January 2022 - Bay of Plenty Business News

January 2022 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS 1 

JANUARY 2022 VOLUME 6: ISSUE 1 

WWW.BOPBUSINESSNEWS.CO.NZ 

FACEBOOK.COM/BAYOFPLENTYBUSINESSNEWS 

tauRanga’s future look 

takes shape 

See page 3 

intellectual property 

Make sure you undertake 

due diligence on your 

bright new idea 

 

P8 

M&A 

Kale Print acquires 

Advocate Print 

P7 

communications 

Heffield’s learnings from 

Covid-19 

P19 

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FOR KIWI BUSINESS


Farmers reports on new 

building’s progress 

By DAVID PORTER 

With the release of Tauranga’s 

new Long Term Plan and 

major roading works springing 

up around the city, it is clear we 

are finally going to see some major 

changes downtown. 

One of the most remarkable transformations 

is taking shape in Elizabeth 

Street as Farmers moves its new 

building towards completion. 

We plan to have a more comprehensive 

review of developments next 

year as the building nears completion, 

but are pleased to have a progress 

report from the company. 

As noted by Brett Nicholls, project 

manager Elizabeth Towers/38 Elizabeth, 

it has been a challenging time 

in terms of keeping to the ambitious 

self-imposed deadlines we set for this 

build. “A build of this size would normally 

command a much longer schedule 

for completion. But as a business 

invested in Tauranga and with a heart 

for seeing the CBD transformed 

and revitalised, we have put extra 

resources in to ensure the build is as 

fast as possible. 

“It’s incredible to think how 

quickly we have come to this point 

since 2018 when the first sod was 

turned. There is no question that we 

would have been now open for business 

with the residential on the market 

had Covid not got in the way. 

“But like everyone else in New 

Zealand, we are dealing with an 

evolving set of circumstances and 

making the best we can of it all. 

Covid slowed the build rate 

Nicholls said that as a result of the 

recently closed borders with Auckland 

and then Waikato, the build has 

slowed, but not as much as it could 

have thanks to the momentum the 

company built in the lead up before 

the lockdown. 

“We are now starting to see some 

of the expertise we need from Auckland 

to be able to bring the development 

to completion. We are working 

very hard to land on a new set 

of firm dates for opening the retail, 

food and beverage terrace, and residential 

offering, in that order. We will 

announce these new dates as soon as 

possible. 

As to food and beverage, 

Nicholls said the company was 

excited to have secured a beautiful 

café, the details of which will also be 

announced soon. 

“The shared community space and 

streetscaping, including tree planting 

and greening, is really taking shape on 

Elizabeth Street below the food and 

beverage terrace. The end is certainly 

in sight and we can’t wait to throw the 

doors open, not only to our development, 

but to the transformation and 

revitalisation of Tauranga city.” 

26 Fourth Ave 

Tauranga 

0800 225 999 

LINKBUSINESS.CO.NZ 

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4 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS January 2022 

The new Farmers building will make a significant 

difference to the look and feel of the central city. 

www.bopbusinessnews.co.nz 

CONTACT INFORMATION 

PUBLISHER 

Alan Neben 

Ph: 021 733 536 

Email: alan@bopbusinessnews.co.nz 

EDITOR 

David Porter 

Mob: 021 884 858 

Email: david@bopbusinessnews.co.nz 

PRODUCTION 

Copy/Proofs/Graphic Design 

Times Media – Clare McGillivray 

Ph: (09) 271 8067 

Email: clare@times.co.nz 

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES 

BUSINESS DIRECTOR 

Pete Wales 

Mob: 022 495 9248 

Email: pete@bopbusinessnews.co.nz 

ELECTRONIC FORWARDING 

EDITORIAL: 

News releases/Photos/Letters: 

david@bopbusinessnews.co.nz 

GENERAL INQUIRIES: 

info@bopbusinessnews.co.nz 

Bay of Plenty Business News has a circulation 

of 8000, distributed throughout Bay of Plenty 

between Waihi and Opotiki including Rotorua 

and Taupo, and to a subscription base. 

www.bopbusinessnews.co.nz 

Bay of Plenty Business Publications 

309/424 Maunganui Road, 

Mount Maunganui, 3116 

Bay of Plenty Business Publications specialises 

in business publishing, advertising, design and 

print media services. 

From the editor 

We are delighted to share with you our first issue of 2022. As is our 

custom, we closed this January edition just before Christmas to meet 

the needs of our printers. 

We would like to thank 

our readers and 

advertisers for their 

loyal support as we enter our 

sixth year as an independent 

business publication dedicated 

to covering the interests and 

concerns of the Bay of Plenty’s 

business community. 

As I write, the Bay is preparing 

to receive an influx of 

Auckland visitors released 

after being locked down for 

four months. While some will 

undoubtedly go North, or to 

the South Island, there can be 

no doubt that hard-hit Bay hospitality 

and tourist businesses 

are hoping the northern influx 

will provide some business 

comfort. 

Having spent much of my 

international career travelling 

with Kiwi politicians, I can 

perhaps be excused if I detect 

an element of cynicism in the 

ways in which our political 

leadership has approached this 

remarkable pandemic. 

I have yet to be convinced 

of the merits of the “traffic 

light” system and can’t help 

feeling that Aucklanders have 

been released because the 

alternative was too dire to contemplate 

as tempers were running 

rather thin in our largest 

city. 

I am proud to say that I 

have had my two jabs and even 

managed to acquire my vaccination 

certificate. I would add 

that, I don’t necessarily believe 

it works. And I have had only 

one flu vaccine in my life. 

But I see no reason not to 

get jabbed. I do find it strange 

that some people are citing 

“freedom of choice” as a reason 

for not getting jabbed. 

They are often, I find, the same 

people who happily accepted 

free flu jabs for years. 

What I do find a little odd 

is that, when I asked the person 

providing my Covid jabs 

how long the vaccination was 

good for, it became clear that 

After years of delay 

and indecision, 

Tauranga’s civic 

precinct is set to be 

transformed, restoring the heart 

and soul of the city centre.” 

– Anne Tolley 

Civic precinct transformation 

on the way – p11 

they actually had very little 

idea. The best they could suggest, 

was “about five or six 

months”. 

Perhaps I have misunderstood 

something, but – in the 

welter of rather patronising TV 

and media pandemic advertising 

we are surrounded by, 

courtesy of the government - 

this point of longevity does not 

seem to have been made clear. 

There are many exhortations 

for a stated percentage 

of the population to be jabbed, 

but I have seen no clear messages 

coming through as to 

how long the jabs are good for. 

Don’t get me wrong. In the 

absence of a better alternative, 

I see no reason not to have a 

jab. But I do think our government 

should front up and with 

some honesty make it clear 

that this is a short-term solution 

that will soon have to be 

repeated, if that is in fact the 

case. 

Surely it is far better to 

David Porter 

make this clear from the 

outset? 

On a final note, it is great to 

see that Tauranga is beginning 

to see the fruits of long-delayed 

attempts to improve our 

central business district. Yes, 

it is annoying to find regular 

routes cut off by changes in 

roading as long overdue renovations 

are attended to. 

But we are also proud in 

this issue to bring an update 

on progress being made on the 

new Farmers building, which 

on completion will make a significant 

difference to the look 

and feel of the central city. 

We wish you all the best for 

the festive season. 

There are also indications [kiwifruit] 

employers are more in tune with the 

requirements of workers, particularly around 

flexible working hours.” 

– Colin Bond 

Bay’s primary sector 

enjoys strong returns 

at season’s mid-point 

– pg15 

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Bay company launches platform to 

help navigate broken supply chain 

With the impact of Covid-19 damaging global supply 

chains, Bay of Plenty-based businessman Paul Hewitt 

has created Source It New Zealand, as a solution 

for kiwi businesses to support each other and the 

domestic economy. 


The kiwi entrepreneur has 

launched the digital platform 

to connect New Zealand businesses 

with manufacturers, distributors 

and producers here in our 

own backyard – reducing the need 

to navigate the broken global supply 

chain. 

Hewitt told Bay of Plenty Business 

News that, from his own experience 

of owning distribution companies he 

had seen significant weekly losses as 

a result of supply chain issues in dealing 

with importers. 

“I could see how bad it was going 

to get,” he said. “My concern was 

how can we develop a site with New 

Zealand importers to work with each 

other. The problem is a lot of companies 

won’t deal with other companies 

in certain ways, such as sharing a 

product. 

“The whole purpose is you can 

anonymously put a job online and no 

one needs to know it is your company. 

Only a person who is a registered 

supplier with an actual subscription 

can then access the information right 

away because they get first mover 

status.” 

Hewitt said the project had only 

recently fully launched and no longer 

provided, as they did in the initial 

period, free advertising. But 

they were getting reasonable traffic 

through the web site. 

“Being in a small country with a 

high reliance on importing goods, 

it can now be extremely difficult 

for Small and Medium Enterprises 

(SMEs) to get what they need manufactured, 

produced and distributed to 

keep their businesses running,” said 

Hewitt. 

“What they may not realise is that 

they can actually source a lot of these 

goods from other businesses here in 

New Zealand – and without the high 

costs and delays they can expect from 

international suppliers in this new 

Covid world.” 

Hewitt describes the site as a 

‘large-scale reverse TradeMe for 

business’, which provides the link 

between New Zealand SMEs (customers) 

and manufacturers/distributors 

(suppliers), creating a platform 

for the customer to list the products 

they need, and allowing the provider 

to respond to relevant listings. 

According to Hewitt, this effectively 

facilitates lead generation for 

the supplier, and potential suppliers 

of goods for the customer. 

Paul Hewitt: how to overcome supply 

chain problems. Photo/Supplied. 

Source It aims to be a one-stop site 

to source everything customers need 

for their business, in bulk. 

Unlike international supply chains, 

choosing local suppliers can result in 

lower shipping/freight costs and wait 

Being in a small country 

with a high reliance on 

importing goods, it can 

now be extremely difficult 

for Small and Medium 

Enterprises (SMEs) to 

get what they need 

manufactured, produced 

and distributed to keep 

their businesses running.” 

– Paul Hewitt 

times. It is free for customers to post a 

listing on the Source It website. 

For the manufacturer and distributor, 

Source It is a low-cost lead 

generation subscription. They sign up 

to Source It and receive notifications 

when customers post listings looking 

for the type of goods they can supply. 

Suppliers can then contact the 

customer and arrange quotations etc. 

Manufacturers and distributors pay 

a small monthly subscription fee to 

Source It. 

“For years, New Zealand businesses 

have sourced parts and products 

from international suppliers. 

Source It will help to boost the New 

Zealand economy, support local 

businesses and even save businesses 

money in freight costs,” said Hewitt. 

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What opportunities 

does Russia offer? 

The agreement reached when Conor Quinn, Managing Director 

of Papamoa based business development consultancy BizStar 

International, and Alexander Born, Managing Director of the Born 

Alderman Group (BAG), based in Moscow, Russia, was to aim at 

targeting the biggest brands in the world. 


Quinn is a Papamoa-based 

entrepreneur, resident in Tauranga 

for more than 15 years. 

He is managing director of BizStar 

International, APAC Business Development 

Director for Born Alderman 

Group, and former chair of the 

Board for the Tauranga Chamber of 

Commerce. 

They completed their first partnership 

video call in March 2020. As 

of November 2021, BAG conducts 

business development for 15 global 

brands outside their core local and 

domestic markets. These include 

Tesla, Netac, FERM power tools, 

Konix, Lenovo and Baykron. 

For Tesla, named after the prolific 

20th Century inventor Nikola Tesla, 

BAG now manages the business 

development function spanning three 

continents. 

In the Asian Pacific (APAC) 

Region, discussions are ongoing with 

several collaborative partners and 

national retailers to reach agreements 

for New Zealand retail distribution 

and sale of Tesla Future Batteries, 

FERM Power Tools, Netac computer 

storage solutions and Konix gaming 

accessories. 

Conor Quinn 

Covid-19 challenges 

As BAG’s APAC business development 

director, Quinn leads these 

negotiations, a challenging endeavour 

given the most recent Covid 

restrictions. 

However, there are no restrictions 

on Quinn’s ambition for local business 

exporters. With a trusted base to work 

from in Moscow, and the associated 

The entry of Tesla 

batteries into 

New Zealand will 

give consumers 

greater choice in 

the retail battery 

market.” 

resource, he has 

also been in talks 

with high profile 

Bay of Plenty and 

national exporters 

that already have 

a footprint in Russia 

about large-scale 

market expansion of 

their products. 

