Rotorua Grey Power August 2017

Rotorua 

news 

THE ACTIVE ORGANISATION FOR THOSE 50+ August 2017 

ROTORUA GREY POWER 

HAD 1708 MEMBERS AT 

JUNE 30, 2017 

Can you give us a hand? 

We need more volunteers to help with our Grey 

Power Rotorua office cover. 

The Grey Power Rotorua 

office is open Tuesdays – 

Thursdays 10am – 2pm. 

We need a few more 

members to join our volun- 

teers’ roster to make covering 

our opening hours easier. 

Duties include answering 

the phone, message-taking, 

receipting members’ sub- 

scriptions, Liquid Gold & 

booklet sales. We will show 

you what to do. [We’re a 

friendly bunch]. 

Roster options are: 2 

hours [10 am – noon or 

noon – 2pm] on one day 

either weekly or fortnightly. 

If you can help email 

greypower.rotorua@gmail. 

com OR phone the Grey 

Power office on Wednesdays 

between 10am – noon and 

speak to Sandra, our office 

roster coordinator – 07 

3461739 OR leave your contact 

details on our voice mail. 

We will get back to you. 

Your Grey Power Committee for 17/18, left to right : Wieland Hartwig (memberships), Miriam Ruberl (magazine coordinator), Esther Johnson 

(events coordinator), Sandra Greeks (volunteer coordinator), Judy Green (treasurer), Russel Hallam (president), Jennifer Francis (vice president 

and secretary), Damian Robertson, David Bruce. Photo courtesy Wieland Hartwig.

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2 Rotorua greypower News – August 2017 

opposite Central Pharmacy

President’s report - Your vote counts! 

The General Election is only six weeks away - 

six weeks for important decisions to be made. 

RUSSELL HALLAM QSM 

President, Grey Power Rotorua 

I 

do understand that many of 

us have political allegiances, 

but I ask you to consider the 

issues that are relevant to The 

Third Age, particularly the Grey 

Power Federation priorities on 

New Zealand superannuation, 

elective surgery and affordable 

housing. 

Elsewhere in this magazine 

we have some political parties’ 

policies on these issues. 

The future of New Zealand 

Superannuation and the age of 

entitlement, while not affecting 

most current Grey Power 

members, will definitely have 

consequences for many of our 

children and grandchildren. 

The exception to this is the Act 

Party policy which would start 

raising the age of entitlement 

from 2020. 

Already we have many 

workers in our country who are 

unsafe at work, to themselves 

and others, simply because 

they cannot afford not to 

work, until they reach the age 

of entitlement to receive New 

Zealand Superannuation. This 

proportion of the population 

will only increase if they are 

forced to work to an older age. 

Maybe the conversation 

should be around the choice 

between receiving wage/salary 

or NZ Super. Retire at 65 or 

continue to work? 

- Not fair, we all paid our taxes. 

- Fair, don’t need it. 

New Zealand Superannuation 

is calculated at 65 percent of 

the average ordinary net weekly 

wage. Grey Power policy is 

for this rate to be 72.5 percent, 

which is the upper rate allowable 

by legislation. No party has 

a policy on this compatible with 

that of Grey Power. 

As many wages and salaries 

are made up of a low basic 

wage, supplemented by other 

payments - bonuses, incentives, 

overtime, performance 

pay or other allowances, the 

lower percentage for this calculation 

is disadvantageous to 

superannuitants. 

Remember, our membership 

is around 60,000. There 

are 60 electorates, so we have 

an average of 1000 members 

in each electorate. A number 

of these electorate seats are 

held by a majority of less than 

1000. 

Russell Hallam 

YOUR VOTE COUNTS! 

Kia ora, kia kaha, kia 

manawanui. 

DATES TO NOTE 

Unless otherwise advised the venue for all Grey Power’s 2017 

activities is the Bainbridge Centre, 187 Old Taupo Road, 

Rotorua. 

MONDAY, 28 AUGUST - 1.30PM: General Election forum 

– Local candidates [Rotorua & Waiariki] Open to the public 

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Rotorua greypower News – August 2017 3

How do party policies 

stack up for this election? 

Our Grey Power Federation priority policies 

for the General Election are focused on: New 

Zealand superannuation, elective surgery 

and affordable housing. 

RUSSELL HALLAM QSM 

President, Grey Power Rotorua 

Set out below are the 

Federation’s mission policy 

statements on each 

of these issues, followed by 

the Party policies received 

from ACT, Greens, Labour, 

National, NZ First. 

SUPERANNUATION 

Grey Power Federation: 

Retain age of entitlement of 

65 years of age; Raise percentage 

of average net ordinary 

wage to 72.5 percent. 

ACT Party: Will raise age 

of entitlement from 65 years 

to 67 years at two month per 

year, starting in 2020, finishing 

2032. Will not raise level 

of entitlement. Have no intention 

to alter secondary tax. 

Labour Party: Will retain 

age of entitlement at 65 years 

and will restart contributions 

to NZ Super Fund. Plans to 

abolish secondary tax. No 

comment on level of entitlement. 

Will introduce Winter 

Energy Payment for superannuitants. 

National Party: Will lift 

age of entitlement from 

65-67 years of age, starting 

in 20 years’ time. Will not 

change level of entitlement. 

Will not alter secondary tax. 

Will change residency requirement 

for NZ Superannuation 

from 10-20 years. 

Green Party: Will maintain 

New Zealand Superannuation 

for all New Zealanders 65 

years of age and older. Will 

retain level of entitlement. 

May look at getting rid of 

secondary tax. 

NZ First Party: New 

Zealand Superannuation 

should remain universal, non 

means tested for all qualified 

New Zealand residents at the 

age of 65. Plans to raise minimal 

residency for full New 

Zealand Superannuation and 

abolish Section 70. 

