Waikato Business News April/May 2020

APRIL/MAY VOLUME 28: ISSUE 4 2020 WWW.WBN.CO.NZ FACEBOOK.COM/WAIKATOBUSINESSNEWS 

Stronger 

together 

How we get through this 

Inside: Businesses share their stories 

‘This time we will get there’ 

By RICHARD WALKER 

A long-awaited pedestrian river bridge 

in Hamilton looks set to finally become 

a reality, connecting the central city to 

Parana Park. 

The bridge, a Rotary initiative, 

has been put forward 

among proposals 

for government-assisted infrastructure 

projects to help boost 

the economy under Covid-19. 

It will provide a vital pedestrian 

and cycling connection 

between the central city and 

Hamilton East, feeding into a 

planned city to university link. 

Rotary picked up the idea 

of a pedestrian-cycleway 

bridge as a project for 2024 to 

mark 100 years of being active 

in Hamilton, and developed it 

in discussion with key players 

including the city council and 

Momentum Waikato. 

Deputy mayor Geoff Taylor 

said the question was not if 

the bridge would be built, but 

when. 

“We may get support from 

the Government in this package 

or we may not but the 

planning is now in place and I 

know at some stage in the near 

future it will certainly happen,” 

he said. 

“I really congratulate 

Rotary and Momentum 

Waikato for getting behind 

this project. We’ve wanted a 

pedestrian bridge for 30 to 40 

years – this time we’re going 

to get there.” 

It is part of a package 

of 23 shovel-ready projects 

worth $1.5 billion pitched by 

the city council and Waikato 

and Waipā district councils, 

as the government looks to 

invest in infrastructure to support 

post-lockdown economic 

recovery. 

Hamilton Central Rotary 

past president and centennial 

spokesperson Don Law was 

delighted at the bridge’s inclusion. 

He said the Rotary Bridge 

stood out when members were 

mulling centenary options. It 

represented an opportunity 

to do something for everyone 

in the city, and they enlisted 

Momentum Waikato to undertake 

a feasibility study. Other 

Hamilton Rotary groups have 

supported the idea, and Law 

said that he, John Gallagher 

Continued on page 3 

Vital link: Bridge supporters Geoff Taylor and Don Law. Photo: Peter Drury

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WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS April/May 2020 

3 

‘This time we will get there’ 

From page 1 

and Momentum had a warm 

reception when they presented 

the idea to council. 

“Hamilton is in need of 

something that puts us on the 

map in terms of pedestrian 

cycleway and, with the Te 

Awa cycle trail, it makes good 

sense to have that connection 

between east and west sides of 

the river.” 

The timing looks better 

than at any time in the past 

with growth in inner city residents, 

the Waikato Regional 

Theatre set to open in two 

years and the council emphasis 

on developing the riverside. 

Taylor said another key 

project is to connect the new 

theatre to Victoria on the River 

through two raised boardwalks. 

“This is vital because the 

theatre construction will begin 

soon and the aim is to create a 

walking and cycling link with 

fantastic views of the river and 

places for hospitality all the 

way from the museum, up past 

the theatre, Sky City Casino 

and north to the hotels.” 

The package also includes 

a covered landing with performance 

space alongside a new 

central city jetty which would 

link to Waikato Museum. 

Other central city projects 

in the stimulus package 

include new bus routes, 

cycling and walking connections 

and a new inner city rail 

station. 

Law said Rotary had 

support for the bridge from 

Geoff Taylor and Don Law. 

Waikato University, and had 

also spoken to Perrys about 

the cycle bridge near Ngāruawāhia. 

He said the Rotary 

bridge could connect with the 

Te Awa cycleway. 

Taylor, who chairs the 

council’s high-powered CBD/ 

River Plan working group, 

said the cycleway component 

will be key, helping the university 

and CBD link better 

and potentially also helping 

create an east-west link incorporating 

the western rail trail. 

A Hamilton footbridge has 

proved a tough nut to crack 

over several decades, with 

multiple plans, including the 

Millennium Bridge, failing to 

reach fruition. 

Momentum Waikato chief 

executive Kelvyn Eglinton 

expects those earlier efforts 

will feed into the current plan. 

“One of the things we're 

trying to do is not reinvent the 

wheel,” he said. 

He expects consultation 

will include iwi and Waikato 

Regional Council, and key 

considerations are likely to 

be finding the best location, 

size of the bridge, initial cost 

and where that funding might 

come from. 

Momentum has a focus 

on transformational projects, 

and can draw on considerable 

experience from developing 

the regional theatre, but Eglinton 

stressed that its input is for 

the early stages and that it is 

very much Rotary’s project 

and Rotary’s bridge. 

“What Momentum is trying 

to do is help get significant 

projects to the line,” he says. 

Law said Rotary will work 

with the council and will need 

business support to make the 

multi-million dollar bridge a 

reality. 

“Are we able to do something 

that makes Hamilton 

stand out as a city, and can we 

raise the money for a bridge 

that Hamilton can be proud of 

in the future?” he said. 

“I was over in Adelaide last 

year and beside the Adelaide 

Oval, they have a beautiful 

bridge going across to it. 

“And I think that's what 

Hamilton needs.” 

Other projects pitched to 

the government by the three 

councils include an enhancement 

of the Hamilton to Auckland 

passenger rail service, 

support for the Ruakura inland 

port, Peacocke infrastructure 

and an upgrade of the airport 

terminal building and completion 

of the Te Awa Cycleway. 

Councils have been tackling 

Covid-19 on multiple 

fronts, which includes Hamilton 

boosting its rates rebate 

scheme for people who lose 

their jobs and waiving rent for 

community groups and businesses 

that are unable to pay, 

among a range of initiatives. It 

is also funding a new phonebased 

support centre that will 

provide advice and assistance 

to organisations affected by 

the Covid-19 crisis, in an initiative 

led by Te Waka. 

The council has delayed 

adoption of its annual plan by 

a month to help it respond to 

Covid-19. 

From the editor 

Kia ora 

On the first day 

of level three, I was 

returning from a walk after 

taking in the simple pleasures 

of scuffing through autumn 

leaves and pausing beside 

the Waikato River. As my 

wife and I got closer to home, 

we passed a neighbourhood 

cafe. The lights were on but 

the doors were shut. As we 

passed, a staff member wearing 

a facemask and gloves was 

calling out through an open 

window, in that questioning 

tone service workers use when 

they are unsure who might be 

the right person in the room: 

“Harry?” 

A young man, Harry presumably, 

duly got out of the 

only car, parked a few metres 

away, and the staffer cheerily 

wished him a good day 

before retreating inside as he 

approached the now vacated 

table just outside the window 

for his coffee. 

Two months ago such 

a scene would have been 

unthinkable; as I write, it is 

becoming routine. 

The impacts of the Covid- 

19 pandemic will be drastic. 

I doubt that anyone knows 

exactly how it will play out, 

but Infometrics, like so many 

other analysts, is picking a 

slow recovery, suggesting it 

will be the second half of 2023 

at the earliest before the economy 

becomes larger than pre- 

Covid levels, even with massive 

Government intervention. 

Our councils have pitched 

for Government funding for 

infrastructure projects, with 

Rotary’s eye-catching proposal 

for a new Hamilton 

pedestrian bridge across the 

Waikato River part of the 

mix. Te Waka has also picked 

out projects in the region to 

enhance our connectivity. 

Along with wage subsidies 

and other support for business, 

such projects will be important 

for the recovery. But that 

still leaves Waikato businesses 

dealing with the here and now, 

and one practical response 

has been a push for people to 

shop local and support small 

businesses that need the cashflow 

now more than ever to 

help get them through. That 

is seen in the Mighty Local 

campaign launched by Hamilton 

& Waikato Tourism and 

Te Waka; it is also seen in this 

issue in a similar campaign 

launched quickly and early by 

South Waikato District Council 

with the tagline: “Local 

Business Needs You!” 

Also in this issue, I have 

had the privilege of talking to 

a number of business owners 

over the past month about the 

many inventive ways in which 

they are turning to online 

offerings - in some cases for 

the long term. 

At times like this, it’s good 

to be able to share their stories, 

and also provide the advice of 

our expert columnists. We are 

all stronger together. 

Ngā mihi nui 

Richard 

At times like this, it’s good to be able to share their 

stories, and also provide the advice of our expert 

columnists. We are all stronger together. 

Stronger 

together 

How we get 

through this 

Useful links 

https://www.business.govt.nz/news/ 

coronavirus-information-for-businesses/ 

is the government’s central resource for 

Covid-19 business information. Among Waikato 

websites, https://www.mightylocal.co.nz/ 

and https://www.tewaka.nz/ are good starting 

points. Te Waka’s website includes a link to a 

phone-based support service: https://www. 

waikatobusinesssupport.nz/ 

PUBLISHER 

Deidre Morris 

Ph: (07) 838 1333 

Mob: 027 228 8442 

Email: deidre@dpmedia.co.nz 

EDITOR 

Richard Walker 

Ph: (07) 838 1333 

Mob: 027 814 2914 

Email: richard@dpmedia.co.nz 

PRODUCTION MANAGER 

Kelly Gillespie 

Ph: (07) 838 1333 

Email: kelly@dpmedia.co.nz 

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Email: olivia@dpmedia.co.nz 

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Shop_local_2.indd 1 24/03/20 9:36 


Who is going to fill the 

cashflow gap? 

Waikato businesses are good 

buggers holding onto their 

staff, but they can only hold 

on for so long! 

Our research is showing that 

Waikato businesses are holding 

on, but, and it is a big but, their 

cash is dwindling, and with it the financial 

strength of their balance sheets. 

There will be a tipping point. 

Cashflow is becoming a crisis. 

The 12 week wage subsidy is due to 

cease. Under Level 3 rules most businesses 

cannot open their doors this 

week, as companies continue to be imprisoned 

by the lockdown response to 

Covid-19. For many, even under Level 

2, their revenue will be minimal, if at all. 

In a company rescue, revenue is your 

ticket to success. 

Who is going to fill the 

cashflow gap? 

Because staff need to be paid their top 

up, suppliers need to be paid for their 

deliveries and thus be able to pay their 

staff, the landlord may have agreed a 

deal, but he still needs the cash because 

he has a mortgage to pay. 

Cash is the lifeblood of business. 

When it stops flowing through an economy 

or is bleeding out, the patient faces 

death. Our economy and the businesses 

that make it up are bleeding cash. 

Waiting. 

Who is going to stump up the 

dollars when there are no sales 

and a business has outgoings and 

obligations? 

Will it be customers? 

That will take some time and if it is B2B 

you will not get paid until 20 June at the 

earliest unless you ask for a deposit. A 

deposit will be hard for your customers 

who are suffering the same cashflow 

gap as you. Insist on it and you may lose 

them. Some Government-funded projects 

will pay a portion up front to get 

you going, but the new ones will take up 

to six months to see any cash flowing. 

Will it be banks and our 

Government with emergency 

loans? 

So far only 1.5 percent of our survey 

respondents have made the application 

for the Government Bank Loan funding 

and received the funds. The Government 

loan scheme is still short on detail 

and we do not know what collateral will 

be required. For many shareholders, 

the thought of going further into debt 

to fund their company through this crisis 

and the on-going business recovery, 

may be a step too far. 

That is if the banks will approve 

the loans. Unless there is a tsunami 

of approved applications in May, the 

Cashflow Gap will not be filled by the 

banks and Government until June or 

July or later. 

Will it be shareholders? 

In reality for most of our companies, 

By Don Good, Waikato Chamber 

of Commerce executive director 

who else is it going to be? The buck 

stops with them. 

The wage support funding helped, 

but shareholders had to top it up from 

their cash reserves. Many have injected 

cash into their businesses while they 

saw sales plummet to zero. 

The good buggers of Waikato 

businesses are the owners/ 

shareholders who have held onto 

their staff. 

In our survey they all tell us their cash 

reserves are running down. As you 

would expect. 

There is a cohort that is at risk. 

When asked, how many more weeks 

of Alert level 4 or 3 can your business 

survive before you decide to close your 

business completely, the number who 

answered they could last only a month 

had trebled in two weeks to 9 percent. 

Those who felt that they could only last 

six weeks had doubled to 8 percent. For 

this 17 percent group the next survey 

will be telling. 

The cashflow clock is ticking down 

but not for everyone. 

There is good news: 55 percent 

said they could survive longer than 

six months. They have strong balance 

sheets, and cash reserves. They see opportunity 

in this crisis, they will be innovative, 

their products have good features 

that make them in demand, they have 

taken the time to understand the issues 

that are before them, they will adapt and 

they will overcome all obstacles and 

survive. 

The 28 percent that sit on the spectrum 

between those two groups of businesses 

can hold their breath for two to 

three months. 

Both they and the 17 percent cohort 

need a comprehensive plan that fills that 

Cashflow Gap. One that gives them a 

revenue stream, quickly. One that gives 

banks and shareholders the confidence 

to invest in 45 percent of our current 

businesses. 

If there is someone in Government 

listening, then a plan to mend the Cashflow 

Gap is what 45 percent of businesses 

need now. 

Our Government supported workers 

in their hour of need. 

Our Government needs to support 

the shareholders of those businesses 

who also supported their workers in 

their hour of need. 

Business Floor, Wintec House Cnr Nisbet and Anglesea Street, HAMILTON 

07 839 5895 | help@waikatochamber.co.nz 

www.waikatochamber.co.nz 

Council on war footing 


As campaigns rev up to encourage New 

Zealanders to spend local under Covid-19, 

South Waikato District Council has been quick 

to come up with its own high-profile twist. 

Posters and billboards 

featuring the beaming 

face of Mayor Jenny 

Shattock and carrying the 

words “Local business needs 

you: spend local”, in an echo 

of the iconic war posters, will 

be seen around the district 

once level two is reached. 

Economic development 

manager Paul Bowden says 

the posters were printed 

before lockdown and the 

council has already agreed 

with NZTA where they will 

be put up. 

“There was a lot of work 

done before the lockdown but 

we chose not to put them up 

once we got into level three 

and four because we realised 

most businesses couldn't benefit.” 

Posters will be displayed 

at businesses and roadside 

signs will be erected in Tīrau, 

Putāruru, Arapuni and Tokoroa. 

Bowden says the initiative 

is aligned to the Mighty Local 

campaign that is being rolled 

out across the region by Hamilton 

& Waikato Tourism and 

Te Waka. 

Heeding its own message 

to support local business, the 

council has been busy on multiple 

fronts as it grapples with 

the impacts of the pandemic, 

including working with the 

South Waikato Investment 

Fund Trust (SWIFT) to add 

Covid-19 information to the 

trust’s website. 

“We set this up very 

quickly once we got into the 

lockdown, because we realised 

one of the issues we had 

from business was that they 

were finding it difficult to get 

up to date information.” 

They are hosting webinars 

on the page and have given 

people the opportunity to ask 

questions, making the information 

bespoke for locals. 

“We were lucky, we contacted 

a number of local professional 

advisors, accountants, 

lawyers, people like 

that, who offered to provide 

pro bono support, so people 

could just post a question, 

then we would get an answer 

for them and post it online for 

the community to share the 

answer.” 

