Making Te Tauihu even better

In 2020 the Te Tauihu Intergenerational Strategy provided a blueprint for making the Top of the South in better shape for our future generations. But how are we getting on? Felicity Connell went along to Tūpuna Pono – being good ancestors which was held in Nelson last month to find out more.

Te Tauihu, the top of the South Island, is often considered a paradise by both residents and visitors alike. From Mōhua Golden Bay to Waitohi Picton, Te Tauihu is known for its relaxed lifestyle, beautiful beaches, stunning bush and its abundance of produce, from apples to kiwifruit, and from hops to grapes. But it's not all picture-perfect – a low wage economy, high house prices, and the impacts of climate change are just some of the issues facing the region.

Te Tauihu Intergenerational Strategy, launched in November 2020, saw iwi, local government, business and the community focus on the social, cultural, environmental and economic development across the Top of the South. The strategy aims to be a blueprint to guide collaborative efforts to prioritise the wellbeing and economy of the Top of the South.

“The question that sparked it all was, ‘are we being good ancestors?’” says Miriana Stephens, a director at Wakatū Incorporation, and one of the driving forces behind developing the strategy. “It was a question that took us on a journey to rethink, reimagine and redefine what it means to be here in Te Tauihu. Being good ancestors is more than a statement, it's actually about a deep commitment and honouring of those who've been before us and those who will inherit our decisions.”

Over two years on from the launch of the strategy, a week-long series of events under the banner of Tūpuna Pono – being good ancestors was held in Nelson in March. Tūpuna Pono was all about inspiring conversations, connection and commitment to being good ancestors as well as highlighting initiatives sparked by Te Tauihu Intergenerational Strategy.

Tūpuna Pono events included a two-day rangatahi hackathon looking at climate resilience from the lens of the younger generation, a debate posing the question ‘is it too late to be good ancestors?’ It also included a day-long summit where speakers canvassed topics ranging from environmental conservation, food security, future transport systems, and working towards carbon zero in the construction industry.

“It’s all about inspiring action,” says Miriana. “We wanted to look at what has been happening since the strategy was launched, and what support is needed to take these initiatives forward. When you think about some of the big challenges we are facing, it is so important that we work together.”

Tony Bowater, Paul Miller and Katrina Kidson were three of the summit speakers who shared their ideas on what it will take to contribute to a positive future for the generations to come.

Rethinking individual vehicle ownership – the Toyota Mobility Project

Tony Bowater, CEO of Bowater Motor Group (BMG) is pretty well-known around the Nelson region.

Tony’s the third generation to work for his family’s vehicle business, started by his grandfather, Raymond Bowater, back in 1945. And as he told the summit audience, he and his family’s business would probably be considered one of the biggest carbon culprits at the summit. But for Tony, being successful in business is about being innovative, and that’s why he jumped at the chance to be involved in the pilot Toyota Mobility Project. Launched in December 2022, it’s an appbased scheme which puts the emphasis on access to vehicles, rather than individual ownership.

“We’re hoping that through this trial we’ll be changing some of the ideology around how we all access mobility,” says Tony. “We’re exploring areas and ideas that might have previously frightened us - a concept where vehicle ownership is lessened as we realize it is no longer the ambition or desire of everyone to own their own car,” Tony said.

The project uses vehicles from BMG’s own fleet.

“As a motor vehicle business, we have to have demonstration vehicles. When they are just on display, they are underused resources,” explained Tony. Via the app, people access vehicles from the BMG fleet ranging from a compact hybrid Yaris to seven-seater hybrid Highlander through to a fully electric Lexus SUV. There’s even a diesel Hilux ute in the mix. “We understand that in our regions especially, sometimes you need the grunt of a Hilux.

The point that we’re trying to get across is that you don’t need to own a vehicle like that yourself when you can access it whenever you need to. That’s at the core of the Mobility Project – it’s taking the emphasis off individual ownership and putting the focus on usability and sustainability,” says Tony.

