Say yes to everything except drugs - As published in the Whakatane Beacon

Kia ora my name is Jack Karetai-Barrett, I’m a year eleven student at Whakatane High School. This article is for all the people starting High School and Intermediate this month.

Recently I was nominated to join the National Youth Committee of Forest and Bird. This is my speech to the membership, at the special general meeting:

I’ve always loved the outdoors, and that passion has motivated me to the completion of the Gold level in the Duke of Edinburgh/Hillary Award, through Outdoor Training New Zealand, with Gerry Purcell. This programme has been an incredible way to challenge myself and connect deeply with nature. My Duke of Edinburgh journey had been a mix of service, new learning, outdoor activities, and developing competence and confidence in the bush. One of my proudest adventures so far has been volunteering with the Kiwi Trust in Whakatāne, where I’ve joined the Kiwi Walk with Stewart Sutton. It’s inspiring to help protect our taonga species and to see first-hand the effort it takes to preserve them for future generations.

Outside of Duke of Edinburgh, I’m all about mountain biking. I race competitively, but I also coach kids and teens, helping them develop their skills and confidence on the trails. Seeing them grow—not just as riders, but as people who respect and enjoy the outdoors—is something I’m really proud of.

I also spend heaps of time tramping, hunting, and fishing. For me, it’s not just about the adventure—it’s about connecting with the natural world. These activities teach you resilience, patience, and a deep appreciation for the environment around us. They remind me how lucky we are to live in a country where these opportunities are everywhere if we just step outside.

That’s why I want to encourage young people, especially, to get off their video games and out into nature. I know it’s easy to spend hours staring at a screen—I’ve been there too—but you’re missing out on so much. The real fun, the real challenge, and the real rewards are out there in the bush, on the trails, or even just in your local park.

Imagine what we could achieve if more rangatahi stepped up as kaitiaki of our taiao. It starts with small steps: a walk in your neighbourhood, planting a tree, or joining a local conservation group. These experiences don’t just change you—they connect you to something much bigger than yourself.

So my challenge to you is this: put the controller down, lace up your boots, and see what’s out there. You won’t regret it.

Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa.

When I was in intermediate, my Mum gave me some really good advice. She said “Say yes to everything, except drugs”. I made sure to stand by that. Since that point, I’ve been always open to new opportunities, and learning positive things. At intermediate it was the WIlliam Pike Award, everything environmental, and mountain biking.

Now, here I am, starting year eleven at Whakatane High School, having passed NCEA level 1 Physics with excellence while still in year ten, and having a clear idea for my future; I am happy. Recently I was elected to the Forest and Bird Youth national committee and I am hoping to have another year on the Whakatane Youth Council this year. I’ve just finished my second aquabots national competition, I’ve been mountain biking all over New Zealand, participating in national races, and I’ve started coaching mountain biking for junior riders, and this year I am heading to Space Camp in the USA to undertake some beginner astronaut training. I have so much to look forward to every single day. I have hopefulness.

Every one of the activities I am involved in is an opportunity to learn new things, meet new people, and serve our community. Sometimes people ask me if I get tired being involved in so many things, but I don’t; I feel interested in my life.

Now, as you get ready for school, its your chance to say yes to good things.  Every school in Whakatane has clubs or organisations you can join, that allign with your passions. When you start school this year, sign up for that and enjoy your life. We don’t get to be kids for very long, then before you know it life is about paying bills and having to go to work. Let’s make the most of our bill-free years, where our parents are paying bills and we get to have fun, because I reckon they’d rather pay for your cool experiences, than more data and yet another game. 

I hope you have a really great 2025, and I hope to see you out in the world having a great time.

Nga mihi,

Jack

I'm dreaming of a Waste Free Christmas part two. - as published in the Whakatane Beacon

 Kia ora, my name is Jack Karetai-Barrett, and I’m a Year 10 student at Whakatane High School. This month, I’m writing part two of my article from last year; I’m dreaming of a waste free Christmas.

Like every year, I’ve been thinking about Christmas and waste. 

Unfortunately, Christmas has been called the world’s worst annual environmental disaster. According to the team at expol.co.nz, in the week following Christmas, New Zealanders send an additional 50,000 tonnes of waste to landfill. A large portion of this includes materials like polystyrene, which is challenging to recycle and can take hundreds of years to decompose.

