April 2023 - Bay of Plenty Business News

APRIL 2023 VOLUME 7: ISSUE 4 

WWW.BOPBUSINESSNEWS.CO.NZ 

FACEBOOK.COM/BAYOFPLENTYBUSINESSNEWS 

Port jam likely to linger 

Congestion at Port of Tauranga and beyond bought on by capacity limits, delays to expansion and 

a busy export season threaten the flow of goods out of Bay of Plenty over coming months. 

By RICHARD RENNIE 

David Ross CEO of Kotahi, the 

country’s largest supply chain 

company says it is not a lack 

of shipping capacity to New Zealand, 

but port capacity issues and low levels 

of labour availability across the 

supply chain impacting upon port 

operations. 

“In addition ports don’t currently 

have the extra capacity and flexibility 

to be able to absorb peaks and troughs 

in product demand or to manage 

external disruption such as the recent 

weather events. When you add these 

to a system at capacity, they tend to 

amplify the problem.” 

He welcomed the work by ports 

across the country to bring back fixed 

berthing windows for ship calls from 

March 6 to firm up scheduled arrival 

times. 

“It is good to see Port of Tauranga 

doing well to date, as evidenced by 

the queues of waiting ships dropping 

to virtually zero. However, there is 

more work to do at a network system 

level.” 

Ship numbers laid up awaiting 

berthing have been at near record 

highs in recent months, with Vessel 

Finder reporting as many as 17 at 

anchor at any one time earlier this 

year. 

Port reliability in New Zealand 

has been firmly in the spotlight, with 

Maersk’s head of Oceania Region 

recently reporting the region’s schedule 

reliability at 39%, lagging behind 

the rest of the world at 53%. 

But Ross said Kotahi’s data indicated 

that reliability was even lower 

for New Zealand at only 15%. 

He expected the return to fixed 

berth scheduling would also bring a 

level of disruption in the short term, 

meaning tough decisions from carriers 

to omit ports or skip sailings. 

Continued on page 3 

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April 2023 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS 3 

Port jam likely to linger 

From page 1 

“We are seeing this at the moment.” 

A Port of Tauranga (PoT) spokesperson 

confirmed the port has been 

grappling with delays and reduced 

productivity since October 2020 

when it was forced to abandon berthing 

windows in Covid’s wake and the 

disruption that accompanied it. 

“Vessel arrival times at Tauranga 

have been extremely irregular since, 

and with larger-than-normal cargo 

exchanges per visit. This has led to 

a cycle of long wait times at anchor, 

extremely high container yard congestion, 

reduced productivity, and 

longer-than-usual processing time for 

vessels alongside. 

“We have been bringing in vessels 

in the order in which they arrive, but 

the situation has clearly been unsustainable 

for all involved – for the 

congested terminal, for shipping lines 

incurring costs at anchor and congestion 

surcharges, and for importers and 

exporters experiencing cargo delays.” 

Last July PoT had reported about 

40% schedule reliability, having 

slipped from a relatively good postcovid 

position of 50%. Auckland, 

Napier and Lyttleton all recorded levels 

even lower. 

But Ross said the improvement 

back then had been driven by the offpeak 

export season. 

“Now as demand has come on for 

a number of primary industry export 

products it has created increased pressure 

and challenges for the New Zealand 

supply chain.” 

Ken Harris, managing director 

of ContainerCo NZ said the level of 

congestion at the port meant getting 

containers in and out was tough now, 

and only likely to be even tougher 

next year when kiwifruit exports were 

predicted to increase significantly. 

“Our facilities are overloaded 

with containers, making it difficult 

for importers to return containers 

and shipping companies are charging 

demurrage on delayed returns.” 

He echoed concerns held by many 

in the supply chain sector that the 

time taken to expand capacity at PoT 

was simply too long, with capacity 

maxing out. 

One freight forwarder said the 

planned expansion of PoT through 

Sulphur Point was a classic example 

of a “shovel ready” project touted by 

government during Covid that was to 

be fast tracked. 

However over two years on it 

remains bogged down in Environment 

Court hearings. 

The project intends to dredge 1.5 

million cubic metres of harbour bed, 

of which half already has consent. 

PoT is also wanting to build 385m 

of berth facilities at Sulphur Point and 

reclaim 1.8ha of land, and construct 

berths along the existing tanker berth. 

“We are doing our best to manage 

demand and increase capacity, including 

applying for resource consent to 

extend the Sulphur Point wharves 

to accommodate more frequent and 

larger container vessels,” said the PoT 

spokesperson. 

The port is expected to run out of 

container terminal capacity in two 

years should the planned expansion 

not go ahead. 

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4 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS April 2023 

THE PORTER REPORT 

A monthly update on the business 

world from leading writer David Porter 

www.bopbusinessnews.co.nz 

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between Waihi and Opotiki including Rotorua and 

Taupo, and to a subscription base. 

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Teach your children well 

It’s important that our young people’s education performance has been 

front and centre of the news over the past month. As I write, it remains to 

be seen what action, if any, the Labour government will take to address 

the many education failings cited by our primary and secondary school 

teachers when they went on a one-day nationwide strike. 

We can perhaps be 

forgiven for suspecting 

that the teachers 

have begun to realise that the 

current government is by no 

means a shoo-in to get back 

into power. It is clear that as 

well as seeking redress for 

their genuine issues, teachers 

were laying down a marker to 

keep the current government’s 

attention focused on their 

needs and remind Labour of 

their voting power. 

I do not in any way suggest 

they should not do so. In my 

view, nothing is more important 

to the country as whole, 

and the business community in 

particular, than the need for a 

well-educated, well-focused, 

and literate cohort emerging 

into the workforce. 

Sadly, as best we can tell 

that has not been happening. 

Nor is it likely the recent strike 

will make much difference. 

Leaving to one side the vicissitudes 

of Covid 19 - which cost 

some lost school time - what 

is a major long-term concern 

is the large number of children 

who are simply not being 

educated. The reason being 

that, even now when schooling 

is returning to something 

approaching normal, education 

is losing its appeal for many 

young people. 

It is evident that the expanding 

sprawl of social media has 

had some impact on increasing 

educational distraction. But 

that is a global issue and not 

the only reason. According to 

recent news reports, truancy 

numbers are going up and are 

now thought to be around 40 

percent. Schools are struggling 

to keep track of absent 

students. 

More “truant officers” 

Education Department data 

reports that New Zealand has 

around 2,500 schools, the 

majority of which are state and 

state-integrated, funded by the 

Government. It is important to 

note that funding for “truant” 

officers is a discretionary decision 

that essentially comes out 

of individual school budgets. 

And according to a recent 

Parliamentary question time 

answer, the government just 

doesn’t actually know how 

David Porter 

many truancy officers are currently 

in schools. Apparently, 

the government doesn’t keep 

that data. 

However, the government 

recently announced that it 

was pouring $74 million into 

a truancy package, creating 

82 “attendance officer” – formerly 

“truant officer” - roles. 

It is difficult to imagine that 

this latest injection of funds 

will have much impact on the 

problem. 

New Education Minister 

Jan Tinetti suggested the support 

would make a difference 

in attendance rates. According 

to Tinetti, a former Tauranga 

school principal, attendance 

began to decline in 2015, but 

Covid had made the problem 

worse. 

Tinetti replaced the current 

Labour Prime Minister 

in the education role. Chris 

Hipkins’ own tenure as minister 

included supervision of 

the much-criticised attempt to 

gather the country’s polytechnic 

institutes into one national 

organisation. In his latest 

incarnation he has basically 

relegated Labour’s former supposedly 

critical policies to the 

“too hard and expensive” basket, 

in his bid to win Labour 

another election. 

By 2026, the Ministry 

wants to increase the number 

of children attending regularly 

- defined as over 90 per cent of 

the term, or on average more 

than nine days a fortnight - to 

75 per cent. 

As respected independent 

economist Cameron Bagrie 

noted in a recent news report: 

“If you’re looking at [school] 

achievement or attendance, 

you’re going to be really worried 

about where New Zealand 

is going to be in 30 years.” 

According to Tinetti, the 

government is “going back to 

basics on attendance”. 

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NZ’s largest mass timber office 

building coming to town 

2023 

PEOPLE BEHIND BAY BUSINESS 

The crane has arrived, and piling is underway – 

visible signs of progress in Tauranga’s city centre 

on what’s set to become the country’s largest mass 

timber office building. 

The future home of Tauranga 

City Council’s administration 

staff at 90 Devonport 

Road is being constructed by property 

development and investment 

company Willis Bond with construction 

partner LT McGuinness, 

in collaboration with architects 

Warren and Mahoney, Council, 

and mana whenua. Once complete, 

Council will lease the building 

from Willis Bond. 

The building is leading the way 

in environmentally sustainable 

design and in addition to the use 

of mass timber, will feature rainwater 

harvesting, electric vehicle 

charging, and facilities that encourage 

active transport options. 

Using engineered timber in 

place of more traditional concrete 

and steel elements will reduce 

embodied carbon – carbon emitted 

through the manufacturing, transportation, 

and installation of building 

materials and components – to 

its lowest possible point. 

At a recent ground-breaking 

ceremony on site, Commissioner 

Bill Wasley credited the collective 

efforts of everyone involved in 

reaching this exciting milestone. 

“We’ve teamed up with some of 

the best in the business to lead the 

way in the sustainable and innovative 

design of this building, so we 

can all look forward to see it taking 

shape over the next two years,” 

says Bill. 

“After years of indecision, it’s 

great to see these visible signs of 

progress being made so our community 

can feel confident that 

we’re delivering on our commitment 

to transforming our city 

centre in a way that supports environmental 

sustainability and revitalises 

downtown Tauranga.” 

“It’s also a nod of confidence 

for council’s administration staff 

who’ve been waiting to be back 

under the same roof since 2014 

when they had to vacate their previous 

home on Willow Street.” 

Willis Bond Managing Director 

– Funds and Finance, Wayne 

Silver, says Willis Bond is committed 

to continuing to evolve how 

they develop projects to ensure 

they’re walking with a light carbon 

footprint. “The incorporation of 

mass timber building components 

is going to become a fundamental 

part of our development toolkit for 

constructing environmentally sustainable 

and exceptional buildings, 

both now and in the future,” says 

Wayne. 

“At over 10,000 square metres, 

90 Devonport Road will be the 

largest mass timber office building 

ever built in New Zealand and will 

set a new standard for projects of 

scale that can be delivered with 

this environmentally sustainable 

methodology. That it will become 

an integral part of Tauranga’s city 

centre and serve the council and 

the community of Tauranga for 

years to come, is a very exciting 

prospect.” 

The building is targeting the 

highest 6 Green Star – Design and 

As-Built NZv1.0 – Design Review 

Rating, demonstrating world leadership 

in sustainability. It also has 

a strong emphasis on mātauranga 

Māori (Māori knowledge systems) 

and connection with the surrounding 

natural environment. 

Seeka, Perfectly Imperfect and Island 

Gelato collaborate to reduce food waste 

New Zealand produce company Seeka has taken 

another step forward in its bid to minimise food 

waste, partnering with Perfectly Imperfect to 

rejuvenate cherry export rejects. 

