The first I’ve read is for the Minister of Local Government, Nick Smith. This passage caught my eye (italics are mine) …

“Addressing the following issues could help to make the local government system more robust and better able to adjust to future challenges and changing environments.

• The local government framework does not provide the tools needed to self regulate. Some districts are facing challenges, such as relatively high levels of debt and rates per capita, and are struggling to maintain the capability and capacity needed to perform their responsibilities efficiently. They may be vulnerable to shocks, and lack the resilience to recover if these occur …

• Communities also have few means to affect local authority decisions. Despite a generally strong local government commitment to consultation, people with an interest in their council can sometimes struggle to get clear information about the issues it faces and the potential impact on ratepayers and residents.

Even if the issues are clear, individuals and communities can find it hard to influence local authority decisions or hold those bodies to account. Elections are infrequent and are blunt accountability mechanisms. Seeking judicial review is expensive and addresses decision-making processes, rather than the substance of decisions. Providing more direct tools for people to review or influence local authority decisions could be useful, and could build on other measures to improve transparency, accountability and financial management in local government.

• Structural change is difficult. Reorganisation of districts and regions may help communities to adapt to changes in their economic, demographic and social circumstances. Making these changes is relatively difficult under the Local Government Act 2002 as a lengthy reorganisation process is prescribed. The infrequent success of locally-initiated proposals suggests the current legal process may be a barrier to communities achieving desired structural arrangements.”

Hmmm!

“Reorganisation of districts and regions may help communities to adapt to changes in their economic, demographic and social circumstances.” What a concept!

While these are the views of mere bureaucrats, they provide a platform from which a minister can justify and drive change on ‘apolitical’ grounds.

Nick Smith (wearing his Minister of the Environment hat) has already signaled his disappointment with local government performance with respect to freshwater management. Who knows what further ideas might be inspired in him, given views like these from the Department of Internal Affairs?!

Tom Belford

P.S. Here’s the full Briefing Local Government 2011.

P.P.S. Are you a BayBuzz magazine subscriber yet?! Subscribe here.

Alex Ferguson of Apache actually did all the talking, and it was evident that he’s made this kind of presentation probably hundreds of times. Deliver the basic information. Deflect the macro questions that are beyond your pay grade. Don’t get sucked into weird questions about your company’s name or its interest in alternative fuels. Smile at all times … do a bit of “Aw shucks” … play Mr Congeniality.

Alex has probably faced many more hostile audiences than your average Regional Councillor. Which isn’t to say Alex faced a hostile Regional Council; in fact, the questions from Councillors were tame as usual. No sweat.

He was pushed hardest on the suggestion that the companies conduct a forum for the general public, where anyone interested (and some would be very well informed) could ask questions. But eying the 60-75 fracking protesters who had packed into the Regional Council chamber, Alex demurred. And in a moment of candor he mentioned a lesson that corporate (and council) PR types learnt long ago — why conduct a public forum where you know most of those attending will leave just as unhappy as when they arrived … and get a bunch of media coverage for their protest in the bargain? What’s the upside for TAG and Apache?

Instead, the corporate ‘community engagement’ drill is to have small, under-the-radar meetings where nothing is said on-the-record where it might be reported or seriously challenged. Quietly go about the business of filing for consents, have private meetings with council staff … hell, even fly a few to Canada to chat some more. Just keep your head down, meet the statutory requirements and get on with the drilling. And offer your email address to anyone amongst the riff-raff who wishes to continue the one-on-one ‘dialogue’ (alex.ferguson@apachecorp.com).

Was the briefing worthwhile? Marginally.

We did learn that if fracking were used in Phase 1 (four exploratory wells), which he rated as a 50/50 probability, then 500-600 cubic metres of water would be used per well (can we presume HBRC will hold Apache to that?). That Apache is not looking for or expecting any natural gas … just oil. That we’ll know if there’s any oil by the end of 2012 … but if it’s there, we won’t know its commercial viability for another eighteen months thereafter. And that if development is warranted, the Crown will still need to award the necessary development permit.

All of this assuming the Regional Council awards the necessary resource consents without any conditions that cause Apache to abandon its quest. I think Apache has no worries on that one!

Tom Belford

P.S. CHB farmer Greg Hart, who sparked the impressive 200-strong anti-fracking rally before Wednesday’s Council briefing, has caught some flack for his citizen activism. It seems that, like the rest of us, Greg indeed uses oil! And to some, that makes him a hypocrite for challenging a continued oil-based future. Here’s what Greg says in reply …

Please help … I’m an addict

Since organising the “Rally of Hope’ gathering in Napier on Wednesday which protested against plans to drill and frack for oil on the East Coast and also to celebrate all the good things we have in Hawkes Bay, it has been pointed out to me on more than one occasion the hypocrisy of protesting against oil companies while living an oil dependant life. While I accept the truth in the accusation, it isn’t quite that simple.

I freely admit I am addicted to oil like everyone else I know in NZ. However we now know beyond all reasonable doubt that the continued burning of fossil fuels at current rates will relatively soon lead to irreversible climate change and by later this century the end of civilisation as we know it.

But like any addiction, I think the first step is to admit to the addiction and then seek help. I guess while trying to wean myself I have been making massive changes to the way we farm, concentrating on sequestering carbon into our soils by holistic and biological fertility management. I have stopped using aircraft to apply fertilizer and am trying to perfect holistic grazing management and getting animals to spread fertility around the hill paddocks by giving them free choice minerals. (lots to learn yet!!) I am working to become largely self sufficient in nutrient inputs on the farm using products we make ourselves or are sourced locally. Phosphate still comes from overseas in the form of Guano from Indonesia. We will continue to monitor the feasibility of this.

I have taken 3 young people onto the farm to begin a Community Supported Ag type scheme to produce food for local consumption from an environmentally aware farm, and will soon open our farm not only to the visiting public but to people who want to have some ownership and build a relationship with the land and help to further the dream of sustainability.

Thanks largely to the Air New Zealand Environment Trust almost 100,000 trees  have been planted on the farm in the last 4 years, and we remain committed to increasing bio diversity and restoring eco systems.

On a personal note, I am aware of every litre of fuel I burn and try to justify that in the bigger scheme of things.

So please understand, I am trying to kick the habit!! And that is why I am seeking help from council and government and the wider community because yes I have a problem but I can’t beat it on my own. Like trying to give up smoking while living in a family of smokers and all your mates smoke, I just can’t do it by myself!

While oil is the lifeblood of the economy and most of the stuff we take for granted these days, we have to remember that humans have only had this addiction for a bit over 100 years, an infinitesimal time in the history of our species.

SO HERE WE ARE AT THE CROSSROADS.

Do we put the hammer down and hit the wall in the road ahead at full speed (as per National government policy) or do we take the other road which might look a bit dusty but with human ingenuity and a new found respect and understanding of the web of life this alternative road could be much more fulfilling and give us more time to enjoy the journey.

I am an eternal optimist and believe that humans can still choose the alternative road, but the intersection is approaching fast.

You are invited to join us at www.thefamilyfarm.net.nz

Greg Hart

With respect to the environment, Smith focused on protection of NZ’s ocean area, freshwater management, and the Emissions Trading Scheme. Here are excerpts of Minister Smith’s remarks on environmental issues. Yesterday we posted on his local government reform comments. His full speech is here.

Nick Smith speech excerpts:

“My first environmental priority this year is to pass and implement new laws to provide for the environmental protection of New Zealand’s huge ocean area. This space of 650 million hectares or 20 times our land mass is known technically as the Exclusive Economic Zone and Extended Continental Shelf.

The issue is that the jurisdiction of the RMA ceases at the 12 mile limit of the territorial sea, yet we need to have a robust system for assessing the environmental impacts of activities in the ocean environment.

We need look no further than the Gulf of Mexico disaster in 2010 as to what can go wrong. A key conclusion of the subsequent inquiry was that an independent regulator, separate from the government agency responsible for promoting mineral exploration, needed to robustly check the environment risks. That is just what we are proposing with the Environmental Protection Authority.

