Read our declaration to the Governor General re pollution, our dedication to our environment and our responsibilities to all future generations of New Zealanders, dated 14-07-09, then view his reply dated 21-07-09. - See Malibu Hamilton's statement re Rawene sewerage outfall
WATCH OUR VIDEO HERE - We invite WOOFERS to help us / learn
Hokianga Harbourcare
ARTICLE IN NORTHLAND TIMES 25th Feb 2004.
Will Stensness of Whirinaki (in Hokianga) is angry because the Hokianga Harbour and its tributaries, which have fed his tupuna (ancestors) for 29 generations, are in a bad way. Fish numbers are so low it takes Will up to three hours to catch a flounder and he has had difficulties getting a kayaking business off the ground because of rubbish in the Whirinaki River.
Earlier this month, Northland Health warned against eating shellfish from the harbour, because of the high levels of microcystin toxins they contained. Last July, Northland's medical officer of health Dr Jonathan Jarman warned about the "extreme risk" posed by some houses at Horeke that were discharging sewage into the harbour.
But Will, his son Randal and others, are forming a harbour care group to tackle some of these problems. "That's our cupboard out there. It has to be looked after," Will said. He said that livestock and sediment runoff was partly responsible for the harbour's deteriorating water quality and reducing this would be the Hokianga Harbour Care Collective's main aim. The collective plans to re-vegetate stream and harbour edges with native plants to create a more favourable habitat for fish and provide a buffer between land and water. It will also encourage farmers, with livestock, to fence waterways and will, itself, begin fencing off and planting out riparian strips on a farm near Whirinaki shortly.
Will said the community had got right behind the idea, with 150 people attending a public meeting in January and 32 marae in the Hokianga area responding positively to his requests for support. Will and the collective will not be venturing into entirely unfamiliar territory. In the mid-nineties, Fred Lichtwark founded a harbour care group to address similar problems in Raglan's Whaingaroa Harbour (watch video there) . Since then, the group has planted half a million trees and persuaded 80 percent of local farmers to fence off 350-400 km of stream and harbour edge. Last week, Mr Lichtwark said the Whaingaroa harbour was no longer under threat from runoff. He said that fish had begun returning to the harbour, as water quality had improved, and there were now eight commercial fishing operators working the harbour instead of four operators eight years ago.
Mr Lichtwark said dairy farmers had reported improved stock health, and a 20 percent increase in milk production, as fewer cows were able to drink from polluted waterways.
No website is yet available for this project, so we the people of the other Whirinaki in Te Urewera, include this as our koha to their task. We are honoured to include them as active members of the Kaitiakiatanga Network www.kaitiakitanga.net that shares information and resources between a number of mainly rural communities in NZ and internationally.
THE HOKIANGA HARBOURCARE COLLECTIVE KAUPAPA
In 2005 - A year later - the Hokianga Harbour Collective (HHCC) was established and well under way. Their aim is to encourage the establishment of ten other nurseries around the Hokianga operated by Marae, Community Groups and Schools, each assuming the role and responsibilities as kaitiaki (guardians) of their local patches.
This is a bold ten year program involving many young people who currently cannot secure work in their locality. It has the capacity to help grow strong and sustainable communities by giving participants the confidence to grow further into other new enterprise initiatives. (See 2007 WWF report "Not just trees in the Ground - The Social and Economic Benefits of Conservation Projects"
VIDEO For more information on HHCC work view their work (at the end of the Hunter Lovins SMART ENVIRONMENT Clip) and a radio interview on Greenplanet FM they did in July 07
They initially operated from a nursery established in the grounds of the Rawene Hospital, growing a new place of natural health for both patients and the community to work in and enjoy.
With the recent increases in fuel costs and security concerns, they have been forced to bring the pilot nursery closer to home at Whirinaki Hokianga. They are so dedicated that they operated it largely at their own personal cost. From here they are encouraging schools, marae and other groups to start their own local restoration initiatives.
Up until the Nov 2007, they have planted some 65,000 trees in the Hokianga Area.
THE HOKIANGA HARBOURCARE VISION
To be able to sit on a rock with our grandhildren fishing and swimming in clean and safe water where fish are plentiful.
To help make this happen our target is to plant 1,000,000 trees around the harbour each year.
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS BUILDING - SHARING MAORI VALUES
In addition to their on the ground nursery operation, they draw attention to all issues that may pollute the harbour and courageously expose ineffective application of the Resource management Act (RMA) and other local or government procedures that have been put in place to preserve it for future generations.
They are working with farmers and landowners to fence and plant the waterways that have been responsible for passing farming nutrients and other toxins to pollute their harbour.
