Hamilton Grey Power - July 2020

Hamilton 

magazine 

July 2020 

Join us 

For our Monday social 

group starting at 10.00am 

River Lounge at the 

Celebrating Age Centre. 

“Serving the community since 1999” 

P 07 211 4654 or 021 881 229 

Email: ana@ana-maria.nz 

Address: 82 Grey Street, Hamilton, NZ 

Assisting families in their time of need with professional, compassionate, personal care.

The Best Ways 

to Look after your 

Wellbeing 

It’s winter time and with fires roaring, 

soup on the stove and our granddaughter 

finally wearing that beanie we got them for 

Christmas, there is a lot to love! 

However, as the clouds 

darken and temperatures 

plummet, it can 

be very tempting to cloister 

our way through winter. Biding 

our time until spring appears 

and the days get lighter 

and warmer. Although resting 

is a good idea, it can’t be our 

only strategy for wellbeing in 

winter. Finding the best ways 

to take care of our wellbeing, 

regardless of the weather is so 

important. 

That is why I really love the 

New Zealand Mental Health 

Foundation’s Five Ways to 

Wellbeing Recommendation. 

Based on the latest research, 

these actions can be seamlessly 

incorporated into your days 

and make a big difference. 

Plus, they are not weather 

dependent! 

Connect 

Spending time with friends or 

making new friends has been 

identified as the single most 

important way to improve 

wellbeing. Whatever you love 

to do, find out where people 

are doing it together. For instance, 

join a local book club or 

singing group. 

You can also invite your 

friends to join you for a movie 

or a walk around the park. 

Making it a scheduled event 

encourages us to keep our 

commitment to get out and 

stay connected. 

Give 

Finding ways to be generous 

with your time, energy and 

gifts is guaranteed to boost 

wellbeing levels. 

When we give, we get back 

tenfold in feel good factors. 

Next supermarket trip, set a 

goal to smile at five strangers. 

Take any old books, clothes or 

bits and bobs down to your 

local charity store or start knitting 

for the Waikato Hospital 

Neonatal Unit. 

Take Notice 

Over 55’s are notoriously brilliant 

at Taking Notice. Keep it 

up by noticing one beautiful 

thing a day and telling a friend 

about it. 

Try to slow down some of 

your everyday tasks to really 

notice what is happening in 

your five senses; what can you 

see, feel, smell, hear, taste? 

Keep Learning 

When we keep learning new 

things, we keep ourselves feeling 

inspired and alive. Choose 

one topic from history you 

have always been curious 

about and find out everything 

you can. Do a “skill swap” with 

your grandkids. Get them to 

teach you something new and 

then swap. 

Be Active 

Being active is about having 

fun. Whether it’s a walk by 

the river, a game of mini putt, 

yoga, bowls or badminton. 

There is no doubt, moving 

makes us happier. 

If you want to make sure 

you are giving your body all the 

right kind of training and enjoy 

social connection come and 

try the Lifefit Classes here at 

Unirec. Designed to keep you 

going! 

Combine all five ways into 

each week and you will be sure 

to have a Winter of Wellbeing 

this year. 

UniRec’s LifeFit programme has been 

specifically designed for seniors needing extra 

support and encouragement to be active. 

The programme includes: 

• Individual exercise programmes 

• Weekly supervised sessions/classes 

• Access to UniRec facility outside supervised 

sessions 

WEEKLY SESSION TIMES 

• Supervised Resistance & Cardio Training Sessions 

Tuesday & Friday, 7.00 - 9.30am 

• LifeFit Low Group Exercise Classes 

Monday & Thursday, 7.00 - 9.00am 

• Sport for Seniors 

Wednesday, 7.30 - 8.30am 

For more information, phone Nick on 07 837 9592 

or visit unirec.co.nz 

2 Hamilton greypower Magazine | July 2020

President’s report 

Welcome to our Winter edition. 

BY ROGER HENNEBRY 

HAMILTON GREY POWER 

PRESIDENT 

Sadly, I have to tell you 

that Grace Forbes a 

long-standing office volunteer 

passed away during the 

recent lock-down and we send 

our sympathies to her family. 

Covid isn’t going away anytime 

soon if we don’t keep our 

borders SHUT! History can’t be 

wiped away - we learn from it. 

Roger Hennebry 

(My own opinion on these two 

matters, not Grey Power). 

I’m looking at calling our 

2020 AGM for the same day as 

our Christmas lunch in late November, 

so that way we won’t 

struggle to get a quorum. 

Our National Board is also 

looking to hold their AGM 

sooner than next year all being 

well, but we will have to 

wait and see. 

Memberships are coming in 

a little slower than last year and 

we will be sending out reminders. 

I know it is tough out there 

but we need and appreciate 

your support. 

We have replaced our office 

printer, phone and heater and 

upgraded one of our comput- 

ers - our only real expenses 

in the last six years. We are a 

lean outfit. 

The Committee have agreed 

to reduce our magazine from 

four copies to three copies per 

year as postage has gone up 

substantially. 

Our Monday morning seminars 

will be starting up again 

on 6 July. All welcome. 

Jack will have a helper this 

year, Ruth who has volunteered 

to assist and stand in for him. 

At the moment things are 

looking up and Grey Power is 

back to normal. Office going 

well thanks to the team. 

All the best. 

Roger Hennebry, President 

Changes for Hamilton bus 

tickets and services - Bee Card 

BY CHLOE BLOMMERDE 

Hamilton’s bus networks 

will see some big changes 

rolled out over the 

next two-months. The Waikato 

Regional Council is introducing 

a new ticketing system and 

timetable changes. 

The ticket system will allow 

passengers to tag on, tag off 

and top-up their card balances 

online said Waikato regional 

councillor, Angela Strange. 

“The Bee Card will replace 

the BUSIT card... it will make 

bus travel smarter and easier.” 

Installation of card readers 

will take place onboard buses 

over the next month and Bee 

Cards will be available from 

June. Until the new ticketing 

system is available, travel on 

the BUSIT network will remain 

free. Passengers will also notice 

some changes to their timetables 

come Monday, June 8. 

“Regional council staff has 

worked closely with Go Bus to 

rework some of our timetables 

to fit the new employment 

legislation requiring drivers 

to have a break at least every 

two hours.” 

There are six routes 

across Hamilton that will 

change shortly. 

• This includes the current 

No.26 Bremworth Temple 

View route. It will be split 

into two branches - one 

route from Temple View to 

town and the other Bremworth 

to town. 

• The terminus for No.8 

Frankton will change to Rotokauri 

Road near Kawariki 

Drive in the Rotokauri Rise 

area. All trips will start and 

end here. 

• All services for the No.1 

Pukete will now start and 

end at Maui Street. 

• The council is also combining 

the No.17 Hamilton East 

Uni and No.29 Hamilton 

Gardens bus routes. The 

services will run between 

9:32am and 1:32pm on 

weekdays. On weekends 

and public holidays the 

service will only travel to 

the Hamilton Gardens and 

cemetery. 

• The Rototuna Circular 

route will change to serve 

the northern end of Flagstaff 

near Te Ao Mārama 

School. Between 9.30am 

and 2.30pm weekday 

services will be reduced 

to half-hourly to hourly. 

The last trips of the day will 

no longer operate. 

Welcome to: 

RESTHAVEN 

ON BURNS 

Our Cambridge Resthaven team is delighted to 

welcome Resthaven on Burns Care Centre into our family 

of retirement living and care services in Cambridge. 

Resthaven on Burns, 170 Burns Street, Cambridge. 

Phone 07 827 4454 

100% 

CAMBRIDGE OWNED 

RESTHAVEN 

A Cambridge Resthaven Care Centre 

CAMBRIDGE RESTHAVEN COMMUNITY TRUST - SERVING OUR COMMUNITY FOR OVER 45 YEARS 

Hamilton greypower Magazine | July 2020 3

Amy’s Kitchen 

Aromas 

Frozen Meal Delivery Service 

From my kitchen to your table 

Roasts, Casseroles, Hot Pots, 

Pasta Bakes, Soups, Desserts 

Oven and Microwave options 

Price range : $4.50 - $18.50 

Just call and I will email or post you the latest 

copy of our ever changing menu. 

I will then deliver to your door. Easy! 

There is a minimum order of $70, with a $7 delivery fee. 

Made from quality ingredients such as 

Lamb & Pork legs, Premium mince and Fresh 

vegetables hand chosen by the same person 

who cooks and delivers it. 

Tasty 

Homemade 

Delivered 

Locally owned and operated from Te Kauwhata 

07 826 3585 | orderatamys@xtra.co.nz

Taste of home cooking comes with 

personalised service 

A country kitchen in rural Waikato is conjuring 

up full-flavoured meals, from roast lamb and 

vegetables to blueberry and apple crumble, 

delivered direct to the customer’s door. 

Amy’s Kitchen Aromas 

is aimed at providing 

a personal service for 

customers, and has arrived 

in the Waikato after founder 

Amy Maisey shifted with her 

family from Auckland to Te 

Kauwhata 18 months ago. 

She first started Amy’s 

Kitchen around 10 years ago. 

“After 15-odd years of early 

starts and late nights managing 

kitchens in old English 

pubs, retirement homes, bible 

colleges and cafes, I decided 

that after starting a family it 

was time for a change.” 

She says when she came 

up with Amy’s Kitchen Aromas 

she had two goals 

in mind. 

“Firstly, I envisioned providing 

a smaller personal service 

where customers could 

contact me directly and feel 

like they were speaking with 

a friend. Where they were 

heard and could have an input 

into what was on the 

menu. I like to go the extra 

mile for them and that is the 

service I provide. 

Secondly, I wanted a world 

where I could see my children 

off to school and be there for 

them when they returned, 

and where I had the flexibility 

to raise them myself as well 

as having time to spend with 

my husband.” 

She says she prefers to use 

quality meats so she can take 

pride in the meals. 

“The oven baked range is 

especially nice as it tastes as 

though you had spent all day 

cooking it yourself. You can 

choose exactly what you want 

and nothing you don’t.” 

One regular customer of 

eight years says the menu is 

varied with customer favourites, 

seasonal changes and 

new dishes regularly being 

introduced. The average price 

of a meal is around $6.50. 

“Amy’s meals are made 

from the highest quality ingredients 

and there are options 

from single serve microwave 

meals, a variety of 

soups, through to family-size 

oven-baked hot pots, pastas 

and casseroles. Family favourite 

desserts are also available 

– my first choice being apple 

and blueberry crumble. 

Amy says the move to Te 

Kauwhata was the best thing 

she and her family could have 

done as they thrive in the 

more relaxed country life. 

It also means she has a 

brand new registered athome 

kitchen, meaning customers 

really get that taste of 

home cooked food. 

“I am now ready to expand 

into Hamilton. I look forward 

to meeting you.” 

Amy Maisey 

Roast Lamb 

Lasagnes 

I am now ready to expand 

into Hamilton. I look forward 

to meeting you.” 