Balance is at the core of the Government’s approach to this issue. There are significant economic opportunities for New Zealand from minerals in New Zealand’s EEZ, the 4^th largest in the world. This legislation is about taking these opportunities in an environmentally responsible way.

A second environmental priority is improving management of freshwater. Few New Zealanders appreciate how blessed we are in having the second highest per capita water resource in the world, nor how much of our export and energy industries depend on that resource.

In the last term of Government, we established the Land and Water Forum which produced by consensus across 58 groups a way forward for improving how we manage water. This year my priority is making progress on getting clearer rules for farmers on what they need to do to better protect water quality as well as progressing clean-up plans for a number of significant rivers and lakes that had over previous decades become polluted.

I am also proposing a new Environment Reporting Act that will improve the integrity of New Zealand’s green brand.

We are the only OECD country that does not have a statutory system of nationwide environment reporting. This is out of step with the importance of the environment to our national identity, economy and quality of life.

A good practical example of this problem is our water quality. There is no consistent system of measurement. It is very difficult to ascertain if it is getting worse or where it is improving and this just compounds the political difficulties in improving management. My aim is to establish a nationwide five yearly report that ranks New Zealand’s rivers and lakes from the cleanest to the dirtiest and identifies which ones are improving, and which are deteriorating. This will help focus communities on better managing this precious resource. The intended author of the report is the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment to ensure its independence and integrity.”

Regarding National’s approach to our nation’s ocean area, whether the Government’s legislation will be adequate to the urgent need to truly protect our ocean environment is debatable. Here is the critique of the Environmental Defence Society (press release, full submission), in my opinion, NZ’s most expert environmental voice.

With respect to water management, we’ll need to wait and see where the Land and Water Forum lands on key issues … and then how the National Government reacts if the measures and standards recommended fail to strike the right, using National’s favourite term, “balance” (i.e., are too tough for the farm lobby).

But I’m all for Minister Smith’s Environmental Reporting Act. The fact is, there’s no consistency whatsoever in how our freshwater quality is measured. Clear standards and stipulated measurement methodologies can’t come a moment too soon for Hawke’s Bay, where, adding to existing water quality contention, our Regional Council is considering adding 20,000 hectares of new irrigated farming in the Tukituki catchment.

As we offered yesterday, Minister Smith, you have an open invitation to speak in Hawke’s Bay. I guarantee we can pack the house.

Tom Belford

What he said about local government reform is an important message all local government officials in Hawke’s Bay — and their ratepayers — ought to hear. Here are excerpts of Minister Smith’s remarks on local government. Next time we’ll talk about his views on the environment. His full speech is here.

Nick Smith speech excerpts:

“I want to stress at the outset Government’s view that an efficient, responsive and well focused local government sector is absolutely vital to New Zealand. Our 78 Councils are responsible for $100 billon worth of public assets, employ 23,000 people, spend $7.5 billion each year of public money and everyday make thousands of regulatory decisions that impact on the lives of all New Zealanders.

If they do these jobs well, they can be a turbocharger for New Zealand Incorporated, but poorly and they become a handbrake on this country’s success. My ambition is to work with Councils to ensure they are a help not a hindrance to New Zealand getting ahead.

My number one concern is about spending and the financial burden of rates on households and businesses.

Over the past decade average rates across the country have grown by 6.8% per annum, or by more than twice the rate of inflation. It is telling, that of all the inputs into the consumer price index, rates have gone up by more than any other cost. Food price increases since 2002 have on average increased by 3.3%, transport 2.6%, clothing 0.1%, and housing 5%. The 6.8% rates rise figure is just unsustainable.

…

It is not just rates on the rise that have me concerned. Most New Zealanders would be shocked to learn just how quickly our councils have been racking up debt. Council debt has roughly quadrupled from $1.8 billion to $ 7 billion over the past decade. Debt is the issue of our time. Since 2008 it has been crippling economies internationally.

There has been a lot of commentary about Government and private sector debt increases over the past decade yet Council debt has grown faster than any other sector. It is now at levels unprecedented in the 140 year history of local government in New Zealand.

…

The $8 billion of local government debt might seem low when compared to the $100 billion of council assets. The issue is that very little of these assets are income generating and fewer still could be cashed up. The worry is the capacity to service this increasing debt burden from a relative low income stream of rates. Government has previously put debt limits on councils but these were repealed two decades ago. This may need to be reconsidered.

The underlying issue here is that while central government, households and businesses have responded to the crisis internationally over debt by pulling in spending local government has been slow to respond.

There is evidence of this in the labour cost index.  In 2005 to 2008 period pay rises in the state and local government sectors significantly exceeded that of the private sector.  National has been successful in pulling back state pay costs to an increase of 3.9% over the last three years, a third of the increase over the previous term.  My concern is that local government labour costs over the last three years increased by 7.6% or nearly double the rate of the state sector and still ahead of the private sector.

…

My endeavors will be about how government can better support more efficient councils. Inevitably this raises the question over local government reorganization beyond the big changes made in Auckland.

I wish to make it plain however that the Government is not going to embark on a central government led, nationwide programme of forced change as occurred in the 1980’s. Nor do we take the view that bigger is necessarily better.

I believe the new council in Auckland poses a real challenge for the rest of New Zealand. Its single voice, coordinated planning and efficiency gains are going to give it a competitive edge. Other communities need to start thinking about how their area can do better and what future structure of councils will best assist their regions’ prosperity and growth. From the Government’s perspective, we want the rest of the country as well as Auckland to be successful and want to facilitate a sensible dialogue on reform.”

Minister Smith, you have an open invitation to speak in Hawke’s Bay. I guarantee we can pack the house.

Tom Belford

During the open discussion, two key points were firmly established.

First, despite indirect language in the TOR, Councillors understand the TOR to mean that the study must look at current governance arrangements in Hawke’s Bay, determine whether current structure adversely affects the region’s progress and, if so, address those issues.

Second, that public input into the study must be provided for.

During the discussion, it was disclosed that Dame Margaret Bazley is being considered as the study leader. In her distinguished career, Dame Bazley has held several senior public service positions, most recently directing the Inquiry into Police Conduct and the Review of Legal Aid, and serving as a member of the Waitangi Tribunal, the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance, and as the appointed Chair of the Commissioners governing Environment Canterbury.

Hawke’s Bay would be fortunate to have an individual of this proven caliber and independence conduct its performance review. That said, HBRC Chair Fenton Wilson indicated that additional candidates might be considered.

The Hastings and Regional Councils have now both approved the TOR.

Also meeting yesterday, the Regulatory Committee of Napier City Council was scheduled to consider the same TOR … but in public-excluded session. That’s Napier Council-style public accountability!

Hopefully NCC will condescend to reveal to the public the outcome of its ‘deliberations’ in the next 24 hours or so.

And from there, the CHB and Wairoa Councils must act. The CHB Council meets Thursday the 26th, but there is no sign of the TOR on its agenda. The Wairoa Council isn’t scheduled to meet until 8 February, and the agenda posted online for that session makes no reference to the study or TOR at this time.

Stay tuned!

Tom Belford

I say “quasi-public” because this is not truly a public forum. TAG and Apache have yet to front up in a public forum in Hawke’s Bay where informed citizens can press the companies to respond to tough questioning. Wednesday’s session is actually a briefing, and any questions asked will be those posed by our Regional Councillors.

When fracking was first brought before the Council (at the insistence of members of the public) back in October, it was clear that our Councillors knew diddly-squat about the issue. In October, Councillors were promised a staff report on the issue … if there’s been one, it hasn’t surfaced publicly. It will be interesting to see which Councillors have done any homework on the matter.

Because there are dozens of questions that should be put to Tag Oil about every stage and aspect of the proposed exploration — use, handling storage and transport of toxic chemicals; sourcing of the water needed for the fracking process, as well as disposal of contaminated water afterwards; risks of increased earthquake activity; danger to aquifers; the potential extent of fracking; any risk/benefit assessment that has been conducted for Hawke’s Bay; who pays for what, especially if disaster strikes; extent of Regional Council (or any government) monitoring of the process … just to get warmed up.