Health- Elective Surgery 

Grey Power Federation: To 

protect and promote the health 

of New Zealanders through the 

public health system. 

ACT Party: No cuts to hospitals 

and doctors. 

Labour Party: Health 

Policy not yet announced, but 

already committed to meeting 

all demographic, inflationary 

and wage cost pressures in 

each health budget and to 

restoring the funding shortfall 

overtime. 

National Party: The 

answer to increased demand 

is to do more, assessments 

and operations. 

Green party: Is looking 

to restore funding based on 

Continued on page 8 

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4 Rotorua greypower News – August 2017

Retirement Villages 

Enjoy 

modern 

retirement 

living in 

Rotorua. 

Bupa The Gardens Retirement Village 

Bupa Redwood Retirement Village 

The Gardens has an excellent resident 

community centre and activities programme. 

Conveniently located next door, is The Gardens 

Care Home. Call for more information. 

15 Hodgkins Street, Rotorua 

Call Jennie Arvidson on 

(07) 350 1036 or 027 218 0526 

Redwood is a friendly modern village. Our 

residents make the village their own, and we 

invite you to do the same. Redwood Care Home 

is located close by. Call to find out more. 

429 Te Ngae Road, Rotorua 

Call Lyn Walker on 

(07) 345 3491 or 027 232 2639 

bupa.co.nz 


Parksyde Rotorua’s hidden jewel 

Advertorial 

The Older Persons Community Centre Trust 

(Parksyde) was incorporated in 2000 to provide 

a unique community centre for older people in 

Rotorua and the surrounding district. 

Parksyde, the fruition of 

the idea, was one of the 

Millennium Projects funded 

by the Rotorua Energy 

Charitable Trust and the 

location provided by the district 

council, Rotary Club of 

Rotorua Lakes providing the 

project management of the 

building. 

Parksyde has operated successfully 

for the past 15 years 

and has stood the test of time. 

The aim of Parksyde is to 

cater for the social, recreational, 

health and educational needs 

of our older people in Rotorua 

and the surrounding district. 

Parksyde has established itself 

as the focal point for the 

elderly in the district where 

there are social and recreational 

opportunities, a home for 

small clubs and activity groups, 

a drop-in centre and a gathering 

place for those having 

mutual interests. It is truly a 

community 

ADVERTISING 

facility run by volunteers 

PROOF and largely managed 

by the users. 

It is important to understand 

it is not a retirement 

village so if you come for a 

visit they won’t try and sell 

you a unit. 

Parksyde benefits the local 

community by: 

• Providing a safe and caring 

community through community 

spirit, and community 

support. 

• A healthy community with 

personal health and emotional 

wellbeing achieved 

with the lowering of cardiovascular 

disease through 

the provision of good quality, 

healthy meals and participation 

in physical activity. 

• A community with excellent 

resources and service, 

Parksyde provides an above 

average facility with ample 

car parking. It is well maintained 

and managed and is 

proud of the look and feel it 

adds to the district. 

Demographic trends in 

the next ten years tells us the 

number of Rotorua people in 

the 50+ age range is forecast 

to almost double partly 

due to the ageing of those 

currently in their 40-60s, the 

baby boomer generation, that 

appear as a bulge in Rotorua’s 

age profile. 

“There are no membership 

fees; it’s just set up as an 

activity and event centre for 

people aged 55 plus. Anyone 

can come along.” 

CUSTOMER PARKSYDE OLDER PERSONS PUBLISHING 25/01/17 

SALES REP Jason Fox PUBLICATION ROTORUA REVIEW 

DESIGNER OUTSOURCER SECTION RUN OF PRESS 

PROOFED 23/01/2017 10:49:38 a.m. SIZE 14.8X10 

AD ID AU-7349422BV (100%) FAX 

PLEASE APPROVE THIS AD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. NOTE THATANY ALTERATIONS 

MUST BE FINALISED BY OUR MATERIAL DEADLINE. 

Dave said a vast range of 

activities are offered at the 

social hub. 

“Fitness and mobility classes, 

Mah Jong, embroidery, 

indoor bowls and card games 

are all on offer,” he said. 

“All the equipment is provided 

– you don’t have to 

bring your own stuff. Each 

activity has a small cost,” 

Parksyde.....For the youthful +55 

he said. 

“We have a full commercial 

kitchen catering for lunches 

and functions too.” 

Volunteer Angela Saddler 

said she had been involved 

with Parksyde for nine years. 

“If you join things, you’ll 

get to know people,” she 

said. “When I volunteer on a 

Tuesday afternoon, one room 

is full of people playing Mah 

Jong. “Zumba is extremely 

popular. It can be hard to 

find room on the floor sometimes. 

The lady who does 

that – she’s so enthusiastic,” 

she said. 

Run without a bar or 

gaming facilities, Parksyde 

includes a dining room, library 

and activities’ room as well as 

the meeting room. 

“The meals are very reasonable, 

around $10. If you 

don’t want a meal, you can 

always have a toasted sandwich 

or a scone,” Angela said. 

Angela, 76, said the light 

and airy atmosphere was 

welcoming and friendly. 

“The building is lovely. 

And delightful to walk into,” 

she said. “People can start 

their own activity if they have 

a specific interest. 

“If anyone wants to come 

along and join in, they’re 

welcome,” she said. “You 

don’t have to be in a retirement 

home to enjoy these 

activities – you can come to 

Parksyde,” Angela said. 

Visit www.parksyde.org.nz 

for a full range of information 

about what we provide. 

