The Mayor's Blog

Strength Through Communication

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:19:00 +1200

Working together is becoming more and more important and I believe we do that well here in the south. So often we are ahead of other regions in New Zealand because of this ability to communicate.

I believe that those communication skills are needed even more so at the moment as the National Government is passing a lot of legislation that affects us all.

This week we had a zone 6 meeting and you will think what on earth that is. New Zealand is broken into local government zones and zone 6 is for all council south of the Waitaki. These zones are part of Local Government New Zealand's structure and help it be the voice at Central Government level for local government.

The Zone meetings also provide all the councils a chance to network and share information and at this meeting the thorny subject of road funding was to the forefront.

The recent $8.7 billion national land transport package announced by Central Government recently saw Southland only get 1.78 percent, or $155 million. That means $800,000 less for maintenance than what had been requested and will obviously lead to work being deferred.

The funding not only affects us but many of the other councils in the south as well. Invercargill City has had major cuts and Clutha District is suffering as well. Federated Farmers is right behind councils on this point and said in a letter to the editor that it has been lobbying for additional funding for local roads.

I know I go on about this, but it is so frustrating to have to continually point out that:

a/ we have the largest roading network in the south

b/ Based on 2006 figures, each individual Southlander on average is paying over $300 in rates towards maintaining our roads, while those living in Auckland pay less than $100 in rates towards the same

c/ the rural communities are producing what keeps New Zealand going. The world is always going to need food, and we have the resources to produce it, but we may not have the roads soon to deliver it.

Over the years we have lost millions in various government budgets. Road funding was meant to address issues of regional equity and help the provinces carry out work of regional importance, but that did not occur and instead road funding became another subsidy, which required local share funding.

The Long Term Council Community Plan structure means we have to plan out our roading activity, as well as all our other activities, for 10 years and so we planned on getting funding that is gone now to "roads of significance" in major urban areas or to state highways, over which councils have no control.

I guess we are at the stage of saying "sorry folks, our roads have just become unaffordable and we are not able to keep maintaining them to the present standard."

Another huge issue that was discussed at Zone 6 was the cost of electricity. It was highlighted by Central Otago Mayor Malcolm MacPherson, who said the costs families and retired people were facing, particularly after the cold winter, were unmanagable.

In areas in Central Otago and Queenstown, where fires are not allowed, some people are facing monthly bills of $800 to $1000.

The question has to be asked why our electricity is so expensive when we live right next door to really large power stations.

However, a real positive from this Government is the $23 million insulation and heating programme. This has been taken up strongly across the country and is so popular it is starting to run out so people need to apply and get their subsidy.

With so much change happening and so much legislation going through at a fast pace, the message is strong at local level and at Zone level that we need to keep talking and sharing so we can keep on advancing our province as much as possible.

The 'South' Explored

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:31:00 +1200

I have been told that Marcus Lush’s programme “South,” which is on TV1 at 7pm on Sunday, is more popular with New Zealanders than the news.

“South” is such a great advertisement for Southland and Fiordland and a really positive and fun programme to watch. Well done Marcus.

My husband, Murray, recently went on the same trip around Dusky Sound on the Wanderer as Marcus has just completed on the programme. It had been more than 40 years since Murray had been around that sound and he arrived home buzzing from a trip of a lifetime. He could not put into words how he felt as he found the whole trip so special and overwhelming.

That sums up the part of the world that we are lucky enough to live in.

The last time Murray visited Dusky Sound he was a young man and had not read the history of this beautiful area. Thanks to John Hall Jones’ “Fiordland Explored,” AC and NC Begg’s “Dusky Bay” and many other books which are so rich in New Zealand history, this time Murray could really get a feeling for those early Maori and explorers that are so much a part of our history.

We remember people like Richard Henry, who was New Zealand’s first wildlife ranger on Resolution Island in Dusky Sound, and who transferred nearly 600 kiwi and kakapo to the island.

Sadly Henry was devastated by the discovery of a stoat on the island and he left. However, he was the inspiration for our present-day successes in making islands predator-free. The Department of Conservation, the Fiordland Conservation Trust and many volunteers and funders are now working on restoring these islands to predator-free status so we can hear and see the birds again.

