BB#75-Mar-Apr-2024

Will our councils go broke?

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Here are some stories you’ve missed:

• In-depth interviews with our four mayors and HBRC chair

• Saving Smokefree legislation

• Water Barons’ debt forgiven

• 1st 100 days...what matters to HB?

• Te Awanga film studio approved

• Peak Bostock?

• Hospital prepped for more Covid

• Has the Aquarium passed its use-by date?

• Answers needed on HN flooding

• Flaxmere students drive solar project

• Fluoridation to resume in Hastings

• Fewer aged care beds in HB

• Get rid of your hazardous waste

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75

BayBuzz

March +

April 2024

Councils face tough sledding. Cyclone recovery sprouts sighted. Where are we headed on climate? Get some HB chef secrets. Time to save the Ahuriri Estuary? What’s hot/not in the Bay? Reviewing promised health reform. Where to get your yoga. Food fashions for 2024. Taking our Olympic team to Paris. Waka ama for all. Wine Fest weathers rain. National Youth Drama School. Treaty views. Recycling update. And yes, poo too.

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Mandy Wilson 027 593 5575

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BayBuzz team

EDITOR: Tom Belford

LIFE EDITOR: Michal McKay

SENIOR WRITERS: Tom Belford; Abby Beswick; Rosheen FitzGerald; Damon Harvey; Sahiban Hyde; Michal McKay; Mark Sweet

COLUMNISTS: Andrew Frame; Yvonne Lorkin; Kate McLeay; Paul Paynter; Lizzie Russell; Dominic Salmon; Simon Shattky; Jess Soutar Barron; Ian Thomas

BUSINESS WRITER: Brenda Newth

VIDEOGRAPHER: Patrick O'Sullivan

EDITOR’S RIGHT HAND: Brooks Belford

PHOTOGRAPHY: Florence Charvin

ILLUSTRATION: Ruth Mitchener; Brett Monteith

DESIGN: Unit Design - Max Parkes; Giselle Reid

PRODUCTION MANAGER: Giselle Reid

PROOFREADER: Jenny Elliott

ONLINE: Elizabeth-Marie Nes; Lee Tong

BUSINESS MANAGER: Steph Lowry

PRINTING: Blue Star Group

ISSN 2253-2625 (Print)

ISSN 2253-2633 (Online)

This document is printed on an environmentally responsible paper produced using Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) pulp sourced from Sustainable & Legally Harvested Farmed Trees, and manufactured under the strict ISO14001 Environmental Management System.

Sport

40 Heavy lifting as NZ goes for Olympic Gold

Damon Harvey

Local Nigel Avery is NZ Olympic Team’s chef de mission.

44 Olympic swimming trials come to the Bay

Damon Harvey

NZ’s strongest competitors at HB Regional Aquatic Centre.

46 He waka eke noa: Hawke’s Bay’s flourishing waka ama community Tess Redgrave

34

Are

Locals of all ages competed successfully.

BayBiz

52 Green shoots of recovery

Brenda Newth

Here’s how our regional recovery is coming along, by sector.

Ben Stewart

How tightly our trade is connected to China.

Ideas + opinion

60 Standardised recycling –what’s the big deal?

Dominic Salmon

Making it easier to lift our recycling IQs and progress.

62 The Te Tiriti o Waitangi journey Paul Paynter

While the politicians bicker, respect the mahi of the common people.

64 The fight of our lives Bayden Barber Coalition Government sends shock waves around Maoridom.

Life

68 On the tools

Simon Shattky

Some favourite local chefs talk ‘must haves’ for their kitchens.

76 A place to dream Rosheen FitzGerald National Youth Drama School, born in HB and back in April.

80 Great yoga venues in the Bay Kate McLeay Places for you to stretch.

84 The coast with the most Yvonne Lorkin

Finally, a celebration of our Cape Coast’s wine.

90 I just wish the world wanted fondue back!

Ian Thomas

Food fashions 2024 will be remembered for.

96 Mind your business

Jess Soutar Barron We’re overdue to talk poo.

As you will read in this edition, our councils have moved into high gear, with each required to submit for consultation new Three Year Plans to take effect July 1st. Each of our councils will be proposing significant double-digit rate increases; details will emerge in April.

I review the challenges ahead for councils in my feature article, but note that further developments will happen ‘fast and furiously’. The same is true of other key areas we cover in this edition. For example, our region’s economic and infrastucture recovery, reform of health services, climate change policy and the government’s ‘re-set’ on Māori matters.

I know as a BayBuzz magazine reader, you love to kick-back and ‘touch and feel’ our printed pages, but between the March publication of this edition and early May, when our next magazine is published, Hawke’s Bay will have the ‘pedal to the metal’ on all fronts.

And our online service is where our reporting will keep you informed on a timely basis.

For example, it’s there we recently published in-depth interviews with each of our region’s mayors and our Regional Council chair. A look behind the curtain.

So, I take this opportunity to urge you – if you haven’t already – to sign-up for our weekly online newsletter sent each Saturday, The BUZZ, and follow it. Or download our new BayBuzz App to see our stories immediately as posted.

And it’s not all about councils. We keep track of a lot of other key players for you.

The HB Regional Recovery Agency, our chief lobbyist to the government, is growing in importance. Our new Regional Economic Development Agency (REDA) will be tested this year. Our key primary producers

From the editor

– orchardists, sheep and beef farmers –face a daunting year ... not all will survive. Iwi will be flexing their political and economic muscles.

And of course the government will hit stride, for better or worse, with policy and programme shifts of major consequence to our region in areas like ‘3 Waters’, climate policy as it affects the farming sector, freshwater protection, and infrastructure funding (or not) from roads to hospitals.

In fact, a critical theme you will see emerge over the next few months will be the potential re-allocation of responsibilities and funding between central government and local government. The government is considering multi-year ‘Regional Deals’ to better match Crown funding with local programme delivery.

The view of all our local elected leaders, supported by a recent government-sponsored inquiry and by most independent experts, is that local government financing is simply not sustainable as presently constituted. Faced with ratepayer expectations about current service levels, historic underfunding of infrastructure, central government-imposed responsibilities, to say nothing of ‘normal’ inflation (i.e., before higher interest rates and insurance costs), most of our local councils have no significant funding options other than rate increases, be those general or targeted.

Ratepayers say ‘cut the fluff’, without detailing what the ‘fluff’ actually is or realising how much of councils’ spending goes to ‘core’ services. Yes, waste and inefficiencies can be identified and eliminated. But frankly, that won’t save the day.

I asked Mayor Alex Walker about cutting the fluff. Here’s her response:

“In our budget, fully 75% of the

spend is for pipes, pumps, plants (of the waste treatment variety) and roads. That’s as core as it gets. Then from the 25% take rubbish pick-up and landfill, a sizable cost and necessity, and about 100 hectares of parks and reserves to maintain ... Take away the 25% and nobody will mow the lawn or take care of the cemetery and our halls and facilities will fall into wreck and ruin.”

It’s a view echoed by each of our mayors.

So, before you fire off a nasty Facebook riff on rates, do this ...

First, name three specific budget items you think should be cut, reduced or deferred.

Second, think about your position on amalgamation of HB’s councils.

Then sit back, calm down and enjoy some entertaining articles herein on 2024 food fashions, yoga havens, wine festivals, sport achievers, what’s hot in the Bay, and local chefs’ ‘must haves’ for your kitchen.

Cheers,

Tom has been a two-term HB Regional Councillor. His past includes the Carter White House, building Ted Turner’s first philanthropic organisation, doing heaps of marketing consulting for major non-profits and corporates.

Hawke’s Bay’s primary sector is the cornerstone of our local economy and underpins the success of Napier Port.

We are committed long-term to supporting events and initiatives that promote the primary sector, exporters, healthy lands and healthy oceans for everyone.

A wildlife restoration project protecting endangered speciesNapier Port sponsors the predator-free seabird sanctuary, Sharewater.

Recognising businesses from Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne and Tairawhiti who are making a name for themselves on the world stage.

Two of our longstanding and much-loved events the whole family can do together.

Championing sustainable agriculture and working to ensure the health of the region’s soil and water for communities and farmers.

As principal sponsor for a decade, we celebrate the outstanding commitment of our producers, farmers, and foresters, and the rural professionals who support them.

ARTIFICIAL REEFS

Working with others, Napier Port has created two artificial reefs to enhance the habitat and health of the Ahuriri marine ecosystem –regularly undertaking dive surveys to document the establishment of the reefs and the health of fish that live in the area.

JOLLY GOOD, CHAPS

Cheers to these guys! And to their merry and dapper band of scooter-riding chums.

The Grand Annual Jolly Good Chaps Napier to Wellington 50cc Scooter Challenge is scheduled to take place for the third time on March 2nd, with over 200 riders roaring out of Napier (after a bacon breakfast) and heading down country.

“Stops are planned at Tumu Timbers where riders will enjoy a Beard Brothers sausage or two to refuel for the next leg. Tui HQ in Mangatainoka are sponsoring lunch and then it’s over that big bloody hill called the Remutakas before rolling into Wellington’s Macs Brew Bar around 5pm for an icepack for the butt cheeks. Thanks to Kāpura Trust we have a prizegiving planned and a live music knees-up, as most will no longer be able to sit down,” says Paul.

Fortunately for the riders, this is not a return-trip challenge.

“The team at Efficient Movers & Storage will load up the trusty steeds to bring them back to Napier for us.”

A fundraiser for Hawke’s Bay community causes, the Ride raised $158,731 in 2023 and is looking to hit the $200k mark this year. Donations through riders’ individual fundraising pages are still rolling in, so keep an ear out for the final number, and the fantastic causes being supported.

jollygoodchaps.co.nz/event/ scooter-challenge

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In this new series, we cast a little BayBuzz light on local treasures – spots you might need reminding about, places to explore in our own resilient, beautiful backyard.

This issue, we’re at Ahuriri Beach and Spriggs Park on a mid-morning in late summer amidst its many diverse regulars and visitors. There’s space for everyone as

they begin their day breakfasting, swimming, working, walking, chinwagging, swinging, climbing, stick-throwing, cycling and gazing out into the exquisite big blue.

Yays & Nays

2024 is now well under way and there’s a sense of hope and relief, haven’t you noticed? Here’s a round up of what’s hot and not, what’s in and out, the positives and the negs as we roll into a better year in the Bay.

YAY

1. Art Deco Festival. It came back with a sunshiney bang in February. Congratulations to the Art Deco Trust team and everyone involved. What a spectacular display of glamour, heritage and style. Visitors to the region were blown away by the events, the weather, the architecture and the warm welcome. It really was a weekend for Napier and the Bay to be proud of. And the fashion was utterly fabulous.

2. Shopping local. Whether this means following through on your new year’s resolution to rein in the online splurging, or you’re delighting in the accidental indulgences at your favourite neighbourhood stores, keep it up. You’re helping the regional economic recovery. From independent fruit and vege shops to local clothing boutiques and all the goodies in between, everyone did it hard last year and appreciates your support.

3. FAWC! Yes! If you haven’t booked spots for the foodie and fun events of the Food and Wine Classic, get your skates on. FAWC! Runs from March 15th to 24th and there’s some seriously cool and delectable offerings on the menu.

4. Mijita in Havelock North. Latin American food, drinks and vibes. The slow-cooked pork and the mushroom tacos on Hands Down tortillas are delicious and everything on the margarita list is perfection. Tucked in behind Sai Thai (also wonderful) in the Joll Road precinct, Mijita is the newest tasty addition to the village dining scene. Havelock people are so spoilt for choice!

5. HOY 2024. Horse of the Year is back after Covid19 restrictions saw it cancelled in 2021 and 2022, and Cyclone Gabrielle took it out in 2023. The 2024 event promises a huge influx of riders, supporters, horses and economic activity. It’s New Zealand’s premier showjumping, eventing and dressage event and it takes place at Tōmoana Showgrounds in Hastings from March 5th to 10th.

6. Emerson Street Revitalisation Project. It’s been over 30 years since the main street of Napier had a decent spruce-up. Local research company folkl have led a consultation process and connected with hundreds of consumers, workers, business owners and interested parties as an initial part of the revitalisation project. Watch this space as things develop over the next year or two.

7. Radburnd Cellars has found a home. Producers of ultra-premium Chardonnay, Syrah and Bordeaux blends, the Radburnd team lost their Bayview base last February and have been trying to settle in a new spot since. They’ve now moved into the historic Ngatarawa Stables site, sharing the premises with Bostock Wines. What a fitting combo. The cellar door is open by appointment.

8. Pecha Kucha Hawke’s Bay. The first PK event of 2024 is at Toitoi on April 9th. Come along and hear short, surprising and informative presentations on passions from generous, interesting locals.

9. An epic 2024 vintage. The long, hot summer looks like it’s delivered one to remember out on the vineyard. Boy, oh boy, the heros of the HB wine industry were due a win, and it looks like it’s arrived. Cheers to the ‘24s!

10. Late Summer Evenings. Clocks don’t change until April 7th, so there’s still plenty of time for dinner picnics in the garden, dusk sea swims, neighbours’ barbeque aromas mingling over fences, sunset paddling at Pandora, river walks with the dogs, and weeknight beers at the outside tables of your local. The long Hawke’s Bay summer – glorious.

Gold is back! Warm tones heading into Autumn with shades of Aubergines, rich browns and all those gorgeous velvety tones of the season. When was the last time you had your precious items cleaned, checked and valued for insurance? It is an absolute must in this day and age to make sure your precious jewellery pieces are in fact in a safe and wearable condition. If they are not and have not been cleaned and checked regularly by a professional, you may find your insurance company not covering damage or lost stones due to wear and tear. You may also find that because your valuation for insurance is out of date, that insurance companies will not cover the current value of replacement. Definelty food for thought.

If you are concerned about the condition of your jewellery pieces or require your valuations to be updated to meet the current market, feel free to pop in and discuss your needs with me, I am happy to advise the best way forward.

NAY

Look at that! So much good, we ran short on room for the bad stuff. A sign of the new times, perhaps? I was going to do five of each, so I guess Nay to vaping, especially at the table, and to sticky melting tar in your tyres on super hot days and to insects interrupting those beach and backyard dinners, and to dog owners not picking up after their four-legged friends. And despite everyone raving about how comfortable they are, I’m still not there on Crocs.

6 Havelock Road, Havelock North

06 877 9851

moniquetheresejewellers.com

CLIMATE POLITICS

As I indicated in my comprehensive climate review in our last edition, it’s impossible to find much to celebrate on the climate action front – globally, nationally or from local government here in Hawke’s Bay.

Global

Globally, the latest UN climate change conference (COP 28) ended with a very tepid statement calling for the “transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner” to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. More or less saying, “It would be nice to burn less fossil fuel by 2050, but here are some loopholes for the less committed.”

Since then, the news has been replete with further examples of accelerating heating and consequent damage, especially in the form of more

– and more intense – weather events.

The hottest January on record pushed twelve-month global average temperatures over the 1.5 degree threshold for the first time ever.

This followed 2023 setting the mark as the hottest year ever recorded. Although we’ve lost the battle for 1.5C, such a target, as one pundit observed, “served as a kind of moral artifact and a bulwark against the casual normalization of warming”. So now our placards must draw the line at 2.0C.

Some consequences ...

• Wildfires burned an estimated 13 million hectares of land in Canada – that would be half of New Zealand! Beyond Canada’s own damage, the smoke caused unsafe air quality throughout the midwest and northeast USA.

• And, as Greenland warms up and sheds unprecedented amounts of ice, we’re closer to a tipping point that would ‘turn off’ within the century the Atlantic Ocean current loop that presently moderates air temperatures for the UK and northern Europe, as well as upper North America. Europe could then lose 3 degrees Celsius per decade; parts of Norway would drop 20C or more. Ironic shifts unstoppable on human time scales.

• An estimated 2.5 million people – half of NZ’s population – were forced from their homes in the United States by weather-related disasters in 2023.

• Up to half of the Amazon rainforest could transform into grasslands or weakened ecosystems in the coming decades.

This list could go on as report after report documents the global situation.

New Zealand

Closer to home, the news was dominated by ...

Anxious awaiting of whether the Coalition Government will do anything serious on the climate front; the resignation of the Green Party’s James Shaw, the first (and probably best) Climate Minister the nation will see for years; and a Supreme Court decision on a case brought by a Māori activist that will require major NZ players like Fonterra, Genesis, NZ Steel and four others to defend their use of fossil fuels and methane-producing livestock.

In this context, the NZ Institute of Economic Research has called for nationwide, standardised reporting of costs related to climate-related weather events (make no mistake, Cyclone Gabrielle was just the first one), given that insurers are beginning to refuse to insure at-risk properties – on which could sit your home, your local power hub, your local wastewater treatment plant.

Obviously, the posture of the government will determine the urgency and sufficiency of our nation’s action

Most important will be the government’s approach to farmers, now that a small battalion of farmer-MPs have been elected.

on climate change. So, watch our new Climate Minister (sitting outside Cabinet), Simon Watts. At least he has publicly recognised that more severe weather events are not an ‘if’ question, but a ‘when’. To some of his coalition colleagues, global warming is a hysterical hoax.

Most important will be the government’s approach to farmers, now that a small battalion of farmer-MPs have been elected. The knee jerk reaction is to back off demanding a greater contribution from farmers in curbing emissions (and other pollutants). Yet every NZ agribusiness executive realises inadequate NZ climate action will threaten access to the overseas markets our agrarian economy depends on.

It’s hard to square apparent recognition of these severe weather and market realities with positions like reviving NZ exploration for offshore oil and gas. The Government’s commitment to double renewable energy is welcome, but no details yet, as is its pledge to install 10,000 EV charging stations across the country. When can we start counting those?

The details should begin to emerge by mid-year, when the government must announce precisely how it plans to meet NZ’s emissions reduction targets over 2026-2030 set under the Zero Carbon Act, contending with recommendations from the NZ Climate Commission as it does so.

Speaking of the independent Commission, if the nation is lucky, perhaps James Shaw might become its next chairman. He needs a bully pulpit.

As for the Supreme Court decision,

I’m not holding my breath for an eventual court order banning cow belching, but the legal process should generate a heap of useful data and analysis of corporate energy and emissions behaviour and its environmental and health consequences.

Hawke’s Bay

I recently interviewed in depth each of our region’s mayors and the regional council chair regarding their plans and priorities for 2024. None of them mentioned climate change until I brought the subject up. Of course, the typical line is, ‘Well of course it infuses everything our council does.’

And from the interviews there is no doubt that each leader makes the connection between the need for resilient recovery (which is top of mind to each) and the future severe weather events that climate change promises.

But so far that hasn’t led to a concrete climate action plan for the region. As the region’s official environmental protector, the regional council seems most committed, with a Climate Ambassador, Pippa McKelvie-Sebileau, as best I can tell the only employee at any council with climate as their full-time focus.

HBRC Chair Hinewai Ormsby also chairs the Climate Action Joint Committee, on which each council is represented. But so far the ‘Action’ Committee has been a talkfest. In our interview, Ormsby said she was happy that the committee is “on a pathway”, but not happy that there isn’t more progress on a regional climate plan. She indicated that council mayors and CEOs recognise a need to elevate the priority of this work in their organisations. We shall see how this materialises in upcoming LTPs.

So far, the most impressive climate action in our region is coming from outside local government, in the form of sustainability programmes launched by HB enterprises large and small. Although a certain moral conviction to play one’s part in addressing this existential threat is surely involved, for businesses the driver is more economic – reducing energy and other input costs, reducing risk exposure (an increasing demand for insurers and investors), and securing access to markets and meeting trade agreement obligations.

Money talks, even when it comes to saving the planet.

WHAT’S AHEAD FOR OUR COUNCILS?

After a holiday pause to catch their breath (thankfully, heaps of recovery repair didn’t cease), our councils returned to full steam by mid-January, with most beginning their official public meetings in the first week of February.

In February I had the opportunity to interview our four mayors and Regional Council chair in depth to get a sense of their priorities for the year ahead. Each of these interviews is reported on our website.

This article discusses the more overarching issues and challenges these leaders identified:

• Learning from disaster reviews

• Recovery priorities and implementation

• Immediate budget planning – your rates

• Long term local government financial sustainability

• Spatial planning for the region Running through all of these is one word – infrastructure!

Disaster reviews

Three major formal reviews into cyclone impact and response are underway. And some authorities are digging deeper into their own situations – NCC with its review of how council managed the immediate crisis and Wairoa taking a community-based look at its flood protection options.

