, poor attitudes and often substance abuse. I recently met a company director who was looking to import staff from the Philippines to fill roles in his company because he could not find the skills locally. We can do so much better in this space alone.

After door knocking at over 6,000 homes, I am aware there is community concern about water bottling, housing, and education needs. I am confident all these issues can be resolved and many of the solutions are already underway.

As a prospective MP, I bring a unique set of skills that can add real value in improving the outcomes for Tukituki residents. After 15 years as mayor I have widespread knowledge of the issues we face. My nine years as president of Local Government New Zealand has also meant I am completely familiar with Parliament, its processes and MMP politics. After door knocking at over 6,000 homes, I am aware there is community concern about water bottling, housing, and education needs. I am conﬁdent all these issues can be resolved and many of the solutions are already underway. Last year I advocated strongly to get

extra police and these are now being delivered. I am not afraid of hard battles or strong advocacy. I have been doing it for years. Importantly, my single focus is to be the best local MP and advocate I can for the people of Tukituki. As I have always done, I will always be willing to meet, and provide my mobile number to the public. I intend to set up a regular live Facebook interaction which will allow direct and public questioning and accountability. I am standing for National as it is a party that rewards hard work, personal accountability, and supports all New Zealanders’ success. Importantly, it also believes that people can spend their own money more wisely than the state. I am proud that a National Government has halved the number of teenage pregnancies, taken 60,000 Kiwis oﬀ the beneﬁt, substantially lifted NCEA outcomes and returned the books to surplus, while substantially lifting health and Police resourcing. Still more can be done to follow these successes. The role of any government is to set the direction for a nation, decide how they collect revenue for public good, and set priorities for the spending of your money. I look forward to using my skill, energy and passion to get the best outcome I can for the people of Hawke’s Bay.

CANDIDATE STATEMENT: ANNA LORCK

Lorck. Labour. Local. This is our opportunity to build a better and fairer future for people living and raising families here in the Tukituki electorate. Like you, I’m local. I’m here, working for you. I’m bringing new energy and positive action with a ‘can-do’ approach that puts people first. By leading on local issues we can enable positive change, empower our local communities and make a real difference for more people living and raising families here, in this great place we call home. Labour is local; it’s what sets us apart. We support local communities having the right to make decisions when it comes to our local economy and the environment. That’s a real point of difference worth voting for – there is no local in National. Hastings has experienced this first hand with our GM Free campaign against the Government wanting to remove our local decision-making powers. We stood strong and worked together to protect our right to make decisions in the best interest of Hawke’s Bay, and protected our local democracy. We’ll do the same against oil and gas exploration over our productive and precious aquifers, aquifer recharge zones and surface water bodies. Under Labour’s new water royalty

Labour is local; it’s what sets us apart. We support local communities having the right to make decisions when it comes to our local economy and the environment. That’s a real point of difference worth voting for – there is no local in National.

policy, Hawke’s Bay – yes, us – will have the ability to prioritise on water and charge a local levy on water bottling and use this to invest back in protecting our fresh water and cleaning up our waterways. It is the birthright of every New Zealander to have fresh, safe, secure drinking water and to swim in our local rivers. It is advocacy like mine on local issues that leads to change. From protecting our fresh water to Havelock North’s promised new school. From removing the costly roadblocks stopping our young people getting a full driver’s license to the $1 million won back for the

public healthcare costs of the water crisis. And turning the tap off water bottling consents behind closed doors. These are just some of the many local issues I have worked on, helping deliver results that have had an impact locally and also for New Zealand. I have achieved this without being in office; imagine what I will do as Tukituki’s local MP, here working for you. As a wife and mother, raising a family of five girls in Hastings, I’m incredibly passionate about helping make Hawke’s Bay thrive and prosper. I’ve lived and breathed this region all my life. I went to local schools, earned a trade, and I’m a local business owner and employer – I’m connected and part of your local communities. With over 25 years experience in media, public relations, politics and business, I have worked across almost every industry in our region, including health, education, energy and our primary sector. Now I’m putting all my experience, skills and knowledge together to work and represent you. I’m giving my all to earn your trust, confidence and support, and the privilege to represent you as your local Member of Parliament.

CANDIDATE STATEMENT: STUART NASH

Pursuing a passion Being a local electorate Member of Parliament is incredibly demanding. Not only are you on duty 24/7, but everything you do is open to a level of scrutiny rarely applied to any other role. So it cannot be seen as a 'job', but rather it has to be a passion. For me, it absolutely is. First and foremost, I accept that I am a little old-fashioned in that I believe if you want to represent a seat in Parliament you should live within its boundaries. I simply fail to see how you can ever truly understand the dynamics of a community if you are not part of it. I do, therefore, find it rather curious that both of National's Napier and Tukituki candidates live well outside of the electorates they are hoping to represent. But that's for them to deal with and not me. My family on both my mother's side and my father's side have lived in Napier for over 150 years. My children are the fifth generation at the local primary school right back to its foundation in 1878. I was educated at Napier Central, Napier Intermediate and Napier Boys’. Napier is my home town and I am incredibly proud to have grown up here and have wonderful memories of a very happy childhood. My affinity with the city means that my passion, when standing up for the issues that are important and providing solutions to the problems that residents face, is very real.

Of course we have the weather and the lifestyle, but hot summers and great facilities count for nothing without great companies providing sustainable work paying good incomes.

I'm the ﬁrst to admit, there is no detached objectivity to the work I do because I seriously want there to be a sixth, seventh and eighth generation of Nash's growing up, working and growing old in Napier. This will only happen if we create the type of opportunities our current and future residents ﬁnd attractive. Of course we have the weather and the lifestyle, but hot summers and great facilities count for nothing without great companies providing sustainable work paying good incomes. I do believe we live in paradise; that we have won the lottery of life living where we do, but it can be so much better. This is why I have taken on a number

of local issues and causes in an effort to provide solutions and a way forward: the lack of social houses, inadequate police resourcing, the poor state of the fisheries in Hawke Bay, getting trucks off the Marine Parade, supporting Jetstar's arrival in the Bay, restarting the Napier-Wairoa-Gisborne rail link, charges on bottled water, the future of Napier’s Port, the state of our rivers and lakes - to mention a few. That's why every Sunday, rain or shine, I stand on street corners and have discussions with residents about the issues, and it’s why I spend so much of my time advocating in Parliament for what I think will add value to our city. I have always said that the day I lose the passion and the belief that I can make a difference for the people of Napier, is the day I hang up my proverbial boots and move on. That day certainly hasn't arrived yet, hence the reason why I am working so hard to retain the privilege of representing Napier in Parliament as the local MP.

CANDIDATE STATEMENT: DAVID ELLIOT

Vote David Elliott! Like my great-grandfather who grew up in a boarding house on Coote Rd, I have lived in all levels of society. A real life, of frugality, of challenges, of success. I am used to overcoming diﬃculties and working hard to achieve goals. My life skills are diverse and varied, a product of both my childhood and employment. My greatest strength, because of this, is the ability to interact and relate to people. There is a simple diﬀerence between some of the candidates standing this election. Those that focus on negativity, seeking to create hyperbolic issues for PR purposes, and those that are positive and seek to overcome the real problems facing our region. My family has been ‘relentlessly positive’ long before Labour decided it was fashionable to be so. I’ve had to be, otherwise I would never have made it through the challenges of my past or our family situation today. My daughter’s disability has given me a level of empathy and concern for those who genuinely, through no fault of their own, need the support of the state and representation beyond the family level. There is no mistaking that I am new to politics. That said, my career has been based on the premise of the safety and care of others. I see being a constituent MP as an extension of that philosophy.

I have no ties to ‘big business’ or ‘political strategists’ and represent no vested interests. My only interest is the success of Napier and the care of its people. In fact, I will be leaving behind a secure, hard-earned career.

I encourage everyone to look at my history, where I have come from, the things I have achieved and the life I currently lead. If they do that, I am conﬁdent they will discover a hardworking, straight up, dedicated family man. Someone worth their vote. It also means I have had to work doubly hard door-knocking and getting out to meet people, so they can have conﬁdence in who they are voting for. I have no ties to ‘big business’ or ‘political strategists’ and represent no vested interests. My only interest is the success of Napier and the care of its people. In fact, I will be leaving behind a secure, hard-earned career.

I am motivated to be a true constituency MP of an electorate that I am truly passionate about. A place where my great-grandfather helped haul the naval cannon on Marine Parade over Napier Hill from Ahuriri. I want to work with individuals, communities, and business to ensure a better future for everyone in Napier and Hawke’s Bay. We all remember the Napier of the past and we should all be proud of the Napier that has emerged over the last decade. I see a Napier and Hawke’s Bay that is strong, conﬁdent and vibrant. In order to keep Napier moving forward we need a voice to government that is committed to getting what we need. A strong, conﬁdent voice, to the point of irritation in the ears of the ministers. I want to see the people who can work, working, and those with genuine need, cared for. I want our children to grow up in the best part of New Zealand, a place that is safe and full of opportunities. If that is also what you want, then vote for me, David Elliott.

Saving Lake Tutira BRIDGET FREEMAN-ROCK PHOTOS: TIM WHITTAKER

As freshwater scientist Andy Hicks says: “Tutira could be a huge asset for the region, it could be our Lake Taupo, but at the moment it’s a huge embarrassment.” Lake Tūtira was once famous for its eels, freshwater mussels and flax. Highly treasured by the tangata whenua, Ngāti Kurimōhiki, the lake offered both physical and spiritual sustenance to hapū in their seasonal alternation between Tangoio and the Maungahururu ranges. For more recent generations of Kiwis it’s been a beloved recreational site for trout fishing, kayaking and other outdoor pursuits, with popular DOC reserves, Shine’s Falls, Boundary Stream and Whitepine Bush, nearby. Now, however, the lake stinks, the eels and trout are dying, children can’t go near it, and with State Highway 2 wending directly beside the visibly sick waterbody, it’s a contradiction to NZ’s clean green image that tourists can’t ‘unsee’. Local kids are reportedly ashamed to say they come from Tūtira due to the lake’s notoriety. The last two summers have seen the lake blighted by a sludgy mass of cyanobacteria, and while Tūtira has faced significant water quality issues over the last 30 years, it’s now in an untenable state of ill-health. Blue McMillan, local farmer and caretaker of Tūtira Regional Park, has lost dogs to the toxic algal blooms (the worst he’s ever seen), and he himself gets headaches and stinging eyes from the ammonia coming off it: “You have to plan your days” according to the way the wind blows. Blue also manages the DOC camping grounds, but these days there’s little camping, and with the lake’s demise, the farmstay cottage he set up has been seriously impacted. It’s obvious to everyone that something must be done. The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has designated Tūtira one of its environmental ‘hotspots’ to benefit

SEDIMENT/PHOSPHOROUS REDUCTION BY CATCHMENT FARMERS

NATIVE PLANTINGS FOR BEAUTIFICATION AND BIODIVERSITY

PAPAKIRI CONNECTION: CLEAN, LOW FLOWS IN / DIRTY, HIGH FLOWS OUT

NATIVE PLANTINGS FOR BEAUTIFICATION AND BIODIVERSITY

SEDIMENT TRAPS IN PLACE FOR HARVEST

BUBBLERS TO KEEP LAKES MIXED AND ALGAE BLOOM FREE

LONGITUDINAL FLOW FOR ELVER ACCESS

SOUTHERN OUTLET TO LAKE ORAKAI

Tutira Restoration Plan: Total $3.6m over 5 years / HBRC $1.6m

from a dedicated Kickstart Fund for immediate action. And in April HBRC – together with hapū representatives, Maungahururu-Tangitū Trust (MTT, who were handed back most of the lake bed and a decision-making role as part of their 2013 Treaty settlement), and with strong community backing – applied to the government’s Freshwater Improvement Fund (FIF) for signiﬁcant funding ($1.5 million) towards a comprehensive four-year lake restoration plan, which is all but formally secured. MTT are 12 months into their own hapū-led project, Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi, which involves extensive education and consultation, with a riparian planting, fencing and native regeneration schedule now underway. So, what does this mean in on-the32 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

ground terms, and what will it take to restore the mauri, or life force, of Lake Tūtira? Sediment and phosphorous

Formed by a slip some 6,500 years ago, Lake Tūtira (along with sister lakes Waikōpiro and Orakai) is surrounded by steep hill country in a dynamic geological landscape with highly erodible soft soils. “It’s an excellent sediment trap,” explains HBRC’s Hicks, “in a catchment with a lot of erosion.” Centuries of sediment in fact, have settled on the bottom of Lake Tūtira, an occurrence exacerbated by the extensive conversion of bushland into pasture 150 years ago. It’s a deep lake (42 metres) with little inﬂow from streams, meaning a long turnover time for water (5-8 years). The

inlet and outlet are on the same side which limits lake flushing, and with long, hot summers, stratified layers (warm top, cold bottom) create ideal growing conditions for algae in the surface waters. While stratification is not itself a problem, when combined with excess nutrients (‘eutrophication’, and the organic material that’s generated) it can be. The main culprit is phosphorous. Eutrophication starves the water of oxygen, impacting aquatic life and perpetuating the cycle (without oxygen in the bottom waters, phosphorus, for example, can’t bind to sediment and instead remains constantly, cumulatively available within the water column). Tūtira is especially prone to summer storms, which bring a “fresh pulse of

nutrients at a time when conditions are perfect for algae,” such as New Year’s 2016. Since then there’s been “more or less a constant algal bloom,” says Hicks, with the lake recently changing from a ‘eutrophic’ to ‘supertrophic’ rating, which means it now has ‘extreme’ rather than ‘high’ levels of nutrients and algae. Coinciding with this, there have also been three separate “fish kills”: large eels and large trout died in early January 2016; small trout died in late January; and a further fish kill in December 2016 only seemed to affect eels. So far explanations are speculative as to why different groups of fish are being so drastically affected; while it appears related to the algal blooms, there’s clearly a culmination of factors. “Tūtira is a microcosm for Hawke’s Bay and a perfect canary,” says Hicks. “It’s a sensitive receiving environment.” And what happens here and how we work to turn it around has a much wider implication for the region than “fixing” a lake. Its fate is intricately entwined with our relationship to land and water. Diversion of Papakiri Stream

The introduction of top dressing (i.e. super phosphates) in the 1950s was a turning point for the lake. Paul Harris, Tūtira farmer and former Nuﬃeld scholar, points out that much of Tūtira was leasehold land for years, and so many of the farms in the catchment were developed ﬁrst in the 1960s and 1970s when fertiliser was cheap. There was a particularly bad algal bloom in 1976. By the 1980s, the

Papakiri Stream (also known as Sandy Creek) catchment to the north of the lake, where the most intensive landuse is, had already been identified as a major source of nutrient. According to HBRC chairman Rex Graham, an initial report in 1981 recommended that 95% of the catchment be retired, but this was “put in the bottom drawer” because it was too hard (since then 40% of the catchment has become dairying). Instead, in 1982 the stream itself was diverted, bypassing the lake, and the large wetlands it flowed through (“the liver or lungs of the lake”) drained. But in flood events the stream still breaches its banks (most devastatingly with Cyclone Bola in 1988) and the back flow flushes in – a quarter of the current phosphorous input is estimated to come from this pathway. The decision to divert the stream, made without due consultation, caused a lot of ill-sentiment, particularly among Māori landowners at the northern end where the wetlands once were. Cutting the ‘umbilical cord’ to the lake, which significantly impacted eel populations, remains a wound in the community, and the current regional council has had to work hard to rebuild relationships. “It’s a key part of what needs to be done,” says HBRC councillor Paul Bailey. “But we’ve got an opportunity right now, where everyone wants to do something: there’s a real community will for action, the staff in council are the right ones to lead the charge, and there’s political will around the council table itself.”

Tutira is especially prone to summer storms, which bring a “fresh pulse of nutrients at a time when conditions are perfect for algae,” such as New Year’s 2016. ANDY HICKS, HBRC FRESHWATER SCIENTIST

Action plan

Bailey, who holds the council portfolio for Tūtira, outlines the council’s tabled actions for Lake Tūtira – “the list of things staﬀ presented us with as needing urgent attention,” which HBRC agreed to progress irrespective

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“They’ve taken the lowhanging fruit, but we’ve got to go up the ladder now, we’ve got to do the difficult stuff.” PAUL BAILEY, HBRC COUNCILLOR

of the government funding outcome. There is a strong community desire to reconnect the Papakiri Stream back into the lake; indeed it was a core commitment sought by MaungahururuTangitū Trust. Many believe there’s no choice; with the age of Tūtira’s water, and young water flowing past, we’ve got to redirect it back into the lake. Because of the current nutrient risk from the catchment, HBRC is looking at a controlled release rather than a full-scale re-opening. The most neutral risk is to allow low-flows back into the lake and to stop floods from entering, building to a 70% stream in-flow or higher as the catchment improves. HBRC is working with Māori groups regarding the potential reversion of farmland to wetland at the northern end. The restored wetland would help filter sediment, among other benefits – though it may impact the trout hatchery, but that’s another story. Considerations are also being made for opening a channel, potentially for eel spawning, into Lake Orakai, which would also improve water quality. For a short-term band-aid fix, HBRC intends to pilot an artificial aeration system in Lake Waikōpiro this spring, which if successful will be trialled in 34 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

Lake Tūtira over 2-3 years. Bailey likens the aerator to a pace-maker, which will keep the lake ticking while it’s not well. Basically, it’s a “big version of a bubbler in a fish tank”, comprising a 100 metre or so long tube and an air compressor on shore, forming a big “bubble curtain”, which creates a water current. The bubbles act like a conveyor belt of water, mixing those cold and warm layers, allowing suspended sediment and nutrient to filter down. This has worked successfully in reservoirs of comparable size east of Auckland and in Lake Manuwai, Kerikeri. Although an earlier version of bubbling technology was tried unsuccessfully on Lake Tūtira in the 1970s, modelling of a modern oxygenation system indicates the bubbling would work now. Any mitigation option for the lake itself, however, needs to be agreed to by MTT, who are still carefully weighing the solutions through their hapū wananga. The use of chemicals is the only solution to be firmly ruled out. Bailey believes HBRC’s purchase, and replanting, of the eastside block of the lake in 1998, now Tūtira Regional Park and site of the council’s mānuka plantation trials, shows there was some foresight from the council of the time. “They’ve taken the low-hanging fruit, but we’ve got to go up the ladder now, we’ve got to do the difficult stuff.” And that means managing the catchment – the fundamental issue – by improving on-farm practices. “It’s the same story as everywhere else”; it’s about water quality (nutrient and sediment); riparian planting; retiring steeper blocks; restoring wetlands further up the catchment. “There are so many variables, we don’t know what it will take to make effective changes, but any solutions will have to be tailored to the idiosyncrasies of the land.” An integral objective of the $3.5 million Te Waiū o Tūtira – Milk of Tūtira project is to develop an Integrated Catchment Management Plan, and to develop and implement farm environmental management plans throughout the catchment. Hapu leadership

