The Mayor's Blog

Christmas joy

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 11:37:00 +1300

There's nothing like a bit of sunshine to put smiles on people's faces. The Santa Parade in Te Anau was a great opportunity for everyone to get into the Christmas spirit and watching children's faces light up as Santa Claus waved to them from his lawnmower was such a joy.

Recently, I had the pleasure of opening the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association Park in Lumsden where Council's reserve has been developed into a park for mobile homes. There were at least 60 fully self-sufficient mobile homes present at the blustery opening. With all the focus on freedom camping lately, it is very positive to be able to welcome responsible freedom campers into our region.

Last week, I attended the final shared services meeting of the year. Shared services involves local councils working together by looking at ways to carry out functions more efficiently through the sharing of their resources. I believe we have one of the most successful shared services initiatives in New Zealand because in Southland we like to just get on with it.

The lead-up to Christmas is such a busy time with our last Council meeting and the Fiordland Conservation Trust meeting taking place and wrapping up for the year. I am very proud to be part of the Fiordland Conservation Trust as it is a highly successful conservation group that will continue to carry out great work into the future.

The last group of this year's Alive Programme participants are graduating from the course. Completion of this programme provides the young graduates with a new start in life to either gain employment in Southland or to go onto further training opportunities. Well done to all of this year's participants and I congratulate everyone who is involved in the Alive Programme which is continuing to thrive.

I would like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Enjoy spending time with family and friends and here's hoping that there is plenty of sunshine to keep everyone smiling and just a little rain to keep our province producing over the summer season.

Taking a trip down memory lane

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 14:40:00 +1300

School reunions are a special time of reflection for everyone involved and the reunion of the Te Anau School at the weekend was no exception. A few years ago my own rural primary school, Lowcliffe in mid Canterbury, held its reunion and I remember what a significant event it was. None of us had ever pictured ourselves getting older and the way I recognised some people was by looking at their children and grandchildren!

Te Anau School celebrated the milestone of 75 years. It is hard to think that the school started off as a three-room workman's hut with eight pupils before moving into its building in 1938.

Some of the school's earliest pupils and one of the teachers attended the reunion. So much has changed in the last 75 years and it is difficult to imagine what Te Anau was like without all the services that we now take for granted.

When we arrived in Te Anau in the 1960s, electricity and sealed roads had only been introduced a few years earlier and there were 40 families in the area. Since then, Te Anau has experienced steady growth and the community has worked hard to make the township the place it is today.

I have memories of the original hall which is located approximately where our present library is situated. This had been the YMCA from Henderson Flat in the Lower Hollyford in 1948 and it took three trucks to bring it out. The last farewell dance was a great occasion and I can remember that my stiletto heels kept sticking in the holes in the floor!

Before building swimming baths, pupils of the school used to swim 220 yards between the Main Wharf and Thompson's Wharf. Children are fortunate to have the local pools now, thanks to the community working together to build these facilities.

During the weekend, it was lovely to meet people connected to some of the original families in the area such as the Keast family.

I also took the opportunity to visit the vintage machinery area to look in the first purpose-built school. When cleaning out my garage not too long ago I found the school's old pot-belly stove so I donated it to the school to keep it in its rightful place. Past pupils can still recall the stove burning in the corner.

The weekend was fun and full of memories. Well done to the organising committee for putting together such a successful reunion.

Incredible level of local talent

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 11:59:00 +1200

I had the privilege of attending the New Zealand Country Music Awards in Gore recently. On arrival, Deputy Mayor Jim Copland and I met everyone outside the theatre after a fire alert led to the evacuation of the building. Luckily, there was no fire and we were not long out in the cold before we were all ushered back into the awards night for a fantastic array of entertainment.

Throughout the evening we were treated to a high calibre of music and song-writing. I thoroughly enjoyed the country music performances on the night and without doubt there is an incredible level of talent out there in the community. I commend all those involved in the awards night.

I had a busy week at Council listening to submissions to the Draft Long Term Plan. It was an important process to enable people to put forward their points of view to Council. There was such a diverse range of opinions so Council had the task of weighing these up and providing a Long Term Plan for its residents and ratepayers that is most reflective of the views of our communities. Thank you to all those people who took the time to come along to the Council Chambers in Invercargill and speak to their submissions.

I recently had a tour of the new stadium in Invercargill and I was very impressed with this larger and stronger building. Civil Defence is planning on utilising the stadium in times of emergency. If a natural disaster such as the Christchurch earthquake occurs, the stadium will have the capability of housing thousands of people who may be in need of care. This is a sensible solution for people down here in the south and although we hope that a disaster of that magnitude never happens, it is important that people know there is a plan in place if it ever does.

Congratulations to the Stadium Committee that has fought hard to achieve this fantastic resource for the Southland region. It will be a facility of great value to our community for years to come.