Seeka’s New Zealand based 

wholesale market and distribution 

services, SeekaFresh, 

were able to work with Perfectly 

Imperfect’s founder, Wendy Zhou 

and her team, to save over half a 

tonne of cherries deemed both 

export and local market rejects. 

Aaron Leslie, New Zealand 

Markets Manager for SeekaFresh 

said, “Waste is something 

we are always trying to minimise 

at Seeka. By collaborating with 

Wendy, we were able to access her 

connections at DryNZ, and Island 

Gelato, which has resulted in our 

cherries being destoned and turned 

into a new flavour of gelato. We 

couldn’t be happier to see the 

product redistributed to market in 

this way.” 

Perfectly Imperfect is a social 

enterprise whose purpose is to 

save ‘ugly’ food from going to 

waste. Founder, Wendy Zhou, 

reached out to SeekaFresh in January 

looking for opportunities to 

repurpose any produce unfit for 

export or the local market. Wendy 

Zhou explained, 

“A staggering 45% of fresh 

produce is not distributed to market, 

simply because it doesn’t 

look a certain way. It’s our aim to 

reduce this and repurpose the food. 

We were very happy to work with 

Seeka and look forward to a continued 

relationship.” 

Island Gelato was also pleased 

with the outcome with their latest 

flavour, Cherry Bomb, quickly 

proving to be a firm favourite with 

locals. 

Aaron stated, “Depending on 

varying factors such as logistics 

issues etc. we can end up with fruit 

that needs to be distributed and 

consumed quickly. This makes 

the produce unfit for export and 

occasionally local distribution too. 

Being able to work with Perfectly 

Imperfect, in these unusual cases, 

will mean the fruit can be used 

quickly and isn’t wasted, which is 

a fantastic outcome for all parties 

involved.” 

Publisher 

challenges 

readers: 

‘count them!’ 

In March Bay of Plenty Business News published 

its new annual magazine 100 People. 

“It was really an idea that came from our 

readers,” says publisher Alan Neben. “Our 

annual Year Book has been very successful 

– last year featuring a record number of 

businesses. 

“But a message came back to us last year 

loud and clear from Year Book readers: ‘We 

love hearing about the best businesses in the 

Bay, but we’d really like to hear more about 

their people; their back-stories and their 

philosophies; we’d like to know more about 

where they come from and what motivates 

them.’ ” 

We listened, and so 100 People was born. 

“As publisher, I immediately became 

anxious: ‘Will we be able to find 100 suitable 

people to profile?’ ” 

Thankfully, the answer came quickly, and 

the question soon changed from, “Can we 

find 100 people?” to, “Who will we have to 

leave off the 100 list?” 

The result is the new magazine and e-zine 

– 100 PEOPLE BEHIND 

BAY BUSINESS. 

In the introduction 

I challenged 

our readers, saying, 

“yes, there are definitely 

100 individuals 

featured in this issue … 

you’re welcome to 

count them.” 

… so feel free. 

www.bopbusinessnews.co.nz/100people 

EXPERIENCE. THE DIFFERENCE . ADDS UP 

07 927 1200 | 60 Durham St, Tauranga | www.inghammora.co.nz


COASTAL VISITOR SECTOR 

Putting sustainability talk into action 

– participants and supporters gather 

to launch The Green Room in Ōhope. 

Photo/Tourism Bay of Plenty 

COMMITS TO GREENER PRACTICES 

Tourism Bay of Plenty has launched the first Eastern Bay of Plenty intake of its free 12-week programme, The Green Room | Te Rūma Kākāriki, 

in Ōhope. Eighteen businesses and organisations are taking part in the cohort. 

The part-time programme takes 

a holistic approach to sustainability, 

incorporating economic, 

visitor, community, and environmental 

actions. It includes topics such as 

carbon footprint measurements and 

practical steps that can be taken to 

reduce waste and carbon. 

Whakatāne District Council deputy 

mayor Lesley Immink, Tourism 

Bay of Plenty general manager 

Oscar Nathan, and Tourism Industry 

Aotearoa sustainability advocate 

Gisela Purcell were key speakers at 

the March launch event, which was 

followed by a workshop for programme 

participants. 

Tourism Bay of Plenty head of 

strategy and insights, Stacey Linton, 

says the launch was particularly 

timely given the recent unseasonable 

weather in the North Island, which 

dramatically highlighted the realities 

of climate change. 

The Green Room was first 

launched in Waihī Beach in May last 

year, and 28 Coastal Bay of Plenty 

visitor sector businesses and organisations 

have since graduated from the 

programme. Stacey says the aim is to 

have 100 graduates from across the 

region within two years. 

“Consumer values are changing 

as people become more conscious of 

climate change and the impact of their 

actions. Locals and visitors are wanting 

to support businesses and destinations 

that leave a light footprint 

or, better yet, give back. This was an 

emerging market pre-Covid, and it’s 

growing,” she says. 

“According to Expedia, 90 per 

cent of consumers are looking for 

sustainable options while travelling. 

Half said they would pay more for 

transportation, activities, and accommodation 

if the option was more 

sustainable.” 

The Green Room is managed by 

Tourism Bay of Plenty, delivered by 

Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA), 

and funded by Toi Moana Bay of 

Plenty Regional Council. Whakatāne 

District Council is also supporting 

this particular cohort. 

Further information about 

The Green Room is available at: 

bayofplentynz.com/sustainability-andregeneration/the-green-room-teruma-kakariki/ 

Whakatāne region participants 

– cohort launch 15 March 2023 

VMAC Rides, KG Kayaks, Motu 

River Jet, Moutohorā: Island Sanctuary, 

Ngāti Awa Tourism, Omataroa 

Eco Trust, Mata Beer, Aotearoa 

Breweries, Ōhope Beach Golf Links, 

Air Chathams, Wild Food Challenge 

(WDC), The Good Tonic, Ohope 

Beach Top 10 Holiday Park, Ōhope 

Beach Motel, ProSail, Whakatane 

Golf Club, Whakatāne Holiday Park, 

Awakeri Rail Adventures, Tasman 

Holiday Parks, Ohiwa Beach. 

ww 

The mode shift 

challenge 

The reason is obvious to 

almost all, the excep- 

Proudly supporting the Bay of Plenty community tions since being the 1940. diminishing 

number of naysayers 

Proudly supporting the Bay of Plenty Specialising in: 

who have yet to accept that 

Proudly supporting community the Bay of Plenty since 1940. community since 1940. human-induced impacts on climate 

represent a real threat to 

s | surveyors | planners 

Specialising in: 

• Subdivision, Land Use & development • Freshwater our planet; and management those who simply 

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land use & development advice 

style Specialising & residential in: subdivision 

• Culvert Design & • Applications Nutrient 

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a big ask. 

adjustments 

• 3D Laser Scanning Tauranga City Council 

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rveys 

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working on a number of 

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Ph: +64 7 349 8470 

engineers | surveyors | planners 

engineers | surveyors | planners 

Government and local government agencies 

and private sector organisations around the 

world are working hard to reduce their carbon 

emissions – well at least the responsible ones are. 

By ANNE TOLLEY, Tauranga 

Commission Chair 

fronts to reduce its carbon 

footprint, and that of the city. 

As it stands, most of the city’s 

carbon emissions come from 

transport activities and most of 

the transport emissions come 

from private vehicles. In brief, 

our major focuses are: 

• We want to have a more 

efficient transport network, 

so people can get where 

they need to go and spend as 

little time as possible sitting 

in queues with their engines 

running; 

• We want more people to use 

public transport, so there are 

less cars on the road; 

• And we want to make it as 

safe and easy as possible for 

people to use active transport 

modes like cycling, 

scootering and walking. 

In part, our parking strategy 

also aims to contribute to mode 

shift. We obviously want people 

to be able to park in our key 

commercial areas when they 

need to, but the parking activity 

also needs to be a good fit 

for the low-carbon world of the 

Businesses have a key role 

to play too, both in addressing 

the carbon emissions their 

activities generate, and by 

helping their employees to 

shift away from using private 

transport to get to and from 

work. That might mean setting 

up a ride-sharing arrangement; 

or encouraging the use of public 

transport or the take-up 

of e-vehicles and e-bikes; or, 

where it’s possible, encouraging 

people to work at home at 

least some of the time. 

So here’s a challenge to shift 

our mind-set about the way we 

get around the city. Maybe 

there are some financial incentives 

a forward-thinking business 

could use to encourage 

change. For example, we may 

Anne Tolley 

need to provide facilities for 

people to shower and change 

after they’ve ridden, run or 

walked to work. Or perhaps 

we need to provide places for 

people to lock-up and recharge 

their bikes during the day. 

Tauranga City Council is 

investing in the latter two items 

as part of the development of 

our future leased administration 

building at 90 Devonport 

Road. The council has also 

introduced loan schemes to 

help staff who want to purchase 

e-bikes get over the initial 

financial barrier, and is providing 

bus passes to staff for their 

work commute, to encourage 

the use of public transport. 

Many of our staff work at home 

for some of the week, which 

also requires an investment in 

connectivity and online meeting 

capability. 

All of these things are imminently 

achievable and they 

allow us to get ahead of the 

carbon reduction game. Except 

it’s not a game – it’s a necessity 

and the sooner we start, the better 

the outcomes will be for us 

as individuals, organisations, 

communities and countries. 

Challenge issued!


Lexus unveils 

the all-new 

RZ450e 

Electric SUV 

ADVERTORIAL 

AUTOMOTIVE REVIEW 

By MITCH HANDCOCK, 

LEXUS OF TAURANGA 

The automotive industry is 

undergoing a significant transformation 

with the rise of electric 

vehicles (BEVs), and one of the 

latest offerings to hit the market is the 

Lexus RZ450e BEV. 

As an all-new electric SUV, the 

RZ450e is a welcome addition to the 

Lexus EV line-up, boasting impressive 

world first features such as a 

steer-by-wire “yoke” steering wheel. 

Recently, I had the opportunity to 

fly to Melbourne to view the RZ450e 

in person before its release in New 

Zealand. With a passion for vehicles, 

I was excited to see how Lexus had 

incorporated their signature style and 

design into this all-new model. 

Seeing the RZ450e in person, I 

was impressed by its sleek appearance. 

The vehicle features a low and 

wide stance, giving it a strong and 

powerful look. The front grille is 

unique even for Lexus as the brand 

Mitch Handcock 

makes the transition from the “spindle 

grille” to the “spindle body”. While 

the bold styling is unapologetic, the 

strong character lines flow and create 

a head turning appearance. 

The RZ450e is powered by a lithium-ion 

battery connected to two electric 

motors, delivering up to 230kW of 

power. With a full charge, the vehicle 

can travel up to 470kms on a single 

charge (NEDC), making it a practical 

option for long trips. Fast charging 

is a breeze as well, with 150kW DC 

charging possible. And yes, it can 

tow up to 750kg. The interior of the 

RZ450e is just as impressive as its 

exterior, with a spacious and modern 

cabin that offers plenty of room for 

passengers and cargo. 