Glazed Ham 

Katsu Chicken 


Reverse mortgages boom as pensioners 

opt to put retirement on the house 

Low interest rates and high house prices are 

prompting more retirees to take out a reverse 

mortgage against their homes. 

BY SUSAN EDMUNDS 

Reverse mortgages - primarily 

offered in New 

Zealand by Heartland 

Bank - allow people to borrow 

a sum of money against their 

houses. They do not have to 

make any repayments until 

the house is sold. But interest 

accrues and compounds while 

the loan is not being repaid, 

so the amount that finally falls 

due can be a lot bigger than 

what was borrowed. 

Heartland head of retail Andrew 

Ford said his organisation 

had seen a big jump in inquiries 

since interest rates fell. The 

average six-month term deposit 

rate fell from 3.6 per cent a 

year in December 2018 to 2.63 

per cent last December. 

In the half-year ended December 

2019, the Heartland 

Bank reverse mortgage business 

increased 10 per cent to 

$536 million in lending. Inquiries 

were up 39 per cent in the 

last quarter of last year compared 

to the year before. 

Ford said downsizing had 

traditionally been the only 

way that people could access 

money tied up in a house 

but reverse mortgages were 

another option. 

“A reverse mortgage can be 

(07) 856 5129 

138 Grey Street Hamilton 

www.pellowsfunerals.co.nz 

6 Hamilton greypower Magazine | July 2020 

a fantastic option to help retirees 

live the retirement they desire 

and deserve. Whether they 

want to improve their home, 

travel, consolidate some pesky 

debt or just take the stress 

out of everyday bills, a reverse 

mortgage is an option more retirees 

are considering.” 

But it’s not a straightforward 

decision. Here are five things to 

think about before you take a 

loan of this sort. 

How much are you 

borrowing and what might 

that take to repay. 

Ford said the average amount 

borrowed was $50,000 and 

that was typically 10 per cent 

of the value of a borrower’s 

home. People could also opt 

to have an ongoing stream of 

income or a line of credit open 

if they needed it. Usually, the 

money was used for renovations 

or debt consolidation. 

Interest is charged by Heartland 

at a variable rate, currently 

6.95 per cent a year. A $5000 

loan would double in 10 years 

if no payments were made. 

Ford said most people held 

a loan for six or seven years. At 

the end of that time, the loan 

was usually equal to about 25 

per cent of the value of the 

house at the point the money 

was borrowed. But usually the 

house would have increased 

in value, too. Ford said people 

should only borrow what they 

needed. 

Get advice 

Legal advice is required for a 

reverse mortgage but it’s also 

worth getting independent 

financial advice to determine 

how the decision will affect 

your overall position. 

Tom Hartmann, editor of 

Sorted, said: “You do run into 

the richest poor people out 

there who are asset-rich but 

cash-poor.” 

He said he could understand 

why the product appealed 

when house prices seemed only 

to be moving up - and relatively 

quickly. “That ends up making 

reverse mortgages look much 

better than they are. In general 

you end up losing a substantial 

portion of your house’s 

equity. They’re counting on a 

lot of that coming from future 

increases. It’s important that 

people run their numbers and 

understand what they’re getting 

themselves into.” 

If house prices stalled, or 

dropped, it could make the 

prospect less attractive, he said. 

Talk to family 

A reverse mortgage will usually 

mean that there is less equity 

left in a property to pass on to 

future generations. 

Whether that bothers you 

or not, it’s probably worth 

telling anyone who might expect 

an inheritance what you 

are up to. 

Financial commentator Janine 

Starks said people should 

not be too concerned what 

their children thought. 

“There is the assumption 

that lawyers need to check the 

retirees brain cells to make sure 

they understand the full implications 

of their decision, because 

it will punish their family 

by lowering inheritance levels. 

“In reality these people have 

spent their whole lives paying 

off a mortgage through many 

turbulent times in our economic 

history and it’s really not a 

difficult concept for them to 

grasp sticking the gear stick 

into reverse. 

“There’s a lack of understanding 

within families of the 

psychological impact of moving 

home in your older years. 

Everyone thinks their parents 

will simply downsize but many 

leave it too late, and equity release 

is the most emotionally 

suitable product. Just because 

a parent can’t tolerate change, 

doesn’t mean they’ve lost their 

marbles and are making an illogical 

decision.” 

Consider options 

Ford said it would make no

sense for people to take out a 

reverse mortgage if they had 

better options, such as money 

in the bank. 

“Reverse mortgages are not 

for everyone but for some people 

they can make a transformational 

difference.” 

Ford said people were unfairly 

negative about reverse 

mortgages. “If you were sitting 

on a $1 million home and 

wanted a reverse mortgage to 

do some things, some might 

say you shouldn’t because the 

loan will grow over time. But 

the same person in a $500,000 

home with $500,000 in 

the bank wanting to spend 

$50,000 - people would 

say ‘treat yourself, you’ve 

earned it’.” 

Hartmann said a reverse 

mortgage should be an option 

of last resort. 

Plan for change 

Ford said Heartland often dealt 

with people who said they only 

wanted a loan for a short time, 

or those who planned to stay 

in the house forever - but plans 

could change quickly. 

He said people needed to 

consider what might happen if 

things did not happen as they 

expected. “Flexibility is really 

important.” 

Starks said reverse mortgages 

were getting a bad rap 

and there was a historical bias 

against equity release products. 

“Past generations didn’t 

have such high house prices 

and benefited from good interest 

rates. They could live off deposit 

interest and tap into their 

lump sums near the end. I’ve 

suffered from this bias myself 

in earlier years. Financial advisers, 

bankers, lawyers and accountants 

are pre-programmed 

to approach the product like it 

carries a disease. 

“All this does is create 

shame rather than support 

around a product that has 

incredible benefits for homeowners 

who want to enhance 

their lifestyle or genuinely have 

no other method of tapping 

into a large asset. It’s assumed 

from historical bias that the 

home is untouchable and left 

to children, but we’ve entered 

a new paradigm of zero real interest 

rates and high property 

prices. Very few have adjusted 

their thinking. 

“Equity release is snarled at 

for being more expensive than 

a traditional mortgage and every 

part of the advice process 

is designed to cover the backside 

of the professionals giving 

the advice. It’s loaded with so 

many layers of warnings that it 

requires a very thick skin on the 

part of a retiree to get through 

the process. There’s a psychological 

bias to treating the retiree 

like they’re impoverished for 

running out of money, instead 

of being a wealthy asset owner 

who is simply entering a drawdown 

phase.” 

$50 Adult • $40 Child 

$45 Community service card 

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Discharging Ears 

Removal of wax by micro-suction 

For appointments 

0800 327 435 

www.earhealth.co.nz 

Clinics in Hamilton, Matamata, Morrinsville, 

Putaruru, Te Aroha and Tokoroa 

Discount for ACC approved patients 

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No referral necessary, 

call today to make an appointment. 

Rototuna Branch 

Corner Thomas Rd & Horsham Downs Rd 

Next to Tui Medical Centre, Rototuna Shopping Complex 

B4695H 


How to choose the 

right Mobility Scooter 

Maybe you have been thinking about a 

scooter for a while and know it will make 

a difference in your life allowing you to 

move independently about your community 

when you choose. 

The options available are 

giving you a headache 

and who can you trust? 

Deciding which scooter is right 

for you is challenging. 

Consider these points: 

• How will you use your 

scooter? 

• Is it safe? 

• Training? 

• What’s your build? 

• How far will you ride per trip? 

• What terrain will you use 

your scooter on? 

• What’s your carry on – shopping 

bag, walking stick etc? 

• What options and features 

matter? 

• Which accessories would 

you find useful? 

Personalised advice can be obtained 

from Life Unlimited in 

Palmerston Street, Hamilton. 

Happy scootering! 

OFFICE 

REPORT 

Hi, how are you all? 

After the last three months lockdown it is great 

to be back to normal functioning. The office is 

open Monday-Wednesday 9.30am to 12.00 midday 

and our grateful thanks go to the five volunteers 

who have cleared the mountain of mail that was 

awaiting us. 

We welcome Florence and Ruth to our ranks. 

Reminders will shortly go out to those who have not 

paid their 2020/21 membership. We are thrilled to 

have new members join our ranks and offer support 

to the Federation Office in Auckland who are working 

on our behalf. 

Unfortunately we had to cancel the mid-year 

lunch but will have our usual Christmas lunch early 

December. Our Annual General Meeting was also 

postponed on the advice of Federation Office. 

Current office holders will retain their positions 

until 2021. 

Come along and enjoy the social camaraderie 

at our Monday morning seminars held at the 

Celebrating Age Centre from 10.00am until midday. 

Meetings begin again on 29 June 2020. Often there 

is a speaker. 

Remember to pay your Grey Power Electricity account 

to PULSE ENERGY not Grey Power. Check the 

reverse of your account for Pulse Energy’s details. 

«Museum Entry «Espresso coffee or tea 

All for $14 

$18 

Value 

Bus driver free, minimum 10 people 

Monday to Thursdays only 

11 RAILSIDE PLACE, HAMILTON • PHONE (07) 8462260 

7AM-3PM WEEKDAYS AND 8AM-3PM WEEKENDS 

WWW.CLASSICMUSEUM.CO.NZ 

How to fix a 

broken zipper 

Place the zip puller on 

the prongs of a fork 

before gently placing 

the teeth of the bottom 

stop into each side. 

Gently bring the puller 

up, seeing the zip 

miraculously close 

before your very eyes. 


All the care 

they need 

If you’re considering aged care 

for a loved one, we understand 

how emotionally challenging 

this time can be. 

So, we do everything we can to 

make it as easy as possible for 

you. That’s a promise. 

Radius Care’s simple, 6-step 

plan will show you the best 

path forward. 

There’s no one way that suits 

everyone. What we aim for is 

the one way that suits you. 

We can help 

0800 200 303 

Find out more at radiuscare.co.nz 

REST HOME, PRIVATE HOSPITAL & DEMENTIA CARE 

Leaders in aged care

Tamahere 

Eventide 


Tamahere Eventide facilities are 

continuing to evolve, with the 

apartments and hospital now open. 

We have new resident apartments 

available for sale under occupation 

rights agreements, and they are 

open for viewings daily from 

10.00am - 12.00pm. 

The facilities are owned and operated 

by Tamahere Eventide Home Trust, 

a registered charitable entity, with 

Trustees appointed by the Methodist 

Church. 

Interested in coming 

in and seeing what we 

have to offer? 

Telephone David McGeorge 

on 07 8591581 or 021 0289 1213 

for an appointment and viewing 

of the appartments or villas in the 

Retirement Village 

Telephone Versie Gareza on 

027 237 1620 for all hospital 

enquiries. 

Our mission statement: 

“ To provide a quality 

caring service for 

older people, in a 

Christian environment.” 

Accredited member of the 

Retirement Villages Association 

of New Zealand Inc. 

www.tamahere.co.nz 


# 

Unfair Terms 

BY SUE CHETWIN, 

CEO CONSUMER NZ 

Some of you will be reading 

this from the comfort 

of your retirement village 

accommodation. You will have 

bought into that village, hopefully 

fully apprised of what you 

have signed up for. In return 

for agreeing on a “licence to 

occupy” you receive peace of 

mind, secure premises, knowledge 

that maintenance is generally 

not your problem and 

that there is, in most instances, 

care as you get older. 