They held up a roading project crossing an estuary area near Rawene, and helped the contractor establish new procedures to ensure that tar-sealing and other toxins do not leach into the harbour and destroy the fragile wildlife of the estuary.
(After planting out these and other road verges they were distraught to find careless council contractors had mown and sprayed many of the young plants. They ask how the council and government environment environmental policies still still allow the use of using toxic spray on the road verges adjacent to the harbour, streams and wetlands)
They are pressuring councils and government to ensure that effluents discharged from sewerage facilities and other developments do not continue to poison our land and harbours; putting the health of future generations at serious risk.
They have become frustrated after many years of official complaints at all levels of government about polluting discharges from the Rawene Sewerage ponds (pictured). In desperation, in mid 2006 they blocked the outfall into the Harbour to draw attention to this issue.
This resulted in a legal case against Will Stensness. This was countered on environmental grounds, and draws attention to sewerage treatment processes and the validity of discharge consents being issued under the RMA (Resource Management Act).
On a learning trip by Will and others to the Sustainable Resources Conference in Colorado in 2004 (see report) they became aware of the work of Dr John Todd who has developed "Eco Machine" sewerage treatment plantsand Paul Stamets Environmental Mycoremediation using fungi which have the potential to help overcome some of the discharge issues facing their harbour.
There is no longer any need for toxic and dangerous discharges like these illustrated to be released into our wetlands and harbour.
VIDEO Compare this with Chapter 7 of the 2007 Environmental report from MfE
INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS AND ONGOING LEARNING IN THE KAITIAKITANGA NETWORK:
As part of the Kaitiakitanga Network they are connecting with partners including environmental, community development and indigenous groups around the world for mutual support and to share best practices, many of which do not seem to be yet well understood by conventional science.
See what their Chairman Randal Stensness discovered on his learning journey with other young New Zealanders to the US and Canada in June 2007. This was arranged and made possible by Kaitiakitanga Network sponsorship. www.kaitiakitanga.net
We initiated a new program on environmental Mycorestoration (using Fungi and Mushrooms) involving all partners in the Kaitiakitanga Network. We got Randal up to a seminar on this in the US on 7-8 June 2008 then to bring information home, conduct local research and share our learning nationally
VIDEO - see HHCC at the end of the Hunter Lovins SMART ENVIRONMENT Clip click here
VIDEO - an illustrated interview with Tim Lynch - GREENPLANET FM 104.6 Click here
If you would like a copy of a DVD "Growing Aotearoa Sustainably - Tipu Ake and Kaitiakitanga in Action" which features a full Hokianga Harbourcare interview and much more, please call us and we will send you one. In return you are free to send a Koha help with our work.
Their aim is to create local opportunities for youth and community growth - Randal is an active member of the Kiwi Youth Voice Network www.thelongsong.com and HHCC invites other youth to assist them with voluntary work, university research projects etc. This and other networks open up a Win-Win learning opportunity for both the students and those young people and others involved at Hokianga Harbourcare.
They invite international and other visitors to join with them and share expertise. many overseas visitors enjoy working as volunteers with them in the nursery.
They are a very positive, action focused grassroots organisation has established itself on a shoestring budget below the radar of government sustainability initiatives and funding. If there is anything you can offer to help or share with them, or you want more information, contact:
CONTACT US:
Hokianga Harbourcare Collective,
c/o Will or Randal Stensness
791A State Highway 12
Whirinaki, Hokianga, Northland
Phone (09) 405 8415
email: hokiangaharbourcare@hotmail.com
Choose from a Spectrum of assumptions made about Hokianga Harbourcare
Positive
Negative
For this quiz, please cross out those lines that need not apply. If you need more information,
listen to their illustrated radio interview with Greenplanet FM)
1. They are creating a cathedral - where life will be full, pure and healthy for all our mokopuna
2. They are entrepreneurs - nurturing rangatahi into sustainable enterprises for Aotearoa 3. They are environmentalists - growing trees on waterways to restore our harbour's health
4. They disturb our culture's bad rules & behaviours - (When challenged we firstly ignore them, then fight the messenger and throw the book at them, before finally accepting that we must act)
5. They are criminals - blocking our human excrement and toxins from entering a fragile ecosystem
6. They are Maori dole bludgers - they should move to do "real jobs" in our factories and cities
OUR SEARCH FOR EFFECTIVE FUNDING FOR A CRITICAL PROGRAM FOR OUR NATION'S FUTURE
On 8th Nov 2005 - The Hokianga Harbour Care Collective applied for funding from the NZ Sustainable Management Fund to expand their operations to include 10 native nurseries around the harbour to fast track the harbour cleanup programme, which they believed was a positive local initiative that met all the criteria of the fund. In Dec 2005 they were advised that their application was unsuccessful, indicating to them that the government system was not serious about the critical environmental issues in their catchment, leaving them as kaitiaki with no option but to re-assume responsibility for its future themselves.
