Te Puawai Co-operative Society

Who we are:

Te Puawai Co-operative Society Limited is a co-operative incubator which will assist the birth of, and where appropriate, provide an umbrella for, co-operative enterprises.

The initiative results from a series of Mayday forums initiated by the Blackball Museum of Working Class History, in partnership with the trade unions, the West Coast Labour Party, the West Coast Green Party and the local community, exploring a transition economy for the Coast.

While this initiative comes from the West Coast, whose economy has traditionally been centred on the extractive industries and coal mining in particular, Te Puawai’s role is not necessarily confined to the region.

Work plan for 2024:

The Blackball Co-op, providing drivers for the Paparoa Great Walk and run in partnership with Paparoa Shuttles is operating well, with 11 members involved. The service is busy, for example, in November it shifted over 60 vehicles as well as running the shuttle service.

Our initiative to repair and upgrade Jack's Mill School near Moana so that it can become a residential learning centre with a progressive agenda is now completed, thanks to a major grant from the Ministry of Culture and Heritage Innovation Fund. It is a Category One Historic site and we are working closely with the Kotuku Heritage Society, with the Department of Conservation and with Heritage NZ. The task now is to establish the kaupapa, begin a programme of workshops as well as welcome community and other educational users.

The Blackball Readers & Writers Festival held on King's Birthday, June 3-4, 2023 had great feedback from attendees. Bill Pearson was the author with Coast connections 'resurrected'. Authors featuring were: Paddy Richardson, Nic Low, Jeffrey Paparoa Holman, Michael Steven, Bill Nagelkerke, Jane Kelsey, Jane Carswell, Paul Maunder & Sam Duckor-Jones.

'The Blackball Readers and Writers Festival was a treasure where books served as jewels, gold coins as talent, and the many conversations were clever baubles from foreign lands. You are masterful in the way you brought them all together. I admire the spunk and grit needed to get a thing like that off the ground, and I am most appreciative of the ordinary elegance that gave it wings. There is authentic wisdom in downplaying renown and accentuating talent. Hoorah to Te Puawai Cooperative! Choose joy.'

Zella

Writer in Residence. Rachel Friedlander recently travelled from France to spend 4 weeks in the Brian Wood Cottage in Blackball, in order to work on a memoir. She enjoyed the space and the interaction with the community. The cottage is available for such residencies for a fee of $100 per week. Enquiries to wkcultur@gmail.com

After two successful productions of classics, Beckett's Endgame and Anouih's Antigone exploring the old Blackball bathhouse as a venue, last summer we produced Shakespeare's Tempest in a partnership between Kiwi/Possum Productions and DramaLab, Golden Bay. . The Bathhouse production for 2024 was a production of Bruce Mason's End of the Golden Weather, playing Jan 27&28.

Publications available: Performer a memoir by Paul Maunder.

ISBN: 978 0 473 59397 1

'Paul Maunder’s compelling memoir tells us of ‘the road less travelled’, the unconventional choices he has made which now create a vivid, rich and varied life story. This has been, and remains, a life filled to the brim; Maunder’s roles as film-maker, educator, writer, full-time parent, producer, actor and teller of stories combine with personal relationships, the development of his political and ideological beliefs, the experiences of being brought up by adoptive parents and his later contact with his birth family. One of the many strengths of this memoir is the perception, honesty and analysis Maunder brings to his experiences as he considers and reflects. Beautifully and sensitively written, this memoir tells not only a personal story but powerfully evokes the immense social changes within New Zealand over the 1950’s to the present time.' Paddy Richardson.

Solidarity, a Blackball Novel, by Paul Maunder,

ISBN 9780473660406

The novel follows three Blackball children, from the 1908 strike through to the turn of the century, as they lead diverse lives which encompass left politics,WW1, the Spanish Civil War, the Paniora, the saga of relationships, sexuality and gender, with a return to Spain to ground whakapapa and respond to new challenges.

Rich and varied with a strong sense of history and change, Blackball as the hub and centre - the returning place - is so poignant and real and honest. New cultures and changes but still whanau. I loved it.’ Paddy Richardson.

‘Solidarity, n. Holding together, mutual dependence, community of interests, feeling and action.’ The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English.

'Characters are detailed, brilliant and flawed.' Leigh Cookson.

Both books are available from Nationwide Book Distributors; https://www.nationwidebooks.co.nz or Wheelers or contact wkcultur@gmail.com.

Submissions re publication: Write to wkcultur@gmail.com with brief description of proposal and a 10 page extract.

Our principles:

Valuing all people is essential to our economic well-being;
Our economic well-being relies on our relationship with the land, ocean and freshwater;
Self-determination and interdependence are both enabling factors and intended outcomes of our economic activities;
Equality and equity are both enabling factors and intended outcomes of our economic activities;
Underpinning the work of the incubator and projects generated will be the well-being of participating families and their collective capacities.

Becoming a member: Membership is open to individuals, organisations and businesses. Contact wkcultur@gmail.com for a share application form. The membership application will then go to the board for approval and once the money transferred, a share certificate mailed to you.

Projects: While we are already working on possible projects in the areas of tourism, cleaning and domestic assistance, food and cultural services, we are open to ideas from our members. An initial one page proposal is suggested outlining the proposal, the people involved and what you see the first steps being to further the proposal and how Te Puawai can assist.

Our structure:

We are registered under the Industrial and Provident Society Act, 1908.

Members can be individuals, trade unions, community organisations, businesses, or NGOs.

Each member holds at least four shares worth $5 each. Maximum shareholding is 800 shares. There is 1 vote per member. Shares may be sold with the approval of the board.

General meetings are open to all members who annually elect a board of five people, board positions rotating amongst members. A maximum of two board members can come from outside the membership.

As co-ops are set up, they can form semi-autonomous units within the Society; being serviced by the advocacy and support unit (legal, tax, marketing) which will continue its incubating role.

The working units will hold their own on-site organizational meetings but continue to be members of the Society.

When stable and strong enough, these units may become a separate legal entity.

Liability: Liability of members is limited to the amount of any unpaid shares.

Te Puawai Co-operative Society Limited

Ka mate kāinga tahi, ka ora kāinga rua.
There is more than one way to achieve an objective.

Who we are:

Current board:

Our principles:

Our structure:

Ka mate kāinga tahi, ka ora kāinga rua. There is more than one way to achieve an objective.

Who we are:

Current board:

Our principles:

Our structure:

Ka mate kāinga tahi, ka ora kāinga rua.
There is more than one way to achieve an objective.