Passage Island, for example, has been predator-free for some time and the sound of birds is almost deafening.

Murray saw Cascade Cove, the site of an early painting of Maori, which we have a print of on our wall, and he stood where Captain James Cook cut down trees for his ship.

Murray had previously helped restore the old cannon from the Endeavour, which was shipwrecked at Facile Harbour, and so was very interested in looking at the area in Dusky Sound where they were retrieved from.

Dusky Sound is now part of the Fiordland Marine Area, which is tailored to the different habitats and needs. Fishing is banned in particular areas, and commercial and recreational fisheries regulations are in place. This all protects the marine eco-system which is not as obvious as the scenery around it but just as valuable and just as beautiful. It provides a huge variety of habitats and is home to rare species only found in this area.

We are so lucky to live close to what is a wonder of the natural world and “South” and other such productions give people the chance to see this splendour, when often they might not get the chance to because of its remoteness. Hopefully this show will help promote the need to protect our environment – our World Heritage Fiordland.

Caring Communities

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:31:00 +1200

As I write, I am thinking all is forgiven for that terrible weather we recently experienced. The sun is shining, the tuis and bellbirds are singing and I feel like rushing out and planting the garden.

However, I once received excellent advice and I have found it to be true - don't plant your garden out too early as you will get caught out. Aim to have it done by Labour Weekend.

Anyway, the Fiordland Conservation Trust launched the Sinbad Sanctuary Project with guest speaker Rod Morris. The Sinbad valley is tucked in beside Mitre Peak and is certainly a special place as it is the last mainland place where kakapo were found. Sadly the area, like so much of our wilderness areas, has been destroyed and neglected by introduced predators.

So the positive move by Skeggs' Red Boat Southern Discoveries, which is donating $35,000 a year to the Trust to help make the valley predator-free is of huge benefit and both organisations need to be praised for their pro-activeness.

Meanwhile I attended the opening of the new building at Deep Cove Hostel, a special place where generations of Southland children have experienced Fiordland. The building is impressive, just like our new airport at Te Anau where on the same day I attended the opening of the new hangar, another step in the development.

I want to also congratulate the Community Trust of Southland for holding its annual meeting out in the community. It was great to see the large attendance and we are so fortunate to have this trust which makes such a difference in the community.

I also led the annual community meeting of the Hump Ridge Track Trust last week, and it is pleasing to note that bookings are up 49% on last year.

Finally I had fun at the Destination Fiordland awards dinner as I enjoy seeing people recognised for hard work and excellence.

We are so lucky in Southland to have communities that care, roll up their sleeves and just get on with it.

The Wonders of Fiordland

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:06:00 +1200

I have been told that Marcus Lush's programme "South", which is on TV1 at 7pm on Sunday, is more popular with New Zealanders than the news.

"South" is such a great advertisement for Southland and Fiordland and a really positive and fun programme to watch. Well done Marcus.

That sums up the part of the world that we are lucky enough to live in.

The last time Murray visited Dusky Sound he was a young man and had not read the history of this beautiful area. Thanks to John Hall Jones' "Fiordland Explored," AC and NC Begg's "Dusky Bay" and many other books which are so rich in New Zealand history, this time Murray could really get a feeling for those early Maori and explorers that are so much a part of our history.

We remember people like Richard Henry, who was New Zealand's first wildlife ranger on Resolution Island in Dusky Sound, and who transferred nearly 600 kiwi and kakapo to the island.

Sadly Henry was devastated by the discovery of a stoat on the island and left. However, he was the inspiration for our present-day successes in making islands predator-free. The Department of Conservation, the Fiordland Conservation Trust and many volunteers and funders are now working on restoring these islands to predator-free status so we can hear and see the birds again.

Passage Island, for example, has been predator-free for some time now and the sounds of birds is almost deafening.

Murray saw Cascade Cove, the site of an early painting of Maori, which we have a print of on our wall, and he stood where Captain James Cook cut down trees for his ship.

We are so lucky to live close to what is a wonder of the natural world and "South" and other such productions give people the chance to see this splendour, when often they might not get the chance to because of its remoteness. Hopefully this show will help promote the need to protect our environment - our World Heritage Fiordland.

