Waikato Business News August/September 2020

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER VOLUME 28: ISSUE 8 2020 WWW.WBN.CO.NZ FACEBOOK.COM/WAIKATOBUSINESSNEWS 

CAMBRIDGE 

CALLING 

We spend time in the town of trees, 

and find small business operators going 

full steam ahead, while the bigger picture 

is also promising. Page 17 

Pictured: Ag Drive’s Vinette Wilken and Gareth Wild.

2 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS August/September 2020 

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From the editor 

I 

am delighted this month 

to have Wintec journalism 

students assisting 

our Cambridge coverage. I 

taught journalism at Wintec 

for some years, and enjoyed 

a recent return to talk to this 

year’s intake. It was good 

to be able to follow that up 

with an invitation to contribute 

to Waikato Busines 

News - and even better that 

they delivered. 

Intake numbers are - understandably, 

given the winds of 

change that have been blowing 

- down on a few years 

ago, but those who are keen 

typically still find their way 

into a job. The students, when 

I talked to them, seemed up 

for it, under the expert guidance 

of tutor Charles Riddle, 

who has helped many over 

the years into the first step 

of their journalism career. 

Newsrooms around New 

Zealand are the better 

for it - the strongly practical, 

no airs and graces 

approach of polytechnics has 

produced some of our finest. 

I hope you enjoy the stories 

from this year’s crop, 

who were given a simple 

brief, but a challenging one 

for young people little more 

than halfway through their 

year - to break the ice with 

small business owners, ask 

them relevant questions and 

write up a story. Welcome to 

Valu, Paora and the two Danielles. 

You can read their stories 

on pages 21 to 23. 

Also in this issue, Gigi 

Crawford and her Zealong 

team continue to make waves, 

this time with a breakthrough 

I strongly believe that we can 

create something truly special. 

It will represent the best of 

Japan together with the best 

of New Zealand.” 

Zealong chief executive Gigi Crawford at the signing of 

an agreement that will establish the company in Japan 

See story, page 4 

agreement that will see them 

selling their tea in one of 

Japan’s busiest train stations. 

It is yet another result of 

their long-term planning, 

attention to relationship 

building and focus on quality 

as they target the premium 

end of the market. 

I also spoke this month to 

some frustrated Cambridge 

business owners sick and tired 

of their dealings with Immigration 

NZ. 

And I interviewed the 

newly appointed chief executive 

of the NZ Institute of 

Skills and Technology. 

Stephen Town and his 

executive team have a large 

piece of work ahead. In my 

opinion, as someone who 

worked in the sector, the 

changed regime has the potential 

to make a huge and positive 

difference to our skilled 

workforce, and therefore to 

our economy generally. A bit 

of pressure, then. 

Ngā mihi nui 

Richard Walker 

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS August/September 2020 

I think throughout 

all of this, what we 

would love to see 

is a little bit more 

guidance, a little bit 

more signposting as to 

exactly what is or is not likely to 

happen. And if that means giving 

people bad news, so be it, but 

at least let people know where 

they stand.” 

Immigration adviser Matthew Gibbons See story, page 6 

Welcome to Valu 

and Danielle, Wintec 

students and guest 

writers in this issue of 

Waikato Business News. 

Read their stories, pages 21-23 

PUBLISHER 

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25 Ward Street, Hamilton 

PO Box 1425, Hamilton, 3240. 

Ph: (07) 838 1333 | Fax: (07) 838 2807 

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Hill Labs acquires 

monitoring software 

Jane Sherrard 

Hill Laboratories has acquired 

New Zealand-based 

environmental management 

software Hilltop, used around 

the country as a water quality 

monitoring tool. Hilltop is used 

by most regional councils 

around New Zealand, as well 

as electricity generators. Hill 

Laboratories’ market sector 

manager environmental Dr Jane 

Sherrard says organisations 

undertaking monitoring 

and management of water 

throughout New Zealand 

need a reliable, easy-to-use 

resource to track water quantity 

and quality. “As an integral 

part of environmental data 

management systems, 

Hilltop can manage data, 

compute statistics and present 

the results.” 

Cycleway set for 

completion 

Completion of the Hamilton 

to Cambridge cycleway has 

been given the green light, 

with funding for Te Awa 

River Ride announced in 

August. The announcement 

by Associate Minister of 

Transport Julie Anne Genter 

was part of a $220 million 

cycleway package included 

in Government’s $3 billion 

‘shovel-ready’ infrastructure 

projects. The Hamilton to 

Cambridge section of the Te 

Awa River Ride is a 20km 

shared path. It will complete the 

full Te Awa River Ride – a 70km 

path that follows the Waikato 

River from Ngā ruawā hia to 

Horahora. The exact amount 

of central government funding 

allocation for Te Awa is still to be 

determined. 

Te Waka CE 

ending tenure 

Te Waka chief executive Michael 

Bassett-Foss has signalled that 

he does not intend to renew his 

contract at the organisation’s 

two-year anniversary in 

September, says chair Hamish 

Bell. Bassett-Foss has sat on 

several boards during his time 

at Te Waka, including the Water 

Safety NZ board and the NZ 

Search & Rescue Council, and 

is seeking to build on a more 

blended approach to his work, 

with opportunities emerging 

for expanded contracting and 

portfolio of board positions, 

Bell said. He said Bassett-Foss 

would continue to contract 

to Te Waka to support the 

organisation in specific areas 

within its new plan. 

LIC wins 

employer award 

Agri-tech and herd 

improvement cooperative LIC 

has been named as a 2020 

Employer of Choice through 

a survey conducted by HRD 

(Human Resources Director) 

New Zealand. The cooperative 

has become the only agriculture 

entity to win an Employer of 

Choice Award from HRD which 

focuses on analysis of the HR 

profession across New Zealand, 

Australia, Canada, America 

and Asia. 

Chief executive Gigi Crawford and general manager Sen Kong link from Zealong Tea Estate via video with their Japanese partners. 

Japanese market next 

step for Zealong 

Zealong Tea has a foothold in a lucrative new market after 

signing an agreement with a major Japanese partner. 

At a ceremony conducted 

via video-link, 

Zealong signed with 

JR West Food Service Net to 

open a store in Osaka, allowing 

it to tap into a huge commuter 

market. 

All smiles post-signing. 

Artist’s impression of the new tea store. 

The deal will see Zealong 

combine with Japanese cheesecake 

shop operator Delicius to 

operate a tea and cake concept 

store in Osaka city rail station, 

one of the world’s busiest. 

Food Service Net (FSN) is 

a subsidiary of major rail operator 

JR West, and was established 

20 years ago to operate 

cafes and restaurants for the 

travelling public. Three years 

ago, Delicious became a member 

of JR West group. 

At the signing ceremony, 

Zealong chief executive Gigi 

Crawford said taking their tea 

to Japan, which is New Zealand’s 

fourth-largest trading 

partner, had been a long-term 

dream. 

She described meeting 

Delicius founder Sueharu 

Nagaoka two years ago during 

a family trip to Japan as a 

“eureka” moment. 

“I always remember that 

moment when he first tried our 

tea, and we just clicked,” she 

said. “Everything about him is 

genuine and you can really feel 

his passion whatever he does.” 

Speaking via videolink 

from Japan, Nagaoka said 

in translated words that he 

remembered the impressive 

moment of tasting “pure” 

Zealong tea for the first time, at 

that meeting in one of his four 

Osaka stores. 

He later visited Zealong Tea 

Estate with FSN executives, 

with Zealong following up 

with a site visit in Osaka. “The 

station is impressive and huge 

- and we actually got lost a few 

times,” Crawford said. 

I always remember 

that moment when 

he first tried our 

tea, and we just 

clicked,” she said. 

“Everything about 

him is genuine 

and you can really 

feel his passion 

whatever he does. 

“We knew that this would 

be a great opportunity. But 

when you are there physically, 

you really feel that - how 

bright and how potential this 

future could be together.” 

JR West Food Service Net 

chief executive Takeshi Kitani, 

joining the agreement signing 

ceremony in Japan, said via 

videolink, also with a translation 

provided, that last year 

they started looking into a new 

concept for a Delicius cafe, 

and met with Zealong. 

“Zealong is a perfect match 

for Delicius as they are both 

committed to producing products 

with ‘real taste’ by using 

real and pure ingredients,” he 

said. “I strongly believe that 

we can create a wonderful cafe 

by harmonising the strengths 

of Zealong, Delicious and 

FSN.” 

Describing the signing as a 

first step, he said they hoped to 

see the store opened within two 

years. 

Crawford thanked FSN for 

their trust in carrying on with 

the project during the Covid- 

19 pandemic. 

”Today is an amazing day 

for us and for New Zealand,” 

she said. “With the support of 

JR West FSN, the collaboration 

of Delicius and Zealong, 

I strongly believe that we can 

create something truly special. 

“It will represent the best 

of Japan together with the best 

of New Zealand. It’s what we 

hope will be the first of many 

projects.” 

- By Richard Walker


New Zealand’s border 

is currently closed 

- well not exactly! 

5 

Stephen Town at the powhiri for his new role 

Institute chief to 

drive change in 

vocational training 

The man charged with leading an ambitious amalgamation of the 

vocational training sector takes up the role at a challenging time 

with a student influx likely as Covid-19 bites. 

Chief executive Stephen 

Town will join a small 

team at Wintec House, 

as the newly formed NZ Institute 

of Skills and Technology 

sets out on a path of bringing 

the country’s polytechnics into 

one organisation while also 

folding in the industry training 

organisations. 

It represents a radical 

shift from a competitive to 

a collaborative model, and 

Town says it will also create 

one of the larger tertiary 

entities in the world. 

The choice of Hamilton for 

NZIST’s head office marks 

a symbolic victory for the 

region, and a sign of the city’s 

growing appeal, rather than a 

major economic boost, as the 

office at Wintec House will 

have small numbers. 

“The aim is that our head 

office is very slim and doesn’t 

have a lot of people in it 

because what we’ve got to 

try and do is make use of the 

resources that are throughout 

the country, right through 

our network of polytechs and 

institutes of technology,” 

Town says. 

The executive team has 

a formidable job ahead of it 

reforming the vocational education 

system. “That’s something 

that is very relevant 

in New Zealand right now - 

Covid has made that even more 

so, because the prediction is 

there will be a big increase 

in demand for retraining and 

short courses and people looking 

at maybe switching careers 

over the next year or so,” 

Town says. 

“So that means we’re going 

to be busier, and we’ve got to 

be ready to meet those needs.” 

A letter of expectation 

from the Minister of 

Education outlines short-term 

priorities, including working 

up an implementation plan for 

learners to come across into 

NZIST from the industry training 

organisations (ITOs). 

The institute will also be 

contributing to the design of 

a unified funding system for 

tertiary education in the vocational 

education and industry 

training space, and it must 

co-design an operating model 

for the new entity to be implemented 

by the end of 2022. 

“And we have to get the 

network ready to continue with 

work-based learning, online 

learning, face to face learning 

and a blend of those things,” 

Town says. “Again, Covid 

has given us a big kickstart 

to changing the way learning 

takes place, when you’re in 

lockdown, and you’ve got to 

move to an online environment. 

And all of the polytechnics 

will be engaging in that 

over the next couple of years.” 

The new operating model 

will see polytechs and institutes 

of technology, currently 

limited liability subsidiaries 

of NZIST, cease to exist by 

the end of 2022, at which time 

they will be replaced by a single 

network of integrated provision 

across New Zealand. 

The new entity in 2023 

will, by one estimate Town 

has heard, become the world’s 

36th largest tertiary institution. 

“And we go from there,” 

he says. “The whole idea is to 

make our system more learner 

centered. Rather than convenient 

for the institution, make 

it more convenient for learners, 

with a bigger variety of 

delivery methods.” 

Town is well placed to 

manage the change, as a 

former chief executive of 

Wanganui Polytechnic and, 

most recently, a six and 

a half year stint as chief 

executive of Auckland City. 

His polytechnic stint coincided 

with the sector’s last 

major upheaval. He saw the 

transformation from community 

colleges to polytechnics, 

the introduction of bulk 

funding around 1990 and 

the introduction of the student-based 

funding system in 

the early 90s. “So competition 

was introduced when I was in 

the sector. That competition 

has largely continued for 25 

years.” 

While that stint gave him 

familiarity with the vocational 

training sector, his most recent 

Auckland position is arguably 

more important. 

“I think one of the reasons 

I was chosen for the role is 

my experience in bringing the 

Auckland supercity together,” 

he says. “That is bringing different 

entities together into an 

integrated single organization. 

The CCOs in Auckland are not 

dissimilar to the subsidiary 

polytechs that we’ve got now 

in the IST entity.” 

Five of seven members of 

the executive team will live 

in Hamilton, and that includes 

Town who will shift from 

Auckland after Christmas. 

Top executives have 

been recruited over the past 

weeks, and will begin arriving 

over the next month or 

two as they finish in their former 

roles. At least two have 

strong Waikato connections: 

Merran Davis was formerly 

dean at Wintec and is currently 

interim chief executive 

at Unitec, and Vaughan 

Payne arrives from a position 

as chief executive at 

Waikato Regional Council. 

Level 2 

586 Victoria Street 

Hamilton 3204 

In New Zealand, there isn't a 

day that goes by without us 

thinking about our ability to 

move around our city, region, 

and the country. Dreams of 

international travel for a holiday 

or to see clients and suppliers 

are just that, dreams 

because for the time being the 

New Zealand border is effectively 

closed. 

So, at a time like this, why is 

our company Pathways to New 

Zealand, an immigration advisory 

firm, so busy? One of the 

reasons is because we are flat 

out getting people across the 

border and into New Zealand. 

Now, before that last statement 

raises the eyebrows too 

much, it is vital to make the 

point that the people we are 

helping across the border are 

those with particular family 

circumstances and those with 

very specialist technical skills 

or experience. 

Pathways has expertise 

and experience in assisting 

with the visa requirements of 

overseas doctors and medical 

specialists. While there have 

been additional challenges in 

getting such medical expertise 

through the border, the shortage 

of such knowledge, and the 

demands arising from COVID- 

19 throughout New Zealand, 

have seen the demand for visas 

and border entry for medical 

staff remain strong. 

The border closure also 

caught many people by surprise, 

couples, and families, 

who normally would be living 

together in New Zealand, have 

become separated and have 

been unable to be reunited. 

Then in June, the Government 

introduced clear criteria 

defining “other critical workers”, 

as 'high-value workers on 

projects of national or regional 

significance’. To date, about 

30 percent of critical worker 

requests are being approved, 

the leading industry sectors 

represented in these approvals 

are construction, manufacturing, 

film/TV, and sport. 

Cast your mind back to the 

start of the year, unemployment 

is at 4 percent, and business 

was looking to skilled migrants 

supplementing their existing 

workforce to deliver business 

growth and upcoming planned 

projects. 

Six months later things have 

changed. Those in tourism and 

hospitality are doing it hard, 

and sectors like education are 

pivoting to meet the demands 

of domestic rather than international 

students. But those 

skilled workers we wanted in 

January are still be needed. We 

have significant national infrastructure 

projects requiring 

attention, aged care, health sector 

reform, agribusiness, housing 

and construction, manufacturing, 

and the tech sector to 

name but a few. All these projects 

and industries need skilled 

workers. The question remains, 

Level 3 

50 Manners Street 

Wellington 6011 

who is going to do the work? 

The threshold is understandably 

high to bring critical 

workers across the border. 

However, if you have significant 

and time-critical business 

plans that are being frustratingly 

thwarted by a lack of 

skills and technical expertise, 

then you may still be able to 

get these skills across the border. 

More than ever, your businesses 

and New Zealand needs 

these people here working for 

our benefit, and it is our job 

here at Pathways to work with 

the business community to 

help that happen. 

One last point that's worth 

considering we are also busy 

servicing unprecedented levels 

of enquiry for investor immigration 

requiring an investment 

of either $10 million or $3 million… 

but that is another story! 

07 834 9222 

enquiries@pathwaysnz.com 

NZIST will be based at Wintec House 

pathwaysnz.com


Firms frustrated as migrant workers 

stuck in limbo 

By RICHARD WALKER 

Frustrated Waikato business owners say 

opportunities are slipping away and staff 

are under huge emotional strain because 

of Immigration New Zealand’s opaque 

communication and slow response to 

applications. 

They say rules keep 

changing and appear 

unfriendly to small 

businesses, which face a compliance 

burden every time they 

support a worker for a visa or 

residence application. 

Rocketspark co-founder 

Jeremy Johnson complained 

to Immigration NZ after a 

key staffer had her application 

for residency stalled in the 

bureaucracy for 17 months - 

after which time she is yet to 

be assigned a case manager. 

Meanwhile, Automatic 

Door Services director Andy 

Marsden has gone around 

the agencies in a desperate 

attempt to get an exemption 

for a skilled staff member 

stuck in India during Covid-19 

restrictions. 

Cambridge-based immigration 

adviser Matthew Gibbons 

says residence applications, 

apart from a very small category 

of people, are taking about 

18 months or more to get a case 

officer allocated. 

“That is a significant 

increase from what we were 

seeing a couple of years ago. 

So it is causing a lot of distress 

for people.” 

Gibbons is on an industry 

steering group formed during 

Covid-19 by key players in 

the area - the Auckland District 

and New Zealand law 

societies, the NZ Association 

for Migration and Investment, 

and the NZ Association for 

Immigration Professionals. 

The group is pushing 

on several fronts, including 

Andy Marsden 

seeking greater clarity around 

the exception pathway and 

lobbying to see processing 

times come down. 

They have also met with 

new Immigration Minister 

Kris Faafoi about the stress, 

anxiety and depression faced 

by some migrants. “We want 

to try and get some communications 

from Government 

and from Immigration New 

Zealand to migrants to at least 

give them some signposting, 

some clarity as to what is or is 

not going to be happening any 

time soon.” 

Faafoi appeared receptive, 

Gibbons says. 

