Waikato Business News October/November 2021

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER VOLUME 29: ISSUE 10 2021 WWW.WBN.CO.NZ FACEBOOK.COM/WAIKATOBUSINESSNEWS
Well & Truly
AWARD-WINNING
BUSINESS
Having taken a farmer’s market stall to an award-winning
business, Well & Truly Artisan Pantry owner Sue Loder is in the
running for 2021 NZI Rural Women NZ Business Supreme Award.
Announced in November,
Sue applied for the
awards in July and won
the bountiful table category
which puts her in contention
alongside six other rural businesses
for the supreme award.
“What I loved about the
process, more so than winning
the award, was having to actually
stop and look at your business
and reflect on it.
“Quite often, particularly
in the days we’re in (Covid),
you’re often fighting fires.
“To take the time to be
reflective has been a really
great reminder of where we
have come from and where we
are going,” Sue says.
Located in Kaipaki, Well &
Truly Artisan Pantry owners
Sue and husband Matt bought
the small market business three
years ago and converted a double
garage on their six-acre section
into a commercial kitchen.
“We just saw the potential,
we loved the product and we
could see that we could do
something with it,” she says.
“We knew it was going to
cost a heap to set up a commercial
kitchen and we were fortunate
enough to get just about
everything second hand at an
auction, including an oven.”
Producing gourmet granolas
and pantry products, which feature
produce from local growers
and suppliers, the pair have
stuck to the original ingredients
but moved towards healthier
options; including reducing the
sugar content and gaining gluten
free certification.
“We wanted to make sure
it was a really good healthy
option for people.”
Sue takes care of the administration
side of the business,
including marketing and social
media and Matt runs the operational
side along with two staff.
The couple’s love of finding
work/life balance also extends
to their two staff, who are both
working mums.
“It’s not just about supporting
our family but supporting
others as well.
“When we are recruiting,
we look for character; skills
can be learned but character is
everything and so then in return
we can offer them greater flexibility.”
Not having been involved
in the food industry before
and with a few learning curves
under their belt, it was a year
and a half before they made
changes to the original business
model and developed their
own identity.
“We wanted to be able to
expand the range and actually
have a brand that said who we
were and what we’re about.”
Everything Sue and the
team create is with wellness in
mind, whole all-natural nutritious
food how nature intended,
simply made special.
She prides herself on the
business being totally artisan.
The entire range is handcrafted,
from blending of the
ingredients to cooking and
packaging. Each part of the
process from the measuring of
ingredients to the bag filling is
all done by hand.
Prior to moving to Kaipaki,
the couple had owned and
operated a window cleaning
business in Auckland.
To nurture their new business,
build confidence and get
it to the next level they found
support with Te Waka business
advisor Hayley Smith and
Prime Strategies Group associate
Brad White.
Continued on page 3
Sue Loder

2 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
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WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
3
Well & Truly Award-Winning Business
From page 1
Hayley provided valuable
insight around website development,
funding streams,
brand identity and social
media strategies.
“When we first started Te
Waka helped us identify different
areas where we could get
assistance.
“Because we were so new
to the food industry, we needed
to be sure we were doing everything
right.”
To navigate the first Covid
lockdown, Sue again looked to
Hayley for support.
“She helped us kickstart the
new rebrand and that made a
huge difference.
“She was a really great
sounding board and also helped
us a lot with finding out what
funding was available.”
This relationship led to Sue
working with Brad; providing
expertise in the financial side of
the business.
“He really helped us understand
things around margins and
that sort of thing that you don’t
really need to look at so much
when you’re washing windows,”
she laughs.
“He was really able to help us
get a handle on our numbers and
to be sure we were going to be
profitable and help us look at our
forecasting.
“It’s really empowered us to
go from – yeah we think this is
a pretty sweet business to, we
know it is, and we know what
we need to do.”
Like many businesses, Well
& Truly has been impacted by
the Covid lockdowns but Sue
took this as an opportunity to
take the plunge and rebrand.
Working with Heather
Mackey from Frankly Design,
they relaunched their new brand
in March 2021. The majority of
their market had been with the
hospitality sector and the first
lockdown shone a light on some
of their weaknesses.
“We were so completely
slammed and that was really
challenging.
“We were really grateful for
the government subsidy and we
recognised we needed to have
a spot-on website to communicate
with our existing customer
base.”
Through the website the couple
were able to instil confidence
in their customers to shop online.
It also saw them move away
from relying on the hospitality
sector and growing their business
with stockists and retailers
around the country.
“As soon as we got our packaging
changed and we were
able to relaunch, we were quite
aggressive with our approach
towards retail stockists.
“We’ve learned so much and
recognised that you can’t do
business like you used to.”
Working with Waikato Food
Inc and other food producers in
the Waikato, Sue is now part of
a steering group that is looking
to collaborate and undertake
promotional opportunities, and
more importantly to support
each other.
“You’ve got to do life different;
you can’t stay in one spot,
it’s such a different world.”
With an eye to the future,
Sue is already working with a
biochemist to develop a new
gourmet granola and vitality bar
designed to help increase energy
levels in peri-menopausal and
menopausal women.
The wife and husband team
moved to the Waikato in 2015
and left behind a thriving house
and window cleaning business
in Auckland in search of a better
work/life balance. Burnt out
by their Auckland business, the
pair hadn’t contemplated getting
back into another business
and settled into jobs working
for someone else. In the end, it
was the drive to find work that fit
with their values that saw them
buy Well & Truly Artisan Pantry.
“We’re a bit different, we
choose to put people before profits.
“From the high-quality ingredients
we choose, to the flexibility
we offer our team, to the
partnerships with our wholesale
customers.
“We believe in building a
community that feels supported
in their pursuit for a balanced
life, which is super important
now more than ever,” Sue says
Living in a rural community
has played a big part of the balanced
life Sue and Matt were
looking for when they left Auckland.
“It’s funny most people we
meet don’t know where Kaipaki
is, but it’s the best kept secret
around.
“We have such a wonderful
community, and we love being
a part of it.
“It’s about getting back to
basics, connecting with the people
and the land around you,”
she says.
It’s been an amazing year
for Sue and the team, winning
seven silver medals at the outstanding
food producers awards
and reaching the finals of the
NZ Artisan Awards and the New
Zealand Food Awards where the
winners will be announced later
this month.
“Winning the NZI Rural
Women NZ, bountiful table
award is such an incredible honour,
to be amongst such inspirational
women, past and present,
is such a privilege and truly the
icing on the cake (or should I say
yogurt on the granola).”
For more information about
Sue and her incredible range
or products visit her website
www.wellandtruly.nz
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4 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
Mushroom Log Spawn
Mushroom business born in Lockdown
Local entrepreneurs Sean and Emily
Mills took some lockdown bad luck and
turned it into a thriving business growing
mushrooms.
Both were stuck at home
during last year’s lockdown;
Sean was working
as a Raglan Ray White real
estate agent and Emily’s job
managing Raglan eatery West
Coast Taco didn’t survive the
lockdown fallout.
From growing the mycelium
in agar jars to harvesting
the delectable treats, the couple
have expertly combined family
life and a busy mushroom
growing operation.
Despite lockdown setbacks,
Mushrooms by the
Sea has grown from strength
to strength since it was first
dreamed up by Sean, and they
both now work fulltime in the
business.
Once they had a steady
supply of the fungi, the couple
started selling directly to
restaurants in the Waikato.
Combining the production
side of the business, doing the
rounds of the farmers markets
and direct selling to restaurants
proved too time consuming
and in the last six months the
hardworking couple have sold
directly to Bidfresh.
This latest lockdown has
meant a drop in wholesale
mushroom supply and cancelled
orders, but it did give
them the time and opportunity
to work on their website, up
their social media game and
focus on their mushroom grow
kits.
“Before the lockdown, we
were setting up to do more
wholesale but it’s been too difficult
with what’s going on currently
(Covid lockdowns) and
we’re busier now keeping up
with our grow kits,” Sean says.
Using social media to
advertise, Sean and Emily have
managed to pivot the business
away from the labour-intensive
wholesale mushrooms into
mushroom grow kits.
“Because we weren’t constantly
running around filling
wholesale orders and going to
farmers markets, we had time
to set up products that we had
in the background but hadn’t
made live,” Sean says.
With the help of Netflix, the
couple had noticed a surge in
awareness in all things fungi
and the lockdown was the
impetus they needed to focus
their energies towards marketing
the kits.
“Just before this last lockdown
we noticed a spike in
interest from people at the
farmers markets after watching
the Fantastic Fungi documentary
on Netflix.”
Sean says the lockdown has
also given people a lot more
time on their hands, and he has
noticed people are showing a
keen interest in growing their
own food.
“We had a big spike in sales
a few weeks before this last
level 4 lockdown and it all
snowballed after that.”
The hard work of the grow
kits is done by Sean and Emily;
from growing the mycelium
in perti dishes to creating
the sterile conditions for the
mushroom growing substrate
requires patience, expertise
and the right equipment.
Once that’s done and packaged
ready for delivery to the
home grower, all that’s needed
is a sterilsed sharp blade to
open the kit and a daily misting
of water.
There are two kinds of
mushroom grow kits – the oyster
mushroom and the pekepeke-kiore
(NZ Lion's Mane)
plus a mushroom log spawn
that comes in a jar to grow
mushrooms on logs.
Depending on the mushroom,
the grow kits can be
ready for harvesting in around
five to seven days.
The log spawn takes a lot
longer, anywhere from 6-12
months before mushrooms
begin to fruit in the spring
and autumn. Every 2.5cm in
diameter of the log generates a
year’s worth of growth; 10cm
diameter log will typically last
for four years.
They also sell gift cards,
grow kit monthly subscriptions,
mushroom cultures,
dehydrated mushroom powder
for an intensified flavour boost
and mushroom seasoning salt.
The couple have invested
about $30,000 of their own
savings into buying equipment
to kickstart the business.
Buying the bare bones to
start with, they have continued
to invest in equipment when
they’ve needed to take the
business to the next level.
And the business has literally
taken over their lives and
their house; a laboratory is set
up in one of the bedrooms in
their Raglan home, the laundry
is a hot house of large pressure
cookers sterilising the material
the mushrooms are grown in,
another bedroom and nearly
every cupboard in the house
is taken up with more mushrooms
in their various stages,
and the kitchen is for the harvesting
end of the process.
Outside is a portable unit
where the final stage of coaxing
this exotic fungal fare to
fruition takes place and various
patches in the backyard
are scattered with the spent
mushroom waste which still
show signs of the bloom.
The couple are looking forward
to a new garage due to be
built in their front yard, which
will see them get their house
back from the multitudes of
mushrooms and mushroom
paraphernalia encroaching on
their personal space.
“That’s another investment
that allows us to go up about
four times in production, and
get some room back in the
house,” Sean laughs.
It was a chance meeting
with a former Raglan mushroom
expert Lennart Prinz
that sowed the spores for their
business.
“It just felt right and meeting
Lenny (Lennart) really set
us in motion,” Sean says.
Lockdowns aside, the
mushroom venture has not
been without its pitfalls; the
tricky little fungi do best in
ideal conditions, which means
creating a sterile environment
and getting the temperature
and moisture levels just right.
“There’s been a bit of trial
and error but I read a lot of the
text books to help me out,”
Sean says.
Emily reckons it takes
brains to do what they do and
she credits Sean with that, but
she puts a lot of work into the
harvesting end of the production.
She’s also the creative
mind behind the recipes they
share on their website and has
plans to open a mushroom
food truck to further share the
fungi love.
“The oyster mushrooms are
so meaty and they don’t shrivel
up like other mushrooms. We
cooked a meal for four with
twenty dollars’ worth of mushrooms
and we had plenty of
leftovers,” she says.
To get in touch or
for more information,
check out their website
www.mushroomsbythesea
.co.nz.
Pekepeke-Kiore (NZ’s Native Lion’s Mane)
Oyster mushrooms growing in a kit