Conserving our Homeland

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:27:00 +1200

All of us have experienced the silence of the bush and despaired.

So it's really great to be part of a group that's doing something about it. The Fiordland Conservation Trust is a community-driven project supporting conservation projects in Fiordland, Southland and the Sub-Antarctic region. It has been established to provide independent funding and resources to further protect the natural treasures (taonga) of southern New Zealand.

I am a trustee on the Trust and am proud to be so, as I believe it is really important for future generations to hear the bird song in the bush like we did when we were children.

The Trust has been established to enable donations from individuals or businesses to go towards specific conservation projects, some of which would not be able to be carried out without that support.

Businesses can work with the Trust to identify specific projects that are of interest to them. So often we hear negative reports about business exploiting our natural environment, but this trust is all about partnerships. We are working with businesses that realise the importance of the environment and are prepared to financially and physically support work being done to protect it.

The Southland District Council supports the Trust by providing accounting services and some of the other businesses and organisations already involved include Peregrine Wines, Chalky Digits, Fiordland Ecology Holidays, and the Gary Chisholm Family Trust.

I also became aware of the hundreds of hours of work volunteers do, with the projects already completed by the Trust and also the ongoing ones.

The transfer of 39 endangered saddlebacks to Te Kakahu (Chalky Island) involved Peregrine Wine staff and supporters helping out Department of Conservation staff; 15 volunteers replaced traps on Pomona Island last year and there are many more examples. Without this support, many projects would cost too much to carry out.

We should be proud of what we achieve in our country for New Zealand's communities are based on the work of volunteers, but there is still a long way to go so I encourage people to keep volunteering. Not only are you helping our country remain one of the most beautiful in the world, you are also seeing parts of it that not many New Zealanders have.

The Fiordland Conservation Trust has been operating for only just over a year, but is already making a difference and in some areas we will be hearing the sound of birds and seeing unique bush being restored very soon.

The Southland Community Spirit

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:12:00 +1200

I was very pleased to see Prime Minister John Key's announcement about youth initiatives, such as a Youth Guarantee and tough new law and order initiatives to combat youth crime.

Mr Key has said far too many young people are not in education, training, or work - more than 25,000 in fact aged 15 to 19. The Youth Guarantee will provide a universal, no-cost education entitlement for all 16 and 17-year-olds so they can access school-level educational study at approved institutions. The Fresh Start Programmes will be a Youth Court sentence for those on the road to serious offending. The year-long intensive programmes aim to instill discipline and address underlying causes of offending, and will include up to three months training at, for example, an army facility.

This sounds great but I believe it is essential that any courses involving youth are community driven by the people in the youth's communities - people they can look up to and admire, and who can mentor these youth, who have probably not had anyone like that in their lives. I also strongly believe we need to recognise that school/university/polytech is not for every child and apprenticeships and other such programmes need to be considered within the youth guarantee as well.

We are successful here in Southland with our ALIVE programme, which has helped about 80% of the participants into further training or work. There are other programmes like this around the country that are also successful and they should not be forgotten by the Government.

I was delighted to speak to the Winton Probus Club recently and was a bit overwhelmed when I drove up to the Salvation Army Hall and saw the cars out on the street because there were so many people. I enjoy talking to clubs like this, who have such a strong interest in their community and what is happening.

This week started with a visit from Rodney Hide, who was very interested in Council and especially our community board system, which is unique in New Zealand because of the delegations the boards have. Mr Hide said he would like to see a system such as ours in Auckland, but I said that would be difficult because we have so much more community spirit down here in Southland and the people of the south are different as they are prepared to roll up their sleeves and get on with it. Can Aucklanders do this?

A Month of Contrasts

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 11:16:00 +1200

It was a month of contrasts for me - a lovely relaxing holiday in Niue in sun and sand then a full-on Local Government New Zealand conference in chilly Christchurch.

I had time to throw my summer clothes in the wash and pack the winter woollies before I left home for the conference, which was extremely worthwhile as we had excellent speakers and workshops.

Prime Minister John Key's announcement of the seven Quick Start cycle trails, with one of these in Southland, was a highlight, but the speaker that held me enthralled was Principal Youth Court Judge Andrew Becroft, who spoke about how local government can help fight youth offending.

