> yours to take home

ISSUE 3 – 03 / 2011

Westpac New Zealand Limited

Sir Murray Halberg:an inspirational Kiwi icon

Saving liveS: all in a day’S worK

SopHie paScoe talKS london 2012

SoutHern claMS and tHe beauty of blueSKin bay

contentsp1 Sir Murray HalbergKiwi icon Sir Murray Halberg talks about creating opportunity

p11 True tales from the Westpac Rescue HelicopterFarmer Geoff Fitzgerald relates how he was rescued twice in two years

p3 Sophie Pascoe: Through fire and water

p5 Southern Clams cook up something special

p7 Blind cyclist Jayne Parsons’ inspiring attitude to life

p8 How to overcome hardship and ‘Dress for Success’

p9 Trash Palace: transforming lives

p15 Meet some of Westpac’s talented Graduate Recruits

p17 A Canterbury garden tour

Welcome to our latest issue of loveRED, and thank you for the many positive comments we have received.

Our last issue featured young Christchurch fashion designer Jess Britten. You will be pleased to know Jess and her family all came through the terrible events on 22 February unscathed. As we go to print with this issue the loss of life continues to grow and our heartfelt thoughts are with everyone in Christchurch, but particularly those who have lost loved ones.

I visited the city two days after the earthquake and the breadth of the destruction was especially hard to comprehend. I was particularly struck by the fact that no matter what people were going through themselves, they still cared about what was going on for other people. The community spirit was just extraordinary. We will get through this and already you can see that there are many unsung heroes helping Christchurch and Cantabrians recover.

Heroes are important to us all as people to look up to. One person who I know many people look up to is our own Sir Murray Halberg. A truly inspirational New Zealander.

Sir Murray Halberg has been inspiring New Zealanders for over 50 years, both as a world-class athlete and as the founder of the Halberg Trust. The Trust honours sporting excellence and provides opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in sport and active recreation. Many have deservedly gone on to achieve their own gold medals.

The recent Westpac Halberg Awards saw our many sports stars, past and present, gather for a memorable night. A special highlight for me was when Westpac employee and All White, Andy Barron, took to the stage with his teammates when they won the Supreme Award.

The word that came to mind when standing amongst our sporting heroes was confidence. They achieved their dreams through the strong belief that they were the best and were there to win.

Confidence is something very top of our minds when we look at how we can help grow the overall New Zealand economy. We can be the best. We have some exceptionally bright and talented business people spread right across the country, and there is no reason why we can’t achieve higher growth in New Zealand.

To this end I will be holding forums around New Zealand, in the cities, provincial and rural areas, to find out firsthand how we can do more to encourage people to invest. Investment means growth which means jobs and that is good for us all.

Our Grow New Zealand initiative is something we truly believe can make a difference as we look at how we can improve the wealth of business, both large and small. In the next loveRED we will release our early findings from the forums and I will be keen to get your feedback on what we discover.

2011 is an exciting milestone year for Westpac in New Zealand. In June it will be 150 years since we first opened for business. We have many stories to share from our archives and these will feature in our next edition of loveRED.

Finally I thank you for taking the time to read loveRED. We certainly enjoyed meeting the very special New Zealanders who feature inside.

Warmest regards,

George Frazis Chief Executive, Westpac New Zealand Ltd

This magazine includes articles and stories intended to be of interest to and about customers, staff and the New Zealand public for information only. While all opinions, statements and analysis are based on information current at the time of writing from sources believed to be authentic and reliable, the opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Westpac. Readers should seek their own independent professional advice.

Westpac New Zealand Limited.

ISSN 2230-3081 (Print) ISSN 2230-309X (Online)

Contact us

Susan Rockliffe – Editor Phone: (09) 367 3942 ext. 88942 Email: Susan_Rockliffe@westpac.co.nz

Ryan Boyd – Sub-Editor Phone: (09) 367 3875 ext. 88875 Email: ryan_boyd@westpac.co.nz

Nadeem Ali – Distribution Phone: (04) 498 1881 ext. 84881 Email: nadeem_ali@westpac.co.nz

This is printed on FSC certified environmentally friendly paper, sourced from audited, well managed forests and is printed with soy based inks.

The Halberg Trust was formed 48 years ago after Sir Murray visited Canada and his eyes were opened to the potential to help people with disabilities. Westpac is the Principal sponsor of the Halberg Trust. The Trust was started with the purpose of honouring sporting excellence, which it still does with the Halberg Awards, and has evolved into assisting people with disability to get involved in sport or active leisure. To date it has raised millions of dollars and changed the lives of thousands of New Zealanders, including Sir Murray’s.

“One of the things I have always thought, my philosophy if you like, is the word ‘opportunity’,” he explains. “It is interesting, as you get older you look back to your time, your limelight, I could have been not given an opportunity, but I always felt New Zealand, as a nation, gave me an opportunity to represent New Zealand. It has always been our philosophy to give opportunity.”

Sir Murray suffered a shoulder injury playing rugby as a teenager and, if he had followed the treatment of the time (which is completely different to

nowadays), his left arm may have remained unusable. He regained use of it through self-prescribed rehabilitation, but the experience was sufficient to give him a glimpse into the challenges of the disabled. He also found himself challenged as he set about establishing the Trust.

“There were a couple of people who did affect me,” he recalls. “One was a young lady who had a disability and she taught me that all life was precious. I had never thought of other issues like abortion, just thought you went on, had children and so forth. She sat me down and said ‘I want you to clarify your thoughts and views on abortion and all these other things and life and disability and the value of people’.

“On one occasion, I went to a home for young people with a disability at Pukeora, near Waipukurau. It was a lovely place in a lovely setting but it’s not what they wanted. They didn’t want to be put aside, isolated and not be part of societal streams. They wanted the same feelings and opportunities as everyone else.

“One of the young men there said to me, ‘This is all very well but it’s not what I want. I want to see the world, get me out of here’. I never achieved that but that thought has stayed with me. We need to look at society, where society is – encompassing, friendly, welcoming, and inclusive. And not put people with disability into isolation and without opportunity.”

In the beginning the Halberg Trust raised funds and distributed them, but over the years the principles, philosophies and support grew through the contributions and influence of various people.

It is now a fundraiser and service provider with direct community links through much of the country, and has helped play a key role in educating wider society to understand the needs and opportunities that disabled people want.

Sir Murray’s vision for the future will see the Trust continue to evolve. He wants to see that disabled people have an equal opportunity to compete at all levels, recreational to elite.

“To me, it has to come from the education system,” Sir Murray says. “Those who are educators and those who provide funding for the education system should be more aware of it. The law of the land is that people must have the opportunity but we make sure sporting clubs, for instance, have a rating for perfect access, coaching, welcoming, equipment, architectural barriers being broken down, ramps and those kinds of things.”

He would also dearly like to get rid of the word ‘disability’ but concedes that is unlikely. Instead, he would like people to focus on the ‘ability’ part of the word.

“A person may be disadvantaged physically but they do have ability. It might be their brain or with their music, art, sport, science, or the whole diversity of being a human being. I would like to see disability blended in so the good things the Halberg Trust and the good things Westpac do are no longer required. It’s all normalised. People are just people. Is that too much to expect?”

“We need to look at society, where society is – encompassing, friendly, welcoming, and inclusive. And not

put people with disability into isolation and without opportunity.”

OppOrTuNITy. IT’S ONE OF SIr Murray HaLbErG’S FavOurITE WOrdS. a WOrd THaT HaS CHaNGEd HIS LIFE aNd THE LIvES OF THOuSaNdS OF NEW ZEaLaNdErS.

love red 1

Inspiring Kiwisfor over 50 years

When she was just two years old, Sophie was caught in the path of a ride-on lawnmower; her left leg was badly hurt and had to be amputated below the knee. Naturally this was a very traumatic time for Sophie and her family, but from that trauma, a world class athlete has emerged.

“It might sound strange, but it’s the best thing that ever happened to me. If that hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

Christchurch-born Sophie enjoyed swimming, and at primary school she found that she could outswim her able-bodied friends. Her passion for swimming grew and she joined a swimming club, with support from the Halberg Trust in the form of a grant that funded individual swimming lessons at Kings Swim School. The rest, as they say, is history.