Meet with friends for lunch in our restaurant and 

enjoy any of the activities we have to offer: 

Scrabble • Bokwa Fitness • Tai Chi • Line Dancing • Zumba Gold 

Canasta • Table Tennis • Indoor Bowls • Embroiderers • Housie 

• Travel Club • Embroidery • Card Games • Mah Jong 

We are not a retirement village 

EFTPOS Available 

Hours: 9am –3pm |9Tarewa Place 

Ph: 348 9892 |www.parksyde.org.nz 

AU-7349422BV 


What you need 

to know about 

buying on layby 

The Rotorua Citizens Advice Bureau fields 

questions from clients on all sorts of consumer 

issues every day. One issue that people do get 

confused about is buying goods on layby. 

Layby is a popular method 

to buy goods when 

you can’t afford to pay 

for them straight away. Your 

goods are kept at the shop 

until the whole price has been 

paid off and no interest is 

added to the price. Normally 

you would pay a deposit and 

then the balance in two or 

more instalments. The seller 

must hold the goods for 

you unless you do not make 

the payments as agreed. The 

price of the goods cannot be 

increased if new stock comes 

in at a higher price. 

When you buy something 

on layby you need to get a 

copy of a written layby agreement 

– which sets out in plain 

language a description of the 

goods purchased, the total 

price payable, a summary of 

your rights to cancel, whether 

a cancellation charge would 

apply, the seller’s name, 

address, contact details and 

a date. 

You must be given a receipt 

for the deposit paid and for 

each instalment you make. 

You may cancel a layby purchase 

before you have finished 

paying for it or before you 

take the goods – you must let 

the seller know. Remember, 

in your agreement there may 

have been a cancellation clause 

which requires that you have 

to pay a fee. Some stores have 

a set amount or percentage 

they hold back if the layby is 

cancelled – however, the seller 

must be able to justify that the 

fee is reasonable and directly 

related to the agreement. 

If you want more information 

about your consumer 

rights you can visit the 

Rotorua Bureau at 1143 

Eruera Street, Rotorua. We 

are open Monday to Friday 

from 9am to 5pm. You can 

also ring us on 07 348 3936 

or 0800 367 222 or email 

us rotorua@cab.org.nz. Our 

website is also a fabulous 

resource – www.cab.org.nz 

Remember, our advice is 

free. Not getting it could cost 

you though. 

Responsibility for MY 

safety starts with ME 

Revise the road rules 

and learn how to 

keep driving safely 

Wednesday 18 October 2017 

9.30am – 2.30pm 

Parksyde Community Centre 

Phone Rotorua Lakes Council 

on 348 4199 to register 

FREE 

ROAD 

SAFETY 

UPDATE 

for over 65’s 


New service 

Elder abuse is a serious and growing problem 

in all our communities throughout New Zealand 

and I’m writing to tell you about a new service 

the Government has launched to directly 

address this disturbing issue. 

MAGGIE BARRY 

Minister for Seniors 

Given our ageing population 

and the recent 

high profile examples 

of abuse we need a fresh 

approach and effective and 

accessible help wherever and 

whenever victims need it. 

WW2 veteran Ron 

Greenhalgh died last year 

without enough money to 

pay for his funeral because it 

was squandered at the TAB by 

his daughter Carolyn Alleyne. 

Branded "cold, callous, heartless 

and cruel" by her brother, 

Alleyne is now serving 10 

months home detention following 

her conviction for theft 

by a person in a special relationship. 

Ena Lai Dung had 15 broken 

bones and weighed just 

29kg when ambulance officers 

found her body – her daughter 

was jailed for 13 years for 

How do party policies 

stack up for this election? 

From page 4 

total population and ageing 

population. 

NZ First party: Affordable 

Healthcare Bill is currently in 

the ballot which will require 

immigrants coming to New 

Zealand to have private health 

care insurance up to 10 years, 

and would give benefits to 

Super Gold Card Holders that 

take up health insurance. This 

allowing better allocation of 

the health budget to elective 

services. 

HOUSING 

Grey Power Federation: 

To maintain and improve housing 

options for older persons. 

Act Party: Will remove NZ 


manslaughter. Joanne Quinn 

let her mother deteriorate to 

an extent that horrified medical 

staff and was jailed for two and 

a half years. 

Sadly, there will be cases in 

your region just like these and 

I know you and your Council 

shares the Government’s concern 

about this scourge on our 

society which reinforces the 

urgent need to intervene and 

provide practical services that 

will keep them safe from elder 

abuse. 

From July 1 our new Elder 

Abuse Response Service (EARS) 

will put the victims of elder 

abuse first. The cornerstone 

of EARS is a free and confidential 

24/7 help-line, 0800 32 

668 65 (0800 EA NOT OK). 

Registered nurses will be on 

the other end of the phone to 

listen and advise anyone who 

needs information or support 

about elder abuse – whether 

they are the victim themselves 

largest cities from Resource 

Management act. ACT Will 

incentivise Councils to consent 

more land for development. 

Will get Councils out 

of building standards process. 

Labour Party: Will crack 

down on speculators. Will 

build 100,000 affordable 

houses across the country. 

Will focus Housing NZ on 

helping people, not making 

a profit. 

National Party: Plans 

to build 117 more Social 

and Transitional houses in 

Rotorua. Over next 10 years, 

will build 34,000 Social 

and Affordable homes in 

Auckland. People living in 

Emergency Housing are able 

to stay on average, up to 

12 weeks. Will support up 

or someone who’s concerned it 

might be happening to a friend 

or family member. Callers will 

then be referred to local elder 

abuse services to get the help 

they need. 

We’ve increased funding for 

these services and have negotiated 

new contracts with organisations 

that have been selected 

specifically based on their ability 

to deliver an effective intervention 

service for our vulnerable 

older people. In addition to 

longstanding providers like Age 

Concern receiving a funding 

increase, 18 new organisations 

will be involved including 10 

Age Concern branches which 

will be receiving new funding 

for the first time. 