HBRC itself commissioned the HB Independent Flood Review, looking at all the region’s flood protection

schemes from Wairoa to Pōrangahau and how each performed and the decisions made by HBRC during the cyclone. It will also recommend options for increasing the region’s long term flood resilience. The review panel is led by Dr Phil Mitchell, co-founder and partner at Mitchell Daysh, a leading environmental planning practice. That review is due in June.

The region’s civil defence group (HBCDEM) review is looking at operational handling of the immediate emergency, a very targeted period of time, with a particular emphasis on the systems and processes, and roles and responsibilities of group members and partners. This review is undertaken by a panel led by former NZ Police Commissioner Mike Bush and overseen by our four mayors and HBRC chair and their CEOs. A report is due to them on March 25.

And finally, the Government Inquiry into Response to the North Island Severe Weather Events is scheduled to report its findings publicly on 24 March. That Inquiry is looking into our overall national disaster response readiness, whatever the event (severe weather, tsunami), using the recent weather disasters as a guide. This review is led by Sir Jerry Mateparae, with Hastings food industry veteran

Mayor Walker’s mantra is ‘pipes, pumps, plants and roads’. Mayor Hazlehurst calls herself ‘The Infrastructure Queen’.

Julie Greene serving on the panel.

As Mayor Alex Walker noted, we all have localised views about what happened, what impact, what was done or not done. We still need one unified regional picture of the event, its impact and its lessons. The broad reviews will provide that. Then, as HBRC Chair Hinewai Ormsby said, “The worst thing would be not to learn and change.”

Recovery priorities and planning

Each council is beavering away with its own recovery workplan and with the resources immediately available.

For CHB and Hastings, the focus is roading and bridge repair. Mayor Walker’s mantra is ‘pipes, pumps, plants (as in waste disposal) and roads’. Mayor Hazlehurst calls herself “The Infrastructure Queen”.

For HBRC its silt and debris removal, stopbank repair, and completing its flood protection review. HBRC is also

overseeing plans for addressing remaining Category 2A and 2C housing. For seven targeted locations, full business cases must be put together and communities engaged to establish the best paths forward in terms of flood protection solutions and future development.

Needing to prioritise water infrastructure spending, Napier is re-examining business cases for all its commercial and tourism-related facilities and improving internal readiness for future crisis management. Redevelopment of the severely flooded Awatoto area is the main recovery focus, with an effective stakeholders group at work.

And for Mayor Craig Little, the focus is river protection and housing, with still over 100 people unable to return to their stickered homes. Restoring housing carries a $7 million price tag. Given Wairoa’s isolation (“Our journey to Napier especially is not enjoyable ... can now be two and a half hours or more!”), he’s passionate about his community’s recovery being locally led, from flood planning to organising and training locals to do high standard home repairs. Funding assistance aside, he says “We in Wairoa need to sort ourselves out from within.”

While all that work is underway, the Hawke’s Bay Regional Recovery Agency has been created, funded though June 2025, to help identify, prioritise and coordinate region-wide recovery needs. The HBRRA has a board chaired by Blair O’Keeffe (also Napier Port Chair among other governance roles), with Ross McLeod (former HDC chief) as chief executive.

It has been this agency’s job to prepare and advocate a unified regional ‘ask’ to central government, first to the Labour team and now to the Coalition Government. Effectively, the agency is the region’s chief lobbyist to central government, and gets high marks for that role from our elected leaders. “They’ve done a fantastic job,” was a typical comment.

It will also be this agency’s task to work with councils to prioritise recovery works, as it sinks in that neither the funding nor the practical capabilities (labour, materials, machinery) will exist to ‘do everything at once’. The serious allocation of scarce resources against a ten year calendar of recovery is yet to begin. And that assumes no catastrophe in the meantime!

Councils’ immediate budgeting

The government, bowing to realism, has given our councils dispensation

“We must plan to pay our own way ... any government assistance would be welcome gravy.”

to prepare only three-year Long Term Plans (LTPs) in this planning and budget cycle. So each council is well along in preparing its plans that will go to public consultation in April/May, with final plans adopted by June 30.

And the handwriting is on the wall ... get ready for significant rate increases over the three-year windows of these plans. The first bite was taken when councils revised their 2023/24 budgets just after Cyclone Gabrielle. But given the trauma of the disaster, it was a relatively small bite ... not close to recovery costs councils were already incurring. Now, with costs somewhat better identified, every council is looking at ‘double digit’ rate increases; some could top 20%.

As I listened to our mayors and HBRC chair, I was left with no doubt that these councils are working as hard as they can to mitigate their rate increases. But the realities are inescapable:

• Recovery costs will be enormous and ongoing – roads and bridges alone could top $1 billion.

• Legacy under-spending on water infrastructure – any elected official who’s served more than ten years should be thankful for a ‘statute of limitation’ that prevents their incarceration for malfeasance.

• Uncontrollable cost increases – interest rates, insurance, general inflation. For most of our councils, these expenses and their drivers account for 75% or more of their budgets. Only then do you reach ‘non-core’ activities. Mostly a domain of nickels and dimes.

At that point councils re-examine reducing service levels, deferring ‘less essential’ initiatives, re-calibrating rate structures (e.g. general vs targeted/ user pay, capital vs land value), borrowing, stopping subsidies to their ‘commercial’ operations, slashing their support of community groups and, if they have any (like HBRC), improving their investment returns or divesting.

Roading contractors won’t suffer in this process, community service

providers and cultural entities will.

And then councils turn to central government!

Councils’ long term sustainability And where will that lead?

I mentioned above that the HB Regional Recovery Agency was the chief lobbyist/spear-carrier for the region’s ‘ask’ of central government. The agency prepared a BIM (briefing for incoming ministers) before Christmas and since has met with new Ministers including the PM. As I write, the ‘ask’ is being refined and numbers added.

But this budget cutting, tax reducing government will be a stingy one. And whatever help it might be inclined to give, those details can’t be firmly known until the government formalises its first Budget in May. Leaving our councils twisting in the wind until the last month or so of their LTP planning.

And leading Mayor Kirsten Wise to comment, “We must plan to pay our own way … any government assistance would be welcome gravy.”

There will likely be some “gravy” – ‘there’s lots of government budgets and always some money laying around’, if I can paraphrase our chief lobbyist – but don’t count on a bailout anytime soon. “We’ve got to have our hand in there,” says Mayor Little.

This forecast extends to ‘3 Waters’ as well.

Mayor Wise expressed confidence that the government will support the kind of regional water infrastructure plan that HB mayors had advocated in opposition to the Labour consolidation. The government’s plan is called ‘Local Water Done Well’

So far, it’s a plan without funding, there’s no indication that central government will fund the massive required infrastructure investment. In fact, they are signalling they won’t.

Standard & Poor Global Ratings, judge of the credit worthiness of many NZ local councils, recently downgraded its outlook on 15 local councils, including Hastings District Council.

The agency commented on ‘’3 Waters’: “Labour’s reforms, if implemented, could have alleviated a significant portion of sector debt.” And on the government’s pending plan: “The final design of Local Water Done Well will be vital for addressing the rising revenue and expenditure mismatches in the sector.” Agency spokespeople hammered home their concerns about water funding in their streamed presentation of their analysis.

As it stands, any new regional entity will need to come to terms with how ‘3 waters’ investment will be funded by local residents and businesses, a decision that includes how the ‘poor cousins’ in CHB and Wairoa will be supported by Hastings and Napier ratepayers. Mayor Wise says the mayors are committed to sorting that … “We won’t back off now!”

Mayor Little is hopeful of that. “They need to make sure their communities are strong on that!”

Given low expectations of government largess, in each of my interviews, the discussion shifted from tomorrow’s council budget to the long term financial sustainability of local government.

It’s not surprising that each of our mayors and our HBRC chair lament that the funding model for local government is broken. But as self-interested as they are, they’re absolutely right. And every objective, experienced analyst of the situation agrees ... and has for some years now.

Most recently, the case has been made by a panel commissioned by the Labour Government in a Report issued last year, called The Future for Local Government. Despite being a product of the deposed regime, it’s a ‘must read’. Believe me, it’s been well-studied by our local leadership.

Read the report here:

It makes and documents a number of fundamental points:

• Central government has continually initiated policies and devolved responsibilities to local government without providing the funding for their implementation.

• Or when funding is dangled, it carries local matching obligations – like some of the recovery money HB has been allocated – or is ‘go, stop, go’ ruining effective programme delivery.

• At the same time, local councils are closer to the problems – like housing – on the ground and better able to craft effective community-based solutions.

• The ‘menu’ of options available to local councils to raise funds is too constrained.

• And the ‘take’ from our dual taxpayers/ratepayers is both far too skewed toward central government, with the local government ‘take’ essentially flatlined for years.

As shown in this graph.

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The report recommends a variety of measures to redress this situation. These include an ‘intergenerational fund for climate change’ driven by regional/local decision-making, enabling councils to introducing new funding mechanisms (community bonds, suggests Mayor Walker), more outright cash commensurate to devolved place-based responsibilities, and central government agencies paying rates and charges on their properties.

Of course, the wise panel also recommends local council ‘consolidation’, offering two models.

I asked my interviewees if they saw any sign the Coalition Government might buy into recommendations like these, ‘not invented here’.

There was considerable optimism about this, most thoroughly described by Mayor Hazlehurst, but with the others agreed on the message.

Looking forward, Hazlehurst is “excited” that the government might move toward some sort of ‘Regional Deal’ approach – 30 year funding plans covering the full range of government support to local/regional authorities, providing both dependable long-term funding levels and with substantial local discretion about how programmes are planned and implemented.

She believes Hawke’s Bay has an excellent prospect of being a ‘first cab

Re Mayors Hazlehurst & Wise promising $$ support for Wairoa/CHB

‘3 Waters’, Mayor Little says, “They need to make sure their communities are strong on that!”

off the ranks’ for such a deal, in part due to the regional advocacy around ‘3 Waters’, in part to the effectiveness of the Regional Recovery Agency, and in part to the steady work of the HB Mayors Forum in recent times, forming and ensuring various planning and project collaborations.

What BayBuzz likes to term ‘amalgamation by stealth’.

In a recent interview, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop spoke enthusiastically about regional deals:

“Those are long-lived partnerships between central government and local government, setting out a plan for a region over 10, 20, 30 years, saying: ‘Righto, as a region, you’ve got these priorities; as a central government, we’ve got these priorities; let’s get some agreement on what those are, let’s get some funding structures in place, let’s map out the region, spatially plan the region – particularly

around housing and major transport, major industry and things like that –and let’s get the funding structures in place to make sure we can go ahead with that. And that is extremely popular with local government.”

Even assuming ‘Regional Deals’ become a reality, it’s hard to imagine such a profound shift in the central/ local government funding paradigm happening quickly – significant local rates increases are locked into our future.

Regional spatial planning

Speaking of paradigm change, as Bishop mentioned above.

Another mandate of the Labour regime in its RMA reforms was a requirement for regional spatial planning. As you’ve heard, the Coalition Government is dumping Labour’s legislation.

Our mayors have been outspoken in favour of the need for regional spatial planning – how do we rationally place people, homes, businesses, medical facilities, public infrastructure across the Bay. So I asked if they would pursue such planning whether nor the government mandated it.

Thankfully the answer from all was a resounding “Yes”. “There’s absolutely a will to do this,” says Mayor Hazlehurst.

That’s a positive note to end on. Let’s now hold them to it!

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HEALTH SYSTEM NEEDS INTENSIVE CARE

The coalition government’s catchall for making Aotearoa New Zealand a better, healthier country is ‘targeted funding for populations in need’.

In his State of the Nation speech on 18 February, PM Luxon listed these health achievements in the government’s first 81 days:

• We’ve progressed work on a third medical school with Waikato University, because we need more home-grown doctors.

• We’ve taken the first steps to extend free breast cancer screening up to age 74.

• Soon we’ll introduce legislation to disestablish the Māori Health Authority – because we want to see better results for Māori, not more bureaucracy.

• We deployed 200 additional security personnel which has reduced violent incidents in hospital emergency departments, keeping staff and patients safe.

With a major ‘reform’ agenda still to play out, at the time of writing Health Minister Shane Reti had so far announced a two-year $50 million package to help Māori providers lift immunisation rates for all children and also launched My Health Record – an App giving people improved access to their personal health records.

In his media interviews Reti has said the health workforce and building it was his biggest worry, with short, medium and long term aspects.

In Hawke’s Bay a recent search online revealed 88 clinical vacancies including a full-time cardiologist, a senior medical officer – intensive care, a consultant psychiatrist, and a surgical registrar.

Reti says the short-term focus will be immigration, noting the country’s dependence on international graduates forms 40 to 50% of our health workforce.

Retaining the workforce we have is the medium-term focus. And turning

on the domestic tap for a homegrown, culturally competent workforce was the longer-term focus. Creating a third medical school falls into this category.

On other contentious issues, however, Reti remains tight-lipped.

When questioned about the coalition government’s smokefree law repeal, he has stated it was a decision for all partners in the coalition, but insists the government is committed to driving down smoking rates.

Asked repeatedly, Reti provided no comments to BayBuzz about the smokefree law repeal and how it would impact Māori, the very population that is over-represented in every unhealthy clinical performance metric.

With regard to a new or redeveloped Hawke’s Bay hospital, in September 2023, as the National Party’s health spokesman, he claimed the need for a new hospital was obvious, as was his want to fund one. At the time he just needed to see if a final business case had been completed by the previous government or if it was still at an indicative stage.

Abolition of the Māori Health Authority is proceeding, as the PM noted, with Reti saying decisions are better left in the hands of local iwi and hapū.

In view of planned government policies, BayBuzz asked other voices to comment about the policies and how they might impact our region.

Kevin Atkinson

A member of the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board from 1998 until 2022 and chairman from 2001 until 2019, Atkinson gives mixed reviews.

He is “very disappointed” about the lack of disclosure around the Smokefree law repeal during the election campaign. “It was very

Asked repeatedly, Reti provided no comments to BayBuzz about the smokefree law repeal and how it would impact Māori, the very population that is overrepresented in every unhealthy clinical performance metric.

disappointing there was no real disclosure of thinking in the election campaign. I hope they go through the proper process – submissions and consultations and the need to take a different approach. Time is on the side of the select committee.”

He said experts in the field needed to be listened to. “We have made great progress with anti-smoking, and smoking cessation, it would be a shame if we went back on it. There are very few health experts, if any, willing to support the change.”

On the abolition of the Māori Health Authority, he is not overly concerned.

“There’s been a lack of significant achievement from the Māori Health Authority. We all want to see reduction in inequities around Māori health, especially life expectancy of Māori, but we have different ways to get there.”

In terms of the future of Hawke’s Bay Hospital, he said as a region, Hawke’s Bay couldn’t justify any more than a single hospital, but the current hospital needed to be fit for purpose with “significant investment in the ICU, ED, East Block”. He said there were viable options for the current site.

He sees the green-fields option as something which could be considered, but would come at a significant investment between $500-$600 million.

“Growth on green field sites on the urban fringe of our cities is highly visible,” he said. “Much depends on the availability of land for new development and also on the consenting rate for new builds. That is heavily dependent on the policies and actions of both central and local government.”

He added that expansion of private services like the Kaweka facility showed the “significant advantage to public/private partnership”.

Atkinson is heartened about the

coalition government’s policies around cancer treatment.

He said Hawke’s Bay would have had a state-of-the-art cancer treatment facility a fair few years ago had thenhealth minister David Clark not put “a complete kibosh” on a public-private partnership.

He mentioned the possibility of a LINAC machine at the hospital in the near future. LINAC or linear accelerator machines aim radiation at cancer tumours with pinpoint accuracy, sparing nearby healthy tissue. At present Hawke’s Bay cancer patients must travel to Palmerston North for LINAC treatment.

On other health policies, he said some of his biggest concerns were around the delays in drug approval.

On that the coalition government intends to require Medsafe to approve new pharmaceuticals within 30 days of them being approved by at least two overseas regulatory agencies recognised by New Zealand.

Atkinson approves of the move. “I am all for it ... There is no point in trialling drugs for 2 years. If they are approved in US/UK/Australia, then it should be considered safe to dispense them in New Zealand.”

He also approves of the plan to update Pharmac’s decision-making model to ensure it appropriately takes patient voice into account and to reform the funding model to account for positive fiscal impacts on the Crown of funding more medicines.

“Our country will never be at the stage where we could fund every drug

“We have made great progress with anti-smoking, and smoking cessation, it would be a shame if we went back on it. There are very few health experts, if any, willing to support the change.”

available. PHARMAC should be able to source drugs at cost, which would require an update to PHARMAC’s decision-making model.

He said these decisions should be made with “absolute priority because people could die”.

The National Party pledged to allocate $280 million in ring-fenced funding to PHARMAC over four years to pay for potentially lifesaving and life-extending treatments that are proven to work and are readily available across the Tasman.

Atkinson is also a big fan of health targets. “We used to be able to know where Hawke’s Bay sat when we still had health targets. We have lost a level of accountability when we lost those. Health targets need to be operating fully.”

Not surprisingly, his biggest disappointment in the health sector was the disbanding of District Health Boards. “It was a step too far. We have had a complete lack of community scrutiny since the DHBs disbanded.”

He expects by mid-year we will have a better idea of changes taking place in the health sector, and whether they are yielding the improvements we hoped for.

Bayden Barber

As a former chair of Health Hawke’s Bay, Ngāti Kahungunu chairman Bayden Barber offered these views.

He told BayBuzz Ngāti Kahungunu was “hugely disappointed” that the coalition government was dissolving the Māori Health Authority, Te Aka Whaiora.

“Māori health outcomes have not

improved under the current model of health delivery, so this was a huge lost opportunity to try something innovative based on the Treaty of Waitangi principles,” he said.

He said relationships with the PM, Cabinet Ministers and local MPs would be important so the iwi would continue to have an open-door policy to engage across all of the issues.

“These are challenging times, but together I am confident we can ‘rapua te māramatanga i roto i te pō’ or ‘find the opportunity within the gloom’. The Prime Minister visited regional leaders in December and said that his government will improve Māori outcomes across all key wellbeing indicators. So, ‘kua takoto te mānuka’, the challenge has been laid, let’s see now if they can deliver.”

On the Smokefree Law Repeal Barber said the law would have made “major gains for our people, saving a whole generation from ever experiencing smoking”.

“Repealing the law will mean that smokes will be available in 6,000 stores rather than 600 specialty stores. This will likely see more of our younger people have access to cigarettes. Smoking has been a scourge to Māori over many generations.”

He said the numbers nationally spoke for themselves, and doubted Hawke’s Bay’s stats would be any different.

He said Māori were 3.4 times more likely than non-Māori to be daily smokers (adjusted for age and gender). They were 2.9 times more likely than nonMāori to be current smokers (adjusted

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for age and gender). Māori women were 3.1 times more likely to be current smokers compared to non-Māori women (adjusted for age).

Johanna Wilson

Wilson was former smokefree programme manager at the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board from 2014 to 2020. She agrees with Barber.

She believes the repeal of Smokefree laws will impact heavily on Māori, result in an increase in poverty, a hike in tobacco products price, increase in visual presence of smokers, increase in crime (particularly dairies), in rubbish, in tobacco related illnesses and death, and increase in uptake of smoking tobacco products by young people.

“I’m afraid for our people, our whānau, our children, and our babies. Smoking in cars and homes will be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of us all. I’m afraid the repeal of Smokefree laws will open the doors to smoking in cars and homes.”

She urges the coalition government to listen to the health and wellbeing experts.

Tukituki MP Catherine Wedd MP Wedd tells BayBuzz there are “major issues” facing healthcare in Hawke’s Bay, essentially repeating her campaign talking points.

“Labour failed to address our health workforce shortage in Hawke’s Bay and failed to train, attract and retain more staff. The workforce needs to be a priority.

“People in Hawke’s Bay are fed up with failing infrastructure and a stretched health system. I’ll be a relentless advocate for better health services in Hawke’s Bay and the National

“Repealing the law will mean that smokes will be available in 6,000 stores rather than 600 specialty stores. This will likely see more of our younger people have access to cigarettes. Smoking has been a scourge to Māori over many generations.”

Government has sensible policies to boost our health workforce so people here can be confident they’ll get the care they need, when they need it.”

She said Hawke’s Bay was sick of the “ballooning bureaucracy in Wellington when we need health services and frontline staff and equipment in the regions. Our new Health Minister Dr Shane Reti understands the challenges we face in provincial New Zealand. A ballooning bureaucracy in Wellington is not the way to help Hawke’s Bay.