There have also 

been discussions with a 

number of organisations 

about new product entry 

into a region with the highest 

per capita of millionaires in the 

world. 

Due to BAG’s extensive regional 

business connections and infrastructure, 

expansion into Eastern Europe, 

CIS and Baltic States has also been 

proposed. 

With Quinn set to travel to Moscow 

in February 2022, to assist in 

the establishment of two significant 

business development programmes 

across Western Russia, the opportunity 

exists now for Bay of Plenty 

businesses to explore the feasibility 

of product market entry and/ 

or expansion in a place where New 

Zealand’s reputation for clean, green 

and ethical business practices is a distinct 

competitive 

advantage. 

The company says that 

ongoing liaison with the New Zealand 

Embassy in Moscow and NZTE 

(New Zealand Trade and Enterprise) 

regional experts will ensure full 

exploration of all funding support 

channels for New Zealand businesses 

that embrace the risk. 

Despite the impact of the delta 

variant in Russia at present, it is 

expected that everything will be 

“business as usual” by March 2022, 

the company says. 

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Local mental 

health and 

wellbeing 

providers join 

forces 

When you are positive, you 

see opportunities instead of 

obstacles.” – Confucius 

Leading Bay of Plenty 

print company, Kale 

Print, buys Rotoruabased 

Advocate Print. 

Bay of Plenty print companies 

Kale Print and Advocate 

Print have sealed an 

acquisition deal. 

Peter Lloyd, general manager 

of Kale Print, says, “We are absolutely 

delighted. This significant 

milestone for the company will 

better enable us to service our 

existing customers in Rotorua. 

In addition, we can expand our 

offering there.” 

The Merrick family founded 

Launched last month, the 

‘Join the Vegelution’ campaign 

might seem like a 

bunch of animated fruit and vegetables 

starring in a cute video, 

but the underlying messaging is 

anything but a joke… and it’s 

already gaining traction for one 

of Australasia’s leading packaging 

houses. 

Jenkins Freshpac Systems, 

who market the Enviro Pac 

range, launched the ‘Join the 

Vegelution’ campaign and cleverly 

take a humorous look at a 

serious topic. 

General Manager Jamie 

Lunam explains: “We’re 

extremely proud of our status as 

industry leaders in innovative 

sustainable packaging, but to cut 

through the industry clutter and 

noise to get our message across 

we knew we needed to take an 

innovative approach. So why not 

let the veges do the talking for 

us? We figured, if they could, 

they’d be demanding better packaging 

options.” 

The video campaign features 

a bunch of fruit and vegetables 

waging a crusade for healthier, 

Advocate Print in the early 

1980s. Noel Merrick, managing 

director of Advocate Print, will 

continue as a consultant over the 

summer. 

The company retains its name. 

Merrick credits the success of the 

business to the Advocate team’s 

hard work and commitment. 

He says, “For us, Kale Print 

was a really nice fit in terms of its 

family ownership, environmental 

drive and the overall culture of 

the business. They have a young 

team with a real passion for print. 

“Purchasing new print technology 

is a challenge for print 

companies like ours. It has 

become harder to keep reinvesting 

in plant. However, in terms 

more environmentally friendly 

living conditions and provides a 

perfect entry point into the Enviro 

Pac range that is the hallmark 

of Jenkins industry inroads. 

The campaign allows Jenkins 

to relaunch Enviro Pac in the 

market. “As the industry leaders 

in innovative sustainable packaging 

we also wanted to build brand 

awareness with our growers and 

retailers and see if we could 

influence and drive consumer 

demand for Enviro Pac.’ 

Dubbed the better, more environmentally 

friendly and sustainable 

packaging option, the range 

includes paper packaging, plastic-free 

fibre netting, cardboard 

packaging, eco labels, fibre trays, 

bio film and more. 

It’s all part of a bigger picture 

long term strategy by the industry 

heavyweights to continue to lead 

the way. 

“With decades of R&D into 

sustainable packaging we love 

being first with new technology 

and industry developments, 

being active in all major industry 

bodies and advocating at central 

and local government level to 

Kale Print to acquire Advocate Print. Photo/Supplied. 

Bay of Plenty print deal: 

Kale acquires Advocate 

of investing in new technology, 

Kale Print is an industry 

leader. This can only be good for 

Rotorua and the wider Bay of 

Plenty community. Really for our 

customers, not much will change 

apart from offering more print 

capabilities.” 

Smooth transition 

Brent Kale, operations manager 

for Kale Print, appreciates 

the smooth transition in the 

acquisition. 

He says, “It’s been an easy 

journey and Noel has been 

great to deal with. Kale Print 

has enjoyed a great relationship 

with Advocate Print for a few 

help influence genuine change 

in more environmentally sustainable 

packaging solutions,” says 

Jamie. 

“Our Enviro Pac range, 

launched a decade ago, is at the 

forefront of where our industry is 

heading. 

“It’s about providing a much 

more circular approach to packaging 

in horticulture and with 

new products being launched 

years now. We work as Advocate 

Print’s trade partner for large volume 

print work. 

“Both companies use the 

same management information 

system. As a result, we expect a 

straight forward full integration. 

They have a great team too, multi 

skilled across all departments.” 

Lloyd adds, “We’re really 

pleased to invest in Rotorua. The 

effects of Covid-19 continue to 

challenge the local community. 

“However, we know this time 

will pass. We can see the green 

shoots of planning for a time next 

year when we can have overseas 

tourists again. 

“We will be there to support 

our local community.” 

Quirky campaign puts 

spotlight on sustainable 

fresh produce packaging 

within the range all the time, 

it’s vital we make sure there’s 

strong industry awareness of this 

range.” 

The ‘Join the Vegelution’ 

video has already received over 

3500 plays since its soft release 

in October. It can be viewed here: 

www.jointhevegelution.co.nz 

For more information on endto-end 

packaging solutions go to 

www.jenkinsfps.co.nz 

Two local professionals working in the 

mental health space are pooling their 

knowledge and resources to offer twice 

the assistance for mental health issues in the 

community. 

Lindsey Rayner from HumanEx offers 

Mental Health First Aid courses to businesses 

and organisations throughout the country. 

Rachelle Hawes from the Positive Mindset 

Challenge has created an online Programme 

which is relevant for both teenagers and 

adults. Together they are collaborating with 

the business community and education sector 

to get their message out there that help is 

available. 

Rayner and Hawes believe the role that 

teachers, employers and employees play in 

creating thriving communities is essential. 

Good management, positive lessons at school 

and good mental health all go hand in hand so 

although their offerings differ they are both in 

the early intervention stage: 

Mental Health First Aid Aotearoa is an 

internationally accredited programme. The 

course is an invaluable tool for every workplace 

that teaches participants how to recognise 

signs of distress in others. It also provides 

a robust system for First Aiders to utilise to 

help those in need. Part of it is designed to significantly 

help reduce suicide and is packed 

full of excellent information and tools to manage 

all kinds of situations. The course is certificated 

for 3 years. 

The Positive Mindset Challenge focuses 

on how our brains work and how to use them 

to our advantage to create more happiness 

and better outcomes in our day. Underlying 

this teaching is that our brains are designed 

to work at their best when positive. Our intelligence, 

creativity and ability to brainstorm 

new ideas along with memory and productivity 

are all significantly enhanced when we’re 

feeling positive and happy. Alternatively our 

productivity is significantly reduced when 

we are worried or stressed. We make the 

best decisions, generate our finest work and 

receive excellent outcomes (and are also most 

successful) when we are feeling great. 

One of the many things Rayner and Hawes 

both agree on is that you must take time to 

look after your own mental health because 

self-care is essential. It’s like the safety briefing 

on planes where you put your own oxygen 

airbag first before helping those around you 

although it seems contrary to most people’s 

instincts because you want to protect your 

family/friends first. But how can you help 

them when your own mental health is on the 

rocks? 

Everyone is struggling at the moment, 

even people working in the mental health 

sector. Rayner and Hawes use their own tips 

and learning to keep their positivity levels up 

and they also draw a lot of strength from their 

partners, families and pets. 

Unfortunately, not everyone has strong 

family ties to lean on like these two amazing 

ladies, but consider your family of choice as 

your adopted whānau who you can korero 

with. Who can you talk to, are there friends, 

workmates or others in the community that 

you can reach out to? Just ask for help, someone 

will always be there to take your hand. 

Sure, it can be hard sometimes, but your mental 

health is worth it. 

If the Mental Health Toolkit or 30 Day 

Positive Challenge aren’t quite the right fit 

for you Rayner and Hawes can suggest other 

resources/services. They can even provide a 

friendly ear at a café because they both love 

having a chat over coffee. Check out their 

two programmes helping to make New Zealand 

a happier place!


World-class adventure tourism course 

re-established 

Rotorua’s adventure tourism industry is poised 

to take off thanks to the re-establishment of a 

world-class training course. 

The Adventure Tourism 

course, originally run 

for 20 years through 

Waiariki Institute of Technology 

and later Toi Ohomai, produced 

a huge amount of talent 

and was a major reason for 

cementing Rotorua as one of 

the premier adventure tourism 

destinations in the world. 

The course has been on a 

three-year hiatus, but a new 

generation of students will 

breathe life into the industry 

once the course is back up and 

running in March 2022. 

Canopy Tours General 

Manager Paul Button says 

Rotorua boasts many unique 

attractions and the geography 

here lends itself to being an 

outdoor adventurers paradise. 

“There are activities like 

rafting on the waterfalls of the 

Kaituna, mountain biking in 

the Whakarewarewa Forest, 

the activities in the trees like 

Canopy Tours and the Treewalk 

as well as the activities 

on the lake with jet boating, 

sea kayaking and stand up 

paddleboarding. 

“Over the past three years, 

the destination has been hamstrung 

by a lack of trained 

outdoor leaders to support 

this popular and fast-growing 

adventure industry,” Button 

says. 

In a bid to combat this, 

a collection of 20 adventure 

leaders have been working 

with Toi Ohomai to fill the 

labour gap that was created 

when the adventure tourism 

course stopped in 2018. 

Button has been one of the 

drivers to get this course back 

and up and running. 

“Rotorua is a magical place 

and has so much potential to 

deliver the best visitor experience 

in the world. Over the 

years we have seen fewer and 

fewer people from Rotorua 

apply for our guiding roles 

and we have had to travel NZ 

recruiting from other outdoor 

schools and polytechs. 

“Our best employees have 

been from Waiariki and Toi 

Ohomai, they are professional, 

highly skilled and passionate 

about their home. 

“Currently, we have six 

graduates employed and one is 

in our senior leadership team. 

There was something special 

about that adventure tourism 

course and the people who 

taught, I am thrilled we have it 

back,” Button says. 

“There is no reason that 

every guide we employ 

shouldn’t come from Rotorua 

and this course.” 

The course is part of the 

Sport and Recreation portfolio, 

headed up by Ruth Naidoo, 

who has been working alongside 

industry leaders to build a 

curriculum that is focused on 

teaching the skills the industry 

needs to employ graduates. 

She says the re-establishment 

of the course is exciting 

and that she can’t wait to 

see her students fill the local 

labour shortage of outdoor 

leaders. 

“It’s exciting and inspiring 

to work with the 20 representatives 

from the industry,” 

Naidoo says. 

“It is humbling to see the 

passion within the industry, 

they are driven to make this 

course a success and help their 

industry thrive in the years to 

come. 

“They have committed to 

being hands-on and to support 

the students in work placements, 

field trips and even 

classroom activities.” 

Naidoo says world-class 

tutors will be teaching this 

course and inspiring students. 

“Nikki Kelly is a world 

champion rafter and extreme 

kayaker, and Stevie Walls has 

worked in the tourism industry 

for 20 years and is also a veteran 

NZ touch player. 

They bring the perfect 

blend of teaching excellence 

and real-life experience. These 

guys are really positive role 

models for our rangatahi. 

The course is aiming to 

deliver the best tuition possible 

and the key to its success 

will be making the most of the 

world-class products Rotorua 

has to offer. The activity operators 

that have been working 

with Naidoo range from 

long-standing businesses 

Skyline Skyrides, River Rats, 

Zorb, and Velocity Valley, to 

new start-ups including Paddle 

Board Rotorua and the NZ 

Whitewater Academy. 

NZ Whitewater Academy 

co-founder Rob Collister says 

they are 100 per cent committed 

to making the course a 

success. 

“These students will be 

our future outdoor leaders and 

employees. I don’t see a future 

without them.” 

The course is now called 

the NZ Certificate in Outdoor 

and Adventure Education. It 

will include kayaking, rafting, 

ropework work, mountain biking, 

bush skills, sustainability, 

hospitality skills and a whole 

lot more. 