MTT’s general manager, Shayne Walker, says after 150 years of alienation from their land and resource, hapū are now able to enact their rangatiratanga, their kaitiakitanga again. “In our belief, we are of the land, of Papatuānuku, therefore, it’s not that we are caring

for the land so much as caring for ourselves. We have an obligation, ﬁrst and foremost, to our ancestors, and a responsibility to future generations, and we take this really seriously: the land is part of our whakapapa.” “We will do the best we can to improve the mauri [life essence] of the lake, and when we talk about enhancing the mauri, that means everything: the birds, the community, the land around…. Part of the challenge with Lake Tūtira, was in the past HBRC, and to a degree DOC, took it upon themselves to resolve the issues, create the solutions without necessarily engaging with that wider holistic perspective.” It’s therefore vital, from his perspective, that MTT are partners in any decision-making and that all stakeholders are engaged in the process. “We all have to take some responsibility in how we’re going to change it. We are all going to have make some changes in land use to restore the lake to what it needs to be.” “We’re there to provide a long view on how we can resolve the issues and enhance the mauri of the lake. We’re not going anywhere. We’re thinking 50, 100 years into the future, and we’d love

... in 1982 the stream itself was diverted, bypassing the lake, and the large wetlands it flowed through (“the liver or lungs of the lake”) drained.

to be able to pass the lake onto the next generation in a better condition than what we’ve received it back from the Crown.” In June MTT facilitated a community meeting for all to share (and hear) the concerns and wishes for the lake. Consensus seems to be that it was full, dynamic, “fresh”, giving a clear signal that the community sees the lake as Tūtira’s identity and wants the day-to-

day issues they face as a result of its current state addressed. Land-use changes

Tūtira has its fair share of dairying in the catchment – indeed, Tūtira was the original town milk supply for Hawke’s Bay until HB Milk Coop was absorbed by Fonterra. But all are owner-operated farms and actively engaged in a

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Harris forecasts “quite a lot of changes”, but says farmers are “solutions driven” and in Tūtira they want to see the lake cleaned up. “We’re a community of productive people, we’re people that do things each day, we understand better than most what it takes, and we want it solved.” Harris sees change as an opportunity, and says there’s a big space for artisan producers; if the lake is restored to health, producers can have pride in their product and market it with the Tūtira story. Trees

“In our belief, we are of the land, of Papatuanuku, therefore, it’s not that we are caring for the land so much as caring for ourselves. We have an obligation, first and foremost, to our ancestors, and a responsibility to future generations, and we take this really seriously: the land is part of our whakapapa.” SHAYNE WALKER, GENERAL MANAGER, MAUNGAHURURUTANGITŪ TRUST

monthly, on-farm discussion group for improving practice. Paul Harris runs an integrated operation: both dairy and sheep & beef. Mixed farming allows him to spread the nutrient load – literally, “effluent is one of the most underrated things” – and to run a lower stocking rate: one cow to the hectare, in contrast to the 2-3 norm in Tūtira and Canterbury’s five to the hectare. He says farmers in the Tūtira catchment will need to change techniques to suit the soil, and that more education is needed around different stocking rates, pasture grazing, the use of alternative forages, such as plantain, etc. There will be nitrogen caps. 36 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

When Blue McMillan’s family arrived in Tūtira in 1962, the land all around the lake was used for pastoral grazing with little tree cover. Over the last 30 years he’s been involved in a lot of the tree-planting eﬀorts on the eastside of the lake (in the days when tree-planting was subsidised), and left large portions of his own land to slowly revert back to native bush. He says that farming on steep land is not viable and environmentally irresponsible, though there’s little economic incentive these days to plant trees: “I probably wouldn’t get the rights to clear the kānuka now, even if I wanted to. But I do hope I get a rates rebate [for the bush regeneration]…. Carbon credits are a maybe in the future, we'll see.” Harris believes a “subsidised planting period is going to have to be reignited” on sheep & beef farms like McMillan’s. One of the next steps to be taken is a multi-criteria analysis around forestry, and land utilisation post-harvest. While the jury’s out on forestry – good or bad? – in modelling HBRC has done, says Andy Hicks, it’s the best land-use for water quality, as forestry leaches the least nutrient and has the lowest sediment loss long-term. The swath of pines HBRC planted out in 1992 as a means of soil control are due to come out, and to ensure there’s not a pouring out of sediment in the process, there will need to be mitigation measures employed, such as grassing the area straight after and the use of sediment traps. Engagement will be needed on whether to replant the land as forestry plantation or to retire it in natives. McMillan says, “The community would like to see more natives instead of pines and a future regional park.” While he’s philosophical about it – “there are lots of natives coming up

in the pines, anyway” – he sees a great future for HBRC’s Tūtira Park if it is restored back to natives. With Bell Forest one side and White Pine Bush on the other, “what a great opportunity to put something back in the middle with a beautiful lake!” Visions for Tūtira

Many have been waiting for a long time to see effective action taken on Lake Tūtira, and everyone I spoke to expressed a quiet optimism that change is in the cards. Guthrie-Smith Trust run an education centre and arboretum on the remaining 90-hectare block of the original sheep station, ‘Tutira’, and site of NZ’s earliest conservation efforts. Their vision is to develop ‘Tutira’ as a national centre for biological studies and biodiversity, and they would also like to be able to promote it as a “regional tourism hub” for outdoor recreational activities. They are very interested, and active, in seeing Te Waiū o Tūtira – The Milk of Tūtira project fulfil its aims, not least because it’s part of their core business, but because they see Tūtira’s potential to showcase both the legacy of human activity within the environment and pathways forward. Chris Ryan has been involved with developing the trust’s extensive arboretum since 2002, building up their native and exotic collections, trialling trees for erosion control, timber, alternate crops, and bee fodder. “With the regional council, local iwi, and interested parties now on board,” he says, “we see the potential to become leading educators of sustainable, resilient land management.” For Maungaharuru-Tangitū Trust, a restored Lake Tūtira will bring cultural tourism and economic opportunities. Already the hapū take a number of schools up to Tūtira to their wahi taonga (special places), such as the caves. In August they held their first community tree planting day down by the lake, with a good turn-out, from kaumātua to mokopuna, “They’re excited,” says Shayne Walker, “they’ll see those changes happening.” For Blue McMillan, there’s relief: “Finally, some positives!” With funding in the pipeline, the hard work being done by HBRC on the ground, and MTT’s involvement, which has brought exposure to the issues, “It’s all coming to a head, which is a great feeling. Finally, it’s coming together.”

The world is moving away from carbon-based energy more rapidly than most people realise.

38 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

Our Energy Future

Globally, an energy revolution is occurring. Will Hawke’s Bay be an early adopter or a slow learner? TOM BELFORD

For most consumers, energy is a ‘take for granted’ aspect of our lives. When the ‘system’ is working, we tend to think about energy when a light bulb burns out, we get our monthly utility bill, we’re searching for firewood, deciding to turn on the heat pump or portable heater, or we’re paying for petrol or diesel at the cash register. Occasionally the system crashes on a major scale, and then we might think about where our electricity actually comes from and how resilient the delivery grid is. Finally, if we have environmental concerns, we worry about the immediate and long-term impacts of energy use – the global warming effects of carbon fuels; the local air pollution caused by vehicles, burning orchard prunings or non-compliant woodburners; or whether we should invest in solar or double-glazing for our homes, buy an electric car, or take some other energy conservation action. But normally, unless we’re opening our wallet for it, energy is not a top-ofmind issue. In our consumer cocoon, we take little day-to-day notice of the monumental changes occurring in the global energy ‘ecosystem’ that will quickly transform much of what we now understand and take for granted. Ultimately, these changes will find

In our consumer cocoon, we take little day-to-day notice of the monumental changes occurring in the global energy ‘ecosystem’ that will quickly transform much of what we now understand and take for granted.

their way to New Zealand and Hawke’s Bay … although not as quickly as in more densely-populated regions, where scale, business and environmental imperatives, government policies (at all levels), and abundant venture capital all converge to accelerate the process. The trends

So, what are the changes we will eventually need to address? Two recent reports by major business and economic analysts – Bloomberg and McKinsey – paint a remarkable picture of the scale and implications of the energy transformation underway.

Perhaps the best news from a ‘planetary health’ perspective is the decoupling of economic growth from energy consumption. Electricity is the key. For example, while global power demand is projected to grow by 58% over the next 25 years (or 2% per year), the intensity of electricity use per unit of GDP is expected to fall by 27% over that period. A projected US$10.2 trillion will be invested worldwide in new power generation ($4 trillion of that in China and India alone), but 72% of that will go to renewables. Investment in renewable energy will increase to around $400 billion per year by 2040; interestingly, more of that going to wind than solar. As a result, renewable energy will reach 74% penetration in Germany, 38% in the US, 55% in China and 49% in India. One result is that global coalﬁred power generation will peak in 2026, less than ten years. Even though coal will still account for 30% of China’s power generation by 2040, the global shift from coal is a fantastic outcome for the planet. Because New Zealand already generates 80% of its electricity from renewables (topped only by Norway’s whopping 98%), we tend to be a bit smug about our energy status in the global scheme. And given the relatively small contribution from electricity SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 39

Global light vehicle liquid demands Million barrels per day 30

1. Business as usual Assumes current regulatory and technological development results in EVs representing 27% of new vehicle sales in 2035 2. Mobility disruptions Includes the impact of shared and autonomous vehicles

15 2015

2020

2025

generation to New Zealand’s overall Greenhouse gas emissions, solar/wind’s potential to minimize New Zealand’s emissions is limited. Yet the fact remains that we still have the 2nd highest rate of carbon emissions per GDP amongst OECD countries. And even this winter, up to one-third of NZ’s electricity was coal-generated. The growth in renewables is propelled by technology-enabled steeply decreasing costs – solar PV dropping 66%, onshore wind by 47%, oﬀshore wind by 71% – reinforced critically by major technology improvements in electricity storage … i.e., batteries. Batteries will be a $20 billion per year business by 2040, up tenfold from today. Much of this expected growth is attributed to electric vehicles (EVs), consumer electronic devices, and small-scale batteries installed by households and businesses alongside PV (photovoltaic) systems. Half of European electricity in 2040 will come from renewables; 45% of Australia’s power will be generated ‘behind the meter’ as wind, PV and batteries replace coal. Meantime, in what the government terms a ‘disruptive’ energy scenario, if NZ reached 580,000 homes with solar PV and batteries, solar would make up 40 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

2030

2035

only 20% of new generation and 3% of the total by 2040. Climate implications

3. Technology acceleration Assumes an acceleration in the decline of technology costs resulting in greater penetration of electric, shared and autonomous vehicles by 2035

From a planetary health standpoint, the shift away from coal is vital. As noted above, McKinsey projects that global power sector emissions will peak in 2026 – at 14Gt, and then decline by 1% a year (mainly due to improvements in China). Even in the US, economic drivers will account for a 30% decline in power sector emissions, regardless of government policy – it’s just smart business! Although this is good news, is it good enough? Says McKinsey: “Although the world’s power sector emissions reach a peak within a decade, the rate of decline in emissions is not nearly enough for the climate. A further $5.3 trillion investment in zero-carbon capacity will be needed to place the power sector on a 2C trajectory.” [Referring to the Paris Agreement 2C ‘tipping point’ target.] Solar, wind, along with energy storage will be very important in achieving this global shift. Each country, region and consumer will need to ﬁnd the right mix to sustainably meet their needs taking into account environmental, economic and social considerations. Meantime, transportation is in the bullseye.

Because New Zealand already generates 80% of its electricity from renewables (topped only by Norway’s whopping 98%), we tend to be a bit smug about our energy status in the global scheme.

Electrification

To date, the history and management of energy supply and use has been relatively simple – an Industrial Revolution built upon steam engines fueled by wood, water or coal; then 20th century introduction of oil, gas, and nuclear. Access to these supplies drove geopolitics, while behemoth corporations with global supply and distribution chains arose to manage their exploitation. The future, as McKinsey sees it, is all about fragmentation – more players and more technologies. More than $200 billion of private equity capital has been invested in energy ventures

over the past ﬁve years. As many as 20 new energy sources are on the horizon, many allowing for more distributed patterns of development and delivery … most yielding electricity. Electricity will become the new energy king, with electricity demand rising to 25% of global energy demand by 2050. To McKinsey, nowhere is this likely to be more evident than in the case of mobility – “center stage is the electric vehicle” – with EV sales by the mid2030s reaching 27-37% of new vehicle sales. A sign of the times … Volvo recently announced that from 2019 every new Volvo will have an electric motor. Even Bill English and the Nats have jumped on the EV wave, pledging that one-third of the Government’s 15,500 auto ﬂeet would be electric by 2021. Meantime, setting the pace, HBRC is the proud new owner of a Mitsubishi plug-in hybrid SUV. McKinsey notes that “private EVs could become competitive with comparable internal combustion vehicles by the mid-2020s on a total cost of ownership basis.” Going forward, McKinsey sees a convergence of EVs, autonomous driving technologies, and the ‘sharing economy’ leading to a “mobility revolution”, particularly in urban centres … “What were once disparate, disconnected segments of the energy system – liquids-fueled transport, gas-heated buildings, electricitypowered lighting, diesel-based back-up

HB's largest commercial solar installation. Photo: Tim Whittaker. tim.co.nz

The growth in renewables is propelled by technologyenabled steeply decreasing costs – solar PV dropping 66%, onshore wind by 47%, offshore wind by 71% – reinforced critically by major technology improvements in electricity storage … i.e., batteries.

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EV fleet size New Zealand

3k Heavy EV Used light plug-in hybrid

New light plug-in hybrid

Used light pure electric New light pure electric

0 Jan 2014

Jan 2015

generation – could converge around the electron. Electricity from power plants or rooftops will power homes and charge batteries, which will supply or slot into cars, which will act not only as modes of transport but as portable batteries themselves. Such a power system will change how individuals manage their energy and make transportation decisions, how governments regulate electricity, and how manufacturers design their products.” A utility like Unison will need to understand a wider range of end uses (for example, transportation patterns that vary by time and season), deal with more technology providers, and learn how to manage flows and reliability in a distribution system where many energy users are also suppliers. And figure out how to charge for a distribution grid on which all customers are not equally dependent. The effect of you and many others using EVs for transportation would be a decline in global demand for liquid fuel used in light vehicles of between two to six million barrels a day – a drop of 8-25%. The dominant use of liquid fuels would turn to chemicals rather than transportation. No doubt the oil companies will cope and adapt, if for no other reason than they have vast amounts of capital with which to hedge their future energy bets. 42 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

Jan 2017

Jan 2018

Still small in number – as of July NZ had 4,214 registered EVs – EV growth is strong and will be abetted as a wider range and more affordable models become available in the next few years.

Closer to home, the changes brought by electrification of transportation will be slower to advance. But any progress that drives down consumption of petrol and diesel will certainly be welcome. Not just for the environmental benefits, but also because our liquid fuels are imported, diverting our incomes to overseas pockets. Still small in number – as of July NZ had 4,214 registered EVs – EV growth is strong and will be abetted as a wider range and more affordable models become available in the next few years. The graph above shows what NZ’s EV growth rate has looked like to date. Here in NZ an analysis by Concept (consulting firm) estimates “each EV purchased in the near to medium-term to result in an average reduction in carbon emissions of approximately 1.4 tonnes per year, rising to 1.7 tonnes for

EVs purchased further into the future.” Concept says that for most households the $20,000 price tag of a solar and battery system would give a much better payback if it were invested in insulation, and a secondhand electric vehicle. But wouldn’t it be nice to charge your EV with electricity you captured on your roof and stored in your high capacity home battery? Your investment in your home system would be paid to a local installer, and your petrol/diesel savings would be spent at a local restaurant or cycle shop or on your kids’ clothes, fueling our local economy. All of this is becoming cheaper and more eﬃcient. Tesla’s new glass tiles cost US$42 per square foot (material and installation), less than shingles with panels on top. The cost of solar panels has fallen by over 80% since 2005. Typical system costs in Germany

and the US are shown at right. And cheaper means mainstream. For example, IKEA has announced it will begin selling batteries for rooftop solar panels in the UK. Google ‘solar equipment Hawkes Bay’ and you’ll ﬁnd numerous specialist providers – like Hawke’s Bay Solar, Freenergy, Cellpower, and Harrison’s Energy Solutions – as well as traditional electricians expanding their services. Local providers Bruce Emerson (Harrison’s) and Aaron Duncan (Freenergy) estimate there are presently around 700 grid-connected solar systems in the Bay. As the real cost of solar continues to decrease, it will become an economic option for more consumers to meet part of their electricity requirements, including charging their EV. EECA oﬀer calculators to assist consumers with investment decisions for both solar PV and electric vehicles. Biomass

The sun is not the only agent of change for energy in our region. While solar-generated power can drive pumps for irrigation systems, cool packhouses and fuel cars, the utes and farm equipment of our rural sector still consume a hefty amount of diesel. Nationwide, diesel provides half of primary sector needs – about 630 million litres in YE March 2016 … and rising (26% more than ﬁve years prior). And our main back-up power in Hawke’s Bay is diesel-powered (Whirinaki), providing 155 MW of our region’s 328 MW generation capacity. Wouldn’t it be nice to have an alternative to diesel? A diesel substitute is critical to a country where a ﬁfth of greenhouse gas emissions come from the

Solar PV system costs in the US and Germany US $ per watt

$4.93

1.22 3.71

$2.21 0.33 1.88

Soft costs Installation labour, customer acquisition, permitting, inspection and interconnection Other costs hardware, inverter, module, margin ﬁnancing, legal and other fees

Germany US Average residential PV system price

transport sector. And, indeed, alternatives are on the horizon. Cummins, a 100-year giant in the business of farm machines, recently announced that in 2019 it will begin delivering electriﬁed powertrains including both battery-electric and plug-in hybrids. And as noted above, auto and truck manufacturers are bringing forward gruntier EVs in the next few years. But electric vehicles are not the only option. Biofuel is another alternative to diesel. Z Energy has opened the country’s ﬁrst commercial-scale biofuels plant in Wiri, South Auckland. The aim is

to produce a diesel substitute – Z Bio D – that will cost about 2 cents a litre more than Z’s standard diesel. Fonterra, Fulton Hogan and NZ Post have signed up as early adopters. The $28 million plant will produce initially about 20 million litres a year, with the capacity to double that amount. Z Energy says that compared to ordinary diesel, using Z Bio D can reduce carbon emissions by almost 4% with every ﬁll. And domesticallyproduced, it keeps dollars onshore. The material source for the Z Energy plant is tallow, a by-product of meat processing … a skill set of Hawke’s Bay! But our region has another renewable

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 43

“As long as fossil fuels are cheap and as long as we don’t have a carbon tax and responsible emission standards, energy from wood waste will struggle, which is a pity given the amount of wood waste we’d have in the region.”

supply source for bioenergy production – wood waste. Wood waste at wood processing sites alone is estimated nationally at 4 million tonnes per year. Studies in Southland and Otago indicate about 20% of that volume becomes waste wood (a more conservative Forest Owners Assn estimate says 8%). Back in 2010, Scion, a Crown Research Institute, estimated that the wood waste from that year’s national forest harvest was capable of generating 12-23% of NZ’s liquid fuel demand, or 33-52% of our heat demand. Pine harvesting will occur on a huge scale over the next decades in northern Hawke’s Bay – about 10 million tonnes coming from the Wairoa area in the coming decade – creating a possible source for bioenergy and power generation deserving of investigation. Currently in Hawke’s Bay, our only experience with biomass-generated power is the Omarunui landﬁll, operated jointly by the Hastings and Napier Councils. There, partner Pioneer Energy produces landﬁll gas (55% methane) that generates 0.9MW feeding into the Unison grid and capable of powering 1,000 homes. Local biomass consultant Christian Jirkowsky (Polytechnik) suggests that major heat users of biomass in the region could be the hospital, Heinz Wattie’s, Hawke’s Bay Protein, Canterbury Wool Scourers (there could be an industrial hub in Awatoto which 44 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

could benefit from one common energy plant), schools, and the prison. But he laments that these prospects are hard to convince, as they resist considering social benefits or sustainability, insisting on short-term ROIs. He observes: “As long as fossil fuels are cheap and as long as we don’t have a carbon tax and responsible emission standards, energy from wood waste will struggle, which is a pity given the amount of wood waste we’d have in the region.” His final suggestion (and music to the ears of HBRC chairman Rex Graham): “I reckon that we’d run all schools in Hawke’s Bay just with the prunings from vineyards and orchards.” Hawke’s Bay prospects

Will the global decline of carbon fuel use reach Hawke’s Bay? Some would like to see Hawke’s Bay follow the oil and gas path of Taranaki, despite the trends noted in this piece. However, the Regional Council is currently progressing a plan change that would prohibit oil and gas development where it might endanger our region’s aquifers … for which we’ve been admonished by Judith Collins, minister of energy and resources. And our Regional Planning Committee has called for limiting oﬀshore exploration permits, to no avail at this point. Meantime, rated in the top 10% of NZ sunshine hours (and with high intensity), and with a ‘wall of wood’ expected over coming years from our northern region,

Hawke’s Bay would seem positioned to become an early adopter of the alternative energy ecosystem. Perhaps EVs will be the thin edge into our cleaner energy future, followed by more ambitious development of bioenergy possibilities. In addition, like every other business adopting energy efficiency practices to lower costs, our councils will need to follow suit to be financially prudent. All with the benefit of reducing our carbon footprint and creating a pathway to the ‘net zero’ carbon future for NZ and our region that Keith Newman wrote about in our last BayBuzz (‘A Less-Emissions Mission’). All in all, doesn’t this path seem far preferable to hitching our energy saddle to the dinosaur of oil and gas development in Hawke’s Bay? [Principal sources: McKinsey & Company: Game Changers in the Energy System; Bloomberg Finance: New Energy Outlook 2017; Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority (EECA)]

Unison is pleased to sponsor robust examination of energy issues in Hawke’s Bay. This reporting is prepared by BayBuzz. Any editorial views expressed are those of the BayBuzz team.