In addition, the Regional Council needs to make clear exactly what its role and responsibilities are in this process; indicate what opportunities, if any, exist for public consultation before any required Regional Council decisions are made; and indicate from where HBRC will get the expertise required to play a rigorous oversight role.

Many in the community are alarmed at the prospect of fracking in our region, as well as the stealthy manner in which it has been introduced. A protest rally is planned for Noon on Wednesday at Clive Square in Napier for those concerned.

If you want to know more about fracking, check out our article reporting on the anti-fracking presentation made to the Council back in October by members of the public. It includes several links explaining the process and illustrating why legitimate concerns are being raised.

Tom Belford

P.S. And here are some more recent links:

EPA theorizes fracking-pollution link — Associated Press

Fracking will poison New York’s drinking water, critics warn — The Guardian

Given that the Regional Council wrote the resolution upon which these Terms are grounded, approval should be forthcoming.

These Terms were already approved by the Hastings Council before Christmas, and must also be endorsed by the Napier, CHB and Wairoa Councils.

Importantly, the Terms establish that the study will be led by a “highly qualified, respected, independent person” who will assemble a suitably qualified team to assist. Such independence is critical to the credibility of the review process.

Also, the study leader is to put forward a “recommended methodology for the inclusion of community views on aspects of the study.” This is encouraging, but this language is hardly an ironclad commitment for broad community consultation. Hopefully, as councils consider the Terms, their discussions will underscore their commitment to public involvement.

Substantively, the key elements of the Terms are as follows:

“While the study leader will have some scope to shape content, the study should comprise two main parts:

1. Situation analysis and problem identification

This part should include (but not be limited to):

• an analysis of historic and current economic and social performance.
• an analysis of demographic, economic and social performance trends and what they might deliver Hawke’s Bay and the current policy and intervention settings.
• an analysis of current policies, priorities, interventions, legislative requirements and structural settings in or affecting Hawke’s Bay and any apparent gaps, inconsistencies or policy clashes.
• an identification and analysis of significant inhibitors to prosperity that affect Hawke’s Bay. Significant inhibitors include barriers to success or opportunities not being fully capitalised on at the present time (for example our current failure as a community to unleash to full potential of a significant proportion of our young people).

2. Solutions – How should prosperity inhibitors be addressed to ensure a prosperous future?

This part should include an identification of changes, initiatives and priorities that should be pursued in order to improve the future social and economic performance of the Hawke’s Bay region. The scope of the study is not proscribed from looking at particular sectors or solutions. The study should include relevant comparative analysis of the efforts of other provincial regions (nationally, and internationally where relevant) to be competitive in the modern and future global economic environments.

It is expected that recommendations will be made that will affect and need to be considered by government, the business and not-for-profit/community sectors, iwi and hapu groups and local government. Recommended solutions should be accompanied by an analysis of the likely benefits, with evidence to support them, and an assessment of the costs and negative impacts of change.”

As we read these Terms, we understand the words “structural settings” (italicized above) to reference that the study will indeed examine the region’s present governance arrangements, and the degree to which those impede or advance the Bay’s performance and deliver optimum value. That was certainly the intention when the Regional Council passed its original motion (see BayBuzz report on the resolution passed). Again, this commitment should be re-emphasized when Regional Councillors discuss the matter next Wednesday.

Assuming the Regional Council stands by its word next week, that leaves three more councils to act. Their actions aren’t likely to be completed before the end of February.

My, how time flies in Hawke’s Bay local government.

Tom Belford

P.S. The complete Terms of Reference can be read in this HBRC Agenda document for next Wednesday’s meeting.

Councillor McGregor says we have it all wrong. He’s organised a field day for anyone who wants to get the ‘truth’ about the Tukituki. It’s not clear whether he plans to take his shoes off.

From Councillor McGregor …

Look Tom, you’ve got it all wrong. I actually posted that photo, where ever it was, to show off my feet, not the Tukituki (although, admit it, it actually looks pretty good). I have a female acquaintance who has proclaimed them to be the sexiest feet she has ever seen.

But talking of the Tukituki; you’ve had a lot to say about its state, and fair enough – that is, fair that you have your say, not necessarily fair as to your criticisms. Well, I’m just concerned about that wonderful river as you are, but seek to match concerns with solutions.

For that reason I am, with HBRC and CHBDC support, organising an afternoon for the 2 February to look at what is being done – or not done – and planned, by the councils, and dairy farmers too. (Programme pasted below.) I hope BayBuzz readers will take advantage of an on-site inspection, hear expert opinion*, and offer any suggestions they may have. This is an exercise in information, not public relations.

And talking of solutions, what should the Regional Council do to fix Lake Tutira? We have purchased the land in the catchment and destocked it (and naturally ceased topdressing), allowing regeneration and planted trees. Yes, if there’s a health problem it’s a worry and needs addressing, but a suggestion as to its improvement, other than the need for greater clarity in public information, may help.

As a footnote, Guthrie Smith, who died soon after the 1938 storm, went to the grave believing the lake was doomed. (See page 16 of Tutira.) Notwithstanding the current problem, if he could see it today he would be delighted.

Cheers

Ewan Mac

Media Advisory – Wastewater & Dairying Info Public Field Trip

A public information day is planned for Thursday, 2 February 2012 to look at measures to improve water quality in the Upper Tukituki River. This will look at current water quality, proposals to remove Waipukurau and Waipawa wastewater from the river, and a visit to a dairy farm in Central Hawke ’s Bay. The day is being facilitated by the Regional Council in conjunction with the CHB District Council and organised by Hawke’s Bay Regional Councillor, Ewan McGregor.

The emphasis is to impart information on site, and to engage with the public in open discussion.

Timed to start at Shag Rock at 1.00pm – midway between the Tamumu and Patangata Bridges – there will a presentation from the HB District Health Board and the Regional Council. This will be followed by a visit to the Waipukurau oxidation pond, and to view the Regional Council’s forestry block a short distance up Mt Herbert Road .

The day will conclude with the dairy farm visit.

Further information will be publicised during January 2012.

From Baybuzz …

*Buyer Beware! The “expert opinion” will be supplied by council staff.

Paratene Matchitt At His Finest
By Roy Dunningham

Some artists burst upon the scene like supernovae and then spend the rest of their lives wondering what to do next, like Robert Delauney or Andre Derain, or self-destruct like Jackson Pollock or Van Gogh. While others, like Rembrandt or Paratene Matchitt, quietly grow in strength over the years and just get better and better.

Te Kooti Series 43

Napier artist, Paratene Matchitt, has been around for a long time but his latest showing at Black Barn Gallery sees him at his finest.

Matchitt was one of a group of talented, young Maori artists who emerged from Teachers’ College in the 1950s and 60s. The enlightened National Director of Art Education (is there even such a position now?), Gordon Tovey, encouraged these artists to draw upon themes and motifs of Maori Art in their own work. This practice would certainly not have been encouraged in the University Art Schools at that time. Indeed, as recently as 1982 the two leading books on New Zealand art, one by Keith & Brown, the other by Docking, mention only one Maori artist, Ralph Hotere.

In spite of this lack of official recognition these artists were to change the face of New Zealand art as they employed imagery from both traditional Maori art and European Modernism to express increasingly political ideas. In so doing, they also inspired a younger generation of Maori artists.

Matchitt doesn’t use overtly Maori motifs such as kowhaiwhai in these latest works, but there is a strong feeling of the chevron and spiral sections of whakairo and the geometry of taniko patterns. What he does do is use the Catholic and Zionist symbols appropriated by Te Kooti and his followers, who found parallels between the struggles of the Israelites and those of colonised Maori. Te Kooti knew his Bible and even translated some of it into Maori.

