Money - what is it REALLY?

We're trying to start up a Timebank in Halswell (and you can find out more about timebanking and what it is here, or here.  I'm interested in doing this because I've recently learned a lot about our money system and it has been an eye opener! 

 I thought over the next few months that I'd write a little bit about our money system to highlight some of the issues and talk about what they mean for us and our communities.  Money has enormous effects (much more than we realise) on our way of life, on our relationships (or lack of them) and on our environment.  The system we currently have is faulty and is creating enormous amounts of waste at the same time as many people are not able to access the things that they need to live adequately.  It is also seriously weird!

First up have you ever wondered where money comes from?  As a kid I thought it appeared magically in my mum's purse (and I guess she'd like that!).  Of course I wasn't that old before I realised that it is not like that.  However what I did notice was that the amount we had to pay for things keeps going up and so does the amount that people want to earn or that people have to pay off in their mortgages.   Why is this?

It turns out that a major reason for this is that banks are not places where we put our money for safe keeping.  They are actually places where money is created and a large proportion of our money is never anything other than 1s and 0s in a computer (as this three minute video points out).  ALL of our money comes into being when someone goes into debt.  Many people do know this.  Seven Sharp had a little article on it one night pointing this out.  If you have a bit more time and interest you might also watch the Money as Debt Series on Youtube.  New Zealand banking is no different to banking in the UK or the USA.  And in case you are wondering about whether you can trust all these documentary films, even the Bank of England spells this out in this publication. 


There are enormous implications (some of them weird, as I mentioned) that  arise from this fact.  I plan to talk a bit more about some of these things in some future posts.

Response to the CCC and Western News

In February the CCC wrote a response to an editorial in this newsletter.  The Western news (Feb 15th p. 5)  also ran an article about the Wishbone cafe in our new community centre.  This is a further response to those articles.

In the Western News, Wishbone felt that they were being blamed for a decision by Council to award them a lease.   The major issue here is not with Wishbone per se but with processes that the CCC uses to award leases.  There are problems with the fact that a café that does not employ local people in the food preparation, packs everything in plastic and flies and drives much of it around the country can get a lease in a CCC facility.  There are grounds for protesting about any cafe with these kinds of practices.  It is interesting that the CCC have provided no explanation of their own practice and instead diverted the discussion away onto the operation of Wishbone itself.

Christchurch has many potential local providers who could provide a service that helps to employ Christchurch people and that have less impact on our environment.  However even cafes already in CCC facilities were not made aware of the tender being open. It would not be unreasonable for the tender process to include some efforts to engage local business.

 “Recyclable”  and "Biodegradable"
Both the CCC response and the Wishbone article suggested that the plastic packaging is ok because it is recyclable and Wishbone also say it is biodegradable.  This seems very likely to be another way to divert the discussion away from the actual issues.  They look a lot like  good ways to make us all think the wrapping is environmentally sound when in fact it is very doubtful this is the case!

Neither the CCC nor Wishbone suggest that the packaging used by Wishbone is actually recycled.   Many recyclable plastics cannot be easily recycled in Christchurch. Furthermore, if they are put into the recycling, they contaminate other products sent off for recycling.

Plastic that goes to recycling needs to be larger than a yoghurt container, and to have a recycle number on it and needs to be clean, according to the CCC waste management team.   The question is does Wishbone clean and sort its waste and do they have a special arrangement for getting it recycled?  Furthermore, how does each customer find a place to recycle the plastic if they take the food away.  There would seem to be a high change that much of the wrapping goes directly to landfill.

Biodegradable does not mean that you can put packaging into the compost heap. In general biodegradable plastic will only break the plastic down into lots of small pieces that make it more polluting rather than less so (unless it can be recycled of course!).  Biodegradable does not necessarily mean breaking down into non toxic or non polluting products.

It is a pity that the CCC staff involved appear to be trying to avoid the issues by diverting attention away from the concerns that were initially expressed.