On 20th Feb 2007 - Hokianga Harbourcare resubmitted a revised application Click here to read it . On 27 April 2007 MfE wrote to them telling them that of the $28.2M in applications they only had a fund of 3.84M .. So sorry your application was declined! They do not accept this decline (see email in response) and will be using all their influence and many partners to help MfE urgently seek a much higher level of committed funding to allow this and many other community projects to go ahead, particularly given the government's recent commitment to sustainability and its 100% pure tourism publicity badge.
Dec 07 - After questioning MfE and finding that their budget for the 2008 round was still 3.84M, Hokianga Harbourcare decided not to spend more energy re-applying for the third time for the SMF funding round that closes on 24 Jan 2008. It was not considered not honorable to pursue a Government agenda, values and mindset that does not match that of broader HHCC Kaupapa.
March 07 - Hokianga Harbourcare initiated funding applications with The Todd Foundation, WWF, Tindall Foundation and ASB Community Trust seeking Koha (donations) supporting innovative community based protocols that allow the program to roll out another nine largely autonomous local nurseries from Mid 2008 to exploit the 2008/9 germination season. This is now being done with local resources.
Nov 07 Formal requests made to MSD (Ministry of Social Development, Northland) asking them to propose innovative ways to fund the wages of otherwise unemployed young and other people working on this nationally critical long term environmental restoration program. Some of the young people volunteering to work at Hokianga Harbourcare full time have had their benefits cut.
WHERE WE ARE NOW:
STOP
PRESS
To get the Whirinaki nursery buzzing over the 2007 / 2008 summer germination season, we tripled our shadehouse size to help increase our target rate to around 100,000 trees per annum.
We look forward to MSD leveraging this with creative ways to support the young people now working with us on our innovative and very practical training programmes.
URGENT NEED: The HHCC wider team is now working to secure is own funding stream and appropriate operating / training protocol allow the Whirinaki Nursery pilot operation to be replicated by further marae or other community groups spread around the harbour to get the overall planting rate up to around one million trees per annum for the 2009 / 10 summer propagation season. Each nursery will operate semi autonomously with the material required (mainly seed raise mix) centrally arranged under funding and bulk contracts with suppliers. This Whirinaki pilot nursery is be a place where key personnel from the other locations can grow the experience and skills they need beforehand.
Opara Planting Project: We are starting on a large catchment restoration project - March 2009
Our facilities and plant are available ..... our kumara gardens are prospering
Our water bottling plant is now operating to help us fund our nursery operations
PROPOSED STRUCTURE:
The HHCC kaupapa encourages a wide range local hapu and marae, schools and other groups to to participate. All community and other parties interact in a Ohu (alliance) style network structure cemented by whanau links and win-win leverage relationships driven by the common goal of a sustainable and well future for all. This Ohu in itself not a legal entity, so the HHCC operations support group that forms part of it, is the way in which funding and accountability is managed.
The objective is for the need for government and NGO funding to be phased out as communities grow their own economic bases and means of support.
^ an environment that encourages new sustainable revenue generating opportunities (year 3)
New Nurseries to be replicated around the Hokianga Harbour (growing youth confidence)
^ ^
^
^ provides a startup learning environment for new nursery staff ^Whirinaki pilot nursery ^^ ^^ provides startup support and arranges material supplies ^
^
HHCC Operations Support Group - Monitoring, Research and Enterprise Dev
^
^
^ ^ ^^ provide community wage/training^ ^ pilot $ operational funding $ ^ MSD / Task Force green / Enterprise Other seed fund sources
APPLYING A LIVING SYSTEMS THINKING APPROACH TO DELIVER MULTIPARTY OUTCOMES:
By "Systems Thinking" we mean seeing relationships between the things that make up a whole which is much more than the sum of the individual parts. This allows us to recognise interdependencies and lever opportunities for collaboration. When we add "Living" in front of this we get into nature's organic mindset; this encourages us to always be always looking for opportunities for leadership, learning and growth at all levels. "Living Systems" focus on where they want to be in the future, more so than looking for short term solutions to address the individual problems of the day.
The Hokianga Harbourcare kaupapa is one that welcomes stakeholders and groups who can who can get win-win benefits by participating in this program, including:
The Environment itself - better able to support human life, wellness and diversity for the future
Community
Young people - for whom there are currently few ongoing employment opportunities and most are denied employment support / benefits if they remain in their homes.