The works in this show are based around the theme of Te Kooti and his white horse “Pokai Whenua”. Te Kooti identified with the rider of the White Horse in the Book of Revelations and believed his horse had supernatural powers. In Matchitt’s work the horse and rider are heroic figures, personifying ideals of belief, strength and defiance in the face of adversity. This theme also has a precedent in European art depicting leaders, from Alexander the Great to Napoleon.

One of the most engaging aspects of Matchitt’s work is the interaction he creates between positive and negative spaces – i.e., the filled in bits and the plain bits or background. What he doesn’t do becomes, in a way, as important as what he does do. His decision making in design is unerring and strikes just the right balance between excitement and harmony, while his unlikely choices of colour are interesting to say the least. One astute viewer was heard to say, “He challenges us with his colour selection.” But, again, it works.

Te Kooti Series 45

You can enjoy these works from several different viewpoints: their political strength and Maoriness, their sense of history, or for their ancestry in European Modernism. Better still … enjoy them for all those reasons.

One thing is certain, if you are seriously interested in contemporary New Zealand art, you should see this show which runs till 5 February. Paratene Matchitt is one of our greatest living artists at the top of his game.

Roy Dunningham

With a headline last Wednesday that literally screamed — Children scream from rash after Lake Tutira swim — HB Today reported the plight of several families who took a swim in the lake in the days after Boxing Day.

Several adults and children — all of whom had the misfortune of getting in the water — suffered painful rashes over areas that had been exposed to the water.

While the families were enjoying the lake, the water was tested (the responsibility of the Regional Council) and as one camper reported to the newspaper, “the guy said it was ‘perfectly fine’”. Presumably HBRC can explain what testing it conducts that yields such instantaneous — and apparently inaccurate — assessments on contaminated water. Perhaps it’s Councillor Ewan McGregor’s “I can see my toes” test, which is his barometer for the quality of the Tukituki.

And then there’s the ever-vigilant public health section of the HB District Health Board. The DHB doesn’t test the water itself (reflecting a division of labour decided nationally between the Ministries for Health and the Environment), yet it is responsible for adjudging whether water is dangerous to human health. So it relies on the measurements of HBRC. It’s not clear what would happen if our local DHB lost confidence in the Regional Council’s monitoring process or results.

In this case, the relevant DHB staffer told HB Today that “‘it’s always been known’ that Lake Tutira was not a swimming place, but a recreational place”.

So, let’s understand this.

A lake that apparently  is never suitable for swimming has no signs warning people against swimming. But that’s OK, says the DHB … locals should know better, and who cares about visitors just passing through … its our lake after all!

But, giving the DHB the benefit of the doubt, maybe I’m the only one, being a confessed non-native, who would not know that ‘recreation’ at a waterway does not include swimming.

If one had a suspicion that the lack of any warning (or otherwise) signs at the lake, the internet-savvy could always check the Regional Council’s website, as I just did (look for this section of B 4 U Swim).

But again, I’m left befuddled.

If you check on the status of Lake Tutira there, you get a mixed message.

One side of the chart says: “Suitability for recreation: Very Poor” And that provides a hotlink leading to an explanation that the water probably contains human or animal faeces in it and recommending folks to “avoid” swimming in it.

However, the other side of the same listing awards Lake Tutira a “Green Mode” rating, which “Indicates there is minimal health risk for recreational activities involving contact with water.”

So if the vacationing family from Dannevirke got to Lake Tutira, saw no warning signs, but still being cautious, used their satellite access to hook up to the HBRC website, which signal should they have believed?

The passivity of the DHB in situations like this is something BayBuzz has questioned before. They are responsible for protecting public health, and that includes protecting us from water-borne disease. Yet they leave themselves totally at the mercy of the Regional Council in terms of getting the relevant water quality tests. Pray that the worst outcome is only a rash.

The Regional Councillors were up at Lake Tutira back in November for a barbeque. With summer approaching, perhaps they could have thrown a few warning signs in the back of the van! No wait, isn’t sign-posting the DHB’s job? I’m so confused.

Tom Belford

Here’s the editorial, which asserts: “Early financial modelling suggests a $300 million a year boost to the region’s gross domestic product from the dam and irrigation project.” Gee whiz, I thought, that sounds even better than the projected payoff promised from the ‘regional’ sports park!

HB Today was kind enough to publish my letter to the editor questioning their enthusiasm, which I expand upon here …

As a member of the stakeholder group reviewing this proposal, I would advise HB Today to keep its powder dry.

“Acceptably managed”?! For sure, water quality throughout the Tukituki catchment will need to be protected — indeed, enhanced — if this project is to proceed. That will be a mandatory. How the Regional Council hopes to guarantee that protection and enhancement is yet to be revealed … but they will offer their case over the next several months.

However, before we even get to assessing those issues, the overall economic and financial viability of the scheme must be established. For one thing (and this is only one of many financial issues yet to be addressed), there would certainly be costs associated with any scheme promising to mitigate the effects of adding as much as 25,000 hectares of intensified farming to the Tukituki catchment. What are those costs? How accurately will they be projected? Who will bear them?

The HBT editorial takes the economic benefits as a given, but that case is still to be even presented to stakeholders or the public, let alone convincingly made. This is a potentially $150 million (or more) project. Heaps of rigorous financial analysis must be put on the table before the public will know if this dam holds any water.

Time after time, the accuracy of our councils regarding their projections of the economic costs and benefits of infrastructure projects — from Splash Planet to the Opera House to Ocean Beach development to the new museum to the sports park to the new sewage treatment plants — has been challenged, then dismissed out of hand by councils and their consultants, and then the critics have been proven more right than wrong.

Councils, in their determination to sell pet projects, oversell the benefits and understate the costs. And sadly, only the extremely rare councillor, like the eternally pesky Wayne Bradshaw on the Hastings Council, even challenges the numbers. Which Regional Councillor will demand clear and convincing answers when the dam project comes to its decision point? Most of them, like the HB Today, already gush with unqualified enthusiasm. And even if the will exists, the homework required to be a probing defender of the public’s purse and environment when faced by a council staff/consultant juggernaut exceeds the capacity of most councillors.

Yet the financial and environmental implications of this $150 million (or more) dam scheme make the projects mentioned above pale into relative insignificance. Imagine if they get it wrong!

We all need to know much more about this proposal … and then adequate time to consider the full facts and arguments carefully. Maybe a convincing case will be put forward by the Regional Council. It would be great (I would argue essential) to have a win/win outcome from such a massive investment. But it’s premature for anyone to be making any endorsements … the case is still to be made.

Tom Belford

But there’s heaps of other good stuff too …

In Beyond the Bandwith Blues, Keith Newman looks at the race to install ultrafast broadband in Hawke’s Bay. If you want to know what all the fuss is about and should we care … read Keith’s article.

It seems like gazillions is being spent on cycle paths in the Bay. Where is all this pedal power taking us? Kathy Webb looks at this huge investment in Cycling Hawke’s Bay.

Mark Sweet explores the realm of personal transformation … its intriguing past in Hawke’s Bay and some of its present alternative practitioners in New Age Is Old Age.

Local volunteers have committed hundreds of hours to planting at the Guthrie-Smith Arboretum at Lake Tutira. In Ambitious Plans for Guthrie-Smith Arboretum, Kay Bazzard tells the story of this treasure … and what lies ahead.

With her usual passion, Janet Luke takes up a cause … the plight of battery chickens in Do Hens Suffer in Battery Cages?

Inside Havelock North looks at issues ahead for the urban centre of the village.

And rounding out our features is Corporate Punch Up for Battered Families, by Keith Newman, mentioned in yesterday’s post, which explores the irony of a violent charity event benefiting victims of violence.

As usual, you can read and comment on these articles individually by using the links above, or you can view the articles exactly as they are printed in the mag by using our online reader.

Enjoy!

Tom Belford

Can we fight it with hugs?

Yes! says a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics, that nation’s premier association of pediatricians, based upon fresh analysis of two decades of scientific research, which confirms that early exposure to ‘toxic stress’ for infants, and even fetuses, can have biological effects … effectively hard-wiring certain predispositions and behaviours into the individual.

