Newsline 238 - 29 October 2010

Friday 29 October 2010

This page contains articles from Issue 238 of Newsline.
Download as a PDF: Newsline 238 - 29 October 2010

Elections Summary 2010

The 2010 Triennial elections saw over 50% of eligible Tasman District residents vote on who you wanted to see running your Council over the next three years.

Mayor Richard Kempthorne was elected to lead the Council for a second term with a strong mandate of 8994 votes, 4000 more than closest rival Ted O’Regan 4933, with Victoria Davis third (2612).

Councillor Tim King was reappointed as Deputy Mayor.

New Councillor Martine Bouillir topped the poll in the Golden Bay Ward, which had the highest voter turn out of any ward with 62.78%. She joins incumbent Councillor Noel Riley.

The Richmond Ward returned two debutants, fishing guide Zane Mirfin and horticulturalist Kit Maling, who join returnees Glenys Glover and Judene Edgar. Glenys was the highest polling of all encumbent Councillors. Turnout in Richmond was 50.77%.

Moutere-Waimea voters, with a turnout of 45.34%, chose to stick with Councillors Tim King, Trevor Norriss and Brian Ensor.

Jack Inglis led the Motueka Ward voting, followed by Barry Dowler and Eileen Wilkins all of whom are returning Councillors. Voter turnout in Motueka was 49.73%.

Stuart Bryant was unopposed in the Lakes-Murchison Ward.

In the Community Board polls, Motueka welcomes new members Mark Chapman and Cliff Satherley, who join David Ogilvie and Paul Hawkes.

In Golden Bay, Mik Symmons returns to the board after a gap, elected unopposed along with Karen Brookes, Leigh Gamby and Carolyn McLellan.

The new Council was sworn in on Thursday 21 October 2010 at the Council Chambers in Richmond. Motueka Community Board was sworn in on Friday 22 October 2010, and the Golden Bay board on 9 November 2010.

A Message from Mayor Richard Kempthorne

“To be voted back into the position of Mayor in the recent election was a very proud and humbling moment for me. I am incredibly passionate about Tasman District, its environment, economy and the people who live here and to receive your vote of confidence in me and the Council for another term is a real honour.

I take this opportunity to thank Gordon Currie, Stuart Borlase and Michael Higgins for their contribution to Council over many years, and welcome new Councillors Bouillir, Maling and Mirfin.

Initial top priorities will be working with both Motueka and Golden Bay Community Boards to establish a strong working relationship with Council. The Community Boards and Residents Associations/Community Councils are essential for a healthy connection with the various communities within our district. I also support the Waimea Water Augmentation Committee as they conclude the feasibility study for the Lee Valley dam, likely the largest project for our district in the foreseeable future.

Another key focus will be keeping rates increases as low as possible while delivering core services (roading, drinking water, wastewater, stormwater etc.) to an acceptable standard. I realise this is a difficult time for our community in the current financial climate.

It is a privilege to serve our community and you are welcome to contact Councillors or me with any issues you would like us to address.”

– Mayor Richard Kempthorne

Election Results

The Tasman results for the 2010 Local Government Elections.

Mayor

Richard Kempthorne, Returning Mayor.

Married to Jane for 31 years, four children, lived for 21 years on an orchard in Appleby and for eight years in Richmond. Served as a Tasman District Councillor for six years and as Mayor since October 2007.

Roles currently held:

Chair of the Tasman Regional Sports Trust
Chair of the NZ Agrichemical Education Trust
Chair of the NZ Boysenberry Council

Vision for Tasman District:

“Tasman District is a growing, thriving area and its growth must be well managed, reflecting visionary leadership. Development must retain and enhance the natural landscape, support traditional rural industry, while enabling new high-value high-quality initiatives and providing a quality lifestyle for the people.

Residents must have easy access to excellent recreation and cultural facilities, quality infrastructure and a sense of guardianship over the environment for future generations.”