SWIFT is an economic 

development trust set up by 

council, but operating independently, 

with a ring-fenced 

fund of about $28 million. It 

works with local business and 

its offerings include providing 

capital, training support 

development and support for 

businesses wanting to relocate 

to the area. 

Its Covid-19 page has had 

more than 700 unique users 

during the lockdown, and 

Bowden says people from 

outside the district have also 

been tapping into it. 

He has seen resilience and 

creativity as owners look at 

options such as contactless 

delivery to help promote their 

business, and make use of the 

wage subsidy to keep staff 

connected. 

“We have seen an increase 

in unemployment - not as 

marked as it was after the 

GFC, but we're only in early 

days, and I think it will be 

interesting to see what happens 

after that 12 week initial 

[wage subsidy] period.” 

He pays tribute to the Ministry 

of Social Development 

“who have done an amazing 

job under incredible circumstances 

to provide councils 

with data relating to benefits 

which have been significantly 

impacted by Covid-19”. 

Bowden has, however, discovered 

district-based unemployment 

statistics exist, 

but are not being shared in a 

timely way with councils. 

“It's about the political 

will to provide that data. 

And that's a sensitive issue 

for some reason, but we are 

trying to navigate that space 

on behalf of all councils. We 

are working with Te Waka on 

that. 

“Elected members are 

voted in to serve their communities, 

they need to understand 

what their community's 

needs are at this moment in 

time. Unemployment figures 

are one of those useful metrics.” 

But Bowden says most 

businesses are still fairly positive 

and believe they'll be able 

to get through the outbreak. 

“I mean, we will lose some 

businesses there's no doubt 

about that,” he says. “I think 

the main concerns are really 

going to be in hospitality, in 

the food and beverage side.” 

Forestry, a major player 

in the district’s economy, can 

resume at level three, and 

the council and SWIFT are 

lending support, in particular 

with trying to provide extra 

vehicles to transport crews 

as social distancing requirements 

reduce the number each 

minibus can carry. 

Like other councils, South 

Waikato has come up with a 

list of infrastructure projects 

for potential government 

support. It has submitted 

five projects with a value 

of over $70m. They include 

three waters infrastructure to 

support growth in Putāruru, 

where up to 600 new residential 

sections and a large 

business zone are planned; 

wastewater treatment plants 

upgrades and wetlands planting 

throughout the district; 

and the Maraetai Road Intermodal 

Business Park in Tokoroa. 

There may be a silver lining 

to the crisis. “More of a 

community has been established 

within the business 

community as a result of this 

people have been supporting 

each other, and have been 

connecting in a way they 

hadn't been doing before. So 

I think there's some positive 

coming out of this.” 

More of a community has been established 

within the business community as a result of 

this people have been supporting each other, 

and have been connecting in a way they 

hadn't been doing before. So I think there's 

some positive coming out of this. 

Local Business 

Needs You! 

Spend Local

AM 


5 

‘A responsibility to do the right thing’ 


Doing the right thing by staff is high on the 

lockdown list for Hamilton events company 

ACLX owner Aaron Chesham. 

The work has dried up 

for casual staff, but 

Chesham committed 

to paying his permanent staff 

the full wage for the month of 

the Level 4 lockdown, as they 

work from home. 

That’s despite the events 

industry being more buffeted 

than many by the coronavirus 

pandemic. 

“For most businesses who 

are reasonably stable, like we 

are, and we're reasonably well 

established, I think not paying 

your people full amount is disingenuous,” 

he said. 

He said and any borrowing 

to help get them through would 

be less than it cost to set up the 

business. 

Aaron Chesham and MA3. 

“As business owners, I 

think there is a bit of responsibility 

to try and do the right 

thing by the people who have 

helped build our businesses.” 

That included, apart from 

the commitment to paying full 

wages, sending staff home to 

prepare the afternoon of the 

announcement. 

“I turned around that afternoon 

and said to the guys, 

we're just going to get a beer. 

So we went and had a beer, 

and I said ‘don't come back to 

work, I don't want you to waste 

your 48 hours sitting trying to 

do work, you need to sort out 

everything you're going to 

need for the next four weeks’.” 

As for those weeks of the 

lockdown, and potentially 

beyond, his strategy is to use 

it as an opportunity to create a 

better business. 

A lot of our success 

comes from good 

planning, but it's 

very hard to set solid 

plans in place when 

the future has little 

certainty. We know 

a lot of people still 

want to do their 

event. 

“We could just sit it out and 

do nothing, but that is not the 

way we operate. How many 

times have you said, we will 

get round to that one day. For 

us today is that day.” 

He said the company has 

been growing fast, and that has 

seen it get behind on some of 

our process and planning. 

He and the staff hold regular 

planning meetings, which 

he says is enabling them to get 

more cohesive in their processes. 

“That's the silver lining 

at the moment.” 

“We have a Tuesday and 

Friday morning meeting on 

Meet. We have been under the 

pump for years so we are using 

this as an opportunity to write 

up new policy and processes. 

We have been refining some 

of the documents we use for 

events. The big project at the 

moment is we are completing 

overhauling our Health and 

Safety systems and documents. 

“We already use Trello and 

Google Docs so not a lot has 

changed with the way we work 

because these products are 

already cloud based and very 

collaborative. Everyone took 

a piece of tech home that they 

wanted to learn more about, 

and we have a real focus on 

online training and learning.” 

ACLX does a range of 

events including for large 

corporates, theatre, product 

launches, school productions, 

festivals and private events. 

Some clients are cancelling 

events, more are postponing. 

That is likely to see a degree of 

pent-up demand when restrictions 

lift enough for larger 

meetings to be held. 

“We can see that once the 

restrictions are reduced things 

are going to get busy very 

fast,” Chesham said. 

“A lot of our success comes 

from good planning, but it's 

very hard to set solid plans 

in place when the future has 

little certainty. We know a lot 

of people still want to do their 

event.” 

The company had already 

been building its live streaming 

capacity, and that is likely 

to be a major part of the “new 

normal” in the future. 

“Up until the lockdown 

people were really stepping up 

and trying to find new ways to 

adapt and create new normals. 

We had a fast uptake with our 

live streaming options but with 

the lockdown in place I think a 

lot of businesses are just hoping 

to get through.” 

Chesham said products like 

Zoom and Meet are great for 

internal communication and 

to replace meetings but don’t 

do a great job of replacing a 

seminar or keynote speaker. 

Live streaming to a platform, 

as offered by ACLX, enables 

simple but useful tools like 

picture in picture and complete 

control of the presentation process, 

he said. 

With some reserves to 

draw on, as they stopped buying 

assets, and with the wage 

subsidy as a “good stop gap”, 

he thinks the firm can weather 

three months. 

“Three months is a long 

time, and hopefully things 

will start coming back. It all 

depends on how fast things 

return to normality.” 

Free job-matching website 

launches for Waikato people 

A 

including cross-pollinating 

free job-matching website 

for the Waikato 

region has gone live to 

support business owners and 

employees through Covid-19. 

Waikato businesses can list 

their vacancies and job seekers 

can list themselves on the 

“Waikato Nxtstep” website. 

Cambridge Business Chamber 

collaborated with Te Waka 

to turn the idea into reality in 

the space of a few weeks. 

Chamber chief executive 

Kelly Bouzaid said they 

They have an existing 

site that didn’t need 

much customisation, 

their business model 

is all about supporting 

regions to retain 

talent, and they have 

staff willing to go the 

extra mile to help with 

the current situation. 

quickly realised that Covid-19 

was going to destroy low unemployment 

statistics in Waipā 

and the greater Waikato. 

The website is a way to help 

match employers and job seekers 

quickly and locally, and to 

make the recruitment process 

as easy and effective as possible, 

she said, stressing it was 

Waikato-wide. 

“Our end goals are employment 

and business continuity 

for the Waikato. People 

are going to be looking for 

paid employment as we move 

between all four levels of the 

Covid-19 alert system, then into 

recovery. And when the lockdown 

levels change down there 

will be urgency in recruiting 

staff with the desired skill sets, 

including staff for the ‘shovel 

ready’ infrastructure projects 

when they get the green light.” 

Bouzaid said they have been 

able to get the website up and 

running quickly by piggybacking 

on an existing online platform 

by NxtStep. The aim is 

for the website to achieve maximum 

benefit by including anyone 

wishing to use its capability 

and by capturing jobs available 

across sectors in the Waikato 

with other job listing sites and 

through wider collaboration. 

Hamilton City Council 

smart cities advisor Jannat 

Maqbool said selecting Nxt- 

Step was an easy choice. “They 

have an existing site that didn’t 

need much customisation, their 

business model is all about supporting 

regions to retain talent, 

and they have staff willing to go 

the extra mile to help with the 

current situation.” 

Nxtstep general manager 

Poncho Rivera-Pavon said his 

organisation is very proud to 

work with the Cambridge Business 

Chamber. “Our speciality 

is forging products that showcase 

job opportunities, and most 

importantly, creating meaningful 

connections between job 

seekers and employers. We 

are determined to support the 

region by facilitating these relationships 

during this time.” 

Bouzaid said because 

Waikato Nxtstep’s sole focus 

is the local region, she hopes it 

will help find solutions fast to 

keep the community’s economy 

going. 

https://waikato.nxtstep.co.nz/ 

Kelly Bouzaid


CONVERSATIONS WITH 

MIKE NEALE OF NAI 

HARCOURTS HAMILTON 

So you ask, what has our landlord done for 

us in relation to Clause 27.5? 

Online offering 

extends escape room 

operator’s reach 

It’s been interesting times and without 

any doubt we are all in this together - 

no one will be unaffected by the outcomes 

of Covid-19, as there is not only 

the health risk, but there is an economic 

impact that will be significant. The pain 

however must be shared. 

I thought it is important to highlight 

our business as an actual example of how 

some commercial landlords are dealing 

with the issue of rent payable. For we 

have probably all seen legal opinions 

and heard rumours of what landlords are 

or are not doing. The reference in many 

commercial leases post 2012 relates to a 

‘fair’ proportion of charges being payable 

and what that looks like in situations 

like this, where a tenant cannot gain 

access to the premises to fully conduct 

their business. 

Our Landlord is Stark Property, one 

of the largest landlords in the CBD. They 

came to us and other tenants proactively 

offering a 50 percent reduction in the 

net rental payable while we are in lockdown 

- they also provided the option for 

us to continue to pay full rental and they 

would donate that additional 50 percent 

of rental to either Woman’s Refuge or 

the Salvation Army foodbank - both excellent 

and deserving organisations, especially 

during these difficult times. It’s 

important to note that our business has 

effectively been shut down during the 

lockdown and it could take time to get 

things moving again. On this basis and as 

we believe that we are all going to need 

to share the pain, we decided to continue 

to pay 75 percent of our rental, with the 

additional 25 percent being donated to 

and split equally between Woman’s Refuge 

and the Salvation Army foodbank. 

Interestingly, Matt Stark indicated 

that it didn’t actually matter what the 

lease said, it was important to be fair and 

reasonable in situations like this, as reputations 

and long term relationships will 

be far more important going forward. He 

also suggested that on this basis, a lesser 

figure had been agreed with their retail 

and hospitality tenants. 

Alone we can do so little, 

together we can achieve so 

much” 

- Helen Keller 

I should point out that every tenant 

and landlord’s situation is different and 

those individual circumstances need 

to be taken into account, on a case by 

case basis. It may not be a rental abatement, 

but a deferral of payment or other 

mechanism. Personally, I do have an 

issue where some large multinational 

tenants have refused to pay any rental, 

or where Landlords are refusing point 

blank to provide any concessions at all - 

both being situations that have occurred. 

It’s encouraging though, from the many 

conversations our team has had, that the 

vast majority of tenants and landlords are 

working constructively together to ensure 

future viability of businesses, while 

seeking a fair and reasonable outcome 

for both parties. 

Outcomes? 

It seems inevitable that some businesses 

Mike Neale - Managing Director, 

NAI Harcourts Hamilton. 

will not re-open post lockdown and retail, 

hospitality and tourism, are likely to 

be the hardest hit. 

Hamilton and the Waikato though appear 

to be better positioned than many 

other regions, particularly noted by the 

amount of commercial, industrial and 

residential construction that is actually 

under way and taking place, in part due 

to our strong population growth and increasing 

desirability as a place to live. 

Going forward, the trading banks will be 

crucial in ensuring finance availability 

for viable businesses that require assistance, 

along with continued development 

funding. 

What can you do? 

Conversations we have had from our 

bubble, suggest that there is now a strong 

commitment to support both local and 

New Zealand made. Local business will 

provide the backbone to supporting and 

recreating our vibrant communities. 

These local businesses will allow us to 

interact, shop and be with friends, colleagues 

and others. This physical presence 

cannot be created or replicated 

online. These local bricks and mortar 

businesses will be where we go from 

being socially isolated to being socially 

appreciative. It is our small to medium 

businesses that are our nation’s top employers 

and we will need to support them 

to keep our local economy going. These 

are often family run businesses, who create 

our social fabric and in turn reinvest 

the money you spend back into the local 

economy - their employees’ wages enable 

them to provide for their families, 

and so the money goes around. So the 

next time you are thinking of buying a 

book, don’t go to some large faceless 

multinational online retailer, go to Poppies 

Books in Casabella Lane, or Browsers 

second hand bookshop in Riverbank 

Lane or Paper Plus in Centre Place, for 

they are all businesses that need our support 

to support our community. 

I already have an ever increasing list 

which I will be purchasing from our local 

businesses to support them, once they are 

back open. We all need to work together, 

so make a conscious effort to support local, 

not just for a month or so, but forever. 

Escapist co-founders Geoff Carr and Pam Ariestia. 

Two creative young Hamilton business 

owners have moved quickly to navigate 

through the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Hamilton escape room 

operator Escapist has 

launched an online 

offering in the face of the level 

4 lockdown. 

The online escape room 

is an audiovisual experience 

delivered via video conferencing 

tool and each session is 

hosted by a Game Master, live 

in real time. 

It was adapted from an episode 

of Escape This Podcast. 

“We perfected it and added 

our own twist to it so that it is 

suitable as a game delivered 

through Skype,” says Pam Ariestia, 

who co-founded Escapist 

with her partner Geoff Carr. 

“Most importantly we made 

our own illustration so that 

online players can have visual 

aids while playing the game.” 

She says they have had 

huge uptake, with a launch 

post on Facebook reaching 

11,000 people organically. 

They hosted 11 sessions on 

their opening weekend, with 

further sessions booked during 

the week. 

“With this online offering, 

we are able to reach more 

people outside our physical 

boundaries. This means we can 

re-engage with our customers 

who have moved out of Hamilton 

or enable them to connect 

with their family in other 

parts of New Zealand and the 

world,” she said. 

“Three out of the 11 groups 

booked last weekend were 

from out of Hamilton. We also 

have had an inquiry from as far 

as The Netherlands.” 

Each session earns less 

because they charge per bubble, 

rather than per person, but 

Ariestia said the offering is 

broadening their market. 

