August 24, 2025 • 6 mins
Wairarapa farmer and philanthropist inducted into the NZ Business Hall of Fame.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Next guest, and I'm so pleased with this because he's
a great bloke. Along with his wife, they built a hospital,
as you do when you've done well in business. And
Shane mcmanaway, you were inducted into the New Zealand Business
Hall of Fame last week in front of four hundred
and fifty Aucklanders and given a citation by the Prime
Minister Chris Luxon. And I also saw you that you
(00:23):
were glad handing with Chris Sipkins as well. True truly apolitical.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Good afternoon, Jamie. Yeah, Lynette and I were very humbled
to be inducted into into that special place. It was
a great evening year, four hundred and fifty Orcans. I'm
sure most of them would have been from the Auckland region.
So I took the opportunity when we were interviewed for
about twenty minutes in front of them all to just
to see if there was a rural divide between urban
(00:49):
and rule. And so I asked those that love farmers
to stand up, and I think four hundred and fifty
people stood up and she'd Jamie along with the Prime
Minister and along with chrisip So I think we're we've
got some friends nowadays, the tide may have turned.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Well. I'm glad she he stood up. I reckon. You know,
COVID was a terrible time for this nation, but the
one positive to come from it, I think there was
a renewed appreciation of the rural sector and how important
the primary sector is to our economy.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Oh absolutely, Look, we there's no question around that. And look,
I think that that GAP's narrowed, if there's even a
gap there nowadays. But look, we're everybody needs a farmer,
Jamie defeeders, So I think everybody recognizes that. And as
Chris lux And said and in his speech, it's you know,
(01:42):
it's the primary sector that are going to pull this
country out out of a hole. And we're doing that
and doing it really well. I reckon, But we need
to be better at telling our story. I think that's
where we've probably let ourselves down. We've got a great
story to tell, and we need to tell it louder
and harder.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
I ran into I've spoken to so many people over
the long weekend in the Bay of Plenty, Shane mcmanaway.
We had a client function after I got off air
on Friday, and they are all business people based. And
I was going to say in a provincial town, tow
Wrong was much more than a provincial town. But everyone
in places like Talonga, Hamilton, christ Church, Masterden, where you
(02:19):
are in Vicargol Dunedin are so dependent on what's happening
in the rural hinterland and they're really interested.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Yeah, they certainly, they certainly are, Jamie. And the other
great thing is now we've got some young students out
there that can see agriculture is a good career move.
And I'm mixing those circles pretty regularly. I spoke to
one of our great colleges here in the wider Rathkuel
College to just on three hundred young lads there a
couple of weeks ago their assembly, and you know, there's
(02:50):
a lot of people really interested to get into this,
into the sector now, which is great, and look at
it's a magnificent sector. And I'm obviously a very biased
cheerleader because it's served me really, really well for the
last fifty years.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Is that the school that you were told you were
too dumb to do anything other than drive a truck.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
No, Jamie. It was a school that my parents used
to threaten to send me to if I didn't behave
to send you to boarding school. Send to be like
one of the lines that the parents rolled out if
you were being a bit mischievous. But no, I went
to Kuranui where the career advisor said, you probably won't
make much of your life, so there's always agriculture. So
there's just next door to the Integrated Medical Facility, Jamie
(03:29):
where I went to school.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
No doubt they've changed their tune. I think last week also,
or a couple of weeks ago, you were on the
Gold Coast for the Sanda McDonald Award conference. Now this
one got canceled and marched due to cyclone Alfred. I
remember talking to you at the time and how frightening
it was.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Yes, it was pretty while back then, Jamie, and the
beach is still pretty pretty rugged there. Now it's course
some huge damage and it will take years to get
it back to where it was the old Coast beach.
But you know we postponed and held it. A couple
of weeks ago we had one hundred and twenty farmers
from Australia in New Zealand and we were there to
(04:10):
wear some great, great speakers over the three days. But
we were there to award Megan Blohm and Jack O'Connor
the Zanda mcdonnald Awards respectively of New Zealand and Australia.