“I have been advocating strongly for a new Hawke’s Bay hospital and will continue to do so.

“Our government is fully committed to reducing smoking rates in New Zealand and Hawke’s Bay.”

Time to deliver

As Bayden Barber said above, “So, ‘kua takoto te mānuka’, the challenge has been laid, let’s see now if they can deliver.”

In the meantime, some good things are happening on the ground for wellbeing, especially as related to recovery from cyclone trauma.

Te Whatu Ora and the Regional Public Service Commission allocated almost a million dollars to support the health and wellbeing of Hawke’s Bay communities recovering from Cyclone Gabrielle.

The partnership between the two organisations resulted in 75 groups being awarded Community Wellbeing and Hauora grants following a call for grant applications late last year.

Successful applicants received funds towards activities such as local community events, cultural and spiritual wellness retreats, wellness resources and facilitating weekly meals to impacted communities.

Te Whatu Ora Hawke’s Bay Psychologist Frances Oliver says for many living in the region, their hauora was deeply shaken. “It was a traumatic event that continues to impact people, and these opportunities to focus on wellbeing will make life a little brighter, and a little easier.”

Hawke’s Bay Regional Public Service Commissioner Karen Bartlett says the grants committee, made up of members from Te Whatu Ora, Te Aka Whai Ora, Department of Internal Affairs and Regional Recovery Agency, had a tough job of assessing who would receive money from the fund.

“There was an overwhelming number of applications, showing how great the need is. It was heart-warming to read the innovative ways groups and communities are wanting to come together, to stay connected and support each other as they recover,” she says.

“It was equally pleasing to learn that funding has been spread far and wide across the rohe with applications received from all impacted areas.”

One grant recipient was the Hawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers Association which received $10,000 to be used for an industry event centred around wellbeing.

Te Whatu Ora Te Matau a Māui also launched a $2m hauora and wellbeing package, including seven free counselling sessions and online doctor consults for Hawke’s Bay residents affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. Te Whatu Ora Cyclone Gabrielle Recovery Manager Pania Shingleton said the idea was supporting people with a comprehensive package, which alongside the counselling, includes online doctor consults, pharmacy treatments, and the traditional Māori healing practice of rongoā.

Further healthcare help was given to people displaced in category one, two or three and all Wairoa residents – two free GP and two nurse visits, and a free after-hours emergency consultation.

Funding was allocated to five Māori Health providers to facilitate people accessing Practice Plus, an online doctor service, giving people a place in the community to ask for help. These providers are helping people book appointments on the Practice Plus app,

“I have been advocating strongly for a new Hawke’s Bay hospital and will continue to do so.”

including people who are not enrolled with a doctor.

“We know accessing healthcare is a barrier to some people in our community. The sooner they see someone the more positive their health outcomes are, which is why we worked this into our funding,” Shingleton says.

The coalition government also funded additional security staff in Emergency Department’s nationally until February 29, a move very much appreciated

by hospital workers at Hawke’s Bay Hospital. Security and Orderly Manager Richard Payne told BayBuzz Hawke’s Bay Hospital gained an additional four security kaimahi per day, with two extra rostered on per 12-hour shift. “The presence of the extra security staff had a positive impact for the Emergency Department kaimahi, who felt safer and believe it helped deter antisocial behaviour,” Payne says.

“Staff have experienced an increase in verbal and physical abuse over the past few years, which has resulted in security personnel wearing stabproof vests, getting more training and awareness of how to deescalate situations, and enhanced communication with other Te Whatu Ora sites to share knowledge.”

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Health Minister Shane Reti has stressed setting and meeting health targets that include reducing surgical waiting times, providing faster cancer treatment and cutting down on emergency department waits.

So where does Hawke’s Bay sit in terms of health targets?

At the time of writing Te Whatu Ora had published clinical performance metrics for all DHBs covering the first quarter of 2023/24 compared with the same quarter for 2022/23. The clinical performance metrics data showed information on 11 out of 12 clinical metrics.

Unsurprisingly they showed the healthcare system, including Hawke’s Bay Hospital, continuing to face pressure.

Hawke’s Bay showed improvement in five of the 11 metrics. All figures here compare the two windows – Jul-Sep 2022 to Jul-Sep 2023. This data was published in December 2023 and is the most current available.

HAWKE’S BAY’S CLINICAL PERFORMANCE METRICS

Ambulatory sensitive (avoidable) hospital admissions

These are a group of mostly acute admissions that are considered potentially reducible through interventions deliverable in a primary care setting.

0-4 years / 100,000

6,278 2022 8066 2023

45-64 years

4,447 2022

4,089 2023

People waiting more than 4 months for planned care

1,294 2022 declining to 1,075 2023

Cancer treatment wait times

The proportion of cancer patients who receive their first treatment within 31 days of a decision to treat by a health professional.

For Hawke’s Bay the data had not been validated.

Immunisation coverage at 24 months

82.8% 2022

declining to 73% 2023

Emergency Department presentations

12,353 2022

rising to

13,191 2023

People waiting more than 4 months for a first specialist assessment

1,737

2022

rising to

2,495

2023

Planned Care waiting more than 365 days

269 in 2022

274

202

Mental health wait times

The proportion of young people (aged under 25) who have been referred to and seen by a specialist mental health service within three weeks of referral.

96.4% 2022

96.6% 2023

Acute bed days

These are the number of days a person spends in hospital, following an acute admission, presented as the number of bed days for acute hospital stays per 1,000 population.

436 2022

427 2023

Shorter stays in ED

The proportion of patients who were admitted, discharged, or transferred from an ED within six hours (excludes those people who presented to ED in error and those who did not wait to be seen).

75.5% 2022

72% 2023

Unlike many other estuaries in New Zealand, Ahuriri has not yet reached the point of no return. So the establishment of a tributaries catchment group, and a statutory committee charged with protecting it, may have come in the nick of time.

The Ahuriri Estuary – a tidal river mouth fed by tributaries from a diverse catchment that takes in rural and urban areas, and connects to a shallow lagoon – is facing a series of challenges that threaten its future. These problems have been growing and compounding over a century, to the point where today, this local treasure is struggling to maintain its equilibrium.

It’s a long body of water with fresh water and salty areas, varying depths and a wide range of animal and plant life. In particular, migratory birds that fly from Alaska and the Arctic every year to feed, including the much-revered Godwit, or Kuaka. Te Whanganui ā Orotū, as it is called in Māori,

A TAONGA IN OUR HANDS: THE FUTURE OF AHURIRI ESTUARY

meaning the Great Estuary of Orotū, (an ancestor) is classified as a nationally significant Wildlife Refuge.

Everything from sediments and farm chemicals, untreated storm water pollution, invasive species, to topographical changes have had or are having an impact on this important habitat.

According to HB Regional Council’s chief scientist, Anna Madarasz-Smith, many of New Zealand’s estuaries face challenges, and some have reached a tipping point – meaning that, while it’s possible for them still to reach a state of health, the natural equilibrium has changed permanently.

With twenty years experience working with the estuary, she says Ahuriri has yet to reach that tipping point.

“We’ve known about the estuary’s challenges for a number of years ... in 1991 the first joint management plan was pulled together by the Department of Conservation, Napier City Council, Hastings District Council and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council – and it was only ever in draft.

“There is a very long history with the earthquake and human interventions, drainage, the creation of farmland,

the expressway and all of those things that chip away. So, the estuary is in a state of decreased health and we have some challenges in the way that it functions, from greenhouse sequestration, to filtering water for cleaning and transforming nutrients. It’s not doing too well … we need to be focussing.” Because the challenges are multi-factoral, the approach to tackling them must also be broad, she says.

But Angie Denby, chair of the Ahuriri Estuary Protection Society, which has been around since the early 80s, says that it has been the collective lack of action that has had the biggest impact of all on the estuary. Until very recently, ownership of the estuary’s management was scattered across various councils and government departments, and getting them to work together was an uphill battle, she says.

Te Komiti Muriwai o te Whanga Ahuriri Estuary and Catchment Committee

This is all set to change as a result of the 2022 Crown settlement with the Ahuriri Hapū, and the formation of a trust set up to receive the proceeds,

Mana Ahuriri. The settlement includes a Crown directive for a statutory committee to be created for the care and protection of the estuary.

Te Komiti Muriwai o te Whanga, a co-governance entity with Napier City Council as the administrating body, will now take the lead on all projects and initiatives for the protection and health of the estuary. It is charged with preparing and approving a management plan for the estuary and catchment.

Chaired by Mana Ahuriri (Te Kaha Hawaikirangi), it is made up of representatives from NCC (Annette Brosnan), HDC (Tania Kerr), HBRC (Hinewai Ormsby) and DOC. Anna MadaraszSmith is on the technical advisory group for Te Komiti (some appointments may change, at the time of writing Te Komiti was still finalising names).

Te Kaha Hawaikirangi, who has just taken over as chair of Mana Ahuriri and consequently co-chair of Te Komiti, says that it has engaged a consultant (PWC) to support it in the development of the plan and has begun hosting wānanga and workshops.

A final plan is legislatively required by March 2025. However Te Kaha tells BayBuzz that the goal is to have it completed this year, with community consultation, so as to align with councils’ LTP planning.

Any recommended actions that fall out of this process will have teeth.

“When it’s finalised it must be implemented. That’s the reason why we have all these partners around the table – so that we are on the same waka and going in the same direction.”

The principles and values associated with the plan have been mapped

out and eventually the plan will be harmonised with TANK and any other council plans that overlap with it, so that there is no ambiguity.

“Our plan will be focussed on the restoration and the mauri of the estuary.”

Groups like the protection society and the catchment group will be stakeholders in this consultation.

Protection Society Denby says, “[The trust are] getting their group set up and terms of reference together. I understand the trust has a lot of ideas and will be reaching out to groups like ours. Everyone will have their own interests, but I feel optimistic that having Mana Ahuriri at the head will put conservation and the environment at the forefront of everything.”

An uphill battle for the estuary

Like Madarasz-Smith, Denby and the Protection Society have long been working to monitor and organise for the health of the Ahuriri Estuary. The protection society was founded in 1981 when Napier city council was intending to build a marina in the estuary where the Pandora Pond is now.

“There has always been the challenge of recreation vs conservation, and there probably always will be,” she says.

This summer the society has been keeping an eye on the birds that nest on the spit in Pandora Pond, where they have witnessed much destruction. “People riding trail bikes through the nests, children throwing eggs, others throwing gravel at the nests. We even got to the point of letting the police know this was happening because it is an offence under the Wildlife Act.”

Along with people, pests are also an issue. Stoats, weasels and cats come for bird eggs and babies, and so trappers work at the Southern Marsh where many birds gather. Wader bird numbers are counted twice yearly by Birds NZ, but not all the various birds that live there are counted.

“The really ubiquitous issues that are cosmopolitan around the estuary are sediments, the physical bounding of the estuary, and nutrients,” says Madarazs-Smith.

By physical bounding, she means room for the estuary to be an estuary.

“[The estuary is impacted by] the land we reclaimed and drained, and then the stop banks we built … as the sea level rise comes in, these intertidal habitats that are so important don’t have anywhere to go. I liken it to breathing, it needs to inhale and exhale with the tidal cycle.”

Sediment

While sediment is a massive problem for estuaries throughout the country, Ahuriri is having particular issues with sediment brought down in Cyclone Gabrielle. Because of the force of the water, residual sediment in the system continues to trickle down, and based on previous floods elsewhere, it’s estimated that it may continue to come down for up to seven years, she says.

“Anywhere that you have disrupted sediment that doesn’t have a cover holding it together, it has a potential to come through anytime it rains. People will have noticed that the rivers are turning brown very quickly.”

The fine mud clogs up all the holes in the sand, which like everything else needs to breath, and it can turn black and emit a smell like rotten eggs because of the lack of oxygen. “You can get a die off of anything underneath.”

Synthetic fertilisers

Phosphorous and nitrogen are both problems for Ahuriri, with phosphorous the bigger of the two. What it does is make microscopic plants in the water grow, but too much can cause algal blooms and this affects water clarity. If the sunlight can’t filter down to the sediment at the bottom, many of the estuary’s transformational properties are sabotaged, while dissolved oxygen crashes and the environment can’t support the needs of sea life, says Madarasz-Smith.

Tube worm

This creature builds coral like structures that displace other life in the estuary because of how massive these can become. “It’s been in the estuary since the 1990s and not posed much of a problem, and then in about 2011 it just took off and we have a massive biomass of it. It has taken advantage of the estuary’s challenges. It would have flourished because of the nutrients creating algal blooms and then builds these massive reef-like structures,” she says.

HBRC mechanically removed 600 tonnes of it over a few years, and has recently brought in expertise from the Cawthron Institute for management options.

Stormwater

Since New Zealand doesn’t treat any of its stormwater, everything that runs off the road and into the drains, includingpollutants, goes into our waterways. But in the case of Napier, fully 75% of

the city’s stormwater is released into the estuary. When there is really heavy or prologued rain, the council has consent to release sewerage into the estuary as well.

Napier’s Deputy Mayor, Annette Brosnan, who is also deputy chair of Te Komiti, has been working for years to improve the city’s stormwater drains, and has had modelling done based on over five years of water quality testing across the network.

“When I came into government I tried to get Napier’s waterways and drains planted up with riparian planting. But we couldn’t just plant the drains, we needed to do a stormwater model around what plants would work, what the capacity issues were, what sediments and toxins were in different parts of the network. That’s now been done and is being peer reviewed.”

Because of this NCC has a good understanding of what contaminants there are and which areas they are in. The highest levels of heavy metals are found in the industrial areas, but are found throughout the network.

Impact on migratory birds

That’s a lot of problems for an estuary to handle, so what is the impact on birdlife?

Godwits fly from Alaska and spend nine days in the air and use all their energy to get here – they can’t land on water at any point. When they arrive they’re close to death and need to feed. Ahuriri estuary is like a gas station for them.

Madarasz-Smith says that in order to support these migratory birds, the

estuary needs to have healthy shellfish beds and worms, so when it isn’t in the best of health, the birds can’t feed well. The estuary’s biodiversity not only underpins the health of these migratory birds but also Hawkes Bay’s fisheries.

This problem was underlined in a recent UN report on the state of the world’s migratory species. Almost 50% of species registered under the Convention of the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals are experiencing a decrease, with over one-fifth of them facing the risk of extinction. The primary dangers to migratory species are overexploitation and habitat loss caused by human activities.

Associate Professor Phil Battley, Zoology and Ecology Group, Massey University, says that, “Our bar-tailed godwits, red knots and other species that migrate across hemispheres may rely on very few stopover sites, and habitually use the same places year after year. Their continued existence needs these sites to be protected.”

Ahuriri Tributaries Catchment Group

Another important group working on the health of the estuary is the local catchment group, formed about 18 months ago by a group of individual landowners. The group is working to improve land management and farming practices to improve water quality in the tributaries flowing into the estuary, and it has been making some very good progress.

Like the Protection Society, the catchment group will be a community

stakeholder for Te Komiti, and in fact, Wiremu and Tipene Cottrell of Mana Ahuriri are members of the group, says chair Robert Pattullo.

“We call ourselves the Ahuriri Tributaries Catchment Group and we are a very special case to be honest. We are quite small, covering from Bay View, around the foot hills into Poraiti and down into Taradale. It might be 10,000 to 12,000 hectares. Bigger catchment groups span 200,000 hectares.

“And within that, there are only about half a dozen significant farming landowners, and then there are some smaller blocks. But there are also lots of lifestyle blocks. There could be up to 1,000 of those. We’re doing some analysis on that.”

The catchment also includes residential and commercial land, including the airport, port, Pan Pac, and the Pandora industrial area. “We all flow into the estuary,” Pattullo says.

As a result, the catchment group has representatives from across the board with varying expertise, not just pastoral farmers, and is co-chaired by soil scientist Phil Schofield. It includes freshwater ecologist Keiko Hashiba, representatives from the local marae, and many others.

A year ago the group went through the process of becoming a charitable trust, which enabled them to apply for $8,000 funding from the Red Cross to run some events after Cyclone Gabrielle. This helped them introduce themselves to the community, as well as help out some of the lifestyle blocks that were devastated in the storm, he says.

Mini-freshwater plans

Pattullo says they also received $10,000 from Westpac, a nationwide Landcare grant, that was used to assist lifestyle block owners that had properties under 20ha, and are therefore not required to be compliant with the government’s freshwater rules.

“But they really are all part of our estuary catchment. So we are running a pilot we call ‘mini-freshwater environmental plans’, which involves going out to these blocks and introducing ourselves with a modelled free water plan from the Landcare Trust.” Every landowner with a mini-freshwater plan gets $500 to buy plants for riparian planting along water ways or hillside stabilisation. “That is special to our catchment because we have lots of these small block owners, and we are going to be able to do about 30 of those a year, and we’ve done about 12 already.”

The catchment group is also mapping these lifestyle blocks to identify key areas for improvements in land and water management, because freshwater is impacted by the sediment washed off the hills.

More recently the catchment group has been working with the Ministry for Primary Industries, and secured $600,000 in funding over four years to employ coordinators and carry out more significant freshwater water testing and special projects, such as making improvements to Wharerangi Stream. Others will be developed as they go along.

What about the farmers?

“And then there is the phosphorous that comes off the farms, and the biodiversity in the streams. We’ve always seen freshwater kōura and eels in our streams, but Gabrielle was pretty hard on them to be honest. They are coming back now. We do that with eDNA water testing to find out what species were there and enhance that and if they’re not there, then we need to find out.”

Pattullo says farmers are under no illusion that those of them on the Western side of the estuary will be in for some home truths in regards to the phosphorous, sediment and e coli that are coming out of their farming operations. The estuary is getting shallower and warmer, and there is a multiplying effect taking place, he says.

“If you don’t know, you don’t know how to improve,” he says.

There are about half a dozen farms in the 400ha plus category, all sheep and beef, also a little bit of horticulture

and viticulture around Bay View, and on some of the tributary flats there is cropping.

“We are not engaging directly with the larger farmers at this stage. In time, when the freshwater farm plans and the TANK plan is finally confirmed and run out [that might happen]. We are not going to stand up and say we are experts.” But the group will continue to consult with farmers as part of the catchment, as they are doing lots of important land stabilisation work, he says.

Catchment groups by their nature will lead to more environmentally sound practices, he says.

Those may in some instances include regenerative practices, which many farmers and lifestyle block owners are beginning to experiment with across the country. Such practices could aid in holding up sediment and runoff into the estuary and because catchment groups are led by community and volunteers, examples of good practice are often shared. “It’s enormously fulfilling. it makes your community a great place to live in.”

Future regional park and water treatment centre

The final piece in the puzzle is dealing with Napier’s stormwater issues, both in terms of treatment at source so that it doesn’t flow into the estuary, and as a protection against floodwaters.

Annette Brosnan is leading the charge on plans for the Ahuriri regional park and constructed wetlands and water treatment facility on 284ha of farmland owned by NCC on one side of Prebensen Drive, opposite Parklands. The idea is more than just a solution for storm and floodwaters, it will be a community space, a cultural storytelling centre, a home for wildlife.

The link back to Te Komiti and its developing plan, is that the park’s development will be consistent with the objectives, policies and guidance that they give, says Brosnan.

“It borders the channel of the estuary, from the Pond and Embankment Bridge that goes up into the foothills and there is currently a stop bank and a cycle way that goes along it. The vision for the park is to transform it into a stormwater system that treats the water before it goes into the estuary –that’s the primary purpose. A step forward as a council to how we treat the environment.”

Brosnan has worked for five years to get the park into the NCC long term plan, and has succeeded in setting up

the council’s first co-governed joint committee – half Mana Ahuriri and half NCC and HBRC.

“In the first one to 10 years we have got $40 million to work on storm water diversions and the creation of the park, a ten-year project. And then for the 20 years after, we have a further $20 million to work on catchment improvements, outfall improvements and water quality. So we have a 10-to-30 year plan to treat 75% of the city’s stormwater through the park,” Brosnan says.

NCC has recently appointed a consortium to work with the community and council on the master plan. The vision is ambitious and includes things like sediment traps, wetland treatment systems that can strip different contaminants out, a big amphitheatre-like public space that will double as stormwater retention in high flood or rain events, education centres, cultural storytelling, biodiversity links back into the city and habitat for protected species. This means there will be both publicly accessible areas and others that won’t be.