Covid-19 is making the situation 

worse, but Rocketspark 

director Grant Johnson points 

out customer marketing manager 

Fei Guo’s problems began 

well before the pandemic. 

Jeremy Johnson and Fei Guo 

The Cambridge-based 

software firm was confident 

she cleared the threshold to 

be given residency when they 

started the process two years 

ago, with the expectation of 

a decision within six months, 

based on information on Immigration 

NZ’s website. She had 

flourished at the web-building 

firm, after joining three years 

ago, and had been promoted to 

her current position managing 

a team of five. 

The founders say people 

with her skill set are difficult 

to attract to Cambridge, and 

point out her performance in 

the role has enabled the hiring 

of further New Zealand 

residents. She has made Cambridge 

home, following a short 

stint in Auckland after she 

gained a Masters in Management 

Studies majoring in marketing 

at Waikato University. 

She is, Grant Johnson says, 

“a good citizen and a good 

team member”. However, 

with no certainty, she faces 

the possibility of returning to 

China. One small win after the 

firm pushed her case was the 

recent extension of her visa 

from January to April, in line 

with a general extension made 

by the government. 

Fei says the rules have 

changed while she has been 

waiting, with the introduction 

of a two-tier system that gives 

weight to high income earners. 

“They’ve got a non-priority 

queue and a priority queue 

now. As I understand it, they 

are processing the priority 

queue, and put the non-priority 

queue on hold,” Fei says. 

Gibbons backs her view. 

The only categories being processed 

more quickly are high 

income earners with salaries 

of $106,000 or more annually 

or occupations requiring occupational 

registration, he says. 

“Everything else is sitting in 

the queue.” 

Jeremy Johnson says the 

salaries being given preference 

are outside the reach of 

most small firms. 

“We’re a small business, 

helping small businesses and 

this is a major handbrake for 

us,” he says. “It doesn’t feel 

like a small-business friendly 

approach.” 

Gibbons frequently deals 

with people in Fei’s situation, 

and says they are usually 

successful in gaining 

a further temporary visa 

because, by definition, they are 

skilled migrants. 

“But it’s far from certain, 

and it’s causing a lot of anxiety 

and distress to people 

who have made plans for 

their long term future and find 

themselves in a very uncertain 

world whilst their residence 

[application] is just sitting in 

a queue.” 

And while the minister 

recently exercised new powers 

to issue a six-month extension 

for work visa holders, it did 

not apply to their family members, 

which Gibbons thinks 

was a mistake that will create 

more work for Immigration 

NZ as spouses and children 

apply for an extension. 

Marsden was able to 

renew one Automatic Door 

Services (ADS) staff member’s 

skilled migrant worker 

visa just before Covid-19 

hit, but says the administrative 

load is daunting, time 

consuming and costly. 

Even worse for Marsden, 

another key worker, Harwinder 

Singh, is stranded in 

India, where he had returned 

home for a visit, with no 

indication of when he might 

be able to return. 

Marsden says local MP 

Louise Upston has given 

“fantastic” support, but he is 

unimpressed with the government 

agencies he has dealt 

with, which include Foreign 

Affairs and MBIE as well as 

Immigration NZ. 

“It all comes down regularly 

to lack of communication,” 

he says “Unless you 

are really fortunate and have 

the right people on your side 

there is no straight line of 

communication with anybody 

at Immigration NZ - 

there is a blank wall.” 

ADS won recognition from 

MBIE that part of its business 

was essential during Covid-19 

level four lockdown, in recognition 

of its role making essential 

premises secure. 

“At this point I thought, 

home free, we’ve got it.” 

But he says when he forwarded 

the email to Immigration 

NZ in expectation 

of getting Singh back into 

New Zealand, he discovered 

MBIE’s acceptance 

made no difference. 

It all comes down 

regularly to lack 

of communication, 

unless you are really 

fortunate and have 

the right people 

on your side there 

is no straight line 

of communication 

with anybody at 

Immigration NZ - 

there is a blank wall. 

Marsden says Singh, who 

he describes as his “righthand 

man”, was expecting 

to submit his application 

for residency in September, 

and his skilled migrant work 

visa comes up for renewal in 

January. “So we’re in a bit 

of a worried position now, 

given the timeframes that 

we’re seeing.” 

Marsden says when Singh 

phoned Immigration NZ, he 

was told they could find nothing 

in relation to his exemption 

application. Marsden has 

even offered to pay for quarantine. 

“Imagine how isolating 

it is overseas. Everything 

you have has been moved to 

New Zealand, it’s in a house in 

New Zealand, you don’t even 

know when you can go back 

to that country to go and get 

it, let alone go back and start 

your life again.” 

Gibbons says in his experience 

the problem is lack of 

action, rather than a failure of 

communication. “Generally 

speaking if I contact Immigration 

New Zealand, I get a 

response from them but not 

necessarily the response I 

want. If I make a request for a 

case to be escalated so it gets 

processed I nearly always get 

a decline. Immigration introduced 

a system to escalate 

cases and it is granted only 

in very rare circumstances 

in my experience.” 

As for the delays, he thinks 

both rising demand and an 

Immigration NZ decision to 

close offshore branches are 

contributing factors but not 

the whole reason. 

Cambridge Chamber of 

Commerce chief executive 

Kelly Bouzaid describes the 

situation as a “mess”. She 

asks why some get approved 

while others don’t, after writing 

successfully in support of 

a local chef whose visa had 

expired. She says the first two 

approaches, before he was 

approved, involved the restaurant 

being told they could 

hire a Kiwi. “Actually here 

and now that’s not really the 

answer for business continuity 

in amongst a pandemic.” 

The toll on small firms 

such as ADS and Rocketspark, 

lacking the resources of large 

firms, is challenging, and 

is potentially holding back 

growth of jobs for New Zealanders 

as well as migrants. 

“When you believe you’re 

operating with complete integrity, 

and it’s the right person 

for the job and you’re growing 

the New Zealand economy, 

that’s when you start to 

get a bit testy,” Grant Johnson 

says. “We are pretty placid but 

we’re getting ticked off. 

“We’re pretty realistic in 

terms of it [Covid-19] is a 

one in 100 year event. But it 

wouldn’t be that hard to provide 

some clear guidance.” 

Gibbons: “I think throughout 

all of this, what we would 

love to see is a little bit more 

guidance, a little bit more 

signposting as to exactly what 

is or is not likely to happen. 

I do understand that these 

are extremely unusual times. 

But I do think there’s been 

quite a lot of time to try and 

work through these issues to 

get more policy, more planning 

as we move forward. 

And if that means giving 

people bad news, so be it, 

but at least let people know 

where they stand.”


7 

Just do it. Or not? 

Every branding project is fraught with the eternal dilemma of 

whether or not to include a tagline. Is it necessary? Does it add 

value? Does it reflect who we are? 

TELLING YOUR STORY 

> BY VICKI JONES 

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

management consultancy. Email vicki@dugmorejones.co.nz 

My view has long 

been that a tagline 

is only necessary if 

it is memorable for the right 

reasons, if it makes your customers 

feel good about your 

brand. 

And I’m not talking about 

advertising slogans here, 

which may be integral to a 

brand for a long period but 

are campaign related and can 

evolve over time. I’m meaning 

the line that sits with your 

logo for a considerable time, 

or even forever. 

Sometimes a tagline may 

be needed to help explain 

or reinforce something you 

really want people to understand. 

After all, the words 

and logo of your branding 

can only do so much – and 

we shouldn’t have monumental 

expectations of what can 

be articulated in that small 

space, even if you include a 

visual element that helps tell 

the story. My feeling is that 

the best taglines are those that 

give you a sense of the brand’s 

character, or that show that it 

understands what I need from 

my relationship with them. 

Sitting at the lights at the 

junction of Mill and Victoria 

Streets, I’ve admired the signage 

for Safewise for years. It 

bears the tagline ‘where safety 

is no accident’. I’m afraid I 

know little about Safewise but 

it tells me enough to assume 

they do something about 

workplace safety, and the tagline 

assures me that they are 

thorough and to be trusted. 

Even if you don’t know 

what it means in English, 

you probably know who 

‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ 

belongs to. Even if you don’t 

love it, you’re undoubtedly 

familiar with ‘I’m lovin’ it’. 

And ‘Just do it’ has become so 

recognisable that they don’t 

even use the brand name a lot 

of the time. But those brands 

now have the advantage of 

visibility and scale that deep 

marketing pockets bring. 

Those of us with more modest 

budgets have to work smarter. 

There are a few tricks and 

tips that you can consider. 

Alliteration is often effective, 

as the sounds help make it 

memorable. Keeping it short 

is key – the three word rule 

often wins here. 

Leveraging a sentiment that 

you know is important to your 

audience is another approach. 

Speights beer championed 

‘Pride of the South’, appealing 

to regional allegiance that, 

even if we weren’t from down 

south, we could relate to it 

from anywhere in New Zealand. 

L&P’s ‘World famous 

in New Zealand’ takes a 

similar approach. 

If your brand name is 

self-explanatory – something 

like a fictional Hillcrest Landscape 

Supplies – a tagline isn’t 

necessary to clarify what the 

business does. But if that business 

wants to express a particular 

focus or ethos, a tagline 

would help do that. For example, 

a tagline might be able to 

reinforce their commitment to 

sustainable products, or highlight 

personal service or client 

relationships. 

Pak n Save promises ‘New 

Zealand’s lowest food prices’, 

offering a reassurance of value 

and leaving little doubt about 

where they position themselves 

in the marketplace. 

Equally, brands can use their 

tagline to subtly reinforce a 

premium price position. 

There are also practical 

and visual factors to consider 

when developing a tagline. 

How does it look alongside 

your logo? A short logo and a 

long tagline – or vice versa – 

can be hard to work with. Your 

designer will need to consider 

how they work together across 

a range of applications – your 

vehicles, website, in small 

spaces, and more. Similarly, 

some words might seem right 

in terms of meaning but sound 

wrong when said out loud. If 

it’s all too hard, you’ll need to 

question if it’s worth it. 

Call me cynical but I struggle 

with claims of ‘best’ in a 

tagline, or words like ‘favourite’. 

Are you? Are you, really? 

Apart from the fact that 

Advertising Standards takes 

a dim view of false claims, 

I think this approach simply 

lacks imagination. 

Your business’s brand 

doesn’t necessarily need a 

tagline. But sometimes it’s 

worth undergoing an exercise 

to try and come up with something 

relevant for you, because 

a gem may well emerge 

quickly. But if it doesn’t, 

don’t sweat it, as it could 

evolve from your marketing 

discussions over time. 

We see too many fails – 

location branding seems to 

be a regularly guilty party 

– that teach us to be wary of 

getting it wrong. If you can 

come up with that gem which 

can proudly encapsulate your 

priority, well done. But if in 

doubt, leave it out. 

TRUST LAW IS CHANGING - Are you ready? 

Kiwis love trusts 

There are somewhere between 

300,000 and 500,000 family trusts 

in New Zealand, the highest 

number of trusts per capita in the 

world. Trusts are one of the most 

flexible asset ownership vehicles 

we have. While there may still 

be good reasons to have a trust, 

changes to Trust law may mean 

a trust is no longer relevant or 

required. 

know what the assets and 

debts of the Trust are, and fully 

understand what the Trust 

Deed says. The Act goes further 

than simply knowing about 

the Trust Deed and the Trustee 

role however, with greater 

expectations that trustees will 

keep accurate records, formally 

document decisions and hold 

regular trustee meetings. 

Implications for Beneficiaries 

The Trusts Act 2019 

The new Trusts Act 2019 is the 

most significant change to trust 

law since the passing of the 

Trustee Act in 1956. The new 

Act was passed in July last year 

and comes into force in January 

2021. A substantial number 

of New Zealanders are going 

to be affected by the new Act, 

particularly those who are a 

trustee and/or a beneficiary of 

a trust and those who provide 

advice about a trust. 

Implications for Trustees 

One of the aims of the new Act 

is to make trust law easier to 

understand. Many trustees 

in New Zealand do not fully 

understand their role and the 

obligations that go along with 

it. The new Act addresses this by 

imposing greater responsibilities 

on Trustees to understand their 

role, and the terms of the Trust 

Deed. It is important therefore 

that people acting as a Trustee 

have a copy of the Trust Deed, 

The new Act also introduces a 

presumption that beneficiaries 

of a trust will be provided with 

certain basic information about 

the trust, including being told that 

they are a beneficiary, who the 

trustees are, and being provided 

with a copy of the Trust Deed. 

The beneficiaries are also entitled 

to request other more detailed 

trust information, which could 

include among other things, 

financial statements, valuations 

of trust assets and 

trustee resolutions. 

In many Trust Deeds, the 

definition of “beneficiaries” 

is very wide – this could be 

problematic when the new Act 

carries with it a presumption that 

beneficiaries are entitled to a lot 

of information about the Trust 

and its assets. 

Where trustees intend to refuse 

to provide information to a 

beneficiary, it will be important 

that they seek legal advice. 

Otherwise, the beneficiary may 

bring a claim against the trustees 

which will include the cost of that 

beneficiary having to bring that 

claim to court. 

What next? 

In many cases, the more stringent 

rules and requirements under 

the new Act will require a careful 

consideration of whether it is still 

worthwhile to have the Trust in 

place. This is particularly the case 

where decisions of the Courts 

and changes to government 

policies have eroded many of the 

original reasons for setting up 

a Trust. In some cases having a 

Trust can be counterproductive 

to the reason for which the Trust 

was settled. 

For example, having the family 

home in a Trust may make it less 

likely that the settlers of that 

Trust qualify for residential care 

subsidies. As the new Act doesn’t 

come into force until January 

2021, there is still time to get 

prepared and seek advice. 

Some of the things you will 

want to consider will be; do you 

still need your trust or should it 

be wound up? Does the class of 

beneficiaries include 

people you never intended to 

benefit from the trust? 

Does the trust deed need to be 

updated? And, what will be the 

best way to deal with a request 

for information by beneficiaries? 

If you have any questions about 

the new Act and what your 

options are, contact Shelley 

Greer at Gallie Miles. 

_ Hamilton/Te Awamutu/Otorohanga _ 

0800 872 0560 

E: office@gallie.co.nz 

www.gallie.co.nz 

We speak your language


CONVERSATIONS WITH MIKE NEALE 

OF NAI HARCOURTS HAMILTON 

Should I sell my 

commercial property 

– Or is there a better way? 

There have been some interesting 

discussions over the last 

month or so with commercial 

property owners looking to 

make decisions – should I sell 

up and put the money in the 

bank, enjoy life and remove 

any stress that the property may 

provide in the future? Most are 

close to or at retirement age and 

whilst not needing the money 

for anything in particular, are 

looking for a passive income 

and not wanting to leave the 

family with future issues that a 

commercial building may have. 

This is an actual example 

from a discussion we had with 

an owner about a fortnight ago. 

Building: Returning circa 

$65,000pa plus GST and 

Outgoings 

Building Age: 1990s 

Sale Value: circa $1,100,000 

plus GST (if any) 

They have owned the building 

for over 20 years and it’s now 

freehold with no debt. 

The reason they are considering 

selling is that recently 

there have been a few dramas 

over Covid-19 and while a reliable 

local tenant is in place, 

there are now challenges with 

the rental being paid. 

If they were to sell and 

put the money in the bank at 

a return of say 1.50 percent, 

Mike Neale - Managing Director, 

NAI Harcourts Hamilton. 

it would provide a return of 

$16,500 per annum before tax. 

The Better Solution? 

May well be to retain the property 

and get it professionally 

managed. Why and how would 

this work? 

• Based on the current net 

rental it currently provides a 

return of 5.9 percent. 

• Even at the current 50 

percent rental being paid, it 

provides a net return of 2.95 

percent. 

• In many cases the ADLS 

Lease provides for the landlord 

to recover the cost of 

the property management 

from the tenant. 

Even if management expenses 

are not recoverable (at say 6 

percent), the above returns 

would still be 5.55 percent or 

2.77 percent respectively. This 

is significantly better than the 

returns in the bank. 

Another Important Element 

To Consider? 

There is no capital gain on the 

money held by your bank – in 

fact, allowing for inflation, it is 

quite the opposite. As an example, 

this particular property has 

doubled in value over the last 

15 years. 

There is increasing talk by 

pundits that with the quantitative 

easing programme and very 

low interest rate environment, 

we are likely to experience 

asset price inflation over the 

next few years, i.e. the value of 

the assets, will increase as we 

see increasing competition for 

income-producing assets, due 

to the alternative of low returns 

from bank deposits. 

So, if you are selling 

because you don’t want the 

management hassle and compliance 

issues, or worried about 

leaving it to family members in 

the future, then this may just be 

worth consideration. 

If you don’t need the capital 

for anything in particular, 

but prefer or would be happy 

to maintain the cashflow, this is 

definitely worth serious consideration. 

Yes, buildings will require 

future capital expenditure and 

even allowing for the occasional 

vacancy, the combination 

of the returns and future 

capital gains, make property 

a compelling investment both 

now and in the future. As one 

of my colleagues once said, 

“only in Holland are they making 

more land”- you can guess 

where he originates from. 

All assets have some element 

of risk associated with 

them – some will remember 

the Bank of New Zealand being 

bailed out in 1989/1990 and 

the share market crash of 1987 

– and real estate is no different, 

but it is an investment in 

something tangible - bricks and 

mortar. 

A great property manager is 

key to success in real estate. 

- Robert Kiyosaki of the book, ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’. 

I will at this stage give a 

plug for Greg Wills who heads 

our NAI Harcourts Property 

Management division (there 

are others out there too). Greg 

has previously managed one 

of Hamilton’s most challenging 

assets – Centre Place 

shopping mall. This experience 

has left him with not 

only the technical skills and 

facilities management experience, 

but the ability to deal with 

a wide range of tenants and 

the various personalities that 

are often the most challenging 

aspect of property management 

in my view. He would be happy 

to talk to anyone considering 

their options – so on a no obligation 

basis, give him a call on 

021 896 585. 