The course will teach the 

stories of Rotorua and have 

Tikanga Māori embedded 

throughout. It opens as a Level 

4 course, but will have scope 

for Level 5 and a degree pathway 

in future. Enrolment is 

now open and the course starts 

in March. 

Learn more about the New 

Zealand Certificate in Outdoor 

and Adventure Education. 

2022…new year…new idea? New IP? 

It was a glorious afternoon. The sun was shining, and a gentle breeze 

blew across the sea as you enjoyed a fine Pinot Gris. Then it hit 

you…bam! The idea for the new product you’ve been searching for! 

Or perhaps it was morning, and while tucking into your scrambled 

eggs and sipping your steaming Americano it came to you…wham! 

The idea for a new service that will really see your business take off! 

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 07 928 4470 

(Tauranga), 07 957 5660 (Hamilton), and benc@jaws.co.nz. 

Whatever the circumstances, 

if you were 

inspired over the 

Christmas and New Year break 

to do something new, then I 

recommend (if you haven’t 

done so already) to undertake 

some IP due diligence before 

investing further time and 

money in your idea. 

If your idea is for a new 

product, then here are some 

issues you might need to 

consider: 

• Do you know if your product 

exists already? Have 

you conducted any Internet 

searches, for example, to see 

if it does? Have you searched 

the patents, designs and 

trade mark databases of the 

Intellectual Property Office 

of New Zealand to see if the 

way your product works, 

or your product appears, is 

already protected? 

• If your product does exist 

already, at least in general 

terms, what makes your 

product ‘new’? Does it 

involve a new way of making 

or doing something, or 

does it just look different to 

the competition? 

• If your product doesn’t exist 

already, have you told anyone 

about it? If you have, 

did you get/need them to 

sign a non-disclosure agreement 

before telling them? 

If you have involved any 

third parties in the development 

process so far, have 

you signed non-disclosure 

agreements with them? 

• Have you made any drawings 

for your new product? 

If you have, then have you 

kept them somewhere safe? 

It might be early days, but 

have you made any prototypes 

and shown or tested 

them in public as yet? 

• Are you planning on making 

the product yourself, or 

sub-contracting manufacture? 

If the latter, are you 

planning to make your product 

in New Zealand or overseas 

– perhaps in China? 

If your idea is for a new 

There is one thing stronger than all the 

armies in the world, and that is an idea 

whose time has come.” – Victor Hugo 

service, then issues you might 

want to consider are: 

• Do you know if anyone else 

is offering the same or similar 

service to your existing 

and potential customers? 

• If someone is already offering 

a similar service, what 

makes your service different? 

Is it underpinned by 

revolutionary software, or 

does it involve a new model 

of delivery? 

• If your service doesn’t exist 

already, have you told anyone 

about it? Did you get/ 

need them to sign a non-disclosure 

agreement before 

telling them? If your new 

service involves a third 

party developing software 

for you, for example, do you 

know who owns the software 

code? 

Whether your idea relates 

to a product or a service, 

another issue you might need 

to consider is the name of your 

new product or service and the 

corresponding domain name 

(if applicable). 

If you have some name 

options in mind, have you 

conducted any domain name 

or Internet searches to see if 

someone else is using an identical 

or similar name? 

Have you searched the 

trade marks database of the 

Intellectual Property Office of 

New Zealand, and perhaps the 

New Zealand Companies Register, 

too, for identical or similar 

trade marks and company 

names? 

If you are thinking you will 

want to export your product or 

service in the future, have you 

also searched the trade marks 

databases of the overseas 

countries you might want to 

sell into? 

As you can see from the 

questions I’ve posed, having 

an idea is just the start of your 

IP journey. Do not be deterred, 

however, because if your idea 

is one whose time has truly 

come, we at James & Wells 

will do everything we can to 

help you on your journey.


Trustpower 

Baypark in 2022 

It’s a New Year and Trustpower Baypark are 

excited to announce the line-up of events for 

the first quarter of the year. 

Baypark Speedway 

The Speedway season is in 

full-swing now and we have 

a number of speedway meets 

throughout the season to keep 

all of the family entertained. 

All speedway dates can be 

found at www.bayparkspeedway.co.nz. 

To enjoy watching the races 

in style, we have several Corporate 

Boxes available to host 

your guests comfortably. Our 

corporate boxes offer an exclusive, 

spacious and comfortable 

environment all with outdoor 

balcony for up to 20 guests 

accompanied with bar service 

and catering delivered by dedicated 

staff. 

Polo in the Bay 

Polo in the Bay is coming 

to Tauranga on Saturday 22 

January. 

The inaugural event features 

some of New Zealand’s 

most talented Polo players 

going to head-to-head in their 

provincial colours and this 

fresh Polo format brings you 

closer to the action – there isn’t 

a bad seat in the house. 

There will be a range of 

hospitality options available, 

from a casual picnic-style 

Family Zone, to Private Marquees 

and the VIP Pavilion 

with specialty bars, catering 

and lounge areas. 

Polo in the Bay features 

include: 

• Movember Brunch (R18) 

• The Polo Lawn (R18) 

• VIP Pavilion (R18) 

• Private Marquees (R18 – 

limited spaces) 

• Free Family Zone (unlicensed 

– all ages) 

• Après Polo – Eat + Drink 

+ Play at our Official 

Dining Precinct 

Tickets available from 

www.polointhebay.co.nz 

NZ Bridge – NZ 

National Bridge 

Congress 

New Zealand’s Premier 

Bridge Event. After the disappointment 

of not being able 

to hold a National Congress 

for the past 2 years, there will 

not just be a new venue, but 

there are many other changes 

as well. 

The 35th New Zealand 

National Bridge Congress is 

the premier bridge event in the 

annual calendar and was last 

attended by over 700 players 

in 2019. In 2021, it will be held 

from Thursday 10 February – 

Thursday 17 February 2022 

with events open to all levels 

of players, from grand-master 

to Novice players. 

Battle of the Trades IV 

BAY BOXFIT is proud to 

bring to you Base Up BAT- 

TLE-OF-THE-TRADES IV – 

The Bays Best Charity Boxing 

Event. 

A very popular Corporate 

Boxing show which showcases 

tradespeople challenging 

themselves by navigating their 

way through 3x 2 min rounds 

against one another 

This is a BLACK TIE event 

so be sure to dress to impress 

on Saturday 19 February 2022. 


www.ticketbooth.co.nz 

Armageddon 

Not long to go till Armageddon 

is here once again! Infa- 

Armageddon 

mous and 

one of the largest 

fantasy events in 

Australasia, Armageddon 

will be here 

on Saturday 26 February 

– Sunday 27 February 

2022. 

Armageddon Expo 

is New Zealand’s ultimate 

entertainment event, featuring 

gaming, fantasy and multimedia 

events. 

Armageddon will be a great 

day out for all the family – if 

you have not experienced an 

Armageddon yet – this is your 

chance! 

Tickets will be available 

from 17 January at www. 

iticket.co.nz 

Salmonella Dub 

Aotearoa’s Dub & Bass heavyweights, 

the space-weaving 

SALMONELLA DUB will be 

here Saturday 5 March. 

The multiple platinum-selling 

and award-winning D&B 

pioneers are performing across 

Aotearoa, delivering what 

promises to be a phenomenal 

two-hour multimedia dance 

floor set of the Dub’s classics, 

alongside a bag of new 

tunes from their forthcoming 

album RETURN TO OUR 

KŌWHAI. 

Salmonella Dub 

Joining the band on stage 

for this auspicious spring tour 

are old time members Conan 

Wilcox and Tiki Taane, plus 

special guests Whirimako 

Black and Laughton Kora. 

From their very first live 

appearance in 1993, to these 

forthcoming Aotearoa Spring 

Tour shows, passion, creativity, 

energy, driving bass beats 

and pure joy are the signature 

hallmarks of Salmonella Dub 

live. 


www.salmonelladub.com 

Benee 

Indie-pop superstar BENEE 

will visit every corner of the 

country, hitting 10 different 

towns and cities joined by 

special guests, THERE’S A 

TUESDAY. 

BENEE recently released 

her newest single ‘Doesn’t 

Matter’, her first taste 

of new music since her 

debut album ‘Hey U 

X’ hit the shelves in 

November 2020. 

The ‘Supalonely’ 

singer has had an 

incredible 18 months, 

from releasing the 

album, to sharing it 

with Kiwi crowds on a 

sold-out eight-date tour 

in late 2020 and being 

named on Forbes 30 under 

30 Asia 2021 list. Worldwide 

streams in the billions have 

made her one of the most 

exciting new acts to have 

emerged anywhere. 

BENEE is the dreamy 

voice of a disaffected generation. 

She broke out around the 

world with “Supalonely,” an 

alt-pop ballad about unwanted 

isolation, a sentiment that 

found her a lot of friends in 

2020. Billions of streams later, 

she returned with the guestpacked, 

yet highly personal 

‘Hey u x’ and a southern summer 

of sold out shows around 

her home country. 

She has not only performed 

on a string of major television 

shows including The 

Late Show with Stephen Colbert, 

The Tonight Show Starring 

Jimmy Fallon, The Ellen 

DeGeneres Show and Late 

Night With Seth Meyers, but 

appeared alongside doting fan 

Elton John on his Apple Music 

Rocket Hour radio show. 

Supporting BENEE, will 

be one of New Zealand’s most 

exciting up-and-coming indie 

rock/pop bands, THERE’S A 

TUESDAY. 

Picked to support by 

BENEE herself, the group 

consists of two female front 

women, Nat Hutton and Minnie 

Robberds, both on guitars 

and vocals, with Angus Murray 

on the drums and Joel 

Becker holding it down on the 

bass. 

After receiving critical 

acclaim for their debut EP in 

November 2020, followed by 

a busy summer festival season, 

THERE’S A TUESDAY are 

poised to have a massive 12 

months. 

Get ready to experience 

BENEE on Sunday 6 March 

before she embarks on a massive 

global tour! This is not to 

be missed. 


www.livenation.co.nz 

Tauranga’s Premier 

Venue 

Benee 

Trustpower Baypark is Tauranga’s 

Premier Venue for conferences, 

meetings, entertainment 

and exhibitions. Offering a 

complete package in one convenient 

location that features 

state of the art meeting rooms, 

in-house catering, audio visual 

services, professional conference 

organiser (PCO) and marketing/promotional 

services. 

For more information on any events, enquiries for Trustpower Baypark venues, BayStation activities or service on/off site from BayCatering, BayAudioVisual 

visit www.trustpowerbaypark.co.nz or email events@bayvenues.co.nz.


Buy now, cry later 

We all want to have nice things, which is why we work hard and save 

up for them. However, for those who are light on cash but heavy on 

impulse, there are other options such as Hire purchase and lay-bys. 

Hire purchase and lay-bys 

for large items are not a 

new thing, but lay-bys 

are paid in full before you pick 

them up and hire purchases 

go through a credit check and 

affordability screen before 

they are approved, so there is 

a layer of protection for both 

financier and consumer however 

there is a new type of 

lending that does not. 

You would have seen 

options like afterpay, Zip and 

others on Trademe and plastered 

on shop fronts I’m sure, 

these allow you to spread your 

purchase over four “easy” 

payments, no credit checks, 

no interest and no fees. These 

may sound like very attractive 

CREDIT CONTROL 

> BY NICK KERR 

Nick Kerr is a Business Advisor at NJK Advisory Ltd. 

He is also director of International Private Investigations Ltd. 

Nick can be reached at nick@nzipi.com 

options, but if you look at the 

effects of the ‘pay after you 

buy’ products and who they are 

aimed at, they seem a lot less 

favourable. 

Hire purchase and lay-by 

are designed for people who 

have large expenses or items 

to buy that could not be reasonably 

expected to fit into the 

average family budget, such as 

a vehicle that breaks down, an 

animal with unexpected health 

issues or urgent orthodontic 

work for a buck toothed teen. 

However, the “buy now 

pay later” offering appears to 

be aimed at providing mainly 

luxury or at the least nonessential 

goods to low income 

people that they would not otherwise 

be able to afford. 

Even more of a concern 

is that in Australia, restaurant 

meals and alcohol shop 

purchases are now able to be 

purchased via the “buy now 

pay later” payment model. 

Many financial commentators 

are predicting that this will be 

commonplace in New Zealand 

as soon as Q1 2022. 

The afterpay alternative 

Lately I have repossessed 

many cars from people, and 

when they have filled out their 

means assessments, have put 

“afterpay” as a large proportion 

of their weekly outgoings. 

