Waikato Business News June/July 2023
Waikato Business News has for a quarter of a century been the voice of the region’s business community, a business community with a very real commitment to innovation and an ethos of cooperation.
Waikato Business News has for a quarter of a century been the voice of the region’s business community, a business community with a very real commitment to innovation and an ethos of cooperation.
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JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong><br />
VOLUME 31<br />
ISSUE 6<br />
READ ONLINE AT<br />
http://www.wbn.co.nz<br />
/<strong>Waikato</strong><strong>Business</strong><strong>News</strong><br />
The <strong>Waikato</strong> region’s voice of local business<br />
JB HI-FI ON THE MOVE<br />
Close to 15,000 people visited the new JB Hi-Fi store at<br />
The Base Te Awa during the opening festivities - PAGE 4<br />
COMMUNITY-LED TOURISM<br />
The Raglan community takes over the former council-operated<br />
iSite and puts their unique twist on tourism - PAGE 8<br />
THE BUSINESS OF ART<br />
Hamilton jewellery designer Teuila Fatupaito works hard at<br />
finding the balance between art and business - PAGE 24<br />
Restore Native<br />
digs in for the<br />
environment<br />
A love for restoring farm land has won Restore Native<br />
nursery owner Adam Thompson the Kaitiakitanga/<br />
Guardianship & Conservation Award at the recent<br />
Primary Industries New Zealand Awards.<br />
CONTINUED - PAGE 3<br />
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WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong><br />
“I would have gone through<br />
torment if I didn’t have a<br />
place like this to come to.”<br />
Critical cancer service needs your help this Daffodil Day<br />
No one<br />
should<br />
face cancer<br />
alone.<br />
Get your business<br />
behind our<br />
Daffodil Day<br />
appeal this August.<br />
To sign up, visit<br />
daffodilday.org.nz<br />
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY<br />
Over the course of a<br />
lifetime, 1 in 3 Kiwis<br />
will experience the lifechanging<br />
reality of a cancer<br />
diagnosis. For Paeroa local,<br />
Stephen Phillips, the Cancer<br />
Society’s Lions Lodge made<br />
an immeasurable difference<br />
during his own cancer journey.<br />
The Lodge, made only<br />
possible thanks to the generosity<br />
of the New Zealand public, was<br />
a free-of-charge ‘home away<br />
from home’ for Stephen while<br />
he underwent five weeks of<br />
treatment at <strong>Waikato</strong> Hospital.<br />
Without it, he dreads to think<br />
of how his situation might have<br />
played out.<br />
“I know for a fact I would<br />
have gone through torment if I<br />
didn’t have a place like this to<br />
come to,” says Stephen. “The<br />
support is brilliant and it made<br />
life a lot easier.”<br />
Stephen is just one of the<br />
many people from across the<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong>, Bay of Plenty and<br />
Gisborne-Tairāwhiti regions<br />
that use the Lodge.<br />
In fact, in recent months,<br />
demand for the Lodge and<br />
the transport to treatment<br />
service, has reached record<br />
numbers. And with those<br />
record numbers comes a<br />
desperate call for help.<br />
“More than ever before<br />
we’re appealing to the business<br />
Sharon Robertson, Cancer Society Partnership Manager, is<br />
appealing to the community for urgent support this Daffodil Day.<br />
community to get behind us this<br />
Daffodil Day. Whether that’s<br />
by participating in our street<br />
appeal, hosting a counter box,<br />
branding a product, or holding<br />
a morning tea – the options<br />
are endless,” says Partnership<br />
Manager, Sharon Robertson.<br />
Daffodil Day, this year<br />
on Friday 25 August, is New<br />
Zealand’s largest street<br />
appeal and is a critical<br />
fundraiser for the Cancer<br />
Society’s Lions Lodge.<br />
Support from generous<br />
businesses like yours this<br />
Daffodil Day will ensure<br />
that Cancer Society services<br />
like support from nurses,<br />
transport to treatment and<br />
accommodation near treatment<br />
centres remains free for people<br />
with cancer.<br />
“You’ve got to give back,”<br />
says Stephen. “You don’t realise<br />
until you’ve been in a situation<br />
like I’m in now what you can<br />
actually give. I can’t say enough<br />
about the Cancer Society.”<br />
To donate, sign up or<br />
find fundraising ideas, visit<br />
daffodilday.org.nz<br />
To contact Sharon about<br />
how your business can help,<br />
email: sharonrobertson@<br />
cancersociety.org.nz<br />
At Bayleys, we believe relationships are<br />
what businesses are built on and how they<br />
succeed. We understand that to maximise<br />
the return on your property you need:<br />
Professional property management<br />
A business partner that understands<br />
your views and goals<br />
Contact the Bayleys <strong>Waikato</strong> Commercial<br />
Property Management team today.<br />
Jan Cooney<br />
Head Commercial Property Management -<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong>, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki<br />
027 408 9339<br />
jan.cooney@bayleys.co.nz<br />
David Cashmore<br />
Bayleys Commercial Manager - <strong>Waikato</strong><br />
021 943 305<br />
david.cashmore@bayleys.co.nz<br />
Gert Maritz<br />
Senior Facilities Manager - <strong>Waikato</strong><br />
027 230 2514<br />
gert.maritz@bayleys.co.nz<br />
Darren Rule<br />
Senior Facilities Manager - Bay of Plenty & Taranaki<br />
027 214 1631<br />
darren.rule@bayleys.co.nz<br />
SUCCESS REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008<br />
ALTOGETHER BETTER<br />
Residential / Commercial / Rural / Property Services
Restore Native digs in<br />
for the environment<br />
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong> 3<br />
FROM - PAGE 1<br />
The awards honour the<br />
teams and individuals whose<br />
talents and toil help New Zealand’s<br />
farmers, foresters and<br />
fishers thrive.<br />
Passionate about native<br />
trees and biodiversity, Adam<br />
began his tree planting journey<br />
on his Cambridge farm<br />
in 2018.<br />
“I've always been really<br />
passionate about the bush and<br />
growing things. I just keep<br />
chipping away at it and learning<br />
more, and eventually got<br />
to a place where you turn into<br />
a business.”<br />
A full time mortgage broker<br />
at that time, Adam made the<br />
shift towards growing trees as<br />
a full time business in 2020.<br />
“It was quite funny when<br />
the COVID stuff happened I<br />
thought the property market is<br />
toast. I'm going to get out and<br />
just go full time in the nursery<br />
but I couldn't because it was<br />
so busy.”<br />
Still a shareholder in My<br />
Mortgage, Adam continues to<br />
support the team on a weekly<br />
basis but supporting farmers to<br />
plant their land in native trees<br />
is how most of his time is consumed<br />
these days.<br />
The nursery grows more<br />
than a million native trees to<br />
plant on farms and he leads by<br />
example, being well on his way<br />
to meeting his personal target<br />
of digging in 250,000 trees on<br />
his own beef finishing farm.<br />
“I'm trying to demonstrate<br />
how we can farm sustainably.<br />
We're intensifying the<br />
areas we can drive a tractor<br />
over and trying to get a good<br />
return out of that. And where<br />
we come off those flat areas<br />
and onto the steep stuff, we're<br />
retiring it completely back into<br />
native bush.”<br />
I love my work<br />
with the farmers<br />
and to be<br />
recognised for<br />
something like<br />
that is really,<br />
really cool.<br />
In the five years that Adam<br />
has been on this journey<br />
production on his farm has<br />
increased and he has returned<br />
around 25 percent of the land<br />
to native bush.<br />
“We're actually just farming<br />
better; farming good land and<br />
our streams are running clear<br />
rather than full of silt.”<br />
Selling trees by the thousands,<br />
Adam clients are<br />
looking to restore land they are<br />
retiring, planting out marginal<br />
land and protecting waterways<br />
with riparian planting.<br />
Adam says land restoration<br />
is something many of the new<br />
generation of farmers are fully<br />
committed to achieving.<br />
“The reality is that ‘the<br />
exploiting the land to make<br />
a living view’ is actually<br />
dying out with the people<br />
who hold it. My generation<br />
wouldn't even dream of doing<br />
those things.”<br />
And he says, farming for<br />
the environment rather than<br />
in competition with it is far<br />
more enjoyable.<br />
“It’s also a pride thing. The<br />
amount of people who call me<br />
up and say how stoked they are<br />
to see trees growing that we<br />
put in a couple of years ago.”<br />
It might not happen overnight<br />
but Adam says planting<br />
trees that are native to the area<br />
is a recipe for success.<br />
“We’re blessed in the<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong> because native trees<br />
grow really well. Two, three,<br />
four or five years after planting<br />
you can be looking at a<br />
pretty impressive bit a native<br />
bush that was once a barren,<br />
muddy hillside.”<br />
It’s the busy season for the<br />
Restore Native team and Adam<br />
says his usual team of eight<br />
doubles to meet the demand.<br />
The team not only grow the<br />
trees they also offer advice on<br />
best planting for the site, they<br />
do the planting and provide<br />
ongoing support to ensure<br />
those trees get the best start.<br />
“We offer a full service<br />
and it is full accountability;<br />
if the tree dies, it's my fault.<br />
But if you follow the recipe for<br />
this specific place, you can do<br />
really well.”<br />
A self-described risk taker,<br />
Adam says making the move<br />
away from mortgage broking<br />
into growing trees was much<br />
more than venturing into a<br />
new business to make money.<br />
“It does need to be financially<br />
sustainable. But there are<br />
lots of other things like the sustainability<br />
of employment of<br />
our people. The sustainability<br />
for mental and physical health.<br />
I'm physically and mentally<br />
healthier than I ever was and<br />
my team says the same thing.<br />
And there’s sustainability in<br />
terms of the quality time spent<br />
with my kids. I can take them<br />
to work, and they can go - oh,<br />
that's what dad does. I can help<br />
with the sustainability for our<br />
community by offering part<br />
time jobs to the local kids and<br />
donating plants for schools<br />
CREAM OF NZ’S PRIMARY<br />
INDUSTRIES RESEARCHERS<br />
AND INNOVATORS HONOURED<br />
Teams and individuals<br />
were honoured at the<br />
<strong>2023</strong> Primary Industries<br />
New Zealand Awards with<br />
65 nominations across nine<br />
award categories.<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong> entrants took<br />
out four of the coveted trophies,<br />
including three<br />
AgResearch personnel.<br />
The Science & Research<br />
Award went to the AgResearch<br />
Endophyte Discovery Team<br />
for their world-leading development<br />
and commercialisation<br />
of strains of ryegrass with<br />
improved insect protection<br />
and plant persistence, coupled<br />
with fewer adverse effects on<br />
animal health.<br />
Scientist Dr Louise<br />
Hennessy (Ngāti Maniapoto)<br />
claimed the Emerging<br />
Leader Award for her<br />
efforts at AgResearch and<br />
other crown research institutes<br />
championing support<br />
for early career researchers<br />
and a learning approach that<br />
blends matauranga Māori with<br />
western science.<br />
And another AgResearch<br />
scientist, Dr Dave Leathwick,<br />
was presented with the Primary<br />
Industries Champion<br />
Award. Praised by the awards<br />
judging panel for his knowledge<br />
sharing and effective<br />
communication, Dr Leathwick<br />
has demonstrated “an<br />
unwavering commitment to<br />
the rural sector”, in particular<br />
championing parasite control<br />
and anthelmintic drug<br />
resistance management.<br />
and community projects. And<br />
obviously it's sustainable for<br />
the environment - we're protecting<br />
water and air.”<br />
Winning the award was<br />
the icing on the cake for Adam<br />
who started a passion project<br />
that is now bearing fruit<br />
Dave Leathwick and PaySauce chief<br />
financial officer Jaime Monaghan<br />
for sustainability.<br />
“I was stoked. I was honestly<br />
super proud. I literally<br />
took a punt to grow trees without<br />
any formal training. I love<br />
my work with the farmers and<br />
to be recognised for something<br />
like that is really, really cool.”<br />
Endophyte team - David Hume, Christine<br />
Voisey, Linda Johnson and Yashili GM<br />
people and capability Tina Yakas<br />
Louise Hennessy and Professor Grant Edwards,<br />
Lincoln University Vice-Chancellor Lincoln University
4 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong><br />
Crowds queue to experience the<br />
new JB Hi-Fi store at The Base<br />
New store reflects<br />
further growth for<br />
tech retailer<br />
Close to 15,000 people<br />
visited the new JB Hi-Fi<br />
store at The Base Te<br />
Awa during the first few days<br />
of opening festivities.<br />
JB Hi-Fi New Zealand<br />
managing director Tim<br />
Edwards says the store signals<br />
the companies confidence in<br />
New Zealand.<br />
“We've really under<br />
indexed in terms of the potential<br />
in New Zealand. I've<br />
been here for just over a year<br />
and during this time we've<br />
been planning and executing,<br />
and now we're firmly into<br />
the growth phase, which is<br />
pretty exciting.”<br />
Established in Melbourne,<br />
Australia in 1974, JB Hi-Fi<br />
now has over 200 stores<br />
across Australia and New Zealand<br />
and is the seventh largest<br />
consumer electronic retailer in<br />
the world.<br />
The new Hamilton store,<br />
a first for JB Hi-Fi in seven<br />
White Chapel Jak perform for the crowds<br />
lining up outside the new store<br />
Tim Edwards Managing Director JB Hi Fi NZ<br />
years, sees a move away from<br />
the CBD to take advantage of<br />
larger premises.<br />
"We have doubled our staff<br />
numbers to resource the new<br />
store, and all existing staff will<br />
transition seamlessly to the<br />
new location." he says.<br />
Tim says the store will still<br />
embody the brand's unique<br />
JB Hi-Fi style but with a<br />
sleeker design to highlight<br />
the products.<br />
"From floor layout to staffing<br />
– we've infused the JB<br />
Hi-Fi DNA into every aspect<br />
of the store. We've kept all that<br />
beautiful handwritten signage,<br />
posters and artwork that the<br />
team do, so it's got that beautiful<br />
DNA. All the new fixtures<br />
are black and they're quite<br />
sexy and they allow the product<br />
to really come out.”<br />
The store covers 1100m2<br />
of floor space and is part of<br />
the retailer's five-year growth<br />
strategy to open more stores,<br />
refit the existing network,<br />
relocate stores to be in more<br />
convenient locations for customers,<br />
and launch at least<br />
two international airport locations,<br />
starting with Auckland<br />
and Christchurch airports.<br />
“Te Awa is the first<br />
brand-new, new format store<br />
that we have in New Zealand,”<br />
Tim says.<br />
Within the existing network<br />
of the 14 New Zealand<br />
stores, Hamilton and Queen<br />
Street, Auckland were the first<br />
to relocate.<br />
“The other 12 have all<br />
been or are being refurbished.<br />
We're hoping to go from 14 to<br />
38 stores over the next three to<br />
five years,” he says.<br />
"Our team has been working<br />
hard behind the scenes,<br />
and we have big plans for the<br />
future. If you want to invest<br />
in, work for, or partner with<br />
JB Hi-Fi, now's the time. But<br />
strap in because this is just<br />
the beginning."<br />
JB Hi-Fi have also partnered<br />
with Geeks on Wheels to<br />
provide continued service<br />
right into the home.<br />
“It means you can buy a<br />
computer or a TV and get it<br />
installed and set up for you.<br />
We hadn't had that consistent<br />
application through our<br />
business before.”<br />
Tim says the Australian<br />
holding company show of<br />
confidence in New Zealand<br />
will also extend new exciting<br />
offers and propositions into<br />
the mobile phones and subscription<br />
services areas of<br />
the business.<br />
“We're launching some new<br />
products in the next four to<br />
six months, which will be not<br />
just a New Zealand first, but<br />
probably will be an Australian<br />
first. We’re taking some of the<br />
things you consider part of the<br />
Australian business and modifying<br />
it and tweaking it a little<br />
bit to be even better. So that let<br />
us push the envelope even further<br />
here in New Zealand.”<br />
JB Hi-Fi's range of products<br />
will give shoppers at The<br />
Base Te Awa more to choose<br />
from, whether they are looking<br />
for computers and tablets,<br />
phones, TVs and audio<br />
equipment, gaming devices,<br />
home appliances, music, movies<br />
or anything else that helps<br />
them live, learn, work and<br />
play better.<br />
"We're retail, with personality.<br />
Our stores are a fun place<br />
to be, whether you're on an<br />
entertainment or technology<br />
mission, checking out what's<br />
new, or flicking through the<br />
vinyl racks."<br />
The new JB Hi-Fi store<br />
was launched with live performances<br />
from crowd favourites<br />
White Chapel Jak and music<br />
legend Jon Toogood of Shihad<br />
fame, plus exclusive deals on<br />
the official opening night.
