Serving beach, food and drinks since 2023.
3A Reweti Drive (opposite Mobil)
info@basker.co.nz | Ph 07 866 0645 | Open 8.00am to late
www.basker.co.nz
Te Kai Whakarongo
Issue 1193 Circulation 9800
CONNECTING COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COROMANDEL PENINSULA
20 January 2026 | Proudly locally owned and operated
theinformer.co.nz
(07) 866 2090 info@theinformer.co.nz
@theinformernz
Farmer is awarded two New Years Honours Neil Bateup is the rare recipient of a Queen’s New Years Honour and a Kings New Years Honour.
BY PAULINE STEWART
F
ormer national Rural Support Trust Chairman, Neil Bateup, was made an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2018. In this year’s New Years 2026 Honours List, he has received a higher honour, becoming a Companion of the Order for his services to the rural sector. He told the Waikato Herald at the time of receiving the news; “I’m pretty honoured, but I’m receiving it on behalf of the Rural Support Trust organisation; it’s a recognition of the team.” The Informer interviewed Neil and talked with some Hauraki farmers who know Neil. WHERE THINGS BEGAN “I am a farmer. I am still a farmer. I will always be a farmer.” Neil was born in the North Waikato area - a place called Te Hoe on the Ohinewai Road, not far from Tahuna. He knows a lot about small towns and farming communi-
ties because that has been his whole life. He tells the story of the Rural Trust from its beginning. “A group of farmers were at a farm economic conference. This was 2004, twenty-two years ago. There was a talk about the economics of farming, and we noticed a lot of people attending the talk were finding things difficult, but didn’t have anywhere to go for help. We were talking around the table about the effect of low payouts particularly on younger famers who had no backup. There was no help for them and some were in very worrying situations. We called a meeting and set up the first Rural Support Trust and I was elected Chair and I have been ever since. That region is Waikato- Hauraki Coromandel Rural Support Trust. “When we first set up, we talked to Jim Anderton and asked for some funding. He was the Minister of Agriculture at the time. We needed someone to answer calls for help to connect the regions. Continued on page 3
TRUST YOUR LOCAL EXPERTS Visit us at Totalspan Coromandel 1/46 Kopu Road, Kopu, Thames Ph: 07 869 0400 Email: coromandel@totalspan.co.nz 0800 TOTALSPAN TOTALSPAN.CO.NZ