Rates

I am committed to delivering core services at an affordable cost.

Cooperation between councils

I will facilitate a progressive working relationship between Tasman, Nelson and Marlborough Councils and identify opportunities to work together.
I believe the Councils must work constructively to identify and fund regional facilities.

Roading

I support the Cycleway Tourism Project driven by Nelson Cycle Trail Trust connecting Richmond, Brightwater, Kohatu, and Motueka.
I will work with the Nelson City Council and New Zealand Transport Agency to address congestion in Nelson City.
I support identifying the Main Freight Transport (working group) routes and working to secure national funding.

Councillors

Golden Bay

Martine Bouillir

Mother of 2, marriage celebrant and facilitator. New Councillor.

“My focus will be getting information flowing between Council, board and community. This has already started (join my mailing list: martine.goldenbay@xtra.co.nz). There’s no shortage of issues to be discussed. As a new councillor, much of my time will be spent getting to know council, staff and processes – I’ll be asking lots of questions!”

Noel Riley

Returning Councillor.

“I am passionate in preserving the outstanding geographical, historical and environmental features of Tasman District, especially Golden Bay. I will continue to work for the development of Port Golden Bay (Tarakohe), along with Takaka Airport, and ensuring rates are affordable for all, and further debt reduction.”

Lakes/Murchison

Stuart Bryant

Farmer, with four adult children. Returning Councillor.

“My priorities are to keep Council’s debt level as low as possible (while keeping rates as affordable as possible), the improvement and maintenance of roads, the protection and enhancement of infrastructure such as water, wastewater and stormwater services, along with environmental sustainability. I will continue to represented people’s views from across the whole district, but especially the Lakes-Murchison Ward.”

Motueka

Jack Inglis ONZM, QSM.

Business owner and company director. Returning Councillor.

“My priority for this term is to make the Riwaka-Kaiteriteri Road safe, hopefully before there is a serious accident. Also, widen Wharf Road, enlarge the marina at Port Motueka and ensure that the channel is open for boats. Thirdly, add a new wing to Motueka Friendship Hospital.”

Barry Dowler

Business-owner. Married with four adult children. Returning Councillor.

“The priority for me is getting the Motueka River stopbanks sorted, but it must be affordable for all ratepayers in the area. The Motueka West development plan is also very important. We desperately need areas for new businesses, to employ our young people to stop them leaving town. Lastly, keeping rates affordable without ceasing repairs and maintenance and infrastructure developments as they are needed.”

Eileen Wilkins

Married to Alister and has lived in Motueka for 35 years. Returning Councillor.

Priorities: Keeping constraint on rates, focusing in core services. Good planning for the future is essential. Ensuring we manage our water efficiently. An affordable solution for Motueka stopbanks. Kaiteriteri road upgrade. Continuing to work with the community on various committees.

Moutere-Waimea

Tim King

Married to Gail, with three sons. Returning Councillor.

“Continued focus on well-planned development in our key communities, supporting primary production, infrastructure development and maintenance, and providing community recreation opportunities. Working closely with neighbouring councils, the Government and other community organisations will help progress key issues.”

Trevor Norriss

Married with five children. Returning Councillor.

“I will continue to focus on the delivery of core services at affordable levels. Development and maintenance of infrastructure, water supply, growth in urban and rural areas, while allowing sustainable economic growth and employment opportunities.”

Brian Ensor

Retired farmer and property developer. Returning Councillor.

“My key priorities are ensuring well-planned urban growth, addressing the increasing shortage of water and protecting our high-quality agricultural land from further development. I am committed to the sustainable management of our environment. Youth involvement in the community will continue to receive my support.”

Richmond

Glenys Glover

Chartered Accountant and business-owner. Married to Mike, with three children. Returning Councillor.

“My prime focus is on financial and economic issues and how they impact on the community. Keeping debt and rates at an affordable level is a real concern in the next three years so we need to ensure that all large capital projects show a real benefit to the community before committing to expenditure.”