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 

MODERN INDUSTRIAL WITH ALL THE FEATURES! 

8A De Leeuw Place, Te Rapa Park, Hamilton 

• High stud industrial building of 1,357sqm approx. 

• Tekplas as tenant returning $180,441pa plus GST net, until October 2021 

• Fully fenced concrete yard, two entrance ways 

• Designed for B-train movements around the building 

• Canopy for off-loading, dangerous goods area 

• 3,844sqm (more or less) of industrial zoned land 

De Leeuw Place is part of Te Rapa 

Industrial Park; a well-established 

premier industrial estate. The property 

has good exposure to Te Rapa Road, 

and is close to Hamilton’s main 

city arterial routes and Expressway 

interchange junctions. 

Close by are The Base Shopping Centre 

(NZ’s largest bulk retail centre), also 

Te Rapa Gateway Industrial Estate and 

Pukete Industrial Estate. 

Nearby neighbours include Alsynite 

One NZ Limited, Awards Trophies & 

Engraving, Bridgestone Tyres and 

Crown Worldwide Movers to mention 

a few. 

Deadline Private Treaty: 4pm, Thursday, 

1st October 2020, NAI Harcourts, 

678 Victoria Street, Hamilton 

Theo de Leeuw 027 490 3248 

theo.deleeuw@naiharcourts.co.nz 

Borders are indicative only 

Owner Occupiers and Investors take note, do not miss 

this opportunity. Inspections are recommended. 

Full information memorandum available on request. 

Mike Neale 027 451 5133 

mike.neale@naiharcourts.co.nz 

Monarch Commercial Limited | MREINZ | Licensed Agent (REAA 2008)


9 

Rebuilding and reimagining 

the future of tourism 

Unfortunately, the recovery of our visitor sector took a step 

backwards with the lockdown of the Auckland region. Auckland 

is our biggest drive market from a corporate and leisure travel 

perspective, and we immediately saw the cancellations of 

bookings for the next two to three weeks. 

TELLING WAIKATO’S STORY 

> BY JASON DAWSON 

Chief Executive, 

Hamilton & Waikato Tourism 

Adding to our woes 

was the return of Alert 

Level 2 for the Waikato 

region, which led to the postponement 

or cancellation of 

large events, and the return of 

physical distancing and compulsory 

contact tracing. 

Up until the change in alert 

levels, we were starting to the 

see the benefit of increased 

domestic visitors into the 

region, as well as the lift in 

expenditure. We are all hopeful 

that this is just a short-term 

blip on our Covid-19 recovery 

journey. 

This time of year has traditionally 

been a quieter time for 

the region with regards to tourism, 

and is giving us the time 

to rethink the future of our sector 

for the short and long-term. 

There is no doubt that some 

parts of New Zealand were 

under significant pressure 

from visitor numbers leading 

to issues around over-tourism 

and eroding the social licence 

to operate around the country. 

Here in the Waikato, we 

still had the space to disperse 

domestic and international 

visitors around lesser known 

places of our region, plus our 

shoulder season events calendar 

was growing. 

However, we still had challenges 

around transport connectivity, 

mobile phone black 

spots, a shortage of large-scale 

commercial accommodation in 

Hamilton, Waitomo and Matamata, 

and the inability to introduce 

regional visitor levies to 

fund key infrastructure in our 

destination communities. 

The Tourism Futures Taskforce 

has been established by 

the Government to help us use 

this ‘circuit-breaker’ of Covid- 

19 to reassess and reimagine 

a sustainable tourism sector 

that actively contributes to the 

wellbeing of our communities 

and creates added-value experiences 

for our domestic and 

international visitor market. 

The Taskforce will advise 

on what changes New Zealand 

can make to the tourism 

system and make long-term 

recommendations to address 

the long-standing productivity, 

inclusivity and sustainability 

issues present in some 

part of the sector. 

For Waikato, we were 

already ahead of the pack by 

adopting our Tourism Opportunities 

Plan in 2016. This 

two-year project involved a 

range of community, industry 

and iwi consultation to identify 

our key game-changers, 

plus identify opportunities to 

increase the ‘value vs volume’ 

challenge for the region. 

We will use this plan, and 

our achievements to date, as a 

foundation to implement a destination 

management approach 

for the Waikato and broaden 

the scope of community 

involvement, plus align to the 

many regional strategies and 

plans to ensure an integrated 

approach is fully realised. 

Developing a destination 

management framework will 

also raise a number of issues, 

challenges, ideas and solutions 

which we can feed into the 

Tourism Futures Taskforce as 

they seek wider contributions 

from around New Zealand. The 

big question to be addressed in 

this work is how will we successfully 

co-curate a future for 

tourism in Waikato that benefits 

everyone. We were also 

succesful in attracting funding 

from the Strategic Tourism 

Assets Protection Programme 

(STAPP) for regional tourism 

organisations based on 

the retention of our existing 

local government funding. 

This additional funding will 

make up the significant shortfall 

of industry investment 

from our tourism operators, 

accommodation providers, 

tour and transport businesses, 

suppliers plus the events and 

venues sector. 

The STAPP funding will 

help us deliver 27 projects 

over the next 12 months under 

the three Government priority 

areas for investment – domestic 

marketing, industry capability 

building and destination 

management. 

Out of the 27 programmes 

of work, 11 are collaboration 

projects with other regions 

which border the Waikato. 

Examples include touring 

route development with Ruapehu 

and Taranaki, partnering 

with Auckland on a joint venture 

campaign, plus rolling 

out a regenerative tourism 

programme across the Central 

North Island. 

We look forward to updating 

you on the progress of 

these regional projects over the 

coming months as we rebuild 

and reimagine the future 

of our tourism. 

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 

Experience care as it 

should be, experience 

the Braemar way. 

Authorised by Timothy Grigg, 160 Willis Street, Wellington. 

Jamie 

Strange 

for Hamilton East 

Braemar Hospital is one of the largest 

private surgical hospitals in New Zealand, 

and it’s here in Hamilton. 

With more than 100 world class specialists, 

10 state-of-the-art operating rooms, 84 beds 

including 32 private rooms, at Braemar 

you’ll receive the highest level of care. 

Choose the very best. 

Choose Braemar. 

braemarhospital.co.nz 

If you would like to discuss anything, or find out more 

information, please contact me: 

jamie.strange@labour.org.nz 

/jamiestrangemp 

/jamiestrange_mp 

Let’s keep moving


‘ Business takes 

the hit for our team 

of five million’ 

I write this just after the announcement by Prime Minister 

Jacinda Ardern today that Auckland’s level 3 restrictions 

would remain at least until 11.59pm on Sunday, August 

30, before being phased into level alert level 2 with the 

rest of the country from Monday, August 31. 

What galls business most is 

that New Zealand has had six 

months to get our act together 

on border control, tracking, tracing and 

testing. We have been told that we have 

learnt a lot about how to stamp out outbreaks 

and that lockdowns will not always 

be necessary but still Auckland is 

shut. 

There is a credibility gap appearing 

between what we are being told and what 

is being delivered. 

You have to feel for the hospitality 

industry. The majority of their industry 

is made up of small owner-operator businesses 

that simply cannot sustain these 

ongoing closures and restrictions. With 

the industry already facing restrictions 

to trading and reduced overseas visitor 

numbers, they are currently looking at 

between a further 10 to 12 per cent of all 

hospitality businesses closing their doors 

as a result. The enforced closure for another 

full weekend, which are key trading 

days for hospitality, is another blow. 

The industry is estimating this will 

translate into a loss of over 10,000 jobs if 

the restrictions continue. A simple form 

of assistance for the industry would be 

to copy the UK subsidy to get people out 

and dining for a month. 

In the UK, diners are entitled to a 50 

percent discount on food and non-alcoholic 

drinks to eat or drink in, up 

to a maximum of 10 pounds discount 

per head every Monday, Tuesday and 

Wednesday between Aug 3 and Aug 31. 

The offer is open to diners in participating 

restaurants, cafés, bars, pubs, work 

and school canteens and food halls. More 

than 72,000 restaurants have registered. 

We agree with Auckland Business 

Chamber chief executive Michael Barnett 

saying business was “carrying the 

burden for the team of five million” 

and that “each business must do whatever 

it takes to survive”. 

While businesspeople understand 

the trade-offs required to protect public 

health before the economy, it is business 

that is taking the brunt of the current 

elimination strategy. 

By Don Good, Waikato Chamber 

of Commerce executive director 

The failure by the Government and 

its bureaucracy to control our border in 

order to keep the virus out has a direct 

consequence in the ability of business to 

keep people in jobs. 

All banks are being more prudent 

with their lending. They are taking longer 

to approve loans, critically reviewing 

your budgeted revenue estimates, going 

through line by line of your expenses and 

taking a good look at your spending conduct. 

Again, it is understandable, but cash 

is the lifeblood of business and again we 

can see a cashflow gap appearing. 

You must do whatever it takes to get 

through this. Review your revenue, cut 

costs, check your supply chains, and 

make contact with all your customers 

again. Make sure you keep talking to all 

your staff. You may not have all the answers, 

but they will appreciate your honesty 

and may have a few good suggestions 

on changes that help your business 

survive. 

There will be a personal toll on people’s 

wellbeing and mental resilience, 

not just jobs and business continuity, so 

seek out good advice from your lawyer, 

accountant, or other trusted mentors and 

above all look after your own health. 

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

07 839 5895 | help@waikatochamber.co.nz 

www.waikatochamber.co.nz 

$14m integrated 

trades training 

centre for South 


Tokoroa will have a brand new $14 million trades training centre 

by 2022 catering for up to 500 students a year thanks to a 

Government grant of $10.84 million announced in August. 

The new trades training 

centre is being 

co-funded with $1 million 

grants from each of Toi 

Ohomai Institute of Technology, 

Trust Waikato and the 

South Waikato Investment 

Fund Trust (SWIFT). 

Security manufacturer 

Gallagher will develop a 

new European headquarters 

in Warwick, England. 

The 1,500 square metre 

office, with on site café, will 

allow Gallagher to host prospective 

clients, hold events, 

and support Channel Partners 

and customers with 

meeting, conference, and 

training facilities. 

The development also 

includes a 670 sq m warehouse, 

with land available for 

future expansions. 

“We’re very excited to 

announce this new facility for 

our UK and Europe operations,” 

says Richard Huison, 

regional manager for the UK 

and Europe. 

“We’ve experienced rapid 

growth over recent years and 

have fast outgrown our current 

Nuneaton premises. This new 

facility will enable us to showcase 

our exceptional security 

solutions while providing outstanding 

support for our Channel 

Partners and customers.” 

Gallagher has invested in 

the development of solutions 

that comply with UK access 

control, perimeter intrusion 

detection, cybersecurity, and 

high security standards. Their 

UK-certified high security 

solutions build on Gallagher’s 

government-approved solutions 

for the U.S., Australian, 

and New Zealand markets. 

Mark Junge, global general 

SWIFT has facilitated and 

driven the project, including 

buying the one-hectare site 

for the centre on Chambers St 

near the northern entrance to 

Tokoroa, doing the preliminary 

design, engineering and 

costings for the project and 

New European 

HQ for Gallagher 

manager for security, says Gallagher 

aims to be the security 

solution of choice for countries 

in the Five Eyes alliance. “With 

discussions already underway 

with several UK government 

agencies, this new facility provides 

the ideal base to support 

our extensive growth plans 

for the region.” 

Gallagher’s European headquarters 

will be located in 

Tournament Fields business 

park. Development is set to 

begin in September, with the 

team aiming to occupy the 

building in mid-2021. 

Gallagher has also been recognised 

for innovation following 

its Covid-19 response. Its 

Proximity and Contact Tracing 

Report won the Outstanding 

New Product award at the New 

Zealand Security Awards in 

August. Developed in response 

to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 

Mark Junge 

applying for the Government 

funding. 

The new trades training 

centre will bring together three 

separate existing Toi Ohomai 

training sites in Tokoroa into 

one purpose-built campus 

catering for the key local secreport 

gives Gallagher customers 

critical information 

to manage exposure and protect 

the health and safety of 

people on site. 

Gallagher has made its 

Proximity and Contact Tracing 

utility available to customers 

free of charge during 

the pandemic. 

“I’m very proud of our 

team who worked hard to produce 

this tool in an incredibly 

tight timeframe, while working 

in virtual environments,” 

said Rachel Kelly, chief product 

officer for Gallagher’s 

security division. 

The Proximity and Contact 

Tracing Report, released in 

May, enables organisations to 

quickly identify areas where a 

person with a contagious virus 

has been on site. It also identifies 

all other cardholders who 

shared these areas.

Artist’s impression of the new centre 


11 

tors including farming, engineering, 

construction, manufacturing 

and logistics. 

The purpose-built Trades 

Training Centre will be visible 

from State Highway 1, covering 

2588 sq m of which 280 

sq m will be a digital hub, with 

room for expansion. 

SWIFT economic development 

manager Francis Pauwels 

said a survey of South Waikato 

companies operating in five 

major industry sectors found 

they were planning to require 

about 850 new staff over the 

next five years. 

“These companies – in construction, 

engineering, transport, 

manufacturing, forestry 

and hospitality – say their number 

one preference is to employ 

locals because they stay local 

and contribute to the community. 

“About 60 percent of 

the people who could be 

employed in these jobs will 

be new trainees and especially 

young people. About a fifth 

of people aged 18-25 years 

in South Waikato are not in 

employment, education or 

training (Neets) – and we are 

confident this initiative will 

be the catalyst to get these 

young people into training and 

employment. We also expect 

to have a lot of second chance 

learners coming through the 

centre.” 

Toi Ohomai chief executive 

Dr Leon Fourie said SWIFT 

and Toi Ohomai had worked 

closely together since the initiative 

began in early 2018 to 

decide what a purpose-built 

facility would look like. 

“This Government funding 

will enable us to realise a vision 

we have been working towards 

for the last two and a half years. 

Toi Ohomai currently has three 

training sites in Tokoroa, all of 

which are older facilities and 

are no longer fit for purpose. 

This new facility will enable 

Toi Ohomai to support learners 

in Tokoroa rather than having 

to transport students to bigger 

hubs such as Rotorua, Hamilton 

or Taupo. 

“Toi Ohomai will run the 

training centre but we see this 

operating as a partnership with 

SWIFT, South Waikato District 

Council, Raukawa, the Pacific 

Island community and strong 

alignment with the business 

community. Partnership with 

local iwi and Pasifika is critical 

given the Maori population of 

the South Waikato is 25 percent 

– 35 percent in Tokoroa - and 

12 percent Pasifika.” 

Fourie said concept plans 

developed for the centre will 

include a digital entrepreneurial 

hub and a café and childcare 

facilities to enable parents to 

train at the centre and reduce 

the digital divide in the Waikato 

region. 

“As well as creating excellent 

learning experiences for 

our tauira we expect the facility 

to provide more jobs for local 

residents.” 

South Waikato District 

Mayor Jenny Shattock said 

the Government investment 

in the new training centre 

is the result of patient collaboration 

and engagement 

between Toi Ohomai, SWIFT, 

council and Government. 

“This is an excellent example 

of the South Waikato education, 

business and local 

government sectors working 

together to help the district 

thrive and grow economically 

and socially.” 

She said the Toi Ohomai 

Institute’s new location near 

State Highway 1 would provide 

a fabulous new gateway to 

the northern entrance to Tokoroa 

that would complement the 

town centre redevelopment that 

is close to completion. 

Te Waka chief executive 

Michael Bassett-Foss welcomed 

the announcement. 

“Regional districts need a flow 

of motivated young people to 

spur and maintain economic 

development in the area,” he 

said. “This new facility will 

offer opportunities to youth 

in Tokoroa who are not currently 

in training, education or 

employment, and often can’t 

afford to go elsewhere.” 

Te Waka was involved in 

lobbying the Government for 

investment in the Training 

Centre upgrade early in the 

process, while Bassett-Foss 

accompanied representatives 

from the SWDC when they met 

with Ministers in Wellington to 

garner support. 

SWIFT chairman Bruce 

Sherman said South Waikato is 

in a prime geographic position 

and is now in growth mode. 

“This new training centre will 

provide a much needed path to 

skilled employment not just for 

Tokoroa, but Putāruru, Tirau, 

and Arapuni. 

“Our youth deserve facilities 

that inspire them to learn 

and contribute and we are 

very grateful the Government 

agrees.” Sherman said the 

development of the site itself 

will potentially involve more 

than 200 people for the design 

and build process, and local 

firms will be used as much as 

possible. 

“Toi Ohomai currently has 

about 350 enrolments per year 

including part time courses. We 

expect that will grow to around 

500 per year as successful graduates 

show a clear pathway to 

meaningful jobs. The SWIFT 

Trust’s main objective is better 

economic and social outcomes 

for the South Waikato and work 

ready, well trained, skilled 

employees is a major attraction 

for start-ups and companies 

looking to relocate from inefficient 

city locations. 

“We have more exciting 

projects in the pipeline so this 

is the first step in many to 

achieving lasting and positive 

change for our communities.” 

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13 

Rebuild chance to change course 


New Zealand will not return to normal and needs to build back 

better. That was the message from BNZ economist Paul Conway 

at a Waikato Chamber of Commerce lunch in August. 

Speaking the week before 

a fresh Covid-19 outbreak 

in Auckland, 

Conway said the world’s 

economy was changing and 

New Zealand’s economy 

was not immune. 

The pandemic and the 

associated lockdowns around 

the world were having a huge 

impact on economic behaviour 

and spending patterns, he told a 

forum at Wintec’s Atrium. 

“The world is rapidly 

changing, and the New Zealand 

economy will change 

with it, whether we like it 

or not, whether we’re ready 

for it or not.” 

But he also painted a picture 

of a national economy that 

had been performing poorly for 

decades. 

“There’s no going back to 

our old economy,” he said. “And 

you know what, we wouldn’t 

really want to, because it hasn’t 

really been a strong performer, 

especially in the space of productivity 

which is the basis of 

long-run growth. 