From those early days in the swimming club, Sophie has developed into one of New Zealand’s top Paralympians, and has amassed an impressively large collection of medals, trophies and awards.

Sophie’s achievements read like that of a veteran athlete, but the 18 year old’s amazing list of accomplishments is only going to get longer. Perhaps Sophie’s greatest achievement to date was in 2008 when she took on the world and won an incredible three gold medals and one silver in the Beijing Paralympics. At 15 years, she was the youngest ever New Zealander to achieve this.

That same year she was also one of three Kiwi Paralympians to win an Attitude Award, which recognises inspirational young people who are disabled. In 2009, she was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to swimming, and last year she won four medals in four races at the IPC Swimming World Championships in the Netherlands.

Recently, Sophie was a finalist in the 2010 Westpac Halberg Trust Awards which recognises the highest achievers of sporting excellence in New Zealand.

As well as natural talent, hard work has been key to Sophie achieving her dreams. That hard work is best illustrated by her response when asked which country she has enjoyed visiting the most: “To be honest, I haven’t had a chance to see much of those countries – I can tell you where the really good swimming pools are though!”

The support of people close to her has also been essential to her success.

“My family have always been an inspiration for me. They’ve been there right from the start, getting up early, helping with funding and travelling with me to events. That means a lot. My grandfather was also a big supporter and my biggest inspiration.”

Sophie’s grandfather died in 2003, but Sophie had promised him she’d win a gold medal in Beijing. “It felt so good knowing I’d done it for him.”

Through fire

“My family have always been an inspiration for me. They’ve been there right from the start.”

& water

aT 18 yEarS OF aGE, SOpHIE paSCOE HaS aCHIEvEd MOrE THaN MaNy pEOpLE MaNaGE IN a LIFETIME – aNd SHE aTTrIbuTES THaT aCHIEvEMENT TO aN EvENT SHE CaN’T EvEN rEMEMbEr.

Encouragement and influence have also come to Sophie from Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning swimmer Anna Simcic (now Anna Forrest). “Anna and I see each other a lot – she hasn’t just been my mentor, but a great friend as well. She’s a huge inspiration.”

For Sophie the future’s looking very bright, especially with events like the London Paralympics in 2012 to aim for. This is one Cantabrian who’s come a very long way thanks to hard work,

dedication, and the support of her family and friends.

For anyone who wants to achieve a goal and overcome challenges, Sophie has this advice: “Follow your dreams and be true to yourself. Do it for yourself. You can’t let yourself get sidetracked by what other people think. Stay focused on what you truly want, and you’ll get there.”

Sophie Pascoe is currently an ambassador for Westpac as part of the SportConnect Supporting Talent Programme.

love red 3

Sir Murray Halberg established the Halberg Trust with the aim to honour sporting excellence while also providing opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in sport and active recreation. Westpac is the principal sponsor of the Halberg Trust and the annual Halberg awards, the country’s premier sporting awards evening.

Halberg Trust

Sophie (centre) with her uncle Barry (left), mum Jo, father Garry, and grandmother Yvonne.

Sophie’s grandfather was a huge inspiration to her.

Westpac CEO George Frazis congratulates All White (and Westpac employee) Andy Barron at the Halberg Awards in February.

Halberg Trust Activity Fund

The Halberg Trust Activity Fund is a programme to support sport and recreation activities that are regular and ongoing, build skills and confidence, remove barriers and are fun!

The Halberg Trust can fund equipment, activities, lessons and school camps, and the Activity Fund gives more disabled people the opportunity to be more active, more often.

Applications are welcomed from caregivers, parents, teachers and advocates on behalf of children with a disability under the age of 18.

Halberg Trust Sport Opportunity Programme

Westpac helps the Trust deliver its Sport Opportunity Programme, which supports people with disabilities in our communities, particularly children with disabilities in schools, to take part in sport and active leisure.

Westpac provides financial support for these events, as well as employee volunteers who help people with disabilities to participate.

For more information visit www.halberg.co.nz

INSpIrEd by HIS TravELS arOuNd EurOpE aNd THE CuLINary dELIGHTS HE

EXpErIENCEd THErE, rOGEr bELTON SaW THE pOTENTIaL NEW ZEaLaNd’S abuNdaNCE OF GrEaT SHELLFISH HELd aS a SOuGHT aFTEr dELICaCy arOuNd THE GLObE.Upon returning to New Zealand in the early 1980s, the Otago University anthropology graduate noticed there was something special in the local waters, and from there Southern Clams was born.

“We had a country with some of the best raw food materials in the world and we really didn’t do much with them,” he concedes acknowledging that Europe and Asia held clams in a much higher regard than in New Zealand at the time.

So from 1982, Southern Clams began to harvest and export the wild littleneck clams and queen scallops of the Otago coastline to Europe, Asia and North America where demand was high. But Roger says that New Zealand’s attitudes towards the clam are definitely becoming more progressive.

“About 20% now goes to the domestic market and we’ve got good uptake with restaurants. Part of the challenge is educating the market on how to eat and prepare clams. Clams might not be high on the list of possible meals for many Kiwis, but present a well-prepared clam chowder and they will be delighted.”

Southern Clams’ existence was a struggle at first, and they were frequently opening and closing for their first eight years of operation.

“I would have abandoned the whole thing, but when we reopened after being closed for a couple of years, I got on the phone expecting to start from scratch – but two hours later, all the books were full. So I knew people were growing an appetite for what we had to offer – there was definitely something here.”

Because the majority of Southern Clams’ business is exporting live stock, they do unfortunately rack up the food miles, and no one is more aware of their carbon footprint than Roger. That’s why since the company’s inception he has actively sought to mitigate their environmental impact.

“The only viable solution for us is to take full responsibility for our impact and ensure that ultimately we cover our carbon footprint. The easiest way for us to do that is to plant trees and set up carbon forests.”

So far the company has planted an impressive 83 hectares of trees which will allow them to be carbon neutral to the first point of sale this year. However, that is just the beginning with a massive 300 hectares of forest planned, with the goal to be 100% carbon neutral by 2018.

Constant research and careful harvesting methods have ensured that their impact on the natural environment is sustainable and that there is no tangible or appreciable effect on other species in the area.

“It’s about long time frames and after 28 years the biomass in the area that we’ve been harvesting is more or less the same. The only difference is we removed the old shellfish and now there’s a lot of beautiful young stock in there.

“Ideally we will be able to say that after 100 years, and after a quarter of a century I’m getting pretty confident of that.”

love red 5

Amongst those who believed they could bring about change was Richard Emerson.

Having travelled Europe and lived in Scotland and England, Richard was dissatisfied with what was on offer in terms of Kiwi beer, and through this grew a passion to brew something really special.

Beginning his beer career making homebrews in his mother’s kitchen in 1986, the Dunedin local immediately caught the brewing bug. After some trial and error – and roping in friends and family as testers – in 1992 Emerson’s Brewery was born.

“Back in the eighties, most New Zealand beers were bland and too sweet, compared with what was on offer in Europe,” Richard says. “Some of them were like lolly water! We were a country of lager and draught, and there were no wheat beers. Having sampled them, I felt people here were missing out. I was hoping to change that.”

It was thanks to support from Richard’s friends and family that he was able to found Emerson’s in the first place, and for the first few years all profits went directly back into the business. But word of mouth

“We take full responsibility for our environmental impact and ensure that ultimately we cover our carbon footprint.”

It must be somethingin the water…

and hard work helped establish the brewery as a major force in the industry.

They have upgraded to larger premises twice and now have a trusty team of 12 employees, plus quite a few awards to their name which Richard puts down to their dedication to high quality. Once they poured 5,000 litres of product down the drain because it didn’t make the grade.

Not only this, but being there for their customers is a priority.

“When we take on a customer, we make sure we have the capacity to ensure their tap never runs dry and don’t let them down. This way we build up a reputation not only of quality, but also reliability. We don’t want to say, ‘We can’t get you any beer

because we’ve exported it all overseas’.”

One challenge that Richard had to face when establishing the business is the fact that he is completely deaf. But Richard sees it as nothing but a positive.