“I think in ten years’ time we will certainly have this park well-established and then a further twenty years of investment, which will including planting up the tributaries, including Napier’s stormwater drains and waterways, with riparian planting.”

Caretaking into the future

Anna Madarasz-Smith says that a decade is a fair assessment for how long before we start seeing improvements in the health of the estuary and its tributaries, but ultimately 50, 75 or 100 years will be needed.

“That’s where we should be looking. We might see some changes in water quality aspects in the next 6-to-8 years, but we can’t determine natural variability from changes in management within short time cycles, that’s why long-term monitoring is so important.”

But she is very hopeful because finally the work has begun. It’s guided by science that has already been done to identify what the problems are and the scale of them. And most importantly, the collective responsibility needed is now in play.

“We have common understanding that there is an issue and a common understanding to resolve it. That has been a progression from over twenty years. Iwi have always been trying to enhance it, as have the Protection Society. But now we have everyone on that waka.”

We do a lot and we need to plan for the next three years

Tukua mai ō whakaaro

Have your say

Our Long Term Plan 2024-2027 will open for consultation in mid-April and we want to hear from you

Manage gravel

Flood mitigations

Drainage schemes

Flood risk assessment

Resource consents

Monitor water takes

Advise on land use

Hill country erosion

Water storage solutions

Support water conservation

Catchment management advice

Carbon footprint reduction

Environmental education

Monitor climate

Air quality monitoring

Freshwater monitoring

Groundwater monitoring

Marine and coastal health

Water quality reports for swimmers

Measure rainfall and water flows

Pest management

Pollution response

Protect ecosystem sites

Manage and develop wetlands

Maintain and develop regional parks

Manage and develop cycling trails

Co-fund economic development

Support Tourism Hawke’s Bay

Marine safety, advice, education

Enforcing marine regulations

Support HB Civil Defence

Staff 24-hour CD monitoring

Total Mobility taxi service

Bus services

On-demand transport services

Regional transport planning

Road safety education

HEAVY LIFTING AS NZ GOES FOR OLYMPIC GOLD

Nigel Avery will have one of the best seats in the house at this year’s Paris Olympics.

The Hawke’s Bay based former Olympian and five-time medal winning Commonwealth Games weightlifter will be doing much of the heavy lifting at the Games, making sure our 200+ athletes only need to focus on winning a medal or personal best (PB).

Nigel is the New Zealand Olympic team’s chef de mission, a role that ensures the smooth running of New Zealand’s Olympic campaign, drawing on his own experiences to ensure our athletes and their support teams have the experience of a lifetime.

“There’s quite a bit to the role. I’m group spokesperson and will front the media both in good and difficult situations. I drive the culture within the team, am a cheerleader in the stadium as well as putting the athletes first at all times, making sure we are all proudly representing New Zealand.”

As a weightlifter he knows how the smallest details can make a huge difference to the performance of an athlete. It’s not all strength, it’s about timing, flexibility, agility, mental wellbeing, and focus.

It’s these attributes as well as a cool and calm persona that saw

him appointed to the coveted chef de mission role, usually a 7-year fixed term tenure, before the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022.

Although he’s not expecting any trouble, more hoping for a solid medal haul, Nigel has to be ready should any particular drama or incident unfold. In fact he says it’s something that’s top of mind as it gets closer to the opening ceremony of July 26.

However he’s confident that if any issue arises, he’s well equipped with support resources and able to draw on his experience as an athlete as well as a media commentator at previous Games. He says it’s all about preparation, knowing what’s expected and a strong culture of manaaki – hospitality, kindness and support.

“I’ve been an athlete myself, so you’ve been there (Olympics) and seen how it operates.

“I’m pretty calm and measured –fair but firm. I’m good working with people and our product is people. We’ve got to make sure that everybody’s happy and feels welcomed, valued and respected.”

Other Hawke’s Bay athletes likely to be involved include Tokyo rowing gold medalists Emma Twigg, Tom Mackintosh, canoe racing’s Aimee

“It’s kind of like having a child, you experience all the emotions, there’s joy, sadness, fear and frustration, but ultimately it’s an extremely energizing and exciting experience.”

Fisher, who missed Tokyo, as well as hockey player Sean Finlay.

Nigel, an accountant graduate, followed his parents Sir Graeme and Gaby Avery to Hawke’s Bay back in the 1990s when they founded Sileni Estate. He was a senior executive within the business based in the Bay as well as spending time with wife Shelley and his three daughters Blaise, Hunter and Neve in the United States.   Shelley and the girls will be in Paris, but with such a hectic schedule Nigel’s

unsure how much time he’ll get to spend with them.

“I might only just bump into them by accident,” he says.

In the lead up to the Games, Nigel, who owns a mortgage brokering business, MortgageMe, is a contractor to the NZOC, reporting to the chief executive, balancing both roles as the intensity builds up over a four-year cycle.

In the year of the Olympics, the role amplifies and by the time the Olympics start, he’s taken over the full reins, overseeing a support team of over 50 personnel.

Nigel is equally excited and nervous as he counts down the days to the opening ceremony on July 26.

In typical French style, the opening ceremony will be full of fanfare and for the first time in Olympic history, it will not be held within a stadium, instead within the heart of the city,

along its main artery, the Seine River.

Some 10,400 athletes will participate in the opening ceremony, many on the 160 boats that will wind their way along the Seine.

It’s just another logistical challenge, of which there will be many throughout the 19 days and beyond.

To ensure the Games are successful in medals and PBs well as off the field, Nigel breaks down the Olympics into several stages.

There’s the preparation and set up phase, most of which is done out of the New Zealand Olympic Committee’s offices in Auckland. Plus workshops around the country with athletes discussing how they can best prepare themselves for the non-competitive aspects of the Games – which is where there’s the greatest risk of reputational damage for the individual, team and country.

Athletes and their support teams

“I’m pretty calm and measured – fair but firm. I’m good working with people and our product is people. We’ve got to make sure that everybody’s happy and feels welcomed, valued and respected.”

are schooled up on the privilege and responsibility involved in representing New Zealand. And details attended to, like taking their measurements for uniforms as well as photos and profiles for media purposes.

He says making sure everyone in the team is on the same page is vital, but it’s a challenge due to the nature of athletes across 31 sports participating at the world’s largest sporting event.

“We’re a team of teams and we want to make sure everybody feels part of the New Zealand team, regardless of where they’re based.”

The next stage of set up is when Nigel and his support crew get access to the athlete village, usually a couple of weeks out from the start and creating a little taste of home.

“That’s a big thing as you are trying to create a true Kiwi experience which is going to inspire people as they walk in those doors.

“Shortly after that the village opens and we move into kind of an arrivals phase where we’re welcoming athletes, which is a really important phase.

“It’s a bit of a revolving door as some athletes are competing in the first couple of days and then leaving the village just as others have arrived.

“As an example, the 7s rugby teams could be finished on day one of the competition. So they’re not going to be around too long. You could be helping them with their celebrations and then saying farewell before welcoming another team.”

Twenty one of the 32 sport events are within 10 kilometres of the athlete village, but logistics become more challenging with the likes of canoe racing, equestrian, rowing and golf events over 40 kilometres away, while surfing, a sport introduced at the Tokyo Olympics, will be held 15,000 kilometres away.

New Zealand’s two likely surfing competitors Paige Hareb and Billy Stairmand will be riding the world’s scariest waves at Teahupo’o in Tahiti, French Polynesia.

“It will certainly be a challenge,

“As an example, the 7s rugby teams could be finished on day one of the competition. So they’re not going to be around too long. You could be helping them with their celebrations and then saying farewell before welcoming another team.”

and we are trying as much as we can (to include Paige and Billy) but obviously geographic separation means we will need some virtual connections.

“I’m hoping there is a time when they are both in New Zealand before departure (theirs and ours) that we can do something special for them.”

When Nigel arrives in Paris for the Olympics there will be daily meetings with other chef de missions to talk about any concerns or issues before getting out and about to support Kiwis

competing in anything from gymnastics to swimming to weightlifting.

“Some of the competitions might go until midnight, so they’re pretty long days. I’m always a pretty nervous supporter.

“It’s kind of like having a child, you experience all the emotions, there’s joy, sadness, fear and frustration, but ultimately it’s an extremely energizing and exciting experience.

“I’m super excited, the Olympics only come around every four years and for some athletes they will only ever participate at one Games, so we have to make it a special occasion.”

Mixed in with watching sport, Nigel will also host sponsors, donors and fans at fan HQ, New Zealand House, which will be situated on the famous Champs-Élysées.

The 57-year-old is also involved in deciding who will be bestowed the honour of flagbearer and leading the New Zealand team at the opening ceremony, a proud moment he experienced at the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games.

In the next issue of BayBuzz we will profile some of the Hawke’s Bay athletes who have been selected to represent the silver fern.

OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS COME TO THE BAY

New Zealand’s best swimmers, such as new world champions Lewis Clareburt and Erika Fairweather, are coming to Hawke’s Bay.

The 2024 Apollo Projects NZ Swimming Championships – at the Hawke’s Bay Regional Aquatic Centre from Tuesday 9 to Saturday 13 April – will be the last chance for New Zealand’s top swimmers to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics.

Swimming NZ’s Head of Participation & Events, Dale Johnson says our Kiwi swimmers will be hoping to “unlock their greatness” across five days of fast racing, and they are calling on the support of the local Hawke’s Bay crowd to help them do so.

“We are looking forward to hosting our biggest event in a 4-year cycle in Hawke’s Bay for the first time. Off the back of our most successful World Aquatics Championships in history and a strong Para Swimming World Championships last year, it’s an exciting year for the sport as we lead up to Paris.”

There are must-watch races to see each day, with heats being held in the morning from 10am and finals held in the evening with racing starting at 5.40pm.

This is the first time that swimming has held the Apollo Projects NZ Swimming Championships and NZ team selection trials for a pinnacle international meet in Hawke’s Bay, with this being a major milestone for the region since opening the Hawke’s Bay Regional Aquatic Centre over the past couple of years.

Dale says that it’s a great opportunity for Hawke’s Bay locals to watch top swimmers in action as they qualify for Paris.

“We encourage all locals to get behind this event and come to watch. The best way to watch the action is from the grandstand and our swimmers will benefit from the cheering and atmosphere that comes from a big event.

“With world-class athletes such as Erika Fairweather, Lewis Clareburt and Cameron Leslie competing, and Hawke’s Bay local Emma Godwin hoping to qualify for Paris, it’s an opportunity you don’t want to miss.”

In addition to watching New Zealand’s top swimmers performing in the pool, Swimming NZ and Swimming Hawke’s Bay Poverty Bay are offering an array of activities and initiatives to benefit the local community.

“We are committed to offering

opportunities for the community to get involved in the water during the championships to help them Unlock Their Greatness. From Have-a-Go meets and skills clinics to signing sessions with our Aquablacks and aqua aerobics classes for all ages, there is something to help the community be engaged and enjoy the water.”

Erika Fairweather and Lewis Clareburt will be in action across the week as they fine tune their preparations for Paris. With the duo having been finalists at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, they will be hoping to take the next step and would be buoyed by their performances in an Olympic year to become World Champions in the Women’s 400m Freestyle and Men’s 400m Individual Medley respectively.

Reigning World Champion and 3-time Paralympic Champion Cameron Leslie will be hoping to qualify for his fourth Paralympic Games as he takes to the pool in the Men’s 50m Freestyle Multi-Class and Men’s 100m Freestyle Multi-Class.

Hawke’s Bay local Emma Godwin will be aiming to qualify for her first Olympic Games and pinnacle New Zealand team as she takes on the Women’s 200m Backstroke on Friday 12 April.

Must-watch races across the week:

Day 1 – Tuesday 9 April

• Men’s 400m Individual Medley (World Champion Lewis Clareburt)

• Women’s 1500m Freestyle (Eve Thomas & Caitlin Deans)

• Women’s 100m Backstroke Multi-Class (Paralympic Champion Tupou Neiufi)

• Men’s 100m Backstroke Multi-Class (Comm Games Silver Medallist Jesse Reynolds)

• Men’s 100m Breaststroke Multi-Class (Comm Games Gold Medallist Josh Willmer)

Day 2 – Wednesday 10 April

• Women’s 200m Freestyle (World Champs Silver Medallist Erika Fairweather and 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay spots)

• Men’s 100m Backstroke (World Champs Semi Finalist Andrew Jeffcoat)

• Women’s 100m Backstroke (Rio Olympian Helena Gasson)

• Women’s 100m Breaststroke (World Juniors Silver Medallist Monique Wieruszowski)

Day 3 – Thursday 11 April

• Women’s 400m Freestyle (World Champion Erika Fairweather & World Champs Finalist Eve Thomas)

• Men’s 400m Freestyle (Tokyo Olympian Zac Reid)

• Men’s 100m Butterfly (Cameron Gray)

Day 4 – Friday 12 April

• Men’s 100m Freestyle (NZ Record Holder Cameron Gray & Carter Swift)

• Men’s 100m Freestyle Multi-Class (World

Champs Silver Medallist Cameron Leslie)

• Women’s 200m Backstroke (Hawke’s Bay local Emma Godwin)

• Men’s 200m Butterfly (World Champs Finalist Lewis Clareburt)

Day 5 – Saturday 13 April

• Women’s 800m Freestyle (World Champs Bronze Medallist Erika Fairweather & World Champs Finalist Eve Thomas)

• Men’s 200m Individual Medley (World Champs Finalist Lewis Clareburt)

• Men’s 50m Freestyle (Michael Pickett, Cameron Gray & Carter Swift)

• Men’s 50m Freestyle Multi-Class (World Champs Silver Medallist Cameron Leslie)

• Women’s 50m Freestyle (Gaby Fa’amausili)

Three swimmers have achieved the qualifying standard for the Olympic team at the recently completed 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, where New Zealand won its first two gold medals ever at the level. Fairweather and Clareburt for their gold medal winning performances, as well as Eve Thomas for her performances in reaching three World Champs finals in Doha. The 2024 Apollo Projects NZ Age Group Swimming Championships will be held the following week for the second year in a row at the Hawke’s Bay Regional Aquatic Centre, for our top 13 – 18-year-old swimmers from across the country. It’s great for the local community to be hosting these national events. Don’t miss this opportunity to bring your family along and be there to help our top swimmers qualify for Paris. Tickets are now on sale via the Swimming NZ website under the events dropdown banner.

HE WAKA EKE NOA

Hawke’s Bay’s flourishing waka ama community

from Gisborne’s Horouta.

“GO!”

The green flag flies on Lake Karapiro at the 2024 Aotearoa Waka Ama National Sprint Championships. Sixty women aged between 60 and 70 years old, including myself, push our paddles down and “catch” the water. This is the final of the 500 metre Golden Master Women’s double-hull sprint race and I am in one of five teams competing. Ours is made up of six women from Hawke’s Bay’s Maraenui Club and six

What’s more, at the end of competition more than 30 Hawke’s Bay paddlers had excelled at Karapiro and will represent New Zealand at the World Waka Ama Championships at Hilo, Hawaii, in August.

“Hup!” shouts our team caller as we all swap our hoe (paddles) to opposite sides of the waka. At the 250 metre mark my chest starts to heave. This race will last just over two and half minutes yet it has been months in the preparation as we’ve practised up to four times a week at Pandora and Ahuriri basin in Napier, been up and down Te Awa o Mokotūāraro (Clive river), and even travelled to the Wairoa River to meet our Gisborne team mates.

Now as another waka nibbles closer at Karapiro, our coach yells “Mongrel it up” and we “empty our tanks” over the last 50 metres. We cross the finish line in third place, jubilant!

Waka Ama (outrigger canoe) is one of the fastest growing sports in New Zealand. Three and a half thousand paddlers from around the country, including more than 150 from Hawke’s Bay, competed in the 2024 Sprint Championships. Competitors ranged from a growing number of Taitamariki (midgets 6-10 years old) through to Rangitahi (youth), to masters, golden masters, over 70s and, this year, five 80-plus competitors.

In Hawke’s Bay we have five roopu (clubs) — Heretaunga, Maraenui, Tākitimu, Te Rau Oranga and Haeata. These each fielded male and female teams across most age ranges at Karapiro with Te Rau Oranga, based at Napier’s Pandora, entering an

impressive 13 junior teams.

What’s more, at the end of competition more than 30 Hawke’s Bay paddlers had excelled at Karapiro and will represent New Zealand at the World Waka Ama Championships at Hilo, Hawaii, in August.

Waka ama is steeped in the history and traditions of Pacific waka sailing and voyaging. It is not just a sport though, but also a vehicle for fostering identity, pride and community. For many its attraction lies in its inclusiveness, accessibility (you can take it up at any age), a firm grounding in Māori and Pacific culture and its focus on hauora (wellbeing).

“Māori culture is deeply embedded into waka ama from the language to the protocols we follow,” says Lara

Collins, CEO Waka Ama NZ.

While many paddlers are Māori, our HB roopu, as elsewhere, welcome whoever wants to have a go. I took the sport up two years ago, aged 63, and have trained with two teams of 60-plus women at Heretaunga and Maraenui. And it has been a revelation: I am fitter than I’ve been in years; I have learnt much about Māori tikanga; and I have rubbed along with a diverse group of fellow paddlers learning to share our commonalities and differences.

Waka ama seems to be in the bones of many of the Māori women I paddle with. I watch them slip effortlessly into rhythm, keep time, and catch and pull strongly through the water, while I have struggled to “twist” my stiff hips from my core, and keep focused with

“my head in the waka”.

But I’m getting it now and I am learning the magic and power of working as a team of six women – focused and in time.

He waka eke noa (we’re all in this together).

Bay Biz

GREEN SHOOTS OF RECOVERY

Twelve months on from the cyclone, BayBuzz takes a look at some of our key sectors –how they are doing, and the challenges faced.

Tourism

Tourism is the number three industry earner for Hawke’s Bay, accounting for one in ten jobs, and prior to the cyclone generating $1.3 billion in direct and indirect value.

The cyclone led to massive cancellations across accommodation, attractions and activities. One month of cruise visitors was lost, equivalent to 16% of the season and around $5 million, says Hawke’s Bay Tourism CEO Hamish Saxton.

“Tourism is a really important industry. With the right messaging and the right marketing and the right work it is also an industry that is able to be turned around with reasonable speed,” says Saxton.

To rebuild the visitor economy, Hawke’s Bay Tourism submitted a $2.3 million (over three years) funding request to Government, eventually securing $1 million. The money will be used to shore up the high season

summer visitor market, something that was never necessary before.

Speaking to BayBuzz in late January Saxton says the sector has bounced back. “With a little bit of caution. We’ve had significant days of what would be termed normal trading days at pre-Covid levels.”

Good weather, and great events over summer, as well the Ardern-Gayford wedding at Craggy Range are helping to remind people about Hawke’s Bay as a summer destination. Hospo staff shortages have been a problem, but these are now coming back.

Saxton warns that two or three months of good summer trading “does not a summer make – we want to see those patterns continue through”. He notes that traveller booking behaviours have changed.

“We’ve seen a lot more last minute bookings, and traveller spending is a reflection of the economy; it is not what it was.

“When you have a high reliance on domestic visitors, who don’t have as much money in their pocket, then they’re potentially going to be making more conservative decisions. Hawke’s Bay is lucky that we generally have fantastic weather and lots of great events

“I think everyone is really surprised at the resilience of the people, who got in there and saved their orchards, and the resilience of the land.”

to entice return visits.”

Becoming one of the great wine capitals of the world, elevates and confirms Hawke’s Bay’s positioning as food and wine country, he says.

“Achieving global status as a great wine capital helps us on both the domestic and international fronts.”

Saxton says there is desire to grow tourism. “The biggest barrier to growing the visitor economy is accessibility. We could do with even more air travel capacity coming into Hawke’s Bay, especially from Auckland, and State Highway 5 continues to be problematic.”

Viticulture

Grape vines are a robust and resilient plant. Of the primary industries, viticulture appears to be the least affected, with just a small part of the vineyard estate lost.

“The most affected areas were Esk

“We all need each other on some level. Keep everything going by supporting each other in business. It could be by going to a restaurant, or using a service within Hawke’s Bay. We’re in an ecosystem; let’s help each other.”

Valley, Dartmoor, Puketapu, and Ōmarunui, with devastating impacts for individual businesses that experienced total loss – home, vineyard and business,” says Brent Linn, Executive Officer, Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers.

“Some are still hurting.”

