Photographer and Philanthropist - Medical Assurance Society

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Photographer and Philanthropist - Medical Assurance Society
WINTER 2018

David Yarrow

Photographer
and Philanthropist
Money Personal finance / FIRE up your retirement

Greater good Climate change / how the insurance
industry is responding
                                                         A life well lived
Good living Car sharing / the future of transportation   The magazine for
                                                         MAS Members
Photographer and Philanthropist - Medical Assurance Society
In this issue                                                 on mas /
                                                                                                                                                                        winter 2018

                                                      The information contained in OnMAS is of
                                                     a general nature and should not be used or
                                                     relied upon as a substitute for detailed advice
                                                                                                           On the cover
                                                   or as a basis for formulating business decisions.
                                                  The opinions of contributors are their own and not
                                                 necessarily those of the publisher or editor.

                                               ©2018. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine
                                               may be reproduced in whole or part without the prior
                                               permission of the publisher.
                                                                                                                                                                                                              From MAS
                                               PUBLISHER                       MAILING ADDRESS                                                                                                               Welcome to the new-look
                                               MAS                             OnMAS                                                                                                                         OnMAS magazine for
                                               19 – 21 Broderick Rd            PO Box 13042                                                                                                                  winter 2018. We’ve themed
                                               Johnsonville                    Johnsonville                                                                                                                  this season’s edition
                                               Wellington 6037                 Wellington 6440                                                                                                               around sustainability,

                                                                                                          04
                                                                                                                                                                                                             to reflect the direction
                                               PHONE                           HEAD OFFICE                                                                                                                   that we’re taking MAS.
                                               0800 800 627                    +64 4 478 8863                                                                                                                Last year we introduced
                                                                                                                                                                                                             socially responsible
                                               WEBSITE                         EMAIL                                            Wildlife photographer and ex-trader David Yarrow                             investing principles to
                                               mas.co.nz                       onmas@mas.co.nz                                  talks capitalism and the environment                                         all our managed funds
                                                                                                                                                                                                             and reserves.

                                                                                                                                                                    17
                                               EDITOR                          DESIGN
                                               Sophie Speer                    eightyone.co.nz                                                                                                               This year we’re putting
                                                                                                               professional life                                                   money                     a proposal to the AGM in
                                                                                                                                                                                                             August that MAS should
                                               THE CONTENT HUB                                            02 News briefs / Sustainability                                     17 Personal finance / FIRE     establish a charitable
                                               For more stories, videos, and to share your views,         08 Profile / Breast                                                     up your retirement         trust to make a lasting
                                               visit the MAS Hub at hub.mas.co.nz. The hub is the            cancer imaging expert                                                                           contribution to the health

                                                                                                                                                                                                       32
                                               go-to site for features from OnMAS magazines, as well         Dr Monica Saini                                                                                 and wellbeing of
                                               as helpful information and useful tips on all the things   12 Work / How to be mindful                                                                        New Zealanders.
                                               that matter to us –
                                                                 ­­­­ and to you. You can easily share       at work
                                               stories from the hub with friends and family, see videos   26 Student news / Updates                                                                          This month we’re also
                                               that delve deeper, and have your say on issues affecting      from association presidents                                                                     launching an online
                                               you and your community.                                    28 MAS in the wild / MAS                                                                           version of OnMAS that

what
                                                                                                             Talks with David Yarrow                                                                         features video stories,
                                                                                                                                                                                                             offering a different take on

matters                                        SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION
                                                                                                                                                 greater good                      good living
                                                                                                                                                                                                             some of our main articles –

most.
                                               Every effort has been made to guarantee the pages                                                                                                             you’ll find these stories at
                                               of OnMAS are sustainably sourced and produced                                                                                                                 hub.mas.co.nz
                                               using paper that meets the environmental standards                                           04 Cover story / Wildlife         10 Technology / The future
We’ve started our journey toward a more        shown below.                                                                                    photographer and ex-trader         of solar                   Enjoy our new-look
sustainable future, and now our investments                                                                                                    David Yarrow                   23 Travel / Saving tigers in   magazine – as always,
reflect this commitment. We no longer invest                                                                                                14 Climate change / How               India                      we’re looking forward
in the manufacture and sale of armaments,                                                                                                      the insurance industry is      30 Motoring / Car sharing      to your feedback.
tobacco, or the exploration, extraction,                                                                                                       responding                     32 Food & drink / The growth
refining and processing of fossil fuels.                                                                                                    20 Member story /                     of natural wines           Mike Davy

                                                                                                          12
                                                                                                                                               Are we dying from              36 Entertainment / What to     MAS, General Manager
Visit mas.co.nz or call us on                                                                                                                  embarrassment?                     read, watch and download   Marketing
0800 800 627 for more information.             ISBN 2230-5823

Photograph: David Yarrow                                                                                  on mas the magazine for mas members                                                                                             1
Photographer and Philanthropist - Medical Assurance Society
P   professional life /
        news briefs

                                                                                                                                       What’s on                                        Fast facts
                                                            Go                                                                        FINDING MATARIKI /                               We created an infographic to help tell our SRI story.

News briefs
                                                                                                                                                                                       View the full-size graphic at hub.mas.co.nz
                                                            carbon
                                                                                                                                      JUNE – JULY 2018
                                                                                                                                      Matariki rising marks the start of the Māori

                                                            neutral
                                                                                                                                      New Year celebration this month (June).

                                                                                                          ethical
                                                                                                                                      The cluster of stars, also known as the
On sustainability                                                                                                                     Pleiades, rises in midwinter, heralding the
                                                            A Golden Bay-based
                                                            international non-profit
                                                                                                                                      start of a new year. This year the Matariki
                                                                                                                                      cluster will be visible just above the horizon
                                                                                                                                                                                         Socially
                                                                                                                                                                                         Responsible
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      $1.6bn
                                                            is helping people go                        Fashion Guide                 before the sun comes up from 6–9 July.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 the amount MAS invests in an SRI manner.                          1,099
                                                                                                                                                                                         Investing
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   individual

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      growth in the value of NZ funds managed
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   companies

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      using a SRI approach for the year 2016.
                                                            zero carbon by selling                      Aotearoa New Zealand                                                                                                                                                                                       owned by MAS

 In brief
                                                                                                                               2018                                                                                                                          Jun 17                Aug 17
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   in the global
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   equities portfolio.
                                                            carbon credits produced                                                                                                                                                                       MAS becomes
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            a UNPRI 1
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 MAS funds
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 accredited
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           signatory.             by RIAA 2.
                                                            by community-based
                                                            indigenous forest projects in
                                                            New Zealand and the Pacific
                                                            Islands. Ekos, founded by

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      2,500%
                                                            Dr Sean Weaver, is looking                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 KiwiSaver Pl
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  AS                  an
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              M
                                                            to revolutionise the carbon                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                1 of 8
                                                            market by making it easier                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              KiwiSaver
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    providers
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               KiwiSaver Pl                       signed up to
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          AS                  an
                                                            to achieve zero carbon
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      M                                              UNPRI 5.