But that’s not everyone’s 

experience. The licence to occupy 

might provide peace of 

mind for some aspects of life 

but not all. What you will have 

signed on to when you moved 

into your retirement village 

is a standard form contract. 

Other similar contracts include 

your energy or telco bill – they 

are the kinds of contracts 

where the consumer has little 

to no ability to negotiate the 

terms. Under the Fair Trading 

Act these standard form 

contracts must not contain 

unfair terms. 

At Consumer NZ we are 

concerned some clauses in 

retirement village contracts are 

unfair. Here is an example: 

“You must not make any 

alterations or additions to 

your unit without our prior 

consent … 

we can give or withhold 

consent at our sole 

discretion.” 

Consumer NZ’s view is that 

this is a wide-ranging clause 

that gives the company the 

ultimate say in what happens. 

Where there are legitimate 

grounds for the company to 

withhold consent these should 

be spelled out. 

The Commission for Financial 

Capability (the former Retirement 

Commission) has itself 

found contracts presented 

to prospective residents to be 

so complicated even lawyers 

specialising in the field might 

not understand them – especially 

when there is rest home 

processed 

Ten tips to avoid 

foods... 

1. Avoid anything with more than five 

ingredients 

2. Stay out of the middle of the supermarket 

– this is usually where the 

junk is 

3. Drink water when you are thirsty 

or hungry for that matter, often 

we think we are hungry but we are 

actually dehydrated 

4. Make your own sauces and salad 

dressings as packaged ones are high 

in salt and sugar 

5. Avoid anything with numbers in 

the ingredients list – numbers equal 

colouring and preservative 

care involved. 

Complex contracts are a 

major barrier to consumers understanding 

what they’re signing 

up for and to getting good 

advice. This year Consumer 

NZ will be taking a close look 

at retirement village contracts 

and campaigning to rid them 

of unfair terms. 

If you are considering going 

into a retirement village 

and are looking for more information, 

go to our website 

superseniors.msd.govt.nz 

6. Steer clear of packaged foods most 

packaged foods will have sugar, salt 

or something preservative added 

7. Limit foods with extended use by 

dates. Take bread as an example, 

homemade bread will only last a 

couple of days before going stale, 

shop bread can last up to 2 weeks 

8. Eat more fresh fruit and vegetables 

9. Cook at home, this way you can 

control what goes into your food 

10. Shop at farmers markets or wholefood 

stores, they are fantastic places 

to buy home grown or organic 

produce. 

MEMBERSHIP FORM 

HAMILTON GREY POWER INC, 30 VICTORIA STREET, HAMILTON | EMAIL hamgreypower@outlook.co.nz 

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS - SINGLE $20.00 - DOUBLE $30.00 

RENEW MEMBERSHIP No .......................................................................... 

or I AM A NEW MEMBER (tick box) 

Payment can be made at our office (EFTPOS unavailable), by mail or internet banking – 03 1355 0027733 00. 

(If a new member, please write 'NEW' as reference on banking site and send us an email advising your address.) 

SURNAME........................................................................................................................ (Please circle) Mr / Mrs / Ms / Miss 

FIRST NAME(S)......................................................................................................................................................................... 

ADDRESS (or NEW ADDRESS).................................................................................................................................................. 

................................................................................................................................................................................................ 

EMAIL ...........................................................................PHONE.............................................................................................. 

Can you assist the Committee in any way or support our efforts for the benefit of all members? 

(tick box) 


The new Trusts Act 2019 

Just because you have your assets locked 

up in a trust account does not mean the 

government cannot come after you to pay 

for your future care, if that is required. 

If you have a trust or are a 

trustee, it is really important 

that you know about 

recent changes to trust law in 

New Zealand. The Trusts Act 

2019 was passed on 30 July 

2019 and replaces the Trustee 

Act 1956. The Act clarifies and 

modernises existing trust law 

and comes with some significant 

changes. 

What do I need to know? 

• The Trusts Act puts into 

law the duties of trustees 

and requires much greater 

transparency around trust 

activity. 

• Trustees face increased 

compliance requirements. 

• Beneficiaries need to be told 

that they are a beneficiary 

of a trust and regularly 

provided with information 

about the trust without 

them needing to request 

it. Information can only be 

withheld in exceptional circumstances. 

What does it mean 

for my trust? 

Trusts are an important part of 

estate planning and provide an 

excellent option for managing 

assets under the right circumstances. 

However, for trusts 

existing before the Trusts Act, 

it could mean that compliance 

duties will increase the cost of 

administering, meaning some 

are no longer cost-effective. 

Greater transparency will reveal 

what some trust owners might 

prefer to keep private. 

What should you 

think about? 

If you are a trust settler or trustee 

you need to start administering 

your trust in line with 

the new law from 30 January 

2021. Seniors, you need to 

consider whether you are able 

to undertake the increased obligations 

you are comfortable 

with. The increased information 

you need to provide to 

beneficiaries and the reasons 

for setting up the trust may 

still be relevant. You need to 

ask yourself, “Will the trust 

still offer the same protection 

and be cost-effective once the 

new compliance requirements 

are in place?” 


A strong focus on improving local 

and regional roads 

In my last Grey Power column I mentioned my 

advocacy for local roading improvements at 

the Alison Street/Kahikatea Drive intersection 

and Dinsdale roundabout. I’ve been receiving 

lots of feedback and support for my proposed 

improvements. 

BY TIM MACINDOE 

- MP FOR HAMILTON WEST 

I’m also working on similar 

bottlenecks that are causes 

of frustration and safety 

risks at the Sandwich Road/ 

Pukete Road intersection 

and the Avalon Drive/Norton 

Road/ Rifle Range Road 

roundabout. 

Recently our council has 

been considering lowering 

speed limits on several local 

roads. While I understand 

the case for some of those, 

I don’t agree that there’s a 

need to drop the limit on the 

Avalon bypass. That’s a safe 

route designed for 80/kmh – 

but we do need to improve 

the bottleneck that occurs at 

the Norton Road/Avalon Drive 

roundabout during peak 

traffic times. 

It’s a frequent source 

of frustration for city motorists, 

with slow crawls 

the norm for those on 

Norton Road approaching 

the roundabout in the 

late afternoon. 

I’ve been a fan of adding 

traffic lights to control that 

roundabout, and the Dinsdale 

one, during morning and 

evening rush hour traffic for 

some time. 

Please let me know if you 

agree with me, or if you 

have other ideas for improving 

the traffic flows in any 

of these areas. 

Major highways in our 

region also need fixing. Labour, 

New Zealand First 

and the Greens are great at 

talking but hopeless at delivering 

projects of any value. 

(Think KiwiBuild, Light Rail 

to Auckland Airport, their 

cancellation of the Waikato 

Expressway extension beyond 

Karapiro, and so on.) 

Recently MPs from those 

parties voted against my proposal 

in Parliament to get the 

Southern Links project underway. 

It’s a vital next step in 

improving Hamilton’s roading 

network to the south, to 

our airport and beyond. They 

oppose our projects but have 

delivered nothing of value in 

transport in our region since 

they took office. 

Recently National reaffirmed 

our commitment to 

building the Cambridge to 

Piarere section, for which local 

National MPs have long 

advocated but the current 

government stopped. 

This is fantastic news for 

our region’s residents and all 

who drive through the central 

North Island. It will save 

lives, reduce emissions, delays 

and frustration, and create 

jobs. I know most of my constituents 

will be as delighted 

as I am. 

Kind regards to you all, 

Tim 

Tim Macindoe 

MP for Hamilton West 

543 Te Rapa Road, Hamilton 

07 850 6262 

timmacindoe.national.org.nz 

macindoe.office@parliament.govt.nz 

Funded by the Parliamentary Service. 

Authorised by Tim Macindoe MP, 

Parliament Buildings, Wellington. 


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THE RETIREMENT VILLAGE 

WITH A DIFFERENCE 

www.karakapinesrototuna.co.nz 

Corner of Borman Road & Hare Puke Drive, Rototuna, HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND 

For more information please contact us on Freephone: 07 853 2448 or Email: sales@karakapinesrototuna.co.nz 

Find us at: 

Corner of Borman Road & Hare Puke Drive, Rototuna, Hamilton 

Own your retirement 

At Karaka Pines Rototuna you receive the sale price of your unit, including the capital gain, less a 12.5 percent 

facilities fee and a one-off refurbishment fee. This is in contrast with most villages where you only receive 70 – 

80% of your original buy price. 

Our excellent standard of service and well-designed village ensure you will be signifi cantly better off than under 

the traditional retirement village model. We think this is only fair. 

At Karaka Pines Rototuna you will gain the fi nancial benefi t from selling your unit. That is, you receive the selling 

price, including the capital gain. 

Our fees are: 

• A weekly fee to cover the costs of living in the village 

• A one-off refurbishment fee covering the cost of bringing the unit to near-new condition 

• A one-off facilities fee of 12.5 percent of your selling price. 

You can discount the facilities fee to 10 percent of your buy price if you choose to pay this upfront, or another 

alternative is that you can fi x the weekly fee at $100/week with the facilities fee at 25% of the sale price. 

At Karaka Pines Rototuna you will be better off in every way. 

Karaka Pines Rototuna intends to apply for registration of the village under the Retirement Villages Act 2003 

1

Artist impression central community area and bowling green 

Quality buildings, thoughtful landscaping, excellent facilities and a top-rate locality. Karaka Pines Rototuna – a place to call home. 

A beautiful place to call Home 

Artist impression - Stanaway Apartments 

Karaka Pines Rototuna is a retirement village where you will be financially 

better off, because you keep the capital gain upon sale. The village will 

feature a selection of architecturally designed homes enhanced by beautiful 

landscaping. At the hub will be a clubhouse where the village community 

comes together for socialising and recreation. 

Karaka Pines Rototuna is going to be a beautiful place to call home. 

Our range of modern, well appointed, spacious homes are designed for 

retirement living. Choose from a range of two or three bedroom homes - stand 

alone, duplex or apartment. All this within an aesthetically pleasing village 

environment where site management will take care of maintenance and other 

concerns and a strong sense of community will thrive. 

The community centre overlooks the village bowling green and gardens. 

Bowls, petanque, billiards and a gymnasium will be on offer and a communal 

area will cater for games, cards, crafts, Melbourne Cup nights and more. 

Parks, a golf course, cafes, a supermarket and health care are in close vicinity 

with Radius Glaisdale Aged Care facility just across the road. 

Artist impression - Stanaway ground fl oor 

This is what Home looks like 

Just as we recognise that no two residents will be the same, we know housing wants and needs will differ. And so… we’ve ensured Karaka Pines Rototuna offers a 

mix of housing options. 

