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• National Conference
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF RURAL WOMEN NEW ZEALAND • ISSUE No.2 June 2007
issues
make your voice heard by Liz Evans, national councillor
A ‘No Cows, No Countryside’ campaign has recently
Nominations for local body and DHB elections open on 27 July and be launched by English lifestlye magazine, Country
close on 24 August, with elections to take place on 13 October. Living. The year long effort is designed to encourage
consumers to buy locally produced food and advance
RWNZ is keen to support rural candidates to ensure good the notion that farming is good for the countryiside.
representation of rural communities and their specific We in New Zealand should take note of this campaign
concerns. If you are intending to stand please contact national for it has several components relevant to our current
office so that we can publicise RWNZ candidates amongst our status as an agricultural exporting nation anxious
membership. To date we have details for one member who about production versus environmental impact and
is intending to stand, our Regional Development Officer for the place of rural in our society’s pecking order.
Region 6, Rachael Dean. A fascinating facet of the campaign is the hint of
criticism of the role of environmentalism in the demise
Rachael Dean will be standing for
of British farming. This is a change from what we are
the Waikato District Health Board. increasingly told about the supposedly negative effects
Rachael is currently serving on of agricultural grazing on landscapes here.
the Health Waikato Advisory
Committee for the Waikato DHB. Having recently attended a national NGO forum on
She has previous experience climate change submissions, described by some of the
as a City Councillor, Borough participants as“high level policy making”, it is obvious
Councillor and Southland Area New Zealand is in the grip of land use ambivalence.
Health Board Member. Rural Women New Zealand was one of only two community-based
organisations invited to take part in the forum, during which the
Rachael’s professional life has head of one of our largest influential environmental lobby groups
been spent as a Chartered advocated the cultivation of gorse on our farmland because of its
Accountant, internal auditor, function as a carbon sink, while another leader stated that the only
project manager, IT and business farming allowed here should be of plants and trees. The position
consultant. She was raised on a high country sheep station and contribution of farming and its people, and our accompanying
and currently works with her husband in their family business. rural communities, were of little consequence. The need for exports
She is involved with volunteer work, is a theatrical armourer to fund the economy in general didn’t rate a mention.
and tutors FarmSmart courses. She also rows, shoots and is The Country Living campaign seems to be bypassing
an associate lamb judge and board member for Diving NZ. the political, academic and extremist elements strangling
Rachael is concerned about issues of access to health outside British farming and making its pitch instead to consumers,
traditionalists and tourists. How long will it be before we too
the big cities. Her candidacy is endorsed by Waikato Federated
need a campaign to save our farming?
Farmers. She will be available from the end of July to meet
and talk with RWNZ members and other groups such as (Abridged from an original article by Liz Evans published in
Lions, Rotary etc. She would also appreciate promotion The Press.)
of her candidacy in any newsletters you produce. Email
gwwservices@inspire.net.nz or call (07) 827 6778. Rural policing initiative welcomed
Seven rural police officers have been appointed to the Central
Hills Harvest Award Region police district and will be part of a two year study to ascertain
the value of placing police officers back into rural communities.
Wanganui Rural Constable, Allan Spooner, is one of the seven
appointed, and he recently held a meeting with rural stakeholders,
including Rural Women New Zealand. He said there was a
need to get involved in communities very quickly and show
New Zealand what could be achieved with these new roles. A
big bonus was that his time was now ‘ring fenced’, meaning he
could not be called on for town work. In the past rural policing
had been one of Constable Spooner’s four portfolios, but he had
no time allocated to spend in the role, he said.
RWNZ’s Provincial President, Joan Black, attended the first
Leonie Batt of Kiripaka branch has won the a Ballance Farm community consultation meeting held to ‘brainstorm’ on rural
Environment Award for her 70ha avocado orchard and dry issues. The new constables will be focusing on the criminal
stock property near Whangarei. The present attractive state element in rural areas, drug issues, boundary problems, stock
of the property is a tremendous achievement said the judges. theft etc. Constable Spooner said any burglary, no matter
Almost all the 25ha of bush and waterways have been fenced how small, should be reported as it could be part of a bigger
to exclude stock and pests are actively controlled. The orchard picture. He also warned against renting spare houses on rural
and farm also contain some of the best examples of conserved properties, or at least getting tenants checked thoroughly
native bush in Northland. Now in her 70s, Leonie is very
active in the orchard, and employs two part-time workers before signing up.
of a similar age. The orchard produces high yields of top The extra seven rural constables will increase the visiblity
quality avocados, with six different varieties providing both of police in rural areas in Central Region and if the pilot is
shelter and fruit, maximising income from the export and local
market, seed for nurseries and oil pressing. successful it is hoped it will be extended to other areas.
Balancing this
viewpoint was
the
closing speaker, Jeanette Crean,
who spoke about her family’s timber
business. Many of the 100 staff were
contact, involvement in
‘unemployable’ by others standards,
local issues, educational
but by taking them on one at a time and
opportunities and
showing them there was a better way,
advocacy at a national
Jeanette and her husband changed so
level. My aim is to see our organisation flourish by focusing
many of their lives. “I believe success
on the needs of today’s young rural women and actively
is measured by what’s left when all the
meeting those needs.”
labour is done,” Jeanette said.Perhaps
the Sensible Sentencing Trust would be After dinner entertainment at
out of a job if there were more people national conference included the
like the Creans in this country. amazing creations of Oropi branch
members, who stunned delegates
Delegates listened in awe to dress
with their outfits and ensembles
designer and publisher, Annah Stretton,
created from shower curtains,
whose energies seemed boundless, about her successful
plastic bags, doilies and tablecloths.