Marae and Community - An opportunity for cross generational projects and knowledge sharing. Opportunity to keep young people in the local community for development, succession and growth
Schools - education outside the classroom opportunities, role models for (and by) young people
Regional pride and capability - be seen to be pioneering new models for development
Private Funders
Opportunities to invest in NZ's future with innovative, collaborative programs
International exposure and the growth / pioneering best practice community driven models
Government
MSD - development opportunity for people, particularly for locally unemployed youth
WINZ - growing sustainable jobs - perhaps a little longer term focused than the current task force green
DIA - community development and new protocols to support them
TPK - opportunity to realise Maori potential, values and creativity
DOC - new local partners dedicated to protecting diversity
MfE - local action on govt priorities around climate change and sustainability
MEDU - opportunities for enhancing student / project based learning
MOH - opportunity to improve local health outcomes and thus reduce costs
MED - economic growth
TNZ - Tourism development in Hokianga area - giving credibility to "100% green"
Police, courts and corrections- positive opportunities for people
THE FUNDING AND OPERATIONAL STRATEGY THAT HOKIANGA HARBOURCARE AND ITS PARTNERS PROPOSED in 2007:
1. Obtaining direct funding to cover the high direct cost of purchasing materials and services to establish and operate the ten proposed nurseries and a centralised support group. Their low income communities involved need this to proceed, particularly over the start up period.
All nurseries will be largely autonomous and as kaitiaki will take responsibility for their local areas. They will be supported by a central HHCC support group based in Whirinaki Hokianga who will coordinate nursery establishment, participant training, supply of materials, community education and volunteer promotion, network liaison, research activities, quality and outcome monitoring, program reporting and interfaces with funders and government. (This funding is transparently managed as it is supported by direct supplier invoices)
(Compare this proactive investment in the future of Hokianga with the $20 m plus spent on the Kerikeri stone store bi-pass or the 100's of Millions of dollars the country is being forced to pour into emergency actions to clean up the Rotorua Lakes)
2. Initiate Dialogue with Government agencies MSD, WINZ, etc to recognise the much wider environmental, social economic, education, health and other spin of outcomes of this program and fund the community wage component of this. The current unemployment support, Task Force Green, economic development training and other policies to not easily cater for such a comprehensive and long term program which requires high cross agency collaboration. The program evaluates the full time equivalent employment costs of a supervisor and five young workers in each nursery against a target planting rate of 100,000 trees per annum at each nursery.
(This positive employment and learning environment is seen as an incubator that local young people in particular will roll through, en-route growing confidence for other sustainable economic development activities outside the nursery itself - see 3 and 4 below. . This is a radically different approach to employment development from one that forced them to undertake training courses that left them demoralised - with a massive student debt and no real qualifications for the future.)
This program forces us as a nation to rethink about work in low employment rural areas. The People here are proactively doing one of the most important jobs in the country - restoring the environment and growing bold new opportunities for future generations.
Its a real job and they need to be paid appropriately. Under the "polluter pays principle", government and the economic system that has caused this degradation must take its responsibility for its past actions by funding this - It is not unethical to expect largely underemployed full time volunteers to subsidise this with their own time.3. Encouraging each nursery to grow a high percentage of sustainable income to at least cover the direct material costs (1 above) by around year three. This may include (eg plant sales, tourist volunteers, visitor Whakapapa tree planting, koha, carbon credits, farm fencing contracts, roadside restoration planting, black water processing by "living machines"), cropping plantings (eg flax, fibre, medicines, food, biofuel) and water sales once it it s clean,
(We expect that as global climate change and the environment moves to become an international and national priority, revenue generating opportunities will emerge and look to Local and Central Government to establish the required environment to encourage this).
4. Incubating spin-off sustainable businesses and employment that will be mutually inter-dependent on the quality of the Hokianga Harbour water and the environmental purity of its catchment and communities. This may include: Tourisim activities (eg fishing, guiding kayaking and cultural ventures), Environmental Projects - (eg pest control), Energy projects (eg biofuels, sustainable housing), education projects (eg environmental centres, kaitiakitanga values, environmental monitoring, mycorestoration research and monitoring), Health (social and community initiatives), Enterprise projects - (eg bottled water sales)
Examples: Already operating in parallel with the existing Hokianga Nursery
1. In Nov 2007 WAI - a bottled water enterprise was started by the Stensness whanau which contributes a percentage of the bottle sale to environmental projects - eg Hokianga Harbourcare activities. This also provides for a bottle return deposit to encourage recycling. (As clean water asset becomes an international scarcity, it is essential that we look after the quality of our pure water at source. In addition to our HHCC Nursery and riparian planting activities, this requires that we no longer indiscriminately broadcast 1080 in our headwater bush for pest control purposes)
2. In 2003 the Stensness Whanau started offering kayaking tours on the Whirinaki River and Hokianga Harbour. They initiated a cleanup of the river banks, the condition of which caused them to start HHCC, but more needs to be done. (These and similar ventures also attract tourists to the HHCC kaupapa and many enjoy the opportunity to volunteer their services in the nursery, for public planting days, but more importantly to share their knowledge and create networks that open opportunities both local and international for our young people, giving them the ability to become knowledgeable tour guides
3. Gardening, succulent propagation for sale , poultry and other land based activities that are used to allow the whanau to become less dependent on external resources are practiced. Some will grow into sustainable revenue generating enterprises. Sandra Moore is a trained environmental scientist..
