Bay of Plenty Business News August/September 2018

Bay of plenty 

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018 VOLUME 3: ISSUE 8 WWW.BOPBUSINESSNEWS.CO.NZ FACEBOOK.COM/BOPBUSINESSNEWS 

Marine sector 

embarks on 

New 

voyage 

The country’s biggest vessel hoist 

Hikinui (Big Lift) at the dawn blessing 

of Tauranga’s new Marine Precinct. 

Photo/Tauranga City Council. 

Industry sources are optimistic about the potential of the Marine 

Precinct on the Sulphur Point waterfront to rejuvenate Tauranga’s 

marine services sector, despite the new hub’s sometimes 

troubled gestation over many years. 

By DAVID PORTER 

The first stage of the precinct, 

which opened in 

August, is being supported 

by six well-known marine 

services companies, which 

have taken stakes in land 

based around a high-spec 6300 

square metre post-tensioned 

hardstand controlled by the 

Tauranga City Council (TCC). 

The hardstand, which took 

out the record for the largest 

outdoor concrete pour ever 

attempted in the Bay of Plenty, 

is engineered to support loads 

of 500 tonnes, just under 

the fully-laden weight of an 

Airbus A380. 

Both the hardstand and the 

precinct’s key selling point – 

an Italian-built 350 tonne vessel 

hoist – will be operated 

by a council-owned company, 

Vessel Works. Wardale Ltd, 

controlled by consultant Phil 

Wardale who has project managed 

the precinct’s development 

over the past three years, 

has been awarded a three-year 

contract to manage and operate 

Vessel Works. 

Don Mattson of Hutcheson 

Boatbuilders, a stakeholder in 

the new precinct, has been a 

key driver over many years for 

a new lift-out hub for the city. 

“We’ve always believed 

We’ve always 

believed in the need 

for this facility. 

– Don Mattson, 

Hutcheson Boatbuilders 

in the need for this facility,” 

he said. 

“Our dreams were for 

something a bit smaller than 

this, but we can see the value 

of having the bigger machine. 

We now have the confidence 

that as an industry we can service 

bigger boats, both commercial 

and private. We can 

also attract vessels from out of 

town and overseas.” 

The current precinct has 

been in the making since 2014, 

when the then TCC acknowledged 

- belatedly - the need to 

replace key facilities, including 

the former local slip, which 

the local marine industry lost 

when the Tauranga Harbour 

Bridge was expanded. 

There has been pressure for 

many years from companies 

on short-term leases in Sulphur 

Point, and proposals for a 

marine hub. Eventually, the 

TCC decided to develop the 

area itself, and retain control of 

the hardstand operations. 

The Bay of Plenty Regional 

Council is the funding partner 

for the project, contributing 

Continues page 3 

business awards 

New philanthropy category for 

this year’s Westpac awards 

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medical cannabis 

Potential green gold for 

new sector 

P10 

kiwifruit claim 

Growers to fight government 

appeal on High Court decision 

P17 

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Marine sector embarks on new voyage 

From page 1 

$5 million from the Regional 

Council’s $42.5 million 

Regional Infrastructure Fund. 

A major part of the TCC’s $6.4 

million contribution is being 

offset by the sale of properties 

on and near the site. 

The first phase was initially 

slated for completion by 

the beginning of the year, but 

there have been delays - partly 

caused by weather, and partly 

by changes in specifications as 

the project evolved, according 

to sources close to the project. 

(see page 7 for more details) 

Construction began in 

October 2016, and stage one of 

the project is now close to completion 

and already operating, 

with further stages dependent 

on additional commitment and 

demand from industry. 

As well as Hutcheson 

Boatbuilders, the other inaugural 

stakeholders include 

Pachoud Yachts, Pacific 

7, RMD Marine, SMF 

Engineering and Super Yacht 

Coatings. Matamata Motor 

Trimmers and Western Work 

Boats have also taken up lease 

arrangements. (see page 6 for 

further details) 

The precinct will be 

a draw card for boat owners 

both within New Zealand 

and from offshore. The new 

facility is expected to attract 

interest from the global super 

yacht sector, and will also 

benefit from increased vessel 

maintenance needs during the 

America’s Cup defence, said 

Peter Busfield, executive director 

of the NZ Marine Industries 

Association (NZMIA). (see 

page 5 for details). 

TCC Mayor Greg 

COVER STORY 

Jaine Lovell-Gadd. 


The thing that has 

really resonated with 

me is that industry 

itself has wanted 

to buy the land - 

they aren’t tenants, 

they are part of this 

development.” 

– Jaine Lovell-Gadd 

Brownless told guests at the 

opening that Tauranga was 

lucky to have a dynamic and 

innovative marine industry that 

delivered high-quality services 

in the area and nationally. 

“The future growth and prosperity 

of our city depends on 

attracting and retaining skilled, 

knowledgeable people and helping 

them develop productive, 

high-value businesses.” 

The sheer capacity of having 

the biggest vessel hoist in 

NZ is expected to give the precinct 

a competitive edge when 

it comes to servicing large 

BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS August/September 2018 3 

commercial and recreational 

boats. Vessel Works has access 

to deep water berthage and a 

refit wharf suitable for large 

boats, a sophisticated waste 

and wash water processing and 

recycling system, and barge 

loading ramps and facilities for 

unloading catch and loading 

ice, which are used by local 

fishing companies. 

The TCC has also allocated 

$600,000 towards further 

repair and upgrade works 

on Bridge Wharf to increase 

access to deep water berthage 

for local fishing and other vessels. 

The council will also be 

looking to invest in additional 

temporary berthage along Dive 

Crescent, subject to a business 

case supporting the investment, 

said Brownless. 

Dave Pachoud, managing 

director of Pachoud Yachts, 

said it was really important 

for the company to have direct 

access to the water and the 

travel lift in place. 

“This will bring us a lot of 

work. It has already, just with 

the current project we have 

secured on the basis that the 

lift was coming and we would 

be able to launch the vessel. 

It’s really been a good thing.” 

Roger Rawlinson, managing 

director of fishing company 

RMD Marine, said that 

being able to develop complementary 

marine businesses 

in the area was fantastic for 

everyone at the precinct. 

“We all have a stake now to 

make the area work for industry. 

We consider the precinct 

to be crucial to a better future 

for everyone in industry. RMD 

Marine could have relocated 

our business, but because of 

Vessel Works, business and services 

are now available here. 

“Our boats were too big to 

go on the old slipway, but the 

new travel lift is an amazing 

piece of engineering and having 

the ability to lift heavier 

boats, in a place where several 

boats can be worked on, will 

put Tauranga on the map as 

the place to go. It makes sense 

to retain marine industry skills 

locally and attract more people 

to our region to work on their 

vessels. We could end up leading 

this industry.” 

Super Yacht Coatings 

co-owners Regan Woodward 

and Mark Hanna are originally 

from the Bay and are relocating 

their main operational base from 

Auckland to a new purpose-built 

facility at the precinct. 

“We think it’s a really good 

move,” said Woodward, noting 

that the company would be 

working on a 44 metre sloop in 

November. While he declined 

to go into details on anticipated 

volumes for reasons of 

commercial confidentiality, 

Woodward said SYC was aiming 

to double its turnover. 

“We’re very positive and 

think there’s a lot of potential. 

If the hardstand is run right 

and the pricing is correct, and 

it sounds like it is, there’s no 

stopping it, especially in the 

current climate.” 

Pacific 7 owner Sean Kelly 

said that having SYC in the 

precinct was a key factor 

because they would have a 

facility that the hoist could 

drive large vessels into. 

“It’s really expensive to wrap 

yachts,” he said. “You want to 

put them in the shed and reduce 

the environmental risks.” 

Kelly, a long-time Sulphur 

Point marine business operator, 

said he knew of at least four 

super yachts planning to come 

to Tauranga over the next few 

months, which would have a 

lot of maintenance work done. 

Jaine Lovell-Gadd, the TCC 

general manager responsible for 

the project, said that for her the 

key element was keeping the 

marine industry in Tauranga. 

“We have a city surrounded 

by deep water,” she said. 

“I think the precinct’s purpose 

is about keeping keep the 

marine industry in the city and 

the flow-on effects of that, in 

the form of employment and 

economic value. 

“The thing that has really 

resonated with me is that 

BOP Regional Council’s John Cronin, NZMIA’s Peter Busfield, 

TCC Mayor Greg Brownless and Hutcheson’s Don Mattson at 

the precinct’s official opening. Photo/Tauranga City Council. 

industry itself has wanted 

to buy the land - they aren’t 

tenants, they are part of this 

development. The industry 

was serious about wanting the 

precinct with the travel lift 

that goes with it. They helped 

shape the vision and were serious 

about it, and were prepared 

to put money in. I think that 

showed the commitment from 

everybody. You draw on all the 

skill sets from all around.” 

Jim McManaway, owner 

of SMF Engineering, who 

has been acting chair of the 

Tauranga Marine Industry 

Association, said he believed 

the precinct would in time 

rejuvenate an industry 

that Tauranga was not only 

renowned for, but had essentially 

been founded upon. 

“It is not just complementary 

to what remains of our local 

industry, but goes some way 

toward restoring skills and 

infrastructure that have been 

systematically left to deteriorate 

and /or been removed, 

particularly over the last two 

decades,” he said. 

“The economic flow-on 

effect of the precinct is obvious, 

and there are few other 

regions that have the ability 

to tick as many boxes under 

potential for marine services 

as Tauranga.” 

McManaway said credit 

was due to the many people 

who had been pushing for a 

marine hub over the decades. 

“Things could have been 

done differently, but we now 

have a world-class facility. 

What we need to do is turn 

that into a world class operation, 

and then we can build on 

that with confidence. We need 

to make sure we draw on the 

vast experience in marine services 

of all the stakeholders in 

the precinct.”


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From the editor 

In this month’s cover story, 

we look at the impressive 

new Marine Precinct that 

officially opened for business 

recently on what was formerly 

a cluster of marine businesses 

hanging on under temporary 

tenure at Tauranga’s Sulphur 

Point. 

Industry sources are optimistic 

about the potential of 

the new precinct to rejuvenate 

the city’s marine services sector. 

The first stage of the precinct 

is being supported by six 

well-known marine services 

companies, which have taken 

stakes in land based around a 

high-spec 6300 square metre 

post-tensioned hardstand controlled 

by the Tauranga City 

Council (TCC). 

The hardstand and the precinct’s 

key selling point – an 

Italian-built 350 tonne vessel 

hoist, the biggest in the 

country – will be operated by 

a council-owned company, 

Vessel Works. Wardale Ltd, 

controlled by consultant Phil 

Wardale, who has project managed 

the precinct’s development 

over the past three years, 

has been awarded a three-year 

contract to manage and operate 

Vessel Works. 

The Kiwifruit Claim Group 

plaintiffs are digging in for a 

court battle likely to extend 

into next year, following the 

Crown’s decision to appeal 

the recent High Court ruling 

that the Ministry for Primary 

Industries had been negligent 

and breached its duty of care 

in allowing Psa into New 

Zealand. 

The Crown’s appeal is 

wide-ranging and seeks to 

clarify the scope under which 

government regulators can 

be sued for negligence. In 

response both original plaintiffs, 

Seeka and the 212-strong 

grower group, have filed a 

cross appeal and deplored the 

government’s action. 

A new sort of green gold 

may soon rival SunGold kiwifruit 

as a high value crop option 

Hands on: Tauranga Mayor Greg Brownless at the controls 

of New Zealand’s biggest vessel hoist at the Marine 

Precinct’s official opening. Photo/Tauranga City Council. 

David Porter 

for Bay of Plenty orchardists, 

according to Tauranga-based 

company MediCann. The company 

aims to establish a network 

of medicinal cannabis 

growers throughout the Bay 

of Plenty to supply the medical 

cannabis market, which is 

expected to grow rapidly once 

government makes its production 

legal. 

The company has targeted 

the Bay because the region is 

home to a high level of horticultural 

expertise, thanks to 

its strength in the kiwifruit and 

avocado industry. The company 

is awaiting final passage of 

the Misuse of Drugs (medicinal 

cannabis) Amendment Bill 

to be passed officially into law, 

with most observers expecting 

this to occur later this year. 

Entries are still open 

this month for the Westpac 

Tauranga Business Awards, 

with Air New Zealand sponsoring 

a new category that 

will celebrate Corporate 

Sponsorship and Philanthropy. 

Entries for all except the new 

category will close on Friday, 

14 September, with results 

announced at the annual 

awards gala at ASB Arena on 

Friday, 9 November. 

The Tauranga Chamber of 

Commerce is calling for the 

nomination of supportive businesses 

in the new category by 

Friday, 28 September. 

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07 927 1200 

60 Durham St, Tauranga 

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New infrastructure will 

attract overseas yachts 


I was promoting 

NZ marine 

“When 

services overseas 

recently, a super yacht skipper 

advised that his yacht is 

coming for haul out at the new 

precinct later this year,” said 

Busfield. 

“This will be one of many 

over the next few years and I 

predict that the precinct and 

Vessel Works will be full of 

vessels very soon.” 

Addressing the official 

opening of the precinct in 

August, Busfield said he was 

pleased on behalf of the marine 

industry that the Tauranga City 

Council and the BOP Regional 

Council had supported the 

precinct and encouraged local 

marine businesses to buy freehold 

property within the area. 

“This site will not only serve 

the interests of the Tauranga 

marine industry,” he said. 

“I think you will be amazed 

at the number of boats that 

will come - not only from all 

over New Zealand, and from 

Auckland, which is lacking 

infrastructure like this, but 

from offshore.” 

COVER STORY 

The new waterfront operation at Sulphur Point will put Tauranga 

on the map as one of the largest marine precincts in New 

Zealand, says Peter Busfield, executive director of both the NZ 

Marine Industry Association (NZMIA) and its associated industry 

training organisation. 

Busfield, who has recently 

been in Fiji promoting the 

New Zealand marine services 

industry, noted that the 15 

super yachts moored there 

during his visit were just part 

of a fleet of 74 super yachts 

expected to pass through the 

port this year. 

“I was previously in Palma 

de Mallorca [in the Balearic 

Islands, Spain], one of the biggest 

centres for super yachts in 

On the hard: Pacific 7’s new 31 metre workboat (left) was 

recently acquired from the US. Photo/Tauranga City Council. 


Europe,” he said. 

“With facilities like the 

Marine Precinct, Tauranga is 

hopefully going to get good 

business from the European 

boats that will decide to stay 

longer in NZ for their refit and 

professional services.” 

He added that successive 

NZ governments had made 

it easier for visiting offshore 

yachts, which could now stay 

for 24 months and access GSTfree 

services. “That is all a 

good incentive for them to 

come to NZ and now to access 

the largest haul-out centre in 

the country.” 

On top of that, the 

America’s Cup was likely to 

provide a huge boost to the 

industry, and the new facility 

could expect to benefit, said 

Busfield. 

During the America’s Cup, 

as well as 25 police, marshalling 

and umpire boats, and 

its own 20 support vessels, 

Emirates Team NZ would 

also be hosting on the water 

between 800 and 1000 VIPs 

each day of racing. 

“Emirates Team NZ works 

on the basis of having hundreds 

of smaller sponsors who 

become part of the family and 

will have to be entertained. 

That means eight to 10 ferries 

will be needed.” 

In addition, the teams so 

Strong growth expected 

for new precinct, says 

NZ Marine Industry 

Association’s Peter Busfield. 


far signed up from Italy, the 

US and the UK, will also have 

hundreds of VIPs to host, there 

would likely to be another 

20 or so ferries needed, said 

Busfield, plus there would 

likely be more than one thousand 

media. 

“There is a lot infrastructure 

involved and Auckland just 

does not have the required infrastructure 

to handle than number 

of vessels. So I am expecting 

that you will get some pretty 

good business leading up to the 

America’s Cup.” 

Busfield said the NZMIA 

currently had about 200 companies 

listed nationwide, with 

470 apprentices in training. 

“With the growth nationwide, 

we are expecting to see 

about 600 apprentices in the 

next couple of years, and I’m 

sure that a lot of those new 

employees will come from 

Tauranga.” 

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Investors in the Marine Precinct 

Hutcheson Boatbuilders 

Hutcheson Boatbuilders, 

run by Don Mattson, has 

been in the marine business 

since 1993 and is wellknown 

in the Bay of Plenty and 

nationally for its high-quality 

boat building workmanship. 