Public meetings

Thu, 31 May 2012 08:57:00 +1200

The golden autumn weather has changed again so please remember to drive safely on our Southland roads. Thanks to all of you who have braved the wet and cold to attend the Representation Review public meetings. Staff are driving all over the district to explain the process to you and are always pleased to meet you and hear your views.

I attended the launch of the neurological services at Invercargill's Civic Theatre. As I am sure a lot of you have heard, the fundraising goal is $3 million to provide a much stronger unit for Otago and Southland. The money has already begun to roll in and it will be a lifesaver for our people down south to have access to these services nearby.

Southland District Council is achieving a number of the goals outlined in the recently released draft of the Road Maintenance Task Force Report. However, I am concerned at the Transport Minister's use of the document to justify flatlining the road maintenance funding. In real terms, this means that maintenance will be cut by 11% over the next three years. Many of the roads and bridges in Southland are not built for heavy traffic and our ratepayers should not have to carry the financial burden. Recognition must be provided to provinces like Southland for what we contribute to the national economy.

The recent St John Certificate Award evening was a fantastic opportunity to recognise the voluntary services of those who work alongside full-time employees at this longstanding community organisation. I was delighted to see dedicated local volunteers being acknowledged for the incredible work they carry out during the year.

A small group of like-minded people recently came together to discuss the proposals of the Fiordland Monorail and Milford Dart Tunnel through our Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Area. It is important to hold public meetings to gauge people's feelings on issues like this and form a working group. This will affect your community so please come along to the next public meeting on Tuesday, 26 June at 7.30pm in the Lakefront Destination Hotel, Te Anau.

Showcasing New Zealand to the world

Thu, 17 May 2012 11:54:00 +1200

How lucky we are that the beautiful autumn weather has continued, we have been truly blessed this year. I enjoyed a spectacular drive up through the Queenstown Lakes region on my way to the TRENZ 2012 Conference that was organised by the New Zealand Tourism Association. There was a fantastic variety of tourism products on display that are available throughout New Zealand.

Prime Minister and Tourism Minister, John Key, and the Minister of Conservation, Food Safety and Labour, Kate Wilkinson, were in attendance at the conference. It was an excellent opportunity to meet and greet those in the tourism industry who are responsible for showcasing the incredible tourism attractions that our country possesses to the rest of the world.

From there, I travelled to Invercargill to attend the Administrative Professionals' Day Luncheon. This annual event was a great opportunity for me to thank my PA Liz Williams and other important people for the work they carry out during the year.

That evening, I was invited to the Boyle family reunion and what a wonderful occasion that was. How proud the original John and Anne Boyle would have been! Their story in New Zealand began 150 years ago when John Boyle, originally from Lishanoreen in Ireland, arrived in Bluff on board the Storm Cloud ship in 1862. He was followed two years later by his wife Anne and they raised a family of ten children.

One of the most well-known members of the Boyle family is Bishop Len Boyle from Nightcaps and his book was launched at the reunion. Southland is very connected through families such as the Boyles and when I arrived home to Te Anau, my neighbour informed me that she was related to the Boyle family. I particularly enjoyed hearing the story of when the Boyle family created their own rugby team. However, they didn't manage to beat the famous Soper team.

Last weekend's reunion was a celebration of the Boyle family in Southland where family members shared stories and remembered their heritage. It's so important for every family to do this and reflect on the generations that have gone before them, as well as look forward to the future together.

Putting family first

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:37:00 +1200

School holidays are always a busy time for families. It has been really good to see families around our area enjoying the great outdoors we have to offer in Southland.

Entertaining young children does not have to be expensive and I remember how ours loved playing at the lakeshore. They spent hours learning how to skim a stone along the surface of the water and had games trying to achieve the highest score. We had fantastic camping holidays around the Southern coast and the children were enthralled with stories about the area - they were convinced that there were monkeys on Monkey Island and pirates at Cosy Nook!

Welcoming 32 international students to Southland in Te Anau last weekend was a terrific night out for all. These young people, who ranged from ten years of age upwards, were thoroughly enjoying the school holidays in Southland. Some of the students are already wondering if they can extend their stay and this is a testament to the local families and students of the Southland schools who have made them feel right at home.

Earlier this week, I welcomed the young people to our Alive life skills programme at Borland. It always amazes me how many young people from Southland have not experienced the great outdoors, even though it is right on our doorstep. In other years, when young people graduated from the programme, they were so proud of the fact that they had taken part in so many outdoor activities such as camping out in the bush, rock climbing, abseiling and kayaking. I believe this new group of young participants will feel exactly the same and will experience immense satisfaction from completing this exciting programme. After this, they will be ready and willing to take on new challenges in life.

