Waikato Business News February/March 2018

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 VOLUME 26: ISSUE 2 WWW.WBN.CO.NZ FACEBOOK.COM/WAIKATOBUSINESSNEWS 

NEW BOSS 

FOR ICONIC WAIKATO 

BUILDING COMPANY 

One of Waikato’s most well established 

building companies is set to head in another 

direction under a new chief executive. 

By GEOFF TAYLOR 

With the pre-Christmas 

retirement of 

director David Livingstone 

who began with the 

company in 1977, former Mitre 

10 MEGA executive Myles 

Whitcher is set to lead Livingstone 

NZ into a new era. 

Myles’ appointment is described 

as a “bold statement” 

for the future direction of the 

70-year-old company as he 

will bring his expertise, drive, 

and a new strategic focus. 

Livingstone NZ Group directors, 

David Livingstone, 

Mike Livingstone, Peter 

Clarke and Andrew Riley 

were impressed with the calibre 

of the applicants for the 

chief executive role, but Myles’ 

breadth of experience and 

alignment with the company’s 

values, were a perfect match 

for them. 

City’s river story begins 

Read about the design and construction 

of Hamilton’s new central city river park, 

Victoria on the River. What went on behind 

the scenes and the surprising discoveries 

made during the excavation. Page 36 

“Our focus is on our people 

and ensuring excellence 

at every opportunity. Bringing 

Myles on board is the next step 

for us in creating a legacy of 

leadership we can all be proud 

of”, says David Livingstone. 

Myles explains his focus 

for the short-term is to build 

strong relationships with the 

Livingstone team, the Board, 

key clients, and to further develop 

the company’s strong 

culture. 

He said he intended to concentrate 

on long-term business 

rather than short-term financial 

wins and investigating 

new technologies within the 

building industry to improve 

business efficiencies. 

Myles has twenty-five 

years’ experience in business 

management, including seven 

years Board experience within 

a number of industries. He 

brings a wealth of knowledge 

in commercial operations, 

business governance and a 

proven track record in developing 

and leading high performing 

teams. Before joining 

Livingstone, Myles was the 

chief operating officer for Mitre 

10 MEGA Hamilton. 

“We have some ambitious 

plans for the next five years 

and are all very excited about 

the opportunities that exist 

within the company and the 

New Zealand construction industry”. 

Livingstone has built a 

reputation nationally, through 

building award-winning projects 

in the commercial, industrial, 

residential, and rural 

markets, coupled with its 

New Livingtone NZ chief 

executive Myles Whitcher. 

Photo: Chris Hillock Photographer 

maintenance division. Its team 

has built a number of iconic 

developments in the greater 

Waikato, such as The David 

O. McKay Stake and Cultural 

Events for The Church of Jesus 

Christ of Latter-day Saints 

in Templeview, the Avantidrome 

– Home of Cycling in 

Cambridge, The Lodge at Kinloch 

in Taupo, and the Ebbett 

Dealership in Hamilton East; 

to name just a few. 

Myles says with a team of 

250 personnel, Livingstone is 

at a size where it is big enough 

to compete at a national level, 

but small enough to “care 

about the finer details”. 

Whitcher said the booming 

construction industry of recent 

years has allowed Livingstone 

to expand throughout the 

North Island, with branches 

in Waikato, Taranaki, Bay of 

Plenty and Auckland regions. 

“This growth also comes 

with some challenges i.e., in 

sourcing staff, and the pressure 

on the sub-contracting 

community as well. Those 

guys are really stretched to capacity.” 

He says the challenge is 

understanding the cycle of the 

industry and anticipating the 

peaks and troughs before they 

arrive. “If you get this wrong it 

can be catastrophic, as seen in 

the press over the last week”. 

The company’s roots stem 

back to 1940s Te Awamutu 

and a company founded by 

the Cavanagh Brothers. Specialising 

in commercial, dairy 

company and public-sector 

work, the company was able 

to grow with a small team of 

local builders. 

In the late 1970s David and 

Mike Livingstone – labourers 

at the time - joined the company. 

David joined Cavanagh’s 

first after walking away from 

his farm job and Mike joined 

Continued on page 3 

Proud construction partner on the David O. McKay Stake and Cultural Event Centre, George R Biesinger and 

Kai Hall buildings, as part of the Temple View Project. 

IF YOU HAVE A PROJECT, 

WE HAVE THE 

TEAM 

AND THE SKILLS 

TO BRING IT TO LIFE 

www.livingstonebuilding.co.nz 

0508 WE BUILD

2 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS February/March 2018 

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WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS February/March 2018 

3 

The Avantidrome near Cambridge, 

one of Livingstone NZ’s projects. 

New boss for iconic Waikato building company 

Retiring director David Livingstone with a framed 

momento signed by all Livingstone NZ employees. 

From page 1 

soon after. Shortly after this, 

the teenagers both started carpentry 

apprenticeships. 

The brothers seized their 

first big opportunity a few 

years later when at the age of 

21 and 16 respectively, they 

were offered shares in the 

business. In 1982 the compa- 

ny became Cavanagh & Livingstone 

Bros Limited, as the 

brothers initially purchased 50 

percent of Cavanagh Brothers 

and the balance in 1986, 

when the company then became 

Livingstone Bros Ltd. 

The sharemarket crash of 1987 

had a profound effect on the 

construction industry and the 

brothers say it was the values 

Some of Livingstone NZ’s 250 staff. 

learnt during this time that 

created the culture and helped 

Livingstone grow into the 

well-respected, national construction 

firm, we see today. 

It was relationships based on 

building excellence that allowed 

repeat business during 

the tough times. 

“This culture enhanced and 

embraced by its people stand 

us in good stead to this day,” 

says David. 

The company began catering 

to the wider commercial 

and residential demands of 

the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, 

Auckland and Taranaki regions, 

establishing an office in 

Hamilton in the 1990s to cater 

for growing demand. In 2010 

a name change to Livingstone 

Building NZ reflected a nationwide 

expansion. By adapting 

to the market and meeting 

customer needs, the business 

continued to evolve and grow. 

Livingstone NZ now operates 

Livingstone Building NZ, Livingstone 

BOP, and TA Leasing. 

They are behind landmark 

developments across the country 

and through a dedicated apprenticeship 

training scheme, 

they continue to impart their 

skills and those of their predecessor, 

onto the sector. 

David Livingstone’s retirement 

was announced at the 

company’s annual staff function 

on December 22. David 

says he is looking forward to 

stepping away from an executive 

role and the day-to-day 

running of the business. He 

was presented with a framed 

image, signed by all Livingstone’s 

employees, and highlighting 

the company’s progression 

throughout the years. 

IF YOU HAVE A PROJECT, 

WE HAVE THE TEAM 

AND THE SKILLS 

TO BRING IT TO LIFE 

Growing from local beginnings in the Waikato, Livingstone also 

has branches in the Taranaki, Bay of Plenty and Auckland regions. 

With a national presence, you can rest assured we have the right 

foundations to deliver your project. 

Contact us today to discuss how we can bring your project vision 

to life: 0508 WE BUILD - WWW.LIVINGSTONEBUILDING.CO.NZ 

RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL RURAL MAINTENANCE 

The Avantidrome - Home of Cycling, constructed by Livingstone Building NZ


Conversations 

with William 

William Durning - 

chief executive, Waikato Chamber of Commerce 

Just like you, there are times where we 

get to the end of the day here at the 

Chamber and there is still lots to do. 

Being busy is something that we all want 

to be and is often a part of how we greet 

others. But being busy isn’t really the objective 

- it’s all about being effective and 

in my experience that comes down to a 

couple of factors, clarity of what it is that 

you want to do and then the appropriate 

resources that you deploy to get the job 

done. 

The clarity of what needs to be focused 

on is really the output of good strategic 

thinking and planning and that topic alone 

is worthy of its own separate commentary. 

What I would like to touch on is the 

second part - the resources to deploy once 

you know what must be done and those far 

too often experienced moments where the 

task that needs attention is significant in 

size, complex in its nature and you don’t 

have any spare people or budget to employ 

people to get it done. What is one 

to do? 

This is a perennial problem and is a 

significant issue for smaller businesses 

or those in the not for profit space. A 

resource to help that is sometimes overlooked 

is our graduate students from the 

tertiary sector. From personal experience, 

if you are open to being a little creative in 

how you use them you can get some astounding 

results. 

As part of our ongoing work 

plan the Chamber board and I 

agreed that we could do a lot 

more to improve our health 

and safety processes and the 

reporting to the board. 

Both the University of Waikato and 

Wintec have clearly articulated that they 

have students who will act as interns to 

help those in business improve their productivity 

and in return give to the student 

valuable work experience - allow me 

dear reader to tell you of how here at the 

Chamber we have used such a resource. 

As part of our ongoing work plan the 

Chamber board and I agreed that we could 

do a lot more to improve our health and 

safety processes and the reporting to the 

board. This project had significant scope 

CHAMBER EVENTS 

28th February – Habit 7: How to make your brand stick 

William Durning - chief executive, 

Waikato Chamber of Commerce. 

and complexity allowing an HR student 

from Wintec, Sanah Ali, to spend more 

than 120 hours on the task. In that time 

she collated and reviewed our existing paper-based 

system and then took that information, 

along with current best practice 

learning and using Safe365, a cloud-based 

system designed here in Waikato, implemented 

a significant superior solution that 

we benefit from today. 

Another example is a law student from 

the University of Waikato, Angus Campbell 

who is currently reviewing the Hamilton 

City Council 10-year plan which is 

open for submissions. Angus is reviewing 

the extensive support material, understanding 

what the key issues are from a 

business perspective and then is collating 

feedback for the Chamber submission 

that we will make on behalf of our members. 

In both cases the expectations on me 

aren’t huge, my role requires defining a 

clear outcome that the student works towards 

and then regular sessions where I 

act as a sounding board on the approaches 

that are being taken. In addition to getting 

the work done, I have found some 

of the approaches and solutions are quite 

dynamic and have been a learning exercise 

for me as well. I have also had the 

real privilege of helping in my small way 

develop the next generation of business 

women and men who are our upcoming 

leaders. The cliché of it being a win/win 

really feels an appropriate way of succinctly 

describing the experience, and did 

I mention that it is completely free! 

If you are keen to also benefit from this 

untapped resource drop me a line, it would 

be my pleasure to also help you have a 

more effective rather than a busier day by 

making a student a part of your business. 

12th - 14th March – New Kiwi Career Success Programme 

13th March – Diversity Regional Roadshow, The workplace of the future 

14th March – Lunch with Sir Graeme Dingle 

15th March – How to be a CEO in 10 years: Hamilton Young Professionals 

22nd March – The RedSofa with Alibaba Group, Stark Property and official 

partners of Justin Bieber! 

23rd March – Smith & McKenzie Mini Golf Tournament 

Waikato Chamber of Commerce 

Business Floor, Wintec House 

Cnr Nisbet and Anglesea Street, HAMILTON 

07 839 5895 | help@waikatochamber.co.nz 

www.waikatochamber.co.nz 

Gallagher’s head office in Hamilton. 

Gallagher celebrates 

80 years 

Gallagher is celebrating its 80th 

anniversary as a leading technology 

company in the animal management, 

security and fuel systems industries. 

The family owned-and-operated 

Hamilton company 

was founded in 1938 

by the late Bill Gallagher Senior 

and 80 years ago was a 10-person 

business which designed 

and delivered New Zealand’s 

first electric fence solution. 

Today, the company employs 

1100 people across a 

global network in ten countries. 

To celebrate 80 years 

Gallagher will hold a series 

of events for customers and 

employees throughout North 

America, Europe, Asia, South 

Africa, Australia and New 

Zealand. 

“The innovative spirit of, 

my father, our founder Bill 

Gallagher Senior – who 80 

years ago worked to solve our 

first problem – is alive in the 

generations of our people who 

continue to deliver previously 

unthought-of solutions,” said 

Sir William Gallagher, chief 

executive and chairman, Gal- 

lagher. 

“Each year, for 80 years, 

our customers have experienced 

continual increases in 

the power of Gallagher technology 

to transform their 

working lives.” 

“Our longevity is a credit 

to our employees, business 

partners and customers whose 

dedication to the brand are absolutely 

key to our success. As 

part of our anniversary we’re 

looking forward to events 

throughout the year that will 

celebrate the strength of those 

partnerships built over decades.” 

A significant investment 

into the company’s people will 

see employees from throughout 

New Zealand and their 

families join together with the 

Gallagher family for a milestone 

ceremony. The celebration 

will include food inspired 

by office locations across the 

globe, fun family activities 

and headline entertainment. 

Around the world, additional 

Gallagher celebrations 

are well underway, including 

the following, among many 

others: 

- The installation of a giant 

‘spark’ graphic on Gallagher’s 

head office in Hamilton, 

New Zealand 

- Worldwide anniversary 

product initiatives for customers 

- An official gala dinner at 

the Gallagher residence in 

Hamilton, New Zealand for 

a number of key customers, 

suppliers and business 

community members 

- Sponsorship of additional 

organisations as a thank 

you to the communities 

where Gallagher operates. 

To further mark the milestone, 

Gallagher moments 

will be captured in a commemorative 

digital format, 

to be published at the end of 

the year, as a reflection of the 

brand’s presence over the past 

80 years. The digital book will 

be available to view online at 

gallagher.com and Gallagher’s 

customers and business partners 

are invited to contribute 

heritage archives via eighty@ 

gallagher.com. 

“We’ve achieved a lot in 

the past 80 years but we are 

just getting started,” said Sir 

William. 

New boss at Momentum 

Hamilton City Council’s 

high profile general 

manger city growth 

Kelvyn Eglinton has been appointed 

as Momentum Waikato’s 

new chief executive. 

Mr Eglinton will take up the 

role at the community foundation 

in mid-March. Founding 

chief executive Cheryl Reynolds 

has left after four years at 

the helm to establish a new social 

enterprise for generosity. 

Momentum Waikato chairman 

Leonard Gardner says 

he is pleased the foundation’s 

board has appointed Mr Eglinton. 

“We are grateful Kelvyn 

is joining us. He has a very 

strong background in community 

engagement and growth 

and that, combined with his 

strategic approach, will drive 

Momentum Waikato through 

its next important phase.” 

Mr Gardner says Mr Eglinton 

is a strong supporter of the 

Waikato region, and will be a 

perfect fit for what is a unique 

role in New Zealand. 

Momentum Waikato Community 

Foundation is an independent, 

permanent resource 

for high-impact philanthropic 

giving within the Waikato region, 

linking generous donors 

to strategic charitable investments 

targeted at transformational 

change. Among other 

things it is currently convening 

donations to deliver the new 

Waikato Regional Theatre. 

Mr Eglinton, who has held 

the city growth role at Hamilton 

City Council for two years, 

has a strong background in 

corporate social responsibility 

in mining in New Zealand and 

Australasia, and has long-term 

connections to Waikato. 

“The Momentum CEO role 

was very attractive because 

my background is in working 

across communities and within 

corporate organisations, particularly 

around corporate social 

responsibility. Waikato is on 

the cusp of great things and 

Momentum Waikato is aligned 

with many good business people 

seeking to make the region 

a better place.” 

He plans to build on the 

work already put in place by 

Ms Reynolds and the Momentum 

Waikato team to specialise 

in brokering deals by connecting 

donors and projects, and to 

make Waikato the most generous 

region in the world. 

“We have about 460,000 

people across our region, making 

us the third biggest economy 

in New Zealand. We have 

communities wanting to build 

a sense of place, a strong iwi 

in Waikato Tainui and solid opportunities 

to leverage across 

New Momentum chief 

executive Kelvyn Eglinton. 

projects and programmes. So, 

we’re big enough to trial things 

but we’re flexible and have 

great connections, and therefore 

we can adapt and amend 

quickly if we need to.” 

Mr Eglinton says Momentum 

Waikato already has the 

support of many generous individual 

donors, and he’ll also 

be looking to work with corporate, 

iwi and community organisations 

to benefit the Waikato 

community. “Corporate social 

responsibility is still really in 

its infancy in New Zealand, 

but we are seeing great changes 

in many industries. I hope to 

be able to talk with companies 

here about providing benefits 

to communities in such a way 

that makes good sense to organisations.”


5 

Ring road 

nearly done 

Work on the final section in Hamilton’s arterial 

ring road, linking Wairere Drive and Cobham 

Drive (State Highway 1) is underway. 

When complete, 

Cobham Drive will 

be raised to allow 

the four-laned Wairere Drive to 

pass beneath it, accompanied 

by extended shared walking 

and cycling paths. 

The new intersection and 

overbridge will have on and 

off ramp connections, and allowance 

will also be made for 

Wairere Drive to be extended 

in the future to the Southern 

Links roading network, supporting 

future growth to the 

south of the city. 

Site worked started on February 

19 focusing on moving 

and replacing existing major 

services such as water pipes 

and power lines and installing 

new stormwater pipes. A 

number of trees and vegetation 

will also need to be removed, 

and the stream below Cobham 

Drive realigned to allow for the 

service relocation work and future 

roading construction. 

City development manager 

Andrew Parsons says the enabling 

works will mean the site 

will be ready for construction 

late this year, subject to council 

approval as part of the 10-Year 

Plan. 

“People can expect to see 

some big changes to how this 

area looks as we prepare the 

site for construction. We’re 

ensuring we only remove trees 

and vegetation that we have to, 

and will also be carrying out 

significant replanting through 

the project.” 

Cr Dave Macpherson, 

chairmanr of the council’s 

Growth and Infrastructure 

Committee says it’s great to 

see work starting. 

“This final stage of the Ring 

Road network is significant. 

It not only improves transport 

connections in our city for 

those travelling by vehicles, 

bikes and on foot, but also 

future-proofs our transport 

network for our fast-growing 

city.” 

The work is being jointly 

funded by council and the NZ 

Transport Agency. 

The Transport Agency’s 

Central North Island Regional 

Relationships Director 

Parekawhia McLean says the 

Transport Agency is pleased 

to be working with the council 

to start on the Wairere Drive- 

Cobham Drive link. 

“This is an important piece 

of the puzzle in creating a 

transport network that supports 

the future growth of Hamilton." 

An information day is currently 

being planned to share 

the project with the community. 

Export Awards open for entries 

It’s time for exporters to share 

their inspirational stories. 

Entries are now open 

to the Air New Zealand Cargo 

ExportNZ Awards 2018 - Auckland 

and Waikato. 

Export business operations 

based in Northland, Auckland 

and/or the Waikato regions are 

eligible to enter. 

The ExportNZ awards programme 

has inspired exporters 

to expand their business horizons 

and grow internationally, 

by celebrating their success stories. 

These inspirational stories 

of Kiwi ingenuity, innovation 

and sales achievements showcase 

the incredible diversity of 

our export sector. 

New Zealand is a trading 

nation and our exporters are vital 

to New Zealand’s economy, 

says Catherine Lye, regional 

manager of ExportNZ Auckland, 

Waikato & Bay of Plenty. 

"Our awards are a crucial 

way we recognise the role of exporters 

in our country. The very 

nature of the business means 

exporters often have more presence 

offshore, than onshore, and 

the awards are an excellent way 

we can help them share their 

success stories, along with the 

highs and lows they’ve had to 

overcome. 

This year, the category 

winners from the respective 

ExportNZ regional awards programmes 

automatically qualify 

for entry into the New Zealand 

International Business Awards 

(NZIBA), run by New Zealand 

Trade and Enterprise (NZTE). 

The collaboration between 

NZTE and ExportNZ will create 

a cohesive and exciting 

programme of awards for 2018, 

culminating in the NZIBA at the 

end of the year. 

ExportNZ Auckland has 

been running the awards since 

2009, as part of its mission to 

champion the value of exporting 

for New Zealand and New 

Zealanders. 

Entries for the awards are 

now open and close on March 

16. 

ExportNZ Auckland and 

Waikato are divisions of the 

Employers and Manufacturers 

Association. The 2018 awards 

will be presented at a black-tie 

gala dinner on Thursday, June 

28 in Auckland. 

When buying or selling a business in the Waikato 

Talk to the people who get results. 

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Greg Dunn 

027 293 0377 

Tony Begbie 

029 200 6515 

Scott Laurence 

027 473 5425 

Graeme Finch 

027 495 3413 

Craig Paul 

021 786 496 

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Economy ‘partying too hard’ says economist 

New Zealand’s economy has been partying 

too hard but the hangover should only 

be a minor one, according to an ANZ 

economist. 

By CAITLAN JOHNSTON 

Phil Borkin – speaking 

at a business summit in 

Hamilton in February - 

said the economy is due for a 

few speed bumps but any economic 

correction won’t be as 

severe as the 2007 recession. 

“There are signs that the 

economy has been partying 

too hard,” said Mr Borkin at 

the event at Hamilton Gardens. 

“Housing debt is at its 

highest it’s ever been and skill 

shortages, poor productivity 

growth and political change all 

suggest signs of a vulnerable 

cycle. 

“Things are going to get 

harder, but not hard. The vulnerabilities 

are nowhere near 

as extreme as they were in 

1997 or 2007” he said. 

Most of the talk at the 

second annual Waikato Business 

Summit concerned the 

region’s growth. The summit 

was a joint collaboration between 

ANZ, BDO Waikato, 

Chartered Accounts NZ and 

Xero. 

BDO Waikato managing 

director Bernard Lamusse said 

events such as the summit were 

key for businesspeople to enable 

them to gain insights from 

the speakers and network. 

“We have an outstanding 

line-up of speakers who will 

offer valuable insight into our 

local and global economies 

and will contribute to discussion 

about key issues facing 

our region in terms of business 

growth,” said Mr Lamusse. 

Finance Minister Grant 

Robertson highlighted the 

strong levels of population 

growth that the region is experiencing 

due to Hamilton’s 

strategic location within the 

Golden Triangle. 

“Projections show that 

Hamilton is well on its way 

to being a city with more than 

200,000 residents by 2034 and 

225,000 by 2041, effectively 

adding the current population 

of Palmerston North to the city 

in that time,” said Mr Robertson. 

He said the Government 

had priorities to help Hamilton 

growth with a new policy 

platform to help tackle housing 

and transport bottlenecks, 

Hamilton City Council general manager 

of city growth Kelvyn Eglinton. 

while driving regional development. 

He confirmed that the 

new Government has accepted 

the business case for Peacocke 

subdivision as part of the 

Housing Infrastructure Fund, 

an initiative by the former National 

Government. The funding 

would allow for 3750 new 

houses in the Peacocke area, 

south of Hamilton, within the 

next 10 years, rising to a total 

of 8400 homes in this area in 

30 years’ time. 

“Final documentation is being 

worked on by officials and 

Hamilton City Council staff, 

and the council still needs 

to consult the community 

through its long-term plan process. 

But we expect that construction 

can start in earnest 

when long-term plan approval 

is gained in June.” 

ANZ economist Phil Borkin at the Waikato Business Summit. 

“Within this plan, a new 

southern link road, connecting 

to the existing State Highway 

1 on the western side of 

Hamilton, will swing past the 

southern edge of Peacocke, 

also linking a new Airport Employment 

zone with the eastern 

side of the city.” 

Hamilton mayor Andrew 

King talked about the positive 

relationship with the Gov- 

ernment making special note 

of the Housing Infrastructure 

Fund support for Peacocke. 

“Our relationship is very 

strong and they support what 

we’re doing here in Hamilton” 

said Mayor King. 


general manager of city 

growth Kelvyn Eglinton gave 

an extensive briefing on the 

city’s growth and its plans. 

What’s all this engagement buzz? 

A 

few years ago, one 

of the business buzz 

words on everyone’s 

lips was, “sustainable.” 

Businesses were sustainable, 

products were sustainable, 

strategies were sustainable, 

packaging was sustainable. 

What wasn’t sustainable 

was my tolerance for the word. 

In fact, I went through a short 

period of boycotting it entirely. 

Fast-forward to 2018 and 

one of my current bugbears is 

the word, “engagement.” Particularly 

working in public 

relations, I hear the word engagement 

many times each day. 

Okay, and if the truth be told it 

trickles off my tongue without 

me even thinking about it. And 

flippant use of the word is starting 

to irritate me like an itch I 

can’t scratch. 

So, what do these two overused 

words have in common? 

The fact that sustainability is 

incredibly important – like, as 

in, ultimately saving our planet. 

And the fact that engagement is 

incredibly important – like, as 

in, the success of your business 

depends on it. 

While I’m not going to tackle 

that s-word today, I am going 

to tackle the e-word. 

What exactly does engagement 

mean and why is it so darn 

important for your business? 

What is it? 

When you break it down, engagement 

is a pretty simple 

concept. It’s about creating 

authentic, mutually-beneficial 

relationships. 

The issue is that businesses 

get caught up in wanting to 

create opportunities for engagement, 

but they miss those two 

qualifiers: authentic and mutually-beneficial. 

What’s an authentic relationship? 

It’s ‘real.’ It’s not 

about schmoozing at a business 

function hoping to add to your 

business card collection. It’s not 

getting hundreds of likes and 

comments on a meme you’ve 

just posted on your company 

Facebook page. 

Authentic relationships – 

real engagement – requires 

offline contact, meaningful discussion 

and exchange. 

So that’s the authentic part. 

Then you’ve got the mutually-beneficial 

part, which is all 

about creating an exchange 

where both parties walk away 

feeling better because of it. 

