For over two decades, what now is called Trust Waiheke has used a different approach to bringing about positive change on Waiheke Island.

It triggers the private sector.

Triggering means it sets the stage in a way that prompts the private sector to do the right thing – not because it is good for people and planet, but because it is profitable for them. The theme is encapsulated in the sign that greets all ferry arrivals: “Slow Down – You’re Here”.

Slow is about a way of life. It’s about being very happy about where you live, and when it needs improving, doing something about it. Slowing down is about enjoying the moment, smelling the roses.

The 2002 SlowNet Initiative was about panicking Telecom into providing broadband when Waiheke had only dial-up. It was so successful that a second vendor, ICONZ also set up shop. These vendors had ignored Waiheke until faced with the prospect of community-owned broadband. Slownet triggered them into action.

The 2012 Initiative, SlowCycles, was about bringing second generation ebike kits to NZ. First gen had hub motors and awful frames. The answer was to travel to China, visit the top manufacturers, be shown their 2nd gen products and volunteer to do real-life testing in NZ. They sent serial #17, and a year later, SlowCycles set up a a buying group: 27 kits especially tuned for NZ’s 300W ebike limit. Soon bicycle dealers on Waiheke were seeing these new motors, and they began to import them. One opened new stores throughout NZ, and competition sprang up. SlowNet had triggered the ebike revolution.

The 2022 initiative, SlowCars, is the first that requires changing government regulations in order to trigger the private sector.

SlowCars does not want to be in the transport business, it wants to enable local businesses to pop up and provide the products and services that enable local people to shift to a much lighter footprint.

Yes, ebikes work, but not fun on days when the wind is howling and the rain is pelting. 

The 2023 initiative, SlowFoods, is similar to the international Slow Food movement, except again, it is focused on triggering private initiative. Waiheke has a problem with excavated clay being trucked to the bottom end (50 km per truckload) and excavators will level and prepare nearby land (5 km) for free, making that land ready for market gardens. Then the second part is to support development of local market garden businesses to farm the level sites.