I guess it is all too easy to have our children sitting in front of the television or computer during the school holidays. Parents are so busy with work and other commitments that it is hard to prioritise time with family. However, we are lucky in Southland to have a wonderful environment all around us that we can enjoy. We don't have to travel very far or spend much money to make lasting memories with our families so it is important that we take advantage of our surroundings. After all, we never forget those special times spent together.

Successful youth conference

Thu, 03 May 2012 09:42:00 +1200

It's been a busy week for me but firstly I would like to congratulate Mayor Shadbolt for breaking the Guinness World Record with his 26-hour interview. We women know that men can talk more than us and now the record is there to prove it!

The recent youth conference was highly successful for Southland and we were very thankful for the wonderful weather. One of the speakers at the conference talked about the world's population sinking by the year 2020 rather than exploding, an interesting point of view. The quality of youth at the conference was so high that one of the adults in attendance noted that she was no longer worried about the world's future because she knew it would be in good hands.

As part of the conference, I accompanied a group of adults on a bus journey around Riverton ward. One of the locations we visited was Templeton's Flax Mill, which is the only working flax mill in New Zealand. The dedication and passion of the Templeton family has maintained this special part of our heritage, which we are very grateful for.

Another one of our stops was at the Te Hikoi Museum in Riverton. The group was very impressed with the history of our region and the quality of the displays in the museum. They also enjoyed the look-out from the viewing platform that has been developed into a very attractive area. Te Hikoi visitor numbers are continuously increasing due to the number of tourists on the Southern Scenic Route who travel down from Queenstown.

I also had the pleasure of opening the Southland Heritage Forum. There was a dinner at the marae in Bluff and it reminded me of how lucky we are in Southland to have such a wonderful marae with fabulous pieces of artwork, each with its own story to tell. Congratulations to the enthusiastic team of people who are preserving our heritage for future generations to come.

On a personal note, my beautiful grand-daughter celebrated her first birthday during the week. Although she lives in Sydney, I was able to watch her take some of her first steps via Skype and share a part of her special day with her.

Cultural exchange

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 11:43:00 +1200

Since arriving back from Thailand I've barely had time to unpack my suitcase. The trip was highly successful and I can't help but be impressed with the seven Southland school representatives that worked so hard and demonstrated the utmost professionalism while we were away.

It was important for Southland District Councillor Paul Duffy and I to align the political process to this cultural exchange in order for the programme to flourish.

32 students are now in Southland for an eight week home-stay experience and I will be giving them a mayoral welcome on 14 April. This is the beginning of many trips by young students to our region, which will boost our schools financially and culturally, and no doubt their parents will come to visit as well.

I recently attended a representation review meeting which looks at the representation our people have in their communities around Southland. It calls into question the number of councillors and community boards we have in our region. Southland District Council covers the largest area of any council in New Zealand so it's vital that we never lose sight of the term local, especially since some of our communities are so remote. I've visited areas in New Zealand and abroad where people do not know who their councillor is. It's important that local representation is never forgotten in Southland.

It was with pleasure that I attended the opening of Winton Medical Centre's new extension last weekend. Congratulations to the team at Winton for this marvellous achievement. Since the health centre was first built in 1980 it has gone from strength to strength. This is thanks to the determination and hard work of the people involved.

I sympathise with the people of Tuatapere who are fighting to keep their facilities open. People who live in our rural communities should have equal rights to health services. As a community, we must make sure that we support these rural services.

I hope the beautiful weather continues throughout the Easter holidays. Have a safe and enjoyable break with family, friends and some chocolate Easter eggs of course!

Planning our infrastructure

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 09:05:00 +1300

People ask me why Council plans so far ahead as things can change tomorrow.

I have thought about this and yes things can change but we are mostly planning around our infrastructure as we own these assets and we know the importance of them. The infrastructure I am talking about is our roads, our water supplies, our sewerage schemes and our stormwater.

New Zealanders need to realise how precious water is and how cheap it is in New Zealand. We take for granted having fresh clean water delivered to our houses via the tap, while overseas my children are paying the equivalent of some rates bills for water and then buying water to drink as well.

To have healthy communities we need to have water and sewerage - if we didn't we would be a third world country. Our staff keep up to date with the latest technology and investigate the best options for what will work here in Southland conditions. However where possible, we are there - we were the first to bring in a worm farm to treat sewerage at Edendale-Wyndham and now others are following suit.

There's been a lot of talk in the media, and indeed from Central Government, about the cost of rates, but everyone forgets what these rates pay for. An example of a Southland urban property rate for 2012-13 has been included in the Draft Long Term Plan. It is a Balfour property with a capital value of $155,000 with rates of $1762 excluding GST and for that they receive water, sewerage, roads, libraries, streetlights, footpaths, rubbish and recycling collection, halls, parks and reserves and the list goes on. The average monthly power bill is between $200 and $300, more in winter, and that is for one service.