Our accommodation comprises a mix of stand-alone houses, duplex units and apartments. Some feature single garages, some double. Some are two-bedroom, 

some three, and there are studies too. With the apartments you have a choice of ground or fi rst fl oor. On the ground fl oor you can walk out to your patio and 

garden. On the fi rst fl oor, accessed by elevator, you can enjoy the views from a generous deck. Select what sort of home and living style best suits you. 

All dwellings are architecturally designed and incorporate a blend of traditional NZ style with modern fl avour. They’re waiting for you to add your individual stamp. 

Pg

Know before you 

Vote 

At the 2020 general election you’ll be given 

the opportunity to vote on two referendums: 

• Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill 

• End of Life Choice Act 2019 

This is the first release of 

public information. Further 

information will be 

provided to support voters to 

make an informed decision 

ahead of the 2020 general 

election. This will include information 

in a range of languages 

and accessibility options to 

help voters understand their 

choices. 

Referendum on the 

proposed Cannabis 

Legalisation and 

Control Bill 

This referendum will ask 

the public whether the recreational 

use of cannabis should 

become legal. 

In December 2019, the 

Government released a first 

draft of the Cannabis Legalisation 

and Control Bill for public 

consideration. The draft Bill 

describes the key aspects of 

proposed rules about growing, 

selling and purchasing cannabis 

for recreational purposes. 

The Government published the 

first draft of the Bill in December 

to ensure that New Zealanders 

were informed about 

the direction being taken and 

the decisions that had been 

made to date. 

A second draft of the Bill, 

which will be released in the 

first half of 2020, will contain 

more detail. This will be the 

version of the Bill that is voted 

on in the referendum. 

The proposed referendum 

question is: 

Do you support the proposed 

Cannabis Legalisation 

and Control Bill? 

• Yes, I support the proposed 

Cannabis Legalisation and 

Control Bill. 

• No, I do not support the 

proposed Cannabis Legalisation 

and Control Bill. 

This referendum is about 

recreational cannabis only 

The draft Bill outlines a 

proposed law for legalising 

and controlling cannabis 

for recreational use. There 

are already laws in place to 

facilitate access to medicinal 

cannabis and hemp. 

As a result, these are not included 

in the proposed law. 

The differences between recreational 

cannabis, medicinal 

cannabis and hemp are outlined 

below. 

• Recreational cannabis - It 

is currently illegal in New 

Zealand to use or possess 

cannabis for recreational 

use. It’s also illegal to grow 

or supply cannabis for recreational 

use. The proposed 


Control Bill outlines a proposed 

law that would 

regulate cannabis for recreational 

use. 

• Medicinal cannabis - The 

Medicinal Cannabis Scheme 

regulates the manufacture 

and supply of medicinal cannabis. 

The Scheme, effective 

from 1 April 2020, aims 

to increase access to medicinal 

cannabis products. 

Medicinal cannabis is not included 

in the proposed law 

that will be voted on in the 

referendum. 

• Hemp - contains very low 

amounts of psychoactive 

chemicals and is used to 

create various products 

such as oil, rope fibre and 

hemp seeds. In New Zealand, 

hemp growers have a 

specific licence to grow the 

plant. The current scheme 

to regulate the production 

and sale of industrial hemp 

has existed since 2006. 

Hemp is not included in the 

proposed law that will be 

voted on in the referendum. 

Core elements of the draft 


Control Bill 

The draft Bill proposes a 

regulatory model that is a 

government-controlled regulated 

market covering the 

production, supply and use of 

cannabis. 

The draft Bill outlining the 

proposed regulated scheme 

for legally accessing cannabis 

is currently being developed. 

Read the first version of the 

draft Cannabis Legalisation 

and Control Bill below. 

The core elements of the proposed 

scheme are: 

• A minimum purchase and 

use age of 20 years 

• Confining use to private 

homes and licensed 

premises 

• Prescribing conditions for 

personal growing and 

sharing 

• Requirements for public 

health messaging 

• Licensing the whole of the 

supply chain 

• Restricting marketing and 

advertising. 

What happens after the votes 

are counted? 

If more than 50% of voters 

vote ‘Yes’ in the referendum, 

recreational use of cannabis 

won’t become legal straight 

away. After the election, the 

incoming Government can introduce 

a Bill to Parliament that 

would make recreational use of 

cannabis legal. 

This process would include 

the opportunity for the public 

to share their thoughts 

and ideas on how the law 

might work. If more than 50% 

of voters vote ‘No’ in the referendum, 

recreational use of 

cannabis will remain illegal, as 

is the current law. 

Medicinal cannabis and 

hemp will not be affected by 

the outcome of the referendum. 

Medicinal use of cannabis 

will still be allowed if prescribed 

by a health practitioner 

and hemp will still be legal. 


Referendum on the End of Life Choice Act 

End of Life 

Choice Act 

This referendum will determine 

whether the End of Life Choice 

Act 2019 comes into force. 

• The End of Life Choice Act 

2019 gives people with a 

terminal illness the option 

of requesting assisted dying 

• Parliament has passed the 

End of Life Choice Act 

2019, but it has not come 

into force (has not started 

operating as law) 

• The End of Life Choice 

Act 2019 will only come 

into force if more than 

50% of voters vote 

‘Yes’ in the referendum. 

The referendum question 

The question is: 

Do you support the End of Life 

Choice Act 2019 coming into 

force? 

• Yes, I support the End of Life 

Choice Act 2019 coming 

into force. 

• No, I do not support the 

End of Life Choice Act 2019 

coming into force. 

Key terminology used. 

For consistency, and to ensure 

that references to the Act are 

accurate, this website uses the 

terminology of the Act. This 

does not signal a preference 

for this terminology over any 

other. There is no Government 

position for or against the End 

of Life Choice Act 2019. 

Assisted dying. In the End of life 

Choice Act 2019, this means: 

• The administration by a 

medical practitioner or 

nurse practitioner of medication 

to the person to relieve 

the person’s suffering 

by hastening death; or 

• The self-administration by 

the person of medication 

to relieve their suffering by 

hastening death. 

Medication. In the End of Life 

Choice Act 2019, this means 

the lethal dose of the medication. 

The End of Life Choice Act’s 

core elements 

The Act is built on three core 

elements: 

• Defining who is eligible for 

assisted dying (the eligibility 

criteria) 

• Ensuring that the person 

requesting assisted dying is 

competent to understand 

the nature and consequences 

of their decisions (establishing 

competence) 

• Ensuring there is free choice, 

made without coercion, to 

engage in the process. 

Eligibility criteria 

(Section 5 of the Act) 

To be eligible for assisted dying, 

a person must meet ALL of 

these criteria: 

• Be aged 18 years or over 

• Be a citizen or permanent 

resident of New Zealand 

• Suffer from a terminal illness 

that is likely to end their life 

within 6 months 

• Be in an advanced state of 

irreversible decline in physical 

capability 

• Experience unbearable suffering 

that cannot be relieved 

in a manner that they 

consider tolerable 

• Be competent to make an 

informed decision about assisted 

dying. 

A person will not be eligible 

for assisted dying if the only 

reason given is that they are 

suffering from a mental disorder 

or mental illness, have a 

disability of any kind or are of 

advanced age. 

Competence 


A person is competent to make 

an informed decision about assisted 

dying if they can: 

• Understand information 

about the nature of assisted 

dying 

• Retain that information 

to the extent necessary to 

make the decision 

• Use that information to 

weigh up and inform their 

decision 

• Communicate their decision 

in some way. 

Requesting assisted dying 


A medical practitioner must 

do their best to ensure that a 

person’s choice to access assisted 

dying is made of their own 

free will. The End of Life Choice 

Act 2019 contains several provisions 

that seek to ensure this. 

This includes requiring that the 

medical practitioner: 

• Periodically discusses the 

choice with the person, and 

ensures that they understand 

their other options for 

end of life care 

• Talks with other health practitioners 

who are in regular 

contact with the person, 

and with members of the 

person’s family/whānau 

with the person’s permission 

• Ensures that the person 

knows they can change 

their mind at any time. 

If the medical practitioner suspects 

a person is being pressured 

about their decision, they 

must stop the process. 

Health practitioners, such 

as doctors and nurses, do not 

have to assist a person with assisted 

dying if the practitioner 

has a conscientious objection. 

The process of assisted 

dying: 

The request for assisted 

dying 

The process begins with an 

initial request from the person 

to their medical practitioner. 

Health practitioners are not 

allowed to suggest to a person 

that they consider assisted dying, 

in the course of providing 

a health service to that person. 

Establishing eligibility 

Two medical practitioners must 

agree that the person meets all 

the criteria for assisted dying, 

which includes being competent 

to make the request. 

If either medical practitioner 

is unsure of the person’s 

competence, a psychiatrist 

needs to assess the person’s 

competence. If a person is 

ineligible, the process ends. 

The person may not access 

assisted dying. 

Choosing the method and 

time of assisted dying 

If the person is eligible, they 

select a method for receiving 

the medication, and when 

they want to receive it. 

Administering the 

medication 

At the chosen time of administration, 

the medical practitioner 

or nurse practitioner 

must ask the person if they 

choose to receive the medication. 

If the person chooses to 

receive it, the medical practitioner 

or nurse practitioner 

administers or provides it. 

The practitioner must be 

available to the person until 

they die. If the person does 

not want to receive the medication 

at that time, it must be 

taken away. 

What happens after the votes 

are counted? 


vote ‘Yes’ in the referendum, 

the End of Life Choice Act 

2019 will come into force 12 

months after the date the final 

votes are announced. 


vote ‘No’ in the referendum, 

the End of Life Choice Act 

2019 will not come into force. 

Article sourced from 

referendums.govt.nz 


SuperGold Card holders still receive 

free travel in off-peak hours. 

It’s easy to load your SuperGold 

concession at beecard.co.nz. 

But there’s no rush, you can still show your 

SuperGold Card to the bus driver to receive free 

off-peak travel until later this year.

1 

GET A CARD 

Bee Cards are free for now, and available 

from beecard.co.nz, via 0800 205 305, on the 

bus or from the BUSIT counter. 

2 

REGISTER YOUR CARD 

Bee Cards need to be registered to support 

contact tracing, to enable online top up, and 

to protect your balance if you lose your card. 

And you can load your SuperGold 

concession directly onto your Bee Card. 

Registration is quick and can be 

easily completed online at 

beecard.co.nz. 

If you need assistance, give 

us a call on 0800 205 305 

or visit us at the BUSIT 

counter inside the 

Transport Centre. 

3 

USE IT! 

Have your Bee Card ready to 

tag on and off the bus.

Hamilton Grey Power Inc. 

Celebrating Age Centre, 30 Victoria Street, Hamilton. 

Office Hours: 9.30am to noon, Monday to Wednesday. 

Phone: (07) 834 0668 

Email: hamgreypower@outlook.co.nz 

Annual Subscription $20 single and $30 double. 

CAULIFLOWER, 

POTATO AND 

PEA CURRY 

It’s economical and ready in 20 minutes. 

Hamilton Grey Power is published tri-annually by 

DPMedia, 25 Ward Street, Hamilton. 