The vehicle features a 14” touchscreen 

display that houses the infotainment 

system, which is intuitive 

and easy to use. The instrument cluster 

is also digital, providing drivers 

with all the information they need in a 

clear and concise manner. 

Another feature that stood out to 

me was the vehicle’s safety systems. 

The RZ450e comes equipped with a 

new iteration of Lexus Safety System+, 

including automatic emergency 

braking with motorcycle detection, 

adaptive cruise control, panoramic 

camera, and blind-spot monitoring 

amongst many other features. These 

features help to make the RZ450e a 

safe and reliable vehicle for drivers 

and passengers alike. 

Overall, my experience seeing the 

Lexus RZ450e in person was truly 

memorable as it represents a significant 

step forward for Lexus, showcasing 

the potential of the brand’s future 

electric vehicles. With its impressive 

range, performance, and safety 

features, the RZ450e will be a great 

option for anyone looking to make the 

switch to an electric vehicle. 

As the world continues to shift 

towards more sustainable forms of 

transportation, the Lexus RZ450e is a 

prime example of how Lexus is rising 

to the challenge. 

If you’re curious to learn more 

about the all-new Lexus RZ450e, 

please reach out to the Lexus of Tauranga 

team. Be the first to experience 

the RZ450e for yourself, our demonstrator 

model is expected to arrive at 

our dealership in April, so register 

your interest today! 

Visit Mitchell at Lexus of Tauranga 

at 158 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga 

– or call him on 07 577 0880. 

Good for the environment, 

good for the business: 

Brother New Zealand’s new solar panel 

installation prevents 11 tonnes of emissions 

Brother New Zealand has marked a significant achievement in 

its ongoing commitment to sustainability – installing a 76.44kW 

solar energy system consisting of 168 x 455 watt solar panels at its 

Tauranga-based warehouse and offices. 

The technology company 

expects to reduce energy 

emissions at the site by 

43.5 percent as it makes the 

most of the Bay of Plenty’s 

high ranking sunshine hours 

and growing options for commercial 

solar powered systems 

to generate over 90,000 

kilowatt hours a year, emissions-free, 

on its roof. 

The 6,656 square meter 

building in Tauriko houses 

Brother’s printing, labelling, 

sewing and craft products and 

45-strong workforce. 

Brother New Zealand managing 

director Warwick Beban 

says the initiative is both good 

for the environment and good 

for the business. 

“Brother takes its commitment 

to sustainability seriously. 

We continuously assess 

and seek to minimise our 

environmental impact so we 

can keep manufacturing the 

products that support homes 

and businesses in a sustainable 

way. 

“It feels good to see this 

idea come to fruition. Knowing 

that a good portion of the 

electricity we use comes from 

clean, renewable energy that 

we generate ourselves helps 

us extend that commitment 

further into our business operations,” 

says Beban. 

Brother worked with 

award-winning solar energy 

company, SuperPower, to 

develop an installation that 

maximised the yield and 

environmental benefits of the 

investment. System modelling 

provided by SuperPower 

shows that the clean electricity 

generated by the system 

is equivalent to 11 tonnes of 

avoided CO 2 emissions per 

year. That’s the same as more 

than 963,000 car kilometres 

avoided or planting 1,966 

trees over the 25-year system 

lifetime. 

Even during rainy or overcast 

conditions, the system is 

able to generate at up to 50 

percent of its max output. 

The initiative supports 

New Zealand’s broader need 

for more renewable electricity 

to meet carbon emissions targets. 

Excess power generated 

at peak times will be supplied 

back to the grid, where it can 

be accessed by other power 

users. 

Beban says he is pleased 

with the expected environmental 

benefit and encourages 

other industrial users to consider 

their own renewable generation, 

noting its advantages 

for both the environment and 

the bottom line. 

“After weighing the 

options, we decided on a 

greater initial investment that 

provided system sizing customised 

to Brother’s usage 

requirements and patterns and 

maximised the annual yield 

for our roof space. A structural 

feasibility assessment 

was required, but we’ve ended 

up with a system that’s fit for 

purpose and will see our initial 

investment recouped in 

just over seven years based on 

forecast electricity savings.” 

Beban says that over the 

system lifetime, Brother stands 

to recoup its initial investment 

more than three times over. 

Brother’s wider commitment 

to achieving carbon 

neutrality and reducing landfill 

waste extends across the 

lifecycle of its products, from 

green procurement to product 

recycling. Brother has held 

Toitū net carbonzero certification 

since 2013, which recognises 

their continued efforts 

to manage, reduce and offset 

carbon emissions. 

It’s time you had 

better board meetings 

If you’re contemplating a change of career, why not 

consider owning your own franchise business? 

With direct access to over 30 well-known franchise brands in 

locations all around the country, it’s quite likely we have the 

business opportunity that perfectly fits your lifestyle. 

Iridium Partners help potential franchisees research, evaluate and 

navigate the franchise industry to find the perfect opportunity for you. 

Contact us today and get some balance back in your life. 

Call Meredith on +64 21 209 9496 

info@iridium.net.nz www.iridium.net.nz


RESPONDING TO 

THE NURSING 

WORKFORCE CRISIS: 

Doubling the 

intake of nursing 

students at 

Waikato for 2023 

The University of Waikato has 

welcomed a record 211 new 

students into its Registered 

Nursing programmes for 

2023, more than doubling 

the intake from 2022. 

Dr Jo Lane 

Acting Dean of Te Huataki Waiora 

School of Health Dr Jo Lane, says 

the increase in numbers is encouraging 

in the face of severe staff shortages in 

the health workforce. 

“We’re really pleased to welcome so 

many high-quality nursing students to 

study. At a time when the health workforce 

is in crisis, it’s imperative that we do everything 

possible to enable students wanting to 

enrol in health training to do so.” 

The University of Waikato is the newest 

provider of Nursing programmes, developing 

and delivering these in partnership with 

Te Whatu Ora Waikato, with an emphasis 

on equity, mental health and addictions, and 

Māori and Pacific health. 

It offers two programmes that lead to 

becoming a Registered Nurse, a traditional 

three-year Bachelor of Nursing degree, and 

an accelerated graduate-entry Master of 

Nursing Practice degree. The latter allows 

students with a previous degree in any subject 

to complete their Nursing training in 

just two years and be work-force ready. 

“Graduate-entry is a really common 

model overseas for professional healthcare 

programmes that is starting to become 

established in Aotearoa. However, we’ve 

been just blown away by the demand for 

our graduate-entry Nursing programme, 

which is already the largest in the country. 

I’m so proud of what our Nursing team has 

been able to achieve so far.” 

“We have nearly 70 students starting this 

year who are wanting to change careers to 

become Nurses. That is just so encouraging, 

particularly given the rich life experiences 

that they will bring to the profession. 

I can’t wait to see them graduate and enter 

the workforce at the end of next year.” 

Dr Lane says graduate-entry programmes 

are not only a faster way to 

address health workforce pressures but are 

also a more cost-effective pathway that does 

not compromise the quality of training. 

“It’s an accelerated programme, so graduates 

still meet the same Nursing Council 

standards and in fact complete 300 more 

clinical placement hours than required to 

ensure they are work-ready. However, the 

cost for both students and the Government 

is around 25% less than a three-year Bachelor 

of Nursing degree.” 

“Given the success of graduate-entry 

health programmes in other countries, 

including Australia, I would love to see the 

Government explore this model further in 

areas where there are other critical workforce 

shortages, including medicine and 

midwifery.” 

Locally-made app tops New 

Zealand App Store charts 

Tech entrepreneur Steph Kennard has launched a 

free app that in just three weeks has topped the New 

Zealand app charts beating out Google to gain the 

coveted number one spot. 

Making the most of your 

Microsoft 365 subscription 

I’m going to say it as it is. If 

you’re operating a business, no 

matter what size, you should not 

be using any version of Microsoft 

Office with a number other than 

365. 

You should also not be using a 

Personal Home or Family version 

of Microsoft 365. There are multiple 

versions of Microsoft 365 for 

Business available and one of them 

or a mix of them is going to be perfect 

for your business. 

Subscribing to Microsoft 365 is 

going to assure you of a constantly 

improving, up-to-date, secure and 

growing suite of applications that 

can enhance productivity and even 

reduce your costs. 

So, before you zoom out, monkey 

around or slack about and 

spend your money on expensive 

applications to fit a specific need 

and then pay more (in time or 

money) to integrate them into your 

existing Microsoft 365 environment, 

check out what you already 

have. 

For businesses in today’s 

office-optional world Microsoft 

Bonnet is a free, easy-to-use 

app that solves a major problem 

for New Zealand drivers 

by centralising vehicle administration. 

In two weeks, the app has 

been downloaded over 10,000 

times and 21,700 cars have been 

loaded onto the app. 

In a New Zealand first, Bonnet 

users can keep track of WOF, 

regos, paid Road User Charges 

(RUCs) mileage, service dates, and 

warranties for all their vehicles, 

from a single car to a family load 

or fleet, eliminating the stress of a 

surprise fine or overdue services. 

“Over 10,000 downloads in just 

a few weeks have smashed all our 

expectations. Already, some users 

have found that they are mistakenly 

overdue on their diesel mileage, 

and fleet owners are thrilled to 

have a centralised point to manage 

their vehicles,” says app founder 

Steph Kennard. 

270 service centres across New 

Zealand are now on the Bonnet app 

to create a more seamless booking 

and record system for their customers. 

The app uses a simple booking 

system that works within service 

centres’ existing websites, making 

it easier than ever for customers to 

book in services the moment they 

are due. 

“We found that many local service 

centres were still using manual 

booking systems and with Bonnet 

we’ve made it easy and cost 

effective to create an online booking 

system that customers have 

come to expect these days without 

the need for an expensive system 

upgrade,” Steph continues. 

Six years in the making, Steph 

says she saw a clear gap in the 

market after working in the vehicle 

industry for many years. 

“Vehicle admin can be a nightmare 

for families and fleet owners, 

it’s easy to lose track of when your 

registration or service is due leading 

to unnecessary fines or repairs. 

Especially when you’re trying to 

manage multiple vehicles,” says 

Steph. 

The Kiwi app is free and easy 

to use, requiring users to simply 

enter their number plate to access 

all relevant information. Bonnet 

ensures that all data pulled into the 

app is accurate, giving users peace 

of mind knowing that they have 

reliable information about their 

vehicles. 

“I work in the tech industry 

and have worked with a lot of car 

brands throughout my career. I saw 

an opportunity to solve a problem 

that effects a huge number of New 

Zealanders through a seamless app 

solution,” explains Steph. 

TECH TALK 

> BY YVONNE BLANCH 

Yvonne Blanch is an Account Manager 

at Stratus Blue. She can be contacted at 

yvonne@stratusblue.co.nz 

Teams has been a game changer. 

Hopefully we’re all into creating 

channels for projects and departmental 

groups, setting meetings, 

collaborating on files, talking, videoing 

and chatting. 

But wait there’s more! 

