Waikato Business News July/August 2017

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS July/August 2017
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Post-settlement iwi making
strong returns: ANZ report
An extensive financial analysis of 31 postsettlement
iwi/hapū shows all recorded a
positive profit on commercial assets in the
last reported year, with an average return
on assets of 8.2 percent.
“In unique and challenging
circumstances iwi are
demonstrating their ability
to balance risk and reward to
deliver strong commercial outcomes”
ANZ head of Māori
relationships David Harrison
said.
By comparison, New Zealand’s
30 largest listed companies
had an average return on
assets of 7.7 percent and our
five largest listed property trusts
an average of 5.6 percent for the
same period.
Te Tirohanga Whānui – the
annual ANZ Māori Business research
series - this year collaborated
with 31 iwi/hapū, with
a combined asset base of $4.6
billion.
ANZ said the report shows
clear evidence of the trend in
iwi moving from asset holdings
in cash and managed funds into
more direct and active investment
over time.
“For New Zealand businesses
looking for ‘transition of
ownership’ solutions, a thriving
iwi/Māori business sector offers
new options with a real point of
difference”, said Mr Harrison.
“Iwi are looking for opportunities
to invest locally, and in
a capital constrained environment
where we increasingly
look overseas for investment,
that is a great story for New
Zealand.”
“We are seeing more collaboration
among iwi, not just in
sharing information, but also to
gain the scale needed to target
bigger deals. The new co-investment
fund being scoped by
Ngāti Awa, the NZ Super Fund,
and the Minister of Business,
Innovation & Employment is a
perfect example.”
Ngāti Awa Group Holdings
chief executive Geoff Hamilton,
who contributed information
to the report, said the
However there is still headroom for iwi to
use more external funding, within prudent
levels, to help accelerate their growth.
co-investment fund would allow
Māori investors to "access
and participate in much larger
scale opportunities than could
be achieved individually".
Te Tirohanga Whānui -
which delivers a new series of
‘industry’ averages to help iwi
review their investment strategies
and planning processes
– also highlighted low debt to
equity ratios with average bank
debt to total assets being 14 percent
reinforcing the measured
approach being taken by most
iwi.
“However there is still headroom
for iwi to use more external
funding, within prudent
levels, to help accelerate their
growth,” asid Mr Harrison.
Despite the quantum of assets
held by iwi the median
assets per tribal member is just
$9000 highlighting the enormity
of the challenge faced to try
and sustainably grow and leverage
these assets for all future
generations.
Iwi who collaborated in the
research already have the results
and have been using them
to help inform their investment
decisions. Tainui Group Holdings’
general manager of strategy
& finance, Lyndon Settle,
commented “this was a most
valuable set of insights that has
supported our mahi going forward”.
Ngāti Kuri Chair, Harry Burkhardt
thanks ANZ for “providing
an insight into the journey
iwi are on around wealth creation”,
noting “this was but one
KPI we use in our journey to
tino rangatiratanga.”
Almost all iwi that took part
saw value in continuing this collaboration.
Koau Capital Partners
- providers of contracted
management services for several
iwi that participated - noted
“it would be a valuable resource
to have an annual benchmark.”
“As the post settlement environment
becomes the norm for
iwi, each are positioning themselves
to make a meaningful
difference to their own people
– this process though, will have
positive flow on effects for New
Zealand as a whole,” said Mr
Harrison.
New electrician training centre in Hamilton
Etco, a leading training
provider for the electrical
industry is to open a
new training centre in Hamilton
to help meet a nationwide
shortage of thousands of electricians.
“Hamilton is growing at
a faster rate than the national
average and there is significant
demand for electricians to support
the construction, industrial
and domestic sectors,” said
Etco chief executive Jeremy
Sole.
Etco has signed a lease for
a building on The Boulevard,
Te Rapa. The design process is
now underway for the centre,
which will include state of the
art training equipment.
The organisation has
long-established training centres
in Auckland, Wellington,
Rotorua and Dunedin, and is
also opening a new training facility
in Christchurch.
“There is a critical shortage
of licensed electricians in New
Zealand - it’s estimated that
3000 more are needed to meet
demand, including in construction,”
said Mr Sole.
“Currently we have 600
apprentices in various stages
of training with etco and we
intend to lift that number significantly.
“Our new Hamilton training
centre will help to meet
that local and national demand
and we are looking to recruit
more apprentices from across
the region, providing additional
opportunities for young
people suited to a career in the
sector.
“The new centre will be
equipped with the most modern
learning technology, and
learning systems, much of
which has only recently become
available to the sector.”
Etco currently provides
night classes several evenings
a week in Hamilton operating
from rented offices – as well
as in 29 other locations around
the country.
However, Mr Sole said
the Hamilton class numbers
are higher than its previous
Etco chief executive Jeremy Sole.
premises could cater for, and
all Waikato apprentices currently
have to travel to Etco’s
Rotorua training centre to undertake
block release courses.