Ingredients 

Publisher: Deidre Morris 

Advertising: DP Media Ltd 

P.O. Box 

1425, Hamilton, New Zealand 

Phone (07) 838 1333 • Fax (07) 838 2807 

Email: 

info@dpmedia.co.nz 

DISCLAIMER: 

Articles in this magazine are given in good faith by the authors 

who have researched all information and believe it to be reliable 

and for your enjoyment and information. 

Grey Power Hamilton Association does not accept 

responsibility or any liability for its content. 

Leave your loved ones 

fond memories ..... 

not your funeral costs 

FUNERAL SAVINGS 

ACCOUNT 

• 3 tspns vegetable oil 

• 1 brown onion, thinly sliced 

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed 

• 1/2 cup korma curry paste 

• 400ml coconut milk 

• 1 pot of chicken stock 

• 500g baby potatoes, washed, halved 

• 500g cauliflower, trimmed, cut into small florets 

• 1 1/2 cup frozen peas 

• 1/2 cup chopped coriander (optional) 

• Natural yoghurt, to serve 

• Coriander sprigs, to serve 

• Steamed basmati rice, to serve 

Method 

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. 

Cook the onion, stirring for 5 minutes. Add the 

garlic and curry paste and cook stirring for 2 

minutes or until fragrant. 

2. Stir in the coconut milk, stock pot and 1 cup of 

water and bring to the boil. Add the potato and 

cauliflower and reduce the heat to low. 

3. Leave to simmer, covered for 20-25 minutes 

or until potatoes are tender. Add peas and 

chopped coriander and cook for 2 minutes or 

until heated through. 

4. Serve the curry with natural yoghurt, coriander 

sprigs and rice. 

• NO fees 

• open to all denominations 

Contact: CDF Ph 0800 843 238 Email: cdf@cdh.org.nz 

Mail: PO Box 4353 Hamilton East 3247 

Visit: The Chanel Centre 51 Grey Street, Hamilton East 

Important Notice: please read 

This application to deposit is issued with the Replacement 

Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) dated 18 December 2019 

for an offer of debt securities issued by the Roman Catholic 

Bishop of the Diocese of Hamilton, trading as the Catholic 

Development Fund (CDF). The Replacement PDS and the Trust 

Deed can be viewed at the following websites: NZ Companies 

Office www.business.govt.nz/disclose; Catholic Diocese of 

Hamilton www.cdf.cdh.nz or the Diocesan Office at 

51 Grey Street, Hamilton East, Hamilton 3216 


Improve your quality of life 

with our new high-tech hearing aids 

– Better speech understanding and reduced listening effort 

– Rechargeable hearing aids available 

Substantial discount on all new orders 

– Free accessory with some models* 

Users of these high-tech devices report: 

• Improved speech understanding • Decreased listening effort 

• Improved memory recall 

You can now enjoy improved speech understanding in those difficult listening 

environments. Our high-tech hearing aids can help reduce listening effort over a very 

broad range of environments, empowering users to participate in situations that were 

previously too demanding. 

Call now to book your appointment 

Audiology Suite 

27 O’Neill Street, Claudelands, Hamilton 3214 

Tel: 07 853 7874 Fax: 07 853 7875 

Email: helpmehear@hotmail.com 

www.hearinghealth.co.nz 


Quality and Value in 

a Class of our Own 

If you are looking for a friendly, welcoming, supportive retirement community with 

everything you could want and more, consider Longridge Country Estate in lovely Paeroa. 

Longridge is an exciting new Village which aims to have the mid-upper North Island’s very best 

amenities. You’ll enjoy an amazing resort-style community centre and the comprehensive life 

care facilities we have planned. And with 250 homes, you’ll have the opportunity to make a lot 

of new friends too! 

We have luxurious, spacious new 2 and 3 Bedroom Villas available from just $399,000, all with 

landscaped gardens. We’ll even help you with your move! Homes are available now, so call us 

today and find out how you can enjoy the unbeatable value and lifestyle that Longridge offers. 

44 Waimarei Ave, Paeroa 

Call our Freephone: 0800 928 928 

www.longridgecountryestate.co.nz 

Retirement Village

Eating for healthier eyes 

The Macular Degeneration New Zealand magazine “Viewpoint” 

December 2019 issue has an article sourced from the American 

Academy of Ophthalmology regarding heart healthy foods that may 

lower your risk for advanced age related macular degeneration (AMD) 

or having it become more advanced. 

Studies show that eating 

nutritious vegetables, 

fruits and fish of a Mediterranean-inspired 

diet rich in 

plant-based food and fish with 

less dairy and red meat are 

good for our all round health. 

The diet generally includes: 

• Vegetables (especially leafy 

green ones) 

• Fruits 

• Nuts (almonds, cashews, 

pistachios, brazil and walnuts) 

• Whole grains (such as 

wheat, rice, oats, barley, rye, 

quinoa) 

• Fish (fresh or water-packed 

salmon, tuna, trout) and 

• Olive or canola oil instead of 

butter 

gumes, fish, cereals and especially 

fruits. In fact, one study 

showed that people who ate at 

least 150 grams of fruit per day 

lowered their risk of developing 

AMD by 15 per cent. 

Conversely, people who had 

AMD more frequently ate fast 

food, ready-made meals, dairy 

products and meat. 

Certain vitamin and mineral 

supplements play a role for 

some people in lowering their 

risk but studies help show that 

foods may also be protective in 

preventing vision loss and highlight 

the possible vision-saving 

benefits of healthy daily 

eating habits. 

Researchers found lower 

rates of AMD among people 

who ate more vegetables, le- 

CARROT AND GINGER SOUP 

Ingredients 

• Olive oil spray 

• 1 large brown onion, coarsely chopped 

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed 

• 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger 

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin 

• 500g kumara, peeled, coarsely chopped 

• 4 large carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped 

• 4 cups water 

• 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder 

• To serve: low-fat natural yoghurt and chopped fresh chives 

Sure to please 

Method 

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. 

Spray with olive oil spray. 

2. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or 

until soft. Add the garlic, ginger and cumin. Cook, stirring, for 

1-2 minutes or until aromatic. 

3. Add the sweet potato, carrot, water and stock powder. 

Increase heat to high. 

4. Bring to the boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. 

Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. 

Set aside to cool slightly. 

5. Blend half of the sweet potato mixture in a jug until smooth. 

6. Transfer the soup to a clean saucepan. Blend the remaining 

sweet potato mixture. Place the soup over low heat and stir 

until heated through. Season with pepper. 


HOW EMBARRASSING 

Imagine wetting your pants in public. 

That is the reality for 1.1 million Kiwis who 

suffer incontinence, caused by a range of 

pelvic health issues. 

However, many people 

aren’t seeking professional 

help for their 

problem. Pelvic Health issues 

are an uncomfortable topic 

Brenda Holloway 

for many people. They feel 

ashamed and embarrassed and 

think they have these problems 

on their own. They often 

don’t even talk about it to their 

family or GP. Pelvic health physiotherapists 

are skilled to treat 

a broad range of conditions. 

For women, this includes urinary 

incontinence, frequency 

and urge incontinence, chronic 

pelvic pain, bowel dysfunction 

including constipation and 

faecal incontinence, pelvic organ 

prolapse and sexual pain 

and dysfunction. 

Brenda Holloway, a Hamilton 

based physiotherapist who 

has been addressing women’s 

health issues since 1991 says 

that most people are unaware 

that these intimate body functions 

are controlled by muscles. 

“The strength of pelvic 

floor muscles often dictates 

quality of life. They are hidden 

away and are often neglected. 

Muscle strength is required 

to ensure control of bladder 

and bowel functions and to 

prevent prolapse. If neglected 

they soften and sag like all our 

other muscles.” 

She says that “the most 

common problem women face 

is wetting with cough, laugh 

sneeze or on exertion. Wetting 

or loss of wind can also 

occur when getting out of a 

chair, bed or picking up the 

grandchildren. 

“Another problem is the 

bossy bladder, requiring proximity 

to a toilet and disrupted 

nights. Less talked about is prolapse 

– a feeling of bulge, protrusion 

and discomfort. And 

The strength of pelvic 

floor muscles often dictates 

quality of life.” 

then there are sexual issues 

as well. 

“Because these problems 

are very personal and potentially 

embarrassing, they are often 

not discussed with anyone. 

Gradually women limit physical 

activities, decrease social outings 

and neglect sexual relationships. 

The real reason is not 

usually admitted. Confidence 

and self esteem diminish. 

Incontinence begins with a 

drip occasionally, progressing 

to a need for liners or pads. 

Adult nappies come next and 

rest home care a last resort 

when family struggle to cope 

with care of an incontinent 

mum or grandparent. Be proactive 

and prevent this chain 

of events. It is never too 

late and the sooner information 

and education are 

sought the better”. 

BRENDA HOLLOWAY 

Women’s Physiotherapist 

MNZSP 

Dip. Physio, Dip. Post-Grad Uro-Gynaecology 

Addressing women’s 

pelvic floor issues 

including bladder, bowel, prolapse, 

pelvic pain and sexual issues. 

Phone: 07 838 3400 email: brenda@brendaholloway.co.nz 

83B Tristram Street, Hamilton | www.brendaholloway.co.nz 


Economic recovery 

Well done to our team of five-million for 

stamping out COVID-19. Going hard and early 

required great sacrifice, and tragically some 

lives were lost. 

BY JAMIE STRANGE 

MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT 

Our Prime Minister Jacinda 

Ardern said 

from the beginning 

that our best economic response 

to COVID-19 was a 

strong health response, and 

the results speak for themselves. 

Our Government implemented 

a three-step plan to 

guide New Zealand through 

the global economic shock 

caused by COVID-19: respond, 

recover, and rebuild 

better. 

The first step was about 

fighting the virus, keeping 

people in work, and supporting 

those in need; the 

second step saw people return 

to work; and the third 

step is about growing jobs 

that pay well, supporting 

businesses and communities 

that will sustain our future, 

and coming back stronger as 

a country. 

Budget 2020 was carefully 

drawn up with our recovery 

and rebuild in mind. It 

extended the wage subsidy 

in a targeted way and made 

interest-free loans available to 

small businesses. 

It will also create new 

jobs, as well as helping people 

obtain the skills they need 

through free training and apprenticeships. 

Over the past three years, 

our Government has invested 

significantly in the Waikato 

region. This investment 

will help create jobs and 

support our local economy: 

• $16.8m from the Provincial 

Growth Fund (PGF) for the 

Ruakura Inland Port. This 

480-hectare, $3b project 

will create over 6,000 jobs. 

• $19.9m from the PGF for 

the Coromandel Sugar- 

Loaf Wharf, which handles 

90% of the North Island’s 

mussel production. 

• Hamilton has been selected 

as the headquarter for 

the nationwide polytechnic 

merger, bringing 50 

jobs to our region. I believe 

this is the first time in 

history that Hamilton has 

hosted the headquarters 

of a Government agency. 

