32 minute read
The Healthy Channel: John Appleton
I have been writing articles on topics related to our health for a number of years and in Channel I keep you up to date on ways in which we might improve our health by becoming more aware of the many options that are available to us.
John Appleton.
Sore Knees? You are not alone
As I see it - by John Appleton
How many of us have friends or family members who have hobbled around often for years, putting up with pain from knees that are showing signs of wear and tear? I am sure we all know of people who have had to resort to surgery to in order to get their ‘life’ back.
As we age and injuries suffered on the sports field many years prior significantly reduce our ability to get around, it becomes very clear just how important our knees are. Arthritis (inflammation of a joint) is the most common form of chronic knee pain. Arthritis tends to creep up on us and the problem for many is that they rely on pain relieving medications for too long, only taking action when the almost constant pain becomes unbearable.
Surgery (knee replacement) can be very successful and it’s certainly something that is an option for many people if other less invasive interventions don’t achieve the desired outcome.
When I was in my 20s I spent a lot of time hurtling down steep European mountains on skis. An injury to one of my knees has recently come back to ‘bite’ me. An ultrasound showed that the joint had become arthritic and because I am very active, I investigated a potential ‘fix it’ that may avoid the need for surgery when the situation progressed beyond what could be described as a progressively worsening level of discomfort.
I had previously had treatment with Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) in a shoulder joint and given that the result was much better than I anticipated, I decided to see if the same ‘magic’ might work for my knee. PRP is a treatment option that can be described as ‘very cool’. It’s totally safe, relatively inexpensive and it’s been around for many years.
Dr Zaid Matti is a musculoskeletal doctor in Albany who specialises in PRP treatments. The process involves an ultrasound ‘tour’ of the joint which Dr Matti uses to help with a diagnosis. The next step involves a local anesthetic which is injected around the site to be treated.
The really ‘cool’ part of the process involves drawing a cylinder of blood from an arm and spinning it in a centrifuge until the red blood cells end up in the bottom leaving the yellowy coloured fluid, plasma at the top. Within the plasma are the platelets, which are the smallest of our blood cells and so called because they resemble ‘plates’. They have a key role in forming clots to stop bleeding when we sustain an injury, but they have another very important function as regenerative cells that release growth factors which promote healing and repair. They actively ‘recruit’ stems cells to the site of injury which go about rebuilding damaged tissues.
Armed with a syringe filled with plasma ‘rich’ in regenerative platelets, Dr Matti injects the PRP around the joint using ultrasound for guidance. It’s all but painless and apart from limiting my exercise programme (powerwalking) for a couple of days, I was ‘good to go’. I have been very pleased with the outcome. I am walking pain-free with only a minor ‘niggle’ when walking up steep hills.
The cost is around $1,500 for a treatment and I understand that some health insurance companies will cover it. I am with Southern Cross and they don’t. For the benefit that I have felt and the likelihood that I may sidestep a surgical intervention, I think it’s well worth the outlay. One treatment may provide sufficient relief, but additional treatments may be necessary for some folk. I am going with two.
A retrospective study conducted in Spain which included 667 patients found that with PRP treatment, 86% of patients in the survival analysis study did not undergo joint replacement surgery during the five year follow-up period.
As I see it, the most important thing is to seek treatment as early as possible in the disease process.
John Appleton john@johnappleton.co.nz 09 489 9362 www.johnappleton.co.nz
Very customer friendly space. Barfoot & Thompson's Commercial office in Milner Avenue, Silverdale.
Move sends a signal of how important the area is becoming as a commercial location
Barfoot & Thompson has announced further population growth in areas like the opening of a new Rodney Dairy Flat in 10-15 years. It is natural for Commercial Satellite office in people to want to work, shop and dine Silverdale. This is a sub-branch of the out close to where they live, and that is North Shore Commercial office in where we come in. Takapuna. “This strategic decision makes sense to
The new office – situated in Milner us as it is driven by growth in the Rodney Ave in the Silverdale town centre – is and Silverdale areas, mostly as a result of under the leadership of Barfoot & residential developments and a substantial Thompson’s Commercial Manager for increase in population. Latest figures North Shore Simon Farland, and the Simon Farland, Ben Clare and Graeme Perigo at their new show there has been huge activity in the Rodney team includes Graeme Perigo, Silverdale office. two big new suburbs of Millwater and Ben Clare, and Richard Parkinson, who all Milldale. The timing could not be better have extensive experience and a wealth of knowledge. as we expand our reach and the area continues to grow.”