                                                                                                                                                                                                             345                                                                               1 7
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                of
                                                            status for both individuals                                                                                                                                                                                                    KiwiSaver
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           providers
                                                                                                                                                                                                          global companies
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           signed up
                                                            and businesses while                                                                                                                          excluded from the
                                                                                                                                                                                                           MAS SRI equities
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       NO
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            to RIAA 4.                 United Nations
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Principles for             $68tn

                                                                                                     Ethical
                                                                                                                                                                                                              mandate.
                                                            maintaining high standards.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Responsible                assets under management.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       tobacco,                                                                        Investment
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       armaments                                                                       represents:
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       or fossil fuels.
                                                                                                                                      Matariki events are being held across the                                                                                The Responsible
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Investment                 200                          350+
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Association

                                                                                                     threads
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          members
                                                            The first of its kind in New Zealand,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       asset owners
                                                                                                                                      country throughout June and early July.                                                                                  Australasia has:                                                                                   I
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          $5tn                                                             N
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               PR
                                                            the Ekos 'Zero Carbon Now'                                                Auckland’s festival will offer more than                                                                                                            assets under
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          management.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       U

Water bottles for good
                                                            programme aims to link local                                              100 events across the region from
                                                            carbon offset buyers with local          The fifth annual Ethical         30 June–22 July including dawn karakia,
                                                            carbon projects that look after the      Fashion report has been          captivating kapa haka performances,
A Kiwi-based social enterprise is tackling one of the       land and waterways. For example,         released, seeing more            waiata with some well-known wāhine toa,                                                                 Sep 17                         RIAA                                      1,700
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Blackrock3 starts                                                             UNPRI signatories in 2017,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          managing MAS                                                                 up 14% from 2016.
environment’s greatest threats – single-use plastic         Ekos has teamed up with Golden           than 400 brands which            and kite-flying. In Wellington, Te Papa is                                                            SRI global
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             equities.

bottles. For the Better Good is creating water bottles      Bay's Rameka Forest Carbon               are sold in New Zealand          hosting its second annual Matariki Ritual,
                                                                                                                                                                                        90                        Under the                                      Mar 18 UN Secretary General
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 calls climate change:
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  spotlight                                      “the most
from renewable plant crops like corn, sugarcane and         Project to sell the credits from its     and Australia, assessed for      which celebrates the new year as a moment         companies are
                                                                                                                                                                                        responsible for
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Jan 18
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Blackrock 3 CEO,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 systemic threat
potatoes. The new "Better Bottles" have a carbon            91ha carbon farm to offset buyers        their labour rights by Baptist   of renewal, on 15 June. Dunedin also has
                                                                                                                                                                                        2/3                                                                      to humankind.”
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Larry Fink sends
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  warning to major
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  corporates saying
footprint 78% smaller than traditional plastic bottles.     in the Nelson Tasman area. To get        World Aid and Tearfund.          a range of Matariki events from 16–22 July.       of man-made               they need to serve
                                                                                                                                                                                        global warming            a social purpose.

The company is also taking responsibility for the entire    started, head to ekos.org.nz and         The report was first                                                               emissions.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             the temperature above

life-cycle of the bottles they produce, arranging for       use the calculator to find out the       published in the wake of the     CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS /                                                                              +20             pre-industrial levels
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             that we can’t exceed
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             this century 6.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    UNITED
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   NATIONS
composting of any bottles returned to them.                 size of your carbon footprint and        fashion industry’s worst-ever    JULY 2019
                                                            pay to offset it. A return flight from   disaster where more than         The Medical Women’s International
Central Otago-based creator of Better Bottles, Jayden       Auckland to Wellington would cost        1,000 garment workers died       Association is turning 100 and is holding
Klinac, was travelling from Auckland to Wellington          as little as $4.24 to offset, while      after the Rana Plaza factory     a Centennial Congress in July 2019 in                                                                                        1
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment                   4
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  responsibleinvestment.org

                                                                                                                                                                                            100m people live less than three feet above sea level.                     Responsible Investment Association Australasia                             unpri.org
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   2                                                                          5

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   3
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       World’s largest fund manager, based on funds under management          6
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Paris Accord
when he discovered he hadn’t brought his own reusable       offsetting the emissions from            collapse in Bangladesh.          New York. The association (established
bottle and became frustrated there wasn’t an option to      driving a medium-sized car the           Higher grades correspond         in 1919 – making it one of the oldest
buy a bottle that wasn’t made from oil. “They don’t have    same distance would cost $8.57.          to systems which reduce          professional international bodies) represents
refilling options at petrol stations, and I’m not exactly                                            the risk of modern slavery,      women doctors from all six continents.                                                                                                                                  MAS AGM /
going to stick my head under the sink,” says Klinac.                                                 child labour and exploitation.   The centennial event will see women                                                                                                                                     The Annual General
                                                                                                     This year 56 brands were         academics, specialists, GPs and some                                                                                                                                    Meeting for 2018 will
Better Bottles are available at cafés and yoga studios                                               given an A grade, including      students from over 50 countries in                                                                                                                                      be held on 29 August
around the country, and almost 5,000 were used at last                                               Kowtow, lululemon and            attendance, with partners welcome too.                                                                                                                                  in Auckland. Further
year’s Tuki Festival in Wanaka. Klinac says they were                                                Icebreaker, while 27 failed                                                                                                                                                                              details will be sent
blown away to see festival-goers refilling them all day                                              the report with an F grade       Enquiries for more information on the                                                                                                                                   to Members.
and not throwing them out. The company isn’t stopping                                                including Decjuba, Cooper        event should be directed to Dr Robyn
at water bottles; their goal is to replace the oil-based                                             and MINKPINK.                    Hewland. Email hewlandr88@hotmail.com
plastic industry completely.                                                                                                          or visit mwia.net/centennial_congress
                                                               Dr Sean Weaver

2                                                                                                                       winter 2018   on mas the magazine for mas members                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       3
Photographer and Philanthropist - Medical Assurance Society
G      greater good /
        cover story

The Photographer & the

                                                                                                                                                   My approach
                                                                                                                                                   is always to
                                                                                                                                                   get close to
                                                                                                                                                   the animals.
Meet the wildlife photographer
fixated on capturing the beauty                                                                                                                    Proximity affords
of our planet – and on doing his
part to protect it.
                                                          01
                                                                                                                                                   magnificence.
David Yarrow must be tired. Speaking
from his London home in the small                         Now he’s back at home sending his kids       Yarrow was born in Scotland in 1966         some of the most endangered and some
hours of the morning in late April, the                   off to school and working on the other       into a Glaswegian shipbuilding dynasty      of the most dangerous animals on earth.
world-renowned wildlife photographer                      side of his successful photography           that built over 400 ships in docks along    But he says he’s still developing this
counts how many flights he’s been on                      business­­­—marketing, printing, getting     the Clyde River ranging from African        style, still learning, and Yarrow hopes in
already this year: 47.                                    bills paid and laying the groundwork         lake ferries to Royal Navy escort ships.    a year he’ll be taking better photos than
                                                          for future shoots.                           By the time he reached working age,         he is now.
“That’s almost a flight every other day,”                                                              the Clydeside shipbuilding industry
he remarks.                                               “I live quite an unusual life these days,    had passed, so Yarrow chose the path        “If I take my heroes, I don’t think
                                                          so having a bit of downtime and family       of finance and made a name for himself      Spielberg stopped learning. You’re
When OnMAS spoke to him, he’d                             time is a good thing.”                       – first as a stockbroker, then as founder   continuing to learn. I’m a very visual guy
recently returned from a shoot in                                                                      of his own hedge fund, Clareville           and I see the mistakes people make. The
Iceland where thunderous roiling seas                     These days much of his time is also          Capital, in 1995.                           principal one in wildlife photography is a
and looming, threatening skies provided                   spent on the speaking circuit. By the                                                    lack of proximity and a lack of emotion. I
the backdrop to shoot wild horses                         time this issue has gone to print the Scot   But photography was always his              guess without emotion your photographs
galloping en masse.                                       will have completed a series of speaking     passion; as a young adult he worked as      have nothing, and through proximity,
                                                          engagements with MAS. It will be his         a photographer for The Times, where         you can get to the soul of an animal.”
Before that it was Africa, where he                       first time heading to New Zealand,           he captured the now iconic image of
completed six shooting assignments.                       Yarrow is ashamed to admit. But he feels     Argentine footballer Maradona holding       “My approach is always to get close
                                                          he already knows the place a little – the    up the World Cup after the 1986 final       to the animals. Proximity affords
                                                          cinematography of Sir Peter Jackson,         in Mexico. However, he was swayed           magnificence.”
                                                          the friendly people, the formidable          away from photography and spent two
                                                          rugby team which the Scots almost            decades trading stocks in both London       For Yarrow this can mean a strategically
                                                          defeated late last year.                     and New York until deciding to commit       placed camera and a remote control,
                                                                                                       himself to photography, eventually          or a cage placed within the animals’
                                                                                                       selling off his business.                   natural environment. He’ll smear his
                                                                                                                                                   lens with Old Spice to attract lions, with
                                                                                                       Yarrow has developed a recognisable style   vanilla to attract elephants, or he’ll wear
                                                                                                       in his wildlife photography – his images    chicken around his neck to attract tigers.
                                                          Opposite page / 'The Prize'
                                                          01 / A close encounter while                 are at once compelling and disarming,
                                                          photographing lions                          as the viewer comes face to face with                                                >>