As reported in this NY Times column:

“Toxic stress might arise from parental abuse of alcohol or drugs. It could occur in a home where children are threatened and beaten. It might derive from chronic neglect — a child cries without being cuddled. Affection seems to defuse toxic stress — keep those hugs and lullabies coming! — suggesting that the stress emerges when a child senses persistent threats but no protector.

Cues of a hostile or indifferent environment flood an infant, or even a fetus, with stress hormones like cortisol in ways that can disrupt the body’s metabolism or the architecture of the brain.

The upshot is that children are sometimes permanently undermined. Even many years later, as adults, they are more likely to suffer heart disease, obesity, diabetes and other physical ailments. They are also more likely to struggle in school, have short tempers and tangle with the law.

The crucial period seems to be from conception through early childhood. After that, the brain is less pliable and has trouble being remolded.”

What kind of interventions does this science-based model suggest?

According to the Times:

“One successful example of early intervention is home visitation by childcare experts, like those from the Nurse-Family Partnership. This organization sends nurses to visit poor, vulnerable women who are pregnant for the first time. The nurse warns against smoking and alcohol and drug abuse, and later encourages breast-feeding and good nutrition, while coaxing mothers to cuddle their children and read to them. This program continues until the child is 2.

At age 6, studies have found, these children are only one-third as likely to have behavioral or intellectual problems as others who weren’t enrolled. At age 15, the children are less than half as likely to have been arrested.”

The bottom line for the Academy (download full Policy Statement here):

“Protecting young children from adversity is a promising, science-based strategy to address many of the most persistent and costly problems facing contemporary society, including limited educational achievement, diminished economic productivity, criminality, and disparities in health.”

The Academy urges pediatricians to educate themselves about the underlying biological processes affected by ‘toxic stress’ and to become community advocates for science-based interventions.

How might we get this approach rolling in Hawke’s Bay? You could start by forwarding this post to every pediatrician and GP you know!

Tom Belford

P.S. I’ll put my money on the hugs, but until that approach gains traction, here’s another way to support those in the community who are today trying to help victims of violence. Keith Newman, writing in the latest BayBuzz mag, reports on an unusual charity event on January 28 at Pettigrew Green Arena that will benefit the Napier Women’s Refuge. It’s a ‘fight night’, featuring local corporate contenders in three-round matches (plus some full-on bouts with seasoned martial artists). A fight night benefiting victims of violence? Read Keith’s piece — Corporate Punch Up for Battered Families — to see why and how. The event is called ‘Merciless’ and tickets are available here via Ticketek and at the venue. ‘Merciless’ is organised by Jerry Sargeant of Napier’s Fierce Fitness gym.

Over three dozen visions for Hawke’s Bay to be precise, offered by wide range of community leaders.

So, to start, here are those visions, with my introduction that looks at their themes … and some potential conflicts.

We gave our Guest Advocate, as well as some of our regular columnists, a bit more space to develop their visions.

Here are their articles …

Guest Advocate Graeme Avery says Let go of the past! We need much more innovative thinking in the Bay to prepare ourselves for a highly competitive, fast-changing global environment.

David Trubridge, in Thriving locally, proposes that we’ll be better off if we choose to consume what we can grow and make sustainably here in our region.

Claire Hague, in Let’s leave our gang colours at the gate, says we need to break down barriers between our schools and the workplace.

Phyllis Tichinin says in Let’s grow stellar foods! that we can grow food  in ways that are better for our soil, our health and taste buds, and our export prospects.

Paul Paynter, in Contra-vision, cautions that the visions that really matter and get achieved start with committed individuals, not studies, planners and councils.

And on the lighter side, in Dim Vision, Brendan Webb chronicles the trials of Lawrencus Yulus, as he attempts to elicit any vision at all from his political colleagues.

Enjoy these articles … and send BayBuzz your own vision for Hawke’s Bay. We’ll be happy to publish it online.

We’ll have more BayBuzz mag articles later this week. Or you can just skip ahead to our website, or use our flash online reader to view the magazine exactly as it appears in print.

Tom Belford

“Since I was little I’ve wanted to work as a builder – I love this sort of work and can’t imagine doing anything else. I will be able to use these [trades] skills to help my family. I really want a job. I want to do something that helps my hometown.”

And a 16 year old girl (and teenage mother) from the East Coast wrote in her application:

“I want to be a better person. I want a nice life and future for me and my baby, but most of all I want to make my Mum proud of me – I want to be something.”

The Hawke’s Bay Schools Trades Academy is due to open in 2012 on EIT’s Hawke’s Bay campus. In addition, the Academy will also operate on EIT’s Tairāwhiti campus for the Gisborne and East Coast schools. For one day per week, students from schools all over the region will attend the Academy to take part in a range of tertiary programmes, from hard trades, to hospitality, to hair and beauty, to animal care.

Tamatea HS Trades Academy students built mini bikes as part of the practical learning experience with EIT tutor John Banks and Tamatea technology teacher Ross Webb.

The intended outcome is retention of these students in the education system, achievement of NCEA Level 2 with the help of the additional tertiary credits, and the opening up of pathways to future education, training and work.

This Academy is a partnership between EIT, the regions’ secondary school Principals, staff, students and their parents, and local industry who are helping with materials, plans, mentors and learning assistants. The Academy has generated huge interest, and as I write I’m looking at 245 formal applications for 160 places across Hawke’s Bay and the East Coast – they are all signed by the student, their parents, and the school. All contain personal statements from each student as to their hopes and dreams for an Academy place. Some from up the coast are written in Mãori – a wonderful testament to a bilingual society tucked away in the farther reaches of our region.

Encouraging positive response

This positive response is not typical in all regions that are running Trades Academies, and this is what gives me such hope for the future of Hawke’s Bay. Here, we already have models of high trust partnerships that we can work with to achieve what must surely be the key vision for everyone in the Bay – 100% of our young people in education, training or work, contributing positively to the economic, social and cultural fabric of our communities.

Evidence of these partnerships at ground level is everywhere. Last week I visited a group of carpentry students who were working with the Department of Conservation to build and install picnic tables, seats and paths at A’Deanes Bush near Onga Onga. This group, mostly young men, mostly Mãori, are the focus of a partnership between a local Taiwhenua, EIT and the Ministry of Social Development.

All of these young people looked me in the eye, shook my hand, told me about what they were doing. They come from backgrounds that most of us would find unthinkable, but they have picked themselves up, and three found work within weeks of starting the course. Others are enjoying work experience with some incredibly supportive employers in the region … and exceeding those employers’ expectations. Kaumatua, kuia and family members are mentoring, nagging, and monitoring attendance and achievements. Various community groups are providing project work for the students and in so doing are gaining access to otherwise unaffordable constructions and repairs. Dedicated tutors take an active interest in these youth as whole people with partners, many with babies on the way, and some with children already.

A recent evaluation of this programme drew some great written feedback from the students involved. They appreciated their “awesome” tutors; getting out and about and meeting so many people; learning the mathematics in the context of their building work that they had not bothered or been able to learn at school; being able to see their carpentry projects through from start to finish; and bonding together as a group, leaving gang affiliations at the gate each day. One student also commented that the course would “teach me to be a better person within myself – you can always talk to someone if you need to.”

This is a wonderful example of a region-wide partnership that can influence two generations – young people and their own children – and in doing so contribute to breaking the cycle of youth underachievement and unemployment that dogs Hawke’s Bay.

A transition trust

I met recently with people from one of our local councils, and the Ministry of Social Development. We were brainstorming a concept by which a Hawke’s Bay-wide trust or entity of some sort could be formed to ensure that all of the excellent work going on to help young people make good transitions to adulthood and to work could be better co-ordinated and more effective.

We all agreed that employers were a key component of any such trust, particularly those willing to look beyond the immediate profit line, take risks for the longer term good of the region and contribute to the training and mentoring needs of some of the young people I have described. And that somehow we all needed to get people excited about a shared vision for our work.

