MDCA : Varieties of planning- Advanced Care & TRMP
(Tasman Resource Management Plan)
Māpua & Districts Community Association’s November meeting provided a significant time-slot for members to brainstorm together in groups considering :
- What is special about Māpua as it is now?
- What aspects do we want to see retained ?
- What changes/ new developments would we like to see in future ?
A summary of these thoughts and suggestions is provided elsewhere in this edition and will also be posted on MDCA’s Facebook
Hot topic for the Month – Advanced Care Planning (ACP)
This kaupapa was introduced by Carla Arkless -Advance Care Planning Facilitator, Nelson Tasman who holds the responsibility in the District for ensuring that :
- people are aware of & encouraged to engage in the process of developing an ACP &
- doctors and nurses are encouraged and helped to have conversations with their patients about the process
Carla stressed that creating and ACP was appropriate for people to address and complete at any age ; ‘” anyone could contract pneumonia tomorrow” ….and stressed the importance and value of people :
- considering how they do/don’t want to be treated if/when they are no longer able to communicate this to professionals and
- having conversations with family and “ significant others” about their wishes on treatments/arrangements and any advance directives
Process of creating ACP
Plans accessible on line or available from health/medical centres
- Discuss with family/carers the most important things you want them to know about in terms of your wishes . Focus on “ what matters most to me while I am living “ Especially important to ensure have set up Enduring Power of Attorney ( which ensures that ACP cannot be over-ridden)
- Fill in as much of the plan as possible then ask for an ACP appointment
- Discuss plan at this meeting ; especially S6 relating to Advance Directives – professional will ensure that you understand your choices and their consequences
- When finalized ,sign and medical professional will also sign
- Plan then uploaded to digital NHS Record which is then accessible to all levels of Emergency Services ( Ambulance etc) as well as hospital /respite/palliative care records in the South Island
Suggestions for publicizing; Accessing & Updating ACP
- Orange fridge magnets available to indicate have such a plan
- Keep a copy in the car and always take a copy with you when away from home
- Review annually – is a living document which can be updated at any time ; may not have thought of current circumstances when making the original decisions
- Consider having doctors/nurses assisting in such a review
- Changes in paper copy will result in changes made to uploaded digital copy
Some MDCA members present at the meeting who had ACPs, confirmed what a positive process thinking/talking through this process had been and encouraged everyone to address this for themselves.
A video broadcast of this full presentation is available on MDCA Website
MDCA “ Good Sort “ for the month
November Noted that the nomination of David Mitchell as the November “Good Sorts” had attracted the highest number of “ hits” on Facebook for the month as well as posts noting many other ways in which he had contributed to the community.
December : Jan Patterson nominated a group of GOOD SORTS whose combined work means that Māpua School now provides an exciting and colourful entrance to our beautiful seaside village. This wonderful masterpiece Toi Whakaira Pou Whenua – is a gathering of prominent posts, created through the art of wood carving, to show/mark possession of an area and our school is the first in Aotearoa/NZ to have provided such a taonga. As this was the work of not one, but several the group of Good Sorts includes
- Gordon Toi, a local artist and parent, renowned as a ta moko artist and master carver.
- Sarah Trolle, teacher at Mapua School, who applied for funding through an MOE ‘Creatives in Schools Project’ to partner a local artist with students and teachers in a significant art project.
- Kerry Rivers, a local sculptor who created two significant metal sculptures to enhance the pou.
- The pupils of Māpua School who were involved in all stages of the planning and creating of these colourful Pou. They walked and explored -to the shore and estuaries, to the Wharf and Grossi Point, along pathways and tracks – and they sketched and painted. Then they spent time in Gordon’s back yard and at school putting together all they had discovered
For more information about the elements and meanings of Toi Whakaira Pou Whenua –see information on MDCA Facebook and elsewhere in this edition
Also in relation to Māpua School , Esme Palliser noted that Mike Turnbull’s photo collection of living with COVID was being sold @ $10 per copy as a fundraiser for the School – in lieu of funding usually raised from the Easter Fair ( not held this year due to COVID lockdown)
ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS
Heritage trees –noted that a get together will be organized to focus on how significant trees can be retained and developed .Noted that “ protected tree” applications need to come from the landowner with approval from neighbours ; process of assessment and achieving a successful application takes 2 years
Housing intensification & further developments
CAN ( Citizens’ Action Nelson) presentation on housing intensification by Barry Johnston & Jacqui Deans was reported on by Bridget Castle noting that:
- All the initiatives referred to required changes to RMA ( due to be repealed in 90 days)
- TDC can only act in response to what hears back from the communities – important when considering what residents see/ wish for as the unique identity of Māpua
Impressions were that :
- TDC concepts are broad – Developers see their land & what they want to do – Residents are in between with no say – need some way of communicating directly with the developers
- Cr Anne Turley confirmed that if the community wants to influence creation of open-spaces/ walkways etc, then they need to engage directly and have a say with developers ; TRMP is still in place and the process is not occurring within a vacuum
COMMUNITY WELLBEING
- Māpua Willing Wheels has only 1 month left in the trial period, -Māpua and Ruby Bay Community Trust have allocated funding to cover the last month of operation . In relation to researching possible reasons for the current low number of recorded rides, the current membership sub will be dropped to see if this makes a difference . Grant applications will be made for supporting the service into next year in anticipation of passenger uptake increasing
- A Coastal Corridor Route ( Motueka through Tasman/Māpua to Richmond) will be addressed and researched next year. A TDC Community Services Grant will provide funding for a co-ordinator for 3 months to confirm demand; research possible vehicles; routes and timetables
- Community Hub– see separate newsletter article elsewhere in this issue with details of projects and progress
COMMENTS FROM WARD COUNCILLORS
Cr Christeen McKenzie noted that :
1 MDCA needs to make a formal submission to TDC re the classification of Aranui Park and Dominion Flats Reserve as scenic reserves
2 Councillors had been told that no workshop on development of a Boat Ramp would be held until the New Year
Cr Anne Turley noted that
- In relation to developing allotments,
- Richard Hilton had not been part of this conversation ;
- no suitable land was available for growing vegetables
- if such land were identified, it would need water and safety resources
2 that if the community wants to influence creation of open-spaces/ walkways etc, then they need to engage directly and have a say with developers ; TRMP is still in place and the process is not occurring within a vacuum
FUTURE HOT TOPICS:
December – “ Hot Topic” :celebrating the year past & choosing topics for the year ahead
Share food and meet others
January – no meeting
Be sure to attend/ join in our next monthly meeting: Monday, 14 December at 7 PM (content & format to be confirmed on MDCA Facebook & Mailchimp mailout )
MDCA works closely with TDC to ensure our community functions in a way that suits the majority of our residents. To have a vote that counts, become a financial member of MDCA by simply paying a $10 membership fee to our NBS account 03-1354-0356471-00 with your name & phone number as a reference.
Submitted by: Elena Meredith