Check out the apps that can be 

integrated into your Teams’ channels 

by clicking on the apps icon 

on the left hand side toolbar – there 

are a few hundred of them! 

There are integrations with 

applications you may already use 

such as Adobe Acrobat and Salesforce. 

Some of the extra Microsoft 

apps are also available as standalone 

apps independent of Teams. 

Sign in to office.com with your 

Microsoft sign in details and have a 

look at these four apps – available 

at no extra cost! 

• Bookings – a very customisable 

bookings app that integrates 

with Outlook. Beat the 

backwards and forwards battle 

of looking for a suitable time, 

and send a Bookings link so 

your client can book their own 

appointment that fits your 

Bonnet also recognises when 

a vehicle is a diesel car and automatically 

shows the driver’s paid 

RUC balance with the NZTA. This 

feature makes it easy for drivers to 

stay out of the fines’ way and avoid 

any unnecessary costs. Users will 

soon be able to load their service 

history into the app, eliminating the 

need for a physical glove box book 

and making it easier to sell their car 

with a transferable profile. 

Bonnet has ambitious plans, 

including adding COF (heavy 

schedule. If you’ve discounted 

Bookings in the past (as I did), 

please check it out again – it has 

improved hugely. 

• Whiteboard – ditch the markers 

and mess and work online 

with useful templates for brainstorming, 

problem solving, 

project planning and more. Very 

good on Teams. 

• Forms – online survey creator, 

there are so many creative ways 

Steph Kennard, Bonnet app founder 

vehicles), toll payments, fines, and 

even insurance to the app. The app 

also aims to load all service centres 

in New Zealand, making it even 

easier for users to book appointments 

and keep track of their vehicle’s 

maintenance. “The goal is to 

become a one-stop-shop tool for 

all Kiwis’ vehicle administration 

needs,” says Steph. 

Download Bonnet for free now 

via the Apple App Store or Google 

Play Store and experience hasslefree 

vehicle administration. 

to use this app. 

• Planner – a project management 

tool providing collaborative 

task management and task 

scheduling for teams. Create 

Kanban boards with great visual 

status charts and more. 

To become your business’ resident 

expert, acquaint yourself with 

the fantastic training resources that 

Microsoft publish at learn.microsoft.com.


A home for sporting spectacles 

Large sports events such as the Zespri 

AIMS Games and New Zealand 

Festival of Squash bring excitement, 

entertainment, joy, pride, and 

inspiration to the communities of 

Tauranga. Not to mention a decent 

dose of healthy competition and all 

the passion that comes with that. 

These sporting events also bring 

economic benefits to our city. 

The clock is winding down in the 

final quarter and there are only 

two points in it. 

Legendary Kiwi sporting couple 

Jeff and Adine Wilson are on their 

feet courtside, anxiously glancing 

at the clock while encouraging their 

team to hold on just a little longer. 

The ball travels from one end to 

the other, and back again. The players 

are desperate. So are their supporters 

in the grandstands. 

The final buzzer sounds and the 

unbearable tension inside Baypark 

Arena is immediately replaced with a 

wall of noise and celebration. 

The Wilson coaching duo is 

ecstatic. The former All Black runs 

onto the court and embraces the team. 

It’s a celebration worthy of a Netball 

World Cup final, or a Rugby 

World Cup final. 

The emotion on the faces of the 

young intermediate-age basketball 

players (and their two famous 

coaches) is exactly the same as you 

would see on TV. 

They are now AIMS Games champions 

– and that means a lot to young 

sportspeople in New Zealand. 

Each year, thousands of athletes 

from all around the country, and 

sometimes even from overseas, travel 

to Tauranga in search of the ultimate 

AIMS experience. 

It is the biggest week of the year 

for the city. The Zespri AIMS Games 

is one of the largest sporting competitions 

in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Last year there were more than 

10,000 athletes from 320 schools taking 

part in 23 sports – many of them 

held at Bay Venues facilities. 

Of course, teachers, parents, and 

other family members 

also travel with 

the athletes and pack 

out the grandstands to 

cheer them on. 

As well as all the positive 

energy and atmosphere that brings 

to Tauranga over the course of a week 

in September, there are obvious economic 

benefits for the city and wider 

region. 

Accommodation providers, hospitality, 

retail – they all get a boost. 

Tauranga City Council commissioned 

an economic and social impact 

report following the 2019 AIMS 

Games and found that the event contributed 

74,787 visitor nights to the 

region and injected nearly $6.2 million 

into the Tauranga economy. 

More recently Tauranga City 

Council commissioned a post-event 

evaluation for the 2022 New Zealand 

Festival of Squash – the biggest 

squash tournament ever held 

in Aotearoa – that showed a visitor 

spend of $621,450. 

There were 4,273 visitor nights 

generated by the international squash 

event, which was held at Baypark 

Arena with all the action taking place 

inside an eye-catching, purpose-built 

glass court, surrounded by stadium 

seating, with a party zone and free fan 

zone also on offer. 

“These huge, high-profile sporting 

events bring so much energy and life 

to our facilities and we just love hosting 

them,” Bay Venues chief executive 

Chad Hooker said. 

“There is also a certain pride in 

local sportspeople, as well as local 

sports administrators and fans, in 

being able to take part and watch 

these events in their own city. Sport 

has the ability to create magic 

moments and lasting memories and 

to have our venues associated with 

those moments and memories is 

always special.” 

Hooker said the economic and 

business benefits of hosting large 

sporting events is just one reason 

among many to keep improving and 

developing Tauranga’s sport and recreation 

facilities and shared community 

spaces. 

“We want to create high quality 

facilities for our own local athletes 

and community clubs and teams to 

use on a day-to-day basis, and we 

also want to host as many of these 

big national and international tournaments 

and events as possible to attract 

visitors and become a destination city 

for sport,” he said. 

“We are always looking for the 

next big sporting spectacle and our 

2023 calendar is quickly filling up 

with some exciting events.” 

With the New Zealand Festival 

of Squash set to return in December, 

Polo in the Bay in November, the 

Volleyball NZ Club Championships 

and HoopNation in October, Zespri 

AIMS Games in September, Battle in 

the Bay national cheerleading competition 

in August, the New Zealand 

Gymnastics Championships in July, 

more basketball and volleyball tournaments 

in June, and the Fight the 

Fight charity boxing event in May, 

there is plenty to look forward to as 

the year progresses. 

Coming up just this month at Baypark 

Arena is the Mel Young Easter 

Classic 2023 basketball tournament, 

as well as ANZ Premiership netball – 

with the Avis Waikato Bay of Plenty 

Magic taking on the Trident Homes 

Tactix. 

At each of these sporting events, 

magic moments will occur and lasting 

memories will be made. 

Just like on that Friday afternoon 

in September last year when the final 

buzzer sounded and a very excited 

former All Black great ran onto the 

basketball court to celebrate the twopoint 

win with his son and teammates. 

That was a sporting spectacle, 

and there are plenty more of those to 

come in Tauranga. 

For more information and enquiries about events at Trustpower Baypark, please visit www.trustpowerbaypark.co.nz or email events@bayvenues.co.nz


LODESTONE ENERGY BEGINS 

CONSTRUCTION AT EDGECUMBE SITE 

Leading solar energy company, 

Lodestone Energy, 

has commenced construction 

of its second solar farm in 

Aotearoa. 

The 32MW farm in 

Edgecumbe will generate 

enough electricity to supply 

more than 6,000 typical New 

Zealand small businesses, 

farms, homes and apartments 

every year. The site will utilise 

approximately 60,000 Trina 

PV modules with tracking 

technology and is the second 

of five sites in the company’s 

first phase of growth. 

Gary Holden, Managing 

Director of Lodestone Energy, 

says after breaking ground on 

Lodestone’s Kaitaia site in 

December, it’s pleasing to be 

moving on to Edgecumbe so 

quickly. 

“Today we’ve reached 

financial close on our 

Edgecumbe site. We’ve got 

our senior debt facility in 

place with Westpac, and have 

engaged Infratec New Zealand 

to construct the farm. 

“We’re building grid-scale 

solar for Aotearoa New Zealand 

now and have already 

pre-sold the electricity we’ll 

generate through long term 

arrangements. 

“We’re underway in Kaitaia 

and expect to be generating 

electricity on in the second 

half of this year. In early 

2024, we’ll also be generating 

electricity at Edgecumbe, 

and we have a further three 

sites already confirmed and 

underway. 

“We chose the Edgecumbe 

location because of its high 

sunshine hours, solid transmission 

interconnection and proximity 

to town. 

“We are excited to be bringing 

solar power to the people 

and businesses in this amazing 

part of the Bay of Plenty,” says 

Holden. 

In addition to the 

Edgecumbe and Kaitaia farms, 

Lodestone has solar farms in 

Waiotahe, Whitianga and Dargaville 

already planned. 

Each solar generation plant 

is designed to allow stock 

grazing and horticulture to 

continue around and underneath 

the solar arrays, which 

are spaced apart to allow farm 

machinery to operate between 

them. This means Lodestone 

is maximising Aotearoa New 

Zealand’s renewable energy 

output in the most sustainable 

way. 

The company is now developing 

the second phase of its 

capital plan, with a number 

of new sites under advanced 

stages of investigation. 

Phoenixes: let them rise or shoot them down? 

CREDIT CONTROL 

> BY NICK KERR 

Nick Kerr is regional manager for DebtFree NZ Ltd and director 

of International Private Investigations Ltd. He can be reached 

on 021 876 527 and Nick@debtfreenz.com 

You may have heard the 

phrase “doing a phoenix” 

in respect to a business 

closing down then appearing 

to resurrect itself without 

paying any creditors. As I am 

not a lawyer, I copied the definition 

below from www.legislation.govt.nz 

to articulate the 

legal definition. 

In the Companies Act 1993: 

“Phoenix company means, 

in relation to a failed company, 

a company that, at any 

time before, or within 5 years 

after, the commencement of the 

liquidation of the failed company, 

is known by a name that 

is also – (a) a pre-liquidation 

name of the failed company; 

or (b) a similar name pre-liquidation 

name means any name 

(including any trading name) 

of a failed company in the 12 

months before the commencement 

of that company’s liquidation 

similar name means 

a name that is so similar to a 

pre-liquidation name of a failed 

company as to suggest an association 

with that company. 

“For the purposes of sections 

386A to 386F, a company 

is known by a name if that 

name is its registered name or 

if it carries on business, or carries 

on a part of its business, 

under that name.” 

The above is nearly always 

seen as a “dirty” tactic as the 

director/s seem to be getting 

away with people’s hardearned 

money by being clever 

and sneaky. 

Luckily, liquidators and 

good commercial litigators, 

often with the assistance of 

private investigators, can 

uncover what is truth and what 

is ‘smoke and mirrors’. 

When a business fails 

through no fault of the director, 

creditors can be very understanding 

as long as the communication 

is open and honest. 

But if the creditors feel that 

they have been deceived then 

this understanding evaporates. 

Once the ruse is discovered 

it can decimate the reputation 

of not only the director but also 

any well-meaning advisors 

who recommended the course 

of action. 

So, what can happen 

legally? 