Recently a campaign ran in local newspapers featuring regional identities who wanted a ‘Better Hawke’s Bay’. I’d like to suggest that a better Hawke’s Bay starts with people like the ones I have featured in this article stepping outside their comfort zones and the confines of their organisations’ current policies and ways of working. These people have been willing to lay aside egos and ignore territorial issues, combine funding, and focus on doing the right thing as opposed to always doing the thing right.

If the carpentry students can leave their gang colours at the gate before starting their programme each day, so can we.

It’s happening at ground level everywhere in Hawke’s Bay, and there is no stopping this region once central and local government, the education, health and other sectors all commit to actively breaking down the barriers that currently divide so many of us. Only then can we further explore what can be achieved if we do things differently and collaboratively, and always, always have our young people as the centre of our efforts. They are the future of Hawke’s Bay.

I love to wander under the dense canopy of trees such as Kohekohe, Karaka, Rewarewa, Kaikomako, Pukatea, Titoki and Tawa, some of which I have never seen anywhere else. There is also a rich profusion of other growths such as creepers and epiphytes. Large Rata and Kiekie grow as big as the trees, but there are many smaller creepers whose names I don’t know. And lodged in the canopy are the mass growths of epiphytes, somewhat like the boulders that dislodge from the steep hillside and end up rolled against a tree trunk further down the slope.

It is the creepers that particularly interest me. In England where I grew up, creepers such as ivy are parasitic: they eventually smother and destroy their host trees. But these creepers here are symbiotic, meaning that they live in balance with the trees (arguably even the rata), as do the epiphytes.

It strikes me that flora reflect society, although actually it is probably the other way around! The British model of the ivy’s growth at all costs results in cycles of boom and bust as the plant pulls down the rotten trees it killed, allowing new trees to briefly emerge. The New Zealand ecology finds a balance, and creates an environment where all can thrive in a mutually supportive community.

The New Zealand ecology finds a balance, and creates an environment where all can thrive in a mutually supportive community.

Well at least, in human terms, that is more the Mãori way; it is not the way of our rulers and captains of industry who gleefully emulate their ex-colonial masters in their lust for short-term riches for the few, cavalierly waving aside any concerns about the long-term destruction of our environment. They have duped enough followers into believing that they too will share the benefits, but we now see this for the lie that it is. They are the parasites, leeching our creative and natural wealth.

So let us build our own communities and ruthlessly weed out any parasites before they take hold. How do we do this? It is not easy and it does not come without some personal cost and sacrifice, and we have to believe in the vision of a better society to do this.

Spend in the community

The key guiding principle has to be that as many as possible of the dollar we spend remain in the community. This ensures that cause and effect remain within reach, and hence can be controlled.

If you buy cheap furniture from China, the clear-felled timber, the polluting factories and the exploited labour are all conveniently out of sight and out of mind, while the profit goes off-shore. When everything is local, you couldn’t avoid the ravaged forests, and the pollution spilling on your doorstep. If materials run short, then that is bad community planning and you will have to wait. If the furniture falls apart or contains pollutants, you will take it back to the factory and no one else will buy there until they improve. Local people will be employed, and some of the profits from the business will go back into local causes. And of course we won’t be frantically trying to export more of our heritage to pay for the imported junk.

Similarly with food. Hawke’s Bay has some of the best growing conditions in the world. There is very little we need import, especially when we learn to eat only seasonal produce. We should not expect everything all the time because that usually means airfreighting in not only produce, but someone else’s precious water. And we should not expect meat at every meal, because the land can’t support that much production without abusing animals and environment.

Similarly with services. International bankers, investors and phone companies couldn’t give a toss about Hawkes Bay. They have no stake locally, will bleed it for all they can, and leave when they wish.
We can build local micro-finance, as been proven in other parts of the world. Local profitable businesses invest locally to support the community that supports them.

One of the reasons why we have embraced the parasitic model is greed. It has seemed to offer us abundant riches with the added attraction of deferred payment. “Go on buy it now and pay us later. You want a loan? Sure, here’s twice as much!”

This is where the sacrifice comes in, because to build our supportive local community we are going to have to forego some of the addictions. We have to learn to replace instant consumer gratification (which is designed to be utterly non-satisfying to ensure you keep coming back for more) with more wholesome and lasting community fulfillment. We should learn to be satisfied with less material goods, which will not be easy because it is like coming off a drug. So we have to be creative and generate our own distractions and entertainment. We have people here now who can do that, but currently they are struggling because we buy most of our entertainment internationally.

It is important not to see this as xenophobic or isolationist. We are not turning our backs on the outside world, because now we have mass global communication with instant sharing. We can still enrich our lives with ideas and culture from around the world, without any material transfer. And it is really important that we continue to do this, so that all like-minded communities can share what they are doing and feel part of the greater global caring community.

As I wrote this I realised that the withering of the Mahanga bush is not actually ‘another story’ – it is all part of the same story and metaphor, because the imported farming methods and business values are the parasites that are destroying the bush.

My vision for Hawke’s Bay is a sustainable local community free of parasites, and we can do this by starving them of the nutrients they need, or in other words, denying them the dollars they suck from us.

Most sweeping in its implications will be a new ‘Village Framework’ to be formally codified in the Hastings District plan. Once adopted, the Framework will establish the future growth parameters for the urban ‘Village’ part of Havelock North – what kind of activities (retail, light industry, etc) can be located where, and what building requirements must be met.

Submissions were heard on the proposed Framework in December, and HDC’s plan change should be finalized by mid-year.

Of course adopting a plan change is one thing, but the course and quality of actual future development will depend on myriad individual decisions over the coming years by property owners and developers.

Of interest to Havelock food shoppers, as anticipated in the plan, the existing New World will remain in place (not move to former Nimon’s site). Progressive Enterprises (Countdown) has proposed a new supermarket in the Donnelly Street area. The current plan does not include this, but a hearing on it is planned for February.

Foodies of a different sort can look forward to the opening of McDonald’s at the Havelock Road entry into the Village.

A Village Piazza?

One area of special interest might be the central fountain area behind the Visitor Centre. Some aspire to close the small lane in front of Jackson’s, allowing more of a ‘Village Piazza’ effect to be created. This area would ultimately be bounded on the opposite side by a new complex planned by Mackersey Development at the present Happy Tav location. Not everyone agrees with the Piazza concept, especially business owners who might be affected by any street closure.

Plans are afoot to install more community tables in the plaza, which will increase opportunities to hold events there. The Havelock North Business Association is eager to see more community and commercially-sponsored events occur in the plaza, as well as in the Havelock North Domain, where work is also planned. Recent events have included fitness programs and arts exhibitions.

HNBA’s Adrienne Pierce says the group is working hard to ensure these assets of the Village are enhanced. Wayne Bradshaw would like to see more public green space and a “public heart” in the CBD.

Whatever its future, the plaza area is presently nameless. Isn’t such an important centrepiece for Havelock North deserving of one?

Another key development might be establishment of more commercial retail space on the property owned by St Columba’s Church, opposite E’s Café.

And with New World’s staying in place, a big question is what will become of the former Nimon’s site, which is dedicated to light industry. Adrienne Pierce dreams of a ‘white collar’ business park, populated by tech-oriented and service firms. She notes that Unison Fibre will be installing ultra-fast broadband throughout the Village centre area in the first quarter of the year, making it possible for such businesses to readily service customers far beyond Hawke’s Bay.

What’s to worry about?

The traditional bugaboos alarming Havelock North have involved parking, vandalism and that elusive concept, ‘Village character’.

The decibel level surrounding parking issues – and particularly, paid parking – has diminished significantly. BayBuzz cannot detect any unhappiness about the fact that parking meters haven’t made it to Havelock North! And the latest parking studies maintain that the Village has “more than sufficient” car parking at present.

