Maybe now’s not such a bad time to kick-start this blog. It’s an election year (a real election year) and some of us might have a bit more time on their hands to read and write it.

And whichever domain host that looks after the site has gone and charged us for another year. So maybe we should make the most of it.

Maybe? Lets us know.

Due to largely, somewhat, kind of unforseen circumstances (now there’s a euphemism) we feel unable to carry on with Southern Squall.

Thank you to everyone for the comments, of all persuasion, and the support. This may not be the last post – but until the mist lifts, we will remain silent.

Cheers.

The Southland and Otago DHB’s have started sending letters to elderly people telling them they soon won’t be eligible for the up-to 1.5 hours of home assistance they get each week.

GreyPower has decried the move, with local boss Geoff Piercy urging the boards to find the savings they want somewhere else.

Fellow Invercargill City councillor Lindsay Abbott, who works in aged care, said in a post to Southern Squall last week the cuts would have ”severe ramifications” on those who needed home care. It would have financial, medical, and social costs that would ultimately deny the independence of people living in the comfort of their own homes.

“Individual’s health and welfare does not seem a consideration in this barbaric attitude. Reminds me of the history of the Eskimos, where I understand the aged who past their useful productive lives were sent out into the snow. We have been snowed with the amalgamation of the two DHB’s.”

It was a harsh, cruel, and penny pinching proposal, Cr Abbott said.

“Has life and lifestyles for the aged, and infirmed become a ledger account?”

His comments pre-empted those of Labour Party Invercargill Electorate chairwoman Lesley Soper, who this week presented the Southland DHB with a 200 signature petition asking for the cuts to be reversed.

In her statement, supplied to Southern Squall, she said the cuts – which could save as much as $4m a year - came without warning and continued to cause major stress and distress for hundreds of elderly people and their carers.

Labour Party Invercargill Electorate chairwoman Lesley Soper (Squall Files)

Critically, she said the announcement ignored individual needs and failed to acknowledge the professional assessments of needs conducted before these elderly people got their home care in the first place.

Hundreds of elderly had only recently been reassessed, and had their home care hours cut to the level they were about to lose, she said in an impassioned – possibly pre-election nomination-seeking – address.

Petitioners understood the government wanted to save money. However, it was the southern DHBs which decided to target “the most vulnerable elderly” as “apparently the least risky service to cut.

It was “nonsense” that management did not accept that one or two hours housework might be all that stood between an elderly person staying at home and entering a rest-home, and that a further telephone assessment or GP visit was a more efficient use staff time than going to individual homes.

“We are delivering the message that this is nonsense, and these health cuts are totally unacceptable, as are the statements that the cuts will not stop here, but will go on further to include  those receiving greater amounts of home care help and personal care, and will also include cutting the number of people going into rest homes.”

She warned the cuts would not save money. They would lead to sicknesses from unhygienic and unclean conditions, and falls and other injuries. More people would visit the A&E department or stay in hospital, and more would be “forced too early” into rest homes.

It was a short-sighted, damaging and insulting policy based on depersonalisation and an undervaluing of the essential service provided and the people who provide it.   It ignored the real people affected and it carefully absolved the decision makers from even talking face-to-face with most of those who would suffer the consequences.

“These cuts are not acceptable; they are not fair; and they are not right,” she said.

Ms Soper said she would continue to collect signatures for the petition.

Chavah Kinloch is a finalist in Fairfax NZ’s Blog Idol competition. She needs as many page views as you can muster to help her win. We’re clicking furiously – we reckon the world needs a decent southern blog (present company and all our link buddies excluded, of course) – and we hope you can too.

To support Chavah:  http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/blog-idol-2/chavah

Those same documents show southern health bosses have been warned to expect a slew of appeals as they try and pare back home assistance for the elderly.

They met with 15 aged care service providers last week, and were told to expect many elderly people to exercise their right to appeal plans to discontinue their home help.

They met as they prepared to send letters to elderly people telling them they soon won’t be eligible for the up-to 1.5 hours of home assistance they get each week.

The letters were to be sent out last week, but were delayed as DHB bosses considered the feedback they got from the meeting.

In an email obtained by Southern Squall, Otago-Southland DHBs chief executive Brian Rousseau acknowledges concerns passed on by service providers but says the boards must still live within their means. 

The letters will be sent from this week, and progressively over four weeks. Files will be reviewed to identify anyone in “exceptional circumstances” before the letters go out.

