Fitzgerald’s work for Grey Power hailed
After eight years as Timaru Grey Power president, Denise Fitzgerald stepped down at the annual meeting on Wednesday, but won’t be leaving the organisation entirely.
‘‘She will be missed as our president, but she won’t be missed from Grey Power because she is still going to be very much an active member,’’ her successor Jock Anderson said.
‘‘Denise has been one of those presidents who has always been available to people.
‘‘People phone her a lot about all sorts of different things – superannuation, taxation, health benefits. Sometimes they just need someone to talk to or to get advice on something.’’
A highlight of her presidency was when Grey Power led the campaign against the Timaru District Council’s proposed sale of Alpine Energy shares, a movement which was swiftly backed by the community and caused council to U-turn, he said.
Anderson, who has been involved with Grey Power for four years, said that as incoming president he will be looking to Fitzgerald for ‘‘advice and sage words of wisdom’’.
Grey Power is an apolitical advocacy organisation, with branches across the country, which is open to people aged over 50.
Issues of concern include national developments, such as proposals to raise the superannuation age and the move away from landline phones, to local issues like access to public transport and the state of footpaths, Anderson
said.
‘‘There have been numerous attempts over the years to make them [footpaths] a bit safer and more level. We’ll keep beating that drum until we’re satisfied that it’s safe for older people to walk on, some of whom are not so steady on their feet.’’
The migration to online services is a concern across transport, with smartphone apps becoming a popular method of booking, and banking.
‘‘Large numbers of our membership pay their bills by cheque and all the banks are doing away with cheque services,’’ he said.
‘‘Not everyone in the community does online banking, there are a significant
The ski season is looking better all the time as an estimated 30 to 40 centimetres of snow landed on Mt Dobson yesterday.
Mt Dobson owner and mountain manager Bruce Foote said no-one was up the mountain so it was hard to say what the snow base would be, but he was happy with the snowfall ahead of the planned July 3 opening.
‘‘It’s excellent, it’s put us forward leaps and bounds,’’ he said.
The snow base was 22cm after number of older people who, because they are not computer-literate or they live in an area without adequate internet coverage, or they might be wary for security reasons, like to deal with people face to face.’’
Speakers are often brought into meetings to educate members on issues such as scams, and to help bring them into the internet-age.
Anderson said the organisation ‘‘keep tabs on any local development we perceive as being not in the interests’’ of older people and the community as a whole, citing the recent national healthcare review as an example.
‘‘We are one of the small [DHBs] but we do appear to be one of the more effective ones, so we’ll be watching those developments and proposals with a very keen interest,’’ he said.
‘‘Timaru Grey Power will be keeping a very close eye on anything that is likely to affect the district health board and by the same token, anything that is likely to affect the efficiency and the effectiveness of the delivery of health services.’’
Anderson said he has ‘‘no objection to marching in the main street’’ for the right cause.
‘‘The main focus of Grey Power is to ensure governments or councils or authorities don’t do anything, either knowingly or unknowingly, that makes life more difficult for older people,’’ he said.
‘‘Having said that, we don’t rule out concern for everyone because everyone will hopefully become an older person at some stage, so we like to keep an eye on everyone in the community.’’
3cm fell on June 6 but Foote said conditions fluctuated and some warmer weather earlier this week could have impacted on that.
Snow had fallen to about 400 metres in other parts of South Canterbury, according to Canterbury Weather Update (CWU).
Webcams showed snow showers had lightly dusted the road sides sides of Burkes Pass and along the Aoraki/Mt Cook Highway.
Snow had been falling until late afternoon in Tekapo, Kiwi
Treasures and Information Centre spokesperson Kate Bell said.
She thought up to about 7cm had fallen.
An Aoraki/Mt Cook resident said it had had been snowing most of the day, only clearing about 3pm.
They said about 25 to 30cms had fallen in the village.
‘‘It’s the first real snow we have had in the village this winter,’’ he said.
In Twizel no snow had settled in the town, a Twizel Visitor
Information centre spokesperson said.
‘‘We only had a few flakes.’’ The Ohau skifield website said there had been 35cms of snow fall as at 6am yesterday.
New Zealand Transport Agency issued warnings about the snow in the Mackenzie but did not close any roads in the district.
Mt Hutt Ski Area was closed yesterday due to forecasts of heavy snow and wind after a cold southerly struck in the early hours of the morning.