On the other hand, weekend drunkenness in the Village, coupled with vandalism, remains a concern. The recent episode where storefront windows of nine shops were deeply scratched has turned up retailers’ temperatures. And now vandals armed with ladders and booze have taken to the rooftops in the Village centre, damaging heating and cooling equipment and other fixtures.

It seems that although HDC and the Police can invest in video surveillance, lighting and personnel on the street, none of that can compensate for Havelock North parents tolerating – even abetting in the case of booze – destructive behaviour on the part of their offspring.

And finally, there’s the issue of protecting the ‘Village character’. That’s a tough one to pin down. In the debate over McDonald’s coming to the Village, numerous writers to BayBuzz claimed the whole concept was bogus … Havelock North had long ago lost any special character it had. Certainly if that notion entailed any distinctive and noteworthy architectural style or ambiance.

But others see it differently, and often their notion of the ‘proper’ ambiance revolves around scale … as in small scale. No ‘big chains’ or ‘big boxes’ (whether fast food or national retailers). On-site owner-operators of businesses. Easy access and walkability to and around the Village centre. And the very compactness of the Village. Somehow, ‘village’ does seem to capture an appealing quality.

And at least for now, the Village seems in no jeopardy in 2012.

More than a few eyebrows are raised over a black tie fundraiser for the Napier Women’s Refuge, where local businesses have paid up to $5,000 a table to watch their peers pummelling each other.

In between the cocktails, canapés and a three course meal, punters will see18 local businesspeople, including two women, pair off for nine boxing matches at Pettigrew Green Arena on January 28.

The corporate punch ups – three, two minute rounds each – will be mixed up with full-on bouts between top local, US and Thai martial artists as part of ‘Merciless’, billed as Hawke’s Bay’s first ever cage fight event.

Organiser Jerry Sargeant of Fierce Fitness, says the grand finale, an intensely contested New Zealand middleweight MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) championship fight, will see some serious “kicking, punching and breaking bones…”

Sargeant, who trained the corporate contenders, came up with the idea of cage fights in the MMA hexagon well before deciding on Napier Women’s Refuge as the charity.

His concern is not only for women at risk, but children who face “extreme violence and disappointing behaviour” at home. He’s convinced boxing and martial arts are a healthy means for kids to regain self control and respect “by channelling all their energy and aggression in a controlled environment”.

Perspective needed

When Napier Women’s Refuge manager Brenda Campbell was approached about the fundraiser, she first sought reassurance from the local Police family violence co-ordinator that it was appropriate.

While the hard out publicity posters raised concern, she wanted to keep things in context. “If people think boxing is violent then they need to take another look at what happens on the rugby field. Where do you draw the line?”

Jerry Sargeant (Photo courtesy of Tim Whittaker)

The Napier Refuge already encourages parents to involve kids who are being bullied or becoming bullies at school to engage in sport, including martial arts, as an outlet for anger and self-expression issues.

Another motivation for Jerry Sargeant in recruiting locals for the event was to challenge Hawke’s Bay businesspeople to have a healthier lifestyle.

Many of the corporate sparring partners had never been to a gym, but after rigorous training, healthy eating and nutrition they’re now “fitter, healthier and happier”, with some shedding up to 30kg in six weeks.

While they’ll only spend six minutes each in the ring, a gradual work up was required to prepare them for the event. “Boxing requires more mental and physical effort than any other sport; it’s demanding,” says Sargeant.

Squaring off in the cage will be a number of local personalities; a baker, printer, financier, mortgage broker, car dealers, a policewoman, a bar manager, supermarket manager and representatives from the real estate, transport, construction and steel industries.

Thousand times fitter

John Brady, sales manager at Mercedes Hawke’s Bay took up the challenge to celebrate the fact he’d turned 50 back in August. “I was in an inactive job and it seemed like an opportunity to have one final blow out.”

He was overweight and unfit. “After five months of serious training and dieting I’ve dropped 9kg and I’m a thousand times fitter,” says Brady.

“A lot of us had a chuckle when we learned it was full on fighting for a women’s refuge. In some ways it’s a contradiction in terms, but it’s also been a big talking point. Everyone in the business community knows about it,” he says.

It’s been life changing to even get to the ring. “We’re at the gym up to five times a week, and it looks like it’s going to become a Friday night fight club for the boys with a lot of others now keen to join us.”

Sargeant named the event ‘Merciless’ because that’s part of his philosophy at Fierce Fitness. “As a strength and conditioning coach, everything I do is merciless. If you want to be a mixed martial artist, a boxer or any kind of athlete you have to put everything into it. My motto in the gym is ‘sacrifice plus pain equals glory’.”

The sacrifice could be going to bed earlier, avoiding the pub and spending time away from family to face some serious pain in “brutal, merciless training sessions” pushing through physical and mental boundaries.

And the glory? Well, says Sargeant, if you’re a middle-aged grumpy businessman, working 18 hours a day and drinking a lot, it could be winning a world title, fitting into a new pair of jeans, bringing down your blood pressure or improving your relationship.

On 90 hectares of former farmland the Guthrie-Smith Arboretum is becoming a repository of tree species from all over the world – a world that is facing the threat of climate change. Here, the Guthrie-Smith Trust grows examples of tree species which might otherwise face extinction.

Morning fog over Lake Tutira.

The role of establishing the arboretum is that of Guthrie-Smith Arboretum trustee, Chris Ryan, who with the help of long-term forester Quentin Roberts, determines what will be planted and where. The curator of the arboretum, George Christison and his wife Kirsty live in the homestead, supervise planting, maintain and administer it.

Governance is provided by the Board of Trustees. Some help with planting comes from the Eastern Institute of Technology, Friends of the Trust and schools.

With no irrigation (water is a scarce resource here) the planting is done primarily by Christison to a method which ensures the trees’ survival during all conditions. It involves removing the turf, preparing the soil, fertilising and mulching the sapling. On slopes, the plant site is level or tilted back slightly into the hill to allow rainwater to pool and weed control is vital in the early years. Ponds have been created within the arboretum with the purpose of adding biodiversity to the landscape and pest eradication has ensured a noticeable increase in bird and insect life.

Part of the arboretum planting is geographical with the trees planted in the most suitable site according to the climate of the country of origin. So, for example, the North American mountain conifers are grouped on the cooler, moister south-facing slopes, and Mediterranean species on the hot, dry north-facing slopes, and so on. The New Zealand section could become recognised as the major collection of natives in this country.

A state-of-the-art GPS system locates and identifies individual trees so that health and growth is monitored as each matures. In conjunction, a comprehensive photographic record is kept.

When tree planting was first proposed in 2002, the Trust brainstormed a plan for future planting development. To date, over 17,000 trees have been planted with early plantings already achieving good height, their good health evident in the lush growth and confirmed by an extraordinarily good strike-rate.

Fulfilling the mission

This landmark stage has been achieved through the support and funding from many private individuals and organisations, but the Guthrie-Smith Trust is now in need of more regular donations to move to the next stage of its development. This is to open more fully to the public and to develop and expand environmental education.

Historically, the land owned by Herbert Guthrie-Smith from 1880 until his death in 1940, was a working farm of 25,000 hectares. During his tenure at Tutira, he experienced financial hardship and many successes as he struggled with the economic realities of farming during New Zealand’s pioneering era.

In an early example of environmental awareness, Guthrie-Smith observed, photographed and meticulously recorded every feature of his land and how it changed as a result of his farming activities. He became a committed environmentalist and the book he wrote, Tutira: the Story of a New Zealand Sheep Station, is regarded as a classic of international environmental literature.

After his death, his daughter, Barbara Absolom, gifted the land in 1942 to the Trust as an educational and recreational centre for the people of New Zealand. Its vision was to create an arboretum that would be a fitting legacy; the Guthrie-Smith Arboretum’s purpose is educational, scientific, practical and recreational.

Since that time the Trust has provided education at the Centre for school and other groups and has accommodation for 40 people. Currently, a skilled outdoor recreation operator has a lease to provide a variety of courses on kayaking, rope work, orienteering and other outdoor activities. Last year, 1,700 participated.