People at risk because of things like significantly impaired mobility, vision, and cognition; a history of falls, or other health needs, will still “receive the appropriate service”.

Some may even get more support, he says.

Mr Rousseau says about 15% to 20% of people on the list might have “exceptional circumstances”. They won’t get a letter saying they’ll lose their support: they’ll keep getting it at least until they get their scheduled formal reassessment.

People who do get a letter will have the right of appeal. Service providers last week indicated many would. Mr Rousseau says bosses expect “a high number” of appeals.

The boards will also conduct telephone or face to face reviews with people who receive higher levels of domestic assistance. The whole process should take five to six months to complete, he says.

The boards and providers must work together to ensure they can continue to provide the best services within their resources. Board managers were interested in seeing how contracting can help service providers retain and develop staff to ultimately benefit services. 

This was particularly important as the boards managed an increasing number of older people staying at home instead of going into rest homes, he says.

Board bosses and service providers will meet regularly over the next few months.

THE LETTER YOUR GRANDMOTHER MIGHTN’T WANT TO SEE:

According to the email supplied to Southern Squall, this is the template for the letter being sent to elderly people in Southland and Otago.

Re: Your Home Support Service

You currently receive 1.5 hours or less of funded support each week for mainly house cleaning.

I am writing to let you know of changes to this service.

You may have read or heard in the media that the Southland and Otago DHBs are reviewing home support services to make sure that we direct assistance to those who have been assessed as needing it the most, and to ensure so we can live within the amount of taxpayer money we receive to provide health services in the region.

We can’t continue to provide funded support for house cleaning to people unless it is absolutely necessary for them to remain safely in their own homes.

We have therefore decided that we can no longer provide domestic support to those receiving 1.5 hours or less per week, unless they are people with exceptional circumstances.

Exceptional circumstances apply to anyone who has a high risk of harm because of conditions such as significantly impaired mobility, vision, memory loss, a history of falls or other complex health needs. 

We have reviewed your case and our assessment is that you do not fall into the category of ‘exceptional circumstances’.  As such, unfortunately, starting from [date - 3 weeks time] we will no longer be able to continue to fund your [actual hours the client receives] hours of house cleaning each week.

If you or your family believe that our assessment of your situation is incorrect and you wish to appeal this decision, please contact us within the next two weeks between 9.00am and 4.00pm, Monday to Friday on 0800 627 236 so we can review your case.

A copy of this letter has also been sent to your GP.

We have also enclosed contact details for other social agencies and community support providers should you wish to access these services yourself.

In a confidential paper prepared for a closed-door council meeting in December, Cr Jackie Kruger says the council had asked for “innovative solutions” to the thee waste streams but that WasteNet had focused on only one – a 16 year contract that she worried wouldn’t gel with the regional waste strategy.

Worse still, she felt WasteNet had not taken the appropriate steps to follow the council’s lead. It had not “appropriately or responsibly executed the objectives” of the long term council community plan (LTCCP) and had only given “token effect to our deliberate and considered” community-influenced changes to the plan.

“I feel that Council has been disrespected and bulldozed since the LTCCP signoff,” Cr Kruger says in the report supplied to Southern Squall.

“ I am not satisfied that we have been kept adequately and appropriately informed of WasteNet’s decisions and processes, most particularly in regards the most recent request for proposal processes and details. Our intent as expressed in the final LTCCP was not actioned.”

The council is considering a controversial proposal to introduce a compulsory three-bin recycling scheme for Invercargill.

Councilors are far from unanimous. Mayor Tim Shadbolt is uneasy about the process and has bemoaned incorrect publicity from council staff that the likes of Auckland already has a three bin scheme. He has urged cool heads and for further work to be done.

In her sometimes strongly-worded report, Cr Kruger says she believes WasteNet ignored the council’s express desire to consider more than one solution to the city’s waste stream woes.

Its request for proposal process only called contractors to provide only a three binned service. Any “invitation to innovation” was restricted to that sort of service only, she says.

“As a councilor I feel somewhat duped by the process, and believe that the intent behind our change from three binned to three streamed, and our request for innovation, has been manipulated, if not totally ignored,” she says.

As she did in the council meeting last month, Cr Kruger warns it is unwise for the council to hastily pursue the three bin option. It is a significant commitment councilors: need to “do some catch up” and re-consider the options before committing to a single preferred provider for a single pre-determined scheme.