“Yes, the New Zealand 

economy produces lots of 

jobs. But because of that low 

productivity, many of those 

jobs don’t pay particularly 

well and there are even people 

with jobs who struggle to get 

by in this country.” 

Conway forecast a 

W-shaped pandemic economic 

response in New Zealand, after 

activity rebounded better than 

expected following the first 

lockdown. But a second downturn 

was inevitable, he warned, 

with “a whole heap of destruction” 

over the coming months 

and probably years. 

“This second downward 

prong of our W, it’s locked in, 

there’s no way around it.” 

He said it could be made 

easier through government 

support, assisted by low debt. 

“But we should do that in ways 

that don’t get in the road of this 

process of creative destruction, 

that don’t slow it down. 

“It’s about having a flexible 

and resilient economy that can 

absorb the shock, and adjust.” 

As for the final upward 

prong of the W, the rebuilding, 

he said that needed to involve 

dislocated economic resources 

finding their way into new, 

more productive and more 

lucrative opportunities. 

“How do we build a 

more productive economy 

that delivers for all New 

Zealanders? There’s obviously 

a policy agenda attached 

to that and I live in hope 

that our politicians will start 

talking about it.” 

Conway was part of a 

panel of four economists, 

including Westpac industry 

economist Paul Clark, 

ASB senior economist Mark 

Smith, and Infometrics senior 

economist Brad Olsen. 

They were joined by 

National leader Judith Collins 

during a visit to the region. 

Olsen ran a similar argument 

to Conway about building 

back differently, and added 

some Waikato figures. 

He said New Zealand 

spent $3 billion less through 

its first lockdown period, 

and spending in the Waikato 

from April to June was 

82 percent of its normal. 

Within the region, he said 

Waipā district was doing 

well, while others, including 

Matamata-Piako with Hobbiton, 

were not seeing the same 

amount of spending. 

Like Conway, he said 

the global picture was deteriorating. 

Primary exports 

remained a key area, but 

products were unlikely to 

be bought at the same levels 

during the pandemic. 

“We need to look at our 

Brad Olsen (Infometrics senior economist), Don Good (Waikato Chamber of Commerce 

executive director) and Paul Clark (Westpac industry economist) at the event. 

infrastructure. What are we 

building? How do we get our 

productivity moving? How do 

we ensure that as we produce the 

fantastic goods in the Waikato 

- New Zealand’s breadbasket 

with about 16 percent of all 

food production coming from 

this area - how do we make 

sure we get it to the right place 

as quickly as possible and as 

cheaply as possible?” 

Conway said businesses had 

a role to play in lifting productivity 

by doing things better. 

Digital tools and technology 

were critical to that. 

“Digital and data are the 

infrastructure of knowledge. 

And knowledge is fast becoming 

the key driver of growth in 

the 21st century economy. So 

knowledge is the new oil.” 

The underlying reason for 

New Zealand’s low productivity 

was that its domestic markets 

were typically very small, 

and the vast majority of its 

firms were not connected into 

the global economy, he said. 

Digital technologies 

could expand markets 

and make it easier for 

small remote businesses to 

engage internationally. 

Rebuilding for a new economy 

also required innovation. 

“Now, innovation is not 

always about doing remarkable 

things that push out that 

knowledge frontier. It’s also 

often about learning how 

leading global firms in your 

industries operate, and leveraging 

that knowledge to catch 

up to the frontier.” 

Collaboration was important 

as many small firms lacked 

the resources to innovate. 

“You’ve got a world class 

university here in Hamilton - 

how effective are you at being 

across the knowledge that’s 

coming out of that institution 

and converting it into growth? 

“Is there potential for your 

businesses to work together to 

solve common problems and 

to create dynamic clusters of 

world’s leading firms?” 

Conway finished on 

a hopeful note. 

“It might not feel like it right 

now, but if we play this right, 

we could emerge from this crisis 

with an upgraded economy 

that sustains higher well being 

in New Zealand for generations 

to come.” 

GST on ‘private’ homes 

Over the past 18 months Inland Revenue (IRD) has issued a 

number of technical statements setting out its view on how 

income tax and GST applies to residential houses that are 

used to derive income, such as from use as an Airbnb. The 

most recent IRD statement raised a few eyebrows and in this 

article we explain why. 

TAXATION AND THE LAW 

> BY HAYDEN FARROW 

Hayden Farrow is a PwC Partner based in the Waikato office. 

Email: hayden.d.farrow@pwc.com 

To provide some context, 

at one end of the spectrum 

if one private individual 

sells their family home 

to another, GST is unlikely to 

apply. At the other end of the 

spectrum, if a GST registered 

business sells a hotel to another 

the transaction is likely to be 

subject to GST (although at 

0 percent). However, as you 

encounter different scenarios 

and move along the spectrum 

you end up in a grey area where 

it can be unclear whether GST 

applies or not. 

GST applies to the sale and 

use of commercial dwellings 

- those in which the occupant 

does not have ’quiet enjoyment’, 

for example, hotels, 

motels, homestays, farmstays, 

hostels, and other short-stay 

accommodation providers. 

But, what about a private family 

bach that is also used to 

derive Airbnb income. Technically, 

accommodation in an 

Airbnb is caught for GST purposes. 

However, in most cases 

the income does not exceed the 

compulsory GST registration 

threshold of $60,000 per year, 

so the owners can choose not 

to register and stay outside the 

‘GST net’. 

On 26 June, IRD released 

interpretation statement (IS) 

20/05 which describes how 

GST applies to the sale of 

a dwelling that is included 

within a wider supply of land. 

A classic example is the 

family farm comprised of 

farmland and a farmhouse. 

For decades, the standard 

GST treatment applying to 

the sale of a farm has been to 

split it into two components: 

1. The working farmland is 

treated as the sale of an 

asset that is subject to GST. 

2. The farmhouse is treated 

as a separate supply that is 

exempt from GST, because 

it has been used as the 

farmer’s private ‘family 

home’ (or as the supply of 

an exempt residential rental 

property if it was used by a 

farm worker). 

The above approach is considered 

by IRD to be an ‘oversimplification’. 

Instead, IRD is of 

the view that GST should apply 

if the house has been used as 

part of the farming activity. 

IRD’s view lies in a long-standing 

tradition in which farmers 

could claim income tax deductions 

in relation to a portion of 

farmhouse expenditure. This 

was formalised in IS 17/02, 

where an automatic deduction 

for 20 percent of the expenditure 

related to the farmhouse 

is allowed as it effectively 

acts as the ’farm office’ from 

which the farming operation 

is managed. By claiming the 

deduction, IRD consider that 

the farmhouse has been used 

to make taxable supplies. 

Therefore, the sale of the farmhouse 

is also subject to GST. 

As the farmhouse is treated as 

a separate supply and is typically 

used as a residence by 

the purchaser it does not qualify 

for zero-rating and GST 

becomes payable at 15 percent. 

So to recap, IRD have 

asserted that GST will apply 

to the full value of the farmer’s 

home at 15 percent. Logic 

would suggest that even if this 

conclusion is correct, which 

we do not think it is, then GST 

should only apply to the portion 

of the house that has been 

used for the farming activity… 

but IRD’s view is that 

this is not how the rules currently 

work. 

To illustrate IRD’s 

view, consider the following 

scenario: 

• Rob is retiring after 30 

years of dairy farming. 

• He is GST registered and 

has agreed to sell the family 

farm for $15m, including a 

substantial farmhouse valued 

at $1.5m. 

• When Rob purchased the 

farm the farmhouse was 

valued at $500k. 

In line with IRD’s guidance 

from IS 17/02, Rob claimed 

income tax deductions for 20 

percent of the expenses relating 

to the farmhouse. As a 

result, IRD are of the view that 

the farmhouse has been used 

to make taxable supplies and 

Rob is required to pay GST 

on its sale. On Rob’s GST 

return he discloses the $1.5m 

sale and the applicable GST 

amount of $195,652 (3/23rds 

of $1.5m). Rob is able to claim 

an offsetting deduction tied to 

his 80 percent proportion of 

private use, but the amount is 

limited to the original cost of 

the house, i.e. $65,217 (3/23rd 

of $500k). A net GST liability 

of $130,435 arises, being GST 

on the full $1m increase in the 

value of the farmhouse. 

Not only does this approach 

differ markedly to current 

practice and could give rise 

to pricing disputes, but we 

also disagree with IRD’s 

view. We hope that in time, 

reason will prevail, but in 

the meantime we are left in a 

position of uncertainty. 

The comments in this article 

of a general nature and should 

not be relied on for specific 

cases. Taxpayers should seek 

specific advice.


Waste fund open 

A fund aimed at helping the 

community plan and deliver 

projects that reduce waste 

in Waipā is now open. Waipā 

District Council’s Waste 

Minimisation Community Fund 

offers $40,000 to individuals, 

groups and businesses 

that encourage, promote or 

organise waste minimisation 

activities. Waste minimisation 

officer Sally Fraser said the 

council is looking for projects 

with an emphasis on innovative 

solutions for eliminating or 

reducing waste in the Waipā 

district. Applications close 

on 14 September and can 

be downloaded from www. 

waipadc.govt.nz/wastefund. 

TGH to build 

police base 

A proposed new police base 

in Cambridge will mark the first 

project under the terms of a 

new partnership between Tainui 

Group Holdings (TGH) and New 

Zealand Police. At 416 sqm, 

the base, on the site of the old 

police house at the corner of 

Victoria/Fort St in Cambridge, 

will accommodate up to 18 

police officers. The proposed 

design will incorporate many 

elements reflecting the local 

environment and community, 

including visual elements of 

significance to Waikato-Tainui 

and use of the region’s Hinuera 

stonework. The proposal is 

for TGH to construct and own 

the building and the whenua, 

while police will invest in specific 

tenant fitout. TGH will lease the 

building to police for an initial 

period of 20 years. 

Climate funding 

for Waikato 

Waikato Regional Council has 

secured $23.8 million from 

the Government for 10 flood 

protection and catchment 

projects, as part of $103.7 

million in funding for climate 

resilience projects across 

New Zealand to help kickstart 

recovery from Covid-19. The 

projects are expected to 

create more than 200 short 

and long-term jobs over 

their lifetime. Council chair 

Russ Rimmington said flood 

protection was one of the top 

priorities for the council among 

its bids for shovel ready funding 

because its schemes safeguard 

3000sq km of high value foodproducing 

land and protect 

services and infrastructure 

such as water supply, power, 

telecommunications, and road 

and rail networks. 

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa – Kākiri 

Māori business accelerator 

celebrate 2020 cohort with 

virtual showcase 

Kaupapa Māori business accelerator Kākiri has celebrated 

the second cohort of Māori-led teams leading innovative and 

technology-focused start-ups in Aotearoa. 

For 12 weeks until early 

August, Kōkiri accelerated 

nine Māori-led 

start-ups, ranging from R&D 

ventures developing solar 3D 

tracking and soil moisture 

monitoring technology to 

digital platforms making it 

easier for tradies to provide 

quotes and helping whānau 

to the right lawyer. 

When New Zealand 

went into lockdown due to 

Covid-19, Kōkiri adapted the 

programme delivery to be 

completely online. The newlook 

programme launched in 

May with wānanga (classes) 

hosted via video call. 

“The last couple of 

months have been a rollercoaster 

ride for our cohort, 

delivery partners and sponsors. 

Through all of the different 

challenges, we have 

come together to deliver a 

first-of-its-kind digital kaupapa 

Māori business accelerator 

programme,” says 

Aubrey Te Kanawa, Kōkiri 

programme director. 

Transitioning from a residential 

format to 100 percent 

digital delivery was a mammoth 

task, but the change 

has enhanced the programme 

experience for the founders, 

mentors and staff. 

“Our teams have used the 

latest collaboration tools such 

as virtual whiteboards and 

been exposed to wider networking 

opportunities,” says 

Te Kanawa. 

The cohort have connected 

with international guest 

speakers and investors that 

are still living under lockdown 

conditions due to the 

Covid-19 pandemic. “The 

opportunity to virtually connect 

with over 20 additional 

guest speakers, experts and 

investors has significantly 

benefited the founders and 

teams,” says Te Kanawa. 

Callaghan Innovation sees 

innovation as a crucial pathway 

to success for Māori. 

“Bold Māori innovators and 

‘dreamers’ will transform New 

Zealand’s economy for the better,” 

says Aroha Armstrong, 

Callaghan Innovation’s Māori 

economy group manager. 

“As well as helping start-ups 

nail a balance between profit, 

people and place, Kōkiri’s 

focus on technology this 

year is exactly the high-value 

shift the Māori and wider economy 

needs right now.” 

Kōkiri hosted a virtual 

Showcase event to 

celebrate the cohort that 

completed the 2020 business 

acceleration programme. 

The Kōkiri 2020 teams are: 

• Barrett Dynamics is delivering 

affordable and efficient 

solar power to communities 

through solar energy 3D 

tracking technology. 

• KWOTIMATION makes 

quoting for construction 

and building work easy by 

streamlining the pricing 

process. 

• Little Mouse Co. are founders 

of the digital language 

app, Lingogo, that shares 

indigenous stories to help 

revitalise endangered languages. 

• Nau Mai Rā is New Zealand’s 

first Māori power 

company that reduces 

energy costs while sharing 

their profits with whānau to 

support their marae or other 

Māori initiatives. 

• RH Innovation are helping 

farmers apply the right 

amounts of nitrogen or 

water for optimal farm performance 

to reduce costs 

and environmental impact. 

• Stay Native is a social 

enterprise that helps indigenous 

whānau and hapori 

(communities) to build, 

promote and share authentic 

cultural experiences with 

travellers. 

• StreetLevelOne are a digital 

advertising agency 

transforming storefront 

windows into multitouch 

marketing platforms. 

• The Event Co. is the industry 

leader for event management 

innovation, simplifying 

event operations to save 

customers time and money. 

• Ture.co.nz are delivering 

better access to legal 

services for individuals 

and making it easier to find 

the right lawyer with their 

online marketplace. 

About Kōkiri 2020 

Kōkiri is a Māori business 

acceleration programme, based 

on kaupapa Māori values, 

focused on accelerating early 

stage start-ups who have bold 

ambitions and are impact positive. 

Kōkiri supports Māori-led 

start-ups that have high-growth 

potential to develop their business 

capability and wellbeing, 

through tailored experiential 

based learning, supported by 

mentors, coaches, and experts 

in a safe and culturally responsive 

learning environment. 

Kōkiri 2020 is funded by Te 

Wānanga o Aotearoa and Callaghan 

Innovation and is sponsored 

by MYOB, Spark, FIN- 

DEX, AJ Park, Hillfarrance, 

Poutama Trust and ATEED - 

Auckland Tourism, Events and 

Economic Development. 

Sam Williams 

027 446 3544 

samw@lodge.co.nz 

Leasing and Sales 

Dean Abraham 

027 333 3822 

deana@lodge.co.nz 


Nigel Corkill 

021938 605 

nigelc@lodge.co.nz 


Vaughan Heslop 

021 400 515 

vaughanh@lodge.co.nz 

Leasing and Sales, Multi-unit Sales 

Rob Owens 

021 843 087 

robo@lodge.co.nz 

Body Corporate Management 

www.lodgecommercial.co.nz 

WBN Commercial Ad 95mm x 256mm.indd 1 

23/07/2020 12:31:53 PM


15 

How to Rank No 1 on Google 

When people search online for your products or services, you 

want your website to be found easily. But what does it take to 

rank No 1 in Google? 

I’ve lost count of the number 

of times a business 

owner or general manager 

has asked for my advice 

regarding, “How do we get our 

website higher in Google?” Or 

sometimes even more directly, 

“We launched a new site. 

Why isn’t it ranked #1?” 

We all know that Google 

is where people turn to find 

answers to … well, everything! 

According to Statcounter.com, 

94.7 percent of 

all search engine searches in 

NZ are done through Google. 

The nearest competitor is Bing 

with 3.21 percent! 

When people search for 

products or services related to 

your business, you want your 

website to be found easily. To 

get your website to rank well 

the most important thing to 

remember is that it won’t happen 

by accident. You want 

to rank No 1 … and so do 

all of your competitors! The 

organic rankings are a competition 

that you don’t win without 

considerable effort. 

Firstly, it’s important to 

clarify what “ranking” means. 

When you run a search on 

Google, the search results 

page usually starts with three 

to four ads. These look almost 

identical to the organic results 

but have the word “Ad” beside 

them. These results are not the 

rankings but are Google Ads 

(previous called “AdWords”). 

You need to be running paid 

Google Ads campaigns to get 

your ads to show there. 

Underneath the ads, if Google 

thinks you were searching 

for local results, Google is 

likely to show the “Google 

Snack Pack” – which shows a 

map and three results of local 

businesses near you. 

After that snack pack the 

first organic results are shown 

– this is what “rankings” 

refers to. The organic results 

are the webpages that Google 

determines are the most 

important for the phrase that 

was searched for. 

So, what does it take 

to get ranked No 1 in the 

organic results? 

The process of getting 

a website ranked higher is 

called “Search Engine Optimisation”, 

or “SEO” for short. 

At its most basic level SEO 

can be split into two sections: 

On-Page Optimisation and 

Off-Page Optimisation. 

On-Page Optimisation is 

based on the content and code 

on your website. It forms the 

foundation of your rankings 

and in my estimate accounts 

for 30-50 percent of your 

search engine ranking. However, 

without this foundation 

being done well, the other 

work that accounts for 50-70 

percent of your ranking won’t 

count for much. The foundation 

needs to be built first. 

Sometimes when a new 

SEO client starts with us, we 

find that the words they want 

to rank for aren’t even mentioned 

on their site! A very 

simple check you can do when 

you want to rank for a phrase 

is to check the content and see 

how many times that phrase, 

or close variants, are mentioned 

on your page. 