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
5
Waikato housing projects in the running
for government infrastructure fund
At least four significant housing
infrastructure projects in the Waikato
have been asked to submit more detailed
applications for the government’s $1
billion Infrastructure Acceleration Fund.
Successful applicants
include Hamilton City
Council, with two projects
accepted to the next stage - a
$331.5 million central city bid
and $18.4 million in Rototuna
North. The central city project
will help Hamilton to build up
as well as out in response to a
government directive that highgrowth
cities like Hamilton
allow for greater height and
denser housing.
If successful, the funding
will help unlock the central city
for more inner-city housing,
including high-rise apartments
and mixed-use developments,
that are supported by the appropriate
infrastructure, amenities
and services. The Rototuna
North bid, in partnership with
developers, will enable 900
new homes to be built in the
area with as many as 370 delivered
in the next four years.
The city’s Rotokauri Stage 1
bid has been put on a reserve list
which may see it elevated to the
next stage at a later date. The
Ruakura-Enderley/Fairfield,
Rotokauri Stage 2 and Peacocke
South bids for funding
were unsuccessful.
Hamilton mayor Paula
Southgate said the inability of
councils, nationwide, to fund
critical infrastructure was a
massive contributor to the current
housing crisis along with
increasing rates.
“Nationwide, we simply
cannot build more housing
without the pipes, the roads,
the power….all those things are
fundamental building blocks.
But there is a frightening gap
between the infrastructure that
we need, and what ratepayers
can afford under the current
model.”
Waikato Housing Initiative
co-chair Nic Greene says
today’s Government announcement
is a key milestone that will
bring the region one step closer
to increasing the region’s housing
stock.
“The Waikato Housing Initiative,
in collaboration with the
Waikato Mayoral Forum, which
represents our region’s 12 councils,
has been working with
government to shine the light
on the region’s housing needs.
“It’s an incredible milestone
to see several Waikato housing
projects make it through to the
next stages of the government’s
$3.5 billion Infrastructure
Acceleration Fund.”
Greene says only 10 percent
of the region’s new housing
stock is classed as affordable
The Waikato region
is the fourth most
populous region in New
Zealand, yet we have the
second highest social
housing register with
around 2,600 applicants
currently waiting for
affordable housing.
and the Waikato Housing Initiative
aims to increase this figure
to 20 percent by 2026.
An umbrella organisation
formed by the Waikato Plan, the
initiative provides a platform
for collaboration and co-ordination
across regional councils,
funders and housing developers
to develop solutions to the
region’s greatest housing needs.
“The Waikato region is the
fourth most populous region
in New Zealand, yet we have
the second highest social housing
register with around 2,600
applicants currently waiting for
affordable housing.
“Despite housing consents
in the region hitting a high of
around 4,900 last year, Waikato
still has major affordability
challenges. That’s because the
region’s housing crisis does
not lie in the singular solution
of just building more houses.
Rather, the issue lies in building
more of the right type of houses
– including affordable houses
– in the right places.” When
Minister for Housing, Megan
Woods visited the region in
August, the Waikato region
worked together to make a collaborative
pitch demonstrating
how government investment
into the region’s affordable
housing projects will be leveraged
with local investment
to unlock greater affordable
housing outcomes. A stocktake
report compiled by the Waikato
Housing Initiative shows a
regional need for over 75,000
affordable houses over the next
25 years.
“Kainga Ora housing projects
will only account for
around 5 percent of new housing
stock over this period,
so a collective effort by
regional leaders is required
to make a real impact for our
communities.”
While the housing challenge
in Waikato is a daunting
one, Greene says, with collaboration
and coordination, the
region is starting to get some
momentum.
“The Waikato Housing
Initiative has worked for four
years to champion solutions for
the region’s housing challenges.
“The government’s Infrastructure
Acceleration Fund
announcement proves that
coordination and collaboration
between the region’s councils,
philanthropic organisations,
developers and other key organisations
is making a difference.”
The Infrastructure
Acceleration Fund, part
of the government’s
larger $3.8 billion
Housing Acceleration
Fund, aims to tackle
the country’s housing
crisis by helping speed
up critical infrastructure
needed for housing
development.
Fund administrator
Kāinga Ora concluded
its initial evaluation
of applications with
successful councils, iwi
and developers asked
to submit final funding
applications by the end
of the year.
Chamber COO to take up role at Waikato University
The Waikato Chamber of
Commerce’s chief operating
officer Paula Sutton
is set to take up a new role
at the University of Waikato in
November.
Paula, who has been at the
chamber for almost six years
and worked with three chief
executives, has been appointed
engagement manager for
the Waikato Management
School – a newly created position.
The role will see Paula
identify mutually beneficial
opportunities for the school
and Waikato businesses to
connect, collaborate and grow.
Paula said it had been a
great experience to have been
part of the chamber rebuild
over the past six years.
“I’d like to thank our
members for their continued
support. I am excited to join
the team at the university and
look forward to building new
opportunities for students and
business.”
Waikato Management
School director of engagement
and executive education Dr
Heather Connolly says the university
is excited to welcome
Paula into the role.
“Paula has some amazing
relationships with Waikato
business leaders through her
role in the chamber over the
past few years. Her appointment
to the Waikato Management
School provides the
university with an opportunity
to strengthen our relationships
with local business, and maintain
a strong pipeline of opportunities
for students to engage
with the wider business community,”
Connolly said.
“The growth we’re seeing in
the Waikato economy has been
huge and we know, as a school,
that there is vast opportunity to
support and contribute to that
growth from an education and
research perspective, and by
better connecting with Waikato
organisations.
“That could be in the form
of partnerships, research
projects, internships for students,
bringing in guest lecturers
from industry… the
possibilities are endless.
We are thrilled to have Paula
joining us to help forge those
connections and realise those
opportunities.”
Waikato Chamber of Commerce
chief executive Don
Good said Paula has been an
outstanding chamber team
member and had played an
integral part in helping the
chamber grow from strength to
strength.
“Paula will be greatly
missed by the team and members
alike, but I’m incredibly
pleased that the Waikato
Chamber and the wider
Waikato business community
will continue to be well served
by Paula in her new role,”
Good said.
Paula Sutton
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6 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
Luxury apartments on the
river launched at One Cook
Street in Hamilton East
With floor to ceiling views north down
the Waikato River, Hamilton’s newest
development at One Cook Street in
Hamilton East promises some of the
city’s most luxurious apartment living.
Lodge Real Estate has
launched One Cook
Street to the market, on
behalf of developers Black and
Orange. The apartments are
situated on the top three levels
of the eight-storey development
and start at $2.365
million. They are pitched as a
once in a generation opportunity
to secure Hamilton’s best
river views.
One Cook Street is the latest
compliment to the character
suburb of Hamilton East. The
complex includes two levels
of car parking, three levels of
commercial space, and a proposed
restaurant and bar with
an expansive deck area looking
north up the river.
Lodge Real Estate residential
salesperson Zoe Wilson
says the development designed
by Buchan Architects is all
about luxury with majestic
views, and top-quality fixtures
and fittings throughout.
This development will
set a new benchmark
for the Hamilton market.
The apartments look
directly north up the
river, and we believe
they will have the best
river views in the city.
“One Cook Street offers
a once in a generation opportunity
to secure Hamilton’s
best river views in an unparalleled
riverfront sanctuary.
Its extraordinary location provides
access to the best Hamilton
has to offer,” Wilson says.
Construction of the complex
will start in early 2022
with completion earmarked for
mid-2023 and Wilson says One
Cook Street will add to what is
becoming an exciting area in
Hamilton city.
“We have already seen
Hills Village launched in
Hamilton East with success.
There are great eateries in the
area and that coupled with the
connection to the river and the
river walkways offers buyers
something unmatched,” says
Wilson.
She is working in partnership
with Lodge Real Estate
Agent James Walsh to market
the apartments. Walsh says the
complex is one of the few that
will ever be developed on the
river.
“There are not many spaces
left in Hamilton to create
something like this, and the
views and the potential of the
area are unrivalled,” Walsh
says. Black and Orange development
manager Daniel Kirk
says the apartments feature
floor to ceiling north facing
windows and high-end fixtures
and fittings, including wool
carpets, porcelain benchtops
and tiles, hardwood decking on
the outdoor balconies and fully
ducted heat pumps.
The apartments range in
size from 144 square metres to
161 square metres and all feature
over height ceilings with
a level of finish well above
the norm.
“This development will set
a new benchmark for the Hamilton
market. The apartments
look directly north up the river,
and we believe they will have
the best river views in the city,”
Kirk says.
The development is set to
be the tallest building in Hamilton
East and with the apartments
starting six levels up residents
will also have the benefit
of hearing the hum of the city
without being in the CBD.
“It’s an amazing site. You
can stand there now and there
is the birdsong from the river
walkways and surrounding
trees, but you also get the hum
the of the city in the distance.
You feel like you are part of
the action without having to
actually be in the thick of it,”
Kirk says.
And while the unique penthouse
apartments at the development’s
top level are on the
market, a firm price hasn’t
been put on them yet.
“We haven’t put a price on
them because we are interested
in seeing what the market
thinks they are worth,” says
Daniel.
Find out more about the development
at onecookstreet.nz

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
7
Noni Martin appointed new General
Manager of Omega Capital
Hamilton based non-bank lender Omega
Capital has promoted one of its most
experienced property finance bankers, Noni
Martin, to the role of General Manager as it
experiences unprecedented growth.
Martin steps into the
new position, taking
over from Omega
founder, Scott Massey, who
will remain as Managing
Director of associated company
Alpha First Mortgage
Investments.
Omega Capital is one of
the largest regionally based
companies in the commercial
mortgage broking industry.
The business has experienced
significant growth over the last
12 months, as access to finance
for property developers across
New Zealand has tightened
following changes to lending
rules at mainstream banks.
Omega’s business has
grown by 25 percent over the
past 12 months.
Martin says her appointment
recognises the company’s
growth and will allow more of
a strategic focus for Omega,
which is recognised for its
expertise in delivering finance
and equity solutions for commercial,
rural, and residential
developer and builder clients.
“We have seen a huge
You don’t typically
find brokers with
good property
knowledge and
the know-how to
structure property
development
projects. Brokers are
traditionally finance
people, but we
have that property
knowledge at Omega.
growth in non-bank lending in
the current environment where
lending by mainstream banks
has tightened. It’s opened the
floodgates to a lot of lending
from our industry, particularly
in property development,” says
Martin. Martin was a partner in
BNZ’s Property Finance division,
managing a $650 million
plus portfolio encompassing
several prolific development
groups, before she joined
Omega in June last year.
She says many of her contacts
at mainstream banks
were becoming fatigued with
the tighter restrictions around
lending.
“I still have a lot of longtime
friends and colleagues in
banking. It’s a very tight community
and the overwhelming
feedback is that it’s a real chore
being in mainstream lending at
the moment,” says Martin.
She says as regulating
authorities continued to shape
the way retail banks considered
property finance, employees
in the sector were left feeling
they were adding little value
for their clients.
“Retail banking is not what
it used to be. It’s really hard to
get a deal done at the bank currently.
There is a lot of fatigue
in the retail industry because
the decisions are mostly out of
the hands of those dealing day
to day with clients.”
In a competitive job market
where their skills could be
well used, some were choosing
to find new roles or leave
the industry altogether, Martin
says. During her career, Martin
has continually outperformed
annual growth targets as a portfolio
manager and is skilled in
identifying key risks and structuring
property investment and
development projects.
“You don’t typically find
brokers with good property
knowledge and the know-how
to structure property development
projects. Brokers are traditionally
finance people, but
we have that property knowledge
at Omega,” says Martin.
Omega founder Scott
Massey says Omega’s customers
will benefit from the experience
Martin brings to her new
role.
“Our borrowers continue
to reap the benefits of Noni’s
experience in property finance,
and her appointment as General
Manager will see Omega
Capital continue to grow its
service offering.”
Omega Capital Corporation
facilitates property loans
between $400,000 and $20
million and assists many borrowers
to secure funding for
their developments and building
projects nationwide.
Experienced property finance banker
Nikki Wood joins Omega Capital
Commercial mortgage broking house
Omega Capital has welcomed new broker
Nikki Wood to their team bringing with her
more than 20 years of property finance
experience.
Nikki, who lives in
Hamilton, joins
Omega from Westpac
where her last role was as a
senior property finance manager
looking after a portfolio
of around $500 million.
“I have a deep understanding
of the property development
sector from buying land
through to consenting processes
and the issuing of titles.
I enjoy working through
lending with a client and
finding the best solutions for
them,” says Nikki.
Nikki’s career in banking
started 26 years ago when
she was applying for a new
mortgage with her then husband.
The bank at the time was
Trust Bank, Westpac’s predecessor.
Nikki was told they
needed more income, so she
cheekily asked them if they
had any jobs going.
“I started as a casual teller
and worked my way up from
there. I spent time in the
retail side of the branch and
then in rural lending before
landing in the property
My background,
including my tax
background, means
I have a really broad
business base. I
understand business
growth and I
am also able to
understand people’s
tax obligations as
well.
finance team,” says Nikki.
Before banking Nikki had
a tax background and when
she decided to join Westpac’s
property finance team, she
also upskilled completing a
Post Graduate Diploma in
Property Finance.
Nikki has also worked as
a volunteer with Business
Mentors New Zealand helping
both start-up businesses
and those that need help in
streamlining their established
businesses.
“My background, including
my tax background,
means I have a really broad
business base. I understand
business growth and I am
also able to understand people’s
tax obligations as well,”
says Nikki.
Omega Capital General
Manager, Noni Martin,
says she is excited to have
Nikki join the team, further
strengthening their teams’
experience in property
finance lending.
“I’m excited by the extensive
property lending experience
and commitment to
finding the best solutions for
our customers that Nikki will
bring to the new role,” says
Noni.
One of Nikki’s biggest
strengths is understanding
how to structure a deal to
give lenders comfort whether
that be through equity levels
or breaking developments
up into bite sized portions to
deliver projects over time.
“I like working with customers
and getting their
transactions across the line
and I know I can do that at
Omega without all the noise
around me that you sometimes
get in the banking
environment,” says Nikki.
Omega Capital is one of
the largest regionally based
companies in the commercial
mortgage broking industry.
The business has experienced
significant growth
over the last 12 months, as
access to finance for property
developers across New Zealand
has tightened following
changes to lending rules at
the retail banks.
While interest rates are
higher at Omega Capital
than through bank lending
Nikki says developers are
increasingly seeking alternative
funding options. Omega’s
business has grown by
25 percent over the past 12
months.
“Unless you have a long
term established relationship
with a bank doing
property development then
lending has become really
challenging. Omega Capital
offers developers a very
attractive alternative,”
says Nikki.

8 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
CONVERSATIONS WITH MIKE NEALE
OF NAI HARCOURTS HAMILTON
Surprise commercial lease
law changes -
COVID-19 rent relief
support measures refined
With the numerous weeks at
Covid-19 Alert levels 3 and
4, predominantly in Auckland,
but now the Waikato, many businesses
have been hit hard, particularly
hospitality and retail. It was announced
in late September that the Government
was making an immediate change to
the Property Law Act.
As part of the Covid-19 Response
Legislation Bill introduced to Parliament,
it will include measures to
help businesses resolve disputes over
commercial rent. It is proposed that a
clause will be inserted into commercial
leases requiring a “fair proportion”
of rent to be paid, where a tenant
has been unable to fully conduct their
business in their premises due to the
Covid-19 restrictions.
What is deemed ‘fair’?
The amount of rent that is considered
‘fair’ would need to be agreed between
the landlord and tenant. Unfortunately, if
they are unable to come to an agreement
about a fair rent proportion, the next step
would be arbitration or an agreed alternative
dispute resolution process such as
mediation.
The proposed law change will only
apply to leases which do not already
provide for adjusted rent payment terms
during an epidemic emergency. Therefore,
agreements made prior to 28 September
2021 to adjust rent obligations to
reflect the Covid-19 situation would not
be affected by the implied clause.
Other changes announced
in mid October include:
• A requirement that the parties to a
commercial lease with this implied
clause must respond to each other
within 10 working days of communication
about the clause.
• Clarifying that parties may seek to
resolve disputes through mediation
or other forms of alternative dispute
resolution before a referral to arbitration,
and that the Disputes Tribunal’s
jurisdiction is not excluded as
an option.
The recent changes introduced to the Bill
will include a requirement to consider a
commercial tenant’s loss of income in
determining what a ‘fair proportion’ of
rent relief would be.
“This change protects against the
new rent relief provisions being used
where a commercial tenant has not actually
had any serious loss of income as a
result of lockdown restrictions because,
for instance, they have been able to continue
operating from home.” the Minister
of Justice, Kris Faafoi says.
“These new provisions will only
apply to leases which do not already
provide for adjusted rent payment terms
during an epidemic emergency to ensure,
in particular, that small businesses get
the relief they need when COVID-19
response restrictions prevent them being
able to access their premises,”
Mike Neale - Managing Director,
NAI Harcourts Hamilton.
Leonie Freeman, CEO of Property
Council New Zealand is a huge
advocate for industry and government
working together to solve problems. It
is the basis for so much of what Property
Council does, and in her view it’s
the only constructive way to tackle big
issues without triggering a ripple effect
of unintended consequences. It’s hard to
argue that statement – the government
appear to be the only ones who did not
foresee the healthy homes legislation,
which targeted at a very small number
of rogue landlords, has created a significant
rise in the cost of residential rental
accommodation for all.
October’s announcement that the
Government will be proceeding with the
planned changes to the Property Law
Act – a move that Leonie believes completely
undermines the sanctity of commercial
contracts, by inserting a clause
into every commercial lease in the
country that neither tenant nor landlord
has agreed to – is simply staggering. A
problem is solved by continuing to find
solutions.
As they say “what goes around,
comes around” - Landlords
and Tenants and how they
treat each other, will over time
experience the consequences
or benefits of their actions.
It’s difficult to see who will benefit from
the legislation, as landlords and tenants
have in the majority of cases, worked constructively
towards outcomes that benefit
both parties. I know of instances where
landlords have agreed to provide rental
relief in exchange for an extension to the
current lease term.
Interestingly, this time around with
the Delta lockdowns, there have been
significantly fewer requests for assistance,
although businesses now have a far
clearer picture of what is in store for them
post lockdown – however, while we probably
all have lists of items that we need
to purchase once we get to Level 2, some
service and retail businesses will never
be able to compensate for lost trade - it’s
hard to make up for the missed haircuts.
There are too many questions unanswered
with the new legislation. How
will businesses under a single company
entity, deal with the different operations
or divisions of their business? - some of
which may be able to trade in one part of
the country but be in lockdown in another,
some of which have an online presence
and others which do not, all good reasons
to continue to let landlords and tenants
work through the solutions on a case by
case basis.
It must also be remembered that not
all landlords are in a financial position
to be able to support their tenants with
rent relief for extended periods of time,
and with mortgage rates starting to rise,
the pressure is surely starting mount on
property owners and landlords alike.
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
Cutting through
the business jargon
THE BUSINESS EDGE
> BY BRENDA WILLIAMSON
Brenda Williamson runs business advisory service
Brenda Williamson and Associates www.bwa.net.nz
Every industry has jargon that is unique to it but when acronyms
(letters instead of words) are also thrown into the mix, it can be
very difficult to understand what the other person is saying!
WIP – bootstrapping
- DV – leverage
- GP – take it
off line - IRR – synergize
- B2B – SWOT – blue sky
- BAU - low hanging fruit
- BD – CSR – EOM - YE
– KPI - P/E - ROI - TOS –
CAPEX – FX - NDA - MPI
Meaningless jargon and
acronyms get in the way of
good conversation. They
put up barriers, are intimidating
and often ignore the
needs of the audience.
Before you head into
a meeting with your
advisor, consider what
you would like to get
out of the meeting.
After all you are the
client and they are
working for you.
As a business owner,
you will no doubt be taking
advice from professionals
such as lawyers, accountants,
business advisors,
bankers and insurers.
Use advisors who are a
good fit for your style. Of
course, honesty and integrity
are vital, and in addition
to them being approachable,
available when you
need them, have practical
application, and provide
sound, logical advice, you
need to be speaking the same
language!
While most professionals
will have a degree or two
under their belt, we all know
there is no requirement to
have a degree in order to be
a business extraordinaire!
In my opinion, university
educated professionals often
don’t realise they are speaking
in a way that others don’t
understand.
Before you head into a
meeting with your advisor,
consider what you would
like to get out of the meeting.
After all you are the client
and they are working for
you. Professionals have an
obligation and are bound to
provide certain types of information
but if you are not sure
what they are saying, don’t
be afraid to let them know.
Rephrase what you think they
have said and ask them to
confirm your understanding
is correct.
Let’s say you head into
your tax accountant for
a meeting to go over the
financial statements and
tax returns. You shouldn’t
just focus on how much tax
you are required to pay;
instead use the opportunity
to increase your business
knowledge. Annual accounts
provide analytical data that
can be very beneficial. It
would be a good idea to write
down 5-10 questions you
would like answered. Any
question is a good question
and here are some examples:
• Why are your accounts
showing a profit but you
don’t have the cash to
show for it?
• How much is your business
worth?
• What factors are taken
into account when valuing
a business like yours?
• How do markups and
gross profit work?
• What are the opportunities
for increasing returns?
• Are there any inefficiencies
showing in the
accounts?
• Is there benchmarking
readily available so you
can see how you perform
against similar businesses?
• Should you be considering
scaling up to take
advantage of economies of
scale?
• Should you be diversifying
your customer base,
product, or location?
• Is there any new technology
that would make your
life easier?
• Is there any new legislation
that has come into
play that you need to be
aware of?
When considering what questions
to ask, think about what
keeps you awake at night.
There is absolutely nothing
wrong with asking your
advisor to speak plain English
so you can fully understand.
They would probably prefer
to have that conversation than
you leave them to go somewhere
else.