Take gift-wrapping as an example. The amount of non-recyclable wrapping paper we use each year is embarrassing! New Zealanders go through 1600 tonnes of wrapping paper each year. Glitter, foil, and plastic coatings might look cool at first, but most wrapping paper is unrecyclable. An easy alternative is using materials like brown paper, fabric, or even newspaper. Fabric wraps, inspired by the Japanese tradition of Furoshiki, can be reused year after year, making them both practical and environmentally friendly - a perfect mix!

Another major issue is how much we over-purchase for Christmas. Whether it’s decorations, food, or gifts, a lot of what we buy ends up as waste. One way to counteract this is to shop smarter, especially when it comes to food. For example, instead of buying small packets of spices or baking supplies that come in heaps of packaging, head to Bin Inn or another bulk food store. What a great Christmas gift! Imagine this, you go and grab some second hand jars from the opshop, or ones you’ve saved, and make your own spice mixes! By bringing your own containers, you can reduce waste and only buy what you actually need. It’s a simple change, but it makes a big difference.

When it comes to gifts, the idea of quality over quantity is key. Instead of buying heaps of cheap, mass-produced items, consider giving fewer, more meaningful presents. Homemade gifts or second-hand finds have more personality and often tell a story. Experiences, like a family trip or tickets to an event, can be even more memorable and don’t come with unnecessary packaging. Most people don’t remember what they got last Christmas, but they’re more likely to remember a fun experience. Make a voucher to take people out for a picnic. There are heaps of berries around at the moment, make jam, or other berry based treats. What a great gift from the berry town.

Food waste is another area where small changes can have a big impact. Making too much food during the holidays is common, but much of that food ends up in the bin. Planning meals more carefully, sharing leftovers, or even composting scraps/feeding to pets are simple ways to reduce waste. If you’re hosting, ask your guests to bring containers or give some of your old containers, so that way everyone can take home a share of the leftovers. There are some great websites around such as lovefoodhatewaste, that offer really cool ideas for using up leftovers. I love it when mum makes frittata, it’s a great way to use up all of our eggs we get at this time of the year. 

Something else we often overlook is the sheer energy cost of all those lights and decorations. Fairy lights are amazing, but leaving them on all night or using old, inefficient models contributes to energy waste. Switching to solar-powered like the ones Mum and I use, is an easy way to lower your energy use. If you don’t have solar, consider turning your lights off before you go to bed as you don’t want to waste energy.

What has become clear to me is that Christmas doesn’t need to be about overconsumption. Somewhere along the way, the holiday has been commercialised to the point where it’s easy to forget its original purpose. Whether you celebrate it for religious reasons or as a family tradition, Christmas should be about spending time with your whānau, not maxing out your credit card or filling your bin to the brim.

This year, I’m challenging myself and my whānau to think differently. How can we celebrate in a way that’s kinder to the planet and more meaningful to us? Small changes, like using bulk stores, choosing sustainable gifts, and cutting down on food waste, can make a huge difference.

If we all take a moment to rethink our habits, we can make Christmas not only enjoyable but also sustainable. It’s about finding ways to create joy without creating waste, and living within the limits of the planet.

Article 14, Variations in the Maori language - as published in the Whakatane Beacon

 Kia ora, my name is Jack Karetai-Barrett, and I'm a Year 10 student at Whakatane High School. This month, I will be following on from my last article, and writing about regional variation, or mita in te reo Māori and the origins of the Māori language.

Te reo Māori, my ancestral language, originally came from the Eastern Polynesian language family. My ancestors brought this language to Aotearoa when they migrated from eastern Polynesia around 1200CE.

As my people spread throughout Aotearoa, our language took on distinctive features in each of the regions. In particular, te reo Kāi Tahu of the South developed into a distinctive mita with its own sound, nuance, and idioms. (Nuances: Subtle differences in meaning or expression. Idioms: Phrases with meanings that aren't literal, unique to a language or culture.) This variation in dialects is common in other languages. My mum is from the South Island, so as well as speaking Kāi Tahu reo, she says “crib” instead of "bach" and “Belgium” instead of “luncheon sausage”. She also rolls her “r” sounds when she speaks English, like others from the deep South, and likes eating tītī, and cheese rolls (together!).