4                                           winter 2018   on mas the magazine for mas members                                                                                               5
Photographer and Philanthropist - Medical Assurance Society
02                                                      03

                                                                             original. So I will invest our money to go
                                                                             on shoots 90 per cent of the time. The
                                                                             trips tend to cost between US$50,000
                                                                                                                            06
                                                                             and $100,000 – that certainly focuses
                                                                             the mind on whether you’re going to be
                                                                             able to get that return [on investment].”      “I think, before #metoo, that probably      “Photography is not just about cameras.
                                                                                                                            environmental change and consciousness      It’s about your eyes, your brain, your
                                                                             This leads him, more often than not,           of our planet was one of the biggest        heart and your soul, and it requires a
                                                                             to the safari lands of Africa, where he        issues corporates had to address. And       lot of leg work. It’s 90 per cent logistics.”
                                                                             photographs the big alpha animals:             it continues to be.”
                                                                             the elephants, lions and leopards. He’s                                                    Among his charities is the Tusk Trust,
                                                                             shot a wolf in a bar in a ghost town in        He cares not just about the animals he      a British not-for-profit that funds wildlife
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  07
                                                                             Montana, United States. He’s captured          photographs, but the people he works        conservation efforts in Africa. But his
04                                 05
                                                                             polar bears in the Arctic, gorillas in the     with. When on shoot – which is about        commitment to conservation doesn’t
                                                                             Congo and monkeys bathing in hot water         90 days out of each year – he has a team    mean he puts animals before people.             How then to balance protecting animals
                                                                             pools in Japan.                                of fixers on the ground who ensure his                                                      with being socially minded?
Photographer and Philanthropist - Medical Assurance Society
P   professional life /
        profile

                                                                              Opposite / Breast cancer imaging expert Dr Monica Saini

                                                                              Highnan had been looking for the insights          of women to receive a standardised                 The extensive use of Volpara technology
                                                                              of a clinician and communicator like Saini         mammogram with less radiation, better              around the globe means the artificial
                                                                              to turn his Wellington-based company into          positioning and compression, thus yielding         intelligence technology is constantly
                                                                              a game changer for the detection of breast         a more comfortable mammogram that                  improving at predicting a woman’s risk
                                                                              cancer around the world. Dr Saini had been         allows radiologists like Dr Saini to find breast   of developing breast cancer.
                                                                              looking for a good excuse to relocate to           cancer early. “There should be uniformity in
                                                                              New Zealand with her filmmaker husband             the mammographic screening, whether you            “As an international company, Volpara
                                                                              and two children.                                  are a woman in China, New Zealand, or the          has collated one of the largest datasets
                                                                                                                                 US,” she says.                                     of mammograms across the world. This
                                                                              Everything fell into place. By November the                                                           enables us to see what change is in the
                                                                              family had moved to Wellington, and they’re        Internationally, breast centres use Volpara’s      breast over time, which will be key in breast
                                                                              now settled in and taking advantage of the         density software to detect the ratio of            cancer prediction. Harnessing this data
                                                                              lifestyle offered by the capital.                  fibrous tissue to fatty tissue. Fibrous tissue     will improve early detection and, some
                                                                                                                                 is denser and has been found to be a more          day, prevention of breast cancer.”
                                                                              Prior to arriving in New Zealand late last year,   common risk factor than family history,
                                                                              she worked as Consultant Medical Director          according to Dr Saini.                             These datasets are showing ethnic variances
                                                                              of Automated Breast Ultrasound Systems                                                                in breast tissue: in Asia, particularly China
                                                                              for GE Healthcare, after spending eight years      Volpara adds accuracy to breast cancer             and Japan, women are found to have more
                                                                              in New Mexico as Chief of Breast Imaging           detection by offering an objective and             fibrous tissue – about 70 to 80 per cent,
                                                                              at Santa Fe Imaging.                               reproducible density assessment, as                whereas in the United States it’s more like
                                                                                                                                                                                    40 to 50 per cent.
Dr Monica Saini               An American breast imaging
                              expert has joined forces with                   Volpara has collated one of the largest                                                               Here in New Zealand, Volpara is being

Battling global
                              a Kiwi medical technology                                                                                                                             used in several facilities in Auckland and
                              company to help win the global                  datasets of mammograms across                                                                         at the Hutt Valley DHB to ensure quality
                              battle with breast cancer from                                                                                                                        standards are met at each breast centre,
                                                                              the world. Harnessing this data will
breast cancer
                              their Wellington base.                                                                                                                                and to allow each centre to improve their
                                                                                                                                                                                    screening performance.
                              A fortuitous meeting at a conference in         improve early detection and, some

from Wellington
                              Queenstown last year led Dr Monica Saini                                                                                                              Dr Saini says as long-term data grows,
                              to move her family halfway across the world     day, prevention of breast cancer.                                                                     risks for New Zealand’s unique population
                              to take on an advisory role with breast                                                                                                               will be better understood.
                              cancer detection company Volpara Health
                              Technologies and a clinical position at Hutt                                                                                                          “I hope in the future we will better
                              Valley DHB.                                     Dr Saini splits her time between Volpara           opposed to a subjective judgement made by          understand the likelihood of Māori and
                                                                              and working as a breast radiologist at Hutt        the radiologist. Interpreting mammograms           Pacific Island women developing breast
                              The internationally-renowned American           Valley DHB, where the Volpara technology is        and density is an art, and there can be            cancer. We need to research their breast
                              breast cancer imaging expert was already        used. The split allows her to continue clinical    variability between radiologists.                  cancer risk factors so we can identify and
                              a vocal proponent of Volpara’s technology       work and to provide Volpara with feedback                                                             formulate better screening and treatment
                              – which makes mammograms more                   on how the technology is working for both          “In the past five years Volpara has been           approaches.”
                              accurate through better understanding the       practitioners and patients.                        looking at things that affect density such
                              density of breast tissue – when she met CEO                                                        as lifestyle factors, diet, alcohol intake and
                              Ralph Highnam in Queenstown a year ago.         Volpara software, which is used in                 even pollution, of all things, to understand
                              It was a perfect match.                         35 countries, has impacted the ability             how they affect this measurement.”