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indelible.co.nz

A LESSEMISSIONS MISSION

Seeking Answers from Science Bay resource science at leading edge despite stretched funding. KEITH NEWMAN

Data about Hawke’s Bay rivers, streams, land, air and ocean is increasingly being monitored, measured, managed, probed, prodded, collated and compared to meet more exacting central government environmental reporting standards … as well as public demand for improvement.

Despite budget and resource constraints and increasing pressure to deliver more comprehensive analysis, the environmental science team at Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) is punching above its weight and sits at the leading edge of groundwater, sediment and soil modelling. The Tukituki catchment plan change, TANK groundwater modelling, and the upcoming Mohaka plan change are all being driven in part by new national freshwater management standards. To cope with the demands HBRC has invested nearly $2.5 million to create comprehensive ground and surface water models of the aquifers, rivers and streams across the Heretaunga Plains and Ahuriri catchments. Although water has dominated the headlines in recent years, land science is making a comeback with Hawke’s Bay taking the lead through an additional $2 million investment in land data collection and developing tools other regions will soon be clamouring for. Until recently the majority of investment has gone into water quality, “now people are starting to realise that what you do on the land ends up in the water,” says Dr Barry Lynch, HBRC’s principal land scientist. “We’ve had things a little back to front…[but] if you tend to the land, the water quality will pretty much take care of itself.” HBRC works alongside Crown Research Institutes (CRIs), including Landcare Research, and now scientists are coming from Waikato and Auckland councils “to see how we measure our riparian margins, river banks, sediments and wetlands,” says Lynch.

To cope with the demands HBRC has invested nearly $2.5 million to create comprehensive ground and surface water models of the aquifers, rivers and streams across the Heretaunga Plains and Ahuriri catchments.

“For a smaller council we’re right at the front of monitoring and measuring land.” Stretching resources

The science team has sought budget and resource boosts several times in recent years and engages in a continual juggling act for funding, particularly when “you approach limits at the intersection of competing demands”, says HBRC’s resource management group manager, Iain Maxwell. Community expectations are increasing, along with the sophistication and complexity involved in policy development. “We have had to prioritise and triage our investment in this area and rationalise based on what we can aﬀord.” HBRC’s environmental science team has 31 full-time staﬀ and three part-timers involved in a range of investigations and monitoring programmes from farm productivity and ecological restoration to state of the environment reporting. Most work in water quality and

ecology, with three new players added in the past three years to cope with the Tukituki plan change. There are six dedicated to groundwater, including a modeller, with others focused on fish and bugs, weed growth, climate change and land science. Among their tasks is to monitor recreational water quality of beaches, streams and rivers in conjunction with the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board, which is responsible for notifying when the water is unsafe for swimming or fishing. Dr Lynch, a land science generalist, was on his own when he started seven and a half years ago; a new staff member added in June took his team to three and a half. He believes more will be needed. Environmental Science can call on external contractors and consultancies, collaborate with other regions or seek sampling assistance from HBRC’s engineering, operations or open spaces teams. The Havelock North water crisis was an unexpected call on resources. “We didn’t have a budget, so we covered that from reserves and a certain amount of contingency. Councillors decide how they’re going to replenish those reserves and deal with the shortfall in some of our budgeted work,” says environmental science manager, Stephen Swabey. For the first time, the science team has guidance from HBRC’s Science and Technology Strategy 2015-2025, affirming its crucial role and the need for baseline monitoring to resolve a range of challenges. The strategy urges improved collaboration with other researchers; SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 47

Photo: Tim Whittaker tim.co.nz

striking a balance between in-house and external resources; and the need to update and inform planning to comply with government directives. It highlights the importance of translating data into policy development in high priority areas like water quality and quantity, as well as coastal, marine and land science where the bar is being raised for reporting and monitoring. Furthermore, decisions and support information should be easy to understand and available using a range of tools “including social media”, so the community is more aware of the impacts of HBRC’s “choices and behaviours”. That said, Maxwell concurred with BayBuzz when we expressed frustration at not being able to locate a copy of the strategy, which six months after publication, proved not to have been uploaded to HBRC’s messy website. And there’s more work on the way with the National Environment and Conservation Roadmap, led by the Department of Conservation (DOC) and Ministry for the Environment, plus a major marine science project led by the Ministry for Primary Industries and DOC starting next year. The team may also have to ramp up its game if national standards for air quality 48 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

are raised with less tolerance for smaller polluting particles than at present. Supercomputer power

To gear up for the Tukituki plan change, HBRC went from quarterly to monthly ground and surface water sampling to try and achieve the right balance between recreational use, ecosystem health, safe drinking water, decreased algal growth and primary and processing use. Landowners and communities, particularly in the Central Hawke’s Bay catchment, have been consulted with; farmers urged to keep stock away from waterways, keep better records of nutrient use and work on environmental management plans. Alongside the Tukituki work, four years ago the science team began the Tutaekuri, Ahuriri, Ngaruroro and Karamū (TANK) process. The goal is to understand quality limits, minimum ﬂows, allocation mechanisms and the impacts of nutrients on land across the Heretaunga aquifers, catchments, wetlands and estuaries. An integral part of the TANK process is HBRC’s Coupled Surface Groundwater Model, which Iain Maxwell says is among the most

“We’ve had things a little back to front…[but] if you tend to the land, the water quality will pretty much take care of itself.” DR BARRY LYNCH, HBRC’S PRINCIPAL LAND SCIENTIST

sophisticated in the Southern hemisphere. “In fact… I would say we are right at the pointy end of modelling for integrated catchment management anywhere in the world.” To date around $2 million has been invested in modelling alone, something Maxwell believes is fully justiﬁed considering the outcomes. A ‘dashboard’ was created to bring all the data together using computer modelling and geographic information systems (GIS) so “you can tweak and pull levers” to see what happens when changes are made. Desktop overload

Using desktop computers to gain a more “nuanced understanding” of the highs and lows across the seasons was not going to be a starter, says

Swabey, as they’d be chugging away continuously and unable to run more than five versions a week. Apart from the frustration if one model crashed, it was difficult to test or compare with real life observations as each change would require a re-run. The Surface-Groundwater Model was created by a technical advisory panel which brought together “the best and brightest from concept to model production”, including ESR (Environment Science and Research), Lincoln Agritech, NIWA and GNS Science. Swabey says the work was so significant an additional budget for contractors and consultants from Canada, Australia, and a large team from across New Zealand had to be approved in the annual plan. At the heart of the project was modifying Modflow, an open source data engine and interface that has been around since the 1970s, so thousands of copies could run concurrently on Auckland University’s supercomputer. The number of water monitoring and observation sites were increased to about 800 to better gauge how land was being managed, including irrigation, stock control and waste and storm water. This included 39 observed ‘level loggers’ in bores, 30 for modelling, and keeping a watching brief on 21 other bores, along with pump tests from consent holders. HBRC undertook age dating and the testing of river flows, levels and chemistry. In the 2015-16 year alone over 9 million bits of environmental monitoring data were collected.

FULLY ONLINE

“In fact… I would say we are right at the pointy end of modelling for integrated catchment management anywhere in the world.” IAIN MAXWELL, HBRC’S RESOURCE MANAGEMENT GROUP MANAGER

Question time

Questions posed in the modelling include what the impact would be on the environment if more water was taken out than naturally replenished, and whether abstractions can continue to grow without intervention? Do we have enough water available for growing crops, irrigating pastures, spraying water to fight frost, processing, drinking and residential use; and how will that impact surface water flow and the river environment to ensure species of bugs and fish survive? Will people have access to water for kayaking, fishing and general enjoyment of our rivers? If some activities are having an impact on minimum flow, when do consent holders need to stop extracting groundwater or taking water from the river? “Instead of having one result at the end of the day you have several thousand results, and we can use the best result to test whether it represents reality effectively,” says Swabey.

There’s a separate feed into “an economics discussion” showing potential impacts on agricultural and horticultural sectors, and a climate change component looking at future scenarios such as the impact of rainfall changes on the land data. Because Modﬂow is open source, and various partners have collaborated, the TANK results will be made freely available to others, including the Hastings and Napier councils and groups of irrigators like the Twyford global consent members. Swabey believes it’ll be invaluable for managing resources, enabling more eﬃcient consent applications and informing those concerned about environmental impacts. There’s also strong interest from other regions who’ll get to see the model in operation when it’s showcased at the Hydrological Society meeting in Napier in November. The TANK draft report is due for release in December after community input, although some close to the process suggests it’s likely to continue well beyond that deadline. Mohaka and marine

Following TANK, there’s the Mohaka catchment plan change where “a more integrated resource management framework” is being sought. This will be designed to protect “the high ecological, cultural, recreational and scenic signiﬁcance” of the area, including the eﬀects of intensive land use in the Tararua headwater and upper Mohaka and Tararua rivers. Then the science scene will shift again

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“For many years we thought the oceans were so big we couldn’t impact them; now we know differently and have to ensure that what we do from the mountains to the sea doesn’t have an adverse impact on the coastal environment.” ANNA MADARASZ-SMITH, SENIOR COASTAL QUALITY SCIENTIST

to how land and surface water activities impact on the marine environment, with the team working in conjunction with commercial and recreational fishers and tangata whenua. This is partly being driven by the Ministry of Primary Industries and DOC, which are planning strategic investment in marine science trends, impacts and potential interventions in 2018. Maxwell says there’s been weak investment nationally in the marine area and HBRC will be re-setting its own efforts with a “far more significant investment” aimed at producing a regional marine strategy. He wants a better understanding of the level of sediment ending up in the ocean, what happens to it once it’s there and “what we would do differently to improve this”. He insists there’s far too much emphasis on nitrates, which he says is “child’s play” compared to managing erosion and sediment, which is difficult to control, hard to regulate and pervasive across the landscape. Sediment is the “master stressor for freshwater and marine” as it washes into rivers, streams and lakes through deforestation and erosion, altering and degrading habitats and then washing 50 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

out to sea where it has a similar impact. Senior coastal quality scientist Anna Madarasz-Smith is currently negotiating with owners of large vessels that operate within HBRC’s 12 nautical mile jurisdiction to tow an instrument package so we can have a more detailed picture of how outflow from the “seven major river systems” might be impacting marine life and habitats. She also wants better data from outside the 12-mile zone, including the impact of “oceanic upwelling” or nutrient or phosphorous dense water that can cause algal blooms. Hitching a ride for its instruments will help HBRC balance its own financial “nutrient budget”, and determine whether nutrients are coming from the land or industrial or natural processes. “For many years we thought the oceans were so big we couldn’t impact them; now we know differently and have to ensure that what we do from the mountains to the sea doesn’t have an adverse impact on the coastal environment,” says Madarasz-Smith. She says the council has had nearshore data for 11 years which generally shows our coastal waters are

well within water quality expectations, “but we can’t keep assuming if we don’t know what’s coming in from the coast”. Closer to the coast, the Hawke’s Bay Water Quality Information (HAWQi) coastal monitoring buoy was recently returned to the sea near Whirinaki after a major overhaul. The distinctive red and yellow buoy monitors ocean currents, with sensors for water temperature, salinity, clarity, tides and weather. The upgrade includes a newly installed 15 metre sensor to better understand “integrated dissolved oxygen levels” and the dynamics of algal blooms. The sensors stream live through HBRC’s website. The goal “within the next couple of years”, says Madarasz-Smith, is to have a micro buoy that can be temporarily deployed in other areas. Sediment insights

Land scientist Dr Barry Lynch believes council’s investment in the S-map soil mapping database and SedNetNZ, the regional sediment model, will also make ocean and river management easier. SedNetNZ helps identify different types of erosion (wind, hill country or riverbank), where the sediment is coming from, where it’s going, how much is being produced, with predictions based on real data. “It’s a really valuable model,” says Lynch. S-map, now on the Internet, covers about 1.4 million hectares, enabling users to click anywhere in the region and get a three-page report on soil quality and suitability. “We’re one of the few regions to have an S-map but eventually the whole country will have to have this,” says Lynch. It’s based on satellite imaging and inground testing with partner Landcare Research. The process of collecting and interpreting data for the models has been “extremely expensive”; over a million dollars for S-map and around $500,000 for SedNetNZ. Lynch is HBRC’s representative on the S-map governing body, helping guide its development and growth. “My first thought is always how it will benefit Hawke’s Bay.” Ground cover

We’re ahead of the game because Landcare Research’s expert soil mapper, Sharn Hainsworth, has been dedicated to this region for the past four years. Previously soil mapping meant digging a hole, then moving a kilometre in each

Design Note #03 SOL ATKINSON

REGISTERED ARCHITECT SOL@ATKINSONHARWOOD.CO.NZ

In this series of design notes, we are summarising the three project phases of Design, Documentation and Construction which define our architectural design process. This full-service approach ensures the client is guided through all aspects of their project, from the initial engagement to building handover. We covered the Design phase in the previous issue of Bay Buzz, so let’s outline the two stages of the Documentation phase.

The distinctive red and yellow buoy monitors ocean currents, with sensors for water temperature, salinity, clarity, tides and weather. compass direction within a grid system to continue sampling; the more scientific method delivers five times more detail. While Lynch says holes are still dug to corroborate the data, the new approach is based on landforms. “We can estimate what sort of soil should be on a south facing hill with sediment and a history of vegetation cover and other environmental factors.” After detailed examination the data can be extrapolated to similar landforms using digital elevation models (DEMs) which look at topography “lumps and bumps, rainfall, known history and geology”. That’s translated into what that soil type might mean for drainage, nitrogen or phosphorous retention or erosion susceptibility. “The more you know about the soil the better decisions you can make about how to manage it.” Lynch says technology is improving each year with remote imagery, satellite mapping, lysimeters, which test water volume, soil quality, nutrients and chemistry, and drones equipped with sensors to detect inefficiencies in crops. While land science can now deliver more detail, he says “you need data sets over 10-20 years for the long game”.

Science not soothsaying

The environmental science team provides monthly technical and State of the Environment reports with the next five-year summary due in 2018. HBRC is facing demands for more precise and accurate predictions all the time, but no one should expect “unequivocal” answers tomorrow. Science, says Iain Maxwell, must be “fit for purpose for informing a discussion” and not used as an excuse for delaying decisions or turned into a “political football”, which can happen if HBRC doesn’t provide credible data. He and the science team want more informed and sensible “adult conversations” and public discussions about managing natural resources. While you can have a principled or philosophical view on air or water quality or how much you take out of a river or aquifer, including for water bottling, there must be a solid evidence base “informed by robust science not emotion”. So scientists must inform policymaking. But they also have a role to play in removing complexity and uncertainty when communicating scientific understanding to lay people, a task Maxwell concedes HBRC has not been particularly good at.

The DOCUMENTATION PHASE is where the project becomes more technically involved. It results in a substantial number documents for pricing by a contractor and for lodgement of building consent with the local Council. The Developed Design stage allows for the architectural elements confirmed in the initial design stage to be clearly defined and coordinated. For example, if the design involves a large glazed façade then an engineer may be engaged at this point, to size a steel beam to support the roof above. More detailed input and design options from specialist consultants (such as a structural engineer) are considered in relation to all other critical elements, such as material durability, building services and other finishes. Calculations for bracing, framing sizes and thermal performance are undertaken, the results of which may highlight any design adjustments that need to be made. Should any specific areas of the design be considered complicated or likely to require additional attention, sketch details are done to allow these important areas more time to be resolved. As the floor plan was finalised in the earlier preliminary design stage, other design elements can now be developed such as interior joinery, electrical and lighting positions and the selection of fixtures and fittings. This process works in collaboration with the client to align the finishes with their taste and overall architectural style. Detailed Design co-ordinates and finalises information from the Developed Design stage to produce a complete set of construction drawings, including all construction details, drawings, written specifications, product technical literature, design calculations and other specialist consultant information. We consider the progression through the Design and Documentation Phases vitally important, as it allows for all design options and ideas to be fully explored with the client, and also provides opportunities to work through any challenges. The involvement of the Architect in the CONSTRUCTION PHASE while be outlined in the next edition.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 51

Green vs. Green

By standing up to the government to protect 22 hectares of Hawkeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bay Forest Park, one NGO finds itself fighting for almost one million hectares of New Zealandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s specially protected conservation estate. SOPHIE PRICE Forest Park land proposed for swap for farmland. Photo: Sophie Price

Almost two years ago, a decision was made by the Department of Conservation Director General Lou Sanson to swap out 22 hectares of protected land for 170 hectares of private farmland. To do this, he had to downgrade the ‘specially protected’ status of the land to ‘stewardship’ class so the swap could go ahead.