While the Kāi Tahu dialect is known for its distinctive "k" sound replacing "ng," the Tūhoe dialect also has its own unique features. In Tūhoe reo, the "ng" sound is more like an "n" sound. So, the word for people, "tānata," is used rather than "tāngata” we are taught at school, which is different again from Kāi Tahu, where we say “tākata”. Some pronouns spoken in Tūhoe reo are also  different, with "a" over "ou," such as using "mātau" instead of "mātou." Another difference is the use of "kai" for "kei" and "hai" for "hei." These differences are evidence of the very important oral tradition all the tribes of Aotearoa shaping a dialect that belongs strictly to them within the wider context of Te Reo Māori.

As I explained in my last article, when we introduce ourselves in reo Māori we start with our pepeha, to let people know our ancestors, before letting them know who we are as individuals. My pepeha starts, “Ko Pukekura te mauka." The use of “mauka” instead of the common “maunga” for mountain immediately lets people know my whakapapa is from the South Island, even if they are unsure where Pukekura is located (it is located at the point of the Otago peninuslar). 

A few words are shared in unique ways between some East Coast tribes and Kāi Tahu. Examples include:

Pōua - Grandfather

Taua - Grandmother

Hākui/Hākoro – Mother/Father

Huanui – Road

Pōhatu – Rock

Tātau – Us/Ours

The written history of Kāi Tahu reo dates from the time of Captain Cook's first visits to the South Island. Reverend James Watkin, stationed at Karitane, discovered that the unique Kāi Tahu dialect spoken in Otago differed significantly from North Island Māori. This meant that materials prepared by North Island missions were unsuitable for use in the region, highlighting the distinct nature of the southern dialect.

He taoka te reo Māori: The Māori language is a treasure. From its roots in Polynesia, right through to the development of our distinctive regional mita, te reo Māori is a language that represents my history, my whanau tradition, and my diversity. Understanding the origins and dialectical differences of te reo Māori is critical as ongoing efforts are made to revitalise and preserve our language for future generations. It has been a battle to restore use of our language after colonisation, when use of te Reo was forbidden in education for such a long time. It seems like the government we have right now would like to make it forbidden again. Lucky for me, I get to learn te reo Māori as a subject with whaea Hemarangi Carnegie at Whakatane High School, and she is a champion for all the ways we speak our reo; Whaea, and our other reo teachers encourage us to use our unique mita so we don’t lose it.

We are all responsible for protecting, maintaining, and developing our language so that we can continue to enjoy its diversity and richness. Learning about the diverse mita in te reo Māori, allows me to fully appreciate just how valuable our language really is and how having a better understanding of my language means to my identity as a rakatahi Māori.  

Article 13 pest species - as published in the Whakatane Beacon

 Kia ora my name is Jack Karetai-Barrett, and I’m a Year 10 student at Whakatane High School. This month, I am writing about pest animal species in New Zealand.

Aotearoa's unique ecosystems have faced significant challenges due to the introduction of various pest species, often with disastrous consequences. The arrival of the Pacific rat, or kiore, with the first Polynesian settlers around 1250–1300 CE marked the beginning of these challenges. Later, ship rats and Norway rats were introduced by European settlers, leading to widespread ecological damage. These rats have been instrumental in the decline of native species by preying on birds, bats, and insects crucial to a healthy ecosystem.

European rabbits were introduced to Aotearoa in the 1830s, making them among the earliest of our introduced pest animal species. Then, in the 1870s, stoats were introduced from Britain in an attempt to control the rapidly increasing rabbit population. Unfortunately, they quickly spread into native bush areas, where they preyed on eggs and young birds, devastating native bird populations. Wild cats, initially brought on ships to control rats, have also become a major threat, preying on native birds, lizards, and insects. This all reminds me of the song about the lady who swallowed the fly.

Possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), another destructive pest, were first brought from Australia in 1837 to Riverton in Southland with the intention of establishing a fur industry. The initial attempt failed, but following four subsequent attempts, by 1858 there was a population explosion. The successful introduction of possums is related to the establishment of fruit trees as a food source. Today, possums inhabit about 95% of all farmland, scrubland, and bush in Aotearoa. Their population density here is much higher than in most parts of Australia, leading to severe ecological consequences as they feed on leaves, fruits, and flowers, contributing to the decline of many tree species and threatening the habitats of native birds and insects. There is also some video evidence of possums consuming native bird eggs from nests.