This year has seen a huge hike in insurance costs and a reduction in Government funding for roading - between the two, that is 2% of the rates increase proposed for next year. Take that off our proposed rates increase and we are running pretty close to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), despite the fact much of our expenses are not based on household expenditure (CPI). Council expenditure is measured on the Local Government Cost Index (LGCI), based on construction materials. Bitumen costs alone have risen over 95% in the past 10 years. We need to maintain our roading network which is the biggest in the country. This is one example of the pressure on Council and our rating base. There has been a lot of talk about debt levels of councils, but many councils, like ours, have little or no debt level. Perhaps it is our Scottish heritage that makes us that way.

The infrastructure that Council provides underpins the economy of Southland. The biggest proportion of our rates is roading and yes we could let our roads deteriorate, but good roading is key to good economic development. If we let infrastructure go downhill, it will catch up with us some time in the future and is that a good legacy to leave? We have always argued the importance of our rural roading, but we continually get funding cuts from Government because of our population. So we are working on a study to prove the economic benefits of our roads to New Zealand.

Again the Government and the media talk about amalgamation as if it will be the saviour of all things. It is good to have a debate on local government and our structures, but we must never forget the word LOCAL. With the size of our district, the biggest in the country, it is important to keep the local in local government, I feel large amalgamations in Australia have lost this, especially in rural areas.

Councils in Southland are already extremely proactive around shared services and looking at how things can be done better and more cost effectively. The Southland Rural Fire Authority is held up as an example of best practice across New Zealand, our merged Emergency Management Southland is ranked very highly and we have several other functions we work together on. We are looking at roading clusters, building IT and procurement.

It seems unfair that in media coverage that all local government is labelled over the plight of two or three councils. Often the good news stories from councils are ignored. Central Government also needs to not judge all local government by a few and we need to work positively together as we both have important roles to fulfil for the benefit of New Zealand as a whole.

Whenever I travel, I take time to look at local government and infrastructure and I believe what we have in New Zealand is pretty good. Of course we should always look for improvements and efficiencies, but I don't think we should throw the baby out with the bath water.

No slowing down

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:15:00 +1300

It was a send-off to match anywhere in the world and the children from Limehills and Otatara Schools did us proud when they farewelled Gareth Morgan's group heading to the Enderby Islands.

I was lucky enough to attend the send-off and the children's singing and presentations were amazing and showed a real understanding of environmental effects and concerns.

Southland District Council also had a visit from the new Chinese consul appointed to Christchurch. I believe the new office in Christchurch demonstrates the value the Chinese put on their relationship with New Zealand and the importance of it economically to New Zealand's future.

As you can see, I have been incredibly busy, with barely enough time to unpack and pack my suitcase. I was away again last week to Wellington to attend the Local Government Rural Provincial meeting. This regular meeting is very important for rural and provincial councils as it not only gives us a chance to hear from Ministers and other speakers, but also time to discuss shared issues. This meeting demonstrated to us all that we have a huge struggle ahead to try to maintain our infrastructure to a good condition, as this is extremely expensive and we cannot continue to justify putting up rates to pay for it.

I went from the bustle of Wellington to the peace and tranquillity of the valley for a pleasant afternoon at Takaro Lodge. About 200 people enjoyed their picnic in the valley near where the proposed monorail will go. It is better to visually see the area rather than just read about it to get an idea of what it would be like.

Last week was a big week for Council staff as well, with Council having a tent at the Southern Field Days at Waimumu. A lot of staff and councillors attended the three-day event - unfortunately I couldn't because of my Wellington commitments, but the feedback was how much bigger and better the event is. These field days are huge for Southland and are stamping their mark on rural New Zealand.

It doesn't slow down any this week either, with the launching of the Real Journeys boat Titiroa at Manapouri on Friday. Real Journeys is a highly professional company and this shows it has confidence in our future.

I also am taking part in Shakespeare in the Park and I have to admit I haven't had time to learn my lines, but I am practising a lot and will read with heaps of expression, I promise.

Big congratulations to all those involved in this wonderful production - we are so lucky to have such talent in the south.

My afternoon at Takaro Lodge

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:00:00 +1300

I spent a lovely afternoon on Sunday out at Takaro Lodge, along with 200 other people picnicking and taking in the beauty of the surrounding landscape.

It brought back memories of the lodge in its early years. A man called Stockton Rush and his wife developed Takaro as a sporting and hunting lodge for the very wealthy, and the resort included chalets with grass roofs, chandeliers and even gold-plated taps. The couple had bought 2500 acres from Lands and Survey in 1969 for $45,000, I believe, as the land was not considered to be good for stock.