Technology leadership guru<br />
joins Company-X<br />
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong> 5<br />
Company-X has<br />
announced Richard<br />
Rayner has joined the<br />
software specialist as an associate.<br />
Hamilton-based Rayner<br />
has three decades experience<br />
in the technology sector, with<br />
collaborations all over the<br />
world. He is a graduate of the<br />
Universities of Auckland and<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong>, and the Institute of<br />
Professional Legal Studies.<br />
He holds degrees in computer<br />
science and information<br />
systems, management, business<br />
administration, and law.<br />
He has worked as a software<br />
developer, project manager<br />
and Chief Information Officer<br />
(CIO).<br />
Rayner, who joined Company-X<br />
in <strong>July</strong>, said it was a privilege<br />
to be collaborating with<br />
Company-X as an associate.<br />
“I’m looking forward to contributing<br />
to their good work<br />
with strategic CIO and executive<br />
services for their clients and will<br />
find it useful to have their deep<br />
software expertise to draw on to<br />
assist clients with strengthening<br />
their businesses,” Rayner said.<br />
“Often in my work there is<br />
a need to create cutting edge<br />
software, complex integrations,<br />
or complete large scale data<br />
work in order to reach strategic<br />
goals.”<br />
Company-X senior consultant<br />
Ben Judge said he was<br />
excited about the extra level of<br />
assurance Company-X clients<br />
would get with Rayner on the<br />
team.<br />
It’s about getting<br />
everyone on the<br />
same page, so no<br />
executive is left<br />
behind.<br />
“Richard joining us means<br />
that we can now comprehensively<br />
answer the question<br />
‘how should they’, not just<br />
‘how could they’,” Judge said.<br />
“Now we are able to provide<br />
end to end capability, so when<br />
it comes to delivery, they have<br />
got that continuity of service<br />
between the people that have<br />
set the direction and the people<br />
that have delivered on the<br />
vision.”<br />
Company-X co-founder and<br />
director David Hallett said clients<br />
often asked questions<br />
around overcoming growth<br />
barriers with technology, the<br />
risks of investing in technology,<br />
and the strategic considerations<br />
of building solutions.<br />
“That’s where we can now<br />
bring Richard in,” Hallett said.<br />
“These are good questions<br />
best answered by someone like<br />
Richard. He can collaborate<br />
with clients work through this<br />
strategically and methodologically.<br />
Richard can augment<br />
their knowledge.”<br />
“He also plays an advocacy<br />
and education role with our<br />
Richard Rayner<br />
clients to help them understand<br />
the potential risks and<br />
benefits of technology and to<br />
help them understand when<br />
they should be buying an offthe-shelf<br />
solution or building a<br />
bespoke one.”<br />
Hallett said adding Richard<br />
to the team would help<br />
Company-X deliver on its core<br />
value of helping clients make<br />
informed choices.<br />
Reflections on a decade of awards<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong> software specialist Company-X has won award after award in<br />
the last decade. Co-founders and directors David Hallett and Jeremy<br />
Hughes share what it takes to build an award-winning company.<br />
Company-X has won nine<br />
awards since it was founded in<br />
2012.<br />
The <strong>Waikato</strong> software<br />
specialist’s winning streak<br />
began in 2017 with a trio of<br />
awards.<br />
Company-X received its<br />
first award in March 2017<br />
when it won a Roading Asset<br />
Management Innovation<br />
Award for what became<br />
Transport Insights, the world’s<br />
first national transport quality<br />
assurance tool. Company-X<br />
won the Services Exporter of<br />
the Year category at the Air<br />
New Zealand Cargo ExportNZ<br />
Awards in <strong>June</strong> 2017. In<br />
October 2017 Company-X<br />
received the Homegrown<br />
Innovators Independent<br />
Software Vendors Award at the<br />
Reseller <strong>News</strong> ICT Industry<br />
Awards.<br />
Its latest award was<br />
presented last year by<br />
ExportNZ as it acknowledged<br />
Company-X as one of the Top<br />
Tech Companies of 2022.<br />
So, what does it take to build<br />
a company that consistently<br />
wins export, innovation, and<br />
service excellence awards?<br />
“We have great outcomes<br />
for relevant and interesting<br />
projects,” said Company-X<br />
co-founder and director David<br />
Hallett.<br />
“A significant part of<br />
Company-X’s revenue is<br />
earned through exporting<br />
expertise to clients overseas,<br />
building genuinely innovative<br />
solutions, and thrilling clients<br />
in the process.”<br />
Company-X has solved<br />
problems with innovative<br />
solutions for multinationals<br />
such as Cisco Systems Inc,<br />
in San Jose, California,<br />
and Delaval, in Stockholm,<br />
Sweden, as well as the New<br />
Zealand transport sector.<br />
“We do cool things that<br />
make a real difference,” Hallett<br />
said.<br />
For example, Company-X<br />
created Voxcoda, a softwareas-a-service<br />
(Saas) product, to<br />
enable users to create artificial<br />
intelligence generated voices<br />
Company-X co-founder and director Jeremy Hughes, left,<br />
receives the Top Tech Companies 2022 award.<br />
for training video voiceovers.<br />
Voices sound as human as<br />
possible with intricate control<br />
over emphasis, pitch, speed,<br />
and tone.<br />
“Voxcoda is saving<br />
hundreds of thousands of<br />
dollars.”<br />
“Company-X has won<br />
lots of awards because when<br />
David and I came together to<br />
form the company we pulled<br />
together a team of the best<br />
people we had come across,”<br />
Company-X co-founder and<br />
director Hughes said.<br />
“We brainstormed who we<br />
wanted and built an amazing<br />
team. We were particularly<br />
focused on finding people who<br />
were focused on delivering an<br />
outcome and being able to do<br />
that well. Our first customers<br />
were delighted that a tech<br />
company was able to do that,<br />
and the judges could see that.”<br />
Awards Company-X has won by Year<br />
2017<br />
• The Roading Asset Management Innovation Award<br />
at the Road Infrastructure Management Forum for<br />
the One Network Road Classification Performance<br />
Measures Reporting Tool, now called Transport<br />
Insights, built for the New Zealand transport sector.<br />
• The Services Exporter of the Year category at the Air<br />
New Zealand Cargo ExportNZ Awards.<br />
• The Homegrown Innovators Independent Software<br />
Vendors Award at the Reseller <strong>News</strong> ICT Industry<br />
Awards.<br />
2018<br />
• The Service Excellence and Global Operator awards at<br />
the Westpac <strong>Waikato</strong> <strong>Business</strong> Awards.<br />
2019<br />
• The Independent Software Vendor Award at the<br />
Reseller <strong>News</strong> Innovation Awards for a hands-free<br />
auditing application developed for AsureQuality.<br />
2020<br />
• The Independent Software Vendor Award at the<br />
Reseller <strong>News</strong> Innovation Awards for Voxcoda, stateof-the-art<br />
software that turns text into human-like<br />
audio files at a fraction of the cost of booking a voice<br />
artist, recording studio and sound engineer.<br />
2021<br />
• Best Professional Service Innovation Award in the<br />
Hamilton Central <strong>Business</strong> Association Central<br />
<strong>Business</strong> District Awards 2021.<br />
• Company-X software quality assurance tester Jes Elliott<br />
won the Reseller <strong>News</strong> Women in ICT (Information and<br />
Communication Technology) 2021 Rising Star Award.<br />
2022<br />
• ExportNZ Top Tech Companies of 2022 award.<br />
Tania.AI receives help to improve<br />
financial app from Company-X<br />
Tania.AI, a financial<br />
technology company<br />
that helps individuals<br />
and businesses manage their<br />
finances, has received help<br />
from Company-X to improve<br />
its mobile and web app.<br />
Tania.AI was facing a chal-<br />
lenge with its data import process.<br />
As the number of users<br />
grew, so did the volume of data<br />
that Tania.AI was importing<br />
nightly from Xero. The triggering<br />
of manual updates was<br />
necessary.<br />
Tania.AI founder Donnameree<br />
Ryder initially turned<br />
to an overseas consultant to<br />
investigate the issue, but they<br />
were unable to solve the problem.<br />
Ryder then reached out to<br />
Company-X co-founder and<br />
director David Hallett for<br />
help.<br />
Company-X team leader<br />
and senior developer Michael<br />
Steenkamp and developer<br />
Jonathan Ashworth peer<br />
reviewed Tania.AI’s code base.<br />
The pair found the issue with<br />
the code and Steenkamp was<br />
able to fix it.<br />
As a result of Company-X’s<br />
help, Tania.AI was able<br />
to release version three of its<br />
mobile and web app for testing<br />
by audit, tax, and advisory<br />
services provider KPMG.<br />
“It was wicked,” said<br />
Ryder. “I should have just<br />
called Company-X ages ago.<br />
They have a team who are<br />
sharp.<br />
“Big brother stepped in and<br />
put in the resource to make it<br />
happen. The ability for a large<br />
tech company to step in to<br />
help a little startup is wicked.<br />
What I like about having Company-X<br />
around is the ability to<br />
be able to call on larger organisation<br />
that can build to the<br />
standard that we need to scale<br />
globally.”<br />
“As a big brother company,<br />
Company-X also wants to see<br />
the little siblings coming up,”<br />
said Hallett. “Well, there’ll be<br />
no little siblings coming up<br />
if we’re unable to share the<br />
understanding and knowledge.<br />
So, one must actually<br />
really do what you say.”
6 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong><br />
Female<br />
football stars<br />
talk gender<br />
dynamics in<br />
sport<br />
In the spirit of ‘Going Beyond’, Hamilton<br />
Host City held a FIFA Women’s World<br />
Cup <strong>2023</strong> Trophy Tour event featuring<br />
a stellar line up at the K’aute Pasifika<br />
Fale, to empower future generations in<br />
sport. The well-attended event inspired<br />
guests to dream big and uplift others.<br />
Past and present female<br />
sporting personalities<br />
on the panel included<br />
current Football Fern Michaela<br />
Foster, ex-Football Fern Joy<br />
Howland and FIFA Referee<br />
Sarah Jones. MC and Olympian<br />
Sarah Cowley-Ross led<br />
the discussion with the panel<br />
on how far women’s sport has<br />
come, in the lead-up to the FIFA<br />
Women’s World Cup <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
The theme of the evening<br />
was – ‘the changing dynamics<br />
of gender in sport’ and saw the<br />
unveiling of the FIFA Women’s<br />
World Cup Original Trophy,<br />
which was on its last leg of<br />
the <strong>Waikato</strong> and Bay of Plenty<br />
Trophy Tour. The aim of the<br />
tour is to inspire young females<br />
and create excitement ahead of<br />
the FIFA Women’s World Cup<br />
<strong>2023</strong>, which is kicking off in<br />
Hamilton Kirikiriroa on Saturday,<br />
<strong>July</strong> 22.<br />
The audience comprised of<br />
many young female footballers<br />
including local team The<br />
Wanderers who came to support<br />
and learn from some footballing<br />
idols.<br />
FIFA Women’s World Cup<br />
<strong>2023</strong> COO New Zealand Jane<br />
Patterson and Cambridge High<br />
School student and prefect and<br />
captain of the girl’s football<br />
team Jess Savage delivered the<br />
opening address.<br />
Current Football Fern<br />
Michaela Foster shared with<br />
the audience how the road<br />
to the FIFA Women’s World<br />
Cup <strong>2023</strong> takes its time with<br />
the first big opportunity coming<br />
her way at the age of 24.<br />
Importantly, she says, everyone<br />
has a different story and<br />
different milestones.<br />
Part of a well-known sporting<br />
family - her father Ian Foster<br />
is the All Black’s coach,<br />
Michaela understands the challenges<br />
of playing professionally.<br />
“Football stuck with me<br />
when I started at the age of<br />
seven. Our parents always<br />
encouraged us to create our<br />
path, and playing football with<br />
my sister became the highlight<br />
of my childhood years. I am<br />
a proud daughter, and he’s a<br />
proud dad.”<br />
Michaela was a coach at<br />
Hamilton Girls’ High School<br />
when she received a scholarship<br />
to play professionally.<br />
She worked at a supermarket<br />
to pay the bills, but says<br />
the journey made the success<br />
more respected.<br />
“Navigating the sporting<br />
world after high school is critical<br />
for young players. It is crucial<br />
that we have inlets into<br />
sporting communities along<br />
with pathways to pursue career<br />
opportunities for young girls.<br />
In addition to this, watching<br />
women in both sports as well<br />
as leadership roles in the sports<br />
fraternity will be a boost for<br />
young girls.”<br />
FIFA referee Sarah Jones<br />
highlighted the need to break<br />
barriers for women to continue<br />
sports after school, university,<br />
or even after getting married<br />
and having children.<br />
“We need to tell women that<br />
it is possible to follow your passion<br />
even with a family and a<br />
career. If you love doing it, you<br />
can always go for it,” she says.<br />
“The fitness levels are higher<br />
for both players and referees.<br />
With various learning modules,<br />
and training sessions before the<br />
games begin and even during<br />
the World Cup, the referees are<br />
also required to exhibit skill and<br />
aptitude along with fitness. A<br />
speed test, agility test, strength<br />
test, core and flexibility training<br />
and several criteria, it is a mix<br />
of hard work, learning and continuous<br />
commitment to one’s<br />
passion that come into play as<br />
a referee. But I would not have<br />
it any other way. It is a commitment<br />
I have made to my<br />
passion.”<br />
Ex-Football Fern Joy Howland,<br />
who was sporting her<br />
team jersey from the 1989<br />
World Cup, reminisced about<br />
how times have changed and<br />
the game of football itself has<br />
changed drastically.<br />
“It is such a great feeling<br />
to see more girls and<br />
all-girls teams when I go to<br />
my son’s football games on<br />
Saturday mornings.”<br />
She also reminisced<br />
about her days on the New<br />
Zealand team.<br />
“It was just a bunch of<br />
mates playing for the country.<br />
We never had the structure or<br />
institutional support that is<br />
now available. It was all about<br />
the love for the game. We were<br />
fundraising on the weekends,<br />
requesting people to buy our<br />
tickets, door knocking and trying<br />
everything we could. It was<br />
a constant cycle of ‘play, train<br />
and fundraise’ for us.”<br />
When asked about how the<br />
next generation of girls can be<br />
motivated to take on sports, she<br />
had a sound piece of advice for<br />
the players.<br />
“Talent is great, but often<br />
not enough. Mentors can have<br />
immense impact in developing<br />
the drive and commitment and<br />
show you how to keep the passion<br />
high and prepare a plan of<br />
action for you.”<br />
She also had a message for<br />
parents which was received.<br />
“Focus on presence not<br />
pressure. Be available, show<br />
up for games on the side lines<br />
and support your girls in their<br />
journey. It would be great to<br />
see New Zealand go to the next<br />
level with higher participation<br />
and more visibility.”<br />
Hamilton is set to host five<br />
matches from 22 <strong>July</strong> <strong>2023</strong>. An<br />
impressive number of 1million<br />
tickets have been sold so far in<br />
both the host nations, Australia<br />
and New Zealand, which shows<br />
a positive change for women’s<br />
sports and increased support<br />
from spectators.<br />
Girls with Goals<br />
celebrates<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong> waahine<br />
As the host city for the<br />
FIFA Women’s World<br />
Cup <strong>2023</strong>, Hamilton<br />
Kirikiriroa recently launched<br />
its Girls with Goals campaign<br />
to showcase the strengths<br />
and achievements of local<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong> waahine.<br />
The 11 inspirational women<br />
have been chosen to celebrate<br />
the community by capturing<br />
their stories and goals.<br />
The aim of the campaign<br />
is to promote gender equality,<br />
diversity and inclusion with<br />
the hope of inspiring others to<br />
create and smash their goals.<br />
The achievements of these<br />
women will be shared through<br />
public displays of empowerment<br />
with a city-wide dressing<br />
leading up to the FIFA<br />
Shelley Blair<br />
Women’s World Cup <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
The 11 include co-founder<br />
and director of Talents of the<br />
Pacific Academy Landy Tyrell<br />
Nonoa, Special Olympics<br />
Landy Tyrell Nonoa<br />
co-founder and head coach<br />
Shelley Blair and Dame<br />
Malvina Major Foundation<br />
Studio Artist with NZ Opera<br />
for 2021 Katherine Winitana.<br />
The full line up of Girls with<br />
Goals can be found at girlswithgoals.co.nz.<br />
The 11 women<br />
featured here are only a few<br />
of many who have positively<br />
Katherine Winitana<br />
impacted and inspired<br />
our community.<br />
Photo credit:<br />
Sophie-Miya Smith
First home buyers<br />
back in the market as<br />
property trends take<br />
an upturn<br />
When the summer sun gets a bit hot,<br />
we’re eager for the leaves to start<br />
changing, signalling autumn. When<br />
winter’s grip brings frost, wind and rain,<br />
we’re all watching closely for the pink<br />
buds of spring.<br />
And in the property<br />
world, we’re also operating<br />
in a cycle that<br />
often takes years to come<br />
around again.<br />
I feel as though I’ve come<br />
of age as a mortgage adviser,<br />
having seen several turns of<br />
the clock as property values<br />
rise and fall.<br />
There are some changes<br />
afoot, and looking at property<br />
metrics over the past<br />
month or so shows some<br />
interesting trends.<br />
First-time home buyers are<br />
returning to the market in large<br />
numbers following changes on<br />
1 <strong>June</strong> that have made it easier<br />
to obtain loans with less<br />
than a 20% deposit, the relaxation<br />
of CCCFA legislation,<br />
and properties being offered<br />
at lower prices. Enquiry is up<br />
over 50%, and many of these<br />
buyers are armed with pre-approvals<br />
and looking to make<br />
competitive offers.<br />
We’re also seeing multi-offers<br />
on properties becoming<br />
more common again, particularly<br />
in the bottom to middle<br />
of the market, where buyers<br />
aren’t needing to sell a property<br />
to make their purchase<br />
work. I myself was blown away<br />
to receive three offers on a<br />
property I had listed. Most of<br />
my first home buyers are now<br />
finding themselves in competition<br />
when putting pen<br />
to paper.<br />
Another trend is the supply<br />
of properties starting to<br />
fall. Very slowly we’re seeing a<br />
switch from a flood of properties<br />
on the market as vendors<br />
make calculated decisions to<br />
hold off, and more confidence<br />
starts to creep into the minds<br />
of investors that political<br />
change may be afoot.<br />
Banks are thankfully now<br />
starting to loosen lending<br />
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong> 7<br />
BEYOND THE<br />
BANKS<br />
BY CLAIRE WILLIAMSON<br />
Claire Williamson is a mortgage<br />
advisor for My Mortgage<br />
criteria by tweaking policies<br />
in favour of bolstering loan<br />
volumes. They have welcomed<br />
the changes put in place by the<br />
RBNZ in <strong>June</strong> around LVR<br />
(Loan to Value) requirements<br />
for investors and first home<br />
buyers. I’m predicting these<br />
will continue to loosen in the<br />
next few months as banks<br />
revisit their credit criteria in<br />
the face of what looks like a<br />
levelling off of interest rates.<br />
The big news of the last<br />
month is the likelihood of the<br />
RBNZ placing the official cash<br />
rate on hold this week (12 <strong>July</strong><br />
<strong>2023</strong>), which they signalled<br />
strongly in May. This has<br />
built confidence in the minds<br />
of borrowers who were hearing<br />
numbers of nine per cent<br />
thrown around and wondering<br />
how they’d service their<br />
mortgages. That risk has now<br />
largely abated, and we’re hearing<br />
stories of battening down<br />