“We can now appeal to people 

with interest in table top 

role playing (which is massive) 

but who are not necessarily 

escape room fanatics.” 

The plan is to continue 

to offer the experience long 

term. “This type of offering 

(a mix between escape room 

and table top role playing) has 

been on the talks for a long 

time as Scott, one of our staff 

member, plays Dungeons and 

Dragons and is an excellent 

Game Master. 

“He has pitched this idea 

multiple times, but we were 

not convinced that there could 

be a market. However, with the 

lockdown happening, people 

are keen to give different kinds 

of entertainment a go and are 

more comfortable with video 

conferencing tools, so the timing 

is now perfect for us.” 

• More info about the offering 

can be found at https:// 

mailchi.mp/f73d9aa1eabd/ 

stuck-at-home-let-us-cometo-you-virtually 

Escapist has also moved its 

board game sales online: 

https://www.escapist.co.nz/ 

shop/ 

NAI Harcourts Hamilton 

Monarch Commercial Ltd MREINZ Licensed 

Agent REAA 2008 

Cnr Victoria & London Streets, HAMILTON 

07 850 5252 | hamilton@naiharcourts.co.nz 

www.naiharcourts.co.nz 

203662AF


‘Here to help u’ is ready to feed and support 

An impressive Covid-19 relief effort 

is seeing aid being made available to 

vulnerable people in Hamilton, linking 

business and community. 

7 

Commercial kitchens at 

Claudelands Events 

Centre have been humming 

despite the lockdown, 

with more than 10,000 frozen 

meals already prepared, and a 

further 12,000 on order, to help 

Hamiltonians most in need. 

Hamilton City Council and 

Montana Food and Events 

partnered to support community 

groups struggling to 

keep up with demand for food 

during the lockdown. 

Montana is providing the 

food at cost, for no profit, and 

council is providing the facilities 

and support staff free of 

charge. Food costs were initially 

met by the council and 

are now being picked up by 

Civil Defence. There is no 

charge to those receiving them. 

The support is being led by 

Wise Group which is co-ordinating 

a wider effort - ‘Here to 

help u through Covid-19’ - to 

provide hardship and social 

service support to locals during 

Covid-19. 

Immediate aid to the vulnerable, 

delivered in a way 

that builds a stronger society 

after the crisis, is the focus of 

the relief effort coordinated by 

the Waikato’s lead social and 

community service providers 

and supported by Momentum 

Waikato and other major local 

funders. 

‘Here to help u through 

Covid-19’ is a new online 

community support tool and 

network centered around a 

website, www.heretohelpu. 

nz, where any member of the 

public can quietly ask for help, 

and individuals, families, businesses 

and organisations can 

securely and easily target their 

offers of assistance. 

It is the ‘front counter’ for 

a wide and coordinated support 

effort that aims to ensure anyone 

suffering hardship during 

the Covid-19 lockdown and 

beyond can easily request and 

get the help they need. 

Wise Group and Community 

Waikato teamed up to 

coordinate and lead the effort, 

which involves a range of providers 

and funders, including 

Volunteering Waikato, Kaivolution, 

The Salvation Army, 

Trust Waikato and Momentum 

Waikato. 

‘Here to help u’ has been 

launched in Hamilton with 

plans to expand across the 

Waikato as soon as possible. 

The assistance the website 

offers includes food parcels, 

prepared meals, a collection 

service, general local advice 

and support, mental health 

care, and safe social connections. 

Wise Group joint chief 

executive Jacqui Graham says 

they are committed to doing 

whatever it takes to meet the 

local community’s need and 

to strengthen the wellbeing of 

people, whānau and communities. 

Community Waikato chief 

executive Holly Snape says 

many local people are having 

to ask for food and other social 

support for the first time. 

“The Covid-19 crisis has 

simply widened the catchment 

and range of people who find 

themselves in need through 

no fault of their own. These 

are stories we see all the time, 

there are just suddenly many 

more of them. 

“I hope when we are 

through the current crisis that 

there is a wider recognition 

of this reality and it makes 

for a more compassionate 

and understanding society 

generally. It is time to dispel 

the stigma around using food 

banks and other support services, 

it could be any of us that 

land up needing them.” 

Snape says the ‘Here to 

help u’ project’s first priority 

was to restore and reinforce 

the routine food supply for the 

vulnerable. 

“With the lockdown and the 

particular susceptibility of the 

many older volunteers, existing 

services like food banks 

lost capacity just when the 

demand was spiking. 

Figures produced by 

Erana Severne, the operations 

manager at the Wise Group 

Houchen Hub, confirmed 

about 70 percent of Hamilton’s 

community food support was 

out of action or close to it at 

the end of March. 

Usually more than 735 hot 

meals are produced per week, 

but at the onset of the lockdown 

that dropped to 100, 

while the number of food parcels 

prepared weekly dropped 

from 329 to 89. 

The response to this challenge 

has seen commercial 

kitchens around the city, 

including at Claudelands 

Events Centre, mobilising to 

provide local food aid. 

Momentum Waikato’s 

involvement has included 

funding for the online project, 

involvement in the background 

research and planning, and 

material assistance to Wise 

Group at the Houchens Hub in 

Glenview. 

Severne says the former 

Houchen Retreat was in the 

process of becoming the Wise 

Group’s new Wellness Village, 

but swiftly became known 

as the ‘Houchens Hub’ as the 

virus challenge approached. 

“We pivoted to meet Covid- 

19,” she says. “Staff here have 

been cooking and freezing 

meals since mid-March.” 

Two chest freezers were 

installed early on, so the team 

could get ahead of the demand 

for food, and the Momentum 

Waikato Board also released 

funds to CE Kelvyn Eglinton 

so he could continue to assist 

Wise Group to build their relief 

capacity at the edge-of-town 

campus. 

“It has been great to accelerate 

our partnership with Wise 

Group at our Houchen facility,” 

says Eglinton. 

“Our experience with ‘Here 

to help u’ is a great example of 

meeting the current challenges 

head on by seizing the opportunity 

to widen and deepen 

collaboration across different 

sectors, so we all achieve a 

greater impact in our collective 

mission to create positive permanent 

change for our communities.” 

From response to restart of the Mighty Waikato 

As we slowly start 

to emerge from the 

shockwaves of the past 

few weeks, it’s been good to 

hear of a number of businesses 

being creative and utilising the 

lockdown to create opportunities. 

However, the visitor economy 

was effectively shut down 

overnight, impacting a range of 

businesses including tourism 

operators, transport providers, 

accommodation, hospitality, 

retail, conference and event 

organisers, venues, caterers 

and suppliers. 

As this has happened so 

fast, the full cost of the impact 

is yet to be measured. The only 

saving grace is that our industry 

is not alone in facing this 

threat, as our whole country 

has been in shutdown or in a 

‘rahui’ for the past few weeks. 

We are all hoping that when 

Covid-19 has been tackled and 

travel restrictions are lifted, a 

reinvigorated and more resilient 

industry will emerge. We 

only need to look to China, 

which initially bore the brunt 

of the challenges ahead and is 

finally starting to see normal 

everyday life resume. 

Although some of our 

tourism family have managed 

to carry on in some capacity 

during the international travel 

restrictions and the current 

Alert Level 4 lockdown, we 

have continued to see many 

of our operators downsize, go 

into temporary “hibernation” 

and reduce staff numbers. 

Some within our hospitality 

sector have taken the next 

step and reopened with a very 

limited service offering at 

Alert Level 3. However, for 

many in our tourism and event 

industry, it’s not until we reach 

Alert Levels 2 or 1 before we 

can start to consider reopening 

again with physical distancing 

and contact tracing mechanisms. 

Being the one of the first 

sectors severely impacted 

with Covid-19 has given us a 

lead time. This means we now 

have the headspace to move 

from response phase to begin 

conversations on reimagining 

and restarting tourism in our 

region. 

It’s giving us the chance 

to pose questions around our 

previous visitor arrivals and 

expenditure growth, what does 

success look like for the future 

and how do we move our sector 

from a ‘boom and bust’ 

cycle? It’s now time to inspire, 

facilitate collective reflection, 

share ideas and help define a 

TELLING WAIKATO’S STORY 

new Waikato visitor destination, 

along with New Zealand 

Inc. 

We are now starting to turn 

our organisation from response 

phase into facing the reimagined 

future for tourism. We 

know that to restart our visitor 

industry we will focus on the 

“hyper-local” market, before 

moving to intra-regional travel 

and eventually domestic travel 

first from our key drive markets. 

The longer term play will 

be re-establishing an international 

presence. 

We should be proud as a 

region that in 2016 we adopted 

the Tourism Opportunities 

Plan based on conversations 

to redefine Waikato as a new 

visitor destination. We worked 

together on prioritising our 

five regional game-changers 

through to identifying emerging 

opportunities for our region 

that increased the ‘value’ of 

tourism, rather than the ‘volume-based’ 

model. 

This will help inform the 

next evolution of our industry 

to develop a Destination Management 

Plan bringing together 

a wider range of stakeholders 

to help our communities thrive. 

This is also aligned to the aspirations 

of our industry’s “Tourism 

2025 & Beyond Sustainable 

Growth Framework” and 

the Government’s “New Zealand-Aotearoa 

Government 

Tourism Strategy”. 

We are under no illusion 

that this is not a recovery programme 

– it is more a restart 

journey which we need to navigate 

and pivot for the longterm. 

Let the marathon begin. 

Through all the darkness 

and bleak outlooks, I have been 

heartened by stories of innovation, 

creativity and kindness 

show from our tourism sector. 

Together, we will get through 

and we will stand stronger than 

ever. 

Hamilton & Waikato Tourism 

is the regional tourism organisation 

charged with increasing 

international and domestic 

leisure and business travellers, 

expenditure and stay. The 

organisation is funded through 

a public/private partnership 

and covers the heartland 

Waikato areas of Hamilton 

City, Matamata-Piako, Otorohanga, 

South Waikato, 

Waikato, Waipa and Waitomo 

Districts. Find out more: www. 

waikatonz.com


Tutoring school quickly 

switches to video learning 


Claire Howarth could see change coming 

and moved quickly to prepare her local 

tutoring service for a locked-down world. 

Mindfull Tutoring 

in Hamilton offers 

after-school tutoring 

for students from year one to 

year 13, and the Covid-19 level 

4 lockdown could have had a 

huge impact. 

But Howarth quickly flexed, 

adopting online technology for 

the lessons, which have continued 

without a break. 

One tutor was already using 

Zoom to teach via video linkup 

because three of the organisation’s 

170 students could not 

attend lessons in person. 

It was a case of acquiring 

six more Zoom accounts and 

upskilling all 10 tutors to use 

the technology. 

On March 222, the Sunday 

before the lockdown 

announcement, that saw them 

spend a session getting up to 

speed. 

“We had a full staff meeting 

with PD to start to skill 

all the staff that afternoon and 

tell them what the plan was, 

moving forward. The rule was 

that we're only as strong as our 

weakest person, and nobody's 

going home until the weakest 

person knows how to do this.” 

It's gone really well 

and it's only gone 

well because the staff 

and the parents have 

supported it. So I'm 

certainly very proud of 

the staff and I'm very 

appreciative of the 

parents for getting on 

board. 

That took two hours, and 

meant the online teaching 

could start immediately, ahead 

of the lockdown. As well as 

Zoom, they use Google Docs 

to share materials with the students. 

For the first three weeks, 

either Howarth or her manager, 

Kimmy Crampton, sat in on all 

of the lessons so they could 

troubleshoot. “If someone was 

stuck, we could phone them up 

and help them out.” 

That saw them working 60 

hour weeks as they also juggled 

the care of their own children, 

in Howarth’s case, four 

children under six. 

They kept the teaching 

hours the same as normal and 

retained the same teacher-student 

pairings as much as possible. 

“Obviously for kids it's 

really important to keep routine 

and familiarity,” Howarth 

says. 

It hasn’t always been possible 

to stick to routine, however 

- like the two students, one 

year 9 and one year 11, who 

moved homes and left their 

books behind. Howarth had to 

scan and send them the materials 

for the lesson, which was 

delayed. “So we did the lesson 

on the Friday 

night at 6.30. 

They were like, 

‘yeah, we're 

not going anywhere'. 

You'd 

never normally 

get senior girls 

keen for a 

maths lesson on 

a Friday night!” 

She says the 

teachers are reporting 

that it’s getting 

easier as they go on, 

particularly after the initial 

setting up of resources. 

“Luckily, they had the 

understanding that there was 

going to be a bottleneck at the 

beginning, and that's just the 

unfortunate reality. But they 

were all quite happy to dig in 

and do it because they could 

see it was for the long haul, not 

just a week or two.” 

Howarth says parents 

have also been supportive, 

with a negligible drop-off in 

numbers, mainly as families’ 

employment situations have 

changed. 

“It’s been a big learning 

curve for families as well. 

Hopefully, when all the families 

start back at school, they 

should 

all be a step 

ahead of their classmates 

because they've just had three 

weeks of lessons.” 

The business was already 

growing and had upsized its 

premises to meet demand. The 

online option may provide further 

growth potential, though 

Howarth says some learning is 

better face to face - youngsters 

learning maths, for example. 

As a mother, she is also keen 

to keep some balance in her 

own life. 

Claire Howarth was quick 

to change as the lockdown 

loomed. 

“It's gone really well and 

it's only gone well because the 

staff and the parents have supported 

it. So I'm certainly very 

proud of the staff and I'm very 

appreciative of the parents 

for getting on board. Because 

that's what makes or breaks it 

for any business.” 

No queuing: Matt Brooks gets his hair 

cut the stress-free way pre-lockdown. 

Queue-busting app has social 

distancing role 

An app designed to avoid 

queues is being repurposed 

as a social distancing 

tool during the coronavirus 

pandemic. 

Tairua-based Matt Brooks 

came up with the Tuipoint app 

when he got fed up with waiting 

in barber shops. 

The premise is simple: download 

the app, notify the barber, 

wait in a virtual queue for 

prompts letting you know how 

much longer you’ve got, and 

arrive at the designated moment 

- spending your time more constructively 

in the meantime. 

You can also prepay for 

the service, and there is a web 

browser option. It typically costs 

$1 to join a queue, with the store 

owner choosing how much to 

pass on to the customer. 

“I'm in the queueing business. 

I queue people,” Brooks 

said. As queues lengthen outside 

supermarkets and pharmacies, 

that sees his business take on 

new meaning during the lockdown. 

Such a system means users 

are more easily able to maintain 

social distance, reducing their 

exposure to the coronavirus by 

waiting at home or in their car. 

“I couldn't afford to sit in barbershops 

waiting for a haircut, 

so I developed a time-saving 

app,” Brooks said. “And now 

it's becoming a social-distancing 

app because the climate's 

changed.” 

He has been approaching 

essential service providers 

including supermarkets, while it 

could also be of value to others 

including vets and pharmacists. 

“If we can help, we’re here 

to help.” 

With many essential service 

providers too busy to pause and 

consider the app during the lockdown, 

the biggest uptake may 

come afterwards as barbers, 

cafes and retail stores look ahead 

to the post-lockdown future. 