Some lucky Te Anau people were invited for dinners and I can remember how as a young mother I listened with awe to the stories of the grandeur and exquisite food served at these dinners.

It was a sad day when financial difficulty hit and Rush tried hard to get overseas finance for his project but the Government of the day would not allow foreign investment, so the lodge was stripped of everything, including the taps!

I attended the auction, along with a few hundred people and watched in amazement as people bid huge amounts for everything. The auction went on for a day and I can remember sitting there and thinking I can't afford anything. However, the auctioneer must have felt sorry for me and quickly closed off a bid of mine for six pewter bowls with Takaro stamped on them. I had won something and was so proud.

Then a beautifully dressed woman came up and offered to buy the bowls for much more than I had paid because she had bought the six jugs that matched the bowls. However, I was determined to have something from Takaro and so offered her three bowls for three jugs.

No deal and so my six pewter bowls are my pride and joy and every time I look at them I think of that day and smile.

There have been managers and owners of Takaro, but it was largely unused for nearly 25 years before it was bought by its present owner, Aiping Wang, in 1998. Now the chalets and lodge have been restored and developed and it is a spa resort aimed at "lifting any tired body and soul into a place of deep peace and positive energy" - from Takaro Lodge's website.

It was beautiful on Sunday again and I took away more memories of this peaceful valley. It always amazes me what is hidden away in our beautiful province and how lucky we are to live here.

Great year for gardens

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +1300

What a great year for gardens. Although mine is small, there seems to be an abundance of produce and I do like growing my own vegetables. I guess it goes back to being brought up on a farm with parents who grew and bottled everything.

Dad loved large crocks of sauerkraut and we had hens and ducks as meat. There were no large supermarkets so the trip for groceries would be monthly and just for the necessities, such as flour and salt.

Of course Dad made our own bread and often the wheat was ground for flour. Now we all live such different lifestyles and our supermarkets offer so much selection. There is not the same urgency with seasons as fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables are available all year. In my parents' time, we only ate what was in season, as did everyone else.

I had the pleasure of attending the Waitangi Day celebrations at Bluff on a perfect day. The marae at Bluff is a real icon for Southland with its beautiful bright interior and its warm, friendly atmosphere. When you read about what happens elsewhere in New Zealand, it seems so foreign to us.

After a wonderful day of great seafood, conversation and learning, we left on a trip to Ruapuke Island in Foveaux Strait, where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840. Ruapuke Island is one of three locations in the South Island where Ngai Tahu signed the Treaty. We were told the stories of the island and learnt more about this very important part of our history and heritage.

The garden, however, will have to be self-sufficient and look after itself in the next few months as the Council timetable is very busy, starting on Thursday with a workshop on our Long Term Plan. Councils have these plans because they need to look to the future. We need to know when projects such as new water schemes, for example, will be needed in particular communities and we need to budget for it so we don't get a nasty surprise.

If we plan for these sort of projects, just in the same way as families plan and save, then communities can budget for them and our communities are very good at putting away money for renewing schemes or other such projects.

That's why it is really important that you have your say when the draft Long Term Plan goes out for public consultation in April.

Planning for Southland's future

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:50:00 +1300

It's going to be a busy year for us here at Southland District Council and we will be seeking Southland residents' opinions on three essential projects.

At the moment, we are working on our Long Term Plan, which sets out what Council plans to do in the District for the next 10 years. The plan explains what projects, such as water supply schemes or rehabilitation of roads, are needed and how these projects will be paid for. Most of this funding will come from rates so it is really important our ratepayers take an interest in the process and have their say when it comes to submission time in April-May. We have extra pressure on rates, with a large increase in insurance and a reduction in government funding for roading so it is important for us to set priorities with our ratepayers.

Another large project is the representation review of Council. Every six years, Council has to, under law, review how it represents its ratepayers - for example, how many councillors there should be, whether the councillors are elected in wards or at large, and how many community boards and community development area sub-committees there are. We will be coming out to the community from mid May through to mid June with some possible suggestions of how Council should look and again we want feedback from our ratepayers and residents.

And finally the Southland District Plan is under review and after several years of work, the new Plan should be out for public consultation in July. The District Plan sets the rules for what can happen in the District - where signs can be put up, what plants and trees can be cleared without a permit, where new subdivisions can go - so yet again this will be the chance to have a say on this very important document. The District Plan is probably the most important document we produce as it controls the development of Southland and how we will look in the future.

It was an amazing start to the New Year with the beautiful summer weather and the amount of people who were out enjoying themselves around Southland was fantastic. The last couple of weeks has seen much needed rain for the farmers and I am hoping February will be fine again. We live in a beautiful place and Council aims to keep it that way together with everyone who lives in the District, so please make sure you do have your say on all of these documents.