There will be a wider geographical 

spread of service 

providers to help more at risk 

elderly people than ever before. 

From the beginning of July, 

nationwide education, prevention 

and awareness work will 

be run through the Office for 

Seniors, freeing up frontline 

providers to actively help older 

people facing different abuse 

situations. 

With translation services 

available to the free 24/7 helpline, 

and providers selected to 

ensure services are culturally 

responsive, the new service will 

to another 12 weeks after 

moving to more sustainable 

housing. 

Residential Tenancies 

Amendment Act (No 2) moving 

through The House. 

Green Party: Full Housing 

policy can be read here: 

https:/www.greens.org. 

nz/sites/default/files/health 

20170322.pdf 

NZ First Party: Will establish 

a Housing Commission 

to build more houses urgently 

and maximise home ownership. 

Will make sure there 

are low interest rates on 

home loans for first home 

buyers and those on low 

incomes. Will stop non-resident 

overseas buyer from 

purchasing houses in New 

Zealand unless they have a 

special permit to do so. 

Food for thought as 

we consider our options 

when we cast our vote on 

September 23, 2017. 

be able to respond to the social, 

economic, political and spiritual 

values of our different cultures 

and ethnic groups, including 

Maori, Pasifika, Indian, Chinese 

and Korean communities. 

Our Super Seniors 

Champions are adding their 

voices to help spread the word 

and encourage people to speak 

out and ask for advice and help 

about elder abuse. They are a 

group of influential, articulate 

advocates for positive ageing. 

These non-political honorary 

role models, led by Patron Sir 

Peter Snell, have made a series 

of videos to view at www. 

superseniors.msd.govt.nz. 

Given our ageing population, 

this serious and growing 

problem requires a fresh 

approach and effective and 

accessible help wherever and 

whenever victims need it. 

Older New Zealanders 

should be able to trust their 

families and those close to 

them but the sad reality is that 

79% of those who report elder 

abuse are harmed by family 

members and 43% of victims 

live with their abuser. 59% of 

seniors are disabled in some 

way and they, along with the 

wider disability community, are 

more vulnerable to abuse. 

Elder abuse has devastating 

effects and our seniors must be 

able to get help if they need it, 

confidentially and safely. Up to 

70,000 seniors will experience 

some form of elder abuse this 

year – physical, psychological, 

sexual, financial or neglect – 

but the problem is largely hidden 

with most cases not reported 

because of the stigma and 

many victims are too ashamed 

to admit they are being abused. 

That needs to change. 

I encourage you to speak 

out about elder abuse and 

neglect and to spread the word 

about this new service to your 

networks and stakeholders. All 

seniors deserve to be treated 

with respect, with dignity and 

with care, whatever their background 

or circumstances and 

we each have a responsibility 

to protect our vulnerable older 

New Zealanders. 

A full list of providers is on 

the Super Seniors website. 

Please do not hesitate to 

contact my office for more 

information.

Doing the right thing 

Good news stories come across our desk and 

recently there was one from Glenholme. In the 

first half of the year Glenholme has been hit by 

a number of burglaries undertaken by juveniles. 

BRUCE QUEDLEY 

Neighbourhood Support 

The story that arrived was 

from Holland St where a 

resident noticed something 

not right with the persons 

he saw in a neighbour’s 

place. They immediately rang 

111, gave details of the incident 

and kept the operator 

up to date with where the 

suspects were and which way 

they were leaving the area. 

Based on the information 

given police were able to 

arrive very quickly, along with 

ealer a dog newspaper unit. This resulted advertising 

in the 

based on the description of 

suspicious individuals given 

by a concerned person, they 

have been able to approach 

that person on the way to 

your street and satisfy themselves 

if that was the correct 

person and what they were 

up to. 

What are some things to 

watch out for? 

• A person acting suspiciously 

on your or a neighbour’s 

property 

• A car apparently abandoned 

in your street 

• The noise of breaking glass 

door asking for someone 

who doesn’t live there 

These are just a few of 

the things to look out for. An 

important thing to do is to 

develop a relationship with 

your neighbours so they know 

you and you know them. In 

an emergency they may be 

the closest people to call for 

help. 

The best way to get this 

going in your area is to start 

a Neighbourhood Support 

Group. To do so ring 349- 

9470 or email nsrotorua@ 

clear.net.nz 

they had fled and was able to 

pick up the scent trail. 

If more people did report 

suspicious activity, crime levels 

would drop. Neighbourhood 

Support Group members are 

encouraged to do this and 

less than 20 percent of the 

annual crime comes from the 

areas Neighbourhood Support 

covers. That area is 37.8 

percent of Rotorua District’s 

occupied households, as per 

the 2013 Census figures. 

To do the right thing is 

simple. It is to know what is 

normal and then if something 

does not look normal or sus- 

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Rotorua greypower News – August 2017 9 

B3707H

Insulation and replacement 

heating assistance 

To improve Rotorua’s air quality, Bay of Plenty 

Regional Council has two schemes that help 

homeowners upgrade old wood burners to 

cleaner heating. 

MARION HENTON 

Senior planner - Bay of Plenty 

Regional Council Toi Moana 

Both schemes are restricted 

to properties within 

the Rotorua urban 

area. The Energy Efficiency 

and Conservation Authority 

(EECA) also has an insulation 

scheme members can use. 

Low-Income Heating Grant 


Scheme – council scheme 

designed to help homeowners 

swap old wood burners 

for a heat pump or an ultralow 

emission wood burner. 

To be eligible for free replacement 

heating you must: 

- Legally own the home you 

permanently live in 

- Be using an old wood burner 

that is your only form of 

heating 

Have you got the 

winter blues? 