There are some severe penalties 

for breach of the phoenix 

company rules – a fine of up 

to $200,000 or up to five years 

in jail; these penalties may also 

apply where the phoenix entity 

is an unincorporated business. 

The directors will also be personally 

liable for all debts 

incurred by the phoenix company 

and not be protected as 

they would otherwise be. 

In my experience this practice 

is prevalent in the construction 

and trades sectors 

with directors who may have 

been disqualified appointing 

family members or previous 

staff members to director positions 

while they “advise” on the 

operation of the business. Often 

this can only be described as an 

amazing co-incidence and the 

day after the director’s bankruptcy 

or banned period ends 

they are unanimously elected 

as the new managing director! 

When you on-board a new 

client make sure you do a bit of 

homework on the shareholders’ 

other previous businesses, just 

to ensure that you avoid your 

business being pooped on by a 

phoenix. 

Doing the right thing in 

business may not always be the 

most profitable or easiest thing 

to do, but it will always be the 

best choice. 

Just a thought. 

Talented trio joins 

growing Partnership 

Introducing our three newest Partners: 

Jeremy Sparrow 

In 2012, Jeremy joined 

Holland Beckett as a 

graduate and is the first 

law clerk to partner. 

Returning from two years 

as a lawyer in London 

he became a specialist 

employment lawyer. 

Jeremy has a large 

employment practice and 

advises clients of all sizes. 

Jeremy loves tennis 

and travel. He volunteers 

most of his spare time as 

Tauranga Musical Theatre’s 

president and is MTNZ’s 

Honorary Solicitor. 

DDI 07 927 2758 

Mobile 027 305 0781 

jeremy.sparrow@hobec.co.nz 

Joel Murphy 

Prior to joining Holland 

Beckett in 2019 Joel worked 

at Meredith Connell in 

Auckland and in the UK 

for a global leader in large 

scale solar development. 

Joel advises on property 

acquisitions, disposals, 

leases, developments, 

financing, subdivisions, 

and associated transactions. 

He specialises in solar farms, 

kiwifruit orchards, and 

residential developments. 

Joel is a member of the 

Property Council NZ Central 

Regional Committee and 

an advocate for Bay of 

Plenty growth. 

DDI 07 570 0682 

Mobile 022 345 7761 

joel.murphy@hobec.co.nz 

Tim Conder 

Tim joined Holland Beckett 

in 2016 after two years as 

an Auckland High Court 

Judges’ Clerk. 

Tim is a courtroom lawyer 

who specialises in public 

law, local government 

and regulatory work 

including health and safety 

environmental and 

other compliance work. 

Tim’s knowledge of the law 

and creativity helps clients 

achieve positive outcomes, 

and have led to Tim being 

recognised as a “Rising Star” 

in the profession by NZ 

Lawyer earlier this year. 

DDI 07 928 7093 

Mobile 027 361 8208 

tim.conder@hobec.co.nz 

HOB200627 BOP_BN 

hobec.co.nz


Is GST a bread and butter issue? 

Given the current cost of living crisis and the constantly increasing 

price of food in New Zealand, questions are being raised about how to 

make food more affordable. A common response is that GST on food 

should be removed, and we can expect to see various politicians and 

commentators raise this during the upcoming election campaign. 

Is removing GST from food a 

possible solution to the costof-living 

issue? In short, yes, 

but it may be a blunt tool in a 

toolbox with sharper options. 

While it would certainly make 

some difference, typically such 

changes provide the greatest 

dollar benefit to the highest 

earning households. 

What would it cost? 

GST makes up a significant 

portion of the total tax collected 

by Inland Revenue, with 

GST revenue from food and 

drink estimated to be around 

$2.6 billion in 2018 (or around 

15% of total GST collected) 

according to the Tax Working 

Group. 

As with any potential 

changes to the tax mix, if there 

were to be a cut in the total 

amount of GST being collected, 

then the Government 

TAXATION 

> 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 

would have to cut Government 

spending, raise or collect more 

taxes in other ways, or borrow 

more. There is no free lunch 

and we might not like the 

alternatives. 

How would we determine 

what items of food should 

be exempt from GST? 

If the financial impact of 

removing GST from all food 

and drink is too great, should 

we consider only removing 

GST from “healthy foods” 

such as bread, eggs, milk, fruit, 

and vegetables? While there 

may be some merit to this, 

it gives rise to interpretative 

issues. For example, if milk 

is to be exempted, what about 

milk powder or alternatives 

to milk? If fruit is exempted, 

what about fresh fruit juices, 

canned fruits, frozen fruit, or 

fruit spreads? 

Experience in other jurisdictions 

shows that this can 

result in arbitrary and blurred 

lines between what is subject 

to tax and what isn’t. 

In the UK we’ve seen cases 

to determine whether a Jaffa 

Cake is a biscuit or a cake, or 

whether a Pringle is a potato 

chip. In Ireland the courts 

have had to consider whether 

Subway uses ‘bread’ (spoiler 

alert – it does not – there is too 

much sugar for the buns to be 

considered a staple and exempt 

from VAT). 

A current private member’s 

bill by Rawiri Waititi proposes 

to remove GST from all food 

and non-alcoholic beverages. 

While this in theory is easier 

from a classification perspective, 

there are still potential 

issues – ‘food’ is defined consistently 

with the Food Act 

2004, which is wide in interpretation. 

Additionally, it only 

removes GST from sales to 

consumers so would potentially 

exclude supplies to the 

likes of restaurants or dairy 

owners. This could result in 

supermarkets needing the ability 

to determine whether a customer 

is a consumer (no GST), 

or whether they’re a café/ 

restaurant working picking up 

extra milk or eggs (subject to 

GST). 

Who would benefit the 

most from GST being 

removed from food? 

GST is seen as a regressive tax, 

which means it has a greater 

impact on lower income 

households. 

The Tax Working Group 

noted in 2018 that expenditure 

on food and drink represented 

approximately 20% of the 

weekly household expenditure 

of a decile 1 household compared 

to 14% for a decile 10 

household. 

While removing GST from 

food benefits all households, 

it would have a much greater 

dollar benefit on rich households 

who spend more money 

on food (even though it is a 

smaller percentage of their 

spending). 

Given this, it needs to be 

considered if more targeted 

tools could be used to result 

in a more efficient outcome 

at a lower overall cost to the 

Government. 

For example, the recent cost 

of living package announced 

by the Government will provide 

targeted financial support 

to approximately 1.4 million 

In summary, the 

removal of GST 

on food is unlikely 

to be an efficient 

method of reducing 

the cost of food 

for the individuals 

and households 

that need help the 

most.” 

Kiwis to help offset cost of 

living increases. This package 

has a total cost of $311 million, 

a fraction of the likely cost of 

removing GST on food. 

Overseas experience also 

shows us that removing 15% 

GST from items of food would 

not necessarily translate to 

a 15% reduction in the price 

to consumers. For example, 

when the UK removed VAT on 

tampons there was an overall 

decrease in cost of 1-1.5%, but 

the applicable VAT rate was 

5%. 

In summary, while the 

removal of GST on food would 

be great for GST specialists 

and accountants, it is unlikely 

to be an efficient method of 

reducing the cost of food for 

the individuals and households 

that need help the most. 

Bleak weather punishes events organisers to the 

tune of millions, while inflation stalks the future 

As if the Covid response 

of lockdowns and 

restrictions imposed by 

the Government on the events 

industry wasn’t enough, recent 

severe weather events have 

dealt a further harsh blow to 

operators in the North Island. 

That’s emerged in recent 

research conducted by the New 

Zealand Events Association 

(NZEA), which shows organisers 

had to cancel nearly 300 

events as a direct consequence 

of the Auckland floods and 

Cyclone Gabrielle. If not a 

knockout punch, it is undoubtly 

a bitter pill to swallow, says 

NZEA general manager Elaine 

Linnell. There’s another storm 

on the horizon, too, as organisers 

expect inflation and rising 

The Quentosity Group has 

strengthened its presence 

in the New Zealand digital 

sector with the acquisition 

of Auckland based Mantis 

Digital. 

The acquisition sees website 

design and development 

agency Mantis join The 

Quentosity Group’s stable 

of digital brands that include 

online directory Localist, 

SEO agency Found, digital 

consultancy Quentosity, team 

management tool Checkliso 

and queue-jumping software 

Bumpzi. 

In announcing the move, 

Quentin van Heerden, Managing 

Director of The Quentosity 

Group, said he was delighted 

with the acquisition of such a 

highly regarded agency in New 

Zealand. 

He said the purchase would 

increase The Quentosity 

Group’s website design and 

development capacity and 

TAURANGA-BASED QUENTOSITY GROUP GROWS 

WITH ACQUISITION OF NZ AGENCY MANTIS DIGITAL 

add to its current service suite 

that also includes SEO, app 

and software development, 

CRM solutions, social media 

management, and both content 

writing and content production. 

“Mantis Digital has an 

exceptional portfolio of work 

and an outstanding team that 

are the best at what they do,” 

says van Heerden. 

“We are thrilled to be able 

to offer all our customers 

expanded capabilities as a 

prices to impact their efforts in 

the near future. 

“In addition to our usual 

annual poll which tracks the 

pulse of the industry, we asked 

our members about the impact 

of the heavy weather, and the 

responses show it is severe,” 

she says. “Coming as this does 

on top of the recent yearslong 

restrictions in the Covid 

response, it’s safe to say it has 

been a harrowing time for the 

industry.” 

One respondent noted, 

“Higher costs of living, higher 

interest rates, bad weather and 

continued waves of Covid 

make this environment one of 

the most challenging ever for 

NZ promoters.” 

Estimated by the respondents, 

the financial losses run 

into the millions. “We have 

some individual operators 

reporting losses exceeding the 

$2million dollar mark, while 

others are well into the hundreds 

of thousands of dollars. 

The combined losses are significant 

– but more than that, 

they represent the loss of the 

enormous effort that goes into 

organising an event, from 

securing and booking talent 

to arranging venues, catering, 

security, sound and lighting, 

and more. It is heartbreaking.” 

Exacerbating the situation, 

Linnell says the NZEA 

research shows that most 

operators – nearly 80 percent – 

were not insured ahead of the 

late 2022 and early 2023 summer 

events season. The reasons 

for the absence of insurance 

are varied and led with a third 

saying insurance wouldn’t 

have covered the losses. Nearly 

21 percent didn’t think insurance 

was necessary, while just 

over 17 percent said it was too 

expensive, and slightly over 10 

percent said understanding policies 

was too difficult. Nearly 

52 percent said they would 

consider insurance cover for 

weather related impacts on 

future events – while 48 percent 

said they would not. 

“There may be a lesson in 

the losses our members have 

had to shoulder. Insurance 

might be costly, and especially 

for large events, it is necessarily 

complex. But in the case 

of a complete washout, it provides 

some relief even if only 

partially covering costs.” 

Looking ahead, event 

organisers foresee tough times. 

One commented, “It is really 

tough out there. Most event 

businesses were crushed by 

Covid last year and the ones 

that did survive were looking 

forward to this summer season 

to make back losses, and 

the weather has just killed us. 