Simon Farland says that this move sends a signal of how important Simon Farland adds that the commercial sector has also followed Auckland’s north area is becoming as both a residential and business the lead from the government with regard to re-zoning which has location. supported commercial growth.
“Our business is about people so it’s important to us to have a sense “Silverdale town centre and nearby Highgate are great examples of the local community’s commercial needs in advance,” says Simon of this. There are many key projects like this either already in place “When people are looking to move to an area, they expect support or coming down the pipeline in the Rodney area. Additionally with from commercial entities in the form of ease of access to retail, office great growth in Orewa and Warkworth and the expansion of the new and other services to make life as convenient as possible. motorway in this region, a dedicated presence was a natural choice for us. “The support from the directors to have a permanent presence …it’s important to us to have a outside of its previous residential branch location speaks volumes about their confidence in the potential sense of the local community’s commercial needs in advance… for the region and the established networks held by the commercial sales team.”
“The (Auckland) Unitary Plan has helped to speed accelerated population growth with this area growing very quickly. Where the people go, commercial entities will follow, as they are critical to the quality of life for residents. Again, looking at the Unitary Plan, we see
Barfoot & Thompson Commercial Rodney Office – 2/2 Milner Avenue, Silverdale Town Centre. Phone Graeme Perigo 021 676 067, Ben Clare Mobile 021 473 251 or Richard Parkinson Mobile 021 374 427. Visit: www.barfoot.co.nz
Simon Gundry is a Devonport and North Shore identity, and character, who is known for calling a spade a spade. He is a director of contracting company Gill & Gundry, is an enthusiastic sailor (past crew-member of Ceramco New Zealand, Lion New Zealand and Shockwave) and is a life member of the North Shore Rugby Football Club. He has been writing this thoughtprovoking column for Channel ever since the very first issue (well over a decade ago!).
Simon Gundry.
Green and white flows in my blood... I love it!
It was so joyful going down to my beloved North Shore Rugby Club on a balmy Saturday in May; they had a JB4 Field Day that included all the JB4 teams from throughout the North Harbour Union. Prior to the main event they had a Rippa Rugby Field Day, played amongst all the rippa teams from the Shore Club. It is great to see we have almost record numbers in the Junior Club, with almost Junior Rugby action at Vauxhall Domain. 460 players including 130 girls. In 2023, the North Shore Rugby Club is coming up to its 150th birthday party; it is the second or third oldest club in the country and it is indeed the oldest club still playing on their original playing fields on Vauxhall Road.
As a kid in the late 1950s I wandered down to the club, probably out of boredom, and started playing in the Junior Club as a six-yearold. The old green and white jersey has flowed in my blood ever since. I’ve met and retained life-long friendships from humble beginnings at the club. On that recent Saturday in May I ran into guys and women who I had gone to school with 50 years previously, and they were all down there watching their grandchildren play. A great way of catching up, and far better than going to a funeral.
On that particular weekend in May the North Shore Prems and the Senior Prem 2s, along with the under-85 restricted grade, were playing in the afternoon, and there was a wonderful crowd of locals watching. There were mothers, fathers, girlfriends, partners, children, grandchildren, sisters, brothers, dogs, all surrounding the fields cheering on the green and white. After the games were finished and all the sideline flags, ropes and pigtails, post pads etc. had been duly picked up and delivered back to their allotted slots in the club house, the rubbish picked up, the odd umbrella left and added to the collection of lost ones in the club, the crowd meandered into the clubrooms for refreshments. Hamburgers and conversation, a dissection of the game that had just been played. The kids were outside the window playing a ragtag game of rugby, dozens of them with one ball with rules only they made up to abide by. The sun melted into the back of Mt Victoria behind the plane trees, the clubrooms absolutely abuzz with conversation. The kids started trailing in, begging to be fed, hamburgers and chips being the staple diet, with the odd hotdog thrown in.