Are you sick of your own 

company, sitting in front 

of the TV watching 

re-runs of programmes you 

don't enjoy? 

Could be time to call in Age 

Concern. 

Joking aside, this is the time 

of year when people do get 

stuck inside and start to feel 

lonely. Loneliness is not good 

for our health and we at Age 

Concern would like to help 

find you a little company for 

an hour or so during the week. 

Someone different who can 

call in and have a chat, or perhaps 

take you out for a drive 

or coffee if you would like. 

Another activity we can 

help with is shopping. 

If you require assistance we 

have some lovely volunteers 

who will pick you up and take 

you to your supermarket, help 

you get your groceries and 

take you home afterwards. 

Each supermarket is designated 

for a certain day of the 

week. 

Our Super Skills Service 

scheme is designed to provide 

retired tradespeople whom 

you can trust. They will come 

and undertake minor jobs at 

an agreed cost between the 

two of you i.e. fixing a letterbox, 

replacing fuse wire, fixing 

a leaking washer on a tap, or 

helping with a small garden 

and general maintenance. 

We are always looking for 

volunteers or tradespeople to 

help provide these services to 

the over 65s in our community. 

If you would like to be part 

of our enthusiastic and caring 

team at Age Concern we 

would love to talk to you and 

have you on board. 

For more information please 

phone us at our office on 

(07) 347 1539. Office Hours 

are Tuesday, Wednesday, and 

Thursday from 9am to 2pm. 

- Have a combined annual 

household income of less 

than $50,000 (gross) over 

the previous 12 months 

- Agree to remove any other 

old appliances that burn 

wood or coal in your home 

i.e. chip heaters. 

Application forms are 

available from www.cleanairrotorua.co.nz 

or from Bay of 

Plenty Regional Council, 1125 

Arawa Street, Rotorua. 

Hot Swap Scheme – A 

council initiative designed 

to help homeowners (landlords 

and/or owner-occupiers) 

upgrade a property’s heating 

and/or insulation. Old wood 

burners can be swapped for 

heat pumps, infrared heaters, 

gas and pellet fires and 

low and ultra-low emission 

wood burners. Hot Swap is 

a heating or insulation loan 

offered to Rotorua ratepayers. 

Appliance supply and 

installation cost is added to 

the property rates and can 

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be paid back over 10 years. 

Some loans are interest-free 

and some are interest-bearing. 

Refer to http://cleanairrotorua.co.nz/hot-swap/hotswap/ 

Warm-Up New Zealand: 

Healthy Homes – EECA provides 

insulation grants for 

homeowners and landlords. 

The government and other 

organisations are providing 

grants of 50 percent off the 

cost of underfloor and ceiling 

insulation for your property. 

Homeowners and landlords 

pay up to half of the cost. 

Eligibility criteria: the house 

must have been built before 

2000, and you must own the 

home and have 

- a community services card 

(CSC) 

- a named tenant with a community 

services card 

- an income just above CSC 

level and high health needs 

related to cold, damp 

housing. 

Visit https://www.energywise.govt.nz/at-home/insulation/installation-funding/ 

For further information 

please phone Bay of Plenty 

Regional Council on 0800 

884 880. 

SUDOKU PUZZLE 

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Easy Level - The rules of Sudoku are that you should fill a number 

in to every cell in the grid, using the numbers 1 to 9. The restriction 

is that you can only use each number once in each row, each 

column, and in each of the 3x3 boxes. Solution page 14 

3 

7 

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60 members turn out for 

Rotorua AGM and forum 

Grey Power Rotorua held its annual general 

meeting on June 26. As usual the AGM 

was followed by a keynote speaker – this 

year Vanessa Russell, Lakes DHB Portfolio 

Manager, Health of Older People & Disabilities, 

discussing aged care. 

JENNIFER FRANCIS 

Secretary, Grey Power Rotorua 

While AGMs are 

reputedly boring, 

we can’t help but 

muse about why in 2016, 

more than 100 members 

attended yet only 60 members 

turned out in 2017? Is 

there something within the 

powers of your committee 

that can be done to make 

it easier for you to attend? 

If you’re willing to share 

that with us, please respond 

to the short questionnaire 

v 

we’ve prepared following this 

article. We’d certainly like to 

know. 

The AGM elected a new 

committee of nine. Though 

three committee members 

stood down, three new committee 

members came forward. 

Their skills and life 

experience serve to strengthen 

the contributions of those 

Grey Power members who 

chose to nominate for a further 

term. New committee 

members will be introduced 

to you via the magazine. 

President Russell Hallam 

was elected for a further term. 

Our treasurer Judy Green 

reported a stable financial 

position. Although there 

had been a small decrease 

in financial members for the 

year ended March 31, 2017, 

and magazine postage costs 

particularly had increased significantly, 

a net surplus of 

$5271.83 was achieved. 

Copies of Grey Power 

Rotorua’s financial statements 

are available from the 

Grey Power office. 

PLEASE TELL US WHY......... 

Only 60 of our 1700 members 

attended our organisation’s 

Annual General 

Meeting on Monday June 

26 2017. There’s probably 

a different reason for each 

non-attendance, but your 

committee wants to do all it 

can to encourage participation, 

so we’d appreciate your 

input. 

Please try to categorise 

your absence from this year’s 

AGM according to the list 

below and let us know by 

email to greypower.rotorua@ 

gmail.com, contacting us 

through our website www. 

greypowerrotorua.org.nz or 

by phoning the office on 07 

346 1739, so that your committee 

can strategise towards 

having more active participation 

in future. 