8                                                               winter 2018   on mas the magazine for mas members                                                                                                                   9
Photographer and Philanthropist - Medical Assurance Society
L      good living /
         technology

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   01 / Solar panels installed on the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Burling's West Auckland home
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   02 / Fraser Burling charges the electric
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   family car they bought last year
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   03 / Fraser and Kylie Burling with

Getting off the

GRID
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   twin boys David and Lennard (9),
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   and daughter Amaryllis (5)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Images courtesy Adam Firth

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   says it’s the financial savings that have
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   motivated them most.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   “For us it's a win-win situation. We knew if

in the suburbs
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   there was going to be a house that would
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   suit, it was this house. We wouldn't have
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   done it if it made the environment worse,
                                                                                                     01
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   but that wasn’t the primary motivation. It's
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   a great bonus that it's helping us and the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   environment,” says Kylie.
As a Kiwi family takes the first                   The current system is based around 38             “We will have recovered all our costs in a little
steps towards life off the grid in                 solar panels on the north-facing roof of          over seven years since installation, and all the                                                                                                              Their savings come from not only avoiding
the suburbs of West Auckland,                      their home, which can generate 9.8kW of           rest after that will be fully to our advantage.                                                                                                               buying power in the daytime, but also the
they’re learning that generating                   electricity – easily enough to run all their      The solar panels have a lifespan of at least 25                                                                                                               ability to export power back to the grid
their own power doesn’t mean                       home appliances, heating and lighting during      years, although we may have to look at a new                                                                                                            02
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   during the day.
sacrificing home comforts                          daylight hours. Daytime demands on power          inverter in 10 years or so,” he says.
                                                   at the Burlings are significant, with a busy                                                                                                                Fraser says the cost of charging the car            “How much you can save is dependent on
The Burlings aren’t your typical suburban          schedule of homeschool and domestic               The solar inverter is the device that converts                                                            battery is less than $1 a week. If charged          what you can export. In the summer, for
West Auckland family. At their six-bedroom         chores all squeezed into daylight hours.          the DC electricity generated by the solar                                                                 entirely from the grid, the car would cost          instance, when we’re able to export power
Glen Eden property they homeschool their                                                             panel into AC. This can be sold back to their                                                             around $5 a week to run.                            back to the grid we make money and have
children, keep chooks and generate their           “The common sense solution is to use power        power company or used in their home.                                                                                                                          our account running in credit, but we can't
own electricity.                                   when we generate it. We’d be silly to run our     They paid $5,000 for their inverter, but Fraser                                                           “We save between $400 and $500 a                    spend that money on anything else other
                                                   dishwasher or dryer at night when we pay          predicts the price will drop before they need                                                             month on fuel alone, and with electric              than power,” says Kylie.
It’s a busy life. Fraser Burling, 50, is a         for power. Usually, first thing in the morning    a replacement.                                                                                            cars you also don’t have to worry about
rheumatologist who specialises in Ehlers-          we run the dishwasher and dryer and things,                                                                                                                 maintenance for spark plugs, carburettors,          And money saved is money well spent; Kylie
Danlos syndrome while Kylie Burling, 47, stays     then we are free to do as we like,“ says Kylie.                                                                                                             engines, and exhaust pipes,” he says.               says the family uses it on international travel.
home to educate 9-year-old twins David and
Lennard and daughter Amaryllis, 5.                 Fraser says it didn’t take much to shift most     We will have                                                                                              The Burlings are planning the next step in          “Fraser attends conferences every year
                                                   of their power use to the daytime and                                                                                                                       their energy sufficiency journey – installing       as a continued education requirement.
“The boys knit, spin wool, card fleece, sew,       minimise their nighttime consumption,             recovered all our                                                                                    03
                                                                                                                                                                                                               a battery in the next 12 months. They have          We usually try to take at least one or two
learn ballet and jazz, and harp and piano. Not     when they have to buy power from the grid.                                                                                                                  their eye on a model made by Tesla that             of those opportunities to travel with him;
much run-of-the mill stereotypical stuff here.                                                       costs in a little                                     The Burling family’s energy self-sufficiency        can store 13.5kWh of usable electricity,            homeschooling allows you to do that,”
But I wouldn’t describe us as hippies. We just     “We've already cooked our main meal for                                                                 regime extends outside their front gate.            enough to power an average household                she says.
like to be self-sufficient where the opportunity   breakfast. We switched our water heater           over seven years                                      Last year Fraser made the move from                 for up to a day. The advantage of the Tesla
arises and talent allows,” says Kylie.             to a daytime timer and took it off the ripple                                                           a petrol car to an electric vehicle.                model is its estimated lifespan of 50 years.        “I wouldn't say what we save on power funds
                                                   control. In winter we have oil heaters that are   since installation,                                                                                                                                           all the trips. But certainly every penny we
The goal of energy self-sufficiency led them       set on daytime timers, and we replaced all                                                              “We bought the electric car last year when          “That’s important when you look at the cost         save gives us spending money that we would
to invest $26,000 in a solar power system          our lighting with LEDs,” he says.                 and all the rest                                      our last petrol car died. I charge it in the        of the battery versus the savings. Some             not have had, so it does contribute to making
in 2014, which means they generate enough                                                                                                                  daytime whenever possible, mostly only              barely pay for themselves over 10–15 years          world travel affordable,” says Kylie.
power to run their household from half an          The savings have been significant.                after that will                                       twice a week. Once on the weekend, and              but only have a lifespan of 10–15 years,”
hour after sunrise until half an hour after        The annual power bill has reduced from                                                                  top up on a Wednesday when I usually get            he says.                                            And it certainly makes for interesting school
sunset. Their dream is to add to their system      $4,000–$5,000 to around $1,000. Fraser            be fully to our                                       home early and still have some daylight                                                                 excursions. Last year they went to Spain, and
in the next few years and live completely          calculates that they will recover the initial                                                           hours left,” he says.                               After four years of their energy self-sufficiency   later this year the Burling Homeschool is off
off the grid.                                      set-up costs in 2021.                             advantage.                                                                                                journey, the Burlings have no regrets. Kylie        to the Netherlands and Germany.

10                                                                                                                                           winter 2018   on mas the magazine for mas members                                                                                                                    11
Photographer and Philanthropist - Medical Assurance Society
P       professional life /
         work

                                                                                                                                                                                                          02 Breathe and count
Take a moment
                                                                                                                                                                                                          Breathing is one of the simplest ways to practice mindfulness, and it doesn’t
                                                                                                                                                                                                          need to be a full-blown meditation session – you can practise anywhere. For a
                                                                                                                                                                                                          simple start, concentrate on each breath, using your lower abdomen to inhale
                                                                                                                                                                                                          deeply, and continue this for a long as you desire. Alternatively, counting your
                                                                                                                                                                                                          breaths can be an ideal calming technique in moments of stress.

     Reducing stress through mindfulness                                                                                                                                                                  Count ‘one’ on your first exhale and ‘two’ on the inhale, do this until you
                                                                                                                                                                                                          get to five, and repeat if you wish. Counting your breaths not only calms
                                                                                                                                                                                                          the body, but the act of counting also calms the mind. You can practise this
                                                                                                                                                                                                          exercise at your desk, in the lift, or anywhere you have a moment to yourself.

     Feeling overwhelmed at work has a
     serious effect on stress levels and overall
     wellbeing. While it is normal to feel the                                                                                           Mindful eating at work
     pressure at times, developing a deeper
     sense of anxiety is a problem – so how can                                                                                          To eat mindfully, one must bring full attention to the meal.
     we stop these feelings from taking over?                                                                                            Instead of rushing your lunch, or eating while distracted, try
                                                                                                                                         to concentrate on the taste, smell, and texture of your food.
     Practices such as yoga or meditation are often suggested                                                                            Focusing on your senses while eating allows for smooth
     as effective stress-reducing techniques. However, leading                                                                           digestion and a satisfied stomach.
     a busy lifestyle, along with an unpredictable work schedule,
     means it can be hard to fit these into a daily routine.                                                                             Eating should be a time of calm, so taking a walk outside or
                                                                                                                                         to a quiet area is an ideal scenario for a lunch break. It can
     The psychological practice of ‘mindfulness’ helps to keep                                                                           be tempting to watch TV or browse Facebook while eating,
     the mind present, compartmentalising your thoughts and                                                                              but eating while distracted is a sure way to feel more stress
     emotions. The practice works by bringing your attention                                                                             and pressure. Eliminating your distractions is beneficial at

                                                                    01
     to the senses, to pause the whirlwind of stimuli and focus                                                                          any meal time, so take a good look­– and taste of – what's
     on the current moment.                                                                                                              on your plate next time you sit down to eat.