Zane Mirfin

Fishing Guide. Married to Aimee with four school-age children. New Councillor.

“At the moment I’m just focused on the short term, getting up to speed with Council processes, systems and activities. I want to meet as many people as I can, learn as much as I can, as fast as I can, through listening, reading, and attending meetings, functions, and interacting with TDC ratepayers … Watch this space.”

Judene Edgar

Professional fundraiser. Married to David, with two sons. Returning Councillor.

“Tasman District’s growth and the delivery of services and infrastructure need to be strategically planned and well-managed.
We must protect our natural environment and productive land while enabling economic development, employment opportunities and the provision of community facilities, while maintaining rating affordability.”

Kit Maling

Retired Police officer and horticulturalist. Married to Leanne with three adult children. New Councillor.

“My primary focus will be on affordability of rates, the Lee Dam project and on other essential infrastructure and improving relationships between Council and the public and Council and Community Boards and community groups.”

Motueka Community Board

The new board is David Ogilvie, Mark Chapman, Paul Hawkes and Cliff Satherley.

Golden Bay Community Board

The new board is Carolyn McLellan, Karen Brookes, Leigh Gamby and Mik Symmons.

eDay Looms for Electronics Waste Collection

Drag that outdated computer gear out of the cupboard and dispose of it usefully. The national computer and electronics recycling event, eDay, happens on Saturday 6 November 2010, with organisers aiming to divert as much as 1,300 tonnes of electronics waste (e-waste) from landfills – up from last year’s record 976 tonnes.

The collection will be held in more than 40 centres nationwide, with the local venues at Enza, 484 Nayland Road, Stoke, and K & F McLean, 88 Hursthouse Street, Lower Moutere, from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm. Volunteers will be on-hand to unload your vehicle.

In the last two years 100 tonnes of e-waste were collected in the Nelson-Tasman area.

Material that can be disposed of includes all computer-related equipment, game consoles, fax machines and digital cameras. Cellphones will be accepted, although eDay organisers are encouraging people to donate them to Starship hospital’s Mobile Phone Recycling Appeal.

About 95 percent of the collected material is recyclable. The Ministry for the Environment, Hon Dr Nick Smith, hopes to contract a New Zealand firm to do the job.

Now in its fifth year, eDay is run by Computer Access New Zealand (CANZ) with support from the 2020 Communications Trust and numerous co-sponsors, including the Tasman District Council and the Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund.

Other local supporters of the event are Nelson City Council, Enza and Blueberry IT. National sponsors include KiwiRail, More FM, the Blue Star Group, Trade Me, The Laptop Company and Invo.

Further details can be found at www.eday.org.nz. If you can help out with the collection, sign-up at the website.

Organisers had hoped to include TV sets and home hi-fi equipment this year as 25 percent of the 16,000 people disposing of equipment at last year’s eDay indicated they had an old TV, says national organiser Laurence Zwimpfer. “But unfortunately we can’t include them. The channels for recycling this equipment are not sufficiently well developed so we encourage everyone to hold onto old TVs for just a bit longer.”..

Army of Helpers Involved with Tasman’s Natural Environment

In the International Year of Biodiversity, the Tasman natural environment has many helping hands.

Many landowners and a host of enthusiastic groups are involved in a wide range of restoration projects on their own property, on other private land and Crown land. These projects include weed control, predator control, and restoration planting.

The groups include Forest and Bird, Friends of Flora, Friends of Rotoiti, Friends of Cobb, Friends of Mangarakau Swamp, Onekaka Biodiversity Group, Puketawai Cultural and Ecological Restoration Group, Friends of Mapua Wetland, Wakefield Bush Restoration Society, Abel Tasman Birdsong Trust, Ngati Koata Trust, NZ Landcare Trust, QEII National Trust, Native Bird Recovery Richmond, Tasman Biodiversity Forum and now the Waimea Estuary Forum.