Looking Ahead

The goal now is to expand further into environmental education and to more fully utilise the facilities by being open year round, which will require staff and permanent signage. This means more funding and volunteers with the necessary skills and enthusiasm to further their educational ambitions.

Chris Ryan, Trust member, plantsman, visionary and guiding hand, believes that the facility provides unlimited opportunities for schools bringing intermediate and secondary school-aged children on field trips into this exciting world of knowledge centreing on the environmental sciences, geography, geology and biology.

“The possibilities are endless,” enthuses Ryan. The arboretum team gathers evidence on the growth and production of nut and fruit trees, high-value timber species and erosion-control plantings. Field days will be held for landowners who seek to increase the value of their land by planting trees. With tree planting so essential in managing erosion for the east coast such field days will be timely and relevant.

Tourism potential

It doesn’t require a leap of imagination to recognise that Tutira has considerable potential as a tourist destination. The lake offers fishing, kayaking and tramping. It is a picnic spot for travellers and camping facilities exist for those who wish to stop for a day or two.

Chris Ryan, trust member and plantsman.

The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has plans to develop walking and biking tracks around the lake which will link up with the coast at Bay View. Opening the Guthrie-Smith Arboretum to the public every day (currently it holds Open Days), the appeal would be widened further. On his wish list, Ryan would like to see at Guthrie-Smith an upgraded and expanded Education and Information Centre providing a central point for visitors to the area.

Ryan points out that with many shared priorities and goals – the protection of the environment, recreation and education – the HBRC and the Guthrie-Smith Trust seem well matched to form a collaborative partnership designed to establish an eco-tourism centre in the region.

Survival of species

Ryan is concerned that in New Zealand, as elsewhere in the world, people’s understanding about the risks to the environment is limited and fragmented. Fashionable environmental causes attract sponsorship and funding, but this ignores the bigger picture – the survival and interconnectedness of all species. A holistic approach is required.

“We focus on the kiwi and the kakapo as though they lived in isolation, but without the ecosystems that sustain them, they wouldn’t exist,” says Ryan. “What about the trees, plants and insects which are also at risk of extinction?”

The temperate climate of New Zealand provides a range of climatic conditions and located as it is half a world away from major population pressure, it is the perfect place to establish a repository of world plant species. In the face of climate change this laboratory for research and education is an important resource.

Chris Ryan believes that in coming years international visitors – scientists, botanists, dendrologists, arborists and gardeners – will be attracted to Tutira to share ideas and material. The Guthrie-Smith Arboretum will be a living plant bank, much in the way that Kew Gardens in London holds an international seed bank.

For information or to become a Friend of Guthrie-Smith Arboretum contact the secretary:
John Springford
06 873 8037
gstb@bwr.co.nz

There is a story told by Ngaio Marsh. She asked the opinion of the director and male lead in her play, Little Housebound, where they thought it would be best performed. “They looked at each other,” she said, “and with one voice ejaculated, Havelock North.”

Little Housebound is a hero’s journey, and it would have been the nature spirits who travel on the wind to visit distressed seekers of truth that triggered the consensus of where the play would flourish.

Havelock North had a reputation. Among Marsh’s memories of her stay was a poetess, and that “yoga regulated many families. Rudolf Steiner was a name to conjure with and handicrafts abounded. The esoteric found a fertile soil there. Eurythmics flourished and psychic research was not ignored.”

‘Psychic research’ was a reference to Whare Ra, whose existence was known, but the ‘goings on’ there were shrouded in mystery. Its members included the ‘who’s who’ of Hawke’s Bay, and at the time of Marsh’s visit in 1920, was led by Dr Robert Felkin.

Felkin first visited Havelock North in 1912 at the invitation of the Society of the Southern Cross, a group of devout seekers, whose practices included ritual chanting and meditation. Their guest had impressive credentials; a former leader of the Order of the Round Table, and presiding Chief of the Order Stella Mundi, he was also a practising physician whose interests embraced colour therapy, homeopathy and herbalism. He was once part of a Freemason’s group, that included Rudolph Steiner, who called themselves the ‘Illuminati’, and he designed a set of Tarot cards.

Ngaio Marsh was bound to observe that Havelock North provided a writer “with wonderful raw material.”

“By night the wizards of Whare Ra meet secretly in an underground room. Dressed in flowing robes they perform their rituals using ancient symbols and incantations. By day they mix with their fellow Villagers who have no clue they are rubbing shoulders with adepts of white magic. And when they visit Dr Felkin they are not to know he may have summoned Pan to assist him.”

The founders of Whare Ra would find Havelock North unrecognisable today, but what remains unchanged is that many people are deeply immersed in the esoteric world of spirit.

Lucinda and Christine

Christine Thrush treats Lucinda Sherratt

“It’s not a question for me,” says Lucinda Sherratt. “I know there’s a spiritual dimension.”

We are driving to Waipukurau to visit her osteopath. “That’s why I go to Christine. She sees my guides and works on a spiritual level, not just physical. She works in a way that allows my spirit to do the healing.”

Lucinda is a qualified Iyenda yoga teacher. “Mostly I can balance my body through the poses, but sometimes there’s stuff I can’t shift.” She taps her chest.

“I had a congested sternum a while ago. I was going through a difficult period with people I love, and Christine asked right away, ‘What’s up with your heart?’ She looks beyond the physical to how emotions affect my health.”

Christine Thrush had a career in nursing including 13 years as a theatre nurse in Auckland’s Greenlane Hospital. On a recommendation she visited an osteopath for treatment of a long term debilitating back injury. “Suddenly my T4 and T5 slipped into place and I had equilibrium for the first time in ages.”

She asks Lucinda to sit upright on the edge of the bed and to bend her head backwards and forwards. “Any tingling or numbness in your fingers,” she asks.

“Yes.” Lucinda wiggles her fingers. Lying on the bed now Christine cradles Lucinda’s head in her hands. “I’m connecting with the body rhythm – the primary respiratory rhythm – that comes in at conception.” She closes her eyes. “There it is. Eight cycles per minute.”

There’s no manipulating or adjusting. “I’m working with the cranial fluid which is produced in the brain. It’s the most nutrient fluid in the body and runs down the spinal cord. It’s our life-force.”

Her hands move. “The bones of the skull move in the smallest amounts,” Christine says, “I’m just assisting the body back into balance.”

Healing hands?

“My passion is healing using spirit,” says Christine.

Spirit?

“Well, as beings we come from light. Lower the frequency of light and it becomes matter.” Her blue eyes are radiant.

Energy equals mass to the speed of light? Albert Einstein? That greatest of men did say, “Great spirits have always encountered opposition from mediocre minds.”

And what about my guide, the grumpy old man, a clairvoyant told me about years ago?

“He’s not too grumpy,” Christine says, “Just impatient.” She smiles. “But he is old.”

Beyond the fences on the road back to Havelock new plantings of squash are creeping across ground bordered by rows of fresh green maize. The hilltops are already beginning to brown.

“Yes, I did have a tumour in my brain,” Lucinda says, “and the first time I had an epileptic fit was terrifying. It was as if my body was possessed. I just sat looking at my stomach convulsing like you
wouldn’t believe.”

Sigourney Weaver in Aliens?

“Yeah, and the surgeon said the tumour was too small to operate yet, and I should do yoga and meditation. He was Indian.”

A fresh bunch of yellow flowers lies at the foot of the sacred stone on the roadside at Peka Peka. It’s where bearers rested the dead on the journey to Te Hauke. I nod my head in thanks for a safe journey, just as my mother showed me when I was a boy.

“No, I never thought I was going to die. Never. I was not willing to die. I was very clear about that,” Lucinda says emphatically.

Now the traditional Indian medicine, Ayurveda, is Lucinda’s primary health carer. “We’re all capable of our own self healing and good health, and it starts with what we eat.”

And the tumour?

“Gone. Disappeared. It just went. I think I willed it away.”