Next, check if those keywords 

are included in your H1 

(your main heading – which 

should be in an tag in the 

code). After that there are over 

30 other checks that should be 

made for your On-Page Optimisation 

for each page. These 

include hidden code, such as 

schema, user-experience tests 

such as page-loading speed 

and mobile responsiveness, 

internal linking throughout 

your site and many more. 

Reviewing the basic content 

can be done DIY, but after that 

it make sense to engage an 

SEO specialist. 

The other 50-70 percent of 

your results comes from Off- 

Page Optimisation, which is 

mostly other websites linking 

to your site. 

An easy way to think of it 

is that each website that links 

to your site is a vote. The more 

votes your site gets, the more 

important it is and the more 

likely it is to rank well. If an 

important site (one with lots 

of “votes”) links to your site, 

then its votes count for more 

than a non-important site linking 

to you. And if a site has 

strong content that relates to 

your products or services and 

links to you, then that counts 

more than a non-related site 

linking to you. This complexity 

is just scraping the surface 

THE DIGITAL WORLD 

> BY JOSH MOORE 

Josh Moore runs Duoplus, a Hamilton-based digital marketing 

agency that helps businesses get better results through highly 

measurable online marketing. www.duoplus.nz 

of how Google works. Building 

this complex and powerful 

process of identifying 

which sites are most important 

for billions of different 

search phrases, is why Google 

is so powerful. 

Overall, getting ranked 

takes consistent effort over 

time. It can take many months 

to build up rankings to compete 

for highly competitive 

keywords, but it can be well 

worth it. We’ve seen the 

investment pay off strongly 

for our SEO clients with the 

phone ringing constantly 

and work coming in the door 

because they’re found in the 

top spots of the search results. 

It’s a great feeling having 

your website ranked well, 

but just remember, it doesn’t 

happen by accident. 

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So if you are looking to hire, or would like to discuss your recruitment needs, get in touch with our team. 

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PKF welcomes 

new partner 

What the world needs now... 

Johann van 

Loggerenberg 

PKF Hamilton has welcomed 

another partner to its line-up. 

Johann van Loggerenberg has 

been with the firm for three 

years and was previously its 

audit manager. He was made a 

partner earlier this year. He joins 

the five other partners: Alison 

Nation, Steve Stark, Glen Martyn, 

Matthew Fulton and Bernard 

Lamusse. Born in South Africa, 

van Loggerenberg moved to 

New Zealand with his family when 

he was 16. He graduated from 

the University of Waikato in 2013 

with a Bachelor of Management 

Studies majoring in accounting 

and graduated as a Chartered 

Accountant in 2016. 

Fast rail backed 

Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate 

has welcomed the announcement 

the Government will undertake a 

business case to investigate the 

potential for rapid rail between 

Hamilton and Auckland. The 

government intends investigating 

four possible scenarios, ranging 

from extending electrification 

of the existing route to building 

a new rail alignment alongside 

the existing rail corridor. Each 

scenario would connect both 

city centres. Mayor Southgate 

said investigating rapid rail was 

a “natural extension” to the work 

already underway to ensure better 

connections between both fastgrowing 

cities. 

Is trust, sweet trust. business? When it comes 

to being trusted, business is 

not hitting the mark. People 

What and whom 

do you trust? 

Worldwide, what 

and whom the population 

trusts has shifted significantly 

over the past nine 

months. And businesses, 

as a whole, are less trusted 

today than they were at the 

start of this year. 

I’ve referred to the 

Edelman Trust Barometer 

before in this column. It’s 

an annual survey of populations 

around the world, 

including New Zealand, and 

monitors public trust levels 

of key institutions such as 

government, business and the 

media. Google “2020 Edelman 

Trust Barometer” for an 

interesting read. 

After Covid-19 hit the 

world, this year Edelman 

updated the Barometer in 

May from its annual result in 

January. Predictably, people 

are tending to trust government 

more than ever before 

as we look to government 

leaders to get us through 

this uncertain time. 

Around the world, trust 

in the media is also at an alltime 

high. But predictably, 

a majority of people (67 percent) 

are fearful about misinformation 

being spread about 

the Covid-19 virus. Thus, 

social media is not trusted by 

the vast majority. 

So, what about 

want to see businesses doing 

more for their staff, their communities, 

their suppliers and 

others who depend on them 

for livelihoods. 

The Edelman Trust Barometer 

survey found that, “To 

increase trust, business should 

focus on solutions, not selling, 

with respondents calling for 

the private sector to collaborate 

with competitors (and) 

redefine their company’s purpose 

and goals around fighting 

the pandemic. 

“Fewer than one in three 

respondents (29 percent) 

believe CEOs are doing an 

outstanding job responding to 

demands placed on them by the 

pandemic…” 

So, here’s a question for 

Waikato business owners 

and managers reading this 

column: What have you 

done since March to stabilise 

and increase trust levels 

in your staff, customers and 

others who matter to your 

business success? The complicating 

factor in the current 

environment, of course, is 

that you must build this trust 

with audiences who are often 

worried, fearful, sceptical and 

ready to find fault with any 

wrong step you take. Plus, you 

are likely focused on keeping 

the doors open, finding new 

markets, maintaining customer 

bases, holding onto staff and 

generally staying afloat. Who 

can afford to spend time 

thinking about maintaining 

and building trust? I would 

say you can’t afford not to. 

Waiting until Covid-19 blows 

over might just be too late. 

So, what do businesses need 

to be proactively doing to 

keep their ‘trust banks’ full? 

Here are a few key things: 

Be seen. 

If you are a company that’s 

doing the right thing, caring 

for your people and going the 

extra mile for customers during 

this time, remember to not 

only do the right thing but tell 

people you’re doing the right 

thing. But be careful in your 

delivery. This isn’t about blowing 

your trumpet; it’s about 

demonstrating your values to 

those who matter. This is also 

the time to ensure you can be 

found offline and on. 

That means having a great 

social media presence and 

interacting on each channel in 

a meaningful way. 

PR AND COMMUNICATIONS 

> BY HEATHER CLAYCOMB 

Heather Claycomb is director of HMC Communications, a 

Hamilton-based, award-winning public relations agency 

Listen more than you talk. 

Whether it’s your staff, your 

customers or your suppliers, 

people trust someone who 

genuinely listens. Now more 

than ever, businesses must 

adjust to continually changing 

circumstances. You’ll 

make the best decisions when 

you’ve taken the time to truly 

listen to those around you. 

Tell great stories. 

People want to be inspired 

during this international crisis 

we find ourselves in. Share 

what your business is doing 

through heart-warming stories 

that endear people to 

your company and your people. 

And remember that while 

words are great, videos and 

photos are much better. 

And remember that tried 

and true strategy of trust 

building: getting others – your 

customers, your business partners, 

your staff – telling your 

stories for you. 

Keep your promises. 

This goes without saying. 

People are looking for businesses 

and leaders who tell 

them what they are going to 

do and then deliver. 

Be consistent, show progress 

toward goals and communicate 

often. 

This also means acknowledging 

what you don’t know 

and recognising when things 

might have to change as you 

navigate your way along this 

new journey. 

Keep it real. 

No matter what you do, be 

honest with people and be 

true to who you are as a company 

and as a leader. 

People are overly sceptical 

at the moment. Therefore, 

they don’t want to 

see anything overly glossy 

or contrived. 

Just be you. Authenticity 

always wins when 

trust is on the line. 

Text-to-voice technology 

Hiring voice talent for 

voiceover work can be 

expensive, particularly 

if you have to do it multiple 

times for different languages. 

Many of the world’s information 

technology giants offer textto-voice 

or text-to-speech services 

which turn typed text into 

TECH TALK 

> BY DAVID HALLETT 

David Hallett is a co-founder and director of Hamilton software 

specialist Company-X. 

audible speech or voice. These 

high-quality audio files can be 

used to narrate software, both 

in standard operation and help 

sections, accompany training 

videos, or even act as voice-over 

tracks for videos. 

While text-to-speech or 

text-to-voice technology is 

reasonably mature, the end 

results are not always perfect, 

and the scriptwriter has no control 

over how the voice in the file 

sounds. Company-X built a textto-voice 

editor taking advantage 

of this technology that allows 

the user to make the voice sound 

almost like natural speech. 

Speech Synthesis Markup 

Language (SSML) tags control 

emphasis, pitch, speed and tone. 

A variety of male and female 

voices and languages are available. 

The text-to-voice or textto-speech 

editor builds a pronunciation 

library of acronyms 

and specialist terminology. 

With this editing tool, the world 

leader in milking equipment and 

dairy solutions, DeLaval International, 

has transformed the 

manual voice translation process 

internationally into a fully automated 

digital process. 

The Company-X text-tovoice 

editor removed the need 

for DeLaval to book voiceover 

artists, directors, sound technicians 

and recording studios 

for six languages. Instead of 

a half-day block of recording 

costing tens of thousands 

of dollars per language, the 

audio files were produced in 

minutes at 10 per cent of the 

cost. DeLaval’s production 

staff can edit and resynthesize 

the result at any time using 

SSML tags. If the material 

needs to be updated the user 

can replace the entire text and 

produce the voice file within a 

few mouse clicks. 

Apart from the automated 

voice file generation, the textto-voice 

or text-to-speech editor 

created a translation platform 

significantly reducing 

the time to deliver translated 

content to the global market. 

The text-to-voice or text-tospeech 

tool delivers consistent 

results across all regions. 

Skills group 

appointment 

Waikato software specialist 

Company-X co-founder and 

director David Hallett has 

been elected Information and 

Communication Technology 

(ICT) and Creative representative 

of the Waikato Regional Skills 

Leadership Group. The group 

was formed in June to identify 

and support better ways 

of meeting future skills and 

workforce needs in Hamilton and 

the Waikato. It is supported by a 

team of data analysts, advisors 

and workforce specialists at 

the MBIE. “My vision in joining 

the Waikato Regional Skills 

Leadership Group is to help 

increase opportunities in the ICT 

and creative space for the newly 

unemployed and those who 

want to enter the fields,” 

Hallett said.

Come in Cambridge: We spent 

time this month in the town of 

trees, and found small business 

operators going full steam ahead, 

while the bigger picture is also 

promising. Read our extended 

coverage on the following pages. 

Cambridge builds for future 

Cambridge is forging ahead despite Covid-19, with growth fed 

by returnees from abroad and continuing interest from Auckland. 

Building is underway on 

a number of high-profile 

sites, and growth 

cells are preparing for development 

as Lakewood completes 

its final commercial block. 

A three-storey mixed use 

building on Alpha Street 

is quickly taking shape 

post-lockdown, while concrete 

is also being poured for 

a new medical centre beside 

the athletics ground on the 

town’s outskirts. A further 

medical centre is planned on 

Hamilton Rd, and plans are 

also moving ahead to open up 

residential growth cells to the 

west of the town and industrial 

zones to the north. 

Apartments were snapped 

up at the 86 Alpha St development, 

with the building 

expected to be complete by 

November and the first residents 

moving in before Christmas. 

The build includes 200 

square metres of either office 

or retail space at ground floor 

available for lease or sale. Also 

on the ground floor are 32 

undercover car parks. 

The first floor has three 

office suites, one of which 

is already leased. Alpha 

Streets Development director 

Scott Massey says the 

suites will feature high quality 

fitouts for professional tenants. 

Artist’s impression of the 86 Alpha St development. 

The building also features 

six apartments, one on 

the first floor and five on the 

top floor. Massey says they 

sold quickly after being put 

on the market about a year 

ago. One has been taken by 

a local professional, with the 

others going essentially to 

empty nesters. 

Cambridge appealed 

because of the way the town has 

been growing, as has demand, 

Massey says. “We already had 

an idea for a building like this 

and just happened to find a 

suitable site, which we are very 

pleased to have found.” 

That widely recognised 

growth potential may help 

account for Cambridge’s 

bounceback from lockdown. 

The town is the highest growth 

area in the Waipā district, 

which has largely weathered 

the pandemic storm, according 

to provisional Infometrics 

estimates showing economic 

activity sitting 0.2 

percent per annum higher than a 

year earlier. 

“We’ve got room for 

growth. We’re a high-growth 

council and have been for 

some time,” says Waipā business 

development manager 

Steve Tritt. 

“We’ve got all of our 

planning in place around 

growth cells [C1, C2, C3] 

and that’s apparent to everybody. 

We’ve talked about 

our growth opportunities. 

“We do a good job with our 

planning and our preliminary 

discussion, our pre-app meetings. 

And we’re honest about 

what we can do and what we 

can’t do.” 

The council has started the 

first tranche of pipe installations 

to service major subdivisions 

in Cambridge following 

a $2 million contract award to 

Waipa Civil. 

Waipā Mayor Jim Mylchreest 

said moving on tenders 

for the water and wastewater 

infrastructure was a sign Cambridge 

was back on the move, 

post-Covid-19. 

The infrastructure work 

would be welcomed by the 

wider region because it will 

provide job opportunities and 

security and would help rebuild 

confidence in the local economy. 

Tritt expects the town 

will see expats returning from 

overseas during Covid-19, and 

says they are still getting people 

shifting out of Auckland. 

A further strength for the 

town is its lack of exposure 

to international tourism, he 

says, with domestic tourism 

accounting for 80 percent of 

the market. 

The drive and weekend 

market is dominated by Auckland, 

he says, and Cambridge 

has also benefited from a boost 

to domestic tourism as New 

Zealanders are unable to holiday 

overseas. 

Waipā’s strong economy 

heading into the pandemic 

helped soften the blow, alongside 

its primary sector focus, 

as essential primary industries 

kept operating throughout 

Level 4 and Level 3 

lockdown, according to the 

Continued on page 21 

bayleys.co.nz/commercial 

Tim Macindoe 

MP for Hamilton West 

543 Te Rapa Road, Hamilton 

07 850 6262 

timmacindoe.national.org.nz 

macindoe.office@parliament.govt.nz 

Industrial units for lease 

31-41 Clem Newby Road, Te 

Rapa 

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SUCCESS REALTY LIMITED, BAYLEYS, LICENSED REAA 2008 

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Training course opens gate for townies 


A Cambridge firm has come up with an innovative response 

to the looming shortfall of workers confronting agricultural 

contractors. 

With harvesting season 

close and borders 

largely closed 

to the migrant workforce, Ag 

Drive has started a training 

programme for Waikato people 

wanting a start in the industry. 

They are taking on trainees 

who have lost jobs or been 

disrupted by Covid-19, with 

the students funded on short 

courses by the Social Development 

Ministry. 

Ag Drive is also offering 

private training courses after 

contractors expressed a high 

level of interest in the scheme, 

which may be a first for 

New Zealand. 

In the past, the industry 

has largely brought in 

migrants, particularly from 

Ireland, Europe and Australia, 

to deal with seasonal harvesting, 

but with Covid-19 

border disruptions Ag Drive’s 

offering is timely. 

“There’s a massive gap in 

that industry at the moment,” 

business development manager 

Vinette Wilken says. “All the 

contractors we go and speak to 

say this should have been out 

there a long time ago.” 

It also represents an 

elegant solution for Ag Technology 

Group, which established 

Ag Drive during lockdown 

when its supply of work 

from German manufacturer 

Claas slowed. 

Ag Technology tests and 

does R&D on Claas agricultural 

machinery including 

tractors, in both New 

Zealand and Germany on a 

seasonal rotation. 

Then “Covid happened”, 

Wilken says. “We had all these 

staff, and normally they would 

travel abroad and they couldn’t 

because they couldn’t fly out. 

So that’s where the idea came 

up to start the training side.” 

Staff are now working as 

Ag Drive tutors while waiting 

to head to Germany for the new 

season, and the company is 

recruiting replacement tutors, 

including newly appointed Ag 

Drive manager Gareth Wild, 

who will be the main classroom 

tutor. 

The company has also 

moved into new Hautapu 

premises, which include a 

classroom and space for tractors 

where trainees get their 

first sight of the machines 

before putting theory into 

practice on a Matangi paddock. 

Sponsorship means they have 

the latest tractors to train on. 

The trainees come from 

diverse backgrounds and have 

included a pilot and a builder 

along with some from office 

jobs. They are taken through 

everything from safety and 

health to road rules and using 

attachments, trailers, and the 

power take-off shaft. Once 

they’re out on the paddock, 

they have different farm-related 

tasks to complete, as 

well as an obstacle course to 

manoeuvre the tractor through. 

The Ministry-funded course 

has been boosted from one 

week to two as the company 

continues to adapt with a view 

to a long-term offering that 

goes beyond the demands of 

Covid-19. 

Intakes so far have varied 

between eight and 10 students, 

with five tutors. Southern 

Institute of Technology has 

introduced a similar six-week 

course, but Ag Drive general 

manager Janine Peters says 

they went for a shorter sharper 

course because they couldn’t 

accommodate huge numbers 

for six weeks. “And we didn’t 

really have six weeks to get a 

number of people out into the 

contracting season starting 

very soon.” 

The courses represent a 

foot in the door for graduates 

who can then expect further 

on-the-job training from the 

contractor. 

“They’re not going to be 

experts by any stretch of the 

imagination,” Peters says. 

“They’re going to be still at 

entry level. But at least they 

are aware of all the health and 

safety aspects, they know how 

to put the implements on and 

take them off, they can drive a 

tractor, and then the rest of the 

learning is going to have to be 

on the job. 

“We’ve given them [the 

Ministry] some good selection 

criteria, because it’s a tricky 

industry to be in. It’s long 

hours, seasonal. It’s not for 

everybody.” 

Peters says Ag Drive, 

because they know the contractors, 

are actively working 

Practical experience out in the field. 

to get graduates placed, with 

Wilken saying many are finding 

work. 

“We’re also trying to 

engage with the horticultural 

industry because they’re going 

to be running into the same 

sorts of problems,” Peters says. 

“So we’re pivoting as we go.” 

At level 2, they are practising 

social distancing, and are 

putting in plans that they hope 

will enable them to continue 

operating should the region 

face level 3. 

AgDrive is not yet NZQA 

accredited but has worked 

closely with Wintec in setting 

up the course. 