Other agencies are involved in Council-led groups and include Fish and Game, Federated Farmers, Landcare Trust, and the Department of Conservation.

More and more farmers are becoming aware of the importance of the contribution of wetlands and riparian plantings to water quality and bird habitat, and are fencing these areas to establish and protect them. Council assists by supplying fencing materials.

The Council is involved with 140 landowners who have natural areas with high biodiversity values. The aim of this Natural Habitats Tasman programme is to provide a better understanding of indigenous biodiversity on private land.

Landowners agree to visits from ecologist Mike North, who provides a comprehensive ecological report. The hope is that if landowners understand the significance of the natural areas on their property, they will protect and maintain these assets.

The project is expected to take another 10 years to cover the more important natural areas throughout Tasman.

Lindsay Vaughan is the Council’s Biosecurity Coordinator and oversees the biodiversity project work. He liaises with environmental groups and runs the Tasman Biodiversity Forum, a group that meets in May and October. The recent meeting heard about the specific benefits of well timed predator control for native bird recovery, measured by scientists following aerial application of bait. The latest results from the bat survey across the Top of the South (a Forest and Bird project) and updates from the Tasman Native Habitats programme and the Waimea Inlet Forum.

Contact Lindsay Vaughan for further information on any of the these projects

Council also co-sponsors the annual Environment Awards, which recognise the outstanding projects around our district, from large groups to small landowners, and from businesses to preschools.

Nelson Airport Takes Out National Title Again

The Nelson Airport team triumphed over New Zealand’s major airports to once again take the Airport of The Year award and bring home the Interspace Airport Cup awarded by the New Zealand Airports Association at its annual meeting in Queenstown on Friday 15 October 2010.

Chairman Paul Steere emphasised it was not just a great commendation but a ringing endorsement that the airport should win twice in three years. “Nelson airport is a great gateway to a great destination” he said. “Full marks go to Kaye McNabb and her team for pulling this off again.”

Chief Executive Kaye McNabb also praised the team at Nelson Airport, noting it was not only Nelson Airport Ltd staff but all the other businesses that contribute to the success of this airport.

“Not only does the growing aircraft maintenance industry provide significant economic benefit to the region, but the same “working together” attitude pervades the whole airport and it is what makes the atmosphere in the terminal area so welcoming and positive for our travellers.

“Everyone who works at the airport, from engineers, ground handlers, check-in staff and pilots to taxi drivers, the cafe staff and our own security force make this airport what it is and all should share in the pride of holding this cup,” said Kaye.

“While Nelson Airport is quite small it still serves over 600,000 passengers a year, which puts us in the Major Airports category,
so success at this high level is particularly sweet. It’s also very satisfying to be the first airport to win this prestigious award twice,” she added.

Nelson Airport Limited is jointly owned by Tasman District Council (50%) and Nelson City Council (50%).

Beach Clean-up Draws Big Muster

A call for community groups to join in a spring clean of Tasman Bay beaches next month has had an enthusiastic response, with about 1000 people expected to turn out for the coastal tidy-up.

Fifty groups have signed up to clear rubbish from sections of coast from Abel Tasman National Park to Cable Bay on Saturday 20 November 2010. When the beaches had all been allocated but groups still wanted to take part, the clean-up was extended to rivers and streams. Five groups will clean the banks of waterways, including Nelson’s Maitai River, Brook Stream, Poorman’s Creek and Saltwater Creek, and Reservoir Creek in Richmond.

This first Tasman Bay Big Beach Clean-up, covering 291km of coast, has been jointly organised by the Department of Conservation, Tasman District Council, Nelson City Council and Nelmac Ltd.

Rudy Tetteroo of DOC said the beach-cleaning groups ranged in size from six to around 40.

