Report Year: 1989

There are many theories, guidelines and advice about how to lead others effectively. This survival kit contains some of those theories and guidelines for your information. However, it is important to remember that these are only guidelines. You have been elected to the job because of the qualities you already have. The following pages are to help you understand, a little better, the behaviour of yourself and others.

The reason that I have chosen this period is that this area has faced the greatest challenge to its survival during this decade than at any other time in its history. Why, may you ask, start in 1979 – It was in the year previous to that year that SMP’s were announced, heralding the way for production lead subsidies which had a severe impact on land prices. To me, the reason which lead to the most basic problem of this area: High Capital Debt. These forced land values and associated debt levels became compounded by the most severe droughts the region has experi enced. As the debt levels increased several Government packages were announced, but the situation in 1989, after all the support measures have been acted on is one of complete and utter frustration at the burden of debt shouldered by many farmers and farm services in the community. As both farming and business failures became increasingly apparent, the huge social cost of the situation began to rear its presence. Relocation; Dislocation; Marriage breakups; Marriage stress; Community helplessness; Loss of jobs are all to be found in abundance. Although all were supportive of each other, the base cause did not go away – Capital Debt. To accept the hypothesis that capital debt is the major problem facing Downland North Otago we must accept that land values were: 1. Totally inflated by a false sense of security caused by production led subsidies. 2. That the values of that land had little relationship to the productive value of that parcel, especially when the subsidy value was taken out of the commodity price which that land produced. I believe that, because of this expected dependency on the subsidies, investors were lulled into a false sense of security in their investments.

A simple introduction as to what a machinery ring is could describe it as “a management co-operative whose members, through a central office and accounting system, seek to rationalise their machinery and labour levels by doing work for and/or having work done for them by other members. It aims to make best use of members’ machinery capacity by hiring it among members at competitive rates. The real or true cost of ownership of farm machinery has been well documented and in most cases there is a very strong financial argument against private ownership. One of the main arguments for private ownership of plant and machinery is security of independence and also it enables good timeliness of completing the job which is a very important factor for the successful farmer. It may well be cost efficient to own the major items of plant and machinery that you use frequently, however, there are often many thousands of dollars tied up in plant that may only be used for a few days each year, and your neighbour is in the same situation with the same piece of machinery. Even if your plant value is realistic it could still be worth your while to consider membership of a machinery ring even if it is just for access to specialist plant and machinery.

Southland is a rich farming area. It has a reliable climate, fertile soils and a variety of topography. Its cool winters help to keep pests and diseases at bay. While New Zealand itself is renowned as a very favoured farming country, Southland produces well above national average yields in all its established products. Therefore it can be expected that our economy will continue to be overwhelmingly reliant on our established pastoral and cropping industries. This report is focused mainly on opportunities to increase variety and quality of life in rural Southland.

The problem of providing services for people is an ever present, ever compounding one in New Zealand. The decisions relating to who needs what, how those needs can be filled and how much money should be used to do so are complex, made more so’ by the fact that needs change. In the last five years the structure of services filling those needs has changed in many areas including health and local government and this has affected services provided. Some services, like health are essential and for rural people affect the structure and the viability of their communities. These communities have undergone enormous change in the last five years leading to problems for the decision makers as costs rise and resources are stretched. In order to inform the decision-makers to enable them to make best and most appropriate use of those resources, rural people require a mechanism to convey the health issues particular to their sector and have them well recognised. They need a channel for effective advocacy. It is the purpose of this study to explore the channels for effective advocacy of rural health issues with particular reference to the Southland example.

Without the quick action of one affected farmer this water right appeal would never have been heard. Includes; Correspondence between publicly formed objection committee and the Northland Regional Council (the controlling body for the Northland Catchment Commission), Procedure to formal hearing, Copy of official – applications, Copy of Report to Northland Regional Council by A.G. Phipps Senior investigating officer N.R.C. Included in Report is a recommendation by Phipps to N.R.C. Copy of official objection on behalf of Water Right objection Committee, Report of Standing Tribunal and Tribunal’s recommendation, Decision by N.R.C. to application in respect of Natural Water, Water Rights No. 4393, Appeals from Kaikohe Borough Council and Objection Committee, Conclusion: Letter to Kaikohe Borough Council from Maori trustees of Rangihamama Block.