Farmers’ Market a template

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Opinion

As I wander around the Gisborne Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings I can’t stop thinking that this is a helpful hint for all of us as to what Gisborne and the Tairawhiti region could become.

At the market I see over 50 businesses showcasing the abundant produce and goods of the region. We are famous for our produce nationwide and win accolades at national competitions. There has been a level of co-operation with the council under the Farmers’ Market umbrella and on policy as a national group.

There is a positivity about this place where young and not-so-young work together and market products to an ever-increasing consumer base.

Children and grandchildren man the stands alongside family members. Youth are taking the opportunity to gain real workplace skills and confidence.

I feel safe here and this multi-cultural gathering works in a harmonious way. Our musical and entertainment sector is also showcased. We have abundant talent that creates a vibrant “central forum”, a good description coined by Norman Maclean, a well-known artist, classical studies teacher and drama producer in the region.

I see the council as a facilitator that enables business and enterprise to flourish in our region. I have a vision of a council that builds on the precedent set here and helps the producers take our produce and value-added goods to the country and the world on a grander scale than is happening.

Our transport infrastructure needs serious scrutiny as that is a barrier to getting our goods anywhere.

Young people are an essential part of my vision. I am committed to looking after the youth, the elderly and the children of the region.

Family businesses are on show at the market every week and that is the kind of community I wish to promote.

I am very concerned when we are invited to get involved in an economic plan for the region. We are getting that invite from Ministers who are telling us that the way forward for our region is to “drill for oil” or attract overseas investment.

How can we ignore the potential that is showcased in the Business Quarterlies in The Gisborne Herald and elsewhere? Shouldn’t we have input from some of these iconic businesspeople? I really hope they were party to any economic plan for our future.

To mention but a few: the Thorpe family and Murray McPhail immediately come to mind in relation to horticulture; the Holdsworths for science, manufacturing and technology, Russell Holland for IT, Walter Findlay for baking, the Logans for labelling, John Larsen in relation to innovative products and timber processing, Ian Ruru and Darryl Coulston for aquaculture, Steve and Jane Weatherell for logistics, and all the people involved in our wine-producing industry.

I noticed with interest the return to Gisborne of Brian Shanks, who in partnership with his wife started what has become a cider empire. Can we learn something from US anti-monopoly laws and lobby central government to allow our small businesses to compete on the global market?

We have the quality produce and the people to make this a truly prosperous place. Let’s not overlook that.