There was no easy answer to youth offending as it was hard to pin point causes generally, he said. But his suggestions on how local government could respond included developing strong relationships with police Youth Aid and CYFS youth justice managers and family group conference co-ordinators. Mr Becroft also suggested developing venues for community work and supporting community remand facilities and supervising activity programmes.

I believe Southland is ahead of the eight-ball with its programmes for youth, not least the ALIVE programme, which has proved a success for youth who may have moved into crime if the intervention had not happened. I think it is important to have local-based programmes for local youth as the problems youth face in the south are different from those in big cities, to some degree.

Youth issues have challenged society since time immemorial and Me Becroft gave examples of concerns from Ancient Egypt, Greece and Shakespearean time, so the tests we face are not new. However, I do believe local government has a role in the prevention of youth problems so that we don't have to be the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.

Mr Key's announcement of Government support for the Round the Mountain cycle trail is excellent news for Southland. Southland councils were already looking at options for cycle trails before the Budget announcement of $50 million for a national trail, but this brought all councils in the southern area - Queenstown Lakes District, Central Otago District, Clutha District, Southland District, Invercargill City and Environment Southland - together to work cooperatively to bring the Government money down here.

I have been asked by other provinces why we were chosen by the Government. Strategically we are in an excellent position for the national trail. Because the councils are already working together, we have the ability to work across boundaries and see the big picture.

This Round the Mountain trail starts in Queenstown and could eventually link to the Central Otago Rail Trail. The success of this trail shows how small communities can benefit from such a development.

Mr Key said the Government had set aside $9 million from the $50 million New Zealand Cycleway Fund for projects earmarked for a "Quick Start". These are only the first set of projects for the New Zealand Cycleway. As the numbers of tracks grow, and cycle tourism increases, the numbers of jobs generated will increase.

The Mayors and Chair of the southern councils believe this cycle trail will form the backbone of a wider network of trails. That network includes possible trails from Lumsden to Invercargill/Bluff, from Lake Mavora to Te Anau to Tuatapere and from Lumsden to Gore/Catlins Coast.

The Around the Mountain Rail Trail will be an easy to ride, 175-kilometre trail. Participants will travel across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak on the TSS Earnslaw, and will then cycle through Walter Peak and Mount Nucolas Stations, and along the Von Valley of Lake Mavora. The trail will then follow the Oreti River to Mossburn and then go along the old railway line to Lumsden. It will then go through Athol and Garston on its way to Kingston.

Venture Southland has already employed MWH to put together a study on where the trail will go and how much it will cost. More information will follow as this progresses. Watch this space!

Supporting our communities

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:09:00 +1200

I have seen the inside of planes frequently in the past few weeks as I spent two days last week in Wellington for the Lotteries Community Facilities Fund meeting and then again this week for Mayors' Taskforce.

Both of these were very interesting in very different ways. I was surprised at the lack of applications to the Lotteries Community Facilities Fund from Southland. The fund is a fantastic way to get a great start for a community facility and I strongly encourage any community which is looking at building any facility to apply to this fund.

The Mayors' Taskforce group talked a lot about the loss of funding for some of our key youth projects and although we had already won the battle for funding for Southland's ALIVE programme, there are other worthwhile projects that are going to lose out with the cuts.

The Mayors' Taskforce has been working hard for some years now to support our youth throughout New Zealand and has felt strongly prevention is better than being the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. We will continue to fight for funding and for our youth.

I have also had two very enjoyable events to go to in Te Anau, the first being the opening of the new church and the second the Fire Brigade's honours evening. Both celebrated the community and volunteers in different ways and both organisations play an important role in the community.

I also opened the new session for the ALIVE programme at Te Koawa Turoa Lodge last week, and this is a part of my role as Mayor that I particularly enjoy. Seeing the young people at the beginning of the programme and then seeing how they change by the end gives me a great deal of satisfaction about my involvement in this.

I am off to the sunshine for a couple of weeks so Deputy Mayor Jim Copland will be writing the next column. I am really looking forward to this trip as it is the first time all our grandchildren will be together in one place so that is going to be wonderful.

Dreaming of the big win

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:11:00 +1200

Unfortunately Southland District Council did not win the $35 million in Big Wednesday - well actually we didn't buy a ticket - but imagine what we could have done with that money.