“Life's going to be totally different 

now. We're going to have 

to be queuing virtually somehow,” 

Brooks said. 

He said he’s treating the fourweek 

lockdown like a Christmas 

break - speaking, appropriately 

enough, via phone from his local 

beach. 

“When everyone breaks for 

Christmas, that's when they get 

a chance to really look at what's 

going on in the world and business 

people look how they can 

run their business smarter. 

“I've now got four weeks 

where I can get this out to people.” 

Brooks took the app to market 

last September, after two 

years of development, and is 

looking at adding further products. 

Guy Howard-Willis, 

Manta5 founder and Torpedo7 

cofounder, is on board as an 

investor. 

Brooks sees global potential, 

but said in terms of building the 

brand, his focus is New Zealand. 

“The sky's the limit, but right 

now we're just looking at ways 

that we can help the current situation 

in New Zealand.” 

Pre-ordering app helps 

cafes, retailers under 

level 3 

For cafes and retailers 

desperate to start selling 

again after a month-long 

lockdown, a Hamilton developed 

app may have arrived on 

the market at the right time. 

The app allows easy ordering 

and payment for pickup 

under Covid-19 level 3 restrictions 

while face to face interactions 

are still banned. 

The new offering is part of 

the established StampnGo app, 

used as a digital loyalty coffee 

card by cafes including Cafe Inc 

and Sugar Bowl Cafe in Hamilton 

and others in Auckland, 

Tauranga and Australia. 

The addition means customers 

can pre-order online, specify 

the time they want to pick up 

and prepay once the cafe has 

accepted the order. 

It became available a month 

ago, after about six months of 

development by Hamilton’s 

Ryder Technologies, while the 

virtual coffee cards have been 

available for a year and a half. 

They are part of a wider loyalty 

programme, most of which 

has been overseas. As Covid- 

19 takes hold, the company is 

turning its attention to the local 

market. 

“We're not doing as much 

stuff overseas and obviously we 

won't be in the next two years,” 

says product designer John-Paul 

Mclean. 

“So we've got to change our 

angle and focus more on New 

Zealand.” 

The company also does a gift 

card offering, for outlets including 

Repco and Heathcote Appliances, 

which Mclean says has 

been decimated by Covid-19, 

placing all the more emphasis 

on StampnGo’s new product. 

“We're going out to our customers 

to say, at Covid-19 alert 

level 3, this is a great product 

for you to have because customers 

can book in a time and pick 

up the product.” 

One of their customers, 

Flaveur Breads in Tauranga, 

is planning to use it for bread 

Ryder Technologies director Stacey 

Mclean picks up a pre-ordered coffee. 

pickups, while non-food retailers 

could also introduce it. 

“Anyone who can offer a 

pre-order and pickup service - 

it's not restricted to any demographic.” 

The app and platform is free 

to download and use. StampnGo 

charges a 5 percent fee 

on transactions, and payment 

gateway Stripe charges a further 

transaction fee of around 

3 percent which is dependent 

on the country and plan chosen. 

Mclean says that works 

out cheaper than PayPal, and 

considerably cheaper than the 

likes of Uber Eats, which he 

says charges 35 percent plus 

delivery. 

“Obviously it's a great time 

for us to get our name out, but 

it's certainly not a monetary 

thing for us at this point of time 

- it's more about, hey, we can 

help people out.” 

https://stampngo.com/


9 

Wintec students launch virtual agency 

free for businesses 

There’s a saying that something great 

can come out of a crisis and for Waikato 

businesses looking for a post-Covid-19 

lockdown boost, the “good” could be free 

communication and marketing services. 

Abby Dalgety teaches 

digital marketing at 

Wintec School of 

Media Arts. With Wintec 

remaining open during the 

lockdown and delivering 

education online, Dalgety 

and her teaching colleagues 

were challenged to deliver 

education in different ways. 

“Our Communication 

degree includes a substantial 

work-based component 

to give students real-world 

learning,” she said. “Because 

of the Covid-19 lockdown, 

the industry partners we usually 

work with have all had 

to cancel. Some have closed 

and others are working from 

home or at a reduced capacity.” 

With an agency background 

she is well aware that 

during a downturn, paid public 

relations and marketing 

take a hit. 

So she came up with a 

solution for her third-year 

Communication students 

who would normally be 

working on client assignments 

for their ‘own’ agency 

during the next term.“Our 

students will be providing 

help to businesses that need 

it due to Covid-19. We know 

that marketing, advertising 

and public relations are usually 

the things that companies 

cull in a crisis, so here’s 

an opportunity for businesses 

to get some fresh thinking for 

free, while helping students 

get some work experience at 

the same time.” 

Working online during the 

lockdown is second nature to 

Wintec communication and 

journalism students who are 

honing their skills for careers 

in the online space. 

For some time now, journalism 

students have published 

their work to Waikato 

Independent, an online news 

hub. The students have also 

started a public blog, Waikato 

Now , a window into student 

life at home during the lockdown. 

Media Arts group director 

Sam Cunnane says that 

when Wintec redeveloped its 

Communication degree and 

relaunched it in 2018, the 

need to respond to change 

and future-focus teaching 

was a top priority. 

“Not so long ago we were 

talking about preparing students 

for a rapidly changing 

workplace. The past few 

weeks have seen more change 

for students and staff than we 

could ever have anticipated, 

and they are responding with 

innovation and enthusiasm. 

This period is going to 

have a great influence on how 

we teach, learn and interact 

with our community.” 

In the first week of teaching 

and learning online 

during the lockdown, Wintec 

staff and students spent 

the equivalent of 1,020,307 

minutes or 708 days participating 

in 2,720 Zoom meetings 

involving 38,000 participants. 

• Waikato businesses that 

would like to know more 

about working with Wintec’s 

virtual agency, can 

email Abby.Dalgety@ 

wintec.ac.nz. Find out 

more about studying 

Communication at Wintec 

School of Media Arts. 

Abby Dalgety and her students have 

launched a virtual agency during lockdown. 

Experience care as it 

should be, experience 

the Braemar way. 

New support centre buffers 

Waikato businesses 

Waikato business are 

benefitting from a 

new phone-based 

support centre that is providing 

advice and assistance to 

organisations affected by the 

COVID-19 crisis. 

Targeting small to medium 

sized firms, the Waikato Business 

Support initiative is a 

partnership with councils and 

led by Waikato’s regional economic 

development agency, Te 

Waka. 

The new service is part of 

cohesive and growing efforts 

by the Waikato community to 

support businesses hit hard by 

COVID-19 Alert Level 4 and 

the lockdown period, together 

with a focus on business recovery 

beyond lockdown. 

The Waikato business community 

is strong and will continue 

to rally to protect its own 

from the COVID-19 fallout. 

Te Waka’s job is to help 

Waikato businesses survive, 

revive and grow post COVID- 

19. That means pooling our 

resources and working together 

with others to accelerate business 

recovery and enhance 

business capability. 

This project is also about 

taking a longer-term view and 

thinking about reviving economic 

activity and growth in 

the region post COVID-19. 

The Waikato Business 

Support initiative strengthens 

Te Waka’s existing Business 

Growth Service. It offers 

Waikato business owners 

access to a first point of contact, 

with the knowledge and 

skills to help them access an 

even broader range of skills 

and expertise at a time when 

they need it most. 

Waikato Business Support 

will provide an effective way 

to connect Waikato businesses 

to local and national government 

support resources. It will 

also reassure business owners 

that help and resources are 

available to help them navigate 

their way through this uncertain 

time. 

For more information about 

Waikato Business Support call 

07 929 4673 WBZ HOPE or 

visit the website www.waikatobusinesssupport.nz 

to register 

for a call back. 

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11 

‘Make-or-break’: Gym takes it online 


In terms of timing, it couldn’t have been 

much tighter: Hamilton’s newest gym 

was set to open just four days before 

level four lockdown, waiting only for the 

final council tick. 

Journies, on Victoria Street, 

was already fitted out with 

gym gear, and its coaches 

and clients were set to go. 

Then, like so many others, 

owners Opal and Sam Higgins 

had to pivot as New Zealand 

went into lockdown. 

“With gyms closed, and 

remaining closed even at level 

three, we have been working 

hard to develop our online services 

because, well, we had to, 

it was either make-or-break,” 

Opal says. “We also noticed 

that, although things have been 

crazy for most people, a lot of 

them have used lockdown as 

an opportunity to reflect and 

re-evaluate their own health 

and wellbeing.” 

Social media was key; they 

quickly built membership of a 

Facebook group from the initial 

half dozen who had already 

signed on to an impressive 

400-plus within two weeks. 

They even had participants 

from Australia and the US in 

their 21-Day, At Home Transformation 

Challenge, which 

drew a strong response that 

saw them cap numbers at 25. 

Journies is using the Trainerize 

app to keep clients on 

track, with coaching from Sam 

and their staff member Monic. 

Opal says their system is 

comprehensive yet simple, 

including individualised nutritional 

support and a motivational 

on-line community. 

“Sam and Monic develop 

the programmes for each person. 

We have a conversation 

with them, we find out their 

goals, and we figure out what 

the lifestyle is, so what's going 

to fit for them, and they get a 

programme that's specific to 

their goals through this app.” 

The app has participants’ 

workouts programmed into 

it, coaches can monitor their 

activity, and clients can use it 

to ask questions. 

“Accountability is probably 

the thing that makes a difference.” 

As well as regular catchups 

through the app, Opal and 

Sam are running Zoom classes 

from their home gym in Ngāruawāhia. 

Clients join a virtual 

workout, with coaches able to 

see them training and help with 

their technique. 

“A lot of them have said 

that just knowing that there's 

other people in that class - 

Opal Higgins 

even though the other person 

is probably gasping for breath 

and can't even see what they 

look like - knowing there's 

other people there helps them 

keep going,” Opal says. 

Among those participating 

via Zoom is a group of six sisters 

doing their own challenge 

in a private group from their 

living rooms around New Zealand 

and the Gold Coast. 

“It's really cool because 

they can give each other a bit 

of flak, they can pump each 

other up.” 

Innovation is the name of 

the game when it comes to 

home workouts - not all are 

fortunate enough to have gym 

equipment, and some have to 

resort to the likes of towels, 

broomsticks or chairs. 

“So there's a few equipment 

hacks going on and some people 

get quite creative.” 

The occasional child or 

even startled dog find themselves 

lifted up and down 

during bodyweight training. 

With the extended reach 

Journies have built online, they 

are now developing post-lockdown 

plans. 

Sam Higgins 

“We do have some that are 

loving this [the online offering] 

and it's helping them to 

push through,” Opal says. “But 

there are some people that just 

prefer that social interaction. 

And we've got those six members 

that were waiting for the 

gym, saying: ‘this is awesome, 

thanks it's keeping me on track 

but I can't wait for the gym to 

open’. 

“But it can obviously grow 

a lot bigger outside of our gym 

and internationally like we've 

already got.” 

They are developing a 

hybrid model for when the 

gym re-opens, giving people 

the option of training in the 

gym, training on-line from 

anywhere in the world, or a 

combination of the two. 

“We have been working 

hard, and although it's still 

early days and there is much 

to do, we are super stoked with 

our achievements so far.” 

Raglan business sponsoring 

free coffee for health workers 

Raglan business Isobar 

is showing its support 

for hard-working health 

professionals by serving up free 

coffees since level 3 started. 

The community-minded 

business has teamed up with 

Ozone Coffee and Dreamview 

Milk in the initiative, aimed at 

thanking and supporting health 

professionals working on the 

frontline throughout continued 

lockdown conditions. 

Isobar owner Matt Taggart 

is one of many hospitality business 

owners severely impacted 

by the sudden Covid-19 business 

closure, compounded 

by the fact he invested in and 

opened his new business just 

four months earlier. 

“Everyone has their own 

story and struggles on how 

they’ve been affected, but 

we’re always looking to find 

and create something positive, 

so for the two weeks of Level 

3 operating conditions we’ll be 

taking online orders for doctors, 

nurses and other frontline 

health workers and serving their 

coffee orders at no cost.” 

The scheme is supported by 

two of Isobar’s key suppliers, 

Ozone Coffee and Dreamview 

Milk. 

“I’d love to see this become 

a nationwide scheme that other 

Matt Taggart 

businesses pick up on. It’s been 

a long, tough four weeks for 

many, but particularly those 

who have been working at the 

frontline of the health sector, 

and this is our way of saying 

thanks and showing our appreciation,” 

says Taggart, who is 

also the co-founder and owner 

of Ozone Kites. 

The Isobar coffee scheme 

will run from 7am-10.30am 

when the breakfast and takeaway 

lunch menu is available 

from Monday to Sunday, kicking 

off when the doors re-open 

on Wednesday April 29 and 

continuing until May 13 2020. 

(Follow Isobar Raglan on facebook 

or Instagram for information 

on how to order.) 

The business is also developing 

Tradies Lunchboxes for 

builders to collect with their 

morning coffee. 

“Builders and construction 

workers won’t be able to leave 

a property once they arrive 

for work for the day, so we’ll 

be putting together some fab 

$10/$15 lunchboxes for them 

also, as well as looking at ways 

to continue supporting our own 

staff by bringing a version of 

our day and evening menu 

options to locals.” 

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Beer bread on menu as 

restaurant gets creative 

Does the thought of gallons of beer going 

to waste send shivers down your spine? 

The owners of Rototuna’s 

The Keg Room and Eatery 

bar and restaurant 

have come up with their own 

creative solution to the prospect 

of so much waste, as beer 

supplies potentially approach 

use-by dates. 

Chef and co-owner Andrew 

Pietersz says: “I just couldn’t 

face it. The idea of all that 

investment going down the 

drain is bad enough but when 

it’s beer, that’s a whole different 

ball game.” 

The Keg Room and Eat- 

ery is operating a takeaway 

and delivery service during 

the next stages of the Covid- 

19 enforced lockdown. So, to 

minimise the number of litres 

that will have to be disposed 

of while they wait to welcome 

back bar customers, they will 

be adding beer bread to the 

menu options. 

“It’s not usually something 

we offer but it fits perfectly 

with the kind of dishes we’ve 

chosen to put on our takeaway 

and delivery line-up,” Pietersz 

says. “Knowing our regulars, I 

have a feeling it’s going to be 

pretty popular.” 

There has been a lot of talk 

about the need for resilience 

in business over the last few 

weeks, and those who can support 

that resilience with smart 

thinking and creativity will be 

the more likely to survive. Pietersz 

and his partner, Melissa 

Renwick, have had to call on 

their reserves more than most 

over the last few years. 

The kitchen, bar and restaurant 

were severely damaged by 

fire on Christmas Eve 2017 and 

the couple were forced to close 

for almost six months, much 

of that time during their busy 

summer season. 

“We learnt the hard way that 

you have to think differently 

about how you operate in challenging 

times, especially if you 

want to retain great staff and do 

all you can to be there for the 

Keg Room and Eatery 

owners Andrew Pietersz 

and Melissa Renwick. 

customers that have been loyal 

to you over the years,” says 

Melissa, who opened The Keg 

Room and Eatery with Pieterz 

in 2013. 