                                                                    Compassionate thinking
                                                                    If the nature of your work revolves around assisting others,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           04
                                                                    it can be easy to forget to care for yourself. Recognising                                                                                             Reduce multitasking
                                                                    moments of compassion throughout your day is a small

                                                                                                                                         03
                                                                    but effective way to becoming more mindful. Turning your                                                                                               It has become the norm to spread ourselves thin across
                                                                    attention to the ‘good deeds’ of each day can be key to                                                                                                a multitude of tasks, and having fingers in different pies
                                                                    eliminating negative or anxious feelings.                                                                                                              isn’t the best for our productivity or stress levels. Allowing
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           yourself to focus on one task at a time can help the mind
                                                                    If you have time to yourself at work, take a moment to                                                                                                 stay present, and avoid overwhelming feelings.
     Writer Cheryl Strawbridge / Cheryl is an accredited            consider the positive effects of your actions. Time spent
     mindfulness consultant, and the founder of Ovio                outside the workplace is another opportunity to think                                                                                                  Distraction is often disguised as multitasking, so check in
     Mindfulness Solutions. She shares her tips about how           mindfully and partake in activities you enjoy. Spending time                                                                                           with yourself each hour to ensure you’re using your time
     to fit mindfulness practices into a busy work day and          with family and friends, to appreciate the small things, can                                                                                           mindfully. For some, it helps to write a task list that can be
     avoid the dreaded ‘burnout’.                                   help dilute the stress you may be feeling at work.                                                                                                     worked through chronologically, rather than all at once.

12                                                                                                                         winter 2018   on mas the magazine for mas members                                                                                                                 13
Photographer and Philanthropist - Medical Assurance Society
G        greater good /
          climate change

               Insuring against
               climate change
                                                                                                                                                            02                                                                  03

                                                                                       The Insurance Council of New Zealand             “That’s been the approach for decades,      unaffordable or unavailable. But there is
                                         As extreme weather events                     has reported the country can expect to           but there’s now more discussion about       a risk it will, if we can’t collectively, with
                                         caused by climate change                      face an average annual insurance bill            the sustainability of this model.”          government and other organisations, start
                                         grow in strength and frequency,               rising to $1.6 billion – just under 1 per cent                                               to think about how we can build resilience
                                         insurance companies are having                of GDP – caused by severe weather events.        Some insurers are now looking at            for communities.”
                                         to consider their impact on                                                                    applying a more risk-based pricing
                                         people’s policies.                            In the first two months of this year alone,      model, where a property’s individual risk   Surrounded by water, one of New
                                                                                       insurance claims for damage caused               profile determines policy costs. Factors    Zealand’s greatest risks comes from
                                         New Zealand has always been at the            by nationwide severe weather in early            considered include whether the property     rising seas eroding coastal land and
                                         mercy of the climate. A small slip of a       January, and Cyclone Fehi and ex-tropical        is in a high-risk area for earthquakes      storms bringing surges and flooding.
                                         nation in the Ring of Fire, surrounded by     Cyclone Gita in February, have been              or flooding, and unique characteristics     With so many people living near the
                                         immense seas and sandwiched between           provisionally costed at $93.5 million.           such as the materials it’s built from       coast and low-lying areas, the impact
                                         the icy waters of Antarctica and the                                                           and whether it has a retaining wall.        on communities when a severe weather
                                         warmer tropics of the Pacific, Aotearoa is    NIWA data shows there have been a total          Inevitably that means for some people       event occurs is much greater.
                                         a place used to the extremes of weather.      of 12 cyclones across the country since          their insurance costs will rise.
                                                                                       2000: four of those in 2017 and the first                                                    “Human beings are making lifestyle
                                         But climate change is making these            quarter of 2018. While cyclones aren’t           “MAS, and the insurance industry as a       choices to inhabit certain areas that are
                                         severe weather events more regular            expected to increase in number under             whole, wants to avoid the situation where   vulnerable and are doing so in increasing
                                         occurrences as we face rising seas,           climate change, when they do come                insurance for some risks becomes either     numbers, so the impact will rise.”
                                         droughts and ever more frequent               they will be stronger and more intense.
                                         storms hurled upon us from the Pacific                                                                                                                                                 >>
     01 / Waves spill onto roads in      and Antarctic Oceans. As these events         MAS Chief Executive Martin Stokes                Ministry for the Environment report, 2017
                                         cause masses of damage to homes and           says from an insurance perspective
                                                                                                                                        $19 billion worth of buildings and
     Wellington's southern suburbs
     02 / Aftermath of a storm on        infrastructure, insurance companies are       these extreme events pose a challenge;
     Wellington's south coast
                                         having to consider how to manage risk         traditionally, insurance pricing was
     03 / Huge waves threaten property
     in Island Bay
                                         and payouts.                                  community-based, with low-risk areas             infrastructure is at risk from rising
                                                                                       subsidising the costs of higher-risk
                                                                                                                                        sea levels.
     Images courtesy Dave Allen, NIWA
                                                                                       locations.
                                         01

14                                                                       winter 2018   on mas the magazine for mas members                                                                                                     15
Photographer and Philanthropist - Medical Assurance Society
G                                                                                                                                        M     money /
                                                                                                                                                personal finance

>

16                                                                                                                         winter 2018   on mas the magazine for mas members                                                17
M
G       greater good /
         member story

                                                                                    It’s our second biggest killer
                                                                                    but too many are Kiwis too
                                                                                    ashamed to tell their doctor if
                                                                                    they’re experiencing symptoms.

                                                                                    John Glue had the best news of his life
                                                                                    recently: the advanced cancer growth
                                                                                    that was found in his bowel has been
                                                                                    zapped, and he is in remission.

                                                                                    Almost two years ago, Glue was a
                                                                                    healthy 67-year-old, when he went to his
                                                                                    doctor complaining of spots of blood in
                                                                                    his faeces. He had not long retired from
                                                                                    his job as a senior adviser at MAS. Glue
                                                                                    felt a bit tired, but nothing too out of the
                                                                                    ordinary. The next few months were a
                                                                                    blur. His concerned doctor sent him for
                                                                                    a colonoscopy at Christchurch Hospital,
                                                                                    which confirmed he had late stage
                                                                                    bowel cancer.

                                                                                    “I was shocked because apart from the
                                                                                    occasional show of pink on the paper
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    01
                                                                                    I had no symptoms otherwise. After
                                                                                    a raft of consultations, exams, x-rays,
                                                                                    CTs and MRIs, I was pronounced to
                                                                                    have stage four mid-rectal cancer.             simpler and cheaper treatment process        Men are dying of embarrassment
                                                                                    It had spread to my lymph nodes but            and better survival prospects than
                                                                                    fortunately had not spread elsewhere.’’        I have now,’’ he says.                       because they don’t want to show
                                                                                    Christchurch isn’t yet covered by              Bowel cancer is our second biggest           their tail ends to their doctors.
                                                                                    the bowel cancer national screening            killer – one doctors say is beatable if
                                                                                    programme. If Glue had lived in one            caught early. In 2015, 3,081 people were
                                                                                    of the few regions carrying out bowel          diagnosed with bowel cancer and 1,267        Glue is also alarmed that the national    2017 and successfully screened 117,000.
                                                                                    screening in 60- to 74-year-olds, his          died of it. In New Zealand, 40 per cent of   bowel screening programme has             However, the Ministry says about 15,000
                                                                                    cancer might have been picked up.              people die of the disease, compared with     been struck by delays and widespread      may have missed out. The Government
                                                                                                                                   25 per cent in Australia, where bowel        systematic failures, which means that     has ordered an independent review
                                                                                    “Had I been screened earlier it is             cancer screening has been gradually          more than 30 people who should have       which is due to be finished in late June.
                                                                                    likely that faecal occult haemoglobin          introduced over the decade.                  been screened slipped through and have