the hatches as strong employment<br />
conditions continue to<br />
keep people in jobs.<br />
And while I like to be the<br />
ray of sunshine on an otherwise<br />
bleak week of rain and<br />
cold, these small glimmers of<br />
hope still carry challenges for<br />
the buyer, particularly if they<br />
are investors looking to leverage<br />
equity, or first home buyers<br />
on entry-level incomes.<br />
Interest rates are still fairly<br />
high compared to several<br />
years ago, and it’s important<br />
to consider your budget when<br />
looking to buy, especially<br />
when business confidence is<br />
lower, and many are looking<br />
to drive efficiencies by reviewing<br />
human resources and<br />
input costs.<br />
But if you’re in a position<br />
to purchase your first home,<br />
second home or forever home,<br />
or even add to a property portfolio,<br />
the conditions may be<br />
just perfect.<br />
Get your umbrella out,<br />
dance in the puddles and look<br />
out on the horizon. It’s faint,<br />
but you might catch a glimpse<br />
of spring, ready to put forward<br />
new life and start the cycle<br />
once again.<br />
CONVERSATIONS WITH MIKE NEALE OF<br />
NAI HARCOURTS HAMILTON<br />
Mike Neale, Managing Director, NAI Harcourts Hamilton<br />
Importance Levels<br />
– Understanding<br />
the Criteria for<br />
Buildings IL1 to IL5<br />
This is a question that comes up periodically,<br />
but randomly I received<br />
three calls last week around this<br />
topic. For those seeking strong seismic<br />
resilience in Hamilton for buildings IL3<br />
and above, it’s a pretty thin wedge when<br />
seeking premises options that require<br />
superior NBS standards.<br />
Ensuring the safety and resilience of<br />
buildings is a top priority for authorities,<br />
especially in the wake of natural disasters<br />
and changing climatic conditions. The<br />
seismic performance of buildings is critical<br />
to safeguarding lives and preserving infrastructure<br />
during earthquakes. To achieve<br />
this, New Zealand has a stringent classification<br />
system for buildings based on their<br />
Importance Level (IL1 to IL5) and corresponding<br />
building regulations and criteria.<br />
Let’s delve into the criteria and regulations<br />
governing these importance levels.<br />
Importance Level (IL1 to IL5)<br />
Classification:<br />
Importance Levels (IL) are assigned to<br />
buildings based on their significance concerning<br />
safety and functionality during<br />
earthquakes. They are determined by considering<br />
the building’s function, occupancy,<br />
and consequences of failure during<br />
a seismic event. The IL classification<br />
ranges from IL1 (lowest importance) to IL5<br />
(highest importance). The criteria for each<br />
level are as follows:<br />
• IL1: Buildings with a low level of importance,<br />
such as agricultural structures<br />
and minor utility buildings. Failure of<br />
IL1 buildings during an earthquake is<br />
less likely to result in significant consequences.<br />
Examples include ancillary<br />
buildings not for human habitation and<br />
minor storage facilities.<br />
• IL2: Buildings with moderate importance,<br />
including most residential and<br />
commercial structures. The failure of<br />
IL2 buildings may cause some damage<br />
but is not expected to result in major<br />
life-threatening situations. The vast<br />
majority of commercial and office buildings<br />
in Hamilton fall into this category.<br />
• IL3: Buildings with high importance,<br />
like hospitals, emergency facilities, and<br />
key infrastructure. The failure of IL3<br />
buildings could have significant consequences<br />
for public safety and critical<br />
services. Examples include buildings<br />
where more than 300 people congregate<br />
in one area / primary schools, secondary<br />
schools, or daycare facilities with a<br />
capacity greater than 250 / buildings<br />
with tertiary education and a capacity<br />
greater than 500 / buildings generating<br />
power, water treatment and other public<br />
facilities not included in IL 4<br />
• IL4: Buildings of essential importance,<br />
including lifeline infrastructure like<br />
emergency response centres and power<br />
stations. The failure of IL4 buildings<br />
could lead to severe societal impacts<br />
and disruption. Examples include hospitals<br />
/ fire, rescue and police stations<br />
/ aviation control towers / buildings<br />
intended to contribute to emergency<br />
preparedness and used for communication<br />
in an emergency.<br />
• IL5: Buildings with critical importance,<br />
such as emergency response headquarters<br />
and essential national infrastructure.<br />
The failure of IL5 buildings would<br />
have catastrophic consequences for<br />
society. This includes major dams and<br />
extremely hazardous facilities.<br />
Building Regulations and Criteria:<br />
New Zealand has robust building codes and<br />
regulations in place to ensure that structures<br />
are designed and constructed to withstand<br />
seismic forces. These regulations are<br />
outlined in the New Zealand Building Code.<br />
The building regulations for IL1 to IL5<br />
buildings include:<br />
i Seismic Design: Buildings in high and<br />
critical importance categories (IL3 to<br />
IL5) must comply with stricter seismic<br />
design requirements. Engineers<br />
use sophisticated techniques and calculations<br />
to ensure these buildings<br />
can withstand the forces generated by<br />
earthquakes.<br />
ii Material Standards: The New Zealand<br />
Building Code sets out specific standards<br />
for construction materials. For<br />
buildings in higher importance levels,<br />
stricter material requirements are<br />
imposed to enhance resilience.<br />
iii Building Envelope: IL1 and IL2 buildings<br />
may focus more on functionality<br />
and aesthetics, while IL3 to IL5 structures<br />
prioritize maintaining the building<br />
envelope even during a seismic<br />
event.<br />
iv Redundancy and Resilience: Buildings<br />
with higher importance levels must<br />
demonstrate greater redundancy and<br />
resilience to withstand earthquake-induced<br />
stresses.<br />
v Foundation Requirements: The foundation<br />
design for IL3 to IL5 buildings is<br />
more stringent, considering factors like<br />
soil conditions, liquefaction potential,<br />
and ground motion amplification.<br />
vi Regular Inspections: High and critical<br />
importance buildings may require<br />
more frequent inspections and monitoring<br />
to ensure ongoing structural<br />
integrity.<br />
vii Building Consent Process: Local<br />
authorities evaluate building consent<br />
applications based on the IL classification,<br />
ensuring compliance with the<br />
appropriate regulations.<br />
The classification of buildings into Importance<br />
Levels (IL1 to IL5) in New Zealand<br />
is crucial for managing seismic risk and<br />
promoting public safety. There are building<br />
regulations which ensure that higher<br />
importance structures are designed and<br />
constructed to withstand seismic forces.<br />
NAI Harcourts Hamilton<br />
Monarch Commercial Ltd MREINZ Licensed<br />
Agent REAA 2008<br />
Cnr Victoria & London Streets, HAMILTON<br />
07 850 5252 | hamilton@naiharcourts.co.nz<br />
www.naiharcourts.co.nz
8 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong><br />
Community leads<br />
tourism direction<br />
for Raglan<br />
Known as the jewel in the crown of<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong> District Council tourism, Raglan<br />
is a mecca for local and international<br />
visitors seeking a west coast holiday.<br />
A<br />
town driven by local<br />
initiatives, the Raglan<br />
community took over<br />
the council operated iSite and<br />
have given it their own unique<br />
twist.<br />
Renamed Raglan iHub<br />
Information Centre, its genesis<br />
dates back to <strong>June</strong> 2020 when<br />
council officially closed the<br />
iSite.<br />
Determined to continue<br />
providing authentic visitor<br />
information and experiences,<br />
a group of community<br />
representatives launched<br />
the Whaaingaroa-Raglan<br />
Destination Management<br />
Organisation (WRDMO).<br />
Leading the charge, Raglan’s<br />
district councillor Lisa Thomson<br />
and long-time tourist operator<br />
Charlie Young, although<br />
disappointed at council’s decision,<br />
saw it as an opportunity<br />
for a community-led information<br />
centre.<br />
“We were bright-eyed and<br />
bushy-tailed, and really saw this<br />
as a fantastic opportunity for us<br />
to look at what we could create<br />
with the destination management<br />
organisation,” Lisa says.<br />
This meant lobbying the<br />
district council for the chance<br />
to take over the council-owned<br />
building that housed the<br />
iSite, and is also the site of the<br />
Raglan Muesum.<br />
“We were successful in<br />
brokering that relationship<br />
with council, and council staff<br />
give us their time and support<br />
in terms of community-led<br />
development. Council has also<br />
given us the space at a peppercorn<br />
rent. And, on top of that,<br />
there’s support with the likes of<br />
electricity and building maintenance,”<br />
she says.<br />
Run by a dedicated team<br />
of volunteers, with a part-time<br />
manager the only paid staff<br />
member.<br />
Like many<br />
New Zealand<br />
destination spots,<br />
Raglan benefitted<br />
from the local<br />
visitor market<br />
during Covid and<br />
that’s something<br />
the pair are keen<br />
to capture.<br />
“We love our volunteers they<br />
are bloody phenomenal and<br />
they're fantastic ambassadors<br />
for Raglan They're the reason<br />
why we've kept our doors open,’<br />
Lisa says.<br />
The pair say the volunteers<br />
each add a different<br />
flavour to the visitor experience<br />
with their particular<br />
local knowledge.<br />
Not just left to their own<br />
devices though, the volunteers<br />
are provided with<br />
opportunities to experience<br />
the tourism activities on offer<br />
and workshops to upskill their<br />
local knowledge.<br />
“I always say to people<br />
their own stories are great too.<br />
But if we give them that continuous<br />
support and backfill,<br />
it will give them the confidence<br />
to be engaged for a long<br />
period of time as volunteers,”<br />
Charlie says.<br />
The iHub has been set up<br />
to be more than just an information<br />
centre, without council<br />
funding to be fully operational<br />
the dollars need to be<br />
found somewhere.<br />
Showcasing local is an<br />
important part of what the<br />
WRDMO is trying to achieve<br />
at the iHub and a shop stocked<br />
with local artisans’ and creatives’<br />
products provides a<br />
small revenue stream, with<br />
plans to expand afoot.<br />
“It is the perfect place for<br />
people to come and trial products<br />
they normally aren’t yet<br />
producing at scale or have the<br />
courage to approach a store to<br />
sell their product. And that's the<br />
beginning of that resiliency and<br />
economic development that is<br />
important to local communities,”<br />
Charlie says.<br />
Supporting a flourishing<br />
community is one of the fundamental<br />
goals of the WRDMO.<br />
With climate change and<br />
global events like the Covid<br />
pandemic impacting the future<br />
of tourism in Aotearoa, Charlie<br />
and Lisa say thriving local<br />
communities will be able to ride<br />
those waves and have better<br />
outcomes.<br />
“We have to look at a different<br />
model of what those visitor<br />
experiences look like. Because<br />
in five years, it will look different<br />
and it will look very different<br />
in 10 years. We have to<br />
co-design that as a community,<br />
Charlie Young and Lisa Thomson<br />
Lisa says.<br />
“Every single business in<br />
this community is fully connected,<br />
either first degree,<br />
second degree or the third<br />
degree. If you looked at the<br />
dollar flow around the community<br />
- if you're a plumber<br />
you're still getting dollars generated<br />
from somebody who's<br />
made money from tourism,”<br />
Charlie says.<br />
Like many New Zealand<br />
destination spots, Raglan benefitted<br />
from the local visitor<br />
market during Covid and that’s<br />
something the pair are keen<br />
to capture.<br />
“Our strength is the people<br />
coming out from Hamilton,<br />
from Auckland, from Cambridge<br />
and further. And COVID<br />
showed that, even with the borders<br />
closed, we still did pretty<br />
good. That's our real true market.<br />
And if it's good for them,<br />
it's good for the community,<br />
and it's going to be good for an<br />
international visitor as well,”<br />
Charlie says.
Get connected to Electric<br />
Vehicles – the smart way.<br />
ews<br />
If you’re out and about on any<br />
New Zealand road these days, and<br />
you’ll likely see Electric Vehicles<br />
(EVs). They’re becoming quite<br />
commonplace on our roads,<br />
and there’s a good chance that<br />
we may have helped a few of<br />
those get up and running!<br />
That’s because as the world shifts to using<br />
more sustainable energy sources, we’re<br />
using our energy experience and practical<br />
insights to help businesses make the move<br />
to EVs – for good. Using our experience<br />
and smart infrastructure ideas, we help put<br />
businesses on the road to sustainability<br />
faster, smarter and at just the right price.<br />
Because of this We.EV has seized the<br />
opportunity to lead the way in supporting<br />
businesses to transition their fleets to EVs<br />
by investigating, designing, installing and<br />
provide an end-to-end solution to meet the<br />
customers’ needs to minimise costs now<br />
and into the future. Community owned,<br />
our vision is simple; to help businesses<br />
shape a better, more renewable future<br />
We guide and support businesses who<br />
want to make the shift to EVs with specific<br />
plans and infrastructure that’s flexible, costeffective,<br />
and can expand as your EV fleet<br />
does. From accurate advice to on-the-ground<br />
planning, every customer we work with has<br />
unique needs and goals. So whether your<br />
fleet of EVs is large or small, or you’re even<br />
just at the early stages of thinking about<br />
it – it pays to talk to the local experts first.<br />
How to get started on<br />
your EV transformation<br />
So, you can make the change once, and<br />
do it properly, there are a number of things<br />
you’ll need to look at, says Craig Marshall,<br />
Head of We.EV. He explains it should start<br />
with good advice before you start laying<br />
cables. “There are a lot of people out there<br />
who are keen to help with suggestions<br />
and hardware. But it all starts with solid<br />
advice that simply comes from handson<br />
experience. We’ve been working with<br />
energy for decades. And we’ve seen cases<br />
where clients were told to invest hundreds<br />
of thousands of dollars, when in fact they<br />
needed nothing of the sort for their usage.”<br />
So, if you’re ready to make the smarter<br />
EV infrastructure choice and you’re ready<br />
to take your sustainability goals up a<br />
gear – get in touch with the EV experts.<br />
0800 800 935 | we-ev.co.nz<br />
Driving<br />
brighter<br />
business<br />
futures.<br />
From advice and planning<br />
to design and build, We.EV<br />
helps businesses become<br />
future-ready with their<br />
Electric Vehicle charging<br />
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your fleet of EVs is large or<br />
small, or you’re even just<br />
thinking about it – it pays to<br />
talk to the local experts first.<br />
we-ev.co.nz
New and improved<br />
Whaaingaroa Wharf<br />
officially opened<br />
Improvements at the Whaaingaroa wharf, including a newly<br />
constructed pontoon, kayak ramp and eastern walkway,<br />
were officially opened recently in a dawn ceremony led by<br />
kaumaatua Atutahi Riki of Ngaati Maahanga and Tainui.<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong> District Council’s<br />
general manager<br />
of service delivery<br />
Megan May says the ceremony<br />
is a celebration of the collaborative<br />
effort it’s taken to get the<br />
new additions over the line.<br />
“The ceremony marks the<br />
completion of the third of four<br />
projects to transform the wharf<br />
and wider harbour in Whaaingaroa,"<br />
she says.<br />
“It is great to see the hard<br />
mahi pay off, and be another<br />
step closer to the completion<br />
of all four of these<br />
transformational projects.”<br />
The projects are funded<br />
Kānoa Regional Economic<br />
Development and Investment<br />
Unit, and are developed in<br />
partnership with the Raglan<br />
Community Board and Iwi<br />
partners, including Ngaati<br />
Maahanga and Ngāti Hourua,<br />
Tainui o Tainui, Ngaati<br />
Tahinga and Ngāti Tamainupō.<br />
“These improvements<br />
were also made possible by<br />
the overwhelming support we<br />
received when we spoke to the<br />
wider community last year.<br />
We know the community have<br />
been keeping a close eye on our<br />
progress, and we’re so pleased<br />
to hand it over to them,” May<br />
says.<br />
Raglan Community Board<br />
chair Dennis Amoore says the<br />
new additions set a promising<br />
standard for the upcoming<br />
western improvements.<br />
“This is a great start in providing<br />
more room and more<br />
access for people to connect<br />
with the sea. The upcoming<br />
work on the western side of the<br />
wharf with its tidal stairs and<br />
seating will take that next step<br />
in transforming the area into a<br />
hub for the community.”<br />
Central city embracing new wave of office development<br />
Hamilton's central city<br />
is thriving, with a<br />
35% rise in commercial<br />
development during the<br />
past 12 months. Currently<br />
there is 40,994m2 of commercial<br />
development happening<br />
across the central city, up from<br />
30,272m2 only 12 months ago.<br />
An economic engine room<br />
Hamilton’s central city supports<br />
21,400 jobs, has 2650<br />
businesses and generates<br />
$3.2 billion of the city’s GDP<br />
(about 25%). The central city<br />
saw growth across all three of<br />
these areas in 2022, with jobs<br />
increasing 3%, the number of<br />
businesses up 4% and GDP<br />
rising 7%.<br />
It is also home to 76% of<br />
the city’s financial and insurance<br />
service jobs, 52% of information<br />
media and telecommunications<br />
jobs, and 54%<br />
of public administration and<br />
safety jobs.<br />
The second half of 2022<br />
saw a strong increase in foot<br />
traffic in the central city, a<br />
measure that is indicative of<br />
commercial activity. Commercial<br />
development includes<br />
office space, retail stores,<br />
restaurants, business services<br />
and accommodation.<br />
Building excitement<br />
Tainui Group Holdings<br />
recently completed Amohia<br />
Ake, the new regional offices<br />
for ACC located on the corner<br />
of Collingwood and Tristram<br />
streets. The three-pavilion,<br />
8500m2 project is designed<br />
for 800 staff and includes 82<br />
bike parks, end-of-trip facilities<br />
and 12 charging stations<br />
for electric vehicles.<br />
Construction of the<br />
23,000m2 Union Square<br />
mixed-use development is<br />
currently focused on a second<br />
office building with about<br />
5000m2 of office space. It is<br />
90% preleased and set to open<br />
in late <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
Completed buildings at<br />
Union Square include a garage<br />
for tenants with 327 carparks,<br />
end-of-trip facilities, and<br />
e-bike storage. A four-storey<br />
office building opened in 2021<br />
and is home to Rabobank,<br />
Craigs Investment Partners,<br />
and AA Insurance.<br />
Full speed ahead for<br />
infrastructure<br />
In November 2022, the Government<br />
confirmed $150.6<br />
million of Infrastructure<br />
Acceleration Fund (IAF) support<br />
for the central city. This<br />
funding will support the<br />
delivery of a new water reservoir<br />
and pump station, a<br />
new pedestrian and cycling<br />
bridge across the <strong>Waikato</strong><br />
River, as well as investigations<br />
into other strategic water and<br />
transport infrastructure to service<br />
the central city.<br />
Over the next 10 years,<br />
council predicts about 4000<br />
new homes and more than<br />
300,000m2 of additional<br />
commercial development<br />
in the central city.<br />
Getting down to business<br />
Council’s meetings with<br />
employers to discuss key<br />
enablers for their growth<br />
has repeatedly highlighted a<br />
strong desire for additional<br />
business hotel options. Council’s<br />
Economic Development<br />
Committee has targeted the<br />
end of <strong>2023</strong> for confirming<br />
development plans to bring<br />
a new 4+ star hotel to the<br />
central city.