I didn’t attend the Grey 

Power Rotorua 2017 

Annual General Meeting 

because: 

• My membership relates only 

to Grey Power Electricity 

• Health issues (my own 

or another’s) prevented 

attendance 

• Work prevented attendance 

• The time of day doesn’t suit 

• The programme held no 

interest for me 

• I’ve done my time on 

committees 

• I’m ‘parked’ in Grey Power 

• Other 

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FUNERAL DIRECTORS 


“Here For You” 

Technical Recession 

It seems a great state of affairs when official 

statistics releases tell us all that New Zealand is 

growing at a rate of about 3 percent per annum. 

FLETCHER TABUTEAU 

NZ First List MP based in Rotorua 

By international standards 

an admirable and 

oft quoted number. It is 

really disappointing, however, 

to observe that the same 

government department and 

certainly the media refuse to 

acknowledge that this growth 

figure is being heavily inflated, 

much like Australia’s has been 

over the past 15 years. 

The very sad and startling 

fact is certainly a stark contrast 

to what mainstream 

media are telling us. In per 

capita terms, New Zealand’s 

economy has just entered a 

‘technical recession,’ that is 

two consecutive quarters of 

negative growth. The analysis 

required is only very superficial 

in its nature, simply going 

one level deeper in the analysis 

of the numbers. Every 

man woman and child in New 

Zealand has been earning less 

for two quarters in a row. 

And the per person numbers 

preceding these numbers over 

the last nine years are just as 

dismal, around 1 percent or 

less at times. 

The irony of both the 

apparent good number of 

3 percent growth and the 

negative growth per person 

is tied inexorably to New 

Zealand’s population growth. 

Our population growth is 

among the fastest rising in the 

entire world at 2.1 percent. 

This comes down of course 

to National’s high immigration 

programme. The reason 

it makes the first number 

so high is that for a short 

time these new Kiwis add to 

New Zealand First 

Rotorua Office 

Fletcher Tabuteau List MP 

Office Hours: 10am -3pm 

Dropinorcall for an appointment 

07 347 4045 

Level6,Hinemoa Tower 

1154 Hinemoa St,Rotorua 

PO Box1561, Rotorua, 3042 

NZ First Advertorial 

consumption and make the 

superficial number look pretty 

good. But the irony is that 

the negative growth per person 

arises for the same reason. 

Adding to New Zealand’s 

population is a short-term 

solution used by this government 

to keep themselves in 

power. In the long run, without 

growing our productive 

economy, without real investment 

in our regions, without 

growing trade, which as 

a percentage of our economy, 

is going backwards and 

has been declining since the 

National party took control of 

the reins. 

Real gross national disposable 

income (RGNDI) – which 

measures the real purchasing 

power of New Zealand’s 

disposable income – fell by 

0.3 percent over the March 

quarter. 

From today, as inflation 

rebounds above 2 percent 

Kiwis’ real wages are going 

backwards. Your take home 

pay is now worth less than 

it was at the end of last year. 

In the last two years the 

national unemployment figures, 

those without even one 

hour’s work a week, have 

risen to 128,000 people. 

Despite a fictional criteria 

for unemployment is not 

coming down, (you’re counted 

as employed if you work 

one hour per week) – it’s 

staying more or less the same. 

At the same time it is our 

Youth unemployment that is 

increasing; more than 90,000 

New Zealanders aged from 15 

to 24 are not in employment, 

education or training. With 

the PM labelling them as pretty 

useless, instead of investing 

in them, he writes them off 

and tells us we need to import 

more cheap labour. 

On top of all of this, despite 

the short-term growth spurt 

from immigration, Business 

Investment is now smaller as 

a share of GDP than in every 

single quarter from 1992 to 

2008. Even though our population 

growth rate has accelerated 

strongly, the fastest rate 

experienced since the early 

1970s. 

These are the facts that 

New Zealanders need to 

consider as they decide who 

should move this country forward. 

What future do you 

want for yourself and your 

children and their children? 

Despite what you have been 

told, New Zealand has been 

standing absolutely still for 

nine years. 

www.nzfirst.org.nz 

69 Lake road, Ohinemutu, Rotorua 

Fax: 07 349 6622 | Phone: 07 349 6633 

Email: daybreakcare@xtra.co.nz 


I love living in Rotorua – 

we have so much to offer 

Our region’s economy is growing faster than 

anywhere in the country and more families 

are choosing Rotorua as their home. Just this 

week we saw unemployment in the Bay of 

Plenty drop by 1%. 

This progress isn’t without 

its challenges - but 

the Government’s right 

behind us, strongly supporting 

and investing in our growth. 

Take for example the Lakes 

DHB. This year it received an 

Grey Power Rotorua’s 

$100 cash prize winners 

Mr and Mrs Wright are 

the winners of this 

quarter's lucky draw. 

They are long-time Rotorua 

residents with several years 

working overseas in Tonga 

extra $15 million to take its 

overall funding to $322 million. 

That’s not only a record, 

but it’s helped contribute to 

more elective surgeries, more 

nurses and a better standard 

of care. 

and Australia. They are specialists 

in forestry as well as 

fire prevention; and education 

respectively. They were very 

appreciative of the top-up to 

their budget. 

It’s also supporting older 

New Zealanders to live healthy 

active lives and improving age 

care. Adding to this was historic 

$2 billion pay equity settlement 

for 55,000 care and support 

workers. It’s very pleasing 

to see these hard-workers valued 

properly. 

Over the last eight years, 

we have seen Rotorua go 

from strength to strength. I 

have been working hard to 

ensure we keep pace with that 

growth. 

Education has been a focus 

and we will soon have two 

new schools in Rotorua. It’s a 

real vote of confidence in us. 

These schools will help drive 

education outcomes for local 

students, improve schooling 

options next year and mean 

that we keep pace with a 

growing population. 

