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Fair Go

ChannelTVNZ 1
Date Broadcast Monday 26 June 2023
Start Time19 : 30
Finish Time20 : 00
Duration30:00
Series2023
Episode18

Join Pippa Wetzell, Hadyn Jones and the Fair Go team as they stand up for the underdogs and consumer rights!

1John Campbell: Is criticism of Red Cross’ cyclone donation payouts justified? There’s been lots of social media backlash about how long it’s taken donated money to reach those who need it most.
2Woman stands at theatre after booster cushion taken away Rachel Everest is 4ft 10 and says she’s never previously had an issue using a jacket or cushion at other venues to help her see, so was shocked to have staff at Wellington’s St James Theatre remove hers.
3Does ‘home compostable’ packaging actually break down at home? Fair Go’s Gill Higgins dives into the issue.

(RELAXED LOUNGE MUSIC) www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2023 - Tonight - Kiwis donated millions to Red Cross following Cyclone Gabrielle, so what's happened to the money? John Campbell reports on the successes. - When you see what the community's been put under, I think driving 1000 K's a week is little to what they're going through. - But we also ask - where are the gaps in our national response to disasters? - Three weeks on, four weeks on, there was still- there was still nothing. We were still on our own. - Plus - she paid big bucks to see a show, so why was 4'10 Rachel told she couldn't bring a cushion with her? - 'No, no, no - it's not allowed.' And true or false - compostable packaging can break down in your compost bin at home? - I reckon it's true. - I dunno, just cos they say so. - Tena koutou katoa - welcome to the show. And it's happening again - another storm blasting the already saturated East Coast, Tairawhiti, another state of emergency, devastation and distress. - We do know, though, that when disaster strikes, New Zealanders are a generous bunch. Since Cyclone Gabrielle hit earlier in the year, tens of millions of dollars in donations have poured into the Red Cross's Disaster Fund. - That's right. But there's been a lot of social media backlash about how long it's taking for that donated money to reach those who need it most. - John Campbell visited the East Coast just before these latest floods to see if that criticism was justified and whether the Red Cross itself was getting a fair go. - JOHN CAMPBELL: This is Phil Parker's Red Cross office. - (LAUGHS) That's young Phil himself. Isn't it, Phil? - Yes. - Phil and his office travel up and down the East Coast - belt on, and out again to where the damage is. - Roughly about 1000 K's a week, by the time I travel from home, back down here, up through the coast, down to Wairoa, you know, then back home again - she clocks up that much. I'm here for the community, and when you see what the community's been put under, I think driving 1000 K's a week is little to what they're going through. - As we were filming with Phil, a late afternoon in Te Karaka, just outside Gisborne, a rainbow appeared, and Andy, our cameraman, got Phil to stand beneath it. And it occurred to us that Red Cross's job is to make people going through tough times believe there is something brighter on the way. Maybe not a pot of gold, but something. Hope? - People know that we do great work, and that we can be trusted with their money, to make sure it gets to the right people. - We met Sarah Stuart-Black, who's Red Cross's New Zealand boss, in Esk Valley, outside Napier. When the flooding came, so terribly, the restaurant and function centre at this vineyard became a shelter, community centre, supplies base, for people who'd lost their homes. - Morning. MUFFLED: Good to see you. - Good to see you too. We've got some bits for you for the... for the caravan. - From many makeshift bases like this, over a great stretch of the battered eastern North Island, Red Cross is distributing its care. - So, these groceries have just come in today... - It's important to stress here - every donated cent is being spent. None of it is going to Red Cross salaries or admin. How much money did Red Cross receive in total? - So, we're at just over $25 million now, and still increasing, but slowing. - And of that 25 million, how much have you distributed or spent? - Almost half. So, $11.2 million has been committed, and we're still on track to commit the majority of the fund by August, so that's only about six weeks away. - So, in the early days, it was amazing. All of this money, you know, was coming in, the Red Cross were being very transparent about how much was being donated, and so it gave people hope that there was going to be money going to those who'd been directly affected by the cyclone. - We've come to - you guessed it - Havelock North, where Chloe Johnson launched a Facebook page that got over 14,000 members. - MALE REPORTER: He's just one of many good Samaritans mucking in. - Good morning. - We met Chloe, very pregnant, on 1 News in February. - Oh, amazing. - Those were the early days, when volunteers were arriving, desperately looking to help. - So, um, I thought I need to collate this, I need to bring it all together, so I created the Cyclone Hawke's Bay Help Page, Facebook group. And the aim of that was to connect those who wanted to help with those who needed help. - Good dog. - With Oscar the very good dog keeping her company, Chloe watched as the volunteers came, gave their hearts and energy, and then they waited for reinforcements to come from the government and Red Cross. - So the volunteer community spirit was really high, and there was this gorgeous energy that was happening in the first couple of weeks, because people were OK to step in and do that, at that time, thinking that the government