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...

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...

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 Kiw...

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 Northla...

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...

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...

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 ab...

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...

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...

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...

What’s Northland worth to Auckland and the rest of New Zealand? Are we delivering? And why must we still make the case for better infrastructure in our region? In this week’s episode of the True North podcast we speak with Julian Smith, group secretary of the Northland Corporate Group, about a report it launched in Wellington today. It maintains that Northland has the potential to contribute much...

How close did Northland’s Ngāwhā geothermal plant come to being closed down? Spoiler alert – very close indeed. Why? And how did lateral thinking save the day? In this week’s episode of the True North podcast we speak with Fabian Hanik, assistant plant manager at the Ngāwhā geothermal power station near Kaikohe, about how close Northland came to losing its prized geothermal generation plant. And h...

How much focus is our regional economic development agency placing on inward investment? Is Northland’s vibrant “no!” culture scaring investors away? Why is take-up of space at the Ngāwhā Innovation and Enterprise Park so thin from companies outside Northland? Why has the promise of heavily discounted electricity not proven more of a game-changer for potential investors in the park?   What inward...

How will our local roads be funded in future? Will commercial traffic be tolled? Is local road funding likely to keep up with population growth and usage trends? In this episode of the True North podcast we speak with district councillor Ann Court, one of the most clued-up people in Northland on the vexed issue of our historically woeful road network. Ann’s very clear – continued and ongoing conve...

How close did Northland’s iconic R. Tucker Thompson come to being driven onto the financial rocks? How did those at the wheel steer the ship into calmer waters? In this episode of the True North podcast we speak with Jane Hindle, a perpetual energy source for the R. Tucker Thompson Sailing Trust, based around the beloved and iconic tall ship in the Bay of Islands. Jane helped establish the Trust a...

How can Northland businesses win Crown or Council work? Will new Government Procurement Rules eliminate the social engineering? Or is it the same old same old? In this episode of the True North podcast we speak with George Hulbert of The Clarity Business, which specialises in helping businesses win bids and tenders. Particularly bids and tenders from government agencies and local government . If y...

Is Northland tourism choking on its own planning? Is anyone driving execution and delivery? Whose responsibility is this? Why is it always the same people? In this episode of the True North podcast we speak with Northland tourism champion Riki Kinnaird about what the sector needs to do to get its mojo back. We’re at risk of talking and planning ourselves to death, he says. Northland tourism is dro...

How will Northland fix its water infrastructure? How will we be able to afford to? What alliances and partnerships are being formed? Will deadlines be met? In our third episode of True North we speak with Far North mayor Moko Tepania about our region’s crumbling water infrastructure. With the demise of the Three Waters initiative that would have seen central government investing in the upgrade and...

Is the promised 40-minute sea glider service between Whangārei and Auckland still on track? Why select Northport as the terminal instead of the Town Basin? In our second episode of True North we speak with Ocean Flyer CEO Shah Aslam about his company’s plans and how they’re progressing. Two years ago he told us this would be happening next year. Is that still the plan? How does he expect Air New Z...

What industries will a Special Economic Zone at Marsden Point cover? Exactly how will it streamline investment and establishment? What incentives will be on offer? For our maiden episode of True North we were lucky enough to speak with Regional Development Minister Shane Jones, to see if we could squeeze out of him some additional detail about his thinking around a Special Economic Zone at Marsden...

Thanks for checking us out! True North is a podcast for business and community leaders in New Zealand's Northland region. Follow us for regional business news and views, and for entertaining stories from some of the amazing and lesser-known high flyers who have chosen to make Northland home. New episodes will be posted here every second Wednesday, kicking off on Wednesday 2 April 2025. We rely...