The firm - which has been 

based out of Sulphur Point 

for more than two decades - 

undertakes a complete range of 

shipwright and boat-building 

work on recreational and commercial 

vessels. 

Hutcheson also undertakes 

new boat construction, vessel 

refits, vessel repairs and maintenance, 

general marine engineering, 

osmosis repairs, stainless 

steel work, and repaints. 

Mattson, who has been 

pushing for an integrated 

marine service centre and 

replacement for the decommissioned 

former slip for some 

years, said the industry now 

had the confidence that it could 

service both commercial and 

recreational boats that were of a 

larger tonnage than in the past. 

“We have a very vibrant 

fishing industry in Tauranga 

and we haven’t been able to 

service their bigger boats for 

some time, and now we can. 

“That will help locals 

who won’t have to travel to 

Whangarei for a lift anymore, 

which is quite a wasteful journey 

for a local fishing boat.” 

“We’re now really up for 

the challenge and to move 

forward.” 

Pacific 7 

Pacific 7 is a marine contracting 

company run by 

Sean Kelly, one of the 

long-established identities on 

the Sulphur Point waterfront, 

who has a fleet of workboats 

and barges and a tug. 

The company supplies a 

number of marine services to 

local and central government, 

including piling, surveying, 

salvage and mooring. 

Current projects include 

supplying the vessel for a seabed 

survey in the Eastern Bay 

of Plenty. 

Pacific 7 has also recently 

purchased a 31 metre boat 

from the US, which Kelly said 

he expected would be put to 

work on a project in the South 

Pacific for several months. 

His electric work boat 

concept (see Bay of Plenty 

Business News, May-June 

2018) has generated considerable 

interest and Pacific 7 is 

now preparing for a project in 

mid-October to convert a twin 

diesel engine recreational boat 

to electric propulsion. 

“We’ve got a number of 

people who are seriously interested 

in the electric option,” 

said Kelly. 

“We’re looking forward 

to our tenure at the Marine 

Precinct. It will mean a brand 

new workshop for us, with 

new berthage facilities, so we 

can maintain our own boats 

efficiently and provide services 

to others.” 

Super Yacht Coatings 

SYC specialises in the fairing 

and painting of large luxury 

vessels. 

Since its formation in 2011 

by Mark Hanna and Regan 

Woodward, the company has 

worked for numerous boat 

The Pachoud Sport Cat 60 VS model. Her maiden voyage was an 870nm crossing to 

New Caledonia, averaging an astonishing 32 knots. Photo/Pachoud Yachts. 

ed when it was built at Alloy 

Yachts about five years ago. 

Pacific 7’s Sean Kelly noted 

that SYC’s contribution to the 

precinct would be significant. 

“Painting is one of the biggest 

difficulties you have with 

maintaining a boat these days 

- you want to put them in the 

shed and reduce environmental 

risks. Mark and Regan’s 

painting facility will be a big 

draw card.” 

Pachoud Yachts 

Pachoud Yachts is a progressive 

and innovative 

boat-building company, 

specialising in the construction 

of luxury composite yachts, 

which has been operating in 

the Bay of Plenty for more 

than three decades. 

The company is focused 

on: custom building large luxury 

yachts and superyachts, 

building a semi-production 

range of Sport Cats, the refit 

COVER STORY 

of superyachts, and the conversion 

of commercial vessels 

into superyachts. 

“As a business we are currently 

going through an extended 

period of high growth, with 

the rapidly growing popularity 

of our Sport Cat range being 

a significant contributor,” 

said managing director Dave 

Pachoud. 

“We are increasing our 

research and development in a 

range of fields, including hydrodynamics 

and hydrofoil design - 

an area in which we have broken 

numerous boundaries. 

We are currently expanding 

our highly skilled composite, 

mechanical, interior and painting 

teams as well. 

Our new high-tech facility 

in the Marine Precinct will be 

able to house vessels of up to 

60m in length for new build 

and refit. 

“We are very excited to be 

a part of the Marine Precinct 

development and believe it will 

builders, shipyards and yacht 

owners throughout the world. 

The company was set up in 

Auckland, and its BOP-born 

owners are taking the opportunity 

presented by the precinct 

to move to a purpose-built 

facility that will become its 

new operational HQ. 

“Our first client was Alloy 

Yachts,” said Woodward. 

“Back then SYC employed six 

people on a labour-only contract. 

We now employ around 

35 staff working around 

Australasia. We are planning 

on bringing a lot of work from 

out of town and offshore into 

Tauranga. 

“We are looking to hire 

local Tauranga people who 

are motivated to work in the 

marine painting industry and 

we are offering apprenticeships.” 

SYC is about to begin its 

first super yacht repaint job on 

the new hardstand - a 44 metre 

sloop they originally paintbe 

a serious benefit to Tauranga 

and the local economy.” 

RMD Marine 

RMD Marine fishes and 

lands fish from the West 

Coast to the East Coast 

of the North Island. 

The company, owned by 

the three Rawlinson brothers, 

Roger, Marcus and Daniel, is 

now focusing its efforts on the 

company’s state of the art 24 

metre trawler Santy Maria. 

Launched in 2016, this was 

one of the first new build fishing 

boats in the industry for 

many years and has replaced a 

number of older boats operated 

by RMD Marine. 

RMD Marine has been 

working for some years with 

Moana Pacific Fisheries and 

is partnering with them on its 

fleet renewal. 

“Our current fishing focus 

is to land quality and sustainable 

fish with less impact on 

the environment,” said Roger 

Rawlinson. 

“We have replaced our older 

vessels with the Santy Maria to 

do so. We are still catching the 

same fish, but in a better way 

and the safety of our crew at sea 

is held at the highest standard.” 

RMD Marine/Moana 

Pacific has been on the 

Sulphur Point waterfront for 

several years, and will be sharing 

adjacent wharf space with 

longtime Sulphur Point occupant, 

Sean Kelly of Pacific 7. 

“The development of the 

new wharf will deliver extra 

berthing, which is well overdue. 

Finalising this isn’t far 

away, and we have plans laid 

out and are ready to roll.” 

SMF Provides the Full 

Range of Specialised 

Marine Hardware Solutions 

Specialised Metal Fabricators Ltd is now up and running in 

its new office and workshop in the Marine Precinct at Sulphur 

Point. SMF offers contract manufacturing, metal fabrication 

and machining services, including all types of marine 

stainless steel, aluminium and other metal- based work 

across the full range of boat chandlery and other hardware. 

SMF specialises in the manufacture 

of one-off components and small 

production runs, complementing its 

ability to provide efficient repairs and 

maintenance. The team can provide innovative 

design solutions and advice to 

clients, drawing on more than 25 years’ 

experience in marine fabrication. 

“Our goal is to provide our clients with 

innovative custom engineering solutions 

that have a perfect blend of value and 

quality,” says owner and director Jim Mc- 

Manaway. 

Recent projects have included stainless 

and alloy tanks, exhaust elbows, heat 

exchanges, hand rails, pushpits and pulpits, 

stanchion repairs, stanchion bases, 

bimini frames, dodger bows, fair leads, 

tandem alloy boat trailers, bait stations, 

dive ladders, hard top supports and radar 

arches. SMF also repair a wide range of 

alloy-bronze, brass, magnesium, titanium 

and stainless castings and fittings. 

Apart from SMF's marine engineering 

work, the company has also been involved 

in the manufacture of residential balustrades 

architectural fittings and frames, 

fencing and gates. In fact SMF can provide 

expert advice on almost any metal fabrication 

job. 

07 578 1575 

1 Den Place, 

Marine Precinct, Tauranga 

metalfabmf.co.nz

COVER STORY 


Stakeholders urge collaboration 

to make best of precinct 

Phil Wardale, who project managed the Marine Precinct 

development, and whose consultancy will now manage 

Tauranga City Council-owned Vessel Works, acknowledges there 

have been some hiccups in the years of developing the hub. 


fair to say we took 

some time out during the 

“It’s 

project to be really sure 

at every step as decisions were 

made that we were doing it the 

right way,” he said. “What we 

stayed focused on was a lot of 

future proofing.” 

It was originally hoped the 

hardstand would be installed 

by late last year. The precinct 

is now operational and the 

hoist has so far successfully 

lifted almost a dozen vessels. 

But there are still negotiations 

going on with civil works contractors 

HEB Construction 

over some completion issues 

and costs, and it could be up 

to a year before some stakeholding 

companies will be in 

a position to finally move into 

their own completed premises. 

Wardale says the weather 

and evolving specs played a 

large role in the delays. 

“During last Winter, HEB 

Construction had a lot of difficulties 

with the rain. They 

had months where they had 

washed-out base course under 

the slab, and by the end of the 

year were struggling to get the 

right weather conditions.” 

Phil Wardale (above): Aim was to future proof the new 

hardstand and hoist (right). Photos/Tauranga City Council. 

Wardale said there were 

also amendments to the specs 

along the way, which has taken 

extra time. The last major 

works still being completed 

involve the water processing 

plant. 

“That has moved from 

being a plant that was quite 

simple for stage one, to being 

one of the most advanced in 

the country for a boatyard, 

which is now able without any 

modifications to take stage two 

and three,” he said. 

“It also now includes fully 

computerised recycling of the 

water. There’s a whole lot of 

detail like that because we 

have continually massaged the 

project to get the best outcome.” 

The TCC’s Jaine Lovell- 

Gadd confirmed that final 

quality issues were being 

worked through with HEB 

Construction. 

“These are just things that 

happen at the end of a contract,” 

she said. “Originally we 

were looking at a smaller project 

and hoist, then you put it 

to market, then get a chance to 

make it bigger. I think we are 

making good progress.” 

Wardale said that five people 

were trained in using the 

hoist, including himself and 

Wardale Ltd staff, and more 

would be trained up. Now that 

Wardale had won the contract 

to run the facility for the council, 

operating manuals, price 

lists and processes were being 

drawn up. 

“We’ve now got a lot of 

work to do in marketing the 

precinct,” he said. “The local 

region knows about it and my 

task is to spread the word in 

the wider region. We want to 

provide an efficient and seamless 

operation.” 

Bay of Plenty Business 

News has spoken to all of the 

major stakeholders on the project, 

and there was a general 

feeling there was a need for 

better communication between 

the council and business as the 

precinct moves into its next 

phase. 

Hutcheson Boatbuilders’ 

Don Mattson said that, despite 

some issues coming up during 

the development, overall it was 

time to be positive about what 

had been achieved. 

“A lot of areas don’t have 

councils doing something 

like this and getting behind 

the industry like this,” said 

Mattson. “It’s a new venture 

for everyone. And we’ve got 

work coming in already. We 

need to work more closely 

with the council so they understand 

where we are coming 

from.” 

SMF Engineering’s Jim 

McManaway said he thought 

what the council had achieved 

since Wardale’s involvement 

had been great. 

“Now, given we’ve transitioned 

from the conceptual to 

the operational stage, it’s my 

belief we should be looking at 

more of a pragmatic and collaborative 

approach between 

stakeholders.” 

JOIN 

NOW! 

Be a recognised and respected member 

of the Tauranga business community by 

joining the Chamber. 

Join Tauranga Chamber members Lyn and Brent Trail 

from Surveying Services, Tauranga. 

Chamber members benefit from business support and 

connections, networking and training events, business profiling 

opportunities, plus regular member deals and promotions. 

For more details & to sign up visit www.tauranga.org.nz


Baypark launches 

new Concert Series 

Baypark has launched a new Baypark Concert Series aimed 

at bringing top calibre acts to the Bay of Plenty. 

The series will cater to the 

family and mature market 

and sees Baypark 

adopting a much more proactive 

approach to sourcing 

high quality concert acts, 

says Gillian Houser, the venue’s 

Business Development 

Manager. 

The first in what will be a 

four concert series each year, is 

The Merchants of Bollywood 

(on Tuesday, 23 October), followed 

by vocal icon Dionne 

Warwick’s Greatest Hits Tour 

(on Sunday, 11 November.) 

The five time Grammy® 

winner was last in New Zealand 

when Warwick toured in the 

mid-nineties, a tour Houser 

was involved in promoting in 

a previous role. Warwick was 

originally on an Australianonly 

tour. She had not intended 

to come to New Zealand until 

Houser visited Australian promoters 

and secured exclusive 

rights for Baypark to present 

her in the North Island. The 

Australian promoter arranged 

for a Christchurch concert for 

Warwick’s only other appearance 

in New Zealand. 

“Our driver is all about 

building on our reputation 

that Baypark is the Hub of 

Entertainment in the Bay of 

Plenty,” said Houser. 

“We haven’t been getting 

this style of entertainment in 

Dionne Warwick: Pop icon and 

multimillion selling recording legend. 

the city, which is why we’ve 

launched our Concert Series. 

The reality is that to get top 

acts we need to get closer to 

the source and bring them in 

ourselves.” 

The proactive approach 

to researching, sourcing and 

signing international acts has 

resulted in performers coming 

to Baypark that would 

never previously have considered 

Tauranga. Growth in the 

region now means that demand 

for these entertainers is there 

The Merchants of Bollywood will provide 

a riot of high energy dance and music. 

and Baypark expects ticket 

demand to be very strong. 

The series has been a long 

time coming with many hours 

of planning and international 

correspondence. 

Houser said Baypark was 

already in negotiations with 

a number of other potential 

international artists to maintain 

the flow of high quality acts 

into Tauranga next year. 

Confidence in the success 

of the tour is further cemented 

by Farmer Auto Village supporting 

the series as a key 

sponsor. 

“It is with great pleasure 

and huge excitement that the 

team at Farmer Auto Village 

are enthusiastically involved in 

this wonderful concert series,” 

said Michael Farmer, Group 

Managing Director. 

“It’s fantastic to see 

Tauranga can host such a high 

calibre of artists in our great 

city.” 

The Merchants of 

Bollywood was originally 

booked to take part in a 

Auckland festival, but Baypark 

has secured the rights to one 

other New Zealand appearance 

in Tauranga. 

The concert features a cast 

of more than 40 performers 

direct from Film City Mumbai 

– the home of Bollywood 

Cinema. 

The show tells the story 

of how the Merchant family 

dynasty upholds the responsibility 

for maintaining the 

ancient traditions of the Kathak 

dance, the dance of the Gods. 

Featuring a cast of more 

than 40 performers adorned 

in 1200 different eye-popping 

costumes and 5000 pieces 

of glistening jewellery, this 

uplifting show is a riot of colour 

and high-energy music 

by award-winning composers 

Salim and Sulaiman Merchant. 

Sensational dance scenes 

are choreographed by Vaibhavi 

Merchant, granddaughter of 

Hiralalji Merchant, one of the 

founders of classic Bollywood 

Cinema. 

Merchant’s choreography 

incorporates many different 

styles of Indian dancing 

including folkloric dance from 

Rajasthan and contemporary 

forms such as disco – showcasing 

the true variety of 

Bollywood musicals. 

Tickets available from 

Ticketek and start from $85.00. 

The un-missable, five-time 

Grammy® winner Dionne 

Warwick is renowned for 

her scintillating and sensual 

interpretations of pop classics, 

including many from 

chart-topping songwriters Burt 

Bacharach and Hal David. 

Warwick has become a 

cornerstone of American pop 

music and culture, with a 

career that has lasted half a 

century with 75 charted hit 

songs and record sales of more 

than 100 million. 

With timeless classics 

“Don’t Make Me Over” “Walk 

on By” “Anyone Who Had a 

Heart”, “Message to Michael”, 

“Promises Promises”, “A 

House is Not a Home”, 

“Alfie”, “Say a Little Prayer”, 

“This Girl’s in Love With 

You”, “I’ll Never Fall in Love 

Again”, “Reach Out For Me”, 

and the theme from Valley of 

the Dolls, Warwick is sure to 

captivate and entertain. 

Tickets from $85.00 available 

at Ticketek, including 

exclusive VIP meet and greet 

opportunities. 

For more information on 

any events visit www.asbbaypark.co.nz 

or call 07 577 8560. 