And look, they are two magnificent young people who were
going to have a major positive impact on the primary
production sector. Jamie, that is incredible.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Megan blom is these days based out of Blenham, but
she's a Southland girl.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Yeah, and her mum Helen joined her. And what a
lovely family, Jamie. Lovely family. Megan's Mills Bay Mussels in Marlborough.
And always she's super super smart and as I say,
we're going to see her a pear somewhere I think
lots of times over the next many years here in
the agricultural sector.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
How is the farming season treating you farmers in the
war Rapper Look.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
It's been okay. I think it's probably I think it's
been quite a reasonable sort of a winter. Although we
were starting to run out of grass a couple of
weeks ago. It's a bit more spring like now, Jamie.
We had a couple of nice days. Yesterday it was
an absolute crack of the day's of beauty and listening
to Phil Duncan. It sounds like we're in for a
week of good stuff and we need it, to be
quite honest, because we were right on we were right
on top of everything we had, and so it was
(05:22):
the whole district. But no, I look, I think we're
pretty good. And back to your rural discussion around how
things are going in the rural sector, I think we're
starting to see a little bit of uplift in our
region and so that's magnificent.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Well, it does filter into town, it just takes a
wee Well. Yes, as you mentioned, you've been involved in
farming or the primary sector for half a century, which
sounds a hell of a long time, doesn't it. Shane,
have you ever known the livestock industry, and I'm looking
at particularly lamb and more particularly beef to be as
buoyant as it is right now.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
No, Jamie, it is a pretty good time, that's for sure.
I Mean, when you've seen a truckloader, truck and trailerad
of cattle out the gate and you know you've got
about forty two big cattle on board and they're knocking
around at three thousand dollars a head market, it sort
of makes you it's all worth it and it's great.
Let's hope it continues. But yeah, it is good times
and they've been a wee while coming, but we're starting.
(06:19):
We're really enjoying that now they've turned up.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Hey Shane mcmahonu, I always good to have you on
the country. To you and Lynnette, who's very much your
right hand manner on her case. Woman absolutely well deserved
being inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.
You're a great frontman for the primary sect to keep
Speaker 2 (06:36):
It up great, Thanks very much, Jamie
Next guest, and I'm so pleased with this because he's
a great bloke. Along with his wife, they built a hospital,
as you do when you've done well in business. And
Shane mcmanaway, you were inducted into the New Zealand Business
Hall of Fame last week in front of four hundred
and fifty Aucklanders and given a citation by the Prime
Minister Chris Luxon. And I also saw you that you
(00:23):
were glad handing with Chris Sipkins as well. True truly apolitical.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Good afternoon, Jamie. Yeah, Lynette and I were very humbled
to be inducted into into that special place. It was
a great evening year, four hundred and fifty Orcans. I'm
sure most of them would have been from the Auckland region.
So I took the opportunity when we were interviewed for
about twenty minutes in front of them all to just
to see if there was a rural divide between urban
(00:49):
and rule. And so I asked those that love farmers
to stand up, and I think four hundred and fifty
people stood up and she'd Jamie along with the Prime
Minister and along with chrisip So I think we're we've
got some friends nowadays, the tide may have turned.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Well. I'm glad she he stood up. I reckon. You know,
COVID was a terrible time for this nation, but the
one positive to come from it, I think there was
a renewed appreciation of the rural sector and how important
the primary sector is to our economy.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Oh absolutely, Look, we there's no question around that. And look,
I think that that GAP's narrowed, if there's even a
gap there nowadays. But look, we're everybody needs a farmer,
Jamie defeeders, So I think everybody recognizes that. And as
Chris lux And said and in his speech, it's you know,
(01:42):
it's the primary sector that are going to pull this
country out out of a hole. And we're doing that
and doing it really well. I reckon, But we need
to be better at telling our story. I think that's
where we've probably let ourselves down. We've got a great
story to tell, and we need to tell it louder
and harder.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
I ran into I've spoken to so many people over
the long weekend in the Bay of Plenty, Shane mcmanaway.