Deer, goats, wallabys, and pigs, introduced for hunting and farming, have also caused extensive damage to Aotearoa’s forests. Deer, brought in from 1851 to provide game for hunters, have significantly degraded forests due to their huge appetite for young foliage. Goats, initially used by early farmers to control invasive plants like blackberry and gorse (also intentionally introduced), have since gone wild, further damaging native bush. Wild pigs, introduced by Captain James Cook, disturb the ground as they forage, causing additional harm to the native ecosystem.

The introduction of these species was often supported by acclimatisation societies, established by European colonists in the 1860s. These societies aimed to naturalise new species in Aotearoa, not understanding they would have harmful effects. These societies were even legally recognised and supported by Animal Protection Acts, and they continued their activities well into the late 19th century. The Tauranga Acclimatisation Society, for instance, received funding to introduce pheasants and fallow deer, which now thrive around Aotearoa at the expense of our native species. It is interesting to read the old minute books of the Society, available online on the Tauranga City Libraries page. 

There are lots of methods of managing pest species. They include the use of toxins, and traditional methods such as trapping and shooting. I am a hunter, and one of my jobs in our family is to keep Mum’s freezer full of deer and goats.  Hunters, particularly on farms, play a crucial role in managing pest populations. They actively shoot pests like deer, pigs, and goats, helping to minimise the damage these animals cause to the land. Trappers, on the other hand, work tirelessly to control populations of smaller pests like possums and stoats. The combined efforts of these methods are essential in protecting Aotearoa's natural environment.

The history of introduced species in Aotearoa is a reminder of the far-reaching impacts that human actions can have on ecosystems. The ongoing efforts to control these pests are crucial in preserving our country’s unique natural environment for future generations.

Ka ora te whenua, ka ora te tāngata; When the land is well, the people are well. 

We are all responsible for our natural world; we all have to work together to protect our native species, and minimise the impact of pest species on our beautiful land.

Emergency go bag guides. - as published in the Whakatane Beacon

 Last month, the Whakatane Beacon wrote an article with my Mum about being prepared for emergency response to a large earthquake. The weekend that the article came out we also had a series of eruptions from Whakaari, a large earthquake in the Islands, and a Civil Defence Emergency test - that was scary timing. 

Since then, lots of people have stopped me and my Mum in the street to talk to us about what they should have in a go bag, so I thought I would write about that for my article this month. 

There are some basic things we should all have, and some nice-to-haves. Remember that if we evacuate, you are not going to be on your own and other people will have things that you might not have. We are always a community that looks after each other. 

Something important to remember is that drinkable water is not always easy to come by in an emergency situation, so pack food that is ready to eat without needing to be rehydrated. Small tins of tuna and beans, or foil packs of soups etc… are perfect. Muesli bars, nuts and dried fruit are easy to carry and great for snacks. 

Another important thing is to use backpacks rather bags as your go bags. If you put a pack on your back, you still have two free hands. They don’t have to be fancy packs, they just have to be strong enough to hold your gear and not let you down. You should line your pack with a waterproof liner - this can just be a sturdy rubbish bag, or two. 

Medication is something people don’t think about. Medications expire, and doses change. Remember to add a calendar reminder to check your medications. Check with your pharmacist to see how long you can store medication that is not stored in its original sealed container. 

• What my Mum and I have in our packs:

For me and Mum, we have two backpacks, one on one side of the house and one on the other side. We keep them seperate in case we can get to one and not the other. Mum has arthritis and is slower than me, and I am a lot bigger than her, so I carry the heavy pack. Our packs have some of our tramping gear inside them, with the non essentials in my bigger pack. In each pack we have everything we need to get through three days in an emergency scenario. Everything is packed inside a pack liner, in the pack, so everything will stay dry. 