To purchase tickets visit 

www.ticketek.co.nz 

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Westpac Awards announces new 

Corporate Sponsorship category 

Entries are now open for the Westpac 

Tauranga Business Awards, with Air New 

Zealand sponsoring a new category that 

will celebrate Corporate Sponsorship 

and Philanthropy. Entries for all except 

the new category will close on Friday, 14 

September, with results announced at 

the annual awards gala at ASB Arena on 

Friday, 9 November. 

The Tauranga Chamber 

of Commerce is calling 

for the nomination of 

supportive businesses in the 

new category by Friday, 28 

September. 

Awards organiser Anne 

Pankhurst said the chamber 

was delighted Air New 

Zealand is supporting the 

important new category. 

“The corporate sector supports 

and contributes an enormous 

amount towards the 

community, and it was felt 

that this needs to be recognised 

through an award,” said 

Pankhurst. 

“While a large amount 

is contributed through the 

ever-necessary money, the corporate 

sector also contributes 

its time and expertise. 

“It was felt that if this was 

recognised in a tangible manner, 

it would encourage the 

philanthropic culture that is 

needed to support and grow 

the social infrastructure of 

the city.” 

Judges are carefully selected 

for their business skill and 

knowledge, with any conflicts 

established at the beginning 

of the process. Judging will 

proceed in three stages. 

The first stage is the initial 

assessment of the entry by the 

head judge, financial judge and 

awards coordinator. 

In stage two businesses will 

be visited by the judges, who 

will drill down in more detail 

on the entry and gain an over 

all impression of the business. 

This interview will take 

up to two hours. There may 

also be a third stage where the 

judges may return for a second 

site visit or a specialist judge 

may visit. 

At this point there will be 

further scrutiny to financials, 

staff and any further detailed 

information. 

Judges may request customers 

or suppliers information 

to gain feedback, and may 

ask to involve staff. 

Pankhurst said the chamber 

was still finalising who would 

serve as head judge. 

Last year’s Westpac 

Tauranga award winner was 

1st Call Recruitment, which 

not only picked up the overall 

award for Business of 

the Year, but also won in the 

Embracing Digital Technology 

category, and picked up a 

Highly Commended award for 

Workplace Safety. 

The company, which has 

become the biggest employment 

agency in the Central 

North Island since it was 

founded in Tauranga in 2006, 

says it has found the awards 

process very useful. 

Managing Director Phill 

Van Syp said the award wins 

had been very helpful in winning 

new business and had 

prompted a lot of positive 

comment from clients. 

“We reviewed everything 

about the business when we 

went through the awards 

process. We re-evaluated 

everything and found some 

holes that we could fix. 

“We’ve moved away from 

some sectors, but we’re putting 

more effort and focusing 

on other areas of the business, 

including the white-collar 

sector, which has seen huge 

growth for us.” 

1st Call also has a new 

employment-related software 

product coming out at the end of 

the year, and has been working 

with Callaghan Group on this. 

“The awards have been 

very positive for everyone 

here,” he said. 


NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 VOLUME 2: ISSUE 17 WWW.BOPBUSINESSNEWS.CO.NZ FACEBOOK.COM/BOPBUSINESSNEWS 

1st Call Recruitment’s team celebrates its big win. 

Photo: Natalie Murdoch Photography/Tauranga 

Chamber of Commerce. 

1st Call 

gets the call at 

Tauranga awards 

Bravery and a willingness to strategically 

integrate technology in business were 

the key themes at the 2017 Westpac 

Tauranga Business Awards, held before 

a crowd of 450 at the annual gala event 

at ASB Arena this month. 


st Call Recruitment led 

the roll call of 13 win- 

taking out the overall 1ners, 

Westpac Business of the Year 

Award. The company also 

won the Vodafone Embracing 

Digital Technology Award, and 

was highly commended in the 

ACC Workplace Safety Award. 

Tui Products, a former 

Westpac Business of 

the Year winner, received 

the University of Waikato 

Corporate Leadership Award. 

Innovative Mount 

Maunganui-based design 

BUSINESS 

ClaaS 

NO IT IS 

NOT A SPELLING 

MISTAKE - 

FIND OUT MORE 

AT ARRIVALS 

Best 

in Bay 

store Paper Plane won the 

Bay of Plenty Business News 

Sustainable Business Practices 

Award, with a highly commended 

going to the Young 

Innovator Awards team. 

(Please see pages 23-29 for 

full coverage of all winners.) 

The awards are run by 

the Tauranga Chamber of 

Commerce, and coordinator 

Anne Pankhurst said this 

year saw an increased number 

of entrants, with a wide 

mix of businesses across 

all sectors and business 

practice. 

Head judge and financial 

assessor Raimarie Pointon, 

a principal of Young Read 

Glen Forgie, chief executive of Corporate Award winner Tui Products, 

with Heather Connolly of category sponsor University of Waikato. Photo: 

Natalie Murdoch Photography/Tauranga Chamber of Commerce. 

Woudberg, also commented on 

the wide range of high calibre 

local businesses. 

“There has been a very clear 

theme to the 2017 Westpac 

Business of the Year Awards 

with the entrants showing 

more entrepreneurship and 

innovation,” she said. 

CLOUD AS A SERVICE 

“As never before, we have 

seen local businesses embracing 

technology as the cornerstone 

for carefully considered 

and well-structured strategy.” 

Tauranga Chamber chief 

executive Stan Gregec said it 

was great to see a mix of both 

newer and more established 

businesses being recognised in 

this year’s awards. 

“The Tauranga business 

landscape is changing every 

year and we are seeing a 

whole new crop of businesses 

emerging that add variety, 

scale and sophistication to our 

economic base.” 

ARRIVALS 

stratusblue.nz/businessclaas 

WESTPAC TAURANGA BUSINESS AWARDS 2018 

– CATEGORIES 

Award 

Sponsor 

Customer Experience Award......................................... Trustpower 

Excellence in Service Award.......................................... YOU Travel 

Manufacturing, Construction and Distribution Award..... Powerco Ltd 

ACC Workplace Safety Award....................................... ACC 

Corporate Leadership.................................................... University of Waikato 

Social Enterprise........................................................... Bay of Connections 

Business Innovation ..................................................... Zespri 

Retail Excellence Award................................................ Gartshore Retail Interiors 

Tourism and Hospitality................................................. Bay Venues 

Embracing Digital Technology........................................ Vodafone 

Emerging Business........................................................ Toi Ohomai 

Sustainable Business Practices..................................... Bay of Plenty Business News 

Corporate Sponsorship Award...................................... Air New Zealand 

1st Call Recruitment’s team celebrates its big wins last year. 


Proud sponsor of the Sustainable Business Practice award 

Naming Sponsor......................................................... Westpac 

Media Partners........................................................... NZME 

WINNERS OF THE WESTPAC BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2017 

Winner - ‘Business of the Year’ | Winner - ‘Embracing Digital Technology’ 

Highly Commended - ‘Workplace Safety’ 

Tauranga - Hamilton - Auckland - Wellington - Christchurch 

0800 46 36 75 l info@1cr.co.nz 

www.1cr.co.nz 

Make your 1st 

Call for all your 

recruitment needs 

to our award 

winning team


BOP company aims to get 

green gold from region 

A new sort of green gold may soon rival 

SunGold kiwifruit as a high value crop 

option for Bay of Plenty orchardists. 

By RICHARD RENNIE 

Tauranga-based company 

MediCann aims to establish 

a network of medicinal 

cannabis growers throughout 

the Bay of Plenty to supply 

the medical cannabis market, 

which is expected to grow rapidly 

once government makes 

its production legal. 

MediCann managing director 

Brendan Ogilvy says the 

company has targeted the Bay 

of Plenty because the region is 

home to a high level of horticultural 

expertise, thanks to its 

strength in the kiwifruit and 

avocado industry, and because 

there is a strong culture of 

entrepreneurship within the 

community. 

“We are looking to model 

our operation off Zespri’s use 

of plant variety rights with 

kiwifruit,” said Ogilvy. 

“MediCann will supply the 

seeds, the crop standards and 

the hardware necessary, with a 

contract to purchase from the 

grower at harvest time.” 

MediCann has attracted significant 

investment and inquiries 

from some of the Bay of 

Plenty’s most successful growers, 

and Ogilvy said the company’s 

grower network was 

one of its key points of difference 

within the MC industry in 

New Zealand. 

The company is awaiting 

final passage of the Misuse 

of Drugs (medicinal cannabis) 

Amendment Bill (see accompanying 

article) to be passed 

officially into law, with most 

observers expecting this to 

occur later in the year. 

“We are very happy with 

the direction the government 

bill is going, and also with 

what National has proposed,” 

he said. 

Internationally, the medicinal 

cannabis industry is esti- 

mated to be currently worth 

US$50 billion, and ultimately 

up to US$200 billion. 

The value in New Zealand 

alone is estimated to be $1 

billion, based on Department 

of Health estimates that 

250,000 people a year access 

medicinal cannabis. 

In light of an opioid drug 

epidemic in the US claiming 

63,000 people a year from 

addiction, cannabis treatment 

is starting to draw attention 

for its effectiveness in certain 

treatments, including 

pain relief. 

It is difficult to overdose 

on medical cannabis as a treatment, 

and while it does have 

addictive characteristics, it sits 

lower on that scale than other 

addictive options in society, 

including alcohol. 

Ogilvy says his company 

aims to establish secure, 

covered growing areas with 

a 1000sqm footprint, making 

them easy to fit into an existing 

orchard’s boundary. 

“But it is not a ‘plug and 

play’ crop,” he said. 

“There is a level of grower 

training and experience 

required, and we will have 

agronomists to help get growers 

up and running with it.” 

Ogilvy said MediCann 

would deliver affordable and 

accessible cannabinoid-based 

treatment of the highest medical 

standard. 

MediCann is co-founded by 

two leading medicinal cannabis 

experts, Ross Smith, and 

Luc Krol, owner of Paradise 

Seeds, a European supplier of 

cannabis seeds for the past 

40 years. 

The company’s board also 

includes Elizabeth Plant, a 

former president of the New 

Zealand Pharmaceutical 

Society and Pharmac advisor, 

and Dr Franz Strydom, a wellknown 

Tauranga GP and skin 

Brendan Ogilvy: Aims to use Bay’s strong grower network 

to move into medical cannabis market. Photo/Supplied. 

cancer doctor. 

Ogilvy said the projected 

returns for medicinal cannabis 

should make interested growers 

take notice. MediCann 

estimates that one hectare of 

medicinal cannabis will yield 

$1.5 million, compared with 

one hectare of SunGold earning 

$110,000 in orchard gate 

returns. 

Processing will be carried 

out with pharmaceutical 

partners in New Zealand, 

and Ogilvy said the company 

already has clinically proven 

branded products ready to be 

sourced from New Zealand 

grown cannabis, once legal 

approval is granted. 

There is a level of 

grower training and 

experience required, 

and we will have 

agronomists to help 

get growers up and 

running with it. 

Ogilvy and MediCann are 

not alone in efforts to secure a 

piece of the burgeoning medicinal 

cannabis market. 

In May, Auckland-based 

company Helius Therapeutics 

announced its intention to start 

growing and processing medicinal 

cannabis from an undisclosed 

location in Auckland 

from a purpose-built 6500 sqm 

growing facility. 

The group managed to 

raise $15 million in only four 

months, including a portion 

underwritten by a low profile 

high wealth family. 

Director Paul Manning said 

the company was on target to 

employ about 60 people and 

ultimately start exporting into 

the lucrative trade. 

Down on the East Coast, 

Hikurangi Hemp managed to 

crash crowd-funding website 

PledgeMe when it attempted 

to raise $2 million on the site 

in April. 

The company achieved the 

$2 million target, along with 

an additional $1.4 million in 

registered interest. 

An additional $4 million is 

intended to be raised from institutional 

investors. 

While both companies have 

connections to overseas seed 

suppliers and expertise, they 

are locally owned. 

All parties jumping on medical 

cannabis bandwagon 

As political parties jostle 

for voter attention in the 

crowded centre of New 

Zealand’s political spectrum, 

medical cannabis is proving an 

unlikely subject to grab their 

interest. 

Attention was piqued earlier 

this year when the Misuse 

of Drugs (medicinal cannabis) 

Amendment Bill passed its 

first reading. The Bill had its 

second reading in late July. 

However, the final report 

from the Health Committee 

has stalled the Bill, with 

the committee being unable 

to reach agreement due to a 

polarity of views and complexity 

of the issues. 

These are largely around 

the lack of detail on dispensing, 

eligibility, monitoring and 

reporting. 

Despite that, the Bill is 

expected to still go into its 

second reading, and ultimately 

be passed into law. The legislation 

aims to make it legal for 

people suffering from terminal 

disease and chronic pain to 

legally access cannabis-based 

products. 

The Labour Partysponsored 

Bill also comes 

with the condition imposed 

by the Greens in the coalition 

arrangement, that a referendum 

be held on legalising 

marijuana use, a move also 

supported by New Zealand 

First. 

Meantime, not to be outdone, 

National surprised 

many in late July by dropping 

its initial support for the Bill, 

and putting forward its own 

alternative medicinal cannabis 

Bill. 

National leader Simon 

Bridges said the government’s 

Bill ignored how a medicinal 

cannabis system would operate 

in practice. 

“The government has said 

it will increase access now and 

leave it to officials to think 

through the controls and the 

consequences later. 

“That’s typical of this government 

but it’s not acceptable, 

so we are putting forward a 

comprehensive alternative,” 

he said. 

National’s proposal requires 

products to be approved the 

same way other medicines are 

approved, through Medsafe, 

and cannabis products supplied 

only by pharmacist, and 

cultivators and manufacturers 

licensed for commercial production. 

No advertising will be 

permitted. 

Expectations are that, 

despite National dropping its 

support for the Bill as it now 

stands, a version of the proposed 

legislation will still find 

passage through Parliament to 

become an Act before the end 

of the year. 

Meantime an annual survey 

conducted by the New Zealand 

Drug Foundation has found a 

lift in public support for legalising 

marijuana use, moving 

up from 78 percent a year 

ago to 87 percent this year. 

– By RICHARD RENNIE


Taxing forestry investment income 

For those who have investments in forestry, it’s timely to consider 

the legitimate opportunities available to manage your tax bill when 

the harvest income finally starts to roll in. 

REGULATORY MATTERS 

> BY GRANT NEAGLE 

Grant Neagle, a director at Ingham Mora Chartered Accountants 

in Tauranga, is a business advisor and tax specialist. He can be 

contacted on 07- 927- 1225 or grant@inghammora.co.nz 

With average log prices 

tracking above the 

three-year average, 

investors are earning significant 

lump-sum amounts of 

income as the stands are harvested 

and sold. 

First, some background. 

Forestry is a tax favoured 

investment. Operating and 

growing costs are tax deductible 

upfront, while the income 

is not derived and taxed until 

years down the track when the 

trees are ultimately harvested 

and sold. 

To make the most of the 

favourable tax rules, the preferred 

type of investment fund 

entity is one that is transparent 

for tax purposes. 

The most common type of 

transparent entity for widely 

held forestry investment funds 

is a partnership. 

An entity - like a partnership 

- is transparent for tax 

purposes in that it does not 

pay tax in its own capacity. 

The investors do instead. Any 

forestry income earned, or 

expenditure incurred by the 

entity is deemed to be earned 

and incurred by the investors 

in proportion to their ownership 

interest in the vehicle. 

So, an investor’s share of 

the annual operating costs 

incurred by the forestry entity 

flows through to the investor 

and can be offset against 

the investor’s other income. 

Similarly, the investor’s 

share of the harvest income 

is received and taxed in the 

hands of the investor. 

Compare this with a 

non-transparent entity, such as 

To make the most of 

the favourable tax 

rules, the preferred 

type of investment 

fund entity is one that 

is transparent for tax 

purposes. 

a standard company, which is 

not transparent. The expenditure 

will not flow through to 

the investors, so they will not 

be able to take advantage of 

the tax deduction in the intervening 

years. 

A further benefit of an 

investor holding their investment 

through a transparent 

entity is that it allows another 

set of favourable tax rules to 

be applied when the lumpsum 

harvest income is finally 

earned. 

The tax benefit from these 

rules will arise when investors 

have lower levels of income 

in their own names. There are 

two sets of tax rules that can 

benefit investors. 

The first set is known as the 

Income Equalisation Scheme 

(IES). It allows farmers, 

fishers and people that earn 

income from forestry to spread 

the income over future income 

years, rather than have it all 

taxed in the year it is earned. 