As their builders worked 

hard to refit the fire-damaged 

premises, Andrew and Melissa 

came up with ways to be able to 

serve thirsty customers through 

the 2018 summer, organising 

regular pop-ups on the forecourt 

areas outside the bar. 

“Neighbouring restaurants 

and shops were incredibly 

supportive during that time,” 

Melissa recalls, “and the same 

spirit continues today, especially 

as we are all facing this 

latest challenge together.” 

Like other hospitality operators 

around the country, the 

team has been planning since 

the levels were first outlined 

to work out how to reconfigure 

the space and menu to work 

within Level 3 restrictions. 

“It’s not exactly been easy, 

with the uncertainty of guidelines 

developed on the fly, the 

stress of lease negotiations, 

and getting to grips with new 

web and app ordering options,” 

says Renwick. “It was really 

important to us to make sure 

we follow the rules, look after 

our staff and still be true to 

what our customers expect 

from us.” 

Existing wait staff are being 

redeployed to deliver orders 

and the venue is set up safely 

for contactless pick-up. 

“It’s so great to see our customers 

again and we’ve been 

overwhelmed by the support 

they’ve given us over the last 

few weeks,” says Melissa, who 

has been busy filming Andrew 

cooking some of the favourites 

from The Keg Room and 

Eatery menus for their social 

media pages, while also using 

videos to share her own extensive 

wine knowledge. 

“There won’t be high fives 

or pats on the back like normal,” 

says Andrew, “but we 

hope the beer bread and their 

usual favourites will keep our 

customers happy until we can 

welcome them back through 

our doors.” 

• Bookkeeping with Xero 

• Administrative support 

• Payroll solutions 

Contactless 

Takeaways 

Arrange a free meeting to see if we’re the 

right fit for your business 07 870 1669 

www.thegoodpa.co.nz | office@thegoodpa.co.nz


13 

Are you sitting comfortably? 

All but essential workers are in self-isolation 

at home where another danger lurks. 

As I write this, New 

Zealand is at Covid- 

19 Alert Level 4. Only 

businesses that are essential 

may remain open during the 

Level 4 Alert period. Non-essential 

businesses may still 

work, as long as this is from 

home. Most, but not all, businesses 

can start to open under 

Alert Level 3. They must take 

health measures to keep their 

workers safe. Workers must 

work from home if they can. 

Physical discomfort, pain, 

or injury can result from 

incorrect workstation setups, 

warns the Accident Compensation 

Corporation (ACC) in 

Guidelines for using computers. 

Other risks include visual 

discomfort, stress and fatigue. 

Good workstation set up 

is the key to avoiding these 

dangers. 

Good lighting is crucial. 

Ensure that the monitor is not 

placed in front of a window 

or a bright background. Also, 

look out for glare from behind 

you reflected in your monitor. 

This can cause fatigue and 

headaches. 

The top of your computer’s 

screen should be level with 

your eyes and at arm’s length 

away from you. If you have a 

laptop this means either placing 

it on a stand or plugging 

it into an external monitor. 

Otherwise, a TV screen could 

work too, providing you have 

the right cables. 

If you have a laptop you 

may need an external keyboard 

and mouse so that 

you can move the screen far 

enough away to avoid overreaching 

with your fingers, 

hands and arms. Your arms 

should be relaxed by your 

sides. Your elbows should 

be at or just above your keyboard. 

Wrists should be in a 

neutral position. While sitting 

at a desk, a person’s knees, 

hips and elbows should each 

be resting at 90 degrees. 

Keyboards should be 

directly in front of you with 

the centre of the keyboard 

aligned to the middle of your 

body so that you don’t need to 

frequently turn your head and 

neck. 

Mice must be placed either 

to the left or right depending 

on whether you are left or 

right-handed and as close to 

the keyboard as possible. 

Have your chair as close 

as possible to your work desk. 

This will help you avoid leaning 

and reaching. 

Good office chairs have 

lumbar support. If you don’t 

have access to one of these at 

home try adding a cushion or 

pillow to support your lower 

back. Try not to slouch. Avoid 

sitting in a way that places 

body weight more on one side 

than the other. 

You might also like to 

stand and work. Adjustable 

desks are the order of the day 

here, but if you don’t have 

one perhaps your breakfast 

bar will do. 

It’s easy to get engrossed 

in your work, but remember to 

take regular breaks from your 

desk and screen. This might 

mean taking a phone call in 

TECH TALK 

> BY DAVID HALLETT 

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

the garden. 

If you’re caring for children 

while you work you 

might be tempted to take the 

afternoon off and work later 

when the kids are in bed. 

Avoid working into the wee 

hours, if you can, as the blue 

light from the computer and 

television screen keeps the 

brain pumping up to an hour 

after you switch it off. This 

makes it difficult to sleep. 

Most computers and smartphones 

these days have settings 

that dial-back the blue 

light. 

Assess your workstation 

on a regular basis as bad habits 

can easily sneak in. 

Look after yourself and 

stay safe. 

Looking to the future – risk and resilience 

A 

risk is the possibility 

that something may 

not go as planned and 

involves uncertainty about 

the effects or implications, 

often focusing on negative or 

undesirable consequences. I 

expect that, apart from a select 

few in the health sector, the 

majority of business owners 

and managers would not have 

contemplated the risk that a 

global pandemic would force 

the sudden closure of their 

business for weeks, forcing 

them to manage ongoing costs 

and staff, all with a significant 

reduction in, or lack of, revenue. 

Now that this unforeseen 

event has crystallised into your 

number-one issue, how are you 

going to respond in order to 

minimise the short-term negative 

impacts and implement a 

strategy that will have a longterm 

positive impact on your 

business? 

A key message throughout 

these last weeks has been to 

look after your people. As a 

business, your people are your 

greatest asset. Retaining staff 

has been a financial challenge 

for most businesses at this 

time. Businesses should ensure 

that they have explored what 

government assistance may be 

available to them. Staff will be 

key to being prepared for, and 

taking advantage of, future 

opportunities as we progress 

through to level 2, and eventually 

to level 1. 

Cashflow is key to sustaining 

business operations. Preparing 

a robust cashflow forecast 

and talking this through 

with your bank is important. 

The more prepared you are to 

talk with your bank the more 

receptive they are likely to be. 

Key things to consider include: 

• Create a range of scenarios 

(at least three), based upon 

optimistic to pessimistic 

outlooks. 

• Outline what measures you 

have taken to manage cash 

flow. 

• Identify any surplus assets 

that could be converted to 

cash. 

• Focus on short-term rolling 

cash forecasting. 

• Identify key suppliers and 

critical payments. 

• Establish supply chain visibility 

in order to manage 

delayed lead times and 

demand volatility. 

• Assess whether there is an 

opportunity to negotiate 

pricing or fixed costs such 

as rent. 

• Review any funding covenants 

and renegotiate. 

• Consider salary cuts. 

• Review discretionary 

spending. 

• Small business owners 

should review the level of 

drawings or dividends that 

they take out of the business. 

Communicate with your 

employees, key customers and 

suppliers, and your bank on a 

regular basis. This will provide 

confidence that you are managing 

the situation and is likely 

to put you in a better position 

once lockdown restrictions 

ease. Talk to other business 

owners and operators. Find out 

how they are dealing with the 

current situation and consider 

whether there are ideas you 

can adapt and apply to your 

own business. 

Identify and manage your 

operational risks and ensure 

that your employees can work 

safely. Ensure that you have a 

Covid-19 safety plan in place, 

along with robust health and 

safety processes and practices 

that align with your industry 

requirements under each 

Covid-19 alert level. Templates 

and guidance are available on 

the Worksafe website. It is up 

to each business to self-assess 

whether you can operate safely 

for both your customers and 

staff. 

Adjusting your business 

operations to the new economic 

and business environment will 

require ongoing flexibility 

to manage the impacts of the 

different Covid-19 alert levels 

and a level of uncertainty 

TECHNOLOGY SECURITY 

> BY AARON STEELE 

Aaron Steele is a senior manager at PwC Waikato. 

Email: aaron.e.steele@pwc.com 

of the effects of Covid-19 on 

the economy over time. Consider 

the impact of maintaining 

social distancing on productivity 

and day to day activities. 

Consider a change in focus 

from areas of the business 

where there may be lower 

demand into more productive 

areas. This may require training 

employees to cover skill 

gaps in the more productive 

areas of the business. Where 

you have seen a reduction 

in revenue from an industry 

sector particularly affected 

by Covid-19, consider your 

options for replacing that revenue 

from those industry sectors 

that are less affected. 

Take the opportunity to 

review your business costs. 

In good times, businesses can 

support discretionary spending. 

Focus on minimising 

expenses that are not directly 

related to producing your core 

product or services. You may 

want to review your expenditure 

approval levels to ensure 

that expenses are minimised in 

the short-term. 

Take this time to review 

your business operations and 

identify any efficiencies you 

can make in order to reduce 

costs, improve customer interactions, 

and whether digitisation 

and automation solutions 

could have a positive impact 

on your business. 

Covid-19 has presented significant 

challenges for many 

businesses, but it will also 

create opportunities. Having 

a robust Covid-19 response 

plan will enable businesses to 

work through the related issues 

as they arise and be in the best 

position to take advantage of 

opportunities that are created. 

Use the lessons learnt from 

the Covid-19 pandemic to 

build resilience within your 

business. Review your strategic 

risks and build in the 

impact from the changes to our 

economic environment, both 

locally and globally. 

As we move from level 4 to 

3, we can see that there is light 

at the end of the tunnel, take 

every opportunity as you head 

towards it. 

Further information on 

managing Covid-19 impacts is 

available at www.pwc.co.nz/ 

publications. 

The comments in this article 

of a general nature and should 

not be relied on for specific 

cases. Taxpayers should seek 

specific advice.


Covid-19: business 

communication 

during disaster 

PR AND COMMUNICATIONS 

> BY HEATHER CLAYCOMB 

Heather Claycomb is director of HMC Communications, a 

Hamilton-based, award-winning public relations agencys. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has hit many 

businesses hard. Economists are now 

predicting we will enter a recession that 

could be worse than the global financial 

crisis we experienced in the mid-2000s. 

Operating a business 

under these circumstances 

creates enormous 

stress for some and 

many business owners have 

lost their companies entirely. 

If we think about what’s happened 

to the world’s airlines, 

most tourism businesses, retail 

and hospitality, this ‘crisis’ 

is incredibly devastating. In 

fact, it’s not an exaggeration 

to say it has reached ‘disaster’ 

proportions for many. 

If we accept that a proportion 

of our business community 

is operating from a disaster 

mindset, how do we begin 

to assess where our clients, 

staff and stakeholders are at 

on the spectrum of ‘needing 

rescued’ to ‘fully recovered?’ 

And then once we know where 

they are at, how does that 

impact the way our organisation 

communicates with them? 

Disaster Survivor’s Hierarchy 

of Needs 

One way to gauge how your 

business audience is faring 

is to discover where they are 

at on the Disaster Survivor’s 

Hierarchy of Needs. This is 

a theory developed by Dr 

Karin Jordon at the University 

of Akron in the US and 

is something communications 

professionals who have led 

teams through natural and 

other disasters would likely be 

familiar with. It’s aligned to 

what most of us have probably 

seen before – Maslow’s Hierarchy 

of Needs. 

The basic gist of the Disaster 

Survivor’s Hierarchy of 

Needs is that when a disaster 

strikes, people are going to 

be thinking about their basic 

needs first – “where will I 

sleep tonight, how do I get 

clean water and food?” 

Once those basic needs are 

satisfied, disaster victims will 

begin to think about their own 

safety and wellbeing and secondly 

of others. As time goes 

on, stress will manifest itself 

in a range of reactions from 

anxiety to anger and eventually 

grief and loss for what has 

been left behind. 

And finally, disaster survivors 

find a new way of being 

and assimilate into a new pattern 

of normal life. 

Business disaster survivors 

and communications 

planning 

So, when we are thinking 

about the Covid-19 crisis and 

economic recession, we can 

look to this Disaster Survivor’s 

Hierarchy of Needs to understand 

what stages of recovery 

business owners/managers, 

our staff, our customers and 

suppliers and our business 

community colleagues are 

going through. 

You need to understand 

where people sit in this hierarchy 

so that when you are communicating 

with them, you do 

so in a way that makes sense 

for them today. And the tricky 

part is that every business will 

be in a slightly different phase. 

If you find your clients, 

for instance, are in a market 

that’s been heavily affected by 

Covid-19, you need to offer 

support, advice and products 

that can help them today. Messages 

must be focused on basic 

needs, about providing ‘rescue’ 

and all about giving hope 

for today and tomorrow. 

On the other end of the 

spectrum, say you have clients 

in the IT sector who are run off 

their feet with new business - 

they may already be in the 

assimilation/accommodation 

phase. This means your communication 

with them can be 

more future-focused, complex 

and visionary. 

The risks of making a 

communications mistake of 

mis-matching messaging that 

doesn’t sync with your audience’s 

stage in the disaster 

journey include: frustrating 

or even angering them, being 

perceived as irrelevant and 

being seen to be out of touch 

with the reality of the situation. 

Alternatively, the benefits 

of getting your communications 

right during a disaster 

can create huge opportunities 

for long-term brand loyalty, 

increased trust and solidifying 

your reputation as an industry 

leader. 

Staff are disaster survivors 

too 

This theory and the considerations 

you must be mindful of 

also relate to how you communicate 

with staff during this 

time. Even if your company 

is not making people redundant, 

you need to remember 

that people are dealing with a 

range of change all at once and 

that creates anxiety for many 

people. 

You may have staff who 

love working at home, have 

no children at home and no 

other distractions and they are 

just getting on with work and 

doing well. For these staff, you 

can communicate with them as 

you normally do without much 

change. 

On the other hand, you 

may have staff who have small 

children at home, a spouse 

who has been laid off and a 

range of other personal change 

that is causing huge stress. 

These two staff members 

are going to be at opposite 

ends of the disaster survivor’s 

hierarchy of needs. These 

examples show that when you 

are communicating with your 

teams – one size does not fit 

all, so be sensitive to tailoring 

messages, work hours and 

expectations. The end result 

will be more engaged and 

loyal staff when the disaster is 

well and truly over. 

Connecting communities will drive 

growth, employment and wellbeing 

The Government’s new 

appetite for investing 

in infrastructure, along 

with encouragement for bold 

thinking on productivity, connectivity 

and sustainability, 

presents the Waikato with a 

unique window of opportunity. 

As the Government looks 

to kickstart the economy by 

fast-tracking ‘shovel ready’ 

projects, Te Waka is pushing 

for investment in seven key 

infrastructure projects across 

the Waikato region. 

There is no denying the 

impact of Covid-19 is severe. 

Economic activity has stalled. 

There is strong debate about 

the sustainability of businesses 

and sectors. And there 

are growing concerns about 

the well-being of people and 

communities as unemployment 

rises. 

But despite this, the crisis 

also has the potential to 

unleash a wave of innovation, 

new-thinking and disruptive 

business models. The 

Waikato region has the industries 

and talent to embrace 

this change and to lead economic 

recovery by creating 

employment and growth. 