Unlike specially protected land, stewardship land can be swapped out of DOC’s land portfolio for better quality conservation land. Sanson said then it would be a “netgain” for conservation – a criteria that had to be met under the Conservation Act 1987 before any such land swap took place. The swap was put on the table in the ﬁrst place because the 22 hectares were needed for New Zealand’s largest proposed irrigation programme – the Ruataniwha Water Storage Scheme – to go ahead. At the time, Sanson said his decision followed a thorough and open public process and the careful assessment of the ecological values of both sites and that New Zealanders would gain three times the area of black beech forest under this proposal. “On the other hand, the 22 hectares to be removed from the Ruahine Forest Park has been heavily logged in the past, is partly infested with weeds such as willow and Darwin’s barberry and contains a former house site,” he said. The exchange was conditional on the RWSS proceeding. Not so simple

It was a seemingly simple and straightforward decision – 170 hectares for 22 hectares was a good deal – Kiwis ended up with 148 hectares more land. However, it wasn’t actually so simple and straightforward. In fact, the move was labelled “illegal” by environmental group Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand. For the group, while it was a net gain in land quantity,the swap could never replace the quality of what was contained within the 22 hectares. “The dam will ﬂood a signiﬁcant area of podocarp forest, putting several threatened species at risk and reducing water quality in the Tukituki and other

rivers,” a Forest & Bird spokesperson said at the time. “A total of 12 threatened and at-risk species will be imperiled by this dam, including our pied stilt, New Zealand pipit and fernbird.” Dr John Leathwick, principal scientist at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), echoed this in a piece he wrote for Sciblogs. He said applying the principles laid out in the Act to the proposed Ruataniwha land swap raised questions about its potential biodiversity gains. “The area to be relinquished contained a complex range of riverine habitats, including primary forest remnants and an oxbow wetland; the land to be received in return, while of much greater extent, mostly consisted of reverting farmland on hill country.” So it came as no surprise that two weeks after Sanson’s decision, Forest & Bird’s legal team were in front of the High Court asking a judge to decide whose interpretation of the Act was correct – DOC’s and co-defendant the Hawke’s Bay Regional Investment Company, or theirs. “The key issue is whether an area legally protected by the Conservation Act and deemed a Forest Park can be demoted to stewardship land (land that has not been formally classiﬁed as having signiﬁcant biodiversity or recreational value), to allow it to be removed from the park,” Forest & Bird’s online communications editor Kimberly Collins said. “By doing so, DOC has set a precedent for all forest parks, conservation parks, and ecological and wilderness areas in New Zealand.” Collins said the question of whether the Ruataniwha dam should go ahead has, up until now, largely been a regional conversation on sustainable

farming practice and water quality. “But almost overnight, this issue has become a nationally signiﬁcant question about New Zealand’s specially protected conservation estate. Is it protected, or not?” So the group asked the High Court to decide. Three courts decide

And the Court’s Justice Matthew Palmer did decide – in favour of the defendants – DOC and HBRIC– meaning the land swap could go ahead. Lead counsel for Forest & Bird, Sally Gepp and her team appealed the High Court’s Decision. The Court of Appeal overturned the Palmer decision, siding with Sally and her team. But the legal wrangling was not over. Minister of Conservation Maggie Barrie stepped in over her department to take – alongside HBRIC – the Court of Appeal’s decision all the way to the highest court in the land. So in July this year, the future of New Zealand’s specially protected conservation land was held in the hands of ﬁve Supreme Court justices. The court found 3-2 in favour of preserving such land, thus clarifying how the law should be interpreted when it came to such exchanges. “The Supreme Court has by majority comprising Elias CJ, Glazebrook and Arnold JJ aﬃrmed the judgment of the Court of Appeal setting aside the decision of the Director-General revoking the conservation park status of the 22 hectares,” a summary of the decision issued at the time said. “The majority Judges agreed with the Court of Appeal that the DirectorGeneral acted unlawfully in revoking conservation park status for the land on the basis of the test for exchange under s 16A, which authorises exchange of stewardship land.” SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 53

“The minister considered that it was acceptable to downgrade specially protected land - the Ruahine Forest Park, so that it could be exchanged.” SALLY GEPP, LEAD COUNSEL FOR FOREST & BIRD

Implications

After two years of legal wrangling, Forest & Bird chief executive Kevin Hague said he felt relief when the Supreme Court handed its decision down. “We are thrilled to win of course. But relief probably comes in above that because I had not quite appreciated what it would meant for us to lose,” he said. Hague said over the course of the case it became clear that from a legal point of view if DOC was able to dispose of officially protected conservation lands by swapping it out it would set a dangerous precedent. “Potentially if we had lost we could have faced a wave of specially protected conservation land being swapped as in this case to enable private profit-making ventures or indeed being sold,” he said. “And when you consider that DOC has had reducing real-term funding now for a number of years, the financial pressure it is under must be immense and so you could imagine that the incentive to sell off land if it was able to do that would be hard to resist.” Legally, Gepp said, this victory was important because the case concerned the distinction between stewardship areas and specially protected areas described above. “The minister considered that it was acceptable to downgrade specially 54 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

protected land - the Ruahine Forest Park, so that it could be exchanged,” she said. “Forest & Bird argued that this collapsed the important distinction between [exchangeable] stewardship areas, and [non-exchangeable] specially protected areas. The Supreme Court agreed.” Hawke’s Bay Regional Council chief executive James Palmer said he always knew the Supreme Court’s decision was going to be ﬁnally balanced based on how the previous court decisions panned out. “The advice to the council during the review of Ruataniwha earlier this year was that it was probably about a 50/50 call; it could be argued either way and there were merits to the argument either way,” he said. Associate Professor Christine Cheyne at Massey University’s School of People, Environment and Planning said the Supreme Court ruling asserts the importance of permanent protection of high-value conservation land. “The ecological value of the Ruahine Forest Park land was never in question. The conservation land includes indigenous forest, a unique braided river and wetlands that would have been destroyed,” she said in a Sciblogs op ed. “The area is home to a dozen plants and animals that are classiﬁed as

threatened or at risk. The developer’s ecological assessment acknowledged the destruction of ecologically significant land and water bodies. However, it argued that mitigation and offsetting would ensure that any effects of habitat loss were at an acceptable level.” Law change ahead? In the immediate aftermath of the decision Prime Minister Bill English said Parliament would consider a law change. Minister Barry defended her department, saying the director general of DOC acted in good faith by approving the swap. “We have always made that a principle point, for conservation, that we swap low for high-value conservation land if there are net gains for conservation.” However, this position drew ire from none other than former Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer, who said that the court’s decision makes it plain the government’s land swap was driven by the dam proposal. “The Minister of Conservation Maggie Barry is disingenuous to say that the department was promoting conservation when the director-general gave it the go ahead. If not for the dam proposal, no such swap would have been contemplated,” he opined on Radio New Zealand.

“It is government policy to subsidise irrigation developments. It is also government policy to increase agricultural exports by the intensification of agriculture. The Government seems to be less interested in protecting the environment.” Sir Geoffrey also said, if the Government was to apply their proposed law change retrospectively to allow the RWSS to go ahead, then it would be nothing short of unconstitutional. Barry assured BayBuzz that this would not be the case. “Any law change will not apply retrospectively and will therefore not affect the Ruataniwha dam decision,” she responded in an email BayBuzz sent her requesting an interview, which she declined. “We want to clarify the law so that the Conservation Act allows for land swaps that improve conservation outcomes while ensuring we also balance the needs of regional economic development.” That was all she had to say on the matter at the time. However, Forest & Bird’s Hague fired back, saying that Barry is not seeking to clarify the law, but to change it. “The minister’s motivation in this case was never in fact about adding to the net value of the conservation estate, it was all entirely about facilitating the Ruataniwha dam,” he said. “That’s the specific motivation that we absolutely have got to ensure does not become the motivator of public policy around conservation.”

“Potentially if we had lost we could have faced a wave of specially protected conservation land being swapped as in this case to enable private profit making ventures or indeed being sold.” KEVIN HAGUE, FOREST & BIRD CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Million hectares at stake

NIWA’s Leathwick backed this up, saying there is another much greater concern with this proposed land-swap. “In particular, this swap was never motivated primarily by a desire to increase the protection of New Zealand’s biodiversity – first and foremost it was designed to facilitate the building of a dam,” he said. “Both this swap, and the subsequent appeal, were primarily initiated to facilitate the removal of an obstacle to the Government’s primary production growth strategy.” At the end of the day, the Supreme Court’s decision was probably the final nail in the coffin of the RWSS. Despite this outcome, Gepp said with a proposed law change on the horizon the fight for almost one million hectares of New Zealand’s conservation estate is not over. “We are staunch advocates for DOC to be properly resourced so it can carry

out its core operational roles. We also strongly support DOC being able to carry out its functions independently, without pressure from other government departments that want conservation land to be made available for destructive commercial activities,” she said. “We would oppose any law change that weakened the existing legal protection aﬀorded to conservation land, or which allowed for ‘back room’ deals to be made which are really about allowing greater commercial access that is incompatible with protection, for example irrigation dams and Buller Plateau mining. “If the minister is interested to investigate ways of improving the protection of conservation land, we would welcome a conversation about that.” Hackwell found the whole situation extraordinary. “It’s extraordinary isn’t it that a community-based NGO that has to fundraise from the public for every dollar that it takes to run our organisation has to ﬁght the Minister of Conservation to the highest court in the land in order to protect conservation land from destruction,” he said. “But then I think it is extraordinary that the Department of Conservation, one of our core government departments, has to rely on corporate sponsorships and commercial arrangements to be able to do its basic job – one of the really basic things that the New Zealand public expects from its government.”

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 55

Streaming Turns to Digital Torrent All you can eat broadband and the ability to binge-watch streaming screen gems without the irritant of advertising is transforming our viewing habits and ushering in a new golden age of television. KEITH NEWMAN

The market has gone from famine to feast in five years with appointment viewing and channel flicking becoming less relevant, pay TV on the backfoot, and subscription streaming over the internet becoming the new normal. This media disruption has forged new partnerships as carriers seek content to attract new broadband business. Technology commentator Pat Pilcher (Stuff, Witchdoctor, FMCG) says the market has become hyper-competitive with streamers versus broadcast viewers. “Normally competition is a good thing but it’s now hard to tell the winners from the losers. It’s messy and complicated with competitive niches within sectors.” He suggests loyalties are split demographically with tech savvy under 50s using Spotify and music streaming, while over 50s typically loyal to traditional broadcast TV, CDs and radio. And he says there’s anecdotal evidence of a free-to-air exodus, with many people even divesting themselves of TV aerials — “why would you need one?” NZ On Air’s 2016 market analysis concedes traditional broadcast media has significantly diminished, while all forms of online media have grown significantly since 2014. While nine out of ten Kiwis are still reached weekly by linear TV, the report says the biggest online audiences (six in ten weekly) are delivered by video sites including YouTube and Facebook. Freeview, the consortium representing free-to-air broadcasters, has its own set top box recorder and 56 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

programming guides, while TV1 and TV2 have TVNZ OnDemand, and TV3 has ThreeNow for catch-up and streaming content. While on-demand sites reach four in ten people, NZ On Air says the biggest growth and driver of change since the arrival of Netﬂix, Lightbox, and Neon is SVOD (streaming video on demand), attracting one in three Kiwi viewers. No appointment necessary

Unless you are a digital dinosaur, mature streaming options are rapidly reducing the customer base of chains like VideoEzy, United Video and Civic Video and hastening the demise of proprietary streaming services with many add-on boxes heading for the e-junk yard. Igloo, the Sky-TVNZ joint venture shut down in March after five years of getting the cold shoulder from the market, and TiVo, the Telecom (Spark) and TVNZ foray into streaming content will be gone in October after eight years, having cost their owners tens of millions of dollars. Facing an onslaught of competition, Quickflix service, launched in 2012, is now repositioned as a transactional video on demand (TVOD) platform with bonus movies and TV shows from its back catalogue. This came in the wake of Lightbox which entered the market in August 2014, followed four months later by Sky TV’s Neon service. Between them, Neon and Quickflix had only achieved 127,000 homes by the end of 2016; the real challenge

came from Netflix which attracted 398,000 subscriptions within three months of its launch in August 2015. By the end of 2016, according to Roy Morgan Research, Netflix had topped the million mark and Lightbox had found its stride, more than doubling its base with 630,000 viewers. Concurrently the latest player, Amazon Prime, entered the fray with the enticement of on-line shopping, e-books, storage and promises of a local presence. Roy Morgan in its March 2017 SVOD market report speaks of the fickleness of the market; what initially appears to be a never-ending catalogue of content becoming less attractive after a couple of months of binge watching. The result: nearly 40% of Kiwis over 14-years signing up for more than one service. Unleashing broadband

Streaming video on demand remains the major driver of uncapped, no limit, fast digital subscriber line (ADSL and VDSL) and ﬁbre optic broadband internet accounts. The most recent data from Statistics NZ (October 2016) says 65% of Kiwis were still on copper-based ADSL and VDSL; with over 50% on uncapped accounts compared with only 5% in 2013. Around 66% of accounts had theoretical download speeds of less than 24Mbit/sec while more than 20% had greater than 50Mbit/sec connectivity, up from 13 percent in 2015. By June 2016 we were clocking up an average of 88 Gb a month; up 70%

Clockwise from top: The Crown (Netflix), the most expensive TV series ever made. Westside (Netflix), quality New Zealand content. Westworld (Neon), Stranger Things (Netflix) and Preacher (LIghtbox).

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 57

on 2015, the equivalent of 85 hours streaming TV or movies, or 1,700 hours of music. Standard definition TV or movies use about 1Gb an hour and high definition content 3Gb an hour. If you watch around 3-4 hours a night on top of normal internet use, you’re likely to be clipping 100Gb a month. In June 2017, the average residential download on NOW’s network was 156Gb compared to 113Gb in 2016 and 70Gb in 2015. Chorus’s comparable download was 135Gb in March 2017. Hamish White, CEO of NOW Phone & Broadband, suggests Hawke’s Bay’s higher than average usage could be down to more customers consuming online content on unlimited plans and the move from copper to fibre. “Moreover,” he adds, “with more people streaming content on multiple devices, the home is becoming more and more complex and customers are becoming more and more frustrated – from issues with poor Wi-Fi, buffering, or not knowing how to set up streaming services or Smart TVs. We’re offering a new service to help customers sort it all out.” Pilcher says New Zealand should be proud of its broadband uptake. “Who would have thought even five years ago that we would have had such a high penetration of Gigabit fibre into New Zealand households?” Statistics NZ said 12% or 223,000 of broadband users were on fibre in 2016, more than double the previous year, compared with 7% uptake in Australia. Essentially, we’re on target to meet the Government’s goal of having 80% of New Zealanders on ultra-fast fibre by 2022. Dumb and smarter

Meanwhile, the digital TV revolution continues at a head spinning rate, even if for many it still requires external smarts like AppleTV or Chromecast to connect dumb TVs for streaming. We’re already well into the next evolution of smart TVs that connect seamlessly into home networks for access to social media, YouTube, Google Movies and other bundled services. The majority of sets use LCD (liquid crystal) with LED backlighting, but for the purists the limitations of contrast levels, motion and colour are becoming evident. Pat Pilcher says OLED (organic light emitting diodes) screen technology is the next step, with multiple brands now oﬀering a crisper more colourful experience with “inﬁnite contrast and 58 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

each pixel generating its own photons”. As high dynamic range encoded content (HDR encoded) becomes more common, he says the limitations of backlit TV with local dimming will become even more apparent. Challenge of choice

While the technology is making it so much easier to choose from a range of viewing options, the real clincher is content quality and quantity, with Netflix for example investing US$6 billion annually. Amazon Prime has also positioned itself as a big content providerwith a US$4.5 billion investment, with Facebook also planning its own commissioned TV-like shows. While the free-to-air broadcast providers are becoming a lot more online savvy, Pilcher says they have to burn a lot of cash to compete for content so their programming remains attractive. Retaining customer loyalty is the major challenge, particularly if unpopular programming decisions are made. In May, when Sky hiked the monthly price of Fan Pass from $60 to $100 and cut subscription options for premier sport, Pilcher says “rugby fanatics went off their nuts” with many discovering lower-cost backdoor or pirated ways to watch their favourite games. He suggests viewers weigh up their annual spend on subscription TV, consider which channels are actually watched, how many repeats there are, and compare this to streaming services. Our traditional viewing habits are undergoing a massive shift with multiple screen options in the average household – smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers, games consoles and TVs all capable of streaming content. “People watching TV in New Zealand households typically have a small screen in their hand or on their lap.” He likens the state of the market to 1999 when the MP3 format and file sharing services like Napster had the music industry shouting that the sky was falling. While those sites were eventually shut down, the music industry used that technology to legitimise digital downloading and streaming in much the same way the new streaming on demand providers are redefining television. At the dawn of the new age of streaming, many Kiwis frustrated at country-blocking technology while waiting for the mega sites, used US credit cards, virtual private networks (VPNs)

In May, when Sky hiked the monthly price of Fan Pass from $60 to $100 and cut subscription options for premier sport, Pilcher says “rugby fanatics went off their nuts” with many discovering lower-cost backdoor or pirated ways to watch their favourite games. and Torrent streaming services for a pirated preview of what was coming. Top US sites like Hulu, American Netflix, HBO Go and a range of other UK and Australian sites are still being accessed by people in the know “if they’re so ethically inclined”. In his Witchdoctor blog, Pilcher took TVNZ deputy content director Andy Shaw to task in July for downplaying the impact of Netflix and its streaming competitors as overhyped and lacking in content. Pilcher suggested part of the reason for the stampede to streaming is the failure of the state-broadcaster to invest in and deliver relevant local programming. “We have a crazy surplus of talking head current affairs and reality TV shows … that’s what’s causing a lot of people to walk away.” He suggests this should be a wake-up call for TV1, TV2, TV3 and Sky to take a leaf out of the Netflix model and “take a fresh look at the local market and start commissioning and creating their own content, including local drama.” The big challenge in the broadcasters versus streamers play-off is that unless free-to-air lifts its game from “low rent content” there might not be enough advertising support to help pay for commissioning quality content … so everyone loses.

NOW sponsors the BayBuzz Technology Series to enhance public understanding of our region’s technology achievements and opportunities. Analyses and views presented are those of BayBuzz and its editorial team.

Helping Build Connections Essential to a healthy, strong community is a sense of being connected. Technology can be a powerful connector, especially for our elderly who are often socially isolated, with diminishing independence. But it can also be intimidating. Digital Seniors, run by Heretaunga Seniors, helps members navigate the often-bewildering world of smart phones, tablets and computers. Weekly courses match seniors with tutors who work one on one with them, focusing on what each wants to learn and what their communication needs are. From the 96 year old wanting to record his family history, to the grandmother who can now ‘Facebook’ with her extended and far-ﬂung family, Digital Seniors has been a huge success. “It’s wonderful to see how the tutors take away their fear and help open up a whole new world for them,” says Marilyn Scott, manager of Heretaunga Seniors. Hawke’s Bay Foundation has provided grants to Heretaunga Seniors for the past three years. Marilyn comments: “Our partnership with the Foundation helps us run our services and programmes, and also connects us with the many others working in the Hawke’s Bay community. I recently went along to

a round table accountability meeting at the Foundation to report on our progress. It’s so lovely to have a real relationship with a local funder and to meet others who are doing amazing work here in the Bay. Hawke’s Bay Foundation is the ﬁrst funder to bring recipients together like this - such a positive initiative, giving us all a great sense of working together to build a better, safer and more culturally diverse Hawke’s Bay.”

something back. Part of my job is to give them options to consider – both in terms of beneﬁciaries and ways of giving,” says Graham. “Hawke’s Bay Foundation is certainly an option I suggest and its appeal for my clients is twofold. Firstly, the Foundation supports a wide variety of charities in the region and they have an excellent understanding of community needs. And secondly, my clients really value the fact that their gift will be preserved forever – it will go on growing and giving, leaving a permanent and hugely positive footprint in the Hawke’s Bay community for many generations.”

