Don Pointon brings a big picture perspective to the Te Hoiere Catchment Project.
“Havelock provides the Te Hoiere Catchment Project with infrastructure and resources,” says the community representative on the Project’s working group. “That includes the people who choose to live, work and holiday here.”
Born and raised in Aotearoa, Don’s heritage is predominantly Scottish and English, enriched by Ngāti Kahungunu whakapapa. However, he spent almost half his working life overseas.
“People often mistake me for being British but I’m 100% Kiwi.”
He is excited about the next phase of the Project as it extends into Motuweka/Havelock Estuary and Te Hoiere/Pelorus Sound.
“This will involve a new set of stakeholders – recreational and commercial boaties, the aquaculture industry, different parts of the forestry sector, more remote off-the-grid residents and the retired people who possess a massive range of knowledge and skills which if tapped, could ramp up the protection of the environment. “
Schooled in Whanganui, Don joined the Royal NZ Airforce and completed a BCom at the University of Canterbury. Then came 10 years of extended OE, working in marketing in the UK. Later he settled in Germany and Japan, employed in the fast-developing mobile communications industry.
In 2006 the now Pointon family of four settled back in New Zealand, at Birkenhead on the North Shore of Auckland. There Don and his wife Julia established a local fine foods, wine and beer store from scratch. Their business backed on to Le Roys Bush where the family helped out with planting and weeding.
Now empty-nesters, in 2018 the Pointons shifted south to their home overlooking the Motuweka/Havelock Estuary. Between contract IT and marketing gigs, Don is clearing their land of Himalayan honeysuckle, blackberry and old man’s beard.
“Native seedlings spring up all over the place,” says Don. “I transplant them into a pot, stick them behind the sleepout and wait until autumn then replant them where they’re needed.”
He traps on average one possum a month on their hectare block of bush, as well as rats and mice.
Julia works for the Havelock Community Association and Don is a committee member, helping with predominantly environmental projects like eliminating wattles.
“Changing Havelock’s identify from a gateway to a destination is a motivator,” says Don who believes that walks should not be one-way but circuits that start and end in the town. He is excited about the next phase of the Project as it extends into Motuweka/Havelock Estuary and Te Hoiere/Pelorus Sound.
“This will involve a new set of stakeholders – recreational and commercial boaties, the aquaculture industry, different parts of the forestry sector, more remote off-the-grid residents and the retired people who possess a massive range of knowledge and skills which if tapped, could ramp up the protection of the environment.”
This story originally appeared in the April 2023 Te Hoiere Project newsletter.
