The North Island town of Wairoa is fighting back from gang troubles with widespread development and an ever-growing population. Photo / Neil Reid
Proud locals of a North Island town notorious for gang violence and meth use say headlines about those issues don't define them. They tell Neil Reid why their town means so much to them, why they're optimistic for the future and why they wouldn't want to live anywhere else
Buried deep in a police press release about a major methamphetamine bust in Wairoa was a statistic which provided another blow to the northern Hawke's Bay town's reputation.
In announcing the February arrests in an operation targeting a major meth ring with gang links – which had already resulted in more than $1 million of the drug being confiscated – the Eastern Police District's acting field crime manager, detective inspector Dave de Lange made it clear how big a blight the substance was on the community.
"Police's wastewater testing results demonstrate that the Wairoa community is disproportionately affected by methamphetamine use," de Lange said.
"More methamphetamine is detected in Wairoa's wastewater per capita than in any other region in New Zealand."
In that bust, as well as the discovery of 1kg of meth – with a street value of about $1m – de Lange revealed police had also "captured evidence of conspiracies to supply multiple kilograms of methamphetamine into the Wairoa community".
Among those arrested were patched members of the Mongrel Mob's Barbarian and Mongrelizm chapters.
Two further Mongrel Mob members were arrested last week after a series of search warrants netted a haul of drugs and firearms.
In between the two big drug busts, police also appealed for information and calm amid rising gang tensions which saw two Wairoa homes being shot at; including one where a window of a children's bedroom was destroyed by a shotgun blast.
"It was simply good luck that the child was not present in the room at the time," detective senior sergeant Mark Moorhouse said.
"The actions of these perpetrators demonstrate a clear intent to cause harm and a total disregard for life, community safety and the law."
"It's killing families ... there is no future on P."
Wairoa mayor Craig Little has long been outspoken about the negative impacts drug abuse and anti-social gang behaviour are having on his district.
He told the Herald there was "no doubt" there was a drug use issue which had to be tackled vigorously in the area.
And there was also clear evidence "pointing towards the gangs who are dealing it".
"We have got a problem. It is really killing families, pulling families apart and there is no future on P. It is just a downhill spiral.
"Anyone dealing it should be ashamed of themselves."
But he said Wairoa wasn't alone in terms of towns and cities trying to fight the scourge of the drug's use.
He also questioned whether the wastewater results were slightly misleading, saying, unlike other towns Wairoa only had one wastewater system so results were probably more magnified when compared with other locations.
Little said Wairoa had an ever-growing number of resources to fight meth use.
The district's community partnership group – which features representatives from local iwi, council and Government agencies – was constantly working on initiatives.
The group Nannies Against P also had a growing influence in Wairoa discouraging drug use.
And some former addicts and dealers were also becoming positive forces in the community.
That includes one young woman who visited Little in his mayoral office to share her journey from being a meth user and dealer, to quitting the drug and now running "mana-enhancing classes" and warning of the dangers of P.
"It is just amazing her journey," Little said.
"She has realised that she has wrecked people's lives and she is ashamed of herself for doing it.
"She is now running mana-enhancing classes and getting people talking about P and what it does to you. This is the sort of person that we need [to help]."
Police bosses both based in Wairoa and the Eastern Region's HQ in Hastings have stressed officers were being proactive when it came to tackling the supply of drugs in the northern Hawke's Bay town.
The officer in charge of the Wairoa Police Station, senior sergeant Maui Abel, has urged anyone with information or concerns about drug supply or organised crime to contact police.
"Police remain committed to preventing any violence and closing down the distribution of any illegal drug that causes harm to the Wairoa community."
It was a message echoed by de Lange.
"Police are dedicated to reducing harm this drug has caused in the community by holding those who benefit from its sale to account," he said.
"Police are working with partners in the community to reduce this harm, and have made referrals for those identified as having legitimate addiction issues to receive help."
Halfway down the shopping precinct of Wairoa's Marine Parade – on the banks of Wairoa River – is home to Angus Gemmell Ltd; the town's hardware, camping and bike shop.
The name Gemmell is an institution in the town's tight-knit business community.
Robbie Gemmell now runs the store which carries his late father's name, and while relaxing during a quiet moment in the store he joked about his family's rich legacy: "My dad and his three other brothers used to own shops all along [the main road of the CBD] . . . a jeweller, two clothing shops and dad's hardware shop.