Exciting weekend events

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:53:00 +1300

What an exciting weekend - lots on around Southland, a rather important rugby match and then some wild weather to cap it off!

Sunday's Rugby World Cup final was amazing and I think I may have surprised a few people who didn't realise how loud I could scream or how many unladylike words I knew. I was beside myself, but the All Blacks did it - thank God! I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to hold the Cup and feel part of the whole event, which I believe has been a success, not only on the field but off it as well. Well done New Zealand.

Last week I had the opportunity to meet the new Fonterra chief executive, Theo Spierings, who promised to work closely with us in Southland. He listened when Environment Southland chair Ali Timms and I talked about the issues with dairying in Southland and in particular those of water and roading.

I also really enjoyed the Trendy Shoes day, a Rural Women's event, at Winton last week - it was a wonderful event and such fun. There were lots of innovative ideas but my favourite was the woman who covered her $1 Salvation Army shop shoes with the same material as a skirt she had and was told they were beautiful and Italian leather.

Our Southland communities were buzzing this weekend with all of the events taking place and I rushed around trying to attend as many in Te Anau as I possibly could. It's great to meet up with people at these events - I popped in for five minutes and ended up leaving hours later. I really enjoyed both the art exhibitions in Manapouri and Te Anau - the talent we have in this country is just fantastic.

The Steptoe Auction was another popular event and one which could be described as art in itself. For the first time in a long time, I actually sold rather than bought but I think someone upstairs was not particularly happy with that. I decided to clear out some things from Murray's workshop and I think he was not impressed as one of the deer horns fell on my head and I ended up with a stitch - divine intervention, do you think?

Keeping it pure

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 10:45:00 +1300

In today's world it is all about the global economy and global environment, but I think we must start being aware of possible issues in our own country first. New Zealand is sold overseas as 100% Pure, but that marketing slogan is very much at risk.

We are a wealthy country compared to the third world and we should be looked upon as leaders. I believe strongly we are only borrowing the land from future generations and as such, the resources we are so fortunate to have in Southland do not have to be used by this generation. In the future I am sure we will come up with alternative energy sources which are environmentally friendly.

New Zealand is responsible for only 0.2% of global greenhouse emissions, but that is still quite high per head of population, compared to other countries. We cannot expect to continue to market our agricultural exports to the rest of the world, using our clean green image to promote them, unless we show some commitment to reducing those emissions.

Of grave concern to me personally and to many others I talk to in Southland is the mining of our lignite resources. I know there are sceptics in the world who do not believe in climate change and the effects on our environment, but why take the risk.

Lignite mines of the scale proposed will be visible to any visitor and will affect our landscape and reputation to tourists and consumers in our overseas markets.

I guess it is hard to believe on a beautiful day in Southland that there are problems, but I am equally certain in the reality of climate change, particularly after the large number of in-depth studies on climate change and the various side issues, including fuel use, that surround it.

Not least in this list of studies is that recently released by Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Dr Jan Wright. Lignite and climate change: The high cost of low grade coal discusses lignite as a resource, New Zealand's climate change obligations, options to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and the impact of lignite use on those emissions.

In her overview, Dr Wright states that the Government agreed to reduce its annual greenhouse gas emissions to between 10% and 20% below the 1990 level by 2020. At the rate we are going at the moment, the emissions are on track to be 30% above the 1990 level by 2020. "The production of diesel from lignite on the scale contemplated would increase New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions, significantly," she says.

The report goes on to say that lignite is a carbon-intensive energy source and large-scale lignite use can result in greenhouse gas emissions much larger than other fuel sources. However, the production of diesel and urea from lignite are both new activities that could qualify for support from the Government in the form of free carbon credits. "But it makes no sense that the Emission Trading Scheme rules would lead to taxpayers subsidising, even at a modest level, new investment in outdated dirty technology," the report summarises.

Dr Wright goes on to make recommendations to the Government, but I want to emphasise to all Southlanders that if they do not want large-scale lignite mining, they need to voice their opinion to Central Government now.

Importantly lignite will not deteriorate while left in the ground until future generations discover technology to use it with less environmental impact.

For the present we need to capitalise on our New Zealand Pure image to maximise returns for the food products that we produce so efficiently from our land here in Southland for markets around the world.

Floral delight

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:47:00 +1300

The weather has been absolutely fabulous and Southland is a picture of greenery and flowers. Showcasing the flowers well was the Te Anau Spring Flower Show, apparently the second biggest spring show in New Zealand for entries, which was held this past weekend.

I really have the utmost admiration for the perfect daffodils produced and lovingly showcased at the show and people come from all over to enter these and many other beautiful examples of flowers.

However, my greatest memories of daffodils are of the ones my mother had growing throughout the orchard on our farm.