Some of the important things in our packs are a small gas cooker, gas and a billy, fire-starting gear, multi tool with knife, empty bottles for water,  a life straw (used to filter dirty water), water purifying UV pen, good first aid kits, emergency ponchos and life bivvys for quick warmth and some protection from weather. We have hats, spare socks, medications, toilet paper, ziplock bags, rubbish bags, and small packs of baby wipes, sanitiser, sunblock, can opener, and enough ready-to-eat food for three days. We have head torches (batteries round the wrong way so they don’t go flat), gound sheets, rope, scissors, knives, pen and paper, permanent marker and collapsible shovels. This might seem like a lot, but everything is chosen for its weight, and mums full small pack only weighs 7kgs. We have a sleeping bag next to each pack that can be grabbed if needed. 

An important part of our emergency pack is the calendar reminders we have set on both of our Google Calenders - our calenders remind us to “check your pack”. Every change of season we change our batteries, medicactions and food. We take everything out, check its as it’s meant to be, and replace what needs replacing. It is a normal routine for us to do this, so we never worry about being let down when we are in need.

• What you absolutely should have (bare minimum)

Food for three days: Non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items. For example:

Canned foods (beans, soup, tuna, salmon) and a can opener (don’t rely on tear tabs working). Dry foods for when water is available (rice, pasta, two minute noodles). 

High-energy foods (nuts, dried fruit, muesli bars, one square meals).

Water

Empty bottles suitable for holding water and some way of filtering or purifying water to make it safe. If you are going to use purifying tablets for purifying water, it is great to have some powdered drink to make it taste better. There are so many cheap options for portable water filters now. You can pick up something functional at places like KMart, and for something a bit more effective (and expensive), you can ask at Hunting and Fishing - they have a great selection of filter bottles and life straws.

Clothes:

If you have kids, keep size appropriate clothing (and nappies/wipes) in your pack. Change these every season. Plastic ponchos are awesome because they don’t weigh anything and they do keep you pretty dry. Try to keep your pack near where you have fast access to shoes, that way you arent running around, wasting time looking for things. Clean, dry socks just make life feel better, so keep some in your pack. They double as gloves in cold weather. 

Hygiene, Safety and Sanitation:

Hand Sanitizer, toilet paper, wipes, rubbish bags and something to dig a small hole. 

A big packet of ziplock bags is useful for so many things. Store your medication and first aid kit in them, too. A basic first aid kit should contain bandages, plasters, iodine, tweezers, scissors, dental floss, a sling, safety pins, and a sewing kit. For making a fire, it’s good to have at least a box of waterproof matches and a candle. A multi tool with knife is another essential. 

Additional Items if you have babies and children

1. Baby Food/Formula: Enough for 3-7 days, plus bottles and feeding supplies.

2. Nappies and wipes: supply for at least 3 days.

3. Clothing and blankets: extra clothing, seasonal wear, and a soft blanket.

4. Medications: Infant/child Paraceamol and any prescriptions.

5. Comfort Items: Favourite toy or blanket

If you want a basic go bag that you just need to add food, medication and personal items to, you can buy ready made go bags at places like Mitre10. They are not backpacks though, so just put them in an old backpack with some kai, and you will feel better because you are prepared. 

Lots of people ask my Mum “What is a big earthquake?” A big earthquake is one where it is difficult to stand up, or one that goes on for a long time - like over a minute. The rule is always 

“if it's long and strong, get gone”. Earthquakes can be sudden and violent, especially one like the 9.1 magnitude earthquake that is possible from the Hikurangi Subductions zone in the next fifty years. You don’t have to be scared - just be prepared. 

It’s highly recommend you make an evacuation plan for your family, and practice it together. Choose a safe meeting spot, away from potential slip areas or other dangerous areas prone to flooding. Know the quickest and safest routes to get to your spot. If you have kids at school or preschool, find out what your school policy is for evacuation. Let your school manage taking your kids, and you just worry about getting to the meeting place. 

If we practice evacuating, this will help everyone understand the timing, where to go, and what actions to take in the event of an earthquake. Make sure your go bag, or go bags are ready and easily accessible, (preferably one on each side of the house), and stay informed about local evacuation routes and shelters.

And a last note, please do not get in your car, you will only get stuck in a gridlock. It’s better to walk, run, ride a bike, scooter, or even motorcycle. How ever you find your way to higher ground, make sure you get there as quickly as you can and remember that we are a community that cares for each other. How we look after each other in the Eastern Bay of Plenty is what makes this place so cool. Thank you for reading my article.

