True North

The Black Dog lurks behind the farm gate. How to get tough, stoic Kiwi farmers to ask for help? And when they do, what support is there for them?

In this episode we speak with Michelle Ruddell, Chair of Rural Support Te Tai Tokerau, and also Chair of Rural Support’s National Council.

Farming’s never been an easy gig. Long days, hard physical work and exposure to the elements have always combinedto make sure that farmers slept well once they finally hit the sack. And, for most farmers, the lifestyle upsides made the hard work worthwhile.

But these days the gig has become a lot harder for many - the decisions are more complex, the pressures more intense, and the stakes higher than ever. Farmers are juggling volatile commodity prices, shifting regulations, climate extremes, rising costs, labour shortages, and a constant stream of new technologies they’re expected to master.

What once felt straightforward now demands a whole new level of business savvy, resilience, and adaptability. Today’s farmers aren’t just caretakers of the land - they’re risk managers, data analysts, environmental stewards, and entrepreneurs, all rolled into one.

The good news? There’s help and support out there – and farmers are learning to ask for it.

This is the final episode in this series of our poddy. We’ll be back after the summer break, ready to rock 2026 with a whole lot of fresh content and interesting Northlanders to speak with.

Links to items referred to in the show:

News deserts
https://informedfutures.org/news-deserts

Getting tipsy at work in the course of duty, crushing it in the STEM space, and leading one of Northland’s most innovative companies.

In this week’s episode of the True North podcast we publish the second in our ‘Northern Lights’ series of chats with unexpected Northlanders. We speak with Fiona Bycroft, CEO of Whangarei firm Naut, about the intriguing tale that saw a shy, retiring schoolgirl from down the line become one of Northland’s most colourful and extroverted business leaders.

And her determination to get Northland firms to learn more about each other – what we do, where our expertise lies, and how we can work together to help each other grow.

Because the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Links to items referred to in the show:

BusinessDesk article about Infrastructure Pipeline update

https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/infrastructure/infrastructure-pipeline-swells-to-275b-but-certainty-stops-at-the-next-election-eaqub-says

Infrastructure Commission's Pipeline update

https://tewaihanga.govt.nz/the-pipeline/pipeline-snapshot

How do we take the ‘yuk’ out of conversations about death? Why should we? How can those facing death face it with courage? And what gifts can grief bestow?

In this episode we speak with Whangārei business owner Katy Mandeno about Go With Grace, a Northland-based initiative she founded that guides and supports New Zealanders through their experiences with death and dying – a topic that she says Kiwis don’t deal with and prepare for anywhere near enough.

Katy talks about the personal tragedies that led to her setting up Go With Grace, the different approaches to talking about death that can create a gulf between those facing it and those who will be left behind, and the challenges facing business and community leaders when it comes to giving people the space they need to deal with grief.

Links to items referred to in the show:

Governance training
https://www.wdc.govt.nz/Events/Whats-On/Governance-Training-20251201

Matt King’s journey from political mainstream to the fringe was precipitous. The former National MP for Northland literally fell off the political cliff.

In this episode we speak with Matt about the human side of that story.

What was going on behind the scenes as his political career was imploding, how did the drama impact his family, what was it like to watch the nomination for National’s Northland seat - a nomination that was surely his to win - pass to someone else? And why did his brand-new political party, built on the back of his random but significant Northland supporter base, fail to fire?

We traverse these and other questions to hear the story, first-hand and for the first time, from behind the headlines, the social media posts, the high emotions, and the fire and fury of those hectic pandemic days.

Links to items referred to in the show:

Email from Northland Regional Council about how Northland tourism spend in Auckland was calculated:

The figures derive from the Tourism Electronic Card Transactions (TECTs) dataset, published by the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE). You can access the relevant page here: ⁠https://www.mbie.govt.nz/immigration-and-tourism/tourism-research-and-data/tourism-data-releases/tourism-electronic-card-transactions⁠

(We) specifically drew on the “Spend per region by origin” section.

TECT data is provided by Marketview, who use electronic card transaction (ECT) data from the Paymark network, which covers approximately 70% of total ECT spend, to estimate national totals. These estimates are then filtered to isolate tourism-related spend by visitors within New Zealand.

Because detailed address data is no longer available, Marketview now infers cardholder residence from spending patterns via Paymark, down to the territorial authority (TA) level. To align with the agreed definition of domestic tourism - NZ residents travelling more than 40km from home - a hybrid approach is used: spend is counted if it occurs either 40km from the largest urban centre within a cardholder’s home TA, or outside their home TA altogether.

To avoid misclassifying regular or commuter activity as tourism, Marketview excludes spend in any TA where a cardholder’s transactions are frequent and substantial, including their home TA. This helps ensure the data reflects genuine tourism behaviour rather than habitual shopping or commuting.