At least with Covid you could 

apply for assistance and at least 

cover the costs of your staff.” 

The poll confirms these 

fears are widespread. Nearly 

75 percent of respondents indicated 

the biggest challenges in 

2023 include increased costs 

to deliver events and a similar 

result of this recent acquisition 

and look forward to working 

with our existing and new customers 

as they come on board.” 

Mantis Digital Managing 

Director Garth Nicholls said 

that “passing on the reins was 

not an easy decision, and we 

carefully chose The Quentosity 

Group to steward Mantis' 

future”. 

He thanked Mantis’ clients 

for their support over the years, 

adding that with The Quentosity 

Group “you are in the same 

good hands!” 

The Quentosity Group is 

based in Papamoa, with clients 

across New Zealand and overseas. 

Its digital consultancy 

Quentosity has won multiple 

awards. It is also the first digital 

agency in New Zealand to 

be awarded the Accessibility 

Tick. Quentosity is also the 

agency behind the Q Awards, 

the annual contest for young 

creatives in the Western Bay. 

cohort expecting fewer attendees. 

Just over 60 percent said 

funding is hard to come by, 

with sponsors and funders seeing 

events as too risky. Staff 

shortages are an issue for nearly 

30 percent of respondents, and 

volunteers are in short supply 

for 35 percent of respondents. 

While the NZEA continues 

advocating for and advancing 

the issues facing the industry, 

Linnell says there is something 

every New Zealander can do, 

too. “Events are part of the rich 

tapestry of life. They aren’t 

just economic generators; they 

bring excitement, fun and cultural 

growth into our lives. Buy 

a ticket, go and see a show, 

get out there and support our 

events professionals.” 

Mantis’ head office will 

remain in Auckland, with 

the Tauranga satellite office 

relocating to The Quentosity 

Group’s home at the Q Building. 

“These are really exciting 

times for The Quentosity 

Group,” says van Heerden. 

“We’re always looking at 

ways to help our clients grow 

and look forward to supporting 

Mantis’ amazing clients 

with our wide range of digital 

services.”


Growing unicorns – NZ’s changing 

start-up and VC landscape 

By PHIL TAYLOR – 

PARTNER, TOMPKINS WAKE 

Entrepreneurs may be the 

commercial heart of New 

Zealand, with the start-up 

sector poised for hockey stick 

growth, but by international 

comparison, we still have a 

long way to go. 

Thanks to our ability to 

bootstrap ideas and disrupt 

stagnant industries, New 

Zealand has witnessed some 

remarkable success stories in 

the last five years. 

Some starts-up have gained 

unicorn status by surpassing 

the market capitalisation mark 

of $1 billion dollars with a 

few possibly reaching dragon 

status – surpassing $1B in a 

single raise. These include 

Predict HQ, Timely, Archi- 

Pro, AllBirds, Harmoney, Red 

Shield, Petlife, Soul Machines, 

Hnry, Crimson Education, 

Vend, Vital, Xero, Unleashed 

and Rocket Lab. 

But compared to other 

countries, such as the US, 

Germany, the UK, Australia, 

Israel, and India, NZ is still 

in an emergent phase when 

it comes to how we support, 

fund, and develop new commercial 

ventures. 

New Zealand hasn’t seen 

the enormous wealth from successful 

start-ups that many of 

those countries have enjoyed 

over the last 20 years. 

So how can New Zealand 

foster new commercial 

ventures better and create 

more unicorns? 

What’s holding us back? 

• The Downturn – The current 

economic downturn is driving 

venture capitalists to cautiousness 

and conservatism. We 

have seen an end to the ‘easy 

money’ and the seemingly 

limitless supply of readily 

available capital of the last few 

years. 

The New Zealand start-up 

sector is well-positioned for 

significant growth, but there 

are now likely to be more 

checks and balances before an 

investment is made. 

The onus is on start-ups to 

get their house in order and 

demonstrate why they stand 

out from the crowd. People 

and emotions will play key 

roles in investors’ decision 

making, so getting the right 

advice is crucial. Fortunately, 

there is a wealth of accessible 

and affordable help now 

available. 

• Experience and awareness – 

Many early-stage companies 

don’t have a firm grasp on how 

the VC process works or how 

to attract the right investors, 

particularly during seed, series 

A, series B, and series C funding 

rounds. 

We have an opportunity 

to grow founders’ awareness 

of venture capital and private 

equity by making it easy and 

affordable for them to access 

information, support, and 

advice. 

• Misconception – We also 

need to challenge some of 

the preconceptions and stereotypes 

people hold about 

venture capitalists and demonstrate 

the valuable role investors 

play in helping entrepreneurs 

and our economy. 

Gone are the days when 

investors were out to beat 

founders down, and exercise 

control as quickly as possible. 

To be successful in venture 

capital today, investors understand 

the need to be a founder-friendly 

partner who can 

invest, incubate, and incentivise 

their entrepreneurial 

partner. 

However, more recently, 

we have seen the balance 

swing back slightly towards 

investors. Venture capitalists 

recognise that terms need to 

be favourable for all parties. 

They understand the need to 

preserve incentives for founders, 

typically through a healthy 

shareholding. 

• Attitude – A lack of ambitious 

aspiration also hamstrings 

many Kiwi entrepreneurs. 

Many are quite happy 

to sell out for $20-30 million, 

buy their bach, boat and Ford 

Ranger ute and retire early. 

You must be pretty extraordinary 

to be the leader of a billion-dollar 

unicorn. 

But the reality is many 

institutional VC investors 

aren’t looking for a start-up 

that will just do well. They 

want unicorns. 

Market growth & maturity 

Despite all the challenges, now 

is the perfect time to establish 

Phil Taylor 

a start-up. The venture capital 

landscape has changed over 

the last four to five years, 

influenced by growth in the 

number of venture capital 

funds and increasing maturity 

in the market. And it’s been 

good news for start-ups. 

In 2002, the New Zealand 

Government issued funds 

through New Zealand Growth 

Capital Partners NZGCP, making 

$300 million available to 

the start-up market. This was 

a real tonic for the sector and 

made it easier for start-ups to 

find investor money in New 

Zealand, rather than looking 

offshore. Today, we have more 

than 65 active funds, which has 

seen investment in the start-up 

market grow by more than five 

You must 

be pretty 

extraordinary 

to be the 

leader of a 

billion-dollar 

unicorn.” 

times over the last 20 years. 

NZGCP’s funds gave the 

market time to grow and 

mature to the point where it 

is now self-supporting. The 

influx of international funds 

that have come into New Zealand 

combined with investment 

by homegrown funds 

demonstrates the durability of 

our start-up ecosystem. Our 

talent and innovation will 

continue to be drawcards for 

foreign VCs, as will our high 

education standards and ‘no 

corruption’ status. 

We have seen several large 

venture capital funds mature 

from a typical initial size of 

say $10 million fund size 

to up to $250 million. They 

now have cash to reinvest and 

appreciate the benefits of their 

previous experiences, particularly 

during tough times. 

The need for ‘Smart 

Money’ 

While venture capitalists are 

looking for the right start-up, 

entrepreneurs also need to 

make sure they’re partnering 

with the right VC. We call it 

‘smart money’, and it is largely 

about being satisfied with the 

following three things: 

• Knowledge & connections: 

VCs with a deep knowledge 

of their particular sector. 

Think of someone who can 

facilitate connections with 

suppliers, help recruit the talent 

the business needs, and 

offer structured training and 

support. 

• Deep pockets: VCs with 

deep pockets and the ability to 

help with follow-on funding. 

This could be through their 

own fund or other funds they 

can tap into. As we head further 

into an economic downturn, 

start-ups will need larger 

cheques at later stages, and 

funds to tide them over to the 

next round. 

• People first approach: VCs 

who know how to put people 

first and can help avoid 

founder burnout. Successful 

VCs understand the importance 

of putting people first. 

Forget the accounting and 

finance metrics. It’s all about 

the people – looking after them 

is not just the right thing to do, 

it’s good business. 

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 

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Out of time? 

HOW TO SOLVE YOUR 

TALENT SHORTAGE CRISIS 

MINING BUSINESS WEALTH 

> BY FREDDIE BENNETT 

Guinness World Record Holder, podcast host and bestselling author, 

Freddie is known as ‘The Profit Hunter’. He helps business owners 

enjoy more time, money and freedom by discovering and extracting 

hidden profits in their companies. Freddie@conqueryourmedia.com 

Many hands make light work. Not very helpful advice for thousands of short-handed Kiwi businesses who feel trapped under a low-capacity 

ceiling. However, there is a surprising solution for leaders who are bold enough to think differently. 

Success in business 

is straightforward. 

Not easy, but 

straightforward. 

Business owners need to 

get from where they are now, 

to where they need to be – 

ideally in the most direct way 

possible. 

Now you might accuse me 

of pretending business success 

is easier than finding a parking 

spot at The Mount on a Saturday 

afternoon in January, but 

it’s true. 

Leaders also learn an 

uncomfortable fact of business 

and life – when you add other 

people into your company, 

then the problems (and the dramas) 

start to add up. 

Many of my clients say to 

me, “we are stretched waferthin 

by a skills shortage”, and 

then in the next breath they 

proclaim, “I really should do 

some of that staff training 

‘stuff’, but I’ve just been too 

busy”. 

Ah yes, the ‘b-word’. You’d 

have these talent gaps filled 

and skills shortages sewn up… 

if only you weren’t so ‘busy’. 

I have some uncomfortable 

news for you. You don’t have 

a skills shortage, a talent crisis 

or a capacity problem … you 

just have a bunch of decisions 

that you’re too scared to make. 

A problem vs a decision 

You don’t have a ‘problem 

employee’ – you’re refusing to 

make and communicate a decision 

about their performance. 

You don’t have a ‘capacity 

problem’ – you’re not making 

a decision about boundaries 

and saying ‘NO’. 

You don’t have a ‘talent 

shortage problem’ – rather 

than treating the recruitment of 

talent as a 365-days-a-year top 

business priority, you decided 

to only start searching for a 

replacement once the previous 

employee was halfway out of 

the door. 

Note (just to prove my 

‘tough love’ point), you don’t 

have a ‘weight problem’, 

you’re just deciding to put the 

wrong foods in your mouth. 

Make different decisions, 

and the problem goes away. 

My slightly crazy exploits 

of hot-footing it across the 

Sahara Desert, becoming a 

Michelangelo (a very 

busy man) had a 

block of marble. But 

he took a chisel to 

it. He removed 80% 

of what existed. But 

what remained was 

the statue, David – a 

timeless, priceless 

masterpiece. 

Guinness World Record holder 

and running 160-km ultramarathons 

non-stop mean I am 

often invited to speak to businesses 

who have a ‘motivation 

problem’. 

But using motivation to 

‘rally the troops’ will not fix 

your talent problem. Motivation 

is a short-term sugar rush 

that feels good for a day then 

leaves you feeling empty. 