Speeches were made from the Home and Visitor’s teams, along with the referee and for seven minutes the clubrooms were silent as the formalities were undertaken. Both captains thanked the opposition, the opposition supporters, people in the kitchen, the bus driver, the referee and anyone else who needed to be thanked. This is the tradition that goes on throughout New Zealand in clubs throughout the country, and long may it last. To a lot of people it is probably quite politically incorrect to see kids running around outside in bare feet in winter playing rugby, having hot chips splattered in tomato sauce for dinner, while their parents were enjoying conversation and a cold beverage. But I suppose it’s better than kids sitting in the cold car eating a bag of crisps while their parents are drinking in the public bars. We always said that without rugby our jails would be a lot fuller than they are at present. Because of the game, people are taught the discipline of turning up to training on time, respecting their fellow players and the opposition, learning how to tie a tie and and to dress up for a formal occasion, and the long traditions of our great game and the clubs players belong to.
I’ve been blessed in my life to mix professionally with people I have met decades ago playing in rugby teams – doctors, lawyers, merchant bankers, plumbers, block layers, sparkies – virtually everyone I meet these days has a connection back to the North Shore Rugby Club and I am so blessed with their friendships.
As I said previously, going to the footy club in an afternoon is far, far better than going to a funeral. More of you should do it, get off the couch on a Saturday and wander down to your local sports club where you possibly played decades ago and you will meet members of your local community, old friends, and catch up with people you may not have seen for years and years.
I know this isn’t much of a grumble, but I’m sick of grumbling about Lake Road; nothing ever seems to get done. And also, I would like to know when the Council is going to expose their secret plans for the second harbour crossing.
Accelerating success.
For Lease - Office
2-4 Fred Thomas Drive, Takapuna Naming RIghts
Various options available from 310 sqm to a larger floor plate of 900 sqm.
Opportunities for modern office space with generous carparks are rare in Takapuna.
This iconic building is in an excellent location, close to CBD, with a cafe on site and minutes to Takapuna beach. Seperate car park building providing generous car parking.
Customise your fit out and layout, excellent resources to hand.
Contact Janet Marshall 021 684 775 for more information.
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Accelerating success.
For Lease - Albany Office
Returning 310, 500 & 900 sqm Minutes to CBD
Janet Marshall 021 684 775 janet.marshall@colliers.com
Competitive Rental Generous Car Parking
Colliers NZ Limited Licensed REAA 2008
55 Corinthian Drive, Albany, Auckland 5 Star (Design) Green Building
Prominent and highly visible standalone building offering a 5 Green Star rating and occupied by Corporate and Government tenants plus a high tech gym and cafe. You are invited to view the most outstanding building on the North Shore which further offers sustainable features and high grade specifications. 5 Green Star rating High level of car park ratio
55 Corinthian Drive is a four level office building and included in the complex is a five level car parking building with a circular access ramp located on the eastern end of the building. Please contact Janet on 021 684 775 or email for an exclusive viewing. 2 Levels of 1650m floor plates
Janet Marshall 021 684 775 janet.marshall@colliers.com
colliers.co.nz/p-NZL67002672 Colliers NZ Limited Licensed REAA 2008
Accelerating success.
For Sale by Deadline Private Treaty, closing Thursday 1 July 2021 at 4pm
68-76 Clyde Road, Browns Bay, Auckland Large Retail Site For Sale
Rarely does an opportunity such as this come to the market. This high profile corner site in the heart of Browns Bay close to the beach, comes with x7 tenancies including a long established Optometrist, The UK Grocer and Flaming Onion Restaurant.
The site is close to multiple schools, childcare centres and residential, with a newly built apartment block across the road. Browns Bay is a stratgegic location in the heart of Auckland’s North Shore. Zoning is Business - Mixed Use and the site is surrounded by established commercial businesses.
For an information pack and/or an exclusive viewing, please contact us.
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Boundary Line Indicative Only
7x Tenancies - split risk 1,232 sqm site - close to beach Returning $310K pa + GST Premium corner & frontage
Janet Marshall 021 684 775 janet.marshall@colliers.com Matt Prentice 021 464 904 matt.prentice@colliers.com
Colliers NZ Limited Licensed REAA 2008
Accelerating success.