Why your business needs it? 

I can’t think of too many businesses 

who don’t need an engagement 

plan as part of their 

everyday communications efforts. 

Think about all the people, 

groups and organisations 

who have potential to positively 

or negatively affect your business 

success. 

You should build relationships 

– that is, engage – with 

these people for one of two 

reasons. 

When it comes to positive 

influencers, if these people understand 

you, know you and 

have a great relationship with 

you they can help you achieve 

your business goals faster. 

And when it comes to potentially 

negative influencers, you 

PR AND COMMUNICATIONS 

> BY HEATHER CLAYCOMB 

HMC Communications 

can sometimes minimise the 

potential harm they can cause to 

your reputation by creating an 

open-door policy for exchange. 

When these people feel valued 

and know their opposing views 

will be listened to, that’s often 

enough to diffuse tensions. 

Now do it 

So, if you think 2018 is the year 

to get better at building authentic, 

mutually-beneficial relationships 

that help move your 

business forward then here’s 

my top three tips for getting engagement 

right: 

1. Be methodical and purposeful 

– you’ve got to plan who 

you will see, when, how often 

and why. 

2. Get out from behind your 

computer – while online engagement 

is important, offline 

is imperative. 

3. Give as much as you get – 

always approach business 

relationships from the other 

person’s perspective. 

RESIDENTIAL | LIFESTYLE | SUBDIVISION | INVESTMENT 

Let’s have a chat, call me today 0800 CathyKnows (228 495)

Tompkins 

Wake 

builds on 

specialisation 

and expertise 

... 


7 

Campbell Stewart, Kate Cornegé and Kate Sullivan. 

Central to the growth and success of Hamilton-headquartered 

law firm Tompkins Wake is a relentless focus on combining 

exceptional legal talent with strong business strategy to deliver 

top value for clients, says Chief Executive Jon Calder. 

The 96 year old law firm, which also has offices in Auckland and 

Rotorua, has grown to more than 100 staff who work together 

building long-term relationships and trust with clients and 

providing strategic advice and solutions to their often complex 

issues, he says. 

“As a firm we believe that when specialisation and expertise 

are combined in a collaborative environment the result is 

exceptional outcomes for our clients. For the past decade the 

firm has pursued a strategy to employ the very best people, 

investing heavily in building a collaborative culture and the result 

is genuine expertise and a deep bench of talent which delivers 

for our clients” 

The depth and breadth of Tompkins Wake’s legal skills, 

specialisation and expertise offering has been boosted with the 

promotion to Partner of three of its team and the appointment 

of two Senior Associates, all with impressive law pedigrees. 

NEW PARTNERS 

CAMPBELL STEWART LLB University of Otago 

New partner Campbell is a specialist property lawyer, who 

focuses on agribusiness, natural resources, trusts and asset 

planning, infrastructure projects and local government property. 

He has expertise in the overseas investment regime, the Crown 

minerals area and the Emissions Trading Scheme, working 

with domestic and international clients. Property transactions, 

succession planning and wealth-structuring are other specialist 

practice areas. 

Brought up on a Southland sheep and beef farm, Campbell 

lives on a lifestyle block near Te Awamutu with wife Meredith, a 

medical doctor born and raised in the Waikato, and their three 

young sons. 

He joined Tompkins Wake in 2012 after several years with 

Chapman Tripp in Wellington and in general practice in 

Southland. He says he was attracted to the Waikato firm by the 

appeal of being able to continue rural-focused work, with guiding 

large corporates through complex and novel issues. 

“The work is challenging and rewarding. The Waikato economy 

has a strong agri-base, powered by both family businesses and 

larger corporates. I love that mix.” 

P 07 838 6024 

E campbell.stewart@tompkinswake.co.nz 

KATE CORNEGÉ BCA LLB (Hons) University of Wellington 

Cambridge resident Kate is an experienced civil and commercial 

litigator who has appeared for clients in the High Court, Court of 

Appeal and Supreme Court. Born in Wellington, this new Partner 

has been with Tompkins Wake eight years after stints with 

Chapman Tripp in the capital and in Auckland. She and husband 

Phillip, a Hamilton Barrister, have two young children. 

Kate has considerable experience working across regulated 

industries such as dairy, energy and telecommunications. She is 

the firm’s third part-time Partner, recognition of the importance 

the Tompkins Wake culture places on family life and worklife 

balance. Kate is a member of the Tompkins Wake Working 

Parents’ Forum which helps her colleagues and the firm better 

optimise that work-life balance. 

She says the appeal of Tompkins Wake is its “fantastic people” 

and the varied and interesting work. 

“It’s really exciting to be involved in a firm working hard on a 

growth strategy and with a clear vision for the future.” 

P 07 838 6053 

E kate.cornege@tompkinswake.co.nz 

KATE SULLIVAN LLB LLM (First class Hons) University of Waikato 

Kate moved to New Zealand with her family from Exeter, England 

when she was 19 and started her legal studies in the Waikato. “I 

loved the lifestyle so much I never went back,” she says. 

She joined Tompkins Wake in 2011 and is a Partner in the firm’s 

relationship property, trust disputes and family law team. She 

specialises in trust law and relationship property, dealing with 

claims against estates, trusts and disputes. Her other areas 

of practice include dealing with applications to validate wills 

and mental capacity issues, particularly assisting clients with 

applications for the appointment of welfare guardians and 

property managers. 

Kate, who lives in Hamilton, says she was drawn to her specialty 

litigation areas because she enjoys problem-solving. 

“I like strategising for clients. My particular interest is in trust 

litigation and estate claims and through that interest comes 

the relationship property aspect. Tompkins Wake has really 

supported me through that. They make sure the right people are 

in the right job so the client is well looked after.” 

“I absolutely love working at Tompkins Wake, they’re a really 

good bunch of people and the work is interesting and its good 

quality work. I love the culture of the firm. They focus on making 

staff happy so to provide a really good service to clients. I like to 

think my work can help clients through what can be a stressful 

time.” 

Kate spends three days a week at the Rotorua office with the 

balance of her time in Hamilton and Auckland. When she’s not 

helping clients she’s out on the water. As a Hamilton Rowing Club 

master rower, she competed at the World Masters championship 

last year. 

P 07 838 6054 

NEW SENIOR ASSOCIATES 

SHELLEY SLADE-GULLY 

Waikato 

E kate.sullivan@tompkinswake.co.nz 

LLB (Hons) BMS (Hons) University of 

Waikato-born Shelley specialises in intellectual property law and 

says she’s excited to be heading Tompkins Wake’s intellectual 

property practice. She’s joined the firm after 13 years with 

Hamilton’s Norris Ward McKinnon, pursuing a greater scope of 

work in a bigger firm. 

A favourite specialisation is trade mark law, in which she has 

significant experience, including providing trade mark watching 

services, preparing and filing trade mark applications and 

submissions and managing proceedings with the Intellectual 

Property Office of New Zealand. 

“It’s all about helping clients to build a name, getting an identity 

out there. I work with clients to see what kind of profile and 

identity they want,” she says. 

Shelley has significant experience advising public sector 

organisations and has regular dealings with the Offices of the 

Privacy Commissioner and Ombudsman. She also works with 

charitable organisations helping them with a range of legal 

matters, from establishment to governance issues. 

Shelley has a young daughter and is a member of the Institute of 

Directors, the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New 

Zealand and the Proprietors Board of Waikato Diocesan School. 

P 07 838 6004 

E shelley.slade-gully@tompkinswake.co.nz 

ALAINA SOANES LLB (Hons) BMS (Hons) University of Waikato 

New Senior Associate Alaina is another Waikato-ite, and 

specialises in projects and commercial contract law. She has 

significant experience working on complex IT and outsourcing 

contracts and is looking forward to combining this expertise with 

a strong understanding of client requirements to provide timely 

and strategic advice. 

She comes to Tompkins Wake with 10 years of experience in 

commercial and legal roles, at Bell Gully in Auckland and King & 

Wood Mallesons (KWM) in Melbourne. She has also practised 

law in London, working for multinational and magic circle firm, 

Clifford Chance. 

Admitted to the Supreme Court of Victoria in 2007, Alaina 

also worked at a large electricity and gas distribution company 

in Melbourne where she was involved in a major project to 

restructure commercial arrangements. This work involved her 

leading a complex IT procurement project. She also advised the 

Melbourne company on new strategic projects including a trial 

of solar panels and battery units. 

P 07 838 6015 

E alaina.soanes@tompkinswake.co.nz 

Westpac House, Level 8 

430 Victoria Street 

Hamilton 

07 839 4771 

www.tompkinswake.co.nz


From the editor 

Welcome to another 

busy Waikato Business 

News as the 

economy picks up a gear after 

a laid back, sunny January. 

Two construction-related stories 

feature on our front page 

this month: Livingstone NZ’s 

long-standing director David 

Livingstone has retired, making 

way for a new chief executive 

Myles Whitcher while we 

celebrate the design and construction 

of Hamilton’s superb 

new Victoria on the River city 

park. 

We also feature another 

iconic Waikato construction 

company, Foster Group, 

which has launched Foster 

Engineering, a mechanical 

engineering service that specialises 

in architectural design 

and finishing. 

A special mention this 

month goes to the New Zealand 

National Fieldays Society 

which launched its 50 

year celebrations in style with 

a function at Te Rapa Racecourse 

where the iconic Fieldays 

began life back in 1969. 

We also catch up with the 

residential real estate experts 

who have detected a significant 

increase in first home 

buyer activity in the Hamilton 

market. 

Waikato Business News’ 

columnists are in fine form 

as employment lawyer Erin 

Burke advises on the best 

approach to recoup overpayments 

of staff while our other 

law columnist Karin Thomas 

continues her analysis of Family 

Trusts. Two columnists 

–Diane Halifax and Heather 

Claycomb – home in on that 

buzz word “engagement” to 

see what it really means for a 

business. Vicki Jones of Dugmore 

Jones tackles the tricky 

subject of deciding what to 

charge while our technical experts 

handle everything from 

Big Data to use of AdWords 

to the spectre of technological 

meltdown. 

A new year brings new 

features and in the next few 

months you’ll see a couple 

of fresh elements in Waikato 

Business News. There’s a lot 

happening in this region and 

much to talk about – even to 

argue about. We’d like to get 

a few more of these semi-contentious 

issues out in the open 

in a constructive fashion and 

hear what the business community 

has to say. Watch this 

space. 

In the meantime there’s so 

much positive news out there. 

I look forward to another year 

of telling success stories. 

Geoff Taylor 

Editor 

MONTHLY POLL 

Vote and win 

Sponsored by the Helm Bar 

and Kitchen 

This month’s poll 

The Gallagher Chiefs 2018 Super Rugby season is under-way and they 

bring in a new coach, Colin Cooper and a new mix of players. Gone are 

their most successful coach ever, Dave Rennie as well as players like Aaron 

Cruden and Tawera Kerr-Barlow. Then again, there’s still plenty of talent 

and leadership through the likes of Brodie Retallick, Sam Cane and Damian 

McKenzie and old campaigner Liam Messam. What are their chances of 

topping the New Zealand Conference? Where do you think they will finish? 

Vote on the WBN website (www.wbn.co.nz) and fill in the entry form to be 

in to win a meal voucher for two at The Helm Bar & Kitchen. Voting closes 

Wednesday February 21. 

Last month’s results 

Should Hamilton City Council support plans to redevelop Garden Place? 

Leave Garden Place alone appears to be the feeling among most Waikato 

Business News readers. Asked if Hamilton City Council should support 

a private plan to redevelop Garden Place 60 percent weren’t in favour. 

A proposal for the council to put $3 million into Matt Stark and Steve 

McLennan’s plan to introduce parking and traffic and a destination 

playground into Garden Place goes out for public consultation in coming 

weeks. The council makes a decision in June. 

40% 

60% 

60% 

40% 

Where will The Chiefs finish in 

the New Zealand Super Rugby 

conference? 

A. Top 

B. Average 

C. No show 

Cast your vote at: 

www.wbn.co.nz 

WINNER OF THE HELM DINNER VOUCHER IS: 

Michael Peters 

No, leave it alone 

Yes, something needs to be done 

OPEN DAY Friday 9 March, 2018 

Personalised Tours 10am-4pm, Years 0-8, Day and Boarding 

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9 

Turn business problems into opportunities 

Company-X deals with business 

problems using software. 

Software development 

always starts with a 

problem. 

“Some businesses have big 

problems but don’t realise that 

the answer is a software solution,” 

says Company-X director 

David Hallett. 

The Hamilton-based software 

specialist company has 

been designing, developing, 

testing and releasing software 

solutions for local and 

international clients since its 

inception in 2012. Every job 

has started with the prospective 

client speaking up about a 

problem of some kind. 

Company-X’s 

reputation for doing 

what it said it would 

do, on time and 

without a fuss, leads 

to many approaches 

from potential clients. 

“Many businesses, both 

here in New Zealand and overseas, 

come to us with brand 

new, recently discovered, 

business problems that they 

need to solve and ask if we 

can build a software solution 

that will make the problem go 

away,” David says. 

“They know that 

Company-X is the first place 

to come and explore their 

options.” 

The majority of 

Company-X projects start 

with this sort of conversation 

with either David or his fellow 

director Jeremy Hughes. 

Often both of them are in on 

the initial conversation. It can 

help, the directors say, if the 

prospective client has already 

defined the goal that the software 

solution will achieve in a 

clear and concise paragraph or 

two before they reach out to 

Company-X. 

A clear and concise outcome 

is easy to measure and 

is a good place to begin the 

conversation. 

The outcome may be an 

increase of profit margin, efficiency 

improvements, a bigger 

market share, better customer 

service, improved employee 

training or reduced carbon 

emissions. 

Not every conversation 

between Company-X and prospective 

clients starts the same 

way. 

“Sometimes prospective 

clients already know the solution 

to their problem, right 

down to the software specifications 

and user requirements, 

but don’t have the 

software development power 

that they need to make it fly,” 

Jeremy says. 

“Or they already have 

LISTENERS: Company-X directors David Hallett and Jeremy Hughes 

love hearing about business problems from prospective clients. 

custom software which is no 

longer supported by the developer 

that they need to update 

with new functionality in line 

with the changing business 

environment that their company 

is operating in.” 

Whatever the case, prospective 

clients can expect 

lots of questions when they 

start talking to Company-X. 

The software specialists need 

to hear a good description of 

the problem, understand the 

workflow at the business, and 

the different types of users 

who will be using the software 

solution. What is the problem 

this project needs to solve, the 

question it needs to answer, 

or the opportunity it needs to 

grab? 

“Theoretical physicist 

Albert Einstein once said ‘If 

I were given one hour to save 

the planet, I would spend 59 

minutes defining the problem 

and one minute resolving it’,” 

David says. 

“Only once the problem is 

fully defined can the problem 

be effectively resolved.” 

The next step is for David 

and Jeremy to put together a 

team headed by Company-X 

professional services manager 

Michael Hamid, a project manager, 

a business analyst, and a 

solutions architect to continue 

a more in-depth conversation. 

This whole initial phase can 

take up to the equivalent of 

a full day, and Company-X 

starts billing clients once the 

project gets underway. 

Company-X’s reputation 

for doing what it said it would 

do, on time and without a 

fuss, leads to many approaches 

from potential clients. 

Company-X is a multiaward 

winning, fast growing, 

software specialist with clients 

in both the small and medium 

enterprise space as well 

as multinationals like Cisco 

Systems Inc in Silicon Valley, 

California. Company-X ranked 

on the Deloitte Technology 

Fast 500 Asia Pacific 2017 

index, listed at number 330 of 

the 500 fastest growing technology 

companies in the Asia 

Pacific region. 

Software can solve your 

biggest problems and deliver 

on your brightest ideas. 

We can update, improve, add 

functionality to, or fix your 

existing software investment. 

Our software experts can 

join your team to help get 

your job or project done.


Waikato MBA embraces digital transformation 

Leaders need to understand how data can 

be used to transform an organisation. 

By DR HEATHER CONNOLLY 

Academic Director - Executive 

Education and Senior Lecturer 

in Strategic Management at 

the Waikato Management 

School, University of Waikato. 

PhD, PgDipStratMgt(Dist), 

BMS(Hons), PCert(TertTeach). 

You, data and business 

Did you know that organisations 

can collect up to 5000 

data points on you? 

It’s not just governments, 

insurance companies 

and supermarkets anymore 

that track your digital footprint; 

technology has made 

it easier than ever to gather 

personal data. 

Google, social media and 

smart phones gather a significant 

amount of user data, including 

your postcode, interests 

and preferences. 

This data makes it possible 

to infer other personal details, 

such as your weight, income, 

or even your food allergies. 

With your data profile, organisations 

can target products 

and market services to you, the 

digital consumer. 

Innovative organisations 

around the world are using data 

to continually improve their 

client interfaces and to create 

tangible customer value. 

Digital disruption – what do 

leaders need to know? 

Digital experts already exist 

and millennials are tech-savvy 

- so what do modern business 

leaders need to know? 

You need to be able to think 

strategically about engaging 

data analysis and digital transformation 

in order to become 

sustainable in an increasingly 

volatile, complex and ambiguous 

world. 

Digital disruption is not just 

coming; we are living it now. 

According to the latest Forrester 

Research report, “Predictions 

2018: IoT Moves from 

Experimentation to Business 

Scale”, the Internet of Things 

(IoT) will become the backbone 

of future customer value. 

Along with IoT; commercialising 

data, edge computing, 

and 5G technology are 

key global business trends for 

2018. 

Local organisations are 

already proactively investing 

and engaging with digital 

transformational challenges - 

are you prepared to lead digital 

innovation in your industry 

and organisation? 

Global exposure 

with Waikato 

In October, the Waikato MBA 

cohort from the University of 

Waikato met with senior leaders 

in London as part of their 

Global Study Tour. 

They experienced first-hand 

examples of digital innovations 

occurring in international 

organisations based the UK. 

Prominent global organisations 

like Aviva, Lloyds Bank and 

O2 Telefonica provided the cohort 

insights into how culture 

remains one of the hardest hurdles 

in digital transformation, 

but also how digital disruption 

can transform an organisation 

into a leading player in their 

field. 

The Waikato MBA cohort 

consists of 40 business leaders 

and managers from Waikato 

and Bay of Plenty regions. 

A wide range of businesses 

and sectors are represented in 

the cohort; from agriculture 

and not-for-profit to multi-national 

firms and government 

agencies. 

Participants were able to 

get ‘behind-the-scenes’ access 

to digital innovation on 

a global scale and take away 

practical knowledge to apply 

in their own organisations and 

industries. 

Preparing for the future 

The lessons for New Zealand 

and our leaders are 

Dr Heather Connolly 

simple. 

We cannot afford to sit back 

and wait; the data points are 

available for us to drive the 

digital transformation that is 

required. 

Organisations that are unprepared 

for change, no matter 

the sector or industry, will 

quickly be left behind. 

Future leaders need to engage 

with what data analytics 

and digital transformation 

means strategically – for your 

people, organisation and industry. 

The Waikato MBA is a 

world-class qualification designed 

to create the leaders of 

the future. 

It will help managers understand 

how data can be used to 

transform an organisation, and 

equip them with the dynamic 

capabilities to lead and implement 

innovation. Find out more 

about the Waikato MBA at 

www.waikato.ac.nz/go/MBA.


11


The New Zealand National Fieldays Society began its 50 

year celebrations with a function at Te Rapa Racecourse. 

(Photos: Stephen Barker Photography) 

Proudly Sponsored By 

1 

2 

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3 

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1. Peter Nation, Fieldays Society chief executive; Geoff 

Taylor, Waikato Business News. 

2. Rod Bryant, Barry Quayle, Murray Bindon and John 

Gallagher, Fieldays Society. 

3. Andrew King, Mayor of Hamilton; Jim Mylchreest, Mayor 

of Waipa; Jan Barnes, Mayor of Matamata-Piako. 

4. Edwina Rimmington; Val Millington, Fieldays Society. 

5. Fraser and Craig Graham, Fieldays Society. 

6. Ray and Mavis Fowke, Fieldays Society. 

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8. Ashley Carson, Anita Oliver, Fieldays Society; Sue Bland, 

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13 

Airport company 

buys hotel 

Waikato Regional Airport Limited (WRAL) 

has purchased Hamilton Airport Hotel and 

Conference Centre. 

Waikato Regional Airport 

chairman John Spencer. 

Using Big Data 

The sale includes the acquisition 

of all buildings 

and the ground lease as 

well as the existing hotel and 

conference business. 

Current operators, Hamilton 

Airport Hotel Limited, will 

lease back and continue to operate 

the hotel and conference 

centre at least until January 

2019, 12 months from the date 

of purchase. 

WRAL chairman John Spencer 

said the acquisition was in 

line with WRAL's strategic objective 

to grow its non-aeronautical 

revenue stream. 

“Ownership of the hotel provides 

an opportunity to further 

develop and enhance the range 

of services offered within the 

airport precinct.” 

WRAL, the parent company 

of Hamilton & Waikato 

Tourism, cites regional tourism 

growth plus ongoing demand 

for accommodation and conference 

facilities as supporting 

reasons for the purchase. 

The Ministry of Business 

Innovation and Employment’s 

(MBIE) Regional Tourism Estimate 

lists Hamilton and Waikato 

as the fifth largest region in 

New Zealand in terms of visitor 

expenditure (behind Auckland, 

Wellington, Christchurch and 

Queenstown). An estimated 

$1.456 billion was spent in the 

region for the year ending October 

2017, an increase of six per 

cent on the previous year. 

Commercial guest nights for 

the Waikato region are also rising. 

The latest Commercial Accommodation 

Monitor figures 

released by MBIE show three 

percent year-on-year growth for 

the year ended November 2017, 

a total of 1.42 million guest 

nights. 

“With a number of new 

businesses in the area and record 

numbers attending events 

such as Equidays and Fieldays 

at nearby Mystery Creek 

Events Centre, demand for accommodation 

near the airport 

has grown,” Mr Spencer said. 

As well as purchasing the 

hotel and conference centre, 

the airport company has recently 

established five new 

fully-equipped meeting spaces 

within the Hamilton Airport terminal 

building. 

WRAL chief executive 

Mark Morgan said the airport 

receives a steady stream of inquires 

for conference facilities 

and meeting rooms. 

“Our new facilities have already 

proven popular to businesses 

who regularly utilise the 

airport,” he said. “They will 

complement the existing facilities 

already at the Airport Hotel 

and Conference Centre.” 

WRAL is a council-controlled 

organisation owned by 

Hamilton City, Otorohanga, 

Waipa, Waikato and Matamata-Piako 

District Councils and 

is the umbrella for subsidiary 

companies; Hamilton Airport, 

Hamilton & Waikato Tourism 

and Titanium Park Limited. 

www.braemarhospital.co.nz 

24 Ohaupo Road, Hamilton 

Phone: 07 843 1899 

All health insurers accepted 

MARKETING MATTERS 

> BY MEHRDAD BEHROOZI 

Mehrdad (Merv) Behroozi is general manager of Hamilton graphic 

design and web development company E9. Phone: 07 838 1188 

Email: merv@e9.nz 

You need Big Data. 

It’s no longer enough 

to know your segment, 

you have to know the individual 

buyer and Big Data will help 

you do this. 

How do you decide where 

your marketing money goes? 

How do you find out who your 

customers are? How do you 

find out how effective your advertising 

spending is? How do 

you make your marketing decisions? 

The old adage “facts 

before acts” is often referred to 

purposefully by marketing professionals 

– it is a great rule to 

live by. However, considering 

that the last two years accounts 

for 90 percent of all the data we 

have generated, it’s easy for one 

to wonder about what facts the 

old adage was referring to. 

It’s not that marketers of the 

past didn’t have data, it’s just 

that marketers of today have far 

too much data. In fact, a recent 

study shows that we generate 

2,500,000 Terabytes of data per 

day. Assuming that the average 

laptop can store 500 Gigabytes 

of data, this means that we generate 

the equivalent of roughly 5 

million laptops full of data each 

day. Furthermore, this number 

is not going to get any smaller as 

the adoption of the Internet becomes 

more widespread globally 

and technological advances 

allow us to track and store an increasing 

amount of information. 

Given the numbers, it’s easy 

to think that the term Big Data is 

a reference to the Brobdingnagian 

amounts of, well, data. But 

that is only part of it what the 

term refers to. Big Data covers 

everything from the increasing 

speed of data generation to its 

complexity, what is collected, 

how it is collected, how it is 

stored, and most important of 

all, how it is analysed. Big Data 

is about data-driven decision 

making or as the old adage says, 

“facts before acts”. 

There are challenges of 

course, the first of which is identifying 

the correct data. In this 

case more does not equal better. 

There are three categories of 

big data that marketers should 

be most concerned with. The 

first is information about their 

customers. This can be gathered 

from customer surveys, loyalty 

programmes, website analytics, 

and social media. The second is 

information about the business’ 

financials. This can be gathered 

from financial systems such as 

Xero or MYOB. Everything 

from profits, sales, revenue, and 

advertising spend by channel is 

of value. The third is operational 

information. This category 

deals with all the operational 

objectives of marketing – ie. 

marketing operations, budgetary 

controls, process times, and 

process costs. 