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
9
Are your headlights on? - Why your
business needs a robust financial model
TAXATION AND THE LAW
> BY DANIEL KEMP
Daniel Kemp is a PwC manager based in the Waikato office.
Too often we see businesses operating with a back-of-theenvelope
approach to forecasting. This article explores what a
financial model is and why your business should have one.
Financial models provide
answers and insights
A financial model uses a series
of inputs as drivers to produce
financial outputs. The outputs
usually answer a question or
provide insight into a problem.
Inputs are often a combination
of financial and non-financial
drivers e.g., sale price
per unit, number of units sold.
These inputs are critical to
the usefulness of the outputs
because we all know that “rubbish
in equals rubbish out”. This
mantra serves the model builder
and the model user as the inputs
should be designed following
best practice and entered accurately.
The model calculations follow
on from the inputs and provide
the link to the outputs. Calculations
should be separated
from the inputs and clearly
communicated to the user that
they are not to be edited. Separating
inputs and calculations
provides a layer of control,
reducing the risk of model tampering.
Model outputs come in all
shapes and sizes as dictated by
the model’s purpose. Typical
outputs are detailed financial
statements (income statement,
balance sheet and cashflow
statement) with a one-page
dashboard to summarise.
Whatever form the outputs
take, they should clearly answer
the user’s question or provide
insights into a problem. In addition
to direct outputs, scenarios
and sensitivities can be overlayed.
Making use of scenarios and
sensitivities in a model provides
the user with a range of insights.
For example, entering ‘business
as usual’ inputs and generating
scenarios that show higher or
lower growth.Graphical outputs
can compare these scenarios
and give greater insights
immediately, showing the user a
range of outcomes.
Build business confidence
with a clear financial roadmap
A well-designed model produces
a financial roadmap for
the future by leveraging the
past, giving stakeholders greater
confidence in your business.
Using a model often starts
with reporting and analysing
business performance over
recent history. This analysis
can be as simple as month-onmonth
comparisons, or more
complex such as comparing
rolling last-twelve-month
results against industry benchmarks.
Through analysing the
past, the user can draw insights
and refine the model’s input
assumptions.
The future is guesswork,
but with assumptions driven
by analysis of the past, a model
will produce a roadmap that
reflects reality. This includes
consideration of traits such as
seasonality profiling and cashflow
timing. Having a realistic
financial roadmap for your business
allows for better planning
of major spends such as capex,
or of recovery from disruptions
such as by COVID-19.
In addition to internal purposes,
external stakeholders
have greater confidence in a
business with a clear financial
roadmap. For example, many
models are built at the request
of lenders or to support a transaction.
A well-built model with
evidence of carefully considered
input assumptions gives
confidence to stakeholders that
a business is in good hands.
All businesses will benefit
from using a robust, long-term
financial model to help guide
strategy and decision making.
Best practice defines a wellbuilt
financial model
A well-built financial model
should align with the 10 best
practices as outlined below:
1. Keep it simple and transparent
2. Identify and separate inputs,
calculations and outputs
3. Format in a clear and consistent
manner
4. Use structured and descriptive
labelling and units
5. Keep the flow natural - left
to right, top to bottom
6. Use consistent column headings
throughout the model
7. Use one unique formula per
row that is copied across
8. Make extensive use of error
checks
9. Include table of contents,
user instructions and explanations
10. Avoid high risk functionality
or outputs
Any model that is built in line
with the principles above will
stand out from the rest. This
applies to a simple one-sheet
workpaper as much as it applies
to a complex, long-term financial
model.
Build these best practice
principles into your work habits
and see how your work
improves.
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10 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
Are our multigenerational
ratepayer funded
Water assets being
Nationalised
The Labour Government
has spurned its promise of
transparency and consultation to
New Zealanders. Their decision to
ram through unpopular plans to
seize locally owned and paid for
water assets and put them into
four new bureaucratic monopolistic
mega entities shows a lack of
community consultation.
Tokoroa “smart”
mineral Zeolite on
cusp of export boom
Not many Kiwis would think twice about where their kitty litter
comes from, or even what it’s made of. But for Tokoroa-based Blue
Pacific Minerals, (BPM) which manufactures most of the clay cat
litter in New Zealand, the pale porous rocks - made of a mineral
called zeolite - hold much more potential than just potty training.
This absence of democratic accountability
is astounding given the welter
of promises made a year ago by
the Prime Minister to be the most transparent
and consultative government ever.
The dictatorial nature of the decision-making
echoes the worst of the 1970s Muldoonism.
Generations of ratepayers have
pumped billions of dollars into Waikato
water infrastructure and our Councils appear
to have been hoodwinked into aiding
the Government’s fast tracking of the
Three Waters asset grab.
Why would large centralised bureaucratic
empires deliver better water outcomes
than local councils? Most Councils,
National, Act and even the Greens are unhappy
the general public has not received
detailed explanations to that question by
the Labour Government.
Many Councils have done well with
their water assets. Some unfortunately
have not, but most in the Waikato are in a
reasonable state. We need to be clear, all
local Councils have been hamstrung making
investments in core infrastructure by
the Government enforced debt to revenue
rules. Their balance sheets no longer allow
them to borrow to fund intergenerational
water assets. Treasury and the Department
of Internal Affairs are quite rightly sceptical
about the talent and sound business
By Don Good, CEO of Waikato
Chamber of Commerce.
experience of some local councillors, requiring
rules to curb the potential for extravagant
spending of ratepayers money on
non-core assets. This has strangled sensible
investment in water assets. In effect the
Government is centralising to fix a problem
of their own making.
Lost in all the politicking is the very
real question of why we need ever bigger
and bigger water assets, that cost exponentially
more dollars, when smaller individual
water assets may be far more efficient
and cost effective. This is the Mainframe
vs PC argument that Apple, Microsoft
and others so comprehensively won in the
computing industry. No-one has articulated
that argument so far in this debate. If we
look across the world there is good reason
some new buildings will harvest, store, and
use rainwater, with municipal water assets
as a back-up. The Government owes its
tax and ratepayers more information and
consultation. Dictatorial nationalisation always
ends badly for taxpayers, and it will
be businesses who will be squarely in the
firing line. If you do not bring your people
along with you, they will make you pay in
the ballot box.
BPM is the Southern
Hemisphere’s largest
processor and
distributor of natural zeolite,
the ‘smart’ mineral,
which is mined from a site
in South Waikato and has
a wide range of innovative
applications specifically to
improve farm environments
and animal health.
The company, which
recently completed a sixyear
capital investment
programme to build a new
7,500 m2 state-of-the-art
zeolite processing plant
and product storage, now
employs 50 staff in Tokoroa
and is looking at aggressive
expansion into New Zealand
and Australian agri
sectors - and beyond.
The microporous solid
zeolite is known in the scientific
world as a molecular
sieve, with properties of
absorption that can be utilised
to soak up liquids or
compounds, or bond with
something chemically.
Since the company’s
founding in 1992, BPM
has developed many products
that utilise the natural
resource’s properties such
as pet litter, oil/chemical
absorbants, odour absorbants,
barbecue trays and
sports turfs, but perhaps
most notably the company
is continuously fine-tuning
its range for agricultural and
environmental applications;
to enrich soil, bind toxins,
act as a base for slow-release
fertilisers or to purify
water.
BPM has always focused
on using its expertise to
solve its customer problems,
varying from animal
health issues to retaining
nutrients and moisture in
soil, to prevention of environmental
damage, there
are a phenomenal range of
innovative solutions used.
BPM Zeolite
After successfully
launching its agri
products into export
markets such as Australia
this year, the firm is
continuing to develop
industry leading products
with animal welfare and
the environment at the
forefront of its decision
making that draws on
collaborative partnerships
with farmers.
With products such as
OptiGuard to treat calf diarrhoea,
StockRock farm race,
ZorbifreshActive calf bedding,
the newly released
Optimate portfolio of mineral
supplements to optimise animal
health and Permagreen
to reduce nitrogen leachate in
the environment, one in three
calves raised in New Zealand
is in contact with a BPM
product in some form.
After successfully launching
its agri products into
export markets such as Australia
this year, the firm is
continuing to develop industry
leading products with
animal welfare and the environment
at the forefront of its
decision making that draws
on collaborative partnerships
with farmers.
South Waikato Investment
Fund Trust (SWIFT), the
community-owned economic
development fund dedicated
to the prosperity of the South
Waikato, has taken note of the
company’s potential. In 2020,
SWIFT contributed funding
towards BPM research and
identified the business as a
key contributor to the economic
development for the
region as well as the wider
New Zealand dairy industry.
BPM has also recently
partnered with Dairy NZ on
ongoing research to inform
the development of products
that aim to reduce the environmental
footprint of dairy
farming, emphasising the
importance of science and
innovation in supporting New
Zealand’s dairy industry.