What is Hawke’s Bay Foundation? Hawke’s Bay Foundation is a charitable trust that receives donations of all sizes from individuals and families around the region. These funds are pooled and invested forever. Only the earnings are distributed annually to support Hawke’s Bay community initiatives and organisations bringing about positive and powerful social change.

With Your Will, There is a Way

Lawyer Graham Throp of Bramwell Bate often ﬁnds himself advising clients on their wills. “Many of them feel they have been fortunate over their lifetimes and want to give

For more information about HBF visit hawkesbayfoundation.org.nz

BayBuzz is pleased to support the Hawke’s Bay Foundation

Photos: Sarah Cates 60 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

Getting Off the Podium SA R A H C AT E S

Shamefully, New Zealand is on the podium – achieving bronze, with the third-highest incidence of unhealthy weight in adults and children within the OECD. The grip of our obesity epidemic is likely to ‘win’ us gold, as it is projected Kiwi adults will soar to the top spot within the next three to four years. This surging burden has the potential to seriously undermine both social and economic growth in New Zealand. Obesity is currently costing New Zealand close to a billion dollars each year in healthcare costs and loss of productivity. The University of Auckland published the results of its second Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food EPI) in July 2017 - the first report was in 2014. The index assesses the extent of government policy implementation on food environments to reduce the incidence of unhealthy weight and diet-related chronic disease, taking into account international best practice. Seventy-one national public health professionals, academics, agencies and medical associations made up the strong panel of experts. The results of the 2017 Food EPI show we have an unhealthy food environment which drives unhealthy diets. Areas in which major improvements are needed include restrictions on food marketing to children, food pricing, taxation on unhealthy foods, promotion of healthy foods in schools and early childhood centres, food retail zoning laws, the impacts of food trade, and the effect of investment policies on our health. Little progress has been made since 2014 to improve the health of children. There has been insufficient leadership to implement preventative measures and funding for such measures remains appallingly low.

Conflict of interest?

The expert panel recommended nine immediate actions to fill the implementation gaps. One such action was to strengthen the Childhood Obesity Plan. The Childhood Obesity Plan (ChOP) was introduced by the Government in October 2015 to prevent and manage obesity. A cornerstone of the plan is to partner with the food and beverage industry, with companies making commitments to contribute to reduce childhood obesity. Health Minister Jonathan Coleman said “programmes making personal responsibility, education around healthy eating and exercise are the answer not regulating the food industry. Welcomed by industry, companies that have since committed are Coca-Cola, McDonald’s NZ, Nestle, Fonterra, and Retail NZ. However, ChOP has been heavily criticised by public health officials. Dr Boyd Swinburn, a professor of population nutrition and global health at Auckland University argues that public health is being jeopardised by the interests of transnational corporations. Swinburn and other public health officials claim that ChOP “lacked any meaningful regulation of the food and drink industry and focused on soft initiatives that are unlikely to be beneficial”. Sprinkling peppercorns

In July 2017, Health Minister Coleman announced that an extra $2.1 million over the next two years will be shared between ten District Health Boards with a higher proportion of obese children to help families support the healthy growth and development of their children. Hawke’s Bay has been selected to receive a portion of this money. If this

Despite the efforts of our DHB, Hawke’s Bay has been experiencing worsening diet-related health statistics in children for some time.

money is shared equally, Hawke’s Bay DHB will receive a further $105,000 for two consecutive years, added to the $500,000 per year it currently spends on programmes focused on healthy weight in children. Despite the efforts of our DHB, Hawke’s Bay has been experiencing worsening diet-related health statistics in children for some time. A longitudinal study looking at Hawke’s Bay identified a two-fold increase in unhealthy weight and a four-fold increase in obesity in 11-12 year olds between 1989 and 2000. This upward trend has continued. The latest figures show 33% of our young people (under 18) are obese – higher than the national average of 29%. With our current price tag in Hawke’s Bay for diet-related noncommunicable diseases – which include premature cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, ischaemic stroke, several common cancers, and the loss of productivity – estimated at $60 to $180 million a year, it is questionable that a budget of $605,000 for preventable programmes is a sufficient amount to make any lasting or significant impact. No time to waste

We are seeing the first generation of children who will live shorter lives than their parents due to preventable dietSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 61

Above: the entrance to New World Supermarket in Havelock North. Below: the entrance to Pak n’Save Hastings. Food marketing at its best and worst. Photos: Sarah Cates

related disease. Graeme Avery, founder of Hawke’s Bay’s Regional Sports Park and Community Health Centre (see BayBuzz March 2017 – ‘Changing Lives’) has made a commitment to the current generation of children and future generations of Hawke’s Bay. Avery says we have to act now. “Time is of the essence. We do not have the time to wait and see if taxation on sugary beverages and policy changes will solve our problems. Industry will be forced to change through our changing attitudes, and they will. The costs of being unhealthy are massive. This, converging with an ageing population, could cripple us. We as a community need to create a culture of wellness, where being healthy and living an active life style is normal. Our kids are bright. They want to be healthy.” The Centre at the Sports Park will be the regional hub, but it’s the work that will extend from the hub Avery feels will make the most impact. Fence at cliff top

“We as a community need to create a culture of wellness, where being healthy and living an active life style is normal. Our kids are bright. They want to be healthy.” SIR GRAEME AVERY

Avery comments further: “We have to change long-term behaviour. Changing behaviour in the kids will create lasting effects. These changes need to extend throughout the entire community, even down to what food and beverages we serve at public events and celebrations. “Agencies such as the DHB, Plunket, Sports Hawke’s Bay, Hikoi for Life, EIT and many others do great work but it’s fragmented. There is not the combination of kids, family, schools, community and agencies working together. With reasonably small

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Ensuring your healthcare needs are met so you can get the very best out of life 62 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

investments today we have the potential to greatly decrease future healthcare costs, and improve the quality of life for all those who live in Hawke’s Bay.” Avery believes that instilling early good habits around healthy eating, cooking, food shopping and regular exercise in five to ten year-olds is vital. Early intervention – as early as conception – is essential and the only way to avoid downstream problems. The pre-schools and schools are buying in. Avery believes by teaching children what healthy living is and how it feels to be healthy, the parents will follow suit. He adds: “If the children can get at least two healthy meals a day that’s a start. We don’t expect healthy eating seven days a week, but if we can begin to correct the imbalance of energy in/ energy out, it’s a great start.” Globesity afflicts many parts of the world. It is highly visible, but most neglected. Hawke’s Bay is fortunate to have Avery’s conviction and drive. He wants to make Hawke’s Bay the healthiest region in New Zealand. Hopefully, with this type of leadership, professionalism and ‘buy-in’ from key institutions in our community, we can get off the podium.

Nine Recommendations for Immediate Action 1. Strengthen the Childhood Obesity Plan – to include policy objectives and targets to reduce obesity and inequalities. Stronger policies to create healthy food environments and increased funding. 2. Targets – Reduce unhealthy weight and obesity in children by eight percentage points by 2025. Reduce the population’s intake of sugar, salt and saturated fat. Voluntary reformulation by the food industry of ingredient composition in key processed food groups. 3. Increase funding for nutritional education to at least 10% of dietrelated disease healthcare costs (approximately $90 million per annum). 4. Regulate unhealthy food marketing to children up to 18 years. This includes television, packaging, sports sponsorship, social media, and in school settings. 5. Ensure healthy foods in schools and early childhood education services.

6. Introduce the sugar tax. Use the revenue generated to fund programmes on health and wellbeing. 7. Strengthen the Health Star Rating System by urgently addressing anomalies in the design algorithm. Increase funding for promotion. Make it mandatory for all packaged foods (see ‘Food Stars Unhealthy?’, Nov/Dec 16) 8. Implement the new Eating and Activity guidelines through increased funding. 9. Conduct a new national survey for children within three years and institute a plan for future adult and child nutritional surveys.

Royston Hospital is pleased to sponsor robust examination of health issues in Hawke’s Bay. This reporting is prepared by BayBuzz. Any editorial views expressed are those of the BayBuzz team.

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 63

PAU L PAY N T E R : R E S I D E N T I CO N O C L A S T

Where the Buck Stops

The Sword of Damocles is one of the most enduring images from antiquity. Damocles, you may recall, was a courtier in the service of his king, Dionysius II of Syracuse. Syracuse remains a pretty little town in the southeast of Sicily. Damocles was apparently flattering his king, which is a smart move when your boss is a brutal tyrant. He declared how fortunate his king was to be a man of such power and magnificence. Dionysius offered to swap places and the surprised Damocles gleefully accepted. But while Damocles, reclining on a golden couch, was being treated to an opulent feast, he noticed a large sword hanging above him, suspended by a single horse hair. He begged the king to be excused, the lesson being that power and fortune are accompanied by great peril. The rich and powerful have so much to lose and almost nothing more to gain. In some respects, it’s better to be in the lower ranks where there is less to lose and so much more to aspire to. As Cicero put it: “There can be no happiness for one who is under constant apprehensions.” It is curious to note that almost nothing but this incident is known of Damocles, and Dionysius the king is remembered as a short-term and unpopular ruler whose performance was somewhere between mediocre and incompetent. 64 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

The rich and powerful have so much to lose and almost nothing more to gain. In some respects, it’s better to be in the lower ranks where there is less to lose and so much more to aspire to.

Only this seemingly frivolous moment endures and it does so because it so brilliantly encapsulates what it’s like at the top. You get to sit on the throne and to make the decisions, but from the start you know your reign is temporary and based on your performance. One wrong move and you could be gone. Recently we’ve seen the demise of Fletcher Building’s CEO, Mark Adamson, for the poor performance of their business and interiors division. Adamson seems to have sought to place blame on management in that division who he described in an email as ‘a bunch of old farts’. The board, quite probably also full of old farts, weren’t about to let him pass the buck and he was gone by lunchtime. Expect a shake up of the board as well. If you’re in the

business of making money in building, and it’s a building boom, shareholders expect a decent performance. That’s particularly so if you’re earning Mr Adamson’s $2M base salary. The private sector mostly get these things right, albeit they are accompanied by nauseating spin. ‘The CEO has left for personal reasons’ or ‘He’s decided to pursue other opportunities’. Nah, he got sacked, plain and simple. In a disaster, the ordinary person might escape on a lifeboat, while the captain goes down with his ship. The example of this most commonly recalled is that of Captain Edward Smith on the bridge of the Titanic as it went down. History may have romanticised the story but it stands in stark contrast to more recent sinkings. This principle isn’t just some dreamy anachronism, but is laid out in the likes of aircraft law where it’s stipulated that the captain has ‘ﬁnal authority and responsibility’. I think they have that the wrong way around. Great leadership starts with responsibility; authority or power come second. One of the foibles of modernity is the putting aside of principles that have served us well for thousands of years. Examples are not hard to ﬁnd. You’ll remember the Costa Concordia where the captain abandoned ship while 32 of his passengers perished. More recently a Korean ferry sank without the order to

abandon ship ever being given and none of the life rafts deployed. You guessed it, the captain and most of the crew escaped while 304 passengers perished. In the modern era self-preservation takes precedence. We live in an age of pre-nuptials, trusts, indemnity clauses and endless other mechanisms to avoid carrying the can. That might work for the ordinary citizen, but still doesn’t cut it at the top. All this leads me to our current water woes. Last year’s gastro crisis had 5,500 victims, 45 hospitalisations, and it seems three vulnerable citizens had their lives prematurely ended. Problems were identiﬁed perhaps as far back as 1998. Apparently, a plan to address the potential problems was drawn up, but never actioned. The painfully slow formal inquiry into the matter laid most of the blame on the Hastings District Council, saying that they “failed to embrace and implement the high standard of care for a public drinking-water supplier”. Who has taken responsibility for this debacle? Some of our leaders have done so in

All this leads me to our current water woes. Last year’s gastro crisis had 5,500 victims, 45 hospitalisations, and it seems three vulnerable citizens had their lives prematurely ended.

words, but no one has lost their job. Former Mayor Yule, showing masterful political timing, has shifted to national politics. In any event he was re-elected last year, immediately after the crisis. The public did not ﬁnd the alternative candidates suﬃciently compelling. Yule also fronted very well during the crisis, taking the hard questions from the media at every opportunity. Still, now that more facts have come to light and the formal inquiry has castigated the HDC, he

might be in an untenable position if he were still mayor. I’d wager that such soul searching was a key factor in him moving on. CEO Ross McLeod would seem to be on shakier ground. When your staff perform well, you get the photo opportunities, the ribbon cutting and the champagne, even though you’re only taking credit for the team. When middle management mess up, you get to take the blame for them. Responsibility sits with the chief executive and the mayor. McLeod was also fairly quiet during the crisis, which is no surprise. Elected politicians always hog the limelight, as Yule did in this instance. Yule claimed the many errors made created a ‘swiss cheese effect’, where lots of holes in lots of places meant no one could really be blamed. Maybe, but it’s not about blame, it’s about taking responsibility. The councillors in turn, have said something like ‘the best thing we can do now is fix the problem’. That’s not good enough. It’s restorative justice for fat cats. The CEO should have gone and gone a while back. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 65

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66 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

Photo: Tim Whittaker tim.co.nz

Now I’ve got nothing against these people. Yule is a capable and canny politician and McLeod is apparently a highly intelligent operator. You don’t get to the top without having some genuine ability. Sometimes the jettisoning of leaders is just bad luck on their account. They have my sympathies, but not my ongoing support. The actions of councillors in sticking with the same team are intolerably weak. Instead of taking decisive action they’ve just extended the CEO’s contract and given him a 2% pay rise. That’s about what you’d expect for a solid performance, but is sickening when you hear of the ongoing suﬀering the gastro crisis caused for so many. Not much more can be said for the

Napier City Council. They seem to have only just realised that spending $21 million on a velodrome, while their water has a positive E.coli test every other month, isn’t a good idea. Politicians love glamour projects. Anything to do with sports or the arts and they’re out in droves. Much less appealing are boring infrastructure projects, like water supplies or ﬂood protection schemes. Edgecombe provides us with another example of this, where recent ﬂooding seems to have been the result of failing to maintain the stop banks. Such matters are uninspiring but essential responsibilities of councils. Leaders perform best when they understand these principles and have more skin in the game than those below

The actions of councillors in sticking with the same team are intolerably weak. Instead of taking decisive action they’ve just extended the CEO’s contract and given him a 2% pay rise. That’s about what you’d expect for a solid performance, but is sickening when you hear of the ongoing suffering the gastro crisis caused for so many. them. Their sacking is not about justice and it’s not about fixing the problem. It’s seldom the person at the top who actually made the bad calls, but someone down the ranks. But it’s the chairman, the president, the chief executive that bears the responsibility. Their departure serves two purposes: Firstly, a new face comes to power and says all the right things about ‘it won’t happen on my watch’. This goes some way towards restoring public confidence, which has been horribly shaken. Secondly, and most importantly, it shows that the former leader was accountable and took responsibility. The Sword of Damocles isn’t just symbol of potential peril. The sword must actually fall from time to time and blood must flow. In doing so, it sends a clear message to any new leader of a council and aspiring leaders too. The buck stops with you.

Photo: Sarah Cates

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 67

ANDREW FRAME

Disgusted “disgusted” declared the front page of a recent community newspaper above pictures of Napier Mayor Bill Dalton and NCC CEO Wayne Jack. “Mayor’s Threat to Quit City” the subheading added. The mayor claimed in a “leaked” email that criticism – “by a small minority of Napier citizens on social media” – of Napier City Council, its mayor, chief executive, staff and councillors over recent events and council decisions had he and his wife “seriously considering other locations for our full retirement”. “Disgusted” could also describe the growing feelings amongst Napier ratepayers, the city’s war veterans and their families, skaters, cricket fans, dog lovers, drinkers of pure water, fiscallyconscious ratepayers and even those just wanting greater transparency and accountability from their elected officials and council management over recent events in this ‘post-truth’, ‘alternative fact’ political climate. Vox populi

As Sophie Price revealed in her ‘Napier Meltdown’ piece in BayBuzz (May/ June), Napier City Council has had major difficulty seeing eye to eye with its ratepayers in recent times. NCC’s “We know what’s best for you” approach, combined with little public consultation and an extremely low tolerance of criticism has created a widening gap between council management and elected officials, and the residents of the city they are meant to serve. If the infamous Art Deco Bus debacle and inflated MTG visitor expectations were early warning signs, then MPI finding issues with the city pound – despite the council declaring if critics like Watchdog! “Simply got positive about things then the whole place would be a lot better” – was cause for outright alarm. 68 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

When the convenor for Napier City Council’s long overdue War Memorial public meeting remarked that “This community presentation hasn’t happened because of community pressure, but because it is part of council process”, she was met with uproarious laughter. A meeting with little actual exchange with citizens only proved how wide the gulf between public sentiment and council had become. After months of public criticism, letters and texts to editors and online comments over NCC’s handling of the city’s (formerly “War Memorial”) Conference Centre refurbishment, the authority still refused to acknowledge that the majority of people at the meeting wanted the memorial restored.

Napier’s drinking water woes were influential in pushing annual rates up another 4.9% to help cover things that never used to be a problem. Wobbly wheels

The 60+ year old, community-run Napier Skating Club were left out of pocket, out of a home and out in the cold when their ‘SK8 Zone’ skating rink on Marine Parade was demolished ahead of a new, council-constructed ‘Bay Skate’ facility opening on the former Marineland site. NCC’s chieftain, Wayne Jack, was quoted as saying: “We will definitely need [the skating club’s] input to make it a world-class facility … The club is instrumental to [Bay Skate’s] success”, giving a clear indication that Napier Skating Club would have some form of involvement with the development, if not the operation, of the new facility.