Once the correct data is collected, 

the next challenge lies 

in analysing it. Data is only as 

valuable as the insights we can 

gain from it. Using the correct 

tools and methods can be the 

difference between finding the 

gold nugget or leaving empty 

handed. However, the greatest 

challenge is in taking the insight 

that has been squeezed out of 

the data and putting it to work. 

When done right, Big Data 

can enable us to better define our 

ideal customer profiles, identify 

the most effective sales pitch, 

and predict what a prospect or 

an existing customer is going 

to do before they do it based on 

identified patterns. Think about 

that for a moment. 

30430 

Because Braemar is owned by a charitable trust, we reinvest 

any surplus back into the hospital to stay at the forefront of 

surgical innovation. 

Excellence means Braemar 

Waikato Branch – Upcoming events/courses 

At the Institute of Directors 

we’re on the pulse of governance. 

Connecting, equipping and 

inspiring directors through thought 

leadership and our extensive 

network, professional governance 

courses, events and resources. 

14 March 2018 

From an uncertain childhood, through some of the greatest adventures, to an 

ambitious vision for New Zealand 

Lunch function in partnership with the Waikato Chamber of Commerce 

Guest speaker: Sir Graeme Dingle 

12.00pm - 2.00pm, FMG Stadium Waikato 

20 March 2018 

Health and Safety - Critical risks 

Guest speaker: Nicole Rosie, Chief Executive, Worksafe New Zealand 

12.00pm - 2.00pm, FMG Stadium Waikato 

CPD: 2 points 

CPD: 2 points 

To register, please contact: 

Megan Beveridge, 

Branch Manager 

Waikato.branch@iod.org.nz, 

021 358772 or www.iod.org.nz 

Waikato branch is kindly sponsored by:


The spectre of a technology meltdown 

The world is being haunted by the threat 

of a disastrous collapse or breakdown of 

technology. 

Late last year news of the 

Meltdown and Spectre 

security vulnerabilities in 

central processing units (CPUs) 

broke in the media. 

It turned out that sensitive 

data stored in the CPU cache, 

such as data encryption keys, 

passwords, and other sensitive 

information, could be exploited 

by hackers. Practically every 

computing device built in the 

last 20 years, from smartphones 

and tablets to personal computers, 

was affected. 

Despite all this no exploits, 

outside of cybersecurity labs, 

How to find the best location for your industrial operation 

If you have decided that 

2018 is the year for some 

big business decisions – 

particularly around where you 

will base your industrial operation 

in coming years – then it’ll 

pay to keep a close eye on areas 

where infrastructural upgrades 

are underway or planned. 

The squeeze is on existing 

industrial property stock. Traditional 

industrial areas are experiencing 

unprecedented low 

vacancy rates making it hard 

for businesses to get a foot hold 

in these popular locations. 

However, some forward 

thinking and decisiveness could 

see you secure a presence in 

emerging industrial precincts 

are yet known. In an attempt to 

keep it that way the makers of 

both computing devices and the 

components in them, are rolling 

out software updates designed 

to make our everyday technological 

tools more secure. 

The technologists who discovered 

the vulnerabilities have 

known about it for a long time, 

and shared the details with manufacturers 

of hardware and software 

so that they could come 

up with a fix. The response was 

anything but quick. You’ll find 

a lot of very technical articles 

on the support websites for the 

planned in conjunction with 

infrastructural improvements 

across New Zealand. 

New industrial property developments 

will be based handy 

to evolving population nodes 

for ease of access to a labour 

force and close to transport infrastructure. 

Well-located industrial 

property will continue to be 

sought after. Any properties 

that are centrally-located and 

which tap into transport arterials 

to optimise efficiencies will 

be hotly contested in the leasing 

market. 

The mantra is “go where 

the money is going” – in other 

words, watch where signifi- 

likes of Apple, AMD, Microsoft, 

Intel, and Samsung, but 

you don't really need to dive 

deep into the detail to ensure 

that your business-critical devices 

are as secure as possible. 

The good news, both for 

business and personal devices, 

is that keeping your device up 

to date should eventually resolve 

the vulnerabilities. The 

even better news is that it's relatively 

easy to do this yourself, 

although there are plenty of 

tech support businesses happy 

to be paid for this. The process 

is relatively simple, and very 

similar from device to device, 

so long as your device is connected 

to the internet. However, 

be aware that downloading 

updates via mobile data can be 

costly, depending on your data 

cant investment is being made 

into infrastructure and observe 

where other successful businesses 

are choosing to locate to. 

Most major centres around 

New Zealand have proactive 

long-term plans in place to cater 

for industrial growth. Local 

councils seem keen to future-proof 

business growth on 

the back of strong economies 

– both in the key markets like 

the “golden triangle” of Auckland, 

Hamilton and Tauranga, 

and also in the regions. 

Bayleys’ industrial manager 

Scott Campbell says business 

growth in and around well-located 

industrial precincts has 

peaked to levels not seen since 

TECH TALK 

> BY DAVID HALLETT 

David Hallett is a director of Hamilton software specialist Company-X, 

design house E9 and chief nerd at Waikato Need a Nerd. 

plan with your telco. 

To keep Windows 10 up to 

date on a PC click Settings>Update 

& Security>Check for updates 

and follow the onscreen 

instructions. The process is 

very similar to earlier versions 

of Windows. 

On the Apple iPad and 

Phone that means updating to 

the latest possible version of 

iOS by swiping through Settings>General>Software 

Update 

and following the instructions. 

To upgrade macOS, visit 

the macOS High Sierra page on 

the Mac App Store while you 

are online. Click the download 

button and follow the onscreen 

instructions. 

On Android smartphones 

and tablets tap Settings>About 

Device>Software Update and, 

if the device is not already up to 

pre-Global Financial Crisis 

days in 2006. 

“Just look at Auckland Airport, 

for example,” he says. 

“It’s become a full-on industrial 

destination with all the big 

names represented and fierce 

competition for space. 

“Roading improvements 

and the opening up of large 

tracts of land have transformed 

that precinct and demand still 

outstrips supply.” 

Scott Campbell says rental 

growth of circa 3-4 percent pa 

is being noted within well-located 

areas. 

In Waikato, Future Proof 

is an initiative which has seen 

partner councils within Hamilton 

and the wider Waikato seriously 

consider how the sub-region 

should develop into the 

future – including how it will 

manage the demand for industrial 

land and how it plans for 

infrastructure. The proposed 

Ruakura inland port in Hamilton 

will forever change the way 

Waikato is perceived as an industrial 

hub. 

Meanwhile, a proposal from 

Infrastructure New Zealand 

to investigate building a new 

Auckland satellite city around 

Paerata, north of Pukekohe, 

is meeting with strong support 

and this could change the 

broader Auckland industrial 

game – again. It says planning 

date, Update now. This process 

will vary from device to device 

and differs between Android 

versions. 

Business users just want 

their computing devices to 

work. Following these simple 

steps will keep you as safe as 

possible. If you want to up the 

ante further, ESET Internet Security 

(www.eset.co.nz) offers 

comprehensive protection. 

for growth at scale around rapid 

transit will allow a more efficient 

use of land. 

While demand for industrial 

space from the logistics and 

distribution sector will increasingly 

be driven by the growth of 

e-commerce, food production 

and niche manufacturing businesses 

are also driving industrial 

property demand. 

If you’re seriously gearing 

up for a big business push in 

coming years, then start identifying 

where you’d ideally like 

to be located now and set the 

cogs of change in motion – before 

the rest of the sector catches 

up. www.bayleys.co.nz/ 

workplace/articles/insights 

Maximise the return on your 

commercial investment 

At Bayleys, we 

believe relationships 

are what businesses 

are built on and how 

they succeed. 

Speak to our 

Bayleys team today. 

SUCCESS REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008 

We understand that to maximise the return on your property you need: 

Professional property management A business partner that understands your views and goals 

Jan Cooney 

Senior Commercial Property Manager 

B 07 579 0609 M 027 408 9339 

jan.cooney@bayleystauranga.co.nz 

Brodie Thomas 

Commercial Property Manager 

B 07 579 0608 M 027 746 9218 

brodie.thomas@bayleystauranga.co.nz 

Becky Jefferson 

Commercial Property Management Asst. 

B 07 579 0614 

becky.jefferson@bayleystauranga.co.nz


15 

EMBRACE LEARNING - GIRLS AT ST PAUL’S 

There’s 

so much 

support 

from my 

teachers to 

succeed. 

Switching to St Paul’s helped 

Lauren’s grades, putting her in 

good stead for tertiary study. 

“Mum made the decision to move me to St Paul’s because 

I wasn’t realising my true potential. I wanted to get into 

engineering, so after discussions with the school’s careers 

advisor, I’m now studying the right subjects and getting the 

credits I need to get into university to achieve my goal. 

I have really great teachers who have a true knowledge of their 

subject areas. The small class sizes help too, it’s easy to ask 

questions and when I am really struggling I can go to tutorials 

during lunchtime and school holidays.” 

LAUREN RING 

At St Paul’s Collegiate School, each student is given the 

opportunity to achieve their very best in the classroom with 

one-on-one support from the teachers, average class sizes of 

18 students and extra tuition before and after school. 

Our students achieve some of the best examination results 

in the country year-on-year and rank well above the 

national average. 

St Paul’s has a reputation for getting the best from its students. 

We welcome girls in the senior years, from Years 11-13, as day 

or boarding students. 

2017 GIRLS’ RESULTS 

Qualification St Paul’s Decile 8-10 National (2016) 

University Entrance 92% 73% 67% 

NCEA Level 1 88% 85% 88% 

NCEA Level 2 100% 86% 91% 

NCEA Level 3 92% 82% 86% 

2017 OVERALL RESULTS - ST PAUL’S 

NZ Scholarship (passes) 28 

NZ Scholarship (outstanding) 3 

Cambridge (Year 11) 93% 

Cambridge (Year 12) 100% 

FIND OUT IF ST PAUL’S IS RIGHT FOR YOUR DAUGHTER, 

COME TO OUR OPEN DAY ON MARCH 17. 

REGISTER AT stpauls.school.nz/events 

stpauls.school.nz


Fieldays remembers 

history at Te Rapa 

Racecourse 

The New Zealand National Fieldays Society 

paid tribute to its roots in February when 

it held the first function of its 50 year 

celebrations at Te Rapa Racecourse. 

Fieldays’ first two events 

in 1969 and 1970 were 

held at the racecourse 

before the Society bought and 

slowly upgraded the site at 

Mystery Creek. 

Mayors, agricultural leaders, 

Society and Waikato Racing 

Club members and other 

VIP guests relived the early 

days with speeches and anecdotes, 

and the unveiling of a 

specially-commissioned anniversary 

sculpture. 

Many who attended the 

event were responsible for 

organising the inaugural Fiel- 

1 

days in 1969, including John 

Kneebone, who first sparked 

the idea for a town and country 

fair in New Zealand on a trip 

to the UK as a Nuffield scholar. 

Speaking at the event to a 

backdrop of photos and film 

of Fieldays throughout the 

decades, Society chief executive 

Peter Nation thanked the 

Waikato Racing Club for its 

collaboration in the early days 

and the sacrifices they made to 

help pull it off. 

“The organisers at that first 

event in 1969 thought they’d 

have a couple thousand people 

turn up. But on the day, 

it turned out to be more than 

10,000 with cars parked all 

the way up Te Rapa Straight, 

which was farmland back 

then,” Mr Nation said. 

“I can only imagine the 

state of the racecourse after the 

first day with all those people 

trampling across it. We’re very 

grateful for that early relationship 

with the racing club, a relationship 

we’re still proud to 

have.” 

He also thanked the original 

six farmers of the Fieldays 

Society, whose tenacity and 

perseverance he said paved 

the way for Fieldays to become 

the premiere agricultural 

showcase it is today, contributing 

half a billion dollars to the 

global economy each year. 

“Those first six farmers approached 

ANZ in North Hamilton 

for a 100 percent loan of 

$62,500, $430,000 in today’s 

money, so they could move 

Fieldays to Mystery Creek. 

At the time, Mystery Creek 

was a run-down dairy farm but 

had been identified as the site 

to house the event for future 

growth. 

“The story goes that when 

the Society went into the bank 

they were asked what security 

they had for the loan, and one 

of the farmers threw a roll of 

copper wire on the bank manager’s 

desk and said, ‘this is 

the only asset we own’.” 

That wire had been used 

for communication at the Fieldays 

at Te Rapa Racecourse, 

where it was removed each 

year and put into storage for 

Artist Cherise Thomson and her sculpture, Origin 68. 

(Photos: Stephen Barker Photography). 

safekeeping. 

The anniversary sculpture 

unveiled at the function, entitled 

Origin ‘68, incorporates 

the same copper wire that was 

thrown on that bank manager’s 

desk decades ago, mounted on 

the reclaimed native timber 

that once lined the Fieldays 

Society’s original boardroom. 

“The copper in the sculpture 

is very important,” says 

Mr Nation. “It’s not only a 

valued commodity, but it signifies 

communication and the 

transfer of information, and relationships 

and collaboration,” 

he says. “It also speaks to that 

No.8 wire mentality, that Kiwi 

way of just getting it done. 

Auckland-based sculptor 

and jewellery designer Cherise 

Thomson was delighted to 

work on a sculpture of such 

significance. “It was such an 

honour to be chosen,” she says. 

Cherise placed second in 

Fieldays’ No.8 Wire National 

Art Awards in 2016 with her 

wire sculpture Korowai, and 

was a finalist again in 2017. 

Fieldays chief executive Peter Nation with John Kneebone 

who was instrumental in the creation of Fieldays. 

She says the 12 copper 

loops framed with native timber 

is a tribute to the seasonal 

life of farming, and the dedication 

of Fieldays’ volunteers 

and staff. “I wanted the sculpture 

to represent the cycle of 

interconnectedness, inspiration 

and growth that has made 

Fieldays what it is from the 

founders’ original vision 50 

years ago.” 

Origin ’68 will be at Waikato 

Museum as part of the 50th 

anniversary Fieldays exhibition 

in May. 

The event at the racecourse 

is one of many planned to celebrate 

Fieldays’ anniversary in 

the lead-up to June 13, when 

the 50th event kicks off at 

Mystery Creek. 

2 

3 

4 

5 6 

1. Former Fieldays president Doug Baldwin with Waikato Business News editor Geoff Taylor. 

2. Te Rapa Racing Club chief executive Ken Rutherford speaks about Fieldays’ relationship with Te Rapa Racecourse. 

3. Fieldays general manager for 20 years, Barry Quayle with Fieldays Society member, Ammie Hardy. 

4. Founding Fieldays member Fraser Graham and son Craig Graham. 

5. Former Fieldays president Lloyd Downing tells some stories. 

6. Former Fieldays Board member John Gallagher and former Fieldays Society general manager Ray Fowke. 

7. Former Fieldays president Russ Rimmington remembers the early days. 

7

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HAMILTON RADIOLOGY 

Hamilton Radiology’s new 

scanner great for patients 

Hamilton Radiology’s new CT scanner is so 

quick it’s all over in a heartbeat. Literally. 

By RICHARD WALKER 

The machine, installed 

at the end of last year, 

can take a full cardiac 

(heart) scan in the time it takes 

for the heart to beat once. That 

opens up a lot of possibilities. 

It is the biggest privately 

owned CT in New Zealand, 

and represents a massive step 

up from Hamilton Radiology’s 

existing scanner. 

The new $3 million ma- 

chine means scanning can be 

done more quickly and with 

greater detail, allowing for 

quicker, more accurate diagnosis 

and minimising, or in some 

cases eliminating, the need for 

invasive procedures. 

Since the start of the year, it 

has been used to scan hundreds 

of patients at Hamilton Radiology’s 

Thackeray St premises. 

In this case, size matters. 

The GE Revolution CT can 

cover a 16 cm area in a single 

rotation in less than a second. 

Tisza Sargeant, nuclear medical technologist and 

Jennika Kelly, medical imaging technologist. 

Most other scanners typically 

have a maximum of 4-8 cm. 

The new GE Revolution CT 

scans 512 “slices” per rotation 

compared with the earlier machine’s 

64 slices, and that puts 

it in company with the very 

best in the world. 

The CT scanner, bought 

from global company GE, is 

capable of performing single-beat, 

motion-free coronary 

images at any heart rate, says 

Hamilton Radiology board 

chairperson Dr Diane Sommerville, 

who is one of the 18 

Hamilton and Rotorua-based 

specialist radiologists in the 

practice. 

“For patients, it means they 

will be able to get an accurate 

diagnosis regardless of their 

heart rate,” she says. 

“For referrers, this gives 

more patients access to this important 

test for the diagnosis of 

coronary artery heart disease.” 

“But cardiac is only one 

of its many uses, and any part 

of the body can be scanned. 

Among the range are orthopaedic 

work, body scans (including 

CT ‘virtual colonoscopy’ 

of the bowel) and cancer imaging,” 

says Dr Sommerville. 

The term “CT” stands for 

computerised tomography. 

The machines take x-rays from 

multiple angles at once. The 

information is fed into a computer 

which can produce multiple 

2D and 3D images of the 

area being investigated – and if 

multiple scans are taken over 

time, then things such as blood 

flow can also be measured. 

One of the gains for patients 

from the improving technology, 

including its increased 

speed, is that more information 

is available for an equal or 

lesser radiation dose than was 

possible in the past. 

The greater level of detail 

also allows for a reduction 

in invasive or complex and 

more expensive techniques. 

If the CT scan shows that the 

patient’s problem can be dealt 

with by an adjustment of medication, 

that can remove the 

need for surgery altogether. 

“We’re hoping that a lot 

of patients who traditionally 

didn’t meet the criteria of being 

able to have a CT scan, and 

would probably go straight for 

a more invasive test, like an 

angiogram or surgery - we’re 

hoping that we can minimise 

them having to have the more 

invasive procedures,” says 

PET-CT charge Nic Ross. 

“And also the enhanced 

accuracy can reduce the need 

for return visits for follow-up 

scans,” Dr Sommerville says. 

Apart from the increased 

width of the scanning detectors 

and faster scan times, the 

other major improvement is 

the ability to use GSI Spectral 

Imaging. 

This allows the scanner to 

deal with metal, such as hip 

replacements, which is difficult, 

if not impossible, for 

smaller machines. The images 

they produced could be hard 

to interpret because the metal 


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CT receptionists Fiona MacKenzie and Fay Bird. 

Hamilton Radiology is the Waikato’s largest private medical imaging facility. With the latest medical imaging equipment and a highly 

trained, experienced team of technical staff and 14 local radiologists, we offer an unparalleled standard of care and expertise. 

Our latest aquistion GE’s Revolution CT offering unparallel imaging quality. This CT is the most advanced CT in private practice in 

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Specialists In Interior Fit Outs 

From page 18 

would produce distortion - “artefact” 

is the word used by radiologists. 

An algorithm in the 

new software (Spectral Metal 

Artefact Reduction) accounts 

for that. 

“Before, if somebody had 

a lot of metal, like a hip or 

shoulder replacement, a metal 

plate for a fracture or spinal 

fixation rods, there was a lot of 

artefact from that. This meant 

we couldn't really interpret the 

image very well, but now using 

the spectral programme it's 

so much better,” Sommerville 

says. 

“Spectral CT images also 

allow us to classify things like 

kidney stones. Now we can say 

whether the stones are the type 

that will dissolve with medical 

treatment (drugs) or if they 

require surgical treatment, because 

we can use spectral imaging 

to tell what the stone is 

GE Revolution 512 CT. 

made of. 

“Spectral imaging also allows 

us to provide a world 

class CT oncology imaging 

service that is complemented 

by our other advanced imaging 

such as PET and MRI.” 

Hamilton Radiology prides 

itself on having stayed at 

the cutting edge of technology 

ever since it opened in 

the 1930s with its first x-ray 


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Hamilton Radiology’s 

new scanner great for 

patients 

From page 19 

machine. In more recent years 

Hamilton Radiology introduced 

the country’s first 3D 

ultrasound machine, and in 

2011 it installed a PET-CT 

scanner. Hamilton Radiology 

is one of just four private centres 

throughout New Zealand 

offering a PET-CT service. 

PET (Positron Emission Tomography) 

uses nuclear medicine 

- injecting the patient with 

minute doses of radioisotopes 

- for diagnosis. 

A cyclotron, which produces 

the radioactive material, 

was established in Wellington 

in 2010, and more isotopes 

continue to be developed. The 

most recent is the PSMA diagnosis 

for prostate cancer, introduced 

in the last 12 months, 

which allows far greater pinpointing 

of a cancer’s possible 

spread. 

If the prostate gland has 

developed cancer cells which 

have moved around, the radiologists 

can see them since the 

PET-CT scanner will track the 

isotope into those areas. 

“This has been a bit of a 

game changer,” says chief 

executive Philip Hassall, “because 

quite often it will be the 

difference between a surgical 

intervention or another treatment 

plan”. 

Buying the PET-CT machine 

was a risk that paid off. 

“Everyone at the time would 

have thought people will just 

have to go to Auckland or Wellington,” 

says Hassall. “We 

thought Hamilton needed to 

have its own. We have contracts 

with the hospitals - when 

we built it we didn't have anything.” 

As the uses of the scanner 

increased, Hamilton Radiology 

needed more capacity - hence 

the second new, high-specification 

dedicated CT machine. 

All up, the new CT scanner 

project has cost $3.5 million, 

with purpose-built rooms 

added at the Thackeray Street 

premises. Patients come from 

as far afield as Hawke’s Bay 

and Taranaki as well as Waikato, 

Lakes and Bay of Plenty. 

Radiologists are always on site 

to analyse the results, and the 

team offers same-day reporting 

to the referring doctor. 

Patients will notice benefits 

beyond just improved diagnostic 

capability. For instance, the 

machine’s instructions can be 

given in one of up to 20 preset 

languages. Completing the 

futuristic feel, a monitor immediately 

outside the room allows 

multiple views for the operating 

technologist. 

“The new CT scanner is a 

better patient experience. It’s 

quicker so you're not there as 

long, and is more inviting,” 

says Sommerville. 

“The scanner provides the 

people of the Waikato region 

with access to one of the most 

sophisticated CT scanners 

available in private practice 

anywhere in New Zealand.” 

S2386C 

Fay Bird and Fiona MacKenzie, receptionists. 

• Hamilton Radiology has 

five branches in Hamilton 

and four other regional offices, 

offering a range of 

imaging procedures including 

general radiography, 

mammography, and pregnancy 

and other ultrasounds 

and ECG. 

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N e w Z e a l a n d L i m i t e d 

Jasmine McCarthy; medical imaging technologist, Nic Ross; charge CT and PET-CT 

technologist and Dr Diane Sommerville; radiologist and practice chair. 

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Foster Group launches Foster Engineering 

The Foster Group has recently launched 

Foster Engineering, a mechanical 

engineering service that specialises in 

architectural design and finishing. 

Born out of a concept 

that grew very quickly, 

Foster Engineering has 

become a significant player in 

their field in a very short time. 

Initially a division of Foster 

Transport under engineering 

manager Brad Wade, Foster 

Engineering began in 2014. 

Within four months, the oneman-band 

became two with 

the addition of contractor engineer 

Tim Walker. Roll on 

another four months, and Tim 

was permanently employed as 

the second engineering manager. 

There’s now a team of six, 

including four qualified engineers 

and design engineer Dean 

KEY SERVICES 

• In-house fabrication in 

aluminium, 

stainless and mild steel 

• In-house design and 

engineering 

• Installation 

• Sheetmetal fabrication in 

all materials 

• Seismic strengthening 

• Structural and 

architectural welding 

Fletcher. 

Brad attributes the quick 

growth to being part of the Foster 

Group. “Thanks to the reputation 

of Foster, added to the 

experience of Foster Construction 

and Foster Maintain, we 

have quickly found a niche as a 

specialised engineering service 

with plenty of demand for the 

finer products we can design 

and fabricate out of steel.” 

They can make anything. 

“Yes, we can fabricate 

anything and everything from 

steel” says Tim Walker. “The 

difference is that, although we 

can do your standard jobs, we 

specialise in projects that require 

finesse – that high-quality 

finish required in residential 

and commercial design solutions.” 

Using design and engineering 

software SolidWorks, 

with the guidance of design 

engineer Dean Fletcher, Foster 

Engineering can design, fabricate 

and install any sort of steel 

product. 

They work mainly with aluminium, 

stainless steel and mild 

steel and have done numerous 

highly technical bespoke jobs, 

many of them designed from 

the clients’ concept of briefs. 

Examples include a bag handler 

for Millennium Plastics, a 

kitchen extractor hood for Te 

Rapa Racecourse and a finely 

detailed staircase for the Hamilton 

(LDS) Temple. 

Tim adds that lot of their 

jobs are a result of crazy architectural 

design – and they enjoy 

the challenge of making something 

that’s not just practical, 

it’s crafted. 

They have a fully functional 

workshop. 

Foster Engineering boasts 

cutting and pressing capabilities 

up to 3m long (to a maximum 

of 6mm thick) and a lathe 

with a qualified machinist. 

Their team of welders are all 

certified. 

In addition to the bespoke 

work, they do lots of structural 

and architectural welding. And 

help with seismic strengthening 

alongside Foster Maintain. 

Not only do they produce 

high-quality, they can do quantity 

too. 

Foster Engineering recently 

produced 300 steel lab benches 

for Hill Laboratories new Duke 

Street premises, built by Foster 

Construction. 