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
11
Businesses urged to promote
healthy hybrid work model
Survey reveals state of New Zealand’s workplace wellness
A
re-design of New Zealand’s
workplace in
the wake of COVID-
19 has given more flexibility
to employees around where
they can work, but research
released recently has revealed
a hidden downside to working
from home - which is likely
to have been exacerbated by
the latest lockdown.
These findings come
from the Workplace Wellness
Report 2021, the nation’s
most comprehensive study
into workplace wellbeing.
Undertaken every two years
by Southern Cross Health
Insurance and BusinessNZ,
the report is now in its fifth
edition.
Southern Cross Health
Insurance CEO Nick Astwick
said the pandemic has
resulted in a material shift
in the way people work,
communicate and connect,
and New Zealand businesses
have been at the forefront of
embracing this change.
“Businesses have had it
pretty tough but they moved
quickly to adapt and reimagine
how to operate in this new
COVID-19 world so their
organisations and people can
flourish.
“The challenges of remote
working outlined in the report
are likely to have intensified
during the latest lockdown,
but businesses have continued
to step up to support the
wellbeing of workers as the
effects of the pandemic continue,”
Astwick added.
Since the outbreak of
COVID-19, more than one
in three businesses surveyed
(34 per cent) have changed
their views on working from
home, to offer it permanently
to some extent outside of
lockdowns.
However, 73 per cent of
these organisations report
some employees feel isolated
at home and prefer the team
environment of the office.
This increases to 80 per cent
within smaller businesses of
fewer than 50 employees.
These organisations also
said flexible working has
reduced their teams’ ability to
collaborate (20 per cent) and
has had a negative impact on
office culture (five per cent).
For other businesses, however,
the increased flexibility
has presented a completely
different problem with
almost one in four employers
surveyed (22 per cent) saying
that working from home
has been too successful and
they’ve had to encourage
people back into the office.
Almost 60 per cent of
businesses that now offer
flexible working said it’s
been a completely positive
move.
“Our research shows more
leaders are seeing a positive
connection between healthy
employees and the productivity
of their organisations.
The workforce is the critical
engine of our economy
and powers our businesses
throughout New Zealand,
both in times of stability and
in crisis. One indicator of the
nation’s productivity is the
wellbeing of our workers and
driving positive change in the
health of our nation can lead
to better economic prosperity.
The challenges of remote
working outlined in
the report are likely to
have intensified during
the latest lockdown,
but businesses have
continued to step up to
support the wellbeing of
workers as the effects of
the pandemic continue.
“One of the ways we’re
seeing this is how increased
flexible working offers better
work/life balance. Our
research makes it clear that
while this shift is largely positive,
it does come with challenges.
Without face-to-face
engagement for example, it
can be easy for employees
to lose their sense of belonging,
and stress and anxiety
can rise. When I talk to
businesses however, they’re
focused on supporting their
people with effective strategies,”
Astwick said.
The Workplace Wellness
Report showed that 66 per
cent of organisations surveyed
reported that general
stress levels of employees
increased during 2020,
with 91 per cent citing
COVID-19 as the partial
reason why.
General workload
remains the biggest cause
of work-related stress
reported by all businesses
surveyed, as does relationships
outside of work as the
key determinant of nonwork-related
stress.
Stress related to financial
concerns saw a marked
increase from 41 per cent
in 2018 to 54 per cent in
2020 for all enterprises,
with smaller businesses
even higher at 60 per cent.
When it comes to having
practices in place to
identify mental wellbeing
of employees, large businesses
place more importance
on staff surveys,
while training for managers
is undertaken by half of all
businesses.
“Navigating new ways
of working in the COVID-
19 era is a focus for businesses
right now. They’re
adapting health and safety
policies and making sure
they’re fit-for-purpose for
a workforce that no longer
works full-time in an office
environment,” Astwick
said.
“Businesses have
been finding it hard, but
the importance placed
on employee wellbeing
remains high, and it has
significantly increased
in the past two years.
Leaders are asking for
insights and assistance to
develop more informed
workplace wellness programmes
which we
provide help with, and
this survey provides a
strong foundation from
which to do that.
“The research also
showed a decrease in the
number of people taking
annual leave and a significant
number of employees
continuing to work at
home when unwell instead
of taking a sick day.
These are also things that
organisations should track
and monitor as they can
have a significant impact
on employee health and
wellbeing,” Astwick added.
BusinessNZ chief
executive Kirk Hope said
Workplace Wellness
Report 2021 - key insights
• Over half of employers surveyed have
introduced more formal policies towards
working from home (56.9 per cent).
• Before COVID-19, twice as many large
enterprises (more than 50 people) offered
working from home vs. small enterprises
(less than 50 people) (54 per cent vs.
24 per cent). However, 40 per cent of
smaller enterprises stated that due to the
nature of their business, they are unable
to offer working from home (compared to
three per cent for large organisations).
• Half of organisations surveyed believe
their role in the health and wellbeing
of employees increased in 2020, while
the other half say it stayed roughly
the same.
• 66 per cent of organisations said the
general stress levels of employees
increased during 2020, with 91 per cent
citing COVID-19 as the main reason.
• Workload remained the biggest cause
of work-related stress/anxiety reported
by businesses of all sizes; followed by
change at work and long hours for large
organisations, and long hours and job
uncertainty/redundancies for smaller
organisations.
Fear of getting sick/catching COVID-19 at
work ranked highly as well (22 per cent).
it wasn’t surprising the report
revealed a shift in the challenges
facing businesses since
the last survey two years earlier,
given the significant
impact COVID-19 has had on
the way they operate, and most
have maintained permanently
the changes adopted during the
lockdowns.
“Half of organisations surveyed
believe the role they play
in employee health and wellbeing
increased in 2020, and
WORKING FROM HOME
WORKPLACE WELLNESS
we saw businesses offering
a variety of new workplace
wellness initiatives including
COVID-19 guidance,
EAP programmes, vaccinations,
flexible hours, education,
wellbeing programmes
and COVID-19 PPE.
“There was also a positive
shift in the number of
businesses seeing a correlation
between employee wellness
and the productivity of
their organisation. This is
• The most common number of days to
work from home is one-two days per
week (59 per cent), three-four days (7
per cent), full-time (2 per cent) and never
(27 per cent).
• Almost half of employers offer laptops
and monitors to employees who work
from home, one in three offer keyboards,
one in four offer chairs and almost 14
per cent make a payment to employees
to help cover the cost of bills e.g. power,
internet.
• When it comes to having practices in
place to identify mental wellbeing of
employees, large businesses place more
importance on staff surveys, while half
of all businesses prioritise training for
managers.
• The number of organisations being clear
on ‘if you’re sick, stay home’ increased
from 50 per cent in 2016 to 76 per cent
in 2020.
• 62 per cent reported that employees
continue to work from home while sick.
This is significantly higher for larger
organisations (77 per cent) vs. smaller
ones (46 per cent).
• 56 percent said their employees had
taken less annual leave in 2020, while
only 13 percent had taken more.
supported by the number of
organisations being clear on
their policy of ‘if you’re sick,
stay home’ which increased
from 50 per cent in 2016 to
almost 80 per cent in this survey,”
Hope said.
The study canvassed
116 private and public sector
businesses of all sizes,
representing more than
95,000 employees, or 4.8 per
cent of New Zealand’s
workforce.

12 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
Employers - fasten
those seatbelts!
The new 2021 Resident Visa will
transform the migrant workforce
landscape in New Zealand forever - as
will the new work visa changes now being
introduced in 2022. Employers should
understand what these changes mean for
them and prepare for the ride ahead!
Richard Howard
Fiona Michel
The 2021 Resident Visa
announced by the Government
last month is
forecast to transition 165,000
migrant workers and their families,
now in New Zealand, to
becoming New Zealand residents.
It will also reunite some
families who have been separated
for an extended time as
these family members can be
included in the workers’ resident
applications.
A migrant worker can qualify
for the 2021 Resident Visa
if, on 29 September 2021, they
held a qualifying work visa
AND have either lived in New
Zealand for three years OR are
being paid at $27 ph or more
OR they are working in one of
the many jobs on the “scarce
role” list. Applications will
be made on-line, there are no
English or age requirements,
and the expectation is that 80%
of applications will be processed
within 12 months.
The eventual residence
outcomes will provide long
term security for both migrant
workers and their employers,
who can now plan their futures
together. However, in the meantime
those workers who have
already lodged their residence,
or are holding work-to-residence
visas, will need to make
the decision on whether they
rely on these existing residence
pathways or take the opportunity
afforded by the 2021 Resident
Visa.
This decision will be
informed by the expected
application processing times,
cost and the likely less onerous
requirements of the new
resident visa process. Understandably
some applicants will
decide to maintain their existing
residence pathway and to
additionally undertake the 2021
Resident Visa and then rely on
whichever is decided first.
The Government has also
provided an update on the new
Accredited Employer Work
Visa (AEWV) which was originally
scheduled to begin from
1 November this year. This new
work visa regime, which will
replace 6 existing work visa
categories, will now begin from
4 July 2022. From this date, all
employers, must be accredited
with Immigration New Zealand
in order to employ a migrant
worker on an employer-assisted
work visa. INZ will begin
accepting employer accreditation
applications from 9 May
2022. Apart from ensuring all
employment documentation
and employment practices are
compliant with current laws
there is little else employers can
do at this time to prepare for this
accreditation process.
The reality is that the majority
of work visa holders will be
eligible for the 2021 Resident
Visa, and once they have successfully
completed this process,
they will be able to work
for any employer, whether
INZ accredited or not. On this
basis the requirement for many
employers to become accredited
in the long term will be significantly
reduced although there
will still be an initial requirement
to cover the interim period
while workers are waiting for
the outcome of their resident
applications.
After an extended period of
immigration policy stalemate
the road ahead is clear – finally!
New CEO appointed
for Braemar Hospital
Hamilton’s Braemar Hospital has appointed
Fiona Michel as new chief executive officer.
Currently based in Wellington,
she has been
assisting the government
with the national roll-out
of the Government’s Covid 19
vaccination and immunisation
programme.
“I am delighted to take
up the reins of such a highly
regarded organisation as Braemar
Hospital.
“I have the deepest respect
for the health care sector, especially
over recent times and am
looking forward to continuing
the legacy that has served the
people of Waikato so well for
the past 95 years,” Michel said.
The announcement of her
appointment was made by
Braemar Hospital’s board
chairman Graeme Milne, who
said Michel will take up her
new position in December,
when she will relocate with her
family to the Waikato, where
she already owns property.
Milne said that Braemar’s
current CEO Paul Bennett
notified the hospital board earlier
this year of his intention
to retire after 20 years in the
position.
“The board conducted an
extensive executive search
process which understandably
attracted significant interest,”
Milne said.
“The calibre of applicants
was extremely high, with a
very laudable field of candidates
shortlisted and then interviewed.
“But it was Michel’s strong
experience and capability
which shone through.”
Michel is currently seconded
by Dr Ashley Bloomfield from
her role as chief people and culture
officer at Vector to assist
in the national roll out of the
COVID Vaccination and Immunisation
Programme.
“She comes to us with an
impressive career in executive
leadership and senior management,
not only in the health
sector but also in insurance,
banking and the New Zealand
Police,” Milne said.
I have the deepest
respect for the health
care sector, especially
over recent times and
am looking forward
to continuing the
legacy that has served
the people of Waikato
so well for the past
95 years.
In addition to working in the
technology, banking, insurance
and public sectors for more
than two decades in New Zealand
and overseas, Michel has
won awards in New Zealand
and Australia for achievement
in human resources, leadership,
culture transformation, and
Graeme Milne
industrial relations.
She holds a Master of Business
Administration, is an alumnus
of Harvard Business School,
a Chartered Member of the Institute
of Directors, a Fellow Certified
Practitioner and non-executive
director of the Australian
Human Resources Institute and
an independent director on dairy
farming entity Fortuna Group.
Braemar Charitable Trust
chair Victoria Ashplant also
acknowledged Ms Michel’s
appointment.
“The trust, as shareholder of
Braemar Hospital, is delighted
with this appointment, and is
looking forward to working
alongside Fiona and the other
members of the Braemar Hospital
team to continue the legacy
of improving health outcomes
in the Waikato region in the
future,” she said.
Michel’s appointment was
announced by Milne to Braemar
staff at the end of September.
Milne acknowledged Bennett’s
“significant tenure as CEO and
thanked him for his substantial
contribution to the success of
Braemar Hospital”, a contribution
which will be formally recognised
later this year.
Level 2
586 Victoria Street
Hamilton 3204
Level 3
50 Manners Street
Wellington 6011
07 834 9222
enquiries@pathwaysnz.com
Everest
PROPERTY
• Commercial Property Investment & Finance
• Business Investment & Finance
• Residential Property Investment & Finance
pathwaysnz.com
25 Ward Street, Hamilton everestproperty@xtra.co.nz 0274 742 326

As a festival we’re also
committed to being
accessible to everyone.
We’ve traditionally
presented one of the
largest free event
programmes within
regional Aotearoa and
this campaign will ensure
that we can continue to
do so while supporting
Waikato’s own musicians
and entertainers.
Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival
crowdfunds for the arts
The Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival has
launched a crowdfunding campaign
to help it bounce back from Covid-19
related setbacks.
Festival director Geoff
Turkington says planning
for next year’s festival,
was well underway when the
sudden loss of $150,000 from
multiple funding sources meant
the future of the festival was
looking bleak. Last minute support
to the tune of $100,000 by
WEL Energy Trust, Brian Perry
Foundation, Grassroots Foundation
and Hamilton City Council
has brought the festival back
from the brink but a shortfall
of $20,000 is still being sought
to ensure the 2022 festival
goes ahead.
“They all came forth with
more money over and above the
already generous money that
they contribute towards the festival
each year,” he says.
As a charitable trust, the festival,
Waikato's premiere arts
event for over 20 years, relies
on the support of local businesses
and funders to go ahead
each year. But Turkington says
traditional funding bodies are
diverting their financial support
to assist those hardest hit by
Covid and the festival has had
to contend with an unexpected
shortfall in funding.
“In the scheme of things
when the festival costs $1.5
million to stage each year, that’s
not a lot of money; the festival
literally runs on the smell of an
oily rag.
“We’ve stripped the festival
right back and there’s not a single
cent in that budget that isn’t
necessary; it’s all core.
“We decided to start the
Boosted crowdfunding campaign
and go out to the community
and say – come on, we’ve
come this far we just need 20
more grand to get us over the
line,” he says.
Turkington stresses that
the trustees and management
are now feeling cautiously
optimistic that the festival
will be going ahead next year
- and reaching the crowdfunding
target is the last stage of
a massive effort to raise the
funds to secure the festival’s
future in challenging times.
“Unlike most arts festivals,
who rely almost solely on
existing venues to deliver their
events, we’re lucky enough to
have the iconic Hamilton Gardens
as our primary venue and
point of difference.
“However, what that does
mean is that infrastructure, staging
and technical costs are a significant
outlay.
“As a festival we’re also
committed to being accessible
to everyone. We’ve traditionally
presented one of the largest
free event programmes within
regional Aotearoa and this campaign
will ensure that we can
continue to do so while supporting
Waikato’s own musicians
and entertainers.”
Turkington highlights the
festival not only boost people’s
spirits, especially in times of
continual Covid upheavals, but
it also contributes to the Hamilton
economy.
“Research undertaken by the
Ministry of Culture and Heritage
in 2019 identified that the arts
and creative sector contributes
$10.8 billion to New Zealand’s
GDP and creates over 92,00 jobs
“It’s a huge industry, but also
you can’t put a price on the wellness
of the community.”
With Hamilton, and the
greater Waikato, languishing
under a reputation of not being
cultured and cosmopolitan,
Turkington says, the festival
helps showcase the region to the
rest of New Zealand.
“Hamilton is one of the fastest
growing cities in New Zealand
and we sometimes struggle
to attract the people that need to
live here in the positions that we
need them to be, because of the
false impression that Hamilton
isn’t a destination of choice.
“The scale of the Hamilton
Gardens Arts Festival shows
people that we have something
really special here.”
Turkington says the ramifications
of Covid-19 have been
devastating for the arts.
“The logistical challenges
presented by lockdowns and
border closures make tour planning
near impossible.
“Across the entire ecosystem
of the arts, whether it’s artists,
directors, actors, musicians or
presenters like us, everyone’s
feeling the burn.
“Already we’re seeing the
closure of venues and theatre
companies as well as other cities’
festivals either cancelling or
postponing indefinitely.
“The problem is one of
national significance.”
He says the programme for
next year indicates a bold shift
in direction for the festival with
a line-up that is a “celebration of
humanity”.
“For the last few years with
HGAF’21 Sunset Symphony
the borders being shut we have
been celebrating everything
about being Kiwi.
“All our acts are New Zealand-based
and next year we
anticipate employing well over
600 performers and then you
have your technical and infrastructure
crew.”
Most of the costs involved in
staging the festival, Turkington
says, is spent within the local
economy.
“Where possible we employ
local companies to ensure that
we’ve got a cyclical economy
happening here.
“Other than the artists coming
from other parts of New
Zealand, all the money we generate
is spent within our own
community.”
With the latest Covid traffic
light system thrown in the mix,
Turkington says, at the forefront
of their minds is ensuring the
safety of their staff, performers,
volunteers and audience.
“The government is consulting
the industry to be able to
work through it and by February
I expect that the systems and
processes will be in place.
“We rely on around 600 volunteer
hours per festival and the
last thing we want to do is put
volunteers at risk of animosity
and aggression.
“We will be looking very
closely at what the mechanisms
look like and make sure
that we comply from a best
business practice perspective,
as well as keeping everybody
safe and happy.”
Despite being squeezed in
between lockdowns in February,
this year’s Hamilton Gardens
Arts Festival was among
the few festivals of its scale that
managed to go ahead in spite of
the uncertainty around Covid.
Providing a lifeline to many
New Zealand artists and local
companies, it proved to be one
of the most successful Hamilton
Gardens Arts Festivals in recent
years, showing just how essential
the arts are to the wellbeing
of a community in crisis.
“There were more tickets
sold despite living in a Covid
world.
“People are desperate to get
out and desperate to be able to
celebrate.
“Our programming next
year will be a celebration about
everything wonderful about
being Kiwi.; it’s a positive
festival where people can get
together and be thankful.”
The festival’s campaign is
hosted through arts-focussed
crowdfunding platform Boosted
and will run for one month.
Boosted works on an ‘all or
nothing’ funding model, meaning
if the festival falls short of its
campaign target, all donations
will be returned to donors.
The fund is currently sitting
at 84% of the target with a few
days remaining.
“It’s incredibly encouraging
to be so close to our target with
a week remaining till the campaign
ends. With 173 donors
(and counting) supporting the
cause thus far, and so many
beautiful messages of encouragement,
our hearts are full and
we’re feeling more excited than
ever about HGAF’22.”
The Hamilton Gardens Arts
Festival will be held from February
18-27 next year.
To learn more and to donate,
head to www.boosted.
org.nz/preview/hamiltongardens-arts-festival.
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Procuta Associates
Urban + Architecture
CLEAN ENERGY CENTRE, TAUPŌ
Contact us 07 839 6521
www.pauaarchitects.co.nz