Kiwi walk - as published in the Whakatane Beacon

 Kia ora My name is Jack Karetai-Barrett, and I’m a year 10 student at Whakatane High School. Today, I’m going to be writing about my experience walking the Kiwi walk with the Whakatane Kiwi Trust, and guide, Stewart Sutton. 

I’ve known Stuart for a really long time. When I was five years old, my mum was the Group Leader for Kingsley Scouts, and Stewart was the Kea leader. Stewart has held so many roles in Scouting, at a local, regional, and national level. He is one of the people in our community who makes amazing things happen for kids. 

Recently, Stewart contacted me and offered to bring me on the Kiwi Walk so I could share the experience I had through my writing. The experience was so much fun, I decided to do it again. 

On the first trip, we drove to the top of Burma Road. We got everyone set up with UV torches and headlights, and then Stewart gave a short talk about the Whakatane Kiwi Trust. The Trust is a community-led organisation, dedicated to the protection of kiwi, and other indigenous species in our rohe. As we were walking, Stewart would stop us, and share his knowledge of the bush and the animals that live there. We learned about all the different plants and insects that lived on and around the track, their lives, their habits, their predators, and their challenges.

Although we didn’t see any kiwi, we saw a lot of really cool bugs and heard a kiwi near the end. If you know where to look, you can find weta, and spiders bigger than the palm of your hand everywhere! Some people got some pretty big shocks when they saw them, but for me personally, I was so happy to see these species thriving in our bush. Did you know that a weta can jump three metres?

Stewart also told us about all the things that kill kiwi chicks; some of the most common being animals like stoats, ferrets, cats, dogs, and rats. When ever possible, Kiwi egss are brought to hatchery where the egg can successfully hatch, and the chick will get taken care of until they weigh 1 kilogram; after that, they can defend themselves against most predators in the wild, except cats and dogs. It is advised that you keep your cats and dogs away from the bush. It is also a good idea to take your dog to a kiwi avoidance training course run by the Whakatane Kiwi Trust. In the course, dogs will get to know what a kiwi smells like, and if they’re interested, they get a small, controlled shock. It usually only takes one or two shocks to stop the dog from being interested. The shocks do not harm the dog since it’s just a small zap, but it’s enough to teach the dog that kiwi are bad news for them. Even though avoidance training works, it is best to just keep dogs away from kiwi habitat. Cats are more complicated to control. The best way to stop cats from killing our native birds is to keep cats contained. In New Zealand, people just let their cats run wild, and we end up with lots of wild cats. It is normal in other parts of the world to keep cats inside. The Whakatane Kiwi Trust also has a volunteer-run trapping programme in the bush to control rats, stoats, and possums. 

On the second trip with Stewart, we started at the White Horse Drive entrance to Nga Tapuwae o Toi walkway. It was an incredible night! I thought that the insects were big on the first trip, but this one blew my mind! They were massive, and there was way more insect life. The walk felt a bit shorter than the Burma Road trip. It was a lot smoother to walk along, and there were no stairs or big roots, so it was a lot easier for people who are not confident in trail walking. On this night, we found some huge weta under an erroded bank. There were also a lot more spiders in the trees. The insect life is thriving because pests are being managed. There is so much life in the bush at night, that we don’t get to see, unless we take advantage of these opportunities. 

If you are thinking about taking a trip, I recommend that you find out the starting point for the night you are interested in. If you have mobility issues, the White Horse Drive starting point will be easier for you.

I am thankful to Stewart that I got to have this experience. It was so much so that I have now volunteered to help guide for the night walks and also on the kiwi avoidance training days, Organisations like the Whakatane Kiwi Trust do amazing work in our communities, and they can only do it when people are willing to volunteer. If you would like to help them, there are lots of different volunteer roles. Just go to www.whakatanekiwi.org.nz Let’s do everything we can to support conservation in our rohe.

#10 Youth Council - as published in the Whakatane Beacon

Kia ora my name is Jack Karetai-Barrett and I’m a year ten student at Whakatane High School. This months article is going to be about Youth Councils throughout Aotearoa and using your voice to be part of making change. 

Last month, I was elected as the co-deputy chair of the Whakatane District Youth Council. The other co-deputy chair is Jasper House, and our chair is Charlotte Billings.