was going to come and take over and look after us, or the charitable organisations with all of the donated money. And, three weeks on, four weeks on, there was still... there was still nothing. We were still on our own. - So, people are on the rack, and they're saying, 'Red Cross, where the hell are you?' Were you too slow in those early weeks? - (SIGHS) We were there right at the beginning, in terms of our disaster welfare and support teams were out in communities. - The problem was, there were so many communities, and the damage was so great and so widespread. - I think this has been of a scale that people were not expecting. When we think it's from the Far North, right through Auckland, into Thames-Coromandel, and then from Tairawhiti through Hawke's Bay down to the Tararuas - this is an extraordinary scale and complexity of event. (WAVE CRASHES) - Who knows exactly how much damage was done? (SOMBRE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC) - Treasury estimates the total cost of Gabrielle and the Auckland floods will be somewhere between $9 billion and $14 billion. If Red Cross got $25 million, that's roughly a quarter of 1% of the final bill. Think of it as saving one sheep when the farm has 400. Looked back on from four-and-a-bit months, what would you do differently? - There's always lessons to learn after an emergency, and it's important to ask the tough questions - you know, 'What didn't go well?' - What didn't go well? - (SIGHS) I think that's what we've got to actually work through. So, for us, some of the challenge has been in communicating the work that we're doing. - I would have expected that an agency who specialises in disaster relief and recovery would have been able to roll out the plan, at least, a lot sooner. - History has lessons. It's 12 years now since the Christchurch earthquake. It too was in February, like Gabrielle, and when winter came, it too was tough in new ways. The event itself contains a terrible adrenaline. The endless aftermath is exhausting. People need to know that help is coming. How long have you lived here for? - Ah, 33 years, bro. - So, born and raised? - Born and raised here, bro. - And how high did the water get? - Oh, about a metre up the wall, bro, yeah. Roughly, yeah. - Whare Richardson lost everything, even his furniture. He's not sure his land can be returned to. Inside, the absence of a floor reveals what the silt and water claimed. The house is a shell with no bottom - a wooden tent. Uninsured, he had nothing, not even a shovel - and then Phil and his truck arrived in Te Karaka. Small things... but when times are tough, small things matter. Whare, when you're losing your home- - Yes. - ...and you're not insured, everything's gone, what difference does it make when people are kind to you? - Oh, it makes a big difference, eh, you know? It just goes to show you there is some good people out there, eh, you know? People that's willing to help, and, you know... - So it just makes you know you matter. - Yeah, bro. Just when I thought there was no help, you know, it was just boom! (EXPLOSION) - Boom! These are all booms. On its website, Red Cross has published every cent it has distributed - you can go there and see for yourself. - SARAH: We've been trying to make sure that we're being utterly transparent about the way that the money is being used and how we're going about spending it, and what on. - Red Cross can't deal with everyone - sometimes they use approved community groups, which can mean they are not as visible. The challenge: ensure that government, councils and Red Cross don't overlap - or leave gaps. - It takes a bit of time to have those conversations. - To understand where the gap is? - Yeah, to understand where the gap is. - Perhaps they should have templated plans for different scenarios that could just be brought out and tweaked and edited, in order to speed up that process. - Should the government be doing that work? - I think there's a range of responsibilities that sit with different organisations. I think the challenge is- - That's a very diplomatic response. - Thank you. - (LAUGHS) That's a very diplomatic response. The problem is, this is going to keep happening - and uncertainty is so exhausting after a disaster. Could we co-ordinate better, communicate more? Because disasters, terribly, are our new normal. Have you been looked after better by the Red Cross or the government? - Red Cross, by a long way. - It's a lottery, eh, like the cyclone itself was. In Esk Valley, Donald Crosby can't speak highly enough of Red Cross. A strawberry grower, Gabrielle hit him hard. And how many strawberries did you lose, do you think? - I lost around 60,000 plants. - Donald is replanting - super sweet strawberries - look out for them. He hopes to have new fruit by November. Starting over is an act of faith and hope - it's hard starting back on your own. - One of the things that the fund is going to be doing is providing, like, an essentials home package to people who may have lost everything. - Round about a couple of months ago, they visited here, and they were able to get an indication of the need, particularly for our most vulnerable families. - So that when they do move into their houses, they've got some furniture to start off with building their lives re-back again. So, we're putting in some beds... - ...we have fridges, we have dining-room suites, we have lounge suites, we have... - ...whiteware, furniture, bedding, crockery, cutlery, all those things. - Huge weight off their shoulders. Mm. Yeah. - We're currently working up in Tolaga Bay, um, then further up into Hicks Bay, all through there. So that's- that's quite a big journey to get up there. - This is such a big journey - for us all. How do we manage our