We need to create stronger 

connections between our 

communities and complete 

key infrastructure projects to 

make this happen. 

Te Waka has identified 

those for which we are 

seeking Government 

funding: 

1. Finish the Waikato 

Expressway by completing 

the Piarere Extension 

2. Accelerate the Hamilton to 

Auckland Corridor project 

3. Enable rapid rail – Hamilton 

to Auckland 

4. Complete the Southern 

Links project 

5. Invest in improvements to 

State Highway 2 to open up 

the Coromandel 

6. Enable a regional logistics 

strategy via connecting the 

Ruakura Inland Port 

7. Investing in technology 

and business infrastructure. 

You can find more detail 

on our website www.tewaka. 

nz about each of these projects 

and why, more than ever, 

they warrant an injection of 

capital. 

While completing these 

big ticket projects is critical, 

we also need to support projects 

from around the region 

that will have a meaningful 

impact on local communities, 

and we will work with local 

stakeholders to do that. 

The Waikato region 

encompasses some of the 

most productive parts of New 

Zealand, with key industries 

that are world-class. We also 

have a history of innovation, 

a quality and growing skills 

base and world-class educational 

facilities. 

Despite this strong foundation, 

our region is not 

well-connected to the population 

centres of Auckland and 

Tauranga, nor is it well connected 

internally. 

These connections are 

critical if we want to create 

growth, employment, community 

prosperity and wellbeing, 

and to leverage our 

natural strengths as a region. 

The new normal will look 

quite different, and now is the 

time for us to come together 

as a connected region. We 

must leverage a unified 

vision which underpins a 

healthy and thriving future 

for Waikato communities. 

Te Waka believes the road 

to recovery must start by connecting 

major employment 

and population centres. This 

includes central business 

districts, growing metropolitan 

and employment areas, 

rural and coastal towns and 

adjacent regions. It is only 

by making these connections 

that we can successfully drive 

economic growth, resilient 

communities, employment 

and well-being. 

DRIVING DEVELOPMENT 

> BY MICHAEL BASSETT-FOSS 

Chief executive, Te Waka: Waikato’s economic development agency


15 

The more things change, the more 

things stay the same 

TELLING YOUR STORY 

> BY VICKI JONES 

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

management consultancy. Email vicki@dugmorejones.co.nz 

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that 

whatever your business sector, life will look 

very different in New Zealand and around 

the world. 

For months to come, the 

way we move around and 

interact with people will 

colour the way we make purchasing 

decisions. Our bank 

balances may not allow us the 

flexibility to make the retail 

choices we did before. We may 

be faced with less options, a 

complex purchasing environment 

and a long-continuing 

world of uncertainty. 

Ouch. That hurts, doesn’t it. 

And for marketers needing to 

connect with customers wading 

through the mire of all that 

uncertainly, everyday marketing 

challenges have taken on a 

new look too. 

Please be patient with 

advertisers, especially our 

SMEs. Not everyone will get 

it right under pressure of these 

new challenges. Remember 

they’re all trying to do one 

thing – keep their businesses 

afloat. 

But as you plan your next 

campaigns, consider carefully 

how different your marketing 

really needs to be compared to 

before the pandemic. 

There are some fundamental 

questions to revisit as you 

approach marketing in the 

‘new normal’. Has your product 

or service had to change 

and how? Has your audience 

changed, in terms of how your 

brand appeals to them as well 

as how they engage with it? 

Does the true essence of your 

brand need to evolve? 

If any of the answers are 

‘yes, but just a little’, don’t be 

tempted to throw the baby out 

with the bath water and rethink 

strategies that have worked 

before. 

Your customers may want 

to feel they are living in the 

‘old normal’, not be reminded 

that things are different. The 

familiarity of your storytelling 

voice could be the comfort 

they’re looking for. 

Marketing generally needs 

to achieve a combination of 

three things – to engage, entertain 

or inform. For many, to 

‘inform’ is currently a higher 

priority than normal, especially 

to clarify changes in retail 

behaviours, or variations in 

products or services. Even if 

customers appear to have more 

time on their hands, be succinct 

in your explanations. Clarity is 

more important than ever. 

The ‘entertainment’ factor is 

the greyest area during heightened 

sensitivities. In the early 

days of the crisis, we saw some 

brands play fast and loose with 

the idea of appropriate humour. 

That was their decision, made 

with (we hope) assessment of 

what they felt their particular 

audiences would find appropriate 

too. They didn’t care 

if Grandma was offended, 

because Grandma was never 

going to be a customer. 

Now, with the severity of 

the situation all too apparent, 

humour has rightly been redirected. 

We laugh at ourselves, 

at our unruly hair and Zoom 

meetings interrupted by children 

and pets. We look for joy 

in positive stories and champion 

our communities. Humanity 

is being leveraged in marketing 

with great effect. Nice 

work, New Zealand. 

One of the shifting changes 

is the advertising options available, 

particularly for those 

whose customers engage 

through print media. With 

many smaller community publications 

restricted – hopefully 

only in the short term – some 

advertisers have had to explore 

digital advertising that might 

have previously been outside 

their comfort zone. 

Always ask yourself where 

your audience are ‘hanging out’ 

and have a clear understanding 

of how you want your brand to 

be perceived there, whatever 

the medium you’re using. 

Email marketing, particularly 

in a business-to-business 

context, has been a contentious 

topic recently. In my view, if 

you use it regularly, keep calm 

and carry on. If you have content 

you are confident your 

audience will be interested in, 

use it. If you’ve never really 

used it, approach with caution. 

Consider your content and frequency 

as carefully as if you 

were paying for ad space. 

One interesting boom has 

been in video content. I’ve 

always been careful suggesting 

video to clients, particularly on 

a budget, wary of undermining 

perceptions of a brand by risking 

poor production quality. 

But those pressures are lifted at 

the moment. If wobbly phone 

footage is fine for national 

news, and mainstream programming 

is being filmed in 

offices and living rooms, it’s 

OK, right? For now, at least. 

Give it a go, only if you feel 

confident. If your audience will 

forgive a nervous delivery or 

dodgy editing and fuzzy sound 

quality, why not? But bear in 

mind those three important 

factors – understanding how to 

connect to your audience, articulating 

your offer and being 

true to your brand. 

The lockdown environment, 

changing behaviours and 

long-term effects on the economy, 

all require us to think 

differently. But the need to be 

authentic to your brand and relevant 

for your target audience 

will never change. 

Rising up to the ‘Mighty 

Local’ challenge in Level 3 

Waikato residents are 

stepping up to support 

their “Mighty 

Locals” as the region rallies to 

support businesses hit hard by 

the Covid-19 pandemic. 

With the move to Level 3, 

businesses are finding new 

ways to trade with customers, 

through contactless delivery 

and pickup services. 

Punnet, a popular Tamahere 

eatery, opened for contactless 

pickups as well as free local 

delivery of their Punnet at 

Home prepared meals range, 

with a $5 delivery charge to 

Hamilton and Cambridge. 

“We have worked really 

hard to offer this new service, 

from designing the app, creating 

the menu, and completing 

all the testing over the weekend,” 

said owner and operator 

Haley Bicknell. 

“For us, it has been so 

lovely to see our regulars again 

and to give them a wave from 

the window. 

“Their support is absolutely 

what is keeping us going at the 

moment. We couldn’t be more 

thankful for the people who 

live in our community for getting 

behind us.” 

“What we are seeing is this 

innovative thinking is drawing 

in customers keen to ‘support 

local’ in the Waikato right 

now,” says Jason Dawson, 

chief executive of Hamilton 

Waikato Tourism. 

“We are strongly urging 

Waikato people to really think 

what they can do personally to 

support businesses, by buying 

local, eating local and experiencing 

local.” 

Waikato artisan ice cream 

maker Duck Island has also 

seen strong support as they prepared 

for deliveries in Hamilton, 

Cambridge and Auckland 

the first week of Level 3, as 

well as a click and collect service 

from their Hamilton East 

and Auckland stores. 

“The support and the influx 

of online orders has just been 

incredible,” says co-owner 

Kim Higgison. “It is really 

heartening to see.” 

Frank’s Sausage, a gourmet 

sausage producer in Paeroa, is 

reporting a 400-500 percent 

increase in sale on its online 

store, in the last month. 

The business is also donating 

free packets of sausages 

to foodbanks for every online 

sale. 

“We just feel very grateful 

that we are up and operating,” 

says director Sheryn Cook. 

“So far we have been able to 

donate four or five 20-kilogram 

boxes to the local foodbanks.” 

For their online store, they 

have reduced the delivery fee 

to just $5 nationwide. 

Te Waka chief executive 

Michael Bassett-Foss said the 

‘support local’ message was 

critical, especially as businesses 

from across sectors in 

the Waikato have staff returning 

to jobs this week. 

“A big adjustment is 

required from small to large 

scale businesses across the 

Waikato economy, and they 

require support to get through 

this time.” 

It is a matter for survival 

for many businesses, who 

have been able to get through 

with the Government’s wage 

subsidy scheme but who have 

severely affected cashflow. 

They need sales to pay 

their outgoings like rent, 

wages and supplier costs – as 

well as secure their long-term 

viability. 

The Mighty Local campaign 

– a collaboration 

between Hamilton Waikato 

Tourism and Te Waka, the 

regional economic development 

agency, is strongly pushing 

the ‘buy local’ message. 

The website mightylocal.co.nz 

lists Waikato food and beverage, 

entertainment, retail and 

service-related businesses customers 

can purchase from. 

It also features recipes 

from local chefs, profiles virtual 

tours from local attractions 

and shares the stories of 

many Waikato businesses and 

how they are adapting to the 

changes and their plans for 

recovery - now and beyond. 

www.mightylocal.co.nz 

#MightyLocal #Mighty- 

Waikato 

“Receive the child in Reverence, 

Educate the child in Love, 

Let each go forth in Freedom.” 

– Rudolf Steiner 

Waikato Waldorf School 

Providing holistic, contemporary and lifelong 

Waldorf Education in an inspiring environment 

now and into the future. 

Our curriculum is based on 

Rudolf Steiner’s pedagogical 

model of child development; 

which is unhurried and age 

appropriate, interconnected 

and inspires a reverence for all 

of life, including nature, society 

and the larger world. 

Our curriculum reflects our 

unique setting in Aotearoa New 

Zealand, while acknowledging 

and valuing the cultural 

backgrounds of our diverse 

community. 

Enquiries welcome 

07 855 8710 office@waikatowaldorf.school.nz 

85 Barrington Drive, Huntington, Hamilton 3210 

www.waikatowaldorf.school.nz 

204115AA


Driving change at Ebbett Toyota 


Richard van den Engel arrived at Ebbett 

Toyota 18 months ago during challenging 

times. Challenging enough that they had no 

chance of winning dealership awards at the 

annual black-tie Toyota awards evening, held 

at the Dunedin Town Hall at the start of March. 

But things have been 

improving for the 

Waikato firm, and CEO 

van den Engel was given an 

unexpected leadership award 

in Dunedin. 

The win was for the team, he 

says, after a year in which they 

reclaimed top spot in Waikato 

for car registrations, which they 

hadn’t managed for some years. 

“We set out at the beginning 

of 2019, knowing that Toyota 

was number one nationwide 

and has been for 31 years, but 

hasn’t been number one in 

Waikato for a very long time. 

So we wanted to reclaim the 

prize. And we did.” 

Van den Engel pays tribute 

to his predecessor who he says 

had done an “incredibly good 

job”. His own appointment was 

intended to be short term, after 

he switched from dealer principal 

at Ebbett Volkswagen. But 

he’s “absolutely loving” the 

new role, and isn’t in a hurry to 

do anything else just now. 

He says with the difficulties 

the firm faced, the temptation 

could have been to trim sails 

and cut costs. Instead he and 

the management team looked 

for a different way. 

“I shamelessly borrow the 

saying from Richard Branson: 

‘If you invest in your people, 

they’ll look after your customers.’ 

“When we sat down as 

a management team at the 

beginning of 2019, we really 

embraced that. It took some 

deep breaths, because when 

you want to grow a business or 

when you want to perform better 

than you are, your natural 

tendency is to look for ways to 

cut costs or drive people harder, 

or be more aggressive. 

“Instead of doing that, we 

said, let’s try and understand 

what our unique selling position 

is and build a strategy 

around that. And if we do that 

well, and have a singular focus 

and a singular vision, then we’ll 

trust the process and that the 

results will follow.” 

He says they focused on 

customer experience, and giving 

people reasons to choose 

them rather than the competition. 

That meant, he says, 

Contemporary NZ art works for hire 

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empowering frontline staff who 

are engaging with customers to 

deliver the best experience they 

can. “The role of management 

becomes to serve that frontline 

in terms of eliminating roadblocks, 

making it easier for 

them to serve the customers, to 

make the process efficient.” 

The process involved trying 

to define up front what success 

would look like for each staff 

member. 

“My attitude is, we all come 

to work and we don’t want to 

fail, we want to do a good job. 

“We set a vision; we said, 

this is where we want to head, 

this is what we want to do as 

a team. And then we set about 

defining what winning looks 

like. We said, ‘in your role, how 

do you contribute to that overall 

vision?’ 

When it comes to the award, 

van den Engel says he sees it as 

recognition for the leadership 

team as a whole. 

“I would accredit the award 

to the leadership of the management 

team rather than to 

myself,” he says. 

“I guess as we look back on 

the year, we’re satisfied with 

where we’ve ended up, and the 

growth continues.” 

The van den Engel family 

owns Ebbett together with the 

son of the founder, Richard 

Ebbett, and Richard van den 

Engel finally joined the family 

firm after initially setting out to 

do architecture, combining his 

love of art and proficiency in 

maths, then turning to accounting 

(when he initially sought to 

join the family firm, his father 

said: “we don’t need architects”). 

As an accountant he 

Richard van den Engel accepts the Bob 

Field leadership excellence award. 

worked for Deloitte for some 

years, in London, Auckland 

and Hong Kong, and then made 

the transition to Ebbett. 

With Toyota, he says he has 

joined a brand that he says has 

been No 1 in New Zealand for 

32 years, with almost double 

the market share of their nearest 

competitor. 

“When you look at a brand 

like that from the outside, you 

go, ‘wow, they must be doing 

some things right. There must 

be some things that are going 

on in that network that I can 

learn from.’ 

“I guess that was my attitude 

all along. I was excited to 

engage with the brand and learn 

what I could.” 

He says Toyota is “incredibly 

focused” on investing in 

its staff. “People that I’ve met 

at Toyota New Zealand are 

absolutely passionate about the 

brand and where it’s heading. 

“There’s a real connection 

with Kiwis. Toyota have a clear 

value proposition, that they’ve 

stuck to. They’re not changing 

it every year, they’re not even 

changing it every decade.” 

The volume of sales also 

creates an opportunity in terms 

of service and parts, simply 

because of the number of Toyotas 

on the road. 

Van den Engel says they 

are seeing a growing interest in 

lower-emissions vehicles. 

“We’ve got consumers coming 

in saying: I want to own a 

hybrid, I want to do the right 

thing by the environment.” 