“I think being deaf does add personality to the business. People don’t forget you. Because I have to explain to people that they have to look at me when they talk, so I can read their lips, they never forget.”

Being adventurous in trying new flavours is a big part of Emerson’s philosophy, and never was this more evident than when they collaborated with Southern Clams to concoct a clam-based ale. It was called ‘Emerson’s Southern Clam Stout’, and after much trial and error in getting the recipe just right, it was a huge success.

The pride in Richard’s voice is clear; he loves where his business has come and has plenty of advice for anyone wanting to follow their dream the way he has.

“Know your product well. If you don’t, you won’t have confidence in it. If you look after your business and expand it carefully, you can make it happen.”

NEW ZEaLaNd bEEr HaS uNdErGONE a quIET rEvOLuTION IN THE paST 20 yEarS, THaNkS TO THE paSSION OF bEEr LOvErS WHO SaW THE GuLF bETWEEN OuTpuT aNd pOTENTIaL IN THE MarkET.

brewing

specialup something

love red 6

“I think being deaf does add personality to the business.

People don’t forget you.”

Images by Gerard O’Brien.

The Emerson Brewery crew.

dredging in blueskin bay.

Richard Emerson is very involved in the brewing process.

courage

27 years have now passed since Jayne was so severely beaten in a domestic violence incident that she ended up losing sight in both eyes. But instead of shutting herself away and hating the world for how her life had turned out, she knew the better option was to “get up and get out”.

Jayne has always loved the outdoors, and while she couldn’t drive she could at least enjoy a tandem cycle. Her first cycle was a cheap kitset one, but it worked and she loved the freedom it gave her of being outside and actually feeling the wind on her face.

One day she went down a hill and she suddenly realised how much she loved speed. She knew though if she wanted

to go fast she needed a new bike, so with her partner Brent they cycled 35 kilometres to meet the owner of a local cycle shop. He was in slight disbelief when he finally saw the bike they had travelled on and quickly organised one that was at least competitive.

Jayne learned that the next big cycling event was in Switzerland in six months’ time. She’s not sure whether everyone thought she was joking when she said she would compete, but she did. That was 2006 and since then Jayne has

built an impressive medal tally that includes a bronze with her team

mate at the Beijing Paralympics in 2008, and more recently silver at the 2010 UCI Para-Cycling World Championships.

The Beijing medal was particularly poignant as Jayne

had promised her seriously ill father she would win him a medal and she was delighted she could honour her promise.

Jayne was also the recipient of the Westpac Courage in Sport Award at the 2010 Attitude Awards. While she has already achieved a great deal there is still a long list of achievements she wants to accomplish. This year there are the World Champs in Italy, but her real focus lies firmly on 2012.

Two serious crashes, including one in France, have not put her off her love of cycling. “I have already been through so much, crashing holds no fear for me at all”.

She says her children, partner and family have all made reaching her dreams possible. However, it is Jayne with no sight who is the real achiever. When asked how she keeps up her tight training regime she quickly replies, “Pain only lasts a short time, but glory lasts forever.”

With this winning attitude and positive outlook, London 2012 looks set to be a defining moment for Jayne, so keep a look out for her on the podium next year.

a cycle of

After leaving school, Auckland born and bred Eseta became an apprentice seamstress at a clothing company. A keen rugby fan, she met her husband, Willie, a joiner/cabinet maker, through her local rugby club when she was 17.

For the next few years, Eseta and Willie enjoyed life and were thrilled with the arrival of their son Heremia in 1991, and their second son, Tautini, in 1993. In 1996, the couple bought their first home, in the Auckland suburb of Mount Wellington.

It was a happy time for the young family but in 1997, Willie was diagnosed with motor neuron disease, a degenerative disease which affects the brain, spinal cord, and muscles. Eseta stopped working so she could care for Willie and their three young sons (Wiremu, now 12, arrived soon after Willie’s diagnosis). She nursed Willie for almost 10 years until he passed away in 2006.

Eseta says the support of her family, and Willie’s, made a tremendous difference for them.

“My family, in-laws and friends were just fantastic. I also joined a support group which helped a lot too. You don’t think at the time ‘this is hard’ – you just get on with it. There were some good times too. Willie had a lot of time with the children and they were such a delight for him.”

Following Willie’s passing, Eseta knew she had to get back in the workforce, but for years she had been wearing

nothing but t-shirts and shorts, and she didn’t have much confidence about job interviews. That’s where Dress for Success Auckland came in and helped Eseta get back on her feet.

“My top priority was helping my sons through their grief. After a few months, I began looking at rejoining the work force, and started studying for a role in mental health services. The idea of getting back into the work force was very challenging, but WINZ referred me to Dress for Success Auckland and that made a huge difference.”

“At Dress for Success they made me feel comfortable and gave me great advice on what to wear. I came away with clothes, shoes, a handbag, makeup and jewellery. I used it all and I got the job! Dress for Success gave me back my confidence and self esteem to be where I am today.”

Eseta’s still working in health research, and she’s joined the board of Dress for Success Auckland to help other women in similar situations to hers.

“I wanted to give something back to the community and Dress for Success Auckland fit the bill. I’m bringing a perspective both as a Maori woman and as a former client. For example, we’re looking at ways to support women once the interview is over and they’ve got the job.”

Dressing for SuccessWHEN IT COMES TO OvErCOMING HurdLES, ESETa NICHOLLS rEaLLy WaLkS THE TaLk. SHE’S CErTaINLy Had HEr SHarE OF advErSITy, buT THrOuGH IT aLL SHE’S kEpT GOING, EvEN WHEN THE GOING GOT vEry TOuGH.

“You don’t think at the time ‘this is hard’ – you

just get on with it.”

JayNE parSONS HaS a CLEar GOaL: SHE WaNTS TO bE ON THE pOdIuM IN LONdON IN 2012. NO OrdINary drEaM FOr THE bEST OF uS, buT WHaT MakES JayNE’S drEaM EvEN MOrE EXTraOrdINary IS SHE IS TOTaLLy bLINd aNd THE EvENT SHE IS TaLkING abOuT IS CyCLING IN THE NEXT paraLyMpICS.

“I have already been through so much, crashing holds no fear for me at all.”

Dress for Success was founded in New York in 1997 to help women in economically difficult circumstances get back in the work force. More than 550,000 women around the world have benefited from Dress for Success since then.

Westpac New Zealand is very proud to be a Founding Partner in the Success Partners Programme of Dress for Success Auckland. Last year, Dress for Success Auckland dressed over 1,600 women, an increase of 45% from 2009.

Jayne (left) with riding partner Sonia Waddell after

winning silver at a race in Baie-

Comeau, Canada.

Willie’s children have many great memories of their father.

love red 8

Eseta enjoys spending time with her three sons.

Eseta’s focus right now is enjoying time with her three sons, enjoying her work and helping others too.

“I believe we’re never given something we can’t handle. My motto is have a go – just do it – and don’t limit yourself with fear.”

In the mid-1990s, the Porirua Psychiatric Hospital was closed leaving patients with mental health care needs nowhere to go. So when Mana Recovery was formed in 1996 by a group who had an interest in the patients’ wellbeing, the intention was simple – to provide real life employment opportunities and vocational rehabilitation programmes for those with mental health care needs with nowhere to turn after the closure of the hospital.

Thanks to the success of various initiatives in partnership with the Porirua City Council and local businesses, the organisation has now branched out with an award winning commercial recycling enterprise: Trash Palace. Former Patron and Mayor of Porirua, Jenny Brash, described Trash Palace as the “jewel in the crown” of

the Porirua City Council’s environmental programmes.

Whether it’s recovering resources such as metal, e-waste and business recycling, the sale of recycled goods, lawn and garden maintenance work or small contracts, Trash Palace keeps its staff very busy with many jobs around town.

General Manager Elizabeth Coluzzi proudly says that Trash Palace

has become a New Zealand icon, attracting international acclaim as a successful model of resource recovery others want to replicate.

“Most importantly we now employ 50% of our staff (25 people) with mental health needs, with our largest employment opportunities being our second hand goods shop and metal recycling operations.”