disaster responses so that if Phil and the Red Cross can't get to you, you're not alone? Finding the gaps - filling them with care, because the Red Cross can't be everywhere, But someone has to come. - I want to make sure that our people feel that they're recognised and acknowledged for the amazing work that they did, as well, and how we build on that for the next emergency, and the one after that, and the one after that. - Oh, gosh, and we're thinking of all those people in John's story, like those folks in Te Karaka so badly hit again by the latest storm. - Mm. Look, and a huge thanks to Chloe and people like her who give so much of their own time to give a voice to their communities. - E haere ake nei - coming up - what's so dangerous about a soft, comfy cushion? - And they say, 'Excuse me, you can't take that in.' I said, 'Why not?' - And we try and help you decide what you should and shouldn't put in your home compost bin. - The tricky thing is, if products say they have compostable packaging, does that guarantee that they will break down in here? - Kia ora, nau mai, hoki mai - welcome back. Ever sat behind a really tall person at the cinema? - Mm. Like, they've got a big hat or something? The back of someone's head is not interesting. It's very annoying. - You can't see much, right? Well, the person in our next story has that restricted-view experience all the time. Luckily, she came up with a handy solution. Unluckily, not everyone sees things her way. Kaitlin explains. (JAUNTY MUSIC) - KAITLIN: Put yourself in Rachel's shoes... or socks, and get ready to stretch. - A lot of things are built around the average person, which is around 5'3, 5'5. - Not Rachel. - My height is 146 centimetres, which is just on 4'10. - Far from the top shelf... - The supermarket does not really appreciate you climbing up the shelves, and trying to find somebody these days to actually help you find something is not easy. - Still, she won't let size slow her down. - Most small people just get on with things. - But that changed in April this year, when a solution of hers was taken... right from under her. - (CHUCKLES) This one. - She was seeing a dance show at the St James Theatre in Wellington, holding her tickets in one hand and a bag with the cushion in the other. - Just allows that extra bit of height to be able to see over the people in front. - But not if you're at the St James. - And they say, 'Excuse me, you can't take that in.' I said, 'Why not? 'It's a- You know, most places I've always been able to take a cushion.' 'No, no, no, it's not allowed.' - It was deemed a hazard in the case of an emergency. - If the cushion was left, the seat wouldn't go up to allow people to have free flow out for a fire escape. And I was trying to point out that it's only a light cushion, so it would quite easily fold up, but they didn't want to accept that. - Were you able to test whether the cushion would keep the seat down? - No, did nothing - just took it and put it in the manager's office. - Rachel had paid more than $150 for her ticket. For that, she got a close-up experience - just not of the stage. - I had a lady pretty much in front of me, so I was, you know - head pretty much in front, so I was having to go like this and, you know, look above or to the sides. - She ended up standing at the back. - It was almost like, 'Well, you can't, and that's it.' No sort of help to say, 'Well, OK, could we find you a different seat?' or something like that. - Has there been a widespread cushion ban? Not at the movies, where you can use booster seats at Hoyts and Event cinemas - or just bring your own. And big theatres like the Civic and the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre both have 80 booster seats. It's a good thing, too, Rachel lives in Rotorua, where the Sir Howard Morrison Centre has had a makeover - new seats, and soon, new cushions. - When we looked at the booster seats, obviously, children were some of the ones that came to mind - we have a lot of family-friendly shows here so we wanted to make sure that they could see, but we do acknowledge that people are built differently, so if they do need it, if they're a bit shorter, that's there for them to use. - The mayor's confident the centre's staff can get people out safely. - Our team are well-trained in terms of evacuation policies. I appreciate that for some, they may see the rules differently, but for here in Rotorua, we just want to make sure people can come here, can have a good time and can safely get in and out while enjoying the show. - And if you're curious - cos I am - these seats can handle this cushion just fine. Rachel's cushion comes in at 500g. Now, while you won't find the word 'cushion' in New Zealand's fire safety regulations, when it comes to an evacuation, Fire and Emergency says the buck stops with the building owner. - 'While it may seem innocuous, 'a simple item such as a pillow or cushion 'may become a hazard to others trying to evacuate 'in the narrow accessways such as the rows of seating in a theatre. 