Latest news with #Kristy
NZ Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
On The Up: Des Samuels discovers blueberry success on Matakana Island
It was never Samuels' intention to get into blueberries. He was happy working as kaitiaki kura (school caretaker) of Te Kura o te Moutere O Matakana. 'My idea of looking after plants was Roundup,' he said. 'On paper, I was the most under-qualified person.' One day, he was helping build a plant nursery on the whenua, owned by Hamiora Whānau Trust, when it was suggested he try growing blueberries on a smaller section of the farm. Research efforts Des Samuels (left) with the 'godfather' of Australia's blueberry industry and Mountain Blue Orchards founder Ridley Bell, who visited the Matakana Island for the first time in June this year. Photo / Ant Low Knowing little about how to grow them, Samuels started researching. 'We just winged it, learned it and Googled it,' he said. 'Our advantage is growing up here on the island. 'We have the can-do, fix-it attitude.' By 2019, the whānau had planted their first blueberry plants. But it wasn't easy. In the beginning, cows broke in and ripped up the plants, and howling winds tore down about four blueberry tunnels two months after planting the first trees. Samuels, however, was determined. 'If you had told me what we'd been through, I think I would have turned it down in a heartbeat,' he said. 'But I was never going to start something I wasn't going to finish.' Six years on and the farm has nearly 11,000 blueberry plants, growing world-leading varieties that stand out because of their jumbo size and sweet taste. The varieties are licensed through Tauranga-based global berry marketer BerryCo NZ and marketed under the 'Blue Royal' brand across New Zealand and Southeast Asia. Berries grown by Samuels and his whānau on Matakana Island have been sold as far away as Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City. Peak harvest At peak harvest from October to December, the blueberry farm has about 50 workers. Most are backpackers from Argentina, Chile and Germany, as well as locals who live on the island. 'The blueberries have been a tool to help build relationships, and we are really big on looking after people,' Samuels said. 'We have lots of hāngī, we cook together, we fish together. It's an open-door policy. The importance is whānau.' Samuels' wife Kristy said up to 1.5 tonnes of blueberries are picked each day during the peak season, averaging about 4.5kg per tree. The berries are then delivered to the packhouse in Paengaroa. 'There is no typical day. During peak harvest it's full on,' she said. 'It's a 7am start and we work until lunchtime when it gets too hot. 'The pickers usually go home or have a swim at the beach and come back at 4.30pm and work through until about 7.30pm.' Looking back, Des said he's proud of what he and Kristy have achieved. 'All we do is blueberries. Even the office is in the lounge,' Kristy laughed. But to them, it's a privilege. 'Because it's on our own land we have a sense of ownership,' Des said. 'It's a legacy. I'm starting something up for my children and grandchildren, not just my own but others too.' A family affair Blueberry pioneer Ridley Bell (second left) visiting the Samuels whānau during his recent trip. Photo / Ant Low The island's youngest blueberry picker is Des' niece, Mia Samuels. The 14-year-old began picking blueberries on the farm last year to fundraise for a rugby trip to Hawaii. Mia lives on the mainland with her parents, Leon and Lynda Samuels, and travels to Matakana Island by boat about three days a week to pick berries during harvest. 'I like picking blueberries, and I like being outdoors. It's not like a normal job like in a store,' she said. Kristy said it was a 'whānau-run' multi-generational blueberry business. 'It gives the older ones an opportunity to have a holiday job, especially on the island where there isn't the usual supermarket or cafe job. 'It's cool to know that for them it will forever be their first job picking blueberries on uncle's farm.' Aside from the blueberries business, Des also runs school camps on the island, giving children the chance to disconnect from screens and schedules and reconnect with nature and island life. 'Our camps are a lot of fun and help build resilience and relationships,' he said. 'Some kids don't get the chance to swim or jump off the jetty and just be kids.' It's something Samuels said he learned from his late mother, Mere Matekino Palmer (nee Samuels). Raised on Matakana and neighbouring Rangiwaea Island in the 1930s, Mere later received an MBE in the 1990 Queen's Birthday Honours for her services to Kōhanga Reo. She also once worked with the Tabulam and Lismore Aboriginal communities as an early childhood education adviser, sharing the same community as Mountain Blue Orchard blueberry farms, whose berry varieties Samuels grows on the island today. 'That was a pretty special moment of discovery,' he said. 'What mum demonstrated through her work is what was sowed into me.' As for the future, Samuels hopes to continue expanding the blueberry business. 'We have a passion to be the best we can be. 'That's what gets us up in the morning.'
