Fed up and fighting back:

A new series starting on TVNZ 2 this week looks at Kiwis who are prepared to take a stand for their beliefs. Kerry Harvey reports.

The Kiwis who are prepared to take a stand for their beliefs.

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urfer Chris Wilkes (above) made headlines when he chained a Taranaki public toilet shut to prevent human waste – left by freedom campers – contaminating the sea.

Now he is one of several Kiwis, fed up with a lack of response from local and central government, who feature on Gutsful, a 10-part documentary series about the issues that have grassroots New Zealanders seeing red.

“It wasn’t to make a statement about freedom camping,” says Chris, adding his action left him offside with the South Taranaki District Council.

“It was just to protect our surf break. I don’t want to be surfing in septic overflow and it definitely looked like it to me.”

Conflict with the authorities is a common theme for Gutsful which tackles serious issues in a uniquely entertaining way.

“It’s been a lot of fun to make,” says director Bill Kerton.

The issues run the gamut from Chris’ concern about facilities for freedom campers and a lack of public toilets in a South Island village to a notorious Warkworth intersection and dumping rubbish illegally in the Waitakere Ranges.

“It may end up being a one-run series but it’s been a lot of fun to make,” says Bill, adding that while the topics are serious, a documentary doesn’t have to be “morose or depressing”.

“I feel like it doesn’t have to be po-faced and pious if you are exploring issues like that. You can make them entertaining to watch and still make a point. A lot of the stories will be known to people – not all of them – but we felt there had not been the opportunity (for them) to be explored in depth.”

Bill, who also narrates the series, says the Gutsful team met, wherever possible, with the relevant authorities who were generally aware of the community concerns.

“Pretty much all the episodes have some kind of resolve at the end.”

“It doesn’t have to be po-faced and pious.” – Bill Kerton