A favourite spot for shoppers of all sorts, such as bargain hunters, artists, collectors, and environmentalists, the Trash Palace shop sells a range of recycled goods at bargain prices. For no charge the public can drop unwanted goods that were destined for the landfill but could still be reused, such as furniture, whiteware, electrical items, gardening tools and bikes.

Trash Palace also offers Porirua residents two free inorganic material collections per year to help clear out unwanted items, which are then sold on. In 2006, a metal recycling facility

was opened which now collects all kinds of electronic and metal waste, recovering valuable metals for recycling. Where possible, electrical goods, parts and appliances are also repaired for resale.

“Over the years we’ve grown a significant customer base. The reasons for purchasing from Trash Palace are varied – from getting a bargain, to assisting a community based organisation and saving the planet for a greener future,” says Elizabeth.

And all of this is delivering in spades for the trainees working at Trash Palace.

“These services assist our trainees to develop socially, gain employment skills and work ethics, build confidence and the opportunity to rehabilitate back into the community,” adds Elizabeth.

The success of Mana Recovery and Trash Palace has been reflected in the organisation’s win at the 2010 Westpac Porirua

City Business Excellence Awards. Elizabeth says the award acknowledges the unique nature of the business.

“We’re thrilled to be recognised alongside the country’s

best businesses.”

It all started when local husband and wife teams of Tina Masters and Donald Johnstone, and Matt Horder and Annie Walden saw a chance to live their dream by combining passions for New Zealand and the water. All four are from keen boating families and grew up on the water – Tina, of Te Arawa and Tainui descent, in the Coromandel, Donald a New Zealand and International white water kayaking champion, and Matt and Annie skippering super yachts with a number of pacific passages and Atlantic crossings recorded in their log books. Tina and Matt are now the active directors of Pure Cruise.

In the winter of 2008, the well travelled friends found the catamaran of their dreams in the Caribbean, which they christened ‘Tuia’ (which in Maori means ‘run with the wind’) and then sailed back to New Zealand. Once here she was carried by a house moving truck and lifted by crane into the magical waters of Lake Rotoiti where she remains to this day as the flagship of Pure Cruise.

After two successful years in operation, Tina says a passion for the outdoors and commitment to sharing the beautiful region with others is what has contributed to Pure Cruise’s success.

“Knowing our market, understanding our competitors and product, and believing in the potential to evolve and deliver in a way which sets us apart from our competitors is key.”

Offering a unique eco-sailing experience in a pristine environment, Pure Cruise gives guests the opportunity to discover the beauty of Lake Rotoiti daily.

“We get such a buzz from exceeding people’s expectations of the sailing experience, as well as sharing the region. Most days we’re meeting new people and on the water – it’s such a privilege.”

But it’s not just the impressive views on offer as Tina and Matt have developed the Pure Cruise experience with a selection of onboard and land-based activities, such as fishing for the famous Lake Rotoiti trophy trout, or a lake edge soak in the Manupirua thermal pools, accessible only by boat and one of the area’s best kept secrets. The Skipper is also happy to hand over the wheel and winches, after a quick lesson of

course, to guests wanting to learn sailing techniques.

And as sailing is a fully sustainable activity, Pure Cruise is also proud to fly the eco-tourism flag. As well as generating her own power, Tuia also recycles and reuses her own water and features solar panels.

For Tina and Matt, they’re doing what they love while giving others the chance to experience it as well.

“Lake Rotoiti has played an important role in our company’s history. It’s so beautiful; people are just thrilled to get a chance to see it from the catamaran. We’ve developed an experience that’s accessible to anyone, both locals and tourists, and it’s such a pleasure to do this.”

Sailing

Turning trash

Smooth

TakE a LuXury 53 FOOT CaTaMaraN aNd THE bEauTIFuL FrESH WaTErS OF rOTOrua’S LakE rOTOITI, add a SELECTION OF NEW ZEaLaNd’S bEST FOOd aNd WINE, pLuS a SpLaSH OF TruE COMMITMENT TO ECO-TOurISM, aNd yOu’vE GOT purE CruISE.

“We get such a buzz from exceeding people’s expectations of the sailing experience.”

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and transforming livesto treasure

THE IdEa IS SIMpLE: yOu TakE SOMETHING THaT HaS bEEN dISCardEd, pErHapS FOrGOTTEN, aNd TurN IT INTO SOMETHING EXTraOrdINary. yOu LET IT FuLFIL ITS pOTENTIaL. WE’rE NOT TaLkING abOuT TraSH paLaCE’S INCrEdIbLy SuCCESSFuL rECyCLING prOGraMME, buT THE pEOpLE THaT THEy EMpLOy.

Tina and Matt are living their dream.

Trash Palace has a real team-based philosophy.

dan Harcourt has plenty of successes to his name, but nothing quite compares to the 730 plus missions he’s flown as pilot with the philips Search and rescue Trust and the hundreds of lives he saves every year.

After four years with the Taupo rescue helicopter, Dan has been with the Westpac Waikato Air Ambulance team for more than two years. Prior to his time in New Zealand, Dan, his wife Kylie and two sons were based in Australia where Dan did cattle mustering – helicopter style – in Western Australia.

“I always knew an office job wasn’t for me,” says Dan. “I’m a very keen outdoors person and this job is incredible – it’s varied, interesting and offers a chance to help people.

“Being a rescue helicopter pilot has taken me across land, sea and mountains to assist patients, from a 23 month old toddler, to a premature baby, to a 97 year old”.

Among the hundreds of rescues, Dan says there are always particularly memorable patients that remain in his thoughts long after the mission is complete. His career has seen rescues in some of the most remote parts of New Zealand, as well as many amazing friendships.

“I love my job,” says Dan. “Being part of a great team, each day offering something different, incredible scenery and making a difference in people’s lives – who could ask for more than that?”

Geoff’s first accident happened when he was rounding up sheep on a quad bike. As he got off, it rocked to one side, which was enough to throw him forward onto the handlebars, making the bike overturn.

“It went end over end and bounced across my stomach,” explains Geoff, who had no idea at the time that the weight of the bike had seriously damaged his internal organs. He watched the bike bounce down the gully before testing his limbs which seemed to be “working fine”.

“Gee I’m pretty lucky” thought Geoff, who then walked slowly down the gully, flipped the bike up and rode back home.

However, an hour later his wife Jo noticed he was pale and sweaty. Despite insisting he was okay, Jo felt concerned and called their local GP who assessed Geoff’s symptoms over the phone and requested a St John ambulance. Minutes later, Geoff collapsed and when the ambulance arrived they called the air ambulance, piloted by Loren Haisley.

Unbeknown to Geoff, he had severely damaged his left kidney and his spleen, and ruptured his pancreas. As a result, his stomach had filled up with blood. He was flown to hospital where he underwent three and a half hours of surgery and spent over five weeks recovering from the ordeal.

Geoff recently needed the Westpac Rescue Helicopter again after a long day pig hunting. Geoff and friend Graham were on their way home through dense bush between Mangakino and Otorohanga. They took turns carrying their prize catch through the wet, slippery terrain, when suddenly Geoff’s

foot got caught in tree roots and he lost his balance. As he fell backwards he heard a loud crack and knew he needed medical help quickly.

He had shattered his ankle and broken his tibia, and they were still 100 metres deep in the bush. Graham dropped the pig and sped to his house to alert emergency services.

Amazingly Geoff tried to walk while Graham was gone. With his ‘she’ll be right’ attitude he attempted walking, dragging his leg behind him, but this was extremely painful. Thankfully just half an hour later, Geoff heard the familiar sound of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter getting louder and louder.

Westpac Waikato Air Ambulance pilot Dan Harcourt landed the rescue helicopter on a ridge, scouring for a landing site closer to the bush boundary. “It was thick bush and if I hadn’t found another place to land we would have airlifted him using a longline extraction.”

Fortunately Dan discovered a closer landing site and repositioned the helicopter. Geoff was then stretcher-carried 100 metres out of the bush and loaded into the helicopter.

Geoff, who is also a Friend of the Air Ambulance, is very grateful for the rescue helicopter service.