The Hamilton centre, which is
due to open on September 1,
will now cater for more local
demand as well as some from
other areas.
Etco apprentices are employed
by the organisation for
the duration of their apprenticeships
and placed with host
employers in placements that
ensure they gain skills and experience
in a variety of domestic,
commercial and industrial
settings.
All training costs, apprentice
salaries, annual leave, sick
leave and pay during block release
are covered by Etco.
“Demand is such that every
one of our apprentices is currently
in a placement,” said Mr
Sole. “We have a 95 percent
completion rate and our apprentices
typically achieve 10
percent higher grades in their
exams than others do elsewhere
in the sector.
“We are also unique in the
level of support and pastoral
care we provide to our apprentices
– which is underlined
by the positive feedback we
receive from host companies.
Etco manages the apprenticeship
from beginning to end and
our coordinators, who visit apprentices
in the workplace, are
also registered electricians.”
Etco is a wholly owned subsidiary
of Master Electricians
New Zealand, established to
provide employment and training
for the electrical industry in
New Zealand.
Refuge calls for donations and help
Do you have second hand
furniture that could benefit
a local woman in
need? Or good quality preloved
clothing, bedding and linen to
help a deserved family make a
new home?
Waikato Women’s Refuge
– Te Whakaruruhau is putting
the call out for help this winter,
to support women and children
Waikato Women’s Refuge family
violence specialist Lottie Siaosi.
who have fled violent situations.
The refuge, which has
helped more than 4000 Waikato
women escape violent and
abusive relationships in the
past year, is asking for people
to donate household items or
volunteer to help victims of domestic
violence set up their new
homes.
“We need bedding and linen,
furniture, kitchen items,
irons, vacuum cleaners, clothing
– all the things that people
require when they need to set
up a home from scratch,” says
Lottie Siaosi, a family violence
specialist at one of Waikato
Women’s Refuge’s residential
crisis houses.
“When families have to
move out of their home due to
domestic violence, often they
have to get out fast and often
they can’t go back,” says Lottie,
who has worked with families
at the refuge for more than
a decade. “We want to help
give our women and children
a fresh start, without the financial
burden. If we can provide
them items to help set up their
new home, it is a huge help to
them.”
The refuge’s crisis service
operates 24 hours a day, seven
days a week providing advice
and support to women and children
escaping family violence.
Their five Hamilton safe houses
accommodate around 60
women and children a week.
They also provide transitional
accommodation and support to
families as they look for a more
permanent home.
Lottie says refuge staff and
their families often volunteer
their time to help women and
children move house, and could
use more “helping hands” and
“strong helpers” to facilitate
packing and moving. “We pack
down houses, put everything
into storage, and then when a
suitable home is found we then
have to move a woman and her
family into the new house,”
says Lottie. “We appreciate any
‘manpower’ or ‘womanpower’
we can get. We also need
people with vehicles – moving
vans or trailers – to volunteer
to help our families move. Any
help is gratefully received.”
Donations of toiletries,
non-perishable grocery items
and cash were also appreciated
by the refuge. “Often when
a woman is leaving in a hurry
in the middle of the night, she
comes to the safe house without
even a tooth brush or tooth
paste, and those are necessities
for our families,” says Lottie.
Waikato Women’s Refuge
CEO Ruahine Albert says the
organisation is grateful for the
support it receives from the
community. “Our services are
unfortunately always in demand,
and we rely on the generosity
of funders, donors and
volunteers to help women and
children who need our help,”
says Albert.
Waikato Women’s Refuge
recently received $1105 from Z
Eastside customers through the
Z Good in the Hood fundraising
campaign. “It’s wonderful to
receive this cash injection, especially
with the recent school
holidays,” says Raewyn Curtis,
team leader of the community
crisis team for Waikato Women’s
Refuge.
Raewyn said there were
about 21 children in their safe
houses at the moment, and the
extra money helped fund some
special school holiday activities
and outings, including trips
to the hot pools and museum.
“Any support we can give our
mums and families means so
much to them, and to us,” says
Raewyn.
The Waikato Women’s Refuge
– Te Whakaruruhau was
established in 1986 by a group
of local Māori women as a
response to family violence.
Since then it has grown from a
one-bedroom flat into five safe
houses across Hamilton City
and provides 24/7 crisis services
as well as working with
families to create long-term
change in the domestic violence
scene. Its approach is holistic
and family-centred, and includes
working with men who
are willing to change.
Waikato Women’s Refuge
takes an integrated approach to
family violence working with
a variety of agencies, but it is
not connected with the national
women’s refuge collective.
People can contact the refuge
to donate items, or to volunteer
their time and support.
Please phone 07 855 1569. If
you need help from Waikato
Women’s Refuge, phone the
crisis line on 07 855 1569. Help
is available 24 hours a day.
For more information see
waikatowomensrefuge.co.nz
or follow TeWhakaruruhau on
Facebook and Instagram.