Familiar Faces: Alex McLelland

If you have a seen  a young bearded man in his mid 20s cruising around the Halswell neighbourhood on his skateboard in bare feet, you will probably know the   face of Alex McClelland.  You may also know him because he has lived in Halswell from the age of six,  or because he is  a church youth group leader here.

The oldest of three children, Alex grew up in Hyndhope Road in a devout Baptist family.  What is a little more unusual for a traditional Baptist family is that he was sent   to the Catholic school, St.Thomas' in Sockburn.   On a school trip  to India at age 16, he observed the church's strong commitment to being actively involved in making a difference.  These strong spiritual influences  continue to shape Alex's character and choices today.

Alex and the Grand Canyon

Alex flats in Balcairn St with three friends and has recently completed a political science degree at Canterbury University.  He, however, has a  growing interest in mentoring young people and his daytime job is as a 24/7 youth worker at Middleton Grange School.  He says  the goal of his work is to get students to fully engage with school. Alex's studies have continued and he is presently studying Theology.

Travelling is also of interest.  After finishing his degree, he went to live in Phoenix, Arizona for a year, where the temperature is over 30 degrees celsius 100 days of the year and reaches a high of 49. At the other  extreme, another favourite place that he has been  is Northern Iceland and he loved it because "it was so remote and  there are only four hours of daylight and we got to see the Northern Lights"  He has also been to  some more unusual destinations:  the Sahara Desert, the coast and mountains of Morocco,  Georgia and Armenia.

While Alex enjoys travelling, it is also clear that having a strong connection with his local area is also very important to him.  When asked about this, he explains " I grew up in Halswell when it was a village and I'm afraid we are losing that.  It is important to me that I live in a place of belonging, not just a place of rest or a dormitory suburb and  that I live here and contribute to the area.  I think that we can have village "hub" with food, and recreational space, (including  a skateboard park) right here in Halswell.”

Alex has been a youth group leader at the Halswell site of South West Baptist Church for eight years.  The aim is to is to provide a place where young people can  "have fun without getting into trouble". Some of their activities  are:  camping, tramping, (recently they went  to  Able Tasman) and going on various outings around the city.  There are also  opportunities to develop leadership skills at the youth group and to help in other ways.  Alex explains his role there further: "All people crave belonging and value, especially young people.  My aim is to do my part to show them how to interact with the world in a positive way."
If you see Alex, skating in the neighbourhood say "Hi!" or if you would like to check out the youth group, it meets in Balcairn St at the church on  Tuesdays from 7-8.30.

New Youth Facility coming to Halswell

Christchurch City Council have budgeted money in the Long Term Plan to provide a skate park/ youth facility in Halswell and they will be kicking off some consultation around this sometime in early 2016.

The Halswell Residents' Association has long been working to get a new youth facility in Halswell.  A youth hui run by the Halswell Community Project in July 2014 also highlighted a need for youth facilities, and local youth workers have talked about the need for places where older children can meet and hang out safely and have fun.  While Halswell has great organised sports and youth clubs, there is not so much available for young people to just get together with friends casually.  The need is only likely to increase as Halswell grows and many more young people move into and grow up in the area.  

Prebbleton Skate Park

The recreation team have begun thinking about possible suitable sites which takes a bit of doing.  A site for skate boarding/ scootering etc needs:

·         To have plenty of space around it (so that nearby houses are not disturbed by noise), 

·         To be close to a bus service,

·         To be fairly central in Halswell so that young people can get to it, 

·         To good sight lines and people nearby who can see in, for safety,

·         Access to toilets.  

The plan it to look at sites across the area and to narrow down the options based on these criteria and then coming out to talk to residents about the options.

The nearest skate park to Halswell is in Prebbleton in Stationmasters Way.  Residents there were not too sure if they wanted this facility, but are pleased with it now.  Children and young people of all ages are using the area very well.

Watch out for more information in our newsletter, and look out for CCC staff who will be in places around Halswell (maybe at the Library, the Markets, in local schools, or round the shops or supermarket) to talk about this facility and listen to your ideas and perspectives. 