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong> 11<br />
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Tech Talk:<br />
Regulating AI<br />
ChatGPT has taken the world by storm.<br />
It’s exciting to see this next<br />
generation technology<br />
being used to make life<br />
easier through very humanlike<br />
interaction between man<br />
and machine.<br />
You can ask it any question<br />
and receive an answer<br />
that sounds like one given by a<br />
real person.<br />
And like humans,<br />
ChatGPT’s answers are limited<br />
to the data AI has learned<br />
from, and its answers get better<br />
and better as its data grows.<br />
Recently there has been<br />
much talk about the dangers of<br />
AI technology and the potential<br />
of a regulatory response<br />
to address this. Most notably<br />
in the USA, there was a congressional<br />
hearing with Sam<br />
Altman (OpenAI) and several<br />
other people from organisations<br />
in the AI space.<br />
Here’s the focal points of what<br />
Altman said regarding regulation<br />
of this technology:<br />
First, it is vital that AI companies–especially<br />
those working<br />
on the most powerful models–adhere<br />
to an appropriate<br />
set of safety requirements,<br />
including internal and external<br />
testing prior to release<br />
and publication of evaluation<br />
TECH TALK<br />
BY LUKE MCGREGOR<br />
Luke McGregor is a software<br />
architect at <strong>Waikato</strong> software<br />
specialist Company-X.<br />
results. To ensure this, the<br />
US government should consider<br />
a combination of licensing<br />
or registration requirements<br />
for development and<br />
release of AI models above<br />
a crucial threshold of capabilities,<br />
alongside incentives<br />
for full compliance with<br />
these requirements.<br />
Second, AI is a complex and<br />
rapidly evolving field. It<br />
is essential that the safety<br />
requirements that AI companies<br />
must meet have a<br />
governance regime flexible<br />
enough to adapt to new technical<br />
developments. The US<br />
government should consider<br />
facilitating multi-stakeholder<br />
processes, incorporating<br />
input from a broad range of<br />
experts and organisations,<br />
which can develop and regularly<br />
update the appropriate<br />
safety standards, evaluation<br />
requirements, disclosure<br />
practices, and external validation<br />
mechanisms for AI<br />
systems subject to license<br />
or registration.<br />
Third, we are not alone in<br />
developing this technology.<br />
It will be important for policymakers<br />
to consider how<br />
to implement licensing regulations<br />
on a global scale and<br />
ensure international cooperation<br />
on AI safety, including<br />
examining potential intergovernmental<br />
oversight mechanisms<br />
and standard setting.<br />
While from the outside<br />
asking for complex licensing,<br />
constantly changing goalposts<br />
and expensive testing<br />
procedures might seem<br />
unlikely from the CEO of an<br />
AI company, it’s important to<br />
understand how these regulatory<br />
changes would benefit<br />
OpenAI, and conversely hurt<br />
other businesses.<br />
OpenAI is a large player in<br />
the AI space, made even larger<br />
by their recent acquisition by<br />
Microsoft. This gives them the<br />
size to weather the prohibitive<br />
cost of regulatory compliance.<br />
Regulation will create barriers<br />
to entry for new competitors<br />
and consolidate more of the<br />
AI problem space into exceptionally<br />
large companies. This<br />
would be extremely profitable<br />
for the players that have<br />
already established themselves<br />
in the space, such as OpenAI,<br />
Google and Microsoft.<br />
Regulation is unlikely to<br />
move at the pace of technical<br />
development in the AI space<br />
and if it did, it would be almost<br />
impossible to keep up with<br />
those changing regulations.<br />
The technology behind<br />
OpenAI is mostly not defensible<br />
IP, other companies<br />
with enough money to train<br />
a model could compete with<br />
OpenAI's product. There are<br />
currently a wide variety of<br />
open-source models that differ<br />
from ChatGPT mostly in<br />
the quantity of training rather<br />
than the sophistication of the<br />
model itself. It's likely that<br />
regulation could cull off many<br />
emerging competitors to OpenAI,<br />
giving OpenAI some<br />
breathing space to consolidate<br />
their position.<br />
A more altruistic regulatory<br />
suggestion came from Christina<br />
Montgomery of IBM,<br />
which was transparency on<br />
when AI is in use:<br />
Be Transparent, Don’t<br />
Hide Your AI – Americans<br />
deserve to know when they<br />
are interacting with an AI<br />
system, so Congress should<br />
formalise disclosure requirements<br />
for certain uses of<br />
AI. Consumers should know<br />
when they are interacting<br />
with an AI system and<br />
whether they have recourse<br />
to engage with a real person,<br />
should they so desire. No<br />
person, anywhere, should be<br />
tricked into interacting with<br />
an AI system. AI developers<br />
should also be required to<br />
disclose technical information<br />
about the development<br />
and performance of an AI<br />
model, as well as the data<br />
used to train it, to give society<br />
better visibility into how<br />
these models operate. At IBM,<br />
we have adopted the use of AI<br />
Factsheets – think of them as<br />
similar to AI nutrition information<br />
labels – to help clients<br />
and partners better understand<br />
the operation and performance<br />
of the AI models<br />
we create.<br />
This seems like a far more<br />
useful regulation, not only<br />
would it be inexpensive to<br />
implement and wouldn't lock<br />
out inexperienced players, but<br />
it would also provide users<br />
with informed choice.<br />
The regulation of AI technology<br />
will focus control into<br />
exceptionally large companies<br />
that can stifle innovation.<br />
AI is heavily based on<br />
data, and the total capabilities<br />
of any system are limited<br />
by the quantity and quality<br />
of training data. One of the<br />
fundamental ways of protecting<br />
people from the negative<br />
impacts of AI is to control<br />
the data that users give to<br />
such systems.<br />
As with many technologies,<br />
there are implications of sharing<br />
data. A better understanding<br />
about the personal costs of<br />
sharing data with AI will help<br />
us all make more informed<br />
decisions about who we share<br />
data with and what we let them<br />
do with it.<br />
Consumers should be looking<br />
for products that provide<br />
us strong guarantees of privacy<br />
and data security. Realistically<br />
we need to understand that this<br />
comes with an increased direct<br />
financial cost in exchange for<br />
our long-term digital security.<br />
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WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong> 13<br />
Land purchase paves<br />
way for Ngāruawāhia<br />
hub plans<br />
Revitalising the town centre of<br />
Ngāruawāhia and the development of<br />
a community hub are the main reasons<br />
behind <strong>Waikato</strong> District Council’s<br />
purchase of the old Waipā Tavern site.<br />
Waipā Tavern burnt<br />
down last year<br />
and following its<br />
demolition the former owner<br />
decided to sell the site on the<br />
corner of Jesmond Street and<br />
Great South Road.<br />
The former owner was<br />
pleased to be able to sell to<br />
council to enable the site to<br />
be redeveloped to support the<br />
rejuvenation of this area and<br />
looks forward to seeing the site<br />
become something the town<br />
can be very proud of.<br />
The acquisition means<br />
council has a block of 5225<br />
sqm incorporating two<br />
Council-owned properties,<br />
being the old tavern site and<br />
the existing Ngāruawāhia<br />
Library site.<br />
The library is housed<br />
in a small, ageing building<br />
and before now there<br />
was not room for expansion<br />
or redevelopment.<br />
With a project to deliver<br />
a new library, or community<br />
hub, provided for in council’s<br />
Long-Term Plan, the purchase<br />
of the site was a strategic<br />
opportunity too good to turn<br />
down.<br />
Public engagement for the<br />
Ngāruawāhia Structure Plan<br />
process also confirmed that<br />
the community consensus is<br />
to keep the library along Jesmond<br />
Street.<br />
Libraries are moving from<br />
being stand-alone buildings to<br />
being the anchor for community<br />
hubs.<br />
A parcel of land such as the<br />
old Waipā Tavern site provides<br />
an opportunity to provide<br />
welcoming spaces for learning,<br />
creativity, engagement<br />
and connection.<br />
Council also has a role<br />
in facilitating growth and<br />
development for the social<br />
and economic wellbeing of<br />
its communities.<br />
The purchase of this key<br />
site in Ngāruawāhia is anticipated<br />
to help create business<br />
confidence and enhance a<br />
prominent corner of the CBD.<br />
As well as being used for<br />
a new library and community<br />
hub, there is an opportunity to<br />
develop the balance of the site,<br />
enabling rejuvenation of the<br />
main street for the benefit of<br />
the Ngāruawāhia community.<br />
Further work will need to<br />
be done to clarify appropriate<br />
positioning of the library and<br />
community hub along with<br />
preferred land uses for the balance<br />
of the site.<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong> District Mayor<br />
Jacqui Church says this is an<br />
exciting piece of news for the<br />
people of Ngāruawāhia and<br />
the future of the town centre.<br />
“With considered site planning,<br />
this purchase presents a<br />
real opportunity for council to<br />
be a conduit to the revitalisation<br />
of the Ngāruawāhia Town<br />
Centre, while also delivering<br />
on Long Term Plan commitments<br />
to provide the community<br />
with a new library and<br />
community hub,” Church says.<br />
“It totally ties in with our<br />
vision of liveable, thriving,<br />
connected communities.”<br />
A project team will now be<br />
established to progress concept<br />
planning for the site, to be<br />
delivered as part of the Long-<br />
Term Plan.<br />
Council staff will also<br />
engage with mana whenua and<br />
the wider community as part<br />
of the development of a strategy<br />
for the site going forward.<br />
Dear Skilled Prime Migrant Minister Category<br />
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since developed<br />
or remuneration<br />
into one<br />
- above<br />
One<br />
roles<br />
area<br />
these<br />
which<br />
workers<br />
would<br />
cannot<br />
help<br />
qualify<br />
is for the<br />
for<br />
and<br />
of significant<br />
points for up<br />
strategic<br />
to 3 years<br />
importance<br />
of New Zealand<br />
which<br />
SMC<br />
Government<br />
residence.<br />
to engage in more robust<br />
skilled<br />
influences<br />
work<br />
many<br />
experience.<br />
aspects<br />
Applicants<br />
of New Zealand<br />
must<br />
and<br />
The<br />
well-planned<br />
existing SMC<br />
policy<br />
(180 point)<br />
settings,<br />
policy<br />
and<br />
will<br />
to<br />
have<br />
society,<br />
(or<br />
workforce<br />
have an offer<br />
and the<br />
of)<br />
economy.<br />
skilled employment<br />
Immigration<br />
remain<br />
pressure-test<br />
in place<br />
such<br />
until<br />
settings<br />
the final Expression<br />
before these<br />
of<br />
with<br />
is now<br />
an<br />
a<br />
Immigration<br />
key Government<br />
NZ accredited<br />
portfolio.<br />
Interest<br />
are implemented.<br />
selection draw<br />
It is acknowledged<br />
on 16 August,<br />
that<br />
and<br />
employer,<br />
Looking<br />
be<br />
at<br />
aged<br />
the<br />
55<br />
big<br />
years<br />
picture.<br />
or younger, meet applicants<br />
policies have<br />
should<br />
been<br />
urgently<br />
necessarily<br />
assess<br />
“reactive”<br />
their eligibility<br />
the<br />
New<br />
required<br />
Zealand<br />
English<br />
should<br />
standard,<br />
not rest<br />
and<br />
on<br />
be<br />
its<br />
of<br />
over the<br />
under<br />
past 3<br />
this<br />
years<br />
category<br />
but there<br />
before<br />
have<br />
it<br />
been<br />
closes.<br />
too<br />
good<br />
laurels<br />
health<br />
and expect<br />
and character.<br />
that it continues<br />
The assessment<br />
to be one many<br />
Other<br />
instances<br />
residence<br />
of<br />
pathways<br />
back-tracking<br />
remain<br />
of newly<br />
available<br />
of<br />
of the<br />
whether<br />
most desired<br />
the employment<br />
migrant destinations,<br />
is skilled<br />
as<br />
is<br />
introduced<br />
if the role<br />
policies<br />
is on the<br />
when<br />
Green<br />
better<br />
List Straight-to<br />
planning<br />
based<br />
it is not,<br />
on<br />
and<br />
the payrate<br />
we are trending<br />
(which must<br />
backwards.<br />
be at least<br />
In<br />
Residence<br />
and consultation<br />
or Work-to-Residence<br />
would “get-it-right-firsttime”.<br />
lists, or<br />
the<br />
fact,<br />
median<br />
we will<br />
pay<br />
be doing<br />
– currently<br />
well just<br />
$29.66ph),<br />
to hold onto<br />
the under the<br />
The<br />
Care<br />
new<br />
Workforce<br />
Active Investor<br />
and Transport<br />
Policy<br />
job<br />
the new<br />
tasks,<br />
migrants<br />
and whether<br />
that we<br />
an<br />
do<br />
applicant<br />
initially<br />
is<br />
attract<br />
suitably<br />
Sector<br />
should<br />
pathways<br />
be first on<br />
to<br />
the<br />
residence.<br />
chopping block!<br />
to this<br />
qualified<br />
country.<br />
to work in the role.<br />
In<br />
We<br />
another<br />
also need<br />
change<br />
forward<br />
the Government<br />
looking policies<br />
has<br />
Some<br />
We are<br />
examples<br />
an aging<br />
of<br />
population<br />
how a person<br />
and,<br />
can<br />
by<br />
announced<br />
which are fit-for-purpose<br />
that the Accredited<br />
in today’s<br />
Employer<br />
world.<br />
achieve<br />
2028, 1<br />
the<br />
in every<br />
6 points<br />
5 people<br />
to be<br />
will<br />
eligible<br />
be 65+<br />
for<br />
years.<br />
SMC Work<br />
Policies<br />
Visa<br />
which<br />
term,<br />
focus<br />
currently<br />
on enabling<br />
3 years,<br />
the<br />
will<br />
most<br />
be<br />
residence:<br />
Our birth rate of 1.6 children is well below<br />
extended<br />
desirable<br />
to<br />
migrants<br />
5 years from<br />
the<br />
November.<br />
opportunity<br />
This<br />
to<br />
•<br />
the<br />
Architect<br />
replacement<br />
– vocational<br />
rate of<br />
registration<br />
2.1. Our rural<br />
= 6 will<br />
experience<br />
be welcome<br />
New Zealand<br />
news to<br />
and,<br />
many<br />
if they<br />
employers<br />
choose<br />
townships<br />
points<br />
are losing infrastructure and<br />
who<br />
to stay,<br />
will<br />
then<br />
now<br />
great.<br />
be able<br />
We<br />
to<br />
should<br />
plan<br />
not<br />
ahead<br />
demand<br />
with<br />
•<br />
services,<br />
Electrician<br />
and while<br />
– vocation<br />
our schools<br />
registration<br />
need more<br />
(3 more<br />
that these<br />
certainty.<br />
people<br />
However,<br />
commit indefinitely<br />
the situation<br />
to<br />
teachers<br />
points)<br />
now,<br />
+ 3 years<br />
in a few<br />
of NZ<br />
years’<br />
work<br />
time<br />
experience<br />
school<br />
remains<br />
stay.<br />
that if the worker is not eligible for<br />
rolls<br />
(3<br />
will<br />
points)<br />
be<br />
=<br />
declining<br />
6 points<br />
and these teachers<br />
residence<br />
The Productivity<br />
during this time,<br />
Commission<br />
they must<br />
report<br />
leave<br />
•<br />
will<br />
Lecturer<br />
need to<br />
–<br />
find<br />
master<br />
other<br />
degree<br />
jobs or<br />
(5<br />
go<br />
points)<br />
overseas.<br />
+ 1 New<br />
into<br />
Zealand<br />
immigration<br />
for at least<br />
recommended<br />
1 year before being<br />
a<br />
Family<br />
year of<br />
and<br />
NZ work<br />
lifestyle<br />
experience<br />
have always<br />
(1 point)<br />
been<br />
= 6 eligible<br />
Government<br />
to apply<br />
Policy<br />
for another<br />
Statement<br />
AEWV.<br />
to set<br />
Existing<br />
a clear<br />
the<br />
points<br />
main reasons migrants choose New<br />
AEWV<br />
strategic<br />
holders<br />
direction<br />
will<br />
for<br />
be able<br />
immigration<br />
to extend<br />
policy.<br />
their<br />
•<br />
Zealand.<br />
Marketing<br />
However,<br />
manager<br />
these alone<br />
– high<br />
may not<br />
salary<br />
be<br />
work<br />
This<br />
visas<br />
would<br />
to<br />
be<br />
a total<br />
a good<br />
duration<br />
start<br />
of<br />
and<br />
5 years.<br />
provide<br />
sufficient<br />
($88.98ph<br />
to attract<br />
= 3 x median<br />
and retain<br />
wage)<br />
the<br />
= 6<br />
people<br />
points<br />
some<br />
The<br />
overriding<br />
SMC changes<br />
guidance<br />
will<br />
(ideology!)<br />
achieve their<br />
to<br />
•<br />
and<br />
Crane<br />
skills<br />
operator<br />
our country<br />
– salary<br />
needs<br />
2 x median<br />
to maintain<br />
wage objective<br />
inform policy<br />
of simplifying<br />
settings with<br />
this<br />
a<br />
residence<br />
focus on<br />
pathway.<br />
what<br />
our<br />
($59.32ph)<br />
living standards,<br />
(4 points)<br />
let alone<br />
+ 2 years<br />
to grow.<br />
of<br />
We<br />
NZ<br />
immigration<br />
However,<br />
can<br />
the<br />
deliver<br />
reality is<br />
for<br />
that<br />
the<br />
for<br />
good<br />
many<br />
of<br />
need<br />
work<br />
younger<br />
experience<br />
people<br />
(2 points)<br />
who can<br />
= 6<br />
contribute<br />
points migrant<br />
New Zealand<br />
workers,<br />
in the<br />
and<br />
longer<br />
many<br />
term.<br />
in skill shortage<br />
•<br />
more,<br />
HR<br />
and<br />
coordinator<br />
for longer,<br />
–<br />
to<br />
salary<br />
New Zealand.<br />
1.5x median<br />
What<br />
roles, the<br />
about<br />
fact that<br />
a<br />
they<br />
work-from-homein-NZ<br />
no longer have a<br />
wage<br />
New Zealand<br />
($44.49ph)<br />
must<br />
(3<br />
attract<br />