With vintage 2024 just weeks away, expectations are that harvest will be a bit down on the 40,000 tonnes that’s normally produced.

Although El Nino has presented better growing conditions, the crop is lighter than normal due to inclement weather in November, says Linn.

“It’s a bit down, but not dramatically. It’s not a train wreck by any means. That’s the variability that exists in our business every year, depending on what’s happening in flowering. You roll with it.”

The slowing international market is a challenge for the industry overall, with pressure coming on prices due to cost of living issues.

Yet Linn notes that some growers are rapidly expanding their exports to Australia and the US.

He says external factors pose the most risk.

“Compliance, input cost increases, the cost of living crisis. They’re not things we can control, and are implicit in a lot

of primary production businesses.

“Our focus is on the premiumisation of our wines. We’re a small wine growing region at the bottom of the world. We’re focussed on value, not volume.”

Pipfruit

Apple growers were hammered by the cyclone, which hit just before the harvest of Royal Gala, the first variety to be picked.

Karen Morrish, CEO of New Zealand Apples and Pears, says that 610 hectares of orchards – around 10% of total plantings by acreage – were forcibly removed by the cyclone.

“Fifty per cent of the crop was lost, with some people losing everything, including their house.”

The costs to regenerate orchards (infrastructure and trees) can be up to $150,000 per hectare. Money has trickled through to growers, but it hasn’t been enough, with growers shouldering the majority of costs themselves, often through borrowing. Moreover, by the time harvest 2024 comes around, some growers will have been without income for two years.

The combination of loss of production (now and several years into the future), loss of current cash flow, cost of re-establishment, and rising debt (with rising interest rates) is pushing even some of the biggest corporate growers to the edge.

And yet other growers escaped the cyclone totally unscathed.

For those who were flooded, but left with trees in the ground, the big remaining question: Will the trees survive?

Rockit apple grower and President of Hawke’s Bay Fruit Growers Brydon Nesbit had two of his three blocks affected by the cyclone. One, adjacent to a failed stop bank was lost completely. The other, a few hundred metres away survived under 400mm of silt across the five hectare site.

Clearing the silt was akin to an act of faith, for Nesbit.

“When we first started cleaning the block it wasn’t even in my mind to save the crop because I thought that was impossible. I had to get the silt out, because the reports were that it would damage the roots and the trees would eventually die.

“I wouldn’t know until spring whether the trees would survive, and the clean-up has been massive. I’ve lost very few trees. I think everyone is really surprised at the resilience of the people, who got in there and saved their orchards, and the resilience of the

“Access is still fragile for some farmers and roading is still a nightmare.”

land,” Nesbit says.

Karen Morrish says that Hawke’s Bay’s apple harvest is predicted to be at pre-cyclone levels. New plantings and swapping out older varieties for heavier croppers – planted several years ago and now coming onstreamhave compensated for the ground lost to the cyclone.

“It’s a heck of a bounce back, and very nicely surprising. There’s a level of optimism that we weren’t expecting. But it’s said with an air of caution.

“We’re going into harvest actually optimistic. But I think the last three years in particular have taught us that you never know what’s around the corner,” Morrish says.

Beef and lamb

Damage to land, farm infrastructure, and access were the main impacts of the cyclone on our sheep and beef farmers. Beef and Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) estimate that 990 farms on the East Coast, Tararua, Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa suffered damage, in the range of $336-$385 million, with most costs uninsurable.

Analysis prepared by B+LNZ in May 2023 noted the impact on farmers was: “multifaceted ranging from immediate concerns such as livestock welfare and infrastructure damage, to longer term implications that encompass land management and financial stability.”

The report called for more government investment to support the rapid recovery of sheep and beef businesses, and warned of impacts spreading into rural communities and the ecosystem of businesses that support farmers.

Nearly 12 months on, access within farms and to farms is still an issue, says HB-based Mark Harris, Extension Manager Beef + Lamb New Zealand.

“Access is still fragile for some farmers

and roading is still a nightmare,” he says.

The B+LNZ report notes that: “Farmers continue to emphasise robust rural roading infrastructure as an urgent investment priority for central and regional government.”

Harris says the “kind” spring came as a relief for farmers after a dry August, but he notes that rising costs and decreasing commodity prices mean that in some cases farmers are raising their animals at a loss.

B+LNZ’s lamb crop report (December ’23) showed a 6.6% increase in the East Coast’s ewe lambing percentage, with more twins and multiple births this year.

The same report says farmer sentiment remains mixed due to significant cyclone recovery work, poor economic returns expected, and high farm expenses, noting that farmers are challenged this season with a collision of prices, expenses and regulations.

The top two inches

It wasn’t just the land that took a hammering, rural people were badly scarred too.

Jonathan Bell, Hawke’s Bay co-ordinator for the East Coast Rural Support Trust (RST) an MPI-funded organisation that supports rural communities, says there were issues affecting rural community mental wellbeing before the cyclone.

He’s referring to the pandemic, drought, rain, regulatory load, interest rates, the highest on-farm inflation in more than 40 years, and labour shortages.

The cyclone has added an extra layer of complexity, he says.

“It was highly traumatic, and spiked demand for our services. It’s going to cost people a lot financially. Unfortunately some people lost their lives, and that’s absolutely tragic.”

“The land will heal itself, the bridges will be fixed, tracks will be replaced, fences can be replaced, and interest rates won’t stay high forever ... as things get better the people will heal as well.”

Nearly 12 months on, demand for RST services is declining, but remains above pre-Gabrielle levels, says Bell.

“In January we had eight people reach out for help; three were cyclone affected who had finally hit the wall. Support also continues for those going through the buyout process.

“The mental health effects vary. Some people are not handling it well, and others are barrelling on and doing a great job. It comes down to the individual. Some people have the ability to handle the event, and others don’t. With some people the issues manifest very quickly and they need help immediately. Others take time. We believe that we will still have people popping up (for help) in the next two to three years.”

He says that farm infrastructure will take years to fix, and for some parts of the community financial recovery could take 15 years.

He warns of an approaching pinch point, at the end of the summer holidays.

“We’ll have gone through weaning and selling stock to the works or store. Guys have been doing work on their farms, they’ve had their Christmas holiday and the kids are going back to school. They’ll be at a point where suddenly all of the distractions have stopped, and they’re back to recovering the farm and dealing with all the issues.

“I think we’ll probably see people popping up in February and March.”

Bell says the key is that things will get better. “The land will heal itself, the bridges will be fixed, tracks will be replaced, fences can be replaced, and interest rates won’t stay high forever, and hopefully the compliance side of things will be more pragmatic and practical.

“And as things get better the people will heal as well.”

Small business

The going is still tough for small business operators, says Karla Lee, CEO of Hawke’s Bay Chamber of Commerce.

Last year in reviewing the Hawke’s Bay labour market BayBuzz reported on a broken system, and businesses on the edge financially.

“Everyone’s in survival mode,” says Lee.

The Chamber made the case for additional funding, securing $1.5 million late last year to support cyclone affected businesses through the Regional Business Partners scheme.

2024 will be about rebuilding local business capability, with the additional funding potentially helping a significant number of small businesses. Lee says support will be tailored to business needs, centring on things like wellbeing, financial resilience, and marketing.

“It has been really difficult for them. They have to build their clientele back up again. There are some obvious gaps – marketing, staffing, recruitment and training. I can see staffing being a problem for many years to come.”

The influx of workers expected into the region (and their spending) when the major infrastructure projects get underway will be a boost for the local economy.

Lee says: “We all need each other on some level. Keep everything going by supporting each other in business. It could be by going to a restaurant, or using a service within Hawke’s Bay. We’re in an ecosystem; let’s help each other. Use your money wisely and support local.”

Infrastructure

Geotech specialist Cam Wylie, Managing Director of RDCL and Co-chair of Hawke’s Bay Engineering Leadership Group says New Zealand’s infrastructure is extremely weak.

“The cyclone showed that we’re in no shape to deal with an extremely large event. Hawke’s Bay is a place that needs to be able to recover. We need infrastructure that’s going to survive.”

For our infrastructure rebuild, the design, construction, and thinking around the environment and future needs has to be exceptionally good, he says.

Wylie says the past 12 months have been about triage work, a lot of information gathering and understanding of what the demand is. “And I think it’s been pretty well done.”

Regional Recovery Agency (RRA)

CEO Ross McLeod says that good progress has been made – referencing funding for property buyouts, local roading, and rebuild for the flood protection network.

“But then we look ahead to the amount of work that’s still to be done; about $250 million of road repairs to the local network that was funded through the agreement signed in the middle of last year. There’s probably close to another billion dollars of local road repairs to be done, and that’s probably going to take 10 years.”

McLeod says if Hawke’s Bay tries to do all of its rebuild work at once it will blow up the labour and materials market. “We’re working out how we can work together across the different agencies, and phase that work and sequence it so it’s logical, that it can be funded, and delivered.”

RRA Chair Blair O’Keeffe says more evaluation work is required to get to a resilient state. “One of the ultimate objectives for us as a region is to ensure we’re in a better place to deal with future events, but also to point out that we want a resilient and successful economy.”

McLeod says Hawke’s Bay has had good support from the previous and current governments, with the new government “making every signal that they’re going to be a good supportive partner of the region and recovery”, but cautioning that the support “might not meet everybody’s individual desires”.

O’Keeffe says that one of the biggest risks facing the region is that industry doesn’t rebound.

“The most critical thing for the region is confidence,” he says. “The funding won’t come without confidence. Confidence is absolutely critical , and I think there are grounds for us to have confidence. It doesn’t

“The most critical thing for the region is confidence ... It will drive private investment, crown investment, and allow councils to plan for their future as well. Everything flows from that.”

mean it’s not going to be hard for us to achieve what we want to achieve. It will drive private investment, crown investment, and allow councils to plan for their future as well. Everything flows from that.”

Adding it all up

The recovery is underway, but it is fragile. It will take years for farmers and growers to recoup their losses. With no insurance, huge clean-up costs, and modest support from government, most have borne the costs themselves through additional borrowing. That stresses balance sheets and puts our primary producers at the mercy of the banks.

Infrastructure is vulnerable. Bridges need to be rebuilt. State highways 2 and 5 are vital, fragile connections; Hawke’s Bay deserves better to get our goods to market and bring visitors to enjoy everything that we have to offer.

A massive amount of work has been done since the cyclone. Every industry representative in this article acknowledged the support given to cyclone recovery by people far and wide.

Spring was kind, harvests look promising. There is optimism. Who can blame growers for latching onto something positive, after what must be the shittiest year in a lifetime? But it’s tempered. Physical impacts of the cyclone have varied widely, literally paddock by paddock and orchard by orchard. There are some in the primary sector who are more worried about the future than others, and headwinds aplenty. Rural people are resilient, but they’re not superhuman.

It’s easy to be lulled into believing that we’re doing better than we actually are, when surrounded by so much abundance. Is the worst behind us? Probably. Are we out of the woods? Not by a long shot.

BayBiz

Ben Stewart, Global Equities Analyst at Jarden

Behind the Great Wall: China’s economic role

Being in close (ish!) proximity to many Asian countries led to a period of great economic growth for New Zealand, Australia, and other local exporters. The rest of the world has benefited too as Chinese exports have lowered costs through their giant manufacturing footprint.

Most countries would name China as their number one trading partner for export and/or import. New Zealand is no exception – in fact, in a world first for a developed country, we entered a free trade agreement with China back in 2008.

According to Statistics NZ, in the 2022 calendar year our exports to China were $21.23 billion, comprising $20.13 billion in goods such as dairy and meat products, and $1.1 billion in services including tourism and education.

On the other hand, our imports from China are $18.93 billion, comprising $18.17 billion in goods like electronics and machinery and $764.05 million in services.

Focusing on China’s importance to Hawke’s Bay, in FY23, 76% of bulk cargo through Napier Port went to China, led by logs, manufacturing/general cargo and fertiliser, in that order. And 25% of containerised exports went to China, led by wood pulp, lamb/beef and apples/pears.

Trade partners have benefited from Chinese demand for mineral and agricultural resources, as well as services including tourism and education. Consumers have benefited from a scaled manufacturing industry. However, a rising tide of pressure threatens China’s dominance. Are these cyclical or structural shifts?

Where it all started

To understand today, it’s worth going back to the 1990s when China started developing economic growth policies under Deng Xiaoping. The economic policies were relaxed somewhat, and Special Economic Zones in Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Xiamen were established. These zones attracted foreign investment that was comparatively free from the bureaucratic regulation that had been a handbrake in the past.

During this time of economic liberalisation, the world embraced Chinese manufacturing and happily outsourced heavy industrial processes. And while consumers initially saw Chinese goods as inferior quality, time and technology has seen progress in the quality, reliability and innovation of Chinese products – many of which are now better than their Western equivalents. Solar panels are one example of this. Quality has increased thanks to healthy domestic competition and prices have reduced at an astounding average of 20% plus each year since the 1970s.

What’s interesting about that period of huge growth is there was an increase in three things: the number of people of working age, saving levels, and technology. And guess what?

Those three things – changes in the population, savings/investment levels and technological progress – are the key flags people look for to understand how an economy is faring.

China’s economy today

Today however, we are looking at those criteria with a different lens as the speculation is focussed on the maturity of China and the slowing of its economic growth.

What people do with their savings

and spending today has more to do with their sentiment and outlook. Chinese households are generally wealthier as a result of recent economic growth, however there are declining savings rates, while investment and borrowings are increasing over time. And while we note the declining savings rates, Chinese households still have some of the highest rates of savings in the world.

Add to all that in the last 18-24 months of COVID-19 induced lockdowns, households have moved away from cheque accounts and have paid down debt and looked more to term deposits and property investments.

However, the picture isn’t entirely rosy in property and the market in China is under scrutiny. Finance is flowing to developers through shadow banks and other poorly regulated financial intermediaries, which is worrying for the Chinese Communist Party – it has responded with more regulatory action and inquiries into the sector. Now might just be a good time for investors to observe from the sidelines especially given that Country Garden, China’s largest property developer, is on the brink of default, missing some key debt payments throughout October.

Add to that, households are still sceptical of the stock market after years of underperformance and crackdowns on industry champions. In the past we have seen good examples of investor crowding behaviour with Chinese investors favouring both Mainland and Hong Kong listed equities, which are our preferred avenue for Chinese equity exposure.

Along with threats in the local market, Chinese firms are having trouble competing and investing overseas.

Their investments are drawing a mix of scrutiny and backlash as they’re seen as having directors tied to the Chinese Communist Party or having lax data controls which could be exploited by state officials. Some of this fear is likely unwarranted.

Trade restrictions from the US will likely continue to draw Chinese backlash, and China is drawing closer to more extreme allies including Russia, North Korea, and non-western-aligned Arab oil states. The US and China are butting heads on a range of issues and are on opposing sides in a range of conflicts that are sprouting up.

As allies and key trading partners, both the New Zealand and Australian governments must walk a fine line so as to not upset relations with China and traditional allies, and sometimes this means taking a neutral stance to maintain the status quo.

The US is trying to regain some of its manufacturing independence through subsidising large manufacturing operations in America or relocating manufacturing operations to ‘friendly’ geographies. This won’t replace the need for Chinese manufacturing, but should create some back-up supply, without the scale and efficiency that comes

from the 30-year head start China has had and the centralised planning function of the Chinese Government.

What this means for investors

It’s a fascinating time for what has been one of the strongest economies in the world and a substantial slow down will likely have knock on effects. Investors have factored the uncertainty which exists into the share prices of many companies exposed to the Chinese economy in some way – we’ve included a summary of those for those keen to keep an eye on this unfolding situation below.

A selection of companies exposed to China

New Zealand

A2 Milk ATM.NZ

Auckland Airport AIA.NZ

Synlait Milk SML.NZ

Comvita CVT.NZ

Sanford SAN.NZ

Scales Corp. SCL.NZ

Source: Jarden, Bloomberg

Ben Stewart is a Global Equities Analyst at Jarden. The information and commentary in this article are provided for general information purposes only. It reflects views and research available at the time of publication, using external sources, systems and other data and information we believe to be accurate, complete and reliable at the time of preparation. We make no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, correctness and completeness of that information, and will not be liable or responsible for any error or omission. It is not to be relied upon as a basis for making any investment decision. Please seek specific investment advice before making any investment decision or taking any action.

Jarden Securities Limited is an NZX Firm. A financial advice provider disclosure statement is available free of charge at https:// www.jarden.co.nz/our-services/ wealthmanagement/financialadvice-provider-disclosurestatement

Ideas + Opinion

Standardised recycling – what’s the big deal?

There’s been a major change in the way Aotearoa New Zealand deals with recycling. If you live here in the Bay though, you won’t notice anything because we are ahead of the curve.

Government legislation passed last year meant from 1 February all councils’ kerbside recycling collections had to move to a standardised set of recyclables. These are: glass (bottles and jars), paper and cardboard, cans, and plastic with either the number 1, 2 or 5 recycling symbol on it. This doesn’t include anything smaller than 50mm or any lids.

Luckily for those of us living in Hawke’s Bay, this is already the case, with all four councils collecting these materials. The Hastings, Napier and Central Hawke’s Bay councils also go one step further, collecting recyclables in separate bins. This is industry best practice as it not only makes it easier for recyclers to sort the material but helps prevent contamination which can cause it to go to landfill instead.

While the legislation standardises what can be collected, it doesn’t require separate bins.

Why did central government step in?

The vast majority of New Zealanders have access to kerbside recycling services. The problem was the kind of material accepted varied from council to council. This inconsistency created challenges.

The effective messaging around recycling was next to impossible at a national, or even regional level. Information which applied to people in one district didn’t always apply to others.

This was an issue faced by government, recycling advocacy groups, and the companies making and selling products in recyclable packaging. The result was confusion – not what you want when effective recycling relies on simple, easy to follow instructions.

There was also an impact on the supply of recyclable material. Ideally, we should be processing and remanufacturing recyclables onshore, rather than sending it overseas, but invest-

Contamination from food is another issue as this is not only a hazard for those handling the material but means there are potentially high costs for cleaning it. The best thing you can do is clean your recyclables before you put them in the recycling bin.

ment in the infrastructure to do this isn’t likely to happen without a guaranteed supply of quality material.

It’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation, which is hopefully now being addressed.

The quality of material available for recycling was also impacted when people put things they thought were recyclable into their bins, only for it cause contamination issues.

Current onshore processing

New Zealand does have onshore processing facilities for the recyclables we collect. Here in Hawke’s Bay, Hawk Group takes all the paper and cardboard from kerbside collections to make into new, moulded fibre (a soft version of cardboard) trays for packing and transporting fruit.

Another HB company, Waipak, processes around 40 tonnes of recycled plastic per month into various bottles for food, beverages, cosmetics, and cleaning products.

Outside of the region there are plastic recyclers such as Flight Plastic, which recycle type 1 plastic, called PET,

‘Wish-cycling’ is when people put things in the recycling which they think, or hope, are recyclable, but which aren’t.

into things like new food trays. There are also a number of plastic recyclers like Astron Sustainability, Comspec, and Plastics Six NZ, among others, which recycle various types of plastic into different products.

Despite this though, a large proportion of paper, cardboard and plastic is either sent overseas for recycling or goes to landfill here.

Glass is the only material from kerbside recycling bins which is recycled exclusively onshore, with none being sent overseas. Collected glass which can’t be recycled, due to contamination or transport being unfeasible, is used in roading, drainage or filtration.

Aluminum and tin cans are highly recyclable and valuable, and while not processed in New Zealand, easily find markets overseas.

We still have a long way to go before we deal with most of our recyclables ‘in house’. The reason onshore processing is so important is because it’s key to developing a sustainable, circular economy.

It’s complicated Research regularly finds that people want to do the right thing and recycle. Unfortunately, as we all know, it’s not always a simple task. The result

– when people put things in the recycling which they think, or hope, are recyclable, but which aren’t.

The reality is sorting recycling isn’t easy or cheap. After all, most recycling operators are businesses and need to make financial sense to keep their doors open. Recycling which is contaminated – with food, dirt or incorrect materials mixed in with it –must often be landfilled as sorting it isn’t financially viable.

A standardised system helps address contamination by giving clear guidance on what you should and shouldn’t be putting in your recycling bins.

Contamination from food is another issue as this is not only a hazard for those handling the material but means there are potentially high costs for cleaning it. The best thing you can do is clean your recyclables before you put them in the recycling bin.