Broadly, this is achieved 

by the person making a deposit 

to an account held by the 

Inland Revenue. The amount 

deposited is allowed as a 

deduction against the current 

year income, i.e. it reduces the 

income. 

Then the amount of the 

deposit becomes income in the 

future income year in which 

the taxpayer requests and 

obtains the repayment of the 

amount from Inland Revenue. 

Thus, the mechanism of 

paying the deposit and then 

having it refunded achieves 

the spreading of the income 

between the years. 

The benefit is that the 

income may be taxed at an 

investor’s lower marginal tax 

rate. Whereas, if it was all 

earned in the one year it may 

push the investor into a higher 

tax bracket and be taxed at a 

higher tax rate. 

The second set of rules 

allows a person to allocate 

income from the disposal of 

timber between the year they 

derive the income and the previous 

three income years. 

So, like the IES it facilitates 

the spreading of income, 

just backwards into past years 

instead of forwards in future 

years. 

It enables a person to have 

the income taxed at a lower 

marginal tax rate in the current 

and three previous years, rather 

than paying tax at a higher 

rate if all the income was taxed 

in the year it was earned. 

Unlike the IES, no deposit 

payment is required to the 

Inland Revenue. Instead a person 

files an application with 

the Inland Revenue no later 

than one year after the end of 

the year of sale of the timber. 

For an investment that is 

subject to the ebbs and flows 

of international demand for 

timber, and the opportunity 

cost of not having put the 

land to more profitable uses 

along the way, any tax benefits 

an investor can gleam will be 

well-received. 

The comments in this article 

are of a general nature and 

should not be relied on for 

specific cases, where readers 

should seek professional advice. 

RADIO - TV - DIGITAL 

HERE’S WHAT LOCAL BUSINESSES 

ARE SAYING ABOUT MEDIAWORKS 

“We’ve had a successful partnership with 

Mediaworks here in the Bay for the last 

5 years, and have really seen the direct 

benefits Radio advertising has had on 

our business in that time. The team in 

Tauranga have consistently provided 

us with great service, acting as trusted 

advisers for our marketing activity.” 

MARK, GENERAL MANAGER, PACIFIC TOYOTA 

“For over 10 years we’ve worked 

closely with the Mediaworks team 

to help grow our business in the 

Bay. The jingle we’ve had running 

with them all this time still get’s 

mentioned to us by our customers - 

it’s a catchy number that gets stuck 

in their heads....and I love that!” 

STEPHEN, OWNER, MR RENTAL 

“We were impressed with the results 

of our Radio campaign following our 

recent relocation. On opening day we 

were busy from open to close, with 

lines out the door! The best part? We 

had a 10% increase vs a similar offer 

at the old location. Great work with a 

short lead up, Radio works!” 

BRUCE, OWNER, SUBWAY CBD TAURANGA 

#1 

NUMBER ONE NETWORK 

IN TAURANGA 

WITH 88,900 

LISTENERS EVERY WEEK 

Contact our Tauranga team 

today on: 07 928 7300 

SOURCE: GFK RADIO AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT SURVEY, COMMERCIAL RADIO 

STATIONS, TAURANGA 2/2018, ALL PEOPLE 10+, MON - SUN, 12MN-12MN

12 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS August/September 2018


Business confidence and 

investment markets 

A recent survey shows business confidence is at a low level in 

New Zealand. ANZ’s monthly survey of hundreds of businesses 

nationwide is considered a leading indicator of the health of the 

economy. 

WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR MONEY 

> BY BRETT BELL-BOOTH 

Investment Adviser with Forsyth Barr Limited in Tauranga, and an 

Authorised Financial Adviser. Phone (07) 577 5725 or 

email brett.bell-booth@forsythbarr.co.nz. 

The July survey showed 

headline business confidence 

at its lowest level 

since May 2008, with a net 45 

percent of respondents reporting 

they expect general busi- 

ness conditions to deteriorate 

in the year ahead. 

Firms’ views of their own 

activity also deteriorated to a 

net four percent expecting an 

improvement, which is at its 

lowest level since May 2009. 

The Opposition has made 

much of this news, claiming it 

is evidence of poor economic 

management of the new government. 

To be fair, business confidence 

usually dips after a 

change of government, as business 

waits to see what the 

impact of new government 

policy will be. 

However, survey results are 

just one of many indicators 

signalling economic headwinds. 

From an investment perspective, 

sharemarket movements 

do not strictly correlate 

with business confidence. 

The following graphs show 

the ANZ Business Confidence 

Index from July 2015 and the 

NZX 50 market index for the 

same period. 

While business confidence 

has fallen, particularly over the 

last 12 months, the sharemarket 

has continued to rise. 

One reason for the lack of 

correlation is that the sharemarket 

index is weighted to 

the largest companies, which 

are not necessarily reflective 

of the domestic economy. 

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare 

and a2 Milk are the two largest, 

both benefitting from a 

strong export focus. 

a2 Milk in particular has 

had a spectacular growth path 

in the last 12 months, based 

around its Chinese market success 

with its infant formula 

product. 

Because of this growth, a2 

Milk has been an influential 

factor behind the NZX50’s 

overall performance. 

But despite the lack of correlation, 

the business confidence 

survey does indicate the 

investment intentions of firms 

are declining, which is likely 

to have an impact on economic 

activity. 

Ultimately, a rising share 

market reflects corporate 

earnings growth, as investors 

are prepared to pay more for 

growing companies. 

Without continued investment, 

corporate earnings 

growth is likely to be subdued 

at best and share market valuations 

are likely to be affected. 

However, whether the 

result will be a share market 

correction, or merely a slowing 

of the rate of growth, remains 

to be seen, as is the timing of 

any change. 

Currently the New Zealand 

economy is still expected to 

show GDP growth in excess of 

two percent, interest rates continue 

to remain at low levels, 

unemployment is low, while 

government expenditure in the 

state services sector and infrastructure 

areas is increasing. 

All are signs that the economy 

is still healthy, with no 

slowdown in immediate sight. 

This column is general in 

nature and is not personalised 

investment advice. It has been 

prepared in good faith based 

on information obtained from 

sources believed to be reliable 

and accurate. Disclosure 

Statements for Forsyth Barr 

Authorised Financial Advisers 

are available on request and 

free of charge. 

Wolf in sheep’s clothing 

In more than a decade of 

studying debtor behavior, I 

have come across a few serial 

or habitual debtors. The following 

is a list of behaviours 

and statements that seem to be 

common indicators of likely 

problems. 

CREDIT MANAGEMENT 

> BY NICK KERR 

Nick Kerr is Area Manager BOP for EC Credit Control NZ Ltd. 

He can be reached at nick.kerr@eccreditcontrol.co.nz 

Contact and request 

outside of normal bounds 

Especially in the trades, I hear 

all the time of the clients that 

“need help right now”, who 

call out of hours and ask for 

services that aren’t normally 

supplied. 

And they tend to be the 

ones that end up causing all 

the trouble when it comes time 

to pay. That initial behaviour 

is telling of a reactive, not a 

proactive attitude. And it usually 

translates into only paying 

once pressure is applied. 

“If you look after me this 

time, there will be a lot more 

work coming your way.” 

This statement is seldom true. 

It speaks to a feeling of self-importance 

and an expectation of 

special treatment, which is not 

a great way to start a financial 

relationship. 

Post-transaction 

negotiation. 

This behaviour is more preva- 

lent within certain cultures, but 

is definitely a warning sign. 

The time to negotiate is 

before the transaction, not 

afterwards, when the supplier 

is at a distinct disadvantage. 

Provide a written quote with 

terms of trade and stick to the 

price. 

I always say to my clients: 

“if you don’t believe that 

your service is worth what you 

charge, then charge less. If you 

do, then stick to your guns and 

don’t discount.” 

Private individuals asking 

for a seven day or 20th of 

following invoice, on the 

first transaction. 

In my experience this is a big 

warning sign - it is a fishing 

expedition to see how lenient 

the credit terms really are, and 

seldom ends well. 

If asked for this, tell the 

potential client that there is 

a process in beginning an 

account and that a full credit 

application will need to be 

filled in. Those just fishing 

around will normally drop out. 

Potential client stating 

how good they are at paying 

bills, or how wealthy 

they are. 

This often highlights ingrained 

insecurities surrounding money, 

and may be a very good indicator 

of payment habits that are 

just the opposite. 

Constant name-dropping of 

well-known individuals or 

company directors (if you 

are from a large company). 

As with the above, this is often 

a good sign of insecurity, and 

is completely irrelevant if they 

are applying for credit. It is 

often used to try and build a 

sense of importance and circumvent 

the normal application 

process. 

Below are some other comments 

that should send up 

warning signals, and my suggested 

responses. 

– I don’t have my wallet with 

me, but let the car go and I will 

pay by internet tonight. NO. 

Go get your wallet or use our 

computer to transfer funds. 

– Can you make the invoice 

out to X…. as they are going 

to be paying the bill? NO. But 

after payment, we can change 

the name on the receipt to the 

party who paid. 

– Do you credit check 

accounts here? YES - we do 

and goodbye. 

– No, I don’t have any ID 

on me. Then that’s how much 

credit you will be given. 

– I didn’t get the invoice. But 

the quote got there OK? 

– I have been using your competitor 

for years, but want a 

change: Overdue account, eh? 

– I paid it into the wrong 

account. That’s strange, 

our account number hasn’t 

changed in years. 

– I’m not happy with the work. 

But you only realised this after 

the invoice was issued? 

At the end of the day there 

will always be professional 

debtors who will try and 

have a go, but if you establish 

good Terms of Trade, 

do Comprehensive credit 

checks (EQUIFAX), and 

employ some simple debtor 

profiling techniques, you can 

severely reduce the impact 

that these individuals can 

have on your business.


BOP’s Ecosystem of entrepreneurs 

– a model for the future of work 

What we’ve witnessed 

in the recent past is; 

really great stuff in 

business happens when people 

break the rules we’ve all been 

subconsciously following. 

Where once only efficiency 

ruled, the ability to be effective, 

by being intentionally different, 

not following the status 

quo, using technology to do 

things in new, interesting ways 

is now sought-after to remain 

competitive. 

Those folk who do amazing 

stuff? They’re called disruptors 

for a reason. 

We’re in a place where 

people all over the world are 

starting to realise that oldstyle 

institutions with systems 

and hierarchies embedded in 

the way things always were 

aren’t supporting innovators 

and game-changers the way 

we need them to. 

Of course, there will always 

be a place for them and people 

who need them, but they’re not 

necessarily serving everyone 

the way they once did. 

When it comes to education 

institutions for instance, 

for the most part we’ve been 

working along the same lines 

for too long. 

The Industrial Age where 

workers were required to be 

compliant and do repetitive 

tasks consistently, dealing 

only with known-knowns and 

well understood technology is 

over. 

We often get asked why Venture Centre 

is focused on curating and supporting a 

growing ecosystem of entrepreneurs. Short 

answer: local people, if supported, can 

(and do) do great things, solving problems 

and creating new work and opportunities 

to increase the Bay of Plenty’s social 

and economic success. Here’s a deeper 

explanation of why. 

Those were the elements 

around which most of our current 

education system was built. 

Life-long learning-by-doing 

and building on the successes 

and failures, expertise 

and knowledge amongst diverse 

communities working 

together to make stuff better, 

is part of the ‘alt-ed’ (alternative 

education) which is now 

taking shape. 

When we see 

each other as key 

networks and valuable 

collaborators, not 

competition, we find 

there’s room for us all 

to succeed. 

Business has been kind 

of the same. Until relatively 

recently accepted wisdom 

dictated a limited range of 

business and delivery models, 

structures, hierarchies, management 

and measurements be 

used in order to deliver results. 

Today these models are 

changing and evolving, diverse 

leadership, speedy experimentation 

methods along 

with measures including 

impact as well as profit are 

redefining what success can 

look like. 

And that’s where Venture 

Centre comes in. We’re here for 

the change-makers, those who 

challenge the status quo, supporting 

them to test their ideas, 

providing access to diversity of 

thought, expertise and resources 

which nudge them in new 

directions. 

An ecosystem that backs 

people that actualise new generative 

solutions to persistent 

and growing problems. 

That’s what Venture Centre, 

along with collaborative 

organisations like Priority 

One, are striving for here in 

Bay of Plenty. 

We were reminded of the 

importance of these disruptive, 

entrepreneurial ecosystems 

recently, when watching the 

wonderful speech USA soccer 

icon, Abby Wambach, gave at 

Barnard College’s graduation 

recently. Here is our favourite 

excerpt: 

In 1995, around the year 

of your birth, wolves were 

reintroduced into Yellowstone 

National Park after being 

absent for 70 years. 

In those years, the number 

of deer had skyrocketed because 

they were unchallenged, 

alone at the top of the food 

chain. They grazed away and 

reduced the vegetation, so 

much that the river banks were 

eroding. 

Once the wolves arrived, they 

thinned out the deer through 

hunting. But more significantly, 

their presence changed the 

behavior of the deer. 

Wisely, the deer started 

avoiding the valleys, and the 

vegetation in those places 

regenerated. Trees quintupled 

in just six years. 

Birds and beavers started 

moving in. The river dams the 

beavers built provided habitats 

for otters and ducks and 

fish. The animal ecosystem 

regenerated. 

But that wasn’t all. The rivers 

actually changed as well. 

The plant regeneration stabilized 

the river banks so they 

stopped collapsing. The rivers 

steadied—all because of the 

wolves’ presence. 

See what happened here? 

The wolves, who were feared as 

a threat to the system, turned 

out to be its salvation. 

We know that change can 

be scary. Plucky upstarts can 

be seen as a threat to the way 

things have always been done. 

However, if you recognise 

that the way things have always 

been has led us to face the massive 

challenges and inequities 

we do today; that if we keep 

doing the same things, the same 

way and not adapt to ubiquitous 

connectivity, automation, 

increased diversity and the 

fourth revolution, we will deepen 

and worsen these challenges; 

you will know that change is not 

only necessary it is a constant 

which we need to acknowledge 

and incorporate into how we do 

things from now on. 

Curating and co-ordinating 

an ecosystem to support 

brave citizens who do things 

differently, chose to take the 

entrepreneurial path less travelled, 

connecting them to 

opportunities to learn skills, 

access expertise and soak up 

knowledge from others in our 

community, is a way forward 

to ensure our community’s 

success. 

When we see each other 

as key networks and valuable 

collaborators, not competition, 

we find there’s room for us all 

to succeed in this amazing Bay 

of Plenty community. 

A strong, dynamic, connected 

ecosystem – a Bay of 

Plenty of valuable ideas, created, 

tested, launched and grown 

by local entrepreneurs can, 

will and is delivering work 

which benefits us all. 

P.S. You can see all of Abby’s 

bad-ass speech by going here; 

http://clik.vc/disruptors. 

Entrepreneurs CLOser to solving serious housing crisis 

CLOser operates as 

a social enterprise. 

Profit is not its 

driver. Sustainable, 

successful outcomes 

for the people it 

serves is the primary 

measure. 

CLOser (partly acronym 

for Connected Living 

Opportunities) formed 

at Tauranga Startup Weekend 

2017 to create a replicable 

housing model to solve the 

affordable housing problem. 

Low-income and young 

people, non-traditional families 

and elderly can’t afford 

to buy the type of properties 

usually designed by property 

developers, and there are also 

those who would CHOOSE to 

live a simpler, more sustainable 

way of life in close knit, 

co-operative communities if 

provided with the opportunity. 

These models (of connected 

living) take a significant 

amount of time because time 

and energy gets depleted with 

the complex nature of the work 

required. 

Beyond navigating regulations, 

you have to find 

like-minded people, find the 

right site, funding, design and 

construction. And then there’s 

managing the democratic 

decision-making required to 

maintain community harmony 

which is a job in itself – but 

ultimately can be very rewarding. 

CLOser aims to take much 

of the hard work and complexity 

out of it. 

Each CLOser project is 

adjusted to its participants 

vision/intent and is supported 

to become a self-managed 

community (if desired). 

Affordability is key, and is 

why CLOser operates as a 

social enterprise. Profit is not 

its driver. Sustainable, successful 

outcomes for the people it 

serves is the primary measure. 