That sees Toyota’s hybrids 

taking off at a surprising rate. 

The newest RAV4 model, 

released midway through last 

Richard van den Engel has helped 

Toyota reclaim top spot in Waikato. 

year, has a hybrid option. 

“We expected If we were 

lucky, maybe every second 

RAV4 would be a hybrid. But 

it turns out the demand for 

hybrids is so significant, that 

number was more like 80-20 

[80 percent hybrid].” 

He says Toyota is thinking 

about the future in other ways 

as well, and has showcased its 

e-Palette, “which is essentially 

this autonomous electric pod, 

which can be used as a motel 

room or a shop or a shuttle bus 

or anything like that. 

“So you’ve got Toyota 

thinking well into the future 

and asking questions around 

how will people get around in 

the future and what part can we 

play in that? 

“It’s a really exciting future, 

and all sorts of ideas are coming 

through.” 

As for the changes he has 

helped drive in his short time 

at Ebbett Toyota: “I’ve really 

enjoyed having faith in the process 

and actually seeing some 

results. Taking the plunge and 

saying, do you know what, 

we’re going to invest in our 

people. We’re going to start 

with the engagement of our 

people, we’ll trust that to follow 

on to customer experience and 

we’ll trust that to deliver the 

results - and it’s worked. That’s 

something that is incredibly 

exciting.”


17 

Cannasouth aims 

to raise $3m 


Hamilton listed medicinal cannabis firm 

Cannasouth is forging ahead with a share 

offer to raise $3 million after a new regulatory 

regime kicked in at the start of April. 

The offer, which closes on 

April 30, is to existing 

shareholders and aims to 

accelerate development of the 

company’s key initiatives. 

Chief executive Mark Lucas 

said the early uptake signs were 

promising. “Without going 

into details, I'd say we're very 

encouraged with the response 

so far.” 

Cannasouth wants to raise 

funds towards a range of projects, 

including registration and 

launch of imported medicinal 

cannabis products. The company 

says it is currently well 

capitalised with more than $7.3 

million of cash on hand and no 

debt. Its wholly owned subsidiary 

Cannasouth Plant Research 

New Zealand is about to lodge 

new medicine licence applications 

for its first products. 

The Covid-19 lockdown 

has seen construction halt 

on its greenhouse cultivation 

facility but any possible 

delays from the lockdown 

will not be “material”, Lucas 

said, as the company moves as 

quickly as it can to bring products 

to market. 

Mark Lucas says any delays from 

Covid-19 will not be “material”. 

“There’s a reason that [the 

medicinal cannabis sector] is 

developing - people are looking 

for these types of medicines 

and products, and ultimately 

that won't have changed post 

Covid-19.” 

The regulatory change 

means GPs can now prescribe 

medicines containing THC 

without sign-off from a specialist, 

and also introduces 

stringent standards that Lucas 

believes will be good for the 

industry. 

He said registering medicines 

to meet good manufacturing 

process (GMP) requirements 

is complex and difficult. 

“Ultimately, it's going to be 

a benefit for the patients. It's 

going to be a benefit for the 

industry because it means 

the market’s not going to be 

flooded with substandard products.” 

GP education around 

medicinal cannabis remains 

a challenge for the industry, 

and Lucas expects prescribing 

of the new medicines to begin 

slowly and then reach critical 

mass as prescribers gain confidence 

around levels of risk. 

He said that has happened 

in Australia, where numbers 

ramped up “really, really fast” 

and where there is a more complex 

prescribing process which 

varies from state to state. New 

Zealand will have the benefit of 

a single system. 

“I think the ministry [in 

New Zealand] wanted to learn 

from other jurisdictions and I 

think they have. And so we're 

confident that the system here, 

once fully bedded in, is going 

to be a good one.” 

While the first products to 

market will be imported, Cannasouth 

aims for vertical integration 

with a medium-term 

goal of producing raw ingredients 

in New Zealand and taking 

them from seed to sale. 

That is assisted by its acquisition 

of a 60 percent share in 

Hastings-based Midwest Pharmaceuticals, 

which already 

operates in a GMP medicines 

environment and has continued 

operating the essential services 

part of its business during the 

lockdown. 

Lucas said Cannasouth 

has been building the foundations 

of a successful business, 

including recruiting the right 

people. “I'm really pleased with 

the structure that we've got. 

The Cannasouth Cultivation 

operation is going to be world 

class. It's not going to be oversized, 

but it has the ability to 

scale up quite quickly,” he said. 

“Our quality is going to be 

about as high as you can get 

and yet our production price 

point is going to be much better 

than some of the more traditional 

approaches for producing 

that material.” 

Cannasouth is keeping an 

eye on the recreational cannabis 

referendum, which Lucas 

says could have pluses and 

minuses whichever way the 

vote goes. 

Tour operator optimistic as deal kicks in 

A 

deal that was the best 

part of two years in the 

making could hardly 

have come at a better time for 

Hamilton-based tourism operator 

Leisure Time Group - and 

for Waikato’s tourism industry. 

It has acquired Auckland 

events company Lime & Soda, 

adding valuable extra domestic 

capability to its offerings as 

borders are closed to overseas 

travellers. 

With a strong emphasis 

on inbound tourism, which 

saw relatively fallow months 

through winter, two years ago 

Leisure Time Group decided 

to start looking for an events 

company to augment its offering 

and address the seasonal 

dip. 

After a lengthy search, 

managing director Scott Mehrtens 

says they were able to 

clinch a deal with boutique 

firm Lime & Soda to kick in 

on April 1 this year. It went 

unconditional on February 28 

“and then the whole world 

changed”. 

As the coronavirus pandemic 

took hold, a busy looking 

March through to June for 

international visitors came to a 

sudden stop. “It was devastating 

to our international tourism 

just like everyone else's.” 

That makes the domestic 

market all the more important, 

and the Lime & Soda acquisition 

all the more welcome. 

“We looked at it long and 

hard all the way through. And 

the reason why we wanted to 

do this was to de-risk our tourism 

business. Lime & Soda is 

very domestic-based, they've 

got a wide range of clients 

Scott Mehrtens 

from different industries.” 

Mehrtens says that gives 

them some assurance around 

lines of revenue over the next 

nine months when international 

markets are very uncertain 

- particularly as domestic 

events are largely being postponed 

until later in the year, 

rather than cancelled. 

Lime & Soda’s owner, 

Debra Dufty, has joined Leisure 

Time Group and heads 

the Events/MICE (meetings, 

incentives, conferences, 

events) team. She and her 

team will remain in Auckland. 

Mehrtens endorses the government’s 

actions in closing 

borders, despite the immediate 

impact on his own business. 

“It had to be done. We don't 

begrudge what's happened, 

it is for the greater good. 

You know, we are all in this 

together. 

“Obviously the greatest 

risk to New Zealand was 

people coming in from other 

countries, so you can totally 

understand and endorse what 

we've done and and I think it's 

going to be better for us in the 

longer term.” 

Tourism Minister Kelvin 

Davis has announced a rethink 

of the industry post Covid-19, 

and has tasked Tourism New 

Zealand to lead the project. 

““We have an opportunity 

to rethink the entire way we 

approach tourism to ensure 

that it will make New Zealand 

a more sustainable place, 

enrich the lives of all our people 

and deliver a sector which 

is financially self-sustaining in 

the longer term,” he said. 

Hamilton & Waikato Tourism 

chief executive Jason 

Dawson welcomed the move. 

“We will be an active participant 

to help develop the 

plan – domestically and internationally,” 

he said. 

“It’s giving us the chance 

to pose questions around our 

previous visitor arrivals and 

expenditure growth, what 

does success look like for the 

future and how do we move 

our sector from a ‘boom and 

bust’ cycle? 

Mehrtens says New Zealand 

is already being written 

about positively by some 

international travel writers, 

citing a BBC Travel section 

article that puts New Zealand 

in the top five countries when 

it comes to bouncing back 

from the pandemic. 

He says Leisure Time’s 

agents around the world are 

keen to discuss New Zealand 

offerings because the country 

is considered a bucket list destination 

but also a safe one and 

well respected for the decisive 

action taken in recent weeks. 

“Of course,” he adds, “this 

accounts for nothing until we 

feel it is safe to re-open borders.” 

In the meantime, as domestic 

tourism becomes more 

important, the Lime & Soda 

acquisition will be helpful. 

“We've got products that 

we can sell to New Zealanders 

now and into the future. And 

we're definitely ramping that 

up to be able to offer that to 

the traditional supply chain 

because there will be travel 

agents around New Zealand 

going, what are we going to 

sell?” 

In the absence of overseas 

options, those agents will be 

turning to local offerings and 

that will involve the whole 

industry, he says. 

“We all need each other. 

I can't offer a tour without a 

hotel chain. A hotel chain has 

to be a viable proposition, 

though. And there's a lot of 

infrastructure and a lot of private 

enterprise that have got 

a lot of money tied up in the 

tourism industry; it is in a lot 

of respects very capital intensive.” 

Away from the Air New 

Zealand headlines, he says 

there are plenty of “ma and pa 

operators” with a lot of money 

tied up in tourism operations, 

often with large bank debts. 

“And they were a viable 

business until two weeks ago. 

So it's pretty heartbreaking. 

“No one wants to be in this 

situation but it is what it is.” 

In the case of Leisure Time 

Group, that included making 

tough decisions early on. “We 

went through a first wave of 

redundancies a few weeks ago 

prior to wage subsidies being 

fully announced and available. 

So we did have to make 

an initial cut, which wasn't 

pleasant.” 

He says, however, that 

staff understood it wasn’t 

Mehrtens’ or the company’s 

doing, but the impact of the 

virus. 

“Because we need to know 

that we are going to survive 

this - and we will survive 

this.” 

He expects to see mergers 

and acquisitions over the next 

few months to make businesses 

more viable. Leisure 

Time Group’s growth strategy 

has been around acquisition, 

and he says they are likely to 

be looking for those opportunities 

themselves. 

“We've been around for 33 

years. This is by far the worst 

thing that we've had to deal 

with in terms of contingency 

planning. But we're very optimistic 

that we'll get through to 

the other side of this.” 

- By Richard Walker


FROM THE GROUND UP 

Security solutions for business owners 

You love your home and you’re proud 

of your business. Every security solution 

created by Armstrong Smarter Security is 

developed with these truths in mind. 

It doesn’t matter what sort of 

business, Armstrong design 

and specify security systems 

for offices, shops, malls, 

warehouses, factories, hospitals, 

education institutions, 

apartment buildings and many 

others. 

The security functions 

required can be multi-faceted 

and include after-hour intrusions, 

daytime intrusions, staff 

theft, access control and monitoring, 

panic buttons, master 

key systems, CCTV, safes and 

more. 

Armstrong have 40 years’ 

experience of installing business 

security systems. They say 

today’s technology has a limited 

life as criminals get more 

sophisticated so it pays to have 

an annual service and review. 

And they say the problem is 

getting worse with Hamilton 

city experiencing 7561 “theft 

and related” incidents last year, 

up on 6365 the previous year. 

Armstrong’s ICT systems 

will control a wide range of 

diverse systems in office, factory, 

apartment block, hotel, 

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It will control: 

• Automated access control 

• Multiple user access 

• Integrated intruder detection 

• Scheduled arming 

• IP monitoring 

• Emergency egress 

Armstrong technicians will 

ensure that installation is fit for 

purpose to keep building, contents 

and occupants safe, protecting 

against burglars, petty 

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as helping to meet health and 

safety options. 

After installation Armstrong 

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Armstrong Smarter Security 

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by calling Armstrong 

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Coresteel Waikato win 2019 Franchise 

of the Year Runner Up Award 

Coresteel Buildings Waikato was presented 

with Franchise of the Year Runner Up award 

at the annual Coresteel Buildings National 

Conference, held 9-11 March in Fiji. 

Led by Gary and Trina 

White and John Morrow, 

the Waikato franchise 

pride themselves on 

providing their clients with 

a great building experience 

from design to building completion. 

“The team at Coresteel 

Waikato were pleased to be 

one of the top-performing 

franchisees for 2019. Congratulations 

to the Northland 

team for another great battle 

of the regions,” says Trina 

White, Co-Director of Coresteel 

Waikato. 

“A massive thanks to our 

team and our customers. 

Without you, we would not 

make the regional impact and 

achieve the quality-driven 

service that makes us stand 

out of leaders within the construction 

industry.” 

Since joining the Coresteel 

network in 2008, Coresteel 

Waikato has grown from husband 

and wife duo to a construction 

company with over 

40 staff, ready and able to 

deliver cost-effective design 

and build projects. 

In the past decade, the 

team has built an impressive 

range of buildings for a variety 

of satisfied clients around 

the Waikato region. From 

designer homes to large-scale 

commercial buildings, this 

team can build it all. 

“Gary, Trina and John are 

consistent performers. The 

Waikato business continues to 

go from strength to strength 

under their leadership. Congratulations 

Waikato team,” 

says Simon Archer, Coresteel 

Buildings Commercial Manager. 

Coresteel Buildings specialise 

in the design, manufacture 

and construction of 

large scale steel buildings in 

the commercial and industrial 

market. Coresteel is 100 percent 

New Zealand owned and 

operated, with over 25 locally-owned 

franchises located 

across the country. Unlike 

others, Coresteel isn’t confined 

to set sizing due to two 

unique building systems - the 

patented Bracketless Portal 

System and Tapered Box 

Beam. 


Return to work a great relief 

Thousands of construction 

workers returned to the 

tools on April 28, playing 

their part in cranking up New 

Zealand’s economic wheel. 

Classic Builders director 

Matt Lagerberg – who heads 

one of the country’s largest 

home building companies – 

says being given the green light 

to return to work under New 

Zealand’s Covid-19 Level 3 

structure was a great relief. 

“It has been a tough time for 

everyone in the construction 

industry - and others too - with 

income streams at a stand-still 

and outgoings to service. 

“Our staff are geared up, 

ready, and itching to go. They’re 

keen to get back out there and 

get the wheels turning,” says 

Lagerberg, who has a staff of 

260 covering the Waikato, Bay 

of Plenty, Auckland, Northland, 

Christchurch, Queenstown and 

Wellington. 

The fact the construction 

industry is back at work comes 

with many positive downstream 

effects, says Lagerberg. 

“It’s great for the supply 

chain and breathes life into 

many small and medium-sized 

businesses. Bricklayers, labourers, 

electricians, plumbers, 

roofers, tilers, those involved 

in earthworks and drainage, 

and product suppliers… all 

represent subcontractors and 

suppliers relieved to be back at 

work.” 

He says Classic Builders 

has hundreds of homes underway 

and staff are eager to finish 

these so Kiwis can move into 

their new homes. 

Classic Builders Waikato 

regional manager Paul Caton 

says the branch has clients 

waiting patiently for their new 

homes. 

“Our clients are incredibly 

important to us and being able 

to recommence work on their 

half-built homes will hopefully 

relieve any uncertainty they had 

during the lockdown period. 

It’ll show that we are back on 

the job and will deliver them 

their new home soon. 

