{"id":562812,"date":"2026-08-08T12:58:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:58:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/562812\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T12:58:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:58:14","slug":"how-can-anyone-stop-me-meet-the-89-year-old-man-who-helped-transform-his-town","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/562812\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018How can anyone stop me\u2019: Meet the 89-year-old man who helped transform his town"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s been a challenging few months for 89-year-old Mackenzie councillor Frank Hocken as he found himself at the centre of a council investigation.<\/a><\/p>\n

But, with that business behind him, Hocken has no plans to slow down.<\/p>\n

Over the past 40 years, Hocken has helped transform Twizel from a small settlement to a popular holiday destination.<\/p>\n

Hocken was elected to represent the Pukaki ward on the district council October, but also served the same, albeit much smaller community, from 2001 to 2004.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Raised on a farm north of Whanganui, Hocken moved to the hydro town in 1982, when the Twizel Inn came up for sale.<\/p>\n

“[We] looked at the hotel, had a wander through and we put a price in … Subsequently we got it,” he said.<\/p>\n

When asked whether he had any experience running hotels, Hocken replied; “No, not really”.<\/p>\n

The Inn was, “a pretty old dog’s breakfast of a place”, but he and his wife, Lee, remained committed, eventually lobbying the government to continue operations after the hydro development was completed.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Mackenzie Country Inn, 1986.<\/p>\n

Frank Hocken\/Supplied<\/p>\n

At the time, the Mackenzie County Council declined a government offer to retain the town, saying it was a financial liability.<\/p>\n

“Twizel was meant to go \u2026 We decided we’d like to build a new hotel, and so we started lobbying.<\/p>\n

“Finally, we won,” Hocken said, with the new Mackenzie Motor Inn opening in 1986.<\/p>\n

And since then, Hocken had continued to fight for the wee town in the middle of the South Island, developing land and building businesses, but it’s not been without its challenges.<\/p>\n

“I lost a hotel. I was sad on the day, but I’m still proud of it,” Hocken said, of the loss of the motor inn in 1990 which left him bankrupt.<\/p>\n

“Not every venture you try works.”<\/p>\n

Following that, the Hockens turned their sights to motels and with their son, Grant, built the 27-unit Mountain Chalets that same year.<\/p>\n

By 1996, the Hocken’s had built the Top Hut bar, leased it out, and started building the Colonial Motel on Mackenzie Drive.<\/p>\n

\"Frank<\/p>\n

Frank standing in the newly built Top-Hut bar.<\/p>\n

Frank Hocken\/Supplied<\/p>\n

In 1999, the Hockens purchased the 3100-hectare Ruataniwha Station, and went on to develop and subdivide it.<\/p>\n

“Alpine [Energy] wouldn’t build the power lines because they said no one wanted to live up here \u2026 So ‘Frank being Frank’ said ‘I’ll build the power lines’,” he said.<\/p>\n

In 2002, after building the Aspen Court Motel, Hocken purchased another block of land and started developing the Mackenzie Park and Tussock Bend subdivisions.<\/p>\n

\"Frank<\/p>\n

The Aspen Court Motel being built, 2001.<\/p>\n

Frank Hocken \/LDR<\/p>\n

And in 2005, he had the zoning of land in the town changed to allow the establishment of Placemakers and Poppies Cafe’ and Gift Shop on Benmore Pl.<\/p>\n

By 2009, Hocken said work started on The Drive subdivision after significant council push-back.<\/p>\n

“They wanted to make it an area of natural significance \u2026 well, I beat them at that, I had many roused,” he said.<\/p>\n

“How can anyone stop me?”<\/p>\n

And Hocken’s contribution had not been strictly self-serving, with support for community groups and organisations over the years.<\/p>\n

In 2022, Hocken provided an empty house to start a men’s shed.<\/p>\n

\"Supplied<\/p>\n

Frank with the Twizel Men’s Shed group.<\/p>\n

Supplied<\/p>\n

Men’s Shed coordinator Arno Bynevelt said the rent-free space meant the group could provide more for the town.<\/p>\n

Bynevelt said Hocken’s support was “very much appreciated”.<\/p>\n

“He’s always had the interests of the community at heart \u2026 Frank’s got a business to run but he also keeps the community in mind,” he said.<\/p>\n

Hocken donated to the Youth Pavilion rebuild in 2023, and the Ministry of Works Heritage House project in 2024, where he offered to pay for the hydro house removal.<\/p>\n

And this year, he offered the Twizel Community Care Trust the former Cycle Journeys building rent-free for six months when it vacated its former premises.<\/p>\n

Trust manager Vicky Hayes said she was incredibly grateful for the use of the building.<\/p>\n

“They’ve not only provided the space free until October, but also at a discounted rate for a further six months … [It’s] wonderful to know that we won’t have to move again prior to the new build.”<\/p>\n

However, 2026 had not been smooth sailing for the second term councillor, who found himself at the centre of an investigation following a Code of Conduct complaint after an incident in the council offices in Fairlie.<\/p>\n

\"Mackenzie<\/p>\n

Frank Hocken with support person Peter Oliver as he reads his statement to council last month.<\/p>\n

Mackenzie District Council<\/p>\n

Hocken was notably absent from council while the independent investigation into the incident was conducted.<\/p>\n

Hocken was found to have breached the Code of Conduct and the investigation found it was probable he had pushed past a staff member, however he disputed that.<\/p>\n

As a result, Hocken was issued guidelines limiting his contact to the mayor and deputy, given a letter of censure, and ordered to apologise to those affected.<\/p>\n

He did apologise to the CEO but stood firm in his belief that he owed no other apologies, and had now turned his focus to the community he’s spent decades building up.<\/p>\n

One of his major recent focuses had been on helping to eradicate the region’s wilding pine problem.<\/p>\n

Having spent years eradicating them from his land, near the junction of State Highway 8 and 80, Hocken says consistency and hard work are the most effective weapons against the invasive pests.<\/p>\n

\"Hocken's<\/p>\n

Hocken’s land near the junction of SH8 and 80.<\/p>\n

Claire Taylor\/LDR<\/p>\n

Broom and wilding pines were difficult to eradicate, Hocken said, as their seeds remained in the ground long after the plant was gone.<\/p>\n

Wilding Pines Mackenzie chair Ross Ivey said Hocken’s work was an example of best practice in pest plant eradication because it included a long-term plan.<\/p>\n

“From a wilding point of view, it’s an exemplar.”<\/p>\n

Ivey said wilding pines were often removed only to return later because there was no follow-up management.<\/p>\n

“He deserves a medal, in my opinion … He’s putting a firm line in the sand and stopping them spreading further.<\/p>\n

“To think that somebody his age has done that, it’s a bloody credit to him.”<\/p>\n

\"Claire<\/p>\n

fter more than 1000 hours spent working on his land, Frank Hocken has more planned for the area.<\/p>\n

Claire Taylor<\/p>\n

Armed with his flip phone and trusty pair of Red Bands, Hocken said he has more plans for his hometown of more than four decades.<\/p>\n

He would like to build accommodation on Wairepo Rd, behind the Distinction Hotel, and develop more affordable housing.<\/p>\n

“We need a whole range of homes for people to affordably transition into the area,” he said.<\/p>\n

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It’s been a challenging few months for 89-year-old Mackenzie councillor Frank Hocken as he found himself at the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":562813,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[111,43,139,69],"class_list":["post-562812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/562812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=562812"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/562812\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/562813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=562812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=562812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=562812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}