'Therefore, if the owner believes that a cushion may become a hazard 'or would hinder the evacuation of persons from the building in the event of a fire, 'then they are within their rights and obligations to restrict or prohibit their use.' - We asked a senior fire evacuation consultant for his assessment. Les Mellars says while every building is different, there are ways to manage risks that don't involve simply eliminating them. - Are high-heeled shoes dangerous in the event of an emergency evacuation of a building? Very likely. Somebody would kick them off and they'd become an obstacle in the means of escape. So there's all kinds of things to consider. - When Rachel's cushion was taken away, Les believes the venue should have had a plan so she could still enjoy the show... - How are we going to cater for the various kinds of people? And I think that we need to be looking at that more seriously, and giving more consideration to people that require assistance. ...whether that's figured out in the booking process or on-site. We can have an area where booster seats could be used, we can have raised seating for certain circumstances - this can all be built in and provide the service for all people, all the public, irrespective of what their needs might be. - We asked WellingtonNZ, the council-controlled organisation running the St James, whether it would take another look. A spokesperson told us as it stands, cushions or booster seats aren't allowed at any of its venues, and this is based on its operational procedures. - 'All seats are required to fully flip back in case of emergency, 'and whilst we recognise that some cushions 'may still allow the seats to flip back, 'others may not, and therefore potentially impede evacuation.' - But having raised the issue, WellingtonNZ's now going to review those procedures. '...including the possible provision of booster seats 'to ensure that we remain to be an accessible venue and deliver great event experiences. 'We thank Ms Everest for bringing her concerns to our attention 'and sincerely apologise that we did not provide the experience we aim to provide to all of our customers 'on this occasion.' - And that's no small change. - Short people, specifically, just want to get on with life, and you find ways around it, and you just don't want people to interfere with something that works for you. - Is it just me, or is all of this quite sensible? The venue provides the booster seat, the safety concerns are sorted, and Rachel is happy. - We love these solutions. - Yeah. - E haere ake nei - coming up - big question. If the packaging says 'home compostable', can we really chuck it in with the potato peelings? - Isn't compost bin for... vegetables, and, like, scraps of food, not packaging? - Kia ora. Nau mai hoki mai - welcome back. Now, composting - it is one of the easiest ways we can do our bit for the planet and be a bit greener. - But what about those claims popping up on some food packaging that say it too can be biffed in the compost bin in the backyard? Gill Higgins answered the call on this one. (RELAXED MUSIC) - GILL: Many of us are keen to find simple ways to make our lives a bit greener. Like buying products that have compostable packaging, because then I can just put it straight into my bin at home. Now, lots of us have these bins now, but the tricky thing is, if products say they have compostable packaging, does that guarantee that they will break down in here? We hit the streets to find out what you think. Compostable packaging breaking down in your bin at home - is it true or false? - False. - I'm gonna go with true. - False. Isn't compost bin for... vegetables and, like, scraps of food, not packaging? - It doesn't break down. It doesn't get hot enough. - I reckon it's true. I don't know, just cos they say so. - Well, in theory, it... it's made of a material that will break down in that scenario. - You have to put it in the commercial one. - She's right. Lots of the compostable products you see in shops are actually designed for commercial composting. But there are currently only eight industrial and two community facilities in Aotearoa New Zealand that accept compostable packaging - and there's limits on what they'll take. The reason they can do the job is they have specific conditions like really high temperatures which I can't recreate in my old bin at home. Even if you make sure that you buy products that specify 'home compostable', you might be disappointed. - There isn't a lot of guidance around how much packaging you can add into your home compost, or how many times you're supposed to turn it, what you're supposed to add in and mix in with the packaging. - Kim Renshaw plays it safe with anything she puts in her compost. - I'm a bit hesitant to put much packaging at all into my home compost, and I like to stick just to the things that are on my property, like fruit trimmings and garden waste, and that's because things like paper bags and paper towels and things like that can have additives - like, all packaging can have additives that I'm not keen to have in my home compost. - Some research suggests home-compostable plastics don't break down that well in compost bins at home either, but watch out for improvements. Hopefully they'll come, because if you need single-use packaging, better to have it break down in compost than fill up landfill. - Look, as a nation, we've got to get back to Tupperware. Tupperware parties - don't know about Avon parties, but just- We've got to get back to reusable multi-use containers. Yep. - Yes. Yes. Normalise having those with you when you go and get your takeout, right? - That's the one. - Well, that's it from us - but if you only caught part of the show, you can catch all of it, plus past episodes, and some handy consumer information on the Fair Go page on TVNZ+ whenever you want, because we're always there to help. - You may have noticed our programme is all about you at home, your consumer aches and pains - if they're huge, teeny-tiny, medium-sized, please get in touch. - Yes. We're on Facebook and Instagram - and TikTok. You can go to our webpage - tvnz.co.nz Email us: fairgo@tvnz.co.nz or write to us: PO Box 3819, Auckland 1140. - Thank you for watching. Until next week, may all your Tupperware parties be... fun. - (LAUGHS) - BOTH: Po marie.

Fair Go

Join Pippa Wetzell, Hadyn Jones and the Fair Go team as they stand up for the underdogs and consumer rights!

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