“Some are family groups, with as many as 30 of them making a day of it at the beach. There are girl guides, banks, forestry companies, church groups, sports clubs, water transport operators, local newspaper staff and other clubs, businesses and organisations taking part.

“Others have offered services such as boat transport for ferrying people, or vehicles to cart rubbish collected from beaches to rubbish collection points at Tahunanui Beach in Nelson, and transfer stations at Beach Road in Richmond and Robinson Road in Mariri, which will take beach rubbish between midday and 4.00 pm.”

Volunteers will be thanked with sausage sizzles at the rubbish collection points.

Contact Rob Francis for further information.

Exercise Sharpens Tsunami Response Skills

A tsunami bearing down on New Zealand prompted more than 60 emergency personnel to scramble in Nelson on Wednesday 20 October 2010.

The huge wave was theoretical, thankfully, as part of the national Exercise Tangaroa designed to test response systems – “a good chance to think through the puzzle,” says Roger Ball, manager of the Nelson Tasman Emergency Management Office.

The first shift of 30 staff at the operations centre in the Nelson City Council building received the “news” of a big earthquake in South America. As the resulting tsunami raced across the Pacific, staff fielded data on its size and likely arrival time. Computer modelling then outlines the probable impact, including how far the water will surge inland.

Roger says under the Tangaroa scenario, emergency services might be marshalled to begin mass evacuations, apart from dealing with damage and casualties.

During the exercise the Golden Bay emergency team was also activated, with its own unique challenges such as warning tourists in Abel Tasman National Park who may have little English.

The exercise was led by the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management (CDEM) and supported by the 16 regional CDEM groups, plus police, DoC, medical, social and other agencies. The Nelson regional Urban Search and Rescue Team simulated evacuating a small number of homes as a practice.

Such tsunami training is held about once every three years.

Tsunamis have been high in the public consciousness since the Boxing Day tragedy of 2004, with waves up to 30m high killing nearly 230,000 people in 14 countries – one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history.

In September last year, a tsunami caused catastrophic damage and loss of life in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga.

Roger emphasizes that Nelson’s risk is relatively low because of its geographic protection on three sides. The main tsunami danger would be from a big quake near Taranaki or on the Wellington faultline.

Coastline Caution

If you are at the coast and experience any of the following:

Feel a strong earthquake that makes it hard to stand up, or a weak rolling earthquake that lasts a minute or more
See a sudden rise or fall in sea level
Hear loud and unusual noises from the sea

Move immediately to the nearest high ground, or as far inland as you can.

Library Renovation a Winner

The refurbished Richmond Library has scored high praise in the Nelson Marlborough Architecture Awards 2010 – completing a double for Tasman District libraries.

The library received the Public Architecture Award for “a lively response to the new script for modern libraries”.

“This interior revitalisation celebrates openness, transparency and vitality. It has included an in-library cafe and an Imaginarium where users can rehearse and record music,” said judges from the New Zealand Institute of Architects.

“All this activity is handled by the architects with style.”

The library also received a Resene Colour Award. Judges noted the muted dark grey exterior. “Inside, the colours are reassuringly warm and neutral, but with a sparkle.” Overall the impression is “assured, deft and restrained”.

The $2.2 million refurbishment, which opened in July 2010, includes a suite of computers offering free internet, a news hub with newspapers and television feed, comfortable chairs for a long read, a sunny courtyard, “storyteller’s couch”, meeting rooms and facilities to preserve and digitise historic material.

Tasman Libraries manager Glennis Coote, Property Services manager Jim Frater, and Brian Riley, of Arthouse Architects, collected the awards at a ceremony at the Boathouse, Nelson.

“We’re pretty chuffed,” said Jim. “It makes the stress and inconvenience of a very testing project worthwhile.”

Glennis added that the renovation has also won endorsement from library users: “The public response has just been great.” Patronage increased 39 per cent, to 1000 people a day, in the July to September quarter, with issues of books, CD’s and DVD’s up 17 per cent.