Our roading manager and ratepayers would have jumped for joy - $35 million would have gone a long way on our 5000km of roads because we would also get a subsidy from Central Government.

We could have bought our own airline for the Te Anau Airport - Manapouri, built footpaths everywhere, along with completing cycling trails and maybe even paid for the three-bin recycling scheme. I am sure we could have sealed a few roads and been able to tick off a few of our wishes list.

But Council doesn't gamble with ratepayers' money and so we are still faced with an uphill battle to look after our roads.

Submissions to the draft Council long-term plan said we were either spending too much and so having to put rates up or not spending correctly. But we have had an 8% increase in roading costs and we are desperately looking for ways to save already. Submitters also asked for their roads to be sealed but there are no plans for any seal extensions in the district, simply because of the cost.

On average, it costs approximately $200,000 to $300,000 to seal a kilometre of road, when you include fees, and land purchase. However, it is also important to note that it is more expensive to maintain a sealed road than a gravel road if there is less than 250 vehicles travelling on the road a day.

Roads were the focus of our predecessors and have been the centre of attention for Council since 1989 and I dare say will remain so in the future.

Southland's roading history is long and varied, with the history of many of our roads lost in time. The Hundred Line Road is one example, with the commonly held belief being if the road continued on a straight line, it would end up in the Octagon in Dunedin. However, people who have researched Southland history say that is not correct. Roads were built to service forests and farms, and now have to be funded based on population and valuation.

When you consider the work carried out on the Milford Road, the money spent and the international attention the attraction at the end of the road gets, it is fascinating that I still hear comments from various people that the road should never have been sealed as it allows too many visitors to rush through in a day. There has also been an increase in accident numbers because more tourists are not driving to the unique conditions of the road.

In the early 1990s a party was held at the Divide to celebrate the final section of the Milford Road being sealed. Many of the people involved in building the road or their relatives were at this party and many stories were told about the drama and difficulty. In fact a book has been written on the building of the road.

At that party the then Minister said he had found $100,000 to carry out a plan to widen the one-lane Mararoa River bridge, which had been sought by locals and tourist operators for several years. I have to admit I was a newly elected Mayor and had not learnt to follow the rules of bureaucracy so I said we don't want another plan, we want a bloody bridge. This was met with yells and cheers and thanks to Council engineers, we achieved a two-lane bridge.

It has also been a challenge to seal another of the iconic scenic roads in the south - through the Catlins. The main scenic route is now fully sealed, thanks to the hard work of the Clutha District Council and us.

However, the section of road from Haldane to Curio Bay is not sealed and calls were made at submission time to seal it. Maybe Central Government could help us out and pay for the sealing because of the importance of the road to the local farming community and to tourism. Again it boils down to cost and usage and not winning that $35 million.

We all dream of what we would do with that type of money, whether we buy a ticket or not, but in actual fact we are all wealthy anyway because we live in New Zealand.

Talking of Wellington

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:09:00 +1200

Telling our Stories

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:07:00 +1200

Southland is rich in history and now is the time to tell those stories before they are forgotten.

It is also time to grab with both hands the opportunity to get Government funding for a cycleway throughout Southland as communities can retell their stories through developments around the trail.

They say bike riding is the new golf and certainly the number of people who turned up for the inaugural Whitehills bike race indicates this, as all ages from children to those aged more than 70 competing.

I have always enjoyed cycling from when I was a child to teaching days in Christchurch, when a bicycle was my only mode of transport.

My recent birthday present of a new bike has seen me spending a lot of time around the roads of Te Anau and my ambition is to ride the Central Otago Rail Trail. It's not about how fast I can do or how far, it's about the fun and the social side of riding it with friends and stopping along the way, enjoying a coffee or a wine, and learning about the history of the area.

I was in Garston last Sunday to unveil a memorial seat and table on the village green to mark the work of the late John Newman in Northern Southland.

Mr Newman, who died two years ago, was a visionary arborist who planted many of the trees we see now along the road from Parawa to Kingston and indeed in the laybys heading towards the Devil's Staircase.