I had the privilege of watching the netball last week - the Silver Ferns v England at the ILT Velodrome and I was impressed on two counts. Well done to those who have done a fantastic job of setting up the velodrome to host these sorts of events after the stadium collapsed last year, and congratulations to a top New Zealand team of young women, who were certainly impressive in their demolition of England. Let's hope they keep that up when they play Australia soon.

At the moment I wouldn't want to be someone who is not keen on rugby as it is everywhere - you simply cannot not know that the Rugby World Cup is on in New Zealand and it's getting very exciting. These next two weeks will hopefully be memorable and successful for our All Blacks.

I was out to dinner in Te Anau on Saturday night and there was a crowd of Welsh and French supporters in the restaurant watching the two quarterfinals on the obligatory large television screen. When their two teams won, the roar of excitement could have been heard a block away.

It shows that there are still a lot of visitors travelling throughout New Zealand and watching the games on the television - that's good for our towns as well.

Go the All Blacks!

Arrival of spring

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 19:28:00 +1300

It's great to see spring arrive, with the blossom trees in full bloom and the tuis and bellbirds in a real spring mood. There are plenty of lambs in the paddocks as well, which is so much better than last year and the horrible snow storm that hit Southland so badly.

Of course there have been variations in weather throughout Southland but as a whole it is much more positive this year.

It is also really pleasing to see all the Rugby World Cup visitors around our towns. I went out to a restaurant in Te Anau at the weekend and it was full of people, who were there for the night to watch the rugby game.

They were really happy tourists who said they will recommend New Zealand to all their friends when they get back home as they are impressed with the friendliness of the people and the amazing scenery. And it didn't matter which team won or lost, everyone was in great spirits.

Council received more than 195 submissions on the proposed Around the Mountain Cycle Trail and it is excellent to see so much interest in it. I met with the Fiordland Trails group this week and it is moving forward in a positive manner. It is great to see the different trails around the area being developed and indeed throughout the district. These cycling/walking trails will be a big plus for our future as people love to do them.

I was impressed at the opening of the Te Anau croquet club on Saturday to see all the different ages of people who were playing. Well done to the enthusiastic group which has built the club so quickly.

We are blessed with choice in Southland with the many different choices of recreation and I encourage everyone to get out and have a go.

Busy schedule

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:37:00 +1300

It's been a busy time recently to the point where the Air New Zealand staff at the Invercargill airport are laughing at how many times I have been getting on a plane recently.

I represented Southland at the opening of the Rugby World Cup in Auckland, then was back home for the Living Legends tree planting. I then headed to Christchurch for a shared services meeting with Dame Margaret Bazley and several others. Often in Southland we overlook our successes and Venture Southland is rated by other regions in New Zealand as a success story and a really good example of councils working together as one. We have also recently met with Clutha District Council representatives to talk about Venture, and a great example of the work Venture does is the success of broadband. Through expertise and time and hard work, Southland is getting a good deal on the new broadband rollout, much better than other regions, and that is thanks to Venture. We often take this sort of thing for granted, but it is not happening elsewhere.

I returned to Invercargill for a series of meetings and then flew to Wellington for a Mayors' Taskforce for Jobs meeting with MPs over youth unemployment. The taskforce has a partnership with Central Government and a memorandum of understanding that there will be no wastage of youth. It is disturbing in Southland and throughout New Zealand that youth unemployment numbers are growing.

Our Working It Out model in Southland is managed by Work and Income New Zealand, who is looking at rolling it out throughout New Zealand. Every young person leaving school early is traced, has a mentor and has a pathway worked out for them. The scheme is fantastic and we need to be aware that every community in Southland has youth that need our support.

Last week was somewhat quieter. However, we had our Council meeting in Riversdale and also spent time in the Waikaia ward, checking out some areas of development and interest.

Then I was pleased to attend the opening of Relay for Life, which will be held in Invercargill next year. The concept began 16 years ago in the US and is all about celebrating and raising awareness for cancer survivors, carers, whanau and family. This year 17 relays were held across New Zealand raising nearly $3 million.

And now hopefully I am home for a few days!

Once in a lifetime experience

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:02:00 +1200

I was incredibly privileged to be invited by the Rugby World Cup organisers to represent Southland at the opening of the World Cup. The weather was perfect and I was able to stay with old friends whom I haven't seen since college training days.

I had to be at Sky City to be taken to Eden Park by bus, and my friends decided to come across with me on the ferry because they thought the roads would be too busy or closed. However, there were hundreds of people lined up for the ferry so we thought we would try the car. It was fantastic as there was hardly anyone on the roads and we got straight there easily. There were thousands of people walking though.

I would describe the experience as once in a lifetime - it was absolutely amazing. There were 150 people in the VIP area, and quite a few of those were leaders from countries attending the Pacific Forum. I really enjoyed talking to them and being a good Southlander, I had brochures in my bag which I gave them and invited them south. A woman's handbag is a wondrous thing, I tell you! The food was excellent as well and the caterers did a wonderful job of showcasing New Zealand produce.