What this shows is that people 

You would have 

seen options like 

afterpay, Zip and 

others on Trademe 

and plastered on 

shop fronts I’m 

sure, these allow 

you to spread your 

purchase over four 

“easy” payments, 

no credit checks, no 

interest and no fees. 

are putting impulse or luxury 

purchases ahead of their necessary 

or core expenses as a 

priority. 

After speaking to the people 

that we repossess from as 

to how they got themselves 

in to the financial pickle that 

brought me and my kind 

to their door, the common 

response was “I wanted the 

thing and it seemed so easy to 

buy I couldn’t help myself”. 

The lesson is that if you 

can’t afford to buy something 

now and you have a 

fixed income what makes you 

believe that you will be able to 

afford it later, especially when 

you are purchasing multiple 

items using this system? 

All this seems to do is spend 

more and more of your income 

before you have earned it, in 

order to buy things that if you 

had to save for you would not 

have bought any way! It is 

common for people to attach 

less value on future earned 

money than on past earned 

money, but I can tell you that 

debt is debt no matter how it 

came about and irrespective 

of the mindset held when you 

incurred it. 

Just a thought. 

Fostering the entrepreneurial spirit: 

How disruption is a catalyst for opportunity 

As we head into 2022, there is a sense of both trepidation and 

excitement for many business owners as to what lies in the year ahead. 

The pandemic has caused 

many employees to challenge 

their assumptions 

about work. This disruption 

heeds a new era and, while it 

can be daunting, it is a catalyst 

for opportunity for business 

owners. 

So how do business owners 

and decision makers foster the 

entrepreneurial spirit within 

their business? Nurturing the 

entrepreneurial spirit has to 

come from within, and from 

the top. 

Whether you’ve got two 

employees or 2,000, setting 

an example for your team is 

a surefire way to trigger more 

responsive, innovative ideas 

from those around you. 

In the same vein, I would 

encourage business owners 

to consider abandoning more 

complex and traditional hierarchical 

structures to give way to 

more cross-functioning operating 

models. 

It builds a culture of open 

questioning to challenge the 

way things have traditionally 

been done and fosters entrepreneurial 

spirit within the 

business. 

How to build 

understanding 

When your people have more 

understanding of the business 

and the needs of the customer, 

the more they can understand 

what needs to be done. 

Because at the end of the 

day, the strength of your business 

comes from your people, 

no matter what level they are. 

It took a global pandemic to 

kickstart widespread change. 

One of the lasting effects of 

the pandemic will be remote 

work being an expected 

reality for many 

employees. 

Working from 

home arrangements 

can be 

mutually beneficial 

for 

staff and 

businesses 

by removing 

proximity 

as a barrier 

for entry and 

supporting 

a more balanced 

life. 

Using local 

talent 

Businesses can now 

start looking nationally 

for remote positions 

typically filled with local 

talent; thereby, placing skills 

and expertise of talent above 

all other considerations. 

In fact, we’ve just 

announced a new flexible 

work programme where 

employees can choose to work 

fully remote, from the office or 

in a hybrid model. If they have 

a good internet connection, 

they can work from basically 

anywhere if they choose. 

To stay ahead of the curve, 

business owners need to 

understand how to support 

their employees in the new 

nine to five to foster a modern, 

inclusive and rewarding life 

for their employees. Don’t let 

memories of the ‘old world’ 

impact your policies or you’ll 

risk being left behind. 

Competition for 

new talent 

The competition for new talent 

has never been so fierce. Right 

now, the job market is hot 

with companies across most 

industries battling against 

skill shortages. Companies 

are needing to consider how 

they will position themselves 

as attractive workplaces in a 

climate reshaped by “the new 

normal”. 

Recruiting and retaining top 

talent isn’t an easy problem to 

solve and there are many layers 

to it. Unfortunately, there is 

no silver bullet to this solution. 

It’s 

imperative 

that 

you focus on 

retaining your 

quality talent and 

give them reasons to stay. 

Things like flexible working, 

business culture, role clarity 

and recognition are some of 

the more impactful things to 

be focused on. 

Put simply, the way forward 

is about recruiting people, 

not roles. By designing 

roles for future growth and 

development, employers will 

be able to attract talent with 

a drive to be a part of something 

bigger – those who have 

a desire to drive change and 

innovation. 

So, once you’ve got the 

right people in your business, 

how do you keep them 

engaged? 

WORKPLACE WELLBEING 

> BY CRAIG HUDSON 

Craig Hudson is Xero’s managing director for New Zealand 

and the Pacific Islands. 

Part of supporting your 

employees is creating a supportive 

and engaging work 

environment, whether this is in 

the office, remotely or a combination 

of the two. 

Having a people-focused 

culture built on long-term 

career development and 

upskilling opportunities will 

not only gain, but help you to 

retain the best talent. 

Produce growth 

opportunities 

Employees led by entrepreneurial 

spirit want growth 

opportunities and to feel 

like their work delivers meaningful 

impact – to the business, 

themselves, and the 

community. 

This could include flexible 

working arrangements, a focus 

on wellbeing, improved benefits, 

company and team culture, 

opportunities for growth, 

the stability of the company 

or industry – all on top of 

compensation. 

Businesses, big and small, 

that prioritise their employees 

will be the winners in this 

new upcoming era. Those who 

don’t risk being left behind 

as the best talent moves 

elsewhere. 

Utilise data and tech-enabled 

systems to support your 

employees learning 

While none of us can predict 

what 2022 will hold, it’s 

guaranteed digital adoption 

will continue to have a transformative 

role on the way we 

do business. 

Adapting to change 

Digitisation and adapting to 

change are the keys to unlocking 

increased productivity. 

With improved flexibility 

comes faster, more efficient 

business outcomes. 

Many businesses who were 

traditional at their core have 

realised how powerful technology 

can be to help them 

streamline processes, collaborate 

remotely and even open 

up new revenue streams. 

A recent study, “Picking up 

the pace: trends in small business 

technology adoption and 

use”, which uses anonymised 

and aggregated data from more 

than 300,000 small businesses 

on the Xero platform across 

New Zealand, Australia and 

the UK, found one in three 

small businesses said they 

were ‘technology delayers” 

and not keeping up with their 

peers’ technology use. 

Simply put, these businesses 

will find themselves 

falling further and further 

behind as technology and app 

adoption paves the way for 

post-pandemic growth. 

You may feel your business 

isn’t so different now if it isn’t 

embracing tech, but the gap is 

widening each month.


LOCAL GOVERNMENT 

Civic precinct 

transformation 

on the way 

An artist’s render of Tauranga’s Civic Precinct, looking towards Durham Street. On 

the left is the new library and community hub building, on the right are a proposed 

museum and exhibition and events spaces and in the centre is the new Civic Whare. 

After years of delay and indecision, Tauranga’s civic 

precinct is set to be transformed, restoring the heart 

and soul of the city centre. 

By ANNE TOLLEY, Tauranga 

Commission Chair 

Following decisions taken as part 

of this year’s long-term plan 

(LTP), Tauranga City Council 

will soon be initiating a number of 

projects which will help to reinvigorate 

the CBD, but the most exciting 

developments will come via a refresh 

of the civic precinct masterplan, 

which was adopted on 6 December. 

Investment in our civic facilities is 

long-overdue and thanks to the masterplan, 

we now have a clear vision 

of what the civic precinct – the area 

bounded by Willow, Wharf, Durham 

and Hamilton streets – could look 

like. 

Subject to our advisors coming-up 

with a workable construction and 

financing plan and community consultation 

via a long-term-plan amendment 

process early next year, we can 

now look forward to a progressive 

transformation of the city centre 

before the end of the decade. 

The refresh includes the library 

and community hub approved in this 

year’s long-term plan, together with a 

Anne Tolley 

civic whare (public meeting house), a 

museum and an exhibition and events 

space. 

The Baycourt Theatre remains, but 

would be upgraded, and the civic precinct 

now extends through Masonic 

Park to the waterfront. 

Heart of community goal 

These spaces will provide opportunities 

for learning, exploring, debating, 

relaxing, entertaining and remembering 

the past and will combine to create 

a city centre that is truly the heart 

of our community – a place for locals 

to gather and connect with each other 

and for visitors to seek-out, because 

it captures the essence of Tauranga 

Moana. 

A hotel and conference centre is 

also envisaged on the western side of 

Durham Street, but would be largely 

privately funded. 

Funding of the precinct development 

will be a key factor, but we 

anticipate that at least half of the estimated 

cost of $270-300 million will 

come from outside sources. 

The masterplan was prepared by 

Willis Bond, in consultation with tangata 

whenua, and specifically considers 

the location’s significant cultural 

history as the original area of Māori 

settlement. 

This was a place where people 

gathered to discuss important matters, 

welcome visitors, learn, trade and 

enjoy everything Tauranga Moana 

has to offer. It’s therefore appropriate 

Funding of the precinct 

development will be 

a key factor, but we 

anticipate that at least 

half of the estimated 

cost of $270-300 

million will come from 

outside sources.” 

that the masterplan aims to restore the 

original purpose of the land. 

Meanwhile, the current Council 

buildings on Willow Street will be 

demolished later this year to make 

way for the new library. 

The customer service centre and 

central library activities which currently 

operate on the Willow Street 

site will temporarily relocate to the 

Goddards Centre, where work is well 

underway to transform the existing 

mall into a welcoming community 

hub – a centre of learning and discovery 

which reflects the cultural significance 

of that site. 

The customer service activity will 

open to the public there by the end of 

January, while the library will move 

to its new home towards the end of 

March. 

Most activities housed in the Willow 

Street building, including the 

offices of the commission and Chief 

Executive, have already moved to 

the existing council building at 306 

Cameron Road, but the intent is to 

bring all administration staff together 

in a new leased building to be constructed 

at 90 Devonport Road, which 

is expected to be ready for occupation 

by the middle of 2025. 

All of which says that we have 

some exciting times ahead! 

SPONSORED BY VODAFONE BUSINESS 

Trimax Mowers: cutting through 

communication challenges 

Local businesses are booming in 

the BOP and creating a better 

environment in which to live, 

work and play. Innovative companies 

are creating new opportunities 

in the region – this is being further 

stimulated with great connectivity 

technology. Trimax Mowers is 

one such business benefitting from 

Vodafone’s increased investment 

into the region. 

Trimax is based in Tauranga. 

Originating in the Bay of Plenty in 

the 1980’s, the business was originally 

developed for the booming 

New Zealand Kiwifruit industry. 

During the 1970’s New Zealand 

kiwifruit boom the Bay of Plenty 

underwent a complete transformation. 

Large areas of pasture became 

orchards almost overnight and numerous 

businesses competed to service 

the new industry. 

A real ‘Kiwi business takes 

on the world’ success story 

It was during this time Trimax 

founder Bob Sievwright innovated 

the Gamma Flail, a new type of 

flail for mulchers which were an 

outstanding success. 

The Trimax ProCut was later 

developed, along with a range of rotary 

mowers for various turf applications. 

This founded a new era for 

Trimax and the company began exporting 

in 1985. Demand grew from 

groundsmen and turf managers who 

had heard of the mowers’ reputation 

for durability, quality of cut and low 

maintenance. 

Today the company designs and 

manufactures a wide range of rotary 

and flail equipment, which has become 

the benchmark worldwide, 

from England’s Windsor Castle to 

US PGA Championship courses. 

Now the business is a global 

player servicing Australia, UK, EU 

and US markets – all from a hub in 

Tauranga. Half of the team of 140 

is based in the Bay of Plenty, with 

the rest overseas and spread across 

New Zealand. Establishing efficient 

communication across the organisation’s 

widespread structure offers 

both challenges, and opportunities 

to shine. 

According to Trimax CEO Michael 

Sievwright, the challenges of 

doing business in the Covid environment 

in the last couple of years 

have meant finding new efficient 

ways to communicate within the 

company. “We have a strong market 

in New Zealand, but a lot of our 

development is focused overseas,” 

he said. 

“Our local team concentrates in 

particular on finance, strategy, administration 

and engineering.” 

With manufacturing and distribution 

arms in different countries on 

different continents, travel and communications 

have been impacted by 

Covid-19 restrictions. From Michael 

Sievwright’s perspective, this 

is all the more reason to focus on 

strong client interactions. 

“Export businesses have to 

adapt,” he says. “And we have to 

remain customer focused.” 

He says video calls have become 

a normal part of business. “We 

have to be able to have good connections 

without awkward lags, not 

just when you’re on fibre, but also 

when you’re away from the office 

as well.” 