In addition, although the concept of the messaging (does) not change, (we are) providing below the data for period YE June 2025, as opposed to the period referred to in the newsletter (YE December 2024), if you were interested in reporting the latest insights:

- Aucklanders spent $251 million in Northland (47% of total domestic tourism spend).

- Northlanders spent $393 million outside the region, with $247 million going to Auckland.

Imposter Syndrome in the boardroom – how does a newbie director fight the self-doubt? And how can a wannabe director target a board position?

In this episode we speak with Dargaville business-owner and highly-deliberate governance professional Kathryn de Bruin about her planned, purposeful and impeccably-managed journey to become a director of some very well-respected entities serving the regional and national horticultural sector.

What did she learn along the way? And what lessons can she pass on to other Northlanders considering a career in governance?

Links to items referred to in the show:

The ‘Northland Waters Establishment Advisory Group’ recruitment ad
https://bit.ly/4nVlxbE

Is a Northland SEZ likely? Or just political fantasy? Why limit it to energy – why not extend incentives at Marsden Point to the region’s other strategic sectors?

In this episode we speak with former Northland Chamber of Commerce CEO Steve Smith, about the proposed Special Economic Zone at Marsden Point. How far along that continuum between excitement over the idea, and dismissive cynicism, should we be landing? And what are the lessons to be learned from other places where this idea has taken root?

Links to items referred to in the show:

The impact of Meridian’s BESS at Ruakaka: Transpower’s Market Operations Report

https://bit.ly/4nVlxbE

Business leaders say local government is broken: NZME article

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/business-reports/mood-of-the-boardroom/mood-of-the-boardroom-ceos-back-local-government-reform-as-survey-rates-councils-as-broken

How are Māori supporting Northland’s drive for inward investment and GDP growth? What are the barriers to doing so? And why are we still having this discussion?

In this episode we speak with Ngāti Hine kaumatua, community stalwart, serial business leader and National Iwi Chairs Forum member Pita Tipene. We speak about the state of play in Northland - socially, politically and economically – and about regional economic development as seen through his te ao Māori lens. We discussed the role of Ngāpuhiinvestment fund Tupu Tonhu. And (of course!) Treaty Settlement matters.

Links to items referred to in the show:

NBR article about Webuildand the Northern expressway

https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/infrastructure/northland-expressway-bidder-faces-scrutiny-as-serious-allegations-rock-sydney-rail-project

Kaipara DistrictCouncil election videos

https://www.kaipara.govt.nz/candidates

First cars. Now… boats. But is electric propulsion fit-for-purpose on the water? Are punters ready to make the switch? And what are its limitations?

The marine industry is riding a wave of transformation in the way boats are powered - from diesel to fully decarbonised. And helping to lead that charge is a Northland company that few of us really know anything about.

In this episode we speak with Fiona Bycroft, CEO of Whangārei-based marine electric propulsioninnovator Naut. We speak about what’s happening in this sector, general acceptance of the technology, its limitations, barriers to growth, and whether Northland is the right place to build the company into the next stages of its growth.

What is heart-led leadership? Can it survive first encounter with the Boardroom? And do those who practice it place their personal credibility on the line?

We’ve heard much in recent times about the virtues of leadership infused with kindness and compassion. Is it all fluffy millennial nonsense, or does at least some of it deliver better results within the organisation, around the Board table, or to the bottom line?

And how much of this stuff resonates with typically hard-bitten leadership teams in provincial New Zealand, far removed from the chai latte-sipping, painfully right-on fashionistas with sharp haircuts based in our urban centres? How relevant is it to those of us leading businesses or community organisations in the regions?

We discuss all this, and more, with two well-known Northland leaders Tania McInnes (formerly deputy-mayor of the Far North) and Sheryl Mai (formerly mayor of Whangarei).

Links to items referred to in the show:

New Zealand Chambers of Commerce news release (business and economic survey):

https://www.newzealandchambers.co.nz/media-release/chambers-of-commerce-survey-signals-divided-economic-sentiment-across-new-zealand

Inside Government news article (proposals to address ecological damage caused by kina barrens):

https://insidegovernment.co.nz/feedback-sought-on-northland-rock-lobster-fishery-support-plan/

Are Northland businesses served well by Directors? Why are the same people appointed to Board after Board? Conversely, are there enough locals on our Boards?

In this week’s episode of the True North podcast we speak with Mike Simm, one of Northland’s most senior businesspeople, about the governance challenges and opportunities facing organisations based in our region.

Northland needs to sharpen up when it comes to the governance of its businesses and its organisations, he says. We are way too loose in the definition of our purpose, and also the rigour of our reporting and accountability in delivering against that purpose.

We don’t have enough examples of best practice locally for Northland business leaders to measure themselves against.And it’s too easy for some organisations – especially those funded by local and central government – to get away with failing to deliver against expectation.

Be sure to listen to catch Mike’s views on a range of issues, from the importance of Board-level empathy with local communities through to identifying and nurturing local governance talent.