“My accidents show the importance of this service,” explains Geoff, who is itching to get back into pig hunting. “It’s critical the rural community continue to support it, because we all share the same fear – having an accident in isolation. The helicopter is really our only option.”

accident free

Saving liveS – all in a day’S worK

- then rescued twice in two! for 50 years

WaIkaTO FarMEr GEOFF FITZGEraLd prIdEd HIMSELF ON bEING aCCIdENT FrEE FOr OvEr 50 yEarS. HE NEvEr THOuGHT HE WOuLd NEEd a rESCuE HELICOpTEr. buT HIS LuCk CHaNGEd aNd HE FOuNd HIMSELF dESpEraTELy NEEdING THE SErvICE TWICE IN TWO yEarS.

Geoff, with wife Jo and pilot Dan, is very grateful to

the Westpac Rescue Helicopter team.

Dan with Clare, whom he flew to hospital to give birth, and her baby.

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New Zealand’s rescue helicopters undertake close to 5,000 missions each year and during Westpac Chopper appeal Month in May, this life-saving service asks for a little help in return.

Operated by 16 charitable trusts nationwide, our rescue helicopter services often make a life or death difference for many New Zealanders. The reality is next time it could be any one of us, a member of our family or a friend.

Each mission costs thousands of dollars and the majority of funding comes from the community. Westpac funds the marketing and administration costs of the Appeal and distributes 100% of funds raised back to the local rescue helicopter trust.

during May, donations for the 2011 appeal can be made:

• At any Westpac branch • By phone on 0900 4 CHOppEr (0900 424 67737) to make a $20 donation• On the web at www.chopperappeal.co.nz.

call for new ZealanderS to Help local reScue Helicopter ServiceS

“This job is incredible – it’s varied, interesting and offers a chance to help people.”

Established in 1995 by Brigit Blair, the Christchurch based company was inspired by personal experience as two of Brigit’s three children suffered severe eczema and had allergic reactions to almost everything. Buying soaps was a challenge because of the lack of selection in the 1980s, meaning Brigit learned a lot while researching soap ingredients.

“Mum got quite interested in what was going on your skin – and what it did to you,” says daughter and creative director Juliet, “because the doctors were prescribing steroid cream for my sister and she thought that was not that great. So it kind of evolved from there.”

Once her children had grown up, Brigit decided to put her knowledge of natural and soothing skin care products to use by producing and marketing her own brand, in particular exporting to Korea where there was a definite gap in the market for such products.

But it certainly wasn’t all smooth from the get-go. Linden Leaves’ first outlet shop opened in a massive Lotte department store in South Korea, and the company had invested a huge proportion of their stock and faith in the store. However, that same year, poor construction of the building led to its collapse.

Linden Leaves recovered thanks to dedication from Brigit, whose strong focus on word-of-mouth marketing has led to the business

steadily flourishing. Now, in 2011, they have customers all over the world and have even branched out into

the realm of high-quality day spas, with the first one just opened in Christchurch.

“Our Day Spa is a good way for people who have never come across our products to experience them through a trained therapist. It’s also nice for our long-term customers to take a different approach to our products.”

Juliet initially had no plans of going to work for her mum, but after 10 years with the company she knows it was the right decision.

“We’re actually incredibly different personalities and we see different angles of the same equation. I think if we were more similar it would be much harder, and the dynamic we have works really well.”

However, Juliet is quick to stress that it’s not just the female population that Linden Leaves appeals to, and with the recent launch of their ‘Rugby’ line of beauty products, men are a huge part of their customer base.

“Rugby is the third men’s range we’ve released and has just taken off. I think because it’s blokey enough in feel and atmosphere, guys think ‘this is ok for me to use’, and then they come back for more”

It’s this high customer satisfaction rate that means Linden Leaves’ reputation is constantly on the increase, and with products that target everything from head to toe and new day spas in the pipeline, their goal to be the best known skin care range in the country is edging closer.

Natural BeautyCHrISTCHurCH baSEd LINdEN LEavES HaS aN aMbITIOuS GOaL FOr 2011: TO bE THE bEST LOvEd, bEST SELLING, bEST kNOWN SkIN CarE raNGE IN NEW ZEaLaNd.

(From left to right: Juliet Blair, Creative Director, Katrina Herbert, Linden Leaves Day Spa Massage Therapist, Jasmine Pat, Linden Leaves Training Manager, Tracey de Beer, Linden Leaves Day Spa Therapist).

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Auckland-born Arekatera (Ngati Whatua o Orakei, Te Waiohua, and Nga Puhi) is the chief carver for Ngati Whatua o Orakei. Now based in Whakatane, Arekatera and his wife Leonie (Ngati Awa, Te Whanau a Apanui and Taranaki), established Toitu Design in 2007, creating and producing whakairo (carvings), moko (tattoos) and Maori designs for use in print and web.

Since then, Arekatera has built a unique portfolio, with a particular focus on carvings that fuse traditional Maori designs into modern applications.

From whakairo at Auckland’s Vector Arena, to pipes for the newly-restored organ in the Auckland Town Hall that blend the sounds of traditional Maori instruments with traditional organ music (a first for an organ), to four giant pou (carved posts) at the corners of the new Eden Park stadium, Arekatera is adding a distinctive flavour to many of our largest city’s landmarks.

“Fusing contemporary and customary Maori art has been happening since Maori first saw the European ships. We adapted our tool technology from stone to steel by using nails

arEkaTEra MaIHI’S TaLENT FOr FuSING TradITIONaL aNd MOdErN dESIGNS MEaN HE’S rapIdLy GaINING a rEpuTaTION FOr HIS uNIquE apprOaCH TO HIS arT.

that came from the same ships. With the use of Maori narratives, customary and contemporary media, we have a fusion that can connect the past, present and future,” says Arekatera.

A big focus for Arekatera over the last few months has been a carving based on the story of Maui fishing up Te Ika a Maui (the North Island of Aotearoa). Commissioned by Westpac New Zealand, the 6 metre high carving will have pride of place in Westpac’s new head office building in Auckland.

Arekatera has been working on the carving, crafted from a 4000-year-old trunk of swamp kauri, since September last year. It will be installed in March this year.

Murray Dobson, Westpac New Zealand’s Head of Property, has been very involved in the process from the beginning.

“We’ve worked very closely with local iwi, Ngati Whatua, as our new building has taken shape. Their advice and support have been pivotal and our building has a very distinctive New Zealand feel. The carving of Maui is a particular highlight in our new building. It’s been a real pleasure to work with Arekatera on this project.”

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carving out an iMpreSSive career Arekatera and his wife

Leonie take great pride in their art.

Top to bottom: Arekatera uses a chainsaw in the initial stages of his carvings; Carving is a passion for Arekatera; Under the Puketapapa walkway; One of the four pou at Eden Park. (Images courtesy of Toitu Design Ltd).

I didn’t know what I wanted to do after I graduated but being part of a graduate programme in a large, dynamic organisation like Westpac seemed like a great first step post-university to launch my career.

What set the Westpac Graduate Programme apart from the competition is that it’s based on rotating you around a business unit, meaning you get to do a number of different roles and experience all areas of the business.

I spent my rotation in Risk Analytics and Customer Intelligence, and work in the Risk Analytics team now. The work’s cool, in a geeky sort of way; we apply logic, backed up with data, to answer questions posed by the business.

Five years ago, I couldn’t programme my way out of a paper bag, but now it’s something I do on a daily basis.

We get ad-hoc, “I-need-it-yesterday” requests every day, which ensures we’re always brimming with interesting new challenges to solve!

It’s really satisfying to see the work that I do producing great outcomes across Westpac. We’re very focused on how our work affects Westpac’s customers at the other end, so we’ve always got our customers and their dreams in the front of our minds.

Don’t know where to from here yet, but to date it’s been an awesome, and sometimes challenging, experience being on the Westpac Graduate Programme. It’s given me a real boost into an exciting new field and I’ve met some great people along the way who I now call friends.

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Creating launching

Degree(s) Bachelor of Science, majoring in Statistics and Applied Mathematics with Honours in Statistics

University Auckland University

Business Unit Risk Management

Stomping ground(s) Howick, Auckland and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Interests Food, shopping, travelling (probably in that order)

Favourite ice cream Apple pie gelato from Valentino’s Gelato – you’ll never look at apple pie the same way again.