Effect on waste

Despite our ‘clean, green’ image New Zealanders – producing 781kg of waste per capita per year – are some of the highest producers of waste per person in the world. We rank fourth behind the United States, Denmark and Luxembourg. This according to the Global Waste Index.

It’s a statistic we can change. Consider what you put in the rubbish bin and how much can either go in recycling or a food scrap/compost bin.

There are also recycling options other than kerbside services. Soft plastic recycling is one – where you can take clean soft plastic to collection points at many supermarkets. An-

to recycle milk and juice cartons at specific drop-off points – Sustainable HB in Hastings being one.

You can even recycle metal lids at Sustainable HB, with work underway to introduce plastic lid recycling in the coming months. In all, there is quite a lot which can be diverted from landfill.

The move to standardise recycling, alongside already implemented bans and phase-outs of problematic and difficult-to-recycle plastics, means much of the packaging in your pantry can be recycled.

Part of the regulation to standardise kerbside recycling means all households in urban areas (towns of 1,000 people or more) will have food scrap collections by 1 January 2030. Urban areas with food processing facilities already in place will have this service by the start of 2027.

This move to standardised recycling is definitely a big step forward for New Zealand’s efforts to reduce waste and become more sustainable. Getting the legislation from concept to reality took some doing, so hats off to everyone involved.

Next, I would like to see improvements in the data on our waste and recycling, so we have the information we need to see what is working, what isn’t, and then make improvements. Standardising recycling can only help with this too.

3R design, implement and manage product stewardship schemes for individual businesses or industry-wide groups. They also help businesses take a fresh look at their waste to first minimise and then

Ideas + Opinion

The Te Tiriti o Waitangi journey

I didn’t vote for David Seymour.

Jacinda Ardern may be right in that he’s “an arrogant prick”, but at least he has courage. Seymour’s End of Life Choice Act was a remarkable achievement. It’s the sort of issue that upsets a lot of people, me included. To confront difficult issues requires you to put your political capital on the line.

And so it is with any discussion about the Treaty of Waitangi. Seymour has the cojones and Luxon doesn’t. One of the best parts of MMP is it brings us fringe parties with fringe ideas and the courage to air them.

Seymour is right to try to engage the public on the Treaty.

In my lifetime the application of the treaty has changed radically. Putting aside the merits of these changes, it’s worth considering how this has happened. The evolution of the Treaty has been influenced largely by successive governments, the Waitangi Tribunal, government departments, academics, iwi, the media.

Some fine people reside in all these groups, but also a swathe of numpties. Notable amongst these are academics in the social sciences who dream up baffling PhD topics or postgraduate work. A lesser offender is the Waitangi Tribunal, which started out sounding a bit like an apparatus of the state. It was subsequently given a Māori majority and had become the mouthpiece for a more progressive kaupapa.

The approach to date has been for the groups above to tell us what it means rather than to take us on the journey.

The Te Tiriti o Waitangi was an exceptionally noble endeavour. The Crown may have subsequently failed to live up to their obligations, but they started well.

The honourable sentiments began in Lord Normanby’s Brief in which

William Hobson was instructed to act with “mildness, justice and perfect sincerity”. Normanby also observed that many of the British subjects that resided in NZ at that time were of “doubtful character”. And without the establishment of British sovereignty and justice, they would continue to be ‘”authors and victims of every species of crime and outrage”. There were already boatloads of new immigrants on their way.

While the Treaty was an honourable concept, its execution was far from perfect. Normanby admitted that Māori would be “unable to comprehend the exact meaning or probable results”. Maoridom as a cohesive entity also didn’t exist and so a lot of relevant Māori interests weren’t there or were never consulted. The signing of the Treaty was a shambles by modern standards. At least 40 chiefs signed the Treaty on the 6th of February 1840, while more than 450 others signed around the country over the next seven months. There was an excellent debate on the Treaty on 5th of February, but various chiefs continued to arrive and this discussion was not enjoyed by all, or by signatories over subsequent months. The understanding of what the Treaty meant would have been different based on when and where the chiefs signed.

Various missionaries, some fluent in Māori, offered advice to the chiefs, encouraging them to sign. A cynic would suggest that they were extremely biased, but there was also genuine compassion. There is little doubt that they believed the lives of Māori would be improved through the Treaty. They would also have been familiar with British imperialism. The parties with the economic and military power, ultimately prevail.

The word ‘genocide’ wasn’t to be

invented for another 100 years, but it was well practiced by the colonial powers of Europe or their unrestrained colonists. The musket wars demonstrate that Māori understood and applied these principles too. If they could secure a cache of superior weaponry, they had no hesitation in trying to wipe out their adversaries. When the pen gives way to the sword; might is right.

By 1840 the British knew that Māori were skilled and courageous warriors and Māori knew that more British guns and soldiers would arrive on the next boat. Ultimately the only two options were a deal or a fight.

Te Tiriti was first addressed in legislation in the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975. Previous to this it was considered of great constitutional importance, but its application wasn’t specifically considered in law. This Act has several troublesome components, most notable of which is that it talks about principles, but doesn’t define them.

It also talks about the treaty existing in both Māori and English. Only the Māori version was signed on that day at Waitangi and this was the only version Māori could fully comprehend. The English version came subsequently and is signed by fewer Māori. Indeed there is an argument that the legitimate version of the Treaty in English was the Littlewood translation. This version was lost and then rediscovered, so isn’t particularly helpful. Make no mistake, the Māori version of Te Tiriti should be the only version that counts.

In 1989 the Lange Government introduced definitions of the Treaty principles, including the idea of partnership. I have tried and failed to understand this idea. I’ve signed hundreds of agreements and never wanted a partnership and neither did the Treaty signatories.

Māori understood that their way of life was under threat by colonial powers or groups of immigrants and the Treaty was portrayed to them as a mechanism whereby the Crown would protect their interests. The British clearly sought sovereignty for the establishment of laws and the administration of the colony. I’d suggest both parties liked the Treaty as it gave them the best pathway to carry on with their ambitions without too much interference from the other party.

Certainly both parties would be baffled by the establishment of a co-governance board for ‘Let’s Get Wellington Moving’.

Lange’s principles were helpful, but the application of these principles has been haphazard. The Treaty itself is a fairly simple document and the signatories didn’t want it to be much more.

Māori remain a diverse group with diverse opinions and that is a good thing. Some suggest that Treaty obligations are to iwi and that would make life more straightforward. The Treaty of Waitangi Act states that our obligations are to Māori more generally. This suggests Winston Peters, David Seymour and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer all have equal rights under the Treaty, but no chance of agreeing as to what these are.

One of the most fractious issues is that of sovereignty.

The Waitangi Tribunal insists that sovereignty was not ceded and based on the Māori version of the Treaty, that’s a reasonable position. When interpreting agreements the courts typically look beyond the actual text however. They consider the ‘meeting

The Treaty itself is a fairly simple document and the signatories didn’t want it to be much more. Māori remain a diverse group with diverse opinions and that is a good thing.

of minds’ which could include correspondence or notes from meetings. Such notes were taken by Willam Colenso on the day before the Treaty was signed. When reading these it is impossible to conclude that the chiefs present did not understand they were ceding sovereignty. Hobson wasn’t trying to hide the objectives of the Crown and his explanations were unambiguous.

Many chiefs spoke against the treaty on the basis of the power it sought to give the Crown. Te Kemara of Ngāti Kawa spoke strongly against it, saying “for the Governor to be up and Te Kemara to be down … no, no, no”. Similarly Rewa, of Ngāi Tawake clearly said, “The Māori people don’t want a Governor”, and Tareha of Ngāti Rēhia said, “We chiefs are rulers of our lands and we won’t be ruled over.”

After the debate, discussions continued into the night. Hobson must have thought his cause was lost. To his surprise, most chiefs signed the following day, including the three mentioned above. Tareha’s son Mene actually signed on his behalf and later Rewa changed his mind and actively discour-

aged other chiefs from signing. What I conclude from various documents is that the Crown sought sovereignty above all else and that the chiefs at Waitangi that day, understood this. The Waitangi Tribunal is wrong.

The only thing everybody can probably agree on is that we haven’t got the interpretation of the Treaty right and maybe we never will.

That doesn’t bother me greatly. I have great respect for the many Māori I’ve known and worked with over the years and it’s hard to recall any of them mentioning the Treaty. Day to day we get on OK, living our lives and trying to keep our kids out of trouble. I think I’ll leave the Rangitira and the politicians to bicker about the words. I have much more respect for the mahi of the common people.

I wish I had some Māori blood in me. I think it was Dr Ranginui Walker that said “Race relations will be solved in the bedroom”, and he’s right. A Māori lady, replete with daughters, once cheekily grinned at me and said, “You’d like those Māori girls Paora – they’ve got that rhythm.” My opportunities in this regard are long gone, but Māori are getting a little paler and Pākehā a little browner with each generation.

Hobson is purported to have shaken the hand of each chief after they signed the treaty and said, “He iwi tahi tatou” – we are [now] one people. That is truer now than it was in 1840 and in future generations it will be truer still.

Paul Paynter is our resident iconoclast and cider maker. Weather permitting, he grows stuff at Yummyfruit.

Ideas + Opinion Bayden

Barber

The fight of our lives

The election and induction of the new coalition government have sent shockwaves around Māoridom.

The new coalition government of National, Act and NZ First has announced an opening round of targeted actions and repeals that intentionally threaten and directly breach the preexisting and enduring rights of Ngāti Kahungunu hapū and iwi. The proposed changes announced by the government are a concentrated attack on Māori rights, and several Government Acts, services, and commitments to address the many losses and ongoing inequities suffered as a result of colonisation.

In joint announcements, the government seeks to redefine Māori rights

under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and remove ratification of the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples. They have also indicated the removal of:

• The Māori Health Authority

• Te Mana o te Wai from the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020

• Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 – a Tiriti o Waitangi-based provision that ensures Kahungunu tamariki-mokopuna remain in the care of their whanau, hapū, iwi.

• The use of te reo Māori in government departments

• Power and authority of the Waitangi Tribunal

• Māori Wards from local councils

Whilst each of these policy changes

is damaging to Māori cultural, health and well-being outcomes, the most alarming and most dangerous from an iwi Māori perspective is ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill.

ACT has called for a referendum on the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and, although the referendum did not make it into the coalition agreement, National and New Zealand First have agreed to a Treaty Principles Bill going to a select committee for further consideration.

Ngāti Kahungunu opposes any attempt by this government to rewrite or water down Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It is our national document, the foundation on which this country is founded. My ancestor Harawira Mahikai Te Tātere from Ngāti Kurukuru, Waimārama, signed Te Tiriti along with Te Hāpuku and Hoani Waikato on the banks of the Ngaruroro

River in 1840. The intent and aspiration for their descendants by signing Te Tiriti o Waitangi was clearly understood by our ancestors. To have the ACT party rewrite Te Tiriti in a way that undermines this intent and aspiration will not be tolerated.

The Māori response has been swift and clear in opposition to The Treaty Principles Bill.

On the 16th of December, a Hui-āIwi was called for all Ngāti Kahungunu to meet at Waimārama Marae to plan how we respond to this and other government directives. It was well attended with hundreds of whānau engaging in-person or online through the live feed. There were 30 motions given from over 40 speakers on the day. Yes, there was much said about government policy, but more importantly it was how Ngāti Kahungunu can draw on its whakapapa (lineage and history) and Tikanga (indigenous practice) to provide the personal, whānau and hapū resilience needed to stand strong as Kahungunu despite the challenges of the time (government policy, cyclone Gabrielle etc.)

A Hui-ā-Motu called by Kīngi Tūheitia at Tūrangawaewae followed on January 20th. Over 12,000 people attended. It was clear that iwi Māori had mobilised in numbers sending a message to the new coalition government that Māori are looking for strategic solutions to the challenges ahead and that it will fight the proposed Treaty Prinicipals Bill. Ngāti Kahungunu took a bus, vans and private vehicles up to Ngaruawāhia, firstly to show our support and secondly to take the kōrero from our hui at Waimārama.

The Rātana church’s annual cele-

bration followed three days later with big numbers attending the celebra tion. I have not attended Rātana for several years so it was no surprise to see the larger-than-normal numbers in attendance with King Tūheitia lead ing the attendees. Politics was to the fore with many speakers raising their opposition to the Treaty Principles Bill. Minister Shane Jones said in his kōrero, “If you want to talk about the Treaty, this is not the place … come to Waitangi!

The wero (challenge) was laid, and the wero was lifted! Thousands attended this year’s Waitangi celebra tions. The atmosphere was electric, with Ngāpuhi doing a fantastic job of welcoming the hordes of visitors to Waitangi, the home of Te Tiriti. I had at tended the National Iwi Chairs Forum the week prior in Kerikeri so had the opportunity to engage with the Prime Minister and his Ministers at that forum. Iwi leaders were clear, that the number one priority was the sanctity of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and that it should be left alone … hands off!

O

These messages were reinforced at Waitangi at the top marae (Whare Rūnanga) where iwi outlined their thoughts on the current political situation. Much was spoken about “Kotahitanga” or unity of thought and effort going forward. The Kotahitanga movement started in Ngāti Kahungunu, at Waipatu Marae in 1893, shortly followed by hui at Pāpāwai Marae in the Wairarapa and other locations across the motu. The movement was a response to Treaty breaches and large-scale land losses across the country at that time. There was a call to form a similar structure to combat some of the proposed changes.

I returned home for Waitangi Day which was great. The hīkoi from Waitangi (HB) to Clive to celebrate the local signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and then the celebrations at the Regional Sports Park where thousands of whānau enjoyed good food, entertainment and company were fantastic. We celebrated our past but more importantly, a future filled with hope and aspiration for all people in Aotearoa under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

We are optimistic for this future, but know that we are in for the fight of our lives to protect the constitutional foundation this country was built on.

Bayden Barber is chair of Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Inc.

V e t S e r v i c e s H a w k e s B a y h a s t h r e e l o c a l l y o w n e d a n d o p e r a t e d v e t e r i n a r y c l i n i c s c o v e r i n g N a p i e r , H a s t i n g s a n d W a i p u k u r a u .

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Life

The experts agree: when it comes to food, keep it simple, uncomplicated and real. Add unique local wine and there’s something special to celebrate any day of the week.

ON THE TOOLS

Five essentials for every home kitchen

Words and photos by

Life Simon Shattky

Alexandra Tylee seems a little bemused as to why I want to talk to her. “I’m not really a cheffy chef,” she declares. And when gently pressed for more information on what a cheffy chef actually is, she casually but a little slyly says “Oh you know,” adding a slight conspiratorial smile.

There was a greater possibility that there’d be very similar answers to the simple questions being asked. Or maybe Alexandra, who started Pipi, was right, everyone would have some weird ‘cheffy’ gadget that cost a fortune and would only get used once.

My brief for this article – write about chefs’ favourite tools – helpfully had quotation marks around the word tools, which was all the encouragement needed to go off-piste and to ensure the five non-cheffy chefs had plenty of room to move. What about a favourite ingredient? Surely that would be just as essential as any other tool? Or music to cook by?

“Oh that’s easy,” replied Ian Thomas, who runs the catering business Paellaa-gogo. “Easy Star, All Stars. They’re a New York dubstep album covers band.” Of course they are. I had clearly drifted too far off-piste. But a simple question, naming five kitchen essentials, is trickier than it looks. Try it. The first

three are pretty easy. Four and five not so much.

There was little overlap, apart from pans and knives. Casey MacDonald, at Craggy Range mentions neither, but since he talks lovingly about making carbonara and searing meat, don’t read anything into the omission.

Unsurprisingly, the most common and unforgivable crime in a kitchen is using a blunt knife. “Everything gets bruised,” says Regnar Christensen. There’s almost a hint of despair as the Black Barn executive chef describes unspeakable acts of blunt force trauma.

Sam Clark, who founded the Central Fire Station, gets quite excited describing the laser cut precision steel of Victorinox, literally the Swiss army knife of kitchen knives. It’s clearly a subject close to Sam’s heart, and as he hits his straps, he moves on to discuss knife graveyards and the merits of famed Japanese steel blades. They’re harder due to the higher carbon content of the steel, which keeps the blade sharper longer – just in case anyone asks.

Alexandra by comparison, loves the old, heavy, but perfectly balanced knife that she found in an antique shop in the Sydney suburb of Woollahra. Remarkably, Alexandra says, it’s never needed sharpening.

A decent pan is clearly the most prized tool. A heavy cast iron pan by Lodge gets a couple of mentions in dispatches. “It holds the heat and distributes it evenly,” explains Regnar. He uses it to do anything from searing meat to cooking tortillas, while Sam says they’re the best for caramelising.

Ian, who has mastered one-pan meals at scale, goes slightly off the track with, shock horror, an electric pan. He got his to make banana pancakes. In the non-electric category, he seems a little torn between cast iron, and stainless steel, which gets hotter, but loses heat faster. “Anything that’s non non-stick is good to go,” says Ian. Victorinox knives and Lodge pans aside, the rest of the essential tools are simple. They are as accessible as they are varied.

Alexandra has recently sold her famous Pipi, swapping oil for acrylic and another canvas altogether. Her menu favoured the classics, like the meatballs that were a restaurant mainstay for nearly two decades; a result of two or three or more weeks of intense research, and many gentle tweaks over time. Memories and food are inexplicably linked for Alexandra. The famous Pipi flounder reminds her of grandad, the apple crumble takes her back to the

1. Steamer

2. Vitamix

3. Good heavy knife

4. Nutitional yeast

5. Turmeric

Memories and food are inexplicably linked for Alexandra. The famous Pipi flounder reminds her of grandad, the apple crumble takes her back to the farm. She wants us all to come with her on the journey. “I just wanted to make people feel great” is how she describes her time at the restaurant.

farm. She wants us all to come with her on the journey. “I just wanted to make people feel great” is how she describes her time at the restaurant.

“Turmeric,” Alexandra announces quite emphatically, ticking another essential off the list. “So good for sleep.” She puzzles a little when asked what she adds the magical spice to. There is apparently only one correct answer – everything! But most often in muffins, stir fries, curries and a drink called ‘golden milk’, with ginger and honey.

Alexandra chooses a steamer to add to her list. “Oh, and a Vitamix,” she says. We’re talking about a weapons grade blender that will make quick work of raw vegetables and nuts. “Not everyone can eat raw vegetables,” she says.

Exactly, and not everyone wants to. ‘Salad isn’t food,’ as the meat lovers mantra goes, ‘it’s what food eats.’

Alexandra has gone plant-based, so another of her essential tools is nutritional yeast. “It makes things taste like cheese,” she says. Although another valid argument might be that cheese is the only thing that needs to taste like cheese.

The talk turns serious, to one of the most popular food groups; spaghetti bolognese.

Nutritional yeast also makes a Vegan bolognese taste meaty says Alexandra. If you ask me, the whole meatless idea is a concept that is just asking to be made fun of: if you didn’t like meat, why would you want to eat something that tasted like it?

Thankfully, at the Central Fire Station, we’re back on meatier ground. Sam does his bolognese in a pressure cooker. “It seals in the flavour,” by way of explaining what makes the cooker special. He also confirms that we’re talking meat-based bolognese, just to make sure we’re on the same page of the cookbook. We are. The pressure cooker is something he can’t live without.

With a young family, he’s on the tools at home too, using it almost every second meal. “I can leave the restaurant, go home, brown the meat, throw everything else in, take the kids for a walk on the beach, and 30 minutes later we’re eating,” says Sam.

The pressure cooker is a bit of a wildcard, but there’s not a hint of any cheffy chef vibes from Sam who got the cooker from Briscoes. By and large though Sam’s not a huge fan of kitchen gadgets, declaring most of them nonsense.

He’s adamant that a heavy wooden chopping board should be in every kitchen. Anticipating the next question

regarding food safety, Sam dismisses the idea that a wooden board is a breeding ground for germs, a good wash keeps it hygienic. “Plastic boards tend to slip all over the place,” he says. Yes, and they’re plastic.

Sam completes his list with salt and lemon, mentioning a famous Auckland chef who would take a lemon in his pocket whenever he ate out, using the acid in the lemon to balance out any rich food he might encounter. That’s definitely a bit cheffy like, but Sam explains it away quite logically. Our palates, apparently, get bored when we eat too much of the same thing, so yeah, salt and lemon keeps the dullest palate on its toes presumably.

It’s Casey MacDonald over at Craggy Range, who introduces the ultimate palate boredom buster. A tin of Vegeta, a vegetable stock powder that you get at the supermarket and is an essential at home. “Go on,” says Casey offering the tin. It tastes like the crumbs from the bottom of a bag of chicken chips. Heaven in other words. “Sprinkle it over rice, chicken, pretty much anything,’ he says enthusiastically. You’re welcome.