“They were very helpful, 

and they’re still mentoring us 

all the way through the process 

as well,” Peters says. 

She says the Rural Contractors 

Association recently 

said the coming harvest season 

would be short of about 3000 

workers, and many of those 

will need to be experienced 

operators. 

“So there’s still going to be 

a gap. But we’re hoping that 

at least we can help, and perhaps 

encourage a whole lot of 

New Zealanders into a different 

field they’ve never thought 

about before.” 

It is also possible, she 

says, that the course could 

become a useful introduction 

to New Zealand conditions, 

including road rules, once 

contractors start arriving from 

overseas again. 

Business development manager Vinette Wilken. 

BEWARE OF FOREIGN IMITATIONS. 

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But for an innovative bunch, we’re not the best at 

realising the full potential of our innovations, particularly 

when exporting them. 

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edge, offer business strategies for specific markets and 

help you own and leverage your intellectual property to 

ensure no one steals the fruit of your labour. 

www.jaws.co.nz | +64 7 957 5660

CAMBRIDGE 19 


Cambridge is buoyant. Photo: Cambridge News 

Growing Cambridge 

draws strong interest 

By KELLY BOUZAID - CEO, CAMBRIDGE BUSINESS CHAMBER 

By all accounts here and now, Cambridge is presenting well with 

buoyancy in retail, property and customer spend overall. That 

said, healthy surface-level business activity doesn’t mask the 

future-facing concerns around the impact of Covid-19. 

The Bellwether pedestrian 

counter in our main 

street has shown great 

growth year on year, over the 

last two months. 

Our residents and businesses 

have an appetite 

for supporting local and 

carparking is once again 

at a premium! 

Since lockdown, we 

have seen the few shops that 

vacated, quickly re-tenanted. 

We have strong interest 

from both city dwellers 

considering a more rural lifestyle 

and ex-pats considering 

their next move to rural 

New Zealand. 

Pre-Covid, Waipā was 

focused on infrastructure 

investment to meet the anticipated 

growth so, once lured, 

the Waipā district is well poised 

to provide accommodation, 

school and employment opportunities. 

Cambridge is currently 

the highest growth area 

in the Waipā district and plans 

are already well advanced to 

open up three growth cells to 

the west of the town. 

When complete, the new 

areas will accommodate 2500 

houses, a new 1000-pupil primary 

school and a range of 

commercial areas including a 

large supermarket. 

Waipā District Council 

chief executive Garry Dyet 

was recently quoted saying: 

“We know that Cambridge 

will continue to grow because 

people quite simply want to 

live there – and we’re obliged 

to provide for that. So these 

developments need to proceed, 

not just to cater for growth but 

because they will drive critically 

needed economic activity 

in our district as we look 

to rebuild and recover from 

Covid-19.” 

Investment in road and rail 

within the region continues to 

unlock our district, socially 

and economically further 

enhancing Waipa’s appeal. 

All very positive signs 

for the road to recovery, not 

to mention Cambridge is a 

finalist in the “Most Beautiful 

Large Town” category 

and “Best Street” in the 

2020 Awards. 

Cambridge has not only 

demonstrated its community 

values during a crisis 

but has also shown resilience 

and innovation. 

The Cambridge Business 

We know that 

Cambridge will 

continue to grow 

because people 

quite simply want 

to live there – and 

we’re obliged to 

provide for that. 

Kelly 

Bouzaid. 

Chamber is in a 

privileged position 

to work with such a diverse 

group of businesses. 

We are a strong and vibrant 

Chamber dedicated to the 

overall well being of our 

community through advocacy 

towards a healthier economy. 

No other organisation 

represents the business community 

like a Chamber of 

Commerce. 

If you are thinking about 

opening a business here in 

Cambridge, give us a call, 

you’ll be pleased you did. 

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CAMBRIDGE

CAMBRIDGE 


21 

New cafe repurposed, reloaded and refueled 

BY WINTEC JOURNALISM STUDENT VALU MAKA 

Reload café opened its doors to the Cambridge public on August 

13, furnished with repurposed furniture and loaded with on-the-go 

coffee and handmade baking goods. 

Reload owner Jody 

Joblin expressed her 

excitement about 

finally launching her own café 

after being the manager at Red 

Cherry for 11 years. 

“Coffee has always been 

my passion so I’ve been trying 

to get back to what I am 

passionate about. When we 

started it was a completely 

empty white shoe box but 

what it is now, is pretty cool – 

it’s funky and quirky.” 

The café’s ethos of reuse, 

recycle, refill is conveyed 

through the revamped counter 

crafted from scaffolding 

planks, barndoors that have 

been cut and sanded into 

tables, and even a coffee knock 

box named ‘Bruiser’ handmade 

from native timber and 

a ladder rung. The repurposed 

furniture is made by Joblin’s 

partner, Tony Sadler. 

“His hobby is to make recycled 

furniture with repurposed 

timber. During lockdown he 

didn’t have many materials so 

he started crafting furniture for 

the shop with what he had and 

what he could find - he’s very 

talented.” 

Joblin says the success of 

the launch for Reload café 

would not be possible without 

the help of pastry chef and 

baker Gabriela Turcu. 

“Gabi is a passionate baker. 

We’ve got cakes and slices 

that are keto, dairy-free and 

gluten-free options.” 

Additionally, The Reload 

café app is accessible on your 

phone so that you can order, 

pay and get quick service. 

“We know the importance 

of a good cup of coffee and a 

fast coffee. We want people to 

reload fast. You know like get 

coffee, food, fast.” 

Find the up-and-go 

‘Reload’ café on Campbell 

Street, between the Laundromat 

self-service and Team Hair 

Xpress salon. 

From left, Tony Sadler, Gabriela Turcu and Jody Joblin 

Cambridge 

builds for future 

From page 17 

recently released Infometrics 

Waipā Quarterly Economic 

Monitor for June 2020. Consumer 

spending in Waipā held 

strongly through the June quarter, 

sitting in line with a year 

earlier, the report says. 

Despite contracting heavily 

in April, due to Level 4 lockdown 

restrictions, consumer 

spending bounced back in May 

and June to more usual levels, 

its report said. 

House prices in Waipā 

were sitting 8.4 percent year 

on year higher in the June 

2020 quarter, outpacing the 

national average growth of 

7.5 percent. 

However, Jobseeker Support 

numbers locally rose 19 

percent per annum on average 

over the last year, slightly 

above the regional average, 

according to the report. 

Lewis Lawyers welcomes three new partners 

Monique Medley-Rush – Cambridge 

Property – Dispute Resolution 

Monique.Medley-Rush@lewislawyers.co.nz 

Phone: 07 827 5147 

Mayuan Si – Hamilton 

Commercial – Property 

Mayuan.Si@lewislawyers.co.nz 

Phone: 07 857 0003 

Lucy Young – Cambridge 

Trusts – Commercial 

Lucy.Young@lewislawyers.co.nz 

Phone: 07 823 1769 

Lewis Lawyers announces the appointment of three new partners to join Lisa Ware 

and Matt Makgill, with Simon Makgill becoming a Consultant. 

Lisa and Matt are delighted to recognise and promote new partners Monique, Mayuan 

and Lucy. They bring strong reputations, in-depth knowledge and experience, 

strengthening our existing business and providing quality advice to our clients. 

We extend our warmest 

congratulations to Monique, 

Mayuan and Lucy. 

Corner Dick and Alpha Streets, Cambridge | Ph 07 827 5147 

45 Seddon Road, Hamilton | Ph 07 848 1222 

www.lewislawyers.co.nz


CAMBRIDGE 

A local and organic 

fill-good story 

BY WINTEC JOURNALISM STUDENT PAORA MANUEL 

Cambridge store owners Catlyn and Scott Calder run “a bulk 

organic store with personality”. 

Fill Good, a new organic 

and whole foods store 

on Victoria St, is a grocer 

that “allows the mindful 

health-conscious to live 

a healthy, fulfilling and 

sustainable life”, Catlyn says. 

Also included in the store is 

The Studio Collective, a space 

where private barre, yoga and 

Pilates instructors provide “a 

place for movement and personal 

expression”. 

Catlyn says 85 percent of 

the products are New Zealand 

made. Fill Goods will also be 

stocking products from local 

company Bellefield Butter. 

Fill Good store owners Catlyn and Scott Calder. 

The business and planning 

began in March during lockdown. 

The lockdown gave 

them a breathing space to put 

the finishing touches on their 

business model, Catlyn says. 

“What lockdown did was 

it gave me time to prepare for 

when we came out of it. I had 

also snapped up the location 

just before lockdown, so that 

helped me as well.” 

Lockdown gave the couple 

time to sort out “online orders, 

click-and-collect and local 

delivery”. 

Catlyn says 80 percent of 

the store consists of bulk bins 

such as flour and baking powder. 

Fill Good also stock dish 

brushes and kitchen brushes 

made from coconut fibre, and 

expect the arrival soon of a 

peanut butter machine. 

Fill Good are open from 

9am to 5pm weekdays and 

9am to 3pm on Saturdays. You 

can find them on Facebook and 

Instagram or check out their 

website at fillgood.co.nz. 

Second-hand is mint 

- Locally owned and operated for 20 years - 

BY WINTEC JOURNALISM STUDENT DANIELLE ZOLLICKHOFER 

Skip bins 

Our skips come in 4 different sizes, available throughout the Waikato 

Residential & commericial 

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Recycling is increasingly 

important and 

“in” these environmentally 

conscious 

days – especially in the 

world of fashion. 

Cambridge local Grace 

Andrews “went with the 

flow” and opened a consignment 

store at 38 Victoria 

Street two and a half months 

ago. 

At Mint, Grace and shop 

assistant Brodie sell men’s 

and women’s clothing, shoes 

and accessories on behalf of 

the people dropping them off. 

“We are not an op-shop, 

it’s all upmarket second-hand. 

I go through every item and 

select them myself,” explains 

the 17-year-old shop owner. 

The selected items will be 

on the rack for seven weeks 

and are priced according 

brand, style and condition. 

Grace pays attention to 

the eco side of things and 

all items are locally sourced. 

“I want to make an effort to 

slow down fast fashion.” 

The young businesswoman 

had the idea for the 

shop a while back. 

“I am creative and I love 

people, so it was good timing 

when I saw the building 

for lease.” 

Her parents were supportive 

of her plans. “My family 

is really business-orientated. 

They own the butchery 

Wholly Cow down the road.” 

However, it is important 

to her that people know she 

has no ties to other businesses. 

“I am doing this 

all independently.” 

Cambridge, Te Awamutu & surrounding areas 

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CAMBRIDGE 


23 

‘Walk in, BYOD, sit 

down and get to work’ 

BY WINTEC JOURNALISM STUDENT DANIELLE CAMPBELL 

Cambridge co-working space Meraki Workspace owned by 

Susanne Lorenz brings all that’s good about working from home, 

together with a modern, open office space, without the hassle of 

high overheads. 

Recently added is a 

new retail area called 

Meraki Agora that 

allows local artisans to 

showcase their wares. 

Susanne says Meraki, 

next to Lugton’s on Victoria 

St, supplies a desk, internet, 

power, kitchen, restroom, 

and a cool community vibe of 

likeminded people. 

“People don’t have to 

worry. You can just walk 

in, BYOD, sit down, and 

get to work. We take 

care of the rest.” 

The layout is a mix of 

open space, a boardroom and 

a couple of breakout rooms, 

along with a fully equipped 

kitchen. 

An eclectic collection of 

industrial-look chairs and 

tables fill the area. 

These are softened with a 

smattering of cosy couches, 

plants, and artwork. 

Susanne says the process 

of co-working at Meraki, 

established in 2017, is simple. 

“We don’t lock people 

into a contract. If you want 

to go ahead and give it a try, 

we walk you through, answer 

your questions, and you’re all 

good to go.” 

She reflects on why people 

stay. “We chat over coffee. 

We do dinners in town. 

We also do professional 

development. None of it 

is compulsory. But if you 

want to connect, you can. 

“It just happens organically. 

It’s not forced.” 

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80034


CAMBRIDGE 

St Peter’s students 

enter into the Dragons’ Den 

Experienced business commentator and writer Andrew Patterson 

is set to take on a new challenge later this term, co-ordinating 

this year’s Dragons’ Den at St Peter’s, Cambridge. 

Modelled on the popular 

television series, the 

programme allows 

students, either as individuals 

or as part of teams, to conceive, 

plan and then pitch their 

business ideas to a panel of 

judges gaining valuable feedback 

and hopefully sparking 

an interest in entrepreneurship 

along the way. 

The popularity of entrepreneurship 

and learning how to 

establish a business is growing 

amongst young people, particularly 

as they see the way 

technology is fundamentally 

reshaping the job market. 

Patterson says it’s a 

term that resonates well 

with students. 

Tractor & farm machinery 

sold & serviced across the 

Waikato & Bay of Plenty 

“It promotes this idea that 

a business doesn’t just create 

itself. The only person that can 

make it happen is the person 

running the business.” 

St Peter’s alumni include 

the Mowbray siblings who 

after leaving school went on 

to establish ZURU toys, now 

one of the largest private 

toy companies in the world. 

Their entrepreneurship journey 

started at St Peter’s and 

they often return to the school 

to impart their knowledge 

to current students. 

This year’s Dragons’ Den 

will kick off in the coming 

weeks when students will be 

invited to sign up either as 

individuals or in teams. 

At the end of the competition 

four winners will walk 

away with $250 in cash to put 

towards their new business. 

“Wouldn’t it be fantastic 

to see one of these ideas 

grow into something larger 

in the future, because as I 

often remind students every 

large business started off once 

as a very small business,” 

Patterson says. 

St Peter’s, Cambridge 

Executive Principal Dale Burden 

says “we actively encourage 

our students to be creative 

and to think outside of the 

box.Entrepreneurship captures 

this philosophy very well and 

Alumna Anna Mowbray of Zuru Toys presenting to students. 

it is an important ‘takeaway’ 

from a St Peter’s education. 

The Dragons’ Den is an 

example of entrepreneurship 

in action.” 

- Supplied copy 

CAMBRIDGE 

183 Victoria Road 

07 827 7159 

OTOROHANGA 

1 Progress Drive 

07 873 4004 

ROTORUA 

22 Fairy Springs Road 

07 343 1915 www.gaz.co.nz 

Andrew Patterson. 

Open Day 

Sunday, 20 September 

Register online 

Limited spaces for 2021

CAMBRIDGE 


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LAKEWOOD CAMBRIDGE 

Lakewood 

makes its mark 

Lakewood helps connect Cambridge to Te Kā Utu lake. 

The final block of a transformational development in central 

Cambridge is complete and taking on tenants at the end of a 

four-year project. 

The ambitious mixed-use 

Lakewood, coming in 

at a combined cost of 

about $50 million, is within 

a few minutes’ walk of the 

town centre and overlooks 

Lake Te Kō Utu. 

The former site of a railway 

yard is unrecognisable 

as the development brings a 

long-neglected area of town 

to life, with the final commercial 

building “Block E” 

completed in July. 

Lakewood’s five blocks 

feature apartments, a variety 

of retail, hospitality and 

office space and a hotel, while 

the three-hectare site also 

has a large childcare centre, 

and future townhouses 

are in the pipeline. 

The final block of the 

five, with space for up to 12 

commercial tenants, already 

has its Code of Completion 

Certificate with four 

tenants currently moving 

in and one purchaser in the 

process of fitting out. 

Project manager Ben 

Jones, from Greenstone 

Group, is pleased local Cambridge 

businesses are among 

those moving into Block E, 

seeing it as a strong thumbs up 

from local firms who like what 

they have seen as the development 

has progressively taken 

shape. “We’ve had a few 

local businesses who obviously 

have been impressed 

with what’s been going up and 

decided to join.” 

Those relocating from 

within Cambridge include 

mortgage brokers Lime 

Group and lawyers Ellice 

Tanner Hart. 

The zoning is commercial 

with a character overlay, 

which means a wide range of 

business activities are permitted, 

encompassing everything 

from medical to office, along 

with retail and wholesale. 

“By nature, these large 

developments require you to 

plan for multiple uses at the 

design stage because you can 

never guarantee exactly which 

tenant or type of business will 

be knocking on your door to 

take the space. So you try to 

build in as much flexibility as 

you can and future proof the 

buildings,” Jones says. 

One arm of the L-shaped 

building is single storey, and 

the other arm has two storeys. 


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Lakewood 


From page 27 

There are about 1450 square 

metres at ground level and a 

further 500 square metres of 

office space on the first floor. 

The signs for future tenancies 

are promising - particularly 

given the developers 

have had to contend with 

Covid-19 delaying its completion. 

“Obviously, we’re dealing 

with some pretty unprecedented 

challenges in terms of 

the business environment at 

the moment.” 

Jones is confident the last 

few spaces at Lakewood Cambridge 

will soon be filled, 

and says it is likely they will 

include well known New Zealand 

names. “There will be 

some strong operators going 

into those remaining spaces.” 

An open day on 25 July to 

mark the completion of the 

final building drew hundreds 

Council was quite passionate from day one 

when we pitched the mixed use character 

development. They were supportive 

of an outcome along those lines that 

complemented the town centre, as opposed 

to a bulk industrial building(s). 

of locals curious about the 

project that had been taking 

shape in their town. 

In the other four Lakewood 

building there are just two tenancies 

still available out of 26 

tenancies as the development 

adds to the Cambridge business 

scene. 

The Waikato developers, 

Porter Foster JV Ltd, wanted 

it to complement the town’s 

existing offering, staying true 

to Cambridge’s character 

while adding much-needed 

commercial space - with 

research before it started 

indicating insufficient overall 

retail floor space to meet 

demand. 

Their success is marked 

by the fact about 95 percent 

of businesses basing themselves 

in Lakewood did not 

previously have a presence in 

the town. 

The project is significantly 

large in the Cambridge context, 

and Jones says there were 

a lot of “moving parts” along 

the way, as it was developed 

in stages. 