4. Other activities supporting enterprise and positive lifeskill and leadership development include building facilities, fencing, equipment maintenance and more, all of which add to the learning of young people involved in the HHCC nursery.
5 In April 2008 we started construction of our new environmental restoration education center in Whirinaki, Hokianga which houses our learning space, accommodation for visitors, our mycorestoration/ mushroom propagation lab and water bottling plant .6. We are assisting the court system by taking in young people required to do community service (for such things as collecting seafood). The positive attitude around here is encouraging many of them to stay on and become the engine room of our our nursery operations.
The elements of Kaitiakitanga (Sustainability and more) we promote at Hokianga Harbourcare 1. Spiritual Reinforcing our connection with the Whenua (our place), Wai (water) and all of nature 2. EnvironmentalOur restoration initiative - We use the "polluter pays" principle so won't subsidise it 3. Social and Community Preserving our Maori and rural culture - growing youth for community strength
4. Local Economic System
Growing revenue streams and trading that gives independent long term wellbeing5. Wider DevelopmentAddressing issues and supporting responsible farming, business and government
You are invited join in on this a positive initiative. If you can provide help with knowledge, materials, or source funds to assist them with this positive program, please make contact above.
If anyone has spare agricultural sheds, portable industrial site offices or similar that you would like to donate to help us set up our Mycorestoration laboratories and propagation facilities, please let us know.
Progress, Achievement and Issues Log
key:
Celebration
Action
Yellow flag
Red Flag
DateDetails of event or actionBy2002STOP PRESS - Kayaking Tours set up but unable to be run on Whirinaki River because of pollution RED FLAG - Attention drawn to this and big questions asked of local authorities and central government but no positive initiatives were forthcoming to resolve them and take action. Jan 03STOP PRESS - Hokianga Harbourcare Collective established to take local responsibility for the place. RED FLAG - More big questions asked of the system - including blocking the outfall from the Rawene sewerage ponds into the wetlands and spawning grounds of the harbour. This resulted in a charge of wilful damage. 29 SEP 04 YELLOW FLAG Prime Minister announces the Govt will fund a $10.2M bi pass at Kerekere to protect the stone store and other colonial history, but not for the natural river itself. HHCC ask why a much more significant taonga, the most historic harbour and place in the country and clean water for future generations , is not getting the even greater attention it deserves too?? (Actual cost >$20m in 2007 and not yet finished) 2004/5STOP PRESS - Nursery established in Rawene Hospital Grounds with some support from WWF thanks (See article above). 2005-7Many replanting projects undertaken - Progress was frustrated by the need to find ongoing operational and top up funding and the complex procedures needed to manage this. The ability to continue over this period came largely from the personal resources and dedication of participants. 21 May06 RED FLAG: Sewerage blocked from entering harbour from Rawene treatment plant > 21 March 07 Nov 06 Applied for Sustainable Management Funding 2006 round - not awarded Mid 06 Nursery moved to Whirinaki to avoid high transport costs Feb 07 Applied for Sustainable Management Funding 2007 round - read our application March 07 Kaitiakitanga Network sponsored HHCC Chairman Randal Stensness and three other young people from Kiwi Youth Voice on a learning journey to North America Incl Paul Stamets workshop on Fungi 27 Mar 07 Will Stenness court case re blocking of sewerage into harbour 21 May 06, fined $850 > 29 Aug 07 27 AprRED FLAG - Declined SMF funding on the basis of inadequate funding available see letter of decline 16 MayHHCC refuses to accept decline for those reasons, so have made a formal request to MfE to support them in getting increased SMF funding. Copied to PCE May 07 Initiated contact with central government, local authorities and other agencies for urgent support - FNDC, NRC, DOC, MSD to find funding to send a member of HHCC to the US to gather natural Mycorestoration technology that is potentially available to our network for riperian planting. June 07 RED FLAG - unable to get govt support for had to cancel booking at Mycorestoration Seminar 6 June Got feedback from Cameron Sherley MfE following a request for feedback on the HHCC SMF application, stating that the application was thorough and narrowly missed out on funding, due to others being ranked higher with significant outcomes at a lower cost to government. 6 June Formal request to Hugh Logan MfE, Cameron Shirley MfE, and Mark Dacombe DPMC, which was also copied and followed up with the Senior Parliamentary Secretaries for Cabinet Ministers: David Benson-Pope, David Cunliffe, David Parker, Parekura Horomia, Chris Carter and also chief labour whip Tim Barnett asking for their support and advice as to how we best take this forward. 14 June Posted an entry on the PCE discussion forum on Kaitiakitanga and Sustainability to draw attention to the need for Govt action to enroll and empower both communities and youth to participate. 