They also joined forces 

with Foster Construction on 

the Visy building at Hamilton 

Airport. Here they fabricated 

three custom mezzanine floors 

out of structural steel, plus 53 

2m by 1m safety rails which are 

located along all access ways 

throughout the building. Foster 

Engineering designed and built 

a 9m long scrap paper conveyor 

system for Visy too. 

At the Te Rapa Racecourse, 

Foster Engineering was contracted 

to make and install all 

the stainless steel benches in 

the commercial kitchen and 

dishwashing area, in addition 

to the bespoke extractor hood. 

Their work is also evident in 

the Fosters Lounge on Level 

3, as well as in the steel handrailing 

which lines the interior 

staircases and exterior balcony 

on the same level. The finishing 

touch, ‘The Fosters Lounge’ 

decorative sign, was also done 

by them. 

Adam Findlay, construction 

manager at Foster Construction 

has high praise for the abilities 

of the new Foster Engineering 

team: “Foster Engineering 

have proven to be an asset to 

Foster Construction with their 

professionalism, expertise and 

willingness to go the extra mile 

in creating a solution for whatever 

situation arises. 

“Be it working in stainless 

steel or mild steel, they produce 

finely engineered solutions that 

we’re proud to include in our 

work.” 

For jobs that require practical 

thinking, great design and a 

high-quality finish, get in touch 

with the team at Foster Engineering 

on 07 849 3849. 

Run 

They say that t 

gets the worm 

case of the D 

Uniforms Ham 

Marathon, all early bir 

ter before the 30th Ap 

a discount entry to th 

There is plenty of t 

training for the event 

at Flagstaff Park and t 

on Sunday 8th Octob


23 

New cars 

thanks to 

Ingham 

True Colours Children’s Health Trust 

received an early Christmas present last 

year, when Ingham presented the Hamilton 

based charity with four brand new 

Mitsubishi Mirage cars. 

for the kids 

Ingham has had a close relationship 

with True Colours 

for a number of years but 

wanted to do more for the 

organisation. Partnering up 

with sponsors Elektron Group 

Ltd, Oil Changers Hamilton, 

Schick, and PJ Panel & Paint, 

Ingham decided the best 

way they could support True 

Colours was with a fleet of new 

vehicles for the True Colours 

clinical team. “We are absolutely 

thrilled that Ingham and 

the other sponsors have wanted 

to support us in this very tangible 

way” says Cynthia Ward, 

True Colours CEO. “The cars 

look amazing, and it is good 

to know our team are in safe 

reliable vehicles as they travel 

around the greater Waikato 

region supporting children with 

serious health conditions and 

their families.” 

True Colours Children’s Health 

Trust is a Waikato based, 100% 

community-funded organisation 

committed to supporting 

seriously ill children, their 

whānau and community during 

their time of need through 

counselling, nursing care and 

education. 

he early bird 

, and in the 

irect Group 

ilton Half 

A 

keen 

ds that regisril 

will receive 

is year’s event. 

ime to start 

which is held 

akes place 

er. The event 

offers something for everyone, from 

the Half Marathon, shorter 10km 

and 5km options which you can run 

or walk and do as an individual or 

have shown their grandson and 

as part of extended a team, family. along with a Kids 

Dave sets off from Cambridge, 

Challenge. and will visit a total There of are a 

Commando 

23 towns finishing at True Colours 

range of training 

in Hamilton 

programs 

on the 13th 

available 

on the March. Direct He will Group be helped Uniforms 

out 

along the way by local Lions 

Hamilton Clubs, Half and Marathon will be easy to website spot to 

in his specially designed cycle 

help participants prepare for the 

Dave’s Cycle Tour 

cyclist for the past 

25 years, Dave Clay 

will embark on his most 

important ride to date come the 

2nd March. The ride dubbed 

“Dave’s Cycle Tour will see 

Dave cover nearly 900km 

as he cycles his way around 

the Waikato and Coromandel 

areas. The cycle tour is in 

support of True Colours Children’s 

Health Trust, a Waikato 

organisation that has supported 

Dave and wife Louise’s young 

grandson Hadleigh as he faces 

many ongoing health challenges. 

The ride is their way of 

giving something back to True 

Colours, for the support they 

shirt thanks to support from 

Craigs Investment Partners and 

Cleland Hancox Ltd. 

If you would like to support 

Dave and his cycle tour you 

can do so via a Give A Little 

Page (www.givealittle.co.nz/ 

davescycletour) and on Facebook 

“DAVES CYCLE TOUR 

FOR TRUE COLOURS” 

Dave and Louise Clay with Tony Young, Helen Yates 

and Leean Bedwell from Cleland Hancox Limited. 

or choice of distance. 

This year the event will be 

supporting True Colours Children’s 

Health Trust. True Colours is a 

Waikato charity that supports 

seriously ill children and their 

families through counselling, childbased 

therapies, education and 

nursing. 

True Colours CEO and Nurse 

Specialist Cynthia Ward is excited 

to be aligned to such an iconic 

Hamilton event. “It is a great 

family event, and we are looking 

forward to being involved in the 

day. The kids we support face so 

many incredibly hard challenges 

every day with such bravery 

and determination. This event 

will also challenge many and 

we would love entrants to set 

themselves a challenge to RUN 

FOR THE KIDS and help raise 

funds for True Colours.” 

A Give A Little Page has been 

Jon Tanner and Anna Cleaver from Craigs Investment Partners, join Sarah 

Ulmer and Dave and Louise Clay as the tour cycle shirts are revealed. 

set up so entrants can fundraise for 

True Colours as part of the event. 

amazing holiday for 2 to Australia’s 

Sunshine Coast valued at $4000. 

True Colours is 100% community 

funded and needs to raise around 

$450,000 a year to run its service. 

To register for the event visit 

www.hamiltonhalfmarathon.org.nz. 

Colours at www.truecolours.org.nz 

Proudly supported by 

Waikato Business News 

and INSPO-Fitness Journal


Sales to first home buyers boost market 

First home buyers have been especially 

busy in Hamilton at the start of 2018, 

according to Lugton’s Real Estate director 

Simon Lugton. 

By GEOFF TAYLOR 

He sees this as a principal 

reason why the 

city’s median house 

price dropped from $565,000 

in December to $500,000 in 

January according to the the 

Real Estate Institute of New 

Zealand’s latest data. The data 

shows 156 homes were sold in 

Hamilton in January compared 

with 141 sold in January 2017. 

“We are noticing a lot of 

first home buying activity involving 

houses in the $350,000 

to $500,000 price range,” says 

Simon. 

He believes many investors 

are offloading houses as they 

anticipate less favourable policies 

from the new Labour-led 

Government. 

“It has created a good landscape 

for first home buyers.” 

Ray White agent Mark 

Keesom agrees. 

“We’ve seen some really 

good encouraging signs since 

Christmas and first home buyers 

have definitely increased in 

Mark Keesom, Ray White 

Real Estate. 

numbers rapidly. 

“We’ve also seen a resurgence 

of investment buyers 

from Auckland and abroad. On 

the whole things are looking 

really really good.” 

Lodge Real Estage managing 

director Jeremy O’Rourke 

says Hamilton house sales 

were strong in January and up 

on last year. 

“Plus, we’ve also had a 

good number of quality homes 

being listed on the market 

during the month. Strong buyer 

inquiry has also continued 

into February. 

“While some other city 

centres are seeing a lull in 

the market, Hamilton remains 

relatively buoyant. There’s a 

lot of confidence in the city’s 

economy, buyers are seeing 

value in residential property 

and there continues to be 

strong inquiry from people 

outside the region who are 

attracted to Hamilton’s lifestyle,” 

says Jeremy. 

“While our market gains 

have historically lagged behind 

Auckland and Tauranga, 

currently buyers have more 

confidence in Hamilton as 

compared with those two competitive 

markets.” 

Harcourts managing director 

Brian King says the year 

got off to a slow start but Harcourts 

is “flat out” at the moment. 

“I think people were slow 

to come back from the beach 

because the weather was so 

good. But then the last 10 days 

of January and now February it 

has just gone nuts.” 

Brian said there is a lack 

of stock out there and they are 

getting multi offers on properties 

each day. 

He says he is still surprised 

by the number of buyers from 

out of town. They tend now 

to be less investors and more 

people moving to Hamilton for 

jobs. 

“It’s an absolute eye opener 

and it just indicates to me that 

the business sector in Hamilton 

must be very strong.” 

Brian says he is also seeing 

many Hamilton people upgrade 

to more expensive properties 

as they take advantage 

of good mortgage rates. 

“The absolute heat that was 

in the market a while ago is 

gone but there’s more choice 

for people here. They are no 

longer getting outbid all the 

time by people from the other 

side of the Bombays.” 

Jeremy says Hamilton’s 

rental market continues to 

be very tight and unlikely to 

change this year. 

“Our property management 

group has less than a 1 percent 

vacant rate in rental properties 

and will only have 140 

properties turning over in the 

next 40 days. I wouldn’t say 

Hamilton’s rental market has 

entered a dire situation, but it 

is incredibly tough to find a 

quality rental. 

“It’s not so much students 

- a big rental group in the city 

– who will be affected by this 

squeeze, but rather families 

looking for three to four-bedroom 

homes.” 

What’s the right amount to spend on AdWords? 

AdWords is a phenomenal 

advertising tool for 

businesses. When people 

search on Google for your 

product or service, an AdWords 

campaign can show your ads to 

those exact people, right when 

they’re searching. 

At Duoplus we run many 

AdWords campaigns for clients, 

so I’m often asked: “How 

much should we spend on Ad- 

Words?” 

The question may sound like 

an obvious one, but it’s actually 

the wrong question. 

Last week I had this exact 

conversation with an existing 

client. Their AdWords campaign 

was “limited by budget” 

– which means that the campaign 

was regularly hitting its 

maximum daily budget, and 

then the ads stopped showing 

for the rest of the day. 

If your campaign has exhausted 

its budget by lunchtime, 

then anyone who searches 

for your products or services 

that afternoon and evening 

won’t see your ad. Instead, 

they’ll only see your competitor’s 

ads. So being “limited by 

budget” means that many people 

searching for what you offer 

won’t find you. 

The client naturally asked 

me: “Well, what budget would 

you recommend?” 

The easy answer is “More 

than your current budget.” But 

that only applies if you meet 

specific criteria. 

The real way to know how 

much you should spend on Ad- 

Words comes back to knowing 

your numbers. 

If a lead from AdWords 

costs you $30, and on average 

you get one sale from every 

four leads, then AdWords 

is costing you $120 per sale. 

If your average sale is worth 

$1500 with $700 profit, then it 

is costing you $120 to generate 

$700. If that was the case, what 

is the right amount to spend on 

AdWords? 

If you have a scalable product-based 

business, which short 

delivery timeframes, then the 

answer should be: “Spend as 

much as you can.” As long as 

your campaign was carefully 

monitored to ensure it maintained 

performance while scaling, 

then you could boost your 

budget as high as you can and 

scale your business to new 

heights. 

It is likely however that there 

will be some other constraints 

in your business that make infinite 

scalability unrealistic. 

For product-based businesses 

the restraints might be due 

to manufacturing or importing 

timeframes, or cashflow 

constraints for buying enough 

stock. Scaling a campaign enormously 

doesn’t make sense if 

it means selling out of stock 

and having to wait until the 

next shipment to arrive in eight 

weeks. 

For serviced based businesses 

the restraint is often time/ 

staff based. What is the maximum 

number of jobs you can 

take on? Do you plan to hire 

more staff to grow capacity? 

Can you find enough skilled 

staff to grow? 

One of our electrical clients 

deliberately scaled back their 

AdWords spend when they lost 

one of their sparkies. During 

that time their campaign was 

“limited by budget” but it was 

intentional – they knew they 

couldn’t cope with more work 

just then. Once their new team 

member had started, they lifted 

the budget again because they 

knew they had capacity to handle 

more jobs. 

The crucial component that 

is needed when deciding how 

THE DIGITAL WORLD 

> BY JOSH MOORE 

Josh Moore is the managing director at digital marketing agency, 

Duoplus. josh@duoplus.nz www.duoplus.nz 

much to spend on your Ad- 

Words campaign, is to have 

clear tracking of where your 

leads are coming from. When 

you know how profitable your 

AdWords campaigns are for 

your business, you can increase 

your budget with confidence. 

If inquirers regularly contact 

your business by phone, then, 

to have clear measurement of 

your cost per lead, it is important 

to have phone call tracking 

with your AdWords campaign. 

By using automated tracking 

for both your web form submissions 

and your phone calls 

that come from AdWords campaigns, 

you can easily know, 

down to the cent, how much it 

costs to generate a lead from 

AdWords. 

By recording which of your 

leads come from AdWords, you 

can measure their sales value, 

giving you data to make powerful 

decisions that can help you 

scale your business. 

So, what is the right amount 

to spend on AdWords? With the 

right tracking you can know 

exactly how profitable it is, and 

from there you can decide how 

much you want to grow, and 

then scale your budget accordingly. 

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Waikato tech business 

wins national prize 

A new Waikato-based tech company 

has taken out a national award, winning 

$20,000 ahead of five other companies 

from around New Zealand. 

CoHired was one of six 

finalists in BNZ’s Startup 

Alley awards, part 

of Webstock – an annual web 

technology conference featuring 

high profile speakers from 

around the world. 

Start-up Alley is a celebration 

of New Zealand start-ups 

and early-stage companies. 

CoHired trumped two other 

finalists in their category: 

‘Start-Up Accelerator - taking 

New Zealand to the world’, 

aimed at tech businesses that 

have developed an innovative 

tech product and have their 

sights on potential growth and 

expansion beyond New Zea- 

land. 

As a futuristic recruitment 

platform, coHired was built to 

re-imagine the way the world 

hires. It matches people to jobs 

they love through technology 

that has shortened the process 

for customers and continues to 

match jobseekers to new jobs 

as they come up. 

The selection process relies 

on three main themes: Job fit - 

is the person fit to do the job? 

Experience - have they got the 

right experience? Ethos - does 

the way they think and live 

match the hiring company? 

The aim is to keep the human 

aspect alive and well, even 

CoHired staff members Vivek Sharma, Meghan Woodney, Lisa Harris (back),Nicole 

Odendaal (front), Andrew Nicol (back), Rachel Kelly (front), Jame Hendricks. Also part of 

the team but missing from the photo: Bex Grace, Etain Zhang and Alayn Clint. 

through the use of technology. 

“CoHired's mantra is 

‘matching people to jobs they 

love’ because having a job you 

love brings great dignity,” said 

coHired’s chief executive and 

founder, Andrew Mr Nicol. 

The company had to impress 

judges including PledgeMe 

founder Anna Guenther, CD 

Baby creator Derek Sivers, 

head of BNZ small business 

Harry Ferreira, and Breaker 

chief technology officer Leah 

Culver. 

“Our software works 24/7, 

matching every active jobseeker 

with each new vacancy. It 

shortlists the top 10 applicants 

based on whether people have 

the experience for the job, will 

enjoy the job, and then makes 

sure they will love working in 

that team. 

“For the jobseeker they get 

a job they love, and the company 

gets people who are more 

productive and stay longer.” 

Nicol said they are looking 

to expand internationally in the 

near future with Australia being 

first on their radar. 

“When we founded on 

March 15 last year, our dream 

TGH appoints new head of property 

Tainui Group Holdings 

(TGH) has promoted 

Andrew Brown – an 

internationally experienced 

commercial property professional 

– as head of property. 

TGH chief executive Chris 

Joblin said the appointment 

reflects the key role played by 

commercial and residential 

property development in the 

company’s business investments 

to grow the long-term 

prosperity of Waikato-Tainui. 

“Andrew has been with 

the TGH property team since 

mid-2015 and has built an 

excellent knowledge of our 

business, a keen understanding 

of our property portfolio 

and strong relationships in the 

sector,” Chris says. 

Andrew has more than 27 

years of professional property 

practice in New Zealand, and 

has also worked in the UK, 

the US and South East Asia. 

Having initially qualified as a 

valuer, he has also worked in 

commercial investment sales, 

leasing and as a consultant. 

He is a Fellow of the New 

Zealand Property Institute, a 

Fellow of the Royal Institution 

of Chartered Surveyors 

and a Member of the Institute 

of Directors. 

Andrew will report to Rob 

Batters, GM Operations. 

Current property projects 

at TGH include developing 

Ruakura Inland Port, 

Te Arikinui Pullman hotel (a 

joint venture with Auckland 

International Airport Ltd), a 

forty-room extension at Novotel 

Tainui Hamilton hotel 

and investigation of other 

major residential and commercial 

property opportunities 

in Waikato and Auckland 

regions. 

was to make a global impact, 

using technology to drive quality 

human interactions. 

“Our vision of ‘People 

Matter ∴ Do Good’ drives us 

to not only make a change in 

New Zealand, but improve human 

dignity through great jobs 

TGH head of property Andrew Brown. 

worldwide,” he said. 

The prize packaged included 

$20,000 cash from BNZ, a 

return trip for two from BNZ to 

the USA to further their business 

and access to free business 

mentors, also provided by 

BNZ. 

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Kerry is a dedicated real 

estate professional who has 

been involved in the Hamilton 

residential property arena 

since 1993. He was also 

active in the marketing of the 

exclusive beach and canal front 

properties at Pauanui on the 

Coromandel Peninsula. 

Tips to market your property 

1) – Create atmosphere. 

– Make you home as warm and 

inviting as possible. 

– You could have light music playing 

in the background during purchaser 

inspections. 

2) – Spouting should be cleaned and in 

good repair. 

– Garage /carport clean and tidy. 

– Drapes should be open, carpets 

freshly vacuumed. 

3) – All rubbish cleared away. 

– Any cracked or broken windows 

repaired. 

– Cupboards and pantry neat and 

tidy. 

Lugtons have been and still are industry leaders 

in the marketing of both residential and lifestyle 

property in the Hamilton regions since 1955 

which will certainly guarantee exposure of your 

investment to potential buyers. 

Hence, with Lugtons heritage in the development 

of this City and together with the commitment of 

Kerry and his team, are extremely proud of their 

role in the important buying and selling decisions 

of their valued clients. 

Kerry Hopper 

DDI: (07) 838 5870 

Mobile: (021) 984 173 

www.KerryHopper.nz 

Kerry Hopper – Lugtons Real Estate 

P5855W


27 

Family trusts - the role of trustees 

In last month’s column I wrote about family 

trusts, which are of interest to many New 

Zealanders. 

We know that there 

are as many as half a 

million trusts in this 

country, and when it comes to 

protecting the ownership of 

assets – a family home or farm 

from creditors – a discretionary 

family trust provides important 

protection, especially to the 

self-employed and those running 

a business. 

There is a lot of interest in 

family trusts – and confusion 

– so it’s important to be clear 

about how they operate. Last 

month I wrote about who needs 

a family trust, and this month I 

will detail the different roles of 

people involved with a family 

trust and, in particular, focus on 

the responsibilities of Trustees. 

Trust roles 

There are three main parties involved 

in a family trust – Settlors, 

Beneficiaries and Trustees. 

A Settlor is the person who 

creates the trust by transferring 

their property, money or assets 

to the care of the Trustees of 

the trust. The settlor settles the 

Trust with their personal assets. 

Beneficiaries are the people 

identified in the Deed of Trust 

as the people who will benefit 

from the trust, and these can 

include the original owner of 

the assets (the settlors). They 

may also include the children 

or grandchildren of the Settlors, 

for example. 

Trustees are the people who 

manage the Trust according to 

the rules contained in the Deed 

of Trust. There tends to be two 

or more people on a family 

trust, and trustees can include 

the original settlors, family 

members and, often, an unrelated, 

professional trustee such as 

a family lawyer or accountant. 

Trustee responsibilities 

If you are asked to be a trustee 

on a family trust, think it 

through carefully. 

Being a trustee on a family 

trust comes with its fair share of 

responsibilities and obligations, 

so you have to understand what 

you are taking on. The obligations 

can be equated with that 

of a company director. 

They include regular meetings, 

keeping a record of those 

meetings (minutes) and acting 

in the best interests of all trust 

beneficiaries. It is a serious 

commitment, and a long-term 

one. 

As a trust lawyer it is not uncommon 

to see trustees breaching 

their trustee obligations to 

their beneficiaries and treat the 

trust asset as their own asset, 

on the basis that they were the 

original settlor and the trust’s 

assets are really theirs. 

The reality is that by creating 

a separate legal entity in 

which to settle your assets, you 

are no longer in direct control of 

the asset, nor are you the owner 

of the asset. You become, in 

effect, the caretaker of the trust 

asset on behalf of the listed beneficiaries 

(and hopefully, your 

trust deed includes you, the settlor, 

as a beneficiary). 

Ryan Hamilton takes 

council seat 


East Ward By-Election 

show voters have elected 

Ryan Hamilton as their new 

City Councillor. 

Ryan Hamilton is a local 

business owner and a trustee on 

the Hamilton Christian Night 

Shelter Trust. 

The official result was declared 

on February 21 and Mr 

Hamilton was sworn in at an extraordinary 

Council meeting on 

February 22. 

The Electoral Officer received 

12869 votes, or 23.2 per 

cent of the 55,512 papers initially 

issued. This compares with 

the 35.4 per cent of East Ward 

papers returned in the 2016 full 

Council election. 

Hamilton City Council’s East 

Ward By-Election was prompted 

by the passing of Councillor 

Philip Yeung on September 30 

last year. The By-Election attracted 

fifteen candidates and 

was held under the First-Pastthe-Post 

electoral system. The 

East Ward covers all the city 

east of the Waikato River and is 

represented by six Councillors. 

My experience is, and recent 

cases suggest, that many trustees 

do not fully understand their 

trustee responsibilities. There is 

a growing body of law and litigation 

where beneficiaries are 

suing their previous trustees for 

poor decision making in relation 

to the erosion of the value 

of the Trust assets. 

Trustee responsibilities and 

obligations are in the spotlight, 

and change is coming. The Law 

Commission recommended in 

2015 that a new bill replace the 

1956 Trustee Act. The Trusts 

Bill aims to clarify and simplify 

trust law and trustee obligations. 

This new legislation is 

seeking to ensure good governance, 

accountability and transparency 

to beneficiaries. 

It is currently before Parliament 

and public submissions 

can be made until March 5, 

2018. 

The trustee duties that have 

been recommended in the new 

trust legislation are: 

(a) to be familiar with the 

terms of the trust; 

(b) to act in accordance with 

the terms of the trust; 

(c) to act honestly and in good 

faith; 

(d) to act for the benefit of the 

beneficiaries or to further 

the purpose of the trust in 

accordance with the terms 

of the trust; 

(e) to exercise stewardship 

over the trust property for 

the beneficiaries or the purpose 

of the trust; and 

(f) to exercise their [Trustee] 

powers for a proper purpose. 

These proposed changes 

have set the cat among the pigeons 

within the legal profession, 

with many law firms reconsidering 

whether they wish 

New Hamilton city 

councillor Ryan Hamilton. 

Preliminary results show Mr 

Hamilton received 1931 votes, 

396 votes ahead of the second 

candidate in the 15 person race, 

Michael West. 

to provide the service of being a 

professional trustee. 

My advice is to exercise 

caution if asked to be a trustee 

on a family trust, and ensure 

you are able to commit to the 

responsibility of the role. 

To those looking at setting 

up a family trust, understand 

what is involved and ensure 

J5298P 

ASK A LAWYER 

> BY KARIN THOMAS 

Karin Thomas, runs her own practice, Karin Thomas Lawyer. 

Contact Karin at karin@karinthomas.co.nz or 07 974 4808, 

or visit www.karinthomas.co.nz 

you choose trustees who can 

act prudently and fulfil their obligations. 

Consider things such 

as trustee succession planning, 

which is another topic altogether. 

And, with any of this, it pays 

to consult with your lawyer before 

you do anything else. 

In the next column, I’ll look 

at divorce and the family trust 

If you have any questions 

on this topic or for a future column, 

please email me. 

• Karin Thomas runs her own 

practice, Karin Thomas 

Lawyer. Contact Karin at 

karin@karinthomas.co.nz or 

07 974 4808 or visit www. 

karinthomas.co.nz 

Hamilton Monthly Property Report 

SNAP SHOT OF WHAT HAS BEEN 

HAPPENING IN THE MARKETPLACE 

OVER THE PAST MONTH. 

The median price across the Waikato region rose 

10% compared to January 2017. Prices rose 

26% in Waikato but decreased 9% in South 

Waikato. Compared to December 2017 the median 

price decreased 6% with strong increases in Waikato 

and Waitomo (22% and 19% respectively), with a large 

decrease in South Waikato (-32%). 

Compared to December 2017, sales volumes 

fell 27%, with sales decreasing most drastically 

in Matamata-Piako, Hamilton City and Hauraki 

(-57%, -42% and -26% respectively). Compared 

to January 2017, sales across the region increased 

2% with sales rising sharply in South Waikato and 

Waipa (61% and 42% respectively) but decreasing 

notably in MatamataPiako, Waitomo, Hauraki and 

Thames-Coromandel (-36%, -30%, -26% and -25% 

respectively). 

The median number of days to sell eased by 

14 days compared to December, from 36 days in 

December to 50 days in January. The median number 

of days to sell eased by six days compared to 

January 2017. Over the past 10 years the median 

number of days to sell during January for Waikato 

has been 55 days on average. 