Two years ago the new Takaka Memorial Library, by Nelson-based Redbox Architects, won both the Public Architecture category and a Resene Colour Award. In the first three months after the new library opened visitor numbers increased 10 per cent and issues were up nearly 12 per cent compared with the year-before period.

Community Recreation - November 2010

Tasman Creative Communities Scheme

This scheme provides funding to support community arts and cultural activity. Funding is available to support art activities and events that increase participation in the arts, increase community-wide interest in the arts and enhance and strengthen local arts. There are four rounds per year.

Closing dates are: 10 November 2010, 10 February 2011, 10 May 2011 and 10 August 2010.

More information about applying for the Tasman Creative Communities Scheme

Supporting Community and Volunteer Groups

Tasman District Council supports community and volunteer groups through the provision of advice, grants and partnership arrangements.

This support includes:

The annual Community Grants scheme for ‘not for profit’ community and voluntary groups working for the benefit of Tasman District communities.
Joint coordination of the annual TrustPower Community Awards.
Support of the Found community directory database. (Hard copies of the directory are available at council offices or view online at www.found.org.nz).
Providing free access at libraries to the Fundview and Breakout funding databases.
Partnerships with groups supporting the sector, such as Volunteer Nelson, which advocates on behalf of volunteers, provides training and promotes volunteering to the community. Contact www.volunteernelson.org.nz or freephone 0800 865 268 .
Information sharing - for example did you know that TechSoup New Zealand provides donated software from companies such as Microsoft to eligible New Zealand charities, voluntary and community groups? Visit www.techsoup.net.nz for information

SportStart

The SportStart grants scheme is a Way2Go initiative to remove barriers for children wanting to take part in sport and physical activities. The fund is to help parents, or caregivers of children aged 5 –16 who can’t meet the costs of a sports team, a school camp or other organised activities. Grants are $30. Provider registration and application forms are available at Way2Go Hubs, Sport Tasman or Sport Marlborough or email way2go@nel.sporttasman.org.nz .

You Can Help Support SportStart

SportStart fundraising quiz - Friday 19 November 2010, 7.00 pm – 10.00 pm. The Suburbs’ soccer pavilion at Saxton field. Register your team and help support Way2Go’s SportStart fund. There are great prizes to be won.
Contact Marty Clark - Phone 03 923 2315 - for further details on SportStart, or to register your team.

Spring Ride Stride

Spring has Sprung - it’s time to get out for a walk or ride. Join the Spring Ride Stride community challenge to walk around the world! This year’s Spring Ride Stride Challenge begins on 1 November 2010 and goes through to 30 November 2010.

Spring Ride Stride is a joint initiative of the Heart Foundation and Way2Go and is all about encouraging the community to have some fun being active. Tasman District Council is one of the partners behind Way2Go.

Spring Ride Stride is a game where family, friends or workmates, form a group (of up to 10 people) and take up the team challenge to walk around the South Island. The combined regional challenge is for all teams’ totals to add up to the equivalent of a walk around the equator! There is no entry fee; however a donation can be made to the Heart Foundation.

Last year, 250 people in 30 teams managed to walk around the world! So the challenge is.....can we do better this year? Register your team today and help to walk around the world.
Contact the Way2Go Regional Advisor on Phone 03 923 2315 or way2go@nel.sporttasman.org.nz or Averil West, Heart Foundation, on Phone 03 545 7112 or averilw@heartfoundation.org.nz

Motueka Garden Trail

Saturday 30–Sunday 31 October 2010, 10.00 am - 4.00 pm

Tickets from Motueka Toy Library, Potters Patch & Mitre 10. Proceeds to Motueka Toy Library.

Community Notices

Notice of Meeting - Kiyosato AGM

1 November 2010, 7.30 pm, Tasman District Council meeting Rooms, Hickmott Place, Motueka. All very welcome.

Nelson Bays Police Town Hall Meetings

Nelson Bays Police are holding a series of “town hall” meetings across Tasman District over the coming weeks. This is an opportunity to find out what police see as priorities in your area and to share your views on what police could be doing.