For Sale by Negotiation
Unit A4, 17 Corinthian Drive, Albany Albany Office for Sale - $1,144M + GST (if any) will buy
A rare opportunity to buy a quality office within the secure office park at 17 Corinthian Drive, Albany. Located in the fast growing Albany centre, and adjacent to the Greville Road motorway ramp, the position provides profile and close proximity to the excellent amenities at Westfield Mall and the Albany Mega Centre.
This 260 sqm first floor office boasts generous allocated parking plus on road car parking. The office has road front profile to Corinthian Drive.
Don’t rent when you can own, buy now while interest rates are low. This centrally located office is close to excellent amenities. This is the opportunity for you. Don’t delay, call the Sole Agents for more information or to arrange an exclusive time to view.
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Boundary Lines Indicative Only
260 sqm & generously allocated carparks Easy access to motorways & main arterials
Why pay rent when you can your own office
Janet Marshall 021 684 775 janet.marshall@colliers.com Kerry Cook 021 194 3949 kerry.cook@colliers.com
Colliers NZ Limited Licensed REAA 2008
New boards a boost as diving numbers grow
Shore schools excel at school diving championships
Spirits were high and the splashes were higher at Glenfield Pool and Leisure Centre recently as members and friends of Auckland Diving joined with the local community to break in the new onemetre and three-metre diving boards that were recently installed at the centre.
Glenfield pool is home to one of only two facilities in Auckland that are appropriate for springboard and platform diver training. The closure of the dive well between February and April was the latest in a series of training disruptions for Auckland’s divers. Over the past 18 months both of the city’s diving pools have been shut down at various times due to maintenance issues, Covid lockdowns and Auckland’s water shortage. However, under the leadership of Auckland Diving’s head coach, Steve Gladding, the coaching staff were able to come up with creative methods to keep diver morale high and training sessions going, even when the boards were unavailable.
“It’s a testament to the culture of our two clubs, North Harbour Diving and Diving Waitakere, our members and our great young coaches that, despite a range of setbacks, our divers are continuing to make fantastic progress,” says Steve Gladding, who credits diving for helping to foster that resilience. “Diving is all about overcoming challenging situations and what we do on the boards helps build a mindset that can be really useful in all aspects of life; that’s why we love to see people giving diving a go whether it’s competitively or recreationally.”
Auckland Diving is on a mission to encourage more people to try diving by making it more accessible through its school diving programmes and community initiatives. The event at Glenfield was held during a public session and was open to anyone who wanted to join in.
“We thought it was a great way to celebrate the new boards. The staff at Glenfield Pool and Leisure Centre were brilliant at helping us to organise the event and supporting us on the day, and we could see they were also enjoying watching the fun being had. We’re grateful to Auckland Council for investing in the boards, so that our divers and the Glenfield community can continue to use the dive well knowing the equipment is safe.”
Sunday’s session was not a typical Auckland Diving event, with participants being encouraged to pull out some crazy shapes and make some big splashes as they launched themselves off the boards.
Following the event, divers returned their focus to training for upcoming competitions including the Auckland Schools Champs at West Wave Pool and Leisure Centre on 20 May. With the addition of a separate Intermediate Schools competition this year, as well as the Secondary Schools event, it was the largest schools event to date with more than 75 competitors representing 24 Auckland schools.
“We’ve changed the format to enable more schools and divers to enter the competition this year and added an intermediate category. It’s exciting to see this competition grow,” commented Auckland Diving's School Development Officer, Ellie Price.
Albany Junior High School was the overall winner of the Intermediate Schools competition, followed by Ponsonby Intermediate in second place and Northcross Intermediate in third. The Secondary Schools event was won by the combined efforts of Albany Junior High and Albany Senior High, for the ninth consecutive year, with Westlake Girls High School second, and Diocesan School third.
Price works with Auckland schools that want to develop diving as part of their sporting repertoire. Auckland Diving also runs a one-day Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC) programme for schools that includes sessions with Olympic coaches and athletes, as well as giving students the opportunity to challenge themselves and try something new.