But when NCC declared “a series of ongoing and serious issues” within the skating club had been revealed (but not to the public), it decided it would be best if the new skate park was managed by the council, as Napier Skating Club, despite 61 years of operation, did not have the “operational expertise” to do so. The cyclical appearance of council press releases trying to justify the ratepayer-funded construction of a velodrome virtually no Napier ratepayer wanted or needed only aided in adding to the growing peloton of public discontent. Something in the water

This year Napier’s ratepayers found themselves out of pocket and out of pure drinking water. Napier’s normally pure water supply was chlorinated in February and again in May this year after returning positive tests for E. coli. In light of the Havelock North water crisis, and to ensure all waterborne bugs were killed off, the council chose to chlorinate the whole system for “up to a month”. In July, however, NCC’s chieftain declared the city’s water infrastructure was no longer “up to scratch” under new standards, and chlorination would continue for at least three more months while remedial work was also carried out. Napier’s drinking water woes were influential in pushing annual rates up another 4.9% to help cover things that never used to be a problem. Meanwhile, those Napier residents unable or unwilling to drink chlorinated water have been buying their drinking water in bottles. Where does much of this bottled drinking water come from? “Pure artesian aquifer” Hawke’s Bay bottling plants, of course! E. coli levels and water infrastructure also became a problem in Napier’s Ahuriri Estuary in April after significant rainfall overwhelmed the

In other words, once again a public interest matter involving public servants and public safety in public buildings, where the cost is publicly funded, was decided and signed off in yet another public-excluded meeting! Photo: Tim Whittaker tim.co.nz

city’s wastewater system and forced the council to release sewerage into the nature reserve. Too much water, or rather an inability to drain it from Napier’s sporting crown jewel, McLean Park, muddied the city’s reputation in February with the farcical abandonment of a Chappell-Hadlee oneday cricket international, and subsequent loss of matches against South Africa and Pakistan – a major loss for sporting fans and local businesses alike. Surreal estate

In March it was revealed NCC was looking at selling off its CBD headquarters site to multi-milliondollar hotel developers. The sale of the site would cover the cost of the council’s operations hub moving into the neighbouring Public Library building and the library would likely somehow be squeezed into a much smaller space amidst Clive Square and yet more war memorials – Napier’s Women’s Rest building and the city’s cenotaph. Despite only being in the “early stages” of planning in March, a feasibility study had already been conducted and managers sent on research trips, meaning a fair bit of time, thought and money had already been invested in the process. Not surprisingly, many viewed as slightly more than auspicious a councilcommissioned report revealing soon after that NCC’s offices and library were now dangerously earthquake-prone.

The report also meant the move was to be far earlier than planned and the cost now covered by Napier ratepayers, rather than real estate deals. While the need to relocate staff to safer accommodation was understandable, recent events also pressed the importance of public transparency upon some councillors, who voiced caution in not rushing ahead with moving plans at a NCC finance committee meeting on 2 August. But that sentiment was quickly quashed in the public-excluded section of that same meeting. After which Napier’s mayor decreed councillors “had not left the matter on the table, but had agreed to all recommendations”, including providing the chief executive with up to $1 million for fitting out alternative, temporary facilities and some other details not provided to the press/public. In other words, once again a public interest matter involving public servants and public safety in public buildings, where the cost is publicly funded, was decided and signed off in yet another public-excluded meeting! Change at the top

Amidst all this recent public discontent, lack of transparency, crumbling infrastructure, erroneous council decisions, and frustrated complaints to the Auditor-General, there is a spot of democratic light at the end of the tunnel. An opportunity for true, public, democratic change comes this

September when city councillors get to vote on whether to continue current chief executive Wayne Jack’s contract for another five years, or head in a different direction. NCC advertised the CEO position recently, but Mayor Dalton described it as merely a formality required by the Local Government Act. Comments Dalton made in his “Disgusted” email may have stymied this process, however. His call for councillors to “support their CEO” is alleged to show signs of predetermination or bias in the selection process, for which the mayor and two loyal, senior councillors make up the selection panel. Employed as a ‘change manager’ in 2013, NCC certainly has seen changes under Jack’s rule. Some have been received positively, but more recently many have not. Those supporting the current administration dismiss criticism of the Jack-Dalton regime as “anti-change”. Given the trail of errors, bad publicity, and ill feeling amongst ratepayers and restructured council staff towards their elected councillors and unelected council management over Jack’s past term, it might be more accurate to say that critics just prefer “change for the better”. Andrew Frame is a 40-year-old husband, father, life-long Napier resident. He writes the www.napierinframe.co.nz website and promotes all things HB on social media.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 69

MATT MILLER: DIGITAL TRENDS

Bom dia, Fingermark since his arrival in Havelock North, Luke Irving has been a welcome addition to Hawke’s Bay’s business milieu. In 2016 Luke decided that his digital signage and touchscreen company, Fingermark Global, did not need to be based in Auckland and moved his family and the majority of his staff from their busy Parnell base to the more sedate village of Havelock North, where they have set up shop in Blue Moon’s old warehouse and office in Donnelly Street. Most of Fingermark’s customers are from overseas, and the company’s employees are dispersed around the southern hemisphere. Eleven are in Hawke’s Bay, four are in Auckland, and the rest are in southern Brazil. Five of the Brazilian software team are moving to Hawke’s Bay at the end of 2017. The Brazilian connection seems a bit strange. Normally outsourced IT teams are in India or Bangladesh, but Luke doesn’t appear to do things according to the book. It came about from an email he received from a digital kiosk developer by the name of Romulo Correa De Araujo Nunes (clearly he was not from around here). The two immediately hit it off and Romulo became Fingermark’s chief technology officer, and now Hawke’s Bay’s Portuguese-speaking community is about to experience a sudden growth spurt. Bom dia! Luke’s long road to Hawke’s Bay started when he was working as a teenager for a winebroking firm in Wellington, “doing deals and selling wine to rich boaties”. Luke soon started his own liquor delivery business called ‘Thirsty Boys’. It failed spectacularly after a few months, but Luke wasn’t deterred. He knew he wanted his own business and he wasn’t going to give up. After starting New Zealand’s first independent student newspaper, the 70 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

next venture was a bar in Wellington. It was at this point that Luke saw that his future was in technology rather than alcohol. The bar had a touchscreen that the customers could use, and Luke fell in love with it and decided to start a business designing and installing interactive displays. This was years before the iPhone or iPad had even been conceived, and for Luke the touchscreen interface represented an irresistible, inevitable revolution.

Luke has never shied from making bets on technology: “Build the product, then the market will follow”, is his mantra. Luke thinks this timing was crucial. By the time touchscreens had entered mainstream usage, Luke and Fingermark already had years of experience designing and installing the technology in kiosks – the company was well-placed for the demand that inevitably came. The company’s biggest success to date has been a touchscreen deal with Yum! Brands, the company that owns 634 KFC fast-food restaurants in Australia. This deal came at a crucial time for Fingermark and propelled them to a 300% increase in revenue. And with the news that 2000-restaurant US chicken chain Chick-Fil-A is joining the Fingermark stable, it’s clear that Fingermark is becoming a major player in the global drive-through digital signage market. Deals of this magnitude don’t just fall in your lap, especially for

companies based in New Zealand. Fingermark has invested significantly in researching and developing groundbreaking display hardware and software solutions to ensure that what they are offering is as good as or better than their much bigger international rivals. Like most R&D, it can take years to bear fruit, and there can be big risks in investing in the wrong technologies. Luke has never shied from making bets on technology: “Build the product, then the market will follow”, is his mantra. This makes a nice change from the myriad business consultants who tell us to build what the customer is asking for. Fingermark is answering questions the customers haven’t even thought of yet. For effective R&D it’s important to build a strong internal team. One of Luke’s biggest mistakes was to over-capitalise a big digital signage project with external suppliers, who turned out to be unsuitable. This experience is clearly a big factor in his commitment to bringing the Brazilians to New Zealand. And a business growing 50% year-on-year brings new issues with increasing health and safety compliance, and the need to organise processes and staff. After I speak with him, Luke has to attend a meeting to discuss Netsuite, the enterprise resource planning (ERP) software that Fingermark is installing. Anyone who has been through this process knows you don’t do it for fun. Surprisingly for such a high-tech innovative company, Luke thinks that Fingermark would still exist without the Internet. The company has never been big on digital marketing for growth. They do almost no search engine optimisation or Google Adwords. With most of their business coming from the healthcare and hospitality sectors, nearly all of their business comes from word of mouth and

good old fashioned face-to-face sales. Luke still knocks on doors, and he is hiring more salespeople. Despite this apparent insouciance towards online marketing, Luke is a big admirer of Google: “I am in awe of what they do. They are part of everyone’s day and they create huge opportunities for everybody.” But he is especially drawn to engineering success stories like Rocket Labs, the Mahia space launch company, and Bruce McLaren, New Zealand’s great racing driver, mechanic, and Formula 1 team owner. For such a technology-intensive business, Luke has decidedly nongeeky pastimes. No gaming or dressing up in Star Wars outfits for him. In an alternate universe where Fingermark doesn’t exist, he thinks he would be the lead singer of a pub rock band playing at the Rose and Shamrock every Friday night. That’s when he’s not opening the bowling for the Black Caps (he gave up competitive cricket for his business career and anyone who has seen him haring in off the long run can see the intensity of the frustrated fast bowler). After eleven years in Auckland, Luke

Photo: Tim Whittaker tim.co.nz

says Hawke’s Bay is quite a change, but it sounds like Fingermark is here to stay. “It took six months to recalibrate, to get a feel for the pace of things here. But if you’re thinking of making the move to Hawke’s Bay, you won’t regret it.”

Matt Miller co-owns web company Mogul Limited, based in Havelock North, but serving clients around the world, including BayBuzz. His beat for BayBuzz is digital trends and best practice.

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 71

Apple Futures PETER BEAVEN

New apples on the block, left to right: Smitten, Paciﬁc Rose, Sweet Tango, Envy, Pink Lady and Ambrosia

a decade ago the apple industry was on its knees. Growers were not receiving sustainable returns for many varieties and orchards were being uprooted and burned across the Heretaunga Plains. The Taiwan market, critical for the Fuji variety, was closed because of codling moth interceptions for six weeks in the middle of our supply window. The only apples entering China were via the Hong Kong grey trade. Orchards were being sold at bare land prices. In Wellington apple and pear growing was regarded as a sunset industry. Yet now we see an industry confidently investing in a rosy future. An industry that leads the world in the key statistics of production per hectare and price per kilo. 2016 saw the industry equal its highest-ever export volume at around 20 million cases and trees already in the ground will push this to 24 million by 2020, thus making the apple industry horticulture’s second billion dollar earner behind kiwifruit. Hawke’s Bay will be the main 72 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

The annual Health Survey conducted in NZ portrays a similar pattern of declining consumption – the number of Kiwis eating the recommended two fruits per day has dropped from 43% to 40% in the past decade.

beneficiary, with two-thirds of the volume concentrated around the Heretaunga Plains. How did this happen? Many converging trends, both onshore and offshore, have led to the success. Changing markets

Ten years ago traditional markets in Europe and North America accounted for 85% of exports. For most of the

year they are supplied from northern hemisphere production. But the northern supply window for NZ apples has been squeezed through improved long-term storage technologies, while cheaper apples from other southern hemisphere producers have increased. Making matters worse, population trends (particularly in Europe) are static and consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables has been declining for years. The saviour was Asia. As the European market declined, an affluent middle class with a taste for foreign products and brands was emerging rapidly in Asia. Closer to us and with a love and trust for NZ-grown products. The middle class in the Asia-Pacific region is predicted to grow from an estimated 525 million in 2009 to more than 3 billion by 2030. Many are vegetarians and most of them will be city dwellers. With NZ’s reputation and proximity we are ideally placed to feed them. Today these new Asia/Pacific markets plus growth in demand from the Middle East accounts for more than 50% of NZ apple and pear exports.

Variety mix

New markets have led to a change in varieties. Other than the Royal Gala, which is popular everywhere, most Asian consumers have a preference for sweet red apples. A raft of new varieties has emerged to satisfy this demand: Envy, Pacific Rose, Smitten, Sweet Tango, Dazzle, Ambrosia, Pacific Queen, Pacific Beauty, Breeze and Sonja to name a few. All are proprietary varieties – their growing and marketing is controlled exclusively by one company or a small group of companies working cohesively. This enables control of quality, distribution and promotion. It also provides the opportunity for many exporters to exploit niche markets. The challenge is that large supermarket chains require a critical volume of production, which requires a more collective response from an industry the size of NZ. Our total production is little more than one percent of world production. Industry structure

Since the 2001 deregulation of ENZA,

This more mature industry has finally realised that there are greater threats from southern hemisphere rivals such as Chile or South Africa than there are from the producer across the street.

relationships across the globe and each has tailored its production, storage and supply systems to provide to different segments. For example, one has specialised in organic production and supply. Another focuses on the NZ local market. A third sends almost its entire crop to Asia. The net result of the new shape of the industry is that there is less competition and therefore less price erosion. This more mature industry has finally realised that there are greater threats from southern hemisphere rivals such as Chile or South Africa than there are from the producer across the street.

the single desk seller, the industry has been steadily integrating both vertically (supply chain) and horizontally (production). This applies particularly in Hawke’s Bay, where the industry has gone from more than 1,200 growers to less than 200. Control of channels to market has been equally dramatic. Today the largest six exporters control 85% of the crop. Each has strong customer

Food safety

NZ leads the world in three key apple and pear statistics: production volumes of export-grade fruit grown per hectare, the smart use of agrichemicals to achieve low residue production, and the number of countries where we have market access arrangements in place. It is no fluke that we hold the number one position on the annual World Apple SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 73

Photo: Tim Whittaker tim.co.nz

Report rankings for apple-producing nations. Hawke’s Bay’s excellent weather and soil are not the only contributors to this success. It is also because the industry has highly competent growers who have been prepared to jointly invest in research and development over a long period of time. That investment has led to the establishment of a cluster of worldclass advisers and scientists who are central to the industry’s innovation systems and significant contributors to the competitive advantage it enjoys. Central to this was the development of Integrated Fruit Production or IFP introduced in the 1990s. This production system, a world first, was a huge departure from current practice around the world at the time, which involved the regular and heavy use of harmful and non-selective sprays such as organophosphates. Instead, growers started monitoring the numbers of harmful insects on 74 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

their orchards through pheromone trapping and introduced the use of targeted selective sprays when required. The IFP system was introduced across the entire industry in a remarkably short time. IFP has since been refined to enable further reductions in residue levels whilst still meeting market access requirements. Challenges ahead

Despite these successes, what might ‘upset the apple cart’? All of the technologies developed and employed by the apple industry in NZ will soon be replicated by other countries. The search for innovation to maintain premiums is endless. And the consumer market is constantly deluged with change. The new meal

One consequence of the mega trend towards urban living is a dramatic change in family size and eating habits. In our traditional markets in Europe

and North America, one third of people live alone. And eat alone. In fact 50 per cent of all meals are consumed by one person eating by him or herself. These folks don’t go and do a supermarket shop and buy lots of fruit and vegies to take home and prepare. Snacking has become the new normal. And local Rockit Global, producer of a small variety of apple and ExportNZ Hawke’s Bay’s ASB Exporter of the Year, illustrates one successful way of responding to the change. But we need to do more. Although apples and other forms of fruit should ﬁt well into the eat-on-the-run mentality, the reality is that other than for smoothies, the fruit sector has done a poor job of inserting itself into anything other than the traditional outlets – supermarkets and produce stores. Think how much fruit you see displayed in lunch or coﬀee bars? Online food buying, fast becoming the purchase method of choice in many large cities in Asia, is another challenge

to traditional outlets for food. A recent study completed in Holland showed that only 15% of people under 20 years were eating the recommended servings of fresh fruit daily, while the percentage was 40% amongst 50 years and older. Question: will the percentage increase as those millennials mature? The annual Health Survey conducted in NZ portrays a similar pattern of declining consumption – the number of Kiwis eating the recommended two fruits per day has dropped from 43% to 40% in the past decade.

There is no shortage of willing workers in the Pacific Islands, but the delicate balancing act to ensure that New Zealanders are prioritized into this work challenges politicians, unions, growers and officials.

Technology

The apple and pear industry has always been at the forefront of innovation. But the technology of food production is moving so rapidly that difficult choices for investment lie ahead. Robot apple harvesters that can identify the ripe apples and harvest them without bruising and work 24-hour shifts are on the near horizon. In Asia there are horticulture production sites inside multi-story buildings that are providing a viable pathway to market. Having an abundance of flat and fertile land with good soils and climate may not guarantee future success against a glasshouse apple production system that can control pests and diseases with minimal chemical inputs and deliver reliable market access. The natural environment

Seventy percent of the world’s major aquifers are in a state of serious decline through unsustainable levels of abstraction. The Heretaunga Plains

is an exception. But recent research completed by the regional council on the Ngaruroro Aquifer suggests that total draw down by primary producers, processing plants and urban communities is much closer to capacity than previously believed. Climate change scientists predict a drier and warmer east coast in the future. This will likely increase the demand for water. The need for water storage to sustain current and future apple production as well as meeting whatever environmental standards are set for the Heretaunga Plains is an easy argument to support. The regional council knows that future economic growth cannot be at the expense of depletion in our rivers and steams. Labour

One of the primary sector’s great challenges is to source and upskill sufficient permanent and seasonal staff

to keep pace with anticipated growth. The apple industry alone will create 800 additional full-time jobs by 2020, more than 500 of them in Hawke’s Bay. Finding and training this number of people is a major challenge. In addition to fulltime needs, total NZ seasonal demand for harvest and post-harvest processing in horticulture and viticulture currently requires around 10,000 Pacific Island workers or RSEs who receive temporary work visas. More than 4,000 of them come to Hawke’s Bay. By 2020 the apple industry’s extra seasonal labour need from trees already planted will require a further 3,000 seasonal jobs, 2,000 of them in Hawke’s Bay. There is no shortage of willing workers in the Pacific Islands, but the delicate balancing act to ensure that New Zealanders are prioritized into this work challenges politicians, unions, growers and officials. Every NZ primary sector has experienced periodic cycles of success and failure. The most recent has been the dairy sector with prices halving from one year to the next. Before that it was the kiwifruit industry with PSA decimating Zespri Gold production. The pipfruit industry has enjoyed five good years. But serious challenges must be addressed if the rosy run is to continue. Peter Beaven, a former orchardist, is a director of NZ Apples and Pears where he previously served as chief executive, and a Hawke’s Bay regional councillor.

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 75

C U LT U R E & LIFESTYLE

Sitting Room Sessions WORDS: LIZZIE RUSSELL. PHOTOS: TIM WHITTAKER

IT’S SATURDAY NIGHT IN NAPIER. Twenty of us are seated in pews, wineglasses in hand, in the historic Ormond Chapel at the top of Chaucer Road. There’s rain drumming lightly on the roof, and Jamie Macphail is up the front of the small church with Nigel Wearne, Australian country/folk singersongwriter who tunes his guitar while Jamie gives us a warm welcome and an introduction to Nigel and his work. Jamie apologises to Nigel for the small numbers, “You’ve got a small, but very high-calibre audience this evening,” he says, with the ﬂash of a grin. There’s no hipster vibe here, just dedicated listeners who’ve come out on a winter’s night at Jamie’s recommendation to hear live music at another of his Sitting Room Sessions. “I get approached by a lot of musicians,” Jamie says. “The only way I ever know if I want to say yes, is to have a listen – and it usually takes about 30 seconds.” Thirty seconds of Jamie listening, months ago, and now we’re here, listening to – partaking in – this intimate performance by a true talent, a poet and a troubadour on guitar, banjo and harmonica sharing stories of his life in Warrnambool, Victoria and the historical Australian stories he’s researched to transform into song.