points)<br />
the<br />
+ 3<br />
migrants<br />
years of viable path<br />
visa?<br />
to residence<br />
People could<br />
must influence<br />
live in New<br />
their<br />
it wants,<br />
NZ work<br />
and<br />
experience<br />
needs,<br />
(3<br />
in<br />
points)<br />
an increasingly<br />
= 6 points initial<br />
Zealand<br />
decision<br />
and<br />
to<br />
work<br />
come to<br />
anywhere<br />
NZ, and also<br />
in<br />
what<br />
the<br />
It<br />
competitive<br />
is envisaged<br />
and<br />
the majority<br />
dynamic<br />
of applicants<br />
international<br />
will job<br />
world,<br />
roles they<br />
now<br />
focus<br />
that<br />
on.<br />
would<br />
As always<br />
really<br />
with immigration<br />
put<br />
need<br />
market,<br />
at least<br />
and<br />
some<br />
one where<br />
NZ work<br />
people<br />
experience<br />
can now<br />
to<br />
New Zealand<br />
changes<br />
on<br />
there<br />
the<br />
will<br />
map!<br />
always<br />
Yes<br />
be<br />
-<br />
winners<br />
Prime<br />
achieve<br />
work-from-home<br />
the 6 point<br />
anywhere<br />
threshold.<br />
in the world. We<br />
&<br />
Minister!<br />
losers (ask any Minister of Immigration!)<br />
no longer enjoy the competitive advantages<br />
Level 2<br />
586 Victoria Street<br />
Hamilton 3204<br />
Level 3<br />
50 Manners Street<br />
Wellington 6011<br />
07 834 9222<br />
enquiries@pathwaysnz.com<br />
Level 2<br />
586 Victoria Street<br />
Hamilton 3204<br />
pathwaysnz.com<br />
Level 3<br />
50 Manners Street<br />
Wellington 6011
14 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong><br />
Just how much of the construction process<br />
can be (more) automated?<br />
There’s a clever advertisement that has seen a lot of<br />
coverage in various media recently, which first amused,<br />
then intrigued me. The headline is “Hey Chat GPT, finish<br />
this building...” It’s an ad for Belgian job agency, Impact,<br />
and features a multistorey building, wrapped in scaffold and<br />
plastic, with the tagline “your skills are irreplaceable”. But<br />
are they really?<br />
LANDMARKS<br />
Given how expensive<br />
and (relatively) inefficient<br />
our construction<br />
process is here in NZ,<br />
at the very least there are<br />
significant productivity gains<br />
to be made from the use of<br />
more automation and offsite<br />
manufacturing.<br />
Self-driving vehicles are<br />
still some way from mainstream,<br />
but it’s hardly a stretch<br />
to imagine that we could in the<br />
future have self-driving trucks<br />
to transport materials to construction<br />
sites. And as mechanisation<br />
and robotics improve,<br />
no doubt fewer actual humans<br />
will be required to operate factories<br />
or control the loading of<br />
those self-driving trucks.<br />
Likewise, we already have<br />
robot vacuum and window<br />
cleaners, so why not robot<br />
plasterers and painters in<br />
the near future? And as offsite<br />
manufacturing develops<br />
and modular components get<br />
more complex, the amount of<br />
plumbing and electrical work<br />
required on site might also be<br />
reduced.<br />
Avoiding further conjecture<br />
though, there are a number<br />
of technologies and initiatives<br />
already underway to lift<br />
productivity in construction.<br />
MBIE has recently launched<br />
BuiltReady, a streamlined<br />
consenting pathway for standardised<br />
modular components.<br />
As architects and<br />
builders get more familiar<br />
with this there will be substantial<br />
efficiencies to be gained.<br />
There are a number of NZ<br />
companies producing innovative<br />
timber products for use<br />
in construction. Cross Laminated<br />
Timber, or CLT, is a<br />
form of mass timber panel<br />
that can be cut to order in<br />
factory, meaning that walls,<br />
floors and components like<br />
staircases are delivered to site<br />
ready for install.<br />
Likewise Structurally Insulated<br />
Panels, or SIPs, are panels<br />
that can be used in place<br />
of traditional timber framing<br />
in walls and roofs. They<br />
can be assembled as individual<br />
panels on site or pre-assembled<br />
into larger sections<br />
in the factory and pre-cut to<br />
shape, including openings<br />
like windows.<br />
Local companies Qorox<br />
and Iconic Construction have<br />
BY PHIL MACKAY<br />
Phil Mackay is <strong>Business</strong><br />
Devolpment Manger at<br />
Hamilton-based PAUA,<br />
Procuta Associates Urban +<br />
Architecture<br />
partnered to pioneer 3D concrete<br />
printing in New Zealand<br />
and have recently completed<br />
the first 3D printed commercial<br />
building in the southern<br />
hemisphere, a childcare centre<br />
right here in Hamilton.<br />
These are just a few examples,<br />
and most are currently<br />
being used individually, but<br />
as architects and building<br />
companies develop ways of<br />
combining technologies into<br />
comprehensive systems, the<br />
efficiencies will compound.<br />
This is not something to be<br />
afraid of. While automation<br />
and technology may replace<br />
some jobs, others will be created.<br />
We’ve had a chronic<br />
shortage of staff in many<br />
industries the past few years,<br />
so an increase in productivity<br />
is necessary simply to keep up<br />
with demand and the reality of<br />
an aging population.<br />
Getting to know the <strong>2023</strong> Fieldays<br />
Innovation Awards masterminds<br />
Invention reigned supreme<br />
at the <strong>2023</strong> Fieldays Innovation<br />
Awards with two<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong> entrants taking top<br />
honours<br />
Based in Horotiu, <strong>Waikato</strong><br />
Milking Systems were the winners<br />
of the Prototype Award for<br />
ErgoPOD - a product hoping<br />
to revolutionise efficiency and<br />
safety in the milking shed.<br />
Project specialist at <strong>Waikato</strong><br />
Milking Systems Tom Morris<br />
and his team worked on<br />
research and development for<br />
four years to advance this project<br />
through to the prototype<br />
stage, and plan to complete<br />
the final stages of development<br />
over the next 18 months to get it<br />
market-ready.<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong> Milking Systems<br />
executive chairman Jamie Mikkelson<br />
says the ErgoPOD journey<br />
began with a crazy idea<br />
to become the most admired<br />
company globally for milking<br />
efficiency. “If a single operator<br />
could milk a thousand cows<br />
in an hour, it would be a game<br />
changer, and we believe we are<br />
on our way to achieve that with<br />
this machine.”<br />
The team decided to enter<br />
the Fieldays Innovation Awards<br />
because they saw it as an opportunity<br />
to introduce their innovative<br />
product to the dairy market<br />
as upcoming, which it has now<br />
successfully achieved.<br />
“Winning this award has<br />
St Paul’s students Mackenzie Lenton and Lucy O'Meeghan<br />
been a massive pat on the back<br />
for the team, who deserve the<br />
accolade after having worked<br />
hard over the past few years to<br />
deliver a fresh take on a milking<br />
system that tackles the current<br />
limitations of traditional and<br />
robotic ones,” Jamie says.<br />
“We plan to return to the<br />
2024 Fieldays Innovation<br />
Awards in the Early-Stage<br />
category with a further<br />
developed product.”<br />
Staff on-farm where the<br />
ErgoPOD is being trialled provided<br />
feedback that cupping<br />
has become a much easier task<br />
once they were used to using the<br />
new technology. They have also<br />
noticed that the milk out across<br />
all four quarters has become<br />
more consistent - which may<br />
be down to the cup weight and<br />
freedom that each 1/4 has with<br />
no claw bowl.<br />
Jamie says Riley, a milker<br />
on the trial farm, has been challenging<br />
himself to see how fast<br />
and accurately he can handle<br />
the system and has been achieving<br />
3 1/2 seconds or less for cupping<br />
all four quarters.<br />
St Paul’s Collegiate School<br />
students won Young Innovator<br />
of the Year Award for their<br />
Capra Skin Goats Milk lip balm.<br />
The Year 13 group - Lucy O’Meeghan,<br />
Emma Lobb, Mackenzie<br />
Lenton and Lochie Mouat - take<br />
Agribusiness as a subject.<br />
They identified a need and<br />
formulated steps and iterations<br />
to develop a final product that<br />
could make a real difference to<br />
its target market. Their brand<br />
name Capra Skin draws inspiration<br />
from the Latin word for<br />
goat. "We want our customers<br />
to feel exceptional when<br />
using our product. We envision<br />
our product's story expanding<br />
beyond just lip balm and<br />
encompassing other skincare<br />
items in the future."<br />
St. Paul's Collegiate Agribusiness<br />
teacher Chris Foot<br />
couldn't be happier with the<br />
performance of the three<br />
groups of students who pitched<br />
their ideas at the Fieldays<br />
Innovation Hub.<br />
“They did well and put up<br />
convincing arguments under<br />
very difficult and nerve-wracking<br />
conditions. Their ideas<br />
were innovative, original, and<br />
clever; we are extremely proud<br />
of them.”<br />
The judges were equally<br />
impressed, praising the exceptional<br />
quality of the presentations<br />
and highlighting the professionalism<br />
demonstrated by<br />
the young participants.<br />
Innovation has always been<br />
at the forefront of Fieldays,<br />
since its onset in 1968, with<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong> Milking Systems team Tom Morris,<br />
Grant Wisnewski and Dave Cassells<br />
the New Zealand National Fieldays<br />
Society’s ongoing ambition<br />
being to advance agriculture in<br />
New Zealand by supporting and<br />
facilitating leadership in technology,<br />
innovation, education,<br />
and globalisation.<br />
The Fieldays Innovation<br />
Awards, starting that same<br />
year, was the first competition<br />
of its kind in NZ, and is now<br />
well-known as the platform for<br />
turning ideas of all shapes and<br />
sizes into marketable products<br />
to benefit the primary industry.<br />
The awards offer three distinct<br />
categories: Prototype, Early-Stage,<br />
and Growth & Scale,<br />
encompassing the entire innovation<br />
lifecycle. This opens the<br />
possibility of inventors entering<br />
different categories each year<br />
to showcase any recent progress<br />
or advancements made in<br />
the project. Despite the 2022<br />
awards being held just six<br />
months ago, entrants were keen<br />
to showcase their progress and<br />
fresh thinking.<br />
The Fieldays Innovation<br />
Awards is supported by Fieldays<br />
Partners; One NZ and the<br />
Ministry for Primary Industries,<br />
and Sponsors; Amazon<br />
Web Services, Sprout Agritech,<br />
and NZME, and Advocates;<br />
Gait International, King St.<br />
Advertising, Blender Design,<br />
and Soda Inc., who all contribute<br />
to a prize package valued<br />
at over $60,000 worth of cash,<br />
support and promotion - from<br />
expert advice, product design<br />
and development, and marketing<br />
and media support, all<br />
designed to help the winners<br />
grow and develop their product<br />
at an accelerated pace.<br />
Fieldays Innovation Awards<br />
entries for 2024 will open after<br />
a short period of review, and<br />
expressions of interest can<br />
already be made online at www.<br />
fieldays.co.nz/innovation
Union Square<br />
gains recognition<br />
with Commercial<br />
Architecture Award<br />
Rabobank Tower, the first building to be completed in<br />
Foster’s Union Square CBD development in Hamilton, was<br />
awarded a commercial architecture award by the New<br />
Zealand Institute of Architects earlier this month.<br />
Rhys Harvey, director of<br />
Fosters’ develop team,<br />
said the award endorses<br />
the construction company’s<br />
decision to design and build<br />
an architecturally stimulating<br />
commercial building. And<br />
their choice of Chow:Hill as<br />
the architects.<br />
“Honouring our commitment<br />
to ‘support local’, we purposefully<br />
chose Chow:Hill as<br />
the architects on this project.<br />
As Hamiltonians, we felt they<br />
would easily identify with what<br />
we wanted to accomplish.<br />
“When we started, we didn’t<br />
have a specific design in mind –<br />
we simply knew that the philosophy<br />
behind the precinct was<br />
for Hamilton business people<br />
to be able to ‘experience better’.<br />
“To attract quality brands,<br />
we wanted to create a highly<br />
efficient building with flexible<br />
floor plates, premium office<br />
spaces and easy access to amenities<br />
for the tenants.<br />
“We also knew that we<br />
wanted to stay away from the<br />
typical ‘glass box’ commercial<br />
building and to be able<br />
to differentiate the buildings,<br />
both within Union Square and<br />
within Hamilton’s CBD. The<br />
outcome was to be something<br />
we could be proud of for the<br />
next 50+ years.<br />
“In essence, the design had<br />
to be aspirational.”<br />
Chow:Hill took all this on<br />
board. The design for the Union<br />
Square precinct shows individual<br />
buildings with unique material<br />
palettes. Although common<br />
threads (like sustainability and<br />
efficiency) run through the<br />
buildings, the architecture of<br />
each one is different. Once<br />
complete, Union Square will<br />
feel like it’s part of the city but<br />
also have a community feel.<br />
With Rabobank Tower<br />
being the first completed building,<br />
it was important to Fosters<br />
that it had a sense of entry –<br />
that people would experience a<br />
relaxed, open and welcoming c<br />
orporate environment.<br />
The result, according to the<br />
NZIA judges is “a five-storey<br />
office building that boasts a<br />
construction-efficient and seismic<br />
steel frame, a prefabricated<br />
curtain wall façade and fluted<br />
concave precast concreate<br />
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong> WAIKATO BUSINESS 15 NEW<br />
panels that provide construction<br />
speed and durability.<br />
“The building’s lobby serves<br />
as an important pedestrian link<br />
to the future precinct and has a<br />
café and quality seating areas…<br />
Rabobank Tower is an example<br />
of a collaborative process and a<br />
precursor to the reset of Hamilton’s<br />
CBD.”<br />
With an award for commercial<br />
architecture and the building<br />
occupied by three significant<br />
brands – Rabobank, AA<br />
Insurance and Craigs Investment<br />
Partners – Fosters vision<br />
for Union Square (and its role<br />
in resetting the south-end<br />
of the CBD) is moving in the<br />
right direction.<br />
“This award celebrates a fitting<br />
partnership between Fosters<br />
and Chow:Hill in delivering<br />
an aspirational design and an<br />
important commercial centre<br />
for Hamilton’s CBD” said Rhys.<br />
“The future of this precinct is<br />
exciting, and we can’t wait to<br />
deliver more.”<br />
Building E, ‘The <strong>Business</strong><br />
Centre’ of the Union Square<br />
precinct, is on track for completion<br />
later this year.<br />
In Memory of<br />
Mavora Hamilton<br />
Mavora passed away<br />
on <strong>June</strong> 17, and the<br />
Chamber owes her<br />
a debt of gratitude for the<br />
groundbreaking work she<br />
led as Chief Executive after<br />
taking over from May Woodcock<br />
in 1993. Her appointment<br />
alongside the election of Gail<br />
Jones as first woman President<br />
of the <strong>Waikato</strong> Chamber<br />
of Commerce in 1992, and the<br />
earlier election of Margaret<br />
Evans who reigned as Mayor<br />
from 1989 to 1998, heralded<br />
the arrival of women as business<br />
leaders in the <strong>Waikato</strong>.<br />
They certainly shook up the<br />
place with initiatives that have<br />
stood the test of time. With<br />
ex-President Don Lindale they<br />
created the <strong>Waikato</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
Awards. Not daunted by a<br />
Gail Jones & Mavora Hamilton<br />
lack of funds, Mavora and Gail<br />
approached the bank for a<br />
sponsorship of the then huge<br />
amount of $20,000, and got<br />
it. Mavora led the creation<br />
of the first <strong>Waikato</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
Awards which were held in the<br />
Hamilton Operatic Theatre,<br />
and it is still a spectacular<br />
event today.<br />
Balloons over <strong>Waikato</strong><br />
was another of those that she<br />
championed and saw it grow<br />
to become the iconic event we<br />
currently enjoy.<br />
One of her passions was<br />
the promotion of closer ties<br />
between the University, the<br />
Polytechnic and the <strong>Waikato</strong><br />
business community. Working<br />
with then Dean of the <strong>Waikato</strong><br />
Management School Professor<br />
Pratt, Mavora sought to<br />
By Don Good, CEO of <strong>Waikato</strong><br />
Chamber of Commerce.<br />
match graduates with jobs in<br />
the region. Many of today’s<br />
business leaders had their first<br />
real jobs as a consequence of<br />
the programmes she organised.<br />
Working alongside Mayor<br />
Margaret Evans, Mavora<br />
promoted the <strong>Waikato</strong> and<br />
Hamilton vociferously. From<br />
Sister Cities initiatives for<br />
Hamilton to chairing the<br />
early forms of Economic<br />
Development Agencies for<br />
the city, you usually found<br />
Mavora’s energy and direction<br />
behind attracting business and<br />
prosperity to the <strong>Waikato</strong>.<br />
Innovative, energetic<br />
and very persuasive, Mavora<br />
Hamilton left an indelible mark<br />
on the city and her region.<br />
The <strong>Waikato</strong> Chamber<br />
owes a debt to her and her<br />
unique foresight to create<br />
events and entities that not<br />
only stand the test of time but<br />
have contributed greatly to the<br />
prosperity of our region.<br />
RIP.<br />
WHAT’S<br />
ON<br />
AT THE CHAMBER<br />
LUNCH & LEARN: Health and<br />
Safety Obligations<br />
Thurs 20 <strong>July</strong>, 12:30 – 1:30pm.<br />
Events Room 2, Wintec.<br />
WESTPAC SMARTS: Retail<br />
Crime Focus Wed 26 <strong>July</strong>, 6:30 –<br />
8:00pm. Long Room, Wintec CBD.<br />
GROW WAIKATO: Building and Construction<br />
Mon 31 <strong>July</strong>, 5:00 – 6:00pm. The Atrium, Wintec CBD.<br />