Are we dying from
                                                                                    would have been picked up. An earlier                                                       gone on to develop bowel cancer. Bowel    In 2008, the former Health Minister
                                                                                    diagnosis would have meant a much              After having 37 cms of his bowel and         cancer specialists say a free screening   David Cunliffe gave the go-ahead for

Embarrassment?
                                                                                                                                   rectum removed, followed by an               programme is the single most important    nationwide screening, but only 23 per
                                                                                                                                   ileostomy and months of chemotherapy,        tool to fight the disease.                cent of the eligible population is so
                                                                                                                                   Glue is on a mission to encourage those                                                far covered. Residents in four district
                                                                                                                                   with any hint of symptoms to go and see      The Ministry of Health has discovered     health boards – Waitemata, Hutt Valley,
                                                                                                                                   a doctor.                                    that many more people than first          the Wairarapa, and Southern – are
                                                                                                                                                                                thought didn’t receive invitations        eligible for the faecal immunochemical
                                                                                                                                   “Men are dying of embarrassment              for free bowel screening during the       screening test (FIT).
Writer Sarah Catherall / Sarah carries a keep cup and says 'no' to plastic straws                                                  because they don’t want to show their        Waitemata pilot programme. The pilot
                                                                                                                                   tail ends to their doctors,’’ he says.       invited almost 200,000 Waitemata
                                                                                                                                                                                residents between 2011 and January        01 / John Glue, active and in remission   >>

20                                                                                                                   winter 2018   on mas the magazine for mas members                                                                                              21
G                                                                                                                                                  L      good living /
                                                                                                                                                           travel

                                                                                                                                                  A royal                                                                                                           Writer Sharon Stephenson /
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Sharon is trying to get better at

                                                                                                                                                  sighting
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    saying no to plastic bags in shops
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    (and remembering to bring her own!)
L
P   professional life /
     student news

                                                                                                                                                           Charlotte Kenny                                   Alisdair Eddie                                  Jibi Kunnethedam

     Students on
     sustainability
     Student association presidents discuss
     some of the sustainability issues facing their
     respective industries and give an update
     on the highs and lows of the first quarter
     for students across the country.

     Charlotte Kenny                                                 What has been the highlight? It has been exciting to                             What has been the biggest challenge for the                     patients in relation to their associated health conditions is
     President / New Zealand Dental Students’ Association            welcome our new cohorts into the dental school as well                           veterinary faculty in the first quarter? For the majority       testament to this. I can see our action (or inaction) on climate
                                                                     as reconnect with old friends at dental social events. We                        of students it is business as usual, with the dreaded spectre   change today determining the ability of our health systems
     If you could change one thing to make the dentistry             would like to thank MAS for their continued sponsorship,                         of exams looming in June. For the pre-vets hoping to            to serve our purpose in the near future. The Lancet describes
     industry more sustainable, what would it be and why?            contributing to not only these social events but also our                        secure a spot in the veterinary programme, the weekend          climate change as the biggest global health threat of the
     One aspect of dentistry that doesn’t always sit well with me    academic endeavours.                                                             of 21 and 22 of April would have been exceptionally             21st century; ignoring this sentiment would be funding our
     is the amount of plastic waste it produces. As practitioners,                                                                                    challenging. They attended interviews and completed             ignorance. Our awareness as future health professionals
     the ethical principles of beneficence and non-maleficence                                                                                        numerous other tests and activities that provide input into     on this issue is crucial, as proactive stewardship is required
     guide our patient-orientated practice. Figuring out how to                                                                                       their application, over and above their grades. At the other    for our industry to be prepared in facing the challenges
     balance the necessary sanitation and protection guidelines      Alisdair Eddie                                                                   end of the degree, the fifth years are quite a way into their   that we will encounter both locally and globally. Waiting to
     when administering treatment, while being environmentally       President / Massey University Veterinary                                         final year. From the discussions I’ve had with a few of them,   be reactive on this issue may overwhelm our capacity to
     mindful, is a challenge. But any step towards reducing          Students' Association                                                            they are relishing the challenges of seeing real veterinary     cope. Taking action to be a more sustainable industry and
     the environmental impact of disposables used in dental                                                                                           practice, and finally seeing the fruition of four years of      addressing climate change is orientating ourselves towards
     procedures is a step in the right direction.                    If you could change one thing to make the veterinary                             predominantly theory-based learning.                            improving the health of each and every one of us.
                                                                     industry more sustainable, what would it be and why?
     How do you see issues of sustainability and climate             Current veterinarians and our future vets need to find                           What has been the biggest highlight? It’s always good           What has been the biggest challenge for the medical
     change affecting the industry? With the increasing              ways to minimise our impact on the environment.                                  to end on a positive note. The veterinary programme at          faculty in the first quarter? For NZMSA, our biggest
     global focus on carbon footprints and sustainable goals,        There is already quite a bit of discussion amongst some                          Massey has once again won worldwide recognition. The            challenge in the past quarter has been communicating
     the practice of dentistry must be ethical not only in the       practitioners about ways to increase sustainability, but                         school is ranked in the top 25 by QS World University           with the new government in regards to the promises
     prevention of oral disease and promotion of health, but also    not everyone is on board, and at this stage our current                          subject rankings, which is really good news for our current     that were made during the election campaigns of 2017.
     in providing accessible and affordable care with minimal        curriculum doesn’t address this topic. There definitely                          student body and will stand us in good stead for our future     The Labour Party's promises in regards to abolishing the
     environmental impact. To integrate sustainability into the      needs to be a change in mindset to bring sustainability                          prospective careers.                                            student loan cap affecting some of our postgraduate
     field of dentistry would require a commitment from not          to the forefront of everyone’s operational thinking.                                                                                             students to complete their studies has yet to be
     only the profession but all associated stakeholders, such as                                                                                                                                                     fulfilled. We are currently awaiting this year’s Budget
     governments, researchers, manufacturers and distributors.       How do you see issues of sustainability and climate                                                                                              announcement with bated breath, as we hope to see
                                                                     change affecting the industry? Climate change is                                 Jibi Kunnethedam                                                these promises come to fruition.
     What has been the biggest challenge for dentistry               impacting farming practices and is important from a                              President / New Zealand Medical Students' Association
     students in the first quarter? The first quarter of the         veterinary perspective. Parasites that were unable to thrive in                                                                                  What has been the biggest highlight? Our annual
     academic year has flown by, and with it the usual nervous       colder areas are now able to move into those regions. There is                   How do you see issues of sustainability and climate             national conference, has once again been a wonderful
     anticipation as to what this year will entail. As students      also the potential that we may get new disease vectors being                     change affecting the industry? Climate change and               weekend of inspiration and celebration. This event would
     piece together their timetables, calendar their course          able to move into regions that were previously protected by                      sustainability are closely intertwined with the healthcare      have not been possible without the support of MAS, who
     requirements, and get to know their clinical tutors, they       their climate. This means both veterinarians and farmers have                    industry. Our climate and environment shapes our lives          were our Diamond sponsors, and the student body are
     relax and find their feet for a promising year ahead.           to be more vigilant and prepared to tackle novel diseases.                       and directly impacts our health. The correlation that we see    incredibly grateful to MAS for their role in making this
                                                                                                                                                      between the lifestyles and environmental exposures of our       weekend a success!

26                                                                                                                               winter 2018   on mas the magazine for mas members                                                                                                       27
P   professional life /
     mas in the wild

                           An
                           Evening
                           with David
                           Yarrow
                           Thousands of MAS Members
                           turned out in Wellington,
                           Christchurch and Auckland
                           to attend An Evening with
01
                           David Yarrow. The wildlife
                           photographer inspired
                           audiences to follow their
                           passion in life as he talked
                           about highlights of his career,
                           which took him from hedge
                           fund manager to world-
                           renowned photographer.