Emma Tan

In my last year of uni I went to a presentation on Westpac’s Graduate Programme. I was amazed at the opportunities available and keen on being able to rotate through different roles to see what appealed most.

I was accepted into the 2010 intake and in the week before my first day I got married and moved from Christchurch to Wellington (with a brief two day “honeymoon” on the way).

Before starting at Westpac I thought everyone would wear suits and ties, but after just a few hours my boss told me they were having a bet to see how long I would keep my tie on for. I didn’t manage to last the day.

So far I’ve rotated through three different teams and each one’s been quite different. Some of the highlights so far have been helping colleagues in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake and getting involved with fundraising for the Westpac Chopper.

The best thing about the programme is being encouraged to challenge the status quo and take an active role in the projects we’re working on.

If you don’t think you’re the right ‘type’ to work for a bank – think again: a few years ago, while listening to lectures on the theory of concrete mix design, I’d never have pictured myself here either.

Degree(s) Bachelor of Civil Engineering with Honours & Master of Engineering Management (MEM)

University Canterbury University

Business Unit Customer & Technology Services (CTS)

Stomping ground Hataitai, Wellington

Interests Snorkelling, playing guitar, social sports, cooking and good food!

Favourite ice cream Two scoops: Goody Goody Gum Drops and either Caramel Fudge or Cookies and Cream.

Paul Schwalger

I looked at loads of grad programmes but picked Westpac’s because the application process was seamless and it was clear how much they value their new grads.

I spent my first eight months in different roles around Financial Markets. Then the Emissions Trading Scheme came in and they needed someone to learn about dealing commodities and carbon. I stuck up my hand in a flash.

Three years down the track my job today is to identify commodities where price movements will greatly affect our clients’ revenues and look at methods to reduce this risk. I love it! I get to work with a huge cross-section of people and discover new ways of solving challenges every day.

I never imagined myself doing this job when I was back at uni because I never knew such a job existed, but it’s perfect for me because I’m really interested in the field of natural and environmental resources!

The Programme’s been a great boost for my career and gave me a chance to try out different roles around the bank before I chose where I wanted to specialise.

I’d definitely recommend the Westpac Graduate Programme to anyone wondering which path to take after uni. It’s a pretty dynamic environment, has a great culture and the breadth of jobs you can do will go far beyond what you’d ever imagine.

Degree(s) BA and BCOM in Economics, Politics and Management

University Otago University

Business Unit Financial Markets

Stomping ground Parnell, Auckland

Interests Travelling and tramping

Favourite ice cream Gold Rush!

Bridget Beals

want to give it a go?Our 2012 Graduate Programme is now accepting applications. Take a look at our website and if you like what you see we’d like to invite you to apply online: Visit www.westpac.co.nz and click the ‘Graduate programme’ link at the bottom of the page.

Meet some of our grads:

careersfutures,

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Westpac’s Graduate programme is designed to attract and develop the best fresh young talent in the country. Westpac’s grads get an amazing kick-start to their careers and go on to challenging and interesting roles.

Our grads are given:

n Rotation through different roles around the business n A dedicated coach to support their development n World-class training n The chance to meet a diverse range of talented people

And, best of all, we’ll pay you for it!

Check out our YouTube clip: http://www.youtube.com/WestpacNZ Keywords: Graduate programme

LOCaTEd IN OHOka, JuST NOrTH OF CHrISTCHurCH, MILLSTrEaM GardEN IS a bEauTIFuLLy kEpT FIvE aCrE SHOWCaSE OF GardENING paSSION.Started from scratch 20 years ago with the challenge of creating a garden paradise, it is fully managed and maintained by the owners, Elaine (who designed and works full time on the garden) and John Lynn, who by day is a Westpac Retail Bank Area Manager in Christchurch. Millstream Garden is open to the public for viewing and weddings. The property has been featured in NZ House & Garden and other New Zealand and overseas magazines, as well as on a local television gardening programme.

Self-confessed topiary enthusiast John Lynn walks us through his pride and joy.

HaciendaThe sculpture is called “Lady in a Tub” and was made by a local artist. Great story behind this purchase: I was in Auckland and Elaine text me to say she had bought a sculpture for the garden at a local market. What she omitted to tell me was that it weighed half a ton and needed a truck to deliver, and a crane to place it in the garden!

Young aldersThese are the alders in their infancy. There are 20 trees and this walkway is opposite the dining and kitchen area in the house – a great view and you always see quail, rabbits, pukeko and ducks wandering along the walkway.

outdoor loungeThis is a great entertaining area for summer or autumn – we can light the fire and enjoy a cooler autumn evening with a fine wine or relax in the shade of summer with a nice cold beer. I guess you can sum up this area with a sign we have in one of the planter boxes – “Bugger the weeds, where’s the wine?!”

lollipopsThese are macrocarpa which I grew from small plants and require trimming every month. My obsession with topiary came from a visit to France and Italy three years ago where we visited many famous gardens. I like to potter around with shapes and different plants – I even have a topiary buxus chicken which stands 1.5m that I have painstakingly shaped over the last few years.

My Garden:

Millstream Garden

love red 17 love red 18

old aldersThese are 15 year old Evergreen Alders – fast growing and a great walkway shelter tree, but require regular topping and trimming. We wanted to create an avenue of trees with a large Italian urn on a pedestal at the end of the walkway. This is a popular area for wedding ceremonies.

If you have a garden you would like to feature in love RED, then email love_red@westpac.co.nz

“You can always see quail, rabbits, pukeko and ducks wandering along.”

Christchurch’s earthquake wrought a tragic human cost. although it’s less important, attention is now turning to the economic cost. The immediate issue is the sheer scale of disruption – schools and shops are closed, people can’t get to work, and it is difficult to get around. It’s far too early to tell with any degree of accuracy, but we are currently costing the disruption at around $4bn – equivalent to 15% wiped off Christchurch’s annual economic output, or 2% off New Zealand’s annual Gdp, in the first year alone. New Zealand’s annual economic growth may drop to zero in the year to March 2011.

The next issue is rebuilding. Here the news is slightly better, as New Zealand was well prepared. Up to two-thirds of the cost will be paid by overseas reinsurance companies. A chunk of the remainder will be paid for by the Earthquake Commission, which spent sixty years building up reserves for just such a disaster. The Government’s bill will still be huge, but by taking on extra debt the cost can be spread over the whole country and over decades.

All this money pouring in will act like a fiscal stimulus package for Christchurch. Once the aftershocks stop, a reconstruction boom is inevitable. That’s not to say the quake was “good for the economy”. The work will only return Cantabrians to something approaching their pre-quake standard of living.

We expect Christchurch reconstruction activity will propel national GDP growth to 5.7% through the year to June 2012. Some parts of the wider New Zealand economy will feel a positive “trickle-down effect” – cement manufacturers come to mind. Others will not.

Construction costs could rise across the nation, prompting some businesses to cancel good projects. Rising costs could put pressure on inflation, requiring the Reserve Bank to hike the OCR (but not before 2012). In turn, that would rein in growth across the whole of New Zealand.

All opinions, statements, and analysis expressed are based on information current at the time of writing from sources which Westpac believes to be authentic and reliable. We recommend you seek independent advice.

Economies and exchange rates

ECONOMIST’S rEpOrT

Westpac Senior Economist dominick Stephens gives his early thoughts on the economic impact of Christchurch’s tragic earthquake.

How would you describe Taihape in 10 words?

Scenic, dynamic, friendly, slow- paced, remarkable, fun, gumboots, exciting, paradise.

What is the best kept secret of Taihape?

The magnificent scenery. Our beautiful rivers and the walkways. It’s just a clean, green, beautiful place to be. And with Mt Ruapehu only half an hour away, you’ve got the skiing and snowboarding.

How long have you lived in Taihape?

16 years. I’m an Aucklander but I wanted a lifestyle change, to get out of the rat-race and bring children up in a safer, cleaner, slower-paced environment.

and you’ve never looked back?

Absolutely not. I’ll go out of here in a box.

Taihape branch had the highest percentage of platinum achievers (Westpac’s high achievers) in New Zealand. What’s the secret?

An experienced, skilled team who are passionate about their customers. It’s all about service. At the end of the day service brings sales and I’ve said that for the whole time I’ve been in banking.