“We’ve only been recording music for 80 years or so, before that, it was all live, and it brought people together.” JAMIE MACPHAIL

What started oﬀ as a special treat for Jamie’s birthday celebration has developed into a community of likeminded live music lovers. Some years ago, ahead of his ﬁftieth birthday, Jamie’s sisters asked him what he’d like as a gift, and he came up with the request that they pay for a live music act to play at his party. It took a while, but he managed to track down musician Warren Love, who he’d heard on Radio New Zealand. Warren was keen for the roadtrip from Wellington, so came up and played a set at the house party. “It was extraordinary,” Jamie says, as he describes his nearest and dearest squeezing into his sitting room, not

knowing quite what was happening, and Warren and his low and languid voice captivating them all. Four or five years would pass while the idea bubbled away in Jamie’s head, but the thought of a small, intimate and welcoming space for live music just didn’t go away. “We’ve only been recording music for 80 years or so,” he exclaims. “Before that, it was all live, and it brought people together.” This keenness to bring people together and to experience the uniqueness of the live act of music from some of the musicians who might not usually make it off the beaten track to Hawke’s Bay saw Jamie host the first of his Sitting Room Sessions at his home on Bluff Hill in 2013. He had teed up singer-songwriter Sam RB to play the show (she was in town from Auckland to perform at the HB Sports Awards the night before, having written the sporting anthem ‘Stand Tall’), and sold tickets to friends and prepared everything for a warm and welcoming evening. Sam called ahead of the show to say that she’d become a little apprehensive about the whole thing, so if Jamie didn’t mind, she’d be bringing a friend along to accompany her. The friend was Mike Chunn, and what resulted was a truly special night of music, and heartfelt

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 77

stories. It was a special way to begin, and it cemented Jamie’s idea of the Sitting Room Sessions. The next act Jamie hosted was Tiny Ruins – Hollie Fulbrook’s ensemble has since returned to the Sitting Room Sessions several times, most recently playing the Haumoana Community Hall in June. When Hollie and Cass Basil visited that ﬁrst time, Jamie reminisces, it just happened to be the 100th meeting of his small music group. “It’s the only one I’ve heard of,” he says, “like a book group but for music. We each – ﬁve to eight of us – bring along a CD or a piece of music or whatever and share it, and anyway, Hollie and Cass were staying, so they joined in!” You realise, chatting with Jamie, that these lucky musical instances pepper his life – Mike Chunn showing up to support Sam RB, Tiny Ruins playing the tiniest gig ever for him and his

78 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

friends around a kitchen table. A weekend spent with the Hanson Family (America folk country act) in his family’s bach at Mangakuri Beach. “I’d organised for them to have a night there on their way south, so got them settled in, and then went to head oﬀ, but they’d been looking forward to this funny guy down in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand staying for the weekend!”

Most people who have experienced the Sitting Room Sessions will have done so in the cottage Jamie lived in out at Crab Farm Winery in Bayview. This is where it really developed its ﬂavour, with wine and food and a Ron Te Kawa quilt emblazoned with the word “Manaakitanga” hanging as a backdrop to the stage area. Over time, Jamie has discovered more about what the word means. Not just simple hospitality in terms of feeding

someone and making them welcome. It’s more than that – it’s about a generosity of care, and about respect. He oﬀers it in spades – not just to the audiences, but also to the musicians. Nigel Wearne ﬁnishes his set in the Ormond Chapel and pulls Jamie into a bear hug and we can see how the performer ‘gets’ how much Jamie ‘gets it’. When he welcomes you – in top hat and blazing red tails – to the Spiegeltent and stands on the stage introducing a show at the Harcourts Hawke’s Bay Arts Festival as Master of Ceremonies, you feel that respect and care again.

Jamie left the Crab Farm cottage last year, and hasn’t found another venue quite like it, so this year the Sessions have been held in various spots around the Bay, including Red Barrel Winery, the Haumoana Hall, Birdwoods Gallery, and

“I get approached by a lot of musicians,” Jamie says. “The only way I ever know if I want to say yes, is to have a listen – and it usually takes about 30 seconds.”

of course this sweet chapel on the Hill. In moving the gigs around, Jamie’s musical followers get to see diﬀerent places and the concerts are each even more unique, but you get the sense he’s is still on the lookout for a permanent home for the music and the manaakitanga. There are potentials in the pipeline, he says. And what of the overall concept of house concerts? “A network of 20 likeminded people, that’d be ideal,” he says, “All over the country, that’d be a dream!” So let’s watch this space, as Jamie ﬁnds the ‘forever’ home for the Sessions, and more projects like his develop around regional New Zealand, attracting special performers via an infrastructure of small gigs and roadtrips, bringing people together as music has done for millennia. “That’s really been the amazing thing for me in all of this,” says Jamie. “The people – both the musicians and the audiences – they have changed my life completely.”

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Life Imitates Art Louise and Bruce Stobart live by the saying “The sum of the parts is greater than the whole.” The proof? Birdwoods - a compelling combination of cafe, sculpture walk, old-fashioned sweetshop and sculpture garden in Havelock North which add up to a ‘must’ for both locals and visitors alike. So much so that TripAdvisor awarded the property a Certificate of Excellence last year. MICHAL MCKAY. PHOTO: FLORENCE CHARVIN

Being thrown off your land at gunpoint with no compensation could thwart the spirit of even the most stalwart. For Bruce and Louise Stobart - both third generation Zimbabweans - indeed it was heartbreak. As a newly married couple they had bought 2,000 acres of completely undeveloped land in 1993 about an hour’s drive out of Harare and within ten years had turned it into a highly successful farm supporting 60 families. Yet not surprisingly, they took the words of Nietzsche to heart “that which does not kill me makes me stronger” and reinvented themselves. “We had to,” says Louise with her easy forthright realism. And with that as motivation they took out the checklist for ‘where to next’. Location was important. Hawke’s Bay got the tick. They knew no one apart from Rob and KK Marﬀy and Tim and Jules Nowell-Usticke (part of the well-known Zimbabwean community which has made such a diﬀerence to the Bay). Certainly no close family. But after arriving with their three children in 2003 and a couple of false starts they opened Birdwoods Gallery in 2005. Louise had the vision of representing Zimbabwean craft. The gallery was the result. “Fortunately because we did

... the single most collected form of African Art internationally, Shona sculpture is in the Museum of Modern Art and the Rodin Museum as well as in the homes of the Rockefellers, the Prince of Wales and Sir Richard Attenborough.

have a lot of staﬀ in Zimbabwe”, which she acknowledges as simply being the typical way of life, “I did know how to delegate. Well, it was imperative if you were to run a successful operation in Zimbabwe. And we had the energy. Of course had we known just how hard it would be and the cost involved in actually getting through the bureaucracy we may not have been quite so naive and strong willed.” She also had the experience of already having tapped her entrepreneurial and creative talents with a companion enterprise to their farm in Zimbabwe

- Birdwoods Metal Sculpture: in which her designs were realised in unique metal sculptures using recycled 40-gallon drums. An additional 30 families, part of the farm village where primary healthcare and community facilities were provided by the Stobarts, were employed as a result. Obviously art is a part of the Stobart mind-set, so it was the metal sculpture which formed the initial imprint for their creation of Birdwoods, with their sculpture garden and walk. But also included was the stone sculpture that is such a strong part of the Zimbabwean heritage. And it was well received. They quickly realised that tapping into the richest resource that is a distinctive part of Zimbabwe was a unique facet of the sculpture walk and garden format. Stone sculpture owes its origins to the Great Dyke – a 310 mile ridge of 2.5-billion-year-old hills laced with chrome, platinum, gold, copper, emeralds and other precious metals. And the longest linear mass of volcanic rock in the world. So carving stone is plentiful, with a Pandora’s box of beguiling white granites to stunning serpentines in shades of reds, greens, maroons, greys, yellows and brilliant oranges. A virtual SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 81

catalogue of immense mineral wealth. Often called Shona sculpture after the largest tribe engaged in sculpture and the oldest in Zimbabwe (legend has it they were the guardians of King Solomon’s Mines), it has become, despite the country’s political and social instability, a truly contemporary art force; the single most collected form of African Art internationally, it is in the Museum of Modern Art and the Rodin Museum as well as in the homes of the Rockefellers, the Prince of Wales and Sir Richard Attenborough. These sculptors produce breathtakingly beautiful work. The miracle of it is that they carve entirely by hand using very basic, even primitive tools, and work outdoors in speciﬁc sculpture communities. They select the stone at the mines, have it blasted 82 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

and towed to their homes. Then study the stone and wait for the spiritual guidance which will provide their inspiration. No drawings. They share facilities and equipment. The whole approach is collective, including the buying, transportation, mentoring, training and insight into what lies beneath the stone once they start work. They have no technical training; they teach and learn from each other. The sculptures are carved and polished by hand - sometimes even using river sand to polish. The resulting works are unsurprisingly called “spirits in stone” … for that is what they are: reﬂections of the artists’ traditional spiritual culture and their own amazing spirit in producing such stunning art. Louise and Bruce travel back to Zimbabwe once a year to select and

purchase, and in the course of time have developed incredibly strong relationships with the artists. They deal primarily with three communities and on a personal level. “We view thousands of sculptures and may only select 100 pieces as a result. This one-to-one interchange gives us the opportunity to discuss their work and lives and to negotiate and pay directly. And we have built up inﬁnite trust over time. We know the families intimately, are godparents to their babies. They know we will not rip them oﬀ. And that we will return regularly,” Louise explains. It has taken them 14 or 15 years to reach the point where they are now the biggest stone buyers in Zimbabwe and also the biggest dealers in Australasia. One container a year arrives in NZ bearing some 150-180 stone sculptures,

some of which are then shipped overseas again. This year will see their first exhibition in Dublin, Ireland in September; it will be their second international exhibition - the first being in Virginia, USA. “The packaging and shipping is an art in itself,” explains Louise. “And Bruce has become a total specialist. The costs are huge as you can imagine; the packaging actually is more than the shipping.” During their annual sojourns back ‘home’ they have noticed a definite shift in style. Partly due to losing many of the elders to disease like HIV and partly due to new artists emerging with a more sophisticated approach. “It is less native African and more contemporary, but one thing we have learned is the works do not target a particular customer. It is extraordinary the variety of the buyers who come from all walks of life. For instance a huge, and I mean huge, dolomite elephant has just gone to an apartment in Dallas that has recently been featured in Architectural Digest. Another to a woman who fell in love with a beautiful work, and she has a camp of garden gnomes in her home!!” “It’s capturing the simplicity of the stone which is the hardest to execute,” Louise comments. “And there are artists who do a certain style repeatedly – like an owl specialist we work with who finds the raw stone at the quarry within which the eyes, beak, claws might surface. They fly out. Certain creatures appeal and owls are one. So are hippos and warthogs. And organic seemingly never-ending pieces sell well.”

It has taken them 14 or 15 years to reach the point where they are now the biggest stone buyers in Zimbabwe and also the biggest dealers in Australasia. Louise speaks of the artists with huge respect. “They are such humble people who still retain their integrity no matter their success. Gift Seda for instance produces the most incredible Picasso-like shapes, yet he had never heard of Picasso, much less seen his work; and he never deviates from his inspiration. The good ones are very strong in sticking to what inspires them and not being inﬂuenced by commercial markets. Steven Chikeya is another. His mother insisted he become a banker and he hated it. Finally he couldn’t do it anymore. He longed to be a sculptor and his ﬁrst work – called ‘You Are Unbelievable’, because that’s what his mother said when he stopped being a banker – was superb. He is now selling all over the world.” The relationship the Stobarts have with the carvers also represents a vital aspect of their business beliefs, as indicated by their concern for the welfare of their workers in Zimbabwe. “We left behind people who had to face the Zimbabwe of today. We were lucky

enough to establish a business from our connection with Zimbabwe and our initial Birdwoods business itself, 26 years ago. We now have a symbiotic relationship in helping support those who are still there.” “I do not want to sound patronising, but we feel so fortunate that we have something that not only has worked for us, but also for those in Zimbabwe. It beneﬁts us in equal doses and that makes us feel we are really doing well. We were lucky enough to come here, but our home country was the catalyst for forming our business. So we credit everyone involved. As that saying goes – the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. That’s what we feel Birdwoods represents. Everything here has a story.” And for pretty much everything available at the gallery, Louise and Bruce are personally involved with those who created it, whether they be artists from New Zealand or Zimbabwe. ‘We aren’t attracted to mass, manufactured or replicated work. We love the authentic, individual, quirky and the honest. Things with their own character and history. And we love the ‘waste not, want not’ nature of the art and craft which comes out of Africa. Waste isn’t a luxury they can aﬀord and the products that originate from old things used in new ways have a much greater charm and intrinsic value.” The new stone sculpture shipment of some 60 pieces will be launched at the Birdwoods Garden in Labour Weekend. Go to www.birdwoodsgallery.co.nz for more information.

for custom-designed: Louvre Roof Systems Ziptrak Outdoor Screens Awnings & Umbrellas Tensioned Canopies visit our showroom 413 Queen Street West, Hastings and enhance your outdoor living experience www.douglasoutdoorliving.co.nz C&C000722

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Clockwise from top: Sunset set up at Double Six Beach; Mama San mural; Hujan Locale ‘Nasi Bakar’ Ubud; Prue and David in rice ﬁelds, Ubud

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Bali Bliss P R U E B A R TO N

A hop, skip and nine-hour jump took us to our blissful Bali holiday. This island is a foodie’s paradise with everything you could ever dream of eating or drinking served on or in bamboo, a banana leaf, coconut bowl, cocktail glass or conventional plate. This destination has been on the radar for many years and all expectations were met. Heading to our villa in the heart of Seminyak we quickly immersed ourselves into the Balinese culture. Coming from a cold and wet Hawke’s Bay winter it was a dream to get into a sundress, slip slop on some sunscreen and hit the streets for some serious exploring. Seminyak is known for its stylish shopping, fabulous food and international vibe. World-class chefs who have tired of the city life have been enticed by the beach lifestyle as well as the fantastic local produce. Bambu Restaurant was the first of many great experiences specialising in Indonesian cuisine with a fresh twist. This hidden gem with a zen-like fit out featured cool marble, stepping stones over fish ponds, bamboo adornments and many different dining spaces, one of which was a centrally placed Balinese pavilion surrounded by water. We started our evening with a Javanese wok-charred mushroom salad, baby coconut and wild ginger dressing served in a bamboo leaf. My main of coral trout came baked

Seminyak is known for its stylish shopping, fabulous food and international vibe. World-class chefs who have tired of the city life have been enticed by the beach lifestyle as well as the fantastic local produce.

in bamboo and the waiter skillfully slipped it out onto the plate revealing the fish garnished with sour star fruit, chilli and lemon basil leaves. The second main of fresh egg noodles, hand-picked Papua crab, tiger prawns and fragrant tamarind spiced broth was also a winner. For dessert the Dadar Gulung or green pandan crepes wrapped around coconut and palm sugar was everything you love about small warungs (local cafes), but served in a gourmet setting. Seminyak is where many cool restaurants with spectacular fit-outs are located and with a recommendation from some Te Awanga friends we decided to eat at Sardine, a French fine dining restaurant.

This is one of Bali’s most well known restaurants with a feel of the ‘old Bali’, and we certainly got why. Farmers tend the rice and flocks of ducks run around, dipping in and out of the water. The restaurant is positioned in the middle of green rice paddies surrounded by banana trees, with dining under a bamboo pavilion with the fields softly lit by lights under decorative umbrellas. The menu is seafoodfocused, with their catch coming from the nearby fishing village of Jimbaran, so an array of yellow fin tuna carpaccio, pan-seared snapper and barramundi are on offer. Breaking the ‘monotony’ of all this gourmet dining there is nothing better than spending a day on the beach soaking up the sun on a beach recliner. Bintang on offer, corn on the cob and flat pizza all readily available with the click of a finger. At Double Six Beach from around 5pm its party time and colourful bean bags are laid out and hip music starts up in readiness for the sunset. Further along the beach is the iconic Potato Head Beach Club, which is a daytime kind of drinking place. It is known for its long, turquoise infinity pool set beside a stretch of sandy beach and its tropical cocktails using homemade ingredients like lemongrass gin and strawberry foam. We tried ‘The Big Swirl’, which was bright and citrusy with vanilla tequila, vanilla-infused Bali arak, mango, raw SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 • BAYBUZZ • 85

Clockwise from top: Hujan Locale; street petrol in Absolut bottles for scooters; David at entrance of Bambu Restaurant Seminyak; night shot of hotel looking across pool

honey and spiced syrup blended and served in a seashell. Tropicana to say the least! Taking a break from the ‘vitamin sea’ we headed north for a few days to Ubud, which is located in the heart of the island. This region is so green with a jungle like setting. Artists, spiritual healers and yoga teachers are attracted to this area due to its close proximity to nature. As in Seminyak, top international and Indonesian chefs are also attracted to the area due to the availability of sourcing farm-fresh ingredients. In torrential rain with one umbrella and purchasing a cheap poncho on the way we made a pilgrimage to visit the famous vegan cafe, Alchemy. Tucked away in the backstreets of Ubud, this raw food destination is drawing foodies and health advocates from all over the globe with their culture of serving organic, 86 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

In torrential rain with one umbrella and purchasing a cheap poncho on the way we made a pilgrimage to visit the famous vegan cafe, Alchemy. unprocessed foods in a creative way. I tried the Aloha Pizza with the crust made from almond ﬂour, sundried tomatoes and olive oil and topped with button mushrooms, thinly sliced pineapple (to represent the missing mozzarella), peppers, olives, olive oil and roquette. We also chose the BLT which arrived with iceberg lettuce, tomato, onion, pickled cucumber slices, ‘coconut

bacon’ and cherry tomatoes all spiced up with a BBQ sauce. I followed with a guiltfree lemon tart and then finished off with a coconut milk cappucino. Having had such a ‘zen’ culinary experience I was happy to return to the Maya Ubud Resort and Spa for a large cocktail and some serious pampering in their riverside spa. One restaurant not to be missed in Ubud is Hujan Locale. From the people behind Mama San, it serves modern Indonesian cuisine in a beautiful two-story bistro that looks out over a temple on one side and a huge yellow hibiscus tree on the other. We set about ordering lunch. My ‘Nasi Bakar’ which comprised of grilled turmeric-spiced rice, with eggplant and green tomatoes came presented in a baked banana leaf with a very hot sambal matah to the side. The squid tubes stuffed with prawns in a spicy coconut sauce, complete with

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Clockwise from top: Prawn dumplings at Hujan Locale; Prue hanging out in Seminyak; Aloha Pizza at Alchemy in Ubud

One restaurant not to be missed in Ubud is Hujan Locale. From the people behind Mama San, it serves modern Indonesian cuisine in a beautiful twostory bistro that looks out over a temple on one side and a huge yellow hibiscus tree on the other.

fragrant rice, was also a winner. Slightly north of here is the famous coffee farm called Cantik Agriculture. This is where the most expensive coffee in the world is made from coffee beans that have been digested by the civet cat.

In the 19th century it was illegal to sell coffee to the local Indonesian population because all the beans were exported to Europe. The locals collected the faeces of the wild palm civet cats because the coffee seeds inside the droppings were left undigested. They also grow Bali cocoa, ginseng, lemongrass, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla and chili, and the flavour from these plants gets infused with the coffee. It was a huge buzz to try all the different flavours and experience the uniqueness of this farm. Returning to Seminyak for our final few days gave me time to reflect on our blissful holiday. Bali is like no other destination in the world with its culture, beaches, surfing and the warm, generous Balinese people. We left this beautiful island with a tear in our eyes … and it was not just from the spicy food.

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C U LT U R E & LIFESTYLE

Emily Hartley-Skudder, Bleached Apricot Counter Display, 2017.