28 June Peter Goldsbury met with Mark Dacombe Sustainability advisor DPMC to raise awareness of this 10 JulyFollowed up their request to government with FNDC and local authorities in Northland 13 July Discussions with Cameron Sherley to see what what progress was happening within MfE, who advised that many others were raising this inadequate level of funding with the Minister. 18 July Drew this to lack of Govt Support for local sustainability initiatives to the attention of local MP Hone Harawera, the Maori Party and Jeanette Fitzsimons of the Green Party asking that they please help us by raising questions over this. Aug Made application to the Todd Foundation for Funding- hoping to get 5 nurseries established for the 2007-08 Summer germination period and to get support for other nursery replication, training and mycorestoration activities. This they may consider from the climate protection fund being established jointly with the Tindall Foundation, but any funding would not be awarded until Mid 2008. 29 Aug07 Will Stensness - 50 hours community service imposed for sewerage blocking case 21 May 06 7 Sep07 Will Stensness - Notice to Allan David Stensness to report to Probation Service on 12th Sep 076 12 Sep07 Will Stensness - failed to report for community service 16 Sept07 Will Stensness - warrant to arrest issued for a breach of community service. Evidence given that Will Stensness supervises signs off for the probation service court imposed community service by many young offenders working with him on voluntary community projects. > next action 25 Aug 09 Sept Contacted WWF and got a copy of their document "Not Just Trees in the Ground - Social and Economic Benefits of Community led Conservation Projects" which highlights the achievements of Whaingaroa Harbourcare which inspired HHCC. Made an application to WWF for funding for the Whirinaki Nursery
Oct 07
RED FLAG : WWF approved the $16,300 "Seed Funding" needed to cover the direct costs of seed raise mix and other materials. This was to help get the Whirinaki Buzzing for the summer germination - On the strength of this we commited ourselves to purchase consumable materials and extend our nursery. As required by the contract we immediatetly put up the WWF sign at our gate and celebrated this promised support with photos on this website.
THIS PROMISED FUNDING WAS NEVER SENT TO US AND IN APRIL 2009 WE WERE ADVISED BY WWF THAT IT WAS CANCELLED AND REALLOCATED ELSEWHERE.
Oct 07 Plans started to establish "Wai" a local bottled water offering - to provide new enterprise and revenue stream that contributes to HHCC environmental restoration activities 15 Oct Contacted WINZ Northland (Carol Barnett) to discuss how the WINZ and Govt kaupapa for Northland development can be enhanced by some innovative fast-track support for HHCC with Enterprise and Community, Task Force Green and other funding streams to allow HHCC to employ a supervisor and around 5 young people at the existing Hokianga Nursery. 16 Oct Contacted DOC Northland, Regional Council, FNDC and others to look for other enterprise opportunities for plant sales to generate further revenue streams that HHCC and other autonomous nursery operations it supports in the catchment into the future OctSubmitted an application to The ASB Community Trust and others to try to urgently raise operational cost funding to allow the Whirinaki Nursery to be replicated in 9 other places around the harbour and also to establish the logistic support for them, training and mycorestoration facilities in Whirinaki (Hokianga). 8 Nov STOP PRESS - HHCC Whirinaki nursery shadehouse tripled in size, plant mix delivered and the summer germination program well under way with own volunteer resources 12 Nov Carol Barnett and Linda Smith from MSD for joining the team at Hokianga to try to find an innovative way for Govt to fund the salary component of this venture to leverage the WWF contribution and thus get the whole of government outcomes. We look forward to what they can do to help grow our young people and clean up our waterways..... No positive outcome from this. 12 Nov Received an invite flyer from MfE to apply for the 2008 SMF funding round. 13 Nov YELLOW FLAG - HHCC need to review their Incorporation / Charitable Trust status which lapsed over the period when no funding was provided. 20 Nov As a result of their interview on Greenplanet FM HHCC have been approached by an international film crew to include them in a program that will celebrate the contribution the wisdom of indigenous people can make to the future of our planet 27 Nov Prime Minister Helen Clark addresses the German Sustainable Development Council´s annual conference in Berlin and internationally verbally re-iterates NZ's commitment to sustainability - promoting the 100% PURE badge. Meanwhile, HHCC and many other local community initiatives (including schools) are approaching this challenge positively from the "action" end. Over the last few years (also raised in an interview on national radio Sun 9 Dec) RED FLAG: HHCC and others have questioned the integrity of the Tourism NZ 100%pure campaign when we see repeated breaches of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) administered by the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) and the widespread continued issue by local authorities of discharge consents that allow further pollution of our waterways. While government and its agencies are not proactively acting to halt and reverse this degradation, this contravenes the Advertising Standards Authority Code for Environmental Claims which states " The spurious use of environmental claims and claims which mislead by omission or by implication may not only bring the advertiser into conflict with this Code and the Fair Trading Act [Administered by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and enforced by the Commerce Commission] but may also cause confusion amongst consumers and potentially lessen their confidence in advertising generally". 5 Dec