NEW MEMBER EVENING: sponsored by Johnston Associates<br />
Chartered Accountants<br />
Thurs 10 Aug, 5:30 – 7:00pm. Good George Dining Hall.<br />
LUNCH & LEARN: Property Tax Traps<br />
Thurs 24 Aug, 12:30 – 1:30pm. Events Room 2, Wintec.<br />
TO REGISTER: www.waikatochamber.co.nz/events<br />
FOR MORE INFO: 07 839 5895 or info@waikatochamber.co.nz<br />
Connect - Grow - Inspire - Represent
Great lives start<br />
at Southwell<br />
A World-Class education in the Heart of the <strong>Waikato</strong>, Hamilton City,<br />
inspiring and nurturing Year 1 to Year 8 boys and girls. Growing great<br />
people since 1911.<br />
That’s the aim of Southwell School, a day and boarding school nestled in 32<br />
acres of parklike grounds just 1.5km from the city centre. Southwell has a unique<br />
village feel with its magnificent 1920’s architecture emphasised throughout its<br />
campus.<br />
With 112 years of tradition to build on, the school puts the focus firmly on<br />
personalising its students’ learning, building relationships and developing<br />
character.<br />
“Southwell prides itself in offering an educational experience designed to<br />
inspire individual achievement, strong personal values and confidence in life”,<br />
Headmaster Jason Speedy says, Southwell is committed to small class sizes<br />
and continued enhancement of its programme and facilities.<br />
The campus is world class, including a recently opened modern Junior School<br />
featuring exceptional classroom spaces, with breakaway and multi-purpose<br />
areas and a purpose built Alumni Sports Pavilion where we can come together<br />
through sport. Currently under construction are a new purpose built Boarding<br />
House and a 25m Swimming Pool.<br />
Southwell Boarders are able to make the most of the magnificent campus and<br />
are drawn from the <strong>Waikato</strong> and beyond. “We have a group of around 40-50<br />
boarders from Year 5 to 8”, Jason says. The routines, structure and care aim to<br />
provide a home-like atmosphere where each student’s academic, social, physical<br />
and emotional wellbeing occur seamlessly, and their life skills are developed like<br />
no other environment.<br />
Whether it is in performing arts, sports or academic achievement, an extensive<br />
range of specialist teaching is offered. Specialist classes are taught by qualified,<br />
specialist teachers in well-resourced facilities.<br />
All learning is underpinned by the Southwell values:<br />
Integrity, Respect, Caring, Resilience, Creativity and Excellence.<br />
Be the Best You Can Be
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong> SOUTHWELL 17<br />
Southwell’s New Junior<br />
School and Library Extension<br />
The Southwell community welcomed<br />
the addition of a new junior school<br />
and library extension at a recent<br />
opening ceremony.<br />
Over 20 years in the<br />
making, the project has<br />
been much-discussed<br />
throughout this time.<br />
While the former junior<br />
school and library were great<br />
people spaces, the two new<br />
spaces are world class spaces<br />
CONTINUED - PAGE 18
18 SOUTHWELL<br />
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong><br />
Southwell’s New Junior<br />
School and Library Extension<br />
FROM - PAGE 17<br />
created for students to thrive in<br />
for many years to come.<br />
Opened by old boy Glenn<br />
Holmes, who attended Southwell<br />
from 1964 to 1967. Holmes<br />
was head boy in his final year<br />
and has served Southwell as a<br />
trust board member, foundation<br />
chair, is an Associate of<br />
Honour and is the current Warden<br />
of the Fellows, and a proud<br />
former parent and now grandfather<br />
of a Year 3 student.<br />
Southwell couldn’t have<br />
achieved these stunning new<br />
spaces without the help and<br />
generosity of the many supporters<br />
of the school.<br />
The trust board provided<br />
unwavering leadership and<br />
much-needed foresight. Matt<br />
Stark and the team from Stark<br />
Property, whose expertise,<br />
guidance and generous giving<br />
nature proved invaluable.<br />
Edwards White Architects’<br />
design expertise provided the<br />
vision behind these spaces.<br />
Steve Ross, SJR Builders and<br />
his team of builders and contractors<br />
delivered outstanding<br />
work and relationships on a<br />
daily basis. The Year 1 teaching<br />
team’s specific student and<br />
staffing input helped create the<br />
internal and external features.<br />
David Wharton from Active<br />
Vision, whose generosity and<br />
tech excellence was vital to the<br />
project.<br />
Playground Solutions’<br />
Maree Clark was the visionary<br />
who oversaw the moving,<br />
development and creation of<br />
the playground and turf space.<br />
The Southwell workshop team,<br />
whose work ethic, collaboration<br />
with tradies and for getting<br />
stuff done, enabled the<br />
project’s smooth-running from<br />
the start to finish. Haydn Stoevelaar’s<br />
expertise in IT, enabled<br />
the development of high-tech<br />
systems both below ground<br />
and above.<br />
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WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong> SOUTHWELL 19<br />
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20 SOUTHWELL<br />
Southwell’s<br />
New Alumni<br />
Sports Pavilion<br />
In <strong>June</strong>, the ribbon was cut to mark<br />
the opening of Southwell’s new Alumni<br />
Sports Pavilion.<br />
Opened by Geoff and<br />
Linda Maber, together<br />
with Brett and Jo<br />
Maber and family, the pavilion<br />
will be a great place to gather<br />
people, build relationships<br />
and will be used for many<br />
occasions - from athletics day<br />
and sporting fixtures to team<br />
The Southwell<br />
community thanks<br />
everyone involved in<br />
creating a building<br />
that will be well-used<br />
and much-loved for<br />
years to come.<br />
building moments.<br />
The genesis of the building<br />
began a couple of years ago,<br />
when Old Boy and current<br />
parent/president of Southwell<br />
Alumni Group Brett<br />
Maber initiated a conversation<br />
about creating a new sports<br />
pavilion. From that conversation<br />
and with the support<br />
of the trust board<br />
and the generous act<br />
of philanthropy from<br />
the Maber family, the<br />
Southwell community<br />
have a stunning new<br />
pavilion. Designed in<br />
classic Southwell architectural<br />
style, the pavilion<br />
looks out onto the<br />
main fields with the<br />
400-year-old kahikatea<br />
bush as its backdrop.<br />
The expansive decking,<br />
much like the former sports<br />
shed, will be a great gathering<br />
space to instruct physical education<br />
classes and sport teams.<br />
This world class space was<br />
created with the support and<br />
guidance of fellow, old boy<br />
and past parent Mark De Lisle<br />
and his team from Peddlethorpe<br />
Architects, who created<br />
the vision with their design<br />
work. Bringing the building<br />
to reality was Steve Ross from<br />
SJR Builders and his team of<br />
builders. Old boy, past parent<br />
Grant Clegg and the team from<br />
Colourform Joinery, with input<br />
from Jo Maber, designed a<br />
state-of-the-art kitchen space.<br />
John Heathcote, another old<br />
boy and past parent, generously<br />
donated the appliances.<br />
There are many more hands<br />
and minds involved in creating<br />
this exceptional pavilion. The<br />
Southwell community thanks<br />
everyone involved in creating<br />
a building that will be wellused<br />
and much-loved for years<br />
to come.<br />
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WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong> 21<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong> jumps ahead in global rankings,<br />
claiming research top spot in New Zealand<br />
UNIVERSITY RANKINGS University of <strong>Waikato</strong> Vice-Chancellor, Professor Neil Quigley<br />
The University of <strong>Waikato</strong> is ranked in<br />
the top 250 universities in the world<br />
in the latest 2024 QS World University<br />
Rankings, the largest increase of any<br />
university in New Zealand.<br />
The rankings, released<br />
recently, also place the<br />
university at number one<br />
in New Zealand for research, the<br />
second year in a row the university<br />
has achieved this placing.<br />
University of <strong>Waikato</strong><br />
Vice-Chancellor Professor Neil<br />
Quigley says the significant<br />
increase of 81 places in the<br />
world rankings, and the number<br />
one place for research impact in<br />
New Zealand, reflects the intensity,<br />
impact, and influence of<br />
the university’s academic staff.<br />
The strong return of<br />
international students<br />
post-pandemic places<br />
us in a good position<br />
for success against the<br />
relevant indicator in<br />
the future<br />
“These are impressive<br />
results for one of New Zealand’s<br />
youngest and smallest<br />
universities. Our research is<br />
making a difference globally,<br />
and to have this recognised<br />
on the world’s stage is a<br />
significant achievement.”<br />
For the first time, sustainability<br />
and employment outcomes<br />
were measured in the<br />
2024 rankings. Out of 1,503<br />
institutions globally, the University<br />
of <strong>Waikato</strong> ranked 152<br />
for sustainability and 162 for<br />
employment outcomes.<br />
The sustainability result<br />
builds on the university’s<br />
top 100 global placing<br />
in the Times Higher<br />
Education Impact<br />
Rankings earlier this<br />
month. The rankings<br />
measure participating<br />
institutions globally and<br />
their commitment to<br />
driving and delivering<br />
lasting change across<br />
the United Nations’<br />
17 Sustainable Development<br />
Goals (SDGs).<br />
“We have brought a strong<br />
focus to both these areas as a<br />
university over the past two<br />
years, including the launch of<br />
our Sustainability Plan 2022-<br />
26. These results reflect our<br />
hard work towards delivering<br />
on the United Nations 17 Sustainable<br />
Development Goals,”<br />
Professor Quigley says.<br />
The university’s international<br />
metrics were also strong,<br />
reflecting the global diversity<br />
of the university’s staff,<br />
student body.<br />
“The strong return of international<br />
students post-pandemic<br />
places us in a good position<br />
for success against the<br />
relevant indicator in the future,”<br />
Professor Quigley says.<br />
Professor Quigley adds, the<br />
new results are not only good<br />
news for the university’s staff<br />
and students but for the growing<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong> and Bay of Plenty<br />
regions too.<br />
“This recognition shows prospective<br />
students from here and<br />
overseas that when they study<br />
and undertake research at the<br />
University of <strong>Waikato</strong>, they<br />
are supported by some of the<br />
most respected academics in<br />
the world.”<br />
Motorsport duo takes<br />
the wheel of iconic rally<br />
driving business<br />
Rally Drive NZ, the iconic driving school<br />
and rally experience, has new owners.<br />
Rallying enthusiasts<br />
Sam and Emma Miller<br />
recently took the wheel<br />
of the 23-year-old business<br />
based in Maramarua Forest.<br />
Founded in 2000 by Hamilton<br />
businesspeople Dale and<br />
Maureen Perry, Rally Drive<br />
NZ provides the opportunity<br />
for people to experience the<br />
thrills of rallying in a hands-on<br />
and safe environment. It<br />
also offers Tuition and Rally<br />
Car Leasing.<br />
THE PURCHASE OF RALLY<br />
DRIVE NZ, INCLUDES:<br />
The Rally School, which<br />
includes driver training,<br />
private training, hot seat<br />
thrill rides, corporate<br />
functions, rally experience<br />
course and rally schooling.<br />
“Both of our fathers, Noel<br />
Miller and Ray Wilson, have<br />
been rallying since the mid-<br />
70s, and so Emma and I grew<br />
up around the sport. We have<br />
always wanted to do something<br />
like this – something that puts<br />
our history and experiences<br />
into practice,” Sam says,<br />
“Since it began, Rally Drive<br />
NZ has provided amazing<br />
experiences for people from<br />
all walks of life. Everyone that<br />
partakes in the experience<br />
always leaves<br />
with massive<br />
grins on their<br />
faces, and that<br />
is so awesome<br />
to be a part of.<br />
We’re excited to<br />
build on Dale and<br />
Maureen’s legacy<br />
and bring the<br />
thrill of rallying<br />
to new audiences.<br />
We’re looking<br />
forward to doing<br />
this together.”<br />
A Motorsport NZ A-Class<br />
scrutineer, driving instructor<br />
and an engineer, Sam<br />
has been racing since he was<br />
12-years old, with numerous<br />
class wins in hill climbs and<br />
rally sprints to his name, Sam<br />
has been actively involved in<br />
Rally Drive NZ as a tutor and<br />
is a member of the Pukekohe<br />
Car Club. Sam comes from a<br />
rallying family who’re all still<br />
involved in the sport today.<br />
His dad Noel also works as a<br />
tutor at Rally Drive NZ.<br />
Emma, a nutritionist<br />
and photographer, has been<br />
involved in motorsport since<br />
she was born. First as a supporter<br />
of Ray Wilson, former<br />
FIA “A” seeded driver. She’s<br />
dabbled in motorcarna club<br />
events and hill climbs over<br />
the years, and today, captures<br />
the thrill and action of<br />
motorsport on film – a passion<br />
that led to a degree in<br />
media arts.<br />
Dale Perry says he’s proud<br />
to hand the keys over to the<br />
pair.<br />
“A the old saying goes, ‘right<br />
Sam and Emma Miller<br />
time, right place, right people’.<br />
After 23 years of running Rally<br />
Drive NZ, it’s the right time for<br />
us to hand over the business.<br />
Sam and Emma already know<br />
Image - Geoff Ridder<br />
it well, and share our passion,<br />
so they are the right people.<br />
Maureen and I wish them all<br />
the best, and I know it will give<br />
them enormous satisfaction<br />
and reward, as it has for us.”<br />
www.rallydrivenz.co.nz<br />
hello.rallydrivenz@gmail.com<br />
Phone 021 116 8860
22 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong><br />
Celebrate your business success at the<br />
Hamilton CBD Awards<br />
The annual Hamilton CBD Awards recognises and celebrates<br />
the fabulous businesses based in Hamilton’s central city.<br />
Entries opened this<br />
month and the awards<br />
will continue using<br />
the Love the Centre branding<br />
offering both a public nomination<br />
and business nomination<br />
to enter.<br />
The successful inner-city<br />
campaign Love the Centre<br />
encourages the public to reconnect<br />
with the city centre and<br />
to show the business community<br />
some love using the tagline<br />
‘There is always something<br />
to do, see, eat, drink and love<br />
when you visit Hamilton’s<br />
city centre.’<br />
Hamilton Central <strong>Business</strong><br />
Association general manager<br />
Vanessa Williams says a successful<br />
city centre relies on<br />
having a space that is fit for<br />
purpose and can accommodate<br />
what people want to use it for –<br />
whether that’s business, shopping<br />
or events, and that should<br />
be celebrated.<br />
“We have been holding<br />
these awards since 2010 and<br />
we are committed to recognising<br />
the amazing positive<br />
impact CBD businesses have<br />
on making the central city a<br />
vibrant destination.”<br />
The process of entering<br />
an award, irrespective of the<br />
outcome, can provide a range<br />
of benefits to the entrant,<br />
Vanessa says.<br />
“It offers an opportunity to<br />
look over your achievements,<br />
compare them against your<br />
competitors and see what you<br />
are doing better than everyone<br />
else, or if you are not, to<br />
see what you could be doing to<br />
improve your business.”<br />
Vanessa says the awards<br />
also provides an opportunity<br />
for free marketing and an<br />
additional level of credibility<br />
for your business achieving<br />
an award.<br />
“If you place or win an<br />
award, you have just been<br />
gifted a great new aspect of<br />
your business to promote. It is a<br />
time to celebrate your business,<br />
your employees, your customers<br />
and yourself. Promote your<br />
achievements, proudly display<br />
2022 Shopping category winners Sweet Pea Parties<br />
your awards and remember to<br />
tell everyone.”<br />
Last year, Sweet Pea Parties<br />
topped the shopping category.<br />
A first-time entrant, Kirsty and<br />
Chris Parker’s business grew<br />
from an at-home business over<br />
10 years ago to the largest party<br />
supply store in New Zealand.<br />
The popular Boon Hamilton<br />
Street Art group won the 2022<br />
activity based category for their<br />
delightful festival that brightens<br />
up the CBD with spectacular<br />
murals created by emerging<br />
and established artists.<br />
Dining out winners last year<br />
were Riverbank Lane Vietnamese<br />
restaurant Bahn Mi Caphe<br />
and Cream Eatery for daytime<br />
eating and drinking.<br />
In September the awards<br />
will be judged via three avenues;<br />
a judging panel for the<br />
written submission, a mystery<br />
shopper for close customer<br />
contact businesses<br />
and an in-person interview<br />
with businesses unable to be<br />
mystery shopped.<br />
Categories include marketing<br />
and promotion, innovation,<br />
established business, new business,<br />
public good, eat and drink<br />
daytime, eat and drink bars/<br />
restaurants, shopping, activity,<br />
health & beauty, customer service<br />
and professional services.<br />
The winners will be<br />
announced at an extravaganza<br />
style awards evening held on<br />
1 November.<br />
TO ENTER, VISIT:<br />
LOVETHECENTRE.CO.NZ<br />
Fostering a sustainable tourism workforce<br />
The boom in post-Covid<br />
travel shows people’s<br />
love of exploring new<br />
places, dinners out, attending<br />
events and enjoying tourism<br />
experiences is as strong as ever.<br />
That’s positive for our economy,<br />
communities and businesses<br />
in our region, but it also<br />
poses a challenge for a tourism<br />
workforce that’s already under<br />
significant pressure.<br />
We regularly hear from<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong> tourism and hospitality<br />