Sharp scissors or shears are another must-have. “They need to be sharp enough to cut a chicken carcass and

through fish bones,” says Casey adding that they get used at home to cut cooked pizza and the kids cut marshmallows with them.

Casey’s most essential tool is a Microplane. He’s clear on that. It’s a small stick like grater, apparently invented by a woman who – married to a carpenter – took inspiration, you’d assume, from a filing tool in his workshop. “It’s great for getting the burnt bit off the toast,” Casey says helpfully, although Casey isn’t the type you’d imagine would burn much toast.

The pressure cooker is a bit of a wildcard, but there’s not a hint of any cheffy chef vibes from Sam who got the cooker from Briscoes. By and large though Sam’s not a huge fan of kitchen gadgets, declaring most of them nonsense.

Easier to imagine is Casey using it to grate parmesan, which segues neatly into him reciting the perfect Carbonara recipe. Casey’s secret is a yolk and a half per person and an equal amount of olive oil.

Casey’s final choice is a toss-up –see, told you it wasn’t easy – between a meat thermometer and an egg slicer, because as he quite rightly says; “Who can slice an egg? It’s impossible.”

If anyone could slice an egg, then odds on it’s Ian. Before he started Paella-a-gogo, and his newest venture, a mobile Mac & Cheese cart –Mac Daddy – Ian was a free-range egg farmer, then he became an egg ambassador of sorts, teaching cooking in schools and at shows. “Eggs,” Ian says, “don’t need to be cooked in boiling

Casey McDonald

Executive Chef Craggy Range

1. Sharp scissors

2. Microplane

3. Vegeta

4. Egg slicer

5. Meat thermometer

water, just below.” Sixty degrees is all that’s needed for the egg white to set.

Ian’s a bit dubious that there are in fact five essential tools in the kitchen, but for the man with a pan, a firm favourite is his trusty spice grinder. Cooking outdoors and on display as Ian often does comes with its own challenges. “Nothing’s the same twice,” Ian tells me. An early lesson learned was always heat the spices in the pan before adding anything else to release flavours and aroma. “By the time it’s ready, you’ve already sold it.”

One pan cooking isn’t something you would expect to discuss with a chef like Regnar. Black Barn has a hyper local philosophy, getting what they can as close to the kitchen as possible. But with four kids at home, hyper easy has a critical role to play in Regnar’s life too. His glowing recommendation of Jamie Oliver’s 10-minute meals comes with the appreciative praise of any young working parent.

He raves about another essential ‘tool’ – Hands Down tortillas that are made locally down the road in Napier. They’re made on a Tuesday ... because that’s what they say. And while it’s a certainty that’s strangely comforting to know, it’s a struggle to quickly think of

Casey’s most essential tool is a Microplane. He’s clear on that. “It’s great for getting the burnt bit off the toast,” Casey says helpfully, although Casey isn’t the type you’d imagine would burn much toast.

Unsurprisingly, the most common and unforgivable crime in a kitchen is using a blunt knife. “Everything gets bruised,” says Regnar Christensen. There’s almost a hint of despair as the Black Barn executive chef describes unspeakable acts of blunt force trauma.

a use for tortillas apart from, well, tortillas. Regnar suggests using them in a Korean stir fry.

He sticks closely to the Korean theme, listing Gochujang Chilli paste, sesame oil and Healthy Boy thin soy sauce to round out his list. He prefers the distinctive nutty flavour of the sesame oil, and Regnar is a certified heavy user of Healthy Boy, going through a bottle every couple of weeks, which in anyone’s book would qualify as being very essential indeed.

What’s becoming obvious about all the choices is how simple they are. Uncomplicated and unplugged. All of the must-haves and go-tos neatly reflect the food philosophy that everyone seems to share and hold dear. Less is more.

There’s huge respect for fresh, quality ingredients and the people that grow them, which is probably why they count very much as essential tools.

There’s a generosity too; cooking tips are more than forthcoming – from turning meat over while resting it, to get a more even result; to cooking beans just past al dente to make them more beany; and adding vinegar to roast veggies to brighten them up.

And no, they won’t taste like vinegar, Casey assures me.

Everyone stresses the need not to go overboard. “Put the effort in,” explains Regnar “but don’t over complicate the plating or the flavours.”

Alexandra agrees, but also firmly believes mood is important. We shouldn’t be grumpy around food. She catches herself, wondering if she sounds a bit new age-y.

Maybe a little.

But she doesn’t sound ‘cheffy cheffy’ in the slightest.

Regnar Christensen

Executive Chef

Black Barn Bistro

1. Lodge Cast Iron Pan

2. Hands Down Tortillas

3. Gochujang Chilli Paste

4. Healthy Boy Light Soy Sauce

5. Sesame Oil

A PLACE TO DREAM

As the April school holidays approach, excitement is bubbling to boiling point amongst creative teens across the breadth of the country. National Youth Drama School/Taiohi Whakaari ā-Motu, or NYDS for short, is back, bringing with it an effusive celebration of theatrical education that promises to be a transformative experience for students and tutors alike.

For eight intensive days, up to 275 rangatahi between 14 and 19 are offered the opportunity to workshop and experiment, perform and absorb, connect and create across a range of modalities, taught by the best in the industry. Staples such as Acting for Stage and Screen sit alongside offerings that ebb and flow with the zeitgeist, from Street Art to Performance Poetry to Drag.

NYDS is the brainchild of veteran performer, director and drama teacher, Ken Keys. His contribution to youth theatre was recently recognised when he was shortlisted for the Senior New Zealander of the Year awards, not only for his work in founding NYDS.

Keys spearheaded the National School’s Shakespeare Production and the Young Shakespeare Company, who annually send twenty four selected young actors to represent Aotearoa at London’s Globe. He also founded Hawke’s Bay Youth Theatre (HaBYT) making space for local rangatahi to perform contemporary plays from their small black box theatre at Keirunga Gardens.

Back in 1991 he was teaching English at Havelock North High School when the then fledgling NCEA subject of drama found its way to his portfolio. “I took up drama and that was it, after that I was a drama teacher forever. It was a transformation in my philosophy,” he recalls with fondness. “With drama you get a whole variety of kids you wouldn’t necessarily get in the more academic classes. It opened up a new angle to more holistic teaching.”

Recognising the opportunity for innovation, and to make a life changing impact on young people, he conceived of the then Hawke’s Bay Youth Drama School. An enthusiastic member of the local opera, Keys reached out to his director at the time, Richard Campion ONZM, the acclaimed father of New Zealand Theatre (perhaps more recognisable to some as father of esteemed film director Jane Campion).

Campion became the first Artistic Director, taking Stagecraft classes. He, in turn, used his contacts in the industry to fill out the rest of the curriculum. Bruno Lawrence, the ‘BL’ in Blerta, who had numerous appearances on the big and small screen under his belt in addition to heading up the anarchic travelling musical theatre troupe, took time out of being a rock star, rabble rouser and Waimārama hippie to teach Screen Acting.

That first autumn of 1991 the experimental school threw open their doors, offering Improvisation, Stage Combat and Clowning in addition to Stage and Screen Acting. Campion’s wife, Judith, who was principal of Woodford House at the time, aided with enrollments. They needed to attract a minimum of 80 students to cover their costs. That first year they had 156.

NYDS keeps people coming back, many well into adulthood. Current Artistic Director, Ben Fagan, was once a student. When Keys was his teacher at Havelock North High, he suggested the fourteen year old Fagan attend.

“Everywhere drama was beginning to spring up in schools they would send kids to us,” Keys recollects.

A few years in, they made the shift to NYDS as we know it, establishing a charitable trust with a board under whose watchful eyes thousands of students have come together to learn and grow.

Keys credits the success of the school to three major factors. Quality, community and continuity.

The school prides itself in attracting leading industry professionals as tutors, many of whom are alumni, grateful to be able to give back. They also ensure their tutors are appropriately remunerated, that their work is valued. Tutors are trusted, and given the flexibility to work to their own and their students’ strengths, making their classes their own.

This year prolific dramatist and arts feature writer, Sam Brooks, teaches playwriting. Veteran actor and educator at London’s Globe, Michael Fenner, takes Shakespearean acting. Accomplished actor and director, Sabrina Martin supports students to devise their own plays. Multi award winning playwright and actor, Tawhi Thomas teaches Advanced Acting. Eden Iris, a kiwi born musician recently returned from making waves in LA, teaches songwriting. In each case, real life practitioners lend their experience and wisdom to the next generation.

Every NYDS student, past and present, takes on a kind of misty eyed smile when they talk of their experience. Many rangatahi come from deep in the regions where there is a dearth of the arts, where culture means rugby and speedway. Many feel alone and isolated, particularly when their passion is performance. Music and theatre are inherently collaborative, dependent on a creative community. At NYDS they find their people.

One student describes themselves as ‘looking for

an outlet where people finally understand what the heck you’re talking about … Everybody gets to share ideas, get things together. It’s like a big artsy dream world where all the resources you need are at your fingertips.’ The school makes space for like-minded rangatahi to come together and create, in the process forming deep, sometimes lifelong friendships and connections.

NYDS keeps people coming back, many well into adulthood. Current Artistic Director, Ben Fagan, was once a student. When Keys was his teacher at Havelock North High, he suggested the fourteen year old Fagan attend. As a last minute applicant he was assigned to Stand Up Comedy – something completely out of his comfort zone. Footage of young Fagan’s diatribe on lost socks still exists on YouTube, cataloguing the moment a star was born.

He returned year after year, sampling various classes. Then, when he aged out as a student, he returned, first as a teaching assistant, then as Assistant Artistic Director under Ken Keys’ daughter, Claire, who held the top job from 2009 until last year. Fagan also took a turn as Chair of the Trust Board and did a stint tutoring Performance Poetry. This year is his first as Artistic Director, a role he takes on with the optimism and enthusiasm that are hallmarks of NYDS.

The school has had such a profound impact on Fagan’s life he considers it, “a pivotal point in my performing arts career to be able to give back to other kids.” When he first dipped a toe into performance poetry over a decade ago, a NYDS friend made the professional

Every NYDS student, past and present, takes on a kind of misty eyed smile when they talk of their experience.

video that helped him launch his career. Another associate offered him a performance spot at the world renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where he met his partner, Sara Hirsch, an accomplished poet in her own right, who is this year’s poetry tutor.

Together they created Motif Poetry/ Ruri Tūtohu, supporting and developing poets and performance spaces across the motu. For artistic success, “your contacts are your superpower,” Fagan asserts, at NYDS you are “sitting alongside the who’s who of the New Zealand Arts Scene in ten years’ time.” He recalls ‘walking into theatres and arts festivals around the world and meeting people who went through NYDS.

Several other alumni turned tutors are vocal coach and actor, Tess Livingston, taking Voice for the Performer; filmmaker and producer, Miryam Jacobi, teaching Intro to Screen Acting; and international actor, musician and podcaster, Jamie Sharp, taking Directing.

This is the kind of devotion NYDS inspires – the continuity that contributes to legacy. Students return year after year, becoming ambassadors in their far flung regions, spreading lore of the NYDS experience.

Like the rest of the Arts landscape, Covid dealt a blow, causing

cancellations in 2020 and 2022. They went ahead in a diminished online capacity, as a means of connection for the kids that hang out all year for those eight precious days in April, but some of the momentum was lost.

2023 was set to be a recovery year when the cyclone struck, a mere eight weeks before their doors were due to be thrown open to the nation’s rangatahi. Damage to the Havelock North High campus was minimal and so the board made the courageous move to go ahead. They hoped for a hundred students. In the end 130 attended, down from their previous peak, but something to grow from. This year they hope for 250 attendees.

The NYDS team fosters relationships with schools and offers scholarships. The availability of Secondary Tertiary Alignment Resource (STAR) funding removes barriers to access.

NYDS week is intensive and immersive, with creative rangatahi spending almost every waking moment in each other’s company. On the Saturday after school’s out for the autumn holiday, young attendees will pour into the region. Some out of towners stay in Hereworth’s hostel across the road, while others are billetted with local families. The Opening Ceremony is a mixture of performance and introductions, a flurry of old friends reuniting and new friends being made.

The following eight days begin with alternated vocal and physical warm ups, en masse, before dividing into individual classes.

Full Day Workshops have a singular focus, with Advanced Acting, Directing and Songwriting requiring a degree of

competence. Circus Skills, Playwriting and Technical Stream are open to all, though the latter is divided into beginner and advanced groups. Tech students have the expertise and facilities of Toitoi to learn the hands-on behind the curtain skills that are the backbone of professional performance spaces. Supported by tutors, they act as technicians for the rest of the school’s final Sharing of Work.

Students who wish to explore a range of performing arts are assigned to a Home Group, in which they will learn a particular skill for the bulk of the week, but with two afternoons of ‘Taster’ classes to discover something completely different. This year classes on offer are Dare to do Shakespeare; Dance It Out; Drag School; Improv Comedy – Naked and Scriptless; Musical Theatre; Off the Page – Poetry in Performance; Intro to Screen Acting; Stage Combat; Voice for the Performer; and Devised Theatre – Let’s Play!

Play is a hugely important part of the NYDS kaupapa. Fun is taken very seriously, with the knowledge that creativity is fuelled by experimentation, untainted by fear of failure. A talisman of this philosophy is the beloved rubber chicken, Chopsticks. Each day the whole school comes together to kōrero. The person who has done the most ridiculous thing that day is awarded Chopsticks. Artistic Director Ben Fagan describes it as ‘a celebration of failure. If you are going to learn you must be willing to fail.’ An apple a day is also awarded to a tutor for acts of kindness. Chosen by applause, each award embodies part of NYDS’ core kaupapa.

As well as these meetings there

are lunchtime speakers and evening events. Tutor’s Night allows the staff to display their many and varied skills, while Student Night is auditioned, programmed and performed entirely by the students themselves. The week ends with Sharing of Work, carefully not labelled as a performance. The emphasis is on the process – what they have learned, rather than producing a polished product.

One of the great successes of NYDS is the way they consciously foster a warm, safe environment for rangatahi to be wholly themselves. From the beginning, the school built a foundation of acceptance that created space for kids to crack out of their shells and become their best, most authentic selves through the transformative magic of theatre.

The inclusion of Drag School, under House of Drag winning drag king George Fowler, aka Hugo Grrl, gives a platform for gender diverse youth to safely and joyfully express themselves. Connecting with their peers under mentorship can be a lifeline for rangatahi who may otherwise feel alone in their experience, particularly at a time when their very existence is under attack by a government they didn’t vote for.  Echoed in the many testimonials of legions of teens, and their whanau, over the past thirty three years is the special place NYDS holds in the hearts of its students, whether they go on to a career in the arts or not. In a society that struggles to provide coming of age experiences for our rangatahi, at their peril, NYDS offers a life changing opportunity to be challenged, to bond and to create.

since 1989

the home of Chardonnay tutored wine tasting options

lunch|platters|small

Life Wellbeing / Kate McLeay

Great yoga venues in the Bay

When Bay Buzz’s distinguished editor, Tom Belford, posed the question about the current torchbearers in the Hawke’s Bay’s yoga scene following the departure of long-standing yoga luminaries Doris and Urs Blum to Wanaka, it sparked an enquiry. With a whopping 112 yoga teachers within the Hawke’s Bay Yoga Teachers Facebook group and numerous others off the social radar, our region boasts an abundance of choices. I’ve curated a selection of some of the great yoga venues where you can connect with some of the finest instructors in the Bay. Spaces where you can foster your regular practice, find balance, and embrace both strength and serenity.

Alma Studio – 1st floor 17 Joll Rd , Havelock North

Alma Studio injected a new rhythm into Havelock North upon its launch in July 2022. This multifaceted movement sanctuary not only offers an array of yoga classes but also Pilates and one off events. Founded by Alma’s resident guru, Danielle Harper, originally from Los Angeles, the studio swiftly evolved into a focal point for joy and community connection. With its stunning interior design, a serene “chill zone” with various teas, and space for relaxation, Alma Studio boasts an extensive line up of diverse classes led by a cadre of great teachers.

Ashtanga Yoga Hawke’s Bay

45A Hastings St, Napier South

Ashtanga Yoga Hawke’s Bay, established by the globally acclaimed yoga guru Peter Sanson, embodies an authentic lineage of traditional yoga, steeped in its regal essence. Located in a spacious setting above the iconic Chantal Organics shop in downtown Napier, this studio serves as a cherished haven for a dedicated community, fostering a sense of belonging and evolution. Ashtanga yoga aficionados journey from the corners of the globe to practice under Peter’s guidance. Alongside him, a devoted team of truly exceptional instructors, Amna Kamal, Madi Knight, Fiona Links & Sarah Beale lead classes, imparting the same dedication and expertise that define Peter’s teachings in this lineage.

Buddhist Centre

10 Herschell St, Napier South

The unassuming yet vibrantly charged space atop the Buddhist centre has emerged as a focal point for a collective of passionate and highly skilled yoga teachers. Among them, Lissy Roberts from Yoga for The People, who regularly journeys to India, drawing wisdom from her Guru. Also Carly Phillips, from Wholeness Aotearoa, who brings her expertise as both a counsellor and yoga instructor, guiding transformative Yin sessions within this space. Janet Chambers gathers a devoted following for her Dru Yoga classes, while Leamārie Sciascia Steffert of Maha Medicine frequently graces the venue, sharing her unique magic and profound expertise. There is a board outside the centre with available classes listed.

One Yoga Pilates

106 Market St South, Hastings

Anne Michelle, the founder of One Yoga Pilates in Hastings, embodies the essence of a quiet achiever, holding an extensive reservoir of knowledge, energy and expertise. Within her light filled, wooden-floored sanctuary, she curates and guides a comprehensive timetable featuring a choice Vinyasa yoga, Yin Yoga, Pilates Mat Classes, Pilates Reformer sessions, and myofascial release. Michelle epitomises a lifelong learner, driven by an unwavering passion to uplift the community through her dedicated practice and commitment.

Scandi Studio Loft

5 Donnelly St, Havelock North

Sometimes, greatness resides in modest spaces. Nestled above Revolution bikes in Havelock North, this gem was brought to our attention by the beloved dynamo, Susan Grieve from Rejuvenate Yoga. Susan curates a weekly schedule of 7 classes in this intimate space, spanning from serene Yin Yoga to Gentle Hatha Yoga. Beyond yoga, she extends her offerings to myofascial release massage and acupuncture, creating a holistic haven for wellness seekers.

River Studio

1448 Tukituki Rd, Havelock North

Wendy Dawson, a seasoned and esteemed Iyengar yoga instructor, conducts 8 weekly classes in her next level purpose-built studio, located along the serene Tukituki river just 10 minutes outside Havelock North. Crafted with unwavering love by Wendy’s late husband, the skilled artisan Mark Dawson, this studio stands as a testament to Wendy’s dedication and passion for yoga. Extensively equipped and meticulously designed, it stands as an idyllic sanctuary for enthusiasts of alignment based Iyengar yoga.

The Yoga Space Hastings

208 Heretaunga St East, Hastings

Tucked away above Aspyre Fitness, this soulful enclave was initially crafted by the gentle yet radiant spirit, Silke Whittaker from heartspace.nz, who

continues to illuminate this space with some of her sessions. It now thrives under the vibrant leadership of the inspiring guide, Radha Iveta from Heart Awakening. Radha orchestrates an array of offerings here, from transformative yoga classes to soul-stirring kirtan chanting and invigorating cacao events. This haven also hosts an ensemble of exceptional wandering teachers, including one of the Bay’s long time massage maestros, the multi-talented Jenny Allen.

Yippie Yopi Yoga Studio

5/46 Holden St, Onekawa, Napier

Established in 2010 as a Bikram Yoga Studio and previously known as Modern Yoga, this hot yoga haven has fostered a devoted, resilient community. Through the evolution of name changes, schedule enhancements, and shifts in ownership, its loyal following has persevered, sweating and thriving along the journey. Currently led by the dynamic and ever-smiling Meghann Rowling, the studio extends a repertoire that includes Hot Bikram Yoga, Hot HIT (HighIntensity Training) and a weekly Yin Yoga class.