“Waikato is experiencing a reasonable number of 

listings considering the holidays. It is still a steady 

market with good sales, lots of multiple offers and 

more auctions coming up for the year which is good 

as we have high demand for good properties across 

the board. Investors are still buying, and first home 

buyers are more active in the market. We are seeing 

buyers spread across all price brackets and I believe 

that the market will find a new and more sustainable 

level in the next few months.” Philip Searle REINZ 

Regional Director. 

The statistics contained within this article represent only a 

small fraction of the data I have at my fingertips. For more 

information relevant to your street or your property, please 

call one of our experienced EVES agents. 

P 07 834 9570 M 027 801 9962 F 07 854 3837 

VISIT www.eves.co.nz 

Hamilton City 

By Greg Petrin 

Rototuna branch manager 

Local market facts 

Sales 

January 

2018 

Sales 

January 

2017 

Under $200k* 0 3 

$200 - $299k* 1 2 

$300 - $399k* 28 23 

$400 - $499k* 50 45 

$500 - $599k* 31 26 

$600 - $699k* 24 20 

$700 - $999k* 16 12 

$800 - $999k* 9 10 

$1,000,000 - 

$1,999,999* 

3 2 

$2m+* 0 0 

Total number of sales* 162 143 

Median sale price* $505,000 $495,000 

Median days to sell* 52 47 

*Statistical Information Derived From The Real Estate Institute Of New Zealand. Realty Services Ltd/Success Realty Ltd and any contractor/employee is merely passing over the 

information. We cannot guarantee its accuracy and reliability as we have not checked, audited or reviewed the information and all intending purchasers are advised to conduct 

their own due diligence investigation into the same. To the maximum extent permitted by law Realty Services Ltd/Success Realty Ltd and its contractors/employees do not accept any 

responsibility to any person for the accuracy of the information herein. 

ATTRACTING INVESTMENT 

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All businesses need capital to grow. To scale up and make it on the world 

stage you need investment. With plenty of different funding options 

available ranging from bank loans to online investment, venture capital 

and private equity. What are the advantages of each, and what do they look 

for in a potential investment? 

Join James & Wells and a host of funding providers who will explain 

different capital raising options aimed at established or high growth 

businesses. Plus learn what is needed to get your business investment ready 

and how to position your business to attract the right kind of investment. 

To purchase tickets or for more information, 

check out jaws.co.nz 

Hamilton Wednesday, 7 March, 7:30am – 10:00am 

Waikato Innovation Park, 9 Melody Lane


Recouping accidental 

overpayments to 

employees 

We all make mistakes, and some turn out 

to be costlier than others. 

Let’s imagine a scenario 

where someone in payroll 

accidentally pays 

an employee $1100 when they 

should only have been paid 

$1000 or maybe the automated 

pay system paid someone for 

time they took as leave without 

pay. Is the employer able to retrieve 

the overpayment, and if 

so, how do they go about it? 

Provided the error is discovered 

before the following 

payday, an employer is entitled 

pursuant to Section 6 of the 

Wages Protection Act 1983 to 

deduct the overpayment from 

subsequent payments, but only 

if the overpayment could not 

have been reasonably avoided, 

the employer gives notice to 

the employee that the employer 

intends to recover that overpayment 

and that the overpayment 

is recovered within the following 

two months. 

All well and good—but 

what if the employer does not 

realise the overpayment has 

been made until after the next 

payday, or in fact, it becomes 

apparent that the employee was 

being accidentally overpaid for 

an extended period of time? 

First, try the reasonable 

approach of writing to the em- 

ployee, explaining how and 

when the specified overpayment 

was made, and seeking 

their written consent to deduct 

the amount from their next 

pay(s). If the employee agrees 

to the deduction(s) in writing, 

then the problem is solved, and 

it would be a good time for the 

employer to audit their payroll 

system to ensure the error 

doesn’t happen again. 

However, if the employee 

refuses to provide consent 

to the employer to deduct an 

overpayment from future payments, 

things can become a 

little trickier and the factual 

matrix in which the overpayment 

occurred can become very 

important. Two interesting cases 

demonstrate the two different 

paths recouping overpayments 

can take. 

In the 2012 Employment 

Court case of Foai v Air New 

Zealand, Mr Foai was promoted 

from a part-time baggage 

handler to a temporary full-time 

administrative role, anticipated 

to last for three months. Because 

the new role was only 

temporary, the terms were only 

evidenced in a letter, and the 

rate of pay was vaguely worded 

as being his average hourly pay 

for his usual (part-time) role as 

a baggage handler. Mr Foai’s 

new role was extended numerous 

times over a 16-month 

period, each time via the same 

vague letter regarding his pay. 

Mr Foai started to notice that 

his pay had become very erratic, 

yo-yoing up and down and 

in many cases, well in excess 

of what he had been expecting. 

Over the 16 months of his temporary 

role Mr Foai variously 

raised this issue with his manager, 

HR and a person in payroll. 

He repeatedly queried whether 

the pay he was receiving was 

correct. Commitments were 

made to investigate the matter, 

but no-one took it seriously until 

he had been in the role for 16 

months. By that time, it became 

apparent that Mr Foai had been 

overpaid more than $42,000. 

Understandably, his employer 

wanted Mr Foai to pay this 

money back. 

Unfortunately, Mr Foai 

had come to believe that his 

pay must have actually been 

correct, and with his new position 

involving him in regular 

interaction with managers and 

even the CEO, he rationalised 

that this must be what happens 

when you rise up through the 

ranks. He was also required to 

travel frequently and had no 

idea what payments he received 

as a result of this. Consequently, 

he adjusted his lifestyle to 

his improved position, shouting 

his parents a long-overdue 

trip back to Samoa, a trip for 

himself to Hawaii and even his 

child support payments were 

increased by IRD as a result 

of his increased remuneration. 

Mr Foai relied on the equitable 

defence of change of position 

(in reliance on the employer’s 

error in this case) to argue why 

the overpayments should not be 

repaid. 

The Employment Court held 

that the employer had the responsibility 

to ensure they paid 

employees correctly and that 

Mr Foai’s repeated questioning 

as to whether his pay was 

correct should have led them 

to investigate the matter. Further, 

this failure to investigate 

in conjunction with the vague 

references in the renewal letters 

as to what Mr Foai should actually 

be paid, were sufficient to 

lead Mr Foai to believe he was 

on the correct remuneration and 

to alter his lifestyle in reliance 

on that. The Employment Court 

EMPLOYMENT LAW 

> BY ERIN BURKE 

Employment lawyer and director at Practica Legal 

Email: erin@practicalegal.co.nz phone: 027 459 3375 

declined to order Mr Foai to repay 

the overpayments. 

However, in a matter before 

the Authority in January 2018 

(Evolve Education Group Limited 

v Hobbs) the opposite outcome 

resulted. The employee, 

Ms Hobbs, reduced her hours 

from 25 hours per week to five 

hours per week. She informed 

her employer of this and her 

employer asked her to complete 

weekly timesheets, which she 

failed to do. Two months later, 

in September 2016, Ms Hobbs 

informed the employer they 

were still paying her for 25 

hours per week when she was 

only working five, and asked for 

a new employment agreement. 

A new agreement was emailed 

to her incorporating the changes, 

but she failed to sign and 

return it. It was not until April 

2017 that a new payroll administrator 

picked up the error that 

Ms Hobbs was still being paid 

for 25 hours per week, and that 

the overpayments amounted to 

$14,750. 

The Authority held that the 

employer had the right to restitution 

in this case and that 

Ms Hobbs must pay the money 

back, given she had been 

unjustly enriched by the employer’s 

error. Ms Hobbs tried 

to use the same defence as Mr 

Foai (the equitable defence of 

change of position) however, 

it failed in this case given Ms 

Hobbs had clearly known all 

along she was being overpaid 

(unlike Mr Foai) and it was 

therefore not reasonable for 

her to have altered her position, 

knowing the ongoing overpayments 

were an error. 

The take-home tip from 

these cases is that, on the rare 

occasion when an employee 

informs an employer they may 

be being overpaid, investigate 

it - immediately! 

Kennards 

Hire 

Kennards 

Hire 

Kennards 

Hire 

Kennards 

Hire 

07 849 2818 

S4964C 

Hamilton Windscreen LWP.indd 1 



Hamilton Windscreens 

712 Te Rapa Road, Hamilton 

www.hamiltonwindscreen.co.nz | info@hamiltonwindscreen.co.nz 

2/12/10 9:23:50 AM 

2/12/10 9:23:50 A 

2/12/10 9:23:50 AM


29 

Take your pound of flesh 

Do you feel like you’re letting your clients 

take more from you than is genuinely fair 

payment? What does your pricing say 

about your brand? 

Where you position 

your brand on the 

pricing scale can 

have long-term consequences 

on your marketing, on how you 

approach your different target 

audiences and on how you talk 

about your business. 

Whatever the business reasons 

behind it, a radical change 

in where you have placed 

yourself along that scale can 

be damaging to your brand’s 

credibility unless it’s handled 

with care. 

Discounting is not 

necessarily inevitable 

in all sectors but it 

feels like you have 

to be pretty strong 

willed not to give in 

to the temptation. 

For those of us starting out 

in business, or introducing new 

aspects to our offer, ensuring 

that pricing doesn’t damage 

our brand is a real challenge. 

Working out how much to 

estimate for any project was always 

the hardest part of being 

an account manager in a creative 

agency and now, working 

out where to set my own 

fees for my clients, it certainly 

hasn’t got any easier. 

Set my pricing too high and 

I count myself out of contention. 

Set my prices too low and 

I’m not only underselling myself 

but also undervaluing the 

expertise of all of us who offer 

similar expertise and services. 

A few years ago, I think at 

the beginning of the GFC, I 

listened to a client bemoaning 

the actions of a competitor who 

had completely revised their 

fee structure to be about 60 

percent of their industry norm. 

As a consultant, his services 

were, on paper, very similar to 

my client’s and his credentials 

were pretty much comparable. 

The competitor did well 

from the change in the early 

days, but the tactic wasn’t 

without issues. Although he 

did not operate in a way where 

he cut corners, the cheaper 

pricing made his clients worry 

that, when a project didn’t go 

100 percent perfectly, perhaps 

he had actually cut corners. He 

also found it harder to secure 

high calibre contracts as the 

pricing created a perception 

that he may not have the capabilities 

needed. 

But not everyone who looks 

into buying your products or 

commissions your work is able 

to make experienced judgements. 

If your client has never 

purchased the products or services 

you offer before, it can 

be hard for both sides to know 

what’s fair and reasonable. 

I recall shopping in the 

local Big Fresh in Johnsonville 

when I first came to live 

in New Zealand. There was a 

smattering of familiar brands 

I recognised from the UK but, 

with many that were new to 

me, I had to re-train myself in 

the noble art of grocery shopping. 

So, I made a conscious 

decision to start at the cheapest 

and work my way up until I 

found the one I liked. 

I started off being relatively 

brand agnostic but, like many 

of us, I soon developed a pattern 

of favourites and go-to 

brands that won my trust. 

The same was true with 

things like clothing, household 

goods and homewares. 

At first, all I had to go on was 

price and the way the brands 

presented themselves to me in 

store, barely influenced by advertising 

or experience. Looking 

back, I can’t quite decide 

whether to reconcile those experiences 

as confusing or liberating, 

but I’m thinking it was 

probably the latter. 

There are plenty of us that 

appreciate a good deal. But 

the impact of taking a risk on 

a bargain basement product or 

service varies depending not 

only on your personal finances, 

but the wider consequences of 

making a costly mistake. If we 

buy cheap items prepared for 

the fact they may not last as 

long as their more expensive 

alternatives, we’re fine with 

that. But if a product fails to 

live up to the expectations it 

set for itself, the likelihood of 

us engaging further with that 

brand are diminished. 

In the retail arena, continuous 

offers are now the 

norm. When did you last walk 

through a mall and not see at 

least half a dozen sale signs? 

TELLING YOUR STORY 

> BY VICKI JONES 

Vicki Jones is director of Dugmore Jones, Hamilton-based marketing 

management consultancy. Email vicki@dugmorejones.co.nz 

Discounting is not necessarily 

inevitable in all sectors 

but it feels like you have to be 

pretty strong willed not to give 

in to the temptation. 

For those of us who charge 

for our time, do you discount 

to win a new client? Or reward 

them later down the line for 

their loyalty? Or never at all, 

because that’s the cost, take it 

or leave it. 

I suspect there is no silver 

bullet to resolve this issue and 

it will be a perpetual dilemma. 

But at least we’re all in the 

same boat, hoping we never 

have to sell part of ourselves 

to seal a deal and that fair play 

will always win out. 

GRAND OPENING 

Mike (Coxy) and Leanne Cox -Directors. Auto Super Shoppe Hamilton Central 

90 Tristram Street Hamilton Central 

NOW OPEN IN TWO LOCATIONS 

AUTO SUPER SHOPPE HAMILTON CENTRAL 

Book Online: 

www.hamiltonautocentral.co.nz 

Auto Super Shoppe Hamilton Central 

90 Tristram Street 

Hamilton Central 

(07) 838 1440 

Hamilton Automotive Repairs 

82 Killarney Road 

Frankton 

(07) 847 1865 

www.hamiltonautocentral.co.nz


Opportunities to 

support Waikato’s 

iconic festival 

As one of Waikato’s most iconic events 

celebrates a milestone, opportunities for 

businesses to sponsor and engage with 

the Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival have 

never been better. 

Next year will be the 

20th festival at the 

Hamilton Gardens. 

From humble beginnings, 

through the massive efforts of 

hundreds of volunteers over 

the years, the festival has become 

a Waikato institution 

with an exciting future. The 

10-day event with a diverse 

programme of exciting local, 

national and international 

acts is massively popular with 

Waikato residents and attracts 

thousands of visitors to the 

city. 

This February’s 2018 Hamilton 

Gardens Arts Festival 

comprised 155 separate performances 

including two major 

free events - The Festival 

Family Fun Day, and the Katherine 

Mansfield Garden Party 

- which between them attract 

10,000 people. 

An astounding 65 percent 

of events are free or low cost 

(less than $20). 

And one of the stars 

of the show is Hamilton’s 

award-winning Hamilton Gardens 

and its stunning locations 

which provide a unique backdrop 

for a festival of this kind. 

The Festival’s main goal is 

to create a space for people to 

come together and enjoy high 

quality, professional arts experiences. 

The artistic vision is to 

develop the Hamilton Gardens 

Arts Festival into the premium 

outdoor arts festival in Australasia. 

The Festival is run by an 

expert team as part of a charitable 

trust so relies heavily 

on the generosity of funders 

and sponsors, including partners 

in the corporate sector. 

The Festival now has a revised 

structure for its sponsorship 

arrangements but is interested 

in talking to anyone who 

would like to be part of the excitement 

in coming years. 

The Festival is especially 

keen to partner with sponsors 

who will be excited to genuinely 

engage in creative events 

and for whom the Festival can 

offer unique experiences and 

even interactions. 

Businesses have varying 

priorities for where they invest 

their sponsorship or donation 

commitments. Some decisions 

will be purely emotive, based 

on personal passions of the 

decision makers, but brand 

exposure and tangible return is 

always a factor. 

For some, a donation is 

more than sufficient and charitable 

trusts like the Festival are 

always appreciative of those 

organisations. But increasingly, 

there are opportunities to 

look at more of an ongoing 

partnership and the trust is 

keen to work with organisations 

who can explore the benefits 

of engagement with the 

festival and with the arts beyond 

a simple logo placement 

opportunity. 

For example, local accountancy 

firm BDO has just 

completed a second successful 

Waikato Business Summit 

at the Festival. The link with 

the Festival means BDO can 

offer delegates something just 

a little bit different from a 

standard conference environment. 

Profits from the event go 

directly to the Festival by way 

of a sponsorship arrangement, 

while BDO and its additional 

supporting event sponsors get 

considerable profile out of the 

highly popular afternoon. 

Long-term supporter Wintec 

also takes the opportunity 

to profile some of the work 

from Media Arts students as 

part of its sponsorship of the 

film series, a regular feature of 

the Festival. 

Sponsors who will really 

benefit from a unique event 

like the Hamilton Gardens 

Arts Festival are those who 

can use the festival to enhance 

their brand story, as well as 

see it as an opportunity to give 

something back to their community 

or to leverage relationships 

with key stakeholders. 

Any companies interested 

in discussing sponsorship 

options for 2019 or following 

years, can contact sponsorship@hgaf.co.nz. 

The Hamilton Gardens 

Arts Festival invites Waikato 

businesses to join this iconic, 

unique event on its exciting 

journey.


31


NEW FACES 

MEET THE DRAKE 

WAIKATO TEAM 

We are passionate about people. 

The Drake Hamilton team specialise in permanent and temporary recruitment across all industries, 

so whether you are a candidate looking for your next role or an employer looking to improve the 

performance of your staff, we are here to help. 

Cimonette Labuschagne – Consultant 

Cimonette joined Drake in May 2017, 4 short weeks after moving to New Zealand 

from South Africa. 

What do you love about your work? 

There is nothing that compares to finding the “perfect match” between a person and a job. 

What are your hobbies/interests outside of work? 

When I’m not wife, mom, recruitment consultant, cleaner, taxi driver and personal shopper, I 

am the ultimate bookworm! 

Mario Wernli – Consultant 

Mario joined Drake in April 2018 after returning 

from Dubai where he worked for a recruitment 

company and Emirates. 


Placing people into new roles is something I love and is 

really satisfying. 


I like to spend my free time exercising my dog, running and generally staying fit. 

Brooke McIntosh – 

Consultant 

Bubbly Brooke has spent the 

last 6 ½ years in the recruitment 

industry, specialising in blue 

collar roles. 

What do you love about 

your work? 

What’s not to love? I get to help 

people into work! 


Wine!! And my beautiful daughter Elle. 

Flower Brinsden – 

Talent Co-ordinator 

Flo joined the Drake Hamilton team 

in October 2017 with a 

recruitment background. 


It is so rewarding to help people in need of work 

find a job. 

What are your hobbies/interests outside 

of work? 

I love travelling, spending time with family and am a power lifting 

enthusiast and am a NZ record holder for it! 

Vicky Way – Consultant 

Vicky has recently relocated back to the Waikato 

after spending 5 years in Christchurch working for a 

recruitment agency. 


I enjoy meeting new people every day and learning their stories. 


I enjoy being outdoors and my weekends are spent camping, 

hiking and socialising with friends and family. 

Jess Moffat – Consultant 

Jess first joined the Drake branch in July 2017 and comes from 

a varied background in Customer Service, Insurance and was 

an Injury Manager for New Zealand Rugby Union. 


What’s not to love? Seeing someone smile, hearing the joy in 

someone’s voice when I’ve found them employment....the list goes on 


Wine. And gin. Also my children & husband. And gin. 

Charlotte Jones – Branch Manager 

As Branch Manager, Charlotte specialises 

in the field of permanent recruitment, 

HR solutions and oversees a team of 

specialist recruiters. 


My absolute favourite thing is seeing results 

from the hard work that everyone’s put in and 

watching the business grow. 


We are renovating our house for a baby due in May, but I used to DJ 

and love to travel. 

www.drakeintl.com 07 839 1750

NEW FACES 

Waikato Business News welcomes 

Anne Terry Account Manager 

What is it you want from your 

business and how can I help 

you achieve these goals? 

Let me introduce myself; Anne Terry, 

Account Manager, the newest addition 

to the Waikato Business News 

team. When we first meet, getting to know 

you, your business and goals will be top 

of mind. 

Over the last 15 plus years of my 

career I’ve had some varied roles in differing 

industries and gathered some great 

experience and scope over that time. I’ve 

always enjoyed engaging with people, collaborating, 

learning, experimenting, solution 

finding and thinking outside the box. 

My greatest satisfaction in every role has 

consistently been working with people and 

finding solutions that realise mutual goals. 

So, for me it’s been a natural progression 

from customer service to sales and on 

to account/relationship management as I 

value people and relationships, am naturally 

inquisitive and love to problem solve – a 

win-win for me and my clients. 

In saying this, all work and no play 

make’s one a dull, dull person. So, for 

variety this year I am adding to my “portfolio 

of fun”; mosaic sculpture, weekend 

tramping, camping, fishing and motorcycle 

trips. Nothing quite like being out 

in nature, either in the bush or out on the 

water. Or scooting along a great piece of 

New Zealand road with the wind on your 

face and in your hair. And then of course, 

Anne Terry 

there is my sweetheart to make time for – 

seven-year-old Abbey the Greyhound who 

I would love to share photos of amongst the 

photos of my now adult children. 

All in all, 2018 is an exciting time for 

me full of amazing possibilities, which 

I’m excited to create with you and your 

business. So, let’s meet soon and discover 

together what we can create for you! 


Fresh new direction for 

John Appel Physiotherapy 

John Appel Physiotherapy has set off in a new business 

direction, while still maintaining his passion for wellness. 

John exudes enthusiasm for maintaining 

a healthy lifestyle, and thrives on 

passing on his expertise and passion to 

clients, enabling them to reap the benefits 

of his expertise. 

Boasting more than 20 years in the 

health and wellness industry, as well as two 

decades experience as a physiotherapist, 

John has worked alongside a multitude of 

sports injuries, chronic pain injuries, and 

dysfunctional movement patterns. 

He has so many skills in his “toolbox” 

that he is able to individualise treatments to 

every individual, recognising that no one 

treatment will work on everyone. 

While this can be challenging at times, 

he says that the outcomes are both amazing 

and worthwhile. 

To be part of improving a client’s wellness, 

to really make a difference to their 

health and wellbeing, to improve their quality 

of life is a real driving factor for John. 

“The human body never ceases to amaze 

me in it’ ability to heal,” he says. “By giving 

it the right tools, it can change dysfunction 

and bring about healing.” 

Always striving to bring the best to his 

clients, John continually researches the 

latest science based evidence and attends 

overseas conferences, to ensure he can 

offer new and relevant techniques, and keep 

current with leading wellness education. 

He has built a reputation for being the first 

to bring techniques to New Zealand (such 

John Appel 

33 

as myofascial release treatment, which has 

become a significant big part of his physiotherapy 

approach and practice). 

In connecting with his clients,John has 

been able to help them achieve goals and 

successes they never thought possible, 

remove established chronic pain, and be 

an integral part of someone’s journey to 

wellness. 

“It’s such an awesome achievement and 

I feel very fortunate to be part of these life 

changing events. It’s pretty special, and 

it is why I continue to be passionate in 

my field.” 

12 Mill street, Hamilton 

07 838 1333 | anne@nmmedia.co.nz 

www.wbn.co.nz 

John Appel Physiotherapy 

3 London Street, Ground Floor, Hamilton 

Ph 07 839 7973 or 021 245 3508 

Email: John@oov.co.nz 

https://johnappelphysio.trainingtiltapp.com/ 

J4006A 

TRT welcomes new chief 

operations officer, Lawrence Baker 

TRT has appointed Lawrence 

Baker to the role of new chief 

operations officer and part of 

the TRT executive team. 

Lawrence will be working alongside 

Robert Carden, engineering director 

and Bruce Carden, manufacturing director. 

With them, Lawrence will be leading 

the team at TRT in Australia and New Zealand 

into the next 50 years. 

Lawrence’s appointment follows the 

announcement of managing director, Kevin 

Chubb’s resignation after 20 years at TRT. 

“This is a critical new role for TRT and 

we knew we had to find the right person 

to help Bruce and I lead the business,” 

says Robert Carden. TRT went through a 

lengthy international recruitment process 

to fill this position. 

“We were looking for someone that 

shared our vision for the future of TRT while 

acknowledging the rich business history 

and a legacy that Kevin helped to create. 

Lawrence is that person,” adds Robert. 

“Lawrence brings a whole new skill set 

and experience to TRT and we are looking 

forward to drawing on Lawrence’s past 

experience from the automotive and steel 

Industries to enhance our capabilities and 

enable us to find new and innovative ways 

to solve problems for our customers,” 

confirms Bruce. 

Lawrence brings a wealth of experience 

to his new role. Lawrence and his wife 

have moved 

home to NZ 

after residing 

in Australia, 

Western Samoa 

and Japan for the 

past 19 years. 

During this 

time, Lawrence 

has had senior 

Lawrence Baker roles in the 

automotive and 

steel industries. These companies include 

Yazaki Australia and Iveco. Lawrence 

moved in to the steel industry with Smorgen 

Steel, which later became BlueScope Steel. 

He was most recently Flat Steel Products 

Operations Manager at BlueScope Steel, 

based in Wollongong, NSW. 

Based at the head office in Hamilton, 

NZ, Lawrence started at TRT in October 

2017 and has had time to get to know the 

business. 

“What stands out the most is its people, 

its culture, its customers and its suppliers. 

I have to say from my first day everyone I 

have met has made me feel very welcome.” 

Lawrence adds, “I love what I do and 

I’m always looking to improve the process. 

Many find this unpredictability daunting, 

scary and downright frustrating, but it’s 

this that I enjoy the most. This is a new 

role for TRT that gives me the ability to try 

new things, both internally and externally 

and to work closely with our suppliers 

and customers. I am very much looking 

forward to the journey …for the long haul” 

New chief executive officer for 

Mitre 10 MEGA Hamilton 

Mitre 10 MEGA Hamilton are proud to welcome Clifford 

Buchler as their newly appointed chief executive officer. 