His vision to provide vegetation and shelter in what was quite a barren landscape has left a legacy of beauty. He faced many difficulties ranging from the disparagement of some of the local people to vandalism and theft, but that did not stop him.

That same determination could be seen in the history of the goldminers and of the railway and that should be not lost.

Prime Minister John Key's promised $50 million to build a national cycleway and we in Southland are hopefully at the top of the list to receive some of that money for a trail along the old railway lines through from Kingston right through to Bluff.

We only have to look slightly north to see the success of the Central Otago Rail Trail to see that such a vision could be a success and could boost the economy of our small communities. Maybe cycling could be not only the new golf but also the new gold.

There is also talk of a cycleway from Walter Peak through the Mavora Lakes and back through Mossburn to Queenstown.

Already we have planned cycleways from Te Anau to Manapouri and from Manapouri to Tuatapere.

Although the weather in our province is not as balmy as Central Otago, people will still come as we have the scenery and the stories to tell. Look at the cycling tourists who are already on our roads throughout the year. It never ceases to amaze me how often our sheep are photographed.

That's why it is important to work as a community to create this cycleway and also work as individual communities to tell your stories so that visitors can find out about our beautiful province while they cycle through it.

Garston has started with the John Newman Memorial Seat and Table and is planning more, especially around its rail history.

Also around Garston and on the Northern Southland heritage trail are places like the Fairlight Railway Terminus, Naylor House and further down the trail Nokomai Station and the Jollies.

Winton also has a heritage trail with Anzac Oval, Jamieson's Building, Avalon, Delamere, Ivy Russell Reserve and of course, Minnie Dean's grave site at Winton cemetery just some of the places to visit.

Venture Southland, along with Southland District Council, Invercargill City Council and Environment Southland representatives, is already working on a plan but we must keep the momentum going

Southland has so many stories and so much beautiful scenery, as well as being nationally known for hitting above its weight when it comes to successful projects. Let's lead the way again with a Southland cycleway, which will be enjoyed by all ages and nationalities.

Beauty of our People

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:04:00 +1200

I have travelled across Southland in the past two weeks to many different activities and events, and each of them has shown me the beauty of our people.

Inspirational speaker Marcus Akuhata-Brown and I spent some time on Stewart Island a couple of weekends ago. Together with Council librarian Willie Solomon, we spoke with the island's children and put on a superb puppet show. Marcus held the children in his hand as he spoke of his life and you could see how it touched some of the older children there.

The puppet show was also delivered to the children at the Tuatapere Play Centre during Book Reading Week and again was well received. I was impressed with the attractiveness of the centre and the liveliness of both the kids and the parents.

The Southland Economic Forum, put together by Venture Southland, was a good opportunity to brainstorm ideas for the future. Speakers did clearly point out, though, that Southland was holding its own in the recession and also how important it is to work together and develop new ideas. The significance of our rural sector was also highlighted.

Then I was in Te Anau for the opening of the new Kepler Track entrance, which is a much better entry to a highly rated walk. The entrance includes a shelter and toilet, and a good path to the track.

Following that, it was to the other side of Southland and Waikawa for two very different events. Firstly I checked out the Waikawa museum, which should be a museum item in itself. It highlighted to me yet again the huge value of volunteers as the museum is run purely by volunteers.

Then I started the Great Escape event. The weather was not wonderful but those there were enthusiastic and out to have a great time anyway. They told me how great the hospitality was and how the running of the event was excellent - another success story for the south.

I had the pleasure of eating a dozen oysters at the Bluff Oyster Festival and then was a proud Southlander when Colin Waghorn, our young world champion shooter, won Southland Sportsperson of the Year. This title was well-deserved but he had incredible competition. Colin is a true and proud Southlander and well done.

Last weekend was the Waimatuku Pipe Band's 75^th anniversary and I congratulated the band members past and present for their dedication. Pipes and highland dancing have long been a part of Southland heritage and long may they continue to be.

The Need to be Prepared

Thu, 14 May 2009 16:41:00 +1200

Disasters are unpredictable and can destroy everything within moments, as the devastating bushfires in Victoria have shown us so vividly.

The tragedy that has unfolded in Victoria is too close to home to be ignored, with our rural firefighters, police and helicopter pilots all helping out over there.