YELLOW FLAG: Updated Cameron Sherley (MfE) with HHCC's ongoing funding and operational cost strategy for their comment and advice. We were advised that even after $28M applications for the only $3.84M Sustainable Management Fund (SMF) last year the figure this year remains the same See last year's formal request to MfE from HHCC on behalf of all unsuccessful community based submitters. It is considered that unless other alternative funding strategies are in place for communities of action, inviting bids (closing 22 Jan 08), without disclosing the inappropriately low level of funding available or the probability of award (likely to be less than 10%), may be both commercially unethical andpotentially embarrassing for government.
From MfE website - "We work to achieve good environmental leadership and decision making at all levels so that we can deliver the environment that New Zealanders expect and deserve".
5 Dec YELLOW FLAG: Asked Carol Barnett Ministry of Social Development MSD Northland (maybe via WINZ) if they can please help find an appropriate way in which proactive local young people and others working in the nursery can be considered to be eligible for employment benefit / training/ task force green allowances, so HHCC can urgently leverage the WWF direct cost funds to exploit local youth growth opportunities to contribute to this summer's propagation. (For the longer term, this may also require some consideration by other associated ministries including: Ministry for Economic Development, Te Puni Kokiri, Department of Conservation, MfE).
11 Dec Thanks to WINZ investigators Jo Thompson and Marlene Kaio for visiting the Whirinaki nursery and sitting around our table to better understand the HHCC kaupapa. We look forward to them supporting the positive opportunities for local rangatahi growth that we offer. They have had a very bad deal - being left up to their necks in student debt for courses of little or no value that they were required to attend or lose the ability to live in and contribute to the community. 12 Dec
RED FLAG: Added the Questionaire (above) to help clarify some of the unhelpful assumptions about Hokianga Harbourcare and to put a focus on the positive learning opportunities they offer local young people. An email was sent to MSD Northland (Carol Barnett and Marama Wiki) drawing attention to the adverse effect of traditional training approaches involving student loans. This was copied to Hon Ruth Dyson - Minister, Hon Parekura Horomia - Associate Minister, Mark Dacombe (DPMC), Hon Tim Barnett - Chief Labour Whip, Hon Hone Hawawira Maori Party MP, Northland and Diana Suggate - Office of the Community and Voluntary Sector, asking for their support for some positive new local approaches to support sustainable youth growth in the region. (See Systems thinking above)
Dec 07 YELLOW FLAG: HHCC concern that whilst Tourism NZ (and others) promote cultural tourism and the unique place of Maori interaction as a visitors experience, many of the actions of other agencies have the effect of undermining the roots of the local marae culture that needs to be in place to sustain this. We speak particularly of the policies that force young people from their rural home to find work in the cities area leaving a demographic gap and a leadership vacuum for the future. 31 Dec 07 HHCC decides not to re-apply for Sustainable Management funding closing Jan 22 as the chances of success are minimal given the inadequate funding levels and the MfE priority in on carbon and not the broader environment. Despite its 100% pure rhetoric, it seems that the system, because of its nature, values and and protocols is currently unable to support local communities determined to do the essential job on the ground. 18 Jan 08 RED FLAG: HHCC asks Local Authorities questions about where toxic waste dug from the Rawene Sewerage drain has been dumped. (Thought to be in a position where it could be washed into streams supplying water to marae and others) 29/30 Jan 08 YELLOW FLAG: John Keys (Leader of the Opposition), followed by Helen Clark, government next day, announce plans for new free training / education for youth up to 18 in an attempt to open positive paths for those who are currently bucking the system and getting into crime. (That is after two years back the same Govt shut down both the Wananga and now Southland Institute of Technology Southland who were successful in pioneering this initiative). Hokianga Harbourcare wants this new policy to include supporting the positive experiential learning they and many other "on the ground"organisations are offering local young people. 