“There must be options out there for us to consider and compare before embarking on a final solution. With no alternatives presented other than a three binned system, it is difficult to have peace of mind that we have done our best for the community.”

Cr Kruger was aggrieved the council was effectively only given one option for tackling the three waste streams. She wondered how councilors would ever know what other options would be suitable for Invercargill and she doubts the waste consultant offered more than one option .

She also wondered whether it is unusual for consultants to offer only one solution, and asked whether the consultant was only asked to consider one option in the first place.

Cr Kruger says the council’s waste boss, Tom Greenwood, confirmed that WasteNet was only working with contractors who could provide a three-bin solution. This is “short-sighted in my view and quashes any hope of further innovation” and – crucially – councilors did not appear to know what any of the other proposals were.

“To proceed with haste at this point is not wise, in my opinion. This is a significant commitment and we, the council, need to do some catch up and re-consider our options before committing ourselves to a single preferred provider for a single pre-determined scheme.

“There must be options out there for us to consider and compare before embarking on a final solution. With no alternatives presented other than a three binned system, it is difficult to have peace of mind that we have done our best for the community.”

She also says:

• The three bin system restricts to a ‘one-size-fits-all’ scheme and does not readily provide opportunities to introduce financial incentives or disincentives to achieve sustainability.

• The draft regional waste strategy includes home recycling ideas and consideration for a rates rebate by 2012 for households that recycle more than average. She does not believe these can be fully explored when ratepayers are financially committed to a compulsory three-bin service, whether they use it or not.

• It would be improper of the council to commit to a 16 year contract without understanding how it can give full effect to the regional waste strategy, including how incentives and disincentives can be applied towards householders while still generating sufficient revenue to pay for our contractual commitments.

• The council and community need to understand what they are getting into, “fully and up-front”, so that “there are no showstoppers further down the track” preventing the city from minimising waste and ensuring that the polluter pays more than responsible householders in future.

Strap on your hard-hats and buckle in for part one of a two-part catch-up, volley and return session with one of New Zealand’s most experienced political players.

Dear Southern Squall I’ve decided to answer the 16 questions you sent me earlier this month in two instalments.

The issues you raised were both politically complex and philosophically demanding and Council work has been hectic recently.

1 – As you head into election year (assuming you have confirmed you are running for re-election?) are you feeling physically and emotionally up for it and why/why not?

Invigorated: Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt (Squall Files)

I’m definitely running in the next elections. I’m physically fit and emotionally charged. I wouldn’t run if I wasn’t brimming with inspirational projects for the future of this city.

The bio-tech industry involving my Auckland Island pigs is only just beginning; film proposals keep rolling in, and we are on the cusp of several major energy projects. As Mayor I’m involved in continual drama and robust debate on a wide range of issues.

As a former concrete contractor I love sewage, rubbish, pipes and construction work. Our Council is on the cutting edge of events, promotions and international space stations. I find Mayoral work stimulating and exciting.

2 – How do you keep your enthusiasm for a job with a Council that has been unwilling to support you in the past?

There is always a degree of tension between a Mayor and Councillors because a Mayor is elected separately and works full-time for the Council. It’s all part of the checks and balances of our democratic system.

On 90% of the issues I’m involved in there has been a high degree of Council support – Zero Fees; an International Airport; ‘The World’s Fastest Indian’; the Civic Theatre upgrade and regional television were just a few examples of projects where I played a leading role and received rock solid support from Council.

There are always a few Councillors that oppose you but once again ‘that’s democracy’. Many projects are initiated by Councillors and generally speaking I will support the majority of projects if I believe they are good for the city. My primary motivation is the social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of the people.

3 – Is it getting harder to keep fighting political battles as you get older?

To be honest I find subjective questions requiring self-analysis really difficult to answer. Personally I feel really young but at 63 I suppose I am definitely getting older. In theory as you get older you get wiser. The political street battles of the 60′s seemed a lot harder but in those days I was younger and fitter.

My present political battles are more intellectual but I do have the benefit from experience. I’m simply not sure how to answer this. Winston Churchill peaked in his 70′s, but Mayors Garry Moore and Vicki Buck of Christchurch both retired in their 50′s. Perhaps the answer depends on time, location and the person involved.

4 – Do you still feel you can be an effective leader for the city?

I find this question as equally perplexing as Question 3. I don’t want to sound arrogant but of course I feel I’m an effective leader and will continue to be so. That doesn’t mean you always get your own way but you have to be capable of articulating your point of view. A Mayor has no job description so how you express your leadership is up to you.