And the fires also show us that disaster can happen anywhere at any time and we need to be prepared.

This simple fact was brought home to me last month when I attended the launch of the 25th anniversary of the 1984 Southland floods, which hit parts of Southland particularly hard.

I have never been in a flood, unless, of course, you count my rather frequent flooding of my laundry, which would drip down into Murray's workshop and onto his precious timber, which certainly stressed him.

But I have seen the effects, particularly with my mother, whose family home was in the way of floodwaters from a dam burst.
The horror of that flood and the damage to the home and the family possessions stayed with her forever.

One thing she frequently talked about was the smell, particularly afterwards, and that aspect was something I heard repeated frequently at the launch.

I was not involved in Council when the floods hit, but several of our longtime staff members were and their remembrances even 25 years later brought the disaster home to me.

Invercargill, Tuatapere and Otautau were hit particularly hard by the January floods in 1984; with large parts of Tuatapere and Otautau evacuated.

Area offices manager Chris Dolan was deputy county clerk in Otautau in 1984 and said the big thing that stood out for him was the support of everyone - those who volunteered to help out civil defence and the rural people who had not been affected by the flood who took in families and looked after them while their flooded homes were being inspected.

He also remembered a home in the elevated part of Otautau where the floodwaters could not reach being used as a crèche, with at least nine babies under 18 months and their mums living there for at least three days.

The golf club also housed many people and was also the landing base for the NZ Army.

One frustrating memory was of a man driving a grader down the middle of the main street through the floodwaters and creating waves that washed into already damaged homes.

Several people talked about how their children would get upset when they heard rain start after the floods, with one child becoming so distraught at school the teachers had to ring her parents to come and get her.

But less heard about and still as traumatic was the damage done to the rural communities in Southland, so much a part of our life.
Luckily no people were killed in the floods, although some of those working to protect homes and properties believe that was a miracle. However, more than 12,500 stock were killed and farmers also lost 170km of fences, 52 farm bridges and 234 culverts.

Council area engineer Graham Jones, who was Southland County Council bridge engineer at the time, spent a lot of time on farms assessing the damage to private bridges.

He was also on the roads looking at Council bridges, with 70 out of commission for at least a couple of weeks. Thirteen had to be rebuilt and many more had major work. The damage was widespread throughout the Southland district, he said.

Group manager regulatory services Lindsay McKenzie was county clerk at Wallace at the time of the flood and said the sense of family meant people worked together during and after the flood
This anniversary marks the floods but also the dedication and hard work of those involved, both the workers and the volunteers, and the backbone of Southland - its community spirit and support.
A travelling roadshow that will visit some of the towns in Southland, in particular Otautau and Tuatapere, is part of the commemorations.

Starting in Winton in February, the roadshow will then move to Otautau in March, Tuatapere in April, Riverton in May, Te Anau in June, Lumsden in July, Wyndham in August, Gore in September and return to Invercargill in October, when it will be incorporated into a larger exhibition at the Southland Museum and Art Gallery.

We have all become inured to tragedy because we see so much of it on television, either in the news or through advertising, but when it happens, and it will happen again in Southland because we live in a floodprone area, we do need to be aware of what to do.

I also think it is extremely important to consider the work, often unpaid, that Civil Defence does in the community. People in Civil Defence often do not get recognised for their hard work and then when a disaster strikes, are first in line to be blamed.

People do not appreciate the hours of training needed to be prepared when disaster does happen and when it does; we certainly do need the Civil Defence staff and volunteers.
I encourage you to go and have a look at the roadshow when it visits near you, think about the human stories and think about being prepared.

Our hearts all bleed for the communities in Victoria and the lives lost. Material possessions melt into insignificance beside the deaths. It is a wakeup call for us to be prepared as we are told so often to be ready.

Working Together

Thu, 14 May 2009 16:37:00 +1200

Having spent the last few days in Wellington at meetings has reminded me of all of the advantages of local government working together.

The importance of having an organisation such as Local Government New Zealand, which is the voice of the large majority of councils in New Zealand, was reinforced to me and I am proud to be the representative for Waitaki South on this board.
Most importantly, our new Government's Ministers said they see it as an excellent tool to communicate with councils collectively and they would not have the time to talk to each council individually.
The economies of scale mean that local government has to have a strong voice in Wellington and that voice is made up from the collective wisdom of all councils, both rural and urban. Many of the people with me on this board are very successful businesspeople in their own right.