Where would be the best place to grab a meal in Taihape?

Al Centros. The owner is Italian and he’s been there for probably 30 years now. He just cooks the best steak and the best oysters.

What is a typical Taihape customer like?

We’ve got a really mixed bunch of customers, from farmers to professionals. They’re all really friendly, neat, down-to-earth people.

What makes Taihape the “Gumboot capital of the world”?

Well, I don’t know who decided we were going to be that because I actually thought it was a bit corny at first, but it’s certainly put Taihape on the map.

I don’t know who’s the current champion gumboot thrower, but one of our locals was and of course they contest that every year. We’ve got busloads of people that come to the gumboot lane and throw gumboots.

How does the Taihape branch embrace the recognition of being the “Gumboot capital of the world”?

We are very proactive in the community. If there are any community events on, I encourage my team to take part. On Gumboot Day we always wear our gumboots and Fred Dagg t-shirts to work and to try to go out to participate.

What appeals to living in a town like Taihape?

A great place to bring up kids. It’s safe, everybody knows each other and there’s everything you’d need. And we’re an hour from Palmerston North or Wanganui if you need to go out of town for something.

I have one day to spend in Taihape and I know I’m going to al Centros for dinner, but what am I doing for the day? What would be the top things that I would have to fit in?

You’re going to go out to Mokai Gravity Canyon, bungy jump and go on the flying fox and swing bridge. Then down to the river and catch yourself a beautiful trout. Next go for a beautiful scenic drive, and then some shopping; we’ve got some really neat shops here.

Can I throw a gumboot as well?

You can, yes.

CHrISTINE WHaTarau, baNk MaNaGEr OF WESTpaC TaIHapE braNCH, TELLS uS WHaT MakES HEr TOWN SO SpECIaL.

love red 20

“Magnificent scenery, our beautiful rivers and the walkways. It’s just a clean, green, beautiful place to be.”

as we go to print, the terrible tragedy of the earthquake of Feb 22 unfolds. It seems so unfair having gone through so much on September 4 that the Canterbury region should have to endure such a natural disaster of that magnitude.

It was just before Christmas last year that Westpac New Zealand teamed up with Air New Zealand to fly some of the families hardest hit in the September 4 quake to Auckland for a ‘Weekend on the Water’.

The 29 Cantabrians chosen to enjoy the weekend away were just some of the recipients of Westpac’s Canterbury Care Fund. The weekend was aimed to give everyone just a chance to unwind and have some fun.

A boat trip across the Hauraki Gulf to Motiuhe Island where a Santa suit-clad Sir Peter Leitch arrived on the New Zealand Police Air Support Unit helicopter Eagle and distributed Christmas presents to everyone was one highlight, as was a trip to Kelly Tarlton’s, and the arrival of All Blacks Anthony Boric and Daniel Braid who dropped by on Sunday morning’s breakfast.

Kim Joy, Westpac’s Board Administrator on the Canterbury Recovery Programme, said the organisers Katrina Hope and Graham Dalton described the weekend as “magic”.

“Everyone at some stage over the weekend shed tears of joy, and the Westpac team involved in this event said it was the most rewarding experience they’ve ever been involved in,” Kim said.

Westpac would like to thank the sponsors for the weekend: Johnston’s Coachlines, Millennium Hotel, Copthorne Hotel, Christchurch City Council, Duco Events, Westfield, R Marine New Zealand and Westhaven Marina.

Also a big thank you to Graham Dalton, Katrina Hope and all of the Westhaven boat owners who volunteered their time and boats.

With the second and more devastating earthquake on 22 February, the people of Christchurch still need all the support and assistance they can get.

Weekend wateron the

Taihapeour new Zealand:

Myra Dickinson, Christine Whatarau, Caroline Stafford and Bern Nepe from

the Westpac Taihape Branch display their gumboot pride.

TO dONaTE TO THE CHrISTCHurCH EarTHquakE appEaL:

•   donate funds into their account: 03 0251 0039807 00

•   Make a donation by txt – Free text ‘chch’ to 933 to automatically donate $3 to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal.

Born and raised in Kaitaia, the mother-of-four started at the bottom and is now making waves in Westpac’s local branch banking world. After leaving high-school and being accepted into Auckland’s Unitec to do a Bachelor of Business Studies degree, Jen wasn’t entirely satisfied with the direction she was taking, so took a break after a year to reflect on whether this was the right path for her.

In the end she decided to move back up north and began working as a part-time teller at Westpac in her hometown of Kaitaia in 1995.

“I worked my way to a full-time customer support role,” Jen says. “I spent five years at the branch and loved being able to fix things for customers. It’s a real go-to role where you have to know all the ins-and-outs of banking and is a great platform to start at the bank.”

Jen and husband Lee then decided to move to Australia with their two children for a five year OE and she started working as a residential lender at St George Bank in Sydney.

“It was a fantastic development opportunity and I learned so much,” Jen says. “I am really passionate about what I do and love doing it well. If someone gives me a job or a project, I’ll take it on and give it 150 percent.”

In 2005, Jen and her family returned home. She says she always wanted to go back to Westpac with her newly gained experience, and her hometown branch was more than happy to welcome her back.

“My goal returning from Australia was to bring that experience back and help my local community,” Jen says. “My whole

mentality was to be the best in Kaitaia so that friends, family and members of the community would want to come in and see me for their banking needs.”

She started in a support role before becoming a customer service consultant, a home-loan specialist and then on to bank manager.

Proudly achieving second in her region as a home-loan specialist for the year of 2007, Jen also thrived as the Kaitaia

Jeanette Mcglashan:

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“I am really passionate about what I do and love doing it well. If someone gives me a job or a project, I’ll take it on and give it 150 percent.”

Being able to say you’re a home owner before you’re 25 is becoming increasingly rare these days, but thanks to a combination of forward planning, hard work and help from KiwiSaver, 24 year old Hannah Falvey and her fiancé Kris Brown are the proud owners of a new house in Timaru.

“We’re pretty lucky – most of our friends are still renting. We can go home and relax, and it’s ours. It was one of the things I had on my list to do before I was 30.”

First home buyers who have been with a KiwiSaver scheme for over three years are able to use a portion of their savings to help purchase their first home. This is what gave Hannah, a pharmacy technician, and Kris, an electrician, the opportunity to purchase their dream home earlier than expected and with a smaller mortgage.

“I definitely think people should consider joining a KiwiSaver scheme - with the government and employer contributions members can get a huge boost to their savings.”

Looking forward and planning for the future is something Hannah prides herself on, and believes people should start thinking about their retirement at a young age.

“There are a lot of people out there that don’t have any savings for their retirement. But when you get to that

stage you’d hope you were able to live a comfortable life.”

Westpac’s Head of Wealth Mark Fitz-Gerald says the home purchase withdrawal feature means KiwiSaver members may be able to use their KiwiSaver savings for more than just retirement.

“It just shows that the sooner you get involved and start saving, the sooner you could start to see the benefits of KiwiSaver.”

The Westpac KiwiSaver Scheme is the largest non default KiwiSaver scheme, and in the year from June 2009 to June 2010, the uptake of the Westpac KiwiSaver Scheme grew by 45 percent*.

“The figures show New Zealanders are starting to get serious about saving and see KiwiSaver as an effective way of reaching their goals.”

For more information on how to use kiwiSaver to save for your first home, call 0508 WpaC kIWI or 0508 972 254.

GOOd THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO SavE – WHaTEvEr THEIr aGE.

A tale of two Kiwi savers

the best of the bestFrOM parT-TIME TELLEr TO WESTpaC GrOup’S NEW ZEaLaNd EMpLOyEE OF THE yEar, JEaNETTE (JEN) MCGLaSHaN kNOWS aLL abOuT Hard WOrk, pErSISTENCE aNd dETErMINaTION.

bank manager and lifted its profile to a stand-out branch nationally.

“My whole approach to anything, especially in the bank manager role, is to find out how to get the best out of my staff,” she says. “I’ve got so much time for staff. If they give me the will to be here and they want to work at Westpac, I’ll give them everything that I can to help them – coaching, mentoring and development.”

