Marie Hazledine-Barber

Christchurch
City Council Social Housing :
I WALK ALONE

New Zealand cities are the people. Some of those people who make up the cities, and have contributed to the nation, are a small proportion who requires affordable housing. Many are less fortunate financially through circumstances, some are disabled, and some are special needs. Nevertheless their contribution and efforts should not be overlooked or disregarded. Those who are empowered in city councils should recognize the daily effort and hurdles the less fortunate or special needs people have to cross that most of us take for granted
The housing stock owned by the Christchurch City Council state in their Proposal for Funding Portfolio: Since 1938 and 2007 their housing stocks require refurbishment although in general the units are in reasonable condition.
69 years of collecting rent, rises along the way, one would expect as Landlord the Christchurch
City Council housing stock through maintenance would be in reasonable condition. Not forgetting many of the tenants themselves take pride in their affordable home developing beautiful gardens, adding personal touches caring for their environment.
In a country like
New Zealand it is a sad indictment on our society when the reality is those less fortunate carry the yoke of mismanagement, greed, stupidity, self serving, pompous, arrogant, wasteful disrespectful councils who are in a privileged position as servants to serve the city for the good of all people: as it consistently appears to be the case with the Christchurch
City Council.
Extravagant spending of $17 million dollars on a bail out from failing property developer Dave Henderson with the excuse he may in the future buy the buildings in the inner city back, in his mid sixties and being bailed out why would he! Then a $1 million on an inflatable dome, works of art to supposedly rejuvenate the inner city. Plus an estimated $400,000 to buy the popular World Buskers Festival comment from the Mayor Bob Parker is one of “declines to comment”!!
For the council in response to a High Court decision to refund the 24% rent rise imposed on the tenants who are already on very low incomes to suspend so called all non-essential maintenance.
Now seeking to gradually raise the rent and produced a planned portfolio of intent to refurbish the housing stock. Comment of the housing stock is that it should be self funding. Good property business practice would agree with the principle. Then one would question why are so many of the units old and modern have been ignored in design and good business practice.
Why are the tenants made to feel guilty, that they are a nuisance, or threatened, abused by rudeness that any request that is reasonable is treated with disrespect. Frustrated tenants’ then endeavor to cope with a dysfunctional maintenance program and can wait for weeks for a so called “non essential work” eg no water pressure for a plumber to arrive to fix.
The housing Department ignore Tenancy Tribunal rulings when the Council is bound by law to the Residential Tenancies Act to maintain housing to a reasonable state of repair and abide by the contract of each tenant.
Life of one special needs tenant.. He is Prada Willie, has lived in his flat for nearly ten years and paid his rent. In his contract rent includes a refrigerator and a washing machine. After nearly eight years the refrigerator began to fail and ice-up. He was told to make it work by putting his hand through the ice box and tickle the thermostat. After much arguing and stress the council finally sent him to purchase a new refrigerator. However when the washing machine failed after nine years and flooding intermittently he was told to hand bail out the water with a jug. Then told it was not flooding at all. After some months proving the machine did in fact flood he was offered a replacement second hand washing machine that was in a state of disrepair. A tribunal meeting and six months effort a private party bought the tenant a new machine and told the council to remove the second hand machine that no normal citizen would find reasonable to use.
Any reasonable and fair request for maintenance or care is greeted in a manner that is obstructive, dysfunctional, rude and dismissive.
To the point one becomes to question the expenditure of such extravagant spending such as bail-outs, inflatable domes etc when the housing department of Christchurch
City Council is fractured, lacks leadership, inspiration, awareness of the grief it puts their tenants through, citizens, people of the city who pay for services by way of rent and are pushed to extremes that most ordinary person would not entertain in their lives. I am sure the Mayor would not like to be treated in his home the same. Or have service people walking in his absence.
The hardship of struggling to pay for power in the winter using inefficient heating in flats with non insulated walls and freezing conditions and those with medical reasons are denied efficient heat pumps to disperse damp air and mold. Unless you are wheel chair bound.
It is a disgraceful way to treat and burden those that are less fortunate; we should celebrate and care for them. The simple things of life to aid their quality of life should come before luxury ticket items and above all treated with courtesy and respect. After all they have paid the rent and for the services.
The Christchurch
City Council housing stock can afford to do so but the constraints appear to have formed through mismanagement, greed and waste by the Council themselves.

For years Shayne Sime aged 42 after a severe head and spinal injury, struggled in life as a paralysis gradually crept through his body, rendering him wheel chair bound. An injury in the medical world in New Zealand called the silent injury.

Living alone in his own silent world, the monumental effort to just achieve simple tasks the able bodied complete with ease, the frustrations, the agony asking for help, the sadness in feeling the incomplete man.