I should know, I tried to 

‘motivate’ myself off the 

couch, the booze and the drugs 

for years, and I can say with 

some authority that ‘motivation’ 

alone is about as impactful 

as adding yet another traffic 

cone to Cameron Road. 

What will fix your talent 

problem is a bold decision, followed 

by bold action, followed 

by the courage of your convictions 

to keep taking the same 

action time and time again. 

The action you must take? 

… Well, you might not like 

it…. 

A key takeaway 

The self-styled gurus of the 

business world will proclaim 

the answer to your 

talent conundrum is more 

productivity, and better time 

management. 

After all, how else would 

they create the mental bandwidth 

to write all those painful 

LinkedIn articles? I must 

admit, I prefer to spend my 

time having fun and making 

money, but each to their own. 

A talent and capacity shortage 

– by the definition of the 

word ‘shortage’ – leads us to 

believe something is missing. 

So, what do we do? We 

shovel more work into our 

agendas in a fruitless attempt 

to fill the gaps: to-do lists, 

complicated prioritisation 

activities, weird and wonderful 

triage approaches and ‘do it 

later’ piles. 

At this point, things become 

emotional. We deliberate, 

weigh-up pros and cons, and 

allow ourselves to be sucked 

into the draining, black hole 

of ‘tough choices’ – deciding 

which tasks should be allowed 

to live another day. 

So much time wasted; so 

much emotional currency used 

up. And you wonder why you 

feel overwhelmed. 

Multiply this feeling by 

each team member, every 

single day. As if by magic, 

you’ve created a highly talented 

sub-industry that’s busily 

devoted to deciding what 

tasks to accomplish today, due 

to the fact that everyone is so 

damn busy. 

The solution? Do the 

opposite. 

Don’t add. Remove. 

Think of your time (and 

your talent) like a rough block 

of marble, dug out from the 

ground. If you keep excavating 

chunks of marble, all you’ve 

created is a heavy, messy, 

expensive pile of rubble. 

Michelangelo (a very busy 

man) had a block of marble. 

But he took a chisel to it. He 

removed 80% of what existed. 

But what remained was the 

statue, David – a timeless, 

priceless masterpiece. 

Create your masterpiece 

A fruitless search for ‘more’ 

will not fix your talent shortage 

crisis. 

Capability problems can 

only be solved with a decision 

of ‘less’. 

You and your team are 

only ‘too busy’ because you 

refuse to say ‘NO’ to distractions, 

time-wasters, deliberation, 

people-pleasing and 

procrastination. 

Remove your limiting 

beliefs. Stop putting things off 

that you don’t ‘feel like’ doing. 

Chisel away all thoughts about 

kicking that project a little 

further down the road until it 

lands in the big, scary realm of 

‘the future’. 

Teach your team that 

ACTION is the answer. There 

is no ‘triage’, no ‘to-do-list’, 

no “I’ll see if I get round to it 

this week”… you have only 

two options: now or never. 

If your talent adopts this 

approach, exciting things happen. 

They move out of ‘crisis’ 

and into ‘creation’. 

If you want to create an 

amazing team, running an 

amazing business, focus on 

creating an amazing day. 

Today. 

The best way to predict the 

future is to create it. 

Or waste another week listening 

to the time management 

gurus. Your decision. 

Global thinking supports local causes 

As this edition rolls off the press, I am somewhere between Paihia and Invercargill in a classic 

mini in the Pork Pie Charity Run. This biennial event raises funds for charity and the 2023 event 

will again be supporting the wonderful and incredibly important work of KidsCan New Zealand. 

Before we rolled out of 

Paihia, we had raised 

over $30,000 for Kids 

Can. A significant proportion 

of these generous donations 

have been from franchise systems, 

franchisees and businesses 

associated with the 

franchise sector. We cannot 

thank them enough! 

In 2019 I wrote Use the 

force for good – https://bopbusinessnews.co.nz/franchising/use-the-force-for-good/ 

addressing the misconception 

that franchises are purely big 

business, highlighting franchising 

as a significant force 

of social good. The collective 

power of mostly small-tomedium 

businesses provides 

social support ranging from 

creating employment through 

to direct donations and support 

of a huge variety of social 

causes. 

The Franchising New Zealand 

2021 survey provides an 

excellent insight into the size 

of the sector’s social contributions. 

An estimated 590 

franchise brands operating in 

New Zealand operate an estimated 

32,357 business units. 

In addition to employing over 

156,000 people and generating 

revenues of an estimated $58 

billion, community support is 

significant. 

The survey data identified 

the median value contributed 

by franchise brands to community 

support and sponsorships 

was $30 000 per year. 

This figure was up by 

46% from the 2017 survey, 

“highlighting higher levels 

of community support among 

franchises. 90% of franchise 

brands return profits back to 

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 

the community. While franchise 

brands contribute a 

median of $30 000 a year to 

the community, 62% of the 

franchise brands contribute 

more than $20 000 per year.” 

That adds up to approximately 

$18 million in contributions 

to the community. 

Closer to home in the Bay 

of Plenty 

Auckland is home to the 

majority of franchise support 

offices, but Tauranga is a 

growing regional hotspot with 

at least nine franchise brands 

based here. 

One of those brands is 

Exceed Franchising. They 

have a fantastic record of supporting 

local causes including 

being behind the efforts to 

have defibrillators placed on 

Mauao. 

For our Pork Pie Charity 

Run campaign Exceed were 

behind the challenge to get 

other franchises to support 

KidsCan as well as donations 

from both the corporate office 

and franchisees. 

Others such as The Coffee 

Club and BurgerFuel have a 

long history of supporting KidsCan 

and VIP Home Services 

and Streetwise Coffee have 

Matt Woodley (left) and Nathan Bonney with their Mini – 

currently somewhere between Paihia and Invercargill. 

supported the Pork Pie Charity 

Run many times. 

Most of the brands that 

have supported our campaign 

and made donations have franchisees 

operating in the Bay 

of Plenty. So, please join us in 

thanking them for their on-going 

social contributions and 

support them when you can.


NEW APPOINTMENTS 

BBN’S GUIDE TO NEW PEOPLE AND NEW ROLES ACROSS BUSINESS IN THE BAY 

To feature in New Appointments email us at new.appointments@bopbusinessnews.co.nz 

New appointments bode well for the Bay 

The local community can be encouraged by the announcement of a number of new appointments this month, 

from the legal profession to business support, the arts and civic project stewardship. 

Key appointments 

set civic precinct up 

for future success 

Three key appointments relating to Tauranga’s 

civic precinct have been confirmed, helping to 

set the once-in-a-generation development up 

for future success. 

Montie Baskett 

Montie Baskett recently joined Holland 

Beckett Law as a consultant in 

the Corporate & Finance team. 

Montie has more than 20 years of 

experience in construction contracts, 

energy, infrastructure and property 

development projects, investment 

structuring, joint ventures and outsourcing, 

capital raising and corporate 

governance. 

Prior to joining Holland Beckett 

Law, Montie held senior in-house 

legal and risk management roles in 

the electricity, construction and property 

development industries. 

Earlier in his career Montie 

held senior positions in Buddle 

Findlay and Russell McVeagh in 

Auckland. 

Joel Murphy 

Joel joined Holland Beckett in 2019 

after returning from the United Kingdom, 

working as an in-house counsel 

for one of the world’s largest large 

scale solar developers. He has 12 

years of legal experience and, prior 

to his experience in the United Kingdom, 

he worked at Meredith Connell 

in Auckland. 

Joel advises clients on all aspects 

of property, including acquisitions 

and disposals, leasing, developments, 

financing and subdivisions. He has 

particular expertise in solar farms, 

kiwifruit orchards and residential 

developments. Joel is an advocate for 

the growth of the Bay of Plenty and 

is a committee member of the Central 

Regional Committee for Property 

Council New Zealand. 

Sonya Korohina 

The Tauranga Art Gallery Trust 

(TAGT) is delighted to announce 

the appointment of Sonya Korohina 

(Ngāti Porou / Pākēha) as the new 

Director of the Tauranga Art Gallery 

(TAG). 

Sonya has held roles at leading 

arts institutions Artspace Aotearoa, 

Auckland Art Gallery, Elam School 

of Fine Arts, and Toi Ohomai where 

she developed the Creative Entrepreneur 

Programme in the Bachelor of 

Creative Industries. 

Sonya grew up in Tauranga Moana 

and returned to the city with her family 

a decade ago. She is delighted to 

be taking the helm of such a vital civic 

organisation at such a pivotal time for 

the city and the wider Bay of Plenty. 

NEW PARTNERS APPOINTED 

TO HOLLAND BECKETT 

Jeremy Sparrow 

In 2012, Jeremy joined Holland 

Beckett as a graduate and is the first 

law clerk to partner. 

Jeremy started in the wider litigation 

department, where he acted on 

some of the firms major cases including 

businesses affected by the Rena 

sinking. 

Jeremy then spent two years working 

as a lawyer in London. Upon 

his return to the Bay of Plenty, Jeremy 

has developed into a specialist 

employment lawyer. 

Jeremy has grown a substantial 

employment practice and continues 

to be sought after by clients for his 

effective and practical advice: this is 

from some of the firm’s biggest clients 

to the smallest. 

Toni Stanaway 

EMA is thrilled to have Toni join 

their team of HR/ER experts as HR 

business consultant. She brings a 

wealth of knowledge and skills with 

over 20 years HR and senior leadership 

experience working across sectors 

and industries, both here in NZ 

and abroad. 

Toni is known for being highly 

creative, intuitive, and strategic. She 

enjoys helping businesses navigate 

their biggest challenges; and building 

high performing teams. Toni has 

a track record in developing performance 

driven solutions that are practical, 

scalable, innovative and people 

centred. No matter the size or nature 

of your business (or need), Toni will 

help you succeed. 

Tim Conder 

Tim Conder was a Judges’ clerk at the 

Auckland High Court before joining 

Holland Beckett Law in 2016. 

During his time with the firm, Tim 

has driven the creation of a specialist 

public and local government team 

within the firm, that serves both local 

government and private clients. 

He has particular experience 

defending regulatory charges – 

including environmental, health and 

safety, animal welfare and export 

related offences. 

Tim is an experienced Courtroom 

advocate, who has appeared in civil 

cases, appeals and on both sides of 

criminal prosecutions in the District 

Court, High Court and Court of 

Appeal. 

From 31 March 2023, local resident and experienced director 

Kim Wallace will take on the position of Board Chair, while 

the similarly-experienced Barry Bragg will join the CCO as 

a Board Director. These decisions follow last week’s appointment 

of Greg McManus to the role of Director of Museums. 

Kim Wallace, Chair 

Kim Wallace is a resident of Tauranga Moana. She has had an 

executive career in finance, complemented with full time governance 

appointments over the past 10 years. 

Since 2018 Kim has been the Independent Chair of the Audit 

and Risk Management Committee Risk Committee for Christchurch 

City Council. She is also currently Deputy Chair of AgResearch 

Limited and an Independent Director of Port Nelson Limited 

and Origin Capital Partners. 