1 Feb 08 NZ Herald "100 per cent pure? Er, not quite" .. MfE releases a report "Environment NZ 2007", that highlights continuing water quality degradation. The last report was in 1997!! Ironically our volunteer friends at Whaingaroa Harbourcare have at high personal cost with minimal official support quietly driven and demonstrated vast improvements in the Raglan harbour catchment over that time. 10 Feb 08 Green Party - releases the unpublished summary Chapter 13 of the MfE Environment NZ report, Read their press release, view the YouTube video there and see Chapter 13 in full, now up on the MfE website. This reinforces the HHCC position of requiring "polluters pay" for cleaning up their the damage, not the general public and future generations. 7-10 Feb Thanks to the Japanese film crew of seven with Prof Yoshio Tsukio of Tokyo University for choosing to visit HHCC to capture the first segment of their documentary, "The Wisdom of Indigenous People; and the future of our planet" Following segments with other proactive groups include: the Inuit in Canada, Sioux and Chinook in US, Piro Indians in the Amazon and Sami people in Finland. Scheduled for broadcast national by Satelite in Japan in April 08. Also to be produced in English. 22 Feb MSD Northland advised Linda Stafford will consider HHCC needs for Task force Green or other assistance to support the wages of the young people working in the nurseries. Feb 08 RED FLAG: We concluded that the fragmented short term government support available to communities alike ours and the hoops we were required to jump through to get it were diverting us from our kaupapa and seriously compromising our values and integrity. We decided to grow our own local economic / enterprise model and income streams. Mar 08
STOP PRESS Commenced construction of our new restoration education centre and enterprise facility using our own whanau resources.
April 08
Valuable people are being attracted, offering their help as tutors and in many other ways
May 08 STOP PRESS Youth on Community Service working with us in nurseries - around 10 people now on site gaining confidence, skills and knowledge 15 May STOP PRESS Application (22 Apr) to DIA Lottery Minister's Discretional Fund to get Randal to mycorestoration workshop $4975 approved in May for flights, accommodation and registration thanks. We were disappointed that they were not willing to help us with the important second stage funding needed to help him share what he learnt with other communities on his return. 22 May Using the "Kumara Vine" to invite people to look at what we are achieving and the positive way we are doing it. Perhaps offering koha (in money or kind) to help grow and spread it widely. May 08 RED FLAG Alarm at proposed plans by FNDC to discharge more sewerage into the Hokianga Harbour August 08 EVENT: People invited to workshops to share Randal's and other learnings at Hokianga. early 09 NEWS: Bottled water plant operational and deliveries being made
Feb 09 NEWS: Project negotiated to plant and fence one of the local farmers catchment at Opara as a pilot. 13 May 09 Kaitiakitanga Network sent submission to WINZ and Government re Rural Maori Youth Opportunitieshighlighting win-win solutions available with via locally run environmental restoration projects 2 Aug09 John Key announces youth opportunity support package 14 Aug 09 RED FLAG Letter sent to Governor General re environment and tracing the actions initiated by Will Stensness. whanau and other at Hokianga Harbourcare. See his reply 25 Aug 09 Will Stensness arrested by Rewene policeman at 3.00pm, charged with not paying fines or doing community service for wilfull damage when blocking raw sewerage from Rawene and its hospital from entering the harbour. This also included other fines for claimed WOF and seatbelt violations taking the total to $ 1222. Held overnight and released on bail midday 26th to appear on Friday 28th in the Kaikoha District Court. (This case poses the question as to whether a person voluntarily working using his own whanau resources and funding on a positive community project who supervises and signs off many other young people doing court imposed community service, is not himself automatically doing community service). It is also noted that conviction records from 1969 and 1971 were included in the police case, which under the NZ clean slate legislation should be deleted. 28 Aug Will Stensness submitted evidence of a total of 680 hours of community service work by young people working in the nursery and beyond over the past seven months that he personally supervised and signed off for the Probation Service. In the years prior to this the total would be in the 1000's of hours. Case deferred for re sentencing on 7th December 2009. 30 Oct STOP PRESS - Hokianga Harbourcareworking with Te Mahurehure Marae, Pt Chavalier to cleanup and replant the banks of plant the stream that flows from Western Springs to the Waitemata Harbour 15 Jan 09 Thanks Brett Collett for producing a clip on our initiatives - WATCH IT ON Youtube Oct 10 Submissions made opposing a 25 year discharge concent for Rawene Sewerage plant outfall 14 Dec 10 STOP PRESS -The court system has withdrawn all charges and convictions on Will Stensness sought by the Local District Council when he under Kaitiakitanga took last ditch positive action to physically stop pollution being released into the Hokianga. This case over eight years has been a millstone that has constrained much more positive activities.
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