• A passenger rail service 

between Hamilton and 

Auckland is due to start 

in November 2020. The 

key aspect of this service is 

the ability to be productive 

while travelling, and have 

certainty of arrival time. 

• A Ministry of Transport 

business case is currently 

being prepared for rapid 

rail connecting Hamilton 

and Auckland’s CBDs 

with a one-hour journey. 

• Hamilton has been named 

as the headquarters of 

the new Criminal Cases 

Review Commission, 

with the office which 

opened earlier this month. 

• $12m from the PGF for the 

Waikato Regional Theatre, 

a 1300-seat state-of-the 

art theatre that will give 

a boost to our region’s 

arts and tourism sectors. 

• A $50m sheep milk dryer 

is due to open in Hamilton 

over the next two months. 

Government agency Pamu 

(formerly Landcorp) contributed 

$18m towards this. 

• $50m for a new roundabout 

at SH1/29 turnoff to 

Tauranga, to improve safety 

at this intersection. 

• A $200m Housing Infrastructure 

Fund interest 

free Government loan, and 

$110m in NZTA subsidies to 

unlock the 10,000-house 

Peacocke development 

in the south of Hamilton. 

Work has begun on the 

roading network, and will 

start on a new bridge across 

the Waikato River soon. 

• The Huntly section of 

the Waikato Expressway 

has now been completed, 

supporting a 

four-lane road between 

Hamilton and Auckland. 

Work continues on the 

Hamilton section. This has 

been a 20-year project, 

starting under the Labour 

Government in the early 

2000s, continued by National, 

and now supported 

by the current Government. 

Hamilton has been chosen 

as the first city outside 

Auckland to receive an 

Alcohol and Other Drug 

Treatment Court. This will 

be operational in 2021. 

• The Waikato Wellbeing 

Project has been launched. 

This is a regional initiative 

to achieve a more environmentally 

sustainable, 

prosperous and inclusive 

Waikato region by 2030. 

• A $100m capital investment 

in a new mental 

health facility at Waikato 

Hospital. 

The path ahead is still challenging, 

but I know our Prime 

Minister Jacinda Ardern will 


this global economic shock 

with the same determination, 

focus, and empathy she did 

through the outbreak. 


GOT THAT GIDDY FEELING? 

BY DR CATHY STEPHENSON 

OPINION: I have recently 

had vertigo for the 

first time – it’s a really 

horrible experience, and I have 

a new-found and sincere sympathy 

for those who have suffered 

from this for much longer, 

and to a much greater degree, 

than I have. 

Although it is a form of dizziness, 

vertigo is quite distinct 

from other types: they may 

cause a feeling of faintness 

or light-headedness, typically 

when standing up or getting 

out of bed, whereas vertigo is 

associated with a sensation that 

either you, or your surroundings, 

are spinning round. People 

with vertigo may describe feeling 

that they are falling or the 

room is tilting, and may find it 

hard to walk, stand and maintain 

their balance. Nausea and 

vomiting are common. 

Dizziness as a whole is extremely 

common – we will all 

have experienced this at one 

time or another. But true vertigo 

is more unusual – we think 

around 1 in 20 people will get 

vertigo at some point, and it’s 

much more likely to come on as 

we age. 

Vertigo isn’t a diagnosis, 

it’s a symptom, and it 

occurs when something is 

wrong in either the inner ear 

(our balance system) or even 

the brain itself. 

It can be quite mild, lasting 

a few seconds only, 

or can be severe and very impacting 

– in the most extreme 

cases lasting hours or even days 

at a time, and sometimes recurring 

over months or years. 

Finding out what is the underlying 

cause is can be essential 

for successful treatment. 

The following are the most 

common causes of vertigo, and 

how they can be managed: 

Benign Paroxysmal 

Positional Vertigo 

This is the most common cause 

of vertigo, and occurs when little 

bits of calcium debris lodge 

in the inner ear (usually a result 

of degeneration or ageing), 

and interfere with our balance 

mechanisms. BPPV typically 

comes on at around 50 years of 

age, though can affect people 

earlier, and is more common in 

women. In most cases, we don’t 

know what triggers BPPV, but in 

some instances it occurs after a 

head injury, a viral infection or 

as a complication of ear surgery. 

People with BPPV will notice 

their vertigo when they have a 

sudden change in position of 

their head (for me, rolling over 

in bed); the vertigo tends to 

last for less than a minute, and 

resolves when the head is kept 

completely still. Although it can 

cause nausea, it is unusual to 

vomit with BPPV. 

If there are no symptoms to suggest 

something more serious is 

going on, your GP will likely be 

able to manage and treat BPPV 

without the need for a specialist 

to get involved. They will do 

a series of movements of your 

head and neck to assess which 

side is affected. If this confirms 

BPPV, the treatment involves 

some manoeuvres (known 

as Epleys, or Brandt-Daroff) 

that should dislodge the troublesome 

particles and relieve 

symptoms. Rate of recurrence 

after successful management 

like this is thought to be less 

than 10%, and those unlucky 

people who do find their BPPV 

is persisting can often learn to 

do these movements at home 

and treat themselves. 

Meniere’s Disease 

This condition is caused by a 

change in the volume of fluid in 

the inner ear, damaging the balance 

system. Typically it causes 

more severe symptoms than 

BPPV, and is thankfully less common. 

As well as vertigo, people 

Continued on page 34 

Caring when it matters most 

Small enough to care, big enough to be competitive 

Ph (07) 855 5541 

jamesrhill.co.nz 

717 Grey Street 

Hamilton 


LED lighting and your eyesight 

Nelson Grey Power Member’s Forum held 

a forum in November 2019 and one of the 

topics discussed was the harmful effects 

of LED lighting. 

Japanese inventors were 

awarded the Nobel Prize 

in Physics for inventing the 

technology behind the blue 

light emitting diode in 2014. 

Since then LED lights have 

become an increasing part of 

everyday life – used in smart 

phones, tablets, laptops, televisions 

and home lighting. Globally 

they are appearing in street 

and vehicle lighting. 

The NZ Listener (5.12.18) 

had previously raised the issue 

stating that exposure to LED 

light raises the risk of sleep disturbance, 

depression, obesity 

and cancer through disruption 

of the human (and animal) 

circadian rhythm and through 

melatonin disruption. 

These findings are further 

endorsed by recent research by 

the French Agency for Food, 

Environmental and Occupational 

Health & Safety reported 

in May 2019. They concluded 

new findings confirmed earlier 

concerns that “exposure to an 

intense and powerful LED light 

is ‘photo-toxic’ and can lead 

to irreversible loss of retinal 

cells in the eye and diminished 

sharpness of vision”. They 

also stated that manufacturers 

should limit the luminous 

intensity of vehicle headlights, 

some of which are too bright. 

The American Medical Association 

has adopted an official 

policy statement about street 

lighting: cool it and dim it. They 

agree that street lights should 

have a kelvin of no more than 

3000k. The AMA sees two 

main problems with LED street 

lighting – the first is discomfort 

from and papillary constriction 

in the eyes which can cause 

problems for safe driving or 

walking at night. 

The second is that the high 

blue content of LED lights scatters 

more in the human eye 

than the longer wavelengths 

of yellow and red and can 

cause damage to the retina. It 

has been suggested that city 

council street lighting should 

have LED’s with a warmer 

and safer colour temperature 

(2600-3000 kelvin). The NZ 

Ministry of Health suggests 2700- 

3000 kelvin. 

Nelson Grey Power is going 

to raise the issue of street 

and motor vehicle lighting with 

the Federation as a national issue. 

Should Hamilton support 

them? Seniors suffering from 

glaucoma and cataracts are 

particularly vulnerable. Let us 

know your thoughts. 

The Perfect 

Hot Cocoa 

Ingredients 

You see your nose at all times, your brain just 

chooses to ignore it. 

Potatoes were the first food to be grown in space. 

In 1996, potato plants were taken into space with 

the pace shuttle Columbia. 

The first oranges weren’t orange. 

The original oranges from Southeast Asia were 

a tangerine-pomelo hybrid, and they were actually 

green. In fact, oranges in warmer regions like 

Vietnam and Thailand still stay green through 

maturity. 

Octopuses lay 56,000 eggs at a time. The mother 

spends six months so devoted to protecting the 

eggs that she doesn’t eat. The babies are the size 

of a grain of rice when they’re born. 

2 Tbsp Chelsea White Sugar 

2 to 3 tsp Cocoa 

Dash of salt 

1 cup milk 

1/4 tsp Vanilla extract from vanilla 

pod or 1/4 tsp Vanilla Essence 

Method 

Mix Chelsea White Sugar, cocoa 

and salt in large mug. Heat milk in 

microwave on High -100% for 1-1/2 

minutes or until hot. Gradually add 

hot milk to cocoa mixture in mug, 

stirring until well blended. 

Stir in the vanilla. 


The ethics of electric 

vehicle batteries 

Unease about the mining of materials and 

disposal needed for electric vehicle (EV) 

batteries is the elephant in the room for 

plug-in vehicles. 

BY RICHARD BOSSELMAN 

Abuses, including child 

labour, alleged to occur 

with mining of lithium, 

a key component in electronics, 

and cobalt, out of countries 

with controversial human 

rights records (Argentina and 

the Democratic Republic of 

Congo are often cited) are of 

concern to many customers. 

The issue has been picked 

up by Amnesty International, 

which while agreeing that 

EVs have an important role in 

addressing the climate crisis, 

also cites that “without radical 

changes, the batteries which 

power green vehicles will continue 

to be tainted by human 

rights abuses.” 

Speaking at a media drive 

of the e-tron, Dean Sheed - the 

New Zealand boss of Audi - acknowledged 

the relevance of 

these issues. 

The e-tron is Audi’s first 

pure-electric model, but it’s the 

first of many. Audi is part of 

the Volkswagen Group, which 

aims to be the world’s biggest 

producer of EVs. 

Sheed agrees the lithium-ion 

batteries crucial to all EVs carry 

baggage. 

These are not dismissed by 

Audi, he says. The make is being 

proactive, with measures 

including being among companies 

that now publish sustainability 

data about their supply 

chains, which are carefully vetted. 

Sheed says the subject is 

occasionally broached during 

his regular talks about EVs to 

industry and interest groups. 

He doesn’t shy from sharing his 

thoughts. 

“We have to be up front. 

There’s no hiding away from 

what the components of a lithi- 

um ion battery are. The current 

state of play is that you have to 

mine it, you have to source it,” 

he says. 

“What we can do is put parameters 

around the methods 

– about how it is extracted, 

about the partners that chose 

for that and make sure they are 

doing what they say they are 

going to do. 

“You have to make sure 

they are doing the right things, 

for instance about meeting 

global conventions about 

mining. It all boils down to 

the strength of the process 

and to governance of the mining 

itself. 

“You cannot shy away from 

it. You have to front-foot it.” 

He is comfortable that 

Audi is being as responsible 

as it possibly can and would 

think any brand that didn’t 

have the same attitude would 

be taking a risk as “there are 

enough people staring at this 

topic these days and there are 

enough analysts and advocates 

around you would soon be 

found out.” 