We had a client function after I got off air
on Friday, and they are all business people based. And
I was going to say in a provincial town, tow
Wrong was much more than a provincial town. But everyone
in places like Talonga, Hamilton, christ Church, Masterden, where you
(02:19):
are in Vicargol Dunedin are so dependent on what's happening
in the rural hinterland and they're really interested.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Yeah, they certainly, they certainly are, Jamie. And the other
great thing is now we've got some young students out
there that can see agriculture is a good career move.
And I'm mixing those circles pretty regularly. I spoke to
one of our great colleges here in the wider Rathkuel
College to just on three hundred young lads there a
couple of weeks ago their assembly, and you know, there's
(02:50):
a lot of people really interested to get into this,
into the sector now, which is great, and look at
it's a magnificent sector. And I'm obviously a very biased
cheerleader because it's served me really, really well for the
last fifty years.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Is that the school that you were told you were
too dumb to do anything other than drive a truck.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
No, Jamie. It was a school that my parents used
to threaten to send me to if I didn't behave
to send you to boarding school. Send to be like
one of the lines that the parents rolled out if
you were being a bit mischievous. But no, I went
to Kuranui where the career advisor said, you probably won't
make much of your life, so there's always agriculture. So
there's just next door to the Integrated Medical Facility, Jamie
(03:29):
where I went to school.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
No doubt they've changed their tune. I think last week also,
or a couple of weeks ago, you were on the
Gold Coast for the Sanda McDonald Award conference. Now this
one got canceled and marched due to cyclone Alfred. I
remember talking to you at the time and how frightening
it was.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Yes, it was pretty while back then, Jamie, and the
beach is still pretty pretty rugged there. Now it's course
some huge damage and it will take years to get
it back to where it was the old Coast beach.
But you know we postponed and held it. A couple
of weeks ago we had one hundred and twenty farmers
from Australia in New Zealand and we were there to
(04:10):
wear some great, great speakers over the three days. But
we were there to award Megan Blohm and Jack O'Connor
the Zanda mcdonnald Awards respectively of New Zealand and Australia.
And look, they are two magnificent young people who were
going to have a major positive impact on the primary
production sector. Jamie, that is incredible.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Megan blom is these days based out of Blenham, but
she's a Southland girl.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Yeah, and her mum Helen joined her. And what a
lovely family, Jamie. Lovely family. Megan's Mills Bay Mussels in Marlborough.
And always she's super super smart and as I say,
we're going to see her a pear somewhere I think
lots of times over the next many years here in
the agricultural sector.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
How is the farming season treating you farmers in the
war Rapper Look.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
It's been okay. I think it's probably I think it's
been quite a reasonable sort of a winter. Although we
were starting to run out of grass a couple of
weeks ago. It's a bit more spring like now, Jamie.
We had a couple of nice days. Yesterday it was
an absolute crack of the day's of beauty and listening
to Phil Duncan. It sounds like we're in for a
week of good stuff and we need it, to be
quite honest, because we were right on we were right
on top of everything we had, and so it was
(05:22):
the whole district. But no, I look, I think we're
pretty good. And back to your rural discussion around how
things are going in the rural sector, I think we're
starting to see a little bit of uplift in our
region and so that's magnificent.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Well, it does filter into town, it just takes a
wee Well. Yes, as you mentioned, you've been involved in
farming or the primary sector for half a century, which
sounds a hell of a long time, doesn't it. Shane,
have you ever known the livestock industry, and I'm looking
at particularly lamb and more particularly beef to be as
buoyant as it is right now.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
No, Jamie, it is a pretty good time, that's for sure.
I Mean, when you've seen a truckloader, truck and trailerad
of cattle out the gate and you know you've got
about forty two big cattle on board and they're knocking
around at three thousand dollars a head market, it sort
of makes you it's all worth it and it's great.
Let's hope it continues. But yeah, it is good times
and they've been a wee while coming, but we're starting.
(06:19):
We're really enjoying that now they've turned up.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Hey Shane mcmahonu, I always good to have you on
the country. To you and Lynnette, who's very much your
right hand manner on her case. Woman absolutely well deserved
being inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.
You're a great frontman for the primary sect to keep
Speaker 2 (06:36):
It up great, Thanks very much, Jamie
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