In Aotearoa, Youth Councils give young people a chance to share their ideas with local leaders and decision-makers. They help young people get involved in their communities, learn leadership skills, and make sure their voices count in decision-making for the future of the community. For most people who get involved in political roles, it is becuase there is something in their community that they want to see changed. But you also have to be interested in whats best for the whole community, not just the things that are important to you. 

The things that matter the most to me in my role on the youth council, are waste management, mountain biking, and recreation spaces for kids. It’s the importance of those things in my life that made me want to get involved. But since getting involved, I’ve started to get really interested in all the different jobs our council does in our community. 

According to LGNZ, (Local Government New Zealand) a Council's role is “to enable democratic decision-making by and for communities and to promote their social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing. In practice, this means everything from footpaths and lighting and the supply of freshwater/wai to resource management and environmental health and safety.” 

According to the Whakatane District Council website, our council’s “vision is to be known as the place of choice for people to live, work and play.”

They also say:

“In achieving our vision:

• Our community will be safe and surrounded by people who are friendly and caring

• Businesses will be thriving

• There will be respect for and pride in our history

• We will be successful guardians of our natural environment

Our purpose is to lead the Whakatāne District to sustainable economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being.

As a District Council we will achieve this through:

• Good governance, leadership and advocacy

• Integrated, long-term planning

• Effective and reliable community infrastructure

• Outstanding service delivery”

The important thing to understand about a council’s role in the community and their aspirations, is that their vision has to be funded somehow, and no one is ever happy with how much they have to pay for things. Councils are funded by several different sources, the first and the one all adults seem to complain about the most is “rates”. Rates are paid by people who own land. The more land you own and the more the land is worth, the more you have to pay - that seems fair to me.

There are so many rates! General rates, targeted rates, differential rates, uniform annual general charges, and water rates. Mum says theres also another rate that we have to pay to the Regional Council. You can learn about how all the rates are caculated on the LGNZ website - it is very helpful.  As well as all the rates, there are development contributions, subsidies and grants, and fees and charges. 

A council has so many responsibilities, and quite a few different sources of income to pay for everything. But how do they choose what to pay for? Every three years, we have an election where we elect the people who represent what matters most to us at the table where all the decisions are made. They also set the future plans for the community, and figure out where they can get money from and how the money will be spent. When I read the letters to the editor of the Whakatane Beacon, it looks to me like people just vote so they have someone to complain about. But actually, I know some of our councillors very well, and I know how hard they work and how much they care about our community. I think we should complain less and have more conversations about whats important to us. 

At the moment, the Councils long term plan is being renewed. At our Youth Council meeting we learned that the council has to renew it’s long term plan every three years to make sure it’s still heading in the direction the community wants it to go. As members of the public, no matter if we’re a school kid, or retired, or anywhere in between, we’re allowed to make a submission on the long term plan, to make sure that our councillors understand whats important to our community. The council will read and hear all the submissions, set it’s long term plans, and then find the money that it needs to achieve it’s plans for the community. Last time we had a long term plan, I went with my mum to talk about mountain biking, but nothing really came of that. I felt a bit cynical, but mum reminds me that COVID happened, lots of weather events happened, and Whakaari happened. Those all happened unexpectedly, so the Council's plans and priorities had to change since the community's needs had changed. I’m going to have another go this year to talk about mountain biking, and how important our recreation spaces are in the community for us kids. But the thing thats most important to me right now, is what I learned from attending the EQC public meeting at the War Memorial hall last month. They taught us that we need to prepare for an earthquake that could be as high as a 9 on the Richter scale, and cause a really big tsunami. I think our council needs to make preparing for that its number one priority. It’s hard to prepare for, but it’s really important that we do. 

I hope that you take the time to have a look at the Council's long term plan, and make a submission. You can find the plan and the online submission page on the Council website. If you don’t like using a computer, then you can visit the Council and someone will help you.  If we can’t be bothered to let the Council know whats important to us, then we probably shouldn’t complain afterwards when we’re not happy with the decisions they make. 

I would like to give a shout out to Andrew Isles and Toi Iti (BOPRC) for being amazing role models for me. They have shown me how being involved in something like Council gives you the chance to have your say. Please have your say by Friday 12th of April 2024. You can make your submission online,  send your submission in, or you can ask to speak at a meeting to the Councillors!