All the big companies have 

sustainability reports, he continues, 

“which they publish 

openly. Part of those reports 

will be topics like this.” 

As for end of life disposal? 

Audi’s major focus is moving 

the mentality away from the 

single life of the car and reminding 

that there’s actually 

a second life [for a battery] 

after that. 

A battery that has degenerated 

to, say, 70 per cent capacity 

might not be worthy of continued 

use in mobility yet could 

still have many years’ life ahead 

as a stationary storage project, 

perhaps involved in recharging 

a future electric car. 

Sheed says that process 

Photo by Edwardo Arcos on Unsplash 

could easily ensure a battery 

could maintain usefulness for 

20 years. Only after that would 

ultimate disposal, through recycling, 

be addressed. 

“What we want to do is 

draft a set of guidelines for 

use that the Ministry can use 

for legislation and to become 

law.” 

Amnesty International has 

called for the industry to make 

“the world’s first completely 

ethical battery with five years.” 

Potentially that call could be 

met by a solid-state battery, a 

next step that though not yet 

into production is already being 

hailed as a breakthrough. 

In addition to being appealing 

for not having need 

for controversial constituents 

these are also favoured because 

they will be more compact, 

far more powerful, with 

higher density charging and 

potentially cheaper to produce 

than current types. 

Volkswagen Group, of 

which Audi is part, is at the 

forefront of a billion dollar 

push by Germany’s car industry 

into electro mobility over 

the next three years to cement 

their future. 

They intend to deliver 100 

electric and hybrid models by 

2030 – almost three times the 

total count of new EVs expected 

to be on offer in NZ by the 

end of this year. 

VW has plans to become 

the world’s biggest producer 

of electric cars – some relying 

purely on batteries, others still 

having a fossil-fuelled engine in 

support - by 2025. 

Among the fleet will be at 

least 10 Audis including the 

e-tron GT, a lower-slung and 

sportier sister model to the 

SUV here now that shares the 

same drive train and performance 

attributes as the Taycan, 

Porsche’s first all-electric (also 

coming to NZ). 

All are expected to have 

lithium ion batteries and the 

feasibility of any subsequently 

transferring to solid state batteries 

is uncertain. 

“I don’t have enough scientific 

background to say that 

five years is the right term or 

whether it should be seven or 

10,” Sheed says. 

“We’ll have lithium ion for a 

number of years yet. 

“But the philosophy of an 

ethical battery is something I 

support 100 per cent.” 

He senses the argument 

for having EVs on the road is 

settled and that their place in 

motoring isn’t simply about 

impression the Earth is running 

dry on oil. 

“It’s not just about oil,” 

says Sheed. “It’s about asking 

‘what’s the right thing to do for 

the planet?’ If we are focused 

on lowering CO2 and Greenhouse 

Gas emissions, not just 

for us but for our future generations, 

then we have to take 

action today. 

“And this is something 

the automotive industry can 

do. In our country about 

20 per cent of Greenhouse 

Gas emissions come from 

transport and light transport 

– cars, trucks and vans – account 

for two-thirds of that. 

We’ve got to do something. 

We have to play 

our part.” 

Article sourced 

from stuff.co.nz 


Pandemic Response 

The way we live, think and work has changed 

drastically over the last few months 

BY DR GAURAV SHARMA 

The way we live, think and 

work has changed drastically 

over the last few 

months. As a medical doctor 

working in Nawton, I clearly 

remember the morning team 

meeting in March at our general 

practice to brace ourselves for 

the then upcoming pandemic. 

A lot has happened since then. 

While coronavirus has had 

a significant negative impact 

across the world, going hard 

and early has put us in a good 

position and looks to have 

prevented the wave of devastation 

seen elsewhere. Many 

countries responded too late, 

faced thousands of deaths, 

with the economy grinding 

to a halt - these were the projections 

we saw here too. The 

Labour government under the 

leadership of Prime Minister 

Jacinda Ardern, took decisive 

action and because of that we 

have an opportunity of achieving 

something no other country 

has come close to doing so far 

- eliminating the virus. 

There has not been a playbook 

for dealing with this global 

pandemic - but the efforts 

of the team of five million are 

evident. We are in level one in 

a privileged position compared 

to so many other countries 

around the world - we are moving 

around, our kids are back at 

school and playing sports while 

domestic tourists are travelling 

around the country boosting 

the local economy. As a doctor 

who worked as a frontline 

healthcare worker in a Covid-19 

swab centre, I could not be 

prouder of the collective efforts 

we have made as a country over 

the last few months in keeping 

our communities and families 

safe. PM Jacinda Ardern made 

it clear from the beginning that 

our best economic response to 

COVID-19 was a strong health 

response. Labour led government 

implemented a threestep 

plan to guide NZ through 

the global shock caused by 

COVID-19: respond, recover, 

and rebuild better. 

The first step was about 

fighting the virus and supporting 

those in need. The crucial 

decision here was to protect our 

most vulnerable populations - 

which included the elderly and 

those with underlying health 

conditions. Closing rest-homes 

to visitors to decrease the risk 

of transmission, and freeing 

up general practice resources 

by establishing Covid-19 swab 

centres ensured our high risk 

populations were safe and 

had access to healthcare when 

needed. The Government also 

started the flu vaccination programme 

early with this year’s 

campaign being the biggest 

ever, with 400,000 more vaccines 

available in 2020, compared 

with last year. Free flu 

vaccines were prioritised for 

New Zealanders who were most 

at risk - people who were either 

aged 65 and over; pregnant; 

with certain chronic conditions; 

young children with a history 

of respiratory illness as well as 

healthcare workers. 

Following this, the government’s 

second step saw 

people return to work as 

lockdown eased. 

The third step in our battle 

against the pandemic is to reboot 

economic activity while 

continuing to do a good job in 

managing our healthcare system’s 

capacity. This step is about 

growing jobs that pay well, supporting 

businesses and communities 

that will sustain our future, 

and coming back stronger 

as a country. Budget 2020 was 

carefully drawn up with this recovery 

and rebuild in mind. The 

path ahead is still challenging, 

but I know Jacinda Ardern will 


this global economic shock with 

the same determination, focus, 

and empathy she did through 

the outbreak. As a doctor and 

a candidate for Hamilton West 

this election for the Labour party, 

I could not be prouder of the 

government’s response. 

Dr Gaurav Sharma is a medical doctor and works as 

a General Practitioner (GP) in Nawton, Hamilton 

Dr Gaurav 

Sharma 

for Hamilton West 

81 Victoria St, Hamilton CBD 

gaurav.sharma@labour.org.nz 

www.gmsharma.info 

Authorised by Dianna Lacy, 160 Willis Street, Wellington. 


COVID-19 has had a huge 

impact on world health and 

the world economy. In these 

unprecedented times, I am 

taking this opportunity to 

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big THANK YOU to the Waikato 

community. Thank you for all of 

your kind messages of support 

during lock down and thank 

you for your continued business 

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it becomes personal, 

desperate, and all too 

believable. There will not 

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From page 28 

with Meniere’s will describe tinnitus 

or a ringing noise, a feeling 

of fullness in their ears, and 

associated hearing loss. Usually 

it will affect one side initially, 

but if Meniere’s progresses both 

ears are involved. Attacks last 

for minutes to several hours, 

and usually occur in clusters, so 

someone may get 6-10 attacks 

in a number of weeks, and 

then have nothing for several 

months before it recurs. 

Diagnosing Meniere’s usually 

requires some blood tests, a 

hearing test and sometimes imaging 

such as an MRI to make 

sure nothing more serious is 

going on. Treatment is aimed 

at reducing both the frequency 

and severity of attacks, and 

can include medication such 

as anti-nausea tablets and steroids, 

“vestibular rehabilitation” 

which uses a series of exercises 

to try and desensitise the 

balance system, and lifestyle 

modification including reducing 

salt, alcohol, coffee, chocolate 

and tobacco use. Sadly there is 

no cure for Meniere’s but most 

people report that their symptoms 

improve considerably with 

a combination of the above 

measures. 

Vestibular Neuritis 

This condition is a neuropathy 

or inflammation of the vestibular 

nerve, thought to result from 

a virus infection. It is most common 

in 40-60 year olds, and 

causes sudden onset of severe, 

disabling vertigo. Different from 

that experienced in BPPV, the 

vertigo in vestibular neuritis isn’t 

typically triggered by movement, 

and doesn’t go away after 

a few minutes. It can last for 

up to a week and is very commonly 

associated with nausea 

and vomiting. Although awful 

to experience, VN is self-limiting 

and can usually be managed at 

home with bed-rest and medication 

to reduce the nausea. 

Ongoing issues are rare. 

Labyrinthitis 

Again, this is caused by inflammation, 

most often associated 

with a viral infection. It occurs 

in people over 30 years old, but 

can sometimes happen in childhood 

as well. Although it causes 

the same sudden, severe, 

constant type of vertigo as VN, 

labyrinthitis also leads to temporary 

hearing loss in one or 

both ears, and sometimes tinnitus. 

Management is the same 

as for VN, and nearly all cases 

will resolve completely, with no 

ongoing symptoms. 

Vestibular Migraine 

About 1 per cent of us will get 

this type of migraine during our 

life, and bizarrely it doesn’t always 

feature a headache. The 

vertigo typically lasts from five 

minutes up to 72 hours, and 

may be associated with other 

signs of migraine, such as 

sensitivity to light and noise, 

flickering vision, and nausea. 

This type of vertigo responds to 

migraine treatments, and can 

be managed by your GP. Depending 

how severe or frequent 

your migraines are, a preventer 

tablet taken every day can be 

really effective. Aside from 

these causes, other more serious 

things can also present 

with vertigo, especially in 

their early stages. These include 

sudden events such as a 

stroke, or more gradually progressing 

things like multiple 

sclerosis or even tumours in 

the brain. Although it isn’t always 

possible to distinguish 

more serious causes from less 

worrying ones particularly early 

on, the following signs would 

be of concern, and would warrant 

getting things checked out 

very promptly: 

• Sudden onset of a new, severe 

headache associated 

with vertigo 

• Extreme nausea or vomiting, 

to the extent you are unable 

to tolerate fluids 

• Any symptoms to suggest a 

stroke, for example weakness 

of face, limbs or body, 

slurred speech or problems 

swallowing 

• Sudden onset of deafness 

without the other features 

of Meniere’s disease. 

Whatever the cause of your 

vertigo, if it isn’t going away, 

please see your doctor. 

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A dirty rotten scandal: 

The leaky homes saga 

Auckland Council pays out $265m to leaky 

home owners. 

BY MIKE WHITE 

Since 2012, Auckland 

Council has paid out 

$265m to leaky home 

owners affected by shoddy 

workmanship that council staff 

certified as code-compliant. 

This story was originally 

published by North & South 

and is republished with 

permission. 

New Zealand’s leaky 

homes scandal has been the 

biggest building catastrophe 

in this country’s history. 