“We now often make sales presentations 

remotely, whereas once 

we would have had our team in the 

market. Some of those habits will 

probably carry on ‘post-Covid’, 

if there is such a thing as ‘post- 

Covid’,” he quips. 

“These new ‘habits’ require 

good connections, good internet 

and good quality systems driving 

them in the background. The tools 

available now make it possible.” 

Asked about what makes the 

Bay such a good place to do business, 

Michael is enthusiastic: “Although 

I’m from Tauranga, I’ve 

lived and worked around the world 

– US, UK, Auckland. 

“We have the best port in the 

country, great export businesses and 

small businesses we can all learn 

from – it’s a great ecosystem. 

“As far as lifestyles are concerned, 

the Bay offers a lot of diversity; 

In our team we’ve got people 

who love the beach and others who 

love having space around them; 

Some like a city feel, but not too big 

a city. But there’s more to Tauranga 

than the beach,” he points out. 

This has seen Trimax attract 

people with a diverse range of skill 

sets to their team. These skill sets 

have enabled the business to grow 

and deliver globally. 

From a logistics perspective, 

proximity to the port has been a real 

advantage for Trimax’s export container 

shipments. 

And when it comes to real-world 

product testing, how refreshing to 

be able to do trials on a horticultural 

block 10 minutes from the headquarters. 

“Having grown to a global 

entity, it’s great to still be able to 

go back to our roots on a Kiwifruit 

block in the Bay after 40 years,” 

says Michael. 

Trimax’s success is increasingly 

empowered by the connectivity 

solutions Vodafone supplies. 

Vodafone’s technology 

providing real stimulus 

Michael Sievwright 

Vodafone is helping the BOP region 

to thrive via remarkable technology. 

In February 2021, Vodafone 

announced a turbocharged network 

investment program, spending 

hundreds of millions of dollars annually 

to better connect Aotearoa. 

This included building or upgrading 

800 cell sites nationally, in addition 

to adding more than 200 cell sites 

being built by the Rural Connectivity 

Group (RCG) over the coming 

2-3 years. 

Despite navigating the challenges 

of Covid-19 and additional 

health and safety measures, Vodafone 

upgraded 38 mobile cell sites 

and built 14 new cell sites across the 

region in 2021 in addition to eight 

new Rural Connectivity Group 

(RCG) sites. This has improved the 

critical digital services that keep 

people connected so they can work, 

learn and play remotely. 

Vodafone first switched on 5G 

technology at the Mount in March 

bringing the latest generation mobile 

network tech to BOP - and now, 

after more investment in the BOP 

region, independent testing shows 

Vodafone offers customers the best 

mobile network in the BOP region. 

Vodafone scored highest on mobile 

data performance and voice call 

quality. The audit report conducted 

by the global leader in mobile 

benchmarking umlaut in November 

2021. 

According to umlaut’s independent 

testing Vodafone has the 

best mobile network in the Bay of 

Plenty region, scoring 700 points 

out of 1000 overall. The Vodafone 

network is more than three times 

faster than any other mobile operator 

in the Bay, meaning Vodafone 

customers get the fastest mobile 

downloads. 

The network improvements enable 

businesses to do what they do 

best, faster and more reliably, from 

any location. This allows them to 

focus on doing business and driving 

profits. 

A robust network also means 

staff can work from anywhere, enabling 

a better work-life balance for 

those who want to work from home 

or from a bach while on holiday. 

To learn more about 

Vodafone’s 5G network head to 

www.vodafone.co.nz/5g/


New changes in 

top tax rates 

Top personal tax rate 

increased to 39 percent 

on 1 April 2021. 

As a tax professional, my 

work Christmas wish 

was for a slowdown in 

the pace of legislative change. 

2021 was a busy year for tax 

with a number of significant 

developments with very broad 

application, from the change 

in the top personal tax rate to 

39 percent, to the changes in 

the interest deductibility and 

brightline rules, to the ill-conceived 

proposal to do away 

with the concept of GST tax 

invoices! 

The 39 percent tax rate 

came into effect on 1 April 

2021, but the flow on effects 

of this will continue into 2022 

and beyond. 

While the top personal tax 

rate is now 39 percent the trust 

tax rate remains at 33 percent, 

but recent developments from 

Inland Revenue show that they 

are keeping a careful watch 

on taxpayer behaviour which 

could force their hand. 

As a reminder, this is not the 

first time that the top personal 

tax rate didn’t align with the 

trust rate. The last time the top 

ACCOUNTING 

> BY ANDREA SCATCHARD 

Andrea Scatchard is a Tax Partner at Deloitte, based in the Bay of 

Plenty. She can be contacted on ascatchard@deloitte.co.nz 

personal tax rate was 39 percent 

was from 2000 to 2010, 

and the trust tax rate was 33 

percent during this time. As a 

result we saw a lot of taxpayer 

activity in the use of trusts as a 

way to divert income to lower 

taxed beneficiaries. 

This was a focus of Inland 

Revenue audit activity though 

this period, resulting in high 

profile and successful tax 

avoidance cases where the 

taxpayers were held to have 

implemented business structures 

in a way that had an 

intention of avoiding tax. 

Tax rates misaligned 

Now, with the top personal 

tax rate once again misaligned 

with the trust tax rate, Inland 

Revenue has stepped up their 

game and is using sophisticated 

data analytics to monitor 

the behavioural changes 

of taxpayers around reporting 

of the income and the use of 

trusts. 

We have known for a while 

that Inland Revenue has been 

developing its data analytics 

capabilities and that the 

changes that have been made 

to their IT systems, as well as 

gathering significant amounts 

of data from external domestic 

and offshore sources, have 

allowed them to really beef up 

what they can do in this space. 

They have identified 

around 120,000 individuals 

who earned close to $180,000 

in the previous years and have 

been monitoring in real time 

the monthly employment 

and investment information 

reported in relation to these 

individuals. 

They are looking for trends 

that might indicate some 

restructuring has taken place to 

avoid the top tax rate change. 

Around half of this group of 

taxpayers are salary and wage 

earners, and around half again 

are related to their employer 

– for example as shareholders 

or as beneficiaries of trust 

shareholders. 

The Inland Revenue have identified around 

120,000 individuals who earned close to 

$180,000 in the previous years and have 

been monitoring in real time the monthly 

employment and investment information 

reported in relation to these individuals. 

This group in particular 

may be seen as being able 

to influence the amount of 

income they receive from their 

business personally compared 

to income that may be diverted 

to related parties and taxed at a 

lower rate. 

While it is acknowledged 

that there can be legitimate 

reasons for restructures or 

other changes, and that Covid- 

19 has had an impact on many 

businesses, Inland Revenue 

needs to be comfortable that 

tax is not driving the changes 

they are seeing. They are taking 

an educational approach in 

the first instance and are likely 

to contact taxpayers they have 

concerns about to discuss the 

reasons behind any changes 

that have been made. 

Source of data for IR 

The changes to the trust reporting 

rules that apply from the 

current tax year will provide 

Inland Revenue with another 

valuable source of data relating 

to taxpayer use of trusts. Consultation 

recently closed on 

two documents that describe 

the information that Inland 

Revenue expects to see filed 

alongside trust tax returns. 

Confidential 

personal 

service 

As well as needing to prepare 

financial statements that 

must comply with set minimum 

standards, trustees are 

now required to disclose a lot 

of additional information each 

year. This includes, among 

other things, disclosure of 

settlors and appointors of the 

trust, details of cash and noncash 

settlements received and 

distributions made (including 

capital distributions) and information 

about transactions with 

associated persons. 

It is understandable that 

Inland Revenue is wanting 

to get a better picture of how 

people are extracting wealth 

from trusts, but at what cost 

to taxpayers? These changes 

are likely to force significant 

additional compliance costs 

on trustees and we are hopeful 

that we may see some scaling 

back of the level of information 

required to be filed. 

This new trust reporting, 

along with the data analytics 

work being done, will help 

drive audit activity as well as 

inform any policy decisions 

regarding a future change in 

the trust tax rate. 

If the data indicates that 

the trust regime has been 

exploited, we could well see 

an increase in the trust rate to 

39 percent to align with the 

personal tax top rate for this 

year’s Christmas present from 

the taxman. 

Selling your 

We connect quality busine 

YOU’VE PUT YOUR HEART AND SOUL INTO BUILDING 

A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS 

We’ll put our Heart and Soul into selling it 

For more information call 

T: 07 578 6329 E. tauranga@tabak.co.nz 

or visit www.tabak.co.nz 

Licensed REAA (2008)


How to choose the best website 

hosting platform for your business 

A strong online presence has never been more vital for small and 

medium-sized businesses. 80 percent of consumers now research 

online before making a purchase, and 85 percent use the Internet to 

find local businesses. 

Nearly half (46 percent) 

of web users say a website’s 

design is their 

number one criterion for determining 

a company’s credibility. 

Your services, pricing, contact 

information and description of 

how you work with clients will 

all be showcased on your website 

for potential and current 

customers. 

Choosing a website platform 

is akin to selecting the 

foundation when building your 

home. Everything that follows, 

the look, functionality, user 

experience, maintenance, adding 

on, and more will all be 

determined by this choice. The 

most important question when 

choosing the correct platform 

to build your website is what 

you plan to accomplish with 

your website. 

Start with what your company 

needs. For example, an 

eCommerce brand selling 

shoes wants its customers to 

make a purchase and perhaps 

sign up for their newsletter. 

Whereas a catering company 

wants users to make a booking 

or get in contact. 

It’s important to remember 

that a well-functioning 

website is well organised, follows 

a logical structure, and is 

designed to feel intuitive and 

easy for your target audience 

to achieve the goals you have 

set for the website. There are 

a lot of competing options out 

there when it comes to setting 

up a new website. 

Let’s look at what we call – 

the big five website platforms 

out today to better understand 

which platform is right for 

your business. 

WordPress/ 

WooCommerce 

WordPress/Woocommerce is 

the oldest and most popular 

website building platform out 

today. 

More than 41 percent of 

websites on the internet are 

powered by WordPress, and 

for good reason. WordPress 

is open source – meaning 

it’s easy for developers and 

designers to customise. 

It has over 52,000 plugins 

available to use and is cheaper 

to host than most website platforms. 

If you are DIY-ing a 

WordPress website, you will 

need a hosting service to create 

an installation, so it does 

require a bit of knowledge in 

the space before creating your 

own. 

Wix 

Wix is an easy-to-use website 

builder that has become very 

popular in the last few years. 

They’ve invested a lot into creating 

a platform that is accessible 

to those with minimal website 

building experience. The 

most important thing to understand 

is that Wix is a drag and 

drop website builder meaning 

you can drag and drop elements 

wherever you want to 

create a web page. 

Shopify 

When you think eCommerce, 

you automatically think 

TECH TALK 

> BY MARIETTE TOLMAY 

Mariette Tolmay is the marketing lead at Stratus Blue. 

She can be contacted at mariette@stratusblue.co.nz. 

Shopify. Shopify has established 

itself as one of the biggest 

website eCommerce platforms 

in the world, currently 

used by more than one million 

people worldwide. 

Shopify is an eCommerce 

giant with a streamlined back 

end to help make eCommerce 

businesses run smoothly, with 

little hands-on effort. 

SquareSpace 

Squarespace is known for its 

unique, responsive templates 

and its easy-to-use website 

builder. Many people choose 

Squarespace over the competition 

because of how fresh and 

modern the website templates 

are. 

WebFlow 

Gaining popularity is the drag 

and drop website builder Webflow. 

Many web designers 

choose Webflow due to the 

high degree of customisation 

and intuitive design you can 

achieve with this platform. 

Apart from the “Top five” 

Rocketspark – a New Zealand-owned, 

and -operated 

platform is swiftly gaining 

traction. 

The award-winning platform 

interface allows businesses 

to create a fully customised 

website using elements 

such as images, text, videos, 

links, buttons, forms, and 

more. 

The platform uses a drag 

and drop interface to allow 

users to personalise the layout 

of each page and control the 

positioning of each element. 

Other features include 

industry-specific website templates, 

SEO management, 

social media integration, custom 

forms creation, subscription 

management, and more. 

Choosing what platform 

fits your business is a daunting 

decision, especially with so 

many options out there. 

Get clear on the goals for 

your website and base your 

decision on this and the available 

resources you have (ie. 

time, experience). 

ADVERTORIAL 

New year: a new digital and 

tech focus 

With the new year upon us, many businesses 

will be excited about what 2022 will bring, while 

reflecting on what learnings from 2021 they can 

take with them. 

Recent research from telecommunications 

company 

2degrees shows that business 

decision makers may be looking at 

technology and digital skills to consider 

the difference they can make 

in helping a business ‘revive’. 

