Mayors give government plan to ease seasonal worker shortage
Hastings District Council has given the government a plan to address the seasonal labour shortage faced by the horticulture and viticulture sectors due to Covid-19.
It was the special lots of 2013 wines that had the audience reaching for their wallets, although the highest price paid on the night was for a landscape painting by artist Freeman White, which raised $8,200.
It was only just ahead of the $8,100 paid for a 225 litre barrique from the Bridge Pa Triangle area. The blend of three reds was made especially for the auction.
The Patron’s Blend - by John Buck – who is not only Te Mata Estates Chairman, but also the Patron of Cranford Hospice, was another money raiser, with the buyer paying $5000 for a quarter barrique. The 2013 wine was made from a selection of three separate Cabernet Sauvignon plantings from Eighteen92, one of New Zealand’s oldest vineyards and aged in barrel for eighteen months.
Cranford Hospice general manager Helen Blaxland says it was great to see the Hawke’s Bay community, including many businesses, give so generously to the afternoon, and the proceeds will help the organisation continue to be able to assist local families by providing free end of life care.
The auction is in its 23rd year, and proceeds from the fundraiser have pushed the total the charity wine auction has raised beyond $2.5m for Cranford Hospice.