Shayne Sime joined a gun club that family felt was a place to meet other “blokes” be accepted as a contributing member, respected in spite of his crippling state, and have a social life with a positive future. After all he could drive a car using hand controls.

Shock waves swept through New Zealand as the news broke that police had shot a paraplegic and the McLean’s Island Club members (Gun Club) reeled at the news it was Shayne Simes who had broken or snapped firing his guns into a quiet neighborhood with bullets that could potentially travel 7KM, he had a stash of a hundred rounds.

Shayne with some mobility wheeled himself around his home indiscrimtaly firing into the night.

Police arrived and the tragic end there was no other choice ,for the police, but to shoot Shayne dead. A Suicide by the Police act with deliberate thought by Shayne.

One reflects on Shayne ‘s life and one ponders had the social support allowing him to live a life of quality with ease, greater financial aid, living for Shayne took courage, strength, fantastic hope and desire, yet beaten down by social constraints to a world of fear, loneliness and despair.

His mother always supportive but parents become older and less able to support their children. Shayne’s mother nursed him over the years sacrificing the pursuit of happiness in her own life.

Those that are disabled, or special needs should have the right to live independently as Shayne did, to be free to make choices but sadly and with tragic consequences Shayne did not let his country down, his country let him down.

For the New Zealand Police a body of men and woman working the front line for the betterment of the community in such circumstances Suicide by Police one has to feel sadness for them as well in such dire circumstances.

As we as New Zealanders live on, Shayne Sime‘s actions will to, but let this remind all New Zealanders these are our countrymen, citizens of New Zealand who are disabled, special needs, homeless and instead of frivolously wasting energy, money, from Government to Local Bodies is it not time to really care for these souls, giving a structure of social support to ease the burden that weighs on their shoulders that cripple the body and mind.

We call him Te Radar. The man living off the land, celebrating the wealth of sustainable living, the Land of the White Cloud Aoteaora

New Zealand. Homegrown a T.V series that delights and amazes as Te Radar tames his wild land. Couple of cows, few chooks and a small vegetable patch.

Living in a tent the decision to put a small shed with fire place, the New Zealand code of practice for buildings there are no requirements for design or ideas accommodating innovation, technology and systems, a humble shed was built that Te Radar called home.

During the whitebait season August 15th – November 30th

New Zealand whitebait caught fresh from the dipped in egg and fried eaten with fresh home baked bread washed down with a home brew beer.

Farmers markets see a variety of home produce fresh off the land to be sold to the consumer directly. Te Radar mixes with the locals in amongst jars of home- made pickles, cheese (a skill Te Radar learnt)

The Marlborough Sounds provide salmon raised in pristine spring waters before being transferred to the Sounds and live happily in a natural wild protected life.

Te Radar the city bloke pushes the boundaries of skills for sustainable living learnt to shear sheep.

New Zealand has the best sheep shearers in the world. Proven in Norway where the world champions were recently held, New Zealand shearers won four world titles.

As the sun gently sinks, bringing a canvas of stars, in a crisp clear night sky, over Te Radars sustainable paddock, he sits back on his chair a beer in his hand, his music the quiet chuckling of his cooks and the rustle of a freshly scythed grass. The trams bell ringing to the cities of NZ fades in the distant.

The act of injustice that clearly cripples the life of a soul, by way of wrongful imprisonment, wrongful incarceration in
New Zealand and is proven the question of compensation arises.

Massive resources are indulged to Crown representatives to quash the victim and their voice. Legal aid is a minefield let alone the efforts of the individual whose life for a normal ability to earn and freely make choices have the constraints of a prison or mental institution cell.

The Confidential Forum for Former In-Patients of Psychiatric Hospitals written by Governor General of New Zealand Judge Anand Satyanand June 2007. Former In-Patients of Psychiatric Hospitals: the recent Not Guilty of the David Bain trial which to date has gripped the country’s interest are they to fade like the beautiful tapestries and military flags in historic buildings and churches in tatters and ruin. Or left on the bench at the station of life?

It seems systemic throughout New Zealand City Councils to Parliament and the MP’s to the Prime Minister the lack of passion and governance like the Emperor with no clothes.

What does or would it take for fair monetary compensation to the victims enabling choice freely a quality of life to afford a place of sanctuary and the freedom to do so.

Have the Crown Representatives and those associated treat their fellow human beings and citizens of

New Zealand that are disabled, special needs, found not guilty, or in case rated by wrongful means that would by law not be acceptable if one was a dog by the Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

It is a dog’s life to coin the expression, cruelty comes in many colours and cloth; to rob a fellow human being the ability to earn and live demonstrates that the Crown has gone to the dogs.

