Taihape’s new ambulance station has been many years in the making, 16 in fact, and thanks to a huge community effort, it was officially ‘open for business’ in February - finally moving on from the 1920s rented bungalow it had been operating out of up until that point. 

Much of the project was funded by local groups and individuals, but it was a donation of wool carpet by a family-run business, Anderson Shearing, that has potentially laid the foundation for future wool carpet use in more premises across the Manawatu/Whanganui district.   

Brad Anderson and wife Tiana from Anderson Shearing.

After a chat at the local swimming pool with his aunty - who was involved with the new station project - Brad Anderson and wife Tiana decided they were keen to help however they could, and the idea to supply wool carpet for the flooring came about.     

“She had said that construction was going well, but they were still struggling for funding. So we came away from that conversation wondering what we could do. And it just popped into my head ‘why don’t we pay for the wool carpet’.

“Because we have a shearing business and we’re passionate about the wool industry, it seemed like a great fit. It also felt good to help with something like this.” 

Brad and his family got to see the finished product during a recent open day, and he is happy to report that everyone said it looks great. Especially since it was a big surprise that the cost of the wool carpet was almost comparable with the synthetic tiles that had already been ordered. 

“It actually blew us away that the price difference wasn’t a hell of a lot. And thankfully the synthetic tiles could be passed on to another building with the same size footprint.” 

The new Hato Hone St John Taihape Ambulance Station.

For Sandy Jennings, Hato Hone St John Taihape area committee chairwoman, the donation was not only an incredible gift, but provided an opportunity to back New Zealand-made - with a product that’s close to the hearts of Taihape residents. 

“There are several big sheep stations around us here, and many others involved in the wool industry, so there was definitely a sense of pride to be able to support local. Many of the Hato Hone St John’s staff were born and raised here in Taihape too, which increases that overall community spirit for the completed project.” 

Another big win has been the potential roll out for the use of wool carpet tiles in future builds. 

The new wool carpet tiles in Hato Hone St John Taihape.

“If it hadn’t been for Anderson Shearing, we would never have discovered that New Zealand wool is used to make carpet tiles. Nobody seemed to know that. And now that it’s in front of those who make these decisions for government buildings, there has been talk about further use around New Zealand,” notes Sandy. 

“Wool is such a fantastic, natural product, and I really hope it continues to grow and support the New Zealand wool industry. It’s all been an unexpected but very pleasing outcome and we are really grateful to Brad and Tiana.”     

Far right: Andy Anderson at Timahanga Station in Taihape.

And it is certainly a result that Andy Anderson, a wool rep for PGG Wrightson in the Hawkes Bay/Taihape regions, is pleased with. 

“When I found out that Brad and Tiana were making this donation of wool carpet, a sustainable and environmental decision off their own back, I thought it was pretty awesome. 

“There is the essence of a true believer in this fibre and people might think it is only a small change. But in fact, every little environmental sustainable change can all add up into something big.” 

While he hears of stories like this every so often, they usually go unrecognised, which means it is unable to create a flow-on effect, where others might go ‘oh that’s a good idea, let’s do that too’. However, it seems that the ‘proof is in the pudding’ with this one. 

“I have a saying that I use quite a lot, it’s calling something a ‘no brainer’. And this is a fine example of just being an absolute no brainer. I’m passionate about pushing for this kind of stuff to happen, as it can be a game changer.” 

Because of this, Andy’s keen for more wool growers and sheep farmers to get feedback on what their wool is getting turned into and take more of an interest in where their wool goes. 

“I think it’s first and foremost about education. Because once we’re all more informed about what’s happening after the wool leaves the farm, where necessary we can push for better outcomes and work together to get the industry to where it needs to be.” 

And why wouldn’t New Zealanders want more wool in their businesses, organisations and homes? As Brad points out, you can’t get a better product. 

“When we are shearing, hunting or doing farm work, wearing the synthetic stuff just doesn’t work. You sweat and then you get cold. We notice how much warmer the wool keeps us, and it’s also good for the environment too, as well as being fireproof and biodegradable. 

“Sometimes as farmers we can be our own worst enemies, so it’s important to be supporting our own industry and look at the products we are using on a daily basis.” 

It’s a sentiment Andy agrees with. 

“It comes back to society. We all know we need to use less petrol chemicals, less plastics etc. So here’s a product, a natural wool fibre, that has a multitude of uses and you would think we would be seeing sales increase - especially for things like carpet that we put in our houses. We need to change this as a country and be working harder to make this change. 

“For a health organisation like St Johns, and to support the service they provide, this is an absolute no brainer.”