Jen’s hard work and commitment paid off when, out of 5,500 employees throughout New Zealand, she was awarded the 2010 Westpac New Zealand Platinum Achievers Supreme Award. She then later went on to win the Westpac Group’s New Zealand Employee of the Year Award.

“I was just dumbfounded,” she says. “I was just shocked but it was fantastic. I had no idea. It was totally out of left-field when I won it. It was eyes and mouth open kind of moment – my proudest moment in my career so far.”

Jeanette at home with her kids.

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“I definitely think people should consider joining a KiwiSaver scheme - with the government and employer contributions members can get a huge boost to their savings.”

To qualify for a Home purchase Withdrawal, a member must:

•   Have been a member of a KiwiSaver scheme for three years or more

•   Have never made a withdrawal from a kiwiSaver scheme to purchase a home before

•   Intend for the property to be their main home

•   Have never owned a house or land before  (or if they have owned a house or land before then Housing New Zealand Corporation must determine that they are in a similar financial position to a first home buyer).

Further conditions apply. Money withdrawn from a KiwiSaver scheme for purchase of a first home has to be paid to a solicitor and used as part of the purchase price on the settlement date.

Investment Statements for the Westpac KiwiSaver Scheme are available from Westpac branches.

Investments made in the Westpac KiwiSaver Scheme (Westpac KiwiSaver) do not represent bank deposits or other liabilities of Westpac Banking Corporation ABN 33 007 457 141, Westpac New Zealand Limited or other members of the Westpac group of companies. They are subject to investment and other risks, including possible delays in payment of withdrawal amounts in some circumstances, and loss of investment value, including principal invested. None of BT Funds Management (NZ) Limited (as manager), any member of the Westpac group of companies, The New Zealand Guardian Trust Company Limited (as trustee), or any director or nominee of any of those entities, or any other person guarantees the Westpac KiwiSaver’s performance, returns or repayment of capital. Westpac KiwiSaver is not offered in any jurisdiction other than New Zealand. KiwiSaver incentives are determined by government policy and legislation and may change in the future. Westpac New Zealand Limited.

* Source: Workplace Savings NZ Quarterly KiwiSaver Survey as at 30 June 2010

2011

1997 Westpac New Zealand launches its first Internet page.

1984 EFTPOS makes its New Zealand debut.

1982 The CBA and BNSW banks join forces to create Westpac.

1981 The first Westpac Rescue Helicopter takes off in Wellington, followed by the ones in Auckland (1986), Christchurch (1987) and Waikato (1987).

1979 The BNSW and CBA issue their first credit cards.

1975 The first TV commercial produced in New Zealand for BNSW is aired.

1974 The 318 Lambton Quay offices in Wellington open, becoming the tallest bank in New Zealand.

1956 Burrough’s ledger machines are introduced, beginning the era of mechanisation and computerisation in banking.

1942 The first female uniforms are distributed in the CBA’s Christchurch branch.

1939 -1945 312 New Zealand BNSW employees enlist in the Second World War and 29 lose their lives.

1931 The Hawke’s Bay earthquake destroys the local CBA branch, and the BNSW Napier branch, and all of its records, are engulfed by fire.

1915 The first female employees for the BNSW are hired due to the War.

1914 -1918 About 80 of the 400 BNSW New Zealand staff saw active service during World War I and 31 were killed.

1912 The Commercial Bank of Australia (CBA) opens 19 branches throughout New Zealand.

1892 The BNSW purchases its first typewriter – a Remington model two.

1886 Modern technology comes to the BNSW with the arrival of telephones.

1861

Many people have contributed to Westpac’s financial strength and longevity over the last 150 years, but some people stand out for their ability to expand the business and transform the minds and hearts of the people they worked with.

Richard Stanley Brittain is one of those people. He may have retired from the bank in 1962 and died in 1981, but his contribution is still appreciated today.

When Richard Brittain began his banking career in the Hastings branch on 4 August 1915, banking was a fusty and strictly hierarchical business. Managers were not encouraged to be too friendly with members of their local community and relationships at work were similar to a very strict boarding school. By the time he retired in 1962 after 47 years in the bank, including seven years as CEO, he had brought about a massive change in the bank’s culture and further developed the business.

Being one of the first Kiwis to obtain a Diploma in Banking from the University of New Zealand in 1924, Richard went on to work in many New Zealand branches, the New Zealand Inspectors office and the Sydney British and Foreign Department. During the Second World War he was appointed to London as Manager, and then in 1954 he reached the top as the New Zealand Inspector (what we today call the CEO).

It’s very easy to forget how much things can change in a relatively short amount of time. If we were to see someone walk through town with a gun in their pocket today, it would certainly raise a few eyebrows not to mention a few alarm bells! but that’s exactly what Westpac New Zealand employee dave Stuthridge used to do.

For the past eight years, Dave has worked in Westpac’s Our Bank team in Christchurch, managing Westpac New Zealand’s employee accounts. But Dave’s career began many moons ago as a teller with the Commercial Bank of Australia (which in 1982 combined with The Bank of New South Wales to form Westpac). Through a variety of roles over the years, Dave has seen a huge range of

changes and has more than a few good stories to tell.

“When working for the CBA we all took turns taking the surplus notes (usually over $200,000 worth) from the bank’s location in Hereford St to the Post Office in an old suitcase. The two of us would walk there and one of us always had a pistol in our pocket. Not that we

were ever likely to use it!”

The idea of arming a bank employee may

seem strange now, but it was standard practice in New Zealand until 1975, as was sending bank employees off to the shooting range for practice once a year.

“All the tellers had guns under the counter. There were grill bars in front of the tellers, and customers had to put papers under those bars.”

He also became the first President of the New Zealand Bankers’ Association when it was reformed in 1958 (formerly the Associated Banks of New Zealand).

He was an educated and articulate man with a good understanding of the bank’s business and the New Zealand economy, but what made Richard’s reign stand out from previous leaders was that he actively reached out to the nation’s employees. Affectionately known as ‘Uncle Stan’ by employees, Richard travelled frequently to branches showing a keen interest in all his employees and was known to be willing to help any of them in trouble.

During his time as Inspector the bank noticeably expanded, mainly in financing wool exports and opening suburban branches. When he took over the role of CEO, the bank, then called the Bank of New South Wales, had 79 branches and 24 agencies. Five years after he became Inspector, in 1959, there were 17 new branches

and 14 new agencies, which made for the largest and swiftest expansion in the bank’s history and reflected his determination to improve banking services in New Zealand.

On his retirement, Richard was presented with many awards and tributes from employees, and to mark the occasion he and his wife bought the seaside cottage ‘After You’ to present to the New Zealand banking team as a tribute. In 1977 the original old cottage was replaced with two new holiday units Westpac employees can use to enjoy a relaxing break from the office, which is exactly what Uncle Stan would have wanted.

remembering

uncle StanOne of the ‘After You’ cottages in Waikanae.

The man they called ‘Uncle Stan’

tHe Man witH tHe olden gun

“All the tellers had guns under the counter.”

Dave used to pack heat. Today he makes do with just a replica.

Today, tellers are a little bit less intimidating, but the approach to security measures is certainly not the only big change Dave has encountered over his years in the bank.

“The swap of currency from pounds, shillings and pence, to dollars and cents in the late 1960s was a really big change. It was very interesting as we were dealing with two lots of currencies for some time and people could bring in either currency, but we would only give out the new one. The introduction of computers was also a very significant change. It certainly made a lot of things easier.”

Looking back really makes you wonder what the next few decades will bring, and how future employees and customers will look at the Westpac of today.

2011 IS a MILESTONE yEar FOr WESTpaC, MarkING THE 150TH yEar OF SuCCESSFuL baNkING IN NEW ZEaLaNd. IT’S bEEN a LONG aNd aCTION-paCkEd JOurNEy. HErE arE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS.

Just one month before gold is found in Central Otago, the Bank of New South Wales (BNSW) sets up shop in New Zealand, opening seven branches throughout the country.

The Auckland branch in 1861.

Riccarton Branch in late 2010.

Westpac celebrates 150 years of successful banking in New Zealand with over 1.2 million customers and over 200 branches nationwide.

love red 24

150 yearSof banKing

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