September 2025 | Grey Power Rotorua

C Bavister

Secretary

September Ramblings

Hearten to see daffodils in the garden beds in the city. Must mean the spring is coming. Hope that also means less rain. In the “thank goodness it was not me “file, I read that a rat catcher in the north of England caught a 55cm rat. I freak out at a small mouse which sometimes venture inside from the garden.

Interesting to see that the council has no longer contracted the administration and collection of parking meters to an outside agency. Wonder if this will mean lower fees. The council workers will be too busy collecting supermarket trolleys. Good use of their time, we wonder.

We had two great forums meeting the local election candidates with over 200 people attending. The candidates stuck to the questions and times allocated to present themselves. The questions from the audience resulted in some lively debate. At the end a large number of the audience stayed back for refreshments and mingle with the candidates.

We have another forum on the 23 September 2025. Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan, a member of parliament for the Green Party, will be giving us a presentation of the Green Party's Policies for Seniors. Xu-Nan has been the Green Party spokesperson for courts, education, ethnic communities, justice, overseas New Zealanders, seniors, and trade.

Partnership Between
Grey Power & Resonate Health Rotorua

We are excited to announce a new partnership between Grey Power and Resonate Health, Rotorua. Resonate, is New Zealand’s newest and fastest growing provider of affordable high quality hearing aids, and personalized audiology services.

This partnership brings discounts to Grey Power members, helping to make healthy hearing more affordable and accessible.
Member Benefits include:

50% off ($49) for a 60-minute consultation on your hearing health, including impact on tinnitus, sleep, balance and memory
$90 per month subscription service for top quality hearing aids.

To book your appointment, call 0800 737 662 and quote Grey Power, or request an appointment through resonatehealth.co.nz/greypower.

For those seeking more information about Resonate
Health visit our website resonatehealth.co.nz.

Kind Regards,
Michael Cullen
PARTNER COORDINATOR
GREY POWER NEW ZEALAND FEDERATION INC.

Editor

A Cautionary Tale

Judy, (not her real name), had the misfortune to be taken to hospital by ambulance. She was under the care of our health system for four weeks. Judy, like many of us lives alone. On admission to hospital her family visited her and friends cleared the letter box. Her energy is mainly gas, including heating. When she returned home the energy bill arrived shortly afterwards. It was $1400. Whaaat? Judy's gas heating was running all the time during her hospital stay since no one had turned it off. Approaching the energy company, they gave her $100 credit and arranged a repayment scheme. We all need to be aware that if we leave home for any length of time or a family member or friend is away, turn off the gas and/or the electric hot water and heat pump.

Want to Reduce Your Energy Bill?

There is an organisation called EnergyMate that can help those who are struggling with their energy costs or keeping their home warm. EnergyMate is here to help you make the most of your electricity and break down everything you need to know about your home and appliances, electricity use, and power bill. EnergyMate can support you with tips and tricks to save money on your power bill, step by step guides to understand electricity and your bill, information on your rights and the support available to you. The service is free, personalised and designed to find the best solutions for you. Go to www.energymate.nz or call into the Grey Power Rotorua office and pick up a pamphlet.

Rotorua Community Hospice

Rotorua Community Hospice provides free palliative care to some 110 patients in the community. Annually, patient numbers are around 400. Looking ahead to 2045, our patient numbers will double in Rotorua alone!

Government funding pays for around half of our expenditure (operating costs and labour). The other half (approximately $1M) is acquired through fund raising efforts such as the recent street appeal and the ever famous "Dancing for Hospice" event. Rotorua Community Hospice Trust relies a lot on volunteer activity. (Our shop in Eruera street for example).

A lot more information about Rotorua Community Hospice can be found on our website.

Very best regards,

Steven Heesen | Community & Relationships Lead
Rotorua Community Hospice Trust
1469 Hinemoa Street, Rotorua
Office (07) 343 6592 | 021 585974

Keep New Zealand Beautiful

Clean up Week: 19-25 September 2025

Keep New Zealand Beautiful (KNZB) was established by the Government in 1967. Then it was all about litter. But a lot has changed since.

Our economy and population has grown, and so has the scale, scope and implications of our waste problem. Today, the three most critical challenges that waste poses to our country is: climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.

KNZB believes, as Aotearoa’s oldest and most iconic environmental not-for-profit organisation, that they have an important role to play in addressing these issues. Which is why they are passionately committed to creating a more climate conscious, ecologically diverse and pollution free future for all New Zealanders. But it can’t be done alone.

Clean Up Week is a great opportunity to get your friends, family, school, business, local community or youth group together and be part of New Zealand’s largest movement against litter.

If you cannot do something during this week, become a Plogger. Ploggers run (walking/mobility scooter riding is OK as well of course) while wearing gloves — all the better for handling rubbish — and carry large rubbish bags, then stop to pick up any litter they see along their route. Once the bag is full, it’s deposited in an appropriate bin, which cuts down on the amount of litter that makes its way to the ocean, tainting wildlife habitats and human drinking water sources.

Do You Need a Copy of the Printed Federation Magazine?

We received several hundred Grey Power Federation Magazines and they are looking for a new home. Just call into the office and grab a copy(s) for yourself or your friends.