News.com.au
14-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
‘No one speak to me': Aussies cop brutal ATO debts after completing tax returns
Every year around tax time social media becomes flooded with videos and posts of people complaining about their measly tax return, with many also being hit with debts. It has been less than two weeks since Aussies have been able to submit their tax returns to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), and it seems that many who have chosen to get in early this year have been less than thrilled with the outcome. A quick scroll on TikTok will show dozens of videos of young people lamenting after their dreams of a healthy tax refund were dashed, instead being replaced by a bill. One user, Kenneth, said he spent '5 hours, 47 tabs, 3 breakdowns doing (my) tax return, just to find out I owe $4000 to the ATO'. In the caption of the video he added: 'The only return I got was emotional damage.' Another young worker shared an image showing she owes almost $5800 to the ATO, asking 'wtf is this' and 'no one speak to me'. A nurse made a video revealing his $3404 debt, while another TikToker, Elaya, was hit with a $1733 bill. Another user revealed they owed close to $9000, writing, 'Any accountants wanna help me?' previously spoke to 21-year-old Queensland woman, Kristy, after she was hit with a whopping $32,459 tax bill. She works in the event management and promotional marketing space and, while she wasn't surprised to receive a debt, she wasn't expecting it to be so high. 'I make a decent amount of money so wasn't too shocked to see the bill. I usually have a tax bill but it hasn't been this large,' Kristy said. 'I end up making pretty much the same net income as years where I was working less so it feels like a bit of a lose-lose situation.' Belinda Raso, tax agent and director at Tax Invest Accounting, told there are a few main reasons she is seeing people copping tax debts when submitting their returns this year. One of the key culprits is the rise in people taking on multiple jobs, with Ms Raso noting our payroll systems aren't set up in a way that accommodates this. Australian residents can only claim the $18,200 tax-free threshold for one job. For any other jobs they must inform their employer they will not be claiming the threshold. However, the accountant warned this is often not enough to avoid being hit with a tax bill at the end of the financial year. 'If your main job is earning $45,000 or more per year, when you tell that employer at your second job that you don't want to claim the tax free threshold, you go to that first tax rate, which is sitting at 16% plus Medicare levy, that automatically defaults to that,' Ms Raso explained. 'So the employee has done the right thing, the employer has done the right thing, but if you're earning $45,000 or above in that main job, you're already sitting at 30 per cent tax rate, plus 2 per cent Medicare levy, so straight up, you've got a 14 per cent difference.' Ms Raso said another common issue is to do with HECS-HELP debt. The repayment income threshold is currently sitting at $56,156. But, if you are earning under the threshold for both jobs, then neither employer will be withholding those repayments. However, the ATO looks at your total taxable income, so, if your combined income is above the threshold and you haven't been making repayments, you are going to be hit with a debt. 'So in your mind, you're telling all employers, but again, it's not adding up, and you end up with a debt,' she said. Another situation she sees revolves around salary sacrifice, novated leasing and reportable fringe benefits. Ms Raso said many people don't realise that those reportable fringe benefits get grossed up by 1.88 times, which is going to impact how your HECS-HELP repayments are calculated, with them being repaid at a higher rate. 'Now, I do stress to people that you're not actually paying more tax, so you're paying the same amount as tax as your colleague, but if you've got a HELP debt, you're repaying that HELP debt earlier,' she said. She said those are the three main reasons she sees every year, with Ms Raso warning people who cop a debt this year are likely to find themselves in the same situation next year, unless they figure out why. 'If it's not addressed, the same thing is going to happen next year. And if you're one of the people that go may not have had a tax debt this year, but have gotten a second job, you'll end up in that situation next year,' she said.