2021 saw 2degrees commission 

research for its Shaping Business 

Study, polling approximately 1000 

business decision makers from 

across the country, from sole traders 

to organisations with over 50 

employees. According to the study 

technology, digital skills and access 

were some of the key aspects helping 

businesses get back on track 

after the disruptions of the Covid- 

19 pandemic. 

35 per cent of those businesses 

identified flexibility to work from 

home as important to getting back 

on track, with over a quarter (26 per 

cent) identifying improved digital 

skills and access, and one in five 

(20 per cent) saying that it was better 

technology. 

Andrew Fairgray, Chief Business 

Officer at 2degrees, says the 

research shows that strong digital 

capabilities can help businesses 

weather the changing landscape. 

“Every business needs to be a 

technology company, in some way,” 

says Andrew. “Technology has 

played a role in nearly every business’s 

ability to continue through 

the ongoing disruption of the past 

two years, and this will continue as 

the environment changes.” 

When asked about the things 

they had done to put their business 

in a better position since the 2020 

lockdowns, the 2degrees Shaping 

Business Study found that 16 per 

cent of businesses had invested in 

communication technology, while 

15 per cent had invested in computers 

and equipment for employees to 

use at home, 14 per cent had trained 

staff with new digital skills. 

Technology and digital upskilling 

also play a key part in businesses’ 

future plans. Of business 

leaders planning to increase investment 

in their business in the next 

year, 35 per cent were planning to 

invest in digital upskilling. The 

research shows just how important 

it is that all businesses have a good 

digital strategy and keep their technology 

up to date. 

“The data is clear; digital skills 

and technology are enablers for 

navigating the business environment. 

However, the research 

showed us that 25 per cent of Bay 

of Plenty decision makers said they 

Andrew Fairgray, Chief Business Officer, 2degrees. 

didn’t possess the digital skills 

needed to help their business, and 

that’s an area I’d encourage leaders 

to investigate moving into 2022,” 

Andrew says. 

“It’s why 2degrees Business 

is committed to providing fairer 

access to technology, for businesses 

of all sizes, and why we partner 

with organisations like social community 

and SME network Manaaki 

and the Chambers of Commerce in 

the Bay of Plenty.” 

A further learning from the 

research was that 87 per cent of 

business decision makers in the Bay 

of Plenty felt confident or very confident 

in making technology investments, 

which was pleasing says 

Andrew, and will help set business 

leaders up well for the year ahead. 

“It’s as clear as it ever has 

been that digital skills and technology 

can help businesses build resilience 

and adaptability. If you want 

to prepare your business to weather 

any storm, it will be important to 

ensure that your technology, digital 

platforms, and abilities are up to 

scratch.” 

Chat to the 2degrees team about 

your technology needs on 0800 022 

002 or visit 2degrees.nz


In the balance 

FRANCHISING 

> BY NATHAN BONNEY 

Nathan Bonney is a director of Iridium Partners. He can 

be reached at nathan@iridium.net.nz or 0275-393-022 

Nicole Brewer 

appointed 

to Rotorua 

Airport’s helm 

Rotorua Airport is thrilled to 

announce Nicole Brewer has 

been appointed to the top 

position of chief executive, 

commencing next year. 

Ms Brewer brings with her more than 

25 years’ experience in the aviation 

and tourism industries, including eight 

years’ experience with Air New Zealand and 

three years with Qualmark. 

The 47-year-old was previously chief executive 

at Rotorua Airport between 2015 and 

2016, stepping down to start a family while still 

keeping in touch as a trusted consultant. 

Her passion for the tourism and aviation 

industries has not abated during the time she 

has spent at home with her daughter and says 

she is eager to recommence the chief executive 

role. 

“I am deeply passionate about aviation, as 

well as Rotorua and the Bay of Plenty, and I’m 

excited to be part of the community and support 

Rotorua as it moves forward,” she says. 

Ms Brewer says the Rotorua Airport team, 

under the leadership of former chief executive 

Mark Gibb, has done an outstanding job and 

she is looking forward to continuing that work. 

“I thoroughly enjoyed my previous tenure at 

the airport, which included developing the airport 

terminal and land to its full potential. 

“It will be great to pick things back up and 

help to continue the work to make the airport an 

asset Rotorua can be proud of. 

“We are facing some challenging times as 

we look to rebuild after COVID-19, however 

with those challenges come plenty of exciting 

new opportunities to explore.” 

Rotorua Airport Chairman, Peter Stubbs, 

says Ms Brewer’s strong leadership, communication 

skills and excellent business acumen 

will ensure the airport continues to improve 

and grow. 

“Nicole creates strong teams and encourages 

them to reach their full potential which, in 

turn, will deliver excellent results for Rotorua 

Airport. 

“With her airport management and aviation 

experience, coupled with her strong people 

management skills and adaptable, practical 

approach, the Board has no doubt Nicole 

will once again add substantial value as chief 

executive.” 

Mr Stubbs says throughout her career 

Nicole has continually shown the ability to pick 

up new concepts and rise to the challenge and 

believes the development of the airport land 

would be no exception. 

Ms Brewer’s most recent role at Air New 

Zealand was as their Manager of Revenue Alliances 

where she focused on business improvement, 

cost savings and streamlining systems. 

She was a key member of the team that put 

together a successful bid for an alliance with 

Singapore Airlines. 

Ms Brewer will continue to work closely 

with interim Chief Executive, Logan Charters-Leahy, 

in the lead up to her official start on 

17 January 2022. 

My favourite time each 

year writing articles on 

the franchise business 

model is looking back at what I 

had written the year before and 

looking forward into my crystal 

ball and predicting what’s install 

for the year ahead. 

I get some of it right, but like 

the ambiguous comments of 

the fortune teller, some predictions 

become half right – or half 

wrong. Like my call last year that 

“We have historic low interest 

rates, which look to be around 

for some time and the impact on 

business borrowing cannot be 

stressed enough.” 

The historic low interest 

rates have moved up faster than 

most commentators would have 

expected, but the “impact on 

business borrowing cannot be 

stressed enough” remains on 

point, and we will come back to 

that a bit later. 

My predictions for 2022 and 

growth in the franchise business 

model will be a fine balance 

of factors, some of which I can 

identify, but not necessarily tip 

which way the balance will go. 

The great resignation 

From early on in New Zealand’s 

first 2020 lockdown we were 

questioning whether people 

would want to return to their 

business-as-usual jobs and lifestyles. 

There has since been 

much written about the great 

resignation. I’m not sure from 

A quick history of tax, just in 

case you were wondering… 

The first permanent tax taken 

directly from the taxpayer 

was implemented to pay 

for the cost of the New Zealand 

wars in the 1860s. The wars were 

funded largely by borrowing, so 

new taxes helped to repay these 

loans. 

Through the 1870s Premier 

and Treasurer Vogel borrowed 

heavily to build infrastructure. 

By 1877 there were long and 

serious Parliamentary discussions 

on who was benefiting 

most from government spending, 

and who was paying the most tax 

to support it. 

The Liberal Party was in 

power from 1891 to 1912 which 

left the legacy of the Income tax 

and progressive rates as we know 

it. These were introduced in 1891 

and became central aspects of the 

New Zealand tax system. 

In 1958 the New Zealand government 

brought in a Pay As You 

Earn (PAYE) income tax. Under 

PAYE tax is deducted fortnightly 

from wage and salary earners, so 

people never saw the money and 

we have that is quite happening 

in New Zealand, but unquestionably 

people are looking for flexibility 

in their work-life balance 

and most importantly, a sense of 

self-determination. 

Invariably this leads many to 

purchase or start a business, and 

sensibly a great number of new 

business owners are and will 

continue to invest in a franchise 

business. 

Regional migration to 

accelerate 

As ex-Aucklanders we have been 

beating the regional migration 

drum for some time. I think it’s 

been heard, as Bay of Plenty and 

other regions are and will continue 

to see an influx as people 

moving to the regions and establishing 

franchised businesses. 

Not surprisingly, this has spiked 

over the Auckland lockdown. 

The impact of a peaking 

property cycle 

Last year I wrote that rising 

property prices were a positive 

for encouraging investment in 

franchising by both raising the 

general mood of the economy 

and potentially providing equity. 

My take on this for 2022 supports 

this comment. However, 

the relationship between rising 

property prices and investment 

in franchising is now influenced 

by a number of factors; the rate 

of growth has slowed and many 

the government got the tax revenue 

immediately. 

Over decades governments 

have changed tax rates to pay for 

social spending like education 

and health, or to woo voters. 

Fiscal drag effect 

may be looking to exit the property 

market. 

The above forementioned 

regional migration means some 

may look at selling in Auckland, 

and buying a franchised business 

and house regionally. The above 

all sit in the pro-growth bucket, 

but there are an equal number 

of factors that may slow growth 

over the coming year. 

Funding challenges 

As mentioned, interest rates have 

moved from the historic lows and 

have done so relatively quickly. 

The impact on business borrowing 

can be significant, in percentage 

terms if funding is “against 

the bank of house”, interest costs 

could have more than doubled in 

the past year. 

Additionally, the cautious will 

not only be looking at what has 

happened with rates but looking 

forward and wondering where 

they may head. And, so are the 

banks in terms of looking at 

affordability and repayments. 

I would suggest more importantly, 

credit conditions have 

changed in the past 12 months 

and it will continue to become 

more difficult to borrow to establish 

or grow businesses. A positive 

for the franchise business 

model as I have said many times, 

is that success rates are higher 

and there is generally more 

information available including 

benchmarking, making it potentially 

easier for the banks to 

TAXATION 

> BY VALERIE ROWE-MITCHELL 

Accounting and other money matters with Valerie Rowe-Mitchell, 

owner of Emerald Business Advisers. Valerie can be reached on 

07 579 5777 or valerie@emeraldbusiness.co.nz 

Over the 25 years since 1960 the 

burden of taxation had shifted so 

that a heavier load was carried 

by personal income tax. This 

happened through what is known 

as ‘fiscal drag’. The tax scale 

did not change, but incomes 

increased, elevating people into 

higher tax brackets each year. 

By 1985 middle-income 

earners, such as school teachers, 

were paying high marginal 

income tax rates. Fiscal drag had 

severe political consequences. 

In the 1980s a Labour government 

made major changes 

to taxes. Tax incentives were 

removed and personal income 

tax rates were simplified. There 

were just two personal income 

tax rates: 24 percent on income 

up to $30,000 a year, and 33 percent 

above that. 

In the 2000s New Zealand 

taxes were about 39 percent of 

the total value of goods and services 

produced each year (GDP). 

This put New Zealand roughly in 

the middle of tax levels for the 

OECD (a group of 30 modern 

economies). 

review and fund versus a standalone 

business. 

Staff shortages 

A quick stroll through Bayfair or 

along the Mount main street will 

demonstrate that staff shortages 

are rampant. I cannot see what is 

going to change positively in this 

regard in the short to medium 

term and suspect that inflation 

and wage pressure will only 

make this worse. 

We’re aware of a number 

of franchise businesses whose 

growth is being directly impacted 

by staff shortages. The flipside is 

franchise businesses that have 

a low labour component and or 

man-power requirements are 

likely to flourish. 

Disruption to supply chain 

Ongoing disruption to the supply 

chain will continue to impact 

all business models and sectors, 

the extent will depend on several 

factors including the mix 

of domestic and or international 

supply chain, the level of vertical 

integration and the reliance on 

certain sectors such as building 

and construction. 

There will be an associated 

varied impact on franchised businesses, 

but some may have an 

advantage by having established 

and larger purchasing and negotiation 

ability, perhaps vertically 

integrated supply chains versus 

stand alone businesses. 

New Zealand has had taxes ever since a formal government was established. When Lieutenant- 

Governor Hobson proclaimed British sovereignty over the North Island on 21 May 1840, the 

tax on imports came into effect. Over 60 percent of tax revenue came from alcohol, 

tobacco and sugar. In essence, most tax was voluntary, if you didn’t 

smoke, drink alcohol or tea, or use sugar, you paid very little tax. 

Up to recent times New Zealand’s 

tax system was relatively 

simple when compared to other 

countries. 

However, an increase in the 

top income tax rate, the introduction 

of the Brightline test and 

non-deductibility of interest represents 

ad hoc responses without 

a coherent strategy. This is likely 

to result in policy outcomes falling 

well short of objectives, and 

potentially serious unintended 

consequences. 

This article is based on the information 

from The Encyclopedia of 

New Zealand and Working paper 

03/2021 by Norman Gemmell.