Some Mayors are quiet, diplomatic and work behind the scenes; others are outspoken, populist; inspirational and act as catalysts for innovative ideas. My style of leadership falls more into the latter category. As Chairman of the Council I have an excellent understanding of Standing Orders and ‘play it by the book’.

Although I’m usually serious on formal occasions such as Council meetings; citizenship ceremonies and weddings, one of my effective leadership tools is humour. During elections; debates; welcoming sports teams and other guests to the city, or graduation ceremonies, I find you can lift people’s spirits with humour and goodwill.

5 – What would you like to happen in October’s elections in terms of the make-up of the new Council? And do you think there needs to be significant change in personnel around the Council table?

Naturally I’d like to see the best candidates for the job get elected and there will always be some new blood on Council as some Councillors inevitably retire.

However, elections are one aspect of local government when the voters are absolutely in control. I’m proud of the fact that we usually have twice the national average when it comes to voter turnout and I’m confident that either intuitively or rationally voters will make the best choice possible under the circumstances.

6 – You’ve been keeping out of the media spotlight, not responding to some media requests. The Southland Times says you are “sulking” – what are your thoughts on these perceptions?

I feel this is a rather loaded question and highlights my concern that ‘Squall’ is biased toward the media. I’ve listened to your podcast and read your comments on my relationship with the news media and you seem to view every dispute from the perspective of the media.

I did have a media holiday over Christmas (as I did the year before) and explained in my Express column of 21 January exactly why; “I believe politicians cause indigestion over Christmas” etc etc. Even John Key went to Hawaii and had a media holiday over Christmas.

The symbiotic relationship between politicians and the media is a delicate one. Mayor Warren Cooper of Queenstown refused to talk to the Mountain Scene for 2 years because he claimed they abused him and he wasn’t a masochist. I’m not that extreme but I must confess that when I’m receiving 6-10 media calls a day, those that abuse my openness do slip down the priority queue.

For example, I will be very gun-shy if approached by the BBC again about a story on triplets from Zimbabwe. The other problem I have with the Times is that ironically I’m in competition with them. I have my own columns in the Times and Express; I have a weekly radio interview and two regular TV shows on CUE.

I don’t want other journalists jumping in on all my original ideas and activities. As Mayor I constantly issue press statements and over the last couple of months I’ve appeared in 17 newspaper stories; responded to 6 radio interviews; engaged in 12 national TV appearances and 5 regional TV appearances.

Southern Squall may constantly criticise me for not getting involved in enough media work, but let me assure you I’m equally criticised by others for being too much of a show pony and publicity seeker.

I doubt that any other Mayor in Southland has had as much involvement with the media as I’ve had over the last month.

7 – In the past you have been very open with your thoughts. Do you think you’ve been bitten too often by being open and opinionated?

Once again your question suggests that I’ve withdrawn from the media when I don’t feel this is the case. When I’m not snowed under with Council work I’ve always tried to be direct, honest and speak from the heart to reporters and will continue to do so.

At Rutherford High School I was founder and editor of our school magazine and at university was editor of Craccum, the student newspaper. In 1975 I was president of the East Timor Action Committee and organised a protest march when several journalists were shot. I admired the heroic reporters who risked their lives covering numerous wars (you should see the film ‘Balibo’).

I’m not so impressed with the gutter press who hound celebrities and royalty to the point of contributing to their death (ie Princess Di). However, I accept the fact that in every profession you have heroes and scumbags.

Just one example you use to attack me was the article by Evan claiming I had been on ‘sabbatical’ from Mayoral duties in the past few weeks.

I rang Evan and complained bitterly about this misquote. I was at university for 5 years and I know what a ‘sabbatical’ is. Every 7 years Professors get a year off for a ‘sabbatical’ (Latin). They’re on full pay but they use the ‘time off’ to re-evaluate their courses, update themselves and reflect on their lectures. I constantly refer to my sabbatical as the 3 years I had off during Mayor Harrington’s term in office.

This may come as a profound shock to you guys but sometimes reporters get it wrong. I usually forgive and forget because I too make mistakes occasionally but if you’re going to persecute me for every error reporters make I suppose I’ll be forced into the tedious task of calling for retractions. How boring is that. I would prefer to tell the journalist personally when he or she has made a mistake rather than go squealing to their boss.