News.com.au
07-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Lose-lose situation': Young Aussie worker cops $32,000 tax bill
A young Aussie has left people gobsmacked after being hit with a more than $32,000 tax bill, revealing she feels as if she is in a 'lose-lose' situation. Kristy recently took to TikTok after completing her tax return and discovering she owed the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) a staggering amount of money. 'Apparently I owe $32,459, they defs meant to say that's my refund right,' the young worker said in the caption of the video. The clip sparked multiple shocked comments, with one person questioning how she could owe that much money. 'I work a lot,' Kristy responded in the comment section. Another person was in disbelief, asking if she was being serious, before branding the tax bill a 'rip off'. Speaking to the 21-year-old Queensland local revealed she works in the event management and promotional marketing space. Given the nature of her work, she wasn't overly surprised to see that she owed the ATO money, however, the figure did catch her slightly off guard. 'I make a decent amount of money so wasn't too shocked to see the bill. I usually have a tax bill but it hasn't been this large,' Kristy said. Thankfully, the young woman puts away a percentage of her earnings throughout the financial year to prepare for tax time, so she isn't concerned about being able to pay the debt. However, Kristy said it is disheartening to see how much more of her income goes towards tax now that she is earning a higher salary. 'I end up making pretty much the same net income as years where I was working less so it feels like a bit of a lose-lose situation,' she said. The 21-year-old is far from the only Aussie complaining about their tax return – or lack thereof – this year. We are only a few days into the new financial year and already social media had been flooded with posts from people taking issue with the ATO. 'I owe $3300,' one person said, with another saying they were 'still paying off last year's debt'. 'I work casually and still owe $2k. Like no I barely get $350 a week – make it make sense,' another wrote. One added: 'I had a three grand bill last year. I'm too scared to do this years'. 'I'm 100% just not doing my tax return anymore,' another claimed. There are multiple reasons someone may receive a tax bill. One reason may be your employer not withholding your HECS-HELP repayments, which means that, at tax time, you are left with a big chunk of money you need to pay towards that debt. Sole traders can also receive a debt if they haven't paid enough in instalments through the pay as you go (PAYG) system The Medicare levy surcharge income threshold, which is $97,000 for individuals and $194,000 for couples, is another area where people tend to get tripped up. Speaking to last year, Australian tax lawyer Harry Dell said people can get stuck with bills because they are just over threshold, don't include their partners income when lodging their return or have the wrong private health cover. He said that not budgeting for capital gains tax is another area people need to look out for. 'This could be crypto, shares, or anything, as amounts aren't withheld for tax like your salary and wages,' he said. For people that lodge their return and find out they have been hit with a bill, Mr Dell said the priority needs to be finding out why they owe money. 'The Pay As You Go Withholding system is designed so you overpay a little and get a refund at the end of the year – without any deductions,' he said. 'If you can't see why enough wasn't withheld, get a professional to explain your tax return and what caused the surprise bill.'
News.com.au
02-07-2025
- News.com.au
Rachelle Childs podcast reaches 3 million downloads as petition for police reward increase grows
More than three million people have now downloaded the multimedia investigation into the murder of Rachelle Childs, a cold case which continues to haunt her family and friends 24 years on. And her sister is not stopping in her quest for justice, as a petition to increase the reward to $500,000 to find her killer is gathering momentum online. Rachelle's sister Kristy, who launched the petition told signatories: 'This is a personal plea to increase the reward for information leading to a conviction in her case to $500,000. It's been over two decades since we lost Rachelle and justice has yet to be served.' She told this masthead: 'We haven't achieved a raise in the reward yet, despite campaigning for years. 'We feel an increase in the reward is justified and warranted.' Kristy said they feel the reward increase 'may help to encourage the public to come forward with perhaps some information that they have held back for personal reasons'. 'We also think that considering other cases with rewards of $500,000, $750,000 and even $1 million, Rachelle's case having a $200,000 reward is not equitable or fair.' The petition comes as the Dear Rachelle podcast has dominated the podcast charts in Australia and has ranked highly in the UK and New Zealand, as it reinvestigates evidence from the cold case with the help of Rachelle's family and ex-detectives. LISTEN TO THE DEAR RACHELLE PODCAST BELOW: When hearing the news of the podcast reaching three million downloads, Kristy said: 'Three million people listening to Chelle's story, talking about her case, and supporting the investigation is just mind blowing. 'We are so thankful, heartened and incredibly grateful. 'We just hope that all this incredible hard work and support from the public leads to a conviction and a very lengthy sentence. 'That is the only reason why we are doing this.' Rachelle, 23, was murdered, set on fire and left on the side of a lonely highway near Gerroa, on the NSW south coast, in June 2001. There was a lengthy police investigation at the time, but it was marred with incompetence and ultimately failed to identify the killer. As a result, Rachelle's case ended up languishing at the back of police unsolved homicide files. The podcast team at News Corp has been working with Rachelle's family and ex-detectives to reinvestigate long-forgotten evidence, along with the alibi of the chief suspect – her former boss Kevin Steven Correll, who has consistently denied murdering Rachelle and has never been charged. He says that he has always co-operated with police by supplying his DNA and answering all their questions. Mr Correll and Rachelle sold used cars at Camden Holden when she died. What Rachelle and the rest of the community probably didn't know was that he was previously acquitted of four sexual assaults under his birth name, Kevin Cornwall. Past allegations aside, it's possible Mr Correll was one of the last people to see Rachelle alive when she left work for the last time on June 7, before she that night, a number of motorists saw a car that matched the description of Rachelle's prized Commodore along the highway between her home in Bargo and Gerroa, where her body was uncovered.