On the eve of 2018’s 

Tauranga Startup Weekend 

(August 31st - September 

2nd) focused entirely on social 

impact – we asked CLOser 

co-founder and architect, 

Bobbie Cornell to give a snapshop 

of what they’ve been up 

to, where they are at and what 

they’ve learned. 

What challenges has CLOser 

faced during the year? 

The main challenge has been 

being able to dedicate enough 

unpaid time to get things moving, 

while balancing other 

commitments. 

The restrictions on suitable 

zones and the high costs of 

compliance, and then development 

– before even breaking 

ground – are also proving challenging. 

But we’re determined 

to pave the way. 

What is your plan now? 

We’ve found supporters of 

CLOser are actually people 

who have property and investment 

capital that want their 

legacy to be doing good for 

un-served members of their 

community rather than ‘just’ 

making money. 

We’re developing a detailed 

concept as a pilot with a committed 

and socially motivated 

land owner in Katikati – it’s 

a prototype design. We’ve 

sourced funding to carry 

out our modelling, thanks to 

BayTrust and have been working 

with Venture Centre and 

Akina to build capacity and 

to help find and utilise expert 

advisory support. Getting this 

done is our immediate focus. 

And a key to being able to 

move forward is finding new 

team members and collaborators, 

rather than reinventing any 

wheels, by working together 

we can share knowledge and 

spread our capacity across 

Bobbie Cornell (left) with the original CLOser co-founders Ina Murphy and Ryan Plank shortly 

after Tauranga Startup Weekend 2017. 

regions who also need housing 

solutions. 

What have you learnt along 

the way about Tauranga’s 

housing that you didn’t know 

at the start? 

It is deceptively difficult to 

do anything ‘outside the box’. 

Traditional property development 

focused on profiteering 

is seen as the only way. 

There is a lot of suspicion 

of people who want to do 

something with property who 

are not focused solely on personal 

gain. Creative, socially 

and environmentally conscious 

solutions get the life sucked out 

of them even though everyone 

admits they address problems 

which are getting worse. 

There needs to be more 

scope and ability for council 

staff to seek and get resources 

to have independent expert 

support for projects beyond the 

norm where experience may 

be limited (e.g.; there’s very 

little understanding of social 

enterprise, social procurement, 

social entrepreneurs and that 

can lead to scepticism). 

Finally, that good people of 

like, willing minds can make 

lighter work of wicked problems. 

I’ve learnt that complementary 

collaboration is key! 

Find more about CLOser 

at: https://www.facebook. 

com/connectedLiving 

Opportunities/ or signup to 

take part in Tauranga Startup 

Weekend Impact here: http:// 

clik.vc/tgasw18book

BAY OF PLENTY/CENTRAL PLATEAU REGISTERED MASTER BUILDERS HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2018 

1 

GIB Showhome 

Award Winner 

LAKESIDE 

LUXURY 

BAY OF PLENTY / 

CENTRAL PLATEAU 

0F 

Neben Morris Media congratulates GIB Showhome Award 

Winner Landmark Homes for their outstanding success at the 

2018 Bay of Plenty/Central Plateau Master Builders House of the 

Year Awards. We are also proud to congratulate all other Bay of 

Plenty/Central Plateau award winners. 

A supplement of Bay of Plenty Business News

2 BAY OF PLENTY/CENTRAL PLATEAU REGISTERED MASTER BUILDERS HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2018 

GIB Showhome award winner 

LANDMARK HOMES 

• 

Registered Master Builders House of the Year 

• 

• 

Registered Master Builders House of the Year 

• 

Lakeside 

Luxury 

Bay of Plenty/Central Plateau 

Bay of Plenty/Central Plateau 

WINDOWS - ENTRY DOORS - BIFOLDS 

Landmark Homes TRW’s win an excellent 

example of company’s design-and-build 

focus in Eastern Bay. 

Landmark Homes Taupo, 

Rotorua and Whakatane 

franchise is celebrating 

its category win and a Gold 

Medal in this year’s regional 

Registered Master Builder 

House of the Year Awards, 

for its lakeside build at 

Wharewaka Point in Taupo. 

The firm also picked up 

a Gold Reserve Medal win 

in the Bay of Plenty/Central 

Plateau 2018 awards, meaning 

the build is in the Top 100 in 

New Zealand of the 35,000 

homes built last year and will 

TAUPO 

go through to the national 

finals in November. 

Landmark Homes for 

Taupo, Rotorua and Whakatane 

says the company is based 

in Taupo, with a small office 

in Whakatane, and works 

throughout the Eastern Bay. 

Owner/Director Gerry 

Schumacher says Landmark 

Homes TRW is happy to work 

with clients that have their 

own architect. 

Using their in-house design 

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BAY OF PLENTY/CENTRAL PLATEAU REGISTERED MASTER BUILDERS HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2018 

3 

capabilities, the company can 

provide drawings and plans 

as part of a very cost-effective 

solution for clients. 

Schumacher says Landmark 

Homes TRW provides a steady 

supply of homes for regular 

clients, but focuses on design 

and build homes in the middle 

to upper sector of the 

housing market. 

“We specialise in clients 

who often have very specific 

needs. We take into account 

the home’s orientation for 

views, as well as sloping sites 

and other considerations such 

as wind and weather. You 

have to build the house to 

fit the site.” 

He adds: “Our award-winning 

home in Taupo is a great 

example of what we do best.” 

The four-bedroom, threebathroom 

residence at 

Wharewaka Point is a family 

home that opens beautifully 

to the outdoors, making the 

most of its stunning lakesidefacing 

location. 

The 303sqm layout forms 

two core wings, with outdoor 

living options to both the east 

and west of the open-plan 

space. Pillarless corner sliders 

make indoor-outdoor entertaining 

a breeze. 

Schumacher notes that 

most housing in Taupo faces 

the lake and the mountains 

to take best advantage of 

the views, but that also can 

expose the homes to the colder 

southerlies. 

“Incorporating two outdoor 

living areas so you have the 

option to switch your entertaining 

from one side of the home 

to the other depending on the 

weather is a common factor 

discussed with clients during 

the design phase,” he says. 

Continues page 4 

Landmark Homes Taupo Construction Manager Tony Lafferty and Director 

Steven Painter celebrating at this year’s regional Master Builders Awards. 

Phone: 07 578 5024 

Address: 51 Koromiko Street, Judea, Tauranga 

Email: info@pacificstone.co.nz 

Website: www.pacificstone.co.nz 

LANDMARK HOMES, 

TAUPO SHOWHOME. 

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4 BAY OF PLENTY/CENTRAL PLATEAU REGISTERED MASTER BUILDERS HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2018 

From page 3 

Inside the Wharewaka 

Point home, all manner of 

modern convenience awaits, 

from the contemporary entertainer’s 

kitchen to well-appointed 

bathrooms including a 

master ensuite. 

A chic palette of whites and 

greys creates a relaxed atmosphere 

throughout, enhanced by 

an abundance of natural light, 

with dark wood floors as a 

grounding force. 

Although built in an established 

residential subdivision, 

the home offers privacy 

while remaining connected 

to views and alfresco living. 

Weatherboard cladding with 

gable detailing, an asphalt 

shingle roof, and barn-style 

garage and front doors all lend 

themselves to the traditional 

homely feel of this warm and 

inviting abode. 

The family will be moving 

into the house at the end of 

the year. 

Schumacher says the Taupo 

market is still strong, with plenty 

of land, good sales and new 

sections becoming available. 

Whakatane is a little slower, 

mainly because it is now 

a struggle finding good land 

to build on at a reasonable 

price, with Rotorua following 

a similar pattern, though new 

developments are now on the 

horizon there. 

The Landmark TRW team, 

which has also won Gold 

and Silver Medals, and Gold 

Reserve Medal, in 2015 and 

2017, is excited about the 

prospect of competing in the 

national awards. 

Landmark Homes TRW 

Taupo / Rotorua / Whakatane 

T 07 376 8528 M 021 843 249 

T Whakatane 07 308 4095 

E admin@landmarkhomes.co.nz 

W landmarkhomes.co.nz 

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Locals hack policy, law and regulations for 

common good 

Hacking is a term given to work people do to 

make things better – it is a creative activity, 

not, as is often thought, a destructive one. 

The Better Rules ‘hack’ 

was a two-day learn-bydoing 

workshop-style 

event which gave people an 

opportunity to turn government 

policy and legislation 

into reusable computer code 

which could then be used in 

multiple apps to reduce the 

time, cost and complication 

involved in dealing with government. 

The event was a Tauranga 

first. It attracted lawyers, 

developers, programmers, UX/ 

UI designers, policy people, 

local and central government 

employees who applied their 

various and complementary 

skills to improve the way society 

functions. 

Better Rules Hack came to 

Tauranga thanks to the partnership 

created between central 

governments, all of government 

Service Innovation Lab, 

LegalHackersNZ and Venture 

Centre. 

It linked Wellington’s open 

government innovation experts 

with the Bay’s entrepreneurs 

and digital enablement project 

implementation team. Mind 

food was provided thanks to 

sponsorship from Catalyst IT. 

Level 7 Applied Computing 

Waikato University student 

George Stroud grabbed the 

opportunity. 

“I came to learn something 

new and see how I might apply 

my theoretical knowledge 

of code.” 

George walked away want- 

QrtHori_BOPBN_Basestation_Oct17.pdf 1 17/10/17 10:37 AM 

Better Rules Hack team at work at Basestation coworking space 

ing to do more, a prize which 

gives him access to a Dev 

Academy Human Skills workshop 

and the inspiration to 

look for more challenges to 

solve using his skills. 

Four teams formed and created 

working demonstrators 

making rules from more than 

one source (such as legislation 

from multiple agencies or trade 

agreements) digital, they were; 

The Homeschool Coop – 

connecting parents to support 

alternative schooling options 

Local impact investor to judge 

social entrepreneurship event 

An entrepreneur, investor, 

director and BayTrust 

trustee, Steve Napier 

knows the value of money and 

the power it can have when 

used to grow ideas that do 

good into sustainable innovations. 

With over 30 years experience 

in the funds’ management 

and sharebroking industries 

(including asset allocation), 

Steve has seen a lot and adds 

enormous value to the judge’s 

panel of Tauranga Startup 

Weekend Impact. 

His biggest successful 

investment was buying shares 

in a green fund manager whose 

share price went up more than 

20 times and did a lot of environmental 

good too. Steve 

shares with us a little about what 

he would like to see at the local 

social change focused event. 

What are the elements of 

starting up a business that 

gets you most excited? 

Proving the concept. 

Getting feedback that the product/service 

is really on track 

and making a difference. 

What is the most important 

thing that entrepreneurs 

should know? 

Success takes a lot of plan- 

such as home education 

should they choose to opt-out 

by choice or need to provide 

learning for a child with disabilities 

who may not want, 

or be able to take part in the 

school system. 

ii (Inclusive Infrastructure) 

– built a (Kubernetes) cloud 

infrastructure on @catalyst_ 

cloud for the #betterruleshack 

teams to use for the weekend 

and beyond. 

LABS (Legal Advice for 

Find out how indigenous organisms 

and cannabis lead to social innovation 

The Social Innovation 

Opportunity event, 

co-produced by ĀAkina 

Foundation and Venture 

Centre, is a three-part morning 

event designed to inspire, 

showcase and workshop social 

innovation opportunities and 

how they can be fostered locally 

to address big issues. 

The combination of Kristen 

Joiner, Social Innovation 

Expert and Director of Impact 

Investment at Enterprise 

Angels, five practitioners in an 

interactive panel, and a workshop 

lunch exploring the tools 

and methods social entrepreneurs 

use, make it an event not 

to miss. 

Manu Caddie from 

Hikurangi Enterprises in 

Gisborne will join the panel 

and share his learnings. 

Manu is involved in developing 

high-value products 

from indigenous organisms 

(plants, fungi and shellfish) 

with a vision of recladding 

our highly erosion prone land 

in native rainforest to be sustainably 

harvested for natural 

health products and high nutrition 

foods. 

His team are also establishing 

a medical cannabis 

company utilising local skills 

to develop safe, effective 

pharmaceuticals. 

The pace of government 

regulation and access to more 

investment restrain the growth 

of Hikurangi Enterprises who 

hold the vision of Ngati Porou 

diaspora returning to populate 

their tribal lands again. 

Maintaining and revitalising 

the paepae and cultural 

ning and hard work. Most of 

the time it is harder and takes 

longer than expected. 

What ideas would you like 

to see from Tauranga’s Startup 

Weekend Impact participants? 

An impact investor wants 

traditions and creating work 

in commercial activities to 

enhance rather than degrade 

biodiversity, soil and water 

quality are among their goals. 

In 10 years they’d like 

to see a wide range of businesses 

growing and supporting 

communities beyond the 

East Coast. 

In 100 years they envisage 

the land and waterways 

restored with mokopuna 

living in harmony with the 

environment again. 

Come and meet Manu, 

Business Start-ups) built upon 

existing work. They used artificial 

intelligence to provide 

business start ups with legal 

advice and tools. 

RaDbyIRD worked on taking 

the research out of R&D funding 

in an effort to reduce the 

complexity and uncertainty of 

what counts as R&D in order 

to obtain grants or tax breaks. 

To join the next Better 

Rules Hack follow @legalhackersnz 

on Twitter. 

a similar thing to a financial 

investor, but just in a different 

way – the biggest risk adjusted 

return per dollar spent – while 

making an impact on a social 

challenge. 

What’s the best way for participants 

to capture your interest 

when pitching their idea? 

It’s vital, especially for a 

technical product/service, 

that the offering is really well 

understood and that there is a 

well thought out pathway to 

success. 

Signup to meet Steve and 

take part in Tauranga Startup 

Weekend Impact here: http:// 

clik.vc/tgasw18book 

discuss social innovation 

and mix with others wanting 

to take action at The Social 

Innovation Opportunity, part 

of the Groundswell Festival on 

27th August , 9:30am - 1pm, 

Basestation 148 Durham Street 

Tauranga. 

MADVentures – events for youth 

Codebrite Term Time After School 

31 July to 18 September (weekly), 3:00pm 

to 5:00pm 

PoweringON – events for 

business owners 

Xero Meetup – Job Management Software 

28 August 2018, 9:30am to 10:30am 

Tauranga Startup Weekend 

31 August to 2 September 2018 

The Pitches – Tauranga Startup Weekend 

2 September 2018, 5:00pm to 8:30pm 

Office Hours Marketing Strategy and 

Planning with Marketing on Demand 


Office Hours Financials with Crowe 

Horwath 

10 September 2018, 11:00am to 12:00pm 

Office Hours Business Buying Success 

with Ingham Mora 


Office Hours Sales and Marketing with 

Bravesight 


Office Hours Legal with Mackenzie Elvin 


Dale Carnegie’s Attitudes for Customer 

Service Seminar 

21 September 2018, 9:00am to 10:45am 

Office Hours Intellectual Property with 

James & Wells 


Instigator – events for founders 

The Social Innovation Opportunity for 

Tauranga 

27 August 2018, 9:30am to 1:00pm 

Tauranga Startup Weekend: Impact 

31 August - 2 September 2018 

Starts 5.00pm to 12pm, Friday 

8.00am to 12.00pm, Saturday 

8.00am to 8.30pm, Sunday 

Coaching Clinic for Social Enterprises 

11 and 12 September 2018 

Between 1.00pm Tuesday and 3pm Wednesday 

Entrepreneurs Everywhere – Startup 

Weekend Reunion 


Angelic Drop-In Clinic 


Plug-in & power up 

C 

M 

Y 

CM 

MY 

CY 

CMY 

K 

Coworking – way 

more than a desk! 

Be our guest, take 

a tour & enjoy a 

coffee on the house 

• Desks, secure offices, team spaces 

• Flexible terms - come for a day, 

a week, month or year 

• Event and Meeting rooms free 

with residency or book as needed 

• Uncapped internet 

• Tech support and award 

winning barista onsite 

Designed, managed and run by 

Get in touch 0800 000557 

info@basestation.co.nz 

148 Durham Street, Tauranga 

The Communication & Technology Space 

join us!


Five questions to ask yourself before 

signing your next office lease 

So, you’re about to sign yourself and an office load of people into 

a new space you’ve just found… “Yep, looks great, hand me that 

pen”. Hold up. There are a few pertinent questions to ask yourself 

before you close the door on negotiations – and on an office that 

you may still be in for years to come. 