The Company began with Mitre 10 

MEGA Te Rapa in 2007 and grew to 

two stores with the opening of Mitre 

10 MEGA Ruakura in 2016. 

Terry Wilson, owner/operator of Mitre 

10 MEGA Hamilton, is excited about the 

appointment and the future of the company 

in Clifford’s capable hands. 

Clifford emigrated to New Zealand from 

South Africa nearly 5 years ago. He began 

in NZ joining Foodstuffs as operations manager 

in Wellington, and then, joining The 

Warehouse Group in a similar role. 

He spent the vast majority of his working 

life in South Africa in retail positions 

and senior management roles in home 

improvement and related companies. 

Eventually, his success resulted in 

Clifford leading, as managing director, the 

establishment of a new Home Improvement 

Cooperative in South Africa, similar to what 

Mitre 10 is in New Zealand, which grew to 

more than 150 stores nation-wide. 

“11 years into the Mitre 10 MEGA 

Hamilton project, the time has come for me 

to step back from the day-to-day operations 

of the business, and spend a little more time 

reducing my golf handicap. 

“With my wife Lynne retiring last year, 

the goal to work less and travel more has 

become very real,” said Terry. 

Despite the change, Terry will remain 

Clifford Buchler 

closely connected to the company and provide 

on-going support and guidance to 

Clifford and the team. 

0 

5years 

HEAD OFFICE HAMILTON 

P: +64 (07) 849 4839 

48 Maui St, TE RAPA 

E: trt@trt.co.nz 

TIDD ROSS TODD LIMITED 

AUCKLAND 

PHONE:+64 (09) 262 0683 

59 Ash Rd, MANUKAU CITY 

E: aklparts@trt.co.nz 

www.trt.co.nz 

BRISBANE 

P: +61 (07) 3980 8800 

1028 Lytton Rd, MURARRIE 

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Mitre 10 MEGA 

Te Rapa and Ruakura 

www.mitre10.co.nz 

J7741P


BAY NEWS 

What’s 

coming up in 

the workplace 

in 2018 

The Labour-led coalition government has 

made it clear that employer-employee 

relations and workplace conditions will be a 

key focus for legislative change this year. 

By DAVID PORTER 

In the pipeline are a raft of 

changes, from increasing 

the minimum wage and 

pushing for equal pay, to new 

arrangements for contractors, 

and a possible return to collective 

bargaining. This month we 

look at some of the key issues 

likely to impact employers in 

the Bay of Plenty this year. 

How dramatic the workplace 

shakeup will prove to be 

in practice remains unclear. We 

have already seen the government 

adopt a milder approach 

than some expected towards 

the issue of the 90-day probationary 

period, one of the more 

controversial legacies from the 

previous government. 

In late January, the government 

announced that it had 

effectively allowed small businesses 

to continue to have the 

right to fire workers without 

reason during the first three 

months of their employment. 

The new approach will ONLY 

ban 90-day trial periods for 

employers with more than 19 

workers. But given more than 

95 percent of employers - especially 

in the Bay- are small 

and medium-sized enterprises, 

in practice nothing much will 

change. 

Tom Beswick, a director 

with accountants Ingham 

Mora, said he was pleased to 

see the 90 day trials retained 

for smaller employers. 

“However, I’m not clear 

on what the problem was that 

is being ‘fixed’. Personally I 

haven’t seen complaints that 

businesses were abusing the 

current 90 day rule. I’m not 

a fan of any changes that increase 

risk to businesses in the 

hiring process as this could reduce 

opportunities for people 

who will otherwise struggle to 

find employment.” 

Oliver Moorcroft, a director 

with lawyers Harris Tate, said 

the 90 day rule was never the 

“silver bullet” that National intended. 

And he pointed out that 

a number of employers failed 

to appreciate that they needed 

to strictly apply the terms of 

the employment agreement. 

“The employee can’t have 

already started working - if 

you’ve started work even for 

10 minutes without signing the 

contract, then the 90 day clause 

is unenforceable. The employer 

is also expected to advise the 

employee when they give them 

their letter that it has a probation 

period clause in it and advise 

them they can take advice 

on it. If they don’t provide that 

advice and sit and make them 

sign it, then it potentially voids 

the agreement.” 

One of the key concerns 

regarding the raft of proposed 

industrial changes - especially 

for small businesses - is the 

looming increase in the minimum 

wage. 

“The main concern I hear 

from clients [about employment] 

is about the coming 

ramp in the minimum wages 

and how they are going to afford 

the increases,” said Ingham 

Mora’s Beswick. 

The minimum wage is to 

rise by 75c to $16.50 an hour 

from April 1, with increases 

set to continue with a targeted 

minimum wage of $20 by April 

2021. 

“The minimum wage is 

probably going to be a big issue 

for most employers,” said 

Moorcroft. 

“The living wage has been a 

hot topic for the last little while. 

We all know the cost of living 

is going up and from a social 

point of view a wage increase 

is probably a good thing. The 

problem is the SMEs are going 

to be the most affected. There 

are a heap of small businesses 

out there that have pretty slim 

profit margins. They rely a lot 

on employees on the minimum 

wage. The extra few bucks 

could be the difference between 

a profitable small business 

and not.” 

Steven Farrant, chairman of 

the Small Business Tauranga 

network, said he understood 

the principle of looking to increase 

minimum wage. 

“But we have to give consideration 

as to how that is going 

to affect small businesses. 

When a big business implements 

the new minimum wage 

it may mean a slight drop in 

profit. But for a small business, 

it may mean they simply can’t 

afford to employ anyone.” 

Farrant said that, in his experience 

in the sector, the owners 

of small businesses were 

“The certainty is that 

employers will need to 

be taking a much more 

professional approach to 

employment matters. The 

bar is being lifted across 

the board around what is 

expected of employers.” 

– Kate Ashcroft, principal of 

Copeland Ashcroft Law 

often the ones paying themselves 

less. 

A key issue for employers 

was the potential knock-on 

effect of the minimum wage 

increase, as other more experienced 

staff on relatively 

low wages sought increases in 

order to maintain parity. That 

was likely to have the effect of 

pushing up wages overall, said 

Farrant. 

Tauranga Chamber of Commerce 

chief executive Stan 

Gregec said it had generally 

been accepted that New Zealand 

had a low-wage economy, 

and making a move to increase 

the minimum wage was a not 

unexpected step in the other 

direction. 

"Given that we've had several 

years of strong growth and 

good profitability for many 

businesses, I expect that most 

“There are a heap of small 

businesses out there that 

have pretty slim profit 

margins. They rely a lot 

on employees on the 

minimum wage.” 

– Oliver Moorcroft, Harris Tate 

will take the wage increases in 

their stride,” he said. 

"The extra purchasing power 

this will put into the economy 

should compensate for the 

higher wages being paid. If 

not, then I imagine employers 

will simply find ways to reduce 

their labour cost in other ways. 

However, it’s worth noting that 

in three years or so when the 

minimum wage hits $20/hour, 

that will put New Zealand right 

at the top of OECD countries 

in terms of wage protection. 

That's a big jump from where 

we've come from." 

Also attracting a lot of attention 

from Bay employers 

are mooted changes to contracting 

arrangements - an especial 

focus of attention in the 

Bay where contracting is widespread 

through the building 

industry. 

Labour has signaled that 

“dependent” contractors, who 

effectively work under the 

control of an "employer", but 

do not receive the legal protections 

employees are afforded, 

are likely to get more statutory 

protection. 

Harris Tate’s Moorcroft said 

he had no idea how the government 

would handle the issue. 

“There is a lot of established 

case law around the whole 

area of contracts. What has 

happened in the employment 

space is that employers tried to 

avoid paying employees all of 

the cost of employment. Over 

the years case law has evolved 

and there are earmarks courts 

look at in deciding whether 

this person is an employee or a 

contractor. 

“I can see the government 

trying to codify whether a person 

is an employee or a contractor. 

But they are going to 

have to be pretty careful they 

don’t undermine a genuine attempt 

by both parties to enter 

into a commercial contracting 

arrangement that benefits both 

parties. I don’t think it will be 

a quick fix.” 

Farrant said tightening contracting 

laws could give companies 

a lot less flexibility. 

“Where flexible contracts 

are in place, you can bring people 

in as and when required. I 

would image companies would 

be now thinking a little bit 

harder about whether they do 

bring someone in.” 

Kate Ashcroft, principal of 

Copeland Ashcroft Law, said 

there was already an ability 

for contractors to challenge the 

status of their relationship, and 

often whether or not they did 

so was a practical rather than 

so much a legal consideration. 

“The certainty is that employers 

will need to be taking 

a much more professional approach 

to employment matters,” 

she said. 

“The bar is being lifted 

across the board around what 

is expected of employers.” 

Another issue that has attracted 

interest locally is a 

proposal to put back reinstatement 

to employment as a primary 

remedy in grievances, 

which was removed in 2011. 

However, several local lawyers 

commented that such a change 

was unlikely to result in a significant 

increase in employee 

reinstatement, though it might 

be used as leverage to improve 

settlement terms. 

“I don’t see a lot more people 

going back into the same 

workplace,” said Harris Tate’s 

Moorcroft. “It will just another 

tool for the employment lawyers 

to use. There will be some 

cases, but generally we won’t 

see a huge uptake in that remedy.” 

Added Kate Ashcroft: 

“When the [working] relationship 

is over, neither party 

wants to go back there.” 

Other issues on the government’s 

list included implementing 

the changes to 

the Equal Pay Act, a potential 

strengthening of employees' 

collective bargaining rights, 

and the setting up of Fair Pay 

Agreements. 

The chambers Stan Gregec 

noted there was still a lot of detail 

to be come out on the full 

extent of the proposed industrial 

relations changes. 

“And to its credit the government 

does not appear to be 

rushing to make these changes,” 

he said. 

“But it's easy to see that the 

sum effect will to shift things 

more in favour of employees - 

at the expense of employers."


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VICTORIA ON THE RIVER 

Collaboration key to first major river project 

Hamilton has talked for decades about 

turning to face the river. So it’s fair to say 

Victoria on the River has been a long time 

coming. 

By RICHARD WALKER 

Once the decision was 

made to develop the 

site between Victoria 

St and the Waikato River as 

a park, however, the decades 

quickly fell away. 

The council had bought the 

2476 sq m site and commercial 

building in 2009, and in 2010 

the building was demolished, 

with the site operating as a car 

park. 

First choice was not an 

open space park, but opportunity 

came calling in the form 

of an engineering report that 

revealed the ground was unstable 

and contaminated with 

heavy metals. The cost of remediation 

would have been 

prohibitive and the council 

took its chance. 

It decided to turn the site 

into an amphitheatre-style 

park, with views across the 

Waikato River, and in December 

2015 voted to commit 

funds. Stage one, done with 

archaeological oversight, saw 

the removal of 6300 cubic metres 

of contaminated material 

in 2016. The site then sat as a 

temporary car park before the 

main contractors, Schick Civil, 

started the construction contract 

in April last year. 

Schick Civil contract manager 

Colin Vette was at the 

centre of things, on site for the 

entire contract. 

“It was a very challenging 

project to go right from greenfield 

to client handover (from 

start to finish), working with 

our committed team of staff 

and sub-contractors. It's something 

I really enjoy doing, following 

a project through.” 

Clearing the area took about 

40 days, operating four trucks 

and trailers five days a week, 

and carting more than 3000 cu 

m of material to the Hampton 

Downs controlled landfill. 

The site had once housed 

the Waikato Times, which 

had moved into the building 

in 1924, the year after it was 

constructed. The building was 

made solid - Schick Civil removed 

1500 tonnes of concrete 

Gina Hailwood, Stark Construction, Maria Barrie, Hamilton City Council 

and Colin Vette, Schick Construction at the Victoria on the River site. 

foundations. 

Unexpected was the poor 

condition of a sewer, which 

required much more work than 

anticipated. 

“We were just going to replace 

the manholes and it ended 

up being quite a major with 

gas mains and everything else. 

When that building was put 

there they didn't worry about 

boundaries too much.” 

Also memorable was uncovering 

an old steam boiler in 

one of the corners near Victoria 

Street. 

But perhaps most intriguing 

was a find from the early days: 

bottles. There were all types, 

all shapes and all colours, associated 

with a domestic residence 

which must have been 

on the site in the 1800s. 

Most were found discarded 

down the bank, probably as a 

result of people throwing their 

waste there in the 19th century. 

“The Victoria on the River 

project had evidence for 

19th century domestic activity 

and adds to our knowledge of 

Hamilton's history,” says Sian 

Keith, who was the project’s 

archaeologist. 

“The artefact assemblage 

was interesting given the number 

and variety of complete 

bottles; however the finds are 

not overly significant and fairly 

typical of what you'd expect 

to find for material discarded in 

the mid to late 19th century.” 

They included a patent 

medicine bottle, an ink bottle, 

a Black beer bottle and two 

varieties of bottle used to keep 

aerated water and soda. The 

oldest of these, a Torpedo or 

Hamilton Patent bottle, was 

being made before the 1870s, 

so would have coincided with 

the earliest years of the settlement 

of Hamilton. 

The bottles are now in the 

care of Sian Keith Archaeology 

Ltd, being analysed before 

being offered to the Waikato 

Museum. 

When Mr Vette looks at the 

park now, he can see his team’s 

handiwork everywhere. 

“We did the whole thing, 

we jackhammered, we removed 

all the contaminated 

material,” he says. “We built 

a timber boardwalk by ramming 

timber piles across and 

down to the river path and then 

used imported hardwood for 

the decking (for its longevity), 


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From page 36 

which took three months in itself. 

There was a lot of precast 

concrete which needed foundations, 

and then the laying of all 

the paving in situ concrete and 

basalt pavers.” 

The figures help tell the 

story: 

Great design the secret to VOTR 

Everyone should have an 

office view like Brian 

White’s. From his first 

floor architects’ practice in the 

Riverbank building he looks 

out across the Waikato River 

where it flows through the 

heart of Hamilton. And closer 

at hand, in fact right below, he 

looks down on the city’s newest 

park, Victoria on the River. 

It’s a great view, and one with 

a twist. Because when he does 

take a moment to look down, 

he is surveying his own work. 

He and his firm, Edwards 

White, designed the park, and 

it is a rare treat for an architect 

to be able to observe so closely 

how people use one of their 

designs. 

Some of the uses are unexpected. 

Like the particular part 

of the balustrade where, time 

and again, small groups fetch 

up, to lean and look out across 

the river and beyond. 

“Our brief was all about 

making as strong a connection 

as we could between the 

city and the river,” Brian says. 

“One of the strategies to do 

that was in the middle we've 

created an opening with no 

balustrade so you can sit on 

the seat further up the amphitheatre 

and look out across 

the river. To either side of that 

where the slope below is too 

great not to have a balustrade 

we've had to put one in. But 

that balustrade's more successful 

as a place to pause, everyone 

congregates to lean on it 

and look at the river.” 

Also unforeseen was the 

way in which the park is used 

for exercise. Fitness groups 

use it to do circuits and he 

has seen what he thinks was a 

mixed martial arts group jumping 

up the steps two at a time 

as part of their training. Lunchtime 

joggers often make it their 

starting point to get to the riverpath 

below, as do cyclists. 

What none of those people 

see is the design behind the 

space they are enjoying, at 

least not in anything like the 

detail Brian and his team see. 

The main design challenge 

was to make it a space that 

would connect the city to the 

river, and they also had the unstable 

nature of the slope down 

to the river to contend with. 

The finished design serves the 

function of helping to shore up 

the bank. 

One piece of detail: the 

code says a gradient steeper 

than one in 20 requires hand 

rails either side of the path for 

wheelchairs. The last thing 

the design team wanted was a 

great clutter of hand rails, so 

they ensured the ramps stayed 

• 194 timber piles were used 

for the boardwalk, and were 

rammed up to 7m deep. 

• 2680 linear metres of decking 

timber were fixed down 

with 18,000 stainless steel 

screws. 

• There are 672 metres of 

precast concrete retaining 

walls in the terraces. 

And, in case you were wondering, 

730kg of rock salt were 

used to provide the grip pattern 

in the in situ concrete area. 

Mr Vette was ever-present 

through the eight months of 

stage two, with a core crew of 

about seven and up to 13 on 

any given day. Also involved 

was another Hamilton-based 

firm, AECOM, the geotechnical 

engineers who had provided 

the original report showing 

the site was essentially loose 

fill. 

“It was a good project because 

of the client, the council, 

and the engineer Scott King 

(AECOM),” says Mr Vette. 

“We worked in a collaborative 

way.” 


at one in 20 as they zig zag 

down towards those balustrades, 

and to a boardwalk that 

connects directly with the river 

path itself. 

Further detail: They had 

to get the slope of the bank 

back to 38 degrees maximum 

because any steeper and it became 

too likely to slip. 

“The whole thing's designed 

so that nowhere's a dead 

end. It's all leading you, so you 

can walk in loops and people 

are using it that way. You can 

come from town down through 

the ramps and cycle straight 

down onto the main river path, 

or you can walk along the upper 

promenade 

“From our perspective it's 

just so satisfying to see people 

enjoying it. We go down there 

for lunch, it's great when you 

can enjoy the fruits of your 

work.” 

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Warner’s safe cure, old patent medicine bottle 

that promised to cure a number of ailments. 

Another early bottle of the small Black beer bottle type, a 

typical alcohol bottle that’s common on 19th century sites. 

Glass ink bottles sometimes 

referred to as 'Boat' Ink bottles. 

Collaboration key to first major river project 

From page 37 

His words are echoed by 

Hamilton City Council parks 

and recreation manager Maria 

Barrie: “This is a really good 

example where collaboration 

has produced some excellent 

results for the city,” she says. 

“It's the first significant 

project for the river plan in 

opening up Hamilton to the 

river.” 

The plantings were the 

baby of Gina Hailwood, who 

managed the project for the 

council. They start with more 

exotic plants closer to the main 

street, in keeping with the 

perennial theme on Victoria 

Street, and then become native 

as the park gets closer to the 

river. One tree, a pohutukawa 

is planted to grow large enough 

to cast welcome shade, and is 

set carefully off to the side so 

as not to obscure the view. 

Ms Hailwood was also responsible 

for the clearing of 

trees below the park to create 

the views to the river. 

She left the council for a 

job with Hamilton-based Stark 

Property late last year, but continued 

to manage the project 

through to completion. 

“It's extremely fortunate 

that we had a number of people 

working on this contract who 

are hugely passionate about 

what they were trying to deliver 

for the city,” says Ms Barrie. 

That degree of cooperation 

may have been made easier by 

the work being done by local 

firms, including Schick Civil, 

AECOM and Edwards White 

architects. 

Including the original acquisition 

of the site, Victoria 

on the River has been a $10.7 

million project that is now all 

but finished. 

“There is still a graphic to 

go on, as with any other park 

we look at how it's working, 

and make any improvements. 

One of the challenges is to 

provide the shade without 

blocking the view of the river 

that we've just opened up,” Ms 

Barrie says. 

What happens in the area 

after that depends on councillors 

and the 10-year plan. 

One option is to continue the 

boardwalk promenade along 

the back of the existing buildings 

on that side of Victoria 

St to join with Embassy Park. 

Another, longer term, would 

involve buying the buildings 

between the two parks and 

turning the whole space into a 

park. 

Meanwhile, there is no hard 

data about how much usage the 

park is getting, but anecdotally 

it is proving popular with 

locals. It will get a boost with 

a series of late summer evening 

concerts, partly funded 

by Schick Civil and the local 

business community being led 

by Agenda Waikato and Stark 

Property. 

As a Hamilton local, Mr 

Vette was delighted to play his 

part in opening up the city to 

the river, and he will definitely 

attend one or two of the concerts 

himself. 

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795 Te Rapa Road 

Hamilton, 3200 

S4870C



39 

Essence of chicory and coffee probably from 

Auckland based company Brown Barrett. 

AECOM is proud to have 

helped Hamilton City plan, 

design and implement 

Victoria on the River. 

Congratulations to all those 

involved in creating a great 

asset for the City. 

This is one of the older bottles. Its a Torpedo or a Hamilton Patent bottle. Its 

typically for aerated water or soda and is designed as such so the bottle is 

stored on its side keeping the cork wet and the seal on the bottle tight to 

ensure the liquid doesn’t go ‘flat’. In the 1870s was replaced by the Codd 

bottle (and similar patents) which allowed bottled to be stored upright. 

Codd bottle. Another type of bottle for aerated water and 

soda that replaced the Hamilton patent bottle as a way to 

store aerated liquids. This one is from Grey & Menzies Ltd. 

aecom.com/nz 

AECOM New Zealand Limited 

121 Rostrevor Street, Hamilton 3204 

PO Box 434 Waikato MC, Hamilton 3240 

T +64 7 834 8980 

Proud to be associated with HCC and Schick 

Construction with the Victoria on the River. 

We are Waikato's hard surfacing specialists, with over 

25 years of experience. Our services include Paving and 

Cobblestone installation, Flagstone installation, Plain and 

decorative concrete installation. 

designers of Victoria on the River 

If you would like a free no-obligation quote for your next 

paving or concrete job, don’t hesitate to contact Andrew from 

OE Paving & Concrete today. 

J1012P 

Photo Credit: Simon Wilson 

www.oepaving.co.nz 

027 473 4068 

andrew@oepaving.co.nz


HR MANAGEMENT AND RECRUITMENT 

Labour Inspectors cracking down on minimum standards 

– what does this mean for Employers? 

If your business depends on employing 

migrant workers, then you will want to 

ensure that you are complying with the 

minimum employment entitlements as 

defined by the Employment Relations 

Amendment Act 2016. 

These minimum entitlements include ensuring that; a 

written employment agreement is provided, at least 

minimum rates of pay are made, break entitlements 

are adhered to, annual, public holidays, sick and bereavement 

leave are provided consistent with The Holidays Act 2003, 

a safe workplace is maintained and that accurate pay and 

holiday records are retained. 

Breaching these provisions can result in infringement 

notices and/or penalties being imposed on the employer. 

A Labour Inspector, the Employment Court and/or the 

Employment Relations Authority have the power to issue 

penalties and infringement notices, or in a case where 

Filipino restaurant workers were exploited, a period of 

imprisonment and home detention may be imposed on the 

employer. 

In addition, employers who receive an infringement 

notice or penalty for less than minor breaches will be deemed 

non-compliant with New Zealand employment law and may 

then be subjected to a set stand down period. 

This stand down period will exclude an employer’s eligibility 

to support work visa applications. If the employer has 

migrant workers employed within their business at the time 

that they are deemed to be non-compliant, these migrant 

workers will be able to work up to the expiry of their work 

visa. However such workers will not be able to extend their 

work visa with the non-compliant employer. 

Stand down periods can range from six (6) months to 

two (2) years. The length of the stand down period will be 

dependent on the severity of the breach and the subsequent 

penalty imposed. For example a six (6) month stand down 

period may result in a penalty of $1000 or less, whereas a 

two (2) year stand down period may result in penalties of 

$50,000 plus. 

The intent of the stand down period is not to penalise 

those employers who have committed very minor breaches 

and who demonstrate a desire to comply with minimum 

standards. Such employers are unlikely to be subjected to a 

stand down period, however this will be assessed on a case 

by case basis. 

There are further implications for an employer who is 

subjected to a stand down period. If an employer is subject to 

a stand down period their name will be published on a stand 

down list that is readily accessible to the public. 

This list will name the employer, state what legislation 

they have breached and specify the length of the stand down 

period they are subject to. The list is updated weekly and is 

maintained by the Labour Inspectorate. 

It can be accessed globally and so the implications for 

an employer could be significant and serious, particularly 

in regards to hiring migrant workers after the expiry of the 

stand down period. 

If an employer is deemed non-compliant and subjected 

to a stand down period, they will be able to appeal 

the decision. The employer can request a hearing at the 

District Court to challenge an infringement notice or an 

Employment Relations Authority determination. To challenge 

an Employment Court decision, an employer may 

apply to the Court of Appeal for leave (permission) to appeal 

the Employment Court’s decision. 

Employers who depend on migrant workers to make up 

the majority of their staff should ensure that they are familiar 

and compliant with minimum employment standard requirements 

to avoid being subjected to a stand down period. 

If you have any questions regarding your obligations to 

meet the minimum employment legislation standards please 

feel free to contact us directly. 

This article is written by Russell Drake, of Russell Drake 

Consulting Limited, Licenced Contractors to the Employers 

and Manufacturers Association (EMA) who act exclusively 

for Employers in all employment situations, including ensuring 

businesses are meeting minimum employment legislation 

standards - see www.russelldrakeconsulting.co.nz or phone 

(07) 838 0018. 

Russell Drake Consulting 

Ph: 07 838 0018 

www.russelldrakeconsulting.co.nz 

Securing The Candidate You Want 

In today’s tight labour market, 

sourcing and securing the right staff 

certainly has its challenges. It is no 

longer as easy as putting the advert 

out in print, social media or on an 

industry page with the expectation 

that great candidates will apply. 

Competition in securing the right candidate comes from 

several sectors, the hardest one to often overcome 

is the employee’s current employer working hard to 

retain their key employee. 

This stance can take many different forms, particularly 

when the employer is taken by surprise that their employee 

is considering leaving. 