                                                                  03

                                                                  04

                                                                                                        06

                                                                                                        01 / David Yarrow and Martin Stokes
                                                                                                        02 / Brenda Gibson and Rachael Soylemeloglu
                                                                                                        03 / (L-R) David Chote, David Yarrow, Leanne Chote
                                                                                                        04 / (L-R) Kieron Wright, Jack Ashby, Dave Borrie, Phil Clark
                                                                                                        05 / (L-R) Betris Campbell, Kate Johnson-Lee, Emily Black
                                                                                                        06 / Magnus Cheeseman and Ruth Spearing
02                                                                05

28                                                  winter 2018   on mas the magazine for mas members                                                                   29
L      good living /
         motoring

                                                                                                                                                    Plenty of users agree. YourDrive founder                CAR SHARING                  “The change in behaviour today is that a car
                                                                                                                                                    Oscar Ellison says some 600 vehicle owners             BY THE NUMBERS                is a means of transport, rather than a status
                                                                                                                                                    (up from 400 in 2017), and 4,000 drivers                                             symbol. Young people care more about their
                                                                                                                                                    have used the service. Users are renting cars                                        phone than their car.”
                                                                                                                                                    from owners to fill the niche between public
                                                                                                                                                    transport, cycling and an Uber trip. Journeys                                        In Wellington, Erik Zydervelt and his fellow
                                                                                                                                                    can be anything from a couple of hours to                                            founders of Mevo, an electric car share
                                                                                                                                                    a weekend, or even up to a month.                                                    scheme, had seen the positive impact of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         sharing when they’d lived in America and

                                                                                                                                                                                                           95%
                                                                                                                                                    “So far, we've enabled vehicle owners to earn                                        Europe. Their interests in urbanism and
                                                                                                                                                    over $500,000 collectively by sharing their                                          conservation overlapped with strategy
                                                                                                                                                    idle assets. Like any journey though, it hasn't                                      backgrounds, and they saw similar tech-
                                                                                                                                                    been without its bumps in the road,” Ellison                                         focussed early adopters around the city.
                                                                                                                                                    says. “It took us two years to get off the
                                                                                                                                                    ground, figure out the legal and insurance,       time the average car spends idle   The company, sponsored by energy

                                                                                                                                                                                                       $11bn
                                                                                                                                                    on-road support and build the site.                                                  company Meridian and launched with help
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         of the city council and the Energy Efficiency
                                                                                                                                                    “I’d studied to be a civil engineer, but was                                         and Conservation Authority, is growing their
                                                                                                                                                    always passionate about how we move. I                                               fleet to 50 Audi A3 electric cars. Many of
                                                                                                                                                    thought there had to be a better way. The                                            their customers – some 200, with another
                                                                                                                                                    average car is used 4 to 5 per cent of the        amount the car sharing market      800 expressing interest – are small or large

                                                   Wheels
                                                                                                                                                    time, meaning for 23 hours a day it’s sitting         will surpass by 2024           organisations that share their passion for

                                                                                                                                                                                                            7–11
                                                                                                                                                    losing value.”                                                                       sustainability. Their goal is to roll out into
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         New Zealand’s five biggest cities with 2,000

                                                   to rent:
                                                                                                                                                    Like others in this sector, Ellison is                                               vehicles by 2023.
                                                                                                                                                    enthusiastic about sharing assets that aren’t
                                                                                                                                                    being used (“share the love”) to serve a                                             “For every share vehicle like ours, 7 to 11
                                                                                                                                                    generation that doesn’t feel the need to            private cars removed from        vehicles are taken off the roads, which frees
                                                                                                                                                    be tied to vehicle ownership.                        roads by every car share        up the roads and parking around the city,”

                                                    The future of
                                                                                                                                                                                                          40%
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Zydervelt says. “Many people grab a car at
                                                                                                                                                    His enthusiasm was pre-dated by nearly a                                             the end of the work day, and bring it back

                                                   transportation                                                                                   decade by former Auckland City councillor,                                           the next morning, for less than the cost of
                                                                                                                                                    Victoria Carter, who founded Cityhop                                                 parking for the day. And we offset 120 per
Saving money while reducing                                                                     The company, which celebrated its third             in 2007. When the self-titled "youngest                                              cent of our emissions using permanent
congestion and environmental                        Writer Catherine Smith / Catherine has      birthday in April, had investment from van          politician to deliberately retire" was casting     less time spent driving after     rainforest credits from the South Island.”
impact, the alternatives to                         kept a conscious wardrobe for four years,   rental company Jucy in late 2016 to help            around for a new business, she spotted the               joining a car share
traditional car ownership in                       sewing and upcycling secondhand garments     it expand into tourism. Cars in the system          nascent car share business in Australia.                                             While New Zealanders bought the most
New Zealand are growing.                                    and buying nothing new              range from ‘experience’ vehicles like a 1967                                                                                             new cars ever in 2017, automotive
                                                                                                Ford Falcon or a cool Tesla Model S to more         The model of rental cars are dotted about                                            companies are taking an interest in sharing
After an unhelpful experience with a rental                                                     prosaic moving vans or station wagons for           the city (in ‘pods’), accessed by borrowers                                          technology. Toyota’s local finance arm has
car company, Auckland-based American                                                            loading up.                                         using an app on their phone, hasn’t changed,                                         invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in
student Howard Hughes switched to the                                                                                                               but Carter laughs at the pre-smartphone                                              Mindkin, a local vehicle sharing technology
peer-to-peer car sharing service YourDrive.                                                     Particularly appealing to Hughes and his            technology her company built from scratch                                            company, citing "new mobility services" as
He found it a handy way to get around,                                                          friends was that YourDrive connects users           for those first years. Cityhop now offers 80                                         a way to deal with problems of increasingly
connecting with locals who rent their                                                           and hosts (car owners) directly. Each party         cars to some 2,500 drivers in Auckland and                                           scarce and expensive roads and carparks.
vehicles to users of the YourDrive app.                                                         sees and rates the other, there are a variety       Wellington, including the first fully electric
                                                                                                of vehicles to choose from and issues can           vehicles. Many companies request pods at                                             “More than talking about autonomous
“I’m studying in Auckland and my friends                                                        be handled immediately.                             their offices to replace or supplement the                                           vehicles, we should be talking about
and I like to get out of the city during the                                                                                                        company car fleet, with vehicles available                                           redefining the ways cities move,” says
weekends, and it’s hard to do that without a                                                    “It’s nice to deal with a person, rather than       to other users in the area too.                                                      Mevo’s Zydervelt. “This is the important
car,” he says. “Renting the car for only the day                                                a whole company, to sort any problem that                                                                                                field of business leadership, to contribute
can be quite difficult to do with conventional                                                  arises,” he says. “It’s an affordable alternative   “The flash word now is ‘collaborative                                                to reversing climate change.”
car rental. I don’t think Uber or a taxi could                                                  to full car ownership, since you are only           consumption’, which is actually what our
give us the freedom that we wanted.”                                                            paying when you use the car.”                       great-grandparents did: sharing,” says Carter.