businesses that are grappling<br />
with staffing shortages<br />
and finding it difficult to recruit<br />
and retain staff. Low unemployment<br />
and wage competition<br />
from other sectors mean<br />
tourism and hospitality can no<br />
longer rely solely on their reputation<br />
of being ‘fun’ industries<br />
to work in to attract staff.<br />
There are a number<br />
of high-profile initiatives<br />
underway nationally to help<br />
resolve tourism industry challenges,<br />
including the Government<br />
led Tourism Industry<br />
Transformation Plan.<br />
The first phase of that plan<br />
aims to create the foundations<br />
for a future-proofed workforce,<br />
and the Ministry of <strong>Business</strong>,<br />
Innovation & Employment has<br />
released a Better Work Action<br />
Plan to outline a way forward<br />
for the industry.<br />
The plan identifies four<br />
systemic challenges: ‘demand<br />
fluctuations’, ‘pay and conditions’,<br />
‘firm maturity and<br />
scale’, and ‘the current and<br />
future skills gap’. It champions<br />
the need for a new approach<br />
and identifies six Tirohanga<br />
Hou – new ways of viewing<br />
or thinking.<br />
These Tirohanga Hou<br />
include recognising quality<br />
employers and improving<br />
employment standards and<br />
practices, as well as efforts to<br />
create fit-for-purpose education<br />
and training. They also<br />
include a push for the industry<br />
to embrace and cater for<br />
seasonality, implement initiatives<br />
to improve cultural competency<br />
and ensure authentic<br />
storytelling, and lift technology<br />
uptake and innovation. Lastly,<br />
and importantly, the plan<br />
advocates for efforts to showcase<br />
the great pathways and<br />
people in tourism.<br />
Having a national action<br />
plan is helpful and Hamilton<br />
& <strong>Waikato</strong> Tourism is actively<br />
supporting it in our region.<br />
We know tourism is exciting<br />
and will always attract<br />
those who love people, but<br />
showcasing opportunities for<br />
career progression will be<br />
critical to keep people working<br />
in tourism for the long<br />
haul. Over and above guiding<br />
and front of house positions,<br />
there’s immense scope to move<br />
into roles such as accountants,<br />
drivers, marketers, chefs, HR<br />
managers, event organisers<br />
and data analysts, to name<br />
a few.<br />
In recent months we’ve<br />
stepped up our work with<br />
education providers to provide<br />
presentations for students<br />
studying tourism-related<br />
courses. We’re also supporting<br />
students with work experience<br />
placements with tourism operators<br />
around our region, as well<br />
as in the Hamilton & <strong>Waikato</strong><br />
Tourism office working alongside<br />
our team.<br />
Just recently we supported<br />
the national Go With Tourism<br />
by joining members of their<br />
team at the <strong>Waikato</strong> Careers<br />
Expo to educate teachers,<br />
parents and students about<br />
tourism as a career pathway.<br />
The key message here was<br />
that tourism offers a fulfilling<br />
life-long career, with a clear<br />
pathway to progression. And<br />
yes, it’s still a fun industry to<br />
work in.<br />
When it comes to<br />
employment standards and<br />
practises, advocacy is important.<br />
We have been seeking out<br />
and showcasing stories of operators<br />
who are exceptional in<br />
this area, and whose pay rates<br />
are more than competitive with<br />
those found in other industries.<br />
We’ve also got an active<br />
Ambassadorship programme<br />
in <strong>Waikato</strong> providing workshops<br />
for people who engage<br />
with international and domestic<br />
manuhiri to our region. This<br />
programme provides knowledge<br />
about local stories of<br />
TELLING<br />
WAIKATO’S STORY<br />
BY NICOLA GREENWELL<br />
Chief executive, Hamilton &<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong> Tourism<br />
people and place and assists<br />
with cultural competency and<br />
authentic storytelling. It also<br />
shares customer service tips<br />
and advice.<br />
These initiatives are critically<br />
important for the future of<br />
our industry, but they are just<br />
a start. We’re conscious there’s<br />
a need for support attracting<br />
people to the industry now, in<br />
the lead-up to the busy summer<br />
months, so we need immediate<br />
results as well as long<br />
term thinking.<br />
We look forward to engaging<br />
with industry, iwi and<br />
government to explore more<br />
opportunities to put the Better<br />
Work Action Plan into practise<br />
and to showcase why tourism<br />
continues to be one of the<br />
most vibrant, exciting and fulfilling<br />
career choices anyone<br />
can make.
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24 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong><br />
The <strong>Business</strong> of Art<br />
Jewellery<br />
designer<br />
balances<br />
art and<br />
business<br />
Like most artists in business,<br />
multi-disciplinary artist Teuila<br />
Fatupaito works hard at finding<br />
the balance between the creative<br />
process and doing the business<br />
side of things.<br />
First and foremost,<br />
she sees herself as a<br />
maker of things and<br />
her eponymous online jewellery<br />
business is a product<br />
of her dabbling in different<br />
artistic endeavours.<br />
“I like exploring different<br />
techniques and skill sets. I<br />
like to figure out how to make<br />
something and then I will do<br />
lots of research and tutuing in<br />
my studio,” she says.<br />
A night time class at Fraser<br />
High in jewellery making<br />
helped with the basics, You-<br />
Tube provides a never-ending<br />
source of tutorials and an initial<br />
financial outlay for some<br />
fundamental tools set Teuila<br />
on a career path of bespoke<br />
jewellery design.<br />
“I started putting my stuff<br />
online and people were interested<br />
in it, and I ended up<br />
buying a new tool each time I<br />
made some money.”<br />
Set up in a studio in her<br />
home, Teuila designs and<br />
makes jewellery that she<br />
describes as ‘a showpiece,<br />
an expression, an attitude,<br />
an extension of one's personality,<br />
as well as a unique<br />
talking point’.<br />
Teuila makes all her rings,<br />
bracelets and earrings by hand<br />
but her range of sunglasses<br />
and chains are made off shore<br />
to her designs.<br />
It was very<br />
hard going<br />
into business. I<br />
always call it a<br />
hustle because<br />
you're always on<br />
the grind<br />
Having a ready-made<br />
range of accessories like the<br />
sunglasses and chains has<br />
freed up Teuila to focus her<br />
energies on the items she<br />
makes herself.<br />
As well as a providing a<br />
source of easy revenue, it is<br />
also a learning opportunity<br />
about outsourcing a design<br />
and working with a manufacturer<br />
to produce something<br />
she is proud to put her<br />
branding on.<br />
“It was a really good way<br />
to support the business with<br />
things that I don't have to<br />
make myself.”<br />
Like many creatives running<br />
a business doesn’t come<br />
easy for Teuila but she knows<br />
it’s a necessary evil.<br />
“I'm always trying to make<br />
things and when I'm in my<br />
creative flow, I'm good. And<br />
then I have to think about<br />
how to get my ideas out there<br />
and sell it, and this takes time<br />
away from the making. I even<br />
struggle with doing the social<br />
media part of business. I hate<br />
it. But you have to promote it<br />
and be consistent about it,”<br />
she says.<br />
Determined to make a<br />
serious go of her jewellery<br />
business, Teuila enrolled<br />
in Manaaki’s Vaka Pasifika<br />
Accelerator online business<br />
course along with 50 other<br />
small Pasifika start-ups across<br />
New Zealand.<br />
Every participant received<br />
$1000 towards business
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong> 25<br />
EXPLORING THE CREATIVES<br />
IN THE BUSINESS OF ART<br />
setup costs and Teuila was the<br />
winner of a $5000 prize for<br />
top student.<br />
“It was a programme about<br />
all aspects of running a small<br />
business, from how to use<br />
social media, to using technology<br />
to progress business and<br />
all the way through to looking<br />
at finances and taxes, things<br />
that I don't enjoy,” she laughs.<br />
“Now I’m trying to learn<br />
a little bit more about how<br />
to grow and how to use the<br />
business suites of Facebook<br />
and Instagram. Looking at<br />
the data and who's looking at<br />
your work and how to target<br />
an audience. It’s really not my<br />
thing, I just want to create but<br />
I know I have to be open to all<br />
these other possibilities too.”<br />
When she first set out on<br />
her jewellery making journey,<br />
Teuila was selling her pieces<br />
on her social media platforms<br />
and by word of mouth.<br />
Her online shop teuilafatupaito.co.nz,<br />
which she<br />
opened in2021, was made possible<br />
by the support of family<br />
and friends who pitched in to<br />
model the products, a close<br />
friend helped with the photography<br />
and another graphic<br />
designer friend helped with<br />
the branding, logo design and<br />
website setup.<br />
“I'm not big time so I didn't<br />
do anything flash. I just asked<br />
my friends and family and<br />
asked locally for help, and I<br />
was really happy with how<br />
things turned out.”<br />
The business has grown<br />
organically and at a pace that<br />
Teuila can manage as the<br />
sole ‘maker’.<br />
“It was very hard going into<br />
business. I always call it a hustle<br />
because you're always on<br />
the grind. I haven't been able<br />
to afford to pay myself yet fully<br />
but every cent gets invested<br />
back into buying tools and<br />
materials so I can continue to<br />
grow the business.”<br />
Starting the business<br />
meant giving up the certainty<br />
of paid work.<br />
“I knew I wouldn't be making<br />
money to start with and<br />
we're always encouraged to<br />
chase our dreams and do the<br />
things you love but how will<br />
we do it if we don't have the<br />
income supporting us? So, it<br />
was such a hard decision to<br />
make. But I came to a space<br />
where I thought maybe I'll<br />
succeed at it but if I don't do it,<br />
I’ll never know.”<br />
Growing up in Kirikiriroa<br />
Hamilton to Samoan parents,<br />
Teuila’s passion for the creative<br />
arts was hugely influenced by<br />
her mother and father.<br />
“My mother was always<br />
doing ceramics, flower<br />
arranging and decorating<br />
cakes, and my dad was always<br />
making things too. I didn’t<br />
really appreciate what they<br />
were doing at the time but it<br />
was just always around me.”<br />
She studied media arts at<br />
Wintec majoring in photography<br />
but painting, sculpture<br />
and installation were her<br />
great passions.<br />
“I’m still working in sculpture<br />
just on a smaller scale.”<br />
Learning about the business<br />
as she goes along, the<br />
largely self-taught jeweller<br />
knows there is a lot to learn.<br />
“I'm teaching myself how<br />
to do things and eventually I<br />
might look at going to jewellery<br />
school but for now this is<br />
working for me.”
Raukawa blesses<br />
South <strong>Waikato</strong> Trades<br />
Training Centre<br />
Raukawa kaumātua blessed the soonto-be<br />
opened $14 million South <strong>Waikato</strong><br />
Trades Training Centre in Tokoroa in a<br />
dawn ceremony recently and gave the<br />
building a new name Pūkenga Rau.<br />
Pūkenga derives from<br />
personal skill and ability<br />
development while Rau<br />
is a reference to the many<br />
people of South <strong>Waikato</strong> as<br />
well as rarau, the acquiring of<br />
Charlie Tepana (Raukawa Charitable Trust)<br />
left and Jarred Boon (TupuOra) co-ordinated<br />
the Pūkenga Rau blessing ceremony<br />
knowledge, and Raukawa, the<br />
people of the rohe.<br />
Speaking at the blessing,<br />
South <strong>Waikato</strong> Investment<br />
Fund Trust (SWIFT) chief<br />
executive Amanda Hema, who<br />
has overseen the development<br />
of the project, says the centre<br />
showcased the South <strong>Waikato</strong><br />
community’s dedication to education<br />
and training.<br />
Hema says the genesis of the<br />
centre was in 2007 when local<br />
engineers gathered to consider<br />
a collective response to staff<br />
shortages. The Waiariki Institute<br />
of Technology (today part<br />
of Toi Ohomai Te Pukenga)<br />
tailored a qualification and<br />
programme with equipment<br />
donated by businesses and<br />
the South <strong>Waikato</strong> District<br />
Council and local high schools<br />
providing students.<br />
Construction, carpentry<br />
and automotive industries followed<br />
suit, establishing pretrade<br />
courses as local qualifications<br />
in 2008. Impressed by<br />
these initiatives, the Ministry<br />
of Youth Development gave<br />
South <strong>Waikato</strong> District Council<br />
a national award for commitment<br />
to youth training and<br />
education in 2008.<br />
“Clearly those industry leaders<br />
recognised the power of<br />
collaboration and the potential<br />
of our local rangatahi and the<br />
pitch for government investment<br />
for the building began<br />
in 2018 when the Southern<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong> Economic Action Plan<br />
was developed.<br />
“Moving to today, the large<br />
workshops in the new centre<br />
reflect those sectors that partnered<br />
so early on with trade<br />
At Pūkenga Rau from left: Amanda Hema (SWIFT), Tuahu Watene(Ringa Hora), Manujon<br />
Pemerika (MBIE), Mayor Gary Petley and Paniora Daniels (SWDC)<br />
training in our district, but this<br />
wonderful facility will also cater<br />
beyond the trades. SWIFT is<br />
delighted that under the watch<br />
of Toi Ohomai Te Pukenga,<br />
opportunities for more training<br />
and broader educational offerings<br />
will be made available to<br />
our community.”<br />
Hema says Raukawa Charitable<br />
Trust and the South<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong> District Council had<br />
been powerful advocates for the<br />
facility and the Ministry of <strong>Business</strong><br />
Innovation and Employment’s<br />
Regional Economic<br />
Development and Investment<br />
Unit – Kanoa invested about<br />
$11 million in the development.<br />
Trust <strong>Waikato</strong> also partnered to<br />
fund the centre.<br />
Hema says SWIFT chair<br />
Stephen Veitch had, for the last<br />
two years, overseen much of<br />
the development, ensuring the<br />
building would meet community<br />
expectations, and she also<br />
acknowledged project managers<br />
Veros, builders Marra and<br />
designers DCA Architects.<br />
While Toi Ohomai Te<br />
Pukenga is the major tenant,<br />
Hema says SWIFT will also be<br />
housed in the new building and<br />
was calling for expressions of<br />
interest from other businesses.<br />
“We need to explore if there<br />
are organisations that want to<br />
base a team at Pukenga Rau<br />
or whether others are looking<br />
at a co-working model. The<br />
space has been designed so<br />
one tenant can have a separate<br />
90sqm area for a team of 10-12<br />
with shared facilities such as<br />
meetings rooms and a hospitality<br />
area. The rest will depend on<br />
who is interested. “<br />
Pūkenga Rau blessing ceremony
Rodney Stirling<br />
Rodney Stirling<br />
Stirling<br />
Rodney<br />
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WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong> 27<br />
Council renews award-winning<br />
transport contract<br />
An award-winning partnership<br />
agreement between Hamilton City<br />
Council and Downer NZ Ltd, established<br />
a decade ago, has been renewed for up<br />
to 10 more years.<br />
The joint venture agreement<br />
was among the<br />
first of its kind for local<br />
authorities in New Zealand in<br />
2013 and has since provided<br />
a model for other councils<br />
around the country. Two years<br />
after inception, the project<br />
claimed the national title for<br />
excellence in the maintenance<br />
and management of assets<br />
at the Civil Contractors New<br />
Zealand (CCNZ) awards.<br />
While the previous working<br />
name with Downer was<br />
‘Infrastructure Alliance’, they<br />
have begun to transition to<br />
new name ‘Connect Hamilton’<br />
to better represent the overall<br />
goal of the partnership.<br />
The partnership forms a<br />
joint team which is headed by<br />
a governance group with three<br />
executives from Downer and<br />
three senior council staff.<br />
The collaborative environment<br />
is designed to deliver<br />
savings for both parties, better<br />
co-ordination of works across<br />
the city and has resulted in<br />
significant cost savings in the<br />
maintenance and renewal of<br />
the city’s roading assets.<br />
Eeva-Liisa Wright, council’s<br />
executive director, infrastructure<br />
operations, says the<br />
renewed contract will have an<br />
initial value of around $200<br />
million over the first five years.<br />
“Each time this contract<br />
is up for renewal, our<br />
council carefully considers<br />
all options,” Wright says.<br />
“Downer has been an excellent<br />
partner alongside council,<br />
helping us ensure our<br />
city’s transport infrastructure<br />
is maintained and updated<br />
to meet and anticipate<br />
Hamiltonian’s needs.”<br />
Downer’s New Zealand<br />
country lead Craig West says<br />
Downer are proud to be continuing<br />
the long-standing<br />
relationship with the Hamilton<br />
City Council and the<br />
community through this new<br />
collaborative contract.<br />
“We’re committed to delivering<br />
a safe, reliable and sustainable<br />
roading network,<br />
and we’re excited about working<br />
with council to reach<br />
our shared carbon reduction<br />
targets while making<br />
this city greener and easy to<br />
get around.”<br />
Wright says ensuring<br />
Hamilton’s transport, parking<br />
and roading assets, operations<br />
and infrastructure are fit for<br />
purpose and future-focused<br />
is an integral part of delivering<br />
council’s transport strategy:<br />
Access Hamilton - Ara<br />
Kootuitui Kirikiriroa.<br />
