Thursday, February 18, 2021 Home-Delivered $1.90, Retail $2.20
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TE NUPEPA O TE TAIRAWHITI THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021 HOME-DELIVERED $1.90, RETAIL $2.20 PAGE 3 PAGES 3, 6-7, COVID-19 9-11, 13, 16-18 NO WEET-BIX • Community outbreak source remains unknown TRYATHLON ARTS & • More alert level caution needed: experts ENTERTAINMENT • Govt accused of ‘Beehive theatre’ FOR GISBORNE PAGES 19-22 • Global vaccine distribution ‘wildly uneven’ INSIDE TODAY INDUSTRY BOOST: The Papatu Road orchard that forms part of a new multimillion investment into SunGold kiwifruit as the kiwifruit industry here goes from strength to strength. Inset below, vines under the cover. Pictures supplied GOLDEN KIWI Equity fund raises $69m for SunGold kiwifruit by Andrew Ashton over the next three years. orchards, Mr Jones said. year’s harvest has been sold, prices are However, that fund could grow to as Local seasonal work to harvest strong and the harvest for this season THE purchase of three Gisborne much as $100m, Mr Jones said. orchards is expected. will begin in March. properties as part of a new private equity A second round is already under way. “In Gisborne we will use local Gisborne grower Tim Egan welcomed fund’s multimillion investment into “The appetite has been extremely contractors who will hire local labour. the arrival of new investment and a new SunGold kiwifruit has been hailed as a strong, with a good number of those “We have capacity to raise up to $100. player into the region. “really good” boost for jobs and the entire investors from Gisborne,” Mr Jones said. We’ve issued our first draw-down notice, “Investment in the region brings industry here. “Just talking to people, they often which is for about 23 percent of the funds employment and development in the The private equity fund, established mention they are from Gisborne and raised, and that’s for the four properties. region. There are lots of down-stream by Origin Capital Partners — which know the properties we have purchased. “From March we will re-open for a benefits from it, there’s jobs and SunGold comprises of Paul Jones (Zespri deputy We have secured four properties, of which limited period for further investment and is a high-value crop, so it means there’s chair), Lain Jager (ex-Zespri chief three are in Gisborne. those investors become part of the same lots of input and it involves a lot of executive), Craig Greenlees (ex-Zespri “That’s not really by design and that fund when we have our second and final people. That’s really good for the local chair) and Dominic Jones (ex-banker) — ratio will not remain three-quarters close.” economy. invests exclusively in SunGold kiwifruit Gisborne as other opportunities come Mr Jones said once funds were raised “The big challenge for expansion orchards. up.” and subsequently spent, assets would in the industry is labour supply and Origin Capital Partners managing Of the four properties, two are existing then be managed on a long-term open- the solution there is all of us working director Dominic Jones said after a orchards including Papatu Road orchard ended fund. collectively to get local people into successful first-close, a total of —a 7.2ha canopy hectare orchard (4.8ha “Kiwifruit continues to go from meaningful, good jobs. $69 million had been raised. mature, the balance newer) in Manutuke. strength to strength and this year looks “The other contracting factor is water. Through use of debt, the fund has The other two purchases were of like a very good growing year.” We need to come up with strategies with approximately $135m available to invest bare land, which would be turned into All the fruit in New Zealand from last having enough water for growth.” GISBORNE RUATORIA WAIROA Local News ...... 1-5 Business ..............9 The Guide .... 19-22 Classifieds ... 25-27 Births & Deaths ...4 Opinion ..............10 Television ...........23 Sport ............ 28-32 9 771170 043005 TOMORROW National .. 6-8, 16-18 World...... 11-13, 15 Racing ................24 Weather .............31 > 2 NEWS The Gisborne Herald • Thursday, February 18, 2021 THE attractions of Tairawhiti and a holidaying local family feature in the new television series Travel Guides New Zealand, starting tonight on TVNZ 2. TRAVEL GUIDES NZ Maraehako Bay-raised Rusha Paenga is an experienced world traveller but has quickly developed a taste for seeing what New Zealand has to offer, thanks to her participation in the series. Gisborne, East Coast to feature on TVNZ series Ms Paenga, who lives in Napier, her similarly- aged aunt Cara Frires-Hei, of Maraehako Bay, and Ms Paenga’s Gisborne-born nana Mere Nepia, of SEEING THE COUNTRY: Locally- Napier, are among five family groups who travel connected relatives (from left) Mere Nepia, around New Zealand reporting and evaluating Cara Frires-Hei and Rusha Paenga star on their Kiwi experiences. television tonight as they