14 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
FLEX, BE AGILE, PIVOT…
YOU KNOW THE DRILL!
PEOPLE AND CULTURE
> BY SENGA ALLEN
Managing Director, Everest – All about people TM
www.everestpeople.co.nz
Aren’t we all a bit sick of these terms
now? I sure am…..but in the right context
they make such an impact! I was thinking
about how businesses are really suffering
in the current environment and reflecting
on the immense sense of grief I’ve been
feeling for weeks now.
Grieving for normality;
grieving for businesses
who simply
can’t operate and are watching
their business enterprise
slowly die; grieving for my
workmates who I don’t get
to see every day and grieving
for our disconnected and disenfranchised
communities.
In the last week however,
I’ve been trying to find silver
linings and identifying local
businesses that have taken the
bull by the horns and pivoted,
flexed, and become agile!
I’ve also made a point of
actively buying local, shopping
in smaller businesses
who desperately need our
support and enthusiastically
finding new excuses to help
the economy financially (I’m
surprised my credit card provider
hasn’t called)!!
I’ve sourced gifts for
friends, I’ve sent care packages
to our team, I’ve stood
in lines of local plant shops
and food outlets rather than
buying from large national
and international chain
stores. I’m trying to do my
bit! As an aside, I’d love
to give a quick shout out to
Bliss Bakery in Queenwood
– if you haven’t been there –
you must try them!!
Amazing service and marvellous
treats. They are celebrating
their first birthday this
weekend and have triumphed
through a very difficult year.
Well done team!
So how do we make a silk
purse out of a sow’s ear then?
How do we flex and become
agile when it feels like all
is lost? For many people I
talk to there are a couple of
secrets to their success.
Firstly, they practice gratitude
every day. They focus
on what is working well in
their worlds, they vocalise
about how grateful they are –
even for the little things that
many of us take for granted.
In positive psychology
research, gratitude is strongly
and consistently associated
with greater happiness. Gratitude
helps people feel more
positive emotions, relish
good experiences, improve
their health, deal with adversity,
and build strong relationships.
The next thing
that seems to be working is
people focusing on what they
can control. Sitting down and
making a list of the things
that are troubling you in your
world and then identifying
exactly what you can control
is very liberating.
It helps the brain focus
on the rational and removes
much of the emotion we
experience when we’re in
flight and fight mode.
Lastly, people tell me that
they are not losing hope and
are optimistic. Again, in positive
psychology, hope and
optimism are both part of
our cognitive, emotional, and
motivational stances towards
the future – indicating a
belief that future good events
will outweigh bad events. I
am hopeful and optimistic!
In summary, let’s help our
local economy grow, practice
gratitude, and bring back
hope and optimism into our
vocabulary.
Here’s 6 quick tips on how
to be more optimistic; try
looking at the world through
a more positive lens (e.g., I’m
glad I don’t live in Afghanistan),
take note of the people
you hang around with (happy
moods are contagious), turn
off the news, write a journal
and jot down what you’re
grateful for today, acknowledge
what you can and can’t
control and lastly, don’t forget
to acknowledge the negative.
This too will pass.
Sitting down and
making a list of
the things that are
troubling you in
your world and then
identifying exactly
what you can control
is very liberating.
Foster’s Virtual Facilities Management
offers property owners peace of mind
Providing a great construction
experience has
been taken to new levels
by Foster Construction Group
with a Virtual Facilities Management
(VFM) programme.
Designed to provide peace
of mind for commercial property
owners, VFM provides a
strategic and long term view
of building maintenance.
Based on an initial condition
assessment of a building, a
VFM plan is ideal for those
building owners who are
keen to preserve their asset
values and optimise whole
of life maintenance spend,
or for those needing to establish
budgets for maintenance
and renewal work.
VFM Brock Vuleta
Providing 24/7 access to
the right people at the right
time to deal with property
related issues, VFM manager
Brock Vuleta says the facilities
management service complements
the full package that
Fosters already offers, from
the development stage of the
build right through to the
completed project.
“With VFM, Fosters are
providing a one-stop shop for
commercial property owners
or someone intending to
build” says Vuleta.
“We can take them through
the develop stage with Foster
Develop, build the property
with Foster Construction,
Foster Engineering provides
high-quality fabrication services
and with Foster Maintain
we can look after that
building for the next 30, 50,
80 years.
“We are creating a really
good full life cycle of the
property from concept to
completion and beyond.”
While a build project may
last 6-24 months, the finished
building should be around for
the next 50 years or more and
Vuleta says a well-maintained
building retains its value better
in the long term.
“The VFM planned maintenance
service ensures warranties
and guarantees from
a new building remain valid,
and all compliance works are
completed in accordance with
the building act.
“Our Long-Term Maintenance
Plan keeps assets working
and you in control.”
Having the Fosters team
at your disposal, Vuleta adds,
is one of the huge benefits of
VFM. Property owners can
have confidence that Fosters
is not only scheduling the
maintenance, but their highly
experienced and reputable
team are the crew on site taking
care of any maintenance
needs.
“Unlike many other companies,
Fosters are in a unique
position where we are able
to use our expertise in construction
and organising other
trades” he says. “And because
we manage it all, our clients
deal with one point of contact
rather than a raft of suppliers.”
The Foster Maintain team
offer a range of skills, including
carpentry, painting, roofing
and floor-laying to assist
clients with refurbishments,
upgrades and modifications
around a property.
“Property owners can rely
on our experience and professional
know-how to ensure
their building services are
fully optimised, compliant,
and efficient. It is also largely
proactive property management
rather than reactive –
which delivers cost savings
and peace of mind for both
the owner and their tenants.”
But as Vuleta points out,
every property has its own
special requirements and
VFM designs a maintenance
plan that is tailored to the
building and the environment.
Plus, there are always reactive
issues that pop up.
Utilising Tell Frankie, an
Auckland-based property
management App, the building
owner can check into the
maintenance schedule every
step of the way.
“Tell Frankie gives our clients
full overview of what’s
happening in the maintenance
schedule” says Vuleta. “Our
team can schedule a property’s
work and the client
can log into the programme
as well and see everything
that is happening on their
property.
“They can also use the programme
to log reactive work.
For example, if there was a
door not closing correctly,
they can log the job in Tell
Frankie and our team can pick
that up and react to it.
“It gives them a really
transparent overview of
everything that goes on.”
The VFM planned maintenance
service is contracted on
a three-yearly basis and property
owners can opt out after
12 months if the service does
not meet expectations.
Planned maintenance costs
are agreed up front and broken
down into monthly payments
to assist with budgeting
and cashflow.
Go to the back page to find
out how Foster’s VFM partners
with DV Bryant Trust to
ensure the trust’s well-managed
assets continue to help
fund its philanthropic activities
in the Waikato.

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
15
NZ genetics company Tropical Dairy
Group announces capital raise on Catalist
New Zealand dairy genetics company
Tropical Dairy Group Limited (TDG)
announced recently a private offer on
Catalist - a new stock exchange designed
for small to medium enterprises (SMEs).
Seeking to raise $3 million
from wholesale
investors, TDG is the
holding company and 100%
owner of both Thermo Regulatory
Genetics Limited and
Dairy Solutionz (NZ) Limited,
founded in 2018 and 2009
respectively.
We are predicting good
interest from dairy
farmers as well as the
wider New Zealand ag
community.
mal welfare and helping the
world’s hottest communities
provide greater food and protein
security.
Chair Tim Heeley says
this is a great opportunity for
New Zealanders to invest in
a world-first genetic solution,
originating from the Waikato.
“TDG is a technology-driven,
growth business.
Being a pioneering genetics
company with a global
perspective, coupled with a
presence anchored in New
Zealand, makes us a unique
investment opportunity,” he
says.
“We are predicting good
interest from dairy farmers as
well as the wider New Zealand
ag community. The investment
should also appeal to people
looking to fund solutions to
global food insecurity issues
linked to climate change.”
The Ohaupo-based company
started breeding tropical
dairy genetics in 2008, with
14 private investors to date -
many of them New Zealand
dairy farmers.
Now, TDG invites whole-
Tim Heeley Chair Tropical Dairy Group with Eros the Slick bull
The raise comes ahead of
an intended public listing in
early 2022 on the Catalist Public
Market.
Focused on developing
heat-tolerant cattle in tropical
climates, TDG’s genetics are
sold into markets throughout
Asia, the USA and South
America, improving anisale
investors to come onboard,
allowing access through a
nominee investment vehicle
with a minimum investment
amount of $10,000.
Catalist’s CEO Colin
Magee says he is delighted
to welcome Tropical Dairy
Group to the exchange.
“It’s great to see TDG
taking the next step in their
growth journey by listing on
a Catalist Private Market and
we’re pleased we can help
facilitate both capital raising
and generating liquidity for
their investors,” he says.
“We hope this initial offer
will help with their goal of a
public listing on our licensed
stock exchange early next year
– it’d mean anyone in New
Zealand, not just wholesale
investors, could buy shares
in this unique investment
opportunity.”
TDG announced earlier this
year it has bred the world’s
first team of Jersey bulls that
all carry the dominant ‘Slick’
gene – meaning daughters of
these bulls are certain to exhibit
heat tolerant traits. Cows with
the ‘Slick’ gene cope better in
tropical climates, mitigating
heat stress and improving milk
production for countries with
some of the world’s greatest
deficits of protein.
To date, the ‘Slick’ gene
has been bred into Holsteins,
crossbreeds and Jerseys,
leading to the TDG
herd being the largest and
most diverse slick-breeding
herd in the world.
Following TDG’s planned
2022 public offering, investors
will have the opportunity to
trade TDG’s shares every six
months, in a secondary market,
on the Catalist exchange.
Interested investors should
sign up for a Catalist account
and go to www.catalist.
co.nz/businesses/landing/
Tropical_Dairy_Group_
Limited to request access. For
more information contact tim.
heeley@trgenetics.co.nz
Mandatory three waters
reform for councils
Three waters reforms will be mandatory
for councils creating a new four-entity
structure to manage water services
across New Zealand, the government has
announced.
Despite councils being
offered to opt-in or
opt-out, the reform
will see the management
of drinking water, wastewater
and stormwater transferred
from 67 councils to
four public-owned entities.
Local Government Minister
Nanaia Mahuta confirmed
a transition to new structures
by July 2024 and the establishment
of a working group
with councils to reach agreement
on governance structures
and ensure local views
are represented.
The announcement comes
after an intensive eightweek
period for local government
to provide feedback
on the government’s reform
proposals.
Hamilton City Council
Mayor Paula Southgate says
Hamilton’s feedback to government
earlier this month
was that it did not support the
proposals as they stand.
“This is the government’s
reform, not ours, but we need
big changes before this plan
is acceptable to us.
“Any reform needs to be
done in a way that works for
our city and our ratepayers
and I’ll be fighting to make
that happen.
“Our council has raised
strong concerns about consultation,
ownership of assets
and the retention of a local
voice.
We like many councils
in New Zealand are
concerned about
the governance
arrangements, in
particular the ability
of local councils such
as ourselves to get our
voices heard.
“Council has demanded
ironclad protections against
privatisation. These issues
need to be addressed,” Southgate
says.
Waipā District’s Mayor
Jim Mylchreest says the
announcement puts paid to
a public consultation period
promised by the government.
“Waipā District Council
still don’t support the
reforms in its current format,
and we wanted time to consult
with our community, in a
public forum, which we were
not able to do. We also had
questions we wanted answers
to. It is very disappointing to
say the least.
“Now we need to look
ahead to what we can do.
How can we make this work
best for Waipā - even though
we are not happy about it,”
Mylchreest says.
Western Bay of Plenty
District Council Mayor Garry
Webber says the decision
to make participation compulsory
is a disappointing
blow given council bought
into this reform process
because it was optional.
“We like many councils
in New Zealand are concerned
about the governance
arrangements, in particular
the ability of local councils
such as ourselves to get our
voices heard,” Webber says.
“Based on past experiences
there is no guarantee
that the best laid plans will be
funded centrally when there
are bigger councils with bigger
problems that need resolution.
“Given it is a government-led
reform we as a
council will be discussing
very quickly our approach to
getting the views of our community
in a format where we
can present them wherever
necessary to government.”
The Waikato and the Bay of
Plenty will be part of a central
North Island entity including
councils in Taranaki,
and parts of Manawatu-
Whanganui.
The Department of Internal
Affairs have indicated in
their timeline that the three
pieces of legislation to implement
their decision will have
select committee processes
and public submissions and
hearings.
This will be another
avenue council can use to
express the community’s
views and advocate for their
interests.