Steve Gladding has coached all levels from beginners to Olympic medalists and is thrilled at the prospect of more people taking up the sport. He believes New Zealand divers will continue to make gains on the international diving scene.
“New Zealand is brimming over with potential for this sport, and we’ve got some incredibly talented young divers coming through, some of whom may have never considered trying diving but have given it a go through one of our school programmes or tried it because their friends were doing it,” he said.
The country’s young divers are finding inspiration from watching home-grown athletes compete on the world stage, including at the recent Diving World Cup in Tokyo, where Wellington divers Nathan Brown and Anton Down-Jenkins showed what New Zealand has to offer. Down-Jenkins came away from the event having qualified for a spot at the Tokyo Olympics, joining previously qualified Auckland diver, Lizzie Cui.
Note: Auckland Diving is administered by the Auckland Diving Community Trust (ADCT). This is a not-for-profit organisation that works with Auckland's two diving clubs, North Harbour Diving and Diving Waitakere to provide professionally run springboard and platform diving classes. Divers range from those who are brand new to the sport, through to athletes competing at major international events including the Olympics. Diving is a fun, dynamic and unique sport which helps develop agility, strength, coordination and deep water confidence. Our divers come from varied backgrounds including gymnastics, cheerleading, rugby players, kids who enjoy jumping off wharfs and pool sides, and those who just love to be in the water. Classes are suitable for people from five years through to adult, provided participants can comfortably swim in deep water.
Diving action at Glenfield pool.
The new BenefitzHQ at 5-11 Parkway Drive is just 75 metres away from the businesses previous home of 17 years on Constellation Drive.
Benefitz is powered by Solar Energy with the entire north-west side of the roof covered in solar panels.
Benefitz, now all under one roof!
Benefitz, the publishers of Channel Magazine have spent the past year relocating their business to a new purpose fitted out facility on Parkway Drive, just off Constellation Drive. That move was completed during May.
Benefitz is a unique business that designs, manufactures and implements a range of solutions for communication. These include web design and development, graphic design, volume and short run printing, publishing, signage, fabrication, display and exhibition.
The new facility – Benefitz HQ – means that the entire business is now located under one roof. Over time the operations of the company had grown to encompass two buildings on Parkway Drive – one on the corner of Constellation Drive, the other at 18 Parkway Drive.
“Our desire was to have our whole operation on one facility so when the opportunity came up to take on the building at 5-11 Parkway Drive we jumped at the chance to create our new Benefitz HQ,” says Managing Director Aidan Bennett. “The building offered us a blank canvas really, being a large empty factory in a great position.”
The decision to take on the new building and relocate everything to the one site was made back in 2019, and became even more important with the Covid pandemic disruption.
“We were initially meant to move our head office from the Constellation corner into the new building in May last year but the
Benefitz entrance and reception area. The Benefitz open plan creative area.
Production office and vinyl cutting machinery.
Covid lockdown, and related uncertainty, meant that was delayed,” adds Aidan Bennett. “We completed that move in August/September last year. More recently we moved our signage and XL printing operation in from their 18 Parkway Drive premises. This was just completed a few weeks back in mid-May.”
Aidan Bennett says they are already seeing the benefits of all being under one roof.
“This move has certainly revitalised our business. Having everything we do under one roof is great for our team and good for our customers. It also provides our customer’s with an idea of the range of solutions we can provide. No other business in New Zealand provides the variety that we have, and certainly not under one roof.”
The main entrance to the business opens up to an impressive caféstyle reception area (with coffee machine) then onto the open plan area that is home to 12 stand-up desks for the Benefitz creative and web development team. This area is also home to the admin team and a spacious meeting room.
Walking beyond this open plan office area a door (with a ‘Let’s Explore’ invitation) takes you directly into the large manufacturing facility. This includes the signage workshop complete with fabrication and application areas and a CNC router. There is a work space where projects such as car signage can be undertaken. Adjacent is the XL
PUR and hard case book binding is always busy.
printing area with flatbed, billboard/banner and fabric printing as well as digital cutting and finishing technology.