In addition, Kim is Chair of several Project Steering Committees 

charged with the oversight of significantly large and complex 

Crown-funded construction projects. These include the new $97 

million AgResearch Lincoln building, $1 billion State Highway 2 

projects between Waihi and Tauranga, and the $870 million South 

Auckland (Drury) projects. 

Kim was also a part-time governance advisor to Waka Kotahi 

– New Zealand Transport Agency and KiwiRail for five years, 

advising on the $1.5 billion North Canterbury road and rail reinstatement 

project. 

Barry Bragg, Director 

Barry Bragg is currently Chair of Te Kaha Project Delivery Limited, 

a council-controlled organisation set up to independently 

govern the design and construction of the $683 million Te Kaha 

multi-use arena in Christchurch, reporting to Treasury under the 

Crown funding agreement. 

Barry is also current Chair of Pegasus Health Limited, the largest 

Primary Health Network in the South Island, and current Chair 

of Paenga Kupenga Limited, a subsidiary of Ngāi Tahu’s investment 

arm Te Ngāi Tūāhuriri Rūnanga, supporting the delivery of 

social outcomes. 

Other governance roles include current Chair of Quarry Capital 

Limited, Deputy Chair of Stevenson Group Limited and Director 

of Christchurch City Holdings Limited. 

Of Ngāi Tahu, Whānau a Apanui and Whakatōhea descent, 

Barry has previous executive experience working for various 

energy and telecommunications organisations across New 

Zealand. 

Greg McManus, 

Director of Museums 

Greg recently completed a 10-year term as CEO of Waitangi 

National Trust, leading the development of two significant new 

museums from concept to completion and operation: Te Kōngahu 

Museum of Waitangi and Te Rau Aroha Museum of the Price of 

Citizenship. 

He led the transformation of Waitangi Treaty Grounds into a 

world class visitor destination, securing the financial sustainability 

of the organisation and enhancing the mana of the site as the 

most important historic place in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Prior to Waitangi, Greg was Director of Rotorua Museum Te 

Whare Taonga o Te Arawa for 15 years, leading a capital construction 

programme that completed the famous Bathhouse building 

to its original 1912 plans and transforming the museum into 

one of the most awarded visitor attractions in New Zealand.


Hard times – we’re banking on them! 

HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED? 

> BY ALAN NEBEN 

Alan Neben is a Mount Maunganui local and experienced New Zealand 

publisher. His columns provide a light-hearted perspective on social 

changes effecting New Zealanders. 

There has been outrage 

recently about the excessively 

high level of bank 

profits in New Zealand. 

The average Kiwi possibly 

wouldn’t be so perturbed if the 

main banks were New Zealand-owned. 

Personally I’ve 

never been particularly discerning 

when unearthing the 

country of origin of my assailant 

when I’ve been mugged 

or scammed – whether it be a 

neighbour, or a total stranger 

from another town – if they 

steal my hard-earned money 

I feel violated, irrespective of 

their provenance. 

Not that I’m suggesting 

there’s any ‘mugging’ or 

‘scamming’ taking place in 

the banking sector – perish the 

thought! 

It’s just there’s always a 

feeling that your money’s 

being ‘taken’, you get no say 

in it, the amounts change regularly, 

the scammers are all 

in on the fix, they change the 

rules constantly whenever 

‘they’ decide, you can’t get out 

of the game and you’re completely 

*****d without them. 

Sound familiar? Welcome 

to the world of New Zealand 

banking (any similarities to 

mafia protection rackets are 

purely coincidental). 

“I’m gonna make him an 

offer he can’t refuse.” 

What Marlon Brando’s 

character Vito Corleone is 

really saying to Johnny Fontaine 

in The Godfather is what 

I like to term ‘bank talk’: you 

can’t say ‘no, cos we won’t let 

you. 

Our free-market rules 

prescribe the players are not 

allowed to collude – no discussing 

and agreeing things 

like rates and margins with 

competitors – that’s a ‘no no.’ 

But the day bank W 

changes its one-year mortgage 

rate, purely by coincidence its 

competitor banks A and A and 

B choose to change their rates 

by virtually the exact same 

amount. Strange eh? 

Of course you can always 

change banks … yeah, right! 

… have you ever tried changing 

banks? Be very afraid. 

“We’re here to help,” never 

really seems to ring true until 

you add the postscript, “provided 

you’ve got security by 

way of property as collateral 

that we will insist you back-up 

with a personal guarantee.” 

I’m not keen on the business 

model that enables the 

‘family’ to invent random new 

charges with indecipherable 

names like ‘processing validation 

fee’ and ‘batch transaction 

fee’, that are added to customer 

statements every month 

or two; if the clients object and 

don’t pay on time, cumulative 

penalties are then also added. 

It is of no real consolation 

that there is a helpline with a 

minimum two-hour ‘priority’ 

queue to sooth clients by assuring 

them there is, “absolutely 

nothing we can do about the 

new charges”, but then politely 

ask, “is there anything else I 

can help you with today [other 

than the first thing which I 

didn’t help you with]?” 

It can be disconcerting to 

realise there is no longer a 

local manager to speak to, 

because there is no longer a 

local branch and the advice is 

to check the FAQ section on 

the website or wait on hold for 

a couple of hours and speak 

to the helpdesk gentleman in 

Mumbai (who coincidentally 

sounds just like the Microsoft 

guy who called me yesterday 

to check my credit card 

details). 

A year ago I had a rant 

about banks in this column. I 

commented, “no-one works at 

the bank anymore since they 

went online.” 

Which led me to ask: “If 

they no longer have to pay the 

bank teller wages, and they 

don’t need the armed courier 

driver (cos cash is now extinct, 

except for buying sausages at 

Bunnings on the weekend), 

and they don’t have to rent the 

retail space for the closed bank 

branch, and they’ve eliminated 

the accompanying cost of 

providing customer carparks 

and re-stocking the pens on 

chains that don’t work, then 

why have they not only not 

reduced my bank charges, but 

instead introduced additional 

new transaction charges for 

the jobs now done by less than 

minimum wage logarithms at 

the back end of their online 

banking app? … [breathe] 

The reason my bank has 

not reduced my bank charges: 

“because they don’t have to.” 

As I said a year ago, 

“there’s a lot of extra profit 

going straight to Melbourne, 

not passing go, but still collecting 

$200, even though they 

already own Park Lane and 

Mayfair.” 

It reminds me of a 

boardgame – I wish I could 

remember the name. 

Careful recruitment is essential 

Recruitment is a critical component of any organisation’s success, and it can be costly if done poorly. With the ever-present talent 

shortage, poor recruitment practices are becoming increasingly common, with businesses racing to put bums on seats rather than quality 

candidates. This can have a significant impact on businesses’ bottom lines. From inefficient hiring processes to inadequate training and 

high turnover rates, the cost of poor recruitment is something that businesses cannot afford to ignore. 

One of the primary costs 

of poor recruitment 

is the direct financial 

cost. Recruiting, hiring 

and training new employees 

is an expensive process, and 

when it is not done correctly, 

it can lead to wasted time and 

resources. 

This includes the cost of 

advertising job vacancies, 

screening and interviewing 

candidates, background 

checks, IT set up costs and 

the time of training the new 

employee into the position. 

It all adds up and isn’t a 

cost to take lightly or one that 

is wanted to be repeated due to 

not getting it right. 

One of the key concerns of 

recruitment is the impact on 

current employee morale and 

productivity – when an organisation 

hires the wrong person, 

this can lead to increased 

stress and workload for existing 

employees who must 

compensate for the new hire’s 

deficiencies. 

The Harvard Business 

Review states that 80% of 

employee turnover is due to 

bad hiring decisions. Poor 

recruitment can create a toxic 

work environment and affect 

overall company culture. 

Psychometric testing is a 

vital tool in understanding a 

person’s potential and personality 

and can be a really useful 

tool in the recruitment process, 

helping to assess candidate 

suitability for the role requirements 

and the team fit. 

It can help to identify 

strengths and weaknesses 

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 

within the team and any potential 

gaps which could be filled 

with your new recruit. 

Talent ID are accredited 

Saville Psychometric Assessors 

and can arrange for this to 

be completed on behalf of any 

employer. 

There is a common misconception 

that psychometrics are 

only used for high level roles, 

however they are a useful tool 

across all levels of any organisation, 

and can be very cost 

effective if you choose the 

right one. 

Many businesses are under 

pressure to fill roles quickly, 

and as a result, they may not 

invest enough time in the 

recruitment process. This can 

lead to poor screening, hiring 

the wrong candidates, and poor 

fit with the culture. 

Businesses must invest 

in creating effective recruitment 

strategies. This includes 

investing in training and 

development, offering competitive 

salaries and benefits, and 

providing opportunities for 

career advancement. It is also 

essential to conduct thorough 

screening and background 

checks. 

Your critical compliance, as 

we call it, is another check to 

ensure that your new recruit is 

suited to the role. 

Utilising HR and recruitment 

consultants who are 

trained in this area can ensure 

that the recruitment process 

is sounder and can take the 

pressure off the urgency of the 

recruitment, as well as ensuring 

the candidates are well 

vetted. 

Another reason for poor 

recruitment is the lack of 

investment in training and 

development. 

Many companies are not 

providing adequate training 

and onboarding, leading to 

new hires struggling to adapt 

to their new roles. Inadequate 

training can lead to mistakes, 

poor customer service, and 

decreased productivity, which 

ultimately affects the company’s 

bottom line. 

In addition to the direct 

financial and productivity 

costs, poor recruitment can 

also damage a company’s 

reputation. 

In today’s age of social 

media and online reviews, 

negative feedback from past 

employees or candidates can 

quickly spread, making it 

challenging for companies to 

attract and retain top talent. 

Having a strong recruitment 

process and HR strategy 

can have significant financial, 

productivity, and reputational 

value for businesses. 

Addressing these issues 

requires investment in effective 

recruitment strategies, 

training and development, and 

a commitment to hiring the 

right candidates. 

By doing so, businesses can 

create a positive work environment, 

retain top talent, and 

ultimately increase their bottom 

line. 

Get in touch with Kellie 

and the team at Talent ID to 

discuss any of your recruitment 

and HR needs.

SMALL OFFICE SUITES 

AVAILABLE TO LEASE 

Retail & Professional Services Hub 

Medical Services Hub 

Hospitality Hub 

Fast Retail Hub 

Tralee St, Omokoroa 

Be part of the growing Omokoroa community! 

The Village is focused on providing a much-needed 

town centre experience and amenity for local 

Omokoroa residents and visitors to enjoy. 

Premium retail, medical, office and hospitality 

spaces are available for lease or purchase. 

Completion of the medical, retail & professional 

services and hospitality hubs expected in Q3, 2023. 

Limited spaces left, so act now! 

Contact any of the 

following agents: 

Rachel Millard 

021 513 189 

Ivy Shen 

021 038 2128 

Philip Hunt 

021 378 348 

Fosters service offering is structured around the full cycle of 

commercial propery. Talk to us about: 

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Engineering products 

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delivery expertise to care 

for your property for years 

to come. 

33 Oak Lane, Judea, Tauranga | 07 570 6000

April 2023 - Bay of Plenty Business News

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