Getting people to rethink individual vehicle ownership does seem radical for someone who’s been involved in selling vehicles pretty much all their lives, admits Tony. “It's very foreign for our industry to be encouraging people to think about how they own and use vehicles. But if we can get a much better utilisation of vehicles, maybe we don't need as many vehicles on the road, which will help lower carbon emissions overall.”

Moving from farming to fermentation

Paul Miller, CEO of local engineering firm Kernohan, shared his vision about the future of foods. He outlined for the summit audience some of the food production challenges future generations will face, and how the top of the south is well-placed to be part of the solution. By 2050, which is only 27 years from now, there will be another 2 billion people on this planet, which will require 30 million hectares of new farmable land to feed the additional population - 24 times more than the total farmed land in New Zealand.

Paul’s solution is to think small, and to look more closely at the role that yeast, bacteria and microalgae have in producing our food. “Fermentation is nothing new,” Paul explained. “It’s how we get bread, cheese, beer, sauerkrauts, kimchi, tofu and the like. But what is new is how the conversation is shifting from fermentation to precision fermentation, and from farming to fermenting. More and more ingredients are being produced via fermentation.”

This includes rennet, crucial in making cheese, which was traditionally harvested from the stomachs of new-born calves. Now it’s been fermented in tanks, making it more sustainable, with a bonus that it’s suitable for vegetarians. Insulin and vanilla flavouring were other examples of products now mostly manufactured via precision fermentation.

“These are the real deal, not alternatives or substitutes. They’re exactly the same compounds and molecules that we used to harvest from animals, now being produced by fermentation.”

Paul reckons that New Zealand, and specifically the Top of the South, is well placed to be at the forefront of the future of food, and that precision fermentation has the potential to transform our region. “We need to produce more food to feed a growing population, using fewer resources. Precision fermentation is a paradigm-changing innovation that can unlock affordable nutrition for the world's growing population.”

The future of food starts here, according to Paul.

“We really do have most of the key pieces in our region. Our region's heavy primary production focus on forestry, fishing and food means that we have exceptional engineering services along with one of the highest concentrations of scientists and researchers in the country. We also have one of the most connected airports and a port that gives us global reach. Our region is in a unique position to lead this transition, though we must continue to strengthen our region's combination of scientific leadership, engineering expertise and innovation infrastructure.”

Helping local businesses take action on climate change

As a business coach, Katrina Kidson’s passion in life is helping people be happier at work. Through her role as chair of Business for Climate Action, she’s also passionate about helping local businesses get the information and support they need to start their journey to tackle climate change. She shared with the summit how Te Tauihu Intergenerational Strategy workshops back in 2019 were the spark to establish the organisation.

“Florence Van Dyke from Chia Sisters was on one of the panels that Johny O’Donnell facilitated. They enjoyed their conversation so much that they wanted to take it from just talking to actually doing something that would support the local business community. So from that conversation, Businesses for Climate Action was formed.”

Katrina says that most local businesses do want to measure and then reduce their carbon footprint, but with all the other day-to-day pressures of running a business, it’s often put in the ‘not right now’ basket.

“We see our role at Business for Climate Action and Mission Zero as coaching and cheerleading - energising, motivating and equipping businesses to take that first step. And once they've done that saying, ‘here's another little step you can take.’”

One of their successful initiatives was the Climate Leaders programme, where all the participants came with an idea for a project that would have a regional impact.

One of those projects, Refill Revolution, making it easy for businesses to offer refilling, already has around 120 businesses signed up, and it’s gone national with some big suppliers keen to be involved.

Mission Insights, a video podcast series, is another initiative. “It is so powerful when you see and hear what others have been doing. So we've recorded local businesses sharing their warts and all journeys to measure and reduce carbon, and what they've learned in the process. It’s a great way to spread ideas, insights and inspiration.”

businessesforclimateaction.co.nz

missionzero.nz