At the south western end of the large factory you will find the volume printing technology. Two Komori 5-colour presses and a workhorse Heidelberg printing press. Accompany this is a range of print finishing equipment including folders, coaters, stitchers/ staplers, diecutting machines, and guillotines. Benefitz busy PUR and hardcase binding machinery is also in this area.
A new addition to the factory is a 20 x 17 metre structure that is the airconditioned home to production and sales/management offices (with meeting rooms) as well as Benefitz powerful larger and smaller format digital printing machinery. No less than 10 different digital machines which complete the businesses capability of printing virtually anything.
There is also an impressive staff kitchen and function area on the upstairs mezzanine floor.
“While we still have a bit of organising to do to get things spot on, visitors are certainly already impressed when we give them the full tour of the new building,” says Aidan Bennett. “It really does give them the full picture of our capability. They have a greater understanding that there is not too much we can’t produce in the communications space.”
The new Benefitz facility is powered by solar energy with the entire north-western side of the massive roof completed with solar panels. Benefitz entire business is predominantly powered by solar now with the aim to manage the power so they are 100% powered by solar with back-up from the grid.
Benefitz HQ: 5-11 Parkway Drive, Mairangi Bay, Rosedale, Auckland. Visit: www.benefitz.co.nz
Benefitz Komori volume printing machinery.
Grand format printing and finishing.
Signage workshop complete with fabrication and application areas.
From the Member(s)
Aidan Bennett.
When I was elected to the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board as the highest polling candidate back in October 2019, I took the chair for the first 18 months of the term. One of the first things we did was to ensure we created an environment where we could work closely with staff and be very well informed. So we could make the best decisions for the future of our community. That involved us operating with closed workshops to gather this information, before decisions were finally made at our monthly business meetings that were open to the public. Those are the important decision making meetings. This month my colleague and fellow local board member Toni van Tonder provides this column on her thoughts about closed versus open workshops. I reckon she’s hit the spot with all the facts.
The Case for Closed Workshops By Toni van Tonder, Elected Member, Devonport-Takapuna Local Board
In the May business meeting at the DevonportTakapuna Local Board a notice of motion was submitted by the new Chair to open workshops to the public and media. Three of us voted against this motion, three voted for. It was passed using the casting vote of the Chair. It’s a big decision for a Board to open their workshops and so it’s worth learning about why I didn’t want to see it happen.
The Local Board comes together every Tuesday. Every third Tuesday of the month we hold an open business meeting where decisions are made. The other three Tuesdays are set aside for various departments of Council or the CCOs such as Auckland Transport (AT) or Eke Panuku or Auckland Unlimited to come and present to us items of importance to our Local Board area. Community groups too can come to us during this time to workshop any issues or concerns they may have.
Workshops are a tool for elected members to gain valuable insights and information on issues or projects happening in the area. We’re able to ask as many questions as we like and thrash out ideas on how to get the best outcomes for all. There is a free flow of information and this is important in supporting us to make good decisions when the Business Meeting comes around.
When I was the Devonport Business Association (BID) Manager I would come to workshops to discuss things happening in the town centre. Whilst my formal presentation was available to the public, as all workshop material is, it was the verbal exchange recorded by the sitting media that ended up in the paper. It was a story that I hadn’t expected, I hadn’t been interviewed for, and on content that hadn’t even been confirmed or decided upon. It had been a free and frank conversation that suddenly hit the headlines, because let’s face it, it’s always a slow news day in Devonport.
I was aggrieved, and it meant that I was unlikely to answer future questions in a workshop, or present the full
Toni van
picture, instead only focusing on the rosy Tonder. news-worthy stories rather than engaging in a constructive conversation. This is a massive problem, because I know that I have not been the only person blind-sided by this ‘openness and transparency’ issue before. I told myself that if I was elected, I would close those workshops once again, and that’s what Aidan, George (Wood) and I did. Aidan got some grief for this, particularly by said media who had just had their easy “news” tap turned off. You will remember the satirical cartoon they did on Aidan. He took it well because it gives a pretty clear gauge on their reaction. But for Aidan and me both, this gig is not a life-style choice. We don’t plan on being in this role a long time; all we ever cared about is doing a bloody good job for the community in the time that we are here. We’re here to serve, and to do that we need information. If that annoys a few angry voices, then que sera sera.