1. Is there enough room to 

grow into? 

Odds are you’re moving 

because you need more space. 

Odds are also that your new 

landlord will expect you to sign 

a minimum three-year lease. 

So you need to ensure you 

have enough room for today 

and in 1095 days – all without 

paying for space you don’t 

need in the meantime. 

So, before you look at leases, 

you should study your business 

plan.Then allow for around 

10 square metres (including all 

your office furniture) for every 

employee you have, and every 

employee you plan to have in 

the next three years. 

2. Is it the right kind of 

space? 

When scanning commercial 

listings, you’ll find yourself 

discounting spaces you deem 

too small or too large. 

But don’t be too quick to 

do this without at least looking 

at accompanying pics – and, 

preferably, the floorplan. 

Layout is paramount. 

If several of the square feet 

you need form an odd alcove 

unsuitable for anything but a 

few plants, you can’t count 

them in your seating arrangement. 

Conversely, a smaller, 

rectangular space may fit more 

desks in a more Feng Shui kind 

of way. 

3. Is it the right space for 

your top employees? 

An office move often starts in 

your head, months before you 

let anyone else know about 

your plans. 

But maybe you should 

invite your key employees into 

your thoughts, so as to get their 

own thinking on the matter. 

Why? Because a move will 

only be beneficial if you don’t 

lose these people on the way to 

your new office. 

It’s literally worth consulting 

those who are essential to 

your business – not only on 

the kind of environment that 

they’d like to work in, but 

where they would like it to be 

located. 

At the end of the workday, 

your new office should primarily 

be both a space and in a 

place that works for the people 

who are working in it. 

4. Is it right for your clients? 

In an age where you can get 

everything done between 

email, Google Docs and 

Dropbox, it’s quite possible 

to find out six months down 

the email thread that your client 

Sam is not the man you 

thought he was – he is, in fact, 

a woman christened Samantha. 

If you run your business 

like that, there’s no need to 

keep your clients in mind 

when setting up a new office 

– especially if you can’t even 

picture them. 

For everyone else, there are 

a few things to consider. 

One: is your new place easily 

accessible and do you have 

parking when they get there? If 

not, is there a parking building 

nearby where you can negotiate 

to get cheap rates? (Which 

you should pay, BTW). 

Then, once the clients get 

inside, is there space to create 

somewhere comfortable for 

them to wait? 

And further space to make a 

simultaneously impressive and 

comfortable meeting space – 

whether that be a board room 

or covered deck? 

5. Does this office reflect 

your brand? 

You probably put a lot of 

thought into your business 

name, signwriting, website and 

Facebook page – because these 

things tell people what you’re 

all about. 

But do you know what else 

gives away your company culture? 

Carpet “preserved” from 

the 80s and fluorescent lights. 

And “we don’t care” is not 

a good message to send. 

Don’t fall into the trap of 

creating a great reception and 

boardroom and ignoring the 

rest of the office either. 

Clients will notice your 

poor sardined, fluorescent-lit 

workers and will still glean 

that “we don’t care” message. 

At a bare minimum, make 

sure your new office is a nice 

environment for everyone it 

will house – whether it’s every 

day or once a month. 

Then take your key brand 

values and reflect them in 

your interior design – if you’re 

all about fun, don’t paint 

everything in shades of black 

and boredom. 

www.bayleys.co.nz/ 

workplace/office/insights 

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Property 

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At Bayleys, we believe relationships are 

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P 07 579 0608 M 027 746 9218 

brodie.thomas@bayleys.co.nz


Kiwifruit Claim Group digs 

in for cross appeal 

The Kiwifruit Claim Group plaintiffs are digging in for a court battle 

extending into the New Year. This follows the Crown’s decision to 

appeal the recent High Court ruling that the Ministry for Primary 

Industries had been negligent and breached its duty of care in 

allowing Psa into New Zealand. 


The Crown’s appeal is 

wide-ranging and seeks 

to clarify the scope under 

which government regulators 

can be sued for negligence. 

The Crown’s solicitors also 

highlighted the potential of the 

High Court finding to significantly 

impact upon biosecurity 

operations. 

In turn both Seeka and the 

212-strong grower group have 

filed a cross appeal. 

Seeka was the only post-harvest 

processor to commit to the 

original claim action, which 

culminated in the favourable 

court ruling in June. 

Seeka was excluded from 

the High Court action in favour 

of the claim as a post-harvest 

company, but is also represented 

as a significant grower. 

The initial ruling only 

acknowledged the duty of care 

owed Seeka as another orchard 

operator and lease holder, 

along with the other growers, 

rather than the wider impact 

upon Seeka as a post-harvest 

processor to the entire sector. 

Seeka incurred losses of $3.9 

million in the outbreak through 

staff redundancy costs and loss 

of sales revenue. 

Seeka chief executive 

Michael Franks said the plaintiffs 

had predicted the Crown 

would appeal the ruling. 

“We could not appeal first, 

it would have jeopardised all 

growers’ claims,” he said. 

The cross appeal is based 

on two key parts of the High 

Court decision – one is that 

Seeka was also owed a duty 

of care as a post-harvest processor, 

and secondly that MPI 

was negligent because its staff 

did not check a shipment of 

pollen and plant matter that 

contained Psa when it arrived 

from China. 

Franks confirmed to Bay 

of Plenty Business News that 

the plaintiffs, backed by LPF 

Litigation Funding Ltd, would 

be pursuing the claim to its 

final conclusion. 

“This is all about accountability,” 

he said. 

Grower representative 

John Cameron from Te Puke 

said the group was resigned 

to the hard grind of an appeal, 

and suspects there may be a 

broad range of issues within 

Seeka’s Michael Franks: “It’s all 

about accountability.” Photo/Supplied. 

the Crown’s action. 

“We were happy with the 

ruling when it was made and 

would not have appealed if the 

Crown had not done so first.” 

Cameron said he remained 

confident the appeal outcome 

would be in the growers’ favour. 

“The longer this drags out 

the greater the cost will be to the 

government as Psa continues.” 

The total claim value for 

the impact of Psa was lodged 

at $450 million compensation. 

BOP iwi scoop big kiwifruit orchard deal 


Bay of Plenty iwi significantly 

stepped up 

investment in the kiwifruit 

sector with the purchase 

of one of the country’s largest 

privately held orchard investments, 

scooping the deal ahead 

of several interested foreign 

buyer groups. 

The Matai Pacific orchard 

near Te Puke was offered by 

tender on behalf of its largely 

United Kingdom investor/ 

owners to the market earlier 

this year, amid strong competition 

from both local and 

overseas interests. 

But it was a joint venture 

between three Bay of Plenty 

iwi interests that managed to 

secure the 98 canopy ha property 

with its 2.6 million tray 

production of SunGold and 

Green, generating an estimated 

$11.4 million to $12.3 million 

a year income. 

Rotorua based Te Arawa 

Group Holdings, Whakatane’s 

Ngati Awa Group, and Rotoma 

No.1 Incorporated, teamed up 

for the purchase. The acquisition 

consolidates the position 

of all three iwi groups 

as significant primary sector 

players within the region and 

the industry. 

Based on current sales in 

the Western Bay of Plenty, 

kiwifruit orchards are selling 

for about $450,000 a hectare 

Matai Pacific kiwifruit orchard: Now in iwi hands. 

Photo/Supplied. 

for Green and up to $1 million 

a hectare for SunGold. 

The value of the deal has 

not been disclosed, but based 

on the orchards being split 

50:50 between SunGold and 

Green fruit, estimates place the 

canopy area alone at a value 

of $65-$75 million. Additional 

assets include 100ha of pastoral 

land and two houses. 

The deal also provided 

an option for the iwi groups 

to purchase $5.2 million of 

Zespri shares, on a recently 

re-aligned one tray: one 

share basis. 

The move marks the second 

significant investment by iwi 

into the industry within the 

past year. 

Last year, a $30 million 

investment programme to 

build 10 kiwifruit orchards in 

the BOP and Gisborne regions 

was announced as then single 

biggest investment. 

That deal was proposed to 

be set up on 90ha of unproductive 

tribal land across the two 

regions. 

BOP-based Te Awanui 

Huka Pak is another significant 

force in kiwifruit. 

The 100 percent Maoriowned 

business has a 17 percent 

stake in major grower and 

post-harvest operator Seeka, 

while also retaining land holdings 

and buildings that bring 

its total investments to more 

than $20 million. 

Te Arawa Group Holdings 

chairman Andrew West said 

the Matai Pacific purchase 

would ensure a brighter future 

for its people, delivering jobs 

and economic growth on 

the back of booming global 

demand for kiwifruit. 

“This is an industry we know 

well and we have a proven track 

record of success,” he said. 

Bayleys national country 

manager Duncan Ross said 

iwi should be applauded for 

getting the funds required 

together in a relatively short 

time, suggesting they have 

strong support from not only 

shareholders, but the banking 

sector too. 

“And to be able to raise 

those funds to compete at the 

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He said iwi assumption of 

ownership was very much a 

good news story for the sector, 

iwi and the region. 

Bidding for the block had 

been strong in the tender process, 

with about two-thirds 

being local interest and onethird 

coming from overseas 

interests. 

“These included parties 

who already had significant 

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interests in the New Zealand 

primary sector.” 

Collectively the three iwi 

groups now oversee significant 

resources in the Bay of 

Plenty, with Te Arawa representing 

21,000 beneficiaries, 

Rotoma No.1 administering 

6600ha on the shores of 

Lake Rotoma for 1800 iwi 

shareholders, and Ngati Awa 

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22 hapu representing 20,000 

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Successful Change 

and Leadership 

It is common that leaders in any business are looking to realise 

increased efficiencies by making changes, such as modifying a 

process or system, or changing the organisation structure. While 

there will be business and economic drivers for making these 

changes, the challenge is always how to implement the change 

as effectively as possible. 

By TANI HANSEN 

Human Resource Specialists 

Everest – all about people TM 

Employees are key to the 

successful implementation 

of a change programme 

and having a communication 

plan that ensures open, 

honest, timely and relevant 

communication is essential. 

Ensuring employees understand 

what the drivers are for 

the changes, what is changing 

and what is not, and indicative 

timelines is a must. 

As part of the communications 

plan it is important to 

carefully consider the various 

target audiences for change 

communications, ensuring 

that both Formal Influences 

and Change Influencers in the 

business are identified and 

engaged early. 

Formal Influencers are people 

in the business that have 

the formal/structural authority 

to lead the changes such as the 

CEO, General Managers and 

Team Leaders. 

It is vital that Formal 

Influencers are committed to 

the changes, are clear about the 

vision for the change and can 

articulate this vision naturally, 

in their own words. 

The more clearly a Formal 

Influencer can articulate the 

vision and what the new ways 

of working will be like, the 

faster their direct reports will 

adopt the changes being made. 

Change Influencers are 

those people who influence 

others regardless of their title 

or role in the business. 

A Change Influencer may 

initially have a dissenting or 

opposing view to the changes. 

Speaking with Change 

Influencers early in the change 

process can provide the opportunity 

for those people to 

challenge the rationale for the 

change directly, which will 

help them understand why the 

changes are necessary and help 

you understand what others in 

your business may say or think. 

Through discussion ideally 

differences of opinion and 

misunderstandings will be 

resolved early in the change 

process. 

Once a shared understanding 

about the changes has been 

reached, Change Influencers 

can become strong advocates 

for change and help 

share the rationale and benefits 

of the change throughout 

the business. 

Change Influencers play 

a key role in the successful 

implementation of change. 

All too often, the opportunity 

to work with Change 

Influencers is lost or over 

looked. 

During the change process 

sometimes these individuals 

are invited to “get off the bus” 

before any effort is made to 

harness the potential value 

they can add. 

Rather than asking them to 

“get off the bus” we suggest 

identifying them early, having 

a discussion with them first 

and seeing where it goes. 

Using Formal and Change 

Influencers to deliver and articulate 

key messages about changes 

within business is critical. 

Without them you cannot 

successfully lead or implement 

change.



Strategic Pay report allows successful 

planning and benchmarking in 

a changing market 

There is a great need for up to date information that can 

influence remuneration policy and decision making. The Strategic 

Pay New Zealand Benchmark Remuneration Report provides 

comprehensive information on remuneration and benefits for 

specific benchmark positions across the country - a report that in 

2018 contains more detail and analysis than ever before. 

• Increased detail around 

tenure - As the baby boomer 

generation continue to 

increase tenure and pay 

expectations, the report 

details how long individuals 

are spending in certain 

roles and at different levels. 

By CATHY HENDRY Health roles (1.2%). 

Organisations are forecasting 

an average rise in payroll 

Containing specific data 

from more than 500 

organisations, including 

over 164,000 incumbents, 

the Report allows business 

leaders to gain the insight they 

need to make strategic decisions. 

Whether this is around 

remuneration itself, benefits / 

rewards, tenure, gender splits, 

employment practices and 

more, data is broken down 

into segments so organisations 

can find the exact information 

that adds value. 

Strategic Pay reports have 

shown that salary movements 

are increasing at a slow pace 

with overall market movements 

of 2.2% in the last 12 

months. The largest movements 

were in Trade and 

Labouring roles (3.4%) and 

lowest movements in Policy 

and Planning roles (1.1%) and 

of 2.4% for the year ahead 

but we must be careful to acknowledge 

the implications 

of what is happening in the 

labour market. The payroll increases 

are in effect reflective 

of organisations’ budgets and, 

once set, reflect their funding 

or pricing. The recent pay 

settlements, minimum wage 

increases and discussions 

around teachers’ pay mean 

that employers will be dealing 

with rising expectations and 

constraints of budgets. Having 

experienced a period of 

price and wage stability for a 

number of years, the growing 

expectations of a number of 

groups suggest we are likely 

to see increased wage inflation 

in the year ahead. 

It is important for organisations 

to use external data 

in any remuneration review 

process, with external benchmarking 

key to any salary 

review process, not only to 

retain staff, but also to drive 

higher performance. 

The New Zealand Remuneration 

Benchmark Report 

is a really cost-effective way 

for business leaders to be introduced 

to remuneration and 

benchmarking. In certain industries, 

pay is becoming a 

major factor in employment - 

highlighting the value in having 

access to the best benchmarking 

information possible. 

New additions to the 

Report: 

• Greater focus on construction 

and engineering sectors 

- With these industries experiencing 

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we have expanded specific 

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• Gender comparisons - 

Gender remains one of 

the major topics in the NZ 

employment market. The 

report therefore provides 

gender breakdown analysis 

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• Employment policies and 

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The Report allows businesses 

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P: +64 7 834 6581 M: +64 27 498 9812 

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90 Day Grievance Free Trial Period 

The 90-day Grievance Free Trial Period came into effect in 

2009. While not mandatory, the existing legislation is now firmly 

embedded into our employment psyche and agreements. And it’s 

now under review by the Coalition government. With legislation set 

to change, employers with more than 19 employees will no longer 

be able to utilise the Grievance Free Trial Period. 

HUMAN RESOURCES 

> BY KELLIE HAMLETT 

Director, Recruitment & HR Specialist, Talent ID Recruitment Ltd 

It’s certainly been an interesting 

talking point from 

an employer point of view. 

Some large employers have 

opted not to utilise this optional 

piece of legislation within 

their employment policies. 

Instead they have chosen 

to maintain their employer 

brand and rely upon robust 

recruitment processes and performance 

management. 

So potentially, any changes 

are unlikely to have too much 

impact on larger companies, 

with 100-plus employees. 

Many of the companies I 

work with are smaller employers 

and the legislation has been 

useful, and served its purpose – 

if and when it was ever needed. 

Let’s face it, recruitment 

mistakes do happen, and the 

90-day trial period is there 

for both the employer and the 

employee to utilise. 

I’ve seen it utilised for a 

variety of reasons, but never 

abused. 

In fact, I feel that it has 

provided employers with confidence 

to perhaps give someone 

a chance, when previously 

perhaps they would not have 

taken on an employee. 

The existing law has been 

tested and interpreted in a 

more complex way than was 

originally envisaged. 

Labour market supply and 

the ability to attract the best 

candidates are key considerations 

when looking at utilisation 

of this clause. 

The grievance-free 

trial period wasn’t intended 

to be used as a “cure 

all” for poor recruitment 

and induction processes. 