Bay’s primary sector enjoys strong 

returns at season’s mid-point 

The Bay of Plenty is well-positioned to ride the wave of strong primary 

sector returns being enjoyed by horticultural and pastoral growers this 

season, with good rainfall pre-Christmas ensuring a positive start to 

the second half of the farming and orcharding season. 

By RICHARD RENNIE 

The latest ANZ commodity 

report records record 

10-year highs being 

enjoyed in the pastoral sector, 

while also reporting Zespri 

orchard gate returns at their 

second highest ever. 

For the Bay of Plenty’s 

524 dairy farmers, Christmas 

will be looking particularly 

rosy thanks to some generous 

pre-Christmas tropical rainfall. 

Fonterra has also raised 

its forecast 2021-22 mil price 

payout by 30c/kg milksolids 

(MS) to a mid-point of $8.70/ 

kg. For the first time ever there 

is the real prospect that payout 

could reach $9.00/kgMS. 

Similarly, sheep and beef 

farmers in the region continue 

to enjoy historically 

high global prices for their red 

meat, with little sign Chinese 

appetites are abating. Farm 

gate lamb prices continue to sit 

over $9/kg carcass weight with 

global supply tight, while beef 

enjoys a $6-plus/kg value. 

Season shaping up well 

Bay of Plenty Federated Farmers 

president Darryl Jensen 

says the season is looking to 

shape up well, with plenty 

of surplus feed on hand for 

silage harvesting heading into 

mid-summer. 

However, he cautions 

while the payout figures are 

undeniably positive, farmers 

like all other businesses are 

facing a raft of cost increases 

that are now well into double 

digit percentages. 

“There are costs coming 

through in all areas. I recently 

ordered a new topper, which 

was to cost $8500, only to 

finally arrive and be costing 

$15,500, of which $3500 was 

just the freight getting it here.” 

He said a tight labour market 

was also hanging over the 

sector, and his advice was to 

do all possible to keep whatever 

good staff farmers already 

had, with few to choose from if 

they left. 

This also applied to the 

rural contracting businesses 

in the region, and operators 

were already doing long 

hours to keep up with seasonal 

harvesting demands. 

Jensen said with the heavy 

pre-Christmas rainfall and 

ensuing grass growth, those 

demands were only likely 

to grow heading into later 

summer. 

Late November marked 

the final shipment of Zespri 

kiwifruit for the season, with 

a quiet sigh of relief from the 

industry in an export environment 

complicated by shipping 

issues. 

Largest Sungold harvest 

ever 

The 1800 tonne shipment 

heading to Tokyo also signalled 

the end of the largest 

SunGold harvest yet, with 

just over one hundred million 

trays sold into export markets 

for the first time, alongside 77 

million trays of Green. 

Growers were also 

rewarded with record payments 

for the 2020/21 season 

thanks to Zespri enjoying a 

16 percent increase in operating 

revenue, accompanying 

the 10% increase in global 

sales volumes. Average per 

tray returns for SunGold were 

$12.46 a tray. 

Market signals for the 

coming season remain strong, 

NZ Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated chief executive Colin 

Bond: work prospects better. Photo/Supplied. 

with planning well underway 

to mitigate anticipated continued 

shipping issues. Forecast 

orchard gate returns for the 

2021-22 season have SunGold 

at $10.92 a tray and Green fruit 

at $6.34 a tray. 

Zespri chief global supply 

officer Alistair Hulbert says 

along with continued shipping 

issues globally, the sector also 

faces a labour shortage of 6500 

staff, requiring close co-ordination 

between all parties to 

ensure crop is harvested and 

shipped in a timely manner. 

Colin Bond, chief executive 

of NZ Kiwifruit Growers 

Incorporated, said prospects 

for locals wanting to work in 

the sector have never been 

better, and a recent industry 

survey reports high levels of 

satisfaction among workers. 

“There are also indications 

employers are more in tune 

with the requirements of workers, 

particularly around flexible 

working hours.” 

Remuneration in the sector 

now has the hourly rate 

set against at least the living 

wage rate. Older workers are 

also filling seasonal vacancies, 

with those aged 51-65 

accounting for 15 percent of a 

recent employee survey. 

Bond says the 2022 harvest 

is predicted to be another 

record breaker, and work continues 

between the industry 

and government departments 

to attract more people to the 

sector. “Kiwifruit is a fantastic 

industry to work in. Every time 

we’re putting on an additional 

50 ha of fruit an orchard manager 

is required. These are great 

jobs that pay over $100,000 a 

year in some cases.” 

Among Bay of Plenty’s 

main primary exports, forestry 

has hit something of a low 

point with log prices dropping 

sharply at the wharf gate level 

as Chinese prices ease and 

high shipping costs continue to 

erode profit margins. 

The cost of moving a log 

from New Zealand to China 

peaked at US$75/cubic metre, 

but has eased back to US$65/ 

cubic metre, still a fourfold 

increase on values over a year 

ago. With prices paid equating 

to about US$150/cu metre, 

almost half the log’s value is 

being lost to shipping costs. 

One big cloud on the horizon 

for all exporters is securing 

sufficient space for exports, 

and expectations are that shipping 

capacity will remain constrained 

until well into the new 

year until more shipping assets 

were commissioned. 

How embarrassing 

Musings on luxury and leisure, post annus horribilis 

LUXURY & LIFESTYLE 

> BY ALAN NEBEN 

Alan Neben is a Mount Maunganui local and experienced New 

Zealand Publisher. He unequivocally supports mask wearing. 

alan@bopbusinessnews.co.nz 

Social norms have shifted 

as a result of Covid- 

19 restrictions. While 

kids are often quick to adapt 

to new trends, changes to the 

way we’ve always done things 

become more challenging as 

we get older. 

Have you noticed that the 

people struggling with the 

Covid app at the front door of 

the shop are often older – the 

kids rock up, raise their smartphones 

and cruise-on through. 

Meanwhile mum is still growling 

at Dad at the door explaining 

that he needs to open the 

app before he points the camera 

at the QR code – “No, 

not in selfie mode, turn the 

phone around the other way.” 

It should work; Why hasn’t it? 

Stupid phone! Stupid rules! 

The kids knew this was 

going to be embarrassing (as 

usual), so they’ve bolted. 

Dad’s decided the pen and 

paper sign-in is probably a 

better bet for him from now on 

and Mum and Dad’s bickering 

continues. Why, oh why, does 

it never work for Dad? 

But its not all about apps 

and Covid scanning and inappropriate 

emojis, not checking 

social media, etc 

New challenges 

Covid-19 has bought with it a 

plethora of new challenges far 

beyond scanning at the door of 

the supermarket. 

It all began a year ago, 

when we weren’t required to 

wear masks, but we had to 

learn not to shake hands or 

hug – having been bought up 

to believe not shaking hands 

was a sign of disrespect and 

being a cold-fish non-hugger 

was bad form, even if you had 

no relations in Italy, it became 

excruciatingly awkward for 

many of us to simply wave at 

the boss when you were only a 

meter apart, or to butcher casting 

a heart fingers meme thing 

at your aunty rather than giving 

her a hug. 

Fast forward a year and 

masks are de rigueur – even 

Dad’s wearing one, though as 

usual, his just looks embarrassing. 

But this new social norm 

brings with it a few real issues. 

New issues. 

I have been the first to say, 

in a lecturing way, “Don’t txt, 

phone!” 

Why? Because nuance is 

so often lost and tone misconstrued 

in a txt; Sarcasm is 

often mistaken for criticism 

and jokes are not read as jokes. 

‘You are such a dick’ can 

so easily be misinterpreted as, 

‘You really are such a dick’, 

rather than, ‘You are such a 

dick’ as a term of endearment 

– you get it! 

Leaving the door open 

Masks are de rigueur thanks to Covid 

– especially at the supermarket! 

By insisting we all wear masks, 

that same door for misinterpretation 

and unintended offence 

has been left wide open. Traditionally 

if I make joke in public, 

say by telling the obviously 

pregnant shop assistant she 

should eat less, my ridiculous 

accompanying grin might alleviate 

potential offence (though 

none of the embarrassment 

of such an inappropriate ‘dad 

joke’); Put a mask over my 

mouth and that throw away 

bad-taste quip, without the 

accompanying grin, leaves a 

void which is filled immediately 

with offence and disgust. 

A smile has always been 

able to be used to disarm – 

who cares if Brad Pitt is a 

serial killer, he’s got a smile; 

Forget Julia Roberts job title, 

that smile could melt ice. 

So when I recently overstepped 

the crime scene queue 

tape at the supermarket, I 

felt very offended when the 

checkout operator glared at 

me and said, “Get behind the 

line, SIR!” I couldn’t see her 

mouth, so I wasn’t sure if she 

really did despise me for my 

boundary indiscretion … or 

was I reading her all wrong? 

I immediately delivered my 

response, a practised clenchedteeth 

cringe (a visual version 

of, ‘OMG I’m so sorry’). Did 

she appreciate my contrition, 

or was my deference completely 

lost on her? Hard to tell 

when you can’t see the face 

behind the mask. The moral 

of the story, “Don’t step over 

the line with a mask on and 

expect a flash of your pearly 

whites to get you off with just 

a warning.” 

I’m not an anti-masker, 

on the contrary I love having 

somewhere to hide my 

reactions when in the company 

of fools or really badly 

dressed people. But today I 

made a mistake which I hope 

to never make again: I arrived 

at the supermarket in good 

humour. I scanned in almost 

without breaking stride (yes!) 

and managed to find almost 

everything on the list without 

any re-navigation. Some of the 

shoppers seemed a bit aggressive, 

but hard to tell when they 

have masks on. To my horror 

mid-bathroom supplies aisle, 

a humiliating revelation befell 

me – I had forgotten to put my 

mask on. 

Two-hours later as I write 

this, I am still traumatised. 

Questions still whirl in my 

mind. How many people saw 

me? Did they assume I am an 

anti-masker? An anti-Vaxer? 

Worse still, a Trumper? OMG, 

I am so embarrassed. 

To those who my actions 

offended, “I apologise for any 

offence caused”. 

Social norms have shifted, I 

am not anti-mask, I am simply 

easily distracted.


Three-sided 

powerhouse 

The Golden Triangle continues to house the lion’s 

share of New Zealand’s economic productivity and it 

remains on a growth trajectory. 

The upper North Island’s “Golden 

Triangle” zone formed by the 

Auckland, Waikato, and Bay of 

Plenty regions, retains its badge as the 

dominant focus of property development 

activity in New Zealand. 

It’s responsible for nearly 60 percent 

of the country’s building consents 

issued annually and where big business 

is consolidating. 

Bayleys Research’s latest Golden 

Triangle Overview, part of its Infrastructure 

series of reports, underlines 

the major contribution the three provinces 

make to New Zealand’s productivity 

and gross domestic product 

(GDP). 

Accounting for just over half of 

New Zealand’s population (50.18 

percent), the zone accounted for 52.4 

percent of New Zealand’s GDP growth 

in the year to March 2021 and $11.978 

billion – or 57.12 percent – of the 

value of all building consents issued. 

That represents an increase of more 

than $1 billion in consents since 2019. 

Robust across all sectors 

Ryan Johnson, Bayleys’ national 

director commercial and industrial 

says the Golden Triangle’s robust 

new development activity is across 

all property sectors and despite Covid 

disruptors, he expects this dominance 

to persist in the medium to longer 

term. 

“Given the continued demand 

being demonstrated by the market, 

the Golden Triangle’s supremacy 

as New Zealand’s economic powerhouse 

looks certain to endure. 

“Once the domain of private 

investment money, the Golden Triangle 

zone is now attracting significant 

institutional and listed development 

investment – along with central government 

input. 

“An example being Tauranga-based 

property entity Classic 

Group which has partnered with the 

NZ Super Fund to form a new land 

development company and will leverage 

its scale and capital to increase 

housing supply in New Zealand, with 

a focus on the Auckland market in the 

first instance.” 

In Tauranga, Mark Walton, Bayleys’ 

commercial and industrial manager 

says the green light for Winstone 

Wallboard’s new $400 million plasterboard 

manufacturing and distribution 

facility in the Tauriko Business 

Estate, is a standout injection of confidence 

in the region. 

“The 200-ha Tauriko estate, which 

incorporates one of Australasia’s largest 

industrial subdivisions, continues 

to account for the bulk of the current 

industrial building activity in Tauranga, 

however, future development 

land in the precinct is constrained. 

“Design-build opportunities are 

filling up and industrial occupiers will 

need to act quickly to nab space – particularly 

for large footprint options. 