Zelkova Yoga Studio

58 Miller Rd, Parkvale, Hastings

This recent addition to the yoga scene is a welcome addition. Architecturally designed and purpose built with alignment based Iyengar yoga at heart, this studio is set in a picturesque garden and farmlands setting. The principal teacher at the studio is Matt Wilkey, whose deep wisdom transcends his years. An old soul with an encyclopaedic knowledge of yoga, his gentle yet assertive Iyengar teaching style has quickly made him a popular teacher in the area with consistently well attended classes. The studio is extending to other styles of yoga so if you like a bit more fluidity you can’t go past my young faves Bridget Schaeffers and Wednesday Darling for a large dose of feel good flow, or try the Yin Yoga classes with the effervescent Cle Bicknell.

The A – Z of Random Places

It would be remiss not to acknowledge the nomadic yogis, wandering into small halls, converted garages and diverse spaces to weave their yoga passion into the community fabric. Here are a few that I know of and hear about often. Divine angel, Sarah Beale from Wellness Sanctuary, is a phenomenal talent with a wide range of expertise; she can be found all over including the Theosophy HB in Taradale. Laura Jeffares from @Gypsy.Yoga.108, a radiant and profoundly inspiring soul, enchants her devoted following with four morning classes at the Pacific Surf Club in Napier. In Wairoa, the lovely Amanda Hogg from Watea Yoga Studio, using her home studio as post-cyclone refuge, now brings her teachings to the local community centre. Briar Hickson of B YOGA spreads delight among Central Hawke’s Bay yogis with her term-time classes traveling through Waipawa, Elsthorpe, and Otane. The ethereal Megan Dyer hosts a divine weekly session at the King George Hall in Bayview. A newly opened studio called Hello Sunshine in Ahuriri

is hosting classes with many instructors including long term Bay favourite Tracey Coyle and the Goddess Amanda Sowersby. We are all waiting with bated breath for Helen Johnson from Soulflow Beauty and Yoga to return to the teaching mat and announce her next move. And last but not least, my main man Cam McLeay brings laughter and yoga shapes with two Men’s Yoga classes weekly, tucked away at the great room behind Focus Health Physio in Havelock North.

We sure are lucky in the Bay to have so much on offer. Look out on your local notice boards. Search the net. Ask around. Go try some classes on for size and stick with what fits. Take a friend with you. Tell everyone you know about your best yoga finds. Yoga helps. With everything.

Kate McLeay is a mindfulness mentor, yoga teacher and retreat host based out at the iconic Hawke’s Bay Cape South Country Estate and Wellness Retreat. She teaches weekly yoga classes at Focus Health in Havelock North and run events and retreats around New Zealand and overseas. www.katemcleay.com

Life Wine / Yvonne Lorkin

THE COAST WITH THE MOST

Anyone who knows anyone, who’s ever had anything to do with anyone living in Hawke’s Bay, will tell you that we love a wine and food festival.

In fact we’re the original wine and food festival fanatics. We can’t help ourselves. Any excuse to sample the wares of someone offering something boozy to sip from the shelter of a small tent while we sway to some band and scoff tasty morsels – we’re here for it. Have been since the early 1980s.

Back then our local wine festival was all about 50c tastings and happy hoonery around the hay bales at Tōmoana showgrounds, yet today Hawke’s Bay hosts events that are absolutely world class. F.A.W.C is 13 years old, the Bridge Pa Wine Festival notched up its tenyear anniversary in January, Central Hawke’s Bay has its Spring Fling, and last November saw the revival and re-invention of Harvest Hawke’s Bay out in the Tukituki valley.

And finally. Finally. In the first

weekend of February, someone young and creative and motivated opted to single out a group of wine producers with an affiliation to our coastline and showcase their wares to wine fans far and wide.

Through hard work, marketing dollars and shoe miles, the terroirs of Bridge Pa’s red soils and the deeply rocky Gimblett Gravels have become internationally known. Yet the “Te Awanga Pebbles” (as Clearview’s Tim Turvey calls them), are well overdue their time in the limelight. So that’s exactly what event promoter Alice McKinley set about to do.

On Saturday February 3rd, Waitangi Weekend, a clutch of coastal-focused wine producers set up their gazebos in spots spanning from Elephant Hill across to Clearview Estate and south towards Te Awanga Estate, all to help people absorb the atmosphere and flavours of the Te Awanga Strip. Seven wineries and guest bars were connected by trails, pop up destinations, wine masterclasses, live bands and DJs, local guest breweries, distilleries, and food trucks for a jam-packed day

along the coast.

Producers such as Swift Wines, Organised Chaos, Helio, Clearview Estate, Elephant Hill, Topsy Turvey Wines and Te Awanga Estate were there to tell their stories, dish up delicious tastings and champion their cracking coastline. Alice had no idea how many tickets she’d sell. The wineries had no idea how popular they’d be. The weather had Bohemian Rhapsody plans (thunderbolt and lightening, very very frightening), but people braved it all with grins and laughter as they occasionally galloped for shelter.

There were a couple of stuck buses, and some people were misdirected and

The “Te Awanga Pebbles” (as Clearview’s Tim Turvey calls them), are well overdue their time in the limelight.

found themselves navigating steep ditches instead of signposted winery driveways, but generally all 1,200 ticketholders had a whale of a time.

I was lucky enough to be invited to host a masterclass at Elephant Hill where a sold-out crowd took a sneaky look at some of Hawke’s Bay’s hidden treasures. Wickedly tasty wildcard wines and varieties that people may not have heard of or tried before – and they all hailed from wineries participating in this fabulous little festival.

We know that Hawke’s Bay is exceptionally good at turning out superb chardonnay, sauvignon, syrah, merlot, cabernet and the like, but bubbling away in tanks and barrels around the Bay are also some lesser-known lovelies that deserve some stardom.

Wines such as the Swift Wines

Albariño 2023, the Organised Chaos Chenin Blanc 2022, the Clearview Estate Reserve Semillon 2022, Elephant Hill’s Le Phant Blanc 2021, Tim Turvey and daughter Katie’s Topsy Turvey Special Parcel Viognier 2020, the Helio Hawke’s Bay Tempranillo Rosé 2023, the Organised Chaos Gamay Noir 2023, Te Awanga Estate’s One-Off Fashionable Bunch Pinot Noir 2021, Swift Wines Cabernet Franc 2022 and the deeply delicious, Elephant Hill RR Tempranillo 2021.

I’m deeply thankful to Simon and Lee at Elephant Hill for setting up the masterclass room so beautifully and making everything run smoothly. Following my masterclass it was time to leap into the festivities. The courtyard at Elephant Hill pumped with fabulously fragrant foodtrucks, people

The weather had Bohemian Rhapsody plans (thunderbolt and lightening, very very frightening), but people braved it all with grins and laughter as they occasionally galloped for shelter.

There was much swaying of bodies and the occasional spillage of wine but no one cared. The grins were wide, the laughter loud.

stood sipping at winery tasting tables or happily queueing at the cocktail cart while vibing to the groovy tunes.

Turning into the long, undulating driveway of Te Awanga Estate, I clocked a steady stream of sunhatted, frilly-frocked females and cargo-shorted males emerging from an accessway created as an off-road link to Clearview Estate. They didn’t have to wander long to find tasty entertainment as a drinks and DJ station had been set up halfway along the track where festival-goers could lock in for wine tasting, nibbles and some very decent beats.

A couple of hundred metres up the driveway more people were enjoying libations on the lawn at Te Awanga Estate’s cellar door, listening to live soul and funk being belted out by a band called Deep Fried Funk. There was much swaying of bodies and the

occasional spillage of wine but no one cared. The grins were wide, the laughter loud.

Speaking of loud, nothing compared to Clearview. Their cellar door was absolutely roaring with power chords and power vocals from a band of youngsters called Wet Denim. Where has this band been all my life? Guitar heavy, huge and thunderous, and so far beyond the normal jazzy faff that winery cellar doors are typically infected with. They were scorching and played like they were at Wembley Arena rather than under an awning. Teenage girls recorded them on their phones.

The occasional stormy downpour did nothing to dampen spirits (unless you were in a queue for the portaloos) and the Te Awanga Wine Festival really felt like the start of something great. A chance to single out those wine folk doing excellent work in this superb little salt-sprayed sub-region.

To learn about and support the seven participating wineries postfest, scurry on over to: elephanthill.co.nz • helio.wine • swiftwines.co.nz • teawangaestate.co.nz • clearview.co.nz • organisedchaos. co.nz • topsyturveywine.co.nz

I just wish the world wanted fondue back!

As a fashion, food, like the rag trade, regurgitates the old, adds a twist and presents us with something new in order to excite us and get our attention.

As a case-study, take the sandwich. Over the last couple of years we’ve seen the rebirth of the humble, utilitarian cut-lunch. In a Frankensteinesque story of more-is-more, today’s fashion-trending, mega-sarnie is barely recognisable as a descendant of the butler’s inspiration to keep his aristocratic master’s attention on the game of bridge.

Like the burger before it, the sandwich has become so full of itself that it’s difficult to eat in a clean shirt and polite company. The idea of holding today’s uber-sando in one hand is ridiculous.

In general then, what will 2024 be remembered for in the food world? The fall of faux-meat, the rise of chopped salads, bottomless brunch, chickles, meat as a treat, communal meals.

Age and social media algorithms now dominate food trends rather than inventiveness at a local level.

We get what the world gets. I just wish the world wanted fondue back!

The faux-meat section at your local supermarket has grown slightly over the last few years. There were over 300 processed vegetable products in Australasia masquerading as meat. Are these products going to take over? No. Will they disappear? Many of them will. Sales of non-meat alternatives in the USA have first stalled and then declined last year. Cost (twice the price of real meat), highly processed, and reliance on soy and wheat are the three leading drawbacks. Carnivores are claiming back their sausages!

We should acknowledge that along with faux meat other food trends are on the way out. We bid farewell to the

feta pasta bake. A convenient way to combine delicious ingredients and make the result less than the sum of the parts. Arrivederci burrata! Clearly an invention by a cheese-maker who had lost all interest in making cheese. Basically thickened cream and yoghurt mixed together. Texturally akin to a latex sheath filled with custard. Basta! Chopped salads and chopped sandwich fillings are coming to a town near you. It’s easy to see that food-to-go eaten with a fork will be so much easier to swallow if it’s partly masticated for you. The days of struggling to bite through a tenacious rasher in a bacon sammie are all but over. Ingredients will be chopped together to combine flavours as well as to avoid ketchup stains.

Bottomless brunch or lunch was a key initiative for restaurants in Melbourne as they dug themselves out of the world’s longest lock-down.

I’ve tried it and I loved it. I really felt comfortably settled for my allotted two hours of consumption of Asianinspired food and gorgeous cocktails. The glamour of which hid the fact that they contained a refreshingly small amount of alcohol. The food came in a well-paced relay and the drinks came just as fast as we could order them. Most of the usual decision making was removed, adding an extra element of anticipation.

I’m on the lookout for Hawke’s Bay’s own bottomless dining. Well, it sounds so much more classy than all-you-can-eat.

The Chickle is not a small, cute chicken. It’s a pickle wrapped in an envelope of crispy melted cheese.

It has Tik-Toked its way to us and will be THE party nibble this year. Accompanied by a dip of spiced aioli this should be on your 5+ A Day list. Fermented foods are good for us, right?

We’re regularly told that we,

Meat will become more of a treat as it was in the early 1900s. Smaller portions and days of abstinence will become more common.

collectively, eat too much meat. Whether the motivation is health, environmental or fiscal, meat consumption will decline. The increase in the price of meat being the biggest driver. Meat will become more of a treat as it was in the early 1900s. Smaller portions and days of abstinence will become more common. Meatless-Monday and taco-Tuesday lead the way, Followed by wilted-spinach-Wednesday, turnip-Thursday and TGI-Friday! Beware the rejection of animal protein. A vital part of the omnivore’s diet. Sure, you can have a healthy vegan diet, but it must be knowledgeably curated.

The growth of communal meals is part-prediction and part-beseechment. Sharing a meal is vital to who we are. It’s ingrained in our instincts. We saw recently that in times of disaster a shared meal has a healing as well as nourishing function. Can we maintain the impetus to eat, talk and commune together that Cyclone Garielle brought? Unlikely. We’ll slip back into our comfortable, insular existences, becoming more introspective as we rebuild our barriers.

Sure, we all need our space and our quiet times. I just hope that we can keep the fires of community concern and care burning. Let’s lay an extra place or two at our tables and issue invitations to share food and talk.

Ian Thomas is a caterer and formerly free range egg farmer, cooking demonstrator, and manager of a commercial food production business. He specialises in cooking paella. paellaagogo.com

DISCOVER HEALTH & WELLNESS IN THE VILLAGE

Unveil the treasure trove of health and wellness businesses nestled in Havelock North. From innovative treatments to serene spaces, our vibrant community is dedicated to enhancing your health and well-being.

At The Works Wellness Centre individuals are invited to embark on a transformative journey towards holistic well-being. Offering a diverse range of services, from neurological integration therapy, to yoga and pilates classes, facials, and an infrared sauna; it’s a dynamic space designed to nurture both mind and body. Clients are encouraged to disconnect from the chaos of daily life and reconnect with themselves, guided by expert practitioners committed to supporting their health goals. The Works invites all to step inside and discover the power of true wellness.

Step into a sanctuary of tranquillity at Ultrafloat , the only floatation tank facility in Hawke’s Bay. Drift away your worries and stress in their serene boutique Floatation Suite, renowned for its remarkable ability to relieve muscle tension and promote deep relaxation. With exclusive access and thoughtful amenities, including natural products and warm towels, every visit promises rejuvenation and a sense of inner peace. Don’t just take their word for it; clients rave about the otherworldly experience and unparalleled hospitality.

Embark on a journey of skin rejuvenation and care like never before with Dermatology Hawke’s Bay. Now offering Mohs micrographic surgery—the gold standard in skin cancer treatment; this esteemed clinic brings cutting-edge care closer to home. Bid farewell to the inconvenience of traveling for skins treatments as their expert team ensures personalised care, transforming your skin journey into a holistic experience. With complimentary amenities and virtual clinics, Dermatology Hawke’s Bay strives to make your well-being their top priority.

In Havelock North village, wellness isn’t just a concept—it’s a way of life. Explore a diverse array of health and wellness businesses, each dedicated to enriching your journey towards optimal well-being.

Experience diagnostic ultrasound like never before at Ultrasound Hawke’s Bay. This locally owned and operated clinic offers comprehensive scanning services, with extensive experience in general, vascular (Doppler), musculoskeletal, and gynecological scanning including obstetric and pediatrics, all provided in a comfortable and personable environment. With a focus on accuracy and integrated care, their friendly team ensure a stress-free experience from booking to diagnosis.

Discover a sanctuary for mind and body at Movement Functional Fitness, Alma Studio, Flex Fitness, and Burn Reformer Pilates. Whether seeking to enhance physical strength, cultivate mindfulness, or embark on a journey of rehabilitation, these fitness studios offer a diverse range of movement and wellness services. From invigorating yoga sessions to empowering classes all designed to unlock your potential and embrace a life of vitality and balance.

Elevating vision and style, Grant & Douglas Optometry & Eyewear offers comprehensive eye care services. Expert optometrists provide precise eye examinations and a curated selection of designer frames, ensuring your vision remains clear and vibrant.

Experience a holistic approach to ear and hearing health at Resonate. Their dedicated team of audiologists and health navigators offer comprehensive ear and hearing health assessments, providing invaluable insights. State-of-theart technology and expert analysis empower clients to prioritise auditory health and unlock the key to lifelong wellness.

Embark on the transformative journey of parenthood with Peak Midwives This lovely team offer personalised care and support throughout your pregnancy journey and beyond. From prenatal consultations to postnatal care, well-being is prioritised, empowering clients to embrace the miracle of birth with confidence and joy.

With a focus on community wellbeing, Unichem Havelock North and Gilmours Pharmacy offer a wide range of services tailored to meet diverse needs. Offering a variety of services including medication management, beauty and wellness products. Locals can access prescriptions, over-thecounter remedies, flu shots, and have health consultations. Clients can trust in the expertise and commitment to care from these local owned and operated pharmacies.

With an array of health and wellness businesses at your fingertips, there’s no better time to prioritise your well-being. Take the first step forward to a healthier, happier you.

Havelock North Village is the vibrant heart of Hawke’s Bay. Sip great coffee at the local cafes, discover stunning natural attractions, eat and drink your way around the Village eateries, or wander around stunning boutique retailers and artisan providores; there is something for everyone to love about Havelock North!

gardenalia

garden

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Havelock North

www.gardenalia.co.nz

Mind your business

Somebody did their business on the berm outside my house. I was alerted to it when I spied a facemask discarded in the gutter and, thinking it was litter, I picked it up. It had mud on it. Turns out it wasn’t mud. Someone had just done fresh number twos ... right there on the grass verge. Not just a minor download, but a deposit with the length and girth of a chocolate eclair.

It was almost as impressive as the Lloyd Bank Coprolite (a 20cm by 5cm turd laid by a viking in the 9th Century, now on display in York). But rather than show it off, nose pinched and eyes watering, I flung it into the bin and told the people who live in my house to watch out for repeat offending … to “mind where they stepped in case the phantom faecephile returned”.

My child asked for details: “Did it have cracking on the edges?”. I said I hadn’t caught sight of cracking, I hadn’t studied it closely at all. “If there’s cracking they haven’t got enough fibre in their diet”, I was told. “How on earth do you know that?”. The retort? “Science, Mum. Do you think I just go to school and sit around all day!?”.

This is perhaps the only piece of actual learnt information that has ever come home from school. Collectively, my children have attended school for about 7,000 days and the only thing they have ever been taught that has actually stuck past 3pm is facts about crap.

Dung delights humans, and disgusts us. A new baby’s doo-doo is something to be scrutinised, analysed and hypothesised over. An adult’s is something to be hidden away and never mentioned. Literally, it’s unmentionable. But we all do it – or hope to – at least once a day.

Office consternation can be set off by doings left on bowls. School assemblies can be hijacked by scatological smears on cubicle walls.

We spend a lot of time talking about our emotions, and not enough talking about our motions. But it’s the latter that really tells us how we are, whether we’re in balance, if what’s going into us is helping or hurting.

Scat is on our minds, if not on our tongues. We do everything in our power to hide all traces. We would rather have each other believe we are arranging bouquets of lavender and eucalyptus, or manufacturing pot pourri in there than laying a chain. I’m so phobic of sniffing another’s whiff that I yearn for the days of the outdoor lavvy, or the long drop down by the compost heap.

But being regular is seen as a sign of wellness and there are plenty of products and procedures to help make it so. Healthy fibre intake is only the start. Bristol Stool Charts are now standard in the modern convenience. Stool stools are all the rage; tilting your pelvis to evacuate smoothly considered the only sensible course of action. Some households have installed bidets to facilitate a clean finish. We’re all a little bit coprophilic deep down.

A friend put me onto a true-crime podcast that dissects a dastardly defecation deed. Over 13 episodes, Who Shat On The Floor At My Wedding (155,000 downloads to date) seeks the truth behind the turd deposited on the carpet on Helen and Karen’s Big Day. When we allow ourselves, there’s a lot to say about jobbies. In it an interview with clinical forensic psychologist Professor Mike Berry throws up this crunchy gem: “If it’s a very loose faeces, it suggests someone might have been anxious, if it’s a very hard faeces then it’s an indication of somebody who’s angry and bitter.”

Perhaps it’s time to raise up poo to its rightful place, give credit where credit’s due.

We spend a lot of time talking about our emotions, and not enough talking about our motions. But it’s the latter that really tells us how we are, whether we’re in balance, if what’s going into us is helping or hurting.

Emotions present as motions all the time…from anxiety causing tummy butterflies to stress-induced diarrhoea (or constipation). Links between gastro-intenstinal health and brain health are well documented. Serotonin is the happiness hormone: 95% of it lives in your gut. “The gut is the second brain,” says Dr Michael Gershon.

Going into the clinic for a blood test is something we almost gloat about, but taking in a “sample”? We only mutter that if we mention it at all. Shouldn’t we crow? And crow too when the results are back?

We can prod at our feelings as much as we like but they are ephemeral, intangible, generally invisible, not like feculence. If we prodded our excreta a little more then perhaps we’d better get to grips with what’s going on inside us.

All that being said I’m as sh** shy as the next guy. So I won’t be first to lead the charge. But for those of you who get my drift, I’m ready to follow the movement.

P.S. The National Bowel Screening Programme is a free programme to help detect bowel cancer. It is being offered every two years to people aged 60 to 74 years who are eligible for publicly funded health care.

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