16 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
STOP SHOUTING
TELLING YOUR STORY
> BY VICKI JONES
Vicki Jones is director of Dugmore Jones, Hamilton-based brand
management consultancy. Email vicki@dugmorejones.co.nz
It has now become an accepted understanding that using capital
letters in texts or messaging is like shouting, used for dramatic
emphasis and implying a need to be heard, often in anger. But it
doesn’t stop in our DMs, it’s everywhere.
We’re bombarded
with advertising
messages. Seemingly
everywhere we go.
Congratulations to anyone
who successfully goes a day
without seeing anything. I
applaud you.
The more they bombard us,
the more advertisers are challenged
to find ways to stand
out. But is being loud and
overbearing really the way?
Do they really think I’ll listen
more if they’re metaphorically
or literally screaming in my
ears?
It feels that, in recent years,
there has been a resurgence
in overly bold, bright colours
in advertising, often garish
in fact. Ironically, this makes
the ads that are simpler and
more sophisticated in their
delivery stand out for many
observers, but it’s clear to see
that instant visual impact is
the name of the game in the
realms of the cacophony.
Digital advertising started
off as simple static versions
of the ads we had previously
put in print.
But now they have
evolved, through necessity,
to frequently include video or
animation, not only to fight
harder to catch our eye but
also to create greater opportunity
to tell a fuller story. And
that may not always be a bad
thing.
In terms of media placement,
they explode into gaps
on our screens, or just muscle
their way in to find their own
spaces to spear their message
across.
Whatever the creative
approach, they even follow
us around, cunningly aware
of the websites we’ve visited,
tugging on our sleeves like an
impatient toddler in the hopes
of tempting us back.
I know, I’m supposed to
be a fan of the fact that all
these options are available to
us. And I am, believe me. But
does so much of it have to be
so rah-rah-rah?
I often see ads that are
beautifully presented, with
smart and sophisticated design
and, more importantly, great
messages that connect me
to their brand with heart and
soul. Many New Zealand
brands do this so well, gently
seducing us with clever thinking
or with humour that leaves
an enduring smile. While others
make me want to wrap my
arms over my head and hide
from the world.
When the ads are 6 by 8
meters, towering above us in
LED lighting, the shoutiness
is even harder to get used to,
don’t you think? Again, don’t
get me wrong, digital billboards
are a fantastic option
for advertisers these days as
they don’t break the bank, are
located in prime high traffic
positions and certainly have a
strong visual impact. But are
we turning into the Vegas Strip
or downtown LA? Does the
future hold miles upon miles
of light pollution clogging our
streets? Like most things, I
hope we manage to maintain
a balance.
I hate to confess it but,
during lockdowns (I wasn’t
going to mention it, sorry) I’ve
got stuck down many a rabbit
hole of paid posts and ads on
social media.
Most of the time I felt like I
was watching a mini shopping
channel in the palm of my
hand, with demonstrations and
buyer testimonials from either
the business owner, a promo
person or a paid influencer.
Too frequently, I came across
what must be the social media
advertising equivalent of the
shouty-capitals. Over-enthusiastic
endorsement, fast
cut edits, music that induces
those ear-worms that stick
with you all day, eye-watering
emojis and bitmojis and whatever-they-are-mojis
and, of
course, literal shouting.
We have a
responsibility to make
sure the way we
present our messages
is authentic to our
brands and delivered
in a way we believe
our audiences will
appreciate and act
upon.
Not all those ads were
shouting at me, of course.
Some were just talking. Constantly.
Repetitively. Again.
And again. And again.
Radio ads with jingles that
can grate. Design that may
offend us. Frequency that
drives us to distraction. It may
not be everybody’s cup of tea
but clearly, it’s a strategy that
works for some advertisers.
Even if it is an approach I
struggle to endorse as a general
rule, there are certainly
products and brands that
need to take the capitalised
approach in crowded marketplaces
with time-poor audiences.
As marketers, it’s up to us if
we feel that this approach will
resonate with our audiences.
We have a responsibility to
make sure the way we present
our messages is authentic to
our brands and delivered in a
way we believe our audiences
will appreciate and act upon.
We can all think fondly
of quieter times in terms of
how brands attempt to connect
with us but, like the
capital letter shouting in messages,
the loud approach is,
I suspect, here to stay.
Securing yourself against the digitus
impudicus in IPONZ proceedings
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.
Picture this: You’re a local NZ business and you’ve just
successfully defended an opposition to registration of your trade
mark before the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand
(IPONZ). As a result of your win, the assistant commissioner has
awarded you $2850 in costs.
The award is not a lot compared
to what you’ve
spent, but, hey, at least it’s
something.
Your account details have
been sent to the losing party
and…nothing. Silence. Your
lawyers send a reminder for
payment and, again, silence.
The losing party has shown
you its digitus impudicus.1
Frustrating, right? Annoying
– sure! Especially when
your lawyer tells you that the
High Court process to recover
the meagre sum awarded by
the assistant commissioner will
cost more than the award itself.
What’s worse in your case is
that the loser is based overseas,
so in addition there’s the whole
process – and cost – of trying
to enforce the court’s order for
payment in the loser’s jurisdiction.
Arrghh!!!
In these circumstances, your
victory can seem a very pyrrhic
one, and rightly so.
Fortunately, there is something
parties in trade mark,
patent and design proceedings
before IPONZ can do to mitigate
the potential for non-payment
of costs.
That ‘something’ is obtaining
security for costs.
The Trade Marks Act 2002,
the Patents Act 2013 and the
Designs Act 1953 all have provisions2
which enable the relevant
Commissioner to order a
party to pay security for costs.
Section 167 of the Trade Marks
Act 2002, for example, states:
167 Commissioner or court
may require security for costs
1. The Commissioner or the
court, as the case may be,
may require a party to
legal proceedings under
this Act to give security
for the costs of the proceedings
if satisfied that
(a) the party does not reside,
and does not carry on business,
in New Zealand; or
(b) there is reason to believe
that the party will be unable
to pay the costs of the other
party if unsuccessful in the
proceedings.
2. If the party does not give
the security required, the
Commissioner or the court
may treat the proceedings as
abandoned by the
party and determine
the matter accordingly.
Looking at the scenario I started
this article with, it would have
been prudent for the winner to
have applied for an order for
payment of security for costs
under section 167(1)(a) if it
could establish the other side did
not reside, and did not carry on
business, in New Zealand.
In those circumstances, the
commissioner should have
ordered security for costs unless
there was something in the surrounding
circumstances that
suggested the commissioner
should not have granted the
order because it would be unjust
on the opponent.3
Applying may also have
made the other side think
twice about pursuing the opposition
– or at least encouraged
them to negotiate
an acceptable resolution.
Despite the apparent ease
with which orders for payment
of security may be obtained
against overseas parties (I stress
‘may’), orders for payment of
security in these circumstances
are seemingly rare.4 This is
surprising given the number of
proceedings involving overseas
based vs NZ based parties,
and indicates a remarkable
amount of trust of NZ based
parties’ behalf that their opponents
will pay up if they lose.
Either that, or that applying for
security for costs in IPONZ
proceedings is an under-utilised
tool. I think both are
probably correct.
1. Digitus impudicus ¬(Latin)
– the shameless, indecent or
offensive finger. In today’s
parlance, showing the digitus
impudicus is flipping the bird,
or giving someone the finger.
2. Section 167, Trade Marks
Act 2002; section 213
Patents Act 2013; and
section 38, Designs Act
1953. There is no provision
in the Plant Variety
Rights Act 1987 expressly
dealing with security for
costs in PVR proceedings.
3. Foodstuffs (Auckland)
Ltd v Homcare HCI Ltd
[1991] NZIPOTM 3.
4. From reviewing IPONZ
decisions on NZLII.org.

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18 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
CONFERENCE AND EVENTS
New look for hotel conference centre
The completion of the new four-storey extension to the Novotel
Tainui Hamilton Hotel last year has been followed by the full
refurbishment of the hotel’s conference centre.
General Manager,
Philip Hilton, says the
hotel’s popularity as
both an accommodation destination
and an events venue
meant the interior refresh
would ensure customer’s
expectations and requirements
continued to be met.
The completed project will
now make the Novotel Tainui
one of the leading hotel conference
venues in the country.
It was important that we
not only changed the look and
feel of the spaces, but also to
be able to offer our conference
clients state of the art
technology in a world where
connectivity continues to
be a key component for any
business gathering.
It’s my hope that, when
viewed, both designs
will remind those who
pass of the importance
of the Waikato river to
our people.
The refurbishment features
a colour scheme to
match hotel suites and glass
doors which have been etched
with tribal cultural references
as an acknowledgement
of Waikato-Tainui, the
hotel owner.
Etching designer Renata
Te Wiata, who is Head of
Carving for Waikato-Tainui,
says the design is based on
the movement and flow of
Waikato awa (river). It pays
homage to the well-known
Waikato iwi tongikura (proverb)
– ‘He piko, he taniwha’
– on every bend of the awa is
a taniwha.
“The design also features
patterns which are included in
the design on the exterior of
the hotel’s new extension wall
which depicts the migration
of tuna within the awa. It’s
my hope that, when viewed,
both designs will remind
those who pass of the importance
of the Waikato river to
our people,” says Renata.
Back to back
meetings?
We have you
covered.
Back to back
meetings?
We have you covered.
NOVOTEL TAINUI HAMILTON
Tauawhitia! Tauawhitia te tangata!
P 07 838 1366 E h2159-sb3@accor.com

CONFERENCE AND EVENTS
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
19
Meet in Middle-earth
with options to suit
small and large groups
Hobbiton Movie Set, best known for enchanting tours through
the 12-acre movie set created for The Lord of the Rings and The
Hobbit Trilogies, is also home to a range of flexible and exciting
event facilities.
The Hub and The Millhouse
are the two latest
additions to the attraction’s
event spaces, and join
other established venues such
as The Green Dragon Inn,
the Party Marquee and The
Marketplace, making Hobbiton
a unique location to host an
event of any format and size.
The Hub, Hobbiton’s architecturally
designed head office
building situated at the top
of the visitor carpark at The
Shires Rest, was officially
opened early 2020 and is now
available for bookings. The
1600m2 venue features two
conjoining rooms, aptly named
the Romney and the Angus
rooms after the variety of livestock
breeds that are farmed
on the surrounding Alexander
property, and can be combined
or used separately to suit your
needs. The Hub can host up to
130 guests in various configurations,
with breakout spaces
for welcome drinks, meals or
meetings available. With stunning
views overlooking the
surrounding farmland and rolling
green hills of the mighty
Waikato, The Hub offers a
fresh change of scenery for
corporate events.
The Millhouse, a fully
themed structure located on the
Movie Set, features an intimate
private dining and meeting
space for up to 32 guests.
The exposed wooden
beam ceilings, crackling fire
place and curated decor set
the scene, while the cleverly
hidden AV technology,
full commercial kitchen and
bathroom facilities complete
the space as a self-contained,
multi-use venue.
The cosy interiors of The
Millhouse make it ideal for
private high-end dining experiences
with clients, small
wedding receptions or a
unique setting for a corporate
meeting in conjunction with a
guided tour of the Movie Set.
For more information on
holding your event at
Hobbiton Movie Set visit
www.hobbitontours.com/en/
events or contact our
dedicated events team
events@hobbitontours.com
Add some Middle-earth
magic to your next
business event
Celebrate your next event 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.
WWW.HOBBITONTOURS.COM

20 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
Hamilton City Council resurrects $56.3m
municipal endowment fund
The Hamilton City Council’s resurrected
municipal endowment fund (MEF) is set
to reawaken development interest in
Hamilton's central business district.
By reactivating the
fund, council is opening
up the doors to
commercial developers to its
multi-million dollar property
portfolio.
As a result of property
revaluations over the past
year, the portfolio’s overall
value has increased from
$46.4m to $56.3m – a 20.71
per cent increase.
Comprising 13 property
assets totalling $24.73m
and reserves of $31.5m, the
long-dormant MEF is being
reinstated to its original purpose,
councillor Ryan Hamilton
says.
“Around the Julie Hardaker
time when we had the
V8 debt drama, they took the
fund and basically used it to
offset debt.
“That council took quite
an austerity approach and
reined in everything and cut
spending.
“Potentially that was fit
for purpose at that time.”
Uncomfortable with using
ratepayer money on commercial
developments, the
fund was also put on hold
during Andrew King’s time
as mayor.
Chair of the Economic
Development Committee,
Hamilton says, in the current
property market the council
would be remiss to ignore
opportunities to invest in the
city and to fulfil the intention
of the fund.
When you look at the
CBD redevelopment in
the next 10-15 years,
Hamilton is going
to be a force to be
reckoned with.
Ryan Hamilton
“There were requirements
to preserve and grow the fund
and when we were using it to
offset debt, we weren’t honouring
the legal intent of the
fund.”
A prime example is council-owned
land opposite the
Claudelands Arena, currently
marketed through Colliers
as “an outstanding development
opportunity … freehold
development site adjoining
the Waikato Events Centre
and near Hamilton’s CBD
precinct”.
“The council doesn’t own
a lot of property now, certainly
not strategic property.
“We are prepared to sell
this piece of land provided
the developer does something
that meets the aspirations of
the site.
“We’ve said those things
might be a three or four-star
hotel, some rental apartments
with maybe some retail on the
ground floor.
“We will go to market and
see what comes back and
evaluate potential developers
against those criteria.”
Criteria for investment
include commercial viability,
returns on investment, delivering
on the council’s key
strategic plans, aspirational
projects intended to make
Hamilton “a better place”,
and inspiring consequential
developments by others.
“Council as a whole has
to meet the full wellbeing
around environment, social,
community and economic.
The endowment fund does
tend to have more of an economic
framework; it’s mandated
around that.
“We are always looking
for catalyst investments that
also have good social outcomes
and good community
outcomes.”
Hamilton says council is
looking for property investments,
land banking for
future developments, property
development, partnerships/joint
ventures, debt
funding investments and
equity partnership to generate
returns to grow the MEF into
the future.
The council’s decision to
reactivate fund is also aimed
at continuing to grow Hamilton
as a city of the future,
Hamilton says
“We’ve got to be good
stewards and grow the fund
for the benefit of the city.
“When you look at the
CBD redevelopment in the
next 10-15 years, Hamilton is
going to be a force to be reckoned
with.”
The Municipal Endowment
Fund (MEF) was originally
created back in 1886.
Over the following 146
years it went through several
changes and is now governed
by Hamilton City Council.
The council set up Hamilton
Properties Ltd in 1989
and used the property company
to develop commercial
and community sites,
including the BNZ building,
Novotel Hamilton Tainui in
the central city and Pukete
residential development,
before retiring it in 1998.
Hamilton City Council Strategic Property
Municipal Endowment Fund
Municipal Endowment
12 Wiremu Street
77 and 79 Norton Road
Municipal Investment
378 Wairere Drive
39 Forman Road
58 Masters Avenue
Strategic Investment Property
2 Brooklyn Road
778 Heaphy Terrace - Unit 1, 2 and 3
246 - 254 Victoria Street
260 Victoria Street
266 Victoria Street
Artpost (Land Only)
Sonning (Land Only)
Inspirational Waikato wāhine recognised
as Women of Influence Award finalists
Four Waikato women, from a range of
industries, are among more than 60 highachieving
New Zealanders named as
Women of Influence Awards finalists.
From CEOs to students,
from researchers to historians,
from grassroots
social enterprises to achieving
international prominence, the
prestigious awards recognise
women making a difference in
the work they do, paving the
way for other women to thrive.
Many have overcome hardships,
and some have saved the
lives of others through their
work.
Jointly presented by Westpac
NZ and Stuff, the awards
are now in their ninth year.
Nominees are judged on the
strength, scope and impact of
their actions across 10 categories
including arts & culture,
environment, innovation, science
& research, public policy.
The Waikato finalists are:
• Board & Management:
Ana Wilkinson-Lee, Holi
Boli Fashionz business creative
director and founder -
Hamilton
• Enterprise: Carla McNeil,
Learning MATTERS managing
director - Te Awamutu
• Business Enterprise: Latesha
Randall, Co-founder of
Raglan Food Co - Raglan
• Environment: Cheryl
Reynolds, Endangered
Species Foundation CEO -
Raglan
Westpac NZ Acting CEO
Simon Power is pleased to see
many young faces among this
year’s finalists, taking action
on issues that will benefit all
New Zealanders in the years
to come.
“From innovative ideas
aimed at reducing waste and
cleaning up the environment
to new initiatives around supporting
the wellbeing of our
rangatahi, it’s great to see
young Kiwi women taking the
lead on issues that matter to
all of us,” Power says.
“It’s also great to see such
strong nominations in the
Business Enterprise category.
Kiwi SMEs have proven
adaptable and resilient in
tough conditions this year,
and we’ll continue to work
together with them to help
drive Aotearoa’s economic
recovery into 2022.”
Stuff CEO and Women
of Influence judge Sinead
Boucher praised the dedication
and drive the
finalists show in their
chosen fields.
“They are champions of a
better world - their work has
real impact, be it making an
immediate difference or striving
to exert social or policy
change that creates long-term
benefits.
“These awards attract
inspiring women who are
role models for all ages, they
showcase our leaders of today
and tomorrow.”
A Women of Influence
Supreme Winner is chosen
from among the 10 category
winners. Previous Supreme
Winners include microbiologist
and science communicator
Siouxsie Wiles (2020),
neonatologist Dame Jane
Harding (2019) and founder
of domestic violence charity
The Aunties, Jackie Clark
(2018).
The finalists will be honoured
at a Women of Influence
Awards gala dinner in Auckland
on February 10, 2022.
For more information about
the awards, and to enquire
about tickets to the Awards
dinner, visit:
www.womenofinfluence.co.nz
Carla McNeil
Latesha Randall
Ana Wilkinson Gee
Cheryl Reynolds