Comments have been made that local government keeps getting costly legislative requirements put on it by Central Government and doesn't get the funding and in same cases this is correct.
The Long Term Community Council Plan process, which is relatively new to local government, is being held up by some as an example of this, but in fact we believe these plans are very important for our communities. All Councils have long-term assets that need to maintained and renewed in the future and it is extremely important for our communities to know when upgrades may need to happen and so they can budget for it in future years.

Southland District Council, alone, is a $65 million a year business and it is essential that everyone in Council, our residents and communities know what is being planned for this year and in the future years. It will not work if we bounce from one project to another each year as we simply must plan to have viable communities.

We have always fought against requirements being devolved down to us without funding but even so, there are also benefits in taking responsibility as we can then make decisions for our own areas because no community is the same.

We all know that water is one of our most precious resources and we only need to have one water crisis, where people are hospitalised, to see how damaging the fallout would be. Drinking water quality is hugely important and we must ensure everyone has access throughout NZ to viable water supplies, essential for healthy communities and for promoting New Zealand as a safe and healthy place.

Having a partnership with Central Government is incredibly important. We have and will in the future work together for the benefit of all New Zealanders.

Celebrating Our Culture

Thu, 14 May 2009 14:19:00 +1200

We might be complaining about the rain yet again, but we shouldn't when you think about what is happening in Australia.
Our hearts go out to Victoria's residents, who have been so badly hit by fire. It's an absolute horror watching on television and seeing the number of deaths steadily growing and the devastation across the land.

On happier subjects, I was a guest at the Waitangi Day celebrations at the Bluff Marae. It was a very special day and one from which I learnt a lot. The friendly powhiri on to the marae made us all feel welcome and the whole day was the absolute highlight of their trip for the French couple we took along with us.

The sea food was divine and the speakers very enlightening.
I have also been asked to unveil a headstone for Minnie Dean at the Winton Cemetery. This headstone has been placed on her grave by relatives in Scotland and has been in the news lately with the fake headstone mysteriously arriving beforehand.

Whether you believe she was guilty or not guilty of infanticide, Minnie Dean is very much part of Southland's history and I believe it is important to mark her grave.
I have been looking forward to attending Shakespeare in the Park once again this year and know it will be up to its usual high standard. It will be interesting to see our fine actors and actresses in a new venue, too, with the performances at Hawthorne Gardens in McIvor Road.

Our very popular Mobile Book Bus has had a makeover, with new pictures of Southland and Southlanders adorning it. Council had a chance to check out the new-look bus this week and were very impressed.

The bus, along with our libraries throughout the province, is becoming more and more popular with numbers of users growing. A lot of our new residents use the libraries a lot, particularly for the free internet, part of the Aotearoa People's Network.
And finally, I am off to Wellington next week to a rural sector meeting and several new Ministers will be attending, including our new local government Minister. So it will be good to hear them all speak.

Can do Attitude

Thu, 14 May 2009 11:34:00 +1200

In the past fortnight I have attended three functions, which have all displayed the Southland real can-do-it attitude.
The re-opening of the St James Theatre in Gore was a magic occasion. After thousands of hours of hard work and dedication from a small team of enthusiastic volunteers, the grand old theatre is all set for another 100 years of productions, both large and small.
The Bride of the Year contest was another wonderful night at Winton. This popular competition is run yearly by Rural Women New Zealand and is a real credit to them.

A very large crowd enjoyed an evening full of fun and had the difficult challenge of voting for their choice of bride. With more than 30 entries in the bride section alone, it was amazing to see the effort the entrants put in and all of them looked so beautiful, it was hard to select my choice.

The third event was the White Hill Classic Bike race, which was great fun and a huge success. I think the organisers were taken by surprise somewhat by the 500 entries.
With all the profits going to the Mossburn swimming pool, everyone was a winner.

I head off soon to Palmerston North to support the Riverton Te Hikoi museum and heritage centre in the Trust Power Volunteer Awards final. So cross your fingers, everyone. They sure do deserve to win.