There’s a chronic shortage of business-zoned 

land in the region and the 

squeeze is on to meet the demand.” 

Meanwhile, the Rangiuru Business 

Park near Te Puke in the Bay of 

Plenty, will open up around 178 hectares 

of land for development across 

four stages, accommodating large 

footprint industrial facilities and having 

a dedicated interchange connecting 

it to the Tauranga Eastern Link 

expressway and a direct rail link to 

the Port of Tauranga. 

Given the continued demand being demonstrated by 

the market, the Golden Triangle’s supremacy as New 

Zealand’s economic powerhouse looks certain to 

endure. Once the domain of private investment money, 

the Golden Triangle zone is now attracting significant 

institutional and listed development investment – 

along with central government input.” – Ryan Johnson 

David Cashmore, Bayleys Waikato’s 

commercial manager says there 

has also been rapid uptake of sites in 

Artist impression of the new Ruakura Superhub. 

new subdivisions on the city’s northern 

boundary, such as the 60-hectare 

Te Rapa Gateway alongside State 

Highway 1. 

Cashmore says without doubt, 

Tainui Group Holdings’ (TGH) new 

Ruakura Superhub that’s emerging 

out of the ground alongside the 

Waikato Expressway, will be transformational 

for Waikato’s business 

fundamentals. 

“TGH’s 490-hectare master-planned 

development on Hamilton’s 

eastern fringe has almost 200 

hectares allocated for logistics and 

industrial uses alone and will boast a 

substantial inland port. 

“Once up-and-running, this precinct 

will kick the regional economy 

– and the part it plays in the broader 

Golden Triangle’s GDP – into a whole 

new gear.” 

To access Bayleys Research’s 

latest Golden Triangle Overview, 

head to bayleys.co.nz/research/ 

commercial 

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

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

Professional property management 

A business partner that understands your views and goals 

Contact the Bayleys Tauranga Commercial Property Management team today. 

Bayleys Tauranga 

Commercial Property Management 

07 579 0609 

jan.cooney@bayleystauranga.co.nz 

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

ALTOGETHER BETTER 

Residential / Commercial / Rural / Property Services


First on the scene 

Photos from The Tauranga Business Awards 2021, hosted by Tauranga Chamber of Commerce at Farmer Autovillage. 

Photos by Salina Galvan 

1 

2 3 

1 Adrian Tighe, Sue Tighe, Geerten Lengkeek, Liddy Bakker, Angela Hall and David Hall (Productivity People). 2 Matt Cowley (Tauranga Chamber of Commerce), James Trevelyan (Trevelyan’s) 

3 Will Johnston, MC for the evening. 

4 

5 6 

7 

4 Anne Tolley (Tauranga City Council) and Allan Tolley. 5 Greg Murphy and David Bryson (NZME). 6 Jamie Lunam (Jenkins Freshpac Systems), Ricki Lunam (Healthcare on Fifteenth). 

7 Tim Boyne and Sam Kidd (LawVu). 

8 

9 10 

11 

8 Pip Allen (Kiwifruit New Zealand) and Mark Allen (ASB). 9 Mel Dwyer (Port of Tauranga), Leanne Elder (Leanne Elder Consulting). 10 Sam and Mercedes Ackerman (Ackermerc). 

11 Simon and Natalie Bridges. 

12 

13 

12 Lani Wreaks, Roz Irwin, Laura Boucher, Matt Cowley, Anne Pankhurst, Sarah Lowry (Tauranga Chamber of Commerce). 13 Hannah Smith, Mike Farmer, Carol Farmer, Blair Woolford, 

Samantha Hedifen, Chris Tabersham, Keith Andrews (Farmer Autovillage).


Learnings from 

NZ’s pandemic 

communications 

Eighteen months ago, the world changed overnight. Billions of 

people were locked in their homes, flights around the globe were 

grounded, and offices, streets and schools lay abandoned. It was 

the stuff of Hollywood. 

Overnight, schools 

closed, businesses shut 

their doors and new laws 

came into effect within 

hours of legislation being 

announced. Getting the 

right message out at the 

right time was crucial. 

The immediate change to 

nearly every aspect of 

our lives was stark – not 

just in terms of our personal 

lives, but also our professional 

ones. As a communicator, 

Covid-19 has impacted my 

work and taught me a lot. I 

have been trained to communicate 

in a crisis, to get messaging 

out swiftly and effectively, 

and to adapt, but not on anything 

like this scale or magnitude 

before, or with as big 

consequences. 

So, what am I going to 

take away from the pandemic? 

And what have I learned from 

the way that politicians, news 

outlets and other organisations 

have dealt with the past 18 

months? 

Empathy above 

everything 

Regardless of their audience, 

organisations have had to 

adopt a different tone. 

The time immediately following 

the lockdowns required 

a more empathetic approach, 

with an open dialogue that 

has mostly continued throughout 

the pandemic. 

Internally, the best communication 

teams and leaders 

were in constant contact with 

their employees, checking in 

on their wellbeing and keeping 

them engaged in strategic 

decisions. 

Externally, honest conversations 

were had with customers 

about product delivery and 

internal workings of the organisation. 

People responded 

well: in times of crisis, we 

need the transparency and 

human connection more than 

ever, so leading with empathy 

helped us all feel like we were 

in it together. 

This was also apparent in 

communication about the vaccine. 

While uptake rates are 

fairly high in New Zealand, 

there has still been vaccine 

hesitancy from a large section 

of society. A large body of 

research suggests people don’t 

refuse vaccines due to a lack 

of information, but instead 

because of core moral beliefs. 

Studies show that when 

there is acknowledgement 

of fears around public health 

interventions, such as politicians 

publicly recognising the 

negative impact lockdowns 

have on people, there is more 

likely to be acceptance and 

compliance of the measures. 

In essence, people that demonstrate 

empathy are more effective 

communicators. 

Embracing change 

We all know life throws curveballs 

and we are in a constant 

state of flux, but I think many 

of us assumed we were in more 

control of that change than we 

actually are. When things are 

changing at the drop of a hat 

those responsible for an organisation’s 

communications must 

be adaptable. People look to 

them to provide vital information 

and to be the gateway 

between them and their workplace, 

government and vital 

services. 

Overnight, schools closed, 

businesses shut their doors 

and new laws came into effect 

within hours of legislation 

being announced. Getting the 

right message out at the right 

time was crucial. Things were 

evolving so rapidly that acting 

quickly, clearly and creatively 

was crucial to helping people 

adapt to the new way of life. 

The New Zealand government 

was praised for its 

consistent and reassuring 

messages, given in real-time, 

and many think this was a key 

pillar to their initial success in 

handling the pandemic. 

Key takeaway 

This pandemic has been a 

learning curve. Too often, 

poor communication has led 

to significant impacts on people’s 

lives, leading to heartache 

and struggle. But there 

THE LAST WORD 

> BY JAMES HEFFIELD 

Director of Bay of Plenty marketing and PR consultancy Last 

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

james@lastwordmedia.co.nz. 

have been some beacons of 

light, in particular the governments 

and organisations 

that were able to adapt swiftly 

and with empathy, leading the 

way with their decisions and 

communications. They were 

able to largely avoid conflict, 

create a sense of togetherness, 

and ultimately save lives and 

livelihoods. 

We are still living through 

the turmoil, but there are many 

valuable lessons we’ve all 

learned. If we can use them 

when communicating through 

future crises, there’s a better 

chance our response will 

improve the next time around. 

Signing off 

This is my last column for the 

Bay of Plenty Business News – 

at least for now. I will be relocating 

to Wellington, where 

I started my communications 

journey, and swapping sunny 

Bay of Plenty days for windy 

Wellington ones. 

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed 

writing for all of you over 

the past few years and I’ve 

appreciated the feedback and 

thoughts some of you have 

shared in response. Thank you 

all for reading. Enjoy the holidays 

and stay safe over the 

Christmas break. 

Focus on a theme that 

binds employees together 

As 2021 draws to a close, business owners have had another year with huge challenges to 

navigate our way through, along with the ongoing disruption to life as we once knew it. This 

year, particularly the past few months has seen many changes to the way in which we do 

business and employ our staff, and in fact live as individuals. 

There has been a lot to 

take on board, digest, 

and then translate into 

our businesses and to our staff, 

customers and suppliers. 

Whilst Covid-19 has continued 

to dominate our landscape, 

unemployment has 

dropped significantly. Many 

sectors have been booming, 

but with the reduced ability 

to source labour, locally and 

from overseas, this has really 

affected growth and productivity 

levels, not only for seasonal 

operators but this has flowed 

through into skilled and technical 

roles significantly. It 

seems as if most sectors are 

experiencing labour shortages 

to some extent, and this is a 

nationwide issue. 

As the country moves into 

HUMAN RESOURCES 

> BY KELLIE HAMLETT 

Talent ID are Recruitment Specialists and can support you through 

your recruitment process. Please feel free to talk to us about this by 

calling 07 349 1081 or emailing kellie@talentid.co.nz 

the new traffic light system 

we may see more active candidates 

wanting to relocate to 

the regions – however this has 

not been evidenced yet. The 

new year may well show some 

movement. 

New working norms 

Last year, not long out of our 

Level 4 lockdown, one of my 

articles touched on the new 

working norms that have surfaced 

post lockdowns. Certainly, 

businesses have had 

to pivot and change, and now 

adapt to living with Covid 

within our community as an 

ongoing risk. The way in 

which we work and do business 

has changed immensely 

and it is doubtful that we will 

see a return to those “old working 

days”. 

We have evolved – and 

some of the aspects of this 

evolution are actually quite 

good. So how can we take the 

best of that and adapt it back in 

to a sustainable and workable 

business model. For example, 

working from home has 

certainly had it’s advantages, 

but now many companies (and 

employees) are wanting to be 

back in the office for a variety 

of reasons. There is less of a 

reason to be working from 

home and a trend to get back to 

business as usual. 

This is leading us to the 

concept of the hybrid working 

model – many of you will 

already be doing this, which is 

essentially a mix of working 

partially from home and the 

office. This provides for the 

best of both worlds, the ability 

to work from a flexible home 

environment, when and how 

it suits, whilst also having the 

ability to physically interact 

with workmates, collaborate 

and communicate in a way 

which working remotely just 

doesn’t allow for. 

Building team spirit 

Working from home is great, 

most of us love it – but just not 

every day. Talking, collaborating, 

joking, grabbing a coffee, 

planning, executing, and the 

team spirit are all key things 

that I know I missed about 

being in the office and having 

my colleagues around me. It’s 

also got to the point where the 

office has less distractions. 

Giving people a reason to 

come into the office is key. 

The value in a team is exactly 

that – they are a team and time 

together is valuable should be 

valued. Culture doesn’t come 

down to the physical environment, 

its driven by the people 

within your team – the way 

they work, the way they think, 

Working from 

home is great, 

just not every 

day. 

and their values. It’s living 

and it’s fluid. 

I think one of the biggest 

challenges for HR leaders over 

the past two years has been 

around the fragmented workforce. 

Employees want and 

expect flexibility now, they 

want autonomy around how 

they work and structure their 

working week, and it’s proven 

that it works. It’s the sense 

of team that will draw people 

back to working from the 

office, and the flexibility that 

provides the balance. 

We now need to align businesses 

strategically to ensure 

that our people and the culture 

that’s been built over many 

years adapts to accommodate 

these new norms – accommodating 

new working styles and 

continuing to building strength 

in people. 

One way includes focusing 

on a theme that binds all 

employees together and concentrating 

on the core aspects 

of the leadership team and how 

their actions and behaviours 

impact others. Examples on 

the ground level include perhaps 

by making a day of the 

week that everyone is in the 

office - covering off some of 

the important face to face messages 

so that the whole team 

is on the same page, perhaps 

a team activity, brainstorming, 

and some time for social 

interactions. 

This allows and encourages 

continuity of social interactions 

between team members 

and essential face to face communication 

and collaboration. 

It brings the team together 

in a way that can’t be done 

via email or zoom. Ask your 

employees for ideas around the 

redevelopment of the company 

values and culture, try them, 

analyse the results. What are 

others doing? What can you 

do better? What is not working 

for you anymore? Great 

leaders look within and ask 

questions of their team. 

Without a doubt the year 

ahead is going to present more 

challenges, new working landscapes 

and rebuilding of a positive 

and encouraging environment 

that fosters collaboration 

and teamwork. 

With change at all levels 

we’ve had to be resilient and 

strong and still have much to 

be thankful for. Wishing you 

all the very best over the coming 

festive season and beyond.

January 2022 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS 19

January 2022 - Bay of Plenty Business News

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