30                                                                                                                                   winter 2018    on mas the magazine for mas members                                                                                                   31
L   good living /
     food + drink

                                   NATURAL WINE                      Natural wine took off in                                                  Gillett says natural wines      of close to 20. “It feels like        Ruffell says New Zealand
                                   is produced with minimal          France in the late 1990s and                                              appealed to him on an ethical   a natural progression to              produces amazing wines
                                   chemical or technological         spread across Europe and           Two to try                             level, being able to work       move into producing wines             but they can be “straight
                                   intervention using wild,          America, eventually hitting                                               with winemakers who farm        within our Wild Workshop.             and traditional”.
                                   natural yeasts that               Australia and New Zealand.        2017 HERMIT RAM                         their own grapes and make       We are using the same wild
Adventurous winemakers are         conventional winemakers           Dan Gillett of natural wine       MUSCAT BLANC                            their own wine in an honest,    spontaneous fermentation              “Our aim is to produce
creating funky, unique and         would run a mile from,            import and distribution           Organically farmed, hand                authentic way.                  techniques as we are for              wine in new and hopefully
experimental wines by embracing    due to their unpredictable        business Wine Diamonds            picked then lightly skin-                                               our beers, and also pushing           exciting ways that spark a
hands-off winemaking techniques.   nature. Grapes are organic        says we’re between five and       fermented Muscat Blanc                  “Then I found the wines         the boundaries of what                conversation and let people

Wild
                                   or biodynamically grown and       eight years behind Australia,     à Petit Grains from the                 offered a much wider flavour    conventional winemakers               experience something they
                                   left to spontaneously ferment,    but the growth in natural         limestone-rich soils of                 and taste spectrum. Nothing     would be comfortable with.”           haven’t before.”
                                   then bottled unfiltered and       wine here, and globally,          North Canterbury. Light                 else came close and once you
                                   unrefined without adding          has been “incredible”.            and ethereal on the palate,             get started it’s really hard
                                   yeasts, acids or enzymes.                                           beautifully floral and                  to stop.”
                                                                     “Though some people see           aromatic on the nose.

wine
                                   This hands-off approach           it as a trend, it’s more about    Only 100L produced!                     And consumers agree. “The
                                   produces unexpected, unique       returning to how wines were                                               response has been incredibly
                                   results, not usually found        always made, respecting the       2017 KINDELI                            quick and strong and it seems
                                   through conventional modern       land, and producing wines         LA ZORRA                                once people catch ‘the bug’
                                   winemaking. It’s a high-risk,     that represent time and place.”   CHARDONNAY                              they never go back,” he says.
                                   high-reward game, with the                                          Organically farmed, hand
                                   best offering something totally                                     picked and fermented in                 Craft brewery Garage Project
                                   unique and utterly delicious.                                 >>    a combination of amphora                has established Crushed,
                                                                                                       and old French oak, this is             an urban winery in their
                                                                                                       a linear, precise, toothsome            Wild Workshop in Wellington,
                                                                                                       Chardonnay from Moutere’s               in partnership with
                                                                                                       clay soils in Nelson. Think             winemaker Alex Craighead
                                                                                                 06                                                                            07
                                                                                                       Chardonnay without the                  from Kindeli Wines.
                                                                                                       usual oak influence.
                                                                                                                                               Garage Project co-founder
01
                                                                                                                                               Jos Ruffell has released four

                                                                   ad d itives                                                                 wines so far and production

                                                                no                                                                             for 2018 will see the release

                                      sulphate
                                              -free
02                                                                                                                                                                             08

                                                                                                                                                                                            WINE & FOOD

                                                                                                 05

                                                                                                                                                                                    Festivals
                                                                                                                                                                                    Winter hosts a range of food festivals around the country.
                                                                                                                                                                                    Auckland Restaurant Month is on throughout August, while
                                                                                                                                                                                    Visa Wellington On a Plate (07) is celebrating its 10th year –
                                                                                                                                                                                    serving up a range of delicious events, dine menus and,
                        03                                                                             01 / Devil's Punch Bowl                                                      of course, the famous burger competition. Hawke’s Bay’s
                                                                                                       02 / Sacrilege Chardonnay
                                                                                                                                                                                    Food and Wine Classic winter edition (08) is on now till
                                                                                                       03 / BubblePipe

               ic
                                                                                                                                                                                    24 June, with more than 60 events, while New Plymouth

         or gan                                   04
                                                                                                       04 / Fun Juice, all by Garage Project
                                                                                                       05 / Kindeli La Zorra Chardonnay
                                                                                                       06 / Hermit Ram Muscat Blanc
                                                                                                                                                                                    has launched the inaugural FEASTival – Taranaki Restaurant
                                                                                                                                                                                    Week, which will run from 5–10 June.

32                                                                                      winter 2018    on mas the magazine for mas members                                                                                                           33
L

                                          of an ingredient, we compost.
                                          We also have six worm farms
                                          and we sort our recycling
                                                                              In season
                                          streams so that we also recycle     TAMARILLOS, or tree tomatoes, are native to South
                                          soft plastics and polystyrene.      America. The name tamarillo was created by the New
                                          Another important part is that      Zealand Tree Tomato Promotions Council in the late
                                          our suppliers know we prefer        1960s to avoid confusion with common tomatoes. ‘Tama’
                                          certain kinds of packaging too.     implies leadership in Māori while ‘rillo’ is thought to be
                                                                              from the Spanish for yellow: ‘amarillo’. These days the
                                          Why have you chosen to focus        ruby red variety are most common and plentiful during
      Quick Qs                            on serving locally-sourced          the winter months. They are high in potassium and
                                          food, simply prepared?              a source of vitamins A, B6 and C.
     Laura Verner runs                    Food that is grown by people
     Auckland restaurant                  who care and are nearby is          MACERATE by piercing the skin and submerging in
     Pasture with her                     great, because it will always       boiling water to remove the skin, then slice and mix
     partner Ed. Laura                    taste better. Small-scale           with brown sugar and vanilla.
     tells OnMAS about                    producers are more intimately
     their commitment to                  connected to what they grow         MAKE A SALAD with skinned, sliced tamarillos,
     sustainability in their              and the quality of it. Local also   finely sliced fennel, and greens, tossed with vinaigrette.
     small independent                    inherently means seasonal and
     restaurant.                          with minimal handling. Preparing
                                          food simply means we try to
     What is your philosophy at           focus on deliciousness first, and
     Pasture? We opened Pasture           we use a lot of techniques but
     to express our favourite things      we don’t hide behind garnishes
     about dining and as a vessel         and unnecessary flavours.
     for our values. We believe in
     serving one menu because it          How has this ethos been
     allows us to be seasonal and         received by your customers?
     curate a series of dishes that are   Very well. So many people have
     connected. It also minimises         remarked that they can taste
                                                                                                                                 01
     waste and allows us to be            how we don’t use sugar and
     conscious in designing our           they find our flavour profiles
     dishes. Pasture is meant to be a     so surprising and unusual.
     fun, adventurous and personal        We are always trying to create
     dining experience. A lot of          experiences that are delicious,
     people tell us they feel like they   but it’s also great when

                                                                                                                                                                Every discount counts.
     walked into our home, and that       something can be innovative
     shows us that for those diners,      and very tasty!
     we got it right.

     How important is
     sustainability to you in                                                          03
                                                                                                                                                                Special MAS member rate of 6.95% p.a. on personal vehicle finance*
     running your restaurant?
     It is integral. We serve one                                                                                                                               and a special rate of 6.95% p.a. on business equipment finance†.
     menu so that we can order
     and prepare precisely. We use                                                                                                                              Talk to our dedicated team today on 0800 627 722.
     whole animals and choose
                                                                                                                                        02
     only certain kinds of seafood
                                                                                                                                                                *Subject to change throughout the life of the loan.
     that is line caught. We ferment                                                                                                                            †
                                                                                                                                                                 Fixed terms 1-5 years.
     and preserve and find ways                                                                                                                                 Available to MAS Members for personal vehicle and business equipment purchases only. MAS receives a commission from Westpac upon the
     to use as much as possible of                                                                                                                              drawdown of any new loan. Interest rate current as at 1 November 2017 and subject to change without notice. Lending criteria, terms, conditions,
                                                                                              01 / Aged New Zealand Wagyu at Pasture                            fees and charges apply.
     an ingredient. We also work                                                              02 / Drinks at Pasture
     seasonally. What we cannot use                                                           03 / Ed Verner making sourdough                                   Westpac New Zealand Limited.
                                                                                                                                              JN14432-1 05-18

34                                                                                                                              winter 2018
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