THE PRESS, Christchurch Saturday, December 27, 2014 MAINLANDER C5

EXCLUSIONS APPLY, SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS

+GST STOREWIDEAPPLIES TO PRODUCTS OVER $100 #

3340

• Cnr Moorhouse Ave & Montreal St. Ph: 983 3444• Northwood Supa Centre. Ph: 323 9641 (Outlet)

# COST + 5% + GST STOREWIDE & COST + GST ON SAMSUNG WHITEWARE TERMS & CONDITIONS: APPLIES TO PRODUCTS OVER $100. APPLIES TO STOCK ON HAND ONLY. OFFER IS VALID26TH TO 31ST OF DECEMBER 2014 ONLY AND IS ONLY AT POWERSTORE STORES. COST REFLECTS THE AVERAGE INVOICED PURCHASE PRICE OF THE PRODUCT BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY VOLUMERELATED ADJUSTMENTS WHICH MAY APPLY. AN ADDITIONAL 2% SURCHARGE APPLIES WHEN PURCHASING ITEMS ON A CREDIT CARD. PLEASE BEAR WITH US AS A FEW ITEMS ARE ALREADY AT ORBELOW COST SO LITTLE OR NO FURTHER DISCOUNT MAY APPLY. EXCLUDES BEKO,AS SEEN ON TV PRODUCTS, GOODS ALREADY ON SPECIAL, SUPER SAVER ITEMS,WARRANTIES & INSTALL CHARGES. CRT,

FARMLANDS & ATS CARDS ARE WELCOME, BUT NO FURTHER DISCOUNT APPLIES. NOT AVAILABLE IN CONJUNCTION WITH ANY OTHER CURRENT PROMOTIONAL OFFERS.

CONDITIONS APPLY. SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS

on ALL WHITEWARE

PRICE +GST #

OFFER EXTENDED TO 31st DECEMBER ONLY!HURRY!

48” FULL HD SLIM DIRECT LED/LCD TV• HDMI x2• ConnectShare USB 2.0USUALLY $799.998765190

• Slim Bezel• Metallic Design• HDMI x2• USB x1USUALLY $599.998638389

42” FULL HD LED/LCD TV 42”48”NESPRESSOCOFFEE MACHINE• Bundled with New Aeroccino3• 19 Bar Pressure System• Removable Water Tank: 0.7L8665416

*VIA REDEMPTION

$12117

after $75

Cashback*

$19617 or

$59999

SAVE $200

NOW

$47799

SAVE $122

NOW

ES-311 LAPTOP• Intel Celeron Dual-core CPU• 4GB RAM • 500GB HDDUSUALLY $399.998771164

$32999

SAVE $70

NOW

13.3”

$23818HOT PRICE

BAGLESS VACUUM• Multiple filtration, with HEPA 12 Exhaust Filter• AeroPro Silent Air Technology Nozzle• 12M Reach8407553

WHITE DISHWASHER• 14 Place Settings • Digital Display• Choice of Wash Programs• Delay StartUSUALLY $929.99. 7979784

$74744

SAVE $18255

NOW

575 LITRE SIDE BY SIDEFRIDGE/FREEZER• Frost Free • Easy Slide Freezer Bins• External Electronic Controls• Adjustable Spill Proof Shelves. 7872542

$108899HOT PRICE

GALAXY LITE 7” TAB3• 1,2 GHz Dual Core Processor• Super Light - 310g, Slim Design - 9.7mm• Smart Camera with Fun Features• Fun & Sharable Services8604647

AVAILABLE IN BLUE, PINK OR WHITE

$169HOT PRICE

EACH

❮❮❮❮ Continued from C4

Miners’ mayor: Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn in his Greymouth office – over his political career he has advocated formining on the West Coast because of the jobs it provides. Photo: SARAH-JANE O’CONNOR/FAIRFAX NZ.

Sleeves-rolled-up mayor: In August, Tony Kokshoorn scaled a Blaketown house to weather-proof a tornado-damaged roof. Photo: SARAH-JANE O’CONNOR/FAIRFAX NZ.

Pro-log: During two terms as a GreyDistrict councillor, Tony Kokshoornmade a name for himself as someonewho would advocate for the WestCoast. Here is is pictured at a CoastAction Network pro-logging rally inWellington.

area to go ahead, you’ve got to be asleeves-rolled-up person.’’

There’s no doubt ‘‘parochial ashell’’ Kokshoorn wants his area togo ahead.

In his time as mayor he hasraised $30 million for localcharities. He prides himself ongetting the Grey District ratesdown below the national averageand boasts of the $11m stadiumGreymouth will soon get, only$1.1m of which came from rates.

That’s why Kokshoorn got in onPike River at the ground floor. Itwas going to be the saviour for theCoast.

The decades of retrenchmentand exodus that had shaped himwere finally turning around.

‘‘When I become mayor 10 yearsago, we were just building into oneof the best runs we’ve had for 50years. Coal prices were going up,Solid Energy were employingpeople all over the show and houseprices for the first time ever weregoing up . . . the place was really

buoyant.’’Kokshoorn lobbied for ‘‘10

bloody years to get Pike’’. At thesame time he had been advocatingfor Trustpower’s Arnold Valleyhydroelectric power scheme.

‘‘I had all the ducks lined upbrilliantly, because if you had thecoalmine you had that massiveextra need for the electricity. Pike

would have made this place.’’Then it blew, the coal industry

slumped, there was no longer extrademand for electricity and theArnold Valley project was movedto the backburner. It still could goahead, but Kokshoorn is resignedthat it won’t happen in the shortterm.

‘‘It’s like you’re playing snakesand ladders and you just wentdown a snake to the bottom. All thegood work that I put in.’’

After Pike, the clamour gotlouder. What were Kokshoorn’spolitical ambitions? Would he evertake a tilt at Parliament?

But Kokshoorn says it’s off thetable, despite being approached by‘‘all parties’’.

‘‘I said no, I’ll never do that tome family. I’ve always turned itdown because you spend half theyear away from your family.

‘‘To be successful in this game. . . you’ve got to go beyond the callof duty continuously, to proveyourself all the time. Because thepublic can be harsh on ya.’’

The Coast’s return is coming;he’s sure the bottom has been hit

and things will turn up from here.A new fish factory for thewaterfront, and an aluminiumjoinery just out of Greymouth thatis set to supply the Christchurchrebuild – all signs that better timesare coming. He knows the end ofcoal is nigh, and there will beanother fight on his hands.

‘‘If someone said 10 years ago to

me, ‘in 10 years’ time, Tony, you’llonly have 100 workers here inGrey District on the coal’, I wouldhave said, ‘Well we might as wellleave’.

‘‘But just as we had the fightwith the forestry, we’re doing thatnow with coal.’’

Sustainability is Kokshoorn’sbuzzword now. Not just in the

sense of sustainable fish stocks inthe Hokitika Trench, but a rangeof complementary industries,buffering the Coast and the GreyDistrict against the boom-and-bustcommodity cycles. ‘‘I still love thejob, but it’s certainly been hardover the last five years. I can tellya, it’s aged me. But I still wouldn’thave it any other way.’’