“It has been a journey, a 

project of this size and scale, 

it just takes time and you work 

through it. And that’s why 

we’ve developed the building 

sequentially, rather than try 

and build them all in one hit. 

It’s evolved naturally, we’ve 

filled buildings up as they’ve 

been coming online. 

“The biggest challenge 

has been the size of the team 

involved and how many moving 

parts there are. Good 

things take time.” 

Jones is positive about the 

role of Waipā District Council, 

which was keen to see a 

mixed use development on 

the site after earlier big box 

developments had failed to 

materialise. 

“We’ve found them to be 

quite hands on, very practical 

and nimble, which is really 

refreshing to see. 

“Council was quite passionate 

from day one when we 

pitched the mixed use character 

development. They were 

supportive of an outcome 

along those lines that complemented 

the town centre, as 

opposed to a bulk industrial 

building(s). 

“From day one we tasked 


“Block E”, centre, completes the development.



29 

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CONSULTING ENGINEERS & PLANNERS 

IT’S BEEN A PLEASURE TO BE PART OF THE 

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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM. 

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Waikato | Bay of Plenty | Taranaki 

From page 28 

the architects with coming 

up with something that had 

character and tied in and complemented 

the existing town 

centre and what Cambridge 

is renowned for. We’re happy 

with the end result.” 

Demand proved strong 

for the 16 apartments built as 

part of the first block. “It was 

an untested market. Not only 

were we bringing in mixed 

use, which was a bit of a new 

product for the town, we were 

also bringing in apartments. 

You never know 100 percent 

how the local market will 

receive them until you start 

taking them to the market and 

seeing what interest is like - 

but that went really well.” 

He says about two thirds 

of buyers came from Waikato, 

with about a third further 

afield, including Bay of Plenty 

and Auckland. 

As for the name, Lakewood, 

it was chosen to reflect 


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204519AA 

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31 

LOCATION 

A convenient 

shopping 

destination mere 

metres away 

from Cambridge 

town centre. 

25 minutes to Hamilton and Tirau 

Easy access to State Highway 

Regional destination / travel route 

18 minutes to Hamilton Airport 

Cambridge - The Home 

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We will be opening our office soon in this 

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Our values: 

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“Putting people first is in the heart of everything we do” 

204485AA 

LJ Hooker Cambridge 

Licensed Real Estate Agent REA 2008 

P 07 827 7188 F 07 827 7062 E cambridge@ljhooker.co.nz www.ljhooker.co.nz



Lakewood 


From page 30 

the key natural features of 

the area, with deciduous trees 

putting on a year-round display 

and with Te Kō Utu 

lake nestled below. 

Part of the brief for the 

architects was to better connect 

Te Kō Utu with the town, 

and the hotel on site also 

reflects the connection in its 

name, Hidden Lake. A stroll 

along the attractively planted 

northern face of the development 

reveals views of the 

lake below - views which are 

repeated from the buildings 

themselves. 

The Lakewood development 

also provides for 

extensive carparking onsite 

to promote convenient 

ease of access. 

Jones says the businesses 

that have moved 

into Lakewood have been 

well received locally. 

“I guess the proof is in 

the pudding. Early on it was 

predominantly external businesses 

moving into Cambridge, 

because they’ve obviously 

recognized it’s such a 

strong growth area, whilst 

in these last buildings we’ve 

had a lot more local businesses 

moving into the centre, 

which is the best evidence 

you can you can ask for in 

terms of how the locals are 

receiving it.” 

Ellice Tanner 

Hart welcomes 

local legend 

The biggest 

challenge has been 

the size of the team 

involved and how 

many moving parts 

there are. Good 

things take time. 

Here at Ellice Tanner Hart we’re 

proud to have local Cambridge 

legend, Michael Jones joining us 

as an Associate Director. 

Michael Jones, Associate Director 

michael@eth.co.nz 

From 1 September, Michael and his 

equally talented support staff will be 

fully operational from our fabulous new 

Cambridge premises at the Lakewood 

development. 

With 25-years of national and 

international experience, Michael has 

amassed significant expertise and 

sophistication in trust, property and 

commercial matters. 

Like every legend, Michael is equal parts 

exceptional, hard working, humble and 

talented. But don’t take our word for it, 

come in and meet Michael for yourself; 

and whilst you’re at it feel free to check 

out our wonderful new offices. 

HAMILTON / Level 3, South Bloc, 19 Knox Street / Phone 07 838 3333 

CAMBRIDGE / Lakewood Cambridge, 36 Lake Street / Phone 07 827 8540 

www.eth.co.nz 

2044547AA 

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comaglt d.co.nz



33 

Open day with the Chiefs 

Jon Webb LL.B. 

Barrister & Solicitor 

Proud to be associated with 

the Lakewood Development 

Offering sound legal and practical advice 

and services to meet all of your business 

and personal requirements 

Our team specialises in: 

• Commercial & Company Law • Business Acquisitions 

• Property – Commercial, residential and rural conveyancing 

• Subdivisions • Estates & Trusts • Wills • Relationship property 

J7476P 

1st Floor, HG Webb House, 1110 Victoria Street, Hamilton 

P. 07 834 3311 F. 07 834 3350 | E. office@jonwebb.co.nz 

www.feisst.co.nz 

Feisst Electrical, proud to be associated 

with the final stage of Lakewood Cambridge 

Phone: 07-848 2477 

93 Maui Street, Pukete 

www.feisstelectrical.co.nz


Enlighten signs deal 

Hamilton tech firm Enlighten 

Designs has signed a strategic 

partnership with Australia’s ARQ 

Group, as both companies look 

to expand their Trans-Tasman 

operations. Australia’s leading 

digital services provider, ARQ 

Group, has been working with 

Enlighten Designs for the last 

12 months on web and digital 

experience platforms, along with 

innovative data storytelling and 

advanced data visualisation for 

commercial and public sector 

customers. Enlighten CEO 

Damon Kelly says the new 

alliance will diversify the 

services provided to Enlighten’s 

New Zealand clients by bolstering 

its data science, machine 

learning and artificial intelligence 

capabilities. 

Fresh look for 

Hamilton tech 

company Dynamo6 

Hamilton technology company 

Dynamo6 has broadened its 

service offerings and rebranded. 

Creative director Andrew Rozen 

says the company now has the 

“perfect blend” of disciplines to 

supercharge digital programmes 

of work, build digital assets and 

support them under one roof, 

from strategic thinking and cloud 

engineering to digital experience 

and software development. “The 

Dynamo6 rebrand is more than a 

change of appearance, it’s been 

quite the journey of self-discovery 

to define who we are and what 

we do. Our point of difference 

versus our competitors is unique 

and deserves being told.” 

Dynamo6 was an established 

cloud service IT provider, and 

has been ramping up its 

development of websites and 

apps for the last two years. 

Rocketspark and Wintec get local 

business online 

A partnership with a purpose has seen Wintec students 

using Cambridge company Rocketspark’s web building platform 

to create free e-commerce sites for Waikato businesses. 

More than 80 ecommerce 

websites 

have been built by 

Wintec students studying the 

Graduate Diploma in Supply 

Chain Logistics since 2019 

for start-ups and existing 

businesses. 

Supporting local business 

owners facing the effects of 

a Covid-19 hampered economy 

and new startups are 

areas in need, and head of partnerships 

at Rocketspark, Jason 

Tiller, says they will continue 

to supply their award-winning 

website builder and work with 

students to continue the successful 

programme. 

“Every business needs 

a website and the students 

can design a bespoke 

ecommerce website for a 

local business, for free. 

“This partnership is creating 

a path for business to 

sell online, and it proves you 

don’t need to outlay massive 

amounts of money to launch 

into the e-commerce space.” 

He said that while the world 

has changed in many ways due 

to Covid-19, ecommerce has 

grown significantly. 

Waikato Chamber of 

Commerce chief operating 

officer Paula Sutton runs a 

small business with her sister, 

Amy, creating artworks 

that celebrate New Zealand. 

They had no visible presence 

online until Paula worked 

with Wintec students last 

semester on a new ecommerce 

website for Ampa. 

“Working with the students 

from Wintec was an absolute 

pleasure,” said Sutton. 

“The students took their 

time in getting to know us and 

understand what we wanted 

from a new website that more 

accurately reflected our brand. 

Our new online presence now 

echoes our passion for creating 

good quality artwork that celebrates 

New Zealand.” 

Wintec academic Ehsan 

Yaeghoobi tutors the Graduate 

Diploma in Supply Chain 

Logistics, a programme for 

people who already have a 

degree, or relevant work experience, 

and want to upskill into 

supply chain and management 

positions. 

“Supply chain logistics 

is an increasingly exciting 

and vital space connecting 

suppliers, distributors, manufacturers, 

wholesalers and 

retailers to end users. Ecommerce 

is an important link, 

and Covid-19 has shown that 

being able to sell online and 

deliver in contactless ways is 

now more important than ever. 

It is a vital link in the supply 

chain,” says Yaeghoobi. 

The students’ work is 

overseen and mentored by 

Rocketspark design partner 

Rachel Bauer from 

Luna Solutions. Rocketspark’s 

award-winning Customer 

Success team is also 

made available to students 

throughout the programme. 

This partnership 

is creating a path 

for business to sell 

online, and it proves 

you don’t need to 

outlay massive 

amounts of money 

to launch into the 

e-commerce space 

Wintec and Rocketspark’s 

practical website design programme 

aims to give Wintec 

students real-life insight into 

what’s required for a business 

to operate online, the ecommerce 

web building process 

and how to set it up in a way 

that Google likes, so it can be 

found by potential customers. 

“Once our students have 

completed their projects, the 

website is handed over to the 

business owner who will then 

be able to edit their content 

and go live with a special offer 

from Rocketspark for ongoing 

hosting,” adds Yaeghoobi. 

25 ward street 

Hamilton 

CBD Retail 

and Office 

Space for 

Lease 

High profile CBD character 

building on corner site 

opposite central mall 

Ground floor Retail: 

58m2 at $20k rent pa + opex 



1st floor Office: 



Ring your local agent or 

owner on 0274742326


35 

When IP rights are bona vacantia 

it ain’t no vacation 

In my last article I wrote about the importance of doing 

thorough due diligence on any business or asset acquisition. 

I 

recommended drawing up a 

list of due diligence issues, 

including identifying and 

verifying ownership of all intellectual 

property assets. With 

this article I explore a related 

issue – the risk of IP rights being 

bona vacantia after a business’s 

assets have been sold. 

What is bona vacantia? 

Bona vacantia is Latin and 

means ‘unclaimed goods’. 

More broadly, it means 

unclaimed property. ‘Property’ 

includes intangible assets like 

trade marks, patents, copyright, 

trade secrets and designs.* 

The issue of IP assets being 

bona vacantia most commonly 

arises in relation to registered 

IP rights. 

When does bona 

vacantia apply? 

Property owned by a company 

(limited or unlimited) is 

deemed to be bona vacantia if, 

immediately before the company 

is removed from the New 

Zealand Companies Register 

(the “Register”), the property 

has not been distributed or disclaimed 

by the company. (In 

the context of IP rights, ‘distributed’ 

means assigned by 

way of deed or otherwise in 

writing to a new owner; ‘disclaimed’ 

means withdrawn, 

cancelled or surrendered.) 

On removal of the company 

from the Register, ownership 

rights in the property vest in – 

pass to – the Crown. The Crown 

takes ownership of the property 

because the company no 

longer exists as a legal person 

and under New Zealand law 

the property must be owned 

by someone – it cannot remain 

ownerless. By way of example, 

if ABC Limited owns a registered 

trade mark but does not 

assign or cancel the registration 

before the company is removed 

from the Register, the Crown 

will become the owner of that 

registration on removal of the 

company from the Register. 

Similarly, if XYZ New Zealand 

(an unlimited company) owns 

a granted patent but does not 

assign or surrender the patent 

before the company is removed 

from the Register, the Crown 

will become the owner of that 

patent on removal of the company 

from the Register. 

Can you get your 

property back? 

If property does vest in 

the Crown, all is not lost. 

Property can be recovered by 

a person “who would have 

been entitled to receive all or 

part of the property, or payment 

from the proceeds of its 

realisation, if it had been in the 

hands of the company immediately 

before the removal of 

the company from the New 

Zealand register”. 

The recovery process is 

not a simple one, however, 

and may involve restoring a 

company to the Register. (I 

say ‘may’ because for registered 

trade marks at least, 

entitled persons can pursue a 

private process directly with 

the Treasury which does not 

involve restoring the company 

to the Register.) If the 

company is restored to the 

Register, then, subject to certain 

exceptions, any property 

vested in the Crown re-vests in 

the company as if the company 

had not been removed from 

the Register. 

This ‘restoration without 

interruption of right’ can 

be pivotal in retaining and 

enforcing IP rights – as a trade 

mark owner in England found 

out recently. 

In Fit Kitchen Ltd & Anor 

v Scratch Meals Ltd,** the 

plaintiff, Fit Kitchen Limited 

(“FKL”) successfully 

sued the defendant, Scratch 

Meals Limited (“SML”), 

for trade mark infringement 

and passing off. A key feature 

of the case was whether 

the trade mark relied on by 

FKL was valid. 

FKL applied to register 

its FIT KITCHEN logo trade 

mark (“Trade Mark”) on 8 

August 2016. Unbeknownst 

to its director at the time, the 

application was made six days 

after FKL had been removed 

from the UK’s Companies 

Register for failing to file its 

annual accounts. The failure 

was due to an address mix-up. 

On discovering the company 

had been removed, FKL’s 

director applied to restore the 

company to the Register; the 

company was duly restored 

on 11 December 2017. In 

December 2016, while FKL 

was not on the Companies 

Register, however, SML began 

using a similar FIT KITCHEN 

logo mark; it did so until 

November 2019. 

In infringement proceedings 

brought by FKL in the 

Intellectual Property Enterprise 

Court, SML argued, 

among other things, that FKL’s 

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ISSUES 

> BY BEN CAIN 

Ben Cain is a Senior Associate at James & Wells and a Resolution 

Institute-accredited mediator. He can be contacted at 07 957 5660 

(Hamilton), 07 928 4470 (Tauranga) and benc@jaws.co.nz. 

trade mark registration was 

invalid because on the date 

FKL applied to register its 

trade mark it was a dissolved 

company, and a dissolved company 

cannot apply for a trade 

mark. Much to FKL’s relief, 

the Court disagreed. Applying 

very similar law to that in 

New Zealand, the Court found 

that as FKL was deemed to 

have continued in existence 

at all times, including on 8 

August 2016, the trade mark 

application was properly made 

by FKL and the Trade Mark 

belonged to FKL. 

Take homes 

To avoid a significant headache, 

all companies with IP 

assets should ensure: 

(a) the company’s details on 

the Companies Register are 

correct; 

(b) the company keeps a 

detailed register of all its IP 

assets, whether registered/ 

granted or not; 

(c) the company’s contact 

details for any IP assets 

on the Intellectual Property 

Office of New Zealand 

database (and any 

other databases, including 

domain name registrars) are 

correct; 

(d) if the company has an IP 

agent, the agent has up-todate 

contact details for the 

company; and 

(e) if the directors and shareholders 

of the company 

intend to wind the company 

up, then in preparation for 

removal from the Companies 

Register all IP assets 

are assigned in the proper 

fashion to a new owner/new 

owners before removal. 

If any readers of this article 

require specific advice, or 

know someone who does, then 

contact James & Wells or your 

nominated IP attorney. Don’t 

leave it until it is too late! 

*Refer the definition of ‘property’ 

in section 2 of the Companies 

Act 1993 

** [2020] EWHC 2069 (IPEC) 

Is it time to 

Rebrand? 

We can help with that 

Get in touch today – info@dpmedia.co.nz | 07 838 1333 | dpmedia.co.nz


CONFERENCE, EVENTS AND VENUES 

New venue to join suite of facilities 

for hire at Hobbiton Movie Set 

Known to New Zealand and the world 

as a tourism experience offering guided 

tours of the filming location as seen in the 

Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, 

Hobbiton Movie Set is also known in 

the events sector for its Middle-earth 

themed events and celebrations. 

The attraction often plays 

host to private functions, 

corporate group events 

and conferences for those 

from within and those visiting 

the Waikato region. Hobbiton 

offers an impressive and 

diverse range of fully-themed 

venues of different sizes, all 

located in a world-famous setting 

and delivering a unique 

event experience. 

Adding to the existing offer, 

a new venue will be opening in 

September which is ideal for 

smaller groups looking for a 

private dining space with an 

intimate setting. 

The Millhouse is known in 

the famed books and films as 

the Old Mill, run by the Sandyman 

family of hobbits. Its 

exterior façade featured prominently 

in the films, situated 

at the other end of the double 

arch stone bridge from The 

Green Dragon Inn. 

Up until recently, The Millhouse 

was just that - a façade, 

with the exterior of the building 

themed to fit the surroundings, 

but unlike its illustrious 

neighbour, with nothing inside. 

In 2015, the Hobbiton Movie 

Set management set about 

transforming the shell into 

what it is today - a premium 

venue for private dining experiences, 

small weddings and 

corporate meetings. 

Art Director for The Hobbit: 

An Unexpected Journey, 

and Project Manager for Hobbiton 

Movie Set, Brian Massey, 

said it was a great challenge to 

transform the façade from the 

film set into a fully themed 

functional space for the tourism 

business. 

“A plan was made to build 

out an interior of the Mill, for 

it to be both a practical venue 

to fit the purpose, and fit the 

theming of a converted mill 

building. We utilised weathered 

hardwood for the ceiling 

beams, stairs and accents for 

an aged look, and the walls 

have a dusty white patina, as 

would be fitting for a building 

that has been a flour mill for 

centuries.” 

The construction and fit out 

of The Millhouse was a major 

project for the tourism attraction 

during a period of growth 

off the back of The Green 

Dragon Inn opening in 2012. 