“The way we work is going 

to be quite different, but we are 

confident we can get the job 

done safely and deliver quality 

homes. While the majority 

of us will continue to work 

virtually from home hosting 

meetings and client consultations 

via video conferencing, 

our construction managers are 

very keen to head back to sites 

and do what they do best,” he 

said, speaking just before Level 

3 kicked in. 

Classic Builders says it has 

been involved in Government 

discussion around establishing 

the construction industry’s 

Covid-19 on-site protocols and 

Matt Lagerberg says his industry 

is perfectly poised to operate 

under Level 3 restrictions. It 

already has stringent health and 

Matt Lagerberg 

safety rules in play, with relevant 

protocols like signing in 

and out of every site being the 

norm. Setting up sanitisation 

sites and managing the flow of 

subcontractors onto sites is easy 

to achieve with single level 

Paul Caton 

homes, he says. 

Lagerberg says a Covid-19 

vaccine and the re-opening of 

borders will spell great things. 

“We have received world-wide 

attention for our handling of 

Covid-19. There will be immigration 

demand and expats 

wanting to return home. We 

will be seen as a safe haven – 

the Switzerland of the South 

Pacific.” 


Rural Waikato towns poised for 

construction frenzy post-lockdown 

Leading home building 

company Golden Homes 

is expecting a surge of 

interest in small Waikato towns 

as New Zealanders adjust to a 

new way of life post-lockdown. 

Golden Homes Waikato/ 

North Waikato/Taranaki CEO 

Wayne Smallwood says people 

may now shun high density 

housing developments in 

favour of larger residential sites 

with more physical space. 

“Towns like Ngāruawāhia, 

Morrinsville and Matamata 

have become increasingly popular 

in recent years as people 

are priced out of the Hamilton 

and Auckland housing markets. 

But I expect interest in those 

towns to increase even further 

now. 

“What’s become very obvious 

to everyone in the past 

month is that a lot of people 

can work remotely and face-toface 

meetings aren’t a necessity. 

We’ve learned to use video 

conferencing and the idea of 

living in a small rural town, 

where land is much cheaper, 

will grow in appeal.” 

Building new, rather than 

buying an existing dwelling, is 

also a popular choice for first 

home buyers who can use their 

KiwiSaver accounts to access a 

HomeStart grant from the Government. 

Smallwood expects rural 

communities to bounce back 

quicker economically than 

main urban centres as primary 

producers lead the recovery, 

aided by New Zealand’s low 

dollar. 

“Our Taranaki office, for 

example, has been incredibly 

busy with sales enquiries 

throughout lockdown. The 

region has a lot of primary 

producers plus a dairy works, 

freezing works and fertiliser 

works. 

He says Golden Homes 

builds healthy homes to withstand 

New Zealand’s harsh 

conditions. Locally made 

ZOG® Steel Framing System 

is used which does not rot, 

warp or harbour allergens such 

as mould, dust or gases released 

from preservative chemicals. 

A large number of house 

and land packages are either 

available or coming on stream 

shortly throughout the Waikato. 

“Our region is well-placed to 

emerge from this lockdown 

and bounce back relatively 

quickly. Golden Homes is certainly 

looking forward to helping 

provide some much-needed 

economic stimulus in our communities. 

“We’re also proud to 

sponsor a number of sports 

and healthy lifestyle events 

throughout the Waikato including 

the RIDE cycling festival, 

the annual i-Float event in 

Whangamata and Morrinsville’s 

Rugby Sports Club’s 

premier team.” 


cjwbuild.co.nz

9 in 10 

workplace 

decision 

makers read 

print media 

Book your spot in 

our next publication 

info@dpmedia.co.nz 

*Source: Neilsen Australia Consumer and Media View. 

Survey 3 2016 National 12 month. Print readers have read any magazine in the past 

month OR any newspaper in the past 7 days OR any catalogue in the past 7 days 

Publishers of Waikato Business News, 

Waikato AgriBusiness News and Showcase Magazine


IP strategy and portfolio 

management during an economic crisis 

The shock of Covid-19 to the business community has been 

sharp and severe. The lockdown in New Zealand has challenged 

all businesses, and the evolving situation overseas is creating 

additional problems. We’ve seen a surge in clients seeking advice 

on how to manage their intellectual property (IP) portfolio to meet 

these challenges. 

I’ve been working in the IP 

industry long enough to 

remember the economic 

shock during the 2008/2009 

global financial crisis (GFC). It 

created significant pressures for 

established exporters and startups. 

While the Covid-19 situation 

is not the same as the GFC 

there are similarities. 

Many businesses across 

the country are currently 

questioning how they can 

respond to, and manage, the 

challenges that Covid-19 is 

having on our business. 

There is no one-size-fitsall 

plan. Much depends on the 

business and its stage of development. 

Some industries, like 

healthcare, are ramping up while 

others have come to a screaming 

halt. Irrespective of where you 

find yourself, considering the 

following issues when managing 

your IP portfolio will help 

you navigate your way through 

an economic crisis. 

• Cash is king. Having cash 

on hand means you can meet 

your obligations, keep the 

doors open, retain key staff 

and continue to trade. With 

that in mind, businesses may 

be considering whether it is 

sensible to invest in assets, 

such as IP rights, or whether 

to delay this. For some, 

choosing not to invest will 

be the best option, however 

this depends on the circumstances 

and a variety of 

complex factors. 

• Assess how existing IP 

rights relate to your business 

and if they are essential. 

This can highlight if 

an IP right is superfluous 

and does not require further 

investment. If a right 

captures your business’ 

competitive advantage, is it 

really worth letting it lapse 

to reduce short term spending? 

You should balance this 

question carefully. 

• Have a contingency fund 

wherever possible. Being 

able to accommodate 

unplanned costs or variations 

will reduce stress 

and improve your chances 

of coming through this 

unscathed. 

• Ensure you have good 

systems and communicate 

with your team. This 

includes thorough budgets, 

clear instructions on what 

costs can be incurred, and 

decision-making criteria for 

potential investment in IP 

rights. Know when the next 

actions for the rights in your 

portfolio are likely to be due 

and plan accordingly. 

• Determine whether immediate 

action is necessary or 

if it can it wait. Your best 

option may be to delay filing 

an application or product 

launch. Failure to meet certain 

IP deadlines can result 

in the right lapsing. But 

deadlines can be extended in 

many circumstances, so use 

extensions of time to delay 

costs or decisions. 

• Pivot or partner. We’ve 

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ISSUES 

> DAVID MACASKILL 

Senior Associate at James & Wells with expertise in all areas 

of intellectual property and a particular focus on Intellectual 

Property Strategy. Contact: 07 957 5660 (Hamilton) or 07 928 

4470 (Tauranga), and davidmacaskill@jamesandwells.com. 

seen in the US that Ford has 

started producing respirators 

to meet local demand. Australian 

company Medtronic 

has openly shared the IP 

rights to its portable ventilator 

and is rumoured to be 

partnering with Tesla. Closer 

to home, there are the distilleries 

who are changing 

from gin and whisky to hand 

sanitiser. Think outside of 

the box and adapt. Look for 

new partnerships where you 

can provide value to another 

company, who in return will 

help you. Or, change your 

focus to a different product 

or service. 

• Revisit your IP strategy. 

If your business strategy 

changes then so too must 

your IP strategy. Don’t be 

afraid to make hard decisions 

on investment in IP rights, 

but also be prepared to commit 

to continuing your existing 

plan or investing in a new 

one. Understand how Covid- 

19 will affect all the markets 

you operate in - don’t assume 

that what applies for New 

Zealand customers will also 

apply in other markets. 

• Look after your team. The 

significance of people to a 

business is frequently talked 

about, however they are 

often overlooked as a form 

of competitive advantage. 

Communicate what is happening 

with the business, 

engage them on problem 

solving, and help with their 

personal challenges. You 

will need your team members 

to help the business survive 

during the crisis and to 

recover during the eventual 

market rebound. 

Good businesses will survive 

and may even thrive during the 

Covid-19 pandemic. How you 

respond will determine whether 

you succeed or are left by the 

wayside. Getting input from a 

range of experienced sources 

will improve your decision 

making and outcomes. 

Stand up New 

Zealand, you 

deserve a 

huge round of 

applause 

Covid-19 has certainly 

caused a massive 

change in our worlds 

this last month or so, hasn’t 

it? Who would have thought 

heading into 2020 we would 

experience such a shift in how 

we run our businesses, how we 

work, and how we keep afloat 

during a crisis? Many of us had 

to make changes that we never 

planned to make – from closing 

long-established businesses, 

letting staff go who over time 

have become like family and 

halting all previous trading 

patterns. Aside from the global 

financial crisis in 2009, I have 

never experienced anything 

like this in my 50 plus years on 

Earth. 

As I write this column, 

New Zealand has just moved 

to Level 3 in the pandemic. 

Many employees and employers 

are tenuously starting back 

on the journey of working for 

the first time in four weeks. 

Other essential workers and 

businesses having been slogging 

it out and keeping us fed 

and healthy during this time. 

The hysteria of the first week 

seems to have calmed down 

and we have created new 

patterns and behaviours that 

ideally will serve us well as 

we move forward. Yes, we 

are still in the early stages of 

Covid-19 response in New 

Zealand but right now – we all 

deserve a huge pat on the back 

and acknowledgement of the 

exceptionally hard work everyone 

in the country has contributed. 

Nice work Kiwis! 

But as I reflect on the past 

month, I am also saddened by 

some of the deep pain I have 

seen employees and employers 

experience. Mums and dads 

both losing their incomes, kids 

and teens losing their social 

connections and essential 

workers put under immense 

pressure by the selfish actions 

of some idiots. Large tourism 

and hospitality businesses folding 

and small business owners 

taking on night work to keep 

their staff employed. The grief 

we have all experienced is palpable. 

As business owners that 

have been through such massive 

change in a short period 

of time, how do we take on 

board those experiences and 

move on? How do I lead from 

the front and ensure my team 

are engaged and understand 

what we are trying to achieve? 

How do I remain positive and 

optimistic when I may not be 

feeling positive and optimistic? 

So, here are some tips from my 

period of reflection as a leader, 

business owners, chair of the 

Waikato Chamber and trustee 

in a not-for-profit. Firstly – 

every single person in New 

Zealand has been impacted one 

way or another by this virus. 

No matter how low or despondent 

you are feeling right now, 

chances are someone in your 

team will have felt the same in 

the last month. It is OK to show 

vulnerability and it is normal 

to have bad days. Secondly, 

communicate, communicate 

and communicate. Talk to your 

team, talk to other leaders, talk 

to your advisers and get help 

if you need it. If you have not 

done it already, make a plan. 

Then show your team that you 

have a plan. Take time out 

for yourself and give yourself 

some thinking space. Acknowledge 

the days and things that 

PEOPLE AND CULTURE 

> BY SENGA ALLEN 

Managing Director, Everest – All about people TM 

www.everestpeople.co.nz 

have gone well for you and 

your team – celebrating those 

small wins is even more right 

now! Be humble and be kind. 

I think we have all learned that 

from our Prime Minister, right? 

Lastly, we are all in this 

together – we will get through 

this and while you might experience 

more bad days than 

good, that soon will change. 

Reach out to others who are 

running small businesses to 

see if you can support them in 

any way too – buy local, support 

local and think about what 

you really want to do differently 

in your business and at 

home. Now is the perfect time 

for a sea-change that none of 

us really planned for or even 

expected – perhaps that is a 

sign we just cannot ignore? Kia 

Kaha New Zealand.


23 

ACCOMMODATION TAUPO 

PUMICE 

Rated EXCEPTIONAL 9.9/10 

(highest rating in Taupo) by Booking.com 

Situated within 26 km of Orakei Korako – 

The Hidden Valley in Taupo, Pumice offers 

free bikes and a terrace. Located around 

2.7 km from Lake Taupo Hole in One 

Challenge, the bed and breakfast is 

also 3.2 km away from Wairakei Natural 

Thermal Valley. 

There are two large bedrooms that have 

private access both with en-suites, decks 

and lake views. 

Rooms include fridge, tea and Nespresso 

coffee making facilities, toaster, complimentary 

wine and beer on check in, together 

with seating areas both inside and 

outside. 

Electric fires and underfloor heating 

together with satellite TV channels are 

provided. The rooms look across the lake 

towards Acacia Bay in the west providing 

spectacular views and sunsets. 

Continental breakfast is available in the 

rooms for an additional charge. Taupo 

Events Centre is 3.5 km from the bed and 

breakfast, while Volcanic Activity Centre is 

6 km from the property. Taupo Airport is 

three km away. 

2/15 Boundary Road, 

Waipahihi, 

Taupo 3330 

021 931 253 

booking.com 

Commercial Property 

Management & Valuation 

At Bayleys, we believe relationships are what businesses are built on and how they succeed. 

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

Professional property management 

Expert valuation advice 

A business partner that understands your views and goals 

James Harvey 

Commercial Facilities Manager 

P 07 839 0700 M 027 425 4231 

james.harvey@bayleys.co.nz 

Mike Gascoigne 

Branch Manager 

P 07 834 6690 M 027 430 8311 

mike.gascoigne@bayleys.co.nz 

Curtis Bones 

Senior Commercial Property Manager 

P 07 834 3826 M 027 231 3401 

curtis.bones@bayleys.co.nz 

Matt Straka 

Registered Valuer 

P 07 834 3232 M 021 112 4778 

matt.straka@bayleys.co.nz 

Joe Healy 

Valuer 

P 07 834 3232 M 027 

223 8069 

joe.healy@bayleys.co.nz 

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

A LT O G ETHER B E TTER 

Residential / Commercial / Rural / Property Services

Property Developer, David Chafer 

Foster Construction recently completed Stage 

2 at Te Rapa Gateway – adding another six 

industrial trade units to Hamilton’s prime 

industrial park. Developer David Chafer is 

well pleased with the quality of the finished 

buildings, noting the build process was 

exceptionally smooth. 

“We chose to work with Fosters because they 

are local and well established with a strong 

reputation,” says David. “Plus, the build price 

aligned with our budget.” 

The new Te Rapa Gateway industrial park is 

a subsidiary of Chalmers Properties. Located 

on either side of Arthur Porter Drive and Clem 

Newby Road, it is well situated for business. 

Each unit consists of clear span warehousing 

and well-presented glass-fronted offices over 

two levels, plus allocated car parks. 

Stage 1 (which included the first six units) 

was built by Fosters in 2017. Stage 2 

was completed over 9 months, ready for 

occupation in March 2020. 

“Fosters were involved with the project 

from the beginning” continues David. “They 

bought good knowledge to the table around 

buildability and cost-effective materials, 

effectively making the job more affordable. 

They also oversaw the building consent 

process. 

“In terms of the actual build, we gave them 

free licence to get the job done. We know 

industrial builds are Fosters speciality. They 

have the internal resource, experience and 

contacts to see this sort of detail through, 

meaning there was little need for us to get 

too involved.” 

Would he build with Fosters again? 

“Absolutely” David confirms. “As an investor, 

you want a smart design and you want it 

built well. Fosters delivered on both value and 

quality.” 

FOSTERS.CO.NZ . 07 849 3849

Waikato Business News April/May 2020

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