“Being able to get around<br />
Hamilton easily using our<br />
transport network contributes<br />
to shaping a city that’s easy to<br />
live in, one where our people<br />
thrive and where they love to<br />
be,” Wright says.<br />
Wright adds the agreement<br />
between council and Downer<br />
aims to achieve ‘best value for<br />
money’, innovation and ‘best<br />
practice’ asset management<br />
for the city’s ratepayers.<br />
“This type of arrangement<br />
helps create greater efficiencies<br />
across the transportation<br />
WE ARE THE BEST<br />
Council’s chief executive Lance Vervoort, Downer New Zealand country lead Craig<br />
West and Council’s executive director infrastructure operations Eeva-Liisa Wright<br />
network, has shared goals and<br />
objectives between council<br />
and Downer, and better cost<br />
transparency. It also enables<br />
us to respond more flexibly to<br />
what’s needed and when.<br />
“We have a thriving city<br />
and we need to ensure our<br />
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core infrastructure and provision<br />
Hamilton City Council and<br />
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the current and future years initially, with the option<br />
needs of our city, while for two further extensions<br />
enhancing the wellbeing of of three years and then two<br />
our communities.”<br />
years respectively, to a maximum<br />
The Collaborative Corridor<br />
of 10 years, based<br />
Agreement (CCA) between on performance.<br />
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28 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong><br />
Market gardener winning from the ground up<br />
For <strong>Waikato</strong> organic farmer Brittany<br />
Stembridge, the key to producing<br />
the best tasting vegetables with low<br />
environmental impact is all in the soil.<br />
Recently winning the<br />
Organic NZ Emerging<br />
Leader of the Year<br />
award at the Organic NZ<br />
Awards is validation for the<br />
hard work she has put into<br />
making her business Tomtit<br />
Farm a success.<br />
“The award recognises<br />
somebody working in an<br />
inspiring leadership role in the<br />
New Zealand organics/kai atua<br />
sector with under five years’<br />
experience, and this year there<br />
was a particular emphasis on<br />
environmental protection and<br />
leading the way to mitigate climate<br />
change, and build a just<br />
society in harmony with nature<br />
and the planet. So that’s what<br />
we took away this year, which<br />
is really cool.”<br />
Being certified organic<br />
Brit says is all in the health<br />
of the soil and coming from a<br />
background of nutrition, she<br />
likes to think of the soil like a<br />
human stomach.<br />
“Our number one goal is to<br />
have really healthy living soil.<br />
For example, when a person<br />
has a diverse variety of foods<br />
in their diet with lots of different<br />
colours and different vegetables<br />
they build and fuel a<br />
healthy gut microbiome, and<br />
this results in a healthy person.<br />
It’s the same with the soil – if<br />
you have lots of different plants<br />
growing on the top of the soil,<br />
you’re going to build more<br />
life and diversity underneath<br />
the soil. So essentially we are<br />
building a living ecosystem in<br />
the soil, which builds healthy<br />
plants above the soil.” she says.<br />
Located in Matangi, just<br />
ten minutes out of Kirikiriroa,<br />
Hamilton, Tomtit Farm is the<br />
veggie patch Brit and her husband<br />
James created in 2019.<br />
Having worked in nutrition<br />
for many years, Brit was<br />
keen to use her knowledge in<br />
a way that would have more<br />
influence on people’s health<br />
and wellbeing.<br />
“I had been working in<br />
health research, and I wanted<br />
to make an impact at that grassroots<br />
level with my nutrition.”<br />
The opportunity to utilise a<br />
hectare of land on Brit’s parents’<br />
lifestyle block was the<br />
kickstart to their market gardening<br />
enterprise.<br />
“We thought – why don’t<br />
we have a go at growing good<br />
quality sustainable food. If<br />
we can get a few people to eat<br />
some local, healthy food that’s<br />
probably more than I can ever<br />
achieve in my whole life by just<br />
telling people,” she laughs.<br />
With the good life beckoning,<br />
the couple upped<br />
sticks from Auckland, found<br />
work in Hamilton and<br />
began gardening.<br />
For Brit this meant a part<br />
time job at <strong>Waikato</strong> University<br />
so she could put time into<br />
developing the garden, while<br />
James found full time work<br />
in Agri-banking utilising his<br />
financial skills in the business.<br />
I found it really<br />
hard to focus on<br />
my other job as<br />
well when all I<br />
wanted to do was<br />
be outside on the<br />
garden<br />
“It was quite full on, trying<br />
to do a job and run a farm at the<br />
same time. We had to be quite<br />
smart about the way we set the<br />
business model up.”<br />
The farm offers harvest<br />
boxes of seasonal vegetables.<br />
Customers can choose to order<br />
weekly, fortnightly or for the<br />
season with a seasonal community<br />
supported agriculture<br />
(CSA) subscription.<br />
“We’ve always run it as a<br />
subscription base/veggie harvest<br />
of the week model because<br />
when we first started it was just<br />
me and I was still working part<br />
time. I didn’t have time to go to<br />
markets on the weekend.”<br />
Little did they know<br />
that the Covid pandemic<br />
was just around the corner<br />
when they first started and<br />
what this would mean for<br />
online businesses.<br />
“When Covid hit, it was kind<br />
of good timing because everybody<br />
slowed down. We were<br />
already set up online. It was<br />
good and bad because we were<br />
so small and new to growing,<br />
and we had so much attention<br />
and not enough food to feed all<br />
of the families who wanted to<br />
support us. Not that it’s a bad<br />
thing. We got our name out<br />
there and just did our best at<br />
the time.”<br />
At the end of 2020, Brit<br />
gave up her job at the university<br />
and went full time in<br />
the garden.<br />
“I found it really hard to<br />
focus on my other job when all I<br />
wanted to do was be outside in<br />
the garden. And it’s been really<br />
awesome working full time in<br />
the garden every day. I feel very<br />
lucky to have that opportunity.<br />
Don’t get me wrong when<br />
it’s raining and freezing cold,<br />
I am so envious of everybody<br />
inside,” she laughs.<br />
Sticking with the CSA<br />
model, Tomtit Farms has<br />
organically grown since Covid<br />
put some wind in their sails.<br />
The model is an important<br />
part of the young farmer’s<br />
ethos; it’s a way for Brit and<br />
James to build meaningful<br />
relationships with their customers<br />
that go beyond a basic<br />
sales’ transaction.<br />
Tomtit Farm customers<br />
commit to purchasing a season’s<br />
subscription; where they<br />
are investing in the farm for<br />
the upcoming season, and in<br />
return they receive a share of<br />
the harvest each week.<br />
“This is a way the community<br />
can get behind and support<br />
their local farmer and local<br />
food system. Throughout the<br />
ups and downs of the season<br />
without any price fluctuations.<br />
Ensuring the farmer gets a fair<br />
price for the food they grow and<br />
allowing the farmer to focus on<br />
growing good quality food for<br />
families in their community.”<br />
Building those relationships<br />
with customers includes more<br />
than just selling them vegetables,<br />
Brit also has set up a Facebook<br />
community page to sell<br />
seedlings, share gardening tips<br />
and recipe ideas.<br />
“We’re trying to build that<br />
real community around food.<br />
Building confidence in cooking<br />
with seasonal vegetables, and<br />
just thinking outside the box<br />
and having fun when it comes<br />
to food.”<br />
As well as selling organic<br />
vegetables, herbs, salad greens<br />
and micro-greens, they also<br />
sell flowers and hold Pick Your<br />
Own Flowers’ days which usually<br />
run from December – May.<br />
“On our PYO flowers days,<br />
all you can hear is laughter,<br />
people enjoy being amongst<br />
nature. The rows of flowers are<br />
nestled amongst the vegetables<br />
to show how everything is<br />
grown and providing an opportunity<br />
for people to think about<br />
where their food comes from.”<br />
Produce is also available<br />
at their farm fridge at 165c<br />
Matangi Road at the Front Paddock<br />
Cafe.<br />
They also deliver locally to<br />
Hamilton, Matangi, Tamahere,<br />
Cambridge and Te Awamutu<br />
on Tuesdays.<br />
Check out what the<br />
farm has to offer at<br />
www.tomtitfarm.com.
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong> 29<br />
No matter the property<br />
We’ve got you covered.<br />
Hamilton’s No.1 Real Estate Team<br />
LODGE.CO.NZ
Event promotes<br />
Hi-Vis to girls<br />
Sophie Hulme, Jaide Snapes and Bianca<br />
Stomp, Hamilton Girls High being fitted<br />
with a line mechanic harness.<br />
Hundreds of female secondary school<br />
students from throughout the country<br />
have just had a taste of a career in<br />
infrastructure – and they’ve loved it.<br />
The month-long series<br />
of Girls with Hi-Vis<br />
(GWHV) events is held<br />
annually and Connexus - Te<br />
Pūkenga executive director<br />
Kaarin Gaukrodger says the<br />
infrastructure industry keeps<br />
New Zealand moving - roads<br />
need replacing, water pipes<br />
and systems upgrading, power<br />
lines maintained and faster<br />
broadband technology needs<br />
installing – and the skills<br />
required to deliver the future<br />
face of infrastructure continues<br />
to grow.<br />
“These skillsets are in high<br />
demand, particularly with the<br />
current challenges to help get<br />
the country back on track after<br />
the recent storms and flooding<br />
that has hit nationwide.”<br />
GWHV showcased the<br />
day-to-day roles of those<br />
tradespeople keeping our<br />
communities connected and<br />
provides an understanding of<br />
the career opportunities within<br />
their local community within<br />
Jaide Snapes, Hamilton Girls<br />
High being shown how to add<br />
insulation onto a cable.<br />
infrastructure’s civil, energy,<br />
telecommunications and<br />
water industries.<br />
Kaarin says GWHV is a<br />
key driver to attracting more<br />
young women to what is a male<br />
dominated industry.<br />
“If we are to effectively<br />
address critical skills shortages<br />
within infrastructure<br />
industries, and meet the future<br />
needs of our communities, it<br />
is clear we must be more visible<br />
precisely where and when<br />
young people are making crucial<br />
career decisions. And<br />
that’s where Girls with Hi-Vis<br />
comes in.”<br />
Throughout the month of<br />
<strong>June</strong> worksites around the<br />
country become a learning<br />
ground to encourage more<br />
young women to begin a career<br />
in infrastructure.<br />
The students have donned<br />
hi-vis vests and done it all from<br />
driving diggers and trucks,<br />
to climbing power poles and<br />
checking out some of New<br />
Zealand’s largest energy generating<br />
assets.<br />
A group of Hamilton Girls’<br />
High School students had a<br />
taste of what a day on the job<br />
is all about at WEL Networks.<br />
Hamilton Girls’ students<br />
Jaide Snapes, Keilani Hadfield<br />
and Sophie Hulme all took part<br />
in the experience and loved the<br />
idea of a career that takes them<br />
out of the office.<br />
“It (a career in infrastructure)<br />
didn’t interest me before<br />
but coming here has given me<br />
more of a visual idea of what<br />
it’s about. It was really practical<br />
and hands on,” Jaide says.<br />
“I really like seeing all the<br />
different things you can do<br />
and the things you learn from<br />
the job - and that you can earn<br />
while you learn. Today has<br />
been very eventful and really<br />
interesting to see all the activities<br />
that make up the trade,”<br />
Keilani says.<br />
“I don’t want to sit behind<br />
a desk all day. I’d get really<br />
bored. I have family members<br />
who work in this industry so<br />
it seems like a really good idea<br />
to me.<br />
“I think GWHV helped<br />
me realise this is something I<br />
really want to do. It does really<br />
Jaide Snapes and Sophie Hulme, Hamilton Girls High being shown<br />
how to work together to connect electrical wire at the top of a pole.<br />
interest me,” Sophie says.<br />
WEL Networks organisational<br />
development/HR advisor<br />
Kayleen von Keisenberg<br />
says supporting initiatives<br />
like GWHV is a great way<br />
of encouraging females into<br />
the industry.<br />
“We’ve had some great wins<br />
and we are taking big steps,<br />
working towards achieving our<br />
Gender Tick.”<br />
The Hamilton event was<br />
attended by the Hon Nanaia<br />
Mahuta who says the chance to<br />
learn about career opportunities<br />
in traditionally male dominated<br />
industries is a chance to<br />
break down barriers and show<br />
other young women who are<br />
successful in the energy sector.<br />
“I’m delighted that more<br />
effort is going into promote<br />
trades training it’s certainly a<br />
valid pathway supported by<br />
the government.”<br />
For the first time this year<br />
some of the GWHV events<br />
incorporated the construction<br />
industry with BCITO - Te<br />
Pūkenga, the construction<br />
training provider and Earn-<br />
Learn - Te Pūkenga who cover<br />
specialist trades such as scaffolding,<br />
plumbing, gasfitting<br />
and drainlaying, and electrical.<br />
The employers within these<br />
industries are also looking to<br />
attract more trainees and see<br />
the GWHV events as a great<br />
opportunity to do this.<br />
The infrastructure industry<br />
is leading the way when it<br />
comes to employing women<br />
in what has traditionally been<br />
a male-dominated sector, last<br />
Our team<br />
DESIGNER<br />
Kelly Gillespie<br />
kelly@dpmedia.co.nz<br />
DESIGNER<br />
Warren Gilberston<br />
design@dpmedia.co.nz<br />
EDITORIAL<br />
Janine Jackson<br />
editor@dpmedia.co.nz<br />
ADVERTISING<br />
MANAGER<br />
Joanne Poole<br />
Ph: (07) 838 1333<br />
Mob: (021) 507 991<br />
joanne@dpmedia.co.nz<br />
year proudly reaching a target<br />
figure of 10% of women<br />
trainees in the industry. This<br />
has been a steady build on 11<br />
years ago when 3% of trainees<br />
were women.<br />
PUBLISHER<br />
Deidre Morris<br />
Ph: (07) 838 1333<br />
Mob: 027 228 8442<br />
deidre@dpmedia.co.nz<br />
•••<br />
STUDIO<br />
Copy/Proofs:<br />
studio@dpmedia.co.nz<br />
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Ph: (07) 838 1333<br />
www.wbn.co.nz<br />
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www.dpmedia.co.nz
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JUNE/JULY <strong>2023</strong> 31<br />
www.interaconz.org.nz<br />
www.visually.co.nz<br />
VISUAL COMMUNICATION<br />
Interaconz is a charity with its roots (1967) firmly in the disability sector where we help people<br />
plan their best life, and live their best life—however they visualise that. Our visual planning service<br />
has grown from these roots and flourished into helping others create graphic business roadmaps.<br />
Parcipants acvely engage with our Visual Communicaon process. It’s fun. It’s creave. People are<br />
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When you employ us, you are helping the people we serve and making a posive difference to our<br />
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“Fosters have good people<br />
at all levels, from the<br />
person who coordinates<br />
the design documentation,<br />
through to the in-house<br />
project manager and the<br />
foreman. We all share<br />
similar values – building<br />
a good project and<br />
executing it well.”<br />
David Chafer, Chalmers Properrties<br />
David Chafer sums up his company’s ongoing relationship<br />
with Fosters in one sentence: “We’ve got a good thing<br />
going.”<br />
David is the general manager of property investment and<br />
development company Chalmers Properties, which owns<br />
$600 million worth of property around Aotearoa.<br />
Based on the success of a past collaboration, the<br />
company engaged Fosters again to execute the design<br />
and build of a new 2700m² warehouse project at<br />
Hamilton’s Te Rapa Gateway.<br />
The warehouse was purpose built for IAG, which owns<br />
multiple New Zealand insurance brands, to contain a<br />
high-tech in-house motor vehicle repair facility. It was<br />
completed in 2022.<br />
“Fosters are really good to help at the front end of a<br />
possible project with cost estimations and input and then<br />
through the next phases of the project – documentation,<br />
tendering and the build,” David said.<br />
“They have good people at all levels, from the person<br />
who coordinates the design documentation, through to<br />
the in-house project manager and the foreman. We<br />
all share similar values – building a good project and<br />
executing it well.”<br />
With its innovative design, sleek office spaces and high<br />
quality finish, the new Repairhub impressed not only<br />
David and his company, but the judges at the 2022<br />
Property Council New Zealand Rider Levett Bucknall<br />
Property Industry Awards.<br />
The project was awarded merit in the Industrial Property<br />
Award category, following an assessment of its design,<br />
construction and sustainability features, how it tracked<br />
against financial estimates, and owner and user<br />
satisfaction.<br />
Property Council chief executive Leonie Freeman said the<br />
awards showcased what could happen “when you marry<br />
courageous vision with the can-do attitude of passionate<br />
people”.<br />
Following that success, Chalmers Properties had no<br />
hesitation in signing Fosters again.<br />
“The execution’s just easy from a client’s perspective,”<br />
David said. “That’s why we’ve played forward with<br />
them; they’re just completing two far larger projects with<br />
construction value of $19 million and they recently started<br />
another two warehouses for us.<br />
“That’s confirmation we find them great to work with.”<br />
FOSTERS.CO.NZ 07 849 3849