Visitors who joined a tour 

in 2015 would have noticed 

the extensive work that the 

project required including 

draining the iconic lake that 

lies at the doorstep of The 

Green Dragon Inn. Today, 

while the outside of the building 

looks the same as before 

the fit out, what lies inside is 

an entirely new themed interior 

which reflects the Hobbiton 

theme. 

Hobbiton Movie Set CEO 

Russell Alexander said: “Introducing 

The Millhouse has been 

a long time in the making and 

we’re so excited to now be 

able to launch this beautifully 

crafted venue to the business 

events market to complement 

our suite of event spaces available 

for hire.” 

The Millhouse offers the 

same warm, rustic and inviting 

atmosphere of The Green 

Dragon, but in a more intimate 

setting ideal for private dining 

experiences, small wedding 

receptions and corporate meetings 

for up to 32 guests. 

The exposed wooden beam 

ceilings, a crackling fire place 

and curated decor set the scene, 

while the cleverly hidden AV 

technology, full commercial 

kitchen and bathroom facilities 

complete the function of 

the space as a self-contained, 

multi-use venue available for 

hire. 

The Millhouse joins The 

Green Dragon, the Party Marquee 

and the Marketplace as 

facilities available for hire on 

the Movie Set outside of the 

core tourism experience. 

Hobbiton Movie Set plans to 

develop new tour experiences 

in the coming months to share 

The Millhouse with visitors. 

Celebrate the festive season with your staff in the pictureqsue setting of The Shire... 

Experience the real Middle-earth with a tour of Hobbiton Movie Set as seen in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit Trilogies, 

finishing the evening with a delicious feast on-set. 

With three stunning, authentic venues to choose from - The Millhouse, The Green Dragon Inn and 

the Party Marquee, Hobbiton Movie Set has all the resources to create a successful event to remember.



37 

ENJOY GREAT 

EXPERIENCES 

at The Lookout 

HAPPY HOUR 

Our Happy Hour is every Thursday and Friday 

from 4-6pm 

MONDAY 

All day 500gram rump steak with chips and 

eggs for only $20 

WEDNESDAY 

All day cheap jugs 

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY 11AM-6PM 

$10 skewers and mussel pots 

SUNDAY FROM 4PM 

$25 roast dinner (meats change each week) 

Pre-Bookings before 5pm Friday are required. 

LIVE MUSIC 

Chill out to our in-house musicians 

Joe McNamara, Simon Hirst and Ben Sunn 

from Thursday to Saturday 

CHECK OUT OUR NEW MENU 

BOOK YOUR 

FUNCTION WITH US 

Ask us about our private function space ‘the 

terrace,’ perfect for all occasions big or small 

LOCATION: 60 Church Road, 

Pukete, Hamilton 3200 

CALL: (07) 974 5540 

EMAIL: info@thelookoutbar.co.nz 

HOURS: Mon-Sun 11am - late*



MIGHTY WELCOME 

TO THE WAIKATO 

It’s Safe to Meet 

Business Events Waikato, 

Hamilton & Waikato Tourism’s 

Convention Bureau, would like 

to reassure meeting planners 

that it is safe to continue to hold 

meetings and business events 

whilst we are in ‘Level Two’ 

provided they are for under 100 

people. 

“Our Waikato venues are 

acquainted with the guidelines 

and protocols to ensure that 

people can meet safely” says 

Hamilton & Waikato Tourism’s 

Business Events Manager, 

Amanda Graham. 

H3 Business Development 

Manager Melissa Williams 

says that the Claudelands 

team has rigorously tested the 

delegate experience and has 

come up with easy, cost-effective, 

out-of-the-box options 

for clients to meet safely 

and with confidence. This 

includes a selection of room 

configurations that ensure 

the required spacing between 

attendees and unobstructed 

flow, and audio-visual packages 

developed alongside AV 

specialists Vidcom to provide 

clients with online video-conferencing 

capabilities. 

Claudelands has put in place 

tools for easy and robust contact 

tracing for all people on 

site. 

“We know event organisers 

will be feeling extra pressure 

From left to right: Kate Laurich, Wintec Venues / Amanda Graham, Business Events Waikato 

/ Tracey Packwood, H3 Group / Harriet Beattie, Business Events Waikato / Alex Dixon, 

Distinction Hotel. 

to ensure they’ve covered all 

bases when it comes to health 

and safety requirements at their 

events, so these packages and 

options are designed to take 

some of that stress away,” says 

Williams. 

Graham says “All our people 

working in the meetings 

sector throughout the Waikato 

region would like to reassure 

organisers that they will receive 

the same personalized, flexible, 

responsive service they have 

come to expect. People you can 

trust, people who work in partnership 

with you and with each 

other to deliver your meetings 

safely and professionally”. 

Business Events Waikato 

Campaign and Showcase 

2020 

Business Events Waikato has 

released its domestic marketing 

campaign – A Mighty 

Welcome to the Waikato – in 

the lead up to its 2020 Business 

Events Showcase. The 

campaign focuses on the 

‘mighty’ people in the meetings 

and business event sector in the 

Waikato. 

If you organise meetings 

and are based in, or within 

driving distance to, Hamilton, 

do not miss the opportunity to 

meet Waikato’s mighty people 

at the 2020 Business Events 

Waikato Showcase. This popular 

mini tradeshow will be held 

on Thursday, 24 September 

2020 at Claudelands Conference 

& Exhibition Centre from 

4.00 to 6.00pm. 

Event organisers can meet 

with venues, business events 

suppliers, accommodation and 

activity providers, over drinks 

and canapes. 

If you would like to find 

out more about the Showcase, 

please contact the Business 

Events Waikato team - businessevents@waikatonz.com 

Business Events Waikato 

provides organisers with an 

invaluable free resource when 

planning a conference or meeting 

in the region. Offering free 

and impartial advice, bureau 

services are tailored specifically 

to your event’s needs, ensuring 

an efficient and time-effective 

planning process. The bureau 

will ensure the right connections 

are made, the best marketing 

support is offered, and 

help to ensure your event is a 

success from start to finish. 

For more information: 

meetwaikato.com 

businessevents@waikatonz. 

com 

- Supplied copy 

THURSDAY 

24 September 

2020 

UPPER ARENA 

CONCOURSE AREA 

CLAUDELANDS CONFERENCE 

& EXHIBITION CENTRE 

Mighty 

Welcome 

BUYERS POP IN ANY TIME BETWEEN 

4.00 and 6.00pm 

DRINKS & CANAPES WILL BE SERVED 

Exhibitors Include: Venues, Accommodation, AV Companies, Caterers, 

Transport Providers & Activity Operators. 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND PLEASE CONTACT: 

HARRIET BEATTIE 07 843 0056 | businessevents@waikatonz.com | www.meetwaikato.com 

DON’T MISS THE 

OPPORTUNITY TO 

RECONNECT WITH 

THE WAIKATO’S TOP 

VENUES, BUSINESS 

EVENTS SUPPLIERS 

AND ACTIVITY 

PROVIDERS UNDER 

ONE ROOF



39


The Helm’s 

NEW MENU 

is OUT NOW 

Book us for your next event 

From small family get-togethers to 

large functions, we’ve got you covered. Let’s talk! 

Visit thehelm.co.nz to see the full menu



41 

The Clubhouse a leading favourite with locals 

Established in the early 2000s The Clubhouse Sports Bar at 

Cambridge Raceway has become a classic establishment in 

Cambridge. 

Located on the home 

straight of Waikato’s 

premier harness racing 

track it offers idyllic views 

of track and surrounding terrain 

– if you’re there in the 

morning you might even be 

lucky enough to see one of 

the 125 horses trained at the 

track exercising. 

It was this charm that led 

Waikato Bay Of Plenty Harness 

Inc, the club that races at 

Cambridge Raceway, to purchase 

the lease of The Clubhouse 

late last year. 

“The Clubhouse is an 

iconic establishment in our 

area,” Cambridge Raceway 

CEO Dave Branch said. 

“It had previously 

been leased out to various 

operators and we saw a 

great opportunity to bring it 

back under the Cambridge 

Raceway banner to extend our 

offering.” 

The Clubhouse building 

and menu have since been 

revamped and the additional 

income is boosting not 

only the local racing community 

but also Cambridge 

Raceway as a venue for the 

local community. 

The popular trackside 

bar and restaurant caters 

for brunch, lunch, dinner 

and snacks and the traditional 

kids’ menu makes sure 

even the youngest members 

of the family enjoy their 

dining experience. 

The fantastic food on offer 

covers the classics, with an 

emphasis on quality, and the 

specials board is regularly 

updated to keep things fresh. 

Think Eggs Bene for breakie, 

Kentucky Bourbon BBQ ribs, 

or Chicken Parma and the 

famous chocolate mud cake or 

ice-cream sundaes for dessert. 

With indoor and outdoor 

dining options it is great 

choice year-round with an 

expansive sunny deck and 

the large lawn area out front a 

winner with kids. 

The audio visual offering 

has also been upgraded to 

showcase live sport and racing 

year round both indoors and 

outdoors and there are also 

TAB facilities, a pool table 

and Grassroots charities gaming 

machines. 

Theme nights offer great 

value, with Curry Mondays, 

Burger Tuesdays, Steak 

Night, and Kids Eat Free 

Sundays and the Wednesday 

quiz night just some of the 

reasons people keep coming 

back to The Clubhouse. 

The Clubhouse is open 

seven days, from 10am 

weekdays and 9am weekends, 

and is also available 

for function hire. 

Christmas Parties 

WEDDINGS | CONFERENCES | SUNDAY LUNCHES | TOUR & TASTINGS | VINE CAFE 

Christmas Parties 7pm-midnight 

FRI 20TH & SAT 21ST NOVEMBER | FRI 27TH & SAT 28TH NOVEMBER 

FRI 4 TH & 11 TH DECEMBER | SAT 5 TH & 12 TH DECEMBER 

Includes a 4 course Mediterranean banquet 

Dance the night away to live music. 

Multi-award winning winery and restaurant . Full bar facilities available. 

Accommodation on-site. 

Corporate Lunches 12pm-4pm 

FRIDAY 27 TH NOVEMBER | FRIDAY 4 TH & 11 TH DECEMBER 

Have a relaxing lunch at Vilagrad Winery and enjoy our Mediterranean 

banquet under the vines while listening to live easy listening music. 

BOOK 

NOW! 

EVENTS THAT GO THE EXTRA MILE 

We have a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces for weddings, birthdays, 

trade shows, conferences & everything in between 

10-500 

guests 

air con & 

heating 

audio visual bar facilities free 

parking 

W: www.cambridgeraceway.co.nz P: 07 827 5506 E: events@cambridgeraceway.co.nz


Christmas at The Keg 

is the jolliest place to be 

in Hamilton this Christmas 

A Christmas-themed bar and 

restaurant serving holiday food and 

cocktails in a festive setting. 

Christmas at The Keg is a 

pop-up cocktail bar and 

restaurant popping up 

at The Keg Room in Rototuna 

from November 26. 

There aren’t many feelings 

that compare to what we felt as 

a kid on Christmas. Christmas 

meant eating too many sweets, 

skipping dinner and going 

straight to pudding and opening 

gifts with gusto. It meant 

that Santa was going to arrive 

and the magic was all very real. 

That true feeling of joy is what 

we’re all about re-creating. 

Our goal is to set the scene 

of Christmas with holiday décor 

that delights, music that evokes 

warm memories and drinks that 

taste and smell like Christmas. 

Join us at Christmas at The 

Keg this year and feel like a kid 

again, all the while sipping the 

most decadent Christmas cocktail. 

We’re making the organising 

of Christmas functions joyful 

again. We’re well equipped 

to cater for groups with all different 

requirements, we’re a bar 

showcasing cocktails to set the 

scene and we’ll feed you with 

our delicious grazing menu. 

Starting at $35 per person and 

suitability for groups of 2 to 100 

people there is something for all 

groups and businesses. 

You could take your work 

crowd to a restaurant that is 

open 52 weeks of the year anytime, 

or you could do something 

totally different this year 

and give them a Christmas 

experience. Christmas at The 

Keg is here for just five weeks, 

don’t miss out. 

Christmas at The Keg is open 

from November 26 to December 

31 for afternoon drinks 

and dinner, closed Mondays 

and Christmas day. Lunches 

are available on certain days in 

discussion with the team. 

For further information about 

holding your Christmas party 

at Christmas at The Keg visit 

www.thekegroom.co.nz or 

email our functions manager 

functions@theeatery.co.nz. 

POP-UP CHRISTMAS COCKTAIL BAR & RESTAURANT 

Christmas-themed bar and restaurant serving holiday 

food and cocktails in a festive setting. 

Choose from one of several packages to craft the Christmas party to best 

suit you and your team. Packages for 2 to 100 people available. Eat, drink 

& be merry at the jolliest place to be this Christmas. 

The Keg Room 

Rototuna Shopping Centre, 

Rototuna, Hamilton 

07 852 5925 

www.thekegroom.co.nz


43 

“We Do It All Instore - Retail, Repairs, 

Remodelling, CAD & Hand-made 

Jewellery Manufacturing” 

Come and see us at our new premises at 

427 Victoria Street, Just 2 doors 

down from our previous Victoria Street 

store! We now have a bigger brighter, 

more inviting store for a better 

viewing experience! With the same 

great service, friendly advice, high 

quality jewellery, repairs and 

manufacturing instore, as always. 

Visit us in our two locations: 

427 Victoria Street, Hamilton | 07 838 3418 

Chartwell Shopping Centre | 07 852 5341 

www.goldsmithsgallery.co.nz 

22 Naylor Street 

Hamilton 

0800 225 999 

LINKBUSINESS.CO.NZ 

Need a Job to live at the Beach? $185,000 

Hamilton 

· Niche market with very little competition. 

· Great location 

· Easy Parking 

· Homeware and hardware suppliers 

· Currently 6 days per week 

linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00115 

Therese Bailey 021 707 641 

therese.bailey@linkbusiness.co.nz 

Highly Recognised Brand $295,000 

Hamilton 

· Long and successful trading history 

· Team of staff but will benet from a hands-on 

owner 

· Average cash surplus $100K+ 

· No business or industry experience needed 

Electrical Contractor $650,000 

North Island 

· Excellent reputation 

· Residential and light commercial market 

· Specialists in renewable energy 

· Impressive sales and prots 

· Turnkey operation 

Returning Over $200K 


Reuben Haddon-Silby 021 133 0624 

Rick Johnson 021 991 485 

reuben.haddonsilby@linkbusiness.co.nz 

$495,000 


· Well-structured service-based business 

· Fantastic systems, trained team 

· Currently homebased, exible work hours 

· Servicing mainly commercial clients 

· Owners are now ready to retire 

Successful Hospitality $375,000 

Hamilton 

· Well established brand name 

· Consistent performance history 

· High weekly sales 

· Low monthly rent 

· Prime location 


Atul Gupta 021 190 6052 

atul.gupta@linkbusiness.co.nz 

Rugby Lovin’ Sales Star $160,000 

Relocatable 

· Long history & top reputation 

· Average cash surplus of $122,000 per year 

· Ideal skills: relationship building, sales and/or 

digital marketing 

· Did I mention enjoys rugby? 


Alanah Eagle 021 606 345 

alanah.eagle@linkbusiness.co.nz 





Alanah Eagle 021 606 345 

alanah.eagle@linkbusiness.co.nz 

Outdoor Service Business $429,000 

Your 


business sales 

specialists 


· Can be run from home, ideally a lifestyle block 

· Comprehensive plant list $400K+ 

· A preferred supplier, good database of clients 

· Trained staff in place who want to stay on 

· A long term handover and mentoring period 

linkbusiness.co.nz/BOP00154 

Grant Jacobson 027 454 0432 

grant.jacobson@linkbusiness.co.nz 

Reuben Haddon-Silby 

Enjoy Working Outdoors? $129,000 


· Unique garden & property maintenance 

· Established 20yrs+ 

· Long-standing regular client base 

· Commercial and residential clients 

· Includes equipment, vehicles, trailer, website 




Peddle Your Own Way $165,000 

Hamilton 

· Electric bike revolution is here 

· B2C importing & distribution 

· Highly effective marketing strategy 

· Scalable, fun reliable products 


Andrew Whyte 022 097 0065 

andrew.whyte@linkbusiness.co.nz 

Alanah Eagle Rick Johnson Andrew Whyte Therese Bailey Atul Gupta 

All LINK NZ ofces are licensed REAA08

Summit Scaffolding Hamilton - Robert Aughey & Gary Pearson 

Summit Scaffolding engaged Foster 

Construction to design and build the 

new Waikato Head Quarters in Rukuhia, 

Hamilton. The project consisted of an 

architecturally designed 370m 2 two storey 

office and 800m 2 warehouse which is 

finished off with a concrete paved yard with 

plenty of storage and parking. 

Early on during construction the empty 

upstairs workspace was upgraded to an 

office area. These works were incorporated 

into the project and finished within the 

original programme period. 

As a company committed to sustainability, it 

was an easy decision for Summit Scaffolding 

to incorporate a waste treatment plant and 

grey water recovery system into their new 

building. 

Summit Scaffolding were impressed with 

Fosters attention to detail from the onset. 

During the planning Fosters were innovative, 

helpful, and transparent throughout. Once 

construction started the site team carried on 

in the same vein. 

Two weekly progress and health and safety 

meetings were held on site and all relevant 

information was passed on clearly. 

Variations were discussed and mutually 

agreed, and this did not affect the 

programme or completion date. The finished 

building was completed and handed over 

ahead of schedule with a high standard of 

build and finish quality. 

Branch Manager Gary Pearson (pictured) 

has been able to make the most of this 

outstanding facility while setting up Summit 

Scaffolding’s Waikato operation. 

Summit Scaffolding would not hesitate to 

recommend Foster Construction to anyone 

requiring a first-class construction company 

to assist them with the planning and delivery 

of their project. 

“Would we use Fosters again? Definitely!”, 

confirmed Summit Scaffolding Director John 

Scott. 

FOSTERS.CO.NZ . 07 849 3849

Waikato Business News August/September 2020

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