But as Peter Dyer has 

discovered, the problem is 

much larger than anyone 

has admitted – and it’s not 

over yet. Mike White talks 

to Dyer about his new book 

Rottenomics: The Story of 

New Zealand’s Leaky Buildings 

Disaster. 

When Peter Dyer began investigating 

leaky buildings, he 

had a simple question: What 

the hell happened? 

For decades, we’d built 

homes that didn’t let water in 

and didn’t rot. But despite this, 

and despite technology improving, 

from the mid-1980s 

we began constructing buildings 

that leaked – thousands 

of them – homes, apartments, 

schools, hospitals, retirement 

villages and prisons. All failed 

disastrously, causing massive 

damage and a host of health 

problems for those living and 

working in them. 

Dyer, a retired engineer, just 

couldn’t understand how this 

had suddenly happened, so 

started looking for answers. 

That was 2011, and since then, 

he has become increasingly astonished, 

not just at the many 

deliberate acts that allowed 

the disaster to occur, but also 

the scale of the devastation it 

wrought. 

Peter Dyer compares the 

leaky homes debacle to toxic 

mould. “This national tragedy 

has been nourished in a culture 

focused on short-term cost 

cutting, providing quick benefits 

for a relative few, while offloading 

enormous long-term 

costs to future New Zealand 

homeowners, tenants, ratepayers 

and taxpayers.” 

His book on the subject, 

Rottenomics, highlights the 

causes, gives examples of the 

personal despair that resulted, 

and labels it “the largest manmade 

disaster in New Zealand’s 

history”. 

“Like a toxic mould,” he 

writes, “this national tragedy 

has been nourished in a culture 

focused on short-term cost 

cutting, providing quick benefits 

for a relative few, while offloading 

enormous long-term 

costs to future New Zealand 

homeowners, tenants, ratepayers 

and taxpayers.” 

Ask most people what 

caused the leaky homes debacle 

and they might tell you it 

was untreated pine being used 

to frame new houses. Or that 

there were insufficient gaps for 

drainage between the outside 

and inside walls. Or that some 

of the in-vogue monolithic 

cladding (large sheets of exterior 

material, which are coated 

to give a seamless appearance) 

leaked. All of these are true. 

But as Dyer has discovered, 

the causes go much further 

than that, and are rooted in 

deliberate decisions taken by 

politicians and those in the 

building industry. Rottenomics 

traces the history of the problem 

back decades, but lays the 

blame largely on the economic 

upheaval ushered in by the 

1984 Labour government, with 

its ideology that a free market 

should prevail. 

Thus, various governments 

changed acts and regulations 

to allow the building industry 

much greater control and 

self-regulation. Oversight of 

materials and designs was significantly 

reduced. The use of 

faulty products was allowed. 

Training in the industry was 

undermined by labour reforms, 

and builders lacked necessary 

skills. Government bodies 

meant to ensure quality were 

abolished or underfunded. 

And when it became apparent 

repairs were urgently required, 

the lack of standards meant 

many jobs were botched and 

had to be done again. 

While Dyer describes it as a 

perfect storm (“It’s a hell of a 

cliché, but it seems to fit”), he’s 

quick to point out the scandal 

was the result of conscious 

decisions taken in the name 

of efficiency and cost saving, 

leaving thousands of buildings 

simply doomed to rot. 

“It was 100 per cent preventable. 

We did it. We caused 

it. We brought it on ourselves. 

It wasn’t an act of nature – 

unless you consider ordinary 

rainfall in New Zealand an unusual 

act of nature. And nobody 

really thought, ‘If we turn 

the building industry loose, it 

might not work out so well.’ It 

was just a leap of faith – faith 

that they would make things 

better.” 

Beyond the misery of those 

who’ve been saddled with 

leaky homes, Dyer says the irony 

is that, despite the changes 

promising lower costs, housing 

in New Zealand has never 

been more expensive. “Everybody 

was going to be better 

off because things would be 

done more quickly and they’d 

be cheaper and better. But real 

estate has skyrocketed and 

been placed beyond the reach 

of so many New Zealanders. It’s 

a terrible problem, and leaky 

buildings are just part of it.” 

However, Dyer senses nobody 

is willing to truly deal 

with the disaster because it 

would require greater regulation, 

and any suggestion of 

“big government” was anathema 

to politicians. “We had a 

structural revolution in 1984 

and, to a large degree that resulted 

in the problems we’re 

talking about now. If we want 

a solution, it has to be structural. 

But there are powerful 

interests who have benefited 

from this regime for the last 

35 years, who’ll fight tooth 

and nail against something 

like that.” 

Most of the responses to 

the issue have been “bottom 

of the cliff” stuff, says Dyer, 

such as paying compensation. 

Anything more seemed too difficult 

to contemplate for politicians 

who were overwhelmed 

by the issue, and resorted to 

using it as a political football. 

“But neither Labour nor National,” 

Dyer writes, “has an 

edge in this dreary and distracting 

finger-pointing contest.” 

In 2011, then-Building and 

Construction Minister Maurice 


Williamson told the NZ Herald 

the scale of the leaky buildings 

problem was “simply ginormous”. 

At that time, it was 

estimated the cost of the crisis 

was $11 billion. “A government 

that’s running very large 

surpluses would still struggle 

to find the money to help with 

this,” Williamson said. “But 

a government that’s running 

deficits… has to just sit there 

with its head in its hands, saying, 

‘Well, I just don’t know 

how to do this.’” 

Williamson’s comments relied 

on a 2009 report by PwC, 

which actually suggested the 

cost of the problem could be 

as much as $23 billion, but the 

government chose to use a less 

alarming estimate. 

A second study was conducted 

in 2015, but remained 

hidden until Dyer used a complaint 

to the Ombudsman to 

force the Ministry of Building, 

Innovation and Employment to 

release it. This put the number 

of leaky homes built between 

1985 and 2014 at 174,394 

– a quarter of all homes built 

during this time. Applying a 

very conservative estimate of 

the cost per house, as used 

in the PwC report, Dyer concludes 

the total leaky homes 

bill is actually $47.7 billion. 

But that’s only part of the 

story, Dyer stresses. These are 

only the homes that the 2015 

report said were “very likely 

to leak”. A further 204,886 

homes were considered “likely 

to leak”. In total, that is 60 per 

cent of the houses built in this 

period. 

Moreover, these estimates 

only deal with homes – not 

public or commercial buildings. 

And what’s more, Dyer 

says, the problem is likely bigger 

than even these estimates: 

some buildings in drier areas 

won’t have started to rot yet; 

some people have done their 

own repairs without reporting 

them; some owners have simply 

ignored the issue. 

While successive governments 

have shrunk from confronting 

the scale of the leaky 

buildings problem, Dyer says 

many New Zealanders mistakenly 

think the problem is over 

– something that happened 

in the 90s. But some of those 

in the building industry Dyer 

spoke to said as few as 10-20 

per cent of “weathertight failures” 

have been made public. 

Perhaps most worryingly, 

Dyer says, despite knowing all 

this, we’re almost certainly still 

constructing leaky homes with 

substandard designs, material 

and oversight. And even those 

homes that were identified and 

had repair work carried out frequently 

leaked again, because 

there was no clear standard for 

this work, and no penalty for 

mistakes. 

“It’s an extremely complex, 

depressing issue that we’ve 

managed to address to some 

degree, and governments want 

it to go away. But it hasn’t and 

it won’t. It’s just in the too-hard 

basket.” 

David Kernohan says the 

housing sector has been beset 

by government indifference 

and industry incompetence, 

and the leaky buildings scandal 

was a devastating example of 

that. 

Kernohan, a retired architect 

who has been an Environment 

Court deputy commissioner 

since 2007, was part of 

the government Weathertightness 

Overview Group, which 

issued a report in 2002 about 

leaky buildings, and he agrees 

with Dyer that a multitude of 

factors caused the disaster. 

“There were lots of signs 

that could have been read but 

the attitudes weren’t right, in 

the sense that the demands 

of the public for Mediterranean-style 

clad buildings was 

prevalent, especially in Auckland. 

Monolithic cladding had 

just come on the market and 

was a cheap option, in parallel 

with the use of [untreated] 

kiln-dried timber which was 

being pushed.” 

This was compounded by 

the downgrading of oversight 

for building construction, poor 

monitoring of materials, and 

the undermining of apprenticeships 

and “the basics of 

good building practice, learnt 

over 100 years. With the new 

materials and methods, some 

of the old basics just went out 

the window.” 

Kernohan says the building 

industry remains largely unregulated 

and he’s sure leaky 

homes are still being built. “It’s 

still a debacle.” But he’s glad 

Dyer has finally put the scandal 

in historical perspective and 

shown the scale of its impacts. 

Dyer is an unlikely investigator 

of our country’s biggest 

housing disaster. Born in America, 

he worked as an engineer 

in the University of California’s 

physics department, making 

one-off designs for scientists, 

staff and students. But America’s 

invasion of Iraq in 2003, 

which he believed was unjustified 

and indefensible, led to 

him migrating to New Zealand 

in 2004, with wife Cathy. He 

worked at Massey University 

before retiring, while Cathy 

continued her career as a vet. 

Dyer first became interested 

in housing when he wrote a 

story for North & South about 

the mass sale of railway cottages 

in Ngaio, Wellington, where 

he lived. Another North & 

South story, on leaky buildings, 

in 2012 led him down a trail of 

research and discovery that has 

resulted in Rottenomics. 

He spent countless hours in 

Parliament’s library, National 

Archives and the National Library, 

locating the political and 

industrial genesis of the disaster, 

and the critical decisions 

that saw it become a reality. 

And then he spoke with a wide 

range of those involved in the 

issue, from builders to bureaucrats 

to victims. 

The more he learnt, the 

more he realised how the event 

had been completely avoidable. 

“There’s certainly anger there. I 

think anybody would feel anger. 

But what I remember most 

about that process was ‘click, 

click, click’, this all fits together, 

this all makes sense, it’s all 

part of a pattern – because I’d 

lived through the big changes 

of Reaganomics and the gospel 

of the free market. But some of 

the things here were a bit more 

extremist, especially after the 

1984 election and the turnover 

of the economy to that completely 

new paradigm.” 

However, what Dyer – a quietly 

spoken, 66-year-old, guitar-playing, 

dog-loving, toolshop 

creator turned author, 

whose computer monitor sits 

propped on a stack of country 

and western books – feels 

more than anger is sympathy 

for the homeowners, the innocent 

victims of the disaster. 

“Nobody should have to 

worry about living in or buying 

a house that will rot because 

of the way it was built 

and the materials. That’s not 

right, nobody deserves that. 

They should have the right 

to get what they pay for, get 

what they expect. We can build 

houses that don’t leak and we 

do it all the time. But we build 

far too many houses that fail.” 

Article sourced 

from stuff.co.nz 


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THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE ATMOSPHERE. 

Visitors to Ryman villages often say they can’t 

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different. Something to do with the energy 

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We know what they’re talking about. It’s a 

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There are two Ryman villages in 

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1345

Hamilton Grey Power - July 2020

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