Now in their eighth year, the women
entertain at various functions
around Tauranga.
our people
If you are out and about in Mid Canterbury keep an eye out Hilary McNab was
for the Winchmore rural women at work. Maureen Maginness announced as the winner
and Sandra Curd followed of this year’s Directors
in the footsteps of more
Course Scholarship at
famous‘calendar girls’when
national conference. The
they threw off their tops at
conference and proceeded to scholarship is sponsored
launch the latest Winchmore by Meat & Wool New
Branch fundraising project Zealand, and the course
for breast cancer research. run by the NZ Institute
of Directors.
The pair gave us a sneak
preview of the delightful 2008 Hilary decided to apply
Calendar produced by the after being motivated by a presentation at the Ministry
.branch with mid Canterbury of Women’s Affairs when she attended the RWNZ
Sandra Curd (rt) and Maureen rural scenes and carefully
Maginness Wellington Experience earlier this year. “The Wellington
positioned models - all branch Experience was motivating for me and I hope I will be
members - who bared their flesh down on the farm, all in the name
able to in turn motivate at other levels.”
of a good cause. Sandra Curd says the women were passionate
about the project as some of their branch members had sadly “I see the course as an excellent opportunity to do
been affected by some professional development as I have served on
breast cancer. numerous committees and boards, and this course
Just like the presents me with an opportunity to upskill. It will move
Calendar Girls me out of my comfort zone and be a tremendous challenge.”
movie, the first
run of 1,500 Hilary is on the Farm Board of Management at Telford Rural
calendars has Polytechnic and the Coopworth Sheep Council of NZ as
sold like hot well as serving as Provincial President for South Otago Rural
cakes and a re- Women New Zealand.
print is already
being tipped. “Miss June” - Sandra Curd ‘at work’ in the
The Branch’s aim sheep yards
You Go Merle!
to raise $15,000 Two years ago Merle
for the Cancer Society is likely to be surpassed. To order calendars Wyllie entered our
write to Ngaire Brown,‘Logan Stud’, 226 Cochranes Road, RD7, national speech
Ashburton. $15 a copy, cheques to Winchmore Branch RWNZ. competition speaking
on the theme
Tributes and Trophies “Women Are Ready”.
Sherrill Dackers, our outgoing president, was made a National Life She talked about all
Member at national conference in Rotorua, recognising her years of the activities she’d
service including membership of a number of Boards and Committees tried, and suggested
and her commitment to social issues, particularly health. that perhaps she
Tribute was also paid to Rhonda Riddle, retiring national would have a go
councillor for Region 1, who was made a National Member at sky-diving next.
of Honour. Her astute mind, involvement in land care issues S o t o c e l e b ra t e
and contribution around the council table was acknowledged her recent 75th
as she was made a National Member of Honour. birthday, she went
The Honora O’Neill Trophy for the Best Provincial Report was to Taupo with her
won by Jan Crayston of Otago. The Cora Wilding Cup for granddaughter Amy,
handcraft (a spectacle case) was won by Anne Murphy, and the and daughter- in-law
Wool Competition (a wall hanging) by Margaret Springett of Fiona, and signed up
Taranaki. The Talbot Trophy for Best International Report went for a tandem dive.
to Melva Robb of Marlborough, while the Lady Blundell Trophy
for the Most Innovative Branch Project was won by Drummond “The plane climbed to 12,000 feet. Then we were buckled
Branch in Southland for their collection of local history.The securely to our jump masters and jumped out free falling
Marlborough Short Story Award was won by Beverley Blanche rather rapidly to 6,000 feet, until the parachute opened.”
of West Melton Branch, and Fiona Gower of Waitanguru Branch
won the national speech competition with her take on the theme The rest of the descent was at a leisurely pace with plenty
“Sure to Rise”. Bev’s short story and Fiona’s speech can be viewed of time to look down on Taupo township. Merle steered the
in the Members’ section of our website.Hilary McNab of South chute right to the landing spot, and the three women later
Otago was announced as the winner of this year’s Meat and Wool celebrated together.
Director’s Course Scholarship.
noticeboard
the Otago Central Rail Trail
They came from Australia, Nelson, the North and the
South Island to take part in the Triple F Challenge issued
by our Otago Regional Development Officer Pat Macaulay
to RWNZ members to conquer the Otago Central Rail
Trail. In all 79 cyclists set out from Clyde and cycled to
Middlemarch over three days, with nine support crew
and 26 others who walked around 15km each day, all in
the name of ‘Fitness, Fun and Friendship”.
Demonstrating with two of his own dogs ‘Smith’ and his Peter Allen gives Denise Davis some pointers in the Anawai
14-month-old daughter ‘Penny’, Peter showed that even Station yards
well trained dogs continue to learn: his young dog Penny
accomplished something she had never managed before says until the dog knows Stop, Come, Over and Back
– that’s Left and Right if you don’t speak Sheepdog – and
some other more esoteric commands, there’s no point in
distracting it with the interesting sight of sheep. His main
aids are a light rope, a pole with a collar at the end and
shorter sticks to guide the dog in the required direction.
Official Journal of Rural Women New Zealand • PO Box 12021, Wellington • Tel 04 473 5524 • Fax 04 472 8946
Editor: Head Office, PO Box 12021 Wellington • Printer: Precise Print, Paraparaumu