Nelson Bays Area Commander, Inspector Brian McGurk will chair each of the meetings, along with members of police from your local station.

Mr McGurk said partnerships with the community are vital to effective policing and he encouraged people to come along and be informed about some of the local policing issues and share ideas about making their communities safer.

Meeting Dates:

Motueka – 7.00 p.m. Monday 1 November 2010 – Memorial Hall, Pah Street
Murchison – 7.00 p.m. Wednesday 10 November 2010 – Recreation Centre.

For more information contact Tasman Police District Communications Manager Ph 03 545 9843.

Notice of Meeting - Lake Rotoiti Volunteer Fire Force AGM

Annual meeting takes place at the Lake Rotoiti Fire Station on Monday 15 November 2010 at 7.30 pm.
For more information phone Malcolm McConochie 03 521 1843 or Alison Rothschild 03 521 1806 (work), 03 521 1922 (home)

Notice of Meeting - A4A (Accessibility For All) forum

10.00 am to 12 noon, 5 November 2010, Tasman District Council meeting room, Richmond.

A Helping Hand that Spans the Globe

“Where there’s a need” is the closest Chris Smith can get to describing why he gives so much to Wakefield. His rollcall includes the school board, village hall committee, the Miniature Rifle Club and the Wakefield Bush Restoration Society.

Chris, who received an Outstanding Community Service Award from the Tasman District Council recently, also spreads his compassion across the world, to orphanages in Zimbabwe and Moldova, in Eastern Europe.

Stoke and Richmond-raised, he spent his early working life with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in Christchurch, where he and wife Pam had two sons and a daughter. In 1986 he joined Nelson Pine Industries. Cheaper house prices convinced the family to settle in Wakefield. Three years later they had the choice of rebuilding or moving into town, and the children, particularly, voted to stay.

By then Chris was already enmeshed. Indoor bowls led to him joining the hall committee in 1988, as the voice of users of the Council-owned facility. The hall was built in the late 1970s following “a terrific effort of fundraising” to replace a burnt-down hall.

The committee’s role expanded when the old library building in town became vacant. It was handed to the committee to administer. The Toy Library took over a part-tenancy and has now expanded to fill the building.

Ironically, Chris only played bowls for a year. His other sport, shooting, lasted until his eyesight began to fade. He has also mucked in for the bush group with building seats, track maintenance, planting and weeding bees.

He’s been a member of the Brightwater Community Church management team since 2002. The church, and local schools, support the orphanage in Moldova with packages of pads, pencils etc. The church is also the base for the annual truffle rolling, where scores of volunteers gather to roll the chocolate and coconut sweets, then bag and label them for sale as a fundraiser.

Parishioners have also mustered to paint the house of a local man recovering from a heart attack, and recently dispatched a load of baking to a church in earthquake-damaged Christchurch – who had enough to distribute the goodies to the wider community.

It’s that sort of small-town altruism that appeals to Chris. Wakefield is “a good bunch of people”, and he represented them on the Community Council for nearly two decades.

He has also mentored three boys through the Big Brothers, Big Sisters programme, guiding each for a couple of years.

“It gave me an excuse to do things I’d put off doing alone,” such as fishing, hunting and tramping.

At age 61, Chris has retired from Nelson Pine and cut back on his community duties lately with the recurrence of the cancer that cost him a kidney four years ago. But shrugging off the tiredness that is the main symptom at present, he is now involved with the Friends of Rotoiti, checking rat traps, and when Newsline spoke to him, was preparing to fly to Zimbabwe for three weeks of maintenance work at an orphanage.

He rued missing the chance to join the recent Habitat for Humanity house-building team in Nepal. It might be futile for Chris’s doctor to recommend rest.