I had to pinch myself during the opening ceremony as it was hard to believe it was real. I feel so proud and I have to admit I shed a few tears. The gentleman beside me was the brother-in-law of the main singer and he gave me a delightful running commentary on the performance. This just reiterated to me how we live in a small family country. I did feel incredibly sorry for those who missed out because of transport frustrations and I have to say if was Southland organised, the chaos wouldn't have happened.

Following that highlight, I came back south and took part in the Living Legends tree planting at Otatara on Sunday. There were huge numbers of people and I was amazed yet again at how quickly all those trees were planted. I have also visited A Taste of Southland in the SIT arcade and attended the play Home - One Thread in the Story of a Nation. So many of us have Scottish heritage and I really enjoyed the story.

Finally I was thrilled to welcome visitors to Fiordland when the first Whisper Jet flew into Te Anau Airport - Manapouri last week. This visit will hopefully be the first of many and well done to staff who have worked hard to get us to this point.

Quality education destination

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 16:15:00 +1200

Southland is a a quality education destination - that is the message the rest of the world is hearing and is the message we are receiving from those in the know.

Education Southland participating schools have pulled off a second international business relationship opportunity with a school in Thailand in the last 12 months. It was in August 2010 that Venture Southland was able to confirm the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Srinakharinwirot University Prasarmnit Demonstration Secondary School (SUPDS) located in Bangkok, Thailand.

Now in August 2011 participating schools - Central Southland College, Fiordland College, James Hargest College, Southland Boys' High School, Southland Girls' High School, St Peter's College and Waihopai School - have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with The Prince Royal's College (PRC) from Chiang Mai, Thailand.

This week a delegation of six representatives from The Prince Royal's College was hosted by Venture Southland. The delegation of PRC school representatives took the opportunity to visit and see the Southland schools working first hand. This culminated in the participating schools signing an agreement with PRC on Tuesday evening.

The agreement allows for PRC to have up to 16 international fee paying students per year enrol at the Southland schools. As well as this a Short Stay Study and Cultural Programme has been entered in to whereby the Southland schools will host larger groups of PRC students for a two week period in March/April 2012.

The deal was facilitated by Venture Southland and A&T New Zealand Education Agency from Chiang Mai - following initial communications last year.

While in Southland the PRC delegation was not only impressed by the schools visited, but also many of the Southland visitor attractions including Milford Sound, the Southland lifestyle on offer and enjoyed some retail therapy supporting our local stores.

Education Southland is an international student recruitment marketing initiative. It was established to coordinate a collective approach to market Southland as a quality education destination to the rest of the world. It is a great example of Venture Southland supporting our region's economic and community development by working alongside the education sector.

At the civic reception held recently 100+ students attended from more than 20 countries. We heard from students from Sweden, Finland, Germany, Thailand and Hong Kong. What was most reassuring to me was the positive messages about the experiences from these students - safe, friendly communities that care for each other; hospitality and friendships which will last a lifetime; and while it can be cold it is nowhere as cold as some parts of the world these students come from.

What was most intriguing to me was the message from the young man from Hong Kong who attends James Hargest College. He mentioned that by the time his extended family have all been educated - 8 in total including cousins - they all will have been educated in Southland - not a bad advertisement for repeat business coming about because of quality and good service. As well as this number of students from one family residing in Southland over a period of time - when they are here they are visited by parents and grandparents and extended family members - adults visiting Southland who otherwise would not come here. Not a bad return on the investment for our region from the hard work done by schools and Venture Southland.

What is also a friendly reminder is that these visitors are coming to one of the most beautiful and caring places on earth. We must work hard to retain this image for Southland. These students are great ambassadors for our region - and remain so once they leave to further their lot somewhere else in the world. They take away great memories and experiences and value the great opportunities that otherwise may be lost on them in a busy and complex world if they were absorbed in some of the larger international cities. This fact was not lost on the young people I was able to talk with.

This latest international alliance for our Southland schools is also great news for the Southland District Council Friendship Committee - and adds considerable momentum to the SDC Friendship Committee developing its relationship with the Chiang Main Municipality. The SDC Friendship Committee has previously identified an opportunity to link with the significant groundwork done by Venture Southland and Education Southland participating schools to advance this relationship with Chiang Mai - especially with regard to youth development, environment, tourism, global citizenship and obviously education. This has been given a great boost with this alliance confirmed with PRC in Chiang Mai.

Seeing so many young people from all over the world in one place at the International Student Civic Reception not only made me and my fellow Mayors feel very proud to be Southlanders - it certainly reinforced the fact that Southland is becoming a truly global community.