travel the length The Tairawhiti episode screens on March 4. and breadth of the country on the new The rest of the series focuses on Northland, series Travel Guides NZ. Watch out for Southland, Fiordland and Auckland. the Tairawhiti episode, which screens on TVNZ 2 on March 4. Picture supplied Ms Paenga has travelled solo through Europe and lived in Valencia and Berlin, but said she had little previous travel experience of her own country. “I can’t believe I haven’t done it before.” South Pacific Pictures managing director Andrew Szusterman, the executive producer of the series, said an international travel series was originally envisaged in February 2020, just before Covid-19 broke out. It was then decided to film a New Zealand- based series, with South Pacific Pictures working with Tourism New Zealand and Television New Zealand. Mr Szusterman was among a group who travelled around New Zealand looking for locations. They wanted places that few New Zealanders had visited, although Mr Szusterman has been to Gisborne “a number of times”. The Gisborne and East Coast locations include Rere Falls, surfing at Wainui, the interactive experience with stingrays at Dive Tatapouri and East Coast Horse Treks. Mr Szusterman said he was impressed by horse meditation sessions at East Coast Horse Treks. He enjoyed discovering unusual attractions for the series. The Tairawhiti episode captured the spirit of the East Coast road trip and the beauty of the area, he said. He was hopeful the series would encourage New Zealanders to get out and see their own country and support the tourism industry. Ms Paenga said her favourite region outside of Tairawhiti was Northland. “I hadn’t been there before. “It’s absolutely beautiful and super amazing. “It’s subtropical like it is overseas but it’s in our own country.” Asked where else in Gisborne and on the East Coast she went, she replied: “you will have to watch the programme”. Golf tourney tees off rescue chopper trust fundraising ENTRIES are being taken for the and those who take part is a “It appeals to the serious player of more than 200 life-saving missions funds to equip the helicopter and Trust Tairawhiti Rescue Helicopter’s welcome contribution to the ongoing and novices alike.” a year. provide the community funding annual Charity Golf Tournament to be operational costs for the service,” a The tournament format is team of The chopper crew often have portion of providing the service,” the played at the Poverty Bay course in Trust spokeswoman said. four 18-hole ambrose, allowing for to battle steep terrain and poor spokeswoman said. mid-March. “It helps keep our helicopter in the any level of golfer to play. visibility in some of the most remote “That means we still have to find The event, which was not held air — saving time and saving lives”. “The teams vie for the best team locations. over $600,000 a year to run this 24/7 last year because of Covid-19, The tournament will be staged score as well as participate in the The local chopper is operated by on-call rescue service.” traditionally raises an average of on Friday March 19, with tee-off at entertaining on-course novelty Search and Rescue Services Ltd Entries for the golf tournament $10,000 a year. midday. challenge Westpac Chip-into-the- of which The Eastland Helicopter close on March 17. “The incredible support shown “The golf tournament is our first Dinghy. Rescue Trust is a shareholder. To register interest, contact Sara to the event by our generous fundraising event each year,” said the The Gisborne-based helicopter “But the Eastland Helicopter McNaught at adm.eastlandchopper@ sponsors and auction item donors spokeswoman. rescue service completes an average Rescue Trust still has to raise outlook.com LOOKING AHEAD Vicki Coley SPORTS Sells Real Estate • DJ Barry Cup club cricket continues — HSOB v Horouta, GBHS v OBR • It’s 27 years and counting for the Makorori First Light Longboard Surfi ng Classic • Heading into the business end of the Australian Tennis Open • How Kiwi cricketers fared at the auction for the 2021 IPL FOCUS ON THE LAND TOMORROW SATURDAY Vicki Coley Residential Sales Consultant The Gisborne Herald, 64 Gladstone Road, P.O. Box 1143, Gisborne • Phone (06) 869 0600 • Fax (Editorial) (06) 869 0643 (Advertising) (06) 869 0644 For a free no obligation appraisal call me. Editor: Jeremy Muir • Chief Reporter: Andrew Ashton • Circulation: Cara Haines • Sports: Jack Malcolm/John Gillies P 021 641 997 E [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] • [email protected] • [email protected] • web site: www.gisborneherald.co.nz 32806-02 The Gisborne Herald • Thursday, February 18, 2021 NEWS 3 Housing NOT THIS YEAR: Hundreds of children will not experience the satisfaction market of taking part in and completing the 2021 Gisborne edition of the Weet-Bix TRYathlon as remains it has been cancelled due to Auckland’s alert level conditions.The Gisborne event was to be held strong on February 23.