I have also recently proposed 

a Special Housing Accord 

National Party Advertorial 

between the Government and 

the Rotorua Lakes Council to 

help meet our growing housing 

demand. It is a commitment 

to build more homes on 

top of the 117 additional social 

houses to be purchased and 

built over the next 4 years. 

Last year just 121 new 

homes were consented in 

Rotorua. A lack of consented 

sections has meant builders 

have been turning people 

away. That’s put unnecessary 

pressure on the housing market 

and it’s a real missed opportunity 

for our local economy. 

The Special Housing Accord 

will streamline consenting procedures, 

allowing more homes 

to be built more quickly. It 

would include commitments 

to also consent affordable 

housing. It also means more 

local people will get into first 

homes, more young people 

will get apprenticeships and 

pressure on the rental market 

will ease. It’s a practical solution 

to help our city and region 

grow sustainably. 

A 

P 

F 

W 

E 

TODD MCCLAY 

MP FOR ROTORUA 

Stop by the office for a chat 

1301 Amohau Street 

07 348 5871 

07 349 6732 

www.toddmcclay.co.nz 

Rotorua.MP@parliament.govt.nz 

Funded by the Parliamentary Service and authorised by Todd 

McClay, 1301 Amohau Street, Rotorua 

Leave your loved ones fond memo 

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ones fond memories 

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a brochure, Information Documen 

Application Form 

• NO minimum deposit 

please contact 

• Automatic the Catholic bank Development payment Fund (CDF) 

Ph availiable 0800 843 233 Email: cdf@cdh.org. 

• Open or visit to persons 51 Grey of Street, ALL Hamilton East 

denominations 

Deposits only accepted after completion of the Application For 

For a brochure, Information document, 

Application Form 

Please contact 

The Catholic Development Fund (CDF) 

Ph 0800 843 233 | Email: cdf@cdh.org.nz 

Or visit 51 Grey Street, Hamilton East 

Deposits only accepted after completion 

of the Application Form 

11595 


JOKE CORNER 

A small boy named Arthur lived in the local village. 

None of his classmates liked him because of his 

stupidity, especially his teacher, who was always 

yelling at him “You are driving me crazy Arthur!” 

One day Arthur’s mother came into school to 

check on how he was doing. The teacher told his 

mother honestly, that her son is simply a disaster, 

getting very low marks and even she had never 

seen such a dumb boy in her entire teaching 

career. The mother was shocked at the feedback 

and withdrew her son from the school and even 

moved to another town. 

25 years later, the teacher was diagnosed with 

an incurable cardio disease. All the doctors strongly 

advised her to have an open heart operation, 

which only one surgeon could perform. Left with 

no other options, the teacher decided to have the 

operation, which was successful. 

When she opened her eyes after the surgery she 

saw a handsome doctor smiling down at her. She 

wanted to thank him, but could not talk. Her face 

started to turn blue, she raised her hand, trying to 

tell him something but eventually died. 

The doctor was shocked and was trying to work 

out what went wrong, when he turned around he 

saw Arthur, working as a cleaner in the clinic, who 

had unplugged the oxygen equipment to connect 

his Hoover. 

- Courtesy Wieland Hartwig 

CONTACT US 

GREY POWER, ROTORUA INC. 

OFFICE: 1333 Eruera Street, Rotorua 

(at rear of Age Concern premises, Ranolf St end of Eruera St) 

Phone: 07 346 1739 

Email: greypower.rotorua@gmail.com 

Office hours: 10am - 2pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 

Damian Robertson - Bio 

Damian moved to Rotorua 

in 2016 with her husband 

Peter after retiring 

from work with a social service 

agency in Manukau. Her 

working life was built around 

accounting services and management, 

interrupted for 18 

years by fall-out from a motor 

vehicle crash. 

For the last 10 years she 

has served as minute secretary 

for a number of trust and 

business boards. She teaches 

and practises Christian meditation, 

has a large garden to 

Sandra Greeks - Bio 

keep under control and enjoys 

painting and knitting. 

After 12 months as a 

Grey Power office 

cover volunteer, Sandra 

Greeks has been elected to 

our 2017/18 Grey Power 

committee. 

Sandra is truly “of Rotorua” 

– having lived here all her life. 

Sandra’s involvement in Grey 

Power came from her desire to 

actively help in her community. 

Sandra has office experience 

[always valuable in voluntary 

organisations] and is 

in the 50+ age group - our 

youngest committee member. 

Sandra has taken over coordinating 

our office cover roster, 

and of course was quickly 

snapped up for working on 

our 50+ sub-committee. 

SUDOKU ANSWERS 

Grey Power Rotorua Inc., PO Box 414, Rotorua 3040 

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COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2016/17 

PRESIDENT 

Russell Hallam 

Phone: 07 348 6034 

All inquiries: contact Russell 

SECRETARY 

Jennifer Francis 

Phone: 07 349 3185 

TREASURER 

Judy Green 

Phone: 07 357 5867 

COMMITTEE 

David Bruce 

Sandra Greeks 

Wieland Hartwig 

Esther Johnson 

Damian Robertson 

MAGAZINE COORDINATOR 

Miriam Ruberl 

If there are issues you would like Grey Power to take up, let your 

Committee know by phoning, contacting us via our website 

www.greypowerrotorua.org.nz or email. 

Your Grey Power Committee meets on the 3rd Monday monthly. 

Remember Grey Power when you change your contact details. 

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Home hazards averted 

Wet weather, some snow, wind, sleet and more 

rain. That’s enough to keep us indoors to keep 

warm and dry…. BUT…. are our indoors, our 

so-called safe havens, really safe? 