And it’s not a fail-safe way 

of getting rid of unsuitable 

employees, as some thought 

initially might have been 

the case. 

Key areas of importance in 

the existing legislation included: 

prior employment - the trial 

period cannot be used where 

there has been any previous 

employment relationship, with 

Let’s face it, 

recruitment mistakes 

do happen, and the 

90-day trial period 

is there for both the 

employer and the 

employee to utilise. 

I’ve seen it utilised for 

a variety of reasons, 

but never abused. 

no indication of a timeframe in 

which this would apply. 

This has been an interesting 

challenge for those organisations 

that have a more transient 

work force or branches 

throughout the country. 

Other relevant key points 

to note include that the 

employment agreement with 

the 90-day trial period clause 

had to be signed before the 

employee commencing work, 

or it was deemed not applicable 

(and a few employers have 

been caught out with this). 

Other obligations - that 

good faith requirements have 

to be active, constructive, 

responsive and communicative 

- still apply. 

The notice period must 

be clear; and the clause must 

comply with other provisions 

already in place within the 

employment agreement. 

For example, should a 

training provision be included, 

then the employer must satisfactorily 

demonstrate that the 

employee was provided every 

opportunity to remedy the skill 

shortfall, otherwise they are 

contradicting their own policies 

and procedures, and therefore 

not demonstrating good 

faith to the cause. 

As to what “grievance-free” 

means under this piece of legislation: 

it includes that an 

employee dismissed under 

the trial period provision may 

claim a personal grievance on 

some grounds, but may not 

make a claim of unjustifiable 

dismissal. 

A claim may still be made 

on grounds such as discrimination, 

sexual harassment, unjustified 

disadvantage, duress 

relating to union membership, 

and non-compliance with other 

employment legislation, e.g. 

issues such as minimum wage 

and health and safety. 

Tradestaff’s “Cool and Easy” 

mantra is what keeps clients 

and candidates coming back 

Tradestaff has over two decades of 

experience supplying temporary and 

permanent workers to the trades and 

industrial sectors. 

This success is down to finding the right 

person for the right job. At Tradestaff it’s all 

about people! It's about ensuring that they 

are safe at work, trained appropriately and 

treated fairly and equally. 

Through consistent action in a positive, 

fun and innovative environment people 

are made to feel valued and appreciated. 

Whether you are looking for work or for 

workers, the process is as cool and easy as 

possible. 

Since 2005, Tradestaff has maintained a 

strong commitment to exceeding workplace 

health and safety standards. Achieving the 

top tertiary level in the ACC Partnership 

Programme demonstrates Tradestaff’s 

dedication to improving and enforcing top 

standards of health, safety and injury management 

at work. 

Additionally, Tradestaff are committed 

to professional standards and always aim to 

be at the forefront of innovation. And in that 

vein, are one of the first companies in New 

Zealand to be certified to The Recruitment, 

Consulting & Staffing Association (RCSA) 

StaffSure Registry, helping clients and candidates 

alike know that they are choosing a 

reputable provider. 

Get in touch to talk about how 

Tradestaff can help with your labour 

needs or job search. 

Contact the Tauranga 

team on 07 577 1634 or 

bop@tradestaff.co.nz 

www.tradestaff.co.nz


BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS August/September 2018 

21 

Customised 

solutions for 

clients and 

candidates 

“Staff - that’s what we do” 

Business results 

Professional service 

Client solutions 

Candidate management 

Voted Tauranga’s Most Trusted 

Recruitment Consultants by 

our Candidates and Clients 

is something we are hugely 

proud of. Being able to trust 

a Recruiter that can make a 

difference to your life is not 

something we take lightly, we 

take into account your requests and apply the 

best possible solution. We know the importance 

of having great staff, obtaining a good job and the 

impact that can have. You can trust us to get it right. 

At The Staffroom we meet our 

Clients and Candidates face to 

face, to peel back the layers and 

get to the root of their needs. 

Aligning company cultures and 

personality traits are key factors to 

ensure we get the right fit. 

P Our policy - get back to everyone 

P Our attributes - Honesty Integrity Sincerity Trust 

P Our service - Personable Reliable 

P Our communication is vital and at the centre of 

everything we do 

P Our aim - is to provide best practice client 

service and candidate care


WAIKATO NEWS 

Ambitious start for new agency 

Waikato’s new economic development 

agency is making an ambitious start as it 

organises a regional summit to prioritise 

key initiatives for the region. 

By GEOFF TAYLOR 

The Waikato Regional 

Economic Development 

Agency (Waikato 

REDA) came into existence 

on July 1; it’s a limited liability 

company, owned by the 

Waikato Regional Economic 

Development Trust and funded 

by a mixture of local authorities 

and businesses. 

Waikato REDA has a current 

establishment board and 

will call for expressions of interest 

in a skills-based, permanent 

board before the end of 

the year. 

Waikato businessman Dallas 

Fisher chairs the Waikato 

REDA establishment board 

and says the agency aims to 

become a front door for the 

region. That applies to “Wellington” 

and investors keen to 

understand and talk to Waikato, 

and to local businesses and organisations 

wanting to help tell 

the region’s story. 

“This is an important time 

for Waikato – we need to take 

a strategic approach to getting 

us up to that next level. We do 

relatively well, but let’s face 

it, we’ve suffered from a low 

profile and subsequent underfunding.” 

Waikato REDA’s first activity 

is an invitation-only economic 

development summit at 

the end of August. 

“We’ll have 250 key people 

in the room, helping us determine 

the major priorities and 

initiatives for the new organisation.” 

At the end of the summit, 

Waikato REDA will have a list 

of 12-14 economic development 

initiatives that will have 

the greatest impact on Waikato 

and its people, and the agency 

will work with government and 

funders to make those happen. 

A CEO has to embody 

that, as well as 

bringing a huge variety 

of skills to the role. 

“If people are asked to name 

the top five economic initiatives 

in Waikato at the moment 

they struggle,” he said. 

“In terms of tourism, if you 

take out Hobbiton from Waikato 

we are a bit lean.” 

“If we can together identify 

what the top priorities are then 

we can put our hands up for that 

funding. We need to be able to 

put these projects on the table, 

properly structured to do so. 

“Our purpose is to arrive at 

the economic initiatives that 

will have the biggest impact. 

We want to accelerate growth 

in Waikato. We all need to be 

moving in the one direction and 

the Government needs to understand 

from the region what 

we want. We need to be picking 

some winners to get our share.” 

Waikato REDA will be 

based at Innovation Park, at the 

Ruakura campus in Hamilton, 

with WIPLtd CEO, Stuart Gordon 

in the establishment CEO 

role. A recruitment drive is underway 

for a permanent CEO. 

Mr Fisher says Waikato 

REDA is very deliberately 

being built on the work of the 

Business Growth Services 

team, under the Waikato Innovation 

Park umbrella. 

The team works closely 

with NZTE and Callaghan 

Innovation to help grow businesses 

across the region, and 

will now be part of Waikato 

REDA. 

“We’re continuing with this 

model of being out in the towns 

as it’s a great model and we 

know it makes a difference to 

those businesses,” he says. 

“So, while we’ll be talking 

to the region and all our supporters 

about the major economic 

development initiatives 

we’ll be undertaking on a larger 

scale, people can be confident 

that we’re continuing the onthe-ground 

help that’s so important.” 

Dallas has previously 

chaired Waikato Means Business, 

the region’s 20-year economic 

development strategy, 

created with input from civic, 

business and Māori leaders. 

As well as taking strong 

direction from Waikato Means 

Business, Waikato REDA has 

taken a lead from the Waikato 

Dallas Fisher, chairman of the Waikato Regional 

Economic Development Agency establishment board. 

Plan, an overarching strategic 

plan developed by the region’s 

leaders that has targeted investment 

and economic development 

as two of its priorities. 

The new agency acknowledges 

all the research and hard 

work that’s been done in the 

past few years, Dallas says, and 

is proud to be standing on the 

shoulders of some great people 

and organisations. 

“We’re ready to take on that 

challenge of bringing everything 

together and acting as the 

lead voice for the region.” 

Stuart Gordon will hold the 

position of interim CEO until 

a permanent appointment 

is made. Applications for the 

new CEO close on July 18; the 

board hopes to announce a new 

CEO by September. 

Dallas says the new agency 

aims to become an obvious 

front door for the region, 

whether that’s for the government 

or investors keen to talk to 

Waikato, or for local businesses 

and organisations wanting to 

help tell the region’s story. 

“A CEO has to embody 

that, as well as bringing a huge 

variety of skills to the role. 

“We’re looking for someone 

who is going to add significant 

value to the relationships 

we need to have, and who can 

bring that strategic approach to 

economic development in the 

region.” 

Waikato REDA’s three 

high-level objectives are lifting 

economic performance for 

the region; attracting and retaining 

talent and investment; 

providing one voice for regional 

economic development in 

Waikato. 

“This is an important role 

for Waikato, and indeed New 

Zealand,” says Dallas. 

“If we can boost economic 

development in our region, the 

nation benefits as well. 

“We see this leader as being 

able to significantly influence 

how well Waikato can 

do through economic development 

– but that’s not enough 

on its own; they’ll also have to 

be someone who engages extremely 

well with people.” 

Councils streamline resource consenting 

Nine Waikato councils have banded 

together to develop a more customerfriendly 

resource consenting process. 

The initiative has aligned 

resource consenting processes, 

making it consistent 

across all nine councils 

involved. Each council will 

maintain its own statutory 

responsibilities but work from 

a common base. Councils will 

use the same resource consent 

application forms and 

decision letters. 

The initiative was driven 

by Waikato Local Authority 

Shared Services Ltd (WLASS), 

a council-owned company 

which promotes shared services 

between Waikato-based 

councils. WLASS aims to reduce 

costs and duplication, 

have councils work more efficiently, 

promote best practice 

and make councils more customer-friendly. 

WLASS chair and Waikato 

District Council chief executive 

Gavin Ion said a more 

stream-lined and consistent 

consenting process would be 

welcomed by customers who 

can struggle with the bureaucracy 

and time involved in applying 

for a resource consent. 

This was a first step in aligning 

planning between councils. 

“The RMA is a complex 

piece of legislation and working 

with it can be challenging 

for customers and for 

council staff. 

“This project aims to provide 

some consistency and 

make the process easier and 

more efficient for all of us 

charged with working with the 

legislation,” he said. 

“Customers will know 

what they can expect and 

what is involved and importantly, 

those expectations will 

largely be standard across the 

region. Customers working 

with multiple councils should 

find the consenting process 

more efficient.” 

Waikato-based property 

developer Kevin Honiss, who 

works across multiple councils, 

welcomed the change. 

“It will save developers and 

property owners time and money 

and will make the whole 

process easier for council staff 

as well. It’s going to be more 

efficient for everyone and that’s 

a good thing.” 

Kevin said he would like 

to see the initiative go even 

further. 

“It would be great if there 

was a more consistent planning 

regime as well because at the 

moment every council has a 

different rule and every rule is 

different. Auckland is going in 

the right direction with its Unitary 

Plan and if can learn from 

that in Waikato, we should.” 

Senior planners within each 

council developed the aligned 

process. Councils involved are 

Thames-Coromandel, Hauraki, 

Waipa, Waitomo, Rotorua 

Lakes, Matamata-Piako, South 

Waikato and Waikato District 

Councils as well as Hamilton 

City Council. 

The Future is arriving in New Zealand 

World-renowned futurist and thought 

leader, Professor Sohail Inayatullah, is 

presenting in New Zealand for the first 

time. He will be in New Zealand at the 

invitation of Rutherford Business Institute 

for a two-day workshop in Auckland 

on September 24 and 25. Professor Inayatullah 

will be running a futures and 

strategic foresight workshop aimed at 

business and industry leaders. The aim 

of the workshop is to provide attendees 

with the tools and strategies necessary to 

not only manage disruption, but to be the 

disrupter. 

Commenting on his forthcoming visit, 

Professor Inayatullah is looking forward 

to presenting in New Zealand and 

stated: 

“We can either be overwhelmed by 

the waves of change, ride the waves, or 

become the wave maker. I look forward 

to working with New Zealand organisations 

to explore creating alternative and 

preferred futures.” 

Professor Inayatullah’s workshop is a 

first for New Zealand, as he is in very 

high demand internationally. He has 

worked closely with organisations and 

governments for more than 30 years as 

a futurist, helping them to create the narratives 

they need to shape their preferred 

future. He is the UNESCO Chair in Future 

Studies, a Professor at the Graduate 

Institute of Futures Studies at Tamkang 

University and teaches at the University 

of Melbourne and the University of the 

Sunshine Coast. Full workshop details 

and registration: www.rutherfordbusiness.nz/futures-thinking/


Are you ready for an ageing New Zealand? 

It’s a fact — New Zealanders are living longer with more complex 

health needs. Whatever shortcomings might occasionally be 

revealed in our excellent New Zealand health care system, people 

will continue to require care when they are no longer able to care 

for themselves. 

AGEING AND WELLNESS 

> BY MELISSA HARRIS 

Melissa Harris is the Facility Manager of Radius Althorp in 

Tauranga, Radius Residential Care Ltd. Phone (07) 5432912 or 

email Melissa.Harris@radiuscare.co.nz 

“I statement from families 

don’t know where to 

start” — is a common 

who are facing the need to 

place a loved one in care for 

the first time. 

There is often considerable 

pressure when there’s been 

a quick discharge from hospital, 

or a home assessment 

has determined the need for 

urgent care. 

And there can be the added 

complexities of how to access 

subsidy and finance information. 

You may be unaware of 

them, but there are a number 

of sources for this information, 

so seek out the best 

advice possible. 

The decision to consider 

care options starts at home. 

Often it is infrequent visitors 

who are the first to notice 

changes in your loved one. 

This can range from their 

inability to do normal activities 

with ease, worsening medical 

conditions worsen, chang- 

es in mobility or occasional 

falls, more prominent memory 

impairment, or risky behaviour 

such as leaving jugs boiling or 

baths running. 

It is important you recognise 

these changes and 

record them with their GP, as 

early conversations can lead 

to early care intervention, 

either in the home or through 

supported living. 

The industry says that families 

often report having known 

about the changes in their 

loved one, but they simply 

classify them as the inevitable 

result of getting older, rather 

than the deterioration it clearly 

advertises. 

This can cause considerable 

grief when their loved 

one has a serious injury at 

home because they are unable 

to cope. 

The first step is asking the 

GP for a referral for assessment. 

This referral is made to 

your local DHB team, who 

will make an appointment to 

meet with you and your loved 

one to further discuss your 

observations and concerns. 

The level of care might 

be classified as resthome, 

hospital, secure dementia or 

psychogeriatric care. 

Obtaining a subsidy 

is always the 

responsibility of the 

person receiving care 

or their family — not 

the care provider. 

It is vital at this stage to ask 

lots of questions around funding 

and government subsidy 

support, as it can be a lengthy 

process. 

At assessment time, you 

should be given a Residential 

Care Subsidy booklet, which 

contains valuable information 

including asset thresholds and 

how to apply for the government 

subsidy. 

Obtaining a subsidy is 

always the responsibility of the 

person receiving care or their 

family — not the care provider. 

You should be given a list 

of facilities offering the level 

of care required and it is up to 

you and your loved one to find 

the appropriate placement that 

suits your needs. 

Though a daunting task 

under pressure of time, you are 

best to avoid rushed decisions 

that overlook what is important 

to your loved one. After all, it is 

to become their new home. 

In the next issue we will 

examine important factors to 

consider in evaluating care 

placement options. 

10 tips to keep your business 

running smoothly 

I’m often surprised at how little some new clients know about 

their own business - even such simple facts as what their monthly 

overheads are. This is information that can mean the difference 

between success and failure. 

MONEY MATTERS 

> BY STEPHEN GRAHAM 

Stephen Graham is a Director and Managing Partner at BDO 

Rotorua, Chartered Accountants and Advisers. To find out more 

visit bdorotorua.co.nz or email rotorua@bdo.co.nz 

I 

tell these clients that staying 

up-to-date is crucial, and 

that there’s no excuse not 

to be. All it takes to clearly 

understand your position and 

make the right decisions to run 

a robust and profitable business, 

is a monthly check of 

the following key indicators of 

your business’ health: 

1. Monitor cash 

Cash needs to be closely monitored 

as it is the single most 

important indicator of business 

performance. With cash, it’s 

imperative that it is monitored 

more daily than monthly. It is 

also important that it is monitored 

on both a short-term and 

longer-term basis. 