Everyday Lines at HCAG Hastings City Art Gallery’s new show promises fun with a capital F, with the inclusion of an exploding watermelon (Steve Carr), ceramic popcorn (Madeleine Child) and ice-cream (Erica van Zon) and a great pile of HB’s everyday detritus (Gaby Montejo). Spread across all of the gallery spaces, the exhibition showcases art by 17 diﬀerent artists who explore the everyday in sculpture, painting, photography, installation and video. Food features as a signiﬁcant theme in the show, with Madeleine Child, Seung Yul Oh and Erica van Zon all interrogating food in their hyperrealistic sculptures. Here, they point to temptation, deeper food politics and our everyday relationship with food.

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Child’s Popcorn pieces are colourful, seductive and fun, but belie a more sinister truth with her use of bright colours inferring added chemicals and overconsumption. Seung Yul Oh’s Ra Myun is reminiscent of familiar food props in South Korean restaurants, but it deﬁes gravity with its never-ending noodles. Child, Oh and van Zon explore the playful acts of eating: popping corn, slurping noodles, and dropping icecream soon after it’s bought. Other aspects of the exhibition explore domestic interior décor, with Emily Hartley-Skudder oﬀering an installation that’s presented as an everyday domestic setting, yet it is something not seen ‘everyday’ in a gallery, and the utilitarian nature of

everyday ‘outdoor’ objects with work from Jeﬀ Thomson and Erica van Zon. The downside of our consumerist culture gets a nudge too, with Marita Hewitt’s series of plastic bag watercolours. The artists featured in Everyday Lines are Nick Austin, Steve Carr, Madeleine Child, Eleanor Cooper, Bill Culbert, Oscar Enberg, Emily Hartley-Skudder, Marita Hewitt, John Ward Knox, Dane Mitchell, Gaby Montejo, Joanna Margaret Paul, Martin Selman, Jeﬀ Thomson, Francis Upritchard, Erica van Zon and Seung Yul Oh. Everyday Lines is showing at Hastings City Art Gallery from 15 September until 26 November.

Photo: Florence Charvin

Gillian Receveur – Botanical Artist In April this year Hawke’s Bay botanical artist Gillian Receveur graduated from the Art Workers Guild Hall in London with a Society of Botanical Artists diploma. For two years Gillian studied plants and presented assignments to London-based tutors in an exercise she calls, “breaking drawing down to the cellular structure.” Having studied art and focused on oil painting early in life, Gillian spent many years teaching and only after retirement from her education career set about searching for the artistic outlet that ﬁt best. Her love of plants and gardening meant that she ﬁgured out quickly what she wanted to portray in her creative life. The discipline and extraordinary attention to detail required for true botanical art seem to suit Gillian as much as the subject matter. “My best tool is my pencil sharpener – I buy blades by the box of ten!” she says, and when you look closely at her work you can see the perfect

sharpness to her lines, the exacting shading and lightness of touch, you can see how sharpening must take up as much time as actually drawing. Eleven major drawing assignments over the course of two years have seen Gillian hone her skills of observation and the tight drawing technique, and now she’s doing commission work and preparing for an exhibition alongside international botanical artists. The Botanical Art Worldwide Exhibition is an inaugural event which will take place in at least 14 countries simultaneously. The New Zealand exhibition Ngāi Tipu Taketake – Indigenous Flora will be on show from 30 March to 1 July 2018 at the Auckland Botanic Gardens. Participating countries will each provide digital slide shows of up to forty works, to be compiled with all other countries’ images and shown at each venue during the run of each exhibition, meaning this traditional art form will get the 21st century treatment.

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Locals Take the Stage With the Harcourts Hawke’s Bay Arts Festival almost upon us, excitement about the arrival of the international talent is high. But performers and producers closer to home are also preparing for their moment in the spotlight. Among the local contingent is artist and musician Fane Flaws, who will present a festival-long working studio at the Hastings Community Arts Centre, including a speed-portrait salon, an installation recreating his living room with a television that shows his video clips, active painting space and a series of five live concerts. Pauline Hayes has written and produced and will direct The Hooligan and the Lady – the true story of Florence LeMar, “The World’s Famous Ju-Jitsu Girl”. The show is performed by locals Champa Maciel, Jamie Macphail, Amanda Jackson, Jane Sutherland and Will Couper, with music by Rosie Langabeer and Anton Wuts. Pauline says that having spent a number of years away and first presenting the show at the 2011 Wellington Fringe Festival, she’s delighted with her local cast and crew. “I’ve been so happy to find such

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Rosie Langabeer: Dr Geeklove – Or: how I learnt to stop worrying and love the lyrics

high-calibre performers here,” she says. “The rewrites I’ve made to the original have been in direct response to the terriﬁc talent, like tweaking things so Champa Maciel has two roles, and creating an extra character because I wanted to include more of the actors who were auditioning.” “And to have musicians Anton Wuts and Rosie Langabeer involved is an absolute coup.” Multi-talented musician Rosie Langabeer is preparing for a busy festival, with her own show, Dr Geeklove – Or: How I learnt to stop worrying and love the lyrics, set to strip a mixture of familiar songs back to their purist form with the help of electric guitarist Neil Watson. Daniel Betty will perform a solo show exploring the relationship between insanity and creative genius in Vincent. For The Full Stretch, Stretch pulls together the full band he recorded debut album Bury All Horses with, promising a foot-stomping, roof-raising night in the Spiegeltent. And Hawke’s Bay export Thomas Oliver, supported by his ﬁve-piece band brings home his acclaimed and distinctive blend of roots, soul, folk and electronic music.

The young talent of Project Prima Volta will take on Handel’s enchanting opera of love, death and redemption, Acis & Galatea, under resident artistic director Jose Aparico. After the success of Edge of a Raindrop at the 2016 festival, Riverseeds Performance Collective (Puti Lancaster, Ana Chaya Scotney and Marama Beamish) returns with three performances of new dance piece The Contours of Heaven. Ani Tylee is producer of Kiwi As, combining the 120 voices of the Hawke’s Bay and Wellington Community Choirs to celebrate some of New Zealand’s most loved pop songs including hits by The Mockers, the Mutton Birds and Crowded House. You’ll also hear a range of Hawke’s Bay voices from the stage of the Readers & Writers events, including David Trubridge speaking on the contemporary notion of beauty, opera star and Project Prima Volta founder Anna Pierard discussing with Lizzie Marvelly ways to transform and improve the lives of young people, and Wardini Books’ very own awardwinning writer Gareth Ward on his hit book The Traitor and the Thief.

Kaye McGarva Owner of Muse

Stonewood Homes Stonewood Homes Hawke’s Bay came away triumphant from the 2017 Registered Master Builders House of the Year Awards for the East Coast. The local firm took home a gold and two silver awards: • Gold Award & Category Winner: Nulook New Home $700,000 to $1 million • Silver Award Winner: Nulook New Home $700,000 to $1 million • Silver Award Winner: Resene New Home up to $450,000 Taking both Gold and Silver Awards in the Nulook New Home $700,000 to $1 million category, Peter Barnes remarked that it’s the special touches which set these houses apart. The three-bedroom, three-bathroom Gold Award & Category winning house is a spacious new home in Hastings featuring double cedar entry doors opening on to a foyer with recycled matai flooring, plus generous living areas, large master suite, and a guest wing complete with kitchen, living, bedroom and bathroom. The indooroutdoor flow and expansive deck overlooking a heated in-ground pool make the house ideal for entertaining. The Silver Award winning home is also in Hastings and features a

covered porch with schist columns leading into the formal foyer. Double French doors part to reveal a spacious, tiled family/dining/kitchen area. Solid jarrah adds richness in the modern kitchen and a scullery features up-to-date appliances. A temperature-controlled wine cellar is a favourite feature of this fourbedroom property. In the smaller home category Stonewood Homes Hawke’s Bay was pleased to take the Silver Award for the Resene New Home up to $450,000. “The brief from the owner, was simply ‘Build me a modern-day castle’.” says Peter. The 194m2 four-bedroom home features colonial windows and open plan family, dining and kitchen areas. A major consideration for the owners of this home was to maximise the beautiful Hawke’s Bay summers, so large bi-fold doors between the communal areas and a large deck are a key feature. The Registered Master Builders 2017 House of the Year Awards saw more than 370 homes judged by a team of industry experts, with regional awardwinners being announced in July and August, ahead of the National Awards at the end of the year.

Our winter exhibition programme starts mid May... it’s the equivalent of speed dating in the art world. Every two weeks we will have a new Feature Artist. Visit our website for more details.

L E T U S I N S P I R E YO U

5 Havelock Road Havelock North 06 877 8970 www.museart.nz OPEN 7 DAYS CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY & ART LEASING AGENCY

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Keryn Whitney's earlier WoW ﬁnalist designs. Images courtesy of World of Wearable Arts.

Putting a Stamp on WoW Hawke’s Bay artist Keryn Whitney has had a creation selected for the World of Wearable Arts for the eighth time, and will see her design presented at the international show in Wellington in September. Keryn’s usual medium is glass, but she caught the wearable art bug ten years ago and in that time has developed her skill level and conceptual approach to design enormously, she says. “Every one of my designs has been completely diﬀerent – using new techniques and materials, totally diﬀerent themes. These are made component by component, so the planning discipline that I have from glass blowing has been useful too.” Keryn has also entered the local Edible Fashion Awards three times, winning it this year with a spikey biodegradable cutlery design. Her 2017 WoW entry has her

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trademark attention to detail, but nothing else in common with the Edible Fashion work. This entirely sewn (rather than assembled piece) casts light on the humble New Zealand stamp. The concept development for the design began last year as Keryn considered the Syrian refugee crisis, xenophobic rhetoric of Trump’s presidential campaign, and news reports of mistreatment of asylum seekers in the Manus Island detention centre. She came to think about the nature of migration as it relates to New Zealand’s colonial past, and realised how lucky she felt to have an older immigration story. Many colonial families came here partially – half a family at a time, she says, with only a slow postal system to keep people connected to their relatives and loved ones a world away. “So the letters they sent carried so

much power – stories of heartache and loss, of love, progress, crops failing, all those things that were happening so far away.” In a way, she says, the postal system helped people cope with the isolation of this new country. In the early 1930s the department of Postage and Telegraphs established a competition to ﬁnd new designs for New Zealand stamps to replace the previous King George stamps. It took four years from the competition to the production of the new range of stamps – one for each price denomination – and one of these is the stamp Keryn has used as an inspirational springboard for her own design. To see just how that stamp has been transformed into a dramatic wearable artwork, we’ll have to make the trip to Wellington for WoW, where Keryn piece will be up against 101 other selected garments.

Wine: Stories from Hawke’s Bay Mark Sweet Photographs Tim Whittaker

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An engaging read that I heartily recommend for the depth and character it adds to the Hawke’s Bay wine experience. Alwyn Corban, Ngatarawa Wines I heartily recommend this book to anyone interested in a wellresearched piece of important wine history, a glimpse into many of the characters who have helped build a thriving wine industry, a winemaker’s view of what makes the region and its wines special, or a beautifully illustrated adornment for a coffee table. Bob Campbell, Master of Wine

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C U LT U R E & LIFESTYLE

BOOKS: MICHAL MCKAY

No Fear THERE IS A SAYING - "Your largest fear carries your greatest growth." For Havelock North writer, Mary-anne Scott it certainly is prescient. As an accomplished musician, teacher, writer and mother of four now grown-up boys, she is well-experienced in the daily interaction with children and teenagers; conversations which provide her with an intimate insight into their ambitions, worries, joys and sorrows. But raising her own four teenage sons presented a challenge for which she found herself surprisingly unprepared. "I was scared out of my wits," she comments wryly. Both Paul [her husband] and I are pretty unconventional, but even so there were days so tough that I wondered whether I was ever going to make it." Her solution? She confronted her fears through writing. "I had always loved writing. As a ten year old I started producing love songs with David Cassidy in mind as the singer … he never responded," she laughs. "They were always tragic!" She also comes with a strong creative gene. Her mother Joy Watson

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is author of the well-known Grandpa's Slippers children's books. Mary-anne's first book, Snakes and Ladders, aimed at teenagers, particularly boys, won the 2013 young adult category of the Children's Choice award at the NZ Post Book Awards and was also short listed for the 2013 LIANZA awards. Her second book, Coming Home to Roost, also written from a young man's perspective, was a finalist in the recent Young Adult Fiction category in the NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. (Maurice Gee, whom Mary-anne regards as a master storyteller, won.) Both books (and a third on the publisher's desk) are a reflection of how her writing helped get her through the abyss. "I frightened myself so much so I had to create the answers. I discovered that not reacting was as ineffective as being shrill and shrewish. I knew I had to be brave enough to admit my concerns. We parented differently – my solutions were not necessarily those that Paul would come up with – but we shared well and did the best we could." The male and female perspectives, she

feels, have provided the platform for her boys to get up and carry on. “They are a very close quartet and tight … they have formed a bond that has meant all the problems have been ironed out at home. No dirty washing left the house." And as parents they always took an interest, whether it was in their sport, schooling, social life. It's the secret as far as Mary-anne is concerned. "I was a little bit Queen Bee-ish; I expected to be treated with courtesy and part of their education was through the stomach - the lid remained on the porridge pot until everything that was on the list had been done." Mary-anne maintains that a course at EIT in Napier "turned on the switch". She started to write short stories, began winning with her writing and developed then from closing oﬀ at 3,000 words into books. Snakes and Ladders was published at the time she was completing a writing course at Whitireia. 'I soaked it up like a sponge, desperate to learn new skills." Coming Home to Roost was the result. Both books deal with what she classes as the grit and bitumen of a young teenage

Mary-anne Scott Photo: Florence Charvin

boy's life – bullying, cheating, sexual growth, unplanned parenthood, deception, lies and ﬁnally redemption. She admits that many of the characters contain elements of her own family and friends. "Paul's parents and mine have all played a huge part in our boys' upbringing and I do ﬁnd their voices coming through in various ways. For instance Arnie in Coming Home to Roost and the way he barks at the boys, is very typical of a family friend for whom I have huge admiration." Simultaneously her sister Jude, with whom she shares a particular bond – "growing up she was my negotiator" – did a course in editing and Mary-anne regards that as having been a turning point for her. "She cuts straight through, comes up with suggestions, makes me rewrite again and again." She also considers Mandy Hager one of her mentors. “She taught me to read critically, be incisive in a positive way. Since then I've never been able to read the same way." As one of nine children – eight girls (she is the second eldest) and one boy (the youngest) – Mary-anne certainly had good

experience of a disciplined family life. It was also a life imbued with music. Every child had to learn two instruments – she the guitar and the cello – and the family routine was ruled by a timetable on the kitchen wall which would've earned points in any airline roster. She is swift to acknowledge that in hindsight the regulations required of such a large family were a blessing. "It was hard to quit or avoid practice. Unfortunately today I don't think the same boundaries apply." Not surprisingly music became an integral part of her own boys' lives while at school, and Mary-anne was very involved with the music departments at every level of their education. She coached school bands, classical ensembles, choirs and solo performances as well as running guitar lessons. "Learning music stimulates parts of the brain that are related to reading, maths and emotional development. It helps memory function, social connections, conﬁdence and creativity. In fact it is a gift." A gift she still continues to regard as a major part of her own life, never travelling

without a guitar. And she still sings - " it's just my joy - you can't cry and sing at the same time". And she plays at weddings and garden parties, often with her younger brother Leo, "who plays a mean violin". Covers are anything from blues, jazz, and anything else in between … blues being a special love. Mary-anne is of the belief that you never stop learning. Her own life is proof. Something new is always happening. The most recent development has been a role with Stuﬀ instigated by the interview she did for Sunday magazine on the book awards. Emily Simpson, the editor, suggested she might be interested in a new series in which parents write in and tell their problems and that Mary-anne – with her solid experience as a guide along with help from family and friends – provide suggestions for solutions. She was. And it launches this month (September). For any angst-driven parents of teenagers in need of a shoulder it undoubtedly will be a ‘must’. Read Mary-anne's books if you haven't already and you'll understand why.

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MARY KIPPENBERGER

Letter from the Country when we arrived back from Canada it was 1964. I was 13 years old. New Zealand was far different from the society I had spent the last ten years in. There was a pre-American innocence here. I remember the shock of hearing someone swear, and as a nation we fell off our collective bikes with the news of a solitary murder. My father was studying for a master’s in history and my mother was an outworker sewing plastic baby pants at a penny a pop. We owned both a villa in Remuera, Auckland and a bach in Big Manly, Whangaporoa. Yes I know it’s all a bit ‘sepia photo in oak oval frame’, but life certainly seemed kinder then. There were jobs a plenty, houses rested on quarter acre sections and the country closed for the weekend. We still had and have a long way to go to find the egalitarian society we thought we saw in the mirror, but the rich hadn’t yet galloped completely out of sight and we danced every Friday night in echoing, wooden-floored church halls. I’m no intellectual giant, but I’m happy with my emotional intelligence and at this particular moment in time I’m finding it all just a bit tough out there. I wept when Metiria Turei resigned. I wept for the loss of a New Zealand I want to live in, a utopia of fairness, kindness and equality where people and the environment come before monetary wealth and power. And where we are celebrated for what we have become and not for the mistakes we have made in getting to where we are supposed to be. Hyenas and vultures appeared baying at Metiria’s front door. They bayed with indignation and self-righteousness. The message seemed lost within the delight of a frenzied kill. Facebook for me is a place where like-minded friends share day-to-day events, their grandchildren and their support for social issues. It serves as a cushioned echo chamber, a place where our collective beliefs are affirmed and ping-pong back and forth between each other. So it was a shock when I read a cruel 96 • BAYBUZZ • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

Photo: Danny Priestley

I wept when Metiria Turei resigned. I wept for the loss of a New Zealand I want to live in, a utopia of fairness, kindness and equality where people and the environment come before monetary wealth and power. comment re Metiria on my page and an even greater shock when I read one from a member of my own far away extended family; just one comment, but fattened and fed by other unknown commentators. I felt physically sick; I rehearsed my angry retorts and headed off on my high horse straight for the ‘de- friend’ button. I stopped myself just in time. Was that really the answer? Attack and remove? How do we ever find common ground, make real changes, listen to each other, if we press the ‘de-friend’ button, either real or metaphorical? Many years ago I went on a ten-day Te Tiriti o Waitangi course run by the powerful Mereana Pitman. There were 12 participants including a tall, thin man, an immigrant from Europe. His racism lay thick across the room like an army of cockroaches crawling from every crevice and I wanted to verbally attack and remove. Over the 10 days I watched Mereana, her of the liquid voice and challenging tattoos. I watched her use humour, empathy and reason and I saw light

bulbs pinging as Mr. Europe found a new song to sing. It was a lesson I have never forgotten. If she had huffed and puffed and blown the house down he would have remained locked into those beliefs and tumbled the poison down the whakapapa to the generations in waiting. Thank you for letting me have a wee rant. I needed that. I think I will go down to the chook pen with Alice. We will collect the eggs and chat. We will notice stuff. We will notice the warmth of the sunshine as springs winks from the next room. We will notice the birds darting through the trees, swooping down to seed cakes made by Alice’s mum. We will talk about all the things a five year old learns as a big schoolgirl. And when I pull faces Alice will laugh and say, “Oh Grandy you’re so silly!” For a moment I will take time out from the big world and dip into the joy and wonder of a small world. And we will hug and she will skip back to her place and I to mine, cheered and ready for the next day. Well perhaps I won’t skip outwardly, but inwardly I will be skipping.

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