In this situation the employer may rush to offer the 

employee the “ultimate package” in anticipation that it will 

be too hard for the employee to resist. 

This may include a substantial salary/wage increase along 

with other benefits for the employee. 

The question that the recruiting employer has to 

ask themselves in this situation is: are you prepared 

to compete? 

It is important when looking to source new employees 

that you have thought out well in advance what the person 

you have in mind might be looking for; is it about the training 

and development opportunities, a change of culture, career 

development prospects or more challenge within their role/ 

career, or increased remuneration? 

To secure the right candidate into your business you need 

to be clear from the outset as to what your offer of employment 

may look like. 

In a tight labour market, differentiating what you can 

provide will be important. 

In seeking this differentiation, you will need to be flexible 

and open minded, you may need to consider something ‘outside 

the box’ to entice the person you want to move across 

to your business. 

Understanding why the candidate is looking to move, and 

what they are looking for ‘as a total package’, will assist you 

greatly in putting your final offer together. 

High-quality candidates are not going to make a change 

without considering all options and they will often have more 

than just your opportunity on the table. 

Knowing your competition, and what they might offer as 

a ‘total package’, will also be an important part to securing 

the candidate you want. 

With this in mind, given the state of the current labour 

market, you will also need to move quickly taking weeks 

to ‘work through a process’ will not be your friend in this 

situation as quality candidates are often snatched up quickly 

by other employers. 

Your work has only just begun at the conclusion of your 

interview, negotiating with the candidate will now be an even 

more important part of the process, ensuring that you can 

secure your next successful employee. 

Fegan & Co Ltd are a Specialist Recruitment Company 

who have been working with a large range of clients through 

the primary and agribusiness sectors, both in New Zealand 

and overseas, for the past 20 years. 

Our aim is to understand the needs of the clients as well 

as the candidates, and to produce ‘win-win’ employment 

solutions for both parties. 

We provide a wide range of services that focus on 

enhancing both client and candidate care which ultimately 

then results in a successful employment relationship being 

formed. 

Call us today to discuss your recruitment requirements on 

(07) 823 0105. 

Linda-Maree Drake 

Fegan & Co (2017) Limited | Phone: 07 823 0105 | www.fegan.co.nz 

J7826P 

J7826P



Are you ready for changes 

in the remuneration market? 

We have seen considerable change in the 

remuneration space over the past 12 months 

which will likely have an ongoing impact 

on pay rates in New Zealand. Specifically, 

the Care Workers Pay Equity Settlement, 

NZX Changes on the reporting of Executive 

salaries and the policy announcements made 

by the new Government. 

The first half of last year 

saw the settlement of the 

care workers pay equity 

claim, although this increase 

Cathy Hendry 

Senior consultant 

Strategic Pay 

Tauranga 

+ mob 027 498 9812 

+ cathy@strategicpay.co.nz 

was funded by the Government, 

the funding failed to 

cover the increases needed to 

maintain relativities. This one 

Nigel Murphy 

Consultant 

Strategic Pay 

Hamilton 

+ mob 027 403 1242 

+ e nigel.murphy@ 

strategicpay.co.nz 

off settlement has had ripple 

effects in the in health and not 

for profit sector with many 

organisations looking at ways 

to cover the funding shortfall 

with reports of job losses, restructures 

and even one rest 

home choosing to close operations. 

In October 2017 a new NZX 

Corporate Governance Code 

came into effect. Included in 

this code is the requirement 

for listed organisations to have 

greater transparency around 

CEO, director and senior executive 

pay. Listed organisations 

will also need to state their Remuneration 

Policy. While this 

is only directly affecting listed 

organisations, it will be interesting 

to see changes come into 

effect around the middle of this 

year when the majority of the 

Annual Reports are released. 

Greater transparency will hold 

organisations accountable for 

remuneration decisions and 

it is likely that public sector 

organisations will also adopt 

these reporting standards. 

Finally, the new Labour-led 

Government has announced 

two major initiatives which 

will directly affect pay. Firstly, 

the announcement that the 

mimum wage will increase to 

$20 p/h by 2021 and secondly 

that they are going to focus on 

closing the gender gap in the 

public sector. 

The minimum wage increases 

are a major concern for 

organisations with large numbers 

of minimum wage workwww.strategicpay.co.nz 

ers. Depending on how these 

increases are phased in, organisations 

can expect large year 

on year increases of between 

4-7 percent. What is difficult to 

determine with these increases 

is what the flow on affect will 

be. With an increase at the bottom 

of the market, there will 

need to be some movement 

further up to account for relativities. 

We won’t know the full 

affect until the increases are 

applied but we would expect to 

see increasing wage pressure 

for all organisations over the 

next 3-4 years. 

In terms of closing the gender 

pay gap, this is a topic that is 

gaining momentum and many 

private sector organisations are 

looking to address this important 

issue. Gender disparity can 

appear in both small and large 

organisations and we often find 

that it is worse where organisations 

don’t have a clear remuneration 

policy or structure. 

SMEs could also be more at 

risk as tend to grow organically. 

Typically, if an organisation 

identities the issue early on, it 

is easier to address. 

Now more than ever, it is 

important to be well informed 

in remuneration strategy and 

policy. Strategic Pay are running 

two short courses in Tauranga 

and Hamilton over the 

coming months with a focus 

on Remuneration for SME’s. 

You can register for these on 

our website www.strategicpay. 

co.nz/Workshops . 

Our Tauranga Course will 

be on Wednesday 21st March 

and our Hamilton Course will 

be on 11th April. If you would 

like to know more, please get in 

touch with your locally based 

consultant on the numbers 

Performance 

+ 

Rewards = 

Success 

Create Success by Rewarding Performance 

At Strategic Pay we understand local businesses and your unique issues. 

Talk to us about: 

• Organisational Structure and Design 

• Remuneration and Reward 

• Performance Management 

www.strategicpay.co.nz | info@strategicpay.co.nz 

Auckland 09 303 4045 Hamilton 07 834 6580 Wellington 04 473 2313 

Christchurch03 353 0909 Dunedin 03 479 0637



What exactly is employee engagement? 

The term ‘employee engagement’ has been 

bandied around for a number of years. But 

what exactly does it mean, and why is it so 

important for businesses to have engaged 

employees? 

Employee engagement 

has been defined by 

The Conference Board, 

a prestigious, non-profit business 

membership and research 

organisation located in the U.S, 

as “a heightened emotional 

connection that an employee 

feels for his or her organisation, 

that influences him or her to exert 

greater discretionary effort 

to his or her work”. 

Employee engagement 

may sound like 

another fancy human 

resource term, 

however there is solid 

evidence that shows 

that an engaged 

workforce is a 

productive workforce. 

Engagement in the workplace 

is important as there is 

clear and mounting evidence 

that high levels of employee 

engagement correlates to individual, 

group and business 

performance in areas such as 

retention, turnover, productivity, 

customer service, safety and 

loyalty. 

According to The Gallup 

Management Journal there are 

three types of employees: 

1. Engaged employees work 

with a passion and feel a 

profound connection to 

their company. They drive 

innovation and move the 

business forward. 

2. Not-engaged employees 

are essentially ‘checked 

out’. They are sleepwalking 

through their work day, putting 

time, but not energy or 

passion, into their work. 

3. Actively disengaged employees 

aren’t just unhappy 

at work they are busy acting 

out their unhappiness. Every 

day these workers undermine 

what their engaged 

co-workers accomplish. 

So what can you do to engage 

your people? There are a 

number of simple steps you can 

take that may improve employee 

engagement on a day-to-day 

basis including: 

• Talking to your employees. 

Ask them how they are, find 

out what they do outside 

work and show an interest in 

what they are doing in their 

job. 

• Develop and communicate 

your vision. People become 

motivated if they are excited 

about the purpose of a 

business and how they can 

contribute to that. 

• Be a role model. Your attitude 

and behaviour sets the 

tone. If you communicate 

positively and with energy 

your employees will respond 

to that. 

• Invest in employee development. 

Provide employees 

with the opportunity to develop 

professionally. 

• Regularly recognise and 

reward effort and results. 

This could be as simple as 

acknowledging an employee 

in a staff meeting. 

• Help your employees find a 

work and life balance. You 

may allow staff to attend 

PEOPLE AND CULTURE 

> BY DIANE HALLIFAX 

Director, Everest – All about people TM 

www.everestpeople.co.nz 

their child’s sports day or 

provide a gym membership 

as part of the employee 

package. 

Employee engagement may 

sound like another fancy human 

resource term, however there is 

solid evidence that shows that 

an engaged workforce is a productive 

workforce.


Ninety day trial period 

set to bring change to 

businesses in Waikato 

The New Zealand Government’s decision 

to restrict the use of the 90-day trial period 

for large businesses adds an extra dynamic 

for many Waikato organisations, according 

to the region’s leading recruitment firm, 

Asset Recruitment. 

Earlier this year, Prime 

Minister Jacinda Ardern 

announced businesses 

with more than 19 employees 

would be severely restricted 

with use of the 90-day trial period. 

Businesses with less than 

19 staff members would still 

be able to implement the trial 

period. 

Carmel Strange, Asset Recruitment’s 

manager and temporary 

recruitment consultant, 

says it’s one of the new Government’s 

initiatives her team had 

been keeping an eye on. “We 

follow any changes to employment-related 

legislation closely 

and this change affects many 

businesses in Waikato, especially 

those that viewed the 90-day 

period as a safety-net in their recruitment 

processes.” 

But Carmel does see a silver 

lining in the Government’s 

changes. “This is as an opportunity 

for all businesses to reflect 

on their existing HR and recruitment 

processes. Utilising the 

services of a reputable recruitment 

company ensures robust 

processes are followed which 

reduces the risk of bad hires.” 

After 25 years in the recruitment 

business we have a pretty 

good idea of what makes a good 

employee,” she says.” 

Carmel believes businesses 

can navigate the changes by 

looking for candidates with the 

‘right fit’. “Skills and experience 

are still an important part 

of any candidate but finding 

candidates who fit the culture 

of the company can help businesses 

ensure the right person 

is chosen for the job. Hard skills 

can be taught; soft skills not so 

much.” 

But Carmel says businesses 

must also take responsibility for 

creating a company culture that 

new employees are comfortable 

in. “We say to our clients 

that the success of a company’s 

culture revolves around communication, 

collaboration and 

celebration. Get these right and 

employers will notice greater 

teamwork, productivity and 

staff retention.” 

While the 90-day trial period 

is still available for businesses 

with less than 19 employees, 

Carmel says these organisations 

shouldn’t rest on their laurels. 

“Hiring the wrong person for 

the job can impact on the wider 

team. No-one wants to hire the 

wrong candidate, that’s why we 

work closely with all our clients 

to ensure we find the right candidate 

for the job.” 


Experts in Excellence 

Asset Recruitment has been leading Waikato’s recruitment 

industry for over 25 years. By aligning top candidates with 

great clients, our team makes your recruitment process simple, 

effective and rewarding. 

Carmel Strange 

Judy Davison 

Temporary & Contract Recruitment Executive & Permanent Recruitment 

E. carmel@assetrec.co.nz 

E. judy@assetrec.co.nz 

Judith Bright 

Annie Dobinson 

Permanent Recruitment 

Temporary Industrial Recruitment 

E. judith@assetrec.co.nz 

E. annie@assetrec.co.nz 

Temporary | Permanent | Executive | Industrial 

07 839 3685 | www.assetrec.co.nz 

HR MANAGEMENT 

AND RECRUITMENT 

Finding the right person for the role... 

BOOK YOUR 

SPOT IN OUR 

MAY ISSUE 

For more information contact 

the team today at 

info@nmmedia.co.nz 

or phone 07 838 1333


CELF leadership programme evolves 

A leadership development programme that 

is bringing together businesses and notfor-profits 

has new initiatives underway 

to continue their goal of increasing the 

leadership capital of Waikato. 

Publisher 

Alan Neben 

Ph: (07) 838 1333 

Mob: 021 733 536 

Email: alan@nmmedia.co.nz 

Sales director 

Deidre Morris 

Ph: (07) 838 1333 

Mob: 027 228 8442 

Email: deidre@nmmedia.co.nz 

Editor 

Geoff Taylor 

Ph: (07) 838 1333 

Mob: 022 694 1595 

Email: geoff@nmmedia.co.nz 

Production manager 

Tania Hogg 

Ph: (07) 838 1333 

Email: production@nmmedia.co.nz 

Graphic designer 

Kelly Milne 

Ph: (07) 838 1333 

Email: kelly@nmmedia.co.nz 

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES 

Please contact: 

Business development manager 

Jody Anderson 

Ph: (07) 838 1333 

Mob: 027 236 7912 

Email: jody@nmmedia.co.nz 

Advertising account managers 

Joanne Poole 

Ph: (07) 838 1333 

Mob: (021) 507 991 

Email: joanne@nmmedia.co.nz 

Suzanne Capon 

Ph: (07) 838 1333 

Mob: (022) 309 9336 

Email: suzanne@nmmedia.co.nz 

ELECTRONIC FORWARDING 

Editorial: 

News releases/Photos/Letters: 

geoff@nmmedia.co.nz 

Production: 

Copy/Proofs: 

production@nmmedia.co.nz 

Subscriptions: 

accounts@nmmedia.co.nz 

12 Mill Street, Hamilton PO Box 1425, 

Hamilton, 3240. Ph: (07) 838 1333 

Fax: (07) 838 2807 | www.nmmedia.co.nz 

The Community and 

Enterprise Leadership 

Foundation (CELF) is 

working to build future leaders 

who can create a stronger 

Waikato from a social, environmental, 

cultural and economic 

perspective. 

Each year CELF welcomes 

a new cohort of 20 participants 

to a nine-month programme. 

The model is structured so that 

there are 10 business participants 

and 10 community organisations, 

which allows both 

groups to engage, learn from 

one another and grow alongside 

each other. 

Since its inception in 2014, 

CELF’s Board has grown. It 

now includes founding trustees 

Prolife Foods founder 

Bernie Crosby, current chair 

of Prolife Foods David Irving, 

Stainless Design founder John 

LIQUIDATE IT 

Corporate undertakers 

Company liquidations and restructures 

Kelera Nayacakalou 

BMS, LLM (Honours) 

021 0577198 www.liquidateit.co.nz 

Cook, and Waikato University 

Associate Professor Peter Sun. 

In 2017, CELF alumni 

Raewyn Jones and Susan 

Trodden joined the team of 

trustees, along with Malcolm 

Phillipps who is Waikato Management 

School’s director of 

external Eengagement. 

Peter Sun said it was a privilege 

to have Raewyn and Susan 

join the team as they were 

a part of the first cohort. So 

they were there when CELF 

began and had grown with 

CELF. Raewyn is the manager 

of Wel Energy Trust and Susan 

is the chief executive of Orchestras 

Central. 

As of 2018, Malcolm has 

taken over as chair of CELF 

from John Cook. Peter says 

John’s contribution as the 

chair has been invaluable and 

CELF’s success has been because 

of his leadership. 

“Now it is a case of institutionalising, 

so we can take 

our goals to the next level,” he 

said. 

CELF has now employed 

a post-doctorate researcher 

Sudong Shang, who will help 

tailor their existing leadership 

programme to incorporate the 

latest best practice through international 

and local research. 

That research will be embedded 

in the CELF Elevate 

programme. Sudong comes 

from a background of organisational 

psychology, and has 

researched extensively in the 

area of work life balance. 

“We are constantly looking 

at ways of upgrading knowledge 

and ways of thinking 

about leadership,” said Peter. 

He said CELF’s partnership 

with the university, which began 

upon CELF’s inception, 

had further strengthened with 

the creation of a centre for 

leadership, located at the university 

campus and where the 

researcher is based. 

The idea for the centre 

is to bring in knowledge of 

leadership research and to 

understand new ideas of what 

leadership is. The centre will 

not only engage with research 

but also play a pivotal role in 

bridging the interface between 

research and practise. 

“CELF is involved in enhancing 

the leadership potential 

of the Waikato region, so 

it’s important that we bring 

in cutting edge knowledge of 

what leadership is all about… 

to make sure we bring in the 

latest research in leadership,” 

said Peter. 

CELF wants to broaden its 

horizon by coming up with 

new programmes. Peter said 

they are now looking at creating 

a programme targeted at 

“the younger generation”. 

They want to develop a 

programme for working millennials, 

who are post-graduates 

and are fresh in the workplace 

or have been working for 

a couple of years. 

“We want them to take the 

programme leadership skills 

and connections through with 

them as they grow,” he said. 

While there hadn’t been 

any structural changes to the 

CELF Elevate programme, the 

topics participants study do 

get refreshed and the different 

cohorts visit different organisations 

as part of their programme 

of learning site visits. 

He said CELF also wants 

to establish better engagement 

between the cohorts. 

“We have had three cohorts 

How is your parenting style affecting 

your teenager? 

As a parent, are you a 

helicopter, lawnmower, 

truck and trailer or microlite 

in your approach? 

Parenting teenagers is incredibly 

challenging. In my 18 

years as both a headmaster and 

rector at two different schools, 

I have come across many different 

parenting styles and in 

my mind there are five categories. 

Firstly, missing in action – 

parents who, sometimes as the 

result of a marital break-up, 

work commitments or just an 

inability to relate to teenagers, 

‘go AWOL’ at key stages 

in their child’s life. Potential 

behaviours from the child as a 

result of this style are inappropriate 

social conduct outside of 

school, attention seeking and a 

lack of sibling self-esteem. 

A complete opposite to this 

is the helicopter – parents who 

are continually ‘hovering’ over 

the top of their child, constantly 

relaying messages about 

the direction they should take 

The key point is that 

we cannot be one 

type of parent at all 

times, otherwise, we 

aren’t really doing our 

true job of mentoring, 

providing boundaries, 

and making our 

children accountable 

for their actions. 

and quickly ‘landing’ to rescue 

their child from any perceived 

threats. The child as a result 

displays learned helplessness, 

a lack of independence, 

self-confidence and poor resilience 

and grit. 

A more aggressive style is 

lawnmower – parents who are 

prepared to push their child as 

hard as they can through even 

the toughest conditions to get 

what they perceive is the ‘best 

outcome’ for them. As the 

child gets older, they often get 

negative ‘push back’ generating 

either rebellion or disengagement 

from the activity or 

goal, as they don’t see that they 

own the issue. 

Truck and trailer – parents 

who are attached at the hip to 

their child. They have a close 

relationship, but pay for it in 

the long run. Their child hasn’t 

THOUGHTS FROM AN EDUCATOR 

> BY GRANT LANDER 

CELF board member, 

Waikato University Associate 

Professor Peter Sun. 

and we need to work out how 

we can get that connection 

across them all. Each year of 

cohorts could be considered a 

generation of CELF, so how 

do we connect them across 

each other inter-generationally?” 

Grant Lander is the Headmaster at St Paul’s Collegiate School 

in Hamilton. Email: stpauls@stpauls.school.nz 

experienced the boundaries or 

restrictions that they would 

often appreciate in order to 

excuse themselves from things 

they don’t, in their heart, feel 

that comfortable with; they 

view their parent as a ‘mate’ 

and when told ‘no’, don’t see 

why they should obey. 

Lastly, Microlite – parents 

who circle overhead, sometimes 

behind and other times 

ahead of their child. Not in 

constant contact, but have the 

ability to ‘call up’ or even land 

if needed. Potential outcomes 

is that while their child knows 

someone is present to help, 

they need to do it on their own. 

This approach encourages independence, 

resilience and decision-making. 

As parents, we all know 

that certain situations dictate 

different strategies that need to 

be adopted for a circumstance 

at hand. Sometimes we have 

to be hands-on and exercise 

control; other times absent to 

give them the space to get on 

with it. The key point is that we 

cannot be one type of parent at 

all times, otherwise, we aren’t 

really doing our true job of 

mentoring, providing boundaries, 

and making our children 

accountable for their actions. 

Your teenager, above all, 

craves fairness, transparency, 

consistency and guidance. We 

are working in a very dynamic 

time with constant change 

all around us. No one really 

gave us any lessons on parenting 

teenagers, but we need to 

be aware of the potential outcomes 

of our decision-making, 

or at times lack of, on the current 

lives and future pathway 

of our children. 

“We don’t just 

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45 

Changes afoot to combat profit shifting 

This time last year, we discussed the New 

Zealand Government’s intentions to adopt 

recommendations from the Organisation for 

Economic Cooperation and Development 

(OECD) in relation to BEPS(Base Erosion 

and Profiting Shifting). 

The new Government endorsed 

these proposals in 

December by introducing 

the Taxation (Neutralising Base 

Erosion and Profit Shifting) Bill 

into Parliament. 

If enacted as proposed, the 

provisions could come into 

effect from July 1 this year or 

in the case of the new deemed 

permanent establishment rules, 

from the date of enactment. 

Base erosion and profit 

shifting (BEPS) encompasses 

tax planning strategies used to 

exploit gaps and mismatches 

between countries’ tax rules to 

shift profits to low or no-tax jurisdictions. 

Although the provisions introduced 

in the December bill 

are aimed at large multinationals, 

they could affect any business 

that engages in cross-border 

transactions. 

The provisions proposed in 

the Bill will prevent multinationals 

from using: 

- Artificially high interest rates 

on loans from related parties; 

- Cross jurisdiction hybrid 

mismatch arrangements to 

achieve an advantageous tax 

position; 

- Artificial arrangements to 

circumvent having a taxable 

presence (or ‘permanent establishment’) 

in New Zea- 

land; and 

- Related-party transactions 

to shift profits offshore in a 

manner that does not reflect 

the economic activity undertaken 

in each jurisdiction. 

We briefly outline these key 

proposals below. 

The Bill proposes to implement 

a ‘restricted transfer pricing 

rule’ to price related-party 

debt (for borrowings more than 

$10m). It will require borrowings 

from an offshore-related 

party to be priced using a credit 

rating one notch lower than the 

ultimate parent’s credit rating, 

and any features not typically 

found in third-party debt must 

be removed. 

As currently drafted, the 

legislation is complicated and 

complying with it could result 

in high compliance costs and 

cross-border interest rate mismatches. 

Hybrid mismatches typically 

arise where a payment is 

deductible in one jurisdiction, 

but the receipt is not taxable in 

another. The new rules will either 

deny deductions or trigger 

taxable income. If enacted when 

proposed, New Zealand will be 

the second country globally to 

adopt these rules, which could 

result in transitional cases where 

the New Zealand rules apply, 

until the other country has enacted 

the rules. 

The Bill will change the way 

thin capitalisation ratios are calculated 

which could lead to further 

restrictions on the deductibility 

of interest and excessive 

debt levels. For example, the 

debt percentage under the thin 

capitalisation regime is currently 

calculated based on an entity’s 

interest-bearing debt relative 

to its gross assets. The Bill 

will require an entity’s asset value 

to be reduced by the amount 

of its “non-debt liabilities”, such 

as trade payables. 

A deemed permanent establishment 

(PE) rule targeted at 

large multinational groups who 

have a total global turnover of 

more than €750 million will be 

introduced. If a member of the 

group conducts sales activities 

in New Zealand on behalf of a 

non-resident, the non-resident 

is deemed to have a PE in New 

Zealand thereby triggering a 

New Zealand tax liability. These 

rules will apply regardless of 

any applicable Double Tax 

Agreement (DTA), unless the 

DTA incorporates the OECD’s 

latest PE article, which has a 

similar scope. 

Finally, the BEPS Bill extends 

the reach of the transfer 

pricing regime and will enable 

Inland Revenue to adopt a more 

stringent approach. 

The concept of a “control 

group” – a group that acts together 

or in concert to effectively 

control a taxpayer – will be 

introduced. 

New Zealand companies 

owned by investors in the same 

control group will become subject 

to the transfer pricing regime. 

IRD will also be able to disregard 

or displace legal arrangements 

where the commercial rational 

and economic substance 

are uncommercial. The onus of 

proof will also shift to the taxpayer 

to prove arrangements are 

on an arm’s length basis, rather 

than the Inland Revenue having 

TAXATION AND THE LAW 

> BY HAYDEN FARROW 

Hayden Farrow is a PwC Executive Director based in the 

Waikato office. Email: hayden.d.farrow@nz.pwc.com 

to disprove it. 

Inland Revenue has estimated 

that the new proposals could 

raise $200 million per year, but 

they are extremely complex, 

far-reaching and will affect numerous 

businesses. 

With the proposed enactment 

date less than five months 

away, there is not much time for 

taxpayers to prepare. 

We recommend becoming 

familiar with the proposed provisions 

and evaluating how they 

will impact your business. 

The comments in this article 

of a general nature and should 

not be relied on for specific cases. 

Taxpayers should seek specific 

advice. 

New provisional tax option 

for small business 

Provisional tax is about to be made a 

whole lot easier for small businesses. 

Inland Revenue (IR) is urging businesses 

with annual turnover under $5 million 

to talk with their accounting software provider 

or tax agent about a new option that allows 

them to pay provisional tax only when they are 

making a profit. 

The Accounting Income Method or AIM 

makes managing cash flows simpler because 

provisional tax payments are based on the 

business’ actual results. 

Inland Revenue’s deputy commissioner for 

transformation Greg James says IR has created 

a product that takes away the guesswork. 

“The beauty of AIM is that your tax payments 

are in line with your business cycles and 

if you go into loss you can collect your refund 

of overpaid provisional tax immediately.” 