Perfect Sustainability New Zealand has a population of approximately 40 million sheep quite a growth from the first four sheep Captain Cook release in the Marlborough Sounds in 1773. The population peaked in the 1980’s to around 70 million sheep but declined in the advance of synthetics and alternate fabric products.

The sheep is a species that not only clothes mankind but feeds mankind. That’s perfect sustainability. From early colonial days when refrigeration was introduced ships left

New Zealand packed with valuable cargos of frozen meat supplying Great Britain in return the investment to

New Zealand was the founding blocks of our Nation.

New Zealand wool is predominately strong and the agricultural communities of sheep farmers are leaders in the world. The main four species, Drysdale, Romeny, Perendale, and Merino found grazing the green pastures produce a variety of wool for many products.
Wool for carpets, wool for clothing, even wool for tennis balls some of which have been used many times in world champion games.

Ashburton a town in the South Island produces a sock that is wool mixed with seaweed. The seaweed takes care of any moisture and the wool keeps your feet warm.

New Zealand has the famous NZ Swandri a bright checker shirt made from wool and waterproof originally designed for the workman in the country faced with all weathers. Fine Merino wool is used in designed for fashion for men and woman and even used in billiard cloth.

With changes in the way the world trades and different demands emerge for the 21st century, the humble sheep grazes quietly feeding and clothing mankind ,competing with the synthetic trade but as innovation for new products ( like the Ashburton sock)

New Zealand wool has a vital role to play for mankind.

New Zealand as a meat producer the sheep is a meat that could be regarded as one of the best in the world. Meat that is uncontaminated, clean, well cared for by improved farming methods over the past 100 years. Thanks to the researchers and agricultural advisors in Pastoral agriculture.

The humble sheep, the living sustainable species the knitting needles of the sheep farmers wives of the nation, who make the best homemade scones lashed with jam and fresh cream, many New Zealanders’ owe these hard working people for the warm woolly jumpers, the Swandri, the socks as the country forges into the 21st century on the next step of eco-sustainability.
All off the sheep’s back. We don’t know how lucky we are.

A great book to read ” A Short History of Sheep in New Zealand’ by Richard Wolfe.

New Zealand :

There seems to be the suggestion in New Zealand that Shell and even possibly other oil companies desire to pull out of the “service station” industry. One ponders the given explanation for greater revenue and expenditure for exploration. Part of the reality fuel is going to run out so why not get the best price possible for a “going concern” than to wait when ‘service stations’ teeter on redundancy.
The introduction of electric cars, or KLM the Dutch Airline experimenting with compressed air, or bio-diesel vehicles there are three major problems.

a) Sustainability e.g. Electric cars requiring charging off the grid which often fail providing enough power to a city in the “dry seasons” plus the cost due to the greed of power companies as

New Zealand experiences now for domestic power. Price would be incomprehensible.

b) Sustainability of Bio-Diesel one should heed the warning of Abraham Lincoln (USA President past) “kill the soil you kill the nation.” Indeed one would begin to starve the world for basic food.

c) Air Compression has a major problem as well: the common link to the two above examples for sustainability and that is called infrastructure.

d) All have only limited travelling distance.

Is there an answer. Yes there is. First consider the word sustainable. The world has huge resources already manufactured, by using what we have; one does not need to re-invent the wheel.Nor new types of infra-structure.

Solve the car industry then in turn solve the trucks, trains ships and aircraft as petroleum as we have today is going to run out tomorrow.

The Power of one……….. Industry, Governments, engineers, CAD designers, should come together with the meeting of minds as one, the problem about transport would be over, and oil in vast quantities can be used for other modern technology. Plastics, for example, which should be recycled.

One could put a Ferrari Formula 1 car around the track without a pit stop and still win the race.

No man is an island; it is the power of all to become one.
I am not an island; start now in fact tomorrow would be good.

I have a solution.

Where Normal is a cycle on a washing machine

Clarenden Eco- Stay was the proud sponsors of The Canterbury’s University Eco-My Flat Competition.

The four winners were from Lincoln University. They were Nicola Price (Commerce) Jody Tuuta (Landscape) Dan Allan (Teacher of Drama and English) and Lisa Norris (Social Work and Human Resource Services Post Graduate)

The winning flat occupants endeavored to shop differently using sustainable green products, walked to University to do a course for a month at a workshop of practical help to change to more sustainable practices in life.

Clarenden Eco-Stay in the beautiful Marlborough region of New
Zealand the winners prize for a weekend stay arrived by Tranz Rail to Picton from Christcurch where they were meet by manager of the property and Marlborough Tour Bus Company.

The package was to live for a few days in an eco-sustainable accommodation that to live well and comfortably in the practical sense requires a different way of thinking: than living in a city.
Apart from personal gear they were required to bring their own food. Clarenden has a gas hob, wood fireplace with flat top to cook on (which also heats the water) and a micro-wave.

Cooking was a challenge; the expectation was a modern stove in which to cook pizza. Improvisations took place and once familiar with the kitchen and the wood fire all were well fed.

Surrounded by native bush the question was where the source of fuel for the fire comes from. No native bush is cut as the Marlborough district is full of pine-tree plantations a sustainable crop and used for export .The unwanted timber is used for fire-wood.

The students found the stay quiet and peaceful. Resorting to card games and conversations. Although Clarenden is set up connected to the outside world by means of satellite should one wish to use their lap-top. At night the students found the beds comfortable and all had a great night sleep with the sounds of rustling native bush to wake to early bird song.

Discovery was the nature of the journey taking what is learnt in the classroom and living the actual lesson. The stay broke down many myths of solar energy and sustainable living the students had not considered. All went home with renewed insight of how to live a sustainable life in a world swamped with advanced technology knowing that one does not have to step back in time and live like a pioneer of days of yesteryear. Myths were broken that one can have a modern washing machine, high pressure hot showers,micro-wave etc and be sustained by the energy mother earth gives freely.
The balance of having knowledge, walking, living the experience for a future of sustainability. That was the result of the stay. http://offgridecostay.com/ for further detailed information.

New Zealand’s environmental warrior Brendan Norris a soldier on the battle field of Bureaucracy: New Zealand seems to produce great

New Zealand Warriors, mostly associated on the battle fields of war for example the Victoria Cross holder Soldier our living hero Bill Henry Apiata.

Brendan Norris after seventeen years in the computing industry across the world and spent five years in the Renewable Energy industry his expertise in developing creative solutions by combining technology, lateral thinking to design, build his home in the Marlborough Sounds a ‘off the grid’ Solar, micro-hydro electric power.

Creating the Sustainable Lifestyle

Whatever your sustainable requirements e.g:

• Living off the grid but staying totally connected

• Making your company greener.

• Reducing your ecological footprint

• Asking what would it take to live more sustainability

• Allowing your green consciousness to “show up”

• Utilizing technology to support a sustainable life-style.

New Zealand has many heroes in all walks of life; the difficult path of innovation, creativity on the field of bureaucracy is not often spoken of.

Politicians moan of the loss of brain power leaving

New Zealand shores and spend huge amounts of advertising money to encourage the return of these bright creative New Zealanders when on the back door step they are here. The money would be well better spent funding, encouraging growth in the sustainable living.

Who is Brendan Norris? Why is he important to

New Zealand? He put his knowledge and single handedly built the ideal sustainable home

off the grid and put his money where his mouth is. A living example of courage, hard work, innovation an example

New Zealand industry and big business could follow in the face of falling markets, diminishing abundance of oil supply, when we live in a country blessed with water and wind.

Power prices rising and is this necessary?. Brendan Norris’s home would suggest not. Those that wave the flag of ‘being green’ in

New Zealand the time is to stop talking, embrace the young environmental warriors and assist them in the war of bureaucracy to build this country rich with sustainable living the envy of the world.

Or we will lose such warriors on the winged bird of recognition off shore.

Philosophically those that step into the arena of conscious leadership or change to become a leader means responsibility. Leadership in the role of responsibility requires discipline, thought, and keeping a check on ones’ emotions. Being aware of professional disciplines where a personal matter is inappropriate in that arena.
Like a court of law what you think and feel is irrelevant. Or business is business and friendship is not part of the discussion.
To be a leader of others also means exercising with sincerity the belief. To hold one’s tongue, or the rule silence is golden is very important when passion or emotion begin to run wild a spoken/written word cannot be re-tracked. There is moments in life where “I am sorry “is not enough.
To declare the care and well being of mankind yet seek ruination or punishment of some that do not fit your desires, the question is ‘How much love do you have for mankind if any, or respect, or is it that you do not love or respect yourself and your belief: therefore is it that your chosen path of life and belief is really as plastic and veneered as that of a table top in a cheap milk-bar’?
To walk a positive path of belief, ask the question in your own life is there any negative actions you are holding hands with, does it, if your endeavors to be a conscious leader, cross the professional boundaries, or that of friendship, if it does the only person that will feel the pain is yourself and the pain of delusion has no mercy. For all one gains the loss is a tragedy and one of great sadness.
Author with Clare Mann writer of the book “The Myths of Life” and the Choices We Have. Research www.lifemyths.com