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
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22 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
The proposal outlines that:
University of Waikato to
consult on vaccination plan
The University of Waikato recently
announced it is consulting on a plan that
proposes all staff, all students including
those living in university accommodation,
and all contractors will need to be
vaccinated in order to enter its campuses
and sites from early next year.
“As a large organisation
in Waikato and Bay
of Plenty, we play an
important role in contributing
to our communities, and
we take our responsibility to
keep our people safe and well
seriously,” Vice-Chancellor,
Professor Neil Quigley says.
“We also have an important
part to play in developing
our future workforce and
generations, and in applying
research and science in
a way that makes a positive
impact on the world we live
in. Encouraging our people
to be vaccinated against
Covid-19 is the best way to
help keep us all safe.”
• From 14 February 2022,
it will be a requirement
to be vaccinated for entry
to University of Waikato
campuses and sites for all
staff, all students including
those living in university
accommodation,
and all contractors.
• Students who do not have
a vaccine certificate, or
not wishing to study on
or use campus facilities,
will need to choose
online study options.
• The university will
engage with staff and students
who have a valid
medical or other legally
recognised exemption
from vaccination on a
case-by-case basis to
assess the implications of
their unvaccinated status.
“We are proud to employ
more than 2,500 staff and
contractors and have 12,500
students enrolled across our
campuses in Hamilton and
Tauranga. Our campuses
are also home to accommodation,
retail outlets, health
services and a large number
of community events.
“In developing our
approach, we are currently
undertaking a risk assessment
that considers our role
as a responsible employer,
and place of education,
research and community
engagement, in keeping our
people safe from Covid-19,”
Professor Quigley says.
We also have an
important part to
play in developing
our future workforce
and generations, and
in applying research
and science in a
way that makes a
positive impact on
the world we live
in. Encouraging
our people to be
vaccinated against
Covid-19 is the best
way to help keep us
all safe.
“This proposed approach
will provide as much protection
as possible for our
university community as
well as enabling us to continue
teaching, research, and
engaging with the general
public in a safe and responsible
way.”
The university is consulting
with staff, the Waikato
Students’ Union and relevant
staff unions. The University
of Waikato manages
all accommodation services
itself.
The consultation closes
early November, and results
will be used to inform
the implementation of the
approach.
Carpet made from clients’ wool set to feature
in new Rabobank Centre in Hamilton
Rabobank New Zealand’s
new head office
in Hamilton is set
to open soon and will feature
carpet made from wool
sourced from three of the
bank’s agribusiness clients.
The new Rabobank Centre
has been under construction
since early last year and, once
completed, will be the new
home for around 80 Rabobank
staff from its head office
and Waikato regional teams.
The development of the
new building follows the
bank’s decision in late 2019
to relocate its head office
from Wellington to Hamilton
to position it closer to food
and fibre production and the
bank’s farming client base.
Rabobank New Zealand
CEO Todd Charteris says the
head office move was part of
the bank’s commitment to its
clients and the wider agricultural
sector, and this commitment
was also a key consideration
when it came to fitting
out its new office space.
“The new Rabobank
Centre provided us with an
opportunity to support our
clients and showcase their
wares – and to do this in a
sustainable way,” he says.
“We wanted some of the
very best. And we wanted
to support the New Zealand
wool industry. So, we
sourced wool from three clients
around the country to
produce carpet for the new
office.
“There’s quite a story
behind it – all starting
at wool sheds near Taihape,
Clinton and Rangitoto
in the King Country.
And while I was a bit rusty,
I helped kick off the project
by dusting off the
tools and lending a hand with
the shearing.”
It’s been a hugely
rewarding process
and we’re incredibly
proud to have
something that’s
been produced by
our clients featuring
prominently in
our new offices in
Gore, Blenheim and
Hamilton.
Mr Charteris says the wool
was then taken to Timaru
where it was blended before
being transferred to Christchurch
to be dyed and spun
by CP Wools.
“The final product was
then transported to Hamilton,
Gore and Blenheim where the
carpet has now been installed
in the new Rabobank Centre
in Hamilton and our new
regional offices in Gore and
Blenheim,” he says.
Mr Charteris says the clients
who supplied the wool
- the Chrystalls, the Sutherlands
and the Olivers - were
invited to observe the spinning
and dying process and
were kept involved through-
out the project.
“This allowed them to
follow their wool’s journey
and also provided them with
an opportunity to build and
strengthen relationships with
others along the wool supply
chain,” he says.
“We captured all the key
points along the way and
recently finalised a video
telling the story which our
staff had the chance to watch
for the first time at a special
screening.”
Mr Charteris says the bank
had received fantastic feedback
from the clients and
other businesses involved in
the project.
“The clients really bought
into the project and all commented
on how satisfying
it was to follow their wool
Carpet made from clients’ wool makings
its way into the Hamilton Rabobank Centre
through the supply chain and
to know where the final carpet
product would end up,”
he says.
“It’s been a hugely
rewarding process and we’re
incredibly proud to have
something that’s been produced
by our clients featuring
prominently in our new
offices in Gore, Blenheim
and Hamilton.”

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24 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
Hands-free head-mounted tablet
computers are all the rage
TECH TALK
> BY DAVID HALLETT
David Hallett is a co-founder of software specialist Company-X.
Remote experts are supporting clients across the world using
hands-free head-mounted tablet computers.
Company-X clients
are using RealWear
head-mounted tablets
with live video and audio
feed functionality to provide
remote support for onsite
technicians and engineers.
Head-mounted tablets are
enabling our clients’ customers
to carry out equipment
installation with the help of
remote subject matter experts.
Step by step asset inspections,
and safety inspections,
are also being carried out
remotely by customers wearing
head-mounted tablets.
Remote product troubleshooting
is also being enabled by
this cutting-edge technology.
Such digital transformation
was inevitable but has been
hastened by the travel restrictions
that have emerged from
the COVID-19 pandemic.
For many, regional and
international travel is all but
impossible. Even if it was
possible, health and safety
rules in many countries mean
experts who fly in from other
parts of the country or world
cannot work closely with others
in confined spaces.
Big names using RealWear
head-mounted tablets include
BMW, Colgate-Palmolive,
Honeywell, Lexus, Vestas and
Volkswagen.
Manufacturers find headmounted
tablets invaluable
for their remote service programmes.
The possibilities this technology
is enabling are endless.
Technicians can send headmounted
tablets to clients in
grocery, healthcare and retail
sectors, to support them. Webbased
applications are being
used on head-mounted tablets
to share files and screens
between people in different
geographical locations.
The makers of large industrial
manufacturing equipment
can use head-mounted
tablets to provide remote
assistance for installation
and on-going support in
their client’s factories.
Medical equipment manufacturers
can use headmounted
tablets to support
field service engineers running
diagnostic tests.
Generator maintenance
specialists can use headmounted
tablets to ensure the
power stays on for critical
locations, like hospitals and
data centres. Robotics and
automation teams can use
head-mounted tablets live
video and audio streams to
support global service centres.
Oil rigs can use intrinsically
safe models of headmounted
tablets for video consultations
with onshore oil and
gas subject matter experts,
power plants can use them for
remote guidance in the areas
of repair and maintenance.
Three waters treatment
plants can deploy headmounted
tablets to field workers,
where social distancing
rules prevent two or more
workers sharing a small space.
Multi-nationals can use
head-mounted tablets to
increase communication
between business units in different
parts of the world.
RealWear Explorer allows
you to view your headmounted
tablet’s applications
on your desktop, install new
apps, including Microsoft
Teams and Zoom, and enables
you to use the computer
mouse and keyboard to drive
the head-mounted tablet’s
interface on these products
from your computer.
Vaccination Communication
PR AND COMMUNICATIONS
> BY HEATHER CLAYCOMB
Heather Claycomb is director of HMC, a Hamilton-based,
award-winning public relations agency.
Everyone is talking about Covid-19 vaccinations. Pro-vax, antivax,
doubled-jabbed, first dose, second dose, booster, ninetypercent
targets. These are some of the most-used words in our
daily conversations, right?
And those conversations
can quickly heat up
when you meet someone
with an opposing, or just
slightly different, point of view
when it comes to vaccination
mandates and corporate policy.
As a business owner or
manager, one the most sensitive
communications exercises
you may need to implement in
your career, is deciding what
sort of vaccination policy
you will put in place at work
and communicating this to
your team.
Even if you work in one of
the sectors where Government
has mandated vaccination,
staff communication related
to the mandate is still challenging.
While on one hand,
communication is quite simple:
“We will obey the law.” On
the other hand, communicating
with care and empathy to those
who are fearful, worried or
concerned is really tricky.
Most small businesses will
not fall under the Government’s
vaccination mandates.
And it is these businesses who
have the complicated task of
developing new staff vaccination
policies and communicating
them to staff in ways
that maximise respect while
minimising staff angst and
business risk.
If you are one of these businesses
navigating the vaccination
policy conversation, here
are a few communication tips
to keep in mind:
Acknowledge this
is new territory
Show a bit of humility and
vulnerability in this situation.
It’s important to acknowledge
that, as an employer or manager,
developing a vaccination
policy in light of a global pandemic
is brand new territory.
You have never been here
before – no one in the world
has been here before. You
and your team are all in this
together.
Avoid communicating with
a heavy hand or being too
dictatorial in your approach.
While you need to remain confident
to maintain the respect
of your team, a little dose of
humility will go a long way
toward breaking down any
staff communication barriers.
Involve staff in decisions
If you are able, it would be
great to involve staff in developing
your vaccination policy.
Doing this together with staff
will demonstrate your willingness
to listen.
An organisation I’m
involved with as a director has
done this really well. They’ve
worked with staff to rank all
their company’s jobs in terms
of each position’s ‘risk’ of contracting
and passing on Covid-
19 to others. If staff have
ranked a job position as a high
risk, that position will require
a vaccination whereas low risk
positions will be encouraged
to be vaccinated but not mandated
as a condition of employment.
As the organisation
finalises this policy, it will be
much easier to communicate
to the whole team as everyone
was involved in the discussion
from the beginning.
Be respectful
Every employer or manager
will have the situation where
you have staff who do not
agree with your vaccination
policy. Remember that how
you handle those conversations
with these team members
says a lot about your organisation.
Be respectful and
caring no matter what.
And even when it comes to
the point of people leaving the
organisation when they don’t
agree with the policy, transition
them out with thoughtfulness
and sensitivity.
Be clear
This is a time when you cannot
afford to mince words or blur
lines. You need to communicate
your organisation’s vaccination
policy very clearly.
Help staff to understand
exactly what is expected of
each and every employee from
this point forward.
Certainty, even if it’s not
what some want to hear, is
much better than uncertainty.
Certainty allows people to
make decisions and sometimes
that will be the decision to find
another job. Uncertainty can
create disgruntled staff, gossip
and division in the long run.
Remain open
and transparent
Going back to my first point –
this is new territory. No one
knows what the future holds
with Covid-19 or future pandemics
or epidemics.
It’s a whole new world for
all of us. So, remain open
to feedback and be transparent
in terms of adjusting
policies to suit as the
situation changes.
Staff will respect future corporate
decisions if they don’t
come as a surprise.
Keep an open dialogue with
your team and make decisions
with them, not for them, when
possible.