2. Financial reports 

Too often I see businesses 

reacting to information months 

down the track. It is imperative 

that accurate reports are 

prepared on a monthly basis, 

close to month-end, so you can 

react in real-time to market 

changes. Most software can 

provide reports – from large 

businesses with fully integrated 

programmes, to smaller 

companies using bank-link 

type reports. Don’t just do 

your GST and move on to the 

next job – print your monthly 

reports and review them. 

3. Customers 

You must understand your customers. 

You should be regularly 

asking them what they want 

and what they think of your 

product or service. Use technology 

to help you connect 

and measure with them. 

4. Overheads 

Many clients not know their 

monthly overheads, yet it is 

such an easy calculation – 

even if done as basically as 

dividing annual overheads by 

12 months. It is essential information 

to have in order to 

know when you’ve reached 

that crucial breakeven point in 

the month and have begun to 

make a profit. 

5. Key relationships 

Strong relationships are fundamental 

to business success. 

So find a bank manager you 

connect with, who will give 

you their direct dial number, 

and make sure you stay in 

touch. Likewise it’s imperative 

to have strong relationships 

with key suppliers. They’re 

often willing to extend payment 

terms or give discounts 

and allowances, so constant 

communication is the key. 

Huge benefits can flow to your 

business including improved 

margins and support through 

tight cash flow periods. 

6. Gross margin 

Know your pricing model and 

continually strive to maximise 

your margins. Gross profit and 

margin are key financial indicators 

that need to fall out of 

your monthly reports. Only by 

understanding your model can 

you strive for improvements. 

7. Debtors and creditors 

Monitor your debtor levels 

monthly. It’s important to 

measure the days outstanding 

and have formalised methods 

of collections. This often 

requires continuous follow-up 

and a firm consistent approach. 

Also measure your creditor 

levels monthly. Huge gains 

can be made by using technology 

and managing creditors 

on line, and by eliminating 

cheque payments. 

8. Stock control 

Measure the stock that is key 

to your business on a monthly 

basis to obtain accurate 

financial reports. This doesn’t 

necessarily mean monthly 

physical stock takes, but 

it does mean having a programme 

to monitor levels, 

ageing and shrinkage. Rolling 

stock takes and spot checks 

are useful. Stock – along with 

badly managed debtors – is 

often the culprit when money 

runs out. 

9. Employees 

Great employees are the key 

to business success. You need 

a process for collecting all the 

great ideas your employees 

have. You also need to monitor 

staff turnover on a monthly 

basis. 

10. Budgets 

The difference between a 

dream and a goal is a plan. You 

must have both short and longterm 

business budgets, and 

review your monthly results to 

budgets. Most software easily 

accommodates budgets. 

If you’re stuck or confused 

about any of these matters, 

ensure you get professional 

advice sooner rather than later. 

Staying up-to-date is fundamental 

to good business.


How to make yourself 

part of the story 

Sometimes making news headlines means being willing and 

responsive to seize on major news stories and other opportunities 

as they arise. 

TELLING YOUR STORY 

> BY JAMES HEFFIELD 

Director of Bay of Plenty marketing and PR consultancy Last 

Word. To find out more visit lastwordmedia.co.nz or email 

james@lastwordmedia.co.nz. 

The chief executive of a 

fledgling national association 

recently told 

me how he had inserted his 

organisation into a breaking 

national news story by simply 

picking up the phone and 

asking if they wanted comment 

from an industry expert. 

Another organisation I work 

with secured a spot on the AM 

Show’s Carpool because they 

had the gumption to call in and 

ask to be part of it. 

In both cases, the resulting 

coverage was seen by hundreds 

of thousands of New 

Zealanders, helping to raise 

awareness of the respective 

organisations and position 

them as experts in their industries. 

In the case of the national 

association, it also resulted in 

new members signing up as a 

direct result of seeing the association 

in the news. 

Being able to add your 

voice to a breaking or ongoing 

news story is as much about 

attitude as it is about ability. 

If you’re across a topic and 

willing to speak to the media 

at short notice, you hold a significant 

advantage over those 

who are gunshy in front of the 

media, require time to research 

a subject, or need permission 

from others in their organisation 

before they speak. 

That’s not to say you 

shouldn’t be prepared – it’s 

Being able to add 

your voice to a 

breaking or ongoing 

news story is as 

much about attitude 

as it is about ability. 

always important to go into an 

interview knowing the facts 

and the key messages you 

want to get across. 

But if you’re quick on your 

feet and willing to prioritise 

media opportunities when they 

arise, you can secure some 

amazing coverage. 

Knowing who to contact 

and having existing relationships 

with the media is also 

helpful. You don’t need to be 

on first-name terms, but if 

you’ve previously spoken to 

a particular journalist and they 

know who you are, they are 

likely to be more receptive. 

Having their contact details on 

hand also makes things easier. 

Keep the business cards or 

details of journalists you deal 

with. 

And consider subscribing 

to a media database service 

that allows you to look up 

the contact details for media 

organisations and specific 

journalists quickly and easily. 

Keep in mind that not every 

trending news story should be 

considered a publicity opportunity. 

Never seek to comment 

on disasters or sensitive 

subjects for commercial gain, 

and stick to topics where your 

commentary will add value or 

provide an angle that hasn’t 

already been covered. 

Tesla’s chief executive Elon 

Musk learnt that lesson in painful 

fashion recently when he 

publicly offered the use of an 

experimental mini submarine 

to assist with the rescue of the 

boys’ football team that was 

trapped in the Tham Luang 

cave in Thailand for more than 

two weeks. 

When his offer was rejected 

as impractical by the rescue 

team, Musk would have been 

wise to accept their word rather 

than publicly suggesting he 

knew best, when he was not 

directly involved in the rescue. 

Also remember that making 

the news is just the first step. 

Once you do secure positive 

coverage, make the most of it. 

People are absorbing information 

through a wide range 

of channels, so make sure to 

maximise its reach by sharing 

it through your communications 

channels, particularly 

your social media accounts. 

Recent figures from 

Facebook show it has 3.2 million 

monthly average users in 

New Zealand, which makes it 

an important platform for any 

message you want to share. 

Securing media coverage 

can have a big impact on your 

brand. Next time you see a 

trending media topic that you 

have expertise in, consider 

reaching out to media to let 

them know how you can add 

value to their story. You might 

be surprised by the results.

P5177Y 


25 

First on the scene 

Tauranga Chamber of Commerce’s recent BA5 networking meeting, 

hosted by Air New Zealand at Mills Reef. 

CONNECTING 

BUYERS AND 

SELLERS OF 

QUALITY 

BUSINESSES 

When is the right time to sell 

your business? Right now. 

1 Caitlin Hayward and Bill Reeves, Air New Zealand. 2 Stan Gregec, Tauranga Chamber of Commerce CEO. 

At TABAK, we promise to guide 

you through the sales process 

with focus, integrity and 

complete confidentiality. 

3 Anita Brown, Go Map Girl and Ron Devlin, Tauranga Chamber of Commerce president. 4 Abbie Clark and Rachel 

Lawrence, Altex Coatings. 

FOCUS • INTEGRITY 

CONFIDENTIALITY 

5 Linda Rewita, Edvance and Michael Bayly, Karamu Farm. 6 Steff Bunn and Warren Scobie, Bizness Wins. 

WHY TABAK 

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE 

REALISTIC APPRAISALS 

7 Kirsten Street, Westpac and Patrice Belcher, Bay Venues. 8 Trevor and Shona Jones, ADG. 

TEAM APPROACH 

PRE-QUALIFIED BUYERS 

9 Lindsay Faris, Groundswell. 10 Owen Lee-Cusack, Success Personnel and Ken Persyk, University of Waikato. 

147 Cameron Road 

p. 07 578 6329 

e. tauranga@tabak.co.nz 

w. tabak.co.nz


Big agency or good agent 

- which is more important? 

Eight years ago, at age 20 and after studying 

marketing and economics at university, I became 

a real estate agent. I was full of optimism, excited 

about the challenge, and couldn’t wait to learn the 

ropes from my older and more experienced peers. 

After just a few weeks, I was 

shocked at some of what I 

saw. People from all walks 

of life and almost every background 

you can imagine were 

doing a quick course, suddenly 

becoming marketing experts, and 

claiming an ability to “get the best 

price for your property”. 

The agent you choose 

to sell your property 

will have a direct and 

significant bearing on the 

outcome. 

I found many of my peers 

seemed to not really have any idea 

what they were doing. Their training 

seemed to have been heavily 

geared towards how to get listings, 

leaving to chance the infinitely 

more important issues of how to 

market real estate and negotiate 

with purchasers. Over the next 

couple of years, I wondered at 

times whether I might find another 

more suitable career. But eventually 

I made a commitment that I 

would become the change I wanted 

to see. 

With the above in mind, I ask 

you to do whatever you need to do 

to plant the following statement 

firmly in your mind: 

“The agent you choose to sell 

your property will have a direct 

and significant bearing on the outcome.” 

Throughout the process, your 

agent probably has a hundred or 

more opportunities to influence 

the outcome. This starts as early as 

the initial suggestions they make 

around preparing the property for 

sale and the method of sale. It extends 

through to each and every 

phone call, text message, email 

and other interaction they have 

with every single purchaser who 

enquires about your property. 

How and to whom the property 

is marketed, whether or not the 

photography and video is exceptional, 

which features should be 

highlighted to different purchasers 

- the list of opportunities your 

agent has to absolutely make or 

break the sale is almost unlimited. 

And of course how your agent responds 

when a purchaser actually 

says “I’d like to make an offer” 

will be critical to the outcome. But 

every one of the preceding points 

is equally as important, because in 

some cases they will dictate whether 

or not an offer is even received. 

And when you apply this concept 

to luxury and lifestyle properties, 

the stakes go through the roof. 

Luxury and lifestyle properties can 

be incredibly sensitive to the market, 

especially given they are often 

in a significantly higher than average 

price range. When selling one 

of these properties, the agent you 

choose could influence the price by 

$500,000 or more. In some fraught 

situations, such as a family breakup 

or a seller under intense financial 

pressure - the agent you choose 

could very easily mean the difference 

between selling or not. 

Where’s the proof, you ask? 

As an example, a few weeks ago, 

after more than three years on the 

market with three of the country’s 

best-known real estate agencies, 

my independent, specialist real estate 

agency took over and sold an 

upmarket Te Puna lifestyle property 

in just 32 days. If you think 

luck had anything to do with that, 

please start from the top and read 

this over again. 

TERMS 

OF TRADE 

CREDIT 

CHECKING / 

MONITORING 

DEBT 

COLLECTION 

Nick from 

EC Credit Control 

is the Bay of 

Plentys leading 

debt prevention 

expert. 

CREDIT 

MANAGEMENT 

TRAINING 

FOR A NO OBLIGATION MEETING CALL OR EMAIL NICK TODAY 

nick.kerr@eccreditcontrol.co.nz | P: 027 713 2128 

0800 EC GROUP | www.eccreditcontrol.co.nz

Protecting New Zealand 

from “dirty” money 

Although it sounds somewhat terrifying, there’s a good reason for 

the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism 

Act that’s been in force in New Zealand since 2013. According to 

figures released by the Ministry of Justice, about $1.35 billion from 

the proceeds of fraud, illegal drugs and trafficking is laundered 

through everyday New Zealand businesses each year. 

The AML/CFT Act applies 

to banks, casinos, financial 

institutions and 

some trust and company service 

providers. If you’ve tried 

to open a bank account or get 

a loan in recent years, you’ve 

been asked to provide certain 

identification and proof 

of address as well as proof of 

where your funds come from. 

From 1 July 2018, the legislation 

has been extended. Real 

estate agents and conveyancers; 

lawyers and accountants; 

and some businesses that deal 

in expensive goods must comply 

to the Act as well. 

“The law will come into 

effect in stages for different 

sectors to give businesses time 

to prepare for these changes,” 

explains Paula Lines from the 

Law Shop. 

Lawyers, conveyancers, 

and trust and company service 

providers must comply from 1 

July 2018 and providers of accounting 

services from 1 October 

2018. Real estate agents 

from 1 January 2019, and 

dealers in high-value goods 

and the NZ Racing Board will 

be included from 1 August 

2019. 

The law changes are 

a practical measure 

to protect Kiwi 

businesses and to 

make it harder for 

criminals to profit 

from and fund illegal 

activity. 

Paula Lines, Commercial Lawyer at The Law Shop. 

All businesses and service 

providers covered under the 

AML/CFT Act, including those 

from the first phase, will now 

have reporting requirements 

that relate to certain transactions 

and they must also report suspicious 

activities. 

The law changes are a practical 

measure to protect Kiwi 

businesses and to make it harder 

for criminals to profit from and 

fund illegal activity. They’ll 

also safeguard and help New 

Zealand live up to its reputation 

as being one of the least corrupt 

countries in the world and a 

great place to do business. 

“In the past, as your lawyers, 

we may have primarily dealt 

with you at a distance until it 

came time to sign the paperwork, 

but these days we need 

to view your identification prior 

to acting for you. The main 

change for you will be having to 

provide all the necessary information 

at the beginning of the 

transaction,” Paula says. 

“People just need to be 

aware that some extra information 

may be required from them 

during certain transactions. 

Even if you have been a customer 

of businesses such as ours for 

a long time, we may still need 

to ask you to confirm that you 

are who you say you are and, 

in some cases, tell us where the 

money you are going to use has 

come from. 

“If you want to get a jump 

start and make sure things keep 

running smoothly, it’s best to 

contact us ahead of when you 

need our firm to act for you. It’s 

best to have everything in place 

and ready to go. Just give our 

Tauranga or Rotorua offices a 

call and we’ll get things sorted.” 

Call The Law Shop on 07 

572 5272 (Tauranga) or 07 349 

2924 (Rotorua) or email team@ 

thelawshop.co.nz 

STEPHANIE NORTHEY 

LL.B | Director 

PAULA LINES 


SARSHA TYRRELL 


ROTORUA 

1268 Arawa St 

Rotorua 

TAURANGA 

1239 Cameron Rd 

Greerton

618a Te Matai 

Road 

LISTED 

“After three years on the market with a number 

of agents, our luxury property in Te Puna was no 

closer to being sold. Enter, Cameron Macneil. 

Cameron’s approach is refreshing to say the 

least. At each step of the process we felt he 

listened to us, developed clear strategies, then 

had the confidence (and competence) to 

implement them. Cameron’s obvious depth of 

knowledge and passion for his profession was 

evident right from start and at all times we felt he 

had our best interests at heart. Most importantly 

in our case, Cameron instinctively knew what 

needed to be changed in order to attract the 

right buyer and within just 32 days of listing, our 

property was sold. 

353 

Minden Road 

SOLD 

To anyone considering selling a high-end 

property in the Bay of Plenty, and to anyone 

wanting to get it right the first time, we strongly 

recommend engaging Cameron Macneil of Oliver 

Road Estate Agents.” 

Tom Duncan 

353 Minden Road, Te Puna 

Hi, my name is Cameron Macneil. I have eight years experience selling high-end properties 

and I have recently started my own agency servicing the entire Bay of Plenty. 

Oliver Road Estate Agents is unique in that we focus solely on marketing and negotiating the 

sale of luxury and lifestyle properties - no standard residential or commercial. In doing this, 

we’re making a commitment to the owners of these properties to spend all of our time 

working in this often challenging segment of the market, ensuring each property gets the 

specialist attention it requires. 

Are you considering selling your luxury or lifestyle property in the next six months? 

Have you previously been on the market with another agency and are ready for a fresh 

approach? 

Do you have no intention of selling, but would be interested to know what your property is 

worth? 

Are you considering renovating or subdividing, and would like an idea of the value that will be 

added? 

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, give me a call anytime. I believe you’ll find 

my approach to be relaxed and professional. 

Cameron Macneil 

Director | Licensed Real Estate Agent 

Oliver Road Estate Agents Limited 

Licensed REAA 2008 

021 800 889 

cameron@oliverroad.co.nz 

www.oliverroad.co.nz

Bay of Plenty Business News August/September 2018

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