A series of webinars are being hosted to explain 

how it all works. 

Three accounting software providers will 

be offering AIM as part of their package – 

MYOB, Reckon and Xero. 

“You don’t have to be a tax genius to make 

the calculation,” Mr James says. “The accounting 

software does all the work. 

“We think this could make life easier for 

tens of thousands of small businesses but now 

is the time to check if it suits your circumstances. 

We suggest they talk it over with their 

tax professional or software provider.” 

Find out more and sign up for an AIM webinar 

at www.ird.govt.nz/AIM


CONFERENCE, EVENTS AND VENUES 

Novotel refurbishment takes shape 

Novotel Tainui Hamilton is currently 

undertaking a significant refurbishment of 

all its bathrooms. The complete renovation 

of its 177 rooms includes the addition of 

dual shower heads (with one rain shower) 

and an emphasis on space and lighting. 

The remodelled look is 

classy with a contemporary 

design featuring 

black tiles in the shower and 

white tiles throughout the rest 

of the bathroom with a nice 

hint of soft woods. 

In thirty of the rooms, 

showers are being set up over 

baths to cater for the leisure 

market & sports groups and 

for those of us who like to enjoy 

a soak after a long day. 

The refurbishment which 

began in September last year 

is expected to be completed at 

the end of May, ready for the 

annual Fieldays and is having 

minimal disruption to guests. 

Wedding and conference 

packages 

Novotel & Ibis Tainui Hamilton 

will hold open days on 

Friday 13 and Saturday 14 

April to showcase their wedding 

facilities, meeting and 

events space as well as our 

newly refurbished hotel bathrooms. 

All are welcome to 

visit from noon to 5 pm Friday 

and 9-1pm on Saturday. 

During the open days we will 

be providing information on 

our attractive wedding and 

conference packages. 

The hotels’ special wedding 

packages are available 

from just $60 per person 

and day delegate conference 

packages at $57 per person. 

These packages have optional 

theming and a beverage package 

upgrade is available. The 

venues can seat up 180 people 

banquet style and event organisers 

can work alongside talented 

chefs and local vendors 

to bring their big day to life or 

take that conference event to a 

new level. 

The Ibis offers natural light 

in its conference rooms and a 

stunning view of the Waikato 

River for those much needed 

break times. 

Both hotels offer discounted 

accommodation for guests 

attending in-house conferencing 

and events which make’s 

for a classy, convenient and 

central location. 

You can also take advantage 

of our popular loyalty 

programme, Le Club Meeting 

Planner. This is free to join and 

allows you to receive globally 

recognised bonuses. Points 

are accumulated from conferencing, 

events and accommodation 

bookings. Points can 

be used for hotel vouchers, air 

points or you can donate them. 

Ask us how. 

Tainui Hamilton 

An Invitation to 

Explore our 

World 

Hotel Open Day 

We wish to invite you to join us to discover our beautiful hotel at one of our open days. 

Come and explore our dynamic, modern venues with multiple wedding 

and event set ups and recent bathroom renovations available to view. 

This is also a wonderful opportunity to meet our friendly team. 

Friday, 13 April 

From 12 noon until 5pm 

or 

Saturday, 14 April 

From 9am until 1pm 

For more information: 

Tel. 07 957 8009 or Email. H2159-sb3@accor.com 

Novotel Tainui Hamilton 

7 Alma Street, Hamilton City



YOUR DESTINATION FOR ALL YOUR FUNCTIONS, AFTER WORK 

DRINKS OR JUST A CASUAL DINING EXPERIENCE 

The Helm is and always will be 

Hamiltons Hospitality destination 

07 839 2545 

22 Ulster Street, Hamilton 

Email Us info@thehelm.co.nz 

Open: 

Monday - Friday, 12pm - Late 

Saturday - Sunday, 11am - Late



Redeveloped Te Rapa Racecourse 

perfect for events 

With newly refurbished function rooms, 

Te Rapa Racecourse is here to help you 

put on a truly amazing event or gathering. 

Whether you need space for a corporate 

meeting, a training course, a celebration 

or a trade show, Te Rapa Racecourse will 

have a function space to suit your needs. 

Best known for thoroughbred 

racing right 

in the heart of Waikato, 

the Te Rapa Racecourse has 

also gathered quite the reputation 

as an events venue. A 

lot of people may remember 

their school ball, 21st or trade 

shows that took place at the 

hugely popular grand Centennial 

Lounge. Having been 

refurbished 20 years ago, the 

Centennial Lounge is still a 

great space for large scale 

shows, fairs and events. 

Recently three function 

rooms have undergone complete 

renovations, now allowing 

Te Rapa Racecourse to 

offer modern unique function 

spaces to groups or corporates 

for their next big event. 

An event at Te Rapa Racecourse 

is one that will be hassle 

free. The grounds are situated 

in a prime location only 

minutes from the city centre, 

offer up to a 1000 free onsite 

carparks and the venue 

has plenty of flexible catering 

options that can be tailored to 

your event. 

The Colours Lounge situated 

on the ground floor is a 

great space for a celebratory 

event or a presentation venue. 

The recently refurbished space 

can seat up to 180 people and 

also has the capacity for 250 

people for an unseated event. 

This unique space offers indoor-outdoor 

flow with large 

bi-fold doors that open up to a 

big courtyard and a deck that 

overlooks the finishing line 

of the racecourse, a great outdoor 

space for mingling and 

networking. 

The Kentucky Lounge and 

Herbie Dyke Lounge have 

been redesigned with simplicity 

in mind, the modern features 

of this room including 

lounger booths, a bar, sound 

systems and flat screen televisions 

make it perfect for your 

next corporate gathering. The 

room is also attached to the 

Herbie Dyke Lounge which is 

a great space for training and 

up-skilling courses or as an 

overflow room. Connected to 

the grandstand, this room also 

allows easy access to an outdoor 

area for your guests. 

The Fosters Lounge has 

been beautifully redesigned 

making it a truly spectacular 

space to hold your corporate 

and private celebratory functions. 

The room has the capacity 

to host up to 220 people 

for a seated event or up 

to 400 people for an unseated 

event. For any formal event, 

the Fosters lounge would be 

your best pick, offering a large 

space with two outdoor covered 

decks offering stunning 

views over the racecourse and 

grandstand. The room’s centralised 

bar makes the Fosters 

Lounge a great space for entertaining. 

Whether you want to 

bring a band in to the Colours 

Lounge’s deck or a bouncy 

castle onto the grounds, you 

will be able to do it at Te Rapa 

Racecourse. Keeping location, 

flexibility and accessibility all 

in mind, makes the newly refurbished 

function spaces at 

Te Rapa Racecourse the perfect 

place to keep on track for 

your next big event. 

GET ON 

TRACK FOR 

2018! 

Te Rapa Racecourse, best known for thoroughbred racing in the Waikato, has 

undergone renovations and now offers six unique function spaces over three 

levels to suit groups from 10 to 400 people. Located minutes from the city center, 

convenience of free onsite parking for up to 1000 cars, on-site catering options 

and nearby local accommodation makes any event at Te Rapa hassle free. 

We offer: 

Modern & Comfortable Spaces • On-site Parking • Free WIFI • Flexible Catering 

Options • Great Views • Set Up • Audio Visual Equipment • Audio Visual Expert 

For more information or to book contact us on 

(07) 849 2839 or email info@teraparacing.co.nz 

www.teraparacing.co.nz 

J4383A



Leave the office behind and meet at 

the award-winning Hamilton Gardens 

Liven up your next meeting by escaping 

the office and heading to the Hamilton 

Gardens. Our steampunk inspired airship 

provides the perfect backdrop for a group 

photo, or perhaps take a guided tour of the 

recently opened riverside Concept Garden. 

Our Meeting Room is 

one of Hamilton’s newest 

meeting spaces. It 

has become a popular space for 

smaller gatherings, workshops 

and training sessions with its 

adaptable layout that seats 12 

boardroom style or 18 theatre 

style. Hire includes HD television, 

whiteboard and space for 

catering. 

For larger gatherings, the 

refurbished Chartwell Room 

hosts up to 150 people. The 

space is now a desired location 

for meetings, seminars and 

public lectures after a refurbishment 

which included new 

décor, commercial air-conditioning 

and high-quality AV 

equipment. 

We offer an affordable day 

delegate package which includes 

refreshments on arrival, 

morning tea, lunch, afternoon 

tea and venue hire for only $45 

per person (minimum of 20 

people required). 

Additionally, for events that 

need an even larger space, the 

Exhibition Hall and Central 

Court provide a multipurpose 

space with views towards the 

gardens. Perfect for large dinners, 

shows, expos and conventions. 

For a unique touch, choose 

to have your refreshments in 

any of our gardens. Afternoon 

tea overlooking the Italian Renaissance 

Garden, or perhaps 

the Indian Char Bagh beside 

the mighty Waikato River. 

Please chat to us about hosting 

an event in one of our themed 

gardens. 

Hamilton Gardens is located 

beside SH1 and is easily accessible 

for out of town attendees. 

We are close to Hamilton 

Airport and offer plenty of free 

parking for your guests. Service 

lanes provide direct access 

to the Hamilton Gardens 

Pavilion for ease of pack in/out 

of your event. 

Contact our bookings team 

to assist with your next event. 

Phone: 07 958 5940



Why choose Mystery Creek? 

When planning an event one of the most 

fundamental decisions you will make is 

your venue. Not only does it set the scene 

for your guests, but choosing the right 

venue is crucial for a successful gathering. 

Waikato offers many venues; however none 

quite like Mystery Creek. 

Situated on 114 hectares of 

park like grounds just 15 

minutes from Hamilton 

CBD and two minutes from 

Hamilton Airport, Mystery 

Creek is a blank canvas waiting 

for your imagination. Our 

team is passionate about work- 

ing with you to create a world 

class event your guests won’t 

forget. The convenient location, 

ample free parking and 

versatility of the site means the 

possibilities are endless. 

Mystery Creek features 

spaces to suit any function requirement, 

giving us the unique 

ability to cater to anything 

from a 100-person industry 

dinner to a 50,000-person festival. 

From the Mystery Creek 

Pavilion to the Bledisloe and 

Heritage Village buildings, we 

have the perfect space to meet 

your requirements. The versatile 

spaces and function rooms 

are the ideal choice for business 

meetings, expos, festivals, 

performances, school events 

and balls, private events, fundraising 

dinners and more. 

Our site includes ample 

toilets and showers, a fully-equipped 

kitchen and seating. 

Top acoustic specifications 

means your event will 

sound as good as it looks, with 

a full range of technical support 

services available. Working 

alongside Waikato’s finest 

vendors, we have the flexibility 

and experience to help with every 

aspect of your event, from 

catering through to theming. 

With the ability to provide 

for all weather conditions, 

hosting an event takes the 

stress off you with contingencies 

available to ensure your 

event is a success. 

Discover our diverse venue 

and arrange an appointment 

with our events team today by 

emailing info@mysterycreek. 

co.nz or visiting www.mysterycreek.co.nz. 

Mystery Creek Events Centre 

Unique, Creative, Dynamic 

Why choose Mystery Creek Event Centre? 

Situated on 114 hectares of natural surrounds beside the Waikato River, Mystery Creek Events Centre has worldclass 

facilities, ample parking and a flexible and professional events team. 

With extensive knowledge and experience the team can guide you through all aspects of your event from the inital 

inquiry through to pack-out. 

Contact our event specialists 

+64 7 843 4497 

info@mysterycreek.co.nz 

www. mysterycreek.co.nz 

Mystery Creek Event Centre offers both indoor and outdoor space, giving the unique ability to cater for anything from 

small / medium / large functions, conferences, trade shows to large scale dinners or a 50,000-person festival. From 

the Mystery Creek Pavilion to the Heritage Village, we have the perfect space to ensure your next event is a success.



Zealong’s unique blend of nature 

and award-winning hospitali-tea 

Eighteen months on from its official 

opening by then-Prime Minister Sir John 

Key, The Vista at Zealong Tea Estate has 

become a Waikato icon. 

From its striking boutique 

retail store, to its luxury 

Executive Suite, the New 

Zealand Commercial Project 

Award-winning building has 

quickly become a firm favourite 

with private and corporate 

function organisers in search 

of a stunning indoor/outdoor 

venue. 

Surrounded by the 1.2 million 

tea bushes which make 

up New Zealand’s only commercial 

tea estate, Zealong’s 

venue spaces offer uninterrupted 

views of the breathtaking 

Waikato heartland, while situated 

only three minutes from 

Hamilton. 

The Vista 

The Vista’s flexible floor plan 

offers a variety of room configurations 

to cater for a range 

of events. Ideal for banquets, 

weddings, seminars and conferences, 

the wall-to-wall sliding 

doors open out onto an expansive 

garden area perfect for 

networking, mingling, or even 

a team-building boot camp. 

The Executive Suite 

A class above all other: inspired 

by award winning designs 

from around the world, 

this is one of Waikato’s most 

elegant and unique venues. 

The tranquil boardroom is 

the perfect setting for business 

meetings or private dinners, 

with its own library and 

kitchen. 

Located on the top level 

of The Vista, the boardroom 

opens onto a private deck for 

the perfect unobstructed view 

of the entire estate while retaining 

exclusivity. 

The Pavilion 

Opened in 2010, The Pavilion 

is an award-winning standalone 

private function facility 

nestled adjacent to the Zealong 

Tea House. 

Sliding doors open The 

Pavilion out onto a terrace 

with spectacular views, offering 

a secluded setting for 

any celebration or corporate 

event. 

The Experience 

Arrive in style by helicopter, 

take in the unparalleled views, 

and enjoy authentic tea-infused 

cuisine beautifully crafted by 

our team of experienced chefs. 

Why not add a guided tour 

of the estate to your event for 

a unique team activity, and 

sample the Global Championship-winning, 

certified organic 

tea produced on-site? 

Contact Zealong’s Qualmark-assured 

and Trip Advisor-certified 

team to find out 

how they can turn your event 

into an experience. 

events@zealong.co.nz | 07 

854 0988 ext 215 | www.zealong.com 

CONFERENCE, 

EVENTS AND 

VENUES 

BOOK YOUR SPOT IN 

OUR MAY ISSUE 

For more information 

contact the team today 

at info@wbn.co.nz or 07 838 1333 

CONFERENCES · PRIVATE DINING · LIBRARY · EXECUTIVE BOARDROOM 

Zealong Tea Estate Ltd • 495 Gordonton Road, Hamilton 3281 • Ph 07 854 0988 • events@zealong.co.nz • www.zealong.com


CONFERENCE AND EVENTS 

The power of 

events extends 

beyond the gates 

TELLING WAIKATO’S STORY 

> BY JASON DAWSON 

Chief Executive, 


80425 

Here at Aaron Court Motor Inn we are proud to offer you 

a choice of conference venues, catering, equipment and 

accommodation options for your conference requirements. 

Half Day meeting room rates available 

Contact the team at Aaron Court Motor Inn to discuss 

your next Hamilton conference or meeting. 

07 838 2599 | info@aaroncourt.co.nz 

2018 has kicked off and we have a number 

of events happening around the region this 

summer. 

Events not only attract 

visitors from beyond our 

region and help grow the 

economy, they also bring to 

excitement, culture and entertainment 

that residents want in 

Waikato. 

Our first major event for the 

year, the HSBC New Zealand 

Sevens, was a sell-out two-day 

tournament with 23,600 fans 

filling FMG Stadium Waikato 

each day. With more than 40 

percent of ticket sales from outside 

Hamilton, the city and region 

benefited with an influx of 

visitors over the weekend. 

Major events can play 

a key role in helping 

cities and regions 

achieve their longterm 

economic and 

social aspirations. 

Waikato’s hospitality, accommodation, 

retail, tourism 

and transport sectors will be 

among the biggest beneficiaries, 

plus locals will get the 

chance to share in the excitement 

through fan and community 

engagement activities. 

Media opportunities presented 

by the tournament’s 

broadcast and digital coverage 

helped shine a spotlight on the 

city and region as an attractive 

destination for potential visitors 

and create a ‘halo’ affect that 

will encourage and drive future 

travel. 

Athletes and support crew 

arrived in the region a week 

before the tournament and we 

assisted them in experiencing 

some of our iconic visitor attractions 

like Hamilton Gardens, 

Hobbiton Movie Set and 

Waitomo Caves, as well as 

other ‘hidden gems’ across the 

region while they were here. 


has begun developing the 

region’s first Major Events 

Strategy which will be a significant 

game-changer for Waikato. 

Expanding existing major, 

regional, niche and community 

events - and developing new 

ones – not only benefits existing 

tourism businesses, they 

also enable the development of 

infrastructure, accommodation, 

transport, hospitality and attractions. 

It is important to develop 

an events programme that 

smooths seasonal fluctuations 

in the visitor industry, providing 

increased, more reliable 

employment and greater returns 

to business owners. 

Fieldays is currently Waikato's 

only major annual multiday 

event that attracts significant 

numbers of visitors from 

outside the region. A key objective 

for the Major Events 

Strategy will be to identify and 

facilitate two or more major 

shoulder or off-season events 

like the HSBC New Zealand 

Sevens. 

Major events can play a key 

role in helping cities and regions 

achieve their long-term 

economic and social aspirations. 

The four main benefits 

associated with events are: 

1. Economic benefits: 

Events can deliver immediate 

economic benefits by bringing 

new money into the economy. 

This can occur through the 

event sourcing income from 

outside the region to deliver 

the event, resulting in additional 

business-to-business expenditure 

in the economy. The 

event also attracts visitors who 

spend money in the region resulting 

in additional consumer 

spend. 

2. City and regional 

branding: 

Hosting major events can have 

a significant impact on a region 

and its image. It’s a cost-effective 

way of promoting the 

region to a wide audience of 

potential visitors, investors and 

new residents. 

3. Social well-being: 

As well as their short-term 

benefits, events make regions 

more vibrant and interesting 

places to live, bringing people 

and communities together and 

giving them a sense of identity 

and belonging. 

4. Legacy benefits: 

Elevating the host’s global 

stature and accelerating its 

economic and social development, 

major events can be a 

significant catalyst for change. 

Regions have used major 

events to give focus to their 

priorities such as fast-tracking 

city infrastructure or developing 

long-term business and 

trade connections. 

We hope you have enjoyed 

or are ready to enjoy at 

least one of our portfolio of 

events this summer – from the 

HSBC New Zealand Sevens 

or Soundsplash, through to the 

Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival 

or Balloons Over Waikato. 

Have fun and be proud to live 

in the mighty Waikato!

CONFERENCE AND EVENTS 


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• Networking opportunities 

• Source new clients and suppliers 

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(go to www.businessexpo.biz for details) 

THE EXPO THAT GETS BUSINESS DONE 

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Waikato job seekers more 

likely to start a business 

Waikato people looking for a career change 

are more likely than others in New Zealand 

to consider starting their own business or 

side venture. 

They are also less likely 

to be looking for a career 

change than people 

around the rest of the country 

and report the highest level of 

passion about their current career. 

A nationwide study by 

SEEK found that more than 

half (52 percent) of working 

age New Zealanders are considering 

a career change – with 

two in five (40 percent) of this 

group planning on making it 

happen in 2018. 

Many identified lack of fulfillment 

as the reason. 

In three of the four major 

regions surveyed, people believe 

applying for jobs is the 

best way to start their career 

change. 

The exception is in Waikato 

where more people would begin 

a business or side venture 

as their main way to initiate a 

career change. 

Overall, 81 percent of people 

consider volunteering a 

credible way to build experience, 

however those who 

would do it themselves as part 

of a career change is significantly 

lower. These differences 

are most marked in Waikato 

and Canterbury where the highest 

proportion of respondents 

would follow the volunteering 

path for a career option. 

The pull of doing something 

more fulfilling and pursuing 

their passions is the most 

common catalyst for change 

for 21 percent of respondents, 

outweighing the rewards of improving 

their earning potential 

(17 percent) or better work-life 

balance (10 percent). 

More than half (53 percent) 

of people considering a career 

change would be willing to take 

a lower level position to do so, 

Step up for 

cancer relay 

a figure at its lowest in Auckland 

(47 percent) and highest in 

Wellington at 62 percent. 

Of those contemplating a 

change, the majority (77 percent) 

of respondents are confident 

that this will in fact happen. 

More than half (58 percent) 

expect to completely change 

both job role and industry, 

Volunteering is a 

highly credible way 

to build experience, 

broaden your 

professional network 

and demonstrate 

transferable skills 

like communication, 

problem solving and 

also willingness to 

learn. 

while others would move to a 

similar role in a different industry 

(26 percent) or a different 

role in the same industry (16 

percent). 

Concerningly for those who 

want to bring their plans to fruition, 

fewer than half of respondents 

overall (43 percent) know 

where to start making a career 

change, a finding which is accentuated 

among those aged 55 

years or older (31 percent). 

The most commonly identified 

barriers to change include 

financial commitments (21 percent), 

fear of the unknown (21 

percent), family commitments 

(17 percent) and thinking employers 

would not hire them 

(17 percent). 

‘There is a clear mood for 

change among half of Kiwi 

employees but a significant 

number of people don’t have a 

plan how to make the next step 

a meaningful one,” says SEEK 

New Zealand general manager 

Janet Faulding. 

“Volunteering is a highly 

credible way to build experience, 

broaden your professional 

network and demonstrate 

transferable skills like communication, 

problem solving and 

also willingness to learn. 

“Young people especially 

should identify the skills they 

gain from participating in unpaid 

activities, including those 

based around a community and 

sports groups. Beyond just stating 

the organisations they volunteer 

with, include the skills 

you have acquired through this 

experience on your resumes 

and SEEK Profiles,” she says. 

While almost two thirds 

(64 percent) of people are passionate 

about their current role, 

fewer (44 percent) feel they are 

reaching their full potential in 

it. More than half (56 percent) 

feel like they’ve ‘settled’ in 

their current job or career. 

Just 5 percent of people believe 

in speaking to their current 

employer about their plans 

as their main way of making a 

career change. Those aged 35- 

54 are less likely to talk to their 

employer as their main way of 

making a career change compared 

with the national average 

(2 percent versus 5 percent). 

“The SEEK research highlights 

the opportunity for businesses 

and people managers 

to create workplace cultures 

where career objectives are 

freely discussed. Losing valued 

employees comes at great cost 

and disruption to New Zealand 

businesses and if a culture encourages 

conversations about 

career aspirations, managers 

can support employees in their 

career objectives, retaining 

great people and helping them 

reach their potential” says Janet. 

Among Kiwis who have 

previously changed career, the 

study also found that those 

aged 18-34 years old are more 

likely to have made their career 

change in the last 12 months 

compared with the national 

average (43% vs 23%), while 

those aged 35-54 years old 

were less likely to have done so 

(17% vs 23%). 

“Our research shows that 

embarking on a new career 

is a realistic expectation for 

many Kiwi employees as their 

life plans and circumstances 

change. No one wants to jump 

out of the frying pan into the 

fire and one of the best ways 

Kiwis can ensure that their 

next role is fulfilling is continual 

skills development, and 

remaining open to learning opportunities 

inside and outside 

of work. In this environment 

employers should recognise 

that their people are seeking 

ways to follow their interests 

and passions,” says Janet. 

The findings come from independent 

research conducted 

on behalf of SEEK, interviewing 

4000 New Zealanders of 

working age. 

With four weeks left 

until Relay For Life, 

the Cancer Society 

needs superheroes young and 

old to step up to the start line 

to support Kiwis with cancer. 

Organisers say current registrations 

fall short of their 

target of 1000 participants, 

and are urging people in the 

community to sign up for the 

event before it’s too late. 

“Relay For Life is one of 

our biggest fundraisers, so 

its success is critical for the 

free services and programmes 

we’re able to provide for people 

affected by cancer,” says 

Catriona Findlay, fundraising 

manager for the Cancer Society. 

“Services such as transport 

to medical appointments, advice 

and information from our 

liaison nurses and accommodation 

during treatment can 

be life-changing for someone 

with cancer. By taking part in 

Relay For Life, you can make 

a big difference.” 

The inspiring community 

event, which will be held 

at Cambridge Raceway on 

March 10, gives people the 

chance to celebrate cancer 

survivors and carers, remember 

loved ones lost to cancer 

and fight back by raising 

awareness and funds to support 

the work of the Cancer 

Society. 

Teams keep their baton 

moving around the track for 

12 hours, having fundraised in 

the lead-up to the event. 

The event is suitable for 

people of all ages and fitness 

levels 

“We have a huge range 

of people that take part from 

across the region – from 

school teams who make it a 

big competition, to business 

teams and families who might 

be walking for a loved one 

affected by cancer,” says Catriona. 

“It’s a fantastic day to be 

Participants at last year’s Relay for Life. 

part of, and I’d urge everyone 

out there to sign up sooner 

rather than later to give 

themselves the best possible 

chance at raising money and 

getting their team organised 

before the event.” 

“We really need the community 

to get behind this 

event so that we can continue 

providing crucial local support 

for people with cancer.” 

For more information or to 

register a team, visit www.relayforlife.org.nz 

or call 0800 

22 77 44. 

TO REGISTER 

GO ONLINE: www.rutherfordbusiness.nz 

EMAIL: wendy@rutherfordbusiness.nz 

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Waikato Business News February/March 2018

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