"It used to be a laugh, all the Gemmell's [shops]."
His store is the last with the Gemmell name that remains open.
The former sites of others that shared the family name are empty, as do other unrelated stores on Wairoa's main drag, and nearby streets.
But Gemmell said he was confident the sight of vacant stores was going to become less frequent as his much-loved town enjoyed a financial fightback.
"There is a definite pick-up," he said.
"A lot of people are like, 'Man, Wairoa is dying'. But it isn't dying ... you try buying a house in Wairoa, it is impossible. The house[ing] market is crazy, which is good."
His hopes for the future were buoyed by developments in the town centre which are backed by the Wairoa District Council, a new large-scale supermarket build and expansions at the Affco meat works on the outskirts of the town.
Wairoa is the only place Gemmell has called home.
And, he says proudly, he wouldn't have it any other way.
"I have lived here all my life," he said.
"So did my father all his life, his father all his life and his father his life ... all born and bred in Wairoa. We love it.
"I love the town and remoteness of it ... there are no traffic lights, no McDonald's, no KFC or anything like that. You can survive off the land and off each other. It is good, eh."
He was well aware of Wairoa's reputation from outside of the area for gang issues, but he said that was "only because we are so small that it might look like we have a major problem ... but it is not [a major] problem.
"They [gangs] are just normal people, you deal with them every day. It is just like any other town," he said.
"Wairoa does get a hard press with that [gang issues]. But they don't bother us, we don't bother them."
Craig Little openly admits his home town was "dying" when he was first elected as a Wairoa District councillor 12 years ago.
Its population was on a steady decline, and the future mayor claims the previous council wasn't doing enough either for its current inhabitants or for businesses who wanted to set up shop there.
"When I came on the council ... the town was dying. That really scared me," the straight-shooting mayor said.
"They [the previous council] weren't a 'can do' council and we seemed to be turning businesses away and being quite officious in what they did.
"Our population was dying. We were losing at least 100 people a year, probably more."
Little is nearing the end of his third term as mayor.
In recent years the Wairoa district's population drop has halted and is now growing.
"We have gone from 7200 to up over 9000 and now even nearing 10,000. We have people really believing in the town," he proudly said.
"Before some didn't see a lot of positive things happening, and the town was dying ... shops were closing."
A growing number of locals were now "believing in themselves".
"I stood on positive change and we have done a lot of good stuff."
Major developments in the town include the multi-million construction of a new New World supermarket, consent being granted for expansion at the Affco plant valued at $3.8m, and further consent for a new $1.8m veterinary clinic.
The total value of new building work consented in February was $5.37m, up from $2.62 in January.
He described the Affco development as a "real commitment" from the meat company, while the new supermarket was something of "great excitement" for the community.
Local iwi Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa is also heavily investing in horticulture, including the recent planting of the equivalent of almost 50 football fields of crops.
The mayor has been told the local orchards had the potential to equal the quality of fruit grown in other parts of Hawke's Bay; the region known as the 'Fruit Bowl of New Zealand'.
"It will mean so many jobs for Wairoa," Little said. "We have all of a sudden realised we can do what some of the others can do."
Things were also on the up health-wise for residents of Wairoa.
Earlier this year the Hawke's Bay District Health Board provided funding for an adult locum dental service for 12 months.
Since March 2020, the dental care available in the town was for children or the elderly.
Wairoa has also been chosen as one of the locations for the "Locality" health system pilot; a scheme which would give the local community and iwi a greater say in what care services are offered and how they are delivered.
Little said it was "great news" for the area to be selected as a pilot location.
When he first became mayor in 2013 he said he would step aside after a maximum of three terms.
But ahead of the August 12 cut-off date for candidates to declare their running in October's local body elections, Little said his "love" for Wairoa, blended with his excitement for the area's future, had him considering seeking a fourth term.
"Wairoa is a great place," he said. "I just love the place ... it is a good friendly place [and] we welcome everyone into our town.
"The remoteness makes it a bit more vibrant and we just get on.
"[Not standing again] is a big decision that I thought I had already made but a lot of people are saying, 'Hey, have you finished what you planned to do?'. I am so connected with everything and everyone ... so I have to have a big think about what I am going to do."
The 19-year-old disappeared without her wallet or mobile phone.