New York Post
24-06-2025
- Health
- New York Post
You're still the one: How vow renewal ceremonies celebrate enduring love
In sickness and in health: This promise, part of the traditional wedding vows, carries a weight not always easily upheld. But for Kristy Durso, 46, and husband Ryan, 45, the pair continues to honor their marital pact, even after her life-altering health diagnosis. The couple met in Monterrey, Calif., 25 years ago, when they were both in the military, on active duty. 'We met in February and by May I knew I wanted to marry him,' said Kristy. 'He proposed that September.' 4 Kristy and Ryan Durso recommitted their union last February. Beaches Resort They set the date in February 2000, but five days before the wedding, Kristy had to be discharged from the military for health reasons. Though it took a decade, she was ultimately diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a rare, progressive, degenerative neuropathy disorder, among other serious debilitating conditions. By then, the couple had two children and later adopted a third with his own health challenges. As a wheelchair user and travel agency owner, Kristy was inspired to specialize in planning trips for families with disabilities. She learned that Beaches Resorts, which operates in the Caribbean, is a leading hospitality company for the autism and special needs communities. 'I approached their weddings team and encouraged them to showcase what's possible at their resorts,' said Kristy. 'They loved the idea, so we planned to renew our wedding vows at their Turks & Caicos property.' For the event last February, 'Their team helped me bring a vision to life. People automatically assume when you've got a disability, the experience will be less. But it doesn't have to be. I wanted everything to be just as detailed, intimate and beautiful as if I were a bride who could walk.' To this end, 'The company built a lovely, white wooden ramp for me to have access to the beach,' said Kristy. 'They put a platform in the sand for me, so I could dance our first dance using my wheelchair, manually. I didn't want to be pushed — you lose your autonomy. If it's Ryan pushing me, he's no longer my partner, he's my caregiver, which isn't what I wanted to portray.' 4 Sandals Resorts offers Re-tie the Knot packages from $400. Dimitrios Kambouris With media attention, Ryan admittedly wasn't initially comfortable with the event idea. However, 'I changed my mindset,' he said. 'From when we first married, we're still dedicated to each other, though everything else has changed.' For Kristy, 'When I was in the hospital getting a pacemaker, I told Ryan I'd live to age 40, but wasn't sure I'd get there. We've found ourselves beyond that. I wanted to go up there and say, I still promise to keep fighting and changing what I can with you by my side, until the day I die,' she said. Currently, there is a significant uptick in wedding redo and vow renewal bookings, said Marsha-Ann Donaldson, director of weddings and romance for Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts. The company's Re-tie the Knot package starts at $400 and includes a bridal bouquet, boutonniere, cocktail party and cake for up to 10 people. 'Some folks have illness and come through on the other side wanting to recommit their lives to one another,' said Donaldson. 'Others never had a formal wedding. They may have done the legal side, but not the wedding of their dreams. Some marriages have gone through whatever it takes to make their marriage work and want to commit to the covenant they share. For them, a vow renewal is a restart. There are also couples who've been together a while, and want their kids, now of age, to witness and participate in their recommitting of vows, perhaps for a double-digit anniversary.' 4 James and Barbara McGraw sealed 50 years of marriage by saying 'I do' all over again. Courtesy James McGraw Case in point, James McGraw, 69, and wife Barbara McGraw, 68, from Vinemont, Ala., commemorated their 50th wedding anniversary this May with a vow renewal ceremony aboard a seven-day Alaskan cruise on Holland America cruise line. Their ship's captain conducted the ceremony. With grandchildren and great-grandchildren, 'What better way to start the next 50 years but with a vow renewal?' said James. 'We always wanted to go to Alaska, so I decided to put a trip together and surprise her.' If a second chance wedding or redo is your goal, you're on trend, according to hospitality experts. 'In recent years, we've seen a rise in vow renewals and re-weddings,' said Tiffany Dusenberry, director of food & beverage at Kukuiula in Kaua'i, Hawaii, a residential resort community. 'In 2023, we hosted a memorable vow renewal for a bride who never had the chance to wear a white dress the first time, with an intimate ceremony beneath our iconic farm tree followed by an elegant picnic with loved ones,' said Dusenberry. 4 The Wedding: New York's Biggest Day at the Lincoln Center includes multiple vow renewals in a mass celebration of love. Courtesy Lincoln Center For New Yorkers interested in a love reaffirmation close to home, consider Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. The annual Wedding: New York's Biggest Day took place June 21 this year. The free event, which requires online registration, is the perfect opportunity to renew vows, since the ceremony is not legally binding as a marriage. It features live musical performances from special guests and a joyous party, according to the news release. The annual event began during COVID-19, for couples whose weddings were derailed or scaled back due to the pandemic, said Shanta Thake, Ehrenkranz chief artistic officer at the Lincoln Center. 'Faith leaders will be coming to talk about what love and commitment means,' she said. 'We provide flowers for flower crowns, and people share vows. There are cookies and champagne, and there are always hundreds of couples. It's a celebration of couplehood.'