JUDITH O”CONNELL 

Grey Power Rotorua member 

Miriam Ruberl - Bio 

Grey Power Rotorua committee 

member and Grey Power 

Rotorua magazine coordinator 

Miriam, a resident of 

Rotorua for some 

eight years now, is a 

past member of the Rotorua 

Lakes Council Positive Ageing 

Strategy Group, currently 

participates with U3A activities 

and various community 

endeavours. A keen walker, 

gardener and craftswoman, 

Miriam is a professional artist 

and workshop presenter in her 

“retirement”. 

“I am excited to be able 

to contribute to an organisation 

that has been specifically 

established to actively 

influence the politics of this 

country, without being limited 

by affiliation with any specific 

political party. Much has been 

achieved to-date, so much 

more remains to be done. 

That is, are our possessions 

safe for us to use? Are 

our electrical appliances in 

good working order? Are the 

cords in good repair? If they are 

frayed and have wires exposed 

now is the time to get them 

repaired by an electrical professional 

or buy new. 

You could be preventing a 

possible fire or dodging a rather 

nasty shock and or painful 

burn. Ensure the electrical 

plugs are not overloaded, with 

your appliances being plugged 

into one outlet. 

Rule of thumb, one appliance 

plugged into one outlet. 

A good practice is to turn off 

appliances and unplug when 

not in use (i.e. Toaster, electric 

kettle). 

STEPS AND STAIRS: Have 

you these at your home? If so, 

have you a good sturdy handrail 

in place? Something to hold 

onto while you are negotiating 

the steps. Be sure to have 

the stairs free of all objects to 

avoid tripping. Another good 

idea is to have ‘grip tape’ 

attached, making the surfaces 

less slippery. 

BATHROOM: This is another 

area where a good sturdy 

hand rail can be very useful. 

Placed in the right position 

you will have something to 

hold onto when getting in and 

out of the shower or bath. 

The bathmat should be nonslip 

and secured to the floor. 

Nothing worse than a wet floor 

and a mat that slips when you 

step out onto it, or the mat 

has rolled up nicely for you to 

trip over. 

KITCHEN: This can be one 

of the most deadly rooms in 

the house. That is, if we don’t 

take precautions. I have already 

mentioned the electrical appliances, 

but how about the 

In the context of the guest 

speaker’s topic of Aged Care 

at our most recent AGM, as 

newsletter coordinator I am 

particularly interested to hear 

from our members who have 

navigated the system to access 

the services or information 

they need, both with great 

ease and success, or with great 

difficulty, with a view to sharing 

that experience with other 

members via this magazine. 

My contact details are in 

the Contact Us Section. 

sharp items, the hot spots, handles 

poking out and numerous 

other little hazards that can 

cause us harm? 

Sharp knives must be stored 

correctly, like in a knife block or 

at the back of the bench when 

taking a break from chopping. 

So often knives lying about 

will be accidently knocked off 

the work area and can end 

up stabbing us. With pots and 

pans on the stove top, turn the 

handles inwards and not in a 

position where we can accidently 

knock them and send 

hot food flying … if not onto 

the floor, then over ourselves, 

causing nasty scalds or burns, 

not to mention the pain. 

The hot elements on the 

stove top: ALWAYS turn off 

when you have finished cooking. 

Be aware that these elements 

stay hot for quite a while 

after being turned off and can 

cause nasty burns. 

Steam burns from boiling 

water are also common for the 

unwary. Even the steam from 

the boiling kettle. 

Spilt water on the floor, is 

also a danger. Be sure to wipe 

it up straight away, and be 

aware that even a damp floor 

surface is hazardous and can 

cause a fall. 

FLOORS: All our floor surfaces 

in every room can be 

a potential hazard, especially 

floor coverings not being 

secured and mats. All great 

little ‘trip-you-over’ gremlins. 

Wet and/or damp areas, as 

I mentioned, as in the bathroom, 

kitchen and also the 

laundry. 

How many of you have 

JOKE CORNER 

items on the floor, like the - 

newspaper next to your armchair, 

coffee tables in areas 

that you regularly walk past 

or around? Move them into 

an area that has very little foot 

traffic. How about large ornaments, 

pot plants and other 

items? These are the very items 

that we are more than likely to 

trip over. So take a few minutes 

to make your floors object 

free. This may help to prevent 

months of rehabilitation after 

maybe breaking bones, eg. hip. 

Gosh, our homes, our 

havens, are full of dangers or 

situations. What about our 

cupboards, with articles/items 

stored up high, that have the 

potential to fall out on our 

heads when we open the door. 

Another lethal trap, is cords. 

The ones from our computers, 

maybe floor lamps, the vacuum 

cleaner and other appliances. 

Many of you are fully aware 

of these hazards and have 

already minimised potential 

dangers, but it doesn’t hurt to 

be reminded. 

So now that we have tried 

to make our indoors as safe 

as we can, how about our 

shoes, our favourite old slippers, 

our footwear? How worn 

are the soles, are they shiny, 

have cracks across the bottoms, 

worn down at the heel? 

If this is the case, time for new 

footwear now. Having well 

fitting footwear is a must, not 

only for indoors but outdoors 

as well. 

Keeping ourselves as fit as 

possible, not only helps to keep 

us healthy, but also being more 

sturdy on our feet, helps to prevent 

falls or slipping over. Stay 

safe everyone, keep warm, 

keep fit. 

A friend of mine has two tickets for the 2017 All 

Blacks vs Lions game at Eden Park, both box seats! 

He paid $1700 for each ticket. 

He didn't realise when he bought them that this 

was going to be on the same day as his wedding - 

so now he can't go. 

If you are interested and would like to go in his 

place, it's at St Peter's Church, in Auckland, at 5pm. 

Her name is Nancy. She's 5'4", about 55Kgs. Good 

cook. Makes $90,000 a year! She will be the one 

in the white dress. 

- Courtesy Wieland Hartwig

Rotorua Grey Power August 2017

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