The Devonport-Takapuna Local Board workshops were opened for the first time in 2013. Aidan Bennett, George Wood and I closed them again in 2019. Today there are only three of 21 Local Boards that have open workshops, and in no other case is there a local media sitting in the room writing down everything they hear.
There is a process, and the process is a democratic one. You elect your members. Those members do the work, learn what needs to be learned, set a direction and then we go out for consultation. This is the point where the public get involved. The public can attend a meeting and make a deputation or speak in public forum. We host regular Community Forum’s where anyone can ask to attend and speak to anything they are passionate about. There are online ‘have your say’ opportunities for renewals and policy changes. When that feedback is gathered, we then workshop the topic again, before taking it to an open meeting to make a decision.
But what will happen now, is we will stop seeing the officers. Hui with mana whenua will be less likely to take
Christmas. One of them I knew. I once worked for her incredible father. She was my age and she was under pressure from the public because she was working on Auckland’s weed policy and the use of agrichemicals – a contentious topic to say the least. It got so bad she did what she needed to do to get some peace. Why would Get Behind ScreeningWorkshops are a tool for elected members to gain valuable insights and I subject other Council staff to a workshop where the angry mobs can come in and harass them? Why would they want to come in and work with us when we’re not In a year where we’ve all become more health-conscious and learned the correct information on issues or projects happening in the area. protecting them? It’s negligence on our part if we think that’s okay. My other issue is that it’s not ‘openness and transparent’ way to use masks and wash our hands, we’re being encouraged to remember the other life-saving initiatives also on offer – such as cancer screening. June is bowel cancer awareness month, so it’s a great time to get up to date with screening. We’re able to ask as many questions as we like and thrash
The National Bowel Screening Programme, available in Waitematā since 2012, is now available all across Auckland. People aged between 60 and 74 are mailed the test kit to do at home and send back free by mail to the testing laboratory. The great thing about this programme is it can find bowel cancer before symptoms even begin. Finding and removing pre-cancerous polyps (growths on the bowel) can also prevent the development of cancer in the future. out ideas on how to get the best outcomes for all. There is a free flow of information and this is important in supporting us to make good decisions when the Business Meeting comes around. when the only people who do attend are the older set with time on their hands. Not one person in my own demographic attends workshops. Not one person from a minority culture attends workshops. Instead we get the same group (we know them all by name!) who come in every week, make tutting noises, interject, and distract. Once, before I was elected, I attended a workshop I was presenting at and observed some of these people walking around the Council table handing out pieces of paper to various Board members whilst the meeting was in action, some interrupted and demanded to be heard. I and continue on a two-yearly cycle. If people are not sure when they last did the test, they can call the 0800 number to check. Programme Manager, Gaye Tozer, says: “More than 3,000 people are diagnosed with colon cancer annually in New Zealand, with 1200 people dying from this disease each year. We want to see North Shore residents stay out of those statistics. Please make sure your doctor has your up-to-date contact details and do the test when it arrives.” New Zealand has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer couldn’t believe it. Workshops turn into a circus. But the place. Having a journalist in attendance at every workshop and meeting is unnatural and compromises relationships. I also believe strongly that as elected members we need to do everything in our power to safeguard the well-being of Council staff. There has been a recent wellbeing review that shows the level of bullying Council Staff get from in the OECD and is the second highest cause of cancer death in the country. Bowel screening aims to find cancers early, when they can successfully be treated. People who are diagnosed with early stage bowel cancer, and who receive treatment early, have a 90% chance of long term survival. Invitations to participate in the programme appear in the new Chair and two other members campaigned together on this issue, and so the move to open workshops was not unexpected. The sad thing is, whilst our workshops may now be open, the workshop content will dry up and Local Board business will start to close, along with our opportunities to get great things done for the community. Screening is for people who do not have symptoms of bowel cancer. Anyone with symptoms should see their doctor. For more information, contact the National Bowel Screening Programme on 0800 924 432 or go to: timetoscreen.nz both elected members and members of the public. Very letterboxes of those eligible (dependent on their birth date) sadly two of our Council staff committed suicide before Email: toni.vantonder@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