Tim Shadbolt, Mayor.

The newspaper revealed in November that Mr King had spent more than $25,000 using a council credit card in the 2008-09 year – the highest of any council CEO in New Zealand for the year.

Today the Herald reports on the breakdown of costs  in the bills - $73,285 in three years – which it received only after complaining to the Ombudsmen, following Mr King’s refusal to divulge details. 

More than $4000 was spent on restaurant meals and Asian takeaways and $120 on oysters for a council meeting.

Mr King told the Herald the costs were legitimate expenses, incurred in the course of council business.

Charges totalling $833 in private expenses had been repaid, Mr King told the newspaper.

The Squall team is looking forward to the oyster season – due to start tomorrow (tsunami permitting) – and we imagine many at city hall may be licking their lips as well.

Although, oysters may be off the menu following these revelations.

Canterbury farmer Roger Beattie was reported raising the idea of farming the small, flightless birds as an innovative way of increasing numbers, and maybe creating a wee market for the meat.

The owners of a Shannon animal park, which rears Weka, also think the idea might have some merit.

Weka are native to New Zealand – with North Island and South Island varieties –  but they also have a penchant for eating the eggs of other native birds.

South Island Weka – and those on Stewart Island – are more predominant in numbers, and could be the Weka being lined up for any potential farm and meat producing operations.

Weka were once a staple of the diet of early Maori. The Squall team, however, have no information on whether they are tasty, or not.

A poll of Manawatu Standard readers asking if people would eat weka sat at 219 today – with 63 per cent against and 37 per cent in favour.

DOC has reminded us all that Weka are still protected, but added that conservation and farming can go hand in hand.

This week Pukeko also made headlines, with news the colourful swamp hen would be on the menu at Hokitika’s famous Wildfood’s Festival.

We reckon it couldn’t be any worse than mountain oysters… but will Pukeko be as good as MagPies?

Southland Football has asked the city council for $150k toward what the Squall considers a much-needed $1.5m artificial surface planned for Turnbull Thomson Park. It’s also building a pavilion – a real home for Southland soccer – that’ll cost about $375k to build.

It’s already received $1.34m from the ILT Foundation and the ILT, and $100k from the Community Trust of Southland.

Councillors yesterday voted to include the cash in the annual plan process, but not before some worried about the council’s involvement in another big-ticket sporting development.

Some noted Hockey Southland’s tardiness paying for its new turf nearby, and that there was always a danger that the council and community funders would be left with the baby if funding dried up.

Your Squall correspondent squirmed in his seat as some in the public gallery suggested soccer should miss out because of “what happened” with hockey.

Some were also interested to learn the council might end up paying $50k more than the Community Trust, and wanted to know why the Trust hadn’t pledged more.

Cr Lindsay Thomas, a notable semi-social grade footballer, said the code needed an all-weather pitch so the season wouldn’t be disrupted by Southland’s inclement weather.

Many city pitches, including the much-heralded Sandy Point, were reduced to unplayable bogs under the twin pressures of sustained wet weather and successive football games.

Meanwhile, senior representative grade games couldn’t always be scheduled for Rugby Park because NPC and Super 14 rugby had first claim on the pitch.

Cr Thomas reminded the council that Rugby Park was originally funded and conceived as a multi-use, multi-code stadium, but that was now – “rightly” – harder to achieve.

Cr Alan Dennis is also the chairman of the ILT. He said the ILT was keen to help because football had not been funded to the same extent as other codes, and its enduring popularity meant it needed robust, top-class facilities.

Councillors were still interested to know why the Community Trust would only stump-up $100k. Cr Wayne Harpur, who is on the Trust, would not say why but said it was demonstrably important that funders and the council talked early when projects were proposed.

Cr Thomas said the pitch would also leave southern football ready to cope with the potential surge in popularity likely when the All Whites appear in the World Cup. The code didn’t want to miss the opportunities it did when NZ got to its first World Cup in 1982.

And nor do we. Plenty of codes have had plenty of money thrown at them in the past decade while southern footballers continued to play on boggy paddocks. Say what you like, the ILT and Foundation have a track record for funding winners, and we hope the council – and the annual plan submitters – will let the city help one of the most widely played codes improve its lot.

* Sound like a last-minute application for cash – after all, Southland Football announced its first grant from the ILT and ILT Foundation in April. Council works and services director Alan Bollinger told councillors the council received the application in November, but that he was only recently told about it.