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
25
‘Enabling Housing’ Legislation Sacrifices
Townscape Character
LANDMARKS
Late in October, the Minister of Housing, Dr Megan Woods,
Minister for the Environment, David Parker, Leader of the
Opposition Judith Collins, and Opposition spokesperson
for Housing and Urban Development, Nicola Willis together
announced a new bill; the Resource Management (Enabling
Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Bill.
The intent behind this bill is
to increase the availability
of residential land and
relaxing of rules to enable more
new housing within existing
neighbourhoods.
Submissions for the bill
close on November 16 for the
Environment sub-committee to
consider and report to parliament,
with the expectation that
the legislation will be passed by
16 December this year. All very
fast, and all very possible given
the cross-party approach. The
Labour-National cross-party
initiative shows the heightened
concern that parliament has for
the present housing shortage.
But the bill as it stands has serious
and long-term consequences
for our neighbourhoods, towns
and cities. As background, the
first part of the bill brings forward
changes required by the
National Policy Statement -
Urban Development brought in
last year. The NPS-UD requires
- amongst other things - that
Tier 1 urban areas (Auckland,
Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington
and Christchurch) update
their District Plans to allow
higher density development in
city centres and suburban centres,
including residential areas
within a walkable catchment of
the centres. The mechanism to
accelerate the changes in the bill
is an Intensification Streamlined
Planning Process instead of the
standard Resource Management
Act processes. The timeline is
for councils to have notified the
intensification plan changes by
August 2022 when they’ll come
into effect, and the final decisions
by August 2023.
The second strand of the bill
relates to new Permitted activity
and Restricted Discretionary
activity rules, and new Medium
Density Residential Standards
(MDRS) being set in place by
the above Tier 1 Councils listed.
The Tier 1 definition draws in
the neighbouring councils, so
- in the case of Hamilton, these
proposed changes equally apply
also to the Waipa and Waikato
District Councils.
Key to the proposed bill is
that up to three residences, and
up to three storeys in height, will
become a permitted activity (ie;
not requiring Resource Consent)
for all residential properties
in these areas. The developments
are subject to rules that
are much more permissive than
most councils have for development
within residential areas.
Other MDRS changes to the
current rules mean that boundary
setbacks for buildings are
much reduced, daylight envelopes
are enlarged (meaning the
neighbouring buildings can be
larger and closer), and building
coverage on properties can be
increased. Large Lot residential
zones - such countryside
lifestyle blocks, and properties
around the perimeter of towns
such as Cambridge that are not
connected to reticulated wastewater
systems - are excluded
from these changes.
The proposed bill foregoes
the considered approach to
placemaking, urban design, heritage,
and designing for communities
that has marked planning
since the beginning of this century
- marked by the development
of the Urban Design Protocol
under Helen Clark’s Labour
Government in 2005. The UDP
is a remarkable and progressive
viewing of the built environment
with an understanding of
placemaking that has seen many
> BY ANTANAS PROCUTA
Antanas Procuta is Principal Architect at Hamilton-based PAUA,
Procuta Associates Urban + Architecture
positive results in our towns and
cities. Many developers, local
authorities, government departments
and consultants are signatories
to the protocol.
However, even prior to this
- in the 1970’s - young couples
and families rediscovered an
appreciation for restoring and
revaluing the bungalows and
villas that were abandoned in
the 1960’s as part of the social
migration to the new suburbs of
modern houses, such as Pakuranga
and Chartwell. The character
of these older leafy-tree
neighbourhoods, crafted and
gardened houses and properties
in areas such as Devonport, Ponsonby,
Haitaitai and Claudelands
came to be cherished, celebrated
and protected by our communities.
However, these will be the
neighbourhoods at the forefront
of either demolition and replacement
with multiple, too-often-anonymous
infill townhouses,
or to suffer new-builds
immediately up against their bay
windows and verandas. It may
likely be a challenge for the likes
of the liberal Epsom enthusiasts
to open their properties to the
freeing-up of regulation in their
neighbourhood.
The Enabling Housing Supply
bill doesn’t address issues of
neighbourhood context, greenspace,
play areas or aesthetics,
and - as we saw in the 1970’s
with the pervasive concrete
block flats throughout New Zealand’s
inner town suburbs - a
lot of neighbourhood damage
is done that cannot easily be
undone.
The seemingly one-dimensional
objective for the legislation
reads as a panicked response
to the nuanced and multi-faceted
issue of housing cost and supply,
town and city identity and placemaking,
neighbourhood character,
housing for a variety of
lifestyles and culture, and health
and well-being.
However, there are advantageous
features within the bill,
and one would wonder why they
shouldn’t be applied universally
across the motu, rather than to
the specific Tier 1 (and possibly
Tier 2) areas. Firstly, the idea of
consistent planning rules across
New Zealand such that each
local authority has the same general
rules as the next, perhaps
nuanced in particular circumstances,
has much sense to it,
and would be less confusing.
That it is difficult to build a
second dwelling larger than 70
square metres on a property, for
whanau and others, has lacked
vision and an understanding of
family-and-friends living advantages
that people considering
co-housing see. Even a kitchen
sink in an outdoor studio has
been discounted in the past as
evidence of a second dwelling.
The proposed bill is roughly-aimed
and senseless at a time
when swathes of land are continuing
to be opened up around
New Zealand, and locally, in
Hamilton, Te Awamutu and
Cambridge to release thousands
of new homes to the market.
Net immigration has slowed to
a trickle, and with the eventual
opening of New Zealand’s borders,
there is the real potential of
net outwards migration. Alongside
this, the Covid-induced supply
chain issues has constrained
world-wide construction to a
painful and expensive crawl.
Even if the government is looking
to open land up quickly for
development, there is no building
capacity to match that intention
for the foreseeable future.
With these constraints, and
the likely push-back from the
community, it is worth the select
committee and the government
taking the time to progress a
nuanced, considered, and broadly-informed
approach to address
all the near- and long-term issues
raised with residential intensification,
and not just the perceived
urgent immediate shortage.
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26 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
Waikato Management School
Ranked #1 in New Zealand
The University of Waikato Management
School has been ranked number one in
New Zealand for Business and Economics
in the 2022 Times Higher Education (THE)
World University Rankings.
In results released in mid-October,
the University of
Waikato was ranked in the
top 101-125 universities in the
world in the subject category of
Business and Economics, the
only university in New Zealand
to reach this ranking. It also
has Triple Crown accreditation,
placing it firmly in the top one
percent of business schools in
the world. THE World University
Rankings assess university
performance on the global
stage on 13 metrics, and are
an indicator for excellence in
research and education. They
are a tool for evaluating universities
internationally, taking
into consideration the learning
environment, research,
and industry and international
connections.
Waikato Management
School (WMS) Pro Vice-Chancellor
Matt Bolger says the
news is indicative of the excellence
of the team at WMS,
and in particular the exceptional
quality of research being
produced.
As a result of our
strong performance,
the excellent teaching
and research
reputation of Waikato
Management School
is being recognised
internationally.
“Our academics are not only
great teachers, but experts and
thought-leaders in their fields,
and their research is often
highly cited by other researchers,
which contributes to the
high ranking,” Mr Bolger says.
“Year-on-year, Waikato
Management School has been
ranked in the top quartile
internationally. This has been
achieved through sustained
hard work and the productivity
of our team and excellent connections
with business, society
and other leading universities
around the world.”
Mr Bolger said that Waikato
has both a strong focus on
student success, and a strong
research culture which aims to
nurture younger research staff.
“It takes a team effort - from
world-leading researchers right
through to those who support
students to succeed in their
study. We’re lucky to have
great people.”
WMS has the highest ratio
of PhD graduates to academic
staff in New Zealand, and
its researchers publish more
research than almost any other
university in the country (second
to the University of Otago).
WMS researchers are well
connected internationally, and
also ranked first in New Zealand
for publishing research
with international co-authors.
“As a result of our strong
performance, the excellent
teaching and research reputation
of Waikato Management
School is being recognised
internationally. It’s a fantastic
result, and I’m really proud of
our people and the collaborative
and internationally relevant
work being done here.”
“This is a great result, but
there’s much more to do. Our
team has had nearly 50 years
of making a positive impact on
business and society and we’re
looking forward to growing
that impact in years to come.”
The Waikato Management
School was established in 1972,
and celebrates its 50th anniversary
next year.
Veros expands leadership with next
generation property industry leader
Scott Bicknell
Hamilton based Scott Bicknell has recently been appointed as a
new shareholding partner at Veros, joining their leadership team.
Scott joined Veros in 2019
and has since become not
only an integral member
of the Waikato team but
also, part of a new generation
of property industry leaders in
the Waikato. A residential and
land development expert, Scott
utilises his strong background
in environmental planning
to establish and set the strategic
direction of the project
from the beginning.
“We’re delighted to
announce this appointment that
recognises the leadership of
Scott within our team,” managing
director Morgan Jones says.
“Scott has a real passion for
bringing about positive change
in communities not only in the
Waikato but throughout New
Zealand. Scott is a well-re-
spected leader who has grown
and evolved our development
management and property
advisory capability.”
Scott has also recently been
appointed to the newly formed
Central Region Committee
formed by the Property Council
of New Zealand and, is a
finalist for the Rider Levett
Bucknall Young Achiever of
the Year at this year’s Central
Property People Awards.
Currently managing largescale
master planned developments
in Matamata, Taranaki,
Te Awamutu and Rototuna
North, Scott loves working
collaboratively and creatively
with councils to push the
boundaries of what’s possible
within the confinements of the
consenting process.
“There is clearly a trend
towards a more intensive builtform
as the market adjusts to a
lack of available land, changing
regulatory framework,
changing buyer preferences,
infrastructure costs and the
associated soaring land values.
If we have any hope of delivering
quality but more affordable
housing in the current environment,
it will be through density
and new housing types.”
Although Scott is unashamedly
commercially focussed,
he emphasises that, “delivering
greater density is always
coupled with a need to deliver
higher levels of amenity, particularly
within the streetscape
and built form”.
“When delivering master
planned communities, the success
of my role is in creating
places that people are proud
to call home, and have both an
immediate and enduring sense
of community and place.”
He notes that this comes
with its own challenges, with
council’s district planning
rules typically behind the eight
ball when it comes to trying
to meet the needs of a maturing
and extremely dynamic
market. But he loves the challenge
and is excited about
the opportunity to deliver
developments that are innovative
and future focussed.
“More often than not, we
challenge the status quo in
order to deliver a great outcome.
It’s a journey to build
faith and comfort with regulatory
authorities, but collaboration
and solution focussed discussions
and outcomes is what
gets me up in the morning.”
A well-rounded property
and development professional,
his planning experience and
land development expertise is
complemented by an extensive
background in high-performance
sport and surf lifesaving.
A former canoe sprint
champion, Scott competed for
New Zealand internationally
for close to a decade in the
K1, K2 and K4 events. It also
explains why Scott does not
seem afraid of high-pressure
environments. A born competitor,
Scott brings the energy he
has applied throughout his life
to the projects he manages.
Despite Scott’s competitiveness,
he has a strong passion for
surf lifesaving and giving back
to the community. He is a clubbie
at heart and continues to
volunteer with the organisation.
Leaving behind the
Olympic dream after the Rio
Olympics, Scott moved to
Hamilton for love and to continue
his career. The move made
sense; his wife Haley, runs and
owns the popular Punnet Eatery
in Tamahere.
After several years in planning
Scott knew the job wasn’t
the right fit for him and he took
a year off. In early 2019 he
crossed paths with Veros by
accident and decided to join the
team predominately because of
the people and culture of the
company. “They bought me
into the fold, and I haven’t look
back since. The Veros team
share a drive and passion that I
was looking for, and is a culture
that embraces innovation, leadership
and bold thinking”
No longer just an
up-and-coming person to
watch, Scott is now a leader
at both Veros and the property
industry in the Waikato. From
November this year Scott can
be found at the new and larger
Veros office space on Ward
Street, which is a sign of good
things to come.
www.veros.co.nz
07 838 2887

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2021
27
X-TRAIL ST-L FROM
$39,990 +ORC*
THE
BIG
1
%
APR FIXED
ZERO DEPOSIT
36 MONTH TERM*
NAVARA SL-450 FROM
$49,990 +ORC*
*Finance offer available on Nissan Navara and SUVs registered between 01/10/2021 and 31/12/2021. Approved applicants of Nissan Financial Services only. Fixed Interest Rate 1% p.a. for the term of the loan. Max 36 month term. No deposit required.
Terms and conditions apply. This offer includes an establishment fee of $375, PPSR fee of $8.05 and $10 per month account keeping fee. All lease and some fleet purchasers excluded. X-TRAIL ORC of $990 includes initial 12 month registration & WOF,
fuel and vehicle delivery. Navara ORC of $1,240 includes initial 12 month registration & WOF, fuel and vehicle delivery. Nissan reserves the right to vary, extend or withdraw this offer. Not available in conjunction with any other offer.
1050 Te Rapa Road, Hamilton - 07 839 0777 - 0800 647 726 - sales@jwn.co.nz
16 Huiputea Drive, Otorohanga. 07 873 8066 - merv@jwn.co.nz
All LINK NZ ofces are licensed REAA08
Waikato Water Supplies
$395,000
Waikato
· Working owner earning avg $100k plus
· Trucks & Equipment Market Value of $160k
· Repeat residential & commercial clients
· Home-based business; allows exible lifestyle
· Generous handover & training
· Growth opportunities exist
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00201
Scott Miller 027 301 6543
scott.miller@linkbusiness.co.nz
Great Prot & Growth $595,000
Waikato
· Streamlined, easy to operate
· Mainly B2B business model
· Sector currently experiencing growth
· Annual working owner prot $200K+
· Good team in place
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00185
Therese Bailey 021 707 641
therese.bailey@linkbusiness.co.nz
Successful Building Company $2,250,000
Coromandel
· Highly protable lifestyle business
· Solid pipeline of building contracts
· Award winning team; reliable subcontractors
· Proven standardised systems & programmes
· Relaxed coastal lifestyle in enviable location
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00197
Rick Johnson 021 991 485
rick.johnson@linkbusiness.co.nz
Popular Eatery. Stunning Location $180,000
Raglan
· A sure winner, well priced.
· Working owner cash surplus $117K
· Long-established kitchen & FOH staff
· Fantastic new lease, 15yrs remaining
· Accommodation available onsite
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00173
Alanah Eagle 021 606 345
alanah.eagle@linkbusiness.co.nz
Licensed 6 Day Per Week Cafe $295,000
Waikato
· Fully licensed café in a reliable & busy location
· 140 occupants & fully equipped kitchen
· Weekly sales avg $15,000 incl gst
· Lease per month $3599 incl gst
· Supports 60 indoor & 80 outdoor seats
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00191
Therese Bailey 021 707 641
therese.bailey@linkbusiness.co.nz
Childcare Centre $380,000
Waikato
· Mid-sized centre with good occupancy
· Convenient, central location
· Generous spaces with very good resources
· Stable & experienced teaching team
linkbusiness.co.nz/BOP00343
Roger Brockelsby 027 919 5478
roger.brockelsby@linkbusiness.co.nz
Consulting & Compliance $550,000
Relocatable
· Great reputation and solid returns
· Net prot of $437K for 2021 year
· Well established client base with extremely
high retention
· Opportunities for further growth
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00187
Lisa Lloyd 027 685 4556
lisa.lloyd@linkbusiness.co.nz
Decorating Contractors $620,000
Waikato
· Est. 1993, well-respected & well known
· Imbedded processes & systems incl. software
· Specialists for a range of unique services
· Over $200k EBPITD per year on average
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00174
Reuben Haddon Silby 021 133 0624
reuben.haddonsilby@linkbusiness.co.nz
Understanding
your business’s
value is
essential to
helping you
and your
business.
Use lockdown as an opportunity
to call us for a condential, no
obligation chat to understand
what your business is worth in
today’s market.
22 Naylor Street
Hamilton
0800 225 999
LINKBUSINESS.CO.NZ

“Fosters VFM service ensures the building
is maintained to the highest standard.”
(L-R) DV Bryant Trust Finance and Property Manager Rachel Caldwell with Fosters Virtual Facilities Manager Brock Vuleta
For DV Bryant Trust, partnering with Fosters
is an ongoing commitment for the greater
good – having a strong portfolio of wellmanaged
assets enables the Trust to fund
its philanthropic activities in the Waikato.
DV Bryant Trust provides $1.5m of funding
to communities across the greater Waikato
region.
Fosters Virtual Facilities Management (VFM)
service is ideal support for DV Bryant Trust
Finance and Property Manager Rachel
Caldwell who manages the Genesis building
asset in Hamilton.
“As a small team managing a significant
portfolio of buildings and tenants, alongside
the philanthropic work, we need 24/7 support,”
says Rachel. “Fosters VFM service enables
us to reliably provide a high-quality service,
ensuring the building is maintained to the
highest standard.”
Key for Rachel is having a long-term view of
asset management. “Fosters completed the
Genesis build in 2018, so know the property
well. Our VFM agreement involved an initial
assessment of the building condition earlier
this year, leading to a three-year maintenance
plan. We now have strategic oversight of
compliance and maintenance, which means
we are proactive rather than reactive in looking
after it.”
Fosters VFM specifically oversees compliance
work and scheduled maintenance, also dealing
with any responsive maintenance that may
arise. Property owners or tenants pay for the
service monthly.
“Having maintenance overseen by competent
building professionals gives us peace of mind.
We also have different areas of expertise
covered, from roofing to air conditioning.
And we can respond with urgency which is
important to our tenants.”
Communication is critical to the success of
the partnership, too, she says. “Fosters are
excellent at keeping our tenants informed and
we have great visibility as landlords.
“With Fosters, we expect and receive a high
level of service. We’re partners working
towards a common goal of a well-managed
asset and happy tenants.”
FOSTERS.CO.NZ . 07 849 3849