Familiar Faces: Taunya Kearns

Taunya Kearns is a familiar face in Halswell because is she is often seen in local performances with the Halswell Drama Group and the Halswell Community Choir. This year, Taunya took on the brave task of writing the variety show's script called "Time Flies When You are Having Fun," as well as directing the show, singing, dancing and acting in the show.

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Originally from Devon, England, Taunya moved here twelve years ago with husband Paul, and children Shannon and Calym . Paul was in the RAF so they have lived in various places all over Europe. They settled in New Zealand choosing Christchurch "because it felt like home" and Halswell because it was "close to the city but still had a village feel about it".

Shortly after arriving, Taunya joined the Halswell Drama Group to get to know local people. Acting and singing had also been something that she had always wanted to do, and in fact, apart from minor childhood roles, feels that "she had acted all through her life to overcome extreme shyness." This admission comes as a surprise to those who know Taunya today, as she oozes confidence, especially on the stage. Confidence has come as she has set herself more and more daring challenges, including playing a saloon madam and a male private detective. When asked what she loves about doing the shows, Taunya replied, "In acting, you can be any character; even it is is a villain or a character you don't like, you make it believable, entertain the audience and you make it your own."

Various influences shaped Taunya's script writng. Character dialogue was inspired by the questions that former writer and director Marie Manna would ask to encourage the actor's to think deeply about character background. Bertram, one of this year's main characters, was a wealthy man who had never lived "outside of his traditional business world" so re-opening a long-closed theatre was a very exciting new adventure for him. Anthea, another main character, was "money-hungry" and she frequently referred to the risks involved. Taunya had also wanted to focus on the 1970s, but then realised  much of the  audience wouldn't have   been  born by then so the time frame needed to be extended.  Inspiration for the time travel  sequences came from "Dr Who".   She set out to write a show that would have something for everyone: music, mystery, romance, history and humour, and clearly succeeded as the show was very warmly received.

Next year's show is in the planning stages and the drama group is currently advertising  for people in key production roles: Director, Musical Director, Choreographer and so on.  Auditions are in April.   "We are always looking for new talent, new people, especially of the male variety. Don't think about whether you can sing, dance or act; just think about trying. Come along and have a go!" advises Taunya. 

Deb Harding-Browne

Familiar Faces: Pam Fisher

If you have been  a regular to the Halswell Library you will recognise the  friendly face of Pamela Fisher who has been working there for the last five years and also from 1999-2006. Pam, who lives in Greenpark with her husband,  describes the Halswell library as "another home for me" and loves the community here.

Born in Akaroa, and then  later moving to Greenpark with her parents, Pam attended Lincoln High School.  A career in teaching was then considered but it didn't feel "quite a right fit" and  she decided to prepare for library employment by working at Whitcoulls. Once library qualified, Pam worked in  Waimairi /Fendalton library and but has worked mostly at Halswell.  While raising her two daughters, Pam stopped work for a time and then returned to library work when they were older.

It is obvious that Pam's enthusiasm for her job stems  from more than  being very enthused about reading.  She says the variety of her job is very appealing  and  having a flexible personality  is necessary as it is a quite an unstructured working environment where you can be doing several kinds of work in one day.  Making people happier is what Pam really enjoys, "We have a lot of retired people and young families during the day and says a trip to the library can really improve the quality of their day.

While work keeps Pam pretty busy, when she is not there,  she might be  reading her favourite author of the moment  John Boyne, or Scottish country dancing, knitting or travelling.   Fiji, Greece, Turkey and Italy are some of the places she has visited in the last few years.


WORDS: Deb Harding-Browne

A place in Halswell that few people know about

This post was prompted by spotting a family of paradise ducks (including about a half dozen black and white bundles of fluffy down) as I biked through Hagley Park last week. The scene sent me back to a favourite place of ours for sitting in the sun, reading, birdwatching or simply sitting. And our daughter will sometimes take her horse there for a change of scene.

The ponds in question sit off Sabys Road, opposite the end of Candys Road. Some of the reasons we really like the place (other than their intrinsic niceness): there are no signs telling you to do this or not do that, no seats, no interpretive sign boards, no toilets - and, so far as the Happy Bicyclist knows, NO MANAGEMENT PLAN. The place just....is. A rare thing in Halswell these days. And it seems that hardly anyone knows about the place, judging by the almost total absence of people when we've been there.

Although there were no paradise duck families that I could see on Saturday, there is always a good diversity of water birds. One of my favourites is the Australian coot. While not exactly rare, one doesn't come across them every day - but there are almost always one or two at the ponds, usually at the road end pond.

So, go have a look for yourself. But please don't tell anyone I told you about this rather special place. It might end up with a management plan.

The happy story of a former resident of Halswell

Our annual winter West Coast holiday took us on our bikes from Greymouth to Charleston. I have had a research project for many years on a rare seabird, the Westland petrel, that lives in the hills south of Punakaiki. However, the home of the great majority of the population is in "entry by permit only" part of Paparoa National Park, so my wife has never seen these beautiful seabirds close-up.

Bruce and Denise formerly lived just south of Halswell, and now run a tour that includes a small Westland petrel colony on their land overlooking Waiwhero, or Lawson's Creek. So, when I heard that their tour was open, I was keen for both of us to go along.

This picture is far from Halswell! The birds breed on a steep south-facing slope just behind the spur in the photo, and the work that Bruce and Denise have undertaken to make the site easily accessible is quite remarkable.

So, when the Westland petrels started coming into land through the forest all around us just on dark, we were all captivated. I really enjoy the night sky visible from our back yard, but even so it is easy to forget that the night sky we see has been largely blotted out by city lights. We had a good view on our way back to the road end 20 min away.

The bellbird tree

Of the trees around Halswell in winter, this one outside Craythornes on Halswell Road must be one of my favourites. Although the tree looks like any other eucalypt, the bellbird song cascades forth at this time of year to the benefit of Craythornes' customers (and anyone walking or biking past). This reminds us that it's rather cold up on the Port Hills, and food correspondingly scarce.

We were talking at home this past week about the August 1992 snowfall. At that time, we lived in Kenndys Bush Road along from Halswell School. When we got up on that snowy morning, three goldfinches were huddled together outside the front door, having passed away in the night through cold and lack of food. Our oldest daughter, then four years old, still remembers.

In the old days, before furry mammals turned up, bellbirds could, and did, feed safeky on the ground. With intensive pest control in many Port Hills reserves, this habit is returning. On mammal-free seabird islands, bellbirds have alway fossicked around seabird burrows and in beach-cast kelp along the seashore. Going past Craythornes' tree reminds me both what we've lost in the way of biodiversity and what we've still got.

Winter

My usual winter companions of ducks and herons are absent this year. It has been too dry for the usual ponds of standing water to form, so the ducks do not gather to ferret out grain spilled by the horses, and the herons do not fly slowly overhead. The beauty of a grey heron flying through a grey sky, croaking mournfully as the sun retreats, is something that I miss. But it is a blessing not to wade through the mud and water that soaks feet and kills grass.

Sunset over standing water, 2013.

Hay prices have been exceptionally high this year. Last season was a bad one for haymaking, with paddocks producing half of the usual number of bales. This has coupled with the drought in the North Island to create a real shortage of supply. I was very fortunate to get some cheap, good quality hay delivered in March, but those who are unable to store large amounts of hay have been left to buy it at ever increasing cost. I am concerned that, should the region experience another bad season, buying hay will be a luxury for many. 

While we have missed out on our usual rainfall, we have not been short on frosts this year. On the worst days the metal gates at work stick to my hands, and the ropes are stiff with ice.

My horse is about to come back into work in preparation for the competition season. Once again we will brave the multitude of dog owners who do not appear to know how to read Halswell Quarry signage requiring leashed dogs in the horse area. There is a horse park being developed in West Melton, which will hopefully remove the need for me to travel to Burwood in search of decent horse